truth defended. or, certain accusations answered, cast upon us who are called quakers; by the teachers of the world, and the people of this generation. with a cleare discovery, who are the false prophets, and when they came in. and who they are that deny christ, and that preach another gospel. and who deny the scriptures, churches, ministers, and magistrates, whereby the magistrates and people of this nation may see they justifie that which the scripture condemns, and condemne that which the holy men of god justified. / by a servant of the lord, whose name in the flesh is, edward burrough. burrough, edward, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (thomason e _ ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing b thomason e _ estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; :e [ ]) truth defended. or, certain accusations answered, cast upon us who are called quakers; by the teachers of the world, and the people of this generation. with a cleare discovery, who are the false prophets, and when they came in. and who they are that deny christ, and that preach another gospel. and who deny the scriptures, churches, ministers, and magistrates, whereby the magistrates and people of this nation may see they justifie that which the scripture condemns, and condemne that which the holy men of god justified. / by a servant of the lord, whose name in the flesh is, edward burrough. burrough, edward, - . howgill, francis, - . , [ ] p. s.n., [london : ] imprint from wing. with a prefatory epistle signed: francis howgill. annotation on thomason copy: "aug: ". reproduction of the original in the british library. eng truthfulness and falsehood -- early works to . quakers -- early works to . a r (thomason e _ ). civilwar no truth defended. or, certain accusations answered, cast upon us who are called quakers;: by the teachers of the world, and the people of thi burrough, edward d the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the d category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - jason colman sampled and proofread - jason colman text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion truth defended . or , certain accusations answered , cast upon us who are called quakers ; by the teachers of the world , and the people of this generation . with a cleare discovery , who are the false prophets , and when they came in . and who they are that deny christ , and that preach another gospel . and who deny the scriptures , churches , ministers , and magistrates , whereby the magistrates and people of this nation may see they justifie that which the scripture condemns , and condemne that which the holy men of god justified . by a servant of the lord , whose name in the flesh is , edward burrough . the epistle . to all you who call your selves ministers of the gospel , and all people in all relations under what forme of worship soever in england , or in all the world , who professe your selves christians . the mighty day of the lord is come , according as he promised of old , and this day is witnessed , wherein he is establishing his mountaine , and exalting it above all mountaines , and is gathering his people which have been scattered in the darke and long night of apostacy , which christ and his apostles saw comming into the churches then , and hath had dominion long over the world , and hath raigned till now , and raignes now in all the professors in all formes every where . but now the time is come wherein the kingdomes of the world are become the kingdome of the lord and of his christ , and thousands witnesse it , to the prayse of his everlasting name . and therefore the nations are angry , and the princes of the earth , because michael our prince is arisen to pleade with all who make warre against him . and now herod and pilate ▪ and all ierusalem are in an uproare , and ammon ▪ and amaleck ▪ and the egyptians , and the philistines are joyned now against him . and all you who live in formes , and know not the power ▪ doe now persecute and joyne your selves together , being in the same nature as the persecuters of old , which ▪ were borne after the flesh . and now you sonnes of bondage ▪ and of hagar are to be cast out ▪ and now you are all made manifest that you are in the flesh , for all your bowes are bent , and all your arrowes are shot at a people which are counted by you as the filth of the world , and as the off-scouring of all things , whom the world calls quakers , in whose foreheads is written the name of the living god ; and unto you i say that make warre against them , and now take part with the dragon against the lambe , you shall all drinke of the cup of fury and indignation of the lord . and unto the living god , who is holy and jealous for his owne glory and his name , which hath manifested his minde and will by his eternall spirit unto us , shall you all bow and stoope . for now the lord hath rent the vayle of the covering which hath beene spread over all the nations in all professions , and you are all seen by the eternall eye which is opened in thousands , even all , from the highest to the lowest , who have stolen and painted your selves with other mens words . and all your images which you have set up , and all your traditions from men in which you have walked , are all seene to be stubble , and will not abide in the day of the lord ▪ and all your churches which you have gathered together by imitation from the letter , shall all be scattered ; and there you all are , for you all deny revelation , and say it is ceased ; and so you call the letter , the light , and the word ; but with that which was before the scripture , you are seen and judged , even with that which shall endure for ever . and seeing you have cast reproach upon the name of the god of heaven and earth , whom we worship , and which you call delusion . for the truths sake are we moved to lay open your nakednesse , that you may be judged by that which you say is your rule : here in this little booke , thou who hast any honesty in thee , or any desire of truth ▪ and wilt search the scripture , thou wilt see , that all the teachers of the world in all formes , and all professors ever cryed out ( who had but the forme ) against them who had the life and power , as you all doe now against them who worship god in the spirit , and have no confidence in the flesh . and therefore , in this following discourse , which is wretten by the same spirit that gave forth the scripture , thou shalt see who are the false prophets , and who they are that preach another gospel , and who they are that deny the scriptures . and thou may see when the false prophets came in , and who they are clearely proved to be , by their owne rules . and all you who call your selves magistrates and christians , you may see your selves to hold up that which christ , the prophets and apostles cryed out against , and persecute them who stand in the counsell of god , and them that declare against all the deceipt as the holy men of god did . and so you are the beast , which holds up the false prophets , and th●se whom the scripture declareth against . god is arisen , to dash to pieces all them who withstand him : and therefore come out of babylon , and out of all your painted formes , and come to own the first principle ▪ which will change your mindes , even the light of christ , which he hath enlightened every one withall ; and by it you shall see what you are doing . now if you deny this , you deny the corner stone , and you stumble , and shall be broken ; and by that which you call naturall , shall all your image of gold and silver , and all your mixed invented worship be dashed to peeces ▪ and be for the pit : therefore all be silent , and speake not evill of th●se things you know not ; for now you are all seen , you who say you are iewes , and are not , but are of the synagogue of satan , and your voyce is knowne , for none is turned from the evill of his way ; and therefore is wrath comming upon you to the utmost , a lover of your soules , but am a witnesse against all your deceipt . francis howgill . whereas we are accused by the teachers and people of this generation ▪ that we are false prophets , and deceivers , and that we deny the christ which dyed at ierusalem ; and that we preach another gospel then the apostles preached ; and that we deny the scriptures , and the ordinances of iesus christ ; and that we hold free-will , and establish selfe-righteousnesse , and teach people to act in their owne strength to obtaine life ; and that we deny churches , ministers , and magistracy . to these false accusations , i answer ▪ it is no new thing nor no strange thing to the children of light , who are seperated from the world , and worldly worships , and from the works of darkenesse , to be accused falsely , and to be slandered , by being called deceivers , and seducers , by the generation of chiefe priests and pharisees ; in which generation are the teachers and professors of this age , who have a forme of godlinesse , but deny the power . christ was called a deceiver , and a blasphemer ; and the apostles were called , movers of sedition , heretiques , and turners of the world upside downe , by them who professed in word what christ was in substance , and what the apostles witnessed , and so it is now . we who are scornefully called quakers , doe live in , and declare forth no other thing but the substance of what the priests have preached upon , and the professors have talked upon in their carnall mindes by their imaginations . he is a false prophet , and a deceiver , which hath not the word from the mouth of the lord , but takes that which the lord spoke to another , and calls it his , and useth his tongue , and saith , the lord saith it , when the lord never spoke to him . and here are the teachers of the world themselves , guilty of that , whereof they falsely accuse us ; for they take the prophets words ▪ christs ▪ and the apostles words to talke upon , but have not received the word from the mouth of the lord ; and their prophesie and preaching would soon be ended , if they had not the scripture , which is other mens words , and that which was spoken to others , to speake their imaginations from . and these are the false prophets , and deceivers , which runne , and are not sent , which speake to others , pretending to be sent of god , but walking contrary to all that ever god sent to declare his name in former generations , and so are knowne to us by their fruits , having no example from the prophets , christ , nor his apostles for their practice ; but doe walke in the example of the false prophets of israel , of the scribes and pharisces , and of the false brethren . o foolish people , which have eyes and see not , which have hearts , and doe not understand : is the lord changed from what he was ? were they false prophets and deceivers in isayahs time ▪ which he was sent to cry out against , which sought for their gaine from their quarter ? and are not your teachers false prophets now which act the same things ? were they false prophets and deceivers in ezekiels time , which he was sent to cry against , that fed themselves with the fat , and cloathed themselves with the wooll , and made a prey upon the people ? and are not your teachers false prophets and deceivers now , which act the same thing ? were they false prophets in michas time , which he was sent to cry out against , which preached for hire , and devined for money , and cryed peace to them that put into their mouthes , but prepared war against them that did not ? and are not your priests false priests and prophets which act the same things ? were they deceivers of the people in christs time which he cryed woe against which were called of men masters , and which had the chiefe place in the assemblyes , and which stood praying in the synagogues , and which went in long robes , and which loved greetings in the markets ? and are not your teachers deceivers of the people now , which are found acting the same things ? were they false teachers ▪ and false brethren in the apostles time , which they declared against , which through covetousnesse , with fained words made merchandise of the people , and went in the way of balaam for gifts and rewards , and preached for filthy lucre , and which paul saw come & comming in his dayes , which were proud men ▪ coveteous men , selfe-willed , and fierce men , heady , high minded men , having a forme of godlinesse , but denying the power ▪ which alwayes taught people , but none were able to come to the knowledge of the truth under their teaching ? and are not your teachers false teachers now , which are walking in the same steps ? to the light in all consciences i doe speake , which will witnes the truth . a sottish and ignorant people , which cannot discerne who the false prophets , and deceivers , and false teachers are ; the lord is the same as ever he was , and his spirit is no whi● changed : was it once an abomination to the lord in the false priests and prophets of israel to seek for their gaine from their quarter , and to feed themselves with the fat , and cloathe themselves with the wooll , and make a prey upon the people , and to preach for hire , and to divine for money ? and are not these things , and they that uphold them abomination to him now ? did the spirit of the lord in his servants declare against these things then , and against them that upheld them then ? and must not the same spirit where it is made manifest , declare against these things , and against them that uphold them now ? was it once an abomination in the sight of christ in them to be called of men master , and to have the chiefe places in the assemblyes , and to stand praying in the synagogues , &c. and are not these things an abomination to him now in whom they are upheld ? did christ cry woe against such things , and against them that upheld them then ? and must not the spirit of christ where it is made manifest , cry woe against such things , and against them that uphold them now ? were these markes of false teachers then , to make merchandise of the people , and to goe in the way of balaam for gifts and rewards , and for filthy lucre , and to be proud ▪ coveteous heady , high-minded , selfe-willed , and fierce men ? and are not they false teachers now which beare these markes . did the apostles give warning to beware of such , and to turne away from such then ? and must not the same spirit , where it is made manifest , give warning to beware of such , and to turne away from such now ? we witnes to have received according to measure , the spirit of the prophets from which they spoke ▪ and the spirit of the apostles from which they spoke , which is christ made manifest in us , and happy are all they that receive our testimony . for by the same spirit of christ doe we declare against these abominations now , as the holy men of god did then : for god and his spirit is the same as ever was , and what he once hated , he hates for ever ; and no other christ doe we declare forth which we witnes to be made manifest within , but that christ which dyed at jerusalem , which suffered by the chiefe priests and elders of the people ; he was , and is the true christ , which said , he was the light of the world , and was the light which had enlightened every one that comes into the world ; and which said , except a man would deny the world and take up his dayly crosse , and follow him , he could not be his disciple ; and which cryed woe against them which were called of men masters , and that had the chiefe places in the assemblyes , and that stood praying in the synagogues , &c. and they who denyed him to be the light of the world and which took not up the crosse , and which were called of men masters ▪ and had the chiefest places in the assemblyes , and stood praying in the synagogues , and went in long robes these were anti-christs ▪ and were acted by a contrary spirit then the true christ and here againe , i charge all the teachers and people ( in the presence of the lord god , who doe deny christ to be the light in every one which reproves for sin ) and who are called of men masters , and stand praying in the synagogues , and goe in long robes ▪ and who uphold such things , and who take not up the dayly crosse of christ , but live at liberty in their wills and desires , that they are anti-christs , and that their spirit is not the spirit of the true christ which dyed at jerusalem , but the spirit of a false christ , and so they are guilty of that themselves , whereof they falsely accuse us ; and the same christ doe we witnes which the saints of old witnessed ▪ whose blood cleansed them from all sin ▪ and in whose power , they had power over sin , death , and hell : and here again i charge the teachers and people , who say that the saints must not be cleansed from sin , nor cease to commit sin while they are on the earth , that the christ which they possesse , is not the christ which dyed at jerusalem , but a spirit contrary , and not the christ which the saints witnessed ; and all the people are blinde which cannot see these things did the true christ once say . he was the light of the world , of every man that comes into the world ? and is that his spirit in the teachers and professors now , which saith every man hath not the light of christ in them ? was that the true christ which said , except you take up my crosse dayly you cannot be my disciple ? and is that his spirit in the teachers and people , that hath its liberty , and live in pride , in lust , and in vanity , and their own vvills ? was that the true christ which cryed woe against them that were called of men master , and that had the chiefe place in the assemblyes , and stood praying in the synagogues , &c. and is that his spirit in the teachers and people which act and uphold those things ? was that the true christ which the saints witnessed , by whose blood they were cleansed from sin , and had power over sin ? and is that his spirit in the teachers and people , which saith , the saints must not be cleansed from sin , nor cease to commit sin while they are on earth ? oh blinde and ignorant people , who cannot discerne between the true christ , and anti-christ , which is contrary to christ , and which leades now to act , and speak contrary to what the true christ once acted and spoake . and no other gospel do we preach , but that which the apostle preached , which they received not from , nor by man , but by the revelation of jesus christ , which was contrary to man , and which suffered by man for the preaching of it , who preached to the spirit in prison , to redeeme the captives , and by which the fleshly man was judged in the flesh , that man might live according to god in spirit . and this gospel we witnes to have received not from man , but by the revelation of iesus christ , which is contrary to man ; for which we are persecuted and suffer by man : neither doe we speake to the wisedome and reason , but we preach to the spirits in prison , that the fleshly man may be judged in the flesh , that man may live according to god in the spirit ▪ this will many witnes with us , that by the preaching of our gospel , liberty is brought to the captives , and the fleshly man is judged , and the spirit which was in prison is set free . and here again i charge the teachers of this generation , that their gospel which they preach is not the gospel which the saints preached , but another gospel , and they are guilty of that themselves , whereof they falsely accuse us ; for they have received their gospel from man , and by man from the printers and stationers ; and are made ministers of it by the will of man at schooles and vniversities ; and their preaching is in the will of man ▪ a limited time and place ; neither doe they suffer by man , but are set up with man , and seed the wisedome and reason of man ; and the fleshly man is not judged , nor the captives redeemed by their gospel which they preach ; here they are accursed which preach another gospel according to the scripture . and ye are a blinde and ignorant people , which cannot see these things . did they that preached the true gospel receive it contrary to the will of man ? and can it now be received by the will of man ? did they which preached it , suffer for it by man ? and can they now who preach it be set up by man , who lives in the same persecuting nature ? did the true gospel once judge the fleshly man , and leade to live according to god in the spirit ? and do●h it now give liberty to the fleshly man to live after the flesh in the lusts of it , as the teachers and professors of this generation doe , who profes the gospel , but are discovered not to be come to the law ? and the scriptures we own to be a true declaration of the life which they lived in which spoke them forth , and by the same spirit from which they were spoken ( which we have received ) doe we set to our seales that they are true , and the scripture is ours , who walke in the life of it ; proud men spoke it not forth , nor they that sought for their gaine from their quarter ; nor they that preached for hire ; nor they that were called of men master ; but persecuted them that spoke it forth , and denyed it . and here againe i charge it upon the teachers and professors of this generation , that they deny the scripture , and are guilty of that themselves , whereof they falsely accuse us . for they say , none must be perfect upon the earth ; when as the scripture declares of such as were perfect . and they say , none must be free from sinne , when as the scripture declares of such , as were free from sinne , and were the servants of righteousnesse . they say , christ hath not enlightened every one ; the scripture saith , he is the light of the world , and hath lightened every one &c. can they now who live in the same persecuting nature , and walke in the same steps as they did which persecuted them who spoke forth the scripture ( as the teachers and people doe ) owne the scriptures in truth ? their professing of the scripture is as theirs was , which made a great profession of it in the outward appearance , but put him to death who had the life , and was the substance of it . they then , as the teachers of the world , doe now , denyed the spirit and life , which gave forth the scriptures . and the ordinances of jesus christ we owne and witnesse , preaching , praying ▪ baptisme , communion , singing , and whatsoever was ordained for his saints , to practice in life and power ; we witnesse these things in the eternall substance , having passed through the earthly figures , which was but to stand for its time ; by the eternall have we been led , by the command of it within us , and not by tradition , from the scripture without us . and we deny all such who have taken up these things in their owne wills , by conforming the outward man to the outward letter , and have not entered in at the doore . true preaching we owne , and doe witnesse it , which is the crosse of christ , and in the power of god , and it is foolishnesse to the world , and its wisedome now , as ever it was ; and we deny all speaking of imaginations from scripture ▪ which is in the wisedome of the world , and which stands in the will of man , limitted to a set time , or day ▪ or place . prayer by the spirit , and in the spirit we owne and witnesse , whi●h is not limitted to a time and place . and we deny all the worlds formall customary preaching , and praying for a pretence . baptisme we owne , and witnesse , wich is with one spirit , into one body , into the death of christ . and we deny all baptismes which are imagined and immitated by conforming the outward man to the outward letter , which is but a likenesse of the true baptisme communion we live in , which is in the light by the spirit , which will endure eternally . and we deny the worlds imitation , which is in word and declaration ▪ and visible carnall things which will passe away . singing which is with the spirit , and with understanding of the redeemed of the lord , we owne and witnesse : but the worlds singing in rime and meeter ; proud men singing , that they are not pufe in minde ; and prophane men singing ▪ that the law of god is deare to them ; this singing we deny , for it must be turned into howling , the lord hath said it . and here againe i charge it upon the teachers of the world , that they deny the substance and power of what christ commands his saints to practice by , upholding their owne imitations , and so deceiving the simple : but where the substance is witnessed , the figure is indeed , and the false imitations are discovered , and denyed . and mans free-will we doe deny , for the will of man shall never enter to god , but leades out from god into the lust , and into the flesh , and keeps in the power of the devill : and man hath free will unto that which is evill , but not to that which is good ; and all who follow christ , the light of the world , must deny their owne wills , and take up the crosse of christ which is to the will , and walke in the light contrary to the will , in the straite way which leades unto life , which is out of the will of man in the will of god , which the will of man doth resist and oppose . and i charge it upon the teachers and professors who doe not witnesse the dayly crosse of christ , that they live in their owne free-will , and holds it up , and are led by it into pride and covetousnesse , and the lusts of the flesh which stand in the will . and here they are guilty of that themselves whereof they falsely accuse us , living in their owne free-will , and walke not in the dayly crosse of christ . and selfe-righteousnesse we have denyed , and have seen it in the same light which isayah did to be as filthy raggs ; and we declare against it ▪ and against them which live in it ; for selfe must not be saved ▪ it is accursed from god , it is wholly unrighteous ( and makes the best of actions so ) and is ▪ and must be cast out from god christ jesus made manifest and revealed in us , is our righteousnesse , and selfe is judged and condemned by him who is made unto us righteousnesse ; nei●her doe we teach people to labour in their owne strength to obtaine life ▪ but doe direct people to the light of christ within them , which walking in ▪ will be strength to them to leade them to life , the light which is of christ , to which we direct all to waite in to be taught by ; it will leade out of selfe-righteousnesse , and from under the power of selfe , to witnesse the power of god , to leade , and to act , and to witnesse christ jesus revealed the righteousnesse of god and the church which is in god , which is the body of christ whereof christ is head , we witnesse ▪ and are members of it , gathered and joyned by the eternall spirit , and not by tradition in the wisedome of man . and we deny all the vvorlds churches whereof they were made members by , by visible things without , and were gathered by tradition ▪ whereof the serpent is head , and not christ , and which is the body of anti-christ , some of whom commit idolatry in an idols temple : and the ministry of this church we deny , for it stands in the will of man ▪ and the ministers of it are such as all the servants of the lord witnessed against ; the churches the ministry , and the ministers , are contrary to god ; but the ministry which is to the seed ▪ which is out of the will of man , we owne and witnesse , which ministers life unto life , and death unto death , and divides the word aright , judgement to the fat , and to the strong ; and feeds the hungry , and looseth the bands of wickednesse , and breaks not the bruised reed , nor quenches the smoaking flax ; this ministry we deny not , but are friends unto it ; and who are ministers here ▪ we have union withall ; but proud men and such as are called of men master , are cast out of this ministry , and are ministers to the body of anti-christ , and know not the ministery of the ministry of jesus christ as this to the spirit in prison . magistrates and magistracy we deny not , but doe give respect unto for conscience sake ; for who beares the sword of justice ▪ who use their power to be a terror to the wicked , and for the prayse of them that doe well , are ministers of god , and we desire that there were more magistracy here , and that the magistrate would more use his power to be a terror to lyers , to swearers , to drunkards , to raylers , to false accusers , and to proud men and oppressors , this we are friends unto : but to such as act by their owne wills in corrupt lawes , and doe thereby violence to the innocent , and strengthens the hands of evill doers ▪ we cannot be subject , but choose rather ( then to transgresse the law of god which is written in our hearts , by submitting to such mens wills and lawes ) to suffer by the corrupt wills of men ▪ under corrupt lawes . and thus i have answered those false accusations which are cast upon us , and doe declare it be the same spirit in the teachers and people of this generation which accuseth us ▪ as it was in the scribes and pharisees which accused christ and his disciples . and this the scripture witnesseth unto , as they did unto him , so would they doe unto us . a further answer to that accusation of being false prophets and deceivers . jesus christ prophesied and said , that in the last dayes should many false prophets arise , and should deceive many , if it were possible the very elect. now the teachers and people of this generation doe say ▪ that we ( who by the world are called quakers ) are those false prophets and deceivers , which christ prophefied of . of this their false accusation have they drunkards , lyars , swearers , and all the ungodly people in every profession to witnesse them . but their accusation , and their witnesses we doe deny , though they preach it among the people for doctrine . and now in answer to this false accusation and slander i am moved to write a little , and shall to that principle of god in every mans conscience cleare my conscience , and declare what i know from god concerning those false prophets , who they are ▪ when they came in , and how they may be knowne ; and shall leave it to every honest heart to consider of . the apostles ▪ and ministers of jesus christ saw the same false prophets which christ prophesied of to be come , and comming in , in their dayes ; iohn said , by that they knew it was the last time ; for ▪ said he , even now are there many anti-christs and false prophets gone out into the world ; such vvere they , who confessed not christ to be come in the flesh , and they were of the world and spoke of the world and the world heard them . now here i charge it upon the teachers of the world ▪ that they are of that generetion which went out into the world then ; for as they then confessed not christ to be come in the flesh , so these uphold those things vvhich vvere under the law ▪ vvhich vvas before christ came in the flesh outwardly , and so confesse him not to be come in the flesh ; and so they are anti-christ . they uphold an outward temple , and an outward worship , and take tythes , as the priests under the law did , as a type and figure of christ ; but when he vvas come , and sacrificed , these things ( which were to stand for a time ) were put to an end . and none who witnessed christ come , and were sent by him to preach the gospel , did uphold those things , but witnessed forth the substance , and denyed the figure ; they denyed the outward temple , and witnessed they were the temples of god , and that god dwelt in them , and denyed the outward worship and witnessed the worship of god in spirit , and in truth within them , ( for they who worshipped without , worshipped they knew not what , as they doe now ) and they desired to take tythes , and lived of the gospel , and said , they that preached it , should live of it ; but the teachers of this generation are of the world , living in its pride , lusts , and vanities ; and they who live in the same worldly nature , uphold them , and heare them . iohn also said , every spirit that confesseth not christ to be come in the flesh , is anti-christ . and here i charge it upon the teachers of the world that their spirit of pride , and covetousnesse , and envy , and hypocrisie which rules in them , is the spirit of anti-christ , and confesseth not christ to be come in the flesh , for where he is made manifest , and come in the flesh , this spirit is destroyed ; for ( as saith the scripture ) he was made manifest to destroy the workes of the devill . paul was also a vvitnesse of the false prophets and deceivers which christ prophefied of in his time , for he gave warning , to beware of such ▪ and to turne away from such whom he saw then come , and comming in , but came more fully in after his dayes ; he said of this sort , they were lovers of themselves , covetous , proud , heady , high-minded , fierce men , and despisers of those that were good given to filthy lucre , and to pleasure , and were false accusers and blasphemers , and without naturall affection , and unthankefull , and unholy , and taught filly women , who were led with divers lusts , but were not able to come to the knowledge of the truth by their teaching : they were men of corrupt minds , and reprobate concerning faith . and here againe i charge it upon the teachers of the vvorld , that they are of that generation which came in then , for they are lovers of themselves , they take money of poore people to whom they are more able to give ; and they are proud and covetous men ▪ they goe in their ribbons and cuffes , and gaudy attire ; and they preach to them vvhere they can get most money ; and some takes money of them , and sues them at the law , to vvhom they preach not at all : they are heady and high-minded men , for poore people bow to them in the streets , and call them masters : they are fierce men , and despise those that are good ; if any speake against them ( of the truth ) they are fierce against , and despise such ; and they are given to filthy lucre , and are lovers of pleasure , for vvhere they can have most money , there they will abide ; and they live in pleasure ▪ in idlenesse , and lust , and vanity ; they are false accusers , they vvill call them deceivers which are not ; and that blasphemy , which is not ; and they are blasphemers , and vvithout naturall affection . they say the letter is the word , and the scripture the light , vvhich is blasphemy ; for god is the word , and christ is the light ; and they vvill suffer the rude multitude , and some vvill set them upon it to haile , beate , and strike out of their assemblyes , vvhich is vvithout naturall affection ; they are unthankefull , and unholy ; they have great summes of money from the people , and are not thankefull , but compell them by a law to pay them ; and herein they are unholy by their actions vvhich are declared ; and they teach alwayes , but men and vvomen are ignorant still , and none able to come to the knowledge of the truth by them : and they have a forme of godlinesse : they professe the scriptures that the children of the lord are taught of the lord ; and that christ said , take no thought what to eate , nor what to drinke , nor wherewith to be cloathed . but vvho vvitnesse themselves taught of god , and that they need no man to teach them ; and that take no care vvhat to eate , nor vvhat to drinke , nor vvhat to put on , and so vvitnesse the promise of god , and abide in the doctrine of christ , these you call deceivers , and idle , and carelesse persons , and thus deny the power of vvhat they have professed ; and herein their minds are corrupt and reprobate concerning faith ; for faith is the substance , and purifies the heart from these things vvhich they are guilty of . and peter and jude also vvere vvitnesses of those deceivers and false prophets vvhich christ prophefied of in their time ; for , they saw such vvere come , and comming in , which should bring in damnable heresies ▪ and through covetousnesse , with faigned words , make merchandise of the people ; they walke after the flesh in the lust ▪ of uncleannesse , and despise government , and dominion : presumptuous are they , selfe ▪ willed , they are not afraid to speake evill of dignities 〈◊〉 they speake evill of the things that they understand not ; they have eyes full of adultery , and that cannot cease from sinne , begniling unstable soules ; an heart ▪ they have exercised with covetous practises ; cursed children , which have ▪ forsaken the right way , and are gone astray , following the way of balaam , who loved the wages of unrighteousnesse , they themselves are the servants of corruption , ungodly men , turning the grace of god into laciviousnesse , and defile the flesh : these are murmurers , complainers , walking after their owne lusts , and their mouthes speaking great swelling words , having mens persons in admiration because of advantage ; there be they who seperate themselves , sensuall , having not the spirit . and here againe i charge it upon the teachers of this age , that they are of that generation vvhich came into the world then ; for they have brought in , and doe uphold damnable heresies , telling people , that sprinkling infants with water is the baptisme into the faith ; and that singing davids experiences in rime and meeter , is singing to the glory of god ; and that a house of stone is the temple and church of god ; these are damnable heresies : and they doe through covetousnesse , make merchandise of the people ; if they can get more money at another place , thither they will goe ; and thus people are their merchandise : they walke after the flesh in the lusts of uncleannesse ; they walke in pride and in lust , and som● of ●hem will be drunke , and lye , and sweare , and talke ●n●●●●ly ▪ and they despise the saints government and d 〈…〉 for they walke in the wayes of the world , in the customes and traditions of men , and follow their owne wills ) and whom the spirit of god governes , and hath dominion over , followes christ for their example , whose government and dominion they are under . but they live in pride , lust , and vanity , and according to the flesh , and herein they despise government and dominion , and speake evill of this dignity , and of the mysteries of god revealed in his saints , which they know not , nor understand not , calling it error ; they are presumptuous and selfe-willed ; they have presumed to call themselves ministers of christ , and all the townes where they live must serve , and be subject to their wills . and they are adulterated from god after honour and riches , and the vanities of the world ; and they cannot cease from sinne themselves ; for they say , none must cease from it while they are on the earth ; and herein they beguile many soules ; for , till sin be ceased from the soule , it is beguiled ▪ they have a heart exercised with covetous practises , and they follow the way of balaam , and goe for gifts and rewards ▪ and love the wages of unrighteousnesse : they take money of poore people for sprinkling infants ▪ and for burying the dead , which are covetous practises : they take money for henns and eggs , and for smoake passing up the chimney , which are unrighteous wages ; and thus they have forsaken the right way , the way of god , and of all the saints which spoke forth the scripture ; and in these things , they are servants of corruption , and are ●dgodly men , and turne the grace of god , ( which shines in their consciences , which shewes them their ungodly wayes ) into laciviousnesse ; and through their lust they defile the flesh : and many of them will murmure , and complaine for want of wages , even to spend upon their lusts ; and they speake great swelling words , speaking of the fame of christ , of his life , and death , and resurrection , but cannot witnesse by the spirit of christ within them what they speake of him : and they have mens persons in admiration , because of advantage : some of them had the bishops in admiration , and some the king in admiration ▪ and now they have others who beare rule in admiration ; and thus they deceitfully have twined to admire mens persons onely because of advantage , many of them have seperated themselves , none who are not of their judgement , must joyne with them in their worship , but neither they , nor their seperates have the spirit of the living god , but doe deny an infallible spirit : and they are sensuall in their wisedome , and wayes , and practises , and these have deceived many , even whole nations . and here you see plainely when the deceivers and false prophets came in ; they were come , and comming in , in the apostles dayes , and then was the prophesie of christ fulfilling and fulfilled : and the apostles suffered under tyrants , and were put to cruell deaths , and then they came in more fully ; for since the apostles dayes hath been a great apostacy , and many formes of worship and wayes of religion have been imitated from the letter through imaginations , and but one generation of teachers ▪ though one above another , in the comprehension and sensuall wisedome , and at enmity one against another , though all in one birth and nature . but they are all discovered by the light , prayses ( from all that know god ) unto him for ever since the apostles dayes hath darknesse been spread over all , though the lord had some which he preserved for himselfe in the middest of apostacy and darkenesse ; who the false prophets are which christ prophesied of to every honest heart and single eye may be known ; christ said ▪ by their fruits should they be knowne ; and the fruits of the teachers of the world are plainely made appeare to be the fruits of deceivers , and not of the ministers of christ ; none have gathered grapes nor figgs from them . and thus i have cleared my conscience in the presence of god concerning the false slander and accusation which the teachers and people of the world doe cast upon us ; and to that in every ones conscience it is made appeare who they are to whom this accusation justly belongs . woe unto all you who strive against the lord , and justifie that which the holy men of god which spoke forth the scripture in the scripture , declared against ; and which condemne that which the holy men of god in the scripture justified ▪ and witnessed for : you who live in pride , in covetousnesse , in double-dealing , and in hypocrysie , and in the lusts of the flesh , ▪ you strive against the lord god , and against the light of god which is in your consciences , which shewes you these things to be sinne ; you resist the drawings of the father , which would draw you by the light to follow the sound : woe and desolation is to come upon all you who will not be taught by the light of christ which he hath lightened you withall ; which light all the holy men of god were taught by , who gave forth the scriptures , but doe set up teachers without you , such as all the holy men of god , the prophets , christ and his apostles declared against . oh blinded , stiffe-necked people , which are not ashamed to call such ministers of christ ▪ and of the gospel ( and by your corrupt wills and laws to ▪ defend them ) which seeke for their gaine from their quarter , and which feed themselves with the fat , and cloathe themselves with the wooll ; and which preach for hire , and divine for money , and prepare warre against them that put not into their mouthes : here you justifie such as the prophets of the lord were sent to cry against , and deny isayah , ezechiel , and micha to be true prophets ; for if you did beleeve that they spoke from the mouth of the lord , the word of the lord , then would you not uphold them which act those things which they declared against ; for that which was abomination to the lord then , is abomination to him now ; and that spirit which declared against these things then , cannot uphold them now . and here the teachers and people are tryed , not to have the same spirit which was in the holy prophets of the lord , but the spirit of the false prophets ▪ acting by it that which they acted , which the true prophets cryed against ; and thus by upholding that which the lord sent his servants to declare against . you striue against the lord ye magistrates and people . and you are not ashamed to call such ministers of christ which ( walk in the same steps , and act those things that they did , which christ cryed woe against ) are called of men masters , and have the chiefe places in the assemblyes , and stand praying in the synagogues , and goe in long robes , and love greetings in the markets , as they did ; here you justifie such as christ cryed woe against , and deny that christ spoke the truth what was the minde of his father ; for if you did beleeve that he spoke the will of his father , then would ye not uphold these that act the same things which he cryed woe against . and he changes not , that which he once cryed against , the same spirit where it is witnessed , cryes against the same things . and here againe the teachers of the world are tryed not to have the spirit of christ , but the spirit of the scribes and pharisces , who act that which they acted , which he cryed woe against . and herein magistrates and people strive against the lord god , by upholding that which christ cryed woe against . and such who are ministers of christ , and walke in his doctrine , and in the same steps , which he and his apostles walked in , witnessing for that which they witnessed , for and against that which they witnessed against them you call deceivers , and false prophets , and accuse them for vagabonds , and wandering beggars , and idle , and carelesse persons ; and that they have left their families , and carelessely wander up and downe . and herein you magistrates and people strive against the lord , by persecuting , and slandering ▪ and falsely accusing ▪ and condemning such as the scripture justifies , and the servants of the lord which spoke forth the scripture doe witnesse of to be true . what would you have called christ , who had no where to lay his head ? he was no vagabond , nor idle , not carelesse person . and what would you have called the apostles and ministers of christ , who had lost their families and callings , and went up and downe , and had no certaine dwelling place , but went from city to city , and cared not for the world ; not what to eate , nor what to drink , nor wherewith to be cloathed ? this they did , and yet were no vagabonds , nor idle , nor carelesse persons , but abode in the doctrine of christ ; they were hated by your generation , as we are now by you : and they were called pestilent fellowes , and movers of sedition , and haretiques , and men of erronious judgements : and they said , they were troublers of their cities , as you doe now call us false prophets and deceivers i doe declare this generation to be the same which persecuted the prophets , christ , and his apostles , as it doth persecute us ; for by the same power we stand , as they did ; and by the same power we are commanded and acted , as they were : and to the power by which we stand , and are commanded , shall all the powers of men , and of the earth bow , and be subject . o all you magistrates and people consider of your blindenesse , and ignorance , who doe absolutely justifie and uphold such as the scripture declares and witnesses against ; and doe condemne and persecute such as the scripture justifies , and witnesses of ; and doe put them out of your synagogues and villages ; search the prophets , and christs , and the apostles writings , in them you may reade your example , and our example . the vengeance of god you cannot fly , his fierce wrath will come upon you , and weeping , and bowling , and lamentation , and misery will be your portion . o tremble to thinke upon your ignorance , to what purpose have you made a profession of the scriptures , who justifie those things , and those men , which it plainely declares against ; and condemne those practises and those men , which it plainly witnesseth of . repent , and take warning betime , before the decree of the lord of hosts be sealed against you , for i have cleared my conscience , in letting you see your owne ignorance , and blindenesse , ye magistrates and people : and thus you are left without excuse , whether you will heare , or forbeare . finis . a testimony concerning the life, death, trials, travels and labours of edward burroughs that worthy prophet of the lord who dyed a prisoner for the testimony of jesus, and the word of god, in the city of london, the th of the th month, / [by] f.h. howgill, francis, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing t estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a testimony concerning the life, death, trials, travels and labours of edward burroughs that worthy prophet of the lord who dyed a prisoner for the testimony of jesus, and the word of god, in the city of london, the th of the th month, / [by] f.h. howgill, francis, - . whitehead, george, ?- . coale, josiah, ?- . fox, george, - . [ ], p. printed and are to be sold by william warwick, london : . signed: fran. howgil. includes contributions by george whitehead, josiah coale and george fox. imperfect: pages stained and with print show-through. reproduction of original in the huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng burrough, edward, - . quakers -- biography. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread - emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a testimony concerning the life , death , trials , travels and labours of edward burroughs that worthy prophet of the lord who dyed a prisoner for the testimony of jesus , and the word of god , in the city of london , the th of the th month , . f. h. london , printed , and are to be sold by william warwick , . the life and death of edward burroughs that worthy prophet of the lord , &c. shall days , or months , or years wear out thy name , as though thou hadst had no being ? oh nay ! shall not thy noble and valiant acts , and mighty works which thou hast wrought through the power of him that separated thee from the womb , live in generations to come ? oh yes ! the children that are yet unborn , shall have thee in their mouths , and thy works shall testifie of thee in generations , who yet have not a being , and shall count thee blessed . did thy life go out as the snuff of a candle ? oh nay ! thou hast penetrated the hearts of many , and the memorial of the just shall live for ever , and be had in renown among the children of wisdom for ever ; for thou hast turned many to righteousness , and shall shine as a star of god in the firmament of god's power , for ever and ever ; and they that are in that , shall see thee there , and enjoy thee there , though thou be gone away hence , and can no more be seen in mutability ; yet thy life , and thy spirit shall run parallel with immortality . oh edward burroughs ! i cannot but mourn for thee , yet not as one without hope nor faith , knowing and having a perfect testimony of thy well-being in my heart , by the spirit of the lord ; yet thy absence is great , and years to come shall know the want of thee . shall i not lament as david did for a worse man than thee , even for abner when in wrath he perished by the hand of joab without any just cause , though he was a valiant man ? david lamented over abner , and said , dyed abner as a fool dyeth ? ( oh nay ! he was betrayed of his life ) even so hast thou been bereaved of thy life by th● hand of the oppressor , whose habitations are full of cruelty . oh my soul , come not thou within their secret , for thy blood shall be required at the hands of them who thirsted after thy life ; and it shall cry as abels , who was in the faith ; even so wert thou ; it shall weigh as a ponderous milstone upon their necks , and shall crush them under , and be as a worm that gnaweth and shall not dye : when i think upon thee , i am melted into tears of true sorrow ; and because of the want that the inheritance of the lord hath of thee , my substance is even as dissolved : shall i not say as david said of saul and jonathan when they were slain in mount gilboa , the beauty of israel is slain upon the high places : even so wast thou stifled 〈◊〉 nasty holes and prisons , and many more , who were precious in the eyes of the lord : and surely precious wast thou to me , oh dear edward , i am distressed for th●● my brother ; very pleasant hast thou been to me , and my love to thee was wonderful , passing the love of women : oh thou whose bow never turned back , neither sword empty from the blood of the slain , from the slaughter of the mighty ; who made nations and multitudes shake with the word of life in thy mouth , and wast very dreadful to the enemies of the lord , for thou didst cut like a rasor ; and yet to the seed of god brought forth , thy words dropped like oyle , and thy lips as the honey-comb . thou shalt be recorded among the valiant of israel , who attained to the first degree through the power of the lord , that wrought mightily in thee in thy day , and was worthy of double honor , because of thy works sake ; thou wast expert to handle thy weapon , and by thee the mighty have fallen , and the slain o● the lord hath been many ; many have been pricked ●o heart through the power of the word of life , and coales of fire from thy life come forth of thy mouth , that in many a thicket , and among many bryars and thorns it ca●e to be kindled , and did devour much stubble that cumb●●ed the ground , and stained the earth . oh how certain a sound did thy trumpet give ! and how great an al●rm didst t●ou give in thy day , that made the host of the uncircum●●sed grea●ly distressed ! what man so val●ant , though as goliah of gath , would not thy valour have encountered with , while many despised thy youth ! and how have i seen thee with ●hy sling and thy stone ( despised weapons as to war with ) wound the mighty , and that which hath seemed contemptible to the dragons party , even as the jaw-bone of an asse , with it thou hast slain the philistines heaps upon heaps , as sampson . thou hast put to thy hand to the hammer of the lord , and has● often fastened nailes in the heads of the lambs enemies , as d●borah did to sisera ; and many a rough stone hast thou polished and squared , and made it fit for the building of god ; and much knotty wood hast thou hewed in thy day , which was not fit for the building o● god's house , oh thou prophet of the lord , and shalt for ever be recorded in the lambs book of life , among the lords worthies , who have followed the lamb through great tribulation , as many can witness for thee from the beginning ; and at last hath overcome , and found worthy to stand with the lamb upon mount sion the hill of god , as i have often seen thee , and thy heart well tuned as a harp , to praise the lord , and to sound forth his great salvation , which many a time hath made glad the hearts of them that did believe , and strengthen their faith and hope . well , thou art at res● ; and bound up in the bundle of life ; and i know tears was wiped away from thy eyes , because there was no cause of sorrow in thee : for i know thou witnessed the old things done away , and there was no curse but blessings were poured upon thy head as rain , and peace as a mighty shower , and trouble was far from thy dwelling , though in the outward man trouble on every side , and hath had a greater share in that , fo● the gospel sake ( though a youth in thy time ) th●n many besides : but now thou art freed from that , and h●st obtained a name through faith , with the saints in light. well , hadst thou more to give up then thy life for the name of jesus in this world ? nay ; and to seal thy testimony committed unto thee with thy blood as thou hast often said in thy day , which shall remain as a crown upon thee for ever and ever . and now thou art freed from the ●empt●tions of him who had the power of death , and art freed from thy outward enemies , who hated thee because of the life that dwelt in thee , and remaineth at the right hand of god , where there is joy and pleasure for evermore in the everlasting light , which thou hast often testified unto , according to the word of prop●esie in thy heart , which was given unto ●hee by the holy ghost , and art at rest in the perfection thereof , in the beauty of holiness ; yet thy life and thy spirit i feel as present , and have unity with it , and in it , beyond all created and visible thing● , which are subje●t to ●utation and change ; and thy life shall enter into other● , to testifie unto the same truth , which is from everlasting to everl●sting ; for god hath raised , and will raise up children unto abraham , of them that have been as dead stones , whose po●er is almighty , great in his people in the midst of their enemies . this same edward burroughs was born in the barrony of kendal , in the county of westmoreland , of honest parents , who had a good report among their neighbours for upright and honest dealing among men , who brought up edward in his youth in learning and good education as the countrey doth afford . he was a very understanding boy in his youth , and his knowledge and understanding did far exceed his years : he had the spirit of a man when he was but as a child ; and i may say , grey h●irs was upon him when he was but a youth ; for he was cloathed with wisdom in his infancy ; for i had perfect knowledge of him from a youth . he was inclinable from his youth upwards , to religion , and the best way , always minding the best things , and the best and nearest way of worship to the scriptures of truth , and always did accompany the best men , who walked in godliness and honesty , insomuch i have often admired his discreet carriage , and his great understanding of the things of god : he was never known to be addicte● to any vic● or malignity , or bad behaviour , neither followed any evil course of life from his childhood , but feared the lord , and walked uprightly according to the light and knowledge received in all things . in his natural disposition he was bold and manly , dexterous and fervent ; and what he took in hand , he did it with his might ; loving , kind and courteous , merciful and flexible , and easie to be entreated . his whole delight was always ●mong good people , and to be conferring and reading the scriptures , and little to mind any sports or pastimes , which there is an infidency unto in youth ; but his very strength was bended after god , and was separated ( i may say ) from his mothers womb , and fitting for the works sake whereunto he after was called . and when it pleased the lord to raise up the a●cient horn of salvation among us , who were reckoned in the north part of england , even as the out casts of israel , and as men destitut● of the great knowledge which some seemed to enjoy ; yet there was more sincerity and true love among us , and desires ●fter the living powerful presence of god then was among many in that day , who seemed to make a great flourish , who ran into heaps and forms , but left the cross behind them , and indeed were strangers to it ; god out of his everlasting love did appear unto us according to the desire of our hearts who longed after him , when we had turned aside from the hireling shepherds t●nts , we found him whom our souls loved , and god out of his great love , and great mercy , sent one unto us immediately by his power , a man of god , one of ten thousand , to instruct us in the way of god more perfectly , who laid down the sure foundation , and declared the acceptable year of the lord ; who indeed made the mourners to re●oice , and the heavy hearted glad , which yet was terrible to all hypocrites , and all formal profession ; which testimony reached unto all our consciences , and entered into the inmost part of our hearts , which drove us to a narrow search , and to a diligent inquisition concerni●g our st●te , which we did come to see through the light of christ jesus which was testified of , and found it to be even what it was testified of ; and the lord of heaven and earth we found to be near at hand ; and as we waited upon him in pure silence , our minds out of all things , his dreadful power and glorious majesty , and heavenly presence appeared in our assemblies , when there was no language , tongue nor speech from any creature ; and the kingdom of heaven did gather us , and catch us all as in a net , and his heavenly power at one time did draw many hundreds to land , that we did come to know a place to stand in , and what to wait in , and the lord did appear daily to us , to our astonishment , amazement , and great admiration , insomuch that we often said one unto another with great joy of heart , what , is the kingdom of god come to be with men ? and will he take up his tabernacle amongst the sons of men , as he did of old ? and what , shall we that were reckoned as the outcasts of israel , have this honor of glory communicated amongst us , which were but men of small parts ▪ and of little abi●i●i●s , in respect of many oth●rs as amongst men ? howbeit , thus it seemed good unto the lord to choose the weak things , and the foolish things of this world , as to the aspect of me● , that no flesh might glory , that no man because of his parts might glory , or because of his streng●h or wisdom might glory , but that the glory which is his might onely be given to him ; unto whom be the glory of all his works for ever and ever , amen . and from that day forward our hearts were knit unto the lord , and one unto another in true and fervent love , not by any external covenan● , or external form ; but we entered into the cove●ant of life with god , and that was as a strong obligation or bond upon all ou● spirits , which united us one unto another ; and we met together in the unity of the spirit , and of the bond of peace , treading down under our feet all rea●oning , questioning , debating and contending about religion , or any part or parts , or practice or practices thereof , as to any e●ternal thing ; and we waited at time and times , as god did grant u● opportunities , and the more we had a●d could obtain from our necessary occasions of this present life , the better we were , and the more we were confirmed and strengthened in our hope and faith ; and holy resolutions were kindled in our hearts as a fire ▪ which the life kindled in us to serve the lord while we had a being , and ●o make mention of his name and power whilst we did live , and to hold forth that testimony which was committed to us , in the sight of men and nations , by doctrine , by practice , by a holy conversation ; and mightily did the word of god grow amongst us , and the desires of many were after the name of the lord. oh happy day ! oh blessed day ! the memorial of which can never pass out of my mind . and thus the lord in short did form us to be a people for his praise in our generation . howbeit after all this and much more , which time would fail me to write of , ( neither is the purpose of my spirit bent that way at this time ) we did come through very great tribulations , extream distresses , great perplexity , and passed out oftentimes hungry , and hard put to it both within and without ; yet such wa● our love to the lord , and such fervency in our he●rts , that we rather chused to dye , and to undergo every difficulty , than to dishonor or deny the name of christ in the midst of suffering ; because of that taste that we had of his goodness and immortal life revealed in our hearts , this young man of whom i am speaking , had his share , though but a youth at that time , of . or . years of age , because of the truth which crossed all the worlds way ; his nearest relations , even his own parents cast him off as an alien , and turned him out from their house , as not to have any part or portion therein as a son , nay , not so much as a hired servant , which this young man bore very patiently , without murmuring or complaining , having a taste of that then , which was better than all the world ; and through conversing with his people , and among them , the spirit of the lord came upon him , and the spirit of wisdom and understanding entered into his heart , and the spirit of knowledge and sound judgment came to be seated in his reins , and the spirit of prophesie came upon him like as it did upon many more , through the holy ghosts power and operation ; and he spake of the wonderful things of god amongst them that believed , and was one of the first among us which the lord opened the mouth of , to shew forth his praise , and to speak of the things of his kingdom to as many as he met with , who waited for the consolation of israel , for the riches of the gentiles , and to as many as desired and hoped after eternal life : at last the lord singled him out , & commanded him to go forth into countreys unknown to him , as he did some more besides , upon whom he laid a necessity to preach the gospel freely , without money , without price , without tythes , augmentations , gifts or rewards , and in that he was as faithful a man , none exceeding him in his generation ; for those things were an abhorrency to his heart ; & where he met with any such hireling shepherds , & deceitful workers which had gull'd the nations , and cheated the people for dishonest gain , and kept them in blindness , the indignation of the lord was kindled in his heart , and the sword of the lord was very sharp in his hand ; and whomsoever he met with which walked after this sort , they were sure to feel the weight of his weapon , and the force of his blow , by which many have been deeply wounded , that they have grinned like dogs on him , as greedy dogs indeed , because of their present wound & blow that he did give them ; and though he was but young in years , yet he was full of fortitude and true valour : the lord often times when he exercised him in such war as this , hath filled his qui●er full of polished shafts , and made his bow to abide in strength , and he was as dextrous and as ready handed , as any that i knew in his day , against the dragon and his power , against the beast and his followers ; and indeed he was very even-handed , and had a special good arm , and seldome mist the mark : god had fill'd his mouth with arguments , so that he hath often made a breach , a breach in the face of an host. and it was my lot ( which i cannot but say fell in a good ground ) to be his companion and fellow-labourer in ●he work of the gospel , whereunto we were called for many years together : and oh ! when i consider , my heart is broken ; how sweetly we walked together for many months & years ! in which we had perfect knowledg of one anothers hearts , & perfect unity of spitri , not so much as one cross word , or one hard thought of discontent ever rose ( i believe ) in either of our hearts , fo● years together , but our souls were bound up in unity and peace , having the frame of our hearts bent after one and the self same thing , to wit , the propagation of that truth by which liberty was obtained , and salvation received through jesus christ the true light of the world , seeing through his light ●he whole world to lye in wickedness ; a necessity laid upon this person of whom i am speaking , being constrained by the spirit of the lord , by which he was made an able minister of the everlasting gospel , to preach repentance , conversion , salvation and remission of sins ; and accordingly he went forth in ●he name and power of the lord jesus the saviour of mankind , and was an able minister of the glad tydings of salvation , in many , or most parts of this land ; and also he travelled thorow again and again , the whole nation of ireland , and in some part of scotland , and some part of flanders ; and his ministry ●as made effectual through the almighty power of god , in turning many from darkness to light , and from the power of satan to god ; there are many thousands who are living in the body , and alive in the truth , who can in the spirit of the lord bear testimony to the power and verity of his ministry , in many countreys where he travelled ; for he laboured much in divers places , even in the heat of the day , though he began early in the morning ; and in the beginning of his travels and labours , it was his share to break up rough places and un●illed ground ; & to walk amongst many bryars and thorns , which scratched , and pricked , and teared ; and travelled with some other , not without great opposition ; and he often trod the pathes and wayes which had not been occupied in the truth ; and where darkness had the dominion , and was as a covering , he brake through as an armed man , not minding the opposition , but the victory , and the good of all souls ; though to my knowledg his sufferings and trya●s hath not been small , nor his exercise a little , on the right hand , and on the left , in travels often , often times buffered , sometimes knocked down by unreasonable men , who had not faith , loaded with lyes , slanders , calumnies and reproaches , often in weakness , yea in deaths often , in watchings , fastings and temptations often ; in straits and necessities ; in perils among rude multitudes , in perils in idol-temples , in perils in streets and markets , where the lord did move him often to go in the beginning of his time ; besides the exceeding weight of service from weeks end to weeks end , in so much that he had seldome many hours of repose ; and of●en suffered by those spirits who lost their first love , and rose in opposition . he was very diligent and faithful , true-hearted and valiant , and the yoke at last came to be easie unto him , though no ease at all in the body as to the outward man ; for he made the work of the lord his whole business , without taking so much liberty unto himself , or about any outward occasion in this world , as to spend one week to himself ( to my knowledg ) these ten years : he had ventured himself often for the bodies sake ; and a great care i know was in his heart , that them that he had ministred unto , and others that had believed in the same truth , might thrive and prosper , and might walk as becometh the gospel of jesus christ. he was of a manly spirit in the things of god ; he hath engaged himself often upon the lords account singly in great disputes , when there were many opposers ; he hath stood in the door , and in the gap , against all his enemies , for the worthy name of god , and taken the whole weight of thing● upon his o●n shoulders , that others might be eased , though often to ●he weakening , and almost destroying of the outward man , yet doing all in love to the lord , and for his peoples sake ; he did it with chearfulness , and it was a grief to him if any opportunity was missed of doing good : he was a man of no great learning in natural tongues , which men so much applaud ; yet indeed his heart was full of matter , and his tongue was as the hand of a ready scribe and yet he had the tongue of the learned , having had experiment of the work of the lord , and being acquainted with many conditions which god had carried him through , he could speak a word in season unto all who declared their conditions unto him ; of otherways in his publike ministry he was very plausible and elegant in his speech , & indeed had the tongue of a learned orator to declare himself to the understandings & consciences of all men with whom he conversed , by which many received great profit , and their understandings came to be opened ; for his words ministred grace to the heare●● , and his words were forcible and very pleasant , as apples of gold in pictures of silver . this young man of whom i am speaking , was one of the first ( with some others ) who came to the city of london , where he met with no small opposition both from professors of divers forms , and also prophane , who heeded no religion at all , and the way of truth seemed contemptible , and without form or comeliness to them all , which made the opposition so great , and the labour so hard , that notwithstanding it pleased the lord to reach unto the consciences of many , and many were prickt to the heart , so that they cried out , what shall we do to be saved ? and god made his ministry very effectual to the conversion of many in the city of london , whereby a great change was wrought in the hearts of many , & many hundreds brought to know the lord their teacher , which are as seals unto the word of life through him unto this day . and many hundreds , i may say thousands , heard the lively word of god declared by him , and were convinced of the way of truth , though still remaining in the disobedience to that of god in their own hearts unto which he declared ; and many have lost their day which they had of hearing and receiving the things of god ; for now he is taken away which might have been a help unto them while they had time ; and all such are not worthy of him . he continued in this city very much at time and times , betwixt eight and nine years together , preaching the word of god , and speaking of the things of his kingdom to all that looked after it ; and great watching , travel , and exercise in the work of the lord ; and his earnest desire was , that all might have come to know god's salvation , and the redemption of their souls . and his great diligence was known unto many , that his only rejoicing was in the prosperity of the work of the lord , and the encrease of faith amongst them that did believe ; and his heart was much drawn towards this city ; and often times hath he said to me when suffering did come for the gospel sake , which he knew would come , i can freely go to that city , and lay down my life for a testimony of that truth which i have declared through the power and spirit of god : which in the end indeed came to be his share , and will for ever be his crown , who loved not his life unto death for the testimony of our lord jesus christ. and in the same year . being pressed in his spirit to go visit them who were begotten unto the faith of god's elect at the city of bristol , and in divers other counties , at divers meetings , and divers particular friends , he took his leave of them , saying unto very many , that he did not know he should see their faces any more ; exhorting them all to faithfulness and stedfastness in that wherein they had found rest for their souls : and said to some , i am going up to the city of london again , to lay down my life for the gospel , and suffer amongst friends in that place , as having some sence of his suffering before . and a little after his return to the city , at a publike meeting which the people of the lord have kept these many years , to hear and speak of the things of god to edification , at the bull and and mouth near aldersgate , by certain souldiers under the command of richard brown then general of the city of london , he was violently plucked down , and haled away in a barbarous manner , and carryed to the guard , and so committed to newgate , not for evil-doing , but for testifying unto the name of the lord jesus , and for the worship of god , as though this were become a great crime worthy of bonds , and ( at last ) death ; he was had to the sessions in the old baily , and his accusers were witnesses against him , and them that had abused him violently , their testimony was received as good proof against him . and at last after two or three sessions , he was fined by the court one hundred mark , which at last was reduced to twenty mark , and to lie in prison while payment ; where he continued a pretty long season , above months , with or score prisoners be●ide , upon the same account , many being shut up among the felons in nasty places , and for want of prison-room , the natures of many were suffocated and corrupted , till at last many grew vveak , sickned , and dyed . at last this same young man grew vveak , and though a special order from the king was sent to the then sheriffs of london , for the release of him and the rest that were left in prison , yet such was the enmity of some of the rulers of the city , that they did what in them lay to obstruct the execution of the order , that he should not be released : and so weakness grew upon him daily , though in much patience he was carried through all . in the time of his sickness he was very fervent in prayer ( and that often , both day and night ) unto the lord as concerning himself , and also his people ; and at several times he spoke several precious words from the sensible feeling of god's spirit in his heart , and said , i have had the testimony of the lords love unto me from my youth ; and my heart hath been given up to do thy will : and he said , i have preached the gospel freely in this city , and have often given up my life for the gospels sake ; and now lord rip open my heart , and see if it be not right before thee . another time he said when he had a little ease , there is no iniquity lyes at my door , but the presence of the lord is with me , and his life i feel justifie me . another day afterwards he said , thou hast loved me when i was in the womb , and i have loved thee from my cradle , and from my youth unto this day , and have served thee faithfully in my generation . and he spoke to friends that were about him , to live in love and peace , and love one another . and at another time he said , the lord taketh the righteous from the evil to come ; and he prayed for his enemies , and for his persecutors , and said , lord forgive richard brown , he may be forgiven . and though the distemper and the disease was violently upon him , yet he was preserved sensible ; and in the morning before he departed this life , being sensible of his death , he said , now my soul and spirit is centered in its own being with god ; and this form of person must return from whence it was taken : and after a little season he gave up the ghost , and dyed a prisoner , and shall be recorded , and is in the lambs book of life , as a martyr for the word of god , and the testimony of jesus , for which only he suffered , and gave up his life , whose death was precious in the eyes of the lord. but now he ever liveth with god , and his works follow him , and labour● shall testifie of him in generations to come ; and thousands beside my self can bear witness , his life and death was to the praise , glory and honor of the grace of god ; unto whom be the glory of all his works for ever and ever , amen . and oh thou city of london ! who hast been a professing city of the name of god and christianity so many years , must it be said of thee as christ said of jerusalem , that a prophet cannot perish out of thee : oh how many warnings hast thou had ! and how dost thou remain in obdurateness and impenitency ! oh! thou art not worthy of those heavenly tydings of salvation which hath been proclaimed in the midst of thee these many years , by this faithful messenger of god deceased , with many more , who is taken away in judgement unto thee , because many of thy inhabitants despised and set at nought that in which the blessedness of all nations consisteth . oh how is thy gold become dim ! and how is thy glory stained ! how is thy countenance marred ! how is all thy profession become dead , and thou like a withered tree without sap ! the symptomes of death are upon thee ; your sun is set , your glory is passed away ; night is coming , and darkness is surrounding you , and you shall have enough of da●kness , and your pathes and ways shall be filled with it , because you have hated the light , and would not have him who is the light of the world , to rule in your hearts ; but hath chused darkness rather than light , because your deeds are evil , and in the end thou shalt be made to see , you have chosen lying vanities , and have taken pleasure in the flesh , and have forsaken your own mercies . repent , repent ( if any can find a place ) while it is called to day , lest you be shut up in everlasting darkness , and truth be hid from your eyes for ever . take warning , cease from persecution and afflicting the lords people , who desire to live quietly and peaceably , and to worship god in truth and righteousness , with a pure heart : it is too too much that you have done already ; the suffering and death of many innocent righteous men , who have suffered these winters past , will lie as a load upon your city in summers to come . remember what god did to amaleck the first of the natio●s , and to moab when israel would have passed to their own land an● countrey that god had promised them , and have eaten their own bread , and drank their water , and have passed on peaceably ; but they rose up and fell upon the poor , and upon the hindmost and weak ; god was glad ●o force his way , though it proved the ruine of amaleck , and the misery of moab . we would gladly walk on our way to the promised land wh●ch belongs to the saints in light ; we would eat our own bread , and drink our water and what we needed , and keep our consciences clear ( in our generation we must ) to that which god hath promised ; and if we cannot have a way , god will make one for us ; and that you that set your selves against the lord , in the end shall be sure to know and feel , though we shall never lift up carnal weapon , nor drawsword , neither use bow nor spear ; for god hath taught us to love our enemies ; and out of these things we are come , and to the end of wars , and to be for it ; yet god's purpose shall be fulfilled , and he hath ways enough to plead the cause of his people , and he will do it , and wo to all their enemies . and do you cry ou● of popery because of cruelty and persecution ? and will you be found in the same footsteps , and in the same nature ? oh! let it never be said nor thought , that ever the church of god or true christians did drink the blood of the saints , or cast them into prison ; for that is babylon the mother of harlots , that doth so . therefore be informed and warned ; set not bryars and thorns in battel against the lord , neither stubble before devouring fire ; for if you do , a consumption will come upon you , and your name and memorial shall rot , dye , wither , and melt away as snailes ; and glory shall rest with , and upon the heads of the sufferers of christ for ever . by one who hath chosen rather to suffer with the people of god called quakers , than to en●oy the pleasures of sin for a season , or to be reckoned as a prince amongst the uncircumcised , fran. howgil . reading the . of the . month . and as for e.b. our dear brother and companion in travel , suffering and consolation for the everlasting gospel● sake in his day , his testimony lives with us ; he was a preacher of righteou●ness , and one who travelled for the redemption of the creature from under the bondage of corruption , and proclaimed liberty to the captives in the power and authority ●f god , and therein was a true witness against oppression , and all the antichristian yokes imposed in the night of apostacy ▪ upon the persons and consciences of people ; and truly and valiantly he held forth the liberty of conscience , and vindicated it to the great men of the earth , in things appertaining to god in matters of religion and worship , against the persecution and compulsion ( which had its original ●nd rise from the power of the beast , which hath made war against the righteous seed ) that men might be left free to the guidance of the infallible spirit of god ( which is not to be limited ) in these matters , and not be compelled nor brought under the corrupt wills of men , nor their fallible judgements nor invented forms in these cases : and the name of this mini●●er of righteousness is written in the l●mbs book of life ; and all the enemies of his life can never be able to blot it ou● , nor extinguish his memorial . oh! the remembrance of his integrity , uprightness and sincerity , hath deep impression upon my heart ; & that tender love and affection in god's truth which he was filled with towards all the upright , ( who are lovers of peace & unity in the lord ) is never to be forgotten by u● who are yet remaining in the work of the lord , and the everlasting gospel , for which he hath left a glorious testimony , the glory of which shall never be extinguished , but thousands shall praise the lord our god because thereof ; yea , even the seed that 's yet in the lower parts of the earth ( where darkness covers it ) and the child that 's yet unborn in many , that 's curiously framed in the mothers womb , w●ose members are written in the book of god , shall glorifie the lord on his behalf . and this testimony many have already concerning him , that though his body be dead , his spirit liveth in the immortality of that life that is immutable , and shall never dye nor wax old , and is felt among the righteous , who walk in their integrity and constancy to the lord. and this faithful servant of the lord , and valiant souldier of the lamb ( as in his day was evidently apparent ) as to live to him was christ , to dye was gain : and though in his time many were the sufferings and aff●ictions which his life went under , and his upright spirit suffered by , both from his open enemies and persecutors in the world ( because of the valour and courage for the truth of god ) and from deceitful and transforming exalted spirits , which burthen the holy seed ; but now his life is caught up above them all ( and is out of their reach ) in the transcendent and unspeakable glory , in the everlasting habitation and firmament of god's power , where he hath shined ( and doth shine ) among the stars , that have kept their habitations , as one that hath turned many to righteousness , and that hath overcome by the blood of the lamb , and the word of his testimony , with those holy prophets and martyrs who rejoice over babylon and her abominations ( in whom their blood is found ) and against whom he was a faithful witness and valiant warrier , whose living and absolute testimony therein , god hath blessed , made prosperous , and wil fulfil to the uttermost . and though he be ceased from his labours , his works do follow him , which wil be had in living remembrance and precious esteem among the upright , when his persecutors shall be broken and laid low in the desolation and ruine of babylon ; and all that continue in enmity and deceit , and all the deceitful spirits that have burthened his righteous soul , shall fall , and their blossome wither and come to nought . and if any of his persecutors or oppressors be yet so impenitent and obdurate as to triumph and be elevated in an exalted or prejudiced spirit , because of his death , and in their exaltation and pride of heart say , he was taken away in judgment , or in wrath . to such in gods fear i answer , that thousands of the servants of the lord are of another perswasion , not questioning but it was in gods tender love ( as to his own particular ) that he was removed out of the earthen vessel , in which he ( though a man as in the prime of his years ) endured great travel in his time for the truth 's sake , and the gathering of many into the way of the lord , and in which his travel was the greater ( when the time of his dissolution drew near ) to be dissolved , because of his suffering ( and the extremity of his sicknesse occasioned thereby ) which many others were partakers of , who suffered persecution and imprisonment by unreasonable men in this city of london , for the cause of god and of a good conscience , as chi●fly for their meeting together fingly in the worship of god. but this i testifie in the lord , as in him i have felt , that his being removed , was in judgement from the lord against his persecutors , who desired and sought his destruction ; and what they have done against him hath greatly added to the fulfilling of their iniquities , that the blood of the righteous which cryes for vengeance may be avenged to the utmost upon them who would not suffer the righteous to have a being amongst men , nor lay to heart their being taken away from the evil to come . and they who in a byassed or prejudiced spirit of enmity are lifted up because of his decease , they were not worthy of him , nor of his testimony , and they have cause to mourn and lament amongst those that have pierced the just , and slighted and despised the messengers of truth and righteousnesse , whom god hath therein honored , and god will debase such , and their vain glory unto the dust , and exalt the testimony and life of his faithful witnesses over all their heads . but we who have been well acquainted with the deep suffering of the righteous seed , and with the worth of true unity , in the weighty body and spirit of christ , and therein do behold the glory and compleatnesse of the city of our god , which is at peace within it self , cannot but prize the ministers of righteousnesse , and every member of the same body ; and oh how blessed and precious is the memorial of the righteous in our eyes ! and how deeply is my soul affected with that comfortable communion , and those many and living refreshments that we have enjoyed one with another , even with him and others , who have finished their course ! well , however in this i am satisfied , that though we be left in travel , and our days have been days of affliction and suffering for christ and the gospels sake , ( as in the world ) yet in him whom the prince of this world hath nothing in , we have peace , being come into communion with the spirits of just men , who are the family of god , written in heaven , and called by one name both in heaven and earth , and the god of life is their portion , and his glory is the rereward of his called , and chosen , and faithful ones , who have dealt their bread to the hungry , and brought the poor to their house , even to the habitation of the righteous , where the living bread is received , and the heavenly mansions lived in , and enjoyed by all who abide in the truth , and retain their first love , and habitation therein , in which true fellowship is enjoyed , and the prosperity of the elect seed known : blessed be the name of our god for ever and ever . g●orge whitehead . london the th day of the first month , . a testimony of truth concerning the servant of the lord , and minister of jesus christ , edward burroughs . friends , a necessity is upon me , and i am even constrained and pressed in my spirit to bring in and give my testimony concerning my beloved brother before-mentioned , that it may remain and stand upon record for ages and generation● to come . and this first i say and declare unto all people unto whom this shall come , that he was a man endued with the almighty power of god which lived and reigned in him ; ●nd the treasury of pure , divine , heavenly wisdom was opened in him , &c. and understanding ( in the things that relate unto god's kingdom of peace and righteousness , and in the things that concern the everlasting peace and well-being of all mankind ) was plentifully manifested unto him by the good spirit of god , which ( i may say ) he had received in a plentiful measure : and this many can testifie unto , and his own writings which remain upon record , will in a large measure manifest the truth thereof . and this spirit dwelt plentifully in him , so that thereby he wa● able to instruct many in the way of life , peace and true holiness ; and if any were afflicted in spirit or mind , by reason of the wiles of the enemy of their souls , or if they met with any difficulty in their journey , as they passed from death to life , he was a man able ( through the large experience that he had of the dealings of the lord , and also of the wiles of satan , having followed the lamb in the regeneration ) to administer a word in season to their refreshment and comfort , and for their establishment in the most precious , holy faith ; and this i know the witnesse of god in thousands must and shall testifie unto , who are the seal of his ministry . and moreover he was a man that was able ( through the wisdom and blessed gift of god that was in him ) to convince and stop the mouths of all gainsayers of the truth , which he ( with us ) professed and lived in . and it is well known unto many , that he was never backwards , but always ready and willing to appear in a way of publike conference , as in vindication of ( and against any that should oppose ) the blessed truth of god which he held and professed , and also to manifest the grounds and reasons wherefore , we deny ( and dissent from ) the national prie●ts of the world , ( and their traditional ways of worship ) and the hypocritical professors thereof , who have not the life and substance of what they profess in words . and these things ( it is well known unto many ) he was oft exercised in ; and he did not go about in corners , nor creep into dark places hiddenly nor secretly , but preached the truth of god , and doctrine of our lord jesus christ boldly and openly , even upon the house tops , and his valour for god's truth on earth , was well known unto many , and his voice was as the sound or ratling of the charriots of god's host upon the tops of the mountains , and was oft uttered forth in the name of the lord , even like thunder , and the voice of the son of god was uttered forth through him , by which the dead was raised ; the witnesses are now alive , let them bring in their testimony , that the truth hereof may be confirmed . his doctrine dropped as the oyle of joy upon the spirits of the mourners in sion . his life extended it self as a sweet stream into the hearts of the children of light that thirsted after righteousness : he was one of the cloud of witnesses that dropped down the dew upon the tender plants of god. he pleaded the cause of the innocent suffering seed , and earnestly contended with the powers of the earth of all sorts , in the behalf , and for the freedom of the suffering people of god : he fore prophesied unto them that were in authority in the days past , of their destruction , and of their overthrow , because of their deceitfulness to god , and their false and cruel , treacherous and merciless dealings towards his people , who had made many fair promises both to god and man in the time of their adversity , that they would grant free liberty of conscience in things relating to the worship of god , and that oppression should be removed , and the like ; but in the time of their prosperity , when they were waxen fat , and grown great , and lived at ease and in pleasures , then they forgot god , and regarded not to perform their engagements neither to god nor his people ; for which cause the lord cut them off in hi● sore displeasure , and brought an utter desolation upon them , according to the words of his servants , and this prophet of god lived to see their desolation come , ( which was sad to behold ) and his prophesies was fulfilled in his own days . and he also warned the present rulers of this nation to take heed of walking in the steps of them that are gone before . and for these things , and for the publishing of the truth of god , and for bearing his testimony with boldnesse against all oppression and cruelty , he was hated of the men of this gener●tion , but chiefly by some of the rulers of the city of london : he sealed his testimony with his life in bonds ; and so they have wilfully brought innocent blood upon themselves , and heavy will it lye upon them in the day of account ( which greatly hastens ) wherein the lord god wil make inquisition for the blood of the innocent , and reward every man according to his deeds ; then wil his blood be upon you as the blood of a thousand men ; and how wil you bear your sentence from the lord of hosts , because you will be found guilty of the blood of his prophets , messengers and servants , which he sent unto you in love to your souls , to forewarn you of the evil which greatly hastens to come upon you : yet notwithstanding you have done all these things , and the cry of innocent blood hath been heard so loud amongst you , yet have you hardened your hearts and go on in stiff-neckedness , and persist in your cruelty towards the servants of the lord that are left behind , and are found casting them into prison : oh wo is me for you ! where will a place be found for you in the day of the lord ? or what covering will you hide yourselves under ? or how wil you appear before the righteous god of heaven and earth ? have you no consideration in you of your latter end ? or else do you believe that the lord sees not your cruelty towards his people , that you will not answer his requirings , which is to do justly , and love mercy , and walk humbly with the lord , and to do unto all men as you would they should do unto ? surely if the consideration of these things was in your hearts , or if you had any regard to keep your consciences clear in the sight of god herein , you could never do as you have done . wherefore consider these things , and lay them to heart , and repent speedily , lest you sin your day away , and place of repentance there cannot be found : for this i tell you plainly , that it is in vain for you to strive against the lord , or to seek to stop or hinder his work which he hath begun ; for he will be too strong for you , and he will make you bow and bend to his own name and power , whether you will or no. and though he bear with you long , and suffer you long , yet his long-suffering wil come to an end ; and though you should be permitted to fulfil your envious wills and lustful desires so fa● as to banish , or kill , or destroy us from off the earth , yea all of us who are now in being , ( which i do not believe ever shall be ) yet would god raise up another people by the same power and spirit in and by which we stand , which should be a terror unto you , and should possess god's everlasting kingdom ( which is not of this world ) over your heads . and in the time of his outward weakness he was heard to say , that though this body of clay must return to the dust , yet i have this testimony that i have served god in my generation , an● that spirit which hath lived , and acted , and ruled in me , shall yet break forth in thousands ; and my faith is , that it shall be indeed even so ; for we have found him a true prophet amongst us , and ●o the nations . and this also near his departure he was heard to desire of the lord , that if it were possible , to forgive brown , &c. and so let all friends be encouraged to wait upon the lord in the feeling of the same spirit that was in him , ( which we know is the saints comforter ) that thereby you may be carried through all tribulations and persecutions with chearfulness , that in the end you may all receive the crown of everlasting righteousness with him and the rest of the saints of the most high god , and holy prophets and apostles of our lord jesus christ : and so the lord god almighty of heaven and earth be with you all , and keep you all in faithfulness unto the end , amen . my brother dear the lord hath call'd away , that in this world he should no longer stay : who was to many an instrument of good , while in the body ( in god's great power ) he stood . for many were from darkness by him turned unto the light , in which they were confirmed by the power and doctrine which to them was preached by him , through which god's true witness was reached , in their dark hearts , where satan long had reigned , over whom ( through god's great power ) victory 's gained . he was a valiant souldier of the lamb , and faithful to the lord did always stand , till with his life he seal'd his testimony , ( a london-prisoner ) as it 's known to many . but now in peace with god he is sate down , and hath with christ an everlasting crown of immortality , life and lasting joy , which never shall from him be took away . he was intrusted with the hidden treasure in a large , and in an abundant measure , which he dispensed to the lambs of god ; but to the wicked he was a scourge and rod. he fed the babes and children with the word , which to the wicked was a piercing sword : before him stil god's enemies did fall ; he never turn'd his back to them at all . but now he hath thus finished his course with joy and peace , yet 's life we do not lose : for oh dear brother , thy life i stil do feel remaining with me , else i could not wel remain behind thee with true satisfaction , because 't would turn upon me with reflexion . for truly can i say , my heart is fill'd with sorrow great , and grief is not expell'd : for oh ! the sence of my dear brother's love remains upon me , and shall never move . but herein is my soul greatly refreshed , that thy good savour and thy name is blessed , and shall remain in ages yet to come , when visibles standing now ; is past and gone . but oh my brother dear why soul did love thy life , which not●ing was , nor is above : for all t●ings it transcended , as to me ; in my esteem there 's nothing like't can be : because it stood in that eternity which always wil remain , and never dye : and ages yet to come shall tast thereof , and call thee blest , in whom it was brought forth . he was a man in whom gods power reigned , through faith , in which he a great vict'ry gained over death and hell , the grave and power of sin . and all things that were centered therein . he was a man in whom the fulness dwelt of grace and virtue , was by many felt to live in him , and speak in gods great power , and he descended as a sweet plenteous shower , which did refresh the garden of the lord , the plants that met together with one ●●cord on god to wait , refreshment to receive , and afterward in love to take their leave . he was a man that was upright in heart towards god and man , and hated all deceit : and what he was to god , there 's few do●h know , neither can my tongue or pen declare or show : but this i say , he was ● men of god , and in the light of righteousness he stood . what might i say of this my precious friend ! my soul lov'd him entirely to the end ▪ and stil his life is felt amongst the lambs who in the light and power of god doth stand : here he is read , here he is felt and known amongst the faithful , who with him are one . his savour's good , my life 's therewith refresht ; his name is now , and ever shall be blest . and now my brethren dear , and sisters all , in this be you refresht both great and small . although our brother outwardly be gone , yet hath not god the lord left us alone ; for his almighty power is with us stil , which in the light of life you all may feel to your refreshment and eternal joy , which no man in this world can take away . here is our peace , herein our joy lasts stil , in which my love is to you all , farwel , and this is my testimony for that man of god who hath been a blessing to the lord in his generation , and also to this nation : and in this i have eased my spirit , and am clear in my conscience in the sight of god , having done that which was my duty to do . josiah coale . a testimony of g. f. concerning e.b. his name is chronicled in the book of life ; a righteous plant , pure , chaste , clean : who can tax him for oppressing them , or burdening them , or being chargeable to them ? who through the sufferings hath finished his course and testimony , who is now crowned with the crown of life , and reigns with the lord christ for ever and ever . and in his ministry in his life-time , he went through sufferings by bad spirits , who never turned his back on the truth , nor his back from any out of the truth ; a valiant warrior , more then a conqueror , who hath got the crown through death and sufferings , who is dead , but yet liveth amongst us , and amongst us is alive . g. f. the end. the invisible things of god brought to light by the revelation of the eternal spirit who was an ey-witness of the wonders of the lord in the beginning : wherein is declared the felicity of all things in the beginning and the sad estate of all things after the transgression ... / by francis howgill. howgill, francis, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the invisible things of god brought to light by the revelation of the eternal spirit who was an ey-witness of the wonders of the lord in the beginning : wherein is declared the felicity of all things in the beginning and the sad estate of all things after the transgression ... / by francis howgill. howgill, francis, - . [ ], p. printed for thomas simmons, london : . reproduction of original in the harvard university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng society of friends -- apologetic works. revelation. inner light. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - rachel losh sampled and proofread - rachel losh text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the invisible things of god brought to light by the revelation of the eternal spirit who was an ey-witness of the wonders of the lord in the beginning . wherein is declared the felicity of all things in the beginning ; and the sad estate of all things after the transgression . how all the reformed churches , so called , in christendom are yet in the apostacy . the estate of the true church before the apostacy , and her state in the apostacy ; and the glory that shall appear after the apostacy . by one , who believes , god will shine out of sion in perfect beauty , again , after the dark night of apostacy , called francis howgill . the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun , and the light of the sun as seven days . and he will destroy in this mountain , the face of the covering cast over all people , and the vail that is spread over all nations , isai. , . london , printed for thomas simmons at the bull and mouth near aldersgate , . the epistle to the reader or readers ▪ to the upright hearted reader , in all the regions of the earth wherein this may come , who have walked in the thick fogs and mists which hath arisen out of the botomlesse pit , which hath been raised up since the transgression , which have dimmed your eyes & hurt your sight , so that you could not behold , the pure celestial being , nor him that dwels in it , whose presence gives life , nor any thing within the vail , because the vail hath been spred over all nations , and it hath been so thick that it hath been hard for any to rent it , and the night of apostacy and darknesse hath been so long , since the woman fled into the wildernesse , and since the man-child which was born , hath been caught up to god , that few or none for this many ages past hath come to see the end of the night , but hath mourned without hope , and few or none hath seen or hath been able to discerne the time of the womans return out of the wildernesse again into which she fled , and few or none hath seen to the end of the times after which shee should return , and mens sight in the apostacy hath been so dime , and in the vexation , that when the man-child , which was caught up unto god , would appear again , few hath had faith to believe , or sight to he hold him , or an understanding to deserne of the times ; but praises be to the lord god everlasting , who hath opened , is and opening the windowes of heaven , and showring down his wisdome as a mighty rain , & his knowledge as the morning dew , and an understanding is pouring forth , as the water out of the bottles of heaven & as the water spouts , so that ages , times , things , daies and years is measured and seen . and him that was before all things is beholden , by whom all things was made , who hath been , as in a far country , all this long night of darknesse , but the time is fully expired and now is he returning , and his appearance is as a morning without clouds , as clear as the sun , and as pure as christal , and now is he scattering the clouds , fogs and mists , as with the east wind , & his pure breath clears the air , and by his arm which is mighty , is he renting the vail of the covering , according to his promise , & revealing himself in his naked glory , that the solitary may rejoice , and the feeble may be comforted , and them that have erred may come to a good un-understanding ; what i have writ thou must read me onely in that which is invisible and eternal in thy self , else i am sealed from thee , my words are a riddle , and although the the dreamers of this age in the apostacy say , imeditate revelation is ceased , and not to be looked for ; yet i must needs bear my testimony against them all , for what i have here written i neither received of man , nor from man , nor books , nor other words , but by the eternal spirit , who saw these things , and was an eye-witness of them , and god through it hath revealed them in me , and to me , that i might beare my testimony of the hidden things of god which are eternal although i have made use of the scriptures ( and the saints words , and cited some ) it is not for my sake , but thine who reades , that so every truth may be confirmed , by . or . witnesses ; if thou wait to know and find the key of david , who opens in what i have declared , thou wilt see the state of things before the fall , and after the fall , & how all men in the fall have corrupted themselves in all administrations , thou wilt see the state of the church before the apostacy , in the apostacy , and what shall be after the apostacy , and if thou cannot reach into the things as they are declared , judg them not before the day appeare in thy selfe ; for till then , they will be obscure to thee , but as it appeares in thee , thou shalt bear me witnesse that these things are holy , faithful , and true , and hath and shall be fulfilled , in that which is immutable ; i bid thee farewel . f h. the chief particulars , or heads in the ensuiug discourse treated upon , aud opened by the spirit of the lord , who was an ey-witness unto these things . . the work of the lord declared which was in the beginning , when the word was with god , and man in the image of god. . although the heavens and the earth were created , and all things therein finished ; yet the world was not begun , that lay in wickednesse , which the devil is the god of ; neither was christ the mystery hid , nor the lamb slain . . the understanding may read the wisdom of god in a mystery , and also may see the sottish doctrine of the apostates . . an objection answered . . another objection answered . . how peace , joy and delight possessed every thing that god had made ; how every thing which he had formed glorified him with one consent in the beginning . . how man lost his state and dominion and unity with god , and all the creatures , and how the lamb came to be slain , and the world that lay in wickedness came to be framed in man after the tempter entred ; how endless misery can in upon all , after the transgression . . how sin entred into the world , and death by sin , and how man is dead while he lives ; and all is dead works that he acteth , and the state of all the sons of men , and their works may be seen in the fall . . . objections answered about this particular . . self righteousness , deeds of darkness also , and dead works , and are to be condemned also , and man who acteth them in the fall . . an objection answered , as to the present state of the ministry of the nations , their practice and their worship . . an objection , as to the churches so called and their worship in the nations . . the dark and blind doctrines of the ranters denyed . . an objection about reading the scriptures and conforming to the outward practice of the saints in former ages . . how all men upon the earth in the degeneration & in the fall have corrupted themselves , and have been idolaters in every administration , being gone from the life and power of god in themselves , and having lost the power of god , man can neither worship , honour nor obey god aright . . a few words to that which is called christendom , who professe christianity . . something about water-baptisme , to both priests and separatists . . something about rome in the apostacy , and all their worship in the degeneration . . the protestants or reformed churches so called , not yet come out of the waters nor from under the beasts power . . the presbyters and independants are yet under antichrists reign , in the apostacy , and have among them yet the attire of the whore. . how the woman that travelled in birth , who was clothed with the sun , and brought forth the man-childe , fled into the wilderness , when the dragon had power , and the man-child was caught up unto god. . how the woman comes out again , and when , and he that was caught up unto god , descends again , and appears again to take the rule to himself , and how he makes war with the dragon , and all the apostates , and overcomes them . . how the glory of the lord shall appear after the apostacy greater then before , and the ministration into which them that follow the lamb shall be brought , shall be more spiritual & celestial then before ; for that shall appear in which all visible types and shadowes ends in , and shall be the last that is to be expected by the sons of men , the sight of which hath appeared which yet cannot be uttered . what the day of the lord is , and to whom it hath appeared , and how it is seen , and discovered . what it is , and what it will be to the wicked , declared . . what it is to the righteous , and how he appears to them , and whether we are to look for it while in the body , resolved . . where it doth appear , and how it cometh , and how it is to be looked for , declared . . what the spirit of the lord is , and how it comes to be received , which discovers the the things of god. . how the spirit of truth worketh , and operateth in them who are convinced , and yet have not obeyed it , shewed . how the spirit of the father worketh in them who hearken to it , and are in some measure made partakers of its power , shewn . vnto whom the spirit of the father bears witness , and seals assurance of the fathers love , and of justification with god , declared . what the grace of god is , which is free , and to whom it hath appeared , and where all is to wait to receive it . whether all have received the grace of god or no , and whether it be a sufficient teacher in it self , demonstrated . some objections answered . a word to the wise men of this world who are glorying in the sound of words . also another to them who are glorying in outward appear ances , and worshipping visible things in stead of the life . the kingdome of god and his christ declared , in some measure as it is revaled by the spirit , what it is , and where it is to be waited for , and how it comes to be revealed in them that believe . divers objections answered . the work of the lord declared , which was in the beginning , when the word was with god , and was the fathers delight , and man made in the image of god , and lived in the lambs power , and he was mans life , and this was before the transgression of these declared , as god hath manifested them by his spirit . in the beginning was the word ; and the word was with god ; and the word was god ; the same was in the beginning before the foundation of the earth was laid , or the hills were framed , he was with the father , and was the fathers delight , and he delighted in the father , and the father in him , then did the morning stars sing together , and the son of god shout for joy . in the beginning were the heavens created and the pillars theref set ; & the earth was framed by the power , and all things both in the heaven and in the earth were created by the power , gods son ; every beast of the field , every fowl of the heaven , and the decreed place for the sea was broken up , and all things that moveth therein were created by the word and by the power , and man was made by the power , and in the power , and he was the image of god ; as it is written , in the image of god created he him , male and female created he them , and he had dominion over all the works of his hands , over every beast of the field , which were created by the power , over the serpent , among the rest , which was created by the power , and was good , as he was made in the power ; and by the wisdom they were all brought forth , and man made in that wisdom that brought them forth , who was better then them all , and was made partakers of the power and of the wisdom more then them all , and by the wisdom called every thing as is was in its nature , so named he everything , and the dominion he had was in the power over all things , over all the creation of god , which was good , and the earth , and all things that are therein , the tree of knowledge good , that stood in the garden also , but not for food ▪ so these be the generations of the heavens and the earth , in the day when god created them they were all good , made and created by god , in the power eternal , which is good , unchangeably good , without variation , and the unchangeable power , in which and by which they were made , moved in them all , and they all received vertue and power from the power , gods son ; and the power moved in them all , and shined through them all , and ran through them all ; and they were all to abide in the covenant , in which they were made , and not any to move or act without the power , but only as the power which was the life of them all moved them and acted them , and so goodness possessed them all ; for all was partakers of the goodness of god , and it was the life of them , and they were none of them to move nor stir , but as the life of men , the power by which they were created , moved them , which was gods son : the heavens and the earth were finished , and all things that therein are , and they were all good ; and this saying was true then , which was spoken by christ the power , many generations after , i in them , and thou in me , and all was perfect in one , the father was in the power , the power was in the father , and all the creatures in the power : now was the father glorified ; now was the son glorified , now was man in dominion , in power , crowned with honour , lord over all the works that god had made , in the power ; and now the whole family both of heaven and earth bowed their knees to the lamb , to the power , and this was then fulfilled , at the name of jesus every knee shall bow , both of things in heaven , and things in earth ; and his name was now the word of god ; and this was in the beginning , and the word of god is the power of god : and now both the celestial bodies and terresterial bodies were all subject to the power , and all the works of the lords hands were finished , and he rested , and all , both things in heaven and earth rested in the power , and all kept holy-day and rejoyced . though the heavens and the earth were created , and all things wrought and finished , yet the world was not begun , that lay in wickedness , which the devil is the god of , neither was the power , which is christ , the mystery hid , neither was the lamb slain yet . now after all was made and created , and were good , and blessed , and indued with power , life and vertue , according to the purpose of his heavenly will which is eternally pure , yet was not the lamb slain , nor the mystery hid , which is the power , wch is christ ; for what should slay him , or what should hide him ? he that reads let him understand ; this that i speak of , cannot be reached unto with that wisedome that stands in time , which was not in the beginning with god , that is shut out , but the wise in heart shall understand knowledge , and the prudent shall know what hath been in the beginning , and of his wonderful works in the dayes of old , and of the mystry which was before the world began , when the lamb was in glory , the son in glory , christ in glory , the first born of every creature , and was born before the world began , he that hath an ear to hear let him hear ; when all that god had made and brought forth by the word , by the power , was blessed , and stood in the power , then did the lamb sit in his throne , then was he the delight of god , and god in him , and all that was made by him rejoyced in him , here was love , here was glory , here was purity , unity and a sweet harmony , joy , peace , love , eternal life , gods power ran through all ; all was good , christ was not now hid , he shed himself abroad , and all things was partakers of his power in which they were made , here was happinesse , blessednesse , joy , dominion , everlasting and eternal felicity , innocency , purity and perfection , and man in it , god in it , the lamb in it , man in it after his own image , the mystery of godlynesse was not hid , there was nothing to hide it , or overshadow it , no vail , no covering , but righteousnesse was manifest , and was the covering of all , inocency , the cloathing of all , purity the robe of all , and life the dwelling place of all ; and all the works of his hands rested with the father , with the lamb , with the word , with the power , with christ in glory , with the father , in the etenall glory , whereby all was upheld , in purity , unity , harmony ; answering the pure will of god , and man had power to answer the will of his maker , which he received from god the father of life by the power in which he was made , and to abide in the will of god for ever , and herein he and all things in heaven and the whole family thereof , and all the holy host of god bowed to the lambs power , and he reigned , & the angels were subject to the first born of every creature , before the angels or before any thing was made , he was ; his age who can declare , or his generation ? his age runs paralell with eternity , with immortality , and came from the eternal womb , & from the bosome of the father , where he is , even where he was before the world began ; he that reads let him understand , now the power ruling in all , and over all , all was in peace , and was blessed . now the angel stood in his power , moved in his power , and all the celestial bodies went in and out at his command , and moved not , nor stirred not , but when he moved ; & this was then fulfilled , let all the angels worship him , and so they did , reverenced him , were subject to him , sang and rejoyced in him , triumphed in in his power , and all the holy host moved at his command , and marched on in his strength to performe his will , & to accomplish his everlasting purpose , and to fulfill his eternal decree , and gave glory to him who sate upon the throne of righteousness , and judged in righteousnesse for ever , and ruled in righteousness for ever , there was joy in heaven , the father rejoyced , the son rejoyced , the angels rejoyced , the morning stars sang , the the sons of god shouted for joy , the holy host gave praise , and all praised in the firmament of his power , in which they stood , moved , walked , lived , and accomplished the pure perpetual & eternal decree of their maker , moreover , the terrestrial bodies were all subject to him , he reigned in all , over all , moved all , gave life to all , and was the life of adam , of the male , and the female , and then was this fulfilled , even then , which was spoken in time , though by him who was before all time , who was the life of all things ; i say he lived then , and because he lived , man lived also , for he was his life ; now christ the power reigned over all , and all in the lambs power were subject in a sweet harmony , answering the pure will of their lord , their king that lived for ever , who was upon his throne in the heavens , and now his kingdom was over all , there was joy in heaven , there was peace on earth , the good will of god was done ; in earth as it was in heaven . oh beautiful , oh glorious , oh comly , oh admirable , oh incomprehensible was the glory , my tongue can not expresse , and time would faile me to declare the eternal exellency which god hath revealed by his spirit , and that which i see is not lawful now for me to utter ; now was no mountaines nor hils to hide the mystery , but it shined upon all , in all , over all , and above all , was not hid ; as i said there was now no hiding place that could or did overshadow the mystery of godlinesse , for the eyes of all things looked upon him , whether celestial or terrestrial , and all and every thing according to its kind rejoyced in the light of his countenance , and of his power was glad , and gloried in him , for then there was not an other ; he that can hear let him : now the earth rejoyced , and the floods clapped their hands ; now the great deep smiled , & all things that was therein , the springs thereof laughed which flowed forth as though they had issued out of a womb , now every thing that had breath & lived , praysed the lord ; neither was there any thing but bowed and submitted to their maker ; and he lord and king over all , yet in eternal glory : yet let the wise in heart understand , this was in the beginning , and though it was in the beginning , yet this was when the heavens and the earth was created , and all things that therein are , even then the lamb of god was alive , and the son of god glorified with the father , and man in happynesse , and in pure perfection , without sin in inocency : for nothing that was nocent or hurtful had yet appeared , neither was there any such thing in all that god had made . here the wise may learn , and they that have a good understanding may read the wisdome of god in a mystery , and also see the darke sottish doctrine of the blind apostates , who have lost the power , and are keeping people ignorant of the mystery of god. now this hath been a common doctrine , and received to be orthodox , and as they call it authentick , that while we are in this life , there can not be an overcoming of all sins nor no expectation of it in this life ; and their main ground hath been this , because we have natural bodies . now i say , had not adam a natural body when he was in purity and perfection , in innocency , in paradise , in the garden , yet was this any hinderance to him to answer the will of his creator ? no ; for as the soul , spirit and body was moved by the power out of which power he was not to stir , then i say he had ability to perform the will of his maker in the body , for as he was created by the power in the inward man , that led about the natural & earthly or outward form according to its will , which will was pure , and kept the body acting in its place in the power , for then i say all was good , for the celestial power in which he was made , moved the whole man according to its will , and while he stood in the power , he was in innocency , and purity , and without blemish , & in the power was his health and peace , and he knew no evil . ob. but some may say , what is this as to the confutation of the doctrine which hath been taught , as to the freedom from sin in this life ? ans. this declares that there was such a thing in being , to wit , a natural body , and an earthen vessel , and yet without sin , as he stood in the power ; for the earthen vessel was good , as all the rest of gods creation was in its place to serve the power , as the rest of gods creatures did in the beginning , and who ever comes to know that state again , may come to glorifie god in soul , body and spirit , though in the body , in this tabernacle ; but take their own phrase for the clearing of the thing , not to be freed from the committing of sin in this life , i say in the corruptable life , or the life of unrighteousness , which may be properly called death , there is no freedome from sin , neither of soul or body or spirit , but who comes to know regeneration or the life of men , in which adam was created in the beginning , in that incorruptable life , there is no transgression , and if he live in man , the body is dead because of sin , and i know none who have preached any other 〈◊〉 life , who hath spoke by the spirit of god , in which freedome from all sin is obtained , but onely the life of christ , and whosoever comes to know the lord from heaven , who ruled over all in the beginning , and was the life of all , and all moved in his life , before the fall , whether they were things visible or invisible , & that same power or life of christ , the lamb of god , who was alive then , if he live in man , & man come to be guided by his power , as in the beginning he living in man , the soul and body and spirit being quickned by his power , and raised from under the bondage of corruption , then death hath not power over man ( but life ) and because he lives in them , they live also , their souls to praise him , and their bodies and the members thereof to be servants of righteousness , and so that unbelieving doctrine of the world is turned into the pit , and truth is set above it . object . but further it will be objected , that our bodies are not like adams , in innocency , we are in the fall , and therefore we say they hinder from being freed from all sin , and ever will , while upon earth . ans. that the naked truth may appear to them that seek after true knowledge , i answer freely , that i grant that the soul lies in death , and the creature is subject to vanity , and the whole creation groans in travel and in pain , and waits for the manifestation of the son of god , and the redemption of the body ; and in this state is all mankind upon the face of the whole earth in the first adam , but he who is the second adam , the lord from heaven , who was in the beginning , and is now what he was , and shall be for ever , i say , as man comes to believe in the son who hath life in himself , and he come to be revealed in man , and man subject to his leading , he brings the soul out of death , to have union and communion with himself , and restores the creature from his bondage , and and breakes the bond , and knocks that down which hath imbondaged , and so changes the body , i do not mean the form of the body , but the quality and nature thereof , for the form of adams body was not changed , but the quality , and it was degenerated from its pure nature , wherein it glorified god , as he stood in the power ; so i say , christ who is the life of men , the true light which lighteth every man that comes into the world , he changes all that follow him into his own nature , and restores the creature into his first estate again into purity , that like as the inward man is renewed and restored by the power , and serves the power , so the members of the body , is also yeelded servants unto righteousness , and they receive vertue and power , from the power the life , and so the whole man comes out of condemnation , to glorifie his maker ; & the will of god is don in earth , as it is in heaven , and he saves to the utmost them that comes unto him ; now if he save the soul and not the body , then he saves not to the utmost ; but this is a high state , blessed are they who waites in the faith , to the end are happy , that they may see and know the redemption of their souls , and also the redemption of their body ; for i deny redemption in the grave , or in death , or after this life ; for the holy men of god never mentions a cleansing from sin in the grave , nor after men be dead , for they that have served sin in their life time , and served the devil as long as they live , and have yeelded their bodyes to be temples for uncleannesse while they live upon earth , eternal misery will be their portion , and not redemption ; think on this you who are holding this forth for an article of your faith in the world , among poor ignorant people , that they must not expect redemption from all sin in this life , and so leads them on to perpetual misery , misery will be your end , and in the day of the lord you shall witnesse this to be true ; but to return to the beginning again , where there was no sorrow , but pure joy and peace , both in heaven and earth , but i goe hither and thither , as the spirit leads , and shall speak as it gives utterance , though but here a little and there a little , yet shall it be in truth and righteousnesse . how peace , joy and delight possessed every thing that god had made , every thing which he had formed glorified god their maker with one consent , in the beginning , before the world was framed , that lay in wickednesse . now the lord rejoyced in all the works of his hands which he had made , and rested , and all that he had made rested in the power , whether celestial or terrestrial , and rejoyced in him , walked in him in the motion of the power , of the life , they were happy , and partaked of the life that indures for ever , and happinesse immortal , and knew no evil , for there was none , there was no hell yet prepared , tophet yet was not ordained , neither the devil had yet any being at all , there was no wrath , no sorrow , no condemnation , no death , vexation , grief or perplexity , no pit of darkenesse , no angel of the bottomlesse pit , no shame , no tribulation , no anguish nor paine , no misery ; and in a word there was nothing that did destroy , but all in quietnesse , in peace , in life , in power , in wisdome , glorifying him which sat upon the throne , the lamb , who was living , and the life of the male and the female , and of every thing that god had made , by the power subsisted in the power , and in the motion thereof was good , purely good ; and here was the goodnesse of him who was eternally good , manifest in all , above all , and over all , god blessed for ever , even then the heavens rejoyced , and the innumerable company of angels was hearty glad , and all the holy host sang for joy , with a living voice , which none that stands in time ever yet heard , or can learn , then the earth and all things therein that moved & had life were in pure solace and mirth , and pleasant joy unspeakable , all knit together in unity and harmony in one consent , as one family , and were one body , and there was health in the body , and it was pure and comly , and perfect , and pleasant to behold , crowned with dignity , covered with righteousnesse , beautified with the comlinesse of the lamb who was the life of all : and now man had right to the tree of life , while he moved in the power , and went not our . oh happy state , oh beautiful state , oh admirable state , eternal felicity , oh glorious state , life it self , the life of all , and all in the life , moving in the power , and man right to the tree of lif● , while he lived in the lambs power , had unity with his maker & with all the creatures that god had made , & was in gods pure dominion , and authority , and ruled all , over all things that god had made , in gods wisdome ; thus in short was the state of all things in the beginning , as they were created , and brought forth , and these be the generation of the heaven and of the earth , and of all things that therein are , in the day when god created them , when the father was glorified , when the son was glorified , and when man was in glory and honour , and in dominion , created in the image of god , and yet there was no evil ; time would fail to speak of the state of all things in the beginning as it was , and as it is revealed by the spirit of truth , but in that which i have declared , they who have a good understanding may take a glimps of the happy state of all things , as god hath revealed them by his spirit , which i never received of nor from man , but by the holy spirit of god which was in the begining with god , which saw all this , and was an eye witnesse of this before the world , that lies in wickednesse , began ; and he that hath an eare to hear , let him hear , and blessed is his ear . how man lost his state and dominion and unity with god and all the creatures , and how the lambe came to be slain , and the world that lies in wickedness came to be formed , and founded , and how the curse came , and the wo upon the serpent , which was blessed before , and upon man and woman , and the ground that received the temptation , which was blessed before , in the motion of the power , came to be cursed and how endles misery came in upon all , in the transgression , declared to them who have a good understanding . now the serpent was more subtle then all the beasts of the field ; for that was his nature in which he was created , and it was good in the motion of the power , and therefore christ said , be wise as serpents , yet as harmless as doves ; and though the serpent was wise and subtle , more then all the beasts of the field , till he acted and moved without commandment ; and out of the motion of the power , he was not cursed ; he that can receive it , let him . but he moved in the subtilty , and wisdom , out of the light , out of the power , and went out of the truth ; out of his place without commandment or authority from the power , and acted and spoke of himself out of the power , and out of the truth , as it it written john . . when he speaketh a lie , he speaketh of his own , for he is a liar and the father of it ; now he knew there was a law and command not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil , for god had forbidden it ; now he went out of the power , without commandment , of his own accord , without motion ; now he went and talked with the woman , and she was good before , being in the motion of the life and power , she also looked out , and not in the power , and reasoned with him out of power , contrary to commandment beyond the command , or before the power , and said unto the serpent , we may eat of all , but the tree of knowledge of good and evil we may not eats least we die ; this she knew , and the serpent knew ; now the tree of knowledge was good in the powers motion , though not to live upon or for food , for it was not good for food , therefore god , the truth , the life , the power , did forbid to taste of it , or to eat of that tree , but the serpent out of the power , and the woman out of the power hearkened to him that was out of the truth , who turned the truth that god had spoken into a lie , she joyned to the tempter and hearkned unto him , and eat of the tree of knowledge without the power , and she looking out , and the eye ran out from the life , from the power , and was deceived , and did eat of the knowledge without the power , without the life ; and she also tempted the man , and the temptation entered into a ground which was blessed before , and good , in the motion of the life , of the power , but she having transgressed , contrary to the command , & the man received it contrary to the command , without the motion of the power , or the life which all was to move in ; he also going out of the power , received it in , and seed upon knowledge without the life , without the power , out of the truth , he became one with the woman , one with the serpent , who went out of truth , and abode not in it , and they all were disjoynted and cut off from the life , and the power ; and hear was the beginning of the father of lies , and of him who spoke of himself , out of the power , out of the truth , and his beginning is without foundation , now he that is wise in heart , read his generation , or who made him ; now appeared the angel of the bottomless pit , and not before , and made war against the power , against the lamb ; and so the heart of man was turned away from obeying and feeding upon the power , to obey and feed upon knowledge without the life or power , and here was the first transgression out of the power , and the motion of the light which made all things good , and so as this knowledge was fed upon and grew , man died unto the life , unto the power , and wisdom , and dominion that he had over all that god had made , he lost , and so died unto the power , and lived upon knowledge without the power , and now became afraid of the power , because he was in the transgression of it ; and thus the serpent who was most subtle , went out of the truth , and acted in sin , and led into transgression ; and so there became fear where was none , and shame where there was none , and nakedness where there was no nakedness before the power was died unto , which was their clothing in righteousness , and there was a hiding place sought by him , who before iniquity needed no hiding place , and this is the foundation and beginning of that seed in the transgression , which shall call to the mountains to cover them , and to hide them from the wrath of the lamb. oh how is man degenerated now , and grown quite out of the pure quality , and kind , and nature in which he was made , now afraid of the power that made him , which before he had union with , & was his life , and gave him dominion , and this fulfilled upon man , he was planted a noble vine , a holy , right seed , now become a degenerate plant of a strange vine ; now when the lord appeared and examined him , and man knew his fault that he had acted against the power , yet that which acted in transgression would excuse , here is the fruit of the devils work , transgresse , and then hide and excuse it , and so the woman put it off to the serpent ; he was the beginner of it , but if she had stood in the power , he would have had no place , nor his counsel ; but they all went out of the light and life , into the knowledge , without the power and life , and so the curse came upon all ; now the man cursed , and the ground for his sake , and the woman cursed , in sorrow to bring forth , and the serpent cursed , the beginner of iniquity , cursed above all the beasts of the field , to go upon his belly , and dust to be his meat for ever , and an enmity put between the seed of the woman and his seed for ever , and an eternal decree passed against him for ever ; and he made war against the seed of the woman , which the lord promised to bruise his head ; now came the miserable estate in , that which led him into transgression , grew , and he in it , and to be at unity with it , then came hard ness of heart , and then came the world to be founded in his heart , and he grew in the devouring beastly nature to follow the earthly imaginations of his heart , and became earthly , and fed upon that which the beasts of the field fed upon ; and now the lamb came to be slain , since the foundation of the world , now was man driven out from the tree of life , and out of the garden , and could no way come there again , he had no right to it , the lamb being slain , and he was cut off , to wit man , from him which before gave him peace , and from the power in which he was made he was driven out from , and the sword set , that go what way he could , he could not come into the life again , the image of god lost , then the joyful day was lost , and rejoycing in the lord at an end , then the day of peace was finished , and perpetual misery and wo come in , then unity with the lord of glory gone , and now shame and contempt came , and woful misery . now hell was formed and the botomlesse pit sprang up , and the angel thereof ruled and advanced , and the lamb slain ; and now the lake was prepared , and tophet ordained , now came the day of angnish , of pain , of wo , sorrow ▪ and misery , blackness and darkness , terror , horror , fear on every side , and the day of great perplexity , dominion lost , power lost , authority lost , peace lost , joy lost , health lost , unity lost with god , and unity lost with every creature , and endless misery brought in alas alas , what is become of him who was the son of god ? now become as the beasts that perish , now a vessel of wrath , a dishonourable vessel . oh unspeakable losse , forfeited all , life and all , gone into , plunged into the deep pit of endlesse misery , driven from the presence of the lord , from blessednesse , happinesse , into cursednesse and misery , never to come to life again , but through the losse of life ; man in honour , in dominion , partaker of eternal riches , and the durable riches , now turned out of all , and become vile in the sight of the lord , and hath forfeited life and all , eternal life , and he who was in perfect freedome , become a bondman , a slave to the devil , and to noysome lusts ; he who was lord over all , now become a servant to all and every creature ; he who was in dominion , in the power of god , now become base and vile ; he who was the image of god , now become the image of the devil ; he who was heir of life and felicity , now become inheritor of death and endlesse misery ; he was partakers of the unchangeable love , now partaker of wrath ; he that was in the covenant of life in which he had union with god , and all the angles , and all the holy host of god , now hath union with unclean spirits , which are cursed from the presence of the lord for ever ; he that had union with all gods creatures , hath lost the union with all , being gone out of the power in which all was created , and moreover now in enmity to it , and joyned to him who hath the power of death , which is the devil , and now drawes iniquity as with a cart-rope , and vanity as with a cord , and he who was joyned to the lord , and to the lamb , now joyned to the dragon , who makes war against the lamb ; he that had union with the seed , the heir of all things , now hath union with the seed of the serpent , the first borne of wickedness , heir of condemnation and everlasting vengeance , who is driven from the lords presence , and curst for ever , and to be tormented from the presence of the lord for ever . now the world set in the heart , and the heart gon out after earthly things , even things that perish , and now his life grew in that and after that which sadeth , his delight on transitory things , in lust , in pleasure and wantonnesse , delighting in the flesh , hath forgotten god his maker , and now dishonours him , oh let the heavens mourn , and let the earth be without joy , let● hils lament , and the vallies be grieved , let gloominesse cover the face of the deep , let the floods be sorry , and springs lament , let all thau moveable take up a lamentation , and let it be for a lamentation for ever , misery is spread over all , the earth is polluted , and defiled , and all is out of order , disjoynted from the lord , and great confusion and perplexity is come upon all , and the whole creation grones and travels in pain , in grief and sorrow , and all is made subject to vanity , the oppressor bears rule , the land mournes , the lamb is slain , the serpent and his seed rejoyceth and triumphes , all is filled with violonce , the seed suffers , the lord is is grieved , the angels mourne , the proud and presumptions is now counted happy , and now the worker of iniquity set up to be a ruler and a law-giver now to man , and in man , who before had the lord to be his law-giver , and his king ; oh woful change ! oh sad state ! oh deplorable condition ! gone from honour and glory , into perpetual misery and contempt ; and here all the whole earth and all mankind may read themselves , as in a glasse , in what state they are in in the fall , in the first nature , in the disobedience ; time would fail me to expresse the misery , and the sad estate of all mankind in the curse , yea it is unexpressable , and undeclare●ble , and unfathomable , and incomprehensible ; by the sons of men in the unbelief , but god hath revealed to me by his spirit , that which is now spoke , and he shall beare me record that my witnesse is true ; also that of god in every mans conscience , when the book of conscience shall be opened , and the secrets of , all hearts revealed , shall bear witnesse that this is true . how sin entred , and death by sin into the world , and now man dead while he lives , and all is dead works that man brings forth , wherein the state of all the sons of men may be seen , and their works in the fall . now the serpent being more subtil then all the beasts of the field , in presumption of himselfe , moved without the power , and formed a thing without the power , and began his work , and brought a lye ; being gone out of the truth , sin conceived , and a lye conceived , ●e is the father of it , and not the power ; he spoke of himselfe , who was gone out of the light , motion or the powers acting , man also his eye being abroad out of the life and power , l●t in the temptation upon him ; but if he had stood in the power , as god had ordained him and commanded him , and had not moved out of it , he would have seen when the serpent or any other thing had gone out of the power , and have still had dominion over it ; and though it was evil in the serpent to tempt , who moved without commandement from the lord ; yet if man had stood in the power , he had kept him out ; and it had been no sin to him , neither condemned should he have been ; and so that blind doctrine of the world , and the teachers thereof is a lye , who have said and taught that , god ordained him to fall , and upon this account that so christ might be revealed and that his son might be honoured ; for if man had not faln , say they , there had needed no saviour . this is ignorance and blindnesse ; he created man in his image to stand in the power , and ordered and commanded him so to do , and to glorifie him , who made him & to stand in the dominion over all the works of his hands : and this doth not make christ uselesse , or of no use ; yea he was of use before , and was his life , and the life of all things , and what if i say salvation , the wise will understand ; the unlearned will say , what needed their salvation , when there is no sin ? yes , there needed salvation & preservation , in that state that he was made in , that he might be upholden in that state , and saved from any thing that might hurt him in that state , so as to weaken him , that he might not have power to fulfill the will of god , and to glorifie his maker . ob. but some may say he was not saved and preserved but was created and left to himselfe , to order himself whether he would stand or fall . ans. i say , whose was the fault , that he was not preserved , and saved in that state , was it in god ? nay , and that he was left to himselfe , is also as false , and unlearned ; he left him in the power , and in the dominion everlasting , and commanded him to stand there , and he was not to goe out of it , but to act in the motion of the word , and in the power by which he was made , which was christ , who was glorified with the father before the world began ; i say according to gods appointment and ordination , man was not left to himselfe , but to stand in the power and authority of the word , wherein man had power to fulfill the will of god , and keep all in order according to gods appointment , but he going out of the power , contrary to gods command , giving heed to the woman , and the serpent , who were gone out of the command before ; i say he of his own accord going out , when the power commanded him not to harken to any such thing , but on the contrary forbad him , so let in a lye , and believed the woman , and the serpent , and so went from his preservation , and protection and salvation , & so was catched in the serpents snare , who abode not in the truth . ob. but then some may say he had a voluntary will to doe as he would , and was not that will good ? ans. the will was good in it self , as it stood and went out in the lifes motion , but moving or acting contrary to the motion of the life , was not good ; for that was out of gods order , and appointment , for nothing in man or without man , of all that god had made , was to stir or act without commandments ; now the son was not honoured by mans faling , but both the father and the son was dishonoured , and now the son or power was not revealed by the fall , but vailed as from men , so the fogy mists of darknesse is scattered , and the blind doctrines of the world layd waste . ob. some will be ready to say , how dost thou say he was in dominion everlasting ? then , how should he fall ? that lasted but a while . ans. i say he was made by the word which abides for ever , and in it which was in the beginning with god , and was god ; and gods son , and his dominion is an everlasting dominion , and his throne is established in righteousnesse for ever and ever ; and in it selfe it is what it was ever , and after the fall , retained the same power and authority in it selfe , and so will do for ever ; mans power stood in it onely , out of it he had none , so going out of it , dyed to it , and not any more power to do , or to will , or to order , or to rule any thing but by it : but he lost the feeling of it , and the guidance of it , the vertue of it , and life of it , and became dead to it , and alive in his heart and mind to an other power , to wit , the power of deceit , and to the power of him which hath the power of death , which is the devil ; so god is clear , no fault in him , nor in the power , nor weaknesse in the dominion and authority which he had ; but destruction meerly , wholly , and onely of himself , and he is to bear the his own burthen . thus man receiving in the devils conceptions , who was gone out of the truth , and became one with it , feeding upon knowledge without the life ( this was evil ) thus sin entred , and death by sin ; man cut off from the power , from life , from the dominion which he had in the power ; now man , is dead while he lives , and in the day he eat he died ; dead to the power , dead to the life , dead to good , dead to truth , dead to purity , dead to righteousnesse , estranged and alienated from it ; the grave covers him , death hath prehemenence , and bears rule , and not life , and he gone into its nature , and loves it , and imbraces it . oh sad life ! ah sad state ! now his life cursed which is death , he cursed , all his actions cursed , all his conception cursed , all his works cursed , labouring in sorrow , in travel , and pain , and grief , and sweat and perplexity ; now all may as in a line read the happy estate of man before the fall , the sad and deplorable estate in the fall , which who can declare , or who can measure , or who can demonstrate the miserable estate of man dead in trepasses and sins ? and life swallowed up of death , death and destruction lives , and man in it ; and now in the grave god is not remembred , but forgotten . now the world set in the heart , and the earth in the heart , the heart becomes earthly , and vain , thorns and bryers springs up and the earth covers the slain ; now death lives , and man lives in it , and one with the enmity and in enmity against god , who was before his life , man now in chains of darkness ; when any thing moves heaven-ward , the power of death drawes the mind down again to the pit into darkness ; now the nature of all things in the earth set in the heart , beasts , rocks , hills , mountains , dogs , swine , and brutish creatures , and man becomes brutish and vain , they have all dominion over him , he a slave to all , all rules over him , and death grew ; and dead works brought forth , he cannot now perform any thing whereby he can purchase the love of god , nor give a ransom for his soul , now the root of betterness grew , and the enmity , and man in lust , and when his lust is crost , or his will crost , then the enmity which liveth in him riseth , he would kill that , and destroy that , imprison that , and bring it into bondage , that the enmity might be lord over all , and brings the innocent into bondage ; that which is nocent is set up , and the higher deceit growes in the heart , the more stir it makes and the greater destruction of that which crosses it ; and here came in oppression , murder , cruelty , tyrany , prisoning , imbondaging , revenge , maliciousness , and envie , rage , sury , headiness , pride ; this is all in the curse , and springs up from the foundation of the world in the heart , and so being given way unto and loved , grows in strength , and iniquity multiplies , and the beast growes , and the name great and numberless , the serpents root spreads forth it self , and sprouts out in the earth , and comes to grow great , and is admired ; now the deeds of darkness and the works of darkness comes to be many , envy , murder , adultery , fornication , uncleanness , riotousness , sporting , covetousness , defrauding , cheating , maliciousness , theft , dissimulation , feinedness , hypocrisy , witchcraft , cursed-speaking , railing , reviling , filthy communication , unsavory speeches , wantonness , lightness , foolish jeasting , idle talking , vain babbling , back-biting , swearing , lying , cursing , blasphemy , slandering , pride , arogancy , vain-boasting , contention , strife , emulation , mischief ; these and many more are now the fruits of the degenerate plant , & dead works , and the works of darkness , in man who was once a noble plant , a holy right seed , now the fruits of sodom , and the grapes of gomorah whom god destroyed and overthrew , is brought forth , and the whole earth is filled with violence , and these be the fruits that grow and are become great over all nations , which are wrought by the devil the father of lies ; who spoke of himself , and works of himself , in the dark , in the night , out of the light , out of the day , who went out of the truth , and now worketh in all the children of disobedience , who are out of the light , and out of the power ; and here are all the sons of fallen adam in the curse , under the wo and these be the works that are wrought and brought forth which hath stained the earth ; and the father of them , and man in whom they are wrought , and the works themselves , is all for condemnation , never to be numbred among the saints in light , nor among their works . self righteousness , deeds of darkness also , and dead works which though they be not counted as bad as the former , by them that act in them , yet they are to be condemned also ; and man who acts them being in the fall . cain who was the first begotten in the fall , the similitude , likeness and image of adam his father , who had transgressed and disobeyed , and lost the power , and became dead to it ; cain i say his expresse image , out of the saith , out of the power , he brought a sacrifice , and offered in the same nature he slew his brother with , and envied him ( who was in the saith , and was accepted of the lord through faith in the power of god ) i say in this nature he offered and was not accepted , he was in the imitation , out of the life , out of the power , in feinedness , and this was self , and not the lord that moved him : the jewes in the prophets time , who were in cains nature , in envy and maliciousness , grinding the faces of the poor , and oppressing the needy and chopping them in pieces as flesh for the pot ; they brought sacrifices , oblations , burnt-offerings , kept fasts , and sabbaths , and new moons , and all these things , and lied , swore , and dealt falsly , and left no roome for the poor , and yet they said the lord was among them ; the lord sent his servant the prophet , to tell them the lord was weary of them and of their oblations ; why ? they were out of the faith , out of the life , out of the power , and deceit lodged in their heartts , covetousnese , envy , murder , oppression and violence , as ravening wolves hunting for their prey ; the prophets prophesied for hire , their priests bear rule by their means , and people was one with it , and liked it , and loved it should be so , the end of those things was misery , the judgement of god came upon them , they were scattered among their enemies , their prophets slain , and for their sake sion became as a plowed corn field , and jerusalem a heap , and now he that offered an ox , was no more accepted , then if he slew a man , no more then if he blessed chemosh , ashteroth or baal , all was sin , and to be condemned by the power out of which they were gone . the scribes and pharisees in christs time , great worshippers , devout men , devout women ; zealous men for temple , priests , tithes , days , sabbaths , oblations , and were acting all those things that were commanded in or about the worship of god , yet christ said unto his disciplrs , except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the scrihes and pharisees ye cannot enter the kingdom of god : they might have said ( which at least they did in their hearts ) this man says he is the son of god , and yet saith and teacheth his disciples , another righteousness , then is commanded in the law , and moreover tells them , except their righteousnes exceed ours , they cannot enter into gods kingdom ; where is there in all the earth any better righteousness then ours ? we do not as the heathen worship idol-gods , we keep the sabbaths , and purifie our selves and payes tithes , and keeps the ordinances given by the lord to moses and our fathers ; well these things they were doing , but they were but dead works , they were out of the faith out of the power and had not gods word abiding in their hearts , from which their power and ability should have come to have answered the will of god ; here was self-righteousness although they did the outward things which were commanded of the lord , yet they were dead works ; their temple left desolate , worship desolate , jerusalem compassed about with armies , not one stone left upon another which was not to be thrown down , and they scattered among the heathen , their priests slain , and their oblations ceased , plagues , judgement prusuing whithersoever they went ; did all those things save them from the wrath ? all their works and dead worships & self-righteousness save them ? were they accepted ? oh ! nay , rejected , a seed of falshood a crooked generation an hypocritical generation : these things with many more , which i could instance , all shewing that man in the transgression of the life , of the power , whether he sinned , or wrought that which he might judge was righteous , yet they were but dead works . ob. but some may say , what saist thou to this generation of ministers , preachers and ordinances ? we live in a gospel time , and are under gospel ordinances , and they teach that man is redeemed by christ , from sins past , present and to come , and the ordinances that we practice now i hope you will not call them dead works . ans. i say the ministry in these nations , made by mans will , and by the will of the flesh , and that are seeking their gaine from their quarter , and are suing men at law , and throwing men in dungeons , and holes to the losse of some mens lives already , and hundreds have been and are like to be spoiled , onely to uphold their greedy devouring nature who have ravened , and devoured like evening wolves , some mens estates wholly , and some times taken ten fold the value , who ravens from place to place from one end of the land to another , and into other nations also , for filthy lucre , or a greater benefit ; i say they are in the fall , in the transgression , death rules in them , over them , and they are ministers of death , and never brought any to god ; but of them many other brethren who are in the faith of our lord jesus christ hath borne a large testimony which any considerate , wise , prudent , and reasonable man may see them to be ministers of death , demonstrated by many sound grounds and unanswerable arguments , and the scripture of truth clearly bearing witnesse to the same ; and so i refer the reader to those things , and shall content my selfe at present in what i have said in this particular . now as to the worship , or ordinances or practices themselves i come unto , and shall speak no otherwise of any thing , then god by his eternal light and spirit hath made me understand in the true ground of things , else i know well how to be silent . now this i say to all sects , opinions , and fellowships ( though they be devided into many heads or societies ) man acting or performing any thing of worship , ordinance , or any practice whatsoever which the scriptures declares hath been or ever was , though they should doe it in the same manner , sutable in every circumstance to that which others did , till all or every man come to believe in the power again , which man went from in the transgression , all that he doth is selfe-righteousnesse , and dead works , preaching dead , prayer dead , baptisme dead , their communion dead , their conferences dead , their exhortations dead , their fasts dead , their offerings like as if one had offered a dead beast under the law , or a lame lamb , which had been abomination ; even so i say till man come to that which he hath lost in the transgression , till man find the power , the life , the light , the messiah , and feel him in them , to work , move , lead , guid , and act , all will be accounted with the lord , selfe-righteousnesse , dead works , dead fruit , and if all would examine and try , they might see the nations almost spread over with dead men in adam , and dead works abound , and coverings which god will rent , and lay all waste together , false rest , imitated formes , and representations without life , i say till men come into the power againe that adam went from , and so died in that day , he cannot doe any thing well pleasing to god ; and whosoever comes to that again , passeth every step through death , and denies himselfe and all selfe-actions , selfe-righteousnesse , and must come to be bare and naked again , even as he was before he came out , he and his wife were naked and were not ashamed ; selfe-acting was not known ; now self-will , self-worship , self-righteousness ; nay , they moved in the power righteousnesse was their covering , and as i said before , there was no shame , i might speak largely in this thing , and truly my tongue is the pen of a ready writer , oh that all had an eare to hear that their souls might live , and that every one might be unbottomed , of his false rest , false and fained hope , and faith ; and of his own ragged garment , and let goe his selfe-righteousnesse , and his dead works , and come to christ the life of men again , that man hath run from , that so he might have life and peace . ob. but some would say that thou wouldst have all upside down , & unchristian the nations , and unchurch churches , and throw down all our worship , and then what should we doe , all would be as heathens , and turne into athisme . i say a time of fanning and ●ifting and trying is come , when nothing shall stand but that hath the image , stamp , and character of the living god upon it , and all that which hath been brought up , and raised up , since man hath been in the transgression , must be turned down into the pit again , and all that have got a name of christian , and wants his life , to live among them and in them , shall be scattered as clouds with the east wind , and all imitated worships , and will worshippers , and the fained faith , and the fained hope shall be confounded , and all will worships and worshippers will be overturned who are not come yet to the true light that lightens every man that comes into the world , and till man comes to the light , and tries his deeds and works by it , he never sees what he is doing , nor what he is working , nor what he works ; and so all that man doth here in the unbeliefe , it is but sin , or selfe-righteousnesse which is brought forth by him who abode not in the truth , in the unbelief ; and so who be come to the power which was in the beginning , before sin entred , and death by sin , hath and doth measure all deeds and all works , & man that is in the losse , in the fall , & sees that a dead man cannot act a living work , nor bring forth living fruits unto god , nor living works of righteousnesse , being in the unrighteousnesse , neither the fruits of faith being in the unbeliefe , neither the works of the day being in the night , neither the works of charity being in the emnity ; in a word , without christ the power , the light , the life , which was glorified with the father before the world began ; i say ( he said it himself who is the beginning of the creation , of god , the first born of every creature ) he said , and his testimony will be found true , without me ye can do nothing , nothing that is wel-pleasing to the lord , nothing that ever shall be acceptable ; and here is the true state of all the earth discovered , and all mankind drove out from god , miserable , naked , hopelesse , helplesse , faithlesse , and so can doe nothing as to the glorifying of god his maker , or to the ordering of any thing in the creation to his glory , having lost his dominion and gods wisdome , and this being considered seriously by all , and brought to the light in all , and their deeds tryed by it , would make the lofty bow , and the stout hearted fear , and the conceited sit down in solitarinesse , that they should so long deceive their own souls with a conceit of righteousnesse and redemption , when as death yet reignes in them , and over them , and not life eternall : so the devil is a distinct being from god , and his works are distinst , and his deeds , from the works of god , and neither he nor his works shall ever be numbred among the works of god , but he and they that obey him , and follow him who is out of the truth , they , their works ( of what sort soever they may seem unto men to be , whose eyes the devil hath blinded ) so i say all is to be condemned , and shut out from gods presence for ever , and to be destroyed by him who is a consuming fire , and all the righteousnesse of man burned , as combustable stuff in unquenchable fire . pr. and by what hath been said , the principle of that ranting crew ( who are become vaine in their imaginations and foolish , their understandings being darkned ) are seen , and their principle overthrown . as that light and darknesse is one , & good & evil one , and sin and righteousnesse one , and truth and a lye one , and that god is all and doth all , and what ever is done is of god , and that there is no evil but to him that thinks it so , and it is onely a false apprehention of things , and that there is no such thing as sin , & that sin is nothing : unto all these things i might speak , but the understanding reader may by what is before written , see each of these plainly declared , and the true ground of things laid down as the spirit gave utterance , and this shall at present suffice in this matter . ob. but some may object further , and say , will not reading the scriptures and conforming to the practise of the saints in the use of his ordinances , will not this make us accepted , and bring us out of the fall , and make us good christians ? answ. no , while death hath dominion in man , and over man , and the vaile over the heart , man doth not understand the mystery of gods kingdome , neither understands the scripture which was spoken from the spirit of truth , or any thing of truth as it is in christ , for none understands the things of god , but by the spirit of god , so that every man that comes to have a good understanding , must come to know the pure spirit of god in him to direct him , & informe him ; ( which spirit ) was the original of the scripture ; for the holy men of god spoke as they were moved by the holy ghost ; and without the holy ghost in some measure be known , ●nd that which is infallible , the sayings , the writings , the scriptures cannot be understood , & because of the want of this , all the earth is run into heads , & sects , & opinions , & large treatises and volumes , & expositions have been written , & yet differing one from another , and all from the spirit , and in all these particular sects , persecuting one another , & envying one another , and hating one another , and would compell others to believe what they believe in what they say , if they had but power ; and for proof of this , it is most evident in the scripture of truth , and in latter ages since the apostles , it hath been , and it is evidently seen , both among the papists and protestants , and among all them that are called the reformed churches ; but all this is in the fall , and in the transgression , and in the apostacy , and is an evident token , that they are all under the power of the beast , who makes war against the lamb ; so all compellation , and they that do compell , are not worshippers of the lamb , but of the beast which is to be destroyed and cast into the lake . for the jews under the first covenant had the scriptures the good and wholsome words of god , and the prophets and read the law and the prophets , on the sabbath dayes , and yet the vail was over their hearts , and and though they did perform many things commanded , yet they being erred from the spirit , did not understand of what the scripture spoke , nor know him nor his mind , to wit , christ of whom the scriptures spoke , neither were they accepted of god , but reproved and rejected by christ himself , who said they erred , not knowing the scriptures , nor the power of god , doubtless they did know the words naturally and read them , but the spirits mind , in so speaking they knew not ; and jude reproves all such , and said what they knew , they knew naturally as bruit beasts , and in that knowledg , they corrupted themselves , and therefore peter well said ▪ many things were hard to to be understood ; which the unlearned wrested ( they that were ignorant of the spirit of the father , and had not learned of god , who is a spirit ) they i say perverted and wrested the good and wholsom words of the scriptures , and were no more accepted of god , then if they had never heard the words nor read them at all ; and as for the jewes conforming to the outward commands , when the vail was over their hearts , and their hearts uncircumcised , these things did not make them any whit more accepted then the heathen , so the christians since christs time , in the apostles days and after the apostles days , who held the form of worship , and the form of godliness , and the outward part of worship , and holds and retains it in that part which is above the seed , and denies the power , this no more makes a christian inward , then outward circumcision , made a jew inward ; neither any of these things do recommend any unto god , but are covers made , & rests formed , from that part which is above the seed , & so man comes to be counselled in those things , when alas he is miserable and naked , and hath not the righteous garment on which should make man accepted of the father , through the beloved , gods righteousness . how all men upon the earth , in the degeneration , and in the fall , and in the transgression , have corrupted themselves , and have been idolaters in every administration ; ( being gone from the power ) in which man had the ability , power , and wisdom to worship god aright , and honour the living god of heaven and earth . in the state and condition which man was created in , when he was the image of god , and lived in the power of god in which he was created ; he in that power ( which was his life ) had wisdom and understanding , and power , to worship the living god , and to glorifie his maker , the which thing i have treated on before , but being gone from the power , and grew in knowledge without the power , his thoughts became vain , and his imaginations vain , and his desires earthly , and corruptable , and so the creatures were worshipped in his heart , and not the creator ( the life of the creatures ) and he bowed to the creatures , and they had dominion over him , and that nature began to grow and multiply in all the earth , and that seed , which was at enmity with god , and against the seed , which is christ , and few there were that called upon the name of the lord in truth & righteousness ; although some , yet few , one in a nation , or a few in an age , nay in many ages ; and men multiplied in the earth , and wickedness multiplyed also , and idolatry , and the seed of the serpent grew great ; and god saw the wickedness of man that it was great in the earth , and that the thoughts and purposes , and imaginations of his heart were onely evil continually , gen. . . and the earth was filled with violence and crueltie and oppression , and the living god forgotten , and not worshipped , but on the contrary they followed the imaginations of their own hearts ; and bowed down to every corruptable thing , and to every creature , and did not worship the lord god in their hearts , till the lord was grieved at the heart , and repented that he had made man ; and this was before the flood , and after the flood , when the earth was a little multiplied , iniquity grew in the earth , and the cursed seed sprang from hams stock ; of whom was nimrod the hunter ( before the lord ) the beginning of his kingdom was babel ; of the which became great idolaters , and of this seed came the philistians who were uncircumcised , who were heathens , and the jebusites , and gargasites , and the canaanites and hivites ; and their generations were great in the earth , & they were great idolaters ; and committed idolatry with stocks and stones , and with brick , having forgotten the lord , they began to work exploits in the earth , and to build cities ; and babel having forgot the name of god , they would have got a name in the earth , and builded a tower , whose top might have reached to heaven ; but the lord whom they had forgot scattered them , and this was the seed of evil doers whom god scattered and drove out of canaan , who were great idolaters and gave it to abraham , who feared the lord , and to jacob , and to his seed to possesse . and when transgression grew , he added a law ( the sence of gods power and wisdom was so lost in man , and they so gone from his wisdom , that a law was added after israel came out of egypt ) which was outward , and written in tables of of stone , wherein was the statutes and the commands , that they should onely worship him , and that they should not make them gods of gold and silver , neither the likeness of any thing in heaven or earth , yet nevertheless , that uncircumcised part which kept the seed in bondage , and that corruptable earthly nature that ruled in them , made gods like the heathen egytians , and they made a calf , and bowed to the molten image , and forgot god , and provoked him to anger , till many of them were consumed in his sore displeasure , and tempted him , and lusted , and eat and drank , and rose up to play ; and committed whoredoms with the creatures , and abused them ; and therefore the lord sent his prophets and rebuked them : they abused the gold and the silver , the stone and the wood , which were good creatures , but not to make gods of , nor images thereof , nor idols to draw away their minds from the lord ; but they in whom the seed was not made manifest , they worshipped dead things , and likenesses of things , which were not life it self ; and so transgressed the law , acting from that part , and living in that nature , which the law was against ( which was added because of transgression ) to limit the transgressor and to slay him , and to bruise that under , till the seed came up that fulfills the law , but the seed of the serpent had so much rule in them whom god had often delivered out of the hands of their enemies , so that many perished , corah , and many princes , and many thousands of israel , who followed their own inventions and were cut off in gods sore displeasure , being gone from that which was upright in which man was created , & followiug their imaginations , & out of that mind formed idols and images , and set them up , and answered that part in themselves which transgressed the seed , & not that which doth overthrow all idols & the ground thereof ; and after they were come to the land that god had promised them , they were commanded not to worship idols , as the canaanites did ( that were hams-stock ) who was accursed , and set up cursed idols , yet , nevertheless breaking the law which was to limit that part which had transgressed ; that which was contrary to the law , was set up in themselves , even the nature of the canaanites , gentiles and heathen , and then they worshipped the heathens gods , or else formed gods and idols and images of their own , and worshipped baal , ashteroth and chemosh , and the sidonians gods , & every nations gods , and images where they came , and so the lord sent his true prophets , who feared his name , and worshipped him , to declare against them , even the house of israel a distinct people , from the heathen , great professors , ezek. . . they set up idoles in their hearts , and put a stumbling block of iniquity before their face the lord said he would answer them according to the multitude of their idoles , they being gone into vanity , they hearkned to the idols that spake vanity . zech. . . and baked bread and rosted flesh with wood , and of the same made a god , and they transgressed at dan , at bethel , at gilgal , yea their idols flood in their hearts , and they formed such without as was sutable to their hearts , as you may re●d through many ages & generations before the flood & after the flood in the wildernesse in canaan , & in the nations where they were scattered . hab. . , . what profiteth the graven image , and the molten image and teachers of lies , woe unto him that saith to the wood awake ▪ to the dumb stone arise it shal teach , behold it is laid over with gold and silver , and there is no breath at all in the midst of it , seek not to bethel , nor enter into gilgal , for gilgall shall goe into captivity , and bethel shall come to nought . furthermore , they corrupted themselves in those things which god had commanded , ( which were commands in their time ) & made idols of those things which were but figures or shadowes of good things to come , which they should have waited for , as the brazen serpent , temple , offering , oblations , tythes , priests , sabbaths , new-moons , solemn feasts , circumcision , passeover , and all these things were given to be observed til the seed came ( the end of all these things and of the law for righteousnesse ) but christ the seed , the heire of all things , when he came ( after many prophets had declared of him from moses to samuel , from samuel till iohn ) they exalted those things above him , and neglected him who had life in himself , & would not come unto him that they might have had life , and then , their temple , priests , sacrifice , oblations became idols , and their practise idolatry , and so are in blindnesse to this day ; and so in the daies of christ , they held up those things , and were counselled in their works and observances , and days and times , and came not to believe in him in whom all daies ends in , and so continued in their large observations all along in the apostles dayes , and did as they had done in the days of the prophets , slew the prophets that were sent of the lord , and set dreamers , and such as prophecied for hire and divined for money , and said no evil should touch them , and they said the law should not depart from the priests mouth , nor vision cease from their prophets , but believed their lies and prophesied of wine and strong drink , and cryed peace to them that gods controversy was against , and so persecuted the apostels from city to city , and from place to place , till the the wrath of god came upon them , and jerusalem compassed about with armies , and not one stone left upon another , and for their sakes sion became a plowed corne field , their temple burnt , their priests slain , their sacrifices ceased , and their oblations at an end , and they scattered among the heathen , and they and all their idols , and their worship blasted and cursed from god , and from being a nation to this day , and thus hath the lord brought shame and contempt upon all through all ages , who have worshipped the works of their own hands , or that hath holden up any figure , representation , and have set it up and exalted it above the life , and with it have opposed the power , the life in which all figures , types , and representations ends in ; and thus far i have passed through generations , and also through administrations , that all who have a desire of the true knowledge of god may see , that man in the degeneration being out of the image of god , corrupts himselfe in all things , and makes idols of all things , being from the life in which man hath power onely to fulfill the righteous will of god. but to descend & to come nearer to our age , because all that which is called christendome , will say this in nothing unto them , because they hold not up the heathens images nor the jewish idols , nor the jewish types and worship , and therefore they are no idolaters ; when john the prophet came and preached repentance in the wildernesse of judea , which was a preparer of the way , he baptized in jordan , and many believed and repented , and were baptized , and christ also was baptized , and so was he circumcised and eate the passeover , and observed what was written , because he came to fulfill all righteousnesse , and also bad his disciples hear them that sat in moses seats for he was not yet sacrificed up , nor glorified ; i say iohn baptized not in his own name , but bore witnesse unto christ the lamb of god who takes away the sins of the world , who came after him and was preferred before him , whom iohn said should baptize them with the holy ghost and with fire , and many of iohns disciples followed christ the true light , that lighteth every one that cometh into the world , and iohn was not offended at them for following of christ but rejoyced ; take notice of this , you baptizers who are offended with them that followes christ the light that lighteth every one that cometh into the world , and excommunicates them like the envyous jewes , out of your assemblies , and saith they are deluded , and are so far from iohns spirit , that instead of bearing your testimony to him , who is the ( light ) that you would bind them up , and council your disciples not to goe after him , the true light that lighteth every man ( the christ of god ) i say to you , you are in the idolatry , who prefer your water before the ( light ) but iohn bore witnesse to christ the light , and said he was preferred before him , and some imitaters and idolaters say the baptisme of water is the door or entrance into the church of god , when as christ saith he is the door , none comes into the fold but by him , and none comes to the father but by him , and he is the way , so who sets up an other entrance unto god , or into the foule or into the church , which is the pillar and ground of truth , sets up an idol , and prefers an idol , above the life , and so are in the idolatry ; but let none mistake , that i say water is an idol nay , it is a good creature of god , or that i say iohns baptisme with water was an idol , nay he was in the power and spirit of eliah , and his baptisme a figure of a good thing which was to come , which afterward was received by the diseiples , and christs words made good unto them ; iohn indeed baptized you with water unto repentance , but ye shall be baptized with the holy ghost , and with fire , not many daies hence , that was christs baptisme . i am not ignorant of the many and great contests in this age , that have been about these things , and i know many scriptures that speaks of baptism all which i have searched narrowly with the measure of gods spirit given unto me , into the true ground of things , & the true state of each administration , and in this thing i am satisfied fully , that the baptisme with water was iohns baptisme , and not christs , and the baptisme of the spirit is christs , and not iohns ; i have no desire to wrangle or jangle about words , or contest about shadowes , but that all may come to know him in whom all ministrations ends in , and there will be peace and satisfaction ( to wit , in christ ) but to say some thing to the main bassis , and foundation , which priests , and separatists builds much of their arguments upon , the last of mat. and the last , goe teach and baptize all nations in the name of the father , son , and holy ghost ; as for all the priests about their baptising of infants , here is no ground at all , for here is first teach and then baptize , and here 's no infants neither , and so i know , what consequences hath been drawn from this by the unlearned in their imaginations , but them that hath the least measure of true light , will not take a consequence to build a foundation on , for this is contrary to their own rule , they say the scripture is the rule , then their consequence is not the rule , and if the scriptures be the rule , let all people of your parishes know if you can by the scripture shew when john or any disciple of his or christs , baptized infants and taught them principles of religion ● . years after , but they are willingly ignorant that sees not you to be idolaters ; and as to the baptists separates , who builds upon this for their water baptisme , they are as groundles as the priests , and all their arguments are as invalled as the rest ; for here is baptizing the nations in the name of the father in the name of the son , and of the holy ghost , and any who are judicious or wise , and are in any measure of gods pure wisdom , will not say that the name of the father is water , or the son or holy ghost is water ; the name of god is i am , and a strong tower , and the name of the son is the word , and the word is the power , but this is not water ; but further they say the disciples had received the holy ghost , and did baptize with water after , and they were baptized with water after they had received the holy ghost , & they bring divers scriptures to prove this . i shall not deny but peter baptized with water , and paul two or three families , and thanks god he baptized no more , and said he had declared the whole counsel of god , and he makes not mention in all his epistles that baptisme was any part of his command , neither in all his counsel to the churches any where doth he exhort either timothy or titus or apollo or any of the brethren to baptize with water ; but as for peters baptizing with water , i know no more command he had then paul ; as for the commission , which matthew writes of , mat. . and . and that mark mentions , . . there is no water , and so it s the baptisme of john , i grant , and christ bearing witness to john that he was a prophet and did baptize many , and therefore he or they in honour to johns ministry might baptize some , as well as paul did circumcise titus , and and then in cor. . . said it was nothing , and again in another place , neither circumcision nor uncircumcision did avail , but a new creature , and because it was a figure which people did not idolize so much then , as they did circumcision , for the weakness of the people , for a time ; and the wise in heart may understand that when any representation or figure outward was set up , it was not easily denyed again , nor an easie thing to be laid down , when the thing , signified was come ; for many of the jews believed in christ , and were said to be brethren , and yet they came from jerusalem , and troubled the church of galatia , and would have brought them under the figure circumcision again , and the apostle , in gal. . asks them , now when ye know god , why turn ye again to the beggarly elements , [ circumcision ] observing dayes , moneths , times and years ; i would ask the moderate a question , whether water be not an element , and pertains only to the elementary part in man , which is to passe away and be dissolved when the seed is raised up whose nature is not elementary , but celestial ? i shall say no more to them at this present who are contentions , who are so zealous for their water upon so weak a ground , but take heed that while you are striving about your outward water , you neglect not the washing of regeneration and the cleansing of the spirit ; many have been baptized , but which of you hath received the holy ghost ? there is not one among you dare own or witness an infallible spirit , but rather counts it an error that any should speak , or witness , or look to enjoy any such thing in these dayes ; well , i say unto you your day is a day of darkness and gloominess you live in , and thick darkness covers your tabernacle ; for who ever have received the holy ghost or spirit of truth in any measure , are led by that which is infallible and not fallible ; and if you look not for this , you are no sons notwithstanding all your washing the outside ; for as many as are the sons of god are led by the spirit of god , and this is witnessed praises to the lord for ever ; the lord is unto his people an everlasting light , and this is the sum that water is owned to be a figure of the one baptism , and was an element , and pertained to that which is elementary ; but the elements shall melt with fervent heat and be dissolved in the day of the lord , and then the seed comes up which is heir of the promise , which is nourished with the water of life , which is not an element nor elementary , but is celestial , and springs up in them that believe unto everlasting life , and comes to be born of the water and the spirit , and enters into gods kingdom , dominion , power , life , wisdom , excellency and eternal glory , happy is he that believes and abides in patience unto the end . now since the dayes of john , the kingdom of god hath been preached , and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed , and many in the day when christ was manifest in the flesh believed , unto whom he declared the mind of the father , and by him was the father glorified , he fulfilled the law , and did many works and miracles by the power of the father , and herein was the father glorified , and them that did believe in him , their faith was strengthened ; and he opened the mystries of the kingdom of god unto his disciples , and bore witness and prophesied the destruction of jerusalem , and of all their worship , and said , no more at jerusalem nor at samaria , but the time was coming when they that worshipped the father should worship him in spirit and truth , and declared against the pharisees righteousness , and said to his disciples , except their righteousness did exceed the pharisees they could not enter the kingdom of god , and yet the pharisees performed all the outward things commanded , but were in the idolatry , and did not believe in the life ; now he declared of his suffering many things , & also how he would go away , and how he would come again , and would not leave them comfortless , but these things were hard to be believed then , by his disciples , and further he told them he must be betrayed , and suffer and rise again , and when the hour was come that he was betrayed , when he was with his disciples , even the same night he was betrayed , he took bread , and broke it , and blessed it , and said , take and eat , this is my body which is broken for you , this do in remembrance of me ; and after he took the cup , and after he had supped , saying , this is the cup of the new testament in my blood , as often as you drink it ; do it in remembrance of me , cor. . . . and matthew , mark , and luke declares the same , and this was reall bread , and reall wine , which was a representation of that which was to be enjoyed in the spirit , and never intended for any further thing , but as a figure or a representation of the bread of life , and of the cup of blessing which afterward they came to be witnesses of , and as oft as they eat and drank , they did shew forth the lords death till he came . now this was practiced among the disciples after he was risen from the dead and did converse with them at many times , and exhorted them and comforted them , and instructed them , and told them that they should be witnesses of his name unto the ends of the earth ; and gave them commandment to teach all nations and baptize them in the name of the father , and of the son , and of the holy ghost , and did promise to be with them to the end of the world , and told how the comforter would come , and that the father would send him in his name ; even the spirit of truth which was with them , and should be in them to be their teacher , leader and guide , and bring all things to their remembrance . now that which he gave them as a figure , and to be a sign unto them , of the clearer manifestation of himself , which afterward came to be fulfilled , and they witnesses of it , who grew up in the pure invisible being , and did see the mystery , through the revelation of the spirit , which did more clearly show unto them the mysteries within the vail ; for as i said of water , it was a sign of a good thing to come , so the bread and the cup was also a sign of a good thing to come , as all outward figures were , but they that did believe , and grew up in the faith , in the seed , christ , they came to see the substance , in whom all figures ends in , and had communion with him , within the vail after he was ascended , where he was before ; now the apostle he spoke as to wise men , judge ye what i say , cor. . , . the cup of blessing , which we blesse , is it not the communion of the blood of christ ? the bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of christ and v. . for we being many are one bread , & one body , for we are all partakers of that one bread ; mark all they that did believe , though they were many , yet they were one bread & one body , and were all partakers of that one bread , which bread was the flesh of christ , john . . i am the bread of life , and joh. . . i am the living bread that came down from heaven ; if any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever , and the bread that i will give is my flesh , which i will give for the life of the world : now i speak unto wise men , and let the wisdom of god ( in them manifest ) judge what i say , for where the body of christ is witnessed , and the flesh of christ known , they know that which all the figures ends in , the manna that god gave to israel in the wilderness , they died that did eat thereof , which was as pure a type of the hidden manna , as lively a type as bread outward which was but a type of the of the flesh of christ , and both they that did eats the manna , and they that eat the bread outward and drank the cup outward are both dead , but he that eat the flesh of christ and drinks the blood lives for ever ; and he that eats the hidden manna hath overcome death and lives for ever , and feeds upon the bread of life , feeds upon eternal life . now this is a mystery to the papists , who are idolaters , who have sprung vp in the apostacy , though they have scriptures as it was to the jewes , john . . who strove among themselves and said , how can this man give us his flesh ●o eat ? and so the papists , who strives about the flesh of christ and his blood , and yet have the scriptures , and they say it s in the bread and in the wine , after consecration , & so they worship the imaginations of their own hearts , not deserning the lords body , and have killed thousands , and taken away the lives of thousands , because they would not confesse their idol to be of god. and the protestants they are setting up the bread and the wine , and contenting themselves therewith , and are making an idol of it , and comes not to discerne the body of christ , but one saying he hath a carnall body , and another a fleshly body , another a mystical body , another sayes his body is devided from his members , and so speaks out of thick darknesse , their own imaginations , and hath not communion with the body of christ , neither knowes the flesh of christ , which is the bread of life , which is given for the life of the world , iohn . . and as godlinesse began to work , and the mystery thereof in the dayes of christand the apostles , wherein the lord discovered much of his wisdom and power , & manifested his pure presence , & poured out his spirit plentifully upon , sons and daughters , & fulfilled that which joel●prophesied ●prophesied of , joel . . which came to be fulfilled after christs ascention , acts. . . and they received the holy ghost , & spoke the wonderfull things of god as they were revealed by the spirit , which shed it selfe abroad among them that waited for it , so also the mystery of iniquity began to work even in that time , and as the apostles laid the foundation of truth , and declared the truth , christ to be the foundation , even so the mystery of iniquity did work , and a beginning or a foundation of error was laid by them , who were gone out of the truth , the false prophets , deceivers , anti-christs who were professors and preachers , but they were such as were covetous and greedy of filthy lucre , and made merchandize of souls for dishonest gaine , and denyed the power of god , christ , and were enemies to the crosse , and gloried in the flesh , and spake swelling words of vanity , and did all live in the lust of the flesh , and were proud boasters , and denyed the lord that bought them ; for denying the power of god , they did deny christ , though in words they preached him , as this generation who are their off-springs doe out of strife & contention , as the apostle writs , & they held the form of godlinesse but denyed the power , and they were they that once were convinced of the truth , and came into the forme of truth , but denyed the power of truth ; but were in craft and deceit , and they subverted whole houses from the faith , and led them back into the world , into unbeliefe , in the apostles dayes , and yet had a worship , and did worship , but not the power , not the life , and this began to worke , and wrought more cunningly , and subtilly in the latter times : and the apostle paul in many of his epistles , iohn and peter and jude , declares against them , and paul prophesied of them before his departure , of grievous wolves , which should spring up , which should not spare to make havock of the flock of christ ; so the fall apostles , deceivers , antichrists , and deceitful workers , they went out then and did what they could to lead disciples after them into the world ; inwardly they were ravened from the spirit , and was gone from it into the earth , into the world , and served not the lord jesus christ , but their own bellies , and the god of the world which is the devil , and they went into the world , and the world received them ; and then they and their disciples turned against the saints , and they held truth in words , and the form for a while , but it was in unrighteousness ; and here was the beginners , and the beginning of the apostats , and of the apostacy ; it was began in the apostles dayes by them that went out of the truth , out of the light , and were ravened from the spirit , and erred from the faith , and were enemies to the power of god , and these were the beginners and the layers of the foundation , and then it grew , that root of wickedness faster then the truth ; for the jewes resisted , and the heathen resisted and the apostates and false prophets resisted , and they that were apostatized they resisted , and they caused many to stumble , to erre , to make ship-wrack of their faith , and so the world went after them , the world , the nations , the kindreds , the tongues , & the people went after kings , princes and potentates of the earth , & in processe of time they had over run-all & killed the saints , the woman fled into the wildernesse , & the man child was caught up unto god ; then all nations who were gone from the rock became as a sea , reeled to & fro , unstable , unsetled ; what were they like to settle in the sea ? then a great beast arose with his seven heads and ten hornes , and the whore which had defiled the bed , and she sat upon the beast , and she reached out her cup of fornication to the nations , and all nations was drunk with her cup , and then the beast made war , and the nations were drunk , and they loved the beast and received his marke , became cruel , and pushed at the saints ( and followed him ) and made war with them , and the whore , she drank the blood of the saints , and the dragon appeared , and with his tayle drew the third part of the stars after him to the earth ; the false prophets they are the tayle of the dragon who were gone from the testimony of jesus , the spirit of prophecy , and drew after it the third part of the stars from the firmament of his power into the earth , rev. . . the man child was caught up unto god , which was to rule all nations with a rod of iron , and the woman fled into the wildernesse , where god hath prepared a place for her , and then the dragon went out and made war with the remnant of her seed , to wit , the womans seed . and so out of the sea arose the beast , out of nations , kindreds , tongues , and peoples , which are waters , and the dragon gave power to the beast , and his seat , and great authority , rev. . . and all the world wondred after the beast , ver . . and ver . they worshipped the dragon which gave power to the beast , and the beast likewise ; and now the worl● cryed ( which wondred after the beast ) who is able to make war with the beast ? and ver . . he opened his mouth in blasphemy against god , to blaspheme his name and tabernacle , and them that dwell in heaven , and he made war with the saints , and did overcome them , and all that dwelt upon the earth worshipped him , whose names were not written in the lambs book of life . and the beast● deceived the nations and them that did dwell on the earth , and now kindreds , tongues , and peoples , and nations , and all the world which wondred after him , they who had lost the image of god , now became the image of the beast , that blasphemed god and his tabernacle , and them that dwell in heaven , and now the kings of the earth that had drunk the whores cup of fornication , and the nations , kindreds , and tongues , and people , who were become the beasts image , now the image of the beast spoke , and caused as many as would not worship the beast and the image , should be killed ; take notice of that , all who are called christians , it was not gods image , who compelled to worship or else be killed , but it was the beasts image , and wheresoever compultion and killing is exercised and practised , they worship the beast . chap. . ver . . and he causeth all both small and great , rich and poor , bond and free to receive a marke in their forehead , or in their right hand , and none might buy or sell , but he which had the beasts marke or his name , or the number of his name ; here was worship , but it was the beasts worship , and idolatrous worship , and the dragons worship , who sought to destroy the man-child , which all the angels is to worship ; all this worship is in the apostacy . so let all take notice of this compelling , causing , forcing , killing , and destroying about worship , all they that so do yet are worshipping the beast on which the whore rides , and this is that generation who slew the lamb , and they are of the world , and this is the dragons brood , who sought to devour the man-child , and this is the serpents seed , and a seed of falsehood who made war with the remnant of the seed of the woman through all ages unto this generation , and so all that which is called christendome , is more or lesse under the beasts power , and hath his image , even to this day ; and yet some of them are professing the saints words , and imitating their actions , who were followers of the lamb , and kept the faith ; now this that iohn saw as come in , did grow deceivers , anti-christs , false prophets , who were before & trouthe churches at galatia corinth , and made havock , brought in deceit and infected many , as coloss. pergamus , rev. . sardis & laodicea ; but now all nations were erred and gone from their maker , their husband , and did drink of the cup of the whore , and were adulterated from the life , faith , and power , and now worshipped the beast , and the whole world went after him , there was some of his adultery , whordome and fornication in the apostles dayes , and some had drunken then , but now nations , kindreds , tongues , and people drunk the cup of fornication , and now jesabel who slew the prophets , and drunk the blood of the saints , she reaches out her cup ; kings , merchants , noble men , great men , nations , kinreds , tongues , and people were made drunk , the man-child sought to be devoured , flouds cast out after the woman , the saints blood drunk , the world worships the dragon , and the beast and his great authority , and wonders after him ; now jesabel the whore , who made the nations drunk , she prophesies , all the nations made drunk with her cup of fornication , and drinks in all her false doctrines , and devised fables , now she is as a queen , now the nations worships ; after a beast arises , she gets upon him and rides , she and the beast becomes one , she drinks the blood of the saints , the beast makes war , compells , kills , being of one mind with the whore ; none to buy or sell but they that have his mark of his name , or at least some of the number of his name ; and who were not defiled , were killed ( or sought to be killed ) this is since the apostles days ; so now we have found the whore , her beginning in the apostacy , having lost the faith and power that the saints were in , we have found out the rise of the beast in the apostacy , since the apostles , that all the world wondred after and worshipped . now rome we have found thy foundation , and the beginning of thy rise , and sees how thou art elevated , we have thee and all that sprang out of thy stock and root , betwixt this time and the apostles , and we read beyond thee , though thou boast thy selfe of antiquity , and glory in thy counsels , and convocations , for thy proof we have sounded thy bottome , i have thee and all the apostates sprang from thee betwixt me and the apostles , the anti-christs false-prophets , deceivers , false apostles , they began , they laid thy foundation , who went out from the apostles , and denyed the crosse of christ and the power of god , and the apostle prophesied of their increase , here thy visible members began to gather , and they went out into the world , and the world received them , according to christs saying , out of the light , out of the power , out of the faith , out of the life that the holy men of god were in , being ravened from the spirit , whored from the life , they went out in an outward dresse , had a shew , a form of godliness , the nations received the cup , the kings of the earth , the nobles and the mighty men , thou boasts of , they drank of thy cup and were inflamed with adultery after thee ; and then the nations over which the whoredoms spread , kindreds , dominions , tongues nations peoples and become fornicators , all became as a sea , rolling , tossing , foming , raging , casting up mire and dirt , unstable reeling ; then the kings , the great men , thy nobles who were rulers over the people , being drunk with the nations cup of fornication , they sprang up as a great beast with so many heads and horns , and their teeth became as lyons , their feet as bears , and then thou began to ride in the nations , and to sit as a queen , then thou associated thy drunken fornicators together then thou began to usurp authority and then sit as judge over the heritage of god and of the saints , of the apostles , and of them that kept the testimony of jesus then thou began to kill and destroy and suck the blood of the saints , and to be drunk with it ; and then thy kings whom thou calls converts and christians having drunken thy cup , they formed lawes and made lawes to guard thy whoredoms and adultries and idolatries , then they became thy executioners , and what thou said was good , the beast maintained , and what thou condemnedst by thy counsels for heresie , they became executioners of ; then came in compelling to worship by the beast that rose out of the sea , and then thou cryed hereticks and condemned the just , and then thou got a cover , thou wouldst not kil , but the beast must upon whom thou rides ; then if there was any that kept their virginity and the faith of our lord jesus christ which was in the apostles dayes , then thou condemnedst them for hereticks ; then the beast compelled , and caused to worship , but if they would not bow to his image , then thy merchants cries up , they despise governors and rulers , when both thy doctrine and thy laws is corrupt , then the beast must kill , then he blaphemes the god of heaven , and his tabernacle ; and then thou saith thou killest none , but the beast must ( upon which thou rides ) and shall have a whole counsel to confirm it to be lawful ; and now thou cals thy self the catholike and apostolical church , and thy seat the apostolical chair , and the rulers and leaders defenders of the faith . nay , we finde thee contrary to the primitive church , and thy seat and chair is raised up since , and thy bed of whoredoms made since , and the kings and rulers in thy dominions are become defenders of thy idolatries and whoredoms , and are indeed the beast that makes war with the saints , and hath prevailed , and truth overcome ; but he is risen who is able to make war with the beast , and to take the whore , and to burn her flesh with fire , for he is able to judge her ; and thy beasts weapons and thine are carnal , but the lambs and the saints are spiritual , and so thy doctrine and practice is quite another thing , patched ●uffe , some brought in from the first priesthood , some borrowed from the jews , as thy altars , thy vestments ( that thy idolatrous merchants wear when they celebrate thy great idol the mass ) and the rest borrowed fragments from the heathen , and the rest invented in the night of darkness , and all that you have is invented trumpery , as bad as the heathen ; all your crosses , altars , crucifixes , your cells your lent , your fasts , your feasts , your hair-cloth ; your images , pictures , your relickes of dead mens bones , your tythes , your offerings , oblations , obventions , your tapers , beads , your holy water , your baptizing of infants , your purgatory , your praying for the dead , your visiting of old wals , and old tombs , and rotten sepulchres , your pilgrimages , your inquisition ; all this is come up since the apostles dayes , and thy consecrated bread and wine , which thou calls the body and blood of christ , about which idol thou ( and all that have drunken the cup of fornication , ) and the beast hath slain thousands of men in your blood thirsty cruelty , and all your works you call meritorious they are all dead , & will be sentenced by the lamb ( who is risen , ) to be self-righteousness ; and so we have found out your visible church had no being but since the apostacy , since the apostles dayes , and you are erred both in doctrine and practice , and all your ordination of your ministers , your schools and colledges is all in the will of man , all this is in the fall , in the transgression , and under the curse . object . some of the protestants or reformed churches ( so called ) may say we like this well that you declare against po●●●y , we agree with you in that ; but we have renounced the whores cup , and have denyed all the powers of the beast long since . answ. although many of you priests have denyed your mother , because some kings and rulers , or dukes or magistrates have cast off the yoke , and they protect you , and give you maintenance , yet we cannot but remember you of your genealogy , and decent , and your doctrine and practice shall prove it , and make it manifest , and that you take part with the beast , and worships his image , and shall be evidenced , more and more , even before this generation passe away ; are not you a stem sprung from the same root ? doth not the fruits you bring forth evidence it , and practice , demonstrate it ? if you grant that rome is apostized from the faith which the apostles were in , and their practice ( you must not deny your fathers ) who made the bishops , and ordained them ; did not the pope , who ordained you ministers or priests , did not the bishops , who set up your mass-house , with all the pictures and crosses in and upon them , which you call your church ? who established tythes , offerings , oblations , easter reckonings , midsumer dues , did not the pope first , , and them that were subject to his power , who invented schools and colledges to fit you for the ministry , and qualifie you for the ministry , as you say , is not this set up in , and since the apostacy began ? your set wages , your baptizing of infants , your consecrated bels , which the pope hollowed or his emissaries ? do not you preach up the letter for the word , & the letter for the gospel ? & are not you calling your bread & wine a sacrament ? which word you have received from rome , your pulpets & your hour-glasses , your cushons , your black robes & long robes , fals-prophet-like , your funeral for the dead like the popes exequies for the dead , your devouring widdowes houses , and sueing men at the lavv , your haling them to courts & prisons , your taking avvay mens goods by force , three-fold , ten-fold ; yea , is that which you claim , and from them that you work not for ; neither dare you say this was the apostles practice , or any of the primative churches ; if you say yea , all that knowes the scripture or the least of god in them to guid them , or to open their understandings , they will see you nearly related to rome , and to the apostates , and deceivers , and fals prophets of old , and that you are greatly inflamed with the whores cup ; and did not the holy men of god speak as they were moved by the holy ghost and divine inspiration , & as the spirit of truth revealed it selfe in them ? and do not you all head and taile deny any such thing to be now ? and further concludes , that its a great errour to look for any such thing ? then be convinced in your selves , you are apostates and apostatized from that faith , and hope & spirit that was in the primative times ; and now reads old authors , it may be . or . books before you can get an hours discourse patched up to hold you dreaming till the glasse be run ; & dare you be so impudent & confident as to say that you ●are not apostates ? and are you not followers of the beast , and have you not his mark , and bear you not his image ? do not you count that disorder which the apostles and the churches counted order ? if any thing was revealed to him that stands by , let the first hold his peace ? are not you apostatized from this order , & cries take him away , and yet you would be called apostolicall ? well , these things being true , and obvious enough to behold , to any who knows any thing of god , i need not say much more in this thing , but all wise men will come out from among you , and out of babylon the mother of harlots , which hath made you and your root and genealogy drunk with her fornication , and this is my call to seperate from her and you , that are in the apostacy ; and waite to know the word which was in the beginning , and the gospel which was preached to abraham , which endures for ever , whose joyful sound is come forth in power and great glory , which will shake the foundation of your great city , even mystery babylon , and not leave one stone upon another which shall not be thrown down ; and then the holy men of god shall rejoyce , and the saints of the most high shall sing , they that have been as sheep for the slaughter shall reign over the earth , and shall say , the lord god omnipotent reigns , and let us rejoyce and be glad , and he hath taken to himself great power , and is coming to gather his lambs out of your mouths , and to feed in a pasture you never saw , which was manifest to the saints in light , before you apostates sprang , and shall be again , when you and all your dark muddy traditions , and inventions , are gone down into the pit , where there is no remembrance . object . but it may be the pure reformed church of scotland , as it hath been called , and the old episcopal and prelatical priests of england , who hath borrowed their images to set up here will be ready to say we have denyed , the whore and the beast , and the apostacy , and we have pure reformation , we have denyed bishops which was made by the apostate the pope , and now we have settled all things according to the primitive church . answ. there never did spring up any deceit since the apostles or before , but it called it self , by the best name ; as for the priests of scotland , their doctrine and practice is made manifest , and their reformation by their principles which i refer the reader to , intituled the principles of the priests of scotland , their reformation , and discipline is nearly related to the spanish inqnisition ; for their doctrine , they say grace is not free , and faith is not without sin , and the letter is the word of god , and that they are cursed that say there is a light within which will lead up to god ; and as one said , although it meant christ ; and if any will not submit to their words , and conform to their practice and traditions , then they call a counsel together , as their forefathers at trent , and pronounces him a heretick , and within this few years banished them , or else took their whole substance outward from them ; and if any out of conscience could not submit unto their invented tradition , then if he ever came to have any converse with them again , be must have a penance before he could get an indulgence from them , like the pope ; and furthermore , if any deny them because they are out of the doctrine of christ , and are contrary to the scripture , then , as i said , they excommunicate them , and charges all people neither to buy nor sell , nor eat nor drink with them , nor work for them ; and so the beasts power is exercised , compelling to come to their mass-houses ; and as for the denying the bishops , then you have denyed your fathers that begat you , and ordained you , then , you have no ordination ; but may be you have cry●d so for setling your gospel , you have got a commitee to ordain you , or one company to lay hands on another , but when receive ye the holy ghost ? oh that is an error in your church , but are you not got into the old cathedrals ( so called ) and into the steeple-houses , and the old masse-houses , and where you had , may be pounds or fourty in the year , now you have gotten a hundred , it may be two ; here 's reformation indeed ; well , we must needs remember you of your race and stock , the apostates since the apostle dayes , and the former practices which is found among the old protestants and papists is among you , and you are still drunk with the whores cup , and are crying for cains weapons to guard you ; well , i say you art part of the dragons tail , that draws to the earth , and to the pit , which will be the end of all idolaters and apostates , except they come to repent . and as for the independants churches , so called , you are a branch of the same root , you have declared against the bishops and court prelates , and said they were in error , and many of you declared against them for pluralists , because they had too great benefits , and declared against tythes , as to be antichristian , and whoso received tithes , denyed christ come in the flesh , who are wheeled about , and now takes them your selves , and creeps into the old mass-houses , and hath taken that up which you condemned in others , and so have made your former testimony void , and all sober people sees your hypocrisie and deceit , who have gathered a company together , which you call select people , or members of your church , and you exclude the rest who have as good right to your ordinance as you , for they professe christ in words as you do ; and yet you will receive their means , whom you judge not capable of your ordinance ; and your church will no more maintain you , then it would maintain them that you have denied in words , if you had not the beasts power to compel , your vineyard would starve you , your gospel and your preaching is one with the former , and the people is the same in nature they were before ; you have got bishops lands , agmentations and stypends more large then your forefathers had , for the most part , and sue men at the law , and hales them before judgement seats and takes away their goods whom you look upon to be in error ; yet this stands as good with you as any article of your faith , to force to compell , to sue , to hale into prison , to take away their goods , and get a scripture for your cover , and say he that preacheth the gospel must live of the gospel , and them that neither hear you , nor receives you , neither believes your gospel ; yet you conclude , its lawful to take their goods and if you cannot get them , hale the party into prison ; are not you drinking still the whores cup ? and do not you follow the beast ? and do not you own that law to be just that compels people to pay mony to you who denyes your ministry , and are none of your sheep ? and are not your ordinances and worship imitated things from the scripture , the saints words , and yet out of their life and practice , are not you in the apostacy ? have you not your profession and confession of faith , to make year after year as the magistrate changes ? doth not this evidence , that you are unstable and are yet in the waters upon which the whore sits , and scituated in babylon , the mother of harlots , who yet makes you drunk , and that makes all the filth and vomit appear in the earth that stains the earth , and your idols corrupts the earth ; and all seperates under what name soever , who have not denyed the ground of apostacy , but are in the apostacy , for all sects since the apostles days have taken up some part and left another , since the life hath been lost , and the power lost all hath been in idolatry , and the protestants who have denied the papists , yet they have not denyed them in the ground of their worship , but hath retained some , part and hath kept some part of their worship ; and all sects sprung out of the protestants , in them all there is some part remaining , for they have not denyed the ground of the worship set up in the apostacy the whores cup i● drunk of , and the dragon hath power which sought to destroy the man-childe , and made war with the remnant of the seed of the woman who was clothed with the sun ; you all stick yet in babylon , and the best of you all , are but yet in the suburbs thereof . for since the apostles dayes their foundation hath been either traditions , imitations , inventions of their own , or borrowed things from the jewes in the first covenant , or at the best , the letter hath been the ground of their faith and their foundation , which they have twined and translated this way and that , according to the wit , and reason of every particular sect and opinion , and according to the understanding of their private spirits ; now all these buildings , and towers that men have builded up in the apostacy , they would fasten upon the writings of the holy men of god , and so hath raised an imagination of their own , and so would have the scripture prove what they say ; and the writings of the apostles , they all cal the gospel ; & the word of faith , & the light of the gospel , & the foundation & the tryer of spirits , & the touchstone and say its the foundation of their faith and religion ; and so are all in the distraction one envying another , and persecuting one another about the words of truth , spoken from the spirit of truth , which cannot be understood again but by the same spirit ; and so all them that have not the spirit of truth , are in the apostacy , and all sects judgements and opinions that hath risen up since the apostacy , from the faith that was once delivered to the saints , when the woman traveled and brought the man-child , which after , because of the dragons power , fled into the wildernesse , and her child caught up unto god , all the faith and worship , that since is sprung up since the whore hath sitten as a queen in majesty , is all denyed , the ground of their worship , lawes , traditions , inventions , and all their invented practises , and formes and images , and likenesses are denyed , and disowned , as to be the dresse and attire of the whore which hath allured people through her inticing pretences and shewes of holinesse , when indeed all is but spiritual adultery , and this must be all turned under again , the whores flesh burned , and her attire plucked off , and her nakednesse appear , and her shame to them that have committed fornication with her , and they shall be ashamed of themselves , and of her , and abhor themselves , and abhor her , and destroyed shall she be ; and the lambs wife shall be beautified , and come out of the secret places into open view , out of the solitary wildernesse , into the beautifull place that the lord will bring her into , & the time , times , and halfe time is out , the thousand two-hundred and threscore dayes is at an end ; and he bears witnesse of it who saw her ●fly away upon eagles wings into the secret place , which was prepared for her , for these dayes and times appointed , and i say he that knowes the counsell , of the most high ( in this matter ) can account the time , times , and a halfe , and the dayes , and what shall be after the days be expired which is at an end ; blessed is he that sees , believes , and understands , he shall see that which yet hath not appeared , neither can it be believed by the most , though it were declared ; but yet a little while and the earth growes ripe , and an eare will be opened in many who cannot yet hear , and for a little while in this i shall be silent , and treasure up that which the spirit hath revealed , till the time be fully accomplished which god hath determined , and then his glory shall be revealed , and all the former things which have lived since the man of sin hath been exalted , shall all dye , & an utter consumption shall be of all the changeable lawes made since the apostacy , and the many changeable dresses of the whore , and attires in which she hath appeared , & imaginary worships into which all have run since they were apostati●ed from the faith ; all this shall be disanulled , and come to an end , and be blasted for ever , the spirit of the lord saith amen . how the woman that was cloathed with the sun , and had the crowne of twelve stars upon her head , which did flie into the wildernesse , comes out againe after the great whore is judged , and her child that was caught up unto god , comes to appeare again . now after the time , times , and halfe a time , and after the thousand two hundred and threescore days she returns after the whore is judged , and the great city babylon is fallen , which hath made the nations drunk , and brought forth children in fornication , who had drunk the blood of the saints in the apostacy after the whore was judged ; and the voice was heard in heaven , of much people that sang halelujah , salvation , and glory , and honour , & power ; who witnessed to the righteousness of gods judgement : and a voice came out of the throne , saying , praise our god all his servants , and ye that fear him both small and great , rev. . . and verse the . and i heard as it were the voice of many waters , and as a great multitude , and as the voice of a mighty thunder , saying , halelujah , for the lord god omnipotent reigneth ; the whore is now judged , the mother of harlots condemned with all her inchantments , and sorceries . now the lambs wife appears , who is the mother of the man-child which was caught up unto god , she that was cloathed with the sun , with the glorious everlasting celestial light , she is both the mother and the wife , he that hath an eare let him hear ; now jerusalem that is from above , ( spiritually so called ) who was the mother of all the saints before the apostacy , she appears again , and comes to be the wife of the lamb , and the city of the saints , & the mother of them that are born from above ; this shall be and is made manifest to some , but a numberlesse number shall see it , and the day hastens greatly , and she is appearing again , and her solitary garments shall be put off ; and as she was beautifull ( before the whore made the nations drunk ) cloathed with the sun , and had the moon under her feet , and a crown of twelve stars upon her head ( and though she became child-lesse , and also as a widow , and the remnant of her seed slain , and destroyed ) so shall she appear again in glory and beauty as before , and shall be made ready , yea , my eye hath seen it ; she is making her selfe ready as a bride for her husband , and unto her is granted , that she shall be arrayed in fine linen , clean and white , even arayed in the righteousnesse of the saints , which is not self-righteousnesse ; the garments of the harlot and her lovers ; but in the righteousnesse of christ the lamb , her husband and child also , and she shall now bring forth many more children , though her seed have been slain , yet a numberlesse number shall appear , and ten thousand thousand shall be brought forth by her , and glory in her , and reverence her , and rejoyce in her for ever , and they shall be all clad in the same robe which the husband the lamb is cloathed withall , and the same , the lambs wife , this woman is cloathed with all , and the same shall all the children be cloathed with all , the fine linen the righteousnesse of the lamb which was dead and slaine since the foundation of the world , but now alive and lives for evermore ; and here a heavenly family appears now after the apostacy , and this shall be seen by all that have an eye , that can see through & beyond the smoke of the pit , that have darkned the ayre while the beast and dragon hath had power ; but now hath her child appeared again , the man-child hath appeared again , and he that was in the spirit on the lords day saw whether he was taken up to the throne of god , revel . . ver . . and on the same lords day he saw him after the woman was fled , and the remnant of her seed was made war with and flain in the earth , where the dragon had power . he that was in the spirit saw him alive again after he was caught up ; so he that is in the spirit , now on the lords day sees the same man-childe who was brought forth by by the woman who was to rule the nations , but was caught up to the throne of god before he came to r●le ; and then the dragon ruled the beasts and false prophet , the whore the mother of harlots sate as a queen , and the woman the mother of the heir fled into an obscure and a retired place , and was hid , times and dayes ( as i said before ) but as she appeared again in beauty , so the man-childe the heir he appears also in glory , majesty and power , and john saw him , revelations . . . . . . . and i saw heaven opened , and behold a white horse and he that sate upon him , was called faithful and true , and he doth judge and make war in rigteousness his eyes was as a flame of fire , on his head were many crowns , and he had a name written that none knew but he bimself , and he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood and his name is called the word of god. and now the womans seed is increased again , after the dragon and the beasts war , and now they become an army , and follows the lamb their leader who is anoynted with honour , glory , and majesty and renown , strength , power , wisdom , joy and gladness above all his fellowes ; yet his followers are annointed too , and the seed of the woman the inhabitants of the city of the great king , they are clothed with the same garment and armour , and rides on in power strength and majesty after him , and they are clothed and shall be with the garment of their mother , and the garment of their captain their head ; and as he rode on in innocency , so they ride on after him , and the woman was in heaven , that travelled , and the childe was born there , though he was to rule the nations of the earth ; and so who so are of this womans seed which is born in the city of the great king jerusalem unto which the hebrewes were come , heb . before the apostacy , and before the woman fled , so now the same city comes to be seen again , and the children are free born of their mother the lambs wife , who is joyned to him , and is to be so for ever in the everlasting covenant ; so they being heavenly children , redeemed from the earth , from under the dragons power , they follow the lamb , the word , gods power , revel . . . and the armies which were in heaven followed him , upon white horses , clothed in fine linen white and clean , and out of his mouth goes a sharp sword and with it he shall smite the nations ; and now comes he to rule them with a rod of iron , he was brought forth long before ; but was caught up to god again , and the dragon , beast and whore , and false prophet ruled the nations , and killed the saints , but now he appears again after the apostacy , and a great host with him , and the woman also and her children are many , and they all follow the first-born ; and now comes the wo to the dragon and whore , beast and false prophets , and unclean spirits , and on them that worship devils , and now shall he tread the wine-press of the wrath of god almighty . and he hath on his vesture and on his thigh written , king of kings , and lord of lords . and now appears an angel standing in the sun which the woman● was clothed with , and he cryed with a loud voyce , saying to all the fowls that flie in the midst of heaven , come and gather to the supper of the great day of god , and now must the flesh of the kings and captains , and nobles , and flesh of mighty men who had drunk the whores cup , now must drink of the wine of gods wrath ; and the beast and the kings of the earth , and their armies gathered together to make war against him that sate on the white horse and his army ; and the beast was taken , and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him , and the remnant were slain ( that took part with the beast by him that sate upon the horse and his army ; whose sword proceeded out of his mouth , and all the fowls were filled with their flesh ) the whore is burnt before , the beast , the false prophet and his army now slain , and their flesh eaten by the fowls of heaven , and now the blood comes forth to the horse bridles . and now the angel descends having the key of the bottomless pit from whence the old dragon , the serpent , the red dragon , the devil came ; there is his beginning , there was he brought forth , and there he grew up , he that reads let him understand , out of the bottomless pit ; for the nations were never deceived till he appeared , and he appeared as i have said before , after the heaven and the earth was made , and all things therein ( i say after ) he was not before , he deceived eve in the garden , now he is grown old , and so is truely called the old dragon , grown into a body of deceit ; well now must he be taken and bound and cast into the bottomless pit , from whence he came , that he deceive the nations no more , rev. . , . and all this war is in the bringing out of the apostacy , and in order to the lamb and the saints everlasting reign in heaven and over the earth for ever . this i have seen , and my heart rejoyceth , and my mouth shall praise the lord ; & the woman i say is appearing , and she is cloathed with beautiful garments , and the holy child , the man-child , hath appeared , and is manifest again among the saints , and in then ; and the lamb which hath been slain since the world began , is alive , & behold he lives for evermore ; and now many are his followers , and an innumerable company shall ride on after him who is king of kings ; and now is god fulfilling that which iohn saw in the lords day , which should come to pass , the work is begun , he hath appeared , out of whose mouth proceeds the two edged sword which shall hew downe all the dragons army , the beast and his followers , and though the cry be yet among many , who shall make war with the beast ? and who shall speak against his prophets ? yet a little while and fear shall come , & their vaunts and boasts shall be turned into doubting , and dreadfull fear on every side , for jacob shall be as a flame , and esau and all his race shall be as stubble , he that reads , let him understand the wisdome of god in a mystery , and the worke of the lord which shall shortly come to to passe . the manifestation of gods glory shall be as great after the apostacy , as ever it was in any age , before the rise of antichrist , and the ministrations ( into which them that follow the lamb shall be brought ) shall be as spiritual , holy , celestial , and divine as ever was before ; for the end of all our outward visible appearances shall come , which the whore hath decked her selfe with , and life it shall be known , in the body and god injoyed , and worshiped , glorified , and honoured in that which shall never alter , but abides for ever ; and this shall be & is the last ministration that ever shall appear among the sons of men . we who are come out of the apostacy , knowes what was before , & sees what shal be after , the everlasting gosple of the son of god shall be preached again to them that dwell on the earth , the same that was preached to abraham before either old or new testament was written ; the latter , all sects since the apostacy call the gospel , and so greatly manifest their ignoance , for that were to make two gospels to call the scriptures the gospel , or that which is written , and they who so erre in their judgements , are yet among the smoke of the pit , & are yet under antichrists reigne , & are ignorant of him who is the saving health of the nations ; and the living , infalible , true , lasting , and everlasting spirit of the father shall be poured out again , and many now witnesse it , and a numberlesse number shall witnesse it , and the time hastens ; and the lamb shall stand upon mount sion , and many who are redeemed from the earth and from among men which shall be the first fruits unto god , and to the lamb , and they shall sit with him , and shall reigne with him , and have power over sin , temptation , and the devil , hell and the lake , and this is to come to passe , and is coming to passe , and hastens greatly ; and the voice out of heaven shall be heard as the voice of many waters , and the voice of harpers harping with their harps , and the new song shall be sung , the pure song of the lamb shal be sung by all who are redeemed from the earth in every nation , kindred , tongue and people , who have heard , believed and received the joyful sound of the everlasting gospel again , and now they shall fear god , and glorifie him , and honour him , even they who have feared the beast , and glorified him in the apostacy , they shall deny his power , and own the lambs power , and worship him that sits upon the throne of righteousnesse , who lives for ever and ever , and is eternal life it selfe ; the worship shall be now in spirit and truth , where the dragon cannot come , neither the beast , harlot , false prophet , nor antichrist , nor none of his followers can come , and here in the ministration shal be more glorious , after the apostacy then it was before ; the worship stood before in many outward visible things , and representations , and outward performances , and ordinances , & i manifestly say , the dragon , beast , whore , and false prophets and apostates took up these things , and nations and kindreds , and tongues , and people who drunk of the whores cup , & all that were gone from their maker their husband , they have been and are acting and performing , imitating like jannes and jambres ; but since the daies of the apostles , they corrupted these things , and hath made idols of them , and painted themselves with them , and have got the sheeps cloathing ; therefore now will the lord appear and manifest his power , life and glory in away more invisible and pure , than before , and more divine , celestial and glorious , where never an hypocrite shal tread in the path ; & so the restoration is a mystery that shall be after the apostacy , the glory is not to appear in externall things , for there the mother of harlots hath hid her selfe long , which hath made all nations drunk ; but the cloathing of the lambs wife and of the bride shall be another thing then the attire of the harlot , for the spouse of the lamb shall be arrayed , in the same attire , that the lamb is cloathed withall , and with the same vestment , and the tabernacle of god is to be with men , and he shall dwell in them , even the lord that spirit , and shall walke in them , and they shall be his people , and god himselfe shall be with them and in them , and sorrow shall be done away , and teares wiped away , and that done away which was the cause of sorrow ; rev. . . and . and there shall be no more death , nor crying , nor any more pain , for the former things are passed away , to wit , death which entred in by sin , it shall be destroyed , and the earth out of which the second beast arose , and the sea out of which the first beast did arise & upon which the whore sate , and hell , and the lake which was prepared , and raised up , when man was degenerated from the lord , they shall be destroyed , and he also which hath the power of death which is the devil , he shall be destroyed and his works , ( the cause of scorne ) and then they shall see the lord face to face , even them that have but seen him darkly , as in a glasse , or as in a cloud , they shall see his pure living countenance , which giveth life , and death , and hell shall be cast into the lake of fire , and whosoever is not found written in the lambs book of life must be cast into the fire . then the new heaven and earth shall be seen , and the heavenly city , which shall come down from god out of heaven ; which no mortal eye shall behold , neither shal be able to behold , which hath twelve foundations , and twelve gates , and the glory of god shall be upon her , and her light shall be as a stone most precious , and as clear as cristall , yea all things visible are too short and not to be compared to it ; for in it their need neither sun nor moon to shine in it , for the glory of the lord shall lighten it , and the lamb is the light thereof , and all who shall be partakers of this glorious ministration , shall walk in the light of the lamb ; there shall be no night , nor the least appearance of a cloud or darkness , but transparent brightness , and glory which shall be permanent , durable and everlasting ; for the lord god and the lamb is the temple of the city , in which the saints shall worship him that sits upon the throne for evermore , and shall give unto him glory , and honour , and dominion , and eternal praise for evermore , who alone is worthy , who lives for ever in eternal glory , and everlasting light and brightness for cvermore . and his face shall be seen in whom all figures representations , & shadows ends in , and the pure river of water of life which is as clear as christal , which proceeds out of the throne of god and of the lamb ; and all who have kept the word of his patience shall drink thereof , and be nourished up in immortality and life everlasting for ever . and the tree of life that stands in the paradice of god , them that have overcome shall eat thereof and live for ever ; and the nations , kindreds , tongues , people and regions , who have heard , believed and received the everlasting gospel shall know his saving health ; and the throne of god and the lamb shall be seen , and his servants shall serve him who is their lord and king , who lives for ever , and they shall see his face , and his name shall be in their foreheads , and the lord god shall give them light and shall be unto them an everlasting light , and they shall reign with him for ever and ever , over the whore , beast , false prophet , antichrists , deceivers , seducers , the pit , death , hell & the grave ; & shall triumph in his strength over all the powers of darkness , and sing praises to him that abides for ever ; these things are true and faithful , and shall be fulfilled , and the time is at hand , blessed are they that waite and watch , that they may discern the signs of the times , and the coming of the bride-groom , that they may enter into the chamber of rest , and into the palace of eternal life , into the city of the great king to sit with him , and eat with him , and rejoyce with him in the glory eternal , which was before the world began , & shall be when it shall be no more , the end hastens ; he is blessed that is come and coming to the end of it ; for that which is immutable and eternally glorious shall appear , the lord hasten it , saith my spirit . amen . the day of the lord and how it is seen . the lord god of the whole earth , who lives for ever , even the god of abraham , the god of isaac and jacob , whose throne is established in righteousness for ever ; who rideth upon the heavens , and shines forth in his eternal excellency , from the firmament of his power ; he is manifesting himself in his power , as in the dayes of old , and revealing his righteousness as in the years past , and pouring forth his spirit upon his sons and daughters , according to his promise , and they that believe , comes to be made partakers of the blessing of the everlasting hills , even the lord , who appeared at sinai , unto moses his servant in the bush , who rose up from mount seir , and shined forth in his brightness from mount paran , and came with ten thousands of his saints , even he , from whose right hand went a fiery law , so that the people could not behold his glory ; the same is he who hath now appeared in this the day of his power , and is appearing , whose glory shall dazle the eyes of the world , whose brightness shall make dim all the worlds glory , and stain its wisdom , and shut it up in utter darkness , that it shall not appear to have any existance or being , and the shadow of death shall flie away , and all the haughty and lofty princes of this world shall be horribly afraid ; the beasts shall go into their dens when the day appears , and the lambs of the everlasting fold shall come forth and be fed in the fat valleys , where the springs of life compasseth about all the banks , and rejoyce in their shepherd , and shall say , the lord is my shepherd ; which many at this time doth admire and say , what hath the lord wrought ? who have seen his wonders in the dayes of old , and have seen his noble acts , which the fathers have told of , who are fallen asleep , and are at rest in the lord : and now many is god bringing to see their witness to be true , and to have the same fulfilled in themselves ; honour and praise unto him for ever , who is the stay and strength of all his people for ever . and the day of the lord is broken , and the light hath appeared that manifesteth all things which are reproveable ; and the day-star is risen in the hearts of many , and they are come to see that fulfilled in their hearts , which peter exhorted them to wait for , and to take heed unto the sure word of prophesie , until the day appeared , and did dawn in their hearts ; which day when it appears , and to whom it appears , discovereth all things and maketh all things manifest , as it is declared by the spirit of truth , in the scripture of truth ; and every mans work shall be tryed of what sort it is , and of what nature it is ; and this day hath appeared to many , praises to the lord , who have waited for it , and now they see every thing in its ground and rise , and every tree and fruit is seen according to its kind , whether good or bad , and every mans work is obvious to every one who are in the day , and upon whom the morning of righteousness hath appeared , and the sun of righteousness hath shined upon , whereby that is seen in every one ( by the light which is truly called day , by the lord who causeth it to spring from on high ) which is reproveable and condemnable , and also whatever is justifiable and unreproveable , is seen by the day of the lord appearing in the heart . the day of the lord , what it is , and to whom it hath appeared , discovered , and how it is seen . god is a spirit , his day is spiritual , and is seen with a spiritual eye , its pure light , pure brightness , the pure shining forth of the lord in his glorious excellency , the pure shining forth of eternity , life putting forth it self in its brightness , holiness sheding it self abroad in its glory , purity spreading it self in its immeasurable excellency , and can only be seen as it is in it self , by the children of the light that are born of it : there is a natural day there is a spiritual day ; the natural day receives its brightness from the sun , the spiritual day receives it brightness from the son of righteousness , by whom it s brought forth , without whom nothing was made , or is made , or brought forth , but by him who is the fountain of life ; and as the natual day receives its clearness from the natural sun , and is discerned by the natural eye of a natural man ; and all things natural are seen and discovered by and in the natural day , and are perspicuous and obvious to him that hath his natural sight ; even so , from the son of righteousness , the lord of glory , light and purity ; the day of god receives its brightness , and is issued out from him by the rayes of his brightnes , and is discerned and seen only by the spitual eye of the spiritual man , who is the image of the father brought forth in life , and in his own nature and quality ; ( that is to say ) from god the father of life , by christ jesus the life of men , the light of the world ; and this is the birth which is born from above , wch is of the nature of the father , and the son , & of the day ; & he only comes to behold this day , and discerns all things of the fathers kingdom by it , and likewise discerns all the hidden things of dishonesty , and the works of darknes which are brought forth by the prince of darkness , who is shut up in eternal and utter darkness , which is his dwelling place for ever , which is his residence , and shall be the residence of all the workers of iniquity that bear his image for ever . ob. but some may be ready to say , it is not yet appeared , and all things are not yet made manifest , and that day is not yet come , neither hath appeared in this age to any . ans. what if a man that is naturally blind say , that there is no light in the day , nor in the sun , because he sees none ; is therefore there no light in the day , nor in the sun ? and what if all things be alike unto him , day and night , so that he can distinguish nothing , doth this therefore make void their seeing , who do see with the natural eyes , both the sun and the day , and hinder them from distinguishing or discerning ? and what if they who are spiritually blind , and are children of the night , say they see nothing , nor beholds nothing of the day of the lord , or of the discovery of the things of god , or of his glorious appearence , which many witnesse ; doth this therefore make their sight void , or the discovery of things void to them who have seen into the things that be of gods kingdome ? the unbeliefe of some , doth not make the faith of them that do believe void , god forbid . what the day of the lord is , and what it will be to the wicked , delcared . as i have said , though the day of the lord be pure light and brighnesse in it selfe , and mixeth not with the night , which is of a contrary nature , because the lord in the beginning separated them , & set a decree which will last unto all perpetuity , and that which limited the bounds and circumference thereof now is the same : i say , though the day of the lord be pure , and keeps its purity , and property , and nature , and is still one and the same in it selfe ; ( for nothing can alter its purity ) yet it is a day of blacknesse and gloomynesse , and a notable terrible day unto the wicked , who hates its appearance , and hates the light , children of falsehood and of deceit , whose deeds be evil , it makes them and their deeds manifest ; there it is unto them , as it is written in a certain place , the eyes lids of the morning are unto them as the shadow of death ; the appearance of the lord affrightes them , and they would run from it as a theef that diggeth through a wall , and breaketh open a house in the night when deep sleep is upon men ; but when the day appeares , that discovers his actions , he is affraid , because he will then , ( if he staies there ) be seen ; and all that live wantonly upon earth , whose hearts are set to seek after wickednesse as for hid treasure ; the day of the lord will steal upon such as a theef , and will come as upon a theef , & they being children of the night , and bringing forth the fruits of darknesse contrary to the light , they will have their portion in utter darknesse , and eternal vengeance will comcompasse them as a wall , and fury as a fire that devoureth all the fewel , so shall the ungodly perish , and have their portions with hypocrites . think on this all you railers , and revilers of the light , and of the appearance of god , and repent ; for as the wild asse that snuffes up the wind , and they that seeks will not weary themselves with her , yet the time cometh when she may be found and taken ; even so all the ungodly , though they may run as a wild asse , and traverse their way as a dromedary ; yet the moneth cometh , and the day cometh they will be overtaken in the midst of security , and they shall not escape : and though the children of this world , and teachers of this world , and professors of this world , who professe the scriptures , have prayed for the day of the lord ; yet when it comes , it will be as hot burning fire , as devouring fire , and they will fall as stubble , and as burnt-mountaines before it , and will not be able to abide ; for as i said , whatsoever is reproveable , is manifested by the day , the light , which is eternal , in which god appears , and it shall appear even to the wicked , to the ungodly , they shall be made manifest ; that which is manifest , is not hid , but seen , and brought to light , and beholden : so all you hirelings , who preach for hire , and you people that love to have it so , you shall not be hid ; all gainsayers of the truth , you shall be found out , all shall be convinced of their ungodly deeds and hard speeches , and that which makes your deeds manifest will be the day , and that will convince you ; for even the wicked shall see his appearance , although to condemnation , shame , & contempt , they shall see him whom they have pierced : and know further , even in the wicked , god hath a witnesse , which is pure , which checketh often , though they heed it not , because the god of the world hath blinded their eyes ; yet when christ the life shall appear , he wil make that see in the wicked which they have put out , and the god of the world hath blinded ; yet he by his power will open even the eyes of the wicked , and they shall see him and his coming in dread ; and his pure appearance , which shal make them horribly afraid , & his day and appearance will be to their sorrow : although they would not see , yet they shall be made to see , and to hear that which they would not hear , when god sounds his trumpet , to give warning to all , that the dead both small and great may arise , some unto everlasting life , and some unto shame and everlasting contempt . all that hath hated his appearance shall see , though they would not ; put not this far away , all deceitful workers , drunkards , liars , swearers , whores , and whore-mongers adulterers , idolaters , who worship your own imaginations ; and all railers , mockers , and proud , wanton disdainful people that live in wantonnesse and pleasure , time-servers , flattererers , men-pleasers , cursed speakers , vain talkers , foolish jesters , fierce dispisers of those that are good , who are come out of the pollution that you wallow in ; his appearance will be to their joy , but to your shame and eternal misery , except you speedily repent . what the day of the lord is to the righteous , and how he appeares to them , and whether any are to looke for it while in the body , resolved . the appearance of god which is eternal life , in his day , in his immeasurable light , a great joy and rejoycing to the righteous ; for there they come to behold him who is unto his people an everlasting light ; and in his light they come to see light ; and in his day he reveals the secret mysteries of his kingdome in them , who sees his day appeare in their hearts , which maketh all things manifest , even the secrets of the lord , and his hidden treasure , and his durable riches which never cankers nor rusts , but is fresh , and keeps its pure image and impression , and is still the same ; by which all the righteous who have waited for gods appearance , comes to see him and his riches , as it is written , this is he we have waited for , let us rejoyce and be exceeding glad ; why ? what , is he come you waited for ? yea , come , and his reward is with him ; and they that see him come , find contentment in him , and in his reward ; and what is his reward ? joy , gladnesse , peace of conscience , assurance of gods love sealed in their hearts by the pure spirit of the lord , the streams of life flowing forth continually from the great deep , which refreshes and keeps cool in the greatest extremity and heat of temptation ; and this is enjoyed by them that have waited , and doe waite for it even in the body , they bear witnesse of him and of his coming ; the disciples , what was their witnesse ? the son of god is come , and hath given us an understanding : of what ? of god , of his day , of his appearance , of his power , of his wisdome , of his kingdome , of hope , of faith , of assurance , of peace , of joy , of comfort and consolation : what in this life ? yea , a cloud of witnesses i might bring in former ages , and a cloud of witnesses i might bring in this age , blessed be the lord ; but my witnesse is nearer me , that giveth me assurance , and is surer to me then all their witnesses , although they be all true ; abraham the father of the faithful , and of the righteous , who believed god , and was accepted , he saw christs day , and was glad . say , literal professors , that 's by faith ; yea , what else ? he and all that ever saw christ and his day , or the father , they saw him by faith ; by faith they saw him who was invisible . isa. . . behold god is my salvation , he also is become my salvation ; what , dost thou enjoy it already ? yea , he is become : and simon who waited for the consolation of israel , luke . now let thy servant depart in peace , for mine eyes have seen thy salvation . and this he said , who knew gods comfort and consolation ; as our sufferings for christ doth abound , even our consolation in christ doth much more abound ; and they were made partakers of his divine nature , and sat together in heavenly places in christ jesus . for heaven is his throne , and they that are in him , and injoyeth him who is the power of god , and the wisdome of god knowes peace , and rest , and salvation , both from guilt and act of sin ; and the apostle wrote to the hebrews , after he had purged away our sins ( speaking of the atonement ) the everlasting high priest , he sate down on the right hand on the majesty on high . he saw beyond sin even him who had purged away sin ; and this comes to be made manifest unto them , and in them that believe , by the spirit of jesus , who is christ the lord , the arm that brings salvation , and is the author of eternal salvation unto all them that believe , who begins it in his day , and perfecteth it in his day ; for he works in the day , as he himself said , hitherto my father worketh , and i work ; but the night cometh when none can work . so that he destroys the work of the devil , which is his work in man ; which they that are come to his day feels and sees the handy-work of god in themselves , and his own works praise him , for they onely can ; and they that are not come to the day knows not gods work in themselves ; and they who have not yet heeded that in themselves which manifesteth all things reproveable , neither that which doth reprove , they are not come to know the appearance , or the glimmering of light , or of the day yet in themselves , which the saints witness in them , even all they that are sanctified . where the day of the lord doth appear● and how it cometh , and how it is to be looked for , declared . they that gaze abroad , whose eyes are abroad , cannot see his appearance , nor his day which appears . he that knoweth not wherein it consists , knows not how to look for it , no more then the jews who were scripture professors , and learned men , knew wherein the kingdom of god did consist ; even no more do the litteral professors , whose faith is founded on the letter , and upon that which is visible , know what i say , first , all must know wherein it doth consist . it is eternal brightnes ▪ shed abroad through all things , which pierceth through , and searcheth the secretest place , even that which is invisible , and maketh manifest all things ; and the nature of every thing , by the day of the lord comes to be seen , and it appears in the heart ; they were to wait for the day to dawn , and to break forth in their hearts , and to wait for its appearance there ; and that 's it which is to be waited for and upon ; that which maketh evil manifest , and brings it to light , and declares against that which is contrary to its nature , and so the day cometh to dawn . christ the covenant of light , gods gift , who is sent and annointed of god to preach , and to proclaim the acceptable year of the lord , & also the day of vengeance he proclaims in the heart ; for he comes not to bring peace on earth , but a sword , and his sword is the sword of the spirit , it 's that which divides and discerns the intent of the heart ; and his day discovers the desperate wickedness of the heart . and where he finds no faith in the heart , he kindles a fire in the earthly heart , and executeth his vengeance : and his day unto such is a day of great perplexity , their spirits comes to be wounded , the heart comes to be made faint , and sorrow comes to fill their hearts , and trouble to be felt ; and in this state are all in , who are unconverted ; he findes no faith , no hope in the heart , therefore he comes and takes away peace . many hath talked of the day of the lord , but when it comes to draw neer them , they will not abide it . whatsoever makes manifest is light ; now the day makes all things in every one manifest ; and when deceit is seen , and wickedness brought to light , then they that have done evil cannot abide , but would run to any thing , rather then abide the day , or to see the lord of life appear in his day to execute vengeance upon his enemies , and to destroy his adversaries , and to kindle an unquenchable fire to consume all his enemies : and who hath not seen this yet in themselves , never hath seen the day of salvation , nor of gladness ; and this made the prophet cry out , who may abide the day of his coming ? and many have been eye-witnesses of the dreadful day of the lord which hath appeared , wherein all peace hath been hid from their eyes ; and all that ever came to see the day of joy and gladness , first did know the terrour and terrible day of the lord in themselves : therefore said the apostle . we knowing the terrour of the lord , do perswade men . now it cometh not with outward observation ; lo here , or there : so the pharisees looked the kingdom should come , when christ told them it was within them . so say i , if ever any do behold the bright shining forth of eternal life , they must wait in that which is● pure of god , through which he will manifest his day , and his power in his day in them ; & is thou keepest in thy minde to that which manifests unto thee evil , and shewes thee good , thou wilt see how it appears . even as the light shineth from the east unto the west , so is the coming of the day of the lord. and the eye which is spiritual sees it , and the power and the glory of the lord comes to be seen in the day which is pure and spiritual in the heart ; and the eye which is pure , doth behold when it comes , where it comes , and how it comes , and it 's hid from vulterous eyes , and from their eyes which are full of adultery , and cannot cease from sin . now the day of the lord cometh not where the carnal mind may imagine , nor when ; man will neither ( according to the carnal desire of the carnal heart , neither according to the evil eye that looks out ) can see it ; but it is seen in gods own light , and by the measure of gods holy spirit . and the day of the lord is a mystery , the spirit of the lord is the onely discoverer of it , none knows the things of god , but by the spirit of god ; and the day of the lord and his bright shining forth in the heart of man , is one of the glorious things of god , which onely the spirit of god doth give the knowledge of to man , and in man , and not the letter , nor the scripture ; for the jews had the letter , and they had neither heard gods voice at any time , neither ever did see his shape , neither did they see the day of the lord , nor the power ; neither in a word , did see or perceive god or any of the mysteries of gods kingdom at all , but dreamed , imagined , thought and conceived of things in their minds , their foolish hearts being darkned ; for the further a man drawes from the light , his heart comes to be more dark , and their understandings closed up , and shut up that they cannot behold the lord , neither his glory , which is revealed only by gods holy spirit , which spirit is near man , though he sees it not . what the spirit of the lord is , and how it comes to be received , which discovers the things of god. the spirit of the lord is pure , holy , equal , purity it selfe , holinesse it selfe , equity it selfe , and is one with the father and the son , the father , the word and the spirit are one , its life , its pure power , pure strength , purity it self , which mixeth not , neither joyneth to any thing but what is of its own nature ; it s an immeasurable pure substance , its life issued forth , an active living power , and is everlasting ; alters not , changes not , keeps its holinesse , its purity for ever ; it is unsearchable , unfathomable , undeclarable ; words are all too short , too narrow to declare its excellency and glory , but onely as it makes it selfe out to them that believe , and opens it self , and sheds it self abroad in them that wait upon it ; it is revealed in its own purity , manifest in its own power , and received in its own light , felt in its own vertue , the living father of life himselfe is manifested by it , and appeares in his power , majesty and excellency through it , to man and to the sons of men , to the righteous and unrighteous , to godly and ungodly , to the upright , and to the deceitful , to the children of darknesse and to the children of light ; that which searcheth the heart of man , and sees through all things , and maketh manifest all things , even the hidden things of god , and the secret works of darknesse , and reproveth for all evil , all iniquity ; that is the pure act of the spirit , which convinceth every man , and as the creature comes to join to it , it arises and shines forth more clearly , and maketh it self known in its power and operation , its power comes to be felt , it checks and reproveth , judgeth and condemneth all actions which is done and past , and brings them to the creatures remembrance ; and as it is waited upon and hearkned unto , it sheds its selfe abroad in its own pure brightnesse , and bringeth all things to light , even all the deeds of darknesse , and maketh manifest the intents of the mind , and manifesteth all things reproveable : now as there is a waiting upon the pure appearance of it , and the minde be still quiet , and calm , the creature comes to feel and sensibly to know his own condition , and sees his minde is alive to other things and other lovers , and not to god , and so he sees himselfe dead to the things of gods kingdome , and in the losse , and in the fall , and in the transgression ; now this which shewes the vain motions and the vain thoughts , and checketh them , is an operation of the spirit ; and purity comes to be felt working in the heart , and as it is loved & obeyed , it leadeth & converteth the heart to the lord , and draweth towards it self , out of unholinesse , and from under the dark power , and brings that under , and so it arises in its strength as it is believed in and waited upon , and judges and condemns for all evils for it is the discoverer of the mind of the lord to the sons of men ; or the father by it makes known his mind to , and in the creature , and doth discover the things that be eternal in their true property and nature ( which onely they that have the spirit , and have received it , and are brought out of the sensuality comes to discerne him who is invisible , and the things that belongs to everlasting happinesse , which is not seen by a natural eye , neither received by the spirit of the world , who never received the things of god , neither the testimony of them , who were in the life . now all that comes to receive it ( that is to say the spirit of truth ) must wait in that which is pure , unto which it joines ; it joines not to the corrupt man , neither to the sensual heart , neither to the vile affections , neither to them whose eyes are full of adultery , which cannot cease from sin ; neither to the seed of falsehood , neither to the corruptible birth , neither unto that which is born of the flesh , nor unto the will of the creature ; yet notwithstanding , though it join not to these , yet it is near man , even the natural man ; its manifestation or the shining forth of its brightnesse maketh all these things manifest before mentioned to be evil ; and thus far the spirit of god hath appeared to the world and all mankind , to convince the world of sin , yet still it remaines in its own purity ; and while the heart of any man is taken up with that , and joined unto that which the light reproves , ( that is to say ) the worker of iniquity ; that man hath not received the spirit , neither is made possessor of it , nor injoyes it , but it stands off man , and from man at a distance , shewing the worker of iniquity and the works of darknesse , and manifesting to the creature in its light , and letting him see to whom he is joyned ; for so far as a man denies himselfe in acting or joyning to that which the manifestation of gods spirit ( shining forth in its own purity ) in him reproveth ; so he comes nearer , and comes to join in some measure to the spirit of holines , or the holy spirit , and to receive it , and to feel the power of god in some small measure , though but weakly working in him , to the purging out those things which the spirit lets him see is evil , which hath been reproved in him , and so in some measure feels in himself what to wait upon , and where to wait , and in what , even in that which gives every one a feeling of their own condition within , and opens their understandings . how the spirit of truth worketh and operateth in them who are convinced , and yet hath not obeyed it , shewed . though god who is a spirit hath appeared by his manifestation unto all , yet all have not received it ; he that hates the light hath not received it , the eye-lids of the morning are unto him as the shadow of death ; that which manifesteth and bringeth to light all evil , the evil doer likes it not , heeds it not , receives it not , but still is without god in the world , that lies in wickedness , and without the spirit , in death , and dead in trespasses and sins a sepulchre in which the just lies slain ; in this state god is not remembred , there is no remembrance in the grave , nor no thanks in the pit , yet night shines in darkness , and a man unconverted , yet convinced , in that darkness , and that which convinceth him is the light ; so light shines in darkness , in man , in the greatest darkness ; and this may convince all vain disputers , who say every one is not inlightened , neither that the spirit of god hath appeared to all ; good men have it , bad men it s near them ; they that bring forth the fruits of darkness , and bring forth the deeds of darkness , they are lighted , yea , they that are in darkness , and are darkness , the light shines in them , the spirit of god shines there in darkness , manifesteth their darkness , here man is darkness ; the ephesians were darkness , in the unconverted estate , yet had light shining in them , eph. . . the spirits manifestation they had , but were not led by it ; once they were without god in the world , but after were turned unto it , ●it shewed them their darkness , and it leading their minds , they came to be made light in the lord , who is that spirit , whose manifestation hath appeared to all , so all are without excuse , for he hath not left himself without witness ; and they that have not gods witness to be theirs , ( that is to say ) to possess it , they have no faith nor assurance in god at all , but that which should bring assurance of salvation unto them ; it assures their condemnation , and also reveals sorrow . now as every one is turned to the measure of gods holy spirit , and keeps his mind into it , he comes to feel and to see its reproof , and so as the mind is kept still into it , it arises in its purity , and shines forth in the heart in more brightness , still checking man for disobedience , still judging , and as it is listened unto , it appears in strength , and layes every mans heart open , and lets him see how full of unrighteousness he is , how full of imaginations he is , how his heart is full of vain & idle thoughts , and how lust aboundeth in the heart ; this makes his trouble to increase and his sorrow to multiply , and this is alwayes present ; none can run from it , but it follows him , and shall pursue every one to the pit who obey it not , and kindle his torment ; and whatsoever the mind may run into , to take pleasure for a moment , and the heart be exercised in , yet this measure of gods spirit is alwayes present to condemn it , and judge a man for it ; so the strokes of the almighty is still heavy upon his back , being still in the disobedience of the spirit ; it never bears witness unto any man in that state , but god through it still sounds the alarum of war , and terror in his heart ; so that fear compasseth him about on every side , and though for moment , the cry may not be heard , and through disobedience it may seem as dead as unto him , yet if ever the mind be but still , and a man sober and calm , and ever mind what he is doing , it appears again ; and though a man may take up something , and perform something which is called religious , and pray in words , and read , and talk of the scriptures , and may take up some carnal outward ordinance , and there content himself for a time , yet still the witness of gods holy spirit , for that , shews him his hypocrisie , and that he seeks a cover to shelter himself under , that he may live in disobedience , & be at ease in the flesh , but all in vain , for there is no peace within , but the measure of gods spirit still shewes him that he serves sin , and follows his own will , and in this will brings forth a worship , and this is will-worship ; nay , if a man practice all those things which others who were in the life performed , and were accepted , yet this will not satisfie , god hath no pleasure in this , no more then if one slew a man , or blessed an idol , or kissed baal , all is abomination to the lord ; and though a man may sin so far against the light of christ in his own conscience , that the light be to him as though there were no such thing , yet all this well not do ; for the lord will thunder from his holy pla●●●●ough thou have stopped thy ear as to him , and closed thy eyes , yet he will cause his terror to strike into thy heart , so that dread shall compass thee about as a wall , and thou shalt be afraid for that which thou shalt see & hear ; & though the spirit strives long , yet being still disobeyed , the long-suffering of god comes to an end concerning him that hath been unfaithful , and then his wrath is kindled as fire , which shall burn to the lowest h●ll , into which all the rebellious and stif-necked shall be cast , and have their portion for ever among all the children of darknesse ; therefore all who have been convinced long ( & still are by gods holy spirit ) of the way of truth , and yet have not submitted to the leading of the spirit ; think on this ( for its the lords truth which i declare to you ) or else eternal mysery will be your end . and if thou still persist on after the imaginations of thine own heart , and in thy rebellious will , thou quencheth the spirit and the motions thereof ; & though it be life in it self , yet is as ded unto thee who art in the gainsaying , & resisting that through which gods eternal power is manifest in them that believe ; & thou wilt grow insensible & past feeling , and become as seared flesh , and be senslesse as to the things of god , and hardnesse of heart will come upon thee , and thou wilt be as a stone that cannot be melted , and woe will be unto such where the spirit of the lord in them ceaseth to strive with them , having so long rebelled against , and gain-sayd the pure drawings of it ; that so the lord is grieved and wearied with their impenitency , that he gives them up to their vile affections , and to follow the imaginations of their own hearts ( who receiveth not the truth in the love of it but in the enmyty , still remaines obstinate ) doing despite unto the spirit of grace , his long-suffering comes to an end , & his fierce wrath comes to be kindled against such , and that which would have led them out of the world , in true pure , and everlasting peace , now becomes their tormentor ▪ and they banished from his presence ▪ and shut up in eternal misery , where the fire is kindled by the breath of the the lord that burns for ever , the sentence of condemnation being past upon them because they had pleasure in unrighteousnesse , and have sold themselves to do wickedly , and crucifying the appearance of god in themselves ; which appearance though it live in the fountain of life , yet crucified by thee who art out of the life , yet lives still for ever in it self , to be thy condemnation eternally . how the spirit of the father worketh in , them who are turned to it , and have taken heed unto its manifestation , and are in some measure partakers of its power . there are differences of administrations , but the same lord ; and there are diversity of gifts , but the same spirit ; and there are diversities of operations , but the same god which worketh all in all . now the spirit of truth which is life in it selfe , putteth forth its own pure act , not onely to convince and detect him that transgresseth its appearance , and to manifest evil which hath been committed by man ; but also being turned unto , and waited in , it shews man when motions and temptations unto sin ariseth ; and as the creature is still , and waiteth in that which manifesteth and singly keeps in his mind to it . it sheds abroad its power , and vanquisheth and subdueth those lusts which do arise , and condemns the ground from whence they do arise , and it purely draweth the mind after it , and secretly worketh & breatheth forth its pure life in him that waiteth in patience and in stilnesse , not heeding the vayn thoughts and imaginations that riseth in his heart ; but rather heeds the manifestation of the spirit , at whose bright appearance all the vain desires comes to be extinguished & there comes to be a hunger begot within , to be made partakers of its purity and of its nature ; for god through the operation of the eternal spirit lets forth his power , which turneth and changeth the heart , and cuts a sunder and divides betwixt a man and those lovers that he hath joyned unto , and makes a separation within , and carries a man further from those things which the measure of the spirit reproves , and this leads nearer to god : and so they that do believe in the measure of gods spirit , comes to feel what repentance from dead works is , and the works and the worker is seen ; and who it is that hath wrought , is manifest in the light ▪ and as there is a diligent waiting upon it ; there is nothing that passeth through the mind , but it discerns , and gives a discerning to every particular heart , who singly and quietly waytes upon it . but yet after the spirit of truth in some measure be felt , and its living testymony in some thing ; yet it may be a long time before there be a clear distingushment in the understanding ; so that one cannot clearly discerne its moving from all other false motions and high imaginations which are above : and hence it is , that the hasty and froward mindes followes their own motions which leads them into deceit , and then the questioner gets up , and then they question all that ever the spirit hath made manifest unto them before ; a vail then is drawn over , and the enemy lodges in the vail , and in the darknesse ( which is entred ) & then as soon as any hearkens within to that which is the uppermost ▪ and doth abound , the enemy that lodgeth in that , presents motions as to obey this and that , and all is deceit . so therefore all is to keep back , that they may sensibly feel between the pure motions , and the drawing of the spirit , and the vaine thoughts that arise out of the earthly heart ; and when any thing doth arise which the light doth not bear witnesse to , it 's not to be followed nor heeded , but a quiet , still waiting that things may be cleared to the understanding ; and for want of this many have run out , and have brought forth satans work , and acted things forwardly in their wils , and so have clean lost the true sense of that , which would guide their minds , and have followed the spirit of error , and have caused the pure spirit of the lord to be evil spoken of ; but as there is a keeping back , and a quiet waiting out of willing , or running and haste ; it arises purely and stilly in the heart , and shineth forth in brightnesse in the heart , so that it giveth perfect evidence and full testimony of it selfe , that there will be no doubting nor questioning of its motion ; for it will apparently shew forth it selfe in its own transparent brightnesse , with full assurance of its own will , and then after it be clearly seen , and its motion , then keep under all reasoning , and keep out all questioning , and give not way to temptation ; and that which moves of the lord of life , will carry thee through in its own operation and power to accomplish the will of god , and so thou wilt have peace ( being obedient ) and thy strength will be renewed ; for as any are brought to submit unto the will of god , when it is known , and comes to obey by vertue of its own power ; that which is contrary unto gods spirit in thee , comes to loose its strength , and to decay , and be weakned ; but as any disobeyes the pure motions of gods holy spirit after it be known , the enemy is strengthened , and that which is of the flesh nourished , and the spirit comes to be quenched , that which would give thee power , if thou submitedst unto it : but yet know this , the spirit in it self never loses its purity , neither can be quenched in its selfe , but will bear its pure witnesse against thee , and none shall be able to stop its reproof ; thus the diversity of its operation comes to be known as it s hearkned unto , obeyed , loved , and believed in ; it puts forth its pure power , and gives strength , and seals peace to the obedient ; but disobeyed and resisted , it condemns , judges , reproves and seales condemnation to the disobedient , and yet there is no variation in it selfe , for it is alwayes one and the same . but as it operateth upon different natures or objects unto which it joyns to , or stands at adistance from , that is to say , the good ground it causeth to bring forth fruit unto god , and the cursed ground , out of which bryers & thornes do arise , it kindles a fire in , that shall not quenched ; but as there is a submission unto its pure operation , it burnes up and destroyes that which hinders the growth of the seed , & it purgeth the heart ( of them that have confidence in it ) from all filthinesse both of flesh and spirit , and worketh up the creature into its own frame and nature , and fashions , and makes , and moulds all that are in the faith into the image of the father ; and so the fathers love comes to be shed abroad in the heart : and as the wrath was revealed through the spirit and condemnation , so now the peace of god comes to be enjoyed , and his consolation shed abroad largly , in which there is pure rejoicing for ever . vnto whom the spirit of the father bears witness , and seals assurance of the fathers love , and of justification with god , declared . none hath the witness of gods spirit bearing witness to them nor in them who have not believed in the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world , by whom alone life is begotten , by the powerful operation of christ in them that believe in him who is eternal light it self , whose word is spirit and life , by which the new creature is framed & formed in them that believe , unto whom he maketh manifest his power ; for unto him who is the life of men is all power committed both in heaven and earth ; for nothing was made or created but by him , neither is any turned from sin but by him , and by his mighty power : without him is death , in him is life , and the life is the light of men : so that none but they that are born of the light , and are begotten by him who is light , can have the spirit of christ ( who is light ) to bear witness unto them , neither the assurance of the fathers love ; for onely they that are born of the spirit , and walk after the spirit , are justified by the spirit of the lord ; for the assurance of his love is not made manifest to his enemies , but unto them that are born & brought forth in his own image , in his own likeness and nature , which is pure and incorruptible without stain or defilement , the holy seed which is heir of the promise , who knows the living hope which purifies the heart , and bringeth the answer of a good conscience unto them that feel and witness the washing of regeneration , and have known in themselves the clean water poured forth upon them , which hath taken away the stains , and spots , and blemishes , and the defilements ; for where these are no washed out , & the heart cleansed from them , & that believed in , wherein gods all-sufficiency is felt , and his power made manifest , there cannot be assurance of the fathers love in the heart , nor in the soul ; neither doth the spirit of the father bear witness unto such , nor assure their justification ; but on the contrary , where sin remains unsubdued , and taken away ; the spirit of the father condemneth the sin , and the creature now is joyned to it , and is become one with it ; for no sin is brought forth , but there is a consent and an assenting to the instigation of the devil , although when a temptation ariseth either within or without , there may be a resisting and a striving against it for a little ; but the heart not being kept close to the spirit , the enemy often enters , and so captivates the understanding , then there is an agreement and a joyning to the adversary , and so the spirit pronounceth the sentence of condemnation upon him who is joyned to the harlot , and becomes one flesh , and joyned unto strange flesh which is not the flesh of christ the seed ; and that which hath joyned and consented to drink of the cup of fornication , must drink of the cup of indignation and terrour , and bear the stroke of divine justice , and lie in patience under it till that be cut down which hath joyned to deceit , before there can be the remission of the transgression , or the creature justified in the fight of god : for sin is not blotted out of the book of gods remembrance till it be turned from , and repented of , neither doth the creature stand clear in the sight of god , when god judges in righteous judgement , which the light in every ones conscience shall answer , now he that is born of god sins not , for the seed of god remains in him , which is life : and as the creature joyns to that seed which is heir of the kingdom , and of the crown immortal , he comes to be made partaker of its vertue and operation ; which seed is christ , and by his power by which he limiteth the seed of the serpent , and weakens his strength in the creature , as man cometh to believe in his strength unto whom all power is committed , the covenant with death is broken , and that agreement that the creature hath made with death comes to be disannulled by the arm and power of the lord , and so the creature comes to be delivered from the bondage of corruption , and the new man comes to live , or the new creature which is born of god , which sins not , comes to be framed and fashioned in the image of the father : and the fathers love is manifest unto him and in him , and he hath the assurance in himself . the babe that is born from above , of the spirit which is from above , of which he is born and brought forth of the just , by the just he is justified , by the just god , and the just witness of the spirit sealeth this in him : and he hath the record of his justification ; for there is three that bear record in the earth , the water , the blood , and the spirit ; and he that is born of that which is pure in it self , hath the witness of all these three in himself , for they agree in one : that which one beareth wit-witness to , and for , the other doth the same , and the record , and testimony , and witness of all these three hath he that is born from above . moreover , there are three that bear record in heaven , the father , the word , and the spirit , and these three are one . so he that is born of the father , and begotten of the father in christ the seed through the spirit , he and he alone comes to feel the fathers love made manifest in him , and is justified in the sight of the father , and hath the record of all these witnesses before mentioned in himself ; so that he hath his assurance and evidence near him and in him , the seal of the father , the seal of the spirit : and so when the adversary comes to tempt and to assault , and would raise up doubts in the mind , the evidence is near , which puts him out of all doubt that he is in the love of god , & blessed for ever ; and happy are all they who have waited for these things , have felt these things , and are witnesses of these things ; for flesh and blood hath not revealed these things . now let every man who reads , this prove himself , and try himself whether he be in the faith or no , and whether he have the evidence of the spirit or no , that he is born of it , and knows a birth that sins not , because the seed remaineth in him ; who is kept by the power , that the evil one touches him not , and kept in salvation , and in saving health , alive unto him who hath brought him forth to life , to drink of the cup of blessing , and of the cup of salvation , which nourisheth and refresheth up unto eternal life , them that continue in the faith. what the free grace of god is , and unto whom it hath appeared , and where all are to wait to receive it , declared , as it hath been revealed by the spirit . the grace of god is pure , & is the free gift of god , and it is perfect , it is the appearance of christ , it is a beam of righteousness shining forth , it is a measure of gods strength and power , issued out from himself , and a proportion of his treasure , vertue and sufficiency which comes to be shed abroad in all them that believe in it ; it s that through which god maketh known his will , and teacheth his by it , and reveals his saving health ( through it ) to them that are taught by it , and through it ; them that believe in it , are builded up in the truth , and becomes a habitation for god ; no man doth any thing to purchase it , none need say , where may i get it , or how may i know its teaching ; it s near thee , it is in thee , it hath appeared to all men it shews ungodliness in the heart of man , by its pure brightness ; yea , to all men it shews the motions unto sin , and that which is not like god in motions , words or actions ; it draweth the heart of man from them , as with a cord , it shews the lusts of the heart and mind , the lust of the eye , and the pride of life , it never joyned to sin , nothing can alter its purity or property ; as in it self , it is always one and the same , it is perfect , and will be alwayes so , it stands off , and at a distance from that which is corruptable and imperfect , and yet beholdeth it ; and although some that have turned to it , be again turned from it , and may turn it as in themselves into wantonness , yet it keeps its purity , and still reproves thy wantonness , and will lay it before thee , and will shew thee how thou hast abused the appearance of christ , and hath marred his countenance and his face , & reprove thee for it ; many have been the talkers of it in this professing age , but knew not of what they spoke , neither ever informed the mind of man where it was to be waited for , neither how it might be known , or how , or what the operation of it was , but have cryed up their own imaginations , we are justified by his free grace , for all sins past , present & to come , & in this conceit thousands have been led into the pit of darknesse , while out of thick darknesse they have cryed up , we are justified by free grace in christ , while the free grace of christ , gods gift , which should have taught them , they never heeded at all , but got up into conceitednesse , and carelesnesse , and presumption , out of the feare of god , and pretending justification , while they themselves were servants of sin , and bond-slaves to corruption , and this is the state of thousands at this day , and they that have been publishers and preachers of free grace : now when the thing it self comes to be witnessed and declared what it is , and as it is , and where it is ; now they say it is not sufficient to teach any the knowledge of god ; but from all such foolish doaters and blind guides , and ignorant shepherds is god bringing many sheep home which they have driven away , & they would kill them now , that are fed and taught by the gift of god , and says it s not sufficient , and to make them to dislike their food , and dislike their shepherd ; so would make them deaf and blind , and then they may lead them into any desart , and feed them among the swine who wallow in the mire , in filthinesse , and lust , and pleasure , and ungodlinesse , and so beguil the sheep , and scatter them from the fold , and lead them from the true shepherd , and from his appearance , which is his grace , and from the shepherds . voice , which is the word of his grace , which is able to save the soul. oh all you blind guides , and you that call your selves orthodox men and ministers ! and all you that have been preaching free grace in words , and now when god hath given them that have waited upon him an understanding to declare the thing it selfe that you have spoken of , now you cry it is not a sufficient teacher . now let me aske you a question , if that which teacheth to deny ungodlinesse , and shewes it , be the grace of god , and the gift of god , then how say you , it s not a sufficient teacher ? if it be not a sufficient teacher , then why did the apostles commit them , and commend them to the word of his grace , which was able to save their souls ? and whether is not that which is able to save the soul , a sufficient teacher ? answer ye wise men , and ye literal rabbies , if that which shewes sin and temptation be not sufficient , then declare you , and let us see your skill in the mysteries of god : but to return to them , in whose minds there is a desire to be informed ; seeing then that gods free grace , which is his pure appearance , hath so far manyfested it selfe , or god through it shewes sin , and teacheth from sin , that which teacheth from sin is holy , and that which leadeth from worldly lusts is pure , and that which saves from sin is grace , which is saving in it selfe , and god hath so loved the world , as that he hath sent his son into the world ; & he was and is the light of the world , and hath shed abroad his grace , and hath made it appear to all ; and all that waites upon it , and comes to be taught by it , feels its assurance , so all is left without excuse ; therefore wait in that which hath appeared in thee , that which shewes the lusts and thoughts and motions unto sin , this is gods gift , gods grace , this is sufficient , though all men in the world say it is not sufficient , yet this makes not my faith voyd , neither thine who hath received it ; but thou hast the witness of thy faith in thy self , which giveth pure and perfect feeling of the operation of the spirit of the lord , and all is to wait within , to hear him who condemns sin in the flesh within , which by his grace shews man his transgression and insufficiency in himselfe , and by the word of his grace saves all them that believe in it , out of sin , & giveth dominion over sin ; and this comes to be revealed in the heart of man , and there must it be waited for , in that which is pure , that it may be received , and there the operation it comes to be known , and its vertue partaken of by all that do believe in it , and receive it , and are subjected to it , they see & feel gods salvation revealed through it to their souls , and knowes where their strength lyes , not in selfe-acting , but in the free gift of god , the gift of righteousnesse , the righteous gift , by which justification cometh upon all that believe . whether all have received the grace of god or no , declared ; and whether it be a sufficient teacher in it selfe , to wit , that grace that hath appeared to all , if it be received , demonstrated . this wise generation is below the wisdome of god , whose wisdome have confounded peoples minds with distinctions ; as that there is a two-fold grace . first , that which they call common which they say hath appeared to all men . scondly that which they call special , and saving , which hath onely appeared to the saints , and by giving heed to these distinctions in times past ( many yeares ago . ) i lost my selfe and my guid , and went from the appearance of it in my selfe , to hearken to a thing at a distance from me , and heeded not that at home , which was near , because it was called common and insufficient , & so suffered great losse ; and therefore i am moved ( by him , in whose sight i have found favour and mercy , and grace ) to declare the truth as the lord hath made it manifest unto me , and in me ; that all who seek after the lord may be informed , and know where to wait upon the lord ; for unto that grace that shewed me evil and temptations unto evil , i was made to goe back unto , after many yeares profession ( which they called common and insufficient ) before ever i found the lord , or felt his living power again ; for the first they ground upon the letter , as they judge , where it is said , he causeth the sun to shine , and the raine to fall upon the just and the unjust . and where it is said , in him we live , and move , and have our being health and strength , and an understanding in things natural , and by which men comes to see grosse sins and evils ; but that which they call special , is that which the saints are saved by , and are established in , in righteousnesse , and receive the remission of sins . now he who hath caused the sun to shine & the raine to fall , and giveth health , and strength , & nourishment to all things living that are visible , in the outward visible creation , and that discovereth grosse sins , and open evils to man ; the same is he who is the life of the soul ; the same is he that sanctifies , and purifies , and saveth them that believe , and its the same vertue and power that upholds the naturall man in his pure nature , that upholds the spiritual man , and by which he liveth unto god : it 's the same grace , i do not say the same measure ; for the same vertue and power by which all things that are visible and living were made alive , and subsists in their station and covenant , and bound where they are set and placed ; the same grace , strength power , and sufficiency upholdeth the heavenly bodies , and moveth and acteth in a higher sphear or degree , and preserveth all that believe , and are quickned by him who is the power of god in heavenly places , and the same power and vertue that discovereth the dark places , and the hellish places , and the horrible pit ; it 's the same power , life , strength and vertue that leadeth all that believe into the land of the living , into the holy place , into the peaceable habitation into the holy mountain , into the heavenly tabernacle made without hands : and in few words , he that discovers open sins , the same grace and the same purity , discovereth hidden and secret sins , ( though the measure of its purity shine in one more then another , because them that are in the unbeliefe , the darknesse over-shadowes , and the mountains are high , and the vail is thick , and the clouds are many , and the ayre dark , so that it's resplendency and brightnesse is not seen because of the vail which shadowes it , that it hath not much enterance ) but in them that believe , and have received that grace , and is joyned to it , in which they believe , it renteth the vail , and maketh the shaddow to flie away , and scatters the clouds , and breatheth forth it self in purity , and makes the air clearer , so that its brightness shineth more purely forth to them , and in them , because the heart is more open to receive its vertues in , yet the same purity and vertue remains still , and the same grace keeps its purity and property in it self , and its power and sufficiency is alwayes the same , though it do not appear so to the creature : so this i say , and is my testimony of the grace of god which is the gift of god , which hath appeared in some measure more or less unto all men , and convinceth and shewes gross and open evils , even the same grace by its vertue and power , leadeth from the least or impurest thought , and shews the secretest evils that lodgeth in the heart , unbelief , and also every temptation unto sin ; and this shall be witnessed to be the truth by the whole earth in the day of the lords appearing , and is now witnessed by all the children of light who believe , with whom i have fellowship in the pure living sufficient , perfect grace of god , which is gods free gift , which in some measure hath appeared to all , whereby all are left without excuse : and herein is the wonderful love of god made manifest to all man-kinde ; and all that turneth to his grace , will see he hath long waited to be gracious in his grace , which is near , that all mankind might be partakers of his bounty , love , mercy , favour , and free gift , by which justification cometh upon all that believe . therefore my bowels and heart is more open in this unto all , because many have erred for lack of knowledge , and have wandred aside , because they have not found a true guide . therefore in dear love unto all upon the face of the earth , where this may come , i write and let out my bosome into this thing , that they may also be partakers with me of the free love of god , and the free grace of god , by which i am saved , and know the wall which is salvation , and the gates which are praise , which the saints are compassed about with , and entered in at ; and for the sake of such who thirst after god , and the knowledge him , i write for their information , and not to satisfie critical men , nor them who are in the philosophy and vain deceit , who are swollen big in their fleshly understandings , & puffeth up in their earthly minds ; for by such i desire not any testimony , neither acceptance . but now to come to speak of that which many are doubting about , that is to say , the grace of god which bringeth salvation , which hath appeared to all men , whether this be a sufficient leader and teacher of it self if it be received ; but in order to the thing in hand , let all take notice of this , that when i speak of the sufficiency of grace , and that it is a sufficient teacher : i do not speak of it distinct from christ , or of a thing separated from the power of god , but one with it , and him from whence it comes ; for as he is salvation it self , so the grace of god is of the same nature , by which he manifests himself : and his salvation to them that believe , and also reveals his witness in them ; for where the appearance and presence of christ is manifest , there is his power and strength manifest , either to condemnation or salvation ; and though his pure appearance and presence is one in it self , yet them that have marred his countenance , and pierced him ; his presence alwayes hath been , and will be very dreadful and terrible ; but unto them that believe , and have continued with him in his temptation , and have suffered with him , and have longed for him ; his appearance and presence will be amiable , beautiful , and lovely , sweet , pleasant , delightful , desirable , glorious , and admirable ; so that they who have seen it , have been melted into tears , and dissolved as into water , because of his love and beauty , who is the chief of ten thousand . oh! that all that long after him may wait for him in patience , in that wherein he will appear , they shall see him , whose sight will be a recompence for all longing and thirsting , and desiring , and waiting ; the sense of longing and thirsting will be taken away , when he that makes glad the heart appeareth , who lifteth up the light of his countenance , and maketh whole them whose hearts have been broken for him whom their souls loved ; therefore all wait , and think not the time long : keep in your minds to his grace , which is his appearance , and him you will feel , and see , and be satisfied , and say , this is he we have waited for , let us rejoyce and be exceeding glad ; for now he is come , and his reward is with him , to give every one that wait upon him in purity full contentment and satisfaction , where peace comes to be felt , and joy unspeable which is full of glory . and though god , out of his everlasting love unto the sons of men , hath followed man , and hath called him to return , yet that nature which is above in man , which hath transgressed the life , doth alwayes resist the drawing of the lord , and is not subject to the law of god , neither to the grace of god which teacheth to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts ; that hath beset and compassed the creature about as a thick cloud , & always maketh war against the soul ; that till there be a listning unto that which sheweth ungodliness , ( wch hath power in it self ) none hath power neither dominion over that in themselves , which leads into the transgression : therefore , though god who is salvation it self , hath let out himself so far , and hath appeared in his pure and perfect grace unto all men , yet all have not received grace ; for , though the lord proffer his gift intentionally , that the creature might receive it , and so have benefit , and partake of its living vertue and operation ; yet while that hath preheminence in man , which is contrary to grace , that will never receive it , because it is contrary to the life of the corruptible , and takes its life away ; and mortifies and slayes the enmity ; therefore all must be still and quiet , and wait in that which is pure of the lord , that they may feel that raised up ( which receiveth grace ) above the corruptible thoughts and desires of the carnal mind ; but many who talk of free grace , have put no difference betwixt the precious and the vile , but hath put them upon doing and working , who are in the enmity , and curse , and in death , and so hath brought forth dead works ; notwithstanding all performances , they being dead to the life of god , another acteth in them , even he which hath the power of death , which is the devil , and so have not known that which was precious in themselves , could not minister unto that which was precious in others ; but have been ministers of death , and have ministred to death , and so death nourisheth it self in all them who are not yet come to the separation , to see betwixt the precious and the vile . now though all have not received grace so as to save them from the committing of sin , the fault is not in god ; israel would have none of my counsel they stopped their ears : neither is the fault in the grace which hath appeared unto all men ; neither is it because of it's imbiscility & weaknes : but because it is not hearkned unto , and waited in , and obeyed , believed in & received : for this eternal truth which shal for ever stand , the least measure of the grace of god hath power in it self to save man from committing of that evil or sin which it shews man : and as it is received , the power comes more and more to be made manifest , where all that believes comes to be preserved out of evil . object . but some have said , and now say , there is common grace , and preventing grace , and restraining grace , and saving grace ; and the former , that hath appeared to all , but the latter hath appeared to the saints , and to the elect onely . ans. grace is gods pure and perfect gift , and is but one thing ; i speak not of quantity , but of quality ; not of so much as that the fulness of grace hath appeared to all ; but of a measure of that fulness which is in christ the head , although i do not divide the least measure from the fulness in quality or nature , for it 's one and the same ; for that which shews a man he should not lie , nor swear , that is as pure according to it's latitude and proportion , as that which shews a man all that ever he hath done ; and that same grace which leads a man from drunkenness and excess , is as pure , and of the same kind and nature as that greater proportion which leadeth a man from all sin ; i speak what i have seen from the father , though the dark world cannot receive it : but people have been blinded and darkned with sounds and distinctions which men coyn and frame in their natural reason , and by their natural parts , which is out of the life , although i do not condemn natural parts , which are purely natural , if they keep their bounds and compass , that is to say , to the management of natural things of the visible creation ; but the things of gods kingdom are of another quality and nature , and cannot be reached unto by the natural ; but as i said , men through distinctions and names hath wracked peoples minds , & confounded their understandings , and have led them into a thick wood , or a wilderness ; so they know not where to get forth , neither what the thing is , of which one speaks , because not being spoken through the enticing words of mans wisdom , which darkens the counsell of god. now that which shews a man evil after it be committed , is the pure appearance of god : and that which shews a man the temptations when they arise , that is the same ; now this they call common and that which preventeth a man , and keeps him back , that he lend not his heart , nor puts forth his hand to commit evil , but restrains a man from it , is not that saving out of evil , which stops the adversary in his way that he enter not ; but preserveth the creature out of defilement , and saves him from it , is not this saving ? is not this the same thing that the apostle , who was well acquainted with the grace of god , and of it's operation , wrote of to titus ? that grace of god which brought salvation , which had appeared , and doth now appear to all men , which taught self-denyal , them to deny wordly lusts , and also to live godlily , or like unto god in this present world , and now doth the same ; is not this sufficient to believe in , and sufficient to save ? now i doe not say but there is a greater measure let out unto them that are converted unto god , then is to them that are convinced of their evil by the same grace , yet still it is one and the self-same thing ; one gift , yet a greater measure of one and the same pure vertue and power which is given to them that obeys the life , which is already made manifest by its appearance unto all . ob. but some will be ready to say that this is error , and that which is contrary to scripture , and to orthodox teachers ; that the grace which is saving , is near all men , and hath appeared to all men . to that i answer ; though grace be saving in it selfe , even the grace that hath appeared to all men , and may truly be called saving grace ; yet to them that believe not in it , neither are taught by it , it convinceth and shews evil , and checks and judges for it ; yet there is no variation nor change in the gift of god , but as it worketh upon different objects ; for faith and unbelief are two different things , as light and darkness are different , and so the word of his grace is the savour of life unto life , ( that is to say ) unto them that believe , and is the savour of death unto death , unto them who are in the unbelief , who indeed are dead while they live ; yet there is the same grace , and the same word of grace , yet here is different operations ; so the lord killeth and maketh alive , yet the same lord ; the spirit convinceth of sin , and reproveth for sin , and also consolates and comforts ; here is diversity of operations , yet the same spirit , which never alters . object . but further , some may say , if that it be saving grace , or at the least a degree , and a measure of saving grace that hath appeared to all men , then how is it that all are not saved by it ? answ. because i would all stumbling blocks were removed away , that the path might be made plain , that all might come to believe in that which is gods gift , in which there is power and sufficiency ; therefore i am constrained by the grace of god to declare of it , and to bear witness to it thus largely , which i know will be to the edification of all that hunger after righteousness . all are not saved by it , because they believe not in it , neither are taught by it , yet its validity , power and vertue is nevertheless in it self , and though them that are careless , and heedless , say we feel no power nor sufficiency in it to save us from sin , yet this makes not void their confidence who have received it , & knows its power which hath given them power , and also sufficiency to do the will of god ; what though unbelievers who are in the alienation , say there is no beauty in christ , neither form nor comliness ; this makes not his glory void , who is the express image of the father , full of grace and truth ; the disciples saw it , and bore record of him , who were in the faith , and the pharisees said he had a devil , who were in the unbelief ; but in brief , this is my testimony , that the grace of god , the perfect gift of god , which shewes ungodlinesse , and leads from ungodlynesse all that are taught by it , is a sufficient teacher of it selfe , i mean , as the power of christ through it is made manifest unto all them that hearken to it ; paul ● minister of the word of reconciliation , who was wrapt up into the third heaven where he saw things unutterable , came to be tempt●●d and buffe●ted , with the messenger of s●tan , and feare and doubting rose up in him , & he prayed unto god thrice , and this answer was given unto him , my grace is sufficient for thee ; so this is evident to all understandings , who are opened by the lord , that which shewed him the temptations , and satans messengers , and satans buffetings , was sufficient to preserve him ; and so is it for all who singly are kept to it and in it , sufficient to shew ungodlinesse because of its purity , and to lead from worldly lusts by its power , and to teach the will of god , and to live like unto god in this present world ; and this testimony i beare of it , and to it , even what i have felt , and tasted , and handled of its sufficiency , and vertue , and power of its operation , for the confirmation of the same truth , which is believed by many brethren , and also for the information of them that thirst after the lord , & for the opposition of all the gainsayers and opposers of it ; which testimony i commend to that of god in every man , which will witnesse me herein in the day of god , when all hearts are opened , and all falshoods & truth is made manifest , in the mean time shall rest in that which i have declared of , in which there is pure and perfect peace . a word to you wise men of this world , who are glorying in the sound of words , and worshipping outward appearances ; to all wise and litter all professors , who think you are worshipping god aright , who think to search in to the deep things of god by your natural wisdom , learning , and parts and study . god hath broken open the seals of the great deep , where the wonderful unutterable things of god is revealed , from whence eternal wisdom is flowing forth to his little ones whom he hath sanctified from the womb , and his power and glory is he shedding abroad , and making it to flow forth as though it issued out of a womb , by which power and wisdom you are all weighed , even by one who is swaddled about with righteousness , and girded up with the girdle of truth , you are all measured as with a span , and are all weighed as with a scale ; all your parts , tongues , languaguages , interpretations , significations ; wisdom , that is come to be enjoyed by them who have believed in the true light that lighteth every man , which rounds you all as a heap , and measures you all as with a line , your breadth , length , height , and depth ; your parts , tongues , languages , interpretations is but all natural ; words are but empty sounds , although there be many languages , and each have interpretation and a signification , they are all short to declare the life , the immeasurable being of eternal life ; you with all these are on heaps , disjoynted one from another ; your rhetorick , phylosophy , your framed and devised disputations , your tongues , and the significations of all tongues cannot know the mind of the spirit , neither knows the original of eternal salvation by all these , and so not knowing the signification of the living eternal spirit in your selves ; you invent , study , devise forms , and frames up things in your carnal minds , by the strength of your learned , studied , devised parts , and framed speeches , and hath filled the whole world with your dark muddy conceptions , and hath led all out from seeking after the living wisdom of god , which is from above , which was before your tongues and languages was , and they have sucked in your conceptions and distinctions , and your devised fables , and your imagined worship , that many have lost the sence of any thing of god in themselves to guid them , and when you have come as far as you can in those things , and have divised in your minds ( by the strength of those parts natural ) you are farther from the knowledge then before ; and all that hear you and sucketh in your conceptions and imaginations into their hearts , they are further off gods true knowledge , then they were the day in which they came out of their mothers womb ; it is a lamentation to see how people are gone out of the pure simplicity which is in christ , into subtilty and deceit stuffed up full , brimful of that which must be all poured out as water , before they and you all come to the least measure of gods true and saving knowledge . oh! a dreadful day is coming upon many , & it lingers not , but will come swiftly as a theef upon you , who have taken away the key of knowledge , and gives people that which will not open , and tels them of a litteral carnal thing that must give them enterance ; you and all they will be shut out together among the uncircumcised as fools ; though you count your selves wise men , your wisdom will perish , and your honour will be laid in the dust ; the time hastens , it is the word of truth to you all . and you literal professors , who have got the scripture into your head , and into the carnal mind to talk on , and are run into so many heads , you are almost past numbring , and hath exalted so many horns ; yet the number is read , the number of the heads of the beast , and the number of his name ; you have taken up things , and are exalting a visible shadowish practice , and neglecteth the life , and are making idols of those things which were but a figure and representation , in their purest time ; now you , like the pharisees , are limiting the lord , that if he will not appear unto you in those things that you have prescribed unto your selves , and fetched in from the letter , and go●ten it into the fleshly part , which is he●ped up as a mountain in many of you so high , above gods pure witness in you , and so high above the appearance of god in you , that you have quite lost the sight of that in your selves , which should give you the knowledge of the living god , and make you sensible of his pure presence ; i say , if he appear not in the way you would limit him to , in those things you would confine him in , you cannot receive him ; the lord open your understandings , that you may see your selves , and how frothy , vain , light , and wanton you are ; one with the world in all things in the very ground , pretending liberty in christ , and priviledge in him , when you may see you are servants to corruptions , and to many noisome lusts that makes war. again , what are all outward appearances any more but as a curtain , or as a vail , and as a shadow , in respect of christ , gods righteousness within ; but you are filled too full of your apprehensions of his righteousness at a distance , that you have forgotten all at home , and your own conditions ; for his righteousness will not be a cloak for your self-righteousness and unrighteousnes , and if christ be not formed in you , gods righteousness , and live in you , and act in you , and work his work in you , you are in the self-righteousness , and a talk of imputation , will not save you while you are not in that capacity , and nature , and faith , unto whom his righteousness is imputed . are you not weary with tumbling up and down among the earthly hills , among which you have situated your selves ? do you not see your land grows barren , and your possessions dry , and your worship dead , heaven rains not on you , the bottles are stopped , the dew falls not on you ; you wither dayly as a stick without sap ? what , have you found that which will last unto perpetuity ? oh ! nay it s rusted already , it 's canckered already , its moth-eaten already , it 's fading , the glory is staining , the renown of all earthly things is fading , and all terrestrial appearances , though never so glorious , they are all to cease ; a consumption is coming , blasting is near , there will be no more glory in these things , they will flie away as a shadow when the sun arises ; your riches are wasting , when will ye seek after that which endures for ever ? i pity you who have had breathings after god , and hath sate down at ease in that which is not eternal . be warned , return home , consider , see what corruption thou hast power over now , which had once power over thee . dost thou rest in that faith , that thou shalt never be cleansed here ? that faith is curst , it 's reprobate , it s rather properly unbelief ; it 's not the faith of gods elect , by which they were sanctified , and overcame the wicked one in themselves by the power of christ , who is able to save , and manifests his ability in all them that believe in the light which they are enlightned withall , through which he manifests himself to the creature , and makes known his power in the creature , to redeem the soul out of death , and to redeem the creature from under the bondage of corruption , to serve him in the free spirit of god , in which the sons are made free from sin , from the act and guilt , they become the temples of the holy ghost : how far you are from this , consider , who are yet temples of uncleanness , and a habitation for many noisome lusts ; repent and minde that which empties you of your thoughts and conceitedness , that you may know poverty of spirit , that the kingdom may come unto you , and be yours in possession , else you are everlastingly miserable ; & this is the true state of many of you , own it & repent , that if it be possible you may finde a door of mercy yet opened unto you & that you may enter in thereat ; for it is not setting up , and conforming to a visible practice without , that will justifie you , while that which is in the transgression , and hath transgressed the life , and hath disobeyed the light in your consciences is head in you , and above the pure , that will not recommend you unto god ; neither can you have any access , or acceptation with god in that state , till you come out of the waters upon which the whore sits , which is unstable and boisterous , and reels too and fro , and unsetled ; which is all to be dried up , and all the springs cut off that nourishes ; and you must come to the rock , before you know any thing that will endure , to build upon , which rock is christ , who abides for ever ; but you are all gone from that which should give the knowledge of him in your selves , and doth not retain him in your knowledg ; neither that which gives the knowledge of him , the light of his spirit which shines in your hearts , making manifest in your hearts , the intention of your hearts , when motions unto evil do arise ; this must you all come to , before gods salvation or redemption you come to know in your selves , or have the witness of gods holy spirit , without which there is neither seal nor evidence , nor assurance enjoyed or felt of the love of god. the time of restoring is come , and many are restored again into gods covenant , and are delivered out of the jaws of death , and feels him who is the healer of the nations , and the restorer of the desolate places to dwell in : but first you must come to see those places made desolate , wherein the wilde nature lodges , before you come to have a share in the restoration : come off these barren mountains where you are feeding , to christ the life of men , who hath lightned you , and wait in it , that you may feel his mind in your selves , and the signification of the spirit of truth , from your own spirits , or else you will still erre for lack of knowledge , and perish for want of understanding , and so lay down your heads in sorrow . the kingdom of god , and of his christ declared in some measure as it is revealed , what it is , and where it is to to be waited for , and how it cometh to be revealed to them , and in them that believe ; that all who are waiting for it , may know wherein it consists , and so receive the end of their hope , and the end of their expectation , and know the dominion which hath no end . the lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens , and his kingdom ruleth over all ; his dominion is an everlasting dominion , and without end . god is a spirit , his kingdom is spiritual , his habitation is suitable to his own nature ; he is immortal , his kingdom , is so ; he is light , his dwelling place is so , a pure scituation in which there is no uncleanness , nor ever shall be : it 's eternal dignity , it is an immutable being , that remaineth always in it's purity and pleasantness : eternally glorious , it consists in power , in righteousness , in purity , in joy , in hope , in peace , in life , in vertue eternal : in quietness , it s a quiet habitation , it is incomprehensible , unsearchable , and indeclareable ; words are too short , they are but as sounds , as vails : it is unexpressible , in it is the treasure-house of wisdom , out of which all that believe in him , ( who is the king of eternal and immortal glory ) comes to receive of his wisdom , of his life , of his power , vertue , righteousness , and comes to enjoy him , who is the fulness that filleth all things , whether visible or invisible ; whether terrestrial , or coelestial ; his power is over all , his dominion is over all , who is eternally blessedness it self , and felicity it self ; who makes all that believe in him to partake of his kingdom , of his grace , of his power , of his dignity , of his dominion , and of his glory coelestial ; but these things are hid from the world , who are not redeemed from the earth , neither never looks to be while they are in the body : unto such i say , gods kingdom you shall never see nor enjoy , while you are in that faith which is reprobate , but may be truly called unbelief , although you imagine a glory , and a kingdom in your earthly minds , and dream of a thing to come , suitable unto that wherein your glory now standeth ; but that will all fail ▪ and those imaginations will be confounded , and dissolved into nothing , because they are centred in that which is out of the truth , christ , and so are without ground or bottom , and are out of that which should give you the sight and knowledge of god in your selves and his kingdom . christ when he taught them that followed him , exhorted them , that first of all they might seek the kingdome of god , even while they were in the body , mat. . & . the pharisees were gazing abroad in their earthly knowledge , although they had the scripture that declared of gods kingdome , yet they knew it not ; and this generation is the same who are in the same nature , and in the same wisdome which is earthly and litteral , and they are imagining as the jewes were , and are , loe here , and loe there , in this observation and the other , and look to see it there . nay christ said , the kingdome of god is within you to the pharisees : he bad them and others seek it first ; what strange doctrine was this , might the pharisees say ; he saith , the kingdome of god is within us , and yet bids us seek it : need we seek that which is in us , may professors say ? yea , it 's like a pearl hid in the field ; it s like a grain of mustard-seed among many great seeds , which is not easily found ; it 's like a piece of silver lost in the house among much rubbish , till that be swept away , thou wilt not find it ; thou must dig deep , sweep clean , search narrowly before thou find it ; although he did say to the pharisees , the kingdom of god is within you , he did not say they were possessors of it , or that it was theirs ; but to the disciples whom he taught to pray in faith thy kingdome come , and they came to find it ; that which they prayed for , that pearl , that groat , that grain of mustard-seed which it was like , and having found it , and believed in it , he saith unto them , mat. . . blessed are the poor in spirit , for theirs is the kingdom of god. and in luke . . and he lift up his eyes on his disciples and said , blessed be ye poor , for yours is the kingdom of god. they had seen it , and were possessors of it , it was theirs . and christ said unto his disciples , there are some of you standing here that shal not taste of death till ye see the kingdom of god come in power . and his words were fulfilled ; they declared what they had felt and seen ; and some of them said , the kingdome of god is not in word but in power . and paul to the romans writes , rom. . . who was also made partakers of the same power and the same kingdome ; he spoke his knowledge of it , and sayd . it 's not meat nor drink , but righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy ghost . and the colossions who had waited for it , and believed in that through which it was revealed ; the apostle was in the same faith , coloss. . . & . who hath made us meet partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light , who hath delivered us from the power of darknesse , and hath transformed us into the kingdome of his dear son : and those things were seen in the body , and witnessed in the body : and the apostle to hebrews saith , he that believes is entred into the rest . and this and all these things were feeled within by the seed immortal the birth immortal , and they that witness the birth immortal to live in them : one said , he hath made us joynt-heirs with christ who is the king of eternal glory , and they were joint-heires with him of the kingdome that fades not away , and all that ever comes to see the kingdome of god in the spirit , which is spiritual , must wait in the spirit , and in its manifestation ; that so god and his kingdome , and the things of gods kingdome may be felt and seen and enjoyed in the spirit which is glorious . object . all this which thou hast spoken may some say is the kingdome of grace ; and that we hold there is a two-fold kingdome , the one of grace here , the other of glory hereafter ; which none comes to enjoy glory , or any part of it in this life , or in the body . answ. people hath long been blinded with confused distinctions about names ; and being full of imaginary thoughts and conceptions , have brought forth foolish and unlearned distinctions ; and that which god hath joyned together , they would separate : grace is glorious , and glory is gratious ; he that can receive it , let him ; the kingdome of god , which was like a grain of mustard-seed , afterwards it became a great tree ; the tree in its strength , and glory , and height , is more glorious then when it s in the seed , yet the seed and the tree is in nature , and quality , and kind , one ; if the kingdome be in dominion in purity , and power , and glory , is not here unity ? yet a greater measure , yet still the dominion is one , the power one , the glory one , and the thing one wherein grace standeth and glory standeth , wherein the kingdome standeth ; grace is glorious , eph. . , . having predestinated us unto the adoption of children , and to the praife and glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved . in the fathers house there are many mansions , places in the kingdome of god , there are many heavenly places , and they that walked to the praise of his grace , came to sit also in heavenly places , eph. . through grace , salvation , through grace glory comes to be revealed in the earth , isa. . . the ear●h is full of his glory ; he that makes heaven and earth glorious , is glory it selfe , from whence grace aud every degree of gloly receives its being ; the least measure of gods strength and power is glorious ; and to be gloried in , in the lord by all that have seen it ; things might be declared which god hath revealed , which is not lawful for me now to utter ; for as one star differs from another in glory , yet all glorious , even so is it with the children of the resurrection , who are quickned and made alive , and raised from the dead , and fashioned like unto his glorious body , partakers of the glory of god , of his kingdome of his power ; the power is his , in which the kingdome stands , the kingdome his , wherein glory stands , the kingdom , power and glory stands all in him who is the glorious god , and the god of eternal glory , who is revealing his power , his kingdome , and grace , and his glory , unto all that patiently wait upon him , in that which yet is as a grain of mustard-seed ; they will come to feel his presence , his power and glory revealed in their hearts , through the spirit , and injoy god in his kingdome , in his power , and in his glory , and through faith shall see the weight of his glory , which god and father of our lord jesus christ will reveal unto all that patiently wait for his appearance , and in his appearance . obj. but some will cry out , grievous blasphemy and error ; what , i think you look for no other glory but in this life , nor for no other kingdome , but what you enjoy in this life ; thus i know dark spirits reasons . answ. the saints looked not af● any other glory but that which stood in eternal life , and in the immortal life , and in the incorruptable life , and the country they sought after , was that which god was the maker and builder of , and they looked and waited to receive of his power in which the kingdome standeth , and did in this life ( i do not say the full weight of glory ) and to know and injoy , and to be made partakers of his eternal dominion and authority , is that which all the saints in measure witnesse , and in due time came to injoy through faith ; for by faith they saw him who was invisible , and the things of his kingdome , which is invisible , spiritual and eternal ; but to speak of the carnal corruptable life in the flesh , who are dead while they live there , that life , neither the kingdome , nor the power , nor the glory of god is revealed to them , not till after the death of that life , and till after the death of him who hath the power of death , which is the devil , which ruleth in the hearts of the children of disobedience , where all the mysteries of gods kingdome is hid from their eyes , and ever shall while in that state ; and so let the serpent be blind , and they that have an eare to hear , blessed is that eare ; for the kingdome of god is come nigh unto many , and the salvation of god , and the power of christ is seen by many , honour and praise unto him everlastingly , who is the onely potentate that puts down all authority under his feet , that god may be all , in all , but first every one must come to feel the kingdome which is as a little grain , in himselfe , and in it believe , before any can come to know the kingdome , or wherein it consists , and after it be known in its measure , yet this is far short of glory in the fulness ; so many may come to be partakers of the power in some measure , yet this is far short of the eternal weight of glory ; he that believes is entred into the rest , and made partakers of the heavenly gift , and of the heavenly power , and of the heavenly grace , which is glorious , and doth witness a heavenly place in christ jesus , and yet many enemies to be subdued , and much of the heavenly habitation , which they see not , which comes to be revealed as there is an abiding in the faith , which stands in gods power , in which the kingdom stands ; the mysteries of god and of his kingdom comes in due time to be revealed , through death they come to be known , ( that is to say ) through the death of death ; for israel the true type , after they passed over jordan , and had taken jericho and ai , and had made an entrance into the land , yet there was many enemies to be subdued , and much land and possessions , which they were not made partakers of long after , even so after there be of the true rest enjoyed and possessed , & an entrance made into it , yet there is many enemies to be subdued , and much of the heavenly inheritance to be enjoyed by them that stand in the power which giveth dominion over sin , the devil , hell and the grave , and they come to be made partakers of god , and so the enmity being slain , man comes to enjoy god who is eternal life , and comes to receive the crown immortal , which god the eternal power and strength giveth in due time , to them that wait in patience and in faith , through which the immortal inheritance comes to be revealed to all the children of light . and so to conclude in few words , this i say unto all , who are longing after god , and waiting to feel his power , keep in your minds to the pure measure of gods holy spirit , and therein wait to see his kingdom , and his dominion , and to be made partakers of it , which brings the world to an end ; and will let you see to the end of it too , before it was , and him who is now glorified with the father in the kindom of god , with the same glory he had with the father before the world began , and who so comes to the end of the world , and to the beginning again , comes to see him and his glory , and the kingdom of glory which fades not away , which who so comes to enjoy , are eternally happy . the end . errors . page . l. . blot out of . p. . l. . for angei . r. angel . p. . l. . for presumptions . r. presumptious . p. . l. . f. he . r. the the same p. l. . for undeclareble . r. undeclarable . p. . l. . f , hit . r. his . p. . l. . f. soul. r. fold . p. . l . f. ntichrists r. antichrists . p. . l. . f. power . r. popery . p. . l. . f. neral . r. funeral . p. . l. . f. our . r. your . p. . l. . f. corrupt ; ble . r. corruptible . p. . l. . r. a moment f. moment . p. . l. . f. cnrst ; r. curst . a general epistle to all who have believed in the light of the lord iesus and are called of god to follow the lamb through the great tribulation howgill, francis, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a general epistle to all who have believed in the light of the lord iesus and are called of god to follow the lamb through the great tribulation howgill, francis, - . p. s.n., [london : ] caption title. signed at end: f.h. imprint supplied by wing. reproduction of original in the harvard university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng society of friends -- pastoral letters and charges. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a general epistle to all who have believed in the light of the lord iesus , and are called of god to follow the lamb through the great tribulation . dear friends , whom god hath called out of the world and the vanities of it to serve the living god in newness of life , and to be worshippers of him in spirit and truth , and to be followers of christ in the regeneration , and to be baptized with him into his suffering and death , that so you may be partakers of his resurrection and life , and manifest unto all that you are risen with him out of the grave of sin , wickednesse , and death , by having your hearts renewed , and your affections and minds set to seek those things which are above , which are not transitory and visible , but everlasting and immortal , by which the souls of all the righteous and obedient children are refreshed , and nourished up unto eternal life , and through the eternal power of the son of god , which hath been , and is manifest among them that believe , in the measure of his spirit , and keep their first love and integrity unto the lord , all his are preserved out of the temptation of the adversary within and without , who seeks to root out that which god hath planted , and to nip the blossom , and the bud , which god hath caused to spring forth through his tender love in your hearts , so that you might die to the good , and be spoiled in that wherein all your happinesse lieth now and for ever . oh therefore all watch and be circumspect , so much the more against temptations , lest you be ensnared , and your faith fail , and you fall short of the promise of god , in not continuing faithful to the end ; friends , a care , and a tender love , and a godly jealousie is in my he●rt to you , and over you all that have believed , that none of you may be lost and scattered again in the desarts and mountains , and dry and parched places , where you have sometimes been in the time of unbelief , where the goats who are rough can feed , that must go unto the left hand and have the curse : the zeal of the lord and his truth , which so gloriously hath been manifest among you , above all the people and families of the earth in our generation , constrains me thus to write unto you , and to stir you up unto faithfulnesse in this day of trial , for now satan desires to winnow you within , and to sift you without , therfore all watch and pray that your faith fail not , which now will be tryed , and your hope , & your love , and your zeal to the lord and his truth , and whether you will confesse him before men , his way , worship , and laws , and statutes , which he hath revealed in your hearts , which fallen men opposes and contradicts , and sayers gainsay , and would not have him to rule , nor his servants to obey , so let it be manifest to all , you fear god rather then men , and love him , and obey him above the precepts of men which are against him ; and whether you love the things that are above , beyond the things that are earthly ; and whether you will own him , his cross , reproach , and suffering , or deny it , and have the liberty of the world which is bondage , and free from righteousnesse ; it 's no time of reserves , concealing , hovering or halting , for there is an utter discord betwixt christ and belial , and so much the more of christ , his power and kingdom is brought forth , so much the more is the hatred , envy , and wrath of the devil kindled , who hath deceived the nations , and blinded their eyes , and in his subjects who oppose the lamb of god , and tread underfoot the blood of the covenant , so that to one or other each one belongs , and which is for each part will be seen , for there can be no concord or reconciliation , therefore all children of the day put on the armour of light , and have your feet shod now when we walk through thorny places , and be not fearful or doubtful , but of believing hearts stand not aloofe off , and idle when others are engaged in this spiritual war , pull not your necks out of the yoke when others draw , shelter not your selves , when you see others in jeopardy , love not the world when you see others have thrown it off ; be not intangled in cumbersom things , when you see others throw off all weights , turn not your backs in the day of the lords controversie , but follow the lamb ; this is the day of tribulation we have to follow him in our age , like as all the martyrs and prophets had in their age , whose garments were made white in the blood of the lamb ; so all that continue and are not faint hearted , shall receive the crown , the honour , the reward , and shall reign with christ , who now suffers with him ; therefore all dear children of god , and followers of christ jesus , let the loyns of your minds be girded up , be now ready when the lord calls , who is on my side , who will take part with me , who will own my reproach , who will engage with me , who will gather to my standard of salvation lifted up , and to my ensign of righteousnesse held forth in the world to redeem it , and who is ready and not abroad in the field , neither hath to go to the house top ; but that all may say in their hearts , here am i ready to do thy will , ready to obey thee , and follow thee , and to suffer for thee , for whoso draws back , the lord hath no pleasure in such , he that will save his life shall lose it , and he that will save his liberty will lose it in the spirit ; and he that will save his earthly possessions , and for the doing thereof will deny that which god hath perswaded him of that he ought to be faithful in , he will lose his inheritance in the heavenly ; in a word , who so fails in holding forth that testimony , that they know god requires , and is their duty to render unto him , will lose the testimony of his spirit they have sometimes felt in themselves , and will decay , and their love will wear out ; therefore whosoever are resigned and given up unto the lord will be approved , and manifest to be on the lords part , by obedience unto these things mentioned ; friends , do you not believe it a duty , that every christian ought to be exercised in , to meet together to wait upon him , to vvorship him , and to admonish , exhort , and strengthen one another to pray together in the holy ghost , and one for another , and to edifie and comfort one another ; and do you not believe god dvvells not in temples made vvith hands , neither hath any fellovvship vvith idols , but is vvorshipped any vvhere , and in every place vvhere the saints meet in his name ; again , have you not been comforted , edified , and strengthened in meeting , and have you not found the presence of the lord and his face , and have you not felt his great povver working in your hearts vvhen you vvere assembled together in his name , working in you to the opening of your hearts , and quickning and enlivening you souls unto god , and judgeing down the evill , and have you not ●elt his living mercies shed abroad in you and the springs of life opened , and the holy seed refreshed , and gods witnesse reached in all , and many convinced and converted unto god in your assemblies , so that all have gone away comforted and refreshed , and resolved to continue in the grace of god , the consideration of these things , dwelling in your hearts , and the sence of your owne present condition should stir you up , and provoke you unto stedfastnesse in the faith and practice you have received and walked in from the beginning of the manifestation of gods love unto you , so that there should me thinks need little exhortation , gods enemies is resolved to do wickedly , be you also so to doe your duty ; they seeke by any means to make any fall from their principles and stedfastnesse , doe you seeke to escape their snares , and to be kept cleare in your consciences before god ; be valiant for the truth , sell it not , but all for it , th●● it may be your all , and then you shall see your lot is fallen in a good place , and your possession is pleasant , the lord calls now to suffering , put now your necks in the yoake , beare one anothers burthen and so fulfill the law of christ , and take heed you give not eare to that voice that speakes , save thy liberty , save thy estate , possesse thy own & provide for thy self & spare thy self , that is the voice of the enemy of your souls so keep over the world and its spirit , let no sl●ckn●sse appear , for that makes suffering long , and that gives ground to your adversaries , that they shall prevaile , & that weakens the hands of others , & strengthens not , this confirmes our enemies in their deceit , that we are but as other men and people , that have professed god in summer and fair weather , but will make ship-wrack of all in a storm and in suffering , & any turning aside from the holy commandement of god openeth the mouths of gods enemies . do not seek every one your own profit , ease , life and liberty only , but every one anothers good , and mind not only one member , but the whole body : heed not them that draw back , that is no pre●●dent for you to follow , but them that presse forward , and is not offended in the time of hardship , heed not them that will tell you they can keep their hearts upright to god , and retain their love to truth and friends , and yet will not afford their presence in your ●ssemblies , but escapes suffering , and denies the crosse , and neglects their present duty , for that is deceit , and their own he●rts will deceive them ; put not off till to morrow , defer not the time , till you can see some more ease , and some greater calm , beware of that , for then coldnesse , fearfulnesse , and slavishnesse will enter in , and you will lose your strength : moreover , if any have begun well , and be perswaded of the truth of that they have believed , and continue not unto the end , and do not finish , such will be reckoned foolish builders , that could not finish , and all will mock them , and neither god nor men can or will believe them , but your adversaries will glory over you again when any suffers , or are brought into bonds for christ and the gospel sakes , seek not to get out by any indirect means , neither make any covenant with thy adversary , vvho vvould sell both thee and all faith and hope for money , that encourages deceit , and that spirit would buy it self out of the service of god , and grow weary , give no place to that , be content every one with your present condition , till god arise and plead our cause , and make our innocency and righteousnesse appear as noon day , and make his adversaries his foot-stoole ; which undoubtedly he will do , and make all know the most high ought to rule , and will rule in the kingdoms of men , and not give his glory unto another , neither suffer another to take it . be conformable to none that goes about under pretence of love , to perswade or counsel you from your duty to god ; neither submit to them that would betray you of your peace , heed not the frowns of corrupt men , nor the counsel of them who mind their own bellies , pleasure , ease , profit , and earthly things ; let not natural affections and love either to lands , wife , or children blind your eyes , but love them , and receive them in the lord , and enjoy them as though not : stand loose from all things , and out of all entanglements , and cast your care upon the lord , who careth for the fatherless and the widow , and them that hath no helper in the earth ; give no occasion or advantage to any that would turn your hearts aside from following the lord , least their love betray you ; give up all you have and enjoy to the lord and his service , and your souls , bodies , and spirits as a sacrifice unto the lord , that he may accept you , and pour forth and continue his blessing amongst you . never heed the threats of them that are as the oaks of bashan , nor of the great men of the earth , that mind their pleasure and lusts , who shut you up in prison , and hale you before judgment seats for the worship of god , and falsely accuse you and condemn you , when god justifies you ; the moth shall e●t them up as a garment , and stain the glory of all flesh that withstand the lord , and they shall melt away as snayls , and as the fat of lambs , and the kidnys of rams , and god will bring the recompence of their own deeds upon their own pates , and wound the hoary scalp of every one that doth wickedly , who toucheth gods anointed , and doth harm to his prophets , and persecutes his children ; surely judgment is not far from the dwellings of them who have required the lord thus , as to render him evil for good : and god will be avenged on such a faithlesse , mercilesse , perfidious people as this , and of such a spirit which rejoyceth in iniquity , and makes a mock of sin , and hates all reproof , and would cloak over all mischiefs with the name of pure laws and authority , and decrees of the holy church , yet persecutes and gainsayes the highest power of god in things spiritual , that pertains to the conscience : the beast , and false prophet , and mother of harlots have joyned together , and flatters one another , and joynes their strength together , against the true church and heir of all the world , and would , under pretence of doing honour unto him , shut him out of the earth , and k●ls his subjects , and destroyes the children of the free woman under pretence of suppressing herresie , and turns judgment into gall , hemlock , and wormwood , and in stead of relieving the oppressed , ads to their burthens . friends , dwell above all these things , and the devil and his rage ; the earth is the lords , and the fulnesse of it ; we cannot be banished from gods presence , neither shall they fulfil their determination , or ever be able to root out that testimony which is among us , for princes shall be given for its ransome , and kingdoms and nations for its prosperity . the god of power strengthen you all , that you may quit your selves like men of god , like children of the most high , whose inheritance is not here in the world , but in the kingdom that fades not away : the lord god of power be with you , and make you to consider what i say , and to receive this my true love unto you all for the lord● sake , who partakes with all the suffering members of christ in their bonds , and shall and can rejoyce in all your comfort and joy . the peace of god dwell in your hearts , and his heavenly light shine upon all your tabernacles , that you may be as beautiful in the eyes of the lord as the roses of sharon , and blossom as the lillies of the valley , and yield your fruit as the fig-tree that casteth not his fruit . the lord takes our part , let none doubt of that , and pleads our cause , let all consider that ; our enemies shall see it , and be troubled at this , and time shall manifest it : therefore be of believing hearts , and trust in the lord , so shall you never be confounded , neither be ashamed , but be as mount sion that cannot be moved , and as the mountains are round about jerusalem , so shall the mercies of the lord compasse you about from this time forth and for evermore . friends , faith is sealed in my heart , and love in my reins , and gladnesse in my soul , and peace in my conscience , so that none doth or can hinder my rejoycing , praised be the lord for ever , and ever . amen . let this be dispersed among friends , i desire . the lords servant , and yours in all true , unfained , pure love , f. h. the end . the memorable works of a son of thunder and consolation namely that true prophet and faithful servant of god and sufferer for the testimony of jesus, edward burroughs, who dyed a prisoner for the word of god in the city of london, the fourteenth of the twelfth moneth, . burrough, edward, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing b estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the memorable works of a son of thunder and consolation namely that true prophet and faithful servant of god and sufferer for the testimony of jesus, edward burroughs, who dyed a prisoner for the word of god in the city of london, the fourteenth of the twelfth moneth, . burrough, edward, - . howgill, francis, - . ca. p. in various pagings. printed and published for the good and benefit of generations to come ..., [london] : . contains testimonies by several authors on the life of burrough. place of publication suggested by wing. numerous errors in pagination. imperfect: pages tightly bound and stained. reproduction of original in the huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng society of friends -- apologetic works. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread - emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the memorable works of a son of thunder and consolation : namely , that true prophet , and faithful servant of god , and sufferer for the testimony of jesus , edward burroughs who dyed a prisoner for the word of god , in the city of london , the fourteenth of the twelfth moneth , . the righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance , psa. . . and they that be wise , shall shine as the firmament ; and they that turn many to righteousness , as the stars ; forever and ever , dan. . . in the sight of the unwise they seemed to dye ; and their departure was taken for misery , and their going from us to be utter destruction : but they are in peace . for , though they be punished in the sight of men , yet is their hope full of immortality , wisd. . , , , . & . , . being dead , yet speaketh , heb. . . printed and published for the good and benefit of generations to come , in the year , . the epistle dedicatory to the people of god in derision called , quakers , the publisher of this volumn wisheth all peace and prosperity in the lord. dear friends , i having had much exercise and care upon me in collecting , and for the publishing these books in this volumn ; at length , after much travel & diligence , for the effecting this impression , they are through the assistance and providence of god ( as i may well say ) brought forth and finished for you and your children , and such as are moderate and well-affected , who shall desire any of them . the reason why this work hath been so long unfinished , was partly the difficulty of printing , and partly it being also thus voluminous and weighty , and partly since i began the printing of this , many other things of truth 's concernment intervened , which required expedition in the publication : howbeit , this work hath long lain as a matter of weight upon my spirit , to use my utmost endeavours for its accomplishment ; and greater desires thereof could not be in any of you , then in my own particular ; i having travelled both to answer and serve truth , as also the desires of many friends herein , whom also i have been willing and desirous to serve in that true love which stands in the life and truth of our god , who requires faithfulness of us all , that we may remain living witnesses in our several places this short time of our pilgrimage ; and in the end , lay down our heads in peace , and assurance of a crown of life and glory , as our everlasting reward ; for this is the end that crowns all , the diligence and works of the faithful . and i having been an eye and ear witness of the faithfulness , valour and courage of this faithful servant and prophet of the lord e. b. in his powerful testimony , and effectual ministry , which the lord did bless with a very glorious success unto me , and many more ; have found my self the more oblieged for the divulging of these his works , which , though many of them were given forth in the time of his youth , soon after the lord first raised him up , and when the discovery of truth was in its infancy , both new , strange and a wonderment to many in our age ( it being after such a long time of darkness , and night of apostacy ) yet the power of the lord , which then broke forth , was very mighty , both in him , and his dear companion in the gospel fr. howgill , who were sent in the beginning amongst us , in this city of london ; where , though they met with much opposition and gain-saying by perverse spirits , and formal professors of all sorts , who denied and resisted the power of codliness ; yet the lord so accompained these his two faithful servants and ministers of righteousness , as to the confounding the wisdom of the wise , and stoping the mouthes of many contentious opposers , and convincing of gain-sayers ; yea , the lord did manifest and perfect his strength through weakness , even through instruments dispised and coutemptable in the eyes of the proud and exalted of the world ; out of the mouthes of babes did the lord ordain strength ; and through simplicity did his wisdom speak , both in this his faithful witness e. b. and divers other in the beginning : so that let none contemn , the honest plainness , and harmless simplicity of any of his first writtings or books here inserted ; for many are living witnesses , that the power and wisdom of god , did then ( even while he was young and tender every way ) appear , and shew it self in him , through such plainness and simplicity , to the confounding , and overturning the wisdom of many that were high and lofty , who conceited themselves wise with their opposition of science ( falsly so called . ) and it may not be unnecessary for friends , and their children to read and peruse these testimonies , informations and vindication of truth , where they are in way of controversie ( with many others of like nature ) given forth by the servants of the lord , in truth 's vindication , the perusal and reading thereof may be of service both to you and yours , you being in the light and inspiration of the almighty , which gives understanding , from which all scriptures or writings that are given , are profitable to the man of god for his accommodation , and ought not to be slighted , whether they be in plain testimonies , or in vindications and answers : for though many are come to a particular satisfaction in the true light , which is the rule of the understanding , and know so much of christ , as to die for him , yet cannot so well dispute for him , though that be necessary , and few given up and accomplished for that service ; & therefore there may be need for more to apply their hearts to wisdom , as to be furnished in every respect , to stand up for the truth against its opposers , to convince gain-sayers , and stop the mouth of iniquity , where ever it opens it self against the righteous , to pervert the right wayes of god and his truth ; since the labours and works of this valiant souldier of christ are here manifest to your view , and to continue on record , as permanent monuments of his service for the lord , and as tokens of god's love to many ; it being also apparently manifest , how plainly and eminently many of his prophesies came to pass , and were fulfilled upon the heads of the persecuting powers , rulers and government of o. c. and others of that affinity , who trod in the same path ; who resisted god's power , in not removing oppression from off the innocent . it is not my place much to endeavour b's applause in many words , because i cannot add to him , or what he hath done , thereby ; nor yet to his faithfull companion francis howgill , or his works , which many do also desire might be collected and published , as these are ; for indeed he also wrote many weighty things , and of much service to the truth , which would be a very conderable volmun , that will require both much care , charge , and industry to publish in print ; and therefore it would be of much service to truth , if friends would so consider the weight thereof , as to encourage such a work of value and worth ; for many know what a great sufferer f. h. was ; and how he lay many years in a bad prison at appleby in westmoreland , for the testimony of jesus , and of a good conscience , for that he could not swear ; so that in the same prison , under the hands of his persecutors , he cheerfully , and with much satifaction and peace , gave up his life , and ended his dayes in peace . oh! the remembrance of these two faithfull witnesses , who both died sufferers , being prisoners for truth , is never to be forgotten . and thus , dear friends , as the salutation of our dear brother e. b. according to his desire , while in the body , i recommend unto you this volumn of his books , with my love in the truth to you all , being therein the truth 's and your servant and friend , ellis hookes . london , the st of the d moneth , . the epistle to the reader . to all the world to whom this may come to be read , that they read with a good understanding , and hereby they may come to the perfect knowledge of the ground of difference between the priests , and professors , and all sects in these nations , and us , who are in scorn called quakers , shewing that the controversie on our part is just and equal against them all , and that we have sufficient cause to cry against them , and to deny their ministry , their church , their worship , and their whole religion , as being not in the power , and by the spirit of the living god , as commanded of him , or ever practiced by his saints ; but this declareth the ground and foundation thereof to be another thing , and not the same on which the true church , and ministry , and practice , and worship , and true religion was builded in the days of the apostles ; and also this is an invitation to all sects , and professions of people , to come forth , and try if what they hold and profess be according to the scriptures of truth ; and to do this in tryal , by evident and sound arguments , and by the best spiritual weapons they have , and to lay aside all this persecution and unrighteous dealing , and stocking , and whipping , and imprisoning of us for speaking against their religion ; and that they come forth in fair dispute , to contend in the spirit of meekness , for what they profess and practice , and to prove according to the scriptures , their ministry , church , and whole religion , that it is in and by the spirit and power of god , or otherwise to renounce and deny all their religion , and the profession and practices thereof , that every man may be satisfied , who it is that are in the true and right way , and of the true worship , and true religion , and who it is that are not , and this is desired by us who are called quakers ; and also a true account of our first beginning and coming forth in the world , and of that great sufferings we have sustained , and how we have been carried on , and are preserved to this day . the lord god everlasting , who is true and faithful , hath fulfilled his promise in us , and unto us , and we are gathered from the mouths of all dumb shepherds , and out of the mouths of all hirelings , who have made a prey upon us , and fed themselves with the fat , and devoured souls for dishonest gain ; and we are come to the fold of eternal rest , where christ jesus is the chief shepherd , and he is the shepherd and bishop of our souls , that feedeth his flock with living bread , that nourisheth us unto life eternal ; he hath called us by his name , and put us forth , and he feedeth us in green pastures , and we are fed with hidden manna , and lie down at noon with his gathered flock ; and out of nations , kindreds , multitudes , and peoples are we redeemed to god , and are come out of the world , and out of great babylon , and out of spiritual sodom , and egypt , where the lord christ was , and is crucified , and lieth slain to this day ; and a top of the world hath the lord set us , on the mountain of his own house and dwelling ; where we behold and feel the life , and glory , and crown of the world that hath no end ; and the world that hath an end is seen over , and its crown and glory is his footstool that reigns amongst us : and as for all that which this perishing world brings forth , which men seek after only , it s reckoned our temptation , though all the sons of adam are seeking its glory , its riches , its crowns , its contentments ; but of that birth are we , which hath no crown , no glory , nor rest , under the sun ; and a birth is brought forth amongst us which is heir of another kingdom , and possessor of another crown , whose glorying is in the lord all the day long ; and he is our refuge , our rock , and our fortress against all our enemies ; and what though the wicked arm themselves , and the ungodly bend their bow ; what though all sorts of people , from the prince upon his throne , to the beggar upon the dunghil , exalt themselves against the despised people of the lord's inheritance , who for his name 's sake are kill'd all the day long : what though the wise-men bring forth their arguments ; and what though the rulers bring forth unrighteous judgments against the seed that god hath blessed ; what though the revilers and scorners open their mouthes , and reproachers and revilers cast out their bitter words , as a flood , against the remnant of the woman's seed , that has long been fled into the wilderness : and what then , if the teachers , the prophets , and the elders and the heads , and wise men of the world set themselves to pray , and preach and print against the chosen seed of iacob ; yet notwithstanding all this , though this is come to pass , and hell open her mouth , and her floods break forth to overflow , and be much more increased ; yet shall the king of righteousness rule among his people , and his presence will not forsake his chosen ones : but the lord is with us , a mighty and terrible one ; and the shout of a king is amongst us ; and the dread and terror of the almighty covereth us , and it goeth before us , and compasseth us about : and the lord is working a work in the earth mighty and wonderful ; he is gathering the scattered , and binding up the broken-hearted ; and his people shall dwell in safety , and none shall make them afraid , and no weapon that is formed against them shall prosper , nor no hand that is lifted up shall prevail ; for sion shall rise out of the dust , her beautiful garments shall be put on , and mourning and sorrow shall flee away , and her light is risen that is everlasting , and the sun shall never godown , but his day shall remain for ever , and the night shall not again cover her brightness , nor the sun set upon her habitations ; the city that hath long laid waste , shall again be builded ; and the dwelling that hath long been without inhabitant , shall be replenished ; for the numberless seed of iacob is coming out of egypt , that will replenish the whole earth , and the seed of esau shall become bondmen : and wherefore are you gathered together ? and to what purpose have the wicked spent their strength to oppose what the lord is bringing to pass ? shall not all our enemies be broken to pieces , and will not the lord grind them to powder ? will he not marr their beauty , and stain their pride ? will he not bring down their crowns , and corrupt their glory , and stain it with his fire of wrath , and make them ashamed of their wayes and doctrines ? hear this ye priests , and howl , and lament for the misery that is coming upon you ; the lord hath laid you naked , and made you bare , and you are seen as you are , and the elect is risen amongst us which ye cannot deceive ; but alas , wo is me , how have you caused the people to err ! and how have you led the blind out or the way ! and how is truth fallen in your streets ! and you have daubed falsly with untempered morter , and have cried peace to the wicked , and condemned the righteous ; and all this hath vexed the righteous soul , and the lord will now arise , and is risen , and you shall not resist , and escape the stroak of his hand , which will come upon you , and bruise you as a milstone ; for you have caused the wicked to rejoyce and the righteous to mourn ; and you have made sad his heart , whom god hath not made sad : have not you fed your selves with the fat , and clothed with the wooll ? and have not the peoples souls been starved , and leanness been upon them all , your plants are dry , and barren trees that bring forth no good fruit ; and your people are like a wilderness that is untilled , and unploughed , and undressed ; and your flocks are like wild asses upon the mountains , that are untamed ; as rude as the horse , & mule , that know no bridle ; and now it is seen what the end of your ministry is , and what fruit it hath brought forth ; the lord hath taken notice , and he hath beheld how you have loytered , and lain idle , and the nations lie yet like fallow ground , that bears no fruit ; and mens hearts , are untouched with absence of gods word , and there is no sound , true and perfect sence amongst your people of the dealings of the lord ; nor of the operation of his spirit , but they remain in great blindness and ignorance , void of the knowledge of god , for ye have not caused them to hear his word , but you have told your dreams , and your false visions , and you have spoken imaginations of your hearts , and not from the mouth of the lord ; neither have you stood in his counsel , nor hearkened to his voyce , and therefore people remain unprofited ; but what they and you know , it s naturally , and not by the spirit of the father , but as dry trees you are , not taught of the father , and as rough goats in the nature of swine that is polluted in the silth of the world , and in the nature of dogs , and lyons , devouring one another , and biting one another , and killing one another , which things were not in the churches of christ , and we have a great controversie with you , and that from the lord ; we have tried you , searched you , and discovered your foundation , and it s not sound , nor will not stand in the trial ; we have fetcht your line from the first original , and we have found out your beginning , and we find yours of that race , which christ prophesied of that should come , which should deceive many , having the sheeps cloathing , but inwardly revening , and which iohn saw was come , and went out from the apostles , and true churches , which went from the truth , and went into the world , and had the form of godliness without the power ; here began the race , in the apostacy of the churches ; and when they apostatized from the true faith , then came your original up , and the world went after them , and all that dwelt upon the earth worshipped the beast , that hath reigned through all this time of apostacy , which hath been since the dayes of the apostles ; and we find your original goes no further then to the false brethren , and false apostles , which went out from the true apostles , and run for gifts and rewards , and preached for filthy lucre , and through covetousness made merchandize of souls , seeking mony and gain to themselves ; i say we find your original begins there , and your line goes no further , and never came your first rise so far as the true apostles , you were not in your beginning of their life nor birth , nor cannot be reckoned from their original , for you succeed not them ; but you truely succeed the false apostles , and false brethren , which christ prophesied should come after his days , and iohn saw was come , and coming in his days ; and we find you of this stock and generation ; and now you are discovered to be contrary to the true apostles , and agreeing with the false apostles , in call , in practice , in maintenance , and in all things ; and the line of true judgement is laid upon you all , and you are measured , and found too short , and weighed and sound too light , and we will deal truely with you in judgement ; first we do hold controversie with you , as concerning your call , your ministry , it agreeth not with , but is contrary to what the apostles call was ; they were called by power from on high , and were made ministers by the gift of the holy spirit , received from god ; and their ministry was an absolute gift from god , and not to be bought and sold for mony , and they were anointed of the father , by his spirit of promise , and to preach the gospel ; but your call is at schools , and colledges , in such , and such orders , which are attained through natural industry , such , and such arts , and sciences , and degrees , having been so many years brought up in studying natural arts & natural languages , this is your ordination and your call , having no respect to receive , or to wait for the gift of the holy spirit to be made ministers thereby ; and this is different from the apostles and true ministers , and equal and according to the false prophets and deceivers . secondly , again you are not according , but contrary to the true ministry and ministers of christ in practise ; for they were led by the spirit of the father which dwelt in them , and they preached the gospel by the spirit , and spake as the spirit gave them utterance , and went up and down the world through nations , converting people to the knowledge of the truth , and what they had handled , tasted , seen , and felt of the word of life in them , that they declared to others , and preached the gospel , which they had not received from man , nor by man , but by the revelation of jesus christ in them ; but your practices are not such but contrary , for the spirit of this world leads you , and it you follow in all your works , in your preaching , praying , and in your whole worship , in form and tradition , what you have studied for out of books , and old authors you preach to people ; and what ye have noted in a book , that you preach by an hour-glass , and not as the spirit of god gives you utterance ; and you seek out , and enquire after great benefices , and much money by the year ; and where there is much tythes , and gleb-lands , and such like ; thither and to such a place you go , and seek after , to be minister there ; and there you remain twenty , forty , more , or fewer years , as you can agree with the people ; and while they will give you so much as will content you , and maintain you , your wives and families as you say , & respect not whether any be converted to god by your preaching ; but people remain always in blindness and ignorance , generally , and without the knowledg of god ; for you preach other mens words , and what you have collected in your imaginations from the saints words , an hour by a glass , leaning upon a soft cushion , and for money and hire , preaching to the people ; and this is your manner of practice , and ministry in these nations ; but thus did not the apostles , nor christ's ministers , but the contrary ; and by your fruits and works it appears , that you are not followers of that spirit that christ and his ministers were guided by , neither are lawfull successors of the apostles , but by your fruits and practice you manifest , that the lord never sent you , nor christ never called you into his service to be his ministers ; for in all your practices , and in your whole performances of worship you differ , and do not agree , but are contrary to what the practice and worship of christ's ministers and churches were in the days of the apostles ; this i charge upon you , in the name , and by the authority of the lord god , and am able to prove it against you , face to face , or otherwise to shew that you are not of the same spirit , but contrary to the saints and apostles of old , and so not true succeeders of them , nor lawful ministers of christ , as to all people it is , and shall be made manifest . thirdly , you disagree , and are contrary altogether to the true ministry , and to the apostles , in respect of your maintenance and wages ; for the wages which christ allowed his ministers , was , into whatsoever house they entered , that was worthy , they might eat such things as are set before them ; for the workman ( saith he ) is worthy of his hire ; and the apostles eat only of the fruit of the vineyard that they had planted , and of the milk of the flock which they kept ; by a free gift of the people , which they had begotten to the faith , and to whom they sowed spiritual things ; it was but as a small matter if they reaped their carnal things , yet as a free gift they would do it , and the apostle said , he would not make the gospel of christ chargeable ; and in this manner were christ ministers and ministry in wages and gifts upheld and maintained outwardly in the world. but your practise and maintenance is not such , but contrary , as is fully made manifest ; for you will have so much by the year promised to you in tythes , money , or gleab-lands , or stipends , and of drunkards , and swearers , and prophane wordly people , who are not sheep of christ's flock , nor plants of his vine-yard , you will have so much of each of them ; and of every man , in such a compass , as you call your parish ; and if any either out of covetousness , or good conscience , cannot pay you , you sue at law , and cast into prison , for wages , and spoil their goods , and take treble , nay sometimes five double damage , and through violence and injustice , and cruelty are you maintained in such a manner , and not as the true ministers and apostles of christ were , but in a way and manner quite contrary , as it is manifest ; and so herein it is proved , that you are not lawful successors of the apostles and ministers of christ. fourthly , again you follow not the apostles , and true ministers of christ , but are contrary to them in doctrine , as this following volumn will clearly manifest , which for this very end is collected from your own mouths and pens , that all men may see what you are , and what you hold and profess ; and being truely laid down , and answered , let your selves , and all sober men compare your doctrines and sayings with the doctrines of the apostles , and they may see you agree not with them , but are contrary to them . and now friends , to all you that profess your selves to be ministers of the gospel , i do hereby declare unto you , in the name and authority of the lord , that we have a controversie with you , and a great charge against you in all these things , in your call , in your practice , and in your maintenance , and in your doctrines , and our mouthes hath the lord opened , and they cannot be shut , from declaring and crying against you , as such whom the lord never sent , but are contrary to christ , his prophets , and apostles in all your ways , and practices , and the hand of the lord is certainly against you , and his power and dread will comeover you , and lie upon your consciences . now reader , whatsoever thou are that reads this following volumn , if thy mind be sober , and thy heart right towards god , thou may come to a good understanding of the ground and cause of this great controversie , between the priests and the professors of this nation , and us , who are in scorn called quakers ; for it is not unknown to nations , of this great debate and battel , now for some years of continuance in this nation , no man can be ignorant , what putting in prisons , and what persecuting , and what preaching , and printing against us , and what reports and fame hath been through this nation for some years past ; and the quakers so called , have written , and spoken , and printed , against the priests & their worships , and ways , and doctrines , and declared against them , as deceivers and false prophets , and such as never were sent of god ; and on the other hand , thus have the priests , and more abundantly cried out against , and printed against the quakers , as hereticks and deceivers , and witches , and all what they could say that 's evil , and these things being not unknown , but publickly brought to pass ; therefore it will be good to discover unto every man , the first ground and cause of this great strife , and the matter of it , and its beginning , so that all may know the certainty of these things , and know they are not without good ground , and sufficient reason on our part ; to wit , that we have just cause to do , and strive against that generation of priests and teachers , and that we do nothing rashly , and without sufficient reason . it is now about seven years since the lord raised us up in the north of england , and opened our mouthes in this his spirit ; and what we were before in our religion , profession , and practices is well known to that part of the country , how generally we were men of the strictest sect , and of the greatest zeal in the performance of outward righteousness ; and went through , and tried all sorts of teachers , and run from mountain to mountain , and from man to man , and from one form to another , as do many to this very day , who yet remain ungathered to the lord , and such we were , ( to say no more of us ) that sought the lord , and desired the knowledge of his wayes more then any thing beside ; and for one i may speak , who from a child , even a few years old , he set his face to seek and find the saviour , and more then life and treasure , or any mortal crown sought after with all his heart , the one thing that is needful , to wit , the knowledge of god : and after our long seeking , the lord appeared to us , and revealed his glory in us , and gave us of his spirit from heaven , and poured it upon us , and gave us of his wisdom to guide us , whereby we saw all the world , and the true state of all things , & the true condition of the church in her present estate ; first the lord brought us by his power , & wisdom , and the word by which all things were made , to know and understand , and see perfectly that god had given to us , every one of us in particular , a light from himself shining in our hearts and consciences , which light , christ his son , the saviour , of the world had lighted every man , and all mankind withal ; which light in us we found sufficient to reprove us , & convince us of every evil deed , word and thought , and by it , in us , we come to know good from evil , right from wrong , and whatsoever is of god , and according to him , from what is of the devil , and what is contrary to god in motion , word and work ; and this light gave us to discern between truth and error , between every false and right way , and it perfectly discovered to us the true state of all things , and we thereby came to know man , what he was in his creation before transgression , and how he was deceived and overcome by the devil ; and his estate in transgression , and in disobedience , and how he is drove and banished from the presence of the lord , and the sorrow and anguish which he is in , and to undergo ; and also by the light in us , we perfectly came to know the way of restauration , and the means to be restored ; and the state of man being come out of transgression and restored , these things to us were revealed by the light within us , which christ had given us , and lightened us withal , what man was before transgression , and what he is in transgression , and what he is being redeemed out of transgression , and also the light which shineth in every one of us , as to it our minds became turned , and our hearts inclined , the perfect estate of the church we came to know ; her estate before the apostles days , and in the apostles dayes , and since the dayes of the apostles , and her present estate we found to be as a woman who had once been cloathed with the sun , and the moon under her feet , who brought forth him that was to rule the nations ; but she was fled into the wilderness , and there sitting desolate , in her place , that was prepared of god for such a season ; which season , in the very end thereof , when the time of her sojourning was towards a full end , then were we brought forth ; if any have an ear they may hear ; so that all these things concerning man , and concerning the times and seasons , and the changing and renewing of times , and all things that pertain to salvation , and redemption , and eternal life , needfull for man to know ; all this was revealed , discovered , and made known to us , by the light which was in us , which christ had lighted us withal . and we found this light to be a sufficient teacher , to lead us to christ , from whence this light came , and thereby it gave us to receive christ , and to witness him to dwell in us ; and through it the new covenant we came to enter into , to be made heirs of life and salvation ; and in all things we found the light which we were enlightened withal , and all mankind ( which is christ ) to be alone and only sufficient to bring to life and eternal salvation , and that all who did own the light in them which christ hath enlightened every man withal , they needed no man to teach them , but the lord was their teacher , by his light in their own consciences , and they received the holy anointing . and so we ceased from the teachings of all men , and their words , and their worships , and their temples , and all their baptisms , and churches , and we ceased from our own words , and professions , and practises in religion , in times before zealously performed by us , through divers forms , and we become fools for christ's sake , that we might become truely wise ; and by this light of christ in us were we led out of all false wayes and false preachings , and false ministers , and we met together often , and waited upon the lord in pure silence , from our own words , and all mens words , and hearkned to the voice of the lord , and felt his word in our hearts , to burn up and beat down all that was contrary to god , and we obeyed the light of christ in us , and followed the motions of the lords pure spirit , and took up the cross to all earthly glories , crowns , and ways , and denied our selves , our relations , and all that stood in the way betwixt us and the lord , and we chose to suffer with and for the name of christ , rather then all the pleasures upon earth , or all our former zealous professions and practices in religion , without the power and spirit of god , which the world yet lives in . and while waiting upon the lord in silence , as often we did for many hours together , with our minds and hearts towards him , being stayed in the light of christ within us , from all thoughts , fleshly motions , and desires , in our diligent waiting and fear of his name , and hearkning to his word , we re-received often the pouring down of the spirit upon us , and the gift of god's holy eternal spirit , as in the dayes of old , and our heart were made glad , and our tongues loosed , and our mouthes opened , and we spake with new tongues , as the lord gave us utterance , and as his spirit led us , which was poured down upon us , on sons and daughters ; and to us hereby was the deep things of god revealed , and things unutterable were known and made manifest , and the glory of the father was revealed ; and then begun we to sing praises to the lord god almighty , and to the lamb for ever , who had redeemed us to god ; and brought us out of the captivity and bondage of the world , and put an end to sin and death , and all this was by and through , and in the light of christ within us ; and much more might be declared hereof , that which could not be believed , if it were spoken , of the several and particular operations and manifestations of the everlasting spirit that was given us , and revealed in us : but this is the sum ; life and immortality was brought to light ; power from on high , and wisdom was made manifest , & the day everlasting appeared unto us , and the joyful sun of righteousness did arise and shine forth unto us , and in us ; and the holy anointing , the everlasting comforter we received ; and the babe of glory was born ; and the heir of the promise brought forth to reign over the earth , and over hell and death , whereby we entered into everlasting union , and fellowship , and covenant with the lord god , whose mercies are sure , and infinite , and his promise never fails : and much might be spoken , but this is the sum ; we were raised from death to life , and are changed from satans power to god , and gathered from all the dumb shepherds , and off all the barren mountains , into the fold of eternal peace and rest ; and mighty and wonderful things hath the lord wrought for us , and by us , by his own out-stretched arm. and thus we became followers of the lamb whithersoever he goes , and he hath called us to make war in righteousness , for his name sake against hell and death , and all the powers of darkness ; and against the beast and false prophet , which have deceived the nations ; and we are of the royal seed elect , chosen , and faithful ; and we war in truth , and just judgment ; not with weapons that are carnal , but by the sword that goes out of his mouth , which shall slay the wicked , and cut them to pieces ; and after this manner was our birth , and bringing forth ; and thus hath the lord chosen us , and made us an army dreadful and terrible , before whom the wicked do fear and tremble ; and our standard is truth , justice , righteousness & equity ; and all that comes unto us must cleave thereunto , and fight under that banner without fear , and without doubting , and they shall never be ashamed , nor put to flight , neither shall ever they be conquer'd by hell , or death , or by the powers of darkness ; but the lord shall be their armour , weapon , and defence for evermore ; and they that follow the lamb shall overcome , and get the victory over the beast , and over the dragon , and over the gates of hell ; for the lord is with us , and who shall be able to make us afraid ? then having thus armed us with power , strength and wisdom , and dominion according to his mind , and we having learned of him , and being taught of him in all things ; and he having chosen us into his work , and put his sword into our hands , and given us perfect commission to go forth in his name and authority , having the word from his mouth , what to cut down , and what to preserve ; and having the everlasting gospel to preach to the inhabitants of the earth ; and being commanded in spirit to leave all , and follow him , and go forth in his work ; yea , an absolute necessity was laid upon us , and wo unto us if we preacht not the gospel ; for when we looked abroad , and beheld the world , behold it was altogether darkness , and even as a wilderness , and desolate and barren of good fruit ; and death reigned over men , and no good fruit was brought forth to god , but leaves we beheld upon every soul ; and all men and people were made drunk with the wine of whoredoms , and the whores cup they had drunk , and was committing fornication with the great whore , and she reigned over the kings and peoples of the earth ; and the antichrist was set up in the temple of god , ruling over all , and having brought nations under his power , and set up his government over all , for many ages ; even since the days of the apostles and true churches hath he reign'd , while the woman hath been fled into the wilderness , and the man-child caught up to god. christ said antichrist should come , and put on the sheeps cloathing , and be inwardly a ravening woolf ; and iohn saw that antichrist was come in his dayes , and he went forth then from the true church , and went into the world , and deceived the world ; and ever since his kingdom hath reigned over nations ; for then he begun to exalt himself , and it is sixteen hundred years since ; all which time antichrist that hath had the sheeps cloathing , but inwardly a ravener , and hath ruled and reigned ; and this we saw and perceived , in the very time of our birth and bringing forth ; and we behold nations as a wilderness untilled , and mens hearts as the fallow ground unbroken up , and not plowed nor sown with the good seed of gods kingdom ; so that we saw all states and orders of men corrupted and degenerated from what they ought to be , and from what god had once ordained them : as for the ministry first , we looking upon it with a single eye , in the light of the spirit of god which had anointed us , we behold it clearly ( which formerly we had been stumbling at , and much doubting of , that it was not the perfect ministry of christ , for many years before ) not to be of christ nor sent of him , nor having the commission power & authority of christ , as his ministry had in the days of the true churches ; but in all things , as in call , practice , maintenance , and in every thing else in fruits and effects , we found it disagree , and be wholly contrary to the true ministry of christ in the days of the apostles , and likewise we truely beheld it to be in call , practice , and maintenance , and all things the very same in fruits and effects ; with the false ministry and false prophets , and false apostles , and deceivers of old ; and this i do testifie , and am able to prove in the spirit and authority of the lord , that the publick ministry , as now it stands generally , is wholy degenerated from what the true ministry of christ once was , and differs , and is contrary in all things to what christ's ministers were , and agreeth , and is equal in all things with what the false prophets and deceivers were thoughout all ages ; and this i charge upon it , in the face and view of all men to whom this may come ; for this we saw concerning it in the beginning , and our first assurance . and as for other places , and orders of men , and callings , we saw them also corrupted , and degenerated , and evil and iniquity abounding among all sorts of people ; and blindness and darkness covered the face of the earth , and of the world ; and all people were in their transgressions , and making void the law of god ; and that it was time for the lord to work , and to arise to ease himself of his adversaries : and as for all churches ( so called ) and professions , and gatherings of people , we beheld you as all in the apostacy , and degeneration from the true church , not being gathered by the spirit of the lord , nor anointed thereby , as the true members of christ ever were , but to be in a form , and in forms of righteousness , without the power ; and in immitations , without life and perfect knowledge ; so that all the practices of religion we beheld without power and life , though some had a sincerity in them , and a zeal , and a desire towards the lord , yet all people erred in judgment , and none were guided in judgment by the eternal spirit ; and because of the error in judgment , that made their zeal blind , and their performances of righteousness not accepted , though acted in some sincerity and zeal , because they were not guided in practice , and led in judgment by the spirit of the lord , which only leads into all truth ; and none are in the truth , but who are led thereby : so that we behold all profession , but as coverings with figg-leaves , while the nature of transgression stood uncondemned , and not crucified : and then we saw not only the performance and practice in church state , and in religious orders were corrupted , but also government , and magistracy , and all things in civil state were not aright in the sight of the lord , nor as the lord required , neither as he had ordained in the beginning ; for government we know , as ordained of god , is to punish , and limit , and terrifie all evil-doers , and to preserve and defend all that do well ; and that mens consciences are to be left free , and to be ruled by the lord alone , and guided by his spirit ; and that outward power , and civil magistrates and laws ( so called ) ought not to be lord or ruler in mens consciences , nor over them ; but we beheld how unrighteousness and iniquity , and sin and wickedness was strengthened and encouraged in the government , and by such as were in authority ; and how the fear of god , and the exercise of a good conscience was abused , so that it was turned backward from what it ought to be ; them that did well were punished , and limitted as trausgressors , and the evil-doers were set free , and not made afraid ; so that we could truly cry , truth was faln in the street , and justice and true judgment turned backward , and equity had no place to enter , and the innocent were devoured through want of true and just judgment , and the needy were spoiled , and made a prey , and thus it was framed ; for no sooner had we opened our mouthes , but the magistrates began to put us in prison , and execute great injustice upon us , and became oppressors of the innocent , and laid grievous unjust burdens upon us ; grievous to be born , and true justice and judgment was neglected , and wrong judgement brought forth , and good government abused , and men in authority not ruled by the lord , neither ruling for the lord among men ; and thus it came to pass upon us , through the corruption and degeneration in goverment and magistrates , which we saw to be , as it was fulfilled by them , to wit , not as the lord required , nor as he in the beginning ordained it , but quite the contrary ; and this we saw in the beginning , when the spirit of the lord was poured down upon us , and power from on high was revealed to declare against all the abominations of the earth , and to make war against all corruption , in all orders , and places , and men. then being prepared of the lord , and having received power from on high , we went forth as commanded of the lord , leaving all relations and all things of the world behind us , that we might fufill the work of the lord into which he called us , and with flesh and blood , nor any creature , we consulted not , nor took counsel of men , but of the lord alone , who lifted up our heads above the world , and all fears and doubtings , and was with us in power and domininion , over all that which opposed us , which was great and mighty , and gave us power over it all , and to bind kings in chains , and nobles in fetters of iron , and this is the saints honour ; and the word of the lord we sounded , and did not spare , and caused the deaf to hear , the blind to see , and the heart that was hardned to be awakened ; and the dread of the lord went before us , and behind us , and teror took hold upon our enemies ; and first of all our mouthes were opened , and our spirit filled with indignation against the priests and teachers , and with them , and against them first we began to war , as being the causers of the people to err , and the blind-leaders , that carried the blind into the ditch , and against them , as the fountain of all wickedness abounding in the nations , and as being the issue of prophaness ; for from them hath prophaness gone forth in all nations , and against them we cryed aloud , as being redeemed from their mouthes , who had made a prey upon us , as they do upon all that follow their ways ; and in steeple-houses we did visit them often , and in markets and other places , as the lord moved , and made way for us , shewing unto all them , and all their people , that they were not lawful ministers of christ , sent of him , but were deceivers and antichrists , and such whom the lord never sent ; and we spared not publikely , and at all seasons to utter forth the judgments of the lord against them and their wayes , and against their churches , and worships , and practices , as not being of god , nor commanded by him , by which they deceived the world ; and this was our first work which we entred upon , to thresh down the deceivers , and lay them open , that all people might see their shame , and come to turn from them , and receive the knowledg of the truth , that they might be saved ; and this we did with no small opposition nor danger , yea oftentimes we were in danger of our lives , through bearing , abusing , punishing , haling , casting over walls , striking with staves , and cudgels , and knocking down to the ground , besides reproaching , scorning , revilings , and houtings at , and scoffings , and slanderings , and all abuses that could be thought or acted by evil hands and tongues , and often carried before magistrates , with grievous threats , and sometimes put in the stocks , and whipped , and often imprisoned , and many hard dealings against us , the worst of tongues or hands could execute , sparing life ; of this all the north-countries may witness ; and all these things are sustained and suffered from people and rulers , because of our faithfulness to the lord , and for declaring against the false deceivers ; for nothing save onely the hand of the lord , and his power could have preserved us , and carryed us through all this ; neither for any reward outward whatsoever , or advantage to our selves , would we have exposed our selves to that sufferings and violence , and dangers , which befell us daily ; but the lord was our exceeding great reward through all these things , and kept us in the hollow of his hand , and under the shadow of his wings , and gave us dominion in spirit over all our enemies , and subdued them before us ; and though rulers and people were combined against us , and executed their injustice and violence upon us , yet the lord made us to prosper , and grow exceedingly in strength , wisdom and number , and the hearts of the people enclined unto us , and the witness of god in many stired for us , for to that in all consciences in our words and sufferings , and wayes , we did commend our selves to be known and approved . and in the beginning we were but few in number , onely a few that thus were carried on and dealt withall , and that had received the power from on high in such a measure , and for such a work ; and no sooner did the lord appear to us , and with us , but the devil and his power rose up against us to destroy us , and it wrought in rulers , priests , and people , and all the wayes and means invented by the devil that could be executed by his servants were brought sorth , to quench the work of the lord , and to stop our passage in what we were called to ; did ye but perfectly know , as we perfectly found the craftiness , and policy , and wickedness of the devil , how to overcome this new born babe , and how to root out forever this plant , that was newly sprung sorth , it would make you admire and wonder with admiration ; all the priests , and rules were in an uproar ; the priests they petitioned to the magistrates , and run up and down from one sessions and judicatory to another , and took wicked oaths , and slandered the just with lies and reproaches , on purpose to incense all people against us , and the magistrates gave forth warrants for the apprehending of some , and made their orders to break our meetings , and that we should not meet in the night season ; and such men might not pass abroad ; and such stir and opposition was made against us , it can hardly be expressed or declared ; there were uproars in steeple-houses , and uproars in markets , and often haling before magistrates , and abused , and threatned , and slandred , and all manner of evil done , and spoken against us , and great injustice , cruelty and oppression acted against us , where ever we came , and all through the means of the priests , who spared not to enact and conceive mischief against us , and sought daily to the magistrates for persecution , preaching in their pulpits , and praying against us , & setting days apart to seek their god against us , crying without ceasing in publick and private , heresie , heresie , error and blasphemy ; and that we were deceivers , witches , and seducers , and such like , the worst they could say and imagine to stir up the hearts of people against us , and running often to the assize , and sessions and courts to complain , and inform upon false oathes against us , and through them were the whole countries in a rage and madness , rulers and people often imprisoning , and abusing , and resisting us with violence ; banishing us out of towns , and putting of us out of our inns ; and often threatning , to burn the houses over our heads ; the whole company of rude people in a town often gathering , and besetting a house or inn , about where we were entred to lodge in our travels : we were often exposed to difficult and hard travels and journeys , giving our selves to the cross , to take it up against all earthly ; often drinking water , and lying in straw in barnes after a hard dayes journey ; and yet for all these things the power and presence of the lord was with us , and we were carried on with much boldness and faithfulness , in courage , and without fear or doubtings , through the often hazzard of our lives many wayes , in uproars by evil men , and in markets , and steeple-houses , and also in ttavels by robbers , and every way were we exposed to dangers and perils ; but through all , and over all were we carried , and are preserved to this day . and after this manner it came to pass concerning us , and much more might be said ; but this is in short declar'd , how we were entreated , and dealt withal by priests , rulers and people , through all the northern counties of england , in our first going forth ; through which counties we first journeyed out of westmoreland through cumberland , northumberland , and into some parts of scotland , and durham , yorkshire , lancashire , cheshire , &c. and in all these counties much opposition we had , and exceeding sufferings , and cruel dealings from men of all sorts ; every goal may witness in every county , how any of them seldom were without some of us , or our friends imprison'd in them this six years , and scarce one steeple-house or market in all these counties , but may witness what beatings , what bruisings , strikings , and halings , abusings , and perils we have suffer'd and sustained : and not one priest in all those counties can clear himself from hatred and malice , and from envying of us , and doing mischief in words , and works , or thoughts , or desires against us ; nor scarce one justice , nor any officer of the peace , can be excused in all them counties , from plotting & acting injustice upon us , and threatning & cnacting cruelty against us . and i call heaven and earth to record , and the light in every mans conscience , and do appeal to that in all sorts and places of people , that by all sorts of people we suffer'd evil , and unjust works , and actions , and words from them ; and let the witness of god in all mens consciences , in all the north , give testimony what dealings and cruelty we suffer'd , and how we have been dealt withal , and also of our patience ; and innocency under all what they have done to us . but notwithstanding , all what was acted against us , and spoken , many hundreds of the honest and sober people owned us , and also many rude and ungodly persons were converted to the truth ; i say many hundreds in all these counties in two years time , were brought to the knowledge of the lord , and to own us , all which time we laboured , and travelled in patience , giving up our selves to live or to die , and to all manner of sufferings and reproaches , and hard trials , that we might fulfil faithfully what we were called unto ; sufferings without , from open enemies , and from our own kindred and relations , and sufferings within for the seeds sake ; and we are well acquainted with griefs , yet in all our tryals and afflictions , the lord never forsook us , but his wisdom , love , and life , and presence increased in us , and with us . then in the year , as moved of the lord , we spread our selves south-ward , and entred into these south parts , and came the first of us into this city of london , in the fift moneth that year , and laboured in the work of the gospel , in continual sufferings , and oppressions divers wayes , and were oppressed and gainsaid by the wise men , and by the learned , and had in reproach and contempt by all the high and lofty and proud professors ; and we were set at nought , and rejected by the fat beasts of the south ; and it is well known to thousands in this city and south-country , what opposition we have had from all sorts of people ; opposed in our own meetings , and scorned , and slandered by envious and reproachfull tongues ; publickly and privately encountered withall by the wisest of the city & country ; challenged , and invited , and ingaged to disputes by the high priests and church-members ( so called ) and written against , & printed against by the chiefest of men , accounted wise and religious ; which of any sect ? and who of all the wisest in profession , and the most zealous in practices of religion ( so called ) have not at sometime or other beset us , and encountred with us in high disputes and controversies , opposing of us to our faces , and gain-saying of our doctrines , and practices , and denying of us , and resisting of us wholly , and crying against us to be deceivers , deluders , and hereticks , and blasphemers , and such like ; and that our doctrines were deceivable , and error , and factious , and what not ; and that our practises were destructive to men , laws , and government : these things in the worst nature have been spoken against us without ceasing , by the wisest and men of greatest parts and most religious ( falsly so accounted ) for this certain years in the south , as well as in the north ; besides , what loss have we sustained other wayes in the south , by beatings , and strikings , and abuses , and slanders , and false reproaches , and haling before magistrates , and imprisoning ; and all the like dealing from priests , rulers and people , as we did in the north : yea , the same hard dealing and cruelty from all sorts of people we have suffered , and do daily , as we did in the north ; insomuch we are now accustomed to the yoak , and well acquainted with sorrow and griefs from all sorts of people ; and were not the lord on our side our enemies would swallow us up quick , and we had been long since devoured by the teeth of the ungodly : so that i may call to witness all the goals and prisons in the south , as in the north , and all the magistrates & judges , and rulers , and all officers of the law , what sufferings we have sustained ; and what cruel and hard dealing we have undergone , and what injustice , and unequal and false judgment hath been executed upon us in these five years time ; which of the goals may appear free , where some of us have not suffered the loss of our liberties unjustly ? and who of any justice of the peace , or any other officer , from the judge to the constable , that can clear themselves from guilt in this matter , and that they have not had a hand in our unjust sufferings ? and to the witness of god , in all people of all sorts , through this whole nation , and some other , i do appeal concerning this matter , how we have been dealt withal , and what we have sustained in our persons , and in our names , & how many acts and words of cruelty and injustice we have born & suffered , and these priests have been as the fountain and cause of all this , and the formost in all this iniquity and injustice by all what they could do to incense the rulers and people against us , by preaching , and praying , and writing , and printing , for the space of this seven years ; yet notwithstanding all this , the mighty power and presence of the lord hath been with us , and perserved us from dangers great and many , and carried us through trials and perplexities , and sufferings , and not onely so , but he hath increased us in number ; so that thousands and ten thousands have and may own us , and the truth which we give witness of , and live therein ? for the eyes of all people are beginning to be opened , and the deaf ear is unstopped , and the way of life eternal is made manisest , and the lord is gathering his flock , which hath been scattered in the cloudy and dark day , whilest these false idle-shepherds , ( these priests and teachers i mean ) have fed themselves with the fat , and cloathed themselves with the wool , and laid down in slumber , and not gathered the flock , nor fed them , but scattered them , and driven them away ; and with force and with cruelty have they ruled over the heritage of the lord ; woe , woe , unto these shepherds , saith the lord god , they shall be confounded and put to shame perpetually , and they shall be broken down and never builded any more , and the lord will pluck them up by the roots , and they shall never again be planted . and besides all their petitioning the magistrates against us , and preaching and praying against us , and all the evil and wickedness in work , word and desire , brought forth against us from time to time ; yet ( here sober reader ) thou hast a catalogue , and whole number of books printed and written against us , & abundance of their doctrines uttered against us , and in opposition to us , gathered up in this volum in a sum , with our answers to them ; and if thy heart and mind be single , thou mayst hereby understand , in measure , the difference in doctrine between them and us , and compare each of them with the scriptures , and see whether their doctrines and principles laid down as the subject of their books , or our doctrines and principles laid down in answer to theirs , be according , and agree with the scriptures ; and if thou be impartial in this business , and single in this search and judgement , i doubt not but thou wilt in a great measure satisfie thy self , and be resolved concerning their priests , and professors of england , and us who are called quakers ; and then when thou thus hast done , own and deny whether them or us , as the lord shall perswade thee ; for thou mayst fully perceive we differ in doctrines , and principles ; and the one thou must justifie , and the other thou must condemn , as being one clean contrary to the other in our principles : and i wish also , thou wouldst measure us , and compare us in lives and conversations , and truely judge whom of us , whether they , or we do the more follow christ and his apostles in practise and conversation ; and in all things lay us and them to the line of true judgement , and with an upright heart , judge accordingly ; for know this , there is not any principle we hold , nor any work which we practice in our religion and worship , but we are willing , and fully desire we might be brought to the bar of true justice together , and in every particular of principles and practices examined and tryed to the full , and each of us judged in truth and equity , whether it be they or us that are of the true religion , and true faith , and true worship of god that the apostles were in , and which of us it is that are in a wrong way , and in a false religion , & false faith and worship ; and in this we will joyn issue with them , in the sight of the whole nation , if they will come forth to tryal ; if what already is brought forth by them against us , and by us against them , for this seven years in disputes , and in printing , and otherwise , be not sufficient for all people to try us in , and judge us by , whether they , or we be in the right ; and whether in the wrong . and now to all people in the nation , i do appeal to that of god in all their consciences , to judge between the priests and professors , and all the sects , and us ; ye have heard their doctrines , and ye have heard something of ours ; ye have seen their conversation , and ye have seen something of ours ; ye have heard them long , and something of us ye have heard for a little season ; and now give your evidence : is it not with them as we have said ? are not your priests in the steps of the false prophets and of the deceivers ? and do not they seek for their gain from their quarter , as they did that isaiah cryed against ? do not they preach for hire and divine for money , as they did which micah cryed against ? are not they such by whom you have not been profited , as ieremiah cry'd against ? let that of god in you answer to these things : and are they not proud men , and covetous men , and envious men , and heady high-minded men , and given to filthy lucre ? and are they not such as through covetousness make merchandize of souls , and that by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple , such as paul and peter declare against ? and are they not such as the true prophets , christ , and his apostles cry'd against ? and do they not bring forth the same fruits , as did the false prophets and false apostles ? i leave it to your consciences to be the judge : compare them , and lay them to the line of true judgment , if you shut not your eyes , you may see it is thus ; and have we charged them falsly , or have not we spoken the truth concerning them ? we have said they are false ministers and deceivers , and not true ministers of christ ; and is it not so ? let the light in your consciences answer ; we have said they have run , & never were sent , and that they have not profited the people at all ; and is it not so ? to the witness of god in you i do appeal , and let that justifie that we have spoken nothing but the truth ; examine and try in all things that we have charged them with : and are they not guilty in all things that we have charged upon them ? let the witness of god in you testifie to this : and what do you judge of them , are they not of that stock which christ said should come , and should be wolves in sheep's cloathing , and should deceive many , and which iohn saw were come in his dayes , and which the world went after , and the whole world run after them ; are not they in the nature of wolves , devouring and tearing the lambs of christ ? and do they not tear people by causing their bodies to be imprisoned , and their goods to be spoiled ? and do they not deceive many ? and yet they have the sheep's cloathing , the saints words , and their practices , but inwardly are they not ravening ? and doth not the world go after them ? and hath not the world run after them for many ages ? and is it not thus with them ? and have they received the gift of the holy ghost , or are they not made ministers by the will of man , and not by the will of god ? do they not differ , and are contrary in call , in practice , in maintenance , and in fruits and effects to the true ministers and true apostles ? and do they not agree , and are they not according to the false prophets , and false ministers , and deceivers in their call , practice , maintenance , fruits and effects ? search the scriptures , and lay them to that line , and then let the witness in your consciences judge and answer : and do not they prepare war against such as do not put into their mouthes ? and do not they feed with the fat , and cloath with the wool ? do not they oppress the nation , and the creation ? and are not they such whose call , and practices , and maintenance , and whole ministery hath a dependance upon popery ? and doth it not all savour of popery , and in the main and principal parts thereof , were ordained by the pope ? this may be fully made manifest : and are not all professors , and sect of people such as have the form , but are without the power of godliness ? are not people still covetous , and earthly-minded , and given to the world , and proud , and vain , even such as profess religion , and to be a seperated people ? are not professors as covetous , and proud , as such as do not profess ? and are not they given to the world ? and doth it not shew that they are unchanged , nor translated , but death reigns among them ? and is it not manifest , that they have taken up the form of the apostles , and christs words and practices , and are without the life , and not guided by the spirit of christ and the apostles in their praying and preaching ? and are not your souls lean and starved ? to the witness of god in you all i speak , which may testifie that many people have a shew of religion without life ; and therefore have not we spoken the truth of them , in what we have said ? in the day of judgment you shall answer this . and as concerning the quakers , what do you say of them ? you have seen their conversation ; few towns , but some of them have been , and are amongst you : do not they fear god ? and do not they walk justly and truly among their neighbours , and speak the truth , and do the truth in all things ; doing unto all no otherwise then they would be done unto ? and are they not meek , and humble , and sober ? and do not they take much wrong , rather then give wrong to any ? and are they not such as delight in the wayes of the lord ? and do not they deny the world , and its pleasures , and forsake all iniquity more then your selves ? and do not they take up the daily cross of christ , to all its wayes and earthly glories ? and do not they preach in the power of god , and reach to your consciences , when you hear them ? and doth not the light in you answer that they speak the truth ? and is not their call , and practice , and maintenance the same as was the apostles and faithful ministers ? compare them with the scripture , and then judge in your consciences : and do not they suffer many hard and cruel things , even all manner of evil spoken and done against them falsly for the name of christ ? are you ignorant of their great sufferings through this nation ? and what do you think ? is their suffering for evil-doing , or is it not for righteousness sake ? what harm do they do to any , by work or word ? why are they reproached , and mocked , and scorned ? and why are they put in prisons , and whipped , and thus sorely abused ? is it for any evil-doing , or is it not because they are the servants of the lord ? compare their fruits with the priests fruits , their conversation with the priests conversation , & see whether be liker the apostles ; and these things i leave to you that you may come to consider and judge justly of all things , for the lord god is risen ; and his light in peoples consciences is shining forth , and it shall answer to what i say , in this world , or in the day of judgment , when we , and all man-kind shall appear and come sorth to tryal , and every mans work shall be tryed , and all shall receive according to their deeds . and so gladly would we be made manifest to all the world ; if that after the reading of this book any be unsatisfied still in this matter , and if any , especially of the heads and rulers have doubts or jealousies raised in them , concerning us , and the priests , and that they further would be satisfied and resolved ; for that end let any wise-men propound for full satisfaction of all sorts of people , that we ( with the consent of the chief in authority that have power in this nation who may preserve peace and safety among people , and thereby to stop all jealousies ) may freely and chearfully , four , ten , twenty , thirty , more or fewer of us , give as many of the wisest and ablest of the priests and professors a meeting for dispute , at any place in england , at what place , time , and for what continuance , as they shall ascribe and consent unto , and to dispute and controvert betwixt us and them , any such thing , and every such particular , as shall or may be objected by any of the heads and rulers , or other grave understanding men , wherein they are doubtful betwixt us , and would thereof be satisfied , that by such dispute and opening of such causes , objected , full , and real , and toal , satisfaction may be given to the whole nation , and every particular man and member therein . otherwise , let the priests or professors , or any of them , object what they can against us , in our principles , profession , faith , and practice , and our whole religion ; and if they shall affirm and alledge any one or more things against us , that any principle we hold , or practice we profess in any part throughout all our religion , are false principles , and false practices , and not according to truth , nor the scriptures , but shall affirm that our religion is not the true religion , nor we of the true church of christ , and they shall have free liberty , to give their best proof and reason for what they affirm , and alledge ; yet by the strength of christ , and in the power and authority of god , and according to the scriptures we shall confute all their proofs and strongest reasons ; and on the contrary we shall joyn our principles , doctrines , and practices , and all our religion , and every part and particular thereof , to be the very truth , and agreeing with the scriptures , & according to that shall maintain by lawful arguments , and plea , that our religion and worship , and all that we profess and practice is according to the mind of the lord , and justified of him , and that whatsoever is and may be spoken against us , upon that account , is utterly false , and to be condemned , and upon this we will ingage with them , and with any of our enemes , of what sect and profession soever , to the intent onely that truth may be manifest and embraced , and deceit and error discovered and denied . and also , upon such an engagement we should agree to have the liberty , freely , and soberly to object against the priests , concerning their ministry , their call , their practice , their maintenance , and their fruits and effects , and concerning their church , and principles , and worship , and whole religion , and shall hear patiently all that can be said in defence thereof by any or all of them , and shall prove by the spirit of the lord , and according to the scriptures , that their ministry is not the true ministry of christ , nor they true and lawfull ministers of the gospel , but shall manifest by evident arguments , that their call , practice , maintenance , fruits and effects , are not according , nor agreeing , but contrary and differing , to what the true ministry was , and its call , practice , maintenance , fruits and effects were in the true apostles , and among the true churches ; and furthermore by the grace of god we shall prove their church , their worship , and their whole religion , in all parts thereof , to be degenerated from what the true church was , & the true worship , and true religion , in the days of the apostles , and true churches of old ; and these things shall we make manifest by faithful and sound arguments , according to the scriptures , that all the earth may know , and all people perceive who is in the truth , and of the true worship and religion , and who are in the contrary ; and whether the priests , and that which they profess and practice for religion ; or the quakers , and that which they profess and practice for religion ; be of god , and according to him , and whether are contrary ; that the end of this long travel , and war , and controversie may be desided and justly ended between , us , and all people may be resolved , and satisfied concerning us , and them that do oppose us . and let all the priests and professors lay aside and give over their houses of correction , and imprisoning people , and whipping of them , and stocking of us , and dealing in this manner of violence and cruelty , as for years by-past they have done in defence of their religion , and resisting of ours ; and let them lay aside their carnal weapons , and fighting against our persons , and imprisoning of us about our religion ; and let them come forth in sound arguments , the best they have , and let us see what spiritual weapons they have to resist us , and defend themselves ; and let us try , whether their spiritual weapons or ours be the strongest , and the most powerful , and mighty ; and let theirs that are so , prevail against the other , be it ours , or theirs ; and this is the way to try the truth , and to make all things manifest , and to deside and end all the whole controversies between us and them , which hath been great this many years ; and let the truth be set up and exalted , where ever it is , and all deceit thrown down to the ground ; and let us war with the weapons of the spirit , against errour and false religion , one in the other ; but le ts not hurt creatures , nor imprison persons , nor stock and whip creatures , and make them to suffer ; but let us thresh deceit , and whip and beat that , and all false opinions ; let us throw them down , where they are found , whether in them or in us ; and let us fight with the weapons of the spirit , that are spiritual ; & let them fight no longer with such cruel carnal weapons ; and then let such as get the victory , and overcome , appear to be in the truth of the church ; and such as falls , and is overcome , be manifest to be in the error , and of the false church and religion ; and let us love one anothers persons , and let them act no otherwise towards our persons , then we do upon theirs , and towards them ; and let them take the liberty to deal with us , and our persons , as we deal with them , and their persons , and no otherwise . and let such , whether them or us , that cannot prove our selves to be the true church of christ , nor of the true worship , and true religion , nor in the truth , but is found to be in the error , and out of the truth ; let such deny their worship and church , and renounce all their religion , and confess to all the world , under their hands , that they are , and have been deceived , and for ever hereafter stop their mouthes , and never profess nor practice any more what they have done in such religion ; and freely upon these issues and conditions we will joyn trial with them ; let them appoint time , place , and profer terms at their own pleasure , and then to all the world it shall be manifest , and to all people discovered , whether we have not good ground , and sufficient reason to war against these priests ; and it may perfectly appear that what we have said and written against them these divers years , have been upon a good foundation , and we have had sufficient cause to speak and write against them , as we have done ; and none thenceforth shall have cause to say , or doubt , that what we have spoken and written against them hath been out of malice or envy , and without cause and good reason ; but on the contrary all shall know the ground of quarrel is sufficient and full of equity on our part . and upon these or any equal tearms and conditions , would we , and are we willing to engage with these priests , and all , or any one of these sects , in a lawful tryal , in disputes , or writings , for the tryal and searching out of the truth , and the true religion ; and were it not equal and reasonable , that we had the same liberty among all these priests , and in their church and assemblies freely to declare our minds , and to let forth our selves in what we hold and profess , without being violently haled , and beat , and whipped , and sent to prison , as we have been this many years ? which liberty we do freely grant and allow among us to all , to query , or declare what is upon them , without such violent dealing , or whipping , or sending them to prisons , and houses of correction ; and the same , and no other do we desire of others in this particular of freedom to declare the truth , and what we hold , then what we do and would allow to others ; and that no weapon be used by them against us , nor dealing towards us , but the weapons of the spirit , the best they have , or can bring forth against us ; and let them let creatures alone , and not hurt , nor do violence to them , and no other weapons shall we use against them , nor deal with them by any other thing , but the weapons of the spirit of god which are powerful , & will bring down strong holds ; and as for creatures , we shall not hurt , nor do violence , nor imprison them ; and whose weapons are the strongest , let such overcome . and such as are overcome , is not the true church ; for the true church of christ which is builded upon the rock , the gates of hell cannot prevail against ; and who do overcome , with such let it be manifest , that god of a truth is with them ; and let them all cease to defend their church , and ministry , and religion with prisons , and whips , and houses of correction ; for by such things was never the true church , ministry , and religion defended ; but only the power and authority of god preserved them , and resisted all their enemies ; and so it is at this day : and let all cease to cry deceivers , and being afraid to be deceived ; for if they be the true church , all , or any of these sects and professions of religions ; then if we be deceivers , and come among them , they cannot be deceived , if they be in the election ; for no deceivers , nor the gates of hell cannot prevail against the true church of christ , nor against them that are elect , which the devil hath nothing in : and if we be the true church of christ , & in the election ; then if all the deceivers upon earth come among us , they cannot prevail against us , nor deceive us ; for the elect cannot be deceived ; and upon these terms we may engage with any people and sect upon earth : therefore come to this , and joyn with us ; take you the liberty to declare in soberness what you own and prosess , & you shall not be persecuted , nor your bodies , nor persons harmed by violence ; and let us have that liberty to declare in meekness and soberness , and in gods authority amongst you what we hold and profess , and let us not be persecuted , and dealt violently withal ; and then let it appear whether we or our enemies have a greater testimony , and more powerfull in the hearts of people . and were not this a way full of equity , for the trial of all things ? but doing contrary , as you have done these many years against us , by violence , and whipping , and persecuting , it shews you have not the spiritual weapons , nor the authority of god with you , nor among you ; and that is the cause of running to magistrates , and putting in goals , and whippings , and all violence , because the authority of god's spirit is wanting amongst you , which all the false sects , and false churches , since the days of the apostles , have wanted to defend themselves , and resist their enemies ; and so all sects have been fighting one with another , and killing persons and creatures , and desending themselves by prisons , and inquisitions , and destroying of lives ; and all this hath been out of the power of god , and not in it , but by the power of the dragon , and of the beast , who hath caused all to worship , and them that would not , he hath power to kill , and hath killed them , by fires , and tortures , and cruel deaths , and all these have lost the spiritual weapons , and been without the power and spirit of god ; and what a church is this of yours , which hath been to be defended by goals , and prisons , and whips and stocks , and violent dealing ? this church is not the church of christ , for the power and spirit of god defends her always , and not inquisitions , and prisons and whips ; these are cains weapons , and not the weapons of the spirit of god , whereby his true church was ever defended ; for because cains sacrifice was not accepted , therefore he slew his brother , and persecuted him ; and thus you that are of cains seed do the same , upon the same ground , because your works are rejected and theirs accepted , with whom you deal thus in this violent way of persecution and wickedness . and this is the protestant church ( so called ) and her ministers , with whom i am now dealing , which seems to be the true church , and more then the church of rome ; for you protestant ministers do deny and cry against the church of rome , as a false church , and her ministers to be deceivers ( which in it selfe is very true ) but yet your hypocrisie in this doth appear , and your double-mindedness ; for let me tell you , while you cry against the church of rome , as a false idolater , and a persecutor of the true church , and against her ministers to be deceivers , and contrary to the apostles ; are not your spirits the same , and your works the same in nature ( though not in measure ) and in particular , this work of yours to imprison people , and whip them , and put them in the stocks , and beat them , and abuse their persons and bodies , who do but speak against you and your religion ? is not this work of the very same nature as the work of the romish church ? she to defend her church hath inquisitions , and banishment , and many cruel tortures , and with these things her church she defends , killing and afflicting of peoples bodies , that do oppose her church and deny their religion , and you have stocks , and whips , and houses of correction , and putting great fines and taskes upon people , and banishing people out of townes , and spoiling their goods and casting men into prison , who do oppose your church , and deny your religion , and is not this equal and justly according ( in nature ) to the persecution that is in the romish church ? and what difference between the defence of the church of rome and your church of protestants ? they have their inquisitions , and you have your houses of correction ; they have their slavery in the gallies , and you have whips , and stocks ; they have their divers torments , and cruel dealings towards persons that oppose them , and upon their bodies in one manner , and you have your torments and cruel dealing towards us in another manner , though not in the same measure , yet in the same nature ; and what difference between you and them ? and herein doth the hypocrisie of the protestant church and their ministers appear , in that they cry against ; and deny the church of rome , and their persecution , and cruelty acted against others , and yet in nature and manner do practice the very same upon us , as in england this day is witnessed ; and not onely in this particular may the church , and ministers of the protestants be condemned for hypocrisie , but also in many other things , even the most of their practices in their worship is of the same nature , and by the same spirit , which the practices of the church of rome is practised by and in ; and not onely so , but it may be truely proved , and made manifest , that the original and institution of many of your church-practices proceeded from the church of rome , and the church and pope of rome did ordain and institute many of your practices , and a great part of your worship , which is performed in the church , and by the ministry of the protestants ( so called ) and this in its time and season i may make fully appear , and discover to the nations , and i may shew in the particulars , what particulars of the worship and practice in the protestants church had their first rice and beginning and original in the church of rome , though they are minced and degressed with diminishings and addings , according as their imaginations have guided them , yet still they retain the strongest taste and savour of the church of rome , and had their rice and original there , though in the performing thereof , they may be altered and changed in appearance and from , but are perfectly the same in ground and nature , as springing from the church of rome , and she the mother of the protestant church , and of the practices of the most of her performances in worship , and this may be proved , as god willing upon oecasion , as the lord moves , i may let sorth my mind , and what i know in these things , and may shew , though that the church of the protestants have disserted the church of rome ; yet their ministry , its call , and ordination , and its practice , and maintenance , hath a dependancy upon the church of rome , as being the original of that which is by them therein practised , though in some things deviated from the perfect form and practice thereof ; and also the whole worship of all the particulars in relation to the protestant church , and ministry , and worship , hath a dependance upon the church of rome , as being the first original thereof , and though they cry against her and her ministers , and have denied her , yet is she the mother and womb in which was bred , and out of whom proceeded the protestant church , ministry , and worship , and practices , and this may be manifest at full that the protestant church , ministry , and worship , chiefly tasteth and savoureth of the church and worship of rome , and had their original out of her : and also further may be shewed , that the protestant church , and worships , and ministry are not another in nature and being , then the romish church , ministry , & worship ; but is sprung out thereof , as a branch out of the same root , the ground being one and the same , though differing in appearance ; for in her beginning and first dissenting from the romish church , she did not deny her in ground and being , as not being at all the church of christ ; but only in some particulars dissented alwayes then , and to this day retaining divers of their practices in worship and church-government , which doth shew , that the protestant church is not perfectly another , nor her ministry , and government , and worship another then is the romish church ; but is the same in ground and being , onely digressed and deviated in particulars ; and this may be fully manifest in season , that the protestant church , and worship , and ministry , is of the romish church sprung as a branch out of her , not contrary to her , and against her ; and all these things is the lord discovering and laying open , that nations and peoples may come to behold the mother of harlots , that mystery of iniquity , and all her children , and may see the state and turning of times , and things , ever since the days of the apostles , and true churches ; and how that all these divers sects , and all these churches , falsely so called , are risen up and sprung out one of another , and coming from one seed and womb ; and though divers in appearances , and sundry in practices , and professions , yet are they all one in the ground and nature , sprung from the mother of harlots , all of them , and being her children ; and she hath corrupted the earth with her fornications and whoredoms , and made nations and kingdoms drunk with her cup of idolatry : but the lord god is risen and will plead with her , and give her double , and the holy prophets and apostles shall rejoyce over her ; and this is coming to pass ; and this have i seen from the lord , and received it from him ; and thus it come upon me to write . the waters i have seen dry'd up , the seat of the great where , who with the fornication cup of her enticing power hath made all nations drunk thereby , and the whole earth defil'd with her gilt cup of sorcery , whom she hath long beguil'd . but peoples many are , and shall , and multitudes all may ; and nations be converted all unto another way : and tongues they now confounded bee , and kindreds they must mourn ; and when thou this shalt finish'd see , then say her seat is torn . for these are all the waters great , on whom her seat hath been , and over whom her rule was great , like as a stately queen . for ages by-past ( its now seen ) she hath her whoredoms plaid ; and kingdoms have bewitched been , and have her power obey'd . but now it s seen , she shan't deceive ; her witchcrafts they are known ; and men no more will her believe ; her misery is shown . and now the wofull bed i see , of torments great prepar'd , whereon she shortly cast must be ; and plagues must not be spar'd . but wo to her the wrathfull cup ( is fill'd ) she others gave ; she must it now her self drink up , the same she now must have . and drink she must and that full deep , of god's fierce indignation . and then shall all her lovers weep , and make great lamentation . the city also i have seen , which once was great and fair , destroy'd , and soon laid waste hath been ; her merchants did dispair , who by her got great gain and trade , to make them rich withall ; and trafficks from far she had ; but now lament they shall . for fire in her is kindled bright , which must her all consume ; and up to heaven day and night , ascendeth up her fume . and antichrist ( who ravened from truth within , the light ) was with sheeps clothing covered , and rul'd kings by his might : who had laid waste god's heritage , and had a kingdom great ; the saints against him war did wage , and truth gave him defeat . behold the whore's flesh burnt i've seen ; her beauty doth now fall . all harlots mother she hath been ; her daughters are whores all . behold , the city great and fair , she 's fallen to the ground ; by which nations inriched were ; in her no profits found . behold the antichrist , once great , his kingdom 's near laid waste : the lord will bring him from his seat ; the day comes on in haste . christ's kingdom 's coming on with speed ; the lord alone will reign : he will for aye exalt his seed o'er antichrist and 's train . the woman i have seen return , the wilderness did take ; a place where she did greatly mourn ; and rest she there did take . the springing of her seed i 've seen ; the man child now must sway : ( by'm nations have replenisht been ) for evermore i say . then praises to the heavenly king , when come to pass this shall . oh then do ye rejoyce and sing , ye saints and prophets all : when god shall pour his vengeance great , to cause our enemies fall : then is the day of praises meet for saints both great and small . e. b. this epistle was by e. b. prefixed to a book of fox's , in folio , entituled , the great mystery of the great whore unfolded , published in the year . which , though some of it related to that book ; yet it being b's epistle , and much of it of a more general concernment , it was judged meet to be here inserted , and published with the rest . francis howgil's testimony concerning the life , death , tryals , travels and labours of edward burrough , that worthy prophet of the lord . shall dayes , or months , or years wear out thy name , as though thou hadst had no being ? oh nay ! shall not thy noble and valiant acts , and mighty works which thou hast wrought through the power of him that separated thee from the womb , live in generations to come ? oh yes ! the children that are yet unborn , shall have thee in their mouths , and thy works shall testifie of thee in generations , who yet have not a being , and shall count thee blessed . did thy life go out as the snuff of a candle ? oh nay ! thou hast penetrated the hearts of many , and the memorial of the just shall live for ever , and be had in renown among the children of wisdom for ever ; for thou hast turned many to righteousness , and shall shine as a star of god in the firmament of god's power , for ever and ever ; and they that are in that , shall see thee there , and enjoy thee there , though thou be gone away hence , and can no more be seen in mutability ; yet thy life , and thy spirit shall run parallel with immortality . oh , edward burrough ! i cannot but mourn for thee , yet not as one without hope nor faith , knowing and having a perfect testimony of thy well-being in my heart , by the spirit of the lord ; yet thy absence is great , and years to come shall know the want of thee , shall i not lament as david did for a worse man then thee , even for abner , when in wrath he perished by the hand of ioab , without any just cause , though he was a valiant man ? david lamented over abner , and said , dyed abner as a fool dyeth ? ( oh nay ! he was betrayed of his life ) even so hast thou been bereaved of thy life by the hand of the oppressor , whose habitations , are full of cruelty . oh my soul , come not thou within their secret , for thy blood shall be required at the hands of them who thirsted after thy life ; and it shall cry as abels , who was in the faith ; even so wert thou , it shall weigh as a ponderous milstone upon their necks , and shall crush them under , and be as a worm that gnaweth , and shall not dye : when i think upon thee , i am melted into tears of true sorrow ; and because of the want that the inheritance of the lord hath of thee , my substance is even as dissolved : shall i not say as david said of saul and ionathan , when they were slain in mount gilboa , the beauty of israel is slain upon the high places : even so wast thou stified ; in nasty holes , and prisons , and many more , who were precious in the eyes of the lord : and surely precious wast thou to me , oh dear edward , i am distressed for thee my brother ; very pleasant hast thou been to me , and my love to thee was wonderful , passing the love of women , oh thou whose bow never turned back , neither sword empty from the blood of the slain , from the slaughter of the mighty ; who made nations and multitudes shake with the word of life in thy mouth , and wast very dreadful to the enemies of the lord ; for thou didst cut like a rasor , and yet to the seed of god brought forth ; thy words dropped like oyle , and thy . lips as the honey-comb . thou shalt be recorded among the valiants of israel , who attained to the first degree through the power of the lord , that wrought mightily in thee in thy day , and wast worthy of double honor , because of thy works sake ; thou wast expert to handle thy weapon , and by thee the mighty have fallen , and the slain of the lord have been many ; many have been pricked to the heart through the. power of the word of life ; and coals of fire from thy life came forth of thy mouth , that in many a thicket , and among many bryars and thorns it came to be kindled , and did devour much stubble that cumbered the ground , and stained the earth . oh how certain a sound did thy trumpet give ! and how great an alarum didst thou give in thy day , that made the host of the uncircumcised greatly distressed ! what man so valiant , though as goliah of gath , would not thy valour have encountered with , while many despised thy youth ! and how have i seen thee with thy sling and thy stone ( despised weapons as to war with ) wound the mighty ! and that which hath seemed contemptible to the dragon's party , even as the jaw-bone of an ass ; with it thou hast slain the philistines heaps upon heaps , as sampson . thou hast put thy hand to the hammer of the lord , and hast often fastened nailes in the heads of the lamb's enemies , as deborah did to sisera ; and many a rough stone hast thou polished and squared , and made it fit for the building of god ; and much knotty wood hast thou hewed in thy day , which was not fit for the building of god's house , oh thou prophet of the lord ; and shalt for ever be recorded in the lamb's book of life , among the lord's worthies , who have followed the lamb through great tribulations , as many can witness for thee from the beginning , and at last hath overcome , and found worthy to stand with the lamb upon mount sion , the hill of god , as i have often seen thee , and thy heart well tuned as a harp , to praise the lord , and to sound forth his great salvation , which many a time hath made glad the hearts of them that did believe , and strengthened their faith and hope . well , thou art at rest , and bound up in the bundle of life ; and i know tears were wiped away from thy eyes , because there was no cause of sorrow in thee ; for i know thou witnessed the old things done away , and there was no curse , but blessings were poured upon thy head as rain , and peace as a mighty shower , and trouble was far from thy dwelling , though in the outward man trouble on every side , and hath had a greater share in that , for the gospel sake ( though a youth in thy time ) than many besides : but now thou are freed from that , and hast obtained a name through faith , with the saints in light. well , hadst thou more to give up then thy life for the name of jesus in this world ? nay ; and to seal thy testimony committed unto thee with thy blood , as thou hast often said in thy day , which shall remain as a crown upon thee for ever and ever . and now thou art freed from the temptations of him who had the power of death , and art freed from thy outward enemies , who hated thee because of the life that dwelt in thee , and remaineth at the right hand of god , where there is joy and pleasure for evermore in the everlasting light , which thou hast often testified unto , according to the word of prophesie in thy heart , which was given unto thee by the holy ghost ; and art at rest in the perfection thereof , in the beauty of holiness ; yet thy life and thy spirit i feel as present , and have unity with it , and in it , beyond all created and visible things , which are subject to mutation and change ; and thy life shall enter into others , to testifie unto the same truth , which is from everlasting to everlasting ; for god hath raised , and will raise up children unto abraham , of them that have been as dead stones , whose power is almighty , great in his people in the midst of their enemies . this same edward burroughs was born in the barrony of kendal , in the county of westmoreland , of honest parents , who had a good report among their neighbours for upright and honest dealing among men , who brought up edward in his youth in learning , and good education as the countrey doth afford . he was a very understanding boy in his youth , and his knowledge and understanding did far exceed his years : he had the spirit of a man when he was but a child ; and i may say , grey hairs was upon him when he was but a youth ; for he was cloathed with wisdom in his infancy ; for i had perfect knowledge of him from a youth : he was inclinable from his youth upwards , to religion , and the best way , always minding the best things , and the best and nearest way of worship to the scriptures of truth , and always did accompany the best men , who walked in godliness and honesty , insomuch i have often admired his discreet carriage , and his great understanding of the things of god : he was never known to be addicted to any vice or malignity , or bad behaviour , neither followed any evil course of life from his childhood , but feared the lord , and walked uprightly according to the light and knowledge received in all things . in his natural disposition he was bold and manly , dexterous and servent ; and what he took in hand , he did it with his might ; loving , kind and courteous , merciful and flexible , and easie to be entreated . his whole delight was always among good people ; and to be conferring and reading the scriptures , and little to mind any sports or pastimes , which there is an insidency unto in youth ; but his very strength was bended after god , and was separted ( i may say ) from his mother's womb , and fitting for the work 's sake , whereunto he after was called . and when it pleased the lord to raise up unto us the ancient horn of salvation among us , who were reckoned , in the north part of england , even as the out-casts of israel , and as men destitute of the great knowledge , which some seem'd to enjoy ; yet there was more sincerity and true love amongst us , and desires after the living powerful presence of god , then was among many in that day , who seem'd to make a great flourish ; who ran into heaps and forms , but left the cross behind them , and indeed were strangers to it : god out of his everlasting love did appear unto us , according to the desire of our hearts , who longed after him ; when we had turn'd aside from hireling-shepherds tents , we found him whom our souls loved ; and god , out of his great love , and great mercy , sent one unto us immediately by his power , a man of god , one of ten thousand , to instruct us in the way of god more perfectly ; who laid down the sure foundation , and declared the acceptable year of the lord ; who indeed made the mourners to rejoyce , and the heavy-hearted glad , which yet was terrible to all hypocrites , and all formal profession ; which testimony reached unto all our consciences , and entred into the in-most part of our hearts , which drove us to a narrow search , and to a diligent inquisition concerning our state , which we came to see through the light of christ jesus , which was testified of , and found it to be even what it was testified of ; and the lord of heaven and earth we sound to be near at hand ; and as we waited upon him in pure silence , our minds out of all things , his dreadful power , and glorious majesty , and heavenly presence appear'd in our assemblies , when there was no language , tongue nor speech from any creature , and the kingdom of heaven did gather us , and catch us all , as in a net ; and his heavenly power at one time drew many hundreds to land , that we came to know a place to stand in , and what to wait in ; and the lord appeared daily to us , to our astonishment , amazement , and great admiration , insomuch that we often said one unto another , with great joy of heart , what , is the kingdom of god come to be with men ? and will he take up his tabernacle among the sons of men , as he did of old ? and what shall we , that were reckoned as the out casts of israel , have this honour of glory communicated amongst us , which were but men of small parts , and of little abilities , in respect of many others , as amongst men . howbeit , thus it seemed good unto the lord , to chose the weak things , and the foolish things of this world , as to the aspect of men , that no flesh might glory , that no man because of his parts might glory , or because of his strength or wisdom might glory ; but that the glory which is his , might only be given to him , unto whom be the glory of all his works forever and ever , amen . and from that day forward our hearts were knit unto the lord , and one unto another , in true and servent love ; not by any external covenant , or external form ; but we entred into the covenant of life with god , and that was as a strong obligation or bond upon all our spirits , which united us one unto another ; and we met together in the unity of the spirit , and of the bond of peace ; treading down under our feet all reasoning , questioning , debating and contending about religion , or any part or parts , or practice or practices thereof , as to any external thing : and we waited at time and times , as god did grant us oportunities ; and the more we had and could obtain from our necessary occasions of this present life , the better we were , and the more we were confirmed and strengthened in our hope and faith ; and holy resolutions were kindled in our hearts , as a fire , which the life kindled in us , to serve the lord while we had a beeing ; and to make mention of his name and power whilst we did live ; and to hold forth that testimony which was committed to us , in the sight of men and nations , by doctrine , by practice , by a holy conversation ; and mightily did the word of god grow amongst us ; and the desires of many were after the name of the lord. oh happy day ! oh blessed day ! the memorial of which can never pass out of my mind . and thus the lord , in short , did form us to be a people for his praise in our generation . howbeit , after all this , and much more , which time would fail me to write of ( neither is the purpose of my spirit bent that way at this time ) we did come through very great tribulations , extream distresses , great perplexity ; and passed out oftentimes hungry , and hard put to it , both within and without ; yet such was our love to the lord , and such servency in our hearts , that we rather chosed to dye , and to undergo every difficulty , than to dishonour or deny the name of christ in the midst of suffering , because of that taste that we had of his goodness and immortal life revealed in our hearts ; this young man , of whom i am speaking , had his share , though but a youth at that time , of . or . years of age . because of the i ruth which crossed all the world's wayes , his nearest relations , even his own parents , cast him off , as an alien , and turn'd him out from their house , as not to have any part or portion therein , as a son , nay , not so much as a hired servant ; which this young man bore very patiently , without murmuring or complaining , having a taste of that then which was better then all the world ; and through conversing with his people , and amongst them , the spirit of the lord came upon him , and the spirit of wisdom and understanding entred into his heart , and the spirit of knowledge and sound judgment came to be seated in his reins , and the spirit of prophesie came upon him , like as it did upon many more , through the holy ghost's power and operation ; and he spake of the wonderful things of god among them that believed ; and was one of the first among us which the lord opened the mouth of , to shew forth his praise , and to speak of the things of his kingdom to as many as he met with , who waited for the consolation of israel , for the riches of the gentiles , and to as many as desired and hoped after eternal life . at last the lord signled him out , and commanded him to go forth into countries , unknown to him , as he did some more besides , upon whom he laid a necessity to preach the gospel freely , without money , without price , without tythes , augmentations , gifts or rewards , and in that he was as faithful a man , none exeeeding him in his generation ; for those things were an abhorrency to his heart ; and where he met with any such hireling shepherds , and deceitful workers which had gull'd the nations , and cheated the people for dishonest gain , and kept them in blindness , the indignation of the lord was kindled in his heart , and the sword of the lord was very sharp in his hand ; and whomsoever he met with , which walked after this sort , they were sure to feel the weight of his weapon , and the force of his blow , by which many have been deeply wounded , that they have grinned like dogs on him , as greedy dogs indeed , because of their present wound and blow that he did give them ; and though he was but young in years , yet he was full of fortitude and true valour : the lord oftentimes , when he exercised him in such war as this , hath filled his quiver full of polished shafts , and made his bow to abide in strength , and he was as dextrous and as ready handed , as any that i knew in his day , against the dragon and his power , against the beast and his followers ; and indeed he was very even-handed , and had a special good arm , and seldom mist the mark : god had fill'd his mouth with arguments , so that he hath often made a breach , in the face of an host. and it was my lot ( which i cannot but say fell in a good ground ) to be his companion and fellow-labourer in the work of the gospel , whereunto we were called for many years together : and oh ! when i consider , my heart is broken ; how sweetly we walked together for many moneths and years ! in which we had perfect knowledge of one anothers hearts , and perfect unity of spirit , not so much as one cross word , or one hard thought of discontent ever rose ( i believe ) in either of our hearts , for ten years together ; but our souls were bound up in unity and peace , having the frame of our hearts bent after one and the self same thing , to wit , the propagation of that truth by which liberty was obtained , and salvation received through jesus christ the true light of the world , seeing through his light the whole world to lie in wickedness ; a necessity lay upon this person of whom i am speaking , being constrained by the spirit of the lord , by which he was made an able minister of the everlasting gospel , to preach repentance , conversion , salvation and remission of sins ; and accordingly he went forth in the name and power of the lord jesus , the saviour of mankind , and was an able minister of the glad tidings of salvation , in many , or most parts of this land ; and also he travelled through again and again , the whole nation of ireland ; and in some part of scotland , and some part of flanders ; and his ministry was made effectual , through the almighty power of god , in turning many from darkness to light , and from the power of satan to god ; there are many thousands who are living in the body , and alive in the truth , who can in the spirit of the lord bear testimony to the power and verity of his ministry , in many countreys where he travelled ; for he laboured much in divers places , even in the heat of the day , though he began early in the morning ; and in the beginning of his travels and labours , it was his share to break up rough places , and untilled ground , and to walk amongst many bryars and thorns , which scratched , and pricked , and teared ; and travelled with some other , not without great opposition ; and he often trod the pathes and wayes which had not been occupied in the truth ; and where darkness had the dominion , and was as a covering , he brake through as an armed man , not minding the opposition , but the victory , and the good of all souls ; though to my knowledge his sufferings and tryals have not been small , nor his exercise a little , on the right hand , and on the left ; in travels often , oftentimes buffetted , sometimes knocked down by unreasonable men , who had not faith ; loaded with lyes , slanders , calumnies and reproaches ; often in weakness , yea in deaths often ; in watching , fastings and temptations often ; in straits and necessities ; in perils among rude multitudes ; in perils in idol-temple ; in perils in streets and markets , where the lord did move him often to go in the beginning of his time ; besides the exceeding weight of service from weeks end to weeks end , insomuch that he had seldom many hours of repose ; and often suffered by those spirits who lost their first love , and rose in opposition . he was very diligent and faithful , true hearted and valiant , and the yoke at last came to be easie unto him , though no ease at all in the body , as to the outward man ; for he made the work of the lord his whole business , without taking so much liberty unto himself , or about any outward occasion in this world , as to spend one week to himself ( to my knowledge ) these ten years : he had ventured himself often , for the bodies sake ; and a great care i know was in his heart , that them that he had ministred unto , and others that had believed in the same truth , might thrive and prosper , and might walk as becometh the gospel of jesus christ. he was of a manly spirit in the things of god ; he hath engaged himself often upon the lords account singly in great disputes , when there were many opposers ; he hath stood in the door , and in the gap , against all his enemies , for the worthy name of god , and taken the whole weight of things upon his own shoulders , that others might be eased , though often to the weakening , and almost destroying of the outward man ; yet doing all in love to the lord , and for his peoples sake : he did it with cheerfulness , and it was a grief to him if any opportunity was missed of doing good : he was a man of no great learning in natural tongues , which men so much applaud ; yet indeed his heart was full of matter , and his tongue was as the hand of a ready scribe ; and yet he had the tongue of the learned , having had experiment of the work of the lord , and being acquainted with many conditions which god had carried him through , he could speak a word in season unto all who declared their conditions unto him ; or otherways in his publick ministry he was very plausible and elegant in his speech , and indeed had the tongue of a learned orator to declare himself to the understandings and consciences of all men with whom he conversed , by which many received great profit , and their understandings came to be opened ; for his words ministred grace to the hearers , and his words were forcible and very pleasant , as apples of gold in pictures of silver . this young man of whom i am speaking , was one of the first ( with some others ) who came to the city of london , where he met with no small opposition both from professors of divers forms , and also prophane , who heeded no religion at all ; and the way of truth seemed contemptible , and without form or comeliness to them all ; which made the opposition so great , and the labour so hard , that notwithstanding it pleased the lord to reach unto the consciences of many , and many were prickt to the heart , so that they cryed out , what shall we do to be saved ? and god made his ministry very effectual to the conversion of many in the city of london , whereby a great change was wrought in the hearts of many , and many hundreds brought to know the lord their teacher , which are as seals unto the word of life through him unto this day . and many hundreds , i may say thousands , heard the lively word of god declared by him , and were convinced of the way of truth , though still remaining in the disobedience to that of god in their own hearts unto which he declared ; and many have lost their day which they had of hearing and receiving the things of god ; for now he is taken away which might have been a help unto them while they had time ; and all such are not worthy of him . he continued in this city very much at time and times , betwixt eight and nine years together , preaching the word of god , and speaking of the things of his kingdom to all that looked after it ; and great watching , travel , and exercise in the work of the lord ; and his earnest desire was , that all might have come to know god's salvation , and the redemption of their souls . and his great diligence was known unto many , that his only rejoycing was in the prosperity of the work of the lord , and the increase of faith amongst them that did believe : and his heart was much drawn towards this city , and oftentimes hath he said to me when sufferings did come for the gospel sake , which he knew would come , i can freely go to that city , and lay down my life for a testimony of that truth which i have declared through the power and spirit of god : which in the end indeed came to be his share , and will for ever be his crown , who loved not his life unto death for the testimony of our lord jesus christ. and in the same year , being pressed in his spirit to go visit them who were begotten unto the faith of god's elect at the city of bristol , and in divers other counties , at divers meetings , and divers particular friends , he took his leave of them , saying to very many , that he did not know he should see their faces any more ; exhorting them all to faithfulness and stedfastness in that wherein they had found rest for their souls : and said to some , i am going up to the city of london again , to lay down my life for the gospel , and suffer amongst friends in that place ; as having some sence of his suffering before . and a little after his return to the city , at a publick meeting , which the people of the lord have kept these many years , to hear and speak of the things of god to edification , at the bull and mouth near aldersgate , by certain souldiers , under the command of richard brown , then general of the city of london , he was violently plucked down , and haled away in a barbarous manner , and carried to the guard , and so committed to newgate ; not for evil-doing , but for testifying unto the name of the lord jesus , and for the worship of god ; as though this were become a great crime , worthy of bonds , and ( at last ) death : he was had to the sessions in the old-baily , and his accusers were witnesses against him , and them that had abused him violently , their testimony was received as good proof against him : and at last , after two or three sessions , he was fined by the court one hundred marks , which at last was reduced to twenty marks , and to lie in prison while payment ; where he continued a pretty long season , about eight moneths , with six or seven score prisoners besides , upon the same account ; many being shut up among the fellons , in nasty places ; and for want of prison-room , the natures of many were suffocated , and corrupted ; till at last many grew weak , sickened and dyed . at last this same young man grew weak ; and though a special order from the king was sent to the then sheriffs of london , for the release of him , and the rest that were left in prison ; yet such was the emnity of some of the rulers of the city , that they did what in them lay to obstruct the execution of the order , that he should not be released : and so weakness grew upon him daily , though in much patience he was carried through all . in the time of his weakness he was very fervent in prayer ( and that often , both day and night ) unto the lord , as concerning himself , and also his people ; and at several times he spoke several precious words from the sensible feeling of god's spirit in his heart , and said , i have had the testimony of the lord's love unto me from my youth , and my heart hath been given up to do thy will : and he said , i have preached the gospel freely in this city , and have often given up my life for the gospel's sake ; and now lord rip open my heart , and see if it he not right before thee . another time he said , when he had a little ease , there is no iniquity lies at my door ; but the presence of the lord is with me , and his life i feel justifie me . another day afterwards he said , thou hast loved me when i was in the womb ; and i have loved thee from my cradle , and from my youth unto this day , and have served thee faithfully in my generation : and he spoke to friends that were about him , to live in love and peace , and love one another . and at another time he said , the lord taketh the righteous from the evil to come : and he prayed for his enemies , and for his persecutors , and said , lord forgive richard brown ; he may be forgiven . and though the distemper and the disease was violently upon him , yet he was preserved sensible . and in the morning before he departed this life , being sensible of his dea●h , he said , now my soul and spirit is centred into its own beeing with god ; and this form of person must return from whence it was taken : and after a little season he gave up the ghost and died a priso●er , and shall be recorded , and is in the lambs book of life , as a martyr for the word of god , and the testimony of jesus , for which onely he suffered , and gave up his life , whose death was pretious in the eyes of the lord. but now he ever liveth with god , and his work follow him , and his labours shall testifie of him in generations to come ; and thousands beside my self can bear witness , his life and death was to the praise , honour and glory of the grace of god ; unto whom be the glory of all his works for ever , amen . and oh thou city of london ! who hast been a professing city of the name of god , and christianity so many years , must it be said of thee as christ said of jerusalem , that a prophet cannot perish out of thee : oh , how many warnings hast thou had ! and how dost thou remain in obdurateness and impenitency ! oh , thou art not worthy of those heavenly tydings of salvation which hath been proclaimed in the midst of thee , these many years , by this faithful messenger of god deceased , with many more , who is taken away in judgment unto thee , because many of thy inhabitants despised and set at nought that in which the blessedness of all nations consisteth . oh how is thy gold become dim ! and how is thy glory stained ! how is thy countenance marred ! how is all thy profession became dead , and like a withered tree without sap ! the symptomes of death are upon thee ; your sun is set , your glory is passed away ; night is coming , and darkness is surrounding you , and you shall have enough of darkness , and your paths and ways shall be filled with it , because you have hated the light , and would not have him who is the light of the world , to rule in your hearts ; but have chused darkness rather then light , because your deeds are evil , and in the end thou shalt be made to see , you have chosen lying vanities , and have taken pleasure in the flesh , and have forsaken your own mercies . repent , repent ( if any can find a place ) while it is called to day , lest you be shut up in everlasting darkness , and truth be hid from your eyes for ever . ●ake warning , cease from persecution and afflicting the lord's people , who desire to live quietly and peaceably , and to worship god in truth and righteousness , with a pure heart : it is too too much that you have done already ; the suffering and death of many innocent righteous men , who have suffered these winters past , will lie as a load upon your city in summers to come ; remember what god did to amaleck , the first of the nations , and to moab when israel would have passed to their own land and countrey , that god had promised them , and have eaten their own bread , and drank their water , and have passed on peaceably ; but they rose up and fell upon the poor , and upon the hindmost and weak ; god was glad to force his way , though it proved the ruin of amaleck , and the misery of moab . we would glad walk on our way to the promised land which belongs to the saints in light ; we would eat our own bread , and drink our water , and what we needed , and keep our consciences clear ( in our generation we must ) to that which god hath promised ; and if we cannot have away , god will make one for us ; and that you that set your selves against the lord , in the end shall be sure to know and feel , though we shall never lift up carnal weapon , nor draw sword , neither use bow nor spear ; for god hath taught us to love our enemies ; and out of these things we are come , and to the end of wars , and to be for it ; yet god's purpose shall be fulfilled , and he hath wayes enough to plead the cause of his people , and he will do it , and wo to all their enemies . and do you cry out of popery because of cruelty and persecution ? and will you be found in the same foot-steps , and in the same nature ? oh! let it never be said nor thought , that ever the church of god or true christians did drink the blood of the saints , or cast them into prison ; for that is babylon the mother of harlots , that doth so . therefore be informed and warned ; set not bryars and thorns in battel against the lord , neither stubble before devouring fire ; for if you do , a consumption will come upon you , and your name and memorial shall rot , dye , wither , and melt away , as snailes ; and glory shall rest with , and upon the heads of the sufferers of christ for ever . reading the . of the . moneth . by one who hath chosen rather to suffer with the people of god called quakers , then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season , or to be reckoned as a prince amongst the uncircumcised , francis howgil . george whitehead his testimony and account concerning edward burroughs and as for e. b. our dear brother , and companion in travel , suffering and consolation for the everlasting gospel's sake in his day , his testimony lives with us : he was a preacher of righteousness , and one who travelled for the redemption of the creature from under the bondage of corruption , and proclaimed liberty to the captives , in the power and authority of god , and therein was a true witness against oppression , and all the antichristian yokes imposed in the night of apostacy upon the persons and consciences of people ; and truly and valiantly he held sorth the liberty of conscience , and vindicated it to the great men of the earth , in things appertaining to god in matters of religion and worship , against the persecution and compulsion ( which had its original and rise from the power of the beast , which hath made war against the righteous seed ) that men might be left free to the guidance of the infallible spirit of god ( which is not to be limitted ) in these matters , and not be compelled nor brought under the corrupt wills of men , nor their failible judgements nor invented forms in these cases : and the name of this minister of righteousness is written in the lambs book of life ; and all the enemies of his life can never be able to blot it out , nor extinguish his memorial . oh! the remembrance of his integrity , uprightness and sincerity , hath deep impression upon my heart ; and that tender love and affection in god's truth which he was filled with towards all the upright , ( who are lovers of peace and unity in the lord ) is never to be forgotten by us who are yet remaining in the work of the lord , and the everlasting gospel , for which he hath left a glorious testimony , the glory of which shall never be extinguished , but thousands shall praise the lord our god because thereof ; yea , even the seed that 's yet in the lower parts of the earth ( where darkness covers it ) and the child that 's yet unborn in many , that 's curiously framed in the mothers womb , whose members are written in the book of god , shall glorifie the lord on his behalf . and this testimony many have already concerning him , that though his body is dead , his spirit liveth in the immortallity of that life that is immutable , and shall never die , not wax old , and is felt among the righteous , who walk in their integrety and constancy to the lord. and this faithfull servant of the lord , and valiant souldier of the lamb ( as in his day was evidently apparent ) as to live to him was christ , and to die was gain : and though in his time many were the s●fferings and afflictions which his life went under , and his upright spirit suffered by , both from his open enemies , and persecutors in the world ( because of the valour and courage for the truth of god ) and from deceitfull and transforming exalted spirits , which burthen the holy seed ; but now his life is caught up above them all ( and is out of their reach ) in the transcendent and unspeakable glory , in the everlasting habitation and firmament of god's power , where he hath shined ( and doth shine among the stars , that have kept their habitations , as one that hath turned many to righteousness , and that hath overcome by the blood of the lamb , and the word of his testimony , with those holy prophets and martyrs who rejoyce over babylon and her abominations ( in whom their blood is found ) and against whom he was a faithfull witness , and valiant warrier , whose living and absolute testimony therein god hath blessed , made prosperous , and will fulfil to the uttermost . and though he be ceased from his labours , his works do follow him , which will be had in living remembrance , and precious esteem among the upright , when his persecutors shall be broken and laid low in the desolation and ruin of babylon ; and all that continue in enmity and deceit , and all the deceitfull spirits that have burdened his righteous soul , shall fall , and their blossom wither and come to nought . and if any of his persecutors or oppressors be yet so impenitent and obdurate , as to triumph , and be elevated in an exalted or prejudiced spirit , because of his death , and in their exaltation and pride of heart say , he was taken away in judgment , or in wrath. to such in gods fear i answer , that thousands of the servants of the lord are of another perswasion , not questioning but it was in god's tender love ( as to his own particular ) that he was removed out of the earthen vessel , in which he , ( though a man as in the prime of his years ) endured great travels in his time for the truth 's sake , and the gathering of many into the way of the lord , and in which his travel was the greater ( when the time of his dissolution drew near ) to be dissolved , because of his sufferings , ( and the extremity of his sickness occasioned thereby ) which many others were pertakers of , who suffered persecution and imprisonment by unreasonable men in this city of london , for the cause of god and a good conscience , as chiefly for their meeting together singly in the worship of god. but this i testifie in the lord , as in him i have felt , that his being removed , was in judgment from the lord against his persecutors , who desired and sought his destruction ; and what they have done against him , hath greatly added to the fulfilling of their iniquities , that the blood of the righteous , which cries for vengeance , may be avenged to the utmost upon them , who would not suffer the righteous to have a beeing amongst men , nor lay to heart their being taken away from the evil to come . and they who , in a byast or prejudiced spirit of enmity , are listed up because of his decease , they were not worthy of him , nor of his testimony ; and they have cause to mourn and lament amongst those that have pierced the just , and slighted and despised the messengers of truth and righteousneds , whom god hath therein honoured : and god will debase such and their vainglory unto the dust , and exalt the testimony and life of his faithful witnesses over all their heads . but we , who have been well acquainted with the deep suffering of the righteous seed , and with the worth of true unity , in the weighty body and spirit of christ , and therein do behold the glory and compleatness of the city of our god , which is at peace within it self , cannot but prize the ministers of righteousness , and every member of the same body ; and oh how blessed and precious is the memorial of the righteous in our eyes ! and how deeply is my soul affected with that comfortable communion , and those many and living refreshments that we have enjoyed one with another , even with him and others , who have finished their course ! well , however in this i am satisfied , that though we be left in travel , and our dayes have been dayes of affliction and suffering , for christ and the gospel's sake ( as in the world ) yet in him , whom the prince of this world hath nothing in , we have peace ; being come into communion with the spirits of just men , who are the family of god , written in heaven , and called by one name both in heaven and earth ; and the god of life is their portion , and his glory is the rereward of his called , and chosen , and faithful ones , who have dealt their bread to the hungry , and brought the poor to their house , even to the habitation of the righteous , where the living bread is received , and the heavenly mansions lived in , and enjoyed by all who abide in the truth , and retain their first love and habitation therein , in which true fellowship is enjoyed , and the prosperity of the elect seed known . blessed be the name of our god forever and ever . london , the th day of the st moneth , . george whitehead josiah coale his testimony concerning the servant of the lord , and minister of jesus christ , edward burroughs friends , a necessity is upon me , and i am even constrained and pressed in my spirit to bring in and give my testimony concerning my beloved brother before mentioned , that it may remain and stand upon record for ages and generations to come . and this first i say and declare unto all people unto whom this shall come , that he was a man endued with the almighty power of god , which lived and reigned in him ; and the treasury of pure , divine , heavenly wisdom was opened in him , &c. and understanding ( in the things that relate unto god's kingdom of peace and righteousness , and in the things that concern the everlasting peace and well-being of all mankind ) was plentifully manifested unto him by the good spirit of god , which ( i may say ) he had received in a plentifull measure : and this many can testifie unto , and his own writings which remain upon record , will in a large measure manifest the truth thereof . and this spirit dwelt plentifully in him ; so that thereby he was able to instruct many in the way of life , peace and true holiness ; and if any were afflicted in spirit or mind , by reason of the wiles of the enemy of their souls , or if they met with any difficulty in their journey , as they passed from death to life , he was a man able ( through the large experience that he had of the dealings of the lord , and also of the wiles of satan , having followed the lamb in the regeneration ) to administer a word in season to their refreshment and comfort , and for their establishment in the most precious holy faith ; and this i know the witness of god in thousands must and shall testifie unto , who are the seal of his ministry . and moreover he was a man that was able ( through the wisdom and blessed gift of god that was in him ) to convince and stop the mouths of all gain-sayers of the truth , which he ( with us ) professed and lived in . and it is well known to many , that he was never backward , but alwayes ready and willing to appear in a way of publick conference , as in vindication of ( and against any that should oppose ) the blessed truth of god which he held and professed ; and also to manifest the grounds and reasons wherefore we deny ( and dissent from ) the national priests of the world , ( and their traditional ways of worship ) and the hypocritical professors thereof , who have not the life and substance of what they profess in words . and these things ( it is well known unto many ) he was oft exercised in ; and he did not go about in corners , nor creep into dark places , hiddenly nor secretly , but preached the truth of god , and doctrine of our lord jesus christ boldly and openly , even upon the house-top ; and his valour for god's truth on earth , was well known unto many ; and his voice was as the found or ratling of the charriots of god's host upon the tops of the mountains , and was oft uttered sorth in the name of the lord , even like thunder , and the voice of the son of god was uttered forth through him , by which the dead was raised : the witnesses are now alive , let them bring in their testimony , that the truth hereof may be confirmed . his doctrine dropped as the oyl of joy upon the spirits of the mourners in sion : his life extended it self as a sweet stream into the hearts of the children of light that thirsted after righteousness : he was one of the cloud of witnesses , that dropped down the dew upon the tender plants of god : he pleaded the cause of the innocent suffering seed , and earnestly contended with the powers of the earth of all sorts , in the behalf , and for the freedom of the suffering people of god : he fore-prophesied unto them that were in authority in the dayes past , of their destruction , and of their overthrow , because of their deceitfulness to god , and their false and cruel , treacherous and merciless dealings towards his people ; who had made many fair promises both to god and man in the time of their adversity , that they would grant free liberty of conscience in things relating to the worship of god , and that oppression should be removed , and the like ; but in the time of their prosperity , when they were waxen fat , and grown great , and lived at ease , and in pleasures , then they forgot god , and regarded not to perform their engagements neither to god nor his people ; for which cause the lord cut them off in his sore displeasure , and brought an utter desolation upon them , according to the words of his servants ; and this prophet of god lived to see their desolation come , ( which was sad to behold ) and his prophesies were fulfilled in his own dayes . and he also warned the present rulers of this nation , to take heed of walking in the steps of them that are gone before ; and for these things , and for the publishing of the truth of god , and for bearing his testimony with boldness against all oppression and cruelty , he was hated of the men of this generation , but chiefly by some of the rulers of the city of london : he sealed his testimony with his life in bonds ; and so they have wilfully brought innocent blood upon themselves ; and heavy will it lie upon them in the day of account ( which greatly hastens ) wherein the lord god will make inquisition for the blood of the innocent , and reward every man according to his deeds ; then will his blood be upon you as the blood of a thousand men ; and how will you bear your sentence from the lord of hosts ; because you will be found guilty of the blood of his prophets , messengers and servants , which he sent unto you in love to your souls , to fore-warn you of the evil which greatly hastens to come upon you : yet notwithstanding you have done all these things , and the cry of innocent blood hath been heard so loud amongst you , yet have you hardened your hearts , and go on in stiff-neckedness , and persist in your cruelty towards the servants of the lord that are left behind , and are found casting them into prison : oh , wo is me for you ! where will a place be found for you in the day of the lord ? or what covering will you hide your selves under ? or how will you appear before the righteous god of heaven and earth ? have you no consideration in you of your latter end ? or else do you believe that the lord sees not your cruelty towards his people , that you will not answer his requirings , which is to do justly , and love mercy , and walk humbly with the lord , and to do unto all men as you would they should do unto you ? surely if the consideration of these things were in your hearts , or if you had any regard to keep your consciences clear in the sight of god herein , you could never do as you have done . wherefore consider these things , and lay them to heart , and repent speedily , lest you sin your day away , and place of repentance there cannot be found : for this i tell you plainly , that it is in vain for you to strive against the lord , or to seek to stop or hinder his work which he hath begun ; for he will be too strong for you , and he will make you bow and bend to his own name and power , whether you will or no. and though he bear with you long , and suffer you long , yet his long-suffering will come to an end ; and though you should be permitted to fulfill your envious wills and lustfull desires so far as to banish , or kill , or destroy us from off the earth ; yea , all of us who are now in being , ( which i do not believe ever shall be ) yet would god raise up another people by the same power and spirit in and by which we stand , which should be a terror unto you ; and should possess god's everlasting kingdom ( which is not of this world ) over your heads . and in the time of his outward weakness he was heard to say , that though this body of clay must return to the dust , yet i have this testimony , that i have served god in my generation , and that spirit which hath lived , and acted , and ruled in me , shall yet break forth in thousands ; and my faith is , that it shall be even so ; for we have found him a true prophet amongst us , and to the nations . and this also near his departure he was heard to desire of the lord , that if it were possible , to forgive brown , &c. and so let all friends be encouraged to wait upon the lord in the feeling of the same spirit that was in him , ( which we know is the saints comforter ) that thereby you may be carried through all tribulations and persecutions with chearfulness , that in the end you may all receive the crown of everlasting righteousness with him and the rest of the saints of the most high god , and holy prophets and apostles of our lord jesus christ. and so the lord god almighty of heaven and earth be with you all , and keep you all in faithfulness unto the end , amen . and this is my testimony for that man of god , who hath been a blessing to the lord in his generation , and also to this nation : and in this i have eased my spirit , and am clear in my conscience in the sight of god , having done that which was my duty to do . josiah coale . a testimony of george fox concerning edward burroughs his name is chronicled in the lamb's book of life , a righteous plant , pure , chaste , clean : who can tax him for oppressing them , or burdening them , or being chargeable to them ? who through the suffering hath finished his course , and testimony ; who is now crowned with the crown of life , and reigns with the lord christ forever and ever . and in his ministry in his life-time he went through sufferings by bad spirits ; who never turn'd his back on the truth , nor his back from any out of the truth : a valiant warrior , more then a conqueror ; who hath got the crown through death and sufferings ; who is dead , but yet liveth amongst us , and amongst us is alive . george fox . a warning from the lord to the inhabitants of underbarrow , and so to all the inhabitants in england , where it shall meet with them , who holds up the false teachers , and false worship , and who beat , stock , stone and persecute , and hale out of their assemblies those who are sent by the lord to speak his word freely : with an exhortation that they haste to meet the lord by true repentance , by putting off the works of darkness , lest the lord cut them assunder by his sword , which is already drawn and put into the hands of his servants . also a word to my brethren and companions in tribulation in the kingdom and patience of jesus christ , who are by the world scornfully called quakers . with the manner of my passage through the dark world , ( wherein the simple ones may see the deceits of the man of sin in his actings like the true spirit ) to warn all to follow the true light within , which leads unto god , and to beware of the voice , lo here , and lo there . to all you the inhabitants of underbarrow , ( profane ones and professors ) you my neighbours and country men according to the flesh , ( but strangers as in the spirit ) to you all who are in the customary , formal , traditional worship of heathen , and under the barren , dry , and empty ministry of man , which stands in the will of man , and have proceeded out of the carnal inventions and imaginations of fallen man , and is not according to god , nor to the practice of the saints in former ages and generations : to you all do i clear my conscience in the presence of god , by declaring to you in writing , being that i cannot have freedom ( through the subtilty of the serpent , who doth work alwayes to prevent the living truth to be declared , and the deceits of himself to be discovered and made manifest ) to declare in word among you : i have been sent by the lord , moved of him to come , and to declare to you the word of the lord , to the directing of your minds where to wait to attain the true knowledge of the lord , and to that one thing needful , the eternal welfare of your souls ; and to lay open the deceits of the serpent , who doth work in the cursed deceitful ministry , which is upheld by you , whereby your souls are kept in the death , and only your dark minds fed and nourished by the painted and serpent-like expressions and declarations , coming out of the carnal wisdom and brain knowledge of your hireling , who walks in the way of the false prophets of israel , which the true prophet called greedy dumb dogs : four several times hath the lord by his eternal spirit working in me , moved me to come into the congregation and assembly , he himself is the witness that i came not of man , nor by the will of man , but contrary to the will and desires of man , wherein stands the true ministry of god , now as it was ever , the true prophets , ieremiah and ionah witnessed the same , and the apostle paul , and as it is known to you unto whom i speak , that i could not have liberty to declare to you the truth from god , who came not to you with entising words , neither what i had gathered out of scripture from without me , neither to speak my own imaginations and conceivings , as your false hireling doth , but to declare the word of the lord , to the convincing your dark understandings , that you might see the deceits by which you are , and have been led , that your souls might have been redeemed up to god , out of the imagined worships of the world , to worship in spirit and in truth : hear ye the word of the lord ye people , all your carnal traditional ordinances and observances is abomination to the lord , all your praying and praising is odious in his sight , for all your worship is an imitation and an imagination of the dark mind of man , and was never commanded by god ; therefore consider all ye people what you are doing , and reject not the lord , nor his everlasting truth , but prize your time , and now seek the lord while he may be found , and call upon his name while he is near : your souls are kept in the death under your dead minister , and under his dead doctrines , dead reasons , points and uses , which he speakes from the saints conditions and experiences , but is an enemy to the substance , and to them in whom the same conditions are made manifest in the power of truth , and he doth make manifest himself to be in the same generation of them , who had the form of godliness , but denies the power ; having the letter as the pharisees had , but persecuting the substance as they did : all people consider whether he be not in the generation professing god and truth in word as the scribes and pharisees were , but persecuting the son of god , who is the substance of truth , where he is born and made manifest ; he is in the generation of them who professed abraham's freedom , and that god was their father , but were of their father the devil ; for his workes they did ; they said , and did not , as he doth , as it is made manifest , he is a whited wall , a painted sepulcher , which christ the son of god cryed wo against , who was and is the light , by which all deceivers , hirelings and false teachers are discovered , and cryed out against : the light which is christ do i witness to be made manifest in me from god the father of light , daily leading me up to him , to live in purity and uprightness , praises be to him for ever , in which light i see your teacher to be a hireling , a greedy dumb dog , seeking for his gain from his quarter , one that god never sent , but hath run and was not sent , therefore doth he not profit you at all : and from this light , which is christ , do i declare against him , as knowing him that he hath not the word of the lord , but the letter : freely do i declare against him , as knowing him to be a deceiver , and an antichrist , being once i was deceived by him , but now through the rich love of my father , who hath made himself known to me , & hath shined by his eternal light in my heart , do i see him and all such to be antichrist , and no minister of christ ; from the mouth of the lord i do declare it , that you are led blindly by him ; your blind guide and you are ever learning , and never able to come to the knowledge of the living truth by his ministry : he layes heavy burdens upon you : he is in the generation of them who had the law and prophets , but persecuted him who came to fulfil the law , and who hath the substance of the prophets : he hath the conditions and experiences of the saints in the letter , but who are brought to witness the same conditions and the same strait way in which they walked : he is an enemy to all people , to you from god i do declare it , he is one that god never sent to speak his word to you , he calls good evil , and evil good ; and puts light for darkness , and darkness for light ; and therefore wo is his portion , and wo is the portion of all that upholds him : what will ye do in the end thereof ? he doth bewitch you to observe , that calling is an ordinance of god , which he never commanded : poor people ! your souls lies in the death under the power of darkness and corruption , under your dead minister , and under his dead carnal observances ; and your dark minds , your wit and reason is only fed , and so the enemies of the lord are strengthned by him , and you remain in ignorance and in blindness , and cannot attain the true riches ; for christ only is the way to the father , the light in every man which leads to the father ; but this light he denies as having enlightened every one that comes into the world , as several times he hath done to me in argument : here he makes christ a lyar , and doth not know the first principle of religion , nor the light which leads unto god , but is a heathen , and knows not god ; for this is the light which all the servants of god in all generations witnessed , and which light we do now witness , praised be the lord for evermore , who hath in his light led us to himself , and hath shewed the deceits of him to us , and of all such as he is ; he is in the generation shutting the kingdom of heaven against men , neither entring himself , nor suffers others to enter that are entring : through the power of the lord made manifest , am i bold to declare against him , who walks not in the doctrine of christ , and therefore is an antichrist , and doth deceive you , professing himself to be sent of god , and walking contrary to the truth of god ; a hypocrite , saying , and not doing : ye my country men , be not deceived by him , try him by the scriptures , & see how he walks according to the declaration , as they did who were ministers of christ , not by the will of man ; but his ministry is by man , and according to man , and had his call from man , as it is known to you all ; but they who were true ministers witnessed the contrary , neither received they their gospel from man , but by the revelation of jesus . the true ministers of christ , sent sorth by christ , witness now the same thing , for christ is the same that ever he was , which is now made manifest in the saints , and his ministry is the same , which is not by man , but contrary to man ; be not deceived , god will not be mocked , for he is terrible , and his day is powerful and dreadful , that shall come upon the heathen , and upon the workers of iniquity , and upon all dissemblers and hypocrites , all your carnal worship , and ordinances , and observances , is but mocking of god , and dissembling with him , and is but an imitation & an imagination of the mind of fallen man , imitated by you and your minister , droven by the imaginations from the true worship of god , which the saints in former generations was exercised in , who were led , not by imagination , as you are , but by the spirit of god , as all the servants of god are : now as ever was , true baptism i own , which is by the holy ghost and with fire , and the baptism with one spirit into one body do we witness ; but that which your chief priest and false hireling holds up , i deny it ; it is not of god , but is an imitation , and is abomination in the sight of god ; and therefore from god do i declare against it , and against your hireling that upholds it among you . true communion of saints i own , for we have union , and the bread which we break is the body of christ ; and the cup which we drink is the blood of christ , by which we are nourished and fed up to eternal life ; for he that eats not christ's flesh , and drink his blood , he hath no life in him ; he among you that can receive it let him , but your communion i deny , for it is heathenish , and no more but an imitation , having proceeded out of the imagination of the proud : your breaking of bread and drinking of the cup , is abomination ; and god never commanded it , and this doth your pharisee uphold , sitting in the seat of christ , and of the saints , as the pharisees did in mose's seat , saying , and not doing : true singing i own , with the spirit and with understanding , singing in the spirit , making melody in the heart to the lord , this singing was and is among the saints in the church of christ , this is well pleasing to god , for it is not an imitation , nor by tradition , as your singing is , but it is true sacrifice , the song of the redeemed ones , which none can learn but the redeemed ones of the lord , who is come and coming to zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads ; but your singing is carnal , traditional , and heathenish , and is an imitation , and is not with the spirit of jesus ; but with the spirit of the world , with the spirit of drunkards , swearers , lyars , mockers , scorners , coveteous ones , with the spirit of wrath , envy , malice , with the spirit of cain , with the spirit of the scribes and pharisees , and chief priests , who persecuted the saints which sang in truth in former generations , and now the deceit is turned into the form of singing , and they that live there persecutes them that sings in the power ; for thus it was ever , they that lived in profession of the word outwardly , persecuted them that lived in the power of which was professed , and there you and your hireling is ; but know , that the lord will take an account of you , and give unto every man his reward according to his deeds : you and your priest have got the form of baptism , of the communion , of singing , and of a church ; but the power and substance of these ordinances you know not , for they are hid from all vulturous eyes , and from the generation of the pharisees , and serpents , who are called of men master , and which have the chief place in the assemblies , as your hireling hath , and who is called of men master , as they were which christ cryed wo against : true preaching of jesus christ crucified we own , and do witness , for the preaching is out of the will of man , out of form and custom , and is foolishness to the wisdom of the world ; now , as it was ever , this is not with the inticing words of mans wisdom , but in the demonstration of the spirit , and of power , and the preaching of the word of faith , which is nigh thee in thy mouth and in thy heart , that preaching we do own , for faith comes by the hearing of this word preached : and the prayer with the spirit of truth we do own , for that is not in word to be seen of men , but led to that , not by custom , form , and tradition , but by the eternal spirit , which proceeds from god , which hath free recourse to god , which god heareth and doth accept ; for their iniquity is purged out of the heart , and is not regarded , for he that regards iniquity in his heart , god will not hear his prayer ; but the preaching and praying of your hireling i do deny , for they are abomination to the lord , for his preaching leads from god , stands in his own will , in his own time , in form , custom and tradition , and your souls are not refreshed by it , neither is true faith known among you , for how can he being evil speak good things ? a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit , said he , who cryed wo unto them that said , and did not , in which generation he is ; how can he teach and direct towards true religion ? being he denies the corner stone , the first principle of religion which is the foundation , which no other can any lay , the light of god , which hath enlightened every one that comes into the world , which he denies to have enlightened every one : poor people ! i do pitty your souls ( god is my witness ) to see you lie in darkness , in ignorance , and blindness , and in deadness , under your dead hireling , and under his dead traditional preaching ; your wisdom , reason , and dark minds is only fed and strengthned by his preaching , and you all are but building upon the sand , hearing but not doing , and we , who have suffered the loss , and have witnessed the destruction of that building , do now declare freely against it where it is standing , for we know the depth , height , and breadth of all your profession , and of all your carnal worship , and observances ; and the word of god is as a fire , which will burn up , and as a hammer , which will beat down all your imagined worships and carnal ordinances : and his praying is abomination to the lord , for it is as theirs was which the son of god cryed wo against , which stood praying in the synagogues , and which made long prayers , and the praying of all such we do deny , for their prayers is as the scribes and pharisees was , who were called of men masters , as they are now , and who were sayers and not doers , as your hireling is ; therefore all you people consider , and diligently weigh these things : if i declare unto you the truth , own it without respect of persons ; if i speak a lye , let me be accounted as accursed for ever ; and all you simple ones , who are seeking the living among the dead , who are in the simplicity , seeking after the truth , and yet are bewitched to observe that which god never commanded , and to seek god in that way which he was never found in , for christ alone is the way to the father , and he is but one from generation to generation , in all generations ; for your sakes do i lay open the deceits of your hireling and chief priest , who is in the way of balaam , following the wages of unrighteousness , and do advise you as from the mouth of the lord , to cease from man , whose breath is in his nostrils , and to cease from all your customary carnal observances , which god never commanded , but is only an imitation and an imagination ; your souls are kept in death , under the power of corruption , pride , drunkenness , coveteousness , oppression , and earthly-mindedness , wontonness , and the lustful nature ruling is head in you , and among you are that generation that draws neer god with their mouths , but your hearts goes after covetousness , and are far from the lord ; ye worship an unknown god , and are persecutors of the true god , and of his servants , as ever it was in all generations by priest and people , as it is now with you and your priest , they that professed truth in word , persecuted them that witnessed the power , the horrible filthy thing is committed among you , and you love to have it so , but what will you do in the end thereof ? you are in the generation of your fore-fathers , who spoke good of the false prophets , but persecuted the true prophets ; so it is now among you , he that hath the word of the lord from the mouth of the lord to declare unto you , him you revile , and mock and scorn , and persecute , but he that speaks the imaginations of his own heart from the saints conditions , him you own and hear , and here you shew your selves to be them which christ spoke of which would receive them that come in their own name , but will not receive him that cometh in the name of his father : repent , and turn to the lord , lest his judgments come upon you and destroy you with an utter destruction ; the day of the lord is terrible and dreadful , which will come upon the wicked , and upon all the workers of iniquity : be ashamed ye heathens , you maintainers of the greedy dumb dogs , and upholders of the horrible filthy thing , the persecutors of the righteous seed , the contemners of the just , the generation of serpents , who cryes , let barrabas go free ; ye generation of hypocrites , who professes god , but persecutes the son of god where he is made manifest , of this generation in which you are shall all the righteous blood-shed be required even from abel ? repent , and cease from all your former wayes and doings , from pride , drunkenness , coveteousness , and oppression , from lying , swearing , from mirth , and wontonness , and vain pleasures , for the day of the lord cometh that shall burn as an oven , and the proud , and all that do wickedly shall be as stubble , fully dry , for the lord will be avenged of his enemies , and render vengeance in flames of fire upon all that know not god , and that obeys not the gospel of our lord jesus christ : who can stand when he appears ? who can dwell with everlasting burnings ? even he that doth righteously , and that is purged from iniquity : but then wo unto you all hypocrites and professors , and to the wicked and prophane ones , ye shall all partake of the righteous judgment , and drink of the cup of the lords fury and indignation , for your iniquities are seen , and your transgressions are not covered from the lord ; all your profession will not hide you from the presence of the lamb , for in your sacrifices are found deceit , and in your offerings lodges iniquity , the mouth of the lord hath spoken it ; therefore be ashamed of all your profession , and of all your glorious carnal ordinances ; for the lord is coming to uncover you , and to make you and your profain hireling manifest , for god is pure and holy , and no iniquity dwells with him , nor none that works wickedness , therefore stop thy mouth thou hireling , who preacheth for hire , and divines for money ; and leans upon the lord , and useth thy tongue , and saith , he saith it , when the lord never spoke to thee : thou art in the generation of the scribes and pharisees ; and be ashamed ye upholders of him , for now every tree that brings not forth good fruit , must be hewen down , the lord hath said it ; his word is as a fire , which will burn up all the wicked ; his word is sharper then a two edged sword , which will cut down and wound the head of the wicked ; ye mockers and scorners , ye swearers and lyars , ye proud and coveteous ones , ye merry-hearted and wonton ones , dreadful is the day that shall come upon you , the lord will make his power known , and glorifie himself in your destruction , except you repent and turn to the lord : ye hard hearted ones and rebellious ones , the plagues of god is to rest upon you , therefore prize your time , and repent , and fear the lord god almighty , and lay aside your vain wicked wayes , and confess your sins , and forsake them , for such shall find mercy , all ye people , mind the light of god within you , and hearken to that which shews you what is sin , and evil , which shews you your proud minds , your carnal coveteous desires and affections , which checks and reproves you for your ungodly deeds ; this light shines in darkness , but the darkness cannot comprehend it : this is the light which hath enlightened every one that cometh into the world , which light is christ , he that follows this light walks not in darkness , but hath the light of life ; he that hates this light stumbles , and walks in darkness , ignorance , and blindness , as you do , turning the grace of god into wantonness , which same grace is the saints teacher , this is the free grace of god which hath appeared to all men , which in all generations taught the saints to deny ungodiness and worldly lusts , and led them into purity and holiness : this grace do we witness , praised , praised be the lord , to be led by it , which ever was the saints leader ; and through the teaching of this grace do we deny your hireling , and all such pharisees and hypocrites , who makes a prey upon the poor people ; and if you stop not into their mouths , they even prepare war against you , as the false prophets of israel did ; and daily are we taught by it in the wayes of god to do his service , praised be the only lord of glory for ever more , who hath gathered us up to himself ( to be taught alone by his grace ) out of the mouth of your hireling , who once made a prey upon us , but eternal praise and glory to our god , who in his light hath discovered unto us his nakedness and his shame , his hypocrisie and deceit , in the eternal light of god do we see him , and all such to be blind guides , and leads the poor blind people in darkness and ignorance , and none is able to come to the true knowledg of the eternal truth in his ministry , for he is no minister of god , but an antichrist , denying christ to be come in the flesh , denying the light to have enlightened every one , as several times he hath done to me ; but my father who is light and glory , hath now made him manifest : and in that light christ jesus , do i see him to be one who hath run , whom god hath not sent , therefore doth he not profit you at all , nor puts no difference between the precious and the vile in you , nor leads you to discern the clean from the unclean , the pure from the impure in you , but speaks the divination of his own brain , feeding your dark minds , and from the eternal light made manifest in me from god the father ( who is over all , and above all ) do i declare against him , and against all hirelings and greedy dumb dogs , that seeks for their gain from their quarter , as he doth , f●●ely do i declare , as knowing them to be deceivers and blind guids : for the simple ones sake among you , who are insnared and kept in ignorance by him under his dead , dry , barren , sloathful ministry ; repent ye people , who lies in the captivity of babylon , under your bahylonish merchant , now is the lord leading his sons and daughters out of egypt out of bondage , and now he that hath led captive is led into captivity , praised and honoured be the god of saints for evermore , who hath redeemed us out of the mouth of your idol-shepherd , ( who feeds himself with the fat ) and who hath enlightened our dead consciences , and hath shined in our hearts , in his eternal light , and of this have i received freely , and from this do i let forth freely , to the laying open the deceits of your hireling . now is the day of your visitation , wherein the saviour of the world stands at the door and knocketh , if any open unto him he will come in ; therefore prize your time , and hear the word of the lord , and lay aside the works of darkness , lying and swearing , mocking and scorning , and beating of your fellow servants : wo unto you ye strikers , who hardens your hearts against the lord , and against those who declare to you the wickedness of your wayes ; the lord will come when you are not aware , and give you your portion with hypocrites and unbeleevers , and cast you into utter darkness : repent . and turn to the lord your god with mourning and lamentation , and cease from all your former wayes and doings ; cease from coveteousness and opression , ye aged people ; and cease from lightness , vanity , and pride , ye young people ; and from all your priests and steeple-houses , for there your lightness , pride , and vain minds are fed and nourished , and the enemies of the lord are strengthened . dear people , there had i once fellowship with you in your pride , lightness , and vanity , and there was once my joy and delight ; but now am i chosen by the lord out of all these things , praised be him for ever , to serve the lord , in declaring against all these abominations , in whom they are standing ; for , wo unto the proud and light vain minds , who are tripping upon the mountains , and whose hearts are not subject to the lord ; against all these abominations , do i declare as from the lord , and do advise you as from him , to depart out of these abominations , for the day is coming when you must be separated from all your lovers , a day of darkness and misery ; therefore prize your time , and hearken unto the light of god within you , which reproves you for your filthy and ungodly deeds and words ; this light will lead you to god , out of all filthiness , obeying it ; this will separate the clean from the unclean in you , and will lead you to be taught of god , and to have unity with god , and with the saints ; for it was in the light that the saints had unity ; this light will lead you out of your hypocritical and deceitful carnal worships , to worship in spirit and truth ; this light will lead you to the true baptism , out of your deceitful imitation of a baptism , which your hireling upholds among you ; this light will lead you to the true church in god out of your formal imagined church , and to the true communion of saints , and true singing to god , out of your heathenish communion and singing : therefore all ye people mind the light , for the light hath enlightened every one , which is the saviour and reedemer of him that loveth it , and bringeth his deeds to it , but is the condemnation of him that hateth it , and walks not in it ; therefore all people mind this light which is of god , this will lead you up to god ; this is the way to the father , and none comes to the father but by me , said he , who was , and is the light ; this light loving it , and walking in it , will free you from all the burdens which the pharisee layes upon you , and from all the taxes of pharaoh's tax-masters , and will lead you into the mysteries of the kingdom of god , to know him who is invisible , and is present every where , yet hidden from all dark minds , who lives in the imaginations and imitations , as you and your hireling doth : if you love this light and walk in this light , it will bring you to be witnesses of the scripture and of the saints conditions , which you are but talkers of ; this is the light from which they spoke that spoke the truth of god , and from this light did isaiah cry , who lived in the obedience of it , against the greedy dumb dogs , that sought for their gain from their quarter ; and so did ieremiah , ezekiel , micha , and malachy cry against hirelings , and against those that said , the lord saith it , and he never spoke to them , and against them that preached for hire , and that divi●ed for money , and that taught for the fleece , and yet leaned upon the lord as your pharisee doth , saying , is not the lord among us ? and from this same light do we declare against all such , and seeth them to be abomination to the lord now , as they did then , praised , praised , be the lord for ever , for now the abominations of the whore is made manifest that sitteth upon many waters , that hath made all nations drunk with the wine of her fornication , and now is the judgment of the whore come , and the day wherein she must reckon to drink the wine of the wrath of god ; and he who was and is this light cryed wo against them that said , and did not ; and against them that had the chiefest places in the assemblies , and that were called of men masters : this same light do i witness to be made manifest from god the father of light , and am not ashamed to declare it before men ; for , he that denies christ before men , he must be denyed by christ before the father ; and this light lived the saints in , and spoke from , who were called mad-men , and deceivers of them that professed truth in word , but persecuted them in whom the son was born and made manifest , in which generation you and your priest daily makes manifest your selves to be ; therefore repent , and come down ye high minds and lifted up spirits , for the lord is against you , and hearken to the light of god in you , and wait in it according to measure , and cease from all your formal , customary , traditional worshipping , and from all your dumb teachers , who are antichrists , and denies the light , as having enlightened every one ; this light is the only way to the father , which all must ( who comes to god ) follow and walk in , for he that walks not in this light , walks in darkness , and stumbles , and knows not whither he goes ; and there are all priests and people in darkness and ignorance , who walks not in this light ; therefore love the light and obey it , it will separate you from all filthiness and corruption , and lead you into purity and holiness , without which none shall see god , and here is your teacher alwayes present with you , which teaches to deny ungodliness , and the wicked wayes of this world ; he who walked in this light , by this light saw all the world to lie in wickedness , but said they were of god , and all that were of god heard them who dwelt in the light , but he who disobeyes this light , follows the blind guides of the world as you do , and sets up teachers to themselves , having iching ears , and that ministry is of man , and by man called to the ministry by the earthly powers , by earthly magistrates , or at oxford , cambridge , or newcastle , all this ministry , who is here called , is by man , and their gospel is of man , which the true gospel is not , and he that hath the word of god to declare from god , his call is not by man , neither doth he go to man to be approved ; for he that preacheth the true gospel , consulted not with flesh and blood , and so it is now , the same thing do we witness , and to be ministers of the everlasting gospel , called not by man , but by god ; praised be the lord for ever , from generation to generation , who hath revealed himself unto babes , and hath hid himself from the wise and prudent of this world ; stop your mouthes ye ministers , which is by man , which gospel is according to man , for now the lord is arising , whose angel is gone forth preaching the everlasting gospel : sing praises to the lord for ever ye redeemed ones , who are brought from under the empty , dead , deceitful ministry , which is by man , to be true witnesses of the true ministry which is of god : therefore be ashamed ye upholders of the deceitful ministry , which is but the ministry of witchcraft , by which your eyes are darkned , and under which your souls doth lie in blindness and ignorance under the power of witchcraft and sorceries . be confounded ye back-sliders , who once heard the word with joy , and received it ; who were once among us , yet not of us ; who hath chosen the glory of this world rather then the everlasting truth , and hath fold your birth-right of the everlasting inheritance , for the satisfying of your earthly minds , with the earthly treasures : hear the word of the lord ye sloathful servants , who not abiding to wait upon god , eats and drinks with the drunkards , and beats your fellow-servants , and are now become haters , mockers , and revilers , suddenly will the lord come and cut you all assunder , and give you your portion in the lake that burns with fire , except you repent : repent you back-sliders , and consider ye that forget god , now while you have time , before the lord ●wear in his wrath that ye shall not enter ; hearken to that which convinceth you of your filthiness , the light of god within you , which shall eternally witness us to be true , which light shall be your condemnation , because you love darkness rather than light ; ye are returned with the dog to his vomit , and with the sow to the wallowing in the mire , your latter end is worse then your beginning , and the parable is fulfilled upon you , for lying against the truth will the lord plead with you , and wo will be your portion for ever , for the lyars shall not enter into the kingdom of god ; therefore all people fear the living god , and prize your time , and see where you are , his servants you are unto whom you do obey ; all must give an account to the living god , and must receive according to what is done in the body ; in such an hour will the master come which you are not aware of , and will take account of your stewardship , for god hath given unto every one a talent ; therefore spend not away your time in wickedness , and in a deceitful profession of god , feeding your dark minds with the dead formal preaching , of your dead carnal blind pharisee , but hearken to the light of god within you , and improve every one his talent ; the good and faithful servant improves his to the honor and riches of his master , but the sloathful servant hides his in the earth , living in the filthiness , saying he hath no power ; now see which servant you are , and read your selves within , how you stood covered , in the presence of the living god , for wo unto him that is covered but not with the spirit of the lord ; the servants of god brings forth fruit unto god , bears the image of their father ; and the servants of the devil brings forth fruits of darkness , and bears the image of the devil , which is glorious to the carnal eye , and feeds the carnal mind : the seed of the woman is but one in all generations , and the seed of the serpent is but one , which ever was , is ruling and reigning in the children of disobedience , who are disobedient to the light of god within them ; and betwixt these two seeds is enmity , the one against the other , each seed is known by its fruit ; the old bottle pours out old wine , the new bottle new wine ; therefore all people sink down to within , and call in all your wandring thoughts , imaginations and affections , and desires , and see which seed is head in you , and see what your desires and affections goes out after , for where your hearts are , there is your treasure ; see what you do possess of god in your souls , and what you are made witnesses of , for he that believeth hath the witness in himself , and faith is the victory over the world , he that can receive it , let him : dear people , i have freely declared to you the truth , and from the love of god shed abroad in my heart to your souls , and for the seed sake in you , which lieth in death , captivated under your wisdom and reason , have i spoken the word of the lord , which if you own it , and abide in it , shall be the savor of life , and in eternal joy shall you witness me to be true in what i have declared ; but if you harden your hearts , and kick against the truth ; and against what i have declared , shall be the savor of death unto death , and in eternal torment and misery shall ye witness me in what i say , for to that which should exercise the conscience do i speak in every one of you , and to that in you have i cleared my conscience , and have freed my spirit ; this is the day of your visitation , the mouth of the lord hath spoken it : remember that you have been shewed the deceits which you live in , and have been warned of the misery and desolation that shall come upon you , except you lay these things to heart , and turn to the lord. farewel . by him who is dispised , and had in derision among you , who is not greater then his lord , and therefore is contented to be called a blasphemer and a seducer , as he whom i serve was , by them of your generation . e. b. to all you my country people of every degree , who are inhabitants in underbarrow have i cleared my conscience , and have freely declared to you the word of the lord , and have laid open the deceits of your deceitful ministry and ministry , and have directed you to that in every one of you which leads unto god , and which is the way to the father , which is the true light which hath enlightned every one that comes into the world , which light all who loves and follows , walk not in darkness , but walks up to god out of the fall , from under the curse , into the being , but all who hates this light , and follows the imagination of their own brains , and of the divination of their hirelings and pharisees , this light shall be their condemnation , because they walk not in it ; even this light , which is come into the world in every man , even the witness in the conscience which is placed by god , shall for ever witness against you , and against all your false worships and hirelings , and shall bear testimony to what i have in this little volume declared to be true , when the book of conscience shall be laid open , for to every mans conscience am i made manifest in what i have to you declared as concerning your hireling , whom god hath never sent , but is in the way of the false prophets and pharisees , for he that abides not in the doctrine of christ hath not god , iohn . . but is an antichrist , and of the devil . and as concerning the light within you , that light will bear witness to it self , that every one of you to whom i speak , hath this light , which shews you sin , your lying , swearing , pride , and wicked wayes , covetousness and wantonness to be sin : this is the true light , which is , as ever was , foolishness and a stumbling block to the wise ones : this is the light which your pharisee denies to have lightned every one , and this light shall for ever witness me to be true , and shall witness this poor people among you who are despised and contemned by you , and scornfully called quakers , to be the servants of god , whom i do own as my brethren in the sufferings of jesus , who are my joy in the lord. now all people every where , to you all , a word from the lord , though i have spoken in this small volume , as moved by the lord of heaven and earth , to the inhabitants of underbarrow , as declaring against their false teacher , and false worships which they uphold : now freely and plainly do i declare against all thy teachers , o england , who are one in the same generation with him in the seat of christ , and of his apostles , professing themselves to be sent of god , but walking contrary to his commands , in the same footsteps which the scribes and pharisees walked in , which were persecutors of the son of god ; and which he cried wo against , they who said and did not , as all these thy teachers do , who are called of men masters as they were , and have the chiefest places in the assemblies as they had , and prayed standing , as these thy professed ministers do : now the same light which ever was , which is jesus christ , is now born and made manifest , which is witnessed among the saints , in which light i see all thy teachers , o england , to be drunk with the wine of her that hath deceived the nations , who sits upon a scarlet coloured beast , and is arrayed in purple and scarlet colour , and decked with gold and precious stones , and hath the golden cup in her hand full of abominations , whose name is written in her forehead , mystery babylon the great , the mother of harlots , and abomination of the earth : and in this light to i declare against them all which are in the generation of the false prophets of israel , which seeks for their gain from their quarter , and which steals the word from their neighbor , and have taken the words of the prophets of christ and of his apostles and selleth the divination of their own brain upon the scriptures , ( which the holy men speak forth freely to the poor blind people ) and teacheth for the fleece ; and if ye stop not into their mouths , they prepare war against you , and which are called of men master , which christ forbids : against all these freely ( as from the lord ) i do declare to be no ministers of jesus christ , but are seducers , and blind guides , and are antichrists , and leads the poor blind people in the wayes of death and destruction ; for they are no ministers of christ that abides not in the doctrine of christ : these have run , but have not been sent by god , and therefore is not your souls profited by them , but are in the dark heathenish nature , as by your fruits it made manifest , leaning in the imaginations , and not in the counsel of the lord , and in lying , swearing , drunkenness , covetousness , and oppression , and according to the course of this world ; these iniquities are ruling among people ; priests , and rulers in this nation , from the least of them even to the greatest , every one is given too covetousness , from the prophet even to the priest , every one deals falsely : all your hirelings and greedy dumb dogs i do deny , and all who are of god denies all such , and are taught of god in the ways of god , which ever the world derided : all thy teachers , o england , is denied of them who are taught of god , and whose teacher is the anointing , needs not any man to teach them : and by thy teachers who are in the way of the pharisees , art thou blindly led in the ways of darkness and ignorance , and all thy carnal worship , which is in every part of thee upheld , which is to read , sing , and preach upon the saints conditions , which were witnesses of god : all this i do deny and freely declare against as from the mouth of the lord , to be no worship of god , but imagination , and an imitation of the worship of god : and the living eternal god of heaven and earth is but mocked by you , in your imagined worship , for your reading of anothers condition , and singing of that which you live not in , and preaching that which is gathered from without by imagination , and conceiving upon that which the prophet prophesied , or which christ spoke , who was , and is the substance , and which the apostles witnessed ; this is carnal and heathenish , and was never commanded by the lord , nor is no worship of the true god , and against this worship i do from the lord declare , as in the eternal light of god seeing it , to be deceitful and abomination to the lord , being i am redeemed up to god by his eternal spirit , and to worship in spirit and in truth , and not limitted to a day , place , or time ; neither at ierusalem , nor in this mount , &c. and am freed and redeemed out of this fallen mans invention and tradition , which is but cains sacrifice , which god doth not accept , but is abomination in his sight , praised be the lord for evermore . and o england , i do declare against all these thy teachers , and against this all thy worship , as from the mouth of tbe lord , as moved of the lord to speak this word unto thee , thou hast spent thy money , this many generations , for that which is not bread , and thy labour for that which doth not satisfie thee , all thy imagined formal worships and carnal traditions and ordinances of man is the lord risen in his servants to declare against : and the same light which ever made manifest deceitful worships , and the deceitful hirelings , and them that cryed peace , peace to the people when the lord spake no peace , is now risen and speaketh in thy ears ; o nation , the same everlasting light which the true prophets lived in , who cryed against them that sought for their gain from their quarter , and that cryed against the horrible filthy thing which is upheld in thee ; o england , this same light is made manifest in the despised people , called quakers , in this north part of the nation : o people your teachers have beguiled you , and have taught for the fleece , and fed themselves with the fat , but your souls are hungred by them ; for they are in the generation of them that said and did not , they love the wages of unrighteousness , and follows the error of balaam for reward , and have devoured souls for dishonest gain ; but the only true god is arising to beat the mountains to dust , and to cleave the rocks assunder : in thee , o land , will the lord manifest his power , and will stretch forth his arm for the deliverance of his chosen , and for the redemption of his two witnesses , which have layn slain in the great city in this land , which they that dwell upon the earth have rejoyced over , and made merry , and triumphed in their slaughter ; the lord is arising to require his flock at the hands of the idols-shepherds . o ye idol dumb shepherds , the lord will be avenged upon you , for you have scattered the sheep of his pasture , and have fed your selves with them ; the lord of hosts is grieved with you , and have shaken his hands at your dishonest gain , and ye shall no longer wear garments to deceive ; ye have long deceived the simple by your lyes , and by your lightness , but now you are discovered and made manifest in the eternal light of god , and the mystery of witchcraft is not hid now from the saints : therefore o england hear the word of the lord , thy prophets are light and treacherous persons , thy judges judges for reward , and thy priests preach for hire , and thy officers imprisons the just , and thy rulers are evening wolves , which seeks for the prey , and the lord of heaven and earth is grieved with these things ; therefore , o land , tremble at the presence of the lord god of iacob , for esau shall become a place for dragons , and shall be dis-inhabited in the day of mourning , and lamentation is coming upon thee ; for that which the lord hath not planted will he pluck up , and every corrupt tree shall be cast into the fire : all thy corrupt judges , and officers , and rulers will the lord cut off utterly from the face of the earth , and will restore to his people judges as at the first , and councellers as at the beginning , the mouth of the lord hath spoken it : therefore , o land , prepare to meet the lord thy god by true repentance , by putting off the works of darkness ; thy pride and thy oppression , o nation , is seen by the lord , and the cry of the oppressed through thy pride and tyranny is heard in the ears of the lord of sabbath , and he will avenge the cause of the poor and needy that is oppressed by priests in their tythes , by lawyers in their fees , and by officers in their unrighteous dealing , and the seed of abraham shall go free , and israel shall no longer be subject to pharaoh , nor to his tax-masters . o england in the north part of thee is the light of god arisen , which shines clearly , and which discovers the abomination of thy teachers and of thy worship , and we are bold to declare against them , and against all thy corrupt officers , judges , and rulers , and this light shall shine through the nation , and shall be spread over kingdoms , and the fire is to be kindled which the lord hath promised , which shall burn as an oven , and the proud and all that do wickedly shall be as stubble : this fire shall proceed out of the mouth of the two witnesses , as it did before they were slain , and shall devour the enemies of the lord ; the sword of the lord is drawn in thee , o nation , and put into the hands of them which is hated and despised by the rulers & officers , which is scornfully called quakers , but they shall conquer by the sword of the lord , which the lord hath put into their hands , over countries and dominions : for , o nation , the lord is with them , and thy unjust rulers and officers cannot hurt them , not a hair of their heads shall perish without my heavenly father : it is for a testimony of their fathers love to them that they suffer shame and reproach , and some of them imprisonment by the unjust rulers , and for a witness against them that some of them are brought before them , the lord is chusing the weak things of this world , and he is making manifest his counsels to babes , and revealing his counsel and eternal truth to children , and keeps his hidden treasures from the eyes of the wise , and vulturous ones , praises , praises be to him for evermore : for the lion of judah is opening , and hath opened the sealed book , let all his saints rejoyce for evermore . this is the day of thy visitation , o nation , wherein the lord speaks to thee by the mouth of his servants in word and writing , therefore return to the lord thy god from whence thou art fallen : now will the lord gather his jewels and chosen ones out of thee , and will raise up the dead which lies slain under thy teachers and pharisees , which makes a prey upon the people , which was never sent by god to speak unto thee . o land , hear the word of the lord , depart from all thy teachers , for the lord hath drawn his sword , and lifted it up against the false prophet , and the vials of indignation shall be poured upon him , and upon all that upholds him in his whoredoms and witchcraft , by which he deceiveth the simple ; therefore lest thou be partaker of their plagues , depart from them : and all people , mind that measure of light within you , which the lord hath lightened every one of you withal , for the lord is risen to teach his people himself , and he is fulfilling his prophesie in thy ears , o nation , they shall teach no more every man his neighbor and every man his brother , saying , know the lord ; for they shall all know me , from the least of them unto the greatest of them saith the lord ; for i will put my law in thine inward parts , and write it in their hearts , ier. . . the lord is about his great and wonderful work in thee , and all the wars and contentions in thee , o land , hath but been a making way for this work of the lord , and hath not been the work which the lord hath purposed : this work is made known to them that feareth the lord , and abideth in his counsel : the lord will overturn , overturn the nation , and will create new heavens and new earth , wherein shall dwell righteousness , in which all the chosen of the lord shall rejoyce for evermore ; and all the kings and nobles shall cast down their crowns before this glory : and all the men of war shall lay down their armour and weapons of war : and nation shall not lift up a sword against nation any more : for the lord will establish righteousness and peace ; this will the lord bring to pass in thee , o england , through the destruction of that which now liveth , and through the resurrection of that to life which now lieth in death : hear , o land , give ear , o people , for the lord of heaven and earth is now turning the world up-side down , all old things shall pass away , all things shall become new by fire , and by his sword will the lord plead with all flesh , and the slain of him shall be many ; corrupt judges and officers will the lord sweep away , and their name shall no more be found in the nation , the fire is kindled and the sword is drawn , happy is he that keepeth himself from fighting against the lord in this his work , and happy are ye , o brethren , that stands faithful to the end to see these things accomplished , great shall be the battel , it is now begun , many shall see death , and shall yet live to see these things . to all the despised and contemned ones , who are persecuted and shamefully entreated by the generation of the chief priests , and by them who live in the highest profession in the word outwardly , ye who are the scorn of the nation , and the derision of all the heathen , and are called quakers ; you are my brethren , children of my father , have been brought forth by the same womb , and have sucked the same breast ; ye are chosen out of the world , out of all worldly glories , and earthly excellencies , and are not of this world , and therefore the world hateth you , you are brought out of the broad way of the flesh , and are separated from all the world in their ways , worships , and forms of religion , and are redeemed out of the mouths of all idoll dumb shepherds , and hath one shepherd , and are gathered from all the mountains , and out of all the desolate disinhabited places , and are come into the pleasant sheepfold , where is green pastures and fresh springs of living waters : by faith with abraham are ye come out of your native country from among your kindred , and out of your fathers house : and with moses have you forsaken the glory of pharaohs house , and chosen rather to suffer affliction among the poor despised people , than to have enjoyed the pleasures of sin ; but great shall be your reward ye contemned ones , glory , and honor , and everlasting happiness is prepared for you , if you stand faithful to the end ; the lord is with you as a mighty terrible one ; and therefore shall all your persecuters be ashamed and confounded ; the sound of a trumpet is heard among you , which makes all nations at a stand , and all the heathen to wonder , and all the rulers , nobles , and chief priests are in consultation , combining together to suppress the army of the lord of hosts , which he is gathering together : fear not , nor be dismaid , for the sounding of your trumpet causes an alarum , and makes all the inhabitants of the land to tremble , and all bows before the sound of it ; for the sound of it is terrible to the nations , to all kingdoms and dominions ; the lord of heaven and earth is your captain , which rides upon the clouds , and whose glory is above the world , and therefore in the battel shall you obtain the conquest , and all your enemies shall be put to flight , and one of you shall chase a thousand , for he is with you who hath all power in his hand , and all your enemies are limitted by him ; therefore be not discouraged at the raging and swelling words of your adversaries , but be bold and valiant and faithful to him , for his is the victory , and by his own right hand will he get himself the victory : ye are my fellow souldiers ; and fellow members of the same body , and my joy in the lord ; stand faithfull to the lord , and be bold and valiant for the truth upon earth , for you hath the lord chosen of all the families of the earth to place his name among you , and he will glorifie his name by you , he will accomplish his wonders , and make his power known , and the greatness of his name in the sight of the heathen ; let all flesh be silent before him , and let all the pharisees , and chief priests , and the wise men of the earth stop their mouths before the lord , for you have the word of the lord , and you are made patakers of the everlasting wisdom ; and are the beloved of god ; for his eternal son is born and brought forth among you , and therefore doth the wise men and chief priests consult to take his life ; but wo unto your persecuters , for they are the seed of evil doers , and better it were that a milstone were hanged about their necks and they cast into the sea , for the lord hath sought you to worship him , and he is worshipped by you in spirit and in truth , your sacrifice is accepted , and therefore they that are of cains generation persecutes you , seeking after your blood ; you are made partakers of the blessing , and therefore doth esau threaten your destruction ; but your preserver is the lord of hosts , and therefore shall all their consultations be disappointed : for wo unto them that digs deep to hide their counsel from the lord , and that takes counsel but not at the lord ; all ye my brethren , be ye faithful and obedient to him who hath called and chosen you out from among the heathen , out of all imagined worships , to worship in truth , serve the lord in singleness of heart , and give up all to him freely to be ordered and disposed by him , and look not back at the glory of sedom , nor at the riches of egypt , but follow him who hath enlightened your dark understandings ; and hath gathered you up by his eternal light ; walk in obedience to the law of god , and to the light made manifest , for the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country , which hath given talents to his servants to improve ; now all you my beloved ones , improve every one your talent that the lord may receive his own with usury , that he may be glorified , and that you all may receive a reward ; therefore all be bold and valiant in the truth , and fear not man , but fear the lord god almighty , and walk in the fear of the living god , and despise not the cross of christ , but let the cross be your rejoycing , for through the cross is the power of the lord made manifest : rejoyce for ever and be exceeding glad that you are counted worthy to suffer shame and reproach , and some of you imprisonment for the truths sake : thus it was ever , he that was born after the flesh , persecutes him that 's born after the spirit ; but be glad and rejoyce in the lord , for you hath he chosen and called even to shine as light in the dark world , and to be as a burthensom stone to the nations ; your fame is gone abroad through nations , and because of the man-child that is born is the nations troubled , and the chief priests and rulers combined together , but that the lord may be glorified , and for your sakes will he scatter the proud in their imaginations ; and will break in pieces the snares which the pharisees and chief priests have laid for your feet , and they shall be taken in their own craftiness , and fall into the pit which they have digged for you , for the lord , who hath called you , will set you upon a rock , and will preserve you out of the mouths of cunning wolves who devours souls for dishonest gain : sing praises for ever to the lord our god , who hath chosen us to make manifest his love and truth unto , and hath gathered us up out of the mouths of all idol shepherds that made a prey upon us , and from all the mountains and hills where we were scateered in the cloudy and dark day , where we were devoured by the wild beasts , being without shepherd and sheepfold , but praises , glory , and honor for evermore that we are freed out of the cruelty of pharaoh , and from under his tax-masters , which layes heavy burdens upon the people ; rejoyce and be glad in faithfulness and truth unto our king for ever , who is the lion of the tribe of iudah , who hath opened this book , and unlosed the seals , and hath led us to himself , and by suffering under all are we made kings and priests over all for evermore , he alone is worthy to be praised , who hath avenged us of our adversaries , and hath given her to drink of the wine of the wrath of god ; who once made us drink of the wine of her fornication ; i am with you , you despised ones , and my prayers are for you , and the eternal glorious god of power be with you , and keep you in the middest of this crooked and perverse generation , for this generation seeks the blood of the saints ; the beast , which was , is , and now makes war against the lamb. e b. a true declaration and a discovery to all the world of my manner of life ; what i have been , and what now i am at present . i was brought up by my natural parents in the profession of religion , according to the generality of this nation , going one day in seven to hear a man preach the word , as they said to me , and to be exercised in the formal worship which was then upheld , to read and sing , and to rabble over a prayer ; but i was wanton and light , and lived in pleasure , without the fear of god , not knowing of god , but by hear-say and tradition : but when i grew up toward twelve years of age , something stirred in me , and shewed me , that there was a higher religion than that i was exercised in ; and then i inquired where the chiefest of the presbyterian priests preached , and would have gone some miles of a first day to have heard one of the best of them , which seemed liker truth than the other , and so i got up to be a presbyterian , and followed the highest of the priests and professors of that form , and grew in favor with them , then some small of my vanity and lightness i left , and pride grew up in me , for wisdom grew up in me ; then some of my for●er acquaintance began to scorn me , calling me a round-head , and the like ; and by my labouring here , i gathered knowledge in things without , but yet was ignorant of the living truth : then when i was about seventeen years of age , it pleased god to shew himself a little to me , and somthing struck me with terror , and when i had been praying , i heard the voice often , thou art ignorant of god , thou knowest not where he is , nor what he is ; to what purpose is thy prayer ? and so much fear and dread came upon me , and broke me off from praying many times , and trouble came thick into my mind , and fearfulness fell many times upon me , and i was struck off my delights that i formerly loved , and what i had gathered in as of a god died ; and i left off reading in the scripture , for somthing shewed me that i was very ignorant , and knew not the true god , and the beauty of all things vanished ; and i went to some , asking , what god was , which was professed ? for i said , i knew him not : but got no satisfaction from any . and i was much separated from the vain ways of the world , and from vain worldly people , and was made to reprove many , often for wickedness , in words and actions , and was much decided , and looked upon scornfully by many ; and then the preaching of them whom i had formerly much delighted in , was as withered and decayed ; yet then it pleased the lord to shew himself a little in love to me , and i had sweet refreshments coming in from him to my soul , and had joy and peace in abundance , and openings of the living truth in me , which the world knew not of , and the mystery of the scripture was something opened , which before i knew nothing of , and i saw many glorious things in it , which lie hid under the letter ; and i was in much rejoycing many times , and sang praise , for i was brought out of the land of darkness , and could say , i was in the light , and i grew up to know high things , but not knowing the cross of christ , i ran forth in my wisdom comprehending the mysteries of god , having a light shined in me , and i grew up into notion , to talk of high things , for it was my delight to comprehend in my busie mind ; thus being ignorant of the cross to keep low in it , i ran before my guide , up into comprehension , and then was i above many of the priests and professors , and followed only to hear the highest notionists , that preached high things , but the fleshly man was at liberty , and so i became one of them in their discoursings , and was looked upon by them to know much ; the former terrour was gone , and i had got up from under the judgement , and now pride grew more than ever , and self-conceitedness and presumption , and fleshly liberty to the carnal mind , and my delight was much in discoursings , where i played the ha●lot , and the prodigal , and gave holy things unto dogs , and cast pearls before swine , ( for wisdom was hid from me ) and here i lived pleasantly , for i had the true god , and the true truth in my comprehension , which by my wisdom in the light i had comprehended , and i had the world in my heart , pride , covetousness , and the earthly spirit ruled , and my delight was grown up to that , which once i had no delight in , and the beauty of things grew up , which seemed to be vanished ; here i was ●un from my husband after other lovers , and had left the lord my maker , who had so graciously made manifest himself unto me , and had spent my portion among harlots ; but i became to be darkned , and had lost that which once i had , and had but in memory that which before i had injoyed , could tell of experiences , but they were dead to me ; and somthing within me began to question how it was with me ; for i saw my self to be ignorant more than formerly , and i saw i knew nothing ; something desiring in me to be from whence i was come , but i grew to be much given to the world to seek after riches , and glory in it ; and i fed my self with what i had formerly enjoyed , and said , whom god loves once , he loves for ever : ( but that was then head , and ruled in me , which he loved never ) i was wanton , and lived in the lustful nature , among heathens , crucifying the lord of life , but the blood of that which i had slain cried continually , and the witness which lay slain , would give me no rest , which the earthly made merry over ; and i grew to be weary of hearing any of the priests , though never so high , for something , which shined deep in me , shewed me ignorance in all profession , and i was put to a stand many times in my self at those things , which were come to pass ; then it pleased the lord to send his true and faithful servant and messenger , who is called according to the flesh , g. fox , he spoke the language which i knew not , notwithstanding all my high talking , for it was higher , and yet lower : and it pleased the lord to speak to me by him , that i was in the prodigal state , and above the cross of christ , and not in the pure fear of the lord , but full of corruption and the old nature , though i had professed freedom , yet it was but such as the jewes professed ; for i saw my self to be in bondage to my own will , and to my own lust ; and through the word of the lord spoken to me by him , i began to see my self ( the witness being raised ) where i was , and what i had been doing , and saw i had been making an image to the first beast , which had the wound by a sword and did live , whose deadly wound was healed , and was full of airy notions and imaginations , and was worshipping the image which i had made ; and then i saw my self to be a child of wrath , and that the son of the bond-woman lived , & that harlots had been my companions , and was no more worthy to be called a son : then trouble and distress came upon me , such as was not since the beginning of the world , and i was at my wits end , and a day of thick darkness and trouble , a day of weeping , and mourning , and misery , and a day of vengeance and recompence , came upon me , such as i had never known ; one vial of wrath after another , the great whore was to be judged , and to drink of the wine of the wrath of god , which had made me once drunk with the wine of her fornication , and then i separated from all the glory of the world , and from all my acquaintance , and kindred , and betook my self to the company of a poor despised and contemned people called quakers , and now am i one in that generation , which is , and ever was hated of the world by the chief priests and pharisees , and generation of serpents , and hath chosen rather to suffer affliction with a poor despised people , than to injoy the pleasures of sin with the great multitude ( though the worldly pleasures were not wanting to me ) and now do i bear witness against all forms of religion , and false hirelings , and chief priests , who walks in the steps of the scribes and pharisees , and of the false prophets of israel , and was never sent of god to declare his word : and do freely declare against all out-side profession , and notion , and do witness george fox to be a true minister of god , one that speaks the word of the lord from his mouth , one who was sent of god , and who is the servant and messenger of the living god , he is the friend of god , and wo unto his persecutors , they are the seed of evil doers ; and now i am despised of my neighbors and carnal acquaintance , and is not greater then my lord who was called a blasphemer and a deceiver , as now i am ; but praised , praised be the lord for evermore , who hath separated me from the world and worldly glories , and hath made me a partaker of his love , in whom my soul hath fall satisfaction joy and content : thus have i travelled through the world , even unto the end , and am now come to the beginning of that which never shall have end , which the dark mind of man knows not . e. b. i am a prisoner for the truth sake , and for declaring to man of his wickedness , and of his transgression of the spiritual law of god , which is spiritual , and for writing of a letter , which was written from god , to shew to man of his wicked ways , and how he stood in the presence of god , as by the spiritual light of god ( which shines in the hearts of his servants ) was discovered and made manifest unto me ; for who speaks , writes , or declares , from the light of god ( which doth discover all the dark paths of fallen man , and all his spiritual wickedness ) speaks , writes , and declares , not as from man , whose light is only natural and carnal , ( which is darkness in the pure light which is eternal ) but as from god , whose light is spiritual , and doth make manifest the secret whoredom of fallen man ; and from this light did the prophets and ministers of god , who were sent by him to reprove sin and transgression , speak , write and declare ; and in this light did the true prophets ieremiah and hosea discover israel to be adulterous , and in the presence of god to be guilty of whoredom , from whose presence they declared : and all now who are sent of god , to reprove for sin and iniquity , declares from the same light of god , and by the same spirit which ieremiah and hosea did ; for the pure light of god is but one , from generation to generation , in all generation , which discovers sin and iniquity , the same light now , as in the time of the prophets and apostles : and from this light ( which is not carnal , but eternal ) did all the holy men of god write , and declare ; and all who are sent of god now , witnesses the same light , and speaks from the same light now , as they did then ; for , who cannot witness this light , are no ministers of god , neither ever were sent of god to declare the truth from god , but are deceivers and blind guids , and spea●● from the natural and carnal light , the imagined and supposed light , which hath not seen the living & spiritual god ; for declaring by writing to a man that he is guilty of all manner of wickedness , naming , pride , drunkenness , and whoredom , i am imprisoned ; i wrote not as from man , whose light is only natural and carnal , and doth only make manifest carnal transgressions , of a carnal law , but as from the eternal and spiritual light , which doth make manifest spiritual transgressions of a spiritual law ; and in this light , is he to whom i wrote , guilty of all manner of wickedness : now this which i declared from god who is spiritual , is above the reach and comprehension of the carnal and earthly law ; for by the natural light through the earthly law is no natural man able to judge of that which is spoken or declared from that which is eternal and spiritual , ( for darkness cannot comprehend the light ) which light all the servants and ministers of god are guided by , to act , speak , or write ; and therefore do i deny to have this cause put into the judgement of carnal lawyers , who judges by the natural light , through the earthly and carnal law , yet willing i am before any authority to answer for my self that whereof i am accused ; but to the judgement of earthly magistrates i do not stand , but to the judgement of the living and eternal judge , who judges not according to the sight of the eyes , and hearing of the ears , but who judges with equity and righteousness ; thus rather i chose to suffer imprisonment in the body , yet free as to god in the truth , waiting to be redeemed , not by the earthly powers , through the earthly law , but by him who is eternal , whose law is eternal , who orders all things by his mighty power , to which power i give up my self to be kept in it , and ordered by it continually . here i have given to all people the ground of my imprisoment in the particular of it , though i might in few words have declared the thing ; for between the feed of the woman and the seed of the serpent , is enmity put ; and he in whom the seed of the serpent is ruling , seeks the destruction of him in whom the seed of the woman is raised : and here is the ground of all the saints imprisonment now , as ever was , the envy of the devil working in fallen man , against the living truth of god , where it is made manifest . by one who is a labourer in the vineyard , who is not known to the world ; ( though named of the world ) edward burrough . the walls of jericho razed down to the ground : or an answer to a lying book , called , the quaking principles dashed in pieces : wherein one called henoch howet , which goes under the name of an anabaptist , doth falsely accuse , and maliciously belye us : his seven principles , which he calls ours , i shall lay down , and what we own is vindicated , and what he hath belyed the truth in , is turned upon his own head . now is the time wherein the lord god of heaven and earth is setting up a kingdom , and exalting his name in the earth , and is exalting his own son upon the holy hill of sion , and is discovering the mother of harlots , who hath made all nations drunk with her fornication , and iezabel shall be cast into a bed of torment , and the fire of the lord god is come down from heaven , and is kindled in the earth , to burn up and destroy , and to consume to ashes , even all those that have worshipped the beast , and hath his image , and the false prophets that have deceived the nations , and they both shall be taken alive , and cast into the pit ; for the lord is grieved and wearied with this adulterous and viperous generation , who are offering up that which stinks in his nostrils , and strange fire , and are professing him and his resurrection , who crucifie him , and put him to open shame , and they deny the end of his coming , and are offering in cains nature , while they slay the just , and are in the gainsaying of corah , who perished in it , and so shall all those that gainsay the lord in his way ; and now the lord of heaven and earth is proclaming war with the dragon and his angels , and they shall be cast out , and whosoever doth resist him in his way shall be broken to pieces as a potters vessel ; and thou henoch howet , who would limit the holy one of israel , and bind him up in thy carnal reason , and stint him in his way , and form up things in thy imagination from the scripture , and walks by tradition ; thou art accusing us among the papist , but let it stand for thy self , and to that in thy conscience i speak , and it will let thee see that all thy worship is taken on in thy will , and in that nature in which the enmity stands , and so hath taken on things , and taken up things by tradition from others , and that which was commands to others , who followed the lamb whithersoever he went , and no commands to thee , neither doth god require those things of that nature , neither doth he accept it , while the bands of wickedness is not loosed , and the oppressed is not set free , and therefore let all flesh and carnal reason be silent , for god will confound the wisdom of the wise , and they that have divined in their reasons , which is in the curse , and under the curse , shall be mad , now in the day when god is raising up his own image , and bringing back that which hath long been held in captivity , and now the men of the earth , pharaoh , and all the inchanters of egypt , and the south-sayers , and the diviners , and gog and magog , among which thou hewet art found one , and they compass the camp of the saints about , but fire shall come down from heaven , that shall destroy all the adversaries of the lord , and israel shall go free . . that which thou calls our first principle ; and first , thou sayest , they oppose the word christ , to the written word ; and will have a word that is a discovery spiritual to be the word , but whatsoever it is they call the word , it is perfectly false , and not the truth . answer . oh thou lyar and slanderer , the lord will plead with thee , for addars poyson is under thy tongue , and thou hast a whores forehead , that art not ashamed of thy false accusing , let hundreds in the city of london , who hath heard us , be witness against thee , and thy lyes that thou hast printed , and suffers them to be cryed up and down the streets , as thy filthy songs and ballads , and runs to disgrace the truth , but to the lord , who is righteous , shalt thou give an account ; and thou art as ianes and iambres , that withstood moses , and for all thy hard speeches and filthy . lyes , shalt thou give an account for to him who is the searcher of hearts , and that in thy conscience shall bear witness against thee ; and that we oppose the word christ to the written word , as thou callst it , i charge it upon thee , that we do not oppose christ to the scripture , for christ is the word , iohn . and this the scripture doth not oppose , but bears witness to him who is the word ; and his name is called the word of god , and this word became flesh and dwelt among us , as the scriptures witness , and the word of the lord endures for ever ; but he doth not say the letter endures for ever : but thou that art accusing us that we do not own a form of sound words , here thou shalt be judged out of thy own mouth ; where readst thou of a written word in the scripture ? and here thou shalt be tryed by the scripture , and judged by it , that thou art a perverter of the scripture ; thou wouldst have more words then one , the word is but one , the word sanctifies , sanctifie them through thy word , but he doth not say the letter sanctifies ; and the word of the lord is from everlasting to everlasting , but the letter is not from everlasting ; and the scripture had a beginning , and was declared in time , and prophesie shall cease , but the word is from everlasting to everlasting ; and the word of the lord is as a hammer , and as a fire , but the scripture doth not say that it is as a hammer and a fire ; and yet the word that he spoke was spirit and life , yet the scripture is not spirit and life ; and thou that wouldst set up the letter in the place of god , to try all things , and search all hearts , thou makest an idol of it , and so opposes god with it , and so would bring that to contend against the lord , the which they witnessed through sufferings : and i tell thee and all the world , the word is but one , and all who knows god hears that word , and it is a light and a lanthorn unto their pathes , but that is invisible and eternal , and what the saints did witness of this word they declared , iohn , and the scripture is true , and bears true record and testimony of the word , and they were true witnesses of the word of life that wrote it , and it is a true declaration or testimony of those things that are certainly believed , luke . of the which they saw , and heard , and tasted ; and all who come to know the word of the lord , reads it again , and sees it as it is written : and further , thy envy and shame is made manifest , that thou wouldst accuse , and yet thou sayst whatsoever they call the word , it is perfectly false , and not truth ; here thou would judge , and yet thou canst not tell what we call the word , but at last concludes its false whatever it be : and here thou blasphemes , and callest christ jesus , in whom is all truth , false ; for no other word i own but christ ; and the scripture speaks of no word of god , but one ; and thou that wouldst make the letter the word , it self shall judge thee ; and thou makest much mincing and arguments in thy carnal reason , and sayst the ground of error , is ignorance of the scripture , and thou bringst mark and matthew ; alas , i know what mark and matthew wrote is true , if thou hadst an ear to hear , the ground of all error is because he is not known , nor his voice whom the scriptures bear record of ; and thou sayst we drive men into darkness , that works upon people to dis-esteem the scripture , and perswades people to an uselessness of the scriptures ; let all that have heard us in the city of london , or elsewhere , speak , if they heard us say the scriture was useless , or did dis-esteem it ; but on the contrary we exhorted them to search if the scripture did not bear witness to those things we declared , and so let shame cover thy face thou false accuser ; and thou bringst tim. . . that it is for the perfecting the man of god , and that its profitable to correct and instruct ; this is owned , but it s not the man of god thou wouldst have perfected by it , but such hirelings as thy self hath been , and false accusers as thou art ; and i say it is profitable to us to reprove thee , and correct thee , and read thy portion ; a lyars portion is in the lake , and as rom. . . its not denyed ; but as christ jesus is witnessed , who is the comforter , which the scripture bears witness of , there is comfort and hope ; and thou sayst , the scripture proves the new birth , and teacheth perseverance to the end ; it bears testimony of some that did witness the new birth , and that persevered unto the end ; but what is this to thee , that never came one step in the way ? and as for promises , there is no promise , but condemnation in the scripture , in such as thee , and read it , the lyar and false accusar , and the envious shall not inherit the kingdom of god ; and there own thy promise and thy portion . . particular which thou callst a mistake , that is speaking to a thing within thee ; i would fain ( sayst thou ) know what can be meant of the thing within men ; for there is nothing to be spoken to in man , but man. answer . here thy ignorance , shame and envy is made manifest , that thou that hath pretended to be a minister , and a pastor of a church , and cannot tell what thou hast spoke ; to what hast thou ministered , to the wind ? or hast thou ministered to the devil , and preached glad tidings to him , who is in the transgression , and free grace to him that hath walked contrary to god ? it is so ; and therefore thou , and all who are in that nature , knows not what you speak , and therefore none hath been at all profitted by your ministery ; and blessed be the lord that its hid from the eyes of the wise , and revealed to babes : and thy envious spirit is seen , that it is of thy father the devil , who is the accuser of the brethren , that would lay a thing down as an error , and tells of dashing in peices our principles , and yet knowst not what they are , nor what we speak ; dost thou accuse , and knowst not for what , let shame cover thy face , that ever thou shouldst put pen to paper , or speak of god or christ , and speakest thou knowst not what , and then thou hast hatched a thing , and concludes there is nothing in man to be spoken to , but man , and before thou knewst not , and so art in confusion ; for christ and his apostles always spoke to man , thou sayst the apostle saith , he went and ministered to the spirits in prison , and to open the bind eye , and to raise the dead , and the dead should hear the voice of the son of god and live , and he preached liberty to the captive , and is given for a covenant to open the blind eyes , and unstop the deaf ears , and make the lame to walk , if thou hast an ear thou mayst hear , but not to feed thy serpents wisdom do i speak , i will shut thee out , for into it thou canst not enter , but through death , and death wrote the book ; and the apostles were made manifest to every mans conscience in the sight of god ; and the slothfull servant had a talent given to improve , which was anothers , and not his own , and that was required of him , and that will god require of man ; and unto that we speak which hears us , and shall witness us eternally , even that which is not in the transgression , neither is of man , but is given to man to improve , and yet is not far from man ; but this is a mystery , and it shall be sealed ; for without a parable spoke he not to such as thou art , and i know this is a parable ; but in the end thou sayst , thou knowst not how they can speak to any light in man , distinct from him , unless they speak unto satan , or some of his legions : here again thy shame and ignorance is made manifest , we speak to the ear , and the eye in man , which the god of the world hath blinded , and this is not of man , and yet is not far from man ; but [ distinct ] that is thy own word , i do not own it : bring forth the blind that hath eyes , and the deaf that hath ears ; did the prophets speak to the devil in man ; we speak to the witness of god in man , and according to this shall all be judged ; if thou hast an ear thou mayst hear ; oh thou blasphemer , dost thou call that which may be known of god , which is manifest in romans . , . dost thou call this a legion of devils , even that which declares the eternal power and godhead , but thou art he that calls the master of the house belzebub , and in that nature thou art , and the lord will rebuke thee . . principle , that thou calls a mistake , that is , the denying the use of reason in the matters of god , calling it serpentine . answ. the world by wisdom knows not god , and all the disputing and twining , and lavishing of the wisdom of man , and that which thou callst reason , it is corrupted , and is shut out ; and who lives in that nature are the unreasonable men that hath not faith : now he that hath not faith , hath not reason , and he that hath faith , hath the witness in himself ; but i see thee , thy witness is without thee , and so thou speaks unreasonably ; and all that would understand the mysteries of the kingdom , must come through death , for light shines in darkness , but darkness cannot comprehend it , and therefore one cryes , lo here , and another , lo there , and with that which thou callst reason , is scripture torn asunder , and it begets strife , contention , endless disputes and striving for mastery , which is carnal ; and all this we deny : and thou sayst [ upon this ground they will not do as the apostles and christ himself , who disputed with the gainsayers , ioh. . and stephen , acts . ] and thou bringst in some of the synagogue of libertines , and syrenians , and alexandrians , and the rest that disputed with stephen , and they were not able to resist him : let many hundreds of this city of london , both in publike , and in private , bear witness against thee , if we have not disputed , and have not been ready to give an answer to the gainsayers , though not such a one as they desired , even as christ our master did not answer the iews in their subtil tempting of him ; and of those sects that encountred both stephen and paul , truly i must needs say unto thee , we have met with the same generation in this city , whereof thou are one , and truly more subtil then they were , but in the eternal light you are all seen , and many though they could not gainsay , yet have resisted us ; and after a little , thou pleads not for carnal reason , for this will not suffer any to follow christ : further , then they can carry their own things , their honours , pleasures , ease and lusts , to that in thy conscience i speak whether this doth not rule thee and guide thee ; it will let thee see thou art pleading for honour , and respecting mens persons , and hath them in admiration , because of advantage , and brings the example of others to prove and uphold thy deceit , which they were neither commanded nor commended for to oppose the commands of christ , and the express scripture : and thou goes on further and sayst , [ god is the author of memory , and wisdom and reason ] but i tell thee there is a wisdom and a reason that god will confound , for by faith we know the heavens were made , and see them upholden , and by faith all things is brought to our remembrance , and it is the light that convinceth of sin , even the light of christ ; and so in the eternal light i see what thou pleadst for , for eating of the tree of knowledge , and there thou art , till thou art become a fool , and dead to that reason , thou shalt never eat of the tree of life , and therefore flesh , be silent : and thou sayst , thou dost not allow that reason that gets only a conclusion , or an argument instead of christ ; and after thou sayst the day is yet to dawn , and the day star to arise , and thou cryes violently for it : and here what hast thou more for an assurance of thy salvation , then an argument , and a conclusion instead of christ ; for thou confesses the day is not dawned , and then thou are yet in the night , and in darkness , for the day dawns , and the day star arises before christ be witnessed ; but thou knows no such thing , as either christ , or the dawning , if thou had not others testimony , and that is without ; and thou art one christ spoke of , since iohn the kingdom suffers violence , and many thrust into it ; and thou art striving , and are violent ; but i say thou shalt not be able till thou layst down thy contending in thy carnal wisdom , and striving , and resisting ; but thou must become a fool , and sit at jesus feet , but thou art full , and rich and whole , and need no physitian , and therefore thou must be sent empty away , and when the book of conscience shall be opened , thou shalt be judged for what thou hast done against the innocent . now something in answer to the fourth particular , which thou sayest is a tenent held forth by the northern people ; which is , a denying of the ascension and beeing of the body of christ. answ. o thou enemy of righteousness , when wilt thou cease to pervert the right way of god , who uttereth thy lyes and slanders against the innocent ; god shall judge thee , and between thee & us , whether thou hast not uttered lyes and false accusations in the name of the lord , and put forth in writing unto the world for truth , that which is absolutely contrary unto the truth ; god will reward thee , thou full of subtilty , according to thy deeds , who takes part with the dragon against the lamb , & goes about by thy lying slanders , to render the way of truth ( which thou canst not comprehend in thy serpents wisdom ) odious unto all men , but god taketh our part against thee , and will dash thy lyes and slanders , and thy impudent forehead in pieces , even by that power which makes the earth to quake & tremble , which is become a reproach unto this generation , many who have heard us since we came to this city ( though our enemies ) shall witness against thee , and for us , in this particular ; for we have oft witnessed forth , and i do here again witness forth in the sight of god and men , that christ jesus is risen , and ascended far above all principalities and powers , and the same which descended into the lower parts of the earth , is also ascended , and raigns over all , subjecting all unto himself , that he may be lord over all , and in all , and may be glorified by all ; and members of his body we are ( who thou enviously raylst against ) and witnesses of the body we are whereof christ jesus is head ; and because of the resurrection of the dead body , which is ascended , we are called in question , and all sects & opinions are troubled , and on an uproar concerning us ; and i tell thee plainly , we are so far from denying the ascension and beeing of the body of christ , that because of being called to witness it , as being members of it , we are persecuted and reviled by such as thy self , whose carnal conceptions and imaginations of truth we do deny , and do testifie unto you all , that through death is the resurrection and ascension witnessed , and every one that reads the scripture is not witnesses of the resurrection of the body of christ ; and all whose witness is onely without them , other mens words , which had the witness within them , we deny to be true witnesses , but are found false witnesses of the resurrection , and of the ascension , and knows not christ , nor his body but by hearsay ; and whereas thou bringst many scriptures to prove his resurrection and ascension : i answer , the scriptures we own to be a true declaration of the witness which was in the apostles of the resurrection and of the ascension of christ ; but thee we deny , who are found a lyar and a slanderer , and thy resurrection will be unto condemnation , and thy ascension will prove a descending into the bottomless-pit , for ever to be tormented , except thou repent ; and from the life of the holy men of god thou are razed out , who art found in the way of ungodliness , and thou hast nothing to do to profess their words , who art out of their life , nor no inheritance in their words , but as thou steals them , adding thy own imaginations upon them , and wresting them to thy own destruction , being one unlearned in the way of god , and in the doctrine of christ. and whereas thou sayst , and thus you see how these men deny the lord that bought them , if they deny the body that was crucified for them . i answer , we deny not the lord that bought us , for by him can we say we have received the end of his coming , and of his death and ascension , even he hath purchased us , and set us free from the power and kingdom of the divel , of lyes , and slanders , and false accusations of us , by whom the man-child is brought forth ; and this shall stand for thy own condition , who art a wandring star , and hath no habitation in the heavens ; god will plead with thee , thou who hast set thy self against the lord , in slandring and reviling his servants . now to thy fift particular , that we deny the ordinances of christ , in which thou sayest , we also deny the lord that bought us . answ. the way unto god , and unto everlasting life , which is christ jesus , we do not deny , but are true witnesses , that same christ alone which was crucified at ierusalem , and which god hath raised from the dead , and which is ascended , in him alone is salvation , and by him also alone are all justified that believe in him ; and this we declare freely unto all people , that christ is the ordinance of god , ordained by him , for the salvation of all that believe , and for the condemnation of all that believe not in him ; and that the way unto this christ , is not any outward visible thing , but even that which is manifest from him , leads up unto him , even the light by which he hath enlightened every one that cometh into the world , which is spiritual , as christ is spiritual ; and whereas thou sayest , there is nothing that christ commanded , but we deny it , mentioning only your baptism , and breaking of bread , which is your idol , and your image you bow unto ; the one baptism , which is by one spirit into one body , into the death of christ , we are witnesses of ; and the bread which we break , is the communion of the body of christ , and we being many , are one bread ; but the beggerly rudiments of the world we testifie against , being witnesses of the substance , and your taking on practices in that nature which is contrary unto christ , from the words and commands of christ , unto them that followed him , we also testifie against ; and in it you are found among the papists , which walks by tradition , and not from the motion of the spirit of god ; and here thou art found a lyar ; for the commands of christ is our life , our joy , our peace and glory , and hereby we know that we love him , because we keep his commandments , and they are not grevious unto us ( which is not received by tradition from without us , but by the eternal spirit , christ jesus revealed in us , which is not contrary to his commands without , but a fulfilling of them ; for he is not a iew who is one outwardly , whose praise is of men ; neither is the obedience which christ doth require a conforming the outward man unto an outward thing , which obedience is your boasting onely , and there only your difference lieth from all the world , in the outward appearance , pharisee-like ; but the ground of enmity , and seat of the beast is standing within , and you are twofold more the children of the devil ; and god is risen to confound you , and to break your image to pieces ; and he shall have the praise of god who is the jew inward , whose obedience and circumcision is inward , and who have no confidence in the flesh : and whereas thou exhorts to hear one loving reproof out of the scripture , which their predecessors ( i mean the papists ) thou sayest would have taken from us in the english tongue , and these would take from us the vertue of it , that is to say , the sharpness and sweeness of it , by working upon us a dislike to it : i answer , we do deny thy voice , and though thou mayst bring scripture in thy mouth to us , it is but as the devil brought it to christ , and we deny it from thee ; for if thou sayst god lives thou swears falsly ; and the papists they are thy predecessors , who walks only by tradition as thou dost , from a thing without them , separate from the life , and both them and thee we do deny , and bears witness against you , to be without god , in the world , in the alienation , out of the covenant , knowing nothing of him but what you have heard by a fame and a report and that we in the least would take from any the virtue of the scripture ; it is a lye uttered by the devil in thee : for we testifie unto all , that it shall every tittle be fulfilled , even upon the ungodly , and thou shalt know it one day to be fulfilled upon thee , thou lyar must be cast into the lake that burns for ever ; and this is the sharpness and sweetness which thou must have from it , who art a false accuser of the brethren , bearing the image of the dragon , the devil , whose servant thou art , as it is made manifest by thy writing ; and this many will witness with us , that often we do declare upon the just and the unjust the scripture must be fulfilled , and the righteous must have a reward , and the ungodly must have their portion in utter darkness , according as the scripture saith ; and herein we establish the scripture in its place , to be a true declaration of god and christ , and what the righteous and the wiced shall enjoy ; but that it is god and christ , or the way unto life , we deny it ; for this is its vertue , a declaration of that which the saints believed , and he that witnesses the same life and truth which it testifies of , to be made manifest in him , is a witness of it , and it is a witness unto him , and this is the vertue of it ; if thou hast an ear thou mayest hear , and that we work upon any a dislike of the scriptures , i charge thee to be a lyar ; for to the fulfilling and establishing of it we declare , that every one may walk up in the life of it , by that which gave it forth , and to be a true witness of it , as they were that spoke it ; but thee , and all such we do deny , which adds your imaginations upon it , to sell for money . and whereas thou sayst by way of query to us , [ hath the scripture no power over you ? have you a spirit to guide you without a written word ; it is out of gods government if it cannot be brought to the law and to the testimony ? ] i answer , jesus christ onely hath power over us , and not a letter without us ; and the spirit by which we are guided , is no other but that which gave forth the scripture , which spirit is the word of god , and which spirit the scripture bears witness unto ; and this we often say , if we speak or act contrary to scripture , let us be judged by the scripture ; and we , as paul did , do commend all that shall search the scripture , to try whether these things be not so which we declare ; and herein we are under the government of god , who alone hath power over us ; but you who have not the same spirit which gave forth the scripture , neither knows it nor us ; but out of the evil corrupt ground thou judgest of it , as thou dost of us , and both thy judgment of it and us is to be judged by the eternal light of christ , which never erreth nor changeth . and whereas thou sayest [ we may be familiar-spirits for ought thou knowest , what muttering and uncouth howling is among us , which you cannot but impute to be a spirit contrary to the word , if we will not come to the word to be tryed . ] i answer , it is true , thou knowst us not , for we are unknown to thy generation , ( though you have the scripture , which we in our lives and practices , are witnesses of ) as christ was unknown to the pharisees , who had the scripture , which he came to fulfil ; and thou art ignorant of the scripture , and a scorner of the power of it , who callst the power of the lord uncouth howling ; what would you have said concerning david , who lay roaring all the day long even as a man distracted ? and concerning habakkuk , whose belly trembled , and whose lips quivered when he heard the voice of god ? but here you are made manifest , who scorns that which the scripture bears witness of , and never knew what it was to be pricked to the heart , as they were which cryed out , what shall we do to be saved ? and , if thou canst , thou may try by the scripture , whether this be any other but that which the scripture speaks of , and not the same spirit which made the servants of god to quake and tremble , which the scriptures speaks of , which this day is become a reproach , even unto them that profess the scripture ; for by the word of god , which the scripture declares of shall all flesh tremble and be confounded , and then thy self shall be judged into the lake that burns for ever , except thou repent . and whereas thou sayest , how shall you do to try spirits , if we deny both the written word which is your rule , and reason too ; for we appeal from both . answ. art thou not ashamed to say , the scripture is thy rule , who art found a lyar and a false accuser ; thy rule shall try thee , and shall bear witness against thee , when god judgeth thee by jesus christ ; for neither by the scripture nor thy corrupt reason , canst thou know the things of god , who art a natural man , in the fall , in the world , without god : but again i say , let any try us , in our lives and in our practices , and if we speak or act contrary to the scripture , judge us by it ; but thy eye is blinded , and when thou feest the scripture fulfilled , even crying out as a woman in travel , thou calls it uncouth howling , and a spirit contrary to the scripture ; and how art thou able to try who art blind and deaf in the mystery of the kingdom of god , for thy reason must never enter unto god , but is shut out , and in seeing thou seest not , and in hearing thou dost not understanst ; and upon thee herein is the scripture fulfilled . and whereas thou sayest , we will not have christ to rule over us , for we deny both his person and word , which is the rule of life and love. i answer , o thou lyar , god shall judge thee , let shame cover thee , and let thy own conscience convince thee of thy lyes and slanders against the innocent , christ jesus is our head , and we are of his body , and his word is sweet unto us , even our life and rule of life , and by him we see thee to be an enemy to him , and from him i judge thee ; not his word , but the spirit of the devil is thy rule , for he is the ruler and father of lyes and lyars , and thy portion thou must have with him in the lake ; and what thou sayest of us it shall stand for thy own condition , thou wilt not have christ to rule over thee , who lives in thy lust and carnal mind without the fear of god , which christ comes to destroy in all that witness him . and whereas thou sayest , in the name of god thou proclaimest , that those men that disown the written word , are not spiritual men ; they may have the spirit of antichrist . answ. thou hast nothing to proclaim from god , but as the false prophets had other mens words ; and also i say , if thou find any that disown the scripture , we also disown such , and do say they are not spiritual men , but have the spirit of antichrist , and of this number thou art , guided by the spirit of antichrist , who art a lyar and a false accuser , which is contrary to the spirit of christ , and art without faith , and so art unreasonable in the corrupt reason , without pure and undefiled reason . and whereas thou sayest , who but the spirit of antichrist durst countermand the commands of our law-giver the lord iesus christ ? i answ . the commands of christ are spiritual , and in and by the spirit , and not traditional from the letter without , and antichrist may conform to the command without , as the pharisees did , and yet be an enemy to the life and substance of his commands ; and this is thy own condition as it was the pharisees , who said , he destroyed the law , who came to fulfil it , as thou sayest , we make void and deny the commands of christ , when as we are witnesses of them , and directs all unto the fulfilling of them ; and thy spirit here is tryed to be the spirit of antichrist , the same which was in them which persecuted christ ; and thou raylst and slanderest his members . and whereas thou sayest , there were never any men appeared in the world so like those that peter speaketh of in his second epistle ; and these desire to overthrow the writings of the spirit of god. i answ . peter spoke of such as thou art , for as a cloud carryed about with a tempest thou art , and a well without water , and defilest the flesh , and dispisest the saints dignity , and speakest great swelling words of vanity , whilst thou thy self art a servant of corruption , serving the devil , by lying and falsly accusing : and that we desire to overthrow the writings of the spirit of god , thou art a lyar , for we go about to establish them , and declares of him who is the substance of them , and god will reward thee according to thy deeds : who also accuseth us of unseemly kissing in glasiers-hall , thou sayest , if mr pope do not belye us . i answer , this is another lye which proceeds from thee ; let all the honest hearted which ever have frequented our assembly at that place testifie against thee , and pope , and your father the devill , whom by lying you , serve , and that no unseemly actions have proceeded from us , but sobriety and civility ; and unseemly actions shall stand for thy own condition , they are such as thy self , who commits unseemly brawling , and folly , and vain contending against the truth in glasiers-hall , as many honest-hearted will witness against you , and for us who have seen your base actions , as scorning and flouting in that place ; and so here you your selves are guilty of the wontonness which peter speaks of , and of aluring through the lust of the flesh , which thou slanderously wouldst cast it upon us . and thou further sayest , none ever promised to themselves so much liberty as these and the ranters , in being freed from the power and tryal of the word . i answer , both the ranters and thee we do absolutely deny , and testifie against you both to be in the enmity against god , and against us who are his servants : thou before didst rank us with the papists , and now among the ranters ; but herein the scripture is fulfilled upon us , as they have done unto christ , so they do unto us ; he was numbred among transgressors by the generation of painted sepulchers , and whited walls , as we are by thee ; and all liberty which is of the flesh , and to the flesh , we do deny , as many can witness , who are witnesses of our ministery ; and again i say , he that is able , let him try us by the scripture ; but thou art blind , and hath hardened thy heart against god , and hath neither salt nor savory , and so are good for nothing but to be trodden under foot . and whereas thou sayest , the lord bless every one of his from the condition of chandler , who formerly was the head of a company of shakers . i answer , the day is coming when thou canst not flee the wrath of god , though thou pray , god will not hear thee ; and if ever thou hast seen chandler in this condition , thou mightst have read thy figure in him , weeping , and howling , and gnashing of teeth will be thy portion for ever ; and i say unto thee , this condition of chandlers is not come upon him , because he was once a shaker , by the dread of the lord upon him , but because he went out from that condition , out of the fear of god into the liberty of the flesh , out of his shaking and fearing state which once he was in , and this he shall witness with me to be true , and against thee , who would reproach the way of truth by him , when the book of conscience is opened . and whereas thou further sayest , their spirit will perswade them that they are not fallen from righteousness , and would therefore justifie them . i answer , we are gathered up into righteousness , and fallen from vanity , and this the spirit of god perswadeth us , and witnesseth in us and for us , by which onely we are justified freely , and not by the works of the law , nor by any outward observance ; and herein thou also art a lyar ; who sayst , we are fallen from righteousness , for even the righteousness of god is manifested to us , by which we deny all your carnal outward observances , by which you think to obtain life and righteousness . now in answer to thy sixth particular , which thou calls a heavy and sad offence , which is a denying honour to men , which thou sayst is the example of good men ; to which i do answer : god hath commanded to honour him alone , and not to how down to any creature , and thou hast brought many scriptures to oppose the command of god , and so art more fully made manifest to be an enemy unto him , which would plead against him , by that which is written from him , pleading the example of good men , which is no example to us to break the command of god , no more then davids example in comming whoredom , and iosephs example in swearing by the life of pharoah , is an example for any to act those things now ; and i do utterly deny that any of these scriptures , which thou hast cited , will prove and maintain your heathenish custom , in your deceitfull way of honouring one another , to please the devil in one another , which is without the fear of god ; and it is a sad offence to none but the devil , because it weakens and disturbs his kingdom , of which thou art , as is made manifest , who pleads to uphold it from the scripture ; but vain honour with flattering titles unto any man , we do deny ; but yet we honour all men in the lord , and out of him we honour none , to uphold the pride of man for god will bring it all down , and lay it in the dust , and exalt himself , to reign over you all ; and whereas thou sayst , [ how far are these men from the holy writ : ] to which i say and answer , thou slanderously wouldst make us to appear odious in the sight of men , but all the upright in heart will see thee , and thy blindness and ignorance , who bringst that scripture where christ ( in fulfilling the law of god , which he came to fulfil ) worshipped in the temple , to prove and maintain the worship of man. answ. o thou blind pharisee and perverter of the scripture , god will plague thee , thou enemy of his truth ; who perverts the scripture , to thy own destruction , and art worse then the pharisees , who said , he respected no mans person , and they shall witness against thee ; and whereas thou speaks of honouring father and mother , which thou sayest we deny in this our practice : i answer , i charge thee to be a lyar , for , as i said , we honour all men in the lord , and direct all children and servants , to obey their parents and masters in the lord ; and this many can witness for us , which have more frequented our assemblies then thou hast done ; but this we also testifie , where the obedience to any man stands in opposition to god , the obedience to god is rather to be chosen ; and herein he that will not hate father or mother for christ sake is not worthy of him ; but thou carnal earthly man art pleading for the kingdom of the devil , to honour man above god ; and i say how can you believe , that seeks honour one of another ? your honour and your heathenish custom we testifie against , yet unto every ordinance of man we are subject for conscience sake . now to that which you call the seventh mistake , [ affording absolute perfection at one instant , in admitting of none but perfect men into conjunction . ] answ. it is a mistake in thee , for such a word never proceeded from us , i may say it is rather an absolute lye invented by thee , to make us odious , then a mistake from us ; for thy heart is desperately wicked , and thy torment is kindling by the breath of the almighty ; many which have heard us will testifie against thee ; for we say the saints have their growth up into a perfect man in christ , as christ himself had , and we say also , there is children , and young men , and fathers , as the apostle said , but thou art not ashamed to utter thy lies and slanders , which hundreds in this city will witness against thee for a lyar ; and even the light in thy conscience will accuse thee to thy face , that thou hast imagined lyes and mischief upon thy bed against us ; and whereas thou bringst many scriptures to prove thy slanders against us to be true : to which i answer , all the scriptures we own and bear witness unto , by that spirit from which they were spoken ; but thee and thy spirit we deny , for both you and it is of the devil ; and thou hast devillishly added thy imaginations upon them , and wrested them , which i shall not now mention , because i do deny the thing which thou assertest , for its an absolute lye , and do say unto thee , god will reward thee thou slanderous tongue : and whereas further thou sayest , [ in our perfection , we deny any man , being under frailty , or capableness to sin , to be of our communion . ] i answer , here again thou art a lyar , these words were never uttered by us , as thou hast set them down ; but i say he that sins is of the devil , and such we have no unity withal , nor such hath no unity with god ; for no impure thing enters to him , nor hath communion with him ; for whosoever works abomination , is to be cast out , and trodden in the winepress of his wrath , where the portion of lyars is , among whom thou must receive thy reward ; for with such we have no union , who are disobedient children , but with him who in the least measure which he hath received from god , walks up in the light unto god , we have unity and communion with him . thou sayst one of us told thee [ that which sinned could not be saved . ] i answer , it is out of the reach of thy wisdom , and thy vulterous eye shall never see it ; i say as the scripture saith , the soul that sinneth must die , and every man must die for his own iniquity , if thou hast an ear thou mayst hear ; and further thou sayest , [ that our doctrine may appear to be utterly against the scripture thou bringst , rom. . . ] where paul was under the law , and saw a law in the members warring against the law of the mind : i answer , his scripture we own , and are ture witnesses of it ; but there was also a time , that the law of the spirit of life had freed him from the law of sin and death ; but thy ignorance is made manifest , who bringst one scripture to oppose another , and knowst not the conditions in thy self , from which paul spoke , and so art ignorant of what he spoke ; for i say , there is a time without the law , and a time under the law , and a time dead to the law , and not under it , and all these states paul witnessed , which we also in our measures are witnesses of , which thou knowst not in thy self , and so wrests pauls words ; and whereas thou sayest , [ yet let not them think that we by this doctrine nourish sin , having brought many scriptures to plead for sin ; ] i answer , being guilty in thy self , thou art afraid , and hath a jealousie lest we should lay it to thy charge ; and truly concerning thee we think nothing in this matter , for thy heart , and the secrets of it is made manifest in the eternal light , by which thou are comprehended , and answered , and by which god will eternal judge thee ; therefore repent lest the wrath of god overtake thee , and thou be swept away with the beesom of destruction , who hath falsly accused and slandered us with lies and false reproaches : but now it s the time that pilate and herod is made friends , and gog and magog is gathered together to compass the camp of the saints about ; and even the priests and their crew , and the anabaptists and their crew , and all sects is combined against the truth , but god is with us , and in him alone can we rejoyce over you all for ever and ever ; and in him make our boast all the day long , for this is our heritage ; every tongue that riseth up in judgement against us shall be condemned , for the lord is our portion , and even the stone which is become the head stone of the corner ; and thou howet shalt be grinded to powder by it , who hath bent thy bow to shoot at the righteous ; therefore consider what thou hast done , and repent , lest god tear thee in pieces , and there be none to deliver . by one who is zealous for the name of the lord of hosts , called , edward burrough . answers to several queries put forth to the despised people , called quakers , by philip bennett , who calls himself a minister of christ , but is found a deceiver . also answers to several other queries put forth by iohn reeve , who lives in the city of london , who calls himself , the last messenger and witness unto the true god , but is found a false witness , and a lyar , and a perverter of the right way of god. a paper being received which was directed to rich. roper , and to his quaking friend , which words comes from the dark carnal mind : quaking and trembling , which the saints and holy men of god witnessed , we own and witness ; therefore we do deny thee , and all thy dark divinations . whereas thou philip bennett , in thy note which thou hast written to roper , in answer to a letter which he wrote to thee , wherein he charges thee to be a lyar , and a false accuser , and charges thee to bring any man to witness what thou hast spoken by them , whom thou sayest , denyed that christ that dyed at ierusalem , and who they were that denyed that christ that suffered at ierusalem , or else acknowledge thy self to be a slanderer ; and in thy paper , thou gives no answer at all to these words , but sayest , thou callest the congregation to witness , but doth not mention one in all the congregation that will witness it ; whereupon the lye rests upon thy head , and thou found to be the lyar , and the slanderer , and the false accuser . and whereas thou sayest , thou hast sent queries concerning that matter ; thy queries makes thee manifest what thou art , many of thy own tribe and generation , if they saw thy queries , would be ashamed both of thee and of thy queries ; for hundreds there are in the world that know nothing of the true and living god , and yet would see thee and thy queries not to be worth answering ; yet lest thou shouldst boast in thy filthy ignorance and darkness , and for clearing of the truth to the simple : something in answer to them . quer. whether was the word made flesh , or the son of god made of a woman more , or oftner , then once ? answ. in this first query thou hast manifested what thou art , to all the children of light , and where thou art , and what spirit thou art of , a reprobate , a child of darkness thou art ; thou mightest have spared the other nineteen queries , for in this query thy spirit is tryed , and in the eternal light seen and known : thou askest whether the word was made flesh any more or oftner then once , which makes it plainly manifest , that thou knowest no●●●at thou askest , and that thou dost not know , nor canst not witness the word to be made flesh once , but art one of the antichrists and deceivers which iohn speaks of , that are entred into the world , which cannot confess jesus christ come in the flesh ; and therefore thou queries whether the word was made flesh any more or oftner than once , which query comes from thy dark polluted mind , who is out of the light , and a stranger to the life , and without god in the world , amongst the false prophets , antichrists and deceivers which are in the world , and in the light of christ , which condemns the world , ye are all seen known , and made manifest , and are turned away from by these who dwell in the light , which light condemns thee and all thy generation eternally ; and the word made flesh we witness , which dwells amongst us , and we behold his glory as the glory of the only begotten of the father , according to the scripture ; whereby we witness thee , and all thy generation , to be in the sorcery , and in the witchcraft , deceiving and betraying the souls of the simple , the light of christ in thy conscience will tell thee so , for that thou must be obedient to , and witness before thou witness the word to be made flesh once , for thou art darkness it self ; and the light in thy conscience , if thou wouldst let it rise , will be thy condemnation , and when thou canst witness the word to be made flesh once , then thou wilt know whether the son of god was made of a woman any more or oftner than once : but thou art the dragon that wouldst devour the man-child which the woman hath brought forth , who shall rule all nations with a rod of iron , and her child is caught up to god , and to his throne , and thou , the dragon , and thy angels are cast out into the earth ; and therefore dost thou persecute the woman which hath brought forth the man-child ; but thou art overcome by the blood of the lamb , and the word of his testimony ; and for thy other nineteen queries , thou hast conjured them up in thy black art , out of the bottomless-pit , which is to be turned into perdition ; if thou hadst an ear thou mightst hear , or a eye thou mightst read ; but thou art blind . quer. whether did the man christ iesus the son of god , slain , ( in respect of gods decree and efficacy of his death ) from the foundation of the world really and indeed suffer death , or dissolution of soul and body , as upon the cross at ierusalem , more or oftner than once . answ. here in this query thou , diviner , art found adding to the scripture thy divinations of thy own brain , whereupon the plagues of god is to be added unto thee , and poured upon thee , for as thou sayst , the man christ jesus ; the lamb of god , slain ( in respect of gods decree and efficacy of his death ) from the foundation of the world. oh thou lyar , let all people see where there is such a scripture that speaks as thou speakst here ; but in the light of christ thou art seen , and in the life comprehended , and art for condemnation . the man christ jesus we own , and witness , and the lambs book of life , which was slain from the foundation of the world we witness the lamb of god , which takes away the sins of the world ; this we witness according to the scripture , praises , praises eternal praises , be to the lord god for ever , and thee to be the beast that makes war with the lamb we witness , and thou antichrist which looks at christs death at ierusalem alone , and cannot confess him no otherwise but without thee ; here thou art but equal with the pope of rome , for he confesseth christ dyed at ierusalem as well as thou ; so let all thy congregation see what they hold up that follows thee . . quer. whether did the man christ ever really and indeed suffer in his own person , for that end and , after that manner which he did once upon the cross at ierusalem , before the time , or since the time ? answ. here thou full of all subtilty hast made manifest thy poison and enmity , but with the light of christ thou art seen , and known , and with it condemned for ever ; christ jesus in his own person doth , and ever did , suffer by thee , and such as thou art , and by thy generation he did suffer at ierusalem , and doth suffer where he is made manifest by you , after the same manner , and thou blind-pharisee and blasphemer , wouldst thou have christ to have more ends in suffering then one ? quer. whether was not that death which the man christ suffered once , and but once , upon the cross at ierusalem , so satisfactory for all the sins of the elect , as that the iustice of god , did not , doth not since require any suffering or working upon that account , either from sinner or from saint . answ. here thou , jesuite , art pleading again for a christ far off thee , according as thy father doth at rome : that christ that dyed at ierusalem did not satisfie for thee who art an enemy to him , and doth not abide in his doctrine , but acts contrary to his commands , and art under the wo , which he cryed against them that were in the same steps where thou art , and from that wo thou shalt never flee : the death of the man christ jesus which suffered at ierusalem we own and witness ; the same christ that suffered at ierusalem we witness made manifest , and the one god and the one mediator we witness and know , betwixt god and man , the man christ jesus , according to the scripture : and here thou lyar art made manifest to all thy congregation to be a lyar , who said amongst them , that we denyed that christ that died at ierusalem , so let them all be witnesses of thy lyes , and let thy mouth be stopt thou lyar , who art for the lake ; and whereas thou queries ; whether the justice of god be not satisfied for the sins of the elect ? here let shame strike thee in the face , that ever thou shouldst take upon thee to speak to any people , and knowst not the scripture ; where dost thou read in all the scripture , that god doth require satisfaction for the sins of the elect , or laid any thing to their charge , let all people try thee here by the scripture , and see whether thou be not a blind ignorant sot , who doth not know what the justice of god requires , neither from sinner nor from saint , isa. . . isa. . . . luk. . . rom. . . quer. whether you are reconciled to god by any other obedience , than that particular obedience which christ performed in his own person , and is mentioned in the scripture , or by any other suffering or death , than that which christ once suffered upon the cross at ierusalem ? answ. silence flesh : wouldst thou , ( who art an enemy to god , and a child of disobedience , in whom the prince of the air rules ) know how we are reconciled to god , and by what obedience ; first own the light in thy conscience which condemns thee , and be obedient to that , and then thou shalt know by what obedience it is that we are reconciled to god ; for yet thou knowst no obedience , nor the death which christ suffered upon the cross , thou dost not know , but art an enemy to the cross of christ , and in the mystery of iniquity , and in the dark power and man of sin ; what hast thou to do to talk of obedience , who art reconciled to thy lust , and sin reigns in thee , and thou art blind , in the broad way that leads to death , as thy fruits makes it manifest , who lives in strife and envy ? quer. whether did not the man christ suffer as a publick person in the elects stead , or in their behalf , and for that end that none who believed in him might dye eternally ? answ. there thou blind-guide , makest many replys , but still one and the same thing , but thou makest it manifest , that thou dost not know the man christ at all , nor his sufferings , for that death reigns in thee yet that hath passed over all men that askes this query ; for a publick person christ is not to thee , but a mystery which thou knowest nothing of , and for the redeeming of the elect from under such mouths as thine , did and doth christ suffer ; and those that are brought to believe , deny such dumb idol shepherds as thee , who as yet doth not believe , and therefore shalt dye eternally , except they repent . quer. whether the sufferings of christ now in his saints , be all the satisfaction that is made to , or which the justice of god looks for , for sins past , present and to come ? answ. there thou blasphemer askest thou knowest not what ; is not christ the same now as ever ? and is not the sufferings of christ satisfactory where ever ? what wilt thou have to satisfie , if the sufferings of christ do not satisfie , let all people take notice what a blasphemer thou art , or what they can learn of such a one as thee , who knowst neither the justice of god , nor the sufferings of christ in his saints . quer. whether was not that body of iesus which consisted of flesh , blood and bone , and which was offered upon the cross at ierusalem , the one and onely sacrifice for sin god accepted , and to which alone exclusively the saints before under the law , and the saints since under the gospel , did , and do look to be justified by , without any other works . answ. here again thou art replying thy former sottish queries , which rises out of thy dark mind , concerning the body of jesus , as the devil did about the body of moses ; let thy mouth be stopt here , for the body of jesus thou knowest not , nor what it consists on ; and the offering of it up thou knowst nothing of , but what thou knowest and hearest by the outward letter ; that it was offered up at ierusalem ; and the sacrifice for sin thou knowest not , and thou art none of the saints , neither under the law , nor under the gospel ; but are without in the world , in the broad-way , blind , leading the blind into the ditch ; and for thee the body of christ is no saisfaction : and thou reprobate , what hast thou to do to talk of believing ? for that is the condition of the saints , they do believe and are justified ; and their works thou knowest not , thou disobedient one , upon whom god will render vengeance in flaming fire . . quer. whether there be not another righteousness by which the saints are justified in the sight of god , than that which christ works in them and by them ? answ. there thou accursed , art made manifest , who preacheth another gospel , and wouldst have another righteousness than that of christ , here thou beast , to whom the plagues of god is due , and upon whom his wrath must be accomplished , here thou hast made thy self manifest , thou who wouldst have another righteousness than the righteousness of christ , which he works in the saints , and by them ; and so thou wouldst be justified and live in thy sin , but thou art shut out from god for ever ; and we witness justification by faith , and the just shall live by his faith. quer. whether doth sanctification or justification , in order antecede holiness of life , or justification by faith go before ; or whether doth not god love man , ere man loved god ? answ. here thou , dark blind hypocrite , hast shut thy self out from the knowledge of god in any measure ; oh that people should ever be so blind , as to look for to learn any thing at such a one as thee , but sin and filthiness ! and what hast thou been teaching them all this while , that neither knowst sanctification nor justification yet , but art querying whether goes before ? let all people judge if thou art not a teacher of laciviousness , sin and uncleanness ; and how darst thou mention a holy life , or justification by faith , and knowst neither justification nor sanctification ? and thee , man , which art cain , god doth not love nor accept thee nor thy sacrifice ; and for justification by faith , thou knowst nothing of it , which we own and witness ; and thou , who art in envy dost not love god. . quer. whether the iustice of god be not fully satisfied for all the sins of the elect ; ere christ appeareth to their souls , or holiness appeareth in their lives ? answ. here thou full of all subtilty art comprehended , and with the light of christ thou art seen , and with the life judged and condemned , who woulde●t lay sin to the charge of the elect , when the scripture faith , who shall lay any thing to the charge of gods elect ? it is god that justifieth , who shall condemn ? the soul that sinneth shall dye . thou sorcerer , doth the elect of god sin ? shall the elect dye ? to that in thy conscience i speak . . quer. whether the holy lives , or holy works of the saints be not excluded from the act of iustification , from the guilt of sin ? answ. thou dead beast hast made it manifest , that thou art a stranger from the life of god , and is excluded from the holy life of the saints and their works , who art querying whether this be not excluded from justification : oh that ever thou shouldest open thy mouth , or take upon thee to speak of the scripture ; doth not the apostle say , pet. . . for as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things , as silver and gold , from your vain conversation , but with the precious blood of christ , as of a lamb without blemish and without spot , who verily was ordained before the foundation of the world was , but was manifest in these last times for you who by him do believe in god , that raised him up from the dead ? now let all people read this chapter , and try thee , who knowest nothing of jesus christ , but as thou hast heard of him , that he was crucified at ierusalem , and so thou art unredeemed from thy vain conversation , and so art not justified before god , nor never shall be ; but those that can witness redemption by the precious blood of jesus christ , as all the saints of god do , are justified ; and by the same that they are justified thou art condemned into the lake for ever . quer. whether is that righteousness which is wrought by the saints every way answerable to the justice of god ? answ. there again thy blindness is made manifest ; is there any righteousness but that of jesus christ ? and is not that every way answerable to the justice of god ? but such polluted filthy beasts as thou wouldst have another righteousness , as thou speakst plainly in thy ninth query ; but all thy righteousness we deny , and the righteousness of jesus christ we own and witness , whose righteousness shall be revealed upon thee in flames of fire . quer. whether none be accounted righteous in gods sight , in whom there is any corruption or failing , or who do not fulfill the law , and answer every demand of justice ? answ. here thou polluted beast , hast made it manifest what thou hast been driving at all this while in thy queries , which is , that thou wouldst have corruption and filthiness to be accounted righteous in gods sight , that so thou mightst lye and wallow in thy sins and filthiness , but iohn saith , that he that commits sin is of the devil ; for the devil sinned from the beginning ; and for this purpose the son of god was made manifest , that he might destroy the works of the devil ; and thou man of sin wouldst have it to stand ; but those that loves god keeps his commandements , and they are not grievous ; and god doth not accept any where there is any failing , or who do not fulfil the law , and answer every demand of justice ; and he doth reserve the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished , pet. . . and chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness ; and there thou art . quer. whether a soul be justified before god by the non-imputation of sin , and the imputation of the righteousness of the person of christ to his faith , or by a righteousness wrought by christ in the person justified , or to be justified . answ. here stop thy mouth , thou sorcerer , which art gathering up here a heap of confusion , which is fit for nothing but to be turned with thee into the bottomless pit , from whence it comes , wherein thou talkest of imputation and non-imputation , and of a person justified , and to be justified ; thy language is of egypt , and in the mystery of iniquity , thou speakst it , which is condemned into the ●ake of perdition by the light of christ , and in the light thou and it art seen and comprehended ; and as i told thee before , i own no righteousness but what is of christ and wrought by him , which righteousness shall confound thee and all thy unrighteousness and conjuration , and the same that justifies us shall condemn thee eternally . quer. whether christ be in his saints in respect of that nature wherein he suffered at ierusalem ? answ. here , thou enemy of christ , wouldst know how the saints injoy christ here , the scripture is fulfilled upon thee , the light shines in darkness , and darkness comprehends is not , when thou comes to own thy condemnation , the light in thy conscience it will let thee see thy evill deeds , it will lead thee up to christ from whence it comes , and then thou wilt know that nature that he suffered in ; but now thou art in that nature that iudas was in that betrayed him , and that they were in that crucified him . quer. how , and after what manner christ , who in respect of his divine nature is in all places , may be said to be in a saint , and not in reprobate ? answ. what hast thou to do to query after the divine nature , who art the natural man , that knowes nothing of god , but what thou knowest naturally as a bruit beast , and knowes not the things that be of god , because they are spiritually discerned , and the manner of christs divine nature , which is infinite , is hid from thy eyes ; for with that eye that thou shouldst see , with that art thou blind , and the manner of his being in a saint thou knowest not , who art a reprobate , and thou shalt find him to be thine eternall condemnation . quer. whether doth christ now in these dayes assume or take upon him the form of a servant , and the seed of abraham , that is our flesh : and whether doth not this assumption cause such a perfection of the god-head and the man-hood , as that both of them are united together into one person ? answ. o thou dark beast and conjurer , who art querying with thy conjured words , that which thou knowst nothing of , and which is out of thy reach , and comprehension ; thou blasphemer , dost thou limit christ to dayes , in taking upon him the form of a servant , and the seed of abraham ? is not he the same now as ever he was ? and for the union of the god-head and man-hood , as thou callst it , let thy mouth be stopt , for with thee god nor none of his children hath any union ; for god hath put an utter enmity , betwixt thy seed , thou serpent , and the seed of the woman , and the perfect union with christ we witness , who is the same to day , yesterday and for ever , and therefore are we separate from thee and thy generation . quer. whether is christ now conversant upon earth , amongst men , since his ascension , as he was before , and in those times wherein the apostles lived ? answ. in thy queries thy speech bewrayes thee , thy language is the language of aegypt , for in it thou makest it clearly manifest that thou knowest not christ at all , not in the least measure , for where the first principle of truth is made manifest , it is the same that ever was , and never changes ; and thou askest whether christ be now conversant upon earth amongst men since his ascension , as he was in the apostles time ; dost thou know what thou askest ? did he not appear to the apostles since his ascension , in the most glorious manner that ever thou readst ; and is he not the same now as he was then ? what wouldst thou make of him , ( thou dark sottish beast ) such a one as thy self ? who wouldst be pleading for darkness and ignorance of god , but praise and glory to him who hath discovered thee and all such deceivers as thou art . quer. whether did not christ dwell among his saints , after another and more visible manner than now he dwels in his saints ? answ. there again thou hast shewed thy ignorance of the scripture , and for thy word visible , he is not , nor never was visible to thee , nor to thy generation , for those that did profess the scriptures , as thou , and thy generation doth , crucified him , and said he was of the devil , as thou and such as thou art , dost now ; thou blasphemer , where hast thou a scripture that saith , that christ would dwell in his saints after another manner ? did he not say , it is expedient for you that i go away , and i go and prepare n place for you , and i will come again and receive you unto my self , that where i am there you may be also ; and ye have heard how i have said i go away and come again unto you , and if ye loved me , ye would rejoyce , because i go unto the father ; and christ jesus saith in iohn . . verily , verily i say unto you , he that believeth on me , the works that i do , he shall do also , and greater works than these , because i go to the father : but all these scriptures is hid from thy eyes , and thou art one of those that isaiah prophesied on ; and that scripture is fulfiled on thee , which saith , he hath blinded their eyes , and hardened their hearts , that they should not see with their eyes , nor understand with their hearts . now blessed be the lord that hath discovered thee , and such blind-guides as thou art . so thy queries are answered in the eternal light and life of god , and judgement is given upon thee and them , which thou shalt eternally witness , without roving or wandring ; but thou who art out of the light art roving , and wandring and stumbling in darknes ; who hast put forth these stumbling queries , which are answered lovingly and plainly , and in the scripture language and termes , and with the eternal light and life of god , set thee in thy own place , which thou shalt eternally witness . these are matters of great concernment , and if you refuse to answer them in writing , spare your tongues and spare your papers , for i will henceforth neither hear the one , nor read the other . answ. thou sayst , these are matters of great concernment ; we see that that which makes thee manifest , and such as thou art , and which layes thee open to poor ignorant people , who are deceived by thee , and led into the ditch , and their souls kept in death by thee ; to make this manifest is of great concernment , as these dark black stumbling queries , and thy conjured words hath done , which thou hast no scripture for , as ambiguity , efficacy , exclusively , antecede , and non-imputation , assume , and assumption : now let all people read and consider what they do that holds such as thee up , who is shut out from god , and shut out from the saints life and language , and art shut out of the scriptures , though thou makest a trade of them for money , and deceives poor people , but thou knowest nothing of the life and power that gave them forth ; so thou art to be condemned with the light , and with the life which gave forth the scripture . let all people read deut. chap. . from verse . to . there the priests and the levites which were ordained of god , were to have no inheritance among the people , but the lord was their inheritance , and they were to have it of that which was offered up to the lord , and this was a figure of the everlasting priest-hood which ministreth out of the everlasting treasure ; and the lord god commanded israel , not to do as they did when they came into the land , nor to go after their abominations , as you may see , but gave israel their land to possess that did hearken unto such as the lord had not sent , which was abomination to him ; and the lord said to israel , thou shalt be perfect with the lord thy god ; and in the th verse , the lord thy god will raise unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee , of thy brethren , like unto me , unto him shall ye hearken ; and so to the end of the chapter ; he that hath an eye may see , and the lord is the same that he was , and he will not suffer the abominations that are committed in this land , but is discovering the abomination of it : a horrible and a filthy thing is committed , which ieremiah cryed against , coveteous men preach , drunkards preach , swearers preach , lyars preach , strikers preach , and proud men preach : oh wonderful ! where are your eyes ? try your priests by the scriptures , see if they be not found in the same generation that all the false prophets and the deceivers were in , which the true prophets of god cryed against , and discovered ; and in the steps of the scribes and pharisees , that christ cryed wo against ; and see if they be not the antichrists and the deceivers which are entred into the world , which iohn speaketh of , which cannot confess christ come in the flesh , but transgresseth , and abideth not in the doctrine of christ , so hath not god , neither knoweth him , but preacheth for sin , and against perfection ; and denyeth the light which enlighteneth every one that cometh into the world , & so keeps people in blindness and ignorance , and out of the knowledge of god , and never any that follow them shall ever come to the knowledg of the true and living god ; therefore all people see where you are , and mind the light in your consciences , which is pure , and which testifieth against sin , and it will let you see all your blind-guides which deceive you , to be in sin , and ignorant of god ; for they deny that which should make him manifest , therefore beware what you hold up , and give over going after them ; to that in your consciences i speak , which shall witness me eternally to speak the truth , if you obey it ; and shall condemn you eternally , if you disobey it . these blinde-guides that are in this land , deny the prophet which moses wrote of , which is the substance of the priest-hood , which was before , and here they are found in the same generation , in the sorcery and in the witchcraft , which the lord commanded should be put out of the land , where the children of israel went to possess . answers to several other subtil queries , put forth by one john reeve , who lives in the city of london , who callst himself the messenger and witness unto the true god , but is found a lyar , and a perverter of the right way of god. a certain writing is come to my hand , called an epistle from the mighty jehovah , or jesus the only lord , and god of the e●ect israelites , from one , whose name is subscribed iohn reeve , pilgrim , who calls himself the last messenger , and witness unto the true god , unto which , for the sake of the simple , i am moved by the spirit of the lord of heaven and earth to write something in answer , that so his folly may be made manifest , and his ignorance and blasphemy laid open unto the simple-hearted , who have been long deceived by such through their false voice , lo here , and lo there : friend , to thee , who hast subscribed this writing , who calls thy self the last messenger , and witness unto the true god : i answer , the lord of hosts , and god of the elect israelites , doth not accept thy testimony and witness ; for thy spirit is made manifest not to be the spirit which came from god , and which dwelleth with god , which beareth true witness unto god ; but the spirit which is driven out from the presence of god , into the creation , and into the visible world ; and that is the lying spirit , and bears not true witness unto the true god , but is a spirit which bears witness to the imaginations of thy own heart , which looks upon , and declares the living god , as if he was carnal , and a creature-like substance ; and here the scripture is fulfilled upon thee , thou thinkest he is altogether such a one as thy self ; and for the true god thou art no messenger , nor hast received any message from him , for thy spirit is known , and he never delivered his message unto it in any generation , but kept his secret sealed up from it : and friend , here i charge thee , in the presence of the true spiritual god , that thou belyst the lord of hosts , who sayest thy epistle is from him ; thou uses thy tongue , and sayest , the lord saith , when , saith the lord , i have not spoken unto thee : and of that generation thou art which ieremiah cryed against ; and therefore let all flesh be silent before the lord , and call not thy own imaginations his word , but thou who hast a dream , tell thy dream for a dream , and he that hath the word of the lord , let him speak it faithfully ; and though thou callest thy self the last messenger , or witness unto the true god ; yet i say unto thee , verily the lord hath a witness which was before thee , which hath been slain in the streets of the great city , which the lord will bring forth after thee , which will bear true witness of the true god , and , against thee ; and thou , who hast been alive , shall be judged by him who hath lain slain , and he will eternally condemn thy testimony and message : friend , in the light of christ , which hath lightened every one that cometh into the world , thou art comprehended , and seen , thy beginning , thy time , and thy end , and with it thy testimony and message is denyed , for thy testimony is such , that if thou swearst the lord lives , thou swearest falsly ; and further thou sayst , [ by inspiration of the holy spirit thou wast moved to present this epistle : ] i answer , the language of the holy spirit is like it self , pure and spiritual , but thy language is carnal and sensual , and so is thy spirit ; the saints which spake by the inspiration and moving of the spirit , cursed not that which god had blessed , as thou dost ; neither did they say the elect were defiled , as thou doest ; neither did they speak of god as a carnal substance , as thou dost , but said that god was a spirit ; and here art thou a witness against thy self , that thou speakest not by the inspiration and moving of the holy spirit , but speakest thy imaginations and lyes in the name of the lord : and whereas thou sayest , [ in this confused age there hath appeared variety of spirits , pretending to be sent by the everlasting god , yet they are at war with all their power to overthrow one another , that their own opinions may bear rule . ] i answer , among the many pretenders thou speakest of , thou art one ; and it is true , you are at war with all your power endeavouring to overthrow one another , that your own opinions may bear rule , and though there be among you variety of opinions , yet by one spirit you act , for the kingdom of the devil is but one , and yet divided , and it is at war with it self , and therefore it cannot stand ; and you cannot overthrow one another , but one is appearing to overthrow you all , and all your opinions ; for all you pretenders are made manifest by your fruits , and thereby men may try you ; for nothing is to be gathered from you but opinions and airy imaginations , some of you speaking of a god and christ a far off to believe in , others of you speaking of a god and of a christ within , and a far off to believe in ; thus you feed people by your own imaginations ; and some of you pretend revelation , others of you denying revelation ; and thus you strive to set up your own opinions , but you live all in one nature , and are of one generation , and he that walks in the light seeth you all , and comprehendeth you all , and judgeth all your opinions , and are redeemed out of all your vain imaginations , into the life of god , acting and speaking as the spirit acteth and speaketh , and seeketh to exalt christ , and him to bear rule , that all opinions may be by him thrown down , and that by him people may be brought out of a confused age , into the land of rest , and peace , and righteousness , to serve the true spiritual god in the spirit , and by the spirit of his own son : and further , thou sayest [ some there are that take upon them to speak of a god , and of a christ in the invisible heavens , above the stars , but are uncapable to demonstrate how christ by his spiritual word liveth in mens hearts , and how he reigneth visibly in glory with his elect angels . ] i answer , there are not some , but many , which lives in , and speaks forth their own imaginations , upon god and christ , and one of them thou art , thy spirit is tryed ; god who is a spirit , dwells in the spirit of his son , even in the high and holy place , and with him also who is of a contrite spirit , and trembleth at his word , but this by thy vulterous eye is not seen , neither can any demonstrate how christ dwells in the heart , but he who witnesseth it through death , and where he reigns , his glory is with him and his elect angels ; this i witness , but to thy carnal eye it is invisible , and by thy carnal wisdom he can never be known , christ and his spiritual word is not to be divided , though thy sensual spirit would divide them , but by the flaming sword thou that speakest art divided from both , and shalt know neither , but to thy condemnation : and further thou sayest [ others there are which speak of an eternal spirit , or christ only in the consciences of men , as if there were no creator or christ at all , visibly reigning upon his throne of immortal glory . ] i answer , they who talk of an eternal spirit , or christ in the conscience by hearsay , or of other mens words , without ( as thou dost ) and doth not in life and power witness it , from the father within , made manifest , such are denyed by them who witness the eternal spirit dwelling with the contrite heart , which spirit is the creator which dwells also in the high and holy place , and reigns upon his throne for ever ; and who do in power witness this , sees and judges all your carnal imaginations , and conceptions of the living god in your carnal minds ; where he dwells shall no unclean thing enter , but is without to be troden in the wine-press of his wrath for ever and ever ; and by him shall thy carnal conceptions be consumed , even by the breath of his mouth , for he is eternal , and his throne is eternal , and by the carnal eye shall never be seen : and further thou sayst , [ there are some ( who through unbelief that ever any living creature had a beginning ) do affirm there is no god or christ at all , but perishing nature ; this sort are innumerable , witness the lives and conversations of people every where . ] i answer , all who do witness the eternal spirit made manifest , to rule and guide ; all such do deny and declare against such opinions ; for nothing was without beginning but the eternal word , which was the beginning of all things , and will be the end of all things ; even the destruction of the wicked , and the salvation of them that believe , who are born of the immortall seed , and redeemed out of the perishing nature into the image of god , and such do set to their seal there is a god , who will reward every one according to their works , and bears witness against them , who in their lives and conversations denies god , as all do who do not witness the eternall spirit of christ ruling in the conscience , but talkes of a god in imagination at a distance , and such are innumerable , and sayes in their hearts , there is no god , and such are the fools the scripture speaks of ; and whereas thou beseeches to consider of these ensuing particulars ; i answer , they are considered , and by them thy ignorance is made manifest , and thy folly disclosed , and thy blasphemy , who calls thy self the last witness . quer. in thy first particular thou queriest , whether these men were sent forth by the eternall spirit to preach , which in the least cannot demonstrate what the onely true god is in himself , and how he is a distinct beeing from all living creatures , and how he reigns in the elect by a created word , voice or spirituall motion onely . answ. those men were not sent forth by the eternall spirit to preach , who have not received it , and such know not god , what he is , nor where he is , but in their imaginations imagine him to be like a creature , by being in a creaturely place or habitation , god is a spirit , and he is not distinct from living creatures , for in him living creatures lives , moves , and have their beings , and he is not far from them , nor distinct from them , as he spake who was sent by the eternall spirit to preach , he reigns in the elect not by a created word , voice , or a created spirituall motion , for the word which lives in the elect , from which voice and motion proceeds , is not created , but is uncreated , even as god is uncreated , for god is that word , and here thy ignorance appears , by calling the word which lives in the elect a created word , or voice , or motions ; and here be a witness against thy self that thou speakst from darkness , and not from light , which darkness cannot comprehend the shining of the light ; and this discovers thee more to be a false witness , and not the true witness of god , and therefore thy portion must be the portion of false witnesses ; read what it is . quer. . in thy second particular thou queriest , is not this an infallible demonstration to men , that a man is sent forth by the eternall spirit , if he have received a gift from the holy ghost , to demonstrate what the true creator was in his own distinct essence , nature and glory , from all eternity , in time , and to all eternity , and wherein elect men and angels differ in their natures , and glory , distinct from their creator in their persons . answ. he that hath not received a gift from the holy ghost in some measure , is not sent forth by the eternal spirit , or god of all truth , this is infallible ; and such knowes not what the creator is , but by imagination , and carnall conceptions of him ; and such in the light of christ is seen , and by it judged ; and among such thou art , to that in thy conscience i speak , which will witness me , he that hath received the holy ghost , turneth people from the power of satan to the power of god , and knoweth the creator , and the dwelling of him in the heart ; for as the scripture saith , the word is nigh , but let all flesh be silent , he who is in time , knowes not him which was before time , and shall be when time shall be no more ; he who knows the creator which inhabiteth eternity , is redeemed out of time , into the habitation of the almighty ; but this to thy dark minde and spirit is unknown ; if ever thou knowest it , it must be through death , the nature and glory of the elect differs not from the nature and glory of the creator , for the elect are one with the creator , in his nature , enjoying his glory , which was from eternity unto eternity , he that reads let him understand , thy word [ distinct essence , ] i deny , for the elect is not distinct from the creator , but lives by the dwelling of the son in him , and with the son the father dwells also ; if thou hast an ear , thou mayest hear . quer. in thy third particular thou queriest , what that angelical serpent was in his creation , which the scripture speaks of , and how he came to be cast out of his glory ; and how he overcame innocent eve , and how he entered into her womb , and changed her pure seed into his nature of unclean reason ? and thou askest , what think you , was not that man cain the first murdering lying devil that ever was ? and is there any devil but proud , vain-glorious , unmercifull men and women ? ans. that same which speaks in thee is that same servent which the scripture speaks of , and if thou hast the spirit of moses , thou knowest what he was in the creation ; for moses saw his creation by that spirit which was before he was ; and if thou knowest his creation in thy self , then thou mayst know him without thee ; but yet he lies under his vail deceiving thee , and is not deceived by thee ; and by the same which thou lives in , he was cast out of his glory , even disobedience ; and he over came innocent eve even as he overcomes thee , by promising what he fulfilled nor , and by presenting that which was visible , and so her minde was led out , as thine is , and by her consenting , he entered and got power , and set up his habitation , which is now standing in thee , and so she became the likeness of himself , her minde and lust strayed into the visibles , out from the creator who is invisible , and spirituall , and she now lives under the curse , and brings forth cursed children , such as thou art who puts forth these queries ; and this child was begotten by him who deceived her , and he is the father and prince of all you who are wells without water , clouds without rain , and wandering stars , having no habitations in the heavens , the blackness of darkness is reserved unto you for ever , ye who speak great swelling words of vanity ( that ye are the last witnesses and messengers , &c. ) but you your selves are servants of corruption : and to the last part of thy query . i answer , before cain , who is a lying devil , was a child , he was a father ; and if thou hast an ear , thou mayest hear ; the proud , vain glorious , unmercifull men and women , who bears his image must with him be tormented in the lake which burneth ( by the kindling of the breath of the almighty ) for ever and ever ; and here thou art answered , though not to the feeding of thy wisdom , but in the light , by which thou art comprehended , which light will eternally condemn thee who hates it . quer. thou queries , what condition adam was formed in , and how he came to fall from his estate , and what sin it was they committed , ( adam and eve ) and whereby the elect and reprobate are defiled . answ. adam was created in the image of god , and god breathed into him the breath of life , and he became a living soul , but eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil ; therein he turned from the command of god and did dye ; if thou hast an ear thou mayest hear , and thou that queriest hast eaten of that tree ; and thou shalt never know in what condition he was created in , but through the death : for a sword is set at edens gate to keep the tree of life , which will cut thee down , before ever thou knowest , or canst witness his estate : and as for the elect being defiled , here thou makest thy self manifest , that thou never knewest what the elect was , for the elect is born of god , and he that is born of god sins not ; and the promises of god are to the elect , and election obtains it , and the elect was never defiled : if thou hast an ear thou mayest hear ; that which is defiled shall not enter into the holy city ; and here thou hast manifested thy ignorance , and art that reprobate thou speakst of , which is ordained of old for condemnation , which is the transgressor which is cast out , thou hast no communion with the elect , for thou art defiled , and art without the gate , to be trodden in the wine-press . quer. what that heavenly glory is , and where it is that the elect wheat of christ shall eternally enjoy , who are the seed of adam , and not of cain ? answ. what that glory which the elect , which thou hast spoke of in thy fourth query shall inherit , which was and is defiled , it is to be in hell , in utter darkness for ever and ever , where all the unclean are ; and thou wouldst know where it is ; it is without the gate of the city ; among the dogs and whoremongers , and lyars , and deceivers , and whatsoever is defiled shall be trodden in the wine-press of the wrath of god for ever and ever , where is weeping , wailing , and gnashing of teeth : but as for the elect wheat of christ , which thou sayest is the children of adam , thou speakest thou knowest not what , the first man is of the earth earthly , and he begat his image , and that which is earthly shall never inherit , but are to have their portion with cain , where thou art that hast uncovered thy nakedness ; but the elect , and the wheat shall be gathered into the barn , and they are not , nor ever were they defiled , but shall reign with the lamb in the new ierusalem for ever and ever , where no unclean thing can enter , nor nothing that destroys or defiles in that holy mountain of the lord ; if thou hast an ear thou mayst hear . quer. what is that painful and shameful death in utter darkness , ( and where it is ) that is reserved for the reprobate ; who are the seed of cain , and not of adam , or blessed abraham . answ. thou that queriest shall surely know , it is tophet , prepared of old even for the king , the burning of it is as fire , the breath of the lord doth kindle it , it shall be destruction for ever and ever to that which hath given forth these queries , and it is to be separated from god for ever among all idolaters , and adulterers , and lyars , the unbelieving , the abominable , and the fearful , in the lake of fire where the worm dieth not , nor the fire goeth not out ; as for adam , in innocency , thou knows nothing of him , who art of cain , who slew his brother , and must have thy portion with him , and not with abraham : the promise was not to the transgressor , nor to adam when he eat of the tree of knowledg , for the lord said in the day thou eatest thou shalt dye ; he was driven from the presence of the lord into the earth , in the curse ; the promise was to abraham , in isaac is the blessing , not in ishmael ; and here thou shewst thy ignorance , but it is but like the former , when thou joynest the elect and reprobate together , light and darkness , and in babylon thou art , but in that which was before babylon was , thou art seen ; and as for those dark spirits thou speaks of , who minde nothing but their lusts , condemning the glorious things of eternity , because their carnal reason cannot comprehend them ; see at home ; for in the light of christ thou art seen , that thou knowest nothing of eternity by thy dark imaginations , being naturally as a bruit , to the light of christ in thy conscience i speak , which will let thee see it is so . quer. are they not deceived persons , and utterly ignorant of the true god , who judge men and women in darkness , if they ask them questions about the needfull things of eternity ? is it not because they went before they were sent , and so are of a bitter spirit for want of spiritual light to satisfie the tender christian querier . answ. all who dwell not in this light , which is pure and eternal , are ignorant of god , and never knew god ; such judging shall be judged ; and by the light which sees and comprehends all darkness thou art seen ; but the spiritual man judgeth all things , and he is judged of none ; and all judgement is committed to the son , and where he is made manifest he speaketh , and judgeth righteously , and those men and women who would be asking questions of eternity , and never came to the first principle to be guided by it , the light which leads to eternity , all such men and women are in darkness , and that minde which is in the earth and in the naturals shall never know ; and therefore they are judged to be in darkness , and darkness cannot comprehend the light ; christ and his disciples answered and judged that spirit which would have had a sign ; and called them adulterers , which spirit we witness to the praise of god ; and to thee that put forth the queries , i speak to thee in the presence of god , whether thou putst them forth in simplicity , and art ignorant , or wouldst know , or in the pride of thy heart , and subtilty to tempt ; the light of christ will let thee see , but thou art rich and full , therefore thou must be sent empty away ; all who queries from that nature that would know , but never come to obedience , that is to be judged , and judgment must thou witness , and for a bitter spirit of envy , that shall stand for thy self ; and that thou wantst spiritual light is made manifest , which curses that which god hath blessed , as i have seen under thy own hand , far remote from this city , and that thou hast cursed them soul and body to all eternity , which thou never heardst nor saw ; let shame strike thee in the face , and stop thy mouth , for thou canst not put a difference betwixt the precious and the vile , but cursest thou knowst not what , and speaks to that thou knowest not : but as for them who have a desire to know the way to the father , we are ready to give an answer , and to impart of the gift we have received , and doth not break a bruised reed , but the fat we feed with judgement , and there thou art answered . quer. it is not an infallible demonstration unto them who have a discerning spirit , that that man hath no commission from the true spirit to preach or speak to a p●ople , when for fear of his ignorance being discovered , or for fear of losing his he●●ers , ●e shall counsell them to stick close to the word of god , or to he●●ken to the light within th●● in their consciences , without knowing what that is in the conscience , or what will be the issue of it , if men be obedient to it ; or disobedient to it , and to beware of false prophets , and not thinking in the least himself to be that false prophet ; and thus borrowing ▪ scripture language which we are the true messengers of the gospel , doth he not in his p●…●inder his he●●ers from reading the glorious things revealed unto the two last witnesses , and so thou sayst , it is clear that the spirit is not in them which was in paul , who gave the● leave to try all . answ. here thy infallible demonstration is made manifest to be fallible and lying , when thou layst that down to be a sign of them that have no commission from the spirit , and not to have the spirit , because they exhort them to cleave close to the word of god , and to mind the light which shines into the conscience of every man , which is the light of christ ; here thy spirit is tryed , that thou hast not the same commission as they had , who spoke forth the scripture , and so thou preachest another gospel ; for the word of god endures for ever , and by the word which is eternall , and which was in the beginning , which tryes all things , which searches all things , comprehends all things , and judges all things , he that cleaves not close unto that , builds upon another foundation ; and by the word which endures for ever , thou art seen , not to have that word , neither knowest what , nor where it is , neither hast cleaved to it , and so art ra●ed out from the life , and from the foundation ; and the apostle who had his commission not from man , nor by man , he exhorted those he preached and wrote to , to take heed to the sure word of prophesie , as unto a light that shined in a dark place , and to wait in it , till the day did dawn , and the day star did arise ; and for distinguishing of that in the conscience what it is , he that is not separate from the darkness knows not how to do it . but this i say unto thee , as we declare unto all , the light which shines into the conscience is the light of christ , which he hath enlightned every one withal , and it is spiritual , like himself , and eternal , and it leads out of sin , and declares against all iniquity , and he that comes to own it , and to be guided by it , it leads out of sin to know the cross of christ , which is a mystery to thee , and it leads to the eternal word , which was in the beginning before sin was , and it will judge all thy imaginations and vain conceivings , and it leads to the inheritance incorruptible , out of corruptible ; if thou hast an ear to hear , thou mayst hear , it is that which will let thee see thy vain frothy imaginations , which thou hast of god , and will condemn all thy vain imaginations ; and hating it , it will be thy condemnation , and there is the issue of it ; and all such as steals other mens words , and the true prophets words , and never knew the life that was in them , all such we deny , and shut them up within utter darkness , where they , and thou art ; and for the glorious things that thou and thy partner speaks of , which call your selves the two last witnesses , it is manifest that your mysteries are as in thy book , and thy queries , where thou putst elect and reprobate together ; and as for tryall of spirits , we give liberty , and exhort all that may to try , and we direct them to that to try by , which is infallible and eternall , whereby they may see and comprehend thee and all who have not the spirit . but that they should try , who have nothing to try with , let all such be silent for ever , for none understands the spirit , but the spirit with which we see thee , and all who stands in their imaginations are ignorant of it ; therefore stop thy mouth in the dust ; and be silent . quer. do not they that speak to a people that declares against all appearances , which are contrary to his way ; discover himself unto a true discerning spirit , not to be of the lord unless they can demonstrate a spiritual commission that he hath received from heaven , by voyce of words through the glorious mouth of the lord ; so that no mortal man can disprove him , though few for want of understanding receive him . ans. the , way that leads to the father is but one , which is christ , and he that declares from him , made manifest in him , declares against all sects , and opinions , that which thou calls appearances , and the way is one , and the truth one , where there is no rent nor division , and he that dwels in the life hath discerning , and he that witnesses the annointing discerns , he is able to judge and discern , and in that thou art seen , who wouldst sit on the throne , but thou must come down and lick the dust , dust is the serpents meat , and they who had their commission from god , and have their commission from god now , they were made manifest to every mans conscience in the sight of god , and this we witness , this the scripture witnesseth , and he that believes hath the witness in himself , and the father bears witness , and they witness the voice of the lord , which is spiritual , speaking to them , and they declare from that which is spiritual to the consciences of gainsayers , and this is witnessed ; but thy voice of words is carnal , and is denyed ; and who art thou made manifest unto ? that which is mortal cannot discern and disprove thee , but that which is immortal can , and they who are guided by the immortal denies thee , and will receive none of thy testimony , because it is not the same which the holy men of god witnessed , and doth now witness , which voice shakes the wilderness , and rents the rocks , and makes the earth to reel to and fro ; but to thee this is a mystery , and sealed . . again he that speaketh of an invisible spiritual god , or christ living in the consciences or spirits of men , thou sayst , he questions the truth of all the scripture records concerning the life , death , and resurrection , and ascension of the blessed body of christ into the throne of his immortal glory : and doth he not question , whether the consciences of the saints being sprinkled with the blood of iesus , which dyed without the gates of jerusalem , are purified from the pollutions of the flesh and spirit ; doth he not question the resurrection of the souls and bodies out of the earth at the last day ? answ. here again , thou hast made thy shame and ignorance manifest , and knows not so much as the letter of the scripture ; paul an apostle of jesus christ , not by the will of man , and a minister of the everlasting god , he witnessed the son of god revealed in him ; and he said , know ye not that christ is in you , or else you are reprobates ; and christ is not divided ; and he that is joyned to the lord is on● spirit ; and i and my father are one ; and where christ dwells the father dwells ; and if thou hast an ear to hear thou mayst ●ear , and if the same spirit be not in you that raised christ from the dead , you are none of his ; and he that declared these things spake of a spiritual christ , and an invisible god ; and who shall ascend up to heaven , the word is nigh , in thy mouth and in thy heart , and this is the same christ that suffered without the gate at ierusalem , and no other which paul travelled till he was born in them , if thou hast an ear thou mayst hear ; and the apostle did not question the scripture records , for they spoke it , and recorded it , and they witnessed the life of christ , and his death , and resurrection , and ascension , and they witnessed him ascended above thrones and dominions , and to sit at the right-hand of the father ; and we witness the same christ made manifest in us , and his resurrection , not because paul said so , but we have seen it , and are witnesses of it ; the same that ever was , the same that did ascend , the same did ascend ; this is a riddle unto thee , and seven seals is upon it , and thou that queriest shall never see them opened ; and they who had christ in them , and the father , and the son supping with them , they had their consciences sprinkled , and none else ; for his blood thou knowst not ; and so i say unto thee , thou art not sprinkled , nor thy conscience purified from dead works , and they who know christ in them , and no more after the flesh come to know his resurrection , he is the resurrection , he is the first and the last , who knows him risen , and have seen him witness the first day and the last ; what speaks thou of a last day , that never came to the beginning , and so thy soul lies in death , and in chains , and in utter darkness ; and therefore lay thy hand upon thy mouth , and see where thou art , and the spirit that gave forth the scriptures thou canst not witness . quer. if after death there is no bodily resurrection for the spirits of men to possess an immortal glory to eternity , or to suffer an eternal devil-like shame , according to their deeds , whether good or evil ; is it not one of the vainest things in the world to discourse of god , and righteousness , unless it be for earthly gain amongst men ? answ. there is a resurrection both of the just and of the unjust , the just into everlasting life , and the unjust into everlasting shame and contempt , and every one shall receive according to his works , whether they be good or evil ; but this is a mystery hid , for none knowes it , but through death ; but what knowest thou who art yet alive in sin , what shall be in the resurrection which is after death ? which whoever comes to know the resurrection , knowes the end of all things ; therefore it is not taking their words , nor thy own imaginations , that is faith , nor if thou know christ no nearer than ierusalem , nor no nearer than above the stars , thou knowst not where , but through thy dark imaginations , this is not to know christ risen from the dead ; see therefore what hast thou seen in thy self : but thou art dead while thou livest in that nature , and at the resurrection contempt and shame will be thy portion ; and turn in ●hy minde to that which shews thee sin , and witness the body and sin destroyed within , and then , and not till then , shalt thou know how it is in the resurrection . quer. thou raises a question from pauls words to the athenians , and didst before condemn them that stole other mens words , and here thou hast stolen a query ; and thou askestwhat think you ; did that spiritual creator dwell and sive in the athenians consciences ? or did his glorious person visibly appear in the highest heavens ? answ. the athenians to whom paul spoke worshipped the work of their own hands , as this generation doth their own imaginations , and that god whom ignorantly they worshipped at a distance , which god lived in paul's conscience , paul declared unto them ; and they looked , as thou dost carnally , thinking god to be carnal , and at a distance ; but he said , he was not at a distance from every one of them , for in him they lived , moved , and had their being ; and this was the god which paul preached of , which creator , we witness , lives in the high and holy place , and with him also that is of a humble and a contrite spirit , and trembleth at his word . quer. and thou sayest , what think you , can there be any living spirit without a body , or person to display its life , in , or from , and must not the creator of necessity be a glorious personal substance , and thou sayest , doth not these men that worship an infinite spirit without any bodily form , living in mens consciences , glory only in a god of ●●eir own imaginations instead of honouring the onely lord of all life , the man iesus , yesterday , today , and for ever ? answ. that which is not possible with men is possible with god , which god is a spirit , as jesus christ saith , and a spirit hath not flesh , and bone , nor a created body , but displays it self as it pleases , contrary to thy will , and the will of all men ; and thou who wouldst by thy reason tye the creator , with a necessity , to a personal beeing , art void of the knowledge of god , and led by thy corrupt reason , which shall never know god ; and all those who worships god in spirit , worships an infinite spirit , which spirit inhabiteth eternity , and lives in the consciences of the saints , and this is not to glory in an imagination , but a witnessing of the same eternal truth which the saints witnessed which spake forth the scripture ; for they witnessed christ to dwell in them , and the same god they worshipped , whose temple they were , and not another , and the same we witness , and this to the honour of the man jesus , who was yesterday , today , and for ever . quer. the eternal spirit , creator , and alone everlasting father , which dwells essentially in the glorified body , as our lord ies●● his eternall son , and virtually reigns in all the saints , elect men and angels , be record between me and you world without end , whether this epistle shall not be sent to you , and all the chosen that shall peruse it , principally for the establishing of your tender spirits upon that eternal spiritual rock iesus christ god and man in one distinct body , or person glorified , and onely honoured with all spiritual praises from elect men and angels when this world is consumed into ashes , and all time or times is swallowed up into eternity or eternities . ans the eternal spirit , which is the everlasting father , which thou sayst is essencially in the son ; thy word [ essencially ] i deny , and thy voice , yet christ and the father is one , and the same spirit that dwells in the son dwels in the father , which is one , i and my father is one ; the same dwells in the saints ; thy word [ virtual ] i deny , the same that dwells in the father and in the son , the same dwells in the saints , not distinct nor divided , for he that hath seen the father hath seen the son , and he that hath the son , hath the father also ; and christ is not divided . i in them , and thou in me , that they may be perfect in one : and he that is joyned to christ is one spirit , and not distinct nor separate ; if thou have an ear thou mayst hear ; and that eternal spirit , which is the father and the son , which dwels in the saints , is judge of thee , and by that spirit i judge thee , that this epistle came not from him to none of the chosen , for they who are chosen deny thy voice , and what dost thou speak of elect and angels , with whom god dwells , when in thy fourth query thou saidst , they were defiled ? and the holy ghost saith , he dwells with no uncleanness , and so speaks confusion , and babylons language , which is the land of thy nativity , from whence all these things have been spoken by thee , and all that shall ever be established with thy declaring , or thy epistles , shall be thrown down ; for the rock shall beat thy image to pieces ; and therefore leave off thy speaking of him , and of thy distinct body , and of his glory ; for when he shall appear in his glory , instead of thy praises , thou shalt bowl and lament , and wish the mountains to cover thee ; and he who is out of time shall consume thee to ashes , who stands in time , and in the airy philosophy and imagination , and thy great words [ etetnity and eternities ] shall stand thee in no stead ; for that which is eternal was before thou wast , and shall be when thou art brought down to the pit with all thy imaginations : and so that thou mightst not glory any more in thy shame , i have answered thy queries , and for the simple ones sake , that they might not be stumbled by thy stumbling queries , who dwell● not in the light. edward burrough . an answer to a book , called , choice experiences , given forth by i. turner . also the copy of a letter sent to the assembly of those that are called anabaptists in newcastle . i have met with a book called , choice experiences , given forth by one j. turner , who by iohn spilsbery in his epistle , is called , a daughter of syon ; and her self declareth in the . pag. of her book , of being brought out of babylon into syon , but all along through her book , he● language is one and the same , before her comming out of babylon , and in syon ( as she saith ) her language is the language of babylon wholly ; and she is yet a servant in bondage in babylon unto the mistress of witchcraft , and never came to witnes● freedom in syon ; for i know her voyce , it s the language of her city where she now dwells , which is in confusion in babylon . and whereas she declares of some particulars which she calls dec●its , whereby she was deceived , in the . pag. in that which she calls , the fifth note of experience , concerning notions and pretended spiritualities in which satan transforms hi●self into an angel of light , and how the lord was pleased to recover her out of deceit . i answer , it is plain to the spiritual man which discerns of truth and deceit , that she is yet deceived and unrecovered out of deceit ; and here i charge her that she belyes the lord , for he hath not recovered her out of deceit ; for she hath resisted him in that work , as is made appear in her book ; and she is now in notion , and not in power , and in pretended spiritualities , and not really in the spirit ; and satan is now transformed in her into an angel of light , by which she is deceived ; and whereas she talkes of her choice experien●es , death yet raigns in her , and is no whit subdued ; i speak as in the presence of the lord , who am moved to lay open her deceit to the simple , who doth blaspheme the god of heaven in his saints , in calling truth error , and calling that deceit , which by the spirit of the lord i own to be truth , and calls those corrupt principles , which were owned by the servants of the lord in former generations , and which are owned now by them which witness the same spirit , which spirit of christ she makes appear , she knows not , who hath denied him , and salvation by him , within . whereas she speaks of satan envying her happiness , and waits his opportunity to catch her , as a fish in the water , covering his book , with a baite of mystery and spirituality . i answer . she is yet in the power of satan , he hath already catched her with his covered hook , which is covered with a very fair out side , a fair form of truth , a likeness of it , with the likeness of a church , and of a baptism , and of a fellowship , &c. is she beguiled already , and is unhappy through the opportunities which the devil hath waited over her ; for she it under the curse , lying in the fall and enmity . and whereas she speaks , of having escaped him in his former appearances as a devil yet now transforms himself as an angel of light . i answer . she hath not escaped him , as a devil ; and here she is a lyar , for his appearance is in her , in lying and in speaking evil of those things she knows not ; and he is transformed in her as an angel of light , but she knows it not ; but lyes in darkness , in the mystery of iniquity , in notion , and the pretence of spirituality . and she saith , those that are so deceived are the fittest agents to promote his kingdom . i answer , here it is made manifest , she , who is deceived , by the devil , doth much promote his kingdom , by strengthening the hands of evil doers , who through her writing hardens their hearts against the truth . whereas she speaks , of satans drawing persons by corrupt principles , which they would have trembled at the thought of , before they had such principles . i answer . this is her own condition , she is drawn by satan , to follow corrup● principles , which , if she did see , she would tremble at the sight of them . and she saith , god was not onely pleased to keep her from such things , but to discover the way by which persons are brought to such things . i answer , here again i charge her that s●e belies the lord ( which is blasphemy ) for he hath not kept her from corrupt principles ; he would , but she hath resisted him ; and the discovery from god to her , will be plagues and wo ; for death and darkness raigns , which makes manifest themselves in her , which is her discovery . she speaks , of avoiding those ways , and forewarning others to avoid them likewise . i answer , she hath not avoyded the wayes of darkness , but hath chosen them , and hath avoyded the way of truth , as is made manifest , who hath denied salvation by christ within ; and as she hath avoyded the way of truth her self , so she casts a stumbling-block in the way of the simple to avoyed it likewise . whereas she speaks , of discovering satan under these vails , and saith , by barkening to the voyce of the tempter she was deceived , and beguiled by him , in some particular things . i answer , satan is not yet discovered to her , but lyes under his vayle in flesh , deceiving her ; and by her bearkening to the voyce of the tempter , she is now deceived by him , not in few things , but in many : i speak it as in the presence of the lord who shall judge of her and me . and she speaks of ever being humbled in the presence of god for it . i answer , when the dreadfull god shews his presence , she cannot stand , but shall be confounded , who doth here speak to the dishonour of his name : true humility she knows not , for the man of sin is exalted in her above all that is called god. and whereas she speaks , of beginning to be somewhat confused in her judgement ; and she speaks , of not being swallowed up with confusion . i answer , she is in confusion , and hath never been out of it , as to every single eye may appear ; she is not only somewhat in confusion , but is rowled and swallowed up in it ; and it is long since it began in her . whereas , she speaks of being weak in principles . i answer , it it true , the principle which is of god , is , and hath been weak in her , for it is over-powred by the principle of deceit , which is not weak , but strong ; and which rules and guides her in her own will. whereas , she speaks , of being with a people , and by them being deceived in some particular things : naming onely three things ; the first whereof is . that godliness being a mystery ; that it did consist of something within , and not of something without ; and that the saints were to expect life and salvation from a christ within , and not from a christ without . i answer godliness is a mystery ; the image of god , which is godliness is a mystery hidden from the eye of i. turner , and from all vulterous eyes ; and this mystery is within , in life and power consisting of the new man christ jesus , who is the image of god made manifest within the saints , in whose image man is like god , godly ; and this mystery is not in outward things , in word or declaration , or outward practice , though where this mystery is made manifest , godly practises will flow from it to without ; but yet the power , life , and mystery of godliness is within , and cannot be seen with the carnal eye , not comprehended with the carnal mind . and here i charge i. turner , in the presence of god , that she knowes not the mystery of godliness , who blasphemously calls this a corrupt principle ; and here it is made manifest , that she is in babylon yet , and is deceived and bewitched by the devill : i bear witness to the truth , and to this particular , and against her who denyes it . and the saints have life and salvation from christ made manifest within , which is the same christ which suffered without ; and this i affirm , that till christ be revealed within , there is no salvation , nor life partaked of . the scripture saith , they were reprobates in whom christ was not ; and the apostle said , christ in you , the hope of glory ; and christ lived in him , which was his ●ife and salvation . where christ is not made manifest within , the serpent is head , and the devil is king in the heart ; and this i witness , and do declare it , as in the presence of god , that till christ was made manifest within me , i was not saved , nor had no life as to god , though i was high in profession and knowledge outwardly . and here again i. turner hath shewed forth her blindness and sottishness to all , and may stop her mouth for shame , and confess , that she is a bondslave in babylon , who calls this a corrupt principle , which is the way , power and life of religion and salvation , which is christ jesus within made manifest in the saints , which takes away sin , and destroys the works of the devil ; and she and all others , who walks and lives in the flesh , following the lusts and desires of it , living to their own wills in the broad-way , and talks of salvation by any thing without , will be deceived ; for nothing will present to god , but the righteousness of jesus christ revealed , which takes away sin , and sets free from it . and now for the second principle , that saints were not to do duties by , or from a commmand without , but from a command within ; and that the word command in scripture , was not a command to them , till they had a word within them . i answer , that is no command from god to me , what he commands to another ; neither did any of the saints which we read of in scripture act by the command which was to another , not having the command to themselves ; i challenge to find an example for it ; they obeyed every one their own command , one was sent to baptism and to preach the gospel ; another was sent , not to baptize , but to preach the gospel . and thou i. turner , or any other , who goes to duty , as you call it , by imitation from the letter without , which was commands to others , in your own wills and time , your sacrifice is not accepted , but is abomination to the lord ; for you go without the moving of the spirit , in your own wills and strength , which god hates , and which his wrath is upon . and i charge her here , as in the presence of the lord , that she knows not what a command from god in spirit is ; but is ignorant , and not a daughter of sion ; and let her mouth be stopped , and let shame strike her in the face , who professes her self to know the lord ; and let all be ashamed of her who professes themselves members joyned with her in church ; she hath made manifest the ignorance of them all . now for the third particular , that as to the time of doing duties , they were to wait for the moving of the spirit , to carry them forth to it ; and this they called , wayting for a power ; and till they had such a power , they were to do nothing , but sit still , and wait ; and this not onely in private duties , but in church also ; not owning any ministery by way of gifts of office , but to come together , and there sit still and wait till they had a power , and then to speak whether man or woman . i answer , who dare call this a principle of deceit ? none but who are led by deceit , and such is i. turner , who puts light for darkeness , and darkeness for light ; all duties , as she calls them whatsoever , if the moving of the spirit do not carry forth to act them ; then the movings of the corrupt will and vain mind carries forth ; and who act from such principles , are accursed from god. and i. turner , and all who denies to wait for the movings of the power of the spirit to carry forth , but goes before the moving of it , all their prayers , preachings , ordinances , and churches , i do deny , and declare against , by the eternal spirit of god that they are odious and abomination in the eye of the lord ; and is no duty which he accepts , whether they be done in private , or in the church . and that ministery which is not carried forth by the moving of the spirit of god , but of man , and in the will of man , which ministry is hated of god ; and she which denies waiting upon god , till power be given in from god , to act and speak for god , hath denied the way of god , and the practice of the saints in former generations ; and wo is unto her , who makes the simple believe this to be deceit . whereas she saith , in these particulars , which carried such a face or shew of spirituality , she was corruped , but did never fully own them in judgement nor practice . i answer , o blind deceived spirit , which calls these but a shew or face of spirituality ; she calls the substance a shew , and the shew or likeness , a substance ; and wo unto her , which calls good evil , and evil good ; these particulars by the eternal spirit , i own , and walk in ; but that spirit of deceit , and antichrist in her , hath denied them , and calls them deceiveable , and saith by them she was corrupted ; let her be ashamed , and all of her faction ; it was the principle which led her from these things , by which she was corrupted , and which hindered her to own them and practice them , and which now makes her declare against them ; which principle is the spirit of the false prophet , which now rules , which i know will never own nor practice these things . she also saith , she did oppose those principles which led to looseness , either in conversation , or in slighting the churches or ordinances of christ , though she believes such principles naturally follow the others . i answer , she did , and doth oppose the principle of god , which would have led her out of pride and lust , into an holy conversation ; and out of false churches , into the church which is in god. and i charge her here , that she believes lyes , and utters what she believes , which is blasphemy ; who saith she believes that wicked principles naturally follow the three named by her and whereas she saith , as to that principle of waiting , she could yet never come up to it in practice , in private duties , she could not stay so long from duty , till she had such a power , but did frequently go to duty when she had it not . i answer . here i do believe her she speaks truth , with her lying spirit ; she never yet could wait upon god , to act for him , but hath run in her own will , which is abomination to him , which is no acting for god , but for self , and for the devil ; and here hath she shut her self out , from the holy men of gods practice , who waited upon him to be led by him , by the power of his spirit ; and she shews her self openly to all , that she went to that which she calls duty in her own power and time , and knew not the power of god , nor his time to be acted in ; and all her duties , as she calls them , is no more but imagined and imitated from the letter without , acted by the serpents strength and wisedom in her ; and she hath here plainly discovered that she knows not what waiting upon god is , in truth and sincerity . she saith , she thought sometime she had had it ; and saith , she thought she had had communion with god. i answer , her thoughts i do deny , who call truth deceit ; and she did , as now she doth , live in thoughts and conceivings , by which she is beguiled ; that spirit which rules and speaks in her , never had communion with god , but is contrary to him ; nor never was acted in the truth of god , but against him . she saith , she knew no scripture-ground for the practice of waiting to be acted by the power of the spirit , and led to duty . i answer , the saints ground of acting , is not the outward letter , but the spirit which gave forth the letter ; but the scripture doth declare of such as waited to be acted by the spirit and power of the lord : dare any say , the saints prayed or propresied , without the movings of the spirit and power of the lord ? here she hath shut her self among the heathens , who knows not god , nor what it is to be acted by his spirit and power . she speaks of losing her peace , and having little or no communion with god , nor scarce any thing to speak to , or for god. i answer , true peace in christ she never knew ; for there is no peace to the wicked : neither have any , who denies waiting upon god , as she hath done , any communion with god , nor nothing to say to , or for god , but through deceit , and in deceit is i. turner . that which brought her into trouble , and let her see the confusion ( which she speaks of ) which she had lived in before , but saw it not till then ; that witness i own , and it shall witness for the lord and the truth of what i say eternally ; though she have slain the witness , yet it shall arise to her condemnation , and her everlasting misery . and whereas she saith , some laboured to perswade her it was a dispensation of god , and that the saints , after brought out of egypt , must be in the wilderness , before they come to canaan . i answer , i bear witness by the eternal spirit , the truth of this particular , as having witnessed the same condition ; and she which hath denied this to be of god ; hath openly shewed her self to be of the devil , denying the truth of scriptures . she saith , this did not at all satisfie her , but she continued in a sad condition . i answer , she here hath shewed what spirit she is of , of the viperous generation which fled the wrath which came upon her , and could not abide the judgement ; and of the spirit of them which would have been back in aegypt , which murmured , and therefore , with them , she entered not , but i● perished with them in the wilderness . whereas she saith , she was never so troubled with temptations , as at that time . i answer , here she hath shewed her self to be the stony ground , which when temptation came , withered away . she speaks of a particular temptation , which was , questioning the being of god. i answer , that which was troubled , wrought the temptations ; and not that which troubled ; and here she shews her ignorance , which cannot discern the ground of temptation , but layes it upon god , which is basphemy ; for he tempts none to evil . whereas she saith , this was the 〈◊〉 fruit of her straying from the pure wayes of truth . i answer , here again she shews her blindness , who knows not that temptations are for good : that which she calls , straying from the pure wayes of truth , is otherwise ; for the stronger man came to dispossess the strong man , and then began the war , and happy had she been , if she had patiently endured to the end ; but not abiding under the judgement , but starting aside , she is cast out , and must not enter ; for the second beast whose deadly wound is healed , is alive , which makes war with the lamb , which exerciseth all the power of the first beast : and here i. turner is under the dominion of the second beast . she speaks of blessing god that she strayed no further . i answer . she who hath denied to wait unto prayer and praises , but prayeth in her own strength and time , her praise is abomination to the lord , and she calls that , straying from god , which was leading unto god , and so hath forsaken the right way , and hath cast the way of god behind her back , and resisted him , who would have led her out of darkness , and out of confusion . whereas she speaks of god remembring her . to which i answer , he will remember her to plague her , who hath brought dishonour to his great name , and hath called his way , the way of error , and of deceit ; and his real truth , a shew or notion ; she hath chosen her own way , the way of destruction . whereas she speaks , being turned from owning these particulars , she was restored to those joyes that once she had . i answer . she is returned with the dog to the vomit , and with the sow to her wallowing in the mire , and there 's her joy ; and she now joys in the earthly dust , in forms and traditions , and likenesses of things , and knows not what it is to joy in god the substance , as by her writings it is made manifest , who hath denied salvation by christ within , and hath denied to wait upon god for the power of his spirit , and calls them deceitfull principles ; she hath chosen the way of death , rather then the way of life , and hath taken her self to follow shaddows and likenesses , and neglected the substance , which is christ within , the hope of glory ; her latter end is worse then her beginning , and the parable is fulfilled upon her . and she speaks in the . pag. of satan being discovered under his vail ; and in particular , as to that of being saved by a christ within , and not by a christ without ; and the lord was pleased to shew her it was quite another thing , differing from the gospel , and that it was attended with this evil consequence , to overthrow the whole gospel , and to deny the lord that bought them . i answer , i charge her here , as in the presence of god , with belying the lord , and with horrible basphemy ; who saith , that that which the saints and servants of god witnessed , who preached the gospel and established it , ( christ within manifested ) is quite another thing differing from the gospel , and that it is attended to overthrow the whole gospel : o horrible blasphemy , and belying the lord , who saith , that the lord was pleased to shew her it ; did ever he shew any lyes ? all take notice of this wicked and horrible blasphemer ; the lord rebuke that unclean spirit of antichrist in her . she goes on , and saith , then secondly , as to that of waiting for a power to pray , and that here was no command but from within ; concerning both these , the lord was pleased to shew that it was not according to his minde , but a meer invention of satan ; and that it was attended with this evill consequence to slight scriptures and commands of god , and to expose the soul to satans deceivings to walk by the imaginations of their own heart , instead of the motions of the spirit . i answer , the saints waited for the moving of the spirit , which was power in them to help them to pray , they knew not to pray as they ought without it , and this command and help , they had not without them , but within them : and i again here charge her with belying the lord , and with notorious blasphemy , who saith , that that which the saints witnessed ( waiting for the power of the spirit to pray ) is not according , to the minde of the lord , but an invention of satan ; and she is not ashamed to say , the lord shewed her , and the same which they witnessed , who spoke forth the scripture , and which walked in the commands of god , tends to slight scriptures and commands of god , and to expose the soul to satans deceivings : this is blasphemy and error , and corrupt principles : and she which hath denyed waiting , to be led by the motions of the spirit , is led by the imaginations of her own heart , is under the power of satans deceiving , and speaks contrary to what the scripture speaks , and so slights it , and the commands of god ; she hath blasphemed the god of heaven , and accordingly will the lord requite her . and thus have i for the simple ones sake declared the truth , and every single eye may see , who it is is led by corrupt principles ; and what i have written shall she eternally witness to be true , and all her co-partners . and i pass by the rest of her book , as not worth answering , for it is nothing but airy imagination and confusion , and death yet raigns in her , and in her book is spoken out by her ; and she knowes not the baptism of saints , nor communion , nor the true church of christ ; to that witness in her conscience do i declare , and when it shall arise , it will eternally witness me . whose name in the flesh is edward burrough . the copy of a letter , &c. friends , ( for so i call you ) i was moved of the lord to come into your assembly , to declare the truth from him , concerning you , as by the eternal spirit was revealed to me ; and i do acknowledge it , it was a mercy from the lord that i had that small liberty which i had , to clear my conscience amongst you , and to discharge my duty , in obedience to the lord , and to every ones conscience am i made manifest , whether you will hear , or you will forbear : truely friends , there is somthing among you which i own , and which is owned of my father ; but yet many things hath he against you , and as i said , i now again say from the mouth of the lord , that your covering is too narrow to hide your shame , and your bed too short to stretch your selves upon ; now friends , the ordinances of iesus christ , which you act in , ( you say ) in obedience to him , i do not speak against , but do witness them in life and power ; neither do i judge such amongst you who have entered in at the door , by the principle of god , to the ordinances , ( if any such ) but you i do declare against , and do judge by the infallible spirit , who have in your own wills thrust in your selves , and acted by imagination and immitation from the letter without , and not having received the command from christ into your selves ; such i judge to be in deceit , deceived by the serpent , which deceives the simple , by the likeness of a thing ; and you that limit the lord to any outward visible thing , that without such , can be no salvation , you i judge again to be in deceit , and my judgement shall stand ; for nothing is available , that which god once commanded , nor that which was not commanded , but the new creature , which is born of the immortall seed , contrary to the will of man. truely , friends , you are acting in darkness , and there is no seperation in you betwixt the precious and the vile , betwixt the clean , and the unclean ; for that which did convince you of false hirelings , and of their deceitful worship , ( which is owned of my father in you ) hath not been obeyed by you , but your minds have been drawn forth from within , to obey a thing without ; and herein have you been bewitched from the obedience of the truth within , to obey the letter without ; as they were which the scripture speaks of ; and you are acted in another form ; and likeness then you were before , and which some are acted in yet , but by the same spirit ; and you have a zeale , i beare you record , but it is not according to knowledge ; i declare against that spirit , by which you are now acted , as knowing it to be the spirit of antichrist ; and that which is owned by my father in you , is oppressed by you , by your wisdom and reason which stands above , and is head , and rules amongst you , which is for destruction , and for the lord to accomplish his wrath upon : and happy were you if you knew the day of vengeance , which is the acceptable year of the lord ; but you are yet full and rich , and think you have need of nothing ; and have a name that you live , but you are dead , and empty , and miserable ; your form is corrupted , and you seek the living among the dead , and you act in the form , but walks at liberty in your own wills , despising the daily cross of christ , which if you walked in , would bring down the high minde , and high nature in you ; and through the cross , that which is low in you would be exalted , and the witness of your ordinances would you have within , which you are seeking in the letter without . and now friend , to the● who wert the speaker when i was present among you ; thy name i know not , but by thy nature and spirit , thy spirit is the same which they speak from , which thou seems to deny as false spirits ; and by that spirit hast thou been deceived , and now it workes by thee to deceive others ; and that spirit infallibly , by the eternal spirit do i judge ; for the time is come , that by the saints , the great whore must be judged , which hath made all the men of the earth drunk with the wine of her fornication , and which hath deceived the simple . and whereas thou didst quaery , what one thing i will deny as untruth which you had spoken ▪ i answered then , as now i do ; i do deny thy voyce and spirit , for 〈◊〉 is the voyce of the stranger , and , not of christ : and though you sweare by that spirit , the lord lives ; i say surely thou swearest falsely ; and the false prophets which used their tongues , and said the lord saith it , when the lord had not spoken unto them , spoke the same words of the true prophet ; but he that had the true spirit judged the false spirit , and so it is now . and therefore friend , out of love to thy soul , i do advise thee to be silent before the lord , and wait upon him , till he manifest himself to speak in thee , and by thee ; for friend , thy ministry is in the will of man , and thou ministers death unto dead minds ; and the ministery which is to the seed , thou art ignorant of ; to that in thy conscience i speak , which shall witness for me before the lord , who is appearing in his power , to utter his thunders ; and all flesh shall tremble at his presence ; and all forms of worship will he dash to pieces at his appearance ; and yours , which is the purest form , shall be broken to pieces , that he may rule , who is without form and comeliness . now friends , for the seeds sake have i spoken and written to you ; and to that in your consciences have i cleared my conscience , in the presence of the lord , which you shall eternally witness , whether you will hear or forbear : by a servant of the lord , who is named of the world , edward burrough . an answer to a book , called , a voice from the word of the lord , by one iohn griffith , against us whom the world calls quakers , wherein his false accusations is denied , and he proved to be a slanderer , and the truth cleared from his scandals . a certain book being come forth into the world , full of lies and slanders against the innocent , called a voice from the word of the lord , to those grand impostors called quakers ; to the author of which book ( who calls himself iohn criffith , a servant of christ ) and to all to whomsoever it may come , i am moved to write something in answer , that his lies and slanders , and false reproaches may be made manifest , and that he may proceed no further ; for as iannes and iambres withstood moses , so doth he resist the truth , being a man of a corrupt mind , and reprobate concerning faith , and is not a servant of christ , nor a witness for his name , but a child of disobedience ; in whom the prince of the aire rules . and first to the title of thy book , i answer , the word of the lord is powerful , and will cut thee down , thou sensual minded man , it thou knowest not , but takes the words of others declared from the word which was in them . and thou useth thy tongue , and saith the lord saith it ; but i say unto thee , the lord hath not spoken unto thee , neither commanded thee to speak of his name : and i charge it upon thee in the presence of the lord god of life , that thou art of that generation which ieremiah was sent to cry against , ier. . . for thou speaks thy imaginations upon their words which dwelt in the life of god , but the life thou knowest not , and thy whole book is no more but an empty sound and voice , and is as the untimely fruit of the womb which will wither and perish away : and one of them i am whom thou calls quakers , to whom thou sayst , thou directs thy speech ; but that we are grand impostors , i do deny , for we are gathered up into the life which the holy men of god lived in , and are fallen from the world , and from its wayes and nature : and i charge thee here to be a slanderer , and from the mouth of the lord i do declare unto thee that thou must have a slanderers reward . and whereas thou sayst , thou hast discovered their fleshly and filthy mindedness , together with the judgments of god attending them . i answer , fleshly and filthy mindedness , we have denied by the power of the son of god made manifest in us ; thou hast laid it to our charge , but thou hast not proved it , nor discovered it , and here again thou are a false accuser , fleshly and filthy mindedness shall stand for thy own condition ; for there thou art in the flesh & filth , living to thy will in the lust of uncleanness , for thou mayst remember thou camest out of the bowling-alley to our meeting , though pharisee-like thy out-side is painted and made clean , but thy heart is full of enmity and lies , and slanders , and false reproaches , to that in thy conscience i do speak which shall forever witness me , and as for the judgments of the lord upon thy own head will they fall , and with what measure thou metes it shall be measured to thee again ; we are passed from judgment , and from the condemnation , and who art thou thou enemy of righteousness , that shall lay any thing to the charge of gods elect. and whereas thou sayest thou art one that bears witness against those wandring starres . i answer , this shall stand for thy own condition , a wandring star thou art , and hath no habitation in the heaven , but speaks swelling words of vanity , thou thy self being a servant of corruption , we have an abiding place , and an habitation in the lord , and are not wandring ; and here again i charge thee to be a false accuser , and a false witness , who bears witness of thy self ; for the father bears no witness of thee , but against thee . whereas thou sayst the most high god that made the heavens and the earth , hath moved thee and stirred thee up to bear witness to the truth , and to witness against the abominable fleshly mindedness , and yet spiritual pride of those grand impostors called quakers , by whose sorceries many are bewitched and drawn from the simplicity of the gospell , to another gospel , which is not another gospel , but the vanity of their own minds and their own fleshly and corrupt thoughts which they cry up as oracles of god. i answer . the most high god judge between thee and us ; whose wrath is kindled against thee , thou enemy of righteousness , and child of wrath ; thou hast belyed the lord of heaven and earth , for to this he moved thee not , for he moves none to utter lyes and slanders , as thou hast done , but the spirit of enmity , and of the devil , hath moved thee ; and to the truth thou bears no witness , but against the truth , and against the innocent ; and charges us with fleshly mindedness and spiritual pride . o thou lyar and false accuser , the lord who takes our part against thee will plead with thee , and render upon thy head according to thy deeds ; prove what thou speaks that we are fleshly minded and spiritually proud , or else let thy mouth be stopped and shame cover thee forever ; sorceries and witchcraft , and drawing from the simplicity of the gospel we do deny ; but the plain single truth we do declare , by which the eye of the blind is opened in many to see your deceits who call your selves churches and preachers of the gospel ; which is not the gospel that the apostles preached , but an adding your own imaginations upon their words , who witnessed the gospel , and it shall stand for thy own condition , thou art in the sorcery and witchraft ; who draws people to observe an outward visible thing , from the light of christ within them ; which leades to the simplicity of the gospel , which is inward and not outward ; and thou art in thy fleshly and corrupt thoughts , crying up the ordinances and oracles , of god , which are but carnal and beggerly rudiments of the world , which passeth away ; and here thou art seen and made manifest , in the light of christ , to be a hypocrite , who falsely accuses others of that which thou art guilty of thy self ; the same gospel as ever was , do we declare ; and not another , which we received not from man , neither was taught it by man : and as the oracles of god it shall stand forever for a witness against thee , and all the world who doth not believe ; for even the father beares witness of us , and therefore our witness is true ; and the righteous god will plead with thee thou lyar and false accuser , and here be a witness against thy self that the lord moved thee not , but the devil , acting in thy own imaginations , and in the vanity of thy own mind , and in thy one fleshly and corrupt thoughts . and whereas thou sayest to us thou directs thy speech from the lord , thus saith the lord to thee , o quaker , thou art fleshly minded . i answer , it is not the voyce of the lord to us that speaks in thee , but the voyce of the devil , and the serpent which speaks from thee : fleshly minded we are not , but are redeemed out of it , and our mindes are changed and are spiritual , and 't is the spirit of the living god seals unto us , and witnesses in us ; and here thou art of thy father the old dragon , and accuser of the brethren , but it is god that justifies , and who art thou that condemns ? and this thy speech is seen and comprehended , which thou hast directed to us , and it is judged , by the spirit of true judgment to be a false accusation and a lye , and not the word of the lord , and into the lake amongst the false prophets thou art to be turned , who useth thy tougue when the lord never spake to thee . and thou sayest we look upon the iustitution of christ supper with a fleshly and carnal eye , because we say , that the bread and wine which christ commanded his disciples to eat and to drink , is carnal . i answer , the bread , and wine , is visible and carnal , and fleshly , and not spiritual , nor eternal , and in the eternal light , by the spiritual eye of god opened in us , we see them , and do own that it was a command of christ , to stand for its time , and no more , but a carnal figure of a spiritual thing , and the spiritual thing being the substance bearing witness , the figure is denied and declared against , and thou and thy generation who art acting in those things by tradition , tying and limitting god to a visible thing , ( that without it no salvation ) art in the sorcery and witchraft , and an enemy to the substance ; for christ never since he was sacrificed brake of the bread , or drank of the cup with his disciples , but new in his fathers kingdom ; and thou who art in the ●arnal figure , acting those things without the injoyment of christ , art sensual , and by the light of christ art to be condemned and judged with the world , who art without god , and without the injoyment of christ , in the beggerly rudiments of the world . thou sayst , o fleshly minded men whom the god of this world hath blinded because you believe not : and thou sayst , thus saith the lord , and speaks the prophet malachic words . to which i answer ; this again i do deny ; the god of the world is cast out , and the eye is opened through judgments and our fleshly minds are judged , and in the name of jesus we do believe , and our belief in him hath purified our hearts ; to the praise of the living god , who hath wrought all our works in us , and fo● us , do i speak without boasting ; and here again i charge it upon thee , that thou art a slanderer and a false accuser ; and let shame cover thee who professes thy self to be a teacher of others , who thy self is not taught of the lord ; but steals malachis words , and speaks them to us in thine own imaginations , and calls it the word of the lord ; the lord is against thee thou false prophet , who prophesies lyes in his name ; and that which thou speaks to us is thy own condition , and that which shall come upon thine own head , for a child of disobedience thou art , and thy eye is blinded by the god of this world . and whereas thou sayest we are spiritually proud , that give forth our selves to be some great ones ; and we say we are apostles , and are not , but are found lyars , proud pharisees , hypocrites , that say we are iust , holy , humble ; and the poor sinful publicans are more justified then we . i answer ; proud we are not , our god shall judge between thee and us in this thing , for we have nothing but what we have freely received from him : and that we give forth our selves to be great ones ; here thou art a lyer , and a false accuser again ; this we have said , and do yet again declare that we were moved of the lord of heaven and earth to come to declare his mind and his truth in this city ; but this is no boasting , and by that same spirit which was in the apostles , were we moved , and are guided , and by no other ; but who hath found us lyers since we came , i challenge you , and all thy sect to prove one lye that we have uttered ; or else let shame cover thee , and let thy mouth be stopped ; and let thy own heart condemn thee to be found the lyer thy self ; and this we testifie against thee , and all the world , that by jesus , and in him are we made holy , just , and humble , he is made these things in us , and for us ; and the publican state is witnessed by us who have passed through the figure and parable into the life and substance . and whereas thou sayst we that boast of our light within , and faith , thus saith the lord , and brings christs words . i answer , this is another lye , we do not boast of our light within , but we witness it to be within us , and to have enlightned every one that comes into the world ; which thou and thy generation denies , and so would make christ a lyer , and the scripture a lye ; but against you all , with all the world , we bear testimony , & the father bears witness with us , that every man that comes into the world is enlightned by the light of christ ; which teacheth righteousness , unto all that loves it but condemn them that hate it , whereof thou art one who utters forth thy lyes and slanders , and false accusations against the innocent ; and that scripture ioh. . we own , and do witness to be fulfilled in us by the coming of christ ; he which did see , is blind , and he which was blind now sees ; and while we did see , our sin remained , but being blind we have no sin ; but this to thee , and to thy spirit , is a mystery sealed , and never to be known in that nature and wisdom ; and here again thou hast used thy tongue false prophet like , and must receive a false prophets reward . and whereas thou sayst , if christ had not spoke to us in his word , we had no sin , but now we have no cloak for our sin . i answer , christs words we own , but here thou art made manifest to all to add to the scripture ( in his word ) this thou hast added false prophet like , and therefore the lord will add his plagues unto thee as the scripture saith ; be ashamed and blush , thy folly and wickednesse is made manifest , who is not ashamed ( to carry on thy designe ) to add to christs words . and whereas thou sayest we do not only neglect the weightier matters of the law , but t●… law it self , teaching men so to do ; for we said that the scripture is not the rule of faith and conversation , as one of us taught sept. . in thy hearing , and many others that will witness it . i answer , here i challenge thee to prove that thou hast spoken , and all thy witnesses which thou speakes of ; oh thou lyer be ashamed to forge such lyes , and declare them in writing for truth , we neglect not the weightier matters of the law , nor the law , nor teach any so to do ; all that ever heard us will bear witness against thee , and they ( though our enemies ) shall witness for us , and against thee in this thing ; for we declare the everlasting gospel , which is the fulfilling of the law ; and this we declare , that the law must have its thorow operation before the gospel be witnessed ; and one of thy own society said to us , we had preached the law , and brought men to understand 〈◊〉 from grace ; now let all take notice of the confusion you live in , and let your own hearts condemn you , and the light in your own consciences convince you , that you are in babylon , and in confusion , and are no true church of christ , where all are o● one heart , and one mind : and this again i affirm , as before i did in thy hearing that the scripture is not the saints rule , but the spirit which gave forth the scripture , as the scripture it self witnesses , rom. . faith was before the scripture was , and therefore the scripture is not the ground of it , but a declaration of it , and no other faith we own but the faith which abel had , and which mo●●● had , which was when no scripture was written , and that we own to be the rule of our conversation , which they walked by , the immediate spirit of god which was before the scripture was written ; and all you who profess the scripture to be your rule , your own rule shall testifie against you when the eternal god judges you , and they who witness that to be their rule which gave forth the scripture , walkes up in the life of the sdripture more then you all ; and you are proved to be but the iew outward , who boasts of the ordinances from the letter , but persecutes them by slanders and false reproaches , who witness the substance ; and your praise is only of men , and not of god ; and the same woe which thou pronounces upon us will fall upon thy own head , for this thy grievous slander , that we neglect the law , and teach men so to do . and whereas thou brings many scriptures , and saith , thus saith the lord. i answer , the scriptures we own , and by that spirit which speaks them forth , we witness them to be true , and they are ours ; and though you say they are the savour of death to us that perish , yet thou art found a lyer , for we are saved out of the perishing state , and death is destroyed through death , through faith , and thou hast diminished from that scripture tim. . . false prophet like again , and so art both an adder and a diminisher , and thou mayst read thy portion in rev. . , . and whereas thou sayest , know this thou perverter of the right way of god , thou shalt be judged by the word that christ spake . i answer , here thou sets the scripture in the room of christ , and art the perverter of the right way of god thy self , for the scripture saith , all judgement is commited to the son , and the scripture is not the son ; and thou didst say and now again writes , that the scripture shall judge the world ; and so i charge it upon thee , that thou art a blasphemer , who exalts the scripture above the son of god , and shalt be judged by the son into utter darkness , and into the pit from whence thou art come ; yet this i testifie , he that receives the son rejecteth not those words which was spoken by him ; though thou and thy generation pharisee-like may make a profession of the words which christ spoke and yet reject the son , and all to whom christ speaks , which receives him not , shall be judged by the word which he speaks ; for he speaks eternally , which shall stand eternally ; but when did he speak to thee ? for this i do declare , thou mayst have those words which he spoke , and yet never have heard his word nor voice ; as the pharisees had those words , which god spake by the prophets , but never had heard his word , nor seen his shape . iohn . . and thou sayst quake and tremble at this ; that word which you reject and dispise sha●● judge you at the last day ; and sayst , thus saith the lord , and bringst christs words , and the apostles words . i answer ; the lord rebuke thee thou scorner , here thou hast made the filthiness of thy heart known , for out of the abundance thereof thy mouth speaks : here thou art seen to be a scorner ; quaking and trembling we own , it is that which the holy men of god witnessed , but here be a witness against thy self , that thou art a scorner of their conditions : what hast thou to do to talk of the scripture , who art scorning that which it declares of ? here thou art made manifest to be one that hath the form but denies the power , and scorns at it , god scornes thee , thou scornful one ; and let all that feare the lord depart from thee , and see thy filthinesse and search the scripture whether it testifies not of that , which thou scornes at , and makes a mock upon . and that we reject and despise the scripture and the words which christ spake , which thou accusest us of , this is another lye , and a false slander , for the scriptures we own in their place , and by the spirit of god sets to our seale that they are true , but that they shall judge the world we do deny : and herein thy ignorance doth appear , and that thou art blinded by the god of this world , which thou wouldst cast upon us : and christs words , and the words of the apostles shall fall upon thy own head , for vengeance in flames of fire will the lord render upon thee , thou lyar and slanderer and false accuser , who art in disobedience to the gospel of god. and whereas thou sayst the lord hath spoken it , and it shall surely come to pass , and bringst many scriptures . i answer , the scriptures we own , and what is spoken in them shall be fulfiled ; but thou lyar , when did god speak this to thee ? the judgements pronounced in them shall fall upon thy own head , because thou art guilty of the same iniquities , as they were of , against whom these scriptures were declaed . and wheras thou sayst we are those that the lord before hath spoken of in his word , ( and therefore no marvel we would not have men to read it ) and cites the . peter chap. . i answer , i do in the presence of the living god deny thee and thy false assertion , but it shall stand for thy own condition ; thou art one in the generation which christ spake of , and that was in the apostles dayes , who hath the form , but denies the power , as they had : and i charge thee again with a lye in thy mouth , who sayst , we would not have men to read the scriptures ; they who have heard us shall witness against thee , that we do direct to search the scripture , whether our doctrine be not true , and by the scripture shall our doctrine be tried ; how long wilt thou utter thy lyes in the name of the lord ; the lord will plead with thee , thou unclean lying spirit ; and that which thou pronounces against us , shall come upon thy self : and thou sayst , we through coveteousness make merchandize of some . we challenge thee , and all the city of london to prove this , thou lying serpent , god shall plead with thee ; we are free and clear in the sight of god , of thy false accusations , and have neither desired , nor sought after any mans mony , nor gold , nor apparel , god is our witness , and many in this city knows the fame , though thou slanderously , as an enemy of god , dost accuse us ; but i challenge thee in thy reply to this , make it appear what thou assertest , or lay thy hand upon thy mouth , and let shame strike thee in the face for ever ; i charge thee , that if thou canst , make it appear plainly in particular , ( and do not darkly accuse us ) what those damnable heresies are , which we bring in , and wherein we deny the lord , and what our pernicious wayes are which thou falsly and slanderously accuses us of , and wherein we are fleshly , and despise government , and are presumtuous , and wherein , or how we speak evil of dignities , and wherein we are as natural bruit beasts , and what these things are , we speak evil of , which we know not , and what our swelling word of vanity are , and whom we do allure through the lusts of the flesh , and through much wontonness ? in the presence of the lord i challenge thee to prove the particulars of thy accusations , and not to slander in the dark ; though such as these there were in the apostles dayes , who were turned out from the light , and the apostles which dwelt in the light saw them ; and such a generation there is now , they are seen and known where they are , by them who abides in the light ; but of these thy false slanders upon us , we are clear in the presence of the lord god , and that portion which thou wouldst give unto us must thou have thy self , for with what measure thou hast meeted , it shall be measured to thee again , even the blackness of darkness for ever , and the day of the vengeance of god is at hand against thee . and whereas thou sayst , we pretend to tremble : [ its true , we pretend the example of moses ] and thou sayst , o abominable hypocrifie and dissimulation , will that justifie your shaking your hands like idiots , and your raving like mad-men ? moses was a 〈◊〉 in whom the fear and dread of the lord was , who kept his word , but you despise it ; who loved the law , but you reject it . i answer , we do not onely pretend to tremble , but oft do we , and have we witnessed it , by the mighty power and dread of the lord upon us , and we walk not by the example of the servants of the lord without us , but the same power we witness which was in them , by which they were made to tremble which thou scornest and deridest , and calls it madness : the holy men of god were counted ( by such as thou art ) mad-men , ( and were cast out of their assemblies ) which trembled at the word of the lord : but that we despise the word and law of god , here thou art a lyar again , and the plagues of god hang over thy head , for thy lyes and slanders against the innocent ; the same fear of god which was in moses we witness , and no other , and thou who art without it art a heathen ; and moses and ieremiah , and habbakkuk , which thou speakest of were our example , who walked by the same spirit , and served the lord by the same spirit ; but that we served out fleshly lusts , which here again thou accusest us of , i do challenge thee to prove it , but i know thou canst not , and therefore art in the nature of the devil , accusing the brethren ; and to walk by tradition we deny , which you also would lay to our charge ; but the same spirit by which they were acted , acts us the same way according to its measure ; and the same light in which they walked is our light , and this light is the light of christ within us , and not without us . and whereas thou sayest , its true , if we served the lord , and kept his word , it would make us to tremble , as it doth those that fear him , but we have rejected the law of the lord , and the word which he hath spoken : and the lord when he comes to shake terribly the earth , shall give us our portion in the lake that burns . i answer , let all the world here take notice of thy confusion and ignorance which utters forth it self through thee ; thou before wast scorning of trembling , and now thou art approving of it ; and if it be they that tremple which serve the lord ; here be a witness against thy self , thou servest him not , who art not yet come to tremble , but art in thy high nature , above the fear of the lord : and here again thou art found a false accuser , for we reject not the law of the lord , nor the word which he hath spoken , but live in it , and rejoyce in it daily , for in it is our hearts delight : and here again , as thou hast measured to us , it shall be measured unto thee , when the lord god arises to recompence his enemies , thy portion will be the same , as thou hast said , in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone , and now a few words in answer to that which thou calls , a caution to all that are called saints in the nation , which may concern all people . i answer , they who are saints , who dwell in the light , and walks in the light , do discern thee to be no saint , neither will receive any caution from thee , but will testifie against thee ; for thy lyes & slanders and false accusations which thy book is filled with , and herein it may concern all people , that thy lyes and slanders be reproved and laid open , lest they receive thy lyes for the truth ; and be deceived by thy subtil speeches ; who brings the prophets words , and the apostles words , wrest ing them , and falsly applying them , to make thy lyes to be received ; but all people who love the light wherewith christ hath enlightened them , will see thee , and deny thee , and turn away from thee , as having the form of godliness without the power . and whereas thou sayst , ye may rejoyce that you live to s●e , not only the mystery of godliness , but also the working of iniquity in the fleshly corrupt and sensual minded men , cal●d quakers . i answer , that name quakers , was cast upon us by the heathen ; through their scorn and derision , as the name christians was upon the disciples ; though quaking we own , for all the holy men of god witnessed it , and the holy scriptures declares of it ; and here again thou enviously , and maliciously , castest a slander upon us , fleshly , corrupt , and sensual-mindedness , and the working of the mystery of iniquity , is destroyed in us by the mighty power of god made manifest in jesus christ , which takes away sin ; to the praise of the living god i speak , in clearing the innocent from thy false slanders , and it shall stand for thy own condition , fleshly corrupt , and sensual-minded , and the working of the mystery of iniquity ; and herein i prove thee to be so by thy fruits , thy lyes , and false reproaches , and envious false accusations , which is the fruits of the flesh , and of corrupt sensual-mindedness , which fruits do appear in this thy writing , and as for the mystery of godliness , it is hidden from thee , and in that mind and nature thou shalt never know it ; for thou livest in the sight of thy own pollution , and of thy carnal ordinances , and not in the injoyment of the mystery of christ , which is godliness . and whereas thou sayest , ye may rejoyce , and in nothing be terrified , because the scriptures did foretel of such , and is fulfilled in these men : and thou bringest many scriptures , where christ and the apostles prophesied of the coming in of false prophets , and teachers . i answer , though ye do now rejoyce , yet your joy shall be turned into sorrow and howling , and the lord hath said it ; and the day of terror will overtake you , wherein your hearts shall fail you for fear , and your foundation shall be removed ; and its true , that the scripture doth foretel of us , and is witnessed in us , that all the lord's children should be taught of the lord ; and that the lord would gather his flock out of the mouths of all dumb shepherds , &c. and according to our growth up in the life of the scriptures , they are fulfilled in us ; but false prophets we do deny , though all those scriptures which thou hast set down we own to be prophesies of false prophets , those false prophets which christ prophesied of , came in the apostles dayes , they saw them comming in then , iohn . . and as all these scriptures testifies which thou hast cited ; and since the apostles , dayes , hath been a great apostacy , and not a true church of christ could be found , and ever since hath the same generation of false prophets stood under several forms and appearances , deceiving the nations : but now the pure light of christ shines , discovering to them , who walk in the light , who they are , and daily more and more clearly shall they be seen , and thou wilt be found in their number , who art a cursed child , in whom the son of perdition is exalted , which utters forth thy lyes and slanders sensually , and make it manifest to all , that thou hast not the spirit of god , but are separated from it , in self-seperation which is abomination unto god , and must be scattered by him . and whereas thou sayest , seeing it is so , let you be filled with boldness , and let you contend against those ungodly ones which are now risen . i answer , ungodliness we deny , and your boldness shall the lord turn into weakness , and faintness , and your contendings against us shall not prosper , for this is our heritage ; every tongue that riseth up in judgment shall be condemned ; you shall all be scattered and driven away as chaff before the wind , who sets yourselves to contend against the truth ; for that which is now risen shall confound you all . and whereas thou bringest many scriptures , which were exhortations of the apostle to the saints , with exhorting thy brethren . i answer , the scriptures i do own , and that spirit which spake them forth i witness , but thou art an enemy to the power of them ; though thou hast the form of truth , thy lying and false accusing hath made thee appear to be an enemy to the life which the holy men of god lived in , and so hast cleared thy self from those scriptures which were written to the saints , and must own those which were written to the world ; the lyar must be cast into the lake ; the wicked must be turned into hell ; and such as these thou must own to belong unto thee , and these are thy scriptures which thou hast right unto . and whereas thou sayest , we talk of high enjoyments and great revelations without , above and beyond the scripture , and that we talk of a light which is besides the scripture , but its deep , and thick darkness ; and what hath such lights led men unto ? even contempt of god , and of all righteousness , i answer , here again thou art found a lyar , and an accuser of the brethren , for what we do declare , the scripture witnesseth to the same , and we speak of nothing but what is declared of in the scripture by the holy men of god , and neither without it , nor above , or beyond it , do we speak : i challenge thee ( to prove what thou hast asserted ) and all the city of london , whether we have spoken or declared any thing , but what the scriptures bears witness to ; and the light which we declare of , is the light of christ , which the scripture saith hath enlightened every one that comes into the world ; and it is not besides the scripture , so as contrary to it , but the scripture bears witness of the light : and here i charge thee with blasphemy , who calls the pure light of christ thick darkness , and that the light of christ ( which is the light which we declare of ) hath led men , or leads any to contemn god , or his ordinances , or righteousness ; let shame strike thee in the face , thou impudent one , who blasphemously sayes , that the light of christ is thick darkness , and leads into contempt of god ; let the light in thy own conscience condemn thee , thou enemy of god ; for thy lyes , and slanders , and blasphemy , which in this thy book thou hast uttered . and whereas , thou exhortest to labour to see an excellency in christ , in the word of christ , and in the church and ordinances of christ. i answer , for the simple ones sake , that they may not be deceived ; none ever shall see any excellency in those things , but who owns and walks in the light of christ , which lets every one see themselves first ; and your talking of the same , and report of christ , and of his word and ordinance , is not to know the excellency of those things , for death in you talks of the same , but the thing in substance you are ignorant of ; and you who stumble at the light wherewith christ lighteneth every one ; are above the door , which is the entrance unto the life of these things : and so i exhort all to mind the light of christ , and to walk in it , and it will lead unto christ from whence the light comes , and it will lead to the fulfilling of christs words , and to the one bread , and to the one baptism ; and the light is the door and entrance unto the life of those things : but you who hate the light , and deny it to be in every one , hath but the husk and outward declaration of those things , and are without the life . and whereas thou sayst , they that are of god will hear john , peter , and paul , and the rest that were the servants of christ , not the fleshly conceits of those , or any other men ; and christ sheep hear his voyce , and a stranger they will not hear . i answer , they that are of god , do own the writings of all the servants of christ ; but many may profess their words , as the pharisees did the prophets words , and as thou dost now , and yet not be of god , but children of the devil ; but that our conceits are fleshly , i do deny , for all conceits of the flesh we deny , and bears witness against , and it shall stand for thy own condition , and thy voice is the voice of a stranger , and they that are of god will not follow it : though thou bringst the saints words in thy mouth , as the devil did unto christ ; yet in the light of christ thou art seen , and comprehended , and from the light of christ answered , and by it judged to be without the life of those scriptures which thou speakst of , and they are to thee but as an empty sound . and whereas thou cites many more scriptures , which are exhortations of the apostles to the church , and exhorts thy brethren with them . to which i answer as before . the scriptures i do own , but , to thee , thou envious man , they do not belong , for as in this thy writing thou art proved a lyar , and a scorner , and a slanderer , and a false accuser , and a blasphemer ; out of thy own mouth , be a witness against thy self , and let all thy whole assembly bear witness against thee , that the scriptures which were spoken to the saints who walked in the light and had denyed ungodliness , do not belong unto thee who art an hater of the light , and lives in the pollutions of the world ; but the scriptures will surely be fulfilled upon thee , the wicked shall be turned into hell , and the lyar shall have his portion in the lake , and he that works abomination is to be troden in the winepress of the wrath of god without the city , and such like . and now somthing in answer to some things in the epistle to the reader . whereas thou and the rest of you there say , although the light hath appeared , yet there is a generation of men in the world , that do hate the light , and endeavour to put it out , crying against the scriptures of truth ; it s a dead letter , and against the form of doctrine therein contained . to which i answer , it is true , the light hath appeared ; christ who is the light lightneth every one that comes into the world ; which light hath appeared in every mans conscience ; and there is a generation which hates the light , and you are of that generation which say , every man hath not the light , and calls the light of christ thick darkness , and endeavour to put it out ; and here you have read your own condition , though you make a large profession of the scriptures ( which is not the light , but words declared from the light ) as the iewes did profess the prophets words , but persecuted christ , and spoke against him , who was the light and substance of the prophets words : and if you know any who cry against the scripture , and against the doctrine therein contained , we cry and declare against such , for the scripture we own in its place to be a true declaration of god , of christ , and of the saints conditions , but they are not the light , but christ is the light , as themselves bear witness , nor are they the saints guide , but the spirit that gave them forth , as they themselves bear testimony , neither were the scriptures given forth to give your own imaginations and suppositions upon , but they themselves are doctrine , and are as they speak , he that hath the same spirit which speak them forth , reads them and understands them , and none else . and whereas thou sayst , lest that simple plain meaning men should be kept in babels darkness , or the enlightned fall into the errour of the wicked , for that reason your book came to publick view . i answer , truly you are deceived , who think to gain into your form , the simple , plain meaning men by lies , and false slanders and false accusation ; who are simple and plain unto god , will descern your deceits , and how falsly you have accused the innocent , and will see you to be in babels darkness ; and who walks in in the light wherewith they are enlightned will see you to be in the errour of the wicked , and out of the truth ; and it is well for the truths sake , that your book came forth , that thereby your filthiness and deceitfulness , and enviousness might be laid open to the simple . and truly i say unto you , you have , and will miss of your end in putting forth this book of yours . and whereas you say you shall be willing at any time to vindicate every conclusion therein contained against any that shall oppose . i answer , i challenge you all in this particular to prove those accusations which you have laid to our charge whom you call quakers , in many particulars , which before i have demanded ; what they are is before spoken of . and whereas you say , you account that light within ( not witnessed by the scripture without ) which some so much talk of , to be deep darkness . i answer , if you know any who speak of any light which the scripture doth not witness of , we with you freely declare against such , and such a light is darkness , but the light of christ which we speak of , which hath enlightned every one that cometh into the world , i hope you are not so impudent , but you will acknowledge that the scriptures speaks of this light ; and dare not deny , but that the scripture witnesses that christ is the light of the word ; for as i said , we freely give way , and desire that all might search the scripture , whether these things be not so as we declare . and whereas you say , and exhort to let the scripture be the rule of faith and practice . i answ. here you would alwayes keep people in darkeness , under your teaching , and would make void the new covenant which is the law written in the heart , and the spirit of the lord put in the inward parts , to be the rule and guide of the saints ; for who walks by the rule without them , and teaches men so to do , would make void the covenant of life and peace , where the teacher is not removed into a corner , which teacher all that have faith and an holy conversation do witness , which teaches not contrary to what the scripture speak but is a teaching and fulfilling of the scripture , and an establishing of it , though thou and many may profess the teaching of the scripture and may in your own wills , conform unto it in the outward appearance , as the pharisees did , and yet be but hypocrites and deceived as they were ; and i say again , that faith was before the scripture was written , which faith is declared of in the scripture , which faith comes as is manifested by hearing of the word preached , which word is even in the mouth and in the heart , if you have an ear you may hear ; and now i advise you all in the name of the lord to cease striving and contending against the truth ; for verily the stone which is cut out of the mountain without hands , will dash your image of many mixtures to peices , and it falling upon you , will grinde you to powder , and your conforming the outward man , to an outward thing , and teaching men so to do , and limitting and tying the holy one to a visible thing , will not cover you in the day of the lord : nay verily , though concerning the scripture without , you may walk blameless , yet one thing will be found lacking , even the cross of jesus christ , by which all sin is crucified in them who walk in it ; and i say unto you , that your covering is to narrow , and it will not hide your secret parts : for in the eternall light of christ you are seen and comprehended , your beginning , your time , and your end ; for though you have the scriptures , and jewish like , walks up in the outward appearance of them , crying up the ordinances and churches , yet your praise is of men , and not of god , for you are enemies to the life of the scriptures , as is made appear by your many lyes and slanders against us , which you have uttered ; and i say return your minds every one within to that in your own consciences which reproves you in secret for your secret iniquities , it will let you see where your hearts are , and how far they are mortified to the world , and the love of it , and this light wherewith every one of you is enlightned is the light of christ , and it is the lords true witness and shall witness for him eternally against all whose deeds are evil , who walk in disobedience of it ; and all who love it , and walk in it , it leads unto christ , and into all purity and holiness and uprightness of heart towards god and man ; and this light leads unto justification , all t●e● who are taught by it ; and her● is your teacher , loving it ; and your condemnation eternally , continuing to hate it . and thus i have answered thy book , and the truth is witnessed , and many false lyes and false accusations denied and testified against , and thus i rest , waiting for an answer to clear thy self ( if thou art able ) of those things which i ha●e denied , which thou hast charged upon us , for god is my witness , this i do desire , that truth may be made manifest and imbraced , and deceit and errour discovered and denied . by one who is a witness , against the deceits of the world , called , edward burrough . to the camp of the lord in england . to all you called , chosen , elected , and beloved of the lord , who are of the circumcision made without hands , of the seed of abraham ; who are iews indeed , not after the flesh but in the spirit ; unto whom belongs the everlasting promise and covenant , which god hath , and is fulfilling in you , and establishing with you : we your fellow-citizens of the heavenly ierusalem which is the mother of us all ; and of the same body , and of the same seed , and same birth , begotten and brought forth by the immortal word of life , which lives for ever , do send greeting , and do imbrace you in the arms of our beloved , who is , and is to come , god blessed for ever : you who are called quakers , who are so , not onely in word , nor in shew , but in life and in power ; whom god hath called & chosen to place his name in , and to take up his habitation among , above all the families of the earth ; the tabernacle of god is with you , and his dwelling-place is among you , and onely among you is god known , and his name is great in your assemblies . we who are of the same root and off-spring , do bring in our witness , and do set to our seal , that god of a truth is with you , and among you ; and he is the god of the living that answers by fire ; he is , i am , and there is none besides him , the first and the last , the beginning and the end of all things . praise him for ever ye redeemed of him ; lift up your heads , your redemer is come ; clap your hands , and shout for joy , and let the everlasting praises of god be in your mouthes for ever and ever : exalt ye his name above all gods , and glorifie him in the sight of all the heathen , and let his marvellous works stand upon record from generation to generation . wonderful hath his work been among you , and that my soul knows right well ; you that were scattered in the cloudy and dark day , and were a prey for the wild beasts of the forrest , and were driven away as lost sheep in the wilderness , hath god gathered into the fold , to lie down by the springs of living water in fat pastures for evermore . your bread is sure , and your waters never fails ; a feast of fat things is made unto you , of wines well refined ; the lord is become the lot of your inheritance , and the portion of your cup forever . your crowns have you laid down at the feet of the lamb , and your lives and liberties have not been dear unto you ; and let this never repent you , for now the lord will exalt you , and crown you with immortal glory . the everlasting day-star is risen among you , which gives light unto the nations ; and the light of the sun is as the light of seven dayes ; and there is no need of a candle in your dwelling , but the lamb is the light thereof ; fair as the sun , clear as the moon ; yea , it is he which was dead and is alive , and behold he lives for evermore . praise him all ye people , praise ye him ye holy host ; let all that hath breath praise him for ever . who can express his noble acts ? and who can declare his wondrous works ? oh , my soul is ravished , and my heart is overcome ! let me speak that i may be refreshed , and let me declare his wonders among all people . the lord is our king , our judge , and our law-giver , and our rock of defence ; just is he in his judgments , who hath avenged us of our enemies ; mercy and judgment meet , righteousness and peace do imbrace each other . rejoyce for evermore ye saints of the most high , and tell it to your children , that they may tell it to an other generation what the lord hath wrought among you , and what his hand hath brought to pass . salvation is come , and plentious redemption , and the dead hath heard the voyce of the son of god , and liveth . let sorrow and mourning flee away , and be ye comforted ye that have mourned , and be ye refreshed ye that have been weary ; for god hath opened the everlasting fountain , and the streams run pleasantly , which refresh the city of our god ; he is come and his reward is with him , even he for whom we have waited ; this is he , who is our life , our peace , and our exceeding great reward ; the light of the world is our saviour , but the worlds condemner ; our peace , but the worlds torment : glad-tidings glad tidings , the acceptable year is come ; praise ye the lord ye sons and daughters of sion , beautifull is your dwelling place , and aboundeth with pleasant fruit , for you are digged and pruned and enclosed a garden of lovely branches ; let the wonders of the lord never be forgotten , nor his works never pass out of your remembrance , for he hath wounded and healed , killed and made alive , raised the dead , and slain the living , brought out of captivity and bound with chains , gathered and scattered , brought low and exalted , saved , and condemned ; all this hath your eye seen , and your ear heard ; and the heavens and the earth hath been burned as a scroule , and the indignation of the lord you have born : but the winter is past , and the summer is come , and the turtle dove , and the singing of birds is heard in our land. o magnifie his name for ever ; you are made vessels of honour wherein the everlasting treasure abideth , which never waxeth old ; the voyce of the bridegroom is heard among you , and how can you have any more sorrow ? instead of weeping , rejoycing ; and instead of heaviness of heart , fulness of everlasting joy : the lord hath fulfilled his promise , and made good his word , and his law and covenant is with you ; and from you doth the law go forth , and the powerfull word of life , and death soundeth out of your dwelling and you are gods only witnesses to testifie of him in the presence of all nations , some of you by suffering , and some by declaring : oh endless love , and life , and riches , an eternal crown is upon your heads , and your suffering ( which hath not been a little ) is not worthy to be compared with the glory that is and shall be revealed . i speak to you who have an ear to hear , my soul and heart is comforted in you , in the midst of my burdens and sufferings , who is separated from you outwardly , yet joyned and united to you by the spirit which is unlimited , which doth comprehend all nations : yea i behold your beauty afar off and my heart is ravished with it , and i am sick of love : let his works praise him forever , which he hath wrought , for his dwelling is with you in the light , unto which no mortaleye can approach . the new ierusalem is come down from heaven , and no unclean can enter : but you are made white with the blood of the lamb , and purged as silver , and purified as gold in the burning , and unto you an entrance is given , and the way is prepared , and the marriage of the lamb is come , and his wife hath made her self ready , and the way of the lord is pleasant to you , and his commands are not grievous ; no unclean thing can pass over , nor no lyons whelps can tread therein , but it is called the way of holiness , where only the ransomed of the lord do walk ; even your mountain is established upon the top of all hills , and all nations shall flow unto it . sing praises for ever , for the kingdom of endless peace is come , which passeth understanding , and of glory , which on mortall eye can behold , and of life which no flesh can live in . oh my beloved , come up hither and i will shew you what god hath done from you , he hath rebuked the sea , and driven back the floods of waters which compassed you about , and he hath scattered your enemies with a whirlwind , and be hath given you to feed upon the flesh of kings , and of captaines . can you call to mind the doings of your god , and his marvellous works brought to pass , and not cry out in praises for evermore , o drink and be refreshed , and eat and be satisfied for ever , and let your soul delight it self in fatness ; the planting of the lord you are , and his own purchased possession ; he hath separated you from the womb , and hath called you out of kindreds , and ye are the royal seed of the off-spring of the lord almighty , and all nations shall call you blessed . and o thou north of england , who art counted as desolate and barren , and reckoned the least of the nations , yet out of thee did the branch spring , and the star arise which gives light unto all the regions round about ; in thee the son of righteousness appeared with wounding and with healing ; and out of thee the terror of the lord proceeded , which makes the earth to tremble and be removed ; out of thee kings , princes and prophets did come forth in the name and power of the most high , which uttered their voices as thunders , and laid their swords on the necks of their enemies and never returned empty from the slaughter . though i be as by the waters of babylon , in a strange land ; and as a pilgrim and stranger destitute , but not forsaken ; as dying but behold i live ; yet if i forget thee , let my right hand forget her cunning , and let my name be blotted out of the book of life . o how i love the holy seed which in my eye is precious ! no man can hinder my boasting of thee , for i am sealed among you in the record of eternal life , to be read among you in the light where i am known to you , and where my unity stands with you in the love and life , which never changes , and you are my mother , and my brother and sister , who doth the will of my father ; our god is a consuming fire , and his habitation is compast about with dread and terror . the heathen shall see and fear , and the inhabitants of the earth shall tremble ; o●● god is everlasting burnings , and it is tempestuous round about his throne , and he reigns for evermore ; and though thou be despised and set at nought , and counted as the off-scouring of all things , and the scorn of the heathen , yet thy king reign● upon mount sion , and if he utter his voice all flesh shall tremble , and before him thy adversaries shall fall , and thy persecutors shall be confounded , for tho● shalt never be forgotten of thy god , but with his arm will he defend thee , and compass thee about , and thy seed shall be increased , and thou ierusalem shalt be made the praise of the whole earth , for among you is laid the sure foundation , and the tried stone , christ jesus the light of the world , in whom you have believed , which unto the nations is a stumbling stone ; but unto you precious : bring in your testimony , and set to your seal ; is there salvation in any other , but in him who is the light of the world ? nay there is no redemption wrought but by him , nor no deliverance but through him ; his is the kingdom , the power and the glory , and he is become all in all ; and you are no more of this world , but are of the chosen generation , and of the royal priesthood , a people , redeemed , unto whom there is none like among the thousands of israel and iudah , whose god is the lord , whose saviour is the prince of righteousness , who covers your heads in the day of battel , and smites your enemies in the hinder parts ; and wounds them in the fore-head . and now my beloved , let his name be had in remembrance for evermore , and let his praises be declared throughout ages to come , and walk you worthy of his everlasting love , wherewith he hath loved you more then your brethren ; let his name be exalted by righteousness , by purity , and by a blameless life , and bring forth the fruits of righteousness and peace , and let your light shine forth into the world , and your good works abound plentifully ; for you are as a city set on a hill , and as a lighted candle to shine abroad ; and are created unto good works . let faith , hope , love and unity be increased among you ; and let mercy and judgement and equity flow down and be established for ever ; never to be removed . let joy , and long-suffering and meekness and temperance spring out ; and be you perfect as your heavenly father is perfect . stand upon your watch tower , and be not shaken nor drawn aside to follow any other gods , nor to bow to any other image , nor joyn your selves to strangers , and mingle not your seed with the adulterous generation , nor take not , nor give not in marriage with them ; but keep your selves from the idols of the heathen , be not defiled with them ; but abide in your strength , you know where it lies , by which you may work good , and be perserved from evil ; and you need not that any man teach you , for you are taught of god , and are far from oppression . ye children of light , worship your god for ever , who is light , and in him is no darkness at all , who is the same and changes not , whose mercy endures for ever : be followers of the lamb as undefiled virgins , and let your soul scorn the glory of babylon and aegypt for ever ; for you are not your own , but are bought with a price , no more to serve your selves , but the lord of israel forever . put on your armour , and gird on your sword , and lay hold on the spear , and march into the field , and prepare your selves to battel , for the nations doth defie our god , and saith in their heart , who is the god of the quakers , that we should fear him , and obey his voice ? arise , arise , and sound forth the everlasting word of war and judgment in the ears of all nations ; sound an alarum , and make their ears to tingle . our enemies are whole nations , and multitudes in number , of a rebellious people that will not come under our law , which arise up against us , and will not have our king to reign , but trample his honour under foot , and despise his law and his statutes , and count his subjects as slaves and bond-men . stand upon your feet , and appear in your terror as an army with banners , and let the nations know your power , and the stroke of your hand : cut down on the right hand , and slay on the left , and let not your eye pitty , nor your hand spare , but wound the lofty , and tread under foot the honourable of the earth , and give unto the great whore double , and give her no rest day nor night ; but as she hath done , so let it be done unto her ; and give her double into her bosom : as she hath loved blood , so give her blood , and dash her children against the stones , and let none of the heathen nations , nor their gods escape out of your hands , nor their images , nor idols , but lay waste the fenced cities , and tread down the high walls ; for we have proclaimed open war betwixt michael our prince , and the dragon . your captains are mighty men , and your leaders are skilled to handle the sword , and they are riding on before you , arise worm iacob , and fear not , but thresh the mountains to dust ; for god hath given thee the power of thy enemies to tread upon , and they shall fly before thee , and shalt fall by thy sword ; there is none to strong for thee , nor no inchantment against thee ; but thou art blessed , blessed world without end . therefore all ye lambs of my father , and ye camp of the lords host , wait upon him to fulfil his will , for he hath put into your hearts to make war in righteousness against the beast and the false prophet : and cursed be every one that riseth not up to the help of the lord against the mighty : the beast is mighty ; and the false prophet is great ; and they keep the nations under their power . but o thou beast , and thou false prophet you shall be tormented together : thou beast , upon which the false prophet sits , whom thou upholds by thy law ; and defends by thy unrighteous power , thy power is limited , and it shall be taken from thee , and thou shalt be overcome , and the lamb shall get the victory , and into the pit and lake of fire shall you be turned to have your resting place . and thou false prophet which hath deceived the nations , and scattered the inhabitants thereof , and builded by fraud , and daubed with untempered morter ; thy judgment is past upon thy head already , and the decree of our god is sealed against thee ; thy smoke shall ascend for ever and ever ; and of thy sin there is no forgiveness , nor of thy torment no remission . over you do we ( and shall for ever ) rejoyce and sing , and over your god and your king , the dragon that old serpent ; cursed be he , and his memorial for ever . ye lambs of the true shepherds fold , with whom my soul resteth , whether ever i behold you outwardly , yet my heart is with you , and i am one of your fold , and i lye down with you under the shadow of the rock , upon the mountain which the beast cannot touch , where we are safe from all our enemies , and am to you wel known , to be read in your hearts , in the record of the lambs book of life , and known only to the world by the name of , edward burrough . written at dublin city in ireland , to the camp of the lord in england . several epistles to friends in london : written in the year . by e. b. some of which were subscribed by f. h. who was fellow-labourer with him in the work of the lord. friends of god in the truth , whom the lord is gathering as desolate stones to build unto himself a habitation , whom the lord is bringing back out of captivity , wherein you have been held under the chains of darkness , in the land of the shadow of death the lord is calling you , and chusing you , to place his name in you , and to spread forth his glory among you : therefore all dear friends , whose hearts the lord hath touched by his love , and by his power ; be faithful unto god , who hath called you ; and look not out at any thing that is mortal , to draw you from the obedience of the eternal light of jesus christ which shines clearly in darkness : resist not the drawing of the father , but take up the cross , and abide in it daily , that your wills may be crucified , in which the ground of enmity lodges : so all in your own conditions wait in the fear of the lord , in singleness of heart , and in simplicity of mind for the powerful appearance of the son of god , to be revealed in you , to destroy the works of the devil ; for where he is not witnessed the works of the devil stands , and the nature of the earthly man in the fall : all of you whose minds are turned home to within , where the pearl and the lost money is to be found ; dwell and walk in the pure fear , and obedience to that of god which is made manifest in you , and made known unto you , and there will peace flow in from the presence of the lord unto you , and refreshment and strength to the seed , and the pure will live , and the corrupt will die daily : beware every one that have put their hands to the plow , that you look not back at any thing which you have left behind in the world , but press on in the strait way , which is the light , which gives no liberty to the fleshly man , but which judges and condemns all that hates it and turns from it ; the light is the way that leads to life , and by it as you wait in it the life will be made manifest , which is immortal , and your redemption will be witnessed ; dwell in the judgment and in the burning , that the dross may be consumed , and the pure may be refined , and the earthly carnal minds may be confounded and judged : the lord is near unto you , wait for his powerful presence in his own light , to see him , and in it to comprehend all the world , with all its profession , which leads not to god , but keeps in the separation from god ; your way is near , walking in the light you will see it , and in the light you will see all the paths , and all the wayes of the harlot , which leads into the chambers of death ; look not out at words , for that which feeds there , is for the famine ; but dwell in the light , joyning with the immortal principle , which receives nourishment from the eternal fountain , which the world knows not , nor comprehends , as you grow in the pure , and in the life , so you are unknown to the world , and your growth will appear by your obedience in the cross of christ ; so take off stumbling at the cross ; for such hath no part in the eternal inheritance ; but walk in the cross , which is life to the new-man , and death to the old , and so through death life is made manifest , and the pure life of god arising in all , the world will be trampled upon , and denied by you , but such amongst you that chuseth the world , wrath from god i declare against you ; and you who knows the way , and casts off the truth , and for the love of that which is visible , turns from the truth , you cannot escape the damnation of hell : so all dear and tender hearts , abide in the counsel of god , and let not the world overcome your minds , but wait for a daily victory over it , that so you may with the saints possess the eternal riches , and that in you which is carnal and corrupt may be overcome , by that which is eternal and holy , as you abide and walk in the truth , and grow up in the knowledge of the eternal god ; so our joy will be fulfilled in you , and our rejoycing will be encreased by you ; therefore walk and live in that which god hath made manifest in you , which is of himself ; and the eternal god of life and power prosper you , and lead you up unto himself , to dwell and walk in his love for evermore . be not troubled at the rage of the world , nor at temptations , but stand in the will of god , which hath been declared amongst you ; that you may all be established and guided by that which is not of this world , but by the principle of life , which is eternal , which judges all the fruits and grounds of darkness : our love salutes you all , who walk in the truth , and our prayers are for you , that life may spring up in you , to praise the lord for ever . we are servants unto you , and unto all the elect seed of god every where , for whose sakes we give our selves to be spent , e. b. f. h. to friends in london . all friends , whose minds are turned to the lord , by that which is pure , which comes from him who is the light of the world ; all mind it , that with it your minds may be turned to him , from whence it comes , out of all the perishing things , and out of all the visible to the invisible , that so you may all come to know the word of the lord , which endures for ever ; which is as a fire and a hammer , which breaks down the mountains , and burns up , and destroyes all that which is acted in that nature which leads into transgression , and into the curse from god : and therefore all dear friends whose minds are turned to the lord , and have tasted of his power , all dwell in his fear , and keep in your minds from gadding abroad ; and that which hath discovered the lusts and filthiness of your minds , and turned your minds from these things , and from that nature that rules in the children of disobedience , that so you may all come to know the life , and that he may lead you , and direct all your minds up in his fear and wisdom , that so you may be preserved out of those paths that lead to destruction , and out of all the deceitful profession of the world ; and in the light of christ you will see the rise and ground of all deceivers , and dreamers , and all them that speak their own imaginations , and yet boast of great things , and strive , and contend about words , and feed upon wind , and bring no fruit unto god ; and all ye that are not of the light , and walk not according to the light are there , and lending your ears to such who act and speak in that nature , you turn from your guide which is near , and lend your ears to the wicked , and so have walked in darkness : but now you who have tasted of the love and power of god , which all the profession in the world knows nothing of , in it dwell , and abide in that which hath convinced you , and in that which judgeth you , & abide in it , that so you may witness the fallow ground plowed up , and the earth shaken , and the rocks rent , and the vail taken away , that so there may be a way , and a passage for the pure to pass through the earth , and so the earth may waste , and wither , and decay , and the lyons may suffer hunger , and the gods of the earth may be famisht , and the lust destroyed ; and all keep low in the fear , and wait in silence upon the lord , to be near you to direct all your minds and stay , and establish you ; and as you have received the truth , so walk in the truth , we do charge you all in the name of the lord ; and be faithful every one to your measure , and improve , and wait for power , and stand in the cross to the earthly , that whatsoever your minds have delighted in , in the first nature , may all be denied and crossed , and the cross is to the ground , to the lust ; and as you nourish the lust , and let your minds and wills at liberty , and deny the cross , then that which is pure is vexed and darkened , and so the deceit and lust gets up again , and so the guide is lost , and condemnation comes upon you ; and therefore all be diligent in the work of the lord , and watch over your actions , and deceit ; and you will come to see satan hath many strong holds , and would spare the best and the fat ; but in that which is a cross to all mortal stand , and abide , and dwell , that so you may be preserved and kept out of all snares of the devil : and now take heed of judging the power of the lord , and that it knows not what it is to be silent and wait , that you may come to see in the light , and be partakers of the same ; and all who have tasted of the power , wait , and keep out of imaginations , and thoughts , and false voyces , that so the enemy may not be hearkned to , nor the deceit , but all in the measure wait upon the lord in singleness of heart , out of all deceit ; and form nothing in your minds ; but all in purity and uprightness dwell , and all friends , now take heed of carelesness , slothfulness , and sluggishness of mind , and of giving liberty to the flesh , and ease to the carnal mind : and we charge and command you in the presence of the lord , whose power is dreadful , that you meet together in silence , and wait , and none to speak a word but what he is moved to speak , a word from the lord ; take heed of adding to it , but only what you are moved ; and take heed of striving , and contending , or letting out your selves to strange spirits , but every one keep in his own tent , and sit down under his own vine ; and eat not that which dyes of it self , but feed upon the eternal , and so you will be nourished , and grow up in wisdom and power , in that which is pure , that all deceit may be kept out . and all children and servants , be diligent in your places , more willing , more ready to labour in love and diligence , that so the name of god may not be dishonoured . and all you who have callings , throw off nothing hastily nor rashly , but wait and flee not the cross , for if you do , you will be darkened , and the name of god dishonoured : and therefore all dear friends , who have owned the truth , now wait upon the lord in diligence , that so you may grow in the life , in the power of the lord , that nothing may be spared that is for destruction ; and so god almighty bless you all , and keep you out of all deceit , in the pure life which is made manifest , that you may have victory over all , and witness him who puts all under ; with it , if you wait , you will see him present and near you . and so the everlasting god of power keep you all ; for great is our care over you , and our love is to you that abide in the truth , which you are already made partakers of ; and when joy springs up , keep in it , and run not forth , and spend it not ; and take heed of exalting , for then pride and presumption gets up , if you keep not in his fear , and so darkness will come upon you ; but all dwelling in that which is pure , you will be preserved out of snares , and temptations , and your minds kept clear and pure , out of all things that defile ; and so the everlasting god of life and power be with you all . your dear brethren in the unchangable love of god , e. b. f. h. to friends at london . dear and beloved friends , in that which is pure of god , and made manifest in you all , wait and abide , and walk in the light , which comes from jesus , from whence it comes , who is the judge of the quick and the dead , condemns all unrighteousness into the pit ; and therefore all wait in that which is pure of god , which hath turned your minds from darkness to light , and from sata● to god , and hath convinced you of all unrighteousness , and hath let you see all that ever you have done ; behold , he is the very christ ; and therefore all friends of god , mind that which is pure of god , which shews you the deceits of the heart ; the light is the eye which discovers all the secrets of your hearts , and it will shew all deceit , and your present condition , and that which would lead aside ; and temptation as it ariseth it will discover , and resisting in the light , here temptations come to be escaped , and the pits and the snares which they who err from the light fall into . dear friends , great is our care one every side , and we are jealous over you lest you depart from the simplicity of the gospel , and so the deceit lead and guide , and so you will come under condemnation ; and therefore all in silence wait , be swift to hear , slow to speak ; and all wait upon the light in diligence , and take heed of forward minds and wills , which would go before the light and run before the guide ; there is the deceiver and false prophet within , the same that is without , and therefore we charge you all in the name and power of god , to take heed of forward wills in speaking , lest your minds be drawn out from the moving of the pure within , to hearken to words without , which are spoken from that which is above the light , and this feeds the carnal reason , and the earthly wisdom , and lets in the inchanter , and so your minds being turned without you feed upon the husk , and not the life , and therefore that nature that cannot live without words is for the plague and for the famine , and must be famished and stopt : and therefore now as the power ariseth in you , dwell low in it , and sink down in the same , and as things open in you speak not forth , there your minds would run out , and speak that which is opened by the spirit , this is the prodigal ; but as things open , treasure them up in your hearts ; and all keep in that which separates between light and darkness ; and be not hasty to do any thing , lest your wills betray you , and all keep in patience , there the crown is obtained ; and flee not from the trouble , nor from that which judgeth ; but dwell in it , and pray that your flight be not in winter , if you do , you are vipers ; and despise not the cross , even the death of the cross , that all your iniquity may be nailed to the cross , and so the righteousness may be set up within , and so the land is kept in peace : and therefore all , dear friends , whose hearts the lord hath touched , meet together , in silence wait , and you will see the lord present among you , and his power made manifest among you , and the earth broken up , and the fallow ground , and a passage for the seed ; and we charge you all take heed of many words , or feeding upon that which is torn , and dies of it self ; and we charge by the lord , that none speak without eternal motion ; for if you do , the false prophet speaks , and his words eats as a canker , and darkens ; and vails them that hearken to it : and therefore all wait to have salt in your selves , and savour and discerning , that you may come to know the voice of the lord from the voice of a stranger , and so you may be kept out of all deceit , for there thorns and briars ; and the cursed fruits are brought forth : but in the light of christ dwell , and wait , and grow up in it , and walk in it , that you may come to know your redeemer , and what you are redeemed from , and see him near you , and in you , else you are reprobates : and so the lord god of life and power preserve you all , for we have kept nothing back , but are free from the blood of you all , and of all that hears us ; but our desire to the lord is , that what hath been sown in weakness may be raised in power , and that you may grow up in the truth , and walk in the truth , that we may see the travel of our souls , and be satisfied ; and if the lord give us to see your faces again , we may rejoyce in you , and with you : and so the everlasting god of life and power keep you all in his wisdom and power , to have victory over all your enemies , that you may serve him in uprightness of heart , and be faithfull to that of god made manifest in you all . your dear brethren in the gospel of christ committed to our charge , e. b. f. h. to be read at meetings of friends in london . friends of god , called by him out of the dark world , into his marvellous light ; to all you who by the power of god are kept faithful , to walk and abide in the measure of the gift of god received ; grace , mercy , and peace from god the father of life be multiplied in you , and amongst you , that you all may grow up in the power of god , out of darkness , and the shaddow of death , wherein you have been held captive in a strange land : dear friends , our souls are poured out for you , that you all may abide in that which you have received , and heard , which is the way and path of life , and righteousness , and peace eternal ; therefore all dear friend , walk worthy of the calling , whereunto ye are called , and wait in the light by which you are enlightened , that all deceit in particular and in the general may be comprehended , seen , and judged ; we bear you record , there is a witness of god manifest in you , and true desires which flows to god from you : therefore take heed to the measure of god , that by it you may hear the voyce of god , and see his powerful presence ; for by that which is manifested of god in man , god speaks , moves , and acts , and is known unto man ; and all that neglect the measure of god , to walk in it , all their knowledge , experiences , and profession is for condemnation , by that which changeth not ; so all dwell in the measure which is the light , in the cross which keeps under and judges the fleshly man , so the understanding will be kept open to receive the mercies of god , and to walk worthy of the mercies received ; but turning aside from the light you neglect the mercies , and follow lying vanities , and err from the way of righteousness , and bring your selves under condemnation ; for no longer is god enjoyed by man , then man abides in his counsel , in his fear , where the secrets of god are manifest and received by the light , which is the first entrance unto god , and the fulness of the enjoyment of god : beware of the world , where all the temptations lie , to draw away your minds into the carnal and visible things , out from the light by which the life is enjoyed , and so death passeth over you , and condemnation cometh upon you , and the life be lost , and misery be revealed against you . large is the love of god unto you , in calling you , and chusing you , and therefore forget not this love , but walk in it , up to god , from whom free redemption is manifested , unto that which hath lain in death , overcome by the darkness ; follow not your own wills , nor the voice of the stranger and false prophet , which draws out into visibles , into here , and there ; but have salt and discerning in your selves , that you may try every motion , and every spirit , and may by that which is infallible and errs not , comprehend and judge that which is fallible and erring , which flourisheth for a time , but comes to an end , is withered , as that in your own knowledge and consciences will set to seal , who have been strayed and scattered upon the mountains in the cloudy and dark day ; but now the light is breaking forth , and the day begins to appear ; and all you who abide faithful shall see the glory of the lord , and ( shall enjoy him in the land of the living ) end of the work of god. we charge you all in the lord , that you who profess the truth walk in it , and who profess a change , to let it appear by putting off the works of darkness , which by the light are made manifest unto you , and testified against by the witness of god in you ; for know this , that that which liveth in you which is contrary to god , witnessed against by the light of christ , shall be as a prick in the eye , and as a thorn in the side for ever ; and wrath is to be revealed upon him that spareth the best , and saveth the fat from judgment , for to the slaughter all must come , that life and glory may be made manifest ; and he that looks back by the way is not fit for the kingdom ; and he that returns again to the pollutions , his latter end is worse then his beginning , and the judgment of god cannot be escaped : therefore wait in the power of god , and stand in the light , which is the armour against all temptations , whereby the darkness and death , and he that hath the power of death is overcome , and all that love the light , and are guided by it . and all dear friends , who have tasted of the love and power of god , and do witness the renting of the earth , dwell in the power and pure fear of the lord , that so all deceit may be kept down , and under ; and take heed of the false prophet , speaking or suffering your minds to run out in the openings , and so you will speak that which is opened in the light ; and therefore we charge you all in the presence of the dreadful god of life and power , that you all wait in silence , and wait to have salt and savour in your selves , to know the voice of christ from the voice of the stranger , for till that be known in your selves you are not able to judge ; and therefore all wait in the light , which is the eye , which sees into the mysteries of the kingdom , and none to utter a word , but what you are eternally moved unto , or else that in every ones conscience will bear witness against you ; and therefore be not hasty now when you see things open in your minds , dwell in them , and run not forth and speak , but treasure them up in your hearts , and take heed , and keep low in the fear of the lord god , that pride and presumption get not up , nor nothing be exalted above that which is pure . dear friends , you are upon us as a great weight and burden , lest we should have bestowed our labour in vain , but we hope and trust the lord will preserve you , if you stand in obedience to that of god made manifest in you , and so you will grow ; and take heed of striving and contending , but judge that , every one in your selves , that you may all grow up in the pure life of god : and so the everlasting power of god bless you all , and keep you in his everlasting love , and power , and give the victory over your enemies , that you may come to witness eternal life in you , made manifest from god. your brethren in the work of the lord , e. b. f. h. to friends in london . dear friends , in the evelasting covenant of life and peace whom we bear witness of , and unto whom we have declared , and preached in season and out of season among ; yea , and have often come unto , in much weakness , and fear , and trembling ; and have not ceased day by day to watch over you , lest any should start aside from the hope of the gospel , which was declared amongst you in much demonstration of spirit , whereby your understandings came to be opened , even by the word of his power , which we directed you to wait in , and for ; and you are witnesses your selves of the love and mighty power of god , which was made manifest among you ; which made the heathen to rage , and confounded the wisdom of the wise : so dear children of light , of whom we have travelled in pains , and great burdens , that christ might be formed in you ; fulfil ye our joy , make our hearts glad in your growth up in him , who hath called and spoken to you from heaven by his son , in the light ; and your ears have heard , and your eyes have seen , and you have been made to understand the mystery of the kingdom of god , which is a parable to all the world , and sealed , and cannot be read ; but to you who continue and abide in the grace of god , which hath appeared to all men , which brings salvation to all that walk and abide in it , and leads to the enterance , and earnest , and the sealing of the spirit , until the time of the finishing transgreson , and making an end of sin , and so the everlasting offering be witnessed , which perfects for ever them that are sanctified ; therfore all friends whose minds are turn-to the light , and do witness a change in you , by the working of the spirit , and now a door of hope being set open , abide in that measure every one , and stay your souls upon him , who is your hope ; and keep low in the fear to the just principle of life ; that you may have savour and discerning , to know the voice of christ from the voice of a stranger in your selves and in others , and so grow up in the discerning ; and comprehend all spirits , and judge them by the light that makes all things manifest ; and all meet together in your several meetings , and watch one over another ; and be diligent all in your measure , and take heed you neglect not ; and none be of a careless mind to meet and wait upon the lord in silence ; for whose life stands only in words without , such we deny , for their eyes and ears are without , and they would be ever learning , and that is the silly woman that is loden with lust , and all dear babes , take heed of taking liberty to the flesh , nor give no ear nor liberty to the earth , but in the cross dwell to the carnal , and so you will witness the plant of the lord watered , and a growth in the immortal , and the seed you will see , which is one in all , which the promise is to ; and all be still , and cool , and quiet , and of a meek spirit , that out of boysterousness , and eagerness , and feignedness , and self-love , you may be preserved in your measures up to god ; and if any be moved to speak a few words in your meetings , this we charge you all , that you speak nothing but that which is given in , and in the sence , and in the cross ; and do not add your own words , for then you will burthen others who dwell in the life ; and take heed of whispering , and back-biting one another , or uncovering one anothers nakedness , but if any see any to be overtaken , or walking disorderly , reprove such a one privately , and exhort private , and bear and forbear one another ; and so love will encrease , and your joy , and your wisdom , and your strength will grow ; and so the lord god of life preserve you all in his wisdom , and take heed of imaginations or running out , and do nothing has●ily ; but wait at wisdom's gate , that so you may do all things in wisdom ; and all be faithful in your measures , and give up all freely unto the lord , that he may take away your enemies , and bring you into everlasting righteousness . all friends in your places , masters , parents , servants , and children in your places be diligent in that which is just unto the lord , that so the name of the lord by whom you are called be not dishonoured , but that you may all dwell in the counsel of the lord , in the light of christ single , which keeps you out of all pollutions , and out of that nature that starves you , and darkens you ; and so the living god of life preserve you , for you are dear to us , even all of you , without respect of persons , who walk with the lord ; and we cease not to make mention of you to the lord , ( and he hears us ) that you may grow up in the life of christ jesus , to follow the lamb wheresoever he leads you , or moves you ; for truly our hearts are bound to you in the lord , by one everlasting cord , and if you make us sorry , who shall make as glad ? for you are our crown of rejoycing in the lord. christ's sake , e. b. f. h. to all the beloved friends , and brethren , and sisters , who are made partakers of his eternal word of life , by which you are gathered into one light and power , in which is life eternal abiding in it . dear friends of god , who have received and heard the word , the immortal word with gladness and readiness , who are accounted worthy to receive the testimony of our lord christ ; our love in the eternal life of god which endures for ever , which is not limitted to nations , kindreds , tongues , and people , is shed abroad in all , and to all that wait upon christ jesus , who is the light , the love , and the gift of the father , which we are made partakers of , by which gift eternal life and peace for evermore is witnessed , unto all them that continue and dwell in him , who is love. beloved in the lord , our thirsting is great after you , that the truth you have received from him whom we declared unto you , contrary to our own wills , in much weakness , and much fear , and often tears , and much trembling , and walking before you in uprightness , without fraud and dissimulation , as patterns and examples ; and the lord by his eternal working of his mighty power made his own ministry powerful unto you , unto whom be glory for evermore : so dear hearts , in the grace of god which hath appeared unto you , which did convince you of sin , and condemned sin in the flesh , by which power ye are saved from sin , and brings salvation unto you who walk in it ; in it dwell and wait for the day star of iacob to arise , and the babe of glory to be brought in you , and made manifest , and the government may be upon his shoulders , who rules in righteousness for ever : there is a crown before you ; and therefore our dearly beloved ones , all wait , and press on to the work before you , in the cross , and on the cross give up all to be slain , and keep nothing back , for if you do , the canaanite will vex you , and trouble you , and be a thorn in your eyes , to blind the eye , and so turn you into darkness ; but all keep low in the fear , and wait , that the head may be exalted and uncovered , that so the man may bear rule who is not in the transgression , and so in the living hope which is come to you from him who is the life of men you may purifie your selves , & all the old leaven may be purged out ; and so wait for the faith of the son of god , which is born of god , by which the just lives , and so the everlasting you will come to see ; and so the everlasting god of life and power preserve you all in one , out of all jar and strife , pure to himself , in one , that you may bear witness to his name by your holy conversation , in that great place ; for i see there is more yet to come into the fold in that city : and so be diligent in your meeting together , and his eternal power and presence you will see , as you have done continually ; so grow up in the life of god , and here you are unknown to the world ; salute us to all the church of christ in the city , without respect of persons , whom we love and own in the life that never dies ; and as many as are free , write to us , for a friend here were precious indeed ; but none knows us here , nor we are known to none , but well known to the elect and precious , in whom we wait to hear from you , to be refre●●ed to hea● of you , of the work of the lord every where ; the grace of god by which you are saved from 〈◊〉 , be with you , and in you , to give you dominion over all in it , we lie down with you , and are your brethren and servants for christs sake , to whom be glory for evermore . e. b. f. h. dear friends in the truth of god , without respect of persons , grace , mercy and peace from the everlasting father be multiplied among you , th●t in the faith and love , and every good work you may abound towards god and man , 〈◊〉 may shew forth the praise of the lord , and walk as a people redeemed by him , in all holiness and pureness , that your good works may be seen , and your light may shine before men : dearly beloved in the lord , my love doth salute you all who are ●●pt in faithfulness to the gift of grace received , in which you walking , salvation it doth bring , and redemption it doth manifest , out of the world , and out of its nature , into the image and likeness of the son of god ; therefore dear friends and babes of god , by the immortal word of life begotten and nourished , who waiteth upon the lord , blessed are ye that wait to the end , till he who is the light of the world hath put all things under him , and he to be exalted your head ; if in that you dwell which from the beginning hath been heard , you need no man to teach you , but the way you know , and the word of life is your victory : so keep to the measure , that self-will , and self-love may be judged , and your neighbour loved , as self , and the living god , who is light , above all , who hath begun his work in you , and among you , with his right hand will finish it : and dear friends , keep nothing back , nor the best , nor the fat , let not be spared from slaughter ; but let the sword p●ss upon all , that you peace may be for ever , and your righteousness may never perish ; oh , how doth my soul long to know and understand of the growth and unmovableness in the truth manifested among you , and gladly received by you , even your crowns you laid down at the feet of the lamb , and your glory and renown in the world ! ye dispised for the lights sake , but your reward shall be everlasting , and your inheritance shall never wither ; i speak not to puff you up , but that you may the rather be kept low in subjection to the light of the lord jesus , by which self , and that which would be exalted must be crucified ; and this is the victory , and precious faith which will purifie you , and sanctifie you throughout , from all filthiness of flesh and spirit , in that faith to stand as witnesses for the lord god in that great city , and against all its pollutions and idol gods , which neither do hear , see , nor taste ; in wisdom , as examples one to another in love and unity walk , as children of the day , being past through he dark night where the works of darkness were committed ; but now being separated from the world , joyn not your selves any mo●● to strange women , which enticeth from god , but sit under your own vine in peace , dwelling with the lord , who is light , of whom you are become the temple an● tabernacle ; and watch in diligence one over another , that as the day appears , yo● may edifie one another , and may be made one in the light , which is christ , upo● whom you have believed , which unto you is precious , but a stumbling stone , and a rock of offence to all the world : the grace of the lord jesus christ preserve you , that by it you may be preserved , to walk in the pure religion , where your ow● will is not to be done ; the power of god almighty fill your hearts with joy , ad peace , and love in him ; and this is the desire of my soul , who is a labourer among●● you in the work and travel of the gospel of christ , e. b. a general epistle to friends in london . my dear beloved friends and brethren , in the everlasting unerring trut● , of which you are made partakers , who are called of god , his witnesse● , to be of his name , and of his truth ; with my dear love i do salute you , dearly and tenderly , and all the rest of the begotten of god , in that city , whom my soul longeth after , your growth in the inward man ; the everlasting father strengthen you , and refresh you with the living streams from his presence ; and his love and power , and grace be multiplied among you , unto whom he hath opened a door , and made an entrance into the true rest , which remaineth for you , unto which the lord of glory is gathering you , and leading you , and carrying you as lambs in his arms , into the fold of everlasting refreshing ; my dear hearts , walk wo●thy of the love of god , wherewith he hath loved you , and let your light shew , ye children of light , forth into the world , that your good works they may see , who over you watch with an evil eye . dear friends , to you that believe , he who is the light of the world , is precious ; therefore in the light wait , that your understandings may be opened , and your feet prepared to walk in the wayes of the lord , which to all the children of light are pleasant wayes ; and be not entangled with any yoak of bondage which may burthen you from running the ra●e that is set before you ; but in the death of all mortal stand , and there the life of immortallity you will see and witness , and the daily food you will receive , to that life which the love of the world doth crucifie ; for do you not know that the friendship of this world is at emnity against god ; but you are called not to serve the world , but god , who is the light , and the world must serve you ; so take heed lest your affections , and desires , and hearts be drawn aside from the pure way of life into that which is visible , which will not endure forever ▪ for that life is death , and that glory is shame ; in the light i read you , and do behold many pleasant plants springing up in the garden of god ; and i bear you record some of you have laid your crowns down at the lamb's feet , and have scorned the glory of babylon and aegypt ; surely your reward will be everlasting , and your c●ps will the lord fill in the sight of your enemies , and your glory shall be above the glory of the earth , and your crowns shall never wither ; therefore press on , and look not back , nor spare not the fat , nor the best from slaughter , but to the sword bring all your enemies , which have been they of your own house , which over you have prevailed ; but now the lord is arising among you , and the day you have seen of the shaking of the earth , and the heavens , and of the darkness of the sun , and of the falling of the stars ; therefore wait to the end , that the crown of immortallity you may wear ; and with the instrument of the lord the mountains you may thresh , and may give the whore double reward into her bosom , for all her wayes . the day among you begins to dawn , therefore put of every work of the night , and walk all in the day ; for ye are the light of the world , and a city set upon a hill which cannot be hid ; the lord prosper you , and preserve you , and be with your spirits , and establish you , amen . edw. burrough . dublin , the th of the th moneth , the visitasion of the rebellious nation of ireland . and a warning from the lord proclaimed to all the inhabitants thereof , to make their peace with him before his long-suffering come to an end . with a lamentation over its unfruitness and rebellion after so many visitations . and an exhortation to all the honest-hearted , to meet the lord by repentance , while the patience of the lord continues . or the sealing of the lord's testimony unto all sorts of people in that land , by his servants , after their several moneths sore labours and travels , and sufferings therein , who loved not their lives for the seed sake . also some particular papers , written in that nation , to several sorts of people . i. an information to the heads and the ground of the law laid down to the iudges and iustices , and to all that handle the law through that nation . ii. an exhortation sent to the chief commander and his councel , and the just cause of the innocent laid before them . iii. the unjust sufferings of the iust declared , and their appeal to the just witness of god in all m●ns consciences . iv. a challenge to the priests of dublin to try their god , and their ministry , and their worships . v. a discovery of the idol dumb shepherds in that nation , and a lamentation over their starved and strayed flocks . vi. an invitation to all the poor desolate souldiers to repent , and make their peace with the lord , and their duty shewed them , what the lord requires of them . alas , alas , wo is me for thee , thou desolate nation of ireland , thou art to be pitied and lamented , because of thy backslidings , and rebellion against the lord ; thou aboundest in iniquity , and thy transgressions cannot be numbred , o thou art a fruitless habitation , and barren of righteousness , and mercy , and true judgment ; even from the head to the taile thou art corrupted , and thy wickedness is marked before the lord : thy rulers , and teachers , and people are all gone out of the way , and are disobedient children , having backslided from the pure ways of the lord god ; a deceitful heart is found among them , and a lye is in their hand ; even the best of men are as a bryar , and the most upright among men sharper then a thorn-hedge ; a cursed seed hath taken root in thee , and fruit of a cursed taste is abundantly sprung forth ; thou a●t turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto god , and are become abominable in his eye ; thy vines brings forth a soure grape , and the lords soul hath no delight therein ; thou art altogether untilled , and thy flowers give an ill smell ; thy inhabitants have let themselves to do wickedness they imagine mischief upon their beds and brings it forth in the morning , cruelty is their weapon against the innocent , and hard heartedness is their defence against the upright . wo is me for thee , thou desolate nation , who have rejected the counsel of the lord , and neglected the day of thy visitation , wherein the lord would have gathered thee , but thou wouldst not ; how often hath the lord spoken unto thee , and thou wilt not hear his call ? by judgement hath he spoken , and by mercy hath he drawn , but thou refusest to return , and wilt not be reclaimed , but continues in thy rebellion against the lord , and forgets the work of his hand , in ages and generations past ; even since the beginning hast thou been a land of wickedness , and a people of a cursed seed , drinking up iniquity as an ox that drinks up water , & filling the measure of transgression , till the lord was forced in grievous judgments to deal with thee , even his wrath in a day broke forth upon thee , and the fire of indignation was kindled in thee , and thy princes were cut off in fury , & thy inhabitants fell by the plague and sword in great numbers , and thou were given up to be a prey to thy enemies in thy treasures , and the cruell hearted took the spoyle , thou wast laid levell in the dust of deep misery and confusion , and thy lamentation and sorrow was heard among the nations , and the stroke of the lords hand was heavy upon thee , and his judgements was just upon thy head , and he gave no rest unto thee for many years , but thou wast as a trembling leaf , and as a forsaken bough , and thou wast made desolate and comfortless , and misery girded thee about , and then thy stout heart was brought down into sorrow , when the lord contended with thee ; but now thou hast ease from thy bitterness , and a day of rest from thy sore trouble , yet hast thou forgotten the day of thy distress , and art again more abundantly exalted , and thy sins are much more encreased , the pride of thy heart is become equall with sodom , and thy transgressions are encreased to her number , and the rebellion against the lord is grown more high , and through mercies and deliverance art thou waxe● fat , and now thou kicks against the lord , and in thy heart sayes , who is he ? o when wilt thou consider , what the lord hath wrought ? when wilt thou call to minde his just and righteous dealing ? who hast forgotten the day of thy former visitation , and is becoming more vile in the sight of the lord , by thy secret hypocrisie of deceitful profession , then thou wast in thy open prophaness , when thou layest naked in thy open sins . o desolate nation , the lord once and again hath stretched forth his hands unto thee , in pity for thee , and he sent his servants and witnesses to warn thee of these thy transgressions , and to call upon thee to awake thee out of thy carelesness , and he gave thee a glorious day of visitation , and free tenders of salvation , wherein thou mightst have made thy peace with him , and repent thee of thy sin , and his servants were faithfull in thee , and lamented over thee , and gave themselves to be spent for thee , and gladly suffered the reproach of the heathen , and the cruelty of the wicked , that thereby thou mightst be reclaimed out of thy rebellion and wickedness , and they gave their back to the smiter , and loved not their lives unto death , nor prized not their liberty unto bonds , but diligently in sufferings , and labours , and perplexities , called unto thee , and through thy towns and cities proclaimed the visitation and message of the lord concerning thee , and was accounted as sheep for the slaughter , that they might finish their testimony to the gathering of thee ▪ but thou wouldst not , but hast to this very day stopped thy ear from counsel , & hardned thy heart against reproof , and contemned the day of thy visitation , and hereby added to thy measure of wickedness in dealing cruelly with the lords servants , who rewarded them evil for good , and entreated them shamefully , and laid thy hand of oppression upon them , and rejected their message of glad tidings , and would not be instructed in the way of the lord unto salvation , but gave heed unto the false visions of thy lying prophets , and took counsel against the lord of thy inchanters , and persecuted the faithful , by unjust imprisonments , and dealt wickedly with the lords chosen , and made unrighteous de crees is thy wrath , and sealed them in thy cruelty , and made a purpose in thy heart to root out the seed of iacob , and to lay wast the lords heritage . o ireland , hereby in the name of the lord ( thus far ) i seal my testimony in faithfulness unto thee , and binds up my many burdens , and travells , and reproaches , and tryals , and sufferings in thee , in a few words , which is the word of the lord concerning thee . ye heads and rulers that sits upon the throne , repent , and turn to the lord , from whom you are grievously revolted by woful backslidings , a grievous sin have you committed , a gross sum of hainous abomination is recorded against you , the righteous god will meet you in his judgements , and once more will appear in the fire of indignation against you , and your mountains of pride , and vain-glory , and self-exaltation , shall be layed waste , as your enemies were before you , and as you have thought to do ( to root out the seed of iacob , and to spoyle the tender grapes of the lords vintage ) even so shall it be done unto you , and your destruction cometh as an armed man , and you cannot escape , nor fly to hide your selves , from the wrath that cometh , which is kindled already to devour the pleasant palaces of your wicked hearts delight . wo is me for you ; you that are exalted upon your mountain of ease and liberty , having forgotten the rock from whence you are hewn , who were raised out of weakness to reprove the mighty , and gives not glory to the lord , neither considers what he hath done for you , but are become ingratefull , and disobedient children , and of a double heart and tongue , professing liberty of the pure conscience , but living in corrupt fleshly bondage , oppressing the just , and slaying the holy one , and neglecting the cry of the innocent , having made your fingers as heavy as your fathers loynes ; the hand of the lord is against you ; and his wrath will break out upon you , who strengthens the hand of evil doers , and gives liberty , in your dominions , unto the scum of the nations , to possess your land in peace , and will not give place unto the seed of iacob ; but fortifies your selves against him , and will not suffer him to inherit ; how full is your land of murderers , of drunkards , of lyars , and swearers , and of prophane persons , of fugitives , and vagabonds , and runnagades , who are protected by your law , to possess in peace ? but in wrath have you turned your sword against the upright , and have made laws to limit the spirit of the lord , and to uphold deceit . therefore repent of this your sin , who have endeavoured to prevent the lord ; and humble your selves ye lofty , for the purposes of your hearts are broken , and a scattered seed remains in your dominions , which the lord will bless , and which you cannot be able to suppress , and as pricks in your eyes will it stand a witness against you in your hypocrisie and cruelty , and the more ye lay yokes upon it , the more it will spring forth . therefore be wise ye rulers and judges , and leave to imagine mischief ; and lay your hands upon your mouthes , and open them not any more ; and turn in your minds to the light of christ jesus , wherewith you are enlightened , and it will let you see what you have done , and will set your sins in order before your eyes , and will justly reprove you , who have not done as you would be done unto , but have cast the law of god behind your backs , and not regarded the call of equity ; and if you love the light of christ it will change your minds , and will bring you to repentance from sin unto god , and from the dominion of satan unto the kingdom of christ jesus : the light is your teacher , if you love it , and will guide you in the way of god ; but if you go on in your wickedness , it is your condemnation eternally , and shall seal to the justness of the judgments of god , when they come upon you ; now you have time , and a fair warning , prize the day of your visitation , before the decree of vengeance be sealed against you , ●nd repentance be hid from your eyes ; lay it to heart , you are but men , and not god , and your strength flesh and not spirit ; if you own the light it will manifest the will and counsel of the lord unto you , and give you power to act righteousness unto god , wherein you will be accepted : consider , lest you go down to destruction , and there be none to deliver you . and unto all you that do profess the name of the lord , and have got the form of the saints worship in your imaginations ; and have separated your selves into an outward conformity , without the power of righteousness brought forth in you , and would be called members of the church of christ , all sects and sorts : repent ye , of your hypocrisie , and stop your mouths in the dust , for you are weighed in an equal ballance , and are found wanting ; and are tried by the searcher of hearts , the light of the world , and are found corrupted ; deceitful are you in the root , and cursed in your branch , deep and secret hypocrisie , pride , and coveteousness , and the love and glory of the world , and fleshly exaltations abounds among you ; as branches of the root wherein you grow : and how can you bring forth good fruit out of your cursed ground ? your knowledge is bruitish and vain , and your outward conformity is a weariness to the lord , for you are found fighters against him , and opposers of christ jesus , and deniers , and contemner of his light , by which he hath lightened every man that comes into the world : you stumble at the foundation , and build upon the sand ; one of you building a wall , and another daubing it with untempered morter ; your hearts are not upright with the lord , but flatters your own souls : which of you have denied the world for christ , or what have you laid down for him ? in your vain imaginations you worship god ignorantly , making his commandment● void through your transgressions . you stand in the cursed nature , alive to the world , following the vain delights thereof , resisting the way of the lord , through your wisdom , which is foolishness with god , you have the profession of the scriptures in your natural knowledge , but you are without the life thereof , out of the unity of the one spirit of life in severall meanings , and opinions , which is death ; and in vain conceits are you scattered upon the barren mountains , where your souls are starved ▪ and strayed , in the cloudy and dark day ; and you are devoured under your dumb idoll shepherds , who are in cains way of wickedness , and in the steps of all the false prophets , and of the scribes and pharisees , fulfilling their measure of wickedness and persecution ; against them is the wrath of god kindled to consume them as stubble ; they preach for hire , and they divine for money , and they seek for their gain from their quarter , and they run , and were never sent , and you are not profited by them , but are ever learning , and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth . awake , ye professors , god calls unto you , give ear unto his voyce , come out of babylon , and turn unto sion , that her desolate places may be builded ; you wander abroad in the darkness , groping as blind men , your profession will wither , and all your knowledge will consume away , and your righteousness is abomnation to the lord , your praying god hates , and your oblations is a weariness to him , for you are in the enmity against god , and the serpents head is not bruised . come down ye cedars , who are exalted above the cross of christ , and make not a cloak of the saints words to cover your unrighteousness ; grievous is your idolatry , who have painted your selves with the likeness of the saints life , and bows to the image set up in your imaginations , drawing near god with your mouths , but with your hearts going after your coveteousness : repent , the day of the lord is coming upon all flesh , and meet the lord , and prepare his way ; and bow your heads you lofty oakes , who saith in your hearts you are the onely people , but your lying hearts deceives you , and you are found naked , and without a covering . all ye that desire after the way of the lord , of all sorts of people who are simple and honest hearted , whether prophane or professor , you have a day of visitation from the lord , yet stretched forth unto you ; come ye unto the lord , and forsake all your lovers , lay aside your evil hearts which hath led you aside from the way of salvation , and now learn the fear of the lord , which is the beginning of wisdom , and mind the one thing needful , which is of great prize , even the salvation of your souls ; press after , and come out of the broad way of perdition , wherein the world goes on to destruction , and enter into the strait-way , where the unclean walks not ; cease from all the deceitful wayes and worships of the world , and love truth , and walk in simplicity . cease from all your idoll temples , for god dwells not in them , but his saints are his temples , wherein he dwells and walks : cease from all your idoll worships , and feigned prayers , and praises , for god is not worshipped in vain traditions , as in observing dayes , and times , and outward things , but in spirit and truth is he worshipped , and such he seeks to worship him , and a broken spirit and an upright heart is accepted with him . cease from all your idol shepherds , and priests of baal , that preaches for hire , and divines for money , and seeks for their gain from their quarter , for they profit not the people at all , who are ever learning while they live upon earth , and none able to come to the knowledge of the truth : therefore cease from man , and wait upon the lord , who is now risen to teach his people by his spirit in his way of truth and righteousness , in his peace and purity , where his blessing is received from his presence , which is with all that fear him . therefore awake , awake out of darkness , and love not to slumber in the dark night , which long hath ruled over you ; this is the day of your return , and of your visitation , wherein the lord would gather you ; therefore resist not the love of the lord , wherein he calls you to repentance from dead works to serve him in righteousness ; but every one turn your minds inward , to the light of christ jesus , wherewith every one of you is lightned , which light is it which convinceth you of sin , and lets you see your evil deeds , and whom you have served , and how you have spent your time ; the light shines in darkness , and reveals unto you the secret intents of your dark hearts , and doth secretly reprove the wicked purposes of your minds : with this light in your consciences , your sins are written , and all that ever you have done is recorded ; and this light shall be the swift witness , and the condemnation of the wicked , in the day of the lord ; and by it all your works will be brought to remembrance , and your sins will be set in order before you , to receive judgement by christ jesus : and here is the free love and gift of god unto you , who hath given you a light to guide you in his way ; if you own it , and wait in it , it will manifest the judgements of god against sin in you , and will condemn sin in your flesh , and will reveal the righteousness of god to be your covering ; if you dwell in the light , it is your teacher , and way unto life eternal , and if you bring all your deeds to it , it will reprove every evil word and work , and give you discerning of things that differ , it will manifest the secretest deceit of your heart , and winding of the serpent , and will be judge thereof , till unrighteousness be taken away , and a birth brought forth from above , and born of another nature and seed , which if you be not born again , you cannot enter into the kingdom of god. therefore in the fear of the lord all consider , and search your selves ; in tender love to all your souls i write : you must be judged in the flesh , that you may be justified in the spirit , and you must be made poor , and emptied of all your knowledge , and wisdom , that you may be filled , and made truly wise . so if you believe in christ jesus the light , and life , of the world , your hearts will be cleansed by the word of god , which endures for ever ; and the covenant of peace will be established with you , where sin is no more remembred , being condemned , so ●ow you have all time , this is to you all a warning , as i was moved of the lord. repent , the dreadfull day is at hand , and meet the lord , by confessing and forsaking your sins , and prepare the way of the lord , his coming draweth near , lest his judgments come upon you unawares , and his wrath sweep you away in fury , and your nation become more cursed then the rest ; all your applying of christ's righteousness , whilst your selves are sinners , is to no purpose , for no hypocrite can enter into life , nor none that work wickedness have eternal life abiding in them , but are in the death , which hath passed over all men , and the curse remaineth upon the disobedient , and all in the first nature are children of wrath . therefore every one wait in the light , that you may be changed , and take up the daily cross of christ , that your own wills , affections , lusts , and desires , may be crucified , and you may become dead to the world , and may live unto god , in his nature and likeness , that your souls may be satisfied therewith , and all that hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled with the true food . therefore wait , all you that fear the lord , and meet together in his counsel , and wait for his law that you may walk therein , and lay aside the works of darkness , which are made manifest by the light , and also condemned , in all that come to sion . spend not your time in the vain deceits of the world , nor follow no● the delights thereof , for according to your works must you be judged in the day of the lord. depart from iniquity , and all the works of the flesh , pride and cotousness , lying , swearing , and double-dealing , and all the fruits of unrighteousness , let them be judged ; and let the time past be sufficient that you have wrought evil , and now return , and work righteousness in god , by the light , which all that love , works in god. and deceive not your selves , with a deceitful covering , of self-making , and self-righteousness , professing scriptures in your carnal minds , which was given forth by the spirit , and is not understood , but by the same spirit : whilst the first nature stands alive in you , you cannot please god , but are in the emnity against him : humble your selves , and come down to the light , and search your hearts thereby . wo unto the lofty , and high-minded , who will not be instructed , but hat●● reproof . wo is unto all lyars , and swearers , and whoremongers , and vagabonds , and prophane persons , such cannot inherit the kingdom of god , 〈◊〉 enter to within the gates of the city , but are to be troden in the wine-press of the wrath of god for ever and ever . therefore , awake , awake , ye careless and unbelieving , and fear and tremble ye children of disobedience , who hate the light , and love your evil deed , and upholds your false prophets , whom god never sent , and will not own the lord to be your teacher ; the light in your conscience is your condemnation ; for this is the condemnation of the world , that light is come , and men hate it . so be you warned all people , the day of the lord is at hand , and now he calls ▪ therefore hear his voice , and hearken to his light , which is of christ , which only is needful to salvation ; and there is no other name given for salvation . and if you will not hear , and receive thi● day of visitation , which in love appears unto you , you shall hear in the day of visitation of vengeance ; and behold the lord comes quickly , make straight his path ; the light is your teacher if you love it , and your condemnation if you hate it . written from london , to go abroad in the nation of ireland , as a visitation to all sorts of people , and is the sealing of the lords testimony unto that land , 〈◊〉 moved of the lord in love and pity to lost souls ; by e. b. an information to the heads , and the ground of the law laid down , to the iudges and iustices , and to all that handle the law in that nation . all ye heads and rulers , and judges , and counsellors , and all you that ●it in council together in the seat of justice and judgement , from whom the law do go forth into the nation , and all you that handle the law take heed to your selves , for the living god of power is judge of you , and over you all , to you all i speak the word of the lord , without respect to any of your persons ( but is a lover and respecter of righteousness , and true judgment , and justice ) that i may stand clear of your blood , for god hath laid it upon me to give you warning , which if i do not , your blood will be upon me , and if this you refuse to hear and obey , your blood be upon your selves for ever . christ jesus is the light of the world , the true light , which lightneth every man that comes into the world , and by which every one of you is lightned , which light , if it you love , and be guided by , it will lead you out of the worlds way and nature , and unrighteousness , and will give you an entrance into etetnal life and peace , and an assurance in christ when this world ceases to be ; and in this world it will teach you how to serve god in righteousness in your generation ; and to give righteous judgments and councels among your brethren without respect of persons , for the law of gods respects no mans person , nor justice regards not the person of the mighty ; the light of christ jesus in your consciences , and in all mens consciences , is just and one with christ , and one with the law of god , in its measure , and condemneth the unjust , and all works of wickedness , who against it do act ; by which light every one of you being guided , your own consciences in particular will be exercised towards god and towards men , and by him you being ruled and judged , will know how to rule and judge for him in the world among men , who are required for god to rule and judge in righteousness and equity ; and none can rule for god , but who are ruled by him , with his light that shines in the conscience , by which you being governed , will by it govern in the earth righteously . you are not to judge for gifts and rewards , for if you do , you judge not for god , but for your selves , and you and your judgment is to be judged and condemned with the righteous law of god , which is free ; but such who fear god and hate covetousness , and gifts , and rewards , are to bear rule , and such will handle the law righteously , and will be a terror to evil doers , who do not fear god , but act contrary to the light of christ in their own consciences , and so transgress the just law , and brings themselves under the guilt , and so under condemnation ; and such a government will stand for the praise of them that do well , and encouraging of the upright ; but if such bear rule and handle the law which know not god , nor is not ruled by him , these will abuse the law , and will be a terror to righteousness , and good works , and will strengthen the hands of evil-doers , and will let vice and wickedness escape unpunished . this i speak in love to all your souls , to the informing of all your minds , that you may know your place , and how to exalt justice and judgment ; the light of the son of god , by which every man is lighted , is but one in all , just , righteous and equal ; the same in him that hates it , and transgresseth the righteous law , as it is in him that loves it , and judges all transgressions . and this light of christ , by which all men are lightned , is the seat of justice , and true judgment , and the ground of all good wholsom laws , ) and every law that is contrary to it is for condemnation by it : therefore , i say , wait in the light , by which you are lightned , to receive the pure law of god to judge all causes by , and make no law in your own wills , nor act not in such laws made by the will of man , for such laws are oppression , and tyranny lodges in them , and false judgment , and such god hath and will cast out , who act from that ground . so be ye warned by their fall , and judge not after your own thoughts , nor sensual carnal wisdom , nor follow not your own wills , nor the counsel of your own hearts ; but stand in god's counsel , and fear his name , and tremble at his presence , and wait to be guided by him in his holy law , which all unrighteous counsels , and vain affections , and false judgments will condemn in your own hearts , and then you will truely know how to judge your brethren in equity and righteousness , how to reward well doers , and how to punish evil doers according to the measure of their transgressions , and according to the light in their own consciences , by which they being convinced from your law , of the evil of their transgression , will confess your law and judgment to be just and equal , and you to be righteous judges ; here you judge for god , and bear not the sword in vain , but are a terror to transgressors , and to the disobedient , and lawless , against which the law was only added , to slay unrighteousness ; but it was not made for the righteous , whose consciences are exercised towards god and towards man , by the pure law of god written in the heart : and upon such , and over such your law hath no power , for they are one , and in union with that law which is righteous , and do witness the justness , and goodness , and holiness of it ; but if you make a law in your own wills , and judge by such a law , then you will make the innocent suffer , and oppress them who walk in the law of god , and in the exercise of a pure conscience : christ was put to death by such a law , and the saints in all generations were persecuted by such laws , which were made in the will of man , contrary to the will and law god : therefore take ●eed to your selves lest god hew you down and your law together , and condemn yo● by his righteous law eternally , which law of god needs not to be made , but i● made already , and to be witnessed by the light in every mans conscience to justification , or condemnation , and is revealed in all that love righteousness . so take heed what you do , and know your place , and the length and breadth o● your law , which is committed to you , which is to keep the outward man in good order , and the nations in peace and truth , and from theft , and murder , and adultry , and fighting , and quarrelling , and drunkenness , and wronging one another , and such like ; such who acts these things walk contrary to the light , and so brings themselves under the penalty of the law ; but over the inward man you law which is outward hath no power to bind , to limit or to tie too or from any way of worship in religion , but let religion defend it self , and lay not your la● upon the conscience , to exercise dominion over it , for it is christs seat , in who● he will rule ; lest you be found tyrants , and numbred for destruction ; nor li●●● not the spirit of the lord , how , when , where , and by whom it must speak ; for the holy-men of god in all ages , ever cryed against such laws as were contrary to the law of god , and did limit the spirit of the lord , and against such rulers as did judge false judgment , and for gifts , and rewards ; and against such priest● and prophets as preached for hire and divined for money , and sought for their gain from their quarter , and made a prey upon the people , and through coveteousness made merchandize of souls : therefore be ye warned , if such you uphold by a law , which act those things which the scripture declares against , which the holy-men of god gave forth by his spirit ; the scripture which you profess shall stand a witness against you , and the law of god will condemn you ; and god will lay your honour in the dust , and cast you out of the seat of judgment ▪ but judge the cause of the poor , and needy , of the widow , and fatherless , and joyn mercy with judgment , and lay your swords upon oppression , and all tyrany , and wrong dealing ; that the land may cleansed of evil doers , and equity and righteousness may flow down , and the nation in good order may be kept i● peace and righteousness ; and so god will establish you among his children , who are taught of him alone , and are far from oppression : to the light of god in all your consciences i do speak , which if you make laws contrary to it , and judge contrary to it , it is the eternal condemnation of you , and of your laws , and judgment . and remember you are warned in your ▪ life time ▪ and my conscience is cleared to you , and in the day of the lord you shall witness 〈◊〉 to be tru● and this to be the word of the lord to you , whether you will hear or 〈◊〉 ●ear . written to you by a friend of righteousness and true iudgment from the spirit of the lord , as moved of him in love to all your souls ; to go abroad among the heads ; and rulers , and iudges in dublin , and elsewhere through the nation of ireland ; from one who is called a quaker by scorners , whose name in the flesh is , edward burrough . written at dublin , the d of the th moneth , . and now oye heads and rulers , happy had you been if you had taken the counsel of the lord , and submitted to have obeyed his ▪ word , which came to you as moved of him , but in that you have neglected , and have made laws in your will , and exercise lordship over the conscience , and have limited the lord , and have purposed to ●e a ●error to good , and strengthened the wicked , and have not regarded the will of god , but have persecuted and imprisoned the innocent , and ●udged 〈◊〉 your own hearts ; therefore according to the word of the lord , your blood will be upon your own hea●s , for you have not taken warning , and i am 〈◊〉 hereof for ever . an exhortation sent to the chief commander and his council , and the just cause of the innocent laid at their door . we who are servants of the lord of hosts , who is the protector of heaven and earth ; we who stand in his fear , and know his co●nsel , are moved of him who lives for ever , who is , i am , and there is none besides him ; to clear our consciences , and our lords truth , from the lyes and slanders which are cast upon us , and the good way of the lord ; which envious spirits , wh●● are proud and know nothing , that cannot abide sound doctrine , do reproach and slander us , and by false 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things to our charge which we never kn●w ; therefore we being innocent and clear cannot but deny and 〈◊〉 witness against all those proceedings , which are ●ot according to the law of righteousness and equity , and lay th●… at your door ▪ whom it nearly concern● . unto thee henry cromwel who is commander in chief for the affairs of ireland , and to thy council we write . we have seen two several warrants ●●der your 〈◊〉 , dated at dublin , and in them both you say , you have received information at your board , of great disorders , and disturbances of 〈◊〉 in the cou●… of ●●rk● , and places adjacent , by francis howgill a●d edward burrough . this we say unto you ; your informer hath declared an ●●truth at your board , and we de●●re that you may make it appear where in we have made any disturbance , or disorder ; all these things in your warrants we deny and do charge you in the name of the god of justice , to send for them that so informed you , that have so abused you , and are so bold and impudent , as to declare unto you any such thing , and so have caused you to bring guilt upon your selves , in sending ou● your warrants to bring the innocent before your judgment-seat ; and caused us to be dragged a hundred miles from place to place , as m●lefactors , and as though we had done some criminal act ; and when we have dome before yo● ▪ you had nothing to lay to our charge ▪ but have endeavoured to give sentence of banishment of us out of your nation , who are free-born english men , nor have we been burthenfom to your nation , nor transgressed any known law of the nation ; and you have judged us before our 〈◊〉 came ; and herein you do us great injustice , and you act contrary to the law of equity , and that which you your selves in your own case would not allo● , to that in all your consciences i speak . oh , that ever you should thus req●… the lord for his love and mercy , in breaking the yoak o● the oppressor from off your necks ; and now power is given into your hands to relieve the innocent , and to set the opressed free , to execute judgment and righteousness upon the transgressors , whom the law is against . and this doth god require of you , that his wi●● may be done , and your wills denied , that so the nation may be established in righteousness , and that your latter end may be better then your beginning ; but if you go on in the way you are beginning , and ●ur● justice backward , and l●● equity fall in the streets , and not suffer judgment to enter , then misery will be your end . wo is me , for you have all forgot the rock from whence you were h●●en , and the deliverances of the lord to you in the time of di●●●●ss , yea , you have forgotten , and your hearts are lifted up ; and by your policy think to establish your own wills , and to limit the holy one a way , and set up your standard by his , and tru●● in the ar● of flesh : what is become of the liberty of tender consciences you hav● spoken of , and we have engaged with you to purchase ? and is it ended in this ? o● horrible hypocrisie ! that they who bear witness against all sin , and iniquity , and against all deceit , that they should now be made a prey of . and we charge all i● the name of the living god in ireland to convince us of evil , or the transgression of any law ; and if it cannot be done , let none lay hold on us , to abridge 〈◊〉 of our liberty , lest you bring guilt upon your selves . and do not take counsel at them nor hold them up , who are hirelings , and walk in the steps of the false prophets , and in the error of balaam , who speak for gifts and rewards , who in all generations resisted every appearance of god in his saints , and now would make all bow to their image ; and they bend their tongues , and report lyes , and make lyes their refuge , the hand of the dreadful god of heaven and earth is against them ; yea , the lord will thunder from heaven against them , they shall be blown away in the whirle-wind of gods wrath , who have perverted the way of the lord , because they stand not in the counsel of the lord , but flatter you , 〈◊〉 they have done the princes in all generations , till all were laid waste together . wo is me for you , have you consulted , have you taken counsel together agai●●● the lord , and his servants , whom he hath sent unto you , and do you thus requi●● the lord already ? have you sent out your decree , to shut out and root out the seed of iacob in a day , whom the lord hath made choice of above all the families of the earth ? surely your decree will be broken , and your cords wi●● 〈◊〉 but as a bulrush ; for them whom you now set at nought are precious in the ey●● of the lord , and unto our god shall you bow , and worship at his feet . consider , if there be any honesty left among you ; what is become of all the persecut●●● of old ? and will you tell of reformation , and yet act in the foot-steps of the persecutors ? if you go on , you are at the brink of destruction , and at ●●e sides of the pit ; and you will be made a ruinous heap , and as desolate as mo●… esau , which is a place for dragons : was not persecution ever blind ? would they ever own themselves to be such ? for verily if you knew us , you would 〈◊〉 have done so unto us . when herod stretched out his hand to vex certain of the church , the next you hear of him , he is eaten up of worms . the dread of the lord of host is upon all the proud , and lofty , and high oaks , and the wind o● the almighty shall blow them all down root and branch , and all your strength , is which you trust , if you take counsel at aegypt , will become as a bowed wall , and as a rotten hedg ; and god will make them that exalt themselves against him , 〈◊〉 a dunghil , and as the princes of gog , of mesek , and tubal , which are all perished among the rest of the uncricumcised . oh , ye potsheards , do you think y●● can limit the lord ? will he be instructed by you ? he that reproves him , let hi● answer it : can you command the wind that it blow not upon the earth ? c●● you stop the waves of the sea , and say unto them he still ? can you stop the bottles of heaven , that it rain not ? if you cannot , all be silent , and 〈◊〉 not to resist the lord in his own work which he is bringing to pass in this 〈◊〉 own day , he will confound the wisdom of the wise , and bring to nought the honourable of the earth , and make all as a plain before him , who can withstand him ? oh , ye potsheards , fear and tremble before him , who is a consuming fire to all the ungodly , who is visiting the transgressors with vengeance dread and fury , and putting into their hands a cup of trembling , and making ierusalem a burthensom stone , all that meddle with it shall be wearied , they shall faint , and bow themselves , and sink under it , and be crushed as with a cart-wheel to pie●es , and their names shall rot from under heaven , and all shall know our god is the living god , yea , the god of gods , yea , there is none like him ; and know this , no power you had of us , except it had been from above . we were with you in the city of dublin near three moneths , some of us , and none laid hands on us , but the time was not come , and till the testimony of the lord ▪ was near finished , which he sent us to do , none could lay hands on us : and know this , though this be a time of temptation and trial , yet it shall be for the furtherance of the gospel of christ ; and though you think in your hearts , by sending us out of your nation , that so all will cease , and deceit will stand without molestation ; i tell you , nay , even the children that are yet in the womb shall be brought forth , and hear witness against the deceit of this generation . and know this , there is a stump , which is but little , which is bound about , as with iron and brass , and out of it shall spring fire , that shall be kindled , and flame to the torment of all them who worship the beast , and have received his mark , and to the tormenting of all the false prophets in the nation , and it shall burn , and none shall be able to quench it ; many shall bear witness unto us , that we came not in our own names , but in the name of the living eternal god , who by his power hath accomplished his own work , for his own glory , and many shall bless us in the name of the lord ; and all our opposers shall gnash their teeth , and gnaw their tongues for pain , for the torment that is coming upon them ; all that have resisted the counsel of the most high god , and have gainsayed the lord , they shall perish in their gainsaying , and we are clear and free from the blood of all men in this nation thus far ; yea , of every city , town , and village , unto which we were moved to go ; and the blood of all the rest be upon those that have resisted us ; and a good savour we are unto god in them that have believed in his name , of whom we have born true witness unto , and in them that perish we are clear in the sight of god. and oh thou city of dublin , thou art as moab , at ease , and art lifted up in thy heart , and rejoycing in thy spoil , and art making thy self merry in the abundance of thy delicacies ; oh , how full of profaness art thou ? oh , how full of pride and vain glory , of deceit and unrighteousness , of lust and filth , lying and swearing , and full of briars and thorns ? a careless untoward people : oh , your abominations are loathsom to all the children of light , professing god in words , but in your lives and works deny him : oh , that thou hadst known in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace ; a crooked generation you are , the yoke must be laid upon you necks ; will neither plague , famine nor sword bring thee into subjection unto the lord ? will neither mercy nor judgment take place in your hearts ? oh , how long shall the lord bear with you ? how long shall he spare you ? his long-suffering is near at an end ; his patience is near out concerning you ; and then , wo wo to him that shall see the day which will come ; the lord will arise as a lion , and will rend and tear you , and his sword shall be bathed in the blood of his enemies , and he shall be wrath , as in the valley of acor , and as in the dayes of gib●a , and will bring ye down ye mountains , and level you ye hills , and will make his name known in your overthrow , except ye repent ; and they that are round about you , when they shall see calamity coming upon you , this shall be their proverb , this is the city and people that dispised the counsel of the lord , and contemned the instructions of the most high god , and provoked the lord to wrath , till his patience was worn out , and his long-suffering came to an end , and therefore is this evil come upon them . therefore gird your selves in sackcloth , and pour ashes upon your heads ; houl and weep ye cureless people , misery is coming u●… you ; the dreadful god will visit with a scourge , and will make you know 〈◊〉 is the lord : blessed is he that hears , and considers , and repents , and turns 〈◊〉 his iniquity , before the decree be sealed against you , which will never be altered ▪ this is the day of your visitation , and if you contemn it , ●wo unto you for ever and fo we are clear in gods sight of you all , from the highest to the lowest , a●● your blood if you perish will the lord require at your own hands , from this 〈◊〉 forth and for evermore . we are friends to all just powers , and are subject to the highest power for conscience 〈◊〉 but witness against all deceit and unrighteousness , and against all that hold the truth 〈◊〉 unrighteousness , who are prisoners of the lord for the testimony of iesus , our consciences bearng us witness in the holy ghost . edw. burrough . dublin , th of the th moneth , . the unjust sufferings of the iust declared , and their appeal to the just witness of god in all mens consciences . to all ye colonels , and commanders , and officers , and to all the honest hearted in the city of dublin , and elsewhere , to whom this may come ▪ hereby we the prisoners of the lord , for the testimony of jesus , and for the exercise of a pure conscience , do lay down our cause before you , and to the light of jesus christ in all your consciences we appeal in this our cause of rightousness and innocency , to be judged thereby ; we are men fearing god , and working righteousness , and are friends to the commonwealth of israel , and are exalte●s of justice and true judgment in the earth , and are subject to all just power , and to every just ordinance of man for conscience sake , and have suffered the loss of all , and have born part of the burthen with you , that we might obtain the freedom of the righteous seed , and the liberty of tender conscience , to serve the lord in his own way ; and we are well known to the lord , though strangers to you , and are free-men in the record of heaven , though now sufferers unjustly under your present authority , who have taken the place of exercising lordship over our pure consciences , and have imprisoned us , and endeavoured to give judgment of banishing us , onely upon false accusations and informations , and slanders , without the proof or testimony of any accusation of 〈◊〉 justly laid to our charge . and to you hereby be it known , that not for evil doing do we thus suffer ; for to this present no man hath convinced us of any evil , nor justly proved the transgression of any law ( martial or civil ) against us , though we stand accused of many grievous things , of which we are clearly innocent in the sight of him that lives for ever ▪ and do nothing more desire herein but ●o be tryed by the law of equity , and righteousness , and judged according thereunto ▪ by vertue of command given unto us by the eternal spirit of the lord came we into this land of ireland , contrary to the will of man , not to seek our selves , nor our own glory , not to prejudice your nation , nor government , nor to be hurtful to your commonwealth , but with the message of the gospel of christ jesus we came to turn from darkness to light , and from the power of satan to the power of god , and 〈◊〉 minister the word of reconciliation , and salvation ●●eely ( without a gift or a reward ) unto lost souls ; and hereof god is our witness ▪ and also we have the seal● of our ministry , which unto us herein can give testimony by the same spirit , and this are ●e ready to seal with our blood . and these six moneths and upwards have we laboured in travels , and sufferings , and reproaches ; and have passed through your cities and towns in soberness ; and in meekness have we preached the kingdom of god , and have holden forth the word of truth , and the testimony of jesus ; and our lives have we not loved till this day , though sometimes dangers on every side have beset us , that we might hold forth the faith of jesus , the authour of our profession , in the exercise of a pure conscience , both by doctrine and conversation , and herein we are justified in the sight of god , and who is he that condemns us ? and do call heaven and earth to record , and the light in all mens consciences , who have heard our doctrine , and seen our conversation , to witness for us herein ; and we challenge all your nation of ireland , our very enemies , to prove the contrary , though otherwise we stand falsly accused , and falsly reputed to be disturbers , and makers of disorders , to the breach of publique peace , and such like grievous things upon the false information ; whereof a warrant was issued out from the chief ruler and council of ireland , and we thereby were apprehended in the city of corke , and haled by guards , as malefactors too , before the council in this city , where none of all these false accusations were , or could be proved against us , nor the transgression of any known law could we be convicted of , and though occasions were sought against us ▪ yet none could be found , and though snares were laid for our feet , yet were we not entrapped , but were cleared in the sight of god , witnessed by the light in all their consciences , and were found innocent , and without reproof in the eye of the lord ; and by our innocency were their orders of false accusations made of none effect , and we thus far proved to be guiltless before the throne of true judgment : yet notwithstanding contrary to the light in their own consciences , and contrary to the just laws of the nations ( which afford freedom to the free-born and righteous ) were we committed to prison , without conviction or any guilt charged upon us , or the least appearance of evil towards any man's person , though falsly accused , yet no true testimony given against us , whereby our boldness in the way of the lord could be discouraged , as having the testimony of the spirit of god bearing us witness in the holy ghost , that in all good conscience towards god and towards man we have lived to this day , and so are without reproof in the sight of god , and all just men ; and though upon search and examination we were found guiltless thus far , yet further hath the enemy the devil prevailed in cruelty against the innocent , that it is endeavoured that we be banished , under the account of vagabonds , which last accusation is the most false and unrighteous ; for we challenge this , of whom have we begged ? or to whom have we been burdensome ? or whose bread have we eaten for nothing ? or what evil have we done ? where is the testimony of your slanders ? but innocently do we suffer these things , bearing reproaches , and binding the cruelty done unto us , as chains about our necks , and as crowns upon our heads , having the assurance that for well doing we suffer these things from the hands of the rulers , through the lies and slanders of the teachers , who are in cain's way of persecution , till they have fulfilled their measure of wickedness , and be laid waste as the wilderness . and this is our cause , and hereby it comes before you , by the light of christ in your consciences to be judged ; if your hearts be not altogether hardened , and your minds wholly blinded ; and we lay it at the door , to receive sentence from you , and without respect of persons , holds forth our guiltless cause before you , not begging any thing from you , but herein to clear our consciences , that you may save your selves from this untoward generation , whose root is corrupt , and fruit bitterness ; for while we have breath from the lord , and injoyment of his presence , our duty is to serve the lord , in bearing witness against injustice , and all cruelty , and oppression , and shall appeal to receive justice from the present power which now rules ; for in the name of the lord we challenge our priviledge of freedom as being free-born , till we be accused guilty by the just law of equity , unto which we are subject for conscience sake , and not to any mans will , but by word and writing are bound by the law of god , to bear witness against the unjust proceedings herein of the heads and rulers of dublin , and shall seal our witness against them , and against their unrighteous decrees sealed in their cruelty against the innocent , with our blood , if thereunto we be called . edw. burrough . dublin the th of the th moneth , . a challenge to the priests of dublin , to try their god , and their ministry , and their worships . we the servants and faithful witnesses of the most high god , called and chosen of him , and redeemed out of nations , kindreds , tongues , and people ; who are ministers of the word of life , and reconciliation and messengers of glad-tidings , and salvation , unto captive and weary souls ; our glorying is only in the lord , and not in our selves , who are by the world in scorn called quakers ; who are at this present in outward bonds , for the testimony of jesus christ in dublin ; and who have been in the labour and travel of the gospel of god these six moneths and upwards , in this nation of ireland , according to the will of god ordained hereunto , and moved , and commanded by his eternal spirit into this his work , for the seed's sake which is not of this world , to the gathering of it into the fold of everlasting peace ; and to the clearing of the lord from the blood of his enemies , that they may be left without excuse , by his powerful word given unto us , and uttered by us ( and herein we are a good savour to god , both in them that perish , and in them that believe ) and for this cause have we denied our dearest and nearest relations , and love not our lives unto death , that our testimony we may finish , which is committed to us of the lord ; and because of this are we labourers under many burdens , and travels in many afflictions , and sufferings , and are abundantly reproached , and our lord's truth , of which we bear witness , greatly infamed , by many slandering and back-biting tongues , especially by teachers , and professed ministers , in the ears of their people , and hearers ; slandering us with being jesuits , and deceivers , and seducers , and hereticks and blasphemers , and witches , and such like ; and we of those false accusations being clear , and our lords truth , the testimony which we hold , wholly innocent , and are willing to be tryed and proved , and made manifest to the inhabitants of this city and nation , in the sight of god. this therefore am i moved to give forth ; and hereby in the name of our living eternal god of heaven and earth , whom we serve and worship , in that way which is called heresie , to send it abroad as a challenge to all you teachers , and pretended ministers , of what sort and form soever , and to all you people whom it may really concern ; and especially to all you in the city of dublin , and places elsewhere in ireland , to whom this may come ; that you meet us in the city of dublin , at some publique place , at a convenient time appointed by you , at which place and time if the lord permit ( by the permission of the council of ireland , whose prisoners we are ) we shall meet you then there , to have a fair and sober dispute in the presence of all people , who may desire to be informed , or satisfied , concerning us and you , in these things whereof you can accuse us ; and also of those things , by way of sober questions , which we have to propound to you , not for any end to our selves , nor to set up a kingdom of our own ( god is our witness ) but that the way of our god may be made manifest , and all deceit and error discovered , and all people may be informed the way to salvation ; and as you are true to your god , and will answer for him , and are willing to be made manifest in your way of worship , and doctrine , and ministry , you are not to neglect , but herein to answer our desire and the desires of many hundreds , that you and we may be made manifest in the sight of god , to all mens consciences , who are in truth , and who are in error , that shame and condemnation may come upon the guilty , and truth may be exalted over all deceit . given under my hand , who am a prisoner for the testimony of iesus , whose name in the flesh is , edward burrough . sent forth the d of the th moneth , from the sergeant at arms his house in dublin . you are desired to send your answer of these propositions to us , and if you consent to meet us , let sufficient notice be given abroad , that the inhabitants of the city , and country may know five or six dayes time before . this was sent to the priests of dublin , but no answer to this day have we received from them ; whereby it is manifest that they are not true to their god , nor willing to be tryed and made manifest ; but love darkness , and hate the light , and back-bite in secret , and cannot give a witness openly , but fall before the tryal , and truth reigns over them , and is exalted over their deceit . a discovery of the idol dumb shepherds in that nation , and a lamentation over their starved and strayed flocks . the day of the lord is approaching , and the day of account draws near upon you the inhabitants of the earth ; the time of your covenant is expired made with death , and hell ; and the lord god will plead with you , and reckon with you , and give unto you a just reward , every one according to your deeds , even the condition of your bond. ye shepherds , and pastors of the flock , and teachers of the people , what account will ye render to the lord in the day of his appearing ? should you not have gathered the flock , and fed them , and taught them in the way of righteousness , and preserved them from straying abroad , but instead thereof you have scattered them upon the barren mountains , and have starved them , and have strayed them , and led them into by-paths of idolatry , and made a prey upon them , and have fed your selves of them , and the heritage of the lord hath been wasted by you , and the pastures of the fold eaten up by wolves , and devouters , and lyons whelps , which made the flock affraid , driving them into secret corners of darkness , leanness , and poverty , where they are dead for want of food . o ye shepherds , your account will be woful , and miserable in the dreadful day which is hastening upon you ; not one lamb have you brought forth to perfection , to lie down in peace in the fold , but have nourisht it into the nature of a doge , and a wolf ; and you have fed them with swines-flesh , and with the husk ; and milk they have not received from you , thereby to grow up unto god in his image ; and not one fleece hath the lord gathered from all your flock . you teachers , shepherds , and pastors , your debt of wickedness is a gross sum of great abomination in the record of account ; you have taught innocent children into subtle hypocrisie , out of uprightness into guile : you have taught lyes instead of truth , and thereby have the people been instructed into error , sects , and false opinions ; and not one child have you taught perfect in the way of the lord , neither one of your hearers have you presented perfect in christ jesus unto the father , but for gifts and rewards have you taken the charge of the hearers , and not one hath come to the knowledge of the truth , by you under your teaching ; for you have been a cursed example , in pride , in coveteousness , in oppression , and in hypocrisie ; and how could you teach children in the way of purity , when your selves have walked in the way of idolatry ? the lang●●ge of babylon have you instructed the people , and not one verse have you learned in sions record ; you have nurtured them in the nature of whoredom , and their virginity have they lost . what will ye do ye shepherds , and teachers , the arrest of judgment from the court of equity is come forth against you , and sealed never to be changed ? whether will you flee to hide you ? gods judgments will pursue you , and your reward will be indignation and vengeance , and your charge will be the devouring and murdering of souls , and the flock will be required of you : and every lamb , which carelesly you have starved , the blood thereof will be put upon your account ; and every child you have taught in the way of iniquity , the iniquity thereof will be laid to your charge . o doleful reckoning ! when the lord appears , a grievous sum are you guilty , which you are never able to pay ; and just he is that calleth you to an account , and the truth of his bill will be sealed with the light in your own consciences , which is the lords witness , which hath been privy to all your abominations ; one year , after another have you been spared , and interest upon interest will be put upon your score ; not one day of faithful service and true watching over the flock can you give testimony of ; but idle shepherds have you been , and slumbring watch-men have you proved , and the whole flock have been devoured , and scattered , and not one lamb is found in the fold , nor one strayed sheep brought home from wandring , but the fences of the fold are laid waste , and the door is shut up , and bolted against him that would enter , and you have removed the pastures out of the pleasant valleys , into the desolate and wilde , and untilled mountains , where every wilde beast playeth , and every desolate bird inhabiteth . what will you plead for your selves ? oh , ye deceitfull hirelings , who have run , and were not sent , by whom the people are not profited at all : but you leaders of the people have caused them to err in unknown paths , and you have taken the charge of that you were not able to perform ; you have wasted the the masters goods , and his children have not been taught the way of holiness ; you have spent his portion among harlots , and have given your lord's money to abominable uses ; nothing is gathered of your vines , but wilde grapes , and sower grapes , which the lords soul loatheth ; no figs of your thorns have been reaped ; but your best fruit have been of a loathsom taste , the most innocent among you have been found guilty of innocent blood of souls . wo is me for you , ye flocks of these shepherds folds ; alas , alas , your souls are starved , and your feet are strayed , and into by-paths of whoredoms have you been instructed , and the door of the true shepherds fold hath been shut against you , and the key of true knowledge hath been hid out of your sight , and obscurity and darkness hath been cast before you , and the way of the lord hath been undiscovered to your understandings , and into secret and subtil idolatry and witchcraft have you been nurtured , and your wounds have been healed falsely , and will break out into more incurable dangers . o how have you been driven away into strange pastures , and into barren heaths and desarts , scattered lo here , and lo there , by the voyces of strangers ; now when the lord is come to search you , instead of lambs , you are found in the nature of wolves , and dogs , and lions , biting , and devouring , and scorning , and reproaching the children of the true seed ; and instead of children of light and truth , are you found strong men of darkness and error : how is your nature changed since the first creation in the innocent image of god ? strayed have you been , and not one brought home by your shepherds into the fold of truth ; you have been a prey to the devourers , and meat for the wilde beasts of the desolate forrests , and a strange language have you learned of the egyptians character , and your delight have been therein , even you have loved to have these things so ; and like shepherds like sheep , strayers and strayed , devourers and being devoured , what account will you give in the day of the lord ? for your sins are written with a pen of iron , sealed in your foreheads , children of the womb of wickedness : a gross sum of abomination is put upon your account ; even lovers of darkness , and haters of the light ; how many times have you been called by the true shepherds voice , and you neglect , and will not be gathered ? how many good instructions have you heard ? and what profit have you received ? much teaching and many sermons have you heard , and yet to this day the way of truth have you not learned , but are groping in the dark , in blindness , and ignorance ; and you blind have been led by the blind , and the mouth of the ditch is opened to swallow you up together ; and you have refused knowledge , and cannot endure to be reproved ; you love to stray rather then to be gathered , and you delight in leanness and poverty upon the barren mountaines , rather then to be fed in the fat pastures of true food . shall not the lords soul be avenged upon you ? ye shepherds and flocks , ye teachers and people , your debt is summed into a large sum of grievous abomination , the indictment of vengeance is read , and sealing against you , proved to be just in the register of heaven ; everlasting prison in the pit of darkness , and everlasting banishment from the presence of the lord is signing against you , in the eternal law and righteous decree ; the light of the lord jesus christ which shines in all your consciences will arise to be the evidence of this just proceeding . god is grieved with you , you spiritual idolaters . repent , repent ye idol shepherds , and deceitful teachers , and ye scattered flocks , and deceitful people ; this is the day of your visitation , and a warning in your ears , the sword of the lord is drawn against you , the whirle-wind of his wrath is gone forth ; your builded wall shall fall , and the pillars of your habitation shall be shaken . god will gather his flock out of your mouths , and feed them in his own fold , and your nakedness shall appear , and your deceits shall be laid open , and your secret whoredoms shall be discovered ; your beginning was in darkness , and your time is out of the light , and your end will be in destruction , now you have all time , prize it . from him who is a lover of all your souls , but a witness against all your deceit . edw. burrough . written in corke city in ireland , as moved of the lord concerning the shepherds and flock , the teachers and people in that nation . an invitation to all the poor desolate souldiers to repent , and make their peace with the lord , and their duty shewed them what the lord requires of them . to all you poor desolate souldiers of the lowest rank , who are scattered up and down , in this desolate land of ireland , and live a careless and a desolate life , without the fear of the lord , in lying , in swearing , in drunkenness , in whoredom , in oppression , and in the wickedness of the world , and are past feeling , and sensless of the opperation and power of god , careless of your eternal happiness . the dreadful day of the lord god is coming , in power the lord is risen , and the wrath of the lord is gone forth , with the strength of indignation and fury will you be besieged , and fearfulness shall surprize you . repent of your transgressions , and fear and tremble before the presence of the living god , who is commander in chief over heaven and earth ; prize your souls , this is the day of your visitation , and make your peace with the lord : the righteous judge , the lord , seeth you in your darkness , and searcheth you in your desolate obscurity , and his soul is pressed under your iniquities , and he hath not disrespected any of your persons or desolate places ; but god is light , and hath lightened every one of you with the true light of life eternal , if you love it , and be guided by it ; or of death everlasting , if you hate it , and disobey it , and walk contrary to it ; that is the light which convinceth you of sin , of lying , and swearing , and cursed-speakings , and drunkenness , which are the fruits of the cursed tree , which cumbereth the ground of the lord , which the axe is now laid to the root of , to cut it down , and cast it into everlasting burning : and while you act against this light in your consciences , you crucifie the life of christ jesus , and are enemies unto him , and servants of the devil , and love your evil deeds , and upholders of the devils conquest , which is the dominion of sin . this light reproves you in secret of violence , and false accusing , and all unjust words and actions which are contrary to god ; 〈◊〉 turn your minds to the light , which will lead you to repentance from dead works , out of the broad way of destruction , which many are in ( as christ jesus saith ) and it will teach you in your places to serve the living god , and to do violence to no man , but to be terrors , and reprovers , and correctors of all violence , and of such who live in it : and it will teach you not to strengthen the hands of evil-doers , but to lay your swords in justice upon every one th● doth evil : and it will teach you not to make war , but to preserve peace in the earth ; and this is your place and duty required of you from the lord go● commander in chief , unto whom you must all give an account , and receive 〈◊〉 just reward according to your deeds , everlasting punishment to him that do●… evil ; but if you stand in the fear of the lord , your sword will be a ter●… and dread to them that fear him not , but live contrary to the light in their own consciences , which light if you love , it is your command to march by ▪ and your rule to judge by , and weapon to fight withal , and your chief commission for duty . and now you have all time take heed to your selves , go not on in your course of evil , nor take not your pleasure in unrighteousness , but to th● light in your consciences take heed , it is your teacher to god if you love it , or your condemnation from god if you hate it . and this is yo●● terms with the lord , prize the acceptance of his love to your souls , and the day of your visitation , lest you perish in your rebellion eternally . written in love to your souls , edw. burrough . written in ireland at caterlough . a warning from the lord to you the natives of the nation of ireland , who are made a curse and a prey to be destroyed of your enemies . repent , repent ye that remain from being devoured , whose dayes are 〈◊〉 stretched forth , that you may return to the lord , from whom you are grievously degenerated into filthiness , and uncleanness , being a cursed brood , and are become unhuman in your impudent shameless practices of ungodliness , and are brazened in your filthiness , and cannot blush when you have done evil ; the plagues of god , and his wrath waits to consume you from off the face of the earth ; you are shut up in blindness , and covered with darkness , which may be felt ; and you are as deaf adders , void of understanding , and past feeling , and given up to work all unrighteousness with delight , counting it your glory to work wickedness , having sold your selves to commit sin ; you have wholly slain gods witness , and are become wilde and brutish as the beasts of the field , and untamed as savage colts ; the indignation of god is against you , who are as dead trees , and withered branches , and scorched heaths , not sensible of good nor evil , but as wild asses , who neither fear god nor regard man : to the light in your consciences wherewith christ hath lightened you , do i now speak : gods murdered witness shall answer me , by which you are inexcusable ; for with the light you know lying , swearing , stealing , murder , drunkenness , and whoredom are sins and transgressions ; the light will let you see these abound among you , by which you are reproved , and eternally to be condemned if you do not repent of these your grievous abominations : and if you love the light , and turn to it , it will lead you out of sin , and out of your vain foolish traditions , and immitations , and sorceries , and witchcrafts , which deceive your souls : and this light in your consciences will change you into soberness , and humanity , and will lead you into the way of life and salvation , out of the way of death and hell , wherein you walk to eternal misery . therefore prize your souls , and the dreadful god fear ; and tremble before him ye prophane wretches , and cease from your filthy , nasty , poluted wayes of idolatry , lying , swearing , stealing , drunkenness , and such like god forbideth , with the light in your consciences ; and he that doth these things shall eternally perish in condemnation for ever . and this to you is a warning , in pity to your lost souls , whose hearts are desperately wicked , and set to do mischief ; the vengeance of god is against you ; the light in your consciences shall witness me , and justifie the lord in the day of recompence , when every man receives according to his deeds , the righteous unto life , the wicked unto eternal wrath. now you have time prize it ; the light is your teacher loving it , and your condemnation for ever , hating it . by one who suffers for the seeds sake , waiting for the building of destroyed sion . edward burrugh . a trumpet of the lord sounded forth of sion ; which gives a certain sound in the ears of all nations , and is a true noise of a fearfull earthquake at hand , which shall shake the whole fabrick of the earth , and the pillars of its standing shall fall , and never more be set up again . or fearfull voices of terrible thunders , uttered forth from the throne , to the astonishment of the heathen in all the quarters of the earth , who are not sealed in the forehead . and is an alarm , and preparation for war against all nations where gog and magog resideth . and sheweth the wounding sword of the mighty god , from whose blow , the kings , nor the captains , nor the mighty men , cannot flee to escape . declared and written by a son of thunder , as a warning to all the inhabitants of the earth , where the great image is standing , or any part of it worshipped , speedily to meet the lord by repentance , that in the day of his fierce wrath they may be hid . with a salutation to the seed who are gathered into the fold , and with the children of the king : the tongue that was dumb sings a joyfull song of sion , in an unknown language , which none can understand , save the redeemed of the lord. by order and authority given unto me by the spirit of the living god , king of kings , and lord of lords , the one and thirtieth day of the tenth moneth , in the year of the worlds account . about the fourth hour in the morning , when my meditations were 〈◊〉 my god , upon my b●d in kilkenny city , in the nation of ireland , at that time the word of the lord came unto me , ( from the righteous iudge of heaven and earth , who was , 〈◊〉 is , and is to come , who sitteth on the throne of righteous iudgement , judging nations , and kindreds , and tongues , and peoples , equally ) saying , write my controversie with all the inhabitants of the earth , unto all sorts of people , as i will shew thee : by this same authority and commission declared , this i send unto you , the tribes of the earth , and this upon your heads shall stand for ever , to be witnessed by the light of christ iesus , in all your consciences , in the dreadfull day of vengeance , which upon you , o inhabitants of the earth , is coming . prepare , prepare to meet the lord , o nations , tongues , and people , unto you all hereby a warning is come , and a visitation from the presence of the living god , which you are straitly required to put in practise , as at the terrible day of dreadful vengeance you will answer the contrary . given under my hand , and sealed by the spirit of the eternal god who liv●● for ever . through a servant of the lord. e. b. o earth , earth , earth , hear the word of the lord , and awake , awake , awake , all ye inhabitants thereof , and give ear , give ear , unto the controversie which the lord hath with you , noble and ignoble , listen unto the word of the lord ; men of high degree , and men of low degree , be not stout-hearted , nor stop not your ears , for the lord hath spoken ; people of all sorts , and men of all conditions , the word of the lord is towards you , even from the princes and nobles that sit-upon the throne , unto the slaves and bond-men , that are made a prey ; the lord's controversie is against you , and the mighty terrible day of the lord is coming upon you , wherein he will plead with you , because of your transgressions which cannot be numbred , but do exceed theirs in former generations , who were cut off by his outstretched arm. therefore thus saith the lord , now also will i arise , as a mighty man of war , and will appear in my majesty , to gather the nations , and to fan them , and to try them , in the wind of my wrath , and to purge them , and to refine them in the furnace of my fire , of indignation , and jealousie . and this from my mouth is a warning to you , and a sound in your ears , by authority from my spirit . to thee , oliver cromwell , called protector . thus saith the lord , my controversie is against thee , because thou hast not been faithful to the end , in my work , but hast taken thy rest and ease and pleasure upon thy high and lofty mountain of pride , and vain glory , and hast set up thy self to be worshipped , exalting thy own horn , and hast not fully given glory and honour to me , of that which i have done by thee , but in thy heart boasts thy self against me , who hath hewed with thee , and made thee an instrument in my hand , to do my will upon my enemies ; and now thou performest not thy vows made to me in the day of distress , but thou hast broken truce with me ; and now thou sufferest grievous and hainous oppression , and cruelty , and tyranny to be acted in thy name upon my people , whom i have chosen , and elected to exalt my name by ; by unjust imprisonments , and grievous persecution do they suffer in thy name , which the cruel-hearted make a cloak of for their cruelty , and even such who have been thy enemies , thy name is a cloak unto , to hid their cruel intents , and wicked purposes against my people , whom they tread upon ; and this is not unknown to thee , and therefore the less excusable art thou in my sight , and the greater will my judgments be upon thy head , which suddenly i will bring upon thee , except thou repent , and return to thy first integrity ; which if thou dost , i will honour thee next unto my chosen , and give thee the necks of princes to tread upon , and their dominions for thy inheritance ; otherwise thus shall it be done unto thee , if thou wilt not hear , and obey my voice , saith the lord. to all ye his council . thus saith the lord , my controversie is against you , because ye are one with him , and every whit fully guilty of his transgressions , and feed him and your selves in the valleys of vain glories , with vain shews , and hopes ; and your endeavours are more to secure your selves from mischief , and plots , and wicked intentions , which remain in the hearts of the rebellious against you , then to defend and preserve the innocent ; for you neglect to take off oppression , and to ease the oppressed ; but make your fingers as heavy as your fathers loynes , who were cast out before you ; and the same laws stand still in force , by which tyranny and oppression is acted ; and the same false prophets you establish by a law , which deceive the nations , and flatter you by subtil speeches , and there is no pure reformation wrought in the earth ; but you with your power joyn with the first beast , who was wounded by a grievous blow of fury , to make war against the lamb and his followers ; and you seek to set up that which i am about to throw down , and you are not ignorant of the grievous cry of the poor , under the burthen of oppression laid upon them by your laws , by which they unjustly suffer the imprisonment of their bodies , and the spoiling of their goods , and you suffer this wickedness to be done , and shut up your compassion , and the hands of evil-doers hereby are strengthened , through your forbearance they are hardened in their cruelty , and because you profess more of the name of the lord , then some that have gone before you , and perform as little , the greater is your abomination , and the deeper is your hypocrisie , and the greater will my judgments be upon your heads , except you speedily repent , and walk in my counsel , which if you do , honourable in counsel will i make you , and your renown shall generations to come exalt ; otherwise , if you refuse my word to hear , i will make you a reproach , and a curse to ages for ever . to all ye iudges , and lawyers , and your train , and to all that handle the law. thus saith the lord , my controversie is against you , because of your abominations , for you are the very actors of the allowed oppressions ; and in judging for gifts , and rewards , and bribery , some of you have exceeded all that ever went before you , and many just causes of the poor have been neglected for want of a large gift ; and many unjust actions of the rich men have you pleaded against equity , for advantage to your selves ; your council have respected persons , and in bribery and gifts have you delighted , and thereby have made your selves as lords in the earth , and have set your selves upon high hills , and you have followed the counsel of your own heatts , and your human wit and learning , in seeking out the justness of a cause , and in judging thereof ; and my righteous law of justice have you not regarded to be your rule , but through the policy and craft have you hidden the simplicity of the law from the ignora●… , in unknown languages , and obscure sentences ; and your wills many times have been your law , and true judgment have you turned backward , and made a fe●… against equity , that it could not enter . some of you are guilty in a high degree of that cruelty and tyranny which of late years hath been acted upon the innocent ; yea , you have grinded the face of the poor , imprisoned the harmless , and laid heavy burdens and oppressive bonds upon the guiltless , who have not transgressed any law , much less the law of righteousness ; you have made my free-born children your slaves , and have highly attempted to sit lords in my thr●… of conscience , and some of them have deeply suffered by some of you , for the exercise of their pure consciences , because they could not swear , or worship and respect your persons , nor pay tythes ( that grievous oppression ) nor bow to your wills and lusts in things of the like nature of cruelty : and you are guilty in a gross sum , of upholding the false prophet , which prophesieth lyes , and falsly , with flattering words of guile , and he covers himself under your shadow , and under your unjust law , which is his staff and strength , and he ri●… upon the beast , till you be both taken alive , and cast into the lake of everlasting indignation . the cup of my vengeance will awaken you , and my law 〈◊〉 for ever condemn you , and my counsel of equity shall plead against you in the court of justice ; and my eternal judgment from my throne of righteousness shall proceed in sentence of wrath , and my faithful evidence , the light in your consciences , which hath been eye-witness of your villany against me , shall testifie against you , and shall accuse you guilty of everlasting torment , except you repent . to all astrologers , magitians , southsayers , and wise men . thus saith the lord , my controversie is against you , because of your witchcrafts , and inchantments ; you have digged deep as the pit of hell , to hide your counsel from the lord , and have discovered your selves , in finding out secrets to another , then me , in your natural arts and knowledge you are corrupted , the ground being cursed in which you stand . you have in policy and witchcraft sold your selves into the power of darkness , and your original of science and languages is the serpent , whose image and mark you bear ; your wisdom is devillish , gained by the strength of corrupted reason , which is the habitation of the serpent , whom you have chosen to be your instructor , and exalted for your god : there is a secret sealed from you , and a star whose course you do not know , and a sun eclipsed of which you make no mention , and a circuit of heaven of which you know not the compass ; and you cannot find out the secret by divination , but the discovery of it will be the discovering of your sorceries , and the making bare of your inchantments ; your knowledge is in time , and leads not into the understanding of things everlasting , which are without beginning : my flaming sword is against you , and doth divide you from the tree of eternal life , of which you cannot touch and live : my wrath shall sweep you out of the land of peace , and my eye , which seeth you , shall be the star of condemnation , and darkness unto you , to the confounding of your sun and moon for ever . to all you generals , colonels , commanders , officers , and souldiers , in england , scotland , and ireland . thus saith the lord , my controversie is against you , for some of you are wofully fallen from that uprightness and integrity which once was in you , and you are aboundantly waxed fat , and exalted through victories and deliverances ; now you kick against the lord , that hath handled you as instruments in his hand to do his will ; and many of you who have been raised out of the dust , and are set down in your high nest of liberty , in the lust , and pride , and filthiness of the flesh , and vain glory , and fleshly exaltations abound , and with greediness you divide the spoil ; and some of you take more by your cruelty , and hard-heartedness , then justly was given you in victory ; and now you being at ease , have forgotten many former straits and dangers delivered from ; and in your hearts you say , our hand have gotten the victory , and do not exalt the lord herein , who sometime eminently hath appeared for you , your enemies themselves being judges ; and now you tread under foot , by your might and beastly power , many of my innocent and harmless people , some of which have served you in many tryals , and now they being redeemed from that nature of strife , you hate them , and do and suffer violence to be done unto them , and regard it ●ot , and set it at naught ; and though you have said , you have laboured for liberty of conscience in your long travel of war , yet in the birth you have turned your victory into carnal and fleshly liberty to your selves , and into bondage to your brethren ; and many promises have you vowed , which you neglect to perform ; and the same oppression and power of cruelty stands in dominion under another appearance and member of the great image , the head being but one ; and you have only slain the name , and live in the nature , and while some of you have been zealous to break down the idols and images without , and herein have served the lord ; you are now become worshippers of idols within , and of images set up in your hearts , to the greater dishonour of the lord , who are turned into spiritual idolatry , and more subtil hypocrisie , and secret whoredom , and herein also live in the nature of that which you cut down in the name ; and the founder of images is not yet confounded , and you are not the least of all that are guilty ( for it is not unknown to you ) of that grievous oppression , and tyranny , and cruelty acted upon my servants , who in times past have born a part of the burden with you in the heat of the day ; and though some of you see these iniquities abounding , and the neglect of fulfilling your own vows , and are already ashamed of the oaks which you have designed , and of the gardens which you have chosen , and now are accused guilty in your own consciences , for pulling down and setting up , one thing in the nature , though different in the name , yet you are greedy of your prey and spoil , and do not confess truth against oppression , being branches of the same root , lodging amongst the boughs ; and thus are you fallen from your first integrity , into pits and snares , and become one with the harlot , and partakers of the adulterer , murdering and crucifying the just , loving to be blinded by the god of the world , for love to his treasure : mine arm terribly shall come against you , and my force shall compass you about , and my sword shall cut you off , and with a mortal blow i will wound you , and deliverance to my chosen will i bring another way ; and though i have reproved princes by you , yet you will i reprove ; and though i have chastened the mighty and the rebellious by you , yet you will i correct , and all your might and power will i take away , and your weakness shall appear , and dispersed shall you be before the arrows of my wrath ; my alarum will i beat against you , in defiance of your power , and through you , by my weapon of war will i charge to your overthrow and defeat everlasting , except you repent , saith the lord , in this day of your visitation , wherein you have a time given to make your peace , and to return to your first integrity , out of your rebellion against me , that my hand may be towards you ; for my great work is yet to do , which i have thought to bring to pass , and this overturning was but a making way for it ; and yet again will i overturn , even you , and all that oppose me herein ; that my son may reign in his kingdom for ever , whose bond-men and slaves ye shall be , if you submit not , before you be conquered . and this to you is a message for reconciliation , sent from me , and sealed with my spirit , saith the lord. to all the priests , and prophets , and teachers of the people . thus saith the lord , my controversie is against you , above all other , and my judgments shall be upon you to the uttermost ; for you in hypocrisie , and deceit , and abominations hath exceeded all other that ever went before you , and are less excusable then they , and more vile in my sight then they that have been made an utter desolation ; abominable , and loathsom , and hai●ous is your filthiness in preaching for hire , and for gifts and rewards , and in making a prey upon the people , through divining for money , even feeding your selves with the fat , and killing them that are fed , and have wofully wasted the heritage , and scattered the flock upon the barren mountains , where yo● treacherously have devoured them , and made merchandise of their souls , and have cried , peace , peace unto the wicked , one of you building a wall , and another daubing it with untempered morter , you have not stood in my counsel , but have erred from my way , and have not known my judgments , but through covetousness have dealt most wickedly , and profaness is gone forth from you into all corners of the earth , so that none could turn from his evil way , nor learn the way of righteousness and salvation ; how shall it be declared and laid open ? your transgressions have much more abounded then in former generations ; ye have shut the kingdom of heaven against men , to the destruction of thousands and ten thousands , who have perished under your ministry , whom you have caused to err , and led them out of the way ; and the blind hypocrites have led the blind , till ye both fell into the ditch of perdition . it was your generation of the same seed that put the apostles to death , and now you make merchandize of their words , and exceed in hypocisie and double-heartedness ; and have turned everyway according to the changing of the power of the beast : some of you were teachers for the king , and bishops , and were ordained by their law , and your prayers have been to your idol-god , for all sorts from whom you could receive a reward or be advantaged ; and you are now divided in many sects , and judgments , and false opinions , and have divided the people into divers ways of idol-worship , throwing down one part of the image , and setting up , & exalting another ; and your offerings , and oblations , and prayers , and praises hath been a burthen and weariness to my soul , saith the lord ; and you now are at war in your minds one with another , divers in your language ( though but one original ) which is the womb of witchcraft , and your kingdom is darkness , and a heap of confusion , under the dominion of death reigning ; but you are at concord in war against me , and against my servants , whom i have chosen from among you , to bear witness against you , and you are the most of all guilty of that great persecution , and unjust suffering , and imprisonment , through tyranny laid upon them ; for you stir up , and interceed the power of the beast thereunto , upon which you sit , till you both be cast into the lake : you are risen in all your power to manage war against my kingdom , which is appearing to make yours a desolation for ever : the beast is risen in defence of you already ; and you pray to your dead gods , and preach to your ignorant people , against my heritage ; deceiving thousands , whose blood of you will be required , who are ever learning of you , but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth by you , being kept in infidelity and blindness under you , whose blood you are absolutly guilty of ; your rebellion is the crime of witchcraft , who cannot cease to do evil , for you have bound your selves in the covenant with hell , and are at agreement with death while you are upon earth , and would bind the people with you in the same faith ( or rather unbelief ) that none can be perfectly saved from sin while they live upon earth : but you are the filthy dreamers , who do defile the flesh , and when you awake you will be found empty of all righteousness ; your cup is full of fornication , and of the wine of whoredom and idolatry ; my patience will be turned into fury against you , and my cup of indignation is the assured portion of your ●ot ; and blood shall you have to drink , as your gift and reward from me ; and your present pleasure shall be turned into howling everlasting ; and your songs shall be changed into wo was the day : my plagues shall remain with you upon earth , and follow you to the lake , and your staff and strength in which you trust , even the power of the beast shall be broken with you , and be buried in the grave of everlasting contempt , to rise in reproach unto my heritage for ever ; and my fire of indignation is already kindling upon you , which will burn forevermore , and not be quenched . to all you called papists , to your whole body and head at rome , the word of the lord reacheth . thus , assuredly , saith the lord , my controversie is against you , and my vengeance , and wrath , and fury shall for ever , world without end , be upon you , though you pardon one another , yet will i not pardon any one of you , for your grievous adulteries and abominations have surpassed all other generations ; in the womb of whoredoms your children are conceived , begotten by the seed of adulteries , in the very strength of the man of sin , and at the breasts of murther and cruelty , you are nourished in sucking hainous and cruel tyranny ▪ you are seated upon the highest mountain of oppression and idolatry . peter was not your predecessor , but the devil himself you succeed , in blood , and envy , and cruelty ; and he is your rock , with whom you shall fall in everlasting perdition , being upon him builded , in your whole body ; and he is the father of your faith , received from him by succession , traditionally : and your religion is of cain's antiquity , who was the antient in your profession of offering sacrifice , and killing the just ; your sword hath been made fat in the blood of the innocent ; you have sought to slay even the very likeness of righteousness , and have stood armed with cruelty against the upright , waiting for the blood of the guiltless to asswage your thirst : and your seat at rome , which once had the faith of jesus christ in purity , where members of his body inhabited , you have turned into the habitation of devils , and it is become the open mother of profest whoredoms , which brings forth cursed children of witchcraft , and is the abiding place of members of an abominable harlot , and the profession of jesus have you turned into cruelty against jesus , and into the murther of him . some of you are made a curse already , and with vengeance and indignation shall the rest be pursued , till your body be rooted from off the earth ; you have been strong in your seat of darkness , upon your seven mountains of perfect abomination , and none were able to encounter you in your strength of infidelity , but it shall be turned into weakness , and your whoredoms shall appear , and your present honour shall be turned into contempt everlasting ; for whilst you say , you have wrought to merit life eternal , your unbelief will bring death everlasting , and your works merit my fire of eternal judgment and condemnation ; and while you have said , you eat and drink the flesh and blood really , you have crucified his life totally , and your consecrating of things unto your idol-god , hath been your defilement and pollution in the sight of the true god ; to images and pictures have you bowed , and have worshipped the saints dayes and names , and bowed to their likeness of mans inventions , but have slain their life , and trodden under foot their nature and glory , and buried their righteousness and knowledge in the grave of your wickedness and ignorance ; and in imaginations have you rested , and in vain superstitions have you hoped , honouring the name of christ , and killing his life ; the womb of darkness are you shut up in upon earth , and it will be your bed for ever in hell and death ; and your purgatory will deceive you , and your cleansing will never come : defiled , defiled and loathsome are you in the pure eye of light , which the secret of your deceit searcheth , and your darkness feeleth , and shall judge you for ever . rome , italy , france , and spain , and your dominions , to all your kings , princes , bishops , priests , jesuits , prelates , and friers , and nuns , and whole train of idolators , the cup of my vengeance is towards you , and the dreggs thereof you shall drink ; and my overflowing whirlwind of wrath , as an inresistable flood is against your banks , and my fire of eternal fury shall burn through your stubble ; and my everlasting light shall make search and inquisition for the blood of my elect , which is found in thy skirts . thou abominable harlot of loathsome adultery , tremble , tremble , at my dreadfull living presence , ye worshippers of dead images ; the day of repentance is well nigh past , your long idolatry will my long patience turn into everlasting misery and judgment ; and nations shall see your shame , and in the sight of your lovers shall you be tormented . and this from authority by my spirit of glory is sent you a warning , and is the voice of a trumpet , which gives a certain sound against the mighty dreadfull day of the lord , which upon you is coming , to make you a desolation for ever and ever ; and the eternal decree is sealing against you , never to be altered . to all you called protestants of the eldest sort . thus saith the lord , my controversie is against you , and my hand will be upon you ; you have a strong taste of the bottle , wherein the wine of fornication is , and your scent is leavened with the first vessel of abomination , you are seated in darkness , pitched upon six of the first mountains , under another branch of the first tree ( ignorance ) and are thildren of the first womb , begotten in another appearance of the whores beauty , and are more comly in stature then your eldest brethren , and little is your difference to be discerned from the first beast in your appearance , and nothing at all in the ground ; you say you believe for eternal life , but your unbelief will bring upon you everlasting death : your talking of christ , and his righteousness imputed ( which you profess ) will not cover your infidelity and filthiness , for you are in the enmity against his life ; the working ( of the first ) for life , and your believing for life , springs both out of one ground ; and while you say you eat and drink the body and blood of christ in the figure , you kill and cruifie him in the substance , and art partakers of thy sisters sins , in whoredom and idolatry , and must partake of her plagues . wo , wo , will be your inheritance in the pit of earth for ever , instead of a heavenly glory ( which you dream o● ) above the sky ; i have armed my armies to do my work herein , which hath in part , and will fulfil it , to break you to pieces , the intents of your heart have been known to be always against my people , neither could you bear any appearance o● me , but blasphemes my name and truth in every discovery ; you have loved darkness upon earth ; and in its chains shall you be bound in the lake for evermore . to all you that are called presbyterians and independents . the lords controversie is against you , for you are a higher branch of the first tree , deeper rooted in the cursed ground of fleshly and sensual wisdom , and the womb of your conception is the first whores daughter , more comely decked , and your cistern holds the wine of fornication , at which you drink in a measure her abomination , and where you say , you believe for justification , and applies the promises for savation ; your works of wickedness and hypocrisie will bring damnation , and gains the promise of condemnation , who are in pride , and high-mindedness , and double-heartedness , which is the condition of that promise , and you are found wanting every whit , the conditions of the promise of eternal li●e ; you have reformed the outward man into the obedience unto another likeness of the truth , without the life , and are as vile in the inward in hypocrisie , and self-exalting , and hath covered your selves with the saints words , and laid up more in store of the report of their riches , then your fore-fathers , and now you are become worshippers of the form and words of the saints , and are grown in the knowledge , more then some of your fathers children ; but in extolling the saints words , you limit their spirit , and keeps in death their life , which was not of the world , neither in appearance nor ground ; and while you say you eat and drink the flesh and blood of christ in secret , and separate , you put him to death openly , and among the multitudes , your hearts are full of bitterness against my remnant , whom i have called ; and aloud you cry heresie , and error , and blasphemes my name , and loaths the honey-comb in your full stomachs ; you worship the same god , as your fore-fathers did , only in another appearance , more refined through stronger wisdom , and appears in the reformed old man , thinking him to be the new man , and deceives your souls hereby , and are zealous in your blindness , in your will-worships , and feigned humility , which is without the knowledge of god ; and you depend upon your imaginations , thinking to have life in the scripture , as they did which put christ to death , and will not come to christ that you may have li●e ; you are in the knowledge gathered from without you , which is natural , and in it you are corrupted ; and some of you are bruitish in your knowledge , and are thereby pufft up into pride and vain-glory ; your separation from the world is sensual , and self-separation , and differs but a little in your appearance , and nothing in the ground ; for the cursed ground stands within untilled and unbroken , and you worship god ignorantly , at a distance , and feeds upon the report of a thing done many hundred of years ago , and your faith doth not give you victory over the world , for it is set in your hearts , and the vanities of it without is followed , pride , and oppression , and fulness : some of you are hot and furious in your blind zeal , and cannot endure sound doctrine ; your fruits will wither , and all your knowledge will perish , and all your hopes and expectations will fail , and all your praises and prayers , and all your good works brought forth in your own wills , in that nature in which the enmity lodges , is a lame and a blind sacrifice , and of cain's nature , which god accepteth not ; you are in the liberty of the flesh , and the daily cross of christ you do not know , but lives daily to the world , and dies not to it , and your knowledge of christ is without you ; by what such a prophet , and such an apostle spoke of him ; and the witness of the operation of his spirit and power you have not in you , nor his sufferings you do not know in your life , but by your life make him to suffer in you , in his life ; the horrible filthy thing is commited amongst you , and your teachers are perfect in the false prophets steps , and ( some of you are as bruit beasts in their knowledge , gathered in by vain study and humane learning , through phylosophy and vain deceit , ) and have large quarters from which they seek their gain , and through coveteousness with feigned words make merchandise of souls , and are compleat in balaams way of idolatry , following his error , loving the wages of unrighteousness , teaching for filthy lucre , devouring souls for dishonest gain , by trading with the scriptures , and selling their imaginations upon them for money , gaining many thousand of pounds a year thereby , having stolen the saints words into their unclean hearts , uttered forth by them for advantage to themselves , when the lord hath not sent them , nor spoken unto them , nor ordained them for his service ; but their call and ordination have been by man , and their work and testimony of themselves , and have not profited you at all , and yet you have loved to have it so ; but what will you do in the end thereof ? even you that have been helped , and they that have holpen shall both fall together in the day of the lord's recompence , which will fall grievously upon you , and none shall be able to deliver you , but miserable comforters , and physitians of no value shall all be unto you , and your long applyed promises shall suddenly fly away : no peace from god is to the wicked , neither do i sow pillows under your elbows , but to the light in your consciences ( i commend these things ) which christ hath enlightened every of you withal ; which shines in darkness , and you cannot it comprehend , nor in it believe , but at it stumbles , and by it shall be broken ; which if it you loved , it would teach you in the spirit the living god to worship , and would condemn all your set forms of worship in the imaginations ; the light is given you of christ jesus , unto life eternal , or unto condemnation everlasting ; when the hand of the lord is upon you , remember you had warning ; and when you are in the lake , and in the pit , remember you had a day of visitation upon earth : the light in all your consciences shall witness gods judgments to be just , and your mouths shall be stopped . to all you that are called anabaptists . with you also is the controversie of the lord , for you are children of the same seed , more purged in the fire of blind zeal , and begotten in the transforming of the serpent , into more secret hypocrisie , and deeper subtilty ; your covering being larger , the greater deceit and abomination lodges under ; death reigns among you , and your kingdom is scituate in the mountains of exaltation , and you feed aboundantly in the valleys of pride and vain glory , and are nourished with the bread of prosperity ; you are grown high , and great in your number , and have joyned your selves for advantage , and glory in your strength , having through policy and craft , and bowing to the beastly power , highly exalted your own horn , and by flattery have gained much of your dominion , which you hold in possession by the law of guile ; many simple ones have by your curious colour , and bed of fair pretences been deceived to commit adultry with your image , brought forth in the likeness of the saints god ; by imaginations from the saints words you worship the practice and exercise of the saints , with the same mind that the papists do worship their names and dayes : you allow not idols without , nor a vain conversation in the world , but you are stric●t in observation in your outward conformity , in your self-righteousness , which is your greatest sin ; you are cloathed with the saints words and practices , which you have climed up in your own wills to obtain , not having entred in by the door ; and while you say , you eat and drink the flesh and blood of christ in the saints manner , shewing forth his death till he come to salvation ; you kill him as the heathens do , till he appear unto condemnation ; and you shew forth daily that you cruci●e him in the world , eating and drinking to your selves condemnation : you say christ dyed only for you as elect but your works make manifest that he dies by you as reprobate : you take up a command from the letter , and imitate the apostles ( some of you in a lower , and some of you in a higher degree ) in that mind and nature which in the apostles was crucified ; and you say christ commands it , when the letter doth but declare it , and you are not led with the same light which gave forth the commands declared to observe them , but say , in such a verse of such a chapter , such a command is , not having received the command by the same spirit . here you are proved to be them which use your tongues , and say , he saith it , when god hath not spoken unto you , but as you read it without you , as the false prophets may do the words of the true prophets ; and thus you are in the witchcraft , as they were , gal. . who take on things in your own wills , and observe commands without from the letter , thereby drawing from the teachings of god within by the spirit ; you are zealous as they were , for the traditions and figures , and cannot see him , which is the end of all that which perisheth with the using , so you are not dead with christ from the world , who are yet subject to ordinances which are of the world : they that obeyed christ , and followed him , were led by the spirit , and not by the letter ; for they were not ministers of the letter , but of the spirit , and such were judged to be in error ; and this is your condition , who say , such are breakers of christ's commands , and makers void of the scripture , and destroyers of the ordinances , who witness christ the substance , and him to be king , and judg , and law-giver , and in whom , and upon whom the scripture is fulfilled , and so it established , and the commands of christ kept , which are in spirit , and his law daily walked in , which condemneth sin . and this is not contrary to the scripture , but a fulfilling of it in principles , in doctrines , and in practise , and in conversation : the apostles were sent to preach the gospel to every creature , and they were all led by the same spirit , and did not go before it in their own wills , as you do , neither did one go from the command which had been given to another , using anothers words , and excercising themselves in anothers practises , when the lord had not commanded ; but such they bare witness against , which did use their tongue , and transform themselves into the likness of true prophets , and apostles , as you have done , and are in the love of the world , and only separated in the appearance , and not in the ground . you stumble at the ●ight , and therefore know not the door of entrance , nor where the commands of christ are to be received , and the will of god to you is to be known ; and so your obedience is the conformity in your own wills , to that which was the will of god to another ; this sacrifice is also lame and blind , and god saith to you , who hath required this at your hand ? for if you have observed and done all those things , which the declaration of the law and gospel doth require , you are unprofitable servants , and yet one thing do you lack , the dying with christ , and the sufferings and cross of christ is not known ; but in the liberty of the flesh you are , and not in the condition of the promise to life eternal . friends , you have ru● into the form of godliness , without the power ; into a church which is not in god , but of the world ; into a baptism which doth not wash away sin ; for you live in sin , and plead for it , while you live upon earth ; into a communion which is not with god , which no unclean thing can enter into , for the proud and coveteous partake with you ; and while some of you have said , they that preached for hire have been antichristian , you your selves are fallen into the same abomination , taking gifts and rewards , and large somes of money , and upholding such who do it ; here you are unjust to your own principle , and are for condemnation with the light in your consciences . let shame cover your heads , ye hypocrites ; your covering will not hide you , nor your high talking of christ without you , so long professed by you , will not justifie you , while you are found disobeying this light in your consciences , which light is one with god , with christ , and with the spirit in its measure ; and it doth convince you of sin , and is a command to you , and would lead you ( if you walked in it ) from all iniquity , which is the will of god to you ; and to that mind which is carnal , which ruleth in you , the commands of christ which are spiritual , are not given , nor can be received ; but say , lo here , and lo there christ is to be found ; with the light you are comprehended , which if the least measure of it you did own , it would lead you to the baptism inward of the heart , and to the church which i● in god , whereof christ is the head in every member , and into the communion with god , and to follow the lamb of god wheresoever he goeth ; and out of your imitations , and liknesses , and strife , and contention about the words given forth from the spirit ; who are in your own unity , in division , and several meanings , and divers constructions , and judgments , and several wayes of obedience and worships , and belief , which by your imaginations you draw from the scripture , which is the declaration but of the one god , and one truth , of one obedience , and of one faith ; and thus you exalt the great image of many mixtures , your selves being a chief member of his body : you say the scripture is your rule , but are divided into opinions and conceits contrary to the scripture , every one worshipping that which you imagine from the scripture , not being in the unity of the spirit , which gave forth the scripture , which is one , and not divided in obedience , worship , or faith ; and while you say the scripture is your rule , your lives are squared by the spirit of the divel , and hewn out into pride and hypocrisie , and love of the world. and to you who are called free-willers , who say christ died for all. herein you affirm that whereof you are ignorant , which may be true in christ , but a lye unto you ; for you are not dead with christ from the rudiments of the world , but are alive against him in the world ; they for whom he died , are dead ; and they who yet live put him to death . free-will unto the wayes and fashions , and vanities of the world stands in you , & you know not the daily cross of christ , which is unto man's will ; nor what it is to follow christ , and obey him , which is contrary to man's will. you say , he that is condemned , it is because he will not believe ; this is true in christ but not in your carnal apprehensions of the natural man , in whom there is no power to believe . he that hath an ear , let him hear . there are some true desires among you , but your minds are not truly informed , to the fulfilling of your desires ; and your minds are outward , and apply peace to that which is for condemnation . your reason and wisdom is corrupted , and cannot receive truth , but call it error , and this is your sin . death over you hath passed , and reigns over you , as over all men , and your knowledge is in time , and you cannot hear of things which were before the world was ; your wisdom is sensual , and your comprehension is strong , and the little simplicity in you is betrayed , by the subtilty which hath dominion in your governour ; your crown must be laid down ; and fools must you become , before you be truly wise , or can be crowned with the lamb. and among the rest , remember you had warning , and a day of visitation before you were destroyed ; and this shall be by you witnessed in the day of the lord. to all you who say you wait , and believe , for the coming of christ to reign in person upon earth . here you the lord's controversie which he hath against you . the way of his coming is not prepared , but rocks and mountains are standing , and valleys are not filled up , and rough and crooked is your present way ; your hopes and expectations in that ground wherein they spring will wither and fade away as the grass ; for your hope of his comming hath no whit purified you , as he is pure ; for you are in the flesh , and in the liberty of it , which is rebellion to his reign ; and christ is kept in prison , in exile with that mind , and the divel is yet at liberty working in your earthly members , and leads you captive into his covenant in his government , in seeking your selves , and to strengthen your selves in the kingdom of the world ; and murmur that any should be above you , and that is he , which put christ to death , and will not have him to reign in his power over the earth ; and to you , what purpose is it to desire the day of his coming ? for with wrath will he come , and with vengeance will ●e appear , and will break your kingdom like a potters vessel , for suddenly will he come , but your expectation will be prevented , for his reign and kingdom is not of this world. your high nature stands , and satan is not bound , nor one of the dayes of the thousand years ; for his limit is not yet come ; your minds are outward , and they are your own thoughts , which are vain , & you know not of what spirit you are : the sufferings of christ must you know , before you can see him reign ; and through his war must you strive before you can obtain his victory ; and him must you own , in his convincing you of sin , before you can witness his reign in glory upon earth over sin . to all you that are called ranters . the controversie of the lord god is against you , your seat is in the mystery of iniquity , and satan transformed into an angel of light is your god , and king , and the kingdom of the second beast is your dominion , your deadly wound is falsly healed , and satan thereby hath enlarged his government ; you continued not to the end , but the prince of darkness is more strongly entred , and your latter end is worse then your beginning , and your last end will be the worst of all ; while you have scorned self-righteousness , your selves have been impudently poluted with the spiritual wine of whoredom ; and though you have cryed against , and abhorred the form of religion , your selves have been in the highest power of iniquity , sold to do wickedly , and given up to commit sin with greediness , glorying in your shame , and are become vain in your imaginations ; your foolish hearts being darkened , because when ye knew god , you glorified him not as god : the womb of your corruption is the wel-favoured harlot , begotten by the false prophet ; plead with your mother , for she is an adultress , and hath aboundantly gone after other lovers , loving their bed of adultry , where ever she saw it ; naked shall she be stripped , and set as in the day that she was born , and no mercy shall be to you her children : you had a convincement under the law , and were brought under condemnation some of you , but as the viperous generation , you have fled the wrath , and now are become enemies to the cross of christ , and turn the grace of god into wantonness ( which largly to you appeared ) which would wholly have sanctified you , if i● it you had walked ; but having slain the witness of god , you now are in the cursed peace , following drunkenness , and cursed speaking , and swearing , and beastly lusts , and beggerly vanities , sporting your selves as in the day time ; and you are the crucifiers of christ afresh , and putters of him to open shame in the sight of the heathen : and while you speak swelling words of vanity , your selves are the servants of corruption , and of sin in the highest degree , and free from righteousness in the least measure , doing despite unto the spirit of grace , and being bound in the chains of darkness ; and your professed freedom is devilish , stolen by you , and is not the freedom of the son of god , purchased through death ; you never came through the law , but by your oaths , and drunkenness , and prophaness , have cast it behind your backs ; you that are in wantonness do kill the just , and you that are in pleasures are dead while you live , and you that live in fleshly lusts , are in war against your own souls : iezabel is your prophetess ; and the dog that is turned to th● vomit again , is your example ; and seven unclean spirits worse then the first , are entred upon you , that is your parable , and your house is become the den of robbers , which was once the house of prayer ; the hand of the lord is against you , and his breath will kindle the torment of tophet upon you , and everlastingly shall it burn upon you , and shall not be quenched ; and your professed love shall be turned into my wrath and fury , and sin shall you find in its vengeance , though you have seen none in the action ; and my witness which you have slain , to gain peace , shall arise to your everlasting trouble , saith the lord ; and your myrth shall be turned into everlasting sorrow , and your communion in unrighteousness shall become your unity in the just indignation of wrath ; and your liberty enjoyed in the world shall be turned into your bondage , in the ●ake of fire ; and your wisdom and knowledge shall rot in the pit . and your righteousness and uprightness which once was in you , shall never be mentioned to you , for your own iniquities shall you bear in the day of the lord : with the eternal light you are comprehended ; your beginning which was in judgment , and your time which is in false peace , and false liberty , and love , and fleshly joy , and your end , which will be everlastingly miserable : and though you speak of the light , and what it once wrought , yet being from it , turned into darkness , bringing forth fruits of darkness and unrighteousness , the light is your eternal condemnation ; and because you are the highest stone in the building of mystery iniquity , the greater will be your fall into the ditch of deeper perdition : you have been the greatest dishonourers of the true god , and in the way of the upright are you a stumbling unto this day : your state is read , and your portion is foretold , and this prophesie shall not fail , but upon your heads shall be fulfilled . to all you that are called seekers and waiters . the lord hath many things against you , and his controversie will be with you ; you are the highest in the image of many mixtures , and your tent is pitched in the plains of feigned humility , and your goodly building stand ; upon the sand , repaired and beautified by the scattered stones , gathered out of the ruins of the former cities of confusion ; among you there is a simplicity , and a calm spirit , for you have been poured from vessel to vessel , and your scent is not so strong as the former , neither is your growth so perfect in the mystery of iniquity , as by appearing in so perfect a shape of the serpent ; you seek not at the true door , nor wait not at the gates of life , and your seeking will end before life eternal you find ; for you with the rest , stumbles at the foundation ; and in him who is the light of the world , and enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world , you cannot believe ; you are airy in your words and knowledge , and speak of that which through death you never obtained ; your knowledge is high , but it ariseth out of the cursed ground , which is not removed in you ; form ; outward you deny , but your form is inward , and your chiefest idol is in your heart ; and while you say you eat and drink the flesh and blood of christ , in the substance you slay him in his least measure , and your wills prophesie a false peace , which will be turned into true trouble ; and when you speak , the mans head is covered , and the womans head is uncovered , and this is a shame , that the woman hath not power on her head : your seeking and waiting is of your selves , and in your own time , and the lord is not all , and in all among you , for your mother is not the lords wife , but married unto a harlot , and your seed is mixed with strange children : a prophet was your father , and a whore brought you forth , and your profession will wither as time passeth away , and your covering is too narrow , and your righteousness no more regarded then your sin ; for the spirit convinceth of it , as of sin ; with the light everlasting your height and depth is comprehended : and this to you is a warning , for a preparation to meet the lord , and to put away your other lovers . the beast which all the world wonders after ( but they whose names are written in the lambs book of life ) hath many heads , and many horns . and the great image set up in the earth worshipped by nations and people , is of many mixtures , and it shall fall before the little stone , which strikes at the bottom ; all your several forms , and divers appearances outward , and different judgements and opinions , will stand you in no stead in the dreadful day of the lord which upon all flesh is coming , and hastning in its glory . wo , wo will be the end of all profession , when christ comes in his own way , contrary to all your divided expectations , and groundless hopes , he was before the world was , and doth and shall reign for ever , when it is not : and in this his day will the lord god set up an everlasting kingdom , of whose government and dominion there shall be no end , but it shall abide for ever , and your divided kingdom of the beastly power and authority shall be dashed to pieces , never more to be found ; and your mountains shall be burned , and your righteousness and your sin shall meet in the pit of everlasting wrath , receiving the sentence of eternal judgment , from him that sits upon the throne of infinite power and glory ; and your rich treasures shall be spoiled in a day ; and your sun and light shall be darkned at noon-day , and all your goodly buildings shall be thrown down , and shall become the habitation of dragons : i have viewed you all in the eternal light , and you are weighted in the ballance of equity , and all your wise builders stumble at the foundation , and at the corner-stone ; and christ jesus is become an offence unto you in his light , by which he hath enlightened every man that comes into the world , of which you are unbelieving , and therefore shut up in darkness and confusion , groping as blind men , being many branches of one root , planted in the barren cursed ground of enmity : and though you are divided as herod and pilate , yet do you joyn your selves in one body , to war against the lamb and his followers , who cannot bow to your great image ; and you are listed in the records of gog and magog , against whom the lamb is risen , and his followers come forth , having the bow and sword , conquering and going to conquer , and will make you a desolation for ever : all your sacrifice is corrupted , and the lord god of heaven and earth is weary with your oblations and offerings ; your hearts are far from him , and your hands are full of blood , and the just lyeth slain in every corner of your streets ; and the earth covereth the blood of the innocent , and the slain cryeth , how long lord , how long ? but he hath heard in an acceptable time , and will come forth in his might , and will slay , and his hand shall not spare , and will wound , and his eye shall not pity . awake , awake , ye careless and slothful , that have laid at ease in the dark night of slumber ; and come out , come out ye upright-hearted , and separate your selves , and touch no unclean thing , nor no longer partake of their idolatries and inchantments : the lord is now coming to gather his own , and to make up his jewels of the despised ; and his angels are gone forth to reap the earth , to bring in the wheat , and to bind the tares in bundles , for the fire of everlasting fury ; and babel shall be thrown down , and the great whore shall be rewarded , which sits upon the nations , and tongues , and people ; and the dregs of the cup of wrath shall be wrung out unto her , and the kingdom of the man of sin shall utterly be laid waste , and every subject shall be utterly driven away into everlasting captivity of vengeanee ; and all your sects , and opinions , and many wayes , and forms , and worships shall become heaps of confusion for ever , and your talking of christ without you , so long and largely professed by you , shall not save you , nor justifie you in another world , who are found enemies and actors against his light , present in the world , which is but one in you all , at which you all stumble , and by which you shall all be broken , and which shall grinde you to powder , and be your eternal condemnation , in this world , and forever ; which light shines in your darkness , and convinceth every one of you of your sin ; which light if it you love , is your way to peace with god eternal , and will lead you into one truth , to be of one heart and one mind , and to serve one god with one accord , in loving him with all the heart , and your neighbour as your self , and this is sacrifice of the living god only accepted . and to you , all sorts of people , my conscience do i clear , to the light in all your consciences ( which is but one ) without respect to your persons , whether you hear or forbear ; and this to you all is a warning , and a trumpet sounded out of sion ; your many gods and idols to forsake , and your forms without power to turn away from , and all your graven images set up in your hearts to cast away : and this is the word of the lord to you all , which upon you all shall be fulfilled , and by you witnessed , when the book of your conscience is opened , and your eternal judgment rewarded by the just judge , that sits upon the throne of true judgment , judging nations , and people righteously . to all you who are in the light of eternal life , which doth comprehend the world , who are born from above , of the immortal word , which doth live for ever , who are not of the world , nor of the many opinions in divisions , but of one heart , soul , and spirit , worshippers of the one living god , with whom there is no change , nor shaddow of turning , who are not known to the world ( though by it scornfully called quakers ) even you doth the lord also remember with everlasting kindness , and infinite love , of whose beginning and end there is none , and whose height and depth , measure , and limit cannot be found out ; for you hath he chosen above all the families of the earth , to place his name among , and to stablish his everlasting covenant with , of righteousness and peace forever ; and redemption , and salvation to you is come , judgment and mercy in you is met , righteousness and peace in you hath embraced each other ; in the womb of eternal love undefiled was your conception , begotten by the word of immortal life , unto the inheritance incorruptable , whereof you are heirs of the faithful promise , made free by the son , through the slaying of the enmity upon his cross , whereby you are nourished up into immortallity , to reign over hell , and death , and the grave for evermore : with thoughts of eternal love are you remembred , and read in the lambs book of life , recorded by the eternal spirit , and of the lord cannot be forgotten : your mother is a virgin unspotted , and your city is new ierusalem , come down from heaven , and glorious , and full of pleasure is your dwelling place , there is no need of a candle , for the lamb is the light thereof , and the temple therein : your god is no image , nor your worship no imgination , nor to the great image you do not joyn , nor his power hath no dominion over you ; but the yea and amen is your covenant , and the i am , whom there is none besides , is your god , and he that lives forever is your rock and sure defence , and salvation is appointed your vvalls and bulwarks , gladness is sown for you , yea , everlasting mercies shall you reap , and your long mourning shall be turned into everlasting rejoycing , and your present heaviness into durable joy ; your vvaters shall be sure , and your bread shall never fail , your fulness shall abound , and your plenty shall be enlarged , never more to hunger nor thirst , but your little seed shall become a great nation , and the whole earth shall be replenished thererewith , and your despised government shall rule over kingdoms , and your laws shall all the nations of the earth become subject unto . ye are no part of the image of idolatry , but your beginning is the little stone cut out without a hand , and it shall fill the earth , and become a great mountain , whereupon the fowls of the heaven shall be refreshed , eating the flesh of kings and captains . you are found faithful in your tryals , and the glory of the vvorld cannot steal away your hearts ; you cannot be moved , for your feet are set upon a rock : satan you scorn , and the glory of his kingdom you utterly disdain , upon his power you tread , and your feet trample under foot his majesty and renown . your king reigns for ever , and of his government and dominion there shall be no end , but the uttermost parts of the earth shall be given for a possession to him ; his scepter is righteousness , and his law is equity , and his statutes are full of justice and judgment . and thus saith the lord of hosts , your god and king , because you have been found faithful , and have not loved your lives unto death for his names sake , and for his glories sake , but have continually abased your selves , and laid down your crowns , that you might honour him ; therefore you will he honour and exalt , and will establish your kingdom in peace forever ; and all that riseth up in judgment against you shall be consounded and condemned , and his hand will be against all your adversaries , to their overthrow , and dishonour everlastingly . you have loved righteousness and judgment upon earth , and your path hath been in equity , and you have born the affliction and storm with patience , and have endured with joy the burden of the oppressor ; you have been tryed to the bottom , and have been found innocent and without guile , before the throne of god , clothed with the garments of uprightness ; your light is the candle of the lord , and your life and glory is the possession of the most high. babylon is given you for a prey , and the riches of aegypt is given you for a spoil ; and you are free-born children of the seed elect , the first fruits unto god , and unto the lamb ; your purchase is obtained through death , and your crown of honour is purchased through suffering ; and the glory of babylon is no whit equal , for thou excellest in beauty and vertue , whereunto shall thy beauty be compared ? o thou fair and comly virgin ! unto whom shall i liken thee ? o thou choice and free-born daughter of sions king ! thy long travel of sorrows in the womb of anguish hath brought forth children of a comly stature , thy babes are truly lovely , upright , and faithful-hearted ; thy young-men are noble , bold and valiant , chosen of thy god , and victory is with them ; thy virgins are perfect in beauty , pure , and undefiled , and no spot in their garments ; thy old men are lively and honourable , and stedfast in the path of righteousness , and their gravity shall be truly respected ; thy body is perfect in the lords record and remembrance , and with an eternal crown of infinite glory shall the righteous judge honour thee , because you have delighted to do his will , and have kept his covenant undefiled , which abides with you for ever , sealed and signed unto you by the spirit of promise , decreed before the world was . all nations shall call you blessed , and of your fulness shall they partake : who is like unto you ? a people saved by the lord , elect , and chosen , and redeemed out of kindreds , tongues , and people , and have a name better then of sons and daughters . praise ye the lord , and glorifie him for evermore . young-men and maidens , old-men and children , and all that breath , praise you the lord , for thereunto are you called , and for this cause are you brought forth : clap your hands , and sing for joy of heart , your redeemer is the holy one , and your maker is your husband ; i know you , and to you am i known ; and i read you within the vail , and do behold you , the train of the most high filling his temple : follow him forever , and let his name be testified of throughout the earth . make war in righteousness , and prepare your selves to do his service ; let not your hands be slack , neither be you sloathful in our lords design , but wound the head of your enemies , and mannage war against gog and magog , throughout all generations ; ride on and prosper tread down the fenced cities , and enlarge your dominion , and let the children of strangers , of the seed of esau , be your slaves and bond-men ; and fill the earth with your precious seed , and sow it in the morning , and in the evening with-hold not your hand ; though you are despised of men , yet the lord hath made you truly honorable ; in his glory you appear , and his righteousness is your clothing , which will never wither ; and though some of you for a moment suffer bonds for his names sake , yet you are free everlasting , and are not ashamed of your testimony before the princes and nobles of the earth . o sion ! thou art desirable , because of thy beauty , and thy dwelling-place is scituate in a very fruitful hill , and thou feedest in the valleys of fat pastures of eternal pleasures , where nothing that defiles can enter , nor no devourer treadeth on thy mountain , nor no lyons whelp treadeth in thy path ; it is the way of the ransomed of the lord , who hath blotted out thy transgressions , never more to remember thy sins , thou seed of iacob . the lord is your god for ever , while you be his people . therefore walk before him in righteousness , and let his own works praise him , and give him of his own , and glorifie him with it eternally . be low in thy heart and be not exalted because of thy beauty and riches , and glory not but only in the lord : be diligent in thy mind , and watch against all thy enemies , and be not of a careless heart : eat not of the vine of sodom , nor drink not of the cup of whoredoms ; give not thy strength to strange women , nor let not thy desirable beauty be overcome of harlots , but keep thy self undefiled , and mingle not thy seed with strangers ; but be fruitful in thy pleasant land upon thy beautiful mountain , and bring forth aboundantly unto thy god , who hath turned thy wilderness into a fruitful field , and taken away thy reproach of barrenness ; in conversation upright and blameless do thou daily appear ; in praises , and honour , and fear do thou abound , and let thy god be thy teacher ▪ in his light and truth for evermore , that thy enemies may see and be confounded , and may behold , and be ashamed before thee , unto whom thy rock of defence is a stumbling stone of offence , wherewith the kingdoms of the earth shall be dashed to pieces , and broken as a potters vessel before thee . come forth in thy beauty , and appear in thy glory to the nations . arise , arise , why shouldst thou sit as alone , as in obscurity and darkness undiscovered ? let the princes of the earth see thy excellency , and appear before the nobles in thy robes of perfect honour , wherewith thou art decked , and trimed , as a bride pleasant unto thy husband : do thou judge among the judges , and give thy counsel among the prudent , and appear in thy authority before kings and princes : all the dominions of the world are not equal in treasure and wisdom unto thee , but all the children of whoredoms shall see their shame , and be laid naked when thou appearest in thy purity ; the nations long for thee to be partakers of thy vertue , therefore shew thy self , and appear , that the rest of thy flock which yet remain upon the barren mountains may come in unto thy fold , to rest under thy shepherds power . o sion , thou art prepared of thy god , to beat the mountains to dust ; thou art fitted for his service , to thresh the hills : make no tarrying but come away , spread thy self into every corner of the earth , for the upright thirst for thee aboundantly ; who lie under the oppression in the land of darkness , which may be felt , from whence thou art freed into the everlasting light ; and why shouldst thou , o sion , lie at rest , while thy own seed , the children of thy womb are oppressed , groaning in the captivity , under the uncircumcised who have driven away thy remnant , and scattered it from thee ? put on strength , o arm of the lord , for thy heritage hath no other helper , nor none that pitieth her : and shine forth thou seed of iacob , and bring in the kingdoms of the gentiles to partake with thee of thy everlasting substance , and lay out thy self to gain in thy holy seed out of the power of aegypts king ; o think upon and remember thy own former bondage , while thou was thy self captive in a strange land ; and let thy bowels be filled with compassion towards thy own mothers children ; and be not straitned in thy help and deliverance ; for thy god hath given thee an instrument with teeth , to beat the rocks to powder ; he is not wanting unto thee in power and wisdom , thou chiefest son of his love. give up , give up to obey his voice , and love not thy life unto death , till the seed of thy inheritance , and the blood of thy chosen be avenged upon the head of iezabel , who hath slain thy elect in all generations , and nourished her self with the blood of thy innocent . call upon thy god , and awake him to vengeance , to smite and to slay thy adversaries , and to consume their habitations from off the earth , who have been too strong for thee , why shouldst thou not come forth in the power of thy judgments ; to judge the earth in righteousness , and to exalt thy name in thy glory , which all men have despised , and seen no excellency in ? and thou o sions king hast been as a stranger , and unknown in the earth , and thy treasure hath been wasted amongst the harlots , and empty to this day hast thou returned , from gathering fruit of thy vineyard ; for sloathful and aboundantly idle have the labourers been in the harvest and it is time for thee to arise and work ; for thy law hath been made void , and thy statutes and judgments have been neglected , and all the princes of the earth contemn thy laws , and count the sons of thy chosen heritage as slaves and bond-men , and decree unrighteous decrees , and seal them in the pit of their unbelief , upon the mountains of their rebellion against thee . how long lord ? how long ? when wilt thou appear to lay their honour in the dust of confusion ? is it not the fulness of thy time which thou hast promised ? how long shall the remnant of sion sit as a widow , bemoaning her children ? thy host and chosen wait for commission from thee to do thy will ; that thou who art our god , and our king , our judge , and our law-giver , whom our souls have chosen , may forever be exalted in thy majesty and throne of justice and judgment , and thy camp wait to see the honour of kings and princes overthrown by thee , and thy dominion set to rule over their heads ; that all nations and kingdoms may become subject unto thee , and the kingdoms of this world may become the kingdom of thy son forever and evermore ; and saith my soul , come lord iesus , come quickly . by one whose name is truly known by the children of the same birth , but unknown to the world , though by is called , edward burrough . a description of the state and condition of all mankind upon the face of the whole earth . and a discovery unto all , shewing what man was in his creation before transgression , and what he is in transgression ; how he is become a degenerate plant , bringing forth cursed fruit , to the grieving of the good husband-man , who is thereby provoked continually against the works of his own hands , to destroy that which he hath made , because it is defiled through mans transgression . also the way of restoration , of salvation , redemption , and of life eternal , is here declared unto all the sons and daughters of adam in the whole world , that all may come to the knowledge of the creator , and to have fellowship with him again , from whom all the children of men are separated in the state of enmity , and are ignorant of him , and drove from his presence . this is to go abroad into all the earth , through the whole world , as a call and visitation unto all mankind , that they may hear and consider their condition , and may return from whence they are fallen , and may be restored again to serve , and worship , and glorifie the living god , who made heaven and earth , and all things therein . this is chiefly to go abroad into the dark parts of the world , among those called heathens most especially ; but its service reacheth to all men and people upon the face of the earth : and out of love unto the creation , and to all people in the world was it written , and is it brought forth in publick , that all that have ears to hear may hear ; and it is to be translated into several languages by any who are moved of the lord thereunto ; for of a truth the lord is risen among us , and god hath given the word from his mouth , and many are they that publish it abroad through the world. to all the sons and daughters of adam in the whole world , this is the word of the lord god , the power that made you , and that made heaven and earth , and all things therein , your state and condition consider , how that you are all drove from god your maker , and from the knowledge of him and of his wayes , which are life and peace , and are in darkness , blindness , and ignorance , separated from that power that made you , and in the enmity against it , and are enemies to it in all your wayes and words , where the sorrow , anguish , wo , and trouble is . but the second adam , the lord from heaven , the power by whom all things were made , who is called christ jesus , hath lightened every one of you with the true light , which shines in your hearts in darkness , to give you the understanding of the knowledge of him that made you , and of his salvation , and redemption , and of eternal life , if you love the light with which you are all lightened . and first , the light measureth every mans state in true judgment , and with it you may all see your selves in the state wherein you now stand , which is a state separated from god ; and the state wherein man was created , which was blessed . therefore search , and consider your state and condition in him , that is the light of the world ; of the dust of the ground were you made , and into man was breathed the breath of life ; from the living power which formed all things ; and man was made a living soul , and brought forth into the world in the image and likeness of the power that made him , every one in particular that be come into the world , for male and female in the image of the creator created he them , without sin or evil : and man was a noble plant , wholly a right seed , planted with the choicest vine , and placed in paradise , the garden of the creator , and there was set to bring forth fruit , and to glorifie and honour him by whom man , and all creatures were made ; for man was made perfect and upright , set in the counsel of his maker , without sin , or spot , or evil in his sight , and was the glory of the creator , and was made for his glory ; and power and wisdom was given unto man to rule and govern in dominion , in righteousness , and in wisdom over all living creatures , and was lord over all things , and had rule and authority over all the creation , and was steward over all things which the creator had made , who made all things for man , and made them subject unto him , to be ordered and governed by him , and used to his glory by whom they were made ; and in that day when man was in the counsel of him that made him , and was subject to his will , he was blessed above all creatures , and unto him were 〈◊〉 creatures blessed , and not any thing was evil that was made , but good in hi● sight that made it , and good unto man that was to use it , he being brought for●● in the image of the creator , and had a measure of his wisdom , and his powe● to teach him , and to lead him in the exercise of all creatures , and was in perfe●● freedom over all things , to rule in the wisdom of god. and this was the sta●… of man before transgession , which state was blessed , and not subject to the cu●… of misery , or sorrow , nor trouble , nor torment ; but man disobeyed the power that made him , and went from its counsel , and contrary to its will , and griev●… it , and vexed it , till it became his enemy to fight against him , and to curse him ▪ for he had transgressed against it , by feeding on that part which he should not , with the knowledg of things , and so became wise , and lost uprightness , and touched that which the power that made him had forbidden , and so his mind and heart adulterated from the creator , into the visible glories , pleasures , and things which were less then himself , and so he became unprofitable to his maker , by transgressing against him , and only profitable to himself , to feed , and nourish , and delight and please himself in the outward creation , and forgot the power that made him ; and thus being with his mind turned into the earth , there the evil entred ; and the devil overcame him with his temptation , and the power of the earthly darkness gained dominion over him , to sway his affections , desires , and lusts into vanities of the earth ; and he lost his dominion over the creatures , and they gained dominion over him , to serve and worship them , and to please himself with them , who became captive with his mind , to be ruled by them in vanity and in evil : and thus man became unprofitable to his maker , and unfruitful in the garden , and kept it not undefiled ; and being turned from the covenant wherein he was set ; into his own willing and desiring in the outward creation , the evil defiled him , and he became evil , and a fruitless tree that cumbred the ground , and an enmity was placed in him by disobedience , and all things became evil to him , and the door of all misery and sorrow was opened , and let in the curse upon him inwardly and outwardly ; for he became dead in transgression to the life and power , and wisdom of the creator , and every moment was subject to die in this world also . and through transgression of the power that made him , he was cast out of the creator's garden , and out of his love , to labour under the curse , in unprofitable ground , and also out of his own dignity , and honour , and dominion was he cast , and became heir of death and child of wrath , and an enemy in his mind unto the creator , and an enmity was placed in him against the power that made him , and rebellion in his mind from which all the works of unrighteousness proceed , and innocency was lost , and man became hurtful to himself , and to all creatures , and grieved continually the power that made him , and was drove from the presence and feeling of his creator , into insensableness : and in this state unto this day are all ye the sons and daughters of the first adam , in the enmity against the power that made you , every moment transgressing it ; and death reigns over you all , and the power of darkness rules in you all , and the law of sin , and death , and transgression are you all subject to , and led captive in your minds , affections and desires , at the will of the power that leads into transgression , called the devil ; and in that state you are all strangers to god , and are without him in the world , and ignorant of the knowledge of his wayes , and are in the perishing state for want of knowledge , and subject to the curse of the power which you transgress , and are heirs of his wrath , having no part of the inheritance of blessing ; for a vail of darkness through sin hath overspread you all , and covered you all from the sight , and hearing , and feeling of the creator , and of the mystery of his glory and wisdom ; and every one in particular , and none excepted of all the children of adam upon the face of the whole earth , but all have sinned and transgressed , and death reigns over all , and blindness of heart hath possessed all , and all have fallen short of the glory of the creator , and all men are concluded ( by his spirit ) to be under sin , and children of wrath , and heirs of corruption , and in disobedience , and rebellion to the life that gives all men a being : the whole world , and all people in it , without exception of tribes , generations or nations , this is the state and condition of all the sons of men ; all flesh hath corrupted his way upon the earth in his sight that made it , and the wickedness of man is great in the earth , and the imaginations and thoughts of every mans heart are evil continually , and grieve the creator ; for the whole earth is filled with violence through mans transgression ; and now not any stock or people have priviledge one above another , to redemption and salvation , and to the kingdom of peace and glory , but iew and gentile , wise and foolish , noble and ignoble , male and female , all people without exception are in transgression , and by the line and measure of true judgment are shut out from the knowledge of life and salvation , and of the inheritance of the father , in that state of enmity wherein every man in the world is fallen into ; and by one the offence came , and so death upon all men , which reigneth in the hearts of all , and opposeth the life of the creator ; and everyone is imperfect in the sight of the lord , blind , deaf , dumb , lame , and without the sence of the power of him that made him , and brought him forth ; his eye sees not , for it is covered with a vail of darkness ; neither doth the ear hear , for it is stopped ; nor the tongue speak ; nor the understanding perceive any thing of the secrets of the lord ; but all are separated and divided from the tree of life , and are cast out from his presence by whom the world was made , into blindness of heart , and to the loathing of your selves , and are more ignorant of your maker then the ox is of his owner , or the asse of his masters crib ; for you know not him that gives you life and all good things , and that upholds you by the word of his power : and this is his word unto you all , you are all under the power of satan , and subject to his will , acting in iniquity and in evil , bringing forth the fruits of death from that ground in which you now stand , which is cursed and your maker hath no pleasure in it ; for your fruits grieve his spirit that made you , and vex his soul that brought you forth ; for man is degenerated into the plant of a strange vine ; and brings forth wild grapes and cursed fruit which are of a bitter taste unto the lord's soul , who planted all things for himself , who is the good husbandman ; but the whole earth is corrupted , and all mankind in it , and man is not now acted , nor led , nor ruled in his heart by the power that made him , which gives him all good things ; but the power of satan , the serpent , the old dragon , which deceived from the beginning , who is in the enmity against the life of the creator ; he acts man , and rules man to the abuse of all creatures , and to his own destruction ; and every particular man is liable to the wrath , and to the curse , and to everlasting wo , and misery , and torment from his maker , in that state of disobedience whereinto all mankind is fallen , not one upon the face of the earth excepted from transgression , and so from misery ; nor none priviledged one above another unto happiness , but as i have said , male and female , who were made in the image of their maker in the first creation , but now every man in the whole world is in the enmity against the life of the power that made him , and is a child of wrath , and shut up in blindness and unbelief , under the devils power , which power abode not in the truth , but is out of the truth ; and all mankind is left in this condition without help , or helper , or deliverance , or means , or way of salvation from himself or any other creature upon the face of the whole earth , but is a sheep without a shepherd , straying and wandring in the thoughts of his own heart after vanity , and that wherein there is no profit to the lord , nor to his own soul , but death and sorrow in all his wayes , having forsaken the fountain of living waters , and gone a whoring after other lovers , and defiled himself , and so brought destruction upon himself , by his own doings ; who abounds in all evil , lying , theft , murder , envy , strife , stealing ; and whoredom , and such like , which are the fruits of the ground that is cursed for mans sake . but now unto all people , the sons and daughters of adam , the first man that ever was made , though you be thus fallen into misery by transgression , and helpless from your selves , or from any other creature , yet hath the living god , the power which made you , and which you have transgressed against , ordained and prepared a way to be restored and healed , and to be brought to the injoyment and feeling of the creator , from the disobedience , and from the curse , and misery , unto the blessing and happiness ; and unto all mankind in particular is prepared a way out of death unto life , out of the loss which every man hath received in transgression , to salvation , and redemption , and deliverance out of the captivity and bondage , which all are fallen into , into liberty and freedom , to serve his maker , and to glorifie him ; for he hath not been served nor glorified , but grieved and vexed by all men on the earth ; and so he hath brought misery and the curse upon all , by forsaking them , and leaving them under the power which made them not , to be led and guided by it in rebellion unto destruction . and now this same power by which man was made , is mans restorer , and deliverer , and redeemer , and saviour , though he hath transgressed against it ; for when there was none to help no● to save of any creature upon the face of the earth , the arm of that power which made all things stretched forth it self to save the creatures which were made ; and that same power which is transgressed is the redeemer of all mankind , though it is offended , and burdened , and pressed as a cart with sheaves , by transgression against the creator ; and that is the power which works out salvation and deliverance by slaying the enmity , and condemning iniquity , and removing the cursed ground out of mans heart , that the evil fruits may cease , which it brings forth ; and by this power all must be saved that ever are saved and delivered from wrath . and this all men have been ignorant of , and not felt , nor known , nor tasted of the life and power of the creator , though it hath been near unto every one ; and all men and creatures live move and have their being by it , and sustenance from it ; and yet man transgresseth it , and grieveth it , and is not led by it . therefore all people upon earth , consider your condition and state , and hearken to the power that made you , a measure of which moveth in the hearts of all mankind upon the face of the earth ; and it moveth against the evil , and against the defiled and transgressing part in every mans heart that is come into the world ; and this power by which all men were made , and which they have transgressed against ( a measure of it from the father is made manifest to all mankind upon the face of the earth , and convinceth of the evil , of murder and adultry , and such like ; and condemneth the works which are evil in every particular man , whether heathens or christians ( so called ) and unto all people , here is the way to be restored into covenant with your maker , a measure of his power in you , secretly moves upon you , and calls to you to return to it , to be led and guided by it , in fear , and obedience , and subjection to it , from which you have been driven , and against which you have transgressed ; and this power , the creator , hath sent his son into the world , and given him a gift unto all mankind ; and he hath given light and understanding to every particular man to know good from evil , truth from a lye , right from wrong , justice from injustice , and equity from falshood : and this power of the son of god in you doth witness to you , and accept you , when with it you be guided , and when according to it you speak and act ; and it justifies the good , and the right , and the equal , and excuses all men in that from condemnation ; but against lying , and wrong-dealing and deceit , and injustice it testifies , and when you do these things , you transgress against that power that made you , which should save you , and justifie you , and excuse you , and with it you are accused and condemned ; and it brings trouble upon you , and the curse of misery and sorrow : and this power in you will search your hearts , and try your reins , and let you see your thoughts , and make manifest unto you the state and condition of mankind , who is become enemy to his maker , in following that which brings death , upon which the wrath remaineth , till there be a returning unto the power by which man was made , a measure of which ( as i have said ) moveth in the hearts of the sons and daughters of adam in all the world : and now if every one of you do turn your minds from the world and from the glories and vanities thereof , and from the evil which hath possessed you in thoughts and actions ; and if you stand still for a moment , from willing and desiring to your selves , and after the world , this shall you find secretly moving in you , which shall draw you towards the creator , to enjoy him , and to see his glory , which none that are still in transgression against him can ever partake of , or behold ; and if to that you hearken within you , and heed it , and follow it , which witnesseth to that power that made you , to be great , and mighty , and wonderful , this will shew that you are short of his glory : and it will condemn evil in you , in all thoughts , words and actions , which proceed out of the cursed ground , in which the creator hath no pleasure ; and this will take away the vail which is spread over you all , and open the blind eye , and unstop the deaf ear , and bring you to hear , and see , and understand the things which are eternal , which belong unto your peace ; and if you all come to be guided by that which moves in you all against evil , it will lead you up to its self , to be renewed and changed ( out of the evil and from under the devils power , under which every man hath been subject , which power hath been out of truth ) into the image and likeness of the creator , and to be restored to his inheritance , to enjoy rest and peace forever . and this is the word of the creator of heaven and earth to you all , and to all mankind , this is the way unto redemption , and salvation , and unto the blessing , out of all sorrows , and troubles , and afflictions , and torments , and woes , and miseries ; which are the portion forever of all that disobey this power which moves against evil in you , which is the power of him that made all men and things which move in your hearts against all that which the creator never placed in you , but which are fruits of darkness . i say unto you all , this power in you must you own , and believe in , and follow , and be guided by it , and bea● its condennation , and judgment upon all that which is contrary to it , if ever you be restored to the blessed state ; and all anger , and wrath , and murder , and lying , and dissembling , and whoredom , and drunkenness , and brutishness , and beastliness , and wontonness , backbiting , and theft , and all these things whatsoever must be condemned in you ; for who act these things are enemies to the creator , and are led by the power of darkness which is the destroyer of you , soul and body , and the cause of the curse upon you , and the ground of all sorrow , and sufferings , and afflictions , and troubles which come upon that part in you which is in transgression against the power of god ; for there is a birth born of the flesh which brings forth , and goes after fleshly wayes , fleshly joyes and delights , and pleasures , and fleshly words , and vanities , which murder the just , and blind the eye , and grieve your maker , and this birth must not inherit eternal life ; but all that ever do inherit must be born again of another seed , and into another nature , where all the former things are passed away ; for all glories of this world will wither , and all your joyes and pleasures will come to an end , and you will be left miserable and wretched . therefore , oh earth , earth , and all the children of adam in the whole world , be awakened , be awakened , & stirred up to consider of your state & condition , for the creator of all things is risen to gather his people up to himself , and his voice soundeth abroad through the whole world : if any hath an ear to hear , let him hear , terror and vengeance is against all the rebellious , and to judgment must all come before the maker of all things , to be judged by him according to the power which moves in every man , which is just and equal , and witnesseth in equity , which is a measure of the power that made the world , and all mankind unto it shall confess , to its greatness , to its justness , and to its authority , and to it must all the children of adam bow , and before it tremble ; and he that hath done good , and lived in meekness , and soberness , in the truth , and in justness , in all that which is good , and not in any evil , shall receive life , peace , rest , and glory from the righteous judge , the power by whom the world was made , and he shall be excused from all condemnation ; but he that hath done evil and transgressed against the power of god by which he is upholden , who is degenerate , and brings forth rudeness , wildness , and wickedness , he shall receive tribulation and anguish , and be deprived of happiness in this life , and forever : and all who do not own the measure of the power of the creator in you to be guided by it , such do neglect and reject the day of your visitation , and shut your selves out from the glory of god , and are unworthy of life and peace ; but all that ow● this , and are subject to it , the power of his son , who is the maker of all things and do follow it , this will reconcile you , and slay the enmity , and bring you into unity with the creator ; and this will lead you out of darkness , out of death and evil , and all the wayes thereof , and will save you from all the effects thereof , and you will be excused and justified in the sight of the creator . therefore all people upon earth consider , this is the day of your visitation ; the way of life and of death is set before you , the way unto peace , and the way of trouble . prize the day of your visitation . this is to go abroad through all the world , to all the sons and daughters of adam ; it is a warning from the creator and maker of all , by a friend unto all people , and a laver of their souls . here is the estate and condition of mankind described , whereby in the sigh● of the world all may come to understand how all the sons and daughte●● of the first adam are degenerated , and subverted , and fallen from the state wherein man was created in the beginning , who was blessed of his creator , being brought forth in his own image and likeness , to rule in dominion over all living creatures , and to use them to the glory of the creator ; & in that day man was not subject to the curse of misery , or sorrow , or vexation ; for that door wo was not opened for the curse to enter , but man was altogether blessed in the state wherei● he was brought forth , until by disobedience unto the power that made him , another power gained dominion over him , even the seed of enmity placed it self in ma●s heart , which prospered by mans rebellion , and became a great tree of bitterness , bringing forth much fruit in the hearts of all the children of adam , to the vexing , and grieving , and dishonouring of the spirit and life of god the creator , even to the making void of his purpose in creating man , who created him for his glory ; but man disgraces him , and dishonours him altogether , and brings forth fruit not accepted , but grievous , and of a bitter taste ; and the lords soul hath been pressed as a cart with sheaves , under mans transgressions , who hath backslided , and revolted , and turned aside for a thing of nought , and hath cast himself down from his excellency of dominion into shame and dishonour , daily provoking the long-suffering of the lord , and wearying his goodness , ; and he hath been provoked to cut off the works of his own hands , which satan hath entred into , and defiled and made loathsom and abominable to the maker ; for satan hath made man barren of all good , and fruitful in all evil , and he is wholly subverted into another end in all his works , then wherefore he was created ; he that reads let him understand ( the creator of all things planted a vineyard , with the choicest vine , his own image ) and he dressed the vineyard , and watered it , and he came to look for fruit in the season , and behold the vineyard it was degenerated into strange plants , and brought forth only wild grapes , and sower grapes , and crossed the expectation of the good husbandman , for the fruit of his vineyard was loathsome to him , of an ill smell , and of a bitter taste , and his soul was not satisfied , but grieved , who laboured for himself , that he might gather fruit of the plants which he had planted with the choicest vine ; but behold , the vineyard ( all mankind ) was barren of good fruit , and no pleasant fruit could the husbandman reap to himself , but the vines were degenerated , and all brought forth wild grapes , and sower grapes , which the good husbandman hath no pleasure in , but is vexed thereby ; for his vineyard is barren of all good fruit , and the fruits of unrighteousness have abounded , whereby the good husbandman is provoked to fury and indignation against the vineyard which he had planted , being become degenerate plants , and strange slips ; this a parable and describeth the condition of all mankind : if any have ears to hear , let him hear , and read himself , how he was planted in the image of his maker , but is now degenerated and turned aside from truth and righteousness , from all good , and from the wayes of peace , out of the love and pleasure of his maker , and is now in all evil , in deceit and unrighteousness , and in the wayes of sorrow and trouble , and in the makers displeasure ; and the seed of enmity ruleth in him , and is suffered to be king in the wrath of god , and must be taken away in gods displeasure and anger ; for that is not the annointed of god , but is in rebellion against his authority , and breaks his law , and transgresses his commands , and must be condemned into perdition ; for all cursed fruits do spring forth from that seed , to the vexing and grieving of the lord god , injustice , oppression , deceit , hypocrisie , false-heartedness , lying , murther , whoredom , theft , envy bitterness , perversness , devouring one another , covetousness , idolatry , and all manner of evil which gives an ill savour , and a corrupted taste , and a loathsom sight in the presence of the lord god , who made all things , oh , how abominable are all the wayes of man become unto his maker , who hath no delight in any of his ways , nor pleasure in any of his works ! oh , how is the lord grieved , and his soul from day to day oppressed , and his long-suffering provoked by the wayes and works of his creatures which he made for himself ! but they are become the devils , and subject to the power of the enmity ; and all mans works are brought forth in that nature which is evil , and out of that ground which is cursed , his good works are not accepted , and his evil deeds are condemned , all which springs forth of one root of bitterness and enmity , which is in the displeasure of the creator : oh earth be awakened , and all ye sons and daughters of adam call to mind your state and condition , and repent , and return before destruction , when no time of repentance can be found . hearken to instruction , and let your ears be open to hear ; here you may all hear and understand the way to restoration , to be restored and recovered out of this condition , and out of this enmity , and from under this curse of misery and destruction ; for a way hath god prepared unto all mankind ; and is making it manifest unto the whole earth , that the sons and daughters of adam may again know their maker , and have fellowship with him ; and this way is but one , which is ordained for all people upon the face of the earth , of what tribe or nation soever : and all that come to the knowledge of the creator must walk in this way , which is called christ jesus , who is the son of the creator , the second adam , the lord from heaven , the power and wisdom of the creator , and by him all things were made , and without him was not any thing formed that was brought forth ; he is the restorer , the redeemer , and the deliverer ; for he cannot be overcome of the evil , but overcometh and treadeth down all the powers of darkness , and death , and the devil , which rise against him in all the world ; and the creator hath so loved mankind , though he hath transgressed against him , and grieved him , yet he hath given his son into the world , into all nations , without respect of persons or people , to be the saviour of all that believe in him , and receive him , that they may come out of death and darkness , from under the devils power , and may be translated , and changed , and renewed out of sin , and death , and ignorance , and rebellion , and out of the kingdom of the devil , into truth and righteousness ; and into the kingdom of god. and this restorer and saviour , the power and wisdom of the creator , hath lightened all mankind , every one that cometh into the world is lightened by him , that every one may follow him , and be guided by his power and wisdom ; and every one that doth receive him ; sin , and iniquity , and transgression is condemned ; and the seed of the enmity is cast out by his power , which is revealed against all unrighteousness , and he subdues it , and works it forth of the hearts of all men , and so reconciles man again to his maker , to have fellowship with him : and this restorer , the second adam , comes to be revealed within every man , who executes true judgment upon the transgressor , and bindeth under the rebellious nature , and death and condemnation passes upon the seed of enmity , and all its fruits ; upon the devil , and all his works ; upon him that is born of the flesh , and all his wayes ; his joy is turned into mourning , his pleasures into sorrow , his glory and rejoycing into sadness of heart , and the life which he hath lived comes to be crucified , and the wayes which he hath walked in comes to be hedged up , and no more followed ; and his strength is turned into weakeness , and all his wayes and pleasures fade and perish , and the birth which is immortal comes to be brought forth , which is not of this world , but heir of the creators inheritance , who hath no glorying under the sun , nor no pleasure in the glory of this world , which passeth away , but lives unto god in all things , and brings forth fruit unto the father , and is replanted into the living vine , and is leavened into a new lump , and placed in the garden of god ; all the old garments are put off , and old things are passed away , the devil is cast out , the blind eye is opened , and the vail is taken away which hath been spread over all , and the deaf ear is unstopped , and man is again returned unto his maker , and hears , and sees , and understands the things which are eternal , which belong to his peace ; the fear of god is set up in his heart , and gods secrets are revealed unto him , & he is become the glory of his maker , to praise him , to glorifie him , and to magnifie him for evermore , being restored again unto god's image , and guided with his power and wisdom , and hath received dominion and authority from his maker , to reign and rule over all creatures , and to be exercised in all things to his glory by whom they were made ; he is not in bondage to any creature , but in liberty over it , and the creatures are become his servants , and he servant to his maker , and the earth yeilds its encrease unto man ; the curse is removed , and the blessing restored in the covenant of peace and righteousness , where all creatures come to be injoyed ; the covenant of death and hell being broken and disanulled , where the curse stood , and standeth in all the world where the restorer of the second adam is not received , who moveth by the measure of his power against the evil in the hearts of all men ; and he knocketh at the door of the heart , that he may be received , and come in , and dwell with the children of men , whose delight is with the sons of men ; and every one that openeth to him , and hearkeneth to his cry , who calls by the light , and moveth by his power , by him they receive life and peace , and fulness from the father ; and are raised from death to life , and redeemed from under the power of satan to the power of the creator ; all evil in the ground , and in the fruits , judgment goes upon it all , and condemnation : and thus mankind comes to be restored again to god his maker , to be the children of god , and heirs of his inheritance , and is no more of this world , but redeemed by jesus christ out of kindreds , tongues , and people , out of respect of time , place , creatures , or things , and sees through all creatures , to be before the world was , beyond all the glory of this world , to the glory of the lord ; and here is the praising , and singing , and rejoycing , the living , and walking in that life which cannot change , and in the world of which there is no end ; and here a greater glory is known then the first mans glory , a greater state then that which was overcome of the devil , a greater dominion then that which was lost , this dominion never can have an end ; death is swollowed up of life , all sorrow and anguish is swollowed up of rejoycing ; all tears are wiped here , and there is no more sorrow ; the quickning spirit is felt and witnessed , which hath quickened again to god ; god's tabernacle is with men , and his dwelling-place with the children of men , and that is felt , and seen , and tasted , which was before the world was , before any creature was made ; and the whole world is comprehended , and mans state in his first creation is here known , what it was ; and mans state in transgression is also known , what it was ; and mans state restored again , is also witnessed ; and the difference perceived betwixt the first adam , which was overcome of the devil , though he was innocent and without sin , and bore the likeness of his maker , and of the second adam , who cannot be overcome of the devil , whom satan hath nothing in , who is the express image of the creator it self . he that hath an ear to hear , let him hear ; eye hath not seen , ear hath not heard , it hath not entred into the heart of man that which the father hath revealed by his spirit , things not lawful to be uttered , of which there is no declaring , that which is infinite , endless , eternal , and in this i shall end . by one who hath measured and viewed in true iudgment the condition of all mankind , who is a lover of souls , and a friend to the creation of god , known in england by the name of , edward burrough . london the th of the d moneth , . truth defended : or certain accusations answered ; cast upon us who are called quakers , by the teachers of the world , and the people of this generation . with a clear discovery who are the false prophets , and when they came in ; and how they may be known , and who they are that deny christ , and that preach another gospel ; and who deny the scriptures , churches , ministers and magistrates , whereby the magistrates and people of this nation may see they justifie that which the scripture condemns , and condemns that which the holy men of god justified , and may read their example , and our example through the scriptures . the epistle . to all you who call your selves ministers of the gospel , and all people in all relations under what form of worship soever in england , or in all the world , wh● profess your selves christians . the mighty day of the lord is come , according as he promised of old , and this day is witnessed , wherein he is establishing his mountain , and exalting it above all mountains , and is gathering his people which have been scattered in the dark and lo●● night of apostacy , which christ and his apostles saw coming into the churc●… then , and hath had dominion long over the world , and hath reigned till now , and reigns n●● in all the professors in all forms every where . but now the time is come wherein the kingd●… of the world are become the kingdoms of the lord , and of his christ ; and thousands witness it to the praise of his everlasting name . and therefore the nations are angry , and 〈◊〉 p●inces of the earth , because michael one prince is arisen to plead with all who make 〈◊〉 against him . and now herod and pilate , and all jerusalem are in an uproar , and amm●● and amaleck , and the egyptians , and the philistines are joyned now against him . and all you who live in forms , and know not the power , do now persecute and joyn your selves t●gether , being in the same nature as the persecutors of old , which were born after the flesh. and now you sons of bondage , and of hagar are to be cast out ; and now you are all 〈◊〉 manifest that you are in the flesh ; for all your bows are bent , and all your arrows are 〈◊〉 at a people which are accounted by you as the filth of the world , and as the off-scouring of all things , whom the world calls quakers , in whose foreheads is written the name of the living god ; and unto you i say that make war against them , and now take part with the drag●● against the lamb , you shall all drink of the cup of fury and indignation of the lord , 〈◊〉 unto the living god who is holy and jealous for his own glory and name , which hath manifested his mind and will by his eternal spirit unto us , shall you all bow and stoop . for now the lord hath rent the vail of the covering which hath been spread over 〈◊〉 the nations in all professions ; and you are all seen by the ternal eye which is opened in thousands , even all from the highest to the lowest ▪ who have stol●n and painted your selves with 〈◊〉 ●ens words . and all your images which you have set up , and all your traditions from ●en , in which you have walked , are all seen to be stubble , and ●ill not abid● in the day of the lord. and all your churches which you have gathered together by imitation from the 〈◊〉 shall all be scattered ; and there you all are ▪ for you all deny revelation , and say it is ceased ; and so you call the letter the light and the word : but with that which was before the scripture you are seen and judged , even with that which shall endure for ever . and seeing you have cast reproach upon the name of the god of hea●●● and earth whom we wor●●ip , and which you call delusion ▪ for the truths sake are we moved to lay open your ●akedness , that you may be judged by that which you say is your rule . here in this little book thou who hast any honesty in thee , or any desire of truth , and wilt search the scripture , thou wilt see th●● 〈◊〉 the teachers of the world in all forms , and all professors ever cryed out ( who had but the form ) against them who had the life and power , as you all 〈◊〉 now against them who worship god in the spirit , and have no confiden●e in the flesh : and therefore in this following disco●rse which 〈◊〉 written by the same spirit that gave forth the scripture , thou shalt see who are the false prophets , and who they are that preach another gospel , and who they are that deny the scriptures ; and thou mayst see when the false prophets came in , and who they are clearly proved to be , by their own rules . and all you who call your selves magistrates and christians , you may see your selves to hold up that which christ , the prophets and apostles cryed o●● against , and persecute them who stand in the counsel of god , and them th●● declare against all the deceit , as the holy men of god did : and so you are the beast which holds up the false prophets and those whom the scripture declareth against . god is arisen to d●… to pieces all them who withstand him : and therefore come out of babylon , ●●d out of all your painted forms , and come to own the first principle which will change your mindes , even the light of christ which he hath enlightned every one withal ; and by it you shall see what you are doing . now if you deny this , you deny the corner-stone , and you stumble and shall be broken , and by th●● which you call natural shall all your image of gold and silver , and all your mixed invented worship be dashed to pieces , and 〈◊〉 for the pit ▪ therefore all be silent and speak not evil of those thing● you know not ; for now you are all seen , you who say you are ●●ws and are not , but are of the synagogue of satan , and your voice is known , for none is turned from the evil of his way ; and therefore is wrath coming upon you to the utmost . a lover of your souls , but am a witness against all your deceit . f. h. vvhereas we are accused by the teachers and people of this generation , that we are false prophets , and deceivers ; and that we deny the christ which dyed at jerusalem ; and that we preach another gospel then the apostles preached ; and that we deny the scriptures , and the ordinances of iesus christ ; and that we hold free-will , and establish self-righteousness , and teach people to act in their own strength to obtain life ; and that we deny churches , ministers , and magistracy . to all these false accusations i answer . it is no new thing , nor no strange thing to the children of light , who are separated from the world , and worldly worships ; and from the works of darkness , to be accused falsly , and to be standered , by being called deceivers and seducers , by the generation of chief priests and pharisees ; in which generation are the teachers and professors of this age , who have a form of godliness , but deny the power . christ was called a deceiver and a blasphemer ; and the apostles were called movers of sedition , hereticks , and turners of the world up-side down ▪ by them who professed in word what christ was in substance , and what the apostles witnessed , and so it is now . we who are scornfully called quakers , do live in , and declare forth , no other thing but the substance of what the priests have preached upon , and the pofessors have talked upon in their carnal minds by their imaginations . he is a false prop●●● and a deceiver which hath not the word from the mouth of the lord , but takes that which the lord spoke to another , and calls it his , and us●… his tongue and saith , the lord saith it , when the lord never spake to him : and here are the teachers of the world themselves guilty of that whereof they fal●●y accuse us ; for they take the prophets words , christs and the apostles words to talk upon , but have not received the word from the mouth of the lord ; and their prophesie and preaching would soon be ended if they had not the scripture , which is other mens words , and that which was spoken to others , to spe●● their imaginations from : and these are the false prophets and deceivers , which run , and are not sent , which speak to others , pretending they be sent of god ▪ but walking contrary to all that ever god sent to declare his name in fo●… generations , and so are known to us by their fruits , having no example from the prophets , christ , nor his apostles for their practice ; but do walk in the example of the false prophets of israel , of the scribes and pharisees , and of the false brethren . o foolish people which have eyes and sees not , which have hea●… and do not understand : is the lord changed from what he was ? were they fal●● prophets and deceivers in isaiah's time , which he was sent to cry out against , which sought for their gain from their quarter ? and are not your teachers false prophets now , which act the same things ? were they false prophets and deceivers in ezekiel's time , which 〈◊〉 was sent to cry against , that fed themselves wi●● the fat , and clothed themselves with the wool , and made a prey upon the people ? and are not your teachers false prophets and deceivers now , which 〈◊〉 the same thing ? were they false prophets in micahs time , which he was sent 〈◊〉 cry out against , which preached for hire and divined for money , and cry●● peace to them that put into their mouthes but prepared war against them that 〈◊〉 not ? and are not your priests false priests and prophets which act the same thing● were they deceivers of the people in christs time , which he cryed wo agai●… ▪ which were called of men-masters , and which had the chief places in the ●…blies , and which stood praying in the synagogues , and went in long robes , 〈◊〉 which loved greetings in the markets ; and are not your teachers deceivers of the people now , which are found acting the same things ? were they false teachers and false brethren in the apostles time , which they declared against , which through coveteousness with feigned words made merchandise of the people , and went in the way of balaam , for gifts and rewards , and preached for filthy lucre , and which paul saw come and coming in his dayes ; which were proud men , coveteous men , self-willed , and fierce men , heady , high-minded men , having a form of godliness , but denying the power , which alwayes taught people , b●● none were able to come to the knowledge of the truth under their teaching ? a●● are not your teachers false teachers now , who walk in the same steps ? to ●●e light in all consciences i do speak , which will witness the truth : a sottish and ignorant people , which cannot discern who the false prophets , and deceivers ▪ and false teachers are ; the lord is the same that ever he was , and his spirit 〈◊〉 no whit changed . was it once an abomination to the lord in the false priests and prophets of israel , to seek for their gain from their quarter , and to feed themselves with the fat , and clothe themselves with the wool , and make a prey upo● the people , and to preach for hire , and to divine for money ? and are not these thing● and they that uphold them abomination to him now ? did the spirit of the lord in his servants declare against these things then , and against them that up●… them then ; and must not the same spirit , where it is made manifest , declare agai●●● these things , and against them that uphold them now ? was it once an abomi●●tion in the sight of christ in them , to be called of men master , and to have 〈◊〉 chief places in the assemblies , and to stand praying in the synagogues , &c. and are not these things an abomination to him now in whom they are upheld ? d●● christ cry wo against such things , and against them that upheld them then ; and must not the spirit of christ , where it is made manifest , cry wo against such things , and against them that uphold them now ? were these mar●s of false teachers then , to make merchandise of the people , and to go in the way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , for gifts and rewards , and for filthy 〈◊〉 and to be proud , cove●… , ●eady , high-minded ▪ self-willed , and fierce men ? and are not they false teachers now which bear these marks ? did the apostle give warning to beware of such , and to turn away from such ? and must not the same spirit where it is made manifest give warning to beware of such , and to turn away from such now ? we witness to have received according to measure , the spirit of the prophets 〈◊〉 which they spoke ▪ and the spirit of the apostles by which they spoke , which is , christ made manifest in us , and happy are all they that receive our testimony . for by the same spirit of christ we do declare against these abomination● now , as the holy men of god did then ▪ for god and his spirit is the same as ever was , and what he once ●a●ed he hates forever ; and no other christ do we ●●clare forth , which we witness to be made manifest within , but that christ which dyed at ierusalem , which suffered by the chief priests and elders of the people ; he was and is the true christ , which said , he was the light of the world ; and was the light which had enlightened every man that comes into the world ; and which said , except a man would deny the world , and take up his daily cross , and follow him , he could not he his disciple ; and which cryed wo against them which were called of men masters , and that had the chief places in the assemblies , and that stood praying in the synagogues , &c. and they who denyed him to be the light of the world , and which too● not up the cross , and which were called of men masters , and had the chiefest places in the assemblies , and stood praying in the synagogues , and went in long robes , these were antichrists , and ●ere acted by a contrary spirit then the true christ. and here again , i charge all the teachers and people ( in the presence of the lord god , who deny christ to be the light in every one , which reproves for sin ) and who are called of men masters , and stand praying in the 〈◊〉 and go in long ●obes , and who uphold such things , and who take not up the daily cross of christ , but live at liberty in their wills and desires , that they are antichrists , and that their spirit is not the spirit of the true christ , which dyed at ierusalem , but the spirit of a false christ , and so they are guilty of that themselves , whereof they falsly accuse us ▪ and the same christ do we witness which the saints of old witnessed , whose blood cleansed them from all sin , and in whose power they had power over sin , death , and hell . and here again i charge the teachers and people , who say , that the saints must not be cleansed from sin , nor cease to commit sin while they are on the earth ; that the christ which they profess is not the christ which dyed at jerusalem , but a spirit contrary , and not the christ which the saints witnessed ; and all the people are blind which cannot see these things . did the true christ once say , he was the light of the world , of every man that comes into the world ? and is that his spirit in the teachers and pr●…ssors now , which say , every man hath not the light of christ in him ? was that the true christ which said , except you take up my cross daily you cannot be my disciples ? and is that his spirit in the teachers and people that hath its liberty , and live in pride , in lust , and vanity ▪ and their own wills ? was that the true christ which cryed wo against them that were called of men masters , and that had the chief places in the assemblies , and stood praying in the synagogues , &c , and is that his spirit in the teachers and people which act and uphold those things : was 〈◊〉 the true christ which the saints witnessed , by whose blood they 〈◊〉 cle●sed from sin , and had power over sin , and is that his spirit in the teachers and people , which saith , the saints must not be cle●sed from si● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to c●…t sin while they are 〈◊〉 earth ? oh blind and ignorant people ! who cannot discern between the 〈◊〉 christ and antichrist , which is contrary to christ , and which leads now to act and speak contrary to what the true christ once acted and spoke : and no other gospe● do we preach , but that which the apostles preached , which they received not fro● nor by man , but by the revelation of iesus christ , which was contrary to man , and which suffered by man for the preaching of it ; who preached to the spi●… in prison to redeem the captives , and by which the fleshly man was judged in the 〈◊〉 that man might live according to god in spirit ; and this gospl we witness to have received not from man , but by the revelation of jesus christ , which is contrary to man , for which we are persecuted and suffer by man : neither do w● speak to the wisdom and reason , but we preach to the spirits in prison , that the fleshly man may be judged in the flesh , that man may live according to god 〈◊〉 the spirit ; this will many witness with us , that by the preaching of our gospe● liberty is brought to the captives , and the fleshly man is judgest , and the spirit which was in prison is set free . and here again i charge the teachers of this generation , that their gospel which they preach is not the gospel which the saints preached , but another gospel , and they are guilty of that themselves whereof they falsly accuse us ; for they have received their gospel from man , and by man , from the printers a●● stationers , and are made minister of it by the will of man , at schools , and ●niversities ; and their preaching is in the will of man , a limited time and place neither do they suffer by man , but are set up with man , and feed the wisdom 〈◊〉 reason of man ; and the fleshly man is not judged , nor the captives redeemed 〈◊〉 their gospel , which they preach ; here they are accursed which preach anot●… gospel , as saith the scripture : and ye are a blind and ignorant people which cannot see these things ; did they that preached the true gospel receive it contrary to the will of man ? and can it now be received by the will of man ? did they which preached it suffer for it by man ? and can they now who preach it , be●… up by man , who live in the same persecuting nature ? did the true gospel o●… judge the fleshly man , ) and lead to live according to god in the spirit ? and do●… it now give liberty to the fleshly man , to live after the flesh in the lust of it , 〈◊〉 the teachers and professor of this generation do , who profess the gospel , 〈◊〉 are discovered not to be come to the law ? and the scripture we own to be 〈◊〉 true declaration of the life which they lived in which spoke them ●orth ; and 〈◊〉 the same spirit from which they were spoken ( which we have received ) do we 〈◊〉 to our seals , that they are ●rue ; and the scripture is ours , who walk in the life 〈◊〉 it ; proud men spoke it not forth , nor they that sought for their gain from the●● quarter ; nor they that preached for hire ; nor they that were called 〈◊〉 men master , but persecuted them that spoke it forth , and denyed it when it was spoken . and here again , i charge it upon the teachers and professors of this generation , that they deny the scripture , and are guilty of that themselves whereof they falsly accuse us ; for they say , none must be perfect upon the earth ; when as 〈◊〉 scripture declares of such as were perfect upon earth : and they say ; none 〈◊〉 be free from sin ; when as the scripture declares of such as were free from sin , and were the servants of righteousness : they say , christ hath not enlightened every 〈◊〉 the scripture saith , he is the light of the world , and hath enlightened every one &c. can they now who live in the same persecuting nature , and walk in the 〈◊〉 steps as they did which persecuted them who spoke forth the scripture ( as the te●chers and people do ) own the scripture in truth ? their professing of the scripture is as theirs was , which made a great profession of it in the outward appearance , but put him to death who had the life , and was the substance of it : they then , as the teachers of the world do now , denyed the spirit and life whic● gave sorth the scriptures . and the ordinances of jesus christ we own and witness , preaching , praying , baptism , communion , singing , and whatsoever was ordained for his saints to practise in life and power ; we witness these things in the eternal substance , having passed through the earthly figures , which was but to stand for its time ; by the eternal have we been led , by the command of it within us , and got by tradition from the scripture without us , and we deny all such who have taken up these things in their own wills , by conforming the outward man to the outward letter , and have not entred in at the door . true preaching we own , and do witness , in which is the cross of christ , and the power god unto salvation or condemnation , it is foolishness to the world , and its wisdom , now as ever it was ; and we deny all speaking of imaginations from the scripture , which is in the wisdom of the world , and which stands in the will of man limitted to a set time , day or place . prayer by spirit , and in the spirit we own and witness , which is not limitted to a time and place : and we deny all the worlds formal customary preaching and praying for a pretence . baptism we own and witness , which is , with one spirit , into one body , into the death of christ : and we deny all baptisms which are imagined and imitated , by conforming the outward man to the outward letter , which is but a likeness of the the true baptism . communion we live in , which is , in the light by the spirit , which will endure eternally : and we deny the worlds imitation , which is in word and declaration , and visible carnal things which will pass away . singing which is with the spirit and with understanding , of the redeemed of the lord , we own and witness ; but the worlds singing in rime and meeter , proud men singing , that they are not puft in mind ; and prophane men singing , that the law of god is dear to them ; this singing we deny , for it must be turned into howling , the lord hath said it . and here again , i charge it upon the teachers of the world , that they deny the substance and power of what christ commands his saints to practice , by upholding their own imitations , and so deceiving the people ; but where the substance is witnessed , the figure is denyed , and the false imitations are discovered and denied : and mans free-will we do deny , for the will of man shall never enter to god , but leads out from god into the lust , and into the flesh , and , keeps in the power of the devil ; and man hath free-will unto that which is evil , but not to that which is good ; and all who follow christ the light of the world , must deny their own wills , and take up the cross of christ , which is to the will , and walk in the light , contrary to the will , in the strait way which leads unto life , which is out of the will of man , in the will of god , which the will of man doth resist and oppose . and i charge it upon the teachers and professors , who do not witness the daily cross of christ , that they live in their own free-will , and holds it up , and are led by it , into pride , and coveteousness , and lusts of the flesh , which stand in the will ; and here they are guilty of that themselves whereof they falsly accuse us , living in their own free-will , and walk not in the daily cross of christ. and self-righteousness we have denied , and have seen it in the same light which isaiah did , to be as filthy rags ; and we declare against it , and against them which live in it ; for self must not be saved , it is accursed from god , it is wholly unrighteous ( and makes the best of actions so ) and is , and must be cast out from god : christ jesus made manifest and revealed in us is our righteousness , and self is judged and condemned by him , who is made unto us righteousness ; neither do we teach people to labour in their own strength to obtain life , but do direct people to the light of christ within them , which walking in , will be strength to them to lead them to life ; the light which is of christ , to which we direct all to wait in , to be taught by ; it will lead out of self-righteousness , and from under the power of self , to witness the power of god , to lead , and to act , and to witness christ jesus revealed , the righteousness of god. and the church which is in god , which is the body of christ , whereof christ is head , we witness , and are members of it , gathered and joyned by the eternal spirit , and not by tradition in the wisdom of man. and we deny all the worlds churches , whereof they were made members by visible things without , and gathered by traditions ( and not by the spirit ) whereof the serpent is head ( and not christ ) and which is the body of antichrist , some of which commits idolatry i● an idols-temple ; and the ministry of this church we deny , for it stands in 〈◊〉 will of man , and the ministers of it are such as all the servants of the lord witnessed against : the churches , the ministry , and the ministers are contrary to god ; but the ministry which is to the seed , which is out of the will of man , we own and witness , which ministers life unto life and death unto death , and divides the word aright , judgment to the fat and to the strong , and feeds the ●…gry , and looseth the bars of wickedness , and breaks not the bruised reed , 〈◊〉 quencheth not the smoaking flax ; this ministry we deny not , but are friends unto it ; and who are ministers here , we have union withal ; but proud men , and such as are called of men masters are cast out of this ministry , and are mini●… to the body of antichrist , and know not the mystery of the ministry of jesus christ , which is to the spirit in prison . magistrates and magistracy we deny not , but do give respect unto for conscience sake ; for who bears the sword of justice , who use their power to be a terror to the wicked , and for the praise of them that do well , are ministers of god ; and we desire that there were more magistracy here , and that the magistrate would more use his power , to be a terror to lyars , to swearers , to drunkards , to railers , to false accusers , and to proud men , and oppressors , this 〈◊〉 are friends unto ; but to such as act by their own wills in corrupt laws , and 〈◊〉 thereby violence to the innocent , and strengthen the hands of evil-doers , we cannot be subject , but choose rather ( then to transgress the law of god , whi●● is written in our hearts , by submitting to such mens wills and laws ) to suffer by the corrupt wills of men , under corrupt laws for a moment . and thus i have answered those false accusations which are cast upon us , and 〈◊〉 declare it to be the same spirit in the teachers and people of this generatio●… which accuseth us , as it was in the scribes and pharisees , which accused chr●… and his disciple ; and this the scripture witnesseth unto ; as they did unto him , 〈◊〉 would they do unto us . a further answer to that accusation of being false prophets , and deceivers . jesus christ prophesied and said , that in the last dayes should many false prophets arise , which should deceive many , and if it were possible the very elect. now the teachers and people of this generation do say , that we ( who by the world are called quakers ) are those false prophets and deceivers which christ prophesied of . of this their false accusation have they , drunkards , lyars , swearers , and all the ungodly people in every profession to witness them ; but their accusation and their witnesses we do deny , though they preach it among the people for doctrine . and now in answer to this false accusation and slander , i am moved to write a little , and shall to that principle of god in every mans conscience clear my conscience , and declare what i know from god concerning those false prophets ; who they are , when they came in , and how they may be known ; and shall leave it to every honest heart to consider of , the apostles and ministers of jesus christ saw the same false prophets which christ prophesied of to be come , and coming in their dayes , before a quaker wa● heard of : iohn said , by that they knew that it was the last time : for , said he , even now are there many antichrists and false prophets gone out into the world ; such wer● they who confessed not christ to be come in the flesh ; and they were of the world , and spoke of the world , and the world heard them . now here i charge it upon the teachers of the world , that they are of that generation which went out into the world then ; for as they then confessed not christ to be come in the flesh , so these uphold those things which were under the law , which was before christ came in the flesh outwardly ; and so confess christ not to be come in the flesh , and so they are antichrist ▪ they uphold an outward temple , and an outward worship , and take tythes , as the priests under the law did , as a type and figure of christ , but when he was come , and sacrificed , these things ( which were to stand for a time ) were put to an end : and none who witnessed christ come , and were sent by him to preach the gospel , did uphold those things , but witnessed forth the substance , and denied the figure ; they denied the outward temple , and witnessed they were the temples of god , and that god dwelt in them , and denied the outward worship , and witnessed the worship of god in spirit and in truth within them , ( for they who worshipped without , worshipped they knew not what , as they do now ) and they denied to take tythes , but lived of the gospel ; and said , they that preached it , should live of it ; but the teachers of this generation are of the world , living in its pride , lusts and vanities ; and they who live in the same worldly nature uphold them , and hear them . iohn also said , every spirit that confesseth not christ to be come in the flesh , is antichrist . and here i charge it upon the teachers of the world , that their spirit of pride and covetousness , and envy , and hypocrisie which rules in them , is the spirit of antichrist , and confesseth not christ to be come in the flesh ; for where he is made manifest , and come in the flesh , this spirit is destroyed ; for , ( as saith the scripture ) he was made manifest to destroy the works of the devil . paul was also a witness of the false prophets and deceivers which christ prophesied of in his time ; for he gave warning to beware of such , and to turn away from such whom he saw then come , and coming in , but came more fully in after his dayes ; he said of this sort , they were lovers of themselves , covetous , proud , heady , high-minded , fierce men and dispisers of those that were good , given to filthy lucre , and to pleasure , and were false-accusers , and blasphemers , and without natural affection , and unthankfull , and unholy , and taught silly women , who were led with divers lusts , but were not able to come to the knowledge of the truth by their teaching : they were men of corrupt minds , and reprobat● concerning faith. and here again i charge it upon the teachers of the world , that they are of that generation which came in then ; for they are lovers of themselves , they take money of poor people , to whom they are more able to give ; and they are proud and covetous men , that go in their ribbons and cuffs , and gaudy attire ; and they preach to them where they can get most money ; and some takes money of them , and sues them at the law , to whom they preach not at all : they are heady and high-minded men , for poor people bow to them in the streets , and call them masters : they are fierce men , and dispise those that are good ; if any speak against them , ( of the truth ) they are fierce against , and despise such : and they are given to filthy lucre , and are lovers of pleasure , for where they can have most money , there they will abide ; and they live in pleasure , in idleness , and lust and vanity ; they are flase-accusers , they will call them deceivers , which are not ; and that blasphemy , which is not ; and they are blasphemers , and without natural affection . they say the letter is the word , and the scripture the light , which is contrary to scripture , for god is the word , and christ is the light ; and they will suffer the rude multitude , and some will set them upon it , to hale , beat , and strike out of their assemblies , which is without natural affection : they are unthankful and unholy ; they have great sums of money from the people , and are not thankful , but compel them by a law to pay them ; and herein they are unholy by their actions which are declared , which is oppression ; and they teach always , but men and women are ignorant still , and none able to come to the knowledge of the truth by them ; and they have a form of godliness ; they profess the scriptures , that the children of the lord are to be taught of the lord ; and that christ said , take no thought what to eat , nor what to drink , nor wherewith to be cloathed ; but who witness themselves taught of god , and that they need no man to teach them ; and that take no care what to eat , nor what to drink , nor what to put on , and so witness the promise of god , and abide in the doctrine of christ , these you call deceivers , and idle and careless persons , and thus deny the power of what they have professed ; and herein their minds are corrupt and reprobate concerning fa●…ith for faith is the substance , and purifies the heart from these things which they are guilty of . and peter and iude also were witnesses of those deceivers and false prophets which christ prophesied of , in their time ; for they saw such were come , and coming , which should bring in damnable heresies , and through covetousness , with feigned words , make merchandise of the people ; they walk after the flesh , in the lust of uncleanness , and despise government and dominion ; presumptuous are they , self-willed , they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities ; they speak evil of things that they understand not ; they have eyes full of adultery , and they cannot cease from sin , beguiling unstable souls ; an heart they have , exercised with covetous practises ; cursed children , which have forsaken the right way , and are gone astray , following the way of balaam , who loved the wages of unrighteousness , they themselves are the servants of corruption ; ungodly men , turning the grace of god into laciviousness , and defile the flesh ; these are murmurers , complainers , walking after their own lusts , and their mouthes speak great swelling words , having mens persons in admiration because of advantage ; these be they who separate themselves , sensual , having not the spirit . and here again i charge it upon the teachers of this age , that they are of that generation which came into the world then ; for they have brought in , and do uphold damnable heresies , telling people , that sprinkling infants with water is the baptism into the faith ; and that singing david's experiences in rime and meeter , is singing to the glory of god ; and that a house of stone is the temple and church of god ; these are damnable heresies : and they do through covetousness make merchandise of the people ; if they can get more money at another place , thither they will go ; and thus people are their merchandise : they wal● after the flesh , in the lusts of uncleanness ; they walk in pride and in lust ; and some of them will be drunk , and lye , and swear , and talk uncleanly ; and they despise the saints government and dominion ( for they walk in the wayes of the world , in the customs and traditions of men , and follow their own wills ) and whom the spirit of god governs , and hath dominion over , follows christ for their example , whose government and dominion they are under ; but they live in pride , lust and vanity , and according to the flesh ; and herein they despi●● government and dominion , and speak evil of this dignity , and of the mysteries of god revealed in his saints , which they know not , nor understand not , calling it error : they are presumptuous and self-willed ; they have presumed to call themselves ministers of christ , and all the towns where they live , must serve , and be subject to their wills ; and they are adulterated from god after honour and riches , and the vanities of the world ; and they cannot cease from sin themselves ; for they say , none must cease from it while they are on the earth ; and herein they beguile many souls ; for , till sin be ceased from the soul , it is beguiled ; they have a heart exercised with covetous practises , and they follow the way of balaam , and go for gifts and rewards , and love the wages of unrighteousness : they take money of poor people for sprinkling infants , and for burying the dead , which are covetous practises : they take money for hens and eggs , and for smoke passing up the chimney , which are unrighteous wages : and thus they have forsaken the right way of god , and of all the saints which spoke forth the scripture ; and in these things they are servants of corruption , and are ungodly men , and turn the grace of god ( which shines in their consciences , which shews them their ungodly wayes ) into laciviousness ; and through the lust they defile the flesh : and many of them will murmur and complain for want of wages , even to spend upon their lusts ; and they speak great swelling words , speaking of the fame of christ , of his life and death , and resurrection , but cannot witness by the spirit of christ within them , what they speak of him ; and they have mens persons in admiration because of advantage ; some of them had the bishops in admiration , and some the king in admiration , and now they have others who bear rule in admiration ; and thus they deceitfully have twined to admire mens persons , only because of advantage ; many of them have separated themselves , none who are not of their judgment must joyn with them in their worship ; but ●●ither they , nor their separates have the spirit of the living god , but do deny 〈◊〉 infallible spirit ; and they are sensual in their wayes , practises and wisdom ●●d these have deceived many , even whole nations . and here you see plainly when the deceivers and false prophets came in ; they were come , and coming in , in the apostles dayes , and then was the prophesie of christ fulfilling and fulfilled : and the apostle suffered under tyrants , and were put to cruel deaths , and then they came in more fully ; for since the apostles days hath been a great apostacy , and many forms of worship , and wayes of religion have been imitated from the letter through imaginations , and but one generation of teachers , though one above another , in the comprehension & sensual wisdom , and at enmity one against another , though all in one birth and nature . but they are all discovered by the light , praises ( from all that know god ) to him for ever . since the apostles dayes hath darkness been spread over all , though the lord had some which he preserved for himself in the midst of apostacy and darkness ; who the false prophets are which christ prophesied of , to every honest heart and single eye may be known : christ said , by their fruits should they be known ; and the fruits of the teachers of the world are plainly made appear to be the fruits of deceivers , and not of the ministers of christ ; none have gathered grapes nor figs from them . and thus i have cleared my conscience in the presence of god concerning the false slander and accusation which the teachers and people of the world do cast upon us ; and to that in every ones conscience it is made appear , who they are to whom this accusation justly belongs . wo unto all you who strive against the lord , and justifie that which the holy men of god , ( which spake forth the scripture ) in the scripture declared against ; and which condemn that which the holy men of god in the scriptures justified , and witnessed for : you who live in pride , in coveteousness , in double-dealing , and in hypocrisie , and in the lusts of the flesh ; you strive against the lord god , and against the light of god , which is in your consciences , which shews you these things to be sin : you resist the drawings of the father , which would draw you by the light to follow the son. wo and desolation is to come upon all you who will not be taught by the light of christ jesus , which he hath enlightened you withal ; which light all the holy men of god were taught by , who gave forth the scriptures , but do set up teachers without you , such as all the holy men of god , the prophets , christ and his apostles declared against . oh blinded , stiff-necked people , which are not ashamed to call such ministers of christ , and of the gospel ( and by your corrupt wills and laws to defend them ) which seek for their gain from their quarter , and which feed themselves with the fat , and clothe themselves with the wooll ; and which preach for hire and divine for money ; and prepare war against them that put not into their mouthes : here you justifie such as the prophets of the lord were sent to cry against , and deny isaiah , ezekiel , and micah , to be true prophets ; for if you did believe that they spoke from the mouth of the lord , the word of the lord , and understood what they spoke , then would you not uphold them which act those things which they declared against ; for that which was abomination to the lord then , is abomination to him now ; and that spirit which declared against these things then , cannot uphold them now . and here the teachers and people are tryed , not to have the same spirit which was in the holy prophets of the lord , but the spirit of the false prophets , acting by it that which they acted , which the true prophets cryed against ; and thus by upholding that which the lord sent his servants to declare against , you strive against the lord , ye magistrates and people . and you are not ashamed to call such ministers of christ which ( walk in the same steps , and that act those things that they did , which christ , cryed wo against ) are called of men masters , and have the chief places in the assemblies , and stand praying in the synagogues , and go in long robes , and love greetings in the markets , as they did : here you justifie such as christ cryed wo against , and deny that christ spoke the truth , what was the mind of his father , or understood it not ; for if you did believe that he spoke the will of his father , then would ye not uphold these that act the same things which he cryed wo against ; and he changes not ; that which he once cryed against , the same spirit where it is witnessed , cries against the same things . and here again the teachers of the world are tryed , not to have the spirit of christ , but the spirit of the scribes and pharisees , who act that which they acted , which he cryed wo against : and herein magistrates and people strive against the lord god , by upholding that which christ cryed wo astainst ; and such who are ministers of christ , and walk in his doctrine , and in the same steps which he and his apostles walked in , witnessing for that which they witnessed for , and against that which they witnessed against ; them you call deceivers , and false prophets , and accuse them for vagabonds , and wandring beggars , and idle and careless persons ; and that they have left their families , and carelesly wander up and down . and herein you magistrates and people strive against the lord , by persecuting , and slandering , and false accusing , and condemning such as the scripture justifies , and the servants of the lord which spoke forth the scripture do witness of to be true . what would you have called christ , who had no where to lay his head ? he was no vagabond , nor idle , nor careless person . and what would you have called the apostles and ministers of christ ? who had left their families and callings , and went up and down , and had no certain dweling place , but went from city to city , and cared not for the world ; nor what to eat , nor what to drink , nor wherewith to be clothed ; this they did , and yet were no vagabonds , nor idle , nor careless persons , but abode in the doctrine of christ : they were hated by your generation , as we are now by you ; and they were called , pestilent fellows , and movers of sedition , and heriticks , and men of erronious iudgments : and they said , they were troublers of their cities , as you do now call us false prophets and deceivers . i do declare this generation to be the same which persecuted the prophets , christ , and his apostles , as it doth persecute us ; for by the same power we stand , as they did , and by the same power we are commanded and acted , as they were . and to the power by which we stand , and are commanded , shall all the power of men , and of the earth bow , and be subject . o all you magistrates and people , consider of your blindness and ignorance , who do absolutely justifie and uphold such as the scripture declares and witnesses against , and do condemn and persecute such as the scripture justifies and witnesses of , and do put them out of your synagogues , and villages : search the prophets , and christ , and the apostles writings , in them you may read your example , and our example . in jeremiah . you may read how pashur the chief governour , when he had heard what jeremiah had said , smot him , and put him in the prison , and in the stocks , and dealt wickedly with him : now jeremiah is our example , who had the word of the lord , and spake freely ; sometimes in the streets , and in the gate of the lords house , and feared no mans face , but prophesied against the priests and false prophets , which used their tongue , and had not the word from the lord , but was given to lightness and covetousness : and pashur , who smote him , and put him in the prison , is your example , whose measure of wickedness you fulfil , in doing as he did ; and by your oppressions is the sufferings and reproaches of jeremiah fulfilled in us , who is made a derision daily , and a scorn to the wicked , since we spake in the name of the lord , as jeremiah was in that generation of evil-doers , who is your example : also in amos . you may read how amaziah the kings priest sent to the king of israel , and they conspired against him ; and amaziah forbad amos to prophesie any more at bethel , for it is the kings chappel , and the kings court ; and said he , the land is not able to bear his words . now herein amaziah the priest , and jeroboam the king , who were both persecuters , is your example , who takes counsel against the innocent , and thrusts out of your countries , and cities , and towns , and makes laws against the servants of the lord , and forbids us to speak any more in your courts or chappels , and beats , and persecutes us , and do say , the land is not able to bear such things as are spoken and written by us : and amos , who was no prophet , nor prophets son , but a poor labouring man is our example , who was innocent , and spake the word of the lord against the songs of the temples , in the chappel and in the kings court ; and his example doth witness to our practises , as the example of the wicked in their wickedness , do witness your practice , whom you succeed in oppression . and also you may read through the scriptures , how the children of god , who were called of him , were hated and persecuted by the seed of evil-doers , they slew the prophets , and persecuted them that were sent unto them : david was a scorn , and a reproach , and a hissing to his enemies ; and job was mocked of his friends , and counted a mad-man ; and many of the servants of the lord suffered cruel deaths under the hands of the oppressor : and they that were sufferers , and were mocked , scorned , and persecuted , are our example ; and the mockers and persecutors are your example : christ and the apostles in their time were s●fferers ; and you may read how herod and pilate , and the officers , and chief priests caused christ to suffer unjustly , by imprisonments , and scourgings , and sufferings , and reviling● , though no evil could be justly laid to his charge ; and he is our example in the like things , and as they did unto him , so you do unto us , as being of the same seed , and th●● he ●aid : and herod , and the cruel officers , and chief priests are your example , of whose seed you are brought forth , fulfilling their measure of wickedness and cruelty , in this your day and time , and oppressing the just with cruel bonds of iniquity . and you may read how the apostles were persecuted through the whole book of acts , and put out of their towns , and stoned ( some unto death ) and were forbid to speak any more in the name of iesus , and were thought to be men not worthy to live upon the earth , were called , pestilent fellows , and movers of sedition , and turners of the world upside down ; and these were our example , who had left their callings , countries , and relations , and gave themselves to be spent for the lord's sake , and declared against the false ministry , which preached for hire , and gifts , and rewards ; and against them that had the form of godliness , but not the power ; and went into the idol temples , and declared against them , and against their outward traditional worships : in these things and many more , we follow them as an example , even as you follow the wicked in their cruelty and oppression , nero , and festus , and caesar , and such like , who were enemies unto god , as you are , and brought forth the same works as you do , being of the same nature , and following their example ; so that now as ever , he who is born of the flesh persecutes him that is born after the spirit : and the wisdom of this world is enmity against god , and cannot receive the things of god's kingdom : therefore repent , when you have read your example of wickedness , then read your example in the cursed end of wrath from the lord god , which came upon the persecutors of old , as it will come upon you . the vengeance of god you cannot flee , his fierce wrath will come upon you , and weeping , and howling , and lamentation , and misery will be your portion . o tremble to think ●pon your ignorance ; to what purpose have you made a profession of the scriptures , who ●…tifie those things , and those men which it plainly declares against ; and condemns those practices and those men which it plainly witnesseth of ? repent , and take warning betime , before the decree of the lord of host be sealed against you ; for i have cleared my conscience , in letting you see your own ignorance and blindness , ye magistates and people : and thus you are left without excuse , whether you will hear or forbear . by one who is a labourer in the vineyard , who is not known to the world , though named of the world , edward burrough . the true faith of the gospel of peace contended for , in the spirit of meekness ; and th● mystery of salvation ( christ within the hope of glory ) vindicated in the spirit of love , against the secret opposition of iohn bunyan a professed minister in bedfordshire . or , an answer to his book , called , some gospel truths opened , &c. w●… in also he hath mixed many lyes and slanders , and hath secretly gainsayed the way of truth , and doctrine of salvation , under the account of error and heresie , as the generation of chief priests ever did . or , a return of truth in simplicity , in the denial of his false accusations , a●… his dark vail of false reproaches taken off , and the innocency of the upright appearing . with some queries given forth for him to answer , that truth may further app●… and deceit may be ashamed , where ever it is found . reader , unto whom this may come , especially you in bedfordshire , for whose sake , chiefly , t●… sent forth , after the false reproaches of a professed minister among you , who hath 〈◊〉 called himself in his title , unworthy , as is proved in this return ; wherein the 〈◊〉 hearted may see , that i have not striven for mastery , by multitude of words , nor many 〈◊〉 arguments , to obtain a name , but in simplicity of heart have born my witness against 〈◊〉 lyes , and vindicated the truth as it is in iesus ; not in a curious mind , but in the simpli●… of the gospel . and unto you that are honest , in any measure towards god , and towards 〈◊〉 i leave this and his to be judged , with an impartial mind , and what is made manifest to be t●… let it be owned by you ; and this is the end wherefore it is given forth , that truth may be 〈◊〉 braced , and deceit condemned , and the light of the world may be followed , which leads 〈◊〉 eternal life , and without which there is no salvation . e. b. how long ye crafty fowlers will ye prey upon the innocent , and 〈◊〉 at him secretly ? how long shall the righteous be a prey to your tee●● ye subtil foxes who seek to devour ? the just one ( against whom yo● bow is bent ) cryes for vengeance against you in the ears of the lor● yet you strengthen your hands in iniquity , and gird your selves with the zeal 〈◊〉 madness , and fury ; you think to swallow up the harmless , and to blot out t●… name of the righteous , that his generation may not be found on earth : y●… shoot your arrows of cruelty , even bitter words , and makes the innocent your mark to prey upon : you dispise the way of uprightness ; and simplicity , and the path of craft and subtilty you tread ; your dens are in darkness , and your mischief is hatched upon your beds of secret whoredoms . when will you cease to grind the face of the poor , and to oppress the humble , upon whom you tread in your vain glories , and outward shews of holiness , as though you were the blessed people ? and you are exalted above innocency in your feigned hypocrisie , and subtilty , and yet are found out with the searching eye of the lord , who knows your thoughts afar off to be wicked , and your purposes to be vain ; and as with a whirle-wind will he scatter you , and your name shall rot , and your memorial shall not be found ; and the deeper you have digged the pit for another , the greater will be your own fall , and the more miserable your desolation , which comes upon you suddenly , in a day you expect not : how are the innocent , and he that is departed from iniquity become the table-talk of the prophane , and the song of drunkards ? and how are we become the study-work of the wise , and of the learned , and their subject of wicked doctrines : surely the diviner is gone mad , and the wise-men are become fools , and the heart of the disobedient is set to do evil ; but the lord taketh our part against our enemies , and therefore are we preserved , and our enemies shall be confounded , and lyars and slanderers shall fall together , and the innocency of the innocent shall shine in its beauty , and the vails of reproaches , and slanders , and false accusations shall be clean removed in the day of our god ; and for a moment we are willing to submit under the present suffering , by slanderous tongues , that we may reign for ever . it is not unknown to many , how that in this day wherein the lord hath made known his power , to the gathering of his people , and to the bringing forth of his own seed to inherit the land of peace ; how that the powers of darkness , and the strength of hell is risen , and joyned in a body to make war against the lord , and to prevent his purpose ; and men are sorely disquieted , and all is on an uproar , and to defend themselves they are come forth , to vindicate their interest in the region of darkness do they appear ; and because their kingdom is deeply invaded with the face of a deadly enemy , therefore they have put on their strength , and fortified themselves , and shewed their strength and force under several colours ; some in open persecution , imprisonments , and beatings , and cruel oppressions , and some in scorning , and back-biting , and open lying , and slandering ; and others appear in the garments of deep dyed hypocrisie , and smite secretly , and shoot in the twilight , between profession and prophaness , and forge secret slanders , and lyes , and seek the life of the just one : and thus poor desolate zion is compassed about with enemies , and they lay siege against her , to make her an utter destruction ( how long lord , how long ? hear and consider . ) and iohn bunyan , and his fellow , who have joyned themselves to the broken army of magog . now in the heat of the day of great striving are not the least of all guilty among their bretheren , of secret smiting the innocent , with secret lyes and slanders ; who have shewed themselves in defence of the dragon against the lamb , in this day of war betwixt them : and though some of their party , which have shewed themselves before in the open field have come off with loss and shame , and disadvantage ; yet needs must the rest appear till they have filled up their measure of wickedness , and so be made a perpetual curse for ever : and they must spend their strength till shame and confusion overtake them , and they be left without hope or stay , in the ditch of deep perdition , never more to rise up again . friends i have viewed your discourse , and numbred up part of your work , and this is the sume thereof , a corrupted grain of little value of babylons treasure , and if a merchant of your traffique gain it , he cannot be the richer , yet doth your king ( the prince of darkness ) accept your labour , and your substance ; for had you been more learned in his subtilty , and more stockt in his craft , a larger portion ; and more to the purpose might have been brought in , but with such as you had , or could procure , from your neighbours are you come , and have gained a report , and a name in the record of mischief against the lamb , and his followers , whom you have made your subject to treat lyes upon . and for the sake of the simple i have taken in hand to return a few words in answer to you , in those things ( at least ) wherein you mention the quakers ; who being falsly accused , and slandered by you in many things ; i am bound in the law of righteousness , as a friend unto them , ( at least ) to vindicate their innocent cause against your reproaches , which may be as a stumbling stone in the eye of the upright ; & though i know not your faces , yet your spirit is tried & your generation is read at large , & your stature and countenance is clearly described to me ; to be of the stock of ishmael , and of the seed of ●ain , whose line reacheth unto the murthering priests , scribes , and pharisees ; & though you profess christ in words without you , yet are you found enemies to him revealed within his saints ( without which there can be no salvation ) and this i find the subject matter of your discourse , and the length of your tedious travel : i shall not transcribe your whole matter , only the heads of some particulars i shall draw into a sum , and write a few words thereunto , not in a large manner . and in the first epistle have spoken something , as of god and man together , making up one christ , who is the saviour , &c. then thou shamelesly sayst , this is quite contrary to those commonly called familists , ranters , quakers , and others , &c. either deny chris● to be a real man without them , blaspemously fancying him to be god manifest in their flesh ; or else make his human nature , with the fulness of the godhead in it , to be but a type 〈◊〉 god , to be manifest in the saints , &c. answ. here thou hast ( as thy fore-fathers , the chief priests and persecuto●● did ) numbred the innocent with transgressors ; quakers with ranters , between which there is no more union and likeness , then between light and darkness , good and evil ; and thy secret subtilty more appears , and the wickedness of thy slander , because thou hast joyned in thy accusation such who may be guilty with the guiltless ; for the ranters i will not justifie , neither at present the familists , except i better knew their principles ; nor any others will i vindicate , who are guilty 〈◊〉 thy accusation : though thou art condemned for numbring the innocent in thy accusation , and falsly hast secretly slandered the guiltless , who are free from thy slanders herein : but yet further i say , if thou darest lay thy charge only upon the quakers , write thy meaning in plainness , and bring testimony of thy accusation , and thou mayst receive a further answer ; and cease to smite with secret slanders in the dark , lest thou be condemned in the light with the guilty , for numbring the innocent with transgressors , and charging the guiltless with the guilty . i dare not plead for ranters , quakers , and others , till they be separated , lest i should justifie the wicked and condemn the righteous , but thy wicked heart hath joyned them in accusation , that thy slander may be covered , and some ground thou mayst have in appearance for thy wicked tongue , who hath hatched mischief against the upright . and thy second slander is like-unto the first , where thou again unjustly numbers the quakers with some high-flown people , and sayest , these high-flown people are i● this very like to familists and quakers , undervaluing the lord iesus christ , god man , and though they speak much of christ , yet they do not savingly and rightly lay him for their foundation , &c. answ. the sum of this broken confusion is thus much , two slanders upon the quakers undervaluing the lord jesus christ , &c. and not laying him as a foundation , &c. though thou wilt not through thy subtilty separate the guiltless from them who may be guilty in thy accusation , yet now must i in simplicity , in my return to thee , and cannot but openly charge thee to be a secret shooter of mischief against the righteous : we prize the lord jesus christ god man to be precious unto us , and unto all that do believe , and have owned him alone to be the foundation , whom god hath laid for salvation unto the ends of the earth , and in his light are we saved , and therein do walk ; and because hereof are we hated by thee ; and the generation of hirelings , and false prophets , who speak much of christ without you , but knows him not in you the hope of glory , and take back to thee thy false accusations , for thou art faln in the pit which thou hast digged for another , a slanderous tongue dwells within thy house , and christ jesus the saviour , of all that believe , is thy condemner , who believes not , but art found a lyar , and a false witness , slandering unjustly , and by thy unbelief , and wickedness herein , undervalues christ jesus who is pure and holy , and is the foundation of righteousness and peace , and not of wrath and works of darkness , wherein thou art builded in thy works of mischief . and for the rest of this first epistle , i shall say little to it , only thus much is the mind of the pen-mans spirit , secretly smiting at the doctrine of true faith and salvation ( to wit ) christ jesus within , and directing altogether without , and afar off , and saying in his heart , who shall ascend , and who shall descend , and is not mindfull that the word of faith is in the mouth , and in the heart , and thus much i say , if they be reprobate who have not christ in them , then is it the most profitable doctrine , and thing of greatest concernment to seek for him , and to find him within , seeing many can speak of him without , who are manifest enemies to him in their hearts and works ; and thus much to iohn burtons epistle . let him go learn what this means . the next thing that i shall mind is this , in the second epistle , where a question is asked , who are the men that at this day are so deluded by the quakers , and other pernitious doctrines , but those who thought it enough to be talkers of the gospel , & c ? this man appears to be of the same spirit with his fellow , and will more abound in lyes , in respect of the number , then he that went before ; and the sum of this transcribed is , that the quakers are deluders , and thou hast joyned them with a thief also , and numbred the guiltless with the guilty , and hast shot secretly in the dark , and far missed thy aim ; for thy bare words are no true witness , and thou must not both slander , and be witness thy self ; though i perceive thou may have the witness of all that walks in the broad-way to evidence falsly for thee . and this is no new invented lye , for it hath been ever ; the children of god were counted deceivers , as in the scripture we have a cloud of witnesses , and christ jesus our lord was counted so by thy generation ; and as they did unto him , so must you do unto us , and must fulfil their measure of wickedness , as christ hath said . answ. and this is my answer in full , that way which thou calst heresie , and delusion , do we worship the god of our fathers , and are not ashamed of the reproaches for his name sake . then further thou sayest , they be such kind of people who at this day are carried away with the quakers , namely , loose ranters , and light notionists , and here and there a legallist , which were shaking in their principles , &c. answ. the substance of this is as much as the wise scribes and pharisees said concerning christ , none believed in him , said they , but a company of poor people , which know not the law , which were accursed ; and doth any of the rulers believe on him ? friend , though some of all sorts of people be brought to god , yet thou seemst to be offended herewith , that the wicked should be turned from his wickedness , which is no evidence against us , that we are deceivers , but an evidence against thee , in thy wicked slander , who hath brought forth thy lies without fear , as though thou shouldst never in this life be put to prove them , nor in the time to come shouldst ever answer for them . but the ranters , and light notionists , and thee we do deny , in that state wherein they and you do stand , till you turn to the lord by repentance ; and whatever you have been in your profession or practice , if you turn from your iniquity ; we dare not deny you . and whereas thou givest this character of a notionist , such a one is puffed up in his fleshly mind , and advanceth himself above others , &c. this is thy own condition , and thou hast read thy own character , who art pufft up in thy lies and slanders , and advancest thy self above the innocent , who exceeds thee in faith towards god , and in good works towards men , and whose conversation is in heaven ; but thine is among the hirelings , under the marks of all the deceivers of old , as may afterwards appear . then thou goes on , and sets down some of the lyes which thou sayest the devil perswads those men to believe . and first , that salvation was not fully and compleatly wrought out for sinners , by the ma● christ iesus , &c. answ. friend , the devil hath perswaded thee to believe lyes , which is a degree higher , a slander is more then a lye. this accusation is clearly false , wickedly cast upon us ; for there is not salvation in any other , nor is it wrought by any other , but by jesus christ fully and compleatly it is brought forth by him unto every one that believes , who receives the testimony of it in themselves ; for if thou have no testimony of it , but without thee , the pope and his idolaters have as much as thou , and may be more ; take back to thee thy lye again with shame and confusion . then thou goes on , and sayst , this is another of his lyes wherewith he deceives ; bidding them , follow the light that they brought into the world with them , telling them that this light will lead into the kingdom , &c. thou hast here mixed truth and a lye together , this is falsly laid down ( the light that they brought into the world with them ) but this is the truth of god , and no lye of the devil , that to follow the light of christ jesus , wherewith he hath lightned every man that comes into the world , and it will lead into the kingdom of peace and righteousness ; for , saith christ , i am the light of the world , he that follows me shall not walk in darkness , but shall have the light of life ; and this is that which thou wouldst fain call the lye of the devil ; and therefore to cover thy wickedness and impudency , thou hast changed and mixed the terms of words , that thou mayest have a ground for thy slander ; but thou art seen and comprehended , and thy folly appears . then thou sayest ( we say ) it will convince of sin , swearing , lying , stealing , &c. of sins against the law ; and this thou makest a thing of little account , to be convicted of sins against the law , by the light of christ ; for there is nothing else that doth convince of sin . ( mind that ) and this light thou seems to acknowledge every man hath , and this light i do affirm to be the light of christ jesus , and to bid people follow this ; the light of christ to lead into the kingdom can be no lye of the devil ; for he which convinceth of sins against the law leads up into the fulfilling of the law ; and though thou and thy generation would leap over the law , yet must the righteousness of it in judgment be fulfilled upon you , and by christ jesus in you , if ever you receive the salvation to your souls . learn wh●t it means . much more thou ramblest over , which i pass by , as being not pertinent to the thing in hand ; but fools love to be meddling , though little to the purpose , and as i have said , thy maker will not blame thee , for thou hast brought in of thy chiefest substance , though it be but as clay , and as dirt ( at least that of it which is against the quakers ; ) and the substance of many pages following is this that i have gathered , denying ( or at least opposing ) christ revealed within , and in opposition to this quotes many scriptures , of what he did in his own person , which scriptures i own , and the truth which they bear witness of ; yet must we be●● witness , that without the revelation of christ within there is no salvation : however , so much is or may be spoken of him without , as the pope can do as well as thou , yet are you found to be one generation , persecuting the life under the ze●l of profession of the words . then the next thing that i mind , is a question which thou hast asked thyself . do not the scriptures make mention of christ within , & c ? and i shall ask further , doth not the scripture witness that all who have not christ within , are reprobates ? but thou hast proved deceitful in answering thy self , and shuffled , and i may much fear thou wilt not be faithful in answering mine , however it rests upon thee to answer it , or to stop thy mouth . then the next thing is thou sayest , this design of deceiving , the devil carries o● , by pretending if they follow what is made known to them from the light within . answ. i observe all thy whole purpose is a secret smiting against the light within , which christ hath given to every man ; and thy whole work is to render his ●ight odious . but this i further answer . the design of the devil in deceiving souls , is thy own , and i turn it back to thee , but this is truth as it is in jesus . he that comes to eternal life must follow and walk in what is made known by the light of christ within . and thou sayest , beg of god to convince thee by his holy spirit , &c. and thus thou utterest thy confusion , sometime treating for it , and sometime against it , secretly smiting the just , mixing the truth with lyes , that thereby thy slanders may be covered , and thy deceit hid . the rest of thy epistle i pass by , being from the same spirit which thy lyes are from ; and thy lying spirit the children of god cannot own , and therefore must needs deny that which proceeds from it . and thus much in answer to thy epistle . sixteen of thy first pages are filled with this ( to wit ) proving that there is a christ , and that he was promised , and that he was waited for , and expected , &c. to all this i shall say nothing , except thou hadst proved it in opposition to some body ; for what is truth i own by the spirit of the lord , as it is truth in christ ; but as it comes from thy lying spirit , i do not so well own it ; i own the words , and i deny thy voice , and this is my answer . only i find thee wresting some scriptures , whether through subtilty , or for want of wit , i shall not judge , especially this hast thou encreased , revel . . . and faisly sayst , the blood of christ was shed before the world was ; and it is , since the foundation of the world ; betwixt which is great difference , the one being a very lye , and the other very truth . then thou goest on proving , that he is the saviour that was born of mary , &c. which thing we never denied , and therefore i need the less to answer thee , except thou hadst spoken it in opposition to us , which i find thee not altogether , until the thirty seventh page , where thou again secretly smitest , in mixing some truth with thy lye. and thou sayest , how horribly are those deceived , who look on iesus to be but a shadow or type ? this is thy lye , i know not any who do it , and yet thou sayest , of something that was afterwards to be revealed , &c. answ. this hath some truth in it , which is this , the same christ which was born of mary , which wrought righteousness in his person , by doing , and suffering ; which was & is the substance , was afterwards revealed in the saints : and this is no horrible deceit , to witness christ revealed , or to wait for him to be revealed within . then thou sayest , when he was come , then was an end put to the law , &c. and here i ask a question , did christ jesus put an end to the law for them who yet live in the transgression of the law ? or doth be justifie that which the law condemneth before the work of the law be finished ? what is the meaning of the scripture , not one tittle shall fail , till all be fulfilled ? what assurance have any that it is fulfilled for them , who are yet transgressors of it in themselves ? an answer to this may satisfie the simple . then thou goest on and sayst , how are they deceived that think to obtain salvation by following the convictions of the law , which they call christ , & c ? answ. here thou confessest the law convinceth , then it is not put to an end , or fulfilled , or taken away , because it yet works ; and it is no deceit to mind that which doth convince of sin , to lead to christ , to take sin away ; for the scripture saith , the law is a school-master , to bring to christ ; but thou art in the deceived state , who healest up falsly , and daubest with untempered morter , and wouldst teach people to apply the promises unto salvation , while they are in a condition of damnation , condemned in the sight of god by the light in their own consciences , nor will not own that which discovers sin ; and how then can they own him that takes it away , and purges from it by his blood ? which thou sayest is done , but hast no more witness of it , by the fruit of ceasing to commit sin , then the pope hath , who lives in your sin ; then how is it taken away ? then thou sayest with an impudent tongue , it s not of works , least any man should boast , as these fond hypocrites called quakers would do . answ. thou slanderer , when didst thou hear any of the quakers boast , or see them live in hypocrisie : god shall judge thee thou deceitful heart ; but further i answer by a query , will that faith which is without works justifie ? and must not every one receive according to their deeds ; he that doth good , life , he that doth evil , condemnation ? but such is thy faigned fancy of faith , who seekest to be justified by it , whilst thou bringest forth the fruits of unbelief . then thou speakest of living by faith , which as thou sayest , is to apply the lord iesus christ , his benefits , as birth &c. i say , if to talk of him was faith in him , and to live by his faith , then few would want him ; for many have gotten the words which are without the life of righteousness through faith , and to live by faith ; says not who shall ascend or descend to fetch christ for salvation ; neither doth it say , when shall he come from afar ot save his people , but faith speaks thus , what saith the word of the gospel , which is within the heart , as thou mayst read in the scripture of truth ; hadst thou but an ear to hear , but thou sayest , lo here , and lo there , false prophet like . then thou sayst further , how are they deceived who own christ no otherwise then as he was before the world began , & c ? answ. here thou hast discovered thy self more plainly , did not the saints own christ jesus the same yesterday , to day , and for ever , for salvation ; and is there any other christ then he who was before abraham was , and is he not now glorified with the same glory , ( mind the same glory ) which he had with the father before the world was , according as he prayed ? is this deceit , or is it thy grievous ignorance to call it so , to own him as he was before the world was for salvation ? thou ignorant man , that was the very christ the son of god , who was equal with the father , which was in the beginning , and in time was manifest in bethelem , and calls himself the light of the world ; thou hadst better have said nothing , then by multitude of words to lay open thy shame : friend that spiritual rock whcih the fathers did eat and drink of , which followed them , that rock was christ the salvation . the next thing that i take notice of , is thy exposition upon that scripture iob. . . and thou sayest this is the meaning , every spirit that doth not confess that th● christ that was with the father before the world was , did in the appointed time of the father come into the world , took upon him a body , and was very man , as well as very god , &c. answ. if every spirit be of god which doth in words confess this , then is not the pope himself antichrist , seeing he confesses as much of this ( it may be more then thou dost ) neither canst thou justly condemn us for denying this ; for we do confess it with our hearts , and not only with our mouthes , as thou and the pope doth . but friend , is every one saved that saith , lord , lord ? nay , it is only he that doth the will of the father , and who in many nations do not confess this to be true , and yet there are but few in all nations in the way to life , that shall be saved by christ jesus ; and it is not much better nor more accepted to confess christ in words to be come , and yet in works to deny him , then it is both in words and in works to deny him ; the one is wicked in prophaness , the other is wicked in hypocrisie ; the one is a lyar , the other is a false witness , and whether of these are most vile , let them who are spiritual judge . then thou exhortest , to receive no christ except god's christ , &c. to this i say , the christ of god is a mystery not known to the world , and this is he which was in the beginning , whom god gave into the world , to be the light and saviour thereof , even he is god's salvation unto the ends of the earth ; and unto him he is light , and shall be salvation and redmeption where his person never came ; and yet it cannot be said , here is the place where the son of god is not . let him that reads understand . then thy next thing is , proving many things concerning christ , which i pass by as not having any thing therein against the quakers , only in one particular , where thou numbers again them with the ranters , so that i pass by also , lest thou should say i justifie the ranters , and do rather choose to let the innocent lie under the suffering of thy reproach , whose innocency will appear when thy black vail of lyes is taken away . then the next thing i mind is , where thou seems to reprove the quakers for wresting the scripture , iohn . . whereby thou sayest , they split themselves , and endeavour to split others , &c. answ. wresting is thy own , and not ours , for we take the scripture in plain words , without adding or diminishing , as our enemies shall witness for us . then how wickedly dost thou say we wrest it , when we neither add nor diminish . but thy folly must appear by thy much meddling . and then thou takest in hand to speak to the thing , and thus thou sayst ; every man , as he comes into the world , receives a light from christ , as he is god , &c. answ. what less hast thou said then we , except thou wilt say , he hath not lighted man as he is christ , and so divide the father , and the son , which is error ; for what the father doth , the son doth also , and they are equal in power and operation , and cannot be divided . then thou sayst , this light is conscience , that some call christ , though falsly . answ. them i leave for thee to reprove , and do deny them , and thee together ; if thou hast not falsly made a lye of some body , and told thy own lye , through the wresting of their words , let the light in thy conscience judge . then thou sayest , this light will shew a man there is a god , and will discover the eternal god by his works , and it will reprove of sin , and make sin manifest , and by it the unregenerate man is able to know the sins against the law are sins against god , &c. answ. also this will the light of christ do , wherewith he hath enlightened every man to salvation , or condemnation , even that light of which we declare : so that thou hast said no less hitherto , then we in this particular and the scriptures say . they saw the eternal power and godhead , by that which was made manifest of god in them , ( mind , in them ) which once they knew of god , but turned from it ; and the scripture saith , that which reproves of sin is the gift of the spirit of god , john . and also the scripture saith , that which makes manifest sin is light , and whatsoever is reproved is made manifest by the light , even the true light the apostle speaks of , ephes. and the sum of all this which thou wouldst reprove in us , is no more then the scriptures bare witness of , and which thy self hath uttered and confessed . and friend , dost thou know this light that is given of christ and god , unto every man , is sufficient in it self for life and salvation unto every one that believes ? if thou say it is not , wherein is the blame , in god , or in this light , or in the creature ? shew if thou canst . then thou again sayst , this light surely is that wherewith christ , as he is god , hath enlightned every one that comes unto the word which doth convince of sin . answ. thus far thou art forced to confess truth , ( i think against thy mind ) and thus far in words only we agree as in this particular ; then why dost thou say , by wresting that scripture , john . . we split our selves , and endeavour to split others , seeing thou thy self hast confessed no less then thou callst wresting in us . i reckon up thy confusion , and leave it for thee to read , and them to whom this may come . then thou sayst , the neglect of this ( light ) will be sure to damn , though the obedience to the law will not save them , &c. answ. here again thou hast confessed truth . if the neglect of the light will be sure to damn , as thou confessest ; then i say , surely it is not good to neglect it , that must needs follow , deny it if thou canst ; therefore the sum of thy words is the same with us , that every one mind the light of christ jesus , least they be damned for the neglect of it . and friend , to the second part of the clause , i say , the law must be obeyed , and the righteousness of it fulfilled within thee , if ever thou come to eternal life ; if it be not , thou cannot escape damnation . learn what this means , then further thou sayst , though christ doth give a light to every one that comes into the world ; yet it doth not therefore follow , that this conscience ( or light ) is the spirit of christ , or the work of grace wrought in the heart , &c. here thy confusion is seen at large , who wouldst seem to divide between the light of christ , which thou confessest is given to every man , and the spirit of christ , and the grace of god. however thus far i say , the light of christ given to every man , is not contrary to the spirit of christ , nor to the grace of god , but one in their nature ; and a man cannot possibly love one of them , and hate another ; neither can any obey one of these , and disobey the other ; therefore are they one in the union , leading in the same way unto the same end . and where doth the spirit of christ give light , or the grace of god work , or lead , if not in the conscience ? and can there be any surer thing for the creature to look to , to walk to life , or to come to god by , then the light of christ in the conscience , which thou confessest every man hath that cometh into the world ? then thou sayst , heathens , turks , iews , athiest , &c. have that that doth convince them of sin , yet are so far from having the spirit of christ in them , that they delight to serve their lust , &c. answ. this query i ask of thee , do they or thou , or any man serve sin or your lusts , because christ hath not given you light to discover your sin , or because you hate that light that is given ? answer me . and surely by this which doth convince of sin , is every man in the world inexcusable , so it works for god in all men , either to justifie or condemn . and tell me , is not the spirit or light of christ the only thing which doth convince of sin ? or doth any thing convince of sin contrary , or besides , or without the spirit of christ ? if nay , then it must needs be that it is from , or by , or something of the nature of the spirit of christ , which is in the heathens . and the sum of thy doctrine is no less in the profession of thy words , then what we say ; then why dost thou condemn us ? but it seems thy tongue speaks one thing , and another thing is in thy heart , and this is hypocrisie . then thou sayest , those that are alive to sin have not the spirit of christ , &c. but i say it is given to every man , though every man receives it not ; and it strives with the wicked man , though he follows it not . and some other vain arguments thou usest to prove , that every man hath not the spirit of christ , which i pass by ; only thus much i leave with thee , till thou provest the light of christ ( which thou confessest every may hath ) to be contrary to the spirit of christ ; i shall say every man hath that which is one in union , and like the spirit of christ , even as good as the spirit of christ , according to its measure . then thou goest on , and sayest , that the devil might be sure to deceive ( or to that purpose ) he saith , turn thy mind inward , and listen within , and see if there be not that within thee that doth convince of sin , &c. answ. thou hast confessed that the light within which convinces of sin is the light of god and christ ; and now thou sayest , the divil , to deceive souls , bids turn to mind the light within , which doth convince of sin ; thou hast , lyed of the devil : oh thou blind priest ! whom god hath confounded in thy language ; was ever such a thing spoken , that the devil can deceive any by the light of christ , or that he uses any such doctrine . friend it is the voice of the gospel to bid listen within to the light , even to the word of faith , within the heart , as paul preached . but thou further sayst , they are ignorant of the gospel , who clasp in with these motions of the light within , ( or conscience ) which doth command to abstain from the evil , and to practice good . and here thou hast shewed thy blindness and ignorance , more then can be uttered , as though the motions of the light of christ in the conscience , which command to abstain from evil , and to practice good , were another thing then the light of the gospel : what , and how doth the light of the gospel work , if not in the conscience , and to command from evil , and to practice good ? surely thou preachest another gospel then paul preached : for his doctrine was , abstain from all evil , and follow that which is good , and listen to the word within in the heart ; but this gospel thou deniest , and so must needst preach another gospel , and so art the accursed , as paul saith . then thou sayst , thus the poor soul is most horribly carried away head-long , &c. into the belly of hell , &c. thus much is the sum , by turning the mind within , to the light which doth convince of sin , and listning thereto , and clapsing with the motions in the conscience which do command to abstain from evil , and to practice good , and closing with something within ( which thou hast confessed is the light of christ ) hereby , or thus is the poor soul carried headlong , and at the end of its life doth fall into the belly of hell , as thou sayst . let shame cover thee , if thy heart be not altogether hardned ; was ever such doctrine preached ? surely , malice hath carried thee out of sence , else thou wouldst not have uttered these things , but it is answer enough to reckon thy confusion up into a sum , and i leave it to every honest heart to read , and judge thereof . then thou further sayst , the devil counterfeits the works of grace , and makes the soul believe , if it will be led by what is made known unto it , by the light or conscience within , it shall do well . answ. wo unto thee that callst good evil , and evil good ; art thou not ashamed to utter thy mind so wickedly , and impudently ? doth the light of christ within deceive ? or is not this christs doctrine , i am the light of the world , he that follows me shall have the light of life ; and he that walks in the light stumbles not ? and this shamelesly hast thou called the doctrine of the devil ; but if ever thou knowst god it must be by following , and by being led with the light within , which god hath made known unto thee , else the light is thy condemnation eternally . then thou sayst , the devil counterfeits the new birth , by perswading it is wrought by following the light of the world , &c. answ. this doctrine is as wicked as the former , and from as lying a spirit ; but answer me , by what is the new-birth wrought ? and how , if not by following the light of christ in the conscience ? is there any other way to god but christ jesus , who hath lighted every man that comes into the world ? and whereas thou beginst to scorn , in thy vain mind , at living upon bread and water , and wearing no hatbands , and not speaking except the spirit moves , &c. the scorner and the lyar go together , the lord rebuke thee thou false deceitfull heart , and lying tongue ; it grieves thy lust to know any to live upon bread and water , and it torments thy pride , that any should forsake their pride ; and it is easily known of what spirit thou art , and that thou goest on in thy own will , before god leads thee , and scornst to wait till the spirit of god moves upon thee , or scornst them that do wait ; but thou runst , and art not sent , like unto thy fore-fathers ; and therefore thou dost not profit people at all . then thou accusest us of sad blasphemies , and horrible doctrines , but namest nothing , and so slanderst without witness ; and take back thy own words , for they belong to thee , as is sufficiently proved in this answer to thy book , let the wise in heart judge : and thou hast said , thou wonderst , that the ground do not open and swallow us up , or else the devil fetch us away alive , &c. and this most fully discovers thy spirit to be without the fear of god in any measure , who utterst such wicked language , for which thou hast no example among all the children of god ; and is not this horrible doctrine , and little less then sad blasphemies ? it is answer sufficient to gather up thy confusion , and send it thee to read ; if there be any honesty in thy heart , repent , and cease thy wickedness , lest god smite thee with a curse , and make thee an example of destruction . then thou goest on , and hast asked thy self a question ; is it not the spirit of christ that doth make manifest , or convince of sin ? the question is good , but thou hast consounded it in thy answer , and not answered plainly , but hast covered truth under the vail of thy many words : thou sayst , there are two things that do make manifest , and convince of sin ; first , the law ; and secondly , the spirit of christ. i query further , doth any thing convince of sin contrary to the spirit of christ ? if not , then that which doth convince of sin is like unto , or one in the union , or something as good in its nature as the spirit of christ ; and thou instancest in iudas , whom thou sayst was convinced of sin by the law , without the spirit of christ ; to which i say , the law of god is spiritual , and is not contrary , but one with the spirit of christ in its union , ( at least ) and that which let him see christ to be innocent , was not words , syllables without him , but must needs be within him ; so if i should say the spirit of christ was not in him , yet was the work of the righteous law of god written in his heart , which is spiritual , and christ jesus was not without his own testimony in iudas , which is light , by which iudas was , and is condemned eternally ; and though iudas was at the same time possessed of the devil , as thou sayest , yet there was that within him also , which disquieted , and tormented the devil , which discovered the devil with his works , by which he saw his murderous mind , and the blood of the just one , i say ; it needs must be contrary to the devil , and to his works , which condemned him ; i call it the light of god , which is spiritual , call it what thou canst . then thou goest on , and seems to shew a difference betwixt being convinced by the law without the spirit of christ , and the convincement by the spirit of christ , but art confounded in thy discourse . i say the power of the law of god is spiritual , and though thou make a little thing of it to be convinced by the law , of sins against the law , yet i make it a thing of weight ; and this is the condemnation , that light is come into the world , and men love darkness rather then light , because their deeds are evil ; and the law is light , as saith the scripture ; and christ is come to discover and reprove sin ; and i put thee to prove in all the scripture where any such thing ever was distinguished , as something to convince of sin , without , and besides , or contrary to the spirit of god ; and till thou provest it , thus far i have answered thee concerning it . then thou sayst , though some say , they are not only convinced of sin , but have gotten some power over it , to abstain from those things forbidden in the law ; yet thou further sayst , this may be done as those blind pharisees , called quakers , think they do , and be but natural men , &c. answ. thou perverter of the right way of god ; how long wilt thou go on in thy uncleanness , uttering thy wrath against the simple ? it seems , to get power over sin , and to abstain from those things forbidden in the law is a thing of no value with thee ; but is it not further then thou ever camest ? let that of god in thy conscience judge and answer , and shew me if ever any natural man did it throughout the scripture : and as for the pharisee , it is thy own , i return it to thee again ; thou art called of men master , and hast the chief seat in the assembly , and standst praying in the synagogues , as they did in christs time . friend , how fain wouldst thou clear thy self to make others guilty ; but the guilt stands at thy door , and rests upon thy own head , and i rather chuse to be of that profession which abstains from those things forbidden in the law , and to have power over sin , then to live in the transgression of the law , and under the power of sin : yet talking of belief in the son of mary , whose name ( mary ) i may have ground to judge thou worshipst as the papists do ; and the same i say , much as paul did , the uncircumcision of such who keep the law , shall condemn thee , in thy false faith , who breakst the law. then thou again confessest , that christ , as god , hath enlightened every man that comes into the world with the law which doth convince of sin ; but to this i have spoken , so shall pass it , only mind the scripture which thy self hast quoted , the law is light , then the light is the law , and gives the knowledge of sin . then thou sayst , if the spirit of christ convince thee of sin , then it convinces of more sins then against the law. and to this i say , it seem there is some sin , against which there is no law , by thy confused story , or that the law is not against all sin : friend , shew , if thou canst , any sin which is not against the law ; if thou canst not , repent , and cease thy confusion . then thou speakst against self-righteousness , but hast forgotten to reprove thy self , of thy lying , and slandering , and false accusing ; and it is thou that preachest another gospel then the apostle preached ; he directed every one to the word within , in the heart , and turned to the light within , from darkness ; but thou directs altogether to a thing without , dispising the light within , and worshipping the name ( mary ) in thy imaginations , and knowst not him who was before the world was , in whom alone is salvation , and in no other . then thou sayest , the light convinceth of sins , but of no other then sins against the law ; as though there were some sins which were not against the law ; but to that i have spoken . and thou sayst , it doth not shew the soul a saviour , or deliverer , &c. answ. thou art here in a lye , for the light which comes from christ doth manifest a saviour , and deliverer , and nothing else ; for if the light of christ doth not shew christ , what then can , unto every one that walk in the light ? then the next thing thou provest is , that god only is our saviour , there is none beside him , &c. but how contrary is this to that in page . where thou sayest , they are wickedly deluded , who own christ no otherwise , but as he was before the world was , for salvation : for if god be the saviour , and there is none beside him , then it is no delusion to own him as he was before the world was ; and thus i sum up thy confusion and contradictions , and leave them for thee to read . the next thing i observe is , where thou art proving the resurrection , and slanderest the quakers with making light of it ; but yet again wickedly numbring them with other infidels , that thou mightst have a cover for thy slander ; but i put thee to prove , where they made light of the resurrection ; or else prove thy self a lyar in the sight of all just men ; thou secretly slanderest , but proves nothing . then thou hast raised a query from ephes. . . but hast not answered it ; though many words thou hast uttered , yet little to the purpose ; and i return thee the same query again to answer ; and many other things , and arguments thou hast made , to which i shall say little , only mind thee of thy carnal sottishness , who speakst of christ to be four or five foot long ; let shame cover thy lips , thou blind sot ; when didst thou see christ in that length ? hast thou not here spoken of that which thou knowst not , and art a busy body intruding into things , whereof thou art ignorant , but fools love to be medling , to manifest their own folly , among whom thou art ; and much more stuff , which i pass by , as not worth naming ; only thy malice is against the kingdom of heaven within , and utters thy carnal sensual knowledge of the things of god , which thy imaginations shall never know . the next thing i observe is , where thou reckonst the quakers to be the false prophets which christ speaks of , which shall be before his coming , and to be the scoffers which walks after their own hearts lust which peter speaks of . answ. to which i answer ; those false prophets which christ spake of , came in , in the dayes of iohn ; for , saith he , by this we know that it is the last time ; for now are there many antichrists ; and this was before a quaker was heard of ; and if we should diligently search , we should find thee in their steps , through feigned words , through coveteousness , making merchandise of souls , loving the wages of unrighteousness , and such were the scoffers , which peeer speaks of , among whom thou art found , in thy practice , among them who are preaching for hire , & love the error of balaam , who took gifts and rewards ; and christ hath said , we shall know you by your fruits ; and the same fruits that ever were brought forth among the false prophets of old , grow among you in many things i could instance ; but he is wholly blind that sees you not . before thou wast accusing us of drinking water , and now thou accusest us of walking after our own lusts ; but such is thy confusion , thy wrath overcomes sense . then thou speaks of some who told thee to thy face , thou usedst conjuration and witchcraft , because what thou preachedst was according to scriptures , &c. to which i say , let the guilty be reproved , for we deny thy accusation to be true upon any of the quakers , which some may think thou speakst of ; so thy accusation rests between thee and them , and we are clear ; for every truth which the scriptures bear witness of , we do own , and do not condemn any for preaching according to the scriptures . then the next thing i observe , is thy crying so loud against christ within , which indeed is the only thing , without which there is no salvation ; for , except christ be in you , you are reprobates . and this also i observe from thee , as having traced thy path unto the end , and numbred thy work into a total sum , which is a secret smiting and obscure shooting against the manifestation or belief of christ within , which there can be no salvation without , as i have proved ; and in words only i find thee exalting christ without , and worshipping the name of ( mary ) like the pope , i have good ground so to judge . and whereas thou callest the doctrine of christ within false opinions , and take●● in hand to discover it , as in page . i say to all honest men , who have but any knowledge of the letter of the scripture , thou art hereby sufficiently discovered , who callst the chief thing , which is the chief unto salvation , and without which can be none , false opinions ; god shall judge thee , thou wicked heart ; and much more i need not say , but shall leave this to the view of any that are honest to judge ; so have gone through thy book , and passed by many things ; only i have spoken to that in which thou hast treated any thing upon us ; and the truth i have cleared from many lyes and slanders , and thy vail of false reproaches is rent , and our innocency doth partly appear , and thy vail of hypocrisie is a little removed , and thy deceitfull heart weighed and seen : and as for the rest of thy book whicg i have not medled with , thus much i say of it , i suppose you will confess it was all given forth by one spirit , and it is proved some of it is given forth by a lying spirit ; then let the reader judge what the rest of it can be ; though the words be true , yet is thy spirit false , and at the best , what thou hast said , is but bearing false witness ( as to thy self ) of a true thing ; i own the words , and i deny the voice ; and here i deal plainly with thee . thou then askst a question ; doth not the scripture speak of christ within ? unto which i further add , answer it as thou canst . doth not the scripture say , christ is within except you be reprobates ? and is not this thus much ; all are reprobate but they in whom christ is within ? answer i● plainness , and darken not knowledge by words without wisdom . and towards the end i find thee making up the sum of thy wickedness with this , numbring the quakers with ranters , sin , death , and the devil : i will not bring a railing accusation against thee ; but the lord rebuke thee thou unclean spirit , who hast falsly accused the innocent to clear thy self from guilt ; but at thy door guilt lodges , and i leave it with thee ; clear thy self if thou art able . and thy wicked reproaches we patiently bear , till the lord appear for us : and we are not greater then our lord , who was said to have a devil by thy generation ; and their measure of wickedness thou fulfils , and art one of the dragons army , against the lamb and his followers ; and thy weapons are slanders , and thy refuge is lyes , and thy work is confused , and hath hardly gained a name in babylons record ; and by us ( so much of it at least as is against us ) is cast by as our spoiled prey , and trampled upon in all thy reproachfull speeches , who art unclean , and of more price to us is thy hatred and envy , then thy love can be , except the g●und were better in which you stand . now a few words i may write in answer to the queries in the end of thy book , which thou directst thus some questions to the quakers , or a few queries to those possessed with a spirit of delusion in this generation . question . if ( sayst thou ) that every man hath a measure of the spirit of christ within him ; why say the scriptures , that some are sensual , having not the spirit , a●● christ saith , the world cannot receive it ? john . answ. some men are sensual , and have not the spirit , because they received it not , & some cannot receive it , because they believe not in him from whence it comes , yet is the measure of the spirit given unto every man to profit withal , as the scripture saith . and it is given to within him , to reprove him of sin , but few do receive it ; and when thou canst learn to distinguish between a thing being given , and a receiving of such a thing , then thou mayst be answered in thy self . it is one thing in god to give the spirit , and another thing in the creature to receive it : he gives it to many that receive it not , to follow it and to be guided by it : thus far i answer , and let them that are led with a spirit of delusion answer thee further . qu. . what is the church of god redeemed by , from under the law ; is it by something that is done within them , or by something done without them ? if it be redeemed by something that worketh in them , then why did the man christ iesus hang upon the cross in mount calvery , without the gates of jerusalem , for the sins of his people , and why do the scriptures say , that through this man is preached unto us forgiveness of sins ? &c. answ. the church of god is redeemed by christ jesus , which is revealed within all that believe ; and christ jesus wrought in them mightily , and it was he that wrought in them to will and to do ; this is plain according to scripture . and the man christ jesus was hanged upon the cross on mount calvery , because they wickedly judged him to be a blasphemer , and through their envy persecuted him to death , because he bore witness against them ; and as in their account he died , and hanged upon the cross for an evil-doer , and this is one ground ( at least ) why he hanged upon the cross ; and the scriptures say , that through this man is preached the forgiveness of sins , because there is no other that can forgive sin , nor the blood of any other thing that can take away sin ; but the blood of god , as it is written . and thus far i answer : if thou wilt have more , seek it from them who are led with a spirit of delusion . qu. . what scripture have you to prove that christ is , or was crucified within you , risen within you , ascended within you ? answ. there is no scriptures that mention any one of our particular names ; and thy query is raised from thy mis-understanding of us , so i judge ; but christ is within us , that we dare not deny ; and he is the lamb that was slain in the streets of the great city , which is spiritually called sodom and aegypt , ( mind spiritually ) and he is now risen , and ascended , this we know through faith in his name : and i leave thee to receive a fuller answer from them that are led with a spirit of delusion ( if they will give it thee . ) qu. . is that very man that was crucified on mount calvery , between two thieves , whose name is iesus , the son of mary , is he the very christ of god , ye or nay ? answ. yea , he is the very christ of god , which was before the world was , by whom the world was made , who was made manifest from mary's womb , and was persecuted to death by the scribes and pharisees , in whose steps thou treadst , in asking subtil queries to insnare the innocent , as they did ; read thy example , and thy self to be an enemy to the christ of god. qu. . is that very man , with that very body , within you , yea or nay ? answ. the very christ of god is within us , we dare not deny him ; and we are members of his body , and of his flesh , and of his bone , as the ephesians were : they that are led by a spirit of delusion shall answer the rest of this thy query , if they will. qu. . was that very iesus that was born of the virgin mary , a real man of flesh and bones , after his resurrection from the dead , out of josephs sepulchre , ye or nay ? for the scrpiture saith he was , and if so , then did that man go away from his disciples , and not into them in his body , as the scriptures declare ? or did he with that body of flesh go into his disciples , as some fond dreamers think ? answ. what the scriptures speak of christ we own to be truth , and own him to be what the scriptures speak of him , and all mens imaginations of him we deny , and their fals● interpretations of the scriptures concerning him ; and let the fond dreamers who are in their thoughts be reproved ; for we dare own nothing to be truth but what the spirit of the lord bear● witness of according to the scripture , thus far i anwer in behalf of the quakers ; let them who are led with the spirit of delusion answer the rest which concerns themselves . qu. . hath that christ that was with god the father before the world was , no other body but his church , if you say no , as it is your wonted course ? then again i aske you , what was that in which he did bear the sins of his chrildren ; if you say it was his own body on the tree , then i ask you , whether that body in which he did bear our sins , was , or is the church of god , yea , or nay ? again if you say he hath no body but his church , then i ask , what that was that was taken down from the cross , & c ? answ. in this thou hast not only queried , but slandered ; therefore first thy slander i do remove , it is not our wonted course to say , that christ hath no other body but his church ; thou art herein as in other things , a false accuser , but we say the church is christ's body : and it is sufficient for salvation to know christ jesus to be head in us , and over us , and our selves to be members of his body , and what thou intendst by making so many foldings in one query ; it may be judged is to insnare , and in that thou answerest thy self for us in somthing , that thou mayst have a further ground to lay a deeper snare ; we do deny thee , and thy spirit , and see thee to be only feeding in thy imaginations upon the report of things without the life , and thy religion stands in disputes , and controversies , and querying , and many words ; but our religion stands in the exercise of a pure conscience towards god and towards man , whether we speak or be silent thus i have answered thy queries , or so much of them as concerns us ; and as i have said , if thou wilt be further answered , go seek an answer from them who are led with a spirit of delusion , and let them answer their part , or else be thou unsatisfied ; for i shall not answer them to satisfie thee , nor i may not feed thy serpents wisdom , nor subtilty , which cannot receive of the things of god , not understand a reason of the hope of christ in us , if we declare it to thee : for all throughout thy book i do observe it is that which thou strikest against , even christ within , which is our hope of glory : and it is that mystery which long hath been hid from ages and generations , but now is made manifest and declared . and though the wise of the world cannot receive it , but speak evil against it , yet is it dear unto us , and so much more precious , because despised by such as thee , and thy generation . and such things are a testimony to us , and against you ; and go thou with them that are led with a spirit of delusion , for you are one in nature , and the children of god , who are redeemed , cannot but deny you together . some few queries propounded for john bunyan to answer . query . whether is any man justified by christ jesus in the sight of god , but he that follows christ ? and is it not a work to follow him , yea , or nay ? and what is the sight of god ? qu. . whether will that faith justifie a man which hath no works , seeing the apostle saith , faith without works is dead ? and what is that which works faith , and where is it , within or without ? qu. . whether any man is justified , but he who is born of god , and whether doth he that is born of god commit sin ; and is that within the creature , or without him , which works the new birth ? qu. . if christ hath lightened all men as he is god ( as thou confessest ) then whether hath he not lighted all men as he is the son of god ; and is not the light of god sufficient in it self to lead unto god , all that follow it , yea , or nay ? qu. . whether it is not the same light in him that hates it , as it is in him that loves it , iohn . if there be a difference in the light , shew it wherein it lies , whether in its nature , or otherwise ? qu. . whether it is possible that any can be saved without christ manifest within ; if no , then whether it is not the doctrine of salvation which is only necessary , to preach christ within ; and it is not the whole mystery of salvation , god manifest in the flesh ? qu. . whether is it not possible that many may profess as much of christ without , as thou hast said of him , and yet be damned ; and if this be the faith to profess him born , dead , risen , and ascended without , then is there any unbeliever in england , seeing all in the outward sound believe , and professe as much as thou hast said , yea or nay ? quer. . whether hath that man faith in christ , who is not changed in the nature ? and is not the lyar and slanderer an unbeliever , and of the cursed nature , yea or nay ? quer. . whether doth any man receive christ , who receives him not into him ? if not , shew how christ can be received ? and whether many do not profess him , which never received him ? quer. . whether to preach for hire , for gifts and rewards , and to divine for money , and to make merchandise of people , for so much a year for preaching to them , is not true marks and signs of a false prophet , or can any give truer signs of the false prophets , then isaiah , and micah gave yea or nay ? quer. . whether must not the devil be chained before christ reign ? and what is that which chains him ? and whether art thou come to one of the dayes of the thousand years , yea or nay ? quer. . whether dost thou know any christ , or preach or profess any christ , who hath not lighned every man that comes into the world with the true light of life , or of condemnation ? and is he not a deceiver that exhorts people for salvation to any other thing then the light of christ , yea or nay ? and how hath christ enlightened every man in the world , if not within him ? these queries , with some more in my answer , i put forth to thee , that truth may be cleared from all slanders of envious tongues , and shall leave my work and thine to be weighed in the ballance of righteousness , to be considered of by every honest heart to whom they do come , and god shall be the chief judge betwixt us in his day . a postscript . and now seeing we have taken in hand to discover and lay open the deceits of deceivers , that all men may come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved , and led out of the snare of the crafty fowlers ; these things further we shall add , which are contrary to the doctrine of the true gospel . first , iohn burton said in a discourse with some friends , that christ had two bodies , and one of the bodies was out of the sight of the saints . secondly , iohn bunyon said , christ's second coming 〈◊〉 not his coming in spirit , for his coming in spirit is no comming . thirdly , iohn bunyon said upon , discourse , of the word of god being in the heart , in the presence of divers people , that there was nothing in him , nor in any man to be taken notice of . fourthly , one of their brethren said , that christ and the word of life were two things . fifthly , some others of the same members , in the market of bedford said , that they scorned that light which we ( meaning the quakers ) speak of , which is the light that convinceth of sin , which light they confessed to be in every man , in the same discourse which was with some of them called quakers . much need not be said as to the laying open of these particulars , for by the words themselves the wickedness and ignorance of the broachers of them are fully seen , to every one who is spiritual , and to them i leave this to be judged ; onely this i shall further say , they have not spoken onely that which cannot be proved by scriptures , but some of the particulars are also contrary to the scriptures , and are damnable doctrines of devils , as might be largly laid open , in the third and fifth particulars . but i delight not in raking in such unsavory stuff , but do trample over it , and return it to the authors . having summed up their wickedness into a sum , i leave it for to be weighed by themselves and others ; and if any question the truth of the particulars charged against them , sufficient testimony may be given by such who were ●a● witnesses . by one who hath chosen rather to suffer affliction with the despised people , then to enjoy the pleasures of sin , edward burrough . stablishing against quaking thrown down and overturned , and no defence found against it . or an answer to a book ( called , stablishing against quaking ) put forth by giles firmin , a professed minister in essex . wherein his many lyes , and slanders are rebuked and witnessed against ; and all his thirteen arguments confounded , and clearly confuted ; and he manifestly proved a false prophet in several particulars ; as in his call and maintenance : and while he hath thought to discover the prince of darkness in others , he is found secretly lodging in his own house , and powerfully working in him ; and is found truly guilty himself of that whereof he falsly accuseth the innocent people , called quakers , who are gods faithful witnesses , against this subtil generation , though for a moment they are a prey to the seed of evil-doers , and a reproach to lying tongues . the lord from heaven , in this his day , is risen and come forth , to make war with all his enemies , being the fulness of time , wherein his purpose is to cut down , and destroy the man of sin , by the power of his coming ; and he must reign , whose right it is ; and of his kingdom and government there shall be no end , and nations shall flow into it , and kings shall lay down their crowns at his feet , whom god hath appointed to exalt in his throne of righteousness and judgment ; and the war is proclaimed in his name , & the standard of the lord is set up before him , to gather together the nations , to fan them and to try them ; and to search and to seek out his own , where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day , and a prey made upon them , by every wild beast of the mountain : but the lord hath opened his ear to the cry of the just , and his bowels are filled with compassion , towards the seed of his inheritance , whom no man regardeth to take pity upon , but are altogether hardened in their iniquities , and become equal with the oppressor ; therefore in judgment is the lord appearing , to work the purpose of his heart , and to fulfil the intent of his mind , and will not spare to punish the transgression of the wicked upon his own head ; and is already clothed with the garments of vengeance , and clad with zeal as with a cloak , and hath proclaimed indignation in the face of the ungodly ; and his enemies , against whom his wrath is kindled , is joyning battel with him ; and gog and magog is prepared , to resist the day of recompence ; and the whole body of darkness , from the head to the tayl is risen to gainsay the lord , and strive in confusion together ; and their armour clashes one against another , and they over-run each other , through the confusion of their blind understanding , and they will not be perswaded unto reconciliation , but goes on in rebellion till they be left without strength , as a wounded man , who shall never more vise again , nor recover his deadly blow ; for the strength of aegypt shall fail in the midst of it , and the warrier finds not his hand in the day of his necessity , but terror is upon his loynes , and fearfulness in his heart , and the wrath remains upon him ; and wisdom is become madness , and prudence is hid , and the wise men of this generation are become foolish , what do ye mean ? ye that have gathered your selves together , all ye sects and opinions , and ye that profess the law of righteousness , is your religion turned into envy and wrath , whereby you would slay the upright ? you have made lyes your refuge , as your last defence to cover your selves from the storm ; but your city is besieged , and fear shall compass you about , and the refuge of lyes shall be swept away ▪ for , in vain , and to no purpose do men strive against the lord , and without effect ( as to that which they intend ) do they gather themselves together , and band themselves in deaths covenant , to war against the lamb ; for the more you strive the more you are entangled and the deeper your pit is digged for another , the greater is your own fall into it ; for the purpose of your hearts ; and the intent of your wicked minds doth the lord make void , and turneth them upon your own head ; and strongly are you bound in your own snare , which you secretly lay for the foot of the innocent , to make the upright a prey . how long ye men of the earth will ye 〈◊〉 counsel together against the lord ? how long shall the righteous be a prey to your teeth , to shoot your arrows of cruelty and reproach against ? when will you give over your oppression , and violence , wherewith you think to spoil the tender grape of the lords vintage , and to devour the seed of iacob from off the earth , that you may rule in the kingdom in peace ? when will you be weary 〈◊〉 your wickedness , and cease from your deceivings , seeing the lord makes you a curse in whatsoever you take in hand ? you travel in wrath , and bring forth nothing ; you strive all the day long , and gather nothing but stubble , and the fire kindles upon it , and makes it a heap of confusion in a moment ▪ when will you learn wisdom , and refrain your selves from vanity ? do you think to persist in the way wherein you walk ? can you overcome the lamb ? or can you bring to nought the purpose of the most high ? will you make your selves equal with him , and will ye gainsay the working of his power ? nay , you shall fall into everlasting confusion , and the remembrance of your destruction shall not suddenly pass away : for the purpose of the lord shall surely stand , and his counsel shall 〈◊〉 be made void ; for you are but suffered for a moment , till your measure be ●ull , and your transgression be finished , that you may be cut off for ever , and ●●id waste as the wilderness ▪ long hath been the night of darkness over all nations , wherein you have played , and sported your selves , as though no eye had seen you , and your works of cruelty had laid hid in your bosomes , but now they do appear , and the day hath made you manifest , and the light hath discovered you , and now ye are tryed , and weighted , and searched ; and the fire of the lord is kindled upon all your works , and the end o● them is confusion and misery ; and in sorrow shall ye lie down , and no eye shall comfort you , nor no physitian shall heal your bruise ; for with a grievous blow will the hand of the lord be upon you , all you who pervert his way , who have joyned your selves in battel against the lamb , and his followers ; some of you smiting the innocent with your hands , and some with your tongues , and in your envy deal cruelty with the lord 's chosen , who are become a proverb and prey to the wicked , and as a butt to shoot at , against whom you bend your tongues , and speak bitter things , even from the head to the tayl ; the whole body of darkness is prepared to war , and every member of the great image is stirred up in its strength , thinking to prevail through subtilty , against the innocency of the simple , and lyes are become o●● enemies refuge , and their trust is in a broken reed , which fails their confidence and hope ; and we are preserved under the shaddow of the almighty , and we are delivered out of the snare of our enemies , and through suffering for a moment , shall reign for ever and ever over the beast and his image . and unto thee giles firmin i do write a few words , in answer to thy book , caled , stablishing against quaking ; who hast helped up the measure to fulfil the wickedness of the wicked in adding thy lyes , and slanders , and reproaches unto thy brethren , and hast cast in thy mite into the heap of babylons confusion , and ●ast set thy seal against the lord's people , and hast put to thy hand in the record of sions enemies ; whom do you thus strive against ? and against whom is your ●ury thus kindled ? what are you doing in your drunken fits of fury , wherein you stagger with the wine of envy ? surely when you are sober you will consider , ●nd when you are come to your selves you will be ashamed , and will not open any more your malice and wrath which hath drownded your honesty and civility ; and ●n your knowledge you are as bruit beasts , which are to be destroyed ; you do but ga●her your selves together that you may be scattered and broken to peices ; you are ●uffered to heap up your confusion , in lyes and reproaches , that the lord may make you ashamed , and judge you out of your own mouths . and friend , what hast thou done , and who hast thou established ? the wicked ●n his wickedness , and the unclean in his filthiness , and hast hardened the hearts of the ungodly by thy lyes and slanders , least they should turn from their ungod●iness , and be saved from their sins , and so against quaking for transgression hast ●hou stablished them herein ; and this will be laid to thy charge in the day of ●he lord , who healest up the wound slightly , and criest peace , peace to the wick●d , unto whom the lord hath not spoken peace : and friend , thou art the man ●n whom the prince of darkness is discovered , which now works in thee , and ●rom him hast thou sent forth thy pack of reproaches against the innocent , and ●leadest thy own cause , and judgest hereof in the sight of men , and hast sought ●he praise of men , and not the praise of god ; and so seek to obtain a good re●ort by flattery , and not by faith ; and this sufficiently appears in thy first e●istle , wherein thou hast given flattering titles unto man , and in vain hypocri●ie hast fought a proof to the authority of thy book , thinking thereby the more ●o make it of force to do the work , which thou intendest by it ; even to ●oyson the simplicity of the upright , and to devour the woman which brings ●orth the man-child , by casting floods of evil speeches and lyes after her , but ●hy flatteries are of no worth to thee , nor thy subtil words of guile availeth thee ●ot herein ; for in the light thou art seen , and by it tried , and thy snare which ●hou , hast laid will fetter thy own foot , and the mischief thou intendest is fallen ●pon thy own head , and whilst thou hast thought to discover the prince of darkness in another , thou hast covered and cloaked him in thy self , under thy feigned words of flattery ; but through that vail he is seen , and unto all men shall be made manifest , and the spirit of the lord doth judge him , and thy rock of flattery shall not cover thee from the wrath of him , whom thou hast set thy self to oppose . and in thy second epistle thou sayest , thou madest one sermon , to discover this generation ( meaning the quakers ) and thou , sayst thou , found good success of it . friend , thou hast more fully discovered thy self , and that abommation which lodged in thy heart secretly , which thou hast not let out into open view , then thou hast in the least measure discovered us , or detected us , or justly reproved us , in doctrine or conversation to be contrary to the saints in generations past , who are our cloud of witnesses , as being guided by the same spirit according to the measure as we have received ; but this is rather a discovery to all the upright that were of god , because we are spoken all manner of evil of , falsly by thee and thy generation , who are sufficiently proved in all your wayes and worships , to be of the generation of them that ever persecuted the righteous seed of god : and as for the success , thou hast found little profit thereof , for the judgments and wrath of god will succeed thy lyes and slanders ; and this shalt thou find , and they that are deceived by thee shall perish together , and this will be the reward of thy duty , which thou sayest called upon thee now to speak . and seven of thy first pages hast thou filled in pleading for thy own kingdom , and unjustly justifiing thy own cause , in preaching for hire , and in divining for money , and in seeing for thy gain from thy quarter , false prophet like ; it well appears that sometime thou hast been bit upon thy sore , and searched where thy guilt hath lodged , and now thou hast endeavoured to heal up the wound , and cure thy self , and hast brought many arguments , and hast sought to clear thy self by guile 〈◊〉 not by innocency ; and hast gathered many scriptures together , which as th● supposest might make for thy purpose herein by preaching of them : how f●… wouldst thou blind the eye of the simple , that thou mightst alwayes act thy ab● mination , and not be seen ; and even as satan brought scripture against chri●● so hast thou against the truth , and to uphold thy iniquity . thou sayest , it is the great clamour of the quakers , that you are no ministers of chri●… because you preach for hire ; divine for money , and are covetous , &c. this is true , and i will add much more , which thou hast spared , you are greedy dumb dogs , and can never have enough , every one of you seeking for yo● gain from your quarter , and through coveteousness make merchandise of sou●● and make a prey upon the flock , and feed your selves with the fat , and cloa●● your selves with the wool ; and cry , peace , peace to them that put into yo● mouthes , but prepare war against them that do not ; and are given to filthy 〈◊〉 cre , and love the wages of unrighteousness , and go on headlong in the error 〈◊〉 balaam and cain , having the form of godliness but denying the power ; bei● heady and high-minded-men , and false accusers , and proud boasters , and lovers of pleasure more than god , &c. much more also is true upon you according to scripture ; for whatsoever the true prophets and apostles declared , as 〈◊〉 giving a description of the false prophets and apostles , by their works and sig●… the same way may truly be said upon you , as being every whit guilty of what●● ever was charged upon them by the spirit of the lord ; so that all thy wresting● scriptures will not clear thee and thy brethren , who have , some of them , said as 〈◊〉 as thou canst say , in this particular ; but truth stands unmoveable , and you 〈◊〉 altogether discovered , and made bare and naked ; and your shame doth appear●… thy answer to this which thou callest , the quakers clamour . thou sayest , false teachers may and have preached freely ; then be sure free te●… could not prove you to be true ministers , &c. reply , thou and this generation of teachers exceed such in abominati●● who have not yet so far transformed your selves like unto true ministers , as 〈◊〉 teach freely ; and your condemnation will be the greater , insomuch as you exc●… them in wickedness ; and it is confessed , that free teaching would not prove 〈◊〉 to be true minsters , for you are false , and deceitful in every account , and 〈◊〉 nisters of antichrist , under many considerations more then one ; as in your ca●… and worship , and many other things : and thus thou hast laid open thy own 〈◊〉 ly , that thou mayest be judged out of thy own mouth . for in the margent th● sayest , the quakers teach not freely , for at one town thou hearest , that one of the qu●kers had about five pound gathered for him . friend , this is a slander and a false accusation , and thou hast heard and believed a lye ( if not made a lye ) and thy lyes will be no refuge for thee in 〈◊〉 day of the lord ; for i testifie against them and thee , and him to be no qu●●● who acted such a thing , if any such was acted . then thou goest on , and draw● many vain conclusions and arguments to no purpose ; and bringest the scriptu●● cor. . , . and thinkest this for thy purpose , because of the word ( w●ges ) and now boastest as though thou hadst overcome ; but all this will not clear th● from guilt , nor prove thee to be a minister of christ ; he reaped where he had sow● , and not of the world ; he eat the milk of the flock , and did not by a law co● pel people to pay him , as thy generation doth ; neither was he chargeable to any , as you are , but made the gospel of christ free ; and used not his liberty in the●● things , but you go beyond the liberty of equity , and by a law obtain your maintenance , oppressing the poor to make your selves rich ; living in pride , idleness , and fulness ; but paul did not thus , but was in cold , hunger , and nakedness ; and the wages he took was not to do himself service , but them , as it is evident ▪ so pauls example herein will not cloak thy filthiness , nor cover thy shame ; hewas a minister of the spirit , and did sow spiritual things , and was no hireling , as the false prophets , who through coveteousness made merchandise of souls ; and this is thy example , and not the practise of paul , whom thou wouldst fain make like ●nto thy self ; but he is justified , and thou art condemned in the sight of god , whose work is not of his nature ; he gave freely and might reap where he sowed ; but thou makest a covenant to reap before thou sowest , and sowest not , and so deceives the people . then thou sayst , we provide for our selves ( when we wander up and down ) men must provide us lodging , food , &c. are not people bound to provide for you , as well as to entertain us , &c. thou alwayes pleadest thy own cause , and so hadst thou need ; for the children of god cannot plead for thee , but testifie against thee : it is christ's doctrine , into whatsoever house ye enter , eat such things as are set before you ; but it was never his doctrine , take so much by the year ; and if they will give you such a sum , preach to them ; this is the doctrine , way , and wages of balaam , in which thou art found . many other scriptures dost thou wrest , and many a vain argument dost thou make unto this purpose . and thou sayest , he that will be a minister indeed , will say , he findeth all little enough . for shame cover thy lips , and stop thy mouth ; thy stuff stinks with raking in , who sayest , that men cannot be sufficient ministers without arts , and such poor blind stuff , of which i am ashamed , and pass by it as not worth the mentioning . then thou goest on in the matter of tythes , seeing the rule and law of scripture will not fully bear thee out in thy wicked practise of pleading for hire ; 〈…〉 goest to the law of the nation , and so the gospel which you preach will not ma●…n you according to the apostles doctrine ; but by a law are maintained , through the grievous oppression of the innocent , as is witnessed in this nation ; and thou art put to all thy shifts , though but beggarly some of them , to blind peoples eyes , so that you may have your hire ; and in thy arguments thou pleadest , that tythes are no mans own , but the ministers , &c. but i say , if poor men did not labour , and improve their time , and strength , and money , you could have no tythes ; so that if the land was not tilled through poor peoples labours you might go without ; so tythes are not paid out of the land , but out of mens labours thereupon ; and so you rob poor mens labours , and not the land , that you may live in filthiness . and thou sayest , care is taken for you already many hundred years before you were born , in setting an estate . &c. yea , the pope settled tythes upon his priests , whose generation you are of ; a poor shameless shift to plead such things , leaving the rule of the scripture , and defending your selves both in your ministry and maintenance by a popish ●aw , which was the supreme power in the nation when tythes were first established in england , but neither the rule of scripture , nor of the national law will make your works justified ; all people shall see your nakedness , and god will make you ashamed of your way : and as to particular , had we lived in the primitive churches , when the magistrates were heathens , &c. this i shall answer by a question , doth not the works of some of the magistrates in england ( i do not say all ) prove themselves rather to be heathens than christians , by their unjust imprisoning of the innocent without ●…ch of any law , and so to be rather destroyers of the church ( which is the body of christ ) then careing to preserve it , and also in giving treble dammage to the hirelings for non-payment , thereby wasting and making havock of poor mens estates , as is in many places to be witnessed , and these are they who are most zealous for you , some of them i leave this question to be answered , which being but truly answered , will discover whether you who by oppression take tythes , 〈…〉 ●ho o●● of the exercise of a pure conscience cannot pay tythes , and so are sufferers , and you oppressors are carriers on of the designs of hell and rome , as in thy eleventh page thou speakest . then thou sayest , so much for the ministers maintenance , &c. yea , more then enough , but that thou mightest lay open thy own folly , therefore wast thou allowed , that thy shame might be fully laid open , and thou uncovered , who hast acted thy part as others of thy brethren before thee , in pleading your own unjust cause of idolatry , to uphold your grievous oppression of tythes and set maintenances , under which at this day many thousands do sadly groan , and not pittied by you ; but though you regard not , the lord god doth and will avenge their cry upon your heads , who have made your ministry and religion the most grievous oppression in this common-wealth , and so are fallen into greater abomination than the heathen , and are higher than they in ungodliness , and deeper in subtilty ; and go to the heathens , and they will shame you ; and take thy own counsel , and practise it , as in thy tenth page : and much more of thy stuff i pass , thus much is sufficient to discover thy deceit in this particular . then thou goest on , and from thy text thy observation is this , it hath been of old , and it is the practise still of the prince of darkness , to transform himself into an angel of light , &c. to which i answer , it is proved by the scripture , that it hath been of old his practise , and it is proved upon thee , that it is still his practise ; and thou art the man upon whom thy observation stands true , who art in thy good words , and fair speeches , and pretences , transformed only in the appearance , and not in the ground , out of gross wickedness into secret hypocrisie , and so makest an image without life , and so as iannes and iambres , art resisting truth ; yet art thou seen and comprehended , though thou sayest , satan is never less seen then when he acts as an angel of light ; which i suppose thou speakest by experience , as being acted therein , undiscovered to the simple , because of thy hypocrisie . in thy page thirteenth , thou sayest , that the scriptures are the true light. here thy blindeness and error is discovered , who speakest herein contrary to the scripture , which saith , christ iesus is the true light , iohn . here th●● wouldest exalt the scriptures in the seat of christ , and thereby deny him , in saying the scripture is that which he only is , and nothing else , ( to wit ) the tr●● light of the world ; which lighteneth every man that comes into the world ; and the scriptures are a declaration of him , and not him . and thou goest on , and sayest , because these quakers ●each people they must do justly , do no body wrong , nor lye , &c. some take it for granted they come from christ , &c. but this thou snuffest at , and makest light of , by which is easily discerned of what spirit thou art ; the scripture witnesseth , he is a minister of christ that tur● from darkness to light , and from sin unto god ; and could we but wink at sin , and cloak it as you do , and cry peace , peace to them that walks after the imaginations of their own hearts , then should we be loved , and not hated of the world. and in thy fourteenth page , thou reckonest us with the fryars and popish generation , but them and thee we do deny , and that holiness and righteousness which is in the will of man ; for because we cannot run to the same excess of riot with you , you think it strange ; and therefore thou accusest us ( as with a matter of fact ) that we drink water , and fast , and wear no lace , &c. that which tho● wouldst make us abominable in by the sight of men doth our innocency and uprightness appear in , in the sight of god , and his children . then thou goest on in thy confused language , and in that which thou callest thy use , take h●ed that you be not deceived . to whom dost thou speak , to them that are in the truth ? if tho● speakest to thy own flock , thy word might have been , search , lest you be deceived ; for we know the whole world lies in wickedness , and this generation under the deceivableness of a blind ministry , which leadeth not unto god , but keeps in darkness , ever learning , and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth . and in thy page ninteenth , thou hast put forth a question , which is , how shall we know this transformed angel of light , & c ? to which i answer , where he rules he is not known nor discerned , for the god of the world hath blinded the eye which should make him manifest ; and this is true in thee , who art led by him and perceivest it not , and art doing his work and understandest not ; but the brightness of the coming of the son of man in the children of the father , hath discovered him in the world , and in thee ; and though thou woulst fain put him among the quakers , yet he is found in thy own house ; thou endeavourest to prove thy accusation by vain consequence and false conclusions ; but our assertion is proved by the spirit of god , and stands upon thy head , and shall be witnessed by the light in thy own conscience . now something in answer to thy arguments , and false conclusion . and thy first argument is , that the light of the quakers will not admit of , nor endure the trial , therefore the light of the quakers is the light of satan , &c. answ. thy proposition and ground of thy argument is a lye , and so thy conclusion is to no purpose ; for we deny not a trial , but exhort people thereunto , that they search the scripture , to see whether these things be not so , and are tried by the scriptures in doctrine and conversation , and proved to be simple thereby , to be in the truth as it is in jesus , and are testified of in scripture by the holy men of god , who are unto us a cloud of witnesses , in our faith , and life , and sufferings , and tryals , &c. friend , thou hast fained a lye upon us , and hast confuted thy own lye ; this is an easie way to prove us deceivers , if it would stand in trial ; neither is thy proof , that w● do deny tryal , any wit to this purpose , as i. n. against f. harris , page the tenth , which thou quotest , let the honest hearted read ; but subtilly hast thou wrested the words , to bring thy false conclusion and lye about , to take place among the ignorant people : thy lye is condemned , and thy refuge is taken away , and thou art left naked for the destroyer . thy second argument is , the light of the quakers putteth out the light of nature ; therefore their light is the light of satan , &c. thou sayest by the light of nature , thou meanest the inward law ; which god set up in the heart of all mankind , ch●●king many sins against god and man , &c. answ ▪ what blind confusion is this , which is uttered from thy dark mind ? no whit savory , but stuff hardly worth stirring in , and quite contradiction to thy own words , page fifteen , where thou chargest us with directing to the light in the conscience , which thou callest natural , but we call it spiritual , and this is it which cheeks the sins against god , which thou sayest our light puts out , and that we preach any thing for light which puts out this light ( which is the work of the law of god written in the heart ) this argument is also a lye , and so thy conclusion is made void likewise ; but that the knowledge , and wisdom , and prudency of the natural man , which is corrupted , must be put out , this we own ; and the quakers light , which is the light of christ , shall confound the wisdom of the world , and be no transgression against god , nor from a light of satan , but of christ ; and the proof of thy argument is , as thou sayest , w● deny honour to all superiours , and seemest to be greatly offended with the word ( thou ) quoting many scriptures against it , but let the wise in heart judge thee herein ; none of all these scripture , will prove that ever any of the saints gave flattering titles unto men , or spoke ( you ) to a particular person , which thou art to prove , or else thou sayest nothing , that the word ( thou ) to superiours is any denying of honour due unto them ; and herein thy conclusion is also false , being the foundation of thy argument is a lye ; and thy argument made up of confusion , saying , that light is natural , which is the inward law set up in the heart , checking the sins against god and man , this is one lye ; also saying , that our light puts out the light , this is another lye : friend , if lyes would prove us deceivers , thou wouldst accomplish it ; how easie a thing it is for thee to confute thy own lyes , when thou hast made them ? thy third argument is , such is the quakers light ( viz. ) which teacheth men to forsake the scriptures , setting up a spirit in man , which shall not be examined by the scriptures ; therefore , it is the light of satan , &c. answ. the first part of thy argument is a very lye , and also the last , as thou hast laid it down ; our light teacheth not men to forsake the scriptures , but into the fulfilling of them , to walk in the life of them ; and it teacheth to exalt the spirit of god in man above all things , and in its fruits and opperation may be examined by the scriptures , but it self is the searcher of all things , even of the deep things of god ; and this is not the light of satan but of christ , which teacheth men into the fulfilling of the scriptures , and to exalt the spirit in man which gave forth the scriptures , which is the trial of all spirits ; and whatsoever conclusion be gathered for an argument , whereof a lye is the foundation , as of this , the conclusion must needs be vain , and a lye , like its foundation . and in thy proof of the major position , thou sayest , the scriptures are left by god , to be your light and rule , &c. and the scriptures say , christ is the light , the way , the truth , and the life , ( and so the rule ) and so thou hast set up the scriptures above christ , and by thy lying spirit crosseth the scriptures ; but thou art accustomed to lye , and so art expert therein : and thou sayest , christ bids you se●●c● the scriptures , iohn . . it is true , he bids the pharisees , who had not christ word abiding in them , and who had not heard god's voice , nor seen his shape , but persecuted christ , them he bad search the scriptures ; and justly hast thou thr●●● in thy self among the pharisees , and so art an enemy to christ , according to thy own confession : and for the proof of the minor position , thou hast not at at 〈◊〉 proved by any way of the books quoted thy proposition , that the quakers lig●● teacheth men to forsake the scriptures , &c. let the wise in heart judge . and thou sayst , but to speak truly , the quakers make nothing of scriptures , &c. this is the very falsness , and of thy lying tongue , and no truth in it ; and a question here i ask , whether he be the more guilty of forsaking scriptures which live the life thereof , and in the fulfilling of them by the spirit , or he that talks in words of them , and makes a trade thereof , but lives in lying and false accusing , and pride , and vain glory , and t●e filthiness of the flesh ? this question being answered , will open the understanding of the simple , and our innocency thereby will appear from all thy grievous slanders , and wicked wrestings of our words . as in page twenty five , in thy false conclusio●… of this particular , thou sayest , the quakers divide the spirit from the scripture , &c. yea , the spirit , and the scriptures are low things , though they bear wit●… to the truth of each other , thus are they divided , that every one that hath the scriptures hath not the spirit , and this is no error , nor from a light of satan ; but thy lyes are from the darkness of satan , and not from the lig●● of christ. thy fourth argument is , such is the quakers light ( viz. ) which makes the scripture cross it self , and that in things known by the light of nature ; therefore the light of satan , &c. answ. this is also false in the foundation , and thy arguments and confusions made without effect : friend , whilst thy foundation is a lye thy building wi●… not endure , be sure of that ; the scripture was given forth by one spirit , and bears witness unto one thing , and doth not cross it self in the light of the spirit that gave it forth , though to thy carnal wisdom it may seem so : and for the proof of thy minor proposition , thou sayst we quote that scripture , iames . have not the faith of our lord iesus with respect of persons , &c. to overthrow all respect of persons , &c. doth this at all prove that our light makes the scripture to cross it self ? where is it said in the scripture , have the faith of our lord jesus with respect of persons ? such a one thou must bring , or else thou hast said nothing to this purpose : and thy second scripture is , that we say as christ said , swear not at all : will this scripture being quoted by us , prove that our light makes the scripture cross it self ? what blind confused stuff is this which proceeds from thee , thinking to make us odious and vile , but thou hast the rather made thy self ignorant and blind in the sight of all the children of light , who comprehend thee in thy subtilty ; and as to that of swearing , which thou hast strived in thy argument to prove the lawfulness of it , thou hast thereby made thy argument against christ's own words , who saith , swear not at all ; and thou art he whose light ( or rather whose darkness ) would confound the scriptures , to blind the eye of the simple ; and thy conclusion stands true upon thy self ; hence thy light is the light of satan , not of christ. and thou sayest , the quakers bid men be guided by the light of god within , &c. how doth this contradict thy own words , page twenty second , where thou sayest , the quakers light puts out this light , the inward law set up in the heart , &c. when wilt thou be ashamed of thy ignorance , and stop thy mouth in the dust ? thy fifth argument is ; such is the quakers light , viz. which takes men off from that rule which is perfect , and cannot err , and sends them to be guided by a light which is imperfect , and may and doth err ; therefore the light of satan , &c. answ. hast thou given up thy self wholly to lyes , and to make them thy refuge ? thy work is to make a lye , and then to confound it ; this is an easie way to prove us deceivers , as i said ; and in the proof of thy minor proposition , thou hast fallen short of proving what thou takest in hand , and sayst , the word of god is perfect , but the quakers do not send men to the word , &c. this is false , we preach the word , and send men to it ; even that word of faith which the apostle preached , which is in the heart , and in the mouth , and that word is perfect , and errs not , and this we send men too , to be guided by it , and to receive faith in it ; then thou sayest , the light of conscience is imperfect , and may err , and takes accasion to speak of that scripture , ioh. . but to what purpose i know not , except thou wouldst prove that light of christ to be imperfect , and err , which we say hath lightened every mans conscience in the world , and is a perfect rule in the conscience , where man is guided by it ; and this light leads up unto christ , to exercise the conscience , and he to rule king and lord in the conscience , and so to make conscience one with him in the unity ; and this is true wisdom , and no folly as thou accountst it in thy blindness , page twenty nine : then thou goest on , and hast intimated a falsity from i. ps query , and then confutes thy own lye ; i. p. doth not say , every man is lightned with a saving light ; but asks the question to be answered , which for the simple sake , here i do answer , christ hath lighted every man in the world with the true light , which is saving light to every one that believes therein , and condemning light to him that believes not , yet is the light true light , and no error nor imperfection in it ; and they that hate it are such as know nothing of redemption , justification , &c. and a great part of england is in that conditin , though they have heard the report , yet they know it not in truth and righteousness ; and this light is in the world , and the world knows it not ; yet doth not this confute that he hath lightned every man that comes into the world , as thou wouldst ignorantly make it appear in the same page : then thou sayest , if you speak of reason and understanding , so christ lighteth every one , &c. here thou hast confessed truth with thy lying spirit ; it is the purest reason that every man should serve his maker , and act nothing contrary to his maker ; this the ●ight of christ lights unto , and leads unto ; and it is the best understanding that gives a man to understand the way of eternal peace and rest for his soul , if he love the light , and lets him understand when he acts against his maker , &c. and this hath christ lighted every man unto ; then thou sayest , conscience may err , and provest it from paul's example of persecuting : if conscience be not guided by the light of christ , it erreth ; but it was not the light of christ in pauls conscience which led him to persecute , but his thoughts and imaginations , which were in the high mind above the light in the conscience ; then many false conclusions from our words hast thou drawn , through thy wresting of them ; thou sayest , as in all our books , the word of god written is made of no account , &c. thy lying tongue will god rebuke , the scriptures we account of , and set them in their authority , and bring them as a witness against thee , and all thy wayes , who art out of the life of them , thinking thou dost god service in speaking evil of his people ; and thy rules by which thou walkst , is proved by thy works and words to be imperfect and erroneous , and thy darkness is of satan , and not the light of christ. thy sixth argument is , such is the quakers light , that it destroys the institutions of christ ; therefore is the light of satan , &c. answ. hast thou no foundation but a lye to place thy . argument upon ? surely , thy time is neer an end , because thou hast no refuge but a lye to fly unto . thy major proposition is not altogether sound , for that light was the light of god , and of christ which commanded circumcision , and the seventh day to be kept a sabbath , and the worship in the temple , which was instituted by god , &c. and that was the light of god , and of christ also , which led the disciples from these things , to deny them , and bear witness against them , and yet no offence in god , nor no contradiction in the light of christ ; but this to thy dark mind is a mystery sealed , and i leave it as a parable to thee . then for the proof of , thy minor proposition , thou instancest , that we de●● baptism , and breaking of bread ; yet darest thou not contend for sprinkling of infants ; ( that imagination of man , and no institution of christ. ) but makest use of the baptist herein , unto whom i perceive thou art an enemy ; what poor shifts art thou fain to run unto now , when thou art likely to be discovered , and rambles up and down , wresting our words to blind the eyes of the simple ? for you that live in your filthiness , yet professing the supper of the lord , it is made manifest you eat and drink your own damnation , and discerns not the lords body and while you are of the world , and not come to repentance , you have nothing to do to speak of the institutions of christ , which was to his church , to be practised therein only , and not among the children of this world ; so thy darkness is of satan , and not of christ , and thy conclusion it is to thy self . thy seventh argument is ; such is the quakers light , viz. which denies agre● work of christ in the hearts of them who believe in him ; therefore it is the light of satan , &c. answ. what hast thou nothing but a lye in thy mouth to ground thy discourse upon , and to draw thy conclusion from ; we deny not the work of christ in the hearts of them who believe ; the proof of this minor position makes it not at all evident , when thou hast wrested our words as much as thou canst , much less if the simplicity of our words were used ; so it being a lye in the ground , i need no● much pluck down the building , for it fals of it self , as being not so firm as upon the sand ; for we hereunto exhort , that every one may know and witness the work of christ in the heart to change and translate , and to give power over the world : but among thy many blind arguments thou sayest , thou deniest that the righteousness of christ whereby a believer is justified doth dwell in him , &c. the scripture saith , except christ be in you , you are reprobates ; and where christ is , there is his righteousness , for they are not divided ; and the word of faith , which is the righteousness of christ , is in the heart , as paul saith : but i have cause to think thou art not much ashamed of being proved a lyar , because thy impudency hath overcome simplicity and honesty ; for when thou hast committed abomination , thou canst not blush , nor be ashamed ; but thy shame will the upright see . thy eighth argument is , such is the quakers light , ( viz. ) which teacheth men ●o omit their duty to god ; therefore it is the light of satan , &c. answ. thou enemy of god , when wilt thou cease thy lyes , and to pervert the right way of god ? we teach no man to omit his duty , neither doth thy witness of thy minor proposition stand any whit for thy purpose ; we are our selves daily exercised in prayer unto god , and omits it not , as thou falsly accusest ; but to bear testimony against the sacrifice of the wicked , prayer , self-righteousness , &c. that it is abomination , and not accepted of the father , this is no whit to the purpose of teaching men to omit their duty , as thou falsly accuseth us ; and thy multitude of vain arguments are to no purpose herein ; and thou shews a vain wonto● spirit . at i. ns words , whose exhortation is to wait for the spirit , which we testifie no man can be heard , or accepted of god in what he doth , without it ; and this is the duty of the children of god , to wait upon the father to be led by his spirit , and he who is without the spirit , hath not received christ jesus ; and though thou scornst at this , yet of it we are not ashamed ; and thy false conclusion is like thy foundation , both to be condemned with the lyar. thy ninth argument is , such is the quakers light ( viz. ) which teacheth men to say , they have no sin ; therefore the light of satan , &c. answ. in the proof of thy major proposition , thou sayest , the light of christ doth teach , that all his people are freed from the dominion of sin ; and christ jesus no where saith , that any are free from the dominion of sin , who are not free from the committing of sin ; but the contrary he saith , he that commits sin is the servant of sin ; and such a one is under the dominion of it , where he is servant , sin is lord ; so he who is redeemed from the dominion and committing of sin , and cleansed from all unrighteousness , by christ jesus through his blood ; if he saith he hath no sin , he is no lyar : but if before confession and forsaking of sin , he saith he hath no sin , he deceives himself , according as the scripture witnesseth unto both these conditions , iohn . , . again , he that is born of god sins not , as the same apostle saith ; and if he that sins not , saith he hath no sin , he is no lyar , but his light is the light of christ , and not of satan : and thy blindness is seen in that thou sayest in effect , as though some may be free from the dominion of sin , and yet not free from the committing of sin ; if thy light teacheth thee thus , it is contrary to the light of christ , which gave forth the scripture ; our light teacheth from the committing of all sin , and gives dominion over all unrighteousness , and of this light we are not ashamed : this is the strength of thy argument , which is answered ; so much of the rest i pass by , only may mind thee of thy confusion . thou sayest , where s●n hath no dominion , that man is perfect , &c. and thou allowest that the light of christ teacheth men that they are freed from the dominion of sin ; and it is proved that none are free from the dominion of sin , but who are saved from the committing of sin : and the sum of thy doctrine is no more then that which thou wouldst make error in us , though sometimes thou art railing against perfection , and sometimes owning it under some particular accounts , not under all ; and so one while builds up , and another while throwest down , and so art in babylon . thou sayest , there are thousands of perfect men in england , &c. yet thy false conclusion is , because we hold perfection , therefore is our light the light of satan , &c. i leave it to the simple minde , to read thy confusion , and shall rake no longer in it . thy tenth argument is , such is the quakers light ( viz. ) which teacheth men to revile , and throw filth upon the true ministers , and true churches of christ ; therefore it is the light of satan , &c. answ. this foundation is another lye , and thy arguments are to no purpose ; we revile not , neither do throw filth upon the true ministers and churches of christ ; thy proof of thy minor position gives not evidence of thy assertion ; let the wise in heart judge : so much need not be said , because both thy proposition and thy proof is false ; doth i. parnel , telling of the churches being in god , &c. prove that we revile & throw filth upon ministers ? &c. what blindness is this ? but yet this will be the question , who the true ministers and churches of christ are ? for we judge it not , ( neither doth the lord ) to be reviling and throwing filth upon the true ministers and churches , to call you greedy dumb dogs , that seek for your gain from your quarter , and can never have enough ; and hirelings , that preach for hire , and divine for money ; and devourers of the flock , who feed your selves with the fat , and make a prey through covetousness upon the people ; acting the horrible filthy thing , which ieremiah cried against ; and to call you evil beasts , and slow-bellies , which teach for filthy lucre , as ●●●l did : and much more such like may truly be spoken of you , by the spirit of the lord , and no railing against the ministers of christ , no more then the true prophets , which spoke the same language : for who act those things which the prophets of christ and his apostles declared against , are no ministers of christ ; and here we find you in the steps of the false prophets , and scribes , and pharisees , and false apostles ; ( if any ask the particulars , i can give testimony hereof ) so that we make a great difference between reproving and condemning false teachers and hirelings , and reviling the true ministers of christ ; prove your selves to be true ministers of christ , and we shall joyn with you ; otherwise we must set to our seal against you , for your abominations , and shall as justly deny your idol temples , and worship therein to be the true churches of christ , as we deny you to be ministers ; for your works do make you manifest , even your wickedness is discovered ; what rudeness , and wildness , and pride , and vain glory is among you ; and christ never had such a body , who were made up of such members ; but i do the rather pitty your blind people than you , for you are the blind leaders of the blind , and shut the kingdom of heaven against men , and enter not your selves , nor will suffer others , this is true upon you , and so are proved to be the generation of vipers , and serpents , and hipocrites : this is no reviling , but the language of the spirir of god , which christ once spoke to such as you ; ( i speak of thee and thy generation ) and we own and honour the true ministers and churches of christ , and revile them not ; but deny you , and bear our witness against you . then thou sayest , see what is required by the apostles example , to bring you into the ministry , and prove you have it not . to which i answer , you have not the call of the apostles , who were called by the imediate spirit ; none of you dare own this that i have yet heard of ; neither have you received your gospel as they did , by the revelation of jesus christ ; and thou hast confessed it . in page fifty one , thou sayst plainly , you own no such revelation ; and so hast manifested thy selfe , to be without the abillities of the true ministers , in these two particulars , and many more , which might be mentioned ; and also in that which the apostle saith , he that preaches the gospel shall live of the gospel . now by an outward law you are maintained , through oppression of the innocent , as before i have proved ; for if you had not a law to defend you in your maintenance , you might starve or beg : so your gospel doth not maintain you , but the law of the nation , through oppression of the people . and the apostle preached christ jesus to be the light which hath lightened every man that cometh into the world ; and this you deny : and much more migh be testified against you wherein you are not only short , but contrary to the true ministers of christ. th●● thou shamelesly pleadst for the ordination by the bishops , which i shall pass by , as not worth minding to set pen to paper about it , and in conclusion thou sayest , th●… pleadst not for every particular minister , &c. neither do i plead against any one minister of christ , but against hirelings for which thou pleadst , and so thy darkness is of satan , and not the light of christ ; take thy conclusion to thy self , for unto thee it belongs . thy eleventh argument is ; such is the quakers light ( viz. ) which brags of the infallible spirit , and yet cannot speak good sence or reason , therefore is the light of satan , &c. answ. this is also false , and a lye ; whom hast thou heard brag , by word or writing , of an infallible spirit , but the spirit of god we say is infallible , and that spirit we have received in its measure ; but thy lye i bear witness against , and thee the father of it : and thou sayst the spirit of god speaks rationally , and sence ; and thou sayst satan also can speak likewise ; then that can be no clear discovery or difference betwixt them , if they speak alike : and thou sayst further , seeing the witty jesuits cannot do the business , now try if foolish quakers can do it , &c. thou art herein divided from some of thy brethren , who hath as unjustly as tho● accused us to be jesuits ; but any thing you will say which may make for your turn , to uphold the kingdom of satan ; but your lyes and reproaches are unto us great riches , and our innocency will the lord bring forth in his time , and your wickedness shall fall upon your own heads in a moment : but thy proof of thy minor position testifies no such thing against us , as speaking rational , or non-sence ; so thy position is false , that we brag , &c. and thy proof is not for thy purpose , th●● we cannot speak good sence or reason ; so in thy whole business thou art found a lyar , and the lyars portion is the lake ; this is truth , and no reviling ; only i perceive thou hast got a catch by some scriptures being misplaced , and not truly quoted , which may be the printers fault , for ought i know : but all that ever thou hast spoken proves not the truth of what thou hast asserted , let shame cover thy face . thy twelfth argument is ; such is the quakers light , ( viz. ) which affirms sound believers walking ( evangelically ) in obedience to gods commandments , to be in a state of condemnation ; therefore it is the light of satan , &c. answ. thou being neer at an end , hast left the greatest lye to the last ; when wilt thou be ashamed , and stop thy mouth ? thy testimony of lyes is well nigh finished , and thou bindest up the sum with an abominable one ; yet thou confessest in thy margent , we do not say thi● in many words , but by consequence , &c. here let all men take notice of thee , who hast accused us with a thing ; and yet confessest we say not the thing ; thou hast fully manifested thy self , we need go no further to lay thee open ; but thou sayest , by consequence , &c. friend , if thou mighttest be the interpreter of our books , its like thou wouldest deal deceifully as thy generation hath done with the scripture ; but we write not our books , and leave them for to be expounded by thee , but they are as they speak , simple plain language to the ignorant , that thy may be instructed ; thou hast manifested thy skil , in wresting our words , sufficiently ; we allow thee not to be our interpreter ; we testifie , he who is a sound believer , and walks in obedience to the commands of god , is in a justified state in the sight of god ; but we put a difference betwixt condemning sound believers , and speaking plainly in reproof of sin , as if we tell the lyar his portion will be the lake , and the proud he shall be as stubble before the fire , and the wicked shall be cast into hell ; and that no coveteous , unclean , whoremongers , drunkards , &c. shall never enter into the kingdom of god : this language is not a condemning of the sound believers , neither is it so accounted in the sight of god , though falsly judged by thee , and we stand to the judgment of him , and not unto thy false slanders . and thou further sayest , and desirest the quakers , but to tell thee of one man in the word of god , ( meaning the scriptures ) who was holy , who embraced the quakers doctrines , principle , and practises , &c. david was holy , moses was holy , ieremiak was holy , with many more testified of in the scripture , that were of the same faith with us , and of the same doctrines , and principles , and practices ; for themselves were quakers , as their own writings make manifest ; and hadst thou been in their dayes , thou wouldst have spoken no less evil of them then of us ; for it was such as thou who spoke evil of them , and persecuted them ; and hence i do conclude thy spirit to be the spirit of satan , and not the spirit of god , thy thirteenth and last argument is against our shaking ( as thou callest it ) and it is manifest to every one ( thou sayest ) whence it comes , &c. and railest much against it , and shufflest off , and kicks against the testimony we give out of the scripture , bringing the like examples of the servants of the lord. and thou sayest , we abuse the examples of daniel , moses , and david , to defend these diabolical actings , &c. god shall reprove thy lying tongue , and rebuke thee with the reproof of his judgments ; yea , many more than these named can we bring to witness for us , in the same actings of the power of god. which thou most wickedly callest diabolical , and leavest the reader to observe thy foolish story , to which in its place i may answer . then thou goest on , and ramblest over a great deal of stuff from an author like thy self , who wrote a book against us also , and whose testimony is no better then thine , as being of the same spirit ( against the seed of god ) with thee , and his testimony and thine are both for condemnation ; thou quotest his lyes to prove thine , as though his words were of authority with the scripture ; but wrechedness and subtilty lodges under your tongues ; and though you be of several opinions and judgments in your worships and ministries , yet are you joyned , and against us , as herod and pilato ; and if it was not such a things as would make for thy wicked purpose , thou wouldest scorn to make use of his words , to prove thine ; but the shift of the subtil fox , which would devour the lamb , is taken notice of in all his actings . then thou sayest , no you own no such revolation , ( viz ) by the foregoing words , 〈◊〉 you were taught the gospel by the revolation of iesus christ. and here let all men take notice of thee , to be one that was never sent of christ , but one who knows not god ; for as christ jesus saith , no man knows the father , nor the son , but he to whom the son reveals him : and thou having denied the revelation of the son of god , hast shut out thy self from his knowledge : for shame talk no more of the things of god , but let thy mouth be stopped from making mention of his name , especially on the account of being a minister ; all that know god or the gospel are ashamed of thee ; some of thy own brethren will not own thee herein ▪ some of this i have laid open before . then thou goest on saying , the pretended revelation of the quakers , do cross an article of faith and rule of obedience in scripture . this is not the least of thy lyes : i deny the slander ; the same truth , and faith , and obedience as ever was witnessed in the holy men of god , which declared forth the scripture , we own , and bear witness of , and no other : the revelation of christ in us , in faith and obedience is witnessed by paul , who is our example ; and thou art the man whose spirit is contrary to scripture , as is clearly made manifest , and in thee the man of sin is revealed , and the light which should discover him is vailed ; and i may truly say of thee , as thou falsly hast said of us , surely the devil is the authour of thy work . then in thy conclusion thou sayst , much more might be gathered out of their books , whereby it may appear by what spirit these quakers are led ; by the spirit of satan , scarce trasnformed into an angel of light. now , to all the honest hearted , unto whom this , and thine may come ; even to thy own hearers , at least unto such who have but moderation in their spirits ; and to that measure of god in their consciences i do appeal ; that they by it may judge whether thou hast more discovered the spirit of satan , in us , by any thing which thou hast in all thy books justly proved against us to be evil , or sin , or error , ( except thy lyes and slanders may stand for a testimony ) or in thy self : who hast slandered us unjustly , and wrested our words deceitfully , and spoken many 〈◊〉 grievous untruth of us ; and i say to all who read this , and thine , let them observe with an impartial mind ; and try all things , and hold fast that which is good ; and let not the envy of the wicked one so prevail over you , but search all things with the light of god , according to the scriptures , before you judge any thing , least your zeal in your hasty untamed minds and spirits betray the honesty , which may in sobriety be instructed , and you informed the way of salvation , which now the lord of heaven is discovering to them that seek him in truth and sincerity : and because the purpose of the lord is to reveal his glory , and to discover and condemn the secrets of the well-savoured harlot , who hath sat long as a queen in the earth , deceiving kingdoms and peoples ; therefore also is herod and pilate joyned together , and gog and magog is risen in their power , to resist the counsel of god , and to disannul his purpose ; but in vain do they strive , and weary themselves to no advantage ; for sions king shall reign , and ierusalem shall be built , and become the praise of the whole earth ; and nations shall partake of her glory , and the armies of alients shall flee and be discomforted : and all the lyes and slanders of the wicked one , shall return upon his own head ; and the pit which the wicked digs for the righteous , it shall swallow the wicked up , and his foot shall not escape the snare : so that i testifie unto all people this one thing concerning jesus , him hath god given a light into the world , a judge , and a reprover of all the works of wickedness ; and with his light every man that cometh into the world is lightened , with the light of life all that believe , and with the light of condemnation all that believe not : if you every one turn in your minds from the vanities of the world , unto the measure of the light given you , a present teacher in the wayes of god ; this light will be in you , to direct your steps in righteousness and peace ; for as it is written , the lord is the teacher of all his people , and all the false teachers and hirelings will be denyed ; and the scribes and pharisees , and their leaven , will be born witness against , and the old man with all his deeds will be put off , and ▪ the new man will be put on , which is the likeness and image of the father ; and then will you witness the life of the scriptures , and in you they will be fulfilled , by the spirit that gave them forth , which spirit all the sons of god are guided by ; and this spirit the world cannot receive , no further then to be reproved by it of sin , and condemned for unrighteousness ; and to every one who hath in the least received a measure of the spirit , and is guided by it ; to them only i leave what i have written , and the writing answered to be judged , as in the sight of god , with an impartial mind . i have not striven for mastery through subtilty and deceitful speeches but in innocency i have written to vindicate the lord's truth , from the lyes of his enemies who make i● their work 〈◊〉 render the way of truth odious , lest their deceits should be laid open , and they judged . and this same giles firmin hath done his part sufficiently herein , who hath not ceased lying and slandering , from the beginning to the end of his book , unto which i might have written much more , yet desire not to multiply , words with such as are impudent , and cannot 〈◊〉 when they have done evil ▪ but to the main particulars , a few to each of them i have written , passing by much unsavory stuff proceeding from a light vain spirit , ( as is easily discernd by the children of light ) who hath made both foundations and arguments very lyes , and hath laid things to our charge , which we never knew , nor by word or writing was ever declared ; but thou giles f. hast filled up thy measure of wickedness , according to thy ability ; hadst thou been more subtil , thy work would have been more deceitful : therefore repeat of thy wickeness , and go not on in thy perverse , way of uncleanness , lest thou be cut off with an utter destruction , and repentance be hid from thy eyes . and to the foolish babling story , in the end of thy book , i do answer , thou sayst a minister now in essex gave the narration , &c. but hast deceitfully concealed his name , and so he and thou well may , as being ashamed thereof , in laying , slanders too foolish to subscribe his name unto : yet is thomas tillam known , his name and nature ; whose testimony is like thine , and a minister like unto thee ; who was , and is known in all the parts about hexam to be a deceitful fellow ; one who preached for hire , and sought for his gain from his quarter , as is well known ; who also made merchandise of souls , through coveteousness with feigned words . and though t. tillam be or was an anabaptist , and contrary to thee in his opinion , yet if he will but give a bubling slander against us thou wilt belieive him , and call him a minister ; but his wickedness is well noted , , who for wickedness and filthiness , was cast out and denied of the assembly whereof he was the pastor ; and stands this day as one cast off by them , who are a little more honest than thou and he , though yet strangers to us , and opposers of us : and now in that your deceits are discovered , you flee to any bubble for a strength , and make lyes your refuge , and yet justifie your selves and condemn the innocent . and thy last story is an abominable lye ; and a man that hath honesty in either hand or heart , would be ashamed to utter such things ; but in plainness of speech , thy lyes and slanders i do deny , and unto thee i do return them again , with true judgment upon them , and dare not flatter thee , nor speak peace unto the wicked ; but to the light of god in all consciences i do stand clear , by it to be justified , when all the wicked are condemned . by a friend to israels common-wealth , called , edward burrough . the crying sins reproved , whereof the rulers and people of england are highly guilty ; with additions to their own confessions held forth by them in a declaration of their own , bearing date septem . . wherein these three nations are called to a day of solemn fasting , &c. with meek exhortations to this present parliament , that they take heed to themselves , lest they make the guiltless to suffer upon the account of blasphemy or error , &c. while the evil-doers go free , and the false prophets defended . how long , how long shall gods righteous soul be grieved , and his 〈◊〉 spirit vexed with the vain oblations and offerings of them whose hear●● are far from him , even after their idols , and in their covetousness , and earthly honours of this vain world , while they honor with their lips and profess love with their mouths in outward observances ? how long lord shall thy enemies lean upon thee , and say , is not the lord amongst us ? while they oppress the innocent , and make a prey upon the upright , and tread thy glory underfoot , and despise thy law and ordinances , and set at nought thy children , and causeth them to suffer grievous burdens , under heavy hands of cruelty , every one smiting with the fist of wickedness ? wilt thou be pleased lord with a sacrifice of the unclean hands , given unto thee from polluted hearts , offered upon the altars of mens own precepts in set times ? wilt thou be worshipped in mens i●ventions and traditions , in a set day , of hanging down the head like a bul ru●● for a moment ? canst thou accept a fast appointed by the will of man , while t●● bands of wickedness are not loosed , nor the oppressed set free ? and wilt thou be found in a way decreed by the children of men , whose way is corrupt before thee ? yea , lord god , men seeks , but not in thy own way ; and they call upon thee , but not in thy spirit ; and they press towards thee , but not at thy door ; they ask of thee the ordinance of justice , and they delight in approaching to thee , and they are as a nation that works righteousness , yet doth their , sins cry aloud in thy ear , and their oppression and backsliding calls for vengeance upon their own heads : when will ye be wise ye rulers , and learned you judges of the earth ? for now the jealousie of the lord burns like fire , and his wrath is kindled more then a little , and yet you do not trust in him ; but in the day of your fast you find your own pleasures , and in the day of your humiliation you hearts are lifted up in vain glory , and you presume in his presence , and call him lord , but doth not that which he commands ; for the oppressed is not eased , nor the captive is not freed , nor the hungry fed , nor the naked clothed ; the lords soul is wearied with you , and your offrings unto him are as if you cut off a dogs neck , and your incense is unto him as if you blessed an idol ; you neglect the fast which god hath chosen , and make unto your selves a precept and a day , in which your work is not accepted , whilst your fear towards him is taught by your own precepts , and they that fear the lord mourn for you , and they that know his way wish good towards you , that your eyes might see and your hearts understand that which belongs to your peace ; but you despise the reproof of instruction , and choose your own ways , and do that which is high in the sight of your own eyes ; and you weary the lord from day to day , and he is pressed under your iniquities as a cart is pressed with sheaves : and shall not his soul be avenged upon you , and upon such a nation as this , whose fear towards him is taught by the precepts of men , and whose worship of him is exercised in the vain traditions of their own inventions ? hear ye deaf , and look ye blind , behold the lord's hand is upon you , and you know it not ; his judgments are nigh you , and you are not aware , but exalt your own horn , and some of you seek unto your selves a kingdom to rule in oppression over the poor and needy , who cry to the lord day and night under the heavy hand of cruel burdens , which lie upon the innocent , but you will not touch them with one of your little fingers : wo is me for you , for your destruction comes upon you as an armed man , and your desolation as an unresistable flood ; for you regard not the oppression of the poor , but make it a thing of nought , you that pass by : hear and consider ye parliament of england , ye are something concerned herein ; if you mean to be established loose the oppression of the innocent , and let the oppressed go free ; for this the lord requires of you more then your oblations and set dayes of humiliation , wherein you make a shew of repentance to the lord , and hang down the head for a day like a bulrush , when your hearts are not truly upright to the lord. a declaration i have viewed , proceeding from you , as the first work of your hands ; and therein you declare your selves to these three nations , in seeming relentings before the lord [ i wish your hearts were as you profess ] and first you say , such hath been the outgoing of god for his people in this our generation ; that non● as men but must say , it is marvelous in our eyes ; and none as christians but must cry out , it is the lords doings . unto which i shall answer , indeed true it is , that the out-goings and dealings of the lord hath been , and are mighty , and are wonderful in this nation , even for his people , which now are trodden upon , and oppressed , to the shame of some of you ; and indeed some of you were partakers in a good degree of his power and out-goings with you , while you stood in his counsel , and then it was marvelous in your eyes , and you could cry out , it is the lords doings . but friends , will you consider how you now stand , and into what ye are fallen ; so as that instead of being the lords people , you are turned enemies to the lords people , and he is departed from you , and hardly goes out with you any more : while ye were little in your own eyes ye loved justice and judgme●t , but now you are exalted and lifted up , and have forgotten the marvelous doing of our god ; and judgment is turned backward ; and equity is fallen , and the hand of oppression is laid heavy upon the lords servants : oh , that you would lay it to heart before the decree be sealed against you , when no time of repentance can be found by you . and further you say . [ he ] the lord hath alwayes been a ready help in the time of need , and never did his poor servants seek his face in vain , neither did he ever lend a deaf ear to the voice of their weeping . to which i answer , verily its true , he is alwayes a ready help for us his servants in time of need , neither did we ever seek his face in vain , even when we lay under the grievous oppressions of the enemy ; nor you your selves ( some of you ) sought not in vain while your hearts were upright with him , but had the deliverance desired by you out of the hands of all your enemies , and their necks to tread upon , but it is not so now , inasmuch as you are become va●… formal seekers , and hypocritical fasters ; and a deaf ear will the lord lend to you , and to the voice of your weeping , till you remove the oppression from off the neck of the distressed ; and you shall seek his face and find no answer from him , for the vision shall fail unto you ; and though you howl unto him , and ca●● upon him , yet will he hide his face more and more , and leave you to your selves , and will not regard the voice of your crying ; and though you have found him a present help in time of trouble , and of your need in the day of your integrity , yet trouble and destruction shall come upon you , and no help from him shall you find , till you return to him with all your hearts and spirits , and lay down your own crowns , and exalt him the lord of glory , who is now appearing in power . and further you say , in the midst of such unequalled and signal mercies , how gre● hath been and is your ingratitude and unfruifulness . to which i answer , truely have you spoken , to your own shame ; for your ingratitude and unfruitfulness exceed many that went before you , which justly were cut off for the very sins of which you are highly guilty ; and more may i add unto your confession , how great hath been and is your oppressions , a●● pride , and vain-glory , and self-exaltings , and hypocritical fastings , and confessions with your mouths , when your hearts are far from the lord ; yea , 〈◊〉 your mercies have been unequalled , so your sins cannot be numbred , as thou●… you sinned that grace might abound , or did evil that good might come ; or to●… liberty to your own hearts lusts , from your former mercies and deliveranc● received . then further you say , should the lord say unto you , as once he did unto ephraim , ephraim is joyned to idols , let him alone ; that same sentence would be your ●●sert ; as insensibility is your crime , so it might be too justly made your punishment . answer , yea verily the lord may say so unto you , many of ye rulers 〈◊〉 england are joyned to idols , let them alone ; and that same sentence is your ●…sert , but insensibility is not wholly your crime ; for you have had a day of vi●tation from the lord , in warning of you by the mouth of his servants , and y●● are not altogether unsensible of your crime of great oppressions , and false worships , and idol shepherds oblations , which you are joyned unto , and your punishment will justly be the same ; for the time comes that it shall be darkness a●● night upon you ; and you shall seek the word of the lord but shall not 〈◊〉 it ; for god will smite your idol shepherds , and break down your idols alta● of vain traditions ; and the lord will leave you to your selves to wallow i● darkness , and in the way of death ; and the servants of the lord shall le● you alone , and shall no more weary themselves with seeking to reclaim you . and further you say , who hath been melted with mercy ? who hath been broken b● iudgments ? a sinful nation ; a people laden with iniquity ; a seed of evil-do●●● ; children that are corrupters : they have forsaken the lord ; they have provoked the ●…ly one of israel to anger ; they are gone away backwards ; why should ye be stricken 〈◊〉 more ? ye will revolt more and more . and further you say , as those sad words do c●●racterise us as filthy as those of judah ; so if that sad destruction should also be our doom , 〈◊〉 could not but acknowledge the lord is righteous in all his wayes . answ. verily few of you have been melted by mercies , or broken by judgments , but are a sinful nation , a people laden with iniquity , a feed of evil-doers ; and ye have read your own character fully ; for you have forsaken the lord , and are children that are corrupters , and are gone away backward , an● provoke the holy one of israel to anger ; and true it is , why should you he stricken any more , or warned ? for you will revolt , and turn aside more and more ; how truly have you numbred up the sum of your own state , even to your shame and confusion of face , and to the justifying of the lord , when he in vengeance appears to judge you , and even assuredly that sad denunciation will be your doom , and the same judgments shall overtake you when the seed is gathered out from among you , even desolation of cities , and madness of prophets , and god will smite you together with confusion , and you shall not bring forth deliverance in the land , neither shall the nations have peace in your dayes , while you revolt when you are stricken , and persecute the innocent when they warn you . and in the day of your recompence , you shall indeed confess to your condemnation , that the lord is righteous in all his ways ; and further you say , how deeply have you grieved your god , in not mourning as you ought , for that profainness and b●●●●●ness that is so ripe amongst you , even under such means of knowledge and grace , and in not being sensible under , nor making a sanctified use of those rebukes you have of late received . answ. yea , you have , and do daily even in your set days , and times of fasting , deeply grieve the lord god , in not mourning and fasting , with a heart prepared to the lord , but even in hypocrisie , and even for strife and debate : indeed ignorance , and prophaneness , and barrenness abounds among you , and you are ripe therein to be cut down for the fire , even the more ye are inexcusable , because you have neglected the messages of the grace of god , and means of knowledge from the mouth of the lords despised servants , whom you have persecuted , even in cruelty , some of them unto death , and have imprisoned others unjustly , while your false prophets and diviners have been set up by you , who have daubed you with untempered morter ; and you have made your hearts unsensible , by heardening your hearts against reproof and rebukes , which some of you of late have received ; the messengers of which rebukes have been evil and shamefully entreated in your towns , steeple-houses , and high-wayes , and elsewhere in your dominions ; and how should you but be ignorant , and prophane , and barren , while you cannot receive the message of light , but stumbles at christ jesus the light of the world , and cannot believe in the light wherewith christ jesus hath enlightened every one of you , which is the way to knowledge , and to receive righteousness into your souls , and therein to be fruitfull to the lord. and you say , every individual man hath help●d to fill up the m●●sure of their s●… ; first , in not improving ●erc●●s so fully as might h●…e been to ●is glory from 〈◊〉 they were received . i answer , indeed i believe not one of you may be excused in the sight of god , but are all guilty in filling up the measure of transgression , and even i● not improving mercies to the glory of god ; for had you improved the great mercies of your deliverance and conquest over your enemies , the nations had been in peace and rest before this day ; but you strove to glorifie your selves , and sought a kingdom of riches and honour to your selves , and who might be the greatest and the highest , to the pleasure of some , and to the grief of others ; and you improved mercies to your selves , and not to him that gave them ; and therefore is your dominions filled with distractions , and fears , and troubles are on every side , and your dominions are as broken vessels that cannot be joyned together , but are full of wickedness , and false sects , and idol-worships , and in your own councels are you filled with confusions : and thus it is justly come to pass upon you , because of your transgressions . again you say , in the s●● neglect and w●●t of activity , resolution and integrity in magistrates , and others impowered therein , for the punishment and suppression of vice and crying enormities . i answer , true , it is a sad neglect ; and want of activity and integrity in the magistrates hath been , and is , to punish and suppress vice ; and therefore it abounds in all fulness in the very streets , and it hath been wholly contrary ; for vice hath gone at liberty , while the magistrates , and such who have been impowered , have been active , and full of rigour , and no neglect found in them to punish ( or rather to oppress and suppress ) the innocent and meek of the earth , and even they have done violence to the harmless , witness most parts of prisons this day in england , how many have been beat and abused , and haled , and knocked down with staves , in the sight of some of the magistrates , and how many have been imprisoned for passing on the high-wayes , and through their towns , and some for declaring against vice and crying enormities , which one day must be laid to yours and their charge ; for a sad neglect hath been for want of justice and true judgment , and they that have been impowered , have turned their power against the lord , and have been active to lay their sword upon the guiltless , while the guilty have gone free , witness many who have been beat in your steeple-houses by violent men , and afterwards committed to prison , while the peace-breakers and violent have gone free ; and indeed it is time to lay these things to heart ; for till you purge your selves from these iniquities , you shall never be established , nor your dominions in peace ; for these things , and such like abominations are you filled with distractions , and fears compass you about , and that justly from the hand of the lord , as the light in your consciences shall answer in the dreadfull day of account , which cometh suddenly upon you . again you say , in the abominable blasphemies vented and spread of late through the apostacy of , and the abuse of liberty , by many professing religion . answ. no doubt but blasphemy is a crying sin , whereof the land is guilty , if you were able to judge thereof but rather indeed this cause is not rightly stated ; for you call that blasphemy , which is truth , such is the grievous ignorance of some of you : and this , i am sure , is your greater sin , condemning the guiltless , rather then suffering the guilty in this particular . friends , beware , lest your judgment be so corrupted , that you call evil good , and good evil , and thereupon approve the evil , and reprove the good , being given up to hardness of heart , and blindness of mind ; and such were the sins of the rulers in israel , who persecuted the true prophets under the account of blasphemy , and such like , and approved of the prophets that prophesied falsly , and of the priests that bore rule by their means ; for the people loved to have it so , ier. . my soul wisheth that you rulers may be wise , and ye judges may be learned in this particular , lest you go in the way of your fore-fathers to destruction , persecuting the innocent without cause , through false judgment of the way of truth , which may be called by you heresie and blasphemy , who in the blindness of your minds cannot discern of the things of god ; for in that way which the wisdom of the world calls heresie , do we worship the god of our fathers : and verily , so much the more i may warn you herein , to take heed for the time to come , because you have some of you been highly guilty of this transgression of late , even in condemning the guiltless concerning this offence ; so that thus for you i may more truly state the particular , in the abominable violence and oppressions acted of late upon the innocent , and them who have worshipped god in the spirit , through the wickedness of some rulers , and the abuse of liberty , by them , which have professed love to god and his way , through the false judgments , and unsavoury opinions of many , who have called truth error , and the way of god blasphemy : and this is your sin , of which , if you that are guilty repent not , and turn from it , and beware of it for time to come , your honour shall fall into the dust , and your fall shall be more deeper into confusion and destruction then any that have yet gone before you ; for of late the lord powerfully hath begun to work , and to vent his truths through the mouthes of his servants , and to bring out of the apostacy and blasphemies ( which hath reigned since the dayes of the apostles ) the true and pure religion , which stands in the exercise of a pure conscience . again you say , in the little love and tenderness which is even amongst professors themselves towards one another , who whilest they contend for things disputeable , lose th● which is certain , even charity ; without which they become as sounding brass , or tinkling cymbals . answ. this is also your sin , and the sin of the nation , want of love and tenderness in professors towards god , and one towards another ; and that love which appears , is but the shew , and in the form and likeness of things , and not from the true ground of love and peace ; and these are they that hate the light , and walk not in the light wherewith christ jesus hath lighted every man that comes into the world , in which the unity of the saints doth stand , and in which their love is one to another ; and they that are out of the light , are without charity , which is the bond of perfection ; and these that know not the light of christ , to guide them in the wayes of god , are in all their profession , and words ; and actions , as sounding brass , and as a tinkling cymbal , and these are they that are in the disputes , and contentions , and strife about the letter , drawing their own consequences and deductions from it , in their own wisdom , and knowledge , and sensual understanding , and those lose the substance , and know not that which is certain , christ jesus in them , to be ruler over them ; but are as dry trees , to be plucked up ; and all their profession will wither , and all their pretended love will perish , and their shew of things in the outward appearance will be confounded , who know not the light of christ to guide them ; which light is the ground of true love and tenderness , and brings to the knowledge of things certain , out of the contention of things disputable . but further you say , in allowing difference in forms , more power to divide christians , then agreements in fundamentals has to unite them , one of the dangerousest and fruitfulest seeds that hath been sown by the envious one. answ. christians are they that follow christ jesus , who are not so only in name , but in practice ; and they are one , and cannot be divided as they walk in the light which comes from christ , who is the foundation , or fundamental principle of the religion , which is not in form but in power , agreeing in the foundation , and in the whole building : but friends , you seem to charge the late powers of the nation , if not your selves , yet some part of your body , which now are in power , with great things , with no less then to be satans seedsmen ; for if allowing difference in forms be the dangerousest and fruitfullest seed that ever was sown by the envious one , as you say it is ; then who do you blame , either the fore-going parliaments , of which some of you have been , and so cannot be clear from that evil , or the protector himself ? and this seem to be a very great charge upon him ( whose judgment is appearingly to give allowance unto difference in forms ) to be the seedsman of satan , or to allow the envious one to sow the seed which you call dangerous ; it is not christians that are divided , but the sects and false opinions , men of corrupt minds . thus much in answer to the words as they are laid down : but i rather chuse to speak to the mind or intent of the penmans spirit of your declaration , which implieth an inclining to be against many forms , and to bind up all into one form of worship ; and so thereby , though some which is evil would be shut out , yet would the true spiritual worship of the saints above all assuredly thereby be excluded , and the tender spirits of people , who truly seek god , would be oppressed : but keep your selves from that evil , i warn you , lest you be broken , and never bound up ; and lay no law , nor make no law upon religion ; but let religion defend it self ; only lay your law upon peace-breakers , and violent men , and bind not mens consciences to a worship by your precepts , either made already , or by such as may be made ; if you ease the oppressed , so god will establish you in peace , if you fulfil his will herein . again you say , in not being fully sensible , though the lord in the depth of his wisdoms and righteous iudgments hath for some years last past been overturning several authorities in these nations , and hath , as it were , been pouring them from vessel to vessel , he hath been pleased ever since his people publickly contended for his truths , still to set up rulers who have allowed them the free exercise and profession of them . answ. indeed you are not sensible of the righteous judgments of god in overturning several authorities in the nation ; and therefore you go in the same abominations as they did who were overturned , till you also be overturned , as they were : but take heed to your selves lest you be more then poured from vessel to vessel , even spilt in the dust of misery , and never more gathered again . your last part of this particular is false , for we that are in the pure religion , and in the exercise of our pure consciences , have not from some of you our liberty , but are cast into goals and dungeons , and banished out of yo●● towns and cities some of us , by some that have been rulers set up ; if this be doubted by you , examine through your nation , true testimony may be given ; so that here you have spoken better of the rulers then indeed it is , and would make the nation believe untruths to establish you ; though i condemn not all , but my words are towards the guilty , that they may repent , lest they perish in their iniquities , and be cut off in their transgressions , and the curse be upon you all for the sake of some . again you say , in that athiestical and luke-warm spirit , too commonly a●…gst you , whereby not only the form , but also the power of godliness is reproached , and accounted as a vain thing ; but also too many have fallon from their first love , and others este●… themselves rich whilst they are miserable poor , and blind , and naked ; sins which ●…e the highest aggravated , by being committed in countries where the glorious light of the gospel shin●s clearest . answ. this you have confessed truly to your own shame , in the sight of other nations ; your spirit is not only luke-warm unto righteousness , but it is too ●●mmon among some of you to be zealous and hot in persecuting the way of righteousness ; and indeed many of you are grosly fallen from your first love and integrity , and thereby the power of godliness is not only reproached by you , but persecuted and counted vile , and they that live in it oppressed ; such is your zeal in your dead form , some of you , that even you count the true way and worship of god madness ; and you are the men that esteem your selves rich while you are miserable , and blind , and naked , and your sins are aggravated the more and higher , because god gives you warning daily by the mouth of his servants , who hold forth the light of the glorious gospel , and bears witness unto your faces against your abominations and idolatries committed by you , yet for all this you continue in your iniquities , and evil entreat the messenge● of peace unto you souls , and are the men indeed which are athiestical , ev●● many by their work , saying in their hearts there is no god , and as truly as yo● have confessed your sins , so must you confess the justness of the judgments of god upon your own heads , if you return not unto the living god , and own the day of your visitation . again you say , in being more dissatisfied that you have not obtained all you aim●d 〈◊〉 , then thankful that you have obtained so much as you now enjoy . answ. verily this is not the least of your sins , but exceed some others ; f●r you aim at that which you shall never obtain till you be thankful , and walk worthy of what you enjoy ; and this is the way , ease the oppressed , and take o●f the yoke of the poor and needy , and of the lord you may be heard ; and seek not your own honour , for that is the ground of dissatisfaction and unthankfulness among you , and the cause why you abuse the mercies which you do enjoy , having lost the sence of the former dealings of the lord with you . further you say , all which , with other the grievous sins of these three nations ca●● aloud upon all the good people in them , to lie low in the sight of our offended god ; and b● prayer and humiliation ( away which in our deepest distresses we have found both our d●ty and comfort to tread in ) to seek to appease his wrath ; and that he would be pleased f●… his own names sake to remove whatever accursed thing there is found amongst us ; and the as he is our god , so we may be his people . answ. indeed , many more grievous sins are highly abounding in these three nations , your own oppressions , and self-seeking honours , and vain glories in your self-performed righteousness , with your persecution of the innocent by grievous unjust fines and imprisonment , not regarding the cry of the poor , which lie under the heavy hand of oppression , of you subordinate rulers ; these aboundantly add to the measure of the iniquity of these three nations , all which abomination cry aloud for vengeance upon the heads of some of you rather then for humiliation ; for sin cries not for humility , this is your ignorance ; but the good people of god do lie low in his sight , whom you highly offend every day ; and they lament you , and suffer under your iniquities , though you reward many of them with pers●●ution , and hard censures of cruel dealings , till of which your wickedness you repent , and turn from it , all your prayers , and humilations , and set dayes of seeking god in your rebellious hypocritical hearts , shall never appease god's wrath , but the rather shall add thereunto , and kindle it more aboundantly against you : away with your vain oblations , and false divining prophets ; they are a weariness to the lord , and his hand is against them , while your hearts are not upright before him ; & though sometimes some of you have found god near in deep distress when you called upon him , even when your hearts were in a measure upright with him ; yet in vain you now set your selves to seek him , and your cry he will not hear ; nor his wrath shall not be appeased ; for you have truly confessed the cursed thing is amongst you , even the idolatry of the deepest nature , both in teachers and people ; and till you repent and remove every burden from off the innocent , the cursed thing cannot be taken away ; but for his names sake , which is equity , and justice , judgment must he bring upon your heads , and unto you he will be a god of vengeance , and unto him shall you be a people of his curse , except you break off your sins by righteousness , and your iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor . further you say , and this you desire , that he will infatuate the counsels , and defeat the designs of those that labour to exalt themselves against the interest of his son and his people . answ. friends , you or some of you are the men that seek to exalt your selves ( and not it ) and therefore against the son of god and his people ; instance the unjust suffering of many of god's people , who know the son in them to rule them under your laws upheld by you , and acted in by some of your selves ; and you say in your hearts you will not have this man to reign over you , for you own not the bringers of that message , but uphold your false prophts , which speak smooth things to you , and cry peace while you follow your own wayes ; and verily , herein you go to seek god against your selves , to your own destruction , as being some of you the very men guilty of the abominations which you set and propound to your selves in your humiliation to pray against : your eyes are blind , and your hearts unbelieving , and ye know not what you do ; and your own counsels and designs , or so much of them at least , as are against the innocent , are sure to be infatuated and defeated , and you shall receive from the lord the answer of your requests upon your own heads ; for you labour against the interest of the son , while you seek to bind any mans conscience to this or that worship . again you say , that he will be pleased in a most special manner to vouchsafe his presence to those who are entrusted with the management of the affairs of these nations . answ. if you do his will , and fulfil his ordinances of justice and equity towards all men , not seeking your selves in any thing , but the lord in all things , and wait on him in his light , by which christ lightneth every one of you , to be guided thereby in all your wayes , then his presence you may enjoy in a special manner , in the managing of all affairs to his glory ; but if you keep not the conditions of the lord in seeking his honour only , and in denying your selves , his presence you shall not find with you , but shall be filled with desolations and contentions ; and the nations over whom you are entrusted shall not have peace nor deliverance in your days , but they under you shall have confusion and oppressions , and the special pretence of the lord shall not be shown to you or them ; and remember this is a warning to you . again you say , that he will appear , the mighty councellor experimentally unto them . answ. if you stood in his counsel , and walk in uprightness of heart before him in the light of christ jesus , then will he appear to be mighty in his counsel with you and for you ; otherwise you shall be given up to follow the counsel of your own hearts , which shall never bring forth good , but evil to your selves , and to your whole nations ; and this shall you know experimentally by the light in your own consciences . again you say , that he would in all things spirit you unto the work unto which you are called , and give you unity among your selves , even the best unity , that of the spirit , in the best bond , that of peace ; that as you are a people abounding in mercies , so you may abound in returns . answ. the work is great unto which you are called , and shall hardly be accomplished by you , except you receive the spirit of the lord , to be ruled therewith in your own hearts ; for if you rule for him , you must first be ruled by him , [ mark ] and ordered with his light , which will condemn every evil affection in you ; and this is the spirit of unity in the best bond of peace , which is most precious , which brings forth a humble walking with the lord in all righteousness before him ; and being led every one in particular with this spirit , and united to god , and one to another , in not seeking your selves , but the lord : this is the way where god's blessing is received , and a● returning unto him of praise for his mercies ; but i wish you are not rather adding sin unto sin , and fulfilling the measure more and more of your transgresssions , till the wrath of the lord break forth against you to confound you forever . again you say , and that at last through the unwearied goodness of our god these three nations , after such memorable revolutions , may be setled upon the sure foundations of truth , mercy and peace , and his people henceforth being delivered from their enemies , may serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the dayes of their lives . answ. verily the goodness of god hath been unwearied to these three nations , in many respects it appeareth , and many memorable revolutions hath come to pass in this last age , even in cutting down one power and authority of oppression after another , till many great mountains are removed , and the nations levelled ; and the lord is now bringing his great work to pass i● overturning once and again , till his reign and his kingdom be exalted over all in truth and righteousness ; and if you shorten not your hand in your oppositions and persecutions , your selves shall also be overturned , that god may in righteousness settle these nations ( which remain as a wavering leaf , and as an ungirded vessel , full of strife and distraction , fears and jealousies ) eve● among your own selves , unsetled in your wayes and thoughts in truth , mercy and peace ; but in gainsayings , and oppositions , and confusions , stand tottering like a rotten hedge ; and the proud are exalted , and the poor are despised , and they that love sion are set at nought ; and verily you go not the way to settle the nations upon the true foundation , but backslides from the way of truth : which is the foundation , upholding of iniquity , and establishing the false prophets and diviners by a law ; and such whom the lords wrath is against , who upholds the horrible filthy thing , and abominations of the earth ; and confusion is upon them , till they be overthrown , never to deceive the nations more ? therefore hear ye deaf , and look ye blind , and understand ye hard-hearted , love truth , and mercy , and peace in your own hearts , and and depart from iniquity ; and cast away your idols , and cease from evil , and learn to do well ; and put away the evil of own doings , and turn to the lord in this the day of your visitation , and to the light of christ jesus , wherewith he hath lightened you ; take heed thereby to be guided every one in particular , in fear and tenderness , towards god , and towards man ; not ruling in tyranny and oppression , nor making laws in your own wills , according to your own thoughts , as some that went before you have done , till they were cut off , as you are witnesses , who were made in the hand of the lord their executioners ; and if you follow in any measure their example of wickedness , take them for an example in a cursed end ; in love to all your souls this i write , and not to shame you in your wickedness , but rather that you may repent , and that you may know how to exercise your selves in the law of god towards the nations , and that every burden may be removed , and the oppressed may go free , and the bands of iniquity may be broken ; and this is the fast accepted of the lord , required of him from you , which if you observe with your whole hearts , a blessing will the lord made you unto the nations in this present age , and unto your selves for evermore ; but if you hearden your hearts against the lord , and tread in the steps of your fore-fathers , and seek to limit the holy one , or to bind the tender consciences of the people of god , then shall you fall into their perdition , and be swallowed up in everlasting confusion , and your memorial shall stink in generations to come , and shall be a hissing among the heathen kingdoms , and deliverance will god bring another way unto his people , to your overthrow , if you walk not in the counsel of the lord. and whereas upon the considerations and purposes aforesaid , you have ordered , that a day be observed and kept for solemn humiliation , and seeking the face of god , through the mediation of christ , in england , scotland and ireland . to which , in much tenderness of spirit i desire to say , that if you seek his face in the hardness of your hearts , and in the way of your own precepts , while the yoke of the great oppressions in the nations are not broken from off the neck of the poor , his face you shall not behold , though you seek it , but in vain shall you weary your selves , and shall travel without issue , as to that which you desire , and his countenance shall be hid from you , till he shew his face for evil against you , and not for good ; and to you it shall be said , to what purpose are your oblations , and your solemn meeting ? who hath required it at your hands ? even your own doings and appointed altars of inventions , which the lord cannot accept from you : therefore give ear ye mountains , and listen ye tall cedars ; if you establish the false prophets , which makes a prey upon the people , through covetousness , and which acteth the abominations of israel , in preaching for hire , and divining for money , and in crying peace to the wicked , by a law , and maintain them through the oppression of the poor , in the crying oppression of tythes , or otherwise imposing such things upon the tender consciences by any act or statute made or allowed by you , god shall not hear your cry , nor answer your request , nor ever establish you in peace , nor the nations over which you are set likewise , if you make a law , or allow such a one to be acted , which any way may tye or limit the spirit of the lord in any of his servants , from reproving the abominations of the times in rulers , teachers , or people , in your streets or temples , or places otherwise , at any time whatsoever , the lord will not hold you guiltless ; nay assuredly , if you do but hide your face from the suffering of such , who through the wickedness of some under you , may be afflicted upon such an account , you shall not be altogether innocent , but gods hand shall be upon you likewise : if any for conscience sake deny to swear , upon any account , according to the former vain customs of the nations , trained up thereto in ignorance and blindness in humane traditions , and thereupon suffer imprisonment , or fining , or otherwise howsoever , by any order from you , or any subordinate powers , you shall be guilty in the sight of god of that suffering the innocent in such a cause ; much more shall you be guilty , if by any means , in any cause , upon any condition , men be compelled by any authority of this nation to swear ; likewise , if any suffer for not bowing the hat , or knee to any of you , or any of your judges or under officers , and thereupon be accounted transgressors , the lord shall account such things oppression from your hands , and tyranny and cruelty , and you shall not escape unpunished ; as the lord lives , these , and many more abominations cries for vengeance against some of you , who have had your hands deeply dipped in such oppression ; and therefore to you this is a warning to break off these sins by righteousness , and these evils by true repentance , lest your fasts prove only for strife , and to smite with the fist of wickedness : clear your selves , and wash you hands from these abominations , lest the fruit of them be given you to eat for food ; and let this , oh ye rulers , be acceptable councel unto you , that the dayes of happiness may appear , and the long expected and waited for day of liberty may yet dawn through this dark night of bondage which overshadows your heads , that you cannot behold the glory of the son , and herein shall you be established , and we shall have cause to bless the lord for you , and with you ; otherwise you shall never be renowned ; but all your counsels and purposes shall fail , and be cursed of the lord , and evil shall be upon you , and upon the nation for your sakes . and all you that fear god , listen and give audience , and let the fear of the lord be before your eyes , and keep your selves pure from the iniquities which the rest love to drink in ; and though your power be shorter , and your vote lower then the uprightness of your hearts desire , yet unto god be faithfull , in bearing your testimony for him , and against all that which , with the light of jesus , yo● see to be contrary to him , and be awaked unto righteousness , judgment and mercy ; the light is springing over your heads , and the day of the lord is dawning out of darkness , and a seed is sown in your dominions which cannot be roo●ed out , till it have overspread the earth , with the precious fruit thereof ; and though it be striven against to be plucked up , yet shall the branch and root thereof be everlastingly renowned ; for it is of the true jew , and he that falls before it shall never more rise up again . and this is by a true lover of your souls , in faithfulness to god given forth 〈◊〉 your sakes who fear the lord. edward burrouch a measure of the times , and a full and clear description of the signs of the times , and of the changing of the times ; and of the reign of antichrist , who hath long reigned , and of his down-fall , which is at hand ; and of the kingdom of christ , which is now setting up in the earth . shewing unto all people in all nation what the state of things have been in ages past , and what the state of thing are at this present day ; and also , what shall be the state of things hereafter , which suddenly cometh to pass , the time is at hand , for times , are changing , and renewing , and the kingdoms of this world shall be translated into the kingdom of the son of god. and also here is manifest , concerning teachers of this age , and the root from whence they sprang , who are manifest to be of that stock of false prophets , which christ prophesied of should come , and which the apostles saw was coming in their dayes , and how that the night of darkness hath been upon all , for many generations : and how that the beast hath reigned over nations and kingdoms , and his false prophet hath deceived the whole world , who have all worshiped the beast , and wandred after him , who have warred against the saints , and overcome them , and the whole earth hath been made drunk with the abominations . and also , the restauration is described , which shortly cometh , wherein christ shall reign , whose right it is , and shall change laws and decrees ; and the lamb shall be the light of all nations , and there shall be no need of any other , light , when the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of christ , and he alone shall bear the government , and no other king ; for he shall rule all nations with his iron rod ; and the kingdoms of the beast shall be overthrown , and his power subdued , and they that have given their power to him shall be ashamed , and all the kings of the earth shall lay their crown● down at the feet of the lamb , and the numberless number of the saints is gathering , and the dominion shall be in their hands , and their king shall possess the uttermost parts of the earth . the lord hath opened my heart to declare ; and the words of my mouth shall be the words of truth , and of a good understanding , to every one who hath an ear to hear ; whose ear the lord hath opened to hear , and understand things of old , and the state of things as they have been in ages , and generations past ; and as now the state of things are at this day . hearken and consider , and let your ears be open to instruction ; for the word of the lord is towards you , that your hearts might understand the things that belong to your peace , now in your dayes , before the time come that they be hi● from your eyes , and your eyes be darkened , never more to perceive , but you le●● to perish , and to dye with the uncircumcised . behold ▪ and give ear , ye inhabitants of the world ; see and consider , in what state you are fallen ; even in a time of darkness and apostacy , wherein thick darkness covered all the world , and a vail of ignorance the faces of all people : death hath reigned king over all , and the cloud of thick blindness hath lain on the hearts of all men . o how hath darkness , blindness , and ignorance covered all men , even as a cloak and a garment ? how hath the eye been blinded , the ear stopped , and the heart hardened ? so that the lord god , and his way , his truth , and salvation hath not been manifestly known , heard , not selt , nor witnessed , for ages and generation : the words thereof have been professed , but the life and power thereof hath not been enjoye● ; but men have been deceived with the form of godliness without the power , and cheated with a likeness of things without life , and have sought the living among the dead , and worshipped idols , which have been without sence and understanding ; and with lying imaginations , and feigned likenesses , hath the carnal part ( which ruled in people above the seed of god ) been fed , and with shadows , and outward appearances , and the soul hath been starved . alas , alas ! wo is me , because of these things ; my heart within me is broken , and i am perplexed . the shadow of death hath been the lodging place of all people , and the vail of ignorance hath been a covering , and the darkness of heart hath been followed for a law , and a blind understanding hath been the guide 〈◊〉 ordinances and statutes , and death in the beastly power hath ruled as king in all the dominions of the earth , and in all mens hearts ; and men have been without the wisdom of god , even every eye blind , and every ear deaf , and ●…ry tongue dumb , and every heart corrupt and void of understanding , and every 〈◊〉 lame , and all men have been altogether imperfect ; for the living god hath bee● as a stranger unto the children of men , less known by men then the own●… the ox , and less perceived then the crib by the ass , and all flesh hath corrupted its way before lord. wo is me ! when i consider how man , who was planted with the chosen 〈◊〉 , even god's image , and was a noble plant , is degenerated into the plant of a strange vine unto god , and bring forth wild grapes , and sower grapes , w●…d the lord's soul loathes ; and thus hath the vineyard and the plants th●… rewarded the husbandman , with fruit of a bitter taste , and with the reward corruption ; and man is condemned in his transgression , for want of the k●…ledge of god , more then the ox and the ass. pride , covetousness , lust , and envy , backbiting , lying , drunkenness , w●…dom , theft , murder , and all manner of evil and sin against god , more the● can be expressed , is abounding and superabounding among men in this ge●eration , iniquity is grown to the full , the measure is up , and the number o● transgression is sealed , that the lord may arise ; who hath been pressed as a ca●… with sheaves ; and now is the lord arising , and he hath said , ah , i will ease●… of my adversaries , and be avenged on my oppressors . and vengeance belong● to him , and he will repay , and will destroy the vineyard with the plants and fr●… thereof , and the bryars and thorns shall be consumed ; and he will lay waste , an● devour , and confound all his enemies in a day , when his indignation goes sorth , and his sword is made bare , and his purpose cometh to pass , in rooting out t●● oppressive seed of evil-doers , which have filled his habitation , ( wherein he shol● dwell ) with cursed children , and a brood of evil births . in the dayes of christ and his apostles was the hand and power of the 〈◊〉 felt , and the lord gat himself a name , and a glory ; and he caused his m●…lous light to spring forth , and his day to dawn , and the day was manifest tha● many prophets and wise-men had desired to see , but was not in their time fee● by them , and his power was made known , and his arm was made bare in the sight of many nations ; and in that day his glory was spread abroad , and ●is truth and way was exalted , and his glorious gospel was declared through 〈◊〉 earth , and the sound of his marvellous works went forth into all the world judgment and mercy was known , and righteousness and peace was witne●… among men , and life and immortallity was brought to light through the gospel ; and the word of life by which all things were created , and by which they stand , was handled , seen , felt , and tasted ; and the lord god in that age was known to dwell with his people ; and to walk in them , and his covenant was established with many , and his promises were fulfilled ; redemption , deliverance , and salvation was revealed , even christ jesus the son god , the prince of peace ; and righteousness was made manifest in the sons of men , and revealed in many who saw god's glory , and were witnesses of his majesty and dominion , and were gathered unto him in the bond of peace , and were his sons and daughters , and were led by his spirit in all his wayes of truth and righteousness . and many went forth into the world , and declared through nations the things of gods kingdom , which was come to them , and was discovered within them ; and the lord god spake from heaven by his son unto them , and they were filled with the holy ghost , and with power . and the lord was with them whom he called , and made them wise , and their word powerful , and their message effectual , and their weapons , were mighty through god , and strong holds were subdued , and the powers of death and darkness were subjected , and the hearts of thousands were turned to god , and the gospel was preached in power through the world , and many were brought to god , out of darkness into light , and from satans power unto god. and the earth was filled with light , and the mighty , and the wise , were confounded , and the bonds of cruel oppressions were broken , and they that set themselves against the lord and his way were confounded , and scattered , and brought to nought , though they were many in that generation . how did all the chief priests , and scribes , and pharisees , elders of the people , and rulers , and governours lift up themselves in the pride of their hearts , and took counsel together , and persecuted the innocent , and put to death and imprisoned the children of the most high ? how did they in the dayes of christ persecute and seek for his life , till they had taken it from the earth , by their subtilty and wickedness ? the apostles and ministers of christ were persecuted , some were put to death , and others suffered grievous things for the name of christ , and were made a prey and a spoil unto destroyers , whose wickedness encreased against the way of god , till it was fulfilled in its measure , and the wicked with their work were dashed to peices ; and the lord gave his way , and truth , and servants dominion and power over all his enemies , and whole nations were brought to the knowledge of god and his wayes , and his name was glorious , and his kingdom was exalted in the earth , and many were his people , who were gathered by him , and his powerful word through the mouth of his ministers , whom he ordained and called , who were fisher-men , and such like , who were chosen to fulfil his will , and to do his work , and not many wise-men of the world were called , but god chose the foolish things to confound the wise then , as he doth now ; and such were honoured by the lord , and bearers of his name , and of his message , and glad-tidings , though they were contemned of men ; yet unto such he gave the authority to overturn the wise , and to out-reach the wisdom of this world , for they were learned of the father , and had the knowledge of his wayes , though they were unlearned in the arts and crafts of men , which stand more in pollicy and subtilty , then in the fear and wisdom of god ; and in that day the lord was with his people , while his people were with him , and he loved them while they stood in his counsel , and he gave them dominion over all their enemies , and they were a terror to the whole world , while the churches stood in the dread and terror of the lord of hosts ; yea , all bowed under them , and their feet trod upon the high places of the earth , and they were blessed of the lord above all people , even till they waxed fat , and were increased in treasures , and thought they had need of nothing , and then they forgat god , and rebelled against him , and became perverse in their wayes , and grew into strange idolatries and errors , and left the way of truth , and cast god's law behind them , and the power of godliness ceased , and the form grew , and it was exalted more then power , and love waxed cold when iniquity abounded ; and men became lovers of themselves , more then of the lord ; and the lord and his marvellous works which had been brought to pass were forgotten , and hardness of heart and unbelief entred , and then false prophets and antichrist came in , which christ had prophesied of , and established the form of godliness without the power , and subverted many ( even whole houses and countries ) from the simplicity of christ jesus ; so that many became insensible , and grew past feeling of the power and operation of god , and their minds became blinded , and their ears stopped ; and god was grieved who had brought up children , and they forgat him , and rebelled against him ; for the churches became corrupted , and lost the life and power of god , and the holy ghost , and became idolaters , and worshippers of idols : and as you may read , paul prophesied that many should depart from the faith , and give heed to seducing spirits , and the doctrine of devils ; and grievous woves should enter , not sparing the flock , but seeking to devour it , and would make havock and merchandise of souls , through coveteousness and filthy lucre ; and perillous times would come , wherein there should be a form of godliness and not the power ; and in that generation before , and soo● after his decease , this came to pass and was fulfilled ; and as you may read in th● revelations , the churches grew into superstitions and idolatries ; and the chuch of ephesus had lost her first love , and her candlestick was to be removed , and so it came to pass ; and some in the church of smyrna were in the blasphemy , saying , they they were iews , and were not , but were the synogogues of satan ; and the church of pergamos , some of them held the doctrine of balaam , and to eat thing● sacrificed to idols , and to commit fornication , and some held the doctrin● of the nicolaitans , which god hated , and against them would the lord fight with the sword of his mouth ; and the church of thyatira suffered that woman , i●zabel , to prophesie and to teach , and seduced the servants of the lord to com●it fornication , and to eat things sacrificed unto idols , and she and her lovers wer● to be cast into a bed of torment , and her children should be killed with death , and all the churches should know , that god searched the reins and the hearts , and every one should receive according to their deeds ; and the church of s●… had only a name to live , but was dead , and her work was not perfect before god , and upon them would the lord come as a thief , and they should be in darkness , and not know what hour he would come ; and the church of the ●●odiceans were luke-warm , neither hot nor cold , and the lord would spew her ou● of his mouth , for she was wretched , miserable , and poor , and blind , and naked , and the shame of her nakedness did appear : and if any had an ear to hear they mig●t hear ; these things were spoken by him that lives for ever , the first and the last , the beginning and the amen ; so that hereby the lord's soul was vexed and his spirit grieved , and his wrath was suddenly kindled against them , who were revolters and backsliders from his way of salvation , which he had made manifest to them , through the mouth of his servants ; so that his fury went forth again●● them to overthrow them , and to break them to peices , and they being turned from his law and from his statutes , he gave them up unto their own hearts desire , and brought in the heathen upon them , to confound them , who broke them assunder , and trod down many of their cities , and gained great parts of their dominions , and made them slaves by multitudes , and overthrew their worship , and subjected their power ; even the turks , and base uncircumcised people , made a prey upon them , and possessed their habitations , and set up abominable idolatries in the place where god's honour had dwelt ; and their dominions and treasures without became spoil to the teeth of devourers ; for they having lost the terror of the lord , he brought up the heathen to be a terror unto them , whose power was mightier then they , and overcame them , they being without the power of god ; and they justly came upon them , according to the purpose of the lord , because of their backslidings : and others of th●● , who were not so given up to the will of an outward enemy , yet were they given up to strange idolatries and subversion , and setting up images , and worshipping that which is not god , but abomination to him to this day ; so that the holy city , which had been full of glory ; was given to the gentiles to be trodden down ; and under their polluted feet hath it been stamped , and to their mouth hath it been a prey , for such a time , even since these things came to pass unto this day , as you may read ; and the beast and false prophet hath ruled in oppression , and the great whore hath made all nations drunk with the wine of her fornication ; all the great men , and princes , and nobles , and all the people upon the earth have been made drunk by her , and touched her uncleanness , and ever since the day wherein the backsliding entred she hath sat upon nations , and kindreds , and tongues , and people , and hath been decked in divers colours , to deceive the hearts of all people ; and all nations have been deceived by her , and the beast , and his power , whose dominion hath been great , hath upheld wickedness , by a law , and established idolatry by decrees ; and all have been out of the way , and wandring in blindness and darkness , even the whole world have worshipped the beast , and gone after the false prophet , which sits upon the beast , and his power protects him , till they be both overthrown into perdition , and cast alive into the lake , which now the lord is coming to do in power and dominion ; and great babylon is coming into remembrance before the lord , and as she hath done , so shall it be done unto her ; her children is dashing against the stones , and her off-spring is withering away ; and the darkness is vanishing , and the sun is appearing , and the beastly power shall be subdued , and the false prophet confounded ; even the old dragon shall be bound , and chained , never more to deceive : for the beast hath had a long reign , with his false prophet , who have prophesied lyes , and false divinations , and led away the minds of all people . for mark , and consider , christ jesus , who came into the world with glad-tidings of good things , even with peace and salvation ; he said the glorious day was come , and even that day which many prophets and wise-men had desired to see ; but had not seen ; the earth was filled with light , as i have said , yet he farther prophesied , and said , that the night should come , when no man could work ; and that in the last dayes false prophets should arise , and deceive many , and should come into the world , and should cry , lo here is christ , and lo there is christ , and if it were possible should deceive the very elect ; and the apostle iohn in his time , who had been an eye-witness of jesus , and had handled , and tasted , and felt the word of life , and had been with jesus , and bore a true testimony unto him ; in that very age and generation he saw the false prophets and antichrists come , and coming in , and aluded to the very sayings of christ ; by this we know , said he , that it is now the last time , for there are now many false prophets and antichrists gone out into the world ; they were not of the true apostles , but went out from among them ( being gone out from the light in their own particulars ) and beguiled the hearts of the simple , by good words , and fair speeches , and went in balaams way for gifts and rewards , and in cains way to envy and murder , as you may read in the scripture : so that in iohns time , the false prophets , which christ foretold of , were come , and they did deceive many , according as christ had said , and they drew many from the wayes of god , and subverted many from the way of truth , and made havock of the flock , and were grievous wolves , according as paul said ; and truth began to perish from among men , and the power thereof ceased , and the apostacy came in , and the form was set up for a season ; so that iohn farther saw , and said the whole world went after the beast and false prophet , ( whom he saw before was come , and worshipped the beast , and his image ) but a few whose names were written in the book of life : and , as i have said , the whole city , with the outward court , was trodden down by the gentiles foot , and darkness surprised all , and wickedness abounded more and more , and the night came upon all , as christ had prophesied , and the beast grew in his dominion , till there was hardly any man left to bear witness in the truth , and in the power of god , unto the name of jesus ; but all was subverted into dead forms , and shadows , and likenesses without life ; and the lord left the earth , as it were , and covered himself in the darkness , and became a stranger in the world , and did scarce openly speak by vision , nor dream , nor prophet , but all were in the dark , and ignorance abounded , and superstition was exalted ; the saints spirit , and life which they were in , and guided by , was lost , and then they began to worship the saints names , and dayes , and words , without the life and power ; and that nature and that same seed which had persecuted the saints to death , and gainsayed the power , and lost the holy ghost , turned it self into the profession of the saints words , which were left upon record , and conformed it self into the saints practises , without the life , power and holy ghost . and having lost the power , from which the scripture was given forth , and not being guided in the life which they were in , which spoke it forth ; then from the scripture , in mens own conceptions , and thoughts , and by their reason , without gods spirit , they set up likenesses , and images , and sects , and forms , and many heads , and many horns grew upon the beast which all the world worshipped and went after , for they had lost christ the one head , wherein the union stood , and grew into idolatry under the many heads which were upon the beast , who had many horns , which pushed one against another , as it is witnessed unto this day ; do not the papists and protestants ( so called ) and other sects risen out of them , push one at another , to break and tear one another ? and these have many heads : the pope he is a head ; and the others they have a head , which every one bowes down under his own head ; the pope will not bow to the protestants head , nor will the protestants bow to the papists head , the presbyterians and independ●… , and anabaptists , and the rest , every one of them bows to their own head , and will not bow to anothers head ; and all these with their horns push one against another , to rend one another ; and all these are from christ , and know not him , the one head of the whole body , and the one horn of god's salvation unto a● people ; for christ which is but one is the head , and the horn , which all the saints , who are now gathered out of this apostacy and dark night , unto whom the light again is risen , worship christ the one head , and know him the one horn , which pushes aganist the devils kingdom , which hath long been set up , and rul●● in the earth among all these , who have many heads and many horns , who are a●… of them ( the very chiefest ) but in the night fallen , in the apostacy and da●●ness , since the beginning of the reign of the beast , and the coming in of fa●… prophets , which came in , as i have said , when the churches backslided , with the whore also , who hath made all nations and people drunk with the wine of be fornication ; and the beast hath reigned over all nations in his dominion and authority , and the false prophet hath prophesied through all nations . and all these came in since the dayes of christ ; for he prophesied that i● should be so , as it is come to pass ; and they were coming in , in the dayes of the apostles , as you may read , paul saw them coming , and largely describes their character in several epistles . and peter , he saw them coming in , and described them , what such they were , and should be ; and iude he saw them also ; and iohn more fully then any , both in his epistles and revelations , as i have ●●●●ed at . and when the apostles were taken off the earth , some by cruel deaths , and others were banished , then they sprung in more fully , and grew through all nations ; and to this day hath the beast , with his many heads and many horns ruled in nations , and been worshipped , and his false prophet hath ever since been defended , and hath riden on the beast through nations , and hath deceived nations with vanity and error ; and at this very day the nations and people are deceived , and lie under darkness in the slavery and bondage under the authority of the beast , and subject to the doctrine of his false prophets . and as i have said darkness hath been over all , and fancies and likenesses without life have been bowed under , and the power being lost , the form hath been set up , one after this sort , and another after that , according to mens vain conceits and apprehensions upon the scriptures , and not according to the manifestation of the spirit of god , which fulfilleth the scriptures , and brings to live the life of them . so in divers colours , and in divers appearances , and robes in several forms and shapes of garments hath the great whore been decked , who hath sat upon the beast , having the false prophet serving as a boy or servant , to do whatsoever the whore listeth ; and the false prophet , this servant of the whore , under the power of the beast , hath moved and turned as the beast would ; and according as the whore hath changed her self into other garments , and colours , even so hath the false prophet changed his doctrine , and prayers , to please the whore , and to keep people under the government of the beast . it s known , in this our day , that some who preached and prayed for the king and bishops , do now preach and pray for others , even for them who destroyed the king and bishops ; so the false prophets with all his children , are but the whores servants , who hath made drunk kings , and princes , and great men , and people , and nations , with the cup of fornication , and abomination , in the several sects and forms of worships which have been set up without the power of godliness ; for the baptism of the spirit being lost , and not known , then from the letter by imaginations , were several sorts of baptism brought forth , as sprinkling of infants , that dark folly , and vain vanity , which all these nations have been deceived withal , by the exercise of the false prophet : and when the gift of the ministry , through the holy ghost , which the ministers of christ had , was lost , and not any more ●…eceived , then began men to make ministers , by natural learning , and arts , and languages , and humane pollicy ; and when the gift of preaching by the eternal spirit was lost , through the coming in of the apostacy , then began men to study from books and writings , what to preach , and say , not having the holy ghost received in them , without which none are ministers of christ ; [ mark that ] and when men had lost , through ignorance , the knowledge of god dwelling in them , and that their bodies were his temple , and that he dwelled and walked in his people , then began they again to build temples without , and to set up their false worships in them ; for having lost the sence of gods true worship , which the saints worshipped in , in the spirit , and in the truth , then they began to worship in set dayes ; and set times , and set places , and outward observances , which is not the worship of god in the spirit , and in the truth , but superstitious and idolatrous ; and when the word of god was not received immediately from his mouth ; nor the gospel by the revelation of jesus christ , as it was in the dayes of the apostles , then ( darkness being come in ) they used their tongues , when the lord had not spoken to them , as the false prophets did before christs time ; and long have they said the letter is the word , and that the letter is the gospel , and that it must be received by the scriptures , and by natural learning , and arts ; and that none can be ministers of christ , but such who are learned in the languages , and knows the original of scriptures , latine , and greek , and hebrew , nor any of these have received the gospel by revelation , or the word of god from his mouth . and when singing in the spirit , and with the understanding was ceased , and not known , then began people to get the form of singing of davids experiences in rime and meeter ; and when the pure power of godliness was lost , which was in the days of the apostles manifested , and known , then in the apostacy the deceit grew into the form of every thing which the saints had enjoyed in the power , and so were shadows set up instead of substance , and death instead of life , and the form without the power , which in many branches sprang forth , some into one appearance , and some into another ; but all under the power of the beast , with his many heads and horns defended ; and until this day , since the dayes of the apostles , thus it hath been , and those very teachers , and supposed ministers , which now are in this , and other nations , are of that very root which sprang forth in the dayes of the apostles , and they are under the dominion of the beast , and moveable like unto the great whore ; and this may easily be proved , that they are of that generation of teachers , and false prophets , which christ prophesied of should come , & which the apostle saw was coming in , in their dayes , & of those which iohn saw the world to run after ; for christ said , that by their fruits they should be known ; and the apostles they described their fruits , & them by their fruits ; and so we seeing their fruit to be the very same now , which the apostles described was the fruit of them that then were come , and coming ; from whence we do conclude , according to sound judgment , that these very teachers are of the same generation , and branches of the same root which sprang forth then . and in pauls writings you may read , such they were whom he saw , of whom he bad people to beware , and said , perillous times would come , and men should be lovers of themselves , covetous , proud , blasphemers , disobedient to parents , unthankfull , unholy , without natural affection , false accusers , fierce , despisers of those that are good , heady , high-minded , lovers of pleasures , more then lovers of god , having a form of godliness , but denying the power ; and such , of whom people were ever learning , but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth ; for people were laden with sins , and led away with divers lusts ; and these did resist the truth , as iannes and iambres , who withstood moses , by making likenesses without life , and they were men of corrupt minds , and reprobate concerning the faith. now it is plain , that these teachers in this generation are of that very stock which paul describes ; such he saw would come , and such we see are come , and by their fruits we know them , as christ said ; and pauls words are fulfilled ; for these tea●hers are lovers of themselves , and covetous , and proud , this is plain to all people ; and blasphemers , who denies christ to have lighted every man that comes into the world , and therefore they deny scripture , and so are disobedient and unholy men , and without natural affection , who , many of them , have caused the innocent to be imprisoned , and some have died in prison , and they the chief cause of this ; and this is without natural affection to the creatures ; and they are false accusers , and lyars , and fierce in their books and preaching , as is manifest through all this nation ; and they greatly dispise those that are good and prepares war against such as do not put into their mouthes ; and they a●● heady and high-minded , and lovers of vanities and pleasures ; this is evident without proof ; and they have a form of godliness : they say all should be taught 〈◊〉 god , but when any comes to witness it , and deny their teaching , they cry agai●… such as hereticks , and thus they have the words , and the form , but deny th●… power ; and they are ever teaching , twenty , and forty years , and more , but no●… able ever to come to the knowledge of the truth by them , but all in blindness a●● darkness still ; and people cries out , who have been learning many years fro● them , that they do not know the truth ; and its plain , that these teachers are of that sort , that paul spoke of , who brings none to the knowledge of the truth people that follows them are laden with sins , and led away with divers lusts ; 〈◊〉 these have , and do resist truth every whore ; they deny that christ hath lights every man that comes into the world , and so resists truth , and denies scripture and the truth , as you may read , iohn . . and they are corrupt minded , ever wicked persecutors , and suers at law , and earthly minded , and covetous , and oppressors , and are wholly rebrobate concerning the faith : and thus it is plain that the root of these teachers was springing in the apostles dayes , and hath grown ever since in this dark night of apostacy , and hath filled the nations . again the apostle saw that many should depart from the faith , giving heed to seducing spirits , and doctrines of devils , speaking lyes in hypocrisie , havi●● their consciences seared as with a hot iron now these teachers are of the stock which is departed from the true faith ; for they are without true faith , and reprobate concerning it , who are in iniquity , and sin , and the works of the world , which are evil ; now faith purifies the heart from all this ; but their hearts 〈◊〉 not purified , but polluted with covetousness , and preaching for hire , and persecution , and envy ; and therefore they had not faith and so are of that generation which departed from the faith , after the apostles time , which they 〈◊〉 would come ; and these do seduce , and their doctrines are of the devil , who denies the truth which the scripture bears witness of , and say , sprinkling infants 〈◊〉 water , when they are two or three dayes old , is baptism into the faith of christ ; this is the doctrine of the devil , and lyes they speak in great numbers , and in hypocrisie , and write them forth to the world in great hypocrisie , with feignedness , and pretence of holiness ; and its plain , many of their consciences are seared : how do many of them cause the poor people to suffer grievous imprisonment , and spoiling of their goods , to the ruin of families almost , for their maintenance , as tythes , and such like ; which if their consciences were not seared they could not do ; also some of them cried to the rude wicked people , in their idol-temples , fight lads for the gospel ; and many who have born witness to the truth , and against their deceits , have been beat , and abused , and knocked down , as for dead , in their presence ; and their consciences are absolute seared , else they would tremble at these things . also the apostle peter , he saw false prophets would come in , pet. . and false teachers , who would bring in damnable heresies , even denying the lord that bought them ; and many should follow their pernicious wayes , and through covetousness , with feigned words , they would make merchandize of people ; and they would walk after the flesh , in the lust of uncleanness , and despise government , and be presumptuous and self-willed , and not afraid to speak evil of dignities , and they would speak evil of things they understand not , and their hearts are exercised with coveteous practises , and were cursed children , and they sport themselves with their own deceivings ; and these had forsaken the right way , and are gone astray , following the way of balaa● , who loved the wages of unrighteousness ; and these are clouds that are carried with a tempest , and they speak great swelling words of vanity , and while they promise to others liberty , themselves are the servants of corruption : and such were scoffers , and mockers , which would come after the apostles dayes , and they would walk after their own lusts . and now according to this prophesie of peter , who saw false teachers coming in , he gave these characters of them , whereby it doth plainly appear that this generation of teachers are they , and of that stock which then came in ; for these bring forth the very same fruits which they did , which he spoke of , and we know them by their fruits , as christ hath said ; for these have filled the world with damnable heresies , as holding forth , that sprinkling infants with water , is baptism into the faith of christ ; and that a steeple-house is the church ; and that singing davids experiences in the world , among wicked people , in rime and meeter , is singing to the praise of god ; and these are damnable heresies , even to the denying the lord that bought them ; for they deny the light of the lord jesus christ given to every man , to be the only teacher , and the only guide of man ; and they that do deny the light of christ , with which every man that comes into the world is lighted , to be sufficient to lead to christ , and to the kingdom of god , ( as these teachers in this age do ) they deny the lord that bought them ; and many , even whole nations , all the world , as iohn saw in the revelations , have followed their pernicious wayes , and run after their idolatry and pernicious wayes of superstitions ; and they do make merchandise of souls through covetousness , with their feigned words ; for where they can make their bargain to have the most money , there they will preach , and no where else ; and if any will give them more the next year , they will sell that people , and go to another , for very covetousness , by feigned words ; and they do walk after the flesh , in the lust of pride and covetousness , which is uncleanness of the flesh ; and they despise the saints government and order ; for they will not suffer the saints to prophesie one by one in their assemblies , according to the saints government , but do despise that , and persecute it by the government of the beast , unto whose government they are subject , and not to the government of christ and the saints ; and thus they are presumptious and self-willed , presuming to afflict , and cause the children of god to be cast into prison , and suffering them to be beat , and abused by their flock , out of their wicked self-wills ; and they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities , and do speak evil of the wayes of god , and of his truth , which they understand not ; and their hearts are exercised with covetous practises , and are cursed children ; for they make poor people , that have but ten eggs , give them one , and that hardly can get any fewel for the fire , pay them a fenny for the smoak ; with many such other exceeding covetous practises , as suing men two hundred miles to answer for three shilling , claimed by them for tythes . and these sport themselves in their vanity in their own deceiving , and whe● they have oppressed people for their wages , and make people pay them for who● they do no work , and force wages from them that never hired them , which ar● unheard of coveteous practises ; they sport themselves in their pride and lustf●lness , and they are out of the right way , and gone astray from the wayes of god , which are holy , and are in the way of balaam , who went after unrighteous wages , who sought for enchantment against israel , as these do ; and these lo●● unrighteous wages , by taking maintenance from people by force , unto whom is nothing owing by them ; and these are carried with a tempest of every wi●d , according as the powers of the earth blow ; these are carried sometimes under such a government , and sometimes against it , and so are clouds carried abo●t , and are unsettled on the foundation ; and they speak great words of christ , god , and the scriptures , which are but words stolen by them , because they are not spoken by the spirit of god , but by a lying spirit ; and they promise to others liberty , that they shall receive the kingdom of god after death , and that christ hath taken away their sins , with such like promises of liberty , but themselves are the servants of corruption , living in pride , and hatred , and coveteousness , and these serve sin ; and are servants of corruption ; and they are scoffers , and mockers , and walkers after their own lusts , as it is evident in all mens sight ; so that according to the judgmen● of truth , we judge these teachers of this generation , 〈◊〉 be of the same root which then sprang forth ; for these bring forth the same frui●s as they in that time did ; and in the apostacy they have over-spread the whole world : and also the apostle iude gave a description of them , according as peter had done ; he saw certain men creeping in , who turned the grace of god in to wantonnes ; and they were filthy dreamers , and know nothing but wh●● they know naturally , as bruit beasts , and in that they corrupt themselves ; a●● they have gone in the way of cain , and run greedily after the error of balaam ; a●● they are trees whose fruit withers ; raging waves of the sea , foaming out their own shame ; wandring stars ; they are murmurrers and complainers , walking after their own lusts , having mens persons in admiration , because of advant●… , and these seperate themselves sensual , having not the spirit ; and of this s●… which iude describeth are these teachers in this generation , whose fore-fathe● crept in , in the apostles dayes , and these are their cursed children , which 〈◊〉 abound in these nations at this day ; and they are filthy dreamers , studdying f●r what they speak , and dreaming without the spirit of god an hour in a pulpit , and what they know it is naturally , by natural learning and natural arts , and i● that knowledge they are also corrupted , in pride , and vain-glory , and vanities , like bruit beasts in their apparrel , and practises , and not like ministers of the gospel , nor saints ; and they are in cain's way , in envy , and murder , and wrath abounding , no people like them ; and they do run greedily after balaams error , ●or gifts , and rewards , and unrighteous wages , which they run after greedily ; and they are trees which bring forth cursed fruits , which will wither and fade away ; and they are like proud raging waves of the sea , foaming out their sha●… in lyes , and slanders , and cursed speaking in publique and private ; and they have no habitation in the firmament of god , but are wandring stars , and so●●times in one opinion , and sometimes in another , but the blackness of dark●… is reserved for them , and the judgment of the great day ; and they are mur●… rers and complainers , and can never have enough , but seek for their gain fr●… their quarter , as the false prophets did in isaiah's time ; and they have mens p●…sons in admiration , because of advantage to themselves , bowing and worshippi●… mens persons , who will advantage them in their wages , or hire , and maintenance , begging favour of the magistrates , and having their persons in admiration , that they may have their advantage in oppressing poor people in tyt●… ; in this their wickedness is hard to be expressed : and these have separated into self-seperation , some into one form gathered , and some into another , but a●● sensual , and in the wisdom which is from below , and without the spirit of god. and thus it is proved that these teachers of this age are of the same generation in their practises , which iude described to be creeping 〈◊〉 , in his time . and further the apostle , iohn . he saw that the false prophets and antichrists , which christ prophesied of to come , were come in his dayes , and said , many false prophets are gone out into the world , which is the spirit of antichrist , whereof you have heard , said john , and even now already is it in the world , and they were of the world , and the world heard them ; and so are this generation of teachers , who succeed them that went forth into the world then ; these are of the world , in its wayes , pride , and wickedness , covetousness , and envy , and all evil ; and th●y that are in the evil of the world , in wickedness , hear them , and maintain them ; so that according to iohn's description , these teachers of this age are of that same flock which came in then ; and iohn further saw , that all the world was gone after them , and worshipped the beast which was then risen , & run after the false prophet , which then came in , and sat upon the beast , and its plain that the world is all run after them , unto this day , which is a day of bringing back again from the false prophet , and from under the power of the beast ; and the beast , and his image , and the false prophet , & his divinations must down to the ground ; and according as ioh● farther prophesied , the holy city which had been trodd●n down under the gentiles feet , for such a time , should again be gained , and the saints should have the dominion , and the old dragon should be chained , and christ sh●●ld reign , and his kingdom should ●e set up in the earth , and the tabernacle of god should be with men ; and this is the day that the lord is restoring again the way of peace , which long hath been lost , and the the power of god is again witnessed , which hath not been known for generations . so that of things spoken this is the sum of truth , and the word of the lord god to all people on the earth ; that in the dayes of christ and the apostles , it was a glorious day of light , and life , and power ; and the lord gathered a people which honoured his name , while they stood with him , and in his counsel walked ; but since the dayes of the apostles hath been an apostacy , and darkness over all , and a subversion upon all , and night hath been over all , wherein no man could work , as christ said ; and forms without power ha●e been estabished , the pure way of god hath not been known in its purity ; so that this time wherein all are fallen , is a time of ignorance , of the reign of the beast , which all the world hath wandred after , and a time wherein the gentiles feet have trodden down the holy city ; and a time wherein all the world runs after the false prophet , and are deceived , and made drunk with the wine of the whores fornications . i say this is the time wherein all the men of this generation are fallen , and the scripture is fulfilled ; the night wherein no man can work is upon the world ; and further this is the time of antichrists dominion , who hath exalted himself in the seat of god , shewing himself to be god ; and long hath he reigned with the beast , and the false prophet , even since the dayes of the apostles ; and these same teachers of this generation , which now are in the world are manifest by their fruit , to be of that generation , of that seed , and stock of false prophets , which christ prophesied of , should come in the last time after his dayes ; and which most of the apostles saw coming in , in their dayes ; by their fruits i say they are known ; for these bring forth the same fruits , and bear the same marks which those described did , in their time ; so we see christ's prophesie is fulfilled , who said they should come , for they are come ; and the apostles descriptions are fulfilled on these , for these teachers are such as bear the same characters as is proved , as they said they should bear that would come ; and long have the nations been deceived , and kept under the worship of the beast , running after the false prophet . and we see iohns prophesie is fulfilled , who said , that the holy city was given to be trodd●n und●r the feet of the gentiles ; for so we see it hath been for many generations ; and also we know , the time is now approaching , that the dominion of the beast is near an end , and the holy city shall the saints possess , and the gentiles shall be driven out of it , according as iohn said , who wrote the last of any of the apostles , and gave ful● testimony of these things , which i have declared ●f ( viz. ) of an apostacy , and reign of the beast , and false prophet , and a subversion from the wayes of god , and this hath been , and is come to pass : also ●e prophesied of the gaining of the holy city in again to the saints , and of a restoration , wherein new ierusalem should be made manifest from heaven , and sho●●d again be adorned , as a bride for her husband , and the saints should inhabit it , and the tabernacle of god should be with men upon earth , and the lord would dwell for ●●er with his people , and this day is approaching nigh at the doo● , for the fig-tree hath blossomed , and we know it is near at hand , the summer wherein the glory of the lord shall be revealed unto all nations , and they shall 〈◊〉 that he is the lord god almighty , that will take vengeance upon the great wh●●e , who hath made all drunk with the wine of her fornication . and now after the long night of apostacy and darkness , which hath been vp●● the face of the earth , is the lord appearing , and his day dawning , and his lig●● breaking forth as the glory of the morning ; and the kingdom of god is revealed , and his dominion is setting up , after the long reign of the beast , who ha●… had his power , and his seat , and his great authority from the dragon , after wh●… the whole world hath wandred , and him hath worshiped , who hath been saying w●… is like unto the beast , who is able to make war with him ? his mouth for many generations hath been opened in blasphemy against god , and his name ; and he 〈◊〉 made war with the saints , and his power hath overcome them , [ mark ] overco● them , and then himself hath reigned , and the reign of christ for many years 〈◊〉 not been known , but over kindreds , tongues , and nations hath the beast had po●er , and over them hath reigned for many ages ; and all that dwell upon the f●… have worshipped him , whose names are not written in the book of life ; 〈◊〉 earth hath been caused , and them that dwell therein to worship the beast , and 〈◊〉 his wonders he deceiveth them that dwell on earth , and as many as would 〈◊〉 worship the beast and his image , the beast hath had power that they should be●…led , and many hath he killed , who would not worship him , and are persented ; and both small and great , rich and poor , free and bond , have rec●…ed the mark of the beast , and the number of his name , which is the number 〈◊〉 a man ; he that reads let him understand ; these things have come to pass , 〈◊〉 been fulfilled since the apostles dayes , in this night wherein no man could wor● which christ said would come ; but now the forty and two monthes , which ti●… the beast and his image was to continue , and so long was his power to remain 〈◊〉 make war , and to overcome the saints . i say the time is well nigh expired and finished , and the lord god almighty and the lamb is risen to make war against the beast and his image , who hath reigned over the kingdoms of the world , and the judgment of the great w●… cometh , who hath sitten upon the beast , and drunk the blood of the saints , 〈◊〉 with whom the kings of the earth ( since the dayes of the apostles ) have com●…ted fornication ; and all the inhabiters of the earth have been made drunk 〈◊〉 the wine of her fornication ; and all the merchants of the earth have been ma●e rich through the aboundance of her delicacies ; and she hath sat upon the scar●… coloured beast , and her cup in her hand hath been full of abominations , and 〈◊〉 ness , of her fornication , and her name is mistery babylon , the mother of harl●… and all the kings of the earth have given their power unto the beast , and commited fornication with the great whore ; and she hath sat upon people & multitudes , 〈◊〉 nations , and tongues , ( since the apostles days ) and even some , who have hated t●e whore , and fulfilled the will of god , and made the whore naked , yet they gi●… their power also to the beast , until the word of god be fulfilled . consider these things you that have an ear to hear ; but now the mighty day 〈◊〉 the lord , and the judgment of the whore is approaching , wherein she shal be rewarded according to her works , and doubble shall be given into 〈◊〉 cup , and as she hath loved blood , so shall blood be given her to drink , and the merchants of the earth shall lament her , whom they have waxed rich by , who 〈◊〉 glorified her self , and lived deliciouslly , and hath said in her heart ; i sit as a queen , and am no widow , and shall not see sorrow ; but now the one day is dawning wherein her plagues shall come , death , and mourning and famine , and she shall be utterly burned with fire , for strong is the lord that is risen to judge her ; and the kings and merchants ; and all the inhabiters of the earth , shall lament her , and cry , alas , alas ! and now are they beginning , for the hour is come that her judgement cometh , and all her merchants , who have trafficked with the souls of men shall partake of her plagues , who have partaked of her sins , and lived deliciously with her , and the fruits that her soul lusteth after shall depart from her , and all things that are dainty , and goodly , shall depart from her , and she shall find them no more at all when her judgement cometh , and in an hour all her riches are come to nought , and all her merchants at land and sea shall lament her ; even her that hath ruled over nations , and sat as a queen for many generations , ever since the dayes of the apostles , until this day ; yea , all that have wandred after her , even the whole world shall lament and bemoan her ; and such as have served her , and made slaves of the souls of men by merchandize and traffick , shall bewail her , and their gain shall cease for ever ; for in one hour shall she be made desolate , and her glory shall fade , and her beauty shall wither , and the beast that hath carried her shall utterly faint , and the false prophet that hath wrought miracles in their sight , and deceived the nations , shall be cast into a bed of torment with her , and the beast , and the false prophet shall be taken , and cast alive into the lake of fire , to be tormented for ever , day and night , world without end ; and the whore , in whom hath been found the blood of the prophets , and of the saints , and of all that were slain upon the earth , and the beast who hath caused all that dwell on the earth to worship him and his image , for many ages , and the false prophet , who hath deceived the whole world , and many nations , and made them subject unto the power of the beast , by his miracles which he hath wrought in the sight of men ; these shall be plagued together , and tormented together ; for the false prophet and the beast hath sent forth their unclean spirits , like frogs , unto all the kings of the earth , and unto the whole world , to gather them to battel , with their armies , to make war against him that sits on the white horse , even the son of god ; and this is the false prophet which c●rist prophesied of to come , which long since came , and hath served the beast and the great whore for many generations , and many , even all nations have been deceived , as christ said , and led aside , and blinded , and bewitched by him . and , as i have said , these teachers of this generation are of them , of their root and off-spring , which long have flourished on the face of the earth . but the day is at hand , that the heaven , and the holy apostles , and prophets shall rejoyce over the whore , and over the false prophet ; for the lord comes to avenge us on her ; and as she hath done , so shall it be done unto her , now in this day wherein ierusalem shall be builded again , and the holy city which the ge●tiles have trod under foot for forty and two moneths , which time is expired , and near an end , accounting from the dayes of the coming in of the apostacy , untill this day , if any have an ear to hear let him hear ; this i have received from god i say the holy city shall be measured , and the gentiles cast out ; and she shall be adorned , and as a bride for her husband shall she be prepared ; and gods tabernacle shall be with men , and he will dwell with them , and they shall be his people ; and god himself will be their god , and all tears shall be wiped away and there shall be no more death nor sorrow ; for the former things are passed away , and all things shall be made new . and what i have said are the faithful sayings of god ; every one that is athirst shall drink of the water of life freely ; and he that overcometh shall inherit all things , and shall be called the son of god , and shall dwell in the holy city , which long the gentiles foot hath troden under , which shall again be adorned , and prepared as a bride for her husband ; if any have an ear to hear let them ●ear . and the glory of the lord is risen , and his day is breaking forth more abundantly , and the lamb is given for a light , and all nations that are save● shall walk in the light of the lamb , and the king of righteousness , ( who hath been long fled into egypt , while herod the beast , which hath sought his life , and driven the woman into the wilderness , hath reigned ) shall again be set upon the holy hill of sion , and rule all nations with a rod of iron , and trample upon the necks of all his enemies ; the nations have not for many ages been ruled by hi●… , but the beast , who hath ruled over kindreds , and people , and said , who hath be●… able to make war again the beast , and to the power of the beast hath all nations be●… subject , and the dominion of christ hath been trodden down and despised , and 〈◊〉 holy city hath been laid waste , and his princely power hath not been felt , nor witnessed in the kingdoms of men for ages and times , nor him the one head ; and the one horn hath not been known , but many heads and horns have been exalted , a●● all nations , and all the princes , and kingdoms of the earth have been subject 〈◊〉 the rule and law of the beast , and to the divinations of the false prophet , & dark●… hath been over all , and god hath been as a stranger in the earth , as one not known he hath been worshipped ignorantly , and the inscription every where hath been 〈◊〉 the unknown god ; but now after all this the glorious god of truth hath appeared , and great , and mighty hath been his hand and power in this our day , in rais●…g 〈◊〉 a righteous branch out of the root of righteousness , and in gathering his scattered people up to himself , who have been scattered by the idol teachers , and deceived by false prophets , & made a prey upon by the wild beasts of the forrest . o how have the people been made a prey upon by their teachers , and greedily devoured by 〈◊〉 shepherd , who have sought themselves , and sought for their gain , every one f●… his quarter ? for many ages how have people been led blind , by their blind s●…pherds , and none to this day come to the knowledge of the truth by them ? 〈◊〉 these have run , and were not sent , and therefore the people have not b●… profitted at all ; as it was in ieremiahs dayes , so it is now , no profit 〈◊〉 people in the knowledge of the wayes of god , but leanness , and barr●●ness , and as the teacher , so his people , all out of the way , in prophaness , 〈◊〉 wickedness ; and prophaneness is gone forth from them into many nations , y●… the lord bringing back his inheritance , which have been driven away into the desolate wilderness ; yea , and the lord hath caused his light to shine out of darkness ; and unto them that have sat in darkness , and in the shadow ●f death i● the marvellous light risen , that the glory of the lord may be revealed , and god tabernacle may be with men ; and the holy city is preparing , as a bride for her husband , and darkness shall flee away , and sorrow and sighing shall no more be known , but life and immortality shall again be brought to light , as it was in the dayes of the apostles . this i have received from god ; and the lord shall be known to be the god of his people ; and for this cause hath he called and chosen faithful witnesses , 〈◊〉 given his powerful ministry by the gift of the holy ghost , as it was in the apostles dayes , and now many are called to declare abroad the things which we 〈◊〉 heard , and seen , and handled ; and the gospel of christ is received by the rev●…tion of gods eternal spirit , and son in our hearts ; and the power is made manifest , and the form of godliness without the power is denied and judged ; and christ the one head is exalting , and the one horn of gods salvation is revealing and the many heads and many horns must be broken to pieces , and be confound●d in this the day of the lord ; for his purpose is powerful in carrying on his o●● work against all his enemies ; so that none are able to hinder . but they that set themselves ( even the beast and his power , which is now struck at ) whose kingdom is invaded , hath raised the force of his power , and the pollicy of his arm ; yet shall they be confounded , and no formed weapon shall prosper against the lord and his way , who is now risen to avenge himself of the beast and his power , and the whore , and her fornications , and the false prophet , and his divinations , which all must in●… the wine-press of gods dreadful wrath to be trodden ; and all that worship the beast , and repent not , shall partake of the plagues of the beast , and of the whore ; and though the false prophet gathers gog and magog together , to fight against the lamb , and to compass the beloved city about , yet he shall , and them that he gathers , be broken to pieces , and driven as dust before the wind , and as stubble before the fire ; for the purpose of the lord shall stand . great babylon is come into remembrance before the lord , to reward her according to her deeds ; and the lord will cause his truth , and his salvation to be known in the earth , and his name and power is declared in the hearts of his people , to the overturning of all unrighteousness , and though every horn of the beast push against this , and every head , with his members , set it self against it , yet the counsel of the lord shall not be disannulled , nor made void ; for the scepter and dominion of his son shall be exalted over all the earth , and the princes of the world , and the kings of the earth shall lay down their crowns , and become subject ; for the kingdoms of this world shall be changed ; and shall become the kingdoms of the lord , and of his christ ; the kingdom of the beast must down , and the princely power of darkness must be overthrown , and laws , and times , and things , and powers of men shall be overturned , and overturned , till he come to reign in the earth , whose right it is to reign over nations and people : and because of this the rage of the heathen hath been great , and the counsels of the wicked many , and strong , from the prophane drunkards to the chiefest professed teachers of this age ; even all the whole body of the beast hath joyned it self against the purpose of the lord ; men of all conditions , from the highest to the lowest , have armed themselves with mischief to offend the way of truth . this is written , as moved of the lord , to go abroad through the nations , that all may understand concerning the times , and the changing of times , how that the beast hath reigned in dominion , over nations , tongues , and people ; and all have worshipped the beast , and gone after the false prophet : here all may come to a good understanding what hath been , and what is , and what shall be ; how that when the power and government of christ was lost , through departing from the faith which ruled in the apostles dayes , then the whole world was as unstable in wayes and judgments as a sea ; then out of the sea one beast arose , and another after him arose out of the earth ; and all have been caused , both small and great , bond and free , to worship the beast , and the image of the beast ; yea , all the dominions of the world have for many ages been subject to the power of the beast in all things , and not known the worship and power of god , and the pure subjection to him ; but the kings of the earth , and all her princes have given their power to the beast , and have received their authority from him , and acted thereby many of them in great unrighteousness , in injustice , and oppression , and cruelty ; in pride , and rebellion , and vain glory ; in quarrelling one with another , to the murthering thousands of thousands ; and this hath all been brought forth under the power of the beast , and by it ; and his heads and horns have exalted themselves one against another , and smitten one onother , and the great whore hath made them all drunk , and all people upon the earth , with envy , pride , wontonness , and all unrighteousness ; this hath been since the apostles dayes , in this night of apostacy , wherein the whole world hath been subverted by false prophets and deceivers , and the kingdom of christ hath not been known upon earth for many generations , but the beast hath been established in his throne of rebellion against christ jesus ; his decrees have been laws , and statutes , and he hath made wa● against all the saints , and overcame them , and reigned over them until this time , and trodden down their city , and defaced their glory ; but the blood of the just hath cried day and night , under the altar , the souls of such as have been slain for the testimony of the word of god , have cried day and night , how long lord , how long , when wilt thou avenge our blood upon the heads of our enemies , even the beast , the where , and the false prophet ? and this hath been for many ages , even while the kingdom of antichrist hath been set up and advanced through the world , and his power and authority hath reached over nations , bond and free , from the prince on his throne , to the begger on the dunghil , even all have been subjected under the power of the beast ; that nature having ruled within every particular , hath given him the authority without over all , and admired him , and said , who is able to make war with him . antichrist hath ruled over all , by injustice , oppression , and tyranny in unrighteous laws , and through wicked decrees , old pharaoh-like , he hath laid heavy yoaks , and oppressive bonds upon the just ; for who would not be subject to him , he hath had power to kill them , and none was able to gainsay ; such hath been the greatness of his power , and the strength of his dominion over all , that none have been able to make war against him , he hath been admired in all the world , not any nation excepted where the government of antichrist hath not born rule , and there have been none left to bear witness against him , or to stand up against him ; for the faithfull witness●● have been slain in the streets of the great city , which spiritually is called , s●… and egypt , and all them that have dwelt upon the earth have made merry 〈◊〉 their dead bodies , and rejoyced in their iniquities over the slain , and been without a reprover , and not tormented , nor troubled , but have sent gifts one to another , because they have slain them , who have tormented them that dwelt upon the earth ; and the government of the beast hath been enlarged , and the whole world have wandred after him , and been in subjection under him , for many generations ; even f●● forty and two months , he that can read let him understand ; so long hath it be●… given him to make war against the saints , and to overcome them , and it hath been given him to reign over all people in the wrath of god , and in his anger , bec●●se of the rebellion of all the earth , and all people in it , but he shall be taken away i● gods displeasure who reigns in his anger over the nations , who have forsake● the lord , and was given up to the power of the beast , to be subjected in slavery , and bondage , in pain , sorrow and misery ; and through deceit , craft and pollicy , and oppression , and by the wisdom of this world , and natural ar●● , and knowledge , his government hath long been established , and his domini●… hath been upon earth ; times , and laws , and things , and powers of men have been in his hand , to change , and subvert , and overturn into his own ima●… and to transform them like to the beast ; none upon earth , hath bought , or s●●d , or judged , or given evidence , or been respected in all the world , that 〈◊〉 not had the mark of the beast , and the number of the names of antichrist ; rich and poor , small and great have receive his mark , as a seal of their subjection to the beast , whose many heads , and many horns , have subjected all by the force of his arm , and he hath blinded the eye , lest men should see him , and cast darkness over all faces , and the false prophet hath deceived many , a christ hath said , and all the earth hath been wandring in the wildern●… of wickedness , and the long-suffering of the lord hath been wearied , and he continually provoked to destroy the nations , who have followed antichrist , who hath shewed himself in the seat of god , to be god , and hath sat in the seat of god , in the seat of justice , righteousness , and of mercy , and the abomination of desolation hath long stood in the place where it oug●● not , for many ages , and length of times ; and his many heads , and many horns hath swayed the world , through the terror of the beast , who ha●… made all worship him , and they that would not , he hath killed , who hath carried the great whore , who hath made all men without exception , and all nations without respect to any , wholly drunk with abomination , and all hath staggered , and fallen into grievous iniquities , and the dragon hath stood ready continually to devour the child of righteousness as soon as it was born , and the woman hath been forced to flee into the wilderness , that hath brought i● forth , and hath fed there for so many dayes , and for a long season hath the l●●d been blasphemed , even the name of god , and his tabernacle , and them th●● dwell in heaven . but now hath the lord considered , and looked down from his habitati●n , and of a truth he is risen , and hath taken to him his great power , that he may reign , and put all things under his feet , and subdue the power of the beast , and antichrist ; and all their government , and rule , and laws , and decrees shall be overthrown , and confounded , & all their worship shall be broken ; for great babylon is come into remembrance before the lord , to render her according to her works ; the lamb is now risen , and advanced with his bow , and his sword , and he is going forth conquering , and to conquer the beast , and all that have worshipped him : and they that are with the lamb are called , and chosen , and faithful , & they love not their lives unto death and they shall overcome him by the blood of the lamb , and by the word of his testimony ; the dominion of the lamb is setting up , and his power is made manifest ; and the stone cut out of the mountain without hand is a dashing at the feet of the image , and against the beast , and his power , and against all his laws and decrees is he risen ; and he will change times , and laws , and powers , and the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdom of the lord , and of his christ , and he shall reign for ever and ever ; for now the spirit of life from god is entred into the witnesses which have been slain , and they begin to stand upon their feet , and great fear falls upon the great men of the world , and the devil is cast out into the earth ; who hath sitten in heaven , in the temple of god , and deceived the whole world , and his wrath is great against the saints , and against the lamb , because he knoweth his time is but short ; and the man-child shall grow ; and shall rule the nations with a rod of iron , if any man hath an ear to hear let him hear ; he that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity ; he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword ; the purpose of the lord shall stand who is now gathering , and bringing back such as have been driven away and deceived by the generation of false prophets , who have deceived the whole world , and all that dwell therein , and the lord will take vengeance upon them , upon the beast , and upon the false prophet ; and great babylon shall be thrown down , and shall be no more at all , but shall be made desolate ; and the voice of harpers , and musitians shall no more be heard at all in her ; but her glory shall wither , and fade away in a moment ; for he that hath a true weight and measure is appeared to divide , and to give due weight , and measure unto every one ; and all the wicked , who will not come from under the worship of the beast , shall have their part in the lake that burnes with fire , and he that is unjust let him be unjust still , and he that is righteous let him be righteous still ; here is the dividing of all things as they were in the beginning ; the glory of the lord is risen , whose name is called the word of god , and out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword , and with it be smiteth the nations , and he shall rule them with an iron rod ; for his name is king of kings , and lord of lords ; and he is gathering his saints together to the supper of the great god , to eat the flesh of kings , the flesh of captains , and the flesh of horses , and them that sat thereon ; the purpose of the lord shall not be disannulled , though the beast , and the kings of the earth gather together their armies , to make war against him that sits upon the horse , who is already gone out to conquer , and the numberless number of the saints are gathering together before the throne of the lamb , and they have no guile found in their mouthes . and the day is now dawned , and the night is far spent ; wo unto the world , and to all the inhabiters of the earth , who have worshipped the beast , the lord is coming to plead with you , and ye that have partaken of the sins of the great whore shall partake of her plagues , and she shall be rewarded double , according to her works ; for her sins have reached unto heaven : the day of great tribulation is at hand , of anguish and destruction , men shall seek death and shall not find it , but it shall flee from them , when the lord ariseth and the lamb standeth upon mount sion , and his saints with him , who shall tread down the heathen , and cast them out , even as they have trodden down the holy city , and the worship thereof ; and the kingdom of the beast , and his seat , and his great authority , which he hath received from the dragon , shall all be thrown down ; and the kingdom of the son of god with his government , scepter , and rule shall be established in all the earth , and the utmosts part thereof shall be given him to possess ; this is the promise , and this shall come to pass ; and through the whole world laws , and decrees , ministry , and orders shall be changed and renewed ; the law and decree of the most high shall rule over all , and the holy city shall be beautified , and is adorning and preparing for the saints , and their king to inherit ; the lamb is the light of the city , and the temple therein , and all nations and people that are saved shall walk in the light of the lamb ; for he hath lighted every man that comes into the world , with the light of salvation , in all that do receive him ; and darkness shall flee away , the s●● is risen , and praise , and honour , and glory , and dominion , shall be given to the lamb , who shall reign over nations , and his saints shall see him , and his name shall be in their fore-heads , and there shall be no night , but light and glory , and the kings of the earth shall bring in their glory and honour i●… it ; and the gates stand open , and are not shut ; every one that thirsteth , let him come , the cry is unto all ; and yet nothing that defileth shall enter : these are the faithful sayings of the lord , who is true , and must not long be sealed ; f●r the time is at hand , and all men shall read , and all that keep the commandme●… of god , shall have right to the tree of life ; and blessed are they , they shall be healed , though now they suffer all manner of evil , for the name of iesus , by the beast , and under his power , by them that worship him , who must fulfil wickedness by persecuting the innocent , till the lord be raised out of his habitation ; and the dominion shall be given to them ; and they shall have power to bind king● in chains , and nobles in fetters of iron ; this is their honour , and this i● their dignity , and they shall rejoyce for ever and ever , and shall glory in the lord , and not in this world ; and this shall come to pass , as the lord hath said . wherefore all nations and people , arise , arise , and be awakened , prepare , prepare , and make way for the lord ; be removed , ye mountains ; and throw down , ye hills ; and hewn down , ye sturdy oakes ; and cut up , ye tall cedars ; make way , and prepare , the path for the holy one , who is comming to rule w●… his iron rod , and will dash you all to peices : be afraid and tremble thou be●… , that hast long reigned over the earth ; and all thy false prophets and worshippers be confounded at this , and bow and tremble at the remembrance hereof ; 〈◊〉 whom you have hated and crucified , and his saints , whom you have persecuted , shall come to reign over you all ; and to him , whom you have set at nought , 〈◊〉 you be subject to , and ruled by , to all your sorrow ; for behold the lord cometh with his numberless number of saints . and this is a warning to all nations and people upon earth ; times and laws must be changed among you ; governments and orders must be changed ; unjustice and oppression shall be removed , and every yoak and burden shall be taken off from the neck of the poor ; true judgment , and justice , mercy , and truth , peace , and righteousness shall be exalted ; and all the nations shall have judges as at the first , and councellors as at the beginning ; and the poor shall rejoyce when true judgment and justice reigneth , and the false prophet subdued . and this is a warning to you all , that you may hear , and consider the lamb who hath been slain , who is risen to reign , who is the prince of peace , of whose government there shall be no end ; even he hath lighted all man-kind on the face of the earth ; the light is the eye , which will let you see all this , and will bring you to the fulfilling of it ' a●● to the good understanding ; and it shall evidenc●… the truth of this , even the light of christ in all men , which is given to guide 〈◊〉 the way of peace . the kingdom of christ is setting up , and it is not of this world , neither shall be exalted , nor advanced by worldly pollicy , and worldly wisdom , nor by carnal weapons , nor by the multitude of an host of men , ( its true ) the son of god is gone forth ; conquering and and to conquer ; and the spirit of his mouth , and the word of his power , shall get himself the victory ; his own arm alone , without the help of another , shall work the conquest ; and his kingdom shall be set up within every particular of his subjects ; for none can know him reign without them unto their salvation , till they know him to reign first within ; for that which opposeth the kingdom of christ , and the setting of it up , is within every man , and must be subdued within , where it hath ruled ; and the enemy of christ's kingdom , which hath lodged within , must first be subdued , before there be dominion over his enemies without . this is the word of the lord to all people ; for he that pursues his enemy without , and leaves him in his own house , is foolish ; and out of the way , and shall be overcome of his enemy , and shall not overcome him ; therefore ye that are waiting for the kingdom of christ , be awakened , and seek for it where it is to be found , not without you first , but first within ; strive not to obtain it with your carnal weapons , but take the weapons which are spiritual , which only will overcome ; be not deceived , for through suffering must the kingdom of christ be set up , and not by rebellion through crafts , and plots , and secret pollicy , and turbulent arisings , nor strife in the nature of enmity , ( by these means shall the kingdom of christ never be advanced . ) and this is the word of the lord , and our testimony which we give of the kingdom of christ , who is indeed arisen to make war against all his enemies , and they that follow him are called and faithful ; and chosen , whose weapons are spiritual and mighty through god ; and reacheth to the killing and subduing of all flesh ( and he must war ) till all his enemies be subdued , and must reign over all his enemies , till the kingdom be delivered to the father , where he shall be all in all . the d moneth , . all ye inhabitants of the earth in all nations through the world ; hearken and give ear , the word of the lord god that made heaven and earth is towards you ; he is coming to set up his kingdom and his dominion , which never shall have end , and the kingdoms of this world shall be changed , and shall become the kingdoms of the son of god. all ye kings , and princes , and rulers through the whole world ; the lord is coming up with his mighty host against you all ; he , who will fan you , and sift you , and try you , and search you out ; for his fan is in his hand , and he will throughly purge you ; and you shall all know , that the kingdom of the most high rules in the kingdoms of men ; all your glory shall fade away , all your majesty , and honour , and dignities , and dominions shall come to an end ; all your strength is but as a straw , all your treasure as a thing of nought , all your glory as a fading leaf in the presence of the lord god , that made heaven and earth ; all nations upon earth are but as the drop of a bucket before him , and the hearts of all men are in his hand , and by him kings rule , and the princes of the earth are at his disposure ; and you are all weighed in the ballance of equity , and found too light before the lord ; for all flesh hath corrupted its way before him : be awakenened ye that have long slept in darkness , and been at ease in the flesh ; ye that have had peace in this world , and pleasure in the vanity thereof , the lord is coming to make war against you , his trumpet hath sounded , and his sons and daughters are gone forth to bear witness of his majesty , and power , and dominion ; and the lord hath spoken , who can but prophesie ? he hath given the word , and many are they that publish it : let your ears be open to instruction , and kick not against the lord , neither harden your hearts against him , but make way for him , and prepare his path ; for he cometh to judge the world in righteousness , and the people with equity , and the testimony of the light of jesus in you all shall witness for him ; your princely powers must become subject to the power of the kingdom of the most high , and your glory must be vailed and darkned before the glory , which ●he lord is causing to shine forth ; and we , the servants of the most high , do give you warning of the day of your visitation , which is upon you , and all the world ; for the lord is now risen , who hath long winked at the time of great ignorance , but now ●e warns you all to repent ; therefore bow down , ye stiff-necked ; and tremble , ye stout-hearted ; and be abased , ye lofty-looks ; our king is above you all , our dominion is over you all , and the line of true judgment are you all measured with , and your wayes are not found perfect in the sight of the lord , nor your hearts right before him ; his kingdom hath not been known in your dominions , neither hath his laws and his judgments born rule , but you have every one been doing that which is right in the sight of your own eyes ; and the counsels of your hearts have been nought but vanity before the lord ; vain-glory hath abounded among you , which the the lord's soul hath been burdened by ; the honours and pleasures of the flesh have been your delight , and strife and enmity hath been among you , and wars , and quarreling , and fighting one against another , and you have rejoyced in the overthrow one of another , and in destroying one another , and you have taken pleasure in gaining one anothers dominions ; you have striven who should have been the greatest , and greatly oppressed the poor ; you have exalted your selves one against another , and drawn up your armies one in defiance of another , and the blood of thousands have been shed to satisfie the humours of your proud hearts ; all this hath been evil in the sight of the lord , and his spirit hath been grieved , and his soul vexed by all this , and he hath forborn till he hath been weary ; for he hath been dishonoured by all this , and his law hath not born rule , and his judgments have had no place , you have been cruel-hearted one towards another , and merciless , and without pitty , and ouy have not done to others , as you would be done unto , but you have rendred evil for evil , and sought occasions of evil one against another , and vexed one another through the pride of your hearts ; therefore now is the lord risen to make war against you all , and to dash you to pieces ; the feller comes up amongst you , he that will not spare to slay , and to devour , who will not be afraid of your lofty looks , he will spoil you of your treasure , and lay waste your strength , all ye kingdoms of the earth , and your gathering together against him is but as briers and thorns ; for he will exalt his own kingdom over you all , and all ye kings of the earth shall know , that the kingdom of the most high must rule in your kingdoms , and your laws shall be changed , and the poor shall no more be oppressed ; for he is come th●t proclaims liberty unto the captives , who will remove oppression far away , who will change times , and worships , and ordinances , and there shall be no law , but the law of god ; nor no light , but of the lamb ; nor no worship , but the worship in the spirit , and in the truth ; for all your worships which the nations are full of , is nought but vanity , and a lye , immitations , and superstitions , brought forth in hypocrisie , and not in an upright heart ; vanity of vanities have abounded both in civil and spiritual affairs ; the root in which you stand is wholly corrupted , and no good fruit springs from it , but cursed fruit , which must be 〈◊〉 down , and cast into the fire ; ye have been evil , and could not bring forth any good ; you are corrupted , and your fruit is of a bitter taste , a day of sorrow , of lamentation , and misery is coming upon you all ; ye that have been high and lofty , and stouthearted , fearfulness shall surprise you , and the terror of the lord of hosts shall compass you about : i am moved to salute you all with this , as a warning , and when it comes to pass , remember you have been told ; ye that know not the kingdom of the most high ruling men , but are saying in your hearts , this hath my hand done , in a moment shall you be smitten , and know there is one above you which must rule , for it is his right to rule over all nations , and there shall be no king but jesus th● a●oin●e● o● god , ●o●●o government , but the government of the lamb ; there shall be no more war , but war against the dragon , who hath stood to devour the man-child , which is now bringing forth , and he must rule with his iron rod , and shall subdue all under his feet ; we whom god hath warned cannot but warn you of these things which 〈◊〉 come to pass ; he is coming to separate between the just and the unjust ; he will gather from among you , that the wicked may be consumed from off the face of the earth . all you rulers in the world , i warn you all , take heed how you persecute such as comes to warn you , who brings this message to you , lest you add sin to sin , till there be no place found for repentance ; for ye shall all know our god is the true god that made heaven and earth , before whose presence all ●●esh must come to judgment . by one who hath measured the times , who is come to the day that hath made all things m●…ifest . edward burrouch . a general epistle and greeting of the fathers love t● all the saints , called and chosen to faithfulness in christ jesus , the light of the world , in which they believing , and their faith standing in his power , many suffer for his name sake . and this is to all such as are found worthy to suffer , and is an exhortation to the strengthning of their faith , whereby they may continue boldly , witnessing to the end . and this is a true testimony of the father , and of the son , witnessed by us who are called of god , in whom his power is made manifest . to all the children of light every where , who fear and love the lord , who are begotten of god , and unto whom he is known in the spirit and in the truth ; this is a testimony of the fathers love unto you , grace , mercy , and peace from him that lives for ever , the god of light and life be multiplied in you all , that you may daily be renewed in strength , and girded with truth , and armed with the whole armour of god , and may be kept by his power until the day of salvation , to walk in the government and subjection to jesus christ , witnessing the power and presence of god in you , and amongst you , giving you power to fulfil his will in all things , and that in all righteousness , and out of all evil you may be led , and preserved unto the end , and in the end , to shew forth the praises of god in this generation , as a people called of him , and redeemed by him for his great glories sake ; even so amen , and amen . dearly beloved , be not ignorant , but this know , this is the message which came unto you , which is true and faithfull , and everlasting , that the true god is light , and in him is no darkness at all ; and this is the message of peace and reconciliation , and of glad tidings unto all that have sought the lord , which we received of him , and you have heard , and there is not another to be declared ; and all that have received it are gathered up to god , and are in covenant with him , and one with another , and are in that which reconcileth and joyneth unto christ jesus ( the husband ) and second adam , who is the lord from heaven , the prince of peace , the saviour and the deliverer , who is made manifest in power , and condemneth the transgressor , and slayeth the enmity , and raiseth the life out of death ; and this is he who kills and makes alive , even the god who is light , who brings down one , and sets up another ; who makes war against the mighty , and gives peace to the poo● ; and besides him there is none : he searcheth mans heart , and trieth the reins , and ●no● the thoughts , and every creature is manifest in his sight , who gives to every one according to his doings ; and this is he who standeth in the congregation of the righteous , even in the midst of us , and sitteth judge among the gods , unto him must all the gods of the earth bow , and the inhabitants of the earth must tremble before him , and unto him every tongue shall confess , and the light in every man shall answer , when he ariseth to judgment , who is a swift witness , to condemn or justifie all the children of men upon the face of the earth . this is the god of truth whom we worship , and who will be worshipped in spirit , and in truth , who is the god of abraham , and his seed for ever ; and with him there is no change , nor shadow of turning ; and he hath made known his name , and his power , and his wonderful works in this his day , and hath caused his voice to be heard in the earth , and the dead hath heard , and now liveth . and his name is exalted on high amongst all that fear him , and obey his voice ; and he hath given his son a covenant of light , who lighteth every man that cometh into the world with the true light of life , or condemnation , that all who receive him may come to the knowledge of the father , whom to know is life eternal . and this is the christ , the saviour , in whom we have believed , and whom we preach , who is the way , the truth , and the life , the foundation of god , which cannot be moved , the word of god is his name , and there is no other name given for salvation . this is he who was dead , and is alive , and lives for evermore , and there is no other to be looked for ; if any preach any other , let them be accursed ; and if any bring any other message , let them not be received . and all you who have believed in this christ jesus , who is the light of the world , and who have received the knowledge of this god , who is light himself , and that searcheth your hearts , i exhort you , and warn you all in his presence , that lives forever , to wait upon him , and to fear before him , and to walk with him for ever in uprightness of heart , which is of great price in his sight ; and forget not his righteous judgments , which he hath made known , least you wax fat through mercies , and rebel against him , and become disobedient and gainsaying , and so be destroyed from being a people ; but be stayed upon the lord , and let your hearts be established with grace ; and be not tossed , nor shaken with any wind of doctrines of men , which is not from the life of god , nor reacheth to the life in you , but begets into idolatry , to worship other gods then he who is light ; and be not troubled at temptations , nor at sufferings , nor at reproaches , nor any other thing ; but stand in the counsel of god , and in his long-suffering , and wait patiently upon him , in your own measure of the grace of god received , which is sufficient for you , to preserve you , that victory over death , and over him that hath the power over it , you may receive , to trample upon all that which is contrary to the life of god within you , and without you ; neither be you troubled nor offended in christ ; if any among you deny the lord , and backslide from his pure way , through an evil heart of unbelief , and so become disobedient children , and vex the righteous soul ; such shall bear their own burthen , and condemnation in the day of the lord ; and shall know , that truth changes not , but is the same for ever , though the deceitful-hearted through unbelief depart from it , and choose their own wayes , and despise the counsel of the lord , to their own destruction ; but be ye more watchful , and faithful , and valiant for the truth upon earth , unto the end ; that you may be found faithful witnesses unto the name of the lord , in this crooked generation ; and may receive the fulfilling of the promise of god , and may witness god within you , the emanuel , the saviour , god with us , and this is the whole salvation , and there is no other to be expected , or witnessed , then this , that god dwells in us , and walks in us , according to his promise ; and all that know this , need nor go forth to the right hand , or to the left , but salvation is come unto us , he that taks away sin , and saves from it , and from condemnation ; and who witnesseth this are begotten by the word of god , and born of the immortal seed , and are new creatures ; but now there is no condemnation , but the reward of righteousness and peace to us , who are not in the flesh , but in the spirit ; and here we witness the lord is our god , and we are his people , and he seeth no sin in us who are born of him , nor remembers iniquity ; but his covenant is with us , and the kingdom is become the lords , and his dominion is set up , where god is all in all , where the prince of darkness is cast out ; and this is the end and substance of all ministrations , which we bear witness of : and i do exhort all you that are called of god every where , patiently to wait in the way of the lord , and in his judgements to receive this , and to possess it within you , that you may be worshippers of god , and doers of his will , and may have the witness , that you are accepted of him , and may know your calling and election sure , where nothing that defileth can enter , but that may be taken away , and removed ; and him you may feel and witness , whom satan hath nothing in , who is the second adam , and cannot be overcome , but is greater then the first adam , who was overcome ( though innocent ) and is lost from the presence of god ; but he in whom there is no sin , and who cannot transgress , comes to seek and to save that which was lost in sin , and to bring back that which was driven away by sin ; and he is greater then innocency , and overcometh the devil , and is called the son of god ; and to him that overcometh , who is the light of the world , is all power given of the father : and know him in you all to be greatest , who is not of the world , nor cannot bow to the devil , to give you dominion and authority over all the world , and the powers of hell and death , even he who sealeth up the old dragon in perdition , never more to deceive : and who witnesseth this , knoweth the election which it is not possible to deceive , or be deceived ; and as every one of you have received him who is the lord from heaven , so let your faith stand in him , and walk in him ; and let all your conversations be ordered by him , in all pure and blameless walking i● the sight of your enemies , that it may be manifest that you are branches in him , and that you have received power to become the sons of god , and that you are heirs of the inheritance which shall not fade away . and all you that witness this , your eye is open to see god , and you are clensed from sin by the word of god , and you have received the peace with god , and glad tidings from him in your own souls ; and this is salvation by the second ad●… ; herein be established and setled , and look not for another ; for there is not any besides this saviour , and this salvation ; but if any preach another , believe hi● not ; and if any cry , lo here , and lo there is christ , without you , go not after them , nor follow them , but know him within you , which is greater then all ; yea , if we our selves , or an angel from heaven , preach any other jesus , then he that lighteth every man that cometh into the world ; or any other salvation , the● god with us , let us be accursed ; for this is the gospel of our salvation , christ jes●● within us the hope of glory , the power and wisdom of god to rule and reign i● us , by which we are changed from death to life , and translated from the power of darkness into the kingdom of his dear son. and now all friends and elect of god , who are called and faithfull , you that have received this testimony which god hath given of the son , and which th● son hath given of the father , which in faithfulness hath been testified in this generation ; i exhort you all in the fear and counsel of the lord , take heed to th●● which you have believed , and heard , and learned of the father , which is t●● truth , as it is in jesus , and shall abide for ever ; and be not removed from yo●… hope , nor given to change , but mind the life of god in you all , which is immortal , and is but one , and it answereth to the lord in judgments , and in mercies , and one to another in that which is righteous and just , and witnesseth against all the works of the world , which are evil , and not wrought in god. ye that know this which is of the father in you , dwell in it , and walk in it , and be not shaken out of it , nor removed from it , for it is the way of peace unto everlasting rest , where there is no sorrow , but righteousness , peace , and joy in the holy ghost ; and every one in particular , have salt in your selves to savour withal , that you may resist the wicked one in all his temptations , and may not joyn to any thing which is out of union , and contrary to the life of god , and to the truth which you have received , that you may never be betrayed of your hope , nor of the simplicity which is in christ jesus , in which the father is well pleased ; and let the light of the world guide you in all things , that your works may be wrought in god , never to be condemned , nor you to suffer loss , knowing this first , that none are justified by him , but them that are led and guided by him ; and to whom he is a saviour , he is also a teacher , and he is given to teach in all the wayes of truth . and now let your fellowship be in the life and power of god , and know not one another in words only , and in shews , and in outward appearance , but witness one another in the spirit and in the truth , and have communion there , in breaking the bread of life , that christ jesus may be seen to be the head in you , and you members to serve him , and one another , all receiving wisdom from the head , and vertue from the vine ( christ jesus ) that you may abound in love , mercy , and peace , and all the fruits of righteousness unto the father ; and dwell in the fear and counsel of god , and be subject to his will , not despising the cross , which is the power of god , which slayeth the birth that is born of the flesh , which is not heir of the promise ; but walk in the cross daily , that your understandings may be kept open , to try and discern all spirits , whether they be of god ; and believe not every spirit , for lying spirits may arise among your selves , and go forth from the light , who are not in the truth , but in the feignedness and hypocrisie , with false visions , and lying imaginations , handling the word of god deceitfully , and corrupting and perverting the pure way of god , having the form , but not the power , having left the power , and gone from the light , and such utter the words of truth without the life , and are but as the chaff to the wheat , and they are to be denied and resisted , and not joyned to , lest innocency and simplicity be betrayed , and your faith made void , and so you destroyed from the life of god , and death surprise you , and darkness enter into your dwellings , and so unbelief , and doubting , and murmurring , and lustings after evil arise in you , and you be perverted from the worship of the true god , and grieve his righteous spirit , by bowing to idols , and following of other lovers , and so the true god , who hath brought you out of aegypt , and made manifest his power in you , be forgotten , and the faith of his son made ship-rack of , and your latter end be worse then the beginning , and the name of the lord be dishonoured by you , and then wo unto you , his wrath shall suddenly break out against you : wherefore hear and fear , and hearken unto the word of the lord ; he hath caused his light to shine forth , and his voice to be heard ; he hath proclaimed his name amongst you , and hath caused his marvellous light to approach , when you sate in darkness , in the land of the shadow of death ; when you were lost , he sought you , and when you were driven away and scatterred , he found you , and brought you home ; when you were in your blood , and no eye pittied you , he had mercy upon you , and bound you up , and healed you ; when you were dead , he said unto you , live ; and it was so : when you were led captive by the devil under the power of death , he broke the chains , and set you free ; and when there was none to help nor to save , his own arm brought deliverance and salvation , and the way of life and peace he set before you . and now all this hath his own arm accomplished , that you should be a praise unto him for evermore ; now if you walk in the way , which he hath set before you , and keep his covenant which he hath made with you , and fulfil his will , and walk in righteousness , in love , and unity , in meekness , lowliness , humbleness , and in soberness , and watchfulness , and in fear of his name ; then shall his presence never forsake you , nor his outstretched arm cease to defend and preserve you , but he shall go before you , and be your reward ; and he shall be your god , and you shall be his people , and shall dwell in him ; and he shall be your hiding-place , and he will be to you a father , and you shall be his children , and his blessing and peace shall remain in your habitations , for ever and ever ; but if any of you turn aside for a thing of naught , after vanity , and deny the way of righteousness , and forget the lord , and kick against him , and follow the way and counsel of your own hearts , and worship other gods , and joyn your selves to strangers , and commit adultery with other lovers , and make the cross of christ of none effect , and turn from the light of christ within you , and fulfil your own wills , and the desire of your own minds , and go out of the fear of the lord into the liberty of the flesh , ( which is not the liberty in christ jesus ) and so seek your selves , and strive for mastery to be one above another , and so surmise evil one against another , and the bond of peace be broken , and vain contention and strife appear ; then shall the rod of god smite you , and his wrath be suddenly kindled against you , and you shall not prosper , but his countenance shall be hid , and the terrors of the lord , and lamentations shall possess you , and peace shall flee far from you ; and such shall be cast out of the camp of the lord , and shall have no part in the inheritance , but the blessing shall depart , and the curse shall enter , till utter destruction ; yea , and if any of you deny the lord , unto whom his way is made manifest , he will deny you , and you shall have no part in him , but vengeance in flames of fire will he render upon the disobedient , manifold more then if his love and way of peace had not been made manifest to you , and the light of the world is your condemnation for evermore , if you turn from it . and in the presence of the living god , i warn you all , believe not that spirit , neither follow it , which brings any other message then what hath been declared from the beginning ; believe not him which crieth , lo here , or lo there is christ without you , or that draweth from the measure of christ within you , to hearken to , or to be taught by any other thing ; for that sp●●●t is not of the father which preacheth any other christ then he that is the light of the world , and lighte●● every man that cometh into the world , or bring●●● any other message , then that god is light in himself , and hath given his son a light into the world ; and this is the true testimony of the father , and of the son ; and he that testifieth any other message , is to be judged and denied ; he is not a worshipper of the true god , b●● out of the truth , and in the error , and a deceiver , being deceived . again , believe not that spirit , neither follow it , which ministreth to others that which it hath not learned o● the father , but hath the words without the power , and liveth not in the power of what it ministreth forth in words , nor is it what it declareth , but is in the outward shews , in the hypocris●● , and feignedness , and reacheth not the life of god , but vaileth and covereth it , and that spirit is not of the father , but is to be denyed , and judged , and not received nor believed . again , believe not that spirit , neither follow it , which is at liberty in the flesh , and maketh the offence of the cross to cease , which is exalted out of the fear of the lord , in the liberty of the earthly , which crucifieth the life , and darkeneth the eye ; and that spirit will boast of joy , and peace , and experience , and knowledge , and speak high words in the airy wind , and that would lead yo● out of your conditions , to glory above the cross , till you be past feeling of the life ; and that spirit begetteth into feignedness and hypocrisie , and into the lo●e of the world , which passeth away ; and beware of that spirit , for it is not of the father , but to be condemned . again , believe not that spirit , neither follow it , which is hasty , and forward , and rash ; for that goeth out of god's counsel , and betrayeth the just , and striveth to be greatest , and to be above the weak , and despiseth him , and would be master , and not a servant , and would rule , and not be ruled in the meek and lowly government of christ ; and that sp●●it will judge , out of thoughts , rashly and unsavourly , and condemn another in secret in what it self is guilty of ; beware of that spirit , for it is not of god , but to be judged with the life of god. again , believe not that spirit , neither follow it , which seeks it self to have praise of men , and to be accounted , and would beget into divisions , and would have parties to it self , and respects persons and glories in gifts , and knowledge , and parts , more then in the giver , and admires men more then he that gives the encrease , and feeds of the knowledg in that nature which is to be famished , and glories in what hath been done by it , as though it had not received power from the lord , and is exalted , as though it bare the root , not knowing that it is born of the root ; and that spirit spends its treasure ( which it received in the fathers house ) amongst harlots , and despises the poor , and seeks occasion to glory over the weak , that it may be renowned ; beware of that spirit , i charge you all , for it is not of the father , nor to be followed , but to be condemned , and resisted unto death . again , believe not that spirit , neither follow it , which preacheth not from the measure of god received , and to be manifest to it in you , and approved by it only ; but speaks above the measure , and reaches not to the measure of the grace of god ; that spirit leads after words and outward shews , and cries peace to the rich , and judgment to the poor , and the word of god is not divided aright , but heals up falsly , and daubs with untempered morter , and cries peace where god speaks war ; and cries war where god speaks peace ; and that spirit is a deceiver and a betrayer , and feeds but the ear , and not the life , and darkens the counsel of god by words without knowledge , and is not of the father , but of the world , and to be denied and condemned . again , believe not that spirit , neither follow it , which is not subject to rule and order , and is not meck , and diligent , and long suffering , but heady , and high , and untoward , seeking occasions against the just , and watcheth for evil ; that spirit will not bear reproof , but is idle , sloathfull , and careless , and surmising evil , and backbiting , and conforms in appearance , making a fair shew , but is not unto god , as appearing unto man ; and that would go , and is not called ; and will not go when it is called ; and seeks for the praise of men more then god , and that is fruitless ground , and brings forth bryars and thorns in secret , which choaks the seed of god ; beware of that spirit , it is a lover of this world ; have no fellowship with it , for it is not of the father , but a deceiver , and is to be a denied . again , believe not that spirit , neither follow it , which is tossed and unsetled , and is given to change , and is not established with grace , that is an adulterer , and hun●s for the precious life , and seeks by flattery to beguile the innocent ; that spirit is zealous for a moment , but is soon overcome , and is stony ground , and brings not forth fruit to perfection , but withers , and its latter end is worse then the beginning . that spirit is exalted into presumption in peace , and cast into desperation in trouble , and the double minde lodgeth in it , and it is unstable in all its wayes , and is a ground for the seed of satan , and to it there is no peace from god ; and beware of that spirit , for it is not of the father , but to be condemned . again , believe not that spirit , neither follow it , which is more zealous then knowing , whose zeal is without true knowledge , and stands in that which is corrupted , that flourisheth for a moment , but cannot endure for ever ; it hath no root in it self , but is furious , and passionate , and not long-suffering ; that spirit knows not its self , but would devour its adversaries with bitterness , and not gain by long-suffering ; that is not the spirit of the father , but must be denied in all . again , believe not that spirit which draws back into the world , into its lusts , and liberty , and fashions which passe away ; that spirit forgets god , and draws back , for his soul hath no pleasure in it , but is vexed with it , where the cross is made of none effect , and the false liberty is walked in , which murders the life ; that spirit is of the devil , and is to be condemned . and now all friends of god every where , who knows him , and are known of him whom he hath gathered out of this untoward generation , be diligent in your callings , and keep your meetings in faithfulness , waiting upon the lord , that you all may receive of his fulness to be filled with it , and may be nourished up unto himself , as trees of righteousness , the planting of his own right hand , to spread forth his name and glory , as a people saved by him , and to who● there is none like besides . and this know and understand , that spirit is not of the father , which confesseth not the son to be come in the flesh , who destroys the works of the devil , and takes away sin ; and that spirit believe and follow whi●● condemns sin , and destroys it , and takes it away , and so gives peace with god i● your own consciences , and leads you into all truth , and keeps you from all evil : and you that witness this , the son you know , and the father you know , to dwell with you , and in you ; and this is the first , and the last ; believe in him and follow him , and look not for any other ; and in this the father of life and glory , whose dominion is without beginning and end , establish you , and preserve you , amen and amen . i , a beloved brother , and a companion unto all the saints in suffering , and in rejoyci●● , who have received this testimony from the father , do with it in this epistle salute t●● whole church in the love of the father , as moved of him by his eternal spirit , whi●● beareth witness to me , that we are of god , and the whole world lieth in wickedness , 〈◊〉 that all that are of god heareth us . and this testimony i give of the father , 〈◊〉 of the son , and of the truth , and of the salvation of which i am made a witness , and against all that ever shall deny it , or turn from it : and this is thus far the 〈◊〉 of my testimony by the spirit of the father , not knowing when the time comes it 〈◊〉 be finished , and the night may come when no man can work ▪ e. b. to all that suffer for the testimony of iesus , and fo● his name sake . the glorious god of truth hath appeared , and made known his way a●● truth perfectly in this our day , and hath chosen unto himself faithf●… witnesses , to testifie of his name , and of his truth before rulers and people , and hath brought forth a seed which is not of this world , which cannot bo● to the devil , but is heir of gods inheritance , though a sufferrer in this world under the powers thereof ; and many in this generation , who are called , and faithfull , and chosen , bear witness unto the name of the lord in sufferings and tribulations , whom he will honour , because they honour him , who is exalting his truth and his people through sufferings . and now all friends who are called to suffer for the testimony of jesus , and fo● the exercise of a pure conscience , which you hold , be valiant for the truth upon earth ▪ and faint not , but finish your testimony with joy for the lord , a●● against all your enemies ; and look not forth at afflictions and sufferings , b●● look beyond them to the recompence of reward ; neither be offended in christ , though ye are called to suffer for him , and for his name sake ; but dwell in the peace with god , which is a sufficient reward ; and take heed to your life which is immortal , that it you may feel and enjoy , and account that the present sufferings are not worthy to be reckoned with the glory that is to be revealed , and of which you have the earnest , even present peace with god ; and look beyond your sufferings , and before the rage of man was , and feel the life of god in yo● fresh and lively , which is more then all things , to carry you above all the world , and all its envy , which is against the seed of god. and take heed of temptations , for the power of satan will work , and is ne●● to tempt you in sufferings , to gain dominion over you , and to touch your life , and to cast you down : therefore mind the life of god in you to have dominion , which satan hath nothing in , which is not given him to touch ; and that is more then all ; yea , all that a man hath will he give for his life to enjoy , when he is tryed ; ( this i witness ) and you are tryed by sufferings and tribulations , and your faith and patience is proved ; therefore approve your selves faithful unto the lord , by long-sufferings and patience , that satan overcome you not , though he may touch you , and have power to cast some of you into prison , and otherwayes to winnow you , and to try you for your life ; but be faithful unto death , and you shall receive the crown of life eternal ; and keep the word of his patience , that you may be delivered , and satan may bow under your foot . and all you who suffer for well-doing , who hold fast the testimony which you have received of god ; now when your hearts are searched , blessed from the lord you are , your reward you shall possess , which no man can take away , even the life , and liberty , and treasure , which satan cannot touch nor spoile you of . ye that suffer because you cannot fulfil wickedness , nor the will of man , but are of the seed which cannot please man , nor bow to the devil ; ye suffer for christ , and for righteousness sake , who cannot walk contrary to the light of christ within you , but rather choose to suffer under corrupt men , and laws , then to transgress god's righteous law , written in your hearts ; you are chosen to fulfil the will of god by sufferings , and are not of the world , and therefore the world hates you . and all you that suffer imprisonment of body , or spoiling of goods , or travels , or any other thing , because you cannot pay tythes , this is the word of the lord god unto you , you suffer for righteousness sake , and for the name of christ , and unjustly , by the oppression of men , for well-doing , and not for evil ; and the lord will be your exceeding great reward ; look beyond your outward liberty , and know the liberty in spirit , in the father , and in the son , where is everlasting peace and freedom , which none can bring into bondage ; and look beyond all outward treasure and riches , and see god's treasure , and possess it , which never waxes old , which none can spoile you of , as witnesses for the lord , and for his truth , and covenant you suffer ; and it is for a testimony against all your enemies , and against oppression and oppressors ; for the cry of that oppression the land groans under , and for ages hath done ; but the lord is now risen against it ; for its cry reacheth to heaven , against the unrighteous exactors , whose cruel hands have heavily oppressed the just , and the poor in this particular ; and herein your suffering is for a testimony against your cruel adversaries ( whether priests or others ) and against the unjust judges and lawyers , and their whole train of oppressors ; for this end are you called to suffer , and to you it shall be made easie , if you abide in the counsel of god , till vengeance overcome your adversaries , therefore lift up your heads , and fulfil the will of your father in patience , and in faithfulness , till the lord appear for you who hearkeneth to the cry of the poor , and regardeth him that suffereth unjustly , and will recompence the oppressors , into their bosomes ; and will break every yoak , and be a terror to all the cruel-hearted . and all you that suffer , who are moved by the power of the lord , to bear witness against the false worships , and against the false teachers , and idol-temples , of which the land is full ; and who are moved to testifie against sin , in rulers , priests , or people ; whether your suffering be imprisonment , or beating , and stoning , or other abuses or cruelties whatsoever , which the devil hath power to lay upon you ; you suffer for righteousness sake , and for the name of christ , and for well-doing , if in the wisdom of god you be guided , and the lord will be your reward and peace forever : lift up your heads , and rejoyce in him ▪ and abide in his counsel , ye that suffer herein for him ▪ and for his names sake ; for your suffering is for a testimony against all this generation , against the idol worships and wayes , which god's soul loathes , and which he will confound ; and against the idol teachers , and false prophets , and priests , who preach for hire , and make merchandise of souls , against whom gods wrath is kindled , and upon whom his indignation will be poured ; and it is a testimony against the sins of rulers and people , which abound in this generation , till the measure of it be fulfilled through persecuting of you , who warn them of the evil , and bear witness against their evil deeds , that god may be justified when he condemneth them ; and he is risen against the worships , and wayes , and teachers , and people , whose abominable iniquities have overgrown the world , and prophaneness hath gone forth from them , through nations ; rulers ; and teachers , and people are all out of the way , and given to vanity , to covetousness , and idolatry ; and the breath of the lord shall consume you together ( all who do oppress the just. ) therefore friends , be patient and content under all tribulations and suffering , and feel gods living presence near you , to overshaddow you , and to be your hiding-place ; and know the life , which the wickedness and cruelty of man cannot touch nor reach unto ; and dwell in the power of the lord , which moves to bear witness for him , and against all those abominations ; and that will keep you above all the afflictions which can be cast upon you , and you will be on the top of your enemies ; and the seed of the serpent shall hardly bruise your heel . wo unto the idol worships , and temples , and teachers , to all the hirelings , and deceivers , who feed themselves and not the flock , which abound in the world , and in this nation , they must down into perdition ; the lord is risen against them all , to pluck up by the root , that the branches may wither ; and his arm shall watch over them , to overthrow them all , and to make them desolate , that the just may be delivered . and all you who suffer any where imprisonment , or finings , or reproaches , or any other thing , because ye cannot swear for conscience sake ; nor respect persons , according to the vain customs of the heathen , but are redeemed out of the customs and superstitions of men , which are of the world , and are evil , and not of god , nor justified by him ; you suffer for righteousness sake , and for christs sake , and are witnesses for god herein , against the superstitions , and wickedness , and pride , and high-mindedness of men ; and the lord is with you , if you be ruled in his wisdom , and are faithful to him ; and he will lift up your heads , till his and your adversaries be confounded . and i charge you all in the presence of the lord , who suffer for righteousness sake , in these things , or in any other , who are moved of the lord to bear witness of the truth , and against the deceits of the world , be not exalted in the flesh in your sufferings , lest you forget god : nor be not cast down into sorrow , lest ye be overcome of the devil ; but dwell in the measure of the power and life of god , which is above all , and more then all ; and feel gods living arm to stay your hearts , to watch to his own in you , to refresh you continually . and resist the devil on every hand , with the armour of light and truth , that your life may be preserved in dominion over all things , even the life which is not of this world in you , may not be vailed nor overcome ; for to enjoy the life of god with you is enough ; if you pass through the fire , and through the water , it keeps you and carries you above all , [ this i witness ] and it is more then all outward freedom , or liberty , or riches , or treasure of this world ; and walk herein in boldness , and faithfulness , and patience , as you have us for an example in christ jesus , who are in jepardy every hour , often in tryals , sufferings , and dangers , and love not our lives unto death for the testimony of jesus , which we hold , and that his name and truth may be exalted in the earth ; but as the lord moves are carried through nations , among lyons and devourers , such as seeks our life for their prey , and yet the lord is with us , our defence , and arm , and preserver above all . therefore look you at the lord in all affliction and distress , and know his reward with you , that your burden and yoak may be easie , and not hard ; for his presence makes all things joyful : and know , that it is for the name of the lord , and for his honour , and for his kingdom , which god will set up through suffering , for this cause are ye called to suffer ; and your life , nor liberty , nor any other thing is not to be measured nor compared herewith , so u●to every one of you i am moved to write , and to warn you all in the fear of god , be content , and long-suffering , and patient , and finish you testimony with rejoycing , if ye seal it with your blood , and dwell with the lord in his holy habitation of peace , out of respect to time , or places , or things ; and give up your selves , that his will in you may be fulfilled . and think it not strange though you have fiery trials ; neither be moved at any suffering without you , or troubled in spirit ; neither let it break your peace nor fellowship with god by any impatiency , or murmurings , or temptations , for then will your sufferings be grievous to you , and the enemy within and without will have ground against you to overthrow you ; and know , it is that which ever was in all ages , and no new thing for the seed of god to suffer by the seed of evil-doers , for the wicked alwayes strengthened their hands in cruelty against the righteous , and laid heavy burthens upon the just , and caused the innocent to groan under them , for a time , till iniquity was fulfilled , that they might be broken , and the oppressed delivered , and alwayes the lord exalted his name by the sufferings of his people , as we have a cloud of witnesses of our fore-fathers that went before , who did bear witness to the name of the lord through faithfull suffering ; so it is no strange thing hath happened unto you , but that which is common to all the saints , who enter the kingdom through tribulation ; blessed are you , if you be faithfull unto the end , that you may reap the reward of your works , of your sufferings and patience , even the crown of life that never fades away ; so the lord god of life preserve you . and all frieds every where , i am moved to warn you , dwell in love and unity , and fellowship one with another in the light , and in the spirit of the father , and fulfil the law of christ , and bear one anothers burden , and suffer with one another , that none be oppressed among you in any thing , whilst others are free ; but that the burden of all things , and the care of all things , in relation to the truth , be equal among you , according to every ones freedom , and as every one is moved of the lord , so to administer to one anothers necessities , as members of one body , to the honouring of the head , and spreading of the truth , that there be no complaining , but equallity and justness , and the government of christ ruling among you , and his wisdom in all things : feed no excess , nor the lustfull devouring mind in any ; neither suffer the distressed to perish for want ; but reach one to another in love , and like mindedness ; suffering for one another , and all caring for the truth above all things , that god may dwell among you , and be known that he is in you of a truth ; and in this the wisdom of god guide you all , amen . by a companion in tribulation to all the saints every where , edward burrough the testimony of the lord concerning london . witnessed in truth and faithfulness , to the consciences of all people in it , that they may return to the lord , and repent . also , the great abominations discovered of this people , who draws near god with their mouthes , and professeth self-separation , when as their hearts be far from the lord. vvith a vvarning to all sorts of people in it , what the lord requires of them . o london , thou art weighed in an even ballance , and found t●… light ; thou are measured by an equal line , and found to short , and t●… narrow , and thy people cannot stand in judgment ; for abundance of iniquity lodgeth within thee , and thou aboundst in all unrighteousness thy sins are grown over thy head , and with transgression thou art covered , as wi●… a garment ; from the head to the foot thou art corrupted , and there is mu● unsoundness in thee : o how doth pride abound ! lightness , and wantonness , and the lust of the eye , and all the works of the flesh are encreased to a large su● ; aboundance of idolatry and vanity springs out of thee ; vain fashions , foolish customs , and all manner of evil hath its abiding in thee ; yea , the very seat of satan is established within thy wall , and works of unrighteousness do proceed out of thee into other nations ; aboundance of deceitfull merchandize , and of oppressing merchants , who grind the face of the poor , do inhabit thy borders ; thy wayes are evil in the sight of the lord , and his spirit is grieved , and his so●● is vexed from day to day , every moment of time . aboundance of treachery , flattery , and hypocrisie , dissimulation , and double-heartedness possesseth thine inhabitants , from teachers to people , high and low , rich and poor , you are fulfilling your own wills , and seeking your own pleasures , and following the counsels of your own hearts , and doing that which is right in the sight of your own eyes ; and your hearts are corrupted before the lord , and the very best of your works are evil , and the purest of your wayes are filthy ; and all your observations , your dayes of humiliation , and thanksgivings , and all your worships , and sacrifices , are abomination in the fight of the lord ; for no good fruit can spring forth , for your root is not the vine christ jesus , who cannot own the light , with which you are enlightened , and that makes all your profession vile , and not accepted , but it is wholly unfruitfull in the sight of the lord. much profession is in thee of righteousness , and religion , and many forms , and gatherings of people , which are but as so many images , and liknesses of divers sorts , which must be overturned , and overthrown by the roots . you are all measured with the line of true judgment , and your buildings cannot stand , when the lord comes to try you , and search , and try you for your life ; for though you profess much , yet you perform little ; your knowledg puffs you up , and you are not sincere-hearted , but loose , and unsavory are you in your wayes and words : there is much wisdom in thee , and many wise men whose wisdom is devillish , and it doth not lead to god , it must be confounded and trodden down ; for it profits you not in the sight of the lord , but in it you are wise to do evil , but to do good you have no knowledge ; and the lord god is forgotten , and his judgments are not known ; vanity , vanity hath so stolen away your hearts , and after idols are you run , worshipping strange gods , and following strange lovers : aboundance of subtilty and craft lodges in thee ; vain glory excels above measure ; pride , idleness and fulness of bread abounds in thee , even as in sodom , unto whom thou art become equal in trangression . whoredom , drunkenness , wrath , and envy , gluttony , and excess , spending the creation upon the lust , and all the works of the flesh , which are ev●● , have their full growth in thee ; and in evil art thou fully ripe . o london ! consider , and be awakened ye inhabitants thereof ; for the lord is grieved day by day , and his soul is vexed every moment ; the weight of thy transgression is upon him ; thou even makest him to serve with thy sins : hath there been any evil committed by any nation , which is not in thee ? hath there been any abomination brought forth , which is not in this day to be found in thee ? oh what haughtiness , and stretched-out-necks ! oh what pride , and vain glory appears in thee ! even thy infants are nourished up in vanity ; and thy old men are over-grown with craft , and deceit ; thy young men give their strength to folly ; and thy maidens are trimed in wantonness ; all sorts of people are prophane in their way ; old and yong , rich and poor , are abounding in evil ; all seeking their own things , and few the things of gods kingdom ; the way of truth is even despised , and they that depart from iniquity are become a prey to the mouthes of the ungodly , who are grievously prophane , as though the lord took no notice , or as though no day of account was to come ; so great is the iniquity committed in thee , words reacheth not to manifest it : what lying , what swearing , what vain-talking , and what scorning , and what double-dealing appears in thee at every corner ? what pride , what wantonness , and wickedness is manifest in all thy streets ; teachers and people are out of the way , given to deceit , and to deceiving , oppressors , and oppressing one another ; such is the devils power amongst you ruling , it cannot easily be overcome ; so deep is wickedness seated in thee , that it cannot easily be plucked up ; so strong is the lust of the flesh grown in thee , that it cannot easily be removed : how is the glorious name of the lord continually dishonoured and polluted through thy wickedness , which is grown into a numberless sum . but the lord will be avenged on all you his enemies , and will meet you with judgments , plagues , and vengeance , and the wicked shall not escape . and as concerning all thy profession of god , and the scriptures in a blind zeal , it is but abomination to the lord ; and all thy several sects , and gatherings of people , and separate congregations , who are not separated by the spirit of the lord , they are but like so many molten and carved images , which the lord will overthrow . all thy offerings , and oblations , preaching , praying , and performances god's soul hath no pleasure in them , but they are a burden and weariness to him ; and though thou washest thy self never so clean , and makest thy self never so fair through thy own labour , yet cannot thy iniquities be washed away , nor thy sin covered ; for thy iniquities are marked before the lord , and thy sin is written as with a pen of iron , and as with the point of a diamond . all thy steeple-house worship is nought but vanity before the lord. all thy publique exercises , all thy saboath keeping , all thy set dayes of humiliation , and all thy private duties , and all that ever thou performest unto god , are not regarded of him , while the hearts of thy people are not aright in his sight , and upright before him ; so the best of thy sacrifices are but as the cutting off of a dogs neck , and the offering of swines blood ; for in thee is found the great abomination ; open prophainness abounds , and secret hypocrisie super-abounds , and thou art as abominable in the eyes of the lord in thy hypocritical profession of righteousness , as thou art in thy open sins . in thee is found the abomination of israel , mercy and truth , justice and true judgment is neglected ; do not thy heads judge for reward ? and do not thy priests preach for hire ? and dot not thy prophets prophesie falsly ? and do not they divine for money ? and do not thy people love to have these things so ? oh how art thou deceived by thy teachers , & led blind by the blind leaders ! even they that lead thee , cause thee to err ; and they that should instruct thee , teache thee vain things : wo unto them , the lords wrath is against them ; how do they make a prey upon the people ? how do they feed themselves , and cloath themselves , each one of them having a quarter , from which they seek their gain , and through covetousness make merchandize of souls ; ●he false prophets of israel were their example , and they follow in the path of unrighteousness ; having run and were never sent of god , and therefore the people are not profited at all , nor turned to god , but from year to year , and time to time , ever learning , but cannot come to the knowledge of the truth . ignorance abounds in thy old men , and rudeness and wildness in thy youths , and thy people are without the knowledge of god , and perish for lack of knowledg : thou art even as a wild untilled garden , which bringeth forth no plesant fruit ; thy vines are as the vines of sodom , and thy fruit is loathsome to the lords taste ; wild grapes and sour grapes are brought forth in thee , which the lord hath no pleasure in ; ye bring forth fruit unto your selves , and not unto the lord ; ye kindle a fire and warm your selves with your own sparks ; ye sacrifice to your own net , and ye think to be heard for your much babling , and your many performances : aboundance of the first mans wisdom is among you , it leads you , and guides you , and not the spirit of god ; and through your own wisdom , which is devillish , you conform to the saints words , and to thei● practises in outward appearance , and make your selves like the saints , and bow unto your own images and likenesses , which ye make ; and are grown wise , and full of knowledge , but it is not the wisdom of god , nor the knowledge that will endure for ever ; for you neglect the one thing , which is only needful to eternal life . your buildings are high , but they are not upon the true foundation ; for many of you stumble at the corner stone ; your sprinkling infants is a v●ry cheat , and all that believe therein are deceived ; and your singing of david's ●●periences , in rime and meeter , is a very lye unto you ; your worship is but idolatry , and it will not cover you in the day of the lord ; though none be like unto thee o london , in profession , nor any city hardly can compare with thee , in respect of the multitude of thy gathered assemblies , and self separates ; yet all this will not availe thee , when the lord searcheth thy heart , which is found not perfect beforethe lord , but full of vain glory , and lust , and pleasures of the flesh and dissimulation , and guile , which the wrath of god will be revealed against : a single and an upright heart is of greater price with the lord ; then all the performances of self-righteousness that is done in thee , while your hearts are given to vanity , and continue therein . wherefore o london , this is a warning to thee , let thy inhabitants repent , the dreadful day of the lord is coming ; i have heard the voice of war against thee , and not of peace , the cry of howling and bitter lamentation , and not of gladness , nor joy of heart ; what wilt thou do in the day of thy visitation , when the lord stretcheth forth his hand to smite thee ? to whom wilt thou flee ? and where wilt thou be hid , when the lord shews himself thy enemy , and appears to take an account of thee ? what will become of all thy treasures ? how will thy vaine glory become a stink , ? how will the dayes of thy mirth be turned into gr●evous sorrow , instead of thy pleasures and delicacies , and mirth , and wantonness , shall be sighing , and mourning , and woful lamentation ; all thy gods shall not be able to deliver thee , nor all thy profession shall not justifie thee , nor all thy self-separating people shall not be able to stand in the gap , to stay the hand of the destroyer , none of thy carved images shall stay his fury , nor none of all thy several sects shal be a mountain to hide thee , when the lord strips thee naked , and layes thee bare , and gives thee to know what is in thy heart , which will come upon thee in a day not looked for . wherefore repnet all sorts of people , and turn to the lord , if there may be mercy found . cease your wickedness , ye wicked , and learn to live righteously . wo unto you drunkards . wo unto you whormongers . wo unto you covetous . wo unto you lyars , swearers , and scorners . wo unto you dissemblers , and deceitful dealers . wo unto you proud , and vain-glorious . wo unto you lustful people . the lord will plead with you all , and give unto you the fruit of your doings , and reward you according to your works ; his hand shall not spare , nor his eyes shall not pitty in the day that he comes to judgment , when he takes vengeance upon all the seed of evil-doers , and to pluck up the wild branches , and to cast them into the fire . sackcloth shall be put on instead of gay apparel , and all thy idols shall vanish away ; as for all thy profession , where is it ? all thy many sermons , and long prayers , what is become of them ? and all thy publick and private duties , where are thy ? shall it be said . ye shall all know that there is a god , that will execute judgment and justice , and that will plead with all flesh , and in his sight shall no flesh be justified . and all ye who thirst for the lord , and desire after the knowledge of his wayes , unto whom iniquity is a burden , by you desired to be freed from , who have long sought the lord , and have not yet found him , who have prayed , and had no answer , and have been weary and heavy laden , and found no rest : i say unto you , save your selves from this untoward generation , come ye out of these abominations , that you may be delivered from the wrath : fear ye the lord , and do not offend him in any thing , stand in awe , and transgress not , love righteousness and truth , touch no unclean thing and the lord will receive you ; meddle not with their worships , bow not to their images , nor sacrifice not to their idol gods ; have no fellowship with them in their prophanness , nor yet in their hypocrisie ; but hearken ye to the voice of the lord , that ye may know his judgments in your hearts , and his law and covenant established with you ; depart from all iniquity , and cast away all your idols , and forsake all your lovers . give not your selves to the wayes and pleasures of this world , but give your selves to chastity , to soberness , and meekness , and above all things be upright in heart towards god , and towards man ; speak the truth one to another , and let no guile dwell in your lips , nor a dece●tful tongue in your mouth . and cease from all vain-glory , and vain customs , and fashions of the world , which are evil . and cease from all men-teachers , which deceive the people by flattering words , who cry peace when the lord hath not spoken peace , & daub with untempored morter , such have not profited you at all , but your soules are starved under your ministry , and leanness is upon you ; though you ever learn of them , yet you cannot come to the knowledge of the truth by them . cease from them all , and from all your gathered and self-separate congregations , and wait upon the lord that you may know him to be your teacher , who is the teacher of all his people , and he teacheth in the perfect way of peace and truth , and giveth peace unto all that wait upon him , and causeth the heart of the upright to rejoyce ; he taketh away sin , and removes it from his people , and he forgiveth all their iniquities , and healeth all their backslidings , and blessed are all they that put their their trust in him ; for he is a god near at hand ; for he dwells with his people , and he is worshipped only in the spirit and in the truth . he dwelleth not in temples made with hands , neither is he worshipped in outward observations ; his soul hath no pleasure among any self-separate people , who cry , i am holyer then another , neither is he well pleased with the sacrifice of the proud ; all their baptisms , and fellowships , and meetings , is but a weariness to the lords soul ; and he hath no pleasure in any of their works , who follow their own spirit , and are not led with the pure spirit of god alone , but unto every one of s●ch will he look , who is poor in spirit , and of a contrite heart , and of a single and upright mind ; he giveth regard unto every one that fears his name , who thirst and hunger after him in truth and righteousness , and this is of exceeding great price in the sight of the lord , yea , more then all offerings and oblations whatsoever , even more then thousands of rams , and ten thousand of rivers of oyle . therefore hearken diligently to the voice of the lord ; and seek him with an upright heart , and thirst for him as for your daily food ; loose not your precious time , but call upon his name while he is near , for he is come neer unto many ; he stands at the door , if any will open , he will come in , and will dwell with them for evermore . all sorts of people , be awakened , be awakened , how doth the lord wait to be gratious unto you ? he even tarrieth for you , till you return to him , 〈◊〉 his soul may have pleasure in you , who hath long been grieved by you : therefore search your own hearts , and see how you stand prepared to meet the lord by following of his counsel , who hath so loved you , and all man-kind , that he hath given his son into the world , to be a light unto you all , and every on● of you is lighted by him , and with the light you will know your evil deeds , and are convinced of them , and reproved for them ; and with this light jes●… christ calleth you sinners to repentance , to turn from your evil , that you may be restored . if you love this light , you love christ , who will save you from all your 〈◊〉 ▪ and from condemnation ; if you hate this light , you hate christ , and you ●●main in your sins to be everlastingly condemned : and thus is the way of life a●● the way of death set before you all ; if you follow the light of christ jesus , it will teach you to deny this world , and all the vanities of it ; it will teach you to deny your own wills , and the counsels of your own hearts , and whatsoever is contrary to god in thought , word , or action ; and in all things it will teach you to follow jesus christ , that you may be justified by him : but if you follow not t●… light , then you choose your own wayes , to follow your own wills , and yo● own lusts , and all temptations , and you deny christ , and the way of truth , and 〈◊〉 the wrath of god abides upon you ; for you continue in unbelief , and in hardness of heart , and are the servants of sin unto death , if you follow not the lig●● which christ hath enlightened you withal , who lighteth every man that comes ●●to the world , that they may believe and be saved . therefore take heed to the light , if you be guided by it , you shall not transgress against god , but you w●… receive the power of god to overcome all evil ; all sin and iniquity will be condemned in you , and your hearts will be made clean for the lord to dwell in , who●● dwelling is in his people ; and you must all cease from professing of what you 〈◊〉 not possess , and from talking of what you do not enjoy , for that is hypocrisie , an● to be judged . so all ye professors , be awakened , christ without you will not justifie you , ex●… ye know christ within you , the profession of him will not take away sin , not ●●stifie in the sight of god , except you come to witness the operation of his spirit 〈◊〉 you , to teach you to depart from all evil , and to lead you into all good . therefore come to the feeling of the spirit of jesus in you , and the worki●● of it , which changeth , reneweth , and sanctifieth , and bringeth to witness 〈◊〉 same truth to be manifested in the heart , which the scriptures speak of without ▪ and as you receive the same spirit which gave forth the scriptures , so you will u●derstand the scriptures , and by no other means ; for all your preaching , an● talking of the scriptures without the spirit is but vain babling , and that mout● is to be stopt ; for god is not known where the operation of his spirit is no● felt in the heart , nor he cannot be worshipped in truth , but where his spirit lead● and guides . much vain profession there is in thee o city , in which the lord hath no delight ; and this is the testimony of the lord , which i give concerning thee , and do yet once more call unto thee as often i have done , and do seal the lords testimony against thee , even against all thy righteousness , and against all thy sin , which are both alike unto god , and both to be condemned . thou hast been warned , and thy people , and the day of a glorious visitation hath passed over thee ; the lord hath reached unto many , and stricken many , who have not grieved , but carelesly walked , and slighted the day of their visitation , and have not hearkened to the lords call ; unto thousands hath the word of the lord been declared , and the kingdom of god preached nigh at hand , and the very way of life and death hath been set before you ; for the lord hath sent to thee to warn ●hee , and to shew unto thee what the counsel of the lord is ; and thousands have been reached with the power of god , and convinced of the way of life ●nd peace , who yet continue in hardness of heart , and disobedience , following the ●ounsel of their own hearts , and the desire of their own minds , which are wholly evil ●ontinually , and the condemnation of such will be just in the day of the lord , and greater then theirs to whom the way of the lord hath not been known . and yet ●mongst thy thousands who are in the way to destruction , the lord hath a rem●ant , a few among so many , which are precious unto him , and whom his soul de●ighteth in , who are despised in thee , and set at nought , and cast out of the sa●our of all men ; yet is the lords presence amongst them , and his fear in their ●earts , and his encrease is unto them , and his power with them , till all their ●nemies be vanished as a cloud ; for they are of the true seed , and of the true ●irth , which the lord will bless , though they be accounted as thy slaves and ●ondmen , yet are they free in the lord ; and this is the very fulfilling of thy ●ickedness , and the height of the transgression of thy rulers , teachers , and ●eople , in that some of them that fear the lord , and walk with him are perse●uted in thee ; even they are made a prey unto the wicked , to the slanderers , to ●he drunkards , to the scorners , to unjust and cruel men ; the people of the ●ord are become a very prey in thee , even as meat for the devourers . oh what ●ilt thou do in the day of thy visitation , when the righteous judge numbreth ●p these things against thee ? thy staff shall fail thee , thy phisitians shall be of no value ' and all thy comforters shall be miserable at that day . i have truly ●onsidered thy condition , and measured thy state , and i have often seriously ●eighed thy wickedness , and pondered what would be the end thereof , & there is no ●ision of peace unto thee , but even the day of desperate sorrow , a recompence ●or all thy works from the hand of the lord. i have often truly lamented thee , and seriously hath thy condition entred into ●y heart ; thy iniquities have often pressed my soul , and my spirit hath been ●rieved within me , when i have viewed thy great abomination , and how thou●ands in thee wholly perish for lack of knowledge , and even resists and will not be ●nstructed , despitefully using such as do warn them , even loving and delighting in ●heir abominations . these things have often made my heart sad , who have walked in thee as a stranger , and measured thee with the line of true judgment , and this is thy height , and ●ength , and depth , iniquity lodgeth in thee , and iniquity covers thee , and in●quity ●●mpasseth thee about . and this is a warning to thee from the lord , in faithfulness declared unto ●hee , whether thou resist , or receive , thus far i am clear of the blood of all men in ●hee , who seeketh not any thing in thee for my self , but seeketh ( and hath often ) ●o the lord for thee , that thy people might know him , and worship him alone , ●ho giveth unto them all good things , and hath caused the fulness of all good crea●ures to abound , and hath given plenty of all things , aboundance of which is ●pent vainly upon the lust to the dishonour of god who giveth it ; how much ●s vainly spent upon vanity in meats , drinks , and apparel ? it s hard to be ●eclared what aboundance of the good creatures of god are vainly destroyed in ●hee upon the lust in the excess , more then what satisfies pure nature , your gluttonny and high minds devour in aboundance the good creatures which god gives , and he is thereby grieved with you , who hath taken notice of this your sin , which is not the least of your transgressions , and he will plead with you for it ; even in all things great is your wickedness , and the lord hath numbred it . and above all things that is done in thee , thy deceitful profession , and pretence of worship of god , is the lord most grieved with who hateth all your meetings of gathered assemblies , which are not gathered by his spirit ; he will confound yo● wisdom , and overthrow all your buildings : wherefore repent ye , and cease from idols , and all idolatry , and cease for ever to warm your selves at your own sparks ; for this shall you have at the lords hands , ye shall lie down is sorrow . a warning to you all sorts of people . ye merchants , and traders , and trafickers , and all ye that buy and sell , b● plain and upright hearted ; and lye not , swear not , dissemble not for gai● unto your selves , for that is cursed of the lord , and the gain that is thereby received ; but speak the truth every man to his neighbour ; flatter not such with whom you deal by feigned words of guile , whilst secret over-reaching lodgeth i● your hearts , to make a prey upon your neighbour or brother , for this is evil in t●… sight of the lord , but speak the truth in all things , and let your yea be yea , a●… your nay nay , in all your common occasions , for whatsoever is more is evil ; a●… what is advantaged unto you through deceit , or lying , or multitude of va●… words , it shall be a curse unto you , and not a blessing unto you , or to yo●… children ; let the truth guide you in all your dealings one with an other , a●… let the fear of god be in your hearts in all your enterprizes both by sea 〈◊〉 land. i warn you all seek not by any evil means to enrich your selves , neith●… oppress one another in any thing wherein you deal ; for you know not how lo●… your time shall be upon earth , nor how soon the day of account will co●… wherein every word and every work shall be brought to judgment , yea for every idle word shall ye give an account , and all those words are idle which are not spoken in the fear of the lord ; therefore live and act in the fear of god , that y●… may be blessed in all that you do . and all ye whom the lord hath blessed with riches and encrease , see that y●… abuse not that which god hath blessed you withal , but in all things that it be 〈◊〉 to the glory of the lord , and not wasted in excess upon the lust of your o●… minds ; for the creation is the lords , and all things are given by him , and tak●… away at his pleasure , and he maketh rich , and he maketh poor whomsoever he will. therefore every man be content with his own , and covet not one anothers , nor defraud one another , to enrich your selves , for it is cursed of the lord. and all ye handicrafts people , and labouring people , fear ye the lord continually , and use no deceit , nor craft , nor pollicy in what you do , in labour , seek not to blind mens eyes by fair outsides , neither to cozen and cheat the simpl● by slighty work , but let the truth guide you , and that will teach you to d● for all men as ye would they should do for you , and this is acceptable in the sight of god ; let your commodities be just and right , and let all your labo●… be with a single heart , and do all things as in the sight of the lord , and the●… you cannot do evil if the fear of god be before your eyes , and the evil in all things will be denied , and the corruption that is entred into in all callings an●… trades , will be judged out ; and be examples one to another of truth and righteousness ; and cozen not , nor cheat not one another , nor use not many words , not vain jestures , but own the lord to be your teacher , which will teach you truth , to do it , and to speak it in all things . and all ye young men and prentises , learn ye the fear of the lord , and take heed of temptations , lest ye be destroyed both soul and body by them ; learn not to dissemble , nor to defr and , nor take not instructions how to cozen and cheat , but first seek the kingdom of god and its righteousness , and then all outward things shall be added unto you . give not your selves to any evil , beware of wine and women , which steals away the hearts of many ; give not your selves to vanity , nor fulfil not the desire of your own minds in any thing ; covet not after riches , neither study how to be proud and vain-glorious ; give not your selves to craft and human policies , nor to deceive any people , but fear god and keep his commandments , and be subject to your masters , and obey them in all things that are good , and be dutiful to them in that which is just and righteous , but deny them in whatsoever is evil ; learn not craft and policy from them , neither whoredom , nor vice , nor drunkenness , nor cozening , nor any other thing which is evil , but rather reprove those things , then in the lest to follow them ; and if you do the truth , and speak the truth in all things , and keep your selves from whatsoever is evil , then will the lord bless you outwardly , and inwardly , and the knowledge of god will be your crown in old age ; and cease from all gaming 's , and vain sportings , and from all wontonness , and vain pleasures , and from all the works of the flesh ; for they that follow such things shall neither prosper in this world , nor be blessed in the world to come . wherefore take heed unto your selves all ye that are young in the world , be not overcome of evil , nor follow not evil divices , but stand in awe continually , and offend not god , who gives you life , and health , and all good things . and all ye masters and heads of families , this is a warning to you , be examples of all good in your families unto your children and servants ; rule in authority in the fear of god , but not in tyranny , nor a rigorous mind ; teach and instruct in fear , and not in cruelty ; give no bad example in pride , vain-glory , drunkenness , whoredom , dissimulation , nor any other thing , but stand as a terror over all evil , and as encouragers of all good ; bind not the conscience of any under your power , curb sin only , and reprove not righteousness ; seek ye to be taught of god , and then may you instruct all under you in his way ; be pittiful towards your children , and servants , and pass by offences rather then punish them with cruelty ; and make not a prey upon your servants , to serve your own ends only , seeking your own good only , and not theirs ; for such things are evil in the sight of god , and it is to be condemned : let no excess , neither let want be in your families , but that which is honest and right , love that in all things , and follow it ; let not your anger and passion exceed when offence is given you , and do not correct in cruelty , but in a good understanding ; and walk in the truth , and fulfil the will of god , and not your own , and this is of great prize and acceptable in the sight of the lord. and all ye tavern-keepers , and inn-keepers , fear the lord god , and oppress not your guests , neither feed the lust of any till they be drunk , for that is cursed of god both in you and them , and that which he will be avenged of . oh great is that abomination among you ; much of the good creatures is vainly and wickedly spent , and abused in your dwellings , and your advantage stands in the abuse of the creatures by excess , and the lord is grieved with you because of that . and all sorts of people , rich and poor , high and low , masters and servants , parents and children , buyers and sellers , trades-men and labourers , hearken to the counsel of god , and seek to know his will to you in all things , that you may do it , in following all that which is good , and denying all that which is evil , that your souls may live : let not the devil lead you , nor his temptations overcome you in any thing , but resist him in whatsoever he would lead you into , which is against god , and contrary to him . repent of all evil that ever you have acted , and let the lord be your guide , that you may not utterly perish , and your city be destroyed for your sakes ; the lords love is towards you , and he waits to be gratious unto you , and desireth your return , rather then your destruction , and would heal you if you did wait upon him , and would bless your city , and make you happy in it , if you do his will , and deny your own . i am a friend unto all your souls , and a publisher of peace , and of glad-tidings to all that thirst for the lord , and he hath given me power to warn you of all your iniquities and abominations , to deny them , and that which is good to warn you to follow ; and oh that ye knew in this your day the things which belong to your peace , which now ye may know , before they be totally hid from your eyes , and there be no place for repentance , nor time of returning ; and this day will come upon many , and they cannot escape it , who now harden their hearts against the way of their own peace , and even scorn to be reproved for their transgression , and such my soul pitties , who are going in the way of destruction , and run hastily into perdition ; i have many times been made sad by reason of such , when i have measured the condion of all people ; upon my bed , i have pondred what abomination was in thee , and what would be the end thereof , and i have desired nothing so much , as that i might faithfully warn thee , and free my self , and the lord from the blood of all men ; deep thoughts have been upon me , concerning what the counsel of the lord is unto you all , that i might manifest the truth , and discover the abominations , and i have not spared to cry repentance unto sinners , that sinners might be converted , and turn unto the lord ; and thus far i am clear of the blood of all men , and the lord is clear , and if the wicked perish , it is because of their unbelief , and gainsaying of the lord ; and this is the testimony which i give unto thee , and unto all thy people , o london hearken and consider , this is the only day of your visitation , and there is not another way to life , nor to escape everlasting death , and destruction , then that which the lord hath shewed you , blessed is he that can receive it , and they that deny it do utterly perish without mercy . london the th . of the th moneth , . i am as a stranger among you , yet well known to the lord , and the testimony of god concerning you shall stand for ever , for it is true , and shall'not be confounded , though the wicked reject it to their own destruction . edward burrough . a just and lawful tryal of the teachers and professed ministers of this age and generation , by a perfect proceeding against them . and hereby they are righteously examined , and justly weighed , and truely measured , and condemned out of their own mouthes , and judged by their own professed rule , viz. the scriptures , and thereby are proved to disagree , and be contrary to all the ministers of christ in former ages ; and to agree and concur with all the false prophets and deceivers in their call , in their maintenance , and in their doctrines , and conversation , and practice . and being brought to the bar of justice , these things are truly charged against them , and legally proved upon them , and their own professed rule ( the scriptures ) have judged them guilty . whereunto is added , a short description of the true ministry of christ ; and of its lawfull and just maintenance , according to the apostles examples , and now again justified by the people of god , called quakers , in england . the time of tryal is come , wherein the lord is trying the hearts of men ; and now it is manifest what lodgeth in the hearts of all mankind , and by the fruit every tree shall be judged . the lord hath beheld the wickedness of this generation , and it is very great , and cometh not short , but rather abounds all other generations that have gone before : wickedness is grown high among teachers and people , and the measure of iniquity is fulfilling daily . come , let us reason together ; what think you ? was there ever such a generation of teachers as this is ? have they any example , that ever went before , for their wickedness ? to whom may they be compared ? or with whom shall we parallel them ? and because they say the scripture is their rule , therefore will we try them by it , and their own mouth shall condemn them ; and such they shall be concluded to be , whose example they do follow , be it ministers of christ , or be ●t deceivers ; unto the apostles and ministers of christ they are compared , but are found quite contrary in many things , and their practice fitly suteth and agrees with all the false prophets and deceivers . and thus i shall prove them , according to scripture , wherein these men that are teachers do disagree to the apostles and ministers of christ , which he sent forth in former generations ; and wherein they do agree with the deceivers , and antichrists , and false prophets , that have run , and not been sent . . and first of all , the apostles and ministers of christ were made ministers of christ by the gift of the holy ghost , and by power from on high only ; and what they ministred unto others , they had freely received from christ , and had handled , felt , and tasted of the word of life . but the teachers of this generation do not agree with them in this ; for they are made ministers by natural learning , and education , and the knowledge of arts , and by the ordination of men , and by the powers of this world ( and not by the gift of the holy ghost ) and they speak that whcih they have heard out of books , and studied for by arts , and which they have received from man , and not that which they have received only from the lord. . the ministers of christ they were approved of god , and called by his spirit into the work of the ministry , and were not of man , neither by man. but many of these are approved of man , and not of god ; and called by man , and maintained by ma● in their ministry , and herein do they differ and disagree ; for ( as i said ) the ministers of christ were made ministers by the holy ghost , and not by natural learning , but these are made ministers by natural learning , or otherwise , and not by the gift of the holy ghost . . again , herein do they disagree , the ministers of jesus christ went up 〈◊〉 down through the world , declaring the word of the lord freely at any time , in the market-places , and in the synagogues , and in the streets , and went from country to country , and were strangers upon earth , not having any certain dwelling-place , or any great parsonages . but these settle themselves in a certain place , for so much money by the year , and spend their time in ease and pleasure , and lust of the flesh , selling to the people for money what they preach , and herein they disagree ; the ministers of christ preached freely as they had received freely : but the ministers of this age sell for money what they preach to the people : and thus they differ in their call to the ministry , and in their practise in the ministry , and in their maintenance also , as is made manifest to many . . again , the ministers of christ preached to bring people into fellowship with g●… by preaching of the gospel , through converting sinners unto the knowledge of the truth , an● by no other way did they make christians , nor counted any so but such as h●… repented , and were changed by the spirit . but the teachers of this age do ma●… christians , by sprinkling them while they are infants , before they preach the gosp●… to them , or before they repent of their sins ; and they bring them into fellowship by traditions , and a vain shew of baptism , and not by the spirit of god ; and her●… also they disagree , the one counted none christians but such as were converted by the spirit of god , and knew the operation of gods spirit ; and the other co●… all christians that are sprinkled when they are infants , while they are without t●… operation of the spirit of god , and converteth them not unto god by their preaching , but tell them they are christians before they preach to them . . again , they differ in doctrine ; for the ministers of christ preached c●… the light of the world , and said , he lighted every man that cometh into the world. but the teachers of this age contend against that , and say , every one is not enlightened by him , but some have no light from christ. and the ministers of christ they tu●…ed people to the light , from the darkness , and from satans power to the power of god. b●… the teachers of this age do not turn people to the light of christ within , 〈◊〉 to the saints words without , or to some other thing , and are divided amo●… themselves , and so in effect ●ry , lo here , and lo there is christ in this form , 〈◊〉 that form ; but the ministers of christ said , he was within people , or else they were 〈◊〉 probates . . again , the ministers of christ said , christ was the word , and the scriptur●… was a declaration of what they believed . but the teachers of this age say , the letter and the scripture is the word , and say , it is the instrument whereby god 〈◊〉 soules , and say , it is both the writings and the thing signified , and say , it is the foundation of foundations ; but thus the ministers of christ never spoke of the letter . an● thus herein they differ and disagree , the one preach christ to be the word , the other preach the letter and scripture to be the word : the ministers of christ said , chris●… was the foundation , but these say the scripture is the foundation , and herein they are contrary and shew by their doctrine another spirit then was in the apostles . . again , the ministers of christ said , they spake wisdom among them that were perfect : and said , as many of us as are perfect be thus minded : and said , that the end of their ministry was to present every man perfect in christ. but the teachers of this age deny perfection , and say , none must be perfect in this life ; and if any preach up perfection , that it is to be attained , they say it is error , and damnable doctrine ; nay , they say , none shall ever be free from sin , or ever have victory over their sin , nor overcome the body of sin while they be upon earth : but the ministers of christ witnessed they were more then conquerers , and that they had put off the body of death , and were free from sin , and were the servants of righteousness . and herein also they differ , and are not of one spirit ; and we know that the ministers of christ were guided by the spirit of god , which held forth these doctrines ; ●nd we know the teachers of this age , that their spirit must needs be of the devil , because it holds forth and practiseth what the ministers of christ did not , but the contrary . . again , the ministers of christ were persecuted , and suffered cruel and grievous things for righteousness sake , as you may read in the acts , and did not render evil for evil to any man , for they suffered patiently . but the teachers of this age are not persecuted , but are persecutors , and cause men to be put into prisons , ●nd to be banished out of towns ; and sue people at law , and seeks occasion against the people of god ; and herein they disagree , and are not of the same spirit as they were , which were ministers of christ , but shew a spirit contrary . . again , the ministers and apostles of christ were not chargeable to any , but made the gospel without charge , and free , and laboured with their own hands , and did not live ●dlely , but were often in cold , hunger , and nakedness , and perils , and tryals . but the teachers of this age live in pride , and covetousness , and fulness , and do not work with their own hands , but makes the gospel of christ chargeable , for many hundred thousand pounds in a year doe but maintain them , which they have ●ut of poor mens labours , and so these differ and disagree from the ministers of christ , and shew they are not of that spirit that they were guided by , but are guided by a contrary spirit , because they are contrary in their call , and in their doctrine , and practice , and maintenance . . again , the ministers of christ preached by the spirit , according as the spirit gave them utterance , and sometimes continued preaching till midnight . but the teachers of this age are limited by a glass , and preach by a glass , and when their hour is out , their time of preaching is ended ; and that which they have studied for before-hand , that they preach , and not that which they have received immediatly from the spirit of god. and herein do they disagree , and in many things more , which after may be declared . . again , the ministers of christ said , ye may all prophesie one by one , that all ●ight be edified ; and as every one had received the gift of christ , so they might minister to ●…hers , and desired that all the lords people were prophets , and sons and daughters ●…d prophesie , but the teachers of this age will not suffer all to prophesie one by ●ne , neither will allow any to preach as they have received from christ , without such qualifications , and learned arts , and ordinations of men ; and ●hey will not allow a woman to prophesie or speak among them ; and all might speak ●he word of the lord faithfully that had it , and all might minister as they had received it ; ●his was order in the apostles dayes among them , but this is now counted confusion ●…y the teachers of this age ; and if any speak to them , or any among them , ma●y such are made to suffer cruelty , or imprisonment , or such like , by their means ; ●nd herein they disagree , and shew that they are guided by another spirit then ●…e ministers of christ were guided by , and so are not his ministers , but de●…ivers . . again , the ministers of christ declared what they had heard , and seen , and ●…lt , and tasted of the word of life ; and none of them did boast in another mans line , but ●hat they all had received of the lord , that they declared , and not their own in●entions ; and commended themselves to every mans conscience in the sight of god ; and they did not provide themselves studies full of books to gather out of in a weeks time what to preach on the first dayes , as the teachers of this age do , who by vai●… study , and humane learning , frame up , and notes it in a book , an hour , or two hours discourse to the people . and herein they disagree , and shew that they are guided by a spirit contrary to the ministers of christ. . again , the apostles and ministers of christ were called from their her●… and from nets , from their receipt of custom , and from their callings ; and by receiving 〈◊〉 holy ghost were made ministers of christ , and did not seek peoples money to themsel●… but sought the people to god , and went through cruel sufferings and persecutions many ti●… that they might hold forth the way of life and truth to all people . but the teachers 〈◊〉 this age , they are trained up from their child-hood in arts and sciences , risi●… by degrees from one vanity to an other , till at last they arive to the function of 〈◊〉 minister of christ , as they call it , and few or none of them have been called from thei●… ordinary calling to preach the gospel ; for such a one is hardly allowed of to pre●… among people ; and they seek peoples money to themselves , and the peopl●… to god. and herein they disagree , and shew another spirit then was in the apostles . . again , the ministers of christ were led and guided by the spirit of christ , 〈◊〉 did not fulfil their own wills , nor the wills of men ; and they brought people 〈◊〉 the feeling of the spirit of christ in them , to teach them , and after they had beg●… people to god , they said they needed no man to teach them , but as the anointing 〈◊〉 them taught them . but the teachers of this age follows their own spirits , and 〈◊〉 subject to the wills of men ; if men admit them to teach , they do ; but if m●●●…ny them , then they do not preach ; but the apostles did not thus , for when 〈◊〉 forbad them to teach , they did not cease to preach , but went on boldly , declaring the nam●… of the lord. and these teachers do not bring people to know the spirit of c●… in them , neither can any through their preaching receive the anointing to 〈◊〉 in them , that so they do not need any man to teach them ; but people 〈◊〉 ever learning so long as they live , and never able to come to the knowledge of 〈◊〉 truth , and people are not profited at all . and in this thing they disagree , 〈◊〉 shew another spirit then the apostles were guided by , even the spirit of 〈◊〉 christ . . again , the ministers of christ were low , poor , meek , sober , humble men , 〈◊〉 as did not exalt themselves , nor maintain themselves in pride and fulness , by 〈◊〉 ceiving of poor peoples labours . but the teachers of this age are proud , 〈◊〉 heady , high-minded , self-willed , and exalted spirits , living in idleness , p●… and fulness , and receive of the labours of poor people . and herein they 〈◊〉 gree , for the apostles were often in cold , hunger , and great sufferings , and 〈◊〉 plexities ; but these are as fed horses , the proudest of all people , and the 〈◊〉 covetous of any men , and all men must bow to them , and call them ma●… which is quite contrary to christs command . and thus they shew another 〈◊〉 then what the ministers of christ were guided by ; and if another spirit , it 〈◊〉 needs be the spirit of the devil ; for either the spirit of christ leads men , 〈◊〉 spirit of the devil . and now seeing that the teachers of this age bring forth fruits contrary to 〈◊〉 ministers of christ , it shews that they are not guided by the spirit of christ , cause in their calling , in their ministry , in their maintenance , in their life 〈◊〉 conversation , and in their doctrine they are not the same , but quite contrary the apostles and ministers of christ : what can we conclude of them ? we have 〈◊〉 cluded already that such are deceivers , whose works are of another nature , 〈◊〉 who are guided by another spirit then the ministers of christ were ; for c●… saith , every tree is known by its fruits ; and this is sufficient what i have said , 〈◊〉 if need require , it may further be made to appear in the sight of the whole wo●… and sufficiently proved , that they differ in all these things mentioned , and many more , and are not one with the apostles , neither in call , nor practice , 〈◊〉 maintenance , nor in doctrine , nor in conversation , nor any other thing , 〈◊〉 do disagree , and are quite contrary so as it is concluded , these are not the mi●…sters of christ , though they profess themselves to be so , because they bring forth fruits quite contrary to the spirit of jesus , which the spirit of jesus did , and doth reprove ; and seeing they are not guided by the spirit of jesus , because their fruits are contrary to it , then must they needs be guided by the spirit of antichrist , and so are the ministers of antichrist , and do his works by his spirit . and further , i shall shew wherein they do agree with the false prophets and false apostles , and wherein they are like unto them in their ministry , and practice , and doctrine , and conversation ; and if the marks of deceivers fall upon them in the sight of all people , why should they not bear it ? and if the same works be proved to be acted by them , which the false prophets and deceivers acted , then why should ●t be thought a thing incredible among men that these are deceivers ? . first , the false prophets run , and were not sent , and they did not profit the people at all , for they stood not in the counsel of god , and so they turned not any from their iniquity , b●t rather strengthened the hands of the evil-doers , so that none could turn from their wicke●…ess ; and they spoke a vision of their own hearts , and not from the mouth of the lord ; and they said still to the wicked , the lord hath said , ye shall have peace ; and to every one that walked after the imaginations of his own heart , they cryed , no evil shall come upon him ; and the priests and the prophets were prophane , as you may read , ier. . and this is a fit parallel for the teachers of this generation , they can shew no call from god , nor by his spirit , neither are people profited by them , as experience doth shew and teach through this nation ; and they do cry peace to the wicked , and count all christians , and followers of christ , that are but sprinkled when they are infants , though they live in wickedness ; and from them , as from the prophets of israel , is prophaneness gone forth into many nations , and a wicked example of evil these give to all nations ; neither do these speak from the mouth of the lord , but a vision of their own heart , and what old authours say , and at the best , but what the saints of the lord said before them , and this is no more , as done by them , then ●●e●ling of the prophets words , or the word from their neighbour . again , you may read how the false prophets used their tongues , and said , the lord saith it , when t●● l●rd ●●th never spoken to them , but only what they had stole from others , who were the prophets of the lord ; and this is a fit example to the teachers of this age , and a tr●e p●rallel between them ; for these dare not own that ever they heard the voice of the lord immediately , nor that they spoke from the mouth of the lord immed●…ly , but use their tongues , and say , the lord said so by such a prophet , when 〈◊〉 themselves have not received the word from the lord ; and the lord was 〈◊〉 ●…ch who prophesied lyes , as did the false prophets of israel , as the teachers of ●●is age do , as it is manifest , and the lord is against them . and herein do they agree , and concur with the false prophets in their call , and are in concord wi●h the deceivers of old . . again , the false prophets , and blind watch-men of israel , they were ignorant , 〈◊〉 they were greedy dumb dogs , that never could have enough , and they looked to their own 〈◊〉 , and every one sought for his gain from their quarter , and they were drinkers of wine , 〈◊〉 strong drink , and boasted that tomorrow should be as this day , isa. . and this is 〈◊〉 ●it parallel with the teachers of this age ; for they are blind watch-men , and do not discover to people the wickedness of their wayes , and no less can be said of t●●m , then that they are greedy dumb dogs ; for they all look to their own way , and every one of them hath a quarter ( a town or a parish ) from which they seek their gain ; and some of them are lovers of wine and strong drink , as daily experiences witness . and herein the teachers of this generati●…n ●…e proved to succeed the false prophets in the same works , and shew they are 〈◊〉 by the same spirit , because they so fitly agree and concur in their works , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 plain to all men that are but reasonable , much more to them that are spiri●… . . again , the deceivers , such as were false prophets , preached for hire , and 〈◊〉 for money , and yet leaned upon the lord , and said , is not the lord among us ? and t●…e te●chers of this age they have hire for preaching , and great sums of money , 〈◊〉 they say they lean upon the lord ; of these things there needs no proof , they are so plain , in every town , and country , where the priests preach for hire , and the prophets divine for money . and herein they fitly agree , and concur with the deceivers of old , and follow them as an example , shewing that they walk by the very same spirit . . again , the false shepherds of israel were like foxes in the desarts , for they followed their own spirits , and had seen nothing but lying divinations , saying , the lord said , when the lord had not sent them ; and they seduced the people , saying , peace , and there was no peace to them from god ; and one builded a wall , and another daubed it with untempered morter ; and with lyes the heart of the righteous they made sad , whom the lord had not made sad , and strengthned the hands of the wicked ( that he should not return from his wicked way ) by promising him life . and this is a fit parallel to the teachers of this age , for they follow their own spirits , because they do things contrary to the spirit of jesus ; and they have seen nothing but lying vanities , and divinations , whereby they do seduce the people , by telling them they are christians , and that they are baptized into the faith of christ , and that they have the seal of the remission of sins , by being sprinkled with water when they were infants ; and these are lying divinations by which they seduce people , and say they shall have peace while they still continue in sin ; and thus they build a wall , and daub it with untempered morter ; and make a christian of their own , and 〈◊〉 him with false hopes , and with such lyes as these , and many other which they declare for doctrine , the heart of the righteous is made sad at this day , and the hands of the wicked is strengthned , that he cannot turn from his wicked way ; for life is promised to him , though he be wicked , and ungodly , living in all unrighteousness ; for they tell him christ is his righteousness to justifie him , and then he thinks he need not to turn from his sins ; and so their hands are strengthned , that they cannot turn from their sins . and herein the teachers of this age , and false prophets do fully agree , and are so like one to the other , as children of one father , and their works are so alike , as crafts-men of one science ; and thus they are one in union , and follows the same spirit . . again the shepherds of israel , and idle pastors , and deceivers , they eat the fat , and they clothed themselves with the wool , and they killed them that were fed , but thy feed not the flock , the diseased they did not strengthen , neither healed they the sici , neither bound they up the broken , neither brought they again that which was driven 〈◊〉 neither did they seek again that which was lost ; but with force and cruelty they ruled 〈◊〉 flock , and it was scattered , and become meat to all the beasts of the field , and the 〈◊〉 wandred throughout all the mountains ; and the flock was scattered , and none of the 〈◊〉 herds , did search or seek after them , and they eat and drank up the good of the p●… , and trod down the residue with their feet , and they thrust with side and with sh●… and they pushed all the diseased with their horn , till they scattered them abroad ; n●● this is a fit comparison with the practise of the teachers of this age ; for 〈◊〉 eat the fat , and lives in pleasures , and fulness most of any , and they clothe with the wool ; for they claim the tenth part of every mans wool ; and if any be fed by the true shepherd , they seek to kill them , and to devour their life , 〈◊〉 causing them to be imprisoned , and cruelty done unto them ; and they feed 〈◊〉 the flock , neither do they strengthen the diseased , nor heale the sick , neither 〈◊〉 they up the broken ; for if any be wounded , and cries out because of the b●● den of sin , and be sick , and broken , and trembles at the word of the lord , such they cry out are deceived , and mock at them ; and the image of god , which hath been driven away & lost , they have not sought in people , but with cruelty 〈◊〉 they ruled among people , by running to magistrates , and causing such to be put 〈◊〉 prison , that would not help to maintain them ; and thus with cruelty do 〈◊〉 rule among people , as it is witnessed by many testimonies in england ; and the people are scattered , and wandred into many sects , and false judgments , and 〈◊〉 opinions , and they are not sought after by the teachers of this age , to re●… them to the truth by sound doctrine , but they persecute them ; and the sheph●… feed themselves , and not the flock , and even eat up the good pasture , and tr●… down the residue ; and drink of the deep waters , and fouls the residue with t●… feet , so that none that follow them can drink of the pure waters , nor eat of the bread of life ; and they thrust with side , and with shoulder and push all the diseased which are wounded , because of their sin , who is ready to die for want of the bread of life , which denies and are weary of their abominations ; these they push at with their horns , and causeth to be persecuted ; and thus they fitly agree with the false shepherds of israel , and is no whit wanting in any thing wherein they were guilty , but rather abounding ; which sheweth that they follow the same spirit , and are of the same stock , and seed , and the lord is against these , as he was against them in old time ; and no more are these ministers of christ that acts these things , then they were which acted the same things by the same spirit ; and this is plain to all that shuts not their eye , and stops not their ear . . again , the false prophets and deceivers , they made the people err , and did bite with their teeth , and cried peace , but they that put not into their mouths , they prepare war against them , as you may read micah . now the teachers of this age brings forth the very same ; for they cry peace unto all that puts into their mouths , though people be never so ungodly ; if they will maintain them , they cry peace to them , but if people put not into their mouths , they prepare war against them , by suing them at the law , and casting them into prison , if any deny to pay them tythes , or money , though they have no due to it by the law of christ , such do prepare open war against them , by distraining their goods , and taking treble damages , and casting their bodies into bonds ; and herein the teachers of this age agrees with the false prophets of israel ; can any man be so blind that doth not see it ? doth any man stop their ear , so as that they cannot hear this to be true ? they shew themselves in all things to be one with the false prophets of israel , when justly they are tried by their own rule , as they say , and so let them bear this judgement , which their own professed rule judgeth with . . again , the priests and false prophets of israel , this is said of them , that as troops of robbers waits for a man , so the company of priests murders in the way , with consent ; for they commit lewdness , hos. . . and what less may be spoken of the teachers of this age , spiritual men shall judge ; for if any man doth but cease from their abominable worship , their deceitful worship , and idolatry , and come to the knowledge of god , they even seek to murder in the way , and cry out against them for being deluded , and deceived , and such like ; so that like as troops of robbers wait for a man , so it may be said of the teachers of this age , for they take away the key of knowledge , and will not enter in themselves to the knowledge of the truth , nor suffer them that would , and indeed , whatsoever abomination the teachers and prophets of israel were found guilty of , the teachers of this age do not come short , but rather abound , let search be made through the scriptures , and see , whether there was any evil committed by them , i mean the false prophets of israel , that is not committed by the teachers of this age ; what were they guilty of , that these can free themselves from ? if any man hath a word to say , let us hear it , and come out with your arguments ye wise men , and let us hear your plea ; and they doing the same works which the false prophets of israel did , must needs ●e concluded to be followers of the same spirit , and that they are no less then they were , whose examples they follow , which are followers or the false prophets , and ●ot of the ministers of christ. . again christ in his warning , to beware of the leaven of the pharisees , who gives he description what they were , and what their practises were , and he saith , they meaning the pharisees ) did bind heavy burdens , grievous to be born , and they laid them ●n mens shoulders , but themselves would not move them with one of their fingers ; and their ●●●k they do to be seen of men , and loves the uppermost rooms at feasts , and the chiefest seats 〈◊〉 synagogues , and greetings in the markets , and to be called of men masters . now the ●eachers of this generation are like unto these , they do succeed the pharisees in ●●inging forth the same fruits ; for do not these bind heavy burdens , grievous to 〈◊〉 born , and laying them on mens shoulders , making them suffer grievous ●ings through their cruelty , as imprisonment , and spoiling their goods , these are grievous burdens which they lay upon men , but they will not touch them with one of their fingers ; and their works are done to be seen of men , for they think to be heard for their much babling ; and we know they love the uppermost rooms at feasts , and hath it often ; and the chief place in the synagogue , they love that , and have it ; and to be called of men master , which christ forbids his ministers to be , they love that , and they have it . and herein do they agree with the pharisees , and in other things , if we should duely examine the scriptures , shewing that they are of the same spirit , which the pharisees were of , which crucified christ. . again , the pharisees and deceivers were persecutors , such as complained to the magistrates , as you may read through all the new testament , and the book of the acts , and elsewhere ; how the chief priests caused the saints to be persecuted by lying informations , and grievous complaints to the elders and rulers ; they sought to take christ by subtilty , and kill him ; and they persecuted the apostles to prison , and some to death , and others to bonds , and cruel sufferings . and this was done chiefly by , or through , 〈◊〉 complaint of the priests . it was amaziah the kings priest that complained to jeroboam , and informed against the poor prophet amos ; and it was shimshia the scribe , that complained to the king against the building of the city of god ; and it was the son of the pri●●● that persecuted jeremiah . and herein also the teachers of this generation 〈◊〉 agree and concord with the chief priests , with , and in persecuting the innocent , shewing that they are of the same spirit ; for now they complain and inform against the people of god , and through their information evil is done against them ; 〈◊〉 it is they through their lying , and false accusations to the magistrates by whom 〈◊〉 saints do suffer ; and in all these things they do fully agree , and concur with t●● deceivers of old . . again , the false apostles , they were such as went for filthy lucre , and th●… covetousness , with feigned words , made merchandize of souls , and denied the lord 〈◊〉 bought them , and brought in damnable heresies , and they walked after the flesh , in the 〈◊〉 and uncleanness , and despised government , and were presumptuous , and self-willed , 〈◊〉 sported themselves with their own deceivings , and they could not cease from sin , but b●… unstable souls , and an heart they had exercised in covetous practises , and they went astr●● , ●●ving the way of balaam , loving the wages of unrighteousness ; and they were wells 〈◊〉 water , and were clouds that are carried with a tempest ; they speak great swelling words of ●…nity , and allured through the lust of the flesh , through much wantonness , those who were es●… from them , who lived in error , and they promised others liberty , and themselves way 〈◊〉 servants of corruption . now the teachers of this age are found guilty of , 〈◊〉 in all these things they agree , which the false apostles were guilty of ; for 〈◊〉 through covetousness , with feigned words , do make merchandize of the people ; any will give them more money at the next town , they will sell the people 〈◊〉 they are and go where there is more money ; and seeing they are out of 〈◊〉 doctrine of christ , it is no less then denying the lord that bought them . and that they hold damnable errors , this i can pove ; for * one of 〈◊〉 said in my hearing , that the scripture was the foundation of foundation and * another said , that the scripture was both the writings and the thing s●●nified . and these are as damnable errors as ever the false apostles brought 〈◊〉 and these , they walk after the lust of the flesh , in pride and fulness thereof , 〈◊〉 despise the government of christ , and are presumptuous , self-willed , lofty , 〈◊〉 spirited men ; and as the false apostles did , so do these speak evil of things 〈◊〉 know not , of things they understand not ; and no less can be said of these , 〈◊〉 that they sport themselves with their own deceivings , and they cannot cease fr●● sin themselves ; for it is a principal doctrine among them , that none must be 〈◊〉 from sin while they be upon earth ; and they deceive unstable souls , who th●… them to be ministers of christ , when as they were never sent of christ ; and it 〈◊〉 evident , that their hearts are exercised with covetous practises , who sue poor p●●ple at law , some for twelve pence , which they are more able to give to , 〈◊〉 they whom they sue to receive from ; and they follow the error of bal●… and run after him greedily , who went for gifts and rewards , as do these , 〈◊〉 have unrighteous wages , cause people to pay them money , for whom they do not work , and this is unrighteous wages ; these are wells without water , and clouds without rain ; they make a shew of godliness and righteousness , when as they are prophane and unrighteous , and they speak great swelling words of vanity , professing themselves to be orthodox , divines , and such like , which are no more but words of vanity without truth ; and they seek to allure all people to follow them in their way of idol worships , and so they are deceived and deceiving ; and while they promise liberty to others , by christ , from sin , when they are dead , themselves are the servants of corruption , and live in sin to this day , and in all things which the false apostles were guilty of ; these come not behind , but these do shew by their works , that they are guided by the same spirit , which was in the deceivers of old , and so they agree and concur one with another in unrighteousness . again , the false prophets and deceivers , which were come , and coming in the dayes of iohn , they were of the world , and the world heard them : and they were them which christ prophesied of , should come into the world , which should deceive many ; and such were they which the apostle saw coming in , tim. . and he said , after his dayes greivous wolves should come in , which should not spare the flock , such as were departed from the faith , and spake lyes in hypocrisie , having their consciences s●●●ed with a hot iron ; and such were they , covetous , boasters , proud blasphemers unthankful , unholy , without natural affection , truce-breakers , false accusers , incontinent , fierce , despisers of those things which were good ; traytors , heady , high-minded , lovers of pleasure more then lovers of god ; they have the form of godliness , but deny the power therereof ; and people by them were ever learning , but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth ; of this sort the apostle saw was coming , and would come more fully , and such are the teachers of this age ; for they are of the world , living in pride , and the wickedness of it ; and the world hears them , such as themselves , proud and wicked people ; for they that fear god , and walk in his wayes , are departed from many of them ; and they shew that they have no faith , but are departed from it ; for faith keeps from evil , from the wayes of sin and death , which they live in ; and lyes in aboundance they speak , in hypocrisie ; and their consciences are seared , that is plain , else they could not do as many of them do , who cause inno●ent people to be put in prison , and make havock of their goods , who will not pay them tythes , or maintain them ; and they are the proudest of men , and as covetous as any , and unthankful , and unholy they shew themselves to be , and they are false accusers , and truce-breakers , for they hardly make any conscience of belying the people of god in the pulpits , or to the magistrates ; and they are heady , high-minded ; and if some of them be not treacherous , judge ye , who have turned divers wayes in their judgments , according to the times ; and they have a form of godliness , but not the power ; pray and sing in a form , and preach in a form and method ; and people are ever learning by them , sixty years , or more , or less , and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth , but dye in ignorance and blindness , without knowledge , under them . and herein do they agree also with the false prophet and antichrist , which iohn saw to be come in , and such as the apostle saw , which were then coming in ; and they shew the very same spirit , by the same works , and the same fruits which appear from them ; men of understanding may compare them in all these things . they do agree , and appear to be of that very stock and generation which the apostle prophesied of , for they were grievous wolves , which should not spare the flock , which the apostle saw ; and these do not spare the flock , but even devour them , and no less then grivous wolves can they be said to be ; for if a poor woman hath but ten egges in all the world , they will have one , in many parts of this nation ; or but ten chickens , they will have one ; or but a fire in their house , they will have a penny for the smoak , and such like wolvish , devouring wayes ; and if these be not grievous wolves , let all the world judge . and here is their treachery made manifest , while they say they preach the gospel in love to souls , yet its manifest they preach for love of money , for few , or none of them preach where there is no money ; and people are absolute blind , that do not see them , for in all things they agree with the deceivers and false prophets of old , and shew that they be of the very same spirit ; and thus you see their own rule condemns them ; and because they say the scripture is their rule , therefore i have thought good to lay them to it , and measure them by their own line ; and all people may see wherein they are quite contrary to the ministers of christ , and wherein they wholly agre● with the deceivers ; let them hide themselves from this blow if they can , and let them bring their arguments against this sentence , and let all their friends appear for them , and see if they can reverse this judgment , which their own line hath judged them by , let them bring in their plea , and defend themselves from this , if it be possible ; for in those things which i have ▪ named , and many other , it is manifest , that they fully agree with the deceivers , and disagree with the ministers of christ , and by their fruits they are perfectly made manifest . again , christ spake in his dayes , and the apostles in their dayes , that false prophets and deceivers should come into the world , and after them ; and they gave descriptions what such they should be , and what fruits they should bring forth , as i have before mentioned in that iohn . and it is plain that these deceivers and false prophets did come in , according as was prophesied ; for iohn said , by this we know it is the last times , for now are they come , which was many hundred years ago : i say , the deceivers and false prophets which christ prophesied of to come , matth. . came into the world many hundred years ago , as you may read iohn . and with this i shall conclude this particular . the teachers of this age , by their ●ruits , are proved already to be of that stock , and succeeders in the same works , by the same spirit of them which christ said should come , and which the apostle saw was then come , and so they did deceive many , as these do deceive many in the same way , as them that went before them ; and so let it not be a thing incredible to the people of these nations , that many of these teachers , which are called ministers , are deceivers generally , b●● if there be any one that ●ears god among them , or loves truth and sincerity ▪ it will be made manifest , and such i spare , and they shall be spared in the day 〈◊〉 the lord ; but yet i say , generally , and the main part of them , even they 〈◊〉 bring forth these fruits before mentioned , which the false prophets brought forth ▪ are not the ministers of christ , but deceivers , the scripture , their own professed rule , doth prove them so ; for it must needs be that they must be the same men that they were , whose spirit they walk by , and whose fruits they bring forth ▪ and this cannot be avoided , they are the same trees that brings forth the same fruits ; and let no man blame me for saying such are deceivers that preach for hire , and divine for money , and goes for gi●ts and rewards ; and that are called o● men master , and have the chief place in the assemblies , and are covetous , and high-minded , and seeks for their gain from their quarter , with those things which i have mentioned , which are the same things which the false prophets acted in ages past ; i am not now to be blamed for saying , these are deceivers , who are acting such things now in this age , as they acted then that were deceivers ; but if you blame any , begin with isaiah , and micah , and ezekiel , and christ and his apostles , and the rest of the holy men of god , for they are my examples in this , who did declare against them that brought forth such works , as these do that i have declared against : and i have done the teachers of this age no wrong for judging them by their own line , and laying them to their own professed rule ; therefore do not rage at me , nor do not be offended a● this ; for i have but compared them with the ministers of christ , and with the ministers of antichrist , and shewed wherein they do agree to the one , and disagree to the other ; and all people may see , and the light in all consciences may judge of what i have said ; so that as i said at the first , i may again say , what think you ? was there ever such a generation of teachers ? i now answer , yea , there was in the dayes of the true prophets , and in the dayes of the apostles there were such as these are , which were deceivers ; and in the times of christ there were such a generation as these are , who acted the same things by the same spirit , as these do at this day ? let them reply to this that will , my question is sober , and my answer is just and right , and i have dealt faithfully , and you may read the scriptures , that i have quoted for your own satisfaction ; for , though they falsly say , the scripture is their rule , and accuse us falsly , that we deny the scripture , yet the scripture shall be judge between us in this matter ; and what i have done is not in envy to any mans person , neither in upbraiding them in their wickedness , but i do it rather to shew them all their iniquities , that they may repent ; and this i have done in perfect love to all people , for the day is come that hath brought hidden things to light , and deceit and hypocrisie which hath lain hid , is now fully made manifest , as at noon-day . but again , secondly i answer , in some respects i do believe there was never such a generation of teachers as these are ; for we do not read in all the scriptures concerning the false prophets , that they were so extreamly covetous and greedy of gain as these are , or that ever they took such desperate , wicked , unlawful courses to get their maintenance , and compel people to pay them , as these teachers do , a very shame to rehearse it , and to their shame i do rehearse it , many a poor man in this nation hath been sued by them at the law , and put in prison by their means , and had their goods spoiled in a woful manner , for to maintain them , and to uphold them ; yea , some hundreds of poor people , in this nation , have been dealt cruelly by , and unjustly with , because for conscience sake they have denied to maintain them , to pay them tythes , and such like ; this may be proved , that for five shillings , unjustly claimed by them , they have taken goods by distraint to the value of five times so much , as cumberland and westmerland can witness ; and many at this very day lie in holes and prisons by the means of the priests , who tear the people as wolves do the sheep ; it s even woful to be considered what havock is made of some mens persons , and some mens goods , and all to maintain the teachers ? the like never was in any generation , as it is brought forth in this generation in this particular : and again , their exceeding covetousness and greediness of lucre doth appear , in that they claim wages of people , and do compel people to pay them wages , after this manner , as i have said , for which people they do no work ; neither do these people receive any work done by them , with whom they thus deal ; what thing can be more unjust under heaven ; that they should compel people by a law to pay them , and thus punish them if they will not , who set them not on work , and for whom they do no work ? neither do the people like their work , or love it , but know it to be deceitful , and yet are compelled by a law to pay them ; they have such a way to get money , that no trades-man hath the like of it besides themselves , for they cause people , and compel people to buy their wares ; and they compel people to pay for their commodity , which have none of it , nor love it , and this is more unjust then may be spoken : are they like ministers of christ ? or do they follow their example in these practises ? what do you judge ? all people bring in your verdict ; or are they not like deceivers herein , even exceeding all that ever went before ? it is true , they which preach the gospel should live on the gospel ; this argument we do own ; but let these men be tryed , and see if by their preaching their gospel they have gained so much love in people , as to maintain them without the law , and without compelling of maintenance & lively-hood from them by a law ; let but the law cease to compel tythes , and other things from people to maintain them , & see whether their gospel will maintain them or not ; let but the magistrates hold up their hands from causing people to pay them tythes by their orders & writs and i 'le undertake , as i do believe they must either beg , or work , or a worse thing for a lively-hood , or else perish , so little love is there in their own people towards them , nor have they gained any in the hearts of people towards them , for many years that they have preached ; and herein again i do believe that they do exceed all the false prophets , and all the deceivers that ever went before them in this respect , none ever had the magistrates to act for them as these have , & as it appears the rulers some of them , are at the wills of the teachers , to do for them what they desire , either to take peoples goods , or to send them to prison ; shewing that these teac●●●● have not a spiritual weapon to defend themselves ; but that the magistrates wi●● their law are their chiefest armour ; for if they can but get favour of 〈◊〉 magistrate , they have allowance to preach at such a place , and if they can get the favour of a magistrate they can do well enough to be maintained , by cau●●●● such to be sent to prison , or taxing treble damages upon their goods , if they wi●● not help to maintain them ; and if they have the favour of the magistrates , if any do reprove them for these things , and for others of their wickedness , and if any do but tell them of it , they can have such sent to prison , as in revenge , as for speaking and reproving them for their wickedness , hath some hundreds of innocent people suffered imprisonments , and other cruel things in these nations ; so that iniquity is upheld , as it were , by force and power ; so that it is not their gospel that maintains them , nor gets them favour with the people , nor doth it defend them , but it is the command and warrant of a magistrate which doth all this ; so when the magistrates cease to approve them , to maintai● them , and ●efend them , they must utterly fall into misery , and can neither be approved ▪ maintained , or defended any other way ; for , because of this their wickedness , god hath left them , and all honest true hearted people have left them ; and therefore , what a condition are the teachers in , who deserve not the love of me● because they are so cruel hearted towards them , and they deserve not the love of god , because they are so wicked against him ? and i might yet more fully describe and declare , wherein they do exceed the deceivers and false prophets of old ; but of this , according as the lord moveth and leadeth ; and this may suffice to shew what they are by their works , and by the spirit that leads them , which appears not to be the spirit of god , but the spirit of antichrist . furthermore , and besides all this , which i have said , herein they do exceed the deceivers that are gone before ; for upon account , the sum of their maintenance yearly in these nations , being reckoned , may be about * fifteen hundr●● thousand pounds a year : oh wonderful ! is not this almost incredible , that the teachers should put the nations to such a charge as this , and yet people receive nothing answerable to it ? but all this money is spent for that which is 〈◊〉 bread , and their labour wasted , and they have no profit thereby : this money might be made better use of , then to give it for deceiving the people : and if any doubt of this account , and shall think this is not like to be true , upon an even r●●koning , it may be proved and made appear , considering how many parishes th●● are , and reckon what belongs to every priests parish , with what is given to 〈◊〉 priests in ireland , which is aboundance : these things are a shame to the ministry of christ , though the impudent teachers of these nation are void of sha●● herein . a reply to the priests plea , and an answer to their objections . whereas many of the priests of england , to hide themselves fr●● the charge of being hirelings , they alledge these scriptures , the l●bourer is worthy of his hire , and the workman is worthy of his meat : but these scriptures will not serve to cover their shame in what is charged against them ; for 〈◊〉 hire which christ allows to the labourers , is but to remain in the same house into 〈◊〉 they enter , eating and drinking such things as they give them , with such who were 〈◊〉 they were to remain , and to eat that which was set before them ; and they labou●●● truly , and travelled up and down , and were truly worthy of meat for their work , and of this hire for their labour : but this makes nothing for the lawfulness of so many pounds a year at a certain place ; this is more then eating 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 house , which is worthy to bargain with people for so much the year , and compelling people to pay by a law , that do deny ; christ never instituted such a practice , neither can it be truly said , that these called ministers do labour as the ministers of christ did , and so this scripture is but wrested by them , when they bring it for proof of their practice for their hundred pounds a year , compelling some of it from the people , doth exceed eating and drinking to suffice nature , with such who are worthy ; so this scripture maketh not for their turns , nor doth it justifie their ▪ practises . again , they object , against our charge , the words of paul , who said , he that preacheth the gospel shall live on the gospel , and that it was a small matter to reap carnal things , from them unto whom they sowed spiritual things ; but this scripture makes not for them ; for as i said , it s not the preaching of the gospel that maintains them , but the magistrates with their law , that compelleth maintenance from the people , and this is not to live on the gospel ; for we allow , as paul did , that they which preach the gospel should live on the gospel ; therefore let the magistrates cease , with their power , to cause people to pay them , and let all the world see if their gospel will maintain them ; and let them reap their carnal things from them where they sow spiritual ; but they must reap as a free gift too , and not by compulsion , for so the apostle signifies , it is a small matter for any to reap carnal things where they sow spiritual things ; yet what is this to prove the lawfulness of bargaining with people for so much by the year , as these teachers of england do , many of them , and will not preach except they have so much promised them before ? for it is right to reap after sowing , but it is a transgression to bargain to reap before they sow ; and these scriptures will not hide them , nor defend them in their practice ; for if the magistrates did not compel from people maintenance by a law , the priests of this age would reap but little from any thing that they sow ; for there 's little love in the hearts of the people towards them . also they object , he that plants a vineyard may eat of the fruit thereof ; and he that keeps a flock , may eat of the milk of the flock , this paul said , though he would not make use of his power herein , but wrought with his hands , that the gospel might not be chargeable ; but what vineyards have the teachers of england planted ? or what flocks do they keep ? their vineyards prove not tender grapes ; but wild ●ower grapes ; wild vines , and not vines to bring forth acceptable fruits ; and their flocks prove not flocks of sheep ; but wilde rude people who are in the nature of wolves and lions ; and if the magistrates law were not , their vineyard no● the flock would hardly yield them any maintenance ; the apostles planted first a vineyard , and gathered the ●●heep , before they reaped or eat any of the fruit , but the teachers of england differ from them in this , for they know what they must have before they plant , or before they feed their flock , and differ from the apostles practice , who first planted a vineyard , and gathered a flock before they could receive any crop ; and they would 〈◊〉 then use their power , but kept the gospel of christ without charge , so that this scripture will not prove the priests actions lawful , in preaching for sums of money : ●nd some other scriptures they bring to prove the lawfulness of their preaching for ●ire , which may all be answered as these are , and whatsoever they can object will ●ot justifie them , for their reaping carnal things , and their hire , and their eating ●f the milk of the flock , is quite of another nature , as is proved , then the apostle ●ractices were ; and were the people wi●e they would see and understand these ●hings , and not be deluded through perverting of scriptures , and through wresting of them , to other ends then wherefore they were given forth ; and this is written ●o answer some of their objections , whereby they would defend themselves , for ●hat though paul took of other churches to supply his necessities , as sometimes he did , yet ●his will not prove the lawfulness of their hundreds of pounds by the year , most of which they spend in pride and idleness ; so that still this judgment is true ●pon them which i have given , all objections being answered , and all defences ●eing made yoid ; and hereof they are guilty , as i have charged them , and pro●ed it out of the scripture : they disagree to the ministers of christ , and agrees with the deceivers , and in some particulars exceeds them , for i believe all the fals● prophets in israel did not destroy any whit near a million and a half of money in a year , considering all things , it must come to little less , their funeral sermons , their great tythes , and small tythes , and marriages , and sprinkling of infants , and churching of women , with other such penuries claimed by the church of england , with what is given to them out of the nations treasure , which is many hundred pounds a year , also considering how much in a year is spent , and consumed at two or three colledges in this nation , in relation to the ministry ; as in bringing some up to the attainment of the ministry ; ( is they call it ) and upon the educators of such , with a very great abundance of such like charges , consumed out of the nations treasure , which is wasted , as in relation to this ministry spoken of : i do not speake against good education and learning , which is in its place a vertue , ( as for travellers , and many others ) neither do i account such money vainly wasted and spent ; but onely as to the ministry of christ , natural learning is not there admitted to make ministers , or to enable them thereunto ; but that money which is thereupon spent , is wasted and consumed ; and how much is spent in this way , and for such an end onely , i leave wise men to judge , which will make up a large sum in the whole ; considering all things i say , their yearly maintenance may amount to fifteen hundred thousand pounds a year , which is a thousand thousand , and half a thousand thousand pounds : men of wea● understandings can hardly reach , to know how much it is , and that makes me thus plainly expound it . kingston upon thames , the eighth moneth , . a description of the true ministery of christ , and its maintenance . the day hath appeared that makes all things manifest , and the light is aris●● that gives to discern between truth and error ; between the true and eve●● false way , and between the true worship of god , which is spiritual , and every fal●● worship of the world , which is idolatry ; and the true ministry of christ is kno●● from the false ministry , by their several fruits and signes , for hidden things are broug●● to light , and secret things are revealed : but now the people of the world , both t●● wise and the foolish , thus they object , and say , seeing that you do so much co●… our ministry and ministers in their call , in their practices , in their conversation , ●●d 〈◊〉 their maintenance ; what ministry do you own , and what ministers do you allow of , 〈◊〉 whether would you have any ministery at all , seeing you throw down and declare against s●● as the law of the land sets up , and such as we have looked upon to be able ministers ; 〈◊〉 after this manner are the people of this generation begun to reason among themselves , s●… what would this people do if they had power ; what ministers would they approve of ; and 〈◊〉 maintenance would they allow them ? to all this i do answer and say , the true ministers and ministry of c●… we do allow of , and we would have set up and established , and we wait pati●… ly till it be brought to pass , even such as are ordained by power from on 〈◊〉 and who have received the gift of the holy ghost ; who are called of god into the 〈◊〉 of the ministry , such we do approve of to be ministers of christ in whom he is reve●… and who have received him , and are changed by him from death to life and out 〈◊〉 darkness into the kingdom of the son of god , and who are born of the spirit , and 〈◊〉 led and guided by it into all truth , and are called by it to follow the lamb whither s●… he goeth , and who are taught by it in all their practices of religion , and in 〈◊〉 whole worship of god , and such we own , as have felt the operation of the spi●… in themselves , and who have tasted , handled , seen , and felt of the word of life ; whi●● abids for ever , and such who goeth in the name of the lord , to minister and declare freely , what they have freely received of god by his spirit , and who preacheth christ freely , as the onely way and means of life and salvation unto all people , even such as ministereth him the way , the truth , and the life , the onely justifier , and sanctifier , and deliverer of them that believe , and the condemner of them that believe not , and such as ministereth christ , onely the teacher and leader of his people , and nothing else besides him ; and such we allow , as onely seeketh and laboureth in the wisdom of god , to bring people out of the wayes of sin and death , unto the knowledge of god , and to the things that belong unto their peace , such who have no respect to large places , or great benefits , to seek , after that , who will not have hire for preaching , nor be hired by great sums of money , from one country to another , such as makes the gospel of christ free , and without charge , who will not be burdensome to any , but walks in all wisdom , as examples of righteousness to all people , whose conversations are in heaven , and holdeth forth in life and practice , unto all men , what they profess in words , and by doctrine and conversation holding forth the light of the glorious gospel , which they have received from god , being partners of all holiness , of peace and long-suffering , of meekness , and patience unto their flocks ; even such who walk in christ , and shew forth good works , and the fruits of his spirit , causing his light to shine forth among men , in humility , and soberness , and in all the fruits of peace , and truth , and such are approved of god , and of the saints , even they that preach christ freely to all people , and hold forth the light of the world , which lighteth every one in the world , the free gift of god to all mankind , that all may believe and come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved ; and such ministers respect not the person of any man for advantage , neither respect dayes , nor places , nor things , but worships god in spirit and in truth , and teach that worship unto all people , and they gather people into the new covenant , where christ is the high priest , and our bodies the temples of god , and the circumcision in the heart and in the spirit , for such are ministers of the spirit , and not of the letter , and they divide the word of god aright ; they feed the hungry , and the rich are sent empty away ; they cry not peace to the wicked , neither do justifie the unconvered ; neither do they condemn the righteous , nor such as are of an upright heart ; but christ they preach , to justifie all that do believe , and are obedient to him , and do condemn all that believe not , but are disobedient ; and such ministers have the word of reconciliation , and their ministry is made effectual , to accomplish the work of god ; sinners are converted and brought to god thereby , and to be taught of him alone ; and the saints through that ministry , may obtain to the holy ghost , and to need no man to teach them , but as the anointing within them , which they receive through the ministry , whose labour is , and the end of it , to present every man perfect in christ , and this ministry , and such ministers we approve of , and they are approved of christ , and we would have them established ; and who are such will not take care for an outward maintenance , neither what to eat , or what to put on ; neither will they petition to magistrates for tythes and augmentations , but are without care , as for a lively-hood in this world ; they will not remove from one town to another , for a better parsonage ●r place , for such as do so , are not the lawful called ministers of christ , but have run and were never sent ; for christ's ministers take not though , for an outward maintenance , but approve themselves in patience in all conditions , and ●omtimes are in want , and in cold , and hunger , and nakedness , and in persecutions , and tryals , and afflictions , and suffered all things for the name of christ , and yet we do believe and know , that such have power to eat and to drink , and may receive car●●l things where they sow spiritual things , but as a free gift , and not by compulsion or force ; we do allow that the ministers of christ may eat of the milk of the flock , which they keep and feed , and they may eat of the fruit of the vineyard , which they have planted , and which they labour in , and they may supply their necessities from them whom they have begotten of the faith , and whom they labour among 〈◊〉 life and doctrine , who are sheep of the fold , and plants of the vineyard of christ jesus ; but i say , as a free gift may they receive the fruits of their labours , and not as a debt , nor any title claimed thereto by the law of the nation ; neither may they receive it by force or compulsion ; but who are the truely called ministers of christ are so far from this , of forcing maintenance from any , that they will not make use of their power , in taking what may be freely given them , for they will not make the gospel burdensome by any means , and this is the maintenance we do allow the ministers of christ , they may eat such things as are set before them , in any house which they enter into , which is worthy ; and they may supply their necessities in food and raiment , as a free gift from them who are gathered out of the world , who are the church of christ , over whom the ministers are made stewards , to watch over them , to exhort them , to instruct them , and to edifie them ; but not from the world , who continues in unbelief and disobedience to the gospel may they receive any outward maintenance by compulsion , or by a free gift , neither may they receive great sums of money by the year , or tythes , or other offerings to maintain themselves and their families , in pride and idleness , and lust , and excess , and superfluity in meats and apparel ; such a maintenance if by free gift , much less by force , is not allowed by christ and his saints , but is the maintenance of antichristian teachers , which never were sent of christ , and such cannot be content with his allowance and wages , but lives in pride and pleasures of this world , and in vanity ; and maintained , they say they must be , and if they be so , they care not from whence it comes , nor by what means ; and that is the reason wherefore so many hundreds of honest people are so spoiled in their persons and estates , the bodies of some being cast into prison , and many others having their goods taken from them by force and distraint ; and all this is to maintain antichrists ministers , who neither care how they have it , or from whom , or to what evil use they improve it ; and this plainly appears in this nation , by many evidences ; but the ministers of christ do deny such a maintenance , and such practises ; and are come to that life which judgeth all these things . and as concerning compelling of maintenance , and forcing of i● from people , this is utterly against the law of christ , and condemned by him , and denied by the saints ; for it is unreasonable and no equallity in it , that people should be compelled to maintain a ministry , especially such a one as they know 〈◊〉 not the ministry of christ , neither is profitable to them , and which they recei●● no fruit from ; for the ministers of christ do not desire maintenance from the people of the world , neither can receive any from them , neither in justice and equity should the ministers of the world receive or compel maintenance from the saints by force and cruelty ; but this we would have , and this is reason and equity let all ministers be maintained by such as approve of them , and hear them , and partake of their labour , and so the saints will maintain their ministers , and the world may maintain theirs , and every sort of people may maintain such ministers as labour for them , and none to be forced to maintain such as they do 〈◊〉 approve of , nor none hindred from maintaining of such , as they do approve 〈◊〉 be they true , or false ministers ; and this is reason and a good conscience , th●● every man be left free in such cases , to maintain whom he will , and to give as he will , 〈◊〉 what he will , and this is reason and equity , that no man be compelled to give , or hi●… from giving to whom he pleaseth , and what he pleaseth ; and so let people make choi●● of their ministers , whom they will approve , and whom they will hear , and of who●● labours they will receive , and then let them maintain them , and if any be compelled let them be compelled to pay their own servants , who minister to them , and not a●●thers , for whom they do no work ; and this is just and right both for ministers , a●● people , that every minister be paid by them to whom he doth minister , and who receive him as a minister , and for whom he doth work , and this great injustice and oppression in england will cease , if this law of equity and righteousness were established , and all people left free to hear , & approve of whom they will , and then to pay the● and maintain them , and this would try the ministers ; and who converted the most 〈◊〉 god , and gained the love of most people , and if they wrought well they may recei●● a maintenance accordingly , by the free gift of the people ; and the ministers that are no● content with this law , are out of pure reason and equity , and shew that the dare not trust the lord , nor the fruits of their labours , but would be maintained in ●idleness by unlawful means , by compelling maintenance from them to whom they do no work ; and such shew great covetousness , who desire more then the milk of their own flock , and the fruit of their own vine-yard ; but in equity and justice ●et every , minister be maintained , by the fruit of his own labour , from the people for whom he doth labour , and this will content most part of the people , and till this be established in the earth , true justice and judgment will be wanting in this particular ; and this is according to truth , and to a righteous law ; and by this all people may understand what ministers and ministry we do allow and approve of , and how ministers ought to be maintained ; and if any go forth to a place , and country , among a people that are not converted , then the church ought to take care to maintain such in their work , till they may reap of their own labour , and eat of the fruit of their own vine-yard , but all this ought to be without compelling or forcing by the minister ; for every minister of christ doth chiefly take care of the work unto which he is called ; and is without care of his outward maintenance . by a friend unto england's common-wealth , for whose sake this is written , and sent abroad . edward burrough . a standard lifted up , and an ensign held forth to all nations : shewing unto the whole world , and to all people to whom it shall come , by open proclamation , what the testimony of god is , and of his people which they hold , which they have received from him , through the eternal spirit , of which they are not ashamed before men , but are called to witness it forth in the nations , in the same spirit and power , as they have received it from the lord. also shewing of his great work which he is about to do in the earth , and this testimony is true , and no lye , for it is of god , and witnessed by thousands of his people at this day , who are in scorn called quakers . the contents . chap. . a testimony concerning the true god. chap. . a testimony concerning the son of god. chap. . a testimony concerning the spirit of god. chap. . a testimony concerning all mankind . chap. . a testimony concerning the world in general . chap. . a testimony concerning mans restoration , redemption , and salvation , what they are , and by whom they are wrought . chap. . a testimony concerning true religion , and the true worship of the true god. chap. . a testimony concerning iustification and sanctification . chap. . a testimony concerning the kingdom of christ , and how it is to be set up . chap. . a testimony concerning governors , and governments , and subjection to them . chap. . a testimony concerning the true ministry of christ , and the false ministry , and the difference betwixt them . chap. . a testimony concerning the gospel of christ. chap. . a testimony concerning the word of god , and concerning the scriptures . chap. . a testimony concerning the devil , and damnation . chap. . a testimony concerning all creatures that god made . chap. . a testimony concerning the new covenant , and how man comes to the knowledg● of god. chap. . a testimony concerning faith. chap. . a testimony concerning what works are accepted of god , and what works are 〈◊〉 accepted , brought forth by the creature . chap. . a testimony concerning mans state in the first adam , before the convers●●● , and his state after conversion , and what conversion is . also a testimony of the seed of god. also a testimony that the way of life , and the way of death is set before every man. also a testimony to all kings , and princes , and p●●●●● , that we are not enemies against , but friends unto all civil government , and wholsom ▪ 〈◊〉 and customs of any commonwealth , which is according to god , &c. also a testimony 〈◊〉 government we declare our selves to be enemies against . also a testimony that we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 disannul and make void the covenant or bond of relations , &c. also a testimony that 〈◊〉 do maintain , and hold the very same truth as all the generations of the iust did in all ages . also a testimony of our government , and a testimony of quaking and trembling . also a declaration of the full purpose of our hearts , &c. in the name and power of the eternal god that made heaven & earth , and all things therein ; who is the life of all things , and the power by which they stand in his counsell and fear . i do hereby declare my self unto the whole world , and unto all people upon earth , that ye may all know the very cer●●inty of those things , which is reported abroad through many nations , and that ●e may be informed truly concerning us , from our own mouthes of many things ●hich cometh to you by false reports and lying informations , concerning a people ●ppear'd in these late years , and raised up , going under the name of quakers . ●now ye assuredly that we are of god , and are raised up by him , and called by his name , and his dreadfull presence goes before us , and his righteousness is our ●eward . we are such as do fear and worship the true god that made heaven ●nd earth in the spirit , and in the truth ; he hath placed his name amongst us , ●nd made his everlasting covenant with us , and established it that it cannot be ●oved , he hath given us his spirit , and poured it upon us , and we are taught of him according to his promise , and are established in his holy mountain , where ●one can make us afraid , for he hath armed us with his power and strength to defend us from all our enemies , that we should bear witness of his name in all the world , and declare unto all nations , of his power and dominion , of his salvation and redemption , that is in him , and in his son ; of which we are made ●artakers and witnesses , and by him have we received the heirship of the everlasting inheritance , and we are of god ; and he that is of god heareth us , whom the father hath chosen and redeemed out of kindreds tongues and peoples , to stand before the throne of god and the lamb , and we have sought , and do finde , a city whose builder and maker is god , and we are known to the lord god almighty , and approved in his sight : our light is the light of the lamb , and our government the government of jesus , and our law the law of the most high , and our way is the way of peace and truth , he that can receive it let him . this is the testimony which the spirit of the everlasting father witnesseth in us and witnesseth of us unto the whole world . chap. i. concerning the true god , this testimony i give to all people upon the earth . the true god he is a spirit , and is infinite , eternall , and everlasting , the creator of all things , and the life and being of all things , and the power by which all things stand , all creatures have a being in him , and by him , and without him no creature is , or doth move upon the face of the earth ; this is he whom we worship and fear , and doth obey , and he brings to pass by his counsel whatsoever he will , and nothing can prevent the purpose of his mind , but his counfel stands for ever , and he is the righteous judge of all things , and before him must all mankinde come to judgement , and the living and the dead by him must be judged , he is a rewarder of every one according to their deeds , whether they be good or whether they be evil : his greatness , power , majesty and dominion is over all and beyond all , ruling above all in the power of his own will , and who may say what doth he ? his eye seeth all and his presence filleth all , and no creature can be hid from his sight ; he is near at hand and afar off , he searcheth mans heart and and tryeth the reins , and shews unto man his own thoughts , he justifieth the righteous and condemneth the wicked , he is light it self , and in him is no darkness at all : this is the true god whom we worship , and this testimony i give of him unto all people upon the face of the whole earth . chap. ii. concerning the son of god , this testimony i give unto all the world. the son of god , who is called christ the prince of peace and righteousness , he is one with the father in power and dominion , and was with him before the world was , and by him the father created all things , and without hi● was not any thing made that was made , he is heir of all things , and is the pri●●● of the kingdom of righteousness , of peace and truth , and he is the word a●● power by which all things doth consist , and is the salvation of mankind , and th● very life of the world , he inherits life and immortality , and is the redeemer , saviour , deliverer and restorer of the children of men , he is the very wisdom and po●er of the creator , and the father doth nothing without the son , and by him , an● through him the father brings all things to pass , by him the father will judge the whole earth and all the children of adam therein ; and this christ jesus the son of god is the life and light of the world and hath enlightened all mankind , every 〈◊〉 that cometh into the world is lighted by him with the true light of life or cond●●nation , and what the son doth the father doth also , and he is at his right 〈◊〉 exalted , and is the very express image of the father , and is the fathers gift i●●● the world , and is given to all mankind that they may have life by him , and all 〈◊〉 receives : him hath life and salvation , but many receives him not , and they 〈◊〉 receive him not perish , even because they do not receive him whom the father 〈◊〉 given into the world , for he is the arm alone of gods salvation and he is the ●●●der of his people . chap. iii. concerning the spirit of god , this testimony i give unto the whole world. the spirit is with the father , and with the son , and its present eve●● where , and filleth all places , and is for ever and ever , and trieth all thin●● and revealeth the things of the father , and of the son , unto all that doth belie●● in the son ; and makes manifest , and searcheth into the deep things of god , 〈◊〉 it witnesseth the salvation of the just , and the condemnation of the unjust ; it is not absent from any place , nor contained in any one place ; the father and the son works all things through it , and brings all things in heaven and earth to pass by it , and it works in the hearts of the children of men , and in every one it witnesseth of the father and of the son , to the justness , greatness , righteousness , and to the power of the eternal creator , that made all things by the son through his eternal spirit , which is one with the father and with the son , and is the worker of their will and mind in all things ; it worketh in the wicked to reprove them , and to witness against them , and that god is angry with them 〈◊〉 sheweth ; and it worketh in the righteous , and witnesseth , the love , and mercy , and peace of the father unto them ; he that can receive it , let him , this is the testimony of the spirit of god , and it leadeth into all truth , and out of all evil all that are guided by it ; and it is given to be the guide and rule of life to the children of god. chap. iv. concerning man , and all mankind , this testimony i give unto all nations and people . man was created and brought forth in the image of god , and was without sin or evil brought forth , to do the will of him that created him , and was lord over all creatures , to use them to the glory of the creator , and all creatures were to serve him ; but man transgresseth against his maker , and offended him ; and dishonoured him , and became degenerate , and grieved his maker continually , and was drove out from the presence of the lord , and he is now a child of disobedience , and of wrath , and an enemy in his mind against the lord that made him ; and he is doing and fulfilling daily the will of the devil , and grieveth the spirit of god , and vexeth his righteous soul , and is subject unto the curse of wo and destruction , being ignorant of the life , and power , and wisdom of the creator , to lead him , to guide him , and to preserve him , but follows the counsel of hisown heart , which is evil altogether , though he was made upright , yet hath he sought out many inventions , which are continually abominable unto the lord ; the ground in which he stands is corrupted , and all his fruit is unpleasant , even bitter and evil unto the lords taste . man is fallen into the pit of misery and sorrow , compassed about with desolation , and is left without a helper from himself , or from any other creature , and this in short is the state of all mankind upon the face of the earth , who was planted a noble vine ; wholly aright seed , to bring forth good fruit unto his maker ; but he is turned into a degenerate plant , bringing forth cursed fruits which the creator hath not pleasure in , his best works are not accepted , and his evil deeds are condemned , because the ground in which he stands is accursed , because of disobedience . chap. v. concerning the world in general , and the state of things as they have been , and as now they are , this testimony i give to the whole world. darkness hath been over the face of the earth , and thick darkness hath covered the people for many ages , the beast hath reigned upon the face of the whole earth , and all nations have been subject to his power and dominion , even the kings and princes of the earth have given their power unto him , all the world hath wondred after him , as it is written ; and the whole world hath worshipped the beast and his image , he hath power to kill all that would not worship him , both small and great , rich and poor , even all have been subject to his government ; and he hath had power to war against the saints , and to make war with them , and to overcome them , even all that would not worship him he hath had power to kill . the rule and government of the son of god hath not been witnessed among men for ages , nor the true god known , nor manifestly worshipped in spirit and truth ; but he hath been as a stranger among men , and they have been ignorant of his wayes and judgments , and all people have been doing that which is right in the sight of their own eyes , and god hath been forgotten dayes without number ; the living fountain hath been forsaken , and many broken cestern have been hewen out , which have not holden pure water : great evils and continual abominations have been acted in the sight of god , and the measure of iniquity hath been fulfilling through many generations , and it is grown nigh to the full : the law of god h●th been made void , and his grace hath been turned into wantonness , and all things have been out of good order : kings , princes , rulers , governments , laws , and decrees have been corrupt , and not right in the sight of the lord ; oppressions , tyranny , and vain-glory hath abounded in the nations , and justice and true judgment have been neglected , and mercy and truth have been strangers , and the world hath been filled with violence , and the whole earth stained and polluted with oppressions injustice and cruelties , and the cry of the poor hath not been heard , every one hath sought themselves , and not the lord , nor the good one of another ; the kings and princes of the earth have not been perfect nor upright before the lord , but vain-glory hath abounded , and superstitions and idolatries hath reigned over them , and unrighteousness hath abounded , and self-seeking ; and they have risen up one against another , in quarrelling and destroying one another , and to gain one anothers dominions by craft , and pollicy , and strong hand , and the poor have been oppressed and troden down , and thousands of thousands destroyed to fulfil the wills , and lusts , and pride of their hearts , all this hath been evil in the sight of the lord , and his soul hath been weary with it , by the destruction of his creatures , one by another , even rulers , teachers , and people have all been out of the way , and subverted from that wherein god hath pleasure ; and the prince of darkness hath ruled in his dominion , swaying all under his government , and even all things , both of civil and spiritual concernment , hath been out of the counsel of the lord. oh what cruel injustice and tyranny in civil government ! oh what abominable superstitions and idolatries have been in ( supposed ) church-governments ! it s a vexation to the spirit of the lord , to consider it , and the righteous soul hath long cried out and mourned under it , and because of this is the lord of heaven and earth now risen to overturn , to overturn kings and princes , governments and laws ; and he will confound and break down all tyranny and oppression , under which the poor have groaned ; and ●e will change times , and laws , and governments ; there shall be no king ruling but jesus , nor no government of force , but the government of the lamb , no● no law of effect , but the law of god , all that which is otherwise shall be ground to powder ; the kingdom of the most high shall rule amongst men , and the kingdoms of this world shall be changed , and shall become the kingdoms of the lord , and of his christ ; and the lord shall be known in the earth , to be the god of truth , of righteousness ; justice , and mercy , and truth shall be exalted , and true judgment shall be set up in the nations , and the worship in spirit and in truth shall he established ; for the lord is gathering his numberless number to stand before his throne without guile in their mouthes , and without fault before him . chap. vi. concerning mans restauration , redemption and salvation , what they are , and by whom they are wrought , this testimony i give unto all people . mans restauration is a repairing and giving again that which he had lost by transgression ; and redemption is a recovering , and a winning again , and setting free from that wherein man hath been held ( even all the sons of adam ) because of disobedience ; and salvation is a saving , keeping , and preserving from sin , and death , and disobedience , and all the ways thereof , and also a saving from wrath and misery and condemnation , which are the effects thereof ; and by the son of god christ jesus is all this wrought , manifested and witnessed , and restauration , redemption and salvation is onely in christ jesus , the second adam , and not in any other , and it is wrought by him , and by no other , and they are the free gift of the father unto the sons of men , no way purchased by the works of the creature , or desert of him , but are freely given unto the creature , through the power and wisdom of the creator , and onely by jesus christ the son of the eternal god , and by the eternal spirit are they witnessed in all that believe , and through the word of life are they handled , tasted , seen and felt , near at hand , in power , and not in words onely . many professes them in words , and what others enjoyed of these things , but have not felt in themselves the working of the eternall spirit , neither have the witness in themselves of being restored to god again , and of being redeemed by him from under the devils power , neither are saved by christ from sin and transgression and so are not , nor cannot be saved from condemnation and wrath , for who abide in their sins , and in the state unreconciled to god , hath not any part or portion in these things which belongs to their peace ; and without the knowledge of which , by the working of the eternal spirit , all mankind is everlastingly miserable . chap. vii . concering true religion and the true worship of the true god , this testimony i give unto the whole world. this is true religion , to be kept pure and clean from all evil , and from all that which would defile in the sight of the lord , and to walk in his fear in all things ; this is religion , to do good and to do no evil , and to speak the truth , and to do the truth in all things , and to do unto all men as a man would be done unto , and to love god withall the heart , and the neighbour as self , and not to love the world , and ways and pleasures of it , nor to use deceit in words or actions ; this is true religion , and the true worship of god , to be led with his spirit in all things , and to be guided in the truth at all times , on all occasions ; this is acceptable , and well pleasing unto god , above all words , and outward conformity , and set times , and days , and observances ; for the worship of god is not in these things , but is without respect of days places , or things ; this religion and worship stands in christ jesus the second adam , who hath lighted every man that comes into the world , that all men through him might believe , and by him have their consciences purely exercised towards god and towards man in all things whatsoever ; and this is our religion , and worship of the true god ; he that can receive it , let him . chap. viii . concerning justification and sanctification , this testimony 〈◊〉 give unto all people . justification is freely by jesus christ in the sight of the father , and not by the works of mans own righteousness , and such as are taught by christ and guided by him in all the ways of truth and righteousness , are justified by him and none else , not in any word or work whatsoever , but in what they are led to fulfil by him , and it is the new man that is justified , and not the old , he that is born of god ; and none that are born of the flesh , such cannot please god , neither can such be justified by him , for they are not taught of him , nor saved , nor restored , nor redeemed , and therefore are not justified nor cleared from condemnation in the sight of the lord ; but who lives in iniquity , and sin , and the wayes and works of the world , which are evil , by christ jesus are condemned , and not justified , though in words they profess him , yet of justification by him they have no part : and sanctification is by the working of the eternal spiri● in the heart of the creature , which purgeth out and taketh away all unrighteousness , and all the works and fruits of darkness it witnesseth against , and witnesseth unto jesus , who takes away all sin and destroyes the works of the devil , that man may be holy and pure in the sight of his maker ; and every one that hath the witness of his justification , hath the operation by the eternal spirit of sanctification , and all that receives christ jesus who hath lighted every man that cometh into the world , receiveth sanctification and justification by him , and he unto us is made so of the father ; he that can receive it le● him . chap. ix . concerning the kingdom of christ , and how it is to be set up , this testimony i give unto all the world. the kingdom of god , and of his son , is not of this world , but is fro● above , and stands in righteousness and in truth , in mercy and in peace , i● true judgement and justice , and this dominion is from everlasting to everlasting , and it reacheth beyond all the world , and its government is love and unity and everlasting peace , and is perfect liberty to the just , and bindeth and chaineth the unjust ; in it there is on oppression , but perfect freedom from all unrighteousness , and it consists not in word , but in power , to the bringing down of the kingdom of the devil , and to the breaking off the bonds of all injustice , and all ungodliness , which is the kingdom of satan , which hath long ruled i● the world , that kingdom whereof christ is king , which stands in righteousness , no unclean thing can have any part therein , and this we believe , it shall be set up and advanced in the earth , but not by might of man , or arm of flesh , nor the multitude of an host , neither by policy nor craft , nor by revenge , but by the arm of the lord alone , through the suffering and patience of his people , and by faithful witness bearing unto jesus christ by doing and by suffering , by doing his will in all things in a pure life and conversation , and upright walkking in the sight of the lord , and by patient suffering under the injustice and oppression of men , and of their unjust government and laws , till they be overturned and confounded : and further we give testimony , that suffring in patience under the cruelty and oppression of the devils government and kingdom ; more reaches to overthrow them , than the rising to rebel in any way of outward offence toward them , or defence from them , and the kingdom of christ is near to come , and the kingdoms of this world shall be changed , and none shall have any part therein , but they that are redeemed out of kindreds , tongues , and people : this we believe ; he that can receive it let him . chap. x. concerning governours , and governments , and subjection to them , this testimony i give to the world. governours , rulers , and magistrates we own , and do respect in the lord ; ( and yet cannot respect any mans person whatsoever ) such as be a terrour to all evil in their government , and that fears god and hates covetousness , and delights in equity , in justice , and true judgement , and gives diligent heed to try the cause of the poor , and will judge justly , without respect of men , who justifies the good , and gives praise to the well-doer ; such government and governours we reverence , where sin and iniquity is kept under , drunkenness , swearing , murther , quarrelling , and all the ways and works of the flesh are terrified , and a wel-doer praised and justified ; this goverment of men , reaches to the witness of god in every man , and that answers to the justice and righteousness of all such governours and government , and these witness that they are of god ; but the witness of god in every man , beareth witness against all unjust men , and laws , and rulers , and governments , which strengtheneth the hands of the wicked , and oppresseth the just , where the making and execution of laws are in the power of proud men , and covetous men , who fears not god , neither hates covetousness , neither doth respect the cause of the poor , but rules by their wills and tyranny , and not by just laws in righteousness ; but makes unrighteous decrees to oppress the poor and innocent , letting the wicked go free ; such who upholds unrighteous worships and teachers , by oppression , and causes the innoccent to suffer , and makes them offenders , because the exercise of a pure conscience towards god and men ; such rulers and government we cannot be subject to for conscience sake , but do rather fulfull the law and will of god , though we transgress their wills , and unrighteous laws , and yet doth not rebel against them , nor seek defence from them , but patiently suffers under them , and bears their injustice and cruelty , without seeking any revenge , but leaves vengeance to the lord to whom it belongs ; and this is our judgement in full , the government and laws which we cannot obey nor fulfil for conscisake , we chuse rather to suffer under them for disobedience to them , than to transgress the righteous law of god , written in our hearts , by obeying them ; so that what we cannot obey for conscience sake , for conscience sake we resist not , but suffers under that ( the punishment of it ) patiently , and herein are we subject to every ordinance of man , for conscience sake : in fulfilling of the good , the just , and righteous , and in patience suffering under the cruelty and oppression of the unjust , and unrighteous , and this we do and teach every where , subjection to every ordinance of man , and are not destroyers of true government , or rebellious against just governours , but are exalters of true justice and judgement in the earth . chap. xi . concerning the true ministry of christ and the false ministry , and the difference betwixt them , this testimony i give unto all the world. the true ministry is sent of god , and is the gift of the holy ghost , and it stands in the power of the spirit of god , and not in the words of mans wisdom , of that wisdom which is from below , and it brings people to the knowledge of god , which is life eternal , and it turns people from darkness to light , and from the power of satan to the power of god , it is freely received of god , and freely given forth of us , it proclaims peace on earth , unto such as are of a broken and upright heart , and it proclaims war against all the wicked upon earth ; it is a good savour unto god in setting the way of life , and the way of death , before all people ; the ministry of christ is free , and cannot be bought nor sold for money , it is without hire , and gifts , and rewards from any man , which is given freely into the world , and it ever was and is persecuted by the generation of the unjust , and by the powers of the earth ; he that comes in the fathers name cannot be received of the world , but the world is at enmity against it , in this generation , as ever was ; it converts people unto the knowledge of god , and many did , and many do receive the knowledge of god thereby , though some thereby be hardened against god unto destruction , and the word of the lord , and the ministry returns not in vain unto god , but all by it ar● left without excuse , the witness of christ in every creature being reached to , which gives testimony to the power , and to the truth of the ministry of christ ; but the false ministers and ministry are not such , for their ministry is received by natural learning and arts , and is not the gift of the holy ghost , but stands in the wisdom of mans words , and not in the power and life of god , it profits not the people at all , neither do any come to the knowledge of god thereby , neither is turned from darkness to light ; but teachers and people continues in the power of satan , and in the unconverted estate , the witness of god not reached to , to bring to the understanding of things which are eternal , but people are ever learning by it , and never coming to the knowledge of the truth ; but the blind leads the blind , and like teachers like people , all out of the way , given to iniquity and unrighteousness , and such are they who preaches for hire , and divines for money , and seeks for their gai● from their quarter , and through covetousness , by feigned words , make merchandize of souls , going for gifts and rewards , and teaching for filthy lucre having settled places and so much a year , these are not the true ministers of christ , but false ministers of autichrist and deceivers , and were never sent of god , and do never bring any to the knowledge of gods , and such we be●● witness against to be of the devil , and that for many generations the world hath been deceived by them , who hath had the form of godlines , but not the power , and christs words , and the apostles , words without the life ; and they have served themselves , and not the lord jesus ; but now they are made manifest with the true light , which approveth the ministry of god , and disapproveth such who are ministers of antichrist ; and all that are in the light , and walk in the light can receive this testimony which is given by the spirit of god , to that ministry which is sent of him , which doth fulfill his will , and against the false ministry which is not of god , which runs and was never sent of him . chap. xii . concerning the gospel of christ , this is my testimony unto all the vvorld . the gospel is the power of god , and it is sent of him into the world to reconcile people unto him , that have been in the enmity agai●●● him , 〈◊〉 is peace to the poor in spirit , and judgement to the fat , and to the high min●●● ; and it is to be preached to every creature ( male and female ) under heaven without respect of peoples , nations , or generations , it is the manifestation of the love of god to the whole world , to gather people out of all unrighteous●●●● , into the living way of life , peace and truth , to walk with god in purity and holiness , and to deny the world and all its ways , and works , and worships which are evil , and by it some are brought to god , and to salvation , and life eternal , and some through it are hardened against god , that they may be destroyed and condemned , who are reprobates , and believes not in him from whom the gospel comes , and it cannot be received by any other way or means than by the revelation of jesus christ in the hearts of his people , and many have the letter which knows not the gospel , nor hath received it , and this gospel which is everlasting , have we received from god , and this is the sound of it which we give in the world unto the world : fear god , and give glory to him , for the hour of his judgements is come , and this is the everlasting gospel of salvation , he that can receive it let him . chap. xiii . concerning the word of god , and concerning the scriptures , this testimony i give unto all the world. the word of god was in the beginning before any creatures were made , and by it all things stand and remain unto this day , and the word endures , for ever , and by it all things in heaven and in earth are brought to pass which god doth , and it is from everlasting to everlasting , without beginning and without end , and the word is powerful , dividing and discerning all things , even the secret thoughts of every mans heart , it is as a two edged sword , and as a fire , and like a hammer to cut up , to burn , and to beat down ; the word of the lord reconciles man again to him , and this word is in the mouth and in the heart , and the servants of the lord handled , tasted , saw and felt the word of life , and from it spoke forth the scriptures , as they were moved by the holy ghost , through the eternal spirit , and it is an declaration of the word of life , which was in the beginning and endures for ever , and it declares what the saints received , believed , and enjoyed , and none can understand it without the same spirit that gave it forth , and to such who have the same spirit the scripture is profitable ; the word of god , which was in the beginning , and which endures for ever , is not the scripture which was not in the beginning , neither can it endure for ever , but the scripture testifies of that word , & that word witnesses to the scripture , and they are not contrary one to the other , but gives witness each of other , but many hath the scripture that hath not the word , neither knows it ; but they that have the word cannot but own the scriptures , and this is the truth as it is in jesus , testified to all the world by us , who doth deny them that hereof gives any other testimony . chap. xiv . concerning the devil and damnation , this testimony i give to all people . there is a devil which is out of the truth , who abode not in the truth , but is a lyar from the beginning , and the father of all evil doing , and the author of all unrighteousness , and whatsoever is contrary to god in thought , word , and action ; he is the enmity against god , and against all good , and by his power subverts creatures and things to another end , than wherefore they were created , even to the dishonour of the creator ; he is the god of this world , the prince of darkness , and he rules king in all the childern of the first ad●● , who are in evil ; he was the cause of the first transgression , and is the cause of disobedience to god to this day in all people , who are led by him , moving a●● them to envy , wrath , pride , whoredom , drunkenness , theft , and murther , and all the works of darkness , sin , and death ; he is the fountain and root of 〈◊〉 these , and the leader and ruler in the exercise of them , and of every evil wo●● and work whatsoever which are contrary to god ; he abode not in the tr●●● , and he hath led all mankind out of truth , into all deceit and unrighteousness , and into every evil way , and he dwells in darkness , & inhabits in thick darkness , and is out of the light , and is separate from the presence of god for ever , bo●●● in chains of darkness and ignorance , and unbelief , and he hath power in the earthly part of man , and a law in the members , and he possesses him that is born of the flesh , & his covenant is with him who is not born of the seed of god , who cannot sin , such are in covenant with god & renewed into his image ; but such as are not , hath the divil power in , to captivate and lead their minds into vanity , and their affections and desires into all that which is evil , by which the spirit of god , the creator of all things is grieved , and his soul vexed , and all murther , and deceitful works of the world , and all whatsoever is contrary to god i● words , thoughts , or actions is of the devil , that wicked one , and from him , and all that follow his movings , and worketh evil thereby , they serve him , a●● obey him ; he is their god , and their king , and they are his people , and hi● subjects ; he is their father , and they are his children ; he is their root , and they are his off-spring , and brings forth fruit unto him , and serves 〈◊〉 worships him , and not the true god that made all things ; and all such 〈◊〉 be cast into utter darkness with him , and shall have their portion with him in 〈◊〉 bottomless pit of darkness for ever and ever , where there is no end of woe , an● sorrow , and misery ; for in the anger of god , there the worm di●● not , 〈◊〉 the fire is not quenched , and out of that there is on redemption for the ●●clean ; and all such who are led of him who is out of the truth , and in evil , are judged , and condemned , and damned by him , who is the truth , who judgeth righteously ; and as he hath not ceased to work evil , and to draw the children of men into evil , for he continually tempteth to lead from god into rebellion against him . and they that are led by him are destroyed , and he shall not cease sorrow , wo , and misery for ever , as he hath not ceased to work evil , he liveth and moveth in the anger of god , his beginning was in it , and all his works are in it , and it shall be the reward of him , and all that obey him in the separation from gods everlasting presence , for ever and ever . chap. xv. concerning all creatures that god made , this testimony i give unto all the world. all creatures that god made in their creation and beginning was very good in his sight that made them , and unto man that was to use them , and no creature was evil or defiled in its creation , but mankind transgressing against his maker , he become evil , and did evil in the sight of the lord , and he being possessed with evil , and corrupted , he makes all creatures evil in his exercise of them , corrups them , and perverts them to another end than wherefore they were created , and by the creatures , dishonours the creator , ●…o should have honoured him by them , and they are become a curse unto man , and not a blessing , though in themselves are neither cursed , nor evil , nor defiled , but is become so unto man , because of his transgression and disobedience ; for he being in the curse and defiled , all things are so unto him , and in his exercise of them he is wicked , abusing them upon the lust to satisfie his devillish mind , and ruling over them in oppression and cruelty , and hard heartedness , and not in the wisdom of god , as he ought , and he subverts them out from their pure vertue , feeding his lust in pride and voluptuousness , with that which should keep him from hunger and nakedness , and so pleasing the lust in all things more than satisfying pure nature , and this ought not to be , for it is out of the covenant of god , in which all creatures were made , and in which they stand , except the creature man , who is degenerated out of gods covenant , and subverts all things to his own end , and not unto the glory of god , while he continues in that state unreconciled to god , but man being restored , and redeemed , and renewed again into covenant with god , through the condemning of the evil , then all creatures to him are restored , and made blessed , the curse being removed out of his own heart , the creatures are no longer cursed to him , but good and decent , and enjoyed , and received in the covenant , of god in the life and vertue by which they were created , and by the wisdom which they were made , man comes to order them , and exercise himself in them , and no more are they spent upon the lust , nor on the vain minde , nor ruled over in oppression , but all that is condemned , and all creatures are seen to be the lords , and the whole earth is his , and the fulness thereof , and the abuse of all creatures is ceased , and they are enjoyed in their pure vertue to feed and to cloath the creature , and not to be destroyed upon the lust , but for the healths-sake are they used to the glory of of the creator , and unto the end wherefore he created them , and are pure as they were in the beginning , and the blessing is felt which is more than all creatures . chap. xvi . concerning the new covenant , and how man comes to the knowledge of god , this testimony i give . the covenant of god is unity betwixt god and man , and a binding each to other , to serve each other , the one is bound to obey , and submit , and worship ; and the other to blesse , and keep , and lead , and perserve ; this covenant is established with his own seed for ever , and there is no teacher but god , all is taught of him , from the least to the greatest who are in this covenant , his just law is written in their heart to condemn all transgression , and his pure spirit is put into the inward parts , to be the rule and guide of life in all things , and none need to say , know the lord , but all knows him in the spirit , and worships him , and obeys him : and follows him in spirit , and in truth , and such are come into peace and reconciliation with god , and the covenant with hell and death is broken ; and in this covenant , there is no priest , nor offering , but christ jesus the high ●…iest of god , the one offering for sin , he takes away sin and makes intercession , and in it is no temple , but our bodies are the temple of god , and he dwells in us , and walks in us , and there is no circumcision , but the circumcision of the heart , which is the putting away of all the uncleanness of the flesh , nor in it there is no means of salvation , but christ the onely way the truth and life , and none comes to the father but by him ; he declares of the father , and there is no light but the light of the lamb ; all that are saved shall walk in the light of the lamb , and there shall be no need of any other light , no need of the light of the sun , nor of the moon nor of candle , but the lord is unto them an everlasting light , and god alone is their glory , and this covenant is for ever , and cannot alter nor change , but is sure unto the seed of his own inheritance ; but he that is born of the flesh hath no part in it , who is shut out from the knowledge of god , who is not known to the wisdom of this world , which is foolishness with god ; and the knowledge of god is received no other way but onely by the revelation of jesus christ , and by the working of the spirit of the father in the heart , he opens the blinde eye , and unstops the deaf ear , and changeth the heart , and causeth it to understand , and he removes that which hath stood in the way betwixt god and the creature , which hath caused ignorance in the creature , that the lord could not be seen nor perceived . christ jesus the second adam lighteth every man , and at mankind that cometh into the world , with the true light , but some hates the light , and they will not come to the light , least their deeds should be reproved , and their deeds are evil , and they are in a condemned state , and such cannot receive christ , nor the knowledge of god , but such who love the light with which christ hath enlightned them , they bring all their deeds to the light , and walk in the light , and their deeds are wrought in god , never to be condemned . and such as loves the light receives christ , and the knowledge of god , which is eternal life , and none comes to the knowledge of god , and of christ , any other way , but through the light of christ , and by the operation of the spirit of god , and evil is condemned out of the heart , and the heart is made clean by the word of god , and the knowledge of god is received into the clean heart , and not into the impure ; for without holiness none shall see god , nor ever come to the knowledge of him , neither can the knowledge of god be received by the traditions of men , or any outward observance in the will of man , but only by the teachings of the eternal spirit , is the living god known in the creature . chap. xvii . concerning faith , this testimony i give unto the vvorld . faith is the gift of god , and by it christ is received and enjoyed ; it is the substance of things hoped for , and the very evidence of things not seen , gives the creature to believe god in all what he hath promised ; all that which is acted and spoken in it , is well pleasing unto god , and that which is done without is sin ; it is the strengh of the creature to act for god , in all things ; it is that whereby the world is overcome , and all the powers of hell and death ; it is the armour against the devil , and the defence of all the children of god , by it they overcome all their enemies , and through it they reign over all the world , it carries through all sufferings and tribulations with joy and patience : faith is an act of god in the creature , through it peace and righteousness , and the crown of life is received from god , by faith all things are received , that are received of god by any of his children : he that hath faith sees and feels the lords presence at all times , and through faith we do and suffer gladly for the name of christ in all things ; and this is thus far our testimony given by the spirit of the father , of those things of which we have received the knowledge from god , who hath given us his treasure , and we have this treasure in earthen vessels , even the knowledge of those things which are eternal , which is not our own , but the lords , to give forth according to his movings , and of those things have we handled , tasted and felt. chap. xviii . concerning what vvorks are accepted of god , and what vvorks are not accepted , brought forth by the creature whatsoever work man is moved and led unto by the spirit of god , and guided and ruled in the practice of , to speak or act whatsoever , by the same spirit ( which moveth and leadeth into all the works of righteousness , and not into any evil ) this is acceptable in the sight of the lord , and these works are well pleasing to him : where the lord goes before , and is the leader in all things ; and this man , and his works who is led with the spirit of the father , is justified and accepted of god , and not for the creatures sake , who respects not the person of any , but for his own name sake , because they are wrought in him through faith , and is moved unto , and guided in by his own spirit , and they arise from gods righteousness revealed in the creature , and not from the righteousness of the creature ; for man being changed and replanted into the living vine , and the root being good , every work which springeth forth from it , is good also , and accepted of god , because the root is so : but whatsoever works are brought forth by any creature , though the same , in appearance , which are accepted of god from another , yet not being moved unto , nor guided in by the spirit of the father , but brought forth in the will and wisdom of the creature , which is from below , and acted in imitation from the saints words ; these works are not accepted and well pleasing unto god , but is offence unto him , and sin against him , even the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination unto him , and if a man come before the lord with thousands of rams , and ten thousand of rivers of oyl , and if he give the fruit of his body for the sin of the soul , and cover the alter with tears , and is not led with a measure of gods spirit , none of all these works are accepted ; nor his preaching , praying , baptism , nor breaking of bread , nor any other observances towards god whatsoever , are not good in his sight , but evil , and to be contemned , and the root from whence they spring ; because man is in the enmity against him , and not changed out of the old root , nor in that state is not led with the holy spirit of the father ; and the root being bad , the branches are evil ; and none are accepted of god in any thing which they perform towards him , but such as are in christ jesus , the second adam , and such are new creatures : so that it is not for the creatures sake that any work is accepted of , or offence against god , but only for his name sake , and because of being guided , or not of being guided with the measure of gods pure spirit : therefore is man , and his works good , and accepted ; or evil , and not regarded , but condemned of god. chap. xix . concerning mans state in the first adam , before conversion , and his state after conversion ; and what conversion is . mans state in the first adam , in transgression , is a state of perfect enmity against god , and death rigns in every man , and he is possessed with blindness and ignorance , and unbelief , and is wholly imperfect to receive the things of gods kingdom , or to act any thing for god , acceptable to him ; man in that state is wholly dead to god , and insensible of the presence , and power , and life of his creator , for he is drove from god , and is not led by him ; he hath no power to perform any good in the sight of god , but is possessed with evil , and led into all evil continually ; he is free from righteousness , and free to all evil , being the servant of the devil , and subject to him , and overcome of him every moment , and is led by him to transgress against the lord ; his heart is unclean , and out of it proceeds continually uncleanness , in all manner of words , thoughts , and actions , which flow out of the corrupt fountain , which grieve and vex the lord , and his spirit , who is dishonoured daily by man , through his abuse of gods creatures , who is a devourer and destroyer of them , and not a preserver as he ought to be , who abuseth them upon his lust , and not to the glory of the lord ; he loves the creature , and worships the creature , and is gone a whoring after the creature , and hath forgotten god , that made him , and all things , and hath lost his own dominion wherein he was set in his creation ; and his state in his transgression is cursed of god , and without the peace of god , it being in the enmity against him ; and in all things he is wholly unprofitable to his maker , and onely profitable to himself , and to the devil ; and this in short is the state of every man in transgression before conversion ; but his state after conversion is a state , more blessed ; for man is changed , and renewed , and translated by the power of the lord , through the working of the eternal spirit : through conversion , his mind is changed and his heart is renewed , the old is done away , and a new heart is given , and all things are become new , even every word and works , and every intent and purpose of his mind is converted into another end , and guided by another spirit , than before his conversion ; and man is again returned to god , into the sense and feeling of his maker , and into covenant with him , where he is blessed , and all things to him ; for the reconciliation is made with god , and the evil is judged and condemened , and sin is taken away , and blotted out , and not remembred : for man is become servant unto god , and onely serves him in all things , and not himself or any other creature in any thing , for he hath received power to become son to god , and hath received power over the devil and his temptations , and death is destroyed , and the effects of it are ceased , and the sting of it is taken away , and life and immortallity is brought to light , and man is made capable to act in all things , for the glory of his maker ; and god hath made christ wisdom to him , to rule him and guide him in all things , and righteousness , to cover him ; & justification to him , to clear him in his sight ; and the new man is brought forth , and the creating in christ jesus unto good works is known , and the birth which is heir of gods kingdom is witnessed ; and unto this man is the lord become an everlasting light , and a sure hiding place ; for he is not the servant of sin , but of righteousness , nor an offence to god in any of his works , but for his names sake is well pleased , with him ; he is his teacher in all the ways of peace , he is his helmet , and his shield , and his hope of salvation , and his shepheard to feed him and perserve him at all times ; though he may be tempted , yet he is not overcome , for god is his strength ; though he may be tryed , yet he is not forsaken of the lord ; though he may be cast into the fire , it is not to consume him , for the lord is with him ; all things he receives as from the hand of god , and all creatures he enjoyes in the covenant with god , and peace is in all his ways , for it is the lord that works in him both to will and to do of his own good pleasure ; and this is the state of the new man brought forth in conversion , which is a turning of the creature from the power of satan ( which rules in every man , before conversion ) to the power of god which is the ruler of every man that is truly converted ; and this is the truth as it is in jesus , which i have received from god , he that can receive it let him , and if any have an ear let him hear what the spirit saith ; this conversion of the creature is wrought by the spirit of god through the ministry sent of him , and even for this cause have we received the ministry of god through the holy ghost , that we might publish these things abroad , that all people may come to the knowledge of them , and may taste , and handle , and feel of the same word of life in themselves , which will reveal the knowledge of these things to them , that they may have fellowship with us , and truly our fellowship is with the father and with the son. and now be it known to all the world , and to all people in it , that the lord hath raised up a people , and brought forth a seed , to bear witness of his name , and of his dominion , and power in all the earth , and of these truths , with many more , which are but one in christ jesus , hath god given us the perfect knowledge of , even wrought them in us , and revealed them to us by the eternal spirit , and as that same spirit doth , and shall move in us , do we , and shall we bear witness of these truths unto all people upon earth whatsoever , both by doctrine and conversation , holding forth the testimony unto others which we have received of god , that christ may be exalted , and his kingdom set up in the world : and in comparison of this , that we may serve god in our generation , by bearing witness of these things , which we have heard and seen , nothing of this world , ( our liberty , our life , not any other thing whatsoever ) is dear unto us ; yea , even for this cause that the name of the lord may be testified of , do we give up our selves continually to suffer all manner of evil in words or works ; and we love not our lives unto death , that truth and righteousness may be exalted , and this is the cause wherefore we pass through many dangers on every hand , and are in perils often ; and we are not , nor cannot be afraid of the face of any man , even that the lord alone may be exalted , whose name , and honour , and truth is more dear unto us than any other thing ; and for it have we forsaken all , and counted it as nothing , in comparison of the knowledge of christ and his truth , herein declared and witnessed to the whole world , to whom it shall come , and the light of christ in every one shall give testimony to it , unto which i do onely commend my self and these truths to be witnessed . and know ye assuredly that god who is just and righteous in all his ways , it is he that setteth the way of life and the way of death before every man , and he hath appeared in this generation , and he hath caused his voyce to be heard in the earth , and he hath set the way of death and the way of life before you , and all that perish it is through unbelief ; and because they do despise the way which god hath prepared , who hath prepared a way for life and salvation unto 〈◊〉 people , that all may come to life and salvation , and may not perish ; and he hath not shut out any creature before he was brought forth into the world , but giveth to every one that cometh into the world , a day of visitation and a time 〈◊〉 repentance , and returning , that healing may be received from the lord , w●● is the restorer of lost man , and there is not another ; so that if man perish 〈◊〉 is of himself , and not of god , who hath so loved mankind , that he hath give● his son , his own wisdom and his power , into the world , that all that doth receive him ( christ jesus ) may have everlasting life , and they that receive him not , they perish because of unbelief , whereby they are hardened for destruction ; and unto such our gospel , the gospel of god , is hid , whose eye i● blinded by the god of this world , that they cannot see the things which be eternal , nor believe in him from whence life comes , and such are stumbling at chri●● the foundation , and therefore shall be broken , and must not inherit the kingdom of god ; and unto such though they be wise in the kingdom 〈◊〉 this world , are we become fools for christs sake , and our testimony cannot be received by them , nor approved of them , even them that seek after a sig● and them that seek after wisdom , to such we are not known , nor can our testimony be acceptable to them , which is not with enticing words of mans wisdom , 〈◊〉 in the demonstration of gods spirit , and in simplicity of truth , which is of gr●●● price with the lord , even above knowledg , and all wisdom which is of this wor●● which comes to nothing ; but the lord will confound that , and bring it to nothing ; for the world by its wisdom doth not know god , neither can it recei●● the things of god , but is foolishness in the sight of god , and the wisdom of t●● world must be offended in him , and in the testimony which is given of him , 〈◊〉 the princes of this world , and the wise men must stumble and fall , the powe● of the earth must be offended at him , that they may be confounded and broug●● to nought ; all the heathen shall rage , and the people shall imagine a vain thing but what of all this ? the testimony of the lord is true which he hath given us 〈◊〉 bear of his name , & of it we are not ashamed before the face of the whole world and we are armed to suffer for it , and not onely to subscribe to the truth of 〈◊〉 with our hand , or to declare of it with our tongue and pen ; but also , if we 〈◊〉 called to it , may seal it with our blood : wherefore this is sent among you all rulers , teachers , and people , in all the world , this is sent among you , as to gi●● you the certain knowledge of what we hold , and bear witness to , which is received of us from god , and born witness of , to you , by his spirit , even those thing● with many others , which we have not received from man , but from god , are 〈◊〉 purposed in the lord to declare abroad , and he hath put it into our hearts to 〈◊〉 his will herein ; for he hath spoken , who can but prophesie ; and he hath given 〈◊〉 word , and many are they that publish it in faithfulness against the kingdom 〈◊〉 the man of sin , which hath long been exalted in the earth over the seed of 〈◊〉 , which the lord is now a gathering , and establishing his covenant with , and ierusalem that hath long lain waste , shall be made the praise of the whole earth , 〈◊〉 the gentiles , which hath polluted her , shall be cast out , and the saints shall rejoy●● over all their enemies . and know you assuredly from us , who know the lord , that god is doing gre●●● things in the earth ; he is begun to work , and his arm shall bring it to pass ; he will overturn , and overturn , till he come to reign whose right it is , who will change times and things , even that which cannot be believed , though a man declare it unto you , is the lord bringing to pass ; the eye shall bless that sees it , and the heart shall praise that can understand , and behold the lord comes quickly , and they are blessed that wait for him , whose reward is with him , and his glorious work is before him to be wrought by his own hand without the help of any other ; who needs not the help of man ; and he that doth oppose him , shall be overthrown , confounded , and destroyed . and again , all ye kings , princes , rulers , and people whatsoever , know ye assuredly that we are not enemies against , but friends unto all civil government , and to all just and righteous orders and decrees , and wholsome laws and customs of any common-wealth , and no way are we destructive to , or destroyers of the peace , and welfare , and wholsome laws ( which is according to god ) of any nation whatsoever . but are preservers of the peace of all people , and wait in patience for the establishment of justice and true judgement ; and that righteousness may spring forth , and the government of all nations may be according to the law of god. neither are we such who makes void the just government of any nation or city : neither are we such who through evil purposes , plot , or conspire , or contrive evil in our hearts against any governours or government whatsoever ; but wish peace and truth , and the fear of the lord unto all men and nations , and desire not the overthrow or evil to any people , or their government : but are subject to just government everywhere by obedience to it ; and subject to evil government by suffering in patience under it ; so that righteousness alone we wait to see set up through the world , and for that cause suffer patiently under our enemies , not seeking revenge against them , nor envying the persons of any ; but pity our enemies , and desire their repentance rather than their destruction : yet this we give all to know , that the lord will be avenged on all them who hate the way of righteousness , and all that oppose the lord and his way , and despise his truth which he hath revealed ; they shall be confounded and broken to pieces , and shall confess to the lord , and his way , and his truth in the day of their destruction . again , let all the earth know , that against all unrighteousness , injustice , oppression , whoredom , murder and drunkenness , and all sin whatsoever ; we do declare and acknowledge our selves to be enemies against all sin , and they that commit it , and we cannot hide sin and iniquity in any , but give our testimony against it , and against all , that live in it , whatsoever , without respect to men or places , and cannot flatter any man in his transgressions , but say , that lying , swearing , drunkenness , covetousness , jniustice , dissimulation , hypocrisie , murder , and envy , lust of the flesh , pride and wantonness , and all the works of the flesh whatsoever , are contrary to god , and of the devil , and they that lives in them , and brings them forth , are the servants of the devil , and must not inherit the kingdom of god , who brings forth those works , which grieves the spirit of god , and vexes his righteous soul ; and this is that government onely , which is the government of sin and death , which we declare our selves enemies to , which is of the devil , and not of god ; and this is that government which we testifie against , and war against , by the sword of the spirit of god , and by his power , and not by the carnal weapons , or subtil conspiracies , or violent insurrections , for this way , and by this means , shall not the government of satan be overthrown , or the kingdom of christ ever exalted . again , let all the world know , that we are not such as disanul , or makes void the covenant , and bond of relations , or teach any so to do , or give any example , by our practice , to any subjects to be rebellious to their governors ; or children , to be disobedient to their parents ; or that servants be undutiful to their masters . but on the contrary , do say , and affirm it , that it is the duty of subjects , to be obedient , and subject in the lord to their rulers and governours , whether kings , dukes , or others , who have rule over them ; and also , that children should be obedient to their parents ; and servants to be dutiful , and subject to their master in the lord , in all things ; and that husbands and wives live in all unity and peace in the lord : provided onely , where rulers parents , or masters , or husbands require of their subjects , children , or servants , or any other whatsoever , requiring of their relations , that which is unjust , and contrary to god , and his righteous law ; in such a case we say , that subjects , children , servants , and all other whatsoever are free , and we say , where man requires any thing contrary to god , and god requires another thing contrary to man , the obedience to god is rather to be chosen , and the obedience to all m●… is to be denyed ; and this is our judgement , which is acording to truth , and i● the mind of god concerning subjection and obedience , and the duty of relations one to another . and lastly , know ye assuredly , that we do not hold and maintain any thing , by conversation or doctrine , but the very same truth in word and practice , 〈◊〉 all our fore-fathers did , but bears witness of the same salvation , by the same christ , as they did , and are not setters forth of strange gods ; for no other god is worshipped by us than he , which abraham , isaac and iacob , and all the rest of the servants of the lord in every generation worshipped , served and obeyed ; neither are we such as do maintain heresie , error , or idolatry , or the worship of any strange god , though hereof we are accused falsely , yet against us cannot it be proved truly ; and this we give the whole world to know , that no other end , or purpose , or design is in our hearts , but onely to fulfil the will of god in all things , as it is to us made manifest . even this is the resolution of our hearts , and the full purpose of our minds , to give testimony through the world , as we are moved , both by writing and declaring of these truths which to us is known from the lord , that truth and righteousness may come to reign ; and this may we do 〈◊〉 the lord provideth way for us , not fearing the face of any man , nor being afraid of the threatning of high looks ; and that we may finish the testimony given 〈◊〉 of god , our life , nor any other thing is dear unto us ; and all ye people every where , for your sake is this written , to come abroad amongst you , to give yo● warning , and true information of the work of the lord , and what he is about to do , that you may hear , and understand , and may receive the knowledge 〈◊〉 those things which belong to your peace , and may be saved with an eternal salvation ; or otherwise , through this are you wholly left without excuse , if yo● perish : and unto this was i pressed in spirit for many days , that all the world may be satisfied , what we are , and what we hold , and what the purpose of the lord is ; and i whom god hath warned , do warn all people upon the face of the earth , that you prepare , prepare to meet the lord , for his coming , and his day is nigh at hand , and his judgements shall be revealed in the earth , & all flesh shall tremble before him , and all the inhabitants of the world shall be confounded at his presence ; the proud shall be abased , and the poor shall be exalted ; the high and lofty shall be brought down , and the meek and upright shall be set up ; truth shall reign as king , and deceit shall utterly be confounded ; they that now suffer all manner of evil , for the name of jesus , shall possess everlasting freedom , and the dominion shall be in their hands , and they that now cause the just to suffer , shall go into endless captivity ; the seed of god shall spring forth and flourish , but the seed of evil-doers shall never be renowned : and betwixt these two seeds is an e●mity put , and they can never be reconciled , each seed hath his fruit , the one i● cursed and the other is blessed , and each seed is known by its fruit , and must receive from the lord accordingly . and this is the testimony of the servants of the lord , and the witness which they give unto all the world , of those things which we have handled , tasted , heard , seen and felt ; blessed are all they that can receive it . we are known to god in the spirit , and one to another in his life , and are known in the world by the name of quakers , cast upon us through the derisio● of the heathen . but quaking and trembling at the word of the lord , by the servants of the lord , we do own , when the power of god reacheth to the witness of god in the creature , which brings condemnation upon all high looks , and upon the lofty nature , which causeth the earthly part to tremble ; we do own , and many of us do witness , the quaking and trembling which is by the operation of the spirit of god , and the several operations by the one spirit we own : which brings down proud flesh , whose honour god will lay in the dust , and bring it to everlasting contempt , and when this comes to pass quaking shall not be a strange thing , nor the name reproached , as it is at this day by the proud spirits of men , who knows not the work of the lord , nor the operation of his spirit . moreover , and beside all this , let all the world know , that our conversion , life and practice is one and the same with what we hold forth in words , and that we give as large a testimony of god amongst us , by pure conversation , as doctrine , and do deny them who gives testimony in words only , and answers not in their conversation , for that is hypocrisie , & our souls loath it ; & it is abomination in the sight of the lord , where he is profest in words , and not walked to in purity and righteousness of life ; for righteousness being brought forth in the heart , works of righteousness will spring forth in the world , and where righteousness springs not forth in the world , and the fruits of the knowledge of god , it shews that righteousness is not in the heart , and that god is not known . also concerning our government , it is according to christ , whom we own to be head amongst us , and no other head we have , or do bow unto , and we are but members of his body , joyned to him , through the spirit , as head over us all , and the greatest of us , is but a member of christ , who is the head alone ; and we have not another , neither can we be subject to any other government , but his , or to obey any government , but what is justly according to his , whose government must be set up in the earth , and for it we wait , and labour , and travel , and counts nothing hard , but all things are easie to us , for this prise which is before us , even the government of christ to be set up , and all governments of men establisht according to it ; and this is our testimony which we give forth in words and practice , and if it be required can seal it with our blood. and this is written for no other end , but that you may be certainly informed , what we are , and what we hold , and what the lord hath done , and what he is about to do in all the earth , who is risen and hath said , ah! i will ease me of my adversaries . given forth by a servant of the lord , edward burrough . the vvofull cry of unjust persecutions , and grievous oppressions of the people of god in england , through the injustice of some of her rulers , and the wickedness of teachers and people , who hasten to fulfil the measure of their fore-fathers cruelty . with a lamentation over them all who reward the lord evil for good , and is a warning to them all for repentance ; shewing that the coming of the lord is nigh . and this may serve for an answer in full , to all such who have persecuted by violence , by word or writing the innocent people in scorn called quakers . with a short addition , which shewes unto all , the ground of persecution , in its first cause , and the enmity which is betwixt the two seeds is clearly discovered . reader , this is sent abroad into the world , that all people may see what is brought forth is this generation against the innocent ; who suffer cruel things for well doing , and not for evil ; and the words of christ are fullfilled , who said , as they have done unto me , so will they do unto you : and the time comes , that whosoever kills you he will think that he doth god good service . and this is now come to pass , according as he hath said , to our rejoycing , and to the sorrow of all our enemies . and as any is moved herein , this is to be given to the hands of the persecuters , and of them who have done evil against the lords people , as a gift unto them from a friend . of a truth the lord is arisen , and he hath caused the light of his countenance to shine forth upon his people , his day is dawned , and the brightness of his glory is shining forth as the sun at noon day , h●… everlasting arm is stretched forth to lead out of captivity his o●… chosen , the days of perfect freedom is approaching , he that brings health , peace and liberty to all nations is come and coming , who will restore the breaches , and subdue all things under himself , that he may raign for ever and ever , who alone is worthy ( for he hath all power in his hand , and he bring● to pass whatsoever he will , that all men and nations may fear before him , and tremble at his dreadfull presence , who hath power in his hand ) to change tim●… and laws , orders , decrees and governments , the hearts of all men he c●… turn what way he listeth , and he pulleth down one , and setteth up another , and whatsoever is in his heart to do , his power can bring it to pass : who would not fear before him and reverence his name ? who would not be afraid to offend him ? who giveth unto man breath and takes it away in a moment ; all nations are as the drop of a bucket before his eternal eye , he dwells in the high and holy place , and his habitation is high above the world ; be inhabits eternity forevermore , and yet abideth , and walketh , and dwelleth with the children of men , that fear his name and tremble at his word ; he hath been as a stranger , as one not known , for men have been seperated from him by transgression , and have been ignorant of his ways ; he hath been as one hidden for many ages , and hath been worshipped ignorantly , and hath winked in the time of ignorance , but now he calleth all to repentance every where : blessed are they that wait upon him , that they may know him , and their souls may live , and now the purpose of his heart , is to bring in his scattered people into the fold of peace , where christ jesus is the shepherd , and his people shall dwell in safety , and shall be a free people , to worship him , in the spirit and in the truth , and every yoke of bondage shall be broken , and the oppressed shall be set free , and christ shall feign , and his government , above shall be established over all the world , mans honour shall be laid in the dust , & the pride of all flesh shall be stained , and the glory thereof shall wither as a flower , the loftiness of all flesh shall be laid low , and the lord alone shall be exalted , and his people , which now are oppressed , shall replenish and fill the earth : all corrupt men and rulers their strength and might shall utterly fail them , and men that fear god and love righteousness shall take their place , and all things shall be changed , and the world shall be turned up-side down . but because of this is all the world troubled , and the heathen is on a rage , and the people do imagine vain things , and men of high degree , and low degree , and of all sorts , have set themselves against the lord , that they might stop the purpose of the most high , and their hearts within them burn because of envy , and the devil hath stirred up all sorts of people to work for him , and to uphold his kingdom and his power , he is come down in great rage , knowing that his time is but short , and hath filled the hearts of all his servants with despite and ravening envy against the seed of god. the heads of the people , they have conspired together against the lord , and against his truth ; and have decreed unrighteous decrees , that they might pervent the purpose of the most high. many of the rulers and judges , as members of the beastly power , rather than of jesus christ , have unjustly judged and falsly imprisoned and trodden under foot the meek and upright , who fear the lord , and walk in his way ; even such who have come from under the subjection of the worship and power of the beast , ( which all the world had wondered after ) ●ath the beast raised his force against . how many hundreds in this nation have been imprisoned falsly , and suffered grievous abuses unjustly for righteousness sake , and not for evil doing , as a testimony against this generation of judges and people , and for a testimony that they are of god , who have in pa●ience born the sufferings , and the cruelties of the wicked ; many have suffered ●he loss of liberty and riches , and some the loss of life , for the exercise of a ●ure conscience towards god , and for the kingdom of jesus ; many have ●uffered under the power of wicked men , for declaring against sin and iniquity , 〈◊〉 townes , steeple-houses , or high wayes , and for crying against pride , and ●anity , and idolatry , and coveteousness , and the wickedness of rulers , priests , ●nd people , whose deceits and transgressions hath abounded in this generation ; ●nd others have deeply suffered grievous cruelties , because they could not swear ●nd respect persons with hat or knee , and so were witnesses for the lord and his kingdom , which stands in righteousness ; and against the power and kingdom ●f the beast , which stands in iniquity , in fainedness and flattering titles , and ●isobedience to the son of god , and many hundreds are woful unjust and op●ressed sufferers at this day , by false imprisonment and spoiling of goods , because they cannot pay tythes , that abominable and crying oppression , by which the beast chiefly maintains his false prophets , and because the unchangable priesthood is witnessed , and the changable denied , and christ the light of the world followed , therefore is this suffering laid upon the just , and many are sufferers under hard tasks , because they cannot maintain the idol temples , and idol worships , and idol priests , which the power of antichrist upholds against the power of the son of god , and against the new covenant of life , where god in spirit and in truth is worshipped without respect of places , days , or men , or things ; and the true worshippers , they worship god in the spirit and in the truth , and cannot be subject to days , places , or things , appointed and ordained by the power of men and false prophets ; and how many unjust fines and false indictments have been most illegally charged upon the innocent , in many courts and judicatories through this nation , and all in the defence of the kingdom of the man of sin ; lest his authority should be abated , and the authority of christ jesus exalted ; many cruelties have been done , and injustice acted both by rulers and people , against such which no evil could justly be charged against , nor yet the transgression of any just law , by any one of them ; o! horrid grievances and cruel oppressions hath been brought forth in this nation , by such who should have eased the oppressed , and set at liberty the captives , such who should have judged justly the cause of the poor , and heard the call o● the oppressed , have turned judgment backward from the poor , and equity ha●… found no place to enter , but truth hath fallen in the streets , and justice a●… mercy have perished from among men , and the poor hath been oppressed , a●… they that have departed from iniquity have been made a prey to the mouthes 〈◊〉 devouring lions , for some of the judges have been as ravening wolves , and 〈◊〉 greedy devouring foxes , the lambs of christ have been chased by the wicked , and his power , for their lives ; o how have the oppressed groaned in this natio● under false judgment ? to ages and generations for ever , may it be record●… for a witness against this generation of cruel hearted men , whom the beast a●… false prophet hath raised in his defence , and against the kingdom of christ je●… and them that follow him , how full have the most part of the prisons in all th●… land been with guiltless sufferers under cruel bondage , with unjust dealings ; a●… false judgments , have gone forth from some of your mouthes , you that h●… been set to judge over the people , who should have been a terror to the wicked , but have rather strengthened the hands of evil-doers , and been a terror to righteousness , so much as is possible , the great whore which sits upon the beast , 〈◊〉 made your rulers drunk and stagger with envy , and hatred , and persecution , a●… works of wickedness against the upright ; wo is me for you , what have yo●… brought sorth ? even iniquity by decrees , and injustice by ordinances , a●… false judgment by laws ; alas , alas , your destruction cometh as an arm●… man upon you , was ever the like heard , or any persident in any generati●… before you , for imprisoning just men , for declaring against sin and the abominations of the times , as you have done many ; and for imprisoning men because they cannot put off their hats to you , and respect your persons , and 〈◊〉 transgress the law of god , and because they cannot swear , and so break chr●… command ? for this you have imprisoned many , and caused them to su●… because of this ; may not you fear and tremble before the lord god , a●… your faces gather blackness at this , when you consider it ? did ever any t●… were set to judge in the earth among men so abuse their power , and subvert 〈◊〉 so quite to another end than wherefore it was committed to them ? may 〈◊〉 shame cover you all , to commit men to prison for the exercise of pure conscience towards god , because they cannot swear , or respect mens persons , or maintain idol-shepherds , and idol-temples and worships , which are abominatio● to the lord ; and for taking peaceable men out of peaceable meetings , and out of their travel on the high-ways , and first whipping them , and sending them to prison , the example of this which you have done , never went before in any age , and therefore have you exceeded in oppression , in injustice , in cruelty and false judgment ; all your fore-fathers the pope nor bishops , hardly ever brought forth such things ; but the lord will reckon with you , and plead the cause of the oppressed against all you oppressors ; yea , and will give unto you a recompence of reward according to your works ; ye that have exalted your selves against the innocent , shall be brought down to the dust of misery , and the saints shall reign and rejoyce over you , when the kingdom of christ jesus the lamb shall be set up over you all , and your beastly power dashed to peeces as a potters vessel , when he whom you have persecuted , and his followers , shall rule with a rod of iron , and break you asunder ; and this shall surely come to pass , therefore consider it , ye that thus deal in your anger against the lord and his chosen , for the lamb shall get the victory over the beast , and over you all that seek to defend him , and that strive under his power ; for they that are with the lamb are called , and faithful , and chosen : o! therefore be awakened , be awakened , ye heads ; and judges , and rulers of the people , remember and repent , the lords hand is stretched forth against all oppressors , and his wrath is kindled against the wicked one and his power , to overthrow his dominon which long hath reigned in the nations , and now though he seeks to defend himself against the lamb and his followers by injust dealing , yet the out-stretched arm of the lord shall bring deliverance to his chosen , who have been made havock upon , in their liberties , and in their estates , some cruelly suffering in prison , and others by spoiling of their goods , and none of these for evil-doing , but upon false suspitions , and envious jealousies , and secret surmisings , without any ground of occosion given ; but by wickedness have many of you sought occasion to make offenders , by laying snares for the feet of the harmless and innocent ; you have made men offenders for a word , and perverted innocent words and actions , that you might make to your self a ground to persecute , and have sought a cloak to cover your cruelty in the sight of men , but naked and bare are your hearts made manifest in the sight of the lord , who hath looked down from heaven , and considered these things , and hath regarded the unjust sufferings of his people whose liberties , and estates , and good names have been spoiled through injustice , by grievous burthens laid upon some , because they could not pay tythes ( that hainous oppression ) to satisfie the unmercifullness of cruel men ; and many suffers at this day , unjustly in the sight of god , and illegally also in the sight of men ; and some suffer the spoiling of their goods , rather by way of robbery and theft , than by just execution of judgment in proceeding of just law ; this can largely be witnessed , and this is brought forth by subservant officers to you that are set to judge , and you to them are evil examples , and strengtheners of their malicious hands , some of them are not ashamed to take six times the value of what is unjustly claimed for the use of a false teacher and deceitful hireling who rides upon the beast , and make you their servants to oppress the poor , to uphold them and maintain them in their pride and vanities , but the lord hath considered these things , and he hath numbred the oppressions against you , wherewith the just have been grieved and oppressed under you , he hath counted this cruelty and recorded all your unjust dealing , which you have ( or suffered to be ) brought forth , yea the day of account hastens and the tearm draws near upon you , wherein the just and righteous judge of heaven and earth will call you to account who will plead the cause of the poor , and of the unjust sufferer , and oppressed , against all you oppressors ; for the cry of the innocent against you , and the begging of the poor is heard , which calls for vengeance upon you . in the record of justice , what account will you give to the highest-power , who rules over heaven and earth , for imprisoning just men for crying against sin , and declaring against the wickedness of this age ; this shall be proved against you in the day of the lord ; is your answer ready , or will not your mouthes be stoped and you speechless , when righteousness it self pleads against you ? and what can you plead for fining men , and imprisoning them , for not respecting your persons , and bowing with hat and knee , and because they could not swear ; this hath some of you done ; will you have any thing to say in the cause of these things , when christ jesus comes to reign and his saints with him , unto whom the government and the authority , and rule shall be given : though now they are persecuted , and as the refuse of men accounted by you , unto whom they are become a prey , to act your oppression and cruelty upon ; and because they render nor evil for evil , therefore is the impudency of some men the more encreased , and their hardness of heart enlarged ; and because judgment is not speedily executed , therefore are the hearts of some men set in them to do evil . o! what a sad reckoning in that day , and what large indictments and verdicts for your oppression , will be read against you , and proved to be just in the sight of god and men ; a sad thing will it be upon you , when laid to your charge by the lord , for causing men to suffer because they could not swear , nor respect persons , nor uphold the deceits of false worships and teachers , nor cease to cry against sin , in your towns and steeple-houses . o! be stirred up out of your security ; you heads , and rulers , and judges , and officers , even all you be awakened who have turned your sword against the peaceable , and been a terror to righteousness as much as you could , which you ought not to have been , and so your power you have abused , and subverted it to another end than wherefore it was committed to you : instead of defending the upright you have offended him ; and instead of being a terror to the wicked , his hand , hath been strengthened through your wicked presidents ; this is the truth , as the light in all your consciences shall witness in the day of the lord ; o! how hath justice and true judgment been neglected , and oppression and cruelty abounded , the like in generations past hath not been known , but the lord is now arisen , and hath said , i will ease m● of my enemies , and take vengeance upon my adversaries , who have done wickedly against him and his people , till the patience of the lord is near an end , and his long suffering finished , and his judgments will he make known upon his enemies in this generation , that ages to come forever may be warned not to oppress the innocent , as these have done by false accusations , and unjust judgments , and wicked proceedings ; and because of it , the wrath of the lord is kindled , and his viols of indignation shall be poured upon the beast , and upon the false prophet ; and all their power shall be smitten in one day . and o what wickedness hath abounded in the people also , to help up the measure of the rulers sins , that they may receive their recompence together ; how have the people of all sorts abused the innocent lambs of christ , whom he hath called ? what beatings , and stonings , and bruisings , and other abuses , in towns , and high-ways , and steeple-houses ; its hard to be expressed , and large to be declared : some have been wounded nigh unto death , others bruised till blood have gushed out , and others cast down in the dirt , and punched with feet , and troden upon , and many have been in danger of their lives ; some have been knocked down with staves , and their cloaths-rent , and their hair torn off their heads ; and some have been pursued after , with throwing stones and dirt at them ; and many haled , and tumbled , and lugged , and hurried up and down in cruel manner , to the danger of life , and oppression of the creature ; and others have been whipped , and lashed , and put into cruel torment of their bodies , by engins framed of purpose to torment the bodies of the harmless , as chester and carlile may witness ; and others have been haled before rulers , and falsly slandered to the taking away of life , if the lord had not prevented more than the mercy of men , and having been unmercifully and unjustly sent to prison , there have they suffered cruelties from the goalers or their servants , by beatings , or punishings , or threatnings , or cruel words , and casting into dungeons , and great abuses shamefully acted upon them ; and other prisoners have made a prey upon them , by taking away their cloaths and meat , and beating of them , and abusing them divers ways , & murtherers have had more priviledge of freedom in prisons , and in tryals , than these who are innocent ; and those things thus acted contrary to their own law , have passed without reproof from many in authority , though it hath been brought to their door , and in this manner have the children of god , the lamb and his followers been persecuted without cause , or any evil works brought forth by them , and legally proved against them ; but for well-doing , and not for evil , have the wicked vented their malice against them , that the more the beast and his power hath fulfilled wickedness , the sooner may be his destruction . and o what scorning , and reviling , and lying , and slandering , and evil speeches with mockings , and cruel words of envy , and tearms of cruelty against the innocent , hath this generation brought forth in this day , wherein the dragon with his angels hath joyned battel against the prince of righteousness , and they that follow him ; and whole gog and magog is gathered together , to compass the camp of the saints about , and to fight against the beloved city , the judges and rulers , with their train of subservant officers , as bayliffs , clarks , goalers , constables , with all that to those belonged , have with a high hand persecuted , and laid oppressions by hard-heartedness , upon the backs of the poor and distressed , and the scorners , and ●iers , and prophane wretches have bent their tongue against the just , in uttering lies , slanders , reproaches , back-biting , nick-naming , and false-accusing , and all manner of evil speeches , and false reproaches , and the just have been burthened by all this ; and thus they that have been departed from iniquity have been a prey to rulers to act their injustice upon , and to the people to utter their slanders , and to do cruelty against ; and the teeth of evil-doers have been set on edge , to bite and devour , and to satisfie their maliciousness upon the sufferings of the upright people ; and from the judge upon his throne , to the begger upon the high-way , all have had their hand dipped in this cause of cruel and unjust persecution , and the lord hath considered and harkened from his holy habitation , and numbered up the sum of all your iniquities that he may repay and recompence upon your heads ; wo unto you unjust judges , and corrupt men , who have abused your power . and wo unto all that do oppress by hard dealing , who have offended the just , and defended the unjust : wo unto all you scorners , lyers , back-biters , and repoachful tougues ; the lord is coming to take an account . your sins cry for vengeance against you , and though your hands and tongues have been strengthened to speak and act ungodliness , by the evil example of your rulers , yet your own iniquity shall you bear in the day of the lord , and though your rulers and judges have been strengthened in their unjustness and mercilesness , by the false lying teachers and diviners of false visions , which have seen vanity , yet their own iniquity shall they bear , and every man shall die for his own sin ; wo unto your teachers , they have eaten up the sin of rulers and people , and covered iniquity and transgression , by flattering and lying words ; they have daubed with untempered morter , and healed up the wound deceitfully , and cryed peace , peace , to the wicked , that have walked in the imaginations of their own hearts , when unto such the lord never spake peace . and now whereas the rulers and people have stretched forth their hands to vex the lords people , & have through unjust judgment , and grievous oppressions , and unmercifull dealings , troden the innocent under foot , and made them a prey to their mouth , and divers ways have persecuted in cruel manner the followers of the lamb ; yet also have the wise men of this world , even the priests and teachers , who have led the people , and have caused them to err , and have set themselves as in battel array against the lord and his way and people ; how have you hardened your hearts , and made your fore-head as brass , against the word of the lord , and you have been as the fountain of all this wickedness acted against the just , and strengtheners of the hands of ungodly men ; the heads and rulers you have strengthened in their cruelty , of false judgments by your arguments of strife ; in subtilty you have been as nursers of all this persecution and wickedness , and have interceded for oppression , to cause the just to groan , whom the lord hath raised to testifie against you ; the judges they have given regard unto you , and the people they have taken you for examples , who have been cursed presidents to the rulers and people , who have followed your cruel steps of malice and envy ; and from the head to the tail , they have drunk in your , poysonous doctrines ; and made themselves drunk therewith , and out of reason , in their furious zeal of madness , and all have taken council together to slay the harmless from off the face of the earth ; some by false judgment and oppression , and others by cruel abusings , as beatings , and stonings , unheard of , or unequalized in generations of late . o ye priests , and teachers , and wise-men , and scribes ! how many of you in this nation joyned hand in hand to betray the innocent , by your false doctrines and lying divinations , and have filled , ( and sought to do so ) the mind of the people with slanders and false reproaches , & lying imaginations , and many conceptions , and jealousies against the people of god ; many of you have made it your study-work , to bring forth evil by cunning arguments , to suggest into the hearts of people , that they might not enter the kingdom , and even so have you been shutters of the kingdom of heaven against men , and would not enter your selves , nor suffer others that would . wo unto you , you have taken away the key of knowledge , and lost it , and multitudes of false aspersions , and lying assertions have you brought forth without fear , by wicked consequence and lying productions , that you might take away the key of knowledge thereby , and hide it from men , and lay stumbling-blocks of iniquity before the people , to stop the way of the upright , and you have travelled to seek occasions of evil against the just , and watched for the halting of the innocent , that you might glory and rejoyce in their fall , and without any occasion , by words or actious , you have taken offence , and made offences by evil surmisings , to blind the eyes of people , that your idolatry might not be discovered , nor the way of righteousness shine forth . o be ashamed and repent , for to account must you come , and the sin of rulers and people , whom you have blindy led , will be charged against you , who have given them wicked examples , of cruelty in your pulpits ; you have spent time in railing , and slandering , and lying , to infuse evil into the minds of men , against the truth , and many books have you given forth , and sent abroad from your lying pens , outof your vain studies , of false prophesie , and mens hearts have been filled with your damnable doctrines of devils , wherewith the simple have been poysoned , and the innocent betrayed ; even great numbers of books , and lying scroules have gone through the nation from some of you , filled with false divination , and intents of evil , against the way of the lord and his people , and worse than balaam , and far exceeding him have you been : you have sought e●chantments to curse the people whom god hath blessed altogether , and some of you have done it to your evil reward of your evil work : and you have not known that there is no divination against the holy seed . o● what will become of you when the lord is arisen to plead with you 〈◊〉 these things , the cruelty and oppression of the rulers shall be added 〈◊〉 your account , and the sin of the people which you have swallowed down , it shall be laid to your charge ; for you have strengthened the hands of evil-doers , so that none could turn from his evil way , but have by y●… been hardened therein , and from you prophaness have gone forth to the ends of the earth . woe , woe , is approaching , what account will yo● render in the day of the lord ? you will all be speechless in that day , wh●… the swift witness doth arise ; therefore to all you i am moved to write , who have set your selves to gain-say the truth , and to write against the people of the lord , whom you call quakers , who walk in the truth , and have received the truth from the lord , whom you have reproached and slandered in secret , and also in open print , in the face of the world , and have laid many cruel and false charges and accusations against them , and to all that hath , or ever shall hereafter bend your tongues and pens , to utter wickedness and falshood by writing or otherwise . repent , and cease your wickedness , for the wrath of the lord is kindled against you , and take this for an answer in full to all your books , and false reproaches ; we are of god , and he that is of god heareth us , and the whole world lies in wickedness , and we have the testimony that we please god ; and he is our god , and we are his people , and he hath chosen us , and we have chosen him , and the name of the lord is our strength , and his covenant of life is with us , and among us hath he fullfilled his promise , and his spirit is poured forth , and sons and daughters do prophesie , and one king reigns upon mount sion , and the night to us is far spent , and the day is dawned , and the darkness of the night , which long hath overshadowed the world , in which no man could work is from us fled , and the marvellous light is risen , and we are them whom god hath gathered according to his promise , ezik. . from the mouthes of idol-shepherds which once made a prey upon us , and the glory of the lord is revealed , and the time is come of restoration , and of bringing back out of the captivity of darkness , where all have lain , with a vail of darkness spread over all their faces , and we are eye-witnesses of his glory , and it is given us to taste , and feel , and handle the word of life , which lives for ever ; therefore i say unto you all , it is a little thing to us , and not respected , to be reproached by you ; our life you cannot reach , nor our glory deface , and you we know to be them who god never sent , but must fulfill your measure of wickedness , till the time of your overthrow , which draws near upon you all , and despisable shall you be to all that fear the lord , and love his ways , for your nakedness and shame shall be uncovered , and them that have loved you shall be filled with the indignation of the lord against you , all your writings , and books , and lyes , and slanders , and false reproaches uttered in publick and private , shall go into the pit from which they came , and shall return upon your own heads , and when your vail of slanders and false aspersions is taken off , then shall we ( as we are ) appear , and till then all your evill brought forth against us we bear in patience , and love your revilings rather than your praise ; wherefore with shame put off your armour , and lay down your crownes , and stop your mouthes in the dust , and bow and tremble before the just god , and before the lamb , who is risen to make war against the beast , and against you his false prophets , whose generation must grow feeble , and become weakness in this the day of the lord ; your time is at an end , wherein it was given you to reign , and to seduce and deceive the nations ; and now shall the son of god be exalted , and the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of christ : hear and consider this , all ye that exalt your selves against the lord and his way , and are established in the throne of unrighteousnes , under the beastly power ; if any man hath an ear to hear let him hear ; the light is risen , and these things are made manifest , and with the light of the world , in all men shall they be witnessed to be truth , and the state of things as they are at this day ; and if you can discern the times , and the signes of times , and the changing of times , here you may read and understand ; blessed are all that have an ear to hear . to all ye heads and rulers , judges and magistrates , mayors , bailiffs , goalers and constables , and all others whatsoever , governors , priests and people , who have , and do persecute the children , and servants of the lord , the saints of the most high god , who feareth the name of the lord , and walketh in his way , who are not of this world , but redeemed out of it , and are despised among men , as all the generation of the just every where ; to all you persecuters and violent doers , this is a word from the lord god : repent , repent , for evil have you done in his sight , and vext his soul , and grieved his spirit , and heaped up wrath against the day of wrath , and multiplyed your transgressions , and the measure of your iniquities are well nigh filled up ; ye have set your selves against the lord , and your hands you have strengthened against his people , you have rejected the day of your visitation , and you have not regarded the day of your salvation , you have plainly made it manifest that you are of that generation which killed the just , and that you are of the seed of evil-doers , the works you have brought forth do plainly declare that you will not have christ to reign amongst you , nor his government to rule over you , who have thus persecuted the innocent without cause , by false imprisonments , and false judgments , and hard dealings , and reproachings , and revilings ; consider your ways , and what you have done , search your hearts , and let it take place in you all , how have you persecuted the just , how have you stretched forth your hands and dealt cruelly and violently with the meek of the earth ? how have you troden under-foot the poor and needy , and greatly oppressed the upright hearted , who have not rendred evil for evil , but forgiven you , & prayed for you , & wished well unto you , and born in patience ( without complaining ) ●…ll your injustice and cruelty , and have not sought vengeance against you , even such hath god chosen more than many , and them you have despised and persecuted more than any , and laid heavy bonds of oppression upon them , and doubled their task through your hard-heartedness , least the seed of god should grow ; grieveous yoaks have you laid upon it by false imprisonments , and unjust fines , and illegal proceedings , by beatings , halings , abusings , reproaches , and revilings , all manner of evil have been acted and spoken against the generation of the just by you , and under you in your judicatories and jurisdictions , in your corporations , high-ways , towns , and goals , and other places . o! consider what you have done ? and suffered to be done under you ; lay it to heart what havock of the people of the lord in their persons and estates , and what cruelty exercised upon them through your rebellious hearts , without any evil justly charged upon them , or breach of any law justly proved against them , for well-doing , and not for evil have you caused them to suffer : 〈◊〉 crying against iniquity , and reproving sin in the gate , & for bearing witness 〈◊〉 the truth , and against all unrighteousness which abounds in this generation ; such have you falsly judged to be offenders , and cryed a confederacy agai●… them , and strengthened the hands of the wicked , and caused the innocent● groan . o! what will you do in the day of your visitation , when the lord aris●… to plead with you ; to whom will you fly for refuge , and to whom will you cry 〈◊〉 deliverance ? shall not the lords soul be avenged upon you , yea from the least of you to the greatest ? you shall feel his hand of judgment , even all you who ha●… had your fingers dipped in the unjust sufferings of the dear servants of the lord ▪ whom he hath called to place his name with for ever , who are his faithf●… witnesses in this perverse generation , and by your persecuting of them ha●… you proved them to be the people of god , in the sight of all nations ; and it 〈◊〉 for a testimony unto them , that they are of god ; and against you , that you 〈◊〉 of the devil ; and christs words are fullfilled upon them , to their rejoyci●… and to your sorrow , who said , the time comes , that they shall speak all 〈◊〉 evil falsly , and persecute you , and think they do god service that kills you , 〈◊〉 casts you from among them ; and the devil shall cast some of you into prison . and th●… things you have done , and fullfilled christs words against your selves , for 〈◊〉 witness against you , and to shew that you are enemies to christ , and to his kingdom , and that you will not have him to reign ( as i have said ) : therefore wh●… he reigneth , he shall say , bring hither those mine enemies , and slay them before me . o! what will the just judge of true judgment , the god of heaven and earth render unto you , when he ariseth to plead the cause of the poor and needy , and to deliver his inheritance from under your oppression into perfect freedom ? what account will you give in that day , when he brings swift destruction upon you ? and wherewith will you answer him when the secrets of your hearts are made manifest , and when the true witness in you all is awakened , which will bring to your remembrance all your cruel and unjust dealing , and all your bitter and hard speeches which in your envy you have brought forth against the lord and against his people ? what will be done to you his enemies , when christ jesus , whom you have persecuted , comes to reign in his kingdom , and subdues the kingdoms of this world , and changeth them into the kingdoms of the lord , and his christ , and the saints which you have oppressed , receives the authority and dominion ? it shall be said , all that would not that christ should reign , slay them before him ; when it shall be given to the saints to bind kings in chains and nobles in fetters of iron , and to execute upon the heathen all the judgments written ; for behold all ye stout hearted , the lord cometh in ten thousand of his saints to judge the world in righteousness , and you shall be convinced of all your ungodly deeds ; for the scriptures must be fullfilled ; and as you have done , even so will it be done unto you , when the suffering of the righteous is finished , and your wickedness come to an end ; when the lord shall reign , you shall lick the dust off his feet , and all the persecuters of christ shall be trodden down as mire , and the righteous shall rejoyce over them , and the lord shall mock when your fear and calamnity comes , which come suddenly , in a day when you expect not ; how shall the lord pardon you for this ? you have sinned against knowledge , and gone on after warning , and hardened your hearts after reproof , and the day of your visitation you have greatly slighted ; ye rulers have abused your power , and ye subjects have abused your subjection ; and now consider what god did in generations past unto the rebellious children , what he did to pharaoh and all his hosts , when his long suffering was finished ; how did pharaoh harden his heart , and his cruel task-masters oppress the righteous , even as you have done , and they would not let israel go free to serve the lord , but they kept them in bondage ; and this way you walk , who exercise cruelty as they did , and laid heavy burthens upon the innocent grievous to be born ; cruel task-masters have you been over the heritage of the lord , and in pharaohs example of wickedness have you walked , fulfilling his measure of cruelty , and pharaohs example shall you follow in a cursed end ; remember how the loftiness of his heart was bowed down , and how his proud heart was abased in the day that god pleaded with him in his righteous judgments , he and all his task-makers were confounded in a day , and the bondage of the righteous was broken in a moment , how was his whole strength of tyranny overturned and turned into weakness , the righteous were delivered , and he and all his train overwhelmed in one day , and thus shall it come to pass upon you : therefore consider this , all ye that fullfill the measure of iniquity , suddenly will the righteous god be awakened to take vengeance upon you , and the just shall not always groan under your bondage , for he that looketh from the heaven hath pity upon the distressed , for whom now his arm is stretched out to bring deliverance unto them , and all their enemies will be confounded , who have this long time ploughed long furrows upon the back of the righteous , the oppression ; and cruelty , and injustice , brought forth in this nation , it calls for vengeance from heaven . alas , alas , woe is me for you , you heads , and rulers , and judges of england , what have you done and suffered to be done ( under you ) against the innocent people of god , who is as dear to him as the apple of his eye ? for they be written on the palms of his hands , and because of the cry of the poor and the needy will the lord arise and plead their cause . oh consider , and let it enter into your hearts , the cruelty and injustice that hath been brought forth in this land , and remember what god did unto all the persecuters of old , how was their strength consumed , and they overturned and destroyed , what did he to pharaoh and all his host , who persecuted the seed of god ? how was he destroyed and the righteous set free ; and what was done to haman ? how was he justly rewarded , who persecuted the innocent seed of god ? what did god to herod and all his people who persecuted the innocent ? and remember what he did unto them that persecuted the three children , and them that persecuted daniel , how did they fall into the pit which they had digged for another , and how were they destroyed , and the innocent delivered , considered and remember these things , ye that suffer the just to groan by you . search through the records of old , and search what god hath done unto all them that lifted up their hand against him and his people , and is he not the same at this day , his hand is not shortened that it cannot save his people , and destroy his enemies , his ear is not dull of hearing that he should not understand this unjust suffering of his people , though you live carelessely in pleasure upon earth , while the innocent mourns , yet doth the lord regard , though you spend your time in pleasure , and delight your selves in vanities all the day long , yet the lord hath taken it to heart , and his spirit is grieved that his innocent servants should lye in holes and dungeons to be trodden upon , and be accounted as the off-scouring of all things , hardly thought worthy to have a place on the earth . oh remember these things , ye that are high minded , and consider what god did to the bishops and their crew of persecutors in this nation , your selves are witnesses how the lord overthrew them , and delivered his people in a few years time ; and as little as you , did they think , that they whom they persecuted should so soon come to have reigned over them , the lords hand was then against oppressors as it is at this day , do you think the lord hath forgotten or that he takes no notice of what is come to pass , how should he forget his people to save them , or his enemies , that he should not recompence them ; but know ye assuredly that the lord is the same , and all those things are written in a book , and remembred by him , and he will judge justly and righteously in his dreadful day ; ah , let it enter into your hearts , serve not your selves altogether in the pleasures of this world , but serve the lord , and this he requires of you , let the oppressed go free , and break every bond , whereby the innocent do suffer , and this the lord requires at your hands ; oh but i feel great hardness of heart , and rather a strengthening of cruel bonds , than a breaking of them , and you appear rather to be given up to work wickedness , and to fullfill the largest measure of them that went before you , than otherwise , unrighteous decrees are rather established than disannulled . oh , what will be the end of these things ! and what will be your judgment when the lord awakens himself , as out of sleep , who hath left you to follow your own spirits , to try you , that it might be known unto all what is in your hearts ; and behold perverseness lodges in them ; and while the lord hath looked for justice amongst you , even the cry of oppression hath been heard , even a grieveous cry of unjust persecution and violence against the seed of god , and once you would have been ashamed of those things which now you act without shame ; so that which is in your hearts is poured forth in the sight of the world. oh ye rulers of england , the rulers of the heathen shall rise up is judgment against you , even they that never professed so much as you have done ; they shall be rather justified than you , whose wayes have been more equal than yours , and less cruelty brought forth by them than by you , unto their subjects ; and this makes your sin more great , in that many of yo● were raised from low estate , and you have exalted your selves more than is meet , and have caused your very equals to groan under you , by the heavy yoak which you have prepared for them ; well , but the lord hath listned and heard , and a book of remembrance is written , and he will repay into your bosoms ; the time is not long when the lord may scatter you , and give you unto the will of your enemies ; therefore be awakened , and warned , the day of your visitation is upon you all . oh england that thou hadst known in this thy day , the things that belong to thy peace . oh that thy rulers and people had known how that the lord hath called unto them . oh that they had considered-how that his hand hath been stretched forth all the day long , and he would have gathered them , as a shepherd doth his flock , but they have n●… known , neither have they considered , and therefore that which belongs to their peace will the lord hide from their eyes , the day of their visitation is spending apace , and the night will come , and no man shall be able to work ; and because the lord hath called and you have not heard , therefore shall you cry and the lord will give no answer . oh nation , thou art filled with oppression , and griveous iniquities ; and from the head to the foot thou bearest marks of great abominations ; in thee is found lamentable oppression of the poor ; and great and grieveous idolatries ; and gods rightous soul is vexed in thee day by day , the just groans and mourns under the heavy hand of oppressors , many of thy goales do witness it , where many innocent and upright people have suffered unjustly the loss of their freedom , without any ground , or charge of evil laid upon them . oh what have thy rulers done , judgment and justice have they turned backward , the cry of the poor hath not been regarded , and equity hath not found a place to enter . who would have thought that you , who have been so high in profession of the scriptures , should thus have dealt with them who are in the life of the scriptures , this agravates your sin , in that none hath been like you in profession of religion , and in pretences of righteousness ; and yet you have exceeded others in persecuting ( and suffering of it ) the servants of the lord , but it is now made manifest what lodgeth in your hearts ; under your fair covers of promises , words and shews , what deep hypocrisie is this that you should profess liberty of conscience , and yet have persecuted hundreds for the exercise of their pure consciences . is not this to be taken notice of , that you should profess that which you do not perform ? and will not the lord plead with you because of it , in his dreadful day ? which is hastening upon you , as a thief in the night , and the wicked shall not escape ; do you not think that he whom you persecute in his members , and his members , shall surely reign over you ? do not you know that he is sufficient to avenge himself of all his enemies ? and do not you believe that he could command thousands of thousands to fight for him , and to revenge his cause ? hath the consideration of these things no room in your hearts ; or are your hearts wholy shut up from all compassion towards the lords people ? surely to vengeance will the lord be awakened , and he will tread you down as mire in the streets ; and as you have done , and suffered to be done to the lords people , even so shall it be done unto you . there are only two seeds in the world , and there are but two and no more ; to wit , the seed of god , and the seed of the serpent ; and these two are contrary one to the other , in their bringing forth , in their time , and in their ends ; they differ in their nature , in their fruits and works , and in their reward ; and these two are at continual enmity one against another , and never was , is , or shall be reconciled , the life of one is the death of the other ; and where the one doth live , the other doth dye ; and where the one rejoyceth , the other is made sorrowful ; and where the one is in freedom , the other is in bondage ; and where the one is ruler , the other is a slave and in captivity ; and thus are they contrary : where the one brings forth fruit , the other is barren ; and the one is rewarded with the overthrow of the other , and the one of these is ruling in every creature man and woman , and growing and bringing forth fruit from it self , through the creature ; and the fruits of the one is blessed for ever and the fruits of the other are cursed for ever ; and betwixt these two there is no concurrence or agreement in any thing whatsoever , but they differ in likeness , and their fruits differ in appearance ; the fruit of the one is love , and peace , and unity ; the fruit of the other is hatred , and envy , and trouble , and enmity ; the fruit of the seed of god in the creature , is truth , and righteousness , and faith , and patience , long-suffering , and temperance , and joy , and peace in the lord , with all other things which are good , and just , and pure ; but the fruits of the seed of the serpent are of another nature , as lying , theft , murther , dissimulation , drunkenness , and whordoms , hypocrisie and all unrighteousness , which is not according to god , but contrary to him ; and by these several fruits proceeding through the creature , do we know every creature , and so judge of him to be the child of god , or the child of the devil in the election , or in the reprobation ; for through whom the fruits of the seed of god doth spring forth , we know such are not of the devil ; and through whom the fruits of the seed of the serpent do spring forth , we know such are not of god. and these two seeds are now striving in the earth , the one against the other , and they in whom the seed of god rules are persecuted by them in whom the seed of the serpent rules ; for they in whom the seed of god rules are born of god , and of his spirit ; and they in whom the seed of the serpent rules are born of flesh , and minds the things of the flesh , which shall not endure for ever ; and so every one that is born of the flesh , is of the seed of the serpent , or the seed of the serpent rules in him ; and every one that is born of the seed of god , the seed of god rules in him ; such are persecuted for righteousness sake , by the seed of the serpent , which is at enmity against the seed of god , which cannot fulfill the will of the serpents seed , nor be subject to his laws ; for the seed of god cannot be subject to the serpents seed in any thing , but is subject to god , and not to any thing that is contrary to him ; but rather suffers imprisonment , and cruelties , and bonds , under the serpents seed , than in the least to bow to it . so this is the ground of all persecution and enmity , which is betwixt the two seeds , which seeks the overthrow each of other , but who are of the seed of god , knows that they are of god , and that the whole world lyes in wickedness ; under the government of the seed of the serpent ; and such where he seed of god is brought forth , hath the testimony in themselves that they are of god , and have believed in the son of god who is the light of the world , and knowes him to be the foundation and the rock of ages , and the gates of hell cannot prevail against him , nor the enmity of the serpents seed overcome him , nor they that are builded on him ; and this is a testimony for the seed of god , and against the seed of the serpent in all the world , that it is persecuted of the seed of the serpent , and spoken all manner of evil of by the world , according to the words of christ , which are fullfilled upon us to our rejoycing , who are of the seed of god , and to the trouble of all our enemies , who are of the seed of the serpent . and otherwise it cannot be , but that they who are born of the flesh must persecute them who are born of the spirit ; for because of the enmity that is placed between the two feeds , the one cannot love the other , nor have fellowship the one with the other , and which of our fore-fathers the prophets and disciples of christ , which were of the seed of god , were not persecuted , hated , and reviled , and reproached by your fore-fathers , who were of the seed of the serpent ; and they , no more then you , could receive the knowledge of god and his wayes , but ever despised the path thereof , and counted the wisdom of god foolishnesse , and stood in the enmity against god and his people , and all their ways ; and they that were of the seed of the serpent ever called truth error , and the way thereof heresie and blalphemie . ieremiah , amos , and the rest , were called deceivers and mad-men , and seducers of the people , and evil was done unto them ; ieremiah was put in the stocks , and in the dungeons , by the rulers of that generation , who were of the seed of the serpent ; even the prophets of god who were sent of god , and were witnesses of his name in truth and righteousness , were accounted and called deceivers , and were persecuted by imprisonments , and some unto death , as you may read in the scripture , ieremiah . amos . these with others , who were sent of the lord , to bear testimony of god , and against the rulers ; who executed not true justice and judgment , but were oppressors of the poor , who judged for gifts and rewards , and against the false prophets and priests that ran and had not been sent , who used their tongue , and said the lord said , and the lord had not spoken to them , who prophesied falsly , and preached for hire , and bare rule by their means , and made a prey upon the people ; these were of the seed of the serpent , and did persecute them that bore witness against them , that were of the seed of god. the word of the lord was even a reproach unto ieremiah daily , and they smote him with the tongue , and the chief governour of the lords house smote him , and put him in the dungeon : and amos , who had been no prophet , nor the son of a prophet , but a herdsman , he was persecuted by the priest of bethel , and was commanded not to prophesie in the kings chappel ; and amaziah the priest complained to ieroboam the king against amos the prophet : and ezekiel the prophet could not be received of the people ; for saith the lord , they will not hear thee , for they will not hear me ; and they were a rebelious house , and impudent , and hard-hearted , and would not receive the prophets words : and thus it was in the time of the apostles and christ jesus , they were persecuted , and some of them put to death for bearing testimony unto the father , whom they were witnesses of , and against the world ; what reproaches , slanders , beatings , buffetings scornings , tumults , uproars , and all manner of evil did they suffer in their generation by the seed of the serpent , from the hands of the rulers , and priests , and people ; christ was accounted a deceiver , ●nd called a devil , and a blasphemer ; and the apostles were called here●…icks , deceivers , and pestilent fellows , movers of sedition , destroyers of ●he law , and turners of the world upside down , and such like : all ●hese were of the seed of god that were persecuted , and the persecu●ors were of the seed of the serpent , which brought forth violence , and ●ickedness , and false judgement against the innocent ; and some were ●ost cruely put to death upon the false account of being deceivers and blas●hemers . if you search through the whole scripture , you may read how the just ●ere persecuted , even from abel , who was of the seed of god , and all ●…at ever were persecuted for righteousness . sake , were persecuted upon the account of being evil-doers , and the persecutors judged themselves to be righteous . he was the chief governor of the house of the lord , that persecuted ieremiah , and the people that smote him with the tongue , said , they knew the law should not perish from the priest , nor counsel from the honorable : and it was amaziah the kings priests that persecuted amos ; and it was they that seemed to be religious that persecuted the prophets ; and it was the wise scribes and pharisees , and the chief priests , that handled the law , and that offered sacrifice , that persecuted christ and the apostles . how zealous were the jewes in their traditions and observations , in their sabboth-keeping , and in the dayes of their humiliation , in their temple-worship , and in all the commandments of god ? they were zealous according to their own thoughts : yet were they of the seed of the serpent , and persecuted the seed of god in blind-zeal , upon false judgment ; and the persecutors had a name to be righteous , and the persecuted were accounted unrighteous ; and so darkness was put for light , and light for darkness ; and them that were well-doers were accounted for evil-doers , and them that were evil-doers , were accounted for righteous . and such was the blindness of rulers and people , such as prophesied falsly , and came in their own names were received , for the people loved to have it so when the great abomination was committed ; but they that came in the fathers name could not be received , but were persecuted ; the prophets , christ , nor his apostles could not be received of the world , but were persecuted in it , and laws and decrees were made against them , whereby they suffered unjustly , upon false grounds suspitions and jealousies , for that way was called heresie , in which the true god was worshipped . christ was called a deceiver ; and the wisdom of the world could not receive the knowledge of the things of god ; and as it was then , so i● it now in every particular , if any man hath an ear to hear he may hear , and a heart to understand , and he may perceive ; for now is the seed of god and the seed of the serpent at enmity , striving one against the other , and the one persecutes the other in his generation , as ever it was : we are persecuted upon the false account , and false judgement of being evil-doers , and deceivers , and our persecuters accounts themselves righteous , and zealous for gods wayes ; and such as are false prophets and deceivers are accounted true ministers of christ , even them that preach for hire , and seek for their gain from their quarter , and through covetousness , by feigned words makes merchandise of souls ; such were , and such are deceivers , and were never sent of god ; and yet such in this generation are accounted ministers of christ , and such as are ministers of christ , who walk in the doctrine of christ , as they have received freely , so do they freely give , and seek not advantage to themselves , but are pre●… cuted and reviled for righteousness sake , such are accounted and fal●… judged deceivers , and so true judgment is turned backward ; good 〈◊〉 called evil , and evil good ; deceivers are called ministers of christ , and ministers of christ are called deceivers ; and thus people in this generation errs in judgment , and persecutes the righteous , who are of the seed 〈◊〉 god. and it was ever the ministers of christ that were presecuted , and never any 〈◊〉 them persecuted any , nor ever any of the deceivers were persecuted for righteousness sake ; but they ever persecuted the just and sought to the rulers , and to the elders of the people for violence to be done unto them that feared the lord , and witnessed against their wickedness ; it was the chief priests and them that handled the law , which caused christ and the apostles to be persecuted . amaziah sought to ieroboam to have amos persecuted , and as it was then , so it is now . how doth the teachers of this nation seek to the magistrates to have the innocent persecuted ? and yet these man are zealous for their performances and duties in the set-days of humiliation and lectures , and even they think they do god good service in imprisoning the innocent , they have great zeal without knowledge , as the jewes had , and they are strict in their sabboth-keeping , in their singing and praying , &c. but yet is violence done to the just , and true judgment and justice neglected ; and therefore all that which they perform to god is abomination in his sight . oh , what complaining is there , from the teachers of this nation to the magistrates ? what crying out for defence , shewing that they want the spiritual armour , and dare not trust the lord ? what plotting and contriving is there against the seed of god , by the seed of the serpent , who ever was a persecutor , and never was persecuted ? what lawes and decrees are there brought forth against the lords people , as traps to ensnare their feet , like as it was in the dayes of old , even like unto artaxerxes the king , who made a decree , and gave commandment , that the city of god should not be builded ; and this was from the information and complaining of rhehum the chancellor and shimshai the scribe , who brought certain accusations to the king against the people of god ; and called the holy city , a rebellious and bad city , and that it was hurtful unto kings , and in danger to endamage the revenue of kings . here was a conspiracy by the scribes and such as handled the law , with the king against the people of god ; and thus is it also now : he that hath but an eye to see may see ; how many petitions have they put to the rulers against the people of god ? what grieveous and false accusations have they laid to the charge of the innocent , saying they be popishly affected , and disobedient to government : so that the seed of the serpent ever doth hatch evil against the seed of god , to destroy it from off the face of the earth ; and it was the wise , and the learned , and the rulers , whom the devil made use of to persecute the righteous : it was such as rhehum the chancellor , and shimshai the scribe , and pashur the chief governor in the house of the lord , and it was such as the chief priests and elders of the people , and the wise-men of this world ; such as these it was that persecuted the righteous ; and so it is now , orthodox men ( so called ) and justices of peace , &c. whom the devil makes use of , to persecute the innocent , against whom no occasion can be found but concerning the law of their god , as it was with daniel , as you may read , in the sixth chapter of daniel , and the fifth and sixth verses , against him they could find no occasion that they might presecute him , but concerning the law of his god ; and it was the president and princes , and counsellors , and the governors which consulted together against daniel , who was the servant of god. and as it was then , so it is also now in this our generation , they can find no occasion against us ( the people of god ) either by our doctrine or conversation , but onely concerning the law and worship of our god ; for there is a law made against the law of christ , and all that will not sware contrary to the law of christ , must be counted evil-doers and popish recusants ; and punished , and this is not for any evil in us , but because we cannot transgress the righteous law of our god ; and also another decree , which takes hold upon them that travell to worship god on the first day of the week , whereby the innocent doth suffer , and are like to suffer ; and not for evil-doing is any occasion against us , but because we will not stay from the worship of our god , but are made to travel , that we may meet together to worship him ; with such other decrees , which sheweth unto all men that they seek occasion against us concerning the law of god , not having occasion by doctrine , or conversation , or any other thing ; so for righteousness sake are we persecuted , and not for evil-doing ; some are persecuted , because for conscience-sake they cannot stay at their own houses , but are moved by the lord to declare the name of the lord abroad in the nation ; many by a decree are taken and punished , as for vagabonds , and this is an occasion concerning the law of our god ; and christ was persecuted , and put to death by an unrighteous decree ; for they had an ( unrighteous ) law , as they said , and by it he ought to dye ; and unrighteous laws and decrees were made against the apostles , whereby they were commanded to depart out of their towns , and to preach no more in the name of jesus , and by such decrees were the apostles persecuted . so that this may shew unto all , that our fore-fathers who were of the seed of god , some were persecuted unto death by unrighteous decrees and statutes , and as it was then , so it is now , he that hath an eye to see may see : the same as ever was is come to pass in the earth , the seed of the serpent striving against the seed of god and persecuting it where it is brought forth , by unrighteous decrees : how did the late bishops of england persecute the harmless ? what laws and ordinances were then brought forth , whereby violence was done against such as feared the lord , and then was the seed of the serpent striving against the seed of god. and this is given forth to shew unto all the world the cause of persecution in its first ground , ( to wit ) the irrecoverable enmity which is betwixt the two seeds , the one continually hating and persecuting the other , and seeking the overthrow each of other , and the enmity betwixt the two seeds , is the cause of strife , the one being innocent , and the other unrighteous ; so it is not for the persons sake , or any other thing that the just are persecuted ; but it is because of the seed of god , which cannot bow , nor worship the seed of the serpent , that is the first cause of persecution . again , all may see what unrighteous laws and decrees were and are brought forth to persecute the innocent , whereby they have suffered in all generations for righteousness sake , and not for evil-doing ; also it may be seen , that it was the wise , the learned , the presidents and chancellors , and chief priests , and scribes , who were and are the very active persons , by whom the seed of god is persecuted , and even such as were and are zealous in their observances , and sabboth-keeping , and such like ; it was not the poor , nor the foolish only which the devil made use of to do his work ; but it was the wise , and the learned , and the chief in authority , and such like ; it was such in whom the seed of the serpent ruled , who were the active men against the servants of god. also it was through the evil counsel of such as were teachers , and scribes , and handlers of the law ; and it was through the false accusations of the chief priests unto the governors and elders of the people , and so it is now at this day , as i have proved ; and also the righteous were persecuted upon the false judgment of others , and they were falsly adjudged to be deceivers , and blasphemers , and evil-doers ; and upon this account were they persecuted , and as being falsly reputed to be destructive to government , and revenue of kings , and upon such like ; and that they made void the law of god , and were movers of sedition ; and upon such accounts as these , was the seed of god persecuted , as it it at this day ; and all men that read this with moderation may come to the good undestanding , upon what account , and by what instruments , and by what means the seed of the serpent hath persecuted the seed of god , even from cain unto this day . and this is to go abroad into this nation , and into the world ; and it is given forth from the suffering-seed of god , to clear it self in the sight of all men , that not for evil , but for good are these sufferings laid upon it . but behold the lord heearth and regardeth the cry of the poor , and of the unjust sufferer , and he will remember his mercy , and his covenant with his own seed ; and when it passes through the fire , he is with it , and thought it be afflicted , it cannot be forsaken ; though the lord hide his face from his people , and suffers most grievous things to be done against them , by the wicked ; yet it is but to try them , and to prove them , that they may be found faithfull to him , and the seed of god shall reign in the earth ; and the seed of the serpent , and his head shall be bruised , and is bruised already ; and it bruiseth its heel by following after with persecution and cruelty ; but the seed of god shall arise , and is arisen , and praiseth the living god for evermore . it plainly appears that the suffering of the people of god in this age , is a greater suffering and more unjust , than in the dayes of christ , or of the apostles , or in any time since : queen maries dayes brought not forth a suffering more cruel , and in many respects , as doth appear ; first , what was done to christ and the apostles , was chiefly done by a law ; and in a great part by the due execution of a law ; and also the martyrs in queen maries dayes , had more just examination , and a more just prosecution in law , than the people of god have now ; for now it is a matter of conscience among some of the magistrates in england to cast men into prison , and confine them , and to cause their goods to be spoiled , without any law , or the due execution of a law ; which is utterly contrary to the charters of england , and hereby it appearts the suffering to be more unjust , because what the persecutors of old did to the people of god , they did by a law , and by the due execution of a law ; but now many are caused to suffer deeply ; whom the transgression of no law , good or bad , can be charged against ; and others suffer without the due execution of a law. again , herein it doth appear to exceed the suffering of the saints in former age , in that many suffer now cruel things about trivial foolish matters ; as for not putting off a hat , or for theeing men ; and for denying the foolish circumstance of swearing ; and we do not read that the worst of tyrants in the apostles dayes , or before or since , ever caused any to suffer for such things as these , or ever questioned any upon any such small accounts ; for hundreds have suffered upon suspition , when nothing at all can be charged against them ; and this is contrary to magna-carta : and in many other respects which might be named , this suffering is greater than hath been in any age ; for many have suffered in this common-wealth , which have been faithful , and hazarded all in time of war , for the good of the common-wealth ; and many of them suffer by them , who have been enemies , and in arms against the common-wealth ; and herein the suffering appears more intollerable . but doth the magistrate think to come to account for these things ? yea , the lord is just , and his way is righteous ; what flesh could but be provoked hereby ? but the saints are changed in nature , and are to fullfill the will of the lord by suffering : the cruelty of men is become exceeding great against the lord , and his people . again , hereby the persecution in this age appears more to exceed former ages , because liberty of conscience in the exercise of religion , was never so much promised and professed , as in this nation at this day ; and yet for the exercise of a pure conscience many are wofull sufferers , even by such who in words profess liberty of conscience themselves ; and yet persecutes the exercise of it in others , even for not putting off a hat , or the like , to them ; these with many other things , may aggravate the hainousness of the sin of persecution to be great , and more unjust than in-former ages . alas , how is the sword of iustice turned backward , and the innocent smitten and persecuted , and that for righteousness sake , and not for evil-doing . by a friend to the suffering seed of god , edward burrough . truth ( the strongest of all ) witnessed forth in the spirit of truth , against all deceit . and pleading in righteousness it s own cause , to the understanding of the simple , against a very great number of lyes , slanders , perverting of the scriptures , contradictions , and false damnable doctrines , held forth by the independants . and is a reply to bunion's second book , called , a vindication , &c. wherein what was wanting in his former of fulfilling wickedness is now appeared ; by his adding sin unto sin , against god and against his own soul. reader , thou hast here a very great number of * lyes and slanders , and unjust-dealings and false-doctrines , &c. laid open and reproved in plainness , and not in hypocrisie ; and of contention there is not suddenly an end , being begun ; therefore seeing the unbelieving heart of iohn bunion cannot believe me , when i speak the truth in justness , nor may i believe his lies and slanders , uttered in hypocrisie ; what is laid down is left to thee , soberly to judge of betwixt us , while we are both silent : and this know , the one is a deceiver ; and the other is as a deceiver , yet true ; and thus mayst thou weight things equally . first , considering of many lyes and slanders truly charged upon him in my first , of which he is guilty from his first , and he hath not at all cleared himself of them in his second , which an honest man ought to have done , before he had gone further ; for i soberly desired witness of what he said : but be hath added to the number of his wickedness , and not proved justly what he hath said against us : and it is not for his sake , for little thoughts i have of his conversion , but th●…●…ther that he will be hardned ; nor for may own sake , as if i were unsatisfied concerni●…m , that this is written ; but to undeceive the simple of what his wickedness may falsly suggest into the mind , as if all were truth that he spoke , if his wickedness were not reproved . again , consider that i have cleared the truth of my words which he hath wrested , and thereby taken occasion against the truth , by answering his own conceptions , and not my plain words ; so my words ( which are words of truth ) being defended , all his reply is made void : so i have not so much desired to answer every particular of his words , as to vindicate my own words , and the truth from his false slanders and accusations . o how hath satan filled the hearts of men , in this generation ( as well as in former ages ) with envy against the truth , and with wrath against the way thereof ; and how hath he filled them with craft , and deceitfull subtilty , to offend the way of the lord , in all manner of persecuting , and evil-speaking against it openly , and also in secret gain-saying , in hypocrisie ; and how are men armed to defend themselves in their naughtiness , lying hid under the vail of fair speeches , and fine arguments , using the scripture in the words of mans wisdom , to oppose the power and life of righteousness ; even as the scribes and pharisees of old , how zealous were they in their observances , and in fullfilling the commands and traditions of their fathers , having set themselves in moses seat , professing moses , and the prophets words , and yet persecuted christ the life and substance of moses , and the prophets ? and as it was then , so is it now ; how are christs words , and the apostles professed and preached by such who are enemies to the life of christ made manifest in mortall flesh , and secretly opposing the doctrine of the apostles ? who said , know ye not , that christ is within you , except you be reprobates . but the mighty day of the lord is come , and coming , wherein all hearts are made manifest , and the secrets thereof discovered ; and the light is springing out of darkness , and the sun is breaking thorow the clouds to give light to all men and nations , and the great whore which hath decked her self in divers colours to deceive , shall be made naked and bare ; and the day of great striving is come , and now every man stands up for his interest , to defend his possession , for the just judge standeth at the door , to enquire by what law every man holds his inheritance ; and he findeth many holding their religion ; and profession , by the traditions of men only , and not by the revelation of christ jesus in them ; and such he will dispossess , though they strive against him , yet all is in vain , and though they plead antiquity , yet that will not prevail ; and in that the day of great striving is come , betwixt the lamb and his followers , the draggon and his followers ; every one of that party appearing with such weapons as the devil hath armed them withal ; and with such armour as the wicked hath , they come , appearing under divers colours to fight against zio● , yet under one head , and prince of darkness , and unto one purpose , ev●… that the seed of iacob may be rooted out , and that the way of truth may 〈◊〉 prosper , that then the wicked may go on in their wickedness , without reproof , and ungodliness may be hid under hypocrisie ; and above all other means , that is used at this day , to keep up the kingdom of the devil , and to offend the kingdom of christ ; this is cheif , striving against the light of the world , opposing it , and denying it , and by crafty arguments , and cunning speeches , seeking sutable scriptures , ( as they suppose ) to ground their false argument● upon , against this very thing , that the light of christ is given to every man that comes into the world , or that the light which convinceth and reproveth every man of sin within him , is not the light of christ , nor worthy to be taken notice of , but natural and such like , and no way sufficient to life and salvation ; if the unjust men persecute , it is such as walk in the light of christ jesus , that cannot fulfill the wills and customs of m●n , and so are not of th●… world , but contrary to it in all its wayes and work●…●…ich are evil ; and if t●… wise men of the world make any arguments , it is against the light , wi●… which christ lightneth every man that comes into the world ; so that all 〈◊〉 envy of the devil , whether under this or that colour and appearance , is again●… the light of christ jesus , and them that walk therein ; and if the light be 〈◊〉 denyed , and not believed in , nor regarded , then may the devil have wh●… possession of the heart of man ; and if the light of christ jesus within , 〈◊〉 owned and loved , and walked in , then christ is received , and there the d●… is dispossessed ; and therefore it stands him upon , above all other things , 〈◊〉 possess people against the light within , which christ hath given , that then 〈◊〉 may not be discovered in the heart ; but may keep all his goods in peace , a●… have quiet possession in his habitation ? well , be it so , though all men of th●… kingdom doth gainsay the light of christ , by this or that way of wickedness , yet it is precious unto us , and i cannot but earnestly contend for it , against 〈◊〉 gainsayers , and yet strives not for mastery to our selves , nor to exalt any thing of our selves , but only the lord and his truth , which he hath made more dear to us , then either life , or name , or liberty ; and though so it be , that this way be spoken evil against every-where , yet the lord owneth it , and us who are faithful therein in the presence of our enemies ; to the confounding of the wisdom of this world. and whereas iohn bunion hath formerly set himself divers wayes to oppose the truth under the account of his great zeal against error ; but especially in a book sometime since put forth by him , thinking thereby to offend the way of righteousness ; and now a second time hath appeared , with a defence upon his former , called a vindication , &c. of the former and his defence , is more to the laying open his folly , and to the uncovering of his blindness and wickedness , then his first offence given by him , which caused me to write in short four sheets of paper , to clear the truth from what he had spoken against it . and now having again a second time appeared in many word , without knowledge , yet in great zeal , hath brought forth many things reprovable , even lyes and slanders , and evil speeches in abundance , yet with great pretence of holiness , and soberness ; and he hath not only belyed me , but the truth which is my chief , and moving cause , ( that the truth may be clear ) of this my second reply unto him ; and not for my own sake in any thing ; for i more prize to be accounted a fool , and dispraised in the world , then to be honoured thereby ; and when iniquity shall come to an end , and transgression shall be finished , his shall be the kingdom and the inheritance of rest eternal , that hath kept himself clean and pure , from a lying and slanderous tongue , and who hath done righteously and fullfilled the will of god , for it is not every one that saith lord , lord , that enter into the kingdom , but he that doth the will of the father which is in heaven ; and in that day when the book of all consciences shall be opened , and every thing brought to judgement , then shall the light in every ones conscience answer the lord in the justness of his dealings ; and even then ( if not before ) shall this iohn bunion know the light in all mens consciences is of force , when he shall be judged and then shall he see , he hath wronged the lord , and dealt evil against his own soul , in speaking evil of what he hath not known , and in giving false judgement of what he hath not understood ; and till that day i leave him ( without praying for fire to devour him ) only may reprove his lyes errors , contradictions and false-dealing , and clear the truth from his false charges , and only to the most chiefest things whereof he accuses us , in short i may reply . and whereas thou sayst , there is one that hath ventured to stand up against the truth , and hath published a book in which there is a great number of heresies cunningly vented by him , and also many things there falsly reported of thee , to which i answer , that same book published , called , the true faith of the gospel contended for , &c. shall clear it self from this reproach , that i have not stood against any one truth , or uttered any heresie or lye against thee ; * but in that book did witness forth the truth against many things falsly laid down by thee against the quakers , and that same book with soberness read ( without partiality and prejudice ) doth clear it self from these false aspersions , and prove thee a lyer herein , and i leave it to the honest hearted to judge , who reads that book , while i with patience , and not seeking any revenge , do● bear thy reproaches , counting them greater riches then thy praise . and farther thou saist , only by the way thou thinkest good to mind me of my cloathing my self with the words of the prophets and apostles , &c. answ. true enough , by the way , out of the truth , and out of christ , who is the way , hast thou spoken this , and so hast uttered in falsehood , and by , or out of the way ; neither have i cloathed my self , and yet am i clothed with the life of the prophets and apostles , and not only with their words ; nor do i fight against them ( though thou falsly sayst it ) but bears witness unto them , in doctrine and conversation , and before all the seed of evil-doers ; and take back thy own words to thy self , who art in that generation , which hath the words , but are without the * life , in the evil life . farther thou sayst , i have broken out with a false testimony of iohn burton , and thee , at which thou seemest to be much offended , that i should say thou art joyned with the broken army of magog , and hath shewed your selves in the defence of the dragon , against the lamb , &c. reply , what needest thou be troubied at this , have i not spoken the truth , and have i not said well herein ? for you are joyned with all the wicked in the nation , and as lyars and swearers and drunkards , persecutes with violence ; and as the proud and wanton are filled with scorning and singing wicked rimes in the streets , even so also are you come in print , and all of you against them called quakers ; the drunkards and swearers they beat them , and abuse them , and cast them as for dead into ditches , with stoning in the high wayes , and in the streets beating down with staves ; and the wanton they sing there rimes in scorn in ale-houses , and taverns against them ; and thou and thy fellowes and generation appears in open print , slandering and reviling them ( yet in pretence of zeal for god ) and all this you do against us , who have the witness that we are of god , and that the whole world lyes in wickedness , and now are not you all joyned as an army , and do you not shew your selves in the defence of the draggon ; * what wrong i have done you , let the upright in heart judge , whether i have given false testimony against you or no ; and though you have noted it for a lye in the margent , yet the lye is thy own , who hath gain-said the truth herein , and called it a lye ; and i have dealt justly with thee , in the sight of god , and all that know him , and when the book of thy conscience is opened , thou shalt also confess to this thing , when thou standest condemned with them , with whom thou art now joyned against us ; who have the testimony that we are of god , and worshippers of the father in the spirit and truth , and my words were spoken by the spirit of the lord , and that in thy conscience shall witness them , in the day of the lord , though now thou opprobriously sayst , * they are flung into the wind . and whereas thou seemest to be greatly offended , that i should say part of the first book is a corrupted grain of babylons treasure , &c. but have not i spoken the truth herein also , when i say , i have numbered 〈◊〉 part of your work , and this is the sum thereof , that part which i have numbered , viz. your lyes and false reproaches against the quakers , is a corrupted grain ; yea , and of babylons treasure too . i am not ashamed of my words , though thou wouldst defend your work by saying , your discourse was of the birth , righteousness , death , blood , &c. and of the second coming of the son of mary , &c. to which i say , these things , and the knowledge of them , by the spirit of god , is not counted by me corrupted , nor of babylon , though now i answer , as in my last ; the words i own , but thy voice i deny , and knows it to be the voice of the stranger ; and for this saying , have i not , nor never shall have any burthen upon my conscience , ( though thou wouldst say it ) but 't is cleared in the sight of god , even though i say all that thou speakest i deny , or thy speaking of any thing of the kingdom of god , with thy lying spirit . and whereas thou art offended , that i should say you are described to be the flock of ishmael , and of the seed of cain , whose line reacheth to the murdering priests , &c. and thou sayst , i am very sensorious , and utterest many word without knowledge , &c. reply , yea , your words doth describe your nature , for by your voice i know you , to be none of christs sheep , and accordingly i judge , in just judgement , and in true knowledge , and doth not falsly sensure , nor utter words voi● of knowledge , and my words shall be witnessed by you in the day of the lord : envy is of cains nature and seed , and in that you are ; and lyars are of ishmaels stock , and you are guilty of that , let the sober reader try ; and you are among the murdering priests party , and close joyned to them , in doctrine and practise , especially in writing against us . now no wrong have i done you , that thou needest to be troubled , and seek to cover your selves by thy fair words in thy answer , as if you were righteous ; but all will not hide you , your works make you manifest to be no less then what i have said of you . then farther thou art hot against me , in that i say , you are found enemies to christ , revealed in his saints , and this thou hast noted it in the margent for false , but thou dost not well to be angry ; it is true , what i have spoken , thy own words do prove it , in saying there was nothing in thee , to be taken notice of ; this was a denying of christ within , and such as deny him are found enemies to him within ; so the lye is thy own , who hast denyed truth , let the wise reader judge , and thy many words in a pretending answer will not cover you from the guilt of what i have charged upon you , and not falsly ; and what i have said hitherto is true , and not false , though thou feigningly say , thou marvels i should be so overseen , as to utter so many false things in so little a space ; nay , my understanding was open , when i wrot forth that book , at which thou art so tormented , that it hath caused thee some moneths travel in anguish to clear thy self , and yet cannot be at rest ; and thou art over-seen who resists the reproof of thy wickedness . then thou goest about to justifie thy brother burtons words , who wickedly laid it down , as thou impudently goest to justifie it , who joyned in his accusation , and slanders quakers with ranters ; and this wouldst thou justifie we are one , against my just answer , which denied them in the fourth page of my first ; where i said , between quakers and ranters there is no more union , &c. then betwixt light and darkness , good and evil ; and that answer stands untouched by thee , and is true ; and in justifying iohn burtons wicked slander , thou art more wicked in comparing the principles , and sayst , it will appear they agree in one , &c. viz. that the quakers deny christ to be a real man : secondly , that they fancy him to be god , manifest in their flesh : thirdly , that they make his humane nature with the fulness of the godhead , to be but a type of god : these thing were charged upon us . but what a wicked course hast thou taken to clear him , by adding thy own wickedness ; let all consider that reads : for doe not i desire in plainness in my first , in these words ; if thou darest lay the charge only upon the quakers , write in plainness , and bring testimony of thy accusation , and thou mayst receive a farther answer , but not a word in plain answer to this is returned , though soberly desired , neither time , nor place , nor witnesses evidenced to clear your selves of your first slanders , which had been more honest , then to have slandered afresh , passing over your first ; but it seems you cannot clear your selves in honesty , and so fulfill your wickedness by adding to your lyes and slanders , as thou impudently dost in thy comparing the principles of the ranters with the quakers . and to save thy brother from shame and guilt , thou art fallen thy self into the snare , and justly may be judged , to exceed him in wickedness ; and thou sayst , ( with shame to thy self , i repeat it ) that the * quakers will not own christ without them , but thou brings not testimony of this assertion ; till then art thou reckoned , and shall be plauged for a lyer , which will be forever , for we own him as he is ascended far above all heavens , who fills all things ; yea , and without us too : so that instead of proving the first false accusation , thou adds another slander , and the * second thing wherein thou comparest them , is unsound ; for though we witness , ( yea thousands ) that we need no man to teach us , as the saints did iohn , yet we cry not down the ministry of god , but owns , it , and cryes down such by whom people cannot come to the knowledge of the truth , though they be ever learning ; who preach for hire , and goes for gifts , and rewards & loves the wages of unrightousness ; & this was the apostles doctrine as it was ours , and is no heresie ( though thou mayst so judge it ) for we say by the same spirit as the apostles did , they that are of god heareth us who are in the truth , which is but one , and there is not another ; and the apostles which witnessed , saints needed no man to teach them , did exhort them ; and yet did not condemn principles by practice . then thou goest on , and sayst , the ranters are not for baptism , and breaking if bread ; and are not the quakers the same ? but what doth this prove ; and thou sayst , the ranters are they that would profess themselves without sin ; and how far short of 〈◊〉 opinion are the quakers ? and the ranters would not own the resurrection , &c. and how say you , do you believe the very bodies shall rise , &c. reply , friend , this is far short of proving these things upon us , by querying them to us , let the reader consider : but it may be impudency hath not so wholy eaten out honesty in thee , as that thou darest charge us wholy with these things , but would intrude into us be thy questions , as though the thing were so indeed , but thou mayst by ashamed of thy work : is this sufficient proof of evil against us , to ask us whether it be so ? what hast thou proved in all this against us ( if we were guilty ) thinkest thou we will accuse our selves ? this is absurdity , and wickedness in thee , falsly to charge us , and to bring no better evidence , but thy bare words ; and as we deny the ranters , so do we thee , and sees you both to be enemies to the life of god : but thy last and chie●… proof ( as thou thinkest ) that we are one , is , that the ranters are sinners , and the quakers are lyers ; the first i wil● not vindicate , but this last ) is disputable , and thy proof of it is first , tho●… sayst , from what thou hast said already , to some pages of my first book , to which i 〈◊〉 replyed , and leaves it to the reader ; only doth say , thou hast not yet proved one lye against me in the sight of god nor men ; thou art the lyer if thou say th●… hast , and honest men shall be judge betwixt us : and thy second proof is mo●… to the discovering thy ignorance then yet hath been : and to clear thy self from my * charge against thee ( viz ) to be a wrester of the scripture , which yet i stand to , thou art fain into grievous error : my first charge is true upon thee , 〈◊〉 thou perverted or wrested that scripture ; rev. . . in saying the lamb was 〈◊〉 before the foundation of the world ; for that scripture saith since , or from 〈◊〉 foundation of the world ; hast thou no more sence ? art thou and all thy compa●… so ignorant that you know not betwixt before and since a time ? how are you blinded ? and yet persists in your wickedness , and will not be reproved ; therefore this is a double iniquity in thee , to thy shame remember it ; for i have said true , though thou understand it not , * there is as much difference , betwixt before , and since , in that thing , as betwixt a lye and truth ; for to say the blood was shed before the foundation of the world , as thou didst , is a very lye ; but to say i● was shed since , or from , is truth , and that scripture is truth , rev. . and thou art the lyar , and wrester of it , and i have not wronged thee in my first , though thou impudently and ignorantly wouldst clear thy self , and lay iniquity upon me : but further to clear thy self , thou sayst , thou said , in gods account it was shed , before the world was : and this is little less then blasphemy , what , is god a hypocrite , like thy self ? to account that for truth , which is a lye , as i have proved ; o horrid error and perfect blindness ! but this will not cover thee , nor thy shame , from the eye of men ; where is thy proof for such a doctrine , that god accounts that which is a lye , for truth ? largely is manifest thy folly ; repent , if thy heart be not void of shame , for what thou hast spoken he●… in ; and let the reader understand this difference ; thou sayst the blood of christ , was shed before the foundation of the world , according to that scripture , rev. . i say thou perverts the scripture , and lyest grosly in the main thing it self ; and saith it is* since , or from the foundation of the world ; let the honest judge ; and now it is seen the lye rests upon thy own head , who wrests the scripture ; and belyes the lord , and me , and goes on in thy wickedness after reproof , and take thou the ranters , they are thy companinons , in lying , and sinning , and not ours . and further thou art offended that i should say , and would fain reckon it for a lye , that all thy work is a secret smiteing , and an obscure shooting against the manifestation of christ within , which words i own to be truth concerning thee , and am not ashamed of them , though thou say , i say falsly , and when the book of thy conscience is opened , thou shalt confess it ; only i leave * this to be considered seriously , and judged by them who are spiritual , and they shall be my witnesses ; and the lye is of thee and thy father , whose wickedness is sufficiently seen by what is said , if i should say no more : again thou sayst it is an untruth of thee , to say thou art one of those that do preach for hire , through covetousness making merchandize of souls ; my words are not so laid down , thou hast wrested them for thy purpose , though it availes nothing : but i said , thou art in their steps , that through covetousness , with fained words , makes merchandize of souls , and thou art found among them that preaches for hire ; and i have spoken the truth herein , let the light in all consciences judge , who are not feared in many things ; i might instance that thou art in their steps , and among them that act such things , as further may be proved , and the wisdom of god so fore-saw , to keep me clear , and my words to be defended ; though i expected no less from thee , as to this thing , then is come to pass , but the lye is of thy self , who would deny the * truth : the next thing that thou wilt charge upon to be a lye , i pass here , the reader may expect it in its place ; and though thou sayst , the rantors and i , and my fellows are of the same mind in many things , &c. to which i reply , their practices i deny , and the ground in which they stand , and their false doctrines ; yet dare we not deny any truth as it is in christ ; though they , as thou mayst , profess it in words , which is seldom they do , for we have respect unto the truth , for the truths sake only ; but how uncharitable art thou in thy measure and judgement , consider , as if he should say , iohn bunion is of the same mind with the pope in many things ; the pope holds christ was born of mary , and was crucified , and raised again , and ascended , &c. and this holds i. bunion , and is of the same minde with the pope in many things ; and therefore must partake of the same plagues with the pope , as thou said of us ; though thou hast by unequal measure thus judged us , yet i render not evil for evil , but in love to thy soul , shews thee thy folly and weakness . then thou goest on having * passed by the two slanders cast upon us , by i. burton , in your first book , which i charged you withall in mine , to which not one word as to evidence your slanders , but hath slippen it over , as a foul guilty man , which charge stands upon you both ; that you are slanderers herein , and my first answer i am not ashamed of , though you snarle much about it , and would taint it , or undermine it : but thy subtilty is to weak , truth confounds thee and thy simple policy , which is , that we prize the lord jesus christ , god man , to be precious unto us , and hath owned him alone to be the foundation whom god hath laid , and in his light we are saved , &c. as i said in page . against which words thou canst not justly except , nor yet prove the contrary ; and yet as a man that loves to hear thy own tongue , thou lays down many things impertinent as to the cause in hand . but it had been more honest to have helped thy brother burton , from under my true charge , and cleared the truth , if thou hadst been able ; but thou hast left ●im in the dirt under the charge of a slanderer ; and are unfaithfull to him , ●nd goes about to inquire what it is ( as thou sayst ) to lay christ for a foundation ; thou confesses what i have said is fairly spoken , and yet thy envious minde , ●nd unbelieving heart seems to be offended at my words ; and to them that can believe i speak plainly , and doth not beg thy belief , nor any mans , but commends my self to every mans conscience in the sight of god , and knows no other jesus the saviour , nor foundation , then he that iohn was sent to prepare the way before , who was , and is , and is to come ; who said , i am the light of the world , and now my words are defended to be truth in the sight of them that are spiritual ; and thou , and such may hear , but must not understand , who have hardened your hearts , least you should believe , and therefore is given up to gainsayings , till the wrath of god break out against you ; and let iohn burton remember my words , where i said he is fallen into the pit which he digged for another , and he undervalues the lord jesus , whose doctrine is to speak truth , but he hath lyed and slandered , and so is out of christ the foundation , and undervalues him , who keeps not his sayings , but is a worker in darkness , and not in the light : and as to that where i say , thus much is the mind of the penmans spirit , ( of the first epistle , of the first book ) secretly smiting at the doctrine of true faith and salvation ( to wit ) christ within , i have said the truth in righteousness , and do own my words , though thou sayst i have done him a great deal of wrong , &c. but i leave it to be judged by them that are spiritual , and not unto thee , to give false meaning of my words ; and doth not he say in that epistle of some that have been depending too much upon some thing they call christ , and the righteousness of christ within them , &c. let the wise in heart judge , whether this be not as i said , even a secret smiting against christ within , without which as i have said , there can be no salvation , for he that hath not christ in him , is a reprobate ; and this i speak , not in opposition , but as a testimony of christ jesus , that dyed , and rose again , and ascended , who is within , and without also ; and if any preach another jesus , let him be accursed ; and repent thou , who art in the wrong doing thy self , falsly charging me ; noting in the margent , with speaking falsly , when i spa●… the truth ; and the false speaking rests at thy door , and is driven thither with the power of truth . then whereas thou wouldst justifie thy former wickedness , in charging the quakers to be deceivers , against my just answer * in page . of mine ; whic● stands free from any of thy vain argument , and uncontroled ; though resisted ; but it appears my words sticks close unto thee , and torments thee ; and thou sayd , with much confidence , it will easily be proved that we are deceivers ; but thy arguments we shall try . and ( sayst thou ) first , the quakers deny the man christ jesus without them , and own christ no otherways but as he is within , &c. reply , how impudent art thou in forging lye after lye , and building them up in thy work one upon another , and a wicked course thou takes to clear thy former slanders , truly charged upon thee in my first , even by laying another upon it . friend , by this thy deceitful slander , while thou hast thought to prove us deceivers hath proved thy self one , even a false accuser ; mayst thou not blush to say we own christ no otherwayes , then as he is within ? we own him which was , is , and is to come , who is within us , and without us , as i have said in my first , we own him as the scripture speaks of him ; and it is known 〈◊〉 the lord , and in his sight we are approved , whether thou believe it or not ; f●… i beg not beleif of thee , but leaves thy double slanders to be read , and judged of , by all honest people , and in the interim , know it is a bad way to prove us deceivers by thy lyes , this the rather is a witness to us that we are of god , and against thee , and thou to be of the devil , who was a lyer from the beginning , and 〈◊〉 his child succeeds him ; in lying . thy second proof is , that we are deceivers , because ( sayst thou ) 〈◊〉 do perswade souls that christ is crucified in them , dead within them , kept 〈◊〉 with something within them , which was never taught by them that spoke the scriptures , &c. reply , these words are falsly laid down , but what thinkest thou of such who might crucifie to themselves * afresh the son of god , and put him to open shame , as it is written ; this they could not do , above stars , they being men upon the earth ; and christ was sent to preach to the spirits in prison , he that can read let him understand , this doctrine was preached by them that spoke forth the scriptures , who had the spirit of god ; but in blindness i find thee , and i think so i must leave thee : and though i do not feed the serpent , yet my words are plain to him that hath an understanding , and an ear open ; and deceiver belongs to thee , and at thy door it lyes , and thou canst not remove it . farther ( thou sayst ) we perswade souls that that man , that was born of the virgin mary , is not above the clouds , and the stars , when as the scripture saith a cloud received him out of their fight . reply , this is another lye , uttered without fear or knowledge , or honesty , we do not perswade souls to believe any such thing ; but bears witness to the truth of that scripture , that a cloud received him out of their sight , and we say he is out of their sight and must appear again in sight ; and this is a wicked way of thee , to prove us deceivers , by slandering us , adding more to thy own sin , and the more will be thy burthen , in the day of the lord , when plagues and torment are thy portion , from which thou shalt not flye , though now thou be above shame . farther , ( sayst thou ) we perswade souls not to believe that that man that was crucified , and rose again , &c. shall so come again to iudgment , as he went away ; and shall raise up men and women out of their graves , and cause them to come into the valley of jehoshaphat ; thou sayst we strive to beat souls off from believing this , &c. reply , o how swiftly thy lying tongue runs without fear , as though neither god nor man took notice of thee , or that ever thou shouldst be called to question for them ; many lyes together thou hast here foulded up in one ; thy lyes i deny , and this to be one ; hast thou set thy self to tell lyes ! o abominable wickedness , mayst thou not tremble ? when thou considers what thou falsly sayst of us , contrary to my words , who said in the truth of my heart , we own him to be what the scripture speaks of him , and not otherwise ? it seems thou cannot believe when i speak truth ; i number up thy lyes , and returns them back to thee to read ; and by all this is it not true , that thou art of the same spirit with thy fellow , and abound more in lyes ? as i said in my first ; his was but about three , thine manifold more ; but thy lyes are no testimony against us , that we are deceivers , but they shall lie heavy upon thee at one day , when we shall be clear : for in the affirmive . i further say , that , that christ jesus that was crucified , and rose again , shall come ( as he went away ) to judgement , and the dead shall be raised , and every man shall receive according to their deeds ; and he shal● set to judge the heathen round about , according to ioel . and thy portion in that day shall be howling and gnashing of teeth ; for the lyars portion is the lake . thou sayst again , the quakers make no difference between that light , wherewith christ , as he is god hath enlightned all , and the spirit of christ he gives not to all . reply , i put thee to prove that they are contrary or divided one against the other ; for thus christ saith , i will send you the comforter even the spirit of truth , which must needs be the spirit of christ , and he shall reprove or convince the world of sin , and of righteousness ; now mark that same spirit of the father , and of the son , who is the comforter of the saints is the same , and not another , that doth reprove the world ; he that can read , let him understand , the world cannot receive the comforter , yet have they given to them , that which doth reprove them ; which is with the light of christ jesus , of the same , and not contrary , nor divided ; if thou hast an ear , thou mayst hear ; the error is in thy self , who art without understanding . further , thou sayst , that every one hath that which is like the spirit of christ , even as god , as the spirit of christ ; which thou sayst is desperate blassphemy , and cryes out with an out-cry , o wonderfull deceit ! &c. reply , i would have all to take notice , that thou hast wronged my words , in wresting of them for thy wicked purpose , to have a ground of slander ; there is no such words in the tenth page of my book , which thou quotest , but in one place ; i say , till thou prove the light of christ , iohn . . ( which thou confesses every man hath ) to be contrary to the spirit of christ , ( mark ) i shall say every man hath that which is one in union , and like the spirit of christ , even as good as the spirit of christ , according to its measure ; these words i must own . but let the sober reader take notice , how fouly thou hast wronged my words , * leaving out the strength of them , to take occasion of slander ; whe● thou hadst proved the light of christ ( which in iohn . . is spoken of ) to be contrary to the spirit of christ , then had been a better season , for this charge against me . o thou impudent and shameless man ! so uniustly to deal against the upright , who envies thee not , but pitties thee ; therefore when thou , or any man can prove the light of christ spoken of iohn . . and iohn . . to be contrary to the spirit of christ , then i may own the judgement and charge upon me ; but till then thou art proved a lyar ; for the light of christ spoken of iohn . . that light is one in union , and not contrary , and is of the likeness of the spirit of christ , and as * good in its measure ; and these words i stand to , to vindicate against all thy lyes , and wresting of words , and out-cryes , who is an unfit fellow to judge what blasphemy is , who art so blind , that thou knowest not the difference of words , betwixt before , and from , as i have shewed : repent , if so be thou may find mercy . then further thou sayst , to cover my self , and deceit , i do apply , that which should be to the children of god , &c. and yet cannot reprehend my answer , which is just and faithful , that the children of god were always counted deceivers , and this is true , as thy self confesses , but wickedly saith in thy answer , and most lyingly too , and blasphemy is falen out of thy mouth ; the devil knowes how to take childrens bread , and cast it to doggs . reply , now let all consider what thou hast said , christ jesus is the bread of life that came down from heaven , the childrens bread , and they have no other ; now the devil cannot take christ jesus , who only is the childrens bread , and give him to doggs ; o horrid ! canst thou behold this , and not be smitten to the heart , what wickedness and ignorance lodges in that heart that can utter these things ; though thou thinkst , thou hast done bravely i● thus saying , yet the wisedom of god turns thy words upon thy own head into confusion and grievous error , i deny it though thou affirm it ; that the devil can take , or knows how to take christ jesus , and give him to doggs . further thou sayst , i am grieved , that thou shouldest say none but a company of notionist and ranters , &c. are carried with the quakers , &c. and sayst thou , this appears in 〈◊〉 mens sight , &c. reply , thou art a lyar , i am not greived at thy slanders and wicked reproaches ; but rather rejoyces therein , that i am one worthy to bear them ; and all men that can see , sees thee a false accuser herein : for such who have feared the lord , and served him , and are , and have been honest and upright to god and man , have owned us , and have been neither ranters , nor such like ; and we rejoyce , if any that hath been so , be turned from it unto god , to live in righteousness , though thou note it for a false thing in the margent . ( but to make it appear false thou hast corrupted my words ) which are , though some of all sorts of people be brought to god , yet thou * seems to be offended herewith ; and these my words are true upon thy head , for i ask , notwithstanding some were such , are they such who are in wickedness since they owned us ? then why dost thou wickedly ( as though thou wert offended at it ) upbraid us , that such , or such are carried away with us , as though none else ; which is thy lye uttered in thy hastiness . and whereas thou art offended , ( thou sayst ) that i should say , thou are like the pharisees ; whether i spake so or no , however , i own that thou art like them ( at least ) even one among them . as further i shall manifest ; then thou hast over-leapt ( with a false excuse of passing by many railings as thou sayst ) which it seems troubles thee that i should truly * charge thee to bring sorth lyes without fear ; and that the ranters and light notionists , and thee we deny , till you turn to the lord by repentance ; and if you turn from your iniquity we dare not deny you . and further i truly charge thee , that thou art puft up in thy lyes and slanders , and advanceth thy self above the innocent , who exceeds thee in faith towards god , and in good works towards man , and whose conversation is in heaven , but thine is among the hirelings , &c. and this thou hast skipped over , as a deceitful child , with a poor excuse , which thou mayst be ashamed to call these railings ; but that thy heart is void of shame , let the sober reader judge else ; then thou saist i stumble at that , wherein in thy first thou sayst , the devil perswades these men to believe . first , that salvation was not compleatly wrought out for sinners by the man christ iesus , &c. reply , here thou art a lyar again ; i stumble not , for i walk in the light , and doth not stumble ; but i reproved thy lye , and slander , and said , this accusation is clearly false , wickedly cast upon us ; for there is no salvation in any other , neither is it wrought by any other , but by jesus christ , &c. as page the ninth of my first may be read ; but thou hast not at all removed , the true charge against thee , that i charged upon thee , upon these words ( viz ) a believer of lyes , a slanderer , a false accuser , which stands true upon thee still , and will for ever , till thou remove it by repentance ; for thou canst never clear thy self any otherways ; and thou sayst , i have left some words out , but this is but a poor catch ; for do i not make an et caettera at the end of thy words ? and if thou wert not too ignorant , thou mightest understand that which follows is included and conjoyned . then thou goest on , and sayst , i am offended that thou shouldst say the devil deceives souls , by bidding them follow the light that they brought into the world with them , telling them , that will lead into the kingdom &c. now my answer to this is sober , and just , * as will appear , though thou sayst vainly , i seem to be gravelled , because i informed thy mistake ; who said , pervertingly , either in subtilty , or for want of wit , the light which they brought into the world with them ; when as the scripture saith , christ is the light which lighteth every man that comes into the world , ioh. . . which light , as i did , i do affirm , will lead into the kingdom of peace and rest ; and deny it if thou canst ; for the light of christ , doth reveal christ , and the light lighteth every man that cometh into the world ; then thou heaps up many words , though thou falsly sayst , i corrupt that scripture ioh. . yet i lay it down in its own words , and say , that is , or was the true light , that lights every man that comes into the world , and that light ( which hath so done ) will lead all that believes into the kingdom , for christ said i am the light of the world ; and though thou ignorantly wouldst seem to say this is error ; yet i affirm it , that the same which saith , i am the light of the world , is he , and no other , which lighteth every man that comes into the world , and this i suppose thou wilt call a filthy error ; but the filthiness is in thy own heart , and error too , through ignorance of the knowledge of the things of god , who wouldst fain ( if thou could ) make it appear , that that christ which lighteth every man that comes into the world , iohn . . is not the same that saith i am the light of the world , iohn . . thy confused words seems to carry this meaning ; let the reader judge , whether that be not the same christ jesus , which iohn speaks of ; iohn . . as it is written of iohn . . and though thou ignorantly sayst i would have room to broach my folly , yet thou lets out of thy vessel in sides of leaves , of lyes and slanders and folly ; and thou sayst , when he said , i am the light of the world , he was without , he did not mean any light within , and thou presumptuously bids me deny this if i can ; to which i say , the same christ , which said , i am the light of the world , was he which was before abraham , who was light to the gentiles , and lighteth every man in the world ; yea , he was and is given to be a light , where his person ( which was supposed the son of ioseph ) never came , and do thou deny this if thou canst , that all men may see thy folly ; for there is not many christs , but one christ , which is not only within , but without , not only without , but within , but is all and in all ; let him that read● understand . then thou sayst , the light wherewith christ , as he is god , lighted every one , is the soul of man , which is the life of the body , and is a creature , and hath one faculty of its own nature called conscience . reply , now le ts try this doctrine , and consider what thou hast said , it amoun●… to thus much , that conscience is of the nature of the soul of man , and the soul is the light of christ , as god. therefore thou hast said the conscience is the light of god which must needs be without sin ; this is more then i have or dare say , i might here fitly ask thee , if thou knowst what the word conscience signifies in true understanding ; and yet though thou hast uttered this , that conscience is a faculty of the soul , which thou sayst is the light of christ , as god , which light of god must needs be of the nature of god pure , and not impure ; yet in the next page thou sayst , conscience is a poor dunghill creature in comparis●… of the spirit , &c. and in another page calls conscience poor , so empty beggerly things , &c. what now iohn bunion ; is that which thou hast concluded to be the light of god , but a dunghill-creature , and low , and empty , and beggerly in comparison &c. for shame cease such divinity , lest all thy fellows reprove thee ; o how doth thy ignorant zeal lead thee into snares , and trape thy own feet . and to confound thy self , thou sayst , conscience , which is the light of god , is nature it self ; then it must needs be that every mans nature ( which is sinful say i ) it the light of god ; o what horrible doctrine this proves in its explanation ! blush , and be ashamed when thou considers ; then thou cries out in reproof ▪ o wonderful , sayst thou , that men should make a god , and christ of their consciences ! i know none that doth it , nor that ever spoke so highly of conscience , 〈◊〉 thou hast here done ; yet we say our conscience bears us witness in the holy ghost ; and this is our rejoycing , the testimony of our consciences ; 〈◊〉 if our consciences condemn us not , then have we confidence towards god ; and yet makes not god and christ of our conscience , as thou secretly wouldst charge us withall : then thou goest on , and wouldst seem to prove , but canst not , that somthing besides the light of christ convinceth of sin ; but thy reach is too short , tho●… thou wind abroad , and lets thy thoughts into the pit of thy own reason , to bring up a thing to confound truth , but cannot ; for this is thy proof , where they were all convinced by their own consciences iohn . now all these i say we●… men come into the world , and therefore according to iohn . . were lighted with the light of christ , and thou hast confessed that conscience is the light of christ , as god ; which is no less then i have affirmed , then wherefore hast thou waded so farr , when at the end thou art forced to confess my position , thy words being explained , that it is the light of christ that doth convince of sin , and can find no other thing besides that ; then thou sayst , here is somthing besides the spirit of christ that doth convince of sin &c. but yet i say , nothing besides the light of christ , as thou hast confessed , and that was that only which i affirmed in the tenth page of mine , about which thou hast made all this stir , and to no purpose , ( as to prove any thing convinceth of sin but the light of christ ) and in that i said , he that convinceth of sin against the law , leads up into the fulfiling of the law , which still i own , though thou wouldst contradict it , but canst not ; and i clearly see thou hast not reached the understanding of my words , but answered thy own conceiving , and not my words ; for i do not say , or think that righteousness comes by the law , yet that is righteousness , which condemneth that which breaks the law ; if thou hast an ear thou mayst hear ; and as i said it is the word of truth , the righteousness of the law must needs be fulfilled in judgment , upon you all , and by christ jesus in you , if ever you receive the salvation to your souls ; and thou hast not yet learned what i mean , and though thou sayst , that for justification , thou lookst beyond the law , to the son of mary ; but i say thou must not look beyond it for condemnation , who art in transgression , and not reconciled to god , through condemnation in the flesh , for it will reach you to condemnation ; and thou sayst thou understandst that i do , in all my discourse disown christ without , by pretending to a christ within ; to which i say , thy understanding deceives thee , who , it may be feared , blinds thy own eyes ; that thy conscience may not condemn thee for slandering , but while i am approved in the sight of god , of those things whereof thou accusest me falsly , and wickedly ; i matter nothing what a lyers judgements is of me , my answer to thy query shall prove me clear , and thee a lyer herein , that we own gods christ as the scripture declares of him , as i have said , and the darkness of my words is to blind the eye of subtilty , and not to deceive the hearts of the simple ( though thou wouldst say it ) see if thou now canst tell what i say . and whereas thou art offended , that i say , many more things in thy book i pass by , as being not pertinent to the thing in hand ; my words are true , for the thing in hand was proving us deceivers , and that was the most of which i medled withal , or purposed to oppose ; and to other things that thou speakest of in short , my answer was , and is the words ( or of some of them ) i own , and thy voice i deny , without any blaspheming or error , in the view of all the world ( though thou wouldst say it ) for whatsoever a lying spirit speaks , i deny it to be the voice of christ , though it may be some of his words ; and thy spirit is a lying spirit : and though thou art offended that i should say fools loves to be medling , yet its true enough , is not he a fool who is a lyer and a slanderer , that understands not betwixt before a time , and since a time , judge in thy own conscience ; and thy fair words , as that it must needs be ( sayst thou ) that the saints of god must be called fool ; i say , never presume the name of saint , but clear thy self of thy lyes and slanders , and perverting scriptures , and learn the first principle of religion ; even that which condemns thee . and as to that which i say 〈◊〉 true , that the pope can speak as much of christ without as thou , i own it , and may add ; i believe he can speak more then thou of christ without , and with as good , or better understanding ; though both a like far from the kingdom of god ; yet in thy answer , thou askest me , if i put 〈◊〉 difference betwixt the speaking of ; and beleeving in christ without ; yea , i do a great deal , for he that believes in him , hath the witness in himself of him , and his heart is purifyed , and he is a new creature , which thou art not , but thou i suppose wouldst be reckoned a believer ; nay , for i think the pope hath both more words , and more good works , and makes as much conscience of lying and false accusing as thou , for ought as may be understood , of a tree by the fruits , which is our way to judge , as christ hath given us example ; then is that i said thou hast answered thy self a question deceitful , thou art offended , and boasts thy self against me , charging me to be an enemy to the truth , and the li●● , in that i did not manifest thy deceit ; but now i shall therefore , to stop thy pro●… boasts in that answer , thou calls it a sad doctrine which saith , follow the light which christ hath enlightned every man withall , and other such like things following that question , which are deceitful , and wicked , and thou thereby art proved the enemy to truth thy self , and thou and thy words are both deceitful ; and therefore boast not thy self : then thou answers my question , which was , doth not the scripture witness that all who have not christ are reprobates ? the question is sound , and of worth to be noted , and in thy answer thou sayst , yet it is true , to which i soberly reply , then what a condition are all in , that hath 〈◊〉 christ within , nor no knowledge of him , but what they have of him as he is without , by the letter without , do thou consider this ; and whether it be not of the chiefest prize to life and salvation , to wait for him , and seek for him within , seeing all that have not him within are reprobates . but farther thou wouldst seem to manifest a great deal of folly in me , when as the folly lies in thy own bosome , and by thy confused words , i understand th●… groundst thy answer upon alye , and false understanding , and therefrom bring●… the false reproof , as if i should hold forth that every man hath received chri●… or the spirit of christ in him . this i have never said , but that every man hath the light of christ gi●… him which i say is one in union , with the spirit of christ ; and i say christ 〈◊〉 given to all , but all receives him not ; and i see thou understands not my for●… words that i write in answer to one of thy queries , thou canst not disting●… betwixt a thing being given of god , and a thing being received by man , so 〈◊〉 the folly is fallen back on thee , take it , who understands not my words , 〈◊〉 opposes thy own conceivings , and false understanding ; and though i might 〈◊〉 truly apply this word folly in that extent , then thou applyed the like word 〈◊〉 thy self in this same page , yet i leave it to the judgement of the serious reader , and say , thy folly is want of wit in the world , and not for ch●… sake : then thou wouldst defend thy first wickedness , in that thou saidst the devil deceives souls , by perswading them to follow the light within , which all men have ; but my answer to it thou hast not reached , in that i said , 〈◊〉 that comes to life eternal must follow the light within which christ ha●… given , which stands over thy head for ever to be truth ; but yet how bli●… art thou in confessing the light within , even conscience to be the light 〈◊〉 christ as god , and yet sayst , the devil deceives souls by bidding follow the light within . o abominable doctrine ! what doth the devil deceive souls by bidding fo●… the light of christ as god ? so iohn bunion's doctrine is ; let it be noted : 〈◊〉 see thou thy folly how it is manifest , and thy pittiful evasions are weighed , 〈◊〉 stead of contradicting my former sufficient answer , which thou could no 〈◊〉 reach to wrest , or otherwise to answer it , askes a question , which i may ans● assoon as thou hast sufficiently replyed to my former answer , and this is in 〈◊〉 an answer to it ; it is heresie to say , that the light of god ( or any light of 〈◊〉 or christ ) can or doth deceive the soul ; and though thou stumble at it , i said 〈◊〉 in saying , that thy whole purpose is a secret smiting against the light within , 〈◊〉 the reader judge . and now to manifest thy ignorance fully ; thou hast confessed the light wit●… even conscience is the light of god ; hast not thou cause to repent of 〈◊〉 absurdities and blindness , who holds forth , that the devil deceives souls by the light of god , seeing thou canst find no light within man , but that which thou confessest is the light of god. then thou sayes , thy whole design was first to shew souls where salvation is to be bad , namely in christ without , and yet hath confessed , all that hath him not within are reprobates , and such have not salvation , by him without ; consider therefore , without christ within no salvation , as i have said , and thou hast confessed it , ( mark it ) then to clear thy self from contradiction , which i charged thee with , thou wouldst cast a confusion upon me , in that thou says , i would make a defiled conscience , the law and spirit of christ to be all one ; this is falsly spoken , i have never said , nor thought , that a defiled conscience is the law and spirit of christ , a lyer thou art to be noted , and this lye adds to the number ; and yet consider thou hast said ( several time ) that consciences is the light of christ , as god ; and now calls conscience defiled ; is the light of god defiled ? iohn bunnion , saith so ; o horrid ! read thou thy confusion , and grievous error , which is brought to thy door , and there i leave it ; thou mayst blush , and all thy witnesses at this ; and in that thou callst my answer scoulding , against thy epistle , and persumptuously sayst , the truth of which thou couldst be willing to seal with thy blood. reply , scoulding i deny , but i have reproved thy lyes in the authority of the lord , and be not so proudly pust up in boasting : what sayst thou ? shall thy blood go for this , that the quakers are deceivers , and that the devil deceives souls , by bidding them follow the light within , which thou sayst is conscience , which thou confesses is the light of god , and that the blood of christ was shed before the world was , and that the scripture say so , and that we deny that salvation was compleatly wrought by the man christ jesus , with several other things noted for lyes ; what sayst thou iohn bunnion ? art thou so desparte as that thou wilt hazard thy blood upon this account ? if it be so , sure the devil hath great power over thee ; cease thy boasting lest the lord make thee an example , and though thou wouldst exhort me , thy spirit i deny , and so thy words i judge , and cannot receive good from an evil spirit : then thou comes on , falling on thy own foul ignorance again , and wouldst fain clear thy self , but by thy stirring thy own wickedness herein , thou makes it cast an odious sight to all that pass by , ( we may follow thee a little , seeing thou art not yet weary ) and fain wouldst thou make it appear that the blood of christ was shed before the world was , and sayst it was , in gods account ; but to this i have spoken , and largely shewed thy blindness to all men , and adds this upon thy head ; thou art a lyar and perverter of scripture to say , that the blood of christ was shed before the world was . and further thou art a lyer , to say , that god accounts a thing for truth which is a lye ; a sad error , and wicked . and further thou art a lyar , to say , that i corrupt thy woods : for i had not laid open thy nakedness so fully , if thou hadst not persisted in thy blindness , as now i am forced to do , but enough of this , and more then ever thou canst clear thy self of honestly ; and yet to cover thy own shame charges me falsly with folly , to speak evil of things i know not , or else with madness , &c. reply , friend , be not so confident , i know the difference betwixt , before , and since , or from , and know that god accounts not a lye for truth ( as thou holds out ) thy own folly and madness ; behold , who commits iniquity in lying on the scripture , and on god , and on me , and yet persists after a sober reproof , and resists the reprover , with opprobrious words , let confusion of face cover thy impudent forehead , while i forgive thee , and seeks not vengeance against thee ; then through thy mistake of my words , thou hast falsly gathered a subject to oppose , and fights with thy own understanding mightily , and thinkst thou confoundst me , and its thy self ; for however thou understands my words , either for want of wit , or otherwise , it never entred into my thoughts , with charging thee to believe that christ is a tipe ; only i charge thee that thou saidst so of others ; so that i think this is a mistake in thee for want of knowledge to understand my rehersal of thy words , being transcribed as the shortest , not to fill volumes , and through thy own misunderstanding of my laying down the words , thou heavily , yet vainly charges me with corrupting thy words , which god is my witness i have not done , though thou be guilty herein . but further , i deal plainly , and slanders not in secret , as thou dost , we do not look on christ to be but a shadow and tipe , if thou affirm i shall answer further , and as to that ( thou sayst ) i say jesus is the substance ; to that answer i stand , though thou sayst , thou doubts i do not sp●… plainly , &c. reply , as i have said i seek not a proof of my faith of thee , nor any man , not do i beg thy belief while i am approved in the sight of god , herein i matter not what a lying spirit doubts of me , so that what vain arguments , or queries thou raises from thy own false doubt i pass by , being by the present thing , branching out in things on the by , if i should examine every particular , i might fill a vollume . and whereas thou hast answered my question , which is ; did christ put an end to the law for them , who yet live in the transgression of the law ? or doth he justifie that which the law condemns , before the work of the law be finished ? in thy answer thou sayst , christ did put an end to the law for righteousness , for all that the father hath given him , this is little to the question : i say that transgressors of the law , are not christs , but children of disobedience , and children of wrath , and such god hath not given to christ , who are his enemies , nor christ to them is not given , but to condemn them is that estate , and thou sayst there are many given to christ , who yet lives is their sins ; the apostle iohn saith , he that sins is of the devil , and hath 〈◊〉 known god , and such as are of the devil are not christs ; and in that i sa●… , doth christ justifie that which the law condemns before the work of the law 〈◊〉 finished , and not one tittle of the law shall fail , till all be fulfilled ? thou hast 〈◊〉 reached the understanding of my words , for while disobedience stands and the transgressor lives , the work of the law is not finished , nor fulfilled , but to that is condemnation , and not justification ; if thou hast an ear thou mayst hear , for he that transgresseth the law is an enemy to christ , and christ fulfills not the law for his enemies , they must bear their own burthen ; and though this thou cannot understand now , yet in the day of judgement shalt thou feel it , and when the burthen of thy own inquity is upon thee , then shalt thou confess to what i have said , and read me in what now thou canst not understand ; and in the mean time , i deny that christ hath put an end to the law for thee , who art a lyar , and breaks one , and so is guilty of all . many of thy words might be weighed and searched , but i am no pic●… of quarrels ; but to my last query , thou sayst little to the purpose , which is ; what assurance have any , that the law is fulfilled for them , who 〈◊〉 yet transgressors of it , in themselves ? but sayst , assurance comes th●… believing and obedience to the law is a fruit of believing , &c. saying 〈◊〉 one that hath the hope of the son of god purifies himself as he ( christ ) 〈◊〉 pure . reply , then he that hath not the fruit , ( viz. ) obedience to the law , 〈◊〉 may judge by the fruit , or for want of fruit is no believer ; and he that is 〈◊〉 purifyed as he is pure ( christ ) hath not the hope of being the son of god but is without hope , now see where thou art , who yet breaks the law , and 〈◊〉 without ( thy own noted ) fruit of believing , neither is purifyed as he is pure , and so is without hope , this is according to thy own affirmation ; if th●… canst not bear it , blame thy self for laying down such a position , as hath pro●… thy self to be●an unbeliever , and without hope ; and so without god in the world ; one that is for condemnation , and to be judged in the state where now thou standst . and whereas thou sayst , i would lay assurance on obedience to the law ; thou lyest in this also , my words are , the law must be fulfilled in you by christ , in judgement and in righteousness , if ever you receive salvation , and these words are true against all thy opposition , neither do i affirm that by the deeds of the law any flesh living shall be justified ( but the contrary ) though thou wouldst falsly ( yet secretly ) cast it upon me , and wickedly callst this my forthy argument , where i said the law convinceth , and is a school-master to bring to christ , &c. but the froth proceeds out of thy mouth , for this argument comprehends thee , and stands out of thy reach , for all thy detestable speeches against me , and the truth ; and the rest of my following words thou hast passed by , where i say , who owns not that which convinceth of sin , how can they own him that takes it away by his blood ? and this is truth ; and tell me in ●ust●ess according to my first query in that page , how is sin taken away ●●om thee , more then from the pope ? seeing neither of you hath the fruit of ceasing to commit sin : and art not thou in the froth , who opposes me , as though ( i should say yet never did nor thought ) that justification must be sought by the deeds of the law , and so gathers a false conception , and fights with it , and keeps thy self doing in nine sheets against four , and yet hast passed over many speciall things , almost the chiefest ; and though no flesh shall be justified by the deeds of the law , yet must all flesh living be condemned for the transgression of the law by christ , who freely gives life to all that believes ; if thou hast an ear thou mayst hear ; in the next thou seemst ( or wouldst at least ) to defend thy self from my charge which shall ( if it doth not ) lie heavy upon thee , which is that i call thee slanderer , and truly too , from thy words , where thou falsly accused the qunkers with boasting , and hypocrisie , and in thy answer thou sayst , i need not be offended , for thou dost not know our fellow , for boasting , in that ( thou sayst ) we ●ry●p our selves , and condemn all others , &c. but this is no proof of the former accusation , but an addition to thy former wickedness , let honest men consider i asked thee when thou didst ▪ hear any of them boast , or see them live in hypocrisie ; but not a word to this sober desire , but adds sin to sin , a bad way to clear thy self , and thy god , be ashamed ; for crying up self , we deny , but yet must say , or else say falsly , that we are of god , and the whole world lies in wickedness , and he that is of god heareth us , and is one with us ; and this is as the saints testified , and is neither boasting nor hypocrifie ; then to my question , which was ; will that faith which is without works justifie ? and thou sayst no , &c. then i reply , what is thy condition and theirs , who are not only without works of faith ; but in thy very work of darkness , as lying and false accusing , &c. and seeing thou sayst no , consider , whether thou hast faith , and whether thy works which are like good workes proceed not from the unbeleiving ground , and this i add to my next i asked which thou hast passed by ; must not every one receive according to their deeds , in the day of judgement ; and then thou runs out in high words against me , in that i said , if to talk of him ( christ ) his birth , blood , &c. were faith in him , and living by faith , then few would want it ; and further i add the pope himself would have it , and my words are just and honest , without exception or contradiction , but only that something thou must needs say ; though thou say many can talk of christ , that will fall short of heaven , &c. and asks me a question , and fayst , is there not enough in them , ( 〈◊〉 ) birth blood , &c. to justifie , &c. i answer the knowledge of all things whatsoever without , will not justifie , except christ be within , and if he be within , the power of his life , blood , birth , &c. is known and received and felt , and in this i preach , not any other gospel then the apostles , who said , say not who shall ascend or descend to fetch him , ( mark ) but what saith it ; the word of faith ( or of the gospel ) which are not divided , is nigh thee in thy mouth , and in thy heart . and thou falsly again charges the quakers with corrupting , ( and beguiling m●y ) by those scriptures . reply . beguiling is thy own , and corrupting of scriptures too , as is proved , and whilst thou accuses us falsly in these things , thy self art proved truly guilty , in the sight of all that are spiritual ; and as to thy charging me , that the man christ iesus is not very pleasant to me , and with scoulding , &c. thy slanders i bear with patience , and thy reproaches which is not for evil , but for christs sake , who dyed at ierusalem , and is revaeled in me ; and for sh●… cease to say , thou art ruled by scripture a lyar , and slanderer , and preverter of scriptures , is not led with the spirit that gave forth the scripture , but is ruled by the devil , and is out of scripture rule : then thou goes on , and wouldst justifie thy ignorant saying , how are they deceived who own christ ; no otherwise then as he was before the world began , &c. and my * answer to it thou hast not touched , nor truly contradicted , which stands over thee , and is sufficient to all honest people , and christ we own the same yesterday to day & for ever ; and doth believe the father granted that request , and he is glorified with the same glory that he had before the world was , and though thou tell me of a double meaning , yet in plainness i speak without doubleness , the fault is in thy weakness , and sottishness , and blindness of heart , who kno●… not that which is infinite and immortal , and eternal , the flesh of christs body is so . then thou falsly charges me again ( in that i said ) if every spirit be of god which doth in words confess thus ( viz. ) that christ was with the father before the world was ( was born and suffered in the flesh and was buried and raised , &c. then is not the pope himself antichrist , &c. as ( in my fourteenth page ) whi●… putting on a vail and ventering upon thy words . but i have spoken the truth herein , let that in thy conscience answer in nakedness without a vail , the vail is on thy heart , & thou canst not understand me ; and so this is thy simple policy to say the vail is on me ; and what of that , if 〈◊〉 ventred on it , it is but in the fear of god , though i should say i deny all th●… thou sayst , or the speaking of any thing , for i do not own thy voice , though some of thy words be true , and though thou speak words of truth , yet therefore i reprove thee , and sometimes may not let it pass for truth ; for christ is my example herein , who reproved the devils , though they confessed him , ( mark that ) but the chief part of my words are passed over , and read over again , and see if it is not truth it self , where i said , it is not much better , nor more accepted , to confess christ in words to be come , and yet in works to deny him , the●… it is both in words and works to deny him , the one is wicked in prophane●… the other in hypocrisie , the one is a lyar , and the other a false witness , and let the honest judge ; then whereas i said christ is a mystery ; and unto hi●… he is light , and shall be salvation , where his person , supposed son of ioseph , never came ; which words are true , not gain-sayed by thee , though thou ask , did he obtain salvation for any without that body which he took of 〈◊〉 virgin ? answ. that body which was begotten by the holy ghost is not so carnal 〈◊〉 thou supposest , and that spiritual rock which followed them , saved them , a●… the same son of god the saviour , who was born a child to them , was the pri●… of peace , yea , the everlasting father , but thy eye sees not this , and therefore th●… sayst . here 's the place where he is not , and the place where he hath not been , ( now th●… sayst ) thou passes by many things which thou mightst justly examine , and also many unseemly expressions . o thou deceitful heart and tongue ! is this thy excuse when my words are consider of this , when thou hast a better understanding for its yet hidden from thee ; then when thou hast thus cried out against my just answer , thou tells me what i should have said ; alas , poor man ! thou reaches not what the knowledge of things eternal is , by that wisdom in which thou art , i need no man to teach me , but the lord. then thou sayst , iesus christ hath obeyed the law , and justified thee , &c. reply , nay hold , repent first , and be turned from thy iniquities , and believe in him , and boast not thy self so proudly ; thou art in the transgressions of the law in disobedience to it , a lyar , slanderer , and scorner , one that the prince of the power of the air rules in , a child of wrath , and every one shall dye for his own iniquity , and the soul that sins shall dye , and wrath to every one that doth evil , and the revelation of the judgements of god ; learn what this meanes , or ask them that are of a better understanding then thy self . then thou seemst to minde me of some weakness , and cries out , wonderful foolishness , &c. because i said , the light of christ , given to every man , ioh. . . as thou confessest , is not contrary to the spirit of christ , and to the grace of god , but is one in their nature ( mark ) and a man cannot possibly love one of them , and hate another ; therefore one they are , in the union , leading in the same way , unto the same end ; and where doth the spirit of christ give light , or the grace of god work or lead , if not in the conscience ? &c. these are my words , now let honest men consider , and iohn bunnion be silent , what foolishness or wonderful weakness , is in these words , but only to the wisdom which is devillish , which despiseth truth ? or what cause was there to blush , when i wrote them ? as he impudently saith , who cannot contradict them , nor reprove them , and yet railes upon them : no marvel that thou wouldst pass them , as thou sayst with such a poor shift to evade with a lye , that thou hast spoken to it already , when as thou hast not medled of these things . o let not thy impudency so sottishly carry thee , ( for thy shame is seen and laid open , its good ( in thy light ) to pass that which confounds thee , which is past answering ) so to save thy credit among thy fellows ; the cause to blush is in thy self , and it s brought to thy own door . then thou pleads for the scripture to be the rule in opposition to my question , which is not answered ; which was , can there be any surer thing for the creature to look to , to walk to life , or to come to god by , then the light of christ which every man hath given him , &c. but thou mayst for shame cease pleading for scripture rule , being thy self art so far contrary to it ; for he that walks in the life of the scripture , i have union with him , and the light of christ is a more surer testimony , either to witness justification or condemnation , then any mans words without , whatsoever ; then my other question was , whether the turks , iewes , and thee , and others , do serve sin and lust , because christ hath not given you light to discover your sins , or because you hate that light , that is given ? and much to this thou speakest not pertinent , nor answerest in plainness ; i leave it to the reader to judge , and to read my answer page . of my first , which clears truth from all what thou hast said against it in this particular . now i come to the next thing , where thou foolishly chargest me , that my doctrine is not according to truth , but a lye , charging me to affirm that which the apostle doth deny ; because i said the spirit is given to every man , though every man receives it not ; and it strives with the wicked , though he follow it not , &c. my words herein are truth , and no lye , neither contrary to the scripture , ●…nd let the reader be judge betwixt us ; the apostle saith the manifestation of the spirit is given to every man to profit withal ; and some of these to whom he writes thus , were wicked , given to incest and idolatry , and other sins ; here i prove , it was given to the wicked , and thou confesses the righteous had it , and there is but these two on the face of the earth ; now if thou canst find a man that is neither wicked , nor righteous , then thou hast advantage , then some hath not the manifestation of the spirit ; the saints had the comforter , the spirit of truth , and he ( the spirit of truth ) convinced or reproved the world of sin ; they that were not saints , but wicked had it , reproving them ; mark these things , and let honest men judge , while both thou and i am silent , whether thy doctrine , which denyes that which the scripture affirms , or mi●… which bears witness to the same thing which the scriptures speaks , be to be disowned , let an equal line measure ; the shame , and false doctrine is fallen upon thee , and thou art offended ( that i should say thou bringst other vain arguments ) with a vapour , saying , neither i , nor my fellows are able to answer , &c. but i say true , the arguments are vain , one is , the devils are convinced , but have not the spirit , or such like , now what is this to the purpose , that thou contendst in that wherein no body strives with thee , nor none affirms against thee ; and it is a vain argument to parallel the devil in such a case , as having the spirit ; but thou art so blind , it s hardly possible to let thee see thy ignorance herein ; i may not much strive with thee , onely i le tell thee of those thing●… and the sober reader shall judge ; to instance a thing impossible , to pro●… things possible , are vain arguments , so that i have herein done thee no wro●… then thou cries out of my weakness , and that i blaspheme , and of a great 〈◊〉 of ignorance discovered in me , and bidst me be silent , and falsly charges me with presumption , and such like , &c. because i said , thus much i leave with thee , 〈◊〉 thou prove the light of christ , ( which thou confesseth every man hath ) to 〈◊〉 contrary to the spirit of christ ; i shall say every man hath that which is one 〈◊〉 union , and like the spirit of christ , even as good as the spirit of christ , according to its measure ; these are my words , page . and i own them , and thy answer to them is no contradiction , nor just confutation of them ; but lyest , 〈◊〉 saying , i call conscience , and nature it self the spirit of christ ; this is fals●… never spoken by me , so that thou hast uttered a pack of railing words , with●… any knowledge or fear of god , instead of a sober answer ; the blasphemy a●… great deal of ignorance and presumption appears not in my words , they a●… truth , and thou hast not proved that the light of christ is contrary to the spirit of christ ; nay , thy simple policy is too short , when thou hadst done so , then had been a time to have cast these opprobrious speeches at me , like venome from a viper ; but the weakness ( or strength of error ) and blasphemy , and the great deal of ignorance and presumption &c. is fallen at thy door , and there i lea●… it , clear thy self from it as thou art able , who without any confutation of th●… words , falls impudently to charge me thus highly and falsly from the words , 〈◊〉 thou silent , while the reader judges : then thou goes about to defend thy first wickedness , in that thou said , the devil doth deceive poor souls , by bidding them listen wi●… and turn the minde within , and see if there be not that which doth convince●… sin , &c. and my answer to this is sound , and stands over thee , and unreproved by th●… though many words thou speakest ; yet from the scripture doth not prove , or 〈◊〉 honest arguments , that the devil doth deceive any , by bidding them to tur●… the light within , which convinceth of sin ; if thou wouldst have cleared thy 〈◊〉 thou shouldst have proved thy assertion , according to my desire , i asked th●… was ever such a thing spoken , that the devil can deceive any by the light 〈◊〉 christ ? but to this not a word in proof , but saith , every man hath not the spirit 〈◊〉 christ , &c. but further then i query , doth the devil deceive any by bidding the●… 〈◊〉 turn in , and listen to that light spoken of iohn . . for that light am i contending for , and not any other contrary to it ; then thou sayst , thou denyst . beyond thy reach either to understand or contradict ? thou wants that spirit which can examine of truth , be it known unto thee ; and what are those unseemly expressions ? wilt thou slander always in secret , without evidence ? and if these be they , in that i said , our innocency will appear when thy black vaile of lyes is taken away ; and this is truth , and is no way but seemly to be spoken to thee , who art an enemy of god ; then thou wouldst justifie thy former slander , who said , we wrest that scripture , iohn . . and my answer is , we take it without adding or diminishing , which is true , and no lye , nor wresting of it ; neither in thy reply can i find that thou provest it , though many words uttered , little to the purpose , with adding to thy former slanders , in saying , we would hold that that light is the spirit of christ ; this is not spoken in all my book , but that it is one in union i say , and not contrary to the spirit of christ , but witnesseth of it , and to it . and thou further saith , we say many things , which thou knowest to be blasphemy ; this is another lye , prove one blasphemy . and further thou sayst , christ , as he is mediator , doth not enlighten every one that comes into the world , &c. reply , well , thy ignorance and wickedness vents it self forth apace , let any man read that first chapter of iohn , and see whether he doth not speak of christ as mediator ; he saith , he was in the beginning with the father , and was made flesh and dwelt with the disciples ; and his life was the light of men , and the light shined in darkness ; and that was he which lighteth every man that comes into the world ; and he came to his own , but they received him not , but as many as received him , to them he gave power to become the sons of god , &c. what sayst thou ? was not this spoken of christ as mediator ? consider , and be instructed , rather then let thy blood go for it ; however i leave thy doctrine and errors herein to be judged by them that are spiritual , and for shame cease such doctrine , the more i rake among the filth , the more vilely and odious it appears ; and for thy proof of this doctrine , thou bringst mat. . . and sayst , here the father and the son are speaking one to another ; but what doth this prove , though it be so ? doth it any way follow that iohn did not speak of christ as mediator ? iohn . what vain productions thou bringst from thy impertinent proofs , let them be weighed , and taken notice of honestly ; and thou bidst me understand thus much , that nature which is conscience , is the light of god. i understand thy blindness ; if this be so as thou sayst , then mans nature is pure without sin , as the light of god is ; and this is error abominable , contrary to the scripture , which saith , all by nature are the children of wrath ; are all by the light of god ( as thou sayst nature is ) children of wrath ? see thy divinity , and take it as it is truly interpreted , i desire not to wrong thy words ; thou givest me to understand the greatest ignorance from those things that lately i have heard , no not the like in england ; and it is very true , as i said thy folly appears by thy much medling . then thou askst me , what i will have the light called , wherewith every man in the world is lightned , and because i do not call it the spirit of christ , thou ( as it were ) murmurs ; because i have cut of thy occasion , and thou canst not bend thy tongue with any seeming advantage against the truth ; but in that i say the light of christ convinceth of sin , which is true , thou on a sudden produces thy bad consequences , and askes , if i call nature the light of christ , and such like . &c. but they all do not prove the contrary , so that which convinceth of sin , is worth minding and taking notice of , by all that ever are saved ; and as to that where i say , that which may be known of god was manifest in them , even in them that were given up to work unrighteousness , &c. i said the truth , which thou are not able to contradict in equity , though thou very ignorantly bendst thy answer ( as if i had said ) the knowledge of god was made manifest in them , when i say plainly in my book ; that they 〈◊〉 turned from the knowledge of god , and yet that which might be k●… of him was manifest in them ; and this thou canst not deny : and though 〈◊〉 words , as layed down , are not in the scripture words , in terms , yet i have 〈◊〉 said falsly herein , and do not thou be a reprover of that which thou cannnot 〈◊〉 self deny ; then thou sayst , how feeble an argument is this to prove , that every one 〈◊〉 spirit , &c. reply , thou blind man , did i go about to prove any such thing or 〈◊〉 any argument thereupon ; we are about the light which christ hath gi●… or lighted every man in the world withal , which light convinceth of 〈◊〉 and is not contrary to the spirit of christ ; unto this was i speaking , 〈◊〉 this i stand by , and thou conceives another thing from my words , and 〈◊〉 against thy own consequences , like a man too irrational to understand co●… english , &c. then thou sayst , thou passed by other lame arguments , which i tumble ev●… 〈◊〉 blind man in a thicket of bushes . o be ashamed for ever ! thus to evade and shuffle , with such scornful 〈◊〉 i said , that which reproves of sin is the gift of the spirit of god , iohn ● . 〈◊〉 that which makes manifest sin , is light , and whatsoever is reproved is made 〈◊〉 fest by the light , ephes. . how darest thou call these lame arguments , tumb●… over ? what impudence is in thy heart , so to say ? when thou art put to 〈◊〉 fusion , then such excuses thou bringst ; well , some may see thy folly : 〈◊〉 to my question which was , whether that light which every man is li●… withal , is sufficient in it self for life and salvation to every one 〈◊〉 believes ? if thou say , not ; wherein is the blame , in god , in his li●… 〈◊〉 in the creature ; thou sayst , no it is not sufficient ; i take it . for an 〈◊〉 and leaves it to be weighed by the sober reader , and though there be ve●… honour , and of dishonour made of the same lump , as thou sayst , yet i 〈◊〉 query ; is not every mans blood that perisheth of his own head ? 〈◊〉 not the lord clear from the blood of all men , even though they go to d●… ction ? and if the reader try thy book over , he may judge whose arguments 〈◊〉 lame . then whereas thou sayst , christ , as god , hath lighted every man that com●● 〈◊〉 the world , to which i said , then , why dost thou say we wrest that scri●… iohn . . seeing thou thy self hast confessed no less then what thou callest w●…elling in us ; and this is truth , let all men consider else ; that when tho● c●…nfesses christ as god hath lighted every man in the world , it is no less then w●… we say , and that scripture sayes , which is , that christ is the true light , 〈◊〉 that is he which lighteth every man that comes into the world ; and may●● 〈◊〉 thou be ashamed to call this so scornfully a glavering answer , not being 〈◊〉 clear thy self from my just charge , in that herein i charged thee with co●… to oppose us , in that which thy self confesseth to be true ; consider well o●… and let not thy blood go for the truth of all what thou sayst , for i de●… not . further thou cries out , is this all the wit i have , and wonderful ig●… 〈◊〉 because i said it is not good to neglect following the light , but that 〈◊〉 one minde the light of christ jesus in them ; in answer to thy words , 〈◊〉 having said , the light which convinceth of sin is the light of christ as 〈◊〉 which the neglect of , will be sure to damn , as thou sayst ; and now let wise●… judge of my answer ; but thou falls heavily on it , proving that obed●… to the law will not justifie , and the like , which i do not at all affirm ; 〈◊〉 to that i say , the law having its opperation upon the disobedient , the 〈◊〉 comes to be seen , which is he that is the end of the law , and the law m●… him be obeyed or fulfilled in thee , if ever thou be saved from being damned 〈◊〉 it . 〈◊〉 ●…ul bid listen ●ithin , telling me of making she●●●r for my err●● , &c. t●…●o 〈◊〉 say , that paul bids listen within , let the reader judge from that sc●…ture 〈◊〉 . . . the righteousness of faith s●…ks on th●…s ●…se , ●●rs . 〈◊〉 . ( which is the 〈◊〉 of the gospel ) and vers . . what saith it , the word i● nigh t●… , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 m●… , and in thy heart ; was not that the end of these words , to lis●… 〈◊〉 the word is in the heart ; what saith it there ? now the error i● thine , 〈◊〉 ●…e truth ; and the lye is returned to the founder , who denyes th●t p●…l●…en ●…en within ; when its plain he saith , the w●●d 〈◊〉 i● 〈◊〉 h●…t ; what 〈◊〉 it ●…ere ? o that a man professing knowledge and enterprzing such things , should ●…e so 〈◊〉 and so unable to finish what he hath ●…in ; then thou cryest o●t ●…sly , and notes it in the margent , for wresting of thy words , in that i ●…d , ●…ou sayst , they are ignorant of the gospel who clos●… in with thes●●…s of th● 〈◊〉 ●…in ( or conscience ) which doth command to abstain from the ●●ll , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; and thy own words are ; how the poor souls through ignorance of the gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these motions of its own conscience ( viz. ) the motions which convinceth of sin ●…in , which doth comm●… abstain from this evil , and practice th●● g●dd ; so ●et w●●e men consider whether i have wronged that intent of thy words ; and ●e not so soon angry ; ●or thou canst not vindicate , that they that closes ●n with these motions of the ●●science , or the light of christ within , which o●…ceth of sin within , which doth command to abstain from-this evil , and ●o practice thi● 〈◊〉 , is ig●…nce of the gospel ; and do not evade it by words without kn●…dge , in picking of quarrels , and seeking offences ( by different tearms of wor●…●…e ●o occasion justly is given thee . then my question thou see ●…est to a●swer , which was , what , and how doth the light of the gospel work , of not in the ●…ce , and to command from evil , and to practice good● this 〈◊〉 ●…nds over thy head , not confuted , nor fully answered ; for the true 〈◊〉 ●…ang of it thou hast not comprehended , but to thy own conception , thou 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…ed as if i should say , that every man hath the light of the gospel ●…g ●n th●m to salvation , which i never said nor thought ; so thy answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 t●…e purpose . then thou hast passed by full slig●… ( as disable to clear thy god● and his spir●● that guides thee , which is the godd of this world ) of that great 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 justly charged upon thee , page . of my last , which a ●…ing to ●…e collection is ; by turning the mind within to the light which doth 〈◊〉 of sin , and listning thereunto and clasping in with the motions of 〈◊〉 conscience , which doth command to abstain from evil , a●d to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and closing with somthing within , which thou confessess 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 ●…f 〈◊〉 ; these things preceding , then thou , sayst , hereby , 〈◊〉 th●…s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…ried headlong , and at the end of its life doth fall into the ●…lly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sum of wickedness set forth by thee , which when thou ●…el 〈◊〉 ●t in 〈◊〉 shall receive the interest upon it , of indignation and vengeance ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou hast slipped it now , it shall their be reckoned on iohn 〈◊〉 ●…e . remember thou owest to prove this before tho● be ●…ru any . 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 again thou criest out , that i have ●…ghtily belyed thee , and the like , 〈◊〉 of misplacing a word , and saying , the light of the world , instead 〈◊〉 light brought into the world ; thou art an unjust judge , who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…ers for a word misplaceing ; but it is plain , thou meanst by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the world , that light ●●bu . . which every man in the 〈◊〉 ●…ed withall ; and if thou do then thou art a lyar , in saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…ook , and in this , the devil 〈◊〉 or s●… the 〈◊〉 ●…irth by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that light , and if thou mean not that light , i●●n . . 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 ●…rit , iohn . ( which i say is ●ot divided ) then tho● are a ●yar 〈◊〉 ●…d now while thou charge me to be g●…ded by s●… , and ●o be a lyer , in the very time hast snared thy self in a lye , and cannot get o●● , 〈◊〉 it . then thou sayst thou passes by many rageing expressions , which thou migh●… 〈◊〉 with unrighteousness &c. reply , i asked thee , by what is the new birth wrought ? and how , if 〈◊〉 following the light of christ in the conscience ? is there any other way to 〈◊〉 but christ jesus , who hath lighted every man that comes into the worl●… i● , part of that thou 〈◊〉 passed by , with thy lying excuse of 〈◊〉 expressions , of which tho● mayst be ashamed to equivocate thus po●… save thy own credit ; the charge of unrighteousness justly falls upon th●… head . thou further sayst , and eates up thy own wickedness , who said then , a●… it now but most ignorantly , that satan makes the soul believe , if it will b●● 〈◊〉 by what shall be made known to it , from the light ( or conscience ) within , it 〈◊〉 ●●ll , &c. my last answer to this , is sufficient , onely i ask thee a proof ou● 〈◊〉 scripture for this doctrine , that the devil do deceive any by the light of c●… the conscience within ; and till then , minde my words in my last a●… ever thou knowst god , it must be by following , and by being led with 〈◊〉 within , which god hath made known unto thee , else that light is thy co●… tion eternally . then again thou chargest me with corruping thy words , for writi●… for their ; now a scorner i charged thee to be , from thy words , and 〈◊〉 yet say of th●● , taking thy words in thy own s●nce , as page . of th●… doth manifest thee , unto the single eye ; and thou secretly chargest 〈◊〉 following our own spiri● , and speaking by our own spirit ; but our own spirit 〈◊〉 denyed , and have received the spirit of the father , through the light of 〈◊〉 whereby every man in the world is lighted to life , or to condemnation 〈◊〉 thou seemst to be highly offended , that i should say , thou dost not pro●… ple at all , noting it for false in the margent ; but thou needst not be 〈◊〉 gry , though thou say , the people in the countrey where thou dwellst will 〈◊〉 contrary &c. to which i say , thou hast no cause to boast of the fruit of thy minis●… they of much profit received by thee , witness a meeting in bedford , 〈◊〉 company of thy cheifest members , i suppose , uttered much wickedness 〈◊〉 and slanders , as many can witness ; and witness three of thy brethre●… tors of this book , who say they know that to be truth , which thou has●… ed , and thou ●rt proved a lyer in many things ; let them read themsel●… witnesses and lyars , like thy self ; and these things being considered , 〈◊〉 with other things at the end of this , thou hast no cause to boast of thy 〈◊〉 nor they of their profit , by it in that country , who art unconver●… from lying and false accusing , and so art not turned from satans powe● power of god : and as for a carnal ministry , of which thou speaks●… are very bad that exceeds thy self in carnality , in thy understanding 〈◊〉 things that are spiritual : then further thou goest on seeming to bring 〈◊〉 of thy former slanders , having in thy last , falsly accused us with sad b●… mies and horrible doctrines , and thou sayst , my speech bewrayeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●ns of them , because sayst thou , i say that every man hath the sp●… christ. o thou lying tongue , when wilt thou cease thy wickednesse ! i never sa●… thought so . and further thou sayst , i say , there is that in every man which is as 〈◊〉 the spirit of christ , my words are , the light of christ , lighteth or is 〈◊〉 every man that ome● into the world , which light is not contrary to th●… of christ , but one in the union , and a● good in its nature , according to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and till thou prove that that light iohn 〈◊〉 . . is contrary to the spirit , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hast not done , stop thy mouth , and take shame to thy self , for be●… 〈◊〉 ●…lty thy self of corrupting my words , which thou falsly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things thou sayst , that our society s●●uld 〈◊〉 , b●t i may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…ge thou art , so slanderous a tongue 〈◊〉 me , that ●…he 〈◊〉 ●…ou 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereas i said , thou art confounded i● 〈◊〉 , i said 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 ; thou sayst , that conscience my be se●… , 〈◊〉 , and another 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 is the light of god ; can the light of 〈◊〉 ●…ed ; or i●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it forth . 〈◊〉 , i● not this confusion ; other thing●… 〈◊〉 might collect , but ●…is 〈◊〉 ●…ficient to prove thee in confusion ; and thou●… th●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the ranters , and sometimes with ●he 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of bitterness and envy , yet we bear thy reproaches , and when they 〈◊〉 taken off , then shall we appear , and thou appear , and be j●…d , a● we 〈◊〉 , by ●im that is above all . then thou falsly chargest me with ●…ing ●…at scr● , in iohn . . whereas , i neither added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ●ut sp●… i● 〈◊〉 be seen in my book . further chargi●…●…e , that i do not under●… 〈◊〉 d●…rence between the light of the la●… , and the light of the gosp●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 rejoyce in that i am hidden from thee , a●d that my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to thee ; for in that state thou standest the ●…trance ●…to the 〈◊〉 o● god , thou shalt not know , whose wisdom is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 ●…gh thou sayst the light of christ is a saving co●…ing li●… 〈◊〉 will it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a condemning light , and of all lyars and slandere●● , and ●●is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , though thou art busied up and down , in thy ●…nde , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 me , from my words , not clearing thy felt from wha●… i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…on thee , but accusing me falsly , and this is c●…me to p●… , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…ight openly appear , as to that difference of the law , and gospel , thy 〈◊〉 ●…th my knowledge of it , i shall not feed , yet i leave the 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 deut. . from vers . . to . and rom. . , . and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…id 〈◊〉 upon thee undone to prove by the scripture , something 〈◊〉 con●…ce 〈◊〉 , and besides , or contrary to the spirit of god , wh●…●…ou 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do ; for though thou sayst ( as none aff●… ) the light in every 〈◊〉 ●…ience is not the spirit of god , yet ho●… do●… thou proye ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…ontrary to the spirit of god , which in my last a put 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 leave it with thee ; and then thou wouldst ex●…se t●y 〈◊〉 ●…ds 〈◊〉 ●…on called the quakers fond hypocrites , but hast ●…ot yet pro●…ed 〈◊〉 live in hypocrisie , and so art a lyar still , and ●y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a perverter of the right way of god thou a●● , and in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…f 〈◊〉 it shall be proved by thy recompence . then tho●●…est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that a natural man may have power over sin , a●d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the law ; and for thy proof thou inst●… in p●●l , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , phil. . now this was before the commandment ca●● 〈◊〉 god 〈◊〉 which let him see the law was spiritual ; and this doth 〈◊〉 p●●ve that 〈◊〉 power over sin ; for he was an envy , and so a 〈◊〉 , and had 〈◊〉 over sin , according as i asked thee , if thou ●…yst he had power over 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 ●…st to do before he was convicted , while he was a ●…al 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no si●… to persecute jesus ; and this would ●e blasphemy , the p●… 〈◊〉 ; ●…t this thou hast c●●●ingly slipped , ●…e i ●…ed th●… get 〈◊〉 sin , and to abstain from those things ●…idden in the law , 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 thou ever came ? and because thou wilt not answer , i do , and say 〈◊〉 concludes , that iohn 〈◊〉 sta●… i● not so good 〈◊〉 p●●le , while he was ●…er according to his own doctrine ; and thou sayst the gentiles did by nature the things containted in the law ; true , but that state was not co●… 〈◊〉 ●…stined , before the circumcision ; and i ask thee , is any condem●… 〈◊〉 who are ex●…sed in his light ? or is any justified who is accused ? 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…d , which thou ignorantly comments upon , where i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chose to be of that profession which abstains from those things 〈◊〉 in the law , and to have power over sin , then to live in the transg●… the 〈◊〉 and under the power over sin , yet talking of belief in the son o● 〈◊〉 . let the reader 〈◊〉 whether of these religions is more accep●… s●●hn of god , thy religion is proved to be talking of belief , in th● 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 in the tra●sg ●ession of the law , a lyar , a false witnese , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and backbiting , and such like ; thy false belief will not save thee in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lord. then further thou still confessest , that as he is god , christ lighteth ever●… 〈◊〉 come into the wo●… then , wherefore dost thou make all this ado , in 〈◊〉 us , in this particular ? yet let 's try thy doctrine , whether it be sound 〈◊〉 sayst , this light , wherewith christ , as god , hath lighted every man , is c●… and yet sometimes saith , this conscience is seared , and hardned , and evil 〈◊〉 is the light of christ as god , seared , heardened , and evil ? iohn b●… it forth ; this is thy great ignorance and blasphemy ; and sometimes 〈◊〉 this light is nature ▪ and nature is corrupted , and sinfull , and in it , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dren of ●…th . what is the light of christ as god corrupted , and sinful●… 〈◊〉 are a●● by i● children of wrath ? iohn bunions doctrine holds it forth , 〈◊〉 blindness possessed thee , when thou writst this , yet mayst thou blush at the 〈◊〉 hereof . then thou goest to give a meaning upon my words : in that i said , t●… is light , and light is the law , which is truth ; but i spoke them not 〈◊〉 to interpret , with thy lying spirit , but let spirituall men judge of them , 〈◊〉 much ado thou makes in answering my question to thee , but hits not my 〈◊〉 at all ; i asked thee , and bid thee shew , ( if thou canst ) any sin which 〈◊〉 against the law , ; but this thou canst not do , though thou wouldst pro●… thou couldst , that imbelief is not a sin against the law of god ; then thou 〈◊〉 of the obedience of the son , of mary , imputed to us , &c. but i say , 〈◊〉 obedience of him without , doth not justifie any , who are in the na●… c●…ty against him , who is not a new creature , nor condemned in t●… 〈◊〉 and whereas thou secretly chargest us , with mingling law and gospel to 〈◊〉 i tell thee we know the operation of each , and doth witnes● the minist●… each , and they are not divided nor oppsite one against the other ; but 〈◊〉 the ●…ing of the other ; and though thou saidst , you leap over the 〈◊〉 iustification , yet it is too high for thee to leap over for condemnation 〈◊〉 member this , and all thy feign'd saith , while in that nature thou st●… condemned , is but as the stubble for the fire : then whereas i charged t●… preaching another gospel , then the apostle preached , and my charge●… upon thy head , and my proof is found against thee ; he directed to the 〈◊〉 withing in the heart , rom. . what saith it , the word is in the heart 〈◊〉 he turned to the light from darkness ; but thou sayst ; who shall ascend 〈◊〉 hi●● , ●…en ●…st follow him to the cross without , and to heaven without , &c. 〈◊〉 art one that faith , ●o here , and lo there ; but these things thou hast pa●… with thy lying excuse of quarreling , a many p●… shirts thou art ●…ain to 〈◊〉 and in that i said , thou wast a lyar , in saying , the light ( vit ) of chr●… god , doth not shew the soul a saviour , or deliv●… ; my charge 〈◊〉 is true , and stands unremoved ; and i asked thee , if the light of ch●… not shew christ , to 〈◊〉 will in the light , then what c●● but thi●… hast passed also most ●…fully , which stands upon thee to answer , or 〈◊〉 thy mouth , then thou wouldst excuse thy contradictions charged upon 〈◊〉 that thou saydst they are wickedly del●●ed , who own christ no otherwise 〈◊〉 as he was before the world ; and yet saying god onely is the saviour , and 〈◊〉 is none besides him ; and all thou sayst clears not thy self , from contradiction herein let honest men be judge betwixt us both , for thou judgest falsely me to be ●aught , and i am sure thou art naught ; and thou wilt not take my judgement . i may not take thine , ( let impartiallity judge betwixt us ) then thou wouldst excuse thy slanders charged justly upon thee , in saying , that quakers make light of the resurrection ; and to prove thy wickedness , thou askest us , whether so it be ? 〈◊〉 ●…e enough for us to answer ; when thou hast brought evidence of the first a●…sation ; what poor proof is this for to cover thy self , though to add to thy wickedness . thou sayst , thou knowst we deny it ; i ask thee , when it was ? or where it was ? o thou enemy of righteousness , yea , thou shalt arise in the day of judgement to shame and contempt , and this i affirm , except thou repent of this thy wickedness . then whereas thou urgest me , that i should have answered , the query raised from eph. . . better , or confuted thine , &c. do not boast , but hear what i say , thou sayst in that answer , that christ ascended to the right hand of the father in your nature . mark now , thy nature , and your nature , who are one with thee , is sinfull and wicked , and of the devil , for so all lyars are ; and it is blasphemy to say sinfull wicked divillish nature , such as iohn bunions is , and his fellows , is at the right hand of god in heaven ; o horrible ! consider of this , and see what thy begging an answer hath brought upon thee ; i deny , though thou affirm it , that thy , and your nature , which is wicked , or a man in that nature is ascended into heaven ; and therefore boast not thy self another time . this nakedness of thine might have been covered , but for thy own boasting ; and thou sayst , asts . proves it ; let the reader search , if he can find that christ ascended in sinful wicked nature , such as theirs is , who are one with iohn bunion ; and this is another lye of the scripture ; and though thou with much impudent confidence affirm the quakers to be deluders &c. i say from that we rather love dispraise , then praise , and are , as our fore-fathers were , counted deceivers , and yet are true ; and thou art deceived in thy own heart , in that thou understandst my words , that i should say , as though there were no false prophets now , because i said they were in the apostles dayes , which is true , and yet are they now too ; even it s witnessed by thee , and thy fellows , who are in their steps , who through coveteousness making merchandize of souls , and your people are ever learning , and not able to come to the knowledge of the truth , and goes for gifts and rewards , and are false accusers , and such like . nay , but understand me better , for i say thou art a false prophet , and thou art now , though thy root sprang forth in the time of the apostles of which thou are a beanch , and thy fellows ; and though i said that antichrist was in the dayes of iohn , and this was before a quakers was heard of ; my words i own , p●…rs that , that the christians were called quakers at that day , if thou canst , 〈◊〉 . i allow not thee to be my interperter , except i found thee more honest , 〈◊〉 doth condemn thy meaning upon my words ; and though thou sayst , instead of moving our selves no false prophets , we prove our selves no christians , because i said ( that word ) quaker was not heard of in those dayes . now consider , are they no christians now , whose title or name without , was not gives or heard of , in the apostles dayes , then protestants are no christians , nor independants are no christians , nor anabaptists are no christians , because they were not called so in the apostles dayes ; and whilest thou hast thought to prove us no christians , hast cast out thy self also ; then thou art no better then we , and what poor arguments and vain consequence these are , 〈◊〉 the wise consider ; i did not say , there were no quakers then , but not a quakers heard of ( viz. ) by that name ; for there were thousands of quakers , who trembled and quaked at the word of the lord , moses , and david , iere●… , isaack paul with many more quakers , and tremblers , though not then 〈◊〉 called ; but as i said , such as thou hast , such thou bringst , and thy master will accept thee . then thou sayst i fling durt in thy face , because i said , if we should diligently search thee , we should find thee in their steps , through feigned words , through coveteousness , making merchandize of souls , loving the wages of unrighteousness . and further i said , among them thou art found , who art preaching 〈◊〉 hire , and loves the error of balaam , who went after gifts and rewards , o● . now thou seemest to be grieved , and calls this a false accusation , but le ts try the cause admits dispute , art not thou in their steps , and among them that do 〈◊〉 things ? ask iohn burion , with whom thou art joyned close , to vindicate 〈◊〉 , and call him brother ; hath he not so much yearly , . l. or more ( except t●… hast some of it . ) which is unrighteous wages , and hire , and gifts , and rewards . what sayst thou , art thou not in his steps , and among , and with him and then that do these things ? if he be thy brother , and thou so own him , what is 〈◊〉 in him whom thou vindicates , i lay upon thee ; but tell me , who have 〈◊〉 thee deny him , and the rest of the independants , in these things , which 〈◊〉 knowst he doth act ? and in thy answer i cannot find thee fully clearing thy 〈◊〉 by denyal , but sayst , that spirit that lead me out of this way is a lying spirit ; 〈◊〉 or what way ; i say , out of the way of preaching for hire dost thou mean ? ●y it s a lying spirit in thee , that goes in their steps , and among them that goes in 〈◊〉 way ; and though thou bid me , have a care of receiving by hear say , what i b●… ( said ) and received in this , is truth , though thou evade it never so much . as to that , of some bidding thee throw away the scriptures , &c , indeed upon such terms , it might be spoken so as to be owned ; a lyar and a slandere● is an unfit fellow to meddle with the scriptures , or to take the name of the lord , or of the man christ jesus , in his mouth ; and i may say truly , what hast 〈◊〉 ( unrighteous person ) to do , to take his name , and truth in thy mouth , hate●… to be reformed ? and in that i say of thy crying against christ within , this is true ; who said , there was nothing in thee , nor any man ( without exception ) to be taken not in of , as we may prove by witness , though thou deny it ; then , was not chr●… within ? and what less is this , then to cry against him , when as thou deayd him within , or else concludes he is not worth taking notice of . and tho●… thou say i falsely speak of thee in saying , thou callst the doctrine of christ wa● in , false opinions , and take in hand to discover it ; but the falseness is in the who hath uttered that which is untruth , and contrary to the gospel , and 〈◊〉 denyes it , or would hide thy wickedness ; for thou having framed an objecti●… and speaks of some that are for a christ within , &c. and then thou sayst , the wilt discover the falsity of such opinions , now thou dost here reckon the doctrine of christ within a false opinion , ( or among them at lest ) let the rea●… judge , and be thou silent for shame ; but all thou sayst clears thee not , fro● what i said of thee , god shall judge thee , thou lying tongue , and dece●… heart . then thou chargest me with folly , and to eat my first words , and to be 〈◊〉 ble in judgement , and to fight against the truth , &c. from my question a●…e doth not the scripture say , christ is within , except you be reprobates ? a●… not this thus much , all are reprobates , but they in whom christ is within ; a yet because i said the measure or manifestation of the spirit , is given , to eve●… man , this thou hast catched at , and wouldst prove it unsound ; but truth is o●… thee , and both these are true ; and further , i say that christ is given unto 〈◊〉 world , yea to all , but all receives him not , and they that do not receive him 〈◊〉 reprobates , though he be given , but not received ; and the folly and fig●… against truth is in thy self , who says it is contrary to the scriptures to say 〈◊〉 spirit is given to every one , thou here lyest of the scripture as it s proved , 〈◊〉 i do not befool my self in saying the words ( or some of them ) i own in 〈◊〉 book , though i have written against the book ; for though thou speak ch●… words and the apostles words , yet thy voice is the strangers , and thy 〈◊〉 i deny , what ever words thou speakst , and is not bafooling my self , and 〈◊〉 i could justly end my discourse , and what is said is sufficient , to manifest thee and me to the honest reader . and thus far thy weapons of slanders are broken , and thy refuge of lyes are layd waste , and this also is cast by , as our spoyled prey of babyl●●s treasure , and trampled upon , and know that we are of god , and be that is of god heareth us ; and to our god , shall all bow ; and before him tremble . and whereas thou seemest to be greatly offended , and stumbling very much at my answers to thy queries , because thy carnall conceptions is not satisfied , nor thy vain minde gratified , having as thou thinkst great occasion against me thereby , which causes thy mouth to be opened in vapouring words aloft , against the simplicity of the gospel , not understanding my words ; for the things of the kingdom of god is a parable to thee , and sealed from thee , never to be known in the reason in which thou judgest . but in short thus i reply , i did not purpose to answer fully to them , to feed any mans wisdom with my knowledge of the things of gods kingdom ; for the queries were not fully directed to the quakers ; so that quench thy anger , and according to my answer , go seek a further answer ( or else be thou still unsatisfied ) from them who are led with a spirit of delusion , for such a direction requires , no full answer from me , nor any of us , who are in the truth , and not in the delusion , neither did i purpose , nor do i at any time , to answer fully to such things as are directed in a great part to others ; i am not a servant especially to them that are led with a spirit of delusion , to fufil thy will : but yet the short answers that i gave , ( which was not in the behalf of delusion ) but for the truths sake , i still own though thou cannot understand them , but products many bad lying wicked consequences from them , and my purpose was not to feed thy foolish wisdom in answering ; nor to satisfie thy reason to receive praise from thee , or any man ; for so i know it must be in hearing and seeing , thou must not perceive nor understand , who art of the generation hardened , and in parable is the kingdom of heaven unto thee , and i rejoyce the rather in being a stumbling to thee , in that state wherein thou standed , then that i should have gratified thee ; for i seek not , nor receives honour from man , in what i do ; but is covered from the worlds knowledge and know this , if thou cannot receive the kingdom of heaven as a little leaven , thou shalt never know it ; but yet how wicked art thou in this also , though not understanding me , in what i said , yet so fouly wronging me with above . false charges and slanders from my words , which thou reaches not the knowledge of , so it will be enough . reply , to sum up thy lyes , and send them back to thee to seek them out , and an evidence for them , and the querys , and my answers shall stand , as they are to be judged of by honest men , while we are both silent in our own cause , they are to be seen at large in my first book , the true faith of the gospel contended for , &c. in the , , , pages . and whereas further i speak at the end of my answers of christ within the hope of glory and said it is that mystery which long hath been hid from ages , but now is made manifest and declared , and though the wise of this world cannot receive it , but speaks evil against it , yet it is dear unto us , and so much more precious because despised by such as him , and such things are a testimony to us , and against you , ( viz. ) our enemies , &c. as in my . page of my first may be s●en ; and most wickedly this , or part of it , he calls babling , and says he passes by it . o horrible impudency ! what marvel that he should so belye me , when as he hath called the very scripture truth , spoken forth in righteousness , bablings ? and these things i leave the reader to judge of , and all his lyes thrown upon 〈◊〉 ●●pudently ; and consider , what ground this man hath from my answers to be seen in my first book to broach out and belch out such a number of lyes and slanders , in five sides of paper , not any one of them ( charged against me falsly ) were spoken by me , or ever in my thoughts to speak , or ground given by any of my words for such productions , as it is seen what lodges in the heart of such a fellow , even desperate wickedness , who is without any 〈◊〉 or honesty , who dare utter such things against the upright , who hates not his enemies ; but while i am clear in the sight of god , from all his false slanders , i matter not what iohn bunion says of me , who is as a man given up to wickedness who in less then a sheet of paper hath uttered thirty lyes , or more , which i may particularly manifest before he can find evidence ; a great wickedness ? 〈◊〉 this mans converts be good , while himself is unconverted ? is he a minister of christ ? for shame let it not be told so ; well , i beg not vengeance against him , he leaves my answers to be read , who will clear me from his lying consequences , 〈◊〉 wickedly conceived , and as wickedly uttered ( by one of gogs army ) against a member of jesus . now i come to reckon up his damnable doctrines , and errors , which are contrary to the truth ; as will manifestly appear to him that is spiritual ; some of th●● damnable without comparison . iohn bunion said , that christs second coming , is not his coming in spirit , for 〈◊〉 coming in spirit , is no coming . he saith , this ( or part of it ) is a lye made of hi● by me ; when as several witnesses , doth testifie in righteousness , that those very words were spoken by him , in pauls steeple-house in bedford town , m● . . as is witnessed ; and yet this man is so impudent , that he de●●● what he spake , ( or is ashamed of his words ) and so would cast the lye up●● me , who is clear , and the wickedness lies at his door ; and whereas he would prove that the second coming of christ , is not his coming in spirit , i say i will not beg him to believe it , but as he believes , so be it unto him ; and all that he saith doth not prove , but that christ promised , and fullfilled to his disciples , that he would come again to them , ( mark ) again is a second time ; if any man hath an ear let him hear . and then he saith , he will not trouble himself to lay this to my charge , in that it was said of him , christs coming in spirit is no coming , it may be he repents of what he hath said , being better considered , since he hath already falsly charged me with it , as some in the county of bedford knows very 〈◊〉 , that he hath falsly charged me , and denyed his own words , spoken by his own mouth . also he said , take notice , that i affirm , that there is nothing in me , nor is any man to be taken notice of , these are his own words spoken by him april , . at patnam , witnessed by three men , who heard it from his mouth , and this charge he doth not fully deny , but in a great measure he assents to it , yet would cover his shame a little with a lye , in saying , directly in this f●●● of words he did not lay them down ; but this will not serve to hide his reprobate state , for to his face it may be testified he spoke the words , as i have laid them down ; and therefore consider against whom i am yoaked , against one that is a reprobate , and without christ in him , one that hath denyed christ in him , or else thinks christ not worth taking notice of . o abominable ignorance , why should such a fellow take the things of god in his mouth , who hath denyed christ in him , and the spirit of christ ? indeed it appears that he doth take notice of nothing in him , else he would have been wounded with the light in his own conscience , before he had brought forth thus many lyes ; it seems he takes notice of nothing in him , but is past feeling ; damnable doctrine indeed , without comparison , that ever one professing to be minister of christ , should be so stark blind and wicked ; yea , we have taken notice of what thou hast said , and it shall be recorded for ignorance of the greatest sort ; but he would evade the thing and give a sence upon his words , and in such a s●●●● he owns , and in such a sence he denyes it , but what is this to the purpose , except he confess it , ( at it is ) that he is unregenerate , and if so , he confess●● the light of god is in him , and then to be taken notice of , if it be but to condemn him . o blindness to be marked ! well , this mans folly hath appeared sufficiently , who confesses this light in every man is the light of christ , as god , and yet saith , he affirms there is nothing in him , nor any man , ( regenerate or unregenerate ) without exception are his words here spoken ) worth the taking notice of . the rest of the particulars charged upon his fellows is passed by with the excuse of wanting the names expressed , may be he is glad to be ignorant in this thing , but let● search ; iohn burton said , that christ had two bodies , one out of the fight of the saints ; in bedford , may . . and to this iob. bunion confesses , but would excuse it if he could , and would manifest that christ hath two bodies , clean contrary to the scripture , which affirms , ephes. . . now no marvel that he gain-sayes me , when as he hath gain-said the apostle , who said expresly , there is one body , but they say two bodies ; let them be ashamed for ever , thus to contradict scripture . iohn spencly ( one of the testators of this lying scrole , a member of the same supposed church ) said , that christ , and the word of life were two things , and so would divide christ contrary to ioh. . . where christ saith , he is the bread of life ; and contrary to ioh. . . the d . of the th . month , . iohn bunion and one fer , and ioh. child laid down ; . that god dyed , and that very god , and the everlasting father dyed , contrary to many scriptures , as dan. . . and . . . they affirmed , that the word that was in the beginning was crucified upon the cross , contrary to peter . . . they affirmed , that iustification is without obedience , yet say i , none is justified in disobedience , but all condemned in it , let them mark that ; and there is but either in obedience , or in disobedience , and he that is a believer and justified , is not without obedience . . that there is a light which convinceth of sin , besides the light of christ , and iohn bunion in all his book cannot prove any is convinced of sin , that hath not the light of christ , or that any thing besides the light of christ doth convince of sin ; so that his confusion doth appear . . that there is no saving knowledge , but what comes without from heaven , contrary to cor. . , . where it is said the light shone in their hearts out of darkness , i. child deny'd that the man christ jesus had given a light to every man that comes into the world , contrary to ioh● . . also he denyed . that every man was lighted , that they might believe , contrary to ioh. . . . ioh. burton said , that a man might be upon the foundation , and yet ●…y christ , now the scripture saith , matth. . . he that denys christ , shall be denyed of the father , and the father denys not any that are on the foundation , as they affirm . another of them said , that the word that was hid in davids heart was the outward scriptures . another of them affirmed , that he was justified from all his sins , past , present and to 〈◊〉 ; and said , there was scripture in the acts to prove it . iohn burton said , that a man is not justified by the spirit ; iohn bunion said the . of the . month , that the spirit of christ doth nothing ( mark ) within 〈◊〉 , as to justification ; he affirmed , that the flesh of christ is not within any man ; then there is no man that hath life in him , if christs words be true , ioh. . . and christs words is true , and therefore iohn bunions doctrine is damnable . he said , that by the kingdom of heaven , within the pharisees , luke . christ speaks of himself there , as a personal man to be that kingdom of heaven ; mark here what the substance of this is ; doth he mean that the person of christ was in the pharisees ? o horrid blindness ! not to be parrelelled . he said , the best thing in a natural man is impure , and yet in this book confesses that the light of god is in all men , so that must be impure , else ioh. bunions doctrine is a lye ; but the light of god is pure , and therefore ioh. bunions doctrine is a lye. he said , that the scripture , in every place doth not mean as it speaks , and instanced that in peter , not to mean as it speaks , where it is said , yea , a lively stones are built up a spiritual house ; and where it is said , 〈◊〉 salt in your selves ; he asked if a mans belly must be filled with salt , mark this expositor , and his blindness and ignorance , and the cause why 〈◊〉 is silent , and forbears to aggravate sin is , least hard thoughts should be entertained against him ; let men judge , whether this be not an unfaithful man to the lord , who rather then harsh thoughts should be against him in the wicked , he will be silent , and hide and cover sin in sinners . o wickedness indeed ! he saith , that christ ascended into heaven in our nature , ( viz ) in his nature , and they that are one with him ; and he and they are proved to be in corrupt nature , as they will confess it . o what wickedness to hold forth that christ is at the right hand of god in sinfull nature , as his words holds forth from his own mouth . iohn burton said , that men may depend too much upon something called christ , and 〈◊〉 righteousness of christ within . he saith , that the devil knows how to take the childrens bread ( viz. ) christ jesus who only is the childrens bread , and give him to dogs . o s●d error and damnable . he said , that the devil deceives souls by bidding them follow the light which they brought into the world with them . and he confesses that light is the light of christ ( as god ) o unutterible ignorance ! can a sober man read this , and not be ashamed , to hold forth , that the devil deceives souls by bidding them follow the light of christ ( as god ) ? he saith , they that follow christ aright , must follow him without , to the cross , wi●… for iustification , or monut calvery without ; they must seek for iustification without , 〈◊〉 the spirit of christ it leads to christ without . reader , see if this be not near unto popery , or enquire else what he means , as if he would have people to go a pilgrimage , and this is contratry to rom. . , , . he said , that the soul of man is the light wherewith every man is lighted by christ as god , and this is the light that every man brought into the world with him , and the devil deceives souls by this light ( viz. ) by the soul , this is true from his own words , let it be marked by sober men , what damnable doctrines these are , hardly fit to be raked in . he saith further , that the devil deceives souls by perswading them to follow the light within , which he confesses is the light of christ , and that all man hath it . he saith conscience is the light of god , and yet in another place saith , conscie●… defiled , what concurrence is here , let the reader judge , to hold forth that the light of god is defiled , his words plainly shews , to say , that the law is the schoolmaster to bring to christ. he saith , this is a frothy argument . and to make up his wickedness he said , he is ruled by scripture ; con●… whether those doctrines and lyes be not quite contrary to scripture ; what is pudency is in this mans heart , to say he is ruled by scripture ; he saith , thy that look upon * christ no otherwayes then as he was before the world was , be dare 〈◊〉 bold to say they , are no christians , but antichristians , he said . that * christ as he is ●…diator , so he hoth not lighten every man that comes into the world , though as he is god , 〈◊〉 doth , mark here , he would divide christ , not to be the same , the son , as he is the father ; yet he confesses in his book , what the father doth , the son doth also ; see what contradiction here is , not worth the raking in ? o blindness that may be felt in the grossest darkness he inhabits . he saith , that the devil hath more experience of the knowledge of the eternal power , and godhead , then unregenerate men ; mark , the word more signifies something . he saith , the light of christ , 〈◊〉 god , is conscience , and nature it self ; mark , nature is sinful , and wicked , and all are children of wrath , in it so are all by the light of christ as god wicked and children of wrath if ioh. bunions doctrine be true , let him make it good as he can : o wonderful trash , and muddy stuff , unheard of before . he saith , the devil deceives souls , by bidding them listen within , and see if there be not that which doth convince of sin , mark his doctrine well . he denyes , that pauls bids listen within , contrary to that scripture , rom. . , . he said , conscience may be hardned and seared , and is naturally evill ; and yet saith , conscience is the light of christ , as god ; see what an agreement is here , the light of christ , as god , is hardened , and seared , and evil , else iohn bunion must revoke his doctrine , or else prove this ; consider what stuff this is , which is held forth by him . he saith , he preaches not for hire ; indeed , he had no need to receive money for such doctrines as these . he saith , christ is some four or five foot long , this is more then he can , tell . he reckons the doctrine of christ within a false , ( or among false opinions . he saith , measure●or ●or manifestation ) of the spirit is given to every man , though paul saith so plainly to the corinthians , cor. . . mark , here he hath spoken quite contrary to scripture , denyed that which paul affirmed , or else counted pauls words no scripture . he saith , they that are born of god do daily sin , absolute contrary to ioh. . . and therefore he would give the apostle the lye . now reader consider , whether thou wilt believe iohn bunion , or the apostle iohn , for they are at odds , and speaks quite contrary one to the other . he saith , that the light that shews thee there is a god , and that this god is eternal , would lead to life , then might devils be delivered from damnation , and the devils knows god as a creator , &c. he saith , that the light spoken of john . is the man christ iesus , and yet saith , that the man christ iesus is not a condemning light. mark , that scripture saith , that light was condemnation to them that did evil ; he saith , not ; who must you believe ? he saith , that the lyar and slanderer is an unbeliver , and his condition is sad . consider here , how out of his own mouth he is condemned , who is at large proved a lyar and slander ; out of his own mouth will the lord condemn him . he saith , that a man cannot give a more right description of a false prophet , then the prophets , christ , and the apostles did give , reply , in this thou hast truly said . now le ts consider , how thou hast ; confessed to thy own shame , and laid open thy own nakedness , the prophets said such were false prophets as preached for hire , and divined for mony , and fed themselves , and clothed themselves with the wool , and that used their tongues , and said the lord saith it , when god had not spoken to them , and that cryed peace to the wicked ; and christ said , such were deceivers , who had the chiefest place in the assembly , and stood praying in the synagogues , and loved the uppermost rooms at feasts , and that were called of men master , and such like ; and the apostle said such were deceivers , to take gifts and rewards , and lucre , and that loved unrighteous wages , and that were back-biters , and false accusers , and covetous , and having a form of godliness , but denying the power , who ever taught , and the people were not able to come to the knowledge of the truth , with many other such like . now this is my appeal to all mens consciences , in the sight of god , whether thou art not found under some of these charracters ( at least ) or whether thou art not one in union and fellowship , with such who act , these things , yea , thou are among them , and not crying against them , and so art guilty of their sin , though not as fully in the act as are some , may be ; so that i doubt not , but they who have not hardened their hearts , and blinded their eyes will see , how thou hast condemned thy self in confessing the truth ; and the time is coming , that further it will be made manifest concerning thee , only at present thou art sufficiently discovered , to be out of the truth in the way of perdition ; and however , though thou hast covered thy self , as much as is possible , from the stroke of thy own hand , and from the guilt of thy own confession ; yet ioh. burton , thou hast condemned an hundred , i think of independant ministers , ( so called ) thy brethren , who are known to be found guilty of those things , all or most of them , which thou confessest are marks of a false prophet , and while thou bidst us examine our selves , thou art the man ( or among them ) that are proved truly guilty . he saith , he is not come to one of the dayes of the thousand years , of satans being chained ; and this is truly confessed , and so he is in the reign and government of the devil , and satan is not bound , but at liberty in him , ( as it well appears ) and christs reign is not known ; and so it must needs be true , that he is of the army of the dragon against the lamb. some of the same members with him said , in bedford , that they scorned that light which convinceth of sin , ( which the quakers speak of . ) further , most falsly i am charged by him with railing against the lord jesus , which is absolute false ; my words are spoken in fear and reverence of the lord jesus . reader , these things i leave to thee , to be judged of , his false slander ; and his damnable doctrines , and wicked lying accusations , and contradictions which his nine sheets of paper is filled with , as if he had set himself to lye , and slanders , and speak wickedly against the truth , which is over him , and is a testimony against him , and though opposed by him , yet not confounded ; but him it confounds , and by it he shall be judged and condemned ; and the time comes when further he may be made manifest if this be not sufficient ; out of the abundance of his heart , hath his wicked tongue uttered these things , which are but a little of what lodges in him , but let him prove these things first , and then utter more . and now iohn bunion , thou and thy false witnesses , and all thy company , and brethren in iniquity , remember and repent for the day of your visitation is upon you , blessed were you , if you could receive it , before it be spent , not to be recalled , and before the long suffering of god come to an end , and you be shut up in utter darkness : and indeed friends the day hastens wherein every man shall receive according to his deeds ; he that hath done evil shal not be cloaked , and he that hath done good shall not be uncovered , in that day when the secrets of all hearts shall be laid open , and searched with the eternal eye ; the end of my work is to clear the truth , and the way thereof , ( god is witness ) from thy slanderous and lying and perverting tongue ; and only i reprove thee , by the spirit of the lord , and so leaves thee to receive thy reward from the just god of righteous judgement ; who upon thy head wil● render vengeance in flames of fire , in his dreadfull day , which upon thee comes suddenly , even when thou and you cries peace , peace , then shall destruction come as an armed man , from which thou shalt not fly to escape , though now you all be hardened against the lord , and his way and truth , and hath even bent thy tongue for lyes , and hath reproached the innocent , to the pi●●cing of thy own soul , and one day shalt thou know it ; therefore bow and tremble before the lord god , thou and all thy companions ; a lyar and slanderer thou art , a perverter and wrester of the right way of god , and of the scriptures , a hypocrite and dissembler , a holder forth of damnable doctrines , an envious man , and false accuser , condemning another falsly in what thy self is fully guilty of ; these things i lay to thy charge justly in the presence of the lord god , and upon thy account are they reckoned by him , and proved by testimony in the sight of man ( and may be more fully hereafter , if any thing be wanting ) and one day shalt thou feel the burthen of them , though now thou be above shame ; and all thy lyes , slanders , deceits , confusions , hypocrisies , contradictions , and damnable doctrines of devils , with impudency held forth by thee , shall be consumed in the pit of vengeance , and then shall the witness in thy conscience justifie the lord ( in condemning thee , ) and me , to be true in reproving thee ; and this i say to thee , and you all , the living god you know not , nor his son jesus christ ; but are enemies to god , and * persecuters of the lord of life , and shall perish among the uncircumcised : ye false witnesses , and wicked helpers , you may be ashamed of your testimony subscribed at the beginning of his lying scribble ; will you yet say through grace , those things are true ; the rather stop your mouthes in the dust , who hath offended the lord , more then defended him , or your selves ; and be ashamed in the presence of god and man ; much more may be said hereafter , to lay you further open , if you yet harden your hearts in your wickedness , but i do rather reprove you , then strive with you , and rather desires your return to god , then your condemnation by him , and with this i shall end ; and by what is said in short is sufficient to manifest you , and iohn bunion to all honest people , what generation you are of , and that you are guided by , a lying and unclean spirit , and that you are doing the devils works in gain-saying the way of truth and righteousness , by your multitude of lyes and slanders , and damnable doctrines ; and what ever you account , or falsly judge of me , yet am i true , ( though as a deceiver ) and the lords servants , and a witness for him , and against all your lyes and slanders , and wickedness hatched amongst you , and brought forth by a lying orator , whom you have made your mouth , into the view of the world , even a cursed birth , and the father of it , and the womb that conceived it , and it shall rot , and perish as the dung , and not accomplish any part of the end , of your desire ; for so loathsome it is , being truly searched , and laid open , that it hath not obtained neither the praise of god nor man , but is defamed by men , and condemned of god : alas , alas , for thee iohn bunion thy several months travel in grief and pain , is a fruitless birth , and perishes as an untimely fig , and its praise is blotted out among men , and it s passed away as smoak ; truth , is atop of thee , and out-reaches thee , and thy formed weapons cannot prosper , and it shall stand for ever to confound thee , and all its enemies : and though thou wilt not subject thy mind to serve it willingly , yet a slave to it must thou be , and what thou dost in thy wickedness against it , the end thereof brings forth the glory of it , and thy own confounding and shame ; and now be wise and learned , and put off thy armour , for thou mayst understand the more thou strives , the more thou art entangled , and the higher thou arises in envy , the deeper is thy fall into confusion , and the more thy arguments are , the more increased is thy folly , let experience teach thee , and thy own wickedness correct thee , and thus i leave thee ; and if thou wilt not own the light of christ in thy own conscience , now to reprove thee , and convince thee , yet in the day of judgement thou shalt own it , and it shall witness the justness of the judgements of the lord , when for thy iniquities he pleads with thee ; and behold as a thief in the night , when thou art not aware , he will come ; and then , woe unto thee that art poluted . by a friend to truth , edward burrough . many strong reasons confounded , vvhich would hinder any reasonable man from being a quaker ; and offences taken out of the way . but particularly , four and twenty arguments overturned and confuted ; put forth , and sent into the world by richard baxter , a professed minister ; but a frequent contender against the wayes of god. and this is an answer to a sheet of his , cried up and down the streets in london , as some excellent piece ; but is proved to be full of lyes , slanders , and false reproaches against an innocent people . and this is sent forth in the pursuit thereof , that people may not be deceived with every lying monster which is brought forth to publick view ; but first let all things be tryed , and onely that which is good held fast . how long shall it be , ere the wickedness of the wicked come to an end , and the measure of this generations iniquity be fulfilled , who rush into iniquity as a horse into the battel , and who hastens to fill up the largest measure of iniquity of any generation that ever went before ? is it not plain and manifest to all people that have but an eye to see ? how doth the wicked run on greedily , drinking up iniquity as an oxe drinks water ? how doth the archers of babylon shoot at the innocent , and makes the harmless their prey ? but this is but for a moment , the end thereof is nigh ; and because the devils time is but short , therefore he is come down in rage , and hath filled the hearts of many people with raving envy and despite against the lord and his people , whom the lord is a gathering out of the mouths of all their enemies ; and the serpents seed , it bruiseth the heel , but its head is deadly wounded by the seed of god. and whereas many hath set themselves in oppsition against the lord , and their work is become a stink , and a proverb to be laughed at in generations to come , yet must not the wicked cease their wickedness , till their measure be perfectly accomplished . and whereas richard baxter , a professed minister in worcestershire , known to many by his fruits to be a corrupt tree which brings not forth good fruit , who sends out of his study lyes and false reports , and vain arguments to blind the eyes of people , that they may not see the truth , and hath written once and again against the people of god , which he in scorn calls quakers , some of which writings have been sufficiently answered , and his shame and folly seen openly by all people ; yet he ( as a man not weary of wickedness ) hath sent forth a paper , which he calls , a sheet against the quakers ; wherein what was wanting of wickedness in his former , is now fully brought forth out of his vessel , ( a malicious heart ) which cannot contain within it self its rage , and fury , and madness against the innocent ; but need must his folly break forth openly , that all men may see it : and in thi● his foolish paper he hath twenty four reasons , which he saith , moves him to conceive that no christian or reasonable man should be a quaker , or approve of , or excuse their way ; now his reasons we shall try . but first of all i say , it had been more honest for him to have made a sufficient reply to have defended his former works , and cleared himself of his former lyes and slanders truly charged against him , then to have past that slightly , and begin anew to revile ; for that book which he often mentions , and boasts of , called , the quakers catechism , was sufficiently answered , and his folly laid open , by a friend to the truth , in a book called , an answer to the quakers catechism , to which book he never equally replyed to this day , which had been more honest to have cleared himself from what is truly charged against him in that answer , then to have begun afresh to reproach and speak wickedness ; and this all people may consider of . . his first reason which he brings forth against the quakers , is , that they deny , and revile the churches and ministers of christ ; and yet said he cannot tell indeed of any church or ministry which is to be preferred before those that they do despise . answ. to this i answer , this is utterly false ; for we do not deny the church and ministers of christ , nor do revile them , or any others whatsoever , but speaks the truth in nakedness to all people : the church of christ we own , and are of it , which are gathered out of the world through the preaching of the gospel , and seperated from the world , and all its works and wayes , which are evil , and are joyned to christ the head , in the spirit , and one to another , as members of christ ; and these are born again , and are redeemed out of the world , and are of the kingdom of christ , and of his church , and members of his body ; and this we own to be a church , and are of it , who hath no fellowship with darkness , nor no part with the practice of the works of darkness . and the ministers of christ we own , who have received the gift of the ministry by the holy ghost , and exerciseth that gifs by the holy ghost , whose call is from god , and their work of god , and their end alone his glory ; such we own to be ministers of christ , and doth not revile or deny ( as he falsly saith ) such a church , and such ministers of christ ; but this we do , and without offence to god too , we do deny and bear our witness against such a people who professeth themselves to a church , and yet are in the pride , in the wickedness , and in the evil of this world , and not redeemed , clensed , and seperated from the works and iniquities thereof , such we do reprove for their hypocrisie , even ●…ll them that owns a title to a church , because they were sprinkled when they were infants , and hath not another ground ; and such who professeth themselves ministers of christ , who hath not received their ministry by the gift of the holy ghost , neither are led by the spirit of christ , but are such as christ ●nd the apostles declared against , such we cannot own to be ministers of jesus christ , but doth reprove them , and deny them ; even such who preacheth for hire , and hath gifts and rewards for preaching , and set-places for so much a ●ear , these we disown , and yet doth not offend god herein : and this in honesty 〈◊〉 do shew to all people , what that professed church and professed ministry is which we do deny , and what that church and ministry is which we do set up to ●e preferred , which is a right ministry , and a right church : and thus his reasonless reason is overturned , and confounded , and is found to be no sufficient reason wherefore a man should not be a quaker . . his second reason is , no wise man can be a quaker ( saith he ) because their religion is an uncertain thing , and so is not the religion that must save us , &c. i answer , this again is utterly false , and no man that hath gods wisdom would speak it ; for our religion which we profess is a certain thing , and we have openly declared it once and again , and this is it , to believe in christ , and to receive christ , and to be lead by the spirit of christ , and taught in all things to love god with all the heart , and a mans neighbour as himself ; and through the power of christ dwelling in man , to do all good , and to be kept from all evil : this in very short is our religion , and it is a very certain and established religion , and this religion we all agree in : and this in short is the substance , of our faith , even christ in us , believed on , and received by us , this is the truth , and his lyes is judged ; and if he say this is an uncertain religion , let him give it under his hand , and subscribe to it , and he shall have a further reply . . his third reason is , no man of reason should be a quaker , considering that amongst those scraps of their religion which is made known , there is so much notorious fals●●d and ungodliness , saith he . ans. let all christian people mark this his reason , they are even lyes heaped one upon another : what secret slanders are these behind our backs , who never would clear himself of what is truly charged against him in answer to his catechism ? his words are turned by as utter lyes : for that which we profess and practice for religion , which we have made known by word and writing , is , uprightness , godliness , sincerity and truth , and neither notorious falshood , not ungodliness , as he wickedly saith : and why did not he make it appear what this notorious falshood and ungodliness had been ? that had been more honest , then to cast his charges , and prove nothing . and whereas he saith , the very pers●● of christ iesus many of them do blaspheme , &c. this is utterly false , for jesus christ have we owned and believed in onely , and for his sake we do , and suffer ha●● things . . his fourth reason is , saith he , because their false pernicious doctrines , t●… practical religion doth much consist in most notorious wicked injustice and uncharitableness , &c. ans. here is lye upon lye uttered , and wickedness joyned to wickedness , and drunk up as an oxe drinks up water , and no conscience made thereof by richard baxter ; it had been just to have mentioned these pernicious doctrines , their practical religion , injustice , and uncharitableness , and not to have slandered in the dark : but we are delivered by the lord from all pernicious doctrines and notorious wickedness whatsoever , and we find this false reproacher guilty himself and his people , of what he accuseth the innocent : and so his words are true unto himself , and upon his own head i turn them . . his fifth reason is , the worst of all , saith he , is , that they behave themselves like malignant enemies to the very church , and gospel , and servants of iesus christ , &c. ans. this man speaks as if he had sold himself wholly to lye : but my answer to his first reason is sufficient to answer this also , and doth say , that the c●…se and the church , and the gospel and servants of iesus christ we do fully and freely 〈◊〉 , and are daily exercised therein as the very servants of iesus , and are friends thereof i● our hearts , and doth not behave our selves in any way as enemies thereunto : god will judge every lying tongue , and shall condemn our false accusers guilty of that which they charge the guiltless , to reprove and bear witness against the wil●… , wicked , and rude conversations , and against such as have gotten the saints words , and by art frame an hours discourse thereupon for so much a sermon , or so much a year , to deny such to be a church of christ , and ministers of christ , this we do , and doth not behave our selves like enemies to the church , or gospel , or ministers and servants of christ , as our adversary wickedly saith . . his sixth reason , saith he , that part of the quakers peculiar religion which consists not in error and malignant impudency , is made up very much of it of childish and unreasonable foppery , &c. ans. as i have said , no part of our religion consists in error and malignant impudency , and as for that which he calls childish and unreasonable foppery , we stand not to mans judgement , for it is a small thing with us for to be judged of any man ; for we do acknowledge that we are become fools for christs sake , and herein we have cause to glory , though he upbraid us with it ; and it was such as he who called paul a babler , and that his doctrine was madness , as he saith ours is foppery ; and let him know , that which is foolishness with man , is wisdom with god ; and we know god will confound the wisest of men by that which they may judge to be foolish , and unreasonable , and foppery ; for to such who are lost our gospel is hid , where the god of this world hath blinded their eye , as it is plain he hath done this our adversaries , and that is the reason wherefore he hath sent forth such lying scribbles from his study of wicked inventions ; and let him make the best use of his wisdom he can , he can but serve the devil with it , while his wisdom is sensual and divillish : and let him leave us to our childishness and folly , and let the issue prove whether is the safer guide . . his seventh reason is , saith he , their malignancy doth blinde them to make that the principal cause of their rage , and reviling the ministry , which is plainly agreeable to the will of god , and necessary to the churches good . ans. this is false also ; we are not blinded , but doth see richard baxter and all such , to be out of the way of truth and peace : and as for rage , and reviling against the ministers , that is false also , though indeed we do openly reprove deceivers ; and we know it is not agreeable to the will of god , and necessary to the churches good , though he saith it is , for ministers of christ to take tythes , or to have a set-maintenance ; for never none of the ministers of christ that we read of in scripture , either took tythes to maintain them , or had a set-maintenance ; but all that christ allows to his ministers , is to eat such things as were set before them . and in that he saith , we liken them to covetous priests among the iews , that is true ; to whom should we liken them but to them that practised the same things as they do ? and i am sure there never was priests in any generation that were more covetous then these of england are , as in many particulars might be shewed ; for as the false prophets in israel did , so do these in many things ; and what the ministers of christ did , these do not : and whereas he pleads for tythes , never minister of christ did in the gospel-administration claim the tenth of peoples labours , nor none of the ministers of christ were maintained by tythes , but lived of the gospel which they preached , which livelyhood was not great sums of money , and compelling some of it too from the people by a law ; but the churches ministered to the apostles necessities , whom the apostles had begotten to the faith , and planted them as a vinyard , and kept them as a flock : but the manintenance of the priests of england is another case , they must have so much a year , and people is bound to pay them , and sometimes so much a sermon ; and they maintain themselves in idleness , and fulness , and pride , and spend the creation more then upon their necessities : but he saith concerning tythes , that tythes are the churches , and not the peoples , and by the law of the land too . what the law of the land requires , which is just , we do own , and do not resist it ; but what the law of the land commands , which is contrary to the law of god , as the law is which commands to pay tythes ; we cannot be obedient to it ; for we read in the hebrews , that law which commanded to pay tythes , and take tythes in the old covenant , is put to an end , and christ the second priesthood established , and the priesthood being changed , there was a necessity of the change of the law also which upheld the priesthood : then whence is that law of the land which commands ●ythes of god or otherwise ? judge ye , seeing the scripture saith , the commandment going before ( viz. that gave tythes , is disannulled . . his eighth reason , the quakers way is too cruel and uncharitable to be the way of god ; they damn ( saith he ) the most humble , holy , faithful servants of god , to whom god hath promised life , &c. answ. this is not the least of his lyes , our way is christ , and is neither cruel nor uncharitable , but pure , and holy , and zealous against all sin , and cannot bear and suffer iniquity , but reproves it ; neither do we damn any , but warns all to repent , to be humble and lowly , that they may have the promise of life ; and we sharply reprove sin , and deceivers , and deceit , and this makes the men of this generation mad , and calls it cruel and uncharitable , when as we do but warn them of their sins , shewing them if they live in sin they perish , and if they repent and turn to god , they shall be saved ; and god hath given us the spirit of discerning , and by their fruits we do know a child of god from a child of the devil , and herein do establish the gospel , and not repeal it , though he falsly saith so ; neither do we condemn any who fear the lord , in any thing they do or speak in his fear , but with such we have unity , who walks in uprightness in the midst of a malicious world , and perverse generation , as this is . . his nineth reason , saith he , after all their sins they most impudently pretend to 〈◊〉 sinless perfection , &c. ans. what such as are in darkness doth conceive of us , and so utters , i● matters not ; but many of us do witness that christ hath done away our sins and in him we are compleat through saith , in which we are perfect without sin , and it is not of our selves ; and that perfection we exhort all to press after , that they may be perfect in christ iesus without sin : and he saith , they themselves desire a sinless perfection , and confesseth it is their command and duty , and yet saith it is an impudent pret●●●●e in us to profess that which himself confesseth they desire , and is their comman : and duty ; and this is great confusion , and comes out of babylons store ; and though he would falsly suppose that the quakers suppose to have no need of christ , and saith he , they dare ( it seems ) say they will not 〈◊〉 beholding to god , or to the blood of christ for the pardon of sin ; but these are his foolis●● imaginations , for we are beholding to christ , and to his blood onely , which hath clensed us from all sin , and by it our sins and trespasses are blotted out , and forgiven : and we do not think highly of our selves , though he impudently chargeth it upon us , and hath bent his tongue for lyes , and made them his refuge and strong reasons . . his tenth reason , that we do in many doctrines so openly comply with the papis● , that people may see plainly that the iesuits and fryars are our leaders ; and he saith , this hath been proved by many confessions , &c. ans. the papist we utterly deny , their doctrines , their wayes , and whatsoever favours of popery , and are not lead by any other , but by jesus christ , a our lives and doctrines doth make appear to all that have an eye to see ; i● true we may be falsly slandered and accused by richard baxter , and by t●● priests and the wicked people of the world , for it is enough for us to be as o●● master christ , who was called a devil ; and as was he , so are we slandered an● accused in this and many other things : but that ever it was proved that we a●… led by jesuits and fryars , this is one of our adversaries slanders he hath on●… and again accused us ; but he never proved it , though now he saith , the papi●… make the scriptures a dead letter , and no rule of faith , and so do we : the papist cry●… down our church and ministers , ( saith he ) the iesuits cryes up free-will and sufficie●● grace to all , and a common sufficient light to all , and so do we ( saith he : ) the papi●● extenuate imputed righteousness in setting up inherent righteousness : and the papist pl●…e most in external abstenances and observances , and so do we , saith he , &c. to all this i answer , what is truth we hold and maintain in the power of god , and may not deny it , though the papists may hold the same in words , which seldom they do ; for we hold the truth , for the truths sake , and dare not deny the truth , though the devil confess it in words ; but he hath falsly compared us with the papists and jesuites ; for we do not hold free-will in the creature , neither do we extenuate imputed righteousness , neither do we place most in external ●bstenances and observances , herein richard baxter hath belyed us : but wh●… i should measure him by his own rule , and should say that the jesuites and ●…yars are his leaders ? why , because the papists say christ was born of mary ; and did many miracles , and dyed , being crucified of the iew , and was buryed , and rose again , and so doth richard baxter say , and all the pres●…t ●…ians in england , and therefore may we conjecture , they do bu●…sts , or open infidels , as he saith concerning us . but fur●… sprinkling infants is baptizing into the faith of ch●… be free from sin while they are upon earth , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aga●… error , and thus doth richard baxter and his ●…ny , and therefore by his own arguments he may be judged that the jesuit●…s and ●…yars are 〈◊〉 leaders , and that he prepares people to be papists ; but i will not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unchar●… 〈◊〉 judge him so by this rule , as he hath falsly done us , though 〈◊〉 do know in the light of god there is a greater concurrence in doctrine , and ●…ctice●…sation , between many of our accusers and the papists , then there is between papists and us , and the light of christ in all consciences shall answer me in the day of gods righteous judgements , and the papists and him we do deny , and see them to be of one spirit , though differing in appearances ; and what we are it is by grace , and not of our selves ; and what we do it is through christ , and not by our selves , and to god we appeal for judgement , and tramples upon all mens vain conceiving , false judgements , lyes and slanders , and turns them back to them again where they were hatched . . his eleventh reason : he saith , our doctrine are self-contradictory , and therefore they cannot be of god , &c. ans. to this i answer , this is false , our doctrines do agree in one , and are not self-contradictory , though falsly he may judge of this , as he may judge of other things ; if he had been in christs time , likely he would have judged his words self-contradictory , who said , except you eat my flesh , and drink my blood , you have no life in you ; and yet at the same instant of time said , the flesh profiteth nothing ; with many other such instances as might be brought . why , but ric. baxter tells you , we say all men have a sufficient light within them , and goes up & down , preaching it with great zeal . this is no more then the apostle iohn did , who told the saints they needed no man to teach them , but as the anointing in them , and yet preached unto them , and wrote epistles to them , but bid iohn contradict himself ? let wise men judge . and iohn said , christ lighteth every man that comes into the world with the true light ; and no more then he did , do we contradict our seves herein , for we follow the same example , and we say the saints have the anointing in them , and needs no man to teach them , and yet do we exhort them as the apostle iohn did . and he asks , what do we peach , if darkness , who would have such teachers ? if light , what needless labour is this , when all men have sufficient light already , &c. to all this i answer , we preach light that all should believe in it , and thereby should be lead out of darkness , and the light is sufficient , being believed in by the creature , but all are not lead by it sufficiently . neither doth receive christ : and we may ask him now , and say , if he preach darkness ( as it is likely he doth , rather then the light , because he smites at preaching the light that hath lighted every man that cometh into the world , and so in effect denies the lord that brought him ) then who would have such a preacher ; but if he preach the light , and not that light which doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world , which is christ , and is sufficient , ( as it seems by his own words he doth not , because he condemns us for it ) then is he a minister of antichrist , according to his own confession . but whatever he judges , we are sent to turn people from darkness to light , and from the power of satan to the power of god , and herein we do as the ministers of christ did ; but that we revile the ministers of christ as blind guides , as saith he , this false is again ; but such we bear witness against who preacheth for hire , and oppresseth the common-wealth , and are in the steps of the proud pharisees , and all people that follows them are in darkness as the pharisees were , and in the way of damnation , because they are not in the truth who follows not christ , and yet such people are lightened with the light of christ , and that is their condemnation , because they believe not in it , and it is sufficient to the condmnation of all such . . his twelfth reason : saith he , consider also how sutable their doctrine is 〈◊〉 the interest and pleasure both of the papist and the devil , why , saith he , they damn all the ministers and churches of christ , &c. to this i answer , a lying tongue is but for a moment ; though he makes lyes his refuge , yet they shall be sweept away . of the ministers and churches of christ are we , and such as are so , they we own , and are one with them , though this man saith otherwise ; and it doth little appear that our doctrine is sutable to the interest and pleasure of the papists , for we find them our enemies , and gods enemies , and bears our witness against them , as against the devil , and do say that they are his off-spring , and that the priests of england are their off-spring , such as are open lyars especially : but if we should reckon , we should find their doctrine more agreeable to the papists in many things , then ours are , as i have instanced concerning sprinkling of infants , and other things ; but doth it follow that the papists and we agree , because the papists declare against them out of cruelty and wickednesse , and out of a murderous mind to divert people into idolatry and wicked superstition ; and we declare against them out of love to peoples souls , that they should not always be deceived , and alwayes learning , and never able to come to the knowledg of the truth ; and hath no other end to our selves , god is our witnesse , but that people may be converted to the knowledg of god ; and as i said before , though the papists may hold some truth in words , and cry against some sort of people out of a wicked end , yet may not we therefore deny the truth as it is in jesus , neither must be silent is declaring against sin and wickednesse ; and let him say what he will concerting any advantage the devil reaps by us , it will but be the overthrow of his very kingdom : why , but saith he , if we do but unchurch all the reformed churches , the papists will give us a fee : i say it is a hard thing to unchurch them that never were truly churched ; and that we seek to unchurch such as are the churches of christ , this is utterly false , and the papists fee , and his reproach , we trample upon them both together ; and let him take the papists fee , as he pleads for it , for it was they first that took tythes for a fee , and it is he now that strongly pleads for them , to be maintained in his ministry by them . . his thirteenth reason : saith he , the doctrine and practice of the quakers is contrary to the experience and holy nature of the saints ; why , saith he , they have sound a renewed light and life by the scriptures and ministry which the quakers make so light of , &c. to this i answer , this is as false as the rest , for with all the saints that ever were upon earth , both in doctrine and practice we agree with them ; and as 〈◊〉 the peoples sakes of england , i wish his words were true , and that they ha●… indeed found a renewing light and life by this ministry ; but though he may boast of it now , in the day of gods righteous judgments it shall be found otherwise , when it shall be tryed , that the renewing hath been but in form and appearance , from one likenesse to another , and not a renewing from death to life ; and though there hath been sometimes appearing , a zeal and a desire after him in the ministry of england in times past , yet from this day hath the lord forsaken them , and such as were sober and sincere in what was made manifest , are now become revilers and reproachers , slanderers and persecutors of the people of god , and from hence-forth shall they not boast of many being converted by them from sin unto the way of righteousness . but further he saith , we tell the people that their ministry doth the people no good , and none are the better for it : if we do , we tell them true : and though he saith , the experiences of many thousands doth confute this , yet say i , the experiences of ten thousand times so many more shall confirm it : it is true , there may be thousands like himself which will not stumble to belye their own souls , as he hath done of us ; yet betwixt him and i in this matter god shall be our judg , who hath not sent this ministry , and yet it hath run , therefore it doth not , nor shall not profit the people at all : he saith , it is quite contrary to the nature of saints to damn and reproach the saints , and call them the children of the devil : this is true ; but it is not contrary to the nature of the saints to reprove hypocrites , such as profess that which they do not enjoy , and speak that which they have not received from the lord , but steal from other mens words , such are many of the teachers of england ; and it was the way of christ and his apostles soundly to reprove such : and this is our way , and we do not reproach the saints , nor damn them , and yet to the wicked , which are not saints , we dare not cry peace , but do say , the wicked , and such who forget god , shall be turned into hell : and for this , david is our example . . his fourteenth reason : he saith , the quakers are unlikely to be better then other men seeing they are so notoriously proud ; and thus this pride doth appear : saith he , it is the supposed spirit of god , and the extraordinary holiness , and inspiration , and abilities , that they are proud of , and saith he , they proclaim themselves perfect without sin . and this is the pride he chargeth us with , &c. to which i answer , we say that in christ we are compleat , as the apostles said to the churches , and do not boast of it , neither are proud of it more then the churches were , but in the lord we will glory , and in him rejoyce again and again ; and it is that which we press after , and exhort all to press after , to be perfect in him who takes away our sins , and gives power over the temptations of the devil . and he saith , we pretend to know mens hearts : yea , we do know that the heart of man is desperately wicked and deceitful above all things ; and by mens words and works , we do know their hearts to be evil that acts and speaks wickedness ; for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh : and if we should say we do not know mens hearts that acts and speaks wickedness , we should be lyars : but as i said , what we are it is by grace in christ , and we boast not of it in the flesh , but our glorying is onely in the lord in spirit , that our names are written in the book of life . and as for our crying against deceivers , which he so much stumbles at , it is but the practice of christ and his apostles , as may be read through the scriptures , and yet we do it not , no more then they did in self-exaltation , though he would charge us with it . . his fifteenth reason : saith he , they plainly discover a persecuting spirit : why ( saith he ) what man can in reason think but that they run up and down the world to bring ministry into hatred , &c. to this i answer , little of this doth appear that our spirits are persecuting spirits , for we pray for our enemies , and do forgive them that do evil intreat us , and renders to no man evil for evil ; for if we had sought vengeance , or prosecuted the good laws of england against those that had wronged and robbed us , and unjustly caused us to be put in prison , many might have deeply suffered by true justice before this day , if we had not forgiven our enemies , and blessed them that hated us : such hath been the cruelty acted upon us , that many might have been arraigned for felony , if we had sought the prosecution of the good laws , and not forgiven our enemies . why , but the main thing is , because we are moved to go up and down the world and declare against the false ministers , and holding forth that ministry , and truly applying it to many of the teachers of england : but let all the world know , this is not from a persecuting spirit , not more then isaiah did it , and micah , and the rest of the prophets and apostles , who did zealously give their testimony against such as went for gifts and rewards , as the teachers of england do ; but this is that which he is offended at , and calls it a persecuting spirit , which is not so , but in love to peoples souls , that they may deny the evil , and follow the good : and that our ancesters have persecuted to death , as he saith , this is also a lye , and of the devil , for our ancestors were the saints , who were called of god , and were not of the world , even as we are not of the world , and we are persecuted , but seeks not to persecute any , and gives our witness faithfully against this generation , and against the sins both of teachers and people ; and this i suppose is it , even our zeal for the name of the lord against unrighteousness , which he falsly calls a persecuting spirit . . his sixteenth reason is , some interrogatories , ( saith he ) what reasonable man should turn quaker that sees the common fruit of their doctrine ? wh●● good do they do where-ever they come , but ( saith he ) hate both godly teacher and people , &c. ans. to this i answer , the fruit of our doctrine is begetting people to the knowledge of god , and a converting them from sin and death , and from the wayes and works of unrighteousness , to be the servants of the lord ; and every spiritual man doth see this to be the fruit of our doctrine : it doth condemn unrighteousness , and bring war and a sword upon earth , as christs doctrine did . and this is the good , where we come , many are changed from wickedness , rudeness , and ungodliness , to live soberly , righteously , and purely in this present world , without offence towards god and men . for to say , we make people both to hate godly teachers and people , this is utterly false , for we endeavour to bring people to the true teacher , christ jesus , and to have fellowship with the saints : it 's true , in the world our doctrine doth make division , and doth set a man at variance , and doth set father against son , and son against father , even as christ did , and his doctrine , so he saith we do . but again he belyes us , in saying , we bring people into confusion and abominable error , or that we cast people into a malicious mood , or tincture of bitterness , this is also false , and this is my answer , he that doth the will of our father , knows of our doctrine , whether we we●● of god , or of our selves , and to all the world besides we are unknown , and desires to be manifest to every mans conscience in the sight of god , and not to that wisdom which is of this world : and though he scorn at such who are made to cast off their points and lace , yet is not this more then any fruit that his doctrine hath brought forth ? for as 〈◊〉 do , so did the apostle exhort against all superflui●● of naughtiness , as points and l●… are ; and it seems that such as depart from iniquity become a prey to such wicked men● slandering and scornful tongues , and a matter to makes books of , to send into the world. . his seventeenth reason : saith he , it is no great encouragement to us to turn quakers , when we consider who are their followers , very few experienced sober christians turn to them , ( saith he ) but such who are ignorant , and ungrounded , and raw professors , &c. answ. to this i answer , let no man take encourgement from without , to turn quakers , or to own the way of gods salvation , but let every one feel a measure of god in his own heart , converting him from sin unto righteousness , and drawing his mind from the vanity and hypocrisie of this world , to the truth and singleness of heart : and he appears to be of the spirit of the pharisees , who said , none but a company of poor people which were accursed , followed christ ; and so saith he , in effect , none but such as are ignorant , and such like : but what if there were not any other , but such who owned the way of the lord ? this is a confirmation of it , rather then a cause of objecting against it , when such who are ignorant are brought to the knowledge of god : but yet his words are false , for it is known , that very many honest , humble , sober 〈◊〉 and people , who have all their dayes been sincere towards god in what they have known of him , have and do own us ; and indeed , all that ever ow●● god and salvation , shall own us , for we are of god , and he that is of god hea●… us , and the whole world lyes in wickedness : and such as are self-conceited and in pride , and wise in their own eyes , and in the wickedness of the world , such are his followers , and not ours , though be falsely say it ; for such as follow christ have we fellowship with , and not with such as walk in darkness . . his eighteenth reason : saith he , it is an evident iudgment of god upon these people that turn quakers , and a punishment for their former sins , &c. ans. to this i answer , the lord god , his angels , and all his saints and servants i call to record against thee , and they all shall witness that it is mercy , and not judgement , upon them that owns the way of the lord : and them that owned the quakers in truth and sincerity , have and do witness a remission of their former sins and forgiveness of them by jesus christ , and not a punishment for them : and rich. baxter may please himself and some others with his reasonless reasons , as these are ; yet they are not worthy of the name of reason , they be so senceless and utterly false . and though he rails against the anabaptists as well as against us , yet any man whose eye is open , sees his folly , and turns it upon his own head : and he may conceit himself in these things for a moment . but the day of the lord will declare it otherwise , and that upon us mercy and peace shall be , and not judgement nor wrath. . his ninteenth reason : saith he , they are already in division among themselves , as the contention between , nayler , and fox , and their followers do shew . to this i answer , though an occasion may come and be taken against the truth , yet wo unto him by whom it comes , and to them who do receive it , for the testimony of truth abids for ever . but as about that division he speaks of , it hath been answered by writings several times , and now i say , it happened but as a tryal to the lords people , and not to destroy them ; though the enemy boasts himself because of it , yet the lord knows how to preserve his in the midst of temptation : but these things are now at an end , though a temptation presented it self yet it overcame not , and truth is the same , and the testimony thereof doth never change : and all these refuges which the wicked flyes unto shall not cover them when the lord appears . . his twentieth reason : and saith he , to make all their delusions more odious wickednesse , they father it upon the holy ghost . ans. his words are utterly false : yet we say we have received the holy ghost which teacheth us , and leadeth us into all truth , and by it are we lead out of all wickedness and delusion , and all wicked speeches , which he brands us withall , and these things are his own , for he is seen to be in delusion , and odious wickedness , and wicked speeches . and saith he , they speak against the doctrine of the spirit , and cryes down the love of the saints , and against the ordinances of the ministers of christ. to this i have answered , in the love and union with all the saints we are , and ministers of christ , but against hypocrisie we declare , such who profess what they are not , and use their tougues , and saith the lord saith , when the lord hath not spoken to them ; and sprinkle infants , and saith it is an ordinance of christ ; and singing davids experiences in rime and meeter , with many other things which the priests hath in their practice ; such things we deny to be ordinances of christ , and them to be ministers of christ , which do practice them ; and this we do say by the spirit of truth : but that we pronounce damnation against gods church and holy servants , this is false again , and is but the fulfilling the number of his lyes ; and though he charge us secretly with preaching another gospel , then that which paul preached , is false , and if we duely examine , it will be he that will be found preaching another gospel , whose practice is found in many things contrary to them who were ministers of the true gospel , and so the curse pronounced by the apostle will fall upon him , and not upon us in the day of judgement . . his one and twentieth reason : saith he , the quakers themselves renounce 〈◊〉 words the ranters and papists , as a deluded sort . answer . to which i answer and say , yea , not only in words , but in lives lives also we utterly abhor the ranters and papists both in profession and practice , and do know that rich. baxter is of the same spirit , though differing in words . but saith he , the ranters and drunkards cryes out against the same ministers , same exercise , and godly people , as the quakers do . to which i answer , what the ranters and drunkards may do in their wickedness and unclean spirits , is one thing , and what we do in the fear of god , and tender love to peoples souls , is another thing ; but how uncharitable is this man in his judgment ? let us try him , as if i should say , the ranters , and drunkards , and prophane , and all ungodly people , they are our enemies , and do oppose and gainsay the way of god , and the people called quakers , and they beat them , and reproach them , and slander them , and doth much cruelty unto them ; and thus doth richard baxter of kidderminster , he reviles them , and reproaches them , and belyes them , and therefore he is one with the ranters , and drunkards , and prophane people , and he holds part of the papists ranters , and drunkards doctrine and practice : and thus he is judged with his own rule , according as 〈◊〉 hath judged us , by the same rule , and now say i , as well as he of us , let any man judge that hath not forsworn all wit and reasons whether it is likely the holy ghost will inspire richard baxter and a company of priests of engl●… , to acquaint them with the same points , doctrines , and practices , which the papists , ranters drunkards , and all prophane people exercise themselves in ; for as all they are enemies to the quakers , so is he and his company . a●… farther i ask him , whether the same things be heavenly in rich. ba●… and his company , which be hellish in the ranters and drunkards ? and whether richard baxter hath not condemned himself and the priests of england , in condemning the papists , and ranters , and drunkards , and prophane people , in acting the very same things , to wit , speaking against , reproaching , reviling , and slandering , and backbiting an innocent people of god , called quakers ? . his two and twentieth reason : and saith he , if i have any reason to 〈◊〉 weary of the christian catholick reformed religion , what reason have i to turn qua●… more then to any other sect ? why ( saith he ) how do they prove they are more in the ri●… then any other , &c. ans. to all this i answer , this is according to his knowledge , who sees 〈◊〉 difference between good and evil , between such as serveth god , and such as serves him not ; and how can this man be a teacher of others that is so blind himself ; the true christian religion he is out of , and in a sect , whose frui●… are as bad as the papists or familists , or any others ; for i believe not the wor●● of sects could have brought forth more lyes and slanders , and scoffing wor●● in one sheet of paper , then he hath done in this which now i deal withal . and as for our proof that we are in the right way , to every man that hath an eye to see , and an ear to hear , and an heart to conceive , it 's easie to be proved , and such are satisfied ; but as for unbelievers and persecutors , such as himself , they must hear and see , and not perceive and understand . . his three and twentieth reason : saith he , the way by which they pr●… is not producing any evidence , for they renounce that , and offers all from the aut●… of the spirit within them , &c. ans. the way by which we prevail is by the the spirit of the lord which 〈◊〉 within us , and that was the way whereby all the ministers of christ ev●… prevailed , by the authority of that . but yet this is false , we do not deny 〈◊〉 produce evidence , but is sufficiently able , and hath done it , to produce evi●… out of the scriptures , to prove all things which we profess or practice for religion . but saith he , they must prove their commission by divine miracles before 〈◊〉 reasonable man can believe it , &c. many that fear god , and are in the 〈◊〉 reason , hath believed us already , and do see the mighty wonders of go●… brought to passe , and it cannot be believed by richard baxter , no more 〈◊〉 christ was believed of the pharisees , in whom the mighty power of god 〈◊〉 made manifest , for though he did miracles , yet this generation could not believe them . and he tells of some that said he was 〈◊〉 ; so might they well do , and not lye , his blindness is made manifest at larg●… and saith he , but can i see the witness in them that saith they have the witness in themselves . nay , because thou art an unbeliever thou canst not ; but it thou wert a believer in christ , thou wouldst feel the same testimony in the brethren ; but by thee we are not known , and therefore by thee are falsly judged ; for no other testimony do we give or hold forth , but the same which the apostles did , which we have received from christ as the apostles did , and not by any authority of our own , though he falsly says it , but by the authority of the power of god ; and we shall not much seek or beg our adversaries belief , for to god are we known , and one to another in the spirit , and not to the wisdom of the world , which is devilish , and knows not , nor receives not the things which be eternal . his last reason : they teach but such like dostrine , and takes the like course as many of the hereticks did , and saith he , shall we run our selves into the fire which hath consumed such heresie through former ages , &c. answer . to this i answer , the doctrines of the gospel we hold forth and teach to all people , and in that way that is called heresie , worship we indeed the god of our fathers ; but it is but such as this man with whom i deal , who is a false witness-bearer , and a reproacher , and the company of hireling-teachers , and such like , that doth call the way of god heresie . and though he say , presently after the apostles dayes , such hereticks arose and troubled the church . to which i answer , nay it is just such like as himself , who appeared in the apostles dayes , who taught for filthy lucre , and for gain made merchandize of souls ; and it was such lying prophets which iohn saw the whole world run after in his days , and they were them that troubled the church , even such as were heady , and high minded , and covetous men , and such as are false accusers , and fierce men ; and his shame and folly is made manifest , and so his lyes and slanders are turned upon his own head . and in his conclusion he doth beseech professors to consider impartially of these . reasons ; to which i say , the most of them are so reasonlesse , that they will rather turn to his own confusion , then to his praise , to any man of understanding : and he bids all bethink themselves , first , what a doleful thing it is that professors should be so loose and unstable , &c. answ. doleful it is indeed that after so much preaching of priests of england , people should be so ignorant , loose , and unstable as indeed they are , and this is , a very shame to teachers , and shews that they were not sent of god , because that the people are not profited at all , but continues ignorant , loose , and unstable and wicked , according to their own confession , and indeed , people are to be pittied that are under their ministry , who by it can never come to the knowledge of god , but must be ever learning fifty or sixty years , and ignorant loose , and unstable at their very end , and yet these are members of this church of england , so called , which the very pastors thereof confesseth to be loose , and unstable , andwicked , and brands us to be denyers of this church , as indeed we have good reason , to see the members thereof so wicked , loose , and unstable , as is confessed by their own teachers , therefore we cannot be condemned for denying such a church . secondly , he bids consider what a heavy judgement it is to professors themselves , to be self-condemned , and self-divided from the church , &c. to which i answer , a heavy judgement indeed , that such as are of the church should be self-condemned , and self-divided from it ; but yet it is a blessed thing that any that have been deceived with false likeness , now should come to see the error thereof , and be turned to the true church which is in god , and to be drawn away from all windy doctrines of englands teachers , and this many doth witness . then he exhorts christians to be serious , and be true to the light which they have received : to which i say , all that are true to the light which they have received from christ iesus , will deny this man i now deal withall , and all his lyes and slanders . then he bid-stick close to the word of god ; and i say , all that do so will find it as a fire and a hammer , and will be gathered from under the dead doctrines of men in this age. and he exhorts them to stick close to a faithful ministry : to which i say , then must they deny all hirelings , and such as preacheth for hire , for such are not of the faithfull ministry , but deceivers of people . and thus in few words return is sent in the pursute of a sheet of lyes and slanders put forth into the world , and all sober-minded people by this may come to a good understanding between truth and error . and though he hath taken a course to spread his books 〈◊〉 ballads and fables , by having them cryed up and down the streets , which is not for his advantage altogether , but doth shew his work ridiculous to all wise men . and so hereby it may be seen that all his strong reasons are confounded and overturned , that would hinder a man from being a quaker . the main and chief things i have spoken of , and by what is written in short men of understanding may understand what his whole matter can be : but in the beginning of his book he falls a complaining of the lamentable ignorance and ungodliness of common people ; and of the pride , and se●…conceitedness of professors of godliness , and of the weakness , and giddiness , and unstableness of others : to this i answer ; it is true , abundance are ignorant , and abundance are proud and self-conceited , and abundance unstable and giddy in their minds ; and substract these from the whole company of the hearers of the teachers of england , and there is but a few left ( if any at all ) that are truly righteous in the sight of god ; and so to the shame of all the teachers of england , hath he confessed the truth in this particular ; and sheweth that indeed the people is not profited by them : and this is a strong argument that they were never sent of god , but hath ran and were never sent : but presently after that he cryes out of hereticks and deceivers , even like as the pope doth ; but what is he afraid of , that they that are ignorant , and ungodly , and proud , and self-conceited , unstable , and giddy , should be deceived , they that are in those iniquities are deceived already , and cannot possibly fall into greater deceit , or delusion . but it appears , that many of the priests of england cares not how little their hearers profits by them , so if they can get their wages , their hire , their great sums of money ; for one of them said , i mean a supposed minister of england ) in cambridge-shire , that he mattered not if all his hearers went to the devil , so they would but give him his dues ; to wit , tythes and maintenance . so that by this instance , you may judge what stock they are of , and what their endeavours are ; and we desire that people may be undeceived of that wherein they are deceived , and that they may turn from such a generation of covetous teachers , who care so little for their souls . and whereas he saith , the quakers are but of a few years standing , and that they arose from among the papists but a few year ago , &c. to this i answer , the people of god received that name but a few years ago , but the saints were quakers , i am able to prove , long before ; for abrah●… and isaac , and moses , and habakkuk , daniel , and paul , and all the rest were quakers , though they were not called so ; and though our name is new , yet our religion is old ; for it is the good old way , even the way the apostles walked in , though it hath been over-clouded for many years in the dark night of apostacy , which hath been over the whole world ; and the beast hath reigned and made war against the saints and killed them , and this hath been for many ages as you may read : yet there was a seed which god preserved for himself in the midst of darkness , but now is the way of the lord made manifest again , and the same power and life of god which was in the apostles dayes , and truth shall spring forth , and idolatry shall be rooted out by little and little , and antichrist and his kingdom shall fall , and even christ the son of god the same as ever was , for no other do we own , but him who was and is , and is to come ; he shall rule , and his people shall follow him . and though he saith , the quakers be an upstart sect : using such scornful words , not beseeming a minister of jesus christ ; but we are willing to bear all his reproaches for christs sake . and he speaks most foolishly , and saith as if we knew not the contents of our religion ; yea , we know the contents and foundation of it , which is christ that good old foundation , and him we are zealous for , and him we preach , and no other . and though he saith , the christians faith hath been known for sixteen hundred years ago : i say it was so , but the night hath been over all , wherein no man can work , since it hath been first revealed ; and traditions , and superstitions hath the world been exercised in , and led into ; and the true faith of the gospel hath been departed from , and many knows it not at this day . and he saith , he abhors any gospel , or religion , that was not made sixteen hundred yeares ago , &c. to this i answer , then must he abhor his own practice ; for sprinkling of infants , telling people it is a baptizing into the faith of christ , was not so long since nor singing davids experiences in rime and meeter for a part of gods worship ; and many other things which the priests of england practise for religion and gospel ordinances , but are not so ; but an invention came in many years since the faith was revealed to the apostles ; and thus he hath abhored his own practise , and is condemned out of his own mouth . and whereas he speaks of one that lately spoke to another in these words , he denied the god that he worshipped . that might be true : for thousands in england worships the god of this world ; and that god the saints deny : and he counts it a thing very abominable to trust to that which is within the saints ; though it be according to the scriptures , for christ is in the saints , and god dwels in the saints ; and god and christ is only to to be trusted to . there is also another piece put forth by him , called , a sheet for the ministry : in which also ( according to his usual manner ) he rails and lyes against the quakers in many things ; also i might instance in many more things wherein he hath belyed us , as a man without fear or honesty : and much ado he maks about tythes : and he commends his reader to the quakers catechisme , for better satifaction . and i do commend all sober people to the answer of the same , wherein his folly and weakness is laid open , as in them particulars . but he saith , the tenths are theirs as fully as the rest are ours , but this is denyed ; for the tythes are not paid out of the lands , but out of mens labours and industrious exercises upon the land : for if any man let his land lye untilled , there is no tythes claimed ; so that it is manifest it 's paid out of mens labours , and not out of the land : and many other things we have against tythes , and against the unjustness of them , and the oppression growing thereby . and we do know , that never any minister of christ was maintained in such a way : nay , they were so far off being maintained by a law , that they would not make use of their power which they had in christ in those things as of outward maintenance . but much need not be said , for thousands begins to see the grievous burden and unlawfulness of tythes , and that in the gospel administration , these things are no way commanded by the law of god , but as they came in by tradition , and were established by the pope , and are now the chief maintenance of englands teachers . indeed grievous and sad to be considered it is , how many hundreds in england of honest men are made havock on in their persons and estates in relation to tythes , because for conscience sake they cannot pay to the upholding of an antichristian ministry , which denies christ come in the flesh , by upholding tythes , which only belonged to the first priesthood under the law , and was never practised ( either paid or received by any ) of them that were witnesses of christ come , or after his death , who did thereby fulfil that part of the old covenant , and put an end to that covenant , and the priesthood was changed that took tythes , and a necessity there was also of the change of the law as it is written . so this is an answer in part to richard baxters many lyes and reproaches , and his whole work is turned by as our spoyled prey of babylons treasure ; and no more to be recokned in the records of truth , but shall stand upon an account , among the corrupted and poluted commodity , of the growth of egypt and babylon . and this is for the satisfaction of honest people by a friend , edward burrough . the true christian religion again discovered , after the long and dark night of apostacy , which hath overshaddow'd the whole world for many ages ; and the profession and practise thereof witnessed unto by the scriptures . and here all may see , who it is of all these sects , and divers forms of religion in these nations , that are agreeable to the scriptures , in what they profess and practice , and who it is that are not according thereunto ; for the line of true judgment it stretched upon all profession , and a true search into , and tryal thereof is made , and hereby it is manifest who it is , and what sort of people , that may justly claim the benefit of the protectors oath , to be protected thereby in their practices of religion , who hath bound himself to maintain and uphold that christian religion which is according to the scriptures , &c. forasmuch as oliver cromwel , called lord protector of england , scotland , and ireland , ( chief ruler according to man ) hath bound himself by an oath , and sworn , that he will uphold and maintain the true reformed protestant christian religion in the purity thereof , as it is contained in the old and new testament of the scriptures ; which oath he is bound to perform before the lord , and unto all men . now it remains to be tried and proved , what the christian religion is ; and who they are in these nations that are of the true reformed protestant christian religion in the purity thereof , as it is contained in the scriptures , seeing there are abundance of sects and diversity of judgements , and many assemblies and gatherings of people , who are divers in their wayes , in their practices , and in their form of religion in these nations , which do all profess the scriptures , and that their form of religion is according to the scriptures ; but this cannot be , but it will be manifest otherwise ; for the scriptures , which were given forth by the one spirit of god , bears not witness of many true ways , or unto many true religions , but unto one truth , and unto one true religion , and is the declaration of one way of life , and salvation , by one jesus christ ; and there is no other name under heaven given for salvation : and they that believe in him , and receive him , those are they onely that are of the true religion , who are guided by the spirit , and changed thereby from death to life ; and such have unity with the father , and with the son , and one with another , and are not of this world , but heirs of the kingdom of god ; and these may own and claim a title to be defended and preserved in their exercise and practice of religion . therefore come all sorts of people , and let us try and prove who it is that is of the true religion , and who it is that he is bound to maintain and uphold by his oath : come i say , all sects and sorts of people , and appear to trial : dare you joyn issue with me in this matter , to try your profession and practise o● religion , whether it be according to the scriptures in the purity thereof , yea or nay ? for the lord hath put it into my heart , to lay you all to the line of true judgement , and to prove you whether you must be upholden and maintained in your religion , yea , or nay : come claim your priviledge ; if your profession and practice in religion be according to the scriptures , then you may own your right , and the benefit of the protectors oath ; but if your profession and practice in religion be otherwise , and not according to the scriptures , then you must stand back , and defend your selves if you can , for the protector is not bound to maintain and uphold you in your practice of religion . and with this argument i shall try you all , whatsoever is professed and practised for religion , for which there is neither command nor president in scripture , is not aecording to the scripture ; let this fall where it may , this is truth ; and therefore all people come to tryal , and receive your judgement by this rule . and first , the true religion is a walking with god in purity and holiness , a performing of good to him , and not doing any evil ; a belief in christ , and receiving of him , and a living in him , and through the operation of his spirit to be changed into his image , and the body of sin and death put off , and a living to god in all things , and not a living to this vain world in any thing , but in all things to be guided by the spirit of christ : this , in short , is a description of the true religion , and they that are of this religion shall be saved in the day of the lord , and in equity and righteousness should be protected according to the oath before-mentioned , or else the oath is not performed in justice , but rather broken through transgression . and first of all , as concerning that profession and practice in religion , which is most general in these nations , i mean such as sprinkle infants , and are sprinkled being infants ; professing it to be the baptism into the faith of christ ; and that it is a seal of the new covenant , and of remission of sins , and that thereby people are made capable of union with christ , and that it is a sign of regeneration , &c. this is practised and professed by many for religion ; but this practice and doctrine is not according to the scripture ; therefore all ye through all these nations that are made christians , and own your title in christianity , and a right to fellowship with christ ; and that ye are joyned to the church , and become members of christ , because you were sprinkled when you were infants ( and all ye that preach this for doctrine , and practise it for religion ) you are not of the true christian religion , in the purity thereof , as it is contain'd in the scriptures : this i do affirm . therefore stand you by ; for what you practise and profess , there is neither command nor president in scripture ; if you could shew any , you are now called , and a necessity is put upon you , to make use of your knowledge , if you would be protected in this common-wealth , in your practice of religion . likewise you sing , and give to sing , david's psalms in rhyme and meeter , professing it is to the glory and honour of god ; ye practise this as an ordinance of god , as a part of his worship , and as a part of your religion ; but this practice and profession also is manifest not to be according to scriptures ; because it was never commanded ; neither is there any president for this practice in the scriptures , in gospel times : therefore in this part of your religion you cannot justly own to be pro tected and maintained ; because the protector 's oath reacheth not to uphold and maintain any such practices in religion , which are not according to the scriptures . likewise , all ye that meet together , to exercise your religion , and to worship god in temples made with hands , set a part by you for that practice , professing them to be churches of christ ; this is not according , but contrary to the scriptures , which say , god dwells not in temples made with hands ; neither did the saints of old constantly practice any such thing : but they were the persecutors that met in temples made with hands , who cast out , and haled ▪ the apostles out of such temples : so that in this practice you cannot justly own to be protected , as not being a practice in religion according to scriptures . likewise , all ye , whose ministers preach for hire , and have hire for preaching , so much a year , and so much a sermon at a town or a parish in a settled place ; and who take tythes , and compel people to pay tythes by a law ; such are not the ministers of christ ; and ye that uphold such for ministers of christ , are false in judgment , and blind in understanding ; and are not of that christian religion , which is according to scriptures in the purity thereof , neither ministers , nor people ; for the ministers of christ never acted any such thing : they were the false prophets , and false apostles , that preached for hire , and for gifts , and rewards : neither did the saints and churches of christ look upon them that acted those things to be ministers of christ ; but on the contrary , declared against them to be deceivers : so that all you people , and you professed ministers , that act those things that the false prophets acted ; and all you people that love to have it so , and give hire to your ministers for preaching , and consent unto it ; none of you are of the christian religion , as it is held forth in the scriptures ; because this part of your practice in religion is not according , but contrary to scriptures . now substracting all these in these nations from the whole , which practiseth and professeth these things mentioned for ordinances of god , and for his worship , none of you are of the true christian religion , as it is held forth in the scriptures ; because these things which you practice for religion , is not held forth in all the scriptures by any example or command , likewise you are of the greatest number of people in all these nations ; and that practice and profession of religion , which the greatest number follow , and exercise themselves in , cannot be the true christian religion , because the scripture saith , few are in the straight way that leads to life , to wit , in the pure and true religion ; but many are in the broad way that leads to destruction ; and such that are the greatest number , who are in the broad way , are not in the religion in the purity thereof , as it is held forth in the scriptures : likewise many of you who practice those things mentioned for religion , are yet unconverted to god , but live in wickedness , in the pride and vanities , and in all the evil of this world , in double-dealing , in drunkenness , in whoredom , and in the works of darkness ; therefore you are not of the true christian religion , neither do your walk with god in purity and holiness , neither are you changed by christ into his image , nor are guided by his spirit ; neither do you live to god in any thing , but to this world in all things ; and your religion is manifest not to be according to the scriptures , but contrary . and so let all people consider , whether or no you must be maintained in your religion ? come forth and plead your cause all ye that are called presbyterians and independants , and all others , stand up , and prove if you can , your practice in religion to be according to scriptures ; but seeing no man is able to prove these things mentioned , which is practiced by you for religion , to wit , sprinkling of infants , and singing david's experiences in rhime and meeter , and worshipping god in set-places , as idol-temples , and preaching for , and giving great sums of money for preaching , with other things practiced by you for religion ; neither were these things ever commanded in scriptures ; neither is there any example for the practise of these things in scripture by any of the lords people ; and therefore you cannot justly own a title in the protectors oath , to be maintained and upheld by vertue thereof in these your practises of religion ; for it appears he is but bound onely to uphold and maintain that religion , which is according to scriptures , and not them who practiceth those things for religion , which are not according , but contrary to the scriptures . likewise all ye , that are called gathered churches ; who holds sorth for doctrine , that the scriptures are the word , ( by which the world was made ) and that the scriptures are the foundation ; and that the scriptures are the way to salvation ; and that the letter and the spirit are unseparable ; and that the scriptures are both the writings , and the thing fignified ; and that except a man be baptized with water ; he cannot be saved : with such like doctrines , which have been held forth by some professing themselves to be of the church of christ ; all you are manifest not to be of the christian religion , because those doctrines are not according , but rather contrary to the scriptures . likewise , all ye , whose practice in the exercise of religion is but by imitation from the scriptures , and you are not led by the spirit of of the father in what you speak and practice ; you are not of the true christian religion , which the scripture speaks of : for the sons of god , and who are of the true religion , are led by the spirit of god , and not by their own thoughts , and imaginations , and the traditions of men : and all that are not led by the spirit of the father , are not of the true christian religion , as it is held forth in the scriptures ; and not any , that are such , can justly own to be protected in their religion ; because it is not according to the scriptures . likewise , all ye that do profess the things of god and christ , and that you are members of the church of christ , and profess righteousness and truth in words , and yet live in pride , and the vanities of this world , and in unrighteousness , and the customs of the heathen , which are vain ; and are not cleansed from unrighteousness , nor freed from the body of sin and death ; neither do answer your profession with a conversation , shewing that you are not guided with that spirit whose words you do profess : all you are hypocrites , and live in hypocrisie ; none of you are of the true christian religion , as it is held forth in the scriptures : for the exercise in true religion sheweth forth in life what is prosessed in words . come , try your selves , and prove your selves all sorts of people ; for now your religion is to be try'd , what name soever you go under : and all you that practice and profess those things for religion , for which there is neither command nor president in scripture , your religion is concluded not to be according to scriptures ; and so no title or priviledge can any of you justly own , of being upheld or maintain'd by the protector 's oath . but , as i have said , for sprinkling of infants , and singing of david ' s experiences in rhyme and meeter , &c. there is neither command , nor president in scriptures ; and therefore , you that practice those things , which i have mention'd , for religion , are not of the true christian religion , which is according to the scriptures , which is to be protected . likewise all ye that persecute by reproaches , or revilings and cruelty , or that cause the people of god to be persecuted ; many of you there are in these nations , which profess religion ; yet are envious persons , and persecutors of the innocent : hereby it is manifest , that you are not of that religion which is according to scriptures ; for the saints never persecuted any , but were themselves persecuted for righteousness sake ; so you are not to be protected in such exercise , because it is not according , but contrary to the scriptures : for you have no example from the saints for professing and practizing religion , and yet persecuting such as are of the true religion , whose consciences are truly exercised towards god , and towards all men . now seeing that it is discovered in part , who it is that are not of the true christian religion , according to the scriptures ; it remains to be proved ( if there be any ) who they be that are of the true christian religion , as it is held forth in the scriptures ; and who they be that are to be protected in their practice and exercise of religion : and as concerning the dispised and rejected people , called quakers ; herein i shall speak for them , as a friend to them , and a lover of their wayes , who is nor ashamed of their practices in religion ; and shall measure and try their practices in religion , whether they be according to scripture ; and if it prove so to be , that what they practice for religion , and hold forth for doctrine , be according to the scriptures ; then why should not they own their right and priviledge , to be upholden and maintained by the protector 's oath , who hath sworn to uphold and maintain them and their religion , whose exercise in religion is according to scriptures ; being that same people are , and have been faithful subjects of this common-wealth ? and first of all , they dare not own themselves to be christians , nor to be members of christ , nor to have any right or title to the kingdom of god , but as they witness converting by the spirit of the lord , and are changed from death to life , and from darkness to light , and from satan's power unto the power of god , through the operation of the same spirit ; and as in all their works , and wayes , and exercises in religion , they are guided by the same spirit , who leadeth them out of the world , and out of the vanities and evil-works thereof ; and this is according to the scriptures : and their religion herein is justify'd by the scriptures , who witness , that christ is in them , and that they have receiv'd him through faith , and thereby are cleansed from all unrighteousness , and have put off , and are putting off the body of sin and death , and walk with god in purity and holiness , being led by the spirit of god therein ; and with god they have peace , being reconciled by jesus christ , who is their salvation , and they have no other : and this is according to the scriptures . and again , as concerning their meetings , and the manner thereof ; they are not contrary , but according to the scriptures ; for , though they meet in many parts of these nations by great numbers , some in the open fields , and some on the mountains in some places , and sometimes without doors , and sometimes in houses ; all this practice is according to scriptures : for , we read , mat. . . in the dayes of christ ; that there were great multitudes of people that follow'd him ; and he went up into a mountain , and preached , and taught them upon the mountain : and in mat. . . we read , that there were great multitudes , that came out of the cities unto iesus , into the deserts ; and he had compassion towards them , and did good unto them : and at that time there were many thousands met together , as you may read ; and it seems , stay'd many whole dayes together ; for they sate down on the grass , and eat together ; and then iesus sent the multitudes away : and in mark . you may read , how that multitudes came to iesus out of the cities into a desert place ; and iesus began to teach them many things in that desert place ; for , he had compassion on the multitude : and in luke . how the people again follow'd jesus into a desert place , and he preached unto them the kingdom of god. such meetings then were counted strange , as such meetings are now , when the people of god meet together by great numbers , to preach , and to hear the kingdom of god preached : but their meetings are according to the scriptures ; for the people of god , in generations past , met in the same manner as the people of god , called quakers , meet now : for sometimes christ preached out of a * ship unto the people that stood on the sea shore : and * paul kneeled down and prayed among the saints near the sea shore , at his passing into the ship : and we read , acts . that there was three thousand converted at one sermon ; then there must needs be a great meeting , and a great deal of people met together : such meetings now are wondred at ; but such meetings are but according to scripture ; so that this part of their practice in religion is agreeable to the scriptures , and the same as the saints practice was in ages past . and as for the people of god meeting together , sometimes in the night-season to wait upon the lord , and sometimes sitting in silence , and waiting upon the lord , and no words utter'd amongst them ; but every one sitting silent before the lord , having receiv'd nothing from the lord to speak one to another ; at which the people of the world do wonder , and falsly judge it not to be a christian exercise : but we read in the scripture , iob . that iob ( who was a christian ; for he was a just and perfect man ) he and his friends sate upon the ground seven dayes and seven nights , and spake not a word one to another ; this would be a strange thing at this day to see practised : and in ier. . . you may read , where the prophet ieremiah exhorted the people to assemble themselves , and said , let us enter into defenced cities , and let us be silent there ; for the lord our god hath put us to silence : but such a practice now is thought strange by the people of the world , who are not acquainted with the wayes of god ; who are wise in their own eyes , and know not what it is to wait upon the lord in silence , who never yet were put to silence in themselves by the lord. and you may read ezek. . where the prophet sate down among the people of the captivity , and they were astonish'd seven dayes ; and at the end of seven dayes ( and not before ) the word of the lord came to the prophet : so that you see it was the practice of the servants of the lord oft-times to sit and wait upon the lord in silence ; though people wonder at such meetings now . and we do not read , that there was alwayes speaking among the saints in the churches , when they were met together : but , acts . we read , that the church was met together in a place , and the holy ghost fell upon them , and then they began to speak as the spirit gave them utterance ; then it seems they had not spoken before , though they had met together in a house ; and then they spoke the wonderful things of god ; and some that heard , mocked , and others said , they were full of new wine , even as the people of the world do at this day , when any of the people of the lord are moved to speak as the spirit gives utterance : so that sometimes to sit in silence , being met together to wait upon the lord , as many of the servants of the lord do in this nation , is a practice of religion , and not contrary , but according to the scriptures ; for many of the servants , and assemblies of the lord's people practiz'd the same thing in ages past , as the servants of the lord do at this day ; & so this practice is to be upholden and maintained , because it is proved to be according to the scriptures ; for the same thing was practiz'd heretofore . and we read , ( acts . . ) that the church met in the night ; for paul continued his sermon till midnight . and as for their practice in speaking , either man or woman , as the spirit gives utterance , this is according to the scriptures , though it be much wondred at , and cry'd against by the wise-men and people of this age ; for we read , acts . that they spoke in their meeting as the spirit gave them utterance , without studying before-hand what to say : and the lord promised , that sons and daughters should prophesie : and in acts . . we read of one that had four daughters that did prophesie : and divers other places in scripture do shew , that women * labour'd in the gospel ; which doth prove that a woman speaking and declaring the things of god , is not contrary , but according to the scriptures ; and that any who are moved of the lord , may declare the things of god , man or woman : and the apostle saith , pet. . . as every man hath received the gift , even so minister the same one to another : so that this practise in religion is proved to be according to the scriptures . and as concerning their call to the ministry , some are called from their ordinary callings , as from the plough , or from handicraft work or tradings , or such like ; this is according to the scriptures also , for we read matt. . , . where the disciples were called from their nets , and some were called from the receipt of custom ; and we read amos . that he was a herdsman , and a gatherer of sycamore fruit ; and * elisha was called from the plough ; and some others were called from keeping of sheep : so that their call to the ministry , and practice in the ministry , is according to the scriptures ; for the servants of the lord in former ages were called to the ministry after the same manner ; so in that they do agree to the scripture both in ministry and ministring , and so may own protection herein by the protectors oath . and as concerning their going up and down through the countries , and from city to city , and from one town to another , and from one nation to another , this is according to the scriptures , though some seek occasion thereby against them , and unjustly take them as for vagabonds , and executes their envy upon them , yet it was the apostles practice , as you may read in the book of acts , where the apostles travelled from country to country , and from one city to another . and though some of the servants of the lord are moved now to speak and dispute in the markets , and reprove sin in the gates , and in the streets , and in the high-wayes ; and threatning god's judgments against the wicked ; all these things are according to scripture , and their practice herein is justified by the scriptures : for we read , acts . . that paul disputed in the synagogues with the jews , and with the devout persons , and in the market daily , with them that met with him : and we read , ier. . that he was commanded to stand in the gate of the lord's house , and to speak to all that passed into it : and ier. . we read , that he was commanded to stand in the court of the lord's house , without doors , and to speak to all the cities of judah : and we read in the book of ionas , how he was commanded to go through the streets , and to reprove sin , and to threaten god's iudgments against the wicked ; and these practices were strange in that generation , as they are at this day unto the world , who are not acquainted with the wayes of god : but all people may see , though the servants of the lord do practice these things now as they are moved , their practice herein is according to the scriptures ; for the servants of the lord in former ages acted the same things ; so that in this practice the servants of the lord ought not to be persecuted , but protected and maintained in it , and that by the protector 's oath , because it is proved to be according to the scriptures , which he is sworn to maintain . and as concerning their crying against such , and declaring against them by word and writing , that preach for hire , and divine for money ; and seek for their gain from their quarter , and such who go for gifts and rewards , and have sums of money by the year for preaching ; and though they deny such that act those things to be ministers of christ , this practice also is according to the scriptures ; for we read in mic. . that he declar'd against such as preached for hire , and divined for money ; and such were no ministers of christ : and we read , isa. ● . that he declared against them that sought for their gain from their quarter , which were greedy covetous men , such as are many of the teachers of england : again , we read mat. . where christ declar'd against such , and did not own such to be any of his ministers , who were called of men master , who stood praying in the synagogues , and had the chief places in the assemblies : and we read in pet. . and in many other places , where the apostles declared against such , and deny'd such to be ministers of christ , that preached for filthy lucre , and took gifts and rewards for preaching , and by feigned words made merchandize of souls , who were heady and high-minded-men , as you may read , tim. . chap. and such men were deny'd to be ministers of christ by the prophets , christ and his apostles : so that all people may see this practice of the servants of the lord at this day , who are moved to declare against such men , that act these things mentioned , is perfectly according to the scriptures ; for the servants of the lord , spoken of in scripture , did the very same things in this particular , as are done at this day : therefore for this practice they ought not to be persecuted , as they have been , but ought to be protected and maintained in it , and that by the protector 's oath , who hath sworn , to maintain that practice which is according to the scripture , and to declare against them that preach for hire , and have great sums of money for preaching , and that are called of men master , and that take gifts and rewards of people for preaching : i say , to do thus is a practice which the scripture gives a large example for ; and so it must needs be according to scripture , and ought to be protected in this government . again , as concerning their denying to respect persons , or to b●… with the hat or knee , in respect of worshipping any creature , this also is according to the scriptures , though the people of the world , who live in pride , and vain customs , are offended with them in this practice ; for we read , that god commanded , not to bow to any likeness , exod. . and we read iames . the apostle exhorts , not to have the faith of 〈◊〉 lord iesus with respect of persons , but condemns that practice of respe●●ing such as are in goodly apparel , and gay cloathing , and have gold rings , above a poor man in vile raiment ; and he saith plainly , they that have respect to persons , commits sin ; and we read that the pharisees said of christ , he respected no mans person ; and he is our example . and we read that the three children were cast into the fiery furnace with indignation before the king , being bound before him , and cast into the furnace , daniel . and we read that paul , and all the servants of god , did thou kings , and princes , and rules ; and they spoke plainly to all men , and durst not give flattering title to any , as you may read in iob . so that all people may see their practice in denying to respect persons , and in speaking plainly , without flattering titles to any man , or denying to pull off the hat , or bowing to men i● gay clothing , or giving place to such that wear gold rings , and have goodly apparel , before such as have vile raiment , is justly according to the scriptures , though people stumble at such practices ; and the people of god may claim to be maintained in this practice of their religion , seeing it is proved to be commanded in scriptures , not to respect the person of any man ; and also it was the saints practice , and therefore herein they ought not to be condemned , but justified , as being a practice in religion agreeing with the scriptures . and as concerning their denying obedience to magistrates in some cases , this is according to scripture also ; for we read , that the rulers commanded the apostles , and straitly charged them to speak no more i● the name of iesus ; yet the apostles did not obey magistrates herein , neither did they cease to preach in the name of jesus : and though christ was commanded , or besought to depart out of their coasts ; y●● he did not obey their request : and we read that the three children wer● commanded to worship the great image , yet they did not obey this command of the king : so that all people may see it is lawfull for the saints to disobey commands of kings and rulers , where they command that to be done or spoken which god doth not , but the contrary . and i say again , where kings or rulers , parents or masters , doth command or require any thing of them that are under them , which is not according to god , in such causes subjects , or people , and children and servants are free , and not required of the lord to subject to any thing which is not justly according to him ; but yet we say , that subjects , and people , and children , and servants ought to subject to them that have rule over them , in all things which is according to god in truth and righteousness ; and by the law of god all people are bound to obey those that have rule over them , not to disobey them in any thing which may stand with the exercise of a good conscience to god ; so that though the people of the lord now do deny to depart out of a town or place , and though they will not cease to declare against sin and wickedness in teachers and people , though a magistrate command it , this is but according to the scripture ; for the apostles went on boldly , declaring the name of the lord after they were forbidden : and thus the servants of the lord do now , they freely declare the way of salvation , and call people to repent , and reprove iniquity in all sorts of people , though wicked men command them to the contrary , and falsely charges them , that they are disobedient to government , and authority , though they are not , no more then the servants of god , and apostles of christ , who in the same causes did the same things ; and the lord hath commanded to cr●●●●ud , and not to spare , but to tell people of their transgressions ; and therefore many of the lords servants do deny to be silent , or to cease from declaring against sin , though a magistrate command it : and christ hath commanded not to swear at all ; and therefore many do deny to swear upon any account , in any place , though the magistrates do command it ; for the servants of the lord do deny to put off a hat , or to bow , in respect of any mans person , though a magisttate command it ; for the scripture doth say , he that respects persons commits sin ; so that all people may see that what the servant of the lord doth in these things , are not contrary , but according to the scriptures ; for all these things were commanded and practised by the saints in former ages , and they said , it was better to obey god then man ; and we ought to do it in all things , and that according to the scriptures too . so that in all these practises in religion the scriptures justifies them , and are as witnesses to them , and they might claim protection in the exercise of them by the protectors oath ; but if they be not maintained , but persecuted for the practice of these things , then will the light in every mans conscience witness the oath is broken , and not kept ; for it extends to uphold and maintain the practice of religion which is according to the scriptures , as these are proved to be . and as concerning their doctrines which the world stumbles at , yet their doctrines are according to the scripture ; though they say , christ is the light of the world , and lighteth every man , or hath given light to every man that cometh into the world , this is according to the scripture ; as you may read , iohn . . and . . and though they turn people from darkness to the light of christ within them , and exhort people to hearken to that within them , and not to seek a christ without them , to ascend or descend to fetch him ; these doctrines are perfectly according to the scripture ; for you may read , acts . . p●… saith , he was sent to turn people from darkness to the light , and from the power of satan to the power of god : and rom. . you may read the apostle saith , what saith it ? the word is nigh thee , in thy heart , that is the word of faith which we preach ; and they were not to say , who shall ascend , or desc●… to fetch christ. and though they tell people , they must witness christ in them , 〈◊〉 else they cannot be saved : this also is according to the scriptures , as you may read , cor. . the apostle saith , iesus christ is in you , except ye 〈◊〉 reprobates . and though they say , christ is the word of god , and do deny the scriptures to be the word , by which the world was made : this doctrine also is according to the scriptures ; for we read , rev. . . that the name of iesus is called the word of god : and luke . of the scriptures it is sa●● , they are a declaration by those which were eye-witnesses , and ministers of the word . and though they press people to perfection , and do say , men 〈◊〉 be p●…ect upon earth , and compleat in christ iesus : this doctrine also is according to the scriptures ; for you may read , cor. chap. , & . of 〈◊〉 that were perfect , who were men upon earth ; and the minist●●● of christ spoke wisdom among them that were already perfect : and col. . . the apostle saith unto the church , who were men in this life upon earth , he saith to them , ye are compleat in him . and though they press the people to live without sin , and do say , they that are born of god do not commit sin : this also is according to the scripture ; for it is christ's command , mat. . be perfect , as y●●r fa●●er in heaven is perfect : and iohn . there it is spoken of some that were the sons of god already , and he saith , whosoever is born of god , ●oth not commit sin ; for he cannot sin , because he is born of god : and saith 〈◊〉 . as he is , [ christ ] so are we in this present world. and now all people may understand , that in all these doctrines which they do hold forth , they do fully agree with the scriptures ; and they be●●●…ness to the truth of their doctrines , that the servants of god , and the apostles of christ , did preach the very same things for doctrine , a●…done at this day ; and so these doctrines are not to be wondred at , not so much as they are by the wicked , to be cryed against for 〈◊〉 and error ; and these few particulars onely i have mentioned , at which the people of this age the most stumble at ; and all other things whatsoever , which is held forth for doctrines unto people i am able to prove them by the scriptures , that in all things they are according to the scripture , and not different or contrary to the scriptures ; so 〈◊〉 all people may take notice and see , that whatsoever they do practice for religion , or hold forth for doctrine , they do herein justly according to the scriptures , and they justifie their practices and doctrines in these things mention'd , and in whatsoever else can be objected by any man. and this i shall take in hand to prove before all the world , that the people of god , called . quakers , do practice nothing for religion , or preach for doctrine , but what is perfectly according to the scriptures of the old and new testament , and in the fulfilling of them ; and so they are proved to be of that true christian religion , which is according to the scriptures ; and so may fully claim protection and preservation in their practice of religion ; and this is to be consider'd by the protector , and all magistrates and people in these nations , that they may know what the true christian religion is , and who is in it , and who is not in it ; and for this purpose is this written , for the satisfaction of all people , that they may see who it is that hath a right and priviledge to be protected and upholden by vertue of the oath . likewise , all may understand , that what such practice and profess for religion , is not without good ground ; but that the very same things were practized by them that were of the true christian religion , and preached for doctrine by them that were saints , which is now practiz'd and held forth by the people of god ; and the scriptures do fully bear witness in all things , shewing that such are guided by the same spirit , which the saints were guided by in ages past ; and as they had , so have these the testimony , that they are of god , and that the whole world lies in wickedness . and as concerning their being persecuted by many of the rulers , priests and people , though they be sent to prison , and banished out of towns , and whipped , and beaten , and scorned , and reviled ; this is also according to the scriptures , and the scripture is fulfilled upon them ; for the same things were done to the apostles , and to the servants of the lord , as you may read through the acts , the people mocked the apostles , and slandered them , and said they were full of new wine ; and the chief priests conspired against christ , and the apostles , and incensed the magistrates against them , and the magistrates put christ , and many of the apostles in prison , and caused them to be whipped and beaten , and to be banished , and many other cruelties done unto them ; the scripture is full to prove this , from the beginning to the end of it ; and christ said , they shall persecute you , and speak all manner of evil of you for my name sake , and as they have done unto me , so shall they do 〈◊〉 you ; ye shall be hated of nations : and the apostle said , all that will give godly in christ iesus shall suffer persecution . so that all people may see , though the people of the lord be persecuted , and reviled , and imprisoned , and cruelty done unto them ; and though it be done by the chief magistrates , and chief rulers , and the wise men of this age , all this is according to the scriptures , and that the scriptures might be fulfilled ; and the same things which are now done unto the people of god , were done unto the people of god in ages past , by the same instruments , to wit , the rulers and magistrates ; and by the same means , to wit , by the information , and false accusations of the chief priests and teachers ; in ieremiah you may read how the priests sought to take away his life ; and you may read how the chief priests consulted against christ , and how they complain'd to the magistrates against him and the apostles ; and the same things are now come to pass , and we do not strange at it ; for they are the chief priests of england that do most seek the persecution , and cause the people of god to be persecuted , by their complaining and petitioning to the magistrates ; so that in all these things , not only what is practised and preached for doctrine , but also in what is suffered , is perfectly according to the scriptures ; and all people that are not blind , may see that this religion is in all things agreeable with the scriptures , both in what they do , and in what they suffer : so that this is given forth for the good information of the protector , and all magistrates , that they may hear the tryal of all things , and may not falsly conjecture or suppose , and thereupon give judgement without any true knowledge , let them search the scriptures , and try : i hope the worst of men have so much conscience , that they will stand in owe of the breach of their own oaths ; and that they will perform unto the lord , and unto all men , what they have firmly ( and not compell'd ) sworn to do : and thus it may be hoped the w●… persecution will cease , which is lamentable to be declar'd , how the people of the lord have suffer'd in many things , even them whose religion is proved to be according to the scriptures ; who practice nothing for religion , neither hold forth any thing for doctrine , but that which is perfectly agreeable to the scriptures , as all people hereby may understand ; which religion the protector hath sworn to maintain and uphold : then who shall presume to persecute the people whose practice in religion is prov'd to be the very same which his oath extends to maintain ? surely no man will be so impudent , or shew such rebellion to government , as to endeavour to break down and destroy that people , whose religion is prov'd to be justly that which he is by oath bound to maintain : some heretofore , before this oath was taken , might pl●… ignorance , and say , they knew not the mind of the protector ; but now his mind is fully discover'd ; and he doth not only allow , but also hath solemnly sworn , to maintain and uphold that christian religion which is according to scriptures : and it is prov'd what people it is , whose religi●● is so . and i say again , that same people mention'd , do practice nothing , neither hold forth any thing for doctrine , but it is either commanded , or there is president for it in scripture , or agreeable thereto ; and therefore that same people is of the true christian religion , which the protector hath bound himself to maintain by oath , in the face of the whole nations ; so that none of the magistrates now can plead ignorance : for , as he is sworn to uphold the people of god in their religion ; so are they bound to be true to him and the government , and to fulfil the good laws , and his oaths and enterprizes : so that i say again , it may be hoped , for the time to come , for protection , and to be maintain'd , and no longer to be persecuted and destroy'd in their persons and estates , as formerly they have been , if men regard their own oaths , or there be any truth or sincerity in the heart of man. and i say , by this very oath mention'd , might the people of god own and claim protection and defence in their way and practice of religion , which is so plainly prov'd to be according to the scriptures , though none of them desir'd such an oath for their protection , or sought after it ; yet it being voluntarily instituted and taken , why may not they own the extent of it , which reacheth to them more then to any besides , as is clearly described ? and not for their own sakes altogether do they own the benefit of it , but that he , who hath taken it , may be clear in the sight of the lord , in performing of his oath ; for , his felicity , and the encrease and continuance of good government they desire , as much as their own protection : and they would not have any man so wicked , or the cause of perpetual infamy to be given to this nation , so much as that any thing should be destroyed or broken down , which is sworn to be upheld and maintain'd in the nation , lest the heathen rulers rise up in condemnation against the doers thereof . these , with many other arguments , which might be produc'd , press many to endeavour the fulfilling of the said oath , for his own sake , who hath taken it . and that first of all , by that oath the people of god may own protection in this common-wealth , because their religion is according to the scriptures , &c. secondly , that some people might also own protection in this common-wealth , in that the most of them , if not all , have been true and faithful subjects of this common-wealth , and hazarded lives and estates for the establishing of such a government , wherein the people of god might have full liberty for the exercise of their pure consciences . again , they may own protection in this common-wealth , 〈◊〉 being at this day a harmless and innocent people , not being offensive to any man's person or estate , or in any other thing ( except to sin and wickedness , and the workers thereof ) and i say again , that they do not desire any thing but the wellfare , and the encrease , and the establishment of this present government , wherein it is according to god. and this is written for the information of all sorts of people , that they may know unto what sort of people the protector 's oath extends to uphold and maintain ; and concerning all those whose practice in religion and doctrines are not according to scripture , but contrary to it , as is manifest , and so not to be maintained and upholden in their profession and practice of religion by the protectors oath ; yet it is not desired , that such should be destroyed , or overthrown , or bound , or imprisoned , or any cruelty done to them , though their practice be not according to scripture ; but it s desired , that such may live in peace in the common-wealth , enjoying their religion to themselves , without any molestation from any outward law , or outward power ; for many would not that any should be compelled to , or from any exercise in religion by an outward law , but let them defend themselves in their religion , from those who may be moved of the lord to reprove them , or declare against them , or convince them ; so that many would have religion to defend it self , and that the magistrates , with their laws , may preserve the peace in the common-wealth , and men's persons and estates , and not their opinions and judgements : and we would they may not limit or stint tender consciences ; for many may be of a tender conscience in those things wherein their consciences are not truly inform'd ; and such should not be condemned to death , but to be won by sound doctrine , and instructed by those who are called of god. and so this is written that the whole nation may understand the mind of the lord's servants in all these things . and let no man blame me ; for i have but with an equal hand , brought all sorts of people to the line of true judgment , that they may know who is to be maintain'd ( and who is not ) in their religion , and practices thereof . but if , after all this , the people of god be persecuted , and violence be done unto them , and injustice and unrighteousness acted upon them in this common-wealth , as of late years hath been , and yet it be suffer'd to be , and none take any notice to preserve and defend them , whose religion is according to scripture , which he is sworn to maintain ; then i leave it to the light in all men's consciences to judge what a condition such are in , whose oath is not kept , but broken ; for these things are of no less value , then either breaking or keeping a man's own oath , which solemnly hath been taken : and this is not a light thing , but to be seriously consider'd of , both by magistrates , teachers and people in this common-wealth . yet notwithstanding all this , the people of god do not boast in , or trust unto the arm of flesh , neither are any whit the more confident in their way , though it be proved , that they ought in iustice to be upholden and maintained in what they profess and practice , as aforesaid ; for their hope and confidence is only in god , who only is sufficient to protect and uphold his people in all their wayes and exercises ; and though all men do forget their own promises and oaths , yet will not the lord forget his chosen people , to defend them from all their enemies , who hath again appear'd to gather his people , after the long and dark night of apostacy ; and his house and tabernacle shall be exalted over all the earth . an objection , now many may say , seeing i challenge , claim and affirm , that this religion is the true religion , which is according to scripture ( then they ask , and say ) hath there been no true religion before this ? or have all these religions been false before ? and seeing this hath but newly appear'd in the world , was there no true religion before ? and if there were any , where was it ? and what was that religion , seeing there hath not been for many ages such a religion as this is ? and after this manner do many reason and object to themselves , and raise to themselves stumblings ; and conceit themselves , that our fore-fathers were of a good way , and many of them sure were saved , which were not of this religion , which did not profess and practice these things which is professed and practised by this people . answ. now unto all these i do answer and say , that this religion is the true religion which is according to scripture , as is proved already , seeing they profess and practice nothing for religion , but what the scriptures do justifie , and shew the very example of the same things ; but that god had a people in all ages , and a seed that never bowed to baal its believed , and such as did sincerely seek after god , according to what they knew , and they were accepted of god according to what was made manifest in that age and generation ; yet the testimony of truth it self , and the way of the lord it self , for many generations hath not so clearly and purely been held forth , as it is now in this age and generation ; for now the true light hath shined , and the way of salvation is evidently made manifest , as by many witnesses , and evident tokens which may be given , and was not so clearly for many ages past , held forth and known : and such who have been sincerely seeking after god , though they knew not perfectly the way unto him , neither had they such a pure testimony revealed to guide them , as now is manifest , yet such do now rejoyce , and own the way of the lord , and the seed of god is refreshed in them , and all causes of stumbling removed , and the pure light of the gospel is sprung forth more clear in this age , then in any age , for many generations ; for the scripture sheweth , that a dark night of apostacy hath been over the whole world , and the beast hath reigned , and the false prophet hath deceived many nations ; and the whole world hath wondered after the beast for many ages ; and the beast hath made war with the saints , and hath had power to kill them , and hath put a stop many times to the appearances of god , till now at length he doth appear , and the power of hell and death shall not stop it , and they do say , that they are come out of the apostacy , to the dawning of the day again , and the same power of god , and the same truth that was in the apostles days , and the same ministry by the gift of the same holy ghost , as was in the apostles dayes , is now witnessed ; and at the time of ignorance god winked , but now the eye is opened , and all is called to repentance ; so it will not excuse any man to plead how it was with our fore-fathers , or to say , where was this religion before these few years , and such like ? for now the power of god it self is made manifest , which brings into the true religion , and all that are of god hear it , and shall own it , and shall receive the testimony which is given : it s known that there are many thousands which have not yet owned it , in which there are true thirstings after god , and a zeal for him ; and such are not condemned to be altogether out of religion , for such seek his face , and the day is neither clear nor dark to them , in which they are ; and such shall own and submit to the government of christ ; and they that are not under the government , are not of the true religion , as i said ; this is the time of restauration , and the lord is bringing back again , and a thorow reformation will the lord work in the earth , such as hath not been known in ages past . there hath been a seed sown , which the devil hath catched away ; but now the seed shall grow , and become the greatest of all herbs , and the fowls of heaven shall lodge in the branches . and this is a plain answer to all sober people ; for according to the scriptures in the times of the apostles , the day of glorious light is sprung forth , and mighty was the power of god at that day ; but since hath darkness overshadowed all , and antichrist hath reigned , and the whole world hath been made drunk with the wine of fornication , which hath been in the hand of the whore , who hath sat upon the beast , and upon nations and peoples ; and the gentiles have trodden under foot the holy city of god for forty and two moneths ; but now is the time of restauration , as hath been promised , that the lord is bringing back his people again ; and the tabernacle of god shall be with men ; and christ alone must reign and rule , and his kingdom set up ever the whole world. and let no man be offended at what i have done ; for i have not reflected upon any mans person , but on what he practiseth for religion . london the th moneth , . e. b. a message for instruction , to all the rulers , judges and magistrates , to whom the law is committed : shewing what just government is , and how far the magistrate's power reacheth , and what the sword of justice is to cut down , and what it is to defend . whereby they may learn , and be directed to discern betwixt the guiltless , and the guilty ; and betwixt a matter of wilful wrong by evil-doers , which they are to punish , and a matter of conscience , by men that fear god , which they are to be a praise unto , and not a terror ; and in particular , divers causes are discover'd , which are prov'd to be matters of conscience , and not of wilful wrong ; though many therefore are unjustly persecuted and afflicted as evil-doers . with an exposition of some parts of the law ; for the edification of such , as desire to judge righteously between man and man , who would discern of different causes ; and iustifie the righteous , and condemn the evil-doer . concerning government and magistracy , this i have to say : it is an ordinance of god , ordain'd of him for the preserving of peace among men ; for the punishing and suppressing of evil-doers , and for the praise of them that do well ; that men's persons and estates may be preserv'd from the violence and wrong-dealing of evil men : and for this end government was ordain'd of god , to be set up in the earth , by the institution of the lord ; that righteousness should go free , and the wicked be bound and limited . now such as handle the law , and are executors thereof , who are ordain'd of god to judge and govern the people , ought to be just men , fearing god , and walking in his law , and hating and denying every false way ; that people may receive examples of righteousness , and holy and lawful walking from their conversations . and they that are set to govern the people , ought to have the spirit of true and sound judgment , to try into the root of all causes , whereby they may be able to discern of different causes , and to give just judgment in all things ; and such will judge by equal measure for god , and not for man , but without respect of persons ; and such will be a terror to transgressors , and will strengthen and encourage them that do well ; and then the execution of the law will answer the end wherefore it was added ; for , because of transgression was the law added to slay the transgression , and to bind under the trangressor , and to make him stand in awe , and be afraid ; for the just law reacheth to the just witness of god , and answereth it in every man ; and he that walks in the law of god , and hath his heart therein exercis'd , the law of man hath no power over him , to condemn him ; but it justifies him , and defends and preserves him from all wrong : but who doth not walk in the law of god , but is exercis'd in evil , and transgresseth the light and pure law of god in his conscience , by doing evil , and by wrong and unjust dealing ; then the law of man takes hold upon him , and binds him , and judges him , and condemns him for the evil done by him , contrary to the light in his own conscience , which answereth to the just execution of the law in condemning of him : and this is the work of the law in the hand of faithful executors , who justly executeth the just law , in defending and preserving the iust and innocent men from wrong-doing , and in condemning and judging the ungodly and evil men for wrong-doing ; whereby the witness of god in them both may answer to the just government , in defending the one , and in condemning the other : and this is a good savour to god , where the iust laws are justly executed by just men : but where unrighteous men are in power , and the execution of the law in their hands , that are themselves transgressors , such will not judge for god , but the good laws will be subverted unto wrong ends , from their proper vertue , and the hands of the wicked will be strengthen'd , and the evil-doers will escape unpunish'd , and the innocent will suffer , and justice and true judgment will be turn'd backward ; for when the wicked bear rule the people cannot rejoyce , nor justice and true judgment cannot be receiv'd from men , who are themselves unjust and unrighteous ; for , though the laws may be good and just , yet the executioners thereof being evil , and themselves transgressors , worthy of condemnation by the law : the transgression of the law in others cannot justly be judged by such , who are themselves guilty of judgment ; and therefore the laws will be subverted , and justice and true judgment neglected ; because such as handle the law know not god , but are in the transgression of the righteous law , and of the judgment thereof are themselves guilty . so therefore they that handle the law should be men justified by the law , and free from the transgression ; that they may the more justly punish , reprove and condemn it in others ; and may minister justice and true judgment through the law to all people under them . and no man ought to be respected in judgment , but every man's cause ought to be heard , the poor as well as the rich , and their matters diligently sought into : and all ought to receive just judgment from just men by the just law ; for the law is a defence about all the righteous , to defend and preserve them ; in peace and freedom , from all their enemies , who are to be limitted by the law , as i have said : and they that are reconciled to god , whose consciences are exercised towards god in all things , they are not under the law , nor the law hath no power over them ; for the law is fulfilled in them by christ , who teacheth them in all things to walk without offence towards god and all men , in truth and in righteousness to god , and all men ; and such the law of man is to defend , and not to judge them ; to justifie them , and not to condemn them ; and to be a praise to them , and not a terror ; and such set to seal , that the law is just , and good and holy ; who walk in justness , in goodness and holiness , and doth not transgress the good laws of any nation , but walk void of offence towards all ; for they walk not in the flesh , but in the spirit , and are doers of the law , and not breakers of it ; and so come not under the guilt of condemnation , in any thing , but are justified in all things ; for the light of christ leadeth them into all truth ; and so out of all condemnation ; their wayes are righteous and pure , and their works are just and equal towards god and all men ; and they seek not the wrong of any mans person or estate , but seeks the good of all , forgiving their enemies , and praying for them , and seek not vengeance upon their adversaries , but they bear all things patiently ; and such are the servants of god , and not transgressors of his law , nor the just laws of man ; and if such do suffer by a law , that law is unjust , and so is that magistrate that executes that law ; and that suffering is not for evil-doing , but for a good conscience sake ; and the innocent can rejoyce in such suffering , but the executioners thereof shall howl and weep : so that in all ages there was such suffering , which was not for evil-doing , but for the exercise of a pure conscience ; and such sufferings there are at this day : and this is because the unrighteous and the unjust bear rule , which subverts the law , and turns true judgment backward , and oppresseth the seed of god , and rules over it in tyrany ; and this is where darkness rules in the heart , and ignorance in the mind ; and true judgement is wanting , for light is called darkness , and darkness light , and good is put for evil , and evil for good ; and truth is called heresie , and error is called truth ; and because of this the righteous are judged unjustly , and falsly condemned , and the guilty are set free ; and thus is judgment turned quite backward ; where the seed of enmity ruleth above the seed of god ; and such a government is not blessed , but made a curse unto that dominion , where it is seated , and this is because such are set to rule and govern , who are not ruled and governed by the lord , but are in the transgression of the just and righteous law ; and are unjust men , and not reconciled to god , upon whose shoulders the government lies , and the execution of the law in their power , who cannot minister true judgment , nor discern of different causes amongst men. and therefore all magistrates are to weigh , and be considerate in all these things , and so to act and judge among men , as they may give a good account unto god , and all men ; and when a cause is brought before them to give judgment of , or any accus'd unto them , that they should execute the law upon , they should by the spirit of the lord first try into the ground and nature of such matters , to know whether it be a wilful and supposed wrong or injury done between man and man , or it be of ignorance , or want of better knowledge , or such like ; or whether it be a matter of conscience , or about religion , or the worship of god , whereupon the controversie dependeth : and if it be a matter of wilful and purposed wrong , or of ignorance , then good reason and iustice will teach a magistrate to defend the innocent from wrong , or to restore his wrong by true judgment , that his person and estate be freed and preserv'd from all wrong ; and that the wrong-dealer be restrain'd , and punish'd , and judg'd justly according to his offences : but if it be a matter of conscience about religion , or the worship of god , then the magistrates , with their law , ought not to meddle therein , or to judge of such matters ; for these things , concerning the things that are spiritual , are out of their jurisdiction , and not in their power to judge of : and if the controversie between man and man depend about such causes , not having reflection upon persons or estates , but only about spiritual matters , then magistrates with their laws ought not to judge in these causes ; but spiritual men ought only to give their judgments hereof , as they have receiv'd from god : and though men be in controversie about religion and the worship of god , yet if they be men of peace , not wronging one another in their persons and estates , they ought to be both protected in a good government by the just and righteous laws . and here the sword of justice is laid only upon the evil-doer , to be a terror and a punishment to him , and to limit and restrain him from wrong-dealing ; and this is the end wherefore it was ordain'd of god to be among men , and not to be laid upon the conscience , to oppress and afflict the tender consciences of the upright , whose minds are exercis'd in the law of god ; for such should have praise , that do well , by the sword of justice , while it is a terror to all evil-doers whatsoever : and this is the perfect end wherefore the law was added ; and the practice of it herein by faithful and just executors , is well-pleasing and acceptable to the lord. and now as concerning this one thing , which is , oppression in the nation , brought forth through the unjust and false execution of the laws , whereby many tender consciences are afflicted , and not for any wrong or evil-doing , but for the exercise of a pure conscience . whereas many for a pure conscience sake do deny and cannot pay any thing to maintain a steeple-house , or place of worship , which the people of the world do worship in , and where they commit idolatry ; neither can they , for conscience sake , pay any thing to uphold such worship , and such a ministry and ministers , which are not of christ , nor ever were sent of him , but of antichrist , and such by which the people are led in blindness and error , as manifestly doth appear through the whole land : and yet the magistrates , some of them being as blind and ignorant as the people , do compel many people by their writs , and orders and judgments , to maintain a priest and steeple-house , which for conscience sake they deny to maintain ; and yet by authority from the magistrates are the innocent men's goods spoyl'd by distress , and great oppression exercis'd upon many poor people , to maintain and uphold the ministry and worship of this generation , which is not of god , but against him ; and many hereupon are cast into prison , and others have their goods taken from them by violence , and great havock is made in the countries about this matter . now first it may be consider'd , that to deny to uphold and maintain a steeple-house , and place where ignorant people in tradition do meet to worship , is not a matter of wilful and purpos'd wrong-dealing , or the breach of any bargan or contract between man and man ; but it is a matter of conscience to the people of god : and for a good conscience sake they cannot do such a thing , as to maintain a place of worship , which abomination is committed in by ignorant and rude people , who are without the fear of god , as daily is manifest ; and it is not manifest , that by denying of this they injure any man's person or estate in any thing which belongs unto him by lawful bargan and contract , or otherwise : neither is there any reason or equity in this matter , that any should be forc'd and compell'd by injustice and oppression , to uphold a house of worship , which others worship in , and not they ; and they knowing that worship to be abomination to the lord also , and not the true worship of the true god ; and there is no justice nor religion in it , that any should be caused by force to uphold a house , for other people to commit and practice idolatry in ; if the house were for any good purpose , or honest practice , as for poor or impotent people to dwell in , or such like , who had not houses of their own , because of their poverty ; then that were a deed of charity to uphold it , and the people of god would not deny it , but could freely give their money to such a use or end ; but because it is not to such a use , but only a place to commit idolatry in , and to worship god ignorantly in superstitions ; therefore it is a matter of conscience unto many ; and for a good conscience sake , they rather suffer the spoiling of their goods , and affliction upon their bodies , then to pay their money for such a use or end ; and herein the magistrates do great injustice in the sight of god , and his saints , and contrary to reason , and a good conscience , in causing innocent mens goods to be spoiled by cruelty , to uphold a place of idolatrous worship , contrary to mens tender consciences : for as i have said , they do no wrong to any man , but only peoples wills are offended , and their blind zeal turned into rage and fury against the just , who worship god in spirit and in the truth , and cannot uphold the houses of false worship ; and it is a shame unto the people , and ministers themselves , who cannot uphold their own worshipping houses ; and it is a reproach upon their god , and their religion , who cause others to maintain their worshipping houses , by injustice and great oppression , and will not themselves maintain their houses where they worship their god ; but people who fear god are greatly oppressed divers wayes to uphold worshipping places for others to worship in , as in many parts of this nation , is wofull testimony , which is a shame to the magistrates , by whose authority these things are done , and a great reproach to the very name of christianity , that people , against a pure conscience , and contrary to good reason , should be compelled to uphold and maintain a worship and ministry which they do not partake of , but their very enemies that persecute them , whose consciences are defiled , and not exercised : and their worship and ministry , which stands not in the exercise of a pure conscience , but in vain traditions , and superstitious idolatry , are the people of god forc'd to maintain with maintenance , by oppression , contrary to their consciences : and the unjustness of these things cries for vengeance upon the ungodly rulers and people , who cause the just and upright to groan by oppression ; and thus the law is subverted , contrary to that end wherefore it was added ; and the government is abused , contrary to that purpose wherefore it was ordain'd of god : for the guiltless are condemned and judged , and the guilty are set free ; the exercise of pure consciences are oppressed , and the false abominations and idol worships are strengthned and defended : and because of these thing is the wrath of god kindled , and shall not be quench'd , till it hath consumed the wicked from off the face of the earth ; that the just god may be feared , and his people enjoy their freedom and liberty in the practice of the the pure religion , and the exercise of their pure consciences ; and this will the lord bring forth in his appointed time , according to his promise , that his people may rejoyce in him over all their oppressors and cruel task-masters , which do unjustly oppress the seed of god. and as concerning the maintaining of ministers , it is the same in nature , and as unjust and unequal , as upholding of worshipping-houses ; for though many , out of a good conscience , do deny to maintain a professed minister , by paying to him so much , or such a sum ; yet they do not hereby wrong him wilfully , contrary to right , in breaking any contract or covenant , formerly made with him by themselves , or predecessors ; nor they do not with-hold from him any thing , which properly belongs to him as debt , or due for his labour , by any covenant binding thereunto : only the most that can be said is , that such a sum or gift was formerly given out of that estate to a man belonging to such a parish , and therefore now is claim'd as due by custom of many generations practice , and so ought to be done , as the maintenance to that man because of his labour in his ministry . now to this i answer , what though it was formerly done , such a sum paid , and such a gift freely given by our ancestors , in the time of ignorance and darkness ; that practice of theirs then doth not bind any now to do the same , seeing no record can appear , that they bound themselves and their heirs for ever so to do ; and now hath the clear light of the gospel sprung forth , and the light of the day hath discovered all the works of ignorance ; and though the man that claims such a gift , or hire , as debt to him , because of his labour , let them pay him for whom he doth labour , and who do partake of his ministry and labour ; and let others be free , who for conscience sake cannot do it , who know his labour not deserving of wages , but to be deceit and abomination , and deceiving of souls ; and sees him to be a proud , covetous man , and an idle person , who maintains himself by the fruit of other mens labours , in the vanity of life , and without the fear of the lord , and this makes the thing a matter of conscience to many , that for no better use , nor to no other end they should pay their money ( which cannot be justly claimed , as a just debt , but as a gift at most ) to the upholding of such men , and such practises , which are not according , but contrary to god , in labour , life , and practice ; and to uphold and maintain a man as a minister of christ , which is not so , but the contrary , as by his fruits is made manifest , and that in ministry and worship , which is not the worship and ministry of the true god , but the contrary , as doth appear ; this many of the people of god cannot do , for a good conscience sake , except they should transgress the light of christ , and the law of god in their own hearts and consciences , and so bring themselves into condemnation by the lord. so let all men take notice hereof , that though the people of god do deny to pay any thing , to uphold and maintain such a worship , and such ministers , which are not the ministers of christ , nor the worship of the true god ; but rather gives their goods to the spoiler , and their bodies to the prison ; yet this is onely for the exercise of a good and pure conscience , and not out of wilfull wrong or injury ; and their sufferings are not as they are evil-doers , but as they are saints , for a good conscence sake , because they cannot be subject to the wills of unjust men , in upholding and maintaining such things against their consciences ; but are willing rather to suffer , then offend the lord , and their own consciences ; neither is there good reason nor equity in it , nor any part of a good conscience , that people by injustice should be compelled to maintain a minister , whom they know is not the minister of christ , by his fruits , and effects , and practises ; and so are forced against their own conscience to uphold a man in pride , in idleness , in covetousness , and in a vain and evil life , by unrighteous wages : now if their money was to maintain a man that 's poor , or if that man had not of his own sufficiently to preserve his wife and children from want , then it were a work of charity to give something , if it were every year , or oftner , to maintain him and his family ; and the people of god would not refuse to give something for this end ; no man should compel them , nor have cause to spoil their goods for it ; but as he professeth himself a minister of christ , and a labourer in the gospel , but is not so , but lives in pride , and the vanities of this world ; upon such an account they cannot maintain him , nor give him any thing at all , with a safe conscience ; neither is there any reason in it , that they should ; for they receive not his ministry , neither do hear him , neither do own him as a minister of christ , nor do not partake of his labours , nor do not set him on labouring ; and this is greatly unjust , that any man should pay , or be compelled to pay ( by force and oppression ) wages to a man , as his labourer , and as his servant , who doth not at all labour for him , or do him any service , neither doth the man partake of his works or labours , neither hath any benefit thereby , but rather loss and disadvantage because of his labours , which he doth for others , and not for him , nor by any order from him ; for he knows his labour to be nothing but vanity , and a cheat , and deceiving of people ; and for him to be compelled to maintain such a man , in such ill imployment against his conscience , this is unjust and unreasonable : and what man in the world would do it , or be compelled thereunto , without crying out of great oppression ; as to maintain a man with great wages , as his labourer , and servant who doth not labour for him , nor serve him , but labours against him as much as is possible ; and this is the very cause , between the priests of england in their maintenance , in claiming of it , and receiving of it , and the people of the lord , who do deny to maintain them , or confess any lawfull due they have to challenge any of them . and also it is a very shame to the people of this nation for whom such ministers do labour , who cannot maintain their own ministers themselves , who labours for them , and of whose labours they do partake , but others are compelled by injustice , to maintain them , who do not partake of any of their labours , nor set them to labour , but denies them and their labour on that account , and yet are forced to pay them wages ; and this is unjust and unreasonable , that men should be constrained by force to pay , other mens servants , which works and labours for other , and not for them ; and what man in the world having reason in him , would do it or be forced to do it , without complaining of heavy injustice , as to maintain another mans servant with wages , who works for others , and not for him , neither was hired by him , nor set on work , nor receives any benefit by him , but another hires him , and partakes of his labours , and yet he is compelled against all reason , and equity to give him his wages ; all will conclude this were unjust and not according to god , but against him ; and this is the very cause between the people of god , who cannot pay to maintain false teachers and the people of the nation , who hires such teachers and receives of their labours and teaching and yet compells others to give them wages , contrary to good reason and justice , and against the excercise of a pure conscience ; and above all the magistrates blindness and ignorance , and the unjustness and wickedness of some of them doth appear , to their shame , by whose authority these things are done , reaching out their power in those things , further than they have received power from god , and abusing the law and just government , and subverting it to another end then wherefore god hath ordained it ; for the magistrates power and authority , is not to be laid on mens consciences to oppress and imbondage the tender consciences of the lords people ; in forcing things to be done contrary to good reason , and against a good conscience ; and by these things is the land filled with violence and oppression , and the innocent and just do deeply groan ; till the lord arise to plead their cause , and to bring deliverance unto them , through the destruction of all their enemies ; and he will break down all the bonds of cruelty and oppression , and will take away every yoak that doth burden and oppress the upright , that his people may be a free people , from all unjust men ; and the people of the lord do claim this as their priviledge , belonging to them by the just laws of god and men , to worship god in spirit and in truth , and to uphold and maintain that worship onely , without being compelled by force to maintain any other whatsoever , and they claim as right unto them to maintain what ministers , and uphold what ministry , as they know is sent of god , by which people are profited , and which they have received the knowledge of god through , by his spirit , and to be free to maintain how , and as the lord leads them unto , without being forced by any law , or unequall authority , to maintain the false prophets and hirelings , and deceivers , who live in pride and excess , through the oppression of the poor and innocent , and such ( as ministers of the gospel of christ , ) the people of the lord cannot maintain , but rather give themselves to suffer heavy and cruel things by unjust and wicked men , who violates the just laws of god and man ; and the suffering is for a good conscience sake , and for righteousness sake , and not for any wrong or evil-doing , and for a testimony that they are of god , and for a witness against their enemies , that they are of the devil ; who do his works , and these make war against the saints , and the lamb , and the beast seeks to kill all that will not worship him ; for he hath been great in the earth , and his seat upon nations , and who have been able to make war against him , for many generations ? again there is another suffering great and grievous which is unjustly laid upon the people of god , which suffering is not for evil-doing , but for a good conscience sakes as is manifest ; as because many are moved of the lord by his spirit , to go into the steeple-houses , and meeting-places , or other places to reprove sin , and among people , or to exhort them unto good , and to follow christ , and to deny the wickedness of this world , or such like , as they are moved , some are moved to reprove a hireling teacher , who deceives the people , and walks in the steps of the false prophets , and lives in pride and vainty and evil , contrary to the doctrine and practise of christ and the apostles ; and this practise of the servants of the lord in reproving evil , and exhorting to good , is called a disturbance of the peace , and an unlawfull practice , and such like , it is falsly judged by unjust men , who know not the spirit of the lord , nor the moving thereof ; and because of this , many innocent men are caused deeply to suffer , contrary to a good conscience ; and some are sent to the house of correction , there suffering cruel things from hard-hearted men ; and some are put in the stocks , and whipped , and others fined , and cast into prison ; and such like sufferings are unjustly imposed upon them , and not for evil-doing , as i have said ; for though they reprove sin in teachers , or in people , or exhort them to good , whether in steeple-houses , markets , or other places ; yet they do not hereby wrong any mans person or estate ; neither is this any matter of wilfull wrong , or to such an intent , neither doth it disturb the peace , nor is any unlawfull practice ; but onely out of a good conscience to god and man is it done ; and it is a matter of conscience to the servants of the lord to do so , and they cannot leave it undone , lest they would transgress the law of god in their own consciences ; because they are commanded of god so to do , that people may be instructed in the right way to god , and be converted out of every false way ; and this is the very end of their work , and their intent in doing it ; and they ought not in justice to suffer for it , for it is according to the law of god , and in reason and a good conscience , and the lord justifies them in it ; then that law and judgment must needs be corrupt and unjust , which condemns the people and servants of the lord , as for evil-doers , for obeying the commands of god , and for the exercise of their pure consciences , and no mans person or estate being wronged , or injured , but onely sin and wickedness reproved , and exhorted from : and hereby thus is the law perverted , and true judgment turned backward , and the guiltless is condemned guilty , and the guilty is set free ; and the obeying the commands of god , and the exercise of a good conscience is unjustly judged a transgression ; and this is a shame , and will be great condemnation to such , in the day of the lord , by whose authority this is done ; even that the exercise of a good conscience , even reproving of sin and exhorting unto that which is good , to follow that , and to forsake all evil , should be judged and punished as a hainous transgression in a nation and common-wealth professing christianity and pure religion ; and this makes the sin much more great and unpardonable , because the practise and faithfull excercise in chistianity , and in the pure and true religion is adjudged transgression , and condemned by such who profess the same thing in words , and yet persecute , and punish the exercise of it in others ; and this shews them unjust judges , and hypocrites , who cause the servants of the lord to suffer , for the practice of that which themselves profess in words , to wit , religion and christianity ; for i affirm , against all opposers whatsoever , that it is a practice in religion , according to the scriptures , to go into the steeple-houses , meeting-places , markets , high-wayes , or other places , and reprove sin and wickedness , and cry against evil in priests and people , and exhort to good , and to forsake evil , and therefore it ought not to be prosecuted and punished , but defended and maintained , by the just government of a common-wealth , and by just laws and magistrates ; for this the lord requireth , that justice and truth , and true judgement be exalted , and the innocent and unright defended , in all their wayes of a good conscience , and that evil-doers , and sinners , and transgressors , be condemned , and righteously judged . also many of the servants of the lord do deeply suffer , and is deeply afflicted by injustice , for the exercise of a good conscience in other things , as because they cannot put off their hats and bow in respect to mens persons , according to the vain customs of the heathen ; and because they cannot swear upon a book , by kissing it , and laying the hand upon it , according to the idolatrous form , and for such like causes , because many cannot fulfil the lusts and wills of men , that live in pride and evil wayes , in these and other things , therefore are the people of god put to great sufferings , though they deny not the honour due to all men in the lord , without bowing the hat , nor to affirm the truth in every cause , in faithfulness without an oath ; now to keep on the hat , which is a cover for the head , to keep from cold or heat , for healths sake , before any man whatsoever , though never so great or noble , is not any wrong or injury to the mans person or estate before whom it is done , but onely the high minde and the proud nature , and that which is exalted above the fear of god , which would be lord over his fellow creatures , that same is offended and troubled , which bears not the image of god , but of the devil , as hamman was , and would be bowed to , and had in honour , and respected , because of knowledge or parts , and proud gestures or apparel ; and the children of the lord cannot do it , nor give honour to him , nor be subject , and pleasing to that man , who is of that spirit and of that nature which is not of god , but exalted in pride , and vain-glory above the fear of god , and against him , and would be worshipped , and had in honour and reverenced of his fellow-creatures , who hath not so much riches in this world as he , nor is so proud in apparel as he ; and because of that he looks to be bowed unto with hat or knee , and is offended if he be not , and then in his pride he rages and is vexed , and seeks revenge against such as cannot honour him , and respect him in his pride and vain-glory ; but as i said this is not done as a matter of wrong unto any , though the hat be not bowed or put off , but it is a matter of conscience unto the people of god , and for a good conscience sake they do deny , and may not give obedience , and honour , and respect , out of the fear of god , to proud flesh , and to men which is not in the fear of god , which expects reverence out of the lord , and they know it is nothing else that is offended but proud flesh , and an exalted mind , and a man that fears not god , neither walks in his ways ; i say , it is nothing else , nor any besides , that is offended or troubled , because the hat is not put off and bowed , and the people of god are not careful to please or offend that in men , and men as such , for they know nothing of god ; nor any man that truly fears god will be offended at the want of a hat bowed to him , and thus it is a matter of conscience unto many , and for a good conscience sake they do deny to honour and subject themselves by obedience to any man , as he is a man out of the fear of god , and in the glory of the vain world , expecting reverence out of the fear of god , and contrary to his law , which forbids the respect to persons , and all honour which is not according to god ; for who doth fear to offend a man , as a man without the fear of god , and doth obey and honour any man , by putting off the hat before him , or otherwise , and not onely in the lord ; such are servants to the wicked one , and not unto god ; who fears the wrath of the wicked , and subjects in honour to please the wicked by putting off , and bowing the hat and such like ; and such knows not the excercise of a pure conscience to god ; so this is a matter of conscience to deny to honour , and to please wicked men , as such , by bowing the hat , and no man in justice ought to be made to suffer because o● it , for the law of god justifies it , and that law and judgement is corrupt , and perverted , which condemns it . and likewise though many deny to swear at all , though not to testifie the truth ; yet they do not wilfully wrong hereby to any mans person or estate , but it is a matter of conscience unto them , and with a good conscience they cannot swear , but do deny it upon all conditions , because christ hath commanded not to swear at all , and the apostle doth exhort , above all things , not to swear ; and therefore it is a matter of conscience unto many , and not a matter of purposed wrong towards any man , and though here it may be objected ; but for want of an oath , a just man may loose his just cause ; because judgment depends upon witness by oath : to that i answer , that is because , the law is not according to christ , by which the judgment comes , but is unjustly grounded upon the breach of christs command , viz. swearing ; and whether ought the man to be blamed or condemned as a transgressor , who keeps christ's command , and cannot swear at all upon any tearms , or whether that law ought not to be corrected and regulated to be according to the law of christ , and all that which is contrary in the execution thereof to be condemned and removed , that a just man's witness may be given and taken upon occasion , without an oath ; and his just cause may go on against his enemies , by just judgment , grounded upon the naked truth , in plainness testified without swearing , this is to be considered ; and though it be again obiected , but many , say some , makes more conscience and are more afraid to testify falsly upon oath , then upon bare words without an oath ; so to have the truth known wholly , that is the end of the oath ; to this i answer , a man that truly and uprightly fears god , will be as much afraid and make as much conscience of speaking falsly , as of swearing falsly ; and out of a good conscience will testifie as truly , as if he swore : and for others , who fears to swear falsly , and doth not so much fear to speak falsly without oath , this is because there is a greater punishment to such , and it is accounted a greater offence among men , to swear falsly , then to speak falsly , and for the correcting of that , the punishment and offence should be changed , and such as testify falsly without oath , may be accounted offenders and punished , as such who swears falsly , and this will bind the wicked in a sufficient fear , and cause them to be afraid , of testifying falsly , even as much as of swearing falsly , if the testimony in causes among men , of such evil persons who cannot make conscience of lying , nor speak the truth without swearing , it ought the rather to be had , and to be done , by binding by a law , and punishing , if he testifie a lye , then by causing him to continue in the breach of christs command ; but however , still i say , such who out of a good and tender conscience , do deny to swear , ought not to be persecuted and punished as great offenders ; for while this is done , the law and good government is perverted , and authority is greatly abused , to another end then wherefore it was ordained of god , and that law and authority must needs be unjust which oppresseth , or punisheth the excercise of a good conscience , as for evill doing ; and this shews the blindness and ignorance of men in authority to whom the law is committed who discerns not , neither makes a difference betwixt things done in the fear of god , and in the excercise of a good conscience towards him , and things done out of an evil minde to evil inte●ts , purposely and wilfully to do wrong and injury to mens persons and estates ; for all magistrates ought to learn this , and to distinguish , that their power and authority may justifie the one , and condemn the other , that true justice and sound judgement , may spring forth in the earth , and in the nations , that all the upright and well-doers may rejoyce , and live in rest and peace , and all the workers of iniquity , and such as do evil may be afraid , and fear to offend just men , and just laws ; and thus would the name of the lord be great in the earth among men ; and such a government renowned for ever , and such magistrates would be a praise to generations after them , and a blessed example to ages to come ; but now some may say , and object ; how shall this be known ? and who can tell and discern of such causes , and who it is that do their works , out of the exercise of a good conscience , and who do their deeds out of an evil minde , and to an evil intent , and so is wrong dealing , and worthy of punishment ? this is a doubtful cause may some say , and difficult to be known and understood : but to this i answer , and say , to all such as have the spirit of the father , and are led thereby , and in their judgement guided therewith , this is an easie thing to discern , and an easie matter to know and find out ; and such as cannot discern and distingush in such matters have not the spirit of god , nor the spirit of true and sound judgment ; neither is indeed ordained of god , nor fit to judge the people , nor the honour of a ruler and judge belongs not to such a one who cannot find out a matter , nor know and judge between the precious and the vile , how to justifie the one , and how to condemn the other ; and indeed , this is the reason and cause of so much injustice and oppression brought forth at this day ; because the spirit of sound judgment is wanting , and such as are set to judge hath it not , to try , and discern , and give judgment by it ; and therefore light is put for darkness , and darkness for light ; and good is called evil , and evil good , and true justice and judgment is perverted and turned backward , and the guiltless is condemned guilty . but , i say , if the work be done by a man , out of a good conscience , and as a matter of conscience , then he doth it in the fear of god , and in the cross to his own will , and in meekness and tenderness of heart , not seeking himself in what he doth , but is willing to suffer for the truth sake , and for what he doth , and will not resist evil , or the false judgments of men ; but patiently , and quietly bears all things , for the lords sake ; and in all what . he doth or suffers , he gives the glory to the lord , who works his works in him , and gives him strength and patience willing to suffer for them : but again , i do answer , by men that have the spirit of sound judgment to rule and guide them , this cause is easie to be discerned , and the difference may be known , betwixt a thing done out of a good conscience , and for a good conscience sake , and a thing done out of an evil mind and purpose , and to an evil end , to the wrong and injury of another ; for the ground from whence the works do proceed , are contrary , and the spirit by which the works are wrought are contrary , and the purpose and end to which they are wrought are contrary , and the spirit of god , and of sound judgment may , and doth put a difference betwixt the ground , acting , and end of all works ; for it is the ground from whence all works do spring , and the end unto which they are brought forth , that makes all mens works good or evil , to be justified , or to be condemned ; and where the measure of the spirit and power of god is the ground of , and leader in a work , that work , as i have said , is done in the fear of the lord , and in uprightness of heart , and in love and tenderness , and meekness and patience , without seeking or exalting self ; but the glory of the lord is only sought by that man in all such his works . but on the contrary , where an evil heart and mind brings forth works to an evil end , and to the wrong of others , such works are maliciously and wilfully , and enviously , and peevishly done , in forwardness , and headiness , and not in the fear of god , nor in uprightness of heart ; but with a double mind , and in secret , or without the counsel of god , seeking himself in his works , and not the lord , and such works are wicked , and wrought by wicked men , who transgresseth both the law of god and of men , and must receive according to their deeds ; and the law that is equal must pass upon them , which the light of christ in their own consciences may answer to , when they are condemned for their ungodly works ; against which light they act , and that is the reason and cause , wherefore their works are evil , and to be condemned by the law ; for who acteth according to the light of christ , and is led thereby , fulfilleth the law , or it is fulfilled in him ; and his works are wrought in god , and are the testimony unto men , that he is of a good conscience , and for a good conscience sake his works are done , and such men and works are not to be condemned , but justified : and this is for instruction to all them that bear rule , who are magistrates , and governours , and judges of the people , that they may now be wife , and learn wisdom , how to judge righteously and justly among people , that they may fulfil the will of god in what he hath called them unto , even that they may cherish , and defend , and strengthen such as do well , and all whose pure consciences are purely exercised , may live in peace and rest under such a government ; and all evil-doers may be bound , limitted , and judged , and may stand in awe , and be afraid ; and thus justice and true judgment would be advanced , and equity would run down as a mighty stream , and the nation would be blessed , and yeild content and satisfaction to her inhabitants ; and hereby might the rulers and judges gain unto themselves a good report , and an honour and renown would the lord crown them withal in generations to come . wherefore , all ye rulers , and ye that are set to judge the people , be now awakened to just judgment , and to a sound discerning , and put on the spirit of true judgment , even the spirit of the lord , that you may receive it , to be taught in all things , how to walk with god , that you may answer his call , and the end of your authority , in judging justly all sorts of men , rendring to every man according to his deeds ; even condemnation and judgment to evil-doers , and a praise and defence to all that do well . and this is written in love to you all , shewing you how to put a difference betwixt the precious and the vile ; between the just and unjust , that you may be the more happy , if this you observe ; not leaving your names a reproach , and a scorn to after ages , which is the effect which doth follow all such as pervert justice , and turns true judgment backward , with misery and destruction upon themselves and posterity for evermore . a true and faithful exposition of some part of the laws of england . all ye magistrates , justices of the peace , mayors , and all other ministers of the law , and all ye to whomsoever the law is committed , i warn you all to take heed to your selves , that ye fulfil the will of the lord , in judging righteously and executing true justice and judgment : and let not envy , nor false suspitions , nor jealousies have any place in you ; but with a single eye try all things , and with an upright heart judge for god , and not for man : and beware of causing the innocent to suffer , whose consciences are exercised towards god , though they be contrary to the world in their wayes and judgments ; for if you cause such to suffer , you do not execute true judgment , but subvert the law ; and the lord will require that suffering of his people at your hands . now consider , the law was not made for a righteous man , but for transgressors , such whose consciences are not exercisd towards god ; and such your sword is to be laid upon ; to be a terror to them , and not to the innocent ; for they should have praise that do well : and you must take heed lest you abuse your power to another end then wherefore god hath ordained it ; for the law was added because of transgression , to slay the transgressor ; and that is the end of the law. now you must take heed of causing any to suffer upon bare suspition , or evil jealousies , when as no transgression is truly charged , nor justly proved against them before you : and you are not to be both accusers and judges of any one , in any cause . you have a late act for the taking up , and punishing of idle , l●●se and dissolute persons ; such as are vagrants , and wandering rogues , vagabonds and sturdy beggars : now this law is good , if it be duly and justly executed upon such as are truly guilty herein ; and it is right that sturdy beggars , and rogues , and idle and disorderly persons , should be taken up from wandering , and set on work in some good imployment in the creation , which may maintain themselves , and prevent them from worse things : but now you must take heed of judging any to be such , who are not really so ; for , many of the servants of the lord now , as it was in generations past , are moved to leave their own country , and dwellings , and relations ; and go abroad in the nations , to preach the gospel of christ , and to bear witness of his name in the world ; to the turning of people from the wayes of sin and death , to the way of righteousness and truth : and it may be such cannot give you an account , or sufficient cause of their travelling abroad ( so as to satisfie you ) for that is lawful in the sight of god , which you may not judge to be so ; for god's wayes are not man's wayes , neither are his thoughts as man's thoughts : therefore , i say unto you , if you cause any such of the servants of the lord to suffer by that law , you abuse your power , and subvert the law ; for such are not vagabonds , nor idle dissolute persons , nor rogues , nor sturdy beggars ; no more than christ was , who had no where to lay his head ; and the prophets and apostles were , some of which had no certain dwelling place , but left their countries , and relations , and wandred up and down the world , from town to town , and from one country to another , even as the servants of the lord do by the same spirit , at this day , who can no more be truly judged for vagabonds , and rogues , &c. than christ and his apostles could be , who were a perfect example to us in these things ; for it is a lawful occasion , in the sight of god , whatever you judge of it , to travel up and down ( not being burthen some , or chargeable to any ) to beat witness for the name of the lord , and against all sin and iniquity , that people may be reformed , and instructed in the right way ; therefore you must make a special distinction in your judgement , between such as are rogues , and idle and dissolute persons , who are hurtful to the creation , and such as are innocent and harmless , and not of evil behaviour , ( though you may through prejudice otherwise judge of them ) this is to inform you herein , that your judgments may be according to god , and not according to man , neither with respect of persons . also you have another late act for the observation of the lord's-day , wherein is inserted , that none shall wilfully , maliciously , or of purpose disturb , or disquiet the publick preacher , or to make any publick disturbance in the congregation . now the law is good , and it is right that all such be punished , who do malitiously , wilfully , or of an evil purpose disturb or disquiet any man , or people , to the danger of breach of publick peace ; and let all such be punished according to their desert : but yet you must take heed in this cause ; for many of the servants of the lord are , and may be moved by the power of the lord to come into a congregation , or an assembly of people to declare against sin and iniquity , and the wayes of wickedness in people ; or to ask a question soberly of the teacher , or to instruct people to edification in the way of the lord , or such like may they do , as they are moved , ●nd yet not maliciously , nor wilfully , nor of wicked purpose ; for it was the apostles practice , and the practice of the saints , to go in the synagogues and meeting-places , and to dispute with the teachers on the sabbath-days , and sometimes they spoke to the people by way of exhortation , and the people bid them speak on ; and yet these were not disturbers of the assembly , neither were they malicious men , or wilful , neither did they these things to any evil purpose ; and it was the practise of the saints , that all may speak one by one in the church , when they were assembled together ; and this is the practise of the servants of the lord now ; and yet they cannot justly be condemned by your law , though they come into your assembly , as they are moved of the lord , to object , or reprove , or exhort ; for they do it not in malice towards any , but in love towards all , and they can no more justly be condemned than the apostles , and saints in the primitive times , who were unto us a just example in these practises , as you may read in the scripture ; and you may as justly condemn them , as us , who are guided by the same spirit in the same things ; therefore you have need to take heed of condemning the innocent by a law , lest you bring innocent blood upon you ; and you must make a perfect difference between such as comes among you , wilfully and maliciously , and on evil purpose to disturb , and molest any man , or congregation , and such who comes in the name and fear of the lord , who are moved of him , contrary to their own wills , an●●h love to all people ; and in these causes you have need of discerning and sound judgement , lest you condemn the guiltless , and abuse your power , and subvert the law , and so bring condemnation upon your selves ; and as you will answer it before the lord in his dreadfull day , cause not any to suffer through your envy , and surmizings , or false suspition , through over-reaching the words of the law to a wrong sense , and to a wrong end . also it is inserted in the same act against many evil things , 〈◊〉 drinking in taverns , inns , ale-houses , strong-water-houses , or to tipple unnecessarily , or any other house , &c. and also against travelling , and walking on that day vainly and prophanely , &c. now the law is good , that evil exercise be prevented , and prophaneness in every respect on that day , and on every day , and that such be punished that are found in any evil exercise whatsoever ; but yet you must take heed that none of the innocent suffer hereby ; for many of the people of god may , and do travel on that day to meet together to worship god , and to wait upon him , to find his presence , and to receive of his refreshments to their souls ; but this cannot be judged an evil practise , or prophane travelling , or breach of the sabbath ; for we read of a sabbath-days journey , acts . and . where some of the servants of the lord returned from ierusalem to mount olivet , which is a sabbath-dayes journey , so that such , who now travels to wait upon the lord on that day , though it be several miles to , and from the place of meeting , cannot justly be judged to be sabbath-breakers , no more than the apostles , who travelled a sabbath-days journey in obedience to the lord to wait upon him ; so that you must take heed , and make a noted distinction betwixt such who travel on a profane , and an evil exercise , or about the affairs of this world , and such who travel on a good exercise to wait upon the lord , and to serve him ; for the law it self excepts such from being taken up , or judged sabbath-breakers : so take heed that you subvert not the law , and abuse your power through false judgement , through your own envy , and so you smite the guiltless , and brings destruction upon your selves ; for herein we own the law of god to walk by , and the apostles for an example , though we may suffer unjustly by you . also there is a late act , for discovering and repressing of popish recusants , by presenting to such as are popish , or popishly affected , an oath , as is therein described , to renounce the pope's authority , and to deny all his doctrines ; and to testifie against the authority of the church of rome , and against any licence given , thereby to bear arms , or raise tumults ; or by violence to hurt the chief magistrate , or government of these nations , &c. and such as deny the taking of that oath , are to be adjudged popish recusants , and to be proceeded against accordingly . now that law is good , that such , who are adherent to the pope , and by his authority would raise armies and tumults , and offer violence to the hurt of the chief magistrate , or government , or people of these nations , &c. as it is signified in the said oath , should be discovered and repressed : but yet you must take heed , and wait for sound judgment in the prosecution of the same : for all are not to be condemned that cannot swear , or take an oath ; for many of the servants of the lord , who are followers of christ , cannot swear for conscience sake , because christ hath commanded , not to swear at all ; though such do deny the pope , and all his authority and doctrines , and whatsoever else is signified in that oath , who cannot justly be suspected to be any way adherent to the pope in doctrines or practices , except through wicked envy you seek occasion against them thereby ; and you abuse your power , and subvert the law , if you judge such to be popish recusants , because they will not swear , because they cannot for conscience sake ; but walk in christ's doctrine , who commanded not to swear ; and follow the apostle's example , who said , above all things , my brethren , swear not at all , and such cannot justly be suspected or judged for popish recusants , who are followers of christ , and keep his commands . therefore you must be considerate , and search deep into those things that are thus weighty , lest you cause the guiltless to suffer , and thereby vex the lord against your selves : and you must make a special difference betwixt such as will not swear , because they are guilty ; and such as cannot swear for conscience sake , though they are not guilty , but clear and free in the sight of the lord of such things , as may be falsly suspected and charged against them by envious men , which may watch for evil , and give information against the people of god unto you : but let your eye be single in all these things , that you may save your selves from wrath and condemnation , which will be a reward of all such , who subvert good laws to a wrong end , and seek to cover themselves in their persecution of the innocent by making the law a cloak ; but such coverings will not hide in the day of the lord. and my friends , in the execution of these , and other laws , let the fear of god guide you , and true judgment and sound discerning , that you may try into the nature and ground of every thing , and may not judge only by outward appearance , but judge righteous judgment . and this is a great transgression in the sight of the lord at this day , even the false execution of good laws , and the subversion of them to wrong ends and uses by some wicked men , who are in authority , to whom the law is committed : and this we know by experience , be the law never so just and good , yet if the executioners of the law be unjust and unrighteous , true justice and judgment is turn'd backward , and for want thereof the harmless and innocent daily suffer ; which kindleth and encreaseth the fierce anger of the lord against these nations . and likewise , all you that are in power and authority , you ought not to command any thing of any man , which the law gives you no power to command ; for , doing so , you make your selves transgressors ; as for instance , you have no power by any law to command men to put off their hats , when they come before you ; neither by any law can you justly punish them , if they do it not : neither can you justly punish such by any law , who deny to swear , because for conscience sake they cannot : but what hath been inflicted upon some in such cases , hath been by will and malice , and not by any law ; and the lord doth account such things against the wicked , who cause such sufferings . and of these things i have given you warning , and it is in perfect love unto you all , as to inform you truly , lest you cause the innocent to suffer . i am a real friend to the common-wealth , and a lover of iustice and true iudgment , and fully affected towards iust government , and wish well to magistrates , e. b. the th moneth , . an epistle to go abroad among friends in westmorland and cumberland , and elswhere among the flock of god. friends , my love and life , which is not of this world , but which is in the living god doth reach unto , and salute all you that are in the light of life , and in the truth it self , which changeth not , which endureth for ever , which we receive of god the everlasting father , through the gospel , which came unto us in the demonstration of the spirit , and of power , to the changing of us from death , which reigned over us , to life , in which we have power over death , and to the turning of us from the power of satan , wherein we were held , unto the power of the living god , wherein we became fruitful , and a good savour unto him through nations . dearly beloved , in the same truth be faithful unto death , in that which cannot sin , nor be overcome of the tempter , which satan hath nothing in , wherein only our fellowship and union standeth one with another , as we abide in the living vine christ jesus the light of the world , in which you have believed unto eternal life , and have entered into the rest which is prepared ; as you continue therein , you cannot be moved or shaken , but are as mount-sion , established in the power , and life , and wisdom of the everlasting god , which condemns darkness , and all its works , and gives dominion and rule over all the powers of death and hell , which worketh in the children of disobedience , who know not god , nor receive the truth , much more in them who turns from the light and knowledge of the truth , into the liberty of the flesh , to serve sin , having made shipwrack of fear , and of faith and a good conscience , who shall bear their own shame and condemnation in the sight of god & man , and shall have no part with us in the inheritance of peace and righteousness ; but the later end of such is worse then the beginning : wherefore you that are in the covenant of peace , where sin is not remembred , nor committed , nor the unclean thing touched , dwell and abide in the life of god , and in his strength , which reigns over all the world , with its temptations , and over all false brethren , and over all deceitful workers , whose eye becometh darkned , and heart hardned through the deceitfulness of sin , turning the grace of god into wantonness , and giving liberty to the unclean thing , which is accursed , and joyned to the harlot , and become one flesh ; but in the counsel of the lord god walk before him , and keep your selves pure and undefiled , and partake not of the deeds of the wicked , neither give place to the devil , to be perverted by him from the truth of the living god , which is truth in it self for ever , though the backsliders despise the way of it ; and every one abide in your own , and know a measure of the strength of christ jesus in you , to defend you from the enemy , who seeks to beguile and to devour , and to divert from the perfect way of life and peace ; and dwell in your own measure of the grace of god , which is perfect , which is sufficient to teach , and lead and preserve in all the wayes of god , which the unclean cannot walk in ; but he that keepeth you , reproveth , and condemneth , and casteth out the devil , and all his works and workers , who abide not in christ jesus , nor in the truth , wherein we worship the father , who are called of him , and faithful and chosen followers of the lamb , who taketh away our sin , and giveth power over it , and overthe tempter , who seeketh to betray the just one. and from the eternal god i warn you , every one know a hiding-place in god ; the day of great shaking cometh upon the garden of god ; the beast that had a wound by a sword , whose deadly wound is healed , may live , and power may he given him for a moment , to make war against the lamb and his followers ; and satan may prevail to winnow you , and to try you for your life ; therefore be armed with the whole armour of light , which manifesteth the mystery of iniquity , and the working of spiritual wickednesses in high places , and which defendeth you from his power , out of the snare of the devil , in the simplicity , as it is in christ jesus , who is our rock and our strength , by which we overcome the fiery darts of the enemy , which come against us ; and dwell in the truth , that you may know the life which standeth in god , with whom there is no shaddow of turning , but is the same forever , and keepeth covenant with his own elect , which cannot be overcome of the devil , nor deceived ; in whom , you abiding , you cannot sin , but are kept from being touched with the wicked one in the way , and in the truth , and in the peace of god , lively and precious in his sight , to serve him in fear and faithfulness . and if any go out from the light , the living way , they become as withered branches , to be cut off from the body , no more to have fellowship in the body , but is reprov'd and judg'd with that which keeps us in the body . and though some go from the lord , yet his faithfulness endureth forever , and his promise is yea and amen to his own seed , which keep covenant with him , and fulfil his law of righteousness and judgment ; and he that breaketh covenant let him be condemned , that the creature may be saved in the day of the lord ; for who draws back , such god's soul hath no pleasure in them , but is oppressed with that , and his soul vexed : therefore all walk in god's wisdom , which is pure and peaceable ; and let not the name of our god be spoken against through any of you , who have been partakers of the word of truth , through any disobedience or ungodly walking ; but rather deny your own liberty , then make it an occasion to the flesh , wherein satan's strength stands ; and so god's blessing you will receive , and his nurishment unto your souls , and will be preserved in faithfulness , not to end in the flesh , you that have begun in the spirit . and this in pure love towards you all , as a testimony of my love to the seed of god in you all , was i moved to write ; as seeing in the light the day that cometh upon you , of which some may not be aware ; and i am clear thus far of the charge committed to me of god towards you , and am in the truth it self , which cannot change , and am in it your friend in the service of the lord god , e. b. this is to go abroad among all friends in westmorland and cumberland , and elsewhere among the flock of god , carefully to be copied over , and read in your meetings . a second general epistle to all the saints . a servant of the lord and minister of jesus christ , thereunto ordain'd and call'd through the powerful operation and gift of the holy ghost , unto all his brethren in the same life , who are born of god , and witnesses of his power ; and unto all the saints and churches of christ , who have believ'd and receiv'd the sure and faithful testimony , and are call'd with the heavenly call , to follow the lamb whithersoever he goes ; who is given to you , and received of you , a light , a guide , and a teacher in all the wayes of god : unto you all that are scatter'd abroad in the world , whether in bonds or at liberty , whether strong men or children in christ ; unto you all i send greeting ; and above all things wish , and desire and pray unto the father , for your increase in the knowledge of him , and faithfulness in all his wayes , and that the increase of his government may abound among you ; and that grace , mercy and peace may plentifully be enlarged , that nothing may be lacking to you in any thing of that which maketh perfect ; but that in christ jesus you may be compleat , and that through him you may receive power , and thereby be strengthned to do all things . my dearly beloved , and much longed for , in the fellowship of that spirit which hath begotten you to be sons and daughters of one father , and heirs and fellow-members of that inheritance of life , peace and rest , which abideth forever . oh , how i long to meet you all in this , and to find you perfectly settled and established upon the sure foundation , which god hath laid amongst you , beyond all doubts , and fears and stumblings , above the world and all its temptations , and above hell and death , and all the wayes thereof , having all the powers of darkness subjected under you , serving the lord in righteous and perfect holiness , walking in his strength and wisdom , shewing forth his light in the world , as his only redeem'd people . oh , how is my desire more and more kindled and enlarged towards you all , that you may perfectly attain to the knowledge of the great mystery of salvation , to wit , god dwelling in you ! i say , my desire is , that you may know even as you are known , and that you may receive him as you are received of him ; and that you may be a perfect body , growing up together , and springing forth in all good fruits , of truth and righteousness unto the father , who is glorify'd through bringing forth much fruit : and you very well know , that for this end he hath call'd you , and in this his appointed day caused his glory to shine forth , and hath visited and brought us to the knowledge of the hidden mystery of eternal salvation , which mystery hath been seal'd up for many ages , and is kept secret forever , from the wisdom of this world ; but unto us , that have believ'd in the light of the world , are they clearly discover'd , as at noon-day ; being reveal'd to us by the spirit which worketh in us the will and mind of the father , and is powerful and mighty , and subdueth and breaketh down the hardness of hearts , and through the working thereof every high thought is brought into subjection to jesus : and this same spirit quickeneth and maketh alive to god , and changeth and reneweth into his image and likeness , and it raiseth up from under the bondage of corruption , to live to god in all things in newness of life , old things being done away , and all things being made new through the working thereof ; and in this same spirit is the father alone worshipped , and by it god is known ; and his promise is fulfilled , it witnessing in all things unto the father , and is the earnest of the inheritance which fadeth not away ; and by it know we the deep things of god , which the world by wisdom knoweth not ; and thereby are we seal'd and bound up in covenant with the father : this is known to you that are children of the light , and hereof you have the witness in your selves , and of god you are approved , and not of men . and all ye my brethren , who are call'd into the work and ministry of the gospel , unto whom the word of the lord is come , and the gospel of christ to you committed ; dwell in the life of god , and feel his power and authority , and live in the same life of which you minister to others , that you may bring people to god , and may effectually turn them from the dominion of sin unto the dominion of christ jesus , people may be guided out of darkness in the marvellous light. cry aloud , spare not , proclaim the mighty day of the lord in all the earth ; and fear ye not , neither be ye dismay'd at the face of any man , but be bold and valiant for the truth upon earth , and give your testimony as you have receiv'd from god ; and preach christ jesus the light of the world unto all people , that they may receive him , and be converted , and live : for blindness and darkness hath cover'd the whole earth , and all have gone astray from the lord , as sheep without a shepherd : therefore awake ye them that sleep , and cause the deaf to hear , and the dead to rise , that such as have been stray'd may be gather'd ; for this is the fulness of time , he is now seeking his sheep that have been lost , and bringing them home that have been stray'd ; and you , as instruments in the lord's hand , hath he chosen into this work : therefore get on the strength of the lord , and preach the gospel of peace , even the power of god , that sinners may be converted , and the wounded healed , and the weak may be strengthned , and they that are ready to dye may be restored to life and salvation : this is the work of the lord , whereunto you are called ; therefore all who unto it are called , be faithful unto the end , and not only by word , but by life and conversation also , hold forth the way of life : for you must feel that in your selves , of which you minister to others ; and you must hold forth the life , the same which you minister in words ; and thereby shall you be made manifest to that of god in all people , and god's testimony shall answer for you : and see that in all things you divide god's word aright , not crying peace to the wicked , nor healing up the wound falsly ; but that true judgment in all things may be brought forth by you to all people ; judgment to the fat , and bread to the hungry ; they that are naked must be clothed , and they that are falsly covered must be made bare . improve the gift which god hath given you , to him only , and not unto your selves : be not hasty to utter words before the lord , but wait for power from on high , that the way of god unto salvation may be faithfully and truly held forth by you unto all people : and faint not , though your burdens and tryals be many , but bare all things patiently : love not your lives unto death , that the good work of the lord may be accomplished , which he hath begun by us , and made prosperous and powerful in our hands unto this very day ; you have the witness ( of this : ) our cause is good ; we seek truth and righteousness , that it may be established in the earth , and people may be brought unto god ; unto this god hath called us , and hath owned us in it , and will never forsake us ; for the work is his , and the power is his , and whatsoever he will , he bringeth to pass ; and therefore why should we doubt , or be weary ? for we shall see the travel of our souls ; the scattered shall be gathered , and a remnant of the seed shall be brought in , which is scatter'd in every nation , as dry bones , unable to live : how shall we hide that treasure which god hath given us , from them that perish for want thereof ? or , how shall we rest satisfied till the scatter'd sheep be brought home to the fold ? our hearts are troubled to see so many thousands walking in thick darkness , and to see the seed of israel devoured by the destroyer . therefore , my brethren , let us put on strength , the lord is with us ; let us make war in righteousness for the lord , against all the powers of darkness ; let us continually be armed to do and to suffer all things for the name of the lord , that people may be instructed in the right way : we know no man can have power over us , but what is given them from above , and all that which comes to pass against us is not worthy to be compared with the crown of glory , and that inheritance of which we have already received the earnest , and sealed with the spirit of promise , and the fathers name is written upon us ; therefore in all things unto which he hath called you , be faithful and obedient , that his work may be accomplished . and all ye children and babes in christ , that are begotten of god , and are thirsting and seeking after him in truth and righteousness , he whom ye seek is coming to raign amongst you , and his dominion shall be set up and enlarged , and the desire of your hearts shall be fulfilled ; righteousness and truth shall meet in one , and judgment and mercy shall be exalted . wait upon the lord , and feel his power and his presence continually , that you may grow as plants of righteousness , and may partake of the heir-ship with christ , being crucified to the world , and become dead to all its wayes , and no more you to live , but christ to live in you ; through the light which he hath lightned you withall , hath he given you an entrance into the inheritance of the father : and as you walk in the light , you grow into fellowship with the father , and with the son. abiding in the son you cannot sin ; for he keeps you from the wicked one , and he hath no power over you that abide in christ , who is the power of god , which is the salvation of all that believe , and a condemnation of all that believe not : therefore all you that are convinced everywhere , hearken to the voice of the lord , that your souls may live : and mind the power of god , and the workings thereof in your hearts , which conquereth hell and death , and subdueth all the powers and wayes thereof : and every one be obedient to the lord , as children of one father , that of his fulness you may receive , and be filled therewith : and meet together in every place ; and as the day approacheth exhort one another , that you may grow up in unity as members of one head : and mind always the testimony of truth its self , and walk therein , and you cannot stumble : have not respect to persons , but to the truth only ; for persons may change , but the truth abides for ever : so let not an evil eye look at evil , when it comes to pass , to take occasion thereby against the truth ; for then you stumble and fall : but i say again , have respect only to the pure testimony of truth which is sure , and cannot err nor alter , though man may change and err ; and that is the testimony which is held forth for salvation , evon the testimony of god , with whom there is no shaddow of turning : therefore all take heed unto your selves , that you give not , nor receive any offence against the lord , and against your own souls ; but know the seed of god , in which stands the election , where the covenant of god is sure , and unalterable : and a birth you must all know to be brought forth in you , which must inherit , and that is it which is born of the spirit , which doth obtain the promise ; it is not that birth which is of the flesh , which works by willing , and running , and thinking ; that obtains not the promise of god , neither is salvation shewed unto it , but in patience , and in long-suffering is the victory received , over all the powers of darkness , which make war against the kingdom of god : so all friends , dwell in that which lets you see before the world was , and that stops and limits all strife in the mind , and gives you victory over it : and none must glory in the flesh , for that glory must be confounded ; but let him that glories , glory in the lord , in the spirit , and not in the flesh : and take heed that none of you abuse your liberty , which is in christ jesus , neither turn it into fleshly bondage , and thereby the just comes to suffer , and the fleshly part comes to rule above the seed of god ; but dwell in the cross which suppresseth every high thought , and whatsoever is against god , in the first motion ; and thereby you will be preserved from the enemy , which watcheth for evil against you , and seeks occasion against the way of the lord , but mind that which keeps you pure ; for it is the pure in heart , that sees god , and it is him that is of clean hands , and of a pure heart , that inherits god's holy mountain : and as concerning all your afflictions , and sufferings , and tryals , and persecutions ; and whatsoever is laid upon you by the lord , or by men ; i say , bear all things patiently , and endure all things in long-suffering ; these things are but for a moment , and they are not worthy to be compared with the price of god's inheritance ; and if you dwell in the counsel of the lord , all these things will be turned unto your good ; in all tryals and sufferings , the lord's arm will be revealed , and these things must come to pass , that truth may appear in its beauty , in victory over all that which doth oppose it , and vengance is the lord's , and he will repay ; for he doth enquire after our blood , though no man lay it to heart , or consider the cause , or unjust sufferings of the innocent , who are become a prey to the ungodly , and unjust men , till god arise to plead our cause : and all afflictions and sufferings are but for to try , and prove ; they are not to confound or destroy the lord's people , and therefore in patience they must be born , and the life of god felt , which gives dominion over all these things : and receiving all things as from the hand of the lord , then in all things your peace will remain , and god's testimony will witness peace and acceptance with god. and of all injustice , and abuses and cruelty acted upon you by any , at any time , keep account of it , and draw it up in short and plain words , the occasion and manner of it , and at every quarter sessions , let a true declaration of all unjust sufferings be presented in prudency and singleness of heart to the justices , or grand-jury , by such as are wise and faithful ; and appeal to the witness of god in them in such causes , that that of god in all men may witness for us . let this be done , as cause is seen , at every sessions , in the wisdom and authority of god , that in all things justice and true judgment may be sought after , and in patience waited for , till the lord alone , our king , and judge , and law-giver , comes to reign over all his enemies ; when all that now suffer for him , shall reign with him . a servant to the churches of christ , e. b. to the elect and chosen seed of god in london . to the elect and chosen seed of god most dear and precious , who are redeemed to god , and joyned in covenant with him , and have tasted , and felt , and heard of the love and peace of the father ; and to all the faithfull and called of god , who are partakers of the power and presence of an endless life ; in particular unto you the flock of god in and about london , who fear the lord , and wait upon him , and over whom he is the chief shepherd . the salutation in the father's love , by me a brother and companion unto all the children of sion , and chiefly unto you a friend in heart ; and nothing more desiring for you , then your encrease in god , and that grace , peace , love and fellowship from the infinite father of heaven and earth may be largely encreased , and aboundantly multiplied amongst you , and in all your hearts , that you may shine forth in the beauty of the lord , and the garment of righteousness , and truth may be spread over you all ; and that the spirit of holiness may rest upon you , that the fruit thereof may greatly abound in you , and spring forth from you , whereby the father , who hath begotten you , may be glorified through the nation , and among his saints through the world ; and my soul wisheth , that the fear of the lord be amongst you , and his terror upon all your enemies , amen . dearly beloved , and much desired after in the lord , the spirit of the father in upon me , to put you in remembrance of these things of the greatest price , which belong unto your peace , which have been hid from you in the time of darkness , but now are reveal'd unto you , whereof your eyes have seen , your ears have heard , your hands have handled , and your hearts have perceived ; and now be not unmindful thereof , but take heed unto the precious treasure of life eternal , which the father hath given unto you ; i mean , the knowledge of himself , who is manifest to dwell in you , and to walk in you , and to lead you , and to guide in all his wayes of peace and truth ; and this is that treasure more desirable , and of greater price then the glory of the whole earth ; yea , it is peace to the soul , and gladness to the heart , and refreshment to the life , to feel and witness the teaching of the spirit of the father , leading into all truth , and preserving out of all transgression . wherefore i beseech you all , let this be your whole desire , and the full practice in your life ; and then shall the countenance of the lord shine upon you , and his face shall make you glad , if in all things you look unto him for counsel , and wait upon the teaching of his spirit , which dwelleth in you , which the father hath given unto you , because you are his children ; and this he requireth from you , that his own spirit in you , which hath begotten you , may be the root and moving cause of all your works and words , and herein will you receive acceptance with him , and peace from him , and righteousness in him , and everlasting joy by him continually ; and and this is the inheritance unto which you were begotten heirs to possess for ever : wherefore let your love , unity and felloship be in the spirit , and let your knowledge , judgment , meeting , and waiting be in the spirit , and let your ministring and receiving be in the power of god , and in the spirit , and so shall you never suffer loss nor condemnation ; but all your works shall abide the fire , and shall not be consumed when the tryal of all things come , and the foundation of every work is discovered : and i say again , if the spirit of life , even the spirit which quickens to god , the second adam , who is the quicking spirit be your guide , your leader and teacher in all things , then you shall have perfect peace with god , and your fellowship will be encreased , and his presence shall go before you , and his righteousness shall be your justification , and desence , and his covenant of life and peace shall be confirm'd unto you ; and there shall be no more going forth , but the tabernacle of god shall remain with you alwayes , and his habitation shall be in you forever , and the promise of the father shall be sealed unto you , and his mark , and express image written in your fore-heads ; and that quickning shall live in you , and not you unto your selves , and hereby shall all know that he is your god , who liveth in you in power and dominion , and that you are his people who liveth unto him in truth and righteousness ; and this is the covenant and the promise to be waited for by you all , that you may be married to the lord in righteousness and loving-kindness , and your maker may be your husband , and you subjected under his power , to rule over you , and to govern you in the way of peace . and now , dearly beloved , mind that word of god which hath begotten you from death to life , and to be heirs of his inheritance of life ; and feel the word which is quick and powerfull dwell in your hearts , alwayes dividing in you betwixt the precious and the vile , and as a hammer , and a fire , alwayes beating down , and burning up that ground and fruit which is in the disobedience , from which the cause of condemnation doth spring , and so shall you be saved from every appearance of evil , & shall not be overcome thereby , nor led captive at the will of the enemy , but shall be saved from sin , and the wages thereof , and no condemnation shall be unto you , if your hearts be kept clean , and undefiled , by the word of god which is pure , and sanctifieth , and is but one in all his children , and it begetteth unto one life , and to be of one mind and soul , and by it only dwelling in the heart , is the encrease of god received , though by the ministring of it , one may plant , and another may water , yet it is my father that gives the encrease , who is greater then all , unto whom the ends of the earth must look for salvation , and unto him must you all look for to pertake of encrease , of his hidden treasure daily , that you may be refreshed as the heritage which he hath chosen , and may grow therein , as plants planted by his own right hand , growing from strength to strength in him , and renewing your strength in him , and may not fain , nor be weary . and forasmuch , as mighty hath been the power and presence of the lord amongst you , and his love great unto you , and caused his voice to be heard , when you were dead to raise you unto life , and many of you have had the taste and feeling thereof , who have seen the way of life before your face , that you should walk therein , and live : i do warn you all in the name , and by the spirit of the lord , therein to continue unto the end , having your faith established in the power of god , and your building standing on that true foundation which can never be moved nor shaken ; but that perfect victory over death , and the grave , and the powers of darkness may be trodden down through the obedience of the cross , whereby victory is obtained over all the world , and the affections and lusts thereof condemned ; but such as goeth from the cross , perceiveth not the power of god , neither can overcome , but are overcome of the enemy , and shipwrack is made of faith , truth , and a good conscience , and the latter end of such is worse then their beginning ; for the lord is dishonoured , and their condemnation will be great . wherefore , my friends be watchfull , and be armed with the strength of christ jesus , and feel his strength in you to resist the wicked one , that he may not touch you , to betray you of your life and peace , and bring you into condemnation ; for i am not ignorant of the many temptations which are near unto you in that place : wherefore i say again , feel the strength and arm of god reaching to you , by which you may do all things ; and dwell in his life and power , and that ye may overcome by the word of god , and by the testimony of jesus , and then will your peace be encreased , and your fellowship with god ; and angels shall minister unto you , as you overcome the enemy , which would subvert your minds from the obedience to the truth , and then your rest in god will be sweet unto you , as you dwell where nothing can make afraid , sin and transgression being removed far from you , not having a place in you , but the life reigning which satan hath nothing in ; and this is the freedom of the sons of god , who are redeemed unto him , to live in him , who being dead to sin , cannot live any longer therein ; but are washed and separated from all the works of death ; death having lost his sting , it cannot hurt nor wound you ; and the grave having lost its victory , it cannot overcome you who do witness this ; for transgression is hid , and iniquity is put under , and life it self reigns through righteousness over all ; and here the seed is brought forth , in which there is no iniquity seen , nor transgression charged against it , for it sins not ; but rules over the sinner , and fulfils the righteous law of god , and doth his will in all things ; and for this you must all wait to feel god's promise perfectly fulfill'd in you , and sealed unto you by the eternal spirit . and again , friends , feel the life of god in your own particulars , even the bread of life which comes down from heaven , which nourisheth the birth which is immortal unto eternal life , never to taste of death , and therein have fellowship in the covenant of life , and be at peace with god , and one with another ; for that is blessed of the lord , where brethren dwell in unity , shewing love , kindness and subjection one to another , being of one spirit , and like-minded , serving one another in love , not exalting your selves , nor accounting your selves above another , for that must come down with shame ; but every one approve your selves to god in all things , and be known to him , and not unto the world ; but let his spirit witness for you , and approve you , and not man ; and the work of the spirit springing through you let be the evidence unto all people , that you are by grace what you are ; and this is well-pleasing unto god , that his spirit witnesseth for you , and that love , unity and humility be amongst you ; and none think of themselves above what the spirit of the lord witnesseth , and worketh in them , and this a sweet savour will be amongst you to the lord , you being kept in his wisdom and counsel , in good order , and subject unto him , walking as examples of righteousness , to edifie one another , and to be a strength one to another ; and in all your conversations to be manifest to god's witness in all people ; and thus shall you have praise of god , and be approved of him , and he will justifie you in the sight of all your enemies : i write this unto the faithfull who do not minister self , but self your servant for jesus sake . and as concerning disorderly spirits , who are not subject to the wisdom of god , nor to the law or christ , such have no part with us , but are judged with the life of god , and cast out ; and such as are not faithfull in the lord's treasure , and hear the word , but do it not , having the words , without power , and hold the truth in unrighteous , such have no reward in god , but their iniquity stands uncovered , and their transgression is manifest , and not hid ; for death reigns through disobedience , and they are not circumcised in heart , but live in the flesh and their portion is of this world , and the inheritance of life is not their heirship ; for the birth which should inherit is not brought forth , but an untimely birth , which receiveth not the possession of life . but , friends , dwell in the dominion over such , and in peace abov● them , and be not troubled , but believe in the truth , and bear all things patiently , and be not offended in christ , though hitherto you have seen occasion of stumbling , yet the lord will remove them , and the path of life hath been plain before you ; for to such as walk in the light , there is no occasion of stumbling , but offences are seen through , and beyond , and the ground thereof judged ; and therefore be diligent in the work of god ; that is his work which his spirit calleth you unto , and that is his worship which his spirit leads you in , which exerciseth your hearts always to god ; and keep your meetings in the dread of the lord over all your enemies , that the weak may be strengthned , and the lambs sed ; and watch over one another , as the family of god , among whom his dwelling is who is the good shepherd , that keeps his flook , and feedeth them into eternal life , whose presence and arm be amongst you for evermore : feel christ the power and wisdom of god to reign in you , and govern you all . farewel . e. b. this is to be read in the fear and wisdom of god in all the meetings ●f friends , in and about london . to ●harles fleetwood , steward ; robert hatton , recorder ; sackford gunstone , henry vvilcock , bailiffs : being judges in the court of kingstone upon thames . ●he state of the controversie laid before you , depending in your court , between richard mayo , plantiff , and edward burrough , defendant . friends , the innocency and truth of my cause doth lift up its head unto all people , and stands justified in the sight of god , and all just men ; and in justice and righteousness it cannot be con●emned , or judged guilty by any man : and it is upon me yet once ●ore , to state it before you , that you , and all men may see the counte●ance and favour thereof , for it dares shew its face unto you , and all ●eople , though much already hath been written and spoken about it , which you have not taken notice of ( as you ought to have done ) but ●et many are informed in the truth of the matter , and what hath been ●poken is not in vain , though my just cause lies always at the stake , and hardly thought upon by you , and vilified , and evil spoken of before you ●y my adversary , who alwayes seeks false judgment against me , to ●stifie himself in his iniquity , and to condemn the guiltless : but the lord knows , and just men know , and the witness of god in your consciences may shew you , that i have not wronged richard mayo , ●or spoken of him any thing , saving the truth , and because thereof ; ●nd without any other cause , am i thus prosecuted by him , in his ●leading before you , and begging of you for false judgment ; which , if ●e should obtain it , and you should give it , yet should i be clear in the ●ight of the lord , though by you i may deeply suffer : and your own ●nrighteous judgment ( if it proceed from you ) will return one day upon your own heads , and the weight of your own iniquity shall the lord ●ay upon your own consciences , in the day when he judges the secrets of all hearts : and to god i have appealed in this thing , who justifieth me , because of truth ; and then who shall condemn me , while truth is on my side , and i not convinced to the contrary ? therefore in the fear of the lord god , i say unto you , take heed what you do in this matter ; but deal impartially in the sight of the lord , in the examination thereof ; and try , whether i have spoken the truth , or whether i have spoken falsly ; and hearken to my plea , which i have often asserted before you , and do yet once more lay before your view ; and i do appeal to the light of your consciences , and let that justifie me , or condemn me . and this i testifie , as my sufficient plea , unto you ( which no man hath truly answered before you ) that i have spoken nothing but the truth of richard mayo , my adversary ; to this i stand to be justified ; and if i be condemned , it is for this ; this resteth with me forever ; and if i fall , i f●… for it ( viz. ) for speaking the truth ; and if i stand , i stand by it , and no man whatsoever can convince me to the contrary ; and hereof am i invincible , and if you condemn me for this ( to wit ) for speaking the truth , it will be upon you , and i am clear . and this is my only plea , which i have often , and may by the spirit of the lord , alwayes clearly demonstrate : and i do indeed wave all the multitude of arguments that have been , or can be made , by the lawyers in this business ; and not by words of man's wisdom , but by truth must i be justified . and i do here again return to my first manner of proceeding , and stand to the naked simplicity of truth , and i have no other defence to shelter under , neither do i chuse any , nor no other weapon to resist my enemy with , but the word of the lord , which is truth ; and if truth will not justifie me , i will not be justified ; and if it will conde●… me , my mouth shall be stopped ; for , by the truth i stand , and if i fall , fall for it in this matter : and therefore you my judges , patiently hear few words again , as to the beginning of the matter betwixt richard mayo and me , which is thus , he sent for me by a messenger to come to him , an● being come to him , he challenged me to speak what i had against him and again under his own hand he challenged me to dispute , either in publique , or private with him ; and he again bad me call him deceiver if i durst : and upon all these four particular invitations and challenges , and also knowing him to be guilty , as i am still able to prove , i did say to him , that he held forth damnable doctrine and error , and that he was a deceiver ; and this was the beginning of the controversie : whereby i would have you to take notice , how unrighteously he hath dealt with me ; first to invite me , and challenge me several times ; and then for speaking the truth of him ( which i am able to prove ) to arrest me , imprison me , and thus to prosecute me : is not this unchristian-like , and not like a minister of christ ? and this i proved in your court , his challenging of me : and also i have manifested divers particular saying of his , which do appear to all sober men to be damnable doctrine , and error . and for the manifesting of my innocent cause further , and that you may know , that you ought not to condemn me ( neither c●… you with a safe and good conscience in the sight of god ) and to lay the truth as plainly as i can before you ; therefore i do here insert the particulars to you again , which i proved in the open court against richard mayo , which i do say is damnable doctrine and error , all , or some of them at least . . that paul , as a minister of christ , exhorted saints ( the corinthians ) to follow and obey a light , which was not christ , nor the light of the gospel . . he did exhort the people of kingstone , as a minister of christ , in his preaching to them , to follow and obey a light , which ( said he ) is not christ , nor the light of the gospel . . he said , that a man may be a righteous man , and not a godly man , without distinction . . also at another time before that , richard mayo affirmed , that the light of christ , which every man is lightened withal , john . . is carnal , and darkness . . he did affirm under his own hand , that christ was not the word that david walked by . . he affirmed , that the devil is the power of god. . he affirmed , that the gospel is not the power of god , no more then a rose cake is ; which he laid his hand on in the window , at that present of his so saying . . he affirmed , if one man murder another , he did it by the power of god. now hereby it may appear to you ( if you do not wilfully harden your selves against the truth , and the righteousness of my cause ) that i have done richard mayo no wrong , only i have spoken the truth of him : i said , he held forth damnable doctrine and error ; which saying is truth , and i had a good cause to speak it ; for he invited and challenged me divers times to speak it : and then , when this is considered by you , let your consciences judge what wrong i have done him ; seeing it doth appear , i have spoken the truth of him , and had good reason so to do . ye my judges , at whose door my cause ( which is innocent ) lies despised , and ready to be condemned , come but to plainness and honesty in your own hearts , and be not passionate towards me ; but use meekness , and let the sincerity of your hearts tell me , whether i have lyed , or spoken truth : but if you do the worst that can be done against me , i must , and have already committed my cause to god , and i doubt not but he will avenge my cause , and recompence my adversaries in his season . now again consider , if richard mayo did make his invitations to me , on purpose to ensnare me ( as it may be justly supposed that he did ) that he might have occasion to execute his malice upon me ; then you ought not to give judgment against me , and to be his executioners ; for , if he hath laid his plot to ensnare me , how can you justly give him power over me ? and he hath no power over me , except you give it him by unjust judgment ; and you can but give him power over my body ; for my spirit is at liberty , and in dominion over you and him ; because i have the truth on my side , and it is hard for you to strive against that ; for it cannot be buried ; but the truth of my cause will alwayes live to vex its opposers . but and if his challenges to me were not to insnare me , but for information ( supposing himself to have been clear from all damnable doctrine and error ) then he had done well to have owned my words as a reproof , and to have repented , and not to have held forth any more such doctrine : and you ought not , for my reproving him , to condemn me ; for , r eproving any man for evil ought not to be condemned ; good men will not do it , neither would he ( were he not an ungodly man ) prosecute me thus violently , and thus continually beg your judgment of l. against me , for reproving of him , and declaring against his false doctrine , which he delivers to the people ; when as himself invited me to speak to him : and the lord knows , the souls of people are so dear to me , that where i hear false doctrine held forth , which would destroy the innocent souls , i cannot but reprove it , lest people receive false dostrine for true , to the destruction of their own souls ; and upon that account i spoke in this cause . wherefore take you into consideration , what mayo's end was in inviting me ; and do not you fulfil his evil purpose , which i believe , if he had power over me , would execute his farthest cruelty upon me ; i have good reason to believe it ; for many cruel threatning words have proceeded from him already against me ; but the lord can deliver me from them all ; but if he will not , he will give me patience to bear it , whatsoever is suffer'd to come to me . but if any shall doubt , and cannot receive these things , and believe , that these particulars are damnable doctrine and error , as they are laid down in themselves ; and if what is spoken already be not sufficient , i may upon any just opportunity , prove unto you , and unto all men , in the sight of my enemies , that these particulars held forth by richard mayo , and alledged by me before you , are damnable doctrine and error : and if i could be convinced to the contrary by him , or any man , in sober arguments , according to the scriptures , and if he shall be able to prove that these things are true , and found and saving doctrines , then may i confess , that i have wronged him , which never can be done : therefore can i never confess ( without lying against my conscience ) that i have wronged him ; but god justifies me , and just men , and my own conscience excuses me from all wrong in this matter ; and here , or hereafter , shall you and he know it also , that i am without offence to him in this cause . and if i suffer , be it upon you that are my judges , and the guilt of my sufferings will be upon you one day . for , for the truth 's sake am i not afraid nor ashamed to suffer whatsoever you lay upon me . and whereas it is chiefly pleaded by my adversary , and his council , that he is damnified , and much endangered , by the speaking of my words : and because i said , he held forth damnable doctrine ; therefore ( say they ) he is in danger to lose his place , and so he , and his wife , and family cannot tell how to live , &c. these things they plead , and upon this account beg judgment against me , because he is , or may be in danger to be damnified . to this i reply , and friends , i would have you to consider , he hath not yet proved to you the dammage of the value of two pence , nor is he in any outward estate worse , by loss of any thing outwardly , by any thing that i have spoken ; and it is unjust to condemn me in an l. upon supposed danger and dammage , which may come , while as he hath sustained none at present . and further i say unto you , i have had no intentions of evil against him , nor purpose in my heart , to endanger or damnifie him in any outward thing , god is my witness ; but that nakedly and simply i spoke the truth of him : and if speaking the truth to him doth endanger him , and damnifie him , according as they plead , then is he a bad man , and an evil person , and not well worthy of your taking part with him , if you be just men ( as yet i k●…w nothing to the contrary ) nor worthy of giving your judgment against me for him : if the speaking truth to him can so endanger him , then consider you what a man he is ; for speaking of the truth can never hurt an honest man , nor damnifie a good man ; for honest men rejoyce in the truth , and the speaking of it is an honour to them : but the speaking the truth may indeed damnifie a bad person , as to discover his wickedness , and to prevent him of more wickedness , which he may intend ; but speaking the truth cannot damnifie a good man. and if it be so , that richard mayo ( because of his badness ) be damnified by my speaking the truth to him ; must i therefore be condemned for speaking truth , or ought you to do it ? let that of god in you answer : will you justifie his false doctrines , and condemn me for reproving him ? did ever any good men , or just iudges of old , condemn any man for speaking the truth ? or will you shame your selves in the sight of wise-men , by acting contrary to a good conscience ? which , if you do condemn me for speaking the truth , i do , and must tell you ( while i live ) that your iudgment is unjust , and you act contrary to a good conscience , and are unrighteous iudges ; and that you commit the great abomination , in justifying the wicked , and condemning the righteous . and is it not a shame to him that professeth himself to be a minister of christ , to plead , the loss of his livelihood , and of his calling , and the poverty of his wife and family , &c. because of my speaking the truth to him ? never any of christ's ministers pleaded any such thing : were not they reproached , and much spoken against ? and they were called deceivers , and seditious men , and such like : and did they proceed on this manner , as he hath done against me ? nay ; they forgave their enemies and if i had spoken falsly of him ( as i have not ) he ought not to have done thus , if he had been a minister of christ , as he professeth : and doth his livelihood , and his place , and his maintenance of himself and his family , depend upon my forbearing to speak the truth ? for , he pleads , that he is damnified and endangered in all these , by what i have spoken . and i still testifie , and all good men know , that i have given no offence , saving then speaking the truth : and rather then he shall be damnified by my speaking the truth of him , will you unjustly damnifie me for speaking the truth ? is this the way of justice , to condemn the truth that i have spoken , to save the guilty from supposed danger ? consider of this , and save your selves from unjust iudgment , lest the lord justly judge you , and condemn you . this i shew in short , and much more i might , as to the unjustness of the action prosecuted against me ; and now i come to shew something of the unjust proceedings in this matter against me , in the time of my tryals and other times ; and some part thereof i here lay before you , that you , and all may see i have had as unjust proceedings against me in the matter , as an unjust action at first brought upon me . at my first appearance , in my first answer , i demurred to the jurisdiction of your court ; and shewed , that your court and judicatory being temporal , you could not ( in that court ) take cognizance of this cause , being of a spiritual dependancy , and ought only to be try'd in spiritual jurisdiction , by spiritual judges ( if there were any such ) and shewed out of the laws of england reasonably , that your court had no power to try this matter : but one of the bailiffs , iohn forth , said ( which should have been my equal judge ) they would over-rule that , and they would try the matter ; without shewing any just reason out of the laws , against my argument grounded upon the laws ; and they did over-rule me in that . and the court-day before the tryal , when the jury-men were to be chosen and nominated , i told them , that the jury-men should be such as had the gift of the holy spirit , and the holy ghost in them , or else they could not try the matter , because it was doctrine that was to be try'd , which none could try , but by the spirit of god ; neither could i cast my self into the determination of any in this cause , but such . and the bailiffs , obadiah wicks , and iohn forth , answered , if they were men that could take the evidence , that i spoke my words against richard mayo , they were sufficient to try the matter : whereby it doth appear , that they had unjustly determined in themselves , not to try the doctrines , but to have a verdict against me however . again , some that were called to be of the jury were heard to say , before they saw me , or ever heard the matter ; if i came into their hands , they knew well enough what to do with me : hereby it doth appear they were not equal men , but malicious , and prejudiced against me . and moreover , in the very time of the tryal , some of the jury at the bar , said , they would not believe any thing , or take any witness for testimony , which any of these on my part , that were called quakers , spoke : and this was also the witness of their malicious and envious spirits against me , who were rather as a party against me , then my equals : and were not these unjust men for the tryal of such a matter ? and moreover , when all his witnesses could not say enough to give colour for a verdict against me , one of the bailiffs , iohn forth by name , who was one of the judges upon the bench , proffered to come down off the bench , and swear , as a witness against me ; and when some spake against that , he sent for a man into the court , out of the town , iames levite by name , and whispered with him upon the bench , and told him what he should swear ; and he went to the bar , and took his oath against me , that i followed richard mayo with reviling language , in three several rooms , in bailiff gunstone ' s house : which i do testifie was a false oath before the lord , and all men ; and many know that i speak the truth , and that that man took a false oath , who was sent for into the court , and told by one of the judges what he should swear . i suppose bayliff gunston himself knows , that this was a false witness ; and are not these unjust proceedings ? i appeal to your consciences , and upon such proceedings as these , was a verdict gained against me , by much ado , in above three hours time ; and the foreman of the jury himself said , he would not have brought a verdict against me , but onely for the man's oath , iames levite , which as i have said , swore falsly , being sent for , and told by another man what he should say . again , when the fore-man of the iury said , they could not try the cause , and desired it might be referred , the said bayliff forth on the bench cryed no , and told richard mayo ; he should have a verdict first , and ought my judge thus to have spoken ? no , he appeared to be rather a party against me , then my equal judge ; and to all sober men , these proceedings may appear to be unjust : and i hope some of you will make more conscience of your doings , then to pass judgment upon such an unrighteous verdict : and moreover , the iury did not try the cause , which onely ought to have been tryed , which was , whether i had spoken truely , or falsly of richard mayo , that is to say : they ought to have tryed , ( and that was the thing in controversie between us ) whether these particulars alledged by me against richard mayo were true , and sound doctrine , or damnable doctrine and errors ; for if the particulars mentioned be true , and sound doctrine , which were affirmed by richard mayo , then i have wronged him , and i must confess it , and assent to your judgment : but if the particulars be false doctrine and error , then i have done him no wrong ; for i have spoken nothing but the truth , and for that ; how can you condemn me ? and this was the cause to be tryed , which the jury themselves confessed they did not try ; and therefore the matter is not yet tryed in truth , neither have i had a legal tryal before you ; and then how can you give judgment against me , being the action it self is so unequal , and the proceedings so unjust also , and the matter yet not fully tryed ? do but consider of these things in the coolness of your spirits , and let not me receive worse dealing from you , because i am a stranger , neither because i am a quaker so called ; but deal justly , and truely , for i desire nothing else of you , but true judgment , for that will justifie me , and clear me : and respect not persons , but have respect to the law of god , which commandeth you to hear , and judge the cause of the poor , and the strangers , without respect of persons ; and if you give regard to the law of god in this matter , you cannot give judgment upon this verdict , which is unjustly brought in , by partial men , as is manifest , and you must either wholly arrest iudgment , or at least you must bring it to a new tryal , else you do me much wrong and injustice , and all good men will so judge of it : and further , divers sufficient reasons hath been shewed by men of knowledge in the law ; first against this action , and also against the proceedings herein , which might be reasons to you not to go on in judgment against me , but to clear me ; and even in your own way , ( as i may say ) you have been dealt with , and you have been shewed my innocency ; so that if your hearts be not hardened , you cannot go any further against me , but go contrary to the truth of my cause , and contrary to your own law also : and though it was the dear love , and respect of friends to the truth , in freeness of their love to me , more then any desire of mine , or my knowledge ; i do own their love , and justifie it ; yet much that hath been spoken in forms and tricks of law , and puntillio's of law i do wave , and let it pass , and keep always to the naked truth of the matter , as before laid down : and therefore if any jury shall upon their oaths justifie , mayo's doctrines to be true and sound doctrine ; and if you your selves , upon your oathes , dare give iudgment , that richard mayo's doctrine is not damnable doctrine , and errors ; then i must lie patiently under your judgment , and under the breach of such jury-mens oaths , and of your own oaths also : and therefore i demand of you according to right and justice let me be cleared , otherwise let me first have a fair tryal before i be condemned , which yet i have not had , because the matter was perverted from that , whether i had spoken the truth , upon which the true issue dependeth , and upon no other thing ; whether i spoke malitiously , was a straining of the cause to a wrong head , and perverting it from its proper issue , and hereby was the just cause of the innocent clouded over , and rejected , and vilified , and even betrayed into another meaning , more then it ought to have been ; but it can shew its face above all this , and truth cannot be daunted , though it may be vailed , and lie hid for a season ; and though i be condemned by the prejudiced and unfaithful jury for speaking malitiously , yet the lord bears me witness to the contrary , that i have no malice in me against any man , and i love your souls better , then that you should endanger them to destruction , and to everlasting burning , by giving iudgment upon your oaths against me upon this verdict , in this cause which is thus unjust and unequal in it self , and in its proceeding also ; for if the jury had tryed , whether i had spoken the truth , or whether i belyed richard mayo , then it would easily have been known , whether i spoke maliciously ; for if i belyed him , and if his doctrine be true , and sound , and not error , then may it be easily judged , that i spoke maliciously , because i spoke not the truth ; but if his doctrines alleadged by me , be not true and sound doctrine , but damnable doctrine and error , then i have not belyed him ; but spoken the truth in love , and not maliciously ; for truth and malice goes not together ; and till this be tryed , to wit , whether i have spoken truly or falsly , who shall be able upon their oathes ( without forswearing themselves ) to give it upon their oathes , that i spoke maliciously ? nay , how shall any men lawfully swear , that one speaks malitiously ? it is a hard cause to swear , that any man speaks in malice ; for who enters into the heart of another man , to know the thoughts , save god , and his spirit . and this i say at least , and safely too , that that jury , which gave into the court upon their oaths , that i spoke my words maliciously against richard mayo , have greatly endangered the forswearing themselves , and the breach of their own oaths ; and some of them know before this day , that they did transgress therein against god , whom god suddenly after cut off with judgment , and took off the earth by death ; and though they that are yet living may be insensible of their own wickedness ; yet let all good men fear to dye out of this body with that burden upon their consciences , as some have , and others of them may have , in this particular , for breach of oaths ; and though they have given it to you upon their oaths , that i spoke maliciously , yet ●wo will be unto you , if you shall upon your oaths justifie , they have done well , and condemn me falsly upon their false verdict , and if you do condemn me , it is upon their false verdict , because i spoke ma●iciously against richard mayo ; and you cannot do that , but you for●wear your selves , and act contrary to your trust , who are set in place to ●udge justly by what doth appear to your view ; and cannot , nor dare not , i know , upon your oaths say , that i have spoken falsly and maliciously against richard mayo ; but and if you do , one day you will feel that you have spoken against your own oaths , and consciences , and against god , and against your own souls . and this is all that i can lay before you , as to this particular , to warn you , that you do judge justly , and that you condemn not the innocent and just cause of the upright , but that you may save your selves from the anger of the lord , who will be avenged upon all false swearers and unrighteous judges , that judges not in righteousness the cause of the poor , and of the stranger ; and the cause yet remains before you , to shew your selves just or unjust , righteous or unrighteous judges in this matter . and whereas richard mayo , and some of your selves spake to me , to confess i have wronged him , and would have me to acknowledge that i am in a fault , and that i have spoken wrong of him ; yea , it was said to me , if i had not wronged him , could i not confess that i had , to preserve my self , & c ? to this i must answer ; nay , i cannot confess contrary to a good conscience , and contrary to truth , that i have wronged him , if my life stood upon it , as it is but my liberty at most ; for god hath given me to make conscience of my words , and to keep it void of offence towards him and all men ; and to confess that which is false , to be true , would stain a good conscience , in the sight of god and his people , and that i may not do , no , not for my own preservation , and the lord deliver me from the judgment of such , who would have me confess that which i am not guilty of ; for that is all one to say ; i am clear , when i am guilty , as to say , i am guilty , when i am clear ; and i rather chuse to suffer what may be imposed upon me , then to transgress the truth in my own heart , and if i should say , his doctrine were sound and true do●●rine , and not damnable and error , i do believe the witness in your own consciences would rise against me , and many more would say , i then spoke falsly , then doth now ; for i hardly ever heard any , no , not your own selves say , that his doctrines alledged by me against him , are sound and true doctrine , neither can you in good conscience say it ; so i say , i cannot lye against my conscience , what ever come● of it ; for to walk with the lord , and to have his peace , and not to lose his presence , is of more worth to my soul , that is immortal , the● all the sufferings that you can lay upon me can be dammage to my mortal body ; for my life and soul you cannot touch , but therein am i free , though outwardly entangled amongst bryars and thorns , which wo●… pierce me , and seek to catch me ▪ and if there be no other way for me to be preserved , but by confessing contrary to my conscience , that i have wronged richard mayo , i freely give up my self to suffer , rather then to be preserved by such means ; and you do evil in putting such a thing upon me , and expecting it from me , which i cannot give , b●… transgress the law of god , and offend him , and my own conscience ; and if you defer the determination of the matter , upon such hopes ▪ that i may confess that i have wronged richard mayo , i desire , you would not defer it one moment longer , but let me be quitted of your temptation , for it is your temptation , and not true love ; for i cannot confess any such thing , though i do acknowledge it hath now depended in your court , and at your door , near two years , and i should be glad that it were ended justly , because i am not a man given to suits of law , neither do i love it ( though it be so that i am fallen into it ) to offend any man , or be offended in that way by any , yet may i not use any unlawful means , or any indirect way to obtain an end of this business , but the rather i am content with what the lord suffereth to come to pass , though it be the very greatest malice of my very devouring enemies ; and because i would have peace with all men , and have all men reconciled to god , and one to another , to live in love and unity one with another , upon that account i would this business were ended , and though i do not doubt my cause , nor am faint of it , but can freely receive the determination thereof in the court , be it for me or against me ; yet i would have it ended , and have sought it in justice , and once did to my adversary say , i could refer it to any sober men ; and another friend being with me , oliver then protector , or charles fleetwood , or col. pride , all these were mentioned , and to any of these , i could have referred my cause ; and though before he seemed willing , and said , that if any sober man in the nation , that was no quaker , would say , that his doctrine was not sound , and that he had not wrong , &c. but when these men were mentioned , he was unfaithful to his word , and would not refer it . and also not long ago , a day and time was appointed by his own advice and consent , by a friend of his own , to bring the cause before alderman tichburn , to which i was willing , and that he with some other man might hear & determine the matter , and the time appointed , we met at the alderman's house , and the alderman with some more of us waited for mayo's coming , till near the th hour in the evening , and he never came , so ungaretful and unjust was he to his own friend , to alderman tichburn , and to me , that we waited all for him some hours , and he came not at all , though his own friend , by his own consent and desire did bring that appointment about ; and thus i would have you to know , that i seek peace with all men , and with him , upon just and equal means , and can refer it to honest men to hear and determine ; for who are truly just towards god , cannot condemn me , nor my cause : and likewise ye may see how unwilling my adversary is to bring his business to hearing and determining by wise and discreet men , and how unfaithfull he is to his own words and desires ; only he thinks he hath gotten a verdict that will do something for him , and upon that he depends , waiting also for your unjust judgment , and because he hopes alwayes for your judgment , which , i say , is unjust , if you condemn me in this matter : therefore he will not bring his cause to be heard and determined by any other , because he supposes you will proceed according to that unjust verdict , which if you do not , you offend him , and lose his unjust cause ; and if you do , you offend god , and condemn the guiltless cause of the just ; and whatever ye do , this follows upon ye ; and if you offend god and despise the cause of the innocent , and the truth ; ye must bear your own burthen , in the sight of god and just men ; and if his cause were good , he need nor thus shrink and faulter , to let any man hear the matter , but his hope of your unjust judgement nourisheth his heart in his unrighteous cause - and these things were in me to lay before you , that it may not be said by you , we know not these things , for i would have you to know them , and take notice of them , and to compare all things in equality , and to judge according to the law of god , and the good law of this land ; i am not careful at present to answer or say more to you about this matter , onely this remains with me ; the lord god can deliver me from the teeth of the wicked if he will ; but if he will not , i cannot bow to the devil ; but hath given up my life , to live to him , or to suffer for him ; and this testimony remains for ever ; not as i will , but as he will , who brings all things to pass , according to his pleasure . i am a lover of your souls , and a sufferer for the elect seeds sake , and a witness against the malice and injustice of evil men , e b to all that are moved to go into other nations . all ye my brethren and companions in the kingdom of our lord jesus christ , unto whom the word of the lord is come , who have received power from on high , even from the father , to bear witness of his name , and of his kingdom in the earth , unto peoples and nations : and all ye that are anointed with the holy ghost , and that are moved with the power of the lord to go into other nations , to manifest the way of life , and the word of the kingdom of god , which you have handled , tasted , seen , and felt ; in the name and power of the lord god almighty go ye on in faithfulness to preach the power of god , the gospel of peace and reconciliation to every creature under heaven , without exception of nations or peoples , that sinners may be converted unto him , from the power of satan to the power of god , the creator of all things , and that such as are lost from his presence , may be brought home into the covenant of life , and that such as are out of the way may be turned into the way of peace and salvation : in the dread and fear of the lord god go ye on and prosper in your way ; proclaim the name of the lord , and declare his majesty unto all people ; sound forth the word of his power in the ears of all nations ; shew forth the light of the glorious gospel in the whole earth ; preach christ , and hold him forth unto all the children of adam , who is given of the father into all the world , and he hath lighted all mankind ( without exception ) that cometh into the world , and is given for a covenant , and for a light unto all people , that he may be salvation unto the ends of the earth , and may bring salvation and life eternal unto as many as do receive him . cry aloud , and spare not , and shew this unto all people ; set the way of life , and the way of death before them ; cause the deaf to hear , and the blind to see , and the dead to arise ; lift up your voice , and spare not , that all nations may know the salvation of our god , which to us is come , and may be witnesses of the same power and deliverance of which we partake ; ye are sent forth as lambs amongst wolves , and as birds among fowlers snares , be ye therefore wise and innocent : and i charge you all , dwell in the secret counsel of god , and enquire of him in all things , that his wisdom may defend you from the subtilty of men , and his power and authority thorow you may bind and chain the uncircumcised , and reach to the witness of god in every creature , and to it in all people you may be made manifest that you are the servants of the lord ; be bold and valiant to give your testimony unto all nations ; fear not man whose breath is in his nostrils , nor be afraid of high looks , but lay your sword on the neck of the uncircumcised ; and spare not the proud , nor pity not the children of babylon ; and lay the true measure upon all people , that they may see themselves , how they are all drove from god , and in transgression and enmity against him , children of wrath , and heirs of destruction , upon whom the wrath of god abideth , and are subject to the curse every moment ; and this is the state of all mankind : and the light in every one shall answer this measure , and witness you , and your word to be the word of the lord ; which light , if they love , it will bring every one to know the power of the creator , to reconcile them , and to bring them into fellowship with him , and to receive his blessings , and his inheritance , being changed by the power of god into his image : but if they hate the light , and deny the power of god , and his covenant , and will not have christ , who hath lighted them , to teach them , and to rule them ; but do continue enemies in their minds to the lord , and will not receive your message , then they perish forever , and you are clear ; seal your testimony against them , and the lord shall be justified when he arises to condemnation against them all , who cannot own this message , and receive you in the name of the lord. be bold and valiant , and spare not to shew all people this message , and to declare unto them in the name of the lord , by whom you are sent . and i warn you all , let the fear and the judgments of the lord be in your hearts , and stand wholly in his will ; and be obedient to the moving of his power in all things , that you may be armed against all the swelling and roaring of the proud waves of the sea , which will beat against you ; put on the whole armour of god , that you may withstand all the powers of darkness , and may overcome all the temptations of the devil : look beyond your life and your liberty , and beyond all things of this world ; and the life of god know and feel in you , to give you dominion over all , and with his word and power to reach to his witness in all , that you may leave a testimony behind you for him . thick darkness you will find covering all people , their ears deaf , and their eyes blind , and the ground wholly barren and untilled , you will find overgrown with cursed fruit , and wild branches , which must be cut up , and cast into the fire ; and aboundance of idolatry , and vain superstitions , and great hardness of heart you will meet with , and find all people in the degeneration , ignorant of god , and without him in the world ; and abounding in all unrighteousness and unbelief , worshipping their idol godds , which will grieve your spirits ; but be you patient , and long-suffering , and be not offended at any of these things ; but plow in hope , and sow in hope , and thresh upon the mountains , and beat them to dust , ye children of sion ; and bring all people to know the fear and judgments of the lord in them : you are sent forth to beget people unto him , and to turn them to his knowledge , to till the ground , to pluck up the wild branches , which cumber the ground ; and the tender grape must be spared : therefore let the word of the lord dwell in you ; and divide the word aright ; and cry not peace to the wicked , neither cry judgment to such as are of a broken heart ; feed the hungry with bread , and feed the fat with judgment . be ye good stewards of the lord's treasure ; cover the naked , but make bare the harlot , and discover her abominable whoredoms ; let all the world know how they have committed whoredom with the great whore , who hath sate upon nations , kindreds , tongues and peoples . and proclaim unto all nations , that the lord god is risen for the deliverance of his chosen ; and he will make war in righteousness against all his enemies , and they must lick the dust of his feet , and bow under his scepter : and openly declare unto all the world , that god is setting up an everlasting kingdom , and the dominion thereof shall reach over all the earth ; and the kings of the earth must bring in their glory to it : in the name and power of the lord god go ye into all the world with this message and testimony , which shall be answer'd to be the message of the everlasting god , with the light which he lightened every man withal ; that you may bring glory , and honour , and dominion unto him , who hath called you to bear witness of his name in all the world. this i was moved of the lord to give forth , unto all that are moved to go into other nations ; by a companion unto all that follow the lamb whithersoever he goes , e. b. a general epistle to the saints . to the seed of god , elected and chosen of him before the world began , and now called by his word and power into the kingdom of peace and righteousness , to be heirs of the inheritance of eternal life , that never fades away . dearly beloved friends , who are called and sanctified through the grace of god that hath appeared unto you , and in you ; be mindful of your calling , and make your election sure , that you may feel it , the seed of god , and the heir of life born and brought forth in every one of you ; that the promise may be fulfilled in you , and you may sit down in the kingdom , feeling the immortal crown of life , as the reward of all your sufferings , and tryals , and patience ; for the inheritance of an endless life is the portion of the righteous , who have followed the lamb through his sufferings , and laid down their crowns at his feet ; and now his feet are treading down , and will tread down all mortal crowns , and stain the glory of all flesh , and bring it into contempt , and set up his kingdom to have dominion over all . and so friends , you in whose hearts the day-star hath appeared , of light and life , feel the growth of the good seed in your selves , which must rise in you all , over the contrary part , and over that nature which is related to the kingdoms of this world , that must be kept down in you all , and all must be subject to the lambs power , and to his dominion ; every work , word and motion must be brought in subjection unto him , that he , who is light , and life , and righteousness , and truth , and all vertue and goodness may alone reign in you , and over y●●av● and the contrary may be kept in the subjection , and the body of si●●● and death may be wholly put off , and immortallity brought forth in you all , by the gospel which hath been sounded forth amongst you in power and life , and not in the words of man's wisdom ; and this gospel , which we have received , and you have heard , hath wrought its effect wherefore the lord sent it , and many are turned from darkness to light , and from satan's power to god ; and the lord hath gathered his jewels , and is gathering of them ; and he hath planted his inheritance with a pleasant plant of righteousness and renown ; and his arm hath wrought great deliverances in the earth , and hath raised up the poor , and exalted the meek and lowly ; and he hath brought down the mighty from his seat ; and these things hath he done in us , who hath wrought all our works ; and he hath broken the chain of antichrist , and will tread down that spirit more and more , till whole babylon be sunk , as a stone into the midst of the sea , and till righteousness alone sit upon the throne , that his people may rejoyce in him for evermore , when they see their inheritance in him , and their souls rest in him , where he is become the everlasting light , and the days of mourning ended . now friends , all of you keep in the life , and power , and wisdom of god ; dwell and walk therein , in all things , and feel the head christ , and have no master but him , and in all things seek the glory of the lord ; for they that turn to seek themselves , become as the dross , and as withered branches , whom the lord will take away , and such shall not cumber his ground : they that go from the life , and light , and word within them , they go into error , and turn aside after vanity ; and these shall never see the countenance of the lord , who continue not unto the end in the faith , but make shipwrack of it , and of a good conscience ; and these become antichrist , and servants of sin , and deny the lord that bought them ; having lost sincerity , they run into a feignedness ; and having lost the true hope , they become unstaid ; and such will be tossed , and change their way , and so become hardned . and therefore , friends , i say unto you all , live in the power of god , and feel the enjoyment of his good presence in you hearts , in your families , and in your meetings ; and live in the power of godliness , and not in the form without power ; for that is but idolatry , where people are zealous in the performance and practice of righteousness , and wants the sence of the lord's presence : but keep out of this , and look at the lord , in all things stand in his counsel , and fulfil his will , and walk in his spirit that leads into all truth ; and feel that kingdom , that power and government which is not of this world , but over , and above the kingdoms that are earthly ; and in this will be your peace , and your comfort , and your assurance for evermore . and friends , the lord hath not onely stretched forth his arm to bring redemption , and salvation unto you , and his deliverance out of spiritual sodom ; but his arm hath also wrought great deliverance for us without , and he hath appeared for us in much loving kindness ; in that he hath stopped the way of his adversaries , whose mout●… were opened to devour us ; and doubtless it was in their wicked he●…s to have cut us off , that themselves might be exalted : but the lord eminently broke their counsel , when they were in confederacy together , how to overcome us by craft and guile ; and the lord scattered them by a secret hand , and this was one great deliverance . and again , when they were risen in numbers , with their hearts full of devouring envy , they were suddenly confounded and brought to nought ; and certain it is , that both these deliverances were chiefly to us , though others have good thereby ; and i cannot but mind you of them , that you may prize them , and receive them as from the hand of the lord , and may walk worthy of all his mercies that are reached forth unto you from time to time ; and for his name sake , and for his seed sake are these things done ; and he will gather his seed yet more and more , and make up the numberless number of his chosen , that his heritage may be pleasing unto him , and therein he will delight , that righteousness may sit upon the throne , and truth , and justice , and mercy flow down , that his soul may be delighted . and now as concerning places among men , for the service of your nation , as men , this i have to say ; mind gods wisdom to guide you , and if such things be put upon you , do as you have freedom in the lord , though these things be less then the eternal election , which gives to see over , and feel over mens kingdoms ( and in the election doth your eternal peace and inheritance stand in god ) yet in man's kingdom truth and righteousness must rule , justice and just judgment must have place on the throne ; and this we wait for , that righteousness within and without may be exalted ; for the gospel of light which we preach , destroys not , but brings the nation into equal and just government among men , and truth brings the nations into good order , and ye must salt the earth . so keep over these things , in the life that gives you dominion , to act only for god , even as men that may glorifie him in your bodies , and in your spirits , even in your daily practises amongst men : and keep in the power of the lord , which keeps the heart pure ; and feel the word in your hearts , and then you will not be corrupted , but will be kept in singleness and uprightness to god and man ; and in that will be your crown , as men , in seeking the glory of the lord , and not your own . and so , friends , have respect unto the lord god in all things , that his truth may guide you in all things , even as men , and therein stands true honour in this world , and in the world to come . and so keep your meetings , and live in good order , let no strife be amongst you ; for that will eat out the good , and quench your love , and deadness , and barrenness will cover you , and you will become unfruitfull to the lord. and all you that are moved of the lord to go abroad , to whom the message of the gospel is committed ; i charge you all , to live in the life of god it self , and then life will speak through you ; and keep in the dominion over the earthly part in your selves , and over all false spirits in the world , that you may feel through the corruptible in all people , and may answer the witness , which will slay the evil , and wound the wicked , and convert the soul to god : and let your conversation be holy and just , that you may answer the witness in all . and though we have seen the fruit of our labour , and hath our reward with the lord hitherto , yet it is the beginning of the harvest ; for there are mountains to thresh , and darkness to beat under ; for the world hath been as a wilderness , and now it must be planted with the good seed of the kingdom of god. wherefore , be valiant for the lord god , and for his truth , and sound forth the dread of the lord among all people : the false church , the whore , must have the cup of god's wrath given unto her , through your hands ; and as she hath done unto us , so we must give unto her double . so go on in the name and power of god , and the lord god almighty be with you all . let this be read in all your meetings , and copied over , and sent abroad among all friends . e. b. two epistles to friends in london ; being a testimony against deceitfull spirits , and such as profest the truth , and turned from it , and were unfaithfull to the lord. forasmuch as in these our dayes the god of truth hath made manifest his name and truth in the hearts of his people , and hath gathered the minds of thousands into it , to worship him in the spirit , and in the truth , in which he is accepted ; and of this truth which is but one , and there is not another , are we made witnesses , and ministers of , and hath the testimony in our selves , that we are of god , and are a good savour unto him , in them that believe , and in them that perish ; and we have the testimony , that he that is of god heareth us ; and we know the whole world lies in wickedness , and who are in the truth , in the light , and in the life , have followship one with another in holiness and righteousness , in that which comprehends the world , and condemns all the works thereof which are evil ; and this truth , and worship , and fellowship stands in christ jesus , the second adam , whose kingdom and rule is not of this world , but from heaven ; who according to his promise , in his counsel , hath made known his power , to the raising up a righteous branch , a royal priesthood , a peculiar people , zealous of his name , to shew forth his praise and glory in justness and righteousness , in love , mercy , and peace , and works of purity , having our conversation in heaven ; and since that day of the manifestation of this truth of the gospel of peace and salvation , which is the same now , as was in the beginning , which is in christ jesus the light of the world , who is the same to day , yesterday , and forever , and changeth not : i say , since that very day hath the lord prospered his truth , to the renewing of many into his image and likeness , and to the turning of many from darkness to light , and from satans power to god , by the mouthes of his ministers , and through great sufferings , and tribulations , and afflictions , and labours , hath the lord honoured his name and his truth in nations , and given it a praise among all that fear him , and hath honoured it , and exalted it in the sight of the heathen , to the confounding of the wise and mighty , and to the bringing out of the captivity of darkness , sin , and death , wherein in times past all have walked , while strangers from the life of god ; so that thousands who have received the truth are established in it , and cannot be moved nor shaken , but are built upon the sure foundation , their faith standing in the power of god , with whom the arm and presence of the lord god is , defending and preserving continually , and unto such the truth is precious , and the way of the lord , and his name and honour is dear , yea , more then life or liberty , or any other thing which passeth away ; who for the truth 's sake as is it in christ jesus do daily give up themselves to suffering , and to reproach for well-doing , and not for evil , and loves not life unto death , that the lord god and his name and truth may be honoured , so that in the truth which is received , and learned of the father , daily do we walk in all purity and holiness of life , answering the mercy and love of the lord , in the exercise of a good conscience both towards god and man , in patience , and long suffering , and wisdom towards all , to the putting to silence of gainsayers , rendring love and mercy toward our persecutors , and are set in our hearts to fulfil the will of god in all things : and now whereas ( that the scriptures may be fulfilled ) some may , and have denied the truth , which once was received and loved , to the making shipwrack of faith , and of a good conscience , abusing the mercy and grace of god , which to them appeared , and follow the counsel of their own hearts , and not the lord ; having lost the feeling of the spirit of the father , and are , and may be separated from us ( in the self-separation ) through an evil heart of unbelief , that it may be made manifest they are not of us , though they arise from among us , and may , by disorderly walking contrary to the truth , cause the truth to be evil spoken of , giving occasion thereby to the enemies of god to blaspheme his name and truth in the earth , and may be a stumbling to the weak , and an offence to the way of the lord before the simple , through their disorders and confusions , raising the rage of the wicked against the lambs of christ ; being not led in the wisdom of god , but in the confusions , taking liberty to their own hearts desire , ful filling the will thereof , without the fear of god , above the cross of christ , in the nature uncrucified , and speaking high words in the presumption , and not in the light and power of god ; and acting in the vanity of the mind ( in the pretence of truth , and moving of the spirit ) such things as truth , and the children of it , who are guided with the spirit cannot justifie ; but is judged and denied , and cast out from among the children of light , who walk in the truth , and do try the spirits whether they be of god. therefore in the fear of the lord god this is written to go abroad among friends , and others , to inform and shew unto all , that the truth , and we that are in it , and ministers of it , do stand clear from all such who act and speak out of the truth ; and contrary to it , in the disorder and confusion , and not in the fear and counsel of god , and with the truth such are judged and denied , and fellowship with them we have not , nor of their works do approve , though such once owned us , and were convinced of the truth , and received the seed of the kingdom into the unprofitable ground , yet being separated from us , and gone out from the truth , and are not subject to it , and its government , but are unruly and disorderly , we , and the truth do such deny , and the spirit that rules them , being not the spirit of christ jesus ; and such have done evil against their own souls , and against god , and are troublers of the righteous seed , and have , and do dishonour the lord , and his truth in the sight of the heathen , causing the right way to be reviled , and reproached , and evil spoken of , through the offence by them , to the making sad the hearts of some , whom god hath not made sad ; and even more especially in that they pretend to the truth in their words , but in works deny it ; and profess to be in it , yet secretly condemning , and openly reviling the ministers of righteousness , which god hath blessed , and doth daily bless with his eternal power , to the turning many unto god , and to the strengthning of the weak and feeble , which we with many others do witness to be the ministers of life and reconciliation , and there is no other , and are established in it , and cannot be moved by the temptations of the devil ; though the wicked one may revile for a moment , to winnow some , and to try them , and to draw the hearts and minds of others into a snare , out from the obedience to christ jesus , which do become mockers , and despisers , and subverters of the simplicity of the gospel of peace , and of the ministers and ministry thereof , which is the power of god unto salvation , and there is no other , though some harden their hearts through unbelief , and blind the eye , till they be past feeling , through rebellion against the truth , which they hold in unrighteousness , and not in the power of god , having made the offence of the cross to cease , yet boasting in the liberty of christ , while they are unmortified , having run from the judgment , and not truly came thorow it , in the finishing of condemnation ; and that spirit that goes out of the cross is subverted , and seeks to subvert others from the truth , as it is in jesus , and that spirit is denyed fellowship with , though it have the conformity in the hypocrisie . wherefore this is the word of the lord god unto you that err after that spirit , be awakened , be awakened , and remember , and repent , and come to your first work , to that which condemneth you , lest the lord by his hand of wrath and judgment upon you , make you an example and of misery and destruction to all that shall hereafter deny the lord , and his truth : hear , and consider , to the light in you all i speak ; have you another truth then that which hath been known and declared from the beginning ? is there any other way to life , then which we have been witnesses of ? who have not handled the word of god deceitfully amongst you , nor sought yours , but you , nor preached our selves , but christ jesus , and hereof we have the witness in our consciences in the holy ghost : and is there any other salvation , then that which god hath manifested , which is christ jesus the light of the world ? be awaked , and consider ; wherefore then do you separate your selves disoderly , and resist the word of life , which once begat you towards the lord ? consider what you are doing , and whither you are walking ; the end of your way is perdition , and that is accursed which preacheth another gospel : how do you dishonour the lord in the sight of the heathen , before whom you discover your nakedness , and your shame doth appear , having put off , and cast aside the armour and weapon of truth , whereby you might have been defended : but scorners and fools take occasion through your disorders and confusions to blaspheme the name of the lord , and it is through you . be stirred up , and consider , and search your hearts , and come to the tryal , ye that vex the lord's soul , and grieve his spirit , lest it cease to strive with you , and you be wholly given up to fulfil wickedness , till there be no place , nor time of repentance found ; and this is a warning to you all , in the presence of the living god , that you may return to your first love , to fear before the lord , and to walk in his truth , if there may be mercy , and to fulfil his will , which is the light which you are lighted withal , by christ jesus , who is the lamb of god , the way , the truth , and the life , the author and finisher of faith , and there is not another : and know this , ye that deny him that is given , yea unto you all , he will deny you before his father ; and of all your blood i am clear thus far , whether you resist or receive , who am the lover of your souls , sometimes loved of you , while you were lovers of the truth , and am now a witness for the lord , and his truth , and against that spirit which leads you in the rebellion against the government of christ , which is order and peace , out of which you have erred , to the piercing of your own souls ; and though you now exalt your selves against me , and the truth , and boast your selves , as though you reigned ; yet in the day of the lord shall the light in you all , which is now darkned , bear witness to me , and of my faithfulness in reproving you ; and the truth is for ever dear to me , and my soul delights no less in it , though you rebel against it , in the heady exalted presumptuous high wilful spirit , which is not subject to the government , nor authority of the ministry of christ ; but truth is over you all , and the mountain of the lord is established above you all , and all your words , and works , and boastings , and feignedness , and disorders are denied , and in them we have not fellowship , but the contrary ; and do in the authority of the lord , even by the same authority which hath begotten us unto god , and called us , and carried us in his work unto this day , deny you all , in the ground and state wherein you stand , till repentance , and turning from whence you are fallen , to the light which christ hath lighted you withal . and all faithfull friends , this is the word of the lord god to you , hear and fear , walk in the truth which you have heard , and learned , and received of the father , in it dwell and live , and know there is no other then that which is made manifest , which is sure to you all , and cannot deceive , nor be deceived ; and be not shaken in mind , nor troubled , though some deny the lord ; but let their fall be a warning to you , to be more watchfull , to be kept to the lord , lest you be tempted ; and dwell in the mountain of holiness , which no beast can touch , where is a hiding place to preserve you in the time of tryal . and i charge you all in the presence of the living god of life , let your minds be setled , and hearts staid in the truth , which is the foundation of god , and know the armor of god to gird you up to god , where no offence is taken against christ , nor against the way of truth ; but the power of god doth remove that which would be offended , and tramples upon that which gives the offence , and in this you will be preserved until the day of salvation ; and beware of that spirit that boasts above the measure , and of that which makes the offence of the cross to cease , for there hardness of heart and unbelief enters , and so another is followed then the light , and another joyned to then christ jesus , and there is the way to perdition ; who goes from the light within them , they deny god , and his truth , and follow the imaginations of the soolish heart , and runs in rashness , and in the forwardness , and that ground receives the unclean spirit in again , with seven worse , and the latter end is worse then the beginning ; and this truth doth not change which is the begotten of the father , but is the same for ever : so in it all be faithfull and fruitfull to the father in your places and callings , shewing forth in all wisdom , and pure conversation , among yo●… enemies , to the putting them to silenc● when they speak evil of you ; and be examples of holiness one to another , that the lord god may dwell amongst you , and may never have cause to with-hold his presence from you , which is life , and peace , and rest for ever : and believe not every spirit , but dwell in that which discerns spirits ; and if any say , lo here , or lo there is christ , go not after them , without you , for you have not been so taught ; but know the christ of god , the lamb of god within you , and follow him , and obey his voice , and be established all of you on this sure foundation , whom god hath laid , and no man can lay any other ; and if you build thereupon , and thereby you s●…ll never suffer loss , but your work shall abide the fire ; and in the fathers house your bread you shall receive , and never shall hunger no● thirst , but the life will be refreshed and increased daily , and you lamps will alwayes shine , and you shall never be darkned , not st●…ble ; for that which stumbles is out of the truth , and the ground stands to receive the seed of satan , who is a devourer of the simplicity , and the betrayer from the truth . therefore i charge you all in the presence of the living god , that you hold fast the faith and hope which you have received through the gospel , that you may never be moved 〈◊〉 the grace of god , and from the love that hath abounded in you ; ●…t may be found watching in the door , with your light shining , when the bridegroom cometh ; and behold . he cometh quickly , and his rew●…d is with him , blessed are they that tarry for him . this is the testimony of my love unto all the seed of god , who am as a deceiver , and yet true ; and as not known , yet well known unto the ●…d . e. 〈◊〉 . to such as have backslided from the truth . when the life in you all doth arise , it shall witness me , and answer the word of the lord unto life , or unto death . friends , all you to whom the word of the lord came , and ●…n whom the way of truth was made manifest , hear and consider : how ●…t hath the love of the father been unto you ? how many and infinite have been his mercies from day to day , often visiting you with his power and with his presence ; yea , when you sate in darkness , and in the shadow of death , his marvellous light appear'd unto you ; and when you were held captive in the covenant of sin and death , he stretched forth his hand to redeem ●… ; he loved you while you knew him not ; and he brought deliverance out of a ●…nge land , where you were strayed among devourers , and scatter'd , and g●●e a●●ray , as sheep without a shepherd ; yea , when you were dead in transgression , he said unto you , live ; and he also bound you up when no eye pitty'd you , even then when you were enemies to him , walking in the va●●t●en of your own hearts , and knew not him who lives forever , who had been soug●● by you , but not found ; in that very day he sent to visit you with his e●… gospel of peace and truth , to gather you unto himself ( i am a 〈◊〉 and he caus'd his powerful voice to be heard , and his name to be 〈◊〉 among you ; and his truth was declared in the demonstration of the ●…rit ; and the power of the lord was made manifest in you , to the bringing of you from darkness to light , and from death , which had reign'd over you , 〈◊〉 know a measure of the life of god : yea , the way of life eternal was set 〈◊〉 you , that you might not perish , but live ; and his witness in you all , 〈◊〉 i● but one , the word of the lord , reacheth unto you by the mouthes of 〈◊〉 ●…ts , to the revealing of sin , and judging it by his righteous law , 〈◊〉 in your hearts , causing his terror to be known among you , and his ●udgments reached your hearts ; and in that day beautiful was his presence 〈◊〉 you , and precious was his truth among you , in your first love ; and his li●●t and power , and the knowledge of his ways were pleasant to you ; and the s●…l of the kingdom of god , which you receiv'd with joy , grew up in you , and ●…per'd at that day ; and the lord loved you , & his presence was with you , ●…g his own children , whom he begat by his everlasting word , that you 〈◊〉 be a praise unto him forever : and when the fear of the lord and his j●●g●●nts were placed among you , and your hearts were broken , and while you were of a hungering soul , and thirsty after the lord , then was it well with you , and the day of peace dawn'd unto you , and the word of the lord was ●we●t unto you ; and he was gladly receiv'd that came in the name of the lord. b●t o how have some of you lost your first love , and are again darkened , and ready to faint , and to turn aside for a thing of nought ? and how do such grieve the spirit of the lord , and vex his righteous soul , and are become a s●●de● to him , in dishonouring his name ; the envious man having entered , ●nd sown his seed in some of you , and brought forth strife , and divisions , and disorders among you , which are not of the father , nor of the truth , and prejudice , and evil-surmisings , and secret jealousies one against another is risen in you ; all which is to be condemned , with the light , for the fire ; i judge it all under my feet , in the power of the lord god , and am in that which reigns over it all ; and through these things unity is decay'd , and love is waxed cold , and there is fainting in the way , and the zeal for the name of the lord perisheth , which ought to be among you ; and rendings and tearings , biting and devouring one another , and striving for mastery there is , which ought not to be , which the wrath of god is against , all this is out of the light , out of the wisdom and counsel of god. my spirit is vexed , and my heart is troubled within me , because of these things ( not for my self , but for you , and for the glory of the lord , over whom i am jealous with a godly jealousie ) that you may not perish , nor his glory be dispised among the heathen ? what mean you thus to deal against the lord , in dishonouring his name in the sight of the enemy , even to the wounding of your own souls , and to the piercing of the hearts of the faithful , who have watched over you , and been messengers of glad-tidings unto you from the lord ? every one of you in particular be awakened and stirr'd up ; and fear before the lord ; and come to the light , which the son of god has lighted you withal ; and search your own hearts , and try your selves , that the ground of these things may be seen , and condemn'd , and remov'd ; and love may yet spring amongst you to the lord , and one to another . o friends ! consider , it was one father that begat you into the truth , which is but one , by one word of life , which is not divided ; and you were begotten unto him , and not unto your selves : and christ jesus ( which is but one , the same to day , yesterday , and forever ; who is the foundation of god , and abides forever ) was preached unto you all , to be the way , the truth , the life and salvation , and there is none besides him ; why then are there divisions amongst you , and some for one , and some for another ? and herein are you carnal , and your minds abroad , and not'staid upon him , which gives the increase ; and all this is to be judged with the life of god : wherefore i beseech you , in the fear of the lord , as you love him and his glory ; yea , as you love your own souls , come to the light , which lets you see all this , and condemns it : and strive not one with another , nor exalt not your selves one above another ; but let all that be condemned ; and all your evil surmisings , and foolish jealousies , & separate worshippings , & backbitings be brought to judgment , and let condemnation pass upon it all , never more to appear to hinder your fellowship with the lord ; and know the life of god in you all , which is but one , which is not at strife , nor divided ; and let that arise , that all vails may be taken off , and hardness of heart judged , and the countenance of the lord may shine upon you ; when that exalted spirit , which has appear'd in some , is brought down , of which i charge you all to beware , lest there be a total departing from the lord , and his name be reproached through you among the heathen ; and it had been better for such they had never been born . therefore , i say unto you all , lay it to heart , till the judgments of the lord take it away , and purifie your hearts from all these things which ariseth out of that which is not of the father , that my joy may be renewed , who have been in travel for you , tell christ be formed in you , that he alone may rule in you over all those things , which are at enmity against the life , and hinders your grow●● . and if you yet harden your heart against reproof , who are stubborn ; well , the lord will ease him of his adversaries , and break you as a potter's vessel : and though you oppress the life of god for a moment , yet my peace with him ●●●ll these things never take away ; but over all these things i tread , & am not offend●● in him who is my peace forever : and though those things cause sadness of heart , yet the lord giveth no cause of sorrow to them that are faitful to him ; but will arise to confound all deceit , and deceitful workers , who err from his way , and count the knowledge of his wayes a burden ; and of you all , though you perish , i am clear , who am not hated of the lord , though falsly judged by his enemies , over whom i trample , as the dust ; and the living god gives victory over you all . i am not of this world , e. b. something of truth made manifest ( in relation to a dispute at draton , in the county of middlesex , in the first moneth last ) in opposition to the false account given of it by one philip taverner , in his book , stiled , the quakers ▪ rounds , or a faithful account , &c. forasmuch as one ( who hath ( i suppose ) ambitiously stiled himself mr. philip taverner ) hath taken in hand to set forth to the view of the world an account , and relation of a dispute , hapning in the eleaventh moneth last , at draton , near colebrook ; to which relation i am a little engaged to write something by way of answer thereunto , that all people may know the truth ; and being the truth is somewhat concerned herein , that is the reason wherefore i have taken in hand to write a little by way of answer to his relation , being without any prejudice towards the man , as concerning any wrong he hath done to me , though me , as well as the truth , he hath wronged , as may appear to such who desire to know the truth . it 's true , a publique dispute i had , the time and place mentioned , with a company of priests , and this same philip taverner was one of them ; and the occasion of the dispute was thus ; i being a few weeks before at a meeting with some friends in the said town , one richard goodgroom in his relation mentioned was present at the hearing of what was spoken , but at that time did not object any thing , though afterwards in london , and other places , he went up and down , in a backbiting manner , and gave forth , that i had held forth blasphemous doctrines , or the like ; whereupon i much desir'd a dispute for the tryal of those things ; and it was accomplished ; and that day the truth was much made manifest , and deceit confounded . and as to all the things objected against me by richard goodgroom , which he would have seemed to have taken great occasion thereby , as if some great matter of heresie and error had been utter'd by me : i say , the very truth of all these things was demonstrated , according as i had laid them down , and his arguments against them made of none effect : and though such as hardened their hearts might go unsatisfied , and in greater unbelief then they came ; yet i am sure , the upright-hearted , and such as desired the knowledge of the truth , were wholy satisfied ; and this many can give testimony of with me . and though by his relation it may appear otherwise to some , yet wherein he hath related falsly , it shall fall upon his own head ; and his folly shall truly more appear in the end , then he would have , or seem to cause any in me to appear at this present ; and so he might with more credit to himself been silent , then to have meddled in that wherein he hath shewed himself so imperfect . for i believe , that this same philip taverner hath given a relation of four times as much as he did speak at that meeting ; and hath related ; as though he spake that which he never uttered , by so many times fo much as i have said ; and hath not related so much by many times , as was spoken by me , and them of my part , as many may witness : which work of his seems not to be perfect , neither yet altogether honest , as sober men may judge ; but such a thing must redown more to his own dishonour , then to the truth 's disadvantage . and first , as to the title of his false relation , which is stiled , the quakers rounds , or , a faithful account , &c. to this i answer , that the very frontispiece , and title of his book , savours of a vain , light , scornful spirit ; and so every spiritual man may judge of it to be so . but why dost thou philip taverner say , a faithful account , but that to confirm falshood with audacious words , having a shew of confidence upon it , thereby the more easily to enter ento the hearts of the people , as if it were irreprovable ; coming also from the hand , and under the hand of a mr. philip , &c. having so stil'd thy self to make thy fame great , and to publish thy work under a seeming authority ; but hadst thou had more humility , less pride would have appear'd , and hadst thou had a better heart , less of unfaithful dealing would have proceeded from thee : but , as i have said , evil shall fall upon himself , that hatcheth it for another . but why dost thou say , faithful account , in the title page ? signifying to the world , that all in it is true , and nothing of truth wanting in relation to that dispute ; and yet in thy epistle sayst , thou dost not undertake to set down the multitude of words that that day was fill'd withal : and pag. . sayst , that a third man of the company made a large discourse concerning the person justified ; but relatest not one word what was said by him ; and here thou hast not dealt faithfully , nor given a faithful account : and pag. . thou sayst , e. b. at such a time , did multiply many words ; but dost not relate his particular words ; and so hast not in this dealt faithfully , nor given a faithful account : and also in many other things thou hast not related what was spoke at all ; and thus thou hast contradicted thy self , in saying , a faithful account ; and yet confessing in effect , unfaithfulness . and thy own words being compar'd together , prove a contradiction in thy own mind and pen ; for , to give a faithful account , as thou sayst thou hast , is to relate the whole truth , and not to keep any back ; neither to speak more then the truth , by adding thereto any thing . but again , thou sayst , thou undertakest not to relate the multitude , or every particular of words ; neither dost relate what particular words such a one and such a one spake ; but sayst , he said so , and multiply'd many words , not saying what his words were : and therefore thou hast heaped a contradiction upon thy own head , and it shall remain , till it hath made thee ashamed . and now as to the particulars , upon which the dispute depended , so far as they are truly laid down in my words ; and in my intent and meaning i am ready to justifie them ; yea , at any place or time convenient ; or before any auditory whatsoever , upon lawful occasion ; but as thou hast laid them down , or some of them , thou hast wronged me and the truth , and either not understood my meaning , or subverted and perverted my words to thy own advantage . and whereas in the epistle thou sayest , i would not own them , viz. the particulars laid down , to be mine , at first ; and yet owned every one of them in the discouse , &c. answ. i did not own them ; but how ? and how did i own them , but thus ? the objector had laid down some of the particulars , not in my words , which made them vary from the intent of my meaning ; and others of the particulars he had laid down utterly false ; and so i did deny them , as coming from him : but as to the substance of some of the particulars , i did own , having laid them down according to my own honest meaning , in my own sound expression of words ; and thereupon i engaged a dispute upon the particulars , having first denied them , as laid down by him , and in his corrupt expressions ; and then owned them in the simplicity , in the words , as by me uttered ; i mean some of them , but some i altogether denied . and as to speak of that text , ioh. . . by which ( sayest thou ) i endeavoured to skin over what i spoke , but to no purpose . i do deny thy words ; for , that same verse shall stand a witness for me : and against thee , in all the world ; and that verse shall prove , that some of the scriptures were spoken to the world , and not to the saints ; and the truth it self is my covering , and i need no other thing to skin over , as thou scornfully speakest . and whereas thou sayest , there was just matter of reproof in the dispute , in both parties , &c. answ. whilst thou hast condemned others , thou hast judged thy self , who was of the one party , a strong contender for the priests party ; and having now accused both parties , wouldst clear thy self to be of neither , but canst not ; for , it is known thou didst take their part : and in the title thou sayest the discourse was betwixt a party of them called quakers , with mr. philip taverner , &c. where thou dost own thy self to be one ( and reckonest thy self the foremost master ) of the disputants : and now , upon better considerations i think , when thou hast searched into their folly , with whom thou wast joyned , thou wouldst absent thy self to be none of them , but a third party : but let me tell thee , what disorder , prejudice and passion , as thou speakest of , that was amongst the priests , thou hast a part in , and must own their sin , and their condemnation ; for thou art also guilty : and that there was any passion ( except pure zeal for god and his truth , which thou mightest falsly so call ) or prejudice , or such like amongst us , i do deny it , and know thee to have born a false testimony ; and all thy covers , as if thou wert a moderator , or the like , in thy speaking , will not hide thee , nor cover thee from what i have said of thee . but as to the things in particular , i now come , and may shew what my words are , and the ground of them , and how i laid them down , and upon what occasion in the first meeting , whereupon the dispute did arise ; and i do not here go about to give a perfect relation of that dispute ; for my memory hath not contain'd what passed ; but as to the intent and meaning of my words , i would give all the true knowledge thereof , and how far i do own the particulars charged against me . first , as to that , the scripture are not the word of god , because the devil spoke something , and pharoah something , which is there written . answer , there is some truth in this ; but my words were drawn up by him at the shortest , and the most for his own advantage laid down by him : for i do remember , that in the first meeting , i was speaking concerning the word of god , and concerning the scriptures , which are a declaration thereof ; and shewing the difference betwixt the word , and the letter , and scriptures ; for the word of god was in the beginning , and the world was made by it , and it endureth forever : but the scriptures were not in the beginning ; for moses was the first that wrote any thing of the scripture , who was long after the beginning ; neither was the world made by them ; neither can they endure forever ; and therefore the letter , the scriptures , are not the word of god , which the scriptures call the word ; for , also in the scriptures are written what the devil spoke , and what pharoah , and other wicked men spoke ; and therefore they are not the word of god , but ( as i have said ) a declaration of the word ; and what is written of is the word : but the scriptures ( the writings ) are not , but a testimony and declaration of the word . much more as to this might be said , and was spoken by me at the meeting , which is not particularly related ; and this is sufficient to any honest man , that is spiritual , who hath an understanding to judge hereof . now i suppose themselves , none of them are so ignorant , as they will say , the scriptures are that word which was in the beginning , and which shall endure forever : but ( say they ) the scriptures are another word , a declarative word , or such like termes . now when we dispute , or contend with any about the word of god , we dispute what that word is which the scripture saith is the word ; and do deny that word to be the scriptures ( writings ) though still we do own the scriptures a declaration of that very word of god ; and that the scriptures , in any place , do call themselves the word , or signifie so much , i do deny it ; and it is left for any of our opposers , to prove it that can ; if they do , i will confess it to be the word , and revoke all that i have spoken to the contrary . and as for thy deductions and consequences , drawn from my words , i do deny them ; for they are not to me , but will turn upon thy self ; for thou sayest , a strange kind of assertion , as if nothing of the mind , will , and counsel of god were declared in the scripture : and whitherto can be the tendency of such giddy doctrines , then to a weakening of the authority of the scriptures , and begetting slightings and undervaluing thoughts , and that the effects may be lightly esteeming the scriptures ? these and such deductions , hast thou drawn , through thy ignorance , from my words ; from all which i am clear , as having no intent to any such things ; nor any intent , but to testifie to the pure innocent truth : and thy deductions are far more ignorant and impudent , then my assertion is strange ; and let thy consequences be what they will from my words , the truth of my words will justifie me in the sight of god and his saints ; for , i do honour the scriptures above other writings , and give them the authority , and esteem , and respect due unto them , and more i dare not . and some of thy pages i pass over , as not worth taking notice of ; only i do say , thou hast wronged me , in not relating so much as was spoken by us , by far ; and in relating more then was spoken by thee , or thy party . and the next thing i note is this , where r. g. said , he would , and went about to prove , that the letter is the word of god ; but was not , nor is ever able to prove : and thou hast changed the words of his argument in thy relation , from what they were as he laid them down in the dispute , from called , to owned ; for thus his words were laid down , at that time , said he , that which christ and the apostles called the word of god , is indeed the word of god ; but christ and the apostles called the scriptures the word of god : ergo. now i denied , and do yet , that it can be proved , that ever christ and the apostles called the scriptures the word of god ; and neither do thy proofs now , nor his then , of the minor proposition , prove , that the scriptures ( viz. ) the writing , were ever called the word ; although it be true , that the pharisees made the word of god of no authority by their traditions : but that scripture doth not say , that the letter is the word , which thing he was to prove , or else he said nothing to the purpose . and as to the other scripture , thes. . . that will not prove that the apostle called the letter the word ; for it was the gospel which they received as the word of god , and not the letter : the gospel is the word of god , not denied by me , but sealed unto : but the gospel is not the letter , and writings ; but the gospel is the thing written of ; and that is it which the apostle means to be the word of god ; for that is the word , which he preached to the thessalonians , and which they received : and so thy arguments and proof of thy minor position is deny'd , and so the major position falls to the ground : and by this , nor any other argument , can all you priests of england prove the letter of the scriptures to be the word of god , which thing r. g. took in hand to prove , but could not ; and would have cry'd against it in me , as a great deal of heresie , for denying it ; but error is fallen upon his own head. the next thing i note , is in pag. . where thou wouldst seem to cover over r. g. thou sayest , his words were not , that i had the thing signified in my hand , when i had the bible ; but that i had that which declares of it . now to justifie him in evil , thou hast wronged me and the truth ; for he did say , when i held up my bible , i had in my hand the thing herein signified , upon this very occasion , i holding up my bible in my hand , and saying to this very effect , that in my hand , i had the thing which did signifie in words of such and such things ; but i had not the thing signified : and richard goodgrom made answer , and said , but i had the thing signified ; and this some can witness : whereupon i made answer , and said , if it be so , that i have the thing signified in my hand , then i have god , and christ , and the spirit , and heaven , and hell , and men , and beasts , and all things that herein are written of ; and then he saw the folly of his own ignorance , i perceive . and much more , might be related as upon this subject , which was said on both parties , which i desire not much to recollect , only what i have said i can certainly remember , and can justifie it : and i must confess that , philip taverner hath done pretty fairly , though in some things he hath not done so . and no was to the next thing charged against me in the relation , being placed the second , though it is the third , that evil motions , not consented to , were not sin . in the first private meeting , i remember my words were laid down thus , and so i own'd them in the dispute , that temptations or motions unto evil , are not sin to any man , who doth not consent and obey to serve temptations or evil motions , and they are not sin to the man , except they be consented to by the man ; and this was proved in the example of christ , who was tempted of the devil , and had motions to do evil , yet did not consent nor commit sin ; for he resisted and overcame the tempter ; and so the devil's motions and temptations , which were sin in themselves , yet they were not sin to him : and this proof then they could not deny , neither can any sober or upright man. and so in the dispute the thing was put to a farther question , thus , but are not those motions , which arise out of a man 's own heart , sin , except they be consented to ? to which i was willing to speak something , and to own the very truth ; and to justifie , that there is a state , wherein evil motions may rise out of a man 's own heart which are sin in themselves , and sin in the man ; yet not sin to the man , if he doth not consent to them , obey them , and fulfil them ; and the scripture doth prove it , rom. . where he saith , it is no more i that do it , but sin that dwelleth in me , for in his mind he served the law of god , and with his mind did not consent to the motions of evil and sin ; and the sin was not his , nor reckoned against him by the lord , because with his mind he consented not ; and this no upright man can deny . and also , i apply'd my self at that time , for witness , to the experience of sober people and christians , whether many times there had not been evil motions in their hearts , presenting themselves , to which they had not consented ; but the lord had given them power over them , to resist them , and deny them , and they were not overcome of them ? and whether ever they were accused and condemned for such motions , which the lord gave them power against ? or , whether the rather they had not peace and joy in the lord , who had discovered to them , and given them power over the evil which had presented it self ? and i also gave them that which i had witnessed concerning the thing , as a testimony , agreeing with the scriptures , to that particular : and though the relation saith , as if i spoke of my present state to be so ; but herein the hearers were mistaken , if so they understood me ; for , my present state is another , then what it once was ; i bless the lord , i speak without boasting : and my present state i did not then , nor now shall declare ; for i am not known to the world , nor desire to be , as what my state is : but this was my intent , and is in these things ; my state was , say i , yea , i believe from ten years old , till many years after , that many times i had evil motions arising in my own heart , which sometimes overcame me , and sometimes the lord gave me to overcome them , so that i consented not to them , nor obey'd , nor follow'd them ; and when they did overcome me , and lead me aside , then was i troubled and condemned of the lord ; for they were reckoned to be my sins , when i consented ; and many times the lord gave me power over them , and i consented not , but resisted them , and denied them , and then had i great peace and joy in the lord , and no condemnation ; and this was my experience for some years together , though my present state be another condition , of which i shall not speak , as not being needful at this time ; and this is the truth , which no sober christia● can deny . it s true , we spent a little time in disputing upon those things , but to little purpose , as on their part ; for what i then said , many of the people saw to be the very truth ; and all were well satisfied , except such as might harden their hearts : and much more passed betwixt us . and as to this thing , which i cannot relate , only p. t. as he began , so he goes on , giving a report in his relation of much more then himself spoke , and a great deal less then we spoke , which thing in him was not very fair not honest : for , i then proved by many scriptures , that some were perfect in this life , cor. . . even perfect without sin , iohn . . iohn . . and yet i did declare at that time , that many of the saints and children of god , were not come to the state of perfection , which admits of no addition ; for many of the saints daily receive more and more of god's wisdom , and of his power and life revealed in them , wherein they grow up to god from strength to strength : and though they did so much contend against it , yet in the end were forced to confess to the substance of what we spake , as to the particular of perfection . the next thing is concerning perfection ; and i am charged with holding , that perfection is attainable in this life ; which thing i did hold forth and contend for , and am not now ashamed of it ; and my very proofs , which then i used , some of which are related by p. t. are sufficient to prove the particular , if i should say nothing more ; and even as the thing is related , though what i spoke , the whole is not related by much , as about this particular of perfection ; but what is related shall stand as a witness for me , and against them that do so much plead against perfection , even of such perfection to be without sin in this life : and to this i shall say little more , but leave his own relation unto the consideration of sober people , onely must say , that p. t. hath belyed his own memory , in saying his relation is a faithful account , and yet hath related much more then he spoke also about this particular . as to the next thing which is objected against me , that the scriptures were given to the world , and not to the saints : this is utterly false , and was neither thus spoken by me , nor yet my meaning ; and at the dispute i did deny that i spoke the words , neither had i any such intent as they have deducted , though still i do confidently affirm , that that scripture , iohn . . was spoken to the unbelieving iews , that went about to kill christ , who had never heard god's voice , nor seen his shape , nor had not christ's words abiding in them , and to them he spoke that scripture mention'd ; neither had i any such meaning , but that the saints and all sober people , and all people might search the scriptures , though such a bad consequence they have drawn upon my words , and said , it is a giddy assertion that hath dropped from me , and yet himself is forced to confess what i spoke is true , to wit , that that scripture in the fifth of iohn was spoken to the unbelieving iews , and not to the saints ; and yet p. t. to confound himself , confesses that i said , the epistles were given to the saints ; and this is a contradiction from his own pen : first , to say , that i asserted , the scriptures were given to the world , and not to the saints , and yet saith , i confess the epistles were given to the saints , which are some part of the scriptures . and whereas p. t. further speaks , questioning in himself , how far i own the authority of the scriptures , and such like , which shews his ignorance , or his unbelief ; for i have , and do here again speak plainly , that we do own the authority of the scriptures , and we through patience , and comfort of the scriptures have had hope : and they are able to make the man of god perfect through faith ; and what christ and the apostles owned the scriptures to be , the same we do , and neither more nor less ; and in this we are approved of god , and let men judge what they will. and whereas p. t. further speaks something of iesuites , and saith , he does not apprehend me to be of that measure of subtilty , which is found among men of that brother-hood , unless saith he , i have more then an ordinary art of hiding my self , &c. to which i answer , iesuites i deny , and all of that fraternity , and whatsoever savours of popery ; yet am i hidden from people , and what i am he knows not , neither the world ; for , from that wisdom am i hid , neither can i manifest my self to that wisdom that is devilish , and knows not god , nor the least of his sons and servants ; for in all those things of which we then discoursed , the depth thereof could hardly be spoken of ; because of the darkness of peoples understandings . and especially concerning justification i was very sparing , and could hardly freely declare my self ; yet what i spoke was a great satisfaction to many then present , though the one half that i spoke is not truely related ; though so much as is related shall stand a sufficient witness for me , and against them that oppose me , and that my words and meanings were honest . this was the thing charged upon me , that no man was further justified , then he was sanctified . now my intent and meaning in this was honest ; and as about this particular much was spoken , which now i do not recollect to repeat ; onely p. t. hath hinted in short at things how they passed , and my words shall be for ever witnessed , that sanctification is a witness of iustification , and no man can further know himself to be justified , then he is sanctified ; nor justified , then he is restored . and had p. t. but laid down my full answers as i spoke them at that dispute , there would have been no need to have written any thing in answer ; onely i do remember i did stand to manifest , that the new birth , sanctification , and justification were all agreeing in one , and not one without another ; and that christ wrought righteousness perfectly without us , and also fulfilled righteousness in all that believe ; and no man is justified by the one of these without the other , and that hath not the other ; and they hold the contrary : and r. g. did publickly affirm , that a man was justified by christ , excluding the new birth , and the work of sanctification , which i denyed and must always deny , that any man , who is not born again , but is in the old nature , and not sanctified , but is in the pollutions of the world , is justified by christ's righteousness ; neither can he in that state , till he be born again , and sanctified , have any benefit , or manifestation of justification by christ ; and this all men shall witness , though because of this i now may be falsly judged : and though r. g. did openly testifie , that christ justified sinners , as sinners , yet say i , all that are justified , are justified through faith ; and faith doth purifie the heart , as was largely spoken by divers of us at that meeting , which is not particularly related ; which definition of our justification , they could not except against ; for we never were , nor are ashamed to declare what we hold concerning justification , which is through faith in the blood of christ , the seed of the covenant : and though at that time they made much jangling , yet to no purpose , as to convince us of any error , or any sober men there present , of any error in us , as concerning that thing . and whereas it is related , as if i should say , we are men brought up at plow-tayle , and understand not schollar-like terms : my words were not thus spoken , but upon the occasion of their speaking words which is not in scripture language , as inherent righteousness , or the like ; whereupon i desired them to keep to the form of sound words , and of scripture language , that people might understand what they spoke ; for said i , ye are schollars as you profess , and some of us were brought up at plow or cart , and may be do not understand schollar-like terms , though i did not mean all of us ; and what some of us do understand , as to that , i shall not now speak ; yet this i say , the least of us do understand betwixt truth and error , and betwixt that which is righteous , and that which is unrighteous , and in that is more peace , then in the knowledge of arts or tongues ; and our knowledge in that , is as dung and dross in comparison of the other . and as to justification , upon which subject we contended a long time , though they foolishly charged us with it , we do deny utterly the works of man , and the works of man's righteousness , as in relation to our justification , and that it is only and wholly by the grace and gift of god , and the righteousness of christ , who is revealed in all that believe in him , by which justification comes ; yet say we , that faith without works is dead , and will not justifie a man ; but by that faith which brings forth works , even the works of god in us and through us , by that faith are we justified , and according to the apostle's words , so we believe ; not by works of righteousness which we have done , nor by a dead faith without works , but by a living faith , which worketh in us , are we justified ; let vain men deduct what they may , this is truth in the sight of the lord , and all men . these indeed are the particulars upon which the controversie depended ; and having been some hours together , they were willing to depart , and r. g. would give little hearing to me , when i charged him with something uttered by him , at divers times in my hearing , which i should have proved to be unsound doctrine and error , had he had that patience to have stayed : and whereas p. t. doth speak of having a pope in our bellies , with such like scornful words , which a discreet man would not have defiled his mouth withal ; but that he must shew himself to be of that generation of priests , who persecuted the innocent in every age : and for his telling of our error , and recovering of our feet out of the snare , and delivering us from the delusion ; its true , his words stand but upon a supposition , and that supposition stands upon the report of others , as he seems to intimate , which is but a thing far off true credit ; for what error , and snares , and delusion , did p. t. convince us of , in five hours discourse ? not any at all ; but the rather , was forced to confess to the most part of what we delivered ; then what need was there to utter these his words in writing , as if he had heard some great matter of delusion or error ? but all these his words i do bear ; and if he hath harboured such thoughts of us , as it appears too much by his words , let him cleanse his heart by repentance , lest his intended evil bruise his own head . and whereas he hath commented upon a book , called , a standard lifted up , which book i own , and that which is therein written , and himself is forced to own , what himself objects against , and comments upon : if saith he , e. b. means so and so , then his words are truth ; but if so and so , then it is pope-like , or such like . alas poor man ! must i be judged upon thy own meaning ? nay ; or must thy interpretation be the judge upon my words ? we have no such law , my words stand true , as i have laid them down , to be received by such as are spiritual : and such as love to raise constructions falsly , where there is no just ground ; their judgment i do deny ; and charity will teach p. t. to judge upon the best sence ; and so let him own my words as truth , and judge himself for his false construction of true and upright words ; onely this i take notice of , saith p. t. a perfect conformity to the law of god in our own persons , though not wrought in our own strength , but in the strength and power of grace , the spirit working all in us , and for us , is no other then the righteousness of the law. i need not much strive to confound this black doctrine by many arguments , or multitude of words ; for the thing , as laid down in his own words , is vile and abominable to the understanding of any spiritual man ; for say i , if it be the spirit working in us , and for us , not in our own strength , then is it god that worketh in us , both to will and to do , and the fulfilling of the righteousness of the law in us , and not the righteousness of the law wrought by us ; and if it be in the strength and power of grace , and not in our own strength , then it is the work of christ in us , and the work of god's own righteousness in us ; and any man that knows the least of god in truth , will witness to this , and against his imagined doctrine held forth by p. t. i might demand a proof of him from scripture , where it is said or signified , that the working of the spirit , all in us , and for us , and the working of the power of grace in the creature , is reckoned to be our own righteousness , the righteousness of the law ; and my words stand true from which he draws his false consequences , and layes down his dark assertions , and my own words i do own , which are , such as are taught by christ , and guided by him in all the wayes of righteousness , are justified by him , and none else ; not in any word or work whatsoever , but in what they are led to fulfil by him : and in these words there is neither contradiction nor unsoundness , though he hath ignorantly charged them with both ; but the words shall stand for a testimony against him , and all his false deductions ; and he and all shall know , that god justifies the righteous , and condemns the wicked , and that it is the new man that is justified , and not the old : and let righteous men judge what can be in such a mans heart , who can draw so bad consequences from such upright words . but further , he goes on , and hath transcribed more of my words , as , christ iesus the son of god is the light and life of the world , and hath enlightned all mankind that cometh into the world , with the true light , &c. now saith he ; how do these agree with man's state in the first adam ? in transgression is a state of perfect enmity , and death reigns in every man , and he is possessed with blindness and unbelief , &c. i say , these do very well agree , and they are both true ; for death reigns in every man , and he is in unbelief and ignorance , and in a state of perfect enmity against god , as he is in the first adam , yet christ hath lightned him , and the light of christ , shines in darkness in him , and the darkness comprehends it not , and he is enlightned , that he may be changed from death to life , and from ignorance to knowledge ; and though he walk in darkness , and is in blindness , and in a state of enmity , it is because he does not walk and believe in the light which christ hath lightned him withal , and in my words there is no disagrement , nor contradiction , the darkness is in his own mind , who cannot comprehend the light , nor the words that proceed from it . further , he questions upon my words , of having the witness in themselves , of being restored again . first , whether none are restored again , but such as have the witness in themselves ? i answer , all that are restored again , and do believe , hath the witness in themselves ; and none do believe , nor are restored , but they have the witness of it . secondly he queries , whether all are restored , but some want the witness in themselves ? i answer , all are not restored , nor do believe , and such want the witness in themselves , that are not restored to god ; but them that are restored want it not . and again , he queries , whether the light which is in all , is sufficient without any thing of further grace superadded , to bring up every man to believe in christ , & c ? i answer , the light which every man is lightned withal by christ , is sufficient to bring up every man to believe in christ , that loves the light and walks in it , and unto such is grace added and increased daily ; for as every man improves the measure of the gift of god , so it is increased , the light is increased , grace is increased , faith is increased ; but still the light of christ in it self is sufficient . again , from my words , to wit , the spirit is given to be the guide and rule of life to the children of god ; from whence he queries , whether the spirit is so given to be a guide and rule of life to the saints , that they have no more need to attend upon the scriptures ? i answer , it is promised , that the spirit shall lead into all truth ; and such do own the scriptures , but not as their teacher ; for the anointing dwells in them , and they need no man to teach them , but as that anointing teacheth all things , and they have no need of the the scripture to teach them ; for all the children of god , are taught of god , and need not any other teacher , nor need not to say one to another , know the lord ; and yet all such do own the scriptures to be the testimony of that which they believe , and have received . again , from my words , to wit , the light of christ in every one shall give testimony to the truth of what i speak , unto which i do commend my self ; from this he queries ; can these be witnesses to me , and of the truth in me , who are ignorant of the life and power of the creator , &c. who are following the counsel of their own hearts , which are evil , & c ? i answer , yes , the light of christ in such shall judge one day , and to it i commend my self , and by it one day shall be approved , though now the wicked hate the light , yet doth it witness against them , and for us , that we are of god ; though its true they cannot judge between light and darkness , between truth and error ; yet the light in them , which shines in their darkness , does judge and put a difference ; and when the book of conscience is opened , it shall justifie us , and condemn our enemies . again , he queries , whether i make the holy ghost and the eternal spirit two ? i answer no , they are one , neither do i seem to make them two , it is want of knowledge in him , who cannot understand , but raiseth objections where there is no cause . again , from my words , this is acceptable and well pleasing to god , above all words and outward conformity &c. from this he questions , whether the doing the greater things of the law is acceptable , where the less are neglected ? i answer , no ; for every tittle of the law , less and greater , must be fulfilled by christ in us , in whom we are accepted : and thus i have returned a few words to the consideration of people , and particularly to the people of draton , and the country there about , to whom i direct my speech , thus . all ye people , who are scattered , as sheep without a shepherd , and know not christ the everlasting shepherd to lead you , and to rule you ; cease , oh cease from all your teachers without you , who are dumb shepherds , which do not gather you to god ; such are they that preach for hire , and divine for money , and that take gifts and rewards for preaching , who through covetousness , by feigned words , do make merchandize of souls : such do keep you alwayes learning , and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth under their teachings ; your souls are starved under them , and you perish for want of true knowledge ; and death raigns amongst you ; and many are in the broad way , that leadeth to destruction ; but few in the strait way , that leads to life : and iniquity and wickedness abounds amongst you ; and like teachers , like people ; for , from the least of them , even unto the greatest of them , every one is given to covetousness , jer. . . great ignorance hath blinded your minds , and great darkness is over your hearts ; and your teachers do deceive you , and they cause you to err ; and you give your money for that which is not bread , and your labour for that which doth not profit ; even as the people of israel did , so do you , and in their transgressions do you walk ; and your teachers are in the steps of the pharisees ; they are called of men master , as the pharisees were ; they stand praying in the synagogues and temples , as the pharisees did ; and they have the chief seats in the assemblies , as the pharisees had ; and they even shut the kingdom of heaven against men , as the pharisees did , and will not enter in themselves , nor suffer them that would . cease from all your outward priests , and hearken to the voice of the lord , which breaks down that nature which is contrary to god , and raiseth up the seed which is heir of god's kingdom ; and turn your minds to the light in you , which christ hath lightened you withal ; which light shines in your consciences , and convinces you of your evil deeds ; it reproves you for vain words , and ungodly speeches ; it will let you see what your hearts go after , and what your love goes out unto ; and if you love that , it will lead you to christ ; and he will be revealed in you , to teach you , and to give you the witness of peace and reconciliation with god : the light is your eye , by which you may see god ; it will lead you out of all idolatrous worships and works , and from your false worships , which are an abomination to the lord ; and you must be converted and changed into a new nature , and you must put off the old man and his works , before you can worship god aright ; for he is worshipped in spirit and in truth only ; and such the lord is now seeking to worship him . therefore cease from your steeple-house-worship , which is in the traditions of men , and not in the spirit of the lord ; and that worship must be confounded ; for its root is corrupted , and its branches will wither ; and the breath of the lord is kindled against it . if you love the light of christ , and walk in it , there is your teacher ; and if you hate it , there is your condemnation . the next day after the dispute , this was written , and sent in a little time after to draton , and up and down that ways . richard goodgrom , friend , hath not thy ignorance , folly and wickedness towards me now appeared ? and is it not manifest in the sight of many people ( and now thou mayest cease to boast , and also to backbite for the time to come ; and no more secretly to surmise behind my back , to the raising of unruly spirits against me , so much as in thee was possible : and hadst thou been more crafty and more subtile , more mischief thou mightest have done ; but the innocent is delivered , and thou art taken in the snare thou laidst for another , and false doctrine is prov'd to proceed forth of thy mouth : and thou and thy company may be ashamed , when you consider the managing of your work against me , who many times appeared immoderate , in speaking many at once , confusedly ; and also were unreasonable , in not being satisfied with just answers ; but it shews your blindness and unbelief , who cannot understand the truths of the gospel of christ , but contend against them , though in the end you are forced to confess to them , as was sufficiently witnessed that day of the dispute ; and thou in particular , who reproachedst me behind my back , in divers places , where i have heard of it by my friends , whom thou judg'dst had not been so ; yet they have discover'd the naughtiness of thy heart , both in the country , and in the city : thou hast given forth , that i had preached false doctrine , and such like wicked reproachful back-biting language behind my back , not like a man faithful to god and thy neighbour ; but one that hath surmised evil against the harmless : and thou mayest remember , all these things thou objectest against , who wouldst have made a great matter of them against me , yet are they sufficiently prov'd to the understanding of many honest people . and if thou and thy company will be blind , it is because you harden your hearts against the truth ; and i am clear in the sight of the lord : and all shall know , that have an ear to hear , that what i profess , preach and practice , are the saving truths of iesus christ ; though they may be branded to be heresie by such as thee , who may call light darkness , and darkness light , and put good for evil , and evil for good : and at a convenient opportunity i may take in hand to prove , that thou thy self hast held forth that which cannot be justified by the scripture , but are condemned thereby . many things fell from thee in my hearing , which i may object against , and prove the contrary ; and i shall not go behind thy back , as thou hast done , to slander thee ; but i shall rest contented , and wait the opportunity to lay open thy nakedness and weakness in the sight of all people : and whatsoever thou judgest , the scriptures ( the writings ) and the things written of , are two things ; the one is the word of god , but the other is not ; and this all sober men confess to , though thou dost jangle and twist about it with thy lame arguments , to no purpose at all , except to shew thy weakness and folly. and also , no man is justified by christ's righteousness , until he receives it , and as he receives it ; and this thou shalt one day witness : for , though righteousness be in him , sufficient to justifie ; yet by it art thou , nor any man justified , but in the receiving of it , and dwelling in it ; and this shalt thou confess to be truth , in the day of the lord : and in the mean time let me bear thy false censure , in calling this heresie . and also , a man may be tempted to sin , and there may be evil motions to him ; yet he not being overcome of the temptation , not consenting to the motion of sin , it is no sin unto him , neither shall sin be imputed to him , if he commits it not ; but he that commits sin , though he profess never so much of justification , yet for his sin shall he be condemned ; and this shalt thou witness in the day of iudgment . also , that there is a perfection attainable in this life , even to be perfect , and without sin in christ iesus ; and this i affirm to be the truth of the gospel , and that wherein the faith of god's people stands : and though thou madest a twisting and a wrangling against it , yet it is too strong for thee ; and in thy wisdom , and thy arguments is thy folly and thy weakness seen ; and truth stands over thee , and thou canst not it nor me reprehend . and also , that some of the scriptures were spoken to the world , and not to the saints ; this i also have sufficiently proved , and thou art not able to detect it ; and all thy snarling in opposition to these things is confounded , and thy arguments made without effect ; and all , whose eyes are open , see thee to be of too short a measure , and of too weak a capacity to understand the deep things of god , which are hidden from thine eye , and them thou savourest not in that wisdom ; though thou hast the words , yet thou art ignorant of the life ; and the life is in dominion over thee , and to it must thou submit , and lay down thy crown : and from thee am i hidden in that life and truth which i do profess . and though i be as a deceiver , yet am i true ; and though i be slandered , and reproached , and back-bited by thee , yet it is for christ iesus's sake , and for his truth 's sake , and not as an evil-doer . but friend , learn more wisdom , then to judge a man before thou hearest him , or to condemn the matter before thou hearest the proof of it ; for , by these things thou hast not gain'd a good report , but god condemns thee for it , and men see thy shame in it ; and the burden of it one day shalt thou bear , even thou , and all that own thee in these things . and now thy spirit is try'd , and it is found too light , and cannot stand in judgement ; for it is unsavoury ; and though seperate from the world in appearance , yet is thy spirit of the world , and reacheth not the knowledge of the things that are eternal ; but art imagining in thy mind , not being guided by that spirit which gave forth the scriptures ; and so thy knowledge is natural , and cannot contain spiritual things : therefore friend , come down to god's witness in thee ; the light which shews thee sin , and convinces thee of evil ; that light is thy teacher , if thou lovest it , and thy condemnation , if thou hatest it . i have divers particulars against thee , at a convenient season , to manifest thy folly and weakness by them : and whatever thou judgest me , i am a friend to thy soul , edw. burrough . richard goodgroom held forth at the dispute at draton , the th day of the th moneth , . he said , the letter was the word ; and by the letter ( he said ) he meant the thing contained in the scriptures : and when i said , i had the letter in my hand ( meaniug my bible ) but not the thing signified ; he said , but i had the thing signified . and he said , people were justified by christ , excluding the new birth , and the work of sanctification ; and christ justified sinners , as sinners ( that is ) while sinners remaining in sin . at justice fortescue's house , in the year . he did deny , that any was converted to god by a light within : and then i asked , if it was not that same light that converted , which gave the knowledge of god ? and they confessed , yea : and yet did deny , that the light within converted to god ; though i shewed them that scripture , cor. . . which did confound the deceit . at uxbridge one time he said , christ needed not to have come to have judged the world ; for there was sin enough in the world to judge it before he came : then i asked , if sin judged the world ? and he answered , yea : and he said , they were in the covenant of god spoken of , nehem. . which turned the law of god behind their backs . e. b. a testimony concerning the estate of the true church , what she hath been , and what she is : being given forth from the motion of the spirit of the father . concerning the true state of the church , what she hath been , and what she is at this day ; and concerning her increase , and decrease , through ages and generations past . and her present state is this , returning again out of the wilderness , where she hath long been fed , having a place prepared of god. now the apostle saw her a woman , cloathed with the sun , covered with the light of heaven , and with the glory of god ; having the moon under her feet , the light which was ordain'd to rule the night . thus she was , and this was her state in the dayes of the apostles , when many were converted out of darkness , and renewed to be members of this church ; for her glory shone through the world , and she flourished through nations ; and this was her state in the apostles dayes : and she travelled to bring forth the man-child , christ jesus , which is the child and husband of this woman , which was clothed with the brightness of the glory of god , the elected spouse of christ , the lamb's wife , and his body , of his flesh , and of his bones ; having power and dominion , and treading under all contrary : and thus was it with her in generations past , whose seed spring forth , as branches , fruitful and glorious . but in process of time it came to pass , that this woman , the spouse of christ , his body , the wife and mother of this man-child , she was bereaved of her beauty ; and her garments were taken away ; her seed was made war against , and was smitten , and overcome ; and she fled into the wilderness , and there hath sate desolate , as a widdow , lamenting the loss of her children ; and being deprived of her husband , and the man-child , which should have ruled the nations : for she hath been fled into the wilderness , and her former beauty hath not appeared to be , and her former glory hath seemed to be gone ; and she hath been driven away from her head , from her husband , and from her seed . behold all people the estate of such a woman , and read this parable who can , a woman most glorious and fair , having her husband ruler of the whole earth , and having an heir born to rule over heaven and earth , being cover'd with the light of heaven , and of the everlasting day , and having the light of the night under her feet ; yet hath this woman been deprived of her glory , and sate desolate in the wilderness , a mournful place , separated from her husband , and made childless , and without seed : and what eye that sees this aright , but must mourn ? and what heart that truly perceives it , but must lament ? a woman so great , and so glorious , and so fruitful , as to bring forth the heir of heaven and earth ; yet has she been left as a mourner , as without husband , and without issue for many generations : this hath been her estate and condition for ages , since the dayes of the apostles , which iohn saw ( in a vision ) would shortly come to pass after him , and we see it hath been come to pass within this sixteen hundred years : and this hath been the estate of the true church for many ages , a woman childless , whose heir hath been taken from her , and whose seed hath been made war against , and killed , for many generations . but her time was decreed , and she should but be thus for so many dayes ; and now are the dayes expired , and she again shall receive her heir , that hath been caught up from her ; and her seed shall spring forth ; and her slain shall live ; and her beauty shall be given her ; and her first glory shall be encreased ; and she shall feed no longer in the mourning wilderness ; but she shall be fed upon the mountain of god's house , which is to be established upon the top of all mountains ; and her seed shall spring forth numberless ; and her heir shall rule with an iron rod ; and her marriage day is come , and the approach thereof nigh ; and life shall be revealed : thus she hath been , and thus she shall be ; the lord hath said it . now as for all those multitudes of sects and peoples , that have professed religion ; and as for all those churches , so called , that have gone under that name , which have professed christ to be their head , and made a shew of him in appearance ; the papist's church , the protestant's church , and all the sects that have risen out of them ; they have not been the true spouse , the lamb's wife ; but children of fornication , and not of the seed of that woman that was once clothed with the sun ; and they are come up , and their original begun , while this true woman , this spouse of christ , hath been childless : none of these are clothed with the sun ; nor none of them have brought forth the heir of salvation . come , let 's reason with you ; who was your mother ? who brought you forth ? and in what womb were you bred , you that have appeared in the world , and for many ages , for the true spouse ? the mother of the heir hath been childless , and as a widdow banished from her husband , and her heirs separated from her , and her seed killed , and made war against ; she hath not born you , nor brought you forth ; then of what womb did you spring , all ye of the papist's and protestant's church , and all the sects that came out of you ? answer me this : none of you have been fled into the wilderness ; for you have appeared in the world : none of you have been as a widdow , mourning ; for you have been practizing ordinances , and rejoycing in the world : none of you have been without issue , nor your seed made war against ; for you have been fruitful in the world , and one sect brought forth another , and one church brought forth another ; therefore none of you have been that woman which iohn saw : for never none of you , from the least to the greatest of you , were ever clothed with the sun , nor had the moon under your feet , nor ruled the nations with the rod of iron ; therefore none of you are the true spouse , the lamb's wife ; he is not husband to any of you , nor is he your child nor heir . and this is the word of the lord god to you all , you churches and sects , your beginning and springing forth was from another womb , while this woman lodged in the wilderness , and while she was childless , and without seed : and the mother of harlots brought you forth , the great whore , whose superscription is , mystery of babylon ; and her character is , mother of all abominations : for , while this other woman hath been fled into the wilderness , which iohn saw was fled thither , this woman , the mother of harlots , which brought you forth , hath been fruitful and flourishing , and hath had an husband , and many children : for iohn speaks of two women ; of a whore , and of a virgin ; of one , the blood of whose seed was drunk ; and the other drunk the blood ; yea , one that was made war with , and against ; for the saints were killed , and their blood drunk ; and that other killed the saints , and was made drunk with their blood : the one was fled into the wilderness , he saw , of which i have spoken , 〈…〉 other making all nations drunk with her fornication and ruling over all the nations of the earth , as a queen : and while the one of those , the virgin , the lamb's wife , hath been fled into the 〈◊〉 , and left childless , without seed ; the other , the whore , hath ●… , and brought forth many children , taken great pleasure in the 〈◊〉 and committed fornication with the kings of the earth : and these thing● 〈◊〉 saw were to come to pass ; and we see ( that have iohn's spirit ) is come to pass already . and 〈◊〉 all ye sects upon the earth , and churches so called , that have been in the world for many ages ; which of those two women are you of ? 〈◊〉 the seed of whether of them are ye ? who of these two was it that brought you forth ? answer me , and make it appear . but i have said already , the virgin brought you not forth , the lamb's wife did not bear you , nor you are not of her ; for you were brought forth while she was bani●hed ▪ and deprived of her heir , and without her husband ; and you are of the seed of that whore , the product of her fornications , generated by the seed of adulrerers : and though you have been warning , and fighting and striving one against another , yet you were bred in one womb , and are of one seed . and thou●●●●me of you , in one appearance of the whore's beauty brought forth , have made war against them brought forth in another appearance of her , and ●●●ned her flesh ; yet have ye given your power to the beast ; and iohn saw that also , which we see is fulfilled ; some that should hate the whore , and make war against her ; yet sh●uld they also give their power to the beast : this have we seen fulfilled amongst you sects and false churches , and your beginning we know , and the first beginning of whoredom , and when the whore began with her fornications since which time all nations have drunk her cup ; and her scent has been upon nations , and multitudes , and peoples . her first whoredom iohn speaks of in his epistle , and her beginning ; they went out from the body , from the spouse ; and from the virgin ; they went out from the true church , being false members , not as ever being of the body of christ , nor of the true church ; but such as had been amongst the members of the true church , and were once convinced , which had got the form , and put on sheep's clothing upon the wolvish-nature : and here was the beginning of her whoredom , she went from the spouse , and went into the world , and the world heard her , and received her , and they drunk of her cup , and committed fornication with her ; and she played the whore in the unbelieving world , after she departed from the saints ; she went out from them , and they denyed her , and it was manifest she was not of them : and this was the beginning of whoredoms . and she was but young yet in her whoredoms , and little in the world , and had not yet deceived many ; but in process of time it came to pass , she encreased so mightily , that she made all nations drunk , and overcame them ; kings and rulers , bond-men and free-men , they all drunk of her cup ; and she became so great , that nations , kindreds , multitudes and peoples were her seat , her place of government , where she sate ruler and queen , having dominion over all ; and all were bewitched by her , and made drunk with her cup : and of this woman came ye , all ye sects upon earth ; and you are the multitudes , kindreds and peoples , upon which her seat hath been , and over whom she has had her government . and this is she that has drunk the blood of the saints , and overcome them ; and the heir and seed of the other woman , the virgin , hath long been made war against ; and killed and slain by this woman and her seed ; and this hath been the state of the church for many ages , since the dayes of the apostles : she has been fled , and her seed made war against , and killed , and her heir caught up to god ; and the nations , which should have been ruled by her heir the whore has set upon them ; and the peoples and the multitudes , which he should have govern'd , have been the seat of the harlot , the mother of all abominations : and was it not like to be so ? and how should it be otherwise , when the man-child , the woman's heir , has been caught up to god , and he has been as prevailed against , and the remnant of the woman's seed made war against , and killed ? and this has been since the dayes of the apostles . and so all you churches and sects , by what name soever you are known in the world , you are the seed of the great whore , and she hath brought you forth while the other woman has lodged in the wilderness , and remains childless : if any man hath an ear to hear , let him hear . now it may be objected unto me , and thus may it be said , by this accompt the church , the lamb's wife , has been prevail'd against by the whore ; because it is said , she hath killed the saints , the members of iesus , and of the church : this seems to she● , as if the church of christ had been prevail'd against ; but christ sayes , the gates of hell shall not prevail against them , but she should remain forever , [ and the gates of hell shall not prevail against her : and how do those two things agree ? it seems doubtful to us , may some say . answ. to all this i do answer , the true church , the spouse of christ , in her self was never prevail'd against , so as not to be in beeing , or that she was not ; but in her self has remain'd in beeing , and not prevail'd against , so as not to have a place or beeing ; and christ's words are true , she has had a place and beeing to wit , in the desart wilderness , which place was prepar'd her of god , there to be fed for such a time : so she has a place , and has a beeing ▪ though in the wilderness , a place desolate , and of mourning . so she has not been prevail'd against , as that she has not had a beeing ; but the lamb's wife , the mother of the heir , that which is perfectly so , which was and is to be joyn'd to christ , which is of his flesh , and bones taken out of him , that cannot be prevail'd against , never was , nor never shall be ; for the devil nor satan have nothing in him , of whose flesh and bones she is , which is taken out of him ; and it is as possible for to prevail against him , as to prevail against her ; for she is of him , as eve was of ad●● ; if any have an ear to hear , they may hear : but her off-spring has been overcome , her seed made war against , and her heir taken away , and caught up from her ; so she not prevail'd against , nor overcome , though banished into the wilderness , fled thither , and there has she fed , and had a place , and has been left childless , as i have said : so the mother , and the lamb's wife , hath had a beeing , and in her self never prevail'd against , nor overcome ; and christ's words are true : yet has her seed been kill'd , & made war against , and overcome ( as iohn said ) and both these are true , and this is my answer ; and if any have an ear to hear ; they may hear ; though a parable to the world , yet plain to the seed , which now god hath raised , and is raising ; for the woman again is returning , and her seed again is springing , and she is becoming as fruitful as ever , and her glory shall be as great ; the light of heaven shall cloth her , and the light of the night shall be under her feet as perfectly , when she is restored , as it was before the apostacy , though people cannot believe this in the apostacy . no revelation , nor immediate teaching , nor miracles now to be expected , cry the professors , and these false sects and churches ; it was extraordinary times , and extraordinary manifestations were amongst the apostles and churches of old ( say they ) but the same now are not to be expected , nor never to be looked for ; but thus they are in ▪ blindness , and ignorance , and unbelief . but we believe , the glory of this woman , that hath been long fled into the wilderness , and hath been long without issue , while she hathbeen fled , shall have the same fruit and issue , and the same clothing that she had before she fled : when the whore and her seed is removed from the face of the earth , the glory of the lamb's wife shall be as great , her beauty as fair , her fruit as plentious as before the whore was ; and they that believe it not , believe not the scripture ; for that testifies of the glory of the church to be the greatest in the last days , as we are sure , and certainly know it shall come to pass , when the waters are dried up , which have been the seat of the great whore. now though all those churches and sects of people , are said to be , and known to be the seed of the whore , and not of the virgin , as i have declared ; and though nation , and peoples , and multitudes have been all running to fornication , and been deceiv'd , and made drunk ; yet this i have to say , in all sorts of people , and amongst all those sects , amongst papists and protestants , and all sects risen out of them , in thousands of people , notwithstanding the darkness , and all the apostacy that hath rul'd in the general ; yet in some of all sorts and sects there hath been a sincerity , and simplicity , and a desire , and zeal for god , and of god in them , and amongst them ; yet the sincerity , simplicity , and desire , which hath stirr'd in some of all sects , it hath no sooner appear'd , but it hath been smitten , and betray'd by the wicked without , and so by the error of judgment within : for even amongst the worst of sects , we know there are some in whom there is simplicity , and sincerity , and zeal ; and yet err in judgment ; for this is possible , and we know it is so with thousands , and ten thousands at this day . there may be a simplicity , and zeal , and sincerity of heart , and yet err in judgment , and the judgment not truly guided by the spirit of the lord ; but a false spirit , and a false thing , even the spirit of whoredom it self ruling the judgment , and be chief there ; and this destroys , and murders , and betrays the zeal and simplicity : and this is , and hath been ever since the dayes of the apostles , great error in judgment , and the judgment of all those sects have been mis-guided and misled , and a false thing , and not the spirit of the lord has guided the judgment ; and thereby the true sincerity , zeal and simplicity hath been enslav'd , and held under , by reason of the erring in judgment : and the state of such is truly to be lamented , where simplicity is devour'd , and sincerity betray'd , and held captive by the whorish spirit , that sits ruler in judgment . i do not speak of all people of all sects , that they have zeal and simplicity ; but of some people in all sects , and through all these false churches ; and so the spirit which hath guided the judgment , that has abased the zeal , and abused the sincerity , and betray'd it ; so people have been a running , running after the form , and blind in judgment , and lost sincerity , and simplicity that has been betray'd in them , though sometime appearing and stirring ; and so the wrong part in people has fed upon the form and appearance , and the seed starved , and the sincerity eaten out ; and so one sect hath made this the rule of their judgment , and another sect another thing the rule of their judgment ; one cries , tradition ; another , scriptures ; another cries , the practice of saints before us ; and none of all have been guided in judgment by the spirit of the lord : & where the spirit of the lord is not the only rule of judgment , guiding the judgment in all things , that people , & that man are in error , and the sincerity in them has not its free course , but bound under , with a spirit which is bondage , & leads into bondage : and when people come to be turn'd to the light of christ in them , and receive a measure of the spirit of the lord to guide the judgment , then the sincerity , & simplicity , & zeal will grow , and thrive , and be encreased ; but till then the good is eaten out , that lies under , and is oppressed , and ever , and alwayes the desire quenched , the sincerity lost , the simplicity betray'd by the spirit of whoredom , which rules the judgment ; and these things are manifest in our age. therefore all people come out of your sects and false churches ; for the woman is return'd , and returning out of the wilderness ; and the seed shall spring forth , as in the dayes of old . e. b. the true state of christianity , truly discribed , and also discovered unto all people : what it was in its beginning , and purity ; and what it now is in its apostacy , and degeneration . and here , by true testimony , is declar'd to the whole world , how , and wherein , in divers particulars , the christians through all the world ( so called ) now are fallen , and gone backward , and revolted from what the true christians once were . and this sheweth unto all the world , the woful state and condition , wherein them that are called christians now stand ; being departed and revolted from the spirit of christ , and from his teachings . and this is given forth , that all people may understand concerning the times , and the changing of times ; and concerning what hath been , what now is , and what suddenly cometh to pass in the earth . behold and hearken , give ear and listen diligently all ye people through the whole world , that are called christians : all you , i say , that go under that name , and that bear that name , and are named christians , from one end of the earth to the other , through all nations and countries , whither you are scater'd , upon the face of the whole earth . behold and take notice what the word of the lord is unto you , and what the testimony of christ is towards you all ; for the line of true judgment is laid upon you ; and the measuring-rod is put forth to reach over you ; and the servant of the lord hath viewed your state and condition , and what you were in your beginning and increase , and what you now are in your decrease and woful apostacy , into which you are fallen , and degenerated from the life of christianity . oh! let your ears be open to instruction , and regard well what i through the lord do say unto you , even all you , and every particular of you under heaven , that make a profession of christ in words , and are known through the world by that name of christians ; hearken , i say , and consider , and remember from whence , and into what you are fallen , and return and repent : the lord hath with you a controversie , and he will plead with you because of your back-slidings and revoltings ; for you are gone away backward , and you are turned aside from the life of christ , and from his spirit ; and are now without that which was the reason and true ground of your name , christian ; and you have lost the true ▪ character of the name , and now have only the name , without the life and power thereof ; and are dead to christ and his life ; and have a name to live , but are dead ; and having lost that which gave you a true title to the name of christian , you deserve not that name , nor to be called by the name of christ , because you are departed from his spirit : and this is to be declared to you in the name of the lord , that you may take a view of your own estate , to the end , that you may be awakened , to return from whence you are degenerated . the lord had a people in all generations , unto whom he was a god ; and they feared him , and served him , and worshipped him ; and his name was precious amongst them , who were his chosen people , and with whom he dwelt ; and his power and presence was amongst his people , that did walk with him , under what name soever they went in the world : but the first time that ever the people of the lord were called christians , or known by that name , from other people , it was at antioch , in the time of the apostles , who were followers of christ , as you may read , acts . . and the disciples were first called christians in antioch : and before that time the people of the lord were never called christians ; and this name was given to them by the heathen , because they were for christ , and of his part , and did follow him , and preach him to be follow'd , and in all things exalted his name , and did and suffer'd all things for the name ▪ of christ , therefore were they named christians ; and that name was true unto them ; for they had upon them the express image and character of christ , and follow'd his spirit , and preached him unto all people for life and salvation , and that all people might come to christ , and become followers of him ; and therefore they were rightly named christians , to be known by that name from all other people upon earth , who were not followers of christ ; who could not rightly be call'd christians , because they were not of his part ; and from thence forth unto this day , all people whatsoever , that believed in christ , and became followers of him , and that professed him , were called christians from that original and foundation of the name , which then was laid . also you may read , acts . . and agrippa said unto paul , almost thou pers●adest me to be a christian : here again paul followed christ , and preached him , and was on his part altogether , and highly extolled his name ; therefore king agrippa called him christian , and was almost perswaded to be a christian ; to wit , a man for christ , to take part with him , and to be on his side : and the name , interpreted , this is the signification ; and all that have this character do truly deserve the name of christians ; for they are anointed people ; and this was the beginning of the christian name . and before that time , as i have said , were the people of god never called christians in any generation ; and ever since that time , through all ages , all that professed christ , and believ'd in him , throughout the whole world , were called by the name of christians ; and the name and religion of christians were honourable , and greatly beloved of god ; for that people was the peculiar people , a chosen generation , as you may read , pet. . . and whilst the life of christ was manifest , and the spirit of christ did lead them and teach them in all their wayes and practices of religion : and whilst , i say , they retained the power and life of that of which they had the name , the power and presence of the lord was amongst them ; and above all the people of the earth were they blessed ; and more then all people upon the earth besides had they the countenance of god shining amongst them , and upon them , and pure unity with god , and one with another , had they in his ●ife , whereby they were made a terror and a fear to all nations , while they stood in the counsel of god , and were christians in life , and power , and practice , as well as in name ; and the lord greatly encreased them in number ; for , as you may read through the acts of the apostles , through all the world many believed in christ , and became followers of him , and received the knowledge of him , and became anointed people , and received the name of christians ; sometimes thousands at one sermon were converted to the faith of christ , and became subject to his spirit , and had his mark upon them , and all such were called christians ; and the apostles went through many nations , and of the iews , and greeks , and of the heathen , and all other people , some of each were converted from that way in which they had walked , to follow christ , and they became christians ; and here was the encrease of christianity ; and through many parts of the world they planted churches and assemblies of christians : and , as i said , while they stood in the counsel of god , the name and religion was of him greatly beloved . but now the christians are apostatized and degenerated from the spirit of christ , and from that which gave them the true name of christians ; and the name is retained only , and the life and power lost ; and now many have a name to live , but are dead ; and that is departed from , which gave the true interest and title in the name . hear this all ye christians , that life , light and power of god , which was amongst the apostles and christians once , you are departed from , and have lost the sence and knowledge of , and have the name and not the thing , which was the reason and ground of the name . wherefore all ye through the world , that are called christians , look back to your original , look unto the apostles , who were the first that were called christians , from whom you had the name , and see how you are degenerated , and fallen from the life that they were in , and though you retain the name of christians , yet you are not followers of christ , nor ta●ght by his spirit : and none in the dayes of the apostles were truly counted or called christians , but who follow'd the spirit of christ , and were first converted to him , and changed by his power from sin to righteousness , and from death to life ; and such as were so , were truly called christians . but now all such as are called by that name , and are not followers of the spirit of christ , nor converted to him , neither changed by his power from death to life , and from sin to righteousness , such are in the degeneration , from the life of christianity , and have a name without the life and power thereof . and now it remains to be shewed , how , and when the degeneration came upon the christians ; and wherein they are apostatized and degenerated from that ●ife , and spirit , and practice , which was amongst the apostles , that were first called christians . the spirit of the lord spoke through the apostles , and foretold of a falling away from the truth , and from the true christian-life ; and paul said , acts . , . said he , grievous wolves shall arise , and enter in , who would not spare the flock ; and from among themselves should men arise , speaking perverse things , to draw disciples after them : and he also said , tim. . . that some should depart from the faith , and give heed to seducing spirits : and he also said , that it should come to pass , the people should become wicked , departing from the truth , having the form of godliness , but denying the power thereof ; and such were led away with divers lusts , and men of corrupt minds , and reprobate concerning the faith. and the apostle peter also foretold , that there should false teachers arise among the christians , who should bring in damnable heresies , and many christians should follow their pernicious wayes , by reason of which the way of truth should be evil-spoken of . and the apostle iohn saw , that many false prophets were gone out then , and many antichrists were then come in among the christians . now all these do shew and declare of a degeneration , and falling away of christians from the life of christianity ; and we see these prophesies fulfilled , and flocks of christians are devoured from the life of christ , by devouring wolves which have entred among them , who have led them into pernicious ways , and into damnable heresies , whereby the name of christianity is become reproachful amongst the heathens , that never were called christians ; and many thousands are departed from the true faith , from that faith which did purifie the hearts of the saints ; and many christians have given heed to seducing spirits ; and have the form of godliness , but deny the power thereof ; and they are led of divers lusts ; and are become men of corrupt minds ; and are reprobate , and without the true faith. and the apostles prophesied of the degeneration , which we see fulfilled in these our dayes ; and even while some of the apostles were yet living , they saw the christians apostatizing , and falling away ; and the spirit of the lord spoke through iohn , rev. . . to the christian-churches in asia , who were already departing from the christian-life ; some of them were departed already from their first work and some of them were given to the doctrine of balaam , and to the doctrine of the nicolaitans , which thing the lord did hate ; and others of them were seduced by iezabel , and taught to commit fornication , and to eat things sacrificed to idols ; and others of them had a name to live , but were dead ; and others of them were neither hot nor cold ; and the lord said , he would spue them out of his mouth . now here the christians were falling away you may see , and as before it had encreased , so now the true christian life began to decrease , and the glory thereof became darkned through all asia : and also rev , . . . . iohn saw one beast arise out of the sea , and another out of the earth , which set up a kingdom over the whole world , and caused all people upon earth to worship the beast ; and the beast hath been great in his power , and he hath ruled over the world in great dominion ; and all that would not worship him , he hath had power to kill , and hath killed them ; so that the true christian life and religion , as the apostles received it , and practised it , hath been extinguished for many generations ; and people have had the form of godliness , but denied the power , and lived under the name and profession of christianity , but have been without the life ; and this is to be considered of , and diligently searched into , by all you that go under the name of christians through all the world ; for unto you only i direct my words . and now it remains to be shewed what the state of christians is at this day , and wherein particularly they are apostatized and degenerated from the true life and practice of the apostles , who were the first christians ; for wherein the christians now are contrary , and not agreeable to the apostles , in faith , in practice , in worship , in ministry , and in the entrance into christianity , and in any other thing whatsoever . i say , wherein they are contrary , and not agreeable to the true christians of old , to wit , the apostles , therein are they degenerated , and fallen from the true life of christianity ; and this shall be the rule of judgment to try all you that are called christians upon the face of the earth : wherefore awake , and come forth to judgment , for the measuring rod is laid upon you all , whereby you shall be truly measured and compared with them that where the first christians upon earth ; and the heathens shall see your nakedness , and your shame , and his ; at you , when they behold how wofully you are fallen from that life , in the purity thereof , of which you do profess the words ; and shall not they rise up in judgment against you ; who never had the name of christians , who are not faln nor degressed from what they have profest in any measure , comparable to you , who now retain only the name of christians , and are departed from the life of christ. first , concerning the entrance into christianity , and the way and means whereby people are now made christians , and receives that name ; in this will your fall and degeneration appear . for the apostles and first christians upon earth , before they were christians , or were called so , they were first converted , and changed and translated from death to life , as you may read , iohn . . and col. . . and they first received christ , and became followers of him , and received his spirit to teach them , and to guide them : for the apostle said , if any man have not the spirit of christ , he is none of his , rom. . . to wit , no christians ; and the apostle said , as many as were the sons of god , were led by the spirit of god ; and also it was promised by christ to all that were his , the comforter should come , the spirit of truth , and he should lead them into all truth ; which promise , all that were christians did receive , and they were led into all truth by the teachings of the spirit of christ , which dwelt in them ; for all that were sons , god sent the spirit of his son into their hearts , which spirit sanctified them through the obedience thereof . now these were christians , and were truly so called ; for they had the mark of christ and his image upon them , and he dwelt in their hearts by faith , ephes. . . these i say were truly called christians ; and none but such at that day of their original were called christians , or had fellowship in the christian life : nor were any looked upon by the apostles to be christians but by them that were such . but look back all ye christians upon earth , and see your fall , and wherein you are contrary , and not agreeable to the true christians in their first and pure estate . i say , look to your original , and see how you are apostatized from them in your entrance into your profession of christianity ; for though you have the name of christians , yet you were not made so , nor received that name by being first converted and changed , and translated from death to life , and from being the children of disobedience , to be the children of god , through the work and operation of the spirit of god in you ; for hereof are thousands and ten thousands of christians now wholly ignorant , and altogether without the feeling of the spirit of god , to change them , to convert them , and to translate them , but are accounted christians by tradition , or natural education , and because of being sprinkled with a little water upon the face , being infants , or by a bare confession and profession of the name of christ in words , and professing of a bare belief in the scriptures , by this way and means were you made ( and received you the name of ) christians without any real change from darkness to light , and from satan to god , as i have said . now here appears to be a woful degeneration in the very entrance of the thing , and this is not agreeable , but rather contrary unto that way of christianity , wherein the christians in their beginning were so made and called ; for then none were christians , or so called , but who through the preaching of the gospel were first converted , changed , and renewed as i have said , but now in these nations all are called christians that are spinkled upon their faces with water , by a teacher , when they are infants , or that do but profess christ in words , though they are not guided particularly by his spirit ; neither have received christ to dwell in them , and to be king over them : and here again appears a wofull apostacy ; for none in the beginning of christianity in the world were made christians , or so called , but who received christ , and in whom he dwelt , and was in them ; as you may read , corinth . . . and who were followers of him , and had his spirit in them , the comforter to teach them , and to lead them into all truth ; but now thousands upon thousands , who have the name of christians , have not received christ to dwell in them , nor to rule them , neither is he manifest in them by his spirit to teach them , and they are not led into all truth ; but live in deceit and unrighteousness , and are not followers of christ , but follows their own hearts desir● , and their own hearts lusts , and are condemned in their own consciences , and have not received the comforter , the holy spirit , to be their guide and leader out of all unrighteousness ; and here appears a woful degeneration . and that you christians , through all the world , are revolted , and gone backward from christianity , as it was in its original ; a lamentation may be taken up because of this woful fall , into which you christians are fallen : consider of your own state , and return , and repent . again , the christians were begotten of god , and born of him , joh. . . and they were born of the word of god , and of the incorruptible seed , pet. . . and they were created in christ iesus unto good works , eph. . . and they were new creatures , and old things were done away , cor. . . they had put off the body of sin and death , col. . . and were the servants of righteousness , and free from sin , rom. . . as you may read . but now also , woful are you christians degenerated from this ; for , thousands upon thousands of you are not born nor begotten of god , though you have the name of christians ; neither are you born of the word of god , which lives forever , nor of the incorruptible seed , neither are created again , nor become new creatures , nor have put off the body of sin and death ; neither are the servants of righteousness , nor free from sin . but on the contrary , are the servants of sin , and free from righteousness , and are in the corruptible state , and are old creatures , and are not washed , nor purified as the saints were , as you may read , cor. . . and here is a woful degeneration of the christians now , from what the christians were in the beginning : the christians then were new creature , and put off the body of sin , and were washed , and sanctified : but the christians now are not so , but the contrary ; to wit , unwashed and unsanctified , remaining in the pollutions of the world , and are of the birth which is born of the flesh , and are in the old nature , serving sin and the lusts of their own hearts ; and thus are you fallen from that which the true christians possessed ; for , being compar'd to them , you are not agreeable , but rather contrary to them in all these things and the lord is now come to search you , and to try you ; and to all people shall you be discover'd ; for the lord is now risen to bring all to tryal , and to judgment . and again , herein will the apostacy of the christians appear , in respect of unity and fellowship ; for the christians , in their beginning , while yet the life of god was not darkened amongst them , they were of one heart , and one mind , and one soul , as you may read , acts . . and the lord promised , that he would give unto his people one heart and one way : and ezek. . . the lord promised , to give his people one heart , and a new spirit : which promise the christians received ; and they that believed were of one heart , and there was no lack amongst them ; but some sold their possessions , and distributed to them that had need : and they were members of christ , and he was head amongst them , and over them : and they were flesh of his flesh , and bone of his bones , eph. . , . and all the christians were of one faith , eph. . . and had unity and fellowship in the life which was made manifest in them ; for they had tasted , and handled , and seen , and heard the word of life ; and they had fellowship with the father , and with his son iesus christ. but all ye chirstians upon earth , how are you degenerated ? and how great is your fall in this ? for you are not of one heart and mind , nor in unity and fellowship one with another ; but are of divers sorts and sects , and are run into many opinions , and divisions ; and are of many wayes , and minds , and hearts : divers sorts there are of papists , and divers sorts of protestants , so called , which are all divided in opinions , and striving and contending about faith , and religion , and the worship of god ; and are opposing one another , and putting one another to death , because of a difference in those things ; how great is the difference through many nations amongst christians about those things ? which sheweth that the christians are wofully fallen in respect of unity , and it is manifest such christians have not received the promise of god , as the apostles had ; for now the christians can suffer one another to lack , and to perish , and die and starve for hunger and want : behold in all this all ye christians generally how you are fallen ; then , in the beginning of christianity , no lack nor want was amongst them ; they that had much , sold it , and gave to them that had none ; but now thousands are oppressed through want , while others have too much ; some are feeding and clothing excessively , with their multitude of dishes and changes of raiment , while others have scarce whereon to seed , or to cover their nakedness ; and this manifesteth , that you are not members of the body of christ ; neither is he head in you , nor amongst you ; but you are members of an harlot , and joyn'd to a harlot , and one with a harlot ; for you profess many faiths ; some say , they believe christ is given to all ; others believe , not so : some say , they believe he died for all ; others they say , they believe contrary to that . and thus the one faith , which the apostles had , the christians of this generation have lost ; and they have lost the one head , christ , and have many heads ; every sect hath their head : many heads among the protestants ; many heads among the papists ; but thus it was not in the beginning of christianity ; therefore you christians are subverted from the true life of christ. the christians then were of one faith ; but now of many : the christians then had one head , christ ; but now the christians ( so call'd ) have many heads : the christians then could lay down their lives one for another , and were written in the hearts of one another by the spirit of the living god ; but the christians now are in envy one towards another , and in strife one with another ; the great men do oppress the poor , and they go to law one with another for earthly things ; and one stealing from another , and one hanging another , and murdering one another , and making slaves one of another , and robbing one another , and seeking utterly to destroy one another ; and yet such have the name of christians , amongst whom all this is acted . but consider , how woful is your fall ? and how wicked is your degeneration from the life of god , and from the true christian life and unity which was amongst them in their beginning ? then they were of one heart , and of one way ; but now divided , and in strife and contention about religion , and the worship of god ; and also about earthly things ; for which they destroy one another , and seek so to do : then they could lay down their lives one for another ; but now they are taking the life one from another , through wickedness ; a woful apostacy , and great night of darkness is upon you : then none among them had lack of any thing , nor none destroy'd through wasting any thing upon their lusts ; but now thousands perish for want , while others have too much , and are destroying it upon their lusts : then had the christians one head , christ ; but now the beast reigns , that hath many heads : then they were of one faith ; but now the christians profess many faiths : then the christians handled , saw , heard and felt of the word of life in them , and they had fellowship with the father and with the son ; but now thousands of thousands of christians are without the sence , and feeling , and knowledge of the word of life in them , and walk in darkness and in ignorance , and have no fellowship with the father , nor with the son. behold , behold , ye christians , how ye are fallen , and how great is your fall ! a mourning and lamentation may be taken up for you : the garment of righteousness is rent from you , and the beauty of the son of god appears not upon you . alas , alas , what doth it advantage you , to have the name of christians , seeing you are thus wofully degenerate from that love , unity and life , in the fellowship of god , which was among the apostles , who were the first christians , and from whom ye derived the name ; but are without the life , as hereby is manifest to the world. again , herein doth the apostacy of the christians appear , in respect of holiness and purity of life ; for , the christians were of a holy life and conversation , the apostle said , thes. . . god hath not called them unto uncleanness , but unto holiness . and as you may read , tit. . the aged man were to be sober , grave , temperate , sound in the faith , in charity , in patience ; and the aged women likewise , their behaviour was to be as became holiness ; and the young women were to be discreet and chaste ; and young men were to be sober minded ; and servants were to be obedient to their masters , and to shew good fidelity : for saith the apostle unto the christians , the grace of god had appeared , teaching them to live soberly , righteously , and godly , in this present world : for that end was christ given , that he might redeem them from all iniquity , and purifie unto himself a peculiar people , zealous of good works . now here , in short , is a true description of the true christian life and conversation , which was exhorted to , and no doubt but practiced by the christians , in the dayes when christ was manifest amongst them ; but from this practice are the christians degenerated : for , how are the aged men and women now given to covetousness , and earthly-mindedness , and are peevish , and perverse , and immoderate , and in the works that are evil ; shewing that they are not in the apostles doctrine , and not in the christian life , but to it are become dead , bringing forth fruits contrary to the fruits that the aged men and women brought forth in the beginning of christianity ; shewing they are not of a holy life and conversation , as the christians were , and ought to be : and also , how are the young men , and the young women degenerated from the true christian life , and now are given to wantonness and pleasures of the world , and the lusts , which are evil ; following vanity , and pride , and vain-glory : and masters and servants being corrupt in their places , serving themselves one of another , and making a prey one upon another ? and thus all sorts of christians are fallen from the christian life , and holy conversation ; and shew , that they own not the grace of god , which hath appeared to all men , to be their teacher , as the true christians once did : for it is manifest , that the christians now ( so called ) have not deny'd all ungodliness , and worldly lusts ; neither do live soberly , righteously , and godly in this present world , as the christians did ; but on the contrary : how are ye christians fallen from the pure and holy life , abounding in wickedness and in all ungodliness ? how doth pride abound among christians ? how doth lying , swearing , drunkenness and whoredom , and all the works of the flesh abound ; dissimulation , back-biting , envy , wrath , and all that ever can be called evil is abounding amongst ye christians , so called ? this shews that your apostacy is great from that life and conversation which the apostles , and churches of christians were in , who had denied all ungodliness , and worldly lusts ; but generally ye live in all ungodliness , and worldly lust : judge ye of this backsliding into which ye are faln ; they were taught to live soberly , righteously , and godly in this present world ; but ye live unrighteously , and ungodly , and out of the fear of god , and the grace of god is not your teacher , as it was theirs : also you may read how much the apostles exhorted the christians to a holy life and conversation ; the apostle said , cor. . . the temple of god is holy , which temple ye are , speaking to the christians : and he said , eph. . . they were chosen in christ , that they should be holy and without blame before him , in love : and col. . . they that had been sometimes enemies to god in their minds , were reconciled , to present them holy and unbl●meable in his sight . and pet. . . the apostle exhorted the christians to be holy in all manner of conversation : and phil. . . the christians witnessed , that their conversations were in heaven . now herein doth the fall of christians appear , in respect of their life and conversation , and walking ; for the christians in the apostles dayes were of a holy life ; and exhorted all thereunto , but the christians now , both teachers and people are degenerate in their conversation , and live in all unrighteousness , as i have said : and the conversation of christians now , being compared with what the christians conversation was then , it is altogether contrary , and sheweth , that though you have the name of chris●… , ye are not followers of christ , nor led by his spirit ; but by the spirit of antichrist . oh , how wofully are you fallen , you christians , from the life of christ ! having a name to live , but are dead : the lord god is coming against you , to break you to pieces ; for you have poluted his name , in that you profess to be his people in words , but in works do deny him . oh! remember , remember from whence you are fallen , and return , lest the anger of god consume you from off the earth ; for your conversations greatly dishonour the true god. oh , what gluttonny and drunkenness is amongst christians ? what pride and vain-glory ? what cruelty , envy and murde● one against another ? what whoredoms and fornication ? what cozening ? what cheating ? how doth all wickedness abound amongst you , in your lives and conversations ? let the lord be witness , and your own consciences be witnesses against you for your abominations ; they that were true christians , who followed christ , lived not in , but were redeem'd from such transgressions ; but you live in them , and act in them , wherefore be ye witnesses against your selves , that ye are fallen and digressed from the true christian estate . again , herein will you christians appear to be degenerated from 〈◊〉 christianity , in respect of your ministry ; for the ministers of christ , in the beginning of christianity , they were made ministers by the gift of th● holy spirit , which was given to them ; for they were commanded to wait at ierusalem for the promise of the father ; and they were not to go forth , till they had received power from god by the gift of his holy spirit ; and when that was come , they should be witnesses and ministers of christ , acts . , . and as they were waiting with one accord , in one place , the holy ghost fell amongst them , an filled them , and then they began to speak , as the spirit gave them utterance ; and they went up and down , and testified to the world of what they had heard and seen , acts . . now this was the call of christian ministers , and this 〈◊〉 the authority by which they went forth into the world , to wit , the spirit of god poured upon them ; and by authority of this only they went up and do●… the world , and declared what they had handled , seen and tasted of the word of life , iohn . and as every man had received the gift , so they might minister the same one to another , pet. . . and this was the practice of the christian ministers , in the beginning of christianity , concerning their c●● to the ministry . but how are the christians here degenerated from what the apostles were in , for by another way , then this , are your ministers made , not by the gift of the holy ghost , received from god ; neither do the christians now wait for such a thing , to go forth by authority and power thereof : but they are made ministers by natural learning , and education at schools , having authority by man , and are approved of man , and not of god : and a man knoweth which of his children he will make a minister , when they are infants , and thereupon puts him to schools , to learn arts and knowledge of earthly things , for so long time , till he hath gain'd so much knowledge and craft to be approved of such and such men ( and as is his knowledge , and oportunity serves ; withal , having a great place provided , where there is great store of maintenance ) such a man becomes a minister , and a preacher to others ; having never received , nor thought to receive the gift of the holy ghost ; neither having heard , seen , tasted nor handled any thing of the word of life from god , in his own particular ; neither hath he received the gift of christ to be made a minister by . this sheweth greatly your degeneration from the true christian spirit ; none then ministers among christians , but them who had received the gift by the holy ghost , and power from on high ; but now ministers are made and approved , and sent forth amongst christians , because of natural learning and education , without receiving the gift of the holy spirit : and the ministers of christ then spoke as the spirit gave them utterance ; but now ministers study for what they speak , and read old authors to gather forth matter to preach to the people : then the christian ministers heard , and tasted , and handled of the word of life in themselves ; but now the ministers have their knowledge from books , and what they have heard and read without them . oh! how great is your apostacy , ye christians ? and in respect of your ministry , how greatly are you degenerated from the ministry which the christians once had ? behold and consider this all ye christians upon earth : your ministry is proved not to agree , but rather to be contrary to that ministry which was amongst christians , in the purity of christianity , as here by is manifest : and you are fallen from the ministry made by the gift of the holy ghost , to a ministry made by natural learning ; consider all ye christians how great is this fall. again , in respect of the maintenance of your ministry your degeneration doth appear ; for the ministers of christ amongst christians , as they were called by the spirit , so they were maintained in the work of their ministry by the 〈◊〉 gift of the people , who received their ministry ; and they were to give freely , and minister freely , as they had received freely , mat. . . cor. . . the apostle preached the gospel of god freely , and would not make it chargeable to any , cor. . . and the ministers of christ among christians at that day , went through the world , and preached freely the things that they had received from god : and they sought no mans money , nor gold , nor app●●el , acts . . and saith the apostle , cor. . . i seek not yours , but 〈◊〉 ; and that was their end altogether , to bring people to god by their ministry : only christ did allow , luke . . into whatsoever house they entred , that was worthy , 〈◊〉 might there abide , eating and drinking such things as were set before them . and it ●…s the apostles practice sometimes to reap carnal things , where they had sown spiritual things ; and it was a small matter that they did so : yet by a free gift they desir'd to reap it , and not by force and violence did they ever obtain any thing . ●…t concerning this , great is the degeneration of christians in this gene●…n ; for now the ministers amongst you christians are maintain'd by an ●…rd power , through compelling maintenance of tythes , and other set-w●… , from the people , even from them that do not receive their ministry , and they do not preach freely , but makes their preaching chargeable to whole nations , and the maintaining of christian ministers is become a bur●…n to whole nations , and great oppressions upon the poor ; and now the ●…ers seek mens money , and gold ; and it doth not appear , that they only seek a people to god ; but on the contrary they seek peoples mony to themselves ; and it doth not satisfie the ministers now to eat and dri●…k such things that are set before them in a house that is worthy , but they must have so much a year and so much a sermon , and so much for every particular man of his parish , be they worthy or unworthy , to the value of a hundred , or two hundred pounds by the year ; whereby poor people are greatly oppressed ; and they will reap carnal things by force and violence , from them to whom they sow no spiritual things ; for they are suing at law , and putting in prison , and distraining peoples goods by force and cruelty , to maintain them and their families in pride and idleness , which things the christian ministers formerly in the dayes of the apostles never did ; but were often under great sufferings , in fasting often , and in cold , and nakedness often : l●…ring with their hands , cor. . . wherefore ye christians , behold how you are fallen , and how your ministry 〈◊〉 generated both in its call , and in its maintenance , being diverted quite contrary to what the christian-ministry was once : behold , i say , how you are fallen ! and your ministry quite subverted from what the ministry 〈◊〉 in the dayes of the apostles : then the maintenance of ministers was by a free gift from them that received their ministry ; and they would not make their ministry chargeable to any : but now the maintenance of ministers is by force and cruelty , and great oppression of many people ; and their preaching is chargeable to many nations . then they sought no man's gold , nor money , nor fought riches from the people ; but only sought the people to god ; but now men's money and riches are sought , and taken from them by violence , without regard of seeking people , or bringing people to god. then to eat and drink ( in a house that was worthy ) such things as were set before them ; and to reap carnal things , as meat and drink , and necess●●●es , by a free gift , from them that received their ministry ; this was a sufficient maintenance for the christian ministers : but now , so many hundred pounds by the year , to maintain themselves and their families in pride and idleness , and to reap it by compulsion and injustice from poor people : in this manner are the christi●● ministers now maintain'd , which is manifest to be quite contrary to the practice of christian ministers in the apostles dayes . behold your fall , ye christians , and how you are degenerated ! the lord is come to try you ; and to search you ; you are weighed , and are found too light ; you are measured , and are found wanting ; what the christians once were in their purity , you are not , in many things , but the contrary ; which sheweth that you have the name of christians only by tradition , but are witho●● the life ; and being paralell'd with the christians , who truly follow'd christ , you are no whit equal to them in any thing , but wholy contrary in all things ; shewing you follow another spirit , then they who were followers of the spirit of christ ; so witnessing to the whole world , that you are degenerated , out of christ , the true vine , and are branches in a degenerate stock , which brings fruit forth through you , which hononreth not god , but grieveth his pure spirit : and be witnesses against your selves , that you are fallen and degenerated from that life and practice which was amongst the apostles and christians . again , as concerning your worship ; which is now practiced amongst you christians through the world ; herein also will your apostacy greatly appear ; for the worship of the christians was one , and guided by one spirit , and was in the spirit , and in the truth , saith christ ( iohn . ) concerning the worship of christians , god is a spirit , and they that worship him , must worship him in sp●… 〈◊〉 in truth . and saith the apostle , we are the circumcision , that worship god in s●… rit , and rejoyce in christ iesus , and have no confidence in the flesh , phil. . ● 〈◊〉 these were christians . and also , rom. . . they worshipped god not in the o●…ness of the letter , but in the newness of the spirit ; and the spirit guided them i● all things , and was their teacher in all their worship ; for , the spirit 〈◊〉 them to pray , and they pray'd in the spirit ; and they knew not what they should ●ray for , as they ought , but the spirit made intercession for them , rom. . . and the christians were exhorted to pray in the holy gh●st , jude . and the preaching of christians , it was in the spirit , and by the teachings of the spirit ; for they preached as the spirit gave them utterance , acts . and philip was led by the spirit , and the spirit of the lord moved philip to go and pre●h to the eunuch , acts . and the apostles went up and down , as they were moved and led by the spirit ; and preached and prayed in what place , and at what time and season , as the spirit moved them , and gave them utterance ; sometimes in the fields , and sometimes in houses : this was the practice of the christians in their preaching and praying . and also the apostle said , i will pray with the spirit , and with understanding ; i will sing with the spirit , and with understanding : and he exhorted the christ●… . to speak in psalms , and spiritual songs , singing to the lord , and making melody in their hearts to him , eph. . . now this is the testimony concerning what the worship of christians was , its manifest , that it was in the spirit , and by the teaching of the spirit , their preaching , praying , and singing were in the spirit , taught and exercised therein by the spirit which they had received from god. but now the worship of christians at this day , is not agreeable to this , but being said to the line of judgment , is proved contrary : for first , the christians n●w are divi●ed in their worship , and have many forms of worship , some worshipping after one manner , and others after another ; so that amongst the christians ther●… divers forms of worshipping , and they are striving and con●●ding about th● worship , every one praising their own form , and striving one against anothers form of worship ; and this sheweth , that the christians now are not guided nor exercised by the one spirit of god , in their worship ; and this shews that the christians now are degenerated from the true worship of god in spirit , which once the christians worship stood in ; for then the worship of christians was one , and in one spirit ; but now the worships of christians are many , and divers , and divided one from another , and they are not in unity in their worship , 〈◊〉 in strife and division ; and herein you are apostatized from the life o●…●…ristianity , and its manifest that the worship of chr●…s now , is not in 〈◊〉 s●…t , and in the truth , but in vain traditi●… ; learned in natural knowl●…ge by people that are not converted unto god , and any part of the worship which is now practised amongst christians , whether amongst papists of any sort , or protestants of any sort ; i say ; every part of the worship now practised amongst christians through the world , may by taught unto , and learned of , and exercised in , by a man that knows ●●t god , neither is in the truth , nor converted to the truth ; neither hath the spirit of god guiding nor leading of him : and i say , that which may be done , or practised by a man , that is not in the spirit , nor in the truth , not is yet converted to the knowledge of god , nor is not in any measure gu●●ed by the spirit of god , is not the worship of the true god , which is in the spirit and truth ; but , as i have said , any part of the worship now pr●…sed amongst christians , may be done and practised by aman that is out of the spirit , and out of the truth , and unconverted to the knowledge of god ; 〈◊〉 therefore the worship now pract●●ed amongst christians , is not the true worship of the true god , which is in the spirit and in the truth , and which c●●not be practised without it . many more things might be said , as to prove the worship of christians now , 〈◊〉 practised by them , is not the true worship of the true god ; but this is 〈◊〉 which i have said , that which is practised without the spirit of god , is not the true worship of god , which must be in the spirit , and cannot be practised without it ; but such is the worship of christians ; for the christians●●ow ●●ow generally pray , some after one form , and some after another , in their own wills and times , and know not the movings of the spirit of the father t●ereunto , nor guiding them therein , but in such a manner as they set unto themselves , or as the custom of the country instructs them therein , and know not the intercession of the spirit of the father in them , nor know not the praying in the holy ghost : and as for the preaching of christians , it is not now practised as the christians of old practised it , nor by the same spirit : now they study for what they speak , and gather out of the scriptures ; ●ome having it written in a book what they will preach to the people and this is not to preach as the spirit gives them utterance , neither is this from the teaching or moving of the spirit of god , but by humane art , and humane craft , knowing before-hand , what , and how much to speak , so much as they have collected in their thoughts from such a verse , and how long to preach , till a glass be run , and know what to have for preaching : and this , and such like , is the manner of the preaching now among christians , which hath no savour in it of god's spirit , or of the teachings and leadings of god's spirit in it ; but altogether contrary , to wit , this practice savours of idolatry , and of vain traditions and superstitions . and in short , this practice of preaching among the christians now , is not in the same manner , neither by the same spirit , nor for the same end , as the preaching of the christians was in the dayes of the apostles ; which sheweth , that the christians now are apostatized , and greatly degenerated from what the christians were then : for again , the christian ministers now do not go as they are moved of the lord up and down , from country to country , to convert people to god , as the christian ministers did then : but enquire for places of great maintenance , where there are great store of tythes , and set-wages ; and if they can , there they settle themselves , and preach in manner as i have said . and this practice savours nothing of the teachings of the spirit of god , nor of the movings of that spirit whereby the christian ministers of old were guided ; which sheweth , that the christian ministers now are in the apostacy , and in the degeneration from god , and from what the christian ministers were then . and as concerning the practice of singing no● amongst christians , it is not in the spirit , nor with a good understandi●… but in a vain form and tradition , and not in the spirit of the lor●… 〈◊〉 now the christians , many of them , in a form sing the conditions 〈◊〉 , as david's prayers , and praises , troubles , and afflictions ; when as themselves are in a condition quite contrary to what david was , and so sing that which unto themselves is false , as being out of that condition of which they sing ; and this is not singing with the spirit , neither is it to sing spiritual songs : and others of christians have another manner of singing , all which singing of christians now hath no savour of the teachings of god's spirit in it ; neither is it according , nor by the same spirit , as the singing of the christians once was . a woful apostacy is fallen upon you , ye christians through the world , and you are fallen , you are fallen from the life of christ , and the true pra●… of christianity , as the first christians were in ; then their praying was in the spirit , and the holy ghost ; but now without the spirit , in forms and traditions ; their preaching then was as the spirit led them , and as it gave them utterance ; but now by humane learning and policy , at such a place for so much a year , an hour by a glass , what they have gathered by study upon other mens works : then the singing of christians was in the spirit , and their whole worship was spiritual , in the spirit , and in the truth ; but the singing of christians now , and all their worship , is in vain traditions , exercis'd without the leadings and movings of the spirit of god : then the worship of christians was one , and by one . spirit , now it is divers , and in division , and in many co●trary spirits . alas , oh ye christians ! consider how great is your fall , and how wo●●l your degeneration , in respect of your worship ; fallen greatly from the teaching of the spirit of god , in your praying , in your preaching , and in your singing , to follow humane learning , and worldly policy , and vain traditions , the customs of the country , and your own imaginations , in your praying , preaching , and singing , as i have proved unto you . oh consider how great is your apostacy from the true life of true christianity ! greatly do you err from the pure way , wherein the true christians walked , and being truly paralell'd with them , and measur'd with the spirit of true judgment , you are found not equal to them in any measure , but rather contrary altogether ; shewing you are guided by another spirit then once the christians were , and that you follow another teacher then once they did ; your practices do make it manifest , which are contrary , and not according to what the practice of the christians once were : is not my judgment just upon you ? have you not lost that , and are departed from it , which gave the name of christian ; and so have the name without the thing ; a profession of christianity , but no true title therein ; but having lost that which gave the true title to the name ? so that this is your state , and this is your condition generally , ye christians through the world ; a name you have of christianity , but to the true life thereof , in every particular , are you dead . and now all ye christians upon earth , behold , behold how you are fallen and degenerated in all these things , and many more , which might be named i faln i say from the true christian life and practice , wherein the christians once were ; shewing fully to all the world , that the spirit of christ doth not now guide you christians , but another spirit , which brings forth through you other works and fruits , and of another nature then what the christians once brought forth ; and being compared with them , you are no whit equal ; in the very way and means , whereby you are made christians , you differ from them , and in all your practices , and in life and conversation you are contrary to them : and in respect of your worship and ministry , in every part thereof , are you altogether contrary unto what the christians once were ; yea , in your very apparel you shew a degeneration from the true life and practice in christianity , for the apostle exhorted the christians to adorn themselves in modest apparel , with shamefacedness and sobriety ; not with brodered hair , or gold , or pearls , or costly array , tim. . . and the christians were there exorted , that ●●eir adorning should not be the outward plaiting of the hair , or of wearing gold , or putting 〈◊〉 of apparel . but now amongst ye christians is a practice found quite contrary ; what vanity and excess is in your apparel , striving to excel one another in pride and vain-glory , in your gold , and silver , and costly array ; spending the creation of god to satisfie your lustful minds ; shewing another spirit then was amongst the christians of old , whose words and name ye p●●fess , but are degenerated from the life , in things of greater and less moment . alas , alas ! oh wo is me for you ! how is my spirit often oppressed in the remembrance of your woful fall ? what shall i say unto you but this ? you are revolted , and gone away backward from the way of life ; and you have altogether forgotten god ; and are degenerated from christ , the living vine ; and the anger of the lord is now greatly kindled against you , to consume you , and to confound you , because you are revolted and turned aside from the pure and perfect way of god , which once was manifest amongst christians . and your back-sliding and apostacy is truly compared to that of the iews , who did retain the name of the people of god , after they were turned aside from his commandments ; even as you do retain the name of christians , though you are departed from christ : for the iews had seen and known much of the power , and presence , and hand of the lord , in many great victories and deliverances ; and the lord had chosen them above any other people at that day , to place his name with them , and amongst them ; and yet after all that , they forgot his wondrous works , and rebell'd against him , and became a stiff-necked and hard-hearted people , much more then any other besides them ; and they would not be instructed , nor reclaimed by the voice of the prophets , but smote them , and slew them ; and when christ their saviour came , they would not receive him , nor walk in his wayes ; but crucified him , saying , they would not have t●… man to reign over them . and to this , in every particular , are the christians now found equal , and agreeing with back-sliding israel ; for much of the hand and power of the lord were the christians made partakers of ; and the lord wrought great deliverances for them , when they were few in number , and under heavy yoaks and bondage , through persecution and cruel dealing ; yet then the lord was with them , and increased them greatly in number , and gave them victory in a great measure over all their enemies ; but now are they revolted , even as the iews , and have forgotten god , and greatly rebelled against him , and have turned his love to their lusts , abusing his loving-kindness , and are become a stiff-necked and hard-hearted people , as ever were the iews ; and now you will not be instructed , nor reclaimed from the error of your wayes ; but abound in all manner of unrighteousness , and will not hearken to the voice of the lord , nor return to him ; but are a gainsaying people , and will not return unto him from whom you are fallen ; but hate the light which christ has lightened you withal , neither will have christ to reign over you , but crucifie the life , as the iews did . and as the sacrifices , and oblations , the sabboth-keeping of the iews , and all the works of righteousness , were an abomination to the lord , after they were departed from him ; even the very practice of those things , which god had once commanded them to perform , became a burden to the lord , and his soul could not away with them ; even their new moons and sabboths his soul hated , isa. . and all their sacrifices were , as if they cut off a dogs neck ; and their oblations , as if they offer'd swine's-blood ; and their burning incense , as if they blessed an idol , isa. . i say , the very practice of the iews , after they were revolted , and become disobedient children in those very things which god had commanded them to do and practice , and which once the lord accepted the doing of by his people ; yet after they were turned aside from the leading of his spirit , the practice of the very same works were hateful in the sight of the lord ; when they performed works of righteousness to him , and yet their hearts went after their covetousness , and their practizing of that which god had once commanded to be done , their doing of it was idolatry , and was a burden to the lord's soul ; and their righteousness , and all their practices therein , were as filthy rags , even loathsom in his presence , when their fear towards him was taught them by the precepts of men , and they had lost that pure fear , which 〈◊〉 was taught them of god ; but they were gone from his fear , which should have kept their hearts clean ; and their hears were defiled and poluted , and therefore not any of their performances to him could be accepted , but were altogether become an abomination . and even thus is it at this day , as concerning the sacrifices and performances of christians ; being ( as i have said , and made manifest ) departed from the lord , and from the spirt of christ : all their prayings , and preachings , and singings , their baptisms , and breaking of bread , and even all that which you perform as unto god , as the worship of him , is not accepted , but abomination unto him ; and his soul is burdened with all these things , you not being led with the spirit of christ : and even your practizing of these things , which the saints and christians once practiced , and were accepted of the lord in so doing , while they were led by the spirit of christ ; i say , the very practice of those things now by the christians , being degenerated , is become idolatry , and abomination to the lord. and this i declare in the fear and presence of the lord , even all your praying , and preachings , and profession , all your sabboth-keeping , and set-dayes of humiliation , and even all your practices of religion , which you do and perform , are idolatry , and a burden to the lord's soul , in the state that now you stand , not being led by the spirit of christ , but being from it departed ; and your works not brought forth by it , but by another spirit . and now saith the lord unto you christians ( who are degenerated from the spirit of christ ) to what purpose is your preaching , praying and singing ? they are a vexation and burden to the righteous soul , and the lord hath no delight therein ; away with it , away with it : your profession and practices stincks in the nostrils of the lord : all your baptisms and your sacraments , which ye perform in a vain tradition ▪ and not by the spirit of the lord , they are hateful in his sight ; away with them , away with them ; they shall crumble to the dust , and immediate desolation in one day ; the lord will break them down , and never build them up again . your preaching by a glass , for so much a sermon , or so much a year , what you have gathered out of books ▪ and studied for from other mens words ; town with it , down with it ; it is 〈◊〉 abomination to the lord. and your ministry , which is made and sent forth at schools ; and 〈◊〉 natural learning , through the attainment of such arts and sciences , and being approved of such and such men , and sent forth to such and such a par●… 〈◊〉 have so much money by the year for preaching what hath been studied fo●… and not by the gift of the holy ghost ; away with this ministry , away with it ; it s a mocking of god , and a deceiving of souls ; the lord will confound it , and bring it to destruction . and your singing of the saints words in rhyme and meeter , and their conditions , which your selves never knew ; this is abomination to the lord , and a practice which his soul hater ; away with it , the lord is risen to confound it . away with all your worship , which is not in the spirit , nor in the truth ; but in vain traditions of 〈◊〉 , practiced by you in a vain form , and not the power of god : the lord will being it down to the ground , & restore and establish his own worship , which 〈◊〉 in spirit and in truth ; and he will give , and hath given his ministry again by the gift of the holy ghost , which hath been lost for many ages , while this night of apostacy hath over-spread the world ; and the lord shall 〈◊〉 longer be worshipped in vain traditions of men , but his people shall be re●●red and renewed , to worship him in spirit and truth ; and the christian●ife ●ife shall again be brought forth , and the spirit of christ shall be the leader and teacher of his people : and now the day of the lord's visitation is again revived , for togather his people , and to restore them again to his perfect way and worship . therefore hearken , and behold , ye christians , this is the testimony of the lord ●…erning you ; you have been fallen and degenerated from the life of righteousness , and from the true way and worship of the true god ; and you have long been slumbring and sleeping in this long night of darkness , which overshadow'd you , and darkned that glorious appearance of the 〈◊〉 of god ▪ which once shined upon the christians ; and in blindness and d●… have 〈◊〉 walked for many ages , and your worship hath been subscribed ; to the unknown god ; and wofully have you been wallowing in unclean paths ; and you have erred , you have erred from the life of christ , and from his spirit ; and you are gone from your husband , and follow'd other lovers ; and you have been ●…ed in iniquity , and altogether poluted by transgtession ; and the state in which you now stand , is a state seperated from god , a state of great ignora●… and darkness , and a state of hainous rebellion against god , whose soul and spirit is greatly oppressed and grieved because of your degeneration , who 〈◊〉 become more ignorant of god , then the ox is of his owner , o● the ass of his master's crib ; and even the very same vision is seen concerning you , as the prophet saw concerning israel . therefore hear oh heavens , and give ear oh earth ; for the lord doth speak unto you christians : i have nourished and brought up children , and they have rebell'd against me ; and the ox knows his owner , and the ass his master's crib , but the christians do not know , the people do not consider . ah! sinful nation , a people laden with iniquity , a seed of evil-doers , children that are corrupted , that have forsaken the right way , and provoke the living god to anger , and ye are gone away backward ; the whole head is sick , the whole heart is faint , and from the sole of the foot , even unto the head there is no soundness ; but your conditions are wounds , and bruises , and ●…fying sores ; you are not closed , neither bound up , neither mollified with oy●…ent ; and your country is desolate ; and your cities are burnt as with fire ▪ your land strangers devour it in your presence ; and it is desolate , and overthrown by strangers : and but that the lord of hosts has left us a soul remnant , even a seed , ye christians would have been as sodom ; if any man hath an ear to hear , let him hear : this vision is as true unto you christians , throughout all the world , as ever it was unto the seed of the iews : this is your state , and this is your condition , and thus ye stand in the sight of the lord , though in your beginning ( in the beginning of christianity i mean ) the lord brought up the christians , and nourished them by his living word , and with his word he cherished them , and they grew unto a goodly state , and were ●…pleat in christ , col. . . and they were come to the 〈◊〉 of ●…st men made perfect ; and unto mount sion , the 〈◊〉 of the living god , the h●…ly jerusalem , and to an innumerable company of angels , to the general assembly and church of the first-born , which are written in heaven ; and to god , the iudge of all , hebrews , , , . to this state were the christians nourished and brought up , in the dayes when they were first brought forth , when they were begotten and born again of the immortal word , that abides forever ; and they were sanctified , and purified , and made clean ; unto this were they nourished , and brought up out of darkness , and from under the shaddow of death . but notwithstanding this , the christians now have rebell'd against the lord , and do rebel against him : and though the lord hath been unto them as an owner to the ox , and as a crib to the ass ; even as thus hath the lord been unto the christians , yet they know it not , neither do the christians consider ; but are indeed grown sinful , and laden with iniquity ; and the feed of evil-doers brings sorth its fruit through christians , being become children that are corrupters , having forsaken the lord , and his way , which was made mantfest in the dayes of the apostles , and the lord is greatly provoked ; for the christians are gone backward , from what they were in their beginning , as i have fully made manifest : and this vision of the lord is unto you , all ye christians , even as a 〈◊〉 that is of the most precious seed , and the most noble vine that is planted in a good s●…●…at is digged , and dressed , and grown to a goodly stature , and bringing ●…th some acceptable fruit unto the good husbandman , for a season ; yet this tree becomes blasted by an unwholesome air , and becomes degenerate from its vertue , and property and nature ; and becomes a wild vine , and a pla●… of great disgrace , ceasing to bring forth any good fruit , and becomes fruitful i● all evil , and the labour of the good husbandman is lost ; for , while he loo● for good fruit , nothing appears , but fruit of an evil taste , which is altogether loathsome unto the good husbandman . this parable is unto you christians , and this is your state and your condition ; therefore behold , what shall the lord do unto this tree ? shall he nor cut it down to the ground , and call it into the purging fire ? shall he not lay his ax to the root , and cause all its branches utterly to wither , and cause it to cease in beeing , even as it hath ceased in bringing forth fruit ? shall not the go●… husbandman destroy this 〈◊〉 , with all its corrupt fruit ? and shall not his own hand accomplish the purpose of his own heart ? this tree shall be fuel for this fire of his anger ; he will pluck it up , and not plant it again , because it is degenerated . give ear , all ye christians , to the testimony which is concerning you , you are fallen , you are fallen ; and being compared to what the christians were , you are in 〈◊〉 equal , but are diverted in all your practices , from that spirit which led the apostles 〈◊〉 christian churches ; and your works shew another spirit , then the spirit of iesus ▪ wherefore great is your fall , and to be lamented ; and though you have the name of christians , yet you want the life . an objection . but whereas it may be objected by some , and said , seeing the state of christianity is thus descovered , what it was in its beginning and purity , and what it now is in its degeneration ; and seeing the present state of christians is thus condemned , what do i believe concerning the state of christianity to come ? what shall succeed this present degeneration ? and may it be expected , that ever christianity shall be restor'd to that state of purity , as it was in its beginning ? and whether may people expect to come into the same life again , and to know the same power , and worship and unity , which was amongst the apostles and first christian churches ? and whether do i judge , that ever the ministry can again be receiv'd by the gift of the holy spirit only , without natural learning and languages ? and whether the same spirit is to be waited for , and receiv'd ? and whether the same anointing can be known in this age , or any age to come , as it was in and among the apostles and christians , before the apostacy and degeneration . answ. to all this i answer , and do say , that the present state of christianity is woful , and to be condemned of the lord , as being degenerated from his life , power and spirit ; whereby all hearts are darkened , and all minds estranged from the covenant of life and peace , and from the sence and feeling of the life of god : and now in all the wayes , and worships , and practices of christians , they are fallen and degenerated from that life in which the christians once were ; and the beast hath raigned over all for many ages ; and because of his power , and greatness and dominion , who hath been able to make war with him ? he hath killed the saints , and hath subjected all nations under his power ; and every nation hath received the mark of the beast , and born his image for generations ; and all flesh hath stagger'd , and hath been made drunk with the cup of fornication , that hath been in the hand of the whore , who hath sate upon this beast , who hath caused both small and great to worship him ; and all that would not , he hath had power to kill them . and this government hath ruled over the whole christendom , and the worship practiced hath been but the worship of the beast , while people have been err'd from the spirit of christ , and not guided by it only : and people have been compelled to worship by laws of men ; they have been compelled to sprinkle their infant , ; and they have been compelled to go to steeple-houses ; and compelled to keep a sabboth ; and compelled to hire priests , and to pay them wages against their wills ; and all this compelling by an outward power hath not been the worship of god , but savour'd altogether of the worship of the beast ; for you may read , rev. . , , , . how the beast caused all , both small and great , to worship him ; and all that would not worship him by his power , he hath had power to kill them . and all compelling , and causing to worship by an outward power , is the worship of the beast , for christ , nor his apostles , never caused any to worship god by an outward power : for while christianity kept its purity and authority , they begot people to god , and to worship him , by the word of god , and by the power of the spirit ; and they did not bring any into their sect , nor to worship with them , by an outward law and authority ; for that is in the government of the beast ; it was he that first caused both small and great to conform to his worship , and it is his power that upholds it , and maintains it unto this day . but now the seed of god is arising , which is able to make war with the beast and his kingdom , and his worship shall be thrown down to the ground ; and all this causing and compelling to worship ; causing to keep a day ; and causing to hire teachers , to maintain them ; and this causing to go to steeple-houses , and to maintain them ; and all this causing to pay tythes ; it shall fall to the ground , and be beat down by the seed of god , which is arising , and they shall be no more found among true christians ; nor the beast shall not be worshipped , nor his authority any more of force ; for the day of the lord hath now appeared , and the light is sprung forth , which hath made all things manifest , and now the difference is known , between the worship of the beast , and the worship of the true god. and concerning the state of christianity to come , this i know and believe , a glorious restoration thereof shall appear throughout the whole christendom , and christianity shall again be restored to its former purity ; and christians shall , and may receive the same spirit from which the christians have been degenerated ; and the same life , the same power , and the same worship , and unity shall be revived amongst christians in the restoration ; even the same that was in the beginning before the apostacy ; and the glory of god shall again appear among his people , and they shall again worship him in spirit and in truth only , as they did before the apostacy ; and all this traditional worship , and false imitations which hath been set up since the apostles dayes , shall be overthrown and confounded ; the lord is risen , and will dash down , and overthrow all this idolatry now practized amongst christians : and a great shaking and confounding shall suddenly come among christians ; for the lord will break down that which hath been builded , because it is polluted ; and he will pluck up that which hath been planted , because it is defiled ; and a mighty work will the lord work in the earth , the kingdoms of this world will he change into the kingdoms of christ , and christ shall reign in and among his people ; and his spirit shall be the teacher and leader of his people ; and all false teachers will the lord confound and consume ; all these hirelings who go for gifts and rewards , and all this manner of preaching and teaching , which are come up since the apostles dayes ; all this preaching which they study for , and by a glass , and for so much money a year , all this shall be tumbled down into the pit : god's vengeance shall come upon it all , and the anointing shall be received , and it shall dwell in people , as it did in the apostles ; and the people shall need no other teacher , but as that anointing teacheth all things ; and for this spirit and anointing all that fear god may wait to receive it in this present age ; which spirit brings into the same unity and life , into the same worship and fellowship that was amongst christians in the beginning , before the apostacy ; and this state may christians be restored to ; and for this state all that fear god , and love him , are to wait ; for this shall come to pass in the world. and as concerning the ministry , i know , and do believe it may be , and is received again , as the apostles and christian ministers first received it , to wit , by the eternal spirit and gift thereof , through the revelation of christ jesus in them : and such may and do preach the gospel freely , as they do receive is freely , and without natural learning and languages . for by that can none be made ministers of christ , nor by any thing without the gift of the holy spirit ; and christ's ministry shall again be received thereby ; this i believe : and all this ministry made , and sent forth by natural learning , and without the gift of the holy spirit , the lord will confound it in this age ; for this is come up since the apostles dayes , to make ministers by natural learning , and it stands in the apostacy , from the life and spirit of christ , and its call , and work , and maintenance savours not of the kingdom of christ , and the lord will bring it down , and the gift of his ministry , will he restore by his spirit ; and this is , and shall come to pass , and it may be waited for in this present age ; and the lord will restore his ministry , as in the beginning , and his work shall be glorious ; for many there are , is , and shall be converted to god , and brought out of the degeneration , and to that shall people come which all christendom hath been apostatized from , and shall receive the same spirit , and the same anointing which was amongst the christian churches ; and life and immortality shall again be brought to light through the gospel , which hath been hid for ages while darkness hath been over the minds of people . and i say and testifie before all the world , that christianity shall be restored to its former state ; life shall spring forth ; and truth shall be encreased ; and faith shall wax strong , even the same faith that the apostles had , which gave them victory over all the world , which shall again give people the same victory ; and this shall be known in the earth . for the marriage of the lamb shall come , and all his people shall be joyn'd unto him ; and there shall be one way , and one worship , and one teacher ; and every one shall sit under christ's vine , and none shall make afraid : yea , and more then a vine shall he be known , and more then a door , and more then a shepherd shall he be known to be to his people , and greater then a rock shall he be witnessed to be , and more then a teacher in the wilderness : if any man have an ear to hear , let him 〈◊〉 ; more and greater is he becoming to his people , then is lawful yet to utter : eye hath not seen , nor it hath not entred into the heart of man ; but it is revealed to us by his spirit . the joyful day is approaching , the lamb's wife is making her self ready ; the wedding garment is putting on , and all that which is polluted is to be done away : and blessed is he that cometh to the marriage of the lamb , that he may become one spirit with the creat●r . here is glory and rejoycing forever , when this is known , that the wife hath not power over her own body , but the husband ; nor hath the husband power over his own body , but the wife : where this is known , death is swallowed up of life , and sin is overcome of righteousness , and the inheritance of life eternal comes to be possessed , and death and hell is cast into the lake , and he which hath deceived can deceive no more ; and blessed is the eye that sees this , and the heart that understandeth . wherefore all ye christians upon earth , awake , awake , and put away your whoredoms , cast off your idolatries , and strip you , and make you clean of all your adulteries ; drink no longer of the cup of fornication , nor eat no longer of the abominable flesh , nor wear no longer your garments of unrighteousness ; but strip ye , strip ye , make ye bare ; all your old garments must be put off , before you can appear before the lord. a great work will the lord work amongst you ; he will shake and overthrow all your altars . images and idols , which you have set up and worshipped ; the lord hath uttered his voice ; the beast that hath many heads and many horns shall tremble ; and one head , and one horn only shall be exalted , and the government shall be set up , of whose encrease there shall be no end ; and people shall be brought into that , and they shall go forth no more ; for who come to this , time is no longer , and the kingdom and government is delivered to the father , and he is become all in all . and all that ever come to know these things , must first come to the light of the lamb in them , with which every man is lightned that cometh into the world : and all that ever know these things , must first be brought to the principle of god in them , which they have transgressed against . and all that own the light of christ , and walk in it , shall come to know these things , which to know , and be in them , is eternal life . therefore all ye christians , come to the light which christ hath lightned you withal , and that will let you see the government of satan , and of sin and death , which has been ruling in you ; and the light will teach you to war against it , till it be subdued ; the light will discover unto you that nature , in which the kingdom of satan bears rule ; it will let you see the devil , who is the prince of darkness , who is the adversary of god , who is out of the truth , and he has drawn all people out of the truth ; but if you love the light of christ in you , it will teach you to war against him , and against all that that is out of the truth ; for all that is of satans kingdom , that is out of the truth , and must be destroy'd by the coming of the kingdom of christ ; whose coming is in the light , which christ hath enlightned every man withal ; who comes to destroy the devil , and his kingdom , and all his works : so to the light must all minds be turned , which will reveal the kingdom of the man of sin , and consume it : the appearance of christ is light ; and christ is the light of israel , which is as a fire , to consume all fruitless trees , which cumber the ground , which the lord will consume by the brightness of his coming . and now is the man of sin reveal'd , even in the hearts of christians , so call'd ; and he hath long shew'd himself to be god ; but now the lord will bring him down : for , antichrist has rul'd for many ages , and the lord of life has been crucified in spiritual sodom ; but sodom shall be consumed by fire ; and the lord will avenge himself of all his enemies ; and all people and nations shal know , that there is a god , who executes justice and true judgment , who is a god near at hand , to reward his people with everlasting life ; and to give unto his enemies , judgment and condemnation . written by a friend to the creation ; a servant of the lord , e. b. a declaration to all the world of our faith ; and what we believe , who are called , quakers . and this is written , that all people upon earth may know by whom , and how we are saved , and hope for eternal life , and what we believe concerning god , christ , and the spirit ; and of the things that are eternal , appertaining to all mankind to know and believe . concerning god , christ , and the spirit , thus we believe ▪ first that there is only one true god , who is a spirit ; and his presence filleth heaven and earth ; and he is eternal and everlasting ▪ the creator and preserver of all things ; that heaven and earth , and all things therein by him were framed and brought forth ; and all things ●…in unto this day by his power ; and whatsoever he willeth in heaven and earth ▪ he ●●ings to pass by his word and power . and we believe , that this god only is , and ought to be feared , loved , obeyed and worshipned by all creatures ; and no other thing besides 〈◊〉 in heaven and earth . a●… we believe , that his worship , and obedience , and fear and love is to be given in spirit , even in what his own spirit moveth and leadeth his people unto . and we believe , his true worship , required and accepted of him , 〈◊〉 not by the tradition of men , in outward observances , or set-dayes , o● places ; but he is worshipped only in spirit ●…d tr●th , without respect of time , ●…ces or things ; and that none can worship ●●m in righteousness , but his ●…n , who are born of his spirit , and are led and guided thereby . and we believe , that this god hath given his son christ j●… 〈◊〉 ●●e world , a free gift unto the whole world ; and that every 〈◊〉 that co●…eth into the world is lighted by him , that every man mi●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayed . and we believe . that he is given into the world , and no nation ▪ 〈◊〉 or p●ople excepted ; but unto all mankind is he given of god , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them , and every man through the world , that believeth in him , and receiveth christ , who is the wisdom and power of the father , shall be saved with eternal ' salvation ; and every one that believeth not in him , shall be damned , and shall possess everlasting misery . and we believe , that salvation , iustification , and sanctification , are only in him , and wrought by him , and no other : for there is no other name given under heaven , but h●m alone , by which salvation is . and we believe , all that receive him , and believe in him , are recon●…d to god , and are made alive to god , to live to him in all things , an● do receive the forgiveness of sins , and are set free from all unrighteousness , and from the body of sin and death , and have the witness of the spirit in them ; and the spirit of the father they , have received , and it witnesseth in them of the father and of the son , and of the things that belong unto their peace ; and it is the earnest of the inheritance , and the seal of the promise of eternal life , and by it are the deep things of god revealed to mankind , and by it the father and the son dwells in the saints , and by it have they fellowship one with mother ; and the father , son , and spirit are one . and this we faithfully believe . again , concerning christ , we believe , . that he is one with the father , and was with him before the world was ; and what the father worketh 〈◊〉 is by the son ; for he is the arm of god's salv●…ion , and the very power and wisdom of the creator ; and was , is , and is to come , without beginning or end. and we believe , that all the prophets gave testimony of him , and that he was made manifest in iudea and ierusalem , and did the work of the father , and was persecuted of the iews , and was crucified by his enemies ; and that he was buried , and rose again , according to the scriptures . and we believe , he is now ascended on high , and exalted at the right-hand of the father for evermore ; and that he is glorified with the same glory , that the had before the world was ; and that even the same that came down fro●… heaven , is ascended up to heaven ; and the same that descended is he that ascended . and we believe , even that he that was dead is alive ; and lives for evermore ; and that he cometh , and shall come again , to judge the whole world wi●● righteousness , and all people with equity , and shall give to every man according to his deeds , at the day of judgment when all shall arise to condemnation 〈◊〉 iustification ; he that hath done good shall receive life , and he that hath done evil everlasting condemnation . and we believe , he is to be waited for in spirit , to be known after the spirit , as he was before the world was ; and that is the knowledge unto eternal life , which all that believe in him do receive ; and he subdues death , and destroyes him that hath the power of it ; and restoreth from death to life , and quickeneth by his spirit all that the father hath given him : and we believe such he justifieth and sanctifieth , and such are taught of him ; but he condemns all that believe not , but continue in unbelief , and are not taught or him . and this we faithfully believe . and we believe , that unto all people upon the face of the whole earth , is a time and day of visitation given , that they may return and be saved by christ jesus , who is givn of the father to call the worst of men to repentance ; and the most ungodly of sinners are convinced by him of their ungodly deeds , that they might believe , and be converted and saved . and we believe , herein is the love of god manifested to all mankind ; and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are shut out by him before they were born into the world ; but unto all men is a v●…ation given , and they that do perish it is because they do not believe in christ ; and destruction is of a mans self , but salvation is of god , through believing in his son , who takes away sin , and reneweth into his own image , that they may become heirs with him . and we believe that there is a crown of eternal glory , and an inheritance of eternal life to be injoyed for evermore by all that believe , and are chosen of god ; and that there is an everlasting misery and destruction to be possessed by all that believe not , but continue in the state of reprobation , and are not changed from the wayes of sin and death ; but walk after the wayes of their own hearts lusts , fulfilling the will of the flesh , in the evil of this world , and follow not christ , the light of the world , that they may be saved : and we believe upon all such the wrath of god abideth , and that they have no part in the inheritance of god. and we believe , that it is only he that is born again of the spirit , and that walks after the spirit , who is changed from death to life , and who is redeemed out of the world , and all its wayes ; such only must inherit the kingdom of god , and they only have right thereunto , and none besides , even they that are washed and cleansed from all unrighteousness by the blood of jesus , by which their sins are remitted ; for his blood cleanseth from all unrighteousness and sin ; yea , all such that walk and abide in the light , which christ jesus hath lightened the world withal . and we believe , that the saints upon earth may receive forgiveness of sins , and may be perfectly freed from the body of sin and death , and in christ may be perfect and without sin , and may have victory over all temptations by faith in christ jesus and we believe , every saint , that is called of god , ought to press after perfection , and to overcome the devil and all his temptations upon earth ; and we believe , they that faithfully wait for it shall obtain it , and shall be presented without sin in the image of the father ; and such walk not after the flesh , but after the spirit , and are in covenant with god , and their sins are blotted out , and remembred no more ; for they cease to commit sin , being born of the seed of god. and we believe , the gospel of christ is the power of god unto salvation , and that it ought to be preached freely unto all people , and christ to be held forth unto all mankind , by the ministry sent of him : and we believe this ministry is received by the gift of the holy ghost ; and all they that receive it , are lawfully call'd to the ministry ; and they may preach the gospel of christ freely , as they have receiv'd it freely : and this ministry is not of man , but of god , and is made powerful to the converting of sinners , and to the bringing of people to god , and to the knowledge of his wayes . and we do not believe , that any man is a minister of christ , without the gift of the holy ghost ; or that the gospel can be receiv'd by natural learning or education . and we believe , such as preach for hire , and have hire for preaching , are not the lawful called ministers of the gospel of christ ; such as are proud , and high-minded , and covetous men , who do not profit the people at all ; such as have run , and never were sent of christ , who calleth by his spirit into the work of the ministry ; and as every one hath received the gift of that , his spirit , so he may administer to others . concerning rulers and governour , we believe , that there ought to be rulers and governours in every nation , city , country and town ; and they ought to be such men as fear god , and hate every evil way ; who will judge for god , and not for man ; and will judge righteously , equally and justly , and will give true and sound judgment unto all men , without bribery , or respect of persons , not regarding the rich above the poor ; but being a praise unto all that do well , and a terror to all evil-doers whatsoever ; having knowledge in the pure law of god , and themselves continnally exercised therein . and we believe , that every law of man ought to be grounded upon the law of god , pure reason , and equity being the foundation thereof , that god's witness in every man may answer to it : and the law ought to be known unto all people , before trangression be charged or punished in any man. and we believe that every transgression ought to be punished according to its nature ; and that the punishment exceed not the greatness of the transgression ; neither ought any transgressor to ●…ape unpunished ; neither ought any upon false suspition or iealousies , to be caused to suffer , without the testimony of true men , or the confession of the party . and we believe , that the executors of the law ought to be just men , and not given to pride , drunkenness , or any other evil whatsoever ; and ought to be chosen every year , or otherwise , by the consent of the people ; and that no man be stopped of his free choyce , except justly taxed . and we believe , that all governours and rulers ought to be accountable to the people , and to the next proceeding rulers , for all their actions , which may be enquir'd into upon occasion ; and that the chiefest of the rulers be subject under the law , and punishable by it , if they be transgressors , as well as the poorest of the people : and th●● true judgment and justice will be brought forth in the earth , and all that do well will have praise , and live in rest and peace ; and all evil-doers whatsoever may stand in awe , and be afraid of god , and just men , and the execution of iust laws . concerning religion , we believe , that it is only the spirit of the lord that makes men truly religious ; and that no man ought to be compell'd to , or from any exercise or practice in religion , by any outward law or power , but every man ought to be left free , as the lord shall perswade his own mind , in doing , or leaving undone this , or the other practice in religion ; and every man , of what profession in religion soever , ought to be protected in peace , provided himself be a man of peace , not seeking the wrong of any mans person or estate . and we believe , that to oppose false opinions , and unsound doctrines and principles , seeking to convince them that oppose themselves , by exhortation , or sharp reproof , by word or writing , ought nor to be counted a breach of the peace ; or to strive about the things of the kingdom of god , by men of contrary minds or judgments , this ought not to be punishable by the magistrates and their laws ; for we believe , the outward laws and powers of the earth are only to preserve mens persons and estates , and not to preserve men in opinions ; neither ought the law of the nation to be laid upon mens consciences , to bind them to , or from such a judgment or practice in religion : and we believe , that christ is , and ought only to be lord and exerciser of mens consciences ; and his spirit only must lead into all truth . and we believe , that obedience and subjection in the lord belongs to superiors , and that subjects ought to obey in the lord those that have rule over them ; and that children ought to obey their parents , and wives their husbands , and servants their masters , in all things which are according to god , which stands in the exercise of a pure conscience towards god : but where rulers , parents , or masters , or any other , command or require subjection in any thing which is contrary to god , or not according to him , to such causes all people are free , and ought to obey god rather then man : and we believe , that herein god will justifie them , being guided and led by his spirit in all that which is good , and out of all that which is evil. again , we believe concerning election and reprobation , that there is a state of election , and a state of reprobation , a state chosen of god , and a state rejected of god , and that all man-kind are in one of these states ; all that are elected , are elected in christ ; and all that are out of him are in the state reprobate , bringing forth fruits of death and darkness , being children of wrath and disobedience , in the alienation and separation from god , in the transgression , unreconcil'd to god , the enmity ruling in the heart , being in the fall , and not restor'd to god again , but ignorant of his power , and of his wisdom , having the understanding darkened , that they cannot see nor perceive the things that are eternal ; and in this condition his best works are sin , and whatsoever he doth , he cannot be accepted of god ; for he is dead to god , and alive to all evil , b●inging forth all his works out of that ground which is cursed . this is the condition of all mankind upon the face of the earth , in the first ad●… , and this is the state of reprobation ; and all that abide herein are rejected of god , and ●…ll never inherit eternal life , but go in●● perdition ; yet have all such a day of visitation , that they may return out of the state of repr●…tion ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…ledge , and des●…sing the love of god , ●●ey con●… i●●he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wrath of g●…d abides upon them . ●…t they t●…t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of god , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wrath ; for they believe in the light , and bec●…●…ldren of the light , and are renewed in mind and h●… , and recei●… the love of the father , and become planted into christ , the second ad●… , 〈◊〉 are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him to bring forth fruit ●nto the father , and ●ll their fruit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●●om 〈◊〉 gr●…d which is ●…ssed ; for they are led by the spirit of th● fa●…r ; and ●…ch are in the state of election , who are ●ade he●rs with christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eve●… inheritance , that never fades away . and this we faithfully believe , that ●…cy is not shewed to the reprobate , nor judgment to them that are chosen of god. and this is to go abroad in the world , that all p●…ple m●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and wh●● 〈◊〉 have receiv'd of god ; and they that believe this , and walk●… 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 father shall be saved ; but they that belie●e 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be condemned , because they do not believe . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be ●…tten , 〈◊〉 in ●…rt , this is given forth , by one that hath believed and received the knowledge of th●se things from god , a friend unto all people , e. b. some of the principles of the quakers ( scornfully so called by men ) vindicated , and proved sound , and true , and according to the scriptures : in opposition to the false charges , and lying reports , given forth against the truth , in two printed books ; put forth by one philip taverner , a supposed minister of the gospel , in middlesex near uxbridge . and hereby truth is manifested and discovered , and the controversie determined by the judgment of truth , between philip taverner aforesaid , the accuser , and edward burroughs , defendant of the truth , who contends for the faith of the gospel , and for the word of god in the heart , against all such gainsayers , as have the form of godliness , but deny the power ; and many such are in this age. whereas p. taverner , one of truth 's opposers ( whether thro●… ignorance or subtilty , i now determine not ) hath again appear'd against me and the truth in print , as in vindication of himself , and his former work ; who about four moneths ago , gave a false relation of a dispute ; but instead of mending the matter , he hath made his own cause the more vile , as may appear to such who take a perfect view of the proceedings from the beginning to the end thereof : now the intent of this my reply is to clear the truth further , and to take off his false aspersions , which he hath cast upon my innocent words in my former book , in answer to his first . and as for the rest of his book , which hath no relation to mine , nor to the dispute , i shall pass it by . the title of my first book was , something of truth made manifest , &c. to which sayst thou , a plausible title to cover a railing and bitter spirit under , that it may walk in the world less suspected , &c. reply , my words are truth ; for in 〈◊〉 ●●ok truth was made ●●●ifest to ●…y in relation to the former dispute , to the satisfaction of many : and as 〈◊〉 ●…ing an●●●●●erness of spirit , i do deny ; only i am zealo●● for the 〈◊〉 truth ▪ to speak plainly , by reproving them that gain-say it ; and to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 god in every mans conscience 〈◊〉 i desire to be manifest , and seek not 〈◊〉 wor●… to cov●● e●… , th●● 〈◊〉 may not be s●… 〈◊〉 ●●ou 〈◊〉 ●…y to 〈◊〉 ●…t : but let all my enemies s●…ct w●…at th●…●…ill ; 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to stand approved , and no● of man 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 ●ew in●…rd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of man , but of god : and as for railing language , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●●●inst thee , i have used none , but spoke the truth in plainness . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●●ing thou ●…est to st●… at , is , where●● i s●…d [ i suppose thou 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…d thy self mr. philip tavern●● . ] ●nd ●●ou now 〈◊〉 to hide 〈◊〉 s●… from the force of my words to the sight of the world● 〈◊〉 appears 〈◊〉 to ●…ke upon thee with some shame ; and thou sayest , th●… 〈◊〉 not pre●… mr. before thy name , but the stationer did it ; who ( sayst ●●ou ) w●… pleased to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 man with that title , &c. rep. no● instead of clearing himself , he hath shewed mo●e guilt of ambition , 〈◊〉 ●efore ; and my words were , [ i supposed ] and not an absolute 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith ; and had not i good reason to suppose it , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was his a●…n , being also contrary to the express command of christ , mat. . 〈◊〉 in●…eed , i hardly ever read any superscription like to it , by the greatest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of men , as men accoun● ; and it is a thing far above humility , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●●●●●ming any man , much less one that professeth himself to be a 〈◊〉 of christ , to subscribe himself , o● be with his consent , mr. such an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seems to cover himself from ambition , because saith he , he did it 〈◊〉 himself , but another ; i say , i shall not charge him here with falshood ; but i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is very unusual for any man to add any thing to another mans book , without his knowledge ; i never knew it done by any stationer , who hath had 〈◊〉 knowledge of their wayes : but yet he acknowledges it was done in honour to him , to subscribe him master ; and here he hath justified the thing ; and 〈◊〉 , that he is indeed guilty of ambition , who confesseth , that it is an 〈◊〉 to him , to be subscribed mr. by another ; for he saith , the man that 〈◊〉 ●● honoured him with that title : and here men may take notice what honour ●●is my adversary looks after , even the honour that christ forbiddeth , who 〈◊〉 ●● his ministers , be not ye called of men masters ; but the man hath honour●… 〈◊〉 taverner with titling him mr. as he saith . t●● next thing treated proves also that he is ambitious ; for he plead● much the lawfulness of titles , of civil respects , as he calls it ; and this is all to justi●… the title of master to himself , and thereupon hath wrested divers scriptures : 〈◊〉 though the unbelieving greeks used the word , master , or ioh●…● ● . 〈◊〉 ●e hath quoted , is this an example sufficient for christians to break the ●…and of christ ? mat. . . neither are any other scriptures a warrant 〈◊〉 thy man so to do ; though for a whole page he treats only as for the lawful●… of ●●ch titles , yet in the end would shut guilt from his own door , that he 〈◊〉 not titles ; for he saith , this he speaks not that he would have it so done to 〈◊〉 . and this his seeming to justifie himself proves himself guilty , knowing that he had given truly occasion for people to judge he would have it so ; and in the end would blind the minds of the simple with words of seeming humility , that he would not have it so done to him , as if he cared not for it . and whereas i said in my first [ that i am without any prejudice towards the man ( viz. ) p. t. ] he saith , i must give him leave to question it ; first , from my railing words against him ; secondly , from my scornful pitty expressed , &c. ( saith he . ) rep. i have no prejudice against him , god is my witness ; and he may que●… what he will , who is in the unbelief ; for its manifest by his former , that he questions where he hath no just occasion , shewing much prejudice in himself , for he said in his first relation , commenting upon some of my words , if by such words i meant so , then it was truth ; but if i meant so , then it was false : and 〈◊〉 not this a perfect sign of prejudice in him , who had not just occasion to except against the words as they lay ; nor could not condemn them , but upon giving his own interpretation of them first ? whereupon i said in my first answer , p. . [ alas poor man ! must i be judged upon thy own meaning , &c. ] and yet in 〈◊〉 words i shewed no scornful pitty to him , though he falsly supposeth it , and s●… it ; and so while he cannot believe that i am without prejudice against him , 〈◊〉 hath shewed himself guilty of prejudice towards me and my words , to be see● , and justly believed by many . and whereas he sait● , it s doubtful how●… i own the authority of the scrip●… ; because i say in my first , [ we through patience and comfort of the scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hope ] have had hope , saith he : now it seems , because i place my words , 〈◊〉 have had hope , his unbelieving doubtful heart questions whether i own the ●●thority of scriptures ; and would falsly conclude , that through the comfort of the scriptures we have no hope now ; and saith he , are you now flown so high that you need not , &c. pag. . and therefore i may now answer further , ye● , through the promise of the lord , declared in scripture , we have hope 〈◊〉 this present , that god will bring down and overthrow all such that deceive the 〈◊〉 , who are made ministers by man , and of man , at schools and colledges ; and all this set maintenance by tythes , and casting people into prison , and spoiling their goods to maintain ministers , as at this day in the nation ; many hundreds have been cast into prison , and many hundred pounds worth of cattel , 〈◊〉 bedding , and all kind of goods have been distrained for to maintain the ministry . i say , we have hope , according to the scriptures , that god will being down all this , and your preaching for money , and bargaining with people 〈◊〉 so much the year , and your preaching what you have studied for from the scriptures , by a glass in a steeple-house , where the mass used to be said ; god will confound all this , and poor people shall be delivered from the mouthes of those deceivers , that make a prey upon them , and preach for hire , and seek for their gain from their quarter ; and these things , with many other , we hope for at present : wherefore think not in thy self , we now do not hope ; for we 〈◊〉 do , and and have had hope , through patience and comfort of the scriptures . whereas i charged p. t. in my last , [ that he had wronged both me and the tr●●● in his relation , &c. ] which he saith in his answer is false ; and he saith , he 〈◊〉 not apprehend me and the truth so well agreed , that it is possible to wrong us both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 &c. pag. . rep. that he wronged me it appears , in his not relating all that i said 〈◊〉 the dispute ( the ground of this quarrel ) not by half and more i k●… ; and in relating more then himself spoke , by far : and let sober men judge ●…ther he did not here wrong me , in relating a thing that passed between us , 〈◊〉 relating much more then ever he spoke , and much less then i spoke ; if the truth of that matter ( were it wrong or right matter ) and my self also , be not by this kind of doctrine wronged , i appeal to all honest people , whilst both he and i 〈◊〉 silent : so the false-dealing and wrong in his first book , is upon him still , according to my charge , unremoved . and the lye in this his last book , in that he saith , i say falsly ; when i have spoken the truth , which is a lye in the highest degree , in saying when i spok● the truth , that i spoke falsly ; and his proof , in that the truth and i do not agree , is , because i said in my first , [ the saints have no need of scriptures to teach them ; but the spirit of the father leadeth and teacheth into all truth . ] rep. my words are justifiable ; for , it is the spirit that leadeth into all truth , john . and the saints need no man to teach them , but they have the a●●inting within them ; and they know all things by the unction , john : and the spirit of the father is given them , by which the scriptures were given forth ; and the lord is the teacher of his people ; and they need not any to say to them , know the lord , ier. . ye they that witness this , do not make the scripture of none effect , but own it in its place , yet not as their teacher ; for then they should deny the new covenant , ier. . and then something besides the spirit leads into truth , and they have something to teach them besides the anointing : but if this be all the proof that can be given against me , that i and the truth do not agree , i doubt not but ●ll spiritual men will see the emptiness and weakness of the witness against me ; and will be more confirmed , rather then shaken , that i and the truth do fully agree , though p. t. speaks otherwise falsly against me ; and as if i had contradicted the apostles words , which he quotes against me , who saith , whatsoever things were written afore time , were written for our learning ; which scripture i do own , and no way contradict ; it s the error of his judgment , which so judgeth ; for , even they for whom the things that were written , were for their learning ; yet they were led into all truth by the teachings of the spirit , and they were taught of the father ; and what was written to them , was not written because they knew not truth , or to teach them truth , iohn . . let him learn what this means . the next thing he notes is , whereas i said [ i then proved ( meaning at the dispute ) b●… scriptures , that some were perfect in this life , cor. . . even perfect without sin , john . . john . . ] and to gainsay this he hath brought , john . . if 〈◊〉 say we have no sin , we deceive our selves , and the truth is not in us : and saith he , who speaks truth in this e. b. or the apostle ? as if i had spoken contrary to the apostle : solomon also ( saith he ) tell us , there is not a iust man upon earth , that doth good , and sinneth not : which also he brings as a witness against what i have affirmed . rep. it s true , i held forth a state of perfection to be waited for , and attained ●●to upon earth ; and i am not ashamed of my principle , neither is it found too light , for that scripture , cor. . . doth testifie , that some were perfect upon earth in the dayes of the apostles ; and if they were so , the same is to be waited for and witnessed in this age ; for the hand of the lord is not shortened : and that scripture , iohn . whosoever abideth in him , sinneth not ; and 〈◊〉 is born of god doth not commit sin , vers . , . doth clearly manifest , there is a ●●●te upon earth free from sin , wherein power is received and felt over all temptations , and over the devil , even such an estate , that the wicked one can●…●●ch such that are born of god ; and this was the thing i held forth , and do vindi●…e against all opposers ; that the saints may wait for , and witness upon earth , to have power over sin , and over its temptations , and free from the committing of sin , by the power of the second adam living and dwelling in th●● : and thus must thou believe p. t. or else thou believest not scripture , ●●● that any are born of god , or abide in christ ; if thou believest not that , t●… confess thou errest in judgment , who art unbelieving of what the script●… bears witness of . therefore tell me plainly if thou believest , that there ●…y that are born of god , and abide in christ ; then must thou believe , 〈◊〉 do not commit sin ; el●e thou deniest the scripture : and what i held forth herein , i do not contradict the apostle , nor solomon's words ; for its true the apostle said , if we say we have no sin we , deceive our selves : but art thou so blind that thou dost not see , he speaks there of a state before confession of sins ; and the words saith the apostle , if we confess our sins , he is faithful and just to forgive us 〈◊〉 sins , and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness ; so i do agree with the apostle's words , and do not contradict them : for i do say , if any say they have no sin , before they do confess their sin , and forsake their sin , and be cleansed from it , i do say they are lyars , and the truth not in them ; and i also say , if that after a ma● hath confest his sin , and be cleansed from it , and hath his sin forgiven him , and witnesseth that he is born of god , and does not commit sin ; i say , he 〈◊〉 the truth also , and the truth is in him . and though solomon did say , there is not a just man upon earth , that doth good , and sins not ; yet is my affirmation true notwithstanding ; for solomon forgat the lord , and his heart went after many strange women , and became a transgressor , and in that state did not know the birth born of god , which doth not commit sin ; for he was but under the administration of the law , which doth not make perfect , as pert●… to the conscience ; and peradventure in that state ; he being erred from god , he did not see any that did not sin : these things will be plain to some ▪ though perhaps thou mayst shut thine eye against them ; and solomen was not our example in conversation , i am sure , nor hardly in doctrine . and thus i 〈◊〉 weighed thy text , which thou seemest to say before , i have not weighed ; and my principles are proved sound , and thou and thine too light , and the 〈◊〉 the lord will scatter them . and p. t. confesses , every real-hearted christian may be , and is in 〈◊〉 called perfect . rep. then wherefore doth he oppose me , who testifieth the same thing ? and he now confesseth even , that every real-hearted christian may be , and is called perfect in scripture : and is not he here guilty , in that he charged me falsly , in pag. . of his last , with going rounds , like unto a horse in a mill , who sometimes denies perfection , and sometimes confesses it , to be attained in this life ? but he is forced in the end to confess to the truth , and to iustifie me ▪ and also the scripture doth testifie , the saints were already perfect and compleat in christ , while they were in the life upon earth , col. . though there be a time wherein all the saints do complain of the body of sin , in their warfare and travel ; yet there is a state also , wherein they have put off the ●…doy of sin , and are the servants of righteousness , and free from sin , rom. 〈◊〉 . . but p. t. shews little experience in those states , as of the travel under the body of death , and also of the victory over it ; and so what he spe●… is but by guess from other mens words , and then it is no marvel if he errs in ●udgment , and bring one scripture to contradict another , not having the inf●… spirit that gave it forth , nor feeling the states , nor the passing thorow these conditions declared therein , for there is a time of travelling , and complaining under the body of sin , and its burden ; and a time of freedom from it , and victory over it , yea , even in this life upon earth . and whereas i said in my last , [ many of the saints daily received more and 〈◊〉 of god's wisdom , and of his power and life revealed in them , wherein they grow in to god from strength to strength . ] now saith he , but whether he doth not own some to have attained so high , that there can be no addition , is a query ; my soul ( saith he ) 〈◊〉 not been able to enter into his secrets in this thing , ( because my words were , mary of the saints , &c. ) rep. my first words it seems he cannot contradict , but owns them to be the , so i need not defend them ; only he supposeth a question , in which there is not much edification to be answered ; and i have no secrets in what i speak ; for to the the children of light my words are plain , though to p. t. and such , they may be parables and secrets : but as for my own particular , i now here answer 〈◊〉 question , and further reply , i do grow up in wisdom and knowledge daily ; and never knew so much of t 's . deceit , as now i do , since , and at the dispute ( the ground of this our debate ) so i thought good to let him know , that i do grow in truth , which doth daily discover more and more deceit in him , and them that oppose truth ; and so also grow in the knowledge of his error of judgment and ignorance , that i may condemn it , and judge it . and whereas i said , [ the light which everyman is lightned withal by christ , is sufficient to bring up every man to believe in christ , that loves the light , and walks in it ; and unto such is grace added and encreased daily , & . ] as in page of my first more appeareth , in opposition to this , to overthrow it , as he supposeth , he hath nominated that scripture , cor. . . the natural man perceiveth not the things of the spirit of ●… 〈◊〉 now my words are true , and no contradiction to the apostle's words ; 〈◊〉 to such as are blind , that cannot discern between light and darkness ; 〈◊〉 will judge falsly , and out of an evil mind make an appearance of seeming 〈◊〉 where there is none ; for the light that lighteth every man that 〈◊〉 the world , is christ , iohn . ● . . and that christ , the light , that 〈◊〉 every 〈◊〉 that comes into the world , is sufficient to bring every man , 〈◊〉 loves the light , and walks in it , to believe in christ ; these are my words , 〈…〉 mind ; and would any man , that were not stark blind , make 〈…〉 this doctrine ; or bring a scripture to prove the contrary ? 〈…〉 i own , and do no way contradict ; for the 〈◊〉 man doth 〈◊〉 the things of god , nor know 〈◊〉 : yet this is not contrary to what i say , 〈◊〉 christ jesus lighteth every man that comes into the world 〈◊〉 light 〈◊〉 is sufficient ; and he changeth men from natural to 〈◊〉 so they 〈◊〉 to believe in christ , that hath lightened 〈…〉 say , or hold forth , that the natural man 〈…〉 god , and that the natural man hath faith , 〈◊〉 never 〈…〉 to my mind to say : so he hath drawn 〈◊〉 evil consequence 〈…〉 and then confounded his own 〈…〉 for my saying and intent is , that 〈…〉 the world ; and his light is 〈…〉 natural to spiritual , and to give 〈…〉 things of god , and of his spiri● 〈…〉 is no contradiction to the apostles wor●● though 〈…〉 understanding , i suppose , rather than 〈…〉 principle is proved sound , and the title of the 〈◊〉 a lye. and whereas i said , [ that christ wrought righteousness perfectly 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 righteousness in all that believe , and 〈…〉 or that hath not the other . ] pag. . of my first . he saith , wh●ther i do 〈◊〉 iustification and sanctification , he leaves all rational men to judge , &c. 〈◊〉 that christ wrought righteousness without us is not denyed by him , 〈…〉 the righteousness of the law in the 〈◊〉 he cannot well deny ; 〈◊〉 read rom. . . and that no man is justified by the righteousness that 〈◊〉 wrought without , who believes not , nor is converted to god , but in the 〈◊〉 of satan : this all the children of god believe , and know , that none 〈◊〉 justified by christ's righteousness without 〈◊〉 who are convert●● to god 〈◊〉 received christ ; and he is in them , 〈◊〉 else they are 〈◊〉 and not justified : and so i am not ashamed of my principle 〈…〉 to be too light ; for he that hath not christ , 〈…〉 is a reprobate , and not justified by an● righteousness without . neither 〈◊〉 found . iustification and sanctification , which be 〈…〉 are one in christ ; for he is made unto us sanctification and iustification ; and 〈…〉 that is in the pollutions of the world , unsanctified , is not justified 〈◊〉 condemned & so none are justified by a righteousness without them , but 〈◊〉 in the same corrupt 〈◊〉 with him , must not i be judged 〈…〉 justifie , if any work be 〈…〉 in the strength and power of 〈…〉 strength , then 〈…〉 and that no work or word is justified , but what the ●… : and though p.t. ignorantly commenceth 〈◊〉 these words , yet are they words of 〈◊〉 and righteousness , and all that he saith 〈◊〉 nothing to the 〈◊〉 and whereas i did ask him , which he had ignorantly affirmed in his 〈…〉 that righteousness , which christ works ●… , in his strength and 〈…〉 is called our righteousness ? ] which he see●● to answer , but 〈…〉 my words ; for i meant not ours by enjoyment , but ours 〈…〉 the prophet speaks , when 〈…〉 righteousness that christ works in us by his spirit , and the power of his 〈◊〉 is ours by enjoyment in the second adam , as the gift of god to us ; but 〈…〉 in the first adam , in the righteousness of the law , in the 〈…〉 and that was the strength of my query ▪ where that righteousness ▪ 〈…〉 us by the spirit and strength of christ ; and not in our own , is called our ●●●●teousness , ours as in the first adam : but i see thou hast not understood 〈…〉 of my query for weakness of understanding ; and then how should 〈◊〉 rightly answer it ? also i queried , [ how christ working righteousness in us , by the power of 〈◊〉 not by our own strength , can be called the righteousness of the law ] 〈…〉 now i meant , the righteousness of the law in the flesh , and not 〈◊〉 spirit ; i know the working of christ 〈◊〉 in us to will and 〈◊〉 do by 〈…〉 and strength , and power of grace , is the fulfilling the righteou●●●●● 〈◊〉 the law 〈◊〉 christ in us , but it is not the righteousness of the law in the 〈…〉 but to this thou hast not answered , 〈…〉 conceiving , and not the innocency of my queries . and whereas he stumbles , and is offended , because i said , [ no 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 in any word or work , but what they are led unto by the spirit , and those words 〈◊〉 the spirit leads unto , 〈…〉 no other words or works . ] and from 〈◊〉 would falsly 〈…〉 i●●●ification by works , and by something 〈…〉 i say , no , 〈…〉 shall no flesh living be justified , 〈…〉 that moveth and leadeth 〈…〉 and works of truth and righteous●●●● 〈…〉 words and works which he is 〈…〉 and this is not 〈…〉 apostle's words , which he seem● 〈…〉 against me 〈…〉 while we were sinners , christ dyed for us ; 〈…〉 justified by his blood , ●… : this is not 〈◊〉 what i say , for we do 〈◊〉 the blood of iesus to justifie , but yet not 〈◊〉 are not cleansed by it , and 〈◊〉 by the spirit into all truth , but it is 〈◊〉 are justified only , who are led into all truth by his spirit , such are 〈◊〉 by his blood in the spirit , and 〈◊〉 from w●●●● , who are born of the 〈◊〉 word , but they 〈…〉 are not justified , nor saved ●… . then he querieth ▪ whether i 〈◊〉 pardon of sin out of doors ? 〈◊〉 i answer , no , for they that are 〈◊〉 into all truth by the spirit 〈…〉 are pardoned , and forgiven , and 〈◊〉 no more , but blotted 〈…〉 cannot be read ; for they are ●leased from it , and commit no● sin . then he asketh , whether 〈…〉 causes of iustification ; the one , ●… ? re● . i say , 〈…〉 and the work of righteousness is in god , 〈◊〉 free love and m●●●● , which is ov●● 〈…〉 works , and they receive the 〈◊〉 of it , and the gift of it , that are led by the spirit , as the effect thereof , 〈◊〉 none else . though he asketh , whether forgiveness of sin hath its rice from 〈◊〉 christ worketh in us , or from what christ hath done and suffered for us ? i say , 〈◊〉 soever christ hath done and suffered with 〈…〉 while man hath not rece●●●● christ , nor the work of christ in him , but remains in the first adam , in tra●●gression , the true work and ground of iustification he knows not , nor 〈◊〉 not , neither knows the mediator-ship between god and him . then 〈◊〉 the conclusion of this matter p.t. saith 〈◊〉 for to ●●ow , e.b. 〈◊〉 the truth are not so 〈…〉 forsake 〈◊〉 &c. rep. hold friend , come back again ▪ what 〈◊〉 thou proved yet any thing against me , save that i hold the t●●●● ? thou hast 〈◊〉 a co●●●●sion too soon , without sound evidence , and thou 〈◊〉 not be iudge in thy own cause ; neither hast thou prov'd me and the truth to disagree 〈…〉 may judge . it appears thou art the man that seemest to be righteous in thy own eye 〈◊〉 none falsly herein ; for , who can clear themselves from the guilt of it , of that generation ? if any , i condemn them not ; but can p. t. do it ? ask his neighbours . hath not he sums of money by the year , tythes , or other wages for , preaching ? try him a little , give him nothing for a year or two , and then if he preach to you , and never complain for want of wages and money , then i 〈◊〉 believe he is clear , and then he may better boast than he can now : and as for 〈◊〉 vers of that function in that country , they have cas● men into prison , where they yet lie , and taken suit of them at law , and taken their goods , because some could not for conscience sake give you hire , and tythes , and money ; and 〈◊〉 ●hese free ; or guilty of my charge ? let the lord judge , and all his saints . he saith , he doth not plead for all who go under the name of ministers in england ; he fears there is many of them no better then wolves in s●●ep's clothing ▪ ●●c . then why doth he not come out , and cry against them , but remain ●●●●●gst them 〈◊〉 their practice ? for wherein can he clear himself of anyone thing , which they are guilty of which he confesses are wolves in sheep's clothing ? was not his call the same 〈◊〉 theirs ? ●●d is not his practice in ministry and maintenance gen●rally the same with theirs ? if he hath ought to say , to clear himself , we will answer further 〈◊〉 other●ise all men shall judge . that while he accuseth some of england's ministers to be vvolves in sheep's clothing , himself is found also guilty ; except ▪ i say he can make appear a perfect difference between ●his call , practice , and maintenance , and theirs , which he is never able to do , or to justifie that he is not of the same nature , and by the same spirit , but contrary to theirs , that he accuses ▪ and 〈◊〉 to be ●●lves in sh●●●● clothing : and i have as much gro●●● to suspect him to be one of the wolves in sheeps clothing , as he has ground to suspect his own companions and 〈◊〉 to be such . and in that he saith , 〈◊〉 of the quakers ▪ have been found guilty of blasphemy and that some of them are found vain light person● ▪ or ●eady , and high-minded . rep. he doth here secretly charge and prove nothing ; for blasphemy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 come out of and have deny'd all lightness after the flesh and high-mi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and if any such come among us , they are deny'd , and are not of us till 〈◊〉 be converted to god ▪ and turned from all evil : but this his secret charge against others is but that himself may seem cl●● ▪ then he asks , are all guilty of preaching for hire , and divining for 〈◊〉 and ●●ds me . not condemn the generation of the righteous ; and then ●●nfesses ▪ 〈◊〉 take that 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ▪ or that which they have given by persons ; and justifies it , and saith ▪ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a preaching for hire , &c. pag. . of his last . r●p ▪ all that i 〈◊〉 to be guilty ▪ are so ▪ for i charge not the 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 the country people ask them how many of their teachers are 〈◊〉 and have not money . tyth●● ▪ nor other things for preaching ▪ and i have 〈◊〉 heed of condemning the righteous , and yet dare not let the guilty go 〈◊〉 ed 〈◊〉 unreproved 〈◊〉 therefore 〈◊〉 i do reprove : and now in the 〈◊〉 hath justified preaching for hire 〈…〉 in the same page seemed to den● 〈◊〉 but 〈…〉 maintenance according to gospel ministry , as pract●●●● in the 〈◊〉 of christ , and his apostles ; or whether that comes not 〈◊〉 accounts 〈◊〉 preaching for hire , in taking gifts , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 states , and gifts of 〈◊〉 ▪ which thou justifiest : no such maintenance did christ allow to his ministers ▪ as to take sums of money yearly for preaching , nor such things were never iustified 〈◊〉 christ ▪ but into whatsoever house ye enter ▪ eat such things as are set before you 〈◊〉 ▪ christ ; and that is balaam's practice , to take gifts of the state , or 〈…〉 would have taken the gift of balack . so by their own account the 〈…〉 ( for some of them ●●ou pleadest not for ) go 〈◊〉 gifts and rewards , 〈◊〉 false brethren did in the dayes of the apostles ; for ▪ though you would seem to clear them of preaching for hire , yet hast thou proved them guilty of preaching for gifts and rewards : and is not their taking ▪ gifts from the state and persons , which thou justifiest , a perfect preaching for gifts and rewards , as ever the false brethren , which the true apostles declar●● against ? and so out of thy own mo●th they are proved such ( even the best of t●… 〈◊〉 thou vindica●est ) as go in ▪ 〈◊〉 's 〈◊〉 ▪ preaching ●or gif●● and r●… ▪ and is it not time now for people to 〈◊〉 from you , who are found , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 own ●●●fession , in balaam's way , and in the way of the false apostles ▪ ●…ing ●or gifts and rewards from persons , and from the state ; and so but of 〈◊〉 ●●●th i 'am justified , and your selves condemned . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i ●…d , [ who are d●●● sheph●rds , which do not gather you to god , 〈◊〉 ▪ and he ●aith , there are many , who lift up their voices , as a trumpet , to tell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●●●s , &c. 〈◊〉 . it app●… 〈◊〉 through all the nation , that people 〈◊〉 not gathered to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth 〈◊〉 wickedness abound , and people shew forth an unconv●rted 〈◊〉 ▪ ●nd 〈◊〉 ●…gh man● may out of hypocrisie , and for ends to themsel●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 si●… in others , and live themselves in the same , people hereby 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●t all ; 〈◊〉 such as have run ▪ and not been sent , do n●● profit t●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●●r while themselves live in that , which they cry against in others , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lord is not with them , to convert sinn●rs . but for a better di●… 〈◊〉 ●he teachers of this generation ▪ i refer the reade● 〈◊〉 a book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lawful tryal of the teachers , &c. wherein th●● are set forth what th●● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…ing he hath observed , is , where i charged him in my last , to have given ●…on of much more then he spa●● ; said i , [ i bel●●ve f●●● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 less then i spake at that disp●… ] and at this he seems to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 himself guilty , but not 〈◊〉 ●o mu●… as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ▪ well , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were there present , who h●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 m●●ter ▪ m●y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to my charge in this particular ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 n●… 〈◊〉 cl●●r himself at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad to confess himself guilty by 〈◊〉 ▪ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 n●●●o much 〈◊〉 ●s i spoke ; and yet called his relation , a faithful acc●… ; 〈◊〉 was 〈◊〉 ●…d ●…faithful , though 〈◊〉 he would seem to cover himself , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 charging him too deeply ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wo●●●●●●ain true upon him , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 former work was ●●●ther p●… ▪ no●●…together honest ▪ and 〈◊〉 th●● he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whit amended it , but the rath●● 〈◊〉 his weakness more 〈◊〉 , as 〈◊〉 ●…est reader may judge . 〈◊〉 where●● i charged him with a ●…ain ▪ 〈◊〉 ▪ 〈◊〉 spirit ; because his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…d , t●● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ▪ and 〈◊〉 wo●●● 〈◊〉 himself from my 〈◊〉 , and sayes , that it was a n●… accor●…g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. 〈◊〉 my charge on him w●● true ; for 〈◊〉 title did favour of a scorn●●● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the name , 〈◊〉 ●as given in scorn and 〈◊〉 , and 〈◊〉 ●o 〈◊〉 did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ▪ a●● as for going ro●… , o●●hich 〈◊〉 spea●… ▪ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…ilty ▪ a● before i have shew●… ▪ 〈◊〉 ●…ing a thing 〈◊〉 then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ▪ ●…ged , [ th●… ] 〈…〉 prov'd in my charge , 〈◊〉 he is not a●… 〈…〉 and false 〈◊〉 , by 〈…〉 more 〈…〉 〈◊〉 then i spoke ; and this he confesses ●●ll ; and that i 〈◊〉 su●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; ●nd untrue ; and he 〈◊〉 no●●imself ●f it , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ▪ 〈…〉 ●… . their ●… , in that 〈…〉 〈◊〉 relate truly : but he hath taken in hand to relate that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 truly , as in my ●…st i did make 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seen , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ▪ something of tru●● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ▪ 〈◊〉 wh●…●…e again charged the 〈◊〉 with a spirit of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the sp●… ; ( saith 〈◊〉 ) &c. rep. he here again charges falsly ; for we know that scorning and jeers aft●● the flesh are not works of the spirit , nor fruits of it , but that we have d●nyed and its ca●● out , 〈◊〉 do we scorn or jeer any , ●●ing a● in isa. ●… . then he no less then confesses his wrong-dealing , who in his last changed 〈◊〉 words , from called to ●●ned , which word is of much consequence in that 〈◊〉 but would cover r. g. by saying , that r. g. 〈◊〉 not undertake to prove the sc●… considered as meer writings , but the thing contained in the scriptures , to be th● 〈◊〉 god , &c. rep. here p. t. hath endeavour'd to mend the matter , by his concep●… 〈◊〉 meaning given to g's . words ; now the words of r. goodgroom were , 〈◊〉 he would prove the letter the word ; and upon that brought his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not the letter meer writings , and nothing else , but whe●… 〈◊〉 see they 〈◊〉 not make good their own words , then they turn off the stren●… of 〈◊〉 by they meant so , or they meant so ; and no man ever ye● could , or can prove 〈◊〉 all the scriptures , that the letter ( the writings ) are called the word 〈◊〉 as i still confessed , that which is written of is the word ; and the w●… the words that declare of the word , which was in the beginning . but 〈◊〉 would fain ●●concile this difference between us ; say they , the w●… letter , are the word ; say i , that which is written of , is the word : now 〈◊〉 these are great difference , as spiritual men may judge ; as much as 〈◊〉 dead trumpet ; and a living breath sounded through it : nay , it s hard 〈◊〉 concile that which is contrary in nature , they must leave preaching for 〈◊〉 and ●ease to take tyth●● and 〈◊〉 preaching , before i can be at 〈◊〉 another bi●th 〈◊〉 speak and liv●…●hem , and that which now lives in th●● 〈◊〉 be slain , and their cr●wn 〈◊〉 dow● before reconciled i can be to them , 〈◊〉 to me ; though i have 〈◊〉 against persons , more the● the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them that opposed the truth ; nor no weapon shall i use against th●m ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is spiritual , and the sword that goes out of the lamb's mouth . 〈◊〉 the many scriptures which he quotes , page . ●o neither say nor sig●… 〈◊〉 the letter ( the writings ) are the word , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●●●●ed ; though : m●… 〈◊〉 . . ) ●…id , he would 〈◊〉 them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the lord ; did he then shew 〈◊〉 letter , the writings , the scripture ? i say . no ; therefore he did not 〈◊〉 writings and the letter the w●rd of god , as you affirmed , ●nd s●… 〈◊〉 prove : but tho●●…test 〈◊〉 , an●●rovest ●othing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though m●ny times the word o● the lord came to such a prophet , and to 〈◊〉 prophet , as thou 〈◊〉 proved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , i●●l , and others ; yet did the wr●… and the letter come to them , or that which the letter and writings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let wise men judge : that , no● all thou ca●st ●ay , doth not prove , 〈◊〉 writings , the letter , is ●…e 〈◊〉 of god , or th●…●…ver any 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of god called them 〈◊〉 : 〈◊〉 ●hat 〈◊〉 better proof be given , which i ne●●● 〈◊〉 need not revoke any 〈◊〉 that i have said contrary , ] viz. th●● 〈◊〉 letter 〈◊〉 tings are the word , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holy man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so called : but still i say , the 〈◊〉 tings and lette● are not the word 〈◊〉 the ●●ing wri●●en of , is the word 〈◊〉 that lives forever . then 〈◊〉 that i charged r. g. with saying ; wh●● i had my 〈◊〉 in my 〈◊〉 the dispute , i had the ●…ing signified in my 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; which thi●● 〈…〉 first relation had much ●●●●●fied , but now he see●… to acknowledges 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and excuses it , by supposing it was , a slip of his t●… , the highe●●●…tter of 〈◊〉 in it ▪ 〈◊〉 . ●s for the words , 〈◊〉 only 〈◊〉 self , but di●… others do will 〈…〉 them spoken by r. g. 〈◊〉 fellow d●…tant ; and had he or 〈…〉 a s●… of the tongue , 〈◊〉 had gone no ●…ther ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 th●● 〈◊〉 , in thy 〈…〉 lation , gave a wrong account thereof and had laid down the thing qui●● 〈…〉 wise then he spoke it , this made the matter more a transgression , and thy 〈◊〉 count to be false ; neither am i rea●y to catch words from the 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 pon●●t , as thou charge●● me ; bu● that char●●●… ●…●…ust needs make use of it , to shew the folly 〈◊〉 s●●h men that will so do , 〈…〉 of their own mouthe● often , and by their own words to confound them ; 〈…〉 ●…hou have me to give away 〈◊〉 just cause , through neglect of hearing 〈◊〉 ●…ing notice of such fou● words ; as to say , i had the thing in my h●…d that was 〈…〉 〈◊〉 the bible , when i 〈◊〉 the bible in my hand ; and so ●et deceit a top on me 〈…〉 of reproving evil ▪ i am otherwise taught , do thou judge what thou 〈…〉 my principles are found to agree with the script●re ; for it 〈…〉 shall be ●…ed by 〈◊〉 words , and by his words shall 〈◊〉 be condemned . 〈…〉 ●…y answers to his q●eries , raised from some words of mine writ●… 〈◊〉 , the standard , &c. my answer ; sayst thou , is little else 〈…〉 thing over again , &c. now i say , it● needless here to tran●… 〈◊〉 and an●…rs over again ; but let them be looked in my first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 something of truth made manifest , &c. whe●… it may be seen , that 〈…〉 suffici●●t , and laid down to the satisfaction of all reasonable 〈…〉 be resolved ; though thou sayst , th●●● i● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evidence of truth 〈…〉 first ; but dost not at all discover the falsness 〈◊〉 them 〈◊〉 any parti●…ar , 〈…〉 been right for thee to have ●●●e , and not to ●ave charged evil 〈…〉 my answers , and prove nothing ; but 〈…〉 believe him , ex●… 〈…〉 ●is words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 oracle ▪ for them ●…t ●●●e rec●●ved the good 〈…〉 cannot believe him . 〈…〉 conclusion , he charges me 〈◊〉 ●…sh kind of 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 〈…〉 [ w●… can be in the 〈◊〉 of s●ch 〈◊〉 that 〈…〉 so ba● 〈◊〉 〈…〉 s●… 〈◊〉 w●●ds ? ] when in his former he 〈◊〉 ●…luded , that i 〈…〉 doctrine , and weakened the 〈◊〉 o● 〈◊〉 scri●… , to 〈…〉 ●…ng thoughts of them ; and such 〈◊〉 ; because i ●…d affi●…d the 〈…〉 saying , [ the devil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…ing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scri●… ] 〈…〉 i not reason to question what is in his heart , who had the boldness , 〈…〉 ●o 〈◊〉 evilly against me , as he d●d 〈◊〉 proving 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●o what i said : and in that i did charge dark●ess 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●pon 〈◊〉 i do , and may still , till he repen●● ; for doth he not accuse me falsly in 〈◊〉 things , as in saying , my principles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 light , &c. but proves not parti●… his charge : and in his first book accused us , as if we had a pope in our 〈◊〉 , which words are both lies and scornful ? and are not ▪ th●●● things true 〈◊〉 that he is in darkness and blindness ; and so my charge is 〈◊〉 false upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he saith , he will not judge e. b. ●astily , &c. 〈◊〉 . hast not thou falsly judged me already 〈◊〉 many things , as i have shewed ? 〈…〉 the lord in time may let thee see thy judgment is false , and awaken thy 〈…〉 to repentance ; and then shalt thou confess , i have done thee no 〈…〉 but the wrong-dealing lies at thy door : so that by what is said , the 〈…〉 thy book is a lye , and utterly false ; which is , some principles of edw. ●… , called a quaker , examined , and found too light . 〈…〉 now in this i shall not be judge altogether in my own cause , but leave 〈…〉 the view of sober men , and require their judgment , when they have read 〈…〉 ●…erly over , what one particular , instanced by him , is proved to be un●ound 〈…〉 light ? for , according to the testimony of the holy ●en of god in scrip●…●●●reby may i confirm the truth of what i have , and do hold forth ; and to 〈…〉 ●…ns conscience do commend my self , to be approved in the sight of god ; 〈◊〉 good report or bad report of men i regard not , but tr●●d over them both ; 〈◊〉 ●●●rein the truth is wronged , i am bound to give my evidence for it , and 〈…〉 opposers ; and that is the very end of this my present work to contend 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 truth , and not for mastery , though truth doth give me mastery over 〈◊〉 ; and to hold forth the same faith , light and truth which the apostles 〈…〉 before the apostacy , which hath been clouded in all this dark night of ●…cy , which hath been over the world for many ages , since the man-child 〈◊〉 ●…ght up to god , and the woman ●●ed into the wilderness , spoken of in the revelations ; but now the light is made manifest , and the glory of the lord is revealing , and the day is dawned , and the , night is over to ●…y , and the subversion of this ministry now in england , is clearly seen from 〈…〉 ministry of christ was in the dayes of the apostles . and now as concerning this controversie , between p● . t●●●●●●r and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , whoever is not satisfied herewith ; but desires a full and true account of the 〈◊〉 , may peruse his first book , called , the q●●kers-rounds , &c. 〈◊〉 〈…〉 answer called , something of truth made manifest , in opposition to a false 〈◊〉 , &c , and then his second book , called , some principles of e●w . burr●… , 〈◊〉 , and then this my last ; let them be all read in order , and so●…ly , by 〈…〉 not satisfied about the matter , and i doubt not but thereby you may 〈◊〉 who is in the truth , and who is in the error : and they may fee , that 〈…〉 he hath not faithfully answered , but pass'd by many material particul●rs , 〈…〉 something hath no way seem'd to clear himself of what i have truly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on him , but he remains under the guilt of my charge ; and to the ligh● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in every mans co●science ; and to all whose judgments are thereby 〈◊〉 ▪ 〈◊〉 refer my self to 〈◊〉 judged ; and what i have written , i leave to be judg●● . and divers other things there are held forth by philip t●… , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have said little to ; but they are recorded as his principles , among a ●… ▪ ber of the priests and professors , in a book answered to go abroad , called 〈◊〉 priests and pross●●s principles , 〈◊〉 the quaker ' s answer to them ; w●… 〈…〉 desire further to he satisfied may in reading many hundred of particular 〈…〉 and affirmations of doctrine , held forth by preaching and print by the 〈…〉 which are ans●…d , 〈◊〉 the error of them shown ; to which i refer 〈◊〉 〈…〉 to know more if what i have here written be not enough : for the ●… ▪ tion of truth is my crown and life , over all the world. london , the th of the th moneth , . edward burr●… a testimony against a great idolatry committed : and a true mourning of the lord's servant , 〈◊〉 the many considerations of his heart , upon that occasion of the great stir about an image made and carried from ▪ 〈…〉 place to another ; happening the th day of the th moneth . it came to pass , and happened , that being at kingston upon thames , the the th day of the ninth moneth , it was ordered the next morning , that i came from thence to london ; and as i entred in at charing-cross , i be●●ld a very great multitude of people gathering together , and thronging and pressing exceedingly ; and the whole streets were filled , from one side to the other , upwards and downwards , so far as i could see ; with abundance gazing forth at every window , and upon the belconies , and house-tops ; and the glass was ●…d down for people to look out into the streets ; and an exceeding number of people there was , all the streets so thronged , that i thought it could not be possible that any more could throng in , or pass by : and there were guards of souldiers , both of horse and foot ; and they stayed me , and stopped my horse ; and said , i might not pass that way ; neither indeed could i well , by reason of the throng of people : and i stay'd a very little , but presently passed back another way , in a kind of wondering at this great stir i found in my way ; and i beheld all spirits of people were up in a wonderment and admiration , and gazing they were , and hurrying , as if some marvellous and great thing had happened to them , or were to be seen by them ; and i felt the spirits of men , women and children were all on fire , and they were in an admiring frame , and in a condition not usual . and as i passed along , i turned in my mind , to see of the lord what this thing might be , and what might be the end of it , and why was this gathering , and running , and thronging of multitudes in this manner , and in this frame ; and presently , upon consideration , i perceived that a dead image , and invented picture would be carry'd that way ; and that all this pressing , and stir , and the gathering of this great multitude , was only to see and behold a dead image without life or breath ; and then my spirit was grieved , and my soul was vexed within me ; and it run through me , vanity , vanity , folly , and madness : what is all this setting of guards , gathering of people in such thronging multitudes , and pulling down the glass , and gazing of men , women and children , high and low ; rich and poor , people of all sorts that were come together ? is all this wondering of people and inflaming of spirits in this admiring mood ? is all this ( said i ) but to see a dead invented image of wood or wax , arrayed and decked with some foolish inventions ? said my spirit , oh abominable ! oh idolatry ! oh folly and vanity ! and my life was grieved . what is all this preparation of people in this wondering frame , but to behold an image carried , and to see simple foolish people following after it in their idolatrous rob●● and gestures , such who had invented it , and been at cost with it ? and then my spirit was burdened , and the very smell of idolatry and abomination entred upon me , and the weight of all this iniquity came into me , and vexed the righteous ; and the very sence of this abomination seized upon my life , and i felt the burden of their so great wickedness ; the making the image i felt a burden , and all the foolish circumstances about it , for many dayes , and the peoples folly and madness , that so gathered and pressed to behold it , and so wondred after it , was a burden to me , and they that carry'd it in their foolish gest●●● : all this is iniquity and abomination , said my spirit ; and i was loaden therewith , and said , certainly the judgments of god will meet with this work , and the lord will be avenged because of it ; and their souls should once feel the burden of it with terror , as mine at this present . and it came into me , it might be some would be wounded , or pressed to death , or some wickedness would come out of this wickedness , that the anger of the lord might break forth , and smite such as were the foundation of this sinful abomination ; and my spirit had a deep sence of the greatness and sinfulness of this high and mighty idolatry ; and it wounded me , and made me sad : but immediately ( from that temper ) on a very sudden my spirit was changed , and i was filled with the indignation of the lord god against this image , and this stir about it ; his plagues , and fury and fire run through me to cry , plagues , plagues and vengeance against them , because of this abomination : and i found my spirit set on fire with the very power of god rising in me against this idolatry , that if i had been moved to it , and it had been possible to have done it , i could have ridden through the guards , and over the multitude , to have sounded the judgments of god , and his woes amongst them , and through them ; and i could then have engaged the loss of my life , that the lord might have been revenged upon this image , and image-makers , and image-followers , and image-wonderers after , that my soul might be freed from its present burden , through this grle●… wickedness : said i what silly , foolish , blind , ignorant people are these ? what a power hath the devil over them ! and how are they led captive at his will ! what an influence hath the sight of a dead image upon their dead hearts and carnal minds ! was ever the like , said i ? is there greater abomination at rome ? what blindness and sencelesness is over the hearts of this people ? and after this manner , for a good season after , my spirit within me aggravated and unfolded this great abomination , tumbling it over and over in my own breast , with a secret pitty for their souls which were ensnared and captivated through all this wickedness . but further , i considered , that all this abomination and sinful idolatry is about the funeral of the late oliver cromwel ; then said i , what for him ! alas for him ! who was once a great instrument in the hand of the lord , to break down many idolatrous images , and grievous idols ; and did not the lord once stir up his heart against all such things ? and did not once his children , officers , and his brave souldiers and army , pull down all the images and crosses , and all such like popish stuff where ever they met with it ? and said my spirit , what grievous and abominable work is this ? have they now made a costly image of him ? and are such as were once his souldiers now guarding it , and watching over it ? and his children and officers following it , and multitudes of the inhabitants of london wondering and gazing after an image of him ? this is sad , said i , and great pitty , what a change is this in so short a time ? was it but a few years since that he , and his army , and his servants , and his children , and officers , were so zealous to throw down images , pictures , and i●●l● , that they could not endure the sight and worshipping of them ? and have they now made an image of him , which his officers , children and kindred are carrying from place to place , and following it , and multitudes caused to wonder after it ? what a change is this , said i ? oh sad ! are people run●…g after images again , as in the time of popery ? and have they made an 〈◊〉 and deckt it with costly array , and set it up for people to visit a long time , and then haling it from place to place ? are they doing this in london , as they do at rome amongst papists ? this is pittiful : but how cometh this to pass ? i began to consider , and said , i knew the man , when he was living , and 〈◊〉 the knowledge of his spirit ; and i was perswaded ; if it had been asked him in his life time , if such work should be acted about him , such an image made like 〈◊〉 , and laid for so long time in a 〈◊〉 place , and manner , and them carried by his ●…ed , and children , kindred , and army , and then set up in such a place , and he removed from place to place . i say , i believe he would have denied it , and said , it shall not ●e thus for me when i am dead ; i suppose he would not have suffered it thus to have been ; he was more wife , i thought , he would have said ; nay , what , to ma●… image of me , and deck it diversly from one form to another , and visit it ; and then carry it from place to place , up and down ! this will be a shame to 〈◊〉 children , and a disgrace to my kindred , and a reproach to my officers , and whole army , and all the nation will mock and be offended , and they may 〈◊〉 . these are they that were once enemies to all images and dead idols , and 〈◊〉 them down , and broke them down ; and are these now making an image , 〈◊〉 setting it up , and wondering after it from place to place ? nay , ( might be have said ) if thus it be done , they at rome may laugh us to scorn , and the pa●…s may say , we have learned of them , and put their persons from among us , and ba●… , and killed them , and set up their practices : sure he would have said thus ; 〈◊〉 i am certain , the witness of god in his conscience might truly have said it , because it is truth . but upon another consideration , i said this is come to pass after this manner , though he was once zealous against all popery , yet he did too much forget that good cause , and too much sought the greatness and honour of the world , and loved the praise of men , and took flattering titles , and vain respects of deceit●●l men , and many great abominations were upheld through him , as tythes , and old mass-houses , and ordaining of ministers by mans will , and the false ●…ips , and sprinkling of infants , and such like popish stuff , first invented at rome ; and he suffered the servants of the lord to be persecuted , and imprison●… , for denying and crying against such things as were popish , and which himself sometime seemed to deny ; and because of this , said i this may justly be come to pass , that an idolatrous image and picture , should be made of him ●●en he is dead , and decked , and laid in a sumptuous manner , and visited , and then carried from place to place , ( as was usual in the time of popery ) for mul●…es of foolish people to gaze upon , and wonder after , and admire , and praise● , that all men might see the first cause is lost , and that zeal , which his kindred and army had once in their hearts against popery , is extinguished , and people are turned again 〈◊〉 gaze after images , which is popish ; for such practises that day between somersett-●ouse and westminster were first ordained at rome , and practised by the papists ; and he that suffered many to be imprisoned ; for denying and crying against such worships and practices , as were in themselves popish , and which he himself once fought against ; it s happened now , when he is dead ; and it s suffer'd now that they should make a fool of him in a popish way and manner : for such practices are no other then foolery and foolishness , tending to the dishonour of a good man. but in the midst of my considerations , a pitty struck through me , for once noble oliver , that is now dead , and his place no more found ; and i was grieved he should be thus abused , being dead , by such a stir about an image made of him , for many weeks together , as hath been ; and i began to recal my former acquaintance with him , and the former dealings of god towards him , and what a gallant instrument for the lord he once was ; and how many glorious and noble victories god once gave him ; and what good parts , and what a gallant spirit there was in him , and how once he shewed me , and declared what the former dealing of the lord had been upon his soul ; and how he was troubled in conscience formerly ; & my spirit run through many such things , with a great deal of sexiousness and pitty : and then said i , alas , alas ! is it ended all in this ? all his former good service for god and the nations ; all his victories , and his good actions , and his beating down superstition ; is this the end of it all ; the making of an image , and carrying it from place to place ? is it ended all here , what formerly he hath been , and what he hath done ? how hath this cloud of folly cast a stink and darkness upon his former brightness , and glory , and nobleness ? and is this the end , and final farwel of once noble oliver ? what , only the sight of an image carried and set up ? hath the city of london , and the nations to better memento of him ? but , oh ! had he been faithfull to the end , to god , he would have left a more lively and heavenly character to have been read for his sake , then an image of him , and such idolatrous practises ; and my life could have sorrowed upon some considerations passed through me about this business , and for some hours my spirit could not rest ; and in the very time it lay upon me to write this : and after all this , said my spirit ; where are all the old priests now , and his ancient teachers , who once had a great zeal against all these things , and against all such practises ? where are they now ? are they blind also , said i , that they cannot see this abominable idolatry , and cry against it ? had they any hand in it ? or were they consenters to these things ? what is become of them ? is their zeal for the lord , and against idolatry quite gone ? thought i , they might have prevented this disgrace to their old master , who hath served them well , and set them in great places , and put them in large benefices , and they might have done something for him when he is dead , and have prevented this folly , and idolatry , which is acted upon him this day ; for certainly all people in the nation that fear god will be offended , and judge in their hearts such work , the framing of an image , and sounding trumpets , and beating drums before it , and cloathing horses in mourning , and trayling their pikes ; and even the very honourable of the nation clad in mourning , and following this image , and all this stir , and cost , and preparation for many weeks before-hand , and such decking in mourning attire of great and noble men , and all but to accompany an image from one place to another , whereby people are deceived , who might look upon it to be the burial of oliver protector ; whenas it was but an image , made by hands , & decked & trimed in a vain manner , as if it had bin some poppit play ; which if it had been indeed his bones , they had accompanied to the ground in such a manner , that had bin less condemnable , and i should not had ought against it : but for the wisemen in the nation to be chief in these things , and to exercise themselves in such folly and vanity , this grieves the righteous soul ; and if i should justifie it , the lord would condemn me : but the shame will fall upon themselves that acted it , and chiefly upon their priests and teachers , because they were consenting to such vanity , and piece of popery , as this was : and had these old doctors and teachers feared god , and their hearts been aright towards him , they would have endeavoured the stopping of this abomination ; and another way might have been thought upon , whereby a more lively and godly monument of their old master might have stood to generations . what shall the making , and visiting , and carrying , and setting up of a dead image , for foolish people to gaze upon , and run wondring after in their wicked minds ? must this be all the monument ? and shall we have no other representation of once noble cromwel ? is his life , and former glory and nobleness shaddow'd with the sight of a dead image ? alas ! this presents nothing at all to such as fear god , but folly , and ignorance , vanity , and idolatry ; and when they look upon it , they shall be grieved in their spirits , and vexed when they can find no more monument of that once noble man , but an invented ●…ge and picture ; and the priests shall be ashamed , and may have the greatest rebuke ; for they that lead the people have caused them to err . and now upon the whole matter , from the very beginning to the end thereof , i do declare against it ; and that a fearful abomination hath been committed in the sight of the lord , in relation to this image ; and you have vext the lord's soul ; and his hand you shall feel upon your consciences , and the weight thereof in the time to come : the spending of so much of the creation , and wasting money , and other things , the lord will lay to your charge ; and the whole city hath been abused with running and wondring after the work of your own hands . and now all you that have gone to gaze and wonder after an image ; what saw you ? what beheld you ? what wondered you after , ought except folly and vanity , and a dead image , whereby ▪ the man and his nobility was abused , in honour to whom they say it was done ? and when many dayes were spent , what were you the better ? what were you edified ? were you not convinced of your 〈◊〉 folly ? and might not your wickedness reprove you ? and did not the li●… in your own consciences check you , and prick you ▪ and condemn your vain minds , that wondred after folly ? though now you may be hardned , yet 〈◊〉 day you shall confess , when the witness of god in you doth arise , and bring all your deeds to remembrance ; then shall you say , this work was abomination , and 〈◊〉 great sin in them , who invented it , and caused it to be brought forth , and your selves that 〈◊〉 wondred after it ; and the judgments of the lord are against all these things . e. b. a message proclaimed , by divine authority ; from the chosen assembly of the redeemed people in england , to the pope ( chief bishop ) of rome , and to his cardinals , jesuits and priests , and all other the officers of the romish church , where it shall meet with them through the world : that they may appear , and come forth to tryal ; and shew if they have the same faith , power , spirit , authority and government , as had the apostles and true churches , before the apostacy . and this is a full invitation and challenge to the whole church of rome , and the beginning of controversie with her , for the perfect manifestation of the long hidden truth ; betwixt them that are in the truth it self , and such as have the form , but not the power ; that all things may be brought to light , and true judgment . whereas we , a poor , despised , and rejected people , among the nations of the earth ; yet dreadful and mighty , because the majesty and presence of the lord god is with us , who hath called us , and chosen us , and gathered us , and redeemed us from among men , out of kindreds , and multitudes and peoples , into one body and one spirit , out of all the sects upon the earth ; and we are of one mind and one soul ; having fellowship with the son , and with the father ; being come through great tribulations , and many fiery tryals , and are refined and purified , and made clean and white in the blood of the lamb ; being fully recover'd out of the great deluge of darkness and apostacy , which hath overflown and drowned the whole world , and all nations , since the dayes of the true churches and holy apostles . and know ye , that we are none of all the many sects , nor of the divers wayes , and formal worshippers , that are but in the imitations , fiegned of what the saints of old spoke and performed in the power and spirit of god ; which hath been spoken and practized by all the divers sects and false churches , without the spirit , power and life , that was in the apostles ; so that all religion hath been , and the profession and practice thereof , for many ages ; but as the floating of a broken vessel upon the waters , driven with the several winds , wanting anchor , and skilful marriners , which have not carried to perfect rest the hope of eternal life . but know ye , that now at last , through our long and wearied travels , and after all our tedious seekings , and our zealous practises and profession in christianity performed by us , while darkness covered us , and the earth ; hath the lord set us safe upon the rock christ jesus , upon whom the church of christ firmly standeth , and the gates of hell cannot prevail against ; and he hath made our habitation sure upon the mountain of his house , which is established upon the top of the mountains , whereunto we now are gathered , and rest in a certain hope and tried confidence , and doth view the whole world , and the state of all mankind , and measureth the times and seasons thoroughout generations ; and the state of the church we perfectly know , by the inspiration of the almighty , her estate before the apostles dayes , and in the apostles dayes , and since the apostles dayes , and her increase , and decrease , and estate , since the beginning of the world till now , and at this present time , to us is certainly known , by the spirit of jesus , and the light of the lamb , which now is risen upon our mountain , and shines in our habitations . and first we certifie you , as for the many false sects and churches ( so called ) and many of the divers worshippers , and separated forms of churches , risen up since the apostles dayes , from the least of them to the greatest , we have searched and examined , and are not fully satisfied ( but rather the contrary ) that they are perfectly sound in the faith , but rather degenerated , from the power , spirit , and life that was in the apostles , and among the true churches before the apostacy ; and we have sought out their first original and root , and we find they fall short of the true church and the apostles ; first in respect of time , many generations ; and also in respect of life , and power , and purity , and they want the spirit , and dominion , and government , that the true churches and apostles possessed ; and we certainly believe , they are many of them come up , and risen in a dark night , long since the dayes of the apostles , while the sun was yet unrisen , and while the mountains of ignorance , blindness , and wickedness covered the face of the earth , and the clouds of darkness remained upon the face of the whole heavens ; and while yet the man-child remains in god , being caught up to him , and the woman lodged in the desolate wilderness , being thither fled because of the great red dragon . and we believe not , that any of them are the lambs wife , lawfully joyned to him , neither are they the virgin , in which there is no spot ; nor the spouse , truly in election to christ the bridegroom ; for we have had controversie with them this divers years , and weighed them , and measured them in the ballance of equity , and they appear to us , not to be of a true descent from that vine , into which true church was planted ; but their original may be of a latter race . and to say no more of them , we certainly know they are foully spotted , and have not the favour , nor parts , nor garments of a virgin ; and christ the bridegroom they have deeply wronged , for many false sects have risen out of the great whore , the mother of harlots , who hath been in open and secret fornication , ever since the days of the apostles , and such are her off-spring , and not of the true seed , elect , which is heir by right , of the inheritance of life eternal , the kingdom which hath no end . and for as much as the church of rome hath openly pleaded , as we have heard , and some of your members also to our faces , that she is indeed the true church , and she alone , and none besides , and that you can fetch your original by line truly from the apostles , and church of the saints , and are not degenerated in any particular of faith , doctrine , nor practise , from the life , and power , and government , and spirit which was among the true church , and in the apostles . these things , with others the like , have we heard of you , and concerning you , by many : and now , because the lord hath put it into our hearts , to have controversie with you , and to seek out perfectly your original , and to justifie you , or condemn you accordingly ; and having the certain infallible spirit of the lord god to try all things , we are purposed in the lord to visit you , and to examine to the foundation , your rise , and first beginning , from whence you come by descent , and what you truly are in your present estate ; and whether you be indeed the true church , and have the true spirit ; or whether you are otherwise ; that all the world may be satisfied , and more perfectly know the full truth concerning the church of rome ; and your seed and root we will examine , and your birth and original we will search out ; and your faith , and worship , and whole religion we will lay to the line of true judgement , to justifie you , or condemn you eternally ; for the saints shall judge the world ; and your garments shall be stripped off , and your secrets discovered , and your whole body , and members made fully manifest , that the very truth of all things may appear , and be embraced , and the whoredoms of the whole earth may be laid open , that the just and the innocent , that hath long lain groaning in great captivity , may be delivered from under all bonds of oppressions , whoredoms , and iniquities ; and this will the eternal god , by us , speedily bring to pass amongst you . wherefore thou pope , greatly admired , and highly exalted , and to all thy cardinals , friers , iesuits , and priests , and all other officers under thee ; i am moved of the lord god of heaven and earth , ( who is the only holiness , and highest of all ) by this message to visit you , requiring you , and charging you , in the name and authority of the dreadfull and mighty god , before whom all men and nations are as nothing in comparison , but may be turned at his pleasure , and dashed to pieces by his mighty hand ; and unto whom all the sons of adam in the world must give an account : and as you will answer it to him i● his dreadful day of judgment and vengeance , and as you love and will obey your god and christ whom you profess and serve ; and as you would honour your god , and bring people to your way and worship , and religion , upon these ingagements , and by the authority of the almighty , i lay it upon you to answer , and for you to return your knowledge and opinions to the particulars following , which i am moved by the lord to query and demand of you , that your doctrines , practises , and worships , and whole religion , in every part thereof , may be viewed , and examined , and measured according to the saints and apostles writings , and may thereby be cleared , or otherwise reproved and condemned : and if your profession and practises in religion be sprung from the true grounds , and true spirit , and your church be indeed the true church , that can prove her pedigree truly descended from the church of christ , before the apostacy , and clear her self from all degeneration in every degree , and that she is perfect in the faith , and worship , and practises of the holy church and apostles of old ; then shall all that love god , and fear him , and hopes for life eternal , separate themselves from all sects , and apostates , separated from you , and come in , and return again to you , as to a faithful mother , and joyn with you in all things , and add themselves to your church only , and renounce and deny all the contrary , that is not of you ; and so shall your names and honour be increased through all the earth . but and if after lawful trial , and just examination , and searching out the matter , it be proved against you , that you are degenerated from what the true church and apostles were , and are not builded upon christ the true rock and foundation , but diverted from the power , life , and spirit , and true religion which the apostles were in ; and that your church is not the true church , but a false sect , and your original cannot be fetch'd from the apostles , but is of a latter and more corrupted race ; then shall you deny all your religion , and church , and renounce your profession and practises , and come to them , and joyn with them , that can prove their church to be the true church , and can fetch their original from the spirit of the apostles , and that is builded upon christ the everlasting foundation ( whoever this shall be proved to be ) wherefore appear and come forth to trial , upon this condition , joyn issue with us , and answer these things in plainness , and let us know your judgements , that a return you may re●●ive . first , whether you are indeed the only true church of christ , his body , of 〈◊〉 fle●● , and of his bones , called , and gathered , and united by the eter●… spirit of jesus , perfect in the faith of christ , perfect in doctrine , and perfect is ●…ip , as were the churches of christ in the dayes of the apostles ? and 〈◊〉 the eternal spirit dwell in every particular member of your church , and doth lead each one of you into all truth , insomuch that you need now no 〈…〉 teach any one of you , but as that same spirit that dwells in you ? answer 〈◊〉 ●…inly , yea , o● nay . . ●…ther are you not in any particular of your faith , doctrines , pra●… worships , in any degree degenerated , nor deviated from what the 〈◊〉 , ●…ne , practice and worship were , that the true church was in , in 〈…〉 the apostles ? and whether will you admit of tryal in all things you p●… and practice , by the scriptures , the writings of the saints , yea , or ●y ? . w●…ther your church of rome doth receive the pouring-down of the spirit upon sons and daughters immediately , and every member receive the holy ●…st , and is ●●lled therewith , and baptized therewith , as in the true c●… acts z. an● whether you have received the holy ghost , and eve●… comforter immediately , as did the true church , i● the dayes of the apost●… answer me these things in the truth of your hearts , that you may be own'●… 〈◊〉 denyed . . w●…er the faith you profess hath perfectly purified your hearts from all 〈◊〉 and hath given you victory over the world , that now the body of sin is 〈◊〉 ; and you are free from sin , and do not commit sin ? but are every mem●… 〈◊〉 you without spot and wrinkle , and cleansed from all unrighteousness , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 servants of righteousness , and not of sin ? and whether you believe 〈◊〉 condition to be attainable in this life upon earth , and to be enjoyed , and ●…d for , yea , or nay ? . what is your ground of sprinkling infants with water ? and whether he th●●●…st instituted it , had the gift of the eternal spirit , and was led thereby ? for we know it was first ordain'd at rome , in your church ; and all the protestants received it from you , who are not able to give us a sufficient reason thereof ; but we are not satisfied therein ; therefore tell us , whether are people thereby made me●…rs of the body of christ , and baptized into his true church ? and is it a perfect seal and sign of the new birth , and regeneration , as is professed ? and doth that give all children , that are sprinkled , a right to the kingdom of god , and to be members of the church of christ ? and satisfie us plainly , is the sprinkling of an infant ( never having heard the gospel , but while unconverted and ●●thanged in nature ) the true baptism into the true faith of christ , as it is professed ? answer me plainly , yea , or nay . . whether the body and blood of christ , that is meat indeed , and drink indeed , be carnal and visible things , to be seen , felt and known visibly and carnally ? and whether bread and wine ( that is mortal , and will corrupt ) be the very body and the very blood of christ jesus ? and whether christ hath any other body and blood , to be known in any other way or manner then what is professed to be visibly and carnally known by you ? and is that bread , after consecration , the very express image of the father , and was with the fathe● before the world began ? else it is not the body of christ : answer me plainly . . again , we are not satisfied concerning your burning , and torturing , and imprisoning in cruel inquisitions and goals such as dissent from you , and cannot believe in your church , which ye call hereticks ; whether is not this done by your church , or any member thereof ? and do you justifie the doing of it by the authority of your church ? and we demand of you to give us example for such practices in scripture , ever practised by the apostles , or true church , or any member thereof , to burn , or kill , or impris●● such as would not own them , or were hereticks ? otherwise , we must co●… it , and judge you eternally for it : and whether such practices , done a● 〈◊〉 , and in her dominions , be not murder , and cruelty , and tyranny , 〈◊〉 shedding of innocent blood , and of the devil , the wicked one ? 〈◊〉 me plainly , and satisfie us herein , that we may know how to deal with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 controversie . . again , we are not satisfied concerning the abundance of 〈◊〉 of the saints , set up , and bowed to amongst you ; and your praying 〈◊〉 them , and to the saints , and by beads , and in set-forms ; such th●… 〈◊〉 practice ; and also your keeping and setting apart the saints dayes , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holy-dayes , and eating with respect to dayes , denying of flesh such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dayes , and observing of dayes , and meats and drinks , and fasting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 own wills , and your nunneries , and keeping men and women one fr●●●…ther in secret houses ; whether are these things commanded and required 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lord from you ? and we charge you to give us some example , that 〈◊〉 true church practized such things ; otherwise , if you do not , not ca●●● 〈◊〉 these your practices from the scriptures , and example of the apo●… 〈◊〉 you , we must deny you , and condemn your practi●es forever ; and 〈◊〉 ●…lieve , that your church is the true church , nor you lawful successors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…ly apostles . . what you believe concerning the reign and government of c●… , and his coming ? is he , his reign and government visible , and of this world ; or invisible , and from heaven ? and whether lyars , whoremongers , ●…terers , drunkards , man-slayers , and contentious men , or any that 〈◊〉 in any sin or transgression , in the first nature ; be of the kingd●● 〈◊〉 government of jesus , or have any part or portion therein in time to 〈◊〉 ●…ever ? and how may such ever have part therein ? and give us yo●…●…ge in these things : and also , what you hold and profess concerning e●… 〈◊〉 reprobation , that we may know whether your knowledge and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sound and perfect in these things , and to be embraced , or condemned and 〈◊〉 . . what is the man-child , that hath been caught up to god ? and 〈◊〉 the reason of his being caught up ? and what is the woman that fled into the wilderness ? and what is the reason of her so fleeing ? and when is the t●… ( is it come , or to come ) that the man-child hath been caught up , a●● 〈◊〉 woman fled , and that the man-child shall come down again , and the w●… again return ? and what is that beast , the first and the second ? and is ●…s kingdom come , or yet to come , who reigned over the kings of the earth , and caused all , both small and great to worship him , and killed the saints , and overcame them that would not worship him , and made war against the l●… , and persecuted the woman's seed ? and when is it that the world wondred ●●ter the beast , is it come , or to come ? answer these things in plainness , 〈◊〉 ●●mand of you . . what , and who is that great whore , that sits upon many waters with 〈◊〉 the kings of the earth commits fornications , and who hath made nations d●… with the wine of her fornications , and who hath reigned over the 〈◊〉 and dominions of the earth ? and is that whore come , or yet to come ? 〈◊〉 whether is your church every whit free from the fornications of that wh●… and will you admit of lawfull trial by your fruits and works , and suffer 〈◊〉 men accordingly ? and whether the whole church of rome , or any part of 〈◊〉 dominions be the multitudes , peoples , and nations , and tongues , the w●… on which the whore sits ? and whether your church be wholly free from 〈◊〉 woman which hath drunk the blood of saints , and of the martyrs of i●… and shew us plainly who that whore is , if you can ; and what is her flesh , and the fire that must burnt it . . whether are the false prophets and deceivers come , or to come , which 〈◊〉 said should come ? if you say , they are come ; when did they come ? and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they ? and how may they be known ? and what was their first original ? 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of what doth all false prophets and false prophecies come ? is the church 〈…〉 clear of all the false prophets ? and whether is your ministry in the very 〈◊〉 power , spirit and authority , which the apostles were in ? is its call and ●…tion the very same ? is its maintenance and practice the very same ? and is i●● fruits , effects and end the very same , or some other ? let us know from you , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may ●ay you to the line of true judgment , for all people and nations ●… . ●…ome friends , let us reason a little with you further ; we are not satis●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bishop of r●…e is true and lawful successor of the apostle peter , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a tripple crown ? and did kings bow and kneel to him ? and had 〈…〉 ●●●enues , and money out of the nations , as the pope hath ? 〈…〉 pardon 's for money 〈◊〉 or did any buy religion of him ? and did 〈…〉 over mens consciences ? and was peter named holiness ? we 〈…〉 you to prove rightly and truly . that the pope doth succeed peter 〈…〉 spirit , in the same power , and in the same conversation ; and that 〈…〉 ●…er-see the church be justly the same as peter's was , and that he exe●…●…ctly as peter did . 〈…〉 ●…wer us plainly , what is the seed of the woman ? and what is the 〈◊〉 the serpent ? and is his head bruised , yea , or nay ? and what is the 〈…〉 what is his beginning ? and what is the kingdom that he is ruler 〈◊〉 and how is his kingdom to be destroy'd ? and what is the flesh of christ , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blood , which was before abraham ? and how is christ made under the 〈◊〉 answer me these things . 〈◊〉 what is the death that hath reigned over all ? and what is the power 〈◊〉 ? and what is the fruits of that death ? and when must that death be 〈◊〉 ? and is it destroyed among you ? and what was man in his creation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the ground ? and what was he that was the very image of god 〈◊〉 and female , before ad●… was formed of the dust of the ground , or ●…en out of him ? declare these things plainly , if you can ; and what is 〈◊〉 transgression and the curse ? and whether any can be made free from 〈◊〉 curse , upon the earth , yea or nay ? and what is the kingdom of heaven 〈◊〉 is like a little leaven , and that is like a net cast into the sea ? and what 〈◊〉 which must be leavened ? and what is that good fish that must be gather●… into the vessels , and that bad that must be cast away ? and how doth the 〈◊〉 of heaven bring the bad out of the waters to the shore ? and why is 〈◊〉 , and wherefore , and what is the reason , that none can enter the kingdom 〈◊〉 go● , nor see it , but such as are born again ? and how is a man born again ? 〈◊〉 what is that mothers womb , that iob , and all mankind came out of 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must return thither again naked ? and what are the fig-leaves that ●…vered in transgression ? and what is the covering of the spirit ? and 〈◊〉 must be covered , and what not ? and why is it , and how comes it to pass , 〈◊〉 one and the same thing is sin , and wickedness acted by one and the same 〈◊〉 good and just acted by another ? these things answer to us plainly , and 〈◊〉 ●…ve all your practises and profession by plain scripture , and give us ex●… from peter , and the true churches , that he and they practiced the same 〈◊〉 which the pope and you do , if you would have any to own you ; other●… 〈◊〉 you do not , or cannot satisfie all people in these particulars by the ●…es ; then forsake your religion , and renounce your church , and 〈◊〉 your selves to be deceivers of the world , and to be deceived ; for 〈◊〉 will tear your garments , and marr your beauty , and stain your 〈◊〉 , and unco●●r your nakedness , and subdue your power , and s●ay 〈◊〉 strength , and pull down your strong hold , and the dread of the al●…y will come over you . and come friends , answer me , is the light by which you walk ever●… ing ? and is the day dawned , and the sun risen , that never goeth down ? 〈◊〉 have you seen the signs of the coming of the son of man ? and what are 〈…〉 signs of his coming ? and what is that sun that must be turned into d●… and what is that moon that must be turned into blood ? and what are the 〈◊〉 ers of the house that must tremble ? and do you own quaking and trembling at the word of the lord ? and did you ever quake and tremble , or is 〈◊〉 such a thing in your church ? and what is that part in man that must 〈…〉 is it not that part in man that the devil enters into ? answer these 〈◊〉 ▪ and what is that mother of harlots ? and where is she that hath been 〈◊〉 with the blood of the saints ? and what is the mystery of her , declare 〈…〉 you can ? and what are her garments ? and who are her children ? 〈…〉 what nature are they ? and how may they be known ? and come friends , answer us , have you seen god face to face , as did iacob and abraham ? and have you seen his shape perfectly ? give us a discription of him if you have ; and do not all those that be of the seed of abraham hear god's voice , and 〈…〉 shape ? and are any of abraham , but who are come out of the world , 〈◊〉 have denied it , and bear the daily cross of christ , which mortifies to the world , and doth your wooden crosses , and stone crosses in your t●… and high-wayes , and in your houses , and crucifixes in your breasts , 〈◊〉 you to the world , and mortifie you ? or are you not such as have 〈…〉 of a cross of christ , but want the power ? and what is the difference 〈…〉 all your images , and the images the prophets declared against ? and what life is there in the image of christ or mary , painted or graven in wood or stone● are your souls refreshed thereby ? and is not that all the unity you have with christ ▪ and is that unity and fellowship you have with chri●… 〈◊〉 same that they had , that had unity , and fellowship with the father , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the son ▪ and have you unity with the son , and with the father , 〈…〉 church had ? tell us plainly , and what is antichrist ? and where ●…ing at this day ? and what is his marks and signs ? and what is the marks of the beast , that every one received in their foreheads and in their hands , and 〈◊〉 is his power by which he caused every one to worship him ? and is the church of rome wholy free from that , from causing and compelling people to be of 〈◊〉 religion , and come to your worship , by your fire and fagots , and in●… ? make it us plain , that this is not the beasts power , for we have a jeal●… least , it is not the power of god that was among the apostles . and why do 〈◊〉 creatures ? did christ or the apostles kill creatures that were not of their religion ? doth not this shew that you want the power and spirit of god among you , and the spiritual weapon that beats down the strong hold● ▪ ●e cannot believe that you have the spiritual weapons which the apostles had , except you make it appear to us ; and can any be converted to the true church , but by the immediate work and spirit of god ? and they that have that ●●ed not be ashamed : but then , why are some of your ministers creeping up and down the nations in holes , and dare not be seen , but lies many years together undiscovered , not daring to preach their gospel , and discover their minds ? did ever the apostles thus ? and is not this a sign that they have not the power of god to carry them through , but runs into holes and corners for fear of their lives ? is this the way of the true ministers of christ ? and what is the lamb's wife ? and what is her adorning , and her beauty ? and are you the lamb's wife , and are married to him for ever ? hath every member of your church the witness thereof ? and answer us ; doth natural learning 〈◊〉 minister of christ ; or were the apostles made ministers thereby ? and can ▪ man learn the ministry , as he learns a trade ? and is the preaching of the gospel a trade ? or is it not the gift of god ? and can i●… bought and sold ? and what is eternal life ? and how is it received ? and have any that hope , but them whose hearts are purified ? and must not every ones heart be purified before they see god , who is pure ? and how comes man to be a reprobate ? and 〈◊〉 comes man to be a son of god agai● ? and what is the way and m●… of life eternal ? is it carnal , and visible things , and ordinances ? is it the ●●ing and performing of something by the creature , or by the revelation 〈◊〉 ●…thing in the creature ? and most not christ be revealed in every partic ▪ and is not that the true bread of life ? and is there any other bread that is eternal , but christ , which the mortal eye cannot see ? and we are very 〈…〉 that bread and wine , after consedration , is not the very body and 〈◊〉 of christ ▪ and except you can prove to us by plain scripture , and gi●… sound reasons to demonstrate things , we must judge you , and shew your f●lly to the whole world. and why do you pray for the dead ? is that av●…ble ? shall not they receive according to their works , that they have done ? g●… 〈◊〉 example that ever the apostles did so , or else we will say , you are b●… , 〈◊〉 ●n the dark : and tell us plainly , what error is , and what schism 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what is the eye that the godd of the world hath blinded ? and what is the 〈◊〉 that sees god ? is it mortal , or eternal ? answer us these things 〈…〉 that we may know how to return in controversie with you ; for the lord god is risen , that will break i● pieces and confound all the w●… 〈◊〉 ▪ 〈…〉 friends , give us your answer ; are you of abr●…'s seed , that 〈…〉 of god , that had not a foot of ground ; but for s●●k his place and 〈…〉 are you of that birth , that hath no father upon earth ? and are you heirs of god's promise ? and have you made your calling and ele●… ? and is the seed come out of egypt's bonds ? and are all egypt's bonds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ? and what is the ●ondage of egypt ? and was not transgression the reason of it ? and what is pharoa● ? out of what root did he spring ? and 〈…〉 is he ? and is not the hard heart of pharoah ? killers and murderers , 〈…〉 such of pharoah ? and tell us plainly . are you redeem'd from p●… ? 〈◊〉 are you such as oppress the seed , as pharoah did ? and tell us who was the in●… of ●…our images , and who was the former of all your graven images ? 〈◊〉 not they all invented , and come up since the apostles dayes , which ye have 〈…〉 and what is purgatory ? and from what had it its rise and original ? 〈◊〉 what ground have you out of scripture for such a doctrine ? and what is the 〈◊〉 of faith ? and what 's faith ? and what doth it give victory over ? and what 〈…〉 it over come ? and what is the ●ai● that hath bin spread over all nations ? and 〈◊〉 is the mountain of the house of god ? and what are those mountains the 〈…〉 shall seek to cover themselves under ? and what are those mountains that people expect salvation from in vain ? and did not iohn come to throw down the ●…ins ? and what are the mountains that he came to throw down ? and what is the valley he came to raise up ? answer us . and what is the sword of the spirit ? and whether have ye the sword of the spirit , and the spiritual armour ? and what is you● church defended and up●…d by , spiritual weapons , or carnal ? are not your goals , carnal weapons , 〈◊〉 your inquisitions , and your killing people aboue religion , are not all these 〈◊〉 weapons ? and had ever the church of christ such weapons ? answer 〈…〉 plainly . and do you not expect the lord will suddenly plead with you ? and are not 〈◊〉 them that put off the day of the lord , and cause the seat of violence to come near ? and are not ye them that have eyes ▪ but see not . ear● ▪ but hear 〈◊〉 ▪ hearts , and understand not ? and is not your eye blind , that should see god's presence ; and your ears stopped , that should hear his voice ? ●nd have 〈◊〉 heard his voice and seen his shape ? if you have , what is he like ? answer 〈◊〉 ▪ and what is his word ? and where doth it dwell in your hearts ? or is it without you ? and can any thing without you purifie you , and take away sin 〈◊〉 of your hearts ? and must not christ be within ? and what are the fruits , and signs and marks of a saint ? and why do you go pilgrims to visit 〈◊〉 bones ? what is the reason of it ? and who was the first that ●●tuted it ? 〈◊〉 what is the meaning of your holy water ? give us scripture for all these 〈…〉 ces , or else the power of the lord will tear you to pieces , and lay open 〈◊〉 foundation , and none that love god can joyn unto you ? and can any o● 〈…〉 pardon sin truly , that it shall never more be remembred ? and are not 〈…〉 sins remembred with the light in your consciences sometimes ? and is there 〈◊〉 a light in your consciences , that doth convince you ? tell me plainly . and whether do you own , that christ hath lightened every one that co●… into the world ? and what is the light ? and do you know christ , as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before abraham ? and have you seen his day , as ▪ abraham did ? and what 〈…〉 day of christ ? doth the carnal eye see it ? give us your knowledge and 〈◊〉 judgment in all these things , and lay down your principles at full , and 〈…〉 by the scriptures what you hold and profess , if you would have any to 〈…〉 your religion ; otherwise , renounce your church , and come out of ●… ▪ what is babylon , and the mother of harlots ? and what is spiritu●● 〈…〉 and s●dom , where christ is crucified ? and what is the whore ? and what 〈…〉 flesh , that has stain'd the earth ? and what is the fire that must consume her 〈…〉 many are jealous concerning you , that you are not the true church ; 〈…〉 you have drunk of the whore's cup , who hath made all nations drunk ▪ 〈…〉 if that time be come , that she hath made all nations drunk , then how 〈…〉 clear your selves , being nations and multitudes of people ? to 〈◊〉 these 〈…〉 i expect your speedy answer . and what is the death that hath raigned over all ? and how is man rec●… out of it , and when ? and what are the gates of hell ? and what is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they cannot prevail against ? and whether your church may never 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vailed against ? and whether they be not your inquisitions , stakes and ●… ▪ and killing people , that do principally defend your church ? and if y●● 〈…〉 cease your inquisitions , and killing those you call hereticks , whether 〈…〉 not you be prevail'd against by many other sects ? lay away yo●… per●… of people that you call hereticks , and do not deaf with them after the 〈…〉 which you have done , by inquisitions , and such like ; and only by sound 〈…〉 guments , and the power of the spirit , defend your religion . and dare you suffer a certain number of us to come among you , and p●…ch what we hold ; and a certain number of you shall freely come among us , 〈◊〉 freely preach what you hold , without persecution , or any violence , as we would expect and have the same from you ; engage man for man with us , and 〈◊〉 no otherwise deal with ours , then we deal with yours ; and take the free liberty to deal with our men , as we deal with your men , but no otherwise ; and 〈◊〉 each of the messengers preach and hold forth what they would have , and wh●● they really hold and believe ; and convert the most either of them can to thei● own religion ; and then let all the world see , which have the power and spirit of god with them ; and whether your ministers or our ministers do turn the more people from you to us , or from us to you ; and send your answer , whether you will agree to the premises : and if you do , send your messengers when you plea●● ; and we will engage in the lord , their persons shall not be harmed ; but if they were , then take man for man , life for life , of our men sent to you : and let that god be the true god , that appeareth in most power and authority ; and let him be worshipped forever , whose power converts the most to the knowledge of him , out of wickedness ; and let that church be the t●… church , which cannot be overcome : and as you are willing to be made manifest , joyn issue with us in this business , and propound your own time when the men shall return , and whether the continuance of the matter be for dayes , moneths , or years , and let each of the men return without harm of person ; and this will be a way truly to try and make manifest all things to all the world , and whether you or we be in the right way , and of the right church ; and use 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 weapon against us , but the foundest arguments you can , by words , according to the scriptures ; and the same weapons we will use against you , 〈…〉 other , but the authority of the spirit of god and arguments thereby ▪ 〈◊〉 shall be according to the scriptures , the apostles writings , and the ●…ony of the true church . and hereby in the sight of the whole world , let your church , and faith , 〈◊〉 principles , and practices , and worships be tryed ; and 〈◊〉 church , ●… ▪ doctrines , and worship● , and practices ; and whether they be 〈…〉 or ours , that do overcome , or are overcome , let that , deside the ●…ersie ; and whether it be you , or we , that are soonest overcome ; 〈…〉 prevail the one against the other in this tryal , and in these pro●… ▪ 〈◊〉 that which is overcome and prevailed against , is not the true ●… ▪ against which nothing can prevail , no , not the gates of hell ▪ 〈…〉 your church , or ours , cannot be prevail'd against by the other , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be the true church ; for that ▪ which is prevail'd against is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 church ; and whether it be you , or we that are elected , and of the 〈…〉 which cannot be deceived ▪ if we ●e not elected , and you deceivers , 〈…〉 possible you may deceive us ; but if we prove , that we be in the 〈…〉 then you cannot deceive us ; and if we ●e in the truth , and of 〈…〉 church , then it will be happiness for you to be converted and ●…rned ●… ▪ 〈◊〉 to the tryal as soo●… as you will ; and if you be in the election ▪ 〈◊〉 need not be afraid to be deceived by any ; for the the elect cannot ●…ved , whoever that be , whether your church , or our church be the 〈◊〉 church , and in the election . and if your ministers among us do preach the same things , and by the 〈…〉 spirit , and hold forth the very same faith , principles , worship and ●…ces , which we do , and are of ▪ and it be proved , they are of the same 〈…〉 and principles we are of , agreeing in all things ; then we will own 〈◊〉 to be christ's ministers : and if our ministers among you , do hold ●…th that true faith , and principle , and practices , and worship , and by the 〈◊〉 spirit as christ and his apostles did , and prove what they say by the scrip●… , then shall you receive them as the ministers of christ , and renounce all 〈◊〉 you hold and profess , contrary to what they hold and preach among 〈◊〉 ▪ and hereby things may come to a fair tryals , and the naked truth may 〈◊〉 made manifest , whether your church , or our church , be the true church ▪ 〈◊〉 christ , truly descended from the church of the saints of old ; and , ●…er your ministers , or our ministers , be the lawful successors of the ●…es . and we would willingly come to deal with you upon these term●s , that it may be manifest who they be that are of the true seed , and who they be that are of the election , that cannot be deceived . and we have many things more to write unto you , and to query of you , and to demand , when we receive your answer ; and if you give us ground to accuse you , we will thresh you , and lay it to your charge , by the authority and spirit of the lord ; and if you answer us plainly , we shall more perfectly know what to do . to the pope . thou mountain , hear the word of the lord god ; thus saith th●… god unto thee ; i will lay thee low ; i will break thee down ; i wi●… the glory of all flesh ; my sword shall enter into the hearts of my e●… will slay the wicked ; and i will cru●… the head of the ungodly ; and 〈…〉 grind the hard hearts unto pieces ; i will come in a day unexpected ; i 〈…〉 door , behold me ; and i will take vengeance without pitty upon all 〈…〉 mies ; my hand shall not spare , my eye shall no● pitty ; but i will 〈…〉 rend , and give unto thee , and unto all mankind , the fruit of your 〈…〉 ings : innocent blood cries unto me , that hath been unjustly shed , 〈…〉 righteous soul groans under the altar unto me ; and now i am risen , 〈…〉 begun to work in the earth ; and i will go through nations , and 〈…〉 down under my power : i have raised a seed which shall thr●sh the mo●… and my word is gon●forth out of my mouth , which shall beat them to 〈…〉 and my power shall knock at thy gates , and break down thy strength , 〈…〉 shall prevail against thee . oh thou mountain i whose seat is high , and whose power is g●… who hath been able to make war with thee ? thou hast swallowed up 〈…〉 and needy ; and thou hast eaten up the innocent , as the ox eateth up 〈…〉 thou hast continued for ages ; and thou accountest thy self the most a●… and thou hast been without fear of any man ; and thou hast not reg●… honour of my name ; but exalted thy self altogether : but now saith 〈…〉 the dread of the almighty shall come upon thee , and the majesty of 〈…〉 of hosts shall appear terrible unto thee ; and thou shalt know , there 〈…〉 that can do whatsoever he will ; and he will wound the mighty men , 〈…〉 shall heal them ; and he will vex all his enemies in his displeasure ; and 〈…〉 break them , and none shall bind them up : thy glory , and th● glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whole earth , is as grass before the mower , and as the flower of the field , that 〈◊〉 soon withered ; and thy treasure , and the treasure of all nations , is of no respect unto him ; the strength of the whole earth is weakness before him , and the crowns of princes he accounteth as the dust ; he treadeth over it all , and his everlasting arm reacheth beyond it all ; and he is awakened , that will strike through kingdoms , and that will stain the glory of the whole earth , and tho● must know his power ; and the cup of his wrath is full , of which all nations shall drink , and none shall escape it : prepare thy self ; for the anger of the lord is gone forth ; and the almighty is grieved , because of the abominations of the earth ; and he will cast into the fire , and purge , and purifie , and new mold and correct rulers , kings and peoples ; for he hath long been grieved , and born the iniquity of the nations ; but his long-suffering is well-nigh finished ; for the nations have provoked him to anger , and turned his long-suffering into fury , and he hath put on the garment of vengeance ; and the time is at hand , that sorrow shall take hold on the stout-hearted , when he appears , who hath been pierced ; and anguish and pain shall come upon thee , and the world ; and the day of trouble and great distress ye shall not escape ; the rod of his wrath shall smite you : the mouth of the lord hath spoken it . and although thou art exalted as a god , yet thou shalt be a man , and not a god in his hand , that shall slay thee : and although thy seat has been high , yet it shall be laid low as the ground , and thy honour shall be laid in the dust ; for thou art dust and ashes before the lord , and thou shalt be no more admired , when destruction shall come upon thee : the lord hath viewed thy way and path , and they have not been upright before him ; he hath entred into the secrets of thine heart , and thy intent hath not been hid from him , and that which hath been done in secret shall now be laid open , and all secret things shall now be brought to light ; and all the churches shall know , that he searches the heart , and tries the reins , who is a god , great and m●…ty , and giveth unto all creatures life and breath ; and he will change at 〈◊〉 〈…〉 all the children of men , and bring them to an account before his 〈…〉 seat : wherefore let all flesh tremble before him , and let all the earth 〈…〉 〈…〉 his presence , who changeth , and subdueth and over-turneth at his p●… , and brings men to destruction who have rebell'd against him . ●…fore thou pope , chief bishop at rome , this is unto thee from the mouth of ●… ; come down , come down , lay down thy crown , subject thy self , 〈…〉 before the lord god of vengeance , lest 〈…〉 come upon thee , and crush ●… ; and thou shalt know , that this hath the lord spoken , in the day , ●…ry flaming sword , which is already drawn , enters into thy bosom , 〈…〉 thy honour and renown . behold i have heard the voice of houl●…er lamentation ; i have heard the voice of war ; and not of peace ; i 〈…〉 i have seen the strong become weak , and the mighty become miserab●●●…ud and honourable brought into contempt , yea i have seen her th●… a queen , and has said , she never shall see sorrow ; i have seen the los●●…n and widdowhood come upon her , even in one day ; i have seen her b●…●…ed into bitterness ; i have seen her honour brought into contempt ; i 〈…〉 whore , that has made all nations drunk with her fornications , t●… the golden cup in her hand ; i have seen the cup of indignation p●… her to drink ; i have seen her cast upon the bed of never-ceasing ●… , i have seen the city , that was full of people , that was the glory of i ●… , that made all nation rich with her traffick and merchandize ; i 〈…〉 that city laid desolate , and dis-inhabited , and made the sorrow of the 〈…〉 earth ; and i have seen the smoak of her burning ascend forever : and this is 〈◊〉 must shortly come to pass ; and if thou hast an ear to hear , thou mayst 〈…〉 and these things are true and faithful , and they shall not fail ; but the w●… shall know the majesty , dread and terror , the vengeance and indig●… of the almighty . this is assented unto by many , and written and subscribed by one that hath a n●… not seen nor known of the world , but known among men by the name of , edward burroughs . return your answer to me , or any of the people called quakers , for me , in london , from whence this is sent ; being written the th of the th mon. . a faithful testimony , concerning the true worship of god : vvhat it is in it self , and who are the true worshippers . in opposition to all the false worship in this nation , which is idolatry , which is discover'd in its foundation , and in its manifestation , not to be ever commanded of god , or practized by his apostles and saints ; but it is declar'd to consist chiefly of such things and practices as had their first beginning and ordination in the church of rome ; whereby the hypocrisie of this generation doth appear , in denying , and crying against the papists idolatries , and yet are found in the practice of the same thing in their church , ministry and worship , which were first instituted by the pope's authority . forasmuch as there is in the world a great controversie among people , concerning the worship of god ; one crying , this is the right worship ; another , that is the right worship : and people in these nations are divided about the worship of god , and divers one from another in their performances and practices of worship ; one sort worshipping after this manner , another after that ; and there is great strife through the whole nation about this matter , and a great dis-satisfaction among people , which is the right worship , and who are the right worshippers ; and thousands are desiring after the right worship of god , and to become worshippers of him as he requires : therefore now it is upon me to shew unto all the world , what the true worship of god is in it self , and who are his true worshippers . first , the worship of god in it self is this , it is a walking with god , and a living with him in converse and fellowship , in spirit and truth ; for he is only worshipped therein ; and to do the truth , and speak the truth : this is the true worship of god , where the mind is guided with the spirit of truth , and the presence of the lord felt at all times , and his fear in the hearts of people , and his councel stood in , and his covenant felt , which unites to the lord in spirit ; this is the true worship of god ; and it is without respect of times or things . and now none upon earth can thus worship god , but who are changed and renewed in heart and mind , and born of the spirit , and led thereby , where the body of sin and death is put off , such as are redeemed out of the world , and out of all its wayes and nature ; such only can worship god in the spirit and in the truth , and such is the father seeking to worship him now in this present age : and there is never a one upon earth , that can worship god as he requireth , who remain unchanged , and are in the transgression , unrenewed and unconverted , such cannot worship the true and living god ; but that which they perform and practice , as the pretence of his worship , is idolatry and abomination , and the lord hath not required it at their hands ; for none can walk with god , nor have unity with him , but who are renewed and changed ; nor none can do the truth , and speak the truth in all things , but such who are led by the spirit of truth ; and such are in the covenant of god , and true worshippers of him ; and all that is contrary , is not the worship of god , but idolatry , as i have said . and now as concerning this worship practiced in england , in these steeple-houses , churches ( so called ) it is not the worship of the living god , but superstition and idolatry ; for people have not learned it by the teachings of the spirit , neither doth the spirit lead them therein ; but it standeth in form , without power , and in the inventions and traditions of the fathers ; and there is not in it the manifest presence of god , neither do you worshippers meet with the lord , nor enjoy his pure life and presence in your practices ; and the substance of your worship ( as it is now practized ) is made up of inventions , some part of your own , and some part brought along from the church of rome . and is it not great hypocrisie in you , to profess a denyal of the church of rome , and yet be found practizing some of the same things as your worship , which the church of rome first instituted , and practized as her worship ? shall we instance unto you some particular things ? was it not by the authority of the church of rome , that these houses , in which you worship , which you call churches , were first set up , and made worshipping-places for them ? and is it not a little while since that the mass , and old popish stuff , was therein exercised with as great zeal towards god ( if not with as good sincerity ) as you practice yours at this day ? and are there not the very signs and symptoms of the romish idolatry yet upon these houses , being full of images on the walls , and on the pillars , and on the glass-windows , and crosses about them , and many other things , which were popish inventions ; as also , the names given unto them , and consecrated bells in them , and such like stuff ? and was it not a little while since there were the altars , and the rails , and the font , and other such like things , which lately were broken down ? but however , though something there may be altered , and changed , and converted to another use , and something taken away , and other inventions brought in instead thereof , yet still they are the same houses which you worship your godd in ; which houses were set up by the authority of the pope ; and there remaineth yet the pope's sign and symptom of the romish church upon them ; and these houses you call your churches ; and thousand of thousands of blind ignorant people , esteeming and respecting in their minds of these places , more then of any other , supposing them to be more holy , and that other places are not so good to worship in . alas ! poor , blind , ignorant people , that deceive your own souls in the traditions and inventions of man , which you live in the practice of , supposing it to be the very worship of god , which is no other in it self but idolatry , and you idolaters ; for , do not all unconverted people , and unrighteous people , such who are not taught of the lord , nor led by his spirit , but daily rush into iniquity , and into evil ; are not such found worshippers here in steeple-houses , conforming themselves to these things , and these practices ? and can such worship god ? or is god worshipped by such ? i tell you nay ; the lord god is pure , and they that worship him must be sanctified , and led by his spirit , which leadeth into all truth . but now , as concerning your present practices , which your worship consisteth of ; they are not such as ever the lord instituted , but such as men have set up in their own wills and wisdom , and not in the lord's : as for your sprinkling of infants , which is a chief practice of your worship ; was not this first ordained at rome ? read the records : and was it not a popish invention , which you are thus zealously reforming , as if it were indeed required of the lord ? can the unconverted and unregenerated be truly baptized into the faith of christ ? no : but the unconverted and unregenerated are partakers of your baptism , into the faith which you profess . there was no such practice in the christian church , before the apostacy ; but when the apostacy came in , then came up these inventions & immitations , which you practice as the worship of god , when as he never required it ; neither did his saints , and his apostles , ever give you example for it ; and by it , nor in it god is not worhsipped ; neither is in it self , nor as practized by you , any part of the worship of god ; but stands in the inventions of man , and is after their traditions , and not after the commandments of the lord. and as for your singing of david's experiences in the form and manner as you do , practizing it as another main part of your worship ; this is the same with the former , neither ever commanded of the lord ; nor ( in the course and manner as you do it ) was it ever practized by the saints of old ; and is it any better then a popish invention ? for was the nation in any better state then popery , when that practice was first instituted , and begun to be performed ? you your selves will confess , that it was in the time of darkness , and through the ordination of the bishops and prelates , whom you your selves say , were little better then papists in their worship and practice ; and yet this you practice at this day , as a part of your worship , which hath no better beginning then as i have said ; and from them you have received it , to wit , from the bishops and prelates : yea , the chief part of your worship consisteth of the performances of such things as you have received traditionally from them , and from rome ; for all these things they instituted . and as concerning your ministry ; is it any other with that , then with these particulars , as i have mentioned ? is it not the same ministry in substance , though in some particulars altered , as was in the dayes of popery and prelacy ? have not your ministers the same call to their ministry , practice in their ministry , & maintenance at this day , as was in generations past , when this nation was under the cloud of darkness & ignorance , as your selves will confess ? are not they made ministers now by natural learning , receiving ordination from man , through the attainments of such arts , and sciences and degrees , through natural learning and humane policy , not having their ministry by the gift of the holy ghost , no more then the papists and prelates had before them , who were made ministers by the same power , and after the same manner , as these are . and it was the church of rome , and by the popish authority , that colledges and schools , to make ministers by them , were first ordained and set up ; and as that ministry was sent forth in the time of popery , by the same way and means ( generally are as to substance ) are your ministers now sent forth , though in some particulars differing in matters of form , yet the same for substance : but christ's ministers , in the time of the true church , were not thus sent forth , but had received power from on high , and the gift of the holy ghost , whereby they were made able ministers ; and not by any other thing , nor by any such means or way as your ministers now are set up and established : and this ministry is differing from the true ministry , which christ sent forth , and is not according , but contrary in all things ; and it is not the ministry of god , neither brings people to god ; for by this ministry people are not converted ; but are such as they that the true prophet cryed against , saying , they have run , saith the lord , and i have not sent them ; therefore they shall not profit the people at all . and as for this maintenance of the ministry of the church of england ; is it not the same as was in the dayes of popery and prelacy ? was it not by the pope's authority , that tythes were first established , and set up to be the maintenance of his ministry ? and did not the romish church first ordain , that the people should give the tenth to the use of religion , and to maintain their ministry ? if you search the records , you will find it so . and was it not the very practice of the papists and prelates ministers , to have hire , and great sums of money by the year , and stipends , and large benefits for preaching ? and the same things are practised by these ministers , which they have borrowed from the papists and prelates , which went before them ; for are not these ministers maintained by tythes , as the pope's ministers were ? and have they not hire , and great sums of money by the year , or quarterly , even as the papists and prelates had ? wherefore it is plain , that the maintenance of your ministers is the very same for substance , as theirs was that went before you , which you your selves say were idolaters ; and if they were idolaters , how can your ministers be free , which do practice the very same things , unto the very fame end ? and do not the priests of this generation far exceed the papists and prelates . was there ever , in generations past , such casting people into prison , and spoiling peoples goods , as is at this day , through the means of these priests , and all about their maintenance , and for their tythes , and hire , and yearly stipends , and quarterly gain ? did ever the papists or prelates worse in this particular , with any people that denyed them wages , then these do that denyed them . oh! great blindness and ignorance is over your hearts , and great hypocrisie among your ministers , who profess a denyal and dissenting from the church of rome , and cry against them , as hereticks , and that they are in ignorance , and yet practice the very same things : their call is the very same to their ministry , and their maintenance the same , and practice in many things the very same as theirs was , which they seem to deny ; and this is great hypocrisie , to cast out and kill their persons , and yet to uphold in many things their practice , relating to their worship and their ministry . oh abominable idolatry ! the hand of the lord is against it . but this is not the way that christ's ministers were maintained ; they had no such hire , nor great sums of money , nor yearly tythes , as these ministers have through the pope's institution ; but into whatsoever house they entred , that was worthy , they might eat such things as were set before them ; and the apostles might freely reap carnal things , where they had sown spiritual things ; but this was after another manner , and after another nature ; for if they had not that , yet did they not cast men into prison , and spoil their goods that would not give it them , as this generation of teachers do : and the lord god is risen to confound this worship , and this ministry , which is idolatry ; and this church , which is but a feigned immitation : and he will establish his true worship , that is in spirit and in truth ; and his true ministry , that is by the gift of the holy ghost ; and his true church ; and this shall be brought to pass in his day . but again , there is another practice which you have , which the church of rome and the prelates had ( your predecessors ) if any come in the name of the lord to declare against you , and against your abomination , to cry against your sin , and cry repentance among you , that you may be converted to god ; this you account a great transgression , and persecute them that do it , by imprisoning , and whipping , and stocking , and by imposing great fines upon them , and causing them to suffer cruel things ; and this did the papists and prelates , in like manner as you do ; if any were moved to cry against them , they indeed rewarded them , even as you do at this day ; the same thing you do against such as are moved of the lord to come among you ; and herein you succeed them , and bring forth the same persecution in your churches , as they did in their churches ; and this is the defence of your church , and of your ministry , carnal weapons , imprisonment , and whipping , and stocking , and causing the bodies of people to suffer through cruelty and injustice ; and by this means is your church and ministry defended and preserved ; or otherwise , it would presently fall , as not being able to continue , nor resist , nor gain-say the spirit and power of god , which now is risen to oppose them , if they had not carnal laws , and earthly powers , and goals , and houses of correction to defend themselves by : and is this the church of christ ? and is this christ's ministry , that has need of such weapons as these ? the apostles and true churches never did thus , neither sent people to prison that opposed them , nor had such cruelty to execute upon the bodies of people , though many did oppose them out of wickedness ; but the spirit and authority of the lord did defend them from all their enemies . but your church and ministry is manifest to be another then that was , and to be defended by another means , even by the same means that the papists and prelates of old were of a long time defended by ; but when the measure of these things are fulfilled , they will come to an end ; as the measure of that generation's iniquity was fulfilled , which went before you ; so in the lord's season will your measure be fulfilled , and the lord's people shall be free , and all bonds of iniquity broken . and thus it is manifest , that this church and ministry succeeds the church of rome , and her ministers , far more then the church of christ , and its true ministers ; and to that it is not equal in any thing , but to the church of rome it is comparable in many things : so that it is manifest , that this church and ministry is not quite another then the church and ministry of rome ; but such as have dissented from them , and are truly sprung out of that root , and is the same still in substance , though differing in some practices , having cast out some old inventions , and brought in some new ; but , as i have said , remain still the same in nature and substance , though diffented in some particulars , yet succeed in many particulars , as i may shew more fully hereafter . and though you bare the name , and stile your selves , the reformed churches ; you mean , reformed from the church of rome : but how are you reformed , but by some visible appearances , and not in the ground , having put off but some of her garments , and remain the same body for substance in nature and matter , though differing only in appearances ? for , the church , which is the true church of christ , is not thus reformed , only changed in part , and altered in degrees ; but the true church denyeth the church of rome in her very beeing and ground , and in all her practices whatsoever ; for , though many sects have risen one from another , yet all the same for substunce , only differing in particulars . but as for you , to whom this particular is written , that worship god in steeple-houses ; you are not so much differing from the church of rome , as many others are , which are not true churches neither ; but the lord god is now gathering his people : wherefore , come out of your idol-worship , and idol-temples , for god dwells not in them , nor is not worshipped there , but he dwells and walks in his saints , and is worshipped in spirit and in truth ; and his day is dawned , and his glory risen , and he will confound this church and ministry , which bears the mark of the romish whore , and have her symptoms and characters remaining upon them unto this day , as it is manifest . object . and though some may object , and say , that god commanded a temple to be ●●ilded for the worship of his name , and ordinances to be practised in the time of the old covenant . to which i do say , yea , it was so , a temple was builded by solomon for the seed of the iews to worship in , and to come to sacrifice to the lord in , and there was an outward worship , and ordinances ; but it is many hundred years since this temple was destroyed , and worship and ordinances thrown down , which god once commanded , and his people once practiced ; and christ the life , the power and wisdom of god , was the substance thereof , and unto whom he was made manifest , and in whom he was revealed in the spirit , they utterly renounced and denied the temple , and the worship therein , though once god had commanded it ; and the saints after the manifesting of christ to them in spirit , and after that the holy ghost was given , we do not find through all the churches of the saints , that they worshipped in the temple of the iews ; but witnessed against it , and said , that god dwelt not in temples made with hands , neither was he worshipped in temples made with hands ; but in the spirit and in the truth their worship consisted , and therefore were persecuted ; but they bare testimony against the temple , and the worship , and those ordinances , which god once had commanded , and which once his people practized , though it was to the peril of their lives . but as for these temples , and these ordinances , and this worship , which are now on foot ; they were never brought forth by any ordination or commandment of god ; but the foundation of them is the inventions of men , and mens traditions taught them , and not the spirit of the lord ; and therefore against those things , those temples , and those ordinances and worships , much reason have we to cry against them all , as being neither sign nor substance of good , but wholly inventions of men . the iews temple and ordinances were signs of good things to come , and when the substance was come the saints deny'd the shaddows and the figures ; but as for these , they are deny'd wholy , as being idolatry and abomination , from the beginning to the end of them ; for , as i have shown , these things ( which are the matter of which your worship and ordinance doth consist ) had their rise and beginning in the dayes of darkness and ignorance , since the apostacy came in : and so , in the name and authority of the lord , we do declare against them , even against your temples and whole worship , to the intent , to bring you to the true worship , that is in spirit and in truth , and that you might know your bodies the temples of god , and that he might dwell in you , and walk in you , according as be hath promised in the new covenant . wherefore all people , awake , and come out of your idolatry , and idolatrous worships ; separate your selves , touch no more of it , that the lord may receive you , and that you may come into his covenant , which is life and peace for your souls ; for in those worships , and temples , and all your practices therein , you have not true peace with the lord , nor the refreshments from his pure presence ; but sin and death reigns amongst you , and great ignorance is over your hearts , and idolatry corrupts your minds , and the lord hath been forgotten by you dayes without number : god is not well-pleased , neither hath any delight in your worship ; for your worship of him , and fear towards him , is but taught by the precepts of men , and by the traditions of the fathers , in the dayes of popery ; and if ever he opens your eyes , you will see it ; for it is with the humble and contrite in heart that the lord dwells , him that trembleth at the word of the lord , whose heart is right in his sight , and hath learned his judgments and fear ; and such as are changed and renewed , and born of the seed of god , and begotten by his powerfull word ; such are the true worshippers whom the lord is seeking , and such will he find to worship him . and whereas there is a great cry amongst you , and among many people at this day , about deceivers , and being deceived ; you say , and your cry is one to another , take heed you be not deceived , by false teachers , and false doctrine : this is the cry of parents to children , and children to parents ; and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sters to servants , and of servants to masters ; and chiefly it is the cry of 〈◊〉 priests to the people , take heed yo●● be not 〈◊〉 , &c. now to all this i do say , that there are many deceivers , and many are 〈…〉 ved , this is certainly true , and plainly manifest : but now , to shew 〈…〉 deceiver is , and what it is to be deceived , and who they are that ar● 〈◊〉 ceived . first , that is a deceiver , that person , that spirit , or that thing that 〈…〉 eth or inticeth the minds of people into something , to do , or practce , 〈◊〉 speak something which the lord by his spirit doth not lead to . i say , that which leads the creature to take up a joy , or a delight , 〈…〉 happiness in something of this world , which is under the sun , to place 〈…〉 fidence or felicity in such a thing ; that which thus leadeth or draweth the 〈…〉 whether it be person or spirit , it is a deceiver , and deceiveth the soul ; 〈…〉 or they , that do follow this , and give up themselves into the obedience 〈…〉 to do , or speak something , that is contrary to god , or which his spirit 〈…〉 not lead unto , nor guide in ; this person is deceived of the presence of the 〈◊〉 and of the comfort , and joy , and happiness that is in him , and hath ple●… and joy in something of the creation , that is not of him , but besides 〈◊〉 and this person is deceived , and in deceit , who hath placed a joy , and happi●… and confidence in some creature , or thing , that is not perfectly the lord ; 〈…〉 another spirit , besides the spirit of the lord , hath seated it self in the 〈◊〉 and taken possession of the mind , and the mind and heart is thereby ca●…ted by that way , in the works and pleasures of this world ; and this is a ●…ved estate : and thus much of a deceiver , and deceiving in the ground , in 〈◊〉 declared . but now , you that are crying one to another , be not deceived , be not 〈◊〉 ; are you not such as are deceived already , and lie wallowing in the deceit , and vanity , and evil of this world ? for , while sin hath power over you , and that spirit that is not of god doth lead you , you are deceived ; and thus it is with you , being unchanged and unrenewed in mind and heart , are not you deceived ? for you want the feeling of the presence , and of the comfort of the lord god , and you are deceived of that , for that you have not ; and another thing possesseth your minds , and the joy and pleasure of this world ; and in your exercise , spiritual and temporal , the spirit that is of this world doth lead you and guide you , the spirit of unrighteousness , that leadeth contrary to him ; and can you be otherwayes deceived , or more deceived ? for you are without god already , and want his peace , and the inheritance of life eternal , that is in him , you want the possession thereof ; and you are following dead idols and vanities , which steal away your minds , whereby it is manifest that you are deceived : for , all people upon earth , that are not led by the spirit into all truth ; that have not received the promise of the father , they are all deceived , and cannot be more deceived then they are . and so is the cry in general among people , if any one forsake and deny their way of worship , and religion , and profession , be it of what manner or nature soever , presently there is a cry , ( chiefly by the priests , take heed you be not deceived ; and you are in heresie , and error , and such like : thus have the papists cryed against them that have dissented from them , and the prelates cry'd the same , and now yo● cry the same to them that dissent from you : but your zeal is not so much against heresie and error , simply so , as it is to have your own sect and worship upheld , and against them that do dissent from you ; and it hath been antichrists way , since the apostacy , since the dayes of the apostles , to cry , heresie , and error , and you are deceived , to all that did decline and dissent from him ; for you may read in the scriptures , power was given to the beast , to compel all to worship him , and all that would not , he made war against , and had power to kill them ▪ and 〈…〉 have the papist● done , 〈…〉 against 〈…〉 that denyed their church ; 〈…〉 the pr●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; your , cry 〈◊〉 , heresie and error , 〈…〉 deceived , who do 〈…〉 church , and your ministry ; and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have you learned ●f your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 church . 〈…〉 ●…se all sorts of people ●… , that 〈…〉 〈◊〉 , and that 〈◊〉 ar● is 〈…〉 and see how your selves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the spirit of unrighteo●sness ●…ness , and ignorance ; and a cloud of error is over you and 〈◊〉 ●… ; and the son of god , who is ●…ring now in majesty and reno●… , to 〈…〉 name over all the earth ; and antichrist's way you have been in , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have all to how under his power unto his worship : but no●… eyes of 〈…〉 are opened , and life , and rig●…ness , and truth it self 〈…〉 ●…ung 〈…〉 ●…he clouds of d●…ness and 〈◊〉 . 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the unknown god , and him you ignorantly worship af●… of men , 〈◊〉 not af●… 〈◊〉 com●…s of god ; 〈◊〉 〈…〉 of the fore-fathers is seated in you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 witness , and ●… , and quencheth the spirit ; your old 〈◊〉 , traditi●… and 〈…〉 your exercise therein , 〈◊〉 tha● part which i● carnal , and 〈◊〉 〈…〉 others ; and your worship , which is out of the spirit of god , 〈…〉 spirit of god in others , to 〈◊〉 ●ny truly to the living 〈…〉 〈…〉 will destroy your worship , and confound it , and no more is t●… 〈…〉 ●…shipped i● st●●ple-houses , they are left desolate of god's pre●… 〈◊〉 more in dayes , and ti●es , and things ; but they that worsh●… 〈…〉 〈◊〉 in the spirit , changed by it , and led by it into the truth : so 〈…〉 doth open your eyes , you will see the worship of god to be 〈…〉 thing , then you suppose it ; you cannot be educated naturally in the worship of god , nor learn it by traditions ; for it stands only in the spirit , and is taught by the spirit unto all them that are born of the spirit ; and who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be born of that , are the true worshippers of god , in which the father is well pleased . and as for your worship in steeple-houses , god hath no delight in , he ●…th it not , but it is an abomination to him ; it is not pleasing to him , be●…e you be out of his spirit , and worship after your own traditions , 〈…〉 after his spirit : and this worship hath stood all this long time of an●… , while the whore and the beast hath ruled over nations ; and so one tradition after another hath been brought in , and one false worship hath risen out of another ; and what people have had , it hath been by tradition , and not from the immediate spirit of god ; and so the true god hath not been wo●…d in his spirit : and now all the world have been pleading for the●● traditions , and they be in respect above the commandments of god , among ye that worship in steeple-houses ; you are even mad against them that 〈…〉 ●…inst the steeple-houses , and plead the antiquity of your worship , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 your traditions and ordinances ; now they are ancient , even as anci●…●s since the false prophets and antichrist came in , and did put on the sh●… clothing , but inwardly ravening wolves ; these killed the life , and slew the prophets , and they set up inventions of their own : and your traditio●… and worships are as ancient as since power was given to the beast over kindreds and peoples ; and the lord god is bringing down your worship , the original of which came up when antichrist went out into the world , as you may read in iohn's epistle , and so you may plead antiquity ; yet not as ancient as the true church is ; for when the tru● churches were apostatized , then came up your worship , and your many traditions ; and this hath been while the woman hath been fled into the wilderness , and the man-child caught up to god , which when the woman returns again , your worship & ordinance will be over-thrown , and the true worship again established , and liberty ; but first you must know the spirit to teach you , before you can worship in it ; and the spirit must purifie your hearts , and make them 〈◊〉 before you can offer to god an acceptable sacrifice ; for your sacrifices are not acceptable , but they are stained and polluted in the fight of the lord , who 〈◊〉 hath beheld what you are a doing ; and you are in that which his soul hath no pleasure in ; and in the day of your ●…ation , the witness in your consciences shall answer it : so you are to know god by his spirit , before you can worship him ; the word of the lord must be 〈◊〉 in your h●●rt● as a 〈◊〉 as a ham●… , and 〈◊〉 mu●● be cr●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a●d have 〈…〉 spirit , ●…ore ye can 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . so all you false worshippers , you are called , that you may return , and may come into the true worship , which is in t●● commandment of god , and not the traditions of 〈◊〉 ; and in that law written in the hear● , is god known● who worketh man's salvation , 〈◊〉 which leadeth in the true and perfect worship of the true and living god , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lord 〈…〉 all in a●… th●…ef●… retu●… ; why wi●… yo●…ye a●● perish 〈◊〉 your 〈…〉 a 〈…〉 ●…n is ta●●n u●●… , o●… why 〈◊〉 you ●●rish ●…ough 〈…〉 yo●● 〈◊〉 s●… ti●… c●… into the sp●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the truth , that you may ●…ship god , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 of him , who is now appeared in power and great glory to gather his people to himself . this is to go ab●… among all people , w●o ar● worshipping in temp●… made with hands , ●nd who are under this ministry , and are of 〈◊〉 church aforementioned ; that they may come to consider , and see the er●… of their way , of th●… worship , and of their mi●… and this is a visitation from the lord unto them all , by a friend 〈◊〉 all your souls , e. b. some false principles and errors discovered and refuted : 〈…〉 answer to a catechism-book , which is said to contain , the principles of religion ; put forth by a nameless author : but is supposed to be the work of one samuel eaton , a professed minister of the gospel , among the sect of the independants , in ch●shire . but upon true examination , he is found to be teaching the traditions of men , for the commandments of christ ; and his principles are proved to be not according , but contrary to the spirit of god and the scriptures . to the reader . the reason and cause of this being sent abroad , is for the better information of all ; but more particularly for the good of that assembly , to whom samuel eaton is minister and pastor , that they may know the truth from error , and the way of righteousness from all false wayes ; and may turn fr●● idol-shepherds , that destroy the vine-yard , and tread it down ; and may 〈◊〉 to christ , and receive him , who is the chief shepherd , to feed his flock with the bread of eternal life . and the reason why these false principles are charged upon samuel eaton , is this , it being doubtful to some , who was the author of that catechism , wherein these principles and doctrines were held forth ; john gredley and anne sheeld by name , were with the said samuel eaton , and asked him , if he owned that book ( the catechism ? ) and he said , he would maintain all in it : that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answer . the wayes of the lord are equal and just , but the wayes of the sons of adam are altogether corrupted , and different and contrary to the wayes of salvation : and the wisdom that is of this world is foolishness with god , and its end is destruction to its self , and to all that walk therein . and what is man , that he shall prescribe a way to his maker● and who is it that will be more wise then god , to ●et him a way how he must ●…ch his people ? therefore in-vain have men laboured , and have reaped to ●…selves nothing but wind and confusion ; and in va●● have they sown 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to reap after them , whose fruit hath been emptiness , and not filled the hand of the gatherer . and in particular , this book , with which i am now ●…ing , is the fruit of an empty . tree , which cannot satisfie the hungry 〈◊〉 , nor comfort the weary seeker ; for , the satisfaction and comfort of the ●…ing hungry soul dependeth only upon the lord , and upon the bread of ●●fe , that commeth down , from god ; and the soul that ea●● thereof is ●…ed and comforted forever , and hungereth no more , nor thirsteth any sl●… ; but the fountain is in him , and the well springeth up unto eternal life 〈◊〉 goes no more forth . and if so be that all herein were true and sou●… do●… , and were learned , so as to express it over again in words , this might be , 〈…〉 the soul still remaining in anguish , and under sin and death , though 〈◊〉 in the knowledge that is from below , and yet in a farther ignorance of god ; for the wisdom of this world knows not god , neither can it teach not receive the knowledge of the things that pertain unto life eternal ; but to the s●…e , and to fools , doth the lord teach and reveal the knowledge of his kingdom ; and it is not received from books , nor the teachings and tradition of 〈◊〉 〈…〉 by the manifestation of the eternal spirit , which doth lead into all truth , ●…eveals the mysteries of salvation . the first thing that i take notice of , is this , thou sayst , god is a spirit ▪ 〈◊〉 he is one in beeing , and is to be distinguished into three persons ; and the father , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holy ghost are personal relations ; and if one be a person , such are the other , &c. answ. the father , son , and spirit is one ; this we believe and know , according to the scriptures : but , as for thy word , person , that is car●… 〈◊〉 ●oo low a word to denominate god by , who is infinite ; for god and the spirit hath no person , nor cannot truly be distinguished into persons ; for a person has relation to place time and change , and is not in all places at all ti●es at ●…e ; and the scriptures know no such distinction ; for god is a spirit , and hath , no relation to one time , place or alteration more then another , but filleth heaven and earth , and his presence is in all , and over all , who is ble●… forever , and is infinite , and without person , or confined beeing ; and the s●…pture no where , in true translation , doth denominate god , christ and the spirit by persons , and personal beeings , nor doth distinguish them into ●…ee persons ; for persons are related to carnal , as i have said ; and persons is ●oo low to denominate god , and christ , and the spirit by . so thy principles are unsound , and not agreeing to the spirit of god , and the scriptures ; and therefore not to be believed , nor received . whereas thou sayst , that the one standing rule , according to which god is to b●●…ht , worshipped and served , is the holy scriptures ; in which god hath revealed himself in all things , which he would have believed , and do●e , &c. answ. it is the spirit of god that gave forth the scriptures , which spirit was , and is within the saints , that leadeth into all truth , and teacheth to k●… all things ; and that spirit of god only is the standing rule to walk in , and to walk by , it was the rule to abel , enoch , abraham , and the rest of the ●…ly fathers , that lived before any scripture was written ; and it was the ru●… to the prophets , to christ , and to the holy apostles ; they all followed the spirit , and walked in it ; and spake , and wrought , and acted as the spirit of god within them moved them , and led them ; it was not the scriptures , but the spirit , that gave forth the scriptures , that was the standing , unchang●…le , un-erring rule of worshipping , serving and obeying the lord god ▪ and that same spirit is the standing rule to us also : for the apostle commandeth , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the spirit ; and that which we are to walk in is our rule ; and as many 〈◊〉 the sons of god , are led by the spirit of god ; and then the spirit is their 〈◊〉 and that guides the feet in the way of peace : and in the spirit is god ●…pped ; for they that worship him , must worship him in the spirit and in the ●… ▪ and such he seeketh to worship him : for , it is in the hearts of his people , 〈◊〉 within them , that god revealeth himself by his spirit : for it is the spirit 〈…〉 the thing ●f god ; and none knoweth the things of god , saving by the 〈◊〉 of god ▪ and that revealeth god , and teacheth to worship god ? and to serve him ▪ and the scriptures they declare of the rule , and of the revelati●… 〈◊〉 god , and are a declaration , of all things which are to be believed and 〈◊〉 by the children of the lord : so that the scriptures are not the 〈◊〉 rule , neither do they teach to worship and serve god ; but the spi●…●●ve forth the scriptures , that is the standing rule , in , and through ●…tions ▪ and the spirit doth reveal the knowledge of god , and how 〈…〉 〈◊〉 worshipped and served . and thou sayst . the scriptures are the word of god , given by immediate in●… 〈◊〉 god ; and that they are given to all men , to be read : and the scrip●…●…cient to make the man of god perfect , and throughly furnished ; and 〈◊〉 〈…〉 〈◊〉 ●nto salvation : and the scriptures are plain , and easie to be 〈…〉 ●y the simplest ; and there is milk in them for babes , and strong meat for 〈◊〉 grown up . ●… ▪ christ is the word of god , and his name is called , the word of 〈◊〉 and the word of god was in the beginning , and shall endure forever : and this word is not the scriptures , and the scriptures are not the word ; but the scriptures are words of god , given forth from the word , 〈◊〉 was in their hearts ; that spake forth the scriptures ; which were wrote 〈◊〉 the holy men of , god were moved by the holy ghost , and given by the inspiration of the spirit of god : and the scriptures are a declaration and a ●…tise of the word that was in the beginning , and shall endure for●… ; but the scriptures are not the word : and some of them were gi●… to one sort of men , and some of them to another , and some of them ●… ▪ but as for the threatnings and judgments propounded , and the reproof of the wicked , that part was not given to the saints , nor spoken to ●…em , and so not given to all ; and the promises to the children of the lord , and the epistles to the saints , and them that were sanctified , that part was not given and spoken to the world , and to the wicked , who are un●…ted , and so not spoken to all ; though all may read them , yet none can understand them , but by the same spirit that gave them forth ; and who have not the same spirit , to guide them , they cannot understand the scriptures ; for they were given forth by the eternal spirit ; and the carnal ●…dom , that is from below , and sensual , cannot understand nor receive the ●…gs of the kingdom of god , which are declared of in the scriptures : and so the scriptures are not easie to be understood , but are sealed from the world ; ●●ither are the scriptures without faith ( which thou hast left out ) sufficient to make the man of god perfect ; but the scriptures , through faith , are able to make the man of god perfect , and throughly furnished ; this we know and ●…re ; and do set the scriptures in their right place , and give them their right h●…our and respect . and as for thee and thy generation , who are erred from the spirit of truth , you know not the scriptures , nor the power of god ; for christ is the bread of life , and the water of life ; in him is the milk for babes , and 〈◊〉 for strong men , and not in the scriptures , who testifie of christ the life ; and in them the pharis●●s thought to have eternal life , but would not come 〈◊〉 christ , the end of the scriptures , that they might have life ; and this is the self same state with yours of this , age who think to have the perf●… of salvation , and the milk for babes , and the meat for strong men in the scriptures : but will not receive christ , who is the perfect salvation , and 〈◊〉 bread and water , of life , for all the children of the lord , who are 〈…〉 the spirit : and so thy doctrines , and thy principles of thy religion , 〈◊〉 not sound , nor agreeing with the scriptures ; but contrary , and by a 〈…〉 spirit ; and therefore we cannot be of thy mind , but do truly 〈…〉 unlearned of the father , and knowest not the way of salvation , and so ▪ 〈◊〉 canst not truly inform nor direct others . and thou sayst . men are under a necessity of multiplying transg●… 〈…〉 . . ephes. . . . pet. . answ. in this thou hast erred , and spoken contrary to sound d●… ▪ 〈◊〉 there is no necessity laid upon any to commit any sin , much less a ne●… multiplying transgression ; if there be a necessity , who layes it 〈◊〉 ▪ 〈…〉 and why is that necessity ? transgression is of the wicked one , and 〈…〉 is of the devil , and there is no necessity for that upon any account 〈…〉 sin destroyes the soul , and is a ve●ation to the lord god , and a c●… 〈…〉 lasting misery ; and for to act that , there is no ▪ necessity , which hath 〈…〉 fects : and thou hast perverted the scriptures quoted by thee , to prove 〈…〉 assertion ; which i have set down for the reader to pe●…se , that all ●… , thou hast perverted them ; for they prove no such doctrines , as that ▪ 〈…〉 a necessity of multiplying transgression , which thou hast affirmed , and 〈…〉 the scriptures to prove it ; which is ; first , false doctrine uttered by thee it 〈◊〉 also a perverting of the scriptures to maintain it ; and this two evil● ▪ 〈◊〉 thou hast committed in one work ; and because thou hast done evil , 〈…〉 at thy door , and there i will leave it . and thou sayst , to be justified is not to be really ●l●ansed from all sin ▪ 〈…〉 take of real righteousness and holiness ; but it is to be accounted and reput●… holy , and not to have sin reckoned , &c. answ. there are none justified , but who are in christ , and are chan●… and renewed ; and born again ; and such are cleansed from sin ; for he 〈…〉 of god sinneth not : and it is he only that is justified , and not the old man , that is unchanged , and commits sin ; he is not justified : and who are born of god ▪ and are justified , are really cleansed , and do partake of righteousness and holiness , even of the righteousness and holiness of the son of god ▪ and in that righteousness he is accounted ▪ righteous , and in no other , nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 other way , then by receiving christ and his righteousness , and being made part●kers of it in their ▪ hearts ; for the apostle said , if christ be not in you , 〈◊〉 are reprebates ; and such are not justifieth , nor accounted just and holy ▪ who ▪ have not christ within them , and his righteousness ; but who have christ within , the hope of glory , and are accounted just and righteous in the sight of god , the body of sin is put off ; for if christ be in you , the body is dead because ▪ 〈◊〉 sin ; and such are really cleansed ; and if he be in you , you are made parta●… ▪ of real righteousness and holiness : and this is the truth of the gospel of christ , which confounds and condemns thy false doctrine ; for no man it accounted and imputed just and holy , but who are cleansed from sin , and are in christ ; for , who do commit sin are unholy , and so reputed of god , and sin is neckoned to them ; and this all will find in the day of the lord , when 〈◊〉 cometh to judge righteously , and to give every man according to his works ▪ and nor according to what he may make a shew of , and profess in words : thou●● all you false daubers with untempored morter , heal up the hurt of the daughter of si●n deceitfully , and cry , peace , peace , by a false applying the pro●…ses and words of christ , when god speaks no peace ; and even you ▪ and you ▪ false daube● wall , will the whirlewind of the lord beat down , and destroy ▪ utterly : and this i assert , contrary to thy false doctrine and principles . t●… none are justified , but who have christ in them , and really partake of holiness and ●…sness , and are really cleansed from all sin , and are born of the spirit of god , 〈…〉 〈◊〉 of the pr●… of eternal life . 〈…〉 thou sayst ▪ iusti●… 〈◊〉 not of any d●gree ▪ 〈◊〉 if a person 〈…〉 from any on● sin ▪ he is justifieth from all sin ▪ 〈◊〉 well from si●● to be committed , 〈…〉 are already co●…ed ▪ and who is 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 person , is not unjustified upon 〈…〉 &c. answ. grace and faith , and truth , and christ himself admitteth of de●… ▪ which are one ; and there are several measures of life , of 〈…〉 and faith , of sanctification , and of justification also ; for , 〈◊〉 as every man hath received christ , so hath he received sanctification ●… , and no otherwise ; for , christ is made wisdom ▪ and sancti●●cation , and salvation ; and every one feels his sanctification and his justifica●… ▪ 〈◊〉 to the measure of the gift of christ ; so that there are seve●… of justification ▪ and also , a man may be justified from one sin , ●… , and not from all sin ; for , according to every man's sanctificati●… witness of his justification to him , and no more ; and if thou 〈…〉 ●●ing by experience , thou knowest this : and no man is justified 〈…〉 which he is to commit ; for that saith gives licence to sin : if any , 〈…〉 sin , shall believe , that that sin is long since forgiven , and he is justi●… 〈◊〉 and if he shall believe , that he is justified , though he commits sin , 〈◊〉 ●…fore he commits his sin , this will be a cause to run into sin , and is a 〈…〉 by thee unto all unrighteousness ▪ why , if people can believe they 〈…〉 from the sins which they have yet to commit , what should restrain 〈…〉 running with pleasure into all unrighteousness ? and if new sins , 〈…〉 committed , do not make persons unjustified , then may the sinners re●… their sins , and take their pleasure in ungodliness . this doctrine of 〈◊〉 is pleasant to the wicked , and it is the way and principle of liberty in ●… ▪ rather then the principles to lead from sin ; and so thou hast shewed 〈◊〉 work thou ar● doing , by strengthning the wicked in his way , so that he cannot turn from sin , rather then drawing him from sin ; and this is the 〈…〉 work . and thou sayst , such as are justified are regenerated and sanctified : and a little 〈◊〉 thou sayst , to be justified is not to be cleansed , nor is it to partake of real right●… ▪ and persons are justified from sins which they have to commit . answ. these are contradictions , and proceed out of darkness , and not 〈…〉 light ; and thy folly and ignorance may be read by all men : for , who are regenerated and sanctified are also cleansed , and partake of real ●…ness . and thou further sayst , that sanctification is a real change from sin , to the parity of 〈◊〉 ●…ge of god. answ. and i say , none are sanctified , but they are justified ; so none are 〈◊〉 , but who are changed into the image of god ; this the truth saith ▪ and wherein thou hast said contrary , thou hast spoken contrary to the truth ; and the truth will judge thee . 〈◊〉 , thou sayst , sanctification is not perfect in this life ; and the new man , ●… , or law of the mind , is that grace , or imperfect sanctification , &c. answ. then christ is not perfect in this life ; for he is made of god unto us sanctification , cor. . ● . but we say , christ is perfect , and therefore sanctification is perfect ; and the new man is the image of god , and is created in r●…sness and in true holiness : but thou sayst , the new man 〈◊〉 imperfect ▪ 〈…〉 of thy principles , when they are compared with the scriptures , and see the 〈◊〉 and wickedness of them . and the spirit and law in the mind ●s the spirit of god , and the law of god , in which the apostles served god ; and 〈◊〉 all the saints : but thou sayst , the spirit and law in the mind is imperfect ; 〈◊〉 this is error in the highest degree , to say ●…gni●… , that the new man , 〈◊〉 image of god , tha● is in righteousness and true holiness , and the spirit of god , and the law of god , is imperfect sanctification ; and grace is the salvation , and is god's sufficiency , and that ( thou sayst ) is imperfect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thus thy principles of thy religion , which thou walkest in thy self , 〈…〉 wouldst teach to others , are abominable , corrupted principles of e●… contrary to the spirit of truth , and to the scriptures also . and 〈…〉 that thy name is concealed ; for thy work deserves no● a good mans 〈…〉 it . much more might be said , to lay open further thy ●olly , but this is su●… men of understanding ; and contrary to thee i do a●●ert , that the new 〈…〉 image of god , the spirit and l●…f god in the mind , is perf●… peace , 〈…〉 sanctification : and thou hast said the contrary : and now whether thy 〈…〉 ples of religion , or mine , be the most true , and whether false , let all 〈…〉 judge , with the light in their consciences . and thou sayst , the old man , the flesh , the body of sin , the body of 〈…〉 the sin that remains in sanctified persons . answ. who are sanctified , are freed from th● body of sin and d●… have put it off , and the law of the spirit of life hath f●eed 〈◊〉 from 〈…〉 and from the old man ; for if the old man , the flesh , the body of 〈…〉 death , be in the sanctified persons , then there are none s●●cti●●ed at 〈…〉 what are they sanctified , freed and cleansed from , if the old man , 〈…〉 the body of sin and death , be yet remaining in them ? thou sp●… unlearned man , and one that knows not the sanctified state ; but art 〈…〉 thy mind and judgment , and in thy words also ; for we have put 〈…〉 man , and are crucified to the flesh , and made free from the body of 〈…〉 death , and this is our sanctification ; and who are remaining 〈…〉 things , are not sanctified , but are in the degeneration , and hav● 〈…〉 yet in the kingdom of god , nor in christ jesus ; but are with●… the world. and thousayst , the sanctification of the first day , hath put an end to 〈…〉 fication of the seventh , &c. answ. here again thou hast uttered that which thou knowest not 〈…〉 dayes are alike unto god , and one sanctified as much as another , and 〈…〉 of dayes with him , but all are holy , and pure , and good ; and when 〈…〉 ctification of any thing is put to an end ( as thou sayst the sanctification 〈…〉 seventh day is ) then the thing is no more good nor holy , but beco●… and unclean , if it be no more sanctified nor holy ; and in this princi●… hast erred also . as for the seventh day , it was commanded of god to the iews , to be 〈…〉 and observed holy to the lord ; and all manner of labour to all creatures 〈…〉 forbidden ; which thing was a sign and a shaddow of a good thing to co●… the end of which ordinance was christ , the substance of all things , and 〈…〉 end of dayes : and that there was any disanulling of that command 〈…〉 iews , and a command to keep and observe the first day of the week i●… of the other , by any outward command , this we read not in all the scrip●… and what ground hast thou more then thy imaginations , i know not , to a●… the changing of dayes , and to teach the observation of the first day , 〈…〉 sabboth , instead of the seventh day , seeing thou hast nothing in the scrip●… to raise such a principle from ; and so would make exception of dayes , and resp●ct of times , which the apostles did not , after the holy spirit was co●… for dayes and times all are alike to god ; and who are come to christ , 〈…〉 true rest of the immortal soul , are in the end of dayes , and out of the 〈…〉 spect of times , in the substance , which endures forever : and in the gos●… ministr●tion , there is no command or injunction by christ , or by his apost●… given to 〈◊〉 for the observing any one day more then another . and thou sayst , when it is s●●d , s●… not at all , the meaning is , not vainly 〈…〉 unnecessarily . : and it is a seal and sign , that 〈…〉 is of the whore of rome , and not of the true church of christ , for 〈…〉 nor true church of christ never ordain'd not practised such a thing ●… : and in the true church , as sprinkling of infants , and calling it 〈◊〉 in the faith of christ , and the seal of the covenant , there was no such 〈◊〉 and doctrine amongst them , but it is come up since the true church 〈…〉 wilderness , and since the 〈◊〉 received power over kindreds and 〈…〉 it is an institution of the great whore , that hath 〈◊〉 upon the 〈…〉 generations ; and she has made nations drink her cup of fornications 〈◊〉 original of this practice and principle was received 〈◊〉 of the whore's 〈◊〉 and not by any commandment of christ , or example of his church and 〈◊〉 . and i cannot but charge thee , that thou teachest for doctrine the tru 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and holdst forth for principles of religion , to be believed and 〈◊〉 , the 〈…〉 of the great whore , of whose cup thou hast dr●nk , and 〈◊〉 also give 〈…〉 they may drink it also : and to accomplish which evil end , thou 〈…〉 the scripture , asts . . for the scripture hath no such thing intende● 〈◊〉 the baptizing of infants , for which end thou hast f●●sly cited it ; for , 〈◊〉 promise is to as many as the lord our god shall call , yet what is this 〈◊〉 ●prinkling of infants , which thou assertest as a principle of religion , and 〈◊〉 seem to enforce it , by vertue of the scripture mention'd ▪ but 〈…〉 scripture , and shew'd thy self to be disagreeing to the holy ministers 〈…〉 of christ , and to be agreeing with the false church of rome 〈…〉 sufficient to thee . 〈◊〉 thou sayst , the outward covenant of god is conditional ; and the 〈…〉 entitles both such as make it , and their infants unto it ( to wit ) the cove●●●● 〈◊〉 . the covenant of god is not outward , but spiritual , a● i have said , 〈◊〉 also free , even the free gift of god ; and the promise and covenant 〈…〉 ●●nifested , without the perfoming any thing by the 〈…〉 god ; for it stands not upon condition , but upon free 〈…〉 make a profession of faith , which have not right nor 〈…〉 salvation , not to god's fore covenant ; neither can any upon 〈…〉 infants , void of understanding , have any assurance or title in 〈…〉 of life eternal , but who are regenerated , and born of the 〈…〉 and degener●●●● in that state have no title nor right in the 〈…〉 seed , which is heir of the promise , which is born of god , and not 〈…〉 that is the covenant ; so thou hast spoken things thou knowest not , 〈◊〉 hast manifested thy false principles , which thou walkest in , and wouldst 〈◊〉 others to receive them also . then thou speakest of bread and wine , which ( sayst ●●ou ) are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the lord's supper , and are a seal of the cove●… als● , &c. answ. the supper of the lord is the bread of eternal life , the body and 〈◊〉 of christ , and who ●●ts thereof shall 〈…〉 dye , nor h●…ger and thirst any 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as for bread and wine , visible and carnal , that is not the real supper of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and even the purest institution & practice thereof is but a representation of ●… , and not the very thing ; and the end and substance being come , the 〈…〉 may be neglected . but as for the manner and institution of that practice i● 〈◊〉 church of england , and the practice it self , we deny to be either a sign of 〈◊〉 past or to come ; but in an idolatrous way it is held forth , and not in 〈…〉 honour to god ; for he is thereby dishonoured : for the false church has 〈…〉 the form of that practice , as well as of many others ( which the true church 〈◊〉 practi●'d ) without the power , and now doth practice many things in meer i●… tion and vain idolatry , and in form and tradition , and without the te●… the spirit , which sometime the true church , and the apostles practized in the 〈◊〉 , and by the leading of the spirit of god , and what the command of god was ●… : so that though you may in some things practice the very same which the 〈…〉 did ; yet having not the same spirit to lead you , nor being guided thereby , as 〈◊〉 saints and the apostles were , your works are but idolatry , and formal , 〈◊〉 not accepted of the lord , but stink in his nostrils : and your covenant is 〈◊〉 ward , and your seals outward , your baptism and supper outward and 〈◊〉 ; and while you are with zeal prosecuting your outward performances , and ●…lowing them , you neglect the inward , and the substance , which is , christ 〈…〉 you , the hope of glory ; which if he be in you , then the body of sin is put off , and the vail is done away , and the representations are done away , and the substance and 〈◊〉 is come ; and if christ be not in you , you are reprobates , notwithstanding all your profession and practices of outward duties unto god , without his spirit . and whereas thou hast quoted , col. . . gal. . . rom. . . to 〈◊〉 , that the new man , the spirit or , law of the mind , is called , the imperfect sanctification . answ. hereby openly thou hast shewed thy self to be a perverter of the scriptures , and a wrester of them to thy own destruction ; for let but reason●…●en peruse the scriptures mention'd by thee , and see if there be such a thing 〈◊〉 them , as held forth by thee , that the new man , the spirit or law of the mi●● , is called , imperfect sanctifiation : which thou hast asserted , and cited those te●… to prove it , but as to the thing it self i have answered before ; only this is to 〈◊〉 thy manner of perverting scriptures , which is the work of the evil spirit in thee , and not the work of the spirit of god. and thus i have examin'd some part of thy principles of religion , which th●● hast put forth into the world for others to learn ; and the error and falsness of them is laid open , and how contrary to scriptures they are ; and in haste , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were , i have passed over it , not willing to rake into things which gave no just occasion against truth ; but have only confuted a few of thy many particulars ; which had i narrowly sought into other things , much unsoundness would have been discovered : but what i have said is truly sufficient to discover unto 〈◊〉 persons the error of thy judgment , and of thy principles and practices , and 〈◊〉 thy whole religion . and before ever thou be a true instructor of others in 〈◊〉 way , thou must first repent , and believe , ●nd learn the way thy self , which yet thou art ignorant of ; for thou hast shewed no knowledge , but what is sen●… , and devilish , and from below , and meerly carnal and natural : and meeting wi●● thy book , and enquiring what the author was , i was engaged to say something to it by way of answer , and to lay it to the line of judgment , according to the scriptures ; and it hath proved very guilty of error , and perverting scriptures the th of the d m●●eth , ▪ by a lover of thy soul , and a s●eker of the good and peace of all men ▪ edw. burroughs ▪ a message to all kings and rulers in christendom , to all called christian kings and princes , and to all the parliaments , and rulers , and governours of every degree throughout the whole christian world. a call unto you all , by a servant of the lord , in the name of the lord god , dreadful and mighty , and the highest power over all the world ; that ye take off oppression , and relieve the oppressed , and cease to grinde the face of the poor ; and from drinking the whore's cup , and from carrying of her ; and from all oppressions whatsoever , lest the lord god almighty execute 〈◊〉 fierce indignation upon you , if ye will not turn at his reproof , 〈◊〉 hearke● 〈◊〉 his voice when he calleth unto you . forasmuch as it hath come to pass in the world , for many ages , sm●● the last glorious appearance of christ jesus , and the light of his glorious gospel , through his servants the holy apostles , that antichrist , that man of sin , the enemy of christ and his kingdom , hath ruled in the hearts of people , and throughout & over the christian world ; and he has been exalted within and without , ever since the falling away from the true faith , which once was delivered to the apostles and true churches ; and he hath shewed himself to be god , and hath sitten in the seat of god , and hath exercised lordship over the persons and consciences of men , throughout generations , ever since the falling away from the faith : for the true church , the elected spouse , the lamb's wife , which once brought forth him that was to rule the nations , and was clothed with the sun , and had once great beauty and excellency , hath been fled into the wilderness , and hath been desolate as without husband and issue ; but hath remained in her place prepared her of god , where she hath dwelt in mourning , and been fed with the bread of sorrow , being pursued thither by the dragon , and his floods of cruelty , who also waited to devour the man-child , when he was born ; and the martyrs blood hath been shed , and the holy prophets , and apostles , and saints have been made war against , and killed and persecuted for righteou●●ess sake ; and the two witnesses have long lain slain and rejoyced over in the streets of the great city , and the blood of the ●…cent hath ●een dr●…k , and th●… lamb and his followers have been made wa●…●…inst ; and the dragon , the d●vil , and satan , hath deceived the world into the name of christians , without the true christian life ; and righteousness and truth hath stood afar off , and justice and mercy hath been wanting , and the fear of the lord , and true obedience to him , hath been in a great measure expelled out of nations ; and even all that would not worship the 〈◊〉 , ●nd his images , and receive his mark , the beast hath had power to kill 〈◊〉 , and he hath had power to execute his wrath against them that have followed the lamb , even all this time of darkness and apostacy , which hath over●…dowed the christian-world , since the apostles days until this time ; and all this hath been since the falling away from the life , and righteousness , and spirit of jesus , as i have said . 〈◊〉 the beast hath been great , that arose out of the sea , and out of the ear●… ( when the true faith was lost ) and his power mighty amongst men ; for he re●…ed power from the dragon , and made war against the true church , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 devour the man-child ; and power ●●th been given him over kind●… , tongues and nations ; and all the world hath wondered and followed after the beast , and have been admiring his power , and his great authority , and saying , who is able to make war with him ? for he hath had a mouth given , that hath spoken great things ; and it hath been given him to war with the saints , and to overcome them by his unrighteous laws and decrees : and all that dwelt upon the earth have worshipped him , whose names are not written in the book of life ; and he hath had many heads ( even divers sorts and changes of government ) and many horns , with which he hath pushed the innocent , and ruled over the earth , and kept all under his power ; and he hath set up images to worship , and likenesses without life ; and he hath caused both small and great , rich and poor , free and bond , to receive his mark ; and be 〈◊〉 carried the whore , and she hath journeyed upon him from nation to nation , through the earth , in the sheep's clothing , and made all nations drink her cup of fornications . and the whore , the false church , she hath fate as a queen , in great state and authority , upon nations , tongues , multitudes and peoples ; and thro●… the beast's authority , which hath carried her , she hath ruled in great authority over the consciences , persons and estates of people ; and she hath drunk the saints blood , and the martyrs blood ; and in her is found even 〈◊〉 this day , the blood of the martyrs , and the prophets , and of ●ust 〈◊〉 , and of all that have been slain upon the earth ; and she hath exercised cruelty and tyranny over the heritage of god ; and she hath had the sheep's clothing upon her , even part of the garment of the lamb's wife ; and she ●●th appeared in much beauty , with a golden cup in her hand , in which the wine of her fornications , and the filthiness thereof hath appeared , and which she hath caused the nations to drink ; and by her sorceries and witchcrafts she hath deceived the world , and with her false miracles , and shews , and images , and false ministers , which she hath set up , she hath corrupted the earth ; and all this she hath done by the beast's power , that hath carried her , who received his authority from the dragon , and from the devil . and thus antichrist , the beast and the whore , have ruled in the world in great authority for many generations , and the world hath been as a wilderness ●y them , and waste and barren of all good fruit ; and truth and faith ●●th been departed from amongst men , and love and peace ●●th been far away ; and murders , thefts , wars , strifes and all injustice , and wickedness hath abounded in nations ; and thus the whole earth hath been corrupted through the whore , and false church , who hath deceived kings , and rulers , and peoples , by her inchantments and sorceries , which she hath ca●●ed them to receive at her hand , and out of her golden cup of abominations ; out of which they have drunk false doctrines and practices , to the deceiving of their souls and bodies . but now the day of the lord is come and coming , and the lamb's kingdom is to be set up ; and the kingdoms of this world must be changed , and 〈◊〉 covered again , and will become the kingdoms of the lord , and of his christ , and the marriage of the lamb is come again , and the day of glad-tidings 〈◊〉 to the poor , and to the distressed ; and the lamb's wife shall be adorned 〈◊〉 her husband , she shall be clothed with the sun , and shall be covered with her former beauty , and shall be led out of the wilderness ; and the earth shall be refreshed , and deliver'd from the oppressions and tyrannies of antichrist and the whore ; for the hour of her iudgments are come : and the darkness of the night of woful apostacy , which hath clouded the world , is passing over and the light of the lamb is risen , and the day-star hath appeared in the hearts of people ; and the man of sin , which hath sate in the temple , and shewe●●●mself to be god , and falsly exercised the bodies and consciences of deceived people , in false ways and worships , is discovering and destroying by the spirit of 〈◊〉 mouth , and by the brightness of the coming of jesus ; and the beast and the false prophet shall be taken alive and cast into the lake of fire , and the 〈◊〉 and false prophet shall be tormented day and night forever ; for the breath of life from god is entred into the two witnesses , and they shall again prophe●y , and the light of the glorious gospel , that that long been hid , must again be preached to kindreds , tongues and nations ; and the kingdom of christ iesus 〈…〉 set up ; and these things is the lord god almighty bringing to pass : and he will confound and destroy antichrist , and all that have worshipped him , and 〈◊〉 that have worshipped the beast , a nd drunk the cup of fornication , and commited ●●●latry with the great whore , they shall be taken and cast into the bed of torment , and shall weep and houl because of the great destruction of babylon , that great city , who hath been the glory of kingdoms , and made rich her merchants 〈◊〉 false ministers ) with deceiveableness , whom god will overthrow : that great 〈◊〉 city of confusion ( the false church ) that great whore , the mother of 〈◊〉 abominations , the ●ord god is risen against her to enquire for the blood 〈◊〉 mart●rs and prophets , and righteous men , that is found in her , and she shall be rewarded according to her wayes ; and as she hath given others to drink 〈◊〉 cup of fornication , so in like manner shall she drink the cup of fierce 〈◊〉 of the lord's wrath from his saints ; and she shall no more deceive the nations by her sorceries , but the earth shall be deliver'd from her , and the kingdom of the son of god shall be exalted over all , and the light of the lamb 〈◊〉 be the light of all nations , and all that are saved shall walk in the light of 〈◊〉 and truth shall reign , and the fruit of righteousness shall abound , and all people shall glorifie god , their maker ; and the whole earth shall be refreshed with the mercy of him that made her . wherefore all ye kings , princes , parliaments and rulers , through th● whole christendom , this is a request unto you all of a lover of your immort●● souls , that you will cease to commit fornication with the great whore , and that you will not any longer drink her cup of i●●●atries , neither that you will cause nations to drink it ; neither that you will carry the great whore any more , nor receive her sorc●ries 〈◊〉 inchantments to deceive your souls and bodies : and this the lord god almighty ( who ought to be the fear and dread of all nations ) requireth of you , and 〈◊〉 is a charge to you in the presence of the lord god , that 〈◊〉 do not any lo●g●● defend the great city babylon , and the false church with your weapons 〈…〉 and oppression , neither that you will ever any more oppress the persons and consciences of people , on her part , and on her defence ; but that 〈…〉 〈◊〉 ●●st off the whore , and not suffer her to sit upon you ; and 〈◊〉 you will not be servants to her , to execute her cruelties upon the bodies 〈◊〉 consciences of people : for , these things have you done , and therefore 〈◊〉 lord displeased with you , and therefore deliver your selves from the a●… of the false church , and receive not her delusions , neither im●… 〈◊〉 upon the people under you ; for now the judgments of the great whore ●… , and the time that the lord will reward her according to her wayes , 〈…〉 shall have the fruit of her doings : and if you will yet uphold her , 〈◊〉 〈…〉 fornication with her , and compel the nations to drink of her 〈◊〉 and cause all people to worship the beast , and to receive his mark , as it 〈◊〉 ●●en , then the lord shall execute his vengeance upon you , and you shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wise ●e delivered . wherefore i say again unto you , arise out of darkness , and come to the brightness of the light of the morning , even to the son's appearance , and receive his kingdom , and lay down your crowns at his feet ; for the lamb is risen , whose crown is immortal , and ye , and all your glory , and greatness , and 〈◊〉 and power , is but as dust and ashes before him ; and he can break you 〈◊〉 , and never build you up again : and come out of great babylon , and 〈◊〉 your city ; for the day of the lord will suddenly come upon you ; for great babylon is come into remembrance before the lord , to reward her with great ●●dignation . wherefore this is a call unto you , lay aside your inquisitions , your goals , and houses of correction , and prisons , and all your torturing and persecuting of the persons and consciences of people , about worship , church and mini●●ry ; for in these things , and by these weapons , you have defended the whore ; 〈◊〉 through the force of your violent laws and cruel impositions , unjustly laid 〈◊〉 people , hath the whore ( the false church ) been carried by you , and de●…ded by you : but lay aside all your cruel weapons , and not persecute , nor 〈◊〉 , nor shed the blood of the servants of the lord by unjust laws ; nor limit not the spirit of god from crying against babylon , and reproving her iniquities ; for these things have you done in defence of the whore : for you ●●ve been the carriers of her , the defenders and preservers of her by your ●…ighteous laws ; and through you hath she sate as a queen , thinking she 〈◊〉 never see sorrow , because ye have defended her , and taken part with her , and caused nations to drink her cup ; for you have been the executors of her pleasure , to compel the nations to commit idolatry , and to partake of 〈◊〉 fornications ; and you give her authority to drink the blood of all that would not drink her cup : and it is now time for you to forsake these your wayes , and to learn wisdom from the lord , that you may rule in righteous●… amongst men , as men , but not to be rulers in christ's throne , nor his kingdom , by imposing such a worship , and such a religion upon people's consciences , and to destroy and kill all that will not thus worship to your image , and bow according to your prescription ; this you ought not to do , 〈◊〉 the lord never intrusted you with this power , nor made you rulers in his kingdom , nor to sit in his throne of conscience ; for while you have done 〈◊〉 , your authority has been from the dragon , and not from the lamb. and now this the lord required of you , let conscience go free , and rule not over the 〈◊〉 man ; for while you do take that upon you , to force such a worship and such a religion upon people , contrary to the spirit of god , you are but ser●… to the great whore. wherefore be warned , for this is an invitation of love , righteousness , truth , and just judgment , mercy and peace unto you , that you may know what the mind of the lord is unto you , and may do it , and rule for god , and not for man , upon which dependeth the happiness and well-being of a nati●● , and nations , and their rulers ; and on the contrary dependeth their overthrow and destruction , and this will speedily be brought to pass ; 〈…〉 fore come out of babylon , and deliver your selves from that bondage 〈…〉 with the false church hath bound you ; she hath caused you to drink hee 〈…〉 and you have been made drunk with her false faith , and doctrines and pr●… and ye have compelled nations to drink the same cup of abominatio●… ye have executed cruelty and injustice upon all that would not , and y●● 〈…〉 been servants to the great whore ; and being in bondage your sel●… 〈…〉 have brought all in bondage under you ; but now the lord is 〈…〉 times , and things , and powers , and happy are you if you d●liver your 〈…〉 and let the oppressed go free ; in so doing , if ye fulfil this my r●… and do the will of the lord herein , then blessings and peace eternal 〈…〉 if ye be disobedient , and take part continually with the whore , y● 〈…〉 partake of her judgments : and this hath the lord spoken to you , 〈…〉 the day of vengeance ye shall confess that you are warned , by a friend to the whole creation , that waits for the redemption thereof , edward burroughs . an account of some grounds and reasons of the innocent sufferings of the people of god , called , quakers , and why they testifie against the vain customs and practices of the world : presented to the parliament in the year , . also concerning a great cry up and down the nation , that the quakers meetings must be broken and suppressed ; and that this present parliament intends to do it . with a cry of great judgment and vengeance upon the wicked , near to be executed ; as it was received from the lord into his servant . friends , it may seem strange unto you , as it doth unto others , to hear , that so many of our friends should be cast into prisons ; there being few goals , or houses of correction in england , to which some of them have not been ●ommitted ; and you partly know how many of them are this day in bonds ; ●nd it is no less strange to us , that such frequent and heavy sufferings , for mat●ers of conscience , should come upon us , and our brethren ; who , for the ●ost part , have been instruments with you and others , for casting off that yoke 〈◊〉 oppression , which , at the beginning of the late wars , lay upo● the ho●…est people of this land ; which made many flee into strange nations , and to ●…eek habitations in the deserts : but we wonder the more , that they should come ●rom those we accounted our friends ( that so much have pretended the liberty of conscience ) and many of themselves practized the same things for which we now suffer . may we not ask , what hath been done by our friends ? what laws are these which they have broken ? whose persons or possessions have they wronged ? what force or violence have they used to any man ? have you found them in plots , or guilty of sedition , or making resistance against authority ? have they not patiently born the greatest sufferings that any people of this nation ever lay under , since queen mary's dayes , without murmurings and discontents ? and when have they fought to revenge themselves , or troubled you , or others , to be repaired for those many injuries , and false imprisonments , which they have endured ? how have they been counted as sheep for the slaughter , persecuted , and despised , beaten , stoned , wounded , stocked , whipped , haled out of the synagogues , and cast into dungeons and noysom vaults , where many of them have dyed in bonds , shut up from their friends , denyed needful sustenance for several days together , not suffered to have pen , ink , or paper ; and when they have lain there many moneths , and some of them years , denyed a legal tryal , continued from sessions to assizes , and from one assize to another , and no equity to be found from judge or justice ? if it be answered to us , they are common disturbers of ministers ; they will not pay tythes ; they will not swear ; they will not put off their hats ; they travel up and down from one country to another without a magistrate's pass , and on the first dayes to meetings at great distance ; they will not pay fee when they are brought ●●to c●…ts , nor plead in the forms there used , nor give security to keep the peace , or to be of the good behaviour when the iustices require it : and we have laws or customs that require these things should be done . it is forgotten what was one of the great causes of our late wars , the sufferings that then were imposed , and lay upon many for matters of conscience : and was it not a chief pretence of the fighting , that we might enjoy the freedom of conscience , as well as outward rights ; not only in the inner-man , but the free exercise in all acts of piety and religion , of what the lord should make manifest unto us ? but whether this was then intended , or is now perverted , it is that which is our right , which we must claim , and no man may take it from us ; for this we know , that christ jesus alone hath right to rule over the consciences of men , unto whom every one must give an account of himself , according to the just , perfect and unchangeable law of god , which is revealed , with that alone of god , which is made manifest in man , which he hath shewed unto him , by which every one shall be judged at the last day , when the book of conscience shall be opened . and therefore all unequal , imperfect and changeable laws of men we do deny ; and by them , and for their transgression we shall not be judged of the lord : and all laws made in their wills , by their wisdoms in the things of god , which concern religion , and the free exercise of a good conscience towards god and man , against them all we do bear witness ; 〈◊〉 knowing the commandments of the lord , and what he required of us , and having tasted his tender love to those that keep them , and felt his terrors against 〈◊〉 disobedience , we are made willing to bear the greatest sufferings , rather then 〈◊〉 against god : and in this ground we stand not careful what man can do unto 〈◊〉 or say of us , nor to give him an answer in this matter ; for whether it is better 〈◊〉 obey god or man , let him judge . yet here , to prevent mistakes , we do with the like clearness , declare our free and willing subjection in the things of this world , to every ordinance of 〈◊〉 that is just ( according to the righteous law of god ) and our work is not to weaken , but strengthen the hand of the magistrate , by labouring to bring all to own that of god , which should exercise their consciences , to do in all 〈◊〉 as they would be done unto ; in which is fulfilled the law and the prophets , whic● takes away the occasion it self of the law ; and brings to live in peace and love , wherein should be the magistrates joy and glory . and do but look on the crimes charged against us , and all the sufferings we lie under , and you may clearly see , that not for any evil done , or just law broken that concerns man , are we thus punished ; but for things which concern our god ; and chiefly for bearing our witness , as we are moved of the lord , against the false prophets and hirelings of these dayes , who by their fruits are made manifest , not only unto us , but to many thousands besides ; yea , the greatest part of all the sober people of the nation ; their own hearers will confess it : and we see and know , that they , and all ministers and worships in the world , set up and standing in the will of man , shall perish ; and come to nothing ; and the rice of these men , their growth and end , we comprehend , and see their downfall hastens greatly , and all the powers of the earth shall not be able to support them ; and with them shall fall their tythes , their temples , their gleab lands and offerings , their set dayes of worship in their wiils , and all laws limitting the holy one , made to uphold their craft ; and blessed are they , who through the day of tryal shall stand in their witness faithful unto god , not fearing what man can do unto them . do not you approve christ jesus his going into the temple ? and do not you own the apostles , who went into the iews synagogues every sabboth day , and into the market-places , to testifie of christ jesus , and reason with the people ? and do not you commend luther , and calvin , iohn wicklisf , and others , ( is famous , for their zeal , in publishing abroad what then was manifest unto them ) and those persons which in queen mary's dayes went into the popish steeple-houses , to bear witness against their superstitions , which caused her to make a law against them , by which many of them then suffer'd ; and by which the priests of england , till the last parliament were guarded ; and is it now become an offence to practice the same things ? and is that a just law , made by the late parliament , by which many have suffered ? are not the priests sprung from the old root of popery ? and are they not forced to flee thither for their vindication ? and is not the spirit the same ( which makes these laws ) to support hem ? how shall the kingdoms of the earth ; the papists , turks , infidels , heathens be converted ? your priests sit down in their ease , and will not go ; they call themselves , ministers of the reformed churches : and have not you taught other nations how to make laws to restrain the testimony of those whom the lord ●ends , and is sending into all the corners of the earth ? did the command of god , which gave tythes to the jewish priesthood , concern the gentiles ? was not the command to the iews themselves disannulled , when the priesthood was changed ? did ever any of the believing iews pay tythes to the apostles ; or did any of the gentiles pay tythes either ? did not the papists bring in this doctrine , and oppression ? did not many of the martyrs in queen mary's dayes witness against tythes ? and was not that an article for which some of them suffered ? and do not you own and commend those martyrs ; or do you judge them for holding an error ? have not all , or most of those countries , that turned from the pope , and are called reformed , cast off tythes with the pope , and were ashamed of them ? and is it the glory of england , who pretendeth to the highest reformation , to keep up tythes [ the popish priests maintenance ] and first-fruits , and tenths ( the wages of the very pope himself ) and to hale before courts , cast into prisons , and spoil the goods of all who for conscience sa●e cannot pay them : let that of god answer . and how many have , and at this day do suffer because they cannot swear , which christ jesus , and his apostles , above all things forbid ? how are the commands of christ made void by the customs and traditions of men ? were it not easie , by turning the law against lyars and false witnesses ( which the law of god is against ) to find out that which your law against false swearing never did or could discover ? do you own christ jesus , of whom the iews , that put him to death gave this witness , that he respected no mans person ? do you commend mordecai , who could not give the outward honour , and bow to hamon ? and do you regard his words who said , i know not how to give flattering titles to men ; for my maker would soon take me away ? hath not god made of one mould and one blood all nations to dwell upon the face of the earth ? and doth not he that respects persons commit sin , and is convinced of the law as a transgressor ? and must it now be an offence not to put off the hat , and give respect to the person of him that hath a gold ring , and fine apparel ? hath not all the earthly lordship , and tyranny and oppression sprung from this ground , by which creatures have been exalted , and set up one above another , trampling under foot and despising the poor ? and is it not easie to see that power and authority , without contempt , may be preserved , the power honoured , and obeyed , and submitted unto , and the person respected ? hath not the great and heavy oppressions of the law been long felt and cryed out against , the long delays in courts , and the great fees of officers , which causeth many to be excessively rich out of the ruins of the poor , which hath brought an odium upon the law it self ? for to the poor the remedy is worse then the disease ; and while people are free to feed this deceit , there is little hope to have it amended . and how full of lyes , deceit , pretences , and needless circumstances are all your pleadings and proceedings , to the burden of many mens consciences , and ruin of their estates ? and how vile and wicked are the greatest of lawyers , that will plead any thing for money , and by their subtilties do most commonly hide and cover the truth ? and when do the judges reprove it ? and how treacherous and deceitful are the solicitors and attorneys , that truth or honesty can scarce be found amongst them ? and how do those eat up the people , as it were bread ; and grow great and rich by raising and increasing suits , troubles , strifes , and debates amongst their neigbours ? and we seeing these oppressions are made to bear our witness against them , and cannot uphold them ; and our testimony shall not be in vain . and how is the power given to justices and judges , to bind to the peace and good behaviour ( being left to their discretion ) turned against the most peaceable and best-behaved persons amongst men , meerly because they cannot bow to their wills , and hold their tongues when the lord requires them to speak ? do you commend christ jesus , his apostles and saints , who were sent to preach the gospel , and travelled from city to city , from nation to nation , from country to country , that the ends of earth might hear the glad-tidings of salvation ? and do you commend those they called puritans , for going many miles to worship the lord ? and do you now condemn those that practice the same things ? would not your law against vagabonds have taken hold on christ and his ministers , and hindred their work ? by it have many honest and good people suffered most shameful whippings and imprisonments , who were travelling in their own country , about their outward and lawful occasions , that were of considerable estates , and could not be counted vagabonds ? and what use is made of this law throughout the nation you cannot but hear . are not these things like the sayings of those who said , had they lived in the dayes of the prophets , they would not have persecuted and put them to death ; and yet they crucified christ ? and so the cry is at this day against the jews for their cruelty , when themselves are found exercising the same things against his saints and members . long hath the beast reigned , who usurped power in these things ; and the false prophets , who have over-spread the earth ; and the great whore , who have made all nations drunk with their abominations , and the wine of their fornications , with whom the kings of the earth have committed ad●ltery , whom christ said should come , and before the apostles decease did come ; who went out from the apostles , and put on their clothing , but inwardly were destroyers , ravening wolves , which the whole world went after , who turned against the saints who kept to the spirit ( the life which they went from ) and made war with the saints till they overcame ; and their power reached over the whole earth : but now is the life risen , and is again made manifest , which they went from , which gives to see before the apostacy was . now is the lamb risen , and rising to make war with the dragon , the beast and false prophets ; and now shall the great whore be taken , and her flesh shall be burnt with fire , and the saints shall have the victory . therefore let all kings , princes , rulers , and magistrates , he warned not to take part with the beast , nor to uphold ( with their power ) the false prophets , who have long deceived the nations ; but in their place stand to keep the outward peace , that none may offer violence , and destroy another , which hath been the way of the beast and of the false prophets ( the prop and support of their kingdom ) but leave christ jesus in his saints to mannage the war , whose warfare is not carnal , whose weapons are not carnal , yet are they mighty through god , to the pulling down of the strong holds of satan , and overturning the foundation of satan's kingdom ; and they shall soon see what is truth , and what is error ; for great is the truth , and will prevail ; they shall not need to cry out for want of ministers , or that christ jesus is not able to send forth labourers ; nor will those he sends forth trouble them for maintenance : and here is the magistrates true place , to keep peace amongst all men , to punish him that doth evil , and to encourage him that doth well ; to rule the kingdoms of the earth in righteousness , that justice and equity may be exalted , and that way may be made for the lord jesus christ , who is coming to reign , and to take the dominion to himself ; and we are witnesses in our measures of his coming , and of the working of his mighty power , by which he is able to subdue all things to himself . and this is the testimony unto which we are called , and many thousands with us in the unity of the same spirit . and witnesses we stand against priests , tythes , temples , swearing , and all the carnal wayes of worship , set up and upholden by outward laws and powers , which would limit and restrain the spirit of the lord , which is grieved , and daily cries out against these abominations . witnesses we stand against parliaments , councels , judges , justices , who make or execute laws in their wills over the consciences of men , or punish for conscience sake , and to such laws , customs , courts , or arbitrary usurped dominion , we cannot yield our obedience . yet we do declare , as it is testified in all counties , cities , goals and prisons , to judges , justices , and others , that as we preach christ iesus alone in the things of god , to be our law-giver , so do we own him to be our king ( and own magistacy in civil things ) not resisting any ; but following his example , who was made perfect through suffering , and for his salvation we wait , till he alone shall plead our cause ; and therefore for conscience sake we have joyfully born , and do bear so many and great sufferings , since the day we were convinced of his everlasting truth . these things we have declared , not to upbraid you with the injustice of others , nor to revile the government it self ; but that you may see the ground , and true cause of all our sufferings ; and of the suffering of the saints in all ages and generations , and in all nations of the world at this day : and we leave it to that of god in you all to weigh and consider , whether it be not time to reform both laws , courts and officers . from your friends , who are lovers of peace and truth , who wait for the coming of the lord , to establish iustice and righteousness in the earth ; whom he hath raised up , as witnesses of his appearing , and of the dawning of the mighty and dreadful day of god , in life , light and power ; who are hated of men , and reproached under the name of quakers . and whereas there is a great cry up and down the nation , that the quakers meetinge must be broken and suppressed ; and that this present parliament intends to do it . and of this i have heard in divers parts of the nation . now to this i shall say , and answer ; first , as i have observed the spirits of people concerning this cry , all the rude and ungodly people , as drunkards , and the prophanest of men , they glory apace at this news , and rejoyce at this mightily , as if some great prize were befallen unto them ; and it makes them rude and violent enough , to the breaking of the peace in the nation ; but thus it is but with the worst sort of people in the nation , who are rejoyced with these tidings , that the quakers meetings must be broken : but as for the honest people , such as be sober and sincere , thousands that had a hand in chusing this present parliament , never intended to send them up to london for such a work ; and the cry is by many of the sober people , if they go about such a work , they will destroy themselves , undo themselves , and leave their names a reproach : why , say the people ( we have a testimony before us ) hath it not been upon that rock of limiting tender consciences , in former dayes , that hath broken many before these , which might be examples to these , not to do the same things ? and many sober people are offended at such news , and it makes their hearts sad ; whose consciences , and the witness therein , doth answer , that we are the lord's people , and it ought not thus to be done concerning us as the news reports : so that by this news of the intended purpose , to break the lord's peoples meetings , the ungodly and prophane are gratified , and strengthened in their wickedness ; and the righteous are made sad . and further , as for us , we have been trodden down , and made a prey unto our enemies ; and the gates of death and hell have stroven against us already , but have not prevailed unto this day ; for the lord is with us , and who is it that shall prevail against us ? and i may say . what is this that is reported to be done ? what shall dust and ashes do , and man whose breath is in his nostrils ? and who are they that shall break down that which the lord hath a purpose to build ? who shall be able to prosper in going about it ? or what success shall god give to that work ? i tell you nay ; it is the lord that has raised us up , and we have given our power to him , to stand by him , and to be protected , defended and upheld by him alone ; and we cannot give our power to any mortal men , to seek that from them which is not in their hands to give : the power of the lord god is over you , he that is our keeper and preserver , in whose hands is your breath , to destroy it utterly ; if you do that which doth offend him ; for you shall know , that we are the lord's people , by whom we shall stand , and grow in dominion and authority in his life ; and the dread of the lord shall be upon our enemies , though they one gratifie another with intentions of evil against us ; yet the lord stoppeth the purpose of his en●●ies , and turns it backwards upon their own heads . and this i say from the lord , if such a thing be in your hearts , conceiving to be brought forth by you , it is a birth that will devour you er● ever it spring out of your bowel● , it will be too heavy a burden , and you shall never have strength to deliver it : this is the word of the lord to you , it shall be a rock to overthrow you , and it will be a s●are to catch you ; and if any such thing proceeds from you , it will break you , and your own wickedness will destroy you . alas ! do not you see evidently the hand of the lord fight for us ? yea , we have evident testimony of his presence , that he is , and will be with us unto the end : and if any will be blind , let them be blind ; for these tidings do not trouble us , neither are we thereby moved , no not to beg of any man the contrary ; for we cannot give our power unto you , nor come under the power of this world , no not to beg of you contrary to a good conscience , that you should forbear the fulfilling your intents : but this it is in the name and power of the lord , though he requires nothing of you to exalt his kingdom by your power , nor to prescribe him a way how he must be worshipped ; yet he requires , that you should do nothing against him , nor his people , by limiting he spirit of the lord. and i say , the saints of the most high cannot give their power to you , to stand or fall thereby , nor to go by the authority thereof , to exalt the kingdom of god thereby ; they can beg no such thing , nor desire it of you ; for it is not in your hands to give his work of salvation unto the nations ; you cannot give nor lay one stone in the building of his blessed temple ; but he alone will do it , and not by the arm of flesh : yet doth he require , that you should do nothing against him , nor abuse your power ; but and if you do , he will reward you according to your deeds : and this you will find and feel in the day of god , when he brings vengeance and judgment upon you , and when he sets his kingdom over you all , and that comes to raign over the nations which how is a sufferer . and when i first heard the news sent abroad in the nation , of such intentions , to break the quakers meetings , many considerations passed through me , will these go ( said i ) in the same way that many have been destroyed in before them ? will these run upon the same rock ? will these take in hand to limit god , and to set him a way ? and shall all these sufferings of the lord's people , for these many years , be finished by these , that all the unjust dealing● and oppressions of the saints may be upon them ? is there no wise man among them , nor none that feareth the lord , that he may be preserved ●om ●estruction ? and is this their beginning in parliament , to destroy god's heritage ? the lord , nor the people of this nation , that fear god , have not intrusted them therein : but if it be so , said i in my heart , if this wickedness be intended , and if they do so greatly abuse their power , they shall leave their names as a reproach to after ages , and their memories shall rot , and their wickedness shall lie upon them for evermore . but i considered , that we having given our power to the lord , from him we have found unto this day , and do alwayes seek defence , and to be carried on , and by him we stand , and to him we fall ; and not to mortal men , who are as clay in the hand of the potter . wherefore let the wise in heart consider these things , and lay them to mind ; for if they shall proceed to that wickedness , the nations shall they never settle in peace , nor shall their rulers receive a blessing ; but they shall be a curse unto themselves , and to all under their authority . and this is a testimony to all sober people , shewing unto them all , where our confidence is , and in what it remains . and nevertheless , if the heart of the wicked be strengthened against us , and their hands made strong to deal violently ; yet shall the righteous rejoyce , and be exceeding glad ; for the day of redemption and everlasting peace is come unto his people , that do and have waited for him ; and all under him shall bow and bend ; and he will make his peoples cup overflow , and spread their table even in the sight of their enemies , and they shall fear , and the terror of the lord shall lie upon them ; and when they have executed their violence , then shall the lord deal violently with them . e. b. a cry of great iudgment and vengeance upon the wicked , near to be executed ; as it was received from the lord into his servant . on the eighteenth day of the first moneth , as i was travelling in warwick-shire , my meditations being upon the lord , and upon the cause of his people in this nation ; and how unjust and unrighteous their woful sufferings have been executed upon them , within these few years : even when i' was pondering of these things , in the deep consideration thereof , it came upon me from the lord , and the cry went through me , the lord will be avenged , the lord will be avenged upon his enemies , and he will avenge the cause of his people . and this cry stuck close upon me for some hours , that the lord would surely execute his judgments upon the oppressors of his heritage , who have spoiled , and troden it down , and sought to destroy it . and i considered , and took into full view in my spirit , how grievous , how sad , and how unjust the sufferings of god's people have been within these few years ; and my heart was even broken therewith , and my spirit even melted ; and it came upon me from the lord , saying , write unto the rulers , and yet once more warn them of that recompence , and of that indignation , which is at hand upon them , even a just recompence for all their deeds ; and as they have done , even so shall it be done to them ; as they have sought to destroy the generation of the righteous , even so shall they be destroyed from off the face of the earth ; and as they have unjustly judged and condemned the innocent , so shall they be condemned , and justly judged of the lord ; and as they have cast the bodies of the poor lambs of christ into prison , and been a snare upon them ; even so shall they be insnared , and into captivity shall they go : and as they have caused the goods and possessions of the innocent to be spoiled and made a prey ; even so in like manner shall the curse of the lord spoil their substance : and as they have done , so shall it be done unto them ; and as they have mete to others , so shall it be mete to them again . and i saw a great misery and desolation nigh at hand ; even the sword of the lord , and it should slay them ; and i beheld it was made ready for the slaughter : and in the sense of these things a sadness fell upon my spirit , considering the desolation , and the judgment that is at hand , to be executed upon the cruel oppressors . wherefore all ye rulers , and all ye that have troden down the heritage of god , and ye that have disregarded these many warnings that ye have had ; i say unto you all , in the power of the lord god , in his dominion , and by his spirit ; this is once more a warning to you from the lord , and that these things must surely come to pass , and be fulfilled in their season , and no man shall be able to deliver his brother ; but every man shall bear his own burthen , and drink his own cup prepared for him ; and though it hath been counted a light thing amongst you , and you have dispised the reproof , and gone on without fear ; yet in as much as the lord hath spared you , and not speedily executed judgment upon you , but rather waited for your return ; yet the dealing of the lord towards you in sparing of you , you have not accepted ; and therefore shall his judgments be the greater upon you . for if you do now come to the witness in your own consciences ; what evil have this people done ? whose ox have they taken , or what have they desired of you ? or what have they sought from you ? or wherein have they been a burthen to you , saving that they have reproved you for your iniquities , and desired your redemption ? would you but now at last come to consider this , and confess the truth in your consciences ; will not that tell you , that they have suffered patiently all things that you have cruelly imposed upon them ? and have not they walked peaceably towards you , and humbly , meekly justly among their neighbours ? and have they not been meek and innocent even as lambs , and as the sheep before the shearers ? and have they wrought offences towards any ? have they sought the overthrow of the government , or have they sought vengeance against their enemies ? or what injury have they done to any man's person , or estate , saving to satan and his kingdom ? have they not sought to reform and reclaim the ungodly from their wayes ? and have they not pittied and prayed for their enemies ? and have they not in all things walked in good conscience toward the lord , and towards all men ? yea , my friends , in the day of the lord , when the witness in your consciences shall not be limitted , but shall speak plainly ; and when the impartial judge shall appear upon his throne , then shall you acknowledge these things . wherefore i say unto you , receive the judgment of the lord to purifie you , otherwise the judgment shall destroy you ; and now come to be more wise , that some of you may be as a brand pluckt out of the fire , and be reserved from being consumed ; for the visitation of the lord is near an end , when his loving kindness will be shut from you , and his long-suffering turned into fury ; and he will make you know that we are his people with whom you have thus dealt ; yea , you shall suddenly know it , the time is not long till he will crown his people in the sight of his enemies ; he will crown them with praise and with righteousness , with honour and majesty , and he will keep them in safety , even when sorrow compasses you about ; his mercy and loving kindness shall extend towards them ; even when his wrath and judgments doth smite you , and confound you . o! what shall i say unto you ; for the deep sence thereof remaines upon my heart ; for when i consider how that in all ages the lord did avenge his peoples cause ; and when the time of their suffering was expired , he brake the bonds of iniquty , and set them free : thus did he with his people israel of old , and many times it was his way with his people to bring them low by suffering , and then to raise them up again in glory ; and he suffered their enemies for a season to glory over them , that he might bring them down ; and thus he did in england in the case between the bishops and their crew of persecuters , and the poor people at that day called puritans ; did not he confound that persecuting crew , and deliver his people ? and is not he the same to effect the same work at this very day ? yea doubtless , and much more will he do , in as much as the manifestation of truth is more clear then it was in their dayes ; and in as much as the rulers and people of this nation have rejected a more clear testimony , then either the papists in queen marys dayes , or the bishops and prelets in their dayes ; even so much the more will the lord god execute his vengeance with more violence , in a more manifest way ; and all shall know , that it is he that doth it , and he will set his people free ; for he hath regarded their sufferings , and he hath said it is enough ; for he hath tried them , and found them faithfull ; and all this hath been suffered to prove them , and not to destroy them : and like as he hath preserved them in patience and peace through it all , even so will he give them hearts to walk answerably to their deliverance ; and as they have abounded in patience in their sufferings , so shall they abound in praises everlasting in the day of their freedom , and the earth shall be glad , and shall yield the increase and blessing ; the heaven and the earth shall rejoyce , and the hearts of the righteous shall leap for joy , when the lord hath broken the yoke of the oppressed , and set his people free , inwardly and outwardly , and then shall they sing to the lord over all their enemies , who shall be tormented and vexed in the lord 's sore displeasure ; for their reward cometh , and their recompence shall be even as work , and he will give unto them sorrow and anguish , instead of rejoycing . but again , when i consider the long suffering , and patience , and forbearance of the lord 's innocent people under all their sufferings ; and when i looked at their innocency , and at their righteousness , and spirit of holiness with which the lord hath blessed them , my heart was made glad in the consideration of this ; and the more was my joy , the more i beheld their innocency , and the guiltlesness of their cause , whereby the unjustness of their suffering did the more appear ; and withal when i looked and beheld their increase under all their sufferings , and how that the lord had turned all these things to their good , and to the overthrow of all their enemies ; how that , by that way , wherein their enemies intended to destroy them from being a people ; even thereby did the lord most wonderfully increase them to be a great ▪ people ; for through all have they grown in life and power , and in strength and in number , and through it all have they been incouraged to follow the lord with more zeal and boldness : and in the consideration of this i did rejoyce , with magnifying the lord for ever , that he had brought forth his praise even through the wickedness of the wicked , and he had increased his people , and exalted them through the cruelty of all their enemies ; and that through all opposition they were attained unto a happy rest , and through all the tempest of great trials , they were arrived into the harbour of renown and great glory : and when i considered this , how that the lord had given them dominion , and brought their life to reign over all their enemies , these things were a joy unto me ; and looking back into ages , seeing there was nothing , nor any people for generations , that had grown , and risen through all opposition like unto these ; wherefore is is a sign and a testimony that we are the lord's , and that these things are of him , and from him , and by him alone , that he might be praised for ever . again , when i do consider , how that the lord hath raised this people , even out of the dust ; and them that were not a people , are become a people ; and the lord hath provoked nations by them that were not a people within these few years ; and the lord has carried on this work amongst his people , not by any thing of man , nor by the arm of flesh , but in pure innocency and simplicity hath it been accomplished ; not by the wisdom of this world , nor by men in places of honour , and of power in the nations ; for all that has been wanting to them ; and what they are , it is through the opposition of all this ; for they have had none of the great men of the earth on their side to defend them , and establish them , but all have been against them ; and even oppression and tyranny executed upon them , rather then any approbation , or justification from men in outward authority : so that truely it may be said , that there hath been nothing of man in this work , but all of the lord , by his own power , and in a contrary way to all the false sects , and false churches , hath the beginning and carrying on of these things been ; for we know that all the false sects in this nation have risen and been established through the countenance of men in place and power , and upon man , and the wisdom of this world , and authority of the powers of the earth , hath the rise and fall of all false churches depended : and as the powers of the earth have sided with them , so have they been set up ; and at the displeasure of authority , have been cast down . but as for this people , they are raised of the lord , and established by him , even contrary to all men ; and they have given their power onely to god , and they cannot give their power to any mortal men , to stand or fall by any outward authority , and to that they cannot seek ; but to the lord alone , who heareth their cry , and will avenge their cause . wherefore let all the persecutors bow before the lord , and let all the saints walk humbly in his sight , and let them continue in that innocent life in which they have begun ; and let them never forget the mercies of the lord , and what he hath brought to pass , who hath manifested great things , and will do more and more to the confounding of all his enemies , and to the praise of his elect people . and all ye saints upon the earth , have ye the lord in respect continually , and turn you not unto idols , but let the lord be your joy for evermore . e. b. to the rulers and to such as are in authority , a true and faithful testimony concerning religion , and the establishment thereof ; and how it may be established in persons and nations . there hath been a great cry of late years among the priests , and many others , for the settlement of religion , and this they have sought after from the powers of the earth , and the cry hath been to parliaments and rulers by the priests and professors for many years , settle us religion , settle us religion . now to this i answer , all this cry , and this desire hath been by these priests and professors , to have parliaments to make laws , to establish one sect , and throw down and limit all others , that is the chief thing that hath been eyed in the request , and not simply to have true religion established ; if we come to shew what true religion is in it self . but people of divers sects have been requiring , and desiring every one to have their own sect established and set up , and all others thrown down , and not to have a place , nor to be tollerated ; so that their cry hath not risen from the ground of true love to true religion , but their desires have chiefly risen , and sprung from self love to their own sect , and from malice and envy against others that were not of their way : and this hath been the end of their craving the settlement of religion , and not simply for true religions sake . now religion in itself is this , the fulfilling of the law and the prophets , loving god with all their hearts , and the neighbour as self , and doing to all men , as they would have men to do to them , and not otherwise doing , or speaking towards any , then they would that others should speak of , or do to them , and a walking towards god in all things , as they have received of his grace , answering to the lord in all things as his spirit leads them and moves them ; this is true religion towards god and towards man , and to have the conscience alwayes kept void of offence , and that no offence lie upon it in the sight of god , nor in the sight of man ; and this is true religion in it self , in short declared , to wit , the leading of the spirit of god into all truth , to do the truth , and speak the truth in all things , and this religion is accepted in the sight of god , and to be kept unspotted in the world , from all its pollutions . but now tell me , can this religion be setled , or any nation or people , or any person in it by any external power , or outward authority of men ? or can the laws of kings , or parliaments settle such religion , or make people truly religious , or establish a nation or people in this religion ? i say no , nor any thing , saving the teachings and leadings of the holy spirit of god , being received from the father , it s that onely that makes men religious , and settles a people and nation therein . oh , ye fools and blind priests and professors , that are doting on setling religion among unconverted people by outward laws , and earthly powers of men ; i say , no , this must not be ; for the laws of men can but settle a sect , or some sects , and limit other sects ; but true religion can never be setled by that meanes ; for before any be setled in religion , they must first be changed , and created a new in christ jesus , and born again of the seed incorruptible , and they must first be changed from death to life , and from satan's power to god ; this must first be witnessed , before a man or a nation can be religious , and setled in true religion , he must put off the body of sin , and be circumcised in heart ; and he must have a new nature planted in him , and he planted into christ a new and living vine , before he can love god with all his heart , and his neighbour as himself , and before he can have his conscience kept void of offence , and be without stain towards god and towards man ; and it is onely the word of god , and his power in the heart , that works this ; it is onely the operation of god's spirit in and upon a creature , that works him unto this ; it is not the laws made by man , that doth it , nor external powers of the earth that can work it ; and therefore true religion cannot be setled thereby , nor a nation or a people in it ; but onely that which changes him , and makes him religious , that is it onely that must settle religion and nations , and peoples therein : and as every one is turned to that of god in him , and thereby to feel the power , and word , and spirit , that doth change him , and renew him , as i have said , by this means cometh a man and nations to be religious , and to be setled therein , and by no other way nor means , and this is done through the preaching of the everlasting gospel , and through the ministry of christ , which turneth the mindes of people from darkness to light , and from satan's power to god , whereby they are changed and made religious , and also setled therein , and established thereby ; and it is not by outward laws , and powers , as i have said . but what are peoples , and the nations yet to settle in religion ? and is religion unsetled yet , that you are craving laws made by men to settle religion ? what have you preached for this many years ? what have your preaching been all in vain ? and have you done no good this many years by your preaching , that religion is yet to settle ? oh! blind and ignorant men , this is a shame unto you ; how many thousands of thousand pounds have the priests had out of this nation for teaching religion , and preaching to people , and yet the nation remains unsettled in religion , and they are begging to the powers of the earth to constrain , and compel a settlement of religion ? and this shames them , and shews that they are they that paul speaks of , and that the people of this nation are them that are ever learning , and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth , though you have been long learning , you are unsetled , and are not come to the knowledge of the truth : but had these priests been such that were sent of the lord , through their ministry would the nations long since have been setled in religion , for they have been teachers long enough , and put the nation to charge great enough , th●● people might have known ere this day the holy anointing to dwell in them , and to teach them , and to settle them in religion ; but it is manifest that they have ran , and not been sent , but left peoples and nations unsetled as the waters , notwithstanding all their preaching , and ministry for so many years , yet it seems there wants still a settlement in religion , and seeing their preaching hath had no effect to do it , but their ministry hath been all in vain , and people are not learned in religion , not yet established therein , whereby their ministry is proved not to be christ's ministry ( for the apostles did settle people , and the churches in religion , which theirs have done no such thing ) and therefore it is that the powers of the earth are called to , that they may force by violence , and by violent laws , that by that means a worship and religion may be settled , as they say : and their ministry hath not drawn people by love , and therefore would they have people forced and compelled to be of such , or such religion ; but this is not christ's way , nor the way that his apostles and true churches were in ; for the spirit of the father led each one of them to be religious , and that same spirit settled and established them in it ; and not external laws , nor powers of the earth , but that was antichrist's way , and the beast's and the false prophets way ; for when they had killed the saints , and slain true religion , then the beast and false prophets they established a religion or worship by outward laws ; and it s written , that he caused and compelled all , both small and great , bond and free , to worship the beast and his image ; and here was a settled people in a religion and worship by an outward compelling power . and thus it was then , and is now the same , false churches and false religions are settled by an outward authority ; and it was nebuchadnezar and his wicked princes , that settled a religion or worship by an outward power , and by an earthly authority , but that was not the worship of true religion , but was the worship of antichrist , and so it hath been for ages ; that worship that is settled , and that religion which is established by an outward external power , and the laws of men , is but the worship of antichrist , and not the true religion , nor the worship of the living god , which is in spirit and in truth , but it must all be overthrown and brought to nought , both that religion and worship that is out of the spirit , and that power that upholds it : and now the lord god is risen to confound the thoughts of mens hearts , and he alone will settle and establish religion by his own power , and by his own law , and through his own ministry : and as people come to that of god in them , to feel the spirit and power of the lord god to change them , hereby will every one particularly be settled in religion , and by no other way nor means ; and this i know from the lord. but how should people be settled in religion ? for peoples and nations have been , and are as waters , which have been driven with the winds , this way , or the other way ; and the great whore sits upon the waters , and the beast hath carried her , and born her up , ( false worships and churches and an outward power ) and she hath ruled and made all nations drunk with her cup of fornication , and the true religion hath been lost for many ages , and the sects and false churches have been set up and established upon the waters ; and as for true religion , it cannot be established while nations are waters under the whore's dominion : and so the many sects which have been the many horns upon the beast , and one hath risen after another , and one diverse from another , and they have been striving one with another , and persecuting one another , and one subduing another , and each one of them hath cryed for help from the beast , and from the powers of the earth , to be defended from the power & malice one of another , least one should prevail against another , & get the better one of another ; and so that sect that could get authority from the powers of the earrh , and have them of its side , that sect hath thriven , and hath been settled more then another which hath not gotten the powers of the earth to defend it ; and so as the powers of the earth have been changeable , so hath religion been changable ; and what sect the rulers have been on , that have they highest tollerated , and most defended against all other : but all this hath not been the true establishment of true religion . but now some may suppose , and query , whether i speak this , as if i would have religion not at all settled , and as if i were against the establishing of religion ; and so thereby may be accused , as if i were an enemy to all religion , and would not have religion be established , &c. to all this i answer , i am a friend to true religion , and seeks the establishing of it in the right way , and by the ministry of righteousness , by turning peoples minds to the spirit , and to receive the anointing that they may be all taught of god , and true worshippers of him in spirit and truth , and may be settled in the true religion ; and this true religion would i have established in the world , and in the nations , and would have all people therein established by the ministry of righteousness thereunto ordained . but i am against the establishing of sects , and the settling of one sect above another , by the powers of the earth ; and i would not have one set up , and an other thrown down by the laws of men ; for that brings forth nothing but tyranny , and oppression , and strife and wickedness in a nation , and amongst people ; though thus it hath been for many ages , false sects and false churches have been established by the earth , and external laws , and that sect which the king or queen , or ruler hath been of that hath been set up , and tollerated above the rest , and the rest despised , and persecuted , and set at nought ; for when and where a prince , or a ruler is of the papists religion , then that religion is the most established and settled in that government ; and if at any time a ruler change to be of the protestant sect , or one come to govern that is of that religion , then that sect was the most established and upheld ; thus it is through nations , and in england particularly within these late years , when king henry the eighth turned from the papists to be a protestant , then that sect was established , and all other thrown down and persecuted ; and when queen mary rose to govern , which was a papist , then she established that sect and false church by laws , and the rest were limitted and thrown down : then when the next queen arose being a protestant , she established that sect again by outward laws , and cast all others down : and thus it hath been for many ages throughout all nations , of what sect and religion the governor and ruler hath been , that sect was onely established , and all the rest persecuted , as i have said : and so the saying is fulfilled , nations have been waters , and peoples and multitudes waters : and as a king and governor hath changed his religion and of what sect as he hath been , so hath the religion of the whole nation or country changed , and such a sect onely established against all others : but this i cannot call the settlement of true religion , nor are the nations and peoples hereby established in true religion , but onely false sects and false religions have risen and been established by the beast's power , who hath carried the whore ; yea , and though many other sects have risen , and many other horns appeared divers one from another , out of the many heads of the beast ; for his heads have been many , and his horns divided , and divers one from another ; and each head exalting his self above another ; and each horn pushing one at anther ; and each sect and horn crying to the beast for power to be established , and to have others thrown down and limited through the powers of the earth . and thus hath it been for generations , and in this nation in particular ; and many sects have risen besides the papists and the protestants , and all these sects have risen one out of another , and appeared divers one from the other● ; and each one of them have sought to the powers of the earth for settlement and defence ; and that the other that were contrary to them , and of another appearance might be stopt and limited ; and this hath been done by these teachers and professors under the account of establishment of religion ; and they have begged to parliaments and to rulers for the establishment of religion , and for the stopping of heresie , that is to say , for tollerating and defending of their own sect , which they call religion , and for the stopping and subduing of all others , which they call heresie ; but confusion hath come upon all this , and will upon the like for ever ; and true religion never gets established by it : but as every new sect hath appeared , that onely hath sought establishment against all the rest . but yet i say , i am not against establishing of true religion , though thus i speak , but would have true religion settled and established , but doth not seek to the powers of the earth , to have true religion established by earthly laws ; for that cannot establish true religion , neither is it at all committed of the lord to the powers of the earth , or to outward authorities to establish religion , or to make men religious ; for that belongs to the lord to rule over , and in mens consciences , and to exercise them in the true religion : no ruler by any law whatsoever ought to exercise lordship over the consciences of any people , either to exalt or throw down any sect , or worship of religion ; for they are with their laws but to rule the outward man , to settle their persons and estates in security , from the wrong and unrighteous dealing of wicked men , and to limit all evil men , and evil doers from wronging and doing violence to mens persons and estates ; this is the work , and the place of kings and rulers of the earth , their power is onely committed to them of the lord to extend over the outward man , to defend and preserve that , and be a praise to all that do well , and live righteously , and to be a terror , and limit , and punishers of the unrighteous evil and violent doers , this is the magistrates place , and the length and breadth and height of his authority , whether it reside in king , queen , or any other person or persons . but for the exercise of conscience , that is out of their power , and over and beyond it ; it is not committed of the lord to them to compel and cause people from , or to such a worship and religion , it is not the magistrates work , but the ministers , that are sent of christ to teach religion : but let all sects have their course , and every religion its liberty in a nation or country ( so that they do no violence to one anothers persons and estates ) and if they do , then they fall under the magistrates power ; and then let them be punished : and let every sect strive to exalt it self , and to overthrow others , by what authority it hath in doctrine and forceable arguments ; and let them use what spiritual weapons they have , and defend themselves thereby , and let them that have the spirit of god overcome , and let them alone to be established , and let all the rest be subdued before that , and let that alone to be settled onely by the power and authority of the spirit of god , which overcomes all the contrary ; and let all men , and all of man's power and authority be silent and quiet , and have no hand in this matter ; and this is the way to establish religion in a nation , and a xingdom : let the spirit of the lord have its liberty ; and let no man whatsoever limit it in them in whom it dwells , but let it have its course and its operation , and its ●ull authority by them in whom it dwells , in whomsoever it 〈◊〉 : and let all sects whatsoever have their liberty in their arguments , and their practices , and their worship , and then let it be manifest , who it is that overcomes , and who it is that is overcome ; and such as overcometh by the same spirit and power that gives them victory ; by that alone let true religion be established , and the rest of all sects bow under that true religion that overcometh all others by the power and authority of the spirit of god , and is established thereby , all other under that shall bow ; and whilst this is in tryal and debate , let the powers of the earth , and the rulers of the world be all quiet , and look on in patience , and let their authority herein be exercised ; not to limit one , or tollerate one more then another , onely let them keep mens persons and estates in peace and defence from the injury and malice and wrong dealing one of another , as i have said ; and here is the way , the true and perfect way , for the establishing of religion in a nation among people ; and if this were brought to pass , and had been in generations past , then would not the papists have been prevailed against by the protestants , they being at the first dissenting from the church and sect of the papist , more sincere towards god , and more upright to him , and in some things more true in doctrine and worship , then the other which they dissented from , though still in the main but a false sect , and of a false religion , though they hated the whore in some things , and they would have prevailed against her through that sincerity towards god , that was in them ; but they gave their power to the beast ; and would not many other sects have prevailed against them , which have risen out of this , and dissented from her , who was more in the sincerity and uprightness towards god , than she ? for god blessed that , and loved that , in what measure soever , and whatsoever it be ; i say , would not many sects ere this day have prevailed one against another , had not the powers of the earth stopped , and limitted whom they would , and given liberty to set up whom they would ? but now the light of the day is arisen , and hath appeared ; and the lord is making a way to establish his own religion , by his own power ; and he is gathering his seed , who shall wax stronger and stronger , and shall prevail through all opposition , through all false sects and false worships of the earth , and they shall wax weaker and weaker , and shall never be established in righteousness ; but they and the power that upholds them , shall be broken together ; and this will the lord bring to pass in his day : and thus i have shewed you what true religion is , and how it cannot be established , and how it may be ; and what the authority of earthly rulers is , and how far it extends ; and do shew that true religion cannot be settled thereby , but by the lord alone it must ; and that it is the work of christ's ministry , and not of earthly power by violent laws to establish religion . and this is a testimony from the lord god of heaven and earth to ye rulers , and parliaments , that make laws , and minister laws ; meddle not with religion , to establish one sect or sects , and to limit and throw down others ; but fear the lord god , and wait for his wisdom , and remember that that hath been a rock whereupon many before you have been split , and brought into confusion ; even when they have gone about to limit , or stop , or establish religion , how have they been confounded , and never had success from the lord to such endeavors ; for the lord hath never shewed countenance , for many generations , to such as have attempted to make men religious by outward laws , and to settle nations therein by outward laws . wherefore now be wise , ye rulers , and kiss the son ; for the wrath of the lord is already kindled , and he will break in pieces , and dash babylon's children against the stones , and confound the great whore ( the false church ) and all false sects , her daughters who have been brought forth , and set up in nations ever since the woman ( the true church ) hath been fled into the wilderness , and the beast hath carried the whore , born her , and upheld her ; and she hath journeyed through nations upon the beast ; and the beast hath defended her ; if any man hath an ear let him hear : and this is a visitation to ye rulers , and to all that make laws , and minister laws . by a friend to righteous men. e. b. satan's design defeated : in a short answer to a manuscript sent by a priest out of sussex , to a member of this present parliament , full of railing accusations , whereby he hath secretly smitten the innocent , by a secret desiring the persecution of the people of god. but herein his folly and madness doth appear , that while he hath accused others falsly , himself is found guilty of the same thing . with invitations of love to the present authority , that they may save themselves from being the executioners of the priests malice , least the lord destroy them . a certain paper being come to my hand ( which is said to be written by one priest iackson , and sent to a member of parliament ) containing divers particulars charged as errors upon the dispised people called quakers , wherein he saith he hath set down some of their tenents which they maintain ; unto which manuscript i am moved to write something in answer , as to clear the truth from his foul aspertions which he casts upon it ; to the intent that the said member of parliament , and the whole house may be better satisfied and resolved , wherein they doubt of every particular , that the truth may appear , when as the foul vail of the darkness and slanders is removed . that the holy scriptures are not the word of god , nor the saints rule of faith and life , neither is it the duty of every one to search them . answ. the holy scriptures that were given forth by the spirit of the lord , as holy men of god were moved , they are the words of god , and a declaration and a treatise luke . . and that which the saints had handled and tasted of the word of life , that they declared forth in words and writings , acts . . and the scriptures as they were given forth by the spirit of god , are a true declaration of what is to be believed and practised in relation to eternal salvation ; it is a true testimony concerning god , and his mighty works , and of truth and righteousness ; and it is a testimony also of the devil , and what he is , and of his deceits , and errors , and u●righteousness : so the scriptures are words given forth by the spirit ; but christ is the word that was before the scriptures were ; for in the begining was the word of god , and the world was made by it , and the word shall endure for ever ; and christ's name is called the word of god : and though the scriptures are profitable , and were given forth to be read , and to be fulfilled , yet they are not the rule and guide of faith and life unto the saints , but the spirit of god that gave forth the scriptures , that is the rule , and guide , the teacher and leader into all truth ; and them that are led by the spirit of god , are the sons of god ; and if you walk in the spirit saith the apostle , you shall live , and as many as walk acording to this ( to wit , of the spirit ) peace is upon them ; and so the spirit of god is the rule of the saints faith and life ; and the spirit leads them to walk in the fulfilling of the scriptures , and according to them . and as for all the priests in england , who do profess the scriptures to be their rule , out of their own mouthes will god judge them , who are found walking contrary to the scriptures in life , and doctrine , and practises , while they cry it up for their rule ; and condemn all that will not say as they ●ay . and the last part of this proposition is utterly false ; for we never do assert that it is not the duty of every one to search them ; but we bid every one search the scriptures , and every one ought to search them ; but yet we say , that none understands them , but who have the spirit that gave them forth , nor none can profit thereby , but by the spirit that gave them forth , which works the same truth in the heart , which the scriptures without declare of ; and this i do affirm , they are the words of god , and the spirit of god is the rule of faith and life to the saints ; and all men ought to search the scriptures , and to believe what is therein written , and to receive and enjoy christ , who is the substance and the end of all things , the first and last , the beginning and ending ; and in him the scriptures are fulfilled , and finished . they do deny the doctrine of the trinity , and that christ is god and man in one person . answ. as for the word trinity , it is invented , and he hath learnt it out of the mass-book , or common-prayer-book , but we own the doctrine of the gospel of christ , that christ is god , and the spirit is god ; and there are three that bear record , the father , son , and spirit , and these are one , but god and the spirit are not persons , but infinite beeings ; and the scripture no where , in true translations , expresseth god under the name person ; for person is too carnal to express god , and christ , and the spirit by : but god was in christ reconciling the world , and this we believe and acknowledge according to the scriptures ; but for this word , doctrine of the trinity , the scriptures know no such word , but the truth we own , and the gospel and the scriptures too . they hold that iesus christ died onely signally , or examplarily , and that we are justified by the suffering of christ in us , and to be healed by his stripes , is to be stripped off , or from sin. answ. jesus christ died , and rose again , and ascended according to the scriptures , this we do believe : and christ was and is the substance , the end of all signs and examples , yet was he an example to the saints ; and the apostle exhorted to walk as they had christ for an example ; and while he was in the world he did and spoke and acted many things as parables , signs and examples , the substance of which is to be received in the saints , and known by them through the spirit ; and we believe saints are justified by christ , and through faith in him , which was , and is , and is to come , who is blessed for ever ; and none are justified by his death and suffering and blood without them , but who witness christ within them ; for all are reprobates , and to be condemned and cannot be justified that have not christ in them , as thou mayest read , ( except christ be in you , you are reprobates ) and all that believe in christ and receive him , they are healed through his sufferings and stripes ; for he sanctifies them , and gives them remission of sin , and justifies them , and in him the saints are compleat , and the new-man ( the regenerate ) is justified , and the old-man is in the degeneration , and knows not christ in him , and hath not received him , but onely heard of him without him , and believes the relation : but this faith doth not justifie ; for all the false christians upon earth have this faith : but that faith alone justifies which gives to receive christ , and him to live in us , and to dwell in us by that faith. they utterly renounce the doctrine of iustification by the imputation of the righteousness of christ , or by the obedience he performed , or sufferings he sustained or underwent in his own person without us . answ. this is partly true , and partly a lye ; we do indeed renounce the profession of justification by the imputation of christ or his righteousness performed without men , by men while they are in the degenerated estate , and unconverted , and unreconciled , and unborn again ; for by such profession of justification many deceive their souls : but yet we say , that righteousness is imputed to us , and reckoned unto us who believe in christ , and have received him , even the obedience and sufferings that he performed without us , is ours , who have received him within us , and witnesseth christ in us , and therefore we are not reprobates ; yet we do acknowledge he wrought perfect righteousness by obedience and sufferings without us , and that righteousness is ours by faith , which faith hath received christ to dwell in us , and he and his righteousness , his obedience and sufferings we enjoy in us in spirit ; if any can receive it let them : for that he wrought righteousness this is acknowledged ; but who have a part in this righteousness , that is disputable . they wholly renounce the doctrine of election and reprobation , and it is one of the great reasons for which they decry the ministers because they assert it ; they say jacob and esau are in a man , and the good seed is jacob which god electeth , and the bad seed is esau which he reprobates . answ. the doctrine of election and reprobation we do own according to the scriptures , and therefore hast thou belied us , and slandered us , and art found reproveable , and would incense mens minds against us for advantage to thy self ; but to some in that house we are better known then thou canst report of us ; and yet thou sayest we say , that iacob and esau are in a man , and the good seed god electet● , and the bad he reprobates , and thou mayest here see thy confusion and thy ignorance uttered in the self same lines ; for thou sayest we renounce the doctrine of election and reprobation , and yet sayest we say , the good seed god electet● , and the bad seed he reprobateth : and this shews what spirit thou art of , and how that the spirit of unrighteousness doth possess thee , and leads thee to speak without understanding ; and we further say , man being degenerated , became reprobated and cast out , and all by nature are children of wrath , and the children of wrath are all in the reprobate state , and none are elected but who are elected in christ the seed of david ; and so in the first adam all are reprobated , and all that are in the second adam are elected ; and the election and reprobation stands not in the persons , but in the seeds , and yet the persons are blessed or cursed , in the love , or in the displeasure of god , according as the seed of god , or the seed of the serpent lives and dwells and bears rule in the persons ; and we do indeed decry and deny you the professed ministers , upon many accounts more then one ; and we have already , and may in time to come shew sufficient reasons against you , both in doctrine and practise and other wayes , that you are not the ministers of christ , but the ministers of satan generally . that iesus christ as he is the seed of the woman and the seed of abraham is in every one , and that a measure or part of the substance that was conceived in the womb of the virgin mary , is in every one . answ. jesus christ he is the seed of the woman , and the seed of abrah●… according to the flesh , and after the spirit the son of the living god ; and this christ that was , and is , and is to come , who was dead , but is alive , and lives for evermore , the alone saviour of the world , he hath given a measure of light and life unto every man , and there is a light from him that shines in the heart , of all men , shining in darkness ; the light shines , but the darkness comprehends it not ; and this was iohn's testimony , and is our testimony , that christ enlightneth every man , or all man-kind that cometh into the world ; for in him was life , and the life was the light of men , as the scripture saith ; and the apostle preached the light that shined in peoples hearts , and it was that light that gave them the light of the knowledge of the glory of god : but thou hast discovered thy self to be a stumbler at the stumbling-stone , and hath taken offence at the light , like the pharisees who professed the scriptures as the priests of england do , but were ignorant of the life , the end of the words , and knew not christ the substance : but the stone at which you stumble , will break you to pieces , and grind you to powder , even christ the light of the world , that lighteth every man that cometh into the world. that the soul is a part or measure of god ( as they speak ) and not a part of man , but uncreated ; and so is that light which is in every one . answ. the soul is immortal , and god is immortal ; for god breathed into man the breath of life , and he became a living soul ( as saith the scripture ) and the soul is related to god ; for what a man works against god , it is against his own soul ; for all sin is against god , and against a man's own soul : and god who hath all souls in his hand , who is the creator , and gave life into the soul that is immortal , and can never die , though death hath passed over it , and hath reigned over all from adam till moses ; and christ is the light of the world that gives life unto the soul ; and he raiseth up the soul out of death and misery , and brings the soul to rejoyce in god its saviour ; and christ is the souls bishop , its pastor , and feeder , and who knows christ , knows him that was before the world was made , and sees to the beginning , and to the ending , and his soul rests in god that is over all . that the light in the heathen , who never heard that iesus christ died at jerusalem is the same for the quality of it , with that which is in the most godly person ; onely there is a difference in the quantity ; and men are reconciled to god by following of it ; this light they say is the sure word of prophesie , and that it is sufficient to lead out of all sin unto god. answ. the testimony of iohn is , that christ is the light that lighteth every m●n that cometh into the world ; and if every man , then the heathen , who hath not the relation of christ's life , and his death at ierusalem , yea and it is the same light that is in the heathen , the same in nature and kind , as it is in the saints ; for the comforter , the spirit of truth is one in it self and the same , though it comforteth the saints , and reproveth the world , and the wicked for their sins : and men are reconciled to god by christ ; for he was in god reconciling to himself , and none are reconciled but who walk in the light , and follows it ; for who walks in the light , the blood of christ cleanseth them 〈◊〉 all si● , and they are reconciled , and none else : and the word of god is in the heart , as the scripture saith , deut. . rom. . and that is the word of prophesie , and that word is sufficient to lead out of all sin unto god , if men believe in jesus and receiveth him : and the spirit of truth leadeth into all truth , all that follow it . that christ as man is not in heaven , yea , that he hath ceased to be man , and conseq●…ly to be mediator ; and when i told them he should come in the clouds in like 〈◊〉 as he ascended , and that at his coming the elements melteth ; one of their 〈◊〉 told me , that the clouds were scattered , and the elements melted in him . answ. christ jesus is ascended into heaven , and sits at the right hand of the father , yea he is ascended far above all heavens , as saith the scripture : but that is utterly false , whereas thou sayest , we say he ceased to be man , that is ●y lye , and so i pass it : and we believe according to the scriptures , that 〈◊〉 shall come in like manner as he ascended , and at his coming the elements shall melt : and it is not error for a man to say the clouds are scattered , and ●●e elements melted in him ; for clouds are darkness , and covers the face of the sun many times , as thou mayest behold in the firmament : but darkness is yet over thy heart , and the elements are not melted away ; and therefore thou art in thy imaginations , putting light for darkness , and darkness for light , and calling evil good , and good evil. that the bodies of men shall never rise again after death ; and that the day of iudgement is come already ; and that now the saints do judge the world. answ. we do believe the resurrection according to the scriptures ; for if onely in this life we have hope , we were of all men most miserable : and we believe that the dead shall arise again after death , and every one shall receive according to the deeds done in the body ; they that have done evil shall arise to eternal condemnation , and they that have done good to eternal salvation ▪ in the day of judgement : and the lord cometh with , and in ten thousand of his saints to judge the world , and the saints upon earth do receive the spirit of judgement , and do judge the world , even all things ; for the spiritual man judgeth all things , even in this present age ; if thou canst receive it thou mayest . they are utterly against water-baptism , and administring of the lord's supper with bread and wine , because they say , they have the substance of all within . answ. as for baptism and the supper of the lord we do own it , and it is practiced of us in the life and power of god ; but as for your baptism , that is to say , sprinkling of infants , calling it the baptism into the faith , and that they are made members of the church thereby ; and that it is a seal of regeneration , as you say in your common-prayer-book and directory , that we do utterly deny , and do say it is no ordinance of god , neither was it ever commanded by him , or practiced by his saints , but is an institution of the whore of rome , and england received it by a popish institution , and your practice of it is idolatry , and not any part of the true worship of god : and as for your breaking bread , and drinking wine , in that manner and form as it is practiced in the church of england among the unconverted and unregenerated , that we utterly deny also to be of god , or to be ever commanded of him or practiced by his saints ; and this is neither heresie nor error in us , but true bearing witness against your idolatrous wayes , and practices , with which the nations are deceived , whom the whore causeth to drink her cup ; even all people have drunk her cup , and she hath drunk the blood of them that would not ; and she hath long sate upon nations , peoples , and multitudes , but now she is made bare and discovered , and all you her false ministers : and whereas the author doth say , these are some of the strange and horrid opinions which they have audaciously invented , &c. answ. it is no strange thing that truth be called heresie and error ; and that it be branded with a name of strange and horrid opinions , and such like ; but we do acknowledge , that in that way which is called heresie do we worship the true and living god , and wo will be unto them that put light for darkness and darkness for light : but when these particular things , and their answers are tru●ly read and weighed , then let spiritual men judge ; for this author must not be judge in his own cause , whose judgement is corrupted , and his wayes abomination : and it hath been the work of that generation ( of those called ministers i mean ) for these seven years to cry out to the magistrates , and to send one paper after another of this nature to them ; but what hath it advantaged them ? for hath not the lord turned their wisdom backward ? and even the way which they have thought to destroy the heritage of the lord , the lord hereby hath made his heritage more glorious ; and so the● have striven against the lord , and altogether in vain , and their doings shall they eat the fruit of , and receive the reward of their own work. and whereas the author further saith , such as have saving work in their souls , and that k●●w god and christ , &c. cannot but bless god for keeping them from the great black●●ss and darkness , that hath invaded the souls of these deluded wretches . answ. they that know the saving work in their souls , and that know god and christ in truth and righteousness , and that call upon him with an upright heart , we are all one with them , and they with us : and they alone that walk in the light that christ hath enlightned them withall , are kept from the darkness that doth invade the deluded : and as for thy envious reflection , 〈◊〉 y●●r deluded wretches , and such like ; these words are to thy self , for they have no entrance into our dwellings , the lord hath saved us by his right hand , and we bear them as his reproaches for righteousness sake . and whereas thou sayest , it is very sad that after so much preaching of the gospel , so many should take those things for new lights , which are but antiquated errors , &c. answ. it is very sad indeed , that the ministers of this nation should have so fair a profession upon them , and should put the nation to so much charge , by giving them tyth●s , and stipends , and money , and have spoiled peoples goods , and cast their bodies into prisons , even of many hundreds that would not pay them : and yet the nation should be left in darkness , and like an untilled wilderness , notwithstanding all the profession of preaching the gospel ; for the nation hath been like an untilled field , and like people , like pri●●● , like shepherd , like sheep , as it is , especially amongst them where shephe●●s and the sheep are risen in rebellion against the nation , and have joyned with 〈◊〉 old caveliers : but this shews , that your preaching hath been for en●● to your selves , and for money , and that you have been ministers of the letter , and not of the spirit , nor of the power of god ; for had you been in the life , and preachers of the true gospel , the nations had been as a garden at this day , and not like an unploughed field , as we see they are ; people abounding in ungodliness , and in all pride , and vanity , which is a shame to christianity ; now people and ministers , have made a shew of the gospel , but have been without the power , in the form of godliness ; and have had the form , but resisted the power : and indeed the ignorance of the people , will lie upon their ministers , who have been crying peace to them , that have walked after the imaginations of their own hearts ; and have not turned the wicked from his wicked way ; and the scriptures are fulfilled upon them , they have run , but god hath not sent them , therefore the people have not at all been profited by them : but the light of the glorious gospel is risen in mens hearts , a●d your folly and vanity is discovered , and that makes you rage and swell as a foaming sea ; now when your shame is seen , you are casting out slanders and reproaches , thinking thereby to sedu●e the minds of people , thinking alwayes to keep the magistrates on your side , and to ride upon them ; and that they will establish you in freedom , and destroy them that are against you : but the lord is opening their eyes to behold your deceit and madness , and you will be left unto your selves , and fall into the pit that you have digged for others . and whereas this author doth further compare this poor people , which he in scorn calls quakers , with several pestilent hereticks , as he calls them , that have disturbed the church ; and saith he , they agree with the adamites , and pharisees , and sadduces , and with the mann●chies , with the jews , turks , servebus , and with the soscinians , and many more which he names , and saith , we agree with them ; and 〈◊〉 is to render us odious , and as abominable as he c●● , to m●n in authority . to all which i do answer , what we do profess , and practise for religion , we have not been learnt by man , nor been taught it by men ; not our gospel , no● religion ; but we have received it from the lord , and of him are we taught , and by the spirit led into all truth : and though thou hast done as the pharisees did , they reckoned christ with transgressors , and crucified him betwixt two thieves ; so though thou hast compared us with such and such , whom thou callest hereticks , and it is possible many of them might be so : and so thou hast shewed the spirit of the pharisees , and of the murderers , that denyed christ ; and we are known unto the lord what we are , though not unto mortal mans wisdom , that perisheth : and to whom shall we more truly compare the ministers of england ? are they not like those which isaiah cryed against , that sought , for their gain from their quarter , that were greedy dumb doggs ? and like them that ieremiah cryed against , that said , thus saith the lord , when the lord had never spoken to them , nor sent them ? and are not you all like them that micah cryed against , chap. . that preached for hire , and divined for money , and that prepared war against those that would not put into their mouthes , as you do at this day ? and are not you like them that ezekiel cryed against , that made a prey upon the flock , and made merchandize of souls , and fed themselves with the fat , and did not feed the flock ; but ruled over them with force and cruelty ? and are not you like those that christ cryed wo against , that were called of men master , that went in long robes , and loved greeting in the markets , and uppermost r●oms at feasts ; for you act those things that christ cryed wo against the pharisees , who did the same things ? and are not you like them that paul spoke of , that were heady , and high-minded men , and covetous , and proud , and went in the way of balaam for gifts and rewards , and that through covetousness , with feigned words , made merchandize of souls ? and are not you like them that iohn saw were coming in , in his dayes , that went out from them , and that went into the world , that were of the world , and spoke of the world , and the world heard them , and which the world went after ? and are not you of them that have deceived the whole world , that hath been of the whore , that hath caused all nations to drink her cup , and of them that have made war against the saints , and against the lamb , of that stock of the false prophets , that wrought miracles in the sight of the beast ? and the world wonders after the beast , and the beast hath carried the whore , and he hath compelled and caused all to worship him ; and the whore caused all to drink of the cup of her fornication : are not these things so ? may not the witness of god in all mens consciences truly answer hereunto , and condemn you to be such as were the false prophets , and the hirelings and the deceivers , against whom the prophets , christ , and the apostles gave witness ? yea , it is manifest that you are in the same way , and of the same generation , and that you follow the same spirit , because you shew forth the same works : and are not you like the papists and the iesuits ? was it not by the authority of the pope of rome that your very way of making ministers was ordained at schools and colledges ? and was it not the papists , and in their dayes , that the general part of your church-discipline and government , the call of your ministers , and practise of them , and maintenance of them ; was it not first set up by the papists ? was not this way of tythes first established by the church of rome ? and do not you follow the papists herein , in receiving tythes , and gleab-lands , and easter-reckonings and midsummer-dues , which you hold up , and would destroy them that will not give you such things ? and therefore are not you like the papists and jesuits ? yea ; we know that the church of england is but newly come out of the womb of popery , and hath the symptoms thereof upon her at this very day in many things ; yea , the testimony of god in all people may witness hereunto : and so it is the very trick of the whore , to cry out against others , and to charge others with that which she is guilty of her self ; but now it will not cover them , to slander others that themselves may seem clear ; for the lord is opening peoples hearts , and giving them a spirit to discern all things . and whereas the author speaks against the quakers , for crying against cuffs , caps , and for using thee and thou ; and for crying against pulpits , and hour-glasses , and for such things ; and for owning revelation , and for holding the free grace of god to be given unto all , and because of trembling and quaking , and saying , our writings are given forth by the same infallible spirit that the scriptures were given out by , and for crying down the ministers maintenance , and for calling some of them vipers and serpents . to all this i answer , it is your generation that makes a great noise about thee and thou , and cuffs , and caps ; for we in plainness and simplicity do speak the proper language , thee , and thou to a single person , and it is the proud and exalted minds of men that are offended hereat , which pride and arrogancy hath eaten out the very sincerity , and the property of speech also , and you are offended at us because of it , and for crying against your cuffs , and boot-hose-tops , and ribbands , and points ; we cry against all these things as not becoming the ministers of christ , but as being of the world , in the pride , and vanity , and superfluity , abusing the creation , which the lord will judge among you : and as for having an hour-glass , and preaching thereby , and as for your carnal bells which you call people by , we do disown these things , and say , they are old popish inventions ; for the ministers of christ never limitted their spirits to an hour-glass , neither had they a carnal bell to call people to their worship ; and as for revelation , we do own that the spirit of god doth reveal truth to us , and god hath revealed christ in us , and none ever shall know god but by revelation ; for none knows the father but the son , and he to whom the son will reveal him : and as for free grace , we say , the grace of god hath appeared to all men ; and it teacheth the saints to deny ungodliness , but the wicked turns it into wantonness , and doth dispite unto the spirit of grace ; and we also say , that who now speaks , or are moved to write forth by the spirit of god , they speak and write by the same spirit that is infallible , that the scriptures were given forth by : and as for your maintenance , it is altogether abominable and oppression to the nation , and the lord is against it , your taking peoples goods , and casting them into prison , that will not pay you wages , and give you tythes against their consciences : and be not offended at being called vipers , and serpents ; for these are the works of venemous vipers , and stinging serpents , which persecute the servants of god , and cryes to the magistrates for help against a poor people , that useth no weapons at all against you , saving that of the spirit of god ; and though we do thus to you , to the false ministers , to cry against them , and give our witness against them in the name of the lord , yet we do not deny the true ministers of christ , nor speak any thing against them which are the true ministers , that have received the ministry of righteousness by the gift of the holy spirit , which all that are true ministers , do receive their ministry thereby . and whereas thou sayest , we are bitter enemies to the doctrine of iustification , and agree with the cavelierish party , and would silence godly ministers , and are i●suitical , and such like things thou falsly chargeth upon us ; and that we have a not able faculty to delude ignorant unstable souls , &c. answ. these are but the author's reproaches , and his slanders , he hath filled his mouth with , against the innocent ; and he hath set his tongue on the fire of hell , to slander the ●ust , and the innocent : and all these things we bear in patience , counting reproaches for christ our chiefest riches ; and thus to the substance of this paper , i have given an answer , whereby all that love the lord , and desire to be informed in the truth , may receive satisfaction ; for it is seen that that generation of priests are joyned with the prelatical cavelierish party , and this is known at large in the nation , in the north especially : and so as i said , they would fain slander others , that themselves might seem clear ; but the lord will rebuke him , and his lying tongue , and the innocent shall be delivered from his devouring lips : and as for any other thing in his paper , it is not worth answering to , nor worth minding ; but his wickedness will turn upon his own head , and he shall bear the burthen of his own words , onely he queries , whether this be not the pestilence that walks in darkness ? and the flouds that the dragon hath cast out of his mouth to drown the woman ? is not this the mark of the beast , who opened his mouth in blasphemy ? and are not these the unclean spirits , that came out of the mouth of the dragon , and out of the mouth of the false prophet ? answ. now the pestilence that walks in darkness , is the plague ( that is out of the light ) sin , and death , and misery , which smites the ungodly , and he sees it not : and the floods which the dragon cast out , is the floods of persecution and cruelty ( viz. ) the imprisoning until death , and spoiling peoples goods , for tythes and money , as the priests have done : and the dragon gave power to the beast that compell'd all to worship , and that carried the whore , the false church ; and the true church has bin fled into the wilderness for many generations ; and the false church ( the whore ) has sate as a queen , and given her cup to drink : the false church of rome , and the false church of the protestants , all which are of the whore , these have all been carried by the beast which the dragon gave his power to ; and they have all persecuted the woman , the true church , & the mark of the beast he compell'd people to receive , & compell'd them to worship ; and they open their mouthes in blasphemy that deny christ , and deny the light , and that say they are iews , and are not ; this is error and blasphemy which the beast opens his mouth in , against the saints , and against them that dwell in heaven : and the unclean spirits are the spirits of devils , that are out of the truth , and these the dragon casts our in slanders ; and reproaches and lyes , such as this author has done , and of that generation is he . christ said , false prophets should come ; and iohn saw in his dayes , they were come , and he saw the world gone after them ; & of that generation are you : and now the lord is gathering people from you again , and babylon must fall , and all her merchants howl and weep : and these things have been which the scripture speaks of , & the woman is now coming out of the wilderness again , and the whore must be rewarded , and sorrow is coming upon her , & as she has done unto the saints , so shall the saints do unto her . and in the conclusion he saith , worthy sir ( to this member of parliament ) it will be your honour to stand in the gap , to stop the violence of this hellish torrent , that is so high , that it sounds from dan to beersheba , and threatens iudgment to our israel , &c. answ. here is the conclusion of thy matter , which is the sum of it , a running to the powers of the earth for help ; what , have you ministers lost the lord to be your strength , that you must flee for help to men to defend you from the spirit of god in his people ? must they make laws to establish you , and set you up ? is not this the whore that road upon the beast , and that the beast carries ? is not here a description of her out of the mouth of this author ? is he crying to you , to persecute the innocent ? it is true , the seed of god is risen , the elect seed , that is able to make war against the beast , and against the false prophets , even with the word of the lord ; and is he offended that truth is risen so high ? and would he have some fire and faggot again in smithfield , and some persecution and banishment acted upon the people of god ? is this the standing in the gap , and stopping violence , or would he have it done this way ? yea , judgments indeed are threatned to your generation ; for , if god will not destroy you soon enough , you will destroy your selves ; and your own iniquity will be upon you , and the wickedness of the wicked shall slay him . but my counsel is not only to that particular member , but to the whole body of them , that they be wise , and take heed what they do ; for the eye of the lord is over you , and his hand can dash you in pieces ; and if you be oppressors of the people of god , and will not relieve the oppressed , the innocent , and break the bonds of oppression , the lord will break you in pieces ; for this is the rock that hath broken all before you , persecuting people for conscience sake ; and if you go in this way , your destruction shall be the most lamentable of any that was ever yet before you : do you not yet see the wickedness of this generation ? will you yet contend for them ? surely you might learn wisdom , even by their folly ; and if you do not shut your eyes , there needs no more discovery then their own present wayes and works . wherefore consider , the day of god's visitation is upon you , make good use of your time , lest the lord breaks you down , and never build you up ; and let the spirit of the lord have its liberty , and limit it not ; for if you do , you shall never prosper , nor never be made a blessing unto the people under your charge . remember you are warned by a lover of your souls , and friends , great things hath the lord done in these nations in your dayes , and that by the face of your authority ; and there has a spirit stirred in some of you , and in the army , which the lord hath appear'd with , and yet the work of the lord is not finished ; but greater things then these hath the lord to accomplish amongst us , and in this nation ; and these things that have come to pass , have been but as the preparing of the way for the bringing about of greater things : it is true , many mountains have been removed , and some oppressions taken off , and excellent things have bin promised , and doubtless ( by some of you ) really intended ; but alas ! the work hath long remain'd unfinished , and many of your best friends are almost weary with waiting to receive the end of their hopes and desires ; and many are even fainting concerning the good old cause , though of late it hath seem'd to be revived by you , yet it goes but easily forwards . and even so little is its growth since your late meeting , that many are thinking themselves to be in a deceiv'd condition by you : why ? they see that wicked clergy's interest more prospering then the just freedom of the people . and this i say unto you in the name of the lord , that while that interest ( of this false priesthood i mean ) is so much favoured and defended , you can never prosper , nor the nations be ever happy under you ; for it is one of the greatest oppressions this day in the nation , the maintaining and upholding of this ministry by tythes , and other unrighteous wages ; and the very land groans under the oppression of this church and ministry , which lies as a heavy burden upon both persons , and estates and consciences of many good people , even of your dearest friends ; and though the lord doth manifestly ( even from heaven ) shew signal tokens of his displeasure against them , and the servants of the lord , they also cease not to warn you concerning them , & their own doings are sufficient testimony of the malice of their hearts against you , and all good men in the nation ; yet nevertheless some of you seem to shut your eyes , as if you would see no evil in them , but are crying up your godly ministers ; & some of you utterly despising the man ( as not worthy to live ) that doth but speak against them ; and thus are you blinded , and perceive not where the cause lie● of your interruption , to bring forth righteousness : i say , it is the favouring of that interest which stops the issue of good things ; and while you oppress peoples persons , and estates , and consciences , to uphold this ministry and priesthood aforesaid , the lord shall never prosper you , nor make the nations ●●ppy under your charge ; and this you shall witness eternally . wherefore i do say unto you , it is high time for you to lay aside the interest of this oppressing clergy , so much leavened and tasted of the whore of rome ; your selves do know that the spirit of the romish clergy was in the late bishops , which you cast out for their wickedness ; and the very spirit of those bishops is entred into these priests , and bears rule in their hearts ; and thus by succession hath the whore of r●●e leavened the clergy of england , from one generation to another , with her taste and savour , and there is the remainer of her murders and cruelties in those mens brests , and at every opportunity it breaks forth , as of late in this rebellion you have full testimony ; and if you do not curb it speedlly , it will grow over you , to your undoing . therefore clear your selves , do not any longer drink the whore's cup , neither be ye carriers of her , to execute her wickedness upon the bodies and consciences of people ; for it is written , the beast hath carried the whore ; and we see it hath been thus , as iohn saw it was to come to pass ; and so clear your selves from her tyrannies and oppressions , and leave this false church and ministry to themselves ; and if god will not uphold them by his power , why should you do it ? if these priests have not yet planted vineyards that will yield them fruit , and if their flock will not yield them milk freely , why should you unjustly impose upon peoples consciences , and compel tythes and money from them , for the maintenance of these men ? ye ought not to do it ; for while ye compel and force people by violence , contrary to good consciences , to maintain and uphold this ministry , and church , and worship , you do but cause people to drink the whore's cup , and you are but them which carry the whore , viz. the false church ; and this is plain-dealing , to tell you the truth , whether you will reject it , or receive it : wherefore cast them off , and let them not lurk under your wings ; for , one day they will rebel against you , and another day flatter with you ; and for a season they will shew forth much love and kindness in hypocrisie , even while they are hatching mischief against you , and to bring the nation into blood ; and they will cry out heresie and error of others , that themselves may seem clear , while as the same lodgeth in their own hearts : wherefore i say , do not make a false peace with them , nor do not flatter with treacherous minds ; for you had better have them your open enemies , then deceitful and flattering friends ; you had better be in a just opposition against them , then in an unjust peace with them : i know it appears to many of you , a thing very hard to be born ; what! to forsake our godly ministers , think ye ? to hear tell of laying them aside is an amazement to some of your minds : was it not the same concerning the king and bishops ? was it not as much terrible to him , and his lords and council , to think of the overthrow of the then called godly fathers and bishops ? but better had he cast them off , and saved himself , then to have perished with them : and so i say unto you , better were it for you to lay these men aside , and their flatteries and feigned prayers , and to save your selves from their flattery , then to perish with them ; and the one of these will come to pass : for it s decreed of the lord , if you uphold them , and oppress people's persons , estates and consciences on their behalf , and in their evil cause , for tythes and wages to them , ye shall fall with them , and none shall be able to deliver neither you nor them : for i tell you again , that the very spirit of the old idolatrous bishops ( long since cast out ) is entred into the hearts of these men ; and there is as great a measure of tyranny , and injustice and abomination lying upon these , as once was upon the bishops ; and these are no less free from any abomination , then they were , and these are nigh as ripe for vengeance , and overthrow , as the others were ; and it will as surely come upon these , as it did upon them : wherefore take heed unto your selves , and be wise , and learn , and do us justice , or else god will do us justice upon you ; if ye will not take off our burdens , and ease our oppressions , the lord god will ease us of you , and the earth shall not be oppressed with you ; and if ye will uphold this priesthood against equity and good conscience , the lord will free good consciences both from you and them : and this is the word of the lord god to you . the open enemy hath not prevailed against you ; but the secret hand of the lord will not miss you . by a friend to righteousness , e. b. a visitation and warning proclaimed , and an alarum sounded in the pope's borders in the name and authority of the lord almighty , and the lamb . being the account of a journey to dunkirk , and the proceedings there among the iesuits , and fryars , and papists ; with some particular queries , and also some propositions sent unto them . which may be satisfaction to many , who may behold the difference in part between the papists and the people of god , and between the idolaters and the true worshippers . the particulars , and the heads laid down . . the account of the iourney . . a letter to the deputy governour , and the officers of the english army . . queries to the fryars . . propositions , as a charge against the romish church ; with a letter to the chief jesuit , rector in dunkirk . . a warning to the officers and souldiers of the english army . . some propositions to the english priests in dunkirk ; with some other things . according to the will of the lord , and being moved of him in spirit , and as it lay upon me many dayes , i passed to dunkirk : and that which i found upon me chiefly , was to visit and warn the papists , the iesuits , and fryars , and that company of idolaters ; and to sound the mighty day of the lord among them , and to proclaim it in the pope's borders , and to warn them of the day that is at hand upon them by the word of the lord ; and to sound forth among them the everlasting gospel of truth ; and against all their idolatrous wayes , worships and practices , which i have often felt the weight and burden of before ever i saw outwardly what their wayes or practices are ; which when i saw their idolatrous practices and worships , and heard their doctrines , and what they profess , i found it to be according to what i had seen and felt in the light that trieth all things . and about the sixth day of the third moneth , . i ( with samuel fisher , who was moved to go with me ) shipped from dover , and came into dunkirk the next day ; and being strangers upon earth , as the generation of the righteous seed ever was , we waited in the will of the lord , to be guided by his wisdom what to do , and how to be guided to act and speak to his glory : so the next morning the town mayor came to us in the street , and required an account of our coming , and our names , and from whence we came ; to which we gave him sober answers , and a reasonable account . and that day it much spread over the town of our being come thither , which wrought no small cogitations in the hearts of many , as what our business was , and wherefore we were come ; so that the deputy governour , colonel alsop , with the council of officers , sent for us that night ( the chief governour not being in town ) so we went to them , who did kindly intreat us , and examine us concerning our coming thither , and what our business was there , and such like ; to which we gave them answers , and staid with them in discourse some hours : and the deputy governour much pleaded to us the danger of our staying in the town , and feared the division that might grow amongst them through us ; and withal , much desired us to depart the town , supposing , as he said , the great danger that might incur unto the garrison through our stay : but our answer was in much plainness , if he desired us , we could not receive any such desire ; and if he commanded us , we could not obey his command in that case ; neither could we depart the town , but in the will of god , according to which will we came thither : and having many words , and much reasoning with them that night , we parted from them . and the next morning i was moved to write this letter following , and to give them all a sober account of our coming , and what our work is in this world , wheresoever we come : which letter was delivered to them , and read by many of them ; but to it we received no answer , according as the latter part did require , as may be seen . dunkirk , the eleaventh of the third moneth , english account , . to the deputy governor , and the officers of the english army in dunkirk these . friends , we the servants of the lord , are lovers of all your souls , and wisheth well unto you in the lord , that truth and peace , and righteousness may be among you , and in your hearts ; and we are travellers in the labour of the gospel of christ jesus for the elect seed ●ake , having received the glad tydings of life , and eternal salvation into our hearts , through the revelation of christ in us , who is our hope of glory ; and the lord hath manifested greatly his power amongst us , and revealed the riches of his grace in our souls , to our own everlasting satisfaction and peace with god : and also he hath made us ministers of his grace , and of his word to many others , to the turning of many from darkness to light , and from satan's power to god ; and of him we are called , and ordained by his spirit into this his work , to preach the everlasting gospel to the nations , and to war against antichrist , the whore and false prophets , who came up since the dayes of the apostles , and have reigned over all the world for many generations : and this is our work in the world , to fight the lamb's battel with his spiritual weapons and armour , and to follow him whithersoever he goeth , and to give up our ●elves in his service , to do or suffer for him whatsoever he calleth us unto ; and in this hitherto hath the power and mighty presence of the lord god been with us , and is with us unto this day , and great is his name amongst us his people , and to be praised for evermore : and of this hath god given us the sure witness in our selves , even the testimony of his good spirit , which bears us witness in our own consciences , that these things are true , whether men believe , or reject our testimony ; for we are not ministers of man , nor by man's will , neither do we stand to man's judgement , to be approved , or disapproved thereby ; but to the witness and testimony of god's spirit in every conscience we do commend our selves , where ever any of us do come , in the simplicity of truth , in the demonstration of the spirit ; and not by words of man's wisdom : and in the day of the lord shall we be justified herein by him , and by his witness in all mens consciences ; and in the mean time we do suffer all things patiently , and in the meek and quiet spirit of the lord : and as for us two in particular , who are now come into the town of dunkirk as we have in some part declared unto you already ; and so here i again say unto you , not being ashamed nor unwilling to give you an account of our coming ; for we came to be made manifest , openly in the sight of all men , in our doctrines , principles , and practises , which are of and from the lord , and fully agreeing in all things with the scriptures of truth , which were given forth by the spirit of truth , as the holy men of god were moved ; and as we have said to you , we still testifie , we were moved of god , and by his spirit to come unto this place in love to the souls of people ; and it is the lord god that hath sent us , and not man ; and whether you believe us herein , or do reject us , the testimony of god is sure ; and remains with us ; and for the truth hereof , we are not afraid to do and suffer , but can do , and suffer in the strength of christ whatsoever is put upon us ; though chiefly our coming was ( so far as the lord shewed us ) in relation to these popish idolaters , to discourse with their iesuites , friars , and priests , and to discover to them the errors óf their wayes , and the falsness of their worships , and to testifie unto them , in the fear and power of the lord concerning their church , that it is not a true church of christ , but a false church , come up in the apostacy ; and these things we have to argue with them , if the heads of them will admit dispute , otherwise to charge these things upon them from the lord , and by his authority ; and if they do any of them receive our testimony , and turn from their idols , and be converted unto the truth , they may be happy ; but if they shall reject our testimony , and not believe the truth ; then shall they the more be fitted for destruction , and the day of their destruction the sooner approacheth , and the lord shall be clear of their blood , and our reward shall be with us from god ; for our testimony shall not return to us in vain , but shall accomplish its end wherefore it is sent , and the word of the lord by us shall either convert to god , and to the truth that they may be saved , or shall through rejecting of it , harden the heart against god , and against the truth , that they may the more justly be condemned , and the lord and his servants be the more clear : and no other thing saving this do we promise to our selves as the success of our endeavours , and not so much in relation to the men of our english nation are we come , though the gospel of salvation is freely come to them also , that they may be freed from the captivity of sin and death ; and we may not work , nor cause any disturbance or grief to any of them , further then what they may take at us for the truth 's sake , or for declaring it in the fear of god , and without any just cause given by us to any of you , or them ; though we dare not promise to you , nor our selves , what we will do , or what we will not do ; onely this we say , if the transgression of any just law can be charged upon us , we refuse not to suffer what shall be imposed ; and this we do believe , that the lord will so keep us , and order us by his spirit of truth , and carry us in meekness , and righteousness towards you , while we stay amongst you , be it weeks , or moneths , that you will have no just occasion against us , by any offence justly ministred by us ; and if you do take occasion against us without any just cause given , be it upon your selves , to your own shame , and condemnation in the sight of god and men ; for we are clear , onely this we do give unto the lord , and cannot unto men , the exercise of our consciences , and to be obedient unto the teachings of his spirit in all things , as he shall guide and lead us ; and if he commands to do , or not to do any thing , and you the contrary , we must obey him , though we disobey you ; for its better to obey god then man : and when he bids speak , in what place or season soever , we may not be silent ; for to keep our consciences clear in the sight of god , in all things , by obedience to him , is our care , and study , and that which we are given up to do ; and if you set your selves to gain-say this , it will turn to your own destruction ; for no other promise then this can we make for our selves , but to do , and speak amongst you , as the lord our god shall move us , and lead us : and this testimony we do bear for the lord , he doth not move us , nor lead us to any thing , saving to what is just , good , and holy , which may tend to the happiness , and peace , and welfare of your souls , and bodies also ; and in the father's will we stand , and as we came in his will , so we cannot submit to stay , or go at any man's will , save the lord 's alone : and as concerning our coming , and staying , and work here , this is a sober account to you , which may satisfie you , and any sober and reasonable men : and as concerning our being with you yesternight , many things passed from some of you , and your ministers chiefly , to which i had a great desire to have answered , and to have cleared the things objected against us ; but time and his patience afforded not the opertunity : therefore now this i do propound about the call to the ministry , which was the thing in dispute ; to which i then could freely have spoken , whether he will give me and us a fair meeting , in some publick place , that is convenient for your selves to hear , and be judge between us , to discourse this matter ( viz ) what the true call to the ministry is , which is truely according to the scripture , and that to be laid down first , and then to compare his call to his ministry , and also his call to dunkirk with what the true call is , which is allowed of , and approved in the scriptures ; and also to compare our call to the ministry , and even our call to dunkirk , with what the true call of christ s ministers was , as declared in the scriptures ; that it may be seen whether his call , or our call , is the most different from , or agreeable to the scriptures ; and even the light in your own consciences shall be judge between us in this cause ; and upon such an issue , upon a just determination would we gladly joyn tryal ; and such a meeting , upon such grounds and proceedings , may tend to satisfie your selves , and many more ; and such a meeting i do fully desire with your consent , and concurrence , who may preserve the people in peace and soberness , that all may be ●dified in the things of so great moment , as this is : for if he can prove his call to the ministry to be such as was the apostles , and ministers in the true christian churches , before the apostacy , then shall we own him , and not deny him ; but if he cannot do this , and if we can do it on our own behalf , in the power and spirit of the lord , then may you and all men judge who are the true ministers of christ , and who are the deceivers . and this manner of proceedings would deside all doubts in you about us ; and we shall be clear in manifesting the truth concerning the true ministry and the false , and the difference between them in their call , in their practice , and in their maintenance . and this is sent to you to read and consider of , in the fear of god , as the testimony of our love to you and the truth , that you may take heed to your wayes : and we would receive first your answer , whether you do consent , and will allow such a meeting ; and secondly , his answer , whether he will undertake such a dispute : and we further are ready to clear all doubts that may remain in you about us , who are your friends , and desire your prosperity , and faithfulness in what the lord calls you unto . by edward burroughs , samuel fisher. and the same day we went to the capuchine fryars , and had some discourse with the chiefest of them in their garden , concerning the light of christ that every man is lighted withal : and we did declare to them of the mighty day of the lord , that was at hand upon them ; and the lord was come to search them , and try them , and would hew down their idolatrous wayes , and worships , and works , &c. and in order to a fair proceeding with them , the next day i was moved to write this following paper to them , by way of queries , as to lay some ground of opposition ; hoping to have received their answer , that i might have joyned tryal with them : for , it was in my heart , to search and oppose their wayes and practices , and their whole religion . and these queries were delivered to them in latine , though from them i have received no answer to this day ; but the queries stand upon them , and my charge they lie under , charged upon them in the name of the lord. to all ye that profess your selves devoted to the service of god , and separation from the world , and mortification in your lives , who are called by the the name of fryars and nunns , in , and about dunkirk . the mighty day of the lord god is come , and coming upon you , and all the world ; awake , awake ye that sleep in the earth ; for the dreadful god is arising to plead with you , and to give unto all the world the cup of his fierce indignation , because of your idolatries , and hypocrisies , and abominations , which have corrupted the earth , and are come up before him , and have provoked him ; and the cry of the just , who hath been smitten and laid slain , is entred into the ears of the most high ; and his sword , which is the word of his mouth , is awakened to wound and slay all his enemies : and the day of your visitation is now come , wherein the lord is searching you , and trying you , that he may recompence you ; and this is the word of the lord to you . wherefore i am moved of the lord to propound some few queries to you , for the tryal of your spirits and wayes ; to which i demand your answer , that all things may be brought to light , and true judgement , and that you may be judged justly , and by the spirit of the lord cleered , or condemned accorto your deeds ? . whether there were such order of men and women in the true church of christ in the apostles dayes ? and where did christ give institution for such worships , practices , and manner of life , slouthful idleness , and unprofitableness to god and men , as ye hold forth ? and whether any are bound to believe you , and follow your religion and practices , except you can prove by the scriptures , the words of christ , or example of his saints and apostles , your religion , and lives , and practices , and worships ? and whether you do admit of tryal in all your whole religion by , and according to the scriptures and writings of the apostles , yea or nay ? . whether the world in your hearts , and the world's nature , even the root of lust , the root of pride , covetousness , and the love of this world , and its vanities , and the root of idolatry is subdued in you ? to the light in your consciences i do speak : and what is the root of all these things ? and what is it that subdues it ? is it an outward abstinence by the force of locks and doors , and bolts , or self-separation , and secret places , that subdues the world's nature in men , and women ? and is it by such means that christ gives victory over sin , and overcomes it in his people ? or is it not by the power of god in the heart onely ? and whether is it not damnable hypocrisie in you , to appear outwardly holy , and free from these things , while yet the nature and root of all these things are alive in you , and boyling up in the motions of them ? and is any outward thing the cross of christ , and christ crucified , which mortifies to the world , which the apostles preached and rejoyced in ? . whether is it a true denial of the world in you , to deny it in one manner and place , and to run into it , and imbrace it in another way and place ? it doth not appear to me , that you have denyed the world , as the apostles did : for answer me , where had they any such seats in the finest and fattest places of the cities and towns as ye have ; such great fine houses and gardens , and such revenues by the year as ye have , staying all their dayes in a great house , and spending their time in slouth and idleness as ye do ? they went up and down the world preaching the gospel , and had no certain dwelling place , but followed the lamb of god in the spirit ; and did not settle themselves in fat places of the earth , continuing all their dayes as ye do : therefore we judge that you are out of the life , and not in the spirit as the apostles were in , but are in the form of righteousness and holiness without the power : so i demand an answer to clear your selves , if you can , and to prove that you are of the true church , and that your wayes and practices are in , and by the spirit of god , and according to the scriptures . . what is that death that hath passed over all , and reigned from adam to moses ? and whether it doth not reign yet in and over you ? and what is moses's ministration ? and whether ever through it you yet truely came ? and whether that part be subdued in you , which the law of god was added upon ? and whether are you come to christ , and know him as he was before abraham , and before mary ? and how was he david's lord ? and how his son ? and is christ within you born , and revealed to you , by whom the world was made ? and do you expect to be perfectly freed from sin , that ye shall not commit sin in this life upon earth , yea , or nay ? . what is the soul , and what was its state and condition before transgression ? and what is its state and condition in transgression ? and whether may man come to be restored by the second adam into the same estate , while upon earth , as he lost in the first adam , yea or nay ? friends , i demand of you in the name and power of the lord god , to answer me these things in writing some of you , and to subscribe your names , that i may return you an answer , and query further of you ; for we are sent of god to visit you , and to try you ; and if you be in the perfect truth , and would convert others to your religion , be plain with us , and use your best spiritual weapons in your zeal towards us , and defend your cause , and appear for your god ; and if you doubt of your own wayes and practices , and be not able to defend your religion , then let your mouthes be stopped , then turn from idolatry ; for now is the lord god risen that will judge ye and all the earth righteously . i am a lover of souls , but a witness against all false idolatrous wayes of antichrist , and the whore , that hath reigned in the world , and i am the lord's servant . e. b. by the scorners of the world called a quaker . these queries were sent to the fryars in latine . and we were with them again at other times in discourse with the chief of all the fryars of the company called recolects also , and did in the power of the lord declare truth unto them , and against their idolatry , until such time as some of them were so offended with us , not having much wherewith to an swer in truth to defend themselves ; they of the company called capuchins grew light and scornful , and very wicked , and did in a manner deny us the liberty any more to come unto them : and we were with each company of fryars two several times ; and as for the iesuites , we had much upon us to visit them in their colledges , but we perceived that the chief rector of the colledge of iesui●●s , had heard of our being in the town ; he did refuse to discourse with us , and we went once into the colledge , and could not be admitted to speak with him : and about a week after we came into the town , the chief governor lockhart coming home , he sent , as he said , to the iesuites colledge , that they should admit us to come to speak with them ; and as we found it from the lord upon us , at a convenient season , we went again to the colledge , and were for some hours in discourse with the chief rector of the colledge who appeared at the first very high , and subtile , and crafty , and did in his heart reject us , and the simplicity of the gospel ; but truth and the word of the lord had dominion over him , and before the truth he and they all are as weak as water : many things were disputed upon , which the particulars now cannot be related ; but in about three hours time he grew weary , pretending other business , and would stay no longer with us , and so we parted , demanding of him whether he would admit some more discourse at some other time , which he did refuse ; so we were not admitted to come to him any more : whereupon these following propositions i was moved to give forth , and send among them as a charge upon them , in the name and power of the lord , and they were given and delivered in latine up and down among the iesuites and fryars in the town , unto which to this day i never could receive an answer : therefore my charge lies upon them to this day as a testimony from the mouth of the lord against them , of which they can never clear themselves . and we were moved to visit the nunns , and went to their place , and before many words were spoken to them through a grate ( for we might not see them , and to speak to them both at once ) they asked if we were of the order of those called quakers ; and they perceiving we were such , said , they might not hear us , because we were such , and presently passed away , and refused to suffer us to speak to them ; and therefore we had very small time with them , onely gave our witness against them , and passed away . to all ye iesuits , priests , and friars , and to all you in general of the romish church , in and about dunkirk . friends , in dear love to all your immortal souls , i am moved to lay these things before you , that you may read and consider them in the fear of the lord god ; for as much as for some dayes i have been in this town according to the will of god , and having rightly observed your religion , in its original , and in its present standing , and in its practises ; and having truely examined some part of your faith and doctrines , and the manner of your worships , and your ordinances , and the orders , and discipline , and government of your whole church ; and in the spirit of the lord , having laid all things to the line of true judgement , and equally measured them ; hereupon i do from the lord , and by his spirit , propound and assert these things unto you . first , that your church is not the true church of christ , the lamb's wife , and elected spouse , but is degenerated in her faith , and in her doctrines , and in her worships and ordinances , in her orders , discipline and government , from what the true church of christ was , in the apostles dayes , before the apostacy . . that the constitution of your church , and the chief part of your worship and ordinances , and the way and manner of your discipline and government are of man , and set up and standeth by the will of man , and are not after god , nor according to him , but are after the traditions of man , learned and practised therein , which is idolatry , and are not in the commandments of christ , nor in the example of his apostles , non according to the scriptures , but without the spirit of god , being set up since the dayes of the apostles , and since the apostacy came in , which hath overshadowed the whole world. . that there hath been over the world for generations , and many ages since the dayes of the apostles and true churches , a general declination and falling away from the true faith and doctrines , and from the worship and ordinances , and from the discipline and government , that was amongst the apostles , and practised in the true churches of christ in their dayes , and your church is in that declination , and falling away . . that antichrist , the beast , and the whore , and false prophets , have reigned over the world for generations ; the antichrist that hath opposed christ , and been exalted in the temple of god , and been worshipped as god ; the beast that hath killed the saints , and warred against them , and had power over kindreds and tongues , and the world hath wondred after him ; the whore whom the beast hath carried , she hath sate upon peoples , multitudes , and nations , and drunk the blood of the saints , and of the martyrs , and she hath corrupted the earth , and caused all to drink her cup of fornications : and the false prophets have overspred the nations , and deceived them ; and you and your church are the peoples , the multitudes , and the kindreds that the beast hath received power over , and the whore hath sate upon , and the false prophets deceived . . that the true church of christ , the lamb's wife , the elected spouse , and the beloved city , who brought forth him that was to rule the nations , hath been fled into the wilderness , and been fled into the place of mourning and desolation , for a thousand two hundred and sixty dayes ; and the gentiles feet have troden down the holy city , the lamb's wife , and had power over her for forty and two moneths ; and though she hath not been prevailed against , nor overcome , so as to be extinguished from having a being , yet her being hath been in the wilderness , in mourning and desolation ; and she hath not appeared in the glory and excellency which once she had , but hath lost her garments and her attire , and her heir and husband separated from her , and caught up to god , and to his throne : and in this time of the desolation , and treading down of the holy city , the lamb's wife , and the reigning of the beast and the whore , hath your church been extant in her glory and power , which hath been of the false woman , and not of the elect spouse , that is married to the lamb. . that forcing and compelling of persons by any outward law and authority to be of such or such a religion , and to conform to such a way of worship , is the worship of the beast , and of the whore , and not the worship of god ; and to kill and persecute persons for the exercise of conscience , and because they will not be of such a religion , and cannot conform to such worship , is of the devil and the dragon , and not of god , nor according to him ; and that your church herein is not successor of the apostles , and the true church of christ ; but is of the beast and the whore , which iohn saw was to come in his time , and which we see are come in our dayes , and have ruled for generations ; and i affirm , that persons so made conformable , by force and violent laws , to such a religion and worship are but two-fold more the children of the devil , and are not at all converted to god thereby , but becomes idolaters , whom god will judge . . that none upon earth are true members of the true church of christ , having a portion in the inheritance of eternal life , but such who are gathered out of the world by the preaching of the gospel , and are changed and renewed by the power of the lord god in the heart , and are led by his spirit within them into all truth , and are joyned unto christ the head , and gathered into the eternal unity of the infinite body , by the same spirit and a●ointing dwelling in them ; and of such onely doth the true church of christ consist now in this present time , as it did in the apostles dayes : but of such members doth not your church consist in this present age , neither is it in the order and government of the spirit of truth , but in the form without the power , therein was its beginning , and its standing at this day . . that the time is at hand , and the day of the lord draws near , and the ful●ess of time is approaching , wherein great babylon shall be thrown down , and fall to the ground , and the lord will be avenged on her , and will render judg●ents unto her ; and the beast , and whore , and false prophets , unto whom the kingdoms of the world have been subject , shall be taken , and cast alive into the lake , and the devil and satan shall deceive the nations no more ; but the kingdoms of this world shall be changed , and become the kingdoms of the lord , and of his christ , whose kingdom shall be revealed in power and great glory , in the hearts of his chosen : and the church of rome , and all the false sects and churches upon the earth , will the lord god overthrow , and his true church shall be gathered out of the wilderness ; and the beauty of new ierusalem , of the holy church , the lamb's wife , shall be as glorious , a● before she fled thither , and before she was troden down of the gentiles ; and the lord god almighty shall be known , and his tabernacle shall be with men . these things i assert to you in the name of the lord , and the truth thereof is certain , and should be ready to argue and dispute these things with any sober person amongst you , upon equal tearms , and to prove the infalibility hereof , by the spirit of the lord , and according to the scriptures ; wherefore consider of them in patience and meekness , and believe in the light of christ , which is in your consciences , which christ hath lightened every man that cometh into the world withall , that you may come to the knowledge of the truth , and out of all false wayes : and if any of you will return an answer hereunto , in behalf of your whole body , and can be able to clear your selves in writing from what is charged upon you , it shall be gladly received by me , and a reply i● meekness returned to you for the further m●nifestation of truth , that truth and righteousness may clearly appear , and be embraced , and all deceit and and false wayes of antichrist may be confounded , and denyed ; and who are in the truth shall be confirmed , and who are in the error may have warning now in the day of the world's visitation . the lord is coming to judgment , who will judge the secrets of all hearts , and the whole world in equity . dunkirk , the th of the d moneth , . by a friend unto righteousness , and a lover of all souls , e. b. these propositions were sent to them in latine . this was sent to the chief rector of the jesuits colledge in dunkirk , in latine . friend , thy wisdom and thy knowledge is earthly and sensual , and thereby canst thou not know the things of the kingdom of god ; thou canst neither learn them thy self , nor teach them to others ; for thou art but a blind leader of the blind : and thus saith the lord god unto thee , the fruitless tree is standing in thee , that brings forth no fruit unto god ; and the head of the serpent is not broken in thee , that deceives the soul ; nor the body of sin put off , that burdens the just : and the sword shall cut thee to pieces , even the sword of the lord , it shall slay thee . and friend , the time is at hand that the lord will make thee know , that thou art , and hast been in thy life time , a dishonour to him ; and that thou hast not served him , but thy self , and the devil ; and thy heart is not right in his sight , but is corrupt and deceitful ; for thou art tryed and measured , and thou art found wanting in all things : and god will judge thee , and the witness in thy conscience shall answer his judgments ; and all thy idolatrous practices , and profession of religion , and church , and ministry , thy many prayers , and thy works of righteousness , all this shall not hide thee from the wrath of the lamb ; though now thou art hardened , ●nd utterly unsensible , yet the stone shall fall upon thee , that will grind thee to powder , and thou shalt not escape , but the burden of thy own iniquities shall weigh thee down into perdition , except thou speedily repentest : therefore fear and tremble before the lord god , and remember thou art warned by one that seeks the peace of souls ; but makes war by the sword of the spirit against the kingdom of the devil and antichrist , in whomsoever it stands . and friend , answer me this one query ; what is that whore that hath sate upon multitudes and peoples ? and what is that golden cup in her hand ? and what are the abominations and fornication , of which her cup is full , which she hath caused the kings and people to drink , and with which she hath deceived the world ? answer me this , and subscribe thy name . e. b. and now this i have to say concerning the church of rome , to them , and to all the world , as having been in a measure an eye and an ear witness of their idolatrous and false wayes , practices , and doctrines ; never having in all my dayes , till this time , and at this opertunity of going to dunkirk , not having any knowledge outwardly what their wayes and practices were ; not having any knowledge i say by my sight , and particular hearing concerning them , without me , otherwise then what the spirit of the lord within me did make manifest : though from a child the spirit of the lord in me , hath abhorred popery , and all that which savours of it : but now having been an eye and ear witness in a little measure of their practices and doctrines , this i have to say to them , and all men ; blindness and ignorance covers them as with a mantle , and they are wrapped up in the body of darkness , and gross darkness they do dwell in ; and all their wayes , and worships , are but the works of darkness , which they are led on in by the false feigned spirit of imagination , from one generation to another , being exercised therein : and the sense of the spirit of life they have not , but have wholly lost it ; and they know nothing at all of the leading of it , nor of its teaching : this they hiss at as a thing of nought when it is spoken of to them . they have even sold themselves into the land of ignorance and blindness , and they hate to be reformed ; they are settled upon a false foundation , even the traditions of men , which the lord will break down , and their whole building will fall . and when i consider how thousands , and ten thousands lie in the captivity of blindness and darkness under them , my heart is rent for them , upon the consideration how they are led in darkness and blindness , and how they rest in a false confidence , which will destroy their souls , and the blood of many rests upon the heads of them that leadeth them ; for they that lead them , cause them to err : and the blood of souls will be required at their hands : and as for the poor and common sort of them , there is a pit●y in me for them ; because they are led by the blind , and are out of the way : but as for the priests and iesuites , and clergy men , they are to be cut off with the edge of the sword of the lord god , and the wo is unto them , and no pitty ; because they cause the people to err , and keep the people in ignorance and blindness , under their false and unrighteous wayes and worships . and this i know , the word of the lord is gone forth against the whole body of the romish-church , from the head to the tail of them , will god plead with them ; the time is at hand , and his eye shall not pitty , neither shall his hand spare to punish them : the decree of the lord is sealed , and he will take vengeance upon their unrighteous laws , which binds the consciences of people , and limits the spirit of the holy one ; their unrighteous ecclesiastical laws i mean , under which is defended all manner of idolatry , and they compel people to be idolaters by a law , and whereby they drink the blood of the saints , and of the martyrs : but the lord will take vengeance upon them , and disanul their covenants and decrees ; and his spirit shall not be limitted , but shall rend them to pieces , even their laws and cruelties , and inquisitions , by which they are defended , and their religion upheld in the world , and whereby they kill the just , and murder the innocent , that are better then they ; for the fulness of time is come , and all these shall be tumbled down ; for their unjust laws , and inquisitions , are the main strength and pillars of their church , whereby their church and worship doth stand : and if they had not these cruel laws and inquisitions to defend themselves by in their religion , they would be soon prevailed against ; for they have nothing of the spirit and authority of god , to stand in , nor to fight with , against such as do oppose them ; but their weapons are carnal , and devilish , and by murders , oppressions , and tyrannies they do defend themselves ; and when these things are broken down , then their church cannot stand long . and as sure as the lord lives , so shall it come to pass , a generation shall accomplish it , and in the generation of the righteous seed it shall be finished ; their laws shall be broken down , and murders avenged , and their weakness shall then appear , and their whoredoms and idolatries , and all their abominations shall be made naked , and uncovered , and judged by the lamb , and them that follow him , whom he will gather to fight his battel . and if the people were but sensible hereof , as in measure i am , through the zeal of the lord , it would raise up the spirit of zeal in them all , to seek vengeance , and the overthrow of all their unrighteous laws , and inquisitions , and murders , which keeps people in darkness and ignorance , and kills the just , that the creatures may be saved , and tyranny condemned : and when once the lord doth but reach forth his arm , then shall people be awakened to mind what i now say . who would spare their own lives for the accomplishing of such a work , that the spirit of the lord may have liberty , and that which limits it may be dashed to pieces ; and that the earth may be set at liberty , and all europe made free from the cruelties and tyrannies of antichrist and of the whore ? and to all you papists i say , and to all the body of the church of rome , prepare prepare ; for the lord god is coming up against you in his dreadful power , his word of eternal judgemnt is gone forth , and his vials are full of wrath to be poured forth ; and he will be avenged upon your tyrannies and murders , and unequal laws , and subdue them before him : and his dread shall fall upon your consciences ; ye that are idolaters , hypocrites , ignorant wretches , wilful persons and bond-slaves of satan , the plagues of god , and the wrath of the lamb shall reach unto your high throne ; repent , repent , for the lord's wrath is kindled against you ; and if there be any among you , that feareth the lord , let him deliver his own soul , by turning from your abominations , least the lord come upon you and destroy you altogether : give up your inquisitions , give up your unjust laws , and cease to murther the innocent , and torment the righteous . i demand this of you on the lord's behalf , vex not the lord any longer ; for his patience is turned into anger against you , and his long-suffering will become fury to devour you . and no little service we had in dunkirk among our english army ; divers meetings we had in the town , and declared the message of salvation : and i must commend the spirit of our english men for moderation , more then the men of any other nation , and i did many times clear my conscience among them , both as they were men , sons of adam , and in relation to an eternal state did direct them to the way of happiness , out of sin and wickedness , that they might come to god , preaching the everlasting gospel ; that as they were sons of adam in transgression , they might come to be healed , and come into christ the power and wisdom of god , and might be saved . again , as they were soldiers , and as they were an army , i was moved to speak much unto them , that they might know what their service was there in that state ; sometime saying unto them , it was possible the lord might have some good work to do by them , if they were faithful and not seek themselves , but the glory of the lord. and at one time being sent for by governor lockhart , where there were many officers with him , and we had much discourse with them ; and this lay upon me to declare in the name of the lord unto them ; that if they did enterprize any business , as they were an army , in a spirit in opposition unto us , and in that spirit that did reject us , and deny us , and gain-say us ; then should they never prosper in any enterprize whatsoever : but if they went on in any degree in the fear of the lord , and in that spirit that was among us , then should they overcome their enemies , and none should have power over them , nor overcome them . and after i was parted from them , this following paper was upon me to write unto the whole army in general , both to officers and soldiers . to the english army , to officers and souldiers . friends , i am moved to clear my conscience unto you , in the sight of the lord , to warn you , that you may all learn wisdom , and the fear of the lord god , and may stand in his counsel alwayes ; for that will be a defence unto you at all times , and therein will you prosper in the lord's work , and chiefly unto you , the small remnant of our english army in and about dunkirk ; i say unto you officers and souldiers , fear the lord god , and walk in his wisdom ; and every particular person amongst you , inquire of the lord , ●hat he requires of you ; inquire of the lord i say , and know his will , and be obedient unto it in all things , and so shall you prosper in standing in god's counsel , and in performing his will : and so shall you be exalted , and have victory over your enemies , even as you seek the honour of the lord , and his glory ; for if you honour him , and do that which is acceptable to him , he will honour you , and set you atop of all your enemies , and he will make way through the mountains , even by you , for the further appearance of his glory ; and he will honour you as his work-men , if you be faithful to him , and walk in his counsel and wisdom , till he hath prepared his own way by you ; for assuredly it is not in vain , but the lord had some end in it , to himself , in bringing you to that place ; and what do you know but he may have some good work for you to do : it is possible there is more in his heart , and in his purpose concerning you then yet may be discovered to you : wherefore it is good for you , that you wait upon the lord , to know his will fully concerning you , that you may do it , and fulfill it ; and therein shall be your crown , but on the contrary dependeth your misery and destruction . and this i do know , that the lord hath owned and honoured our english army , and done good things for them and by them in these nations in our age ; and the lord once armed them with the spirit of courage and zeal against many abominations , and he was with them in many things he called them to , and gave them victory and dominion over much injustice and oppression , and cruel laws ▪ and he was with them , till that a spirit of vain glory and ambition , and self seeing , and the honour of this world entered into some and defiled the whole body , and made it deformed , and void of its former beauty , and of its valour and nobleness also , at which the anger of the lord was kindled , and against you also was his hand turned , with the loss of his presence , because the sincerity and the faithful principle was almost choaked , and the good eaten out from amongst you , by the false spirit of self-seeking and vain glory , which was entered into the hearts of many ; but this is to the army in general , and to say no more of it to you , onely that you might search your own hearts , and may be purged , and may again return to the old spirit of righteousness , which will reach after the liberty of the people , and the freedom of the nations , and that all oppression may be broken down to the dust before you , and be subdued by you as your prey : and that there be no more a looking back by you for rest and ease in the flesh , in great houses of residence , till you have visited rome , and inquired after , and sought out the innocent blood that is buried therein , and avenge the blood of the guiltless through all the dominions of the pope ; the blood of the just it cryes through italy and spain , and the time is come , that the lord will search it , and seek it out , and repay it ; and it would be your honour to be made use of by the lord , in any degree in order to this matter , whether the lord will revenge the grievous blood-guiltiness that lies upon them , by himself without an instrument , or whether by you or others as an instrument ; whether this way or another that god will do it , this i determine not ; but this i do know , the time is not long , that he will one way or another avenge , and revenge , the blood of the just upon the murderous head : and this i also believe , that the lord will do it , or make way hereunto even by you , the men of our english nation , if you be faithful to him , and do what he requires of you ; for what are these few poor islands , that you have run through , and laid many mountains low ; they are but little in comparison of the great part of christendom in which idolatry , and grievous oppressions do abound , which the hand of the lord is against , and which he will take vengeance upon : oh did you but see and perfectly know , the cruelties , the oppressions , the idolatries , the murders , and all whatsoever that is evil , both in civil and ecclesiastical state , that is brought forth , and rules in full power in all the pope's dominions ; i do say , were you but fully acquainted with all these things , and also of the purpose of the lord , which is speedily to visit them with his rod , it would awaken you , and stir you up ; and it would set your spirits on fire of a great zeal , with desires of no greater honour , then to be instruments in any degree towards the executing of so good● a work ; even towards the relieving of the oppressed , and breaking the b●nds of cruelty , that the nations may come to rest , and may no more be captivated with the chains of antichrist ; i do say , it would be your greatest honour to be instruments in such a work : and do you know what the lord's purpose is concerning you ? onely this i do know , the lord hath a love to the men of our nation , and there is a spirit in them most fitting for such a work ; even the zeal of the lord hath appeared , and is beginning to appear against babylon , and against rome , the seat of the whore ; and the kingdom of antichrist shall be thrown down , and the righteous people shall go free , and nations shall worship the lord ; but there are many mountains in the way ; wherefore hew down the tops , strike at the branches , make way , that the ax may be laid to the root of the tree , that your sword , and the sword of the lord , may neither leave root nor branch of idolatry , oppressions and tyranny , which the nations are held in slavery under , and oppressed withal , to the grieving of the righteous soul , and vexing of the spirit of the lord. oh , how great is their idolatries ! you see a little part thereof amongst you ; oh , what false , feigned , deceitful and hypocritical services do they practice ; their images , their pictures , and their praying before them , which is idolatry ; their candles burning , and their organs , and instruments of musick , and feigned singing ; all this is idolatry and superstition , and a vexation to the lord ; and that law which imposeth them upon people contrary to a good conscience , and that law which condemns others as hereticks that will not worship thus , and that power that kills and destroyes those that act against those worships , laws , and powers , ought ye to make war against , and to claim a disanulling of all such laws and authorities by which this idolatry is imposed upon peoples consciences , and established in the nations , and by which many are destroyed and condemned , who cannot bow to their idolatries , such laws are not to stand before you ; for these be the bryars and thorns which cover the great mountains , whom the whore sitteth upon , which the lord will judge ; did you but know all their unrighteous laws , murders , and all cruelties which are abounding among them , and they have a despensation to commit unrighteousness ; those laws ought to be judged and destroyed , and your sword is to be lifted up against them : it is the lord's work , i know , to make men truely religious ; but yet the lord may work by you , to break down the bryars and thorns , and rocks and hills , that have set themselves against the lord , and which keep people under the chains of idolatry , so that they commit idolatry , and are compelled to it , and defended in it , even by a law : but the lord will confound all this , either by means , or without means ; for such is their oppression in their ecclesiastical state , and their unjust laws whereby their church is established and defended , that it causeth the very earth to mourn , and the spirits of the righteous to faint , and their hearts to fail because of oppression ; to murder , and steal , and rob , and to commit adultery , these are counted little sins amongst them , they are even tolerated , and pardoned by the pope , for a little money ; and if they slay a man , and wilfully murder him , they can run to their altar , there they can have a dispensation of a wicked pardon ; and here is a law that tolerates murder , and the greatest sins ; wherewhereby it is hard for any that fears god for to be amongst them ; and blood , blood lies upon their whole dominions , and the guilty go free , and uncondemned , and the innocent suffer unjustly ; for if any diminish from about their mass-houses to the value of a peny , that is death by their law ; while murder is tolerated ; and here is nought but tyranny and oppression abounding , even great mountains , which must be thrown down , and for which the sword of the lord must come upon them ; and god will make their riches , and their falsely consecrated vessels and treasures , even a spoil , and a prey unto you , if you be faithful unto the lord ; wherefore all you officers , fear the lord god , and be not ambitious , nor vain-glorious , nor seek not your selves to gain unto your selves kingdoms , to exalt your own horn ; for if you go in this way , and if this be your end ; then your end shall be frustrated , and you shall not prosper ; for the lord will lay you aside with shame unto you : but let it be your work and your aim to require and demand the dis●nulling of their inquisitions and cruel laws , both in their church and civil state ; and that christ alone may exercise the peoples consciences , neither be ye as lords nor tyrants over your poor soldiers , but be ye loving and meek towards them ; i say unto you officers , and to all you that bear rule in the army , be loving and kind , and gentle unto all under your authority , and be not as tyrants nor oppressors over your poor soldiers , but be examples of all goodness unto them , and give them no evil example in your lives and conversations ; but lead them in the fear of the lord , and know a measure of his wisdom in you , whereby you may walk before them , and they may possess their freedoms in their conditions ; and may not be as slaves to you , but as servants to the lord in their places : and herein shall you be blessed , as you fulfill that which the lord requires . and likewise unto all the soldiers i say , that ye may be sober and moderate , and faithful to the lord , and not go in the excess and superfluity of this creation ; but may be all kept low in your hearts , and tender towards god : and obey them that have power over you in all things which are just , and be not deboist nor given to vanity ; but all of you both officers and soldiers , live in that which keeps your consciences void of offence , and that you may be clear and free in your own spirits from the abominations of the nations , and then you will be a terror to the evil in all people wheresoever you come ; and being clear and free in the sight of the lord , having no sin lying upon your consciences , then shall you face your enemies with courage , and not fear death ; but shall be ready to lay down your lives for a testimony of jesus in a good cause , and upon good engagements : and if the lord be your fear , then no man can make you afraid , but you will be in that which overcometh the unrighteous power within you , and without you also ; and here is the true honour , and in this it doth consist , in victory over all that which is contrary to god ; and here is the true way to happiness and prosperity in this life , and in the life to come , by seeking his glory , and not your own : and all of you come to the light of christ , that christ hath lighted you withall , and that will teach you all things what you ought to do , and what you ought not to do ; for that light of christ within you , ought to be the guide of all the children of men , in every state , place , and condition ; and upon this you are to wait for counsel to receive it from the lord , by that of him made manifest within you : and as for all your outward teachers , that have used their tongues amongst you , and said , the lord saith it , when god hath not spoken to them , nor sent them ; and that preach for hire and sums of money , and these are them that cannot profit the people , nor ever bring you to the knowledge of god , nor give you counsel from the lord ; and if you seek to uphold them , and defend them against the power of the lord , and his word which is gone forth against them , then shall you not prosper , but fall with them ; and if you do enterprize any work in that spirit that doth oppose the spirit of christ iesus in his people , you can never have good success , but the lord will confound you before your enemies . and so now that you may all come into the new covenant , to be taught of the lord , and to be far from all oppression , this is the thing that you are all to wait for ; and to know the power of the lord , and to go on in that against unrighteous men , and unrighteous laws , which are set up in the nations , that they may be destroyed , and brought under ; and yet though such a victory would be honourable unto you , yet there is a victory more honourable , to wit , the victory over sin , and death , and the devil in your selves , and that you are to mind ; and there is a kingdom which is not of this world , which cannot be obtained by an outward sword , and this kingdom are you to wait for , that you may know it , and feel it in your own particulars : and this is the doctrine of the gospel of peace unto you , and the glad-tidings held forth unto all of you ; come into the power of the lord , and mind it , that you may be lead by it , and then may you be fit instruments for the lord to work by : and take heed how you oppose those whom the lord hath sent , and is sending abroad in the nations , to proclaim the mighty day of the lord ; they are no enemies to you , nor to any mans person , and therefore be tender over them ; for they go about the lord's work ; of this i warn you all in the presence of the lord. and so you dwelling in the power of the lord , there is nothing shall destroy you , nor confound you , but you shall have victory over all your enemies within you , and without you , and the lord will make you a dread and a fear to the nations . and so this is a warning unto you all , both officers and souldiers , that you may mind what the work of the lord god is in the nations : your work hath been , and may be honourable in its day and season ; but he hath a work more honourable to work after you ; that is , to destroy the kingdom of the devil , and the ground of wars : and your victory hath been of the lord ; but there is a more honourable victory to be waited for , even the victory over sin : and so we are the friends of the creation , that do preach this victory , and this kingdom , and peace , which is endless and everlasting , and which many are come into , and as for the many and divers sorts of worship , which are come up since the dayes of the apostles , and are of the whore , and not of the true church ; they are all to be thrown down , and the worship that is in spirit and truth to be set up by the lord , and he is gathering people into that worship ; but if you be out of the fear of god , in the rudeness and wickedness of the world , and seek your selves , and not the freedom of the nations only ; then the lord will lay you aside as a broken pot-sheard , and raise up unto himself a people , that shall fulfil his work , and do it ; for he hath much work to do in the nations ; for he is gathering his elect seed , and changing the kingdoms of the world , and making them become the kingdoms of christ : and so be low in your own eyes , and do not seek your selves , but seek one anothers good , and seek the glory of the lord , and the freedom of the oppressed ; and in that you will be blessed , and prosper , till you have set up your standard at the gates of rome . i am a lover of all your souls , and a sufferer in patience under the cruelties of men , e. b. and some small discourse we had with our english priests , that supply the place of chaplins to the army ; and in particular one of them , which had spoken something behind our backs against us ; and we proffer'd to have some discourse with him , but he refused it ( only to evade the matter at that present ) he bid us state some of our principles in writing , and he would answer them in dispute in some publick place : and being he was not willing to engage to dispute otherwise , we were free to write this following paper ; but we had no answer in agreement to dispute with us , but shifted the thing from himself , by telling us , the governour was 〈◊〉 willing . but this was not the same priest before mention'd , that we had discourse with at our first coming into the town . friend , for the manifestation of truth , and that the perfect difference between thee , and us , may be known ; and who are in the truth , and who in the error ; and that truth from error may be clearly discerned : therefore according to thy own proposals , and expressed desires thereof before many , we do here assert some particulars of that truth which we have rece●●ed from god , and do hold forth and maintain in the world , in opposition to thee , or any other , that shall gainsay them , viz. . that christ hath lightened all men with a light , sufficient in it self to bring them to salvation , if they follow it . . that god hath given christ to be the saviour of all men . . that none are justified by christ and his righteousness without them , but as they have receiv'd christ and his righteousness , and witness them reveal'd in themselves . . that the saints of god may be perfectly freed from sin in this life , so as no more to commit it . . that the national ministers and churches , not only of papists , but of the protest●●ts also ( as they now stand ) are not the true ministers and churches of christ. . that the scriptures are a true declaration , given forth from the spirit of god , by holy men of god , moved by it to write them ; and are profitable ; but are not the foundation , nor the most perfect rule of faith and life to the saints . these things we are freely willing and desirous to discourse upon , with thy self , and any others , that shall joyn with thee , in the presence of sober and wise men , who may judge between us , in any publick place , that may be procured by thee , according to thy engagements in this particular ; provided it may be in the spirit of meekness and moderation , and that all fair and sober dealing may be amongst us , and the fear of god. and to this we expect thy speedy answer ; concerning time and place . edward burroughs , samuel fisher. the propositions were writ as short as could be , for to stop all advantages against us , that right be taken by our adversary , in case he had met us , and agreed to dispute ; but upon enlargement in discourse we might have laid open the truth of every on of these particulars at large , to the satisfaction of sober minds , that might have been doubtful hereof , and s●ewed by the scriptures the truth of all of them . an epistle to friends in london . dearly beloved friends and brethren , whom the lord hath called with his heavenly call , and made you eye-witnesses , and feeling-witnesses of his power , and of his truth , my dear love in the lord falutes you all , for the lord's sake , without respect of persons ; and i greet you with a holy kiss . dearly beloved , i bare you witness , that some of you have loved the lord above all things , and for his truth the glory of this world , with its vanities , have been denyed by you ; and now i wish in the lord , the abounding and enlarging of the love and life of god in you , and amongst you all . and my dear friends , in that the lord hath blessed you in the knowledge of the truth , and of his wayes , and called you to serve him , and to live unto him , and not unto your selves ; now this remains unto you all to be done by you , even that you be faithful and careful in the great work of the lord , which he is doing amongst you , and in the world at this day : and first of all , see that every one of you stand in god's counsel , and that ye do his will in all things , as the lord maketh it manifest to you ; and watch over your own hearts , and keep your selves clear from the evil of this world. i am moved of the lord to write to you in particular , and to warn you in his name , who hath begotten you to himself , that you be mighty careful and circumspect in all your wayes , and that you walk as patterns and examples to all the tender babes of god in the flock ; and that by your wise conversation , and faithfulness in the truth , the weak may be strengthened , and the hungry may be filled , and they that are of the world , who thirst for the lord , may be won into the truth . my god knoweth , and ye know also , the care and burdens which i have had in that place ; and seeing i am thus ordered of the lord at this present , i do beseech you all , for the truth 's sake , that you , unto whom god hath given grace , and strength , and wisdom , and knowledge , that you take the care upon you to watch with the flock , and over them that are weak . and i say again , you must be mighty careful in the lord , that you may walk in all things to his glory ; so as there be no turnings back from the truth by any , nor no occasion given to the heathen to reproach truth ; therefore not any service of your own must you equal with the lord's service : but at all times be armed with the lords armour , to do and to suffer for the truth . and this seems good unto me in the fear of the lord , that you in particular do keep a meeting among your selves , once in three weeks , or a moneths time , as ye see meet ; that in the counsel of god you may consider of all things in relation to the truth ; and that you may advise one with another in the fear of the lord , of things amongst you ; that in good order all things may be kept : and if any disorderly persons , who profess the truth , be known to any of you , let it be presented to all ; and two or three of you , as you are moved , may in the fear of the lord , and in his wisdom , reprove such persons and things , by which in the least truth is dishonoured ; and if such resist reproof , then account them as out of the body , and the life can have no fellowship with such ; but first reprove offences and failings in secret , and in much wisdom also , lest you destroy the righteous with the wicked . and i lay it upon you , that you judge nothing but what is for judgment ; and when any thing comes before you , to be tryed , or judged of , be tender of the simplicity ; and take heed of rash judgment , and forward words ; be mighty considerate in the fear of god , that nothing be judged wholly , in which there is any thing of god ; but dwell in that which doth discern , and distinguish , and separate the precious from the vile , that you may divide judgment a right in all causes ; and the pure may be strengthened , and the deceit confounded : for such a thing may be , and come to pass , which cannot wholly be justified , nor altogether condemned ; and in such things , in friends , you had need be mighty careful , that the right way may be spared , and the wicked cut off . and if any of you be moved to minister among the flock , let it be done in the fear of god , and in his wisdom , to the refreshing of the weak , and to the building up the body ; and if you do it in the power of god , then you will be answered by the witness of his spirit in every one ; and you , and they will feel an increase from god. and if any minister amongst you , with which the spirit of the lord hath not . fellowship , but is an offence to the just , bare such in patience for a season , and shew them in meekness and love their fault , that they may be restoed , rather then cast out . and if any amongst you be over-taken with a fault , and found faulty in the sight of the lord in any particular ; reprove , and convert , and instruct such privately in meekness ; and if they rebel and resist , then reprove them , and let them be judged openly : and charge all , that in all things they keep to their own measures of christ , and that they act nothing , nor speak nothing without the leading of his spirit ; and that will bind under deceitful spirits . and as for those rebellious , and treacherous , and deceitful lying spirits amongst you , which may trouble you , as they have formerly done , to the great dishonour of the lord ; i wish they were cut off , as for the truth 's sake , yet i exhort you to bear them with patience , and not to heed them , nor be troubled at them ; but account of them as disorderly , and out of the body : and fre● not in your selves , because of the wicked ; such things be but for a time , but truth is forever , and they that walk therein , their fruits shall never wither . and let friends keep their private meetings on the first-days with diligence , and none to run abroad without foar , but as they are moved of the lord , and then there will be a service in it for the lord : and as any of you are moved , be faithful to exhort friends hereunto ; and with a single eye be watchful , that all things in good order may be kept amongst you , that the name of the lord may be a renown , and his truth kept without blemish , and your authority in the truth may be known a terror upon the wicked . my dear friends , whom i judge to be honest and faithful , this was i moved to write to you , as the dear remembrance of my dear love ; and i do from the lord commit it to you , to fulfil the will of god in these things ; and the lord bless you all with wisdom and counsel , and with power and strength ; and the lord give you authority , that you may reign with all them that come amongst you in the name of the lord , and over all them that come in their own name : the lord bless you with a perfect understanding in these things ; and my spirit , even the spirit of the father , be upon you all , to teach you perfectly in all things : my love and life is amongst you ; who desires nothing more then the prosperity of the lord's truth amongst you . the grace of god be with you all , amen . this is to be read amongst you , when you are met together whom the lord hath set to order things in his wisdom , and this is to all the faithful amongst you . kingstone , . e. b. to the churches in new-england , barbadoes , and other islands . to the seed of god , and to all that are called of him , and unto all you that are hungering and thirsting after the lord in truth and righteousness , in new-england , barbadoes , mevis , and the rest of the islands , where the lord hath a people to gather ; the father's love through me doth slaute you all , whose faces are set towards sion ; abundantly desiring for you , in the spirit of the father , that grace , mercy and truth from god may richly abound amongst you , and in all your hearts , that at his coming , who hath given to every one of you a measure of his treasure , he may receive his own from you with encrease , that you also may enter into the reward , which is eternal life unto all that are called , and are found faithful . wherefore arise , and awake , all ye that have been scattered and strayed from the lord ; and come forth thou oppressed seed of israel , out of the darkness , and bondage and oppression , with which thou hast been loaded for many ages , whilst a long night of darkness and blindness hath been over thee : i say , awake , and come forth ; for now thy light is risen , and the glory of the father shall rest upon thee , and thy bonds shall be broken , and thy oppression shall cease ; for thy king shall reign in righteousness over all his enemies , and they shall become his foot-stool , and his dominion shall be enlarged to the utmost parts of the earth . dearly beloved , be assured of this , that the lord god of heaven and earth is doing great things ; his day-spring from on high hath visited us , and his light hath shined into our tabernacle ; and his arm hath taken hold of strength , to redeem the oppressed people ; and he hath reached forth to us from his holy habitation , out of his everlasting loving-kindness , and hath caused us to reach forth to others from his own life revealed in us , that they may know what god hath done for his people , and may also receive of the same salvation , and may taste , handle and feel of the life which is manifest , of which we are witnesses ; and the lord hath spoken , who can but declare ? and he hath lifted up his standard to gather the nations , that he may search and seek out his sheep ; and this i declare unto you , and withal , am willing to discover and make manifest , the way and means whereby , the lord doth bring ●●●vation to his people ; and love constrains me knowing the lord hath a seed amongst you , unto which my testimony will be acceptable : wherefore all people turn ye , turn ye ; for the lord calleth unto you , harken unto his testimony which speaketh in you , even the light of chri●● jesus , with which every one of 〈◊〉 are enlightened ; and search your hearts , and feel what the lord witnesseth unto you , and what his testimony in you giveth evidence of ; for who walks in pride , in wickedness , in vanity , and in the pleasures of the world , and acteth against god's witness in their consciences , such are in a state to be condemned of the lord ; because they act that , and speak that which is reproved with the light , shewing that they are in a state unreconciled to god , their works shewing them to be evil trees that cumber the ground , who are to be hewen down , and cast into the fire : and therefore be not deceived in your selves , neither let any man deceive you with a profession , or conceit of a justification by christ , while yet iniquity and transgression , and the evil of the world are lived in , and not wholly denyed ; for to the wicked there is no peace from god : but the wicked are condemned by him , and the light in their own consciences is witness against them . therefore all come to the light , which christ hath lightened you withal , which will manifest unto you your own condition , and whether it be justified , or condemned of god ; and believe not against the light , nor hope not against god's witness ; for they that do so , their faith and hope is vain ; but what the light testifies in you , that believe . and all you that may find your selves sinners , loaden with iniquity , and that are the servants of sin , and have no power over temptations , believe in that light which gives you to see this , and wait till the power of god be made manifest in you to cleanse your hearts , and to judge out all unrighteousness ; for christ hath not taken away your sins , while you daily bring them forth into the world by action : but whose sins he hath taken away , them he hath washed and cleansed from their sins , and given them power to resist and overcome all temptations : wherefore wait upon the lord all ye that are afflicted because of your sins , the day of a great deliverance is approaching ; and mind the light which lets you see sin , that is the gift of god's love unto you , which will draw you from the love of the world , and crucifie your affections and desires which go after it ; and if you mind the light of christ in you , it will judge and condemn every motion that ariseth in the heart towards evil , and the temptation being judged , you will not fall into sin , but will be preserved from sin ; and that which doth preserve you from the committing of that sin , unto which you are tempted , doth blot out and forgive all the sins that ever you have acted ; and that will witnes , reconciliation and peace with god unto you , as you come to be changed and renewed in your hearts and minds , to be created in the second adam , his image to bear , and to follow his spirit : and friends , search your hearts , and let the lord search you , and judge you ; for him must you know to sit as a refiners fire , to purifie your hearts , that you may be fit temples for him to dwell with , who dwells with holiness , and the unclean are cast out from his presence ; and he is come amongst you , to search you , and try you , and to discover his foundation , and the wise in their own eyes shall stumble and fall , and be broken ; and it s the poor in spirit , and upright in heart , whom the lord hath chosen , and with such will he dwell : and now all must come to feel that which breaks down the high nature , which ruled above the seed of god ; the ax must be laid to the root of the cursed tree , which hath brought forth no fruit to god , but cumbered the ground ; and that tr●e must be cut up in every one of you , and cast into the fire , that the plant of god's renown may spring forth , and bring forth fruit : now every one must come to know the two seeds , in which the election and reprobation stands , the one with all its fruit must be ●ast out , and judgment from the lord must pass upon it ; for that seed hath long been fruitful in the world , and flourished in the earth , its fr●●● hath been according to the flesh , which the lord is now risen to blast with a curse ; and all your earthly glory must wither , and all your ioy and peace that stands in this creation must pass away , and all your own wisdom must be confounded ; for that receives not the things of god , but to it they are foolish , ness , it is only the simple and poor in spirit that are taught of god , and it is with the meek and humble that he dwells ; but who are high in their minds , and exalted above the fear of god , who follow their own wayes and thoughts , such have no part in him , but are cast out into darkness , and darkness covers them from the light and knowledge of the lord god ; they know not him to dwell in them , nor to lead them , nor to guide them , neither doth his spirit lead such into all truth : but they rebel against the motions of the spirit of god , which checks them , and reproves them for their evil deeds ; but they hate the light , and love darkness , and bring forth the fruits of darkness , which the light reproveth for : but because they are disobedient to it , they cannot receive power over their sins , but sin hath power over them ; and in this state there is no peace , nor justification to them , but trouble and condemnation from god. wherefore all ye people that fear god , and love his wayes , be obedient to the light , which christ hath lightened you withal , which calls you out of transgression , and reproves you when you act against it ; and this is the measure of the spirit of god , which is sent into the world to gather people to god , from whence it comes ; this leads to christ , and will bring you to receive him to dwell in you , and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness ; and as you come to be made clean by the word of god , which is quick and powerful , in all that believe , which word you must feel to cleanse and purifie you in your selves , and to make you clean from all that which offends the life of god ; and then you will receive the testimony of justification , as you come to be quickened by god , by the quickening spirit , by which every one must be quickened from death ( which hath reigned over all ) to life , that it may reign in you ; and till this be known , all profession of the scriptares avails nothing towards life eternal : therefore feel in your selves christ jesus , the quickening spirits , that you may be made alive to god again . and all you that are convinced with the light , be faithful therein through all tryals and sufferings which are to come upon you inwardly or outwardly ; for great tryals and sufferings without will come , and great judgments , and afflictions within will approach ; but through all these things be faithful , and in them all be patient to the end , that you may obtain life eternal , which is the reward of all the faithful . and dwell in the daily cross of christ , in which the power of god will be witnessed amongst you , which will throw down that which hath ruled above the seed of god , that the seed of god may come forth , in which the election stands , which receives the promise of god : but friends , there must be a long and patient waiting under the hand of the lord , and of the operation of his spirit , before you come to witness the election ; you must be faithful to that which calls you , and take up the cross to your own wills , lusts , and desires , and affections which arise out of the earthly part ; for that which is of the flesh must be crucified , as that which is of the spirit comes to live ; for it is that which is born of the spirit in you , which is heir of god's kingdom , and which must inherit eternal life : and so wait upon the lord , every one of you , that his fear may be in your hearts , and his spirit in your inward parts , to lead you , and to guide you in all his wayes : and meet together to hear what the lord saith in you , hearken to his voice , that your souls may live ; it is the voice of god heard in the creature , which raises the soul from death : and though you ●ear no word from man , yet his voice may be heard in you , if your ear be turned to the light , with it your hearts will be searched , and your wayes tryed , and all your words and works approved , or reproved and ●ere is your teacher , or your condemner : and this was i moved in tender 〈◊〉 to the seed of god , to write unto you ; grace and peace from god be ●●ongst you all , that fear him , amen . a friend to the seed of god in you , e. b. to all friends in london , &c. to all the flock of god in london , even to all you that are of a clean heart , whose minds are stayed upon god , even to all that are faithful and sincere in the sight of the lord ; with my very heart i wish grace , and peace , and mercy from the god and father of our life , unto you all th●● are such , without respect of persons ; and such , that are so , i love with a perfect love , and am united to you in the bonds of the gospel , and perfectly present with you in spirit ; and who are such among you , that truly fear the lord , and walk in his way , i cannot forget , nor be separated from , ●●●●her can i be of such forgotten ; for are we not written in one anothers hearts , yea , i daily read such in the book of life , and of such may i daily be read , who know and have felt my labours , and care , and travels amongst you , which have been more then a little , my god knows , and ye are my witness●● ; for many times the lord hath made me as a wall of defence betwixt you and many enemies ; and i have not spared my own life to serve you , but have given out plentifully of the lord's treasure , that you might be made rich ; and i have given out from my life of the lord's substance , that you might be fed and nourished ; and i have kept nothing back of the whole counsel of god , which was needful for you to know ; and for all this , the lord is unto me at this day a sufficient reward : and of you i desire nothing to my self , but do sincerely desire of the father for you all , that love , and faith , and purity , and all the works of the spirit may plentifully abound in you all , that 〈◊〉 father may be glorified through your bringing forth much fruit. wherefore my dear and beloved friends , look unto the lord , who hath begotten you to himself ; let his fear be before your eyes , and his judgments in your hearts ; oh! keep near the lord at all times ; for it s he that preserves his people , it s he that leads them and goes before them , it s he that feeds them , and refreshes them at all times ; for its be alone , and there is not another , that gives you peace and strength , wisdom and knowledge , and all good things ; he is ●ot streightened to any of his , that sincerely wait upon him ; he is the portion of his people , and the inhaeritance of their souls : and he causeth all them 〈◊〉 trust in him to lie down in safety , and none can make them afraid . therefore , oh my friends ! i say again and again , love the lord , and his way ; and be faithful in the truth unto the end ; love not your life , nor ●●y other thing , for his service sake ; but give up all things of this world , that you may receive all in the lord : be watchful against all your enemies , that you be not overcome of the devil , but resist him in all his ap●… , that you may not be defiled , nor lose your peace with the lord , 〈◊〉 is to me , and i hope to you of greater price then all other things whatsoever : and this i have said among you in faithfulness , and at this present do charge yo● all , to dwell in love and unity one with another , and to ●ear one with another , and to walk in wisdom one towards another , and to be examples of righteousness one before another , that it may be known that god is amongst you of a truth ; and he is my witness , nothing without me can more add to my joy , then to know of your welfare in the lord , and of your stedfastness in the faith of christ jesus ; and for this my heart wisheth , as much as for any other thing besides : and though i be outwardly separated from you , according to my father's will , who gave his enemies power over my outward man , to cast it into bonds for a moment , yet am i present in spirit amongst you , and my love and life salutes you all in the fear of the lord ; and though the outward man may suffer , yet am i in perfect freedom , and in perfect peace , and in every respect perfectly well in the lord , who is my strength , my armour and my crown ; and in his authority i yet once more beseech you all , even for the lord's sake , that ye take heed to the true light , christ jesus , who lighteth every one of you , which light leads to christ , who saveth and redeemeth from sin and death , and from all the wayes and works thereof ; and this ye know , who are god's witnesses of his love and tender mercies , and of the faithfulness of his servant . moreover , my dear friends , all disorderly spirits , who are out of the pure fear and wisdom of god , my life doth judge , and with the power such i do deny , who are not simply in the power of god ; and them that seek themselves in any thing amongst you , my god shall judge ; and who are rash in judgment , and forward to utter words , and bring forth fruit , and not in due season , such are a burden to the lord's soul : therefore take heed , i charge you all , to the guiding and moving of the pure spirit of god alone ; for that will stand , and its fruits will never wither ; and whatsoever is otherwise brought forth among you , the lord will confound , and it shall not profit the people . this is to be read amongst you , in the fear of the lord. e. b. to friends in barbadoes , virginia , and new-england , &c. to the seed of god , and to all that are begotten of him by the immortal word , in barbadoes , virginia , new-england , and that wayes , even to all that have felt and tasted of the word of life ; grace , mercy and truth be multiplyed amongst you . dear friends , dwell in the truth , and walk in it , that ye may be a sweet savour unto god , and may have unity with him , and one with another , in his life and spirit ; and wait , that you may have victory over the world , and the spirit of it in you , which hath captivated your minds in the lu●ts of this creation , and which hath led you in by-pathes of iniquity , while you were strangers unto god , and without his knowledge : but now having received grace and mercy from god , and his word hath entred into your hearts , whereby you are begotten into the hope of eternal life , and are changed , now the lord requires of you , to be faithful in his work , and valiant for his truth , that you may obtain the promise , and be made free from sin , and become the servants of righteousness ; and feel the word and power of god in your hearts , which will crucifie you daily to the world , and make you alive unto god , that he may live in you , and walk in you , and work all your works for you ; and this is the everlasting covenant , where god works in the creature both to will and to do , and man lives not , but christ lives in him , and speaks in him ; and this you must wait for , to be witnesses of in your own consciences : for what is the profession of god with the lips , and the profession of the scriptures , while men do not walk by the spirit a● gave forth the scriptures , and enjoy god in their hearts ? so you must all wait to be possessors of the substance , christ , the first and the last , the beginning and ending , him must you feel in you to destroy the devil , and his works , and to change you into the divine nature , which is like unto god ; and this is salvation , god with us , destroying the enmity , and reconciling man unto himself , by overcoming sin and transgression ; and your hearts must be cleansed by the word of god , and that which is contrary purged out ; and this is the new covenant , where the heart is circumcised , and the body of sin put off , and the creature freed from the burden of iniquity ; and then there is clearness and freeness , where sin is remitted and washed away , and no burden lying upon the conscience , but the heir of god born , the redeemer , which maketh free from the devil and sin ; and they are the sons of god , who are thus made free , whose sins are remitted and iniquity covered , and the life rules , and reigns , and hath overcome death , and death is swallowed up of life ; and this is the promise of god , which must be fulfilled in you that ye may possess the treasure of god in your hearts , and be feeling-witnesses of immortality ; your hands must handle the word , and you must taste , and feel and see the word of life within you ; and you must find the pearl : and your own lamps must have oyl in them ; for people have long been running without , after men , lo here , and loe there , and have been applying the promises in the wrong nature ; but now people must turn to the light of christ within them ; for christ is the true light , that lighteth every man that cometh into the world ; and this light must men follow , and then they shall not walk in darkness , but shall have the light of life ; and men must walk in the light , and then the blood of christ cleanseth from all sin ; and men must believe in the light , and then they shall be the children of the light , and then light shall shine out of darkness ; and the light that shines in their hearts , shall give them the light of the knowledge of the glory of god in the face of jesus christ. so friends , love the light , and walk in the light ; for it is the light within that lets men see whether their deeds are wrought in god , or contrary to him ; the light within will let you see of what nature your works are , whether of the corrupt nature , or of the divine nature ; for all mens works are of the one of these : and all the works that spring from the corrupt nature , are but abomination unto god , though they appear never so righteous ; and that righteousness which is of man , cannot be justified before the lord , but man must be a partaker of god's righteousness , of an uncreated righteousness , and that will cover all his infirmities , and in that only can man be presented righteous unto god : so friends , wait to be witnesses of this righteousness , that you may be cloathed with it , and may be stripped off all your own , which is but as filthy rags , and will not hide mans nakedness ; but his righteousness and his sin must be condemned together , and god must be known to work to will , and to do in the creature ; and this is god's righteousness , for which you must all wait , that you may be heirs of it , and possessors of it unto your eternal peace : and live in the fear of the lord , and be not immoderate nor excessive in any thing , nor let your hearts be drawn away with the creatures ; for then you commit idolatry , and are overcome of this world , and you want the authority of god , and are in bondage unto the creatures , and they defile you , and burden you in that state , while your minds are captivated with them . so friends , mind god's wisdom amongst you , that it may lead you in all things : and live in love and unity one with another , and let no strife be amongst you , nor contention , for that will destroy you , and eat out true love , and your hearts will be hardened ; but bear one with another , and be in patience and long-suffering one towards another , and then the presence of the lord will fill your hearts with satisfaction , and you will be comforted in god , and one in another , if love and unity be amongst you in the spirit : and meet together in the name and fear of the lord , and mind the lord's presence amongst you ; mind not words , but mind the presence of the lord , and feel his power in your hearts , and the words that come from the power will refresh the seed of god ; but if any speak words out of the power , the seed of god will be burdened , and will judge such words : so every one feed upon the bread of life , that comes from god , and feel the water of life springing up in your hearts , that you may grow unto god as plants of righteousness , and may make your calling and election sure : so dwell in the light , and take up the daily cross of christ , and walk not in the flesh , but in the spirit , and so shall the blessings of the lord be upon you . my dear love , even the same love wherewith i am loved of my father , doth salute you all ; and the seed of god in you , that i know , and to that am i known , who am a brother and companion unto all the faithfull and upright , edw. burroughs . let this be coppied over , and sent abroad , and read in all your meetings . good counsel and advice rejected by disobedient men : and the days of cromwell's visitation passed over ; and also , of richard cromwell , his son ; late protectors of these nations : and the many precious warnings neglected by them , and set 〈◊〉 nought , which from time to time were given unto them , as declared in these following letters ; whereby all may see the kindness of the lord towards them , by his faithful invitations to them , and their own apostacy and carelesness ; who rejected warning till the time and day of their visitation is shut up with the vail of darkness and reproach , which lies over them , and their precious day of love is spent , and cannot be re-called . to the reader . friend , out of the same love from whence these were written , do i put them to publick view ; and it was not without much doubtings and questioning in my own spirit ; 〈◊〉 at last ; having found perfect freedom and strength from the lord , kn●… that i am 〈◊〉 and fr●● altogether of other ends , saving then for the hono●● of the truth ; and that all may see , that the d●●nfalls of these ●en were not before sufficient warnings , which makes the lord free , 〈◊〉 his servant free , from what is co●● to pass upon them ; and even their fall lies upon their own heads , that dispised the lords warnings , and would none of his counsel ; but suffered the innocent to be oppressed under their power , and relieved not the heritage of the lord from her cruel enemies , though they had power to do it ; but 〈◊〉 their own glory , and how to be established in greatness in the earth , till that ●he lord 〈◊〉 cast them ●ut , and made them as a reproach : and these things that have come to pass 〈◊〉 them , may be as warnings to all other rulers that do succeed them ; and they may 〈◊〉 that the lord is 〈◊〉 , and his iudgments righteous ; and whosoever shall follow their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be oppress●●s of the lord's heritage , as they were , the lord shall extend his iudgments 〈◊〉 them also , and their destruction shall come , even like as upon th●se before them . therefore let all the earth be warned . i am a lover of sion . for the hands of the protector . friend , many w●rnings hast thou had from the mouth of the lord ; his love hath been towards thee , and the glorious day of his visitation hath shined over thy head , wherein he hath called unto thee to hear and obey his voice , and would have instructed thee in the way that thou shouldest walk , that thy soul might live forever in peace and rest , when this world is passed away ; and that in this present world he might have made thee a blessing to thy self , and posterity , and people , and a praise in thy dominions , and unto ages after t●ee , if thou hadst hearkened and obeyed his voice , and chosen his way and counsel , and not thine own ; and then would ●e have made thine enemies to have bowed under thee , and the force of their policy and arm should never have prevailed against thee ; and thou shalt be delivered from the will of all that hate thee , if thou yet wilt hearken unto him , and receive his instruction , and set th● heart to seek his honour ●ore then thi●e own , and wilt let his counsel be thy guide and ruler , and not v●in man , which must be brought to nought ; even now , before the day of thy visitation be spent , never more to be re-called , and the time come when god will cease to strive with thee , and will not call unto thee , but will leave thee to thy own heart's false judgment , and the counsels of treacherous men. and friend , i , as one that hath obtained mercy from the lord , unto w●om his word is committed , being moved of him , do hereby in his presence yet once more warn thee , that thou fear before him , and diligently hearken to him , and seek him with all thy heart , that thou mayst know his will and c●●●sel concerning thee , and mayst do it , and ●●nd favour in his sight , and live ; and now is the day that his hand is stretched forth unto thee , to make thee a blessing , or to leave thee a curse forever : and the dayes of thy visitation are near an end , when god will no more call unto thee , nor hear thee , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the the day of thy trouble thou callst to him , neither will answer theeby vision , nor dream , nor prophets ; but will leave thee to the counsels of tr●…us men , who will seek after thy life , and wait for thy over-throw , and 〈◊〉 for evil against thee , that they may glory in thy desolation ; and such th●●● are , of whom thou hast need to beware : and if thou rejectest the counsel of the lord and followest the desires of thine own heart , and the wills of men , and wilt not have the light of the world , christ jesus , only to rule thee , and to teach thee , which condemns all evil ; then shall evil surely fall upon thee , if thou lovest not the light in thee , which condemns it ; and the judg●●●ts of god , nor the day of his last visitation with vengeance thou mayst not escape . therefore consider , and mark my words , and let this counsel be acceptable unto thee , th●● thy dayes may be many , and blessed upon earth ; and ●●●st consider , and let it move upon thee to meekness , to humbleness , and to fear before the lord ; assuredly knowing , that it is he that changeth times and things ; and that bringeth down and setteth up whomsoever he will ; and how that thou wast raised from a low estate , and set over all thine enemies ; and thy 〈◊〉 was exalted above them all , and he gave thee the necks of princes to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and more honourable , and their dominions to in●●rit ; and thou wast 〈◊〉 a ruler in much dominion , and had favour in his sight , and in the ●ight of many people , who wished well to thee for a blessing : many victories honor●●●● and remarkable were given unto thee , over them who had exalted themselves against god ; and this thou knowest , that not by might , nor by multitude , 〈◊〉 by the arm of the lord were they subdued and made a p●ey unto thee , and their treasures a spoil unto thy hands ; and so it was that thou mightest have glorified him forever , and exalted him in the great congregation , and gone on in faithfulness unto the end : and in that day , when thou wast raised up , when the fear of the lord was before thy face , and thy heart was towards him , and thou wast but little in thy own eyes , then was it well with thee , and the lord blessed thee , and made thee honourable , and his people had love towards thee , and desire for thee , that thou mightest have been as a helper to the poor , and a father to the faithful , and a preserver of the upright from unreasonable men , and an easer of the oppressed , and a taker away of every oppressive bond : and it was not once thought concerning thee , that the hands of the ungodly would have been strengthened against the righteous under thee ; or that such grievous and cruel burdens and oppressions would ever have been laid upon the just , and acted against them in thy name , and under thy dominion , as unrighteously have come to pass in these three years , as a large testimony might be given ; and this thy suffering of such things is thy transgression , and thou hast not requited the lord well for his goodness unto thee ; nor fulfilled his will in suffering that to be done under thee , and in thy name , which the lord raised thee against to break down , hadst thou been faithful to the end . again consider , and let it move on thy heart not to exalt thy self , nor to be high minded , but to fear continually ; knowing that thou standest not by thy self , but by another , and that he is able to abase thee , and give thee into the will of thy enemies , whensoever he will ; and how the lord hath preserved thee sometimes wonderfully , and doth unto this day , from the murderous plots , and crafty policy of evil men , who seek thy evil , and would rejoyce in thy fall , and in the desolation of thy family and countries , how have they , and do they lay snares for thy feet , that thou mayst be cut off from amongst men , and dye unhappily , and be accounted accursed ; and yet to this day he hath preserved thee and been near thee to keep thee , though thou hast hardly known it ; and the lord's end is love to thee in all these things , and yet a little longer to try thee , and that thou mightst give him the glory ; o that thy heart were opened to see his hand , that thou mayst live unto him , and dye in him in peace : and beware lest hardness of heart possess thee , if thou slight his love , and so be shut up in darkness , and given to the desires of thine enemies , and left to the counsels of treacherous men , who may seek to exalt thee by flattery , that they might the better cast thee down , and destroy thee , and blot out thy name in reproach , and make thy posterity a people miserable ; but now o consider , and let it enter into thy heart , for thou hast not answered the lord , but been wanting to him for all this ; and hast chosen thy own way and glory , rather then his , and not fulfilled his counsel in raising thee ; for the bonds of cruelty are not loosed by thee , and the oppressed are not altogether set free ; neither is oppression taken off from the back of the poor ; nor the laws regulated , nor the liberty of pure consciences altogether allowed : but these dominions are filled with cruel oppressions , and the poor groan everywhere under their heavy hand of injustice ; the needy are troden down under foot , and the oppressed cry for deliverance , and are ready to faint for true justice and judgement ; the proud exalts himself against the poor ; and the high-minded and rebellious contemns the meek of the earth ; the horn of the ungodly is exalted over the lord's heritage , and they that are departed from iniquity are become a prey to oppressors ; and the cr●●● hearted deal cruelly with the innocent in these nations ; and such whom the lord hath freed in their consciences from false worships and teachers , and from the wayes of sin and death , are made slaves , and greedily preyed upon by unjust men through casting into prisons , and dungeons , and unjust fines , and illegal proceedings , and beatings and abusings , and woundings and bruisings , hard to be expressed , and large to be declared ; even the hands of the people over whom thou art set to rule , are full of blood , merciless and cruel , and neither fe●t god , nor are subject to the just rule and government of men : and the mouthes of many of thy subservant rulers , and governours , that have their power from thee , are as the teeth of young lions , and the upright and h●rmless are devoured , and made a spoil of by them , through policy and oppression , both in their persons , and estates ; if i perish i must speak the truth ; my life is not dear to me for the truth 's sake ; many who should have judged in true justice and righteousness the cause of the poor , have been as bryars and thorns to ensnare and pierce the just man ; and have perverted judgement , and ●u●n●d it backward , and equity hath hardly had place to enter ; most of the prisons this day , in all thy jurisdictions , have and doth testifie the unjust judgement , and the great oppressions and cruelties of some in authority , who have used , or rather abused thy name , and made it a cloak for their hard-heartedness : o my heart is troubled , and my bowels pained at the remembrance of this ; how doth the poor cry under the heavy hand of oppression , and the needy lament for want of true judgement , and the oppressed groan for want of deliverance ? and these things are thought upon by the lord , though not considered by thee as they ought to be : and because of this will he arise to plead the cause of the innocent , against him that is too strong for him , and will dash to pieces his enemies , and break the jaws of the devourers , and the righteous shall not alwayes be a prey to the teeth of the ungodly . o friend , when wilt thou consider the oppression of the poor , and hearken to the cry of the oppressed within thee , and without thee , when shall it enter into thy heart , this cause of the unjust sufferings of the lord's people , from which thou canst not altogether be excused ? for it is acted in thy name , though not by thee . o let thy ear be opened unto the cryes of the oppressed in the prisons , and let the cause of the innocent come before thee , and let thy heart be pierced at the consideration of these things , which are come to pass in thy day , contrary to the expectations of many ; and see if it be not contrary to thy own promises sometimes vowed by thee , let the light of christ in thy own conscience answer : and some of the multitude of the grievous oppressions of which the land is full , have been laid at thy door and brought unto thee , but scarcely found an encrance upon thee ; and this aggravates the crime of of thy transgression , in that thou knowest of these things ; and wonderful is it to consider , that even thou with whom the power of the lord hath sometimes been , should now suffer that people , with whom the power of the lord is , to be persecuted , and thy name to be a cloak for it ; how many in all parts of this nation have been , and are at this day grievous sufferers under cruel bondage concerning tythes , that great abomination and idol , and cause of heavy groanings ? the bodies of many just men violently surprized , and cast into goals and prisons unjustly , and some illegally ; their cruelly suffering the loss of their liberties , and the enjoyments of their families , and honest assemblies ; and others have their goods spoiled , and made havock upon , almost to the ruin of families by unreasonable men , through unjust judgment and cruel dealings of some in authority for so much unjustly challenged by the priest , or impropriator , it may be they distress five times so much , to the great shame of the government of a christian nation ; as may appear in a book called , the cry of the oppressed ; and how many are ready even to faint under the hard oppression of maintaining hireling teachers , and idol-temples ? many for that cause being unjust sufferers in bodies and estates , by cruel imprisoment , and spoiling of goods : the very cry of this oppression reaches unto heaven against thee , who suffers it , and against the idol-shepherds , who are the ground of it , who make a prey upon gods heritage ; and the lord god will be avenged upon them , and they and their staff shall utterly perish : wo unto them , and to the idol-worships of which the land is full , which they uphold , which causes the hearts of the righteous to mourn , because of the seed of god which is in captivity under them ; again , many are unjust and wofull sufferers , because they cannot swear on this or that occasion , though in all causes they speak the truth , and do obey christ's commands , even such are trodden upon by unjust fines charged upon them , and imposed oppressions , the example of which never went before , many parts of this land is witness of this ; and this is by the corruptness of some that bear rule under thee , who rule not for god as they ought , but turns the sword of justice , and doth unjustly thereby , and grieves the lord , and dishonours thee ; again , some suffer long and tedious imprisonments , and others cruel stripes and abuses , and danger of life many times from wicked men , for reproving sin and crying against the abomination of the ti●●● , which the scriptures also testifie against , in streets , or temples , or 〈◊〉 places ; some having been sent to prison , taken on the high-way , and no 〈◊〉 charged against them ; and others committed , being taken out of peaceable meetings , and whipped and sent to prison without transgression of any law , 〈◊〉 or unjust , wholly through the rage and envy of the devil , and such who have perverted judgement and justice ; and some in prisons have suffered superaboundantly from the hands of the cruel goalers , and their servants , by beatings and threatnings , and putting irons on them , and not suffering any of their friends to visit them with necessaries ; and some have dyed in the prisons , whose lives were not dear to them , whose blood will be reckoned on account against thee , one day ; and many more other wayes have suffered grievous things , as banishments out of towns , and whipping , and stocking , and grievous unjust abuses , and none of these for evil-doing , but for good , even because they cannot bow to the devil , but are redeemed out of the world , and therefore the world hates them ; and some have suffered hard cruelties , because they could not respect persons , and bow with hat , or knee ; and from these cruelties canst thou not altogether be excused in the sight of god , being brought forth in thy name , and under thy power ; consider friend , and be awakened to true judgement , let the lord search thy heart , and lay these things to mind , that thou mayst be an instrument to remove every burthen , and mayst at last fulfill the will of god ; are they nothing to thee , that such things should be brought forth under thee ? o , be awakned , be awakened , and now seek the lord's glory , and not thine own , least thou perish before the lord and men ; nay , if men would give thee * honour , and high titles , and princely thrones , take it not ; for that which would exalt and honour thee in the world , would betray thee to the world , and cast thee down in the sight of the world ; and this is god's word to thee : what ! shall the whole nation be perjured men , and thou the cause of it ? and wilt thou transgress by building again that which thou hast destroyed ? then shall the lord , and his light , in every conscience , bear witness against thee ; let it not be , but deny thy self , and thou wilt find the lord honouring thee . give heed unto my words , and understand my speech , be not exalted by man , lest man betray thee ; the lord give thee an understanding in this , and guide thee in his counsel ; and the rather above all things , let thy heart be stirred up in thee for the lord : for now is he setting up the dominion of his son , which never shall have an end , and thy dominion must bow under it , and all the dominions of the earth , or else be confounded and broken to pieces : the glory of the lord is revealing , and thine shall be vailed before it ; and the glory of all flesh shall fall : therefore strive not openly nor secretly against his way ; for it shall prosper , there is no enchantment against us , nor any formed weapon that can prosper ; knowest thou not that the king of righteousness might command thousands of his saints to avenge him of his adversaries , and to plead his cause against the rebellious ? all power is in his hand , yea , and the authority and dominion shall be in the hands of his saints , and every one that exalts himself against them , shall be brought down ; not by an outward sowrd , or might of man , but by his out-stretched arm ; and all crowns that are mortal shall be troden down by him whose crown is immortal , and never fades away : therefore be wise and learned , this is thy day ; as thou dealest , or sufferest to be done with the lord's people , so to thee it shall be done in that day , when their government shall out-reach thine , and be set atop of it ; as thou hopest for mercy from the lord , when his kingdom conqueres thee and thine , now deal favourably and relieve the oppressed ; boast not thy self though the lord hath used thee in his hand ; but know that when he will he can cast thee , a rod , out of his hand into the fire ; for in his hand thou art , if thou wilt honour him , he will honour thee , otherwise he can , yea and will confound thee and break thee , and make thee weak as water before him ; his love through my heart breaths unto thee ; he would thy happiness , if thou wilfully contemn it not by exalting thy self , and seeking thine own glory , and hardning thy heart against the cry of the poor ; and this i was moved in bowels of pittiy to lay before thee , who am thy friend , not in flattery , but in an upright heart , who wisheth well unto thee in the lord. a friend to the kingdom of christ , and not of this world , but an heir of immortality with the son of god , called . e. b. the original of this was given to the hands of oliver cromwell then protector , in the third moneth of the year , . for the hands of oliver cromwell called protector . friend , i am moved to write to thee , from the occasion of being with thee yesterday , and i take liberty from the true love and pitty stirred up in my heart towards thee , who am thy friend , and wisheth well unto thee in the lord ; even that salvation thou mayest receive , and that thy way may be blessed upon earth , and the fruits of the knowledge of god might more abound in thee , and the fruits of ignorance less , which doth appear , which i wish might be cut off before they wholly over-grow thee , and remove the blessing far from thee in this life , and in the life to come , and bring upon thee destruction ; for the fruits of all unrighteousness brings death , sorrow , and misery , and the light of christ in thee shall answer in all things to the justness of the judgments of the lord. thou sayest in effect , that thou wouldest not , or thou desirest not our persecution , or that we should be persecuted by cruelty , or unjust imprisonment ; now consider what the cause is , that what thou desirest not to be done , yet is done , thou having power in thy hand onely to prevent what thou wouldest not have done ; is it not thine own unfaithfulness to the principle of god in thee , which beareth witness against the persecution of the innocent ? or is it that thou mayest please men , and therefore rather suffer wickedness to abound , injustice and oppression to be acted against the poor , making it appear thou art willing to do the false teachers of this nation , and wicked men a pleasure , then to own the people of god in relieving them , and ●●sing them of their cruel burthens and oppressions laid upon them by unjust men ; for a word of thy mouth , or the shew of thy countenance in dislike of these cruel and unjust persecutions , would bind the hands of many blood-thirsty . men , and stop the mouthes of many devourers : and therefore because of thine own unfaithfulness doth that come to pass which thou desirest not . and so i must needs say , this appears to be evil in thee , to say , in effect thou approvest not , or thou desirest not out persecution , and yet it is done ; when the power is in thy hand to remove it : and this in much love and great pitty i declare unto thee in the fear and counsel of god. further thou sayest , th●n art not guilty of these persecutions acted unjustly upon us . again consider , i say , thou canst not be cleared in the sight of the lord god from them , being acted under thee , and in thy name ; in the day of the lord the light in thy conscience shall answer this ; for there seems to be rather a favouring of them in thee , and by for bearance of the actors of cruelty , by which their hands are strengthened , then any dislike shewed by thee in bearing thy witness , as thou oughtest to do , against them : for thou knowest of some 〈◊〉 this city and else-where , whom we know to be just men , who suffer impri●●●●●nt and the loss of their liberties , because for conscience sake they can●●● swear ; and many others in this nation suffering cruel things upon the like , or same ground , even for well-doing , and not for evil ; which oppression might be removed , and their unjust sufferings taken off by thee , by a word from thy mouth or pen ; and this makes thee that thou canst not be clear in the sight of god in these things , because not helped by thee , who hath the power to help it : and this in true love i give thee to understand , in the day of recompence shalt thou know the lord will not clear thee , except thou repentest , and ●●sest the oppressed . other things thou speakest about the light of christ , which lighteneth every man that cometh into the world with the light of life , or with the light of condemnation , and about the ministry of this nation , wi●● some other things , which i had a desire to have answered , if time had been seasonable , and thou willing to have heard ; but thou shouldst not have appeared in such lightness , especially when speaking of the things of god , which did grieve the spirit of the lord , and vex the righteous soul ; which behaviour , with some words which thou utteredst , by the light of christ is to be condemned , and which i do judge with the life of god , and yet doth tender and preserve the measure of justness and honesty which is in thee ; but thou art high above the principle of god , and cannot receive the teachings of the father into that mind which is light and unstable ; for the counsel of god is manifest to the meek and the lowly , but there is much in thee to be judged , when thou comest to the witness of god in thee . and as concerning the light of christ , at which thou stumblest , by which every man that comes into the world is enlightened ; in short , this i say , the light to thee is given of god , and it must thou own to be thy onely teacher , to receive by it from the father , and to be guided by it in all things , if ever thou inheritest god's kingdom of righteousness and peace ; and this is the word of the lord to thee . and as concerning the ministry of england , for which in part thou seemest to plead , thus i say in plainness , generally it is not of god , but of antichrist , and the lord is against it ; for it is the ground of the greatest oppression of the poor in its maintenance , as any one particular abomination which this day is in the nation , and this is the truth from the lord ; and if thou settest thy self to uphold them , by any law made , or to make against such whom god hath raised to bear witness against them , their wayes , and idolatries , thou ●●alt fall with them into perdition , and be overthrown amongst them in the just and righteous judgments ; and this is the word of the lord to thee : for god is risen of a truth to make war against the beast which long hath reigned , and against the false prophets which have long deceived the world ; and i warn thee , with-hold thy hand from helping them , if thou meanest to be preserved or blessed in thy person , in thy family , and in thy armies ; for , as i said to thee , the kingdom of christ is setting up by his own power , and all must ●ow and become subject thereunto ; he needeth none of thy policy , nor the strength of thy arm to advance him ; yet would he have thee not to prove thy self an open enemy thereof , by doing or suffering to be done cruelty and injustice against them whom the lord is redeeming out of this world into subjection unto that kingdom , lest thou be such a one , as wilt not enter thy self , nor suffer others to enter , and so destruction come upon thee . wherefore arise as out of sleep , and slumber not in this world's glory and honour ; come away , and appear for the lord , rather then against him ; be not overcome by the pleasures of this world , nor the fattering titles of men ; win● not at the cruelty and oppression acted by some , who shelter under thee , and make thy name a cloak for mischief against the upright , but let the testimony of god in thee answer for his people , this law is not just by which many suffer , because they cannot swear , and because they cannot cease to declare against sin and iniquity , let that of god in thee bear witness , and thou and thy name being chief in the execution of this law , what will thy account be to the lord in his day ? consider , i say , consider , and be thou changed in thy mind and heart , lest thou having forgotten god , and his many deliverances , be shut up , and numbred for destruction : and i say , and desire , the lord give thee a more perfect understanding of his wayes and judgments , and that the crown immortal thou mayst strive for , by meekness and righteousness , through relieving the oppressed , and shewing mercy to the poor , and removing every burden which lies upon the innocent ; and this is the desire of him who is thy friend , and would not have thee crowned with dishonour , through suffering the people of god to be oppressed in thy name , which will be thy overthrow absolutely , if thou removest it not by turning and easing the oppressed , edw. burroughs . this was delivered to his hands about the beginning of the fourth moneth , . for the hands of the protector . friend , thou oughtest to stand in the counsel of god in all things , and not to follow the counsel of thy own heart , nor to act things in thine own will ; neither shouldst thou suffer others to act under thee , and in thy name , that which is unjust and unrighteous : much unrighteousness and great oppression is acted in thy name , by which the good name ( protector ) is abused and subverted ; and instead of protection by it , great unjustice is acted under it , and covered with it : and this one thing i am moved to lay before thee , which hath been acted by thee , or under thee , not without thy knowledge , in which thou hast ; done evil in the sight of the lord , and one day thou wilt know it ; several in these nations , justices of the peace , and other officers , who have been in trust under thee , when they have owned the people of god in scorn called quakers , have been cast out of their places , though they have not denyed to serve thee and the common-wealth , neither hath unfaithfulness to their trust been proved against them ; and also , several souldiers now of late in scotland , and else-where , have been turned out of their places because of the same thing ( viz. ) for owning the people of god ; and these things are not right in the sight of the lord , that such who have been for many years faithful in the service , and in their trust , and hazarded life and liberty for conscience sake , to enjoy liberty of conscience , which they cannot now possess because of thee , but are cast out for the exercise of their pure consciences ; this thing the lord is grieved with , and with thee because of it . for thou didst not obtain this victory of peace and freedom by thy own sword , then why should it be thus improved to thy own ends ? consider of it , for this makes the nations more unhappy and less blessed , when such who delight in true justice and judgment are cast out of their places , and so deprived of giving their judgment among men ; and absolutely this will make thy army less prosperous , and more unblessed , when such who fear the lord , and against whom thou canst not justly charge evil , are cast out , and despised ; and this in time thou mayst see to thy sorrow : and as thy friend i ●ay this before thee , and do in plainness tell thee , if thou thus utterly denyst the people of god in the day of thy prosperity , and thus wholy cast them out of thy service , they cannot stand by thee , nor own thee in the day of thy trouble ; and such as thou cleavest unto may be a broken staff in thy time of need . ah friend ! these things do shew that thy heart is not right in the sight of the lord , and that justice and true judgment , righteousness and truth is even despised in this land , and not sincerely owned by thee ; when as such who fear the lord are thus cast out of judicatories in thy government , and out of defence in thy armies : what! is this the end of that long travel in wars , and of so many fair promises of liberty of conscience , that just men should thus be dealt withal ? the heathen kingdoms may mock at this , that while some have pretended liberty of conscience , are become persecutors of such whose consciences are justly exercised : and as i have sometime said to thee , much injustice , and great oppressions , and cruel persecutions continue daily to be acted in thy name , which is numbred up against thee upon account , because of hiding thy face from the cry of the poor , as one without bowels of compassion unto such who have truly served with thee in a faithful service for the common-wealth , who many of them now are grievous sufferers under thee . consider of these things , and search what will be the end of them ; the lord open thy understanding , that more of the wisdom of god may guide thee , and less of the policy and wisdom of man , which will betray thee of god's kingdom , and may in the end cast thee down in this world also . e. b. the original of this was delivered to his hands in the fifth moneth , . friend , it is upon me , and also i am pressed in spirit thereunto , to give thee , even unto thee oliver protector , the perfect measure of thy dominions , and how they stand in relation to thee , as concerning the affections of the people towards thee , whereby thou mayst understand thy own condition , and the state of thy government , as i have viewed it in true judgment , and marked it upon serious consideration ; and what i write is in perfect love unto thee , however thou mayst judge of it , and of these things , it will be well f●● thee to consider , now while it is time , ere it be too late . many enemies thou hast , which watch over thee for evil , and not for good , who would rejoyce in thy overthrow : and first , there are a people scattered through all these nations , who are full of wrath and ravening envy towards thee , in whose hearts to this day there is continual hatred , and evil surmi●●ng lodgeth against thee and all thy off-spring ; and i believe ( without any further knowledge ) that daily advantage they seek against thee , by subtil conspiracies and secret plottings of maliciousness in their hearts , seeking by all means , if it be possible , how to be revenged , and not slipping any advantage how to revenge themselves , and promote their cause ; and of these scattered under thy goverment are not a few , but rather the greater number , who thus stand in affections to thee , with no better purpose of good towards thee , then to destroy thee by any means , if it were in their power , and to take away thy name in reproach ; such is the cruelty and desperateness of some of them , their own lives are not dear unto them , to take away thine ; i have felt the strength of their rage against thee , which carries them above sence , or fear to fore-go any danger , that they might see their desired end of thee : their malice towards thee is so seated in their wrathful hearts , that it cannot easily be quenched ; i know the lord hath blasted them and their endeavours to this day , and thou hast had dominion and power given thee of god to bruise , and to break them to pieces ; for because of the wickedness of that generation , which was grown to the full , did the lord raise thee up as a plague upon them , because of their unrighteousness , oppression and tyranny , and they were made as slaves and bondmen under thy power ; and without the lord can they not at any time do any thing against thee : but what and if for thy wickedness in the sight of god , he should make them instruments in his hand to accomplish his wrath upon thee , even like as he made thee once his instrument to overthrow them ; and such hath been the lord's doings , even to overthrow his enemies one by the other , and to use the wicked as a rod in his hand , to break them one against another like potsherds : and by that which comes to pass in these nations , thou seemest no less then to tread in their steps , and in a measure already goest on in their way , in oppressing ( through tyranny , or suffering it ) the people of god , whose cause the lord will assuredly plead against thee one day , who now suffer under thee in patience : and who can tell the purpose of the lord , or what he may bring to pass concerning this thing , in raising up the wicked to be a plague to wickedness , and in suffering the oppressors to overthrow oppressions ? this is by me in love to thee in sincerity declared , and by thee with soberness and in the fear of god it is to be considered . again , there is another people scattered through all these dominions , who are not thy friends , nor wishers well unto thee or thy government , who secretly murmer against thee , and envy thee , and even seek god against thee and thy government , which they judge to be not according to god ; and bow not to it in love , though they are forced to submit for a time , hoping continually , if not hatching , other wayes of rule and government , to the overthrow of thee and thine ; and these are more honest , and upright , and just in the sight of the lord then the former ; and indeed they are not , nor their purposes accursed of the lord ; for many of them have been sufferers , and faithfully served their nation with perfect purpose of freedom to the lord's people , and they have at this day this perfect zeal for god , and for his wayes , though not altogether according to knowledge , yet some of them are not far from the kingdom of god ; though they seek it not wholly in the right way , nor look onely with a single eye ; yet doth not the lord hate them altogether because of their integrity towards him , and zeal for him ; who some of them have suffered imprisonment for truth and righteousness sake , as they have wholly thought , and their sufferings have not been altogether slighted by the lord , and these are they known by name of the fifth monarchy , of whom there are more then a few with them , that wish well unto them , who will rise up for them , rather then for thee , many of whom propound well in their minds , though they have not power to effect it ; because their intent is not altogether according to the lord , yet are many of them free from that whereof thy self is guilty , and some of them are cast out , and wholy rejected without any just cause , as they suppose ; and these things have grieved their spirits , and not only kindled their rage and envy , but moved their sincerity and honesty against thee ; wherefore they are not thy friends , but rather thy enemies ; and would not stand by thee , or with thee in thy need , but rather ( i suppose ) would arm themselves against thee and thy power ; who highly charge thee ( as they suppose , justly too ) with unfaithfulness , and such like ; for they see , that is not accomplished which hath been promised by thee , but the contrary , even one finger is become as heavy as was once the loyns ; and their spirits are grieved against thee for such causes : and who knoweth but that the lord may take the occasion to try thee and prove thee by them ? for their hearts are high against thee and thy government , and that upon good ground , as they sincerely think . again , there is through thy dominions a people gathered , and gathering daily by multitudes , who are called and chosen of him , and faithful to him , who have owned him above all things , and whom he hath owned , and will own in the sight of the whole world , and will encrease them to a numberless number , according to his promise ; and even those the lord is making many , who are redeeming out of the world , into the government and kingdom of jesus christ ; and these thou knowest are great and grievous sufferers , by many hard and cruel oppressions , from those who are in authority in thy government , even unjust imprisonment , and fines , and burdensome taxations , in many things hard to be expressed ; and they undergo grievous persecutions under thy government , and wholy unjustly in the sight of god ; and also , are cast out of all power and place in it , and almost out of all subjects-priviledge too ; many of them being counted as vile amongst men , though they are not so in the sight of the lord ; justice , and righteousness , and true judgment they cannot have in all these nations , not from thy self , nor sub-servant judges , of whom hardly can their cause be heard ; but are deprived of their proper right , and of subjects-freedom in judicatories , and exposed to all wrong that may be by unjust men , through unjust judgment ; and these things are not unknown to thee , and therefore art thou inexcusable in the sight of the lord , and guilty of their sufferings in his presence , who hath power to prevent it , but doth it not ; and these thus suffering in thy goverment , and under it , how can they stand for thee and thy government , or out of pure love be subject thereunto ; though , be it known to thee , that we ( the people of god ) do not envy thy person or government in the least , neither have purpose of seeking advantage against thee , or it , to hurt or betray you , by secret plotting , or turbulent arising , as others may ; yet friend , the want of our prayers to god for thee , is worse to thee then the secret plotting of all wicked men. and how can we mention thee in our prayers to god , except it be to be delivered from thee , who are daily cruel and unjust sufferers by thee , or because of thee , as i have said ? or how can we be friends to that government , or subject to obey that power under which we daily suffer such hard and cruel things , as the loss of our liberty and estates , and danger of life also ? let that light in thy own conscience judge ; though for all these things , we do rather pitty thee , and desire thy repentance , then conspire against thee , or wish thy destruction ; yet oughtest thou to consider of these things with a humble heart , and what a condition thou art in , who art hated of the wicked with a deadly hatred , and not loved of the saints , because thou lovest not the lord : also it might make thy heart to tremble , to consider how that thy dominions are thus divided , and the affections of the people thus dis-united , and few of them thy real friends ; some having real offence given by thee , wherefore they are forced to loath that government which is unjust ; and others verily supposing of great wrong sustained from thee , wherefore they are turned against thee . moreover , and besides all this , greatly it may be suspected , that even they in whom thou dost repose confidence , who seem to cleave unto thee , may not be altogether true unto thee , though in appearance subject , yet may have secret hypocrisie , & hatching of evil in their minds , if it were possible to uncover thy nakedness ; and some others also there may be , who may make use of places under thee , which may have no more affection to thee , nor service for thee , then while their own ends of great advantage are served under thee , by their subjection to thy government : and now friend , these things being justly considered , and viewed by thee in righteousness , how are thy dominions as a broken vessel that cannot easily be bound up , and as a bruised reed not to be confided in by thee ? and these several sorts of people being substracted out of the whole , how few is it that thou wilt find that are thy real and faithful friends , who may stand by thee in a needful time ? some out of envy cannot be subject to thee , and others for the fear of the lord's sake , cannot own thee in such a government , whereby he just suffer , even all men are ready to stand a far off from thee ; and because thou hast denyed the people of god , therefore cannot he be thy trust : and verily thy state , and the state of thy dominions , are truly to be lamented ; thou hast so much sought thy self , that thou hast lost almost all people , and their affections ; every one judging themselves to be the greatest sufferers under thee . ah consider ! for thou art but the head of a disjoynted body , which may not easily be bound up to thee ; and thou art lost for lack of true knowledge ; for the lord hath done many thing for thee , though thou hast not known it altogether , much less then knowest thou of those things which are eternal ; which belong to thy peace ; it shews thou ownest not the lord , who cannot own his people , but rather countest them thy enemies , and sufferest all evil to be inflicted upon them ; and this is the greatest of thy misery , in that the lord hath been so good unto thee , and thy promises so large towards him for the feeedom of his people , & yet all forgot , and the lord's goodness not answered , and his people made as slaves and bond-men under thee , suffering the loss of liberty , and even their , birth-right-priviledge in many parts of these nations : wherefore be awakened , o man , and sleep not totally in carelesness , but remember thy self , either to perform the good , or at least to escape the evil , which may suddenly come upon thee . and this i have written to thee out of perfect love , in the fear of god , without the fear of any man , or without any secret or open envying of thee ; couldst thou but own the lord , he would be thy strength to forgive all thy iniquities ; and blot out thy sin , and to defend thee from all thy enemies ; and above all things , love iudgment , mercy and truth , and fear before the lord , and let not his people be thy bond-slaves , who are more dear unto the lord then all earthly glory is unto thee ; and if thou couldst own them , they would own thee in the face of all thine enemies : many times hast thou been warned , and that from the lord , and thou shalt confess it when the lord's hand is upon thee , and thou delivered into the will of thy enemies . remember that i have told thee what the lord hath shewed me ; happy art thou if thou canst receive it , that peace may be unto thee , and not war , salvation , and not condemnation , renown , and not dishonour , which waits for thee , except thou turnst to the lord. edw. burroughs . the original of this was delivered to him in the seventh moneth , . to the protector and council . a servant of the lord , and to you a friend , wisheth grace and wisdom , the spirit of sound iudgment , and the knowledge of god unto you ; that in all thing ; true justice and righteous judgment may be brought forth and abound unto all people , that you may be more honourable , and may be made a blessing to your selves and this nation , and to generations after you : but alas , my friends ! how long shall justice and true judgment be neglected , and the innocent deeply groan for want thereof ? how long shall it be ere the distres●●d cry of the unjustly afflicted enters into your hearts ? i say , when shall your ear be bowed down to hearken to , & consider of the guiltless cause of many of the faithful subjects , who lie deeply afflicted through this nation , some under one cruel bond of oppression , and some under another , being most unjustly and wickedly imposed upon them by cruel men , who pervert justice , and turn true judgment backwards ; and neither fear god , nor regard men ; but contrary to justice and the good laws of this land , as men without reason and natural affections to mankind , do act most illegally , to the grievous oppression of many approved and faithful subjects , and the true knowledge and consideration hereof is enough to pierce the hardest heart , and to vex the most patient mind ; and undoubtedly the ●…ce anger of the lord is greatly kindled because of these things , and even against your forbearance , who seem to take little notice of such cruelties and injustice when they are laid before you ; for you do not relieve the oppressed , neither 〈◊〉 remove oppressors , as you ought to do , and as the lord requires of you : what , hath the aboundance of this world's glory , and its treasure , quite overcome and stolen away your hearts wholy from all sence and feeling of the unjust sufferings of your brethren , who have in times past , as faithfully as your selves , served their nation with their lives and estates , to the purchasing of this peace and freedom out of the hands of . opposers ; and such may now justly claim the benefit of this peace and freedom , and to have a part with you therein , even by birth-right and by purchase , and also by promise from some of your selves : but alas ! while they have waited for it , and thought peaceably to enjoy the same under you , are many of them entrapped into as great bondage as ever , if not more woful and unjust ; and they are unjustly imprisoned , and unreasonably fined , and every way oppressively dealt withal , and are even spoiled in their persons and estates , and their lives often in danger , being through great injustice become a prey to their very enemies , who now take occasion to revenge their former cause , because of their faithfulness for the common-wealth against them ; and all this is done while you look on , and no way shewing your dislike to these things , which strengthens greatly the hands of evil-doers , to add to the bonds of the afflicted , yet are you without excuse ; for you are not wholy ignorant of these things , for the knowledg of them has often bin laid at your doors ; yea , and the very cry of these oppressions and cruelties reach through the whole land , to the wounding deeply of all people that fear god , to know so great injustice and oppression brought forth upon the ●●nocent and faithful people , by some so far entrusted as having the law com●itted to them , which they pervert , and turn judgment backwards ; and the greater is the wound , because you , who have power to stop and prevent these things , should have no more regard to set at liberty the unjust sufferers , and to ●●der judgment upon those as thus pervert true justice , by whom the land is filled with violence , whereby the name of the lord is greatly dishonoured , and the government greatly reproached in many parts of the world ; why ? because the faithful subjects cannot enjoy their birth-right-priviledge as they ought , according to the law of god and man ; for their equals , yea , their inferiors have exalted themselves above , and are become oppressors of the free-born people : and divers ways do these hainous oppressions and cruelties abound upon the innocent , and not for evil-doing , but for the exercise of their pure consciences towards god ; for many have been taken travelling on the high-way , and some out of peaceable meetings , and out of their inns and friends houses , and by some wicked men in authority , without shewing just cause therefore , have just men been whipped , or stocked , or imprisoned , or other cruelties done unto them , and yet the transgression of no just law truly charged against them , neither have been convicted of any evil-doing ; but they have suffered wholy innoc●●tly , only through the malice , and will , and pleasure of their enemies , who have taken occasion , wihhout any just offence at all , to stock , and whip and imprison many of the true and faithful subjects ; and this hath not been done in secret , but openly , in many parts of this nation ; and you have had information of these things that you should have bin awakened to true iustice and iudg●●●● ; and this the lord requires of you , though the guiltless sufferers have born all these things without complaining , yet ought you to have judged justly , according to their deeds , such as caused such cruelty and unjust sufferings , that for time to come the like might not have been brought forth ; but the free subjects might live in peace , and rejoyce under the government , and all perver●ers of iudgment and iustice might stand in awe , and be afraid ; so should you be a pra●se to ages after you : and likewise many , who are at this present remaining in prisons in divers parts of this land , some upon one false accusation and evil surmising , and some upon another , for a good conscience sake ; the cause of whom hath often been laid before you , which seemed for the present to have some entrance upon you , yet little is brought forth by you , as ought to be in that cause ; for though none of any such do complain unto you , who have and do unjustly suffer , yet the lord doth require you to set the oppressed and falsly-imprisoned at liberty , and to bring true judgment forth upon their persecutors . also , there is another suffering great and grievous , growing upon many , if it be not prevented ; many faithful and approved men are dispossessed of their freedom , which truly belongeth to them by the law of god and man , in divers cities and corporations , because for conscience sake they cannot swear , by kissing the book , and laying the hand upon it , according to the vain tradition in such causes formerly used ; though to deal justly towards god and man in their craft and science they are bound by the law of god ; yet because they will not swear , and so break christ's commands , are they threatned , and their windows shut up , and dispriviledged of their trading , whereby they should maintain themselves and families in the creation ; and this one thing tendeth to the destruction of many , as in this world , and no little hurt will thereby grow to the whole nation in a generation of time ; and it is required of you by the lord to prevent these sufferings , though many can fore-go their own freedom in this world , and their lives also , rather then break the least command of christ : and thus are many faithful people made a very prey to their enemies , and in divers manners it is brought forth upon them . for many also suffer deeply in the house of correction for reproving sin , and others are grievously spoiled in their estates , because for conscience sake they cannot pay to maintain a professed minister , or uphold a steeple-house ; for it is a common thing , for a priest to take ( or have it done ) four or five times so much by distress , as any way he can prove a pretended due . and many other sufferings there are , which are only for conscience sake , as because some cannot put off a hat to a magistrate , or the like ; which give an ill savour to the government in which they are acted without reproof . ah my friends ! be awakened to justice and true judgment , to relieve such unjust sufferers , and to throw down all such hainous oppressions and oppressors , that the lord may yet make you and your government blessed , after his long-suffering to you , which hath been great ; for justice and true judgment in a government is the happiness thereof , and the foundation for a long continuance ; and on the contrary , cruelty , and injustice , and oppression being brought forth , the more is the government unhappy and accursed , and the sooner will the lord overthrow it , and bring it to a desolate end : and therefore my friends , let this great enemy to your persons , government , and whole nation , to wit , persecution for conscience sake , be speedily removed , lest the anger of the lord break forth against you , and repentance be too late ; for this know , in all ages the lord stretched forth his hand , and in his time he quickly avenged himself for his people's sake , after their innocent sufferings , born by them for a season ; and he is the same , and changeth not , and the same will he bring to pass . therefore i say again , be awakened , and let that deadly enemy be removed out of the land , as you tender your own safety and honour , and the glory of the name of the lord , and his people's peace , even this very enemy , to wit , persecution for conscience sake ; for it doth and will obstruct all your good purposes at home and abroad , it eats away the affections of all good people from you , and it eats out your strength and valour , and it consumes the weakness of all your enemies ; verily , it is an enemy that will work your destruction speedily , both in this world and in the world to come ; that of god in you all shall witness me in the day of the lord. i am your friend , and these things do i write as a friend unto you , as to warn you of that secret enemy , so much reigning and rebelling in this nation , which indeed may work a greater destruction upon you then any forreign invader , and this in time you may witness to your grief and sorrow , if something by you be not done to suppress it ; all health and peace i wish unto you in the lord ; and thus far am i clear from the blood of you , and all men , come life or death . e b. the several coppies of this were delivered to oliver and his counsel , in the th . moneth , in the year . to the protector . friend , the salutation of my life wisheth well unto thee in the lord , and most especially that thy precious soul may be redeemed out of death , to god , and live , that thou mayst have a rest and habitation in him , when this world is no more . now whereas it is a general out-cry among the teachers and people of this nation , and also is doubted , and hath been sometimes objected by thy self , that the people called quakers are deluded and deceived , and in error , and such like : and now ( if it be possible ) that thy self and others may be resolved concernus ; put therefore all thy objections and doubting into plain positions , or let the wisest of thy teachers do it for thee ; and whatsoever thy self , or any for thee can object against us ; or what thou doubtest of , or stumblest at , either in respect of our doctrines or practice , let the matter be stated in plain words , in positions or queries , and if god permit , a sufficient answer thou mayst receive , to remove all conscientious scruples , and to confound all subtil alledgments and evasions , whereby hereafter forever thou mayst be altogether inexcusable of all doubting or speaking against us , or suffering evil to be done or spoken against us upon that account : and this am i moved to give forth , and send to thee , that thou mayst be satisfied , and all things tried and made manifest in the sight of all men , and that all rash judgment , and false supposition , which lodgeth in the hearts of many , may be confounded and brought to nought ; and let it be left off to cry out deceivers , and heresie , &c. and causing any to suffer upon suspition thereupon , but bring all things to light , and true judgment , that what is proved to be the truth may be owned , and not persecuted any more , for we are willing to be made manifest to all men ; and if any thing be objected against us , which may not be sufficiently answered and resolved to sober men , then our enemies are more free , and hath whereof to glory in against us : but and if all occasion of stumbling be removed by answers according to the scriptures , and our principles , practices and doctrines thereby vindicated , then let all the teachers , and all our adversaries shut their mouthes from biting at us , and railing against us , and accusing of us to thee ; and let thy ear be shut from believing lyes against the innocent ; and let none suffer in thy dominion under the cruelty of men , upon such a ground ; and hereof i shall be glad to receive an answer , and to joyn issue in this cause ; and in the mean time , and alwayes , am a lover of thy soul , but a witness against all oppression . e. b. this was delivered to his hands at hampton - court , in the th moneth , . for the protector . friends , know that there is a god that doth whatsoever he will , all power is in his hand , and he bringeth to pass the counsel of his own heart , and he rules in the kingdoms of men , and bringeth down and setteth up ; he killeth and maketh alive , and he changeth times and seasons and governments , and bringeth to nought the counsels of men , for all power in earth and in heaven is in him ; and all his doings are right , and his wayes are equal ; and thou and all mankind are as clay in the hand of the potter , he can honour and exalt as he pleaseth , and he can mar and break to pieces and dishonour whensoever he will , wherefore be humble and low in heart before him , for he is the highest power that subdueth all things under his feet ; if he wound who can heal ? and if he kill there is none can make alive ; and know thou it is the lord god almighty that doth this ; in whose hands are the issues of life and death , and he it is who can break thee down , and build thee up , who can wound thee and restore thee , and bring thee to destruction , and say unto thee return ; and to know him that doth this , belongs to thy eternal peace . wherefore hearken thou to the word of the lord , that thy soul may come out of death , and live ; and fear the lord god , before whom thy heart is naked and bare ; who can mould thee and change thee , and fulfill his pleasure upon thee , even according to his own will , and who shall say what doth he ? and now come to consideration , and let thy heart be more upright before him , and chuse his way and counsel , that he may bless thee , and seek his face to behold his countenance , that thy soul may be satisfied by his word , and the milk of the word may nourish thee unto life immortal ; and mind his pure presence which is life , even god with thee , christ the emmanuel to dwell with and walk in thee , which is the promise of the father ; and first come to the principle of god , and feel the word of god in thy heart , that will beat down the nature into which temptations enter ; and the word will bring thee to war against and overcome all thy enemies , which would defile thee , or betray thee ; and it will bring thee to know a birth immortal born in thee , and a crown immortal received from god , that dies not , nor fades not away ; and then he that rules over heaven and earth will be thy shepherd , to feed thee , and thy teacher , to guide thee , and thy counsellor , to direct thee in all things ; and thy immortal soul will be satisfied with the bread that cometh down from heaven , which the father giveth ; and the covenant of god , and the mercies of david , that are sure , will be revealed , and his promise fulfilled in thee , and life and immortality brought to light through the gospel , which is the power of god , which destroyes and puts off , and confounds the first man and his knowledge ; and wisdom , and his sin and righteousness , all which is in transgression against the life of god ; and the gospel the power of god being received , it will raise up the seed of god in thee , and bring thee to know the second adam , the image of the father which the devil hath nothing in , but he overcomes the devil who hath been the lamb slain by transgression , since the foundation of the world ; and he it is that comes out of death that must take away thy sin and destroy it , and cover thy nakedness , and create thee anew , and give thee acceptance in the father whereby thy soul in him may be refreshed , and a habitation in him thou mayst have when this world is no more , and for this thou oughtest to wait above all things . and friend , thou hast need of the wisdom of god , which is from heaven to guide thee in all thy affairs , that by it thou may be preserved from the will of thine enemies , and from all that hate thee ; that their eye may be blinded that watch for evil , and their wisdom and policy confounded and brought to nought that hatch mischief against thee . so feel a measure of the wisdom of god in thee , to guide thee in dread and authority , and thy enemies will be afraid ; for , to walk in the fear of the lord , and in his wisdom and authority , in justice , truth and righteousness , that will make thee a greater terror unto thy enemies then all worldly policy and craft ; the nations will over-reach thee , if thy strength be there ; and if judgment , justice and righteousness be neglected by thee , how should the lord honour thee , and defend thee ? nay , he will bring dishonour , and give thee into the will of thy enemies : for want of truth and just judgment causeth the land to mourn , and her people to sit as a widdow comfortless ; wherefore love judgment , truth and righteousness , and walk therein , and thou wilt leave a praise behind thee , and a witness to other ages , that thou hast served the lord in thy generation , and then thy memorial shall never dye , nor thy name come into reproach among the heathen . wherefore let all oppression be removed , and let the just go free , and let judgment and righteousness run down , and be thou a praise and a blessing to all that do well , and a terror and a dread to all the contrary . arise , and stand up for the lord , and he will give thee strength and victory , and will make thy horn as iron , and thy hoof as brass , to push down and tread under the high places of idolatry , in all the apostatized churches , both papist , and others , out of the life of the apostles ; and as thou comest into the life the apostles were in , then thou wilt see and fathom over all this profession of christ , and all these churches , that are without the life of christ , which are come up in the apostacy ; and as the life of god ariseth in thee , thou wilt see who the false prophets are , and deceivers , which christ prophesied of should come , and iohn saw were come in his dayes , which have over-spread the nations ; and these are they which have the sheep's clothing upon them , but inwardly they are ravening wolves ; and such are they , that will flatter thee for great benefices , and places , and large maintenances ; they have christ's words , and the apostles words , the sheep's clothing , but they that put not into their mouthes , they will prepare war against them , and raven upon them , and cast their bodies into prison , or spoil their goods : and wilt thou bring thy name into dishonour to all the saints upon earth , by defending of these in their evil wayes ? thou oughtest not to do it , nor to suffer the innocent to be troden down , and destroyed , for denying such , and witnessing against them that are out of the life of christ ; and a great overthrow will the lord make among those teachers , and such a ministry , that needs to be defended by carnal weapons , and by stocks , and prisons , for such teachers and ministry are not of christ , as is manifest ; and as people have been scattered after them for ages , so they shall again be gathered from them by the spirit , to follow the lamb whither soever he goes . and take heed these teachers come not too near thee , neither put confidence in them ; for their hearts are not right before the lord : and they will flatter thee , while they hatch mischief against thee ; but stand over them in the dominion of god : and if they sow spiritual things , let them reap carnal by a free gift ; and if they have flocks , let them eat of the milk-freely given them ; and if they have planted any thing , let them eat the fruit , as it comes freely ; and be not thou cumbered about maintaining ministers , but free thy self of that burden ; neither suffer innocent men to be troden down , and destroyed in their persons and estates , about the maintaining of such teachers , which is become the grievousest oppression in the nation . and as concerning thy family ; thou hast need of god's wisdom to guide thee , that thou mayst rule in god's authority over all light , loose , proud , wanton , ungodly and deceitful persons ; take heed of such spirits , for they will be a temptation to thee , to draw thee into evil , and into the world , out from god : let no such be thy companions , nor remain in thy house , lest they betray thee with flatteries and honour , which perish ; and such may profess much love and great duty in words , yet they being out of the fear of the lord , cannot be blessed unto thee in their service . wherefore love such men , and let them be thy companions , that fear the lord , and that are solid , and sober , and upright , such as may be good examples before thee , which will quench evil , and not increase it in thee : and though such appear not in flatteries towards thee , nor with a double mind ; yet they will be faithful to thee ; and such will the lord bless unto thee . and let no drunkards , nor covetous evil-minded persons , that seek themselves , and not the lord , have place with thee ; for they will be a dishonour to thee , and bring the curse into thy family . and love such as make conscience of their words and wayes , and be not an oppressor of the tender consciences of any ; but let the lord be ruler there , both in thy self , and in all thy family : and be of a pittiful tender mind and spirit towards strangers , and all people ; and be kind and long-suffering towards all , yet let justice reach to all transgressors ; and be an example to all in authority under thee : and let not evil and cruel-hearted men bear any place ; for such render thee and thy government dishonourable , and by such the land is filled with violence , and the just mourn , whereby the blessing is kept ●●r away , and the curse near , ready to d●vour . now friends if thou comest to be guided by the spirit , and with the wisdom of the father , then thou wilt bring the nations into good order , whereby the inhabitants may live in peace and perfect freedom , from all oppressions and vexations , that now are a bondage upon the just and upright ; for there is great corruption entred into all places , and all forts of men ; and when the lord toucheth thy heart , and maketh thee rightly sensible of all things , as they now stand , then thou wilt see the ministry ( as now it standeth ) to be quite degenerated from what the ministry of christ was in the dayes of the apostles , before the apostacy ; and as it now standeth , there is much of it which is to be thrown down to the ground , and crushed to pieces ; for it is corrupted altogether , even in the way of its setting up , and in its call , and in the way of its maintenance , and practice ; in all these things it is corrupted and degenerated from what the ministry of christ was before the apostacy : and this may be proved by the scriptures ; and so it is not to be upholden by thee , but to be corrected , and thrown down the rather . and likewise in magistracy , thou wilt see great corruption entred , and aboundance to be purged out ; for it is much degenerated from the state as it was ordained of god ; and in the laws there is much to regulate and correct ; when thou comest to the principle of god in thee , if ever that arise i● thee , it will bring thee to thresh down , and trample down all unjust men , that handle the law ; and all such , that judge for gifts and rewards ; and all such lawyers , that devour the innocent for gifts , that will not plead the cause of the poor without great fees ; and all the priests , that preach for hire ; and the teachers , that teach for filthy lucre , and to get gain ; all such men will be counted as bryars and thornes by thee , to be plucked up by the roots , and to be cut up as evil trees , which cumber the ground ; for such do corrupt the land , and cumber it ; and if ever the lord doth arise in thee , he will reward them by thee according to their wayes , whose wayes are corrupt before the lord. be thou faithful in what the lord calleth thee to , and thou shalt have thy reward ; and seek his honour , and he will honour thee ; and let thy mind ●e to the lord in all things , and feel his word , and power , and presence in thee , to quench all that which is contrary , and then thou wilt be blessed in this life , and in the life to come ; but if thou continuest 〈◊〉 thy oppression , the lord will suddenly smite thee . by a friend unto thee in the lord , e b. this was given to oliver cromwell his hands at hampton - court , in the sixth moneth , . about a moneth before his death . this is for the protector 's kindred , his vvife and children ; to be read soberly by them in the fear of the lord. friends , ●emember , that by the lord you were raised from a low state , and when he will , he can abase you , and bring you down ; he gave you the palace of ●…ces , and threw out them before you . 〈◊〉 remember this every one of you , and come to the witness of god in 〈◊〉 , and be humble , and meek , and lowly , and let the lord's fear be in your 〈◊〉 , and be of a tender spirit , having your minds exercised in purity , in holi●●●● and in righteousness ; and exalt not your selves , nor be lifted up in ●our 〈◊〉 , in the pride , and vain-glories , and honours of this world , lest the lord 〈◊〉 you down , and make your name and posterity a reproach , as he hath done ●any before you ; and if you walk in the same steps , and do the same things , and 〈◊〉 guilty of the same abominations , and suffer the children and servants of the lord to be persecuted ( as ●●ny are at this day , some until death ) shall the lord spare you ? nay , he will cause you to feel his hand of judgment , and bring you down with sorrow , and he will vex you in his wrath , and smi●e you with his rod more and more , till you learn his fear , and depart from all your 〈◊〉 ; and the lord will deface your glory , and pull down your crown ; and 〈◊〉 will make you know , that he i● lord , that doth whatsoever he will. wherefor● humble your selves under the hand of god , and search your own hearts , and cast out the abomination● that vex the spirit of the lord ; and suf●●● not the people of the lord 's precious flock to be devoured , and made a prey 〈◊〉 the wicked ; for because of this , the rod of affliction cometh upon you , and ●●y suddenly break you to pieces : but mind the seed of god in you , which is oppressed , and wait to know the. power of the lord , which will redeem you out of sin and death , and reconcile you to god , and bring you into fellowship wi●● himself , to enjoy peace and rest for your souls , that you may be made heirs of the ●●heritance of an endless life ; and this would make you truly honourable , 〈◊〉 ●●ll be more satisfaction to you , and joy , and content , and true rejoycing , 〈◊〉 all worldly crowns and worldly glories , which will waste , and consume away , and leave you miserable : and remember that you are now warned from the 〈◊〉 god , by who● i am ●●ved to write this unto you , in dea● and tender love to you all ; and one day you shall witness it . and as concerning the quakers ( so called ) who are accounted as vile in the sight of men , and are ●ast out of all power and place in the nation , being despised of all , and also are reproached , persecuted and imprisoned , and all manner of evil and injustice unrighteously done and spoken against them ( by wick●● and corrupt men in authority ) yet are they the children and servants of the living god , and greatly beloved of him , and are as dear to him as the apple of his eye , and his power and presence is with them ; and the time is at hand , that the lord will make their persecutors fall , and their enemies bow and tremble , though now they suffer unjustly , and are trodden down , as not deserving a place on the earth ; yet it is for righteousness sake ; and because they shew forth the image of the father , and not for evil-doing ; and will not their sufferings lie upon you ? for many hundred have suffered cruel and great things , and some the loss of life ( though not by , yet in the name of the protector ) and about a hundred , at this present day , lie in holes , and dungeons , and prisons , up and down the nation ; and some at this time are sick , nigh unto death , whose sufferings ●●y for vengeance , and the lord heareth the cry : wherefore save your selves , and let the innocent be delivered , and the cruel bonds of oppression broken , and the exercise of a pure conscience go free , without persecution ; and then the lord will 〈◊〉 away his anger , and cease to smite you with his rod ; which bath been upon you , and he will give you peace , and make you blessed , if you come to be leá by his spirit into all truth . and though these innocent lambs of christ suffer thus under this present power , yet are they not enemies to you , but are friends to your persons and families , 〈◊〉 pitty you , and love you , and desire well for you in the lord , that you may ●●pent , and be healed , and even that your hearts may be opened to receive refreshments to your souls ; and that you may be established in righteousuess and tr●… over all your enemies , and may not be confounded , nor your posterity brought 〈◊〉 reproach , which is hastening upon you ; and though our love be despised , and 〈◊〉 accounted hateful in your sight , and looked upon with derision , yet we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things in patience , truly desiring your returning and repentance , and 〈◊〉 yo●● destruction : but if these doleful suffering of the lord 's poor lambs be continued by this present power , it will destroy you , and undo you , and break you , and confound 〈◊〉 ; 〈◊〉 the lord will not cease to smite you with his rod of sharp rebukes ; and he will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 know , his people's cause shall not be unpunished . oh did you ●ut know ▪ ho● h●●dreds have and do suffer ! how the bodies of some have been tortured by stocks and cruel whippings ! and how some lie sick in stinking holes and 〈◊〉 , on the ground , or a little straw at best ; ten , or often more in a priso● together , and sometimes their own friends n● suffered to come to visit th●● 〈◊〉 necessaries ! oh , did but your eyes behold , or your hearts perceive the greatness of the cruelty , which some of the lord 's dear servants , and your faithful friends , undergo ; it would make your hearts ake , and your spirits to tremble ! and all this is done in the name , and under the authority of ( protector ) therefore how should the lord but lay it to your charge , and afflict him and h●● family ? he will make you know , there t●●t a god , t●●t can do whatsoever he will , and that life and death are in his hands , and all creatures are as clay in the hand of the p●tter ; and be rules in the kingdoms of men , and pulleth down one , and setteth up another , according to his pleasure : but if the love of god be with-holden from you , it is because of disobedience to him , and your transgression . wherefore be obedient to him , and love his wayes and judgments , that he may make you more happy with a crown immortal , that never fades away . and remember once more the lord hath warned you , by a friend unto you in the lord , written the st day of the th moneth , called september , . edward burroughs . copies of this were delivered to divers of his children and kindred the day before he dyed . to thee richard cromwel ( called ) protector of these nations , is this moved of the lord god of heaven and earth to be written , for thy instruction , from him. there is a great , and mighty , and innumerable people come and coming up out of egypts land , travelling towards the land of rest , promised of the lord 〈◊〉 them , to be obtained and enjoyed by them ; and they do , and have sojou●ned strangers in these nations ( over whom thou are called to rule , and appointed ●●ief governour ) this seven years ; and greatly are and have they been afflicted and oppressed , and even trodden down through unjust judgment and unrigh●… dealing , by the rulers and inhabitants of the land ; and all the dayes of thy father , the late protector , they were held in great captivity and bondage , and unrighteous men made them a prey , and laid heavy yoaks of cruel s●●●●rings upon them , and daily increased their task ; and something thy father did for them in their journey of great distress , yet but a little of what the lord required of him , and what the lord looked for that he might have done ; for p●●er was in his hands , given him of the lord , but he was not fully obedi●●● ; and therefore was the lord's hand stretched out somewhat against him , 〈◊〉 his family , and he was smitten of the lord , and suddenly taken away in judgment ; for he hearkened not to the counsel of the lord concerning that people , neither did fully relieve them from oppression ; but slighted many war●●●●● from the lord , and the day of his visitation passed over , and death took 〈◊〉 away in disobedience , while this people were yet under great oppressions ; for he left above a hundred of them in prisons , unjustly suffering for right eousness sake , and not for evil-doing ; and in this he fulfilled not the will of god , but left his name and glory somewhat stained because of these things ; and though the lord chose him , and shewed love unto him , & gave him power over his enemies , and made him an instrument in his hand to break down great oppressions ; yet he was not obedient to the end , to do my will , saith the lord ; but left something ●●●one , which he was truly called unto . now this innumerable people , that is come and coming up , as aforesaid , are them called quakers , and this egypts land , is that great darkness , ignorance , and wickedness , and false wayes and worships in the apostacy , and fleshly bondage to sin and death , which all the world , and kindreds , and multitudes that are unconverted to god live and walk in ; and that land of rest promised , to which they travel , is , the peaceable and quiet dwelling with the lord , free from the heavy oppression of sin and iniquity and cruelties of men , and free in the exercise of their pure consciences by the spirit of the lord , as it shall move and lead them into all truth ; and their sojourning as strangers , is , their denying and despising the world , and all its glories , and walking in the daily cross of christ , whereby they are crucified to the love , and respect , and renown , and honours of the world , and are come ●●t of kindreds , tongues and people , counting the reproach for christ great riches ; not respecting men , but the lord altogether in all things , and also their suffering unrighteously false imprisonment , and spoiling of their goods for righteousness sake ; this is their sojourning as strangers : and that something that thy father did for them , is , he released many of them divers times out of prifons , where they were unjustly cast , and he signified sometimes his displeasure against them that made them suffer , and shewed love to them in hearing their innocent cause , with some respect thereunto ; and that which he did not , which he might have done , is , he took not away tythes , that cause of great oppression to many ; nor the unrighteous laws wholy , as he ought to have done , and as the lord required of him , and know thou from the lord , that this same people are the people of the lord , and beloved of him , and as dear to him as the apple of his eye , and his presence is with them , and he leads them as a flock by his spirit into all truth ; and who shall bless them , shall be blessed ; but he that acts against them shall not prosper , but be smitten of the lord ; for their cause will the lord plead in his judgments , and avenge them of their enemies , and the dread of the lord god shall fall heavy upon the heads of their persecutors ; and though they are hated of all men , and under great afflictions , yet are they a just people , and innocent , seeking the good of all men , and are peaceable towards all , and receiving all manner of wrongs , and evil , and speakings against them by ungodly men , but they render to no man evil for evil , but bless them that curse , and do good to their enemies , and bear all things from all men in long-suffering and patience ; for they are learned in the practices ( in doing and suffering ) of the holy apostles and prophets , and are of the seed of abraham , who was the friend of god ; and they were thy father's friends , and are not enemies to thee , nor to righteous government , but wish well unto thee in the lord , and that thou mayst not be destroyed in wickedness , but be established in righteousness and peace in thy government , to rule in god's authority over all wicked men , that may seek thy hurt : and we desire for thee , that the lord may give thee wisdom , and a perfect understanding , and the spirit of just and sound judgment , to judge righteously in all things , and to settle the government in true judgment , that the principle of god in every man may answer to it , in defending & preserving , and protecting all that walk in truth & righteousness , & being a terror to all evil-doer ; for , for that end is rule and government ordained of god amongst men , to be a praise to all that do well , and a terror to all that do evil. and now the lord having suffered it to be brought to pass , that thou art set up in thy father's stead , to be chief ruler amongst men , this the lord god almighty requires of thee , as thou hopest to prosper , and be blessed in this life , and to enjoy life eternal when this world is passed away ; and this is the word of the lord god unto thee , be humble , meek , and lowly in heart , and exalt not thy own horn , nor seek not this world's honour , but seek the lord with thy whole heart ; and let justice , and true judgment , and righteous government ( which is according to the law of god ) be set up , and exalted in the nations ; and come to know in thy self the dominion and authority of the lord god over sin and transgression , and to keep down and condemn all that which is contrary to god in thy own heart , and that will make thee a dread and a terror to men and nations ; and then the lord will be thy crown , and his people will rejoyce in thee , and lift up their hearts to god for thee : if thou throwest down and abolishest all unrighteous laws and decrees , which have been set up in the days of ignorance , and yet stand , whereby the lord 's dear children are afflicted and oppressed at this day ; and establishest such a government , which is justly according to god , in which righteousness and truth , justice and true judgment may run down ; and all the contrary may be stopped , and chained , and limited , and confounded ; and then that which thy father le●t undone the lord will fulfil through thee : and doing these things , the lord would make thee truly honourable ; and happy and blessed in this life , and in the life to come ; but in doing the contrary , the lord will make thee a curse , and take thee away in his judgments , and thy name shall be left a reproach to ages forever : and if thou rulest in oppression and cruelty , and sufferest the innocent to be destroyed for want of true judgment , then shall thy dayes be fewer then thy father's ; if thou be disobedient to him , the lord shall cut thee off , and thy memorial shall ro● ; and this is the word of the lord god to thee . and as for this afflicted and sojourning people , they desire nothing to thee , but truth , and peace , and righteousness ; and no more of thee , but justice and true judgment , and that they and their little ones , which to them are brought forth , may sojourn in peace , and quietly pass through the nations , till they come to the land of promise ; and they may not carry of the glory nor riches of this world with them , nor seek great places of honour from thee ; nor be hurtful to thee , nor the people , nor to mankind in their sojourning ; only what the lord commands them , that they must do ; and what he forbids , that they must not do : for they have chosen the lord to be their leader , and to give him their obedience in all things ; and thy government , so far as it is according to god , they will not destroy , nor rebel against , but are true friends thereunto , and subject in all things : and if thou walkest with the lord , and chusest him for thy councellor , and abasest thy self , and altogether exalt him and preserve his people , that fear him , then shalt thou prosper , and thy name shall be greater then was thy father's , and the numberless number of this ( now ) distressed people will be unto thee a strength , and stand by thee in thy day of trouble , and defend thee and thy just government , and their hearts shall cleave to thee , and thou shalt prosper for their sakes , and none of thy enemies shall have power over th●e , to destroy thee , though many may seek for thy life . wherefore , my friend , awake , awake , and now consider , the day of thy visitation is present , and thy father's is past ; and now thou hast a time to gain unto thy self everlasting honour and renown , or otherwise to leave thy name a curse and a reproach for evermore : do thou hearken to the voice of the lord , and fear his dreadful name , and bow before our god , that made heaven and earth , who rules in the kingdoms of men , and pulleth down one , and setteth up another at his pleasure , and as he will ; and he will make thee know , that he lives and reigns over all , and doth whatsoever he will ; and if he smites thee , none shall heal thee ; and if he wounds thee , none shall comfort thee : therefore take him for thy councellor , and beware of the wicked counsels of men ; for thou hast may enemies , and they would rejoyce to see thy fall ; and if the lord be not on thy side , thou canst not long stand ; but if thou be obedient to him , and preservest his people , and breakest down all oppression , then thy enemies shall fall , and thy foot shall tread them down , and the terror of the lord shall be upon all that hate thee ; but thus shall it be done unto thee , if thou be disobedient to him , and rejectest his counsel by his servant . i am thy friend , and a lover of thy soul , and seek thy happiness in this world , and in the world to come ; known to many by the name of , edward burroughs . the original of this was delivered to him a few dayes after he was proclaimed protector . to thee richard cromwel , chosen to be protector , and chief magistrate governour of these nations of england , scotland and ireland ; a faithful presentation and salutation , by a servant of the church . we are rightly and truly sensible in all things of the mighty hand of the lord god , who brings all things to pass by his own power , and according to his will ; and in heaven and earth , and over the kingdoms of men he ruleth and reigneth ; he buildeth up , and breaketh down ; he planteth , and plucketh up ; and he pulleth down one , and setteth up another : and who may say , what dost thou ? or , why dost thou it ? for he is a great god , and mighty , and his majesty is terrible : and all things in heaven and earth , and all the sons of men , are at his disposure , whose dominion is from everlasting to everlasting ; and he may be feared , and had in reverence by all creatures that have life and breath . and in particular , we are sensible of his great and mighty power , who hath of late years , in these nations , once and again overturned , and overthrowed , and changed at his pleasure times , and powers , and authorities , and dominions ; and he hath brought down the mighty from their seats , and stained the crowns and glories of the honourable , and broken the stout-hearted , and the oppressors of their governments as potsherd , one against another , and made the highest of men of no respect before him ; for he hath pulled down and set up whom he would , according to his will ; and in all these things hath his hand been the very doer and accomplisher thereof , that he might be known and feared amongst all people through the whole earth , who is the dread and terror of men and nations . and as for thy father , the late protector , great things and honourable did the lord do for him , in raising him up , and casting out his enemies before him , and giving him victory , and power , and renown through nations ; and we know the lord shewed favour to him , and gave him strength , wisdom and valour , and a right spirit : and he was called of god into that great work , to subdue the grievous cruelty , once ruling over tender consciences ; and to break down the great oppressions , which for ages had caused the just to groan ; and the lord was with him in victory , and went before him , and was his defence , and preserved him from great dangers , and from the wills of all his enemies , and made him prosperous against them all : but yet we know ( to say no more of him ) he did not wholy fulfil the will of the lord , nor the work which he begun ; but became disobedient , and abused his great deliverances and authority ; and did not set free the oppressed altogether , but left mountains of oppression , and grievous yoaks of bondage unbroken down , and unsubdued ; and the lord smote him , and took him away in judgment because thereof . and as for thee , who art now set up in his stead , we certainly believe , that the hand of the lord is in this matter , if but to try thee , and it is he that hath brought it to pass , not expected by any , nor much sought after by thy self , but its 〈◊〉 to pass , a thing out of and contrary to the thoughts and exp●●●ations of the whole nations , art thou attained to this place of ●…nment ; and therefore we must acknowledge something of the great hand of god in it , being come to pass as out of due season , yet may the lord make it sea●●nable , and we patiently wait to receive what the lord brings to pass thereby , knowing that thou art in the hand of the lord , to do whatsoever he will with thee , and conce●●ing thee : and if thou fearest him , and walkest with him , and chusest him for thy councellor , and art obedient to him , and seekest his glory alone , and not thy own honour and greatness , then the lord will do great things for thee , and by thee ; and accomplish his own work through thee , whi●● fell in thy father's hands , and thou wilt be blessed , and renowned , and honoured forever , and thy name shall be had in respect in generations to come , and hereby the present thoughts of many shall be confounded : but if thou dost harden thy ●eart against god ; and live cruelly , and neglect his cause , and despise his name 〈◊〉 honour , and seek thy own renown , and oppress the just in thee and without thee , and suffer the poor to groan under the cruelty and burden of oppressing men and laws in thy government , without relief from thee , and go on 〈◊〉 authority , as some evil men before thee , then shalt thou not pros●… , but the lord shall bring thee down , and lay his hand of judgment upon thee ; and thy name shall be a reproach to the saints forever , and the heavy 〈◊〉 of vengeance shall be upon thee , and pursue thee more then any before thee ; and the lord will deliver his people by another way : and this is not in flattery and feignedness to thee ; but as the lord lives , our god shall 〈◊〉 to pass in his day , and thou shalt be the witness . wherefore o man , seek the face of the lord , and enquire diligently of him , and hear his word , that thy soul may live ; and feel a measure of his spirit in thee , to lead thee into all truth , and set his presence before thy eyes alwayes , to direct thy steps , that he may bless thee with power , wis●●● , authority and dominion , to perform the duty of thy place faithful●● towards the lord and all men , as he requireth of thee : and if thou 〈◊〉 ●●●kest the kingdom of god , and its righteousness , and the reconciliation between the lord and thee , and com●st to feel the elect seed of god raised up over all the contrary in thee , and transgression , and thy own will and affections , and that which is of the flesh in thee , judged and condemned by the word in the heart , which maketh the immortal soul to live , and ●e refr●●●ed in god , and the heir of the promise of god born in 〈◊〉 ; and hereby shalt thou have an assurance and hope of life eternal , to rest in perfect peace with god when this world is no more , but passed away ●ith thee ; and also , in this present time , wisdom , and valour , and true nobility shall be added to thee ; and the spirit of power and dominion , to ●●ke men and nations be afraid , and fear ; and all evil men , and such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the hurt of thee and thy government , ●●●ll be blasted , and confound●● ; and all good men be encouraged , and made strong , and the whole na●●●●● kept in peace and unity ; and the truth and peace of god shall here●●●●ourish amongst us , to the honour of the eternal god , and to thy re●… , if thou rulest and governest for him , and by his spirit , and authority . and we are truly sensible of the great charge of this place , and also of the multitude of perplexities and dangers to thy self , occurring and happening thereby ; dangers from open enemies , by their malice and cruel plots ; and dangers from thy pretended friends , and they of thy own house , by secret surm●●●ngs ; dangers in martial and civil affairs in this nation , and abroad : so that we certainly believe , nothing , save only the wisdom of god and his power , can preserve thee , and carry thee to go through , and faithfully fulfil so great a place , and to discharge it truly in the sight of god , and just men ; neither mayest thou be defended and preserved by any other means , from the wills and plots and envy of evil men , who may watch for evil against thee , to destroy the●● and blot out thy name , and thy father's posterity out of the land. wherefore take hee● to thy self , and fear god , that he may bless thee ; for this is a subtil and crafty generation , and the nations are politick , and the inhabitants thereof are wise and deceitful , over whom thou art set , and with whom thou hast to deal : therefore beware of men ; for many may seek after thy hurt , and some may flatter thee , and shew seeming great respect unto thee , and profess great service of love to thee in the nations , and in thy family , for a season , till their own ends of advantage be accomplished , and may in the very time hatch evil against , and secretly invent to uncover thy nakedness , and betray thee ; for many men are treacherous : but thou receiving a measure of the wisdom of god , it will guide thee over all such , and thou wilt see into the hearts and spirits of men ; and to discern between love unfeigned , which will seek thy good , and not self , and that love which is feigned , , which will flatter thee , and blind thy judgment , and lead thee into snares ; and such as will the least flatter thee , will be the most true to thee : so beware , and let not vain flatteries , and proud ambitious and ungodly self-seeking men , nor drunkards , nor covetous , nor politick and deceitful men and spirits have any place in thy heart , nor in thy house , nor in places of authority and trust in thy government ; for such men will be a snare unto thee , and a dishonour to thee , and the cause of god's wrath and curse against thy person , family , and whole nations ; for such men god will not bless , nor thee nor the government for their sakes ; and this thou wilt find tr●● one day . therefore chuse unto thee such men as fear god , who are just , and humble , and upright-hearted , who are sincere and faithful to the lord , who have the wisdom of god , and true nobility of spirit , in righteousness and simplicity , free from the prophaneness of this evil world ; let such be thy companions , to wait upon thy person , and to govern and rule in thy family and nations ; and let such be put in trust , who will not be treacherous ; for such are blessed , and will be a blessing to thee and the whole government : and we know , that the lord gives respect and regard to the upright , that fear his name , and such he will accomplish his work by , to thy renown , and the peace and happiness of the nations ; more then to craft and policy , and the wisdom and subtilty of this world ; for thereby the lord will never fulfil his work , nor prosper a ruler , nor his people ; and if thy strength and defence be there , and not in the lord , and his pure wisdom only , thou canst not prosper ; but the nations and men will over-reach thee , and beguile thee , and thou canst not be happy , nor thy government be kept in peace : but a little measure of the fear , and power , and wisdom of the lord god from heaven in thy heart , and amongst such as are thy councello●● to guide you and govern you , will be of more value and worth unto thee , 〈◊〉 thy place and condition , then all worldly policy , and wisdom , and craft , which with god is not regarded , nor of him ever blessed . and if thou deny ▪ est the lord , and righteous men ; and chusest thy own way , and this world's wisdom , that 's from below , then thy trust and strength shall pierce thee , and make thee feeble , and of all others thy state will be the most miserable , if tho● be given into the policy and deceits of treacherous men ; so be wise , and seek the lord , that he may be thy trust , and put not confidence in vain man , whose heart is deceitful , and desperately wicked . and as concerning the condition of these nations , they are in a broken state , much divided , and diverse in judgments , and far out of good order ; for there is much corruption and abuse in all orders and places of men , and much to be purged out and judged , both in magistracy and ministry , before righteousness , peace and truth , union , joy and faithfulness can embrace one another , amongst the inhabitants of the nations ; for both are in a diversion and degeneration from what they were at the first ordained of god , and this i could clearly manifest unto thee ; for the nations are but newly come out of popery , having put off but part of the dress of that polluted whore , and the garments of professions in religion yet smell thereof , as not being throughly purged from her abominable idolatries and superstitions , as thou mayst see when the lord opens thy eye to view the present state of all things . as for magistracy , it was ordained of god to be a dread , and terror and limit to all evil-doers , and to be a defence and praise to all that do well ; to condemn the guilty , and to justifie the guiltless ; but the exercise thereof at this day in these nations is degenerated , and some that are in authority are greatly corrupted , and regard not the just and pure law of god , to judge only thereby ; but oppress the poor by injustice , and subvert the good laws of god and men to a wrong end and use , abusing authority , and turning the sword against the just , whereby true judgment is turned backward , and the innocent made unjustly to suffer for righteousness sake , through the corruption of men in authority ; and didst thou but know what we know in this particular , it would pierce thy heart ; why ? it is frequent amongst some of the judges and magistrates , to commit a man to prison , and impose some great fine upon him , ●●d to cast him into a dungeon , or hole , among thieves and murderers , for a long season , for no other offence , or breach of any law , but because he cannot put off his hat 〈◊〉 th●● , and respect their persons , by bowing the h●● or knee : and many others , that fear god , and for conscience sake cannot swear upon a book , by kissing it , and laying hand upon it , because christ saith , swear not at all ; though they deny not to speak and do the truth in all things , as in the presence of god and all men : and many others , that because they are moved to cry against sin , and declare against the iniquities of the times in teachers , rulers and people , that highly abound , perhaps in a market , or steeple-house , or high-way , or other places , as th●y are moved of god : and many others , because for conscience sake they cannot pay tythes , nor give money and wages to maintain a priest , or false teacher , that they receive no profit by ; or to maintain a steeple-house , where the world worships in vain traditions , and not in the spirit and power of god : and many have been taken out of peaceable meetings , where they were waiting upon the lord , and so●e out of their inns and friends houses ; and many have been taken on the way , travelling about their lawful occasions ; and some from their callings and labours ; and for these causes , through the envy of wicked men , and without any just conviction of the breach of any law , or any lawful tryal , or examination , have hundreds of just men being wholy innocent , been sent to prison , and laid many moneths , and some for years , or whipt , or put in the stocks , and grievously abused by cruel executioners of wicked mens envy and injustice ; and upon such grounds only , and for such causes mentioned , and without the transgression of any just law , have and do at this day many hundreds of faithful subjects suffer hard and cruel things , long and sort ●●prisonment , and cruel and sharp whipping , and stocking , and unjust banishment out of towns and cities ; yea , friend , its hard to be expressed , and large to be declared , how many of the lord's servants do , and have suffered great injustice in these nations , through the abuse of good government , and degeneration of magistracy , from its perfect state and place , whereunto it was ordained of god in the beginning . and moreover , great have been the abuses , by striking , and beating , and haling , and kickings , and revilings , and reproaching , whereby many have suffered unrighteously , and not relieved nor defended by such in authority as ought to have done it , neither the evil-doers at all corrected and punished as they ought to have been , though known to men in power ; and thus it is happened to us in our age , well-doers are punished as transgressors , and evil-doers go free ; and thus its manifest , magistracy and governors , rulers and laws , are greatly degenerated and subverted from what they ought to be according as the lord ordained them ; for all this may be proved particularly ; so that the nations are out of good order , and the state of government and rule degenerated , and men in authority and places of trust corrupted , not being in their own hearts ruled by the spirit of the lord , and therefore they cannot rule for him among men justly and righteously , as he requires : and also , so great hath been the degeneration of government in these nations of late years , that many faithful and just men that have been in great places of trust , both in martial and civil affairs , through the envy and evil-surmising of others , have been turned out of all place & power , & not suffered to give their iudgment amongst men ; but been cast off , as unprofitable , though no evil could be charged against them ; whereby the lord hath been offended ▪ but all things and places , of men must be new moulded , and corrected , and purged , and regenerated , that true judgment may flourish , and righteousness and truth prosper , as in the beginning ; and this will the lord suddenly bring to pass by his own power ; and if thou opposest it , thou shalt not prosper , but be cut off , and taken out of the way : for the spirit of the lord hath been provoked to wrath , because of these things , and his anger is kindled against the nations ; and he hath overthrown , and yet will once more overthrow , till he comes , whose right it is to rule , whose shall be the government and kingdom , and all his enemies shall be slain . and as for the publick ministry , as now it is in its present estate , we certainly know , and testifie from the lord unto thee , and to the whole nations , that it is not the same ministry of christ which the apostles had , nor by the same power and spirit ; but is wholy degenerated in call , in practice , and in maintenance , and in all things , from what the ministry of christ was in the dayes of the true churches , before the apostacy : and it is , as now it stands , in degeneration , not of god , nor in the power and spirit of christ jesus , nor hath it the same end and effects as the ministry of christ once had ; but it s tasted and tainted with the spirit of antichist , which long hath ruled in the world , and it s become a grievous oppression in the nations ; and people are not converted , nor turned to god from their evil wayes , but remain unprofited : and to say no more of it , though much i might say , what i affirm of it i may prove by the scriptures against the wisest of them before thee , if thou pleasest , viz. that as now the ministry stands , it is not perfectly the same ministry the apostles had , but is degenerated from what the ministry of christ was in the dayes of the apostles and true churches , before the apostacy ; and if ever god toucheth thy heart , thou wilt see it so ; when the spirit of christ is chief judge in thee , thou wilt witness this to be true ; and then may not thy power uphold any thing which is contrary to god , when government is purged , and made pure from all its present degeneration . again , there are many and divers sort of sects , and gatherings of people , and professions in reliigion of several contrary judgments , and opinions & worships in these nations ; and these people , over whom thou art set to rule , are divers , and divided in their wayes , and minds , and professions of religion ; some looking for , and seeking after christ , in such a manner ; and others after another manner ; all crying , loe here is christ , and thus he will come ; and loe he is there , and so will he appear ; and some are inventing and supposing such a government to be best , and others contrary to that ; and many are ( as ) distracted in their thoughts , not knowing what to seek , or what to look after ; some are for such a government and religion , and others for another ; and peradventure each one of these may seek to thee for protection against such as oppose them , commending and justifying their own way , and sect , and form , and religion against all others , and craving laws to maintain themselves , and their sect ; and to stop and limit all other ways , as heresie , because differing from them ; and they will each of them turn and rest the scriptures from the mind of the spirit that gave them forth , to prove their own opinions and professions to be right , against all others ; but now thou mayst know , that the scriptures were given forth by the one spirit of god , and is the testimony of one truth , of one saviour , of one true worship , and one only true religion , and not many and diverse wayes , and them that are of divers judgments , and worships and religions , and yet all plead proof from the scriptures for what they profess and practice : all such pervert the scriptures , and wrest them , who are thus divided and unsettled in religion ; and they shew , that none of them have the spirit that gave forth the scriptures , which spirit leads into all truth , and in it is the true worship of god , and the true profession and practice of true religion , and that spirit only understands its own words in scripture ; but all these divers sects , and heaps of people that are divided in worship , and about religion , have not the spirit of god , that gave forth scriptures , to lead them into all truth , and guide them in the perfect way , and pure religion , which the apostles and churches of christ were in , in their dayes ; but all these many sects , that are thus divided , are risen up since the days of the apostles , and are of another spirit , and of a false religion . and as for such called ministers , they will be hurrying about thee , and flattering thee with fair and crafty words , and smooth petitions and requests , for protection and establishment from thee , and for large maintenance , and stipends and tythes ; and possibly they may complain to thee against such as cannot give them h●re and tythes , but may reprove their evil , and covetousness , and wickedness ; begging for laws against such , and crying out against error & herisie , because some may be mov'd to cry against their deceits & oppressions ; and for the like causes they will run about thee , and seek their own advantage ; and this we know , their nature and spirit is such , and hath been for many ages . but now friend , do thou stand in god's authority ; out of , and over all such teachers and sects , and come not under any of them that have the form of godliness , but want the power , who are in the apostacy , from the life and pure religion , that the apostles were in ; nor believe them not that shall say , lo christ is ●●rt , or , lo he is there ; or , who shall ascend to fetch him from without ? or , when shall be come from far to save his people ? go not thou after any of these , but he arken to the word of god in thy heart , and know that christ is within thee , else thou art reprobate ; neither do thou take in hand to exalt any one of these sects , or some of them above others ; neither defend & maintain any of them against others of them , nor tollerate not one of them above another ; for if thou dost , it will betray thee , and the nations peace , and set all spirits on fire about thee ; and while one is pleased , and may pray for thee , others will be vexed against thee , and curse thee : wherefore be not troubled about these things , nor cumber not thy self about religion , how to establish it ; for it is god's hand only to establish his worship and religion , it belongs to him , as he will , and not as man by his policy and wisdom ; but stand free from them all , and neither establish any , nor pers●●ute any sect whatsoever , but let them all have their cou●se and season , ; they will fall and perish of themselves , and the good old way , and truth , and the pure religion , only will remain ; and let them cry one against another , and rebuke one another , and meddle not thou with that , but only let thy laws and authority preserve mens persons and estates from the wrong one of another , that all men may live peaceably under thee , and no man wrong his neighbour's person or estate ; and that 's only thy place , to rule in outward affairs , but not to rule over any mans conscience , to compel him to such a worship , or to limit from such a worship in religion , that belongs not to thee , but to the lord , who alone will be the ruler , and guide , and exerciser of his people's consciences ; and if thou dost meddle therein , thou shalt not prosper , nor be blessed in thy deed : so leave the establishing of religion to the lord , and let all these sects manifest , if any of them have the spirit and power of god in them , and with them , and let them shew their weapons of the spirit ; for only such as have the power and spirit of god in them will overcome , and such will be increased and grow ; and thou nor none can hinder : and such that want the power and spirit of god in and with them , may flourish in their form for a while , but they will be blasted and wither , and it s in vain for thee , or any , to uphold such , or endeavour to establish them ; but if thou meddlest on these accounts it will undo thee , and confound thee ; therefore be wise , and know what the lord requires of thee perfectly ; for if thou leavest that undone which god requires , then shalt thou be condemned ; and if thou dost that which he requires not , then shalt thou not be free . and this is written in love to thee , to inform thy mind , how to walk towards the lord , and the people over whom he hath set thee . and as for the maintaining of ministers , let that alone also , and be not troubled about it ; for it was ever the false prophets and deceivers that preached for hire , and went after gifts and rewards , and sought money and gifts of people ; and they that do the same now , were never sent of god , nor are they such as shall convert people to god ; for who are true ministers of christ , will not seek to thee , nor to men for wages , nor tythes , nor money , but live of the gospel , and not compel great sums of money from people , to maintain them in their families in pride , in fulness , and idleness ; such things are great oppressions in this nation , and a horrible filthy thing in the sight of god , and because thereof will the lord's judgments come upon the land : if thou wert but rightly sensible what casting into goals , and what suing at law of poor people , and what spoiling peoples goods by restraint , and all for and about tythes , and priests wages ; it would make thee admire the wickedness of that generation ; but do thou let them alone , for they do shame themselves , and undo themselves , and lose the hearts of all good people by their own doings ; and stand over them all in god's authority , and know a measure of the spirit of god in thy own heart , and thereby thou wilt discern , and try and judge of the spirits of all men , and their religion ; and the spirit will lead thee in the pure religion , to worship god in spirit and in truth ; so let not thy mind be cumbred at all about establishing religion , nor about maintaining the ministers ; but be faithful to what the lord requires of thee , and learn his will , and do it , and then thou wilt be blessed and honoured in this world , and in the world to come . and friend , know thou that the lord is doing of a great work in these nations , he is raising up a seed to serve him and to worship him aright , and the god of heaven is setting up a kingdom over all the kingdoms of the world , and he hath a controversie with all sorts of people , in as much as corruption and degeneration is entred amongst all , and all must be purged of all orders of men , and the evil cast out ; the work of the lord is great and mighty , and he requires no help of thee , nor any man whatsoever ; for his own arm will bring it to pass ; yet he would not have thee to gain-say his work , and strive against it , and seek to quench what the lord is bringing forth , if thou dost it , then shalt thou be condemned , and the lord will speedily execute his judgments , and remove thee , and overthrow thy power and authority into destruction ; wherefore be passive in this matter , and look thou at the lord , and protect and defend mens persons and estates from wrong ; but meddle not with their opinions and professions in religions , to exalt any of them , nor yet to persecute them . and thus friend , according as it lay upon me from the lord , i have written this unto thee in dear and pure love , god is witness , and i have cleared my conscience to thee thus far ; and if thou fall by thy own transgression , it will lie upon thy self ; i have warned thee , and i am clear ; and if thy fall comes , remember thou wast advised . who am a lover of iustice and true iudgment , and a friend to this common-wealth , and to thee wisheth well in the lord , e. b. london , the th of the th moneth , . this was delivered to him in the eighth moneth , . to the protector and his council . the lord god will shortly make you know , that we are his people , though we be accounted as sheep for the slaughter ; yet our king of righteousness will break you to pieces , if you harden your hearts , and repent not : and seeing that love will not draw thee , neither the gentle leadings of our god have any place in you ; yet judgment shall awaken you , and his heavy hand of indignation shall lie upon your cousciences , and you will be scatterred and distracted to pieces . e b. this was written in white-hall , in the tenth moneth , . to richard and his council . for the parliament . ye that sit in counsel , that are assembled for the nations good , hear ye the word of the lord god , which is towards you all ; rememember the cause of god , and of his people ; remember the groanings of the poor , and give ear to the cry of the oppressed , and relieve the guiltless sufferers , and break the bonds of iniquity , and let the oppressed go free ; do this , lest you perish : and remember the old good cause , that is decayed , and hath long been laid waste ; let it be once more revived in the nations , that god may bless you ; remember the first engagement , which was for freedom , and suffer not the exercise of pure conscience to be trodden down by oppressors ; but seek ye , seek ye the glory of the lord , and the safety of his people , and the freedom of such as are oppressed ; and be not ye oppressors ; nor adders to the sufferings of the innocent ; make no laws to limit the lord , nor his spirit , nor his people , but make such of no effect , lest ye be confounded like as with a whirle-wind , by the breath of the almighty : i am the lord , and my name is dreadful to all flesh ; mine arm is stretched forth over the nations , and i will scatter them at my pleasure ; i kill , and i make alive ; i break down , and i build up ; fear ye me , and tremble at my presence ; bow before me , and have my name in reverence , and my people in safety , and let them be free from all oppressions and tyranny , lest i correct you with the rod of my judgments , saith the lord : for i will rule nations with an iron rod , and the governments shall be mine through the kingdoms of the world , and my people shall inheri● the possessions ; i will beat the mountains to powder , and strike terror in the hearts of the mighty ; and i will judge among the judges , and rule amongst the rulers of the earth , who are but dust and ashes before me ; therefore do ye the thing that pleaseth me , and have my cause and my people's cause in respect amongst you ; and be ye low and humble in my sight , lest i wound you , and you never be healed , lest i scatter you , and you never be gathered , i am the lord that doth whatsoever he will , dreadful and mighty is my name in the earth , and my people are my inheritance , wherein i delight ; spare them , and afflict them not , that i may spare you , and not destroy you ; and take you counsel at my spirit , and at my servants , that you may prosper ; and hurt not the innocent , nor touch my anointed ones , lest i come suddenly upon you , saith the lord , and break you to pieces ; for i will make you know , that my people are mine , and beloved of me , and that i care for them , and will fight for them , and revenge their cause , and deliver them from the hands of their enemies speedily ; this ye shall know when my vengeance is extended forth to all my enemies , and upon all such as do oppress my people , and are spoilers of my pleasant heritage ; and now am i arisen , saith the lord. edw. burroughs , this was written to the parliament , which began to sit in the eleaventh moneth , . which richard cromwell dissolved in the second moneth , . to richard cromwel and to henry cromwel . friends , yet once more hath the lord given me somewhat to say unto you , in love to your immortal souls ; you had a glorious day of visitation , and many precious warnings from the mouth of the lord , by his servants , but you rejected the counsel of the lord against your own souls , and made no account of the servants of the lord , which were sent unto you ; but caused them and suffered them to be persecuted by your power , and they were made a spoil and a prey to their enemies all your dayes ; and you sought your selves , and your own honour , and you were exalted in pride and vain-glory , and forgot god , who raised you up from a low estate , and you had no respect to the cause of his people , and therefore is this justly come to pass upon you from the hand of the lord ; not that i rejoyce in it , and glory over you because of it , only i tell you what is justly happened unto you , that ye may learn the lora's just iudgments in these things , like as formerly i warned you of it ; for it could not otherwise be , but that the lord would avenge the cause of his people upon their persecutors , and the injustice done unto them upon you , in whose name and power it was acted ; for , in every generation he hath had respect unto his people's cause , and did avenge their cause in his season : and this i well remember , i was once moved to speak in the name of the lord unto your father , that these things that came to pass in his days , that cruelty and oppression of the lord's people , would be recompenced , and repented of in his children's dayes : for i saw , that the cruelty and injustice that was done in his name upon the people of god , could not escape un punished in a generation ; and it is now come to pass in a measure , and will be more and more , even for his transgressions and your own : for all of you had a day and a time , wherein you might have done something for the lord , and for his people ; and you had a price put into your hands , that you might have improved to the lord's glory , and to your own renown , to have been a blessing unto your selves , and to the people of god in these nations ; but your day is over , and night is come upon it , and your price is taken from you , and given to others , and you cannot now work nor act on the lords behalf , as once you might have done ; and you have sought honour to your selves , and you reap reproach ; and because you have despised the counsel of the lord , therefore the snare hath caught you , which was laid for others : these things i say unto you in pitty for you , rather then in boasting over you ; neither do i commend that spirit which acteth in too much severity towards you , which upraids you , rather then seeks to amend you , that is not my way : for your father served the lord in his generation , and was once the instrument in his hand , to the accomplishing of good things , till that an ambitious spirit got power over him , and betrayed him , and the work was lost which god called him unto . and as for these that are now in power , if they shall tread in your steps , and shall not relieve the oppressed , much more then any before them shall they be overthrown , and brought into contempt . and as for you , come into the fear of the lord god that your iniquities may be pardoned ; and seek peace with god , and reconciliation , and seek after the kingdom that e●dures forever ; and while ye have time , seek after a crown immortal , and wait to know that which will make you heirs of that inheritance which never fades away : the light in your own consciences , which christ hath enlightened you with , which lets you see sin , and convinceth you of your evil deeds ; that light in you must you own to be your teacher , and must become subject unto it in all things , or else you have no part in the kingdom of god ; and cease from your lying prophets , who have flattered you in your iniquities , and deceived your souls , and cryed peace unto you and safety ; and said , you should prosper , and they have hardened your hearts , and been a snare to you , till the lord's anger is broken forth against you , and they found lyars . so now consider , and do not alwayes reject love ; but and if you do , i am clear , and your iniquities will be upon your own heads ; and though rejected by you , yet a friend to your souls , whom the lord hath made often to warn you ; and happy had you been , if you had or can now prize the day of your visitation . edward burroughs . this was delivered to them in the fifth moneth , . to the parliament of the common-wealth of england , the present authority of these nations , assembled at westminster . a presentation , by a faithful friend to the nations , in the name , and by the spirit of jesus christ , king of righteonsness and peace ; that you may take off oppression , and free the people from all their cruel bonds , that have been imposed upon their bodies , estates and consciences , in the dayes of the reign of antichrist ; that truth , justice and righteousness may come nigh unto us , and the kingdom of the son of god set up among us ; that you and we may at last be free subjects of christs ' kingdom , where righteousness , truth and peace may run down , and be established in the earth for evermore . friend , it is acknowledged , that the lord god ( who rules over all in the kingdoms of men ) hath done great and honourable things by you , and with the face of your authority in your dayes ; and since your first appearing on the throne , mighty things have been brought to pass , in our nations , by the hand of the lord ; insomuch that many mountains have been abased , and many sturdy oaks have been cut down , and many cruel laws have been made void ; and even the way of the lord , and the way of the coming of his kingdom , hath seemed to be prepared : for the kingdom of antichrist , and the beast , and the whore ( the false church ) hath in many things received a mortal wound in this nation ; and there hath been divers times the fair blossoms of the glorious appearance of truth , righteousness and peace ; and there have been many fair promises and pretences , made by many of you , like as if the kingdom of jesus had been at our door , ready to have entred our nations , whereby many good hopes we have had , to have been made a perfect free people ere this day , from the chains of antichrist and the whore ( the' false church ) and from every branch thereof ; and that we might have sitten together in peace and unity , and in freedom from all the opressions of our enemies . but alas , alas , this glorious work of reformation hath bin interrupted before our eye , and the precious buds and good appearance of glorious fruits have been withered and blasted in our sight ; so that our good hopes have perished , and our freedom hath been intercepted through the evil-dealing of many unfaithful men ; so that antichrist's kingdom hath not been utterly rooted out , nor the oppressive laws of the whore ( the false church ) wholy broken down , but the rather have seemed to be revived again ; and the kingdom of the son of god hath been warred against , and truth , righteousness and just judgment hath been kept out of the throne , and the lamb , and his army , and followers have been opposed by open and secret rebellion ; so that though there hath been appearances of good things now and then , yet ever and anon clouds and darkness have overshaddowed the nations again , and the good hopes of faithful people have been driven backwards , and reformation stopped , and your own vows , promises , and pretences have remained unfulfilled , and we are yet an oppressed people : and the cause of this hath been from some unfaithful men , that have neglected the good work of the lord , once intrusted with them ; and have sought themselves , and their own honours and interests , and have sitten down at ease and rest in the flesh , glorying in the spoil of their enemies , and thereby have they become unfaithful and unprofitable in carrying on the lord's work : for some have been of a sincere mind for a season , and made a good progress towards the attaining a kingdom of righteousness , and the removing of all oppressions ; yet when they have begun to seek themselves in this world , and to take unto themselves the honours , and titles , and possessions of their enemies ( whom the lord cast out before them ) and so have become guilty of their enemies sins , then they have been choaked , and the good work of the lord by them could not prosper , but it hath fallen in their hands even because of their apostacy , whom the lord hath removed in his wrath , which to you all may be examples , that ye follow not their steps : for , for these causes , i tell you , hath the true reformation been turned backward , and the work of the lord remained unfinished , insomuch that oppression , injustice and tyranny yet remains upon the people ; and ten thousand lie groaning under the yoak and bondage of antichrist , and of the whore ( the false church ) in persons , estates and consciences ; and are ready to depart out of all good hope and confidence , that they shall never see , through you , the finishing of that long since begun good work of perfect reformation , and freedom from all oppressions . and amongst the many great oppressions and cruel burdens , yet remaining in our nation , there is at this day one particular oppression abounding , under which thousands of the free people of the lord , & of these nations , lie unjustly suffering in their bodies , estates and consci●nces ( to wit ) this way of forced maintenance of the ministry , by tythes , and money , and yearly stipends ; which many are violently forced to pay , through oppression , and contrary to equity ; and because hereof is god not well-pleased with you , but his wrath is kindled already ; for the cry of the unjustly afflicted under this one oppression hath entred into his ear , and he will be avenged speedily , even because of the oppression of his people in this very particular , who cannot out of a good conscience pay tythes , or money , or any other thing , contrary to equity , to the maintaining of this ministry , and these ministers , which they receive no benefit by , neither are under their ministry . and forasmuch as this way of maintaining ministers and ministry by force is wholy antichristian , and of the whore ( the false church ) and never was in the true churches of christ , in the apostles dayes ; neither did ever christ , or his apostles , give institution or example for such way of maintenance to christ's ministers : but being that this way of forced maintenance , by tythes , and money , and yearly-stipends , is come up long since the apostles dayes ; and is the very institution of the false church of rome , and was first practized by her authority in our nation ; and by the same spirit , at this day , this oppression remaineth amongst us : and likewise it is wholy unreasonable , that one sort of people should be compelled to maintain anothers ministers , whom they do not hear , nor receive their ministry : and also , this way of maintenance is one of the greatest oppressions in our nation , and many hundreds of my brethren have suffered great oppression thereby , some the loss of estates , and many the loss of their liberties , & some the loss of their lives also ; insomuch that this oppression is fully ripe to be cut down , and removed out of our land. wherefore it lies upon me from the lord , to request it of you , and to lay it upon you , as being the present authority , that have power to do it ; that you speedily order the removing of this oppression of forced maintenance to ministers out of the nation , and that no man henceforth be compelled or forced to maintain ministers and ministry , by tythes , or money , or otherwise ; but that every man be left free , to give what , and how much , as he pleaseth , to what minister as he will ; only if any do hire a minister , and promise so much , then it is equity , that he that is hired have the benefit of the law , to receive what he is promised , by force , if he cannot freely : but let not any people be forced by your law to hire ministers , neither one sort to maintain another peoples minister ; but let every sort of people live under what ministry , and hear whom they please , and also maintain their own ministers , that labour for them : and this is reasonable , and would content all the faithful people ; for it is wholy unequal , that any people should be forced and compelled to mantain another peoples minister , which doth no work for them ; and it is also wholy inconsistent with the good government of a common-wealth , and absolute contrary to christian-liberty , and is a very chain of antichrist upon the good people ; and the main cause of heart-burnings , and strifes , and envyings among subjects ; and one of the chief props of deceivers and false ministers , that covet to run after great benefices , and care not for souls ; and also , the god of heaven is vexed with this abomination ; and it is certain , that you and these nations shall never be established in true and perfect peace and unity , while this oppression remaineth , nor till that in all things conscience be let free to the exercise of the spirit of god. wherefore i am come to your door on the behalf of the lord , & all his people , and i cry , & ten thousand with me ( in spirit ) of the free people of your nation , let this unreasonable oppressive and antichristian practice , of forcing maintenance to ministers , be speedily removed out of our land , and let the persons , estates and conscionces of your faithful friends be freed from this cruel burden , that they have long born by your and their very enemies : and also i lay it upon you , that you clear and free your selves in all things from the false church , and be not servants to her ; drink not her cup of fornications , neither in any thing carry the whore : and hereby should that long born and heavy yoak of antichrist be removed , that hath laid upon the good people's persons , estates and consciences ; and false ministers , that run for hire , and not to win souls ( who are oppressors ) should hereby be limitted ; and the faithful ministers of christ , who are sent of him , would be the more encouraged to minister freely , who have received freely ; and this would be the way to bring blessings and peace amongst us , and to rejoyce the hearts of the righteous , and to stop the spirit of oppression ; and hereby you would be made honourable , and the lord himself glorified , and his people a free people : so that for these causes it is upon me to demand it of you , that you remove the oppression aforesaid , of forcing maintenance for ministers and leave every sort of people free , to maintain their own ministers , as the lord shall lead them . for this was the way in the true churches , the ministers ' of christ did eat of the milk of the flock which they kept , and of the fruit of the vineyard which they 〈◊〉 planted , freely given them ; and they reaped carnal things where they sowed spiritual , yet as a free gift unto them , and not by force , nor as a debt : for this way of forcing maintenance was never in beeing among the true churches ; but is of the false church , both in its original , and in its standing to this day , and out of her cup ( who hath made nations drunk ) hath our nation drunk this abomin●tion and oppression ; and it is the remainder , and one of the strongest parts of the whore of rome , yet left in england , and it is full time to be removed clean away from us , and if you do it , then shall we have cause to believe , that you intend well to the nations , and our long decayed hopes concerning you will be again revived , and our faith will be encreased , that you will yet suffer righteousness and mercy to flourish , if you take off every oppression , and make the people free ; but if you do it not , but will be the imposers of unrighteous things upon the people under you , and will carry the whore , and yet drink her cup , and compel others to drink it , then the lord will break you to pieces , and bring freedom to this nation some other way ; and you , and they , and the beast , and the whore , and your oppressious , shall all fall together , and sink as a stone into the sea , and your remembrance shall be blotted out , and perpetually perish : and these are the words of the lord god unto you , wherefore that you may live in true honour , and not perish in perpetual shame ; and that the lord may bless you , and not make you a curse , and that the lord's people may pray for you , and not against you . i say , consider in the fear of god , and with a willing mind grant this my desire ; and in so doing , you fulfil the will of the lord , and thereby be established over all your enemies . many things more on the lord's behalf i have to demand of you , but this for present ; from a lover of righteousness , and a friend to this nation , london , the th of the th moneth , . edward burroughs . a message to the present rulers of england , vvhether committy of safety ( so called ) council of officers , or others whatsoever . delivered unto them by an ambassadour from the only right heir of the government , whose right alone it is to rule : and by special authority and commission from him , this is sent unto them , that they may hear , and fear , and learn wisdom , and may deliver up the proper right of the only king unto him , that they may be blessed ; but on the contrary dependeth their destruction . these things were upon me to deliver , even by speech and word of mouth , to the present men in power ; that they might be warned , lest they perish : but no way being made for me so to do , i have written what was upon me , even as short as possibly i could , and in as little compass as might be ; having hinted at things which might more largely been spoken to . and i order this to be printed , and given to their particular hands with speed . friends , my master is a high , and mighty , and powerful prince , and very honourable ; and fear , reverence , respect and subjection belongs to him alone , from you and all mankind ; he is wise , and understanding , and of great strength ; and his dominion is from everlasting to everlasting ; and he can do whatsoever he will in heaven and earth ; for he rules with his iron rod over the world ; and whatsoever he saith , it is done ; for his word is an everlasting command ; if he saith to a man , live , it is so ; if he saith to a man , dye , it cometh to pass ; and if he give peace to a man or a nation , none can make war ; and if he make war with a person , or in a nation , no man is able to make peace : for why ? he hath all power in his hand , and to him all judgment and authority is given ; he is the son of the living god , the everlasting creator ; he was , and is , and is to come ; his eye beholdeth all things , and his arm compasseth heaven and earth ; and what his purpo●● is , he hath alwayes , and will ever bring it to pass : if he set up rulers , they must rule ; and if he pull them down , none can hinder : whom he will , he honoureth ; and if it be his pleasure , he bringeth men to shame : if he break a nation down , none can build it up ; and if he confound powers and authorities in the kingdoms of men , they all fall , as withered grass before him : ●ehold ye men ! he is so great and mighty , and of so great authority , that whatsoever he saith , it is done ; and whatsoever he willeth , it cometh to pass ; and none is able to resist him , and overcome his power , when his pleasure is to accomplish a work : by him all things are that be , and all things live that have life , and through him all things move , and of his fulness every creature in heaven and earth receive . and this , my master , is altogether honourable in birth , and otherwise ; and altogether mighty in all his works ; he is just and merciful , full of goodness , righteousness and truth ; all vertue dwells in him ; and his judgement and mercy , his authority and meekness , and his wrath and his love , they are companions : and what are ye before him ? or , how shall ye be able to resist him , or to turn backward what his purpose is concerning you , and this nation ? for ye have no beeing nor breath without him . behold ye men ! ye are verily as the dust before the wind , so are ye to him , soon blown away , and your place not found ; as the grass before the mower , so are ye before him , soon cut down , and withered , and your beauty utterly extinguished ; as a potters vessel under an iron rod , even so are you to him , he can immediately break you , never to be bound up ; as a drop to the fountain , so are you to him , soon dryed up , and made nothing : wherefore ye men , ye mortal creatures , ye ignorant persons , sons of a transgressor , ye dust and ashes ; for thus you are in comparison of him , this mighty prince ; hearken to his message , which cometh to you from him ; hear and fear , and be not stout-hearted against the lord god , that is about to speak unto you . as for this little island of england , wherein your present place and beeing is ; it is an island which the lord hath shewed great favour unto , in ages past , and in this present time ; and i must tell you , he hath a purpose of love towards it , and to honour it in the view of the world , though through great tribulations ; and he hath an intent of great good unto it : for he hath a seed , a precious seed in it , scattered abroad , and he hath a people that fear his name , and have walked in his wayes , and he hath made them , and elected them , and what they are , it is by him ; that he may dwell among them , and have the whole government over them all ; yea he hath a speedy purpose verily concerning this nation , and he will purifie it in judgment , and refine its inhabitants through the fire of tribulations , that it may be pleasant to him , and fit to do his will : he hath a purpose to work some great thing in it , i must tell you , as he hath said unto me so to do ; he will have his name exalted and reverenced in this island , and his terror shall be sent out of it through the world , and his branch from it shall spread over the earth ; he doth purpose in his season to take it into his own hand , and to sway the government thereof with his own scepter , and to set up righteousness alone , and to overthrow all oppressions and oppressors ; and the kingdoms of this world must become the kingdoms of the lord , and of his christ. true it is , such hath been the coming to pass of time , and of things , for many ages by past , that my master hath been as it were banished from the nation , and hath not been suffered to enjoy his right ; but hath been expelled , even as it were by the force of satan and antichrist , who hath long usurped authority over the inhabirants of this nation : and in my master's absence , lamentable injustice , cruelty , unmercifulness , tyranny and oppression , hath been exercised upon the inhabitants ; and the poor creatures have been held in great slavery by their rulers , that have ruled by the dragon's power , and been kept in great blindness and ignorance , and under great oppression , both in body and spirit , by antichristian teachers , for this many years , even while the great king hath been absent , and as it were gone into a far country ; even all this time hath antichrist and the devil ruled and reigned , and hath made and executed oppressing and tyrannical laws and decrees , both in church and state ; and all the nation hath been out of right order , and laid waste and barren of good fruit , and it hath been as a wilderness by reason hereof : and men that have ruled for many years , have not ruled singly by my master's authority , but by another power , though not without the knowledge of my lord , neither as though he had not power to have done otherwise ; but for his own pleasure he hath suffered it thus to be , and let men go on to rule and govern in their own wills , and after their own lusts ; and people have walked wickedly towards him , and towards one another ; and all this he hath suffered , not as if he gave toleration for it ; for his messengers now and then , and his witness in peoples consciences , have been reproving their ungodly wayes , and he hath often shewed his dislike , by divers wayes and tokens , and many judgments , and strange overturning , to the way and proceeding of both rulers , prophets and teachers of this nation ; but yet they have gone on against his mind , and contrary to his will , notwithstanding his reproofs and judgments , not that he had not power to have executed his pleasure in wrath upon them , and to have destroyed them altogether , and have made the nation a heap , and as nothing long before this day ; for power was in his hand to have done it : but he hath been long-suffering , and of great patience , and born all things , and taken the injustice , and cruelty , and wickedness , and idolatry , and all unrighteousness , that hath abounded in the nation , upon himself , and suffered under it , and born it for its season , while woful and lamentable oppressions have been practised in civil state even hellish laws , and devilish executors of them ; merciless tyrants have born the scepter , and reigned for many years over the inhabitants , and in church and state has bin hainous idolatry and superstitious vanities committed in a high nature and measure , and even all men , and states of men , and orders of men of every degree have been abominably corrupted in the sight of my lord , even from the pri●ce to the beggar , even rulers and subjects , teachers and people , judges and prophets ; they have been corrupted both in heart and hand , and they have dealt falsly and wickedly towards him , and towards one another , even to the great displeasure and vexation of him and his blessed spirit , and to the high provocation of him to their own destruction , if his long-suffering had not prevailed ; and all this while he hath laid as it were asleep , and at rest in himself : and he hath left men to try them , what they will do , and he hath gives them a day ; many kings and rulers he hath let them have a little time , to see how they would use it , but they have abused it , and not ruled for him , nor accomplished his work , nor fulfilled his will ; but acted even in defiance of him , and of his power , and to his great dishonour . alack ! i must be plain with you ; my lord hath been utterly exiled , and greatly dishonoured , and highly provoked and vexed by reason of such proceedings , as have been in this nation for this many years , through the corruption of all sorts of men in place and power , who have not ruled for him , but for the devil , to their own corrupted ends ; only he hath suffered men to go on●in their ▪ course for a season ; some as it were , appearing on the stage for a time , and suddenly cast down again for their iniquities sake ; and his hand hath been in all these things , though very privately and secertly , not known and discerned by the sons of men , yet hath he ruled over the kingdoms of men , and pulled down one , and set up another . and to for bear the several actings and proceedings , of many by-passed ages , and to come to this generation , and to speak of things that have happened within these few years , and of the changing and overturning that hath happened in this nation ; such was the cruelty , tyranny , oppression and idolatry , both in church and civil state , that the people of this nation were held under , in the dayes of papal-power ; such , i say , was the exceeding heighth of cruelty and tyranny of that time , that not any that feared or reverenced my lord , in any measure , could scarce live , or have a beeing in the nation ; even against every man , that did but in●line towards him , and desire the knowledge of his wayes , hell's mouth was opened against them , and they were swallowed up , and many of their lives taken from the earth , by the hellish power that had in that day usurped authority in this island ; and when thus it was , then he looked down from heaven , and his bowels of compassion were opened , for the sake of the oppressed people that desired after him , in so much that he broke , and threw down the power of their oppressors in some measure , as it stood in papall authority , and when the iniquity of that power was filled up , he took vengeance upon it ; and i must tell you , it was he that brought it about , even the destroying of that power in this nation , and freeing the nation from it , though the men that were instruments in the cause were not his servants , otherwise then as nebuchadnezzar served him , for he hath a secret way to have a service from the wicked , and such is his power , that he can turn the wickedness of the wicked to his glory , and he can make a rod to whipp his adversaries , and burn it when he hath done , and he ●ath often destroyed one wickedness by another . well , but to leave that , though he did in some measure free the nation from much tyranny and cruelty , in the casting out popish authority ; yet a lack ! the nation in a few years was near as much violated by injustice and cruelty , under the succeeding power , as ever it was once under the papal-power ; though before there had been some small reformation , and change in outward appearance , though little in ground and nature ; yet oppression , and idolatry , and superstition ●in church and state , and all prophaneness and wickedness among people , was grown so high , like as it had been under the papal power before ; and all that desired after the lord , and were weary of iniquity , and of the then present oppressions and idolatries , were persecuted , and slain , and destroyed , and injustice and cruelty exercised upon them , even almos● to to the rooting out of righteousness , and to the grieving of the lord's spirit : well then , because of the cry of the people , and the oppression of the nation under that authority , my lord looked down again , and even for his name 's sake , and for his seed's sake , he had compassion on this nation , to set it free , and to break off its oppressions ; and in a great measure he did deliver the people of this nation in many things , and there was a part of reformation wrought , and much pretended and looked for ; and all this came to pass through him , and my lord did accomplish it , however the instruments by which he wrought proved deceitful , and became oppressors , as others before them ; and though there was in this nation a day of great troubles , and wars , and contention , and great strife , and the wasting of much blood , and earthly treasure ; and none of these things , i must tell you , fell without the ordering of my master's hand ; yet so it was , and came to pass , that after this nation was restored to peace , though much unrighteousness and injustice was removed , yet there was much also left behind ; and men that he had used as instrument in his hand , in a good work , and to whom he had given wisdom and understanding , and appeared in much mercy and in great deliverance ; yet they even turned to seek themselves , and became corrupted in the spoils of their enemies , and when peace and plenty abounded the lord was forgotten again , and then the land fell under oppressors , and began again to cry out for freedom , even when other horns of the first beast sprang up , and went on each of them after his fellow ; and though one horn hath striven to break another , yet after one hath been cast down , another hath risen , and made an image to the first , and ruled and reigned by the same spirit and authority , derived from the dragon's power , in cruelty and oppression , and made laws , and executed them to the dishonour of the lord , and to the great oppression of his people , and to the filling of this island with injustice and cruelty , even from one generation to another , until this day : and thus up and down have times and seasons been altered , powers and authority changed and altered , statutes , laws and decrees changeable and alterable ; for as the iniquity of one power was filled up ▪ that was cast down , and another had its day , till the measure of the first was also filled up , that he might partake of the same iudgements . and in all these overturnings , breakings-down and overthrowings , the very hand of my lord hath been , though secretly , and not discerned , yet his power hath brought about , and suffered all these things to come to pass ; and who shall charge him with injustice ? or , who shall say , what hast thou done ? or , why hast thou done it ? for , as i have said , he is a high and mighty prince , and can do whatsoever he will ; and he is the supream power and authority , which rules and reigns in and over all the kingdoms of men. and what though he hath used wicked men , as an instrument , to accomplish his work , and made the wicked his rod , and even brought it to pass , that one wickedness should destroy another , and one oppressor break down another , and the kingdom of antichrist confound it self ; yet what of all these things ? all flesh must be silent before him , and all people , and the whole earth must be subject unto him ; for the government and dominion over heaven and earth is his , and all power and dominion belongeth to him alone , and all judgment is in his hand , to bring to pass whatsoever he will , and by whomsoever , as he pleaseth . but now , my friends , though i would not he tedious to you , yet must i tell you the truth , and faithfully deliver the lord's message unto you ; and as concerning this last overturning , there was something of the hand of my lord in it ; and he can , and will bring forth his own work and praise by it , and it shall be for the good of all his people , that wait upon him , though there was much ambition and corrupted ends in the instruments , and neither part were perfectly single to the lord in their proceedings ; but their work was tasted with the false idolatrous spirit of self-seeking : yet notwithstanding , the lord may bring forth his government , and his pleasant plant , through and beyond all this , even out of another root , which yet appears not among either of them ; and righteousness may arise in the nation , contrary to both of them , out of another stem , and he will set up his kingdom ; and in the mean time , leave one potsherd of the earth to break another . and as for you , that now sit on the throne , and bear rule , whether committy of safety ( so called ) chiefly , though it is not without my master ; for he hath the knowledge of it , at least ; yet you are not the only men of his choice , truly called of him to the place of government , neither is your government the government of the lamb , neither must it be forever established by him ; its foundation is not blessed , nor can its building be prosperous : for why ? alas , it is but another horn of that fourth beast , that hath been made to rule over the world , and upon the earth for many generations , and it is but hitherto a very little refined from the last , and is of the last , even as the eighth was of the seventh , spoken of by that servant , rev. . . and it may also make war with the lamb and his followers for a little season , and it may have a small measure of injustice and persecution to bring forth in the land , even till the words of god be fulfilled , and his kingdom be fully come ; the way of which is but yet preparing by all these overturnings : and this your present government originally is leavened with the spirit of the old dragon , that hath killed the saints , and drunk their blood , and how should the lord establish it ? nay , your kingd●● may prove but small and little , and full of uproars and troubles , and little 〈◊〉 and satisfaction and establishment in it to your selves , nor the people under you ; 〈◊〉 confusion will attend it , and fears will compass it about : though this i must tell you , as you are men , you have your day of tryal , what you will do , as many ●●●ers have had before you ; and something you may and ought to do , if but to make the whore ( the false church ) more naked , and to scourge her , more then some others have done ; and indeed my lord requires something more of you ( as such ) to do , then others before you could do ; and you have a price 〈◊〉 into your hands , which you may improve to the lord's honour , and to the nations good , and to your own happiness ; which if you be faithful to the lord , to do what he requires of you , and if you become meek and humble men , and ●●●r his name , and deny your selves , and not seek your own honours , nor ●●y ●●rthly advantage to your selves ; if you do thus , then my lord will shew mercy to you , and you shall not suddenly fall before your enemies , though many may 〈◊〉 up against you ; but your dayes shall be leng●hened , and the purpose of 〈◊〉 ●●●d may be turned to your longer continuance , and not to your sudd●n d●…ion ; and if you walk in this way , and rule only for the lord , then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be hoaoured as men , if not as an authority , and you and the nation 〈◊〉 in peace , and the force of the wick●d shall be turned backward , and 〈◊〉 shall not suddenly fall and the late sundry overturnings in this nation ●●y be examples to you , that you follow ●●t the steps of those that god hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , lest you come to the same end of confusion and misery : for , as con●●●●ing that assembly of men , that last sate on the throne , something was do●● by them in their day and time , and in both their assemblings , in some things they served my lord , and they were a rod in his hand to smite his enemies ; yet they were not faithful to the end ; till all his enemies were destroyed ▪ but rather joyned themselves to fight against the lord and his people , and were ●…ing on towards the way of oppression and persecution ; and it was time for the lord to remove them , and to lay them aside , as an empty vessel , sometime useful ; and to break them as a rod , some time of service to be a scourge upo● his enemies ▪ and when the day of their ▪ tryal was over , which god g●●e unto them , being any longer ( for present ) unfit instruments for his hand , then he cast them into the fire ; and this his purpose came to pass upon them : so that they and the whole nation may be contented , and yield themselves subject to what he hath done concerning them ; for they being entring into the very same s●●rit of wickedness , of oppression and persecution , which the lord had once reproved ●●●ough them , and cast out by them ; then was a r●d raised up against them , even as they had been against others , and they were dealt withal as they had done to ●●●ers ; and this was in the justice of my lord's hand ; and what hath mortal m●● to question his proceedings ? and though some of you ( present rulers ) be looked upon as great traytors and tyrants in your dealing towards them ; and doubtless the men of that part will seek vengeance against you , even by pre●c●ing and 〈◊〉 , and they will curse you in the name of their god , and seek continually yo●● destruction , as such as have taken away part of their strength , and cast down their 〈◊〉 ; but alas ! all this is nothing ; for the lord doth not account as men : for these things must needs thus come to pass , for the furtherance of the kingdom and government of iesus christ , that it may arise through all ; and if you were but faithful to what the lord requires of you , in your proceedings , what you have done ●●to them should not be reckoned on account against you , neither by god , nor good men. but and if you of the army be alwayes treacherous and diso●edient towards him , and abuse your power , and dis-regard your price , that god hath given you , and trifle away your hour about places of honour , and such self-seeking matters , and the cause of god be neglected by you , and his people continued oppressed sufferers under you , as they have long been ; even then shall you be cast aside with shameful disgrace , and the heavy hand of the lord shall be upon you in iudgment , and you shall be smitten more then any before y●● ; your estates shall not be spared from the spoiler , nor your souls from the pit , nor y●… persons from the violence of men , no , nor your necks from the axe : for if you be unfaithful , and continually treacherous to the cause of god , then shall you be left to the will of your enemies , and they shall charge treachery and treason upon you , and your persons and estates shall be given for a prey to your enemies ; and you shall 〈◊〉 deliver your selves , neither will the lord deliver you from the execution of merciless men ; for my lord shall leave the cruel-hearted to plead with you . wherefore that you may be warned , i advise you to be faithful , let not the cause of god fall , nor the cause of his enemies prosper before you ; for there is no other way whereby you can be preserved , nor no other defence shall you ever find from the wrath of the lord , and from the fury of you devouring enemies , then your faithfulness in god's cause ; and therefore relieve the oppressed , and take off all oppressions , break down all unjust laws , and set all people free from unjust burdens , and let all oppressions cease , both in church and civil state ; and even all oppressive laws , and unjust judges , and evil men in power , let all this be removed , and the nation clean quitted and discharged even from all men and laws whatsoever , that have held under oppression the persons , estates and consciences of the good people of this land ; and let the nation be corrected , and all orders and places of men , and laws , and decrees be purified ; for this my lord , the great king , requireth , and he will suddenly have it brought to pass in the nation , if not by you , then contrary to you , and to your utter destruction : and this is the very subst●●ce of my message to you , that my master hath given me to say unto you ; and on his behalf i am come to claim of you my master 's long lost right ; let him have his right , from which he hath long been banished , i demand it of you , all ye whatsoever , that seem to bear rule in the nation ; i charge you in his name , let him have his title and prerogative , let him be lord and king wholy in his own kingdom , let him have the exercise of his people's consciences by his own spirit in all things related to his worship and service , and let him have the full authority by his spirit in all things pertaining to church , and ministry , and faith and religion ; and let his spirit have the alone authority to perswade and diswade people from or to such or such ministry , worship and practices of religion ; and let all forced maintenance to ministers , and tythes , be speedily taken away ; and let all laws and decrees whatsoever , made and practized in the days of antichrist upon the bodies , estates and consciences of the people , in oppression and unjustness about church , and worship and religion , be utterly repealed , and made void , and never more be in force in this nation : but let my lord be sole ruler and governour , and have the full authority in his own kingdom , in all things whatsoever pertaining thereunto ; and let no man henceforth hereafter be intrusted with the liberties of the members of christ's kingdom , as they are such , nor to judge over them in any matters of faith and worship , but give that right and priviledge wholy unto the spirit of jesus christ ; for unto him onely it pertaineth , to be whole judge , and to have full power in his own kingdom , and until you give him the right , and deliver up unto him his own kingdom , and the exercise of peoples consciences in all things about religion , you shall never prosper , nor none that cometh after you , that shall in any measure abridge my master of his proper right , from which he hath long been banished , as i have said ; and till his right be given him , in the case aforesaid , he will dash one man against another , and none shall ever be established , but horn after horn shall be broken , and one power after another brought into c●●●●sion . and therefore , ye men , do not strive with him in this matter , but yield unto 〈◊〉 the exercise of your own consciences by his spirit in you , and let him do 〈◊〉 ●●to all others , even as ye hope to prosper , and upon the penalty of his sore d●●●leasure upon you in this world , and in the world to come ; and let j●●● men , and righteous men , and meek men , and men that have the fear and wisdom of god in them , without exceptation of birth , or otherwise ; 〈◊〉 such men have the power and judgment committed to them , to determine in things between man and man. down with all the false-hearted flatterers , that 〈◊〉 ruled for man , and not for god , and for themselves , and not for the good of the people ; cast all such out from among you ; for the good among you is choaked by them : down with all that judge for rewards ; and away with 〈◊〉 hireling rulers , that execute the law for money , and will not plead 〈◊〉 cause of the poor without great fees : and down with all that will not 〈◊〉 places of trust , without so large stipends ; away with all these things out of the land ; for they are hainous oppressions unto men , and great abo●…ons in the sight of god , and the land hath long groaned under the w●ight and burden of these things , and the earth is weary of them , and my lord ●…iers their utter dissolution , as being iniquities fully ripe , and having the g●il● of so much cruelty , injustice and oppression lying upon the nation because hereof , therefore is the lord's season to destroy them , and remove them out of the land ; which if you he the instruments in such a work , it will be your greatest crown , and your perpetual honour ; for the lord's purpose is 〈◊〉 ●●y or other to cleanse the land of all these , and other oppression whatsoever , that the people of this land may be a free people , from all the heavy y●… of antichrist , which have long sorely pressed them down ; and the purpose of the lord is , to break the yoaks of oppression and tyranny , from off the necks of this people ; and therefore it is that he overturneth , yea , and will overturn all men and authorities that shall oppose his work , and none shall be 〈◊〉 to stand before him ; for the presence of my lord is more dreadful to a nation , when he shews himself in wrath , then any multitude of armed men : and wo is unto you , if you be found opposing of him ; and if you seek to stop his work , you shall not cumber the earth very long , nor oppress the nations ma●● 〈◊〉 . wherefore consider , cursed will you be , if you be unfaithful in what 〈◊〉 have to do on the lord's behalf ; for your hour passeth ever , that is alotted you , and will be suddenly expired , never to be recalled , and then you cannot work . and whereas there is a great cry about ministry , for sending forth , and main●…ng , and encouraging a godly ministry , as you say . now to this i do answer on my lord's behalf , and i must tell you plainly ; as for a true godly ministry , truly called and s●nt of god , such a ministry and such mi●isters you can never be able to hinder ; but the lord will send them out , ●●●●taining them and preserving them , whether you will or no ; and while you are ●●●●bling your selves about such a matter , you are but meddling with things above your line , and out of your jurisdiction , while you act in such a case ; 〈◊〉 it belongs to his goverment , to send out ministers , whom , and as he will , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 maintain them and defend them according to his own pleasure , and all this without you ; for such ministers , truly called thereunto , and sent of the lord , will not seek to you to be sent forth , or maintained by you , they will not be beholding to you in such a case ; but even without you , and contrary to you must they be sent out , and maintained : so that the lord will have a ministry in this nation purely of his own , and not of man , nor by man , and such a ministry you shall not be able to hinder . and i must tell you plainly , as for these men , called ministers , in this nation , the way of their setting up , and sending forth ; and the way of their maintenance , and the way of their standing and defence , and in every particular of their being such , they are the greatest and most woful oppression in the nation , even the most abominable and unjust cruelties and tyrannies is acted through them , as any other thing in the nation ; and they are ( as such aforesaid ) the woful cause of the nations groaning under merciless dealing ; and there is upon their account the guilt of blood , injustice and oppression lying upon this nation ; their inqiuities , their iniquities cry for vengeance upon their own heads ; for they are full , they are full , and the measure thereof is near finished , and god's eternal vengeance is their next reward , from the eternal god. what shall i say of them , but this ? the earth is oppressed by them , the inhabitants groan under them , and the righteous god is vexed through them , and they are the very men of high indignation and fierce wrath , and all their practices ( as such ) are the fewel of his anger , to be consumed by the fire of his jealousie ; the nation is weary , and its inhabitants , and the lord is weary because of these men : and is this the ministry cryed up by you as godly , and pi●●● & c ? are these the men that the nation must be forced to maintain in their pride and idolatry ? is this the ministry that must be encouraged ? well , if these be the men , and this the ministry which must be established and encouraged by you , in so doing you shall never prosper , but thereby gain the displeasure of the almighty unto you , to bring a curse upon all your doings , even because hereof ; for i must tell you , the hand of my lord is against them ; and whosoever shall seek to defend them , shall not prosper in their doings , because their oppressions , cruelties , deceit and abominations are nigh finished and fulfilled : wherefore take ●●ed unto your selves , for this is my master's advice unto you ; let this ministry alone , and joyn not your selves to baal , lest you perish , neither take part with antichrist any longer , neither be ye fighters against the lamb and his kingdom ; but free the nation , and let all its inhabitants be freed from the cruel tasks and yoaks of such men , and such a ministry , as aforesaid ; uphold it not against the lord ; for if you do , you shall never be established ; and this is from the mouth of my lord unto you . and last of all , my master hath a people in this nation , even a suffering people , that have born the burden of the cruelty , and injustice , and wickedness both of rulers and teachers , who have as it were trodden them down , and made them a very prey to their devouring mouthes ; the very cry of their sufferings have reached unto heaven , and the very sound thereof your ears have heard : and this people are greatly beloved , and my lord will assuredly honour them , and his hand shall be continued to preserve them and defend them against all their enemies whatsoever ; and he doth reserve them to himself , and for a glorious work , that he hath to do by them ; and he hath formed them for himself , and they cannot joyn with any of the horns of the great beast , neither can a place of honour pervert them from their perfect way : but my lord , he compasseth them about on every side , and hath kept them in the midst of tryals , reproaches and sufferings , and covered them in the heat , and in the storm , till his pleasure is to make further use of them ; they are his , and not their own ; and they must fulfil his will , and none besides ; and they lie at rest in him , while mountains are overturned , and while one potsherd of the earth breaks another ; and this must be even till the appointed time : and to say no more of them , though much more might be said , they are had in remembrance before the lord , to do with them even for his own glory , and for this nation 's perpetual good , and to the authority of the most high , through them , shall kings of the earth , and nations of the world bow and tremble ; wherefore ye men , touch them not , neither do ye afflict them , even as you hope to prosper ; remember their cause , and suffer it not alwayes to be rejected , as it hath long been , but keep your selves free from the injustice and cruelty of them that have gone before you , who have been merciless , and oppressors of that people , even till my lord hath confounded them , and brought them into confusion ; for there is the weight of blood , of tyranny and oppression lying upon the nation in that people's cause , and my lord will revenge them in his season ; and though they are not weary of their sufferings , but are in the patience which beareth all things , yet the nation can never be happy , nor its government ever blessed , while this people are held in bondage ; and their sufferings are deeply considered of the lord , and the season thereof is expiring towards an 〈◊〉 ; a●d when this cometh to pass , then wo unto the kingdom of antichrist , and to the whore and false prophet , even when their strength is dryed up , by which they have made war against the lamb , and his followers ; yea , wo unto them , great fearfulness shall be upon all the world when the king of that people reigns upon the earth , and the time is at hand ; blessed is the man that wait●●● 〈◊〉 it , and blessed is he that is not offended in his coming , but is prepar●● 〈◊〉 receive him in his appearing , which suddenly cometh upon all the world. and thus i have told the lord's present message unto you , which i received from him , and thus far i am clear ; and whether you accept it , or reject it , my peace and reward is forever with him ; who am a subject of his kingdom , and a frie●● to this nation , however otherwise judged by ignorant men. edw. burroughs . the th moneth , . to the present distracted and broken nation of england , and to all her inhabitants : a presentation and declaration from the seed of god , and from the people called quakers ; with their sense and knowledge published , concerning the present divisions and confusions come to pass in the land ; with mourning and lamentation over it because of its breaches , and the causes thereof laid down , and discovered . and also , good counsel and advice held forth , how peace and unity may be restored , and how the present troubles may be removed . oh ! poor distressed nation , and full of troubles ; how art thou broken and divided ? how hath divisions and distractions compassed thee about , and entred into thy bowels ? and how are thy inhabitants and thy people divided , even to hatred one against another ? and how are they filled , as with mischief , one towards another , even as it were thirsting for the blood of one another ? oh! how are thy rulers and thy subjects , thy great men and thy poor , confounded amongst themselves ? and how is the wisdom of thy wise men turned into folly , and their union into present contention ? and how do they seek the overthrow one of another ? and how do they lie in wait to be avenged one against another ? and how are the hearts of many filled with envy , contention and revenge ; and love , peace and unity are far away ; meekness , patience , and long-suffering , which ought to be among thy people , seem to stand afar off ? and oh nation ! this is the day of thy trouble , and the beginning of thy sorrows . and forasmuch as it hath pleased the lord god almighty , to bring , and suffer things thus to be brought to pass , as if he would make our nation a heap , and suffer destruction upon it ; and having suffered the rulers and great men to overcome and break down one another , and to rend and tear one another from o●● the throne , pulling down others , and setting up themselves , even through their ambition and vain-glory , and for corrupted ends to themselves , whereby this our nation is brought into present confusion ; and many are begotten , through these ●hings , into fury , heart-burnings and maliciousness , as if men were ready to devour each one his neighbour and their ▪ brother about government and ru●e , being greatly divided and distracted in this matter ; some crying up one way of religion and church , and civil government , and some crying up another way ; being each one sort of people seeking themselves , and the prosperity of their own interests , and to have their own desires accomplished ; but few seeking the lord , and to advance him in truth and righteousness : and because of this , there is no establishment in the earth , but strife , and contention , and heart-burnings in the bowels of the nation , and great want of true love , true unity , and true peace , and all the contrary doth abound among the people ; because of which the nation is subject to present misery , even to blood-shed and murders , and liable also to greater judgments , which may also come upon it because of these things ; all which we have deeply considered ●●th mourning , and with breakin gs of heart , on the behalf of the nation , the land of our nativity ▪ we have seen , we have seen the cause of thy distractions to be the sins of thy rulers and people ; and we have seen the effect of them to be doleful and miserable unto thee , except the hand of the lord turn it backward . and oh ! how do we mourn and la●ent , to see the out ▪ goings of men ▪ and the present condition of the people and rulers , in this the day of their trouble ? alas ! they do not behave themselves towards the lord that his judgments may be turned away , they do not seek him in truth and righteousness , they do not turn unto him with all their hearts , neither do they tremble at his word ; but they the rather reject his counsel , and despise his visitation , and they seek themselves , and exalt their own horn , and love the honour of this world , and their hearts are hardened , and the great men seem to be utterly insensible of what the lord is a doing ; but seek great things for themselves , and each one rejoying of another's fall , and glorying in their advantages one over another ; one sort being first down , and another sort comes up , boasting themselves over the fall of their enemies , and not knowing that their time also is but very short . and thus is our poor nation tossed to and fro , through the ambition of men , who even make a prey upon the poor peoples persons and treasure for their own corrupted ends ; and thy rulers have not had respect unto the counsel of the lord , but seem to refuse the way of peace , and even add fewel to the fire of god's wrath , by heaping up one transgression upon another , and they receive not the instructions of the almighty . behold , oh nation ! great trouble is upon thee , and the men that should rule thee , and which have pretended to govern thee , they do not walk in the way of thy peace , neither do they bring healing to thee . these things we have considered , and thus we lament over thee , and over thy present state ; oh nation ! how art thou like an ungirded vessel , that is ready to fall one piece from another ? and how art thou like a body without a head , and all thy ioynts out of order ? and what confusion art thou fallen into , which is thy present state , and art even as a widdow without a husband , and art even left comfortless unto this day , and ready to devour thy self through the envy that lodgeth in thy own bowels ? though thou hast had kings over thee , and chosen thee parliaments , and set up protectors , and committees and councils have been created in thee , to have been as a defence upon thee , and to have born the scepter of thy government ; but alas ! all these have left thee , and thou art now as alone , and left comfortless , even as a widow unto this day , and the staff of thy hand hath pierced thee , and thy strength and confidence hath betrayed thee , and them whom thou hast chosen have wrought no deliverance at all in thee , even the men that thou thoughtest should have healed thee , they have made thy wound more incurable , and they in whom thou hast reposed trust , they have been deceitfull and treacherous in thee ; for many have sought themselves , and who should be the greatest , and they have trisfled away many precious hours in vain contentions about government , what it should be , and who should govern , while as no good thing hath been effected by them ; but in the mean time of their delayes , and while they have been making themselves rich with the nations treasure , and loved this worlds perishing honor , and vain titles , the nation hath starved for want of mercy and just judgment , and the cause of its necessity hath been forgotten , and mercy and truth , and the freedom of the people neglected , and the cause of the fatherless , widow and stranger , and the cause of the afflicted people have they not respected : oh nation , the men that have sitten on thy throne , they have left thee groaning under great oppressions , wounded with the spirit of tyranny yet un-cast out , and thy people are yet unhealed , but the breach hath been made wider , even by that spirit which hath possessed thy parliaments , thy protectors , thy councils , thy committees , who hath proved physitians of no value , but have bin the increasers of thy grief , and even because of their iniquities ; and the sin of their ambition and oppression hath the lord dealt thus with them , and suffered them to dash one another in pieces ; and through judgment unto themselves and thee , oh nation , are they at present ceased from thee , and thou art left alone , and without a deliverer in the earth , full of troubles and distractions : oh that thou wouldst now look unto the lord , and seek him in righteousness , that he may heal thee ; for there is none of all them that do pretend to rule thee , that do rightly proceed in the way of thy deliverance , they do not apply healing balm unto thy wound , they rather add unto the cause of thy sorrow , then remove it from thee ; their hearts are not aright before the lord , and how then should they prosper in their doings . all these things have we viewed , and pittied the condition of our nation , and thus we do declare the very cause of these things that are come to pass in thee is in that , oh nation , thou hast sinned , thou hast sinned , and the cry of thy iniquities is come up before the lord , even the sins of thy rulers and thy people is the cause of god's displeasure against thee , and he is provoked through their transgressions ; in thee is found the blood of the innocent , in thee is found the murder of souls , in thee is found treachery against god , and hypocrisie & dissimulation with god and men ; in thee is found pride & oppression , whoredom and drunkenness , stealing and murder ; in thee is found the very burden of iniquity , & the full measure of transgression , even the transgression of god's whole law ; deceit is found in thee , & unsoundness of heart , & unconstancy in all good things ; multitude of hypocritical fastings , prayers and services in thee is found ; even destroying sins of all sorts do abound , and thou hast provoked the lord god by thy abominations : thy rulers have been oppressors , thy teachers deceivers of souls , and thy people are froward and perverse against the lord ; in thee is found the men that judge for rewards , and the priests that preach for hire , and the prophets that divine for money ; thy sins are like israel's of old for number and greatness , and thou hast lost god's favour , and gained his fury by thy own doings , and thou art the very cause of this misery , and hast brought it upon thy self ; and because thou art departed from the living god by thy transgression , therefore hath he confounded thee , and turned thy wisdom into folly ; and he is departed from thee , and out of thy councils , and men are left to the counsels of their own hearts , and as it were ready to destroy one another , ruler against ruler , and neighbour and friend full of strife one against another ; and this is happened unto thee as a judgment for thy iniquities , who hast also nelected a gloririous day of visitation ; thy rulers and inhabitants have been warned , and the cry of repentance hath been sounded towards them all by a despised people , but warning hath not been regarded , but the word of the lord rejected by thy rulers and people ; and lo , what wisdom is there in them ? not so much wisdom from god as can preserve them ; but it may be just with the lord to suffer them to drink the blood one of another , even because they have sinned against god , and rejected his counsel , therefore is this come to pass in the nation ; for hadst thou , o● nation , walked in the light of the lord , it had been better with thee ; had every one obeyed the light in his own conscience ; and had every one sought the lord , and not himself ; had thy rulers ruled for god , and had thy people been ruled of god , then this day had not been a day of trouble , but it had been a day of joy ; and sorrow and anguish had been removed far from thee , and blessings had filled thy habitations . and now whereas many wise men have been advising and consulting the peace of this our nation , and they have given in their counsel for removing these troubles , yet peace and unity seems to be far away , and though they have sought peace for this nation , yet they have not walked in the perfect way thereof ; for innocency , truth , and simplicity have bin wanting , which god only will bless , and by flatteries and deceits , and the pollicy and wisdom of this world have they thought to make up thy breach , but it cannot be ; for in the way of that proceeding will not the lord be found in a needful time , and his presence hath been wanting in their counsels , and therefore the fruit of peace is not yet grown up , this we have seen , and therefore thus we do declare . o nation , the inward cause of thy destractions must be removed , even thy iniquities must be forsaken , and thy transgressions repented of ; thou must forsake thy former wayes and doings that are not right ; thou must leave off thy hypocrisies and flatteries with god and men ; thou must repent thee of thy profaneness , and of thy profession also ; thy sin and thy righteousness must thou put away , which are both abominations unto god ; thou must cease to do evil , and learn to do well , and thou must be uncovered of thy sheeps cloathing , thy large profession of religion , and the multitude of thy prayers and sermons , and the number of thy oblations and offerings , these things have not been pleasant unto the lord from thee , but because hereof is he the rather provoked against thee , and thou must be stripped of thy filthy garments , and set as in the day that thou wast born , before thou canst be cloathed with divine righteousness : and o nation , thou must be changed , not in name onely , but in nature ; thou must be converted , that the wrath of the lord may be turned back from thee ; every inhabitant in thee must become a fighter against the evil in his own heart , and the plague thereof must be sought out and removed ; the sin must be forsaken that judgement may cease , and every one must cease to provoke the lord , and no longer vex his spirit within them ; and every one must love the light of christ in his own conscience , and become a follower of it , that will lead him out of all sin ; and every man must put off his transgressions , and forsake himself , and lay down the enmity , and cast it out of his heart that he hath against persons , and he must war against the enemies of his own soul , and the enemies of his 〈◊〉 house must be ●●ain , even his own lusts , and even the evil affections of his own heart must he become an enemy unto ; and every man must deny the false teachers and deceivers , and must come to be taught of the lord , every one must turn to him , and come into his covenant , and hear his word , and obey his voice , and become humble and meek , and must tremble at the word of the lord , aad must become upright and innocent . and o nation , if it were thus with thee , then shouldst thou be a happy people ; if thou dost these things , then shall all thy breaches be healed , and thy sorrows be turned into joy , and the lord shall cease to smite thee , and his anger shall be turned clean away . this is our counsel unto thee , remove thy iniquities by repentance , be converted to the lord , and he shall heal thee , and his love shall be shed abroad ; peace , plenty and satisfaction● , unity and concord shall be unto all thy inhabitants , and the lord himself shall be thy king , thy judge and thy law-giver : he will judge thee with equity , and not with oppression ; he will teach thee in the perfect way , and thou shalt not err , he will defend thee from all thy enemies : oh nation , if thou do these things , even turn to the lord with all thy heart , that he may walk in thee , and dwell in thee , then should thy light break out of obscurity , and the dew of mercies shall fall upon thee , and it should be unto thee as a morning without clouds , and thou shouldest be refreshed after all thy sorrow ; the nation should be happy , and the people blessed , and the government of peace and truth should be established , never to be confounded any more . and thus thy iniquities being removed , the plague should cease , and the cause of destruction being taken away , no fruit thereof should appear ; wherefore let men cease to hatch mischief one against another , and to seek vengeance one of another , and let them seek with all speed and sincerity to get victory over their own sins , and vengeance may be taken upon their own transgressions ; and this is our councel for the healing of our nations breach , and for turning away the anger of the lord. but and if , o nation , thou continuest in thy perversness , and in transgressions which the lord hates ; and if thou wilt not turn to him that smites thee , and love his rod that corrects thee , but wilt always grieve the spirit of the lord , and be obstinate & stout-hearted against the lord , and his reproofs ; and if thou wilt continue in thy accustomed sins , then shall the reward thereof be upon thee , even breach upon breach , and one judgment upon another ; and mercy shall be with-holden from thee , and the dew shall not fall upon thee , but thou shalt be as a barren heath , and thou shalt be given up to consume thy self in mischief , and in thy heart-burnings one towards another ; if thou wilt set up rulers of thy own proud and ambitious men , and will not chuse the lord to rule over thee , but reject him and his people , then shall thy breach never be healed by the men whom thou chusest , but through them shall thy breach be more desperate , and thy wound be made more incurable ; and if thou wilt set up teachers that teach for filthy lucre , and prophets that divine for money , and priests that preach for hire , and will not receive the covenant of the lord , and him to be thy teacher by his spirit , then shalt thou err in thy ways , and stumble and fall , and never know perfect peace with god , nor one with another ; but as thou lovest oppression and deceit , and walkest in transgression , so shall it be unto thee , and thou must eat the fruit of thy own doings , misery upon miseries shall be upon thee , and thus shalt not see the face of the almighty to refresh thee : wherefore , o nation ! consider , before the night comes upon thee , when no way will be found by thee to be dilivered ; for in the middst of thy confusions god is a working ; he hath a work to bring forth , which shall be a work of great mercy and deliverance , or of sorrow and of great judgment , even to the whole land. and as for us , we hereby declare unto thee , we are not thy enemies , we seek not thy hurt , nor do we desire vengeance upon our enemies , we seek not thy destruction ; but we desire thy repentance , that thou mayst be healed : we have not the spirit of mischief and rebellion in our hearts towards thee , neither are we for one party or another , nor do we side with one sort against another , neither do we joyn our selves to this sort or the other , nor do we war against any by carnal weapons , neither shall we ever provoke the nation against us , otherwise then by our righteous and holy walking ; and we do declare , that we are not for men nor names , nor shall we joyn with this or that sort of men , but as they act righteousness alone ; nor any thing that yet appears , can we fully embrace or rejoyce in ; for they are all corrupted in their ways , and that cursed spirit of self-seeking seems to be the rule of , and to leaven their principal actions ; and we rather yet chuse to suffer by all , as for a long time we have done alreapy , then to lose our integrity and innocency , by joyning to any in their unjust ways ; for we reject all places of corrupted honour , and we are yet kept free . it is true , we are a people gathered of the lord into one spirit , and though a people little in account , and very low in reputation , and greatly reproached , and 〈◊〉 suffering people by all sorts of men , yet we are a people loved of the lord , and his presence is among us , and his dread filleth our hearts ; and though we are ●…ed as a cast-out people , yet are we dreadful unto the wicked , and must be their fear ; for we have chosen the son of god to be our king , and he hath chosen us to be his people ; whose kingdom is not of this world , neither is his warfare with carnal weapons , neither is his victory by the murdering and killing of mens persons ; but we are given up to bear and suffer all things for his name 's sake ; and our present glory and renown therein stands till the appointed time of our deliverance , without the arm of flesh , or any multitude of an host of men ; this we declare : and oh nation , though we have born thy reproaches these many years , and have passed under the rod of thy wicked ru●●●s and people , and have been afflicted through their hard-heartedness , though we never have provoked thee otherwise , then by our well doing ; and though per●… , imprisonments , whippings , banishments , and all hard things have been out portion from thee , yet this hath been for righteousness sake , and not for any evil-doing ; and we have born all these things in much patience ; and we are not now provoked against thee , to seek thy hurt , or to work evil is thee ; and though thou hast smitten us , yet would we have thee to be healed ; and though thou hast sought to destroy us , yet would we have thee to repent , and be saved : and we are at this day thy mourners , and are afflicted for thee in our hearts , even because thou hast provoked the lord against thee , though we do rejoyce in the judgments which smites thee , yet we mourn for thee who hath deserved such wofull stripes , and also because thou refusest the way of peace , and countest them that reprove thee even thy enemies , and hardnest thy heart against god's instructions , and counteth his free-born people thy bondslaves , who hath not any large portion , nor great places of honour in this nation , nor any thing to glory in from thee but sufferings , afflictions and tribulations : where is the place in this nation that we have not been reproached ? in what street have we not been reviled ? and in what prison have we not been unjustly imprisoned ? and among what sort of people have not we been hated ? and what one of thy judges & rulers can clear themselves before the lord from the guilt of our unjust sufferings ? o nation , our portion in thee for these many 〈◊〉 hath been thy cruel reproaches ; our greatest place of honour in thee hath been under thy cruel oppressions , and these things , and the guilt thereof will god charge upon thee , and reward thee for , one time or other ; yet notwithstanding all this , our present desires for thee are good , and not evil , that thou mayst be saved , and not destroyed ; healed , and not wounded unrecoverably ; and we would not add unto thy grief by any just provocation , through any evil towards thee ; neither would we work offence in thee , further then what thou takest for righteousness sake , and for the exercise of our pure conscience . and though there hath been in this nation divers and sundry overturnings of 〈◊〉 days , and some have been turned out , and others brought into place , each one sort of them crying against the evil of another , and promising to accomplish such and such good things in this nation ; yet alas , what is there effected unto this day ? what freedom and true liberty to subjects more then was many years ago ? what oppressions taken off from the people ? what establishment in government ? alas , not any of these things are accomplish'd , neither see we a right thing pr●…ded , & rightly prosecuted by any party yet appearing ; but the cause hardly yet appears carryed on by any among them , which can be said of it , this is of the lord , and is perfectly right , and the lord will prosper it : for the most of the men that have yet appeared on the throne , they have rejected the word of the lord , and his counsel ; and what wisdom is there in them ? only the policy , and subtilty and wisdom of this world , wherein they build , but the lord throweth 〈◊〉 even before it be finished ? and they consult therein , and the lord dasheth to 〈◊〉 ; they set up , but he pulls down , because they want his spirit and wisdom , and his authority amongst them ; and they are as the potsherds of the earth , that the iron rod must break in pieces . and this we declare , the men ( yet ) seem not to appear in all these parties which are worthy to handle the lord's scepter , and to be crowned with the honour of authority in his government ; but even this part ) and the other party seems to be unworthy to rule for the lord ; for they appear to be choaked with the honour of this world , and corrupted thereby , and uncapable of receiving that anointing that men must have that shall truly rule for god : and though many in our dayes , that have ruled over us , have promised great things to the nation , yet we see all hitherto have wanted power to perform , and have not been blessed with the presence of the lord , so as this nation hath not been healed and redeemed by them ; and we are utterly out of all hopes of this party or the other party , of this man or that man , to bring salvation unto this nation , from all its bonds and oppressions ; for we know , whatsoever men profess to do , yet they cannot perform any good thing , nor rule for god in our nation , till that themselves be reformed and ruled by him , and have the spirit of god pourred upon them for such a work : and this we declare , till that a man , or men , be ruled of the lord , they can never rightly rule for him , nor bring deliver once and freedom to an oppressed nation ; though men may and have promised much , yet their fruit is but little ; and thou , o nation , hast long been deceived by such men , who have flattered thee with the multitude of fair words , and promised thee deliverance : and hereby mightest thou learn wisdom , o england , never more to rest under the shadow of such men ; make no more a mountain to cover thy self ; rest no more under the shadow of dead trees , that want the vertue of god ; but now look at the living god , and wait for that king of righteousness and peace , whose right alone i●●s to rule ; for he alone can bring salvation to thee , he alone can heal thy breaches , even iesus christ , whose coming is at the door : and in the mean time , o nation , while he is absent , thou art dry , and barren , and empty , thou art tossed and shaken , and thou art tossed and perplexed , and canst not be rightly comforted ; for men shall not be a rest unto thee , but one after another shall they be overturned ; for it is the lord alone , and under his government shall people find rest and freedom from all oppression : for , what is a king ? and what is a parliament ? what is a protector ? and what is a council , or any other sort of men , while the presence of the lord is not with them , and while his spirit and authority is wanting to them ? what can any of these bring forth ? none of all these whatsoever , if the lord be not chief in them and amongst them , and his counsel their only guide , shall be any otherwise unto this nation , then as a broken reed to lean upon , and no more then a shaddow , which shall not save the people from the heat , nor from the storm ; this we know , and this we declare in the name of the lord. and we are not for names , nor men , nor titles of government , nor are we for this party , nor against the other , because of its name and pretence ; but we are for iustice and mercy , and trust and peace , and true freedom , that these may be exalted in our nation ; and that goodness , righteousness , meekness , temperance , peace and unity with god , and one with another , that these things may abound , and be brought forth aboundantly : such a government are we seeking and waiting for , wherein truth and righteousness , mercy and iustice , unity and love , and all the fruits of holiness may abound ; and all the contrary be removed , cast out , and limitted : and we are not for such and such names and titles of government , that promise fair things , and perform nothing ; but if a council , if a parliament , if any one man , or a number of men whatsoever , shall have the spirit of the lord poured on him or them , and shall be anointed of the lord for such an end and use , to govern this nation , under such only shall the nation be happy , and enjoy rest from such men fitted of the lord , and called by him ; and under such a government of truth and righteousness shalt thou o nation , enjoy rest from all thy travels ; and under such a government shall the righteous rejoyce , and the whole land sing for joy of heart , when tyranny and oppression shall be clean removed , strife and contention and self-seeking utterly abandoned , and when peace and truth flows forth as a stream , and the lord alone rules in thy rulers , and he the principal amongst them ; and under such men , and such a government only , and not under any other , shalt thou , o nation , be happy , and thy people a free people . wherefore , o nation , when wilt thou begin to look to the lord ? when wilt thou begin to set up him , and not man ? when wilt thou mind his power and presence in and through men , more then any men themselves ? when shall it once be , o ye people of our nation , that ye will seek after him , to be the principal and chief power among you ? oh! let your eye be turned to the lord alone , that he may deliver you , and bring salvation and freedom ; and look no more at men , but only as they are in him , guided by his spirit , & only expect good from men as they are guided by the lord ; and then shall you not ever any more be deceived , as long you have been with parliaments , with councils , with armies , nor any others ; for , in these have you trusted , and not in the lord ; from these have you expected great things without him , whenas , alas ! what shall men accomplish ? or , what can they bring forth while they reject the counsel of the lord , and his word , as hitherto they have done ? and therefore hath he broke them , and confounded them ; yea , and he will break them and crush them under his rod , even till they come to learn his judgments , and know him the alone power , and give honour to him that doth whatsoever he will ; and he will overthrow it once and again , even till he comes , whose right it is to rule , and he is at work in this his day ; and because of iniquities doth he visit with tribulation , and through great tribulation , and overturning of men and powers , will he advance his own kingdom and government ; and the end of all these things shall bring forth his glory ; and men that will not honour him , by dealing righteously in their day upon earth , they must honour him in their destruction at their latter-end ; and let not men glory one over another , while some are put down , and others set up ; but let them all know , they have but each sort their hour , and their end will come even as others : for an everlasting kingdom and government will god setup , that must rule over all , and this is the hope of a poor dispised people , though for present hated of all , and sought to be destroyed by all , yet our souls are anchored and staid even in the sure promises of our god , in this the day of the nations trouble ; and though we are poor , and rejected of all , and have nothing to glory in among any party or sort of people , but even in our reproaches and sufferings which we sustain from all , yet have we perfect rest in god , and satisfaction over all these distractions , we know him in whom we have believed , and we trust in the shadow of his wing , and we are not of a doubting heart concerning what can come , or whomsoever do rule , for this we know , though all seek after our blood , yet he can deliver us if he will ; we know him that can do all things , and if he save none can destroy , if he bless none can curse ; him we know , and in him we rest , and we give our power in all things to him , & not unto mortal man whose breath is in his nostrils , who must perish as the dung ; we cannot be afraid of their horror , nor can we be drawn by their love , but we trust in his name , and under his defence shall we be saved ; we give our power to him , to be defended and preserved by him alone , and we are well content with our sufferings , and murmur not , our sufferings are our present crown ; but yet , wo unto that authority which maketh us to suffer , and wo 〈◊〉 the men upon whom god shall charge the guilt of our oppressions ; and wo unto that spirit that is found acting against gods anointed : behold ye mountains of the earth , behold ye rulers , and ye people , the lord hath blessed his people , and every tongue that riseth up in witness against them shall be condemned , and every weapon that is formed against them shall be broken ; this is our hope in this gloomy day , and the hope of a kingdom of righteousness and peace which must be set up , is our refreshment in this day of trouble ; and let not our enemies glory over us , forthough we be very poor , yet shall we be made rich , and though we have no carnal weapon , yet shall we conquer ; and thus have we declared our selves in much plainness and sincerity to our nation whom we love , and whose present condition we pitty and and lament over , and we are friends to an appearance of good , that may come forth in truth and sincerity , and as righteousness do appear in any , we are ready to joyn with it in our prayers and desires , yea , and otherwise ; even that which hath the image of our god upon it , whenever it shall appear , we shall rejoyce therein , and be glad to see it prosper : for , for the establishing of righteousness in the earth have we laboured ; and it cannot be charged upon us , that we have sided with one or another ; for we have beheld all hitherto out of the right way , as we have said ; but we truly seek the general good of our nation : and though we are accounted so and so , yet we have not lost true reason nor understanding ; but we well know what is wrong , and what would be right , even in way of government ; but the time appears not to be yet , when innocency and simplicity of heart can be embraced ; for men are yet too wise in their own wisdom , and cannot receive the counsel of the lord , that they may prosper , and therefore are they , and must they be confounded amongst themselves , and dashed one against another , till they learn the way of righteousness and truth . the substance of this was given forth the twentieth day of the tenth moneth , . being moved of the lord by his spirit thereunto , through edward burroughs . a presentation to london . being an answer to the young-men and apprentices ; returned to some part of their petition and address , directed by them to the mayor , aldermen and common-council assembled : and this is directed to them , for their better information ; and to the citizens of london , for their better satisfaction , if the lord shall so work upon their hearts , as to bring them to moderation and the spirit of meekness , fit for his instructions . whereas you say , it hath pleased the god , and only wise god , for yours and the nation 's crying-sins , to manifest his displeasure for many years together against these nations ; and yet , you say , this honourable city hath been no great sharers in the calamity , which your brethren in other parts have suffered , &c. answer , friends , it s very true , because of yours and the nations crying-sins the lord's displeasure is against you and the nation , and his judgments bang over your city , and the nation , even because of your crying-sins : o! the pride , the hypocrisie , and double-dealing , and wantonness , and all other , the abominable wickedness which abounds among you , which are your sins , which indeed is the cause of god's displeasure against you and the nation , which he will shew one way or other upon you ; for iniquity is full : but seeing that your sins have provoked the lord , is it not now time to come to humility , and repentance , and to forsake your sins , that the displeasure of the lord may be turned from you ? or , is it a time for you to be envious , and to seek revenge upon men , and to make insurrections , and tu●●lts , and bloodsheds , and so to add sin unto your sins ? it s not a time for you to proceed thus ; for hereby you will gain god's displeasure more unto you , and not turn his wrath away . and its true , this city hath been wonderfully preserved from the miseries and calamities , which have come upon some in this nation ; and therefore , its time for you to answer the lord's love unto you , by meekness , and fear , and righteousness ; and not to abuse his mercies , by opposing the work of the lord , and setting your selves to fight as against him in his proceedings ; though the time is at hand , even because of your own multiplyed iniquities , when you may bring calamity and misery upon this city , and it may partake of the nation 's tribulations and sorrows . and then you complain of the general decay of trading : but what can you attribute that unto , but to your sins also ? for there hath been so much double dealing , deceit and wickedness in the way of your trading , that it is just with the lord to turn your former mercies into a present judgment in that respect ; but in this case you ought to be contented , and to be still , and not to murmur against god , nor against any others in the nation ; but the rather to repent , that the wrath may be turned from you . and whereas you seem to make an appeal to your lord mayor , aldermen ; common-council-men of this city ; as if they should be instruments for the settling of the three nations , and for the removing of the troubles , and for the peace of the church , &c. answ. alas my friends ! these troubles , distractions and miseries that are approached , and which further may ensue , is the fruit and effect of yours and the nations sins ; and cannot be removed nor remitted , but as you and the nation repenteth , and turneth from your sins ; so that you take a wrong course to remove the judgments of the lord from you and this nation : for its certain , that repentance from sin , that removes the judgment for sin ; and it s not adding one sin to another ; neither is it in the hand of those to whom you do appeal , to remove the judgments of the lord ; for what are they but mortal men , like your selves , and transgressors with your selves , and have a part in the sins acted by you , and must have a part in the same judgments , though you stir them up to improve themselves and their tallent for the peace of the church , as you say ; whenas , alas ! its jesus christ only that must keep his church in peace , by his good spirit ; and not mortal men , with mortal weapons : though you say , the discharge of their trust may make these nations happy , or leave them miserable . to which i say , if they be faithful to their trust , then they will keep your city in peace , and doubtless they would be blessed therein ; but yet the happiness of these nations dependeth not upon them , nor upon what they can do ; for while many are supposing that they improve their trust , its possible they may be persecuting righteousness under the name of heresie , and persecuting christ in his people under the name of a deceiver & false prophet ; this hath often come to pass in this city and nation , men have improved their power and places to the dishonour of god , and the persecuting christ in his members , while as they have been thinking they have been punishing sin , heresie and error ; and in such cases some have improved their tallents not truly for god , but rather against him . but whereas you say , you humbly present , that the priviledges of the gospel , the faithful preaching and dispencing of god's holy word and sacraments , with the labour of so many of his faithful servants in the ministry ; and you humbly desire the ministry may be countenanced and encouraged , the universities upheld and maintained , &c. answ. alas my friends ! what do you think concerning the lord god ? surely you have low thoughts of him , and little belief in him ; do not you think he will maintain the priviledges of the gospel , and the faithful preaching and dispensing of his word , and his faithful ministry without you : do you think that he hath forgotten to be gratious , or that his power is insufficient to maintain his own cause , and to uphold the rights and priviledges of his own kingdom ? do you think that he hath need of you , or a multitude of wild and heady men and youth to fight in his cause , to uphold his gospel , and ministry , and ministers ? alas ! no , you are deceived in this matter ; for his own arm shall do all this , and he will do it without you , and not be beholding to you in this matter : his gospel , nor the priviledges of it , shall not fall ; the true ministry , the preaching and dispensing of god's word and ordinances shall not perish , though you be silent ; for the lord by his own power will maintain and carry on these things , and all others belonging to his kingdom , without the help of mortal men , or without the help of the arm of flesh : so that you may put up your swords , and be still in this matter , and leave it to god , who is sufficient for these things , without a multitude of men , or without the arm of flesh : for i must tell you , that the faithful teachers of god's word , and the faithful ministry , desire not your help to prosecute their cause , and the cause of the gospel ; but they trust to the lord to be maintained , countenanced and encouraged by him alone , who is sufficient in that cause ; though its true , the false ministers , and the antichristian teachers through all christendom , for many generations , they have sought unto the arm of flesh to set them up , to maintain and defend them , and their gospel , and false church ; thus it is through the popes dominion , and among some protestants also ; they cry unto the magistrates , unto the kings , and parliaments , for the making cruel laws to defend them ; and to the rude world they cry , help us , and save us , and defend us , by fighting with carnal weapons , for heresies , and errors , and such like : and they stand in their ministry , in their call to it , and maintenance of it , and defence in it by the arm of flesh , and their church is upheld thereby also : but this is but antichrists way , and these are antichrists ministers , and his false church hereby is defended in the world ; and this shews , that the weapon of the spirit of god is wanted by them , which the apostles had ; and it s very doubtful , o ye apprentices of london , that your ministers have prayed you , and preached you into such a work , as that you should stand up to maintain them , and fight for them and their church , against such that do oppose them ; but i must tell you , if their defence be not in another hand , then in yours , they are like to come to perpetual ruin , and their gospel , and their teaching , and their sacraments , & their church cannot stand , if they have not the lord's help more then yours . and as for the universities , which you contend for ; alas ! many of you are ignorant concerning them , and what abomination is committed among them ; oh ! if you knew but the prophaneness , and ungodliness and ill-education that is among them , it would turn your zeal for them backwards : and it s not from humane studies that the faithful ministers of christ come ; but who are so indeed , are made so by the gift of god's eternal spirit , both in this age , and in ages past . so that , o ye apprentices , be still , be still , and do not ruin your selves and your city , by rage , and fury , and disorders , upon such a proceeding ; for your ground of quarrel is not perfectly good , nor your endeavour in the cause aforesaid well accepted with the lord. but if your quarrel be upon the account , or about the matter of church and ministry , leave that to the lord , and to your ministers , that they may defend themselves , their church , and ordinances and worship by the spirit of god , if they have it ; for that is the weapon of ministry , church and gospel-warfare ; and not carnal weapons , nor the multitude of an host of men : let your ministers come forth in the best authority of spirit that they have , and plead the cause of their worship , and gospel and ministry , like christians , and not like iews and heathens ; for they use carnal weapons , killing and murdering about church and religion ; that is the papists practice , and not the practice of the saints : so that ye apprentices , seeing you state your quarrel against the army , upon the account of church and ministry , my advice is to you , proceed no further upon that ground ; but give your trust to the lord , for the maintaining of all things related to his own kingdom . but the cry is , those sectaries , those sectaries , away with them : your trouble seems to be concerning them , lest they prevail ; but wherefore are you troubled in this matter , like as if you knew not that what the lord purposeth must come to pass ? who are of god , will stand , this you need not doubt ; and who are not , will come to nought ; and its vain for mortal man to oppose the lord's purpose : but this was the cry in dayes past . how did the bishops and prelates in their dayes cry against the non-conformists , as hereticks , and such like , even as the ministers now cry against sectaries ? but consider , how did the bishops proceed , but in being the chief cause themselves of raising war against the then non-conformists , thinking thereby to have smitten them all ? but you know it proved otherwise ; and as they thought to do unto others , so was it done unto them ; which thing may be an example to you : for as they thought to have destroyed the then called puritans , in like manner were themselves destroyed ; and this may possibly fall upon you : therefore consider ; for i tell you , as an equal man between you and them , that there is more sincerity towards god , and fear of his name , in some of them called sectarians , then there is amongst you , and your ministers ; though i do not here justifie the sectarians ( so called ) in all things , neither do i in every thing condemn your ministers ; but this i say , and do know , if that you and your ministers raise a war against those called sectarians , the effect thereof will prove your own sorrow , and their advantage : so this is my advice to you , rest and be still , and that will prove your own peace and happiness . therefore take heed , and beware ; lest ye oppose and gain-say the work and power of god , which his purpose is to bring to pass in this his day , who is setting up his kingdom in the midst of tribulations , that comes upon men . the second particular humbly desired by you is , the freedom and priviledges of parliaments , as being the great charter of the people , which you account very dear unto you , and by which you hope to see ( you say ) a settlement in church and state ; and you humbly conceive that to be the probable means to establish the true protestant religion , reform the laws , secure the liberties , promote learning , &c. answ. now friends , do but truly consider , and with a humble mind , what the work of the lord hath been in these nations for divers years , and how he hath proceeded to overthrow , and overturn powers and authorities , princes and rulers , and made them of no account before him ; and though the instruments which god hath used in that matter , in plucking down men and powers , have been as much corrupted as those that have been overturned ; and whenas the measure of iniquity in one was filled up , the lord threw that power down even as it were by the iniquity of another ; and because of the oppressions of rulers amongst us , the nation hath groaned , and been left without a comforter from any man , and could not repose confidence in its princes and rulers ; and this was , that the nation might look unto the lord , and that through him they might be saved , and expect healing from him alone ; and in all these overturnings you need not fear , but the hand of the lord hath been in them , and his arm hath suffered , and even brought these things to pass ; and therefore why should you murmer against god , & be unsatisfied in what he hath done ? for it s he alone , and not another , that must settle a happy and lasting peace both in church and state , and he that must establish true religion , and reform the laws , and secure our liberties , and preserve our lives , and encourage all vertue ; it is the lord that will do all these things for this nation , and it s not any other in whose hand the salvation of a person or a nation is ; and how he shall do this , and by what means , leave that to the lord , limit him not to or from any thing ; for , if the nation can be but patient and still , he will bring to pass these things in his day and season . wherefore o nation and city , be still , be still , and be patient under the hand of god , which is upon you ; combine not mischief one against another , nor desire the overthrow one of another ; but be still , be still , this is the word of the lord to you , be at quiet in your spirits , and wait upon the lord , to receive what he brings forth : for o ye apprentices and young-men of london , your rude proceedings in these causes will but destroy your selves , and your city , if you proceed any further ; for what is a multitude of men , but as bryers and thornes in battel before the lord ? if he purpose a work , you cannot prevent it ; and if he prevent a work , its vain for you to endeavour it ; these things are in the hand of the lord , and nations are unto him as clay in the hand of a potter : but now i do not speak as your enemy ; for i love your city , & wish it well . alack ! neither will i justifie the army , nor the men that you oppose in opposition to you ; for their ways are corrupted i know , and their own ends they seek ; and they are for condemnation , some of them ; and their iniquities are fully ripe , and god will bring them down ; but yet , let you them alone , the lord will deal with them , and he can execute his judgement with his own hand without you ; and if you can be but quiet for a little season , it will make for your peace hereafter ; but if your spirits rage and swell , you may work misery unto your selves , and to your city ; but you cannot redeem it from misery . so do no talk of the church , as if you would fight to uphold it , leave that to the lord ; for christ will look to that , to govern it , and preserve it out of all , and from all its enemies , and it belongs not unto you ; but that which the lord requires of you , is patience and submission to his will , and to be still , till he appears with salvation and deliverance to this city and nation , to deliver them from all oppression , and oppressors ; whose coming is at hand , and blessed are all they who are found in patience at his coming . london , the th moneth , . to the present assembly , members of parliament at westminster : the consideration of a servant of the lord upon the present state of affairs ; presented unto you for to read and consider , as informations unto you concerning present proceedings in this nation . friends , all these overturnings , and almost wonderful changings , that do come to pass in this nation , they are all effected through the justice of the lord's hand , and his hand and power is in and over all these things ; and it all particulars which have happened since your first appearing on the throne were accompted , what hath come to pass but hath been accomplished and suffered to be by the hand of the lord ? but particularly , of the present state of things , and this last interruption which happened unto you ; was it not a just reproof upon you from the lord , though effected in ambition , and by corrupted instruments ? for have you not promised great things unto this nation , in matters of freedom and liberty ? but what have you done ? even left this nation travelling under great and sore vexations , and undelivered from the bondage of oppressions ; though you have had time oftentimes put into your hands , wherein you might have done good things for the lord , and for this nation , and righteousness might have been established amongst you , and in the nation ; but you neglected many precious dayes , and effected not many good things : it would be large to instance the particular oppressions that yet remain almost upon all sorts of people in this land , which might have been removed long ere this day , had you bin faithful to god : but because from day to day you have been rather careless , and served your selves more then the lord , therefore hath he suffered you to be interrupted once and again , and reproved by a generation of men , as unfaithful as your selves . well , but to pass all this , though much may be said , you are now again at the stern of government , and on the throne , and i dare not but say it is of and by the lord , and that he hath done it , contrary to the expectations of many ; and what his end is in it remains with him ; but i am sure one cause is , that you may execute part of his wrath upon that treacherous generation of hypocritical and deceitful men ( some of the army i mean ) some of whom have been deceitful to god , and treacherous to the nation , and who have been fearful hypocrites by a shew of religion more then others , and have mocked god as it were , and his people . i need not say to you , how that many of them were raised up from a low estate ; and instead of servnig the nation , became their lords and oppressors ; they have abused the lord's mercy to them , and exalted themselves , and became as great oppressors , and as grievous to the nation , as ever they were that went before them ; and some of them took the very titles and estates of their enemies , and followed their evil spirit also , though the lord was long-suffering to them , and gave them a day , and put opportunity into their hands , wherein they might have done good : but they also neglected to serve god , and the nations , to serve themselves ; and because of the ambition and pride of some of them , the lord suffered them to make this last interruption upon you , which was great treachery in mans account , that thereby their measure might be filled up , and that he might give you occasion against them , and suffer you to be filled with indignation towards them , to break them to pieces : and what you do to some of them , in casting them out , and afflicting them , you are but god's executioners therein ; you are the executioners of his anger , in what you do to them ; and who shall prevent you , or forbid you to go on ? for they have long enough dissembled with the nation , in professing more then others , and doing less ; and their downfall is now come . and god hath looked upon you to be hard-hearted and cruel enough , and very fit executioners of vengeance upon such men , as i have mentioned . but now concerning you , and your present state , as you are in present place and power , i have something to say to you ; though they are fallen , and you yet stand , and you have a little time after them ; but this i say , do not glory over their fall , neither glory as though you should stand forever ; for they were not greater sinners then you are , neither are you one whit more righteous then some of them ; but you are as sure to fall , as they are fallen , with no less measure of dishonour and affliction then is come upon them ; and you are in your last hour ; and i dare not say , that god expects much more from you , then for the end aforesaid ( viz. ) to be the executioners of iustice upon men as sinful as your selves : so do not glory over them that are fallen ; but know , that your time also is but short , and your fall may prove to your destruction , and theirs may prove to make them better , and refine them : and if god hath chosen you to execute some part of his wrath upon them , for their wickedness , he will doubtless find instruments to execute his wrath upon you , else he will do it with his own hand ; for he purposeth not to spare you ; for your sins cry as loud as any other people , and the oppressions are as great under you , as under them whom you condemn . and i desire , if there be any good men amongst you , that such who are wise may consider , and mind the hand of the lord in and through all these things that are come to pass ; for god is working as well as you , he is seeking to set up a kingdom as well as you , and his government and yours cannot stand together ; and he will make you know , that he is stronger , and his government of more force , and your kingdom cannot stand in place with his . therefore oh that you would take heed ! oh that you would be wise , if so be some of you may be spared ! and be not too zealous in your way , nor too furious in your proceedings , do but to others as you intend to receive from others , and from the lord ; and go not beyond your commision ; for a permission at least you have from god , even to scourge hypocrites , and to be a judgment upon that hypocritical seeming religious generation of men aforesaid , which have many a time as it were mocked god , & pretended love to him with their lips , when their hearts have yearned after self-honour , and treasures of this world ; i say , your present hour and permission is for this end , but not to persecute the people of the lord , nor to destroy god's heritage ; but if you shall extend your power unto such a work , and if you do persecute the innocent without cause , and make war against the lamb & his followers , and make laws , and execute them to the oppression of the saints of the most high , then you go beyond your commission ; for god hath not called you unto this , but to be instrument in another cause . and the children of zion , they trust in the living god , & fear not the terror of mighty men , neither can they be afraid at the roaring of the sea , nor at the present threatning of the heathen ; for god is with them . and i say to you , the servant of the lord hath pondered and considered all these proceedings , and viewed the present state of things at this day , and there is no vision from god unto you of peace and comfort , nor of a happy and lasting government , as you now stand : if any prophet shall divine this unto you , he speaks what he hath not from the lord , but the vision of his own heart , and he deceives you and himself ; for you are not established upon a right foundation , neither are you acted by a right spirit , which can truly govern for god ; but the spirit of wrath and fury is put into you , for the work which you are called . and i know not how to warn you , that you do not persecute the people of god ; for why ? it may be you must fill up your measure of wickedness thereby that god may break you perpetually ; yet the less will be your judgment , if you do it not ; but and if you do it , the lord will take occasion against you , to wound you , and you shall never be healed ; and as you do afflict others , so , and much more shall it be done unto you from the lord. wherefore consider what i have said ; for this is the vision of the almighty unto you , that shall not go unfulfilled : and what you do , you must do it quickly ; for your time is short and your power will god subdue ; and his kingdom and power will he speedily exalt over your heads , and make you and the nations know , that he is god , and that all power is with him , and that he can do whatsoever he will ; and it is his right alone to reign , and his childrens portion to possess the kingdom with him . let the whole earth , and all the powers thereof , bow and tremble before him : let not your hearts be stout and rebellious against him ; for he can grind you to powder , and sink you into confusion and misery , as a stone into the sea. this was directed for the hands of the speaker in parliament , and accordingly was given to william lenthel , being inclosed to him with these line following . friend , the inclosed i do commend unto thee , for to present unto the house , and to endeavour sincerely the reading of it in your assembly ; for it is of special concernment to you all : and in the name of the lord , and by his spirit , i do charge thee not to be negligent in this matter , as though it were not of worth to you ; and i do lay it upon thee , as a work of righteousness and truth , to be done by thee . as thou wilt answer the contrary in the dreadful day of god , when the king of righteousness shall judge thee and all mankind . edw. buroughs . the th of the th moneth , . an answer to a declaration of the people called anabaptists , in and about the city of london . vvherein their vveakness and ignorance is discovered under their own hands to the city and nation , as hereby may appear . friends , whereas your declaration consisteth of five particulars , four of which are not of so much concernment to me to answer ; but as for one of them , for the nation 's sake , and for the truth 's sake ; and that you may be reproved , even you the heads , and principal men of your congregations ; and because you are such , under whose hands your declaration passeth , therefore in that consideration , with many others , this i return as an answer to you , and to the city and nation , in pursuit of yours , that hath proceeded from a heart of unbelief , and unto evil and malicious intents against a despised people , whom the lord hath owned , and will own , though you and the whole world do reject them . and whereas you say , you are mis-represented to the nation , that you do countenance the people called quakers in their irregular practice : and to clear your selves , you say , it is well known to all , there are none more opposit to their irregular practices then we are ( say you ) nor are there any that they have exprest more contradiction to then against us ; though their provocation therein hath not put us on a desire ( say you ) of depriving them of their iust liberty , while they live morrally honest , and peaceable in the nation , &c. answer , oh ye heads and principal men , and ye chief pastors , elders and members ( so called ) of churches ! what have ye done ? and wherefore have you thus proceeded ? why have ye renounced an innocent people that never did you harm , nor ever gave any offence unto you , saving in crying against the deadness of your forms , and traditions , and seeming religious practices , and reproving evil in you ? alas for you ! ( ye accounted wise-men ) do you judge any advantage will be unto your selves in this thing ? or , do you think to work a disadvantage unto us by your renouncing and denial of us ? i must tell you , we are not troubled hereat for our own sakes , neither is any part of our hope or confidence concerning you made void ; for we never looked upon some of you to be otherwise then our enemies in your hearts . oh ye hypocrites ! whom god will judge because of your hypocrisie , who now as much as in you lies ( if it were in your power ) you would leave us to the mercilesness of cruel men , you would save your selves , and leave us to the mercy of the devil ; but though you renounce us , yet the lord hath owned us , and will own us to your grief : and what are you become our accusers ? are you become chargers of us with irregular practice ? are you endeavouring to make us more odious in the eyes of wicked men , then we are , for righteousness sake ? but wherefore have ye done this ? is it to save your selves from reproaches ? have you therefore reproached us , and have you sought to make us vile , that your selves might appear free ? and have you thought to gain the favour of the wicked , and to make a peace with your enemies , by reviling of us unto them ? is this your end , oh ye dissemblers ! to reproach us to the nation and city behind our backs ? you church-members ( so called ) and teachers , and pastors and principal men , that would save your selves , and gratifie the devil , and joyn in union with the wicked , and make your selves friends with them , by slandering and renouncing the peaceable people , who are more so then your selves , and none of them guilty of irregularity , as much as some of you ; though you would fawn upon the nation and city by renouncing of us , as if we were irregular , and so and so ; but do you think the nation and city have not taken notice ? or however , hereby they may : what if i say unto them and you , that none of the quakers ever were so instrumental , by illegal opposition , for the turning out of parliaments , and changing the government of this nation into confusion , like as some of you anabaptists have been ? and this the city and nation may take notice of the irregularity of some of your selves , who have been instrumental , even by illegal opposition , and perfect tyranny in mens account , and treachery also , to the turning out parliaments , and thereby wronging the nation for their own advantages ; so that the practice of some of you hath been more unlawful , and contrary to law , then ours hath been , and the city and nation may take notice of it ; as your declaration is to them , so is this my answer , never any quaker ( so called ) in war-like posture , hath stood in defiance , and been instruments to turn out peoples lawful representatives : did not some of your brethren , even of the anabaptists , take commission from the late parliament , and no less then vowing fidility to them , and yet presently rose in opposition to them , and turned them out of doors ? and was not this treachery and hypocrisie , and irregularity ? and can the nation charge any of them called quakers with any such work ? no , they cannot ; but some of the anabaptists they may , even with this and other the like illegal dealing : and more i might instance , and not charge you behind your backs , as you have falsly done of us ; but i may affirm to your faces , and justly prove these , and such things upon you . but why have you not named what irregular practice the quakers are guilty of ? i charge you , you subscribers against us , and accusers of us , to prove your accusation ; i say , i charge you before the lord , and this whole nation and city , to prove your accusation , and to instance what particular practices , performed and owned amongst us , either in relation to just government in church or state , that are irregular , and you shall have a reply ; though you say , there are none more opposit to our irregular practice then you are . oh! how fain would you flatter and fawn upon our enemies , to make peace with the devil ? how would you creep by craft , and joyn into a league with our and your enemies ? and how fain would you be at peace with them , and leave us even to their mercilesness , if it were in your power ? have we ever dealt thus by you ? have we ever sought to render you rebels and traitors to the nation , as in effect you have done to us ? have we ever sought occasions against you , and to present you to the nation as vile as we could , for to save our selves , and leave you to the will of your enemies ? this have you done to us , and we leave you to be rewarded even by the lord , who will never renounce us , nor cast us out , though you do in such a time as this , a time of confusion and distraction , wherein , if the lord did not appear to be our defence more then men , we should be swallowed up of our enemies : and must you , even a seperate people , members , pastors and ministers of churches ( so called ) renounce us at this season , on purpose to have us destroyed so much as you may ? well , we have not dealt so with you , neither do we desire to uncover your nakedness to the nation ; you had not had thus much , if you had not been the occasion of it your selves ; and surely what you have done in this particular , some of your own members will not accept it from you with thanks to you ; but i shall say more to you when i have under all your hands the particular practices , which you charge to be irregular . and though there hath been and is contradictions between us and you in matters of religion , and difference in particular practices about church , and ministers , & orders , &c. yet what is this ? this was amongst our selves , though hereof you have no reason to boast , as of any victory that you have obtained over us in any such controversie , neither hath the spirit of god so appeared in that authority among you , as that you have gained any from us to you , but rather the contrary ; but what of these contentions ? we have never so contended with you , as that we have hated your persons , or sought to betray you into the hands of devouring mouthes , the lord is our witness in this , though you have done contrary ( even sought to betray our persons in this your work ) and i must tell you , dishonestly and undiscreetly have you done in this matter , who never could unto this day , in any contest between us about religious matters , convince us of error or irregular practices , though now you have accused us to the whole nation , and not as in a way of debate about religion , but as in matter of state irregularity ; whereby plainly appears , that you seek to betray us , even our persons into the hands of our merciless enemies ; and you would make peace with them , and deliver us into their merciless hands ; and thereby shew hatred , not unto us as upon the account of religion only , but even hatred to our persons , and have accused us as of personal irregularity ; and so have not shewed love to our persons , but rather sought our destruction : oh , ye wicked men ! to whose charge god shall lay this iniquity of treachery and unfaithful dealing to us , even as with brethren , which is the most deceitful iniquity . and alas for you ! what , are your desires of depriving us of our just liberty ? god shall give us liberty , and from him we shall enjoy it whether you will or no ; and for our just liberty we shall not be beholding to you , though i must tell you , if our liberty were in your power , it is greatly to be doubted , and even your own dealing in this your declaration gives occasion for it , that our liberty would be enslaved , if it were in your hands ; but we bless the lord , it is in his hand , and not in yours : for so much of treachery towards us has here appeared , even in giving us up ( so much as in you is ) to the will of our enemies , and the spirit is in you which would betray brethren , that for the time to come we can never trust you ; but we do not give our power to you , to enjoy our liberty from you , nor ever shall . and if we walk morrally honest and peaceable in the nation , it is more then you do in this matter ; for this your practice is not morrally honest , in accusing of us behind our backs to the nation and city , and authorities thereof of irregularity , &c. though , as i have said , never any of us had so great a hand by open opposition , tending to make war in the nation , as some of you in some things i might instance , even for their sakes to whom you yove accused us ; and that we are more peaceable then some of your selves , the nation and city knows : have we thrust our selves into arms , and sought offices , and places and commands , as some of you have ? have ever any of us appear'd in arms against parliament and nation , as some of you ? have we given the city or the nation , by any visible appearance , to fear a war from us , as you have done ? let the nation and city , and the witness in all mens consciences judge ; so that we are known to be peaceable , as much , or more then your selves ; for we have never sought to you to take up arms with us , as some among you have sought to others ; which may demonstrate , that we are as peaceable in the nation , if not more then you ; and so you needed not to have premised such a thing on our behalf . and thus i have in short returned your secret treachery upon your own heads , and answered that same part of your declaration , wherein i and the truth , and the whole flock of god was any way concerned ; and as for the rest of your declaration i will not seek occasion against it , though in some other things also therein exprest , i might search out your hearts , and discover the rottenness of them : and where you say , you declare magistracy to be an ordinance , &c. might not i tell the nation and city , that you are not content with magistracy , except of your own sect ? and might not i say , why were not you contented with that assembly of men that last sate ? and wherefore was it that you , even some of you anabaptists , were the chief instruments , with swords in your hands , to dissolve them ? and so were instruments in bringing the nation into present confusion . and whereas you speak of the publick ministers of the nation , you are far from endeavouring to destroy them ( say you ) and it is your duty to stand by them , and preserve them from all violence and injury , &c. to which i answer , what are you about to make a league and a covenant with antichrist ? have you for these many years been opposing them in words , and are you now recanting of what you have done , when you are sensible of a danger upon you ? and will you now bind your selves to stand by them , and preserve them from all injury , and even as they are ministers too ? but let me ask you , do you look upon them to be ministers of christ , or of antichrist ? if true ministers of christ , wherefore do you oppose them , & cry against them in your pulpits , & have formerly your selves , and some of your brethren yet do publickly oppose them both by word & writing ? oh , ye hypocrites ! but if they are ministers of antichrist , then how is it that you will stand by them and preserve them as such , and would bind it upon them as their duty to stand by , and preserve you ? is not this a league with hell and death ? are you turned backwards into love and affection towards them again , and so lost your former principles ? and is your zeal quite grown cold , or are you now only flattering and daubing with the ministers , because you see danger from them , while you seek but greater advantage against them ? they may indeed tell you , they look upon you as not destroyers of their wayes and practices , neither to ease the nation from any burden , which they have laid upon it : for it is manifest , though you deny them in some particulars , some of you ; yet you can cry against that in some of them , and yet uphold the same thing ; i may lawfully instance , that some of your brethren , some in this nation , and some in ireland , take , or have lately taken tythes for preaching , and have yearly stipends , and so much by the year out of the states treasure for preaching , one hundred pound , two hundred pound , and three hundred pound a piece by the year ; which indeed doth shew that you are not intending to destroy their oppressing and abominable practices ; but the rather , that you would turn them out of great places and benefices , and turn your selves in : oh deceit and wickedness ! which i am forced to lay open upon this occasion , of your own just provocation hereunto . and as for their preserving you , and you them , against such as do oppose you ; they may easily joyn with you in this , if they could hope in your faithfulness ; for some of you , and your members , have shewed as much enmity , have been open persecutors , even as they and their members have been ; and your members have been sending the people of god to prison , and persecuting them , even as the common priests of the nation ; and you appear to be guided by the same spirit in many things ; and if they be antichristian in their wayes and practices , its sure that you are not of christ , because you are like unto them in nature . and in that you say , you would have none tollerated in their religion that deny the scriptures to be the word of god ; but you would tollerate episcopacy , presbytery , or a ●●inted form , &c. ( say you . ) to which i say , i know that spirit that you are of , if it had its full authority would tollerate none but your selves ; for your spirit in nature differs not from the spirit of the church of rome : and what are you now for tollerating episcopacy , who were once your selves ( in your zeal for god , when your sincerity was not darkned , nor your hearts so much corrupted through places of honour , and through such things , as now they are ) instruments to the pulling down of episcopacy ? and will you now tollerate it again , and help to set it up , and build what you have destroyed , as if you recanted of what you had done ? but plainly shewing that you are not of the same spirit that once you were of ; but have lost sincerity , and can embrace idolatry ; for once ye were the men that did oppose it , and did violently help to pull it down ; but now you are for tolleration . oh! unconstant men , this is to you , not herein discovering my judgement in the case , and if episcopacy , why may not popery be tollerated ? seeing they are one and the self same in ground and nature , and not much different in appearance , and you may agree to tollerate a stinted form in others , because your selves are in a stinted form also ; for what is yours else but a form , crying up your water and bread and wine , and differing from the world onely in these outward things , when as the city and nation knows you are men as covetous , as worldly minded , as ambitious , as self-seeking of honour and places as any others in the nation ; and your religion appears to be a stinted form as much as others ; alas poor men , you have discovered your hearts in your declaration , and according to the corruption thereof i cannot but answer you ; and there are some that deny the scriptures to be the word of god , and say they are the words of god , and a declaration , and a treatise of what the saints believed and enjoyed ; and christ is the word of god , that may in time to come be tollerated in their religion in this nation , though you have renounced them : but while they are owned and regarded of the lord , they respect not your love nor hatred , who are mortal men , and your breath in your nostrils , and must fall and perish as the dung in all your beauty , and your profession of religion , before the coming of the son of god. and in your post-script you say , you have under you hands sent forth your declaration in behalf of your selves , and others of your iudgement ; but i must tell you , i do believe there are some even of those called anabaptists which will reject your work , and to them my answer is not , for i spare them : but to you fearful hypocrites in a time of danger , that have in this juncture of time renounced us without ground or reason in the sight of god , but for your 〈◊〉 , as if you would gain the favour of the nation and city by denial of ●●s , and looking upon your selves to be reproached because of us , when as you are a company of unworthy men , even unworthy of our reproaches , and to escape them have denied us , as seeming to clear your selves ; but you are deceived in this matter , and it shall turn to work against you in the nation , and in the city ; for we have a more surer witness in their consciences , even in the consciences of all people , that we are of god , then you have ; for take but away your outward water , and bread and wine , and some few outward practices , and what do you differ from the worst sort of men in the nation ? for doth not pride and hypocrisie , and self-love , and covetousness , and the love of this world abound amongst you , as much as amongst any others ? the witness in peoples consciences knows it , which shall be a witness for us , and against you . you may indeed have gained league with the worst sort of men in the nation , but you have not gained the sincerity in people , and while we have that on our side to witness for us , take you the rude multitude , for we are not discouraged at all concerning this thing , but the rather do glory in the lord though we be denied of all , for though men forsake us , yet the lord careth for us , and your own doing shall return upon your own heads : and thus much is sufficient to the substance of your declaration , and if i receive any reply , i shall expect it under the hands of you all , that i may further search , and discover you unto your selves , and to the nation . and whereas there is a manuscript goes abroad , consisting of five particulars , which is said that it was delivered in to the committee of safety , as advice and counsel to them , but who the authors of it are is something uncertain ; but certain it is , that some of the called independant ministers and pastors were the chief promoters of it ; and in the copy which was delivered to my hands it is said , these five particulars were the result of a little synod , made up of presbyterians , independants and anabaptists ; but whether it is so or no , i leave that , and would say something to some of the particulars , and even to the committee of safety , and officers of the army , and all others of the nation , for their better information then the same paper describeth to them . the third particular consisteth about the magistrates power in matters of faith and worship , and the authors say , though they greatly prize christian liberty , yet they profess utter dislike and abhorrency of an universal tolleration , as being contrary to the mind of god in his word . answ. it appears the authors are lovers of themselves , and prizers of their own liberty , but not of the liberty of others , but do utterly dislike and ●●ber the tolleration of others , which may indeed be more righteous then themselves , and this is no less then the very principle of the whore of rome , which promotes her own liberty and makes others slaves , and ahhor● , tolleration to any but themselves ; and they plead scriptures as well as you for proof of their religion , and they will say all that differs from them are contrary to the scriptures , even as you say , when as there is very little better foundation in the scriptures for your religion then there is for theirs ; and it is doubtful to many what religion this day extant is perfectly according to the scriptures ; but yet thus much may be said , that church , and that religion which are not in the same spirit as gave forth the scriptures , are not according unto the scriptures ; and he that can distinguish of this , and who it is that hath the same spirit that gave forth the scriptures , is only able to judge what religion is according to the scriptures : but can the authors shew plainly out of the scriptures , that their religion is only according thereunto , and all others the contrary ? and until they prove this ; why may not the rulers , that are of may be in this nation , give tolleration unto other sorts of people , as well as to the independants , the supposed authors of this paper . the fourth particular consisteth concerning tythes , and say they , the taking away of tythes for maintenance of ministers , until as full a maintenance be as equally secured , and as equally settled , tends very much to the destruction of the ministry , and preaching of the gospel in these nations . answ. alas for you , poor ignorant creatures , ye foolish men , that seems to have no understanding of the ministry and gospel of christ ; do you indeed think that the true ministry of christ , and the preaching of the gospel depends upon maintenance by tythes ? oh , ye robbers of god , who have secretly dishonoured him in your hearts , and publickly disgraced him as much as in you lyes to the nation , as if he were not able to save his ministry , and the preaching of his gospel from destruction , if tithes be taken away ; surely , you err in your judgements , and have no acquaintance with god , nor with his ministry nor gospel , who have thus dishonoured him in setting up that maintenance by the forcible and unjust oppression of tythes to be the preserving of ministry and gospel , and as if tythes were the uphold ing of ministry and gospel ; and you have thus falsly and wickedly measured god , his ministry and gospel by the wickedness of your own hearts , who seem to be indeed of those hirelings that cheat souls for money , and run for the gift like balaam , and for the lucre like the evil beasts , and slow-bellies ; and so i do believe that your false ministry indeed , and your feigned pretence of preaching the gospel do depend upon great sums of money , and upon large maintenances , and we believe that indeed is the chief reason of your preaching ; and of your ministry , and it is very possible that your ministry and preaching may fall , which is antichristian , when tythes and hire is taken away , which ministry dependeth thereupon ; but the true ministry and preaching of the gospel will god maintain and uphold , though the oppression of tythes be vanquished ; and i hope some of the rulers of this nation , and officers of the army will not believe your advice ; but yet you seem to be willing to renounce tythes , if you could have as full a maintenance setled another way ; so that however great maintenance comes , you regard not , so you can have that , whether by this way of oppression , or the other , it s your maintenance you love and follow after , and seek unto the powers of the earth for that end ; and how equally and legally tythes have been setled , which you seem to affirm , let all good people judge ; given they were , and setled first in our nation by the popes authority , to be the maintenance of that whore's ministers , and the laws that gave them , and setled them have been antichristian and oppression in the nation , and there is the guilt of blood , and of cruel unjust sufferings lying upon this nation in that very cause of tythes , and the hand of the lord is gone out against it , and against all contenders for it , and god will redeem the nation from ●●der it , though you be putting your strength to uphold it through your hypocritical prayers , and preaching , and flatteries with god and man. the fifth particular is , these authors desire , that countenance be not given unto , nor trust reposed in the hands of quakers , being persons of such principles that are distructive to the gospel , and inconsistent with peace and civil society . answ. here your wickedness and the malice of your hearts is let forth against the dispised people for their righteousness sake ; and this spirit of yours would not only discountenance them , but destroy them from the face of the earth , if it were in your hands , and you are worse then baalam ever was , and far more blind then he ; for you are as it were seeking inchantments against the people of god for money , and you see not the goodly tents of iacob , as he did , nor the people that are altogether blessed ; oh! ye envious persons that are even a preparing as much as in you is the destruction of a peaceable people , and that would keep them in slavery under you , and you would have the countenance of the powers of the earth , but they must not , and you would monopolize all the places of trust for advantage to your selves , and you would hardly allow the people of god a place on the ground ; oh! ye sinful hypocrites and flatterers and slanderers of the just ; but what need you have made such preparation against them ? do they seek places of honour among you ? do they delight in great places among men ? do they love to be great in this world ? nay their kingdom is from above , and they reject the countenanance of the be●●● authority , and they reject any confidence that the dragon and unjust po●… can repose in them , and you need not have been afraid in this matter , and thereupon slandered us , and have back-bited us to the powers of the earth , what do you fear ? even the thing which you fear will god in a judgement bring upon you , and there is a government to be set up in this nation , even that which is of the lamb ; and your antichristian monarchy the beast with all his heads and horns shall fall to the ground , and the lord may bring your fear upon you to your utter confusion , though you are making defences all that you can for your selves and your kingdom ; and this seems to be 〈…〉 ●●y wherein every mans heart is tryed , and every man and sort of people is pouring , forth the maliciousness of their hearts against the poor people in scorn called quakers ; what say the papists and episcopal men ? quakers are 〈◊〉 new sect , and deceivers , &c. and what say the presbyterians and the independan●● of them ? oh! they are seducers , they are witches , they are false prophets , they are vagabonds , not worthy of countenance , &c. nor any place of trust in the nation , &c. what say the anabaptists of them ? o! they are blasphemers , and hereticks , and irregular persons , and distructive to gospel , &c. this and such like is the cry of these , and all sorts of people , against a poor despised people , whom the eternal god hath made dreadful unto them all , who shall be a rod in his hand , to break them and confound them , and utterly to destroy their antichristian kingdom ; for they are beloved of the lord , though hated of all men , and though the whole body of the beast and antichrist , and every horn of his head do set themselves to war against the lamb and his followers ; and though all these sorts of people mentioned , and some others , do at this day pour out their fury and malice against this people , yet shall they not be confounded , for their trust is in the living god ; and as sure as the lord lives , the fear that people have of the prosperity of this people shall come upon them ; and without weapon , or arm of flesh , or the multitude of an host of men , will their god dash their enemies to pieces . and all ye sects whatsoever , that are risen in opposition against us ; what do we regard your fury and madness against us ? what do we fear your reviling , you uncircumcised philistines ? we mock at your terror , and we reject your strength as the strength of a straw ; we despise your authority , which is not of god , as the authority of so many bryars and thornes ; we can glory over you in the lord ; what are you ? and from whence did you come ? is not babylon your city ? and is not the great whore your mother , and the mother of harlots your nurse ? and what is your growth , but even like the grass of a summer's growth , that 's soon cut down and withered ; and like the leaf of a summer tree , that utterly perisheth in winter ? the mighty day of the lord is at your door , confusion is begun amongst you , and the sword of one may destroy another , and the strength of one shall tear another , and the remnant that is left shall be destroyed , and we must overcome them without sword or carnal weapon , and this shall come to pass in a day ; and the eye that is yet blind shall see it , and the child that is yet undelivered shall be a conqueror over the beast , and over his image , and over all your false sects , and over every horn that is risen up against the lamb and his followers ; the time of the lamb's kingdom is at hand . behold , behold , ye mountains of the earth , the sentence of eternal vengeance will pass upon you ; ye hypocritical professors , ye pastors , elders , members and ministers of churches ( so called ) the decree of the , almighty is coming out against you ; you have provoked him by your wickedness towards him and his people , even to the destruction of your own selves : wherefore tremble before the lord ; for his dread , and the weight of his hand , shall be upon your consciences . oh nation , mourn over thy iniquities which have provoked god against thee , and if men turn not unto him , his sore judgment will be upon thee : we are not for this party , or the other , neither do we justifie one side in opposition to another ; for we see the earth is corrupted , and all sorts of men that are this day striving one sort against another , are in a wrong way , and in a wrong spirit ; and we cannot side with any of them , but we rather mourn over the nation , who is torn in pieces by the ambitious spirit of her pretended rulers ; and we desire the repentance of all , and not the destruction of any , and we are for gods part , and not for men . e. b. an answer to the great cry , the quakers will soon fall . a great cry in the world hath been by many people of all sorts ; as for the quakers , they will soon fall , and come to nothing ; they will stand but for a while , as other sects have done before them ; for many sects that have ●●de a great stir for a time , they have come to nought , and so will these ; they will fall and ●●●e to nought in a year or two , or the like ; and they will forsake this way : and this , noise and stir about them will come to an end , and they will have a fall. and thus , and after this manner do the people of the world cry , and say one to another . to this i answer , o ye fools and blind , that thus do judge and say ! ye are ignorant and sottish children , and know not the way of the lord nor his judgments ; neither do ye know his secrets , nor have entred into his counsel ; who told you thus , or by what spirit have you received it ? and do ye not speak as ye would have it ? and because you would have it so , do ye not therefore speak it ? ye fools and blind , whose hearts are hardened , i tell you nay , your words shall never come to pass ; but you , and all our enemies , shall be found lyars , and as you say of others , so shall it come to pass upon your selves ; and that which you desire for others , it shall fall upon your own heads . again , i tell you nay , we shall not fall , nor be decreased , nor come to ●●●ght ; but the truth shall stand forever , and we shall be encreased through the world , and shall be the renowned people of the whole earth : for we are of them whom the lord is gathering from off the barren mountains , and out of the mouthes of all dumb shepherds , whom the lord will feed and keep , as the sheep of his own pasture ; over whom the seed of david , christ , the heir of heaven and earth is chief shepherd ; and he is set over us , and he rules in equity and righteousness . and them we are spoken of , ezekiel . which are the sheep of god's pasture ; and the lord hath sought us out even as a shepherd his sheep ; and we shall not fall , as ye suppose . and we are them spoken of in the revelations , whom the lord is bringing through great tribulations , and making us white in the blood of the lamb , and redeeming us through his sufferings . and we are of that numberless number spoken of , which shall stand with the lamb upon mount sion ; for we are of the seed which is coming up out of egypt , and shall replenish the whole earth : and ye fools and blind will be deceived , and the imaginations of your hearts will come to nothing : and it s you that will fall , and come to nothing ; and not we , whom the lord is bringing up out of the apostacy , which you all are in , and all nations are in since the dayes of the apostles . and we are not any of all those sects and false churches , that have been on foot for many ages ; for its true , they have risen and fallen , come up and gone down one after another , and made a stir and a noise for a while , and then withered , and come to nought , and dyed away of themselves ; and this is because their foundation has not been christ , the rock of ages ; nor none of them have been his true church , his spouse , elected to him ; for if they had , they could not have been prevailed against , nor fallen , as they have done ; nor they have not been the true church , which is the ground and pillar of truth ; for they have wither'd and come to nothing , and risen and fallen one after another in a few years time ; and they could not stand long any of them , but must needs wither and be confounded , and one consume another , and be eaten up one of another ; for they have risen out of the pit that hath had no bottom , and into that have they and must they all sink down again ; and they have caused the world to wonder after them for a little season , but being not upon the foundation , they could not remain ; for they have all come out of the pit , & go into perdition , & have risen one out of another , and been destroyed one of another : and though some of them have made war one with another , and some of them hated the whore , yet have they given their power to the beast , and the beast rose out of the pit , which had no bottom , without foundation ; and the beast , and all these sects , that have given their power to him , go into perdition with him , and it s not possible that they should remain long , but fall , and come to nothing , because christ hath not been their foundation : but as i have said , we are not any of all these , that give their power to the beast , but are of them that stand with the lamb upon moun sion , that are redeemed unto god out of every sect , and out of kindreds and multitudes ; and we are of them that have overcome the beast , and his image , and the number of his name , who are them that follow the lamb whither soever he goes ; who cannot be overcome nor fall , because greater is he that is in us , then he that is in the world ; and he overcomes the world , and he is our rock and foundation , and we cannot be moved ; but he keeps us , & we may not fall , nor come to nought , as our enemies do falsly suppose and speak , as they would have it ; but let them be at rest , for we shall grow , and spring , and be encreased into a numberless number , which shall stand upon the sea of glass , with the harps of god in our hands , singing praises and glory to the lord god for evermore . what though the woman has been fled into the wilderness , and we , her seed , made war against , and slain ? and what though we be accounted as sheep for the slaughter , and killed all the day long ? and what though some that are convinced , and come to the faith of christ in measure ? what though some such do turn from the truth , into the evil world again , and deny the lord and his people , and their latte●-end be worse then their beginning , & the unclean spirit possess them seven fold more then at the first ? and , what though the evil eye doth see this , & the wicked do herein rejoyce , and take occasion from such things to say , they will fall , they will fall , and people turn from them again ? o ye fools and blind ! notwithstanding all this , truth shall prosper , and such as are faithful shall never be ashamed , nor never fall ; but the lord will overcome , and the woman shall return , and shall receive her seed to life again , which shall be as the stars for multitude ; and your desires and conceivings shall be confounded . and what though you say , they cannot stand long , for the powers of the earth , and all the rulers are against them , and parliaments they will make laws to suppress them : nay , ye fools and blind , all this will not prevail ; for the lord has broken , and will break all that shall oppose his kingdom , which he is setting up amongst us , of whose government and dominion there shall be no end , nor no falling , but it shall be encreased forever and ever , and powers nor dominions of the earth shall not prevail ; but all that which they do against us , turneth to our increase , and their own overthrow and confusion , while they think to suppress us ; and all what they can do , and what you may suppose , it is all nothing , and will come to nothing ; for the lord hath spoken it : his seed shall grow , and his people shall replenish the nations ; and in time it will be manifest whose we are , and how we shall be increased ; and in the mean time , we bear all things in patience , knowing assuredly , that the lord is with us , and that none upon the earth may prevail against us ; and this shall all our enemies know in the lord's season . e. b. a discovery of some part of the war between the kingdom of the lamb , and the kingdom of anti-christ : held forth in this account of several disputes and queries , between a minister of christ ( really so ) and one that hath the name of a minister , but is proved to be a minister and member of antichrist by evident testimonies . and is a short account of the covetousness , ignorance , envy , and the fruits of darkness brought forth by c. fowler , a professed minister in reading . and here all may see ( in some measure ) the difference between christ and antichrist , and their authority and weapons ; and also the fruits and effects of each of them are made manifest . to the reader , friend , the chief occasion of this being sent abroad to publique view , is to the people of reading most particularly , but yet more general unto all , and though that it be chiefly unto a particular place , and against a particular person , to wit , ch. fowler , one that hath the name of a minister of christ in reading , whose folly , and weakness and ignorance is herein discovered ; yet it hath partly relation to the whole ministry of the nation ; and all men that do not shut their eyes may see and behold something of that great opposition , that is at this day between the kingdom of christ , and the kingdom of antichrist : and i have no other end in publishing of this , but for the satisfaction of them that desire it , and for the general good of all ; and if christopher fowler shall see himself justly reproved , and repe●t , it may prove of good to him also ; and i am not a man of strife , for if he and his brethren had not first challenged us to disputes , i had not had this occasion th●● to proceed now ; and in what i have done , i refer it to the iust witness of god in the honest people in reading , and to all elsewhere . forasmuch as great hath been the debate for these divers years of late , between the lamb and his followers , and antichrist and his followers ; and the one of them hath been opposing the other in their own power and authority ; and great is the debate at this day between these two kingdoms , which is endeavouring the overthrow one of the other ; and all the strength and power of antichrist is put forth in defence of his kingdom , by persecution , injustice , false-imprisonments , beatings , and whippings , and spoiling of goods and persons , and railings , accusings , slanderings , reproachings ; by these wayes and proceedings doth antichrist strive at this day , for the upholding and maintaining his own cause and kingdom ; and by this means and these weapons mentioned , doth he seek to defend himself , his church , and ministry , and ordinances ; these are his weapons and armour , by which he opposeth and fighteth against the lamb and his followers , whom the lord hath raised up for this end ; and they have within these few years , more then ever for many generations , made an invation and inroad upon antichrist , his kingdom and government , and the great city babylon ; and the seige is raised , that hath long been laid against the holy seed ; and the great city babylon is taken , her walls are scaled , and her gates broken , and her strength defeated , and her merchants spoiled of their goodly treasure ; for the day of the lord is come , and the holy seed is he leading out of the spiritual sodom and egypt ; and mystery babylon the great hath god remembred for her iniquities , and her cruelties and mercilesness , and all her abominations will god avenge upon her head ; and this doth come to pass , and not by the multitude of an host of men , nor yet by humane policy and wisdom , nor yet by carnal weapons , nor by goals , nor prifons , nor persecutions , these are not the lamb's weapons , but these are antichrist's and the dragon's armour and weapons , which he makes war by , against the lamb and his followers , even at this day in every nation : but the lamb's weapons are truth , patience , long-suffering , meekness and down-right sincerity of heart and tongue ; and by these things shall antichrist be slain , and these weapons shall conquer his kingdom ; love shall overcome hatred , meekness shall overcome wrath , truth shall overcome deceit and falshood , and god shall overcome the devil . but more particularly , great hath been the opposition and debate made one against the other ; and the battel between christ and antichrist hath principally been held forth between the ministers of the church of england on antichrist's part , and the people called quakers on the other part ; no man in the nation can be so ignorant how the controversie hath depended betwixt these two , and what weapons they have used the one against the other ; and also , it is in part known the success of them both ; and how the one of them ( to wit ) the ministers ( so called ) have had on their part the strength of men , the magistrates power , the rude multitude , and humane craft , and the serpent's policy , not any of these things have been wanting to them ; but yet , a little seed hath sprung up in the nation on the other part , unexpected by many , which hath had sincerity and truth in it , and the lord hath been with it , and he hath blessed it , though but little and very small in its beginning , yet it is prospered into a kingdom ; for god's might and his authority dwelleth in it , before whom all nations of the earth must fear and tremble . but yet more particularly , my present occasion of demonstrating these things are as followeth ; and the engagement that lies upon me hereunto , is not out of any personal enmity , that i have against any ; but my intent is , for the discovery of the truth , that men may imbrace it ; and for the laying open the deceits of antichrist , and his kingdom , that men may come out of babylon , and may not partake of her sins , nor of her plagues : and this matter now in hand chiefly concerns the people of the town of reading for their satisfaction , concerning the wayes , practices , doctrines , and proceedings of christopher fowler , one of their ministers , with whom i have been joyned in opposion two several times in dispute with him , and the third time was appointed for our meeting upon discourse , as hereafter is related ; but he not appearing at the time and place according to appointment ; and he notwithstanding yet continues in opposition to , and reproaching of the truth of the gospel , which i profess and contend for ; therefore upon this account do i thus e●gage with him , and not for centention sake , but for the open vindication of truth and righteousness , and sound faith and doctrine , held forth by us , and opposed and gain ▪ said by him . the first opposition that fell out between him and me , was at a meeting challenged by himself , in that town about the ninth month , in the year ▪ and i shall at present forbear his detestable and abominable practices and sp●●ches against me and the truth , at that meeting ; for indeed the remembrance of it is much passed from me , but many in that town may well remember to 〈◊〉 day , how he hooted and clapped his hands in the palpit , as if he had been h●nting on a mountain ; and also his ungodly speeches , and revilings towards me , as calling me dog , and villain , and such like names ; and when some of his own people reproved him for such words , he said ; the worst words he had in his mouth was to good for me ; and indeed such was his carriages , and words towards me , at that time , far off civility , and not like a sober heathen , much less like a christian or minister of christ ; and here follows what was written to him , and to the major , and whole town , and sent the next morning after the dispute , which is some account of that dayes proceeding ; and finding a copy of it by me , i thought meet here to infert it . friends , rulers , priests , and people of reading . a few words to clear my conscience to you all in the sight of god , i send among you , occasioned by this dayes meeting ; ye people be ashamed of your priests ; and ye priests be ye ashamed of your people ; and all of you together , cover your lips , and hide your faces , and be ashamed of your profession in religion , or to make mention of the name of the lord in that nature in which you stand ; whose lightness , and foolishness , and rudeness , and wickedness exceeds some others ; yea , many with whom i have ●ad to do in disputes , you excel in unreasonableness in words and behaviour , manifesting your selves some of you not to be civil men , much less christians ; and this very day much of your vanity , bruitishness , and un●●vility appeared to your shame , in the sight of all just and sober men , and to your condemnation in the sight of god ; who takes notice of your wickedness , and unseemly behaviour , which you may call to mind and remember , that you may repent of your ungodly words , and cruel speeches , and rude bruitish gestures , which appeared in you without any fear of god , to your shame be it spoken ; and like priests , like people , all out of the way , in folly and vanity , erring through lightness , and wantonness , not knowing the scriptures , nor the power of god , but perverters of the one , and despifers of the other ; the sin of the priest will be charged upon the people , because you love to have those things so , and uphold him in his wickedness ; and the sin of the people will be charged upon the priests , who through lyes and lightness cause you to err , and profits them not at all ; but is a blind leader of ye blind people , till both fall into the ditch together , who close your eyes that you may not see , and shut your ears lest you should hear , and harden your hearts that you may not understand ; and your destruction is of your selves , and your blood is upon your own heads , who scorns to be reproved , and despiseth the way of the lord , and will not receive his truth in the love of it , that you may be saved ; but is a blind , willful , and stiff-necked people ; some of you who have hearts , and cannot understand : is these the fruits of your long profession , railing , mocking , scorning , laughing , hooting ; foolish and vain words , nick-naming , and reproaching ? these things abounds openly among you to your shame , especially at such a time , when meekness , and soberness , and moderation , had much better become you , to have been brought forth by you ; your priests , exceeding the rest in vileness , and some of your rulers hardly being clear : remember your work , and call to mind your words , and ways , and let shame cover your heads , from the highest to the lowest of you ; and thou proud wild reproachful professe● minister , cease thy vain presumptious boastings against the innocent ; and now when thou puts off thy armor , if thou hast gotten a victory , glory ; or rather hide thy face for shame , and stop thy mouth in the dust , whose lightness , and wildness , hath super-abounded some of thy fellows , who may be ashamed of thee in thy words and behaviour , whereby thou art sufficiently proved to be one that was never sent of god , if we had no other testimony : thy proud presumptions boast against the quakers , was with soberness and in the fear of the lord answered , to thy shame in the sight of all such , whose hearts are not altogether hardned , and given up to believe lies , and to do wickedness , that they may be damned that believe not the truth : and first , as to the manner of the dispute on his part , were his railing envious reproachful unsavory filthy words , of god , or of the devil ? with much impudency many times uttered in the discourse ; as villain , sirrah , wretch , blasphemer , rogue , and such like lying words of bitterness , more like the words of a brawling drunkard , then for a minister of christ , and were his booting , laughsing , and clapping his hands , and rude and unseemly gestures , and behaviour , of god , or of the devil ? more like in appearance to a stage-player , then to a minister of christ , to his shame i mention it ; consider and answer these things , and let that of god in your consciences judge , to which i stand to be approved in meekness , and he to be reproved and condemned in his filthiness and bruitishness , in the sight of god ; may not you who owned him in that discourse , be ashamed of him in these his words and actions , which appeared ? who boastingly gave a challenge to dispute of the things of god , and then to mannage it in rudeness and wildness , without any fear of god , in lying and slandring ; and at the end , when things came to the head for tryal , to run away , and not to stand to the end , though several times he was charged to it ; i appeal for answer to the light of christ in all your consciences ; not like a minister of christ in any measure he appeared , but as one that knows not the living god , nor his law , and fear , nor judgements ; and an unfit fellow upon tryal i found him , to dispute the precious things of god , and through some nations i have hardly met with a worse , which caused me to be the more silent then otherwise i would , for i chosed rather to be accounted a fool by silence , then to offend the just law of god , by giving holy things to dogs , or casting pearls before swine , in which nature he and some of you appeared , who fasly slandered the innocent with the name of jesuite , and such like , crying away with him ; with bitter and cruel words and gestures , pushing with your hands , and crying a prison were the fittest , or such like ; even like unto your fore-fathers the pharisees , who persecuted christ under the account of themselves being righteous , and he a blasphemer , and they laid snares for him to entrap him in his works , as you did ; who when i would not answer according to your provoking , that you might ensnare me , would hardly suffer me to answer any thing , to clear and defend to the truth , against the boast of the wicked ; but by hooting , and laughing , and clapping of hands , and foolish jeastings , and unreasonable rudeness , prevented me from speaking , and them that would have heard from hearing , as much as you could , even as bruit beasts or heathens , and not like civil people , much less like godly christians ; nor like such as would , or could soberly debate the truth of god to edification , and truly may i say i fought with beasts at reading , after the manner of men ; but all was to make your selves , and your pretended minister manifest , and all could not be so blind , but might understand his wayes and words , not to be guided by the spirit of god , but by the spirit of the devil ; who is the father of such works and con●… , as was brought forth by him in the meeting , in many uncivil actions , and reproachful words of envy . and also as to the matter of dispute on his p●●t managed , was but a vain contention , boastingly uttered without the fear of the lord , in a proud presumptious spirit , and a snare laid in the mid'st of his questions , and arguments to entrap the just , but in vain was the snare 〈◊〉 in the sight of the bird , and i chose rather to appear a fool to your wisdom , then to be made a prey upon by you , and caught in your deep-laid snare ; for we are learned to be as wise as serpents ; and deeply did he and s●●e of you fall into the snare of confusion , and wickedness , and false doctrines , as would have been laid open , if he had durst to have staid , or you to have heard . the principal question was , whether the scriptures are the word of god ? which he affirmed , but could not prove by plain scripture ; ●●to which much might have been answered , and said , if patience , or any moderation had ruled over your despiteful spirits ; but because i could not ( to satisfy your wills , and to fulfil your purpose ) answer , yea or nay , and thereby make my self a transgressor ; therefore , hardly would you suffer me to say any thing , in any manner of arguing , but by wickedness endeavoured to stop my mouth ; my answer was , and is , the scriptures ( the writings ) which are one , are but a declaration and witness of the word of god ; which word was in the beginning , and endures for ever ; as iohn and peter testifies ; and the scriptures ( which are writings ) were not in the beginning , but began to be written by moses many hundred years after the beginning ; therefore , the scriptures , which were not in the beginning , are not the word of god , which word was in the beginning ; further the scripture saith , the worlds ●●●e made and framed by the word of god ; but the scriptures made not the worlds ; therefore the scriptures are not the word of god , which as the scrip●●●e it self saith , made the worlds ; many such like witnesses might be alledged from the scriptures , to prove the scriptures are not the word god , 〈◊〉 a declaration ( of the word of god ) and cannot endure for ever ; then 〈◊〉 said he would prove the scriptures should endure for ever , but could not bring any plain scriptures , as i demanded of him to prove the assertion ; but went about in logick to prove it , and could prove no more , then that the truth written of in the scripture should endure for ever ; which thing i never did , or shall deny , and so needed not to be contended against by any sober men ; but unreasonable men , who have not faith , will say any thing for advantage to themselves , and disadvantage to the truth , which they are set to oppose . and he instanced , and said , it is written , christ is god blessed forever ; 〈◊〉 then shalt love the lord thy god with all thy heart ; and said , this should endure f●●●●er : to which i answered , that which is written of only shall endure forever ; but the scriptures and writings should not endure forever . and further instanced , god was written , and was scripture , and should not endure ●●●ever , though god should endure forever , and he could not be written nor ●●●●ained in a book : and through your vanity in scorning , and hooting , 〈◊〉 unreasonableness , according to your own purpose , lest your deceiver ●●●●ld be made manifest , you prevented me , and would not suffer me to speak , in what much more i had to say in this particular : and i observed that in all the questions and arguments against me were hatched secretly a snare to 〈◊〉 me into suffering ; and to this purpose some of you said wickedly ; i ●●●ld presently dispute my self into prison : and further he instanced , thou 〈◊〉 ●…r thy father and thy mother , it is so written ; and said he , this is a command of god , and the word of god , and shall endure for ever , with presumptuous boasts , and scornfull invented terms , not beseeming any 〈◊〉 , much less a minister ; and that he could prove this to be the word of god against all the quakers in the world , and against all the fiends in hell , and against all the jesuits at rome , or filthly words to this purpose , and much i desired moderation from you , with diligence to hear my defence ; and thereupon many times desired the mayor , who was present to command silence , but i could hardly obtain any from you , you were so generally rude , and rash , and unreasonable ; and to him i replyed , that to honour father and mother in the lord , was a command of god , and the word of god , and should endure for ever ; but luke's writings ( the scripture ) were but a declaration of this command , and not the command it self , nor the word of god , and would perish , and not endure for ever ; and bid you read luke . . there luke calls his writings , which are scripture , a declaration , and much more might i have spoken to this thing , if i had been yoaked against a reasonable man , or if the auditors had been but civil ; but you could not endure to hear , but said , i subtilly insinuated into their people ; and thereupon several times some of you spake to the mayor to dismiss the people , i think , lest your hirelings should be discovered , and your wickedness reproved ; and thus the thing came near an end , he not being able to prove by any scripture , or right argument , the scripture to be the word of god , which shall endure for ever , but must if his , and your eye ever be opened , confess to what i held forth , that onely that which is written of in the scripture , or which the scriptures declare of shall endure for ever , to be the word of god , and not the scripture or writings ; then presumtuously he said , prove him if i could , to be a false prophet ; to which i answered , ( and desired much your moderation , but could not obtain it , as though you had set your selves to be rude and vain ) to prove a false prophet was either by conversation , or doctrine , or both , and by his fruits he was known ; to preach for hire , and to divine for money is fruits and signs of a false prophet , as the scripture testified ; which should be my rule to try him by , if he durst stand to it , and they that preached for hire were false prophets ; and he preached for hire , and therefore was a false prophet according to the scripture rule ; then he said , he preached not for hire , yet he had hire for preaching ; a poor shift to cover the devils deceits , but it will not hide his shame ; and it was proved that he preached for hire to all , but such who stopped their ears ; and it was manifest in his face , that he sued some at the law which would not pay him tythes : and then i asked him to give any examples from the ministers of christ , where ever they took tythes , or sued men at the law who would not pay them wages ; but to this he gave no answer at all , and thereby he was proved to be a false prophet , and a deceiver ; and much more might have been said , as to this , to prove him and his generation to be false prophets , as may be done at any time ; but such was the unreasonableness at this passage , that you were nigh to lay violent hands upon me , some of you ; and lest your deceiver should be made manifest , you would not suffer me to speak what i had to say , but cried , away with me : and tell me any of you , when he preached any year or time , at this town , when he had no hire ? and therefore he is a hireling , because he preacheth not without it , but for it , and so is a false prophet ; and he being , i judge , sorely afraid lest he should be discovered , went out of his pulpit door two or three times , till i called him back again , and charged him to stay if he was a man , and i would prove him to be a preacher of false doctrine , who in my hearing said , the scripture was the foundation of foundations ; but when he heard this he ran away , and fled like a hireling , and would not stay ; and i was , and am ready in the presence of god , and any sober men , to prove this to be false doctrine , and of the devil , and him to be no minister of christ , who holds it forth . and all you sober minded men may be ashamed of him , who managed his work with so much wickedness and impudency while he staid ; and when it came to the very trial then he run away , and would not stand , though i desired him ; hereby did his guilt appear is flying the tryal ; and this is the substance of the business , though not every particular word ; and i have gathered it up to send you and him , that when you see it , and consider and read what you have done , you may be ashamed of him , and of your own unreasonableness : and further , he is already proved , and may be more largely hereafter , to be one that god never sent , both by conversation and doctrine , and no minister of jesus christ ; and not only in the house , but when we were come forth , such was your violence to the stopping of us , when we were pasting , and had not the mayor prevented it , our suffering from some of you had been more then it was : let the fear of god strike you , and let his light search wicked and ungodly hearts , and repent of your doings , and cease to do evil , and turn from your deceiver , if you love your own souls ; and learn the way of righteousness and peace , which you have not yet known ; for in the broad way you are , and the end of it will be unto your everlasting destruction . and to you this is a warning , and a visitation from the lord , by a lover of your souls , who is true , though by you called and counted a deceiver ; and this in love to your souls is sent unto you . e. b. here also followeth certain queries to christopher fowler the same time , to which he never yet could give any sober answer , therefore i here insert them , that he may yet give his answer . christopher fowler , seeing thou art a man so irrational , and so unsober to speak , and fairly to debate things in discourse , and thy auditory so rude and inhumane in behaviour , and words ; therefore to thee these few queries i propound , to try thee , whether thou wilt shew the spirit of a man by writing , more then by speaking ; seeing therein i have tryed thee , to be more like a wild inhumaine creature , than a sober and upright christian. seeing the scripture saith , the word of god was in the beginning , and the world was framed by it , and it shall endure forever , hence i query of thee , i. whether the scriptures be the very word of god , yea , or nay ? seeing the scriptures were not in the beginning , neither was the world framed by them , neither can they endure forever , hence i query of thee , ii. whether the very word of god be scripture , yea , or nay ? seeing it is confessed , that which is written of , and declared of , in the scriptures , is the word of god , and the truth , which shall endure forever , hence iquery of thee , iii. whether the scriptures ( the writings ) and the thing or subject declared and written of , are not two distinct things ( so as one may have the one and not the other ) yea , 〈◊〉 nay ? seeing god , and his word , will and mind is eternal , infinite and endless , hence i query of thee , if thou hast an understanding answer , iv. whether god , his word , will and mind , is , or can be contained or holden in scriptures and writings , or but only part of the declaration of him , of his word , will and mind , yea , or nay ? seeing such were false prophets , which preached for hire , and divined for money , and sought for gain from their quarter , hence i query of thee , v. whether by this rule art not thou proved a false prophet , who preachest for hire , and takest hire for preaching , and hast a quarter ( reading of some part of it ) from which thou seekest gain ? answer in plainness . seeing every tree is known by its fruit , as christ saith , hence i query , vi. whether by this rule , thou that bringst forth the same fruits as the false prophets did viz. lies , lightness , pride , covetousness , and false accusing , art not the same tree , viz. a false prophet ? seeing they were false prophets , who ran and were not sent , and did not profit them , the people at all ; but clothed themselves with the wool , and prepared war against them that put not into their mouths , &c. hence i query of thee , vii . whether by this rule thou art not proved a false prophet , who canst not prove that thou art sent of god , neither are the people profitted by thee ; but are rude , and wanton , and wicked ; and thou preparest war against them that put not into thy mouth , by suing them at law for tithes , & c ? seeing scorning , lying , slandering , envy , hatred , lightness , &c. with much more of which thou art guilty , are the fruits of the flesh , and of the divel ; hence i query of thee , viii . whether by this rule art thou not proved to be no minister of christ , but of the devil , and a servant to him ; and a liver to the flesh , and not in the spirit , in whom these fruits of darkness , and of the flesh are abounding ? seeing the scripture saith , the word of god was in the beginning , and christ jesus is the foundation , and no other can be laid ; hence i query of thee , ix . whether by this rule thou art not proved a deceiver , and thy doctrine false , and error , and contrary to scripture ; who said , the scriptures are the word of god , ( which were not in the beginning ) and said , that the scriptures ( which are not christ ) are the foundation of foundations ? and whether this doctrine of thine doth not deny christ , and so art proved to be antichrist ? answer according to truth . seeing thou confessest thou hast hire for preaching , yet sayst , thou preachest not for hire ; hence i query of thee , x. whether any of the people of reading would give thee so much a year if thou didst not preach to them ? and if no then whether they do not give thee so much , and thou receive it , because thou preachest unto them ? or , did they give thee so much before thou preachest ? or will they give thee any when thou dost cease to preach to them ? try them when thou wilt , and prove thy self a true prophet , by preaching some years and receiving nothing ; and till then i charge thee to be a false prophet . seeing the ministry which christ jesus sent by the apostles , did bring people that they needed no man to teach them , but as the anointing within them ; hence i query of thee , xi . whether by this rule thy ministry is proved not to be of christ iesus , nor thou sent of him , by which none can come to this condition , that they need no man to teach them , ( produce any one if thou canst ) and so a ministry of anti-christ , and thou of the divel . seeing they that abide not in the doctrine of christ , have not god ; hence i query of thee , xii . whether by this rule thou art not proved to be without christ , and without god , who abides not in christ's doctrine ; but are called of men master , and stand praying in the synagogue , and hast the chief seat in the assembly , and contrary to christ's command ? answer these queries with the spirit of soberness , if thou hast it ; and shew thy self a man , if thou hast the heart of a man ; and repent of thy wickedness , and own thy condemnation upon thy former words and works . i am a friend unto thy soul , but a witness against thy deceits . e. b. and after which time , for the space of two years , i had no communication with christopher fowler , till this last nineth moneth , at a place called east-h●●sted , where a meeting of dispute was appointed , and challenged by some of his brethren , at which place again i met with this my adversary , where we had some hours discourse , and many particulars of false doctrine fell from fowler 's mouth , some few of which hereafter follow . first , one of his brethren in his prayer before the dispute , prayed to god to forgive them the atheism that were in their hearts of him and his brethrens . answer , now an atheist is one that denies god , and atheism is denying of god , according to common reputation , atheism is so taken ; so that how shall such a generation of men bring people to the knowledge of god by their ministry ? or how should they ever convert people , to profit them , who yet in their own hearts denyed god , as the man acknowledged in his prayer before the lord , and many witnesses ? the poor people of england had thought that the spirit of god had been in your hearts , but now we know that you deny god in your hearts , and you have confessed it to your own shame : are you ministers of christ , and yet denies god in your hearts ; and in whose hearts lodges atheism ? oh! let not people be deceived by you , but repent , ye that know not god , but with your mouthes confess him , and with your hearts do deny him . christopher fowler also affirmed , that day , that the scriptures are the glorious everlasing foundation of foundations . answ. and hereby it is made manifest that he hath totally denyed christ , and so proved with his brother , confest in his prayer , that indeed atheism is in their hearts ; and so he hath denyed christ , whom the scriptures say is the foundation , and no other foundation can any man lay , and upon him were the saints builded in their faith , and all their practices of religion ; for he is the corner stone , as it is written : and thus he hath dishonoured christ , in setting the scriptures above him , and taking the honour from him , and giving it to the scriptures ; and i shall leave this his doctrine to be considered , with a query , to these people of his church in reading , whether he is worth hearing , or giving money to for preaching , that holds forth such doctrine ? and whether it is possible he should bring them to christ , who hath in effect denied him to be the foundation , and held forth , that the scriptures are the glorious everlasting foundation of foundations : much i need not say to uncover the error of suc● a doctrine . again he affirmed , that a man at one and the same time might be a minister of christ , and a deceiver . answ. and here all may see the weakness and ignorance of this strange paradox , and indeed which is contrary to the scriptures , which saith , no man can serve two masters : and it s very certain , that he that serves the devil , doth ●ot serve christ at the same time ; and he that serves christ doth not serve the devil ; and so his doctrine is antichristian , which would make people believe , that though they serve the devil , yet they are the servants of god ; and this is as much as he hath said , that one may be a minister of christ , and yet a deceiver ; now a deceiver is one that follows the spirit of the devil , and a minister of christ is one that followes the spirit of christ , and these two spirits are contrary , and not both ruling in one man at one time : but then to help the matter , he said , a man might serve christ in office , but not in love : to which my answer was , let him say , whether he and the priests of england did serve christ by way of office , or love , both , or either , and i should prove the contrary ; but that we prosecuted no further : some other things were affirmed by him that day , not now remembred . he said , that christ was a sinner , from this argument laid down by him ; all that dies ●●e sinners , christ died , therefore , &c. these , and such things he held forth all that day , besides the unsoberness of his words , and carriages towards me , who called me a dog divers times , and did use very ridiculous jestures and words towards me , even to his own shame in the sight of many people ; and the people of that county do yet well remember his unchristian-like proceedings ; and were ashamed of him ; but at last went his way , and all his brethen , and i was left among the people ; and i need not now mention for many , even themselves know it , what loss and disadvantage they sustained that day ; and gods loving truth was advanced , and the advantage of it that was obtained on the lords behalf ; but i being not yet as it were wholly satisfied , but would endeavour further to the laying open deceit , and to invade antichrists kingdom ; the next morning after the dispute it was upon me to write forth , and to send him this paper of propositions following : whereunto is annexed his answer . c. fowler : friend , seeing thou art so high in thy spirit against us , and against the truth which we profess , and from time to time dost open thy mouth so wide in justification of thy self , and thy practices , and in false charges against us ; and though we have had divers meetings , and the differences between us alwayes appeared greater and greater ; therefore this i propound unto thee , whether thou wilt give another meeting of open dispute for the tryal of thee , and thy wayes , and of us , and the truths which we hold forth , for the satisfaction of the people ? and these things following i propound , as the subject matter worthy to be handled , which may discover thee , and us , to the satisfaction of all that desires in that case . first , what be the evident signes and tokens of a wolf in sheeps clothing ? and whether thou , or we , in the sight of the people , and of the lord god can clear our selves , to be clear and free , from the marks and signs of such aforesaid ? secondly , whether wilt thou stand to be tried in thy ministry , in thy call to it , practice in it , and maintenance of it , by and according to the scriptures of the old and new testament ? and wilt thou admit of tryal of thy church , and worship , and ministry thereby ? and this being done , we do engage to suffer the like tryal in any part , and every part of our religion . thirdly , whether there be any other foundation of faith , &c. for the people of god at this day , then jesus christ onely , and alone ? and whether he was not the foundation to the fathers before the scriptures were written ? and whether he that layes or preaches any other foundation , doth not dishonor christ , and speak contrary to the scriptures ? these things with some others , which we may have occasion to speak of , are we willing to discourse with thee , for the further clearing of the truth , and laying open dece●… ; for yesterday i had much more to have spoken to thee , hadst thou not go●…●…o hastily away : so if thou art willing to joyn in discourse w●●h me again ●…int place and hour , either this day , or to morow , for my occasions w●ll admit of either of these two days ; always provided that we may have all mode●●tion , and may proceed in meekness like men , and not like raylers , as thou appearedst yesterday to thy own shame . an answer hereof we do expect with speed ; and we are friends to all that love righteousness . e. b. thomas c●… the original of this was delivered to the hands of c. fowler in reading , the next morning after the dispute at east-hamsted , and being given to him at his steeple-house-door , when he was comming out from his worship , he would have given them again to the messenger , after he had it in his hand , and opened it , but not being taken , he said he would burn it : and thus people may see , that though he cryed against us as deceivers behind our backs , yet he is one of them dumb dogs that cannot bark , nor fright us away , if we were such as he saith of us . and here all sober people may understand the temper of this my adversary , and i shall leave them to judge of the proceedings between him and me ; but yet though he denies to meet me , yet when i was passed out of the country , becaused the following paper to be fixed upon the steeple-house-door at east-h●●sted , where the dispute was drawn up by him , and set there as a hidious vapour , to enchant the minds of people ; it may be , not supposing that ever it should have come to publique view , as now it is like to do , to his shame . a true charge in ten particulars against the people called quakers . they that pernitiously deny the scriptures to be the word of god , are hereticks and blasphemers : but those called quakers do thus deny the scriptures to be the word of god ; therefore they are hereticks and blasphemers . . they that deny the scriptures to be the foundation of faith , and rule of life , they are hereticks and blasphemers : but the quakers do this ; therefore they are hereticks and blasphemers . . they that do not own the lord iesus christ to be god by nature , are horrible blasphemers : but those called quakers , do not own the lord iesus christ to be god by na●●re ; therefore they are blasphemers . . they that say the good works of the saints are meritorious of eternal life , are hereticks , and papists of the worst sort : but the quakers say so ; therefore they are hereticks , and papists . . they that deny the ordinance of water-baptism , and the administration of the lord's-supper , they are antichristian hereticks : but the quakers do this ; therefore the quakers are antichristian heretick . . they that deny the sin of infants are pelagian hereticks : but the quakers deny the sin of infants ; therefore they are pelagian hereticks . . they that deny the resurrection of this body , are hereticks : but the quakers deny this ; therefore they are hereticks . . they that deny the christian sabbath , are very erroneous : but the quakers do this ; therefore they are very erroneous . . they that quarrel at , and deride the singing of david's psalms , the●…de ●…de of hopkins , and sternhold , the kings fidlers , they are foo●… ignorant and p●…ne in that : but the quakers do this ; therefore they are fooli●● ignorant , and pr●phane in this . . they that publikely charge the office and call of ministers with lyes ▪ and calum●… , they are railers and slanderers : but the people called quakers do this ; therefore the people called quakers , are railers and slanderers . these things through the lord i am able to justifie , and if i do not , i shall be contented to be called a deceiver : let them chuse their own time as soon as they please ; in witness whereof i have set to my hand , this twenty sixth of november , . christopher fowler . and according to providence , this paper coming to my hands , though it s believed without any purpose in him , to which i did return my answer , as to answer his challenge , and neither time nor place being mentioned by him but both left to us to appoint , i did appoint reading for the plate , and nominated a certain day ●●r the time , and he had ●●gh a week , notice from me , and the time appointed i went to r●●ding to attend the service , but when i came there , i understood that be would not meet me according to his own proposals and agreement , but nominated another place , and another time , which was supposed by me and others ●o ●e but a present evacting of the ●…er ? whereupon his denial to meet me at the time and plac● appointed by me , this following letter i sent unto him . c fo●… , whereas a challenge of ●hine ( to us called quakers , for a dispute upon ten particulars ) was set upon the steeple-house door , at east hamsted , and leaving it to us to appoint time and place , i did appoint , reading for the place , and the fourth day of this week , called wednesday , the th . of this moneth , for the time ; and in order to proceed ( upon the particulars in dispute with thee , the place and ●●me above●●id ) i ordered my occasions so as to attend upon the service the said time , but i being come into the town this night , do perceive , that thou art not content with the place and time , though they were left to our appointing in thy challenge , but hast appointed another place and time , upon some feeble reasons which thou givest , which i might shew the weakness of , and might upon many better reasons say , that reading is the only place seasonable to dispute at ; ●or if thou be indeed a true minister of christ , the people of this town best deserve to know it , by hearing it to be so ; and if thou art a deceiver , the people of this town had the most need of any others to know it , by hearing thee disproved : so upon this place i have pitched , and cannot now change my resolution , nor alter neither time nor place , by me before-mentioned , my occasion will not admit me to it . therefore i thought good to write to thee , to know for certain under thy hand , whether you will give a meeting or not in this town , the fourth day next , as aforesaid ; if not , this matter must yet remain as it stands between us , till a more clear opportunity ; for i cannot be at oking●●● the day mentioned by thee , because my service is already determined for that day , and for some other reasons also in my own breast : let me have a plain answer from thee , that i may dispose of my self is the lord guides me for his service . this is all for present i do desire , who am a friend to all that love the lord. reading the th of the th moneth , e. burroughs . but to this letter his answer was , he would not meet me at reading , for there was no need of dispute there ; and therefore it is my present work at this time , for to answer his ten particulars in writing , and to make them publick to ●ll , that all may judge of this matter . and indeed , but that for these te● particulrs charges , and that truth may be clear from those charges in his ten particulars , i believe i had not thus proceeded in this publick manner ; but because ●e ceaseth not to speak evil of the truth , and yet will not come forth fairly to tryal , neither will answer me any queries in publick , but keeps a secret reviling and reproaching ; therefore do i thus proceed . answer to the first position : thy major and thy minor are both lame , and both false , and thy so conclusion falls , to the ground ; for the quakers do not pernitiously deny the scriptures to be the word of god , but they in sincerity say , that christ is the word of god , io. . . rev. . . and the scriptures are the words of god , and a declaration , and a treatise , and this testimony is according to the scriptures , luke . : acts . and it is not heresie nor blasphemy to deny the scriptures ( to wit , the writings ) to be the word of god , but the truth written of , and those things declared of in the scriptures , 〈◊〉 ●he word of god , and not the writings , which are scriptures , but this i●●●●the● 〈◊〉 to before , m● so i pass it . answer to the second position : thy major position is u●●●●ly 〈◊〉 , and not grounded upon any part of the scriptures , so that the ni●… , and the conclu●●●● are both denied and cast out : for a man m●y s●y , that chris●●●e foundation of faith , and the spirit of god is the rule of life ; for thus the scriptures say : and a man may lawfull ; deny the scriptures to be the foundation of fa●●● , and rule of life , and neither be heretick nor blasphemer : was the apo●●●e a blasphemer and a heretick , who said , no other foundation could be laid , but th●● which was laid already , which was christ ? and was he a heretick and a blasphemer , that said , the sons of god were led by the spirit of god , and exhorted to walk ●y the rule of the spirit ? and are the quakars , blasphemers and hereti●●s , who ●old forth , that truth the apostles held forth ; and who walk by the spirit , w●… according , and not contrary to the scriptures ? o tho● perverter of the right way of god , who hast falsly accused the innocent in thy illiterate logick . answer to the third position : in this thou hast falsly accused ; but yet let us c●●sider thy words ; there was a nature in that ma● iesus christ ; that was born of t●e ●●●gin , that was subject to cold , heat , thirst and hunger , and subject to be tempted of the devil ; and this nature was not god , whose nature is infinite , eternal unmeasurable , me s●bject to hunger nor thirst , nor to heat and cold , nor subject to temptations ; so that a man may say lawfully , and be no blasphemer , that there was a nature in him which was ●ot god , and yet the fulness of the godhead dwelt in him too ; and he is the everlasting father , and the father is in him , and he in the father : and thus by a sound interpretation of the word , ( god by nature ) thy major , and minor , and conclusion , are all made void . answer to the fourth : the good works of the saints are wrought in god , and by his spirit , and its god that works in them to will and to do , and all such works are worthy works , glorious works and blessed works , even unto eternal life , as the scripture saith , glory , honour and peace be unto every man that ●orketh good , rom. . , . and no man by faith without works is justified ; for faith without works is dead , and a dead faith doth not justifie : this is our faith , and the faith which the apostles were of ; and we are neither hereticks nor papists no more then were the apostles : and thy argument is vain , and falls to the ground , and hath no weight in it unto sober minds , though self-righteousness is altogether abomination to the lord , and justifieth not any man. answer to the fifth position : a man may deny the sprinkling of infants , and the administration of bread and wine , as is held forth in your assemblies , and be neither antichristian , nor a heretick ; for the institution of sprinkling infants , and administring of bread and wine among unconverted people was never ordained of god , nor practised amongst the apostles ; if thou sayst it was , prove it out of the scriptures , or else stop thy mouth ; and to deny such ordinances and practices , which god never commanded , nor the saints of for●er ages ever practiced , is not antichristian nor heresie ; but thu ; do the qakers , and t●●●●fore they are not antichristian nor hereticks upon this accomp● and t●●● thy position is not worth any thing , for the end proposed by thee ; but thy weakness and folly is made manifest , and thy idolat●ous pr●ctices , so much pl●●●ed for by thee , are denied and opposed by the spirit of the lord. answer to the sixth position : as for the sin of infants , we do not say , that infants in general , that is to say , every particular infant that is 〈◊〉 hath been horn into the world , has sin ; for some were fillen with the holy ghost , and some were ●●●ctified from their mother womb ; and what sin had such ? and the script●re speaks , that the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the beli●ving h●… e●se 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c●ildr●● unclean , but now are they holy : and what sin had these . so that ●●y ma●… is proved defective , and so thy minor and thy conclusion is worth nothing , though as to the general part we do believe , there is a nature whereby all are children of wrath , in degeneration . answer to the seventh : this is a false accusation , thy minor proposition , and is a lye ; and so thy conclusion is utterly false . answer to the eighth : as for the christian-sabbath , we do not deny that , for christ is the saints rest ; and the seventh day of the week is the iews sabboth , and not the christian-sabbath ; and so this is but a false accusation , as the rest . and as for the first day of the week , which you observe for sabboth , you have neither binding example , nor express command in scripture for that practice . answer to the ninth : as for the singing of david's psalms in rhime and meeter , and in the custom as practised amongst you , we do utterly deny to be any ordinance of god , or any part of his worship , though you say it is ; yet we never had other proof of you then tradition of time , and long custom ; and by this you would seem to plead the practice to be a duty : but this satisfies not us , though we do not quarrel nor deride at your practice in this particular ; ( as thou groundst thy argument ) but this we do , we freely give our testimony against your practice from time to time , in the fear and power of the lord , yet not as quarrelling and deriding after the flesh ; though we do say , they were composed in rhime and meeter by sternhold , and hopkins , and others , which were musitioners to the queen ; and in this we say true , and are neither ignorant , foolish , nor prophane , as thou sayst ; and we give witness against such your practice to be antichristian , and you deceivers of the people thereby : so hereby is thy conclusion made void , and a place is brought in for another ; they that act such things , and observe such practices , in pretence of honour and worship to god , which is not commanded nor instituted of god , nor which his spirits leads unto , they are idolaters , and their worship , and their practice is abomination unto the lord : but thus do the ministers and people of the church of england ; and therefore the ministers and people of the church of england are idolaters , and their practices abomination unto the lord. answer to the tenth : thy minor proposition i do deny ; for we do not charge the office and call of the ministers of the church of england with lies and calumnies ; but this we say , their office , and their call is not from the lord , nor by the authority of his spirit ; neither is their office and call according to the scriptures , but it is different and contrary both to the spirit of god , and the scriptures , and is not from heaven , but rather from the whore of rome . and though we do affirm these things concerning the ministry of england , yet we do not charge it with lyes and calumnies , but we speak the truth in righteousness : and what would c. fowler and his brethren have said of the true prophets , that called the priests and watchmen of israel , ( that were made by divine institution , which the office and call of england's ministry never was ) that called them blind watchmen , and greedy dumb dogs , and devourers of souls ? might not they have said to the true prophets , you charge the office and call of the priests of the lord with lyes and slanders ? and this is like the case between us and the priests of england : and did not christ call the chief priests serpents , vipers and hypocrites , and those priests were in their office , and call of gods institution ; but might not they have said , that he charged the office and call of the priesthood with calumnies , &c. and the case is the same with us ; and it is accounted no sin by the lord , for us to give our witness against the wayes and practices of the priests of england , and utterly to deny both its office and call ; for they that do profess their office and call to be of god , and from him , and yet can give no true testimony thereof , by the spirit of god , and according to the scriptures , such are deceived , and deceivers of others ; but such are the priests of england , and therefore , &c. and thus i have returned answer to his ten propositions , and laid down some others in their place , his being confounded ; and i must leave it to be judged of by the witness in every mans conscience , whether he hath not shewed his madness and folly in his matter , and in the way of his proceedings ; as for the matter he charges us withal , it s wholy invalid , as for the end propo●ed by h●● , and we account of his work , as but the malice of an antichristian spirit : and as for his proceedings , they are inconsistent with a minister of christ , for him and his brethren to fly from me at his dispute at east-hamsted , as before mentioned , as being not able to defend their cause ; this he and they did , as many in that country knows : ●●d then for him the next morning , when i did invite him to meet again upon sober reasons , which he also denied , and refused to meet me any more ; and yet afterwards , when i was gone out of the country , to go and hatch such mischief in his mind , as to invent ten such rain arguments , and cause them to be set up on the steeple-house-door , o● purpose to villifie and reproach the innocent people of god ; this was his wickedness , as all upright men may see : and further , for him to challenge to dispute these particulars , and leave time and place to our appointing ; which when time and place was appointed , sutable and equitable on all parts ; and yet for him to refuse to meet at that time and place , this was his f●dy and madness , as understanding men may discern : and further , for him yet to rail behind our backs against us in his pulpit , and to charge us , as if we refused to meet him ; this is his hypocrisie , and the deceitfulness of his heart , whereby he thinks to keep the people in blindness ; but the light is now arising in the hearts of people , whereby such deceits and deceivers are fully discovered , and they cannot now be hid . and though for many ages deceivers , and false prophets , have hid themselves under the profession of ministers , and fine names ; yet the day of the lord is dawned , which hath made them fully manifest , and now their sheeps cloathing will not hide them , though they cover themselves therewith , and have deceived the world thereby , and these babylons merchants , they have made great gain upon people , and traded with the souls of men , and souls have been murdered , even for dishonest gain ; but the plagues of god is coming upon the earth , which the whore , the false church hath corrupted through her sorceries and witchcrafts ; and as she hath done unto others , in causing them to drink her cup of abominations , and false principles , doctrines and practices , which the beast and his power hath imposed upon the nations , and nations have been made drunk thereby ; and in particular , this c. fowler , with whom i am now dealing , is made manifest to be one of these merchants of babylon , who hath made merchandize of people for gain to himself , and such are his covetous cursed practices , having a heart exercised with covetousness and oppression , as is well known in the town of reading ; as for instance . first , it was charged upon him , and confessed by him , that he sued at law twelve poor men of reading , for the tythe of their turnips , and with much malice and greediness did prosecute the twelve poor men , and put himself and them to great charges and trouble ; onely he confessed he took but twenty nobles of them , and thought he did favourably with them . now this was acknowledged by his own mouth , which is a clear demonstration of the cove●ousness and oppression of this man , and that he is a grinder of the faces of the poor , and exceeds in unmercifulness and cruelty , the very worst of the false prophets that ever we read of in scripture . oh! abominable practice , which shames christianity , and the profession of christ , that ever such a fellow should have the name of a gospel-minister , and that ever people should be so blind , as to receive this man for a messenger of god , who hath a heart filled with such cursed grinding practices , who is in the way of balaam , and exceeding him in covetousness . secondly , he said , he did not preach for hire ; but confessed , that he had hire for preaching . answ. with this kind of foolish paradox he would deceive and blind the people , for if he have hire for preaching ( for ) sheweth a reason , and it is the same , he hath hire , because he preacheth ; that is the reason wherefore he hath hire , and so he is a hireling : and it may easily be proved , that he will not preach , if he have not so much money , tythes , or such things , and his own example before-mentioned , in suing at law twelve poor men , for the very tythes of turnips in the garden , doth demonstrate him sufficiently to be a hireling , as also a third particular ; which is , he demanded money of a certain man is reading , for marrying the said man , when as the man was married by another ; yet notwithstanding the said fowler forced the said man to give him seven shillings and six pence , because he pretended he was a man of his parish ( to wit ) within his quarter , where he seeks his gain . answ. and thus it is fully manifest more and more , that he is one that seeks for his gain from his quarter , and is a compleat man in the very nature and steps of the false prophets of israel , whose example he doth follow , and not the example of any of the ministers of jesus christ. was not this a piece of griping coveteousness , to demand money of the man which he married not ? oh abominable ! what , wouldst thou have wages without any work ? this is a degree beyond preaching for hire , to claim and receive money of a man , having no manner of due , nor title thereunto : well , people cannot be so blind , but they must needs see thy folly , wickedness and covetousness . fourthly , christopher fowler at a certain time did give a poor minister , so called , five shillings ; and afterwards there happened to be a collection for the poor irish , and he snatched five shillings of that money away which was gathered , and said , he gave five shillings a while ago to a poor minister , this was his pretence , and thus he defrauded the poor irish people . answ. was not this also a foul covetous practise , and hypocrisie too , in pretending to give a poor man some money , and afterwards , as it were , to rob others to pay himself ? here is a double iniquity , and unmeasurable covetousness , which the lord will judge : and the like of this manner of greediness is seldom to be found so foul , and so extream deceitful and covetous : but all these things are but a further testimony of his naughtiness ; and this i do in order , that all men may beware and take heed of the mouthes of wolves in sheeps cloathing , which tears the flocks , and devoures both souls and bodies of men , such a one as this man , with which i am now dealing ; let all men beware of him , least they become his prey . fifthly , another covetous practise of christopher fowlers was , he sold one load of straw twice , and the man that bought it first , did sue him at law , and it was prosecuted , and fowler was cast , to his great shame ; and this the people of reading very well knows . answ. nothing need be said , as to discover the wickedness and covetousness of this practise , the worst of men seldom ever is found in such a practise : is not this an unfit person to mention the name of christ , or to take it into his mouth ? oh deceitful man i who art unfit to be called a christian , much less a minister of christ : these , and divers others such like covetous practises is c. f. highly guilty of , as many good people very well knows . divers other things i could mention , but these for present are sufficient , for the end that they are produced , which is to lay christopher fowlers wickedness upon him , that he may feel the weight of it upon his conscience , and that all sober people may be warned of such men , that they have not to do with them . but however , if chrisiopher fowler shall answer my queries propounded to him , and shall seek to clear himself from what i have said , he shall hear further from me ; however in the mean time , let him stop his boasting , and vaunting , and vapouring challenges , till he hath answered what is charged against him in this book . but and if christopher fowler doth go on with his railing accusations , and presumptuous boasts against us , then let him appoint any time that he shall please , and in the lord's power i shall engage , that he shall be met at what time he will appoint , in any place in reading . reading i do appoint for the place , let him appoint what time he please for to dispute of any such thing or things as we may agree upon at our meeting : and though he is unwilling to dispute in reading , yet there is no other place so sutable as that town is , for many reasons , as may be shewed ; and i suppose justly , that his unwillingness to dispute at reading , ariseth , lest he should be discovered among his own hearers , and therefore would evade the matter , by seeming to be willing to dispute at other places , which is not so sutable , nor yet so reasonable ; but if he will at reading , let him appoint time at his pleasure , and he shall be answered , if god permit . now c. fowler , hold up thy hand ; guilty , or not guilty ; whether a minister of christ , or a deceiver ? come to the bar , and receive the sentence , thou that hast long been accounted by some as an oracle ; thy glory is fallen , and thou art brought into contempt : how have they been deceived , that have looked upon thee as an oracle ? thy language is sentenced to be of bab●lon ; and the beast false prophet must be taken alive , and cast into the lake of burning : the day of the lord is come . e. b. a return to the ministers of london , by way of answer to their seasonable exhortation , ( so called ) directed to their congregations . with sober reproof sent unto them , because of their secret smitings against the dispised people called quakers , whom they have secretly reproached in their said exhortation . and this is written for the better information of them and their particular congregations , and that truth may he exalted , and deceit and iniquity may bow and tremble . . forasmuch as you the ministers in and about london , have sent forth a seasonable exhortation ( as you call it ) to the people of your congregations , which i have seen , read , and considered , and do find something therein worthy of answer ; for the end that people may be satisfied concerning things doubtfull , which are in controversie this day among many ; for it is well known the controversie hath been long , and is grown very high between us and you , concerning church , ministry , and religion ; and divers things in your exhortation are doubtfull unto many ; and that all doubts may be removed , if possible , therefore i do return what follows , as an answer unto you . whereas you say , you are not ignorant of the prejudices and prepositions , wherewith the carnal world is leavened , concerning you calling , office , and doctrines ; and what clamors ; and fiery contentions abound for them every where that pleads christ's cause in the gates , &c. answ. as for your calling , office , and doctrine , there is much to be said against them , in and by the spirit of the lord ; for your calling and office , is not according to the example of scriptures , though the calling and office of ministers of the gospel hath example in the scripture , yet as you are called into your office , that is not according , but rather contrary to the scriptures : and as for your doctrine , it is in some things unsound also . now as for seasonable exhortations of ministers to people , i do acknowledge , that it is a duty which ought to be done , but how seasonable and sound your exhortations are , that remains to be tried ; and it is not onely the carnal world , as you speak , that are doubtfull concerning your calling and office , but it the best of the people , whose eyes the lord is opening , to see and behold the false immitations of the calling and office of ministers , as you have stood for many generations ; and it is true , them that pleads christs cause , they are cryed out upon , and contended with , but this fully belongs not to you , though you apply it to your selves , but it pertains more to others , for the world speaks well of you , as it use to do of false prophets . and you say , we the ministers of the gospel in the city of london , do with ear●…ess exhort the people of this city , to awaken , as out of sleep , and to lay to heart , the great dangers that threatens you , which you represent under a threefold consideration . the fear of the return of popery . the distracted estate of religion amongst us . other symptomes of gods wrath hanging over your heads . answ. that you are ministers of the gospel , this is doubtful unto many , and many more testimonies might be given to the contrary , then can be given for it . but this is not the present debate , and therefore no more of it . and what , is the people of your congregations yet asleep ? have not you awakened them in so many years time ? have you been preaching over them , and taking their money so long , and are they yet to awaken , as out of sleep ? will not the blame of this , and the condemnation of it fall upon you their watch-men , who hath not yet awakened them ? and may not they say that you have dealt unjustly by them , who are left as asleep under all your preaching , and are yet unsensible of the danger that threatens them ? oh friends ! will you consider , and your people with you , what you have been preaching , and what they have been hearing for so long a time , seeing you now acknowledge they are yet asleep , and unawakened . now as to the first of your considerations , the fear of the return of popery , for which you lay down divers things to make the people believe it : first , the union of foreign popish-powers : secondly , the vast numbers ( say you ) of popish emissaries and jesuites that swarms amongst you : thirdly , the vending and printing of so many popish books every year , &c. answ. as for popery , i know it is idolatry , and their church and worship , and every part thereof abomination to the lord , and the spirit that leads them is not the spirit of jesus ; and as for popery , it was never yet truly cleansed out of the nation , but there hath been , and are great remainders yet standing , which may indeed easily recover its former strength : for is not the most part of the worship of the church of england made up of such things , as was first instituted and practised amongst the papists , witness , the making ministers by natural learning , at schools and colledges , and their maintenance by tythes , and yearly stipends , and their way of parochial settlements , are not all these things papistical ? and witness sprinkling infants , calling it the baptism into the visible church , and witness the singing of davids psalms , as now they are sung among you ; these things for the most part are of popish institution , and many other things also pertaining to your church , religion , and ministry , so that popery was never clean cast out of the nation , though the lord hath wounded it , yet there is the remainder of it yet standing in great force , so that while tythes are pleaded for by you , and those things practised by you , it may indeed be feared , the return of popery , seeing you stick so fast in those practises which were of popish institution , and the cause of fear lies at your door , and upon your selves principally , and if there be vast numbers of popish priests and jesuites swarming amongst you , if you be ministers of christ , why do you not discover wolves in sheeps cloathing , and fright them away ? why do you not lift yp your spiritual weapons , ( if you have them ) as the apostles did ? whose weapons were powerful and mighty through god ; and who shall bear the blame but you , if wolves in sheeps cloathing tear your flocks ? that is a sign you are lazy idle shepherds , and that your want the power and authority of god , and when the powers of the earth fails you , and your carnal weapons are all broken , then you are like to be overcome with the swarming of popish priests and jesuites , if there be any such among you look you to it , for i know not any , and if you know any by name , and where they are , you ought by your law to discover them . now ( you say ) they are acting under the disguise of sectaries , and subtilly insinuating many of their doctrines , as teaching iustification by inherent righteousness ; perfection , 〈◊〉 lawfulness in joyning in your ordinances , and nullity of your ministry , &c. answ. now these that you call sectaries , may truly plead against you , against your church , worship , ministry & practises , upon good grounds ; & as for justification by inherent righteousness , it is a doctrine of the church of christ , that the saints witnessed christ , and his righteousness within them , and that none are justified by any righteousness without them , but who witness christ revealed in them ; for all are reprobate ; that do not witness christ in them , cor. . . and as for perfection , that is the doctrine of the gospel , and of christ ; for the apostles spake wisdom to them that were perfect , cor. . . and christ commanded them to be perfect , mat. . who never commanded impossibilities . you might better have charged these doctrines upon the apostles , then upon the papists ; and as for joyning to your ordinances , there is many that fears god who are not papists , that for good conscience sake cannot joyn to your ordinances , nor own your ministry , neither in its call , practise , nor maintenance ; and if these things were in dispute , i should shew you , according to scripture , that it is not lawful for the saints of god , to joyn themselves to your ordinances , nor own your ministry ; but it is lawful for them both to deny your ordinances and ministry in their present standing ; and as for printing and vending so many popist books , as you say ; oh it had been your wisdom to have mentioned , the books by name , that all might have known which were popish books ; but because your charge is general , i cannot answer particularly , either to clear or to condemn , except you had mentioned in particular , which you ought to have done , rather then to have slandered in the dark . your fourth reason , whereby you would make your people believe , that there is fear of the return of popery , is , that the whole body almost of popery is published by sectaries , especially quakers ; and you say , you cannot but observe a ready co-incidency with papists in their opinions , &c. answ. as for the quakers , which you have long opposed by prisons , goals , and persecutions , and your carnal weapons , and now also charge great things upon them , to make them odious to the people . alas , do you not know that they are blessed of the lord ? is there never a man among you sixty one priests , so wise as balaam was , he saw there was no inchantment against israel , nor durst he curse whom god had blessed ; but however , they have born with patience ( and they do therein continue ) all that you have caused to be acted , and all that you have spoken against them , and your words and works against them shall be your own burthen in the day of the lord , and shall sink you into misery , who hath made the innocent people , the people of your malice and fury ; but god is with them , i need say nothing : and why have you not particularly instanced what particular part of popery they do publish ? why will you charge in secret , and prove nothing in particular ? therefore i do charge you to mention , what particular things they do publish which is popery , and not the truths of the gospel , and then you shall have a further answer . your fifth reason is , jesuitical designs , and you mention the protestant universities , and the impoverishing , and disgracing , and overthrowing a goodly learned ministry , &c. answ. as for the universities , thousands are satisfied concerning them , that they are of popish institution , and are not the fountains of divinity , as they have been falsly called ; for its possible i could give large testimonies of the wickedness of the educations which is there in those places , and how little good they learn , and how much evil : but you have stated the cause wrong ; for the plucking down the universities would rather seem to be the removing part of popery , then to be the way to let in popery : and as for a godly ministry , that is truly godly , and truly learned ; alas ! there is no fear of impoverishing , disgracing , and overthrowing of that , for that is alwayes poor , and low , and contemptible to the world , and so it must be ; and it is antichrist's ministers that fears to be made poor , and that their tythes and stipends should be made less ; and it is they that fear to be overthrown , and not the ministers of christ ; for the ministers of christ are out of all such fears , because their standing and falling depends not upon earthly powers , but are builded upon the rock of ages , and cannot be overthrown . your sixth ground is , tolleration for popery is publickly pleaded for in print , &c. answ. that popery is idolatry , and the church of rome a false church , that i have said , and i hope shall never renounce it , but shall alwayes give testimony , until death , against the church of rome ; but i must tell you plainly , it is not my judgment , that the papists ought to be burned for their religion ; or if a jesuite be taken in england , i would have him so tollerated , that he should not have his life taken away by inhumane cruelty , not for religion sake , except something can be charged upon him , besides matters of his religion , or conscience : this is my judgment , that both the papists and you are antichristian ( in this ) in that you kill each other , when they take one of your ministers , and you theirs , to destroy each other ; this is not of god , but of the dragon's power in both , and there ought to be more tolleration in both , that lives may be spared ; and you ought to conquer with spiritual weapons , if that you have them , and not to kill and murder persons , but to judge spirits . that is contrary to scripture , and the apostles example , to destroy mens lives for religion sake : and why may not the papists have tolleration , in matters concerning god , as well as others ? so those that plead for their tolleration upon this account , that they may be converted from sin , and not destroyed in their sin , this is no error , that their lives may be spared ; but to plead for their tolleration , as the right religion , this is sin . and thus your sixth ground , wherefore you fear the return of popery is answered . now i come to the second consideration , which is , the present distracted estate of religion , which you say is evidenced in divers particulars : first , your division in civil and spiritual things , so that the wonted love and communion in holy duties is interrupted , strangeness and distances fomented , censures and hard opinions of each others entertained , &c. answ. here is your error , for true religion is not distracted nor divided in it self , but it is one in unity and peace , and so are all they that are in it , their hearts being united by the spirit of the lord in their faith , practice , and worship , and in all things pertaining to their religion : it s true , there is distraction amongst all the false sects and churches upon the earth , and it must be so , babylon is divided , and confounded in it self , and one part of it against another ; so the distractions is amongst your selves , among papists , prelates , prefbyters , and the rest , tearing and rending one another about church-worship and religion ; all like wolves in sheep's clothing , biting one another , being divided in civil and spiritual things ; one crying for this , and another for the other way of government in church and state ; and you are out of the true love , and true communion in holy duties , and interrupts one another ; and what one faith is right , another saith is wrong : and all this is in babylon , among your selves , and none of it among them that are in the true religion , and in true church-union , who are gathered by the spirit of the lord. your second evidence of the distracted estate of religion ( as you say ) is , the many horrid and hideous errors , which for some years past have abounded amongst us , against the authority of scriptures , the deity of christ , the holy ghost , trinity of persons , immortallity of souls , doctrines of repentance , humiliation , sanctification , resurrection from the dead , the eternal recompence of heaven and hell ; yea , divers sects encreasing every day in numbers , power , and malice , and under the name of quakers , ranters , seekers , &c. opp●gning the received doctrine , and unquestionable interest of christ iesus amongst us . answ. that many horrid errors have abounded amongst you , that is very true , as in many particulars might be instanced : but why do you maliciously charge the quakers with opposing the interest of christ jesus ? the lord shall judge you in his day , when he makes it appear to all the world , that those whom you charge with the contrary , are the very friends of christ's interest , and have been patient sufferrers for his name sake , under the wickedness of your generation ; and as for the ranters , seekers , and others , whom you have reckoned up together with the quakers , it is well known that we are in opposition in spirit unto all these , and have given large testimony in the fear of god against them ; though it is certain , that there is many as upright and sincere men towards god among these sects you have mentioned , as any of your congregations ; and though in some things they are condemnable , yet in some things they are as justifiable as you are , before the lord : and what the seekers , ranters , familists , and the rest mentioned by you do hold , as in these things you have charged them with , i will leave that , for i am not now pleading their cause , but the cause of god and his people , whom you in scorn call quakers : and though you have joyned them in accusation with others , yet i must separate them from others in my answer , and must tell you in the fear of the lord , that you have belyed them , and falsly accused them , out of your malicious hearts ; for they do not deny the authority of the scriptures , but gives that authority to them , which the spirit of god that gave them forth hath formerly given ; neither do they deny the deity of christ , but do say , in him dwelleth the fulness of the godhead ; neither do they deny the holy spirit , nor the father , son and spirit , but say there are three , and these three are one ; but as for your trinity of persons , that is language beside the the scriptures : and we do affirm the soul is immortal : and as for the doctrines of repentance , humiliation , sanctification , resurrection from the dead , the eternal recompence of heaven and hell ; these doctrines are publickly held forth by them in words , and also in practice , more then by your selves ▪ therefore with what face you could charge them with the denial of these things , it is almost wonderfull ; and there are thousands of your congregations that are and have been sometimes hearing in your city , that shall bear witness against your accusations , and give evidence that they have heard them whom you call quakers , give faithfull witness of , and for all these things which you charge them with denial of : do you think that your congregations are all so blind as to receive for truth what you have herein spoken ; nay i must tell you , some of them are offended with you because hereof . first , in that you have reckoned the quakers with ranters , and others , between whom there is absolute opposition , and not agreement , neither in doctrine nor practice . secondly , that you should charge the quakers with such things as they are altogether clear of , and known to be so by many ; but this is , that your folly and weakness might appear ; and as you speak of encreasing every day in number power , and malice , some part of this is true ; for the lord doth encrease his people daily in number and power , by his spirit , but not in malice , and that is your torment , the encrease of the quakers , which as they have begun to encrease , so the lord will continue them , and you , nor mortal men shall not be able to hinder ; neither the magistrates persecution , nor the ministers instigation thereunto , though you have joyned hand in hand against them ; for the lord is with his people , and his authority and power is thei● defence , and they are not in empty forms ( as you say ) but in the power of godliness ; and as for your ordinances and ministry , of which you speak , something i have said to it already , and more i shall say to it hereafter . your third evidence is , the odious scandals of those that profess themselves to be the people of god , as their self-seeking , their unparallell'd breach of all civil and sacred oathes ; whereby the mouth of iniquity is opened , and the reverence of religion abated , so that to us ( say you ) there appears no visible way of repairing the credit of strict profession , but by a severe punishment of professors , &c. answ. it is true , many that do profess themselves the people of god , but are not , but by their lives and practices gives odious scandals , and are self-seeking , as you say ; but upon whom the guilt of this may be truly charged , that remains to be sought out ; doubtless it lies as near your doors as any others ; for is not your pride and oppression by taking tythes , suing people at law for wages , and casting them in prison , because for good conscience sake they cannot pay you , your seeking for your gain from your quarter , and your taking great sums of money , and preaching for hire , taking so much yearly , are not these odious scandals , and very self-seeking practices which you are guilty of , while you pretend publick good ? as for breaches of oaths and covenants , i wish you to search your own hearts , for that iniquity doth lie as near your generation as any others ; witness that you and your brethren have from time to time engaged to such and such things : as first , did not you engage for the government to be without king and house of lords ? and did not you then cry up the protector , contrary to your engagements , and now cry up another ? and thus it is very evident , that the guilt of breach of oathes and covenants lies near unto your selves , which indeed opens the mouth of iniquity ; for the very cavaliers and prelates say , you were once strict in your way , but now you have struck hands with them , and are now your selves doing that which you cried out against in them : and thousands in this nation is abated in their affections from your church , and ministry , as knowing them to be upon a false foundation , and to be of babylon , and not of the heavenly ierusalem : and what do you mean by severe punishment of professors ? do you mean to set up ecclesiastical laws again , and that all must be forced to your church , way , and religion ? is it in your hearts to drive the nation by force ; and if they will not , to punish them with fire and fagot , and prisons ? if this be your meaning , as may justly be supposed it is , the lord deliver the nation from you ; this is not the way to gain the credit of religion , but the further you go on in this way , as you have formerly walked in , the more will your profession and religion stink in the nostrils of all good men ▪ your fourth evidence is , immensity and bounless liberty permitted , assumed , and freely practised by many , to write , print , and publish all manner of blasphemies and opinions , &c. the sad and wofull effects thereof appears in many , some being in apostacy , others in luke-warmness , and much decay in the power of godliness , &c. answ. as i have acknowledged 〈◊〉 there are without doubt many errors , blasphemies , and false opinions extant in this nation , both written , published , and maintained , but upon whom , and what sort of men this can truely be charged , this is very doubtfull to many ; and your charge being onely general , no particular answer can well be given , onely it appears , you would have none to write , print or publish , but your selves , or by your consent ; and you would tye the nation up in the bondage of your own spirits ; and you would be the onely judges of blasphemies and errors ; but that we allow not ; for enemies must not be judges ; and it is very possible such is your darkness , that you may call truth error , and error truth in some particulars ; but if you shall instance any particular doctrines , blasphemies , errors , and opinions , published and maintained , in my next i shall freely give my witness , against them , if they be really so , and against the people that holds them , as well as your selves , and more particularly i cannot now say ; and there is indeed wofull and sad effects of errors brought forth in this nation , and many are in the apostacy from the truth , and in the luke-warmness also , and the power of godliness is decayed , and they have the form , and holds that without the power : your selves may do well , and your congregations also , to search your own hearts , by the spirit of the lord in this case , that the guilty may see , and turn unto the lord , that his wrath come not upon them . your fifth evidence is , sabbath prophanation , both in opinion and practice , grown to a greater height than ever formerly ; the iews sabbath cryed up , instead of the christian ; shops opened upon the lords day ; yea , some working the works of their ordinary callings , in knitting , and sowing of garments in our assemblies , even in the pulpits , in the time of gods publick worship , &c. answ. this remains doubtful to many , what the true sabbath is , and whether the lord doth require of this generation the observing one day above another , and if so , what day it is that he requires the observing of ; as for the th day of the week , we know that the lord commanded the iewes to keep as a sabbath , and to rest , but that was never commanded to the gentiles ; and as for the first day of the week , which is called the christians sabbath , that is doubtful to many , whether god commands and requires the observation of that day by the gentile believers , yea , or nay , seeing that there is neither command nor binding example for it , throughout the scriptures ; if there be , any i do desire that you would shew it in your next ; and by what authority , whether from men , or from heaven , the first day of the week is now kept by you , as your sabbath ; for really many are doubtful in this case , and you would do very well , if you have a command from god , or example from his servants in former ages , to discover so much unto the people ; and as for your calling it the lords-day , it is certain every day is his , and not one day more then another ; and as for shops opening , and such things as you mention , though every one that do such things , may not be justified in the doing of it , yet such a thing in it self may be justified , if the spirit of the lord moves unto it , and who shall limit the lord ? and why may not others labour in their ordinary callings that day , as well as you in your ordinary callings ? i mean , your ordinary calling of preaching ; that is an ordinary calling , it is certain , because you deny any extrordinary calling in these days , and so i only query this , why others may not follow their ordinary callings as well as you ? for it hath been affirmed very lately by some , that preaching was a trade and a function for men to get a living by , and we do not question but there are many now in this nation , called ministers , that do preach for that end , and would cease to preach , if mony and tithes were ceased to be given them : i speak this of some , not of all , which doth demonstrate , that the way of your preaching , is an ordinary calling ; which you labour in , on your sabbath-day . your sixth evidence , is the pouring out by many , of a●● sects , with a full mouth , all manner of obloquy and contempt upon ministry , and ministers of the gospel , openly interrupting them in the exercise of their duty , whereby they are discouraged in their work , while they are represented under the notion of baals priests , gehazaes , pulpited divines , distributers of sundayes doles , simonions , decimating clergy , common incendiaries , &c. answ. it is certain , that the true ministry , and ministers of the gospel were in all ages , and now are contemned and despised , and all manner of evil spoken against them for the name of christ : but whether you are those true ministers of the gospel , and your ministry the true ministry sent of christ , this is doubtful to many ; and by many particulars which might be instanced , the contrary doth appear : the ministers of christ in the dayes of the apostles , they never complained of being interrupted ; for they were haled before rulers , and commanded to preach no more in that name , and yet they were not discouraged thereby in their work ; nor when they were called movers of sedition , and deceivers , and such reproachfull names , they regarded not these things : but as for you , you seem to be troubled that any should speak to you , or ask you 〈◊〉 question , or exhort you to repent , if any out of good conscience query with you , concerning your practice and doctrine , and if any exhort to good , and cry against evil amongst you , this you call interrupting of you in your ministerial duty , and to prison , houses of correction , and to whips and stocks must such go , which was never the apostles practice , never was any sent to prison for opposing of them . and what if the ministers of england be called hirelings , and false prophets , and greedy dumb dogs ? the practice of some of them doth prove it that they are so ; these things you must bear , as coming deservedly , and not unjustly upon you ; for the servants of the lord in all ages ever cried against deceivers and false prophets , and called them deceivers , and greedy dumb dogs , and serpents , and vipers , and evil beasts , and slow-bellies ; these names and tearms did christ , the apostles and prophets use unto such , as are some of the ministry of this nation , and not with revilings and reproachings , but with the spirit of authority from god , that reproves the wickedness of prophets , teachers and people : and tell me , have not some of you sued men at law , and cast them into prison in this city , because they would not give you money , and tythes and hire , though such as have not heard you , nor receiv'd you as ministers , nor received any thing from you , and such as you did never any work for , have you sought wages from , and caused them to be imprisoned that would not give you ? and tell me in good earnest , can any less be said of such , who thus walk , but that they are insatiable hirelings , and as bad as beal's priests , and even cheaters , and greedy dumb dogs ? let the witness in your own consciences answer , and you shall have a reply . now i come to your third particular , which are other causes and symptoms of god's wrath hanging over your heads ; the frequent disappointment from time to time of all hopes of coming to any settlement in government in the nation , occasioned by strange confusions , which is a clear evidence that god hath in displeasure darkened our eyes , and hid counsel from us ( say you . ) answ. it is very true , that from time to time of late dayes the lord hath disappointed the purposes of men , even concerning settling of government , and there have been almost strange confusions in changes ; but to what can this be attributed ? have not your sins been as great a cause of it , as any others ? and have not you and your generation been the counsellors in all these matters ? were not some of you , or your brethren , in oliver's dayes , and in richard's dayes , and in the army's dayes , and in the parliaments dayes , and are not you and your brethren busie at this day in ordering a settlement in government in this nation ? but the lord hath hitherto disappointed you , and them that you have counselled , and he hath broken you into confusion and distraction , and turned back even the proceedings of rulers and teachers ; and the spirit of deep sleep and of slumber is poured upon you all , and the vision of these things is as a sealed book unto you , even because of god's displeasure against you . and in that you say , your eyes are darkened , and counsel is hid from you : in that you say true , though to your own shame , and what trust can be put in such watchmen ? what confidence can be placed by your people in you , whenas you acknowledge , that your eyes are darkened , and counsel is hid from you ? the scriptures mentioned by you do prove there was darkness upon the land ; but isaiah doth not say , nor david , that counsel was hid from them , or that their eyes were darkened , neither did ever the apostles say so ; but witnessed , that the lord was their light , and in him their eyes were opened , and counsel was revealed to them . secondly , you say , this sadly presages of unchurching the nation , or the departing of the glory of god from you . answ. by unchurching the nation i suppose you mean , making the church no church ; which if this can be done , then the gates of hell may prevail against the church , contrary to the words of christ , who said , the gates of h●● should not prevail : but i must tell you , the nation of england , as to the general part of it , hath been long , and yet is unchurched , that is , ungathered by the eternal spirit , into the true fellowship in the body of christ ; for the night of apostacy and darkness hath been over the world since the apostles dayes , and over this nation in particular , and your churches have been no true churches , nor the people under your ministry truly joyned and united in true church-order , and under true church-government ; though i do not say but that there are thousands of sincere people , that love the lord , yet remaining among you : and the day of the lord is appearing , which will confound the whore , the false church , which hath been set up in this nation , and through the world ; and assemblies , which have had the name of the churches of christ , will be found to be otherwise in the judgment of the lord ; and all the false ordinances , practices and ministers must be thrown down , that the glory of the lord may again appear . further , you seem to charge your selves , with leaving your first love and former zeal for the truth and worship of god , but the present coldness and indifferency in the things of god , together with your barrenness and unanswerable walking to the gospel of christ , &c. ( say you . ) answ. though to your own shame , yet do i believe this is truly acknowledged , that you have lost your first love and zeal which once was in you , in the dayes when you were persecuted under the bishops , you were full of love and zeal for the truth and worship of god , according as it was made manifest ; and then you were sufferers your selves , but now you are causers of others to suffer ; and there is indeed much coldness , and dryness and barrenness amongst you , and your people ; i do truly desire you may repent you thereof , that if so be the lord may heal you : and your walking indeed is unanswerable to the gospel of christ ( to wit ) your taking of tythes , and so much by the year for preaching , and suing people at the law that will not give you wages , though you do no work for them ; these , with many other things which you practice , is an unanswerable walking to the gospel of christ ; and seeing you have confessed your sins in some measure , repent , and sin no more , that your iniquities may be blotted out . again , you complain of the prevalency of atheism , and doting upon error , endless separations , common ignorance , unbelief , prophaneness , the prejudice against wholsom doctrine , and all order of discipline in the church , and many other confusions are upon us , &c. ( say you . ) answ. alas ! so it is ; but where is the blame ? oh you watch-men ! should not you have better preserved your flocks ? should not you have fed them with living food ? should not you have been examples of righteousness and truth unto them ? and should not you have nourished them with knowledge and understanding ? but because the shepherds have been lazy and idle , and fed themselves , and not their flocks ; but the shepherds have rul'd over their flocks with force and cruelty , and their ministry and preaching hath been a very burden and oppression upon the people , and therefore it is that their flocks are divided into many sects and separations , and great confusions are in your assemblies , and among you , even the sin of the people in some measure will be charged upon you their teachers , whose flocks are run into errors and atheisms , and despise wholesome doctrine , and are out of true order and church-discipline , even in the traditions of men : therefore , oh that you ministers would consider ! and that you would learn more wisdom , and that your people would come to receive the spirit of the lord into their hearts , whereby they may be led into all truth , and into the covenant of god , where there is no unbelief , ignorance , prophaneness nor confusion ; but peace , love and unity altogether ; and if you and they did come into this , you might be happy , and the judgments of the lord would be removed . now i come to some particulars , which you do promise for your selves ; first , that you will use all holy endeavours to keep cod and his truth among you . secondly , that you will be more diligent in watching over your flocks . thirdly , that you shall endeavour the establishment of your congregations against popish delusions . to all which i answer , you must first make clean your own hearts , and you must first repent of your own iniquities , before you can heal others ; and you must first learn obedience to god in your own hearts , before you can truly instruct others therein : and indeed , there is need enough for you to mourn before the lord , and to fast , and to confess your sins ( as you say ) for the lord has been long departed from you , and his presence from your assemblies , and that is the cause of deadness and dryness and barrenness among the people , because god's presence is wanting among you ; and you had indeed need to be more diligent in watching over your flocks ; for you have been negligent therein , and have fed your selves , and not them ; and you have sought theirs , and not them , it s partly evident , and it is time for you now to amend , and to put away the evil of your doings : but first , before you dispence the word to others , you must feel the word in your own hearts , to be as a fire and as a hammer in you ; and you must know another foundation for ministers than you have long stood upon , even the lord jesus christ must be your foundation ; and you must cease to preach for hire , and to divine for money , and then should it be better with you , and your flocks would have comfort in you , if you had received freely from the lord , and ministred freely to them ; but while you do it for ends to your selves , they can have no good hopes nor confidence in you . and whereas you exhort your congregations in divers particulars : first , to take heed of false teachers , trying their spirits , and holding fast that which is good , especially to beware of popish insinuations , &c. ( say you . ) ans. your exhortation is good in it self ; but you should have demonstrated more plainly how false teachers should be known , comparing their fruits now with what they were in the dayes of old , when the scriptures were written ; and that had been a good way to have discovered false teachers : that mat. . mentioned by you , bids them beware of the leaven of the pharisees ; and christ said , they were such as were called of men master , stood praying in the synagogues , loved uppermost rooms at feasts , went in long robes ; and of such christ bids beware , and of such now the people in london are to beware , where-ever they are ; for such as do these things are in the steps of the scribes and pharisees , which christ cryed wo against : and the true prophets cryed against such in their days as preached for hire , and that sought for their gain from their quarter ; and such you ought to cry against now , as seek for their gain from their quarter , except the guilt of these things in your selves stops your mouthes from crying against them in others : and the apostles cryed against such as went for gifts and rewards , such as taught for filthy lucre , and such as made merchandize of people for gain for themselves ; such the apostles and christ declared against , and such you ought to declare against : but the people of your congregations may say , who are such now ? and , where are they ? that i leave to their consciences to judge , who they be , and where they are now , and whether there be any of them in this city now , and in the nation , that are called of men master , and love uppermost rooms at feasts , and that preach for hire and money , for gifts and rewards , seek for their gain from their quarter , teach for filthy lucre and gain ; who are found in these things now , such are false teachers , who ought to be taken heed of : i shall not now say , it is any of you ; but i shall leave it to you , and to your peoples consciences , to whom your exhortation is . and as i have said before , let all popish inventions and popery be first cast out of this nation , and then , if you joyn with us against it , through the spirit of the lord we will endeavour the keeping of it out , and that it shall no more enter in amongst us into this nation . and you say , that your knowledge here , and all other graces here are imperfect . to which i say , then you are imperfect saints , imperfect ministers ; but what do you mean by here ? i suppose that you mean upon earth : now there are none of the graces of god that are imperfect ; but the grace of god is perfect in it self , and the spirit of god is perfect , and every gift of god is perfect , as say the scriptures . now that you should say the graces of god are imperfect , this is error , even abominable error , and you shew unsoundness in judgment even in the things of god , and hath belyed the graces and gift of god , which in their measure are perfect . and thus i have looked over your exhortation , and thus i have returned to you again , not but that i know it is the duty of christ's ministers to exhort their flocks , and that exhortation in it self is good ; but when i find where lyes and false accusations are against the quakers , whom i dearly love and own , upon that account , and not otherwise have i engaged with you ; and what i have done , it is not rendring evil for evil ; but rather to reprove your evil , and to undeceive your congregations , who might otherwise take all for true that you have said , if it were not reproved . again , you exhort your congregations , that they manifest sincerity , not only by hatred of error , but by a love of the truth , &c. answ. sincerity of heart is indeed precious , especially where the spirit of the lord is the rule of judgment , and doth mannage that sincerity ; but where a false spirit rules in the judgment , the sincerity is often betrayed into a zeal against the truth , and against the wayes of the lord , rather than otherwise : and thus it was with the iews , whose sincerity ( through their error of judgment ) was turned into zeal and bitterness against christ : and thus it is to be feared it is with many in your congregations , who may have a zeal without knowledge , and be short of true discerning between what is truth and what is error ; i speak not this of all , but of some ; for it s no small thing to discern between truth and error , especially in this day , wherein there are so many ways and professions of church-ministry and worship , and yet all professing the scriptures are their rule of faith worship and practice ; and seeing that all sects do profess proof from scripture for what they hold forth ; what ground have the people to believe you more than others , or others more than you ? for where people receive doctrine or religion by report from others , without the evidence of the spirit of god in their own hearts , this is not receiving of the truth unto eternal life : wherefore i exhort your congregations , that every one amongst them may wait upon the lord , to have a feeling and discerning in their own hearts , and that each one may be led and taught o● the spirit of god , which leads into all truth , that they may deny all false ministers and false worships , and may worship god in spirit and truth , though the ministration of his own spirit in their hearts and consciences , and thereby will they discern between truth and error , and will love the one , and hate the other . thirdly , you exhort , that they keep themselves unspotted from the prevailing corruptions of these back-sliding times , &c. answ. concerning the times many are ignorant ; but this is certain at the present time wherein we are , is the lord disquieting of men , and its the latter dayes of antichist's raign and government , that hath been in full power and authority for many generations ; and babylon , that great city , her ruin is threatned , because of her abominations , that have been many and great ; for the whole earth hath been corrupted ( as it s written ) and now the call of the lord is , that every man come out of babylon , and deliver himself , that he may not partake of their plagues ; and happy are they that are made clean & unspotted from their sins , that they may not be found covered with her garments ; for the day of the lord is come , and coming upon babylon , and all back-sliders from god and his wayes : now babylon is that great city , which hath ruled over the kings of the earth ; and in her hath the blood of souls , and of all just men been found . fourthly , you exhort , to endeavour a healing of those sad breaches and divisions , which have been amongst you , &c. answ. now the sad breaches and divisions , which are indeed at present in this nation , cannot be healed , but as the cause and ground thereof be removed , which is the sins of rulers , teachers and people ; and this is the cause wherefore the lord hath brought distraction amongst them . oh what ambition and self-seeking hath been among the rulers ! what judging for gifts and rewards ! what neglect of mercy and judgment amongst them ! and oh how have they oppressed the poor , and trodden down the needy ! and because hereof is the righteous god vexed : and oh what covetousness and greediness of gain ●re the teachers guilty of ! how do they preach for hire , and divine for money ! how have they unreasonably caused men to be imprisoned , and their goods to be spoiled for wages , and tythes and hire ! oh , how hath covetousness , and idolatry and superstition abounded amongst the teachers in this nation ! oh , abominable have been their sins , their oppressions and self-seekings ! and because of these things hath the lord brought distractions amongst people ; and the sins of rulers and people cry for vengeance from the lord : and till these iniquities be removed by repentance , and forsaken , the fruit and effect thereof shall never cease ; but breach upon breach will the lord make , till the rulers and priests repent them of their iniquities , god's hand will be upon them both in judgment : and for their sakes that divine for money , and preach for hire , and judge for rewards , will the lord make the nation as heaps , and as a ploughed field . therefore let all people repent of their iniquities , and return to the light of christ in their own consciences , and become followers of the lamb ; and this is the perfect way of healing of all breaches , inwardly and outwardly . fifthly , you exhort , to be diligent in the spiritual and conscientious performances of family-duties , &c. answ. men must first be awakened and enlivened unto god , before they can act for god in holy duties ; and as for duties , performed in pretence unto god traditionally , and without the teachings of the spirit of god , is but idolatry ; and the nation is weary of such a religion , which they have received and held traditionally ; for thereby the soul immortal cannot be nourished unto eternal life : and while you teach duties towards god by that rule , while you teach praying , singing , repeating , catechizing , by tradition and immitation , without the leadings of the spirit of christ in them , you do but teach idolatry , as long hath been taught in the christian nations : the doing and performing such and such things , as christian-duties and practices , and the forcing and compelling of doing such things upon people in the unregenerate state and unconverted nature , this religion , and such performances of duties , have been of babylon and of antichrist , and a cheat upon peoples souls , whereby many have been murdered and slain in that great city ; and the form of godliness without the power hath been practiced while duties have been performed unto god , without the teachings of the spirit of god ; and such , their consciences are blinded , and the lord abhors their sacrifices : and people must first come to feel the word of god in their hearts to regenerate them , before they can perform any acceptable thing to god ; and therefore do not teach people to be hypocrites , do not teach them such and such performances in the corrupt nature , without the teachings of the spirit of god in their own particulars ; for if you do , you make them but two fold more the children of the devil ; and such duties , performed in that nature , shall not cover nor hide from the wrath of the lord , which is coming upon all hypocrites . sixthly , you exhort , that they would cause their children and servants to submit to catechizings , and train them up in the reverence of godly ministry , &c. answ. it may be enquired into what you mean by cause them to submit ; how cause them ? by force and imposition upon their consciences , by outward external personal punishments or threats ? is this your meaning ? will you set up religion by violence ? and must children and servants be compell'd by restraint and force ? this is not the right way to promote religion and the worship of god , nor to make children and servants truly religious ; it was the beast , that received power from the dragon , that caused all to worship , both small and great , children and servants ; and this causing to worship was in the time of the apostacy , when the true church was fled into the wilderness ; and all the time ever since have nations been caused and compelled to such and such performances and practices of religion and worship , and such causing i am jealous your meaning is , whereby you would force and compel such manner of worship and practices upon people . and what do you mean by godly ministry ? will you admit of just tryal , according to the scriptures , whether yours be that godly ministry , or no ? for all sorts of christians , papists and protestants , and all others , they will say , that they are in the right way , and their ministry is the godly ministry ; but the fruits of many prove the contrary ; and we cannot believe that yours is the godly ministry , except you will prove it to us , by , and according to the scriptures . now it is certain , that the ministry of the apostles was the true godly ministry ; and if yours agree with theirs , then we will confess , that yours is the true godly ministry . therefore tell us plainly , do you agree with them in your call , and in your maintenance , and in your practices , and in your fruits and effects , in your lives and conversations , and in your doctrines ? are you justly according to , and do you agree with the apostles in all these things ? shall we lay you to the line , that you may be judged ? this is but as a hint at things , whereby you might justly be tryed ; for if you agree not with the apostles , in these cases mentioned , then it is evident , that your ministry is not the true godly ministry ; but hereafter we may have a better occasion to try you . and thus the principal part of your exhortation is answered , and if you can , receive it in love. to all you sixty one teachers in london , under whose hands your exhortation passeth , this i say to you in the fear of the lord god , oh ye men ! consider , and let it enter into your hearts ; the day of the lord is at hand upon you , and an account of your stewardship must you give , and his reward must you have whom you have served , and you must reap the fruit of what you have sown : oh look upon your flocks , and see what a condition they are in ! oh what pride and vain-glory is abounding amongst them ! oh how doth wickedness spring forth from them ! are they like unto sheep of christ's fold ? or , are not they appearing outwardly christians , when as the evil nature is uncut down in them ? oh what wickedness abounds in this city ! what double-dealing and dissimulation ? what lying , and swearing , and drunkenness ? oh , high are all the fruits of the flesh grown amongst your flocks ! your vineyards are not dressed as they ought to be , there are aboundance of corrupt trees and fruitless branches , which cumber the ground : oh! it makes the heart of the righteous sad to walk in the streets , and to view the abominations that are daily brought forth by a people professing scriptures , church , ministry and christ. oh! it burdens the just , and grieves the righteous soul to consider how high iniquity is grown among the sheep of your pastures , whom ye should have fed with knowledge , and converted unto the fear of the lord , had you been messengers sent of god : the very iews and heathens they blaspheme against christ , through the abominations brought forth among christians , that have the name to live , but are dead : oh! let it enter into your hearts , and smite you , that your many years ministry should have so little effect ; for your vineyard is like untilled ground , unploughed and unbroken up : oh! there is much hard-heartedness amongst your people , and their hearts go after covetousness , even while they profess god with their lips : oh! the righteous mourn in secret to see the prophanness , the scornings and reproaches that are brought forth in your city : and oh the idolatry that aboundeth ! let it repent you that you have been so sloathful , and never more seek the fleece , but seek the flock that 's gone astray from the lord , who is the true shepherd , whose voice hath not been obeyed ; and many pastors have destroyed the vineyard , and many shepherds have fed themselves , and not the flock : oh consider ! the day of the lord is at hand , and he will visit with his rod : you and your flocks prepare to meet the lord ; for his kingdom is nigh to come , which will be a terrible day to all the workers of iniquity . and as for this your exhortation , i say , as for exhortation in it self , ministers ought to exhort their flocks ; so such a thing in it self i do commend , and not oppose ; but when i had read and seriously considered the aim and intent of your spirits in your exhortation , i found it secretly , and in a measure openly opposing , and striking at , and secretly smiting the people of the lord , whom you have reproached by the name of quakers , who are dear to the lord , and he careth for them , though you see no beauty in them , but account them altogether vile ; and in as much as you lifted up your hands against them , upon that account was it upon my spirit to return something in answer , for the information of many , that they might be undeceived , and not in envy towards any , but in love to all , to both you and your people , and you have occasioned this upon your selves , though you are reproved : and not as a man of strife or contention have i proceeded , but as one that desireth the further manifestation of truth , and that no false accusation may rest upon it , which you have secretly brought forth , with which the lord is not well-pleased , that you should set your selves in opposition against his people ; and if any of you shall receive a just reproof , and repent , it may prove to you an advantage or much good ; and be not so proud as to say in your hearts , what a●t thou , weak man , that reprovest us ? or , wherefore art thou so bold thus to deal with us ? but rather fall under just reproof , for in uprightness of heart have i proceeded towards you , and not in mine own , but in the will of the father . and oh that your flocks would also consider , among whom there are many that are zealous in their way ! oh that their zeal and judgments were guided by the spirit of the lord , then should it be well with them ! oh that they would be meek and humble , and learn the fear of the lord ! oh that every one of them would consider , and turn from their iniquities , and become followers of jesus christ , then should the glory of the lord be revealed unto them , and peace , and truth and righteousness should be unto them , and their families , and their city ; if they would come into covenant with god , and be taught of him , and be exercised by his law in their hearts . then should the countenance of the lord be upon them , and then should they discern between truth and error , between the ministers of christ and deceivers . oh! there is a pitty for many poor souls , which are zealous in their way of religion , without knowledge ; and they think they do god good service , while yet their consciences are not exercised by the spirit of the lord ; but a false spirit that rules and leads , and may hold the truth in unrighteousness , and they know not but that they do well : oh that such would consider , and not be hasty in any thing , to perform or profess religion in their degenerate estate , but that they would come to know the regeneration , and the renewing of their minds by the holy spirit , and that the immortal birth might be born in them , even the birth of the spirit , which is heir of god : oh that that might live and rule in them , then should they be heirs of god , and citizens of the new-ierusalem ! and oh ye people of london ! lay it to heart , you must be born again , or else you can never enter into gods kingdom , you must be changed in nature , and must be crucified to this world , that you may live unto god ; this must you come unto , or else you have no part nor portion in eternal life ; and your duties and performances in your forms of religion they cannot save you , not justifie you ; all your preaching , praying , singing , and all your duties whatsoever , they are all nothing , till you come to know changing and renewing inwardly , and do witness the seed of god raised up in you , and the head of the serpent bruised in you by the seed of the woman ; this must you come to witness , that your souls may live . oh that you would consider ! be not so zealous against that which you may call heresie and schism , for while you err in judgment , you may soon speak evil of truth , and persecute it under the name of error ; many have wofully faln into that snare , and brought sorrow upon themselves thereby : the wise iews , even the chief priests , scribes and pharisees , they were as confident in their way , as you can be , and yet they erred in judgment , and would not receive christ , but persecuted him under the very name of a deceiver ; and thus it is possible for many to do in this age : what though you have christ's words , and the apostles words ; yet if you have not the spirit of christ , that was in the apostles , you know nothing rightly of the scriptures , neither can you understand them , nor have salvation by them ; for you must know christ in you , your hope of glory , else you are reprobates , and shut out of the kingdom of god : and search the scriptures , and see if they do not witness this : do not they say , christ is in you , except you be reprobates ? and do not they say , the law of god is written in the heart , and the spirit of god is put in the inward part ? and do not they say , that christ hath lightned every man that comes into the world with the true light ? and do not they say , that the apostle exhorts people to hearken to the word of god in their hearts , and to be followers of the spirit of god that was in their hearts ? and do not the scriptures say , that it was the light that shined in the heart , that gave the knowledge of god unto the saints ? search the scriptures , and see whether these things be so : and must not men be born again of the immortal seed ? oh consider ! and let not these doctrines seem new unto you , neither reject them , though they come unto you in weak appearance , not with words of mens wisdom , but in simplicity , and in sincerity , and in the power of god : and search the scriptures whether these things be so ; were not they false prophets , that preached for hire , and divined for money , and sought for their gain from their quarter ? were not such deceivers in the true prophets time , and them that preached for filthy lucre , and for money , and for gifts and rewards ? were not such false brethren , and false apostles ? search the scriptures whether these things be so ; for the day of trial is now come , wherein all must be searched , and that religion , and worship , and ministry , which is not according to the scriptures , which was given forth by the spirit of god , let that religion , worship , church , and ministry be utterly condemned of the lord , and all his people ; and let such ministers as cannot prove their call , their maintenances and practices , to be according to scriptures , let such ministers be confounded , and silenced for ever ; and come to try this matter when you will. for whereas you cry out against us , as if we were deniers of scriptures , as if we were enemies to church , and godly ministry , and religion , and as if we were deceivers , hereticks , papists , &c. but i say unto you , these things have you never yet justly proved against us , but rather accused us behind our backs , to make us odious among people ; and though for divers years together we have been publick , yet when did ever any of you ministers seek by lawfull means to convert us , or shew us our errors , if we were as you say of us ; oh , it had been your time to have sought our conversion ! and not to have persecuted , to have sent to prisons , houses of correction , and by such weapons of any outward force and cruelty have you dealt with us , and not in meekness , and by the spirit of the lord , as ministers of christ ought to do ; but have cried to the magistrates to defend you and your your church , and worship , being unable , as it were , by the authority of god's spirit to defend your selves : therefore i say unto you now , lay down your carnal weapons , and come out in the spirit of meekness , and come out in the authority of god's spirit ; if you have it , convince us thereby ; if we be in an evil way , as you say , let us hear your soundest arguments by the spirit of god , and according to the scriptures , to prove those things which you say of us ; prove it by evident arguments , that we deny scriptures , and that we are hereticks , and that we are papists : i challenge you all in the name of the lord , even all you ministers of london , let us hear your sound reasons openly in the spirit of meekness ; and do not back-bite nor slander in the dark ; and let us not be bawled against by your rude members , as often we have been , even in the spirit of wickedness : but come out you ministers , we are willing to be tried according to the scriptures , and by the spirit of god in our religion , and in every part of it ; and if you be the same , then come forth in the spirit of meekness , like ministers of christ , and lay down your carnal weapons , and let us have fair dealing openly , that truth may be manifested publickly , and error may be discovered ; and let us not envy one anothers persons , and seek to destroy one anothers lives ; but let us seek to destroy the evil in one another , that men might be saved ; and this would be a christian-like way ; we would hear what you have to charge against our religion , by sound arguments in meekness , that we may answer it , and then we will charge something upon your ministry , church , religion and worship , and we will prove what we say against you , according to the scriptures ; and we will not impose our religion upon you , by the force of outward powers , and outward laws , neither would we have you force your religion , ministry and church upon us , by such means , but we will leave the effect of all thing to the spirit of god ; and come out when you will in such a way as this , and this would satisfie thousands ; and let meekness , and the fear of god be amongst you , and this is the way to exalt religion : and we would think it a happiness , more then otherwise , to be joyned in sober debate and dispute against you , that you and we , in your religion , church , and ministry , and in ours also , might be tried according to the scriptures , that all may be satisfied who are doubtful , and may hear you principles and our principles discussed , in the presence of the people , who may judge by the light and witness in their own consciences , for to that in all we do appeal ; and in such a proceeding , come forth when you will ; lay down your carnal weapons , and take the weapons of of the spirit , and come to the trial , for the day of the lord is approaching upon all the world. e. b. the fourth general epistle to all the saints : being a visitation of the fathers love , unto the whole flock of cod , who are called and gathered into the spiritual kingdom of righteousness and peace : to be read in all the assemblies of them , that meet together to worship the father in the spirit and truth , in the silence of all flesh. dearly beloved , whom the father hath called and chosen into the election of eternal salvation , and who have handled , and tasted , and felt of the judgments and mercies of the lord ; and amongst whom the god of heaven and earth hath appeared in his spirit , and in his power , which 〈◊〉 gotten you into the heirship of the heavenly kingdom . oh friends ! our kingdom and victory is not of this world , nor earthly , but from above , and spiritual ; wherein we have peace and comfort , endless and everlasting , which the world knows not of ; i say unto you all that know these things , live in the peace , and victory , and kingdom which is invisible , and mind the things , as your greatest treasure , that pertain to that kingdom , even the weighty matters of it , which a● eternal and infinite ; and that every one of you may feel and enjoy a portion in that kingdom : oh! it is precious for a people to be subjects of the heavenly kingdom , and for a man to have an assurance of life and peace in god , and to be an heir of that kingdom that fadeth not away , and to have his name written in the record of life ; and blessed is every one whose hope and confidence , and peace and assurance is in the living god , and whose soul resteth under the government of the almighty , and who knows him to be judge , king , and lawgiver in all things ; and this is the kingdom that is heavenly , and is altogether blessed ; for peace , and truth , and righteousness , and all vertue is enjoyed in it for evermore . now friends , you must all be subjected in all things under the power of the lord god , and unto his will , and he must work in you to will and to do ; for in this is true rest and peace unto the soul , where the will of the father is done and suffered in all things , and not the will of man , which worketh sorrow to the creature , and not peace , in the obedience to it , and where it rules ; and that must be subjected in you , even in every word , work , and motion , unto the eternal power , that you may die , and christ may live ; and in this you will have union and fellowship in spirit with the lord god , and he alone will be your trust and confidence , and your glory , if he live in you , and walk in you , and then you are his people , and he is your god. and friends are to mind this , even peace , and union , and fellowship with the lord , and the comfort of his presence , which is the onely happiness of the creature , even the enjoyment of him that is invisible , who is god infinite over all , to whom mortal eye cannot approach , neither can the mortal mind him apprehend , but in his own life manifested in mortal flesh , and by the measure of his own spirit that dwells in us is he seen , felt , preceived , and enjoyed of us ; so mind the immortal life begotten of the father in you , that that may live in you , even the heir of god , which is his image and likeness , for in that alone is covenant with god made and kept , and in it is the fathers presence enjoyed , and he worshipped without respect of time , place , or visible thing ; and if that live in you , then yo● in that will live unto god , in all that which is answerable unto him ; and your words and works will be accepted of him , and well-pleasing to him , even because it is him that worketh in you to will and to do all good things , and he alone exalted in you , and you subjected , and the maker is become the husband , and you married unto him ; and he lives in power , and rule , and command , and you liv● in subjecti●● unto him , and in fulfilling his will in what he guideth in , by his holy spiri● ; and this life is very precious . oh friends ! live in it , and dwell in it always , and then your joy and peace will be with you over all this world , and you will be comforted , whe● fear and terrour comes upon all men ; for the lord god whom we serve ●nd worship in the spirit , will cause his enemies to know his power ; and that he doth and can do whatsoever he will , and will smite his enemies , and wound them in their consciences ; for all power , dominion , and authority is with him , he is mighty to save , and mighty to destroy , and his reward is to every one according to their deeds ; and this is the god whom we fear and worship , and all flesh must bow before him , when he shews his presence ; though men 〈◊〉 high and lifted up , and go on in rebellion against him without fear , yet th● hand of the lord will be upon the● , and he shall smite them with the ●od of his mouth : wherefore all friends , have respect unto the lord in your 〈◊〉 in all things that you do , and in all things that cometh to pass , for that is ●●●●●ed in a people ; and they shall prosper , their souls shall be nourished , and their lives refreshed with the mercies of the lord , even all they that do wai● upon the lord , and have respect unto him and his eternal power , which doth and suffereth all things that be ; in which power you must dwell and walk , and feel it in your hearts , and it will be your armour and defence in all things , and it will carry you through all that which worketh contrary . and it is very pretious to be armed with the armour of god , in the day of temptations and tryals , that you may not be overcome of the wicked , nor spoiled of the heavenly inheritance . oh frinds ! put on strength , that you may stand , and never be moved from the hope of eternal life , and feel the renewing of your inward man , even the increase and growth of the immortal life in you , that you may live in that unto the lord god , and covenant with him may be preserved , whereby , you may be a praise and a glory to him in your generation in the sight of the whole world , even all you who have tasted of the presence and power of the lord , and who have known his mercies and judgements , and been acquainted with him , that you may be kept faithful unto the end , and not be subverted by the wicked one , nor drawn from the obedience to the truth , nor loose your crown of immortality , neither by the flattery nor terrour of the ungodly , but that you live in the dominion of immortal life , which keeps above all mortal temptations and mortal terrour , and gives authority over all : and this life is blessed , where the glory and peace of this world , and the troubles and sorrows of it also , are seen over , and felt beyond , and nothing of it can move the heart , nor disquiet the spirit , nor work any separation from the fathers love ; and in the seed of god , where it lives above mortal , is this enioyed by us and all the faithful : but if the mans part live above the seed of god , that , will be drawn aside by the love or by the terrour of this world , for that is changable , and the evil one hath a part in it ; so that part is to be kept in subjection in you , under the seed of god , & it must bear the cros● of christ always , else you will be overcome of the wicked ; for in that part ( the m●… part ) which is of this world , the devil hath somthing , a place to receive ●im , & p●●t to obey him ; but in the seed of god he hath nothing , neither place nor part : and so friends live in the seed of god , for in that is your victory and heavenly dominion , and also your election and assurance for ever , even in the second birth , begotten of the father ; for that is the heir of god , and therei● doth man inherit eternal life , and rest and peace to his soul , and therein is ble●●●●gs and peace , and life inwardly and outwardly , and all fulness is enjoyed ; where the lord is the teacher , the father , the shepherd , the master the king and judge ; and is become to us the all in all , and the kingdom delive●●● 〈◊〉 him , and all subjected under him , even god with us , the substance of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●●d of all , and all the contrary put under , even the lion and the lamb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 together , and man lives in peace , according to the promise ; and the mountain of the lords house is established on the top of all , in which nothing can destroy or hurt the pure life ; but life is in dominion over all , and 〈◊〉 is swallowed up of it . oh friends ! this is the mark that is before you , press on towards it , that you may obtain the final end of all your travel and waiting , of your obedi●●ce and suffering , and the end of your hope and patience , and the very end of the mess●ge sent of god , and delivered to you by us : the end of all is this , th●● you may dwell in god , and he in you , and be gathered up to him , to be ever with 〈◊〉 ; and that he may be your all in all , and you may be to him an honour and praise ●●●●ghout the world in your generation ; even he your onely god , and you his onely 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 friends , certain it is , that the way of life , and peace , and of salvation is m●de manifest unto you , and you know wherein everlasting peace and reconciliation with god standeth ; and you also know , what the cause is of all tro●●le , and sorrow , and condemnation ; the lord hath opened many hearts , and given unto many a good understanding : and seeing you know this , live in the way of peace , and escape the other , that you may not come into condemnation ; for it is a fearfull thing to fall into the condemnation and wrath of the almighty . and for this cause , that men should be saved from wrath , and have peac● with god , the message of life and salvation hath the lord sent abroad plentifully in this nation , and you have received it , and believed the report , though many have rejected it to their destruction , whose judgment will be upon them ; but you have tasted , handled , and f●lt of the word of eternal life , by which the lord hath wounded you , and healed you again ; and many hath he slain , and made them alive , even through his word and power , which hath entred into many hearts , which killeth the enmity , and quicken●th the seed , and which breaketh off from all the world's followship , both in transgressions , and righteousness , and makes all void , all covenants with death and hell , and marrieth unto the lamb ; and the marriage of the lamb is c●me unto many , even unto all in whom his innocent and heavenly na●●re is begotten and brought forth ; for this is of his flesh , and of his bone ; 〈◊〉 here is his wife that hath made her self ready , and is prepared for the bridegroom ; and blessed are ye , if ye know thes● things , and are witnesses of th●● , even the marriage of the lamb , and the making ready of his elected in you , 〈◊〉 the receiving and quickening of his flesh , and of his bone ; for this is the 〈◊〉 unto whom he is joyned , that hath put away all other lovers , and loveth the lord with all the heart , and with all the soul , who is clothed with perfect bea●ty and innocency , and covered with divine righteousness , in which there is no spot , being delivered out of the wilderness , and freed from her mourn●●g state , and is no more separated from her husband ; but she again quick●●t into life , and adorned with beauty , and married to the lamb , to live with him ●or evermore . oh friends ! wait upon the lord , that ye may possess these things ; for to k●ow th●● , and be in them , is everlasting treasure and riches ; the possession of them are riches to the poor , bread to the hungry , and clothing to the naked , and life to the dead : and if ye know these things , lay them up in your hearts , as your most precious treasure , and let none spoil you of it ; and if ye are married unto the lamb , then are you the true and onely church , even his body and living members of it ; for such onely are the true church , that are married to christ , and united to him in his own nature ; and all such are false churches , and are even of the great whore , that hath taken upon them the name of churches of christ , but were never lawfully married unto him , and such are deceived , and deceivers of others with the very name of christ , calling themselves by the name of his church , while they are in the nature contrary to him , nor they ever lawfully married unto him ; and this is the great whore who commits lewdness though nations , in all false worships and idolatrous practices and ordinances , and in her false ministry , and false doctrines ; and she was set up in nations , by the force of cruel and violent laws , and men , and is upheld by oppression and injustice at this day ; and yet all this she doth under the name of holy church , and useth the name of christ , as if she were his wife , and yet hath other lovers ; and by such means hath this great whore deceived the world : but now the day of the lord is come upon her , and the hour of her judgement is at hand , and all that have taken plea●●●e with her , shall mourn and bitterly lament , because of her judgements which cometh in a day ; but we are delivered from her judgements , because the lord hath called us from her abominations ; and we can no more drink her cup of false doctrines and practices , all which are idolatry , and to be judged of the lord , though she should drink our blood , as she hath done the saints before us ; but i say , the lord hath led us out of this babylon , he hath delivered us from this great city , and made us spiritually free from its abominations and idolatries , though not outwardly free from her oppressions and cruelties : and though this great city hath ruled over the kings and great men of the earth , and subjected many nations through its wickedness and violence ; yet certainly its ruin is near to come , else my hope is lost , my life is smitten , and the lord hath not spoken by me : and the lord will reward this false woman , this false church , that hath deceived the nations , even according to her deeds , as she hath done to others , so shall others do to her , measure for measure ; and much more might we say concerning her , but the lord hath opened our eyes , and we see her abominations , and she cannot deceive us : and this is the loving kindness of the lord unto us , for which he is worthy to be praised by us , for evermore . and in that ye have received the truth , and do know the truth , live in it , and walk in it in all faithfulness ; and be not fearful and unbelieving , as though the lord were not with you , though ye suffer much for his names sake ; for he is not wanting unto that man that doth fear his name , and that walks in his way ; but for the deliverance of all such will he appear , he will free the oppressed , and the afflicted people he will save , even by his out-stretched arm : wherefore let our eye be unto the lord in all estates and conditions , whether of sufferings or otherwise , for from him salvation cometh , and not from the mountains of the earth ; and keep your meatings in your several places , and be faithful in all things , that your consciences may be kept void of offences , both towards god and men , that no disobedience nor load of iniquity may be upon you , but that in the sight of god , you may feel clearness and freedom of soul and spirit , from the burden of all transgression , that you may know the remission of all sin , and all iniquity may be blotted out , and no guilt of transgression may lie upon you , but you may enjoy peace in your consciences , in the sanctification and justification of the new man ; and this is the heavenly life , even upon earth : and when you are met together in the name and power of the lord , mind his presence amongst you , for that is life , and will make your meetings profitable and full of vertue to your souls , and the lord will instruct you in all that which is good , and christ will be your minister of peace and comfort , and his spirit will l●●d you into all truth , and by his word , even the speech of god in your hearts , you will be quickned in spirit , and your strength and peace in god will be renewed day by day ; and walk in all wisdom , and in the fear of the lord one towards another , and towards all people , that your righteous and innocent life , and your holy wayes and works of truth , may have evidence in the hearts of your enemies , that you are of god , by the shining forth of your light before them ; and that the devil , nor all your enemies may have ought against you , saving concerning your god , and the worship of him , and the matters pertaining to good conscience ; and then if any suffer afflictions and tribulation by wicked men , if it be for righteousness sake , and concerning the law of your god , and the matters of his kingdom ; in such suffering the lord will be with you , and not forsake you , but he will give you dominion , and carry you through it all in patience and faith , which gives you victory over all enemies ; and nothing shall come to you , nor happen on you in the anger of god , but all afflictions shall be turned to your comfort , and by persecutions and tribulations the lord will but try you , and not destroy you , you being delivered from his wrath , and from that which is the cause of it : and therefore friends , it being much upon my spirit , i do lay it upon you , to be mindful in this very thing , that you walk in all wisdom , so that your enemies have nothing against you , to cause you to suffer for , but onely for truth , and righteousness sake , and concerning the law and worship of your god ; and then if the wicked one take occasion against you , to inflict his wrath upon you by wicked men , because of the exercises of your consciences towards god , thereby shall the lord take occasion against your enemies , to destroy them in his season , and he will deliver you ; and for this cause doth the lord plead with the wicked in his wrath , even because of the unjust sufferings of his people , for that alwayes drew down the wrath of the lord upon nations , and rulers ; and for this cause hath many been destroyed ; and in our sufferings must be filled up the measure of the iniquities , both of rulers and people in this nation , that the lord may over-turn them with his hand , when their measure of oppression is finished , and the burden of its guilt falls upon them . therefore let us have patience towards all men in all conditions , and faith towards god at all times , for therein is our armour of defence , and our weapons to resist all our enemies , and giving up into the eternal will of the father , whether in life or death , in tribulations or in rejoycing , and giving our power wholly to the lord , and nor unto any other , knowing , that not one hair of our head can fall without him , whose power is over all , and through ●ll : so that if we live , it may be unto him alone ; and if we suffer , and dye , it may be for him , and herein peace shall be with us , in whatsoever cometh to pass upon us , if we can receive all things as from the hand of the lord ; and live in the feeling of that power , which doth all things , or suffereth all things to be done . and blessed is he that is not offended in christ , who cannot be offended in him , nor separated from him by principalities , nor powers of darkness , nor death , nor life of any thing : and in this growth was the apostle , which the same is to be waited for , blessed is he that obtaines it ; for that which takes offence against christ , is of the same with that which gives it ; for all offences against him , ariseth from the corrupted nature which knows him not , and that which receiveth any offence against him , is the same which knows him not ; yea , though an offence may be justly given , yet that in which the offence takes place , knows not the father not the son : and christ said offences should come , but woe unto him by whom they come , and woe unto that which stumbles and f●lls through offences . therefore every one is to minde , the certain evidence of the spirit of god , and of the truth and way of salvation in his own heart , and being perswaded concerning the way of salvation , by the spirit of god , ●●at spirit will judge every offence that is given , and not embrace it ; and that spirit which judges and casts out , that which gave offence against god , in that spirit may a man be preserved above all offences , so as nothing can separate him from the love of god ; but though this offence , or the other , whatsoever may arise , yet such a one feels and possesses the mercy , love and peace from god in his own spirit , and such a one lives in the heavenly life , and cannot make the evil example of another an occasion of iniquity to himself , but he rather hears and fears , and keeps in more diligence and respect to the fear and presence of god in his own heart , yet he covers not the offence that is given in it self , but with a spirit of judgment treads it down , and walks over it ; and this is the right way for a man of god to walk in ; and that spirit is not right before the lord , nor that heart which takes unto it self an occasion to stumble at , or deny the power and mercy of the lord , because another may abuse them : but if one be from the spirit of god in their own hearts , their mind unsetled upon that , and unseasoned with that , then the offences enter , and works darkness and prejudice in the mind , and the wrong part being up , it receives all things to a wrong end , and it abuses gods mercies , and also wants the authority to pass judgment upon offences , and because hereof is a man undone ; for prejudice will eat out the good , and destroy simplicity , and wound the soul , and bring men into death and bitterness of spirit : therefore this is to all friends , that you may be kept in the spirit of judgment , which will not receive an offence into the wrong part , but will judge all offences in themselves , and hereby all will be preserved , and truth must travel through all his enemies , and blessed is he that is kept faithful to the end , in the power of the lord god , that reigns over , and judgeth the power of darkness in every appearance of it , inwardly and outwardly . and as concerning the times and seasons , and the present confusions and distractions that is amongst men , much might be spoken ; but certainly the end of all these things , shall be turned for good unto us , and unto all that do abide in faith and patience unto the end ; and though the present times be of an heavy countenance towards us , like as if we should be swallowed up through the roaring of the sea , and because wickedness doth abound by the spirit that now is exalted ; yet in this let us respect the lord , for certain it is , that times and seasons are in his hand , to change them at his pleasure , and to take them from one , and give them to another when he will ; the day is his , and the victory is in his hand : oh! let not mortal men glory against him , mans time is but for a moment , and it is our blessedness and peace to be still , to be still ; and to have a respect to the lord through all these overturnings ; and though the spirit that now is , be wicked and abounding in iniquity , yet the lord will limit its way : and as for the men that now are in power , it is very just with the lord , to let them have their day , even to try them what they will do , many others before those have had also their day , that have promised great things , as to liberty and freedom of the nation , even much more than these ; but they abused times and seasons , and opportunities , and were deceitful towards god and man , and sought themselves more than the good of others , and therefore are they justly under reproach and sufferings , even for their disobedience sake , who would not give ear to the cry of our oppressions , though they were called unto , but made our yoaks more heavy , and our tasks more great , though the lord looked for better things from them , yet they were rebellious till they were sunk into confusion ; and we yet stand , and they are fallen , that thought to destroy us . and this spirit , and these men who now are , which once the other had power over , is now justly set in power over them : and all this is accomplished , in the justice of the lord's hand , and therefore , why should we murmur against god ? or say , why hast thou done it ? but let us travel in patience through all the oppressions , and in the power of the lord , we shall work through them , as through others heretofore , even till the lord deliver us : for this spirit that now is , must rule , until the pleasure of the lord be fulfilled concerning it ; may not the lord do something through it , unworthy of a better spirit to be imployed in ? god hath vessels of dishonour ; and the king of assyria and nebuchadnezzar must serve his pleasure , when he will use them : and therefore no man at present is found able to divert the authority of it ; for it seems right unto the lord , that it have its season , if not in love to it , yet in his wrath , that its measure of wickedness may be filled up in this occasion given unto it , that the lord may destroy it ; for though it have all power to rule , and to subdue that which riseth against it ; yet this is not , because the lord is on its side , but thus he suffers it , for a rod to correct others , that have been unfaithful , even till the lord correct it also with his judgements . and the purpose of the lord is to prove the men , if so be some of them may learn righteousness and be saved , though some of them want the shew of religion , which others have had ; yet god hath not left himself without witness in them : and the lord may be nigh to some of them , if he smite , they must be wounded ; let us walk in wisdom and innocency towards them , and be faithful towards the lord concerning them , and leave them to him . and as for all the confusions , and distractions , and rumors of wars , what are they to us ? what have we to do with them ? and wherein are we concerned in these things ? is not our kingdom of another world , even that of peace and righteousness ? and hath not the lord called us , and chosen us into the possession of that inheritance , wherein strife , and enmity dwelleth not ? yea , he hath broken down that part in us that is related thereunto , and being dead in that nature of strife , bloodshed , and wars , how can we live in strife and contention in the world , or have fellowship with any therein ? and can we have pleasure in the confusion and distraction amongst men , or joyn in any thing with them , if so be we are quickened in the new life to god , which is a life of love and peace , and free from such things ? and if we are crucified in the life to this world , out of which all these confusions and strife doth arise , how can we live therein ? and therefore these things are nothing to us , neither are we of one party , or against another , to oppose any by rebellion , or plottings against them , in enmity , and striving with them by carnal weapons : nor to destroy any mens lives , though our enemies : so we war not for any , nor against any , for the matters of this worlds kingdom . but our kingdom is inward , and our weapons are spiritual , and our victory and peace , is not of this world : and our war is against souls enemies , and against the powers of darkness , even by the sword of the spirit , which god hath given us , and called us to war therewith , to convert people from sin and death , and from the very occasion of wars and contentions about the things that are earthly ; and this is our calling and work at this day ; and these things all the children of the lord are to mind , and to keep over the spirit of this world in all people , which all this enmity , strife , and confusion that is up amongst men , lodgeth in , and out of it ariseth ; for these things are the fruits of the spirit of this evil and sinful world , and the fruits of the spirit of god are of another nature , even peace and meekness towards all , and not enmity towards any , in which spirit let us live and walk , admonishing all hereunto , and praying for our enemies , and not hating them , but doing good for evil , and not rendring evil for evil ; but being meek and humble , merciful and patient towards all : and this is the true christian life learned of christ , and this life is blessed in this world , and in the world to come ; and them that live here are redeemed out of the world , wherein is troubles and confusion , wars and strifes : but let us not heed any of these things , for they rise and fall in their season , and are brought forth & effected in the changable and erring spirit , which worketh not the honour of god , but is in the dishonour to him ; and friends , let us be a people separate from all that live therein , waiting for the deliverance of the holy seed , in all : and believing , that through all these things the lord will set up his kingdom ; and thus it must come to pass , babylon must fall with a great noise ; for in strife and confusion was she builded , and therein hath she long stood , and thereby must she fall ; and tribulations must come upon the earth , that people may learn to fear the lord through his judgements : and he will speedily do great things in the world , which cannot be believed by many , if it were told them ; for hell and death must be destroyed , and both the beast and the whore must be taken alive , and cast into the lake of the anger of god : but blessed are they that do wait upon the lord , and rest under his shadow , and wait in his counsel , and receive his instructions ; they shall see the marvellous works of his hand ; but the wicked and unbelieving shall be turned into darkness , and shall not see the countenance of the lord to refresh them , but their sorrow shall be increased . and as for me , if i were no more , this is the testimony of my love unto the seed of god , through these nations , who am a companion to all that travel after truth and righteousness , and that seek the lord in their hearts that he may rule ; and these things were upon me , to send amongst the flock of god , to be read in all your meetings . oxfordshire , the st day of the third moneth , . e. b. a visitation and presentation of love unto the king , and those call'd royallists : consisting of i. an answer to several queries proposed to the people ( called quakers ) from a ( supposed ) royallist . ii. an objection answered , concerning the kings supremacy . iii. an epistle directed to the king , and those that go under the name of royallists . iv. certain queries returned to them ( called royallists ) to answer . an answer to divers queries subscribed thus , to the quakers some queries is sent to be answered , that all people may know your spirit , and the temper of it , and your iudgment concerning the times and seasons ; and subscribed , let your answer be directed , tradite hanc amico regis . as concerning the quakers , that are scornfully so called , we are at this day , and have been ever since we were a people , a poor despised and contemptible people , in the eye of this world , and deep sufferers under the injustice , and cruelties , and oppressions both of rulers teachers and people , and we have been a prey to the wicked , and trodden down under the feet of ambitious men , that have been in power in this nation , and have ruled in force and cruelty over us , and this hath been ever since the lord raised us up to be a people , though we have not been offensive to any just law , or government , or to any sort of people , otherwise then that we have given our witness against sin and wickedness in all people ; but we have not been oppressors of others , neither have we envied the persons of any , but in all good conscience have we walked towards all men , doing no otherwise to any , then we would be done unto ; and this is the very law we walk by towards all men , desiting the good of all , and that all may come to repentance and be saved ; and what we are as unto the lord , if i should declare , it could not be believed by many : but we are his people , and he hath chosen us , and he is our god , and we have believed in him , and walked with him in the uprightness of heart ; and we have this testimony in our own hearts , if we die it is for him , and if we live it is to him ; and though we have been , and may be clouded with the reproaches and persecutions of an uncircumcised generation , yet in the lord's season it shall be manifest even to the world , and to our very enemies , that we are his people and chosen of him , and he in the midst of us , whom we serve and worship in spirit , in truth , and in righteousness ; and this shall be manifest in the day of the lord , and in the mean time we are willing to bear , and to suffer all things that is put upon us , for the name of the lords sake . query . whether you , or any of you that pretend to inspiration and revelation , did foresee , or was it revealed to you , that ever charles stua●● should be proclaimed king 〈◊〉 reign in england , ever anymore ? or whether or no any of you did believe it , or could have believed it by your great faith which you profess , if it had been told you long ago ? answ. as for the proclaiming of charles stuart king , to reign in england , it was not improbable unto our faith , neither is it contrary to that which some of us hath seen ; for we know that god respects neither persons nor names , but doth give the kingdoms of this world to whomsoever he will ; and thus much was said , as may be seen in a book , called , good counsel and advice rejected , ( and divers other papers ) &c. p. . in a letter to oliver cromwel , it is said concerning you that are commonly called cavaliers ; but what and if , for and because of thy wicked●●●● in the sight of god , he should , raise them up , and make them instruments in his hand to accomplish his wrath upon thee , even like as he made thee once his instrument to overthrow them , &c. and here the thing was believed to be possible , that the lord might raise you up again for his pleasure , to fulfil his will , because of the wickedness of the army and nation ; and it is now come to pass , even as it was seen and believed . and also it was expressed in a letter , written in the th mon. . concernning them that were your enemies , and that were at first raised against you ; the very same spirit of pride , and oppression , and idolatry is entred into them , ( meaning your enemies ) and now lives in them in as high a measure as ever it lived amongst you ; and ●●●ir iniquities are well nigh finished , and the lord will one way or other correct & reprove them , and they shall be dealt with in like manner , as they have dealt with you ; for they were no more then a rod in the hands of the lord for a season , and they must also be broken and cast into the fire ; and whether the lord may ever may make use of you to reprove them , as he did of them to reprove you , this i determine not ; but leave it to him who can do whatsoever he will , by what instrument he pleaseth : it is true you have made many attempts to be revenged upon them , but you have not hitherto prospered ; but could you be humbled , and come into the meek spirit of the lord , then might you prosper , but hitherto the lord hath alwayes defeated you , and bowed you down under a people as unworthy as others , but their time will come to an end : and submit unto the will of the lord in what is come to pass , and seek not vengeance to your selves , and then the lord will avenge your cause , for the iniquities of your adversaries are ripe , &c. and charles stuart must either be converted to god , and ruled by him , or else he can never rightly rule for god in this nation ; though this i believe , it is not impossible but that he may be a rod upon them that once smote him , and their oppressions and ambitions may receive a check through him , &c. these things were written in a letter to all the people of your part , long before there was any visible appearance , of that which is now come to pass : whereby it doth appear that these things in a great measure were foreseen and prophesied of , and it was believed as a thing very possible , that thus it might be as is already come to pass : and as for visions , they are for an appointed time , there is a time to see , and a time to speak what is seen ; and revealed things belong to us , and when we declare them then you may take notice of it ; but it was verily believed as a thing possible , that such a thing would be , and also by the proceedings and transactions as they have fallen out ; for your very enemies have so acted and proceeded as to destroy themselves , and to bring you in over their heads , though they little intended the thing , yet the effect of their proceedings could hardly prove otherwise then to destroy themselves , and make room for you , and these things i observed ; and also thus far we did fore-see , and it was revealed to us , and believed by m●●y of us fully , and we did often prophesie it , that the lord god of heaven and earth would destroy and bring down the government , and authority as they have stood in this nation for divers years , and that he would bring iudgment upon the rulers , and upon many of the teachers , and people of this nation , because of their oppressions and unfaithfulness , and treachery , and hypocrisie , and wickedness , which abounded amongst them , which we have felt and seen , and been sensible of ; and we have often given our witness against them , because of their guiltiness in their sinful ways ; oh it hath been loathsome unto the lord , even the oppressions and treacheries of the rulers ! oh how hath cruelty and injustice abounded in their government ! and their hypocrisie hath been evident in our ●ight in many particulars , and even in that they have cryed against and overthrown king and kingly government , charging them with oppression and cruelty , and pretended to ease the people in a better way of government , when as though governors and names , and titles of government , were changed and altered , yet oppression ceased not , neither was injustice forsaken , nor was the heavy yoaks of great bondage removed : but the rather these things were increased upon many good people in these nati●●s , and herein was the unfaithfulness , and treachery of the rulers very great in the sight of god , and their government unjust and unequal , wherefore the lord hath been provoked against them to confound them , and overturn them , and we have often told it them , and also the hypocrisie and deceits , and sinfulness of teachers , we have seen and testified against , and our witness to them both is and will be found true , and gods justice will be fulfilled upon them both ; and these things we have observed , even the heinous guilt of sin against god in both rulers and teachers , and the abo●●●●tions that have been committed both in civil , and church government ( so called ) also , and many people have lov'd to have these things so , and we have been sensible how the lord hath been provoked to overthrow the governors of this nation because hereof ; and this we have foreseen & prophesied of , even that iudgment and confusion would come upon the government , the rulers , and the teachers ; but particularly when and after what manner , judgment and overthrow should come upon them , was left to the lord , who hath brought to pass his own will according to justice , and it may prove to be a just judgment from the lord , upon the unfaithful and treacherous , and unjust rulers , and teachers , and people which i have mentioned , and the lord may justly avenge himself upon them who have abused his mercies , and not improved his deliverance to his glory , but preverted the end wherefore they were at first raised up ; i say the lord may justly be avenged of them by this means , of this mans coming in , and he may be in the hand of the lord a very smiting rod to correct and rebuke , and may be a heavy judgment upon many in this nation , even from that cause , and for that end as before i have expressed . quer. . whether you , or any of you , do adjudge is reasonable and equitable , that ●e should come and inherit the nations of which he is born the right heir ? or whether or 〈◊〉 it is just or unjust to god and men , that he would reign king over these nation ? if you walk and judge by the law of god which is equal , then judge of this whether he hath been kept out this many years , and now is brought in again reasonably and iustly , or unjustly and contrary to reason ? answ. that he should come in , is reasonable and equitable , because through the purpose of the lord , his coming in is accomplished , who effecteth nothing but what is equal and reasonable , and there is cause in god sufficient wherefore it should thus be , and there is sufficient cause and reason appearing to us in this matter ; and upon the very account as laid down in my answer to the first query , it is equal as in the lord , that he should be restored who hath been removed and cast out by such as have pretended to govern and rule better than he , but have ruled in oppression and injustice , and not answered the cause wherefore he was cast out ; and that he should come in to be a scourge upon these , this is just , and in this particular doth lye the reason and equity of his coming in to inherit this nation . and as for reigning justly over this nation , that may better be answered when we have had experience of his reign , for if he reign and rule in truth and righteousness , in mercy and in justice , and by and according to the just law of god ; if thus he reign , then he reigneth justly , and it is just to god and men that he should reign , and this the law of god which is equal , judgeth , by which we walk in all things , and do judge of all things : and as for his being kept out this many years , we do judge that the hand of the lord is in these matters , and they were done and suffered to be done by him , in which he will be glorified ; yet , thus far i say , they that have kept him out , in pretence that they would rule better than he , and yet have ruled in oppression and injustice , as much more ( may be ) then he would have done , they have dealed unjustly and contrary to reason , both to him , and much more to the people of these nations , while they have made and had new names and titles of government and governors , but have continued the old oppressions , and not releived the oppressed according to their own vows and promises , which they have broken , and it is but just they should be punished for it ; but if he render not evil for evil , he doth well . quer. . whether or no ye can judge that his reign and government shall be blessed to himself , and these nations , or the contrary ? or whether shall peace or trouble be in the land in his days ? and shall his days be many , or shall his time be short ; if this be revealed to you let us know ? answ. we do judge that his reign and government may be blessed to himself and these nations , or not blessed ; and peace may be in the land , or trouble in his dayes ; and his time may be long , or it may be short ; according as he walketh in the fear of the lord , or as he walketh wickedly , and according as his reign and government is in righteousness , mercy , and truth , or in oppression and injustice , accordingly do i judge may he be blessed , and may have peace , and long dayes , or the contrary , if he walk in the way which brings contrary effects : and we take not upon us to judge any thing before the time , but as thorow time he discovers himself , so we may judge of him , ( for we desire well for him and all men ) th●●●e m●y so reign and govern as to be a blessing to himself and these nations , that peace may be in his dayes , and his time may be happy : and this we certainly know that there is an eternal god , who is over all , and that can do whatsoever he will , even set up and pull down whomsoever he will , and though his strength now be great , and his number very many , yet there is an eternal god above all , who is mighty to save , and mighty to destroy , and if he please not god in his ways , and in his reign , but be an oppressor , and walk in evil wayes , we certainly believe he cannot be blessed , nor have peace , nor long time , but the lord may bring to pass the contrary ; for as the scriptures say , it is by him that kings reign , & he makes kings blessed or miserable , the scriptures gives much evidence concerning the good and the bad kings of israel , they that were good men and ruled well , they were blessed and had long dayes , and people were happy under them ; and to the kings that were idolaters and oppressors , and walked in wickedness , and vexed the lord , it was contrary ; for the lord cut them off , and destroyed them , and delivered the oppressed ; and god is the same now as he was then , as powerful to save the righteous , and as mighty to destroy the wicked ; and we rather desire that he may follow the example of the good kings of israel , that the good effects may follow , and that he may not follow the evil example of tyrants and oppressors : but and if he do , the effect and reward will certainly be upon him , and the lord will rebuke him , and this we know by the spirit of the lord. quer. . whether may be justly forgive , or avenge himself , of his and his father's enemies ; and if he do avenge , whether or no can that be called persecution ? and if any , or many suffer death , or otherwise on that account because they destroyed his father , and sought to destroy him also ; do such suffer for righteousness and good conscience or no ? if some of you suffer , for that cause shall you have peace with god in it , or is it for the name of christ , as ye often say ? answ. he may justly in the sight of god forgive his , and his father enemies , and he will be the more blessed if he do it ; for it is a happy thing to forgive enemies , and it is christ's doctrine also to forgive enemies , and it would be a good report unto him among his friends , and it would win his enemies , or be a good means towards it , if he do forgive all enemies , and it will be a good beginning of his government to remit offences ; though yet in his heart he may be perswaded , that he and his father have been much injured , yet , i say , justly he 〈◊〉 forgive all in the sight of god , and also in the sight of men , as many wayes may appear ; even in asmuch as his father and he did flee to the sword , to determine their controversie in this nation , and the sword went against them , and did determine the controversie even against them ; and that whereby they thought to stand , they did fall , and that which they chused for their defence , did destroy them ; and who then shall they blame for that which befel them , seeing the sword destroyed them , * which themselves did chuse , and thought thereby to stand , but it determined the controversie against them ; and if you cannot own it , as that the hand of the lord went against you in battel , yet you must confess that the fortune of war ( as some call it ) went against you ; and must such now suffer because hereof ? nay , they ought not , but may rather be spared by the king : and inasmuch as he is restored again without blood or loss of lives , it may be very just for him not to take away any mens lives , but it will be more just to pass by all old things ; and if he have a deliverance , let him turn it into the praise of the l●●d in holiness , & not into the shedding of blood in the way of a fierce revenge ; and let him leave it to the lord to avenge himself upon such as have been his enemies , and upon such as ●●ve cast out king and kingly government , and pretended to a better government , 〈◊〉 to govern more righteously , and yet have been oppressors , and not answered their pretences pretences and engagements , but broken them and acted contrary , by their unfaithfulness and hypocrisie ; and in that doth lie the justness of punishment if it come upon them , and if they be punished with death , or otherwise ; if they suffer on that account , i say , because they destroyed kingly goverment in name and title , and pretended better things , and to govern better , and did not make reformation , but were oppressors , as i hav● 〈◊〉 suffering for that cause cannot be called persecution , nor is it for good conscience , nor righteousness sake that such do suffer : but none of us can suffer for that cause , as not being guilty thereof , as in the answer to the next query i shall have full occasion to shew you ; but and if we suffer in your government , it is for the name of christ , and we shall have peace with god in it , because nothing can be charged against us in this capacity as we now stand , and in this state into which we are now gathered and changed ; not in any matter of action or rebellion against him nor his father , nor any thing but concerning the law and worship of our god , and the matters of his kingdom , and our pure consciences ; and if upon this account we are made to suffer by him , and for this cause , the reward will be sad and heavy upon him in the day of the lord : and if any that are now amongst us , were any way engaged in the parliament service in the wars , it was not in rebellion against him or his father , as that we sought their destruction as men , but upon sober and reasonable principles , and not for corrupted ends , nor to get honour and riches to our selves , as some others might do , who went in the war for self-ends , and continued in action after the cause ( which was once engaged for ) was utterly lost , as we have long seen it ; and that principle which some time led some in action to oppose oppression , and seek after reformation , we never have nor shall deny , but that principle is still justified , though we are now better informed than once we were : for though we do now more than ever oppose oppression , and seek after reformation , yet we do it not in that way of outward waring , and fighting with carnal weapons , and swords ; and you , and the king ought to put a difference ( both in their guilt and suffering ) between such as some time acted in the wars against you , in and upon sober and reasonable principles , and that did not make themselves rich and high in this world through your sufferings ; and between such as have acted against you for self ends , and have insulted over you , and have made themselves great and rich in this world , thorow your afflictions and sufferings ; for they who have walked in that way , and are hereof guilty , they have not acted righteously , nor walked in good conscience ; and if such suffer by you for that cause , it cannot be called persecution , nor is it for the name of christ , nor can such have peace with god : but we being clear from the sin of such , we cannot suffer as such , but if we suffer by you it is persecution , and our sufferings will be upon you . quer. . whether the great afflictions and sufferings sustained by him these divers years , from the subjects of his own nation , and the guilt thereof , do lie upon all the subjects in general ? or whether upon any , or some particular sects and sorts of people ? ( many which now are arisen ) and if upon any particular sect and sort , who are such more then others ? distinguish them from others , and clear your selves if you can from th● guilt of his sufferings . answ. as for the afflictions and sufferings sustained by him , so far as they were just and righteous judgments from god , because of iniquity , can no man be charged with , but that is on god's account , who was pleased to chastize with afflictions and sufferings , and no man can be blamed with injustice for that affliction which cometh from the hand of god , upon whom injustice may not be charged by any one whatsoever ; and so far as his sufferings were unjust , the guilt thereof doth not lie upon all the subjects in general , nor upon every particular sort of people alike , but upon some more then others , and such are easie to be distinguished from others , if it be considered who they are that first raised the war in this nation against the king ; and who was it that first preached and prayed up the war , and prosecuted it against his father ? and who is it that cast out the bishops and prelates from their places , and took their revenues and benefices , and are become men as corrupted , as covetous , and self-seeking , as proud and ambitious , as unjust persecutors as ever the men were which they cast out ? and the guilt is partly upon such who cast out others in pretence of reformation , but did it no● a●● who is it that hath gotten great estates in this nation , and worldly honour , and raised themselves from nothing by the wars , and by your suffering , and became ambitious and insulting over others , though they first began the war in this nation , and pretended great reformation in the civil state , as well as the other had done in church state ? and who got the estates and titles of their enemies , and pretended to free this nation from all oppressions , but have not done it , but have continued the old oppressions , and have been striving among themselves who should rule , and who should be great , but have not ruled for god , nor in justice and equity , though they first warred against the king , and carryed it on , and removed the king and lords , and that goverment , and all this in pretence of ruling better , and in a better government , and yet kept not engagements , nor promises made in that case ? upon such is the guilt of the suffering of the king , so far as his sufferings are unjust , even upon hypocrites , who have walked in these steps , who as i have said , first made war against the king , and got great estates , and quite forgotten the cause once pretended by them , and now in flattery , cries up king and kingly government again , though this many years they have seemed to be opposite against it ; upon such as these may the guilt aforesaid in measure be charged : and though there are risen many sects and sorts of people since the beginning of the wars , yet in the beginning there was but one sort that were in a capacity to raise and prosecute war against the king ; and upon such there is guilt to be charged in the sight of god , who have foregone their principles , and been deceitful both to god and men : and as for us who are called quakers , we are clear from the guilt of all his sufferings , and in the present capacity wherein we now stand , and under the actings of that spirit which now we are of , we have no part in the guilt of these iniquities ; we have not cast out others , and taken their places of great benefices , neither have we made war with carnal weapons against any , never since we were a people , ( mark ) neither have we broken oaths and engagements , nor promised freedom and deliverance , and for self-ends , and earthly riches betrayed , as others have done , what we pretended to ; and in many particulars it doth appear , that we are clear from his sufferings ; for we have been a suffering people , as well as they , by the same spirit which caused them to suffer , which hath been much more cruel , wicked , and unjust towards us , than it hath been towards them , though our persecution hath been in another manner ; but what they have done against us we can freely forgive them , and we would have you to follow the same example ; and if you could accuse them in many things , so could we ; but this is not a time to accuse one another , but to forgive one another , and so to overcome your enemies , or else you will appear in the same spirit , that so he that condemns them cannot justifie you , though we do condemn as well as you , them that have pretended reformation , and wared against you upon that account , and when they had gotten victory did not reform , but become oppressors themselves as well as others , and became cruel towards others , that would not say and do as they ; and for this cause the lord hath brought them down , and may justly suffer others to deal with them as they have dealt with others ; yet notwithstanding i must still say , and it is my judgment , that there was very great oppressions and vexations under the government of the late king , and bishops under his power , which the lord was offended with , and many good people oppressed by , for which cause the lord might and did justly raise up some to oppose , and strive against oppressions and injustice , and to intend and press after reformation in all things ; and that principle of sincerity which god did raise in many in the beginning of the wars , which in some things acted them forth , and carryed them on in opposing oppressions , and pressing after reformation , this principle i can never deny , but acknowledge to it , though many soon lost it , and became self-seekers , forgetting and foregoing the cause pretended to , having lost sincerity , and became corrupted in their way , and injustice and oppression abounded by them , and because hereof are they condemned in the sight of the lord , and not by me justified , because they have lost sincerity , and turned the war , and all the proceedings into self-seeking ; and therefore is god provoked against them , though had they continued in their integrity , and had really performed what some time they pretended , and had forsaken all sin , it had not been thus with them , neither had this guilt been upon them , which now they are like to be accountable for : and this is my judgment concerning these things . quer. . whether or no he may iustly ( think ye ) and with more safety to himself , and happiness to the kingdoms , tollerate and allow liberty of conscience , ( so called ) to all the many sects and sorts of people , and worshippers that are now in beeing in these nations ? or whether he may tollerate some , and not all ? or whether he may tollerate none , but reduce the government of the church into the way of bishops and prelates , as it was in his father's dayes ? which of these may he do justly , and with more safety to himself , and happiness to his government and kingdoms ? answ. we do believe he may and ought justly , and with most safety to himself , and happiness to the kingdoms , tollerate and allow free liberty of conscience in all the matters of faith and worship towards god ; for liberty in exercise of conscience , in the matters of god's kingdom , is a very precious thing to the lord , and very dear in his sight , and he is tender of it ; and i do stedfastly believe , he will not bless the rulers of this nation , that shall deny ( to the people of this nation ) and oppose liberty of conscience in the exercise of faith and worship towards god ; for i do know it is not given of god to any earthly king or ruler whatsoever , to exercise . lordship over the consciences of people in the matters of faith and worship , and the things pertaining to gods kingdom ; for kings and rulers , are but to rule over men in a nation , in the matters between one man and another , in outward things and worldly affairs ; and therein only men ought to rule in equity over a nation , or city , or country ; and magistracy in this state , and for such an end is gods ordinance appointed of him , for the preserving of peace and good order among men in outward things ; and it is a priviledge of the crown of christ's spiritual kingdom , to be lord and ruler over and in mens consciences , in faith and worship , and all the matters of his kingdom , even as and according to his pleasure , and as his spirit leads and guides , for and if any man shall assume to prescribe god a way how he must be worshipped , and shall limit his spirit from this , or to the other way of religion , and think to be lord in mens consciences in religious matters , such are but usurpers , and are not well-pleasing to the lord ( in such their way and government ) if they oppress mens consciences , by limiting from , or compelling to any such way of worship or kind of religion ; neither are they ordained to rule among men for that end , not to be king and judge , and law-giver in heavenly and spiritual matters ; and this ought not charles ( the king ) to do 〈◊〉 but and if he do it , and will not let christ alone be the head over his church , it cannot be with safety to himself , nor happiness to the kingdoms , 〈◊〉 justly in the sight of god , but it will work contrary effects : and he may and ought to tollerate and allow liberty of conscience in the matters of god's kingdom , to all sorts of people and worshippers , that are 〈◊〉 this nation ; and let him mind god's wisdom , how to keep the nations in peace and good order , in all outward and civil affairs , between man and man , and between one sort of people and another , that none destroy each others persons or estates , nor be oppressors one of another in outward and earthly matters , and that is the place and priviledge of a just king and ruler upon earth ; and to leave faith and worship , and duty towards god , as every one is perswaded in their own consciences is the right way ; whether they will read the common-prayer , or preach and pray after the order of the directory , or otherwise ; or whether they will meet in silence without words ; and let all these enjoy their way of religion and worship in outward peace , and not kill one another about their religion , worship , church and ministry , nor imprison and persecute one another about these things ; but let them all be preserved as men , living in peace one with another in all outward relations , and yielding subjection to good laws which concern their outward man , and their peace and well-being , as subjects of a nation ; but there ought to be no law of bondage and force , nor violent impositions by any man concerning religion ; for the lord alone is sufficient to give prescriptions and laws to his people , how he may be served and worshipped ; and this is the way of good government in this nation , that only the outward man in outward things be governed , and all matters of conscience in spiritual things be left unto god , that his spirit may therein onely rule and have the preheminence ; and if the king do rule thus , he may be more blessed ; and in that this nation hath his word for liberty of conscience , it is expected ; for because this hath been wanting , ( to wit ) the allowance of liberty of conscience in spiritual matters , because of this , have been much strife , and contention , and heart-burnings in the nation , while some sects of people have been tollerated and upheld , and others persecuted for their religion-sake by law ; and this was one of the chief causes wherefore the presbyterians ( so called ) first raised war against the bishops , even because they could not be tollerated , but were persecuted , while the other were guarded and defended by law ; and this was a great cause of enmity , which if the presbyterians ( so called ) could have had liberty and tolleration at that day , for their worship and faith , it is possible the war against the bishops had not so far proceeded ; though when they had gotten victory , they were no less furions towards the bishops to destroy them , than the other had been once against them ; and this arose by reason of persecuting for conscience sake , because all had not liberty in the exercise of spiritual things , which if the king had declared it ●●at day equal liberty to both , in matters of their faith and religion , and yet ruled over both in outward affairs , and had authority over the persons and estates in matters not related in spiritual worship , but left them therein free , and in their religion ; by such means the war might have been stopped , and not proceeded so far as it did , and into such destruction ; and this being now well considered , may be an example to prevent the like hereafter : so that 〈◊〉 ●●y , it cannot be for his safety , nor for the good of the kingdoms , to tollerate some sorts of people , and religions , and persecute others , for that will be the very cause of strife among men , it will provoke one sort to destroy another , and it will provoke the lord god against the king and his government , to destroy them both ; therefore to reduce the government of the church into the state , as it stood under the bishops in his fathers dayes , and to prohibit all others that may differ in judgment from that , this is not the way for peace and happiness in these nations , nor the way that will be blessed to the government ; neither can the bishops and prelates justly themselves desire it , that only they and their church-government , should be imposed and tollerated , and all besides prohibited ; for this is not doing to others as they would be done unto ; and i may hope that their suffering this divers years , may have taught them the worth of liberty to themselves , and so , that they will allow to others ( if it be in their power ) the same which they have desired themselves , in their time of suffering ; and they having tasted of some subjection in adversity , they know the better how to behave themselves in time of prosperity ; and they may compare others with their own state , and may judge that others will as much desire liberty , and from as good principles , i● their worship and faith , as themselves would have enjoyed it in times past ; and they may have learned to be good to others in that case , for which themselves have suffered , and not cause others to suffer for that thing about which themselves have suffered : and i do conclude , that he may justly and with more safty and happiness to his government , tollerate and allow liberty of conscience in the exercise of faith and worship towards god , in all spiritual matters , even to all sorts of people in this nation , and let him defend their persons and estates , from the wrong one of another , by wholsome law ; and let each sort defend themselves in their faith and worship , in their church and ministry , by their soundest arguments , and the best spiritual weapons they have ; and thus should it be blessed to the government : and whatsoever sort or sect of people are not contented with this , that is to say , to allow the same liberty to others in faith and worship , which they do desire themselves , are not worthy themselves to be allowed liberty unto ; and this every reasonable man may judge . quer. . lastly , what is your iudgement ; ( if ye da●e declare it ) concerning the times and seasons , and the present motions of them ? and what are your observations of the present proceedings ? are the present times and seasons , and the proceedings and transactions in mercy , or in iudgment to the king , and his subiects ? if in mercy , to whom is it mercy ? and if in iudgment , who are they to whom these things are so ? if ye be not faint-hearted declare your minds , now in your last dayes ( as many think ) for many say , that your ruin is nigh come ; and if it be not so , many are deceived ? answ. yes , we dare declare our judgment concerning the times and seasons , for we have received the judgment of truth in our spirits , and never have been , nor are we afraid to declare the truth , so far as truth is necessary to be declared ; and we say the times and seasons are in the hand of the lord , and the motions of them are very swift ; and the lord gives to whom , and takes from whom , ( times and seasons ) as he pleaseth , even as it were in an instant ●oth the lord give , and change , and alter , times , authorities , and things ; and mortal man ought not to glory in times or seasons , as if they were certain and unchangeable to him ; for behold the motions of times flyeth away , and seasons removeth their course , and the most confident of men have no certainty thereof , and that because they are in the hand of the lord that turneth them about , and often contrary to mens will and pleasure ; and therefore , 〈◊〉 every man be good in his time , and fulfil she will of the lord in his season , before ti●● and season be no more , but removed from them . and as for our observations , they are very many of the present proceedings and transactions : first , we do observe , that there is not any thing of all these transactions that are come to pass , but there is a secret hand of the lord god , through them , and in them ; either doing of them , or suffering of them to be done ; and either as the cause by secret purpose , or as the means of their accomplishment ; it is not without him that these things cometh to pass , but his eye and his hand is over them , and that man is only blessed which hath respect unto him in all these things , that he may do or suffer for the lord , and that he may not rebel against him , in what is brought to pass by him . secondly , we observe how that the lord hath given unto many men a day and a time , and tried them what they would do for him , and whether they would rule in righteousness , and in equity , but many have proved deceitfull , and not answered to the lord what he expected from them ; and therefore the lord hath confounded them in their counsels , and suffered them to clash one against another , and made them overthrow one another ; and one self-seeking man hath been the ruin of another ( as bad as himself ) and even many by their own proceedings have prepared a rod and judgment even for themselves , and through their blindness of heart , which they have been given up to , because of their wickedness , they have destroyed themselves , and given their very enemies advantage over them to afflict them , and this we have observed of present proceedings . thirdly , we observe that there is a rude prophane spirit , highly abounding thoughout this nation , that brings forth much bad fruit , as drunkenness and wickedness in a great measure , which may justly provoke the lord to wrath and indignation against the land , if it be not forsaken , though it be lifted up in this wonderful rudeness in a pretence of glorying on the behalf of the king , and his government ; yet it vexeth the lord and it works sorrow in the hearts of many sober people who are pondering what the end of this government may be , that is thus rude and prophane in its beginning , saying in their hearts , how shall the lord bless these proceedings , and make the end of them happy , which are thus void of the fear of god in the first part of them ; and if a stop be not put , and a limitation upon the spirit , it will provoke the lord to work sudden destruction , and overthrow the nation . fourthly , we observe , that many hypocrites and double-minded men , are afraid , and terror hath surprized them , who have taken the profession of such or such a religion , on them for a cloak and hath been in the shew of righteousness for earthly ends , such are afraid , and their ends are frustrated , and they are turned into confusion and a prophane spirit abounding over their hypocrisie , and such will deny their principles , and their faith , and will fawn and flatter to save themselves , and this is abominable ; but men that have been and are upright and sincere towards god in their way , they are not afraid , but are confident in the lord , and are given up in his will , whether to do or suffer for his name sake , and they have no terror upon them because of any guilt , because they have been upright , in that way which they were perswaded to be right , and such live in a patient and quiet life , and are contented whatsoever comes to pass , because they have the witness , that they have not followed their religion for self-ends , nor taken the name of righteousness for a cloak , as many others have , upon whom this overturning falls very heavy . and these things , with many more the like , we do observe from the present transactions which are faln out in mercy to some , and in judgment to others , even a judgment upon all that do not fear the lord , but walk in wickedness , and that have been hypocrites , and hard-hearted , and cruel , and to all that do not repent of their sins , these things , and the end of them , are , and shall be great judgments , and shall be turned into bitterness , even their joy , and rejoycing , into howling , and great lamentation , this shall be the end unto all the ungodly ; but unto all that fear the lord , and depart from iniquity , even unto such the end of all these things shall be good , even mercy ●●d peace , and their sorrow shall be turned into ioy. and as for us , we are not faint-hearted , though it be supposed that we are in our last dayes , and as though our ruin were nigh to come ; but we believe otherwise , for we have clearness of conscience towards god and all men , and walk in faith and patience , and knowing this assuredly , that if we be persecuted and afflicted in person or estate , by you that are now in power , yet it is for righteousness s●ke , and for the lords sake , and not for the guilt of any rebellion against you , that you have , or ever can have to charge upon us , for we cannot be found in these things ; for we can neither secretly flatter to make peace with you , neither can we ●●●●ly rebel against you , or resist you ; but as our right from god and you , we claim the liberty of the exercise of our consciences , in the maters of faith , and a holy life towards god , that we may mind the things of god's kingdom , and may so walk and worship , as to have peace with god in our consciences , that no burden of sin and iniquity may lie upon us , but that we may live and die in peace with god , this is all we claim of you : but and if you will not allow it us , but will persecute us , and seek to destroy us only for our conscience-sake , and because of our faith and religion , if you do make and execute laws against us , in opposition to the law of our god , that you may take an occasion against us to destroy us because thereof , then innocent blood and cruel suffering will be upon you , and the weight of it will 〈◊〉 into confussion , when your measure is full ; and if you should destroy these vessels , yet our principles you can never extinguish , but they will live for ever , and enter into other bodies to live , and speak and act through other vessels ; for our principles are standing and unchangeable through ages , and generations , and may be clouded but can never be extinguished , for every man hath a light in his conscience which christ hath inlightened them withal ; which light reproves men for sin , and with it they know they should not lye nor swear , nor be drunk , nor deal doubbly , nor walk in any sin : but and if they do these things , and live contrary to the light in their own consciences , then they deny christ and are unbelievers , and they are condemned , and have trouble in their consciences ; but if men do own that light in their consciences which doth reprove them for sin , then it leads them to repentance , and to the forsaking of all sin , and they cease from all iniquity , and receive iesus christ and his blood to cleanse them . and the light of the spirit of god leads them into all truth , to do , and speak the truth in all things , and then he hath peace with god in his conscience : and these are some of our principles , which can never be subdued by all the powers of the earth , though the vessels which now retain these were cut off , yet these principles are unchangeable in themselves , and can never be extinguished ; so that this our religion cannot come to ruin , but they that think so , they are indeed deceived , and whosoever shall seek to destroy that which gods purpose is to exalt , wo shall be unto them ; and as they purpose towards others so shall it come upon them from the lord in his day and season . and thus i have answered the queries directed to the quakers , and subscribed , tr●●ite hanc amico regis , and i do desire that the friend of the king , and all his friends , and he himself , may receive and read over these my answers , and may consider them in coolness and moderation , for they may be to their edification if they be sober minded . i am a friend unto all men as men and creatures , and a lover of all souls , and am in principles and practises one of them scornfully called , a quaker . e. b. an objection answered , concerning the kings supremacy . and whereas it is objected by some , whether or no we will be obedient subject , accepting of him as our lawful king , and own his supremacy , and will obey him willingly or unwillingly , and be subjects in conscience , or against our consciences ? answ. it is our principle , and hath ever been our practise , to be obedient subjects to whatsoever power or authority of man , or men , as have been in being over us , either by doing and fulfilling their just commands , or by suffering under their commands which have been unjust , and thus we are perswaded and resolved in the lord to continue , even to be obedient to the commands of men in authority , which are just , and according to our consciences ; but and if any thing or matter be required of us , and imposed upon us , which is contrary to the law of god and our consciences , that we must fulfil by suffering whatsoever is put upon us by him , or any under him ; and so we own him and accept him , as knowing and believing , that he is set to rule in this nation , not without , but by , and according to the purpose of the lord , and that he hath secretly purposed and suffered the accomplishing of these things ; and thus we account that he is chief magistrate , because these things are effected through the lord's power , who doth whatsoever he will , and we do own that he is set and proclaimed to be the head and supream over this nation , in civil and outward affairs and matters , and in those things that are related to the outward man ; and all his commands which are just we can willingly be subject unto , even in conscience , and all hi● commads which are otherwise , we are willingly and in our consciences contented in patience to bear what men shall put upon us ; and thus we do accept of the king and his government , as he , and it , are according to god , and answerable unto him , if it be so , we are willingly , and in conscience accepting thereof , and shall be obedient subjects thereunto ; but if it be otherwise , that is to say , if he rule in tyranny and oppression , and his government be unjust and unrighteous , and contrary to god , then we must give our witness against him , and it ; yet not so , as by outward opposition , and rebellion , to seek the overthrow of him or the government by carnal weapons ; but shall patiently bear , and that for conscience sake , all that cruelty , and injustice , and suffering , which can be imposed upon us : and as for owning his supremacy , if it be meant his supremacy over the church , as if he were head of the church , and were supream law-giver and iudge , and king in church-state , as to give and prescribe law for worship and faith , and to pass all judgement in matters that are spiritual , and appertaining to conscience , and about the things of the kingdom of god ; if by his supremacy this be meant , and intended thus ; we cannot own his supremacy , but must deny it , and we do ascribe supremacy only to iesus christ , in , and concerning all these things mentioned , and that he alone is iudge , and king , and law-giver in all the matters concerning his own spiritual kingdom , and he must prescribe for us faith and worship and must be the only iudge in all cases of conscience and spiritual matters , and not charles stuart king of england , &c. not any other man upon the earth ; for let it not be understood that we deny his supremacy in opposition to the pope of rome , as if we should own the popes supremacy over the church , for that we do not , nor any man upon the earth , as i have said , but only iesus christ is principal in that relation , and to him we give the dominion in all the cases of his own kingdom ; but if owning his supremacy it be intended , whether we will own him to be head and ruler , as in the affairs of his nation , pertaining to mens persons and estate , without any relation to the worship of god , or matters of conscience , so we own him , as i have before mentioned , and must be subject for : conscience-sake in fulfilling all his commands whatsoever , either by doing or suffering ; and this is our principle which we are perswaded in , and resolved herein to continue and abide . to charles stuart , who is proclaimed king , and to all you that are called and known by the name of royal-party and cavaleirs , and who have suffered in your cause , and for your principles friends , the lord god who is greater than all , that doth whatsoever he will , hath given you a day , and you are raised up again out of your suffering state ; oh that you would consider the end of it , and wherefore the lord hath done , and suffered it to be done ; and that you would make right use and improvement unto god and this nation of this your deliverance and promotion ; for certainly there hath been an absolute purpose in the counsel of the lord , that these things should be thus , and his hand hath even suffered it to be accomplished , even in a strange and marvellous way , through the confounding of your enemies , and giving of them up to the folly of their own hearts in their councils , that they should destroy themselves , and bring in you over their heads , and make you a mountain , and break down their mountain , and make it as a low valley ; and certainly these things are in the justice of the lord's hand , and it will be well for you if you can consider it , and acknowledge it : you have been a suffering people it is true , for these divers years , and originally your suffering was partly just as from the lord ; for there was a great measure of iniquity and oppression fulfilled in this nation on the part of kings , and your sins were great against god ; wherefore the lord was just in bringing affliction and tribulation upon you , to humble you , and he might justly raise up others to reprove you , and to subdue you before them for a season ; and thus far even because of your iniquities which were great in the sight of god , your sufferings and afflictions were just : but as for those , that the lord made use of in the execution of your afflictions , they are not justified in all what they did towards you , but they went beyond ( in violence and cruelty upon you ) what the lord called them unto ; and thereby they brought a great measure of guilt of injustice and cruelty upon their own consciences , in proceeding towards you beyond justice and equity : though some of them might be more sincere and upright in the beginning of these things , when they began to war against you ; yet it too well appears that many of them soon lost the just cause , and began to have respect to your estates and titles of honour , more than to free the nation from oppressions and vexations , though they pretended much thereunto , yet so it was that they became fouly corrupted in their way ; and though they subdued you , yet did they not free the nation , but became oppressors themselves no less than others before them , and they possessed your riches , and titles , ( yea and in great measure unjustly ) and then were exalted in ambition and vain-glory , and began to strive amongst themselves who should be the greatest , and set up this , and the other , and some cryed one way of government , and others another , and they pulled down and set up as they would , and cast down and exalted whom they would ; and thus they continued for some years , rowling up and down in confusion , and yet the nation under very great oppression and vexations , each one crying his burden was the greatest , while they were exalted in their pride and riches , and lived at ease , not remembring the end wherefore they were first raised , nor keeping to sincere principles , but caused them to suffer deeply that were faithful to the lord , and walked with him in sincerity ; and all this while you were as asleep , and not thought upon by them , as if ever you should call them to an account ; but they thought that their strength was great , and their number many , and therein they gloried , having no true respect unto the lord ; and because thereof the lord justly confounded them in their counsels , when their measure was full , and made them weak as water ; and you are now justly raised up to reprove and correct them , even those that have abused gods mercies to them , and that have forgotten god and sought to exalt themselves forever , and had no respect unto the lord and his people ; though these things are not said of them , to upbraid them , nor to kindle your fury against them , to add misery upon their affliction , but they have already been told of their treachery , and what would come to pass ; and oh , that they could now humble themselves before the lord , and confess to the justice of this their affliction ; they might yet partake of his mercy , through great judgments . and as for you , oh , that you would consider these things , and by whose purpose you are restored , and from what cause , and for what end it is accomplished ! oh that you would mind what your work now is , and that you would not exceed your permission ; for you are raised up for an end , and there is a work for you to do ; oh that you could do it with respect unto the lord , it should be the better for you ; oh those men that have long sate as princes in this nation , and pretended , and vowed , and promised reformation in church and state , but they have not done it as they ought , but as great oppressions and injustice , as great superstitions and idolatries both in church and state , were continued and carried on in their dayes , as in dayes before them ; oh how abominable have these things been ! ( multitude of words might demonstrate ) but now their reproof and judgment is come , and their fall is just upon them ; who should pitty them , or mourn for them , seeing they have deserved all this and much more which has yet happened unto them ? as some of them may confess : and those things ( their treachery , unfaithfulness ; and oppressions i mean ) must needs be avenged one way or another ; how often hath it been foretold them , yea , it hath been often said unto them , that god would bring them down , and destroy their power ? they have been told , that these things were not right , neither could they escape unavenged ; and it now appears as if the day were come : and if you must be their executioners , and must execute the wrath upon them , who shall prevent you ? or say unto you , stay your hand ? or rather , who of them that see these things , shall not be patient while you take vengeance for the lords sake , and for the sake of his people , whom they have long vexed and oppressed ? nay , who of the lords people shall not say , let the lord's will be done , and his justice executed upon his enemies ? if this be your work that you are called to , must it not go on till it be finished ? they have been hard-hearted and oppressors towards others ; and by a hard-hearted people , may not the lord justly deal with them , and be a plague unto them in that very manner , that they have sinned against him ? for this is usual with the lord , even to destroy oppressors by the wickedness of others ; and often he rebukes the sin of a people , by a people as bad as themselves ; he may justly give unto men from the hands of others , what they love in their own hearts : and even as those men have loved pride and ambition over others , and oppression and hard-heartedness towards others ; even so , and much more may justly be done unto them , and that according to the will of the lord ; and if this be your work designed you by the eternal hand , who shall prevent you ? but yet , oh that you would consider , and that you would have respect unto the lord , lest you out-go the end of your restoration : you would indeed be happy , if you could forgive your enemies , if you could reward them good for their evil ; and you would be happy if you could not exceed the measure of your permission : be not too hard-hearted towards them , but shew mercy . and oh you must take heed lest you cause the righteous to suffer with the wicked , and that you cause not the innocent to groan and mourn in your execution of god's purpose upon the ungodly , you must be aware lest while you punish offenders , you smite not them that are free ; oh that you had hearts this to understand , and that you could walk in the path of fulfilling god's pleasure , and not go further , ( i mean ) though you may be raised to be a plague upon hypocrites , and disobedient and treacherous men , and to avenge god's cause and his peoples ; but you are not raised to be oppressors of the lord's people , nor to destroy his heritage , this is not your work ; god hath not called you to destroy and persecute them that fear his name , and tremble at his word , though you have power to be avenged on your enemies : and oh that your hearts could understand this , that you might distinguish in your proceedings , between executing of justice upon transgressors , and persecution for conscience sake ; the one you have to do , but the other is forbidden you of the lord , and you ought not to do it ; for if you persecute any for good conscience sake , or because they are of such and such an assembly of people , and worship in such a way ; if you inflict tribulation upon any because hereof , or because they are such or such in their profession and religion , then you persecute for conscience sake , and you go beyond the end , and by the path for which you were raised ; and if you turn your hand and power to persecute for good conscience-sake , then you divert the end and purpose of this your restoration , and the lord will require it of you , if that you go beyond his permission and assignment , and beyond his pleasure in persecuting his people , and so turn your power to a wrong use and end ; o then the lord shall suddenly confound you , and he will find out instruments that shall fulfil his wrath , and justice upon you , as he hath found you fit to execute wrath upon others ; and therefore do not , o do not persecute any for conscience-sake ; if you have nothing against them but concerning their faith and worship , and their religion , do not lay your hand upon them , nor let them be touched ; for if you do , the lord will take it as a heinous offence against him , and in this life , or hereafter , he will plague you for it , and you shall not escape unpunished : and therefore i say once more to you , as the advice of your friend , let no man be persecuted for his faith , and for his religion-sake , but make a difference between inflicting wrath upon offenders that have been hypocritical and deceitful , and that have made themselves rich through the ruins of others , and that will bow to any thing , or any kind of worship for their own ends ; and between such as have a principle and do stand by it , and are humble and acted in the principles of sincerity , and follow that way of religion which they suppose , and are perswaded is the best , and the rightest ; all such ought to have liberty under you in their profession , and faith , and worship , and ought not to be persecuted while they live peaceable as men with one another , and towards all men ; and the god of heaven requires it of you , and your standing , or your fall , the blessing or the curse unto you depends hereupon ; and this you shall find to be true unto you in the day of god's righteous judgments : o therefore be not stout against the lord , but fear and tremble before him ; let his dread be upon your spirits , and do not offend him , nor provoke him against you , and this nation , lest he tear you to pieces , and number you for destruction , lest he overturn you suddenly , and deface your glory in its morning : oh how happy would you be if you would regard the lord and reverence him ; and take him before you , and not go beyond in any thing what his purpose and pleasure is , who hath given you this one day to try you , if so be that any of you shall learn his fear and turn from your iniquities , that you may be blessed , and not confounded : oh therefore consider what the will and purpose of the lord is towards you and wherefore you are raised up , & may fulfil his purpose , and not your own : oh then this day should be made happy unto you ; but the contrary works . i mean , if you do oppress , and persecute , and seek to destroy his heritage , and rule in oppression and tyranny , then the god of heaven shall cut your day short , and deliverance he will bring to this poor nation without you , & even contrary to you , and his hand shall be turned upon you , and your mountain though never so great , and high , shall be laid low , and an infant of the heavenly birth shall leap over it ; and shall say , where is that lofty babel that exalted it self against my god ? and as for us , we are a very poor contemned and despised people ; even since we were a people unto this very day , and have nothing at this present , not heretofore to glory in from any power that hath ruled : but the power , spirit , and presence of god in our tribulations , afflictions , persecutions and unjust sufferings ; these things have been our portion , even from all ; all have troden upon us in contempt and scorn , and accounted us as sheep for the slaughter , and we have not to glory in any government that hath been since we were a people ; we cannot justifie one or another , but we say , they have all been oppressors , and we have groaned with deep sighs to the lord under the burden of their unrighteous dealing ; and herein we assent with you , if you say they have been unjust men , we say the same ; and if you say their government hath been oppression and unequal , we say the same ; if you say you have suffered cruelly and unrighteously by them , we say the same ; if you say they have ruled by will and force , more then by law and equity , we verifie the same ; and if you can say you have suffered afflictions , and tribulation by them , so have we in another manner , and far more unjustly : wherefore we cannot justifie them , nor will not plead for them in opposition to you ; but we partly believe we may receive as much equity and good reason from some of you , as we did from some of them ; and thus we have been a suffering people even without cause : and at this day we are threatned by the rage of men as if we should be cut off and destroyed ; but we regard not these things , but do respect the lord , whom we fear and worship in our hearts ; and if we outwardly perish among them that may perish , yet it is for righteousness sake , and because of the matters of god's kingdom , which we hold ; and if you do destroy us for this cause we are clear , and innocent blood will be upon you , and the guilt thereof will sink you into misery here , or hereafter . oh take heed and defile not your selves , nor load your consciences with our guiltless sufferings , as many others have done before you , even to their ruin and woful destruction ; you are yet in a great measure clear from our oppressions ; we have not much iniquity yet to charge upon you in our cause of afflictions : oh it will be well for you if you keep your selves clear , the less will be your judgement , and the better success will you have in you cause ; for friends , the weight of innocent blood it hath a loud cry , and god will hear it ; and if you burden your selves with it , it will soon overweigh you : therefore keep clear , and condemn them by your practises , that have said , they would not persecute for good conscience sake , but have done it , even contrary to all pretences and engagements ; and if you who profess not so much in words towards that thing , would do it ; how should your practise condemn their hypocrisie in the sight of god , men , and angels ? but however i warn you , and do leave it at your door ; and do say unto you , persecution for conscience sake , is the crying sin , which draws down vengeance upon kings and governments ; be you warned through the fall of others , least confusion come upon you , as it hath come upon many others for that cause : and be not too confident in your way , nor too furious against your enemies , but remember your breath is in your nostrils , and he that gave it you can soon take it away and as for you , we have no enmity towards any of you , nor do we seek the hurt of your persons , nor can we rise up in rebellion against you , or seek your destruction by craft or policy ; neither indeed can we seek covenant or league with you by flattery : it is true , you are in authority over us outwardly , and as you are so , we shall yield subjection to you in any of your just commands ; and in all things it is our principle to obey you , either by doing or suffering ; yet we cannot bow , nor fawn , nor flatter , nor deny our principles , nor our religion of which we are perswaded by the spirit of god in our consciences , that it is right and according to god ; but i say , we cannot revoke our principle , neither for advantage to our selves , nor yet to save our lives ; you must find us constant , and not changeable as others are , who turn every way for their own advantage , and cry up this or the other , and pray and fight on the behalf of any thing which may make for their advantage , but god is grieved with such spirits ; yet we are otherwise minded , and must only own your government and authority ; as it is just , and brings forth righteousness , so we can own it , and bow before it ; but as otherwise , if it be unjust and oppression , we must patiently suffer under it , whatsoever you have power to do ; and this is all the peace we can make with you , or the engagement that we can bind our selves in towards you , though we cannot but own that this day is given you , either in mercy , or in judgement to you ; yea , and we cannot but own , that you may be god's executioners ; yea , what if we say , that you may be raised up to avenge our cause upon our oppressors , though still we must bear witness against that wicked , loose , prophane spirit , that lives and abounds in some of you and among you , and works unrighteousness even to the dishonour of god , throughout this nation ; this spirit we bear witness against , that it is evil , and brings forth bad effects in every city and town throughout the land ; whereby the lord is provoked against you , and this nation in an high measure : oh that you would consider of it while there is time , to be corrected and amended , before it hath brought forth unpardonable iniquities , which it hastens to fulfil , and draws down wickedness as with cords ! oh the excessiveness in drinking , and other vanities ! oh what destroying of the good creatures ! it grieves the hearts of the righteous , and vexeth the sober-minded to consider it : and also there is a great deal of hypocrisie and deceitful-heartedness amongst many ; i have considered this thing , and it is a vexation to the lord , and cannot but be detestable to you ; even in that many contrary to their principles , engagements , promises , and covenants , do now cry you up for to save themselves , their lives & estates who have been deeply engaged against you publickly and privately , and yet now in hypocrisie are fallen in with you ; such their proceedings are loathsome to god , and your present cause is no better because of such ; though as for some of you , that have stood to your principle , and suffered for it this long while , in your state , you are more honourable and rather justified . oh , let the king fear and reverence the eternal god , knowing he is but mortal man , and his breath in his nostrils ; and let him keep himself clear from persecution for conscience-sake ; for that will destroy kings and governments , who are guilty thereof : and let him be meek and sober , and take the lord before him in all his proceedings , or else he cannot prospe● ; his day , and time is now present , that god's purpose is to try him , if he rule in righteousness and truth , in equity and justice , he may be blessed ; but if otherwise he govern , and walk not in reverence to the lord , and spare his people ; the god of heaven shall rebuke him , and deliver his people another way . consider of these things in a sober mind , read them over in meekness . from a lover of your souls , e. b. this was written about the middle of the d moneth , called may. a few queries i do return to you , for you to consider and answer , relating to the present affairs and proceedings in this nation , even to all you , that are called and known by the name of royallists and cavaliers , that are really so , and have suffered for that cause . quer. . to what do you attribute the first cause of the advancement of this present government ? and whether or no ye believe , that there was any thing of the purpose and hand of the lord , by intending and bringing these things about , without expectation by you , and contrary to the great strength of your enemies , who are suddenly of a great and high mountain , made a low valley ; and you of a low and trodden down valley , suddenly raised up into a great mountain ? and to what do you attribute this changing and overturning of power , and authority , and rulers , even them that have been as princes and potentates , to be rebels ; and them that have been accounted as rebels and traytors , to be rulers and governours ? i say , to what do you attribute these things , on their first cause , whether to the pollicy of some , or to accident , or to good fortune ( as some call it ? ) or whether you believe in your consciences , that the lord god by his secret power hath purposed and suffered the effecting and accomplishing of these things ? quer. . and if you believe that there is any thing of the hand and purpose of the lord , in doing , or suffering these trans actions ; then wherefore , and for what cause do you believe hath he done these things ? is it because you are more righteous in the sight of god than they who are cast out before you ; and because he loveth you , and hateth them ? or whether it is not because they have proved treacherous and deceitful , and not answered unto the lord what he required of them , but sought themselves , and forgot the lord , and took your estates and titles of honour upon them , and pretended a better government , and to govern better than that way of monarchical government , but did not , but were oppressors even as others before them ? and is not this the iust cause , wherefore the lord hath suffered these overturnings ? may not we justly ( that are neither of you ) attribute this to be the very cause , wherefore the lord hath brought them down , and raised up you over them ? whereas if they had repented of their sins , and been faithful to what the lord required of them , and to what themselves pretended to , and had indeed governed iustly and righteously , and freed the oppressed , and answered unto the lord in an equal government according to his law ; whether may it not be believed , that these things had never thus been brought to pass ? quer. . whether or no you believe that there is a god so mighty in power , and so wise in counsel and purpose , that can turn and overturn you and your power , and lay you low even as others , and raise up others who are now as low as you have been for divers years ? whether you believe there is a god , that by his power can effect such a thing , and accomplish it in his wisdom ? and whether do you not believe in your consciences , that he will do it , if you do not please him and fear his name , and forsake all wickedness ; and if you be oppressors and cruel-hearted as others have been , and do not rule in righteousness and equity ? and whether you believe not , that the lord doth watch over you , with his eye that sees you , and marks all your wayes ? whether do you consider , that the lord looks for good fruit from you , and that you should free the land from oppression ? which if you answer not the will of the lord in what he requires ; whether do not you believe , that he is so wise in counsel , and mighty in power , that he can and will , whether by means or without means , overturn and confound you and your government ? quer. . whether you believe in your consciences , and do acknowledge unto god , that there was any thing of his iustice in your late sufferings for these divers years ? or whether all of them , or no part of that suffering , which hath been upon you , were any whit iust as from the lord ? and whether there was not a great measure of iniquity filled up in monarchical government ; and a great measure of oppression upon the poor people of this nation by their lords and great men ? and whether this rebuke and reproof , that you have had in this measure of suffering , that hath been upon you , was not in some measure iust as from the lord ; that you might be humbled before him : though it is by me acknowledged , that your enemies ( these i mean ) who are now cast out before you , brought great guilt upon themselves , in executing wrath upon you , in that and because they proceeded further , and into more bitterness , and cruelty towards you , then they had either commission or authority from god ; but whether there was not a iustice as from the lord in that which partly befel you ? and was not his hand many times against you in battel , though number nor valour was not wanting on your part ? yet are not you sensible how by a secret hand you were often defeated , and victory given to your enemies ; though the less in number ? and were not these things in the iustice of the lord's hand ? whether do you not believe it , and acknowledge it ? quer. . whether or no you do intend any reformation from old oppressions ? or whether you intend to tread in the very steps and to walk in the very path in every particular of government , as it stood and was carried on in the beginning of charles the first his days ? and whether you ought not in the sight of god and before him , to consider how to relieve the oppressed , and break off all cruel bonds of injustice , and how a government may be set up , which may be answerable to the lord , and not unto your own and other corrupted mens ends ? but if you shall do so , whether do you answer the end , or deny the end , wherefore the lord hath thus dealt with you , in giving of you this day unexpected and contrary to all your enemies ? and whether do you not believe , that god hath set you between good and evil , between right and wrong , between doing of his will and the will of the devil , in the doing and fulfilling one or the other by you , whether doth not depend happiness and blessedness upon you , or the wo and the curse , your standing or your fall , your renown or your dishonour perpetually ? quer. . whether or on you do not believe in your consciences , that the prosperity , and continuance , and happiness of this your government to your selves , the king , and kingdoms ; or the unhappiness , overthrow , misery , and confusion of the government it self , the king and these nations doth not stand and wholly depend upon the government and authority , as it proceedeth in iustice , righteousness , and equity , or as it is , and proceedeth contrary , and is , injustice , oppression , and unrighteousness ? and if therein it stand , whether do you believe in your consciences that god shall bless it , and prosper it , or he shall destroy it and confound it ? for is not the hand of the lord stretched forth in mercy or in iudgment according as men walk in his fear , or without his fear ? and whether if your cause be iust in it self , yet if you walk in unrighteousness , and ungodliness and oppression , and cruelty ; whether may not you thereby destroy your cause , and lose it , and provoke the lord to anger against you , and your cause , to confound you and destroy you ? and whether you do seriously consider of this ? and is it not your duty so to do ? and ought you not to endeavour to stop this flood of wickedness that is broken out , which if it be not stopped , may provoke god against you , to overthrow your proceedings ? quer. . what is the very end of rule and government outward in this world ? and for what cause did god at the first ordain it ? whether upon this , or not , really consider ; was it not that evil-doers might be punished ; and them that did well might be praised ? and was not the outward law added because of transgression , and to punish transgressors ; but for the preserving the peaceable and meek who walked in the law of god ; and when the people had forgotten god , and his law in their hearts , and his power that executed judgment and mercy ; was it not then that the law outward was added , and committed into the hands of men to execute upon such as regarded not the law of god in their hearts ? and is not this the very end of rule and government and magistracy , at this very day ? whether ought it to be extended further than only over and concerning the affairs of the outward man , to keep that in good order , not to be a load , and burden , and vexation , and bondage upon a nation and people ; but to suppress that which would load , and burden , and oppress the creation and people , that all men may be preserved in their just right , and not vex and oppress one anothers persons and estates ? and if your government be not from this ground and this very end , shall it ever be blessed and happy , either to the governours or governed ? quer. . what do you believe of , and concerning liberty of conscience , in all matters appertaining to the kingdom of god ? whether ought not you to give the liberty in your government , that every man and all sorts of people may believe in god , and worship god according as he or they shall suppose , and be perswaded in his or their consciences ; provided still , that he and they annoy not , or oppress his or their neighbours person or estate ? for if he or they do that , then he and they go out of the true faith , and breaks the law of god ; and the outward law is to take hold of him and them : but whether it is not a just right , and may justly be allowed from you , to all the people of this nation , to live under what ministry , and under what worship , and to go to what assemblies , as they shall suppose , or be perswaded in their consciences is the best and rightest ? and whether or no it be not god's proper right alone to be ruler and lord over mens consciences , and that he alone should prescribe , instruct , and teach faith , worship , and duty in all things , in the matters of his own kingdom ? and whether god hath committed that power and authority , ever since the days of christ , to any emperor , king , or other ruler whatsoever , to be lord , and to exercise lord-ship in and over mens consciences in the matters appertaining to god's kingdom ? and whether it is not god's only and alone peculiar priviledge to be lord there ; and not any man to impose one upon another in spiritual matters ? and whether you your selves would be imposed upon in such case ? ( that is ) whether you would have such a church government and ministry , imposed upon you , upon such or such a penalty , which you know , or believe , or suppose is not right , nor according to god , nor suiting with your own consciences ? and then how can you with good conscience in the sight of god , impose upon others , whenas your selves would not be imposed upon in such a case ? quer. . whether or no , if that you cause any to suffer loss , or to be afflicted in person or estate , for and because of their conscience-sake ( that is ) because they are of such a faith , and of such a worship , and of such a principle in religious matters , though different from others and from you ; yet if they walk honestly , and soberly , and peaceably as men , and not plotting and contriving any mischief in the nation : i say , if you cause any such to suffer upon that account , while you can charge nothing against them , but matters of faith and iudgment , and opinion in spiritual things : again , i say , whether or no such suffering is not absolute persecution , ( and innocent on his or their part that so suffereth any injustice , cruelty , tyranny , and oppression ) on your part that do inflict ? and will not the lord require it of you , if you bring innocent blood , and cruel sufferings upon your selves ? and is not that innocent blood which is spilt , and unjust and cruel sufferings which are inflicted upon a man or a people , for his and their conscience , and religions-sake , when no matter of wrong or evil dealing amongst men , and in that relation , is or can be charged upon them ? and whether do you not believe , that god will avenge such a suffering , which is for conscience-sake , upon the heads of the cursers and inflictors of it in his day and season ? quer. . whether or no you have not so much reason and conscience in you , as will give you to discern , and cause you to put a difference between such , who have acted and been zealous against you , from corrupt principles of self-seeking , and have raised themselves into worldly honour , and great estates through your sufferings and losses , and have lorded it over you in ambition ; though now such may bow under you , and fawn upon you ? i say , whether will you not , or whether ought you not , to put a difference both in respect of guiltiness in your cause of suffering , and in respect of your dealing towards them in reward , and between such as have formerly acted against you , upon sober reasonable principles , and have not raised themselves to honour and great riches , not by your afflictions , but ceased to act against you , when they perceived the wickedness , and injustice , and evil proceedings of your enemies ? ( and many such there are ) and whether or no you have not so much reason and equity in your consciences , as to put a difference between such in your proceedings towards them ? quer. . what is the truest honour that can be given to the king , and his government ; and wherein , and in what kind of words , and actions , and practises doth true honour consist ? and whether or no you do believe in your consciences , that these kind of practises , as drinking healths and bonfires , and this exceeding lewdness , and wickedness brought forth in the nation , by way of rejoycing for the king , and his government , be true honour , and rightly honourable proceedings , and practises , to him and his government ? or whether these things and ways be not wofully dishonourable unto you and him , and this whole nation ; and the cause wherefore the wrath of god may justly come upon the whole nation it self , if these things be not speedily repented of , and forsaken ? and whether the life and practise , and subjection of an upright quaker ( so called ) whose principle is to obey all just commands , and patiently to suffer under all that which is unjust , and that lives in meekness , and fear , and soberness , and love towards all men ; whether or no such men , and such practises , are not more honourable , and blessed in the sight of god and men , than this kind of rudeness and wickedness , singing , and drunkenness , ringing , and swearing , and hanging ribbins and feathers about themselves , and their horses , and many other things which are said to be done in honour to the king and his government ? but whether there be not a principle in your consciences , which doth rather condemn your selves , than justifie you for these things , and rather justifies a sober life ; and is not that more blessed ? quer. . whether or no all that cry you up , and your government , do it really , and out of good conscience , and from principles of sincerity ? or whether they are turned to you in feignedness , and hypocrisie , and to save their heads and estates , which some of them have gotten , even such as have been your enemies , and preached , and prayed , and fought against you , and now cry you up , and pray for you ; but whether can you trust that these will be faithful to you , that thus deny their former ways , and religion , and worship ? and whether thus to deny their principles , their faith , their religion , their former oaths , and engagements , is commendable , and justifiable in the sight of god and you ? or whether a quaker ( so called ) that will stand to his principles , and not deny his faith , nor religion , though he suffer for it , nor will bow and bend in hypocrisie under every sort of men , is not more justifiable and condemnable in the sight of god and your consciences also ? i say , do not they condemn these hypocrites , that have fought against you , and prayed against you , and yet bow under you with deceitful hearts , in the time of their danger ? quer. . whether or no you do not believe , and know in your consciences , that the quakers ( so called ) are a sober innocent , and harmless people , and of an upright conversation ; dealing justly towards all , and such as do not envy the persons of any , nor plot and project mischief towards you or any ? and whether if you should proceed to persecute , and seek to destroy such a people , concerning whom you have such a witness in your consciences , iustifying them as aforesaid , would not be greatly unjust in the sight of god , and the very cause , to provoke god to destroy you , and your proceeding , if so be that you persecute them for their conscience-sake , while they live soberly and uprightly as men , and injureth no mans person or estate by their religion ? quer. . whether or no you do not believe or may not have just cause to believe , that your present proceedings are not , and may not prove to be the very natural cause of outward , visible , external judgements upon you and the nation , even iudgments of pestilence and famine ? and do not you proceed in the very path hereof ? is not your spending the creation in such excessive manner , in eating and drinking , and wasting the good creation after this manner as you do ; whether is not this a natural cause to bring want and poverty , and also oppressing your very bodies with excessiveness in drunkenness , inflaming your selves through excessiveness of wine and beer , and through the abounding of uncleanness , and through excesse ; and as well defiling , and oppressing your very persons , as wasting the creation by so doing ; whether this is not a very natural cause to bring and beget pestilence and famine ( besides your provoking the lord through this means ) as being works in themselves hateful and abominable in his sight , and for which cause he may justly bring wrath and judgements , even plague and famine , if there were no other cause for it ? and whether you ought not seriously to consider of this thing , and to turn from these transgressions , which are natural causes of great judgements , and also provokes the lord to hasten and inflict judgement : oh that the sober minded among you would lay this to heart . consider these queries in the spirit of soberness , for they are worth your regarding , and be not high-minded , nor wicked in your way , least the lord who hath all power in his hand meet you , and bring you down , and destroy your cause , which he can do if you provoke him . this was written in the middle of the d moneth called may , . e. b. to the friends of christ in london . dearly beloved , and much respected in the lord , who are of the election before the world began , in everlasting love do i often remember you , and your remembrance is pretious and pleasant to me , even because the lord hath chosen you , and called you into his marvellous light , and formed you a people for himself , to shew forth his praise ; and herein i do behold you very often ; for i have seen you as a few pleasant plants , in a great forest of fruitless trees ; and i have seen you as a speckled bird among the birds of the wilderness , and even as a choice virgin are you among harlots in that great city , even as a few righteous persons , whom the lords regardeth , amongst a multitude of thousands of ungodly men ; thus have i seen you , and thus doth the spirit bring you into my remembrance , with earnest desires to the lord god for you , that you may be preserved through all times and seasons , and over all this world , that you may be alwayes unto the lord as a pleasent garden , bringing forth fruits of acceptation unto him , wherein his soul may be delighted . now dear friends live in the seed of god , and walk in the faith which overcometh the world , and feel your election in christ jesus , and grow up into it daily , that you may have the seal of assurance , of mercy and peace , and favour with the lord god : and wait that you may receive the promise of the father , even of the same eternal life , the same spirit , the same power of the same heavenly vertue into your vessels , as was in christ jesus , in whom dwelt the fulness of all things , and in us the fulness is manifest by measure ; and this is the everlasting comforter , that will abide with you for ever , even the appearance of christ jesus in spirit ( god with us ) and the knowledge of him , as he was before abraham : and this life immortal born in us , and this knowledge revealed to us is everlasting , and remains for ever , and if ye be gathered up into this , to know him , and to be in him that was in the beginning , then are you builded upon the rock , and the gates of hell cannot prevail against you , neither can the flood of death break in upon you . and friends , walk in the love of the lord god , of which you have tasted in a good measure , and in the meek and peaceable spirit of the lamb be at peace , and in unity with him , and one with another , even as members of one spiritual body , that the head may be honoured through you , and that each member serve one another in love , and respect , not any exalted above what ought to be , nor striving for prehemenence above one another , but that each member may know his service , into which the lord hath called you ; for that is a blessed thing to dwell in love and unity , and to know , and to be known to one another in the lord ; and the contrary bringeth the curse , where strife and enmity lodgeth , that is excluded out of the body , and is of the kingdom of death , and not of the lamb , but is of the body of antichrist ; and not of his body who is exalted at god's right hand . and see that you walk in all wisdom , wait that you may be wise ; and that wisdom it self may be justified of you by walking therein , and then you will answer the divine principle of equity in your enemies , and you will cut off that which seeks ' occasion against you , and turn backward the slanderous tongue , and confound the destroyer which seeks occasion every moment ; oh how pretious is wisdom , it s a pearl , it s better then strength or riches , wisdom is the chief of the gifts of god , it comes from the fountain , and it leads answerable unto him who is the giver thereof ; oh wait for wisdom , that she may possess your hearts , that she may go in and out before you , and may be the beginning and end of all your works , and so shall your enemies have no occasion against you , but you shall be preserved in perfect peace ; for wisdom is a preserver of soul and body , even that wisdom that is from above , which is pure and peaceable , and leadeth into all the ways of peace , truth and righteousness ; and take heed that none be led aside into snares , and temptations of the wicked , and thereby make shipwrack of faith and a good conscience , and the whole work of god , and so lose your joy and peace in god , and come short of an immortal crown , to which you are begotten ; but be faithful to god in all things , and deny not your principle , nor the perswasion of god's spirit in your consciences in any thing , neither for the love nor terror of this world ; for that is honourable to be faithful to a heavenly principle , even whether in death or life , to be found walking answerable unto the will and mind of god , as you have received the knowledge thereof : but if any turn aside in the day of tryal ; the lord will have no pleasure in them , but his displeasure will be against them unto their destruction ; and such shall not be reckoned among the righteous , but they are blotted out of the book of life , even such who are hearers , and not doers of the will of god , whose hypocrisie the lord will judge in the justness of his judgments . and live in patience in all tribulations , and in a still and quiet spirit ; for the lord is there , his presence is enjoyed in a still and patient spirit ; and such receive of his mercies , even of his hidden manna : and heed not the tribulations that are in this world , but mind your peace that is in christ , that is everlasting , and be settled in your minds , and fully perswaded to follow the lamb wheresoever he goes , whether in death , or life ; and let nothing separate you from that love of god which you have received ; not powers of darkness , neither love nor terror of this world ; but keep in the dominion of god , that his spirit may be lifted up in you as the standard , even when floods of temptations and persecutions ariseth against you , which are but for a moment , and they will pass away , but truth and righteousness will remain , and cannot be shaked ; and the purpose of the lord is good unto us , and not evil , not to destroy us , nor suffer us to perish ; for we are his , and he hath chosen us , and he hath placed his name with us ; and for his name sake which we bear , he will do great things for us ; he will visit his heritage , and defend it with his mighty power : and therefore be in patience concerning all things whatsoever that cometh to pass . and the lord having brought us out of egypt , and often appeared unto us in great love and favour , and his eye is over us at this day , and he hath not thus far delivered us now , to destroy us , if we live and walk in the power of the lord god , and feel his life and vertue , and heavenly authority in our own hearts ; the lord will not suffer our enemies to prevail against us , so as utterly to extinguish us from off the earth , though some of us may be tryed far , if not to seal our testmony with blood ; but if so , it shall hasten the glory of the lord , and cause it to shine forth abundantly , and it will fill up the measure of iniquity , to the utter destruction of antichrist ; and for this cause our lives are not pretious unto us , nor do i desire further to give testimony by words , if the testimony of our blood be required ; for i know , though power may be given them over the outward man , yet we have a life which they cannot touch , and a peace and victory in the spiritual kingdom which no man can spoil us of ; and we are given up already , whether to glorifie god in the body , or out of the body , so he is glorified we have our reward ; for , what is our reward , but this , that we may see the name of the lord exalted , and but that our confidence is sure , and our faith and patience stedfast , that we shall behold the glory of the lord , and his kingdom , and the overthrow of sathan , and antichrist , the beast and the false prophet , our dayes would be sorrowful , and our life a death , and our labour and travels a vexation and a grief ? but our faith is confirmed by many witnesses , that the kingdoms of the world must become the kingdoms of christ , and mystery babylon must fall , in whom the soul of the righteous hath been slain ; and the purpose of the lord must certainly be effected , and no man upon the earth shall prevent it : and this is our faith , and therefore our travels , labours , and affliction are not grievous to us , even because the presence of the lord is with us . and as for me the salutation of my dearest love is to all the saints every-where , even with that love wherewith i am beloved of the father , do i love all them that are begotten of him ; but unto you more especially my love is abounding , amongst whom i am known in faithful labour of the gospel of christ , who never sought yours , but you ; and i hope you have the witness of me in your own hearts , even as i have of you , and that in the immortal life , i am known to you , where i desire only to be known of you ; and though i have been as weak amongst you , and in fear and trembling , yet the lord hath been strong and mighty in his spirit ; and though i have been as poor , and lowly before you , yet the lord hath filled me and you with his riches , and given victory and authority , even in your presence ; though many times i have laboured in tryals , and under great burdens amongst you , and in much , opposition by many potent enemies , that have appeared against the lord ; yet , the lord hath carried above all , and given dominion over them through his eternal spirit , and of these things you are witnesses . oh when i remember the dayes past , and how the pretious presence of the lord hath been with us , and amongst us , while i was with you , as i hope it is at this day , and will alwayes be continued : i say , the remembrance hereof , even of the goodness of the lord filleth my heart with holy praises , and the same i desire for you , that the love of the father , and his presence , which hath been , is , and shall be , may be alwayes fresh in your remembrance , that you may be comforted for evermore : and at this present , i know nothing but that the lord in his presence , and love , and life , is more large and precious then ever , and he hath opened his fountain , and we receive of his fulness more abundantly ; he hath made us strong , and we are rich in him even at this day to give our witness for his name , and against antichrist , and all the powers of darkness , in as much boldness , plainness , and faithfulness as ever ; yea , it is in our hearts to be as diligent and valiant in the work of the lord , and to publish his name , and to proclaim the destruction of antichrist's false church , false ministry , and worship , now more then ever . oh , how are our hearts filled with zeal to go on in this work , we have no fear of man upon us , not of him that can but kill the body , we are not afraid of the storms , and threats , and persecution of the ungodly ; for we fear the god of heaven , and him we reverence and worship in our hearts , and not mortal men , whose breath is in their nostrils , and who are as clay , and their substance soon desolved , and what shall these do against us ? they can effect nothing without the lord , who is our shepherd , that keeps us : and as for the work of the lord , we find it goes on , and is prosperous , and the flock of god every where is pleasant , and they grow in knowledge , in wisdom , in faith , and in patience , and the power and presence of the lord is with us , as ever , and truth keeps its authority ; and the lord hath blessed it with a good report , even to the confounding of our enemies , to perceive the constancy and boldness , and faithfulness of the people , whose destruction hath long been threatned , and waited for ; but we are yet alive , even in him who lives for ever : and we live , because he lives in us , and it is well with us , even because he is our saving health , and we can speak of his praise , because he speaks by us . meetings are very large and precious every where in these parts , because of the presence of the lord god , who is the fulness of all , and filleth all with his mercy , peace and blessings ; and that the same be continued unto you , even that you may be filled with the fulness of god , and ever comforted in him , is the desire of him , who is yours , as he is the lords . sommerset-shire th th moneth , . e. b. a testimony concerning the book of common-prayer , ( so called . ) being an answer to an objection , whether it be not in it self , and as practised in this nation , heretofore , and at this present , the true worship of the true and living god ? answ. . the book of common-prayer ( so called ) in its first institution and practise in this nation , did not but differ little from popery , and the men that were the authors of it , and that constituted it into that form and method as now it is , were of much zeal for their form , and some sincerity , and of more tenderness and good conscience towards god , in what they knew , then were they of the church of rome ; who cryed out against them as hereticks , and the like ; and they had so much light from god by his spirit , as that they saw the idolatry and corruption of the church of rome , and did dissent from her , and denyed her worships and practises in part , though they were because thereof persecuted ; and the lord stirred up their hearts to bear testimony against the abomination of that time , as it was in both church and state , ( so called ) and they sought after reformation , and did in some part reform this nation , and did deny the popish-mass , and the popes supremacy , and many idolatries , both in doctrine and discipline ; and instead of the way and manner of worship , as held forth by the church of rome , these reformers set up the common-prayer , to be performed as the worship of their church , supposing that to be more acceptable then the other , and no doubt but the first institution and practise thereof , was in much sincerity and zeal by many , and they were held under persecution , and suffered some of them even death ●or denying the church of rome , and her ways and worships ; even them who did first ordain and compose the common-prayer , ( so called ) though yet there was much error in their judgments , and darkness in their understandings , and a vail of great ignorance in many things upon them , even while it was brought forth , and these things effected , in the very beginning and proceedings of them . . and when it was formed , it being imposed on this nation by force and penalty , and set up by compelling all people into the practise of it , by violent laws upon the bodies and consciences of men ; this was great abomination in the sight of god , and made the practise of it detestable unto him ; for it is contrary to god , in the dispensation of the gospel , the way of forcing by compelling & constraint through outward laws any kind or form of worship , though in it self never so holy , and like unto the true worship ; yea , if the very things that the apostles practised for worship , were imposed on any people by force , when as the consciences of men were not first perswaded thereunto by the spirit of god , even this were abomination unto god , and not the true worship of him ; which is not of force , but of a willing mind , nor in the ignorance of mens minds , but in the light risen in their hearts ; so that because of imposing the practise of the common-prayer by force , it was hateful to god as so practised , and the performance of it , while it was so held forth in this nation , was no better then the idolatrous mass , nor no more acceptable to god. . and as for the matter in it self , partly , and divers practises thereunto pertaining , it is not the true worship of the true and living god , though never so zealously practised ; because it cannot be believed that the authors and composers of it , were moved , led , and guided , by the holy spirit of god , in their very institution and forming of it ; and whatsoever is brought forth , whether in faith , or any practise in any kind of profession and practises in any way of religion , and not onely by the spirit of god , is not the true worship of god , which is only in spirit and truth , and consists onely of such practises moved unto , and guided in by the spirit ; and the true worship of god is not otherwise , neither for matter nor manner , but in what things , and after what manner , as the spirit of god leadeth unto and guideth in , for the father seeketh such to worship him , as worship in spirit and truth . . as for the method and form of the matter , it is not according to the example of the holy scriptures , nor agreeing to the practise of worship , held forth by the apostles , but different from , and partly contrary to the spirit that was in the saints , and their example of worship , as in many circumstances , ( pertaining to the orders of common-prayer-book ) might be instanced ; but even some of the practises themselves , and the manner of performing them , are for the most part invention and tradition , traduced into the world long since the apostles days , and they are not according to the scriptures , nor example of the saints worship in the church of christ in their days ; and therefore the matter in it self partly , and the method of it , are not the true worship of the living god , which is not after the traditions of men , as the manner of performance of common prayer-book is , when as the worship of god is in and by the spirit of god , as before witnessed . . and as for the practice of it in this nation , as by imposition and force , upon pains & penalties , as it was practised for many years together , as so held forth , it was not the worship of god , but abomination to him , as i have shewed ; and that worship which is practised by any people , being forced upon them , is but hypocrisie and deceit , and outward conformity in such worshippers , and god requires it not of them ; and such was the worship in the common-prayer , ( so called ) for there were many who did bow , and conform thereunto , even because of the terror of men , even many in the ignorance of their consciences , and some against their consciences , and contrary to the light thereof ; and some were persecuted because they could not conform , all which was abomination in the sight of the lord ; even the consequence of the thing was as evil as any part of either matter or manner also ; even while many conceited themselves in their ignorance , that they had worshipped god , and done well , while they had onely performed such worship forced upon them , and which the lord never required at their hands ; and that cannot be the true worship of the true and living god which can be performed by a people , without the spirit of god , by which alone , and without it , god cannot be worshipped ; and the practise of worship after the order of common-prayer , did many thousands , ( if not most ) perform without the spirit of god ; whereby it fully appears , that in the practise of the book of common-prayer , the worshippers did not worship the true and living god , but walked only in a part of the form of godliness , but had not the power . . but as for the practise of it , as now in england , without imposition upon all by force and penalty , but by some , out of supposition that it is the best way of worship , and that willingly , and neither forced upon them , nor they forcing it upon others ; as thus practis'd is not so great idolatry , nor of so bad effects as if it were violently forced upon all ; but if any suppose it to be the best way of worship , and be so perswaded , such may more equally have their liberty in the exercise thereof , while they allow liberty to others to follow what worship as they are preswaded , and as it is unjust to impose by violence that , or any other form of worship upon people , so it is unjust to impose penalty or punishments on the bodies or estates of any for their conformity to the book of common-prayer , or any other kind of worship ; for as it is contrary to god to compel by force to that practise of worship , so it is unjust to stop by force from that way of worship , or to inflict penalties upon the persons or estates of any because thereof ; for though many exceptions may be justly made by sound arguments against that way of worship in matter , manner , and effects , as i have said , yet none ought to be afflicted in person or estate , for the error of their minds , while their error extends not to destroy the person and estate of another ; for all force by violence that hath been put on the bodies and estates of men , about church-worship , ministry and religion of any kind , hath been antichristian , and not of god , even for many generations . . and therefore them that read the book of common-prayer , and all other sort of worshippers , that are either perswaded by the spirit of god , or suppose in their hearts of the verity and truth of their way ; let them all have their liberty in their way of worship without force , or restraint by outward laws , while they impose not one upon another violently ; for the true worshippers ought not to be persecuted for their worship , but if they are , it will confirm them in the truth of their way ; & the false worshippers ought not to suffer affliction of persecution , nor loss of estate , though they do err in their minds and judgments about worship in spiritual things , but if they are afflicted , because thereof , it will harden them in their evil wayes , and not convert them , nor turn them from the evil of their wayes ; for men are converted to the right way , and out of that which is evil by the spirit of god , and through perswading of the conscience inwardly , and not by force or violence put upon their bodies or estates outwardly , never any were converted to god by such means . and this is my answer to the objection , and my judgment of the case inquired into : the book of common prayer ( so called ) partly the matter it self , and the method of it , and the manner of its performance is not the true worship of the true and living god , no not the free practise there of without imposition , much less the practise of it by imposition and force , for that is altogether abomination , and hath with it woful effects , upon whatsoever people it hath been , or shall hereafter be forced and violently imposed . this is given forth for the satisfaction of all that desires in this matter . the th . moneth , . e. b. a postscript . and some set up the institution of calvin , or form of prayer , as these have now the common-prayer ; and both the one and the other have cast off the popes form , and brought in their own ; get into a form of words , a for● of worship without either life or power . the papists in some things that they begin to do , will say , in the name of the father , of the son , and of the holy ghost ; and the protestants , or them who call themselves of the reformed church . that are come off from the papists ; some of them when they go about to do a thing will say , our help is in the name of the lord , which made heaven and earth . here both the one and the other have a form of words , but out of the name , the one as well as the other , out of the life , out of the power and authority of our lord iesus christ. therefore what they do , how can it be done in his name , which themselves are out of ? though they may be in the words , and do a thing in the words . but that is not a doing it in the name ; for to do things in so many words in their own time and will , that which themselves have brought in , is one thing ; but to do it in the name , power and authority of the lord iesus christ is another ; for words is not the name nor the power ; and the kingdom stands in the power , not in words . therefore all people see what you do , that it be done in the name of our lord jesus christ , the true light of the world , who lighteth every man that cometh into the world ; in his light , in his power , then that will bring you to cease from your own words , and following your own ways , doing it in his power , in his strength , out of your own words , your own ways , and your own wills , in his name . for what hath form or words either one or the other hitherto produced or brought forth without life or power ? hath your long profession and forms of the words , brought any of you yet into the possession of the things ? or will it ever do ? if not ; what serves it to ? who hath required it , to have it done ? and is it not his right alone who is to be worshipped , to direct himself how he will be worshipped ? or is not all other service and worship in the will ? and so will-worship , that is not of his own direction or appointment . and the scripture saith , john chapter . as you may read , god is a spirit , and he will be worshipped in the spirit and in the truth . ( mark that ) he who is a spirit , will be worshipped in the spirit and in the truth that which the devil abode not in ; for into a form of words , drunkards , swearers , lyars , prophane persons , unrighteous , which are shut out of the kingdom , may get into words , in such a worship , out of the spirit ; but that is not the worship which god requires ; and is it not equal that he alone direct how he will be worshipped , that is to be worshipped ? and thou art so to perform thy service towards him , that of him it may be accepted ; and so it is rightly done , when done as he hath appointed it , as he hath directed . and obedience is more than sacrifice , whom thou art to obey , if thou wilt do him service who is worshipped or served in the spirit and in the truth ; whose will then comes to be done , and not thine , who will be so worshipped , and so served : but otherwise is it not thine own will , and not his that is done ? therefore whosoever will come to worship the king , the lord of hosts , must come to worship him in his own way ; not in their ways , to bow down to his light , to bow down to the measure of his spirit in them ; for the manifestation of the spirit is given to every one to profit withal ; otherwise , will not people , teachers and professors be always in the profitless condition , ever learning , and never come to the knowledge of the truth ? e. b. to the beloved and chosen of god in the seed elected , particularly in london and elsewhere ; who have seen the day of christ , and received the message of peace and reconciliation , in these last dayes of his glorious appearance . the dear salutation of my life salutes you all , in the most pure and dearest love , with which i am beloved of the father , and with which also at this present my heart is filled , and issueth forth towards you , and the whole body of the elected ones ; and the remembrance of you in the lord is very precious unto me , as i see and behold , and have fellowship with you in the immortal life , which the father hath begotten in you , and in me , and in which my knowledge is of you , and my unity with you , and therein only is the remembrance of my dearest love unto you , and in which i hope i am also known and remembred of you , even in the spiritual relation and heirship of immortality , being fellow citizens of the heavenly ierusalem , and children of her conception and bringing forth . now my dearest friends , seeing you have believed in the light and life of men , even in him that was , and is , and is to come , and have also tasted of that all fulness that is in him , you have a witness in your selves , even of the spirit of the father , which is greater then all , and you need no other testimony , but that of the spirit , that the lord is good and full of grace , truth , mercy , peace , and joy , even the fountain and treasure of all vertue and blessedness in this present time and hereafter ; i say , if you have tasted and felt of immortal life , and if the fountain hath been opened in you , and you have seen his glory , and received of his treasure , then the evidence dwells in you of eternal blessedness , and no man needs to teach you of these things , nor to say unto you , know the lord , if you dwell in him and go no more forth ; yet bear with me a little , that i may speak and be refreshed , not to diminish from what testimony you have in you , but the rather to add towards it ; for my witness is not another , but the same which ye enjoy , which is faithful and true ; and this i say , oh how great , how mighty and powerful is the lord our god everlasting and infinite ; he is that eternal spirit that filleth all , the creator and beeing of all things that are , the life and vertue in all , and the invisible substance greater then all , he is in himself the imme●●rable and infinite fulness , the fountain of life , of mercy and righteousness and peace , and of all vertue , and of every good thing ; who can declare his beginning , or end ? he is without time , place or thing , yet gives beeing to all , and is present in all , yet not known , saving of himself , and by his own spirit , yet he effecteth all things , and worketh whatsoever he will ; who can utter his wonderous works ? who can number his mercies ? who can account his infiniteness ? who can behold his invisibility ? who can reach his endless beeing ? he filleth heaven and earth , and of his fulness every creature in heaven and earth receiveth , and by him doth subsist , though it is only given unto man-kinde , to behold , and perceive of him , it is only his gift unto his saints that fear him , to understand of his wayes ; and in us he hath opened of his fulness and treasure , even in our hearts ; and the divine mystery of this infinite god is revealed and discovered in the hearts of the sons of men , whom he hath chosen : and he hath given us , to enjoy and possess in us a measure of that fulness that is in himself , even a measure of the same love and ●ife , of the same mercy and power , and of the same divine nature , and a measure of the same heavenly quality and property , which is in him in all fulness , dwelleth in us his saints by measure , even in all that are born of him , in whom the immortal birth is brought forth , which is of his own nature , and is immortal , spiritual , holy , meek , merciful , even as the father ; for the quality of him that hath begotten is in us that are begotten of him , we bear his image , and are of the father , partakers of his substance , immortal and infinite , and are one with him in nature and fellowship , and perfect through him that dwells in us , and hath changed us into his likeness ; these things ye know , if ye be born from above , and if the immortal birth live in you , and you be constant in the faith , then are you heirs through it , of the everlasting inheritance of eternal life , and already have received the earnest , and assurance thereof and all are yours , because you are christ's , and he is god's , and you have the father and the son. and this life and immortality is brought forth in us , and infiniteness it self dwells with us , and eternity possesseth us , and fulness it self is shed abroad ●n our hearts , and we have the treasure of life , of wisdom , of knowledge , and of divine fulness in our tabernacles of clay , which also are sanctified by his word and power , to be fit habitations for the eternal god to dwell in ; and oh what love is this with which we are beloved by him ! oh what mercy is this of which we partake from him ! who are become the sons of god , and children of the most high , in whose earthen vessels dwells immortallity and life , and infinite substance , being gathered into his shepherds fold of defence , where we have immortal food , and are established on the holy mountain , where nothing can destroy , and are at rest and peace and under the shadow of the rock of ages , that hell nor death , nor wrath of man can terrifie : oh what eye hath seen this , what ear hath heard it , and what heart hath perceived it , and not admired the loving-kindness of the lord ? who among you are witnesses of this , that sayes not , great and infinite is the lord , and immeasurable in mercy , and truth , and righteousness ? oh , friends , if you know these things , and if ye receive daily of this fulness , and if the measure of that immortal life be risen in you , and hath raised up you with it self into its own fulness , which once was descended out of its own fulness of eternal rest , and strength , and was manifest in its measure , in poverty and weakness in your hearts , in the feeling of afflictions and wrath because of sin , but it descended to suffer all , and to bear transgression , that you might be raised with it into its life , and glory , and fulness ; and if this be finished and effected in you , oh then how shall you not live to his glory and praise in your generation , and in love , and peace , and unity with himsel , and one with another , and magnifie him in soul and spirit that hath called you , and chosen you , and now works all your works in you and for you , and you live by him because he lives in you . but though it is thus that some are entred into the rest , and have received of his fulness , and have the testimony of life and assurance in the father , and are risen with christ , yet are you and we , and all the children of the father , so set and placed in this creation , as that there is an enemy to be ruled over , and also a service to be fulfilled by us for the lord that hath chosen us , and therefore watchfulness and faithfulness is required from us ; and unto this i cannot but exhort you all , even to walk in the fear of the lord , in watchfulness and faithfulness , in humility and meekness , in truth and justice , and in every good thing , and that you fulfill the will of the lord in all things , whatsoever the motions of his own life draws you unto , that every member of his infinite body , which is highly exalted at his right hand , may be preserved in dominion over sin and death , and also may shew forth the honour , and glory , and praise of him who is the head ( even christ ) whose vertue hath an ointed every member , and is shed abroad through the whole body : i say friends , of every member is required the duty and service thereunto partaining , according as it is placed of him , that the treasure of life may shew forth its vertue in one manner or another through you all , in all well-doing , to the glory of him who is god above all ; and that in the sight of your enemies ( whom you know watches for evil , and would rejoyce in any occasion against you , that they might speak evil of the lord because of you ) you may walk without offence in the answer of a good conscience ; and if you walk as such as are the lord's , you will cut off all occasions from them that seek it , and they will be confounded , and you preserved in the blessedness and peace everlasting ; and you will grow in immortallity , and into the knowledge and fulness thereof , more and more , till you know the father , even as you are known of him . and be not unmindful of the word of the lord , which begat you , which first entred into your hearts , and wrought mightily in you , to the wounding and destroying of death and enmity ; and remember the travel of the dayes past , and the indignation which once you felt because of sin , through the word of god , and the word endures for ever , of which you are begotten ; and if any appearance of iniquity , or motion thereunto arise in you , into desire to be fulfilled , the word will quench it , and give you dominion over sin and death , and save you from the effects thereof ; for the word changes not , but is the same alwayes ; but if man change and pervert his way into iniquity , it reproves and corrects , and so delivers him ; for this word keeps clean the heart , and it sanctifies , and also keeps in subjection the mortal man with all his thoughts , desires and actions , and destroyes the man of sin , the sinful man , by whom the whole creation hath been corrupted , and perverted into evel , in its practise of degenerate man : and if you forget the word , then iniquity prevails again , and the love of this world , and its vanities , and the riches and pleasures of the mortal man steals away the heart , and they possess the habitation of god unrighteously , and all things are become sinful , and the body of death comes over the pure life , and peace with god in the conscience is lost , and that because the word of god is forgotten , which once begat unto god ; and where the unclean spirit enters again , the latter end of such is worse then the beginning , more finful against god , and more hated of him ; and therefore let none follow the way of such , for it leads to death and darkness , and misery will be the end of it . but friends , mind him and feel his power , who is the preserver of men in peace and righteousness ; and let not up that part in you into liberty , into which satan enters , and sows his seed of degeneration , but live in the cross of christ , and in the meek and lowly spirit , tha● you may not do your own wills , but the will of the father , and may fear him and his goodness , and that subjecteth the ground of temptations , that sin cannot prevail ; so shall your peace be everlasting , and your life as a river of pleasure , and joy and gladness shall be your daily portion , and the lord shall never forsake you , but be unto you a tower of strength , and habitation of peace , and a crown of victory and reward in this present time , and for ever . and if ye abide in christ the vine , into which you are planted by regeneration , then will your fruit be of the vine , and acceptable unto the father , who is the good husbandman , and through his vertue you will grow into perfection , as partaining to the conscience , where all guilt of sin is taken away , and the burden of iniquity and body of death clean removed away from you ; for that is perfection as partaining to the conscience , where sin and transgression is done away , and power received over it , both in motion , and action , and the guilt of it , and the conscience sprinkled with the immortal blood of the lamb , and no stain nor guilt remaining , but peace altogether by the holy spirit in the conscience ; and this is perfection which was not attained to by outward things in the first covenant , but is witnessed in the second , which the lord hath made with us , and confirmed unto us , where sin and iniquity is blotted out , and innocency and immortallity lives and raigns ; and such stand before the throne of god without fault before him , and no guile in their mouthes , and these sing the song of the lamb , and of the redeemed , where all sorrow is fled away ; if so be that the burden and guilt of all transgresion be removed , then there is no cause of sorrow ; and blessed are they that dwell here , and that are entred into the everlasting rest , even into god ; for he is the rest of the immortal soul , and the life of it ; and if ye know these things , ye have satisfaction and comfort , which none know but they that have it ; it s the portion of the redeemed , whose father , master , ruler , judge and king is the lord god and the lamb , and we are subjects of that kingdom , and free born of that city , the heavenly ierusalem , and we are made free through the price of immortal blood , and then how can any of you , that are such serve this world and the vanities of it , by any immoderate care , or desire , or exercise in earthly things ; for this is the bondage of egypt , but the children are free from it , and are not entangled concerning the things of this world , but they are subjected under , and the inheritance of a better portion is their crown and substance , and esau's portion is the earth , he that hath no assurance in god : wherefore live above this world in the seed of god , and be without immoderate care in every thing , as to earthly matters , not taking thought what shall come , or be to morrow , neither cumbring your selves about uncertain riches , but leave the issue of all things to the lord , in whose hands are blessings and the curse , to give , or take away , according to his pleasure : and be not servants unto , but rulers over all affections in earthly things ; for spiritual blessings are the crown , and the earth is the foot-stool of the lord's redeemed . and as for the dayes and seasons in which we now are , let none be troubled , as though it were not well , or could be better ; for all things are well that are come to pass , because the will of the lord hath effected them , either as the cause , or as the means , and it is good for us that these things are so ; for the prosperity of our kingdom is going on through all , the hammer is beating upon the rocks that will beat them to pieces , and the axe is hewing down the cedars , and the little stone prevails against the many-headed beast , and the image of idolatry is weakening , and the holy seed grows in strength and vertue , and the purpose of the lord can none prevent ; but the light of the son must be as the light of seven days amangst us , and the day-spring from on high hath already visited us , and we have seen of his glory ; wherefore let all the upright have patience and long-suffering , till the measure of iniquity in our adversaries be filled , which is hastening to be accomplished , and transgression grows full , and sinners grow ripe for vengeance ; and we must pass over their mountain of darkness , and in the mean time the lord hides us under his shadow , even 〈◊〉 transgression be finished , and covers us from the storm , and blinds the enemy , and turns his rage backward ; and we are not destroyed , but our life is renewed , and righteousness , mercy and love are a defence about us ; and how great is the kindness of the lord herein , mine eye hath seen it , and my heart meditateth thereon ; the power , and wisdom and love of the lord herein are very great , and who can find out the depth thereof , or declare his immeasurable power and wisdom . and thus the salutation of my life unto all the faithful is expressed , and i am well in him who is my fulness , and desire no more concerning you , then your faithfulness in the cause of god ; for without controversie the cause of god is with us , and on our part , and as you are faithful therein , that is my reward concerning you , and the addition to my joy ; and in the heavenly spirit of the lord god almighty are you committed unto him , who is able to keep you , even to the end , and in the end , to glorifie you in eternal life in rest and peace for ever ; and this is the portion of the faithful , and my desires on your behalf , and my salutation of you , hoping that you have not so learned christ as to deny him because of the love or terror of this world , but that over all you will be preserved in faith and victory . i am now according to the will of the father in ireland , it is some weeks since i arived at cork city in much peace and safety , with my dear companions ; it having been long upon my spirit to visit the seed of god in this nation , even of love have i felt it in me , and not of constraint , but of a willing mind , and free spirit , and not of force ; and after the time of patience and waiting for many dayes to see my way clear for it , the lord hath ordered it and brought it to pass acceptable unto me and many here ; and this is the time which this visitation must be effected , for till now my way was not clear ; and but that this journey hath laid upon me i should have rejoyced to have been present among you , either in testimony , by suffering , or otherwise ; but this is the will of god : and it is in my heart to pass through this nation , and to visit the seed of god by the love and word of the father , as he gives of his life and strength , and opens the way before me . i perceive in this land friends are generally well , and truth grows in victory and dominion , and the lord is adding to the numberless number of them that must stand on mount zion ; and through the rage of men , and above it all , the little flock is preserved in its beauty , and the seed sown in weakness and afflictions is received and quickned in much power , which is my joy . about bristol i continued about two moneths in much precious service for the lord , and truth had good authority over all , & great acceptation in the hearts of many , and some convinced , and others edified and confirmed , as many can witness in the spirit ; and until after the time of the f●ir i was not clear of that city , but imediately after i was free , and my way made very convenient and clear to this place ; and the hand of providence ordered all things very well on that behalf , as i do hope , in the continuance of the power and presence of the lord with me through this work ; and in his power i am committed , even to do or suffer all things for his name sake , and that by vertue of his own life that dwells in me ; and the lord preserve all the brethren like-minded , that the work of the lord may be fulfilled and finished by us . amen . county of cork the th of the th moneth , . e. b. a presentation of wholsome informations , unto the king of england , &c. being a defence pleaded , and also appealed unto him ; even to the testimony of the spirit of god in his own conscience . in answer to a certain accusation , charged before him , ( in a printed book , called , the thrice happy welcome of king charles the second , by one george willington , of bristol city ) against us , whom in derision , the accuser calls quakers . and also , herein are laid down divers considerations ( in answer to a petition directed to the king , by the same author , in the book aforesaid ) concerning church-government , and concerning the making and sending forth ministers ; and concerning the true prophets and true ministers , and the false ; and how they are distinguished , in their call , maintenance , and fractises : and that none ought to suffer death of body , or be killed or spoiled in person or estate , though they may err in their mindes , in the knowledge and judgment of spiritual things . all which is soberly presented to the king and his council , for them to consider . the epistle to the king , and his council . know ye , that it is righteousness , iustice , mercy , and truth , and the fear of the lord god ; it is the doing hereof , and the walking herein , in which you onely may be truly honourable : i say , if you do these things , if you fear the god of heaven , and depart from all iniquity ; and if you be doers of iustice and mercy , and if ye break the yoke of cruel oppressions , and let the oppressed go free , then are you worthy to be honoured , both in the sight of god and men : if so be that you are possessed with the nature ( i mean with righteousness , iustice , mercy and truth ) then you deserve the name , but not otherwise ; for if unrighteousness , injustice and falshood dwell with you , and be brought forth by you , then are you not honourable to god , neither can his servant in feignedness and flattery give the name unto you ; but and if i should give flattering titles unto you , i should provoke the lord to wrath against me , though yet i gained your favour ; but i have rather chosen to speak the truth from my heart in righteousness , and to be well-pleasing unto the god of heaven , then with flattering lips , and a deceitfull tongue , be a man-pleaser , while i grieve the spirit of the lord : and the chief desire of my heart is to keep my conscience clear in all things , though i should gain the displeasure of you , and the most eminent accounted of men . and if you shall say , who art thou ? i must answer , that i am a servant of the great god of heaven and earth ; him i fear , and before his presence i tremble : i fear not him that can but kill the body , i flatter not any by feigned words , for i regard not the love or hatred of this world ; i have not learned to practise a flattering tongue , nor can i use it towards you , or any upon the earth ; but words of truth and righteousness are my delight , and the dialect of my native countrey , and the characters thereof are not in the eloquency of words of mans wisdom , but to demonstrate by the spirit of the lord , in plainness and soberness , with more respect to please the lord then to please men . thus am i known among my familiars , and thus i desire only to be known unto you , not in words only , but in substance ; not in flattery , but in an upright heart . and this my present occasion thus to write unto you , is , even in as much as we have been accused , even to the king , by one george willington of the city of bristoll , in a book of his directed to the king ; even therefore is it , that i have taken in hand to answer and publish a defence against his charge , with some sober considerations , chiefly laid down and directed , even to the king , that he may consider them : and my hopes are , that he , and you of his council will read and consider the defence , as well as the charge , against us ; assuredly knowing , that it is good reason and equity for you so to do ; and may prove also of good consequence to you so to do ; for if the king should receive mis-informations , and thereupon proceed in iudgement ; oh what pits and snares of danger did he run himself into , even to destroy himself ! now to the intent that he and you may be better informed in some particulars concerning us , about which we are charged and accused , and that you might know the truth , and may escape the way of destruction and confusion ; therefore is it , that the lord hath put it into my heart thus to write unto you , and not for another end , nor of my self have i done it ; but as i found the drawings of that spirit of the father , which leadeth into all truth , to which i was made willing to be obedient , without respect to any thing , saving the lord , and that you might be advised in some things in present controversie , occasioned as aforesaid ; and there are a few things towards you upon my spirit , which well deserves your consideration , as followeth : first , that there is an eternal god , who is great and mighty , above all ; and ●e alone ought to be the fear of you , and all man-kind : for whatsoever he will , it cometh to pass , whether in heaven or earth ; he planteth and plucketh up , he buildeth and throweth down , he exalteth and abaseth , whether kingdoms , governments , or men , kings or princes , as he will , and what time soever , as he pleaseth ; he is onely wise in council , and mighty in power ; if he purpose , who shall prevent him ? he is the being of all things that are , and before him are all mankinde upon earth , even ye your selves , as dust and ashes , and vessel , of clay ; and your breath is in your nostrils , and he that gave it can s●●n take it away from you , and in a moment dissolve your seeming glorious substance into its first being . and this eternal god hath overturned and changed powers and authorities , rulers and governments in these nations of late years , even to the amazement of the inhabitants , who must confess , that the god of heaven hath pulled down and set up whom he would , and taken the government from , and given it unto whom soever he hath pleased ; and he hath given unto many a day and a time , to try them whether they would rule for him ; and he tried one sort of men after another , to prove them , if they would exercise righteousness and truth , iustice and mercy , and right iudgement in the land : but when the lord tryed them , they have all proved deceitful , and unfit men for the lord to exalt his name by ; but they have neglected iustice and true iudgment , and the cause of the fatherless and the widdow have they not regarded , as they ought to have done ; but great oppressions and persecutions have abounded in their dayes , and they have forgotten the lord and his iudgements , and sought themselves and not the lord , and been ambitious and self-ended ; and they have exalted themselves in their pride and covetousness : and this hath been the path of many that have sitten in the throne , even till the god of heaven hath been provoked against them to confound them , and overturn them , even when their measure of oppression and unrighteousness , of injustice and persecution was fulfilled ; and when the measure of one was finished the lord brought that down with shame , and another was set up to raign , till it had fulfilled its measure of that which went before it , that it might be brought down , even as the other : and all this the god of heaven hath effected by his power , that all the earth might take knowledge , that he can do whatsoever he will , and that he hateth and abhorreth injustice and oppression , cruelty and persecution , and that his vengeance and iudgements are extended forth against such rulers and governments ; by whom , and in which , persecution , cruelty and injustice are brought forth ; and because hereof , hath he overturned and confounded rulers and governments ; and these things have been visible in our eye . . consider , that you are now set in the throne , and are raised up out of your suffering condition , and you are become the rulers and potentates in our nation , divers having been cast out before you ; and unto you a day and time is given , to try you and prove you , what you will do , and whether you will rule and govern alone for the lord , and answer the end wherefore the lord hath restored you ; which if you do , and walk in the fear of the lord , and forsake your iniquities , and do iustice and righteousness in the earth ; then the lord make you happy , and a blessing in the kingdoms : but , if so be ye walk in the wayes of oppression ; and just iudgement , mercy and truth be wanted in the land through you , and you run on as others before you , in pride , ambition , vain-glory and covetousness , and have no respect to the god of heaven , and his heritage ; then the god of heaven shall reprove you , and deep confusion shall come upon you , and as with a whirle-wind shall you be overthrown , and you shall know that there is a god that can do whatsoever he will , even he shall deface your glory , and turn your sun into darkness , and your day shall become a night of misery . oh therefore say not in your hearts , that our mountain is strong , and we can never be moved ; neither think in your selves , that your force is great , and your number many , and none shall be able to prevail against us ; but rather consider that there is a secret and an eternal hand , that can remove your mountain , and overcome all your might and power , and subdue your number , and turn all your wisdom and policy into folly and madness : these can his hand do , even the god of heaven , who is greater then all ; if he smite , none can heal you ; and if he kill , none can make alive ; if he be●… your enemy to fight against you , there is none that can deliver you out of his 〈◊〉 : all flesh is as grass , that is soon cut down and withered , and the strength of 〈◊〉 sons of men , are as a reed , that is soon shaken and bruised . . consider , how that you are placed in your present state , between good and 〈◊〉 , between doing the will of god and the will of the devil ; that ye should do the one , and forsake the other ; and in the doing of the one or the other , dependeth the blessing or the curse , the love or the hatred of the almighty ; and you are in your day that is given you to prove you ; time is taken from others , and given to you , even by the lord that gives and takes time and power according to his own pleasure ; and no man hath assurance of time unto himself , but it cometh and goeth at the pleasure of the almighty ; and time ●nd power is now given unto you for a moment . consider what the god of heaven re●…ires of you in this your day ; and if you fulfill the will of the lord , then you may be happy ; but if otherwise , then other effects shall follow upon 〈◊〉 : and let not the king say in himself , that because i am the true 〈◊〉 , and to me onely it belongs to govern these kingdoms , and i may gover●● as i will without correction ; as though therefore he might rule according to his own pleasure , and the lord take no notice : i say , let not this enter into any of your hearts ; but let the king know assuredly , that these islands , and all the kingdoms in the world , are altogether at the lords disposure , to give the governm●●t thereof to whomsoever he will ; he giveth and taketh away power and dominion according to his pleasure ; and it is his proper right to rule over all , even the god of heaven ; and he it is that pulleth down and setteth up , according to his own mind ; and if you please not the lord , but vex him in your proceedings , you must know , that the lord can take from you the dominion , and give it to whom he will ; and there is no injustice in him thus to do , but of right he doth it , because it is his pleasure so to do , with whom there is no iniquity nor unrighteo●sness . therefore let it enter into your hearts , to fear the god of heaven ; assuredly knowing , that it is he alone who hath secretly purposed and effected this your re●●●●ing into the throne ; and he hath given you this day , and put this season into your hand , that ye should do his will : but if ye provoke him , he alone can cast you down , and take your day and season from you , and none can hinder ; and this justly , and none can reprove him . . as concerning the men that were cast out before you , whose persons , many of them , are now under your power ; be not passionate , nor of a spirit of revenge ●●●ards them , neither seek their destruction ; but be merciful , and patient , and meek towards them ; for though it is the pleasure of god to reprove them by you , for their iniquities , yet it is contrary to his minde , that you should take away their lives , and cause them to be put to death : for there is a seed of god amongst ●●at people ; and when they come to true repentance , and to the forsaking of their ●●quities , the lord will shew mercy to them , and peradventure heal them of all their backslidings and afflictions too . therefore shew mercy and moderation ●●●ards them , and cut them not off in their sins , lest that while you condemn them for being too cruel towards you in times past , ye condemn your selves in the sight of the lord , and all people , in doing that to them ( even in the same measure of cruelty ) for doing of which to you , you now condemn them ; and so thereby bring the same guilt upon your selves which lies upon them ; but therefore show moderation and meekness towards them , and leave vengeance to the lord , to whom it belongs ; if they be worthy of it , it shall come upon them . it is true , they have been active against you , and it 's probable they were raised up of god , as a judgement and reproof upon you , because of your iniquities , which were many and great against god ; and the god of heaven had a just cause against you , and improved them in it , as instruments to reprove you ; and they had once a just cause against oppressions , and the lord blessed them in it , and gave them many victories , and wrought great deliverances for them ; even when they were both fewer in number , weaker in strength , and less in policy and craft , even then oft-times did god appear for them , and gave them victories , and defeate● their enemies ; and you your selves must confess to this , that the providence of war was clearly on their side , which i call the hand of the lord ; and consider what a sad thing it would be on your part , and how contrary to god , to cause them now to suffer , when you have opportunity against them , for that which was effected by them , when the lord was with them : you ought not to cause them to suffer on that account ; but if you do , you will provoke the lord against you , if that you destroy them , and take away their lives , because they were once prosperous against you ; even through the hand of the lord , do i say , and through the providence and good fortune of war , needs must you acknowledge . now it s acknowledged , that they quite forsook the just cause , and forgat the lord and his mercies and deliverances , and became corrupted and abominable before him , and insulted over their enemies in the spirit of ambition , and began to set up the same things which once they had cried against in others ; and this was their transgression and abomination ; and in their corruption and forsaking the lord , they became fully guilty of the same abominations of others before them , and the lord became provok'd against them , to reprove them , and correct them , and afflict them , even because of their transgressions , who , as i have said , did forget the lord , and walked in the same path themselves , which they reproved others for ; and the same abominations were set up by them , which they once pulled down in others ; and this was their hypocrisie , in whom was found a deceitful heart , which led them aside into treachery , false-heartedness , covetousness and vain-glory ; and because of these their iniquities , hath the lord bowed them down under you , and smitten them before you , even because they were not faithful to the end , and not because they were faithful at all ; no , not because they were active against oppressions at all ; but because they became guilty of the same abominations , and set up that in themselves , which once they moved against in others ; and because hereof , hath the lord reproved them , and that justly , that they might learn his righteous iudgements , and be humbled under his hand , and that all the earth may know , if men forsake him ; he will give them up to the will of their enemies : though he may bless a man or a people , while they fear his name ; yet if they sin against him , he can turn blessings into a curse ; and now they that were once exalted , are abased and brought down ; and you that were once low , are now exalted : and if you become corrupted , and provoke the lord through wickedness in this day of your exaltation , and if they become humbled , and repent of their transgressions , through their afflictions in this day of their sufferings , then the god of heaven can and may suddenly by his secret hand , bring you down , and ●●y you low , and raise them up , and exalt them , and bow down your strength and might under others ; these things can the lord effect according to his pleasure ; he exalteth and abaseth whom he will , he setteth up and pulleth down , according as men reverence him , or regard him not : they that honour him , he honoureth ; but they that dishonour him by unrighteousness , he bringeth such to shame . o therefore , ye men , consider how dreadful the lord is , and take his counsel , lest ye perish . . concerning liberty of conscience in the faith and worship towards god , you ought to be considerate , and to take the counsel of god , lest you run upon the same rock , upon which many have been broken before you ( to 〈◊〉 ) limitting the spirit of the lord , and of such whose consciences have been tender , and binding them to or from , by force or violence , any such 〈◊〉 such way of worship , and profession of faith , and exercise in religion : if you do thus ; and will not allow clearly and freely liberty of conscience , but will by force and violence limit the spirit of the lord , and tender consciences ; this shall be a snare upon you , and a rock o● offence against you , to break you to pieces : for in so doing , the god of heaven will be displeased with you , as with others , if so be that you take upon you to prescribe the lord a way how he must be worshipped ; and will take upon you to rule and judge in the cases of conscience , and in the matters of christ's spiritual kingdom , which appertains to christ alone , to be iudge of , and ruler in , and not man ; and to him alone you ought to give the whole rule and government in all the matters of his own kingdom ; and that he may prescribe and teach worship , and faith , and duty to himself , in all spiritual things : and this i claim of you , on his behalf , even that you give unto him the whole rule and authority , in all the matters of his own kingdom ; and that you allow liberty of conscience in the exercise of faith and worship to all christian people in these nations ; and that no man be compelled or forced to or from , by outward violence , any kinde of profession of faith , or practises of worship ; for it is of antichrist so to do : if that you impose any s●rt of worship and religion contrary to mens consciences , upon penalties on mens persons or estates ; if you do thus , you exercise not the power of christ but of autichrist and it is ●●depriving of christ of his heirship , and of the government of his own kingdom , which will be reckoned against you as a fearful abomination , if you ●●lk therein . and therefore let men believe in christ , and worship him , according as they are perswaded in their own consciences ; for a tender conscience in the sight of god , is a thing greatly regarded of him ; and if you limit it , and do violence upon it , the lord will be provoked against you , and these nations will not bear it ; but it will beget fiery contentions in the mindes of men , if any religion and worship contrary to their consciences be imposed upon them ; and while some men are gratified , others will be displeased : and if you allow not free liberty of conscience in the exercise of spiritual things , the effect of it may prove sad and miserable to your selves and your government : and this shall you know in time to come , even the good effect of toleration in liberty of conscience , and of woful effect upon the contrary . therefore be wise and instructed , ye rulers of the earth , and kiss the son , lest ye perish out of the way of peace and happiness . now you have your day and time to be made happy , or to be left miserable , that your government may be blessed ; or otherwise , deprived of all blessedness . these things have i written to you , in love and honour towards you , that ye may know and be informed what the lord requireth of you , if so be you may escape the wrath that is to come : and love , nor wrath to you ; your prosperity , nor overthrow , is determined upon you , or prophesied unto you by me ; but as you walk in justice , truth , and righteousness ; or as you walk contrary , and bring forth oppression and persecution . bristol city , the th day of the sixth moneth , . edward burroughs . a presentation of wholsome informations , unto the king of england , &c. the servants of the lord , and his people , that feared his name , and trembled at his word , never wanted false accusers in any age , to repute them vile , and to reproach them by slanderous words ; and that even to the rulers of the world , and to the kings of the earth , have the chosen people of the lord been falsly accused and reproached by the slanderous tongues of ungodly men in all generations , as in many particulars might be proved out of the scriptures , by the example of things in the dayes of old ; for even in those dayes it came to pass , that the elect people were reproached and falsly reputed by the men of the world ; as in the case of the iews , in their building of the temple again , when they returned out of the captivity : how were the people of god at that day accused and reproached ? and that by the wise men of that kingdom , even unto the king ahasuerus , ezra . , . that good city of ierusalem , the habitation and dwelling of the iews ( and then , only named people of god ) was accused of being a bad rebellious city , and hurtful to kings , and that the people moved sedition therein , to the danger of the revenue of kings , &c. and neh. . . the people of god were scorned , and reproached , and called feeble iews , who builded the house of god ; and it was said in derision of them , that a fox should go up , and break down their wall. and also , how were the holy prophets and servants of god rejected , reproached and accused , even to the princes and rulers of the earth , in generations past , as daniel to the king ! how was he accused ? dan. . . and the three children were accused to the king , dan. . . and the apostles were reproached under the slander of being movers of sedition , and such-like , acts. . . being many times accused and haled before felix , agrippa , and divers others of the rulers of the heathen : and it was told the apostles , by christ , that all manner of evil should be spoken against them , for his name sake . and throughout the whole scriptures , there is very large testimony , how that in ages past , the servants and people of god were accused and falsly reproached before rulers and kings , by their enemies , that sought their destruction . the truth of this is so clear and full , that it needs no further testimony . and as it was in this case , in the days of old , so is it happened in this day ; who more now accused and falsly reproached , then the innocent people of god ? is not all evil spoken against them , and that even to rulers , and governers , and kings ? and this is done by their enemies , that seek to destroy them , even by such as would not have the work of the lord to prosper , and his people to be preserved ; and on this account , the cry is great against us every where , as if we were hereticks , blasphemers , seditious , and enemies to magistracy and government , to church and ministry , and such like . and these , with such like have been , and are the accusations against us , whereby we are reproached falsly before men : and this hath been our portion in this world , since we were a people , by the men of this generation ; and the very same is come to pass upon us in this case , as was upon the people of god in former generations ; and as it was done unto them , so it is done unto us ; and therefore we are in patience under all our afflictions and sufferings , whether we are persecuted by actions or words ; and for the name of christ , and his sake , we bear all things , having prophesie and example before us , of the same things that came to pass between the men of this world , and the people and saints of the most high. and for as much as one that subscribes himself george willington of bristol city , hath publickly appeared in print , even in the work aforesaid , with his accusations and reproaches against the people of god , whom he in scorn calls quakers , in his book called , the thrice welcome of king charles the second , &c. because of which his accusations , are the very present occasion of this my present work ; and that his accusations may be turned backward , and the minds of men , even of king charles , may be better informed ; for he hath accused us to the king , and being we are somewhat concerned in this matter , being thus reproached , and that to the king , who hath yet little knowledge of us and our principles ; therefore it is upon me to give reasonable answers to that part of his book , wherein we are concerned and accused , lest that the king , to his own hurt , should receive such accusations for truth , when as they are otherwise , and so be induced to proceed upon reports , if the charge should not be answered . and first , i shall affirm , and prove it in its season , that this same man ( whose accusations i am now going to answer ) hath proceeded in the same spirit of all the false accusers beforementioned , and he hath lifted up his voyce in contempt of the lord's people , and hath rendered an evil report of the lord's elect : and though we forgive our enemies , him , and such as he ; yet will the lord plead with , and give unto them according to their deeds ; and we only may reprove them , and leave vengeance to the lord our god , unto whom it belongs . now though we are , and have been thus proceeded against ever since we were a people , even falsly reproached , and all manner of evil spoken against us fo● the name of christ , by them whose hearts are filled with fury and rage against us ; yet we are known in our integrity unto the lord , who hath placed his n●me with us ; and we know one another in faithfulness , and truth , and righteousness , and i hope we have a witness in many consciences , even of our enemies , and also of many in bristol , that as to our doctrines , practises and conversations , they are according to the truth , and answerable to the scriptures , and justifiable even of the witness of god , in all sober-minded people , even of them that have not yet joyned themselves to us ; and we are known to that in many , even to the witness of god in their consciences ; to which in all , we daily commend our selves in doctrine , practise , and conversation , that thereby onely we may be known and approved : and we praise not our selves , neither do we boast of what we are , s●ving in the lord ; yet from time to time , we do , and can make our appeal in the sight of god , to the just principle of him in all men , and even to the king , before whom we now stand accused by this our enemy , do i make this desire , ( though yet we are in a great measure strangers to him , in doctrine , practises , and conversation ) that he may in all cases of this , and other matters , shew moderation , and the spirit of meekness , and may first try all things , and then he may judge the more justly ; for we are not afraid to be tryed before him , and all the world , in any matter of doctrine , or in any part of our religion ; and we should judge it greatly honourable in the king to hear our answers , as well as our enemies accusations ; and to the witness of god in him , we can appeal for determination in any matter that is , or may hereafter come in controversie before him , concerning us . and it is most certain , that the proceedings of george willington in this case of his accusing us to the king , is not in love to us , nor to the king and his government , but altogether contrary , as upon divers found reasons i might ●emonstrate , ( and may in its season ; ) and his present work against us , is from old in-bred enmity and malice against us , who would have us destroyed , if it were in his power ; for he hath formerly manifested himself in writing reproaches and slanders against us , which were sufficiently answered , and hereproved , and refuted to his great shame , among all sober people ; to which he never yet replied , as being too ignorant and too weak ever to clear himself from what is charged against him in the answer given to his former book ; but now , as i have said , out of , and from that bitter , old , long-seated enmity , and devouring malice , he hath again appeared in print against us , supposing himself to have so excellent opertunity more then ever before , to have his devouring mind satisfied of us ; and therefore hath he in haste presented the king with a welcome , partly of reproaches and accusations against the people of god , but his heart hath deceived him in this case ; for we shall live and not die ; god will preserve us , and no man shall destroy us . now it had been a welcome of love far more to the king , to have sought his mercy and meekness towards all , at his first enterance into the government ; and the rather to have stirred him up thereunto , then to seek to provoke him to rigour and wrath against any to destroy them ; as this welcome of willinton's tends unto ; which is not true love to the king , but rather a preparing a net for to entangle him , and to lay stumbling blocks of iniquity before the feet of the king , that he might be destroyed , and fall , and never rise . and let the king consider this , for if he be provoked by any means to d●stroy , or seek to overthrow the innocent people of god , that same shall be a net to entangle him to destruction , and a stumbling block to fall upon , and be everlastingly broken . so that hereby the welcome of geo. willington doth appear to be , not of love , but of ignorant hatred to the king ; and indeed , it is such , especially that part of it now under hand ) that it deserves reproof more then acceptation , even from the king , if he rightly consider the ground and end of the author in his accusations against us ; notwithstanding his seeming fawning and flatteries , by which he appears to be some pick-thank , or some news-teller , or rather tale-carrier , for some hope of promotion or reward : but i wish better to the king , then that he receive or accept of the false informations of this author , ( our accuser ) or of any such like , lest that he ensnare himself , and be taken , and stumble and fall , in receiving mis-informations instead of truth ; and thereupon proceed in judgement , or censure unjustly , which is a way to destroy himself : let him take heed to himself , i desire better for him , and that he may shut his ear against evil informations , and may never have his heart opened to the sheding of blood , or to persecute any for their conscience , and the exercise thereof towards god. and now i come to the accusation it self ; which is this in substance : that the quakers are enemies unto , and have sought to root out the true protestant religion : the words are these , calling upon the king to honour the lord ; which ( saith he ) is done by establishing and preserving the true protestant religion ; which of late years , hath been in great danger to be rooted out by anabaptists , quakers , and atheists , page . line , , . of his book . answ. in answer to this , divers things are considerable , as to the manner of his charge against us . that this accuser hath proceeded in the same manner , and by the same spirit as the iews , scribes and p●●●is●●s , and chief priest● proceeded against christ jesus ; for they numbred him with transgressors , as it is written , and crucified him between two thieves , that they might add to his afflictions , and bring him under the greater reproach to ages after : and thus this accu●●● hath done , in numbring the innocent people of god , called quakers , with , and among transgressors ; even that he may the more add to their reproach , and have his accusation heard before the king ; even that it might be received for truth , as if the quakers were no better then atheists , that deny god ; for , for this end this accuser , in these terms vilified us , and made us equal in this account to the atheists ; and thus numbered us with transgressors and sinners , and that unto the king ; and for this end , no doubt , that we might be destroyed and cut off , and crucified with such as deny the lord god. oh how unjustly and unmercifully hath this our accuser proceeded in thus dealing towards us , let the king and all people consider ! . as for such as are atheists , who deny there is a god , or who deny the true god that is , and who live after the desires of their own lusts , saying , let us eat and drink for to morrow we must die ; and there is no pleasure in the grave , nor state of happiness or misery after this life : such we do deny , and have no affinity , amity , union nor fellowship with them , nor they with us ; and this is well known through the whole nation , and fully believed in bristol , and i am perswaded , in the very conscience of this our accuser , he knows we are not such as deny god , nor have any fellowship with such ; therefore how hainous is this man's crime , both to god and men , who hath abused the whole nation with his slanders , and endeavoured to mis-use the king's ears with false informations , and hath perverted his own conscience in speaking contrary to it , and hath vexed the lord by his lyes ; and all in this his numbring of us in accusation with the atheists , as if we were one with them , and no better then they ? . as for the anabaptists ( so called ) the other party with whom we are accounted , and numbred in the accuser's charge : it is well known what difference there is between us and them , and how that we have been opposite one to the other in controversie about spiritual things ; and also in matters of judgement about government , and fighting with carnal weapons , &c. and they have dealt sometime with us , and proceeded towards us too hardly and maliciously , as some of themselves know , in accusing us to the powers of the nation , as this man hath done . but i shall at this time say no farther of them then this ; there may be a sincerity and uprightness amongst them , in many of them , more then is in this our accuser , though there is no small measure of error in judgement in them , as concerning many doctrines and practises held by them ; and it s not my work now to accuse them , neither to reward them evil for their evil ; but only on this occasion i am forced to clear the truth , for the better information of all : and i do wish well to them , and even that they may confess to the justness of god's judgment in what hath befallen them in this the day of their reproof ; who have been too ambitious , and hard-hearted towards others that have not been of their way and sect ; and now the lord deals justly with them , in bowing them under others , and in defacing their glory , which was of man , and not of god. but to the case in hand i return , and say , how unrighteous still doth appear the manner of this our adversary's charge ! for whatsoever the anabaptists , or any others may hold , or do ( though i at this time ) shall neither justifie , nor yet condemn all what they profess and practise ) cannot we be charged guilty of , except it first be lawfully proved that we hol● and practise the same things . and as for us who are scornfully called quakers , ( which title was given unto us of derision and nick-naming ) i cannot in this place say much of us , lest i should be said to justifie our selves , which i seek not to do , because it is the lord that justifies us ; neither do i love much to be heard in our own cause , when it is onely our own ; nor do i seek praise of men for us , nor of men to be ●…ed : yet this i may say on gods account , and in his cause , and not of our 〈◊〉 ; we are the people of the lord , whom he hath called , and chosen , and 〈◊〉 ; and though hated of men , yet it is for the lords sake , and not for any 〈◊〉 amongst men that can be cha●ged upon us : and we are worshippers of 〈◊〉 ●●ue god in spirit and in truth ; and we are of god ; and they that are of 〈◊〉 , are not against us , but with us : and as for any doctrine or practise in 〈◊〉 religion , held forth by us , they are according to the scriptures of truth . 〈◊〉 i assert , and can prove , if need require , in opposition to any that shall ●●●y it : for we are not of a new religion , as if we worshipped strange godds , though by the ignorance of men we are so reputed ; but are of the same spirit , 〈◊〉 in the same way of truth ; and we walk in the same light and life even as t●● apostles and churches of jesus christ were of , and walked in , in the days 〈◊〉 old ; and this i am ready to make proof of , if so it come to pass , even be●●●● the king , and the whole nation ; and do further declare . that whatsoe●●● church-government , ministry , doctrine and ordinances , faith and ●●●ship , and whatsoever religion in whomsoever , that is not according to the scriptures of the old and new testament , but differing from ▪ and co●●rary to , that spirit of god that gave forth the scriptures ; i do for my self , and on the behalf of all them that are one with me utterly renounce and ●●y , and freely give witness against , notwithstanding upon whatsoever foundation , such church-government , ministry , doctrine , faith and worship be builded ; if not upon jesus christ as the alone foundation , and according to the scriptures , and proveable thereby , they are antichristian , and the lord will confound them . the truth of these things being proved , and rightly considered by the king , 〈◊〉 all others , no just occasion will be found for this our adversaries charge , nor 〈◊〉 place can rightly be found in the heart of the king for the reception of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tion , but may upon just tryal condemn both accuser and accusati●● i mean , not destroy the man , but reprove the accuser and his lyes ●…er . and now i shall proceed to the accusation it self , and shall lay open the folly 〈◊〉 ●●norance of the matter of his accusation , as well as i have done the wicked●●●● 〈◊〉 the manner of it . 〈◊〉 the true protestant religion hath been in danger to be rooted out by the quakers , 〈◊〉 this is the charge it self . ●●sw . if by true protestant religion , the accuser mean true christan reli●●●● then i deny his accusation utterly ; and do charge him to be a slander●… lyer , and false accuser : and must desire of the king , that such a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taken notice of , who hath abused and dishonoured him , and that very 〈◊〉 in presenting him with lyes and falshoods for welcomes , which is in●… les● then disgrace to both the person and office of a king. what a 〈◊〉 ●●tending so much to love and loyalty , and so much rejoycing on his be●●●●●nd as if he were one of his choice subjects , and gave such reverence and 〈◊〉 to him , and attempted so high , as to be the kings informer and instructer , 〈◊〉 to be found a presenter of falshoods and slanders against as good sub●… 〈◊〉 the nation as himself ? o how abominable is this both to god and the 〈◊〉 and the whole kingdom , that these things should be , much more that 〈◊〉 should pass unreproved ! for we are of the true christian religion , as be●… 〈◊〉 have said , even in the same way , and of the same spirit as were the holy 〈◊〉 and for that religion we stand , to do and suffer all things for that cause , 〈◊〉 for the true christian religions sake . but if this our accuser by protestant religion , mean the sects of luthe●…●r ●r of the sect of calvinists ( so called ) or whomsoever else , which , i do 〈◊〉 heartily that i had the full intent of his mind , of whom he means by the true protestants ; for his words admit of divers acceptations , and so a sound answer can hardly be given , while i do answer onely what i suppose to be his meaning by true protestant religion : for there are divers sorts of protestants ; lutherans , calvinists , and many others , which are all protestants , and have protested against the pope , each one sort of them saying , they are the true christians , and true protestants ; yet are very much divided among themselves , even to the killing and persecuting one of another : so that , which sort this man means , and who of them are of the true protestant religion which we would root out , &c. this is doubtful : i would i knew his meaning , that i might give him a true answer and sound ; for we may deny and oppose protestant religion , or some part of it ; that is , some sects , or divers sorts that have protested against the church of rome , and yet be no transgressors in the sight of god , not many men : for divers of the protestants themselves are denying others of the protestants , and their religion ; and it is my belief in this case , that some have deserted the pope and the papists religion upon bad grounds , and have taken up a religion as bad and no better then popery : not that i justifie pop●ry in all things , but have a large witness to give against it and men ought to protest against it ; yet i say , some called protestants in their religion , are as corrupt as any of the church of rome : so on some account , i may as lawfully deny protestant religion , ( or some sort of them that do profess it , as the church of rome ; for it is as corrupted ; ( some part of it ) and no more acceptable to god , in the profession and practise of it . this is spoken in general of it , because his accusation is general . now if i had his full intent , whether he means lutherans or calvinists , or what others , if not them , that are of the true protestant religion that we would root out , then i should insist upon that particular sort , and give my exception against them ; for i have many things to object , at least , and some things wholly to except against in the protestant religion , or some sort of it ; not that i condemn or judge every individual man of the protestant religion : for i believe there are many that are sincere and zealous towards god , though with some error in judgement ; yet as to the form of worship , and constitution of church and ministry , and ordinances in the protestant religion , it is much , if not wholly differing and contrary to the church , ministry , worship and ordinances of the apostles and true christians in their dayes : and more then this i now may not say ; a more full answer i cannot give to this charge , except , that , i did know what sort of protestant he intended ; which if i did , i should utter my mind more large as to the matter , according as the spirit of god gave me utterance . and now that i have spoken of the manner and also of the matter of his charge , i shall hint partly of the end and purpose of his thus accusing as to the king : his end , intent and purpose of his thus charging us , must needs be , and it will appear to be out of malice , wrath and enmity , for to incense and move the heart of the king against us , to destroy us , as i have before mentioned : and in answer to this , some things most especially are considerable to the king and all his friends . . if he should upon the report of this man , or any others , let his heart be moved into rigour and enmity against us , and thereby seek , intend , or work evil against us , to destroy us , he did but fill the land with violence , cruelty and persecution , and innocent blood , and fill his government with oppression and tyranny , and provoke the god of heaven against him to destroy him , and overthrow his kingdom , and power , and government : and this would doubtless be the effect of receiving such a mans counsel , and of his so proceeding , if that he seek to pluck up what the lord hath planted : and if he dip hi● hand in innocent suffering of god's people unjustly , and if he reach forth his hand to touch god's anointed , and hurt the peaceable in his land , th●● shall the lord take him from his authority , and give his dominion to another more worthy then he : and this is for him to consider in the coolness of his 〈◊〉 . . ●f he did proceed to do any thing against us , or be moved in his heart ●…unto , barely upon the report of this , or such other men , without hearing face to face , and lawful tryal in the matter , and hearing our answer and ●●fence , as well as our enemies charge against us ; then all the nations of the world might condemn him ; and every sober subject would cry in their consciences against him , for unjust judgement , and cruel proceedings ; if he , up●● report of others , through prejudice should act against any people ; and the heathen king agrippa would rise up in judgement against him , who would not ●●●demn paul from the accusation of others , without first hearing the accused ●imself : and a christian king ought to shew as much mercy , justice and reason in what he doth , as the heathen kings have done in the like case . and let the king consider this . . let him also consider what enmity , and malice , and rage , is in the hearts of these men , these priests i mean , of whose fraternity and alliance this our accuser is one , and how they seek after innocent blood , who are thus ready and ●●●●ard at his first enterance into the land , to present the king with accusations of falshood and reproaches against an innocent people , to move his heart , if possible , to destroy and devour the harmless : the spirit and nature of these men are to be considered , whose works are often tending to shed blood ; but if he shall be guided and counselled by such , they will lead him into the ditch : for they are of the spirit of envy and mischief , and mischief rests with them , even against all who will not bow under their authority , and submit unto their false wor●●ips . and let the king beware of that generation of men , lest they be a snare ●pon him , and wound him . and i shall now proceed to some other things in his book , to that where he ●aith , he doth upon his bended knees most bumbly beseech the king , and the honourable parliament , that they will , first , cut off false prophets , hereticks , and perverse and incorrigible seducers and ●●●●phemers ; for these are the p●st ( saith he ) of both church and state , 〈◊〉 . answ. i answer to this : many things are considerable to the king and parli●ent , and whole kingdom . . it is to be considered who these false prophets , hereticks , seducers and ●●●●phemers are , which the petitioner would have cut off , and destroyed : ●●●m his meaning is of , is doubtful ; for that there are false prophets , he●… , seducers and blasphemers in these nations , and that very many ; ●●is is not doubtful , but certainly believed and known : but what sort of men , 〈◊〉 perfectly who these are , distinguished from all others , this requireth 〈◊〉 debate , and large tryal ; especially seeing that each sect and sort of ●●ople cries against others , as if they were such and such ; and this is usual with ●●●●sts , protestants , and others , to cry for their own liberty and toleration , a such who are in the right way ; and each one sort almost desiring and petiti●●●●● the powers of the earth against others that are not of their way , to de●… and cut off such as differ from them , as hereticks and deceivers : but such ●●●●it that seeks to destroy menslives on that account , is of antichrist , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 god. . and if false prophets , hereticks , seducers , and blasphemers , were cer●… known , and distinguished from others that are not so ; yet the king 〈◊〉 ●●●liament ought not to destroy such , and to cut them off from the earth , 〈◊〉 ●…lling of them , or executing outward punishments and afflictions upon 〈◊〉 ; for god hath not committed such power and authority to them ; nei●●er to be judges infallibly , who are false prophets , hereticks and blasphe●●●● ; ●or yet to execute death and outward sufferings upon such as are : for these are spiritual matters and causes , to try and judge who deceivers are , and to proceed towards hereticks and blasphemers ; and these cases belong to the jurisdiction of christs spiritual kingdom , and not to any earthly king● and rulers at this day . . and if king and parliament were able to judge of false prophets and ●lasphemers , and who they are that are such , from others that are not ; yet how contrary to the way of god would it be , even to the example of christ and his apostles , to destroy and cut off by death the lives of such false prophets and blasphemers ? for if men be in an evil way , even in the way of heresie , and error , and blasphemy , and be deceived , and deceivers of others , yet it is not a time to destroy and kill such , like as if such should be sent straight to hell , being cut off in their wickedness and in their error . this is not god's way , i say ; for he desires not the death of sinners , not to cut men off in their errors and evil wayes ; but it s rather the time to instruct and exhort such , and to correct and reprove them by sound doctrine , and to win them to the truth , and out , of their errors , that they may be saved ; and this christ and his apostles gave example for ; for there were many in their dayes that were false prophets , and hereticks , seducers and blasphemers , and that were perverse and incorrigible , that did blaspheme against christ , and called him devil , and that did oppose the gospel , and scorned the apostles ; and such were blasphemers and hereticks : but did christ and his apostles at all desire that such might be killed , and cut off by death ? nay : they forgave their enemies , and did instruct them by sound doctrine , and sought , to win their persecutors , and not to have them killed , as this petitioner would , whose spirit is manifest to be of antichrist , and the dragon , and not of the lamb : and if the request were granted , and the lives of such as this petitioner calls false prophets cut off , then the king and parliament would rather provoke the lord against themselves to destroy them , then to give unto themselves blessings and peace . . but they being ignorant who the deceivers and blasphemers are , and not being equal and just judges in that case , but also divided among themselves about it ; and it being not committed of god to them , to destroy by death of body such as may err in their minds , by killing such whom they may suppose false prophets ; and they wanting infallible judgement to know who are false prophets ; how soon may they destroy and cut off the lives of true prophets , and christ's ministers , and men that fear god , instead of false prophets and blasphemers , even for want of true judgement and discerning , and because of their own division in judgement in that case ? for i●s possible that some of the parliament may judge such to be deceivers , whom others of them may judge to be true ministers ; and whose judgement then shall stand ? and also , thus it hath often come to pass in the world , the true prophets , and christ himself , and the holy apostles and ministers of christ , were accounted deceivers , hereticks and blasphemers , and such like , by th● kings and rulers of the world in former generations ; and th● true prophets , christ and his apostles , were persecuted as such , and destroyed as such , some of them , even by the kings and rulers of this world , till they 〈◊〉 provoked god against them , to destroy them ; and some of them he did bring wrath upon , because thereof . and how easie a thing it is for the present king and parliament to walk in the same way , even to account the true ministers 〈◊〉 jesus christ and his people , through want of infallible knowledge , hereticks , and deceivers , and blasphemers , and to destroy them on that account , while deceivers may be accounted true ministers by them , even till gods displea●●●● breaks forth against them , to confound them ? and this is worthy to be consi●●●ed by them , against the evil counsel of wicked men , who would lay snar●● 〈◊〉 their feet , and cast stumbling-blocks before them , that they may be taken and f●●● , to their overthrow . . it is of the devil , the dragon , and antichrist , all this killing and per●●●●ting of one sect by ●nother about religion , since th● apostles days : the ●…ts and witnesses have been slain , and all that would not worship the beast ●…e been killed by the dragon , the devil and false power , as may be read in the ●velations ; and never any of the true churches of christ , nor any mem●er thereof , at any time , in , or since the dayes of christ and his apostles , did ever kill , or cut off by death , nor sought so to do , any false prophet , heretick or blasphemers ; the true christians never proceeded in that way , but forgave enemies , and did win their opposers by sound doctrine and conversation , or gave them up to satan , and separated from them , but nev●r killed them ; but it was the antichrist , the wolves in sheep's cloathing that killed about worship , even all that would not worship : the saints and martyrs , their blood was shed by the beast , because they would not worship ; and it was the whore that hath drunk all this blood of prophets and ●ust men , and not the true church , who wars with spiritual weapons , and ●ills enmity , and powers of darkness ; but kills not persons , nor wars with ●arnal weapons . . and if they should proceed to kill , and cut off by death such as are hereticks and deceivers , who err in their minds , how unjust would that be , to destroy the lives of men for the error of their minds and judgements in spiritual things ? and this the king and parliament ought not to do ; though false prophets , hereticks and blasphemers must not escape unpunished , but ought to be proceeded against ; yet not in and by the way of killing and destroying mens lives ; for that is a punishment not answerable to the offence , and every offence ought to have a punishment just , equal and answerable to the crime : and to punish the body by death for the error of the mind in spiritual things , this is not equal , nor according to the spirit of the gospel ; but if any shall be destroyed , in their persons or estates by cruelty , for , or because they are in error of mind and judgement in matters spiritual , or may be supposed so to be , it is no less then robbery and murder in the sight of god : and let the king consider this , and keep his hands from shedding of blood on that account , lest he provoke the lord against him . and now i come to the second branch of the petition , where the petitioner doth request in these words : ( saith he ) i most humbly beg your grace , that the ●oly sabbath of the lord , the christian sabbath , may by your majesties strict command , be more religiously kept and observed then heretofore , &c. answ. i answer to this : it is well worthy to be considered by the king. . that god did indeed command the people of the iews to keep and observe the seventh day of the week for a sabbath ; and that they should not do any manner of work therein , they , their servants nor their cattle ; but that day ●●ould be kept holy unto the lord by them ; and to this the prophets and servants of god in the time of the first covenant , did instruct and exhort , upon the penalty of god's displeasure against that people of the iews , if they neglected to keep the seventh day of the week sabbath ; and upon many the lord did execute judgement because thereof , onely upon the people of the i●ws ; for to them onely was commanded the observing the seventh day of the week as a sabbath , as a sign between god and them . . that god never commanded the keeping of the seventh day of the week 〈◊〉 a sabbath to the gentiles , nor to any nation or people , saving onely the p●ople of the iews , of which people we are not ( this nation i mean ) according to the flesh , after the generation of men : we are not of the iews 〈◊〉 of the gentiles ; and therefore the seventh day of the week was never commanded of god to this nation to keep as a sabbath ; neither can we be con●●mned or judged of the lord , though we keep it not , because it was never commanded of god unto us , nor to any of the gentil●s , nor to any but to the people of the iews , as i have said ; and it was but a sign to them ; and christ fulfilled all shaddows , and was the end of the law , and the finishing of the sabbath dayes , and in him that type was ended . . that the observing of the first day of the week for a sabbath ; which hath been done in this nation for many ages , is onely by tradition , and not from any command of god , nor binding example of the apostles , that we read of : it is not of commandment from god or christ jesus . the first day of the week hath been observed as a christian sabbath but from tradition , and original ordination of the church of rome , as themselv●s do confess ; and the protestants have taken it up from them , though it is acknowledged that the scripture saith , the saints and churches of christians in the apostles dayes did meet together on the first day of the week ; for they that witnessed christ come , did deny temple-worship , and first priesthood , and circumcision , and synagogues , and sabbath-dayes , which were a shaddow , col. . , . and it s said . they came together on the first day of the week ; but that this practise of theirs is a command to us at this day , or binding example to any christians , that all must keep the first day of the week as a sabbath by force , and upon such or such pains , forfeitures and penalties ; this i have not learned , neither from god , nor out of the scriptures ; but it is doubtful to many , even whether the god of heaven requireth it now of christians and believers , the keeping of any one day of the week as a sabbath of rest from all labour , and to observe that day for worship ; and to others it is doubtful , if a day the lord requireth , then which day , whether seventh day , or first day of the week , ? and concerning these cases , there is present controversie in the minds of many men . . that to force and compel upon any nation by violent laws and edicts , the observing any one day as sabbath upon such and such penalties , and that onely upon the ground of tradition and long custom , while the scriptures in that case are silent , and fully determines not ; this is not acceptable unto god , nor of any reward by him , either to him or them that forces and compels the keeping of a day ; nor in that nation , or from that people that so keep it by the custom of time , or the commands of men , when as their consciences are not perswaded by the spirit of god in that case , by which way the god of heaven is onely rightly worshipped ; and the forcing of observing dayes and things either against pure conscience , or in the ignorance thereof , is but abomination and idolatry , both in the imposers , and in the imposed ; and with such sacrifices god is not well pleased . and this is for the king to consider , whose greatest wisdom it will be , and most pleasing to god in him , neither to compel and impose by rigour the keeping of a day , or observing of practises as partaining to the wor●●●p of god and religion ; nor yet to punish or persecute any for the keeping any day , or for observing such or such a practise in religion ; but let every man do in such cases , even in matters of faith and worship towards god , and about religion , as they are perswaded in their own hearts and consciences , without either imposing upon them , or persecuting of them in any thing about religion : and let him onely rule and govern in the cases between man and , man and over men in the exercise of earthly things ; but between god and mens consciences , let him take heed how he meddles ; for there he ought not to rule nor judge , but to leave that to the lord god , who alone is sufficient in such things to perswade the conscience , and to judge and rule by his spirit in all the matters of his own kingdom , and about religion , ●nd the observances thereof ; and this trust and power is onely in himself , to effect all this by his own spirit , and is not committed to any earthly king. and how i come to the first branch of his petition ; which is in these words : ( saith he ) i most humbly beg , that your grace will uphold , cherish and f●ster a learned and pious ministry in your kingdoms , who are accounted vile , and laden with reproaches , and such ministers ( saith he ) whose loyal constancy and integrity doth bespeak them to be ; not time-serving polititions to g●●tifie mans humours , and serve their own interest ; but lux mundi , sal terrae , &c. answ. in answer to this , let the king wisely and soberly consider , . that god hath a faithful , pious and spiritual , learned and true ministry , sent forth by jesus christ to convert people to god from sin and wickedness , who are indeed god's ambassadors and watch-men for souls , and are lux mundi , sal terrae ; the light of the world , the salt of the earth : this is most certain , and not denyed nor doubted of ; but who it is , and whom the persons are , of and amongst all the many kinds of ministers and sects that are now in being in the nation , this is very doubtful to many , its possible to the king himself , seeing here are in this nation divers sorts of ministers ; as prelates and presbyterians ( so called ) and divers other sorts ; all of whom saying , they are the true ministers , and they are the pious learned ministry and that others are deceivers that differ from them , and this is the cry of them all ; each sort justifying themselves , and crying up their ministry against others and their ministry , and this all of them do with pretence of proving their ministry by the scriptures : but the case remains still doubtful to many , who is it , and who is it not , that are the true ministers , and have the true ministry sent of christ jesus , seeing one sort as well as another do seem to justifie themselves according to the scriptures , and yet are divided , and incontention among themselves , to be killing and destroying , and persecuting one of another , and each sort of others . . if the king without certain knowledge by the infallible spirit of god , who the true ministers of christ are , and who they are not , distinguished from all others by infallible evidence ; if he do establish and uphold any one sort as the true ministers , and pull down and persecute others as false ministers , and be but doubtful in his own conscience who are the true ministers , and who are the false ; how great danger doth he run himself into , even to justifie the wicked , and condemn the righteous , and possibly may establish and uphold a false ministry instead of the true , and persecute and destroy the true ministry instead of the false ? and this may he soon effect , for want of discerning and right judgement in the case ; and in so doing vex and displease the lord god , and gain his wrath and fury upon him and his government . therefore it will be great wisdom for him to wait upon the lord , for to receive his spirit , that he may first discern and try between true and false ministers and ministry ; and in the mean time allow liberty to all alike in their religion , while they walk justly and soberly as men , and are not hurtful to the persons , or just estates of others by their religion . . if liberty be given to one sect , and one kind of ministry , in opposition to others , and all other prohibited and persecuted ; how would this ●●rage and vex the spirits of many in the nation against him and his government ? and while he gained one sort of men on his part , and some ministers to pray for him , he disengaged divers sorts ; and many would seek god against him ; and such proceedings would be both contrary to god , and of very bad effect in these nations ; for men would be provoked in their spirits not to fear any dangers , rather then to be held in such captivity under the ministry and worship of such whom they in conscience could not joyn with ; and there is a woful example in this nation of the effect of such prohibition and force : for was not that very matter ( to wit ) the establishing of one ●ort of ministers , and persecuting others , one of the principle cause of the last bloody war ? and may not the nation fear the like now , if the same ground be laid , and the foundation raised , as before-mentioned ? and therefore let this enter into the heart of the king to consider very weightily . but the petitioner seems to define to the king what ministers he begs to be upheld and cherished , in these words ; such whose loyal constancy and integrity do bespeak them to be , not time-serving polititians , to gratifie mens humours , and serve their own sordid interests ; but lux mundi , sal terrae , &c. answ. . they who are indeed the true ministers of jesus christ , that are called truely of him into that work , and are god's ambassadors , neither set this petitioner a begging for them , nor can accept of this his work ; for christ's true ministers are no beggers , neither seek to be approved to kings , nor any men , by flattery and deceit , but are approved to be the ministers of christ , and sent of him , by doctrine and conversation , and through faith and patience ; and thus , and after this manner , were the apostles and ministers of jesus christ approved in the dayes of old , even before kings and rulers , and others ; and they did not beg for themselves , nor any for them , approbation to themselves and their ministry before any : so that this petitioner is not in the spirit and way as the saints and apostles were in , who is begging even by flattery , an approbation of ministers and ministry , as he saith , on his bended knees , that the ministry may be upheld , maintained and established , and that the king would do it . . if none are to be upheld , and maintained and established but such as this petitioner hath described , then not very many of the men of this generation of priests , because they come not under his own proposed qualifications : for , alas ! the king may say , or without offence to him , i hope i may say for him , where shall we find such as are here described ? shall he find one among many ? o● any at all of that fraternity , that have not been disloyal , unconstant , and changable in their wayes ? and have not they , as for the general part of them , ( i mean , of the priests ) turned every way , and cryed up , and prayed for this and the other , that would but give them money and means ; and the very self same men sometime been for one man and his government , and in a very little time been quite contrary to that , and so proved themselves absolute time-serving polititians , to gratifi● mens humours , and to serve their own sordid interests ? doth not ten thousand in england know this ? and may not the king himself easily believe it , and know it ; especially when he considers who it was chiefly that first preached and prayed up the war against his father , and who it was that made so many flattering addresses to ol●●●● cromwel , and then to his son richard , and then changed from that way of government , and then cryed up commonwealth-way again , and now are turned to cry up him ? by all which it doth appear , that no one sort of people in england are so disloyal and unconstant as that generation of teachers : and who can now put trust in such , that have thus served times , and been men-pleasers , even for their own ends ? and how shall the king ever , without great danger to himself , repose confidence in such as are so changeable ? or how c●n any man beg his upholding and establishing of them , without shame to himself ; and that under the name and qualification of constant men , and not-time-serving men for their own interests , when as these very men called ministers , for whom this man is now begging , are qualified quite contrary to his own description ? and therefore the king hath reason enough to deny the request , because the general part of men petitioned for , are not lux mundi , sal terrae , but blind leaders of the blind , and changeable hypocrites , and the oppression of the kingdom ; nor are they all watch-men for souls , but many for money and hire , nor god's ambassadors , but antichrist's ministers , who are out of the spirit and doctrine of christ jesus . and now i shall proceed to the fourth branch of his petition , which is expressed in these words ; ( saith he ) i humbly beg your grace , that ye would uphold a liberal and sufficient maintenance for the learned ministry , because christ hath ordained , they that pr●ach the gospel should ●●ve of the gospel ; not a niggardly but liberal and sufficient maintenance , that they ●●y be encouraged , &c. answ. as for ●●ue gospel-ministers , they beg not means nor money of the powers of the earth , but are therein without care ; only careful how to please the lord , and to fulfil in faithfulness their calling : nor did ever the apostles seek for maintenance that way ; though its true , the false prophets , in generations past , they could never have enough of maintenance ; but every one of them sought for his gain from his quarter , isa. . . and the false prophets and priests they preached for hire , and divined for money ; and all that would not give them , and put into their mouthes , they prepared war against them , micah . . and the false teachers of old , they taught for filthy ●●●re , and by feigned words made merchandize of people , tit. . . pet. . . such as walked in these practices in dayes past , were reputed and taken for de●●●vers and false teachers , but christ's ministers and the true prophets , and apostles never went in this way ; but trusted the lord , that sent them , with ●●re for all outward things ; yea , some of them laboured with their hands , that by all 〈◊〉 they might make the gospel of christ without charge . but yet it is certain , a maintenance to the true ministers of the gospel is allowed by christ , and by his apostles ; but not by so much money a sermon , 〈◊〉 o●e hundred , two hundred , or three hundred pound , or more or less , as they can bargain for , and get by the year ; nor the tythes of mens labour , and encrease for preaching ; nor any forced and imposed maintenance whatsoever : 〈◊〉 a way as this christ never ordained that his ministers should be maintained in the world ; nor did the apostles ever allow , institute or practice such a way of maintenance in their ministry : but this kind and way of maintenance is altogether antichristian , and like to the false prophets way beforementioned , and not at all according to the scriptures , nor the example of christ's gospel-ministers in former ages . . the maintenance which christ and his apostles allowed ministers , and that way whereby christ's ministers were fed , and clothed , and maintained by out●●●d necessaries , was , into whatsoever house that was worthy the disciples entred , they 〈◊〉 there abide , and eat such things as were set before them : for ( said he ) the ●●●kman is worthy of his meat , and the labourer is worthy of his hire . and paul said , 〈◊〉 a small matter to reap carnal things , where they had sown spiritual things ; and he 〈◊〉 pe●●●heth the gospel may live of the gospel . and that was the way of the apo●●●●● maintenance , even by free gift , from them whom they had begotten 〈◊〉 ●●e faith ; and they that had planted a vineyard might eat of the fruit of 〈◊〉 , and he that kept a flock might eat of the milk thereof ; and this was e●●land just , that that church whom they had planted , and among whom 〈◊〉 laboured , should administer outward necessities to them ; but yet they 〈◊〉 not any sum of money , nor tythes of peoples estates , nor so much 〈◊〉 the year as a debt ; for this way was not the way of a gospel-main●●●●nce in the dayes of the apostles ; but by a free gift of the ●●●rch , and not by imposition and force upon any were they maintained in ●●●●ward things . . let the king know , that it is not at this day a just & lawful way of gospel-●●intenance to christ's ministers , this forced way of maintenance by tythes , 〈◊〉 so much money a year , or claiming so much as a debt of those which may 〈◊〉 do not receive or believe such a minister is a true minister of christ ; and all 〈◊〉 suing people at law , casting them into prison about ministers maintenance , 〈◊〉 not of god , but antichrist , and not after the example of christ's true ministers , but after the example of false prophets and deceivers : and it is a lawful maintenance at this day of christ's ministers , that each minister be maintained by the free gift of the people under his ministry ; and its just , that every minister be maintained by the people to whom he labours , and that every form of worship maintain their own ministers , how , and as they will ; and if men preach the gospel , let them live of it , and let their gospel maintain them , without begging maintenance of the king , or troubling him with such matters as pertain to another state , even to the spiritual government of christ , who calls his ministers , and gives his gifts to whom he will , and sends them out whither he will ; and their gospel hath effect to change and convert people , and to beget love in the hearts of people : and such as are begotten to god , by the preaching of the gospel , can freely give of their carnal things ; and a minister of christ cannot want any thing . and therefore let not the king be careful nor troubled about maintaining ministers , but let him maintain his own , how , and as he pleaseth , and leave all his kingdoms to the like ; that every sort of people , whether papists , protestants , or any others , maintain every one their own ministers , how , by how much , and as they will ; and this is the way of lawful maintenance to every ministry ; and not this way of begging of the king ; and that not niggardly , but liberally and sufficiently ( saith the petitioner ) which shews covetousness and impudency in any beggar , that they may be encouraged , saith the petitioner , &c. . now that ministry whose dependancy is on outward things , and may be encouraged or discouraged by having or wanting large maintenance , this ministry jesus christ never sent forth ; but it is of man , and by the earthly powers , and not of god ; for were the apostles discouraged in the work of their ministry when they were in wants , and necessities , and sufferings , and afflictions , as often they were ? no ; but they approved themselves the more to be christ's faithful ministers thereby : and it may be a very certain evidence to the king , that such who will not go forth to minister without such or such large benefices and maintenance , by so much money , tythes , or yearly stipends , are not the ministers of christ , neither were they ever sent of him to preach his gospel ; but have run for gifts and rewards , like balaam , and have not been truly called by christ jesus into his ministry . now i come to the fifth branch of the petition , which is in these words ; i humbly beg your grace , that in order to the establishing a learned ministry to posterity , your , majesty will be a fosterer and patron of the schools and nurseries of good learning , especially the two once famous universities of oxford and cambridge . in answer hereunto , let the king consider ; . that the true and lawful ministry of jesus christ is the absolute free gift of god , to whomsoever the lord is pleased to give it : and it is not bought nor sold for money , nor received by education and natural learning ; but god gives the gift of knowledge and utterance , and every part of his ministry to whom he will : so the apostles received the ministry , and so it is received at this day , by all that have it . it is not a natural science , or art of knowledge or utterance ; but it is the gift of god , and ever was , whether to plough-men , or fisher-men , or to whomsoever , as the lord gives it ; for , as every one had received the gift , so they might administer , as say the scriptures . . that the establishing of the ministry pertains to jesus christ alone , and that it depends upon the power and spirit of god to establish his own ministry , and to overthrow that which is contrary ; and the lord alone will do it , and not man ; for it is he that sendeth out ministers , whom he will , and he defends them and establishes them against the devil , and all their opposers : neither did ever any of the apostles and ministers of christ , beg to the kings of the earth maintenance and establishment ; but they knew the lord , and trusted in him , and therefore let not the king trouble himself with care in these matters , but leave them to the lord , to whom they do belong ; and let him rule well in outward affairs , and leave the government of the church and ministry to christ jesus , to whom only it pertains . . as for oxford and cambridge , and sending ministers from thence , and making them there , by natural arts and sciences , according to the custom there used ; there was no such thing in the apostles days , as making ministers at schools and colledges by natural learning ; but , as i have said , it was by the gift of god's ●●●y spirit that the ministers of the gospel were made and sent forth : and this way of making ministers at oxford and cambridge , at schools and colledges , and all that pertains thereunto , as the orders , names and practices , for the most part , the very habits and degrees of schools , and all that stuff is all come up since the apostles dayes ; and that way of creating ministers , and sending them forth , was never known not in beeing among the apostles ; but much abomination and idolatry is brought forth at such places , and in such wayes , to the grief and vexation of the lord god , whose wrath will break out like fire , to devour idolatry , with the cause and ground thereof . and happy is that man that partakes not of the sins of others , he shall not partake of the iudgements . and in the last part of the petition , it is craved ; that the seminaries of sin and satan , wickedness and vice , may be beaten down and suppressed , &c. ans. these things are abounding which provoke the lord to great wrath against the land : oh! that indeed the king would consider , that iniquity may be stopped , and righteousness brought forth ; then should the king , and kingdoms , and subjects be made famous and dreadful through the world : for , because of oppression and wickedness the land mourns , and the great judgments of the lord are at the door , except repentance be made unto god. and thus i have in much fear towards god , and honour towards the king , laid divers considerations before him , worthy to be minded , upon the occasion of the charge against us by george willington ; and it will be wisdom for the king to consider our defence ; as well as of our enemy's charge . by a servant of christ , e. b. the everlasting gospel of repentance and remission of sins , held forth and declared to the inhabitants of the earth , that they may turn , and be converted to the living god , lest they perish in the day of vengeance , which is near at hand . and this is a message of reconciliation to all people every where in general , but more particularly to the inhabitants of ireland , and to all sorts of people therein ; even to the rich , and to the poor ; to the professor , and to the prophane ; that every one may be stir'd up to seek the lord by repentance . with certain propositions of faith laid down , which every one must believe , or else they cannot be saved . and certain objections answered , relating to the present dayes . with the way of a happy and blessed government discovered in the kingdoms of this world , &c. oh ireland ! the day of god's visitation of love and tender mercy hath been upon thee , to try thee and to prove thee ; and the lord would have gathered thy people into covenant and fellowship with himself , to live in love , unity and peace ; and the lord would have made thy inhabitants blessed , but they would not ; but many have refused the day of his love , and they have neglected his loving-kidness , and have chosen their own wayes of iniquity and unrighteousness , rather then the way of truth and peace ; though the lord hath often smitten , and caused his judgments to be known in the land , and suffered great destruction in dayes past , even plague , sword and famine were sore upon thee , have thy inhabitants forgotten the dealings of the lord towards thee ? are his judgments and mercies clean gone out of remembrance , which the lord shewed in thee not many years since ? and because of thy iniquities and transgressions , which were grown very great against god , he was angry with thee , and provoked against thee , and did give up thy inhabitants to hardness of heart , and cruelty of mind one against another , so that they were given up to destroy and cut off one another ; and thousands of them fell through the malice and wickedness of each others hearts , and hands , and cruel murders , robberies , treacheries , and a very great destruction was committed amongst thy people ; and this was because iniquity at that day was full , pride and oppression , drunkenness and whoredom , double-dealing and treachery , and all manner of unrighteousness was grown to the height , and therefore did the lord suffer a very great rebuke in the land ; and by sword , plague and famine did he plead with thy inhabitants for some years together , even that he might humble thee , and correct thee , and that thy people might turn unto him , and forsake their iniquities . oh! why hast thou forgotten the dealings of the lord , running into the same abominations ? for since the lord stayed his judgments , iniquity is increased , even as before : though the lord hath given thee rest and peace for divers years , and healed thee of thy sorrows and miseries , and replenished thee with people , and thou hast had peace and fulness for a good season ; but yet thou hast not made a right use of these mercies , as thou oughtest to have done : though the lord hath shewed love and favour towards thee , in delivering of thee from thy former troubles and miseries ; yet thou hast turned , to thy own hu●t , ●is blessings into a curse , through thy abuse of them : and now through re●… , and peace and fulness thy inhabitants are corrupted , and become abominably sinful , and they have loaden themselves with transgressions , and he●ped up wrath against the day of wrath , even wrathful matter for the w●ath of god ; and former judgments and mercies seem to be both forgotten , many having abused them to their hurt , though the lord intended them for their good ; and thy inhabitants are , as before , many of them hardened in iniquity , rather then turned from it ; and they are turned into their old paths , and drink of the same cup of abominations ? and pride , and oppression , and all unrighteousness , in every part of it , is grown as high as ever it was in thee . oh! how doth wickedness abound , drunkenness , wantonness , vain-pleasures , envy , wrath , contention , heart-burning , covetousness and earthly-mindedness , double-dealing , false-heartedness , idolatry and hypocrisie , and all fruits of the flesh , how do they abound in thee ? even as high as ever before , as though thou hadst never felt judgement because of thy sins , and as though thou hadst never tasted of mercy , that thou shouldst live a better life ; but both judgment and mercy by-past are neglected , and the remembrance of them worn out ; and thou hast said in thy heart , we love this world , its pleasures and vanities , and after our wayes will we go . oh nation and kingdom ! this is thy condition , and thy present state ; thou drinkest up iniquity as an ox drinketh water , and thou addest sin to sin , as if all thou couldst do were too little , and like as if thou wert appointed for no other end but to commit sin ; and thou hatest reproof , and despisest correction ; and him that reproveth thee thou countest thy enemy : for the whole pleasure of many of thy people is in sinning against god ; and thus thou thinkest to serve him with thy sins , and requitest the lord evil for his good towards thee , and his judgments and mercies have no place in thy heart ; though yet thou hast been warned for these divers years , that thy people should turn from their iniquities , and serve the living god ; repentance and forsaking of sin hath been preached thorough thee ; and warning hath been given of the judgments of god , that are to come ; but hereof hast thou taken no notice , as thou oughtest to have done ; but thy inhabitants have despised the lord's servants , and persecuted them ; and thou hast held in derision and under great afflictions the people of the lord , and persecuted them for good conscience sake . and this is the fulfilling of wickedness in thee , and the heigh● of thy inhabitants transgressions , in that they have persecuted such who have warn'd them , and despised the lord's reproof , and would not hearken to the advice of his people ; but do alwayes reject the message of god's light , which reproveth people in their own consciences , because of sin , that they should turn from i● and be saved ; this message hath been proclaimed thorough the land , even for some years together , wherein the lord hath visited thee with his love , that he might gather thy people , and condemn their iniquities , and save their souls ; but thy people have rejected this message , and would not be turned from their idolatrous wayes and worships , nor from the hypocrisie of their wayes , that they might be healed : but thy people have forsaken the living god ; and rebelled against the light ; and the way of peace they have refused ; and turned their backs towards the lord , and not their faces ; and after covetousness and the love of this world they have gone ; though there hath been a great profession of worship and religion in thee , much preaching and praying , sabboth-keeping and professed church-fellowship , ministry and ordinances , and a sect here of one sort , and there another , that have cryed , lord , lord , and have made a shew of worships and duties towards him ; yet notwithstanding , hypocrisie , false-heartedness , covetousness , double-mindedness , and the spirit of pride , ambition and vain-glory , have possessed the hearts of both teachers and people in all the false sects and divers kinds of religion ; though they have had a shew , as if they were the lord's people , and a pretence of worship , and conformity of church-fellowship , &c. yet their hearts have not been right before the lord : but of these it may be said , even they have professed god with their mouthes , and with their lips honoured him , and in the very time their hearts have gone after covetousness , and been far departed from the lord ; and though they have cryed , the temple of the lord , and we are the church of christ , and members of him , and have gospel , and ministry , and ordinances ; yet these people have walked in pride , and arrogancy , and covetousness , and their hearts have been corrupted in the sight of the most high , and all their religion hath been but as the fig-leaves , by which they have sought to cover themselves , but it cannot be . for , behold ye professors and people of ireland ! god hath beheld your hypocrisies , and the deceitfulness of your hearts and your nakedness doth appear ; for , though you have professed much of the spirit and spiritual things , yet you have walked in the flesh , and brought forth the fruits thereof ; and your garments of feigned prayers and practices , and your profession of church and ordinances , will not cover nor hide you from the wrath of the lamb. oh people of ireland ! many of you have been corrupted in your hearts , and polluted in your minds ; and from the highest of you to the lowest you are found transgressors against god , even from the professor to the prophane , the lord hath found no good fruit amongst you well-pleasing to him ; but four grapes and bitter fruit have you brought forth , even fruit of a bad taste and loathsom smell unto the lord : and now the lord hath found you out in your wickedness , and the cry of your iniquities call for vengeance ; for of you it may be said , ah nation , laden with iniquity ! ab sinful people ! a seed of evil doers ; corrupted from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot : these things are so , and they cannot be hid . but now the lord's purpose is , to deal with thee because of thy sins , seeing he is provoked against this people by their iniquities , who have been disobedient to the living god ; therefore will he renew his judgments of old , and with-draw his mercies , and he will plead with this people in his justice : his judgments are at the door , and he will punish the stout-hearted , and proud and arrogant , till they learn meekness and humility : he will correct the transgressors with his rod of heavy wrath , till they turn to him by repentance ; and all that will not how , and kiss the son , and cease from evil , and learn to do well , they shall be broken , and cut off , and perish in his anger , and he will never heal them ; even the feller will come upon thy people , o nation , who will hew down thy cedars , and cut up thy strong oaks ; the fanner is coming upon thee to sift thee , to preserve the good grain , and to separate the chaff into the fire ; thy strength will be made weak , and thy crown will be trodden down , and thy beauty shall be marred ; and all thy glory and might shall fade like a flower in that day , when the lord of hosts pleads with thee ; and when he rewards thee for thy wickedness , then wo unto thee , and unto all the wicked , and workers of iniquity ; and he will cause them to remember what they have done : thy sins , o nation , shall be set in order before thee , and thy persecution of the lords servants shall be charged to thy ●●●ount ; and the rod of affliction shall reach close unto thee because thereof : and as thy rulers have done to others , so shall it be done to them ; into captivity shall they go , and the spoiler shall come upon the land , for just is the lord , and his iudgment altogether equal ; and though he be long-suffering and of great forbearance , yet he forgets not to plead with his enemies , and to plague the ungodly , nor to shew mercy to them that trust in him : and doubtless there is a cup of wrath prepared for the wicked to drink , and it seemeth to be near ; even a day of great wrath and tribulation upon sinners and transgressors , who have rejected the lord , and despised his reproofs , and would not receive the message of the light of the world , that they might be healed . wherefore repent , repent , all sorts of people , all sinners and transgressors ; tremble before the lord ye stout-hearted and rebellious children : wo unto ye unjust rulers and judges , that have exercised unjust judgment in the land , that have judged for gifts and rewards , and that have turned aside just judgment , mercy and truth , and that have persecuted the innocent without just cause . wo unto you that have been oppressors of the poor and needy , ye that have not judged for the lord , as ye ought to have done ; but have been ambitious , and vain-glorious , and puffed up in the flesh by high titles , and places of honour . ye that have exalted your selves above your brethren , and sought honour of men , and loved the honour of this world mor● than the honour of god ; wo unto you , for the day of the lord's judgment is at hand , and an account of your stewardship must you give . ye that should have judged in mercy , and truth and equity , but have perverted just judgment , and made the innocent offenders , and have not been a praise to them that do well , nor a terror to evil-doers , as ye ought to have been ; wo unto you , and to the oppressing and flashearted lawyers , and that train , who have been greedy of gain and served your own ends , and sought riches to your selves , and the cause of the poor hath not been freely pleaded by you . wo unto all ye that have made a trade of doing judgment and justice , and have been exercised in the law for your own ends , and not singly for the lord. tremble ye sons of wickedness , ye that have exercised the power of antichrist and the beast ; for the judgments of the lord are at hand to be executed upon you . wo unto you great and rich men , ye covetous and earthly worldlings , ●e that have made your selves rich by oppression , and grinding the faces of the poor , that have got gain by hard-dealing , and added land to land ; and field to field , and that have over-reached the ignorant , and oppressed the widdows and fatherless , and that have exercised cruelty and hard-dealing to your tenants and servants , and have laid heavy yoaks upon such with whom you have dealt , and that have made your selves great and rich in the earth by such means ; wo unto you , misery is coming upon you : weep and howlye earthly , greedy , covetous wretches of this world , who have sought riches more than the lord , and gotten gain by oppression and over-reaching your neighbours ; your riches , so gotten , shall never prosper , no● be blessed to you ; but shall be a curse to you , and your children : and your covetousness will god plague ; ye that have gotten goodt , and not by right , shall leave them in the midst of your dayes . wo unto you carnal minds ; all the treasures of them are corruptible ; your lands , gold and silver are fading treasures : the day of the lord's judgments are at hand upon you , and the rod of his wrath will smite you ; and ye shall have poverty and want instead of fulness and excess , and ye shall have leanness and barrenness , and god will plead with you in the way you have sinned against him : the time of your visitation draws near . wo unto you merchants , traders , buyers and sellers , that have been double-dealers and double-tongued , and dealt deceitfully in your commodities with your neighbours : wo unto ye that have got gain by double-dealing , and by feigned and flattering speeches have beguiled one another , and sought to out-reach in your bargaining every man his brother ; these things have ye done , o ye covetous men ! ye have even robbed the poor by your craft and guileful-dealing , by your smooth and flattering tongues ; and if any amongst you could not use fraud , and dissemble , such have been your prey and scorn ; and it s your use to discommend a commodity when you buy it , and to praise it when you sell it ; and ye make a fair out-side to please the eye , and ye use multitude of words and fair speeches , and dec●ive the simpl● , and get gain by oppression , craft and deceit : wo unto you , repent of this your sin ; cleause your hearts , you sinners ; and purifie your hearts , you double-minded . i charge you by the lord , give over your double-dealing , and deceitful merchandize ; cease to lye and defraud ; cease your flattery and feigned words , and speak the truth every one to his neighbour ; and come out of your iniquities ; use not a bad conscience any longer , for its a fearful abomination against the lord : but mind the light of christ in you , which will convince you in your consciences of your noughty and sinful wayes ; and that light will exercise your consciences to do the truth and speak the truth to your neighbours in all things , and this is blessed , and the gain that is thereby gotten is not a curse ; for ye ought in all your wayes to reverence the lord , and respect him , that he should lead you and guide you in your exercise of all earthly things ; for the earth is the lord's and the fulness thereof , and it ought to be exercised to his glory : and there is suffient in this creation for all people , and therefore covet not earthly things one from another , neither oppress nor over-reach one another about them ; neither treasure up earthly things , while the poor want ; for if ye do , you hide your selves from your own flesh , laying field to field till there is no place for the poor ; and wo unto such , the day of the lord will be upon you : but learn the wisdom of god , how to be ordered , and how to order all things of this creation , and be in unity and good agreement amongst your selves ; and do not fall out , nor strive , nor contend , nor envy one another about earthly things ; but if ye have much , or if ye have little , be contented with what you have , and do not grind the hearts and consciences one of another to get earthly things , for they will fade and perish away ; and seek not after that which perisheth , but after that which is unto eternal life : for the day of the lord is at hand , and his judgments upon all oppressors , double-dealers and false-hearted flatterers , that are covetous of earthly things . wo unto all ye drunkards and swearers , whoremongers and prophane persons , the judgments of the lord are upon you unawares ; ye that destroy the creation upon your lusts , that are rnn into the excess of wine and beer , and that covet it excessively , and that drink till ye inflame your selves , and spend your time in it ; ye are like the beasts of the field , and like the swine that wallow in filthinefs ; ye pervert the right use and end of the good creatures of god , and spend them upon your lusts , and have not regard unto the living god ; and one sin even begets another , drunkenness begets swearing , and prophane words , and whoredom and beastly affections ; and thus ye add sin to sin , and heap up one sin upon another , con●●ary to the light in your own consciences ; and thus ye serve 〈◊〉 ●…il and satan , committing iniquity with both hands , as it were , by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and swearing , and taking the name of the lord in vain , and 〈◊〉 sp●●●●es , and falling out one with another ; and your minds are e●●ed 〈◊〉 the lord , and 〈◊〉 abuse your selves , and your 〈◊〉 bodies , which were made f●● the service of god , and not 〈◊〉 whor●… 〈◊〉 ; and ye slay your own soul● by your own iniquities , and mames provoke the lord to destroy both soul and body : wo unto you , 〈◊〉 ●lagues of god are your portion , and misery your ●nd here and hereafter ; 〈◊〉 of your iniquities , and turn from them , left the lord find you in 〈◊〉 iniquities when he comes to judg●ment ; 〈◊〉 if you continue in them 〈◊〉 can never be pardoned , but you si● unto death , and the lord will come ●pon you suddenly ; for ye that followed drunkenness and prop●●●ess , you live contrary to the light in your own consciences , and you sin against your knowledge , against that knowledge that god hath given you ; and this is your greatest sin , even because ye do the things which ye know ye shoul● not do , 〈◊〉 the light in your , consciences doth she● you , that these things are evil before you do them ; but ye doing the things contrary to the light in your 〈◊〉 consciences , this makes your crime 〈◊〉 , and your sin u●pardonable , 〈◊〉 ●e continue in sin and prophaness , contrary to the reproof of god's spi●●● 〈◊〉 your own ●nsciences : wherefore ye prophane persons , cease to do evil , ●est the lord's judgements come upon y●● suddenly to your d●struction , and the lord smite you , and you never be healed . wo unto all ye ●●ypo●ri●i●●l and deceitful prof●ssors of religion , that hold the truth in unrighteousness , th●● have a talk and a shew of religion , and that have the name of church-members and of worshippers of god , but are 〈◊〉 in sins and trespasses ; ye that are christians by name , but want the n●●ure , who are wolves in sheep's cloathing , that have christ's words , the prophets and apost●●s words , but want their spirit and life ; wo unto you , the d●● of the lord is at hand upon you , ye hypocrites , ye that serve god with your li●● , and with your ●outhes profess much love , whenas your hearts are full of ●●●y . covetous●●●● and earthly-mindedness ; ye are the apostate christians , th●● have taken the form of godliness upon you , but want the power ; ye preach and pray , and hear sermons , and keep sabbath dayes , and perform duties , 〈◊〉 ye are not changed in your hearts , but the old nature is alive , and the old birth lives in you ; and ye are unlike unto god in nature , ye walk in the ●iesh and not in the spirit ; and ye take christ's words and the apostles words , and use your tongues , when god never spoke to you ; o ye hypocrites ! ye have a name to live , but are dead , and ye think ye are rich , w●… as you are poor , miserable , blind and naked , and your souls are le●● and want the bread of life , and ye have not put off the body of sin , nor have you overcome your souls enemi●● , but the burden of sin lies upon your ●onsciences , and temptations overcome you daily ; and though you say , ye have faith in christ , yet your hearts are not purified , but the old man with his deeds , is yet alive , and the new creature is not brought forth in you , nor is christ living in you , and speaking in you ; the day of the lord will come upon you , you false-hearted men , ye apostate christians , that ●old the profession of truth , and church , and gospel , and ministry in your ●●righteous minds ; your sacrifices are not acceptable to god , nor your offerings well-pleasing to him ; for your hearts are not aright b●fore him , and your hypocrisie will god judge , and his wrath will go out like ●ire to cons●me your glory , and god will cloath himself with zeal as with a cloak , and with a garment of vengeance , and he will slay you with his sword , and wound your consciences with the words of his mouth , and your religion will not s●ve you , ●or your garment cover you from the wrath of the almighty : wo unto you , the mighty day of the lord is at hand upon you , ye earthly professors , who would be heirs of two kingdoms , who would enjoy god and this world too , and love its vanities , and profits , and pleasures , and honours , and live in strife and contention one with another abo●t ●●●thly things , and about your religion too , and are not of one heart , and mi●● and soul , but are strangers to the new covenant of god ; though you hear sermons , and say a form of prayer , and keep sabbaths and lecture-dayes , and perform ordinances , and duties , and yet your hearts are hard , and the body of sin and death li●● upon your consciences , and you are not changed into the divine nature ; this reli●●●● will not save you , away with it all , it s of antichrist , and his spirit leads you ; while you walk in the form of godliness without the power , the lord will come upon you suddenly ; therefore repent ye of your hypocrisies , and turn to the spirit of god within you , hear its reproofs , and obey it , and walk in the spirit , and be ye changed , or else you can never be saved . wo , wo unto all ye false teachers , and blind leaders of the people , ye diviners and false prophets , the day of the lord is at hand upon you ; ye have deceived souls for dishonest gain , ye have run and never were sent of god , and ye have not profited the people at all , and ye have taken the name upon you of ministers of christ , when he never sent you forth ; and you have kept a prating and preaching up and down , and run for gifts , and reward , and hire ; ye have deceived the world , and the blood of souls rests upon you ; o ye generation of serpents ! poyson hath lodged under your tongues , your hear●●s have been rotten , and your tongues feigned and full of flattery , and you have been as canker-worms in the earth , that have corrupted the whole world ; whom have not ye deceived by your lyes and false divinations ? whom have not you cryed peace unto , if they would but give you gifts , money and hire ? what form of religion would not you take up for advantage to your selves ? how often have you turned from one way to another ? oh ye false-hearted men ! the god of heaven will shew you no mercy ; ye are the men that have made the earth drunk with false faith and false doctrines , and with contention and dissention , sometime preaching up one government , sometime another ; and sometime being for one way of worship , and sometime for another ; treachery hath lodged in your hearts above all others ; ye have eaten up the sin of the people , and cryed peace unto the ungodly : wo unto ye that have gone in cain's way , that have bred contention , persecution , strife and emulation amongst people , and that have gone in balaam's way for gifts and rewards , and would do any great man a pleasure , and even curse the people for money ; ye have been such as all the holy prophets cryed against , your fruits and works declare it ; ye have sought for your gain from your quarter , and could never have enough , such as isaiah cryed against , chap. . and such as micah cryed against , micah . that preached for hire , and divined for money , and leaned upon the lord , and cryed peace to them that would give money , and prepared war against them that would not ; and these things have you done , some of ye teachers and priests ; and ye have been blind watch-men , and ye have been idle and lazy shepherds , such as ezekiel cryed against , chap. . that ruled over people with force and cruelty , and killed them that were fed , and did not heal the diseased , nor strengthen the weak , but pusht with the horn at such as went astray from you ; and idle and lazy shepherds have you been , who have not fed the flock with living food , but you have caused them to drink of the foul waters , and thei● souls are lean and barren under your preaching ; oh look into your flocks , and see what fruit is brought forth by them , and what may be gathered from them ! oh the abundance of pride and wickedness , of ambition and vain-glory , and covetousness , and the love of this world , lying and double-dealing , and all the fruits of the flesh ! how do they abound amongst the flocks of your fold ? who are in their fruits , and by their works not the sheep of christ's pasture , but are like goats and wolves under your teachings ; can ye behold this and consider of it , and not be ashamed of the fruit of your wayes ; what have ye brought forth these many years ; or what profit have the people received from you , who are yet in their sins , unturned from them , and not converted to god ? whereby it appears you have run , and never were sent , because the people are not profited at all ; and it grieves the heart of the righteous to look into your vine-yards , and to s●● such bad fruit growing ; you have been sloathful tillers , and have not sown the good seed in the hearts of the people , but the seed of corruption brings forth fruit in them , and your vine-yards are like barren and untilled ground , that is unplowed and undigged , and unplanted with trees of righteousness : oh ye have been unprofitable vineyard-dressers , and ye have laboured for your selves , and not for the lord , as is manifest ; and ye have been idle and lazy , and the god of heaven is weary of you , and the time is at hand he will pluck you up by the roots , and visit you with great destruction , and your name shall be a reproach amongst men ; for ye have not sought the lord's honour , but your own ; and ye have been changable in your ways for your own advantages ; ye have preached for filthy lucre , and through covetousness made merchandize of people ; and ye have traded with the scriptures , and made a trade of the preaching the gospel ; and ye have made traffick of the souls of men : and these things have you done , and the lord hath kept silence , and he hath forborn to smite you , and therefore have you been hardened the more in your transgressions , as though the lord took no notice ; and you have filled your hands with dishonest gain in your unrighteous wayes , and your sins are increased every day against the god of heaven ; you repent not when you are warned , but reject reproof , and go on without fear ; ye are a company of proud men , heady and high-minded men , ambitious and self-seeking persons , even such as the prophets , christ and the apostles marked forth for deceivers , and your fruits and works do preach it ; ye have been covered with sheep's cloathing in your unrighteous natures , and your iniquities are almost full , and the lord wi●● bring unresistable destruction upon you , in a day when you cry , peace , peace , then sudden destruction will come : wo unto you , because of your iniquities , the earth is weary of you , which ye have corrupted through your false wayes , and the kingdoms groan under your oppressions , and the earth will spue you out , and the people , whom you have deceived , shall rise up in judgment against you ; the dreadful day of the lord is at hand upon you , the apostates from the life and faith of jesus christ , fo● of that race you are , even of them apostates that went out in the apostles dayes , that went in balaam's way , and cain's way , for ye are of the spirit that kills and persecutes people about worship and sacrifices , and religion , as cain did ; and you go for gifts and rewards , even as balaam did : these things are so , the witness of god in your consciences shall answer , and all people shall acknowledge the truth hereof in the day when god pleads with all the wicked . all people return and repent of your iniquities , the dreadful day of the lord is at hand , ye sinners and transgressors , ye hypocritical professors and profain persons , the day of vengeance is at hand ; whither will you fly , and where will you leave your glory ? where will you seek a defence , or where can you be hid ? the mountains will not cover you , nor the rocks will not fall upon you ; the wrath of the lamb you cannot escape , even the long-suffering of god will be turned into a flame of anger , and patience will be turned into sharp rebuke , the wrath of the lamb will utterly smite you , and the cup of god's indignation you must drink , all the earth must taste of it , and the wicked shall drink the dreggs ; wherefore all ye inhabitants of the earth forsake your transgressions , that the lord may not cut you off for ever , but let god arise to de●●●oy your iniquities , and to save your souls , let him take vengeance upon your inventions , that he may forgive you : oh! why will you dye , why will you perish ? the lord would have you to return , that he might save you . and this is the day of your visitation , the door of mercy is yet open for a little season , and the lord yet calls unto you for a moment ; but the time is at hand , that he who is filthy , shall be filthy still , and that determination shall be passed , come , ye blessed , and , go ye cursed ; the doleful sentence shall be pronounced to all workers of iniquity , into everlasting burning must they depart , prepared for the devil and his angels , and shall not see the countenance of the lord to refresh their soul , but in the presence of the lord and of the lamb , shall the wicked be tormented : wherefore hear and tremble , all ye transgressors that live and act contrary to your knowledge , and against the witness of god in your own consciences ; and this is your great sin , for which the wrath of god cometh , not because you have acted in ignorance and without knowledge , but because you have acted against the light in your consciences , and sinned against your knowledge , and done the things which you know were evil before you did them : and because hereof you are not to be excused , but the burden of your own sins , and the guilt of them will fall heavy upon you in the day of the lord ; for this is the condemnation of the world , that light is come into it , but you have loved darkness rather than light , and followed evil deeds and loved them , and this is contrary to the light that is come into the world , and which hath enlightned your own consciences . certain propositions of faith laid down , which every one must believe , or else they cannot be saved . i. now none can be saved from the wrath of the lord but they who are saved from their sins ; for sin bring the wrath of god upon the conssciences of men , and anguish upon soul and body ; and who are not saved from sin , canot be saved from wrath ; for wrath pursues the guilty , and he that doth evil , sin lies at his door , and continual anguish upon his spirit because of sin , and the load and burden of the body of death oppresseth his soul , and anger from god kindleth in his breast , because he hath sinned ; and he knows he is guilty of transgression , and the lord wounds him in his conscience , and no man in that state can speak peace unto him , nor can any save him from the wrath of god , because he is not saved from his sin , nor from the guilt of it ; but his grief and burden is , because he hath sinned against the light in his own conscience : and therefore whosoever will be saved from wrath , must be saved from sin , and christ must purifie his heart , and the blood of the lamb must sanctifie him , and his conscience must be cleansed from the guilt of transgression , and christ must live in him , and he must live the life of faith , which gives victory over all sin , or else he cannot be saved with the salvation of god eternally . ii. again , whosoever will be saved with the salvation of god , must own the light of christ jesus in his own conscience , and he must believe in this light and walk in it , even the light in his conscience , that convinces him , and checks him for his evil de●ds , and that lets him see what sin he is guilty of ; you must believe in this light , and follow it , and depart from that , and forsake that iniquity which it convinces you of , and do that good which it moves your hearts unto , or else you can never be saved ; for if you continue in evil-doing , contrary to the light of christ in your own consciences , you are in a condemned condition , and you cannot be justified of the lord , while you are accused by the light within you , of such and such sins , and that you are guilty of them , and sorsake them not ; for the god of heaven condemneth and justifieth men according to the witness of the light in their own consciences ; for it is gods evidence , to bear witness for god , and to accuse or excuse every man in his sight , and according to its evidence , god justifieth or condemneth all the children of men . iii. again , whosoever will be saved , must be born again of the seed of god , and must be changed and renewed in mind and heart , and spirit ; and old things must pass away , and all things must be made new ; and a new nature must live in you , and the image of god must be brought forth , which is in righteousness and true holiness , which is like unto god ; and this is the new creation , which every one must witness to be wrought in them that ever ●●●●ers into gods kingdom ; for saith christ , except a man be born again he can●●● enter into the kingdom of god ; for it is not a profession of religion made with the lips , nor the practises of duties and ordinances taken on and performed in the old nature , and a holding of truth in unrighteousness ; this is not the way of salvation , but it is the regenerating and making like unto god , being his image of justice , truth and righteousness ; it is this in which men may be saved everlastingly . iv. again , whosoever will be saved , must receive the spirit of god , and it must dwell in them , even the spirit of the father ; and they must be taught by it , and led into all truth , to do the truth , and speak the truth in all things ; even the spirit of truth must be received , to teach and to lead in all the wayes of god ; it alone must teach ; and all the hireling-teachers of the world must be turned away from , by whom peoples souls have been deceived ; all such as have run , and god never sent them ; that have cryed up t●●ching and ministry , and through whom people have not received the spirit of th● father , all such teachers must be denyed , their church and ministry ; and the spirit of the father must only teach and lead ; and you must walk in the spirit , and not after the flesh ; for if you walk after the flesh , in the wayes and works of it , you are in the state of condemnation , and not of salvation : and the spirit of god doth not teach you , but you are out of the new covenant of god ; in which covenant all are taught of the lord , and in righteousness are they established : the spirit of god is put within them , and the law of god is written in their hearts ; and they need no man to teach them , but as the spirit teacheth : and this is the new covenant of peace with god , into which all must come to witness this , or else they cannot be saved . v. again , all that will be saved , must be sanctified , cleansed and purified from all unrighteousness , by the spirit and word of god , whereby every heart must be made clean , and every conscience sprinkled with the blood of the lamb ; and the body of sin and death must be put off , and the bondage of corruption must be broken , and iniquity must be forsaken , and turned from , and si● must be judged in the flesh , and purity , holiness and righteousness must live and reign in all that will be saved ; and sin and transgression , and the guilt of it must be removed ; and you must shew forth the image of god in holiness and righteousness ; and must be pure , as he is pure , in kind and quality ; and you must walk in holiness and righteousness , being freed from corruption , and from the wayes of sin and death , being sanctified in body , mind and spirit , by the word of the lord ; and sin must be blotted out , and transgression must be covered , and iniquity must be remembred no more , and in all things you must cease to do evil , and learn to do well , if ever you will be saved . vi. again , whosoever will be saved must witness christ revealed in yo● , ●●d ●e must live in you , and you must be followers of him wheresoever he go●s ●●d your bodies must be the temples of the living god ; and god must walk 〈◊〉 you and dwell in you , according to his promise ; and he must be your king , your judge and law-giver , your teacher , father and master , and he must be 〈◊〉 in all unto you , even god the father who is blessed for ever ; you must ●●ow him near you , and feel his presence in you , to be your joy , life and ●eace ; and you must have fellowship with him in spirit , and must worship him 〈◊〉 spirit , and by the spirit , without respect of dayes , times or places : every one that will be saved must come into this , and witness it ; for this is the way of the salvation of god. vii . again , whosoever will be saved , must live in the power of godlin●ss , and must deny all forms of religion without the power ; all profession of scriptures , ordinances , church-member-ship , praying and preaching , which is not in the power of god , and by his spirit , must be denyed , and that part that holds it , ( that holds the form of godliness without the power ) must be crucified ; and every one must come into the power of the spirit of god , and must witness that to work in them , to will and to do ; and no more professing the things of god , but as they are witnessed by the work of his spirit in their hearts : you must not hold truth any longer in unrighteousness , nor make a profession of it in your your unrighteous minds ; no more talking of justification and redemption , nor of any of the matters of gods kingdom , but according as they are witnessed by the working of the spirit of god in the heart : and every one must feel in himself the evidence and testimony of the spirit of god to witness the truth in his heart ( or conscience ) of what he professeth with his mouth . viii . again , whosoever will be saved , must witness the scriptures of truth fulfilled in themselves : the things that they have read of without them , must be wrought within them , wrought in their hearts by the same spirit as g●ve forth the scriptures ; they must pass through the same conditions as the holy men of god did ; and the same truth that the scriptures declare of , must be revealed in the heart , by the same spi●it that gave forth the scriptures ; and none must profess more than they do enjoy from god ; and all flesh must be silent from speaking of the things of gods kingdom , which they have not seen , handled , rasted and felt , by the working of the spirit of god in their consciences : and this is to witness the scriptures fulfilled , when you have experience of the same conditions , and of the same operations and manifestations which the servants of the lord passed through and bad experience of ; and so that you may speak what you have heard , and seen , and handled , and tasted of the word of life : all that will be saved must come to this , and witness it . ix . again , whosoever will be saved , must believe in jesus christ , and receive him ; and they must take up his daily cross and follow him ; and must know him to mortifie and crucifie them to the world : and he must work the same things in you by his spirit spiritually , as he wrought without you in his person , or else you have no part in him , nor salvation by him : for it is not enough unto eternal life , only to believe that there was such a one as a christ , and that he did and spoke such and such things at a distance without you ; for many may make a belief and a profession of this , and yet perish ; but him that was , of whom you read , without you , must you receive , and witness within you ; and you must know him as he was before abraham was , and before the world was ; and he himself by his spirit in you must give you the knowledge of himself , what he was before the beginning , what he is now , and what he shall for ever be . x. again , every one that will be saved , must come up out of the apostacy into which all christendom hath been fallen , and must come into the same spirit , life and power , as the apostles were in ; from which life , spirit and power , all christendom have been apostates , and they have held the words and practices of the apostles without the same life and power , and made sects , churches and ministers , but out of the same life and spirit as the holy men of god were in ; and all that will be saved , must be restored and received into the same spirit and life in their churches , ministry and ordinances , as the apostles of christ jesus were in : and this is restoration , when people come again into the same life and spirit of god , which the apostate christians have all wanted , and been in the form of ministry , churches , religion and godliness , without the power : and unto this is the lord god restoring people , his day is dawned , and his everlasting light is risen , and his name will be known in the earth : and none can be saved with the salvation of god , but who believe , receive and understand these things . a general objection answered . ●…ject . . and whereas there is a great cry by some people of late , that there must be no private meetings , but all people must come to church ( as they say ) ●●d that there must be no more conventicles , &c. answ. as for conventicles , i understand you mean meetings out of publick steeple-houses , and that there must be no private meetings for preaching and praying , but all people must be forced to come to publick places of worship . now i say , if the authority that is now set up , and hath the power , doth exercise it self in this way , then the god of heaven will be provoked against it , to overthrow it and confound it , if it proceed contrary to the end of just rule and authority ordained of god , which is for the punishment of them that do evil things between man and man ; but not to impose upon mens consciences , in things relating to the worship and service of god : but the lord god 〈◊〉 wholly judge in such matters , and not any man ; and if any men 〈◊〉 er● in their minds concerning faith , and doctrine , and the worship of , god , that belongs to the lord to punish , and not to any earthly authority . and what , must not the people of god come together to worship the lord in spirit and truth ? must not people conveen together in this age , as the people of god did in ages past ? did not christ many times preach in the d●sert , and sometimes in a ship by the sea-side , and someti●es on a mountain , as you may read in the scriptures ? and did not he often preach unto the pharisies , and sometimes to his disciples , out of the publick synagogues ? and might not the iews have called those meetings conventicles , because they were not in their publick synagogues ? and also , did not the apostles and saints , after the resurrection of christ , when they returned from ierusalem , meet together privately ? for they went into an upper room , and waited upon the lord , an● continued with one accord in prayer and supplication : and again , at a●…er time , they were about an hundred and twenty in number , that were in one place to wait upon the lord , and peter preached unto them ; and were these meetings conventicles , because they were not in a publick synagogue , but in 〈◊〉 upper chamber , and in a private place ? and thus the saints of old met together , as ye may read , act. . and worshipped god in spirit and in truth , and preached and prayed ; and must not the people of god now meet together to pray and wait upon the lord , but they must be reproached with th● 〈◊〉 of conventicles , and threatned and punished for so doing ? oh how blind i● this generation , and how contrary to the true christian-spirit in their practices ! and did not philip preach jesus unto the eunuch in a chariot , as 〈◊〉 ●ent on the way ? and this was not in a publick synagogue , as in act. . 〈◊〉 ●id not peter preach to cornelius , with many others , in cornelius his house ? 〈◊〉 ●is was a meeting , and not in a synagogue , acts . and did not the ●…les and saints meet together in an upper chamber , where paul preached until midnight amongst the saints ? act. . and was this a conventicle , and a● unlawful meeting ? might not the iews have said , this was an unlawful assembly , being in a chamber , and not in a publick synagogue ? and again , did not paul preach in his own hired house for two whole years together , and received , all that came in unto him ? act , . and here were privat● meetings out of publick synagogues . but did the iews threaten them , and inflict sufferings upon them , because they met in private houses , and would not come to their synagogues and publick worship ? or did they reproach them with the name of sectaries and conventiolers , when they met together to wait upon the lord , sometime in praying , and sometime in preaching ? and thus you may see by many examples , that the saints and true christian churches in the dayes of old met together , sometime on mountains , and sometimes in deserts , and sometime in upper chambers , their own hired houses , and not in the publick synagogues ; but they were gathered from the temple and first priesthood , and from the worship which god had once commanded , which stood in outward things and ordinances ; and when they had received the substance , they denyed the shadows , types and figures , and did not uphold them any longer : and they were gathered by the preaching of the gospel into the second and new covenant , and they met together in private houses , and upper chambers , and by the sea-side to preach and pray , and to worship the lord ; and we do not read that the iews persecuted them for so doing . and will you that have the name of christians persecute the people of god , though they meet together in private houses , and their own hired houses , and cannot come to your temples and steeple-houses ? and will not you suffer such to meet together out of your publick places , but you will persecute them , and call them hereticks , and such like ? is not this worse than ever the iews did to the apostles ? and so you are out of the example of the true christians , who met together , and preached and prayed often , and not in a synagogue or publick place ; but you cry against them that do so , and threaten to persecute for it : and thus you shew your selves out of the true christian example , and in this you are worse than the iews and more cruel , if you should persecute people for meeting to wait upon the lord in their own houses , or in what place or time , as the lord should move their hearts ; but if you proceed in this way , and will not permit the people of god to meet together in their own hou●● and not in your idol-temples ; then the power of the lord will confound you , and god will break you to peices , and you will feel his heavy wrath upon your consciences , and god will smite you with his judgements inwardly and outwardly . now for your restraining of people from one way of worship , and forcing them to another , and compelling them about religion by cruel laws and commandments of men ; this is of antichrist , for you to do ; and of the devil : for all forcing of people to this kind of worship , and from another , 〈◊〉 posing upon their consciences in matters of gods kingdom ; this is also of ●…tichrist , and contrary to christ and his way ; for he won people by sound doctrine ; and by love , and by a good conversation ; and so did his disciples , for they never forced any by outward violence to their worship , nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 church-government and ordinances : but it was the practice of the beast , and the dragon , that first forced people , and compelled them 〈◊〉 ●●●ship , since the dayes of the apostles , rev. . it was antichrist that first 〈◊〉 upon people in the ignorance of their consciances , and contrary to their ●…ences , by the commandments of men , false faith , false worship , false ministry , false doctrine , and false religions ; so that now , if you should force any contrary to their consciences , to your steeple-houses , to 〈◊〉 and say your form of prayers , we shall say then you are antichrist , 〈◊〉 of the devil , if so be you should endeavour to compel any , either against 〈◊〉 consciences , or in the ignorance of their consciences , to your way of worship or religion . therefore take heed how you meddle in these things , lest god confound you . and as for us , we are the people of god , we fear his name , and worship him , and cannot bow to the devil ; and we need not be forced to worship the lord , for his spirit leads us into all truth , and we need none of your outward prescriptions , or form of prayers , for the spirit of god teacheth us in all these things , when , and where , and how we should worship the lord god , who is a spirit , and will be worshipped in spirit and in truth , which is free , and not by outward force ; and all the worship that is otherwise , and not in the free spirit of christ , is of great babylon , whom the lord will confound and destroy . another general objection answered . object . . again , whereas it is said by some , now there must be no more private preachers , unlearned men , and men not ordained must not now preach anymore ; lay-persons must not be preachers that are not so qualified , nor so and so ordained : and this is the present talk among some people . answ. to this i also answer , and say , wo to them that would stop , or quench , or limit the spirit of god in sons or daughters ; for such are denyers of the scriptures , and the power of god ; and such bring guilt upon their own consciences , and work fearful abomination against god. and what , must not the spirit of the lord speak now , where it is , in this age , as it did in the dayes of old , as you may read in the scriptures ; for , was not elisha a plow-man , and was not he called from the plow , king. . and became a prophet of the lord unto the house of israel , and had the spirit of elijah poured upon him ? and would not you have said he was a lay-man , a plow-man , unordained , not fitting to preach , if you had lived in his dayes ? and was not a●●● called from following the flock ? who had been no prophet , nor no prophets son but an herds-man , amos . , . and it was lawful for him to preach the word of the lord , though he was but an herds-man and had been no prophet , nor prophets son ; which if he had lived in your dayes , you would have called him a lay-man , an unfit person , unlearned , and one not ordained for the ministry : and you , like amaziah the wicked priest of bethel , would now quench the spirit , as he would have done in amos , who was a trades-man , and such a one as you call lay-men , who are not ( as you say ) fitting to preach . and did not christ jesus himself chuse fisher-men , and sent them forth to preach the gospel , and such as were men of trades , and unlearned in books , as it is written , act. . . when the ru●●●s saw the boldness of peter and john , and perceived they were unlearned , they ●●velled ; and these were ministers of christ , and preached the everlasting gospel , whom you would have called lay-men , and men unfit to preach , 〈◊〉 you lived in their dayes . and paul himself by occupation was a tent-●…er , it is said , and he laboured with his hands , and yet was a preacher of the gospel ; and there are multitudes of witnesses in the scriptures of these things , how that men of trades , and unlearned in letters and books , and never were brought up at schools and colledges , but followed the plough , and were keepers of cattel , and some followed fishing ; such as these in old 〈◊〉 had the spirit of god given them , and they preached the gospel : and what if the lord at this day give his spirit to such as these , and send them 〈◊〉 to preach the gospel , even to such as were brought up and educated 〈◊〉 ●ay be ) at handy-craft trades , and are labouring men , and are not 〈◊〉 at schools and colledges ; will you limit the lord , and quench his 〈◊〉 , and reproach his wayes and servants , and now call them lay-per●… and say they are not fitting to preach ? for they are not learned nor ●…ed , say you ; and calling them mechannicks and private preachers , and 〈◊〉 they must not now be admitted to preach the gospel ; and in this you 〈◊〉 the scriptures , and the example of the saints in former ages , and so neither 〈◊〉 the scriptures , nor the spirit that gave them forth : though you say , 〈◊〉 own the scriptures , yet if the same things come to pass which they declare 〈◊〉 you deny them in this age , and ●ry against such as hereticks who wit●… the fulfilling of them , which shews you are of antichrist , and that you quench the spirit in the sons and daughters , which god hath promised in the new covenant , that he would give and pour forth upon sons and daughters , and they shall prophesie : and are not we to look for these things now ? what must not god's promises be fulfilled ? must not an heards-man now preach , if the word of the lord come unto him ? and must not plow-men now speak of the things of god , if they have experience of them ? and must not fisher-men and tent-makers bear witness to the name of christ , if they have received of his spirit ? and will you deny the scriptures , which saith , as every one hath received the spirit and the gift , so let him administer the same one to another ? . pet. . or do you say , none must have the gift of the spirit , but such as are brought up at schools and colledges ? or will you limit the holy one to such and such men and wayes ? oh you are blind and ignorant , who would quench the spirit of god , that it should not speak in these dayes ; and thus you are denyers of the scriptures : but god hath given of his spirit , and spoken in our hearts , and we must prophesie , and speak as the spirit of god giveth utterance , as the saints of old did , act. . . now for your way of making ministers at schools and colledges , and so quallifying them with knowledge in the seven sciences , as it is said , and ordaining them in that manner and way , as among papists and protestants hath been practised for ages ; this way of making ministers , and sending of them forth , was never known among the apostles ; for they were not thus made and ordained , and sent to preach , nor was this way of making and sending forth ministers , till the spirit and power of god was lost and forsaken by the apostate christians ; and the scriptures make no mention of such ways , nor give no example for such things ; and we cannot own any religion , nor any practice thereof , but what we have example for from the saints of old before us : and we believe that it is generally of antichrist , to invent and introduce such and such practices for religion towards god , and for the worship of him , for which there is no example in all the christian churches in the apostles dayes : and we believe that way of making ministers , and sending of them forth , which is not approveable by the scripture , , nor according to them , is of antichrist , and not of god ; neither can we own such ministers nor their ministry , who are not ordained of god , and according to the scriptures ; nor can we deuy private preachers nor their ministry , as you call them , if they have received the spirit of christ , though they be not so learned outwardly , nor ordained according to what some may call the right way ; but who are ministers , made and sent of god , and have the authority of his spirit , such we own , and cannot deny ; and such the lord will bless with his presence , to the confounding of all their enemies . concerning settlement in a happy government . object . there hath been great divisions and distractions in these nations for many years ; and in the midst of them the great cry hath been by many for settlement and peace , and for a quiet and happy government . answ. these things hath the lord suffered to come to pass in the world ; even great contentions , divisions and distractions , and much changes of government in these kingdoms ; and the appearing cause of these things , hath been from the lust that hath warred in the members ; for from thence doth wars and strife arise : and many have been ambitious , vain-glorious , self-seeking and covetous of the honours and pleasures of this world ; the lust and desire of these things hath possessed the minds of men , and induced them to envy and wrath one against another , and hath filled them with heart-burnings , and cruelty of mind , to the killing and destroying of one another , by wars and blood-sheds , and by plots and contrivances have sought how to extinguish one another from the earth , that themselves might be exalted : and thus from the desires that have warred in mens minds , have wars arisen against the persons of men , and among them : and this is the appearing cause of the wars and distractions that have been in these nation , though the hidden cause ( which hath not so appeared ) hath been in god ; and because of the wickedness of men , both high and low , and because of their oppressions and abominations , which have been many and great in the world ; therefore hath the god of heaven been provoked in just judgement towards rulers and people , to suffer men to destroy one another , and to execute bloodshed and destructions one upon another ; and he hath brought it to pass , in giving up men to the fulfilling of their cruel intents , which have been hatched in their evil minds , every man against his neighbour , and even because they have been departed out of his counsel , and followed their own wicked wayes , and justice , and mercy , and truth have been wanting amongst men in these nations ; so that this is the principal cause wherefore the lord god hath brought about and suffered these wars , distractions , confusions and discord in these latter dayes ; and out of the justness of god's judgments , because of the wickedness of men , have these things been . and now these distractions , and confusions and discords amongst men can never wholly and truly cease to be , till iniquity and transgression be repented of , and turned from , which is the very cause wherefore god hath done and suffered these things , as i have said ; and so men must cease from oppression , from cruelty , and from all unrighteousness , and must turn to the lord , and become cleansed from their sins , ere ever the judgements of the lord be removed , and these distractions , wars and confusions cease to be in these lands ; and till men become meek and humble ; and till they cease to seek revenge one of another ; and till they cease all oppression and covetousness , injustice and unmercifulness ; and till they forsake their worldly honour and high titles , which puff them up in arrogancy and ambition ; and even till every man forsakes his particular iniquity ; till all these things be , distractions will not cease , nor shall settlement , and peace , and happy government ever be : this is certainly so ; for except the cause be removed , the effect can never cease : and there appears to be at this day as great ( if not far more ) dissatisfactions in the minds of some people , than hath been heretofore ; and it appears to be as far from settlement and true peace in an happy union in government , as for many years ; though it hath been expected by many , that we should have peace and settlement in government , yet , behold it cannot be ; for there are discontents and murmurings in the minds of men , and unsettlement in their spirits , and the foundation of a happy government is not yet discovered unto many ; nor do the people walk in the way of peace ; but iniquity is abounding , oppression and cruelty yet lives , hard-heartedness and envy , pride and ambition , are not yet cut down , neither in all the governours , nor in the governed : and this is not the way of peace and true settlement ; but it is the way of troubles and distractions , and the very foundation of great distractions and wars , rather than of settlement and happy government : these things are so , and therefore true peace and settlement in good agreement , who can expect ? because the ground of distractions and unsettlement is continued and increased , rather than abated and removed amongst 〈◊〉 , and the true foundation of peace and settlement in happy government , is not yet raised up amongst men ; but because injustice and oppressi●● are continued , therefore will god be provoked to bring distractions , wars and tribulations upon the kingdoms of all the world ; and god will ●●●found and dash in pieces , powers , authorities , rulers , nations and peoples ; and he will break one potsherd against another , and overthrow one mountain against another ; and the hands of cruel men will god suffer to devour one another ; and ambitious and malicious hearts shall be suffered to finish one anothers ends , because of their own wickedness : and therefore be not deceived ; blessedness in the kingdoms of this world can never be , except iniquity and transgression be departed from ; except oppession and hard-heartedness dye ; and except the foundation of war and strife be removed , and the foundation of peace and happy government be raised up among●● men. again , true peace and settlement in good government can never be , except the lord alone be owned as judge and law-giver , and his righteous laws to be executed in the earth ; that justice and true judgement may flow down , and all the contrary may be stopped and limtted by the just laws of god ; and all unjust and unequal laws ( made and established in the ignoranc● of men ) which have not been justly according to the law of god , nor depended thereupon ; such laws must also be made void , judged and cast out , and the law of god must enter : this must be accomplished , if ever true settlement in a pappy peace be amongst us ; the laws must be changed , the unjust and unequal cast out , and just and equal laws brought in ; for because hereof , while unjust and unequal laws have been executed in judgement , therefore have we wanted settlement and peace in a happy government , and the cortrary hath been , and will continue , till all unjust , unequal and oppressive laws be discontinued . again , if ever true peace and settlement in a happy government be amongst men , governours rulers and executioners of the law must be just persons and righteous men , men that fear god , and hate covetousness , and that depart from every evil way ; and all ambitious , self-seeking , and unjust men must be cast out , even all they that have sought themselves , and not the lord , in their places of trust ; such as have perverted justice and true judgement for their own corrupted ends , and such as have been cruel and hard-hearted oppressors ; all such as these must be cast out , and the law must not be committed to such to execute , neither must such sit in judgement over the people ; for because hereof , and while such men have ruled and governed , and executed the laws , no true settlement in a just government , but the contrary hath been , even destractions an● tribulations ; and while such men do continue to rule and judge , and execute the laws in any part of the world , we shall never have a happy government nor settlement in it in this world ; nor till just men , that have the spirit of god , and sound judgement , that are humble and meek , patient and merciful , and such as fear the lord , and walk in his wayes , be called to rule and judge , and execute the laws : and the laws must be just and holy , and the executioners of them equal and upright men . till these things be accomplished , a happy settlement in this worlds kingdoms can never be , but god will dash one mountain against another , and throw one hill upon another , and he will give no peace among the kings of the earth , but stain the glory of all the worlds governments , till truth and righteousness come to reign , and till just laws be executed by just men , and till m●rcy and justice , truth and equity flow forth abundantly . therefore all nations , you have been deceived while you have turned up and down , from one way and manner and kind of government to another , and from one sort of governmten to others : sometimes you have been for a parliament ; sometime for a protector ; and sometime for neither ; from each of these to others you have changed , thinking to have peace and settlement in a happy government , but it could not be ; for there are continu●l distractions untill this day in the minds of m●n , and they are yet unsettled in their spirits ; and there are heart-burnings , and ●nvyings , and seeking of revenge ; and while these things are , nothing but distractions and tribul●tions ; not peace , but troubles , even till these things be removed : and till ●e have just and equal laws , according to the law of god , established over 〈◊〉 , and just , and holy , and righteous men to execute them in judgement ●pon us ; and till we have truth and righteousness sit on the throne , until this be , no true settlement in a happy government ; but distractions and contentions , and woful tribulations in the kingdoms of the world , and amongst men ▪ and this is certain , and according unto the will of the lo●d : and in the justness of his judgement these things come to pass ; for it is injustice and oppressions , and want of mercy and truth , which is the foundation of contentions and distractions ; and it is justice and equity , truth and righteousness , that is the only foundation of peace and settlement , and a happy government for a perpetual continuance . to all false christians . there are many false wayes in the world , and many false kinds of religions , and people are in much disagreement about their church , worship and ministry ; papists are opposing the protestants , and the protestants the ●●pists ; and there is a great contention in the world. but the papists are in a wrong way , and so are the protestants too ; and their religions are both false in many things ; for whilst they profess christ and christianity , and make a shew of righteousness in outward appearance , yet many of them live in sinful wayes , and bring forth the fruits of iniquity against the living god ; and pride , cheating , and double-dealing , covetousness and envy , drunkenness and whoredom , and all wickedness is abounding and brought forth , both by the apostate christians , though they cry up the name of christ , and the profession of godliness , yet are they wicked in the sight of god , and they are not changed in heart and mind , nor do they know the new birth ; and ●ll such are out of the right way , in the way of error , if they have the form of godliness , but want the power ; though they may have mass , or say common-prayer once a week , o● oftner , yet all this is but abomination and deceit , whilst they practise iniquity , hatred , back-biting , lying , drunkenness , and the like ; they that act these things , the plagues of god will be their portion , and misery their end , and their profession in religion will not save them . the day of the lord is at hand , ye hypocrites , ye false christians , ye ●●at profess god with your lips , and your hearts are far away : therefore repent ye , and tre●ble before the lord , lest h● smite you with vengeance : and forsake your false religions , both your mass , and your i●…s of prayer ; and be not idolaters , in professing love in your mouthes , and honour with your lips , w●ilst your hearts are departed from the living 〈◊〉 ; and now come to learn the true religion : depart from all iniquity , and do not lye , nor swear , nor be drunk , nor steal , nor murder , nor envy ; but love the lord with all your hearts , and your neighbour as your selves : and this is the true religion , in which man may be saved ; and live in soberness , meekness and ●●nestt●y , and speak every man truth to his neighbour , and live in love 〈◊〉 with another , and be kind , and gentle , and bring forth the fruits of the spirit of god ; cease to do evil , and learn to do well , and depart form all ●●iquity , and follow after righteousness : this is true religion , and in it ●ou may ●e saved ; this is the right way , all that walk in it shall have peace and blessing from god ; and all that walk contrary , damnation is their portion . therefore you papists and protestants ( so called ) turn from your hypocrisie , and learn this way , and cease from your false worships , that are after the forms and traditions of men , and not after the spirit of god ; and learn to worship god in the spirit , that you may be saved : you have a light from christ in your consciences , which lets you see what sins ye are guilty of , and it reproves you for your sin : if you believe in the light , and walk in it , that is the right way , then you will deny what is evil , and follow what is good in your conversations ; but if you follow what is evil , and act contrary to the light in your consciences , and repent not , vengeance in flames of fire will be you● portion . this is the day of your visitation , the army of the lamb is gone forth , and the sword of the spirit is drawn amongst them , that will wound your consciences , and god will smite you with the words of his mouth ; ye rocks , and hills , and bryars and thorns , and fruitless trees , the god of heaven will hew you to pieces , and pluck you up , and cast you into the fire to be consumed . repent , for the day of the lord is at hand . by one that seeks the good of all men , e. b. a vindication of the people of god , called quakers , directed unto roger boyle , called earl of orrery . charles coote , called earl of mountrath , theophilus iones , called sir theophilus iones . being an answer to a book , dedicated to them , by one george pressick of dublin . in which book many lyes and calumnies are presented against the innocent people of god. and this is for the clearing of the truth , that no lye may rest upon it ; and for the satisfaction of all sober people in ireland , and elsewhere . with a word of good advice to the chief governours there . there is irreconcileable ennity between the two seeds , ( to wit ) the seed of god and the seed of the serpent ; and these two are alwayes opposite and contrary one to the other , in nature , fruits and effects ; and the seed of the serpent is alwayes persecuting the seed of god , in every age and generation ; and they in whom the seed of the serpent is living and ruling , are alwayes projecting and contriving mischief and hatred against the people and ●●●vants of the lord , in whom the seed of god liveth and reigneth ; as it is written , he that is born of the flesh persecutes him that is born after the spirit ; thus it hath been in all generations , and thus it is at this day : great is the ●●●●sition that is made by many in lyes and slanders , in reviling and re●…hing , in imprisoning and persecuting , and in all manner of evil works 〈◊〉 words against the innocent people of god , called quakers : how have the hands of ungodly men been lifted up to smite that people by many kinds of abuses ? and how have their tonges been set on fire , to reproach , and revile , and slander in all kind of evil-speaking ? and all this for righteousness-sake , and not for any evil doing : for who is the man , and where is he , that can justly charge evil upon that people , either in doctrine , faith , or practice ? or in any ●●ing relating to their religion to god-wards , or in relation to their conversations and walking towards men ? it is true , we have not wanted accusers to every authority , but such and such things have been falsly charged against us , and that to every power that hath been since we were a people , under whom we have been a suffering people , even from all that ever have sitten in the throne , since the lord raised us up to bear witness of his glorious name and truth in the world. now the present occasion of this my present work , is , forasmuch as we now stand accused of great and heinous crimes in the view of this whole kingdom of ireland ; and more particularly before you three , in a book called , a brief relation of some remarkable passages of the anabaptists in germany , &c. published by one george pressick of dublin , and dedicated in a special manner to you ; that his work may pass with the greater credit , and his slanders and calumnies , be received for undoubted truths : now that the innocency of the upright may be cleared , and that no lye may rest upon the truth , nor that you , neither any others , may receive falshoods for verities , because of our silence ; therefore it is that the lord hath put it into my heart , to defend the cause of god and his people , by returning plain and sober answer to the principal part of his book , wherein we are concerned and falsly charged ; and for the end that the false accuser may be reproved , and his calumnies returned into his own evil and malicious heart , from whence they came ; and that you , and all men , may be truly informed , and prevented ( if possible ) of being seduced into the belief of falshoods , lest that your hearts and hands should be stirred up , to act or do , in your authority against the people whom god hath blessed ; and from the ground and cause of mis-informations , and false accusations , without better testimony ; which would be a way to destroy your selves , and to bring the unjust sufferings of the lord's people upon your own heads , which would draw down the heavy wrath of god upon you . i cannot flatter you by feigned words of guile , nor give you flattering titles , but i judge you are reasonable men , in that degree as to hear and consider our defence , as well as our enemies charge ; and i hope you are wise in that degree , as to judge between truth and a lye , and to distinguish one from the other ; and i suppose you are just in that measure , as to receive what ye know to be truth , and to reject what you know to be false , being convinced in your own consciences ; and as such , i must place my plea before you particularly , and make my defence to your judgement seat [ even to the witness of god in your consciences , i intend and mean ] and i shall omit to say much to the accuser himself , as supposing him , a man more full of envious raging humour , than of solid and wise judgement , to receive either reproof or conviction ; for many such as he i have dealt withall in this case , whom i have found men so filled with prejudice , that neither the authority of sound reason , nor of the word of god , could convince them of their evil proceedings ; therefore , before you , i shall state the particular accusations , and the defence against them . the way in which our adversary hath proceeded in his accusations is obscure , and yet malicious enough , and also in great ignorance ; for he tells 〈◊〉 in his epistle , he hath gath●red up out of several authors , the most remarkable passages both of the doctrine and practice of the anabaptists ( so called ) i● germany , 〈◊〉 . years ago , and then he charges the same things upon the anabaptists and q●… ( as he scornfully calls them ) in these dayes ; and then he applauds you th●… 〈◊〉 words of high stile , for being instrumental to suppress their insolent tyr●●nical 〈◊〉 authority , which they exercise ever god's people in this nation , to ●nslave 〈◊〉 ( saith he ) to their insatiable lusts . these are his own words in his epistle . answ. in answer to all this , divers things are very considerable , which i desire to lay before you . . concerning the anabaptists ( so called ) in germany ; and their doctri●… and practices , with the several transactions falling out in that tim● : it is not my work now to plead their cause , nor yet can i justifie them in their proceedings , if the relations given of them be true , which are many , and to me seems not in every thing credible ; because i find it were their enemies , who are our authors ; who seldom give true relations of such whom they hate : but be the relations true or false , it is not material in this case in hand , for my occasion is not concerning a people so far off , as in germany , and of so long time , as above a hundred of years ; but i am to clear the innocent who are now living , from the present accusations of an envious man ; though , if it were necessary ; or would edifie , or were a matter of pertinency , i could say somewhat more concerning that peoples appearing in germany , but being a matter not suting ●y occasion , i do forbear it . . as for them , called anabaptists of this our age and country , i shall not plead their cause at this time , though i cannot believe that they are of that spirit of murder and tyranny , &c. as is reputed by your informer ; though their judgment in every case , neither about civil or spiritual things i dare not justifie ; nor may i lawfully clear all of them from a large measure of the spirit of ambition and covetousness , vain-glory and self-seeking ; for which the lord hath justly brought them under a just reproof , and by this time i believe some of them may see some error in their own way , and more i may not say of them , but that i believe the present accusation against them , by your present informer , is more out of bitter and perverse emnity , and devouring malice , that he bears towards them , than out of any other end ; and i doubt not but they are sufficient to answer for themselves , and to clear their innocency in things wherei● they are not guilty ; and if they are guilty , let them fall in their tryal : i leave them to speak for themselves , thus omitting any further answer on their behalf . . as for us , whom in scorn the accuser calls quakers , and whom he hath accused as guilty in all things , with the anabaptists ( so called ) in germany , and in this nation ; i say , there is great difference both in iudgment and practice , in things , civil ( so accounted ) and things spiritual between us and them , as is well known ; and were they fully guilty of all what is said of them ( which i dare not believe ) yet how can we be charged guilty of their crimes , being they and we are different in iudgment and practice , as i have said : surely your informer hath neither shewed good conscience , nor yet pure reason in his proceeding , who hath laid things to our charge which we never knew , and hath accused us guilty of that which never entred into our hearts to practise , and hath ( as it were ) charged other mens crimes upon us , being wholly innocent , as will appear in the prosecution of this matter ; and i hope to make it plain , that he hath wronged us , and abused you , by dedicating falshood for your ap●roof , and sent slanders abroad , as it were , under your name or pa●●●●age . . as concerning the charge it self , included in these words , saith your informer ; and considering how instrumental your honours have been to suppress their ●…t , tyrannical , usurped authority , which they exercise over god's people in 〈◊〉 nation , to enslave us , &c. in these words there are very deep accusations , ●…ders , and unjust reproaches vented against us ; and with what face ( except ●…ent ) we can be thus charged , is almost wonderful ; especially consider●…●●at we have been our selves a suffering people by every authority , since 〈◊〉 time the lord raised us up , and never had any outward authority in 〈◊〉 nation , but all were cast out of all place and power , both civil and military , when as they have become one with us in our way , and this hath been the manner of dealing with us by all that ever have ruled ; and yet we are charged most unjustly with exercising insolent , tyrannical , u●…d authority in this nation , &c. for it s said , their insolent , and they exercise , to wit , the quakers ; when as it is manifest , as i have shewe● , that we never excercised any outward authority at all , but have been suffering people by all authorities unto this day : therefore i do appeal to the witness of god in your own consciences , how great is this slander , and how false this accusation , and how wicked is our adversary in thus accusing us before you , in the things which you so well know are utterly and detestably false ; and the accuser and his accusations are to be condemned together . . but and if it had been so , or should be so in time to come , that we had any , or all outward authority in our hands , ( i may suppose impossible things , to manifest the truth of our principle ) our principle is not to be insolent , tyrannical , nor to be usurpers over god's people , to enslave ; but far the contrary , even that justice , mercy and truth may sit in the throne , and that peace and freedom may be held forth unto all ; that no usurpers nor tyrants , but iust men , and men that fear god and hate covetousness and every evil way , that such alone may sit in judgment whom god calleth to that place ; who will rule in righteousness and justice , and regard the cause of the poor and needy ; we would that such onely ruled , who were ruled by the lord ; who would be a blessing in the world , and to all people ; not desiring more liberty to our selves , than what we would give unto all others in all just ways . this is , our principle , as to matters of outward authority among men , and not as this false accuser hath suggested out of his evil heart . . as to the matter of your suppressing us , which your applauder saith , you have been instrumental to do : this is as false as the rest ; for we are no more suppressed than before , you exercised your present authority , but are every way in as much liberty of persons , and otherwise , as in their dayes before yours ; and are no way suppressed , nor fearful of it : so the author of such lyes , hath but flattered you , and fawned upon you , in telling you , ye have suppressed us , whenas its nothing so : but and if it had been in your hearts , or be at this day , to suppress us , and to hinder us of our liberties , and to persecute us , the lord shall plead our cause against you , and give no success unto your work ; but it shall be turned to our renown , and to your overthrow , and the secret hand of god shall confound you , and break your purposes , and deliver his people out of your mouthes ; thus it shall come to pass , ifthat your hand sshould be stretched forth to hurt us , who are gods heritage , and the sheep of his fold . and thus much in answer to his epistle . now i come to a second accus●tion of his , stated in his first page , in these words . we may see from whence anabaptists , quakers , ranters , and levellers , all had their original , namely , from the papists , &c. answ. . as for the anabaptists , ranters , and levellers , i leave them to plead their own cause ; and though we are accused with such , yet there is much difference in iudgment and practice between us and them ; though i believe , they are all further from popery both in iudgment and practice , than is this accuser of them ; but yet they shall answer for themselves ; and i shall onely mind the matter i have in hand , which is , to clear the people of god , called quakers , from the accusations charged falsly against them , whom i know to be innocent , from these false accusations . . that we did arise from the papists , or , that they are our original , in d●ctrine , faith , or practice , this is utterly false ; for between us and them , is perfect separation , and we are of another spirit , and divided from them ; as appears every way , even by their persecuting of us for our testimony bearing against them , and their religion ; and they have written against us , and we against them , divers controversies ; and they have imprisoned divers of our friends in their dominions , for giving testimony against their wayes : by all which it doth appear , that we are not of the papists line , nor arisen from them ; for if we were of them , they would love us , and not persecute us ; and that herein we are falsly accused , as in other things : and this is an old out-dated accusation , and is of no account ; for now we are otherwise known through these kingdoms , and we are manifest to the consciences of men in the sight of god , to be such as fear the lord , and walk in his ways . . and as for our original , it is the lord god alone that hath raised us up , and planted us a people , that were not a people in times past ; and not from the apostate christians , neither of papists nor protestants ( so called ) are we sprung ; but are of the apostles line , and of the stock and race of the true christians , that believe in christ , and follow him : and in every part of our religion , both in faith and practice , and in conversation , we are agreeing with the holy apostles , being witnessed unto by the scriptures in all that we profess and practice ; and the lord hath raised us up out of the apostacy , into which all christendom hath been fallen since the apostles dayes , whilest antichrist hath reigned over the world ; and we are as the first fruits unto god and to the lamb , since the f●lling away from the true faith ; and truth and righteousness is our original , and christ jesus it our foundation , on whom we are builded , and the gates of hell cannot prevail against us : and this testinony the spirit of god giveth for us , and in us , in contradiction of the false accusations of all our enemies . . and if it be an offence to be risen from the papists , and if all that be evil which they are the original of ; then the protestants ( so called ) are in the offence , and their ministry , and the chief part of their church-government , worship and ordinances are evil ; for did not the protestants spring from the papists ? and did not the papists institute the way by which the protestants ministers at schools and colledges ? and was it not they that first instiuted sprinkling of infants , and calling it baptism into the faith , and into the church ? and was it not the papists that first taught the protestants to keep holy dayes , as christmass and candlemass , so called ? and many other particular things relating to the protestant church , ministry and worship , were originally ordained and first practiced by the church of rome and papists : and so while this false accuser is charging others , himself and the men of his way , are found guilty of the same things ; and the papists may justly say to the protestants , that they are false : hearted to them , in denying of them and their church , when as their fathers were the instituters of the principal parts of the protestants worship and ordinances ; and so they , like unnatural children , have denyed their mother that bred them up , and ordained them a way of making ministers , and maintaining them , and many other parts of their religion : but because she hath not been the national interest for these many years , therefore the church of the protestants have denyed the church of rome , though originally they rose out from them . the next thing in his book i take notice of , is , where he seemeth to charge us , with boasting that we talk with god , and god with us , and have revelations , and as if god commanded them to kill all the wicked , and to make a new world : a sect in saxony ( saith the accuser ) arose that held this ; and the quakers now are like them : which is as much as charging all this upon us . answ. that we do boast of talking with god , or of revelation . this is another of his false accusations ; for we boast not , nor do we glory in any thing , saving in the lord , and this is no error , but that which we must acknowledge unto , or else deny the truth , to talk with god , and god with us , in and by his own spirit ; for all the saints have converss with god , and union and fellowship with him in his own spirit , as the scriptures do declare : and as for revelations , we do acknowledge according to christ's words , that we had never known the father , nor the son , but by revelation ; for none known the father but the son , and he to whom the son reveals him , as it is written : and all such as have not converss with god , and that have not revelation , are not in the way of eternal life , but are ignorant and without god in the world , and neither know him , nor have fellowship with him . . as for killing all the wicked this is another false charge ; for it is not our principle to war against the persons of any men , and kill them with carnal weapons , about church and ministry , and religion , as the papists and protestants do one against another ; but it is our principle to war against the evil spirit in men , and to smite that with the spiritual sword of god's word ; and we would have mens wickedness killed , and their persons saved , and their souls delivered ; and this is the war we make , even till men be changed by the power of god , and all things made new ; even a new world , and a new earth we do expect , according to the lord's promise , so that it is no error to expect a new earth , and a new world ; for there is a new creation which the saints do witness , created anew in christ jesus , to bring forth good fruits unto the living god : and all that do not witness this , are in the transgression of the old creation , which brings the wrath of god. again , the accuser tells a story of one , that professed the gift of discerning spirits , and to know the elect from reprobates , and that made holiness consist in speaking little , and living homely and sordidly ▪ as our quakers do , saith he . answ. . as for discerning of spirits , that is a gift which the saints of god do receive in all ages ; for the apostles said , to some was given the discerning of spirits , by the manifestation of the spirit of god : so to profess discerning of spirits , is no error in us , though it be stated as a great error before you , by an ignorant man , who knows not what he saith , nor whereof he affirms : and its possible to know the elect from reprobates by their fruits and works ; for the children of god ( who are the elect ) are known by their holy and righteous works and fruits ; and the children of the devil ( who are the reprobates ) are known also by their works and fruits of unrighteousness , which they bring forth ; and this the scriptures bear witness of . . as for speaking little , and living homely and sordidly : if he means , by homely and sordidly , plainly and without superfluity ; this is also works and fruits of holiness ; and its better to speak little , than to utter multitude of vain words ; and its more justifiable to god and just men , to be plain and homely ( as he saith ) in apparrel , than superfluity of naughtiness in vain attire , and more holy ; for true holiness consists in the power of god , which crucifies all idle words , and all superfluity in apparrel , and whatsoever is not like god : and was but this accuser as wise as he is envious , he would never be seen to scorn the quakers ( scornfully so called ) with speaking little , and wearing plain and sober apparrel ; but fools love to be medling to manifest their own folly , as it is written . again , the accuser telleth another story of muntzer , how he did exhort some that were on his part , ( viz. anabaptists ) to kill every mothers son , for a sacrifice to the lord ; and saith he , by this we may g●ess , if anabaptists and quakers should get the upper hand , what they would do , &c. answ. . as for the quakers getting the upper hand , we strive not for it by carnal weapons , to have victory over mens persons , though we know the lord will give us victory and dominion over the beast , and over the false prophets ; for the lamb shall get the victory , and they that are with him , who are called , and faithful , and chosen ; but this victory is spiritual , and obtained spiritually ; and thus we believe the lord will give us the upper hand , even victory over ●ll our enemies . . but what a wicked envious si●rmise and suggestion is here coutched under , as if the quakers , if they had victory , would kill every mothers son for a sacrifice , and that , they would make war , &c. the lord rebuke his slanderous tongue , who hatched mischief in his mind against the innocent , and presented you with forged lyes and surmises , and imagined & guessed cruel and evil things against us , who are far otherwise principled than as he suggesseth : but all this his own doings , doth but manifest the folly of his own heart , and 〈◊〉 own wickedness ; for we are of the spirit of mercy and peace , and not of murder and war ; not to kill mens persons , but to war with the spirit of god against spiritual enemies ; that mens iniquities may be slain , and their persons and souls saved . again , the accuser , pag. . tells a long story of micher hopman , and others with him , what things they held , as they condemned the baptism of children : they would not take an oath : they pulled down magistrates : they undertook to kill all princes : they taught , that in their churches all were holy ; and that it was lawful to have many wives : that all learning is prophane , and that mean men are fittest to expound s●riptures ; and there must be no ordinary calling in the church , but every man must speak as he is inspired : and thus it is ( saith the accuser ) with the quakers and popish agents , who are their ring-leaders , have been endeavouring in these three nations these eight or nine years by-past , &c. answ. . it is to be considered , that all these things are fully charged upon us , as being guilty thereof , and so to every particular i shall answer . as to that of the baptism of children , we do say , there is neither command nor example for it in all the scripture , god never commanded it , nor did the apostle ever practise it in their dayes , but it is a tradition of the church of rome , introduced into the world long since the apostles dayes ; and except better ground can be shewed for the practice of it , than bare tradition , it is lawful to deny it , as being no ordinance of god in his true church ; except ( i say ) that it can be proved that god ever commanded it , or the apostles and saints practised it ; till which be done , it is no error to deny the sprinkling of infants , and to deny it to be the true baptism into the true church . . concerning taking an oath , we say , christ jesus commanded , mat. . not to swear to all ; and the apostles iames said , above all things ; my brethren , swear not : so that to deny to swear and take oathes , is according to the command of christ and his apostles , and is no error , though the accuser hath here charged it on us as a heinous crime ; but we do deny all swearing , in obedience to the commands of christ , and our yea is yea , and our nay is nay , as christ hath taught us , without an oath ; who hath commanded us not to take oaths , nor swear at all . . as for pulling down magistrates , and killing all princes , and that it is lawful to have many wives : these are lyes and slanders charged upon us by a false accuser ; for our principle is , to obey all magistrates , and all princes , in every thing , either by doing or suffering ; and we would have princes and magistrates to rule and reign in the power of god , justly , righteously , and according to the law of god ; and would not have them killed and pulled down : and we say , it 's better to keep in the single chaste life , than to have many wives : but any accusation to make us appear vile , this your informer spareth not ; but according to his work will be his reward in the day of the lord. . concerning all being holy in the church : we say , that every member in the true church of christ , is holy : for the church of christ is his body , and every member of his body , which are flesh of his flesh , and bones of his bones , are holy , as he is holy , in kind and quality ; and it is his exhortation to his saints , be ye holy , for i am holy , saith christ : so that to hold that every member of the body of christ is holy , is no error , though it be so reputed by an ignorant man. . concerning all learning being prophane , and that mean men are fittest to expound scriptures : i do say , that learning in it self is a gift of god , and is not prophane ; though as to the knowledge of god , and the things of his kingdom , learning in tongues and languages , is little available ; for it 's the spirit of god that teaches the things of god , and reveals all the things of his kingdom ; and none can know god , but as the spirit of god discovers him ; for the disciples , who were some of them unlearned men in books and letters , had the knowledge of the matters of god's kingdom taught them by the holy spirit : and such as have the gift of the spirit of god , be they poor or rich , are fitted to expound and understand scriptures ; for none can understand the scriptures , nor the things therein declared , but by the spirit of god that gav● forth the scriptures ; and it is not latine , greek or hebrew that teacheth to understand the scriptures , but it is the spirit of god , and to whomsoever that spirit is given ( and god gives it to whom he pleaseth ) they only are fit to declare the things of god unto others , and to expound scriptures , and none else but them who have experience of the operation of the spirit in their own hearts : and this we hold and believe . . concerning ordinary calling , and speaking as he is inspired : i say the scriptures no where speak of ordinary calling ; and if by ordinary calling it be meant , calling to any office in the church , without the spirit of god ; i say , there was no such calling ; for the ministry of christ in the apostles dayes , was called by the holy spirit , and the ministry of the true church , is made , ordained and called according to the gift of god's holy spirit , which he giveth ; and as every one ( saith peter ) hath received the gift of the spirit , so let him administer the same one to another . so that it is manifest by the scriptures , that the call to the ministry in the apostles dayes , was not of man , nor by man , saith paul , but according to the gift of the holy anointing , the spirit of god : and also every one in the true church might speak , as it was revealed to them , for saith paul , if any thing be revealed to another that stands by , let the first hold his peace ; for ●e may all speak one by one , that all may be edified : so that it is no error to hold , that every one in the true church may speak as the spirit of god gives them utterance , and to whom the things of god are revealed by the spirit . . that there are popish agents among us , and that such are our ring-leaders ; this is a false slander , and you ought to put the accuser to prove it , it is your duty so to do ; and that such popish agents be named , and where they are : and i challenge the accuser to name one among 〈◊〉 , or else let him stop his mouth for a lyar ; who hath abused your names , with dedicating untruths to you for your approof . again , he accuseth us for saying , the spirit bloweth where it listeth , and he saith , we judge none have the spirit but our selves . answ. christ himself said , the wind bloweth where it listeth , and so i● every one that is born of the spirit : and we do judge god hath given of his spirit to many that are yet ungodly , and many are convinced of sin by the spirit of god in their consciences , that are wicked and ungodly , who are not of us : but yet we say , as the saints in ages past said , we know that we are of god , and that the whole world lies in wickedness ; and they that are of god , hear us , and are one with us , and we do inform all people to the measure of the spirit of god in their consciences , that they may come to the knowledge of god , and to be one with us . again , he accuseth us to be acted by the same deluding spirit as john of leyden was acted by . answ. . what spirit iohn of leyden was acted by , we now dispute not , neither doth this accuser well know , but what he hath from the reports of others , which may be false as like as true in fome particulars ; but the spirit that we follow is the spirit of god , by which we are acted in the wayes of truth and righteousness ; and are not deluded , nor followers of a deluding spirit ; for we are willing to be tried in our doctrines and practices according to the scriptures : and though we stand accused of these , and the like things , yet we challenge him to prove it before you , and that we may be admitted to make our defence ; and we shall the rather easily prove that our accuser is acted by the spirit of the devil , who is an accuser of the brethren like the devil ; and that is a deluding spirit that teacheth men to backbit● , ly● and slander , as this man hath done ; so he is proved fully guilty of that whereof he hath accused others , and must own the shame and condemnation to himself , which he would bring upon others . again , the accuser chargeth us , that we would neither have king , magistrate , 〈◊〉 ministers , but of our selves , &c. answ. . i have before mentioned what kind of rulers and government we would have , even such as are just men , and men of truth and righteousness , and that hate covetousness and every evil way ; and such are of us , even such we would have to reign as are approved of god , who would be a praise to them that do well , and a terrour to evil-doers ; and that would only rule and reign for the lord , exercising and executing his righteous laws by the spirit of god ; and such will be blessed in their authority . . and till such only rule and bear the sword of justice in the earth , we do know peace and happiness can never be in the kingdoms of the world , but divisions and confusions will arise and be brought forth ; for it is the only blessedness of a government in any nation , when the authority it self is just ●ad according to god ; and when such as bear the execution thereof are just kings , righteous magistrates , and ministers of justice , that will judge for god and not for man , and we seek not the place of government in this world , nor do we intrude our selves into such places ; though this we say , while that spirit reigns and rule in the nations of the earth , which is not of god , but contrary to us , peace and happiness in good government amongst men through the world can never be ; though we are truly subject to whatsoever authority is set over us , by doing or suffering . then the accuser speaks of teaching the wayes of righteousness , and saith , according to this , the quakers have gone through ireland , and he speaks of god's wrath following for hardness of heart , and this ( saith he ) is just like the quakers doctrines now . answ. that the quakers ( scornfully so called ) have gone through ireland , and through many other nations of the word , to teach and preach truth and righteousness , this is true , and without occasion of an evil charge against them for so doing ; and the lord hath prospered us , and been with us , to the turning of many from darkness to light , and from the power of satan unto god ; and we have testimony in the consciences of many for the truth of our doctrines and practices ; and this is not error nor heresie , to proclaim the wrath of god , because of the hardness of peoples hearts ; for that is the portion of all hard-hearted men : and we are not ashamed of this doctrine , for it is according to the scriptures of truth ; and but that this accuser is given up to blindness of mind , he would never have mentioned these things against us , nor used our names in reproach in this matter . and lastly whereas he saith , some of the quakers say , they are jews , and are not , but are of the synagogue of satan : and thou chargest iames naylor with ●●ying , that he was christ : and that one should say , george fox was iohn baptist , and such false prophets and prophesies we have heard too much of , &c. answ. that they say , they are iews , and are not , are such as have a name to live , but are dead , who say and do not ; but we are not such ; so this his charge is false and wicked , and of the synagogue of satan he doth manifest himself to be , by his accusing of the brethren : and as for i●…s naylor he never said he was christ , through this hath been cast , as a foul reproach , upon him by others , yet it never was proved against him lawfully , no● any thing tending thereunto , saving that he said christ was in him , as 〈◊〉 i● in every member of his body , according to measure . and as for the story of george fox , there are many such lying stories that have gone abroad in these nations , in opposition to the truth of god made manifest ; but over all these things truth ●ath gotten the victory , and the lord's work must prosper in the earth ; and all ly●rs must be confounded , and have their portion in the lake : and this i● our portion from the world , as christ said . they shall speak all manner of evil against you falsly for my name sake ; but great shall be your reward in heaven : and this is for a testimony against them , that our enemies are of the devil , and for a testimony to us , that we are of god. and thus i have returned our defence before you , against his several lyes and slanders , and it s left to the witness of god in your consciences to be judge in this case , between us and him ; and if you be cloathed with the spirit of moderation and meekness , and will judge according to equity , i doubt not but the cause is clear against our adversary , who wrongfully , and to a wicked and evil intent hath hatched mischief against us , and brought it forth before you ; and we desire nothing of revenge towards him for his evil work , but do leave him to be rewarded of the lord , who will justly give him and all men according to their deeds . and now i have a few considerations to present unto you three in particular , as such in that capacity who bear rule in this land. . consider how that you are set in place and authority , and ought to judge and govern for god alone , and to be a terror to all evil-doers , and a praise to all that do well ; and the living god requireth of you , to do iustice , truth and righteousness in the land , to hear the cry of the widow and fatherless , and to judge uprightly the cause of the poor , without respect to your own self-ends ; and ye ought to be meek and humble men in your places of care and trust which i● committed unto you ; and take heed that your hearts be not lifted up in the honour of high places , and so iudgment , mercy , and truth be neglected , and oppressions and cruelties be brought forth . . consider , that if ye do iustice and righteousness , and walk humbly with the lord , and exercise mercy and truth in the land , and hear the cry of the poor , and deliver the afflicted ; then the lord can make you a blessing to your selves and to the people : but if you be proud and exalted , and ambitious and vain-glorious , and exercise cruelty and oppression , and tread down the poor , and vex the needy , and grieve the lord god by your iniquities ; then god will cast you down , and lay your honour in the dust , and make you a curse and a reproach , and your names and memorial shall be a stink , and the justice of the lord's hand shall effect it . . consider that ye are men , and not god , and your strength flesh , and not spirit ; and there is a god greater than all , who is above all , who can suddenly in a moment save his people , and destroy his enemies ; and he can break you down and never raise you up ; he can turn his hand upon you and all man-kind , as the potter doth with his clay , even tread it and mould it for honour or dishonor ; and if his spirit blow upon you , and if he smite you , you perish , and none can restore you : take heed to this god , and have respect unto him , and remember you are but as dust before him ; and you now have a time for a moment , which the lord hath given you to try you what you will do , and how you will walk towards him ; an account unto him must you give of all your wayes : remember this now in your life-time , while you have time , and the day of your visitation is not quite extinguished . be tender and compassionate towards all men ; not perverse , hasty and froward , thinking to bow men to your wills by rigour , but rather win them by love , and this is of good report to you , to be humble , meek and tender towards all , even towards your enemies ; and insult not over the afflicted , neither add to their sufferings ; for the lord can raise up , and bring down whomsoever he will , according to his pleasure ; and remember that law to walk by it , do to others but a● ye would have others do unto you in the same case ; and be not too cruel to such , who cannot conform to times , and things , and men ; for what know you , but some mens consciences may be tender in things which you yet make no conscience of ; meddle not to persecute any for their conscience sake in religious matters , but rule and govern well in outward affairs , according to the law of god ; but afflict not , nor persecute any for their conscience sake towards god , while they walk justly , as men , in things between man and man : take this counsel , lest you vex the lord against you , to destroy you . . be moderate and compassionate towards this same people , that are accused before you ; though they are at this day a people under afflictions and sufferings every way , yet shew not the height of rigour and oppression against them ; though you have power to imprison them , and to deal hardly with them , yet be tender and meek , and shew bowels of mercy and forbearance ; and use not the extent of your power , to seek their destruction , lest ye provoke the lord against your selves : for the god of heaven remembreth their cause , and doth give ear to the cry of their innocent groanings under their heavy burdens , and deliverance may he work for them , whether you will or no ; though it be an hour of affliction , and a day of great tryal upon them , yet wo unto them that shall be found adding to their afflictions , by encreasing their burdens through injustice and persecution : therefore as ye hope to receive mercy from the lord , and as ye would have his compassion shewed to you , do the same to his people , for power is in your hands to be merciful or cruel , to relieve them or persecute them ; and it is your day of tryal what you 〈◊〉 do ; ye have your hour to do good or evil , and according to your works will the god of heaven reward you . . consider the innocency of this people ; they are clear before the lord and you of plotting , or contriving , or designing evil again●● you , or this government , they seek not the hurt of any mans person , nor do they intend evil towards the government or governours ; who have found them agitating any such things ? of all such things they are innocent , and are peaceable subjects under the government , and are perswaded in conscience so to ●●ntinue : and as for their deportment in their callings and occasions , and tradings amongst men , ask their neighbours ; do not they deal justly , truly , and equally in all their dealings and occasions ? do not they speak the truth to their neighbours in all matters ? and are they not persons of upright and inoffensive lives and conversations ? do they defraud their neighbours ? or are they drunkards or vain persons ? ●et the very witness of god in their neighbours answer . and if you should fall a persecuting this people , and seek to destroy them , concerning whom the witness of god in mens consciences giveth such an evidence , wo , wo will be unto you ; for you cannot hurt them , but you act contrary to the witness of god in your own hearts , which will condemn you in the day of judgment . so let this dwell upon your spirits , and be aware what you do ; take good consideration , lest you act out of god's counsel to your own overthrow . . consider what became of all the persecutors of old , were not they eminently destroyed by the hand of god who persecuted the lord's people ? what became of pharoah ? and what became of hammon ? and what became of herod , who persecuted the lord's heritage ? let this enter into your hearts , to be examples to you , that you persecute not the innocent , lest god overturn you by the roots ; for as i have said , the cause of this people god regardeth , and he will avenge himself in his season of all their persecutors ; have not your hands dipped in their unjust afflictions , that god may bless you ; and spare them , that you may be spared in the day of vengeance ; if you have no matter of evil against them in things between man and man , nor in the affairs of your government , as contriving against it ; nor nothing but concerning the worship of their god , and the matters of their conscience in spiritual things ; touch them not , persecute them not , afflict them not ; but be tender towards them , as you will answer the same before the god of heaven . these are only considerations of warning to you : and i commit the matter to the lord ; and ye have time to do good or evil , and accordingly will god reward you . a testimony concerning government and authority . we are a people whom god hath raised up out of the apastacy , darkness and ignorance which all christendom hath long been fallen into ; for since the dayes of the apostles many have professed the words of christ , and had a name of churches , and the shew of religion , and have professed the scriptures , but have wanted the same spirit and power of godliness which the apostles lived in ; the life and spirit of god hath been wanting amongst the false christians , and they have been persecuting one another about religion and the worship of god , and imposing upon one anothers consciences , in spiritual matters ; and kings and rulers have been setting up what kind of worship , and religion , and church government as they pleased ; and they have imposed upon kingdoms , and made people subject to them , to profess and conform to such a way of worship and religion , some in the ignorance of their consciences , and some contrary to their consciences ; and all this hath been in the apostacy , since the apostles dayes , while men have been fallen from the true faith , and many have been subject to their rulers and governours by force , and for fear , and not for conscience sake ; for love , peace and unity hath been wanting among christians , and bitterness , frowardness and false heartedness , hath been amongst them : but out of all this the lord hath redeemed us into peace and comfort with god , and one with another . and as concerning our principle about magistracy , and government , and obedience thereunto , this i do declare . . we do own and acknowledge magistracy to be an ordinance of god , instituted of him , for the punishing of evil-doers , and for the praise of them that do well ; and we acknowledge all subjection to authority , magistracy and government : this is our principle , and hath ever been our practice , known through these kingdoms , that we are subject by doing or suffering , to whatsoever authority the lord pleaseth to set over us , without rebellion , sedition , plotting or making war against any government or governors . . that government and authority which is justly according unto god in all its statutes and ordinances , we are , and do engage to be subject thereunto , by full obedience to all the commands and injunctions of such authority and government , whose laws , ordinances , and commandments are grounded upon right reason and equity , which leadeth to do to all men as we would be done unto , and punish the contrary ; to such government and authority we are readily subject in all things and cases ; and we are for the order and assistance of such government in all righteousness . . that government which is contrary unto this , which is injustice , commanding and requiring things contrary to the law of god , and imposing upon people in matters and cases , contrary to right reason and equity , whose commands are different to the will of god ; yet to such government we acknowledge subjection , by patient suffering under all penalties inflicted for disobedience to the commands which we cannot perform by obedience for conscience sake : and this is our principle , though an authority and government were never so unjust in it self , and in its exercise , yet we may not plot nor contrive , or make turbulent insurrections to redeem our selves from such government and authority , but we must commit our cause to the lord in such case , of suffering under any unjust commands of men. . as concerning church and ministry , and the exercise of religion , we believe and acknowledge that christ hath a church upon earth , and a lawful ministry ; and we are not enemies to church , and ministry , and gospel-ordinances , as we are falsly reputed by men , ignorant and slanderous ; but we only bear witness against the corruption and degeneration of the church of papists and protestants ( so called ) wherein they are different and contrary to what the churches of christ were in the apostles dayes ; they are different and contrary i assert , to what the churches of christ once were in ministry , ( in its call and maintenance ) in ordinances and worship , in discipline and government ; in all these things there is difference to what these things were in the true churches in the apostles dayes : and our principle is , for the reforming of ministry , church government , discipline and worship , and not to destroy them . . as concerning imposing of faith , and doctrine , and practices , and worship in religion by the force of laws and penalties , in the ignorance of mens consciences , or contrary to their consciences : we do say , this practice never was in the apostles dayes , but is an intrusion of antichrist , and we bear testimony against it , not to be of god , but contrary to him : and that outward government and authority in kingdoms and nations , is to be exercised over the outward man , in things between man and man , and not over the inward man , in things between god and mans conscience in spiritual matters , and worship , and duty to god-wards : no king , nor ruler upon earth , hath power given him of god to exercise such authority over the consciences of men in the matters of god's kingdom : and further , religion and church government so set up and established by force , upon pains and penalties , can but reform a people into hypocrisie and false conformity , and not into any real performance of religion or duty to god : and such performance of religion , church-fellowship and ordinances is not unto eternal life , but to the making of men two fold more the children of the devil . . we do believe , that it is the convictions and teaching of the spirit of god that doth make men and people only truly religious : it is that only that perswades the conscience from all evil unto that which is good ; and true religion , and the worship of god , and duty towards him , is not truly learned by traditions of time , commandments of men , or custom of countries , or the like ; but it is the spirit of god , and its teachings in the consciences of people , that leadeth into all truth , according as christ hath said ; so that the way of forcing religion and duty to god upon people by force and outward penalties , this was never known among the saints and apostles of christ. these things are presented to your considerations ; the lord give you a right understanding of them , and that you may walk in the way of your own peace with god and man. e. b. written in the th moneth in ireland , . some considerations presented unto the king of england , &c. being an answer unto a petition and address of the general court of boston in new-england ; presented unto the king ( as is said ) feb. last , the eleaventh day , . subscribed by iohn indicot , the chief persecutor there ; thinking thereby to cover themselves from the blood of the innocent . oh king , this my occasion to present thee with these considerations is very urgent , and of great necessity , even in the behalf of innocent blood ; hoping that my work will find such favour with thee , as to induce thee to the reading and serious consideration hereof . my occasion is this , because of a paper presented to thee , called , the humble petition and address of the general court at boston in new-england : in which is contained divers calumnies , unjust reproaches , palpable untruths , and malicious slanders against an innocent people , whom they scornfully call quakers ; whom , for the name of christ's sake , are made a reproach through the world , and by these petitioners have been persecuted unto banishment and death : it is hard to relate the cruelties that have been committed against these people , and acted upon them by these petitioners ; they have spoyled their goods , imprisoned many of their persons , whipped them , cut off their ears , burned them , yea , banished and murdered them : and all this i aver and affirm before thee , o king , wholy unjustly and unrighteously , and without the breach of any just law of god or man ; but only for and because of difference in iudgment and practice concerning spiritual things ; and without any transgression of the law of god , or their own laws , saving , that they made laws against them on purpose to spoil their goods , imprison persons , cut off their ears , yea , and kill them ; which laws were made by them , without any power truly derived from the lawful authority of england , contrary to their patent . and now , o king , these same men have presented thee with a petition , in which is asserted very many extream reproaches , as i have said , in contempt and derision of that people ; and all this , as if those people were guilty of heinous crimes , that it might appear to thee , as if these petitioners had done nothing but iustice in what they have done ; and they seek to cover themselves , and to hide their wickedness before thee , in what they have unjustly acted ; and this seems to be the current of some part of the same petition , already presented unto thee , like as if they had done no evil , though they have unjustly banished , 〈◊〉 off ears , whipped inhumanly , and taken away lives , as aforesaid : and they would have thee believe , they are innocent towards thee , and towards us ; whenas it is evident , as the sun at noon-day , that they are our persecuters , and that they have ●●justly persecuted us unto death for the name of christ ; and that also they are not unto thee as they hypocritically feign themselves . and therefore , o king , for the clearing of our selves , and the name of the lord which we profess , and for reproving of their bold & impudent insolencies , both in what they have already done to us , and now in seeking to cover themselves unto thee : and also , if there be any doubtfulness in thy heart of these matters , for these ends and causes , with respect to the fear of god , and honour 〈◊〉 the king , i hereby presume to pursue their said petition , even unto thy court , and to wipe away the slanders and reproaches of ungodly men , as much as possible ; hoping thereby thou wilt receive due and just information in this matter of proceeding between us and them , that thy just judgment may be given accordingly . and i shall transcribe some few of their own words , presented to thee , and thereupon spread some few considerations before thee also ; and i pray god give thee an understanding to judge justly in this and all other cases . the first thing that i note , is , whereas they say , that they have chosen rather the pure scripture-worship , with a good conscience , in this poor remote wilderness ( to ●it , new-england ) among the heathens ; than the pleasures of england , with subjection to the imposition of the then so disposed , and so far prevailing hierarchy , which we could not do without an evil conscience , &c. say they . the considerations presented unto the king , upon these words , are divers . . the worship , doctrine , discpiline and constitution of the church of new-england is different and contrary , and not purely according unto the scriptures , in the administration of the gospel , nor in a pure conscience , purely guided by the spirit of god , though they seem to justifie their own way and case before the king ; and this may justly be made appear in his presence , upon good occasion ; only at this time i assert the case , and if ever god gives oportunity , i may prosecute it with proofs and evidences , and that to the great reproof of the church ( so called ) of new-england ; who are not only in doctrine , worship and conversation contrary to the scriptures , but impudent and too presumptious , to affirm their own self-justification and innocenc● before the king , when , as it is manifest , as the day is from the night , that the pastors and members of the church of new-england want the spirit of god , that gave forth the scriptures ; and follow the spirit of persecution , violence and cruelty , and are void of a good conscience , both towards god and men. to prove this , there needs no greater evidence than their own deport●…nt towards the harmless quakers for these five years time ; who , as i have said , have spoiled their goods , and imprisoned their persons , cut off their ears , banished them , and inhumanely put them to death ; and all this because of difference in iudgment and practice in religious matters , when as no manner of evil could be charged upon them in the things between man and man. and if these be not works contrary to the scriptures , and the spirit that gave them forth , and contrary to a good conscience , i am yet ignorant , and must leave it to the judgment of the king , before whom this matter is brought to receive his judgment . . let the king consider , how they have ignorantly condemned themselves in the same things , for whith they have judged others ; for while they seem to complain of the impositions of the bishops , which they stile prevailing hierarchy ; if it was transgression in the bishops in dayes past , to impose upon these petitioners , and to persecute them for non-conformists ; how much more are these men guilty of imposition and persecution of tender consciences ? nay , they have exceeded in the same transgression , and become seven-fold guilty of the sins themselves which they complain against in others ; for they have gone further in cruelty and persecution towards the innocent quakers , than ever the bishops proceeded against them , even so far further , as the murdering of a man is more than cutting off his ear : and the cause of the quakers towards these petitioners hath been as innocent , as ever theirs was towards the bishops . oh hypocritical generation ! who are condemning of others for that whereof themselves are guilty , and imposing upon others in a far higher degree than ever the bishops imposed on them ; witness their law in new-england , which judgeth every man to pay s . per day , who come not to their assembly ; and imposing fines of s , and s . apiece on such as meet together to worship the lord ; which are evident signs of an evil conscience , as themselves speak . the next thing that i note , upon which the king ought to consider , the petitioners say concerning the quakers , open capital blasphemers , open seducers from the glorious trinity , the lord 's christ , the blessed gospel , and from the holy scriptures as the rule of life ; open enemies to the government it self , as established in the hand of any but men of their own principles ; malignant promoters of doctrines directly tending to subvert both our church and state. by way of answer to this , let the king consider ; . the envious and detestable spirit of maliciousness of these accusers , and how vehement and fervent their persecuting spirit is drawn forth with reproachful tearms in the highest degree , like as if they could not utter sufficiently the envy of their hearts ; or , as if they wanted words to demonstrate their malignity and devouring malice against that people , whom they in scorn call quakers ; and all this to present us odious and abominable before thee , o king : i say but this of them unto thee , the lord forgive them , if they have not sinned unto death , and unpardonably ; i have no desire of revenge towards them , but i leave vengeance to the lord , who will recompence in his season ; neither do i desire to provoke or incense the king against them , only duty to god and the king teacheth me , and love constraineth me , and an absolute necessity presseth much upon me , to spread our denyal of their bitter and malicious accusations against us before the king , unto whom we are thus foully accused : and i say , i am confident , that the king hath better experience of us , than to believe these our malicious accusars : and i do appeal to him , from the knowledge which he hath already of us , that he believes we are innocent , and not guilty of those things thus unjustly charged upon us ; and i question not but he will rightly understand that these accusations are more out of hatred and envy against us , than out of desire to benefit the king by such presentation . . i do testifie unto the king , and before the whole world , that we do profess and believe concerning the father , son and spirit , and the lord jesus christ , and the blessed gospel , and the holy scriptures ; i say , we do believe and make prefession in truth and righteousness concerning all these things ; and by our doctrines and instructions do perswade all people to believe , and not seduce any from these truths of the gospel ; and this is known through these kingdoms concerning us , though we stand now accused falsly concerning these matters before the king. but as for the scriptures being the rule of life ; we say , the spirit of god that gave forth the scriptures is the rule of life & faith unto the saints , and leads not contrary , but according unto the scriptures in the belief and practice of whatsoever the scripture saith : and if these petitioners did make the scriptures the rule of their lives and practices , for the denyal of which they here accuse us , they would not have cut off ears , banished and put to death for the cause of conscience , which is contrary to the scriptures , and proceeded from another spirit than that which gave forth the scriptures . . concerning government , our principles and practices are well known to many , and partly to the king ; we are not enemies unto government it self , as these our accusers do charge us ; but it is our principle , and hath ever been , and is our practice to be subject to whatsoever government is set up over us , either by doing or suffering ; and neither to vilifie nor rebel against any government or governours , by any malicious plots or contrivances ; but to walk in meekness and humility towards all , being subject for conscience sake , as i have said , either by doing or suffering : and i doubt not but the king is sufficiently informed hereof , and believeth this testimony . . as for our doctrines tending to subvert both church and state , this is also a false accusation and slander ; for our doctrines are to convert , and not to subvert ; even to convert to god , and truth and righteousness , that men should live in these things , and forsake all that which is contrary ; and this effect our doctrines have wrought in the world , as the testimony of many consciences shall bear witness . oh let the king consider of our defence , as well as of our enemy's charge ; who have thought it not enough to whip , most cruelly banish , cut ears , and put to death the innocent , but must still accuse them ●alsly , and seek to cover themselves by fawning and flattering addresses unto the king , like as if they had done no evil ; whenas the god or heaven is witness , to whom we can appeal , that our brethren suffered the tortures of shameful death in new-england ( through their unjust laws and sentences ) as saints and servants of the living god , for the name of christ jesus , and for his truth , which they held until death , and not for evil-doing . and the executioners of these inhumane cruelties seem so far from repentance for their evil doing , that they rather justifie themselves in what they have done , and cease not to smite , and wound and reproach the innocent , and that before the king , and that after they have martyred them . again , these petitioners say , after all other means for a long time used in vain , we were at last constrained for our own safety ( say they ) to pass a sentence of banishment against them upon pain of death ; such was their dangerous , impetuous and desperate turbulency to religion , and to the state civil and ecclesi●stical , as that 〈◊〉 unwilling soever , could it have been avoided , the magistrate , at least in conscience both to god and man , judged himself , called for the defence of all to keep the passage with the point of the sword held towards them ; this could do no harm ( say they ) to them that would be warned thereby : their willing rushing themselves thereupon was their own act ; and we with all humility conceive a crime , bringing their blood upon their own heads . by way of answer to this , let it be considered ; . what means was for a long time used , before they put them to death , is shameful to mention ; was it not by the means of cruel whippings , banishment , imprisonment , cutting off ears , and taking their goods by violence ? it s true , by this means the petitioners dealt with the quakers , and never by any christian like means ; for the very first of our friends , that ever came among them , they made them prisoners ere they came on shore , and inhumanely dealt with them , and banished them ; and this was the first and fairest means that ever was used by them , which are not gospel-means , nor the way by which the church of new-england ought to have proceeded : had our friends been in error , and such as they say of them , it had been their duty to have gained them by love , by mercy , and by long-suffering ; these are the weapons of the spirit of god , which ought to be us'd towards them that are in error , in order to the converting of them from the error : but contrary to this , the magistrates and church-members of new-england took cain's weapons , and dealt cruelly , and not like christians , nor like sober men towards the innocent ; but their thus proceeding was in vain , as themselves acknowledge ; for notwithstanding , the gospel of christ grew and encreased , and many were converted to the faith of christ jesus throughout new-england . . let it be considered , what their dangerous and desperate turbulency was to states civil and ecclesiastical ; did ever these poor people , whom they condemned and put to shameful death , lift up a hand against them , or appear in any turbulent gesture towards them ? were they ever found with any carnal weapon about them ? or , what was their crime , saving that they warned sinners to repent , and the ungodly to turn from his way ? we appeal to the god of heaven on their behalf , whom they have martyred for the name of christ , that they had no other offence to charge upon them , saving their conversations , doctrines and practices , as saints of the most high god ; and this is witness'd by many of their neighbours , though themselves have hardened their hearts against the reproof of god's witness . and we certainly believe , it was their malice and envy that constrained them to pass sentence of death upon them , and not the equity of either just law of god or man ; for they deserved not the merit of death , such was the innocency of their cause : and they are no more safe by the taking away the lives of our guiltless brethren , than they were before ; no more safe i say , but more lyable to the justice and terror of the almighty , and to the justice of the king , and the good laws of england , for , and because of their barbarous cruelties : but , as i have said , we leave vengeance to the lord , and commit them to the justice of god's hand , which we doubt not but it will pass upon them in his day and season . . whereas they would seem to extenuate their crime of putting to shameful death the lord's servants ; they tell the king , as if they only kept the passage with the point of the sword held towards them , as if they had no intention to hurt them , and this the magistrate did both in conscience to god and man : i say , it is to be considered what occasions were given them to stand in the passage with the point of the sword towards this people ; was it for any cause on their parts , but as aforesaid , for reproving their sin , and crying against their wickedness , whenas their lives & conversations were harmless and innocent amongst them ? i say , this was no just cause for the magistrates to stand in the passage with the point of the sword , and therefore they were unjust in so doing , if they had done no more , and proceeded in the way of insolent usurpers : for what reason had they to stop the passage with the point of the sword , for hindring of as good subjects as themselves to pass through the king's dominions ? is not this derogating from the honour and authority of the king , for the sub-ordinate magistrates of new-england to usurp such authority over free-born people of england , as to prevent them from egress and regress in lawful occasions in any part of the king's dominions ? and i suppose this will be found contrary to their patent and prescription , delivered them by charles the first , even this standing in the passage with the point of the sword towards the innocent , and imposing great fines upon men that came ●o their harbour to sell their lawful commodities ; if they had but the name of quakers , though no other thing could be charged against them , yet they were imposed upon by fines and imprisonment , and the point of the sword was held out against them ; and all this i suppose is contrary to their patent , and in derogation and dishonour to king charles the second . . but to extenuate their own fact , of putting to shameful death the innocent , they charge their death to be a wilful rushing , and their death was their own act , and their blood was upon their own heads : concerning which , let it be considered , they no more wilfully rushed upon their death , neither is their blood on their own heads more then the prophets and apostles , that were slain for the testimony of jesus . but these petitioners do plead , these quakers ( so call'd ) knew there was a law proclaimed against them , sentence of banishment upon pain of death ; but they would not keep away , but came again , and run themselves upon the sword point : and after this manner of arguing they would make it appear , their death was of themselves , and their blood was on their own heads ; but these poor evasions , and favourable interpretations of their own cruelties , ought not to cover them from the justice of god , not from the justice of the king ; for it s to be considered , that where god commands one thing , and men another , god ought to be obeyed , rather then men : and it is fully believed by us , that these sufferers did not go into new-england in their own cause , but in god's cause , and in the motion of his holy spirit , and in good conscience towards god ; they did rather suffer the loss of their own lives for their obedience towards god , than to disobey him to keep the commandments of men : and this was the apostles case , when they were commanded to preach no more in the name of iesus ; did they at all obey it for fear of man ? and when the three children were commanded to bow to the image , did they do it for fear of man ? or , if they had dyed for their disobedience of the kings commandment , could it have been said , that their blood was upon their own heads , and that they rushed themselves upon it ? and this is in part the like case , that our friends suffered under the injustice of these petitioners , who would now cover themselves like men of guilty consciences ; but the god of heaven will let them know one day , and the king may justly do it , that the blood of our brethren lieth upon the heads of the magistrates of new-england , and they are guilty of their cruel death , for they put them to death , not for any evil doing between man and man , but for their obedience to god , and for good conscience sake towards him . again . the petitioners say , the quakers dyed not because of their other crimes , how capital soever , but upon their super-added presumptions , and incorrigible contempt of authority , breaking in upon us , notwithstanding the sentence of banishment ; bad they not been restrained , there was too much cause to fear , that we our selves should quickly have dyed , or worse ; and they would not be restrained , but by death : nay , had they at last but promised to depart the iurisdiction , and not to return without leave from authority , we should have been glad to have said they should not dye . in answer to this , it is considerable ; . what these other capital crimes were , which the sufferers were guilty of ; here is a secret charge of crimes , without nomination ; and this is the part of slanderers , to accuse in general , without particular proof ; but this is still to extenuate their own horrid fact , of putting the innocent to death , and that the king may believe better of them than indeed he hath cause : and the super-added presumption , and incorrigible contempt of authority ; what was it any more than that unjustly and without reason , they commanded them to depart , or if they did not , they should be put to death ? whenas no reason could possibly be rendred for such law & commandment , but because they were called quakers , and were different in matters of faith and iudgment concerning spiritual things ; for , as i have said , no sedition , evil-dealing , drunkenness , lying , nor any of these thingt could be charged against them ; and therefore the law and commandment of banishment was unjust , and could not be actively obeyed by our brethren ; but they returned again , not in contempt of lawful authority , but as they were moved , and upon their occasions , which was lawful and just in the sight of god and men , deporting themselves harmlesly towards all people ; and this is stiled , super-added presumption , and incorrigible contempt of authority ; but they must needs put a good name upon their bad work , and render the innocent as high offenders as excellency of speech can demonstrate . . there can be no just cause rendred , wherefore they should fear our brethren , except the guiltiness of their own consciences ; for , as i have said , they were never seen with any sword or staff amongst them , nor any carnal weapon , nor ever held designs of mischief ; and for them thus wickedly to suggest unto the king , as if they would have killed them , or worse , this is backbiting and slandering in the highest degree , and punishable by the law of god and men : and its true , them whom they have killed are restrained , but the principles and practices of the quakers ( so called ) have entred into new-england , and passes thorough the consciences of people without restraint . and it s a shame for themselves to mention , how all the pastors , and the whole church of boston overcame three innocent persons , and what weapons they overcame them by ; not the weapons of the spirit of god , but the weapons of cruelty and hard heartedness ; even as caiu overcame abel , and as the iews overcame christ , and so did the church of new-england overcome our brethren : and this is all the confession they can make of restraining our friends , that they cruelly put them to death , and thereby overcame them . and it is not known to us , that the court at boston hath such absolute power , as that the free subjects of england may not come and return again and again , according to their lawful occasions , without leave from the authority of boston court ; i say , this seems to be usurp'd authority , rather than lawfully establish'd upon them by charles the first ; but it is apparent , and the king knoweth it , that in this case the magistrates or boston have taken too much upon them and proceeded further than they can justifie either before god or the king , in imprisoning whipping , cutting off ears , banishing and putting to death the good subjects of england , without either president , example , or any power derived from the lawful authority of england . and we have cause to say , they were so far from desiring to spare their lives ( as they would suggest to the king ) that they thirsted for their blood , and nothing else could satisfie them , but the extinguishment of their lives by shameful torture . again , the petitioners fawn and flatter in these words ; ( say they ) let not the king hear mens words ; your servants are true men , fearers of god and the king ; and not given to change ; zealous of government and order ; we are not seditions to the inte est of caesar , &c. in answer to this , many things are considerable ; . why should the petitioners seem to exhort the king , not to hear mens words ? shall the innocent be accused before him , and not heard in their lawful defence ? must not the king hear the accused as well as the accusers , and in as much justice ? i hope god hath given him more nobility of understanding , than to receive or put in practice such admonition ; and i desire it may be far from the king ever to condemn any person or people upon the accusation of others , without full hearing of the accused , as well as their enemies ; for it is justice and equity so to do , and thereby shall his judgment be the more just . . they pretend to be servants to the king , and that they fear him , and are not given to change , i shall not seem to intrude into the matters to which i am a stranger ; but i leave this case to the king to consider , what their former actings and the current of their spirit hath been towards the king : i shall only instance one particular , well known to me in a letter to one gurden , dated at boston , and subscribed by some of these petitioners , where they say , there is more danger in these quakers ( as they call them ) to trouble and overcome england , than in the king of scots , and all the popish princes in germany : these be the petitioners own words , whereby it is manifest what the current of their spirit was against the king then , tho gh now they have chang'd their tale , and call him high and might● prince , and dread soveraign , and such like , and that they are the king's servants , &c. whenas not long since they have signified by their words quoted against them , that there was danger in the king of scots ( as they called him ) and reputed him a troubler of england ; and numbred him with the popish princes of germany , or amongst them : let but the king consider their own words , and he shall plainly read as well the temper of their spirit against him not long since , as he shall see their hypocrisies and fawning fatteries at this time ; and he may fully perceive that these petitioners are given to change , though they would make him believe otherwise . and this their address unto the king is like the approach of the uncircumcised gibeonites unto ioshua , cap. . who wrought wilily and deceitfully , using the same words to ioshua , we are thy servants , as these petitioners have us'd to the king ; whose deceitful address is equally paralel with that mention'd ; the case is worth observing , iosh. . vers . , , . . as for being zealous of government and order , not seditious nor schismatick , as they say ; it is to be consider'd , that their government , and the order thereof , is not only different and contrary to the government and order of the churches of christ , but different and contrary also to the wholsom constitution of the ●ivil government of england ; who have made laws , and executed them to banishment and death , without any power deriv'd from the lawful authority of england , which is absolute contrary to their patent , by which they hold their jurisdiction , which saith , they shall make no laws contrary to the laws of england , &c. i shall not charge them in the king's presence further of sedition and schism than himself believeth concerning them . again , the petitioners say , they could not live without the publick worship of god , and they were not permitted the use of publick worship without such a yoak , subscription and conformity , as they could not consent unto without sin , &c. in answet to this , this is to be considered ; that these petitioners have laid heavier yoaks of subscription and conformity upon others than ever was laid upon themselves , witness their imposing fines upon such as cannot conform to their worship , some ten shillings , some forty shillings , and some five pounds ; if any shall be absent from their assembly , it is so much a day ; and if any keep any meetings different from their way of publick worship , it is so much a time ; and these are unjust and illegal impositions , and it is a heinous yoak of tyranny put upon the neck of the king 's good subjects , without any power derived in this case from the king. this they themselves do , and yet are complaining of such impositions and yoaks laid upon them by the bishops ; which were not comparable to these ; which discovers their own just condemnation in the same matters for which they accuse others . and thus these considerations are presented to the king , in vindication of that innocent people , called quakers , whom these petitioners have accused as guilty of heinous crimes , that themselves might appear innocent of the cruelty , and injustice , and shedding of the blood of just men , without cause ; being men of guilty consciences , upon whom the terror of god , and of the king , seems to be , because of what they have done : but now let the king rightly consider of the case between us and them , and let him not hide his face from the hearing of the cry of innocent blood. and for a further testimony of the wickedness and emnity of these petitioners , and to demonstrate how far they had proceeded contrary to the good laws and authority of england , and contrary to their own pattent , hereunto was annexed , and presented to the king , a brief of their unjust dealings towards the quakers ( so called ) which the reader may see at large in the reccord of sufferings . e. b. to all my dear companions , in the travel and labour of the gospel of christ , and in the faith and patience , in the sufferings for his name 's sake . dearly and well-beloved brethren , in the heavenly relation , and blessed immortal birth , of which we are born most dearly in our father's love ; my salutation extendeth unto you all , as one with you perfectly in sufferings and in rejoycings , in faith and patience , and even in all things which you do and suffer for the name of the lord our god ; and my soul greets you , and embraces you , and servently wisheth peace , love and unity , and the increase of every good gift unto you all ; for i am perfectly one with you ; if you receive of our father's fulness , i am refreshed ; and if you rejoyce , i am glad ; and if you suffer , and be in heaviness , i freely partake with you ; whatsoever is yours , whether liberty or bonds , whether life or death , i partake of the same ; and whatsoever i enjoy , the same also is yours ; we are of one birth , of one seed , of one line , even of the generation of him who is without beginning of dayes or end of life , who is an high priest , made after the power of an endless life ; and as he was blessed of the father , so are we , because we are of the same birth , and are partakers of his nature ; and he lives in us , and we in him . well , my dear companions , i need not multiply words unto you , as if you knew not these things ; for , what know i , that you know not ? or , what can i say , but you know the same ? yet bear with me , for my heart is very full , and my soul ready to be poured forth , that i may once more express a little quantity of what is abounding in my heart ; for love , even perfect love , even that love wherewith we are beloved of the father , filleth my heart at this time towards all of you , from the least to the greatest ; and i know nothing but love towards you all ; and i doubt not but in the same love you do receive this my salutation , which is from the fountain of love , which at this time is opened in my heart . now dearly beloved the present considerations of my heart are very many concerning the great love of the father , which hitherto hath been shewed unto us ; we all know , how that he called us by his grace , and turned our hearts from the vanities and evil-wayes of this world , and sanctified us by his word , and put his image upon us , and called us by his name , and redeemed us unto himself , and gave us the testimony of his holy spirit in our own hearts , that we should be his people , and he would be our god ; he taught us , and instructed us , and fed us , and gave us peace and rest in himself , and freed us from the bondage of sin and corruption , and from his terror because of sin , and he removed our transgressions , and blotted them out , and ceased to smite us any more ; but brought us into the land of rest , flowing with mercy and peace , and knowledge , and all good things ; this did the lord our god do for us in the dayes of our infancy , even when we were yet in our sins , he called us forth , and cleansed us from them ; and when we were strangers to him , he made himself known unto us ; and when we were wholly ignorant , he gave us knowledge , and when we were not a people , he raised us up , and made us worthy to be called by his name ; and thus , and after this manner did the father love us , and shew his love unto us ; this you know even as i do , and the consideration of it causeth me thus to express it . again , when he had thus wrought for us , and shewed love unto us , he was pleased to call us out into his work , to the turning and converting of others unto the way of life ; he put his spirit into us , and gave us gifts of knowledge and utterance , and armed us with wisdom , and strength , and courage , and every way fitted us for that work and service in which he hath carried us ; he , i say , fitted us for his work , and called us into it , and carried us on joyfully in it , and all this of his free love , and infinite power ; and what we have been , and what we have done , it hath been only of the lord , and not of our selves , even of his love which to us may be admirable ; for alas , what were we but children , and neither prophets nor prophets sons , and our education unanswerable for these things , and to perform this calling ? and therefore it is the lord , and only him , that hath effected his own purpose through us , and by us , as instruments mean of our selves , but by him very excellent . again , he hath mightily prospered us in his work , and a glorious effect we have beheld of our labours , and travels , and testimony ; yea , the lord hath been with us abundantly , and his arm hath compassed us about , and he hath often given us great victory over the wise and prudent of this world ; he hath made his own word often very powerful in our mouthes , to the wounding of the consciences of our enemies ; and the lord hath blessed our testimony , to the confounding of the wisdom of this world , and to the gathering of many unto himself ; and he hath gone forth before us in his authority , and been alwayes with us in his own work ; and our testimonies , labours and travels have been very precious and pleasant unto the lord , and all his people ; and the effect thereof causeth my soul to rejoyce , because the lord hath been with us , and prospered us unto a great people , who have received our witness , and accepted thereof unto their salvation , and unto the lord alone the glory of all this appertaineth . and for these eight years and upward , the hand of the lord hath carried us thorough great labours and travels in his service ; and many dangers and persecutions and afflictions , have attended us all this time ; and ye know that many a time hath the lord delivered us from the hands of such , as would have destroyed us ; and we have been delivered again , and again , out of dangers and difficulties ; and the lord hath been a present help unto us in the time of our trouble ; for the plotting of the wicked , and the purpose of ungodly men , hath often been broken for our sakes , even many a time have we been delivered out of the snare that hath been laid for us ; and we have seen our enemies fall before us on the right hand , and on the left , even the wise in their worldly wisdom , and the foolish in their brutishness , both professors and prophane hath our god often cut short in their desires , and endeavours of our destruction : and we have been wonderfully preserved unto this day , and all this i attribute to the infinite love and power of the lord god , who is blessed for evermore . and through all these things we are yet alive , and the lord doth not fail us unto this hour , but he lives and walks in us and with us , and his testimony is with us , even the seal of his good spirit in our hearts , that we are his sons and servants , and we are confirmed by many tokens , that he is our god , and we are his people ; and that great oppression which we have met withal , hath not restrained us , but thorough it all have we grown , and prospered unto this day : and concerning the things whereof we have testified these divers years , i am no way doubtful but our god will fulfil them , neither can my confidence be shaken by what is or can come to pass ; for antichrist must fall , false ministry and worship , false ways and doctrines god will confound , false power and false church the lord will lay low ; and truth and righteousness must raign ; and god will gather his people more and more , and glorious dayes will appear ; god will exalt his kingdom upon earth , and throw down the kingdom of the man of sin ; all oppression must cease , and the oppressors shall no more be ; and god will free his people , and they shall be happy in this world , and forever : these things have we prophesied from day to day ; and my faith is constant and unmovable , that god will effect these things in his season ; for the lord never yet deceived me , but what he hath said will surely come to pass . and therefore brethren , let us be in hope and patience , and live in the word of patience , and not be faint-hearted , as though the lord had forgotten us , or was unmindful of us , or as though he would not perform what he had testified of by us ; for he is not a man , that he should lye , nor as a man that is given to change : but lift up your heads ; for the lord is with us , even in our greatest tribulations and afflictions , and he will accomplish his purpose ; for he is mighty to save his people , and to destroy his enemies . it is true , the gates of hell at this time seem to be open against us , and we are a people like to be swallowed up of our enemies , and floods of wickedness seem to over-flow , and the waves of the great sea seem to be void of mercy , and the hope of our adversaries is to extinguish us from being a people , and to destroy us from the face of the earth ; and the hands of our persecutors are highly exalted at this day , as though all that we have done for the lord , by our labours and travels should now be made of none effect . well , dear brethren , though it be thus , yet our god can deliver us , and confound our adversaries ; and we can appeal unto our god , and can spread our cause before him ; and he knows that our sufferings and afflictions are altogether unjust , and unequal , and unrighteous , and that our persecutors do afflict us out of their envy , and without any just cause administred unto them by us ; our god knows it , angels and saints know it , that we are at this day a persecuted people for religions sake ; and this our present affliction is not any just punishment , either from the justice of god , or from the justice of men . for god hath given us the witness of his eternal spirit , that wrath is not in him towards us ; his wrath be to his enemies , but unto us is joy and peace for evermore : and the lord clears us , and he justifies us ; who then shall condemn us ? he chargeth no guilt upon us , as if we were unto our selves the cause , by our evil deeds , of this our present sufferings , and as if this were come to pass upon us , as punishment from the hand of god : i say , it is not so ; these our present sufferings are not out of god's anger towards us ; for his love is to us , let his wrath be to his enemies : and as i said , neither is this suffering in the justice of men ; for unto all the world we can say , ( and god himself shall plead our cause ) whom have we wronged or done evil to ? what evil have we done to any mans person ? whose goods have we falsly taken or coveted ? against whom have we designed mischief ? even the lord himself be judge between us and our persecutors in this matter ; for unto him we are known that we do desire the good of all , and not the hurt of any , and yet we are dealt with as evil doers , whenas the god of heaven is witness in our consciences , that we neither plot nor contrive , nor agitate in thought or word the hurt of any mans person ; but we walk justly towards all , being our principle to do to others as we would be done unto ; and we can plead our cause unto our god , and he shall plead our cause with our enemies , and this is the present state of our case ; what we suffer at this time , it is singly in the cause of god , and for righteousness sake , and for the testimony of jesus , which we hold ; therefore freely let us commit our cause unto the god of heaven , and if we dye , it is for him , and if we live , it is to him ; and we seek not vengeance against our enemies , but leave it to the lord to plead with them . and dearly beloved , i hope i need not exhort you to be patient and faithful in this day of our tryal , knowing that the cause is so excellent in which we are tryed , it is god's cause , and not our own ; and i hope you all have the testimony of his spirit in your consciences verifying the truth of the cause for which we suffer ; and having that evidence , we need not to be doubtful as towards god , not ashamed before-men , if so be that every one feels the evidence of the spirit of god bearing witness , that we suffer for righteousness sake , and for the name of christ jesus . and so dear brethren , lift up your heads , and be as●…d , that we are the lord's , and in his cause we are tryed , and he will judge and avenge our persecutors in his season ; and we shall be a people when the egyptians lie dead upon the sea-shore , and when the raging sea is dryed up , this sa●e people shall be safe ; for hath the lord done so excellent things for us ? hath he led us forth and blessed us unto this day ? and hath he preserved us hitherto through many tribulations and dangers ? hath he shewed infinite love and favour unto us to this hour ? and will he now suffer us to be destroyed from being a people ? surely no ; will he give our enemies their hearts desire to cut us all off , that they may blaspheme his name ? surely no ; and if it be the pleasure of the lord , that some of us should seal our testimony with our blood , good is the will of the lord ; not ours , but his will be done : for the testimony that we have born for these divers years , hath been so excellent in it self , and in its fruits and effects , that the finishing of it deserves the best seal that possibly we can signe it with , which is indeed our hearts blood ; and this dwells upon my spirit : and yet , though it should be thus , my confidence is sure , that the work of the lord shall prosper , and our testimony shall be glorious forever ; and this people shall never be extinguished from being a people . and i know not any thing that remains upon our part at this day , but that we commit our selves into the hand of the lord , living in the seed of god , wherein our election is sure , before the world was , and forever : and let us remember one another , and pray one for another ; and let us stir up all the children of our father to faithfulness and patience , while we have time ; i say , let us walk to the glory of the lord , keeping faith and a good conscience to our last end ; our testimony shall never dye , nor our memories never perish when we are ceased to be ; and though we suffer now the loss of life , and all we have , yet the effects thereof will be glorious in ages to come , and our present sufferings will hasten the glory of god's work throughout the world : receive this as my salutation to you all . it is now eight dayes since i left ireland , where my service hath been precious for the lord , for full six moneths ; all which time the lord carried me in much faithfulness and diligence in his service , to the confirming of many in the truth of god , and to the converting of others ; and through , and because of the presence of the lord , which was with me , i had a very precious time , and was wonderfully preserved through many dangers and tryals ; and i travelled near two thousand miles to and fro in that land , and had very free passage in the principal cities and towns , till my work for present was fully ended there , having more time then could be expected to clear my conscience to all people : and it would be too large to mention every particular trans-action , wherein i perceived the eminent hand of god with me ; and also many things i observed concerning the present state of things which i shall not now mention ; for what have we to do with the affairs of worldly kingdoms ? but as for friends , it was well with them , they grow and increase in the blessings and fulness of the father ; and when i came thence all was quiet , and very few in prison , though ( i suppose ) the tydings of things as they are here ; will produce the same sufferings upon them : but i hope they will be bold and valiant for the truth , in giving their testimony by faithful sufferings , till these things be finished . thus i remain in life and death , and when i am no more , in everlasting remembrance , your dear brother and companion , by doing and suffering for the name of the lord and his truth . i am well , and at liberty as yet , e. b. th of the th moneth , . a just and righteous plea presented unto the king of england , and his council , &c. being the true state of the present case of the people called quakers , truly demonstrated and justly pleaded on their behalf ; for the true information of the king and his council , that they may well understand the truth and verity of doubtful cases , and may shew just judgment and mercy . and this is laid down in six particulars , viz. . concerning swearing at all , and particularly of the oath of allegiance . . concerning meeting together to worship god. . concerning tythes among the jews , and among the christians , and why we refuse to pay them at this day . . concerning giving security by bond , to live peaceably ; or , to answer accusations then and there , &c. . concerning government it self , and particularly of this present government . . concerning persecution , what it is in it self , and how great an enemy it is to the king and his government , laid down in ten particulars . all which cases are truly stated and pleaded , and the cause of the innocent vindicated . and this for the king and his government , that they may be just and righteous , and perfectly according to god. the epistle to the king and his council . oh friends ! this is your day that god hath given you , to try you and to prove you what you will do , and whether you will rule , and iudge , and exercise your power for god , or against him ; and this is the hour of your tryal , and the living god that made heaven and earth beholds you , and his eye is upon you , and he waites for iustice , true iudgment , mercy , righteousness and truth , to be brought forth by you in the land , that he might bless you and prosper you ; but and if the contrary be abounding , and brought forth and exercised thorough you , blessings shall be turned into a curse , and the iust god will deal with you after your deserts ; for the reward of the almighty is iust and equal unto all the sons of men , even according to their ways and works ; and the judgment of you nor of any is determined by him , but according as he is served , obeyed and feared , or the contrary . and seeing you have a day to do good , and to forsake all evil , to do iustice , mercy and truth in the earth , and to subdue the contrary ; if that you do the things you ought not , and leave undone what god requires of you to do , and trifle away your time in matters of less value , and spend your days in pleasures and vanities , and neglect mercy and iudgment in the earth , and have no regard to the cry of the poor and the oppressed , to deliver them from their cruel persecutions ; if it be thus with you in this your day , who shall stand in the gap , to prevent the anger of the lord from breaking out ? or who shall plead for you in the day of your reward , when god himself ariseth unto just iudgment , to judge all flesh , and to deliver the innocent ? oh friends ! is this nothing to you ? is there no cause unto you of consideration in this matter ? ought you not to lay these things to heart ? why , surely you are but men , and your breath is in your nostrils , and your substance but dissolvable clay , and the god of heaven and earth can do what he will with you , and concerning you ; if ye please him , it might be well with you ; but if the contrary , he can answer your doings with an equal reward , and none can prevent him . and here is a cry , and a very great cry of persecution under your authority , the prisons filled with upright and innocent persons , to the ruin of persons , wives and families , if the great mercy of the lord did not prevent 〈◊〉 than the iustice of men ; thousands within these few moneths have been cast into goals , and dungeons , and nasty holes ; and divers have finished their lives , and dyed in prisons ; many being taken out of their houses , and from their lawful callings ; and many taken out of meetings , where they have been waiting upon god , and cruel sufferings inflicted upon them , and all this for truth and righteousness-sake , and for their profession and practice in religion ; when as no plotting or evil-dealing towards the king nor any of his subjectes , could be justly charged and proved against them . and thus the innocent have been made a prey to prophane persons , and their sufferings have been woful , and all this hath been under and by your authority ; and are these things nothing to you ? or do you judge this is well doing ? is this iustice and true iudgment ? is this for your happiness and prosperity ? let the god of heaven and earth judge in this matter between this people and you , for the cry of their sufferings are very loud in the ears of god , and they have been laid before you , and you ought to have relieved them , and eased their heavy burdens , and shewed iustice , pitty and love , and this would have made for your happiness ; but if that you always neglect to hear the cry of the poor , and of the oppressed , yet god hears , and takes notice ; and though this people should have no helper in the earth , yet he is their helper , and their cause is committed unto him . can these things stand ? can you be happy in these proceedings , while the innocent suffer under you ? is it in your hearts to destroy the heritage of god ? do you think to extinguish an innocent people from off the earth ? must none wait upon god , and worship him , and pray to him , but after your prescriptions and limitations ? and will you kill and destroy all such as do not ? who cannot for good conscience sake conform to every way of worship and religion imposed , but must wait upon god , and worship him and pray to him according as his spirit teacheth and guideth ; will you , i say , destroy all such ? is it in your hearts to effect it ? if it be , the god of heaven will not prosper you in such purposes ; will ye force men to forsake the way of their god , wherein they have found his presence ? will ye persecute men for their religion-sake , while yet they walk uprightly in their conversations among men ? oh friends ! it is not iustice and true iudgment thus to do , it pleaseth not god , neither doth it unite the hearts of subjects in true love and unity , but it hath contrary effects , and that you may find . indeed , according to my judgment , such proceedings are not good policy nor humane wisdom , for you to seek to establish one particular perswasion and kind of religion , and impose that by force , and persecute and seek to destroy all the rest that are otherwise minded , if they will not deny their principles and consciences , and conform : this seems , i say , no good policy among men ; for if it doth gratifie one sort of men in their desires , it discontenteth and dissatisfieth many more , and it breaketh love and unity amongst subjects ; and your safety is in the uniting of peoples hearts to you , and one to another in love and liberty , and not in the divisions and distractions of people ; surely this cannot be for your safety . when as if you did give liberty to all that were peaceable in their lives and conversations , in the exercise of their religion in faith and worship to god-wards ; this would cause all to love you , and none to be discontented with you in good reason : if one sort of people had as much liberty as others ( in the ways of their religion i mean ) and none more than others , this doubtless would encrease content among subjects , and be ablessing to you and your authority ; and to proceed in that way which may keep the people in love and unity one with another , and to you-wards , this were good policy for your establishment to perpetuity ; and there seems to be no otherway , than in shewing iustice , mercy , and liberty to all in all right ways , and in the exercise of their consciences towards god. and this is my iudgment , the way for you to prosper , is , to leave the prescribing the way of worship unto god , as his spirit shall teach and perswade the conscience , and to leave the iudgment in all cases of conscience about spiritual things unto him , and not to meddle about imposing religion , nor persecuting men for that cause , for it is not your place to do it ; but you are to rule well over the outward man , and to judge in the cases of wrong between man and man , but not at all in the cases between god and mens consciences . but you may say , who art thou , inferiour man that seemest to advise us that are high and potent , and wise enough for our selves ? well , though it be thus , though i am so , and not much acquainted with the state-affairs , nor do i profess policy in the governments of this world , yet this i say , whatsoever my birth or quality be , and whether i live or dye , yet these things you must find true one day ; ( for i speak not as a politition but as a servant of god ) that your prosperity and happiness in this world , and hereafter , standeth , in shewing and executing true iustice and iudgment , and mercy and equal liberty towards all , without respect of their title in the profession and practice of religion , and in allowing liberty of conscience in the exercise of faith , and worship , and duty to god-wards , to all christian people equally in your dominions ; and not to persecute or destroy any in their persons and estates , for the exercise of their religion to god-wards : this is the way of your prosperity , and the contrary is the way of your destruction ; if that ye persecute men for their conscience sake , and exercise lordship and authority over mens consciences in spiritual things ; and if ye prescribe a way of worship , and seek to destroy all that cannot conform thereunto : if you do thus , this is not good policy to establish you . well , i shall say little further , but that these things i write not as your enemy , but as your friend , who would you have saved both soul and body , and not as in any kind of harshness in my spirit towards you do i write , but in love and compassionateness to you and these kingdoms . and i have here in brief stated and pleaded the case of the innocent people called quakers , who are at this time under great afflictions and tribulations by your authority ; and it hath been in my heart divers times to declare the substance of these things unto you , but at last i have chosen to write my mind to present to you , concerning the matters very needful for you to be informed in ; and it is for your sakes , as well as theirs , that i have done it , that you may not run on to act any thing against them upon suspitions and accusations of others , without hearing our defence : and therefore it is , for the avoiding and stopping of persecution in the land ; for this cause have i taken in hand submissively , and not presumptiously , to state this plea before you ; and i must leave it to your considerations , and cannot impose my faith upon you , to believe as i believe ; but having laid the truth before you , i shall leave it to the lord to work faith and love , and iustice , mercy , and all good things in your hearts , that you may bring them forth in the exercise of them in the world. london , the th day of the second moneth , . i am a lover of justice and mercy , truth and righteousness , e. b. a just and righteous plea presented unto the king of england , and his council , &c. chap. . the case stated and pleaded concerning swearing at all , and particularly concerning the oath of allegiance . . we do acknowledge our selves to be free-born people of this kingdom of england , the land of our nativity ; and we do assert , that we have just and lawful right and title , as such , to possess and enjoy our lives , liberties and estates , both by the laws of god and man ; having never unto this day , since we were a people , forfeited our birth-right as men , by any rebellion , sedition , contempt , or otherwise ; but have alwayes been and are a people exercised in the law of our god , by walking justly towards all men , and doing to others as we would be done unto , and have been and are a peaceable people under every government and authority that hath been over us since the lord raised us up . and i do hereby declare , that we now are and shall be faithful , innocent and peaceable in our several stations and conditions , under this present government of king charles the second , whom we acknowledge supream magistrate and governour over this kingdom ; and for conscience sake we are obedient and submissive to him , as such , in all his commands , either by doing and performing of what he justly requireth , or by patient suffering under whatsoever is inflicted upon us , in the matters for which we cannot be obedient for conscience sake , when any thing is required of us different from the just law of god : and to this subjection , to the king and his government , we are bound by the law of righteousness ; and such hath ever been our principle and practice , and is unto this day , even to be quiet , and peaceable and patient under every authority that is set over us ; and not in unrighteousness , to plot , or contrive , or rebel against any government or governours , nor to seek our own deliverance from injustice and oppression , in such a way . and we are perswaded to seek the preservation of the king's person and authority by all just and lawful means , and not to rebel against him with carnal weapons ; and so far as his government is in justice , mercy and righteousness , we declare true and faithful subjection and obedience thereunto ; and wherein it is otherwise , we shall be subject by patient suffering what is unequally imposed upon us , and yet not rebel in any turbulent way of conspiracies and insurrections : for , our principles are not for war , but for peace with all men so much as in us lie ; neither may we render evil for evil to any , but are to be subject to the king and his government , actively or passively , upon the conditions aforementioned . and we renounce all forreign authority , power and jurisdiction of the pope , or any else , from having any supremacy whatsoever over the king , o● any the good subjects of england . and this we declare , acknowledge and testifie , in the fear and presence of god ( to whom we and all mankind must give an account ) and that without secret equivocation , or any deceitful mental reservation . . but as for all oaths and swearing , we utterly deny , for conscience sake towards god , because christ jesus hath commanded not to swear at all , mat. . and the apostle saith , above all things , my brethren , swear not , jam. . and it was the principle and practice of divers holy martyrs , even some of the protestant church , since the apostles dayes , in all ages , not to swear at all in any case : so for conscience sake , and according to the example of saints in former ages , we do refuse to swear , in this case of allegiance to the king , and in all other cases whatsoever , and we cannot swear at all : though the truth and verity of all things in all cases , so far as known to us , and as occasion requireth , we can acknowledge and testifie with yea and nay , as in the fear and presence of god , and with true intent and meaning , to discover the truth , as is needful to be known : and in this manner we acknowledge just allegiance to the king and his government ( that we shall live peaceably , and not plot nor rebel against him ) according to the law of god and a safe conscience , but without any oath , or swearing at all ; for we may not break the command of christ , nor walk contrary to the example of the apostles and saints by swearing , though we suffer the loss of all because thereof . and it is our known principle and practice , ever since we were a people , that in no case whatsoever , though of great dependancy oft times to our selves , both in respect of advantage to us , and also in avoiding of sufferings , we have not taken any oath , nor sworn at all ; whereby it is manifest , that our refusing chiefly to take the oath of allegiance is not because it is that oath , but because it is an oath , and for conscience sake we cannot swear at all . . and thus the state of our present case , about this oath of allegiance , is different from some others , from all such who can swear and take oaths in other cases , to whom taking of an oath in it self is not matter of conscience ; but as for us , we make conscience of an oath in it self , and that upon just ground , as we are able to demonstrate : and therefore our refusal of this oath of allegiance gives no ground at all of doubt or suspition concerning us , as if we would not live peaceably and quietly under this government , or as if we would rebel against , or plot to destroy the king's person or authority , and so deny to take this oath , as if we would leave our selves clear to proceed in such wayes : this judgment cannot justly be given of us , because we deny to swear at all , in all cases ; which if it were not so , but that we could swear in other cases , and not in this , then we might justly be the more suspected that we had a reserve against the king's person and government , and our living peaceably might be the more doubted of : but being our known principle and practice alwayes , not to swear at all in any case whatsoever , this removeth all ground of jealousie , or cause of suspition of us in this case : and also , we being ready to confess , all just authority and power to the king , to declare obedience thereunto solemnly and sincerely , and that we shall live peaceably and quietly under his government , and not to plot or rebel against him , and this to confirm by yea and nay ; our testimony of this kind may as justly be taken , and stand as effectual , and be as faithfully performed , as the oaths of any others ; for we make conscience to perform what we say in yea and nay , as much as any do to perform what they swear ; and this is known of us in the consciences of our enemies . so that in good conscience , and just reason , and equal justice , we are excusable from all penalties and forfeitures in that behalf , of denying the oath of allegiance . . and the king and his government is not the less safe and secure , though we refuse to swear obedience to them ; nor could they be any safer or securer if we , contrary to our principles and consciences , were forced by penalties to swear allegiance ; for , by the same principle which keeps us from swearing , and by which we deny it , we must be preserved to live peaceably , and not to plot nor rebel against the king : and if we renounce our principle and our good conscience , and be induced to swear against our consciences , what likelyhood is there to perform such a forced oath , taken contrary to our consciences and principles ? for if we swear to the king and his government , because of the fear of men , and to save our estates , &c. and this contrary to our consciences , it might well be suspected of us , that at opportunity we would break such oaths for fear of men , or some self-end : on the other hand , if we had already renounced our good consciences , so that it more appears we shall perform good obedience to the king and his government , acknowledg●d by yea , without an oath , and in good conscience , then by swearing , forced on us , contrary to our consciences ; therefore our yea may better be accepted in this case , then swearing can be demanded of us . and also , if we should change with the times , and renounce our principles and consciences , and swear , we should make our selves ridiculous , and a scorn to all men , and bring our selves into a capacity not ever to be trusted in any case , if we should bow and bend to times and powers , and for terror of ●en deny our religion , as other hypocrites ; and i very well believe , the king would not trust us in our allegiance any whit the better , but rather the worse , though we did swear , and fawn and flatter with him , contrary to our principles ; neither could he reasonably judge himself the safer , nor more happy , nor that we would be truly subject the more to his authority , if we swore and conformed in things by force , contrary to our consciences and principles ; for himself knoweth , that oaths and engagements , made and taken by force , and for fear in straits , are seldom or never truly performed , but alwayes broken . and of the like case there are large testimonies in the kingdom , of many that have sworn , promised , and engaged , and sometimes by force and fear , to this kind of government and another ; and yet at oportunities , and for their own self-ends , have broken all oaths and engagements , and rebelled against the very persons and authorities to which they have sworn and engaged fidelity and allegiance ; so that many are not the more to be trusted , though they swear allegiance : for the proverb saith , he that will swear , will l●e ; and he that is forced to swear against his conscience , will hardly perform his oath . and we are no less to be trusted , though we swear not ; for we never yet engaged our selves by oath to any governours or government , and yet we never rebelled , or plotted against any ; but have lived peaceably , and in a patient suffering condition under all that have sitten on the throne since we were a people . and therefore our living peaceably under the king's government cannot justly be doubted of , though we cannot engage the same by swearing . but yet , if we do not live quietly , and in good obedience , as peaceable people ; but do rebel , plot , &c. then we refuse not to suffer the pains , penalties and forfeitures as such that swear , and do not perform their oaths : i say , if we do not live peaceably , but plot and rebel against the king and his government ; then let us suffer the same in every particular , as if we had sworn , and not performed our oath . . all these things rightly considered , it doth fully appear , . that we are not enemies neither in present action , nor future intent , to the king's person or authority : . nor that we refuse to acknowledge just authority to king charles the second , as supream magistrate over these kingdoms : . nor doth it appear , that we are otherwise than peaceable and quiet people under the king's government : . nor is it manifest , but that we are ready to acknowledge so to continue , in all good conscience and righteousness . and therefore we do appeal to the god of heaven , and to king charles , and to all people whatsoever , that our present sufferings by imprisonment , and whatsoever else , we may suffer in this case , for refusing to take the oath of allegiance , it is not for plotting against the king , nor for refusing to acknowledge just authority to the king , nor for denying just obedience to him and the good laws of the land , nor for denying to live peaceably in the kingdom under the king's authority ; because , to all this we acknowledge solemnly in yea and nay : neither are our sufferings in this case for any evil-doing , towards god or men ; but our sufferings are for keeping the command of christ , which to us is matter of conscience to perform , more than to save our own lives and estates ; and our sufferings are , because we cannot swear at all , and not because we are rebellious , or that we deny just allegiance to the king ; and such our sufferings are not as evil-doers , nor justly and righteously as offenders , because we are not guilty of evil in this case , towards god nor man ; and our sufferings are cruel persecution for our tender conscience sake , and for the name of christ jesus . and we call god and just men to witness between us and our prosecutors , that as saints and servants of god we suffer in this case , and for our faithfulness and obedience to the king of heaven , and not for evil-doing or disobedience to king charles , and his authority . and if any be persecuted on this case , for refusing to take the oath of allegiance , to the ruin of persons , wives , and families in this world ; then we shall have cause to say , occasion is wrongfully taken against us , to destroy us ; and we are proceeded against contrary to the end of just government , which is , to preserve the peaceable , and not to destroy them : and contrary to the king 's former promises , who hath said , we should not suffer for matters of our religion and conscience , living peaceably in the land. and if we suffer because we cannot swear at all , such our suffering is for our conscience sake , and we are therein persecuted unrighteously , as innocent people , and without just cause : and we must commit this our cause to god , who regardeth the oppressions of his people , and will avenge their cause in his season . and for the present this is all i have to say , and present , concerning this case of swearing , and concerning the oath of allegiance . chap. ii. the case stated and pleaded concerning our meeting together to worship god. . we do meet together in the name of jesus christ , and in his power and spirit ; and we do come together in the fear of god , to wait upon him , and to receive the teachings of his holy spirit , and his council to direct us in all our wayes , how to walk righteously towards god and men : and in our meetings we practice our hearts and minds in godliness , and speak of the things of the kingdom of god , in preaching the word of god , and in prayer to him , according as his holy spirit guideth us , which is given us of god , to lead us into all truth , according to his promise , iohn . . and that we may edifie one another in the wayes of holiness and truth , for the benefit of our souls ; and this is according to the scriptures ; for they that feared the lord met often together , and spake one to another , and edified one another : and this is our principle , that it is our duty to god-wards to meet together , and that he requires it of us , and for the exercise of our consciences to him it hath been alwayes and is our practice to meet together in the exercise of the worship of god , as aforesaid ; and not for any other end , as in contempt of authority , or to plot or contrive , or to meditate evil against the king or his government , or any of his subjects ; we have no such end ( i say ) in meeting together : but our alone , only and absolute end in our meeting , is to worship the lord our god , and to serve him , and to wait upon him in obedience to his will , and for good conscience sake as our duty towards him . . and this our practice of meeting together , for the end and cause mentioned , if it be in publick houses , or more private in upper chambers , or in the open fields on what day soever , is lawful and just in the sight of god , and is according to the example of the primitive saints , and provable by the scriptures , as in acts . , . and when the disciples and saints returned from jerusalem , they went up into an upper chamber , both men and women , and waited upon the lord , and continued with one accord in prayer and in supplication . and in acts . . . the first day of the ●…k the saints met together , and paul preached unto them , and continued his sermon till midnight ; holding forth the matters of the kingdom of god : and they were met in an upper chamber , from whence eutychus fell down . and acts . , . and paul remained two full years , preaching the gospel of the kingdom of god , in his own hired house in rome ; and he exhorted the saints , not to neglect meeting together , as the manner of some was , whom he reproved , heb. . . by which testimonies , with divers others that might be given , it is manifest , that the saints of god in former ages did meet together to worship god , and to wait upon him in prayer and preaching , as the spirit of the father taught them , that dwelt in them : and sometime they met publickly , and sometime more private , and sometime on the day time , and some in the night season ( and they met separate from the synagogues , and wayes of publick worship among the iews ) according to the will of god , and as it was ordered amongst them . and thus it is manifest , that our meeting for the worship of god at this day ( though they are separate from the way of publick worship of the kingdom , and are in more private houses ) are justifiable , being after the example of the saints , and according to the scriptures of truth ; and therefore our meetings are according to the law of god just and lawful . . and forasmuch as by reason of the late insurrection of some few persons in london , our lawful assembling of our selves together in the worship of god is under present restraint and prohibition , and by proclamation forbidden , under the denomination of seditious and unlawful meetings , and our friends imprisoned and persecuted for that cause , of assembling themselves to wait upon god. now in this case , this i plead unto the king , that we are no manner of way guilty of that insurrection , upon which the proclamation of forbidding our meetings was grounded ; and therefore ought not to suffer with the guilty , being innocent from the very occasion of that proclamation : and for the king to prohibit our meetings , for and because of the ill use that others made of theirs , this seems a condemning of the innocent with the guilty , which is no way just in the sight of god nor men , but altogether unequal that we should suffer for other mens fault ; though such did abuse their liberty , and pervert the end of their meetings into rising up with carnal weapons against the king ; so did not we , neither in intent nor action ; and therefore our meetings ought not to be prohibited for the cause of other mens faults and miscarriages in that case . and also , we have the king's promise divers times , that we should not suffer for our religion , while we acted nothing against the peace of the kingdom and government ; which yet we never have done , nor made any ill use of our meetings , nor of the king's promises , nor forfeited them , and therefore , according to his own promises , we ought to have our meetings , and enjoy them without restraint , because we have not forfeited the benefit of his former promises in that behalf , nor ever made use of our meetings to plot or conspire against the government , to its harm or detriment ; and because of our innocency herein , the benefit of his former promises are yet in force unto us , to protect our lawful meetings , and not to prohibit them : and though upon suspition only our meetings have been restrained , and our friends imprisoned by the late proclamation ; yet we being proved innocent , and without guilt of that which occasioned it , the king and council may and ought in justice and good reason , to reverse and revoke that part of the proclamation related to us , as being innocent , that we may enjoy our lawful meetings , according to the scriptures and example of saints , and according to the king 's own former promises . . all these things considered , and rightly understood by the king and his council , it will appear unto them in good reason , . that our meetings are just and lawful in themselves , because they are for the worship of the lord god , and to wait upon him : . they are according to the example of the apostles , because the scriptures prove the like meetings : . and they are not contrary to his own promises and tolleration , that he gave for six moneths after his coming in , because he said , we should not suffer for our religion , if we lived peaceably ; and we were not disturbed by authority from him ( that we know of ) in our meetings , till this occasion : . it will appear , that we ought in justice & equity to have our lawful meetings protected and preserved by the king's authority , and not prohibited ; because we are not guilty of that which occasioned this present restraint : but what we have suffered in this case , it hath been upon suspition , and without any just cause on our part . and for these ends and causes i plead on the behalf of the innocent , that we may enjoy peaceably our meetings for the exercise of god's worship , and not be prohibited in the king's dominions under his authority . . but and if we are persecuted , and imprisoned , and made to suffer for this cause of meeting together to worship god , and wait upon him , in conscience and duty towards him , and for following the scriptures example , as the saints of old , as afore-mentioned ; we must only commit our cause to the god of heaven , and in patience suffer under whatsoever is unequally inflicted upon us for this matter , if men shew the height of oppression towards us ; and we must put on the spirit of long-suffering and forbearance , and leave vengeance to the lord , who will in his season redress our cause , if that we are persecuted for meeting together , and for worshipping of the lord , according as his spirit perswades our consciences ; and such our sufferings are not for evil-doing , nor as transgressors against god nor the king ; but as servants of god we suffer , and fot holding the testimony of jesus and a good conscience . and thus i have brought the state of our case , as concerning our meetings , unto the kings knowledge , and must leave it to his serious view ; and happy will he be if he hath regard to the afflicted ; but if he stop his ear from the cry of the poor , and suffer them to be destroy'd , who shall plead for him , or excuse him in the day of the lord , when he comes to iudgment , to reward every man according to his deeds . chap. iii. the case stated and pleaded concerning tythes , as paid among the jews , and also among the christians ; and the cause why we refuse to pay them at this day . . we do acknowledge , that tythes , as instituted , given , and received in the law of moses , amongst the iews , and according to the commandment of god , were of heavenly ordination , and were for that holy use and end of maintaining the levitical priesthood , and the poor , the widdows , and the strangers in israel ; and we know , that whilst that levitical priesthood of signs , and types and figures , was yet unfinished and unfulfilled by christ jesus the everlasting priest , that law that gave and received tythes was in force ; and it was sinful against god , and contrary to his law , in any of israel to with-hold their tythes , and not to pay them , and such as did robbed god and the poor , and the prophet complained against them ; for then the ordination of tythes was of god , and the practice and end of them was good and blessed . but that law and priesthood , that gave and received them , is finished and ended , with all the types and shadows of the first covenant , heb. . . and christ jesus the everlasting priest of god is come , in whom is ended the first priesthood that took tythes , and that law that gave them ; and he hath put an end to tythes , temples , priests-office under the law among the iews , and all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 types and figures , and first covenant , and is an high-priest forever , and the everlasting substance of all shadows pertaining to the first covenant , and hath finished them , and ended them , even that law and ordinance that gave and received tythes , and that priesthood to whom tythes pertained ; so that though it was unlawful in the first covenant , to with-hold the payment of tythes , yet that covenant being ended , and that law and priesthood , and another covenant and priesthood established , to whom the law of god allows not the tythes of mens estates , it seems now to be unlawful to pay , receive or demand tythes , and for good conscience sake we cannot do it . . we cannot now pay tythes , according to the first covenant , nor uphold any part of the first priesthood , that stood in types and shadows , nor submit to that law , by any obedience to it , which once gave and received tythes ; seeing jesus christ is come in the flesh , who hath ended all that covenant , with every thing that pertaineth thereunto : and we believe in jesus christ as the everlasting substance , and receive the law , by which we walk in all things unto him , and not from abraham nor moses : for he is with us that is greater then they , whose law and example we must follow in the administration of the gospel , and not the law and example of abraham and moses in the first covenant , who did but prophesie of christ , and did not witness him fully come , but dyed in the faith. now if we should pay tythes according to the first covenant and so uphold any part of that priesthood , which took tythes , which was but a type of christ the everlasting priest then we should deny jesus christ to be come in the flesh , and turn back again to the law , and to the iews ordinances , and prove our selves unbelievers and antichristian ; for he that denies christ to be come in the flesh is an antichrist , iohn . . and we may as well turn back to circumcision , sacrifices , and burnt-offerings , as to pay tythes , being all pertaining to the first covenant and priesthood ; which whomsoever doth uphold , denieth jesus christ to be come in the flesh , and so are of antichrist : but we believe , christ is come , and we have received him as the end and finishing of the first priesthood ; and we believe in him as the everlasting substance , who hath put an end to tythes , temples , burnt-offerings , &c. and we confess unto him as our judge and law-giver , and have renounced all shaddows pertaining to the first covenant , whereof one was tythes ; and for conscience sake , and that we may continue in the faith of christ , the substance , and not deny him ; therefore it is that we refuse and cannot pay tythes ; for , we are christians ; and believers , and not iews , nor children of the first covenant . . and there is no example by any of the apostles or saints , in all the new testament , that ever any of the christians , that believed in jesus christ , gave , paid , or receiv'd tythes : i say , there is no example at all , by either precept or practice , le●t us on record , that any of the ministers of the gospel , in the apostles dayes , did pay or receive tythes for any ministerial office , nor otherwise . but we do ●●●●●ve , that none of the christians , in the first nor second age after christ , since his resurrection , did institute , pay or receive tythes as maintenance of gospel-ministry : but we believe , that the ministers of christ , whom he sent forth to preach the gospel after his ascention , did bear witness to the new covenant , and to jesus christ the substance ; and against temple , sacrifices , tythes and first priesthood , and the worship of the first covenant ; and said , that covenant was fa●lty , and none could attain perfection , as pertaining to the conscience , in it ; and therefore god took that covenant away , that he might establish a better , heb. . , . heb. . . and also , divers of the holy martyrs , since the apostles dayes , as william thor●s , and others , did preach down tythes , and denyed the payment of them ; and for conscience sake to god could neither give nor receive tythes , but fully witnessed against them , though they suffered for it in their dayes . so that , st , we have no example from the apostles nor christians in their dayes , to pay tythes , but rather the contrary ; for we have testimony from them , that the first ●ovenant and priesthood , with all shaddows and ordinances thereunto belonging ( whereof tythes was one ) were disanulled , finished and ended by the coming of christ ; and a new covenant established , in which nothing is signified of paying t●…s : from whence it may appear to all , that tythes are ended , and not to be paid in the new covenant . d , we have clear example from the martyrs , since the apostles dayes , not to pa● t●thes ; for divers of the protestant martyrs ( call'd , the fathers of their church ) did 〈◊〉 against tythes , and refused to pay any . d , we believe in our own consciences , that tythes , as receiv'd and paid in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , are not of any institution of god , nor exercised to any good use and end ; 〈◊〉 ●●●t they are of antichrist , and oppression , and unjust exactions , and impositions upon the poor people of these kingdoms ; and therefore we do refuse to pay tythes , and we cannot for good conscience sake : and the exercise of our consciences herein , in denying to pay tythes , is well and lawfully grounded upon the coming of christ , and upon the example of the apostles and martyrs . and thus in brief i have shewed concerning tythes , and why we refuse to pay them , and the matter of our consciences in that case . . as for tythes , as now demanded , paid and received in these kingdoms , we know they are not of heavenly institution , nor for a good use and end ordained and practised , but as they are now paid , both in these kingdoms , and through christendom , they are of popish institution , and were first ordained , paid , and received by the authority of the church of rome , and were unequally imposed upon the nations through her authority , for the use and end to maintain her priests , and clergy , and church ; and the institution and payment of tythes among christians , was not till near . years after christ , as hystorians say ; and for divers ages after that , there were no laws enjoyning and forcing the payment of them , not till about the year , . that pope adrian the first , sent two legates into england , to make a decree , that the people of two kingdoms ( to wit ) merce-land and northumberland , should pay tythes . by these and other testimonies it is manifest , that the payment of tythes amongst christians , had their first original from the church of rome , and by succession from thence , and not from the apostles , are tythes paid , given and received at this day in these kingdoms ; and the institution , payment , and use , and end of them , is not according to the law of moses at all : for tythes , as then amongst the iews ordained and paid , were for the happy use , to feed the poor , the widdows and the fatherless in israel , that there should not be a beggar amongst them : but the use and end of the payment of them now in these dayes , is for the maintaining a company of priests , in their pride and fulness , and the poor and the strangers may starve , and lie begging up and down at the corners of the streets ; so that we cannot for conscience sake at this day pay tythes . . because the first institution of them among christians , was not from heaven , nor from christ iesus , nor his apostles , but from the pope and church of rome . . because the use and end of tythes is not according to god , nor righteousness ; but for the maintaining the priests in pride and fulness , and their families ; and in the mean time the poor want . . because the continued payment of them , is exaction and imposition , contrary to the gospel of liberty and peace , upon the persons , estates , and consciences , of many good people in these kingdoms . . all these things rightly and justly considered , it is manifest , and plainly apparent to all good men , that this matter of denying to pay tythes , is a clear case of conscience with us , and that we have sufficient ground to make conscience hereof , and for good conscience sake we may justly refuse and deny to pay tythes ; and the exercise of our consciente herein is bottomed upon a right foundation , as i have made appear ; and it is not for covetousness to our selves , nor in contempt of authority , nor in wilfulness to wrong any man of his just right , nor for any other evil end , that we do refuse to pay tythes ; but it is for conscience sake , only and alone for that end , that we may keep our consciences clear in the sight of god , by our faithfulness , in denying of what we are convinced of to be evil and not of god , as i have shewed we are in this case of tythes ; and we dare not sin against god by disobedience to him , nor uphold the payment of tythes in these kingdoms , which are so evil , both in their ordination , and in their use and end , as paid in these days , as i have shewed ; for if we should , we might offend his spirit , and our own consciences , and bring anguish upon our souls , and be guilty of denying of christ and his coming , and of making void the new covenant ; and of walking contrary to the examples of the apostles and holy martyrs , and of upholding antichrist and his kingdom : these , with many other evils , we run our selves into , if we should pay tythes in these days , and after the romish institution ; and therefore it is for conscience sake that we do refuse to pay tythes : and whatsoever we do suffer because thereof , it is persecution , and for , and because we cannot sin against our god : and it is not for evil doing , for rebellion , nor for transgression against the law of god , nor the just laws of men ; but it is for holding the testimony of iesus and a good conscience ; and in such our sufferings , we commit our cause to the god of heaven , patiently bearing what is unequally inflicted upon us for this matter , and our cause is iust and innocent for which we suffer , and we have more respect to keep our faith and conscience towards god , than to save our estates or liberties ; for could we transgress against god , and pay tythes , we might preserve our liberties and estates , which we have endangered and lost often , because we could not ; which may shew that it is not for covetousness nor self-ends , that we refuse to do it : and this our case about tythes , and the reason why we cannot pay them , is in brief stated and pleaded , before the king and his council , and i leave it to their considerations in the sight of god , only to warn them , that they persecute not any for the cases of conscience , neither in this nor in any other thing , lest the effect of it be sad upon them in a day when god visits them with judgments . chap. iv. the case stated and pleaded , concerning giving security by bond , to live peaceably , or to answer cases then and there , &c. as is often required of us . . forasmuch as we are often demanded , to give bond of one or two hundred pounds ( or the like ) for security ( so called ) that we will live peaceably ; or , that we will appear and answer such cases objected against us , or supposed of us . now we cannot give such kind of formal engagements out of the council of god , to be or do , or appear , or answer , that , or the other case , when as we are no transg●●ssors in the things objected against us , and supposed of us ; and when we are ●…cted by prejudiced minds of such and such matters , of which we are no 〈◊〉 guilty in the sight of god nor men ; and then it is demanded of us , to bind our selve● , to find sureties , and to answer this and the other objection and supp●… , only falsly supposed and suspected against us , by men that seek occasion against u● this demand we cannot fulfil for conscience sake ; because we are clear , and not g●ilty of such suspitions ; nor can we bind our selves ( out of the counsel of g●d ) ●●●n penalties and forfeitures , to appear and answer such and such groundless objections ; for if we should in that manner bind and engage our selves not to d● 〈◊〉 , o● answer this and the other objection against us , when we know our selves innocent of that accusation to which we are to answer , and that it is not in our h●arts to do the thing whereof we are doubted , but contrary to our faith and principles ; then this were a betraying of our own innocency in that behalf , and a rendring of us guilty to all men , when as we are clear ; and by binding our selves , as afore-mentioned , we should be reputed , transgressors : for bonds and engagements by forfeitures and sums of money , are for the guilty , and not for the innocent ; and we may not betray our guiltless cause , and bring it under false reputation amongst men , by giving such binding engagements . and again , when as we are clear of any such suspitions as are made against us , if we should bind our selves , as aforesaid ; it many times doth appear , that occasion is more taken against us , in answering or appearing , and we made to be greater offenders than before ; and there again our innocency is betray'd , when as innocent of the fact supposed against us , yet made offenders in answering , through formalities and tricks in the course of law , practised at the time of answering ; and therefore we do in good reason and equity , deny to bind our selves in that manner , and to give such security ( so called ) lest we should betray our own innocency , and render our cause to false reputations in that behalf ; and lest we should fall into a remedy , to clear us of false suspitions , worse than the suspitions themselves , by laying our selves liable to greater sufferings in answering to our accusations , falsly objected , than our suffering can be by the accusations themselves ; and evil-minded men do often take greater occasion against us in answering false charges and groundless suspitions laid against us , than they can take by the false charges and suspitions themselves : and so we cannot bind our selves , as aforesaid , to fulfil the wills of men , and thereby expose our selves to a far greater suffering ( to be taken in it ) for to escape a less . . but as for living peaceably in the land , and being subject in all just and good things to the king and his government ; and not to plot against them , n●● to harm any person whatsoever , but to be in love with all , and in good behaviour towards all , and to answer to any thing justly required of us : this is our principle to do , and hath ever been our practice , and we are bound by the law of god to perform this in every particular ; and we can fully make confession hereof , and testifie it in yea and nay , according to the new covenant and christ's command , who hath said , let your yea , be yea , and your nay , nay , but not by an oath , nor binding our selves upon such penalties and forfeitures in engagements by sums of money , out of the counsel of god ; and our yea and nay , in this and all other cases , is more binding to us , than all the formal engagements of others ; and we make as much conscience to perform our yea and nay , as any others do their oathes , or bonds ; and if we do not , but do plot and rebel , and be of evil behaviour towards any , then let us suffer the same , as if we had bound our selves in forfeitures o● great sums of money , and broken such our engagements : and no man need in any case bind himself upon such pains and forfeitures , not to break the laws of the land ; when as the justice of the law will be executed upon him if he transgress it , whether he bind himself , or not before-hand , not to break it ; and this is the thing we alwayes offer : here we are , if we have broken any law , let us suffer according to the law ; and if at any time we are found guilty of transgressing the law , let us then suffer accordingly , whether death or bonds ; we crave no favour , but the execution of just law : and in the mean time , being we are clear of rebellion and other transgressions ; who shall accuse us ? or who can reasonably require such or such engagements of us to do , or not to do , or answer so , or so ; seeing we must in justice suffer the punishment of the law when we transgress it ; which we must do , if we are at any time guilty , whether we beforehand bind our selves to the contrary or not ? and also , if we should bind our selves , by the engagements of such and such sums of money , to live quietly and not to rebel : yet we should be no better trusted because hereof , for that would not slay the principle of strife and war in us , but rather cause us to murmer because of our bondage , and strive for liberty ; and also if we were men of disposions to war and plot , &c. it cannot be supposed by reasonable men , that any engagement by any sum of money , would bind us from it , upon occasion , seeing we might hope in such attempts to save our sums of money , and to gain far more advantage , or else we hazarded to loose all ; and to gain a greater advantage ( if we were men of strife ) we would not doubt to attempt to lose a less , and we being not men of strife , we cannot bind our selves as aforesaid , in this or any case ; neither can any in good reason desire the same of us , if they rightly consider the case . . these things considered , it is fully manifest , that upon good reason and a clear conscience , we do refuse and deny to give bond , and make such and such engagements by forfeitures of sums of money ; it is i say , in good reason and conscience , and not in any wilfulness or stubbornness , or contempt of authority that we do it , nor as though we were guilty in such matter suspected , and durst not answer the law ; but we do it to keep our innocency clear , and not to betray it into real cause of doubt that we are guilty . . that we may not lay ourselves liable to a greater suffering , by answering false suspitions and accusations , as it often happeneth in the proceedings in course of law. . that we may not come under men of evil prejudiced minds , that seek more occasion against us than they have ; and we may not fulfil their wills , and to give them occasion against us , when as in the accusations they have justly none . . that we may not expose our selves to be intrapped and ensnared into greater sufferings , to avoid a less . . that we may walk in the doctrine and command of christ iesus , who hath commanded to let our yea be yea , and our nay be nay ; and whatsoever oath or engagement ( out of the counsel of god ) is more , cometh of evil , which we may not do . these , with some others , are the reasons and causes why we cannot for conscience sake bind our selves in such kind of formal engagements ( out of the will of god ) to do , or not to do ; to answer this false suspition or the other ; but we do deny it out of good reason and conscience . and also there is no example for it , that we know , among the saints in former ages , that any of them ever bound themselves to any kings or rulers in any such kind of engagements , neither can we at this day ; but as i said , if we transgress the law , let us suffer by it ; if we are already , or hereafter be found guilty , we desire nothing but the just execution of iust laws , and in patience we shall bear it ; but before-hand we may not bind our selves in formal engagements out of the will of god , to promise upon forfeitures and penalties what we will do or say , or what we will not do or say , for at the will and disposure of the almighty we are , in all things and cases ; and it is our principle and belief , that we abiding in the fear and counsel of god , can be no ●ther than peaceable , just , righteous and innocent in the land ; so that whatsoever we may do or suffer for this case , of denying to give bond , or engage our selves so and so , as aforesaid , it is for truth 's sake , and such our sufferings are persecution and unequal ; and we must commit our cause to god , who will plead it in his season , if that we are persecuted for the cause of groundless suspition , and because we cannot engage to answer causless objections . and thus i have sought out this matter , and laid it before the king , and i leave it to him to consider ; and to shew justice , equity , mercy and long-suffering , and in so doing he will be blessed ; but if the cortrary be brought forth , the effect thereof will be more miserable . chap. v. the case stated and pleaded , concerning government it self ; and particularly of this present authority , and our obedience to it . . we do acknowledg government , and rule , and magistracy to be an ordinance of god , ordained and instituted of him , to be exercised among the children of men , for to be a praise and a defence to all that do well , and to be a terror and corrector to all that do evil. and we believe there ought to be rule and government and authority , exercised and executed , in every kingdom , nation , city and country , for the end aforesaid ( to wit ) that evil-doers may be made afraid and corrected , limitted , restrained , and subdued ; and that sin and transgression may be suppressed ; and truth and righteousness promoted ; and them that do well , praised and strengthened : and this is the very end of outward government of kings , princes , or other , amongst men upon the earth , even that the outward man may be kept in good order and subjection in his conversation in the world , and may be limitted and restrained from all wrong doing o● speaking against his neighbours person or estate ; and if he do , he is punishable by such iust authority . this is the very end of outward government in the kingdoms of the world ; but it extends not over the inward man , to rule , govern , or exercise authority over the consciences of any in spiritual matters and cases between god and man's conscience ; this dominion and authority only partains to the inward government and rule of jesus christ by his eternal spirit , but not to any outward government of kings , princes , parliaments , or any others ; they , i say , ought only to exercise authority over the persons and estates of people in all just and lawful things and matters , but not over the consciences of any in the exercise of duty towards god , or in the cases and matters of worship and religion . . the exercise and execution of this iust government over the outward man , as afore described , ought to be committed into the hands of faithful , just and upright men , such as fear the lord and hate covetousness , and every evil way , in all kingdoms of the world ; the execution of the government in all just laws , ought ( i say ) to be committed to such men , and not to drunkards , lyars , covetous or evil-minded persons , ambitious or vain glorious persons in any nation ; such as these ought not to be entrusted with the execution of the government , and the good laws of any kingdom ; for such will not be a blessing unto the land , nor unto any people , but a curse , and the cause of provoking god to vengeance and wrath against themselves , the people and the government , if such men , whom god chooseth not , be chosen to make laws and execute them , and to exercise governments in any kingdoms of this world ; but men that fear god , and delight in iustice , mercy and truth , that are humble and meek and lowly persons , ought to be called to the place of government , and only such are fit to exercise rule and authority , and to make and execute laws in these kingdoms , and in all the kingdoms of the world ; and such would be a blessing in the earth , and the governments under such , and in the execution of their hands , would be blessed and prosperous ; and all good men would have cause to rejoyce therein , and all evil-doers and transgressors would be limitted and made afraid , if so be the laws be just , holy and righteous , and according to equity and the holy law of god in all things , and the due execution of such laws committed to just and righteous and meek men , that love judgment , mercy and truth , and would execute them in the earth ; then the happy and blessed government will be exalted , and truth and righteousness would reign as judge on the throne ; and in this shall all nations and kingdoms be prosperous and blessed when it cometh to pass . . and as for this present authority and government now in being , under the name of king charles the second , we do believe and acknowledge , that according to the purpose and will of god , and of his bringing to pass , this present government and authority is set up , and into its present being established ; the lord , i say , hath suffered it to be effected , for the cause , and end , and time , and purpose , known to himself , and not to mortal man : and thus this government and authority is of god , being brought in and set up , in opposition to , and for the reproof and correction of such as went before , who had neglected mercy , truth , judgment and righteousness in the earth , till it was time for the lord to cast them out , and reprove them , and make them a desolation before their enemies ; and this authority was judged of the lord fit for that use and end , and reserved to be brought in , as a rod of god in his hand , to correct and smite many people ; and it is right in the sight of the lord , that this authority should have this time and season to be exercised in these kingdoms , to try and prove , both it self , and all under it , if so be that truth , justice and righteousness , mercy and peace , may be brought forth it these kingdoms through it , that god may establish it for long continuance ; and it is now a trying and proving , to make it self happy and blessed , or otherwise to bring it self into contempt and dishonour ; and accordingly as truth , justice , mercy , judgment and peace is brought forth by it , or the contrary brought forth by it , so must the just and equal effects and reward of it be from the hand of god ; and it is only just judgment , mercy and truth , righteousness , relieving the oppressed , and the doing thereof ; that can alone make the person and government of the king happy , blessed and honourable in this world , and hereafter ; and the contrary , if it be brought forth , must needs bring confusion , discontents , and all miserable judgments ; and to say no more of it , this is my present judgement of the king and his authority , both in respect of their coming in , and the cause thereof , and the fruits and effects that must follow , which is not otherwise determined of god , but according to desert and merit , of walking in truth , justice , and righteousness , or in walking otherwise . . our obedience to this authority , must be according , as before declared , in the plea of the first case concerning allegiance ( to wit ) for conscience sake to god , we are bound by his iust law in our hearts to yeild obedience to it , in all matters and cases actively or passively ; that is to say , in all just and good commands of the king , and the good laws of the land , relating to our outward man , we must be obedient by doing , and not withhold our just obedience ; but in the cases of conscience ( to wit ) in the matters of duty to god , and of worship , faith and religion towards him , we must only be obedient to god ; for it is he that teacheth and requireth obedience in all those things : and if any thing be commanded of us by the present authority , which is not according to equity , iustice and a good conscience towards god , to be done by us , we must in such cases , obey god only , and deny active obedience for conscience sake , and patiently suffer what is inflicted upon us for such our disobedience to men ; and we must choose obedience to god rather than man , though we suffer because thereof : and this is our principle , and hath ever been our practice , to obey authority , by doing , or suffering , not disputing whether the authority in it self be absolute of god , or not ; yet being an authority over us , we are to obey it , either by doing , or suffering , because it is an authority ; and not to plot , rebel , or rise up with carnal weapons against it : and thus must our obedience be to the king and his government . and if that in any thing of the commands of the king , we cannot be obedient for conscience sake , in the cases of conscience , and when ought is required different or contrary to the law of god ; we have example hereof in the scriptures , of many of the servants of god that could not in all things , yield obedience to the laws of nations and commands of kings , when they required ought to be obeyed , contrary to their pure consciences ; as in the case of the three children , dan. . they could not obey the law and command of the king , though it was absolute , but refused obedience , and suffered for it ; and daniel also himself disobeyed the king's law and commands , dan. . and the apostles the same , when they were commanded by the authority of that city and county , to preach no more in the name of iesus , act. . , . they did not obey the command of the rulers in that case , but went on and preached iesus , in disobedience and contrary to the command of the rulers . and by these , and many other examples , it is apparent , that it is justifiable in the sight of god , and that it was practised by the servants of god in former ages , even disobedience to kings and authority , in the matters and cases commanded contrary to the law of god and a good conscience ; and their example may justifie such now in the same practice , in the same case , if they walk therein by the same principle . . and thus it is manifest , that if we at any time be found not in full obedience by doing , in all cases and things , to the laws and authority of this kingdom ; it is not out of contempt unto , or rebellion against the king's person or government ; it is not i say , on that account , but for good conscience sake , and because we must obey god rather than man , when and where their com mands stand in opposition the one to the other ; and this is , that we may keep our consciences clear in the sight of god , from disobedience against him , which is our care and endeavour by all means : and when any thing is required of us to be done , which we cannot do with a clear conscience in the sight of god , such commands we cannot yield obedience unto ; and yet it is not out of wilfulness , stubbornness , contempt , or rebellion against the authority ; but it is for this end and cause , that we may not sin against god , nor against our own consciences , by doing any thing that is contrary thereunto , lest we should bring the wrath of god upon our own consciences : so that all these things rightly considered , it doth appear . . that we acknowledge magistracy and authority to be the ordinance of god , to be exercised and executed in the kingdoms of the world among men . . that iust and righteous men , are the only persons fit to execute iust laws and authorities in the earth . . that we acknowledge this present government of king charles , and that according to the purp●se of god it is now set up . . that we are to be obedient by doing or su●●eri●g in all things , to the authority of the king , as the supream authority . . that if in any case we are disobedient thereunto , and cannot wholly perform every command , by doing , yet it is for conscience sake to god , and that we may not sin against him , and not out of rebellion or contempt of the king or his power . and all these things truly considered , if we do suffer tribulations , afflictions and imprisonments , under and by this present authority , for and because of our profession and practice of religion , without evil or wrong doing to our neighbours persons or estates , though we do not in the things contrary to our consciences obey actively this present authority , yet we are persecuted for the name of christ ; and as so , we receive our sufferings , and not as for contempt or denial of authority , or as rebellion against it ; but for conscience sake to god our sufferings are , and our unjust persecution will be upon our enemies in the effect and reward thereof , with great indignation and wrath from the lord god , that rewards all according to their works . thus much about government . and now i shall shew what persecution is in it self . chap. vi. concerning persecution ; what it is in it self , and how great an enemy it is to the king's person and authority . . persecution is , when a person , or a people , do suffer tribulation , affliction , imprisonment , bonds , or death , whether by a law or without the law , for , and because of his or their principle and practice in religion ; as when a person or a people are reproached , falsly accused , imprisoned or put to death , only for and because of their religions sake ; when as no evil-dealing in the things between man and man , can be justly charged and proved against them , but only because they are righteous , and walk in the wayes of the lord , and cannot conform to the wayes and vanities of this world , but are separated from it in its prophaneness , and in its formal profession also of religion ; and because thereof sufferings are imposed upon them , while yet they walk justly , innocently and harmlesly towards all men . this is persecution for conscience sake , and such are persecuted , if so be they suffer for and because of righteousness sake , and because they will not deny their principles nor profession of rēligion , nor conform to times nor laws contrary to a good conscience , and yet suffer because hereof ; this is persecution . . persecution is , when a person or a people is afflicted , and any kind of sufferings imposed upon them , whether by any authority , or without authority , and only because they are of such a profession and practice in religion ; though yet their profession and practice in their religion is not perfectly according to god , nor by the exercise of that spirit of god ruling in their consciences in such their religion ; yet if they suffer only for their religion sake , while yet they walk uprightly as men , in all outward affairs relating to the outward man , this also is persecution . and such are persecuted for their religions sake , though not wholy for righteousness sake ; and none ought to suffer as such under the authority of any king , prince or power : but if such do suffer , as i have said , and that for their religions sake , only so , though yet their religion is not perfectly according to god , yet they are persecuted , and this is persecution . and thus i have in short described & defined what persecution is in it self , and who it is that are persecuted ; and i shall now shew how great an enemy persecution for conscience and religions sake is unto the king's person and authority . persecution for conscience sake , and for difference in matters of religion , is a great enemy to the person and government of the king ; it is , i say , a destroying and devouring enemy , and the fruits and effects thereof may work terrible destruction ; yea , this enemy [ persecution ] hath often wrought overthrow in kingdoms : let the king strive to be delivered speedily from this great enemy , which is fierce and cruel , and may work woful effects in this kingdom also ; and the king may be more blessed in his person and government if he remove far from him this enemy , persecution . . it is his enemy because its effect is , to eat out the affections of many good and sober people from the king , and may make their love and affections dye to the king's government , when they behold and consider the persecution of many good and peaceable people for righteousness and good conscience sake , whenas no evil-doing between man and man can justly be laid to their charge , but only for the matter of their religion , and the exercise of their consciences towards god ; and if such suffer cruel imprisonment , unjust fines and grievous vexations for such cause , it may weaken and eat out the affections of good people , and divert their love and good desires from the king and his government , in which such persecution is brought forth : and that which diverts the peoples love from the king is his great enemy , and such is persecution . . persecution is the king 's great enemy , because it may kindle heart-burnings , envyings , strifes and murmurings among his subjects , while some are tollerated in the profession and practice of their religion , and others persecuted and imprisoned for the same cause ; and this kind of dealing exerciseth the king's subjects in harsh dealing one towards another , and gives great occasion for quarrelling , envies , debate and malice one against another ; even when some execute persecution upon others , hailing them to prison , spoiling their goods , and the like : and this kind of dealing , i say , whilst the authority of the land persecutes one sort of the king's subjects by the hands of others , it tendeth much to great division and distractions amongst the people ; and it is not for the king's safety , but for his great dishonour and disadvantage every way , to have the people divided into heart-burnings and quarrellings against one another : and therefore persecution is the king 's great enemy , because it worketh such evil effects . . it is his great enemy , because it is contrary to the trust which god hath reposed in him , in promoting him to be king over these people ; for god hath not committed power to him to judge in the cases of mens consciences , and to persecute any because of the exercise thereof , whether they be of this profession and practicé in religion , or the other , yet living peaceably and uprightly as men , he ought not to persecute us , nor to suffer them to be persecuted by nor under his authority ; but he ought to defend and preserve all mens persons and estates in their just rights , from the violence each of others , without respect to what their profession and practice of religion is ; but if the contrary be brought forth , it is contrary , and not answerable to the end of god's restauring him to these kingdoms ; and if he doth not what god hath justly called him unto , but otherwise , this is his enemy ; and such is persecution for conscience sake , it is contrary to the end of just government , and wherefore god hath restored him ; and therefore this persecution is an utter enemy both to the king's person and authority . . it is his enemy , because it provokes the god of heaven and earth over all to be offended with him ; for he is provoked and vexed because of the persecution of his people in this age , as ever he was in all ages ; and if the king be guilty thereof , it incurreth god's great displeasure against him : for god was ever offended with kings , rulers , and whomsoever , that were persecutors , and he is the same at this day ; and whatsoever it is that provokes god to anger against the king , that is his enemy : and such is persecution of people for the profession and practice of their religion , whenas no evil can be charged upon them in things between man and man ; and therefore let the king beware of this woful enemy that waits to wound him ; for if the god of heaven be provoked against him , how great is that enemy which brings it to pass . . it is the king's enemy , because it not only provokes the lord to anger , but to judgment ; persecution is the cause wherefore god bringeth grievous iudgments and vengeance upon whomsoever are guilty thereof ; and the effect of persecution is plagues and misery ; and it incenseth god to anger , and also to destroy : and therefore let the king beware of such a deadly enemy , as should cause god to destroy him . and such an enemy is persecution of god's people for conscience sake , it draweth down the wrath of god upon kings and kingdoms , upon rich and poor , upon high and low , that are guilty of it ; for it is the fulfilling of all other sins , and it hasteneth to bring destruction upon all that are guilty ; and this effect it will work upon the king , even this his enemy [ persecution ] if he turn not from it , and overcome it , and banish it from him , for it is the cause of both inward and outward , internal and external plagues and iudgments of god. . persecution , it is an enemy to the king , because it will work to weaken the hands of iust , and sober , and righteous men ; it will weaken their love and affections , and it makes their hearts sad ; and wo is unto them that make sad their hearts , whom god doth not make sad ; and this doth persecution : and it doth not only weaken the hearts and hands of the righteous and sober persons , but it strengthens the hands of the rude , ungodly and prophane through the land ; and that which strengthens the wicked and the rude multitude in wantonness , scorning and prophanness , that is the king's enemy ; but such is persecution for a good conscience sake : and because it weakens the righteous in their good and upright wayes , and strengthens the wicked in their evil wayes , therefore it is an enemy unto the king. . persecution is an enemy unto him , because it tends to render him dishonourable , both in the sight of god , and all good men through the world ; for it will shew , that he is cruel , and bitter and perverse , and that he wanteth humility , meekness , forbearance and patience , if he be guilty ; and this is dishonourable , to have and profess evil qualities and properties , and to be without the good ; and by persecution this will be made manifest to all the world , and ever was in all ages , that the persecutors of good conscience gained unto themselves , dishonour and reproach of all good men in all ages after them ; for they were men full of rage , and malice , and passionateness , and wanted patience and humility , and this made them dishonourable : and the case will be the same with the king , if he be a persecutor for conscience sake , and he will be dishonourable both in this present time , and in ages to come , and this by persecution , and therefore it is his enemy , that will work many mischiefs and evils upon him , if he be not wholy delivered from it . . persecution is an enemy to the king's person and authority , because persecution for conscience sake is of the devil , it is of his spirit , and not of the spirit of god , to persecute , imprison , kill and destroy mens persons and estates , because of their religions sake , whenas no unjust dealing nor unrighteous conversation can be justly laid to their charge , but only for and because of such profession and practice in religion , to persecute any because hereof , this is of the devil ; and that which is of the devil is the king's enemy , and an enemy to all mankind , and such is persecution ; and therefore it is a deadly mortal enemy , which wounds kings , princes and rulers , that ever have had friendship with it ; and therefore let the king avoid this great enemy , lest its effects prove miserable . . it is the king's enemy , because it is according to the example of all the wicked king's and rulers that ever have been through ages and generations ; as of pharaoh , ahab , herod , nero , and many more , who were persecutors of people for conscience sake , who gained unto themselves thereby reproach , infamy and misery from god and men ; and to follow their example is the king's enemy , and such is persecution : if he should persecute for conscience sake , and about religion , and the worship of god , then he follows the example of wicked kings , and this will be his enemy , and will work woful effects , if so be he walk in the steps of the persecutors of old , & love that which is his enemy . . persecution is the king's enemy , because the end and effects thereof is misery and destruction upon all that persecute the heritage of god : what was pharaoh's end , and herod's end , and nero's end ? was not their end woful and miserable to god , and shameful to men ? and persecution for conscience sake will bring the same effects at this day : the end of all persecutors will be misery and shame , even in the day of the lord , when he comes with iudgment and vengeance , and to reward every man according to his deeds , then will he reward persecution and persecutors with his fierce wrath , and they shall know the iustice of god's iudgments executed upon them . and therefore happy will the king be , if he keep himself clear , and put far from him this enomy , persecution three considerations i have to present unto the king for conclusion . . the strength , and safety and prosperity of the king and his government , stands in the union , good affection and love of his subjects , and the people of these kingdoms , one to another , and to the king ; and the more that the people of the kingdoms are in love , and union , and good affection one with another , and to the king , the more strong , and safe , and prosporous thereby is the king and his government , and the more like for a long and happy continuance and establishment : and it is the love , and union and affection of the sober , and grave , and just and upright people , and of the meek of the land , that is the king's strength and safty , and will much tend to his prosperity , and to the establishment of his government and authority ; and the king's safety and strength , and prosperity doth not depend upon the affections and acclamations of the ruder sort , and of the wild multitude , though such profess great subjection , and cry up the king and his government , and drink his healths , and swear the destruction of all his enemies , and have much love and great union for the king , and are for him , to serve him , and swear fidelity , and engage themselves very highly in words and gestures for the king ; yet the king and his government is no whit the safer , nor more strong , nor prosperous because hereof : for his prosperity and establishment dependeth upon the love and good affection of the just , and upright , and temperate and meek men of the kingdoms , and not upon the love of the rude multitude ; such cannot be a blessing to him in their vaunting , and boasting and rudeness , nor can he stand by them ; but must stand in the establishment of his government by the love of such as fear the lord , and depart from all iniquity ; by the good affection of such , and their faithfulness and love , may the king be happy and blessed : therefore let him strive to please such , and to gain their good affections to be united to him , and this may add to his long continuance . . it is the doing of justice and truth , and allowing all just and equal liberty to all people under his authority , that will gain upon the hearts of all just and good people : and as righteousness . mercy , true judgment and truth is brought forth in the land , and all the contrary limitted in the king's government ; this will gain much upon the hearts and affections of all good people , to be united in love one to another , and to the king : and this is the way of the king's prosperity , and to make his government established , if so be that he exercise his rule and authority in love and meekness , and equal iustice and mercy , and love righteousness and truth , and hate and deny all the contrary , and limit it ; then the spirits of all people in the kingdoms would be subjected and subdued under his power , and he should rule over them , and his kingdoms be established prosperously ; and this is the way of an happy government . but if so be the king put on rigour , and be fierce and cruel , and think to subdue all under him by will and force , without shewing justice and reason to answer the consciences of his subjects in all his proceedings ; this way can never be prosperous , nor establish him in his authority ; but it will work the contrary effect : for , if oppression be brought forth , and heavy yoaks laid upon the back of the poor ; then will the wrath of god and of men be kindleed against him , and murmurings , strifs and contentions will arise in the minds of men against him ; and the oppressions of the poor will reach unto heaven , and god will hear and revenge their cause . so that it is ruling and exercising authority in these kingdoms in justice , righteousness , love and good reason that must gain the hearts of people unto right subjection , to make the king and his government happy and established ; and rigour , force and cruelty will never make the king happy , but will work contrary : for the people are wise , and understanding will not long bear any degree of the yoak of slavery . . inasmuch as the people of these kingdoms are divers , and divided , and contrary in judgment one to another in many things , and so are dis-united into several opinions and parties ; the king ought to rule in wisdom and love over them all , and to shew equal justice and liberty , and to ea●rcise righteousness towards them all alike , notwithstanding their difference in religion and judgments ; for if he shall give liberty to some , and oppress others ; if he do joyn with one way , and promote that ; and the men of one judgment be tollerated , and all other wayes , and all others that are different in judgement , be persecuted and oppressed , and sought to be destroyed ; this is not the way for the king to prosper , nor to be established to perpetuity : for there seems to be no one way so strong , or any one sort of people so many , for the king to cleave to and allow , and seek to destroy all the rest , because there is of other sors of people that ballance that sort in opposition ; and so the king and his government seems not secure , if he take hold of any one sort of people , only to stand thereby , in opposition to all the rest , persecuting of them ; because there are many of other sects that will be discontented and murmur , if not more : so that the king's safety is , and the prosperity of his government , and the establishment of it seems to be , by giving equal liberty and iustice , and shewing love and tenderness to all of all iudgments , and then he may stand by all , and none will oppose him , but all will be ready to defend and preserve him : for he may stand established , and be happy in his government , by engaging all sorts to him through love , and righteousness , and liberty towards all ; but he cannot ( according to my iudgment ) be established nor prosperous , if he choose only the men of one judgment to stand by , and cleave only to that , and persecute and seek to destroy all the rest that are different ; and so only make one party his friends , and dis-engage all others in love and affection ; this seems , i say , not the way of prosperity . let the king consider it , and the lord give him a right understanding . by a friend to iust authority , e. b. persecution impeached , as a traytor against god , his laws and government ; and the cause of the ancient martyrs vindicated , against the cruelty inflicted upon them by the papists in former dayes . being a brief answer to a book called , semper iidem ; or , a paralel of phanaticks , &c. lately published by a nameless author : wherein is contain'd a relation of the martyrdom of many such as dissented and opposed the church of rome ; who are in the said book villified and reproached , by the name and term of antient phanaticks . and this is sent forth as an answer thereunto , to pursue it , apprehend it , and condemn it , as a pamphlet of calumnies and slanders against the protestants , both of former and present dayes ; who are all of them scorned in the said book , the one as ancient , the other as modern phanaticks . which is sent abroad as a warning to england , to beware of the spirit of the church of rome , lest it exalt it self in cruel persecution against the protestants , and all that differ from it . how great and miserable hath been that darkness and ignorance , which hath over-spread the nations and kingdoms of the world , since the apostles dayes ? and how manifold is that error into which many have been fallen , even as into a snare of destruction ? and how woful is that strife , division and contention about religion , that hath highly abounded among the christian people ? ( so called ) for the whole christendom have been divided , and in opposition one part against another , about the true god , and his worship , and concerning the knowledge of salvation by jesus christ : and divers kinds of religion , church-government , and practices of ordinances of faith & worship have been extant in the world ; and nations & countries have been all in division , strife and contention about these matters , and have been also persecuting one another violently unto bonds and death , for and because difference in judgment and practices concerning spiritual things , papists against protestants ; and protestants against papists , and one sort of christians ( so called ) against another , and the men of such a judgment , and fai●● , and way of religion have been persecuting and seeking to destroy all that have been contrary minded to them ; and thus have been the woful divisions and evil effects thereof in the world among christians , about faith , and worship , and religious matters , & this has come to pass because of the spirit of error & darkness that hath possessed the minds of men , since the falling away from the truth , as it was once manifest among the apostles : and thus it s come to pass , because of the erring from the spirit of god , and because that hath been wanting amongst men , therefore have people been divers and divided about matters of religion , each one sort following their own invention and traditions of men , and also persecuting one another , and killing and imprisoning one another because of the same ; and all this , because the spirit of truth hath not dwelt in the hearts of christians , as it did in the apostles , not led , guided and taught them in true unity and fellowship , as it did the true christians in the dayes of old : and while the spirit of christ hath been wanting , and is not received into the heart , to mortifie , guide , rule and teach in all the wayes of god , and the whole exercise of religion and duty towards him ; and while there is any kind of imposing and forceing of religion by laws of men , upon penalties and forfeitures , and setting up worship and church government by that means , and in that way , without the imm●… teaching of the spirit of christ in the conscience ; i say , while this hath been and is continued , nothing but division , strife , contention , persecution , and nations and peoples destroying one another about religion , hath been , is , or can be in the world amongst christians . and of this same ( to wit ) of division and contention about religion , with the enmity of such as are so divided one against another , to the persecuting and killing one of another , that are contrary minded , as it hath been brought forth in the world for generations past , we have here a sufficient large testimony , lately published in a book called , semper iidem , or , a paralel of phanaticks , &c. wherein is made mention of what strife and contention there hath been in former dayes among the false christians ; and how they have cruelly persecuted , burned and destroyed one another in this cause , only for and because of the difference in maters of judgment and religious things ; and these persecutions and cruelties , effected contrary to the example of christ and his doctrine , who hath exhorted to love and peace , and not to kill and destroy ; and that a man should love his enemies , and not kill and destroy them ; contrary to which doctrine the false christians of all kinds have walked and acted since the dayes of the apo●… , who have been apostatized , and fallen from the very life and power of godliness , as held amongst the primitive saints , into forms and empty shadows , being all in strife one with another about such things , and have wanted the spirit of christ , which should have led and guided into all truth , and exercised them in the true worship of the true and living god , who is a spirit , and is only truly worshipped in spirit and in truth ; but out of this spirit and spiritual worship the false christians have been erred , and so all divided and in centention , a● aforesaid , and persecuting one another because thereof , each one sort justifying their own way 〈◊〉 right , and condemning that which hath differed as the wrong , and all as hereticks that have been otherwise minded . but as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 book , semper iidem , &c. i would gladly animad●… 〈◊〉 con●…ing it , and do intend to write a few things by way of an●●er thereunto , and this is the present occasion of my present work ; for having met with the said pamphlet , and perusing of it , i found divers considerations on my spirit to send forth in answer , to pursue the said semper iidem up and down the world , till it returns again unto the place from whence it came ( to wit ) unto the bottomless pit , out of which it lately arose : and in reading the same book , i have principally observed the mischievout end and secret evil intents of the nameless author , more than the matter it self contained : and though the author be nameless , yet is his nature and spirit known by his book ; and for what end he hath concealed his name , i know not , except he was ashamed of his work , and durst not authorize his matter by his name ; but however , the spirit , end and intent of the said nameless person is perceived and known , as much as any tree can be distinguished by its fruit ; and he is of an envious disposition of heart , and of malicious countenance , and in nature and stock of the descent of cain ; for his spirit is of an evil constitution , hot and fiery , and enclinable to destroy all that are not like-minded with himself in the iudgment of religious matters ; and his proceedings and the end of his work is of an intent and purpose wicked enough , if every effect answers the cause appearing , and be not diverted from the end proposed by the author ; and this i find by calculation of his birth , and the temper of his spirit , and of the time wherein his book is published , and by the cause , and end and intent of the matter and manner of it , and by the effect that would follow , if the author's aim and purpose were fulfilled : by all which i must in true judgment conclude from the appearance , disposition , temper and constitution of the spirit of the man , and from all causes and effects pertaining to the said semper iidem , that the author thereof is indeed chiefly a member of the church of rome ( to wit ) mostly a down-right papist , holding forth the principles of antichrist in perfect form and manner , for the perfect end and cause of persecution , even burning again in smithfield , and else-where , and killing and destroying even all sorts of people under the scurrilous reproachful name of phanaticks , that are in iudgment and practice of profession contrary to this man's way , and differing from the papists religion : this , i say , i truly find to be the current and disposition of the nameless author , and his proceedings in his method and matter of his semper iidem , &c. and i have taken in hand at this time to answer him a little , and to unfold some of the dangerous intents towards england , which may inhabit and secretly lodge in that spirit of the church of rome , according to the current of the said book , and from which i have just cause to suppose the thing that i partly assert , even that the spirit which hath indicted the said book , waits its opportunity to effect its end , and to revive and renew fire and faggot again , to the extinquishing and destruction of all that differ , and are contrary minded in principles and practices of religion and worship from themselves ; for the fury and reproach of the said spirit that indicted and published semper iidem , reacheth not only to others , whom they call more phanatical , as quakers , anabaptists , &c. but to the very protestants themselves , even to all whatsoever that differ from the church of rome ; for such by the nameless author are no less termed and vilified by that scornful term phanaticks , distinguished by the name of ancient and modern , as hereafter i shall make it appear . and first , i shall shew a little concerning the signification of the term phanatick , as of late used ; and the first use of it in these late dayes ; and the exchange of the word from one sort to another ; and in whose mouthes it now remains ; and who are now so accounted . . not to discuss the etimology and signification of the word phanatick in it self , and what its original is , and from whence derived , this i shall not now proceed to do , as being not needful to my occasion , though there is difference of judgment amongst some in this matter ; and some say , the original and root of the word is from phanos , a false godd ; and some say otherwise : and they are not in unity among themselves that do most of all use the word , concerning the derivation and signification of the word in it self : neither shall i spend time to seek out a judgment , and to give it in this case , as counting the recompence that can be obtained not answerable to such a work ; but the signification of it , as now used at this day among people , is this , all that differ in iudgment and practice of religion and worship from the generality of people , and cannot conform unto such way of religion as generally practiced in the land , such are called phanaticks : and this signification the word beareth among people , as now practiced , such as meet together to preach and pray out of publick places , and cannot either out of knowledge or conscience conform to the publick way of worship held forth ; such are called phanaticks , and reproached by that name from the mouthes of scorners and revilers of the wayes of god ( numbers of whom do now abound ) and also , such who make conscience of their wayes , and cannot run on in the wayes of iniquity , in lying and drunkenness , and such like , but have been and are more sober , and do walk more in meekness and the fear of god , and have separated themselves from the evil company of men , and from all evil wayes , and could not run into the same excess of riot with the multitude , such have been called of these late dayes phanaticks by the scorners generation . and thus much in brief of the signification of the word , as used of these late dayes . . as for the first use of the word phanatick in this age , it is but of very late use ; for till within these two years , or less , we had very little or no use of the word phanatick , until about the time of then general monk's army coming out of scotland to london , when the army was new model'd , and many of the sectaries ( so called ) were turned out of places , about the eleaventh moneth , . then began the common use of this word phanatick ; and the anabaptists , and such as were turn'd out of the army , and called all by the name of sectaries , that were different from the publick way of worship , then held out ( which was for the most part of it presbyterians ) these were called phanaticks ; and then the use of the word so common began about this time ( as i have said ) as now practiced in our dayes : for the rage and indignation of the then presbyterians ( so called ) and that party , was such against the anabaptists , and such as differed in iudgment and practice from them , that scornfully they called them in derision phanaticks . and , so far as i know , this was the time and occasion of the first use of this word , as of late practiced ; or at least , it was the first time and occasion of my observation of the common use of the word phanatick . . and now as concerning the exchange of the word , from one sort of people to another , and how it hath been used by divers sorts of people against others that have differed from themselves , this is also observable , that the word phanatick hath not so much proper relation to any one sort of people , as that it is only perfectly true to one sort of people more than to others ; but the properness of the word phanatick , is only as scorners and revilers will wickedly use it , and as they will turn it to this sort of people , or to the other , to scorn them by it , whom they have an emnity against , and whom they list to abuseby reproaching : and this is the end of the use of the word to this day , and not of any truth or verity in it to any people , but only it s used as a term of reproach and scorning , by the mouthes of ungodly men against such as differ from them and their wayes , though they are better in practice of life and conversation than themselves : and the term hath been changed divers times , and divers sorts of people reproached by it by others , since its first use : as first , the people called presbyterians ( as aforesaid ) they used it towards such as were otherwise-minded than themselves , and reproached the anabaptists , and others that differed from them in iudgment and practice of religion , by the name of phanaticks , and then they reproached many by that name that differed from them , and did not conform to their way of worship and religion ; but this continued not long , for when others came over them , and they grew under reproach , then they themselves were reproached by that name phanatick , by which they had reproached others not long before ; and many that are for the government of the church under episcopacy , they now reproach the presbyterians ( so called ) by the name of phanaticks ; so the word is used in scorn to them by scorners , as they used it to others that differed from them in the like scornful spirit : and thus the word is made use of only in derision and reproach to any that differ from the publick way of religion in the land : for when the publick was generally presbyterians , then they that would not conform to that , but opposed it , were called phanaticks ; and now when the publick is episcopal , even the presbyterians themselves , and all that differ from that way , and cannot conform to it , are reproached by the scornful name of phanatick . and thus the word hath been exchanged from one sort of scorners to another , and used reproachfully towards divers persons ; so that as i have said , the word phanatick is truly proper to none of the sects more than others , but only proper to be used by scoffers and scorners against any whom they have a mind to villifie ; and it s exchanged from one to another , and used by divers sorts of people , according as times and religion do change by the powers of the earth . so the term phanatick is changed into the mouthes of scorners , to reproach all that differ from the common general way of profession and practice of religion . . now , last of all , it is changed yet once more into the mouthes of the papists , as by semper iidem doth appear , now under my explanation : and now the papists have gotten the word phanatick both from the presbyterians and episcopals , and all must now be reproached by that name , that differ from them and their way and religion ; and they have already begun to cry phanatick to the protestants , that differ from them in principles and practices . and thus its manifest , that the word phanatick is truly proper to none , but only used by scorners , to all whom they will revile and hold in derision , as different from them in religion , such they villifie by the name of phanaticks : first , the presbyterians used it to such as differed from them ; then episcopal men ( so called ) used it towards all that differed from them ; and now last of all , the papists have got it from both , and use it to all in derision that differ from them . and thus i have shewed , first , the beginning of the use of the word phanatick , and upon what occasion , and its true signification , as used at this day . secondly , concerning the exchanging of the word from one to another , and how that its truly proper to no people , but scorners only use it , to deride and reproach such as differ from them , and cannot run in the same excess of vanity . thirdly . how the papists now last of all have got it , and use it against the protestants ; and in their mouthes now it remains : and the protestants ( so called ) are now the persons and people that are accounted phanaticks , because they differ from the papists in principles and practises of faith , worship and religion : and this is manifest by the scope of semper iidem . secondly , i shall now shew how maliciously the nameless author of semper iidem hath slandred the martyres and sufferers for righteousness sake in former ages ; and how he hath accused the protestants ( now living ) and what effect this would work in england , if the author's intent were fulfilled . . he hath slandered , accused and rendred the martyres of old , as infamous as he possibly can , even termed them by the scornful name of phanaticks , even the protestant martyrs ( so called ) who are said to be the very fathers of the protestant church ; as bishop latimer , cranmer , ridley , and many others , who have been accounted honourable in england for their faithfulness against the church of rome , who because thereof , were martyred and burned by the cruelty of the papists ; yet these persons , with robert woodman , thomas hawks , and many more of the antient protestant martyrs , are slandered by the villifying term of phanaticks ; and that they were men of mischief , and licentious tongues , and seditious behaviours and they were erronious and obstinate , as in the ninth page of semper iidem doth appear ; and in pag. . latimer is again called one of the antient phanatick . and thus the main work of this nameless author throughout his book , is to accuse the protestant martyrs that suffered in queen maries dayes , to be rebellious seditious hereticks , and he villifies them by the very title of antient phanaticks ; and this is apparent through the whole pamphlet , even by his calumnies , reproaches and accusations against the protestant martyrs , who suffered for bearing witness against the church of rome . and thus the very fathers of the protestant church ( so called ) stand now in reputation to be hereticks , seditious , rebellious , and j●dged phanatick ; and this is for the protestants ( so called ) even the very bishops themselves in england to consider of . . the auther of pemper iidem hath accused some of the protestants , even of the king's friends now living , and villifieth them by the name of phanatick , as william prin , &c. whom he calls one of the modern phanaticks : and no doubt but the intent of this man , with whom i am now in contest , reputes even all the protestants of this present age to be phanaticks , and such as the antient phanaticks , to wit , the protestant martyrs , as before-mentioned ; for he having accused ridly and cranmer , and many more , being such who were some of the first promoters of the protestant religion in england , and the very instituters of that book , called the divine-service-book ; it must needs follow consequently , and may be concluded from his words , and by his meaning , that all the protestants now are such , even the present prelates of england ; and durst the author have spoken plain , it is likely he would have said the same , but that he hath minced the matter a little , as well as concealed his name , though his work be cryed up and down london ; which all sober people may indeed well take notice of , seeing that the martyrs of old , who have to this day been of good report and fame for their piety and faithfulness in london , and through these lands , are now accused , slandered and reproached up and down the streets of london by the name of rebels and seditious , and by the term of antient phanaticks . is london so blind that cannot see what is in the bottom and intent of such a work , as renders the very fathers of their church hereticks , and no better than phanaticks ? and as for william pryn , who is also accounted one of the chief modern phanaticks , i shall leave him to answer for himself , not doubting but he is sufficient to say something in the case ; only may mind him , with many others of his principles and familiarity , how they have cryed out phanaticks against such as have differed from them , and this not long since ; and now themselves are under the same reproach by others , as they have reproached others ; and now he and they are reckoned the modern phanaticks and no better . . what can possibly be the author's intent in his proceedings ? first , in relating of the burning , destroying and martyring of the martyrs , whom he wickedly calleth a●●ions phanaticks . and then , secondly , in intimating the protestants now living to be phanaticks by this paralel , the purpose and end of the man must needs be , that he would have fire and faggots up again , burning and martyring up again in england ; and all that shall differ from that man's way ( whom we find by calculation to be chiefly a papist ) should be burnt , martyred and destroyed now again , as in the dayes of queen mary ; this effect would follow : and this semper iidem is but a little item or intimation before-hand , cryed up and down london , to prepare its own spirit , where it shall meet with it , into fary and rage even to the destroying of all the protestants : and as this 〈◊〉 ●●dem may possibly work such an effect among the people of that spirit , 〈◊〉 love to murder and burn for difference in religion , it may also and ought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an effect in the other party , to be considerate and diligent , and to re●…d the signs of the times , even the sign of semper iidem , which seems to be ●…tle black-stur predicting a bad effect , if the course of heaven alter it not again . and semper iidem is indeed to be taken notice of in london , because the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 for above an hundred years , nor any one ever durst to appear 〈◊〉 such a publication of villifying the protestant martyrs with reproaches and 〈◊〉 of rebels , seditious men and phanaticks , as this nameless author 〈◊〉 done : which gives us cause to say , the times are changed , and may yet 〈◊〉 further , if the effects of semper iidem be not diverted ; for the effects of his work , is , to bring all to the fire , faggot , and martyrdom that shall differ from the church of rome , of whom the author is a member , as by all signs ●●d tokens doth appear . thirdly , i shall now shew how this spirit in the papists , that burnt the martyrs , ( which is the same spirit that endited semper iidem , that is again moving its countenance now adayes ) i shall shew how that spirit was not , nor is of christ , but of antichrist and the devil . . it was not the way of christ and his apostles , neither did they give command or president for it , to kill , burn , or destroy their enemiec , and such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hereticks , as the false christians 〈◊〉 , and as the papists did in queen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who burned and destroyed many hundreds of the protestants who 〈◊〉 them in their profession and practices of religion : and this was not 〈◊〉 way , for he commanded to love enemies , and not to kill them , and it was 〈◊〉 he did good for them them did evil 〈◊〉 him ; and so did his apostles ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was no such thing in the churches of christ in the apostles dayes , as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 burning of hereticks , and putting them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by cr●●● torments ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and his apostles did convince 〈◊〉 s●…rs by love and 〈◊〉 doctrine , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 walk peaceably towards all their enemies , and did not s●●k their 〈◊〉 , not to be revenged 〈◊〉 their persecutors : but the papists and 〈◊〉 , contrary to christ's doctrine and example , do burn and kill , and destroy their enemies , such whom they judge to be in error , though yet their iudgment be utterly false , and their killing and burning grounded upon such iudgment : and this hath been the papists way of proceeding as is related in semper iidem ; wherein is mentioned the burning and destroying of a great number of such as they then called hereticks , whom semper iidem now calls antient phanaticks : and he hath justified their martyrdom to be right , and condemned the martyred as phanaticks ; and this is published in london . . all persecution about religion , and killing and burning for difference in matters of spiritual things , hath been and is of the devil and antichrist , both in the papists and other false christians , though it hath long been practised in the world , for to destroy the workmanship of god , the persons and creatures , by fires and cruel torments : this is not of god , but of the devil , especially when it is done upon such an unjust occasion , as to destroy mens persons by cruel tortures for the error of their minds ; this is of the beast and dragon , spoken of in the revelations : for the beast killed all that would not worship him , revel . . for it was the dragon that persecuted the woman , the true church , and made war with the rèmnant of her seed , and cast floods out of his mouth , after the woman had brought forth the man-child ; and he persued her into the wilderness , and then he gave power to the beast , his seat , and his great authority , as you may read ; and then that beast , to whom the dragon gave authority , forced all to worship him , and killed all that would not worship him , and made war against them , and overcame them : and so it is manifest that this practice , which the papists and false christians have used , of burning and killing all such as will not worship after their manner , is of the devil the dragon and antichrist , and hath no foundation in god , but is of the wicked one to all intents and purposes . and thus i have shewed the papists practices in queen maries dayes , ( and at all times before and since , of burning and destroying of such as differ from them in religious matters ) are of the devil and antichrist , though the author of semper iidem seems to justifie the death of the martyrs , and hath reproachfully villified them , about an hundred years after they are dead , by the scornful name of phanaticks . fourthly , i shall now shew something concerning the cause of the publication of semper iidem , which the author saith , is from the late insurrection in london , and comparing them with their predecessors , he thought fit to publish the same ; as in his epistle . now in answer to this . as for the insurrection in london , i shall not justifie it , nor speak a word in vindication of the said persons proceedings , but shall leave them without giving my judgment upon them further than this , that it was an evil occasion , administred against such as were no way guilty thereof , who are deeply suffering this day imprisonment and persecution , and their peaceable meetings broken up , and they violently dealt withal in many particulars , and onely upon the occasion of that insurrection aforesaid ; and how unjust it is , let all the world judge , that any should suffer for the faults of others ? and how unequal it is that many should be imprisoned , fined , and taken out of their own houses and meetings , to goals and prisons , as it is at this day , upon the occasion of that insurrection , whereof they were clear and inno●ent both to god and men , though they are dealt withal as plotters conspirors and rebellious , when as hereof they are not guilty ? and this is all that i shall say at present as about that insurrection , and the occasion of semper iidem its publication . and whereas sir iohn oldcastle , and sir roger acton , with divers others are mentioned , and their death 's related , whom this author saith , were put to death for treason and rebellion , and making insurrection . concerning the carriages and death of such i shall say little , nor can i justifie any in so doing , neither in ages past , nor in this present time , if they were put to death only upon that account , for rebelling with carnal weapons , and rising up in conspiracies against the authorities which they were under , or for evil-doing to their neighbours ; i say , such neither in this age , nor in ages past , do i justifie , nor will vindicate their practices , nor condemn their death , but shall leave them to be justified or condemned of god according to their doings , and according to the end and intent of their hearts in their proceedings ; but many others are mentioned in semper iidem , who suffered and were put to death , burned and killed , only for and because of their principles and practices in religion , while yet they lived peaceably , and were of a harmless conversation amongst men ; the persecution and death of such , upon that account , i do condemn , and do charge it to be murder in the sight of god , of such who were burned and destroyed because of their difference in religion from the church of rome when as no unrighteousness nor double-dealing , as to men , could be charged and proved against them ; such ( i say ) as died and suffered for that cause , have been murdered by the power of antichrist among the apostate christians , and the blood of such will the god of heaven avenge one time or other . now i come to search some particulars , which are stated , pag. . which it s said john wickliff held ; which doctrines the author of semper iidem seems to say are errors , by his condemning such for hereticks as held them for truths . the first , that the sacrament of the altar is nothing but a piece of bread. this the lollards ( so called ) are said to affirm , for which the papists condemn them as hereticks . answ. as for the sacrament of the altar , so termed by the papists , we find nothing of it in all the scriptures , not sacrament of the altar nominated ; only we find , that christ took bread and brake it , and gave it to his disciples ; not as himself , for he only gave it them to eat in remembrance of himself ; as oft as ye do it ( saith christ ) do it in remembrance of me. where it is manifest , that there is a distinction to be made , and a separation in expression to be put between that bread which christ gave his disciples to eat , and his own body ; for they were to eat the bread , not as him , but in remembrance of him : and this shews that the bread which christ gave his disciples , was bread to be eaten in remembrance of him ; and so it is no error , but sound truth to affirm , that the bread called the sacrament of the altar by the papists , is but indeed a piece of bread , and may safely so be called : but suppose it were error in men so to believe and say ; yet it is murder , cruelty , and not of christ , but of the wicked one , so to deal with them for their error sake , as before-mentioned . doct. . that priests have no more authority to administer sacraments then lay-men ; held by the lollards ; condemned as a great error by the papists . answ. as for the name and order of priests , we find none such among the apostles in the christian-churches in their dayes ; pastors , and ministers , and prophets , and teachers we find , but not priests by that name , as a particular order of men in the church , saving that all the saints are called kings and priests unto god ; neither do we find such a thing , as consecrating a piece of bread into a more holy quality then it was in it self before ; nor any commision given by christ to a particular order of men , to administer bread to the people as his body ; we read that the saints brake bread when they were met together , and some time from house to house , but that there were particular persons by an office among them , that did administer the bread in the form and manner as among papists , we read not of this in all the scriptures ; and as for lay-men as papists term them , this word we have not in all the scriptures , but saints we have of divers growths ; but the papists have made many inventions of offices , titles , and names in their church , for which they have no example at all in the scriptures . doct. . that all things ought to be in common ; opposed by papists as a great error . answ. it is a great question what signification may be put upon the word common ; so i shall not vindicate for truth the doctrine as it lies , and leave the interpretation of the word common to my adversaries , and so i pass it ; only do mind that it is said in the acts , that they that believed , had all things common ; though the word common there , i understand not absolute but with restriction . doct. . that it is as lawful to christen a child in a tub of water at home , or in a ditch by the way , as in a font-stone in the church ; opposed by the papists as a great error . answ. as for the baptizing of infants , by dipping or sprinkling , and calling it the baptism into the faith , and into the church , as practised and held by the papists , we have cause to question the lawfulness of the thing in it self at any place ; for we find no command or president of christ , nor among his apostles in the pimitive churches , for this thing of christening infants ; and therefore we question , whether the thing in it self is lawful at any time or place ? suppose the papists could prove the thing lawful , and that it ought to be done by vertue of any command or example of christ or his apostles , then again we question , why not as lawful to be done at any other place , as in a font-stone ? ( so called ) of what holiness or purity is that , more than other places ? and of whose invention is it of all the christians since the apostles dayes , seeing we find nothing at all of it in the scriptures ? but suppose the principle to hold indeed absolute error , the papists yet do still wickedly in racking men , and burning them because thereof . doct. . that it is as lawful at all times to confess unto a lay-man as to a priest ; opposed by the papists as great error . answ. as for that manner and form of auricular confession , ( so called ) practised among the papists , we have no command or example for it in all the scriptures ; only the apostle exhorted to confess your faults one to another ; but no mention of distinction of persons , as if there was an order of men among the saints , ordained for confession to be made unto , as is among the papists practised : but such kind of inventions are among them , and all that gain-say them in their wayes must be burned as hereticks ; and this is the way that the papists do uphold their religion , not by sound arguments , and by the spirit and power of god , but by killing such as will not believe , and practise as they do . doct. . that it is not necessary or profitable to have any church or chappel to pray or perform divine service in ; opposed by the papists as a great error . answ. as for the church , it is in god , thes. . and the body of christ is the church , ephes. . . the saints of christ , that have believed in the church of christ ; for the church was in aquilla's house , as may be read : and in this church of christ , wheresoever come together , is the divine , holy , acceptable service of god , performed in the spirit , and in the truth : and as for houses of wood and stone , builded and called churches and chappels , which papists have builded to perform their service in , these are idolatrous places , and not true churches ; god dwells not in temples made with hands , as it is written : and though a man affirm , that god may be worshipped and served as well in any place , as in your churches and chappels , and that such places are not necessary , but god may be served in other places ; this is no error , deserving fire and faggot , as the papists do affirm and practice . doctrines . and . that burying in the church-yard is unprofitable and vain . that holy dayes , instituted by the church , are not to be observed and kept in reverence , in as much as all dayes are alike ; opposed by the papists as errors . answ. there is no respect of places with god , neither are the dead more or less acceptable to him , notwithstanding the place of burial , whether it be on the land , or cast into the sea , if occasion so happen , as some times it doth ; the patriarchs of old had places appointed and purchased for burial of their dead , as it is at this day among the lord's people ; but that the church-yard ( so called ) is more holy than another place , as the papists do account , this we believe not , nor can it be proved to us , by scripture or sound reason . and as for holy dayes instituted and observed , is but a meer invention of the romish church , without any ground from the apostles , and it is no sin against god not to observe them , and all dayes are as to god alike holy in his sight , without respect of one or another ; and for the papists to invent practices , without example in the scriptures , as religious , and then to impose them by force upon all people , and to kill and burn such as hereticks , as cannot conform thereunto ; how impious , oppressive , and antichristian this manner of work is , let all sober , people judge ? and this is but a mocking of god , for the papists to profess holy dayes , and with a pretence of god's worship to observe them as holy , when as more rudeness , drunkenness , wantonness , and ungodliness is usually committed that day , which they profess to keep holy , than is on the other dayes beside ; and this is manifest to all people , that thus the papists do mock god in their exercise of keeping holy dayes . doctrines . and . that it is sufficient to believe , though a man do no good works at all . that no humane lawt or constitutions do oblige a christian ; opposed by the papists as errors . answ. it is sufficient to believe in iesus christ , and that believing is a good work , and if a man truly believes , he cannot but bring forth by that faith good works ; and it is impossible for a true believer in christ , but to do good works ; if a man do no good works , he is not a believer ; for faith without works is dead ; and that is no true belief , which is without good works ; and a christian , one that is truly so , is obliged and bound by the law of god , to do all good , and to forsake all evil ; and the laws of men , they are subject to them all for conscience sake , by performing them , or suffering under them . and as for humane inventions of the papists , which they bind on the consciences of men , upon loss of life , or estate , or damnation ; these things we say , do not oblige the conscience , nor any laws or constitutions of men do oblige christians to obedience , which are not truly grounded upon the law of god. doct. . that god never gave grace or knowledge to a great person , or rich man , and that they in no wise follow the same . answ. this is a false doctrine , for god gave grace to all ; the grace of god which brings salvation , hath appeared unto all men , as it is written , which grace teacheth the saints to deny all ungodliness ; and the wicked turn the grace of god into wantonness : but the true knowledge of god is given but to a few ; and not many wise men after the flesh are called , but god chooseth the poor and contemptible ( as saith paul ) to confound the wise and mighty of this world ; and yet god gives knowledge to rich and poor without respect of persons , as it pleaseth him. doct. . that any lay-man may preach by his own authority , without licence of the ordinary ; opposed by the papists as a great error . answ. all in the true church , and that are of the church may prophesie and speak in the church one by one ( as paul saith , without distinction of titles , such as the papists use , clergy , and lay-men , and such like terms of their own inventions , without example from the churches of christ in the apostles dayes ) for the apostle saith , if any thing be revealed to another that standeth by , let the first hold his peace ; for ye may all prophesie one by one , that all may be edified : and again , peter saith , as every man hath received of the gift of the spirit , let him administer the same one to another . thus it is manifest by the scriptures , that every member of the true church of christ may preach by the authority of the spirit of god , as that moveth and leadeth ; and this was the example of the holy men of god , declared in scriptures : elisha , that was a plow-man , and amos , that was a herds-man , and peter , that was a fisher-man ; these , and such as these , whom the papists would have called lay-men , did preach and teach without any licence from men , but as the lord commanded them , who said , ier. . he that hath my word , let him speak my word faithfully ; and this without respect of persons , and without distinction of names of lay-men , or otherwise ; though contrary to this , the papists would limit the holy one to such and such kind of persons , whom they name clergy-men , as if they knew all religion , and might only preach , and all besides themselves might be in ignorance , and know nothing , nor can be fit to speak of the matters of god's kingdom ; which is contrary to the scriptures , and example of saints in former ages . as for the th and th doctrines , about baptism of infants , i have spoken somewhat to it in my answer to the fourth doctrine ; so here i pass them . then semper iidem goes on , and saith , who sees not among these the principal tenets of our anabaptists , fifth-monarchy-men , levellers and quakers , & c ? answ. as for the anabaptists , fifth-monarchy-men and levellers ( so called ) i shall not now plead their cause , but shall leave it to themselves , to do it against semper iidem ; neither shall i condemn them with him , or justifie them against him . but as for the quakers ( so called ) i have a few word to plead for them , against their adversaries , though i shall be brief at this time ; they are neither rebellious , seditious , hereticks , nor phanaticks , though accused at this time of these things , and accounted by the author of semper iidem as such ; though neither he , nor any of their false and envious accusers , that have ever risen against them , can prove any such matter , nor ought against them , saving that they are an innocent and harmless people towards all people ; and though sufferers by injustice and cruel imprisonments under all authorities , yet not rebellious nor seditions against any , but peaceable and quiet under all ; this is their practice since they were a people . and as for their principles of faith , and worship , and doctrine and religion , they are according to the scriptures , and example of the saints in former ages , and not ever yet convicted by any , either protestants or papists , of error , false iudgment , or heresie ; though all manner of evil hath been spoken against them in that case , yet never to this day truly detected , or reprehended concerning the same : and they desire no better way to be made manifest in their doctrines , and to be approved or disproved therein through the world , than to have free egress and regress among the papists and protestants , and all others in the way of sober arguments and disputations , and reasoning out the truth of what they hold and profess ; and if they can possibly be convicted , that their way , and doctrines and religion are not found verities , but errors , then it is time to forsake them : but all the persecution , that is already , or can be acted upon them , will never make them change their minds till death , nor renounce the things which the spirit of god in their own hearts doth bear witness to the truth of . and therefore let the church of rome lay down her cruel weapons of persecution , by burning and destroying of such as differ from them in religion , and let her admit of disputations and sound arguments , to uphold her self thereby if she be able , and to confute and convince such as are contrary minded to her , even the quakers ( so called ) if she can ; and let her cease her fire and faggot , and inquisition-disputation of murders and cruel tortures against such whom she calls hereticks ; and let her appear in the soundest arguments of reason , and scripture , and antiquity , that she can adorn her self withal ; and the quakers ( so called ) will not doubt nor fear to advance towards her , and meet her , and answer her in the same , for the true and legal tryal of both ; that all the world may see and understand the difference between these two , and whether the papists religion or the quakers religion is of more reason , verity and antiquity ; and the quakers are willing to try this case with the papists , engaging upon the adventure of certain proof or disproof of their religion , in the view of the whole world. and this is the most i shall say at present on their behalf , and in the mean time , till this be performed , let the church of rome , and all her members , cease to persecute and accuse such , whom they know not , but by the evil reports of others ; and the tenets and principles of the quakers ( so called ) will be justified , where the false christians cannot stand nor appear in judgment . then page . the author of semper iidem complains of some phanaticks , as he calls them , that nick-name what they dislike ; saith he , they call the church , a steeple-house ; the surplice , a rag of popery ; the organs , grumbling-pipes , &c. answ. as for the true church , it is in god , thes. . the people of god , that are regenerated and sanctified , wheresoever come together , are the true church of christ ; for the church was in aquilla's house , as it is written : so that it is the people that are the members of christ , the true church , and not the house or place wherein they assemble at any time . and as for calling the publick meeting places ( which some call churches ) steeple-houses , this is no error ; for the form , fashion and service of the place prove it to be so ; a great house , made of wood and stone , and a steeple with bells in it erected at the end of the house , may properly be called a steeple-house , without error ; and cannot at all be called a church , but in error . and as for the surplice , which the priests put on , this is without question an invention of the church of rome , because there is no such thing in the new testament , nor was there any surplices worn by any of the ministers of christ in the apostles dayes ; but is an invention , introduced into the world by the church of rome ; and so is , and may be called a piece or rag ( if you will ) of popery . and as for organs , and the practice of them , as held forth for the worship of god , there was no such thing among the apostles , neither did the saints of the primitive church hold forth the worship of god by playing on the organs ; but the true spiritual gospel-worship is more heavenly and spiritual , even in the spirit and in the truth is god worshipped , as christ said ; and not by outward musick , on organs , and such like ; but this is also an invention of the church of rome , since the apostles dayes : and organs having pipes of different sounds , may be called grumbling-pipes without offence . again , page . it is charged as a great error in some , that held , it was not lawful for a christian to take an oath . answ. to deny all swearing , and taking of oaths , is according to the doctrine and command of christ jesus , who hath said , swear not at all ; so it s manifest , that the false christians accuse and condemn such for hereticks as abide in the doctrine of christ , and keep his commands : and thus both papists and protestants are found in error and heresie themselves , and breaking the command of christ , and walking contrary to his doctrine , in swearing and taking oaths , and condemning such as hereticks as cannot take an oath for conscience sake ; and so such as refused to take any oath , walked in the doctrine of christ ; and such walked contrary to his doctrine as did condemn them . and thus it is manifest , that papists and false christians are fallen from the doctrine of christ , and are calling good evil , and evil good , and putting light for darkness , and darkness for light ; for they account such as will take oaths , and swear , good christians , who are breakers of the commands of christ ; and such as abide in the doctrine of christ , and cannot take any oath , but keep the commands of the gospel , they are accounted erronious , and hereticks , and such like . and whereas the author of semper iidem hath censured , judged and condemned in his work , iohn wickliff and iohn lambert , thomas evison and iohn waddow , william white , cornelius bunge , iohn maundrel , iohn trankerfield , george eagles , hugh latimer , bishop granmer , and bishop ridley , thomas hawkes , richard woodman ; all of whom were martyred and put to death , because they dissented from , and denyed the papists religion : these by name , with a great many more , this nameless author , with whom i am now dealing , hath condemned for hereticks and erronious persons , and made void , as much as in him lies , their blood , and justified the papists in putting of them to death . now every particular case of these particular men , that he hath named and accused as phanaticks and hereticks , i shall not seek to shew or demonstrate , so as to justifie every man's particular case against this nameless author of semper iidem : but this is evident , that these men are reputed by fox , in his monuments , as martyrs of jesus ; and they have been reputed in england , for many years as such ; and have been held of great estimation , and have been accounted as the fathers of the protestant-church : and my judgment of them is this , that their death generally was for the testimony of jesus , and because of their faithfulness in denying the church of rome ; for i do believe , that god did awaken these men , with many more , and stir up their hearts in their day against the idolatries and superstitions of the times they lived in , and many of them were sincere men , according to their light and knowledge in their day ; though i shall not justifie every particular man in every particular part and act of his faith and conversation , but shall leave that at this time reserved in mine own heart : and still i say , for the most part they suffered innocently on their part , and without cause , and cruelly , inhumanely and unjustly on their enemies part ; and they martyred them , and put them to death by fires and tortures unrighteously , and as cruel murderers on their part that executed them . and in asmuch as their sufferings were only and because of denying the church of rome , dissenting from her , and denying of her ; and wherein only and alone their sufferings were in this cause , and for this end , they suffered as servants of god ; though , as i have said , i shall not justifie every particular man of them in his whole faith and conversation . and for a further relation of these persons , who were put to death , mentioned by my nameless author , whom he accuseth for phanaticks , and hereticks , and such like , i leave it to be read in fox's acts and monuments , where it may be read concerning the martyrdom of every one of these particular men , with their examinations , tryals and executions , as they are reported by fox , who hath alwayes been reputed , a faithful chronologer of the protestants cause , till this semper iidem seems to accuse him for a lyar , and false reporter , and such like . and whether the people of england have not better cause to believe his relation of these persons , than they have to believe they know not whom , viz. the author of semper iidem ; a nameless author , who hath reviled the protestants cause , and accounted the martyrs and faithful witnesses thereof phanaticks and hereticks ? let themselves be judges . but i shall leave this , only with desire , that these men whom he hath named , their particular cases may be read in fox's acts and monuments , which , if you look in the table at the end of the second volumn , ●ou shall find the mens names , with the pages disciphered , where their cases 〈◊〉 be read ; and when you have read them , then judge whether semper iidem hath not falsified their cases , and wickedly reviled them by the name of ancient phanaticks ; thereby seeking to supplant the whole protestant religion , and all that dissent from the church of rome . and thus much in brief concerning the martyrs , whom in the th page , semper iidem saith , that a notable part of the sufferers , whom fox makes relation of , were phanaticks , and sectaries and mad saints ; and such like naughty words , by which he accuses a notable part ( these be his words ) which is the chiefest part of the martyrs , related of by fox ; and accuseth fox himself of double injuries in his relation , in that he hath canonized phanaticks , and sectaries and mad saints , for saints and martyrs ; and in that he reviled and accused queen mary , and the papists in those dayes , of greater persecutions than they were guilty of ; and saith , they did no more than henry the eighth , and edward the sixth , and queen elizabeth did to the papists : thus it is manifest , that that well reputed of , and credited historian , fox , is reputed a lyar , & false reporter & so the book of martyrs made worth nothing , and queen mary & the papists justified in what they did , in martyring and putting to death the protestants in their days ; and also , queen elizabeth is secretly condemn'd in what she did against the papists : oh that these dayes should ever appear in england , which once were not thought of ! these things are published and suffered in this old government , newly revived ; let the protestants of england take notice of it , and see how the records of their martyrs are made null , and of none effect , and the martyrs themselves slandered as phanaticks , and the martyrers justified as righteous in what they did ; and these things published and proclaimed up and down london . these things i cannot but observe , as full occasion is given me by semper iidem , how that the papists cause seems to revive , and to lift up its head again in england , in vilifying and reproaching the cause of all the protestants of all sorts , who seemingly begin to be crow'd over again , and the death of their martyrs made of none effects ( as aforesaid ) and this is only in love towards the people of england , to make them consider what attends them , and what invasion is coming upon them , if it be not prevented ; not that i wholy justifie the protestants cause against the papists , though semper iidem pleads , that queen mary did no more to the protestants , than henry the eighth , edward the sixth , and queen elizabeth did to the papists : as the one persecuted , burned and martyred the protestants , so the other did persecute and destroy the papists ; by which he would reason a justification of queen mary and the papists , by the example of others against them : now i say , the wickedness of one will not justifie the wickedness and cruelty of the other ; for neither party of them are justifiable in the sight of god , but condemnable in such proceedings ; and it was doubtless of antichrist and the devil in both papists and protestants , to destroy and burn one another only for and because of difference in religion ; and wherein the protestants did put any of the papists to death , only for and because of difference in profession and practice in religion , and because they were papists , herein the protestants were acted by the same persecuting spirit of the devil , as the papists were acted by against them : so that i am not an absolute party with the protestants , against the papists ; for i know that there is error of judgment amongst them , both in faith , worship and their whole religion ; only my end is at present in pursuing semper iidem , to confound his bloody spirit of persecution and cruelty , which i find him possessed withal , as by his discourse is apparent ; and also , to put the protestants in mind how their cause begins to be reproached , vilified and despised , even in their own land , publickly in the streets of their chief city , which hath not been the like for above an hundred years ; and this is the end of my pursuing semper iidem with this answer , and i shall not much enlarge further , only in the th page there is one passage worth observing . there is instanced one richard woodman of sussex , who affirmed , that he had the spirit of god ; and can prove , said he , by the scriptures , that paul had the spirit of god , as i my self , and all god's elect have . now , saith semper iidem , no arguments nor reasons could reclaim him from his errors ; and so he was burnt at lewis , because he said , he had the spirit of god , and could prove that paul had it . answ. there its manifest , that this martyr suffered for truth and righteousness sake , as a saint and servant of god , and for witnessing the truth according to the scripture , which saith , if any man have not the spirit of christ , he is none of his ; which is manifest in the scriptures , that all that are christ's , and members of his church have : and it is also manifest , that the papists have not the spirit of god , because they burn such as do witness and testifie that they have it , as here semper iidem hath given us an instance , that they burn and destroy such for hereticks as say , they have the spirit of god ; he not believing that paul had it , but saith , it is an error to affirm it : and yet this work seems now to be justified up and down london streets , which is the double iniquity , and that which once many looked not to have seen , that any being condemned and burned as hereticks , for saying , they had the spirit of god , that this should be justified now in these glorious dayes of light ; this seems almost incredible , but that our eyes behold it ; and causeth wonder in many what will be the effect of such a bad sign appearing , as a justification of putting to death the innocent for no other cause , but in that he affirmed . he had the spirit of god. and by this we learn to know , how great the ignorance , darkness and blindness of the church of rome is , and deserveth not the name of a church , if they be all of this mind , to condemn men , and burn them for hereticks , for saying , they have the spirit of god , and then an hundred years after justifie the doing of it ; to their shame and confusion let this be rehearsed , who have themselves denyed that they have the spirit of god , and condemning and destroying others for saying they have it . and this i leave to the consideration of all the protestants , who must either deny that they have the spirit of god , or be condemned , and [ may be ] killed as hereticks for affirming it , if so be the church of rome recover her desired power and pupose in england . it s worthy to be minded while it may be 〈◊〉 , lest the time come when it cannot be prevented . and thus i have run through the main part of semper iidem , and chiefly hinted at the principal matters worthy to be taken notice of ( though much more might be said ) but that it is my property in all cases to be as brief as may be ; for that is the best for the understanding to contain what is spoken or written : only shall not forget william pryn , who is stated in pag. . as one of our modern phanaticks ; i would not forget to mind him , i say , to answer his part , and to clear himself if he can of the aspertion of a phanatick , by which term he stands reviled , though semper iidem fawneth upon him , and flattereth with him , and telleth him , he is the only person in this unhappy paralel , who hath given testimony of his reconcilement : but what better is william pryn for this flattery ? i hope he is not yet reconciled to the papists , and become one of them ; if he be , i desire he would let us know it ; and if he be not , then semper iidem accounts him a phanatick : i shall say no further , but shall leave him to answer for himself . and now , last of all , for conclusion , i have some considerations to present to the people of england , and particularly to the people of london , occasioned by the publication of semper iidem . . consider how the ancient martyrs , as wickliff , hawkes and cranmer , latimer , ridley , with many more , who have been accounted by the protestants themselves , famous for piety and faithfulness , and honourably esteemed innocent martyrs , for their witness-bearing against the romish idolatries , and this for many years in these kingdoms ; how , i say , they are now rendred odious and contemptible , and scorned and slandered as hereticks , seditious factious blasphemers , and phanaticks , by the author of semper iidem ; and this published openly through the nation , and up and down the streets of london , and this without rebuke from any in authority , that we know of : i say , this deserves serious consideration , that the faithful martyrs in their day , according to their knowledge , who were as the first fathers of the protestants-church ( so called ) and did lay down their lives , and seal their testimony with their blood against the idolatry of the then present times ; and the lives and blood of these men now to be made void , and they that martyred them justified , as doing of justice , and they now reputed hereticks and phanaticks publickly ; this ought to be considered , both in the cause why it is thus , and in the effect of it , if it be not restrained . . consider , how that the generality of the people of england and london are reputed , and stand under the present reproach of being phanaticks , even all the people of england , i say , except the papists , not only the separatists from the church of england as quakers , anabaptists , independents ( so called ) and the rest , but the presbyterians and episcopals , and all of that way ; and these professions stand in reputation , and are accounted phanaticks and hereticks , even william pryn himself ; and this is manifest by the author of semper iidem , who hath reviled and reproached all the people of england publickly and openly : for , seeing the antient martyrs , the fathers ( so accounted ) of the church of england are villified as phanaticks , then must needs follow , that the church of england , even in the way of episcopacy ( as being in their own account the successors of the martyrs in some things at least ) are also phanaticks and such as semper iidem saith , the old phanaticks were : for the men being reputed phanaticks , who were as the fathers , then needs must the children be the same ; and this deserves serious consideration by the protestants of england . . consider how the very cause it self of protestants in this their long contest for these many years , with , and against the church of rome , is now weakened , and even , as it seems , in a way of losse and decay , being now reproached and held under publick scorn in england by semper iidem ; i say , the very cause of the protestants is new struck at and beat against , and sought to be destroyed , being already defamed and reviled , as appears by the discourse of the nameless author , who hath rendred the antient martyrs ( that promoted as much as they could the protestants cause against the church of rome , and dyed for it , many of them sealing the cause with their blood ( as hereticks , erroneous rebels and phanaticks , and hath also rendred fox , and his acts and monuments , who hath hitherto in england been counted a true reporter and historian of the protestants sufferings , as invalid as possible , even that he is a lyar , and his chronology untruths ; and hath justified queen mary and the papists , who put the martyrs to death . and these things considered duly and justly , how is the protestants cause it self struck at , and weakened , and as it were , the very victory given to the papists against the protestants , in this long quarrel between them , ever since henry the eighth's dayes , and long before ? . consider , how the papists cause seems to be reviving in england , and how bold the members of the church of rome are of late dayes growing , as to appear so publickly in print , justifying their own cause as good ; as queen mary , and the papists in her dayes , in martyring and burning the protestants , and condemning the martyrs of the protestants as hereticks and phanaticks : this , i say , is great boldness in the papists , more than hath been for this hundred of years , and a sign of a reviving and recovering of their cause more than hath been for many years , who durst not any of them appear so publick , as the author of semper iidem hath done , with that boldness and courage , to justifie the papists cause , and condemn the protestants : for , if such a discouse as semper iidem had been brought forth and published in the dayes of queen elizabeth , which were darker dayes then these are , it is possible it would not have been suffered to be cryed up and down london , but restrained and condemned for the fire : but now the papists have taken confidence to themselves , and are of better hopes than formerly , even that they shall have fire and faggot again , and to burn and destroy such as differ and dissent from them , whom they may call hereticks and phanaticks . and this i observe from the spirit of semper iidem . . consider , the nature , and constitution , and disposition of the spirit of the church of rome , how that it is not changed , but the self-same that ever it was , viz. a spirit of murder and cruelty , that hath killed and martyred such as have differed from them , and been contrary-minded in religious matters ; and it would work and bring to pass the same still , if it had its power without limitation in england ; the papists , i say , would burn , kill , and torture such as they judge hereticks , and all that cannot bow , and bend , and conform to their wayes , and injunctions and religion ; this they would be at again in england , if it were in their power , as it was heretofore . i say , this ought to be considered , even the cruelty of that spirit , and what danger there is in it to give way to the exaltation of that spirit , and to embrace it in the least , whereby to give it occasion to get into the power and judgment-seat : for if it doth , then fire and faggot , and killing and burning about religion , will openly appear again ; and this seems to be manifest by the constitution of the spirit of semper iidem , which may give good and wholsome cautions , that the spirit of the papists is still a cruel spirit , and would destroy all that differ from their way , if they had power ; and that that spirit is not to be hugged and embraced , nor set highest , lest the effect of it proves woful to england , by bringing forth again what it once did , in renewing fire and faggot ; for this is the disposition of the spirit of the romish church , as is apparent by semper iidem . . consider how careful and vigilant the people of england ought to be , to wait and attend the motions of the spirit of the church of rome , lest it insinuate it self into authority , and get its intended advantage and purpose against the protestants and their cause , and advance it self against them , and promote its own interest , and destroy and overturn theirs : for , without all controversie , that same spirit is now at work to agitate its desires , and according to its old course , its hatching and contriving how to promote it self , and destroy all that 's contrary ; it is undermining and secretly surmizing its opponents overthrow , that it self may be exalted : for that spirit is diligent in its way , to take the least occasion for its self-advantage , as is manifest by semper iidem ; and therefore the people of england ought also to be careful and diligent in their cause , to preserve themselves and their interest from the defeat of the church of rome ; and they ought to watch against that spirit , to keep it in subjection under authority and command , and not to exalt it into command over them , lest they be subjected to the idolatries , and oppressions and persecutions of that spirit to their own destruction , both of persons , estates , and religion ; for that spirit will attempt alwayes to rule , and if it rule , then will follow consequently , an utter overthrow of the protestants persons and cause that will be the effect of the authority of it , though it bear hand in hand in seeming love and good agreement with the protestants , till it hath gained its desired end over them , which is , to promote it self , and subdue by burning and cruel tortures all that which is contrary to it . let the people of england consider this matter , now while it is time , and be watchful over the motions of that spirit , and not put confidence in it too far , nor to commit too much credit upon it , even as they love their own safety and peace , which are concerned in this case . . consider , into what a great danger the protestants and people of england have run themselves , by ●●ecing from a less ; for , by avoiding the secta●●es ( so called ) they have run themselves into the very borders of popery ; and to escape a less danger , they have exposed themselves to a far greater : for the protestants cryed out of the sectaries , and were afraid their church and religion should be overthrown by them , and made haste to escape and flee from the danger , and in so doing they have ( as it appeareth by semper iidem ) run themselves into a danger far greater , even to have their religion , and persons and estates destroyed by fire and faggot , if the spirit that indicted semper iidem hath its desired end , which is grown bold and confident , more than formerly : thus , while the protestants have sought to destroy the sectaries , an enemy is appearing to destroy them ; and they have exposed themselves ( if popery prevails ) to an enemy far more cruel and dectructive to both their persons , estates and religion , than ever the sectaries would have been , had they prevailed ? and this is considerable to the protestants , that they may lament their case , who have run themseles into a far greater danger of their own destruction to escape a less , and are in present reproach by the papists , and exposed to destruction if they prevail . . consider , how favourable the church of rome seemeth to grow of these late dayes in these kingdoms ; and what dignity she seems to have attained to , besides of times past ; and what liberty she enjoyes , more than many of the good subjects of england , which may as justly have the priviledge of liberty in their exercise of faith , and worship , and religion , as she can have : as for instance , in ireland , where the papists have the enjoyment of their liberty to meet to hear mass very frequently , and are not restrained nor prohibited ; and many of the english inhabitants , known faithful protestants , are not admitted the like liberty , but their meeting broken up , and they sent to prison , and cruelly persecuted for meeting together , when the papists are not meddled withal for the same cause ; and thus their cause seems more to be favoured than the protestants , and they more liberty in their worship than many of the english protestants . and also , in and about london , upon search , you will find meetings of the papists , large ones too , consisting of very many forreigners of other lands , which have their liberty of worship and profession of religion ; and divers of the inhabitants of the city , who have been and are known ; upright , honest and just persons , and are true protestants , and faithful subjects of the land , are not admitted to have their meetings , but are haled out of meetings , persecuted , and sent to prison , and cruel sufferings inflicted upon them , for the exercise of their faith and worship ; whenas the papists are admitted their liberty , without persecution , in the same cause for which many good protestants are perfecuted , and not suffered to have their liberty , even in the exercise of their faith and worship , and this is manifest to all people ; by which it is plain , how the papists cause is advancing , and the protestants cause decaying in london , and through england ; whenas the papists , and that forreigners , have more liberty in the exercise of their religion , then some protestants have that are natives , and known to be good subjects : and these things deserve true and serious confideration by all good protestants ; alas that this day should be seen ! many more considerations might be asserted in this case , of the papists cause being as it were reviving ; but these for present are presented to the publick view of all people : and blessed are they that have an ear to hear . e. b. the case of free liberty of conscience in the exercise of faith and religion , presented unto the king and both houses of parliament : and also proved absolute needful and requisit for them to grant and allow in these kingdoms ; by many considerations and reasons unfolding the woful effects and ill consequence which will infallibly follow upon the contrary , to the misery and destruction of these nations , if the free exercise of conscience to god-ward be limitted and violently restrained . forasmuch as it hath pleased the lord god of heaven and earth ( who is mighty and powerful , and bringeth to pass whatsoever he will in the kingdoms of this world ) so to suffer it to be accomplished , that power and authority is given unto you , to exercise over these kingdoms ; and whereas the people of these nations ( over whom your authority is extended ) are divided in their judgments in matters spiritual , and are of different principles and wayes in relation to faith , and worship , and practices of religion ; and yet are all of them free-born people , and natives of these kingdoms ; and as such ought to possess and enjoy their lives , liberties and estates by the just laws of god and man ; and may not justly any of them be destroyed by you , nor one sort of another , in their persons and estates , by death , banishment , or other persecutions , for and because only of their differences in matters of opinion and judgment ; nor though they are contrary minded in profession of faith and worship and religion , while they do walk peaceably and justly in their conversations , under the king's authority , and do not make practice of their religion to the violating of the government , nor to the injury of other mens persons or estates ; but ought rather to be defended and protected by you in all their rights , both as men and christians , both in things civil and spiritual , notwithstanding their difference in matters religious as aforesaid , they giving proof of their peaceable and honest deportment towards the king and his government , and the people of these kingdoms . and therefore that due care may be had , as justly it ought to be by you , for the peace and prosperity and happiness of these kingdoms , and that the just liberties both civil and spiritual of all people therein , may be allowed and maintained in all the kings dominions , and that unity and peace may be fully established , and justice and righteousness only brought forth in the land , and all persecution , hatred , contention and rebellions may die and perish and never more appear ; and that all christian people ( though different in judgement and practises in matters of faith and worship ) may be protected to live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty under this government and that indignation and vengeance may be diverted from these lan●● , which seems to threaten because of the contrary , and that blessings and peace ma● come , and rest upon this people forever . therefore for these ends and causes , and in the name of the lord i do propound unto you , and lay before you on the behalf of all the divided people of these kingdoms , that free liberty of conscience in the exercise of faith , worship and religion to god-wards , may be allowed and maintained unto all , without any imposition , violence or persecution exercised about the same , on the persons , estates , or consciences of any in any relation to religion , the worship of god , church government and ministry ; but that all christian people may be left free in all these kingdoms , in the exercise of conscience without being restrained from , or compelled to any way of worship and practise of religion , upon any pains and penalties , and that every one may be admitted to worship god in that way as his spirit perswades the heart , and may be defended in such their profession of religion , while they make not use of their liberty to the detrement of any other mens persons or estates as aforesaid . and let it not seem strange to you , why i appear in this manner and matter , at such a season as this ; for your very happiness , prosperity and establishment , or the contrary , dependeth hereupon , even in allowing and maintaining liberty of conscience in the exercise of religion , or in limitting and forcing and persecuting about the same , and this may appear if you justly consider these things following . . the lordship in and over conscience , and the exercise thereof in all matters of faith , and worship , and duty to god-wards , is gods alone only and proper right and priviledge , and he hath reserved this power and authority in himself , and not committed the lordship over conscience , nor the exercise thereof , in the cases of faith and worship , to any upon earth , not to perscribe and impose principles and practises of faith and worship and religion , by force and violence on the persons and consciences of men , but this belongs only to god , even to work faith in the heart , and to convert to holiness , and to lead and teach people by his spirit in his worship , and to exercise their consciences in all his wayes ; for the apostles themselves said , they had not dominion over the faith of the saints , cor. . . but the lord alone . and king charles the first , said in his meditations , page . of that edition printed for r. royston ; i have often declared , how little i desire my laws and scepter should intrench on god's soveraignity , which is the only king of men's consciences , &c. so that to be lord in conscience , and exerciser thereof in all the matters of god's kingdom , is his only proper right , and to him alone it appertains . . and therefore consider , if ye do not allow free liberty of conscience , and give unto god the lordship and exercise thereof , in all matters of faith and worship to him-wards ; but do impose by violence in forcing to , and restraining from such and such wayes of religion ; than ye take dominion over mens faith , which ye ought not to do ; and ye intrench on god's soveraignity , and usurpe his authority , in exercising lordship over the conscience , in and over which christ is only king , as before recited ; and ye ought not to take his right from him , nor to exercise that authority over ruens faith and consciences which only appertains unto him , as his proper priviledge ; for in so doing how dangerous effects may it bring forth ? even ye may easily provoke the lord to wrath against you , and bring upon your selves sorrow and misery , if ye exercise violence upon mens consciences in and concerning religious matters , contrary to the scriptures and the example of primitive christians who were persecuted for their conscience sake , but did never persecute nor punish any for that cause , nor ever used violence about their religion , as charles the i. in his meditations pag. . nothing ( said he ) violent nor injurious can be religious , &c. . consider , if ye allow not the free exercise of conscience in spiritual matters , but do take dommion over mens faith , and impose by violence in the cases of conscience about religion , and do not suffer the lord to enjoy his only right to be king , in the matters of his own kingdom , then ye divert the end of just rule and government among men , and pervert the end of gods great love and favour shewed unto you in restoring of you to the place of authority and judgement ; for the end of just government upon earth by kings and rulers is , to exercise justice , truth , and righteousness among men , and over the outward man , and to be a praise to all that do well● and walk uprightly , and to be a terror to all transgressors , and them that do evil in their outward man , and to keep the outward man in good order by just judgment in all cases between man and man ; this is only the extent of your authority over the outward man , and to your jurisdiction only this belongs , to judge in truth and righteousness to make laws and execute them between man and man , to preserve mens persons and estates from the wrong one of another , but not at all to make laws and execute them between god and mens consciences in the cases of his spiritual kingdom , this power belongs to god , and he hath not committed it to you to exercise ; and therefore , let justice , equity and mercy be exercised by you among men , and over the outward man , and in all cases between man and man , but meddle not in the cases of mens faith to god , and their consciences to him , but leave that unto him alone whose right it is , for it is dangerous , and will bring wofull effects if ye intrench on gods soveraignity , and if ye divert the proper end of just government , and of the love of god in restoring you into authority and power . . consider if ye allow not free liberty of conscience in the profession and practice of spiritual things , but will compel by violence about religion , then this will inavoidably produce and bring forth cruel persecution in the kingdoms , imprisonment , banishment , and death , and all the evil effects of persecution will fill the nations ; for though never so forceable impositions be laid on the persons , estates , and consciences of men , for the cause of difference in judgment , and practises of religion , and tocompel into conformity , yet it cannot be supposed that all will bow and conform to the denying of that way which they are perswaded in conscience to be right , and to the embracing of what they cannot in conscience believe is of god , but will rather suffer the cruelest death , then conform to any thing contrary to light and knowledge ; and if free liberty of conscience be denied , many such must needs be exposed to persecution even to death , though they may be peaceable people , and profitable inhabitants of the kingdoms , and in the things between man and man , and in all matters temporal pertaining to the king , may be just , and righteous and unreprovable ; yet because of difference in judgment and opinion , exposed to be destroyed in person and estate ; and such effects will not be of honour nor saftey to these nations if innocent and just men be destroyed , and their relations ruined , only for their conscience and religion sake , by persecution . . consider , if ye do impose one way of worship by force , and persecute all that are contrary-minded to prison and death , then how shall your names and memorial be left a reproach to generations after you , in dayes to come ; who shall repute you cruel men and persecutors , and such as destroyed your people for difference in matters of religion , and without just cause ; and thus will your names be a curse , and not a blessing , to your children , and their children to all ages , if that ye make laws , and execute them to the persecution and destruction of people for conscience sake , and for difference in religion ; for persecution was never of god , nor ever justified in succeeding ages ; but persecutors alwayes were rendred tyrants , and cruel in the ages succeeding them : for do not you condemn the papists as oppressors and cruel persecutors in queen mary's dayes , for the persecuting your fore-fathers ? and k. iames said , it was usually the condition of christians to be persecuted , but never to persecute , &c. in his apology for the oath of allegiance , page . and indeed , they are no true christians that persecute for matters of conscience , and difference in opinion ; but the false christians , that have a form of godliness , but are without the power , and out of the doctrine of the scriptures , who say , love your enemies , and render not evil for evil ; but overcome evil with good . . consider , if ye do impose upon the conscience , and persecute about religion , ye can never effect your end thereby , as to force all into a conformity and uniformity to your church and religion ; but though death , and banishment , and the loss of all be inflicted , yet such a thing cannot be effected , neither is it the way of christ to promote his church , and to convert the contrary-minded , by such means as force and violence exercised on mens persons and estates ; as king iames said in his speech in parliament , . that it is a sure rule in divinity , that god never loves to plant his church with violence and blood : and if ye do persecute to the heighth in the case of religion , ye will weaken your selves , and cause the love and good affection of the people to die towards you , and the persecuted will grow , and their cause be made honourable , and many will be encreased unto it ; for it is usual in ages , that the way and religion which hath been most persecuted , hath most grown ; and thus it must infallibly be at this day , and ye can never effect your end-by persecution , nor promote your own church , nor destroy all the contrary-minded ; as a privy-counsellor to k. iames the th of scotland , advised in counsel about the year . upon the occasion of diversities of opinions then in that kingdom , said he , it is an error of state in a prince , for an opinion of piety to condemn to death the adherers to new doctrines ; for the constancy and patience of those who voluntarily suffer all temporal miseries for matters of faith , stir up numbers , who at first , and before they had suffered were ignorant of their faith and doctrine , not only to favour their cause , but to embrace their opinions , pitty and commiseration opening the gates , and thus their faith is spread , and their number daily encreaseth , &c. . consider , if that ye do not allow liberty of conscience , but do impose , and persecute , as aforesaid ; though some for your fear , and terror , and force against their consciences should deny their principle , and conform to your church , such ye cause to sin ; for whatsoever is performed by force , and not of faith is sin , as it is written , and such their sin will be laid to your charge ; and such who cannot deny their principles , and conform , will be destroyed , and their death will be accounted against you in the day of the lord : and therefore , if ye do not allow liberty of conscience , many grievous evils will infallibly follow , both to your selves and your people : and what advantage of honour will such be to god and your church , that are against their consciences and light forced into a conformity for fear and terror of men ; it makes them manifold more the children of the devil , and time-servers , and hypocrites , and destroyes their souls ; and such can be no true members of the true church of christ , but are reprobates , and a dishonour to god and your church . . consider , if ye constrain and compel in matters of religion , and do not ●…low liberty of conscience , it is unreasonable and unequal , and down-right contrary 〈◊〉 the holy and pure law of god , which saith , ye shall do into all men , as ye would that men should do unto you , and thou shalt love they neighbour as thy self , and this is the fulfilling of the law ; but to be imposed upon and persecuted for the case of consciences , and for the matters of worship of god , your selves would not willingly be against your light and knowledge , and then it is unequal and unjust , and contrary to the law of god , for ye to do the same to others , which your selves would not be done unto ; and do not you to this day cry out against the papists in queen maries dayes , and at this day in other nations , and condemn them as tyrants and oppressors , for persecuting , killing , and destroying the protestants , for the matters of their conscience and difference in opinion and judgment ? and will you do the same at this day as they do to others , and follow their example of cruelty and persecution , and break the law of god , and walk contrary to it , in doing to others what you would not be done unto ? and seeing you condemn the late fore-going powers in these kingdoms for tyrants and usurpers , and oppressors , for prohibiting your way of worship , and commanding the contrary , and disanulling so much as they could your service book and ministry ; how can you justly do the like to others , as to force wayes of religion upon them , and prohibit theirs , and command the contrary ? if you do it , ye condemn your selves by judging of others in the like case . . consider if ye do not allow liberty of conscience , but impose church government and religion by pains and penalties , then ye will fill the land with hypocrites , and force people into time-serving obedience , and into formal wayes of worship , some against their consciences , and some in the ignorance thereof , which is great abomination unto the lord , and such will neither be true and faithfull in church nor state , but will seek advantages against you ( if they are forced by violence in the cases of their consciences ) and it will beget great contentions and hatred in the minds of men , and divide the● into heart-burnings one against another , and against you and your government ; for if men become hypocrites for your fear and terror and deny their professed principles and conform , they will be false-hearted , and envious , and malicious , and attempt any thing to be freed from bondage and impositions of conscience , and their hearts will be dis-engaged in love and affection to you-wards ; and this will be infallibly the effect of persecution for conscience sake , as king charles the first saith in his meditations , a charitable connivance and christian toleration often dissipates their strength when rougher opposition fortifies , and puts the dispised and oppressed party into such combinations , as may most enable them to get a full revenge on those they count their persecutors , &c. . consider , if ye force worship , and religion , and cause men to conform against their judgments , how dangerous is this to destroy mens souls , and to lead 〈◊〉 even to destruction ; for seeing ye affirm not the infallibility of your worship and religion , and yet will impose them , and so engage mens souls in depandancy for salvation upon things and wayes uncertain , and which god giveth not the faith to believe in ; i say how dangerous is this to ruin souls ; for in no way can the soul be secure but in the faith which god works in the heart , in the obedience of infallible truth ; so ye 〈◊〉 mens souls upon a rock , and it is unreasonable as before mentioned , that men should be forced into the profession and practice of uncertain and fallible religion , and that they should be forced by you into that which may be evil , for which not you altogether , but themselves must bear the punishment in the day of the lord ; and except ye could affirm and prove the infallibility of your church ( which is impossible ) there is no equity nor right reason for it , that you should impose upon others any more than others should impose upon you ; for , as king charles the first said in his meditation , he desired not any should be further subjects unto him , then he and all of them might be subject unto god , &c. . consider , if ye allow not liberty of conscience , but persecute about the same , ye walk in the way and after the example of some of the heathen rulers , and of the false christians , and shews that ye allow of the cruel persecutions by the church of rome , and ye follow their example , who persecute unto death such as they call hereticks , and if ye do persecute for matters of conscience , then ye allow the very deeds of the heathens , who persecuted the christians for their religion sake , and ye justifie papists in persecuting the protestants ; and ye plainly demonstrate unto all the world by your works and fruits , that ye are of antichrist , if ye impose on mens consciences by force in the matters of religion , and persecute good conscience about the same ; for it was the antichrist and the beast , that first forced all to worship , and violently engaged all into a conformity , and killed and persecuted all that would not worship according to the image , rev. . as ye may read . and it was not christs way , nor the practice of any of his primitive churches to impose and force on the persons and consciences of men concerning their church and religion , to cause all into a conformity thereunto , and destroy and persecute all that would not ; this was not the way of christ and his apostles in their daies , but they left religion free , and said they were not lords over mens faith , nor lords over gods heritage , neither did impose upon any in doubtful cases of conscience , much lesse compel against mens conciences ; for the apostle left the practice of doubtful things , as every one was perswaded in his own mind , to do or not to do , without imposing by force or directions of persecution about the same ; therefore if ye do not allow free liberty of conscience , ye are out of the doctrine example of christ and his apostles , and follows the way and example of antichrist , heathen rulers , and cruel papists , to your great dishonour . . consider , if ye allow not liberty of conscience in the exercise of religion , but impose and persecute about the same ; it must inavoidably tend to destroy and expel trading , husbandry , and merchandize in these kingdoms , for a great part of trading and husbandry depends upon such kind of persons whose principles are for toleration in religion , and hates persecution and violence in that case , this ye will find true on examination ; and if liberty of conscience be not allowed , such will be exposed to great afflictions , some to imprisonment , and some to poverty , and some to flee into other countries , to the destruction of their callings and trading , and the hands and industriousnes of such people will be weakned in these kingdoms , if they cannot enjoy their just liberty in temporal & spiritual cases , and the effects thereof will work wofully in this very respect , even to dis-enable both the hearts and hands of husbandmen and trades , and expose these nations to want and poverty , and to enrich their enemies . . consider , if liberty of conscience be deny'd , and persecution be introduc'd about the same ; all these , and many more woful consequences and effects will follow infallibly , to the ruin of these kingdoms ; even wars , and bloodsheds , and discontents , and murmurings , and all evil things will be the product of the aforesaid cause ( viz. ) of denying liberty of conscience in religious matters ; for , in a word , it will tend to , and may effect the overthrow of you , and ruin your government and authority ; for the great and mighty god of heaven and earth will be provoked against you , and his wrath will go out like a devouring flame upon you , if that ye limit the holy one , and will not suffer him to exercise his proper right , in being king in mens consciences , to exercise them in all the wayes of his worship , and matters of his kingdom , but do oppress , impose and persecute about the same ; this , i say , will infallibly work the kingdoms ruin , and expose you and your government to the indignation of the holy lord god , who is tender of his honour , and will not give it to another ; and he loveth and effecteth the cause of such , whose consciences are truly tender towards him ; and though ye persecute such , and seek to destroy them , and for a time exercise great afflictio : and ●●●ressions upon them , for the matters of their conscience , yet the god of heaven will appear for such in his season , and deliver them , and avenge their ●ersecu●ors ; and therefore all ye rulers consider , and lay these things to heart , lest ye provoke the lord against you , by destroying the people whom he regards , and that not for evil doing , but for the ca●es of conscience , and because they cannot relinquish their profession and principles of their religion , and how and conform in things against their light and knowledge . . consider , if ye allow not liberty of conscience , what exceeding danger 〈◊〉 run your selves into , even to destroy just men and righteous , as hereticks and erroneous , and may promote hereticks as church-members , both which are great abominations in the sight of god , and this danger ye bring upon your selves , for ye are not infallible judges , who are hereticks , and who are not ; and therefore may easily proceed in that way to punish such as hereticks that are not truly so , and except ye could affirm and prove your possession of the infallible spirit , ye can no way proceed justly & reasonably to deny liberty of conscience in the exercise of religion , nor punish and persecute any in that case : but if ye do , ye do it in ignorance , and know not what ye do , and may as soon destroy true christians and saints , as hereticks , for want of infallible judgment to discern who are , and who are not ; and this is a danger ye ought to avoid by allowing the free exercise of conscience , as the lord perswades every mans heart . . and lastly , also consider what a reproach you are under , if such whom ye call heretick , ( and yet doth not infallibly know that they are such ) be punished , and persecuted , and destroyed for their religion sake , who are just and upright men , in their conversing between man and man , and unreprovable in their dealings among men ; ( whether they err in judgment in spiritual knowledge , or not err ) and such as are drunkards propha●e persons go at liberty , in their stage-playing and gaming , and the like , even tolerated , and unpunished , and not prohibited , whom all do know and can distinguish who such are when they appear , this will render your government to evil reputation , both in this present time and in ages to come ; and therefore consider it , if drunkards , gamesters , and prophane persons have more toleration and liberty in their wayes of open vanity , then sober temperate persons in the exercise of their consciences in religion , which if any such do err in principle ( which is not infallibly known to you ) it is only to their own hurt in the sight of god , and he onely and not you ought to punish them in that case ; but prophane persons as a fore-mentioned are easily judged by all to be such , and their error inpractise is hurtful to the whole kingdoms and pertains to you to punish ; as dr. taylor now a bishop in ireland hath said , his words in this ●ase are worth observing , why are we so zealous , saith he , against those we call hereticks , and yet great friends , with d●unkards , and swearers , and fornicators , and intemperate , and idle persons ; i am certain a drunkard is as contr●oy to god , and lives as contrary to the laws of christianity as a heretick , and i am also sure that i know what drunkennesse is , but i am not sure that such an opinion is heresie , &c. and these things i do in all meeknesse and due respect both to your places and persons , present to your serious considerations , that ye may prevent these evil effects that are so destructive unto you and these kingdoms , which absolutely must follow , upon not allowing free liberty of conscience in the exercise of religion ; if any shall object , that to tolerate and allow liberty of conscience in religion is inconsistent with the safety and peace of the king and these kingdoms ; i shall be desirous to hear from wise men what such objections are , stated by them , and wherein they say it is not congruous with the happiness and peace of these nations , to grant and allow the premises : and on such occasion , i should make clearly to appea● the contrary ; and that it is only consistant with the peace and prosperity of these kingdoms ( considering them in their present estate ) to grant and allow free liberty of conscience , as aforesaid , in the exercise of religion unto all christian people . o! remember , ye mighty men of the kingdom , that the great and mighty god takes notice of all your doings , and accordingly will he reward you in his dreadful day , which is near to come upon all the world ; and wo unto the wicked in that day . o! remember that ye your selves not long since were a suffering people , and now you are raised up again ; and therefore be not too zealous to afflict others , especially for the cases of their consciences , in reference to their faith and perswasions about religion ; but be gentle , meek and long-suffering towards all ; for that is the way to make peace , and preserve it with all men , that will gain the affections of the contrary-minded ; but force and rigour will exasperate the more , and never truly reconcile differences among men : and make no laws contrary or different to the pure law of god ; but let pure consciences go free , without force or restraint in the exercises of religion , and let god have his prerogative and lordship in the exercise of conscience ; but let your authority be extended over the outward man , in the matters between man and man , to preserve peace and right in all outward relation : and be wise and learned , ye rulers of the earth , and kiss the son , lest he be angry , and ye perish ; and if his wrath be kindled but a little , blessed are they that trust in him . this is your time and day , happy are ye if it be given to you to do the work that god requires of you only . the th of the third moneth , . by a lover of truth and just government , e. b. a discovery of divine mysteries ; vvherein is unfolded secret things of the kingdom of god : being a testimony . concerning life and death , with their several fruits and ●…cts distinguished . . concerning the mystery of god , and godliness ; and concerning the mystery of the devil and iniquity . . concerning true liberty of conscience , what it is in it self , and how obtained , and what the ▪ true guide and rule is of the exercise of conscience . . concerning the diversity of judgments in religion , the cause and effect thereof , and the means to bring to unity . all which are published for the edification of such as desire to know the truth . the preface . the light of the day of god almighty is arisen upon us in our day , and the shinings-forth thereof is with great clearness and force , even as the sun at noon-day ; and many are come to the glorious appearance thereof , and to walk in its light with much ioyfulness ; for , as the wise-man said , the light is sweet , and a pleasant thing it is for the eye to behold the son. and so fully is our morning-son now appeared , that the upright in heart may walk , and not stumble ; and the poor in spirit may run in the path of life , and not fall , for , indeed we may say ; the night is spent , and the day is come ; therefore let us walk in the day , and put on the armour of light , as many as are made the children thereof . and where the light of this son is arisen , and in whose hearts it shineth , it cannot but give some testimony through such an one , of its own glory , vertues , and excellency , to them that sit yet in darkness , and in the 〈◊〉 of corruption , that they also may 〈◊〉 the same light and glory arise on their tabernacles : for 't is the property of this spiritual heavenly light , to shine forth out of darkness , and to give light to such as have long sate in darkness , that their souls may live , and be refreshed with the light of the living . and for this cause do we labour , and spend , and ●re spent ; accounting nothing too dear for us , that the light of truth may shine abroad , and guide the upright in the perfect way , till the elect be gathered into the pasture of eternal life , and the son so elivated on the firmament of joy and praises never to go down ; but the saying fulfilled , there shall be no night , but the light of the son shall be as the light of seven dayes . these following testimonies were written at divers times , as the lord drew forth my spirit through the motions of his life in me ; some of them some years since ; and being cast by among bundles of manuscripts , and now lately coming to my sight , and looking them over , i have thought good to send them abroad , as being of service to many : and this is the occasion and end of my present publishing these things . and to the iudgment of the spirit of god in all the saints , do i commend my labours , and myself to be approved . westmoreland the th of the th moneth , . who am a friend to all men , e. b. a discovery of divine mysteries , &c. chap. i. a testimony concerning life and death , and their several fruits and effects distinguished . there is only life and death , and there is but only life and death in the whole creation , that ruleth and raigneth in , and among , and over all the children of men ; and all the children of men upon the face of the earth are under the government and dominion of life or of death , in whatsoever they are , and in whatsoever they do ; and life or death hath the rule and government in every creature in every exercise , whether of works or words ; and all people upon the earth are subject to the government of one or the other , and bring forth the fruits and works in obedience to life or to death , and shews them forth in visible appearance . now these two ( to wit ) life and death , are contrary one to the other in beeing , in nature , in works and fruits ; and each of these are known and distinguished the one from the other in beeing , in nature , in fruits and effects , which diversly they bring forth in this world ; and each of them hath a kingdom and government in himself , distinct from and contrary each to other ; and each of them have their several subjects , which also are contrary in birth and generation , in quality and kind , over which they rule and govern , and to whom they give distinct portions and heirships in this world , and hereafter : and where life rules and reigns , death is held in captivity and bondage ; and where death lives , the life dies ; and where one of these brings forth fruit , the other is barren ; for they agree not in one , but are in all things contrary ; and the subjects of the one are alwayes opposing and striving against the subjects of the other : and between life and death there is continual war and strife among the creatures , who are the subject of the one of them , in whatsoever man is , and in what he doth . first , concerning life i will speak ; life was in the beginning with god , and is without descent ; and god is life in himself , without beginning or ending of time , place , or matter ; and life put forth it self out of its invisible beeing into work and action in the beginning of the world , and appeared in visible operations and works , and brought forth all creatures , and all things into visible appearances ; and life was the author of all , the beginning and foundation of all ; and life was and is that beeing and vertue of all things that are , and it was the ioy and delight of all things that it self brought forth ; for all things and creatures subsisted through it , and it gave breath and life to all creatures , and life blessed them all , and in it were all creatures at unity , being framed and brought into visibility , and for the pleasure of life , which was all in all in the beginning ; and there was a sweet concurrance and harmony in the whole creation , through the power and beeing of life in the midst of all creatures , through which the whole creation was made and framed by the eternal word of life , and through which they stood and did remain 〈◊〉 ●●●●sedness ; and life ruled and raigned in every creature that was brought forth , and was the glory and substance thereof : for life was and is that only begotten of the father , the son and heir of the everlasting father , his express image and brightness ; being one with the father , not separated or divided from him . and as for death , it was not yet known , nor had it any place in the creation ; it had yet received no power , nor kingdom , nor government , neither was it in beeing : but life was all , over all , through all , and in all in the beginning , before disobedience and transgression entred to war against life : but life was prince , ruler and , governour , in and over all the works of the creator . and life in its beeing is god , and god is life ; and in its government , and fruits and effects is purity , righteousness , truth , holiness , meekness , and all the works that are just and equal according to god , and like him , and which shews him forth in the creation ; and this was , and it was thus in the beginning , before death entred into the world , or had a kingdom . but it is written , the devil abode not in the truth , but went out of the truth ; and he is the king of death , and hath the power of it ; he went out of the power of god , and out of the life , by which all things was made and created , and abode not in the truth , nor in the life , to live , and act , and speak in that ; but desired to be , and became to be something of himself without god ; and he spoke of himself , and acted of himself , without the power and life , and also contrary to the power and life of the creator , being separated from it , and become a distinct beeing of himself ; and then , having lost his state and first condition , thus became an enemy to life and truth , and became the king of death ; and he was the first of death's race , and he holds the power of it unto this day ; he being gone out of the truth , and out of the power and life of god , and become a distinct beeing of himself , having a kingdom of his own to promote in opposition to the kingdom of god : then he drew mankind out of the power , and truth , and life , and beguiled eve and adam , as you may read in the scriptures ; and they lost the life and power , ( even all feeling of it , and comfort in it ) by which they were created and made , and they also transgressed and acted contrary to the life and power , and acted of themselves , and spake of themselves , without the power and life of their creator , being separated from it ; and were , and did something of themselves , without god , the creator : and then the power and life cast them out of all peace , joy and happiness into the earth , and into death ; and death became the king and prince over mankind : and they had no more possession of life , nor . blessedness by it in their separated estate , neither did it any longer raign in them ; but they having transgressed against the life , and acted of themselves , and spoken of themselves , without the leadings and movings of the life , this was their transgression ; they went out of the power and life in all motions and actions , and then life drove them forth of its good pleasure into the earth , separate from its vertues and peace , and into death , which is contrary to it self , to live in anguish and sorrow : and so , when the devil was gone out of the truth , and had led mankind out of the truth , and out of life , and thereby they were all separated from life , and drove out from god , out of his pleasure into his wrath : then became death to have a beeing in mankind , and great authority , and not before ; and then death began his kingdom in the world , and over it , and he set up his rule and government in , and among , and over all the children of men. and so , from transgression came death , that was its beginning , man having transgressed against the life that brought him forth ; and being separated from life , then death took place , and its kingdom was established over the world , and in all the children of men , in opposition to life , and its government and kingdom ; and death reigns from adam , ( so saith the scripture ) and the life was transgressed against , and so provoked into an absence , and to withdraw it self into invisibility from the enjoyment of mankind , that it should not be felt nor perceived of him to comfort him ; and then the whole body of death came upon man , to load his conscience and vex his soul : and death and only death hath a preheminence over all in transgression , and is established into a kingdom , over sinful subjects , who are under its command ; and hath its rule and goverment , and brings forth its works and fruits in mankind , contrary to life , and in opposition to it , and to its kingdom and power , and opposeth the kingdom and power of life ( the creature ) and in its nature , and all its fruits and works , it is contrary and opposite to life and its works and fruits ; and through death is the whole creation in its exercise by man perverted from the right use and end ordained of god ; and out of death proceedeth all evil , as lying , swearing , drunkenness and whoredom , pride , strife , and every evil work and word : these things are the fruits and works of death ; and death governs the children of men in the practice of all these things ; and in transgression death lives , and acts , and speaks through men and women ; and death rules in them , and hath perverted them in all their wayes ; for they have given their power to it , and it wholly captivates them , and is established over them , and hath the dominion in them , and life is swallowed up of it : and this kingdom of death opposeth god , and the kingdom of life , and exalts it self against life , and hath its operation in the creature , in all manner of unrighteousness , bringing forth daily such words , works , fruits and effects , as doth oppress and is a burden unto the life , and unto the god of life ; and death and its kingdom doth continually war and strive against life and its kingdom , and the one opposeth the other through all generation since the beginning : for the devil is the king of death , and hath the power of i● , and he is king in its goverment , and ruler in its dominion ; and this is the state of all the children of men in transgression , death rules , and the kingdom of death reigns in them , and it brings forth cursed fruits through them , and they are subjects thereof , and in obedience thereunto in all things : and through death , which hath power over them , are they separated from life , and have no part nor portion therein , because of death that hath separated them , and vailed and clouded them , and loads their consciences . but now the promise of the god of life , is to restore mankind out of death and darkness , and that life shall reign again , and subdue death , and destroy it and its kingdom , and swallow it up ; and this is the promise of the father : for in transgression death hath subdued life , and overcome it in mankind ; but in the restoration , life shall swallow up death , and subdue it , and overcome it : and this comes to pass through the rising again of life from under death which hath held it in bondage ; and life that made the world in the beginning , and gave to all things life and substance , as i have said ; which life , in its measure in mankind hath been overcome and swallowed up in transgression : that life shall appear , though in another manner of appearance than it did in the beginning ; for then it appeared freely of it self without opposition , and brought forth the first creation ; but now it doth appear , through great opposition , and through all that doth oppose it in this second creation , when life comes again to reign over death , and swallow up and overcome and subdue it ; and who comes to witness this ( the new creation ) they know life appearing through opposition , and through the destroying of death , and all its works and fruits : for christ is the life , and he is the seed of the w●… , which bruiseth the serpents head , who hath the power of death ; life bruiseth his head , breaketh his government , and destroyes his works , as it appeareth and riseth in the creature ; and death and its works opposeth life and its manifestation and appearance , and gainsayes it , and often quencheth it i● its app●… . now the first appearance of life in the creature , it convinceth and reproveth the works of death , and the words that proceed from death , which are unrighteous words , and unrighteous works ; and life when it rises , it reproves them and condemns them : and though death doth oppose and gainsay the operation of life ; yet life works through , and overcometh , subdueth , and swalloweth up death , and destroys all its works in the second creation ; and life again comes to take possession of the creature , which it made in the beginning ; and life comes to reign again , whose right it is to raign ; for , by it the creature , mankind , and all creatures were in the beginning formed and brought forth , and therefore it is its right to reign , and to have the dominion over the works of its own hands , whom since the beginning in transgression , the devil and death , and his seat of government has had the possession of ; and christ the power of god , and the life , hath been as it were dispossessed : and thus the first creation hath been defaced , and lost its glory ; and it hath been corrupted and degenerated quite from the perfect state as it was created in ; and mankind hath been servant to another power , and led captive by another power than the power that made him , and another government hath been established over him , and another law hath exercised him than the government and law of the creator , ( to wit ) the power , and government and law of death have had the rule , government and exercise of man , and of the old creation , and hereby all things have been diverted from their proper and perfect place and service , to which they were ordained in the beginning , by reason of transgression and the reigning of death ; and man hath been held in captivity , and in sore bondage , and subject to all misery and distress , deprived of unity with his maker , and deprived of the comfortable use and benefit of the creation ; so that of all creatures he hath been the most miserable , being held in bondage and captivity under the power of death , which hath ruled and reigned over him , and in him , being always subject to death , and subject to the curse and anger of the lord : and subject to doubtings and fears , and subject to continual misery and sorrow ; and all this is , because death hath reigned , and had dominion ; even that which at first in the beginning of transgression betrayed him of the life and fellowship with god , that got possession it self to reign , and to have the power , which ever since hath reigned , and alwayes doth till the appearance of the life again , which doth appear in the creature for this end , to overcome and subdue death , and destroy his works , that it self may reign , and free the creation from its degeneration and corruption , and free mankind from his bondage and captivity , and from his misery and all his trouble , which is come upon him by reason of death . and this came to pass in the new creation when life is born again , to rule and reign again , and to swallow up death , and to subdue it wholly , and its kingdom and government . and then man again is become a son of god , an heir of salvation , and no more death reigns in him , nor hath power over him , when he is restored out of transgression ; then as death hath reigned and had power in transgression , life shall so reign in and over the creature , in the new creation , when that is brought forth , as death hath reigned in the old creation in transgression and disobedience : and life will arise to reign and rule over all , and in all , though it be through great opposition ; the body of death shall be put off , and the government of death shall be subdued , and all the works fruits and effects of death shall be destroyed and done away , and its place shall no more be found , so as to bring forth fruit ; for its sting shall be taken away , and shall no more wound , nor pierce , nor hurt the creature : for the sting of death is sin , and that hath wounded and hurt the creature ; and when this comes to pass , then there is glory and rejoycing over all , for life hath swallowed up death , and overcome it , and the cause of sorrow is removed and taken away , and the kingdom of life is established in the creature , and is set upon the top of death's kingdom , and keeps it under ; and if there be but a motion of death , that would spring up , or appear in the creature , life judgeth it down , and condemns it . and this kingd●● is righteousness , ioy and peace , full of iustice , righteousness and equity , and there is nothing in it that doth defile or destroy , or bring sorrow or misery ; but life rules over all that , and subdues the cause thereof , and removes every thing that would imbondage or captivate the creature in evil. and this kingdom is not of this world , but from heaven , and heavenly ; and the birth immortal is heir thereof , which receives the crown , and the kingdom of eternal life . now the kingdom of death is of this world , which is defiled and degenerated ; gain was a subject of this kingdom ; and esau , that was a reprobate ; and iudas , that betrayed the life ; and all the ungodly , and generation of the wicked since the beginning , they were all of the kingdom of death , and the kingdom of death ruled in them , and brought forth its works through them , and its exercise in their hearts and in their lives : and through its power they opposed and gainsay'd the life , and they fought against the kingdom of life and righteousness ; and such were the pharisees , who put christ to death , who is the life . death raigned over all these , and they were of the stock of death , and they were of this world , and had their conversation below , in the earthly things ; and knew not the life , nor its government , but were strangers to it , and enemies to it , as all are at this day , who are transgressors against the life ; and all such are subject to the curse , to sorrow and misery , and the anger of the lord ; but who come to feel the life , and the obedience to it again , death is destroyed through death ; for , through the death of death , death comes to be destroyed , and no other way , which the life works ; and the life works through death , and overcomes it , and swallows it up ; and this is the second creation , and the new creation , where life raigns over all , and doth possess the creature , as it did before transgression . the life is the light , and the life is the law , and life lives , moves and acts the creature ; and christ , who is the life , becomes all in all ; and blessed are they who wait for this , and do witness it , to such am i known in these things , where the kingdom of death is overcome and swallowed up of life . chap. ii. a testimony concerning the mystery of god , and godliness ; and concerning the mystery of the devil , and iniquity . there are two great mysteries in their invisible beeing , and in manifestation to us in the world ( that is to say ) . the mystery of god , and godliness ; and , the mystery of the devil , and iniquity : these are two great mysteries , which do discover and act themselves forth in , and among , and through the children of men in this creation ; and these two mysteries are contrary one to the other , in beeing , in nature , in works , in fruits and effects ; and they are in strife one against the other , the one continually opposing the other , and striving for the creature , mankind , to be the instrument to display themselves through in visible appearance ; for the creature , man and woman is a vessel wherein these mysteries are contained , and whereby these mysteries do shew themselves forth in the world ; and all the sons of adam upon the face of the earth are possessed with and of one of these ( that is to say ) the mystory of god , or the mystery of the devil , do manifest themselves forth through every man and woman , and through all the sons of adam upon the face of the earth the works , fruits and effects of one of these are brought forth . and as for the mystery of god , it is infinite and eternal in beeing , and which was , and is , and is to come , without beginning or end ; and this mystery reacheth it self forth more or less in every creature upon the face of the whole earth , and is the life , and beeing and substance of all things ; and all creatures upon the face of the earth , whether movable or inmovable , is a partaker of this mystery , & this mystery is vailed and hidden secretly in & under all things that have a beeing ; and whatsoever the creature brought forth even in the greatest appearance thereof ; and its goodness and vertue , in what form or apparance foever , is but the production , or the , manifestation of the mystery [ god ] for the life of every creature , and the vertue of every creature is a mystery and proceedeth out of the great mystery of god , who is life it self , vertue it self , goodness it self , and being it self ; and is the goodness , and the vertue , and the life and being of all things and creatures upon the face of the earth ; so that every thing that hath a being , even the wicked and ungodly , are not without this mystery in some manner or other ; for by him every creature is , and hath its first being . but now more perfectly doth the mystery of god appear in his servants , and in his children who are born of him , and begotten by him , and they have the sence and feeling , and understanding of this mystery more than any other creatures ; and this is their glory and crown above all other creatures upon the face of the whole earth ; for they only , i say , who are redeemed to god , and born of the spirit , they are them that have the sence , and feeling , and understanding of this mystery , even of the mystery of god , infinite , endless and eternal . and though this mystery he hid in all other creatures , and manifesting it self through them , yet this mystery is not known to them , nor understood of them , nor of any other creature ( i say ) besides the children of the lord , in whom this mystery is only revealed ; for they are them through whom more manifestly and plainly this mystery is made manifest , and to them revealed , and known , and felt in their understandings ; and they have the enjoyment thereof who know god , and are known of him , and are entered into covenant with him , into everlasting covenant of ioy and peace ; and through them doth this mystery display it self , even in the sight of all creatures , in works of righteousness , of purity , of goodness , of mercy , of truth , of peace , and of wisdom , in their exercise of all things : and in this manner , and by these fruits and effects doth the mystery of god shew itself forth through his children , in whom the mystery is opened , that is hid in all other creatures : and this is the crown of the children of the lord , that are born from heaven , and from above , that the mystery of god is felt and enjoyed by them , and more manifest to them than in any other creatures : and to know this mystery of god is life eternal ; and to have the understanding of his leadings , of his judgment , of his mercy , and of his counsel , and of the operation of his power ; to feel this in the understanding , this is ioy and a crown of glory , where the mystery of god is revealed in spirit . and as for the mystery of the devil , it is darkness , and in darkness ; and it shews it self forth in the ungodly , and in the sons of adam in transgression ; and in such only doth this mystery of iniquity , and of sin , and of the devil display it self forth in all unrighteousnesse and sin , and that which is contrary to the creator in works , words and thoughts ; all these things are the manifestation of the mystery of the devil , and its fruits and effects , who is out of the truth , who is vailed and covered , and hidden in the hearts of the ungodly , and in the hearts of the sons of adam in the fall : this mystery was not from the beginning , as the other , but when the devil went out of the truth , and had led man's mind out of the truth and taken possession of the heart of man , and become ruler and lord there , having gained authority over man , through man's obedience to him , then began this mystery to discover it self , and act it self through the creature ; and this was since the beginning : and though no other creature be an agent to manifest forth this mystery but man , yet man in his exercise of all creatures , or all creatures through the exercise of man in transgression , there is shewed forth this mystery of iniquity , that secretly lurks in the spirits of ungodly men ; which spirit of unrighteousness , the mystery of the devil , leads man into all sinfulness , of drunkenness and uncleanness , and such like , and hath polluted the earth , and defiled all creatures through man's exercise in them : and this is truly an appearance of the mystery of the devil ; yet he hath other appearances , and other makings-out of his mystery ( to wit ) in a way of seeming righteousness , and seeming holiness , and seeming purity ; and these shew the mystery of unrighteousness , the mystery of the devil , who deceives the soul that is immortal of the enjoyment of the creator , who is the desire of the immortal soul ; and so through a form ; and likeness , and appearance of a thing is the soul immortal deceived and beguiled with that which hath appearances in it , but no life nor substance . and though the mystery of iniquity be but one in it self , yet it manifests it self divers wayes ; sometimes in open prophaneness and wickedness , and sometimes in seeming righteousness and holiness , and in a form of religion without power : but the lord is arisen to confound the mystery of the devil and iniquity , and will discover it , and destroy it ; for it is the mystery of iniquity that worketh in the children of disobedience , that are strangers to god ; and through the operation of this mystery are people kept at a distance from the lord , and out of unity and covenant with him : and this mystery of iniquity worketh hiddenly , not known but in the eternal eye , which sees through the spirit of creatures , and comprehendeth and fathometh over the nature of things , and can judge beyond the appearance , even in the ground , before the action appeareth : for while people are professing and acting holiness and righteousness visibly , and yet not changed by the power of the lord , nor renewed in nature , mind and spirit , from the first adam to the second , the righteousness and holiness , brought forth in that state , is but the acting of the mystery of iniquity , and the woolf putting on the sheep's-clothing ; and this god will judge , and all appearances without life , and all shews without substance ; all this will the lord judge and confound , and bring to nought ; for it is but the working of the mystery of the devil , who is out of the truth . and this mystery hath more abounded since the dayes of the apostles , then in ages since the beginning , inasmuch as this mystery hath operated and displayed it self forth in a higher appearance and fairer shew than ever it did before ; for this mystery hath sate in the temple of god , and shewed it self to be god , and been worshipped above all that is called god ; this mystery of iniquity , the man of sin , which hath put on the sheep's-clothing , and shews it self as the sheep of christ , and as christians , and churches ; all which hath been for many ages the manifestation of this mystery , while that the mystery of the devil hath not been destroyed : but now is the lord arisen , who will discover and destroy this mystery , and save the creature ; and in the destruction of this mystery , is the other mystery revealed , ( to wit ) the mystery of god and of christ ; and that is the mystery of christ , that destroyes the mystery of antichrist and of the devil : and now the sons and daughters of the lord almighty are coming into this mystery of god eternal , who is blessed for ever ; and all that is coming to be overthrown which doth oppose it , and gainsay it ; and there is nothing that can destroy or discover this mystery , but the appearance of christ the son of god ; for it is he that doth discover and destroy the mystery of iniquity by the spirit of his mouth , and by the brightness of his coming ; and this are people coming to . the man of sin is to be thrown down , and the man of righteousness , the manof god is revealed , and sons and daughters shall shew him forth in the world ; and the mystery of god shall shew it self forth over the world , and in nations ; and blessed are all they that come to the opening of this mystery of god , which is the mystery of life and eternal salvation . chap. iii. a testimony concerning true liberty of conscience , what it is in itself , and how it is obtained ; and what the true guide and rule is of the exercise of conscience . this is my testimony , as i have received from the lord ; true liberty of conscience is , liberty and freedom of the conscience from the bondage of sin , and all transgression past and present ; and from whatsoever hath been or is a burden or oppression upon the conscience , whether inward or outward ; the conscience , i say , is at liberty when it is freed from the burden of the guilt of sin past , and from the present temptation unto sin : and till this is witnessed , there is no true liberty of conscience ; for every thing whatsoever , which is sin and transgression against god , in works or words , brought forth by the creature , is bondage and a burden , and oppresseth the pure conscience : and therefore perfect freedom from all sin and transgression is , where the body of sin and death is put off , and where the evil is crucified , and the guilt of it taken away , and where the conscience is truly exercised by the spirit of christ , which leadeth into all truth , and preserveth from all evil ; then is the conscience at liberty , and this is true liberty of conscience , when this is brought forth in the creature : for , where sin is brought forth , and transgression lived in , there the conscience is bound , and the cord of iniquity imbondageth the conscience , and it hath not its liberty in the service of god , nor from the service of the devil , because the spirit of god doth not exercise it ; but the spirit of unrighteousness leadeth the mind into the lusts of this world , into lying , swearing , pride , drunkenness , hypocrisie and idolatry ; and the guilt of these things burdeneth and presseth down , and is a bondage upon the conscience : and where the conscience is bound by unrighteousness within , and by the spirit of the world , which leadeth contrary to the lord ; there is no power of man without can set that conscience free , or give liberty to it ; because the cord of iniquity hath bound it within , and the burden of guilt is upon it , and conscience lies under bondage , unexercised with the spirit of god , which is free , and setteth free the conscience in the practice of all good , and from the power and captivity of all evil. therefore , before true liberty of conscience be witnessed , or any have true liberty in conscience , iniquity must be purged out , and sin crucified , and the body of death put off , and guilt washed away , and the annointing received that leadeth into all truth , and the blood of christ ( the seed ) felt , that sprinkleeth the conscience from all sin and works of the flesh , and washeth away all that which staineth and defileth the conscience ; and then the pure conscience hath its true liberty from the bondage of all evil , and from the guilt thereof , and in the exercise of all good ; and this is true liberty of conscience , and thus it is attained , and by no other way nor means , than by the sword of the spirit of god , which cutteth down the contrary : and where conscience is thus freed within by the power of the lord , and delivered from the bondage of evil , and from the burden of all guilt , and exercised in all good by the spirit of god ; then nothing without , nor any power of man , which may work against such by persecution , and act in opposition to such whose consciences are thus freed , can imbondage the conscience to god-wards , or bring it under a burden to god-wards , i say for it is not altogether bondage of conscience , or the burden or oppression upon his conscience , that is set free , as aforesaid , though he is outwardly persecuted by men ; for that doth but hinder the exercise of his conscience to manwards , but not to god-wards ; for there his conscience is free , in joy and peace , though , by reason of persecution , he cannot have the exercise of it to men : i say , though such be put in prison , banished , or whatsoever suffering be laid upon them , by any men , or laws without , yet their pure conscience is free , and at liberty in it self to god-wards , through all this , and over it all ; for the lord hath set them free from all that bondage and guilt of iniquity , which hath been a bondage upon their consciences within : and whether they do suffer , or have freedom or captivity in their persons from men , yet is their pure conscience at liberty to god-wards , and in perfect freedom in it self , and to themselves , though for the name of christ and his truth they be persecuted , and all evil done against them by evil men , and the exercise of their pure consciences prevented , as to man-wards . for that which defiles the conscience , doth bring it under bondage ; but that which keeps it pure and free from pollution , that keeps it in liberty , and in perfect freedom to god , over all persecution , and evil men , and unjust laws , which would exercise dominion in and over the consciences of the saints , and bring them into captivity , as sometimes their persons are by evil laws and persecutors . but who stand in the power of the lord , and in the exercise of the spirit of god , which freeth the conscience in their own particulars ( as i have said ) doth not come into bondage in conscience to god-wards by laws or men , but enjoyeth freedom and liberty therein , as much in sufferings and in persecutions under all the cruelty of men , as in doing and practices when they are not persecuted ; for in sufferings the conscience is exercised , and hath its liberty in patience and forbearance ; and at liberty of persons in practice it is exercised , and hath its liberty in doing and performing whatsoever the spirit of the father moveth and leadeth unto . and thus , where god hath freed the conscience , and it is free and at liberty in him and to him , nothing without can bring it into bondage or captivity ; but in all conditions and in all exercises , whether doing or suffering , the pure conscience is in liberty in it self , and in perfect freedom in god , through all , over all , and beyond all . but now there hath been a great cry among many ( that have professed righteousness and religion ) for freedom of conscience , and begging and craving from the powers of the earth to tolerate liberty of conscience , and that they might have the liberty of their conscience in religion : and thus some have been looking too much without for liberty of conscience from men , and from powers without them , before their consciences were set free by the lord within , & the bond of iniquity broken , and that burden of iniquity and guilt done away , which hath been a burden & bondage upon the conscience : for , as i have said , no man nor powers of the earth can truly free or give liberty to the conscience , which is bound by the cord of iniquity within . but 't is evident , the cry for liberty hath not been so much for the exercise of conscience , truly so , as for the freedom each one of their sect , and for their liberty in the practice of their own worship and conformity ; and thereupon have divers men of divers sects sought to the powers of men and of the earth , to grant them liberty of their consciences ; whenas it hath been rather for the freedom to and defence of their sect , and of their practices in their worship , than for liberty of conscience , truly so ; for while they have cryed for liberty from without , yet sin , and iniquity , and transgression have lain upon their conscience within ; and they have sought from men for the liberty of their sect , to practice their own worship , which they have called liberty of conscience : and to this intent by some hath been the cry for liberty of conscience , that their sect and their own wayes of worship might be defended from the violence of others , who have opposed their practices and worships : for people of divers wayes of worship , and of divers sects , have all been at strife one with another , and divided one against another , and yet all professed good conscience , and cryed for liberty thereof from the powers of the earth ; not but that the powers of the earth ought to grant free liberty of conscience in the exercise of every sect of religion , and to suffer all to profess and practice their religion , while they walk justly and peaceably in a land : but here hath lodged the deceit and deceivableness of the spirit of satan in the hearts of men , from the least to the greatest of all those divers false sects and worshippers ; they have therein zealously gone on , and pleaded for their sects and worship , though never so gross or dark , and contrary to truth , under the denomination of freedom and liberty of good conscience ; and the very title and name hath been the colour , and deceived many , while a false worship and false sects have gone under the name of liberty of good conscience ; and thousands have been deceived , and blindly led into such a false sect , and into such a profession , to act and perform with great zeal false practices in a false worship , falsly supposing it to be out of a good conscience , and that they have acted in the liberty thereof ; yea , and many may suffer great and grievous things , and some the loss of their lives , for the very practice of false things and false worships in a false sect , and yet under the name of good conscience , and for liberty of conscience , as they may profess and believe . but this may seem strange to be spoken to some , who may enquire how it comes to pass , and how this may be , that many may suffer great and grievous cruelties , and some the loss of their lives , for the practice of false things , and the exercise of false worships , which they may suppose to be out of good conscience , and for good conscience sake ; whereas it is not truly so , nor rightly so : but how happeneth this , may some say ? i answer . this cometh to pass after this manner ; because conscience is made of that , and of the things and performances which god requires not ; and so there is a great zeal in the doing and performing of such a practice and such a worship , whenas the lord doth not require these things at their hands ; and this is , because the mind , and heart , and conscience is dark , and not truly informed nor guided with the spirit of truth , and of the father ; but a false spirit ruleth and leadeth the conscience , and it is not exercised with the spirit of the father , that leadeth into all truth . so i do acknowledge , that conscience may be mis-led , and mis-guided , and mis-informed ; and conscience may be made of doing such and such things which the lord doth not require ; and there may be a fear not taught of the lord , nor received by the sence of his presence , but only received into the heart by the precepts of men , example of others , custom of times , or the like : and here the conscience being not truly informed , nor guided by the spirit of the lord , there is a false fear and zealousness in the performing of such things which the lord doth not require , nor his spirit lead into the practice of ; but only the traditions and precepts of men , hath placed a false law and commandment , which requires a false obedience ; which many , whose understandings are blinded , and being without true knowledge , they zealously perform and practice as the worship of god , thinking themselves bound in conscience to practice such things , and not to leave them undone ; whenas the lord and his righteous spirit leadeth not to them , nor yet his just law doth require the doing thereof ; but only a false law and commandment is received by precepts and traditions of men , or from looking upon the practice of others : by such means as this there is a false fear in a blind mis-guided conscience , and a zeal without true knowledge . and thus it was amongst the iews in the prophets dayes , they sacrificed their children , and cut themselves , and caused their children to pass through the fire , and did many things zealously ; whenas saith the lord , who hath required these things at your hands ? for they come not into my heart . and paul witnesseth the same of the iews in his dayes , and bore them record , that they had a zeal , but it was not according to true knowledge . and thus the iews were zealously performing that , as their duty , and as out of a good conscience , which the lord required not at their hands ; and so they made conscience to do that , which the lord required not , and their consciences were mis-led , and not righly informed ; and as it was amongst the iews in this case in the dayes of old , so now is it amongst the christians in the apostacy , their consciences being mis-guided by a false spirit , they are doing and performing the things in great zeal , and for the exercise of their consciences , which the lord doth not require of them : thus do the papists ; they do and practise the things in great zeal , and through a false fear in their blind consciences , which things are in themselves idolatry , and not commanded nor required of the lord ; as in many particulars i might shew , even in many parts of their worship and religion , which out of a fear , and blind zeal , and mis-guided conscience they practise ; which is in it self but idolatry , and not required nor accepted of the lord. and many things in relation to the protestants worship , and amongst all the several false sects upon earth , which are done and practised in great zeal , and out of a false fear , and as in pretence of a good conscience , and yet are things in themselves idolatrous , as done and practised by them : and this comes to passe , as i have said because , the conscience is mis-informed , and a false spirit guides and rules in the exercise of conscience , and the understanding of the people is blinded , and they know not but they do well , though their minds are captivated , and their minds and judgments in error ; and though there be a sincerity to god-wards , and a desire of him in the bottom , among some people of all forms and sects , and some of all are zealous towards god in their practices , in their religion and worship ; yet among all people , and the churches that have been for many generations there hath been great error in judgment , and much blindness in mind , and the conscience falsly exercised towards god , and the superscription hath been , to the unknown god ; and he hath been ignorantly worshipped , and the spirit of the lord hath not truly exercised peoples consciences , nor guided their zeal , nor been ruler in the judgment ; and by this means the sincerity and humility towards god hath been eaten out , and always quenched , and the bare practice of things and profession of religion in the outward appearance , hath been more lookt at , than the presence of god felt in the practices : and the zeal hath been more for the performance of such things , than for god purely enjoyed through them : and thus it hath been through christendom in the apostacy since the dayes of the apostles and true churches ; many have erred in their judgments , and the zeal for god hath proceeded out of the error of iudgments , and out of mis-information of conscience , some other things , than only the spirit of god , hath ruled in the iudgment , and been the exercise of peoples consciences . and this is a hint of things , about true liberty of conscience ; and about the error in iudgment ; and the blind zeal in captivated sincerity . now it may be objected , what is the only absolute rule of the right exercise of conscience ; and when are mens consciences truly guided ? to this i answer , the only chief and perfect rule of the right exercise of conscience , both to god and all men , is the spirit of christ : for it is only that which can truly guide the conscience , in faith , doctrine and worship , and in all things towards god ; even the spirit of christ , which is the gift of the father , it only leadeth into all truth , as it is written ; and all , whose consciences are guided and exercised by it , are in unity and peace in their worship , doctrine , and religion ; for the spirit of christ is but one in it self , and guideth the conscience into the exercise of one truth and faith ; and in this same spirit is true ●nion and communion of saints in religion and worship , and this is manifest through the scriptures ; for the apostle exhorted , to walk in the spirit , and by it ; and as many as walked by the rule of the spirit peace be upon them ; and it is the spirit of christ , the everlasting comforter , that teacheth all truth ; and the holy anointing of the spirit that dwelt in the saints , taught them all things ; and they need no man to teach them , but as the anointing that dwelt in them . and then are mens consciences truly guided in all the ways of righteousness , when the spirit of god guides the conscience , and is the rule of all faith , doctrine and practices . so that traditions of men , prescriptions of councils , antiquity of time , commandments of men , nor example of others , without the spirit of christ , cannot be the only true rule of the exercise of conscience ; for all these things are changeable , alterable and subject to variations , and therefore cannot infallibly guide the conscience in the duty towards god , nor rightly exercise the conscience in unity and peace ; but while a nation , or kingdom or people walk by the rule of traditions , prescriptions , commandments of men , example of others , or the like , they err in judgment , in faith , doctrine and worship , and are all divided , & in contention about these matters , because their rule of conscience and judgment is doubtful and alterable , and not infallible ; and therefore they have no perfect assurance of gods acceptation to them in their faith and religion , nor perfect peace and unity in their faith and worship : but as the rule of their consciences in their duty towards god is divers , some make one thing , and some another their rule ; so are they divers and divided in what they hold , profess and practice , and are but of great babylon in their religion : and because that something besides the spirit of god exercises the conscience , therefore it is that here are so many wayes and sects of religigion , and kinds of worship in christendom and amongst christians , while the spirit of christ only is not the rule of iudgement and exercise of conscience to god and man ; for the only perfect rule of conscience in the exercise to god , is the spirit of christ , and not any other thing . and now , whosoever shall persecute the exercise of conscience , when guided by the spirit of christ , such persecute christ jesus : and this is persecution for the name of christ , when sufferings are inflicted , as reproaches , imprisonment , or whatsoever , for the exercise of conscience towards god by his spirit : but and if any are persecuted for religion-sake , only so ; if that in such their exercise of religion they are not guided by the spirit of christ , yet that suffering is a kind of persecution also : if , i say , the suffering be only for and because of their religions-sake , and they walk justly and righteously , as men ; so that ( as is signified about the middle of this chapter ) though some may profess good conscience , and cry for liberty thereof in their false sect and religion , not taught them by the spirit of christ ; yet the civil magistrate ought not to punish and use violence to such for their religion ; but if they do , they persecute , and the lord will lay it to their charge . but yet , this is safe for all , first to obtain true liberty of conscience to god-wards , and to receive the spirit of christ , to be taught only by it in the exercise of conscience and religion that they may not err in conscience and judgment in spiritual matters , nor suffer wrongfully under pretence of righteousness sake , whenas it is not truly so . chap iv. concerning the diversity of iudgments in religion . to all ye that are of divers judgments and opinions in and concerning spiritual matters , who are divided about faith , doctrine , worship and church government ; some of you holding one thing , & some another different and contrary to that , being diversly divided in mind and heart concerning the matters that are one in themselves , & to which you all assent , as to the things in themselves , and yet are different & contrary minded about the self-same things : to you all i am moved to write , that so ye may be informed perfectly ; first , what the cause is of your divisions , and why it is thus amongst you : and secondly , of the bad effects and fruits such divisions have brought forth : and lastly , the meant and way of reconciliation , that ye may come into love , and peace and unity with god , and one with another , in all things pertaining to his kingdom . first , the cause of your divisions , and of the diversities of judgments and opinions that are amongst you concerning the things and matters of god's kingdom is , because you want the spirit of god to guide you , and it is not the rule of your knowledge and iudgment ; and you wanting the spirit of god , in which is unity among saints , therefore is it you are so divided , and divers , and different , and contrary one to another in these things ; it is , because ye want the spirit of god , i say , which only teacheth the true knowledge of god , and gives an understanding in all his wayes and matters : it is the spirit of god that teacheth true faith , true doctrine and true worship , and all things about church , ministry and religion ; and if that you had the spirit of god in you , and were taught and guided by it , it would teach you into one faith , and one truth , and into the true worship , and into the true church-government , and you would be in unity and peace : and if you all had the spirit of god that gave forth the scriptures , and by which spirit the saints of god were guided in dayes past , it would teach you into unity , and to be of one mind , one heart , and one soul , in all the matters pertaining to god's kingdom , in faith , worship , doctrine , and all things else : if you had the spirit of god , i say , and were taught by it , then you would have unity with god , and one with another in all his wayes , and there would have been no division nor contention amongst you about spiritual matters ; but because you want that , therefore you have strife and division amongst you , even throughout all christendom ; here 's a nation and a kingdom holding such a faith and worship , and there 's another people holding faith and worship contrary to that ; and here 's one sect of people , and there 's another different in faith , judgment and opinion ; and this is a shame to whole christendom , that all should profess christ iesus , and faith in him , and salvation by him , and his doctrine and worship , and yet be in strife & division , and in great contentions concerning the same ; some holding and practizing one manner of faith , worship and doctrine , and others holding contrary and different ; and this shews , that ye are all fallen from the life of christianity , as it was held in the apostles dayes amongst the true churches ; for , they were of one heart , mind , soul and spirit , as it is written ; they were of one faith , of one worship , of one doctrine , and had one way of church-government ; and this continued amongst the churches of christ , till there were some that had erred from the spirit of god in their own consciences , and then they also erred in faith , in doctrine , and in all other things relating to god : and these were the apostate christians , that had erred from the spirit , and divided themselves from the true church , and differed in judgment amongst themselves ; and this was , because they had erred from the spirit of god , which would have kept them in unity with god , and one with another ; for the spirit is the bond of peace , and the seal of the covenant of love amongst the saints . so now , all ye who are divided in your knowledge and iudgement , and are in contention one with another , about the matters pertaining to god's kingdom , you are the apostate christians , and you are without the spirit of christ : the first apostate christians erred from the spirit , and so became divided from the true faith , and from the true worship , and also among themselves ; and you never yet received the spirit of christ , that you might come into unity and fellowship with god , and one with another ; and that is the reason of all your divisions in religious matters , because you have not received the spirit of christ , to teach you , and to unite your hearts to god , and one to another : but you having the scriptures traditionally , by discent through ages , which do describe and declare of that faith and doctrine , and of the worship and church-government , which were among the saints of old , which they held and practised , and from the scriptures which declare of the things , from thence you take up a conceit and false judgment , and an imitation , and a false conformity ; and then each sort of you call that your faith , and church-government , and some after one manner of form , and some after another ; and thus you are divided , because you want the spirit of god that gave forth the scriptures ; which spirit did work true faith in the hearts of them that gave them forth in dayes of old , and it taught them worship , faith , doctrine , and all things concerning gods kingdom , for the spirit led them into all truth ; and now you wanting the same spirit that wrought in them , and taught them ; and you having but their words ( to wit , the scriptures ) from thence , in the wisdom which is below , and in the carnal reason , and in the first mans understanding , each nation takes up a conceit , that it is so and so , and takes up an imitation of worship and church-government according to their own sensual wisdom , and according to the breadth and depth of their conceits ; and then imitates , and that severally and diversly , and in a divided manner ; and this is amongst kingdoms , and amongst neighbours and brethren , this division in matters of faith , worship and doctrine , and church-government ; and yet all these have had the name of christians , and church members , and worshippers of god , but yet are of many wayes of worship , holding different and contrary principles of faith and doctrine , and also of worship and church-government , and thus have nations cities and countries been for many ages ; and thus hath it been , and is at this day amongst the apostate christians , that want the spirit of christ to be their rule of knowledge , of iudgment , and worship , and of their faith and practices in religion . and this is a shame to whole christendom , amongst whom the spirit of antichrist hath entered , which hath thus divided nations cities neighbours and brothers ; for all these divisions about religion amongst the apostate christians , are of antichrist , and not of god ; it is that spirit of antichrist that hath wrought all these divisions , and planted them in the minds of people . dly , concerning the bad effects of these divisions in matters of faith and worship , as i have said , this division in religion hath begotten and brought forth very much evil throughout the world , much heart burning , envy , hard heartedness , strife and contention between kings and rulers , and between nations , between cities , between neighbours , and between brothers ; this division hath bad effects amongst all these ; so that it hath brought forth much war and bloodshed between kings , and great persecution between rulers and their people , and great debate and strife amongst neighbours and friends ; so that great murders and losse of many lives have been produced and brought forth upon this quarrel , about difference in matters of faith and religion ; and antichrist hath not only divided people in iudgment , but hath also provoked people into rage and envy , to the killing and destroying of one another ; and even that division about spiritual things , begotten by antichrist amongst false christians , hath been turned into personal enmity , and brought forth in the end murdering and killing the bodies of thousands , when the original debate hath arisen about church-government , or points of religion ; and this is the woful effect that division of religion , hath brought forth in all christendom ; and all this fruit and effects , as well as the cause of it , hath been of antichrist , and of the dragon and the devil throughout the world ; all this persecution and spoyling of goods , imprisoning of persons , taking away of lives , and banishment , and whatsoever persecution otherwise that hath risen and been inflicted upon any , for and because of differences in religion , and about faith and worship , all this hath been of antichrist ; and even all laws made for that end , and all executors of such laws , and all penalties of such laws , and all wars and bloodshed whatsoever that have ensued only and upon the account of differences in religion , that being the first , and the only ground of the quarrel ; all this hath been of antichrist , and it came out of the bottomless pit , and never rose from the spirit of god , but from the antichristian spirit of envy and wickedness , that hath first divided people about matters of faith and religion , and then provoked them to envy and malice , stirring up kings to fight one against another , that was not of their religion , but different and contrary to it : and so the hearts of rulers have been stirred up to persecute all under them , that were different & contrary in matters of faith , worship , and religion ; and this the spirit of antichrist hath effected throughout christendom : and so each king that hath been strongest , would maintain the principles of his faith , and the practice of religion , according to his own conceit , in his dominions : and thus hath religion , worships , and church-government been set up & stood amongst apostate christians throughout the world , by force and power , and by violent laws , and through persecutions and murders ; and all this hath been by the spirit of antichrist , and the spirit of god has had no hand in those matters , for setting up and contriving of false faith , false worship , and false church-governments ; all this hath depended upon the powers and authorities of the earth , through many ages : and what religion , and church-government , or way of worship , that kings or queens have set up , that only hath been promoted ; but all the rest persecuted and restrained by force and violence ; and all this hath been of antichrist . and now to all ye that are of divers judgments in matters of faith and worship in religion , this is a caution to you all ; and i do warn you all in the presence of the living god , that though ye be divided in the belief and practice of spiritual things , yet live in peace and unity with all men , in all outward relations , and do not envy nor hurt one anothers persons ; though you are in difference about religion ; yet suffer not that difference to grow into persecuting or envying one anothers persons , but seek to inform one another , and instruct one another in the spirit of meekness , and perswade one another out of that which is evil , to that which is good , by patience , gentlèness , and long-suffering , and do not force one anothér by violence , nor persecute one another , neither by words , evil-deeds , nor actions , but live in love to the persons every one of another ; and fight not with persons , nor kill one anothers persons with carnal weapons about religion , but take the spiritual weapons , & war with the spirit against the evil one in one another ; and love persons though they are enemies , & this is christs doctrine , & ne●er hereafter let your divisions about spiritual things grow into personal quarrels , to the envying or killing one another : and this is a charge to you all in the presence of the living god. lastly , the means and way to be reconciled and to come out of all division and strife , and to come into peace with god and one with another , about faith and church-government , is by the spirit of god ; and every one of you in particular must receive the spirit of christ , that it may work in every one of your hearts , true faith , and teach every one of you the true worship of god , and the way of doctrine and true church-government ; it is the spirit of christ in every one both male and female , that must reconcile and bring into unity with god , and one with another in all spiritual things ; for it is that which is the bond of peace and love among true christians ; and it is that which reconciles peoples hearts into oneness : and if you receive that spirit every particular person of you , it will bring you to be of on● faith of one worship , and then your doctrine and church-government will agree : if you receive the spirit that gave forth the scriptures , it will work in you the same faith , and lead you in the same way of worship which the scriptures speak of , and then you will cease taking up conceits , and making imitations of church-governments from the letter , but the same spirit will work in your hearts faith and knowledge in the fulfilling of the scriptures ; and this is true christianity , and the other is the way of all apostate christians , all imitations from the letter without the spirit as gave it forth : for there is a great deal of difference between making a conformity in the imitation of a worship , and church-government , from the scriptures without the spirit , and between the spirits teaching and leading into the same truth , and same worship and church-government which the scriptures speak of ; the one is of christ , and is in unity , peace , and everlasting fellowship ; the other is of antichrist , and is in division , strife and contention : so you must all wait for the spirit of truth , that you may receive it , to work in your hearts , to teach you , and lead you , or else you will never come to true union and everlasting fellowship with god , and one with another ; neither can you be of one true faith , in one true way of worship , nor in one way of church-government , except you receive the spirit , and walk in the spirit , and these be the words of the lord god unto you all now as concerning the way of uniformity in faith and church-government , imposed upon nations , and countries and cities , by cruel laws of kings and rulers , as hath been the practice through christendom , to cause a whole nation and kingdom to bow and conform to such principles of faith , and worship and church-government , according to the will and pleasure of a king or a ruler , such uniformity , and union and fellowship among christians hath not been of christ , where people have walked by imitation and conformed to the commands of men in such a faith , or to such a worship , or church-government ; this hath not been of god , neither could this unity stand or remain forever ; but it hath perished , and will perish where-ever it is : and that faith , and worship , and church-government , which is so set up , and so held , will never save the soul , nor comfort it ; but it is blasted of god : whilst a nation , or a kingdom , or a people have uniformity , or hold faith , worship or religion , either in the ignorance of their consciences , or contrary to their consciences , by the force of mens commandments , and not by the perswasion of the spirit of god in their own consciences ; such conformity , i say , is of antichrist , & not of the father , neither can it stand in the day of the lord ; but the fire of his wrath will consume it : all the apostate christians , in their uniformity of faith , worship and church-government , which is some other way , or by some other means , than only by the spirit of god , is of antichrist , and will be confounded ; for there is no true unity and fellowship in the ways of god and his truth and worship , but what is in the spirit , and that unity will stand forever ; for it is in god , not feigned , neither because of the love and fear of this world , as the other is . that uniformity in faith and worship which is forced upon people , is all but hypocrisie and deceit , both to god and man , and god will judge it in the imposers and imposed : therefore no true unity in faith , nor worship , nor in religion , but what is in and by the spirit of god ; for as christians come to divide themselves into many ways , and into divers sects , when they went from the spirit of god , and lost it , and whilst they have been without the spirit , they have remained in division , strife and contention about religion ; so now the means and way to come into union , and fellowship and faith is , by receiving the spirit of god again , and not any otherwise ; and as christians are brought again to receive this spirit , and walk therein , all division and strife about religion will cease , and the cursed fruits & effects thereof will also wither , and be no more , but then unity , peace , blessedness , everlasting fellowship and comfort with the lord , and one with another , in all his wayes , will be witnessed amongst all people . by a servant of truth , e. b. the fifth general epistle : being a tender salutation of perfect love , unto the elect of god , the royal seed , the saints of the most high ; who have believed the testimony of our lord jesus christ , and walk in the light that hath enlightened every man that comes into the world. in the name and power of our lord jesus christ blessed forever , the tender salutation of my immortal life is daily abounding towards you , who are the true flock of the father's love and care , who hath begotten you to himself by his word that lives forever in us and with us , that ye should be a people chosen and elected of him unto eternal blessings , and to be a praise and an honour to him throughout the world , by and through the vertue of his life and power , and in the fruits of his spirit brought forth by you all , who are the only children of that birth which is only the lord's . well , dearly beloved , my heart at this time is filled in the father's love , with the dear remembrance of you , whom the lord hath gathered with his arm of power ; and in his spirit do i desire the encrease of all mercies , and peace and blessings unto you , that you may be rich , and strong , and wise , and mighty through the lord jesus christ , and receiving daily of his grace may ever be preserved constant and faithful in the heavenly calling unto the end. and forasmuch as the lord hath began his glorious work in the midst of you , and gathered you out of the darkness , and ignorance and unbelief of this world , where some time your converse hath been , while ye knew not the lord , and raised you up into the light , and power and wisdom of the lord jesus christ ; having largely tasted of the same in the experience of his leadings through divers operations and manifestations of his spirit , so that many of you have attained to a good measure of peace and rest with the lord in your inward man : dearly beloved , seeing it is thus , these things the spirit of the father in me travelleth to bring forth unto you , for the end to comfort you , and to confirm you ; and to edifie you in the saving truths of the gospel of peace . . consider what your former estate hath been , an estate scattered like sheep without a shepherd ; some of you dispersed into one false kind of profession of religion , and some into another , walking in such wayes as the lord led you not in ; but ye were driven from god , into the pathes of death and darkness , and were led by blind watch-men in the hypocrisie and false pretences towards god ; honouring him with the lips , while the heart was far away : this was the condition of some of you ; and others of you were wallowing in the open prophaneness of the sinful world ; and such was your estate , wherein you were all strangers to god , and were without him in the world , and served the spirit which leadeth captive to destruction , and in that way you were strayed , even in the separation from god , being in the state of enmity against him ; till the lord jesus christ , the good shepherd of israel , found you out in the estate of darkness , and brought you home from your strayed condition , even unto the sense and feeling of his power and spirit in you , which called you out of the wayes of sin and death , and also changed you and regenerated you into the inheritance of a better kingdom and glory , than that which is of this world : and ye now know christ jesus to be your shepherd , his spirit to teach you , his wisdom , and righteousness and sanctification to dwell in you , being partakers of the same through the eternal light , which once shined in darkness , and the darkness could not comprehend it ; but now it is risen in much glory and power , and death and darkness is swallowed up of life and light , and the fruits thereof subdued . these things are true and faithful unto many ; let all such rejoyce and be glad in the lord , who have thus seen his day , and tasted of his power , and are witnesses , that the kingdom is come which never fadeth away . . consider what the tender dealings of god towards you , and his gentle leadings have been since he hath called you out of your forme● strayed estate : hath not his light shined upon your tabernacles with much clearness , perswading your hearts fully of his way and truth ? have not your hearts often been refreshed , and souls truly comforted by the refreshing presence of the lord ? hath not the way of life been made so clear unto you , and the way of your peace so perfectly discovered , that no occasion hath been left of unbelief or stumbling unto the upright in heart ? surely the lord hath not been wanting to you in any of these things ; but he hath so reached home by his word and spirit to your hearts and consciences with such full convictions and perswasions in the wayes of salvation , that no sincere heart can doubt or waver concerning the things pertaining to his soul's peace and comfort 〈◊〉 for , so large and evident hath god's testimony been unto you , even since he first called you by his grace , that no man , having sense and experience thereof , but must bear witness , that the lord hath been good , long suffering , full of mercy and righteousness towards all that feareth him . i am perswaded ye know these things , and that the taste and vertue of the lord's mercies and power remaineth stedfest in your remembrance and enjoyment , even his mercies and loving-kindness that have been made manifest to you since ye have known the lord , who hath ●●d you by the hand , as a father doth his children , and carried you in his arms of preservation , and born you on his shoulders in all your afflictions ; insomuch that through his power and wisdom only we are yet alive , and the adversary hath not prevailed against us , though his attempts have often been great to destroy us . . consider what i● now your present state and standing ; how is it with your inward man ? in what life , and strength and dominion is he ? is he ●●●ong over all the corruptible , or is he weak under corruption ? is he in ●●e growth of a perfect man , of the stature of christ jesus ? is he so begotten and born in you , that life hath swallowed up death ? hath he victory over the grave ? and doth he raign in you , even the new man , the spiritual man , the immortal man , christ i● you ? is he come in power and dominion to dwell with you ? de●rly ●●loved , mind each particu●… in what state you are , and what is your present standing to god 〈◊〉 ? 〈◊〉 ye had faith in god , and love to god , and boldness for god ? and are ye fir●ly continued therein ? or , is any such weakened and decreased in these things ? is your love grown cold , and your zeal lost , and your confidence decayed ? if , it be thus with any , their present state is not ●●ght before the lord ; but they must repent , and return to their first love , and return again to the witness of the spirit of christ 〈◊〉 in them , that their strength may be renewed , for they only that dwell with the lord in faithfulness , and abide in covenant with him , 〈◊〉 see his glory , and be fed daily with the bread that comes down from heaven , and refre●… with the fountain of endless mercies ; if so be ye be perfect with the lord after your inward man , strong , and lively , and zealous , faithful , and constant , having a clean heart and a pure conscience , guiltless and undefiled before god , this is to be perfect with the lord ; and if ye are thus , blessed are you , if ye be encreased daily in the love and life of the father ; if your inward man grow in the wisdom , and power , and knowledge of the creator ; if ye receive the assurance of eternal life in your selves ; if this be your present state , oh happy people ! who is like unto you , because ye are saved of the lord ? . what is the present work of god in your own hearts ? ye must alwayes feel the word of god abiding in you , even the word in the heart ; hear that word and do it alwayes , and your souls shall live by the word of god ; that word beats down whatsoever tempts and draws from god which would defile you , and load your consciences , and vex the spirit ; for if any obey the temptations ; they become darkned , unbelief enters , and the fruits of it grows , and then there is a falling from the lord ; and a departing from his way of salvation ; therefore mind the power and spirit of christ in you , and be constant and faithful therein , that you may be preserved unto the finishing of the work of the lord in you , that at last ye may sit down in the heavenly places in christ jesus , in places of peace , and comfort , and assurance for ever , where the lord is enjoyed all in all , which you must wait for to be accomplished in you according to the promise , and you must wit●●●s the work of christ in you , he must work in you by his spirit regeneration , recon●…on , sanctification , justification , and all good things ; 〈◊〉 it is not sufficient to profess , that christ in his person hath 〈◊〉 the works of god , but every one in particular must witness at th●● day the work of the spirit of christ in his own heart , even the work of reconciliation and salvation , that ye may in each mans particular receive the knowledge and experience of the lords work , of his love , and life , and salvation , and redemption in particular ; for though never so large testimonies in general should be given to you , or received by you concerning christ jesus , and his salvation , yet the particular feeling of 〈◊〉 love and power of the lord god in your own hearts must you sta●● by , in the day o● tryal , for that alone can uphold in the day of trou●… , even the testimony of the spirit of christ unto salvation , felt in each particular heart . and seeing the lord hath brought you to the knowledge of his truth , so in conversion and regeneration , that many can say , the way of the lord is so made manifest , that we look not for another , nor are doubtful of the way of eternal life ; therefore be established stedfast and constant in that way , not easily moved nor tossed too and frô with men , nor new doctrines , nor changeable things , but approve your hearts in uprightness before the lord by being faithful to the end , faithful i say to be and do according to the measure of light and grace and knowledge that god hath already committed to you , that ye may not offend against the grace of god , but may glorifie the lord in your souls and spirits , being joyned in your hearts , and married to the living god , and the lord becomes your husband according to the promise ; but if any be of a changeable spirit , such will receive temptations , and go out of the covenant of god , and abuse the gift of god , if their heart be not meek , and lowly , and humble , and perfect in the sight of god , though there may be a taste of the love of god , yet there can be no assurance of it if the heart be not aright before the lord , and faithful and constant in his truth ; and therefore all must wait to receive the assurance of eternal life in themselves , even such an assurance of life , and peace , and joy , and comfort , that there can be no departing away , being established in the heir-ship never to loose the crown , heirs of the power of god , of his wisdom , of his righteousness inheriters and possessors of the eternal life , that ye may dwell in the house forever , not onely as servants , but as sons ; not onely as such that have tasted of the love of god , but as such as are born heirs thereof , and must inherit the same forever . now dear friends , if this were my last unto you , more then this the lord hath not to say by me ; and last of all in the spirit of the lord jesus , i charge all the saints to be faithfull to the principles and doctrines which ye have heard and received , and been taught of christ through his gospel . oh be not inconstant and unfaithful in those principles and doctrines which the spirit of god hath perswaded your consciences of the truth of ; for if any are unfaithful , they deny the lord of life before men , and must be denyed of him before the father ; therefore let us put on strength and courage to be faithful and constant in life or death , to follow the lamb wheresoever he goes , and if we must suffer for our profession and practice of those truths which god hath perswaded our consciences of the verity of , we shall never be ashamed nor confounded before the adversary , though we gaom tribulations , persecutions , yea death it self for the name of the lord and his truth , yet we shall obtain the crown of glory which never fades away ; and verily all the suffering ; and afflictions of this present time , are not worthy to be compared to that weight of peace and comfort , which is and shall be revealed amongst us . and as concerning our obedience to government , ever since we were a people , ye know what our principle and practise in that case hath been , even to obey all men in all things , either by doing or suffering , if at any time ye are required to do any thing by any in authority which is not agreeing , but contrary to the scriptures example of the saints , and the spirit of christ in your own consciences , then ye are to suffer whatsoever , if it be death it self rather then to obey and submit to the doing of that which is contrary to a good conscience , this hath ever been our principle and practise since we were a people , agreeing with the practise of the holy prophets , apostles and martyrs in all ages , who rather did suffer grievous oppressions and persecutions , then to obey any command of men in power , by doing any thing contrary to the testimony of the spirit of god in their own particulars ; let us all be like-minded this day , not to do , nor bend , nor be in any wise contrary to the spirit of christ that dwels in us , but rather suffer whatsoever may be imposed , then to sin against that light and knowledge of the spirit of christ which he hath given us , but let us keep a clean heart and a pure conscience to god-wards , and therein we shall triumph over all in our inward man , though our outward man be afflicted , and in this we shall have peace and comfort in god over all our adversaries . and as concerning your meetings , the lord hath given you the testimony of his spirit in you for the verity and righteousness thereof ; though ye should suffer persecution for the same , yet ye have the spirit of christ testifying in your hearts that this way and practise of meeting together ( as our practise hath been ) is of god , and he justifies us in the same , and we have sufficient of assurance by the holy spirit to stand faithful in that practise of assembling together to worship god. first , we have the testimony of scriptures and example of saints in the apostles daies , to prove this practice of meeting together ; the first christians they met together in this manner and way as we do now , they met in private houses , and from house to house separate and apart from the publique synagogues and all other sects ; and it is clear that we have the example of saints and scripture proof for this our practise of meeting together . . we have our own experience for these divers years , how that the spirit of the lord hath moved our hearts to assemble together , and the presence and power of the lord jesus christ hath been amongst us , and we have tasted of the goodness and love of the lord , being so met together : how often hath the lord met with us and his countenance shined upon us , and our souls have been refreshed , strengthened and comforted in this practise of meeting together ? these things are true , and may confirm us in this practise of meeting together , and to be faithful to the end . . we have the full perswasions of the spirit of god lively and fervent in our hearts at this moment , that we ought not to neglect the assembling of our selves together , but that god requires it of us , and it is his will that his people meet together to worship him in spirit and truth , separate from all the world even in one spirit , and in the name and power of jesus , i hope ye are all like-minded herein , and that the spirit of christ perswades your consciences in the truth of that practise ; therefore be faithful unto god herein , and sin not against the testimony of scriptures , and example of the first christians , nor against your own experience , nor against the admonitions of the servants of the lord , who are the first fruits unto god since the apostacy , and have again and again in the name and spirit of christ exhorted you to meet together ; wherefore be faithful to perform your duty to god in that particular , whatsoever sufferings should be infflicted upon you by the men of this world. and as concerning refusing to take any oath , ye know it hath been our principle and practise so to do since the lord hath given us knowledge of his wayes , and the spirit of the lord that dwels in us , perswadeth our hearts to deny all swearing , both as it was practised under the law , according to the command of god , and in the types and figures , and as it is practised among the christians since the apostles daies , which is , as now practised , idolatry and superstition ; and i say the spirit of christ doth confirm our hearts in this trut● , even to deny all swearing ; and also we have the express command of christ , and of the apostle iames forbdiding all swearing by heaven , and earth , and all other oaths , which bears witness to the truth of our refusing to swear at this day ; likewise we have the testimony of many holy martyrs and prophets since the apostles daies , who denied to swear on any wise , who suffered for such their testimony . all which evidences may justly confirm the hearts of gods people at this day faithfully to hold out their testimonies of refusing to swear at all , seeing we have a cloud of witnesses that testifie with us , the express command of christ , and the apostle th● test●●●●● of 〈…〉 divers ●ges , who suffered for the same and the present 〈…〉 spirit of christ in our own hearts ▪ all which are suffici●●t to give courage and boldness under all sufferings and afflictions that we may 〈◊〉 withal for refusing to swear . well friends , be faithful to god in these and all other things which god hath given you light and knowledge in , and i do 〈…〉 conscience , and not to sin against the light and knowledge that god hath given you , either by denying to profess and practice that truth which the lord hath perswaded your heart of or by conforming to anything which ye know is not of the truth , and this is the way of eternal peace with god : but if any shall , through the temptations of the adversary , and for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of this world , deny the lord , and renounce good conscience ●… , such must bear the burden of the lord's anger because 〈…〉 revoltings from the wayes of god. true it is ▪ this is a day of great tryal , yet the lord is strong , and gives strength unto all his people that 〈◊〉 upon 〈◊〉 and let us be mindful what our controversie is , and ●… , this day our controversie is for the lord , and his truth , to do faithfully , and suffer patiently whatsoever the will of the lord is unto us , and not to renounce and deny the exercise of our pure consciences in those things that god hath perswaded our hearts of the truth of : for , if any this day should be unfaithful , either by doing what they should not , or leaving undone what they know they should do : if any deny the lord and his truth , and conform to the false ways and worships of men , such lose the controversie , and give the cause of god into the hand of your enemies , which is a fearful abomination ; and the controversie is with that spirit , which opposeth us in these things , which we know are of the lord. it is with that spirit that we must contend , contend ( i say ) by the spirit of the father , in long-suffering , and patience and good-will towards all men , and not with the weapons of this world in envy to any , even with that spirit which doth oppose our meeting together to worship god , and would impose oaths and things upon us contrary to our consciences : and these things are the main matters of controversie this day , which the spirit of christ in us must oppose , being imposed on us by the spirit of the world. so all friends are to mind to be faithful to the spirit of christ , and its perswasions ; and against that spirit which is not of him ; for the opposition is between the two spirits ; and none must say , the things required to be forborn , or to be done , are but small matters in themselves , and may be done or not done without offence ; this kind of reasoning may be dangerous , and may easily divert from the obedience of christ ; for we are not to look so much at the things in themselves ▪ which are required to be done or to be forborn , as at the spirit which doth impose upon us in such cases against pure conscience ; if the spirit be not of god , we must not obey it in the least things ; for this is indeed the matter of conscience , not so much particular things or actions , as the spirit that is not of god , where it requires things against good conscience ; for whatsoever that spirit requireth , be it little or much in respect of the action , it must not be obeyed , and that for conscience sake ; for this is a good conscience , that cannot do nor conform to any thing which the spirit that is not of god enjoyes , though therefore suffering be inflicted on the outward man. and last of all , i do advise and exhort , that ye have love and unity in the spirit of the lord and one with another , that oneness of heart and soul and spirit may be amongst us , being bound up in the holy covenant of the father , even willing to do or suffer one for another ; and in this spirit of unity the lord will bless us , and make us strong and able to go through joyfully all our afflictions ; but if any strife or division be in the body , it weakens the whole ; if one member vex another through discord , this is not of the father , but contrary to him ; this is not for the safety of the body , but bruises it and wounds it , and ma●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●fflict the s●… 〈◊〉 the righte●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out●…d enemies , ●nd st●…●…d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 o●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may sooner work 〈◊〉 ●…throw , than 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from men . o● 〈◊〉 theref●… 〈◊〉 brother to 〈◊〉 , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to many , and 〈◊〉 servant to all , let me entreat and beseech . that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fo● 〈◊〉 , th●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chris●…●…ed you , and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…minded in all things , even one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●●ther 〈◊〉 the son are one , and so shall 〈◊〉 blessings o● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fr●● y●● : 〈◊〉 , de●…r 〈◊〉 the lord ha●● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 alwayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to ●…ll 〈◊〉 with his riches and treasure , ●nd are no● we ve●…s of honour ? is not his name in ou● 〈◊〉 heads ? 〈◊〉 not we the flock of ●is fo● therefore let us honour him by the works of tr●●h , 〈◊〉 love , of mercy , and all the works of righteousness , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bring 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 u●…o the 〈◊〉 , thereby proving that we are true ●●●ches in christ the 〈◊〉 , & let 〈◊〉 give up to suffer all things patiently , for the testimony of his truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our hearts , if we live , let it be to him only ; and if we dye let it be for hi●… , h●…g the s●… of ●●is good spirit in u● . that whether we live or dye we are the lord ▪ e. b. antichrists government justly detected , of unrighteousness , injustice , unreasonableness , oppression and cruelty , throughout the kingdoms of this , world ; wherein antichrist hath had his seat and great authority for many generations , in the apostacy from the spirit and life of true christianity : shewed and declared , first , in the case of imposing upon conscience in matters religious , by force of outward violence , or pains and penalties on the persons and estates of men ; which is proved unrighteous , and dangerous , and of antichrist , &c. secondly , in the case of heresie ; shewing what it is in it self , who a herteick is , who are the true iudges of it , and what punishment pertaineth to such as are truly convicted thereof ; and that , to kill , burn , bannish , or to punish hereticks ( as such ) corporally , is of antichrist , &c. thirdly , concerning antichrist , and his mystery of deceivableness ; what he is in himself , and how he appears in the world ; what his works are , and what his government is ; and where it is , and who are the subjects of his kingdom . the epistle ; dedicated to all the rulers ( of what degree soever ) in the ( so called ) christian world. o friends ! in the perfect love of god almighty towards your souls and bodies , and towards all mankind ; which love is as a fountain opened in my heart , and kindly issueth forth in soul-breathing-desires of good unto the whole creation : in this love ( joyned with an humble , meek , and lowly temper of spirit ) do i present this little quantity of substance unto you ; not so much for your approof of my work , as if i craved your licence and approbation for this small piece to pass under your iustification ( as is usually the manner of such epistles thus directed ) but much more for your serious and weighty considerations of the cases ( though briefly , yet truly ) unfolded , which are things of very great moment to you , and wherein all of you , from the least to the greatest , are less or more concerned . and i do present this work unto you , as wholsome advice and good councel for you ( which ye ought verily to read and receive as such ) rather then to flatter you , by begging a pass-port from you , that this may be read and received where it shall come ; for , the truth and verity of it , the weight of the matter contained , and the soundness and substance demonstrated , shall plead its own worth for acceptation in the hearts and consciences of all sincere men. the truth and verity , weight and substance of matter ; i say , these termes i may justly present this small piece under the denomination of , unto you , and all the world. true it is , i do not study pleasing stile , nor have i endeavoured to clothe and trim the matter with flattery , curious termes , words of man's wisdom , or some rare method , that it might appear more in shew than in real substance , ( as the way of too many writers have been in such cases ) nor do i promise to please the wordly wisdom in men , by a delightful sound , so much as to answer the sincere consciences of men by sound truths ; declared more in homely broken terms of speech , than in the rarity of phrase , or well-compacted rhetorick : for i have alwayes desired to be known and approved of god , and those that fear him in sincerity , humility , and down-right truth ; and for this i study daily and labour alwayes , even to have praise , peace and comfort of god , rather than men , in what i am , and in what i do : and therefore it is my desire , that ye would look beyond the method containing , to the matter contained ; and that your eye may be fixed on the substance intended , which is verily and in truth , that ye may be informed the way of your peace and happiness in this world , and in that which is to come ; and may never hereafter impose by force and violence , in the matters of faith and the worship of god , upon the consciences of any , through penalties and punishments upon men's persons and estates ; but that ye may allow and tollerate freely liberty of conscience in all religious matters ; and may not by cruelty destroy men in their persons or estates , upon the account of their being supposed to be , or if really hereticks , and because of difference in iudgment and practice in spiritual matters . these are the particulars ( for substance ) held forth unto you , and all the world ; and i have judged it most proper to direct these cases to your view and consideration , as being the persons most chiefly ( though not wholy ) concerned : therefore blame me not , but rather receive my love , though but little in quantity , yet real in quality , and that ye will find one day , when ye have truly tryed the effects of the two cases plainly laid before you ; which are , imposition upon conscience ; and free liberty of conscience : these are the two causes , which will have their different and contrary effects upon all the rulers in the world ; peace , blessings , prosperity and happiness are the effects of the one cause ; and wars , tribulations , contentions , misery , sorrow and the curse are the effects which have and will unavoidably follow the other cause ; and this ye will all find in the experience of time and transactions coming to pass in the world. and therefore i cannot but ( in homely plain words , as my manner is ) assert the causes , and the effects of the causes unto you again and again , for the very end , to inform you , advise you , and warn you to follow the good , and to forsake the evil ; to do the right , and hate the wrong ; that the effects of righteousness and liberty of conscience , even peace , love , mercy and prosperity may ever be with you ; and the effects of cruelty , and oppression , and imposition upon conscience , which will be your misery , downfal and destruction ( if ye continue in the cause which works this effect ) may be turned away , and ye delivered . wherefore o ye men , be advised , be warned ; this is the day of the lord's dawnings ; we have seen his power and glory ; he hath wounded us , and healed us ; he hath killed , and made alive ; he hath proclaimed liberty in eur squls and consciences from death and darkness , from the grave and hell ; and he hath set his people free from bondage , to serve him with a pure and perfect heart ; and if ye ( mortal men , made of the dust of the ground , whose little measure of breath is in your nostrils ) will not approve of , and joyn with this blessed work of the lord ; but shall gain-say his doings , and set your power against his power , and will not let the people go free in the exercise of their consciences in holy performances , whose consciences god hath made free ; then shall the most high reward your opposition with his cup of vengeance ; and he will make you know , he is the lord , against whom ye thus raise contention ; and he will dissolve your substance , and bring down your glory , and subdue your power , if that ( i say ) ye oppose his work , and will seek to bind and limit his spirit in his people , and will yet force and impose upon conscience by outward violence , and kill and persecute unto death and banishment for matter of conscience , and because of difference in iudgement in spiritual things ; then thus it shall be done unto you , ye shall fall , and perish , and be troubled , and blessings and prosperity shall not be unto you . if it be not thus , the lord hath not spoken by me . well friends , even all ye that have authority and power in the government of this world , are nearly concerned to take special notice of these things presented unto you ; seeing the effects of these two causes are both very weighty , and infallibly certain , even to you-wards particularly : very weighty , because peace , prosperity and happiness ; or misery , distractions , and downfall to you is depending upon the effects of the causes ; infallibly certain , because the iustice of god almighty is such , that he must bring reward upon all according to their deeds , and his iustice cannot be diverted . but if ye permit free liberty of conscience in the exercise of godliness in faith and worship unto all people under your power , then shall peace and prosperity be unto you , according to the purpose of god : but if ye impose upon conscience in any wise , by force in religious matters , and will not be instructed and advised , to the contrary , then shall misery and destruction certainly be unto you , according to the justice of god's vengeance . these things are so ; as a servant of god i present them to you , and not upon fiction or fancy , but as i have received them from the lord god , by his spirit , which signifies the verity and certainty of those things in my soul. friends , doubt not of these things ; for verily the time is at hand , and it must surely come to pass , my spirit shall see it , and rejoyce therein , if in this body i may not behold it , that imposing and forcing of conscience , by laws and ordinances of men , upon penalties on mens persons and estates , in religious matters , shall be expunged , subdued , and abandoned in these nations and kingdoms of the world , and it shall be no more : but liberty , liberty shall be re-planted , embraced and renowned amongst men ; and truth and righteousness , mercy and peace , true liberty and freedom , justice and true judgment , with all the causes and effects thereof shall flourish , and grow , and prosper on the earth ; and the contrary shall fall , and rise no more . this day is dawning nigh , it s at the door ; blessed are they that are prepared for it . wherefore let all flesh hear and fear , bow and tremble , and let the hearts of the righteous rejoyce and be exceeding glad ; let all the upright in heart put on the garment of praises and deliverance : for the day is at hand , that antichrist ( with all his strength and power , force and policy ) shall be a hissing , and reproach , and shame , contempt unto the saints of the most high , and amongst whom the lord god omnipotent doth and must raign and rule in dominion , and glory , and power over all , forever , and evermore . e. b. london , this th moneth , . antichrist's government justly detected , &c. chap. . concerning imposing religion , the case stated , and the unrighteousness thereof shewed , with the danger thereof also made appear by manifest proofs . presented unto the rulers and people of our age , throughout the world. to impose any kind of religion , any way of worship , or form of faith , and outward conformity , in any practices of duty to god-wards , by an external authority of men , through force of laws , commanding and requiring such conformity in faith and worship upon pains , penalties and forfeitures on mens persons and estates , as hath been practiced in the world since the dayes of the apostles , amongst the nations professing christianity : this thing is not of the lord , nor according to commands of christ , and example of the apostles and primitive christians , declared of in the scriptures ; but is of antichrist , and unrighteous , unequal , and dangerous , to the destruction of the souls and bodies of both the imposers and the imposed . . such kind of forcing and compelling by force of outward laws into such outward conformity of religion , faith and worship , church-government and ministry , was never in beeing , nor ever practiced in the true christian churches , amongst the apostles in their dayes ; nor ever was such a thing known among the primitive christians : there was no such kind of laws made nor executed amongst them , nor such force exercised on mens persons and estates in such cases ; there was no outward violence used in the primitive times , to compel any to conformity to christian faith , worship and practice of christian religion : none of the first christians were made truly religious , and converted from the way of error to the way of true christianity by such means of outward force , and commandments of men put upon them ; they were not i say converted themselves to the christian-faith and religion , nor made conformable worshippers of god in his spirit by that way and means ; nor did they seek to convert others into conformity to church-government and christian-worship by force of outward laws upon pains and forfeitures : these things were not in the true church of christ , in the apostles dayes , amongst the primitive christians . . but the true way of conversion among them , to the christian-faith , and worship , and true church-government , whereby people were made rightly conformable to the true christian religion , as it was amongst the apostles , was by and through the doctrine of the gospel of christ jesus , preached amongst them in the power and demonstration of the spirit of god , of such as were truly called and sent of him , which did turn people to the spirit of god ; and that ministry wrought in them to receive it , by which their consciences were convinced , and their hearts perswaded in the love of christ to believe in him , and receive him , and follow him ; and thus were they drawn , and begotten , and converted into the faith , and worship and practice of the true christi●…-religion , and made conformable to the government and order of the true church of christ in all things , by this means and way only ; and not at all by any outward force and compulsion exercised upon them they were converted to the true christian-religion , and to the true worship of god ; and by the same way did they convert and turn others to the same , and this only is the perfect way of christian-conformity to the true christian-worship and church-g●…ment ; it ever was since the beginning of christianity in the world , and i●●nto this day , even to perswade the heart and to convince the conscience inwardly by the sound doctrine of the gospel , through the operation of the spirit of christ , and by love , and meekness , and patience , and all the fruits of righteousness , held forth in doctrine and conversation , which may answer the testimony of god in all mens consciences . hereby , and in this way is true conversion wrought in the heart , to the turning men from all error , unto the truth , and from all false worships , and heresies and evil way●s , unto the true christian-worship , and conformity to holy church and religion . this ( i say ) was the way among the primitive christians ●…d apostles of old , and is the same among the true christians in this age ; and they that would conform others , and are conformed themselves otherwise in this case of religion and worship to god-wards , are not in the example of christ and his saints ; but out of the life , and contrary to the first christians , and president of the holy scriptures , as hereafter is manifested . the way and practice of imposing religion , and conformity in worship and church-government , by force ( as aforesaid ) is so far from being according to the practice and example of the apostles and the primitive churches of christians , that they are even contrary to the commands and exhortations of christ and his apostles , and example of the scriptures . . as in the parable of the wheat and the tares , mat. . when it was desired of the servants , that they might go and gather out the tares , that the enemy had sown , from among the wheat , it was commanded to the contrary by the husbandman , even that they should suffer the tares to grow among the wheat till the harvest , and not pluck them up , lest they hurt the wheat thereby . now though there be an invisible mystery of the kingdom of heaven secretly signified in this parable , more then may here be said ; yet 't is also clearly signified , that christ would have no imposition nor violence used upon th● tares , nor that they should pluck them up by force ; but that the good corn and the bad 〈◊〉 grow together in one field till the harvest . and thus much this parable bears the proof of ; suppose there be heresies , and hereticks , and prophane persons , that are not in the truth , but in errors , who are bad corn , even as the tares to the wheat ; in that kingdom , city or family , where there is also converted saints , and holy persons , and true members of christ , who are as the wheat to the tares ; yet such hereticks and prophane persons , that are in error , ought not to be plucked up violently , to wit , imprisoned , bannished , and put to death , burned and destroyed from amongst the righteous , though they grow amongst them , even in the s●… field : the converted saints ought not ( i say ) to destroy by ●●nnishment or death the hereticks , and unconverted and unconformable persons from amongst them ; but they are to let them live , even grow amongst them in the same field , in the same kingdom , city or family , till harvest . and thus much the parable may truly signifie , even a liberty to live for the tares , the bad corn , the evil persons , among the wheat , the righteous pers●… , without being imposed upon by cruel force and outward violence , to compel into conformity . . as in the case among the saints and true believers ; where some believed , 〈◊〉 might 〈◊〉 all 〈◊〉 , others did 〈◊〉 h●…s , and some esteemed one day above 〈◊〉 , ●nd othe●● esteemed every day alike , rom ▪ . here was some difference in judgment and practices amongst the believers , about m●●ts and d●●es ( abou●● which thi●… there hath been much imposition and force used in the world since the apostle dayes ) well , but what doth the apostle paul 〈◊〉 , and advise in this case ? doth 〈◊〉 threaten violence towards any of them , or signifie any forcible commands or impositions to be used to bring them into conformity and unity in the things and matters about which they were divided ? no , no ; but this is his advice to the church of christ ( of which he was a true and able minister ) iudge not one another about such things , nor do not impose any practice upon thy brother ; for to christ iesus ●…is master every believer stands or falls . and saith the apostle , l●● every man be fully perswaded in his own mind , vers . and hereby it is manifestly proved , that in the churches of primitive christians , the saints and true christians were not imposed upon by commandments of m●n , or outward laws , in the matters of their religion and practice of conscience ; there was no signification of force to be used for conformity ; but wh●●y contrary , even every believe● had the liberty of the spirit of christ , and as he was by that perswaded in his own mind to do , or leave undone in such cases ; and every one was to mind the teachings of the spirit of christ in himself ; for to that he was to stand or fall , and not to impose upon another , no , not so much as to judge his brother in any case of difference in judgment or practice ; but they were to leave one another to the perswasions of the spirit of christ in their own minds . . as in the case where the apostle exhorted the saints to be like-minded . ●●il . . but saith he , if any 〈◊〉 otherwise-minded , god shall reveal even this unto you : by which saying it is m●nifest , that the unity and conformity of saints in mind and practice was not by imposition , or any outward force threatned or exercised upon their persons or estates ; but contrary-wise , if there was any difference in mind and practice amongst any of them , that was to be amended ; and unity made up , when god revealed the same truth in all , as he had done in some : if any were not so minded in any thing as others were , they were not to be imposed upon ; but let god reveal the same , and bring into conformity ; this was the apostle's counsel . and vers . . nevertheless , whereunto we have already attained , let us walk by the same rule ; that is to ●●y , so far as the rule of the spirit of christ is made manifest , or in wh●● measure the perfection thereof is attained unto , let every one walk in the same measure , and by the same rule ; and if any have not the self-same measure of the spirit , and know the self-same things , let such alone , without imposing upon them , leave them to walk in the measure of light and knowledge that they have received , though it be not the self-same measure that others have received , and if they want any knowledge , or be in any thing otherwise-minded , god shall reveal the same unto them , even the same thing , as they grow in the same measure of grace and knowledge : and here is the perfect way of unity and conformity , as the primitive christians were exercised in the true faith and worship , and true christian religion in their dayes . and so to impose by force upon paint and forfeitures in religious matters , is clearly contrary to all these scriptures , and to many more in the new testament . . in that case , pet. . , . where the apostle exhorts the elders , to take ●●e over●●ght of god's flock , not by constraint or force , but willingly ; not for 〈◊〉 by luc●● , but of a ready mind ; neither 〈◊〉 being lords ●ver god's heritage : which c●…ly signifies against imposing upon the flock of god , or forcing in religious matters ; for ye see the elders might not be constrained or forced to take the oversight of the flock ; neither ( having the oversight of it ) might they be ●… 〈…〉 ●y , no●● 〈…〉 〈◊〉 heritage , nor use any 〈…〉 〈…〉 the apostle ; and the con●… 〈…〉 ( saith he ) . el●…●or ●or 〈…〉 upon them in ●…igor or 〈…〉 elders and ministers , overseeing 〈…〉 oversee god's heritage , 〈…〉 self-denial , and in all th● 〈…〉 hereby with the word of 〈…〉 wards ; and not ruling over them as 〈…〉 lordship ; by forcing and 〈…〉 imprisoning ●nd 〈…〉 as hath been 〈…〉 ●ver the heritage of god , 〈…〉 lords over the flock , 〈…〉 example of scriptures ; and 〈…〉 gentleness , and good example 〈…〉 peter's instructions . thus it is clearly manifest throughout 〈…〉 the way of imposing religi●● , and 〈…〉 worship and church-government , in the dispens●… of 〈◊〉 gospel , as aforesaid , is contrary to the commands of chri●… 〈…〉 example of scriptures , and is not of god , nor according unto him ; and now i shall ●●●w in the fourth place , of whom ●it is 〈◊〉 ●y whose example this violence used , and prsecution unto 〈…〉 on , and also the beginning of impo●… 〈◊〉 force ●●ongst christians . . all this persecution 〈…〉 been in the world , as impriso●ments , 〈…〉 unto death , and grievous afflic●… , hath been of 〈…〉 through the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 envy of the devil , against god 〈…〉 that persecution 〈…〉 before the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 christ in the 〈◊〉 , it 〈…〉 the particulars of it , as it is signified 〈…〉 transactions in 〈…〉 ●●●wledged by all , that such cruel persecutions were of the d●●il . and again in the days of christ and his apostles , 〈◊〉 was the force and 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 practised ●●on the true 〈◊〉 christians by ●●e je●● and 〈…〉 which was in ●licted upon chri●… apostles , and the christians , was imposi●ion and 〈…〉 religion ; 〈…〉 so much for comp●…ing them to any thing , as from that way of ri●… and 〈…〉 which they walked ; they were ●…ded 〈…〉 in the name of i●sus , and were ●●pris●n●●●anished , and greatly 〈◊〉 by the i●●●s , ( that 〈◊〉 pro●… people ) 〈…〉 religion , 〈…〉 for the ●… : i need 〈◊〉 m●ntion the particular pro●fs for this thing , 't is so clear 〈…〉 and elsewhere , how the primitive christians were forced and impo●●● upon by cruel laws , and violent persecutions for their christian religion sake ; all 〈…〉 out of 〈◊〉 and 〈…〉 in the heart 〈◊〉 wicked 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 go●… by all . ●●t . this way and practice of imposing up●● 〈…〉 〈…〉 pesecution 〈◊〉 the same was●…●…gst chr●… , nor ●…cticed by any called christians , 〈◊〉 〈…〉 faith , which some did 〈…〉 afterterwards : for even in the apo●… 〈◊〉 some were gone ou● from them into the way of c●i● , that killed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; and into the way of balaam ; that went for gift and rewards , 〈◊〉 these were apostates 〈◊〉 the true church ; and they were 〈…〉 and ●uch li●● , as paul to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; such as these were al●●●dy sprung up in the first age , and they grew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the second ages and these were the antichrist● and ●●lse pro●… whith iohn 〈◊〉 were gone out from the true church into the world , in his 〈◊〉 , and these deceived the world by the form of godliness , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 the power and spirit of christ : and the apostates from the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which were over spread in many nations , and grown 〈◊〉 , were 〈◊〉 sea , and the earth , out of which the beast arose . rev. . and it was 〈…〉 war with the saints , and to overco●● 〈…〉 worship him ; and he should cause the ●●rth , and 〈◊〉 that dwell therein , to worship ; and 〈◊〉 should cause 〈…〉 should be killed ; and 〈◊〉 should cause all , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ● , rich and poor , bond and free , to receive ●●s mark , &c. and this beast was the authority of antichrist , that arose among the aposta●●● and the false prophets , that thus caused and compelled all to worship the beast and his image : mark how often the word caused is used in that chapter , which is , compelled , or forced ; and it was the antichrist , the beast , that did it , the authority that arose among the apos●… christians , that were gone from the true church : and this was the first that we read of any forcing or compelling to worship , or persecuting about worship , and imposing about the same , since the dayes of the apostles , through ages , amongst them called christians : and here was the beginning of imposing by 〈◊〉 , and violent laws , in the matters of worship and religion , amongst the people called christians , and one sect and sort , according to its authority , imposed by laws and force upon another , causing and compelling one another to worship and believe according to his form and image ; and as any sect of christians gained outward authority over others , that same has caused and forced all others by outward violence into conformity to its way and worship ; and this hath been amongst the people called christians in the apostacy , ever since antichrist and his power rose up amongst them : and thus , and at this time beg●n first the imposing of worship , and persecuting about the same amongst christian● : and thus 't is manifest to be of antichrist , and of the wicked one , and not of the lord. . by what is said , it is plain , that all in this present age who impose by force of laws , and compel to worship , and persecute about the same , are not in the example of christ , or his apostles , or any the good primitive christians ; but in so doing are in the example of the persecutors of the holy prophets , and in the example of the cruel iews that killed christ , and persecuted the saints ; and in the example of the cruel heathens , that violently persecuted the christians in diver● ages and countries , and are indeed of antichrist , and of the beast , that arose up against the saints , and made war against them ; and such are all they that do impose upon the persons , esta●●s and conscien●●s of ●…n at this day upon the account afores●… : and this is worthy of ●ll me●● serious consideration . and now , in the next place i shall proceed to shew , how 〈◊〉 and unreasonable it is , for any called christians to impose ●pon the consciences of others , and to force them by laws and commandments in the matters of 〈◊〉 , and to persecute ●●out the s●●e . . i● it unrighteous , because it is an intruding upon the 〈◊〉 and priviledge of god , and seems to be a derogating from his honour power and domi●… which properly is in himself and pertains to him alone , and not unto mortal man , which is to give laws to conscience , ●nd to exercise it in all 〈◊〉 of religion respecting his worship duty and service , and to perswade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conscienc●● by his spirit to follow him , and observe all things which he ●…quires in faith and worship : this power is only proper to god alone , and to him pertaineth , and to no other : and therefore for any man , or earthly powers of man , to give laws and rules to conscience , and to impose upon men in the matters of god's worship , forcing , conformity in spiritual exercis●● by violent commands , upon forfeitures and punishments , seems to be , and really is an assuming and presuming upon god's authority , which belongs only to him , and tends to rob him of the same , and is an entrenching upon his soveraignity , and is wholy unrighteous ; and inasmuch as it is a ●…g in the seat of god , and forcing the exercise of worship , and intruding upon his blessed priviledge , and a presuming into his authority , which he commits to no man , a robbing him of his honour and spiritual dominion ; therefore to impose , in matters religious , is unrighteous on their parts that do practice it . and. . it is unrighteous , because it is contrary to the command of god , d● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 would be done unto ; but this imposing in matters of worship , is a practice done by others , which others would not be done unto by any ▪ and therefore 't is unrighteous : for no one sect or sort of christians would be imp●…sed upon in that case by any others , not forced and compelled by outward violence against their judgments and consciences unto such a conformity of ●…th and worship ; to do thus is not to love a man● neighbour as himself , nor to do to all men as men would be done unto : for if at any time and place , the papists ( so called ) impose upon the protestants ( so called ) in this case of ●orcing them unto conformity , or persecuting them about religion , 't is cryed out against by such as are so imposed upon , to be tyranny , oppression , and exacting unrighteously ; and thus every sect of christians cry out against others , that do impose upon them by force in things religious , contrary to their judgments and consciences , each sort when they suffer saith of others , they are unrighteous in such impositions ; though many cannot see it to be unrighteous in themselves , when they have the oportunity to do it , and do impose upon other ; but this is where self-advantage killeth and choaketh the witness of 〈◊〉 , though however in it self imposing , as aforesaid , in religious ma●…rs is contrary to the holy law of god , and a doing to others as men would not be done unto by others : and therefore 't is unrighteous , both before god and all just men. . it is unrighteous to impose worship by force , because it is an exercising dominion over men's faith by force of outward power , which the apo●●le renounces , and seems to forbid , saying , they had not dominion over mens faith : ●●d if the apostles themselves had not power and dominion over men's faith , that is to say , to command mens faith , to believe or do this , or the other , but 〈◊〉 the holy spirit of christ perswaded their consciences inwardly ; then no outward power of kings or rulers whatsoever can justly or righteously chalenge ●…h priviledge as to have dominion over mens faith , by imposing upon them through force , which is to take dominion over men's faith , which is unrigh●… , because it is contrary to the scripture , and to the example of the apost●… 〈◊〉 , inasmuch as it is exercising dominion and lord●●ip over the stock of christ , and not leaving them to christ the true shepherd , who onely ought to teach his people by his spirit into all truth both of doctrine , faith and 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 hath not given power or authority to any rulers of this world , to impose by force upon the consciences of his tender stock , nor to rule them in ●…y 〈◊〉 , exercising outward force upon them ; but whosoever doth this , it is unrighteous . . it is unrighteous , in respect of the fruits , and effects which alwayes have and ever will be produced by such imposition upon conscience in religious matters , as aforesaid ( to wit ) persecution and cruelty of men exercised in that case , which ever hath been , and will be brought forth in nations and kingdoms , where such impositions are : for if we look into ages past , what strife and contention , what enmity and bitterness , what wars and bloodsheds , what dangers and mischiefs , what persecutions and cruelties have been brought forth among men , between kingdom and kingdom , between city and city , between kings and their subjects , between neighbours and neighbours , between brother and brother , upon this very unrighteous account of imposing upon conscience by force in respect of worship ? and every nation and city at this day is in the same danger of the same mischiefs , where such impositions are in force ; and therefore needs must the occasion of these so unjust and unrighteous effects , which doth administer the reason of such contentions wars , persecutions and cruelties be unrighteous , and such is imposing in matters religious , as aforesaid : and this is partly manifest , and will be mor● and more through the world , that that kingdom , city and country will not be free from these dangers and mischiefs , but will alwayes be liable unto them while this kind of imposition by force on the conscience is unremoved ; and that which is the occasion of such continual present dangers , to destroy kingdoms , cities and peoples is unrighteous ; and such is imposition in the matters of worship and religion . . it is unrighteous in any king , prince , or authority of this world to impose , as aforesaid , because it diverteth , confoundeth and destroyeth the end of just rule and government amongst men one over another , which is only to rule well in outward affair , and over the outward man , to keep that in peace and good order , and to be a praise to them that do well , and a terror to all that do evil in the outward man ; this is the only end of government and rule amongst men in this world , to rule well over the outward man , in things between man and man ; but not to rule over men's consciences , and to exercise lordship over men in the spiritual matters of christ's kingdom , this pertains not to the outward worldly government of men ; and therefore whosoever do take it upon them , and thereby do oppress the conscience of any , by forcing in spiritual mattters , doth unrighteously , inasmuch as they do diver● the end of their authority , and use their power to another end then god hath appointed them : and while they should only preserve and defend the outward man by good and wholesome laws , made for that purpose , they vex and oppress the inward man , even the conscience , by forcing upon it , and imposing through violence in the matters religious , which is contrary to the end of just rule and government in the world ; and therefore is wholy unrighteous . . it is unrighteous , because it effects no good end , nor begets people into the true faith and worship of god ; but on the contrary , makes many hypocrites , even through fear and terror ; such laws forcing conformity , do make many hypocritically conform to such or such way of worship , which the spirit of christ doth not perswade their consciences of the truth of ; nay , it may be against their conscience ; and that ( imposition as aforesaid ) which is the cause of this , is surely unrighteous ; unrighteous , because the end propounded by the imposers ( which is , to make people true worshippers of god ) is utterly frustrate and void ; and none are made true worshippers of god by such imposition and force , but many are made hypocrites thereby , and sinners against god ; for what any performs to god-wards by force , and not of faith ( given into the heart by god ) it is sin ; for whatsoever is not of faith , is sin , as saith the scriptures ; and that which is the occasion of hypocrisie and sin , is unrighteous , and temptation ; but such is imposing on conscience by force in religious matters . . it is unrighteous and unreasonable to impose by force upon conscience , because it is the occasion of absolute e●…remity put upon many that are dear and precious to the lord , even such a● extremity as may force ( unavoidably ) the ruin of either soul or body ( or both ) in this world , and hereafter , for , suppose such laws be made for the forcing of confor●ity , to comm●… men to worship upon the forfeiture of whole estate , banishment o● death , which is contrary to the spirit of christ , and good conscience : and if such laws be not obeyed , and such conformity made , but the conscience kept clear to god , then the outward man in his person , estate and family is ruined in this world : and if such laws be obeyed , and such conformity yielded , contrary to good conscience , then the inward man is ruined , and the soul and conscience wounded and grieved , because god is offended , and christ is denyed , and the law of men obeyed rather then the law of god ; and this is by an extremity occasion'd , through imposed force in the cases of conscience , by authority and laws of men. and that which is the occasion of such ruin and destruction to the souls and bodies of such as fear the lord , is an unrighteous thing , which administers that woful extremity , to deny god , and so to be liable to his wrath and judgments ; or , to deny the authority of men , and so to be liable to destruction of person and estate in this world ; and such is imposing of worship . . it is unrighteous and unreasonable , because it may destroy the faith of some , even of such upon whom imposition is laid , against their pure consciences : for , suppose a person ( or people ) being truly perswaded by the spirit of christ in the true way of religion and worship of god , having therein true peace with god in a clean conscience , and by force of law , and through cruel imposition , should be forced from that way of worship which they have had peace with god in , and which the spirit of christ perswaded them of the truth of , unto such a way of worship which they could not have peace with god in , nor the comfort of his presence in such conformity forced upon them ; this were certainly unrighteous and unreasonable , that a people ( or a person ) should be forced by laws from that way wherein they have peace and blessings with god , to that way wherein their souls are famished for want of the presence of the lord : like as if a person of such a calling , following the same in a certain city or town , whereby he maintained himself in all good things , and wanted nothing ; and yet the chief magistrate of the said city or town should forcibly compel ( by violence ) the said person of so good a calling , from that his calling , ( whereby he so well maintained himself in the world ) and should force upon him to follow another calling , of which he could not live in the world , but by it he might perish and starve ; would not all reasonable men conclude , the same imposition of the said magistrate upon the said poor man were oppression , cruelty , unrighteous , and unreasonable : and the case of imposing religion , as aforesaid , is the greater oppression and cruelty , inasmuch as it respects the immortal soul , which is more worth then the body ; and the other respects but the body , which is of less worth ( with all that concerns it ) then is the soul , which is immortal . lastly , 't is unrighteous , inasmuch as it is contrary to the scriptures ( of the new testament in the dispensation of the gospel ) which are before cited , and contrary to christ and his apostles example in the primitive churches of christians : and thus it is manifest , that imposing by force upon conscience in religious matters is unrighteous and unreasonable , and is not of christ , but of antichrist , as is by plain reasons demonstrated . and now i shall in a few words shew , the danger of imposing worship , 〈◊〉 aforesaid , and how dangerous it is to any king , prince or outward authority , that are or may be the imposers on the consciences of men , by force , in the case of worship and religion . . it is dangerous to cause the people to sin , to cause them to conform in appearance , when the heart is not devout to god ; and this makes them hypocrites : dangerous to cause people to perform duty to god-wards , without faith in god ; and this makes them sinners against him ; for whatsoever is not of faith is sin : dangerous to cause some to deny christ before men , for the fear of this world , and terrors of violent men , and to forsake that way which they know is of the lord , and to follow that way which they know is not of him ; and this denying the lord of life , and a great abomination against him : and the cause of that cause is , imposing by force upon conscience in matters religious ; and the reason of all this is , the imposers , such as make and execute such force ; and this danger all such are involved in , even the danger of causing people to sin against god , of denying christ , of making hypocrites , and so even in the danger of destroying souls , which is a desperate danger : oh! that all the imposers of religion by force would consider it , and look upon the danger which they are deeply fallen into , and involved in , by reason of such their imposing upon conscience ; alas ! they are in the danger of destroying souls , of causing a nation and people to sin against god , and to deny the lord of life . and how great is such a danger ! even to be avoided of all , if they love their own souls , and not to be the occasions and cause of destroying souls by causing people to sin ; and this danger all the imposers upon conscience are captivated in . and . it is dangerous to be a means to destroy that kingdom , city or country , and the rulers thereof , by begetting and nourishing discontents , heart-burnings , and envying among the people , one against another , and against their rulers , because of such unrighteous force and violence , exercised by imposition upon their consciences . dangerous , i say , to raise into contentions , strifes , broyles , and blood-shed it self , in a kingdom amongst people . and this is a danger violently impending upon such rulers or do impose , as aforesaid ; even a danger to ruin their own power and authority , and to ruin the people under their dominion , by raising the people into discontents and broyles , through the cruelty of the oppression of imposing religion ; and the example hereof may be read in nations and countries at this day ; what discontents and contentions have arisen dangerously among people one towards another , and towards their rulers , upon this cause and occasion of imposing religion by force unrighteously ; and 't is a danger this day that all the rulers of the world are exposed unto , and deeply involved in , where this cause of imposing religion is ext●nt in force . . it is dangerous to impose religion by force , because it must needs produce oppression , persecution , violence and hatred in the prosecution thereof ; and this is dangerous to any kings , rulers or governours , to be reputed oppressors , persecutors and violent men ; this is infamous , and of bad report amongst men , and abomination and wickedness in the sight of god , for any rulers upon earth to be oppressors , persecutors and cruel men ; and such consequently must they be , that are imposers upon mens consciences in matters religious . and this danger all the rulers of the world are in , that do impose religion by force , even to render themselves infamous by oppression in the sight of men , and to render themselves sinners against god ; and this danger falls upon the imposers of religion , because of such their impositions by force upon the consciences of men . lastly , 't is dangerous , because 't is of antichrist , and not of christ , as before proved ; and all that do impose by violence on the consciences of men in religious cases , are of antichrist in so doing , and because thereof , liable to god's indignation and heavy wrath in this world and hereafter ; and 't is dangerous to bring the wrath and judgments of god upon men that are guilty thereof ; for god will be avenged upon such his enemies , that exercise violence and persecution upon men for their conscience sake : and this is a danger unavoidable , which all that impose religion are liable unto , even to be cut off in the wrath of the lord , and to undergo his indignation for all the reasons before shewed . these , with many other dangers are they involved in that are imposers in religious matters ; therefore , oh that the rulers of this world would be wise now in their last day ; and would consider the unjustness and unreasonableness of their imposing religion , and the many dangers that attend the same ! oh that they would learn god's counsel , and rule only for him in justice , mercy , truth , equity and true judgment , exercising the same in the meek and lowly spirit of jesus among men , and over whom they are set to rule in this world , and would give to god almighty his due , and right , and priviledge , in exercising the consciences of men by his spirit in all cases of christ's kingdom ; for it only belongs to him to be ruler in the inward man : oh! that the rulers of this world would give this power and dominion unto god , and would from henceforth never more exercise lordship over conscience by imposing religion through force ; but would only rule well over the outward man , in the things pertaining to man , and would leave to god the rule and exercise of conscience : oh! then would it go well with them , and happy and blessed should they be in such their authority ; and peace should be unto them if that they only took the government ( as appointed of god ) over the outward man , and did not impose upon the inward man by force in religious matters , but committed that authority to god ; then , i say , should peace and blessings be unto them : but while it is otherwise , even while they exercise dominion and lordship over conscience , as aforesaid , they do unjustly and unreasonably , and bring upon themselves many dangers , and are liable to contentions , oppositions , wars , and many mischiefs in this world , and to the anger and wrath of god in the world that is to come . chap. ii. concerning heresie , the case stated , what it is in it self , and who a heretick is , and who are the absolute true iudges of it ; and what punishment pertains to such as are truly convicted of heresie . . there is such a thing as heresie in it self , even many heresies and errors abounding amongst the sons of men in the world at this day ; and there was heresie in the dayes of the aposties , and amongst them , brought in by such as erred from the truth , after they had once known the truth , and received it , as ye may read ; the iews they cryed out of heresie in their time , which caused the apostle to say to them , acts . . after that way which ye call heresie do we worship the god of our fathers : and the apostle said ( cor. . ) to the church , there must be also heresies amongst you , that they that are approved of god may be made manifest : and ( pet. . . ) it is spoken of some who should privily bring in damnable heresies into the church : by all which it is manifest , there was in the apostles dayes heresie and heresies , as there is at this day , even many heresies and errors in the world , held , professed and maintained by the apostate christians , that are gone into the form of godliness without the power , and are turned from the spirit of christ , and the soundness of his doctrine , into the formal profession of religion , and of the words of christ and his apostles , and among such are the heresies and errors . . heresie is somewhat believed and professed in practice of worship , and in point of faith and doctrine , that is either contrary to , or different from the perfect truth of the gospel of christ ; something ( i say ) held and practiced in point of worship , faith and doctrine , which is not justly according to the pure truth of jesus , but either in whole , or in part different from , and contrary thereunto ; and whatsoever practice of worship or point of doctrine , as is so held , professed , believed or practiced is heresie and error , because it is different from and contrary to ( in whole or in part ) the perfect truth of the gospel of christ jesus , and because thereof it is heresie ; and such is heresie in it self , different from and contrary unto the gospel of the kingdom of christ ; though as for the particular parts and points of heresie , in worship , doctrine and practice , which are at this day held , professed and believed among apostate christians are so very many , that they would be too large here to ennumerate ; but my present intention is only this , to shew at large what heresie is in it self , and who is a heretick . . a heretick ( one that is properly so ) is such a person as hath sometime believed in the truth , and made profession and acknowledgment of the way of true christianity , and hath received and held the true faith of the gospel of christ , and been in some measure united to christ , and a member of his church , but is fallen and degenerated in whole or in part from the said faith and acknowledgment of christ jesus , and the way of christianity , and hath erred from the truth of the gospel once believed and received , and so is divided ( in whole or in part ) from the true church of jesus christ , and from being a member of the same ; and not only so , but hath received also , and doth hold some false principles , opinions , and practices , either different from , or contrary to the truth of the gospel before believed in , known , and professed ; such a man is a heretick ( though generally , yet ) truly described : not such as are heathens , unconverted , who never believed yet in the gospel , such who have alwayes resisted the truth , and never yet were convinced of the way of the lord , nor ever tasted of his word and power ; but have alwayes been strangers to the israel of god , and enemies to the church of christ ; such are not properly called hereticks , though they do err in mind , heart , and practice ; but such only as have believed in christ , and professed his truth , and been of the church , and yet are fallen away from the perfect truth , into some false principles and practices , and are become unsound in judgment , and erroneous in their understandings , and have forsaken the way of truth ( in whole , or in part ) and are corrupted , and lost their love to god and his wayes , and are obstinate , and hardened against the truth ( which once they believed ) and with false doctrines , principles and practices do gainsay and oppose the truth , and them that are stedfast in it : these are hereticks , and truly so called ; men that have erred from the faith , that have made ship-rack of it , and of a good conscience , that are turned against the lord and his people , and gainsay the truth that once themselves have believed and professed . these are erroneous men , and hereticks ; and such hereticks there were in the church , and among the corinthians ; and there were such who did creep into the church , and privily brought in heresies amongst them , as before is proved . and these hereticks were such as had once been amongst the true members of the true church , and been convinced of the true jesus , and had sometimes walked with them , but were departed from them , and had forsaken the truth , and received false principles and opinions , and therefore they were truly nominated hereticks , and all such at this day are truly so called . and this is the description in general of a heretick . . now i come to declare who are the true judges of heresie and hereticks ; not every man can judge in this case , in his own thoughts , imaginations , and suppositions , who are hereticks , and who are guilty of heresie ; though it hath been the practice for many generations amongst the apostate christians to reproach , traduce and accuse one another to be hereticks , and each sort and sect of false christians , to judge , censure and condemn others that are not of their judgement and opinion , but different from them , to be hereticks and erroneous ; and this hath been usual among many ; but this is not the true judgement , not the way to try and judge truly who hereticks are , by one sect and sort slandering and accusing others to be such , because they have not conformed to their way and principles , but been different from them ; true judgement hath not been brought forth in this case , on this wise , but rather envy and enmity hath judged , and men's thoughts , imaginations and jealousies have falsly judged in this matter , and no sound judgement determined who have been hereticks ; for men have judged of one another by their private jealousies and evil conceivings , and censured one another to be hereticks , without the spirit of sound discerning , and just judgement ; and all that judgement brought forth in that case , without the infallible spirit of christ jesus , which is onely true discerner and judge in the matter , hath been false judgement , and men have judged one another falsly upon envy and evil suppositions , and without the spirit of the lord ; and it hath often happened by reason hereof , that such so judged for hereticks , have been more righteous , and more in the truth , then they that have so judged them ; and the judges have been more out of the truth , and more hereticks themselves , then they whom they have falsly judged : and this might be made appear through several times and ages since the apostles dayes , among the false christians . . none are able to dilcern of heresie , nor to try and judge justly who are hereticks , none but they ( i say ) that have the infallible spirit of god in them , to guide them , and have infallibility and perfect certainty of judgment and knowledge in that case of heresie ; none else are rightly able to judge who are hereticks , but such ( i say ) as have the infallible spirit of christ , and are infallible and certain in their judgments ; these onely , and none else , are able to judge , they onely are competent iudges in this case of heresie , and who are hereticks ; and if any judge in that case , it is but out of envy and enmity , and in the evil suppositions and conceivings , as aforesaid , and must needs be false and unjust judgment , if they have not the infallible spirit of god , and infallibility of judgment to discern by , and determine with in that case ; for no man nor men , may , or can justly judge another in the matter of heresie , as a heretick , by their own thoughts or suppositions , out of their enmity , and for their self-interests ; but the judgement in that matter must be just , equal , holy and true , and onely by the spirit of christ jesus which is infallible , and gives infallibility of judgement and discerning into all cases and things ; for it was christ jesus and his apostles , and the saints that had the infallible spirit of god , and infallibility of judgement , that could onely judge justly of such things , who were hereticks , and who were not ; and it was not the iews nor pharisees that could justly discern or judge in god's spiritual matters ; but they alwayes judged of christ and his apostles , and of the things pertaining to the kingdom of god falsly and unjustly in their evil suppositions and envy ; and this was because they had not the infallible spirit of judgement , nor the certain , infallible knowledge and discerning of different things in spiritual cases ; and so it is now at this day amongst them called christians ; there is none can discern truly , nor judge justly what heresie is , nor who is a heretick , but such as are guided by the infallible spirit of god , and have infallibility of judgement ; nor none can make laws whereby justly to judge of heresie and hereticks , but them who have the same infallible spirit of god guiding them , and have received infallibility of judgement : so both the law-makers , and the judges of the law , must be infallible in knowledge and judgement in this case of heresie , otherwise the law made for that purpose , and the judgment given by that law are both false and unjust , and not according to god and his truth , but are to be justly judged and condemned of the lord god in his day and season . . now it remains to be enquired into , whether there is any punishment pertaining to hereticks , as such , for such heresies held by them : being first convicted truly thereof , as aforesaid , by the true church of christ , in whom there is infallibility of judgment , knowledge and discerning in that case ; for in the true church of christ doth infallibility of true judgment and knowledge dwell , and every true member of the true church hath its particular measure of the infallible spirit of christ , whereby he is certainly perswaded of the way of truth in which he walks , and knows and believes the infallibility of the truth he professeth , and is certain and secure of the way of his peace and assurance in god , which he hath received and believed ; and also , hath certainty and infallibility of judgment , and discerning who are out of the truth , and in the way of error , and are hereticks ; such are infallibly known and discerned by the spirit of god in the true church of christ , and by every member of the same , according to his measure of the same spirit , and gift of knowledge and discerning by it . and to such as are so convicted by the infallible spirit of christ , for such their heresies , there is a punishment pertaining ; for hereticks were to be punished in the apostles dayes , according to paul's instructions , cor. . . which was , that such a one as had erred from the truth which once he knew , should be delivered up unto satan for the destruction of his flesh , that the spirit might be saved in the day of the lord : here was a punishment described by the apostle for this heretick , that had erred and gone from the truth , and acted against it , though once he believed in it , and knew it . and again , tit. . . he exhorts and advises , that a man that is a heretick , after the first and second admonition , should be wholy rejected , and turned away from , and judged with the holy spirit of god. and thus it is clear , there is such a thing as dealing with men that are hereticks , and punishing them for such their heresie , according to the apostle's doctrines and instructions : and without all controversie , such as do err from the faith which once they have received , and turn from the truth in principle or practice , must not escape unpunished , but must receive the sentence of just judgement from god , and from his saints that continue faithful . . but what kind or nature this punishment is of , in what way and manner such as are hereticks , may be , and ought to be punished , is doubtful to many , and is a case at this time to be inquired into ; for that way and practice of punishing such as have been supposed to be hereticks , as among the christians ( so called ) for many generations ; ( to wit ) the way and practice of burning , banishing , killing , imprisoning and afflicting corporally the persons of them that have been called hereticks , for their heresies , and laying forfeitures and penalties on their bodies and estates , as hath been the practice of papists and protestants towards one another since the apostles dayes ; this way and practice hath not been of god , nor by any example or precept of the apostles , or first christian churches established in their dayes ; they did not practise or prescribe such dealing towards them that were truly hereticks , and were erred from the faith and truth of jesus christ ; not killing , burning , banishing and prosecuting the persons of hereticks , this was not the way of the spirit of god among the primitive christians , they did it not , nor gave institution for the doing of it at any time ; but this way of dealing towards hereticks , in such cruel proceedings as hath been in practice for many ages , is of satan and antichrist , and is down-right murder , robbery , and wickedness in the eye of the just god ; while one sect or sort of christians ( so called ) have punished and enviously persecuted another sort different from them as hereticks , with grievous afflictions in body and estate , even unto death and banishment ; this hath not been of god , nor true christian-like , but of the wicked one , and cruelties and murders before the lord ; neither are the same proceedings at this day , in any part of the world , where they are extant , any just legal righteous , christian-like way of proceeding according to apostolical example ; but are of antichrist , and of the wicked one , as i have said : and this way and practice of proceeding towards hereticks , hath been so far from effecting the return of any to the way of the lord , that have been erred from it , ( as the end of proceeding toward hereticks should effect ) that the way and practice of killing , banishment , and persecuting by violence hereticks ( so called ) hath hardned men in their evil way , and made such as have been hereticks more bold , confident , and obstinate in their way , heresie and errors and many that have been more righteous , and clearer from heresie then such as have so judged them , have been destroyed by cruel dealing , and many others have been destroyed in their iniquities and errors , by being so proceeded against : and thus true judgment and justice in this case have been perverted , and turned backwards , and because of ignorance and cruelty the righteous have suffered unjustly , as the wicked , and the wicked have suffered by unjust proceedings ; and thus the way of righteousness hath not been known in the earth , but error upon error , one evil upon another hath come , onesin added to another among the sons of men in the apostacy , amongst the false christians . . but the perfect way of the lord in proceeding towards such as are truly hereticks , so discerned and infallibly judged to be by the true church of christ , is this ; let such first be admonished , advised , instructed and warned again and again ; to beware , return from , and renounce such false principles , doctrines and practices held by them , and this in the spirit of christ jesus in perfect love , and in meekness , and in the wisdom of the lord god ; such , i say , as are erred from the way of the lord , and from the faith of christ once received , into error , ought thus in the first place to be dealt withal , by the way of admonishing , instructing , warning and reproving , that there may be a returning and repentance towards the lord , and his truth again , from whence they have erred ; and if such shall not receive the instructions , reproofs and admonitions of the true church of christ , then such hereticks shall be rejected and cast out , according to titus the . , . saith the apostle , a man that is an heretick , after the first and second admonition , reject , knowing that he that is such , is subverted , and sinneth , being condemned of himself ; here is the description of the punishing of an heretick ; if he will not receive admonition , after being given him again , and again , but doth harden his heart against the church , and against the truth of christ , and will not repent , but persicts in his errors and heresies , and that after reproof and admonition , then he is to be rejected ; rejected , what is that ? but a casting out from the unity of saints , a departing and absenting from such an one , and a depriving of him of the peace and comfort , joy and felicity of the assembly of god's people and servants ; a turnning from such in converse and fellowship , and a separating from them , and judging them by the spirit of christ jesus ; and this is rejecting an heretick , and delivering him to satan , according to cor. . , , . when the church ( the saints ) were met together , with the spirit of god , and the power of the lord iesus christ , such a one as had erred from the truth , and sinned against it , and was truely an heretick , should be delivered unto satan , for the destruction of the flesh , that the spirit might be saved ; delivering unto satan , what is that ? but to let him be cast out into the wicked world , reputing him as such an one , and that he partake not of the sweet , heavenly and blessed union and fellowship of saints in their assemblios and converse with the god of heaven , in his spirit and life ; not to be numbred among the righteous , nor a partaker with them in the holy union of the elect ; to pass judgment upon him eternally , in the estate he is now in , having both erred from the truth and rejected and despised the reproofs and admonitions of the church of christ , and as such to give him up to satan , to give him up to that spirit that hath led him aside from the truth , and hardned his heart against it ; to deliver him up to it , seeing he refuseth to be reclaimed from it , and hath chosen to follow it rather then the truth , let him be left unto , delivered up unto that spirit , even unto satan in the wicked world , let him be cast out thither among the unclean ; and not reckoned among the record and line of the faithful people ; and separated from , and cast out so , as he expresseth it , vers . . if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator , or covetous , a railer , a drunkard , &c. with such a one not to accompany , no not to eat : and this is to deliver a heritick to satan , for the destruction of the flesh , and is the proper punishment of heresies and hereticks , according to the apostles advice and precept ; but not to kill or punish the persons of men by corporal afflictions and penalties on the bodies and estates , for their error sake , this the apostle gave no commission for ; but that such as erred from the truth , and walked contrary in principle or practice , should be rejected , and delivered up unto satan , in the way and manner before declared . again , in matth. . , , . it is signified by jesus christ to the self-same purpose , in these words , if thy brother trespass , go and tell him alone ; if he repent , forgive him ; if not , take one or two , or more with thee , and tell him again : if 〈◊〉 still neglect to hear , tell it to the church ; but if he neglect to hear the church , let such a one be unto thee ( as hath offended and rejected reproof and admonition again and again ) as an heathen man and publican : in which words of christ is truely signified the right and proper way of proceeding towards hereticks and offenders , even that they be first again and again admonished and reproved ; and if they resist the same , then to be cast out , separated from , and not enjoy the union and comfort of the saints amongst them , but as an heathen man and publican ; but here is not a word signified of laying corporal punishments , & burning or banishing persons for their errors sake ; and though they may offend , no proceedings of this kind are authorised by jesus christ or his apostles in their day , but in another way and manner , as i have shewed , is the proper way ordained of god to deal with hereticks , according to the testimony of holy scriptures , signified by christ and his apostles in the primitive churches . . this is punishment according to the nature of the offence ; for as the offence is spiritual , erring in the mind from the truth , and a going astray from the spirit of christ in a man 's own particular ; so the punishment is answerable thereunto , even to be separated from the truth , and not to enjoy the vertue , peace and comfort of it , nor to be partakers thereof amongst the faithfull people : and this is truly according to the iustice of god , whose wayes are just and equal altogether , and hath appointed just rewards for transgressors , according to the nature and merit of the fact and deed that is evil ; and 't is righteous and just , that men that sin against their own souls , should be deprived of the peace and comfort thereof ; that all that do depart from the truth once known , and sin against the knowledge thereof , ●hould be no more a partaker of the vertue and felicity of the same ; and that they who offend the lord's people , and revolt from the union thereof , should be cast out from them , rejected of them , and not enjoy the blessings and peace with them ; even that all they that will not hear the repooofs of the spirit of god , nor be drawn with the gentle movings thereof , should be judged and condemned with the same , and not inherit the assurance of the saints : and this is god's iustice , that all that love evil , and walk in iniquity , and despise the lord , should be cast out into the sinfull world , to have their portion with the ungodly , and all the workers of iniquity ; and this is just punishment according to the nature of the offence of error aad heresie : for in my iudgment , ( and i have the spirit of just iudgment in this case ) it is great punishment , and sufficient for a man that hath once tasted of the vertue of god's presence among his people , to be cast out from the feeling and enjoyment of that life , vertue and assembly where it is enjoyed ; this is punishment , and a wound to the soul and conscience , for a person that hath been turned from iniquity , and witnessed the peace of christ in the church , to be left in iniquity , and to witness the wrath and anger of god daily smiting him in his spirit , and upon his heart ; this is indeed great punishment : and to have the holy spirit of christ in his people ( now ) to judge and condemn him , whom sometimes it hath comforted and refreshed ; and to be dis-united and separated from that spirit and power amongst the saints , which once gave life and joy amongst them : this man thus judged and condemned by , and thus separated and dis-united from the spirit and power of christ , and his people , is punished and afflicted sufficiently for his error and heresie ; even in his conscience , soul and spirit he is wounded , grieved , pierced , vexed and punished , though yet his outward-man , and his person be not corporally afflicted by punishments ; but he is afflicted within , he is dealt withal by the anger of god in his conscience , he is separated into darkness , and from the light and glory of god in the assemblies of his people ; he is at a distance from the lord god , and the spirit which should comfort him , doth daily vex and judge him ; and the people among whom he should be saved , he is separated from , and cast out to satan ; is now among the sons of belial , the children of wickedness and ignorance that must be condemned : and this man is now rejected of the saints , that once was embraced of them , and thus he is punished ; for it is the greatest punishment and vexation for a man that hath once tasted of god's love , mercy , peace and blessings , amongst god's people , and to be forsaken of god , and without his love , in his anger , in his judgment , and in the curse , amongst the wicked , without peace and blessings amongst the saints , this is punishment indeed , from which the lord deliver all his people that fear him . yet notwithstanding this kind and manner of punishment pertains to hereticks as such , most properly , and not to be destroyed in person or estate by outward penalties ; this i onely mean and intend , where the error of a man , and his heresie in his mind and judgment doth only extend to the hurt of his own soul , and against god , and not to the harm of his neigbours person or estate ; in that case he ought only to suffer as before-mentioned , to be delivered up to satan , and to be rejected , &c. but if his error and heresie do extend further then onely against god , and his own soul , even to the wronging , injuring and defrauding of his neighbours person and estate , and outward wrongs , or evils , or violence , or visible mischiefs be committed , as murders , or other the like visible crimes against men , to the injuring of others , then i forbid not outward external punishments to be corporally inflicted upon the person and estate of such a man ; but it ought to be done , and that by laws of men , provided for the same end ; even such a mans error in such his wrong dealing , may justly and lawfully be punished with death banishment , or penalties , according to the desert of the crime , if his sin and error be against men , let men deal with him , and punish him accordingly : if his offence and error be onely against god , and his own soul , let god deal with him , and punish him by his wrath in his conscience , which one day will be executed upon all that err from the truth , and tribulation and anguish shall be upon his soul that doth evil , as it is written : but it is utterly unlawful , and sin against god , for men to kill , burn , or banish men for the error of their minds and judgments in spiritual matters , while they do walk justly and truly ( as men ) in the things pertaining to men , and are not injurious to the persons or estates of any , by reason of such their error , but they only sin and err against god , and their own souls , to the hurt thereof , and not man by any outward punishments or violence executed upon their persons , but god and his people in the way and manner of the spirit of christ , as afore declared , ought for such their errors and heresies to deal with them , and proceed towards them in respect of punishment for the same . lastly , these things are but said in general concerning error and heresie , how they are to be judged and punished , and by whom , and to manifest that there is error and heresie , hereticks and erroneous persons in the world ; for ( as i have said before ) it was not now my work to ennumerate the particular parts of errors and heresies , that are held in principle , doctrine and practice , in the world at this day , they are so many and large ; but yet more particularly , thus i would in brief define hereticks and heresie : that man ( whatsoever he be ) is in error in all parts of his principles , and practises , held and maintained by him in point of religion and worship of god , especially that is not perswaded of the truth and verity of his way by the holy spirit of god , and led , guided , and taught in the performance and practice thereof , by the same spirit of jesus ; if the holy spirit of god dwell not in him , and doth not preswade the heart in the belief of the truth , and teach and lead the man in the practice of it ; such a man , even that man errs , and is in error in all what he is , and what he doth , in point of religion and duty to god-wards , and that because the spirit of truth and righteousness is not the only leader and teacher in the things professed and practised , but either traditions , example of others , or custom of places and times , or something else besides the spirit of god , which only perswades into the belief of truth , and teaches into the performance of the same , and thus is distinguished and known : a man that is erroneous in his faith and practice , not taught and perswaded by the spirit of christ in what he is , and in what he doth , he is in error , and in a degree of heresie , erring in mind , and judgment and conscience , in principle and practice , and subject to err in all things : now as for the case of error and heresie , as the matter hath stood ( in distinguishing of hereticks and heresies , in judging of the same , and in proceeding with hereticks in the manner aforesaid ) for many generations in the apostacy , since the apostles dayes , all this hath been wrong , and not in the spirit and power of christ jesus , but men , cases and proceedings all have been perverted from truth in that matter , because the spirit of darkness and ignorance hath ruled ( and not the spirit of god ) in the hearts of men ; and the spirit that is not of the father ( which spirit of the father is only pure , perfect and infallible , because it is of god , and can truly judge and determine in these cases ) has been lord and judge in this matter ; and men out of their envy and hatred one towards another , have judg'd one another to be erronious and hereticks , and proceeded against them thereupon ; and such as have differ'd in iudgment or opinion , one sect and sort from another , and would not conform to one another in their wayes , practices and religion ; it hath been common for all different sorts of men to cry out one upon another , and against each other , heresie , heresie , hereticks , erronious persons , and the like ; and proceeded against one another , men against men differing from them , and sect against sect contrary to it self , and especially that sect or sort of people that hath had the government of nations and countries in their power , could , and hath easily proceeded against all others dissenting , upon the account of error , to the destroying of many , absolutely through envy , hatred and prejudice , and not upon the truth , soundness and verity of judgment in that matter ; and this hath been common for many ages ; sometimes ( according to the occasion offered ) papists have destroyed protestants , and sometimes protestants have destroyed the papists on this account of heresie and error : all which proceedings have been in the enmity and ignorance , and not in the power and life of jesus ; whereby it hath come to pass , that many men hath been destroyed for the cause , of which they have been more innocent then they that have destroyed them : and thus by false judgment and cruel proceedings in the matter of heresie and error , many have been destroyed unjustly , and the world filled with enmity about difference in religious matters , and with murders and cruelties , upon the false judgments of men about heresie ; and this is weighty , to be truly considered , a case to be lamented and grieved for , by the righteous : oh! what strife ( in the christian world ) hath been for ages on this occasion , each sort of people exclaiming against , and persecuting others as hereticks and seditious persons , onely for difference in judgment in spiritual cases , and each particular person ( almost ) raging with fury , and intending his neighbours destruction , and onely for being contrary-minded in point of doctrine and worship . oh! the view of these things , and woful effects produced in the world for ages in these occasions , makes my heart grieve , because of the destructions of men , yea , of the destruction of many upon wrongful judgments and proceedings on these occasions : i am troubled , i am troubled ; and ever since i have known the right hand from the left ( in god's matters ) my soul often in the deep search of these things hath cryed out , how woful are they ! and when shall it once be , that these things shall be no more in the world , but that every man may sit at rest and quiet with his god in the way , faith and practises of righteousness , as his heart is perswaded of , and not be tossed with false judgments , cruel afflictions , and hard dealing , because of his judgment and conscience in the belief and knowledge of heavenly matters ? thus hath my spirit been framed with zeal against these things ; this imposing of religion by force , these procedings of killing and destroying men upon the account of heresie ; these things my soul hath loathed , and i am weary of them , and my zeal is kindled against them : oh i when will the rulers of this world learn wisdom , and forsake false judgment and oppression ! and when will it be that they will onely rule and judge for the lord in their state and compass of worldly affairs between man and man , in the matters of outward wrongs and injuries ! and when will they leave it to the lord to be judge , king and ruler only , in all the cases of his spiritual kingdom ! then should it be happy and blessed unto men , unto kings , and their subjects , to rulers and their people , and to all sorts of persons , if judgment were onely ascribed unto god , that he only might judge and determine of these cases , and punish men according to the desert of their offences of error ; then should it be well with them : but in the mean time , whilst men are judged and supposed to be herericks , and thereupon sentenced to death , banishment , or corporal punishment for their ( supposed ) errors sake in matters of iudgment and conscience : tribulation , misery , distractions , and wofull consequence will follow upon that work , to kings , rulers and people , in every nation and countrey , and no peace , true comfort nor happiness , shall be in the midst of men . and this is the judgment of the spirit of god in him who hath obtained favour from god , to receive knowledge and understanding in these matters . he that can receive this , let him . chap. iii. concerning antichrist and his mystery of deceiveableness ; what he is in himself , and how he appears in the world ; what his works are , and what his government is , and where it is , and who are the subjects of his kingdom . . these things are great mysteries ; and though in the world they are very much abounding , and extant throughout all nations , yet for the most part unknown unto the world , and not discovered among the sons of men , but secretly hidden , and veiled under false covers , and in much deceivableness dwelling and working upon earth , in the deep mysteries of iniquity , to the deceiving of multitudes of people , who are indeed of antichrist , among whom he dwells , appears , rules , reigns , and hath his authority and government , and yet they know it not , nor do they discern him in his wayes and works , though they are under his power , and subjects of his kingdom ; such indeed is the mystery of antichrist , his hidden , false covered pathes , in which he works , and walks amongst the sons of men in the world , that he easily beguiles and betrays men , and deceiveth them unto perdition , while yet they know not that they are beguiled and deceived , but think they are altogether well , and do well , and are in the way of salvation , being led of that wicked one , and blinded by him , and are bewitched into the false faith , and deceivable pretence of goodness , righteousness , holiness and sanctity , as if they were indeed members of the true church , and saints of the most high , and had a right to eternal life , and were the very sons and servants of the almighty , wher indeed and in truth they are yet in the estate of enmity against god , in the degeneration and bondage of corruption , unconverted , and unsanctified , and sinners and ungodly , the very children of the devil , and servants of unrighteousness , and have no assurance nor right unto the kingdom of god , to rest in his peace and glory : such ( i say ) is the working of antichrist , that he appears to be in the world , contrary to what he truly is in his own beeing and nature , and deceives men and people into the apprehensions and conceits of what they are not , even contrary to what they are in their present state and standing ; even so deep and mysterious is antichrist in himself , and in his working among the children of men . . that there is such a man or spirit in the world as antichrist , this is not doubtfull , but confessed by all , and proved by the scriptures ; for the apostle wrot to the church , they had heard that antichrist should come , and even now ( saith he ) are there many antichrists come into the world , john . . and also john verse . saith he , for many deceivers are entred into the world , and this is a deceiver , and an antichrist , &c. and thes. . the apostle speaks of the man of sin , and of the son of perdition , that should be revealed in the world , and should exalt himself above all that is called god : these with many other scriptures , do prove that there is such a thing in the world , already come into the world , and now dwelling and walking in the world as antichrist , man of sin , and son of perdition ; and as i said , 't is confessed by all that there is an antichrist , such a man , or spirit now extant in the world ; though there are great debates and contentions amongst many called christians , what this antichrist is , and who he is , some holding one thing , and some another about him , and also there is much difference amongst men concerning this matter ; and 't is the general way of people , one sort to accuse another , that are different from them in profession and religion , that ye and ye are of antichrist ; but this hath been for the most part in enmity , and in the spirit of wrath and contention , and is not from true judgment and knowledge : now therefore it remains to be made manifest , according to the gift of grace , knowledge and understanding , what antichrist is in himself , and how he appears in the world ; seeing we have proved , that there is such a thing as antichrist now ruling and raigning somewhere amongst men , throughout the nations of the earth . . antichrist is not ( as some suppose ) a particular visible person upon earth , distinct and divided from all other persons , as if none besides such an one were antichrist ; but antichrist is rather an invisible spirit , a spirit , i say , dwelling in persons , even in many persons throughout the world , which makes them all of antichrist , or to be many antichrists , according to iohn . . there are many antichrists ( saith iohn ) whereby we know it is the last time : so that it is plain , there are in the world many antichrists , many men of sin , or many sinful men , many sons of perdition and ungodliness ; not onely one man that is such , but many men in the world , even all such in whom the spirit of antichrist , or antichrist that spirit dwells and walks , they are all antichrists , or of antichrist , because of that spirit of antichrist which doth possess them , and rule them in the wayes of sin and death , in idolatry and false wayes , and in opposition to and against christ jesus the lord of life ; even all the deceivers in the world , all that are erred from the spirit and power of christ , and are not of the true church , gathered into his name and power , but bringeth another doctrine than that of christ and his saints , and truly confesseth not in word and practice unto jesus come in the flesh ; all such are antichrists , and of antichrist , according to iohn . even all the apostates , who profess christ , and his truth , and his church , and are not in the spirit and power of christ , but in the form of godliness , without the power , professing god in words , but in works denying him , all such are antichrists , by reason of that spirit of antichrist which dwells in them , and into which spirit they are leavened and moulded , and are one with it , and bring forth the fruits of it in the world ; and therefore they are antichrists , more than one , even many antichrists , as i have said . . antichrist in himself is the man of sin , the son of perdition , which is indeed and in truth the very devil in his nature and kind , and in his power and spirit , and of him ; and yet not divided , nor distinct from him , but is him ( to wit , the devil ) as he is in himself : and he is against christ , and wholy contrary to christ , and bringeth forth fruits and works to the dishonour of christ , and opposeth christ , and is in all things of a contrary nature and quality to jesus christ. and he is called antichrist , to wit , before , or against , and contrary to christ. and this is antichrist in himself , an adversary to god , an enemy to all righteousness , a perverter of the wayes of god , a hater of all good , a despiser and persecutor of god's people ; and indeed a certain spirit and power distinct , divided , and separated from the living god , and his son jesus christ ; and contrary in nature and quality , in fruits and effects : and there is no fellowship in any thing between christ and antichrist ; but they are divided and separated one from the other , contrary and opposite one to the other in all their wayes and works , and in their kinds and natures : for , as i have said , antichrist in himself , in his nature and kind , is the devil , and no other ; he is the man of sin , the sinful man , that conceiveth and worketh all evil , the son of perdition , the son that is lost from god , and reprobate forever ; he that is fallen , diverted and cast out from the presence , glory and power of the creator ; he that is sealed unto vengeance in the wrath and enmity against god and christ jesus , as being contrary irreconcilably to the nature and works of christ. this is said of antichrist , as what he is in himself , as that particular spirit , and not of the many antichrists , which are only vessels retaining this one spirit , and members of him , through his power dwelling in them , and by which they are one with this spirit , and one in action , and bring forth the works and fruits of it : for 't is possible , some that are such in their present standing , even under the power of antichrist , may be converted and turned from him , and changed into another nature , and so saved : but as for the antichrist in himself , as such , he is the devil , and sealed up in the anger of god , never to be redeemed , nor saved , nor changed into another nature . . though antichrist in himself be the devil , yet his appearances in the world are divers and many ; and he appears in outward and visible actions amongst men diversly ; somtimes he appears in the way and form of open prophaneness , by the works of men , in all manner of unrighteousness and iniquity ; for all sin , of what kind soever , in every appearance of it , is of the devil and antichrist , even all prophane wayes and works of evil men ; lying , drunkenness , whoredom , double-dealing , envy , malice , and every evil work and word brought forth by the sons of adam in the fall , are all of antichrist and the devil , and is his visible appearance in the world ; though sometimes his appearance is in another way and manner , even in a way of seeming righteousness and holiness , and in the profession of christ and christianity , and pretence of faith towards god , and worship of god , and crying up church and fellowship in the same , and forms of godliness ; as if antichrist were a saint and servant of god : thus , and after this manner doth antichrist appear in the world amongst men now in these latter dayes , since the apostles time , in the apostacy of christianity . antichrist ( i say ) though the devil in himself , yet hath he often appeared as a saint upon earth , in the pretence of holiness , righteousness , worship and religion ; such hath been his policy and deceivableness , that he hath put on the appearance of gospel , doctrine , ministry and ordinances , and covered himself thereby , that he might the better beguile , entangle , and deceive mankind in the form and profession of a saint , and member of the true church ; he hath put on the sheep's-clothing , hath made use of the saints words and practices , and hath exalted himself in the temple of god , as if he were god , shewing himself to be god , and hath been lifted up above all that is called god , according to thes. . . and christ himself said to his disciples , that there should arise false christs , and false prophets , and should shew signs and wonders , if it were possible to deceive the very elect , mat. . , which doth signifie , that the antichrists and false prophets should come into the world after his prophecy , which are already come since that time : they should pretend to be christs , and should shew signs , and should deceive many with the profession of christ , and signs of godliness ; and they should have upon them and be covered with sheep's-clothing , that is , with the saints words and practices in outward appearance ; but inwardly , that is , in their own proper nature , fruits and works , should be ravening wolves ; that is , destroyers of the flock , mat. . . and the antichrists which iohn speaks ( iohn . . ) they were such as went from the saints that were in the power of godliness , they went out of the true church , and carried with them the form of righteousness and truth , and the profession of christianity , but without the power , and had lost it , and were departed from the spirit of christ , and the spirit of antichrist had possessed them , and now led them and ruled them , and they were antichrists ( to wit ) against him , and contrary to him : and these were the false prophets and deceivers , that went out into the world , and deceived it , and led many aside into error , and many followed their pernitious and hurtful wayes , as peter saith , pet. . , . and paul speaks of such as had the form of godliness , but denyed the power ; and in words professed god , but in works denyed him : such were the antichrists and deceivers in the apostles dayes , and such they are this day in the world ; whereby it is manifest that antichrist often appears in the world as a saint , as a righteous one ; and the many antichrists they have gotten the form and appearance of church , ministry , worship and ordinances ; and thus they appear deceiving the world , and them that dwell therein , with the appearance and vain-shew of faith , worship and religion , without the power of godliness ; for unto that antichrist is an enemy , even a destroyer , a persecutor , and gainsayer of christ and his works , and the power of godliness and true faith brought forth by the spirit of christ , though to deceive the world he can transform himself into , and appear as an angel of light. . again , so deceivable and mysterious is , and hath the appearance and working of antichrist been in the world , that he hath not alwayes dwelt in one kind of form and profession of religion and righteousness ; but he hath dwelt in many appearances , and removed out of one false form into another , according to his oportunity and advantage , whereby he could deceive ; and sometimes dwelling in one form , with pretence of zeal , and performance of duty to god , he hath envyed , persecuted and destroyed many others in other wayes of profession , more zealous , upright and sincere to god than themselves have been in the other form ; and by the colour of zeal and performance of duty hath antichrist clothed himself in his envies , persecutions and murders of others , as if he did not persecute nor impose upon the conscience of any , nor exercise that rigour ( or justice , as he hath named his proceedings , though never so cruel and unjust ) towards any , upon any terms or account of wrath , bitterness , envy , or cruelty , but zeal , duty , and love to religion , and to entinguish heresie , &c. this hath been the pretence and cloak of antichrist in his cruel and hard dealing with many men that have differed in principle and practice of religion ; he hath often shewed himself in his present form of godliness , so zealous and dutiful for the truth of his way ( though never so idolatrous ) against all that have opposed it , and gainsayed his form and vain shew , that he hath killed , slain , and exercised cruelty towards all that have been contrary or different-minded : and though this hath been brought forth by antichrist , as he is the devil in himself , and in down-right envy , malice , persecution and wickedness ; yet it hath been acted and effected under the cloak of zeal , duty , and sincerity , and out of pretence of love to christ and his church , and out of pretence of hatred against the contrary . thus hath antichrist ( though the devil , that wicked one , as he is in himself , in his own nature , kind and proper sphear ) appeared in the world as a zealous church-member , as a saint , as a promoter of righteousness , and a destroyer of the contrary : with these false covers hath antichrist been cloathed and hidden from men , and appeared to be in his works and transactions , as a good man , as a lover of god , and hater of iniquity , while in the mean time he hath been deceiving men , and destroying the innocent , and leading the world to perpetual misery and destruction . . again , so deceivable hath the spirit of antichrist been in the world , that he hath alwayes put the name of christ , and the name of his church , and the pretence of duty to god , and the name of gospel , doctrine , ordinances , ministry and worship upon whatsoever false way , feigned worship and deceitful profession , that he hath gone about to set up and promote in the world among men : i say , upon the worst and most idolatrous wayes of superstition , and the most false , feigned formal worship that ever hath been in the world , antichrist hath put the name of christ , his church and worship upon them ; and imposed and forced the belief and practice of much false worship , false doctrine and formal wayes , under the name and title of the true christ , his doctrine and worship ; and upon pains and penalties hath enjoyned and commanded the belief and practice of such things , not as if they were of antichrist , superstitious , evil , false or feigned ; but as if they were of christ altogether , and must be believed and practiced , as by his name , and under his authority : thus hath been the working of the mystery of iniquity of that man of sin , the antichrist ; all the evil wayes he hath conceived and brought forth in the world ; all the idolatrous worship , and false faith , and doctrine , and all the cruelties murders and unjust dealing , to the very destroying of the saints , and all the unrighteousness and deceivableness exercised by antichrist in the world , hath put all this on the name of christ , and pretended christ for it , as if it were indeed and in truth of him and from him , when indeed and in truth it hath been contrary to the true christ , and tended to kill and destroy him : thus hath antichrist the devil been cloaked with false covers and deceitful pretences in his working among men ; that wicked spirit hath falsly called the greatest of pride and ambition , decency and true honour ; covetousness and deceitful dealing hath he stiled , good — husbandry and prudent-walking ; and the most cruel and unjust iudgment , the oppression of the poor , and the grinding of the face of the innocent , hath that spirit falsly titled equal proceedings , iustice , and according to law , and the like : yea , and the persecutions and murders that ever have been acted against the saints of god in all generations , though cruel and unrighteous , and of the devil , yet all this hath antichrist titled to be in honour to christ , and for the destroying hereticks , and out of iustice and zeal for god , and such like : yea , and the most gross idolatries , and most deceitful wayes of worship that ever hath been set up in the world , have been named after christ , and pretended to be done in honour to him , and for his glory , and so forth ; so deceivable hath antichrist been in the world , and walked and wrought among the sons of men in deceiving of them , that he hath used and taken upon him the very name of christ ; and all his evil works of iniquity of all kinds , hath he put the name and honour of christ upon them , and so deceived the world by his false wayes , worships , doctrines and persecutions , through covering these things with the name of christ , and pretending his honour and exaltation , whenas his own true nature and property is to kill christ , and gainsay him . and this indeed is antichrist , who under colour and pretence of worshipping and honouring christ doth seek to slay him : this is that crafty and deceitful fox , that man of sin that hath been exalted , that antichrist that wicked one , that hath deceived the world for many ages ; but the lord is now discovering him , and destroying him by the breath of his mouth , and by the brightness of his coming , according to the faithful promise of god in his servants ; and antichrist shall be discovered and destroyed ; the day of the lord is at hand upon him . . again , it hath been the way of antichrist , that he might the better deceive the world , to transform himself into the likeness of the best way , and strictest profession of religion , and so to remove from one way and form unto another , as i said before , that he might the better deceive men , according as paul writ , cor. . verse , . for such are false apostles , deceitful workers , transforming themselves into the apostles of christ ; and no marvel , for satan himself is transformed into an angel of light ; by which it is plain , that antichrist did change and transform himself , and remove from one way to another , even till he appeared as an angel of light , and in the very way and form of the ministry of righteousness ; thus did antichrist work and transform himself in the dayes of the apostles , and ever since unto this day in all times and ages ; for it hath been his manner and way , when he could no longer cover himself , nor be hid in such a way of worship and religion , in which he hath sometimes dwelt and walked , but that his wickedness , cruelties , persecutions and deceits must needs be seen , and made appear unto men by the light of the lord shining amongst them , then he hath transformed into another likeness , and removed his cruelties and persecutions into another form and appearance ; it may be into the very way ( in the outward prosession and practice of it ) in which sometime the lord hath dwelt and walked , and there hath he dwelt deceiving the world by his new form and appearance , and exercised his wickedness , cruelties and persecutions , in some new way , having quitted the last form in which he dwelt , because he was there too publikly seen and discovered : and now in his new likeness into which he is transformed , he can plead the example of saints ; they did such things , and held such doctrines , and performed such practises as now he is found in ; and this did the devil sometime to christ , he pleaded scripture against him : and thus antichrist can change himself into divers appearances , that he may deceive men : well , but and if he be again discovered , and his cruelties and wickedness made appear in his last and newest form , he can transform again into a more strict way and zealous performance , even into an angel of light , as if he were indeed the true christ , and were in the truth altogether , and no man needed to doubt of the truth of his way ; and then under that form , being covered with more zeal then ever , with more pretence of duty to god then before , he blinds the world , and deceives them , and leads men to perdition ; and though changeable in his appearance , yet is he in himself antichrist still , in his own proper nature a murderer , destroyer , and a fountain of mischief and evil. the truth of this is plain , if it be considered through the course of scriptures in generations past , and transactions of time , as in the prophets dayes of old , this spirit ( which is no other but the devil ) sometimes opposed , gainsayed , and persecuted the prophets , reproached them , and with-stood them , and imprisoned them , and killed them . and sometimes we find the same spirit transformed it self into the way of the prophets , and acted by some deceivers and false prophets , in the same words and practices which the true prophets had said and done ; and as the true prophets used their tongues , and said , the lord saith it ; so the false prophets ( in whom the devil was transformed ) they used their tongues , and said , the lord saith it ( also ) when god had not spoken to them : so here was this spirit of antichrist changing and transforming himself , that he might the better deceive . also , in the dayes of christ and his apostles the devil and antichrist apeared against them , and persecuted them , and killed them , and used cruelty and injustice towards them ; and ( as before i said ) this was done to christ and his apostles by the wicked iews , under colour and pretence of love to their god , and zeal for their law , and for the honour of their ordinances and priesthood , which they supposed christ and his apostles made void : which shews , that the devil and antichrist appears in the world as a good man ; as a lover of god , and his laws , and the like . well , but though the envious men and wicked persons ( through the spirit of the devil ) did for some time oppose , gainsay and persecute christ and his apostles , yet the same spirit ( possibly some of the same persons ) transformed into the profession of christ , and into the profession of the words and works of him and his apostles : for we find envious men , and wicked men , such as had persecuted christ , and killed him , were gotten to preach him in words , and had gotten and taken upon them the form of christ's doctrine , and preached him out of envy , and for self-ends , and the like : so that 't is plain , the same spirit that sometime opposed and persecuted the prophets , christ , and his apostles , other times was transformed into the profession of the prophets , christ , and his apostles words : and this is the way of antichrist to deceive men upon earth , and to lead them to perdition ; for when the devil and antichrist perceives that his envy , malice and cruelty cannot prevail to subdue and keep under the way and truth of christ jesus , as it appears in the world , then he transforms into the likeness and formal appearance of the way of the lord and his truth ; and when the devil cannot kill christ so , but that christ will rise again , appear , and live for ever , contrary to all the malice and enmity of the devil ; then , ( rather then he will submit to be no more ) he will transform himself , and take upon him the name of christ , of his honour and glory , and profess him in words , and seem a friend to christ and his kingdom : and this he doth , that he may live still in the world , and by deceiveableness beguile the sons of men into perpetual destruction . . and the very work of antichrist this day in the world , is to deceive , beguile , seduce and betray the world and all mankind ; 't is his only work and calling , as i may say , to deceive ; 't is his nature and property to work deceitfully ; and thus it ever was with him , it hath been his property and his work in all ages , and in every age since the beginning of the world , to deceive and beguile , to lead men from god , and to lead them into perdition : this i say hath ever been his work in the world , and by the means aforesaid , ( to wit ) by transforming and changing himself into the likeness of righteousness and verity , and putting the pretence of goodness , vertue and holiness upon his actions and doings , though never so evil and unrighteous , he hath always , i say , by this means , and in this way deceived the world , by appearing as a saint , as a well-doer ; as an angel of light , pretending wisdom , righteousness and vertue , and colouring his deeds thereby , as is proved in the case of the first deceiving of eve ; what said satan to the woman ? not that i am such a one , and do intend to deceive thee with falsity ; but , thou shalt be as god ; thou shalt be wise of thy self , and know , and be , and do as god : here was a fair pretence , by which he deceived the woman . and the false prophets and false apostles in the dayes of old , did not deceive the world into an absolute denial of god , and christ , and truth , but did deceive them into the false profession of the same , holding out the form of godliness without the power ; and by feigned words , and good speeches , did deceive the hearts of the simple ; and by false doctrine , and ordinances , and form of religion , did the antichrist deceive the world , in dayes past , as he doth at this day : for if he did appear to be as he is in his own nature and property , a devil , deceiver , and wicked one , a leader to perdition and destruction , and should vindicate himself as such , and entice and tempt people as such ; then none would believe him , nor follow his wayes , for none would willingly be destroyed . but he appears not as such in the world , but alwayes transforms himself into the likeness of god and goodness , still pretending the same : and by this means is he more capable to deceive mankind ; for he cannot so readily deceive and lead men to perdition , in his own proper nature , if he appear as he is such ; but therefore he appears contrary to what his own nature is , and transforms himself . and thus doth antichrist deceive the christian world ( so called ) at this day , even by his false wayes of religion , false worship , false doctrine , false humility , false faith , and false church , pretending zeal and sanctity , and such like : herein , and hereby ( generally ) doth antichrist that man of sin , deceive and beguile the world unto perdition and destruction . oh! how many thousands of peoples , of nations and countries are at this day deceived on this wise , thinking they are in the truth , and true way of religion , faith and worship , professing and performing these things with much zeal , as if they were indeed the wayes and ordinances of christ , when as they are but false , feigned , formal , and of antichrist , and deceivable to the souls of men , even shews without substance ; forms without life and power ; of antichrist , and not of the true christ. and thus , and after this manner , with the very likeness of righteousness , and appearance of godliness , and profession of faith and duty to god , hath antichrist deceived the world , and doth at this day delude nations , to the perdition of thousands : and antichrist doth not generally deceive men in his works and appearance as he is in his own proper nature ; but in his appearance and works transformed and changed into another likeness , even into the likeness of truth and righteousness : by this means and way satan , antichrist , and that man of sin , doth delude and deceive the nations of the world. . what the works of antichrist are , by what is said , doth partly appear : his works are all deceivableness , to deceive and delude the world , to lead mankind captive in the wayes of sin and death , unto the destruction of their souls , and to be cruel and hard-hearted , envious , malicious and perverse , a hater and persecutor of goodness and good men , and to murder and work wickedness , to do all evil , and to oppose , gain-say and deny all good : this in general is the work of antichrist ; though as to particulars i now intend not to mention , saving as i have before shewed , to impose upon conscience in religious matters , by outward force and violence , is a main principle work of antichrist ; and to kill and destroy persons on the account of heresie and error , and to use violence , and cruel impositions in spiritual cases , contrary to the spirit of christ jesus . these are works and wayes of antichrist , which he brings forth in the world , as also the promoting of all the false and idolatrous worships , and false church-governments in the world ; and in short , every evil work and word brought forth amongst the sons of men , are the works of the devil and antichrist , which he seduceth the world into the working and doing of ; and to consider the state of the world as it is at this day , and how it is deceived in many grievous and abominable wayes of error , superstitions , idolatries and wickedness , it makes the hearts of the righteous sad and mournful , because of the deceivableness of the working of the mystery of iniquity , of antichrist , that man of sin in the world , who deceiveth mankind with the appearance and shew of godliness , and leads the children of men in the wayes of ignorance , death , blindness and error , yet holds them under a false pwerswasion of safety and security , as if they were in the right way , and walked in the pathes of happiness , when indeed and in truth they are beguiled and deceived , and nigh unto the pathes of perdition . oh! how hath antichrist prevailed in these latter dayes , since the dayes of the apostles , and deceived the world with the very formal profession and practice of such doctrines and things as the apostles held and practised in the power of god in their dayes : but now antichrist he holds the form in his false spirit , and hath the appearance and likeness of righteousness , truth , faith and worship , without the power of god , even likeness of the things that the apostles and saints held in the power of god : and hereby is the world deceived , though antichrist hath taught them to plead scriptures , and prove by scriptures , ●…t the apostles did the same things , and held the same profession ; yet being now held and professed out of the power of god , and not in the same spirit that the apostles were in , 't is but of antichrist , and deceivable , and leads captive the souls of men into destruction . oh therefore that the world , and all that dwel therein , would consider the danger of that deceivable spirit of antichrist , and how he deceiveth mankind , and would turn from him , and forsake the wayes and works of antichrist , that they may be saved , and not destroyed . oh! all ye called christians , 't is time to consider what spirit ye are of , and what spirit leads you , and how ye may escape his delusions ; for the day of the lord is come , and he is gathering people out of the wayes of antichrist , and setting them free from his cruel bonds , to serve the lord in liberty and freedom of the spirit of christ jesus ; and blessed are all they that witness this , where christ reigns , and antichrist is subdued with his works and fruits , and discovered and destroyed by the spirit of the lord , and the brightness of his coming , who comes to judge the world in righteousness and truth . . these things are said in general of antichrist ; now it remains to be shewed , what the government of antichrist is in it self , and where it is in beeing , and who the subjects of his kingdom are . that antichrist the man of sin hath a government , a kingdom , a power , an authority , a rule and a dominion ( which is indeed his government ) this is not doubtful to any , but acknowledged by all ; but what this kingdom and government is many are ignorant . now the kingdom and government of antichrist is not the government and authority of some particular man , in some particular countrey and nation upon earth , distinct from all other persons and nations , as if such a particuler visible kingdom and authority , were antichrist's government , and none besides : but the authority , kingdom and government of antichrist is more invisible , more hidden , as it were more spiritual and undiscernable unto the sons of men , then any visible , outward kingdom is : and indeed , the kingdom of antichrist is the authority and power of spiritual wickedness , of spiritual invisible iniquity , or the rule and dominion of the son of perdition , of the man of sin , exercised in the hearts and spirits of all ungodly men : this is the kingdom and government of antichrist , an authority of spiritual wickedness , a power of the mystery of iniquity , and of invisible prevailing of the son of perdition in , and over the hearts of the sons of men ; not onely of one person , or in one nation or kingdom of the world , but in all sinful persons , and over all nations of the earth ; antichrist's government is such throughout kingdoms of this world , even a spiritual power of wickedness , a dominion and authority of the mystery of iniquity , ruling and raigning in the hearts of many men , even of all sinful men , of all unjust men of all unconverted men through all nations in the world : so that it may not truly be said , that antichrist's kingdom and government is onely the particular authority of any particular man , in a particular nation of the earth , and all others ( men and nations ) are free ; but it is ( as i have said ) the authority , power and rule of the spirit of wickedness , of the mystery of iniquity , in the hearts of all evil men , in all nations through the world. and this is truly the kingdom of antichrist in it self . . this government is placed and set up , and chiefly the place and beeing of it , is ( not only in all nations at large , but ) in the hearts , even in particular hearts of the sons of men , in the heart and inward parts of man , is the place where antichrist's government is ; his authority , power and dominion is in the hearts of the ungodly , in the inward parts of transgressors ; in the heart antichrist ( that man of sin ) dwells and works , according as it is written , thess. . , . speaking of the man of sin , whose coming is after the working of satan with all lying wonders , and with all deceivableness of uurighteousness in them that perish : his dwelling and working is in them that perish , in the ungodly , in the hypocrites , in all ●…aters , in all false worshippers : thus it is manifest , that the government of antichrist is in the heart , not only to one man in some nations , but in the hearts of all such men mentioned in all the kingdoms of the world , even the mystery of iniquity , the spiritual wickedness , the authority and power of that spirit that is against christ , and contrary to him ( which is the rule , kingdom and government of antichrist ) dwelleth and worketh in the hearts of the sons of men , even like as christ jesus dwelleth and walketh in his saints , as it is written , so accordingly doth antichrist dwell and walk in all that are the subjects of his kingdom : yet notwithstanding , the government of antichrist is in the hearts of men , originally there , as having got dominion and power over the seed of god , and placed it self in the heart , which is its seat , and where christ should reign , yet the government of antichrist is not so spiritual , so hidden and invisible in the heart , but that it appears outwardly and visibly in the actions and fruits of men ; so that the outward actions and works of men are 〈◊〉 and sinted with the spirit of antichrist , and his government apaears visible in antichristian ways and works brought forth by men ; the sinfulness of men , the hypocrisies of men , the idolatries of men , and the false principles and doctrines of men , which appear visibly , are the works of antichrist , and his government stands in these things , in these works he governs men ; and to the doing of them , he leads and rules men by his authority and power , which is in the hearts of men . and thus antichrist's government appears visible and outward , and is in the outward actions and works of men to be seen in the world , as well as the working of his power and authority is in the heart inwardly . and also , antichrist's government is extended not only , as first , dwelling and working in the hearts of the ungodly ; nor secondly , as over the works of men particularly ; but over the governments of many nations and countries in general is antichrist's power and rule extended , so that the governments of the world are leavened and tasted with antichristian-power and authority in many nations ; even the spirit of antichrist hath possessed many hearts , many works , and not only so , but many governments amongst men ; and this hath appeared and broken forth visible in all the works of unrighteousness , injustice , oppressions and persecutions brought forth in worldly government ; for so much as hath been brought forth in any government , in any nation , at any time of unrighteousness , injustice , oppression , idolatry , false worship and persecutions , and of any othor evils , even so much of antichrist's kingdom , government and power hath been in that kingdom and government : and that kingdom and government wheresoever , in what nation and country soever , hath been antichristian , even in so much and by so much as injustice , wickedness , cruelty , persecution , or any acts of sin and wickedness have been , or are brought forth into action in that government . and thus it is manifest , what , and where antichrist's government is ; now i shall briefly shew , who the subjects of his kingdom are . . all the ungodly unrighteous and unconverted persons in general throughout the world are the subjects of antichrist's kingdom ; all the sons of fallen adam in transgression , all that are in the first birth , in degeneration , in the alienation and separation from god , even all that are wicked , and do wickedly , that are in the enmity against christ , and unholy , unsanctified and unregenerate , these are a●● of antichrist's kingdom , subjects of it , and servants to it , and it rules in them , and over them , and antichrist is their ruler in all these their wicked wayes , and in this their present state and condition . . all hypocrites , that profess god in words , and in works deny him ; that make a shew of religion and worship , when their hearts are far from the lord ; that with their mouthes profess much love to god , and with their lips honour him , but are departed from his fear , and stand not in his counsel ; all such are subjects of the goverments of antichrist , even all false-hearted and dissembling hypocrites , that profess more of god then they know of him by the operation of his spirit ; that have an outward conformity in appearance of worship and duty to god-wards , and their hearts are not conformed to the power of god , by his spirit , all such are of the government of antichrist , and his kingdom and power dwells in them , and they are under the dominion thereof . . all idolaters , false worshippers , hereticks and erronious persons ; such as cry up church and ministry , and profess faith and godliness , and yet are not guided by the spirit of christ , nor led of it into all truth , these are subjects of the aforesaid government of antichrist , even all they that are sensually-minded , and have not the spirit of christ guiding them in the way of righteousness and truth , who are not converted , and born again , and renewed into the image and likeness of christ iesus ; and yet practice holiness , and duty to god-wards in outward appearance ; and are in the profession of the words of christ , and his prophets and apostles , but have not the same spirit and power of the lord iesus christ , as the prophes and apostles had ; these are covered with sheep's-clothing , and profess christ and his words , but are against christ , and contrary to him in kind and nature ; and all such are of the government of antichrist , and he governs them , and rules over them . . all backsliders , and them that have forsaken the right way of the lord ; all that are turned against the truth of god , which once they knew and believed , and were convinced of , and sometimes professed , these are all subjects of antichrist's raign and authority , even all the unfaithful and false-hearted , who are treacherous to god and men , and unconstant & unchangeable , time-servers & hypocrites , who have denyed christ before men , and turned against him , and his saints , such are under satans power , and he works in their hearts , and antichrist deceives them , and they are under his power and dominion , and are subjects of his government . . all persecutors of the saints , all violent and cruel men , all that persecute such as are contrary-minded to themselves , are of antichrist , and subjects of his kingdom ; even all that kill , and burn and destroy for difference of faith and religion , who themselves profess love to god and his way , and yet will persecute others , and destroy them by cruel dealing , and that would not suffer any to live but themselves , and will not do to others as they would be done unto ; but hate the neighbour , and persecute brother , and impose upon his conscience in things against good conscience , and are violent doers ; all such men are subjects to antichrist's kingdom in all nations throughout the world. therefore let all consider , this is the day of the lord , god will discover and destroy antichrist and his kingdom ; let the wicked and ungodly turn from his evil way , lest god destroy him with perpetual destruction . lastly , 't is the property of such who are subjects of antichrist's kingdom , to profess and cry up much of christ in words , of what he said and did , of his life , of his death , of what he hath been , and what he shall be , and do deny the present enjoyment of christ , to that antichrist is an enemy ; he can well away with it to speak of christ at a distance , but he cannot bear it if any hold forth a present enjoyment of christ ; that christ takes away sin , and forgives it , and that his blood cleanseth from it , and that he is the iustifier , and redeemer and saviour ; the profession of all this in words from the letter without , and that they are things true in themselves antichrist can bear and make a shew of in profession ; but if any of the saints of god do witness these things , and shall testifie in the power of the lord the enjoyment of these things , and that they are at present in this life possessed ( to wit ) christ now lives in us , and is come , and his blood hath clensed from sin , and he hath forgiven it , and he hath justified , redeemed and saved : i say , if any do witness these things in present enjoyment , and that they are now in this present time witnessed in the spirit of christ , and not onely professed from the letter without , but experienced by the work of god within ; antichrist opposeth this , and gainsayes present enjoyment : and such indeed are subjects of antichrist's kingdom , who have the profession of christ in words , but no present enjoyment of him , but want his nature , and are in the nature contrary to him , and feed upon reports of things done by him without , and upon the expectations of what he shall do hereafter , and in this present state are without christ , and are sinners and transgressors against the life of righteousness , unconverted and unregenerated by christ ; all such as these are the subjects of antichrist's kingdom . and as concerning the rise and fall of antichrist , the beginning and ending of his kingdom ; these things in season may be declared , if god permit . e. b. a hue-and-cry after the false prophets and deceivers of our age : and a discovery of them by their works and fruits ; and who they are in this age that follow the same spirit , and act the same things , as did the false prophet in former generations . forasmuch as in the world at this day , and through all christian nations , there is a great cry concerning false prophets and deceivers , each one sort and sect of people accusing and charging the teachers and ministers that are of others , and not of their way , to be deceivers and false prophets : thus the papists cry against the protestant ministers , and the protestant ministers do the like by the papists , each one sort of people cryes the like against the ministers of the others . and without all controversie , there are in the christian-world ( so called ) and in these kingdoms , many false prophets and deceivers even at this day , and hath been for many ages since the dayes of the apostles : and the world , and nations and multitudes have been deceived into the way of error through the means of the deceivers , who have done much hurt in the world by their divinations and antichristian-wayes that they have walked in : but though it is acknowledged by all sorts of christians , that there are and have been many deceivers and false prophets ; yet the great controversie is at this day , who are the deceivers and false prophets ? seeing ( as i have said ) that every sort of men are accusing others to be such : but now it remains to be sought out [ and that carefully by all ] who are the deceivers and false prophets ? whether papists ministers , or protestant ministers , or whether any others ? and who such are in this day ? now therefore for this very end , that it may be made manifest unto all , who the deceivers are , and that they may be turned from , and their wayes eschewed by all people ; thus i try them , and bring them to right and true judgment , and shall not charge the papists , the protestants , or any others , by their name , or because of their name , that therefore they are deceivers : but seeing that all sorts of christians do profess the scriptures , and that they own them ; therefore according to the scriptures , and by the spirit of god , i shall lay both papists , and protestants , and all others to the line of judgment by the rule of scriptures , and the spirit that gave them ; and if papists , protestants , or whose ministers soever come under the judgment of that rule , they shall be concluded by the rule of the spirit of god and the scriptures , to be false prophets and deceivers . therefore come out papists , protestants , anabaptists , quakers , and all others ; come forth and hear your tryal , and receive your judgment . first of all , it is concluded ( and that i hope by all reasonable men ) that whosoever they are at this day through the world , whether papists or protestants ( so called ) or whoever , that shall be found walking by the same spirit , and in the same wayes , and doing the same things that the false prophets of israel did in the dayes of old , and that the false brethren and false teachers among the churches of the christians in the apostles dayes walked in and followed , such may at this day be adjudged , deemed and taken to be false prophets and false teachers ; deceivers and seducers , and this without respect to any name or title whatsoever that they bear in their religion . and this is the rule of tryal and judgment , in which i may justly and righteously proceed . . they were false prophets and deceivers in the dayes of the true prophets , isa. . . that were greedy dumb dogs ; which could never have enough ; and that sought every one of them for their gain from their quarter ; and that preached for hire , and divined for money , mic. . . the priests that taught for hire , and the prophets that divined for money ; against such as these isaiah and micah cryed , and that by the spirit of the lord , being commanded of him so to do . now whosoever , whether papists or protestants of any sort , independents , presbyterians , quakers , or any other , that have a quarter , from whence they seek their gain for preaching , and teach for hire , and have hire for teaching , ( viz. ) tythes , or sums of money , and divine for money ; such , whatsoever they be , without respect of their names or professions , walk by the same spirit , and in the same way , and do the same things as the false prophets did , and are false prophets and deceivers . and therefore all people , it is left to the witness of god in your consciences , and that you may give witness in this case , who are they now , and where they are that can never have enough , but are greedy after gain , and covetous , and that seek for gain from their quarters , or portions of a country or city ? and where are they now , and who is it that preach for hire , and divine for money , that take so much money or gifts by the year or moneth for preaching ? who is it , or who are they now that walk in these wayes ? such , whoever they be , whether papists , protestants , sectaries ( so called ) are false prophets and deceivers . . they were false prophets and deceivers , that stood not in the counsel of the lord , and that did not turn people from their iniquities and evil wayes ; but spake a vision of their own hearts , and not from the mouth of the lord : and that cryed peace to them that walked wickedly , and prophesied lyes , and used their tongues , and said , the lord saith it , whenas the lord had not spoken to them ; and that seduced the people by crying peace , when there was no peace ; and saw vanity , and spok● vanity and lyes in the dayes of the true prophets : i say , such were false prophets and deceivers . now whosoever , whether papists , or protestants , or any others , that do not stand in the counsel of god , and that do not turn people from their iniquities , and their evil wayes ; but speak a vision of their own hearts , and not from the mouth of the lord ; and that cry peace to them that walk wickedly , that prophecy lyes , and use their tongues , when the lord hath not spoken to them ; and that seduce people by crying peace , when there is no peace ; and that builds the wall , and daubs it with untempered mortar , and that do not profit the people at all , but cause them to err ; such are false prophets and deceivers at this day , wheresoever and whosoever ( without respect of name or title in their profession ) such now walk by the spirit of the false prophets , and are in the way of the deceivers , which the lord sent true prophets to cry against . and now to all people of what name soever , it is left to the witness of god in you all to give witness , who they are now , and where they are that are guilty hereof . who is it now that stand not in the counsel of god , and that do not turn people from their iniquities , that do not convert them to god by their preaching , but speak what they have studied for , even a divination of their own brain , and not what they have received from god ; and that use their tongues , and take other mens words , the words of christ , the prophets and apostles ; when as they have not the same spirit of christ and his apostles ; nor have they heard the voice of god speaking to them , but take chapter and verse , and say , hear the word of the lord , when the lord never spoke to them , nor sent them . who is it now , and where are they that are guilty hereof ? and that cry peace to the wicked , when the lord speaks no peace to them ; and that are light vain persons , and covetous and greedy persons , and that see vanity , and daub with untempered mortar ; that cry peace unto people , and say they shall have peace by christ , while yet they kill christ , and are not changed by him. where are there such now , by whom people are not converted to god , although they preach time after time ? let all people bring in their witness : for whosoever are such at this day , whether they be papists or protestants , anabaptists or quakers ( so called ) or whosoever , such ▪ ( i say ) are led by the spirit of the false prophets , and are in their way and practices , and all such are to be judged , deemed and taken for antichrists ministers , false prophets and deceivers , without respect of persons or titles of religion . . they were false brethren , and false teachers , that taught for filthy lucre ; that professed they knew god in words , and in works denied him ; being abominable and disobedient , and to every good work reprobate ; who had a form of godliness , but denied the power ; and were heady and high-minded men , and lovers of pleasures more than lovers of god ; that were ever teaching , and never able to bring people to the knowledge of the truth . and such were false prophets , and false teachers , that through covetousness and feigned words did make merchandize of people ; that beguiled unstable souls , and that had hearts exercised with covetous practices ; being out of the right way , and following the way of balaam , who loved the wages of unrighteousness : these , and such as these , were deceivers and false teachers in the apostles dayes , tit. . . tim. . , . pet. chap. . now whosoever , whether papists or protestants , or of what sect soever they be that do these things , that teach for filthy lucre ; that profess god in words , but in works deny him ; and that live wickedly , and are disobedient to god ; and have the form of godliness , but want the power ; and are heady and high-minded men , and love pleasures ; under whom people are ever learning , but not able to come to the knowledge of the truth ; and that through covetousness and feigned words make merchandize of people ; that are unstable men , and do exercise themselves in covetous practices ; and are not in the right way , but do follow the way of balaam , who loved unrighteous wages : whosoever are such , whether they be papists or protestants , or quakers , or whomsoever they be , they follow the spirit of the false prophets , and are in the way of the false teachers , and are ministers of antichrist , even false prophets and deceivers . and now to all people whatsoever i appeal for evidence to the witness of god in your consciences , that you may judge in this case : where are they now , and who is it ? are there not some such present amongst you this day in your cities and towns and countries , even such as teach for filthy lucre ; that will preach where they can get gain for preaching , but not otherwise ; and that profess god and christ with their lips , and shew much love , but deny god in works ; who live unholy lives , and in evil wayes , and give bad examples to people , and that are reprobate to good works ; and that have the form of godliness , but not the power ; and that are heady and high-minded , and ambitious persons ; and that are teaching many years together , and people cannot come to the knowledge of the truth by them , but are alwayes ignorant and wicked . and do not your teachers exercise covetous practices among you , and go in the way of balaam for gifts and rewards ( viz ) so much for a sermon , and for a years preaching : such who are made ministers by man , and not by the lord , and who do not profit the people at all : whosoever they are , that are such [ now in this age ] are false prophets and deceivers , and follow the spirit and walk in the steps of the deceivers of old ; and whosoever they are , whether papists , protestants , or any others , they may lawfully be taken , judged and deemed to be false prophets , ministers of antichrist , and deceivers . . the false prophets and deceivers in the dayes of old , were feigning and flattering men , and cryed peace to the wicked ; and cryed peace , peace , to every one that put into their mouthes ; but prepared war against every one that did not , micah . . and they respected mens persons , and held mens persons in admiration because of advantage , jude . now whosoever , whether papists or protestants , or any else , that are feigners and flatterers , and that cry peace to the wicked , and cry peace to them that put into their mouthes ; but are bitter , and angry and perverse against such as will not , or cannot give them hire and money for preaching ; and that respect mens persons , and turn every way , from one kind of worship to another ; and have mens persons in admiration for their own gain and advantage : whoever are such now in this age , are false prophets and deceivers . and therefore all people , bring in your evidence ; who are such now ? and where are they that are flattering men , that cry peace to all that will give them means , and put into their mouthes , and that admire the persons of great men , and that respect the persons of great men for advantage ? if there be any such now amongst you , whether they be papists or protestants , anabaptists or quakers ( so called ) you may justly take such , and let such be deemed , judged and reputed false prophets , seducers , and ministers of antichrist . and now all people upon earth , try , learn and examine your teachers and ministers , lay them to the line of iudgment ; for if they are such as are here described , if they bear these marks and fruits declared , and if they follow the same spirit , and do as the false prophets of old did , according as 't is declared in the scriptures ; then may you justly judge them to be deceivers , and false prophets and ministers of antichrist : for whosoever they be that are amongst you , as preach for hire , and that have a quarter from whence they seek their gain , and divine for money , and go a preaching for gifts and rewards , and that teach for filthy lucre , and that are covetous persons , heady and high-minded persons , and ambitious men , that do not profit the people at all , nor turn them from sin by their preaching ; and that prophesie lyes , and that are flatterers and changeable persons , and will turn from one way to another , and have mens persons in admiration because of advantage : whosoever he be that is one of these above described , who hath these marks and signs upon him , of this physiognomy , of this nature and feature , as before described ; wheresoever such a one shall be found , or whensoever you see him , or meet with him , or if such a one be amongst you , or pass by you , let him be suspected , taken , deemed and judged for a false prophet and deceiver , without respect of his name and title in his profession of religion . again , christ jesus prophesied and said , that deceivers and false prophets should come , who should have the sheep's-clothing , but inwardly ravening wolves . and john said , the false prophets were already come into the world [ in his dayes ] even the false prophets and antichrist , whom christ said should come ; and the false prophets and deceivers that christ said should come , john saw were come into the world in his dayes . now , who is it , and where are they that are wolves in sheeps cloathing , that are those antichrists that christ said should come ; and iohn said were come ? even such are they that have the outside ( viz. ) christ's words , and the apostles words , and the saints practices ; they have the sheep's clothing , but inwardly are the wolves in the evil nature ; and their evil nature is covered with the saints words and practices ; and such are the wolves in sheep's clothing , that have the outside of the sheep , but want the nature of christ , and are in the contrary nature . and to all people that are upon the earth i do appeal , and ask , where are they that are such now ? and who are they ? whether they be papists or protestants , or whomsoever else that are such , that have the outside , the sheeps cloathing , but inwardly are wolves of a devouring nature ; such are they that christ said should come , and iohn saw was come ; and such are ministers of antichrist , whosoever they are , and such are in the world , and have over-spread it since the apostles dayes ; and whole christendom hath been deceived by such wolves in sheeps clothing , even by such as have got the outside , the saints words and practices , but wanted the life , and have been in the evil nature , and not in the nature of christ jesus : and such now in this age , are to be taken , judged and deemed false prophets and deceivers , wolves in sheeps cloathing , and ministers of antichrist . e. b. to the friends of truth in and about london . dearly and well-beloved in christ our life and glory , the spirit of the lord is upon me , and at this time quickeneth my heart into the lively remembrance of you all , herewith sending the hearty and fervent salutation of my dear and perfect love , unto all the faithfull amongst you ; for the fathers love filleth my heart , and hath raised up my spirit into an holy frame and temper of gladness and rejoycing , of great joy and comfort in the remembrance and feeling sence of what the lord hath wrought and made manifest among his people , and the fulness of his love and rejoycing floweth out in praising and magnifying the lord our god for evermore . oh what hath the lord wrought for us in our day ! how hath his out-stretched arm been made bare again and again for our salvation and deliverance ? how many have his mercies been , and how numberless have his lovingkindnesses been shewed to us ? how hath his power and wisdom been discovered amongst his people , by which we are quickned and revived into the life of righteousness and peace , to be servants and heirs of the everlasting father , the lord of heaven and earth , being called by him out of darkness into his marvellous light ? and how glorious is the light that hath appeared upon our tabernacle , and shined in our hearts , and that hath led us in the way of peace , and taught us in the path of righteousness : thus , and much more hath the hand of the lord wrought for us , having raised us up to be a poeple , that in times past were not a people ; but now he hath formed us for himself , and created us for his praise , having gathered us as a shepherd doth his flock from our strayed estate , in which we were strangers and afar off , inhabiting in death and darkness , but now raised up to sit together in heavenly places , and to feed in the fat pastures of his fulness that filleth all in all . this hath been effected by the hand and power of the most high , who hath also preserved us unto this day through many tryals and tribulations ; and again and again , when our enemies have risen up against us to destroy us , even then hath the lord been our defence , and confounded our persecutors , so that we yet live , blessed be the name of the lord , the remembrance of which infinite tender mercies from the father , that we have received , have a heavenly influence upon my heart at this time , which causeth me to say , what manner of love is this ! oh the hight , and depth , and infiniteness of the same ! the beauty thereof hath ravished my heart , the strength thereof hath overcome me , and the vertue thereof hath overcome me , and the vertue thereof hath filled my soul : and this is the present frame of my spirit ; full of love and good-will to the lord god , and to all his saints , and particularly unto you , unto whom my spirit desireth in the lord the increase of peace , and mercies , and blessings , and all heavenly vertue unto you all , for i am under particular engagements unto you more then unto many . . because my labour and service in the work of the gospel hath been more amongst you then amongst others ; even for divers years have i been conversant among you , in the administration of the gift of the gospel , by dispensing the word of life , to the converting of some , and to the strengthning and confirming of others in the way of the lord. and let the just god bear witness of that faithfulness , and integrity and sincerity of heart , in which he hath carried me amongst you , while many precious dayes i have passed away with you , and have not sought yours but you ; nor do i desire ought concerning you , but your faithfulness to the lord , and your growth and establishment in the wisdom of christ jesus , and that blessings and peace may ever rest with you . and seeing it is thus , that some of my precious years in the service of god have been spent amongst you ; therefore is my heart and spirit engaged to you-wards , even while i live , to advise you , and exhort you , and to pray for you , that you may be sound in the faith , and established in the truth , and confirmed in the possession that never fades away . . in respect of that place of your outward residence , ( that great city i mean ) where satans seat is , and where wickedness abounds , and many temptations and provocations which may attempt to draw you from the lord ; i do know the dangers are many which may easily be met withall in that place ; there is both the love , glory and excellency of this world near unto you ; and also the terrours , threats , losses and persecutions of this evil world even dwelling with you , all which may work upon some many fears and doubts , and begat temptations to the denying of the lord ; and seeing the danger is such to you-wards in that place , even more then to some others , therefore is my soul engaged to admonish , and instruct , and pray for your preservation unto the end , that ye may walk as the lords , and to his glory . . and also my desires are for you , that blessings and peace may be multiplied unto you , and that you may walk in the wisdom and power of the lord in this respect , that truth may be honoured , and crown'd with dominion and authority , and good report in that great city , by your faithfulness , and patience , and diligence , and all the fruits of righteousness ; for as many temptations do attend you ( as i have said before ) so also many eyes are upon you , beholding what you are , and what you do , and what will become of you ; and if you walk in faithfulness and righteousness , and be preserved unto the lord in boldness and valour for his names sake , this will magnifie the truth , and crown it with honour , and strengthen and comfort many that are weak , and be a joy to all the upright ; and it will confound your enemies , and put them to shame , and limit the unreasonable spirit of the power of darkness , when our enemies see your just , faithful , righteous and inoffensive manner of walking in all things . and therefore for this cause , my heart is engaged to pray for you , seeing the eyes of many are upon you to mark your wayes and doings , and what will be the end . and now , dearly beloved , as by the free grace and kindness of god ye are called unto this calling , and are renewed and changed into the life of righteousness ; so it is by the same grace and power of the father , that ye must stand and be preserved unto the end ; for by grace and faith we all stand , even through diligence , faithfulness , and watchfulness in the same grace , being obedient unto its teachings , and fruitful in its motions , and walking by its rule , in meekness and lowliness of heart , in sincerity and godly fear , not being or doing any thing of our selves , distinct or divided from this grace ; but being and doing all things , through the grace of god dwelling in us ; and this is the highest perfection of saints . every ones highest state admits of watchfulness , and faithfulness , and obedience , and to hearken to the lord , and do his will in all things ; and whatsoever is of our selves , and related to the outward world , may be kept in subjection by his power , that he alone may rule , and be exalted in heaven and earth , and in all things , what we are , and what we do . and wait upon the lord , that ye may be established and settled in the truth , and that ye may be confirmed therein forever , as being natural heirs of the possession of grace and truth , to do , and walk , and live according to his will , being so inherited never to go forth any more ; and able to say , nothing can separate us from the love of god , not death , nor life , nor any other thing . for i would put you in mind , and ye also know it , how that many have been touched in their heart with the sense of the lord , and his love , yea , and many have enjoyed of the good gift of god , and walked with us for a time , that have not remained unto the end ; but have started aside from the lord , and been overcome with the temptations of this world , even to the forsaking of the way of truth and righteousness ; and such have dishonoured the lord , and forfeited their peace and inheritance in god , and become hardened in their hearts , and dead to god , and the latter-end of such hath been worse then their beginning ; though yet for a time such walked with us , and tasted of the good gifts of god , yet are become reprobate , because their hearts have not been firm , and constant , and sound , and approved to god ; but of an evil frame and temper of spirit , ambitious , vain-glorious , self-seeking , and such like , which spirit could not retain the gift of god , but abused it , and perverted it from it proper end. and therefore , dearly beloved , it is exceeding precious to have a heart and spirit tryed and approved of the lord ; a good and honest heart , an upright and contrite spirit ; for that will abide in faithfulness unto god through all tribulations and tryals ; if the heart be right in the sight of god , whatsoever the knowledge be , or whether the gifts be little or great , yet the lord's presence is there , and such are blessed : so that it s not enough only to have a touch and taste of the loving kindness of god ; but every one must be established therein , in an approved heart and tryed spirit , which can endure all things , and not be shaken nor moved ; and its only that kind of spirit , which is meek and lowly , sincere and upright , which is established in the truth , and which only can remain unmovable . and according to the ancient doctrine of christ , which ye have believed , every one must look to your own particular standing , and must feel your own particular joy , peace and comfort , and must receive the assurance of life in your own souls ; for it is an everlasting word : every one must stand by their own , by what they feel and enjoy of eternal life in their own hearts , that only is every ones security and assurance in the kingdom of peace and glory : and it is the height of perfection , to have the seal of the spirit of god in our consciences , witnessing to us , that we are the lord's ; and blessed are they that have this testimony , even that of the spirit of the father , which is the everlasting comforter against all sorrow ; and the perfect seal against all doubts , and the sure guide against all opposition : this is the office of the spirit of the lord , and its work in the hearts of his children . therefore my advice is to you , as from the beginning , look to your own , to your own measure of the gift of grace and truth ; that only stands , when all wandrings after men and things fall ; and in that is your security , as i have said . and let your conversations and walkings be such as becometh the gospel of christ , in all faithfulness and righteousness , that you may be an honour to the lord in your generation ; for this only have we to do in this world , even to shew forth his praise and glory , who hath created us in christ jesus . all things in relation to truth are well in these cou●…ies ; the dominion of truth is set up over the heads of the wicked , and it is a terror to its enemies , and the joy of all good men ; and friends are faithful in the power of the lord , and look over this world , to the world that hath no end , and their hope and confidence is in that ; and meetings are generally quiet , and the presence of the lord is amongst his people . and thus to the grace , power and wisdom of the lord god are ye committed , who is the only preserver of his children . grace and peace be with you all . edw. burroughs . underbarrow , the th day of the th moneth , . the case of the people called quakers ( once more ) stated & published to the world : vvith the accusations charged upon them , and their answers . we are an afflicted and suffering people in these kingdoms at this day ; mocked , reproached , haled before magistrates , violently abused , and imprisoned , and much hard-dealing exercised upon us : this is apparently visible to all people , and needs no further proof . but whether these afflictions and sufferings , imprisonments and hard-dealing , be just , or unjust , according to our deserts , or out of the malice and enmity of our adversaries ; this is the question to be enquired into : unjust , and unrighteous , and out of malice and enmity ; and not of true desert ( say we ) are these sufferings imposed on us . but , justly , and according to desert , and the laws of the land ( say our adversaries ) who shall be judge in the case between us ? even the law of god , the gospel of christ , the scriptures of truth , the example of primitive christians , our neighbours , and the witness in every mans conscience ; and to the judgment of all these we appeal , and shall abide their sentence . first , we are accused of an heinous crime , and as if we deserved the greatest punishments , because we are dissenting and differing from the church of england , and cannot conform to all her worships and ceremonies ; therefore are we said to be hereticks : because holding and practizing different things from her , &c. plea. first , the scriptures of truth ( which are according to both law and gospel ) do say and judge , that they who sometimes did dissent , and differ from some of the church of christ , in some principles and practices and could not practice in all things , what some others did , as romans . where it is signified , that some of the church of christ believed they might eat all things ; some others of the church did eat hearbs , some esteemed one day above another , others esteemed every day alike ; this kind of dissenting , and difference , about meats , and dayes , and ceremonies , were amongst the members of the true church ; but what is the judgment of scripture in this case of difference amongst them ? not that the dissenters one from another should be punished , and imprisoned , and banished , but ver . . let every man be perswaded in his own mind . and one was not so much as to judge another in this case of difference , and dissenting ; much less to imprison one another for that cause . and in phil. . . it is there signified , that if any persons were dissenting , and different in judgment , or in the growth in grace , from the rest of the church , every one was to walk in that measure of truth , as he had attained to ; and if any were otherwise-minded , ( viz. different in the growth in the grace of god ) then god should reveal the same unto them ; and notwithstanding their difference in judgment , whether in cases substantial , or ceremonial , yet , they were still to be in love and unity , and walk in their measures , to which they had atained , and they were not to be imprisoned and persecuted , as we are at this day : hence observe , that the judgment of scriptures , which the law of god , and gospel of christ are according to , is clear for us , and against them that hate us , that imprison us , and afflict us , for dissenting and differing in some doctrines , and practices , from the church of england . but secondly , if we were indeed hereticks , and erroneous people ; suppose so , which never yet was truly proved of us , nor can be ; what judgment do the scriptures ( which are according to the law of god , and gospel of christ ) give in that case ? not that we should be thus imprisoned , and afflicted , with corporal punishments ; but according to titus , tit. , . we should first be admonished in love , and exhorted once and again ; and then , if we gain-say , and will not hear reproof , to be rejected , cast out , and denyed of the assembly of saints ; but not imprisoned , and banished : and according to cor. . where it is signified , that some , in the denomination of the church , did offend against christ and the church , and were hereticks , and dissenters , because of their evil deeds , from the true church ; yet , these were not to be imprisoned , and persecuted in their persons , but delivered unto satan for the destruction of the flesh , that the spirit might be saved in the day of the lord ; they were to be spiritually dealt withal ; and they were to be cast out into the wicked world , anong the ungodly , to have their portion from god , with the wicked , to be delivered to satan for the destruction of the flesh , that it might be destroyed , and the spirit saved in the day of the lord. so , if we were indeed such as these were , dissenters , and in difference from the true church , because of some wickedness , yet the judgment of scriptures are against our enemies in this case , who persecute and imprison us ; for thus it ought not to be done unto us , if the church of england were the true church of christ , and we in difference from her , by false principles , or evil conversation , or any thing else . thus you see the judgement of the scriptures , and of the law of god , and gospel of christ , is against our persecutors . thirdly , but suppose we doubt , that the church of england , and its ordinances , discipline , its worship and ceremonies , be not according to the scriptures of truth , but are in the form of godliness , without the power ; suppose we in conscience believe this , and think we can prove it , which is the very truth of the case , and therefore do deny conformity to her , lest we should sin against god , and wrong our own consciences , at least , as we believe . what judgment doth the law of god , and gospel of christ , give in this case ? we are exhorted and comanded in scripture , tim. . from covetous men , and proud men , lovers of themselves , false accusers , despisers of them that are good , high-minded men , and lovers of pleasures , they that have the form of godliness , but deny the power , from all such we are to turn away . and therefore we believe we are justified by the scriptures in turning away for these divers years past ( and till we be otherwise perswaded by sound doctrine ) from the ministry and churches that are in england , or lately have been ( and sound reason hath not been yet shewed us to the contrary by you ) because they are such as the scriptures exhort us to turn away from ; and because we have judged , that they have had the form of godliness , but not the power ; so we are not to be imprisoned and persecuted though we differ , and dissent , and turn away from all them that are covetous , proud , boasters , lovers of themselves despisers of them that are good , high minded men , and such as have a form of godliness , but not the power . but we are judged just , and our case not condemned by the law of god , and gospel of christ , and by the holy scriptures , but rather such as inflict sufferings upon us : and for any of our principles and doctrines that we hold , we deserve no punishment nor persecution , because hereof ; for we testify before god , angels and men , that we hold and maintain , no principles of religion , nor practice of worship , nor doctrines of gospel , but what are according to scriptures of truth . and we are ready to be tryed , and proved in that case , and to bring the matter to issue , in fair proceedings with any man , that shall object the contrary ; and thus the judgment of scriptures are for us , as we suppose ( at least ) and if we are in errour , either by denying any thing on the one hand , or affirming any thing on the other , we have not been hitherto , well proceeded against , in order to our conviction . secondly , we are accused as for a great crime , and imprisoned , because we meet together , in the name and power of iesus christ , to wait upon him , and to worship him in spirit and truth ; in prayer to god , and exhortations one to another , to righteousness and holiness : but , what iudgment doth the law and gospel , and holy scriptures give , and our neighbours also , between us in this case ? le ts come all to their barr and receive iust sentence . plea. first , the judgment of god's law , christ's gospel and holy scriptures , are not against our meeting together , but on the contrary , do command us , and exhort us , with promises of blessings , to meet together in the worship of god , and to wait upon him ; and it was the practice of the primitive christians , to assemble themselves together , in that form and manner as we do at this day , ( to wit ) in a private manner , and separate from the multitude , and all the iews synagogues , as in acts . . the saints and disciples , both men and women , to the number of one hundred and twenty , ( which were far more then five ) went into an upper chamber , being a private place , and no publique synagogue , and their waited upon the lord in prayer and supplication , according as we do at this day : thus the scriptures justify the way and manner of our meetings , and condemns them not . again , in acts . . the saints and disciples were gathered together in an upper chamber , and paul preached unto them until mid-night . here was a private meeting , far above the number of five and out of any publick synagogues ; and christ iesus said , where two or three are met together in my name , there i am in the midct of them . and he and his disciples , often met together in private places , apart from the jews publick worships , sometimes in a ship , and sometimes in desarts , and on the mountains , and in particular houses , and preached , and prayed ; this the scriptures prove . and also ; in heb. . . we are expresly commanded , not to neglect the assembling of our selves together , but to exhort one another and so much the more as the day approached . by all which scriptures , with many more that might be quoted , it is evident to all the world , that our meeting together for the worship of god , in that form and manner as practised by us , is according to the law of god , the gospel of christ jesus , and the holy scriptures : and all these give just judgment for us , and justify us , and therefore consequently condemn such as do violence to us , for this practise of meeting together , for the worship of god. and thus , though we are accused and imprisoned as evil doers , yet , such our practise of meeting is manifestly according to the law of god , gospel of christ , scriptures , example of saints , and president of primitive christians ; all which give judgment for us . secondly , what judgment do our neighbours give in this case ? they say , concerning our meetings , that they have known us to meet together in such manner , for diverse years , in their towns and villages , and never knew , nor understood of any harm or danger herein , nor ever were any way prejudiced , either in their persons or estates , by our meetings . the very witness of god in all our neighbours do testify , and give iudgment , that our meetings have alwayes been peaceable and quiet , and that we come together in peace and good order , and parted in the same , and no person hath been harmed by such our meetings ; enquire of the nighbourhood , and they will tell you , they believe in their consciences , our meetings are for good , and have good effects , and are not evil , nor brings forth any evil to any . and as for the manner of our meeting and and sitting together , it 's orderly and decently , and of good report among men ; and for any doctrine that ever was there held , or heard by any , none can truly accuse it to be either error , or heresie , or sedition ; but on the contrary , they know it witnesseth against all sin and iniquity , and tends to the turning of people from ungodliness and unrighteousness , to truth and holiness : and many can tell , this is effected , by our doctrine preached in our meetings ; and our neighbours can witness , that we part again in peace and good order , and in convenient time ; and they can shew you , they are not terrified , nor the peace of the land disturbed ( on our part ) by our meetings , which are in god's fear , and to the glory of his name , which all sober men know , are according to the law of god , and gospel , and primitive christians example . and thus our neighbours give judgment for us , and in their consciences do not justify them that imprison us , for this matter of meeting together , which gods law , gospel , scriptures , and our neighbours , do thus clearly justifie . thirdly . we are accused , as guilty of a heinous crime , and imprisoned , because we refuse to swear at all , or take any oath in any case . plea. first , the judgment of the law of the new. testament of god , and gospel of christ , and scriptures in this case , is clear on our behalf . as in the express command of christ , in his law and scriptures recorded , mat. . where he saith , swear not at all , by heaven , nor earth , nor by ierusalem , nor by the head ; but , let your yea , be yea , and your nay , nay ; for whatsoever is more comes of evil. and again , iam. . the apostle commandeth the saints in these words , above all things my brethren , swear not , by heaven , nor earth , nor any other oath . and many holy martyrs since the apostles dayes did deny all swearing . thus you see , the judgment of christ jesus , and of the gospel , and of the apostle , and of scriptures , are so far from condemning of us to imprisonment and banishment , for our refusing to swear , that we are commanded and exhorted by them , not to swear at all ; and therefore consequently , justify us in our refusing to swear ; and thus , give not judgment for such as do imprison and persecute us for not swearing . come to the judgment of christ , his gospel , and holy scriptures ; let you and us appear together be fore their judgment seat , whether they give judgment against us , that deny all swearing , or against you , that imprison us for that cause : and let the lord god , angels and just men , give their judgment in this case ; we a poor afflicted people , do appeal to you , for just sentence of judgment , between us and our opponents . secondly , let our neighbours , give their judgment , though we do refuse to take any oath , because of the commands of christ and his gospel , as aforesaid ; yet , what harm hath this ever yet been to any of our neighbours , let them speak ; or what detriment ought this to be to any of them , they will tell you : though we cannot formally take an oath , yet we are ready at all times to do the truth , and to speak it on all good occasions , as much as if we did swear upon a book ; and they can trust us upon our words , as much , if not more , then they can do any that swear upon their oaths ; and therefore they shall give judgment , that according to their best knowledge , we ought not to be imprisoned and banished ; though we cannot swear formally upon a book , being the truth is not suppressed , nor yet the administration of justice ought to be obstructed for our refusing to swear . thus the neighbourhood bears witness for us , and against such as deal hardly by us , and persecute us because hereof . fourthly , we are accused as heinous offenders , and imprisoned , because 't is supposed , we do not submit to obey the known laws of the land , but break them , and will not conform to the church , pay tythes , take oaths , leave meeting together , &c. though we know the laws of the land command these things . plea , first , as to submitting to all known laws of the land ; this is known to god and our neighbours , that our principle and practice is , and ever hath been , to submit to every government , and to submit to all laws of men , either by doing or by suffering , as at this day , we resist not the greatest of afflictions and tribulations that can be imposed on us ; and this is well known to our neighbous and all people , that we are submissive to all laws of men , by patient suffering without resistance , even when any law requires any thing of us which we cannot perform for conscience sake , that law we fulfil by patient suffering , resisting no man , no● rendring evil for evil to any . and the judgment of the scriptures , which are according to both law and gospel , and the presidents of saints justifie us in this case , in chusing patiently to suffer the greatest penalties of the law , rather than to obey by doing any such law , as requires things contrary to our pure consciences ; as in the example of the three children , dan. . who were commanded , to fall down and worship the golden image , at what time soever they heard the sound of the musick , upon the penalty of being cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace : which commandment they could not obey , nor could truth fall down to worship the image ; but rather chused to suffer the penalty of being cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace , which accordingly was done unto them . again , in the case of daniel , chap. . who was commanded , to make no petition to any god or man for thirty dayes , save to king darius , upon the penalty and affliction of being cast into the lyons den : but daniel did rather chuse to suffer the penalty , to be cast into the den of lyons , than to obey the commandment ; and was cast into the lyons den. by these examples of holy men , with many more that might be given out of the scriptures , 't is evident , that righteous men will rather chuse to suffer , than to obey any law of men contrary to their consciences . so the law of god , and example of saints , and holy scriptures give judgment for us in this case , of rather chusing to suffer , than to obey laws contrary to our consciences ; and consequently must needs condemn such that persecute and imprison us , because they require obedience of us in things against our consciences . secondly , though we do disobey laws , and cannot actively obey every law of man , when it requireth and commandeth things contrary to a good conscience ; yet herein also are we justified , by the law of god , example of saints , and holy scriptures , and they give judgement for us , and consequently against our enemies in this case ; and in particular in the two examples before mentioned in daniel , the three children were expresly commanded , to fall down and worship the golden image ; and daniel was also required by the king's decree , not to pray to any god or man , save to king darius ; yet all these holy men of god did absolutely disobey the law and decree so requiring of them , and did contrary to the commandment ; for the three children did not how , nor daniel cease to pray to his god , but prayed as at other times , and yet were justified of god in so doing . also , the apostles of our lord jesus christ ( acts . . ) were commanded , to preach no more in the name of iesus ; but the apostles did disobey their commandment , and went on and preached in the spirit and power of christ , contrary to the commandment of the rulers , and appealed to them . whether it were not better to obey god than man ? many examples we might collect out of the scriptures , that the servants of god did disobey the commands of kings and rulers , and could not obey ( by doing ) any command contrary to god ; but rather choosed to suffer afflictions , and death it self , than to obey such laws and decrees , as required any thing contrary to a pure conscience ; and this is our case at this day , we cannot obey ( by doing ) any thing against our consciences , but must break the laws of men , and disobey their commandments , rather than break the law of god , and sin against their own consciences , whatsoever we suffer because hereof ; and yet the examples of saints and scriptures justifie us in this behalf . and let all our enemies cease to cry out , rebellious and disobedient to laws and government ▪ for we are not such as do wilfully and obstinately disobey any laws of men , but for conscience sake , and that we may not sin against god , nor offend his witness in us ; therefore we cannot obey laws contrary to our consciences , whatsoeve● we suffer , which we resist not , nor rebel against any in this case : so that our principles and practices are to obey every law and government , either by doing , or suffering . and though we disobey such laws as are not according to the law of god , and rather do chose to suffer ; yet herein we are justified by the law of god , and the holy scriptures . thirdly , and as for our conversations among men , in respect of our daily walking and converse with them in our dealing , in respect of honesty and faithfulness , and truth , and justness in works and words ; our neighbours shall give witness for us : we will not justifie our selves , 't is god that justifies us , and the law of god , gospel of christ , scriptures , examples of holy men , our neighbours , and the witness of god in all mens consciences , shall bear witness to us ; and all these do give judgement for us in these cases , to whom we do appeal for judgment . and , o lord god everlasting , do thou judge our cause ; do thou make it manifest in thy due season to all the world , that we are thy people , that we love thee above all , that we fear thy name more than all , that we love righteousness and hate iniquity ; and that we now suffer for thy holy name and truth , and for thy honour and iustice , and for thy truth and holiness : o lord , thou knowest we are resolved to perish , rather than to lose one grain hereof . amen , amen . our accusations and answers truly compared , and weighed in the ballance of justice and truth in every mans conscience , let all the world judge of the case ▪ do we deserve to be ruined , destroyed , imprisoned and banished , and that to be devoured of wild beasts , as our enemy threatens us he will do ? is it so ? are we hereticks ? are we seditious ? are we drunkards ? are we double-dealers ? are we such as the law of god condemns ? what evil have we done in the land ? do we hurt any body ? are we not innocent before the lord & men ? we appeal to the just witness of god and men , let it be answered ; and though no man will hear and consider our cause this day , yet the lord will plead our cause in his time and season , and make the world to know , we are his people ; in the mean time we are willing to suffer the reproaches of ungodly men , till the lord works deliverance in the earth . but now it may be objected by the magistrates and rulers , that we have now a law against you , and you must suffer ; for we cannot but put the law in execution , according to our oaths and offices ; and it is not we that persecute you , but it is the law of the land by which you now suffer ; and we cannot be blamed for your suffering , we only execute the law. and after this manner is the reasoning of some at this day , &c. answ. to all which i do answer ; it is true , there is a law now enacted against us , which is pretendedly made the ground of our suffering ; but whether that law be in it self just , or unjust , i shall not now demonstrate , but shall leave it to the judgment of all christian men , that know us , our principles , doctrines , wayes and conversations , and let them judge whether we deserve the penalties and punishments therein described , for any principle or practice held and maintained by us . and though there be a law against us , yet the magistrates that are executors thereof , may execute the same with moderation or with violence , with discretion , or too much rigour ; and it will be well for them to use moderation and discretion in this case : hereby may they save themselves from that weight of anger and indignation of the lord god , that will come upon all violent doers , who seek to destroy the innocent , and rejoyce in the occasion administred . and though this law be enacted against our meetings ; not ours , i may say , but such meetings as are dangerous to the publick peace , and to the terror of the people : but our meetings are not such , and therefore this law may not justly extend in its execution to the breaking of our meetings , nor to banish us because of our meeting together , which is for the worship of god , and are peaceable and of good report among all good men ; and are not for disturbance of the peace , nor terror of the people , and therefore justly free from this law , as aforesaid . and though this law is pretended against us , for to banish us , and to rid the land of us , as some vainly suppose ; yet , must it needs be executed to the height of it , without limitation or restriction ? must this law be executed to its height more than some other laws , that are as truly enacted , and as fully in force as this act can be : yet some such laws there are , which better deserve execution than this , yet they lie dormant , as is visibly apparent at this day , as in iac. cap. . in these words , be it enacted , &c. that all , and every person or persons , which after forty dayes next following the end of this present session of parliament , shall be drunk , and of the same offence of drunkenness shall be lawfully convicted , shall for every such offence forfeit and lose five shillings , &c. to be paid to the hands of the church wardens of that parish where the offence shall be committed , who shall be accountable therefore to the use of the poor of the same parish . and if the said person or persons so convicted , shall refuse or neglect to pay the said forfeiture , then the same shall be levied of the goods of every such person or persons , by warrant of precept from the court , iudge , or iustices , before whom the same conviction shall be : and if the offender be not able to pay the sum of five shillings , then he shal be committed to the stocks for the space of six hours . i pray you read the statute at large , 't is worth a sober mans pains to read over , and then judge whether that law be duly execued at this day ; and also , whether it deserves not more strict execution than the present act against us . also the iac. cap. . in these words , that all persons calling themselves schollers , going about begging ; all idle persons going about in any country , either begging , or using any subtil craft , or unlawfull games or plays , or faigning themselves to have knowledge in physiognomy , or pretending that they can tell fortunes , or such other like phantastical imaginations ; all fencers , bearwards , common-players of interludes and minstrels , wandring abroad , shall be taken , adjudged and deemed as rogues , vagabonds , and sturdy beggars ; and shall suffer such pains and punishments as is expressed , eliz. cap. . ( viz. ) that every such person shall be stripped naked from the middle upwards , and shall be openly whipped until his or her body be bloody , &c. and shall be forth-with sent from parish to parish , &c. and read the statute at large , and then consider how duly it is executed now , and whether it deserves not the execution as much as the late act against us , though in some places the one is more executed than the other ; where many of our friends , being honest sober persons , and of good conversation , and yet are haled out of their meetings , where they are met only to worship god , and for no other end , and ●sent to prison ; and persecuted to the very height of the said act ; whenas idle persons , following unlawful games , and playes and bearward , common-players of interludes and minstrels of divers kinds , do wander up and down city and country , and having their play-houses publick , where their wickedness is acted ; such persons , and such things , though appearing publickly , yet are permitted , and little or no notice taken of them by some of the magistrates , so as to punish them for breach of the laws , for the preventing of these evils : but such wickedness is too much suffered , though there be divers acts of parliaments against such persons and such actions , as well as there is one against our meetings , yet the act against us is more put in execution some places for the breaking of out meetings , which are for the worship of god , than the good laws for suppressing wickedness , though there is better law for the one than for the other . divers other laws and statutes made for good ends , for the suppressing of wickedness in the land , there are , which are but easily executed at this day ; but here is one act against peaceable meeting together for the worship of god , which is violently prosecuted and executed upon innocent men ; and let all just men judge of these things : though there be a law enacted against our meetings , so there is against drunkards and drunkenness , and unreasonable tippling in taverns and ale-houses , and against minstrels , fiddlers , pipers and players , common-players and stage-players , that go up and down the countries , and have their play-houses in publick cities , which statutes ought rather to be executed , though they are not : but these things we shall leave to all sober people to judge of . and seeing that the law against us is more put in execution , than these other laws , it doth appear , that there is more envy against us , and our peaceable religious meetings , than there is against prophaneness and wickedness , drunkenness and stage-playing , and such like ; and such magistrates , wheresoever they are , are not excusable in the sight of god , though there is a law against us , while they prosecute it against us , and not these other good laws against prophane and ungodly persons and practices ; and therefore seeing we do suffer , we must say , it is not only because there is a law against us ; but it is also , or rather , because there is enmity , and wrath and wickedness in the hearts of men against us , which is the main cause of our sufferings at this day . and let the magistrates compare this law , made against us , with that saying in doctor and student , chap. . speaking concerning the law written in the heart , teaching every man what is to be done , and what is to be fled ; and ( saith he ) because it is written in the heart , therefore it may not be put away , nor is it ever changable by any diversity of place , or time ; and therefore against this law , prescription , statute nor custom may not prevail ; and if any be brought in against it , they be not prescriptions , statutes , nor customs , but things void , and against justice , and all other lawes ; as well the law of god , as the acts of men , ought to be grounded upon the law written in the heart . and in cap . of the same it s said ; every mans law must be consonant with the law of god , and therefore the lawes of princes , the commandements of prelates , the statutes of commonalties , nor yet the ordinances of the church are not righteous , nor obligatory , but as it is consonant to the law of god. and we are sure the law of god and holy scriptures do justifie our meeting together , as afore is expressed . also in the statute . hen. . chap . it is said in these words , that no man , of what estate , degree , or condition soever he be , hath power to dispence with gods lawes , as all the clergy of this realm , and the most part of all the universities of christendom . and we also affirm , and think these things truly compared one with another , we leave them to the judgment of the law of god , gospel of christ , holy scriptures , and our neighbours ; and let truth determine : so be it . edward burroughs . a table of the several books contained in this volumn , and of the principal heads and matters contained in the said books . a warning from the lord to the inhabitants of underbarrow , and to all the inhabitants in england : which containeth , . a warning to all who hold up the false teachers and false worship , page . to . . a true declaration to all the world of his manner of life , what he had been , and what he was at that present , p. . . the walls of ierico razed down to the ground : which containeth an answer to a book called , the quarkers principles dashed in pieces , put forth by enoch howet , called an anabaptist , p. , &c. an answer to several queries : put forth to the people called quakers , by phillip bennit , a pretended minister of christ ; and john reeve , one who called himself , the last messenger and witness , p. , &c. an answer to a book called , choice experiences , put forth by j. turner , p. . the copy of a letter sent to the assembly of them called anabaptists in newcastle , p. . an answer to a book called , a voice from the word of the lord , put forth by one john griffith against the people called quakers , p. . a visitation of the rebellious nation of ireland , and a warning from the lord proclaimed to all the inhabitants thereof ; with a lamentation over its unfruitfulness and rebellion , after so many visitations , p. . containing several particular papers , written in that nation to several sorts of people , ( viz. ) . an information to the heads , and the ground of the law laid down to the iudges and iustices , &c. p. . . an exhortation sent to the chief commander and his council , and the iust cause of the innocent laid before them , p. . . the unjust sufferings of the iust declared , and their appeal to the iust witness of god in all their consciences , p. . . a challenge to the priests of dublin to try their godd , and their ministry , and their worships , p. . . a discovery of the idol dumb shepherds in that nation , and a lamentation ever their starved and strayed flocks , p. . . an invitation to all the poor desolate souldiers , to repent , and make their peace with the lord , and their duty shewed them what the lord requires of them , p. . . a warning from the lord to the natives of that nation of ireland , p. . a trumpet of the lord sounded forth of zion : which containeth a testimony from the word of the lord . to oliver cromwell , and his counsel , p. . . to all the iudges and lawyers , p. . . to all astrologers , magitians , south-sayers and wise-men , p. . . to all the generals , collonels , commanders , officers and souldiers , in england , scotland , and ireland , p. . . to all the priests , and prophets , and teachers of the people , p. . . to all them called papists , and to their whole body , and head at rome , p. . . to all them called protestants of the eldest sort , p. . . to all them called presbyterians and independants , p. . . to all them called anabaptists , p. . . to all them called free-willers , who say , christ dyed for all , p. . . to all them that say , they wait and believe for the coming of christ to raign in person upon earth , p. . . to all them called ranters , p. . . to all them called seekers and waiters , p. . . the beast which all the world wonders after ( but they whose names are written in the lamb's book of life ) hath many heads and many horns , p. . a description of the state and condition of all mankind upon the face of the whole earth : sheweth , from p. . to . . what man was in his creation , before transgression . . what he is in transgression , and how he became a degenerate plant. . the way of restauration , salvation , and of life eternal , declared to the sons and daughters of adam in the whole world. truth defended ; or , certain accusations answered , cast upon the people called quakers , by the teachers of the world : in which is discovered , . who are the false prophets . . when they came in . . how they may be known . . who they are that deny christ , and preach another gospel . . who they are that deny the scriptures , churches , ministers and magistrates , &c. p. . to . the true faith of the gospel of peace contended for in the spirit of meekness : being an answer to john bunnian , a professed minister in bedfordshire , p. . an answer to a book called , stablishing against quaking ; put forth by giles firmin , a professed minister in essex , p. . the crying sins reproved , whereof the rulers and people of england are highly guilty : being additions to their own confessions held forth by them in their declaration , wherein these three nations were invited to a solemn day of fasting , &c. p. . a measure of the times : wherein is shewed , . what the state of things have been in ages past . . what the state of things are at this present day . . what shall be the state of things hereafter , from p. . to . the testimony of the lord concerning london : being a warning to all sorts of people in it , what the lord requires of them , p. . to . a just and lawful tryal of the teachers and professed ministers of this age : wherein is shewed , that they are judged , and by the scriptures proved to be contrary to all the ministers of christ in former ages . . and are proved to agree with all the false prophets and deceivers in their call , maintenance , doctrine and practice . in which book is also a description of the true ministry of christ , from p. . to . a standard lifted up , and an ensign held forth to all nations : being a testimony concerning the true god , p. . the son of god , p. . the spirit of god , p. . man , and all mankind , p. . the world in general , p. . man's restauration , redemption and salvation , what they are , and by whom they are wrought , p. . true religion , and the true worship of the true god , p. . iustification and sanctification , p. . the kingdom of christ , and how it is to be set up , p. . governours and government , and subjection to them , p. . the true ministry of christ , and the false ministry , and the difference betwixt them , p. . the gospel of christ , p. . the word of god , and the scriptures , p. . the devil and damnation , p. . all creatures that god made , p. . the new covenant , p. . faith , p. . what works are accepted of god , and what works are not accepted , p. . man's state in the first adam , before conversion , and his state after conversion , and what conversion is , p. . the woful cry of unjust persecutions and grievous oppressions of the people of god in england : shewing the ground of persecution in its first cause , and the enmity which is betwixt the two seeds , p. . truth the strongest of all , witnessed forth in the spitit of truth against all deceit : in a reply to john bunnian ' s second book , p. . many strong reasons confounded : being an answer to richard baxter ' s twenty four arguments , which he said , would hinder any reasonable man from being a quaker , p. . the true christian religion again discovered , after a long and dark night of apostacy : shewing who it is of the sects and forms of religion in the nations , that are agreeable to the scriptures , p. . a message for instruction to all the rulers , judges and magistrates to whom the law is committed : shewing , . what iust government is . . how far the magistrates power reacheth ; and what the sword of iustice is to cut down , and what it is to defend . . an exposition of some parts of the law for the edification of such as desire to judge righteously between man and man , p. . the state of the controversie between richard mayo priest of kingstone , and edw. burroughs , p. . truth made manifest : being an answer to a book called , the quakers rounds , put forth by one philip taverner , p. . a testimony concerning the estate of the true church : shewing , . what she hath been . . what she is , pag. . the true state of christianity truly described : shewing , . what it was in its beginning and purity . . what it now is in its apostacy and degeneration . and also , sheweth the woful state wherein them called christians now stand , being departed and revolted from the spirit of christ , and from his teachings , pag. . a declaration to all the world of our faith , and what we believe who are called quakers , pag. . some of the principles of the quakers ( scornfully so called by men ) vindicated : in answer to two printed books put forth by philip taverner , a supposed minister of the gospel in middlesex , p. . a testimony against a great idolatry committed : being a true mourning of the lord's servant , upon the many considerations of his heart , upon that occasion of the great stir about an image of o. cromwell , carryed about the th of the th moneth , . p. . a message proclaimed by divine authority ; from the chosen assembly of the redeemed people in england , to the pope ( chief bishop in rome ) and to his cardinals , iesuits and priests , &c. being an invitation and challenge to them , to come forth to tryal , and shew if they have the same faith , power , spirit , authority and government as had the apostles and true churches before the apostacy , p. . a faithful testimony concerning the true worship of god : shewing , . what it is in it self . . and who are the true worshippers , p. . some false principles and errors discovered : in answer to a book supposed to be put forth by samuel eaton , a professed minister of the gospel amongst the sect of independents in cheshire , p. . a message to all kings and rulers in christendom : being a warning from the lord to them , to take heed of oppression , and to cease to grind the face of the poor , and from drinking the whore's cup , and from carrying of her , and from all oppressions whatsoever , lest the lord god almighty execute his fierce indignation upon them , p. . an account of some grounds and reasons of the innocent sufferings of the people of god called quakers : and why they testifie against the vain customs and practices of the world ; presented to the parliament anno . p. . an answer ( to a great cry up and down the nation ) that the quakers meetings must be broken and suppressed , and that this present parliament intended to do it , p. . a cry of great iudgment and vengeance upon the wicked , near to be executed , as it was received from the lord into his servant e. b. p. . to the rulers , and to such as are in authority : being a true and faithful testimony concerning religion , and the establishment thereof ; and sheweth , how it may be established in persons , and nations , page . satan's design defeated : being an answer to a manuscript , sent by priest jackson of sussex , to a member of parliament , p. . a visitation and warning proclaimed , and an alarum sounded in the pope's borders : beeing , . the account of a iourney to dunkirk , p. . . a letter to the deputy governour , p. . . queries to the fryars , p. . . propositions , as a charge against the romish church , with a letter to the chief iesuit rector in dunkirk , p. . . a warning to the officers and souldiers of the english army , p. . . some propositions to the english priests , p. . good counsel and advice rejected by dissobedient men ; and the dayes of o. cromwell passed over , and of richard cromwell his son , late protectors of these nations : shewing the many precious warnings neglected by them , which from time to time were given to them , p. . to the parliament of the common-wealth of england , sitting in the year , . a warnining to them , to take off oppression , that truth and righteousness might be established in the earth , p. . a message to the present rulers of england ; delivered to them in the year , . p. . to the present distracted and broken nation of england : being a mourning and lamentation for the confusions and distractions that were then over the land ; giving good counsel and advice how peace might be restored , p. . a presentation to london : being an answer to the young men and apprenteces , returned to some part of their petition , directed by them to the ●●yor and aldermen of the city . p. . to the present assembly members of parliament at westminster ; presented to them in the th moneth , . p. . an answer to a declaration of the people called anabaptists , in and about the city of london , p. . an answer to a great cry , the quakers will soon fall , &c. p. . a discovery of some part of the war between the kingdom of the lamb , and the kingdom of antichrist : being an account of several disputes between e. b. and one christopher fowler , a professed minister in london , p. . a return to the ministers of london ; by way of answer to their seasonable exhortation ( so called ) directed to their congregations , p. . a visitation and presentation of love unto the king , and those called royalists : consisting of , . an answer to several queries proposed to the people ( called quakers ) from a s●●sed royalist , p. . . an objection answered concerning the king's supremacy , p. . . an epistle directed to the king , and those called royalists , p. . . certain queries returned to them ( called royalists ) to answer , p. . a testimony concerning the book of common-prayer ( so called ) being an answer to an objection , whether it be not in it self , and as practiced in this nation heretofore , and at this present , the true worship of the true and living god , p. . a presentation of wholsome informations unto the king of england : being an answer to certain accusations , charged before him in a printed book called , the thrice happy welcome of king charles the second , by one geo. wellington of bristol city , against them whom in derision the accuser calls quakers , p. . the everlasting gospel of repentance and remission of sins , held forth and declared to the inhabitants of the earth : being a message of reconciliation to all people every where in general ; with certain propositions of faith laid down , which every one must believe , or else they cannot be saved , p . & . a vindication of the people of god called quakers : being an answer to a book put forth by one geo. pressick of dublin in ireland ; in which many lyes and calu●…nies were written against the people of god , p. . some considerations presented to the king of england : being an answer to a petition and address of the general court of boston in new-england , subscribed by john indicot , delivered to the king in the th moneth , . thinking thereby to cover themselves from the blood of the innocent , p . a just and righteous plea presentented unto the king of england , and his counsel : being the true state of the present case of the people called quakers : . concerning swearing at all , and particularly of the oath of allegiance , p. . . concerning meeting together to worship god , p. . . concerning tythes among the jews , and among the christians ; and why we refuse to pay them at this day , p. . . concerning giving security by bond to live peaceably , or to answer accusations then , and there , &c. p. . . concerning g●●ernment it self , and particularly of this present government , p. . . concerning persecution , what it is in it self , and how great an enemy it is to the king and his government , laid down in ten particulars p. . persecution impeached as a traytor against god , his laws , and government : being a vindication of the cause of the ancient martyrs against the cruelty inflicted on them by the papists in former dayes ; containing an answer to a book called , semper iidem , or a paralel of phanaticks ; wherein several of the martyrs are vilified and and reproached by the name and term of ancient phanaticks , p. . the case of free liberty of conscience in the exercise of faith and religion ; presented unto the king and both houses of parliament : declaring it absolutely needful for them to grant it ; and shewing the woful effects and ill consequence which will infallibly follow upon the contrary , to the misery and destruction of these nations , p. . a discovery of divine mysteries ; wherein is unfolded the secret things of the kingdom of god : being a testimony , . concerning life and death , with their several fruits and effects distinguished , p. . . concerning the mystery of god and godliness , and concerning the mystery the devil and iniquity , p. . . concerning true liberty of conscience , what it is in it self , and how it is obtained ; and what the true guide and rule is of the exercise of conscience , p. . . concerning the diversity of iudgments in religion , p. . antichrist's government justly detected of unrighteousness , injustice , &c. shewed and declared , . in the case of imposing upon conscience in matters religious by force of outward violence or pains and penalties on the persons and estates of men , p. . . in the case of heresie ; shewing what it is in it self , who is a heretick , who are the true iudges of it , and what punishment pertaineth to such as are truly convicted thereof ; and that to kill , burn , banish , or to punish hereticks ( as such ) corporally , is of antichrist , &c. p. . . concerning antichrist , and his mystery of deceivabless , what he is in himself , and how he appears in the world , what his works are , and what his government is , and where it is , and who are the subjects of his kingdom , p. . a hue-and-cry after the false prophets and deceivers of our age : being a short and full discovery of them by their works and fruits , p. . the case of the people called quakers once more stated and published ; with answers to the accusations charged upon them , p. . several epistles written to friends in truth . a word to the brethren and companions in tribulation , by the world scornfully called quakers , page , . to the camp of the lord in england : shewing , . the work of god , which hath broke forth in this nation , p. . . and where it first arose , p . . and i● exhorts to put on the armor of truth , and to keep the watch-tower , p. , several epistles to friends in truth in london , at their first convincement from p. . to . containing these exhortations following , viz. . to dwell in the iudgements of the lord , and to abide in the counsel of god , p. . . to mind the light which keepeth out of all perishing things , and discovers a● deceivers , and to keep to the cross of christ , and to do nothing rashly , p. , , . . to keep in lowliness , p. . . sheweth what the living hope is , p. . the first general epistle and greeting of the fathers's love to all the saints : being ( to all such as are found worthy to suffer for the truth 's sake ) an exhortation to the strengthening of their faith , whereby they may continue boldly witnessing to the end. also , an exhortation to try the spirits ; and the marks of the wrong spirits made known , p. . to . an epistle to friends in westmoreland and cumberland : exhorting all to know a hiding-place in god , and to put on the armour of light , &c. p. . the second general epistle to all the saints : being an exhortation , . to the brethren who are called into the work and ministry of the gospel . . to all the babes and children in christ , to live in unity and to bear their afflictions and sufferings with patience , p. , . to th● elect and c●●●sen ●…ed of god i● london : c●…aining ex●…tations to be watchfull , and to keep 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dis●…erly spirits , p. , . to all friends that are moved of the lord to go into other nations , p. . the third general epistle to all the saints : being an exhortation to seek the glory of god above all . p. . two epistles to friends in london : being a testimony against deceitful spirits , and such as profest the truth and turned from it , and were unfaithful to the lord , p. . an epistle to friends in london , concerning how to proceed against disorderly spirits , . to the churches in new-england , barbadoes , and other islands : exhortations to be obedient to the light , and to dwell in the d●ily cross , &c. p. . an epistle to friends in london : exhorting to dwell in love and unity one with another , and to be examples of righteousness , &c. p. . an epistle to friends in barbadoes , virginia and new-england , &c. p. . the fourth general epistle to all the saints : exhorting , to feel the immortal life begotten of the father in them , and to dwell in it alwayes , that they might not be overcome by tryals and temptations , p. . to the friends of christ in london : exhorting , to live in patience in all tribulations , and to follow the lamb wheresoever he goes , p. . to the beloved and chosen of god in the seed elected , particularly in london , and else-where : exhortations to mind the word which first begat them , and none to be troubled at the dayes and seasons , p. . an epistle to all his dear companions in the travel and labour of the gospel of christ , and in the faith and patience , 〈◊〉 the sufferings for his name 's sake , p. . the fifth general epistle : being a tender salutaion of perfect love unto the elect of god , the royal seed , the saints of the most high ; containing exhortations to friends , . to consider their former estate , p. . . the tender dealing of god towards them since , p. . . to consider what their then present state and standing was , p. . with several other weighty things very necessary to be often read and kept in mind by friends . to the friends of truth in and about london : which epistle sheweth , wherein every oxes preservation standeth , and that in the highest estate there is need of watchful●●ss , &c. p. . the end . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e cor. . . cor. . psal. . . notes for div a -e act. . . from . isa. . , . ier. . . ionah 〈◊〉 , . gal. . . isa. . . ioh. . . prov. . . isa. . . mat. . . ioh. . . mat. . . . mat. . . isa. . . ier. . . ier. . . ioh. . . mat. . . gal. . . . gal. . . mal. . . mat. . . cor. . . ior. . . cor. . . eph. . . rev. . . isa . . amos . . rom . . mat. . cor. . . . cor. . . rom . . . isa. . . mat. . . mat. . . cor. . . ioh. . . mat. . . ier. . . mat. . . luk. . . ioh. . . isa. . . isa. . ezek. . ier. . luk . . ioh. . . ezek. . . pro. . . amos . . mat. . isa. . . mal. . . thess. . . mal. . . isa. . . ier. . . ier. . . rev. . . hab. . . psal. . . mic. . . ier. . . mat. . . heb. . . ioel . , to . exod. , , , chap. rev. . . pro. . . ioh . , . ioh. . . ioh. . , . iude . . tit. . . ezek. . from . to . mic. . . ioh. . . ezek. . . is. . , . rev. . . ezek. . cor. . . rev. . . col. . , . mat. . to , ioel . . na. . . isa. . . ioel . . iohn . . ioh. . . thess. . . iohn . . iohn . . mat. . . isa. . ier . ezek. . mich. . mal. . rev. . , , . mat. . mat. . . acts. . . iohn . . iohn . , . ioh. . . ioh. . . tim. . . gal. . . mat. . . rev. . . nahu . . . mat. . . mat. . . to the end . psal. . . iohn . . pet. . , . rev. . . rom. . . rom. . . luke . . mat. . , , , . isa. . . cor. . . gal. . , , . gen. . . mat. . . ioh. . . and vers . . notes for div a -e tim. . . tit. . . pet. . . pet. . . pet. . . notes for div a -e notes for div a -e this was also subscribed by f. h. this was also subscribed by f. h. notes for div a -e this exhortation was written by e. b. on the behalf of himself and fra. howgill , who was , then with him in ireland . this was also subscribed by f. howgill . this was also subscribed by f. howgill . notes for div a -e notes for div a -e isa. . pet. . ezek. . mich. . tit. . . tim. . iohn . . isa. . mich. . ezek. . ier. . tit. . . heb. . . ier. . . psal. . . notes for div a -e notes for div a -e act. . . . . matt. . . iohn . . sal. . . act. . , , , . acts . . cor. . . 〈◊〉 iohn . . iohn . . act. . . cor. . . rev. . . eph. . . cor. . . phil. . col. . . rom. . . rom. . . thess. . thes. . . cor. . . . acts . . and . . cor. . . pet. . . acts . ier. . . ioh. . . cor. . . and . . mat. . , , . mat. . . cor. . . rom. . , iohn . . acts . , , . heb. . , . ier. . chap. mic. . chap. ezek. . ezek. . matth. . act. . , , , . mat. . , . amos . . ier. . . tit. . . pet. . * at reding . * at ware. iohn . . mat. . a & . . . tim. . tim. . , , , , , , . * one million and five hundred thousand-pounds perannum . luke . , . notes for div a -e * about a or more as may be proved inparticular need requie . * several lies and slanders were proved against him in that book , which he cannot clear himself of ; mark that . * lying perverting scripture is an evil life ; * lyers and slanderers is of the dragons party ; * i said that desolate zion is compassed about with enemies to make her a destruction , &c. these are some of the words which he sayes flung into the wind . * this is a lye ; * that the ranters and quakers deny all teaching but the teaching within ; and yet condemnes principle by practice . * in my first book . * in my first book i said , read the scriptutes and mark the sence ; betxist before , and from . * viz. that which you said ; there was nothing in any men to be taken notice of ; this is a denying of him within . * the truth is he is in their steps , and among them . * viz. that the quakers undervalues the lord iesus , and doth not lay him for their foundation . * the children of god were ever counted de cenvers by this generation , but the way which he called delusion do we worship , the true god , &c. * or in themselves . * till he could prove the light , john . . to be contrary to the spirit of christ , when he proves this , i may shut my mouth . * the witness is as good as the iudge ; in measure . * the words seems to be are left out , by him , which cause the strength of my words . * in my first book . * page . of my first . rom. . * page the of my first . to this is two witnesses . iohn . his own book holds this forth . * compare this dostrine with heb. . . and his doctrine is proved to be damnable . * contrary to john . . notes for div a -e * mark , . luke . , * act. . * phil. . . * kings . . notes for div a -e notes for div a -e notes for div a -e notes for div a -e 〈◊〉 notes for div a -e notes for div a -e his first particular . his second particular . his third particular . his fourth particular . his fifth particular . his sixth particular . his seventh particular . his eighth particular . his ninth particular . his tenth particular . his eleventh particular . notes for div a -e * this was meant , that he should deny to be made king ; that was in agitation when this letter was written . notes for div a -e is meant here , chiefly , the new committee of safety ( so called . ) notes for div a -e notes for div a -e see g. fox his paper directed to the parliament and army so called . * but this is not meant of the king's death . notes for div a -e the rock of ages exalted above rome's imagined rock on which her church is builded she proved not to be the onely church of christ, her corrupt doctrines reproved not to be apostolick, but contrary to the true church of christ in the apostles dayes : also divers arguments answered which may convince the papists that they are not the true church wherein a book is also answered called a catechism against all sectaries, newly published by c.m. in the year / by francis howgil. howgill, francis, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the rock of ages exalted above rome's imagined rock on which her church is builded she proved not to be the onely church of christ, her corrupt doctrines reproved not to be apostolick, but contrary to the true church of christ in the apostles dayes : also divers arguments answered which may convince the papists that they are not the true church wherein a book is also answered called a catechism against all sectaries, newly published by c.m. in the year / by francis howgil. howgill, francis, - . [ ], p. printed for g.c. ..., london : . reproduction of original in the harvard university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng catholic church -- controversial literature. anti-catholicism -- england. society of friends -- pastoral letters and charges. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - rachel losh sampled and proofread - rachel losh text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the rock of ages exalted above rome's imagined rock on which her church is builded : she proved not to be the onely church of christ ; her corrupt doctrines reproved not to be apostolick , but contrary to the true church of christ in the apostles dayes . also , divers arguments answered , which may convince the papists that they are not the true church . wherein a book is also answered , called , a catechism against all sectaries ; newly published by c. m. in the year . by francis howgil , a member of that church which is coming out of the wilderness . london , printed for g. c. at the west end of pauls , . a table of the principal things contained in this book . concerning the true religion , what it is , and where it is demonstrated . pag. , , . the church of rome proved to be the false church ▪ p. , to the ▪ and pag. . the pope proved not to be the head of the true church ▪ and christ proved to be the head of the body , which is his church , and the rock upon which his church is built . p. . to purgatory proved to be an erroneous doctrine , which is held forth by the papists ; and their praying for the dead proved to be another false doctrine , not commanded nor practised by christ or his apostles . p. , to the the papists doctrine which saith christ is really and personally in the masse , and in the eucharist , proved to be blasphemy and great idolatry . to . the papists masse , and their ceremonies , proved not to be apostolical , p. . to the : the papists honoring of reliques and images of saints , and praying by beads ; proved to be but the inventions and traditions of men , and contrary to the doctrine which the apostolick church held forth . p. , to the doctrine of forbidding certain kind of meats , and forbidding the scriptures to be read by all , answered . p. . to . concerning miracles . p. . answers to eight propositions set forth by c. m. in his catechise aforesaid . from p. . to the end . a booke entituled , the glory of the true church discovered , as it was in its purity in the primitive time . written by the same author . the rock of ages exalted above rome's imagined rock on which her church is builded , &c. great hath been the havock and spoile that the beast which john saw rise out of the waters , made against them , in destroying them who received not his mark in their foreheads ; and the cry hath been long , who is able to make war with the beast ? and great hath the suffering been ( these many ages ) of the children of light , and still is of the members of the true church of christ , which is in god , which hath proceeded from her , who sate as a queen upon the waters , which are nations , kindreds , tongues and people , which hath been the seat of mysterie babylon , the mother of harlots , who hath held out her golden cup of fornication , ful of abomination , false doctrine and error which the nations have drunk of , and the kings of the earth have been made drunk with , and all have been in instability , and have reeled and staggered up and down in the dark , in the night of ignorance , and have wildered in the mysts o● error , and lost the true foundation , and are gone from the rock upon which the true church is builded , which is neither peter nor his successor , but christ the true foundation , which abideth sure ; and all that believ in him , and have their minds staid upon him , know settlement and establishment in that which the gates of hell prevails not against . but blessed be the lord , he is come , revealed and made manifest , who is able to make war with the beast and his followers , and a discerning is given unto his servants , that they can distinguish betwixt the cup of fornication , and the cup of blessing , and betwixt the table of the lord , & the table of devils ; betwixt the true church , the lambs wife , & mysterie babylon , the mother of harlots ; betwixt the heavenly treasure , which is communicable to the saints in light , who are members of the true church , and the merchandize and the corrupt treasure of the harlot , which the nations , kindreds and tongues have been forced to buy , by reason of the forcing and compelling power of the beast ; and so the nations have been begotten into a strange nature , into the cruel nature , killing one another about the forms of worship , and shadows , and the substance hath been known but to a few , neither the lambs nature , which is meek and innocent , and the leaves of the tree of life , which heals the nations , hath been known but to a few , which is the cause of all the broiles , murthers and massacres , imprisonments and cruel torments which the nations have afflicted one another with , who have professed christianity , but have been out of the life , and out of the nature of the true church , which christ is the head of , which is wife unto the lamb ; and herein is the true church manifest from the false ; the false church hath propogated and encreased her number of members by force and awe , and cain's weapons , and many have been forced into a belief , and a feigned kind of profession , rather than by sound doctrine , or answering god's witness in peoples hearts and consciences . but the true church , who is of the husband's nature , her weapons have been , is , and wil be spiritual , and yet is mighty through god , to beat down strong holds of sin & wickedness in people , and hath by sound doctrine and a good example , answered god's witness in people's consciences , without forcing to any thing , but recommended themselves to every one's conscience in the sight of god , and would have every one perswaded in their own hearts ( by the lord ) of the truth which they believed ▪ and not to take things by tradition and hear-say , as the false church and her members have done , and so have had no assurance of god's spirit in their hearts for what they did , and so doubts have arisen in the mind , because whatsoever is not of faith , is sin : but god is opening the eyes of many , and enclining the hearts of many to seek after the assurance of god's blessed spirit in their hearts , for what they do believe . and now reader , i shall present thee with a great fardal and bundle of the whore's merchandize , and of the counterfeit ware which she hath long deceived the nations with , which hath long laid as mouldy and rusty in this nation , but now new trim'd up , and presented again to this nation as for precious treasure , and it is not to be concealed in a narrow corner , or put off under hand ; so that this merchant of babylon hath presented it to publick view with a great confidence that people that hath been tossed up and down , and have found no rest for their souls , at last may come to make a trial of this merchandize , and see what it wil do ; but lest any should be cheated and deceived with such counterfeit traffique , i could not chuse ( having the knowledge thereof ) but declare against the deceit thereof , and to give warning unto all to beware how they touch , tast or handle it , lest they be defiled and corrupted by it , and their understandings darkned , and their consciences defiled : and the merchandize is this , tituled , a short catechism against all sectaries , by way of question and answer ; wherein all the doctrines and practices of the church of rome are asserted for infallible and apostolical ; wherein also it is holden out , that the church of rome is the onely true church , out of which there 's no salvation ; and some arguments to prove the same : also in this said book , all that are not of the church of rome , arecondemned already as hereticks , sectaries , wholly to be without salvation : newly published and translated by c. m. and london printed for p. s. . and though we have given publick testimony both in word and writing ( in divers nations ) in doctrine and practice ; yet such hath been the envy of many professors , who have denied the church of rome , that they have accused us for holding popish tenents , yet now on the other hand by this popish author , we are condemned as hereticks and sectaries , and to be without salvation : and thus they who have been under the beasts power in the apostacy , have tost us upon their horns from one to another , and have pushed us this way and that way ; and every party and sect hath reckon'd us , and join'd us with them whom they judged to be transgressors ; but it is a small thing to us to be judged by man's judgment ; for our judgment is with the lord , and he judgeth in righteousness , and unto him we appeal , who in his own day , when righteousness comes to be revealed in peoples hearts , they shall come to know us as we are , and the truth which we believe and walk in as it is in jesus . but that such a heap and bundle of false doctrine , and superstitious and idolatrous practices may not go unreproved god hath put it into my heart to bear my testimony against it , and all the confused heap of darkness which is laid down for catholick doctrine , and to discover the deceit thereof , lest any should be beguiled and led into the dark paths of ignorance and error , and should become an inhabitant of that city , which hath shed the blood of the prophets and martyrs , where now christ is crucified . first of all , the author saith , there is but one true religion wherein any can be saved . ans. 't is true , there is but one true religion in the which salvation is witnessed , which is confessed by all who profess religion , and every one wil needs lay claim to it ; and many have contended even by force and arms since the apostacy entered in , and hath kill'd and destroy'd one another about the name or sound , without the thing it self ; and all professors of religion who are in that nature , are not in the true religion in which salvation is witnessed : the true religion standeth in the power of god , and to be exercised in those things which the power of god directeth every one in , who believe in it , and to be obedient unto the commands of christ , and to keep his sayings , and to follow his example in righteousness and holiness ; and in that which overcometh the world , and giveth victory over it , and keepeth out of the pollutions of it . and this is the pure religion which purifies the heart & conscience from dead works , and teacheth to love enemies . now the church of rome is manifest not to be in the one true religion , but have departed from this faith , and this doctrine : let all nations bear witness where your religion hath been professed , how you have kept this faith , and walkt in this religion ; if any have dissented from you these many hundred years , and that upon good grounds , as luther and calvin , which thou art so angry at , and bring'st many calumnies against , and slanderous things , and lyes , of which thy vessel is ful . now they , with all others that dissent from you , you have reckon'd ( and do ) as sectaries and hereticks : and in case it were really so , if you were in the true religion , and in the faith of christ , you would not destroy so many mens lives as you have done within these thousand years ; i appeal to all nations where your authority hath been exercised ; how many have you kill'd , tortur'd , burnt to ashes , and destroyed the workmanship of god : but it may be thou judgest such a distinction as this will cover a little , as , to hate their heresie , and to love their persons ; but how you have lov'd their persons , i hope england hath not yet forgotten ; instance john wickliffe , whose bones you took up and burnt forty one years after his decease ; and how many hundreds more hathbeen burnt to ashes in england , in later years , as hereticks and sectaries , whose blood yet speaks and cries for vengeance upon that city , that church and religion , which hath drunk the blood of the prophets & martyrs . so in what i have said , the church of rome ( to all unbyassed spirits ) wil appear to be out of that one true religion , and that faith and doctrine which christ deliver'd ; and so salvation is not to be looked for amongst killers and destroyers : and so what i have said may convince the author of this book , that they are not in the one true religion in which salvation is witnessed . and this roman church hath been always visible and universal since the apostles dayes , and infidels have alwayes been obliged to join unto her ; yet one cannot be bound to seek that which is invisible : and the marks and signs of this roman church are four , comprized in these words . i believe in the true church , which is one , holy , catholick and apostolick . answ. that there was a church at rome in the apostles dayes , is not denied ; so was there at antioch , at philippi , at thessalonica , at corinth , and divers other places that i might instance , which were as visible as rome was , and as much a city set on a hill , as rome was ; and not inferior in doctrine , gifts & good works , to rome at all , but as to precedency and antiquity , may claim priority before rome : and if he pleads that peter was at rome , and ( as he saith ) was christs vicar and bishop ; and if because of this , rome doth excel , ( which the scripture is silent in ) jerusalem might claim priority before rome in this , for he ( we read of ) was more conversant at jerusalem , and a minister of circumcision , and paul ministred to gentiles , who preacht two whole years both to jews and romans , which were gentiles ; but it seems the very imagining peter to bee bishop of rome hath made pauls work void , and hath turned his work out of doors ; but however he which hath usurped the name of christs vicar , hath turned both peter and paul their life , and doctrine , and practice out of doors , to set up pride and deceit . but what blindnesse and ignorance is this , to judge that god hath bound himself so by prom se to any place , that he will always continue with them , whether they abide in his doctrine yea or nay : and though christ said , the gates of hell should not prevail against the church , had this onely a limitation to one place ; if it must needs be understood of a place outward , because of these words afore-mentioned , then why is it not extended as well to antioch , and the seven churches of asia , and the rest afore-mentioned ; hath not the gates of hell , and powers of darkness prevailed against them places , and the turks taken possession thereof . and as for your church at rome , which thou saith cannot err , and hath always been visible and universal : what saist thou to marcilianus , christ's vicar as you judge ? whether did he not lose his keys when he sacrificed to ido's , in the tenth year of dioclesian ? but it may be then thy church must not reside in christ's vicar , but in a general council : but hereafter we wil consider whether they have been alwayes one , and could not erre . secondly , that whereby the roman church gives us a mark and sign to be the true church , to wit , universality and visibility makes her clearly to be a harlot ; for john saw the true church flye into the wilderness for time , times , and half of time ; now if yours hath been visible and universal all this time , times and a half , then you are not the true church ; for universality comprehends all nations , kindreds , tongues and people ; and if this be the seat of your church , then absolutely your church is mysterie babylon , ( and not the lambs wife ) for she sate upon nations , kindreds , tongues , peoples and languages , which were waters . and here is your catholick , visible church measur'd with god's measuring-rod : first , to be the harlot , because she was never in the wildernesse . secondly , because her seat hath been so universal and catholick , as natious , kindreds , tongues , peoples and languages hath been the seat of your church , which are the waters which john saw ; and so truly may be called the great city . and as for infidels being obliged to join to you , this hath been because you have forc'd and compell'd by your power and outward force where you had dominion , and to escape your tortures , rather than by sound doctrine , or a holy example . or , secondly , because your religion hath stood in so many formalities and ceremonies , which hath been very pleasing , and so near unto the heathens nature . and thou says , that one cannot be bound to seek that which is invisible : i say , through faith god hath been seen who is invisible ; and christ said , seek and ye shall find ; and the kingdom of god is spiritual and invisible , and the natural and visible eye never discerned it , for the church is in god , and god is a spirit , and christ is the quickning spirit who is the head of the church which is his body ; and the spiritual and invisible eye is that which discerns the head and the body ; and you that looke gazing after things that are visible , have never discern'd the members of the true church of god as such , neither have known them , but have condemned them as hereticks in all ages , as your generation hath done , who have been in cains way . secondly , if unity , holiness , universal and apostolick , be the marks and figns of a true church , then yours is not the true church no more then they you count sectaries and hereticks , which thou saist , are no more one than cats and dogs : the comparison is odious , and like a suarling , catching spirit , who would tear every one that cometh nigh thee . and what if there be protestants , puritans , anabaptists , independents and quakers , these titles are but nominal , and there is not one amongst all these , but they acknowledge one god , and jesus christ to be the head of the body which is his church , and one spirit by which the saints are sanctified ; and they acknowledge christs doctrine in words , and his worship , that it is in spirit and in truth , and walketh nearer to the practice of the apostles and the church in their days , than you do : and if in some things they do vary , why may not variety be allowed by thee , where it is onely nominal and circumstantial , as well as thou canst allow variety of ave maries , creeds , and pater nosters , which thou saist delighteth ? but why hast thou not judged at home ? thou must not think to lead us like animals by the head , as your church doth poor ignorant people , to receive every thing for apostolick doctrine , because the church of rome calls it so , and cryes unity : might not the sectaries as thou callst them , return this upon your selves , that you are not at unity , and not one ? what meaneth the diversity of orders in your church , which may be called sects , that is , jerom's order , austin's order , gregory's order , carmalites , crouched fryars , franois , anthony's , bennet's , dominick's , trinity , basil , brigandine's orders ? all these kind of orders , and many more , with every one their distinct service , formalities and ceremonies , what a heap of sectaries are here , and yet rome cryes unity ! besides , what contradiction in your councils , may hereafter be made manifest , and in your vicars , one throwing down and condemning that which others have set up for apostolick doctrine . so if unity be a mark of the true church , then you are without this mark and sign more than they which you call sectaries . thirdly , if holiness be a sign of the true church , you are without this sign also more than the sectaries , as you are pleased to call them : what cruel murthers , massacres , tortures , bloodsheds hath been acted by your church , and that by commission from his holiness , ( so call'd ) christ's vicar , against them that have dissented from you upon good and warrantable ground , onely upon the account of religion , because they could not acknowledge the pope to be the head , and christ's vicar , and receive all decrees , though never so repugnant unto the doctrine of christ ; yet because for conscience-sake many have denied such things , nothing but fire and sword have been threatned , and the force thereof hath been known in many nations ; as for instance , in germany and the low-countreys , france , pyedmount , holland , england , and ireland of late years , many thousands massacred ( not in war , but ) in holes , hundreds of houses burnt , men , women and children ; children taken from their mothers breasts , & knockt against the walls , toss'd upon pikes and spears , wounded with swords , thrown into lakes and rivers , stript naked , starv'd in cold seasons , through such like inhumane and savage cruelty : commissions given from your nuntio's and agents to rob , to steal , even servants from their masters , even upon this account only , to weaken & enfeeble the sectaries and hereticks , as you stile them , to advance your holinesse's chair , and to progagate your holy , or rather unholy church and religion , which things remain fresh in the memory of many nations to this day ▪ besides , doth not your church tolerate stews and adulterous houses in the cities where you have dominion ? besides , pride abounds amongst you , more than the nations beside . and so your church hath neither this mark nor sign of holinesse . fourthly , as for your church being catholick and universal , you want this sign also ; if it be one , universal comprehends all nations , like as all the world ( in comparison ) were your church : what , is germany , france , england , scotland and ireland , nothing ? what , is all the turks dominions of your faith ? and thou saist , in asia , affrica and america , all is coming to an end . there is that risen , and arising in america , which must spread over the nations ; the breath of the lord bloweth , which will daily dry up the waters , which is the seat of your church , which you so much boast of : and what , have you converted all the indians ? nay have you not hardened their hearts against the name of christ , because of your cruelty and unholy conversation among them ? so that the name of christ and christian , is become as odious unto them , as mahomet is unto you ; and so you are without this sign , as that you are the true church . lastly , that your church is apostolick , if this be the mark of the true church , then you are without this also ; for you neither apostolick in doctrine nor practice ; your weapons are carnal , theirs spiritual ; their head was christ the light of the world ; your head is visible and carnal , which darkens the world ; they turned people from darkness to light , and to the word of faith in their hearts , and to know christ in them to justifie them : but one of your rabbies told us lately , you had no such doctrine in the church of rome , as christ in you : the apostles turn'd them to the annointing , and to the spirit , to be taught by it , and to be led by it into all truth , and to worship in it ; and you turn them to images , pictures , crucifixes , beads and altars , and so keep people in outward things , which feed the sensual and corrupt part . lastly , they said bodily exercise profiteth little ; and most of your worship stands in observing of days , meats , drinks , washings , sprinklings , altars , tapers , lighting and bearing candles , bowing , creeping to the cross , turning , wheeling this way and that way in all time and parts of your worship ; so that there is no time left for the heart to be exercised towards god ; and so you are not apostolical , and so are without this true sign of being the true church of god. but i shall descend to particular things , which is asserted , and seems to be proved , but very weakly : but we can expect no wine but such as is in the bottle . it is asserted by this author , that the pope is the head of the true church , in which salvation is onely to be expected ; and his proof he brings , is this ; christ hath so ordained it , in saying to peter , matth. . , . upon this rock will i build my church ; and christ hath given power to him and his successors to be a head to rule and govern the church ; and as there is an emperor to be head of the empire , and a king of the kingdom , so peter and his successors are the head of the church , and have the keys of the kingdom of heaven , to bind and to loose , and to remit and retain sinnes . the apostolick church hath this doctrine , that christ was given to be the head of the body , which is the church , which is spiritual , though in the world , yet not of the world ; and the father hath committed all power in heaven and earth to the son , and hath ordained him to be a leader , a teacher , and a feeder of his flock , and to be his salvation to the ends of the earth , and his glory he will not give to another : but it seems the church of rome hath soared so high in their conceits and imaginations , that they judge all this power to be given unto the pope , peter's successor , as they say : now we do not read of two heads to the one body , which is the true church , eph. . . . and so this is a contrary doctrine then that of the primitive church ; and christ who is the head of the body , he said , lo i am with you to the end of the world : and so it is the meer arrogancy and pride of the pope to be called the head of the church , and an intrenching christ's power and prerogative ; and that ever peter was called the head of the church , we do not read ; and that of the . of matthew is but a poor proof to prove peter to be the head of the church ; for christ spoke unto his disciples , ver : . and asked them , whom say ye that i am ? peter as one amongst the rest said , thou art christ the son of the living god ; and christ said , upon this rock will i build my church , viz. upon him which was revealed unto peter by the father , the son of god , which was the rock which the fathers eat of , and drank of , christ the rock of ages ; and another foundation can none lay ( said the apostle ) then that which is laid already , christ the rock and corner-stone , and not peter ; for christ is unchangeable , and abideth for ever , and so was not peter , though peter and the rest of the apostles received power from christ ; yet in the . and . verses of the same chapter , he was gone out of the savour and discerning , and christ said unto him , get thee behind me satan , for thou savourest not the things of god ; and what though it could be proved that peter was at rome , a pastor , an elder , or a biship , who fed the flock , and did feed the flock , and so might be reckon'd as an elder , and worthy of honor in respect of his labour and diligence in the work of christ ; is the promise so entailed to rome or to any place , that the next that succeeds in that place must needs receive the same honor , when he doth not the same work , which is worthy of honor , neither is in the same power ; but this i am sure of , though the church of rome lay claim unto peters bishoprick , as they say , yet they have not done his work . and secondly , if peter was at rome , and a pastor , yet he was not a lord ; for christ reproved that when they strove which should be the greatest , and said unto them , the gentiles exercise lordship one over another , but it shall not be so among you ; and though peter and the rest of the apostles who were in the power of god , had that which did open into the kingdom of god , and shut out that which did defile ; yet this we are sure of , he sold no pardons nor indulgences for gain and filthy lucre , as many have done whom you call peter's successors , and christ's vicar , and universal bishop , and visible head ; but it 's manifest how the pope became visible head , and universal bishop , not because of any work or labour in the doctrine of christ , or the work of the gospel , but by means of the roman emperor ; for while the christians were under persecution and suffering , there was no talk of visible heads , or much of universal bishop , for then rome had no more priority then the rest ; for the churches at constantinople , at jerusalem , at caesaria , at cyprus and alexandria , for the first three hundred years , they had as much power in their several churches , as rome had , and often the elders or bishops of the aforesaid churches did reprove sharply the bishop of rome ; but at last about five hundred years or upward , phocas to aspire to the empire of rome , he murthered his own master mauritius and his children , to attain unto the empire ; so at that time boniface the third was bishop of rome , and phocas somewhat fearing , and willing to have boniface his favour , condescendeth to all his petitions and grants him to be universal head-bishop over all christian churches ; and there was the first rise of rome's visible head ; for this frivolous reason of being peter's successor , could never have raised him to that height , but then the emperors power and authority became to be the more forcible plea ; for before that time the bishops of rome were chosen by the emperors consent , but after he had got power , emperors could not be chosen but by the popes consent ; and then came the bishop of rome to be a visible head , and be called universal bishop , christ's vicar , a lord spiritual over all the churches , and in process of time , lord temporal over all the empire . and thus your church of rome became magnificent and great , and to sit as a queen upon the waters , nations , kindreds and tongues , as you acknowledge your church of rome hath spread over ; and here is a héad and a body which are joyn'd together in union : christ is the head of the true body , which is his church and his wife ; and antichrist he is the visible head of his visible church and wife , mysterie babylon . the next piece of merchandize which the author brings forth to view , is purgatory , and prayer to be made for the dead , and also prayer unto the saints ; and the authors proof is cor. . . where the apostle speaks , every mans work shall be tryed , and that work which will not abide the fire , must be burnt ; and this the author calls the fire of another world ; and prayers for the dead he proves out of the . of maccabees , and prayer to the saints : he sayes , it 's lawful to pray in this world unto good people ; and paul while he lived , did pray for others , and also did beg their prayers : and the angel in the first of zachary prayed for israel ; and there can be no harm in praying to them that can pray for us . ans. them that dwell in the shadow of death , are like to speak out of thick darkness ; and they that have made a covenant with death , are loath to have it broken ; and they that have a mind to continue in sin while they live , have a mind to put the evil day afar off , and judgement afar off , and evil-doers will never have it time to give account for their evil deeds , and so puts it off till they are dead , and to another world ; and let the devil have preheminence in their hearts while they live , and reckon their sins venial , and light faults ; this is contrary to the doctrine of the true church of christ , and contrary to the apostles doctrine , who said , the wages of sin is death ; and there is no sinne goes unpunished nor unjudged ; and sion is redeemed through judgement , and by the spirit of burning ; and purgatory is a fiction , a falshood , and a lye ; & there is no cleansing from sin in another world ; solomon saith , as the tree falleth , whether to the north , or to the south , so shall the tree lye ; and the word of god , who hath received it in their hearts , which is as a fire that purifies ; and the blood of christ is that which cleanseth from all sin : & there 's not any cleansing from any sin , but by it , & there is no cleansing in another world ; but purgatory hath been invented , and prayer for the dead , that thereby the pope might be enriched , and sell the invented prayers and ave maries , and so cheat people of their money ; and there 's no sacrifice to be offer'd for the dead who dye in their sins , nor no remission after this life . and as sor praying to the saints , the scripture makes no mention of ; & though paul did pray for others , and beg the prayers of others , yet he prayed not for them when they were dead , neither did beg the prayer of the dead , but prayed for them who were believers in the true church , and desired the prayers of them that were living members , and were alive , and lived in the world , and were redeemed out of it ; and the angel prayed not for the people of israel when they were dead ; and that which thou calls jeremy's prayer in the maccabees , was never spoken by the spirit of the lord , nor the offering was not made in the will of god ; and the prophet saith , though abraham know us not , and israel be ignorant of us , yet thou o lord , art our father . and the lord said unto david , seek my face , and call upon me in the day of trouble , and i will hear and answer : not upon mary , peter and paul , dominick and anthony . again , it 's contrary to the practice of the saints in the primitive times , and contrary to the doctrine of christ , who said unto his disciples , whatsoever you ask in my name , the father shall give it you : he doth not speak of any other name ; neither is any prayer or supplication accepted of the father , but in the name of christ alone . so these doctrines are false , and doctrines of devils , never commanded nor practised by any of the saints in the primitive times , but onely have been invented and practised by the apostates , who have erred from the faith and practice which was once deliver'd unto the saints , which the church of rome hath made shipwrack of in many things , which i have made appear ; and i shall proceed to more particulars to manifest it , lest . any should be beguiled with such deceitful babylonish merchandize which the nations are too much corrupted with already . the next false doctrine which the author lays down , is , that christ is really and personally in the mass , and in the eucharist : and his proof is luke . . cor. . , . for saith he , god who is almighty , is able to change bread into his body , and wine into his blood ( in the mass ) as he did change the water into wine , and make the world of nothing . hence also by the way you may learn , that we are no idolaters , adoring the eucharist , because it 's no more bread , but whole christ , our god and redeemer , who placeth himself there by miracle after the priest hath uttered the sacred words of consecration ; yet the external accident of bread and wine remain , as our eyes represent to us ; but faith tells us , the true body of christ is hidden under it , and the substance and nature of the material bread is there no more . oh horrible blindness , and gross ignorance ; great idolatry , and horrible blasphemy ; your priests by their words it seems , can make god who made all things , and can make christ the redeemer , then your priests are greater then god and christ ; for he which createth and maketh , must needs be greater then that which is created and made : and thou confesses that it is really bread and wine before the priests sacred words are uttered of consecration , but afterwards it becomes the real and true body of christ ; yea , whole christ our god and redeemer : so it is clear that the priest hath power , in your judgment , to make the body of christ , to make god and whole christ a redeemer ; oh that ever such gross darkness should enter into the hearts of the sons of men : as for those two places in luke . cor. . it is but a pitiful ground for you to plead , that the material bread , and the material cup is the very body and blood of christ ; was not christ present , when he broke the bread , and gave the cup , and after too , and alive . did they eat his body when he was with them , and drink his blood ? was his body broken for them then , before he was offered up ? and was his blood shed then , before he suffered upon the cross ? nay it 's manifest he was alive in the real body , after they had earen the bread , and drunk the cup , and this was a sign unto them of his suffering for them , and of his death ; and as the apostle saith , as oft as they eat the bread , and drunk the cup , they shewed forth the lords death till he came . ( and reveal'd himself in his own life and power ) and then they saw and feel'd that which was signified through the figure before , that like as the bread and the cup did nourish the natural man , likewise their souls were fed and nourished with the bread of life ; and the cup of blessing which they knew and feel'd little of , when christ broke the bread , and gave the cup ; and doth not christ say , i am the door , i am the way , i am the vine ; and also , this is my body , and this is my blood : why should one place be literally and naturally understood and interpreted , and not another so . ly . and we do not question what christ can do , but what he did ; that he turn'd water into wine we do believe ; and that god made the world of nothing is for thee to prove yet , and that christ made himself invisible , & passed through his enemies somtimes without being seen , we believe ; but that he made himself invisible , vvhen he broke the bread , and gave the cup to the disciples , is clear contrary to the aforementioned scripture , and divers others ; or that he conveyed himself so invisibly into the bread , and into the wine , as you ignorantly suppose , or that he was so under it , as thy own word is ; so as that he was not seen visibly by the disciples , even when they eat the bread , and drank the cup , and after he bless'd it ( is utterly false ; ) for they saw him before he took the bread , and when he took it , and bless'd it , and brake it , and when they eat it , and after they had eaten , he was visible in all these moments of time , is very evident both by matthew , mark , luke and john , in their narration of the supper ; and so all your twining and turning , and vain arguments , are made void . ly . we do not believe that ever any of your priests turn'd water into wine , or bread into flesh , or wine into blood , of one sort or other ; much less into the flesh or blood of christ : for thou saist the external accidents remain , as our eyes represent unto us after consecration ; but yet the nature of the material bread is no more , as your faith teaches you ; so it seems you confess the visible appearance which may be seen and felt , as to the natural aspect doth remain ; that the natural elements of bread and wine still remain in sight , but the substance , nature and matter is no more in being , i shall appeal to the light of christ in your consciences , whether this be true yea or nay ; nay it is so ridiculous a thing , that i dare appeal to any man or woman that have not lost their sences , whether that which may be seen with the natural eyes , and may be felt by the natural hands , and tasted by the natural taste , be not the very same in nature and matter after consecration as before , if the external accidents do remain , as you say it doth , we will join issue with you in this thing for trial , if you dare venture it , and put it to proof , you and we with a joint consent will chuse bread and wine , and you and we will both eat and drink of some part of it before , and then your priest shall consecrate it , and we will hear and see what he saith , and doth , provided that he shall onely speak to it , or pray over it , and then when he hath done , we will both eat again ; and if it be not of the same substance , and the same effect , as to your own understanding , sence and feeling , as you are men and creatures ; which if there be no alteration , but it remain the same in substance , in taste , in matter , nature and quality with that before consecration , then you shall confess your error , & deny your doctrine ; but if it be alter'd , we will deny ours , and join unto your faith. or secondly , if you will stand to trial , and appoint time and place for two or three of you , and two or three of us to meet together , where both parties may be secure as to their persons , you and we will take bread and wine , and one part of it shall be unconsecrated , and another part you shall be allow'd to consecrate as well as you can for the honor of your church , and that which is consecrated , and that vvhich is unconsecrated shall be set together , and shall be watched by some of each party ; and if that which is consecrated , do corrupt , and decay , as that which is unconsecrated , then you wil renounce your doctrine , and leave your killing about it ; but if it do not corrupt and decay as well as that which is unconsecrated , then we will deny our faith , and confess that you are the true church . lastly , if you be not idolaters , there was never any in the world , who say , that to adore or worship the bread and wine after consecration , is no more bread , but whole christ , your god and redeemer , who placeth himself there upon the altar by miracle : it 's a miraculous thing indeed , that that which is given unto you by the priest , which enters in at the natural mouth , and goes into the belly , should be the body of christ , and whole christ , and very god and redeemer , as thou saist ; that one person should contain whole god , seeing the scripture saith that the heaven of heavens cannot contain him ; for he is the very fulness that filleth all things : oh gross darkness , and palpable ignorance which you have led people to believe ! and call this idol that rats and mice may eat , whole christ , god and redeemer ! and you have destroyed and burnt to ashes many for hereticks , who could not believe this doctrine . therefore all people it 's time to look about you , and see where you stand , and what you join unto : if you cannot receive this doctrine for holy and apostolick by the church of rome , not worthy to live ; and without doubt , might not , if this church had but that authority which sometimes it hath had in england : but i hope the eyes of many are open to see and detect this damnable doctrine . so what i have said in this particular , may be enough to confirm them who are in any measure in the truth , and to keep them back who have desires after this fornication , which the nations hath drunk too much of : but i proceed to another particular ; but before , take a word or two about the ceremonies . the author sayes , that ceremonies were used by christ at his last supper ; and they excite people to their devotion during the sacrifice ; but for proof you must , expect none from this author , and the scripture is silent in the thing ; and ceremonies and formalities are so far from stirring up the mind to god , that they indeed draw the mind to be busied in the exercise of them , from waiting upon god , & from worshipping him in the spirit ; & such worshippers are onely accepted of him . the masse is said in latine , and the rest of divine service ; for if it were not , ignorant people might easily be mistaken , if these mysteries were done in the vulgar language ; and because the scripture hath been written in latine . greek and hebrew , and these three languages were written upon christ's cross , and therefore these three nations ought to use them at their masse and divine service ; but the priestly garments and ceremonies gives enough to understand what is done at the masse and divine service . ans. this looks with a bl●ck visage to be apostolick doctrine ; but however i shall search into it , and examine it by the apostles doctrine , before it be condemned : it 's a good shift ( indeed ) to keep people from mistakes , not to let them know what they say or do ; but this is contrary to the apostles doctrine , cor. . , , , , , ; . if a trumpet give an uncertain sound , who can prepare to battel ? and except words utter'd , be understood , how shall it be known what is spoken ? if the meaning of the voice be not known unto him to whom it is spoken , the speaker and the hearer are barbarians one to the other : and when one understands not what is spoken , how can he be edified ? and all services ought to be done to edification . so your church is erred from the apostolick doctrine ; and your masse , and your service doth not edifie at all , but you are as barbarians one to another ; for your worship goes on in such a pack road , that the vulgar people would soon learn it , and know it , and ( it may be ) slight it , if they should know the worthlesness of it ; and therefore the onely way ( you judge ) is to keep them in ignorance . and what mysterie is there in the masse and your service , seeing that it stands in crossings , cringings , and abundance of endless ceremonies , and reiteration of words , which are patcht up by many authors , contrary to christ and the apostles doctrine : but it seems the priests garments and ceremonies gives understanding enough to the auditors ; a dumb shew is enough for them , ( like a poppet play ) to make them understand the mysteries of your mass , an unbloody sacrifice indeed , in which there is no remission nor acceptation . and here thou hast acquainted us with a mysterie indeed ! because latine , greek and hebrew was written by pilate upon the cross of christ , therefore they are called sacred languages ! sure the church of rome hath lost both faith and reason ; will any that hath a friend that should be crucified upon a cross , and an enemy who condemn'd him , should set over him words in latine , greek and hebrew , in contempt , that therefore a man should count the crosse holy , and the language sacred , as the church of rome doth , is great ignorance and idolatry , of which she is full , & therefore is not apostolick , nor the one true church in which salvation is to be looked for , as the author would make people believe . the next false and superstitious doctrine which this merchant of the church of rome holds forth for apostolical , is , the reliques and images of saints , and also prayer by the beads , by number and tale , as brick-makers sells their brick ; and this the church of rome would put off unto us as apostolical doctrine . the reliques and images of saints are honorable in regard of the saints which they have relation unto , and god himself makes use of them for his miracles . moses was enforced to honor the holy ground where the angel appeared , exodus . and david commanded the ark to be adored , because it was god's foot-stool , psal. . . and to honor the reliques and images of saints is no idolatry ; for that is idolatry to worship false gods ; and christ doth not take it ill that we honor his saints and friends : and to number our prayers , if hail mary be said upon beads threescore and three times , it 's because mary lived so many years ; and the prophet prayed seven times a day , and christ three times in the garden : and it 's not evil to say our prayers by number ; and if five pater nosters be said , it is in honour of the five wounds , and what would there be amiss in this . and it 's not idiots that prays by beads , but catholick kings , the pope , cardinals and bishops makes use of them ; and variety delighteth the mind , and there is no better prayers then the pater noster , ave , and the creed . answ. the reliques , or that which remains for all the saints and members of the true church of christ to follow , and to honor , is , to live in the same life that they lived in , and to honor him who was their life , by whose power they fulfilled the will of god , and to walk in the same foot-steps , is to honor him that was their life , and them also , who walked as examples of righteousness ; and that power by which they became examples of holiness and righteousness ; but for the church of rome to worship pieces of cloth , dead bones , painted images , which may as well be called the images of cain , ishmael , judas , and all the seed of evil-doers , as well as the image of christ , or peter , paul or mary , for any thing that they know , which they have but receiv'd by story , and is but as old wives fables , which paul to timothy reproved . and hath the church of rome no better thing to put them in mind of the saints life , then a dead picture or image made by the hand of the crafts-man upon a wall , or a board , or parchment , or paper , this is idolatry ; for christ promised to his disciples , and to the true church , that he would send his : spirit to lead them into all truth ( which is an invisible thing ) and to bring to remembrance what ever christ had spoken , and whatsoever was necessary as to salvation , whether the saints life and holy practices which they lived in ; or whatsoever else as conduced to their peace and justification with god ; and what images did god make use of to shew his miracles by ? this is ▪ but an old fable formed by the apostate christians , whose minds are turned after shadows and vain shews , and is erred from the invisible life , and worships the works of mens hands . . though moses did put ▪ off his shoo 's according to the command of the lord , where god appeared in power and glory to him ▪ what is this to your purpose ? as to create and form places , and consecrate them as holy , and then command reverence and honor unto them , this is but to worship the work of your own hands ; and though david say in the psal. vers . exalt the lord god , and worship at his footstool , for he is holy . what of all this , doth god call reliques or images his footstool . and if the author do judge that it was spoken of zion and jerusalem outward , where aaron and the rest of the priests worshipped ; yet doth not christ say , it 's not at jerusalem , &c. but they that worship god , worship him in spirit and truth : what , doth not the church of rome profess christianity and apostolick doctrine , and wil now turn jews or imitaters of them ? what is rome ? jerusalem or zion ? and must pictures invented , and dead pieces of bones and wood , be recommended unto the nations as holy things ? this is contrary to the apostolick church , and with the life of god is judged ; and the life of the saints whom you honour in words , and make pictures of , and worships the works of your own hands , and crucifies the life where ever it appears , that they lived in , and teacheth a contrary doctrine . . confession may be made in words of the true god , and talk may be of his wonderous works , and yet people idolaters ; the church of the jews who acknowledge the true god , and had seen and heard of his wonderous works , they eat and drank and rose up to play ; and these were idolaters , & such is the church of rome ( who take peoples minds up with garments and vestments , with altars and candles , with crucifixes & agnus dei , with images formed by painters , with a piece of bread called a holy host , and eucharist , an unbloody sacrifice ) who neglects the life , and him that is the head of the body , and his witnesse in their hearts and consciences , and leads them to worship and honour visible and carnal things , and to busie their mindes in the exercise of outward things ▪ which profiteth little or nothing at all , and so are idolaters , worshipping the works of your own hands , which christ and the apostolick church bore testimony against ; for ▪ that which the creatures mind goes out after , besides , or without that which may be known of god in the heart , is made an idol of , and the true god is not minded ; and them that honor gods friends and saints , walks in their footsteps , live their life , and honor their sayings ; but your church is contrary , who would kill , and have killed about these invented fopperies , ▪ which is contrary to the apostles doctrine . god accepts not prayers by number nor tale , nor for multitude of words , which are without understanding , and without the spirit ; this christ counted as evil , and reprehended the pharisees , and said , it was like the vain repetitions of the heathen , who thought to be heard for their much babling ▪ and the salutation which the angel gave to mary ▪ is no prayer : and that which is called the apostles creed , is no prayer ; and them that are unconverted unto god ▪ may prattle and prate over the words , in the unbelief , and never have any acceptance of god : and though the prophet did pray seven times a day , it was according to the motion of god's spirit in his own heart , which shewed him his state and necessity ; and what is this to imitators , when they pray not with the same spirit , neither in the same words ? and what if mary lived threescore and three years ? who gave commandment that hail mary should be said threescore and three times over ? the rest of the saints are like to have but small shares of worship and honor , if she go with all this in a day . and what five wounds is that which the church of rome dreams of , that five pater 〈◊〉 , must be said for the honor of ? with deceit and ignorance you wound him every day , and your pater nosters doth not honor him at all , pattred oft over with your polluted lips , who are given to speak lyes , and your tongues to speak mischief , which christ accepteth not : what , are you all new creatures that say , our father which art in heaven ? are you born again ? are your natures changed ? sin you not ? do you hallow his name , who do not love that which shews your evil deeds ? would you see his kingdom come , which stands in righteousness ? where will you appear ? or how will you stand when he appears in his power and glory to take vengeance on all them that wis● not that he should rule in their hearts , who is the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world ? would you see his wil done on earth as it is in heaven , when you walk contrary to his doctrine which the apostolick church walked in , and sets up a numberless number of traditions and inventions of men instead thereof , which the lord accepteth not , and you pray not with understanding ? . as for your beads , which are neither jewish nor christian , but meer heathenish , as to reck on the number or tale of that which you call your prayers by ; and though kings , popes , cardinals and bishops do the same , this is but a small proof as for authority ; kings have drunk of the whores cup , and popes and cardinals have usurped power that christ never gave , as to exercise lordship , and be law-givers unto others ; for the lord is the saints law-giver , and the saints life and judge , and he will not give his glory to another ; for kings have ' drunk of the vvhores cup of fornication , and popes have usurped authority , and cardinals have exercised lordship over mens consciences , yea and over great kingnomes and states too . and if they pray by beads , as others do set forms by number & tale , they are as much ideots as the rest are , who know not the spirit to pray by . and so this is no authority to prove your practice apostolical and holy ; as for variety of prayers and worships , it delighteth the carnal mind indeed ; but they that worship god in spirit and truth , they pray by the spirit , and in it , as david and christ prayed , whether seven times , five times or three times , and with understanding ; and that which they prayed in , was not various , but one ; and it 's by that one spirit which is not various , by which the sons of god cry abba father ; and the variety of your formed charms , bablings upon your beads , god hath no regard unto , but is a smoke in his nostrils all the day . and they that have exercised themselves in these things , have not the witness of god in their own consciences that they are accepted of god ; and so i shal proceed to another doctrine called apostolical , and holy ; and that is about meats , whether they may be lawfully eaten at all times . the author confesseth they forbid certain kinds of meats , but it is but at certain times ; and they are forbidden not as they are evil , and the creatures of god , but because they are forbidden by the church ; and his proof is the apple which eve and adam eat was not evil in it self , but being prohibited ; so to eat that which is good of it self is not ill , but to eat contary to the superiors mind and order , this is evil . the bible and scriptures ought not to be read , but leave is to be asked of the superior , because there are many hard passages , which they which have little or no learning , as peter testifies in his second epistle , chap. . some understands it one way , and some another ; and therefore it is the fittest for learned men to judge of them , and they must judge whether people be in a capacity to read them . answ. and why are meats forbidden at certain times . is this like the apostolick doctrine ? are not all times and seasons in the hand of the lord , and are all good to them that believe , and to the pure all things are pure , all times and seasons , all meats and drinks being sanctified by the word , which made them all holy unto all that do believe : and if you forbid them not as they are creatures of god , but because they are forbidden , i say , who did forbid them , or when were they forbidden ? by christ , his apostles , or the true church of christ in their day ; but on the contrary christ taught , that which goeth in at the mouth , and in at the belly doth not defile the man , but that which proceedeth out of the heart , which is corrupted . and paul said , what is sold at the shambles may be eaten , and no question made for conscience sake ; for to the clean all things are clean , and to the believing all things are pure ; and who limited such meats for such dayes , and such times , the true church ? no : but the church of rome , who are going on in that doctrine the apostle spoke of the . of tim. and the . which he reckoned a doctrine of devils : but here is your argument that must bring you off , because you forbid it not at all times ; i say , if it be a doctrine of devils to forbid at all times , then it is some part of the doctrine of devils to forbid at any time , seeing time and things are all good in the hand of the lord : but if this doctrine should hold , what would become of your dogg-days , and of your lent , which has been patched up week by week by diverse popes ; and of your wednesday , friday and saturday fasts , so by this account of yours half of the year is either unholy , or else some meat is unholy for half of the year ; but there is few but sees your blindness , that in this much need not be said , but onely thus , that which may be lawful in it self , when it is prohibited by the lord unto any particular , then it becomes evil ; for whatsoever is not of faith is sin : but christ alone , unto whom all power is committed , hath the sole power over the heart and conscience ; and for any to make injunctions and prohibitions contrary to him , the same is antichrist ; and so the practice which your church commands is not apostolical , but you bring yoaks upon the true disciples necks ; which they that are made free by the son , cannot stoop unto , neither join with ; for whosoever doth , goes into bondage : and christ is the supreme power unto whom all power is committed ; and when he justifies , what superior can condemn ? and there is no need of asking leave of them that are superiors , which reckons themselves as so , seeing every man stands clear in the sight of god , when he transgresses not against the supreme law of christ in his conscience ; and to offend any superiors who lays any injunction contrary to the command of god , is not to offend god , neither to break his command . ly . it seems all parts of religion is monopolized by mysterie babylon , in which rome is comprised , not onely patents and pardons sold for eating of meat , but authority and licence must be given to every one that reads scripture , a thing which the apostolick church ( before the pope had a being ) knew nothing of ; but on the contrary , some were exhorted to read the scriptures , and some were commended for reading of the scriptures , and for searching whether the things were so as paul testified ; and in this they were counted more noble then they at th●ssalonica : but now it is become an ignoble thing , and not at all to be suffered to read the scriptures without patent or licence in the church of romes account , who have laid down ignorance to be the mother of their devotion : but the danger is , because there are hard passages which are not understood when people have little or no learning , as the author saith : what was it for want of natural learning that peter complained they ▪ wrested the scriptures , and therefore is it for want of natural learning that the scriptures are not understood , and for want of this they must not be read , as the author saith : ignorant man ! what was peter such a great learned man ? a poor boat-man , or fisherman , whom the scripture saith was illiterate ; in the acts , when they beheld peter and john , and that they were illiterate men , and saw their boldness , and took notice they had been with jesus : what was it want of natural learning that peter spoke of , then he spoke against himself , for he was illiterate : but it was such a learning that they wanted as this author wants , who is untaught by the spirit , and unlearned in the doctrine of christ , and such wrest the scriptures , and do not understand hard sayings , because the deep things of god are revealed through the spirit of god , and not by natural learning , as this author , who would sell licences and pardons for reading the scriptures , as they have done for eating flesh in lent ; but a story of robin hood , a comedy , or a play is more frequently read by the members of the church of rome , which begets into loosness and prophaneness , a thing which this generation is in love with rather then the scriptures ; and though the scriptures be applauded in words as for the rule of life by many , and a judge of controversies , yet how should they be ruled that may not read them without a licence , or a toleration from the superior : if it be lawful to read with toleration , it 's lawful to read without toleration ; for the toleration of men neither addeth to , nor diminisheth from any spiritual exercise ; and timothy read the scriptures of a youth , and who gave him his toleration ? and apollos was a mighty man , and a knowing man in the scriptures ; from whence had he his license ? . because thou judgest according to the judgement of this present evil world , that they are onely fit to read the scripture , and give interpretations upon it , who are naturally learned , and have the wisdom of this world : i say , nay , the world by wisdom knew not god , neither know him now ; and them that had natural learning , rejected the foundation ; them that had the hebrew language set christ at nought ; they that had the greek tongue , withstood paul , and called him a babler ; them that had the latine tongue ( the tongue of the whore your mother ) persecuted the christians in the first three hundred years after christ , as your own histories do relate : so according to all these who had onely the knowledg in the natural languages , they did not understand the things of god ; and it was the wise builders which builded by art & skill in the earthly wisdom , that rejected the true foundation and corner-stone ; but on the contrary , we say , according to the apostolick doctrine , that the scriptures may be read , and ought to be read ; for they are profitable for instruction and correction , and information , to make the man of god perfect , and thorowly furnisht to every good work through faith in christ jesus : and i would have the author know , that we do not look upon cardinals , fryers , monks and bishops , to be the alone men of god , so that they alone have the sole power to tolerate the reading of scriptures ; for he is a man of god who is born of the spirit which sanctifieth and leadeth into the clear pathes of equity and righteousness , who walks not after the flesh , neither fulfils the lusts thereof ; and such there are , and have been , which have been unlearned in natural tongues ; but this is the way to keep your church in reputation , to believe as you believe , and every man to put out his own eyes , and live by another's sight , and hang his faith upon another's shoulders ; this is not like apostolick doctrine , for the apostle said , let every one be perswaded in his own mind ( not by other mens minds ) and he that believeth , hath the witness in himself , and hath it not to seek among the litteral rabbies , who darken counsel through words ; and it is not for want of natural learning , that one understandeth the scriptures this way , and another that way , but because they want the understanding of that spirit which gave forth the scriptures , which spirit universally is given to all men and women ( a measure of it ) to lead into truth , and through which the deep things of god are revealed : and it 's not your traditions ▪ inventions , natural learning , schools & colledges , fryeries and covents , in which the spirit of god is onely limited ; but every one that seeks , finds , whether learned or unlearned ; for of a truth , god is no respector of persons : and so the mind of christ is manifest unto them that believe , and the one spirit into which the saints were baptized , is that which opens the scriptures truly as they are , and discerneth the times and the seasons , and fulfilleth it in the hearts of them that believe , and manifests the state unto which they were spoken . and if the scriptures be so hard to be understood , by reason of the hard sayings , or because of the translations , what have you been doing these fourteen hundred years , with all your learning , with all your councils , popes , bishops and clergy , that you have not translated them aright , or so plain that they may be understood by all that reads ? but then your doctrine , worship and practice , would be soon manifest not to be apostolical , nor consonant and agreeing to the practice of the true church of christ. and now i come to the effectual arguments and pregnant wayes which the author tells of , which will work upon the sectaries to make them return to the catholick church , which he saith they have groundlesly forsaken ; and now i shall come to try his arguments , and search the force of them , which he layeth down as the most efficacious way to convince all sectaries ( as he is pleased to stile them ) to come to the church of rome ; but the hope of this man will be like a spider's web , for unto all whose eyes god hath illuminated in any measure , will come to see the weakness of this philosophy and vain deceit , which he hath laid down as a chief instrument to convince all , that the roman church is the true church , and that salvation is onely concluded in her . . the first argument he takes from matth. . . christ sends us to the church ( saith he ) if any neglect to hear her , they must be counted as heathens and publicans : from hence this is the argument , that , that church is to be heard in which there is most assurance to be had that one is in the way to salvation ; but in the roman church there is most assurance , therefore the roman church is to be heard . ans. the minor is false , and also the conclusion ; that church which hath the foundation of its assurance without , it is not the true church of christ , neither is to be heard ; but the roman church hath onely their assurance of salvation without them , therefore are not to be heard ; it is manifest their assurance stands onely in outward things , as antiquity and visibility , which are not the alone marks of the true church ; cain was ancient enough , and there were them that were in cain's way before rome was so highly elevated ; and that for universality and visibility , there is no assurance in that , for all the world hath wondered after the beast , and the whore hath sitten upon nations , kindreds and people ; and so the first argument is denied , and proved to be false ▪ i shall lay down another ; . that church which hath always been so visible and universal since the apostles dayes , as hath had its seat over nations , kindreds and tongues , is not the true church of christ , but the harlot ; but the church of rome hath been universal over nations , kindreds , tongues and people , therefore the church of rome is the harlot , and not the true church of christ. but i shall not traduce thee in thy vain deceit , but return thy arguments upon thy self , which thon chargest upon others . . as first , that church is not to be heard whose authors and doctors are cozeners and impostors . . but all are cozeners and impostors but the church of rome . again , that the church of rome hath the marks of the true church , and no other , as antiquity , miracles , holiness of life , universality . again , that the church of rome takes the narrow way that leads to life . again , because the church of rome keeps sunday instead of saturday , by tradition ; therefore she is the church of christ. to the first ; if that church is not to be heard , neither her censures regarded , whose authors and teachers have been cozeners and impostors , then the church of rome is not to be heard , nor her censures regarded , because the chief authors have been cozeners , cheaters and impostors , who have been out of the power of god , and have taught for doctrine the traditions of men ; as purgatory , prayer for the dead , onely to cozen and cheat by , to fill the bags and coffers of the popish clergy ; which doctrine is contrary unto the doctrine of christ and the apostolick church ; therefore the church of rome is not to be heard . . that the church of rome hath the marks of the true church , and no other , as antiquity , holiness of life , miracles , and universality ▪ this is false ; there were churches before rome , that had these marks ; and there hath been since , and are now , more then the church of rome : antiquity some of them called sectaries will allow you a thousand years to be called a church , and yet prove you apostates both in doctrine and practice . your miracles are but cheats , deceits , and lying stories , if your own authors be searched ; you confess most of your miracles are wrought by your images , works of your own hands . . antiquity without truth , proveth nothing ; and holiness of life , if your church be holy , which is prophane ? tolerating ( as i said before ) whoredoms , stage-playes , vain sports and pastimes , which draw people from the fear of god ; and many foolish sopperies which i shall not now mention ; so that there are them that have dissented from you , which are more ancient in the faith , more holy in life and conversation , more agreeable in doctrine and practice , to the true primitive church , then you are . and as for miracles which are wrought by the true power and finger of god , there hath been , and are more amongst them called sectaries , than in the church of rome : the blind have received their sight , the lepers have been cleansed , the lame have been made to walk , and the deaf have heard , and the dumb have spoken , the dead have been raised , and many that have been bound by satan fourty yeares , are loosed ; and there are thousands that are witnesses of it , and can testifie the truth thereof , even in this time , and in this year , in scotland , england , ireland , germany and america , . so there is a true church which hath the marks of the true church of christ , more than the church of rome ; therefore the roman church is not the alone true church . . to the third argument , that the church of rome keeps gods commandments , and walks in the narrow way of christ's counsel , therefore she is to be heard : how she keepeth the commandments of god , is known , if he mean the ten commandments ; thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image , nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven or earth , neither bow down nor worship them . now you make images of things in heaven , as of god and christ , and the holy ghost , and of mary ; and as for things in earth , you have images of all sorts , witnesse your masse-houses , called churches , your cloisters , fryaries and covents ; so that every place is filled ful , & worship unto them is taught by you for doctrine , contrary to god's doctrine , & your distinction of latria & doulia wil not serve ; for it 's meer deceit ; he that honors an image , and bows down before it in his heart , whether you may judg it represents this or that , is an absolute idolater , & knoweth not the spirit which christ said he would send to the true church , which should bring all things to their remembrance both what he did and said , and the saints life and example to remembrance , ( without your pictures . ) and how you are in the narrow way , is known to many thousands that you do not walk in it at all , neither take up the crosse of christ , which is to crucifie the lusts , affections and desires of the flesh , but taketh up outward crosses , and bears them on your necks , or pin them on your sleeves , or hang them about your necks , and all because christ was crucified on the cross : and here you are honorers of pilate and the jews , who crucified christ upon the crosse as a blasphemer , rather then honorers of christ ; and the strait and narrow way you are ignorant of , and christ's sufferings you are strangers to : what! your popes are as emperors , your cardinals as lawgivers , your ecclesiastical officers as lords of great possessions in the earth , except some begging fryars , which you have prest into a voluntary humility , without necessity . and how do you love your enemies ? how many indians have you destroyed and killed as dogs ? and how many that have professed the name of christ have you burned and destroyed as though they had been wood , and onely fewel for the fire . and how can you say your pater ▪ noster , about which you make so much ado , and say , forgive us our trespasses , as we forgive them ▪ that trespass against us ; if the heathen have trespassed against you , if them you call sectaries have trespassed against your church , how do you forgive them ? and how do you fulfil the law of christ , and keep his counsel , seeing that you are out of his doctrine ; away with such deceit and hypocrisie , god hath found it out , and is judging it by his saints , who rejoice in christ jesus , and have no confidence in the flesh , nor in fleshly traditions and imaginations , but lives in the power of god , and walks in the spirit ▪ and therefore because you walk contrary to the command of god and christ's counsel ▪ and are out of the narrow way that leads to life ▪ your church is neither to be heard , minded , nor heeded . the fourth argument that the church of rome is the true church , because they keep their sabbath of the sunday by tradition , and not upon the saturday , as the jewes did ; and therefore the church of rome is to be heard , because they have tradition & solid reason on their side . thy speech bewraies thee , which bespeaks thee rather a heathen then a christian ; for the heathens had a day that they celebrated to an idol made like the sun , called sunday , and another day which they celebrated to an idol called saturnus , called saturday ; and in this your church is not to be heard , who is out of the form of sound words : but the seventh day was the jews-sabbath , which none that professes christianity ought to keep , seeing that christ put an end to the shadows : and the saints sabbath is a stranger to the church of rome ; he that hath overcome the world and the divel onely knows god's rest , and the true sabbath , of which the jewes was a figure ; and the sundays thou calls , it is no more a sabbath reckoned by the lord of life then that which thou calls saturday ; for every day is kept holy to the lord by him that witnesses the work of redemption , and this is according to the apostolick doctrine ; and if because of example the christians whom you are pleased to stile sectaries , do observe the first day of the week in the power of god , for his worship , then they are as much , if not more to be heard than you , and have as much solid reason on their side as you ; and thou must not think to carry the matter on with such frivolous arguments as this , to advance mysterie babylon ; for this is a a knowing age blessed be the lord , wherein the wisdom of god is revealed , and that which comprehendeth all shadows , types , dayes , times , years , meats , drinks , washings , and other figures , they are all seen over , and he is come and manifest which is head of the true church , ( and not the pope ) who was , is , and is to come , life it self , truth it self , power , strength , and everlasting satisfaction to thousands , and ten thousands , who have believed , ( and to a numberless number which are yet to be gathered into god's sheep-●old , and into the narrow way of christ ) which will deny , and doth deny upon good grounds , and infallible testimony from the eternal spirit , that the church of rome is either in whole , or in part , any part of the true church of christ. and seeing this valiant champion hath made so fair a proffer , that all their priests , jesuits , and catholicks over all the world , will turn to the sectaries way ( as he calls them ) if they can but get a clear and satisfactory resolution to the following doubts : answ. i am one which do acknowledge my self to be reckoned by him as a sectarian ; yet as a sectarian is reckoned by the true church of god in the primitive time , in the apostles and christ's dayes , i do not reckon my self as such ; and that i am a minister of the everlasting gospel i dare not deny , seeing a necessity is laid upon me to acknowledge the same ; yet herein i do not glory , but in him who hath called me for the work sake ; and i know the teaching of christ jesus , and his doctrine , and no other thing this many years have i published , but that which i received of the lord , and from him by his spirit , which is according to the true faith and godliness , which was in the primitive church ( before ever rome did lay claim to be the onely true catholick church , excluding all others but her self to be in the way that leads to salvation ) i which am as one amongst many thousands which god hath manifested his mind unto , shal answer in clearness , and according to apostolick doctrine , and the manifestation of his spirit ; but when i have so done , i am afraid this champion , with the rest of the priests and jesuits , and the rest of the catholicks over the world , wil hardly own his challenge , or consess that doubts are answered ▪ yet however if it satisfie but one of a thousand i have my reward ▪ and shal put it to tryal . the first thing the author , who it seems knows the mind of the church of rome in all things , both as to doctrine and practice , vvhich they do allovv of , and the contrary they vvil deny , ( he knovvs to the full ) or else he vvould never ( sure ) have made such a bold challenge . the first thing that they vvould be resolved in , is , whether any can clearly shew that any teachers , doctors or ministers , are sent of the almighty god to preach and reform the roman catholick church , and that they are not some who say the lord saith , when the lord hath not spoken unto them , neither sent them , ezek . . ans. what the roman church and their members will take for a satisfactory resolution as to themselves , i somewhat question , and do doubt the resolving of the most ; but however by the same commandment that the apostles did evidence their commission , that they were sent to reform the church of the jews , and also them that had made defection from the faith amongst the gentiles ; this may be shown : . the apostles of christ jesus did declare their commission which they had received from christ ; and for other proof they sought none amongst them that were auditors or hearers , but the witness and testimony of god , unto which they desired to be approved in the sight of god. . they shewed the jews , that they held the types and the figures , but did not receive , or believe him who was the substance , in whom they all ended ; they were sent to bear testimony to the true light that lighteth every one that cometh into the world ; and to preach down dayes , times , months , years , fasts , feasts , sabbaths , circumcision , temples and offerings , the priesthood and the sacrifice , which were but to continue until th time of reformation , and the bringing in of a better hope , by which they drew nigh unto god , and had an accesse unto him , and they declared their commission against a voluntary humility , and worshipping of angels ; all which things the church of rome do stick in , and vindicate for apostolick doctrine ; and many more things which the church of rome is run into , contrary to the true church of christ , and therefore had need of reformation : so that which is contrary to the doctrine of christ and the apostles , and practice of the primitive church in the first hundred years , is in the apostacy ; but rome is in many practices and doctrines contrary to the true church ▪ therefore needs reforming . and so god hath manifested himself in this his day of power , and hath discovered the church of rome to be contrary in doctrine and practice to the true spouse of christ , and hath stirned up , and moved many by his power and spirit to preach the everlasting gospel , and to declare also against the defection of the church of rome , and her apostatizing from the faith ; and they are not of those whom the prophets spoke of , which ran , and the lord sent them not ; for them were the false prophets in israel , and they were manifest by their fruits , of which there are great store in rome , who are manifest by their fruits , and they are such as are in cain's way , who would kill , and such as are seekers of gain from their quarter , and such as take the jews tythes ; and these the lord never sent to be teachers or ministers to bring to the knowledge of christ ; but we deny all these things , and your church in the very ground and foundation , and know that it will be swept away when the beast is taken alive , upon which your church now rides ; then shall you see that that which you long put off among people as apostolick doctrine , will not be received any more , neither traditions nor inventions of men for the worship of god. the second doubt which the author would be resolved in , is , whether we can make good what luther and calvin , with all protestants , have boasted that they would do , to reform convincingly one of the silliest roman catholicks that is , and to begin , do it in the matter of the real presence after consecration ? what luther and calvin have said unto you as about your worship , doctrine and practice , hath been made good by themselves while they were living , and in the body ; and what they said , did not onely inform the minds of many of the roman catholicks , but reform'd them too which were not of the silliest amongst you ; not onely one , but thousands did see your error and deceit , though they in some particulars did but differ from you : but now that is manifest which denieth your foundation in the very ground . and what i have said as about the real presence of christ's body being in the bread and wine after consecration , if thou dare put it , and endeavour the trial thereof ( according as i have in reasonableness propounded unto thee ) it wil convince many of the roman catholicks of their error , or else many of the protestants of their error ; and so if thou dar'st adventure it , make no more boasts , but let it come to trial , as before is propounded unto the church of rome , if she , or any of her agents dare admit of it . . the third argument which he promiseth , if it can be proved from the scripture , ( which he calls god's written word ) that the sabbath-day is commanded by god to be kept on sunday , and that little children are to be baptized . what others have said as to these two partibulars , who were but departed a little way from you in diverse things , as to their judgments , i shal not stand to vindicate ; because the church was rather but a coming out of the wilderness , rather then come already into her first purity ; but i am one of those amongst many thousands in europe , who denyes the church of rome as to be the bride , the lamb's wife : and yet i shall not vindicate either the one , nor the other , but deny both , as amongst christians ( viz. ) 〈◊〉 to keep the jewish sabbath upon sunday , as the author calls it , and sprinkling of little children is like the other , an invention in the apostacy , never that we read of commanded , commended or practised in the apostles dayes as such . the first day of the week the apostles met together , and worshipped god , not by virtue of the jewes commandment , but in the power of god , and you onely have them both , and keep them both by tradition and custom , without commandment ; and so are out of the power of god , and out of the saints life . thly . the fourth argument : can the sectaries with reason and ground sufficient ▪ condemn all catholicks that were so many ages before luther and calvin , for being no better then heathens ? and convince me , that adhering to you i shall be more secure in my salvation , then in joining to them that have time out of mind , been of the onely saving religion . ans. the sectaries have not gone about to condemn every individual man before luther and calvin , for no better than heathens ; we believe some were ; and we believe many were as bad , ( if not worse ) they that walk in the practice of the heathen , and bring forth fruit , but not unto god , are in the heathens nature ; but the generallity of the church of rome have ( for these many hundred years ) brought forth no better fruit than the heathen , and therefore are in the nature of the heathen ; for like as the heathen persecuted the christians in former dayes , even so hath the church of rome persecuted the true christians in their day , and in this are no better than heathens ; instance the bloodshed , murther , cruel deaths you have put many unto since you have had the name of a church ; and therefore are no better than heathens in nature : and for antiquity , it proveth nothing without verity ; and there can be no assurance in your church , seeing that it stands upon tradition and hear-say , and outward performances , and bodily exercises that profiteth little ; but some whom you call sectaries have more assurance , for it is the spirit of god that gives it ; and as there is obedience yeilded unto the lord ( that spirit ) he giveth them assurance ; and them that are born of it , do overcome the world , and his spirit beareth witnesse to their spirits , that they have overcome , by which they cry abba father : and this spirit of truth that leadeth into all truth , bringeth more assurance unto them that are led by it , and worship it in , than can be had in all your outward formalities , ceremonies and traditions : . argu. can you make evident at least , that in your flock , and luther and calvin their guides , there is more holiness and virtue than can be found among the catholicks , and that you go the narrow way that leads to life ? i answer , yes ; i am one among many thousands who are not of the church of rome , yet am of christ's flock which he hath cleansed by his blood , and revealed his virtue in , and his holy life ; and it 's made manifest that they are in the narrow way more than the church of rome ; they are in the way that leads to life , and abide in christ's doctrine ; we love them that hate us ; we bless them that curse us , we pray for them that persecute us ; but so doth not the church of rome , but kill them , and persecute them that oppose her : we say , without righteousness and holiness be revealed and wrought in our hearts , we can bring forth no fruit unto god , neither can be members of the true church ; but if any conform unto the practice of your church in outward things , he is counted a good member of your church , though righteousnesse and holiness , self-denial , humility and love be wanting . therefore we are the church in which there is more holiness , virtue and life enjoyed , than in the roman church . . can you shew us any miracles that ever were wrought in testimony of your religion , or that the catholicks miracles are wrought by belzebub ? and now thou hast askt us a resolution of the doubts , and let all that are illuminated , judge how we are deluded . it 's an adulterous generation that seeks a sign ; and what christ wrought , was reckoned as no miracles by them that are in the unbelief ; yet these signs have accompanied the gospel , which is the power of god ; the blind have been restored to sight , and the dead have been raised , and the deaf have heard , and the lame have been made whole , and this hath been witnessed by many ; and we have a cloud of witnesses which your church know not of , and by the effectual working of god's power these things have been done , which doth give testimony , and confirm our religion . and for your miracles , the most that ever i heard of , hath been done by pictures and images , as you have testified , which are but fabulous stories . and now let them who are lightned with the true light of christ , judge who are in the delusion ; and now let all judge whether these be not satisfactory resolutions unto the aforesaid doubts or questions , which may convince them that have erred from christ the power of god , and gone in their own traditions and inventions , and have forsaken the strait way , and the narrow path that leadeth to life , and all are exhorted to come unto him , ( who is the light and life of men ) that their souls may live , and that they may witness assurance of the love of god unto them by his spirit 's manifestation . and now let us see whether the author will keep to his word , whether the church of rome will all turn unto our way , which is christ , the way , the truth and the life , or they will follow their visible head , the pope , who is changeable , and doth not abide for ever , who leadeth onely to an observance of outward things , but neglects the weightier things to walk in . and now i shall come to some propositions , which the author saith hath been propounded , which are unanswerable ; and the propositions are against all sectaries ; and the propositions are laid down by francis costorus , ( as the author saith ) of the society of jesus , which hath been laid down fifty years ago , and they are in number eight ; and with them eight propositions the author saith he hath put all the ablest ministers of germany and the low countreys unto their wits end ; now i hope some will be able to give an answer , and yet keep both their faith , wit , and reason . . the first proposition is this , that never since the apostles time , till the year . ( wherein luther began his doctrine ) were any found in the world who did consent with either the lutherans , calvinists , or anabaptists , or other sectaries opinions ; nor ever shall any of the sectaries prove that any of the apostles or evangelists were of their faith , & so by consequence the sectaries are without faith ; & they are the men whom the scriptures in several places affirms that should come , in the latter times false prophets , &c. answ. as i said before , any opinion which luther , calvin , or the baptized people do hold , i shal not stand to vindicate it , because they have so holden ; yet in many things they are separated from you upon good ground , & their doctrine and worship was far more consonant and agreeable unto the apostles dayes then yours are ; but i am one that owns my self a protestant , who denies the church of rome ; and i do say this proposition is silly , poor , and feeble ; and i do not believe that any was so hard put to it , as to be brought to their wits end by answering of it ; for what need he talk of since the apostles time till such a year , we shal come to the apostles time and age , and if any society of people now are found the same in faith , in doctrine , in worship , in life , practice and conversation , then they are the true church : and let francis costorus , with the rest of the roman merchants take that faith to themselves , and that doctrine to themselves , and those particular points of worship and tradition to themselves , since all the world hath wondred after the beast , and hath worshipped his image , and this was since the apostles dayes . and if the church of rome plead the whole world as for a proof , john saw that antichrist's false prophets , deceivers , were entred in then , fifteen hundred years ago , and the world went after them , and he saw the whole world wonder after the beast , and the whore sit upon the waters , nations , kindreds , tongues and people , and this comprehends the world , the whores seat ; and we matter not for her consent neither to doctrines and principles , nor opinions ; nor for the approbation of them that have drunk of her cup. but if we can prove a people which are gathered by the word of god , and thorow the preaching of the gospel , into the same faith , hope , doctrine , life and practice which the apostls walked in then , this is the church which is coming out of the wilderness again , where she has been preserved , while the mother of harlots has sit as a queen , and has been so visible as over all the world , and hath made the nations drink her cup of fornication ; and therefore your unity in this thing , and in this time is clear , that the church of rome is not the church of christ : but there are some whom rome is pleased to call sectaries , that own the same practice , the same doctrine , the same faith which the apostles walked in ; and therefore this great proposition is false , that all that have separated from the church of rome have no faith , or a new fancied faith ; and now i come to his second proposition . . propositon : the religion and faith of the romane church hath not been any way changed , in any article that belongs to religion , by any pope , councils , or catholick bishops ; but it is the very same faith hath remained intire , and inviolate , from the apostles to this present day . there were churches planted before there was any at rome ; and the faith which they received , was that which did overcome the world , and gave them victory over sin and death ; and the religion which the churches of christ professed , as corinth , galathia , thessalonica , and the rest of the churches which the apostles planted , is no more like the faith and religion of the church of rome now , then black is to white ; as for instance , prove us out of the scripture what foundation you have for purgatory , for selling indulgences and pardons for sins ; and vvhat scripture have you for auricular confession , for an unbloody sacrifice , for prayer to saints , for worshipping of images , ( in the new-testament ) for observing of lent , consisting of so many days ? and what scripture and example from the churches that were in the apostles dayes ( before rome was called a church ) concerning prayer for the dead , for yours crosses , your tapers and candles , for annointing with oyle and cream in baptism , which was onely invented by pope clement , which another pope ( pope silvester ) confirmed , . plat. volat. sabil . and what example from the true church for baptizing of infants , and for god-fathers and god-mothers , in christ's day , when he planted the church ? and that infants should be baptized , and onely at easter and whitsuntide , was not this ordained by pope leo , in the year . lib. council , volat. pol. chron. and was not transubstantiation , which you call the body and blood of christ after the consecration , when the priest hath whispered over the bread and wine a few latine words , as , hoc est corpus meum , hic est enim sanguis meus , &c. the bread is turned into the natural body of christ's flesh , blood and bone ; was not this ordained by pope innocent , held at latterane by twelve hundred romish priests , monks and fryars , in the year . decret . de summa trinitate , cap. firmiter . and whether are not these articles of the church of rome , yea or nay ? if i should traduce the church of rome in their bishops and councils these . hundred years and upward , i might bring a cloud of witnesses that the church of rome is not the same in articles of faith in religion , but divers popes ( i might prove ) have made distinct articles , and divers councils and bishops ; so that i might clearly prove , and can , and shall , if god permit me with life , if i hear any more of the church of rome , or the author of this book , that i shall prove , that the church of rome in the articles of her faith , is not the same that the church of christ was in before rome was planted a church . . i shall prove ( if need require ) her universal councils ( as she calls them ) to vary , and her bishops to be different in their decrees , and that her faith , in points of religion , is not the same from the apostles day , to this time , as the author of this book would make people believe ; but what i have said to this unanswerable proposition , ( as he calls it ) may be sufficient to convince both the author and them that are doubtful in their minds about this particular . . proposition is , that neither the sacraments nor ceremonies , or any doctrine of the church of rome , contain any thing that is contrary to the scriptures , but learned doctors maintain the same , and that there is no alteration in any article of faith . and then the author makes a conclusion , though full too hastily , that they which dissent from the church of rome ( which he is pleased to stile sectaries and hereticks ) have no reason to withdraw from the catholick church . ans. as for that which you call the catholick church of rome , we find such diversity of orders and constitutions one distinct from another , that to begin to enumerate them all , would take up much time before one ended , and would prove tedious to the reader to view over the variety of constitutions and decrees that have been made concerning the ceremonies , sacraments , ( as they call them ) and other doctrines of the church of rome , which at this time is not my intention ; but pope alexander commanded that unleavened bread should be used in the supper , in the year . lib , concil . grat . sabil . before that time the outward bread was indifferent whether it was leavened or unleavened ; notwithstanding the greeks do use leavened bread unto this day , in that which is called a supper , and they use wine onely in the cup ; but the church of rome mingle water with their wine , according to pope alexander's decree : and the doctrine of transubstantiation , of turning the bread into the body of christ , and wine into the blood ( as they say ) was an unknown doctrine in the apostles dayes , and also among the greeks , until pope innocent the third , . likewise honorus the third , he made a new ordinance , that the sacrament of the altar ( as the church of rome terms it ) should be worshipped and kneeled unto of the people , and also it should be born unto the sick , yea , and that with candle-light , though it be at noon-day , in the year . d. . tit. cap. . lib. council , pant. and innocent the third ordained that the sacrament of the altar should be kept under lock and key , that such as were like to dye , might not want spiritual comfort at the time of their death , lib. council , cron. pant. pope innocent the th . permitted that the priests of norduegia might fing masse with water for lack of wine , in the year . math. palm . pant. and as about the ceremonies about the sacrament or masse , in a council held at rottomage , it was decreed that the sacrament should not thenceforth be given to lay-men nor lay-women in their hands any more , but the priests should put it in their mouths , contrary to the use and practice of the primitive church ; yea and of the church of rome it self many years after , lib. council , &c. and so here the church of rome is contrary to the former churches , and to their own church of rome in former times , though c. m. would elevate the propositions of francis costorus ( a jesuit ) unanswerable . . proposition ▪ the author saith , it cannot be proved that any have been admitted priests , but were duly consecrated by bishops ▪ whence we infer , that lutherans , calvinists , and other hereticks , are no true ministers , neither are of divine priesthood , because they give to people a meer piece of bread and nothing else , and they have no power to absolve people from their sins , but send them away entangled with sin , as when they came to them . ans. as for the consecration of the priests of rome , you have consecrated many who are out of the doctrine of christ , who are traytors to kings and governments ; and it 's a maxime , and a thing meritorious in your church , to slay a heretick , that is , one dissenting , or not consenting to your corrupt principles ; and as one deceiver hath ordained and admitted another , so hath your bishops and popes ordained the rest to execute their drudgery and corrupt traffick ; and as i have offered unto thee before , if it be not a piece of bread , and wine , except mingled with water , ( according to your changeable ordinances before-mentioned , put it to trial upon the terms i before mentioned , that you may be made manifest to be deceivers , or else we , to all people . and as for your absolutions & pardons , it hath been that which you have sold for money , which made luther and divers of your own church to deny you , because it hath been contrary to christ and the apostles doctrine . and as for forgiveness of sins , it properly belongs to christ , and to them that are in the same power ; to them that confess , forsake and turn from sin ▪ to pronounce forgiveness and mercy ; but the members of your church confess from day to day unto your priests that are as much entangled in sin as they who do confess , and neither do repent nor find mercy at the hand of the lord ; and your confessors , and they that do confess , they are defiled as much with sin when they end their work , as when they began . . proposition . it cannot be found in the holy scripture , that nothing is to be believed but what is clearly and expresly contained in the same : hence follows the overthrow of the ground work of the sectaries , who say that nothing is to be believed but what is expresly set down in the scripture . ans. what others have said as to this particular , i shall not now stand to vindicate , because it is not my work to vindicate every particular judgement and person who believe contrary to your church ; but i say , many are of that mind ( that are not of your church , that things may be believed to be true , according to the manifestation of god's spirit , though the scripture in express words doth not declare the same ; yet you to bring in fabulous stories , which you call unwritten verity , that are to be believed though never so repugnant unto the scripture , and to the truth contained in it , this we cannot receive , neither believe ; and this will never be attributed by the lord unto any for unbelief , although you say it . . proposition : the author saith , he would fain have luther and calvin , and the other sectaries , to shew where matthew's writing is called holy scripture , more than nichodemus his gospel ; and seeing they cannot prove the one no more than the other , they must needs believe something that is not written in the holy scripture . ans. i shall let luther and calvin alone , they were men that god did honor , and i do honor , and many more as in their day ; they are at rest in the sepulchers of their fathers , where your reviling cannot touch them ; they prevailed in their doctrine and faith so much against you , as you have not recovered in a hundred and thirty years , neither i believe ever will so long as the church of rome will have any cause to call her self christ's onely visible church upon earth . and i do not believe matthew's writing onely because it is reckoned by you and us for holy scripture , but because we feel by the spirit of god that gave forth all words , that it is a declaration of those things which were brought to pass in his day , and likewise mark , john and luke , testifie unto the same matter ; but for nichodemus his gospel , as you are pleased to call it , the spirit of god doth not testifie in us unto the same , but that it is repugnant unto the mind of the spirit , and is a meer patcht up thing in the corruption of time , wherein many things are contained that are in opposition , and contrary to matthew , mark , luke and john , their declaration . and so thy feeble argument is answered , which thou conclud●st hath not been alterable these fifteen hundred years ; and let not him that puts on his armour , boast , but him that hath overcome , and puts it off . . proposition is , that it cannot bee shewen for this fifteen hundred years , that there hath been any catholick that held that the pope of rome was antichrist , or that did rail at the most holy sacrifice of the mass , or invocation of saints and angels , and usual praying for the dead , and such like works of piety belonging to our faith and religion , which the whole world hath laudably practised and reverenced for fifteen hundred years . it is a wonder that this author belonging to the the church of rome , is not ashamed of his arguments , & the silly propositions that he hath propounded from another hand : it seems neither this author , nor francis costherus , whose propositions the author hath vaunted in , and boasted of , knows the apostles doctrine , who said , the whole world lay in wickedness : and if any man loved the world , the love of the father dwells not in him : and christ said to his true church , ye are not of the world , therefore the world hates you : and again , i have chosen you out of the world ; and john in his day saw through the spirit , all the world wandering after the beast , and worshipping his image ( and not the image of god ) and saw all nations , kindreds , tongues and people to be waters ; and the nations , kindreds , tongues and people to drink the whores cup ; and these the two authors brings in for a great proof , and for an unanswerable proposition , as that the whole world lies in wickedness , in whom the love of god dwells not in ; and they that have drunk of the whores cup of fornication , and they that have wondred after the beast , to wit , the whole world , these are his dark cloud of witnesses , to prove that the pope was never called antichrist . will they that have received the roman faith , and accounteth the pope christ's vicar , and the visible head , call him antichrist , which hath exalted himself , and the church of romes faith over the whole world , as the author boasts , that the whole world hath laudably practised and reverenced invocation of saints , and praying for the dead , for the piety , faith and religion of the church of rome for this years : this proves the church of rome to lye in wickedness , and to be contrary to the doctrine and practice of christ and his apostles . and this doth not clear the pope at all , but rather makes him to be an antichrist , and your church to be the ill-favored harlot , and not the true church of christ. hast thou forgotten how john bishop of constantinople would needs be chief bishop over all the rest of the churches , about the year two hundred fifty and upwards , and how the other bishops cried out against him for to be antichrist : but your bishop he got to be called chief-bishop over all christian churches ; not by consent of the elders nor churches , but by the means of phocus a heathen emperor , as before i have said ; and is not he much more an antichrist ? and as for the sacrifice in the mass , invocation of saints , and praying for the dead , which thou saist is a laudable practice , i say none hath or doth reckon it worthy of praise , but they that worship the beast and his image , and have drunk of the whores cup , and are erred from the faith and religion that the apostles and true church of christ were in , which all the world did that wondred after the beast . lastly , this i say , he that teaches a faith , a religion , a doctrine contrary to the doctrine of christ and the apostles , is an antichrist ; but the pope this years hath taught a contrary doctrine ; therefore he is an antichrist . the first proposition is evident from diverse testimonies of scriptures , who teaches onely to pray unto the lord in the name of christ , and for them that are alive in the body , and not for them that are dead . the second is proved by the authors own testimony , that the pope and church of rome hath prayed unto the saints , and prayed for the dead this years ( to his shame be it spoken ) therefore the consequence must necessary follow , the pope is an antichrist . . and last proposition is this , that the first authors of the christian faith in germany , italy , spain , france , england and low countries have acknowledged no other faith , nor brought any other to them , then the catholick . roman faith , which the whole universe hath acknowledged , which we have learned of our forefathes ; therefore they that have brought in another are accursed . that which the whole universe hath acknowledged ( in the apostacy ) which lieth in wickedness , seeing all hath wondered after the beast , and drunk of the whore's cup since the apostles dayes , is but a lame and pitiful argument , as to prove the church of rome the true church ; and as for the faith delivering ( such as it was ) to the nations before-mentioned , onely excepting spain , because it 's probable that the apostle paul spread the faith there , seeing that he said he had a purpose to come there into spain , which if he did , thy boast may cease as for the planting of religion there ; and we know he was no hypocrite , but the same faith and gospel which he had preached over the regions , he would preach there ; and his gospel and doctrine we find contrary to the church of rome ; he condemned diverse doctrines which the church of rome holds , as forbidding meats , marriages , new moons and sabbaths , and voluntary humility , and worshipping of angels , and praying unto them , and praying for the dead ; and if you brought the christian faith ( so called ) into the rest of the nations first , and the aforesaid doctrines mentioned , and preached them up for apostolick institutions , then you brought in a doctrine and a gospel that is accursed , which you have received of your fore-fathers , who wondered after the beast , and received his mark , and have been drunken with the whore's cup , to wit , the universe which you lay claim to , and none but you called christians : so that it is manifest , your visible , universal church is the harlot , and hath brought in another gospel , and other doctrines than the apostles , and so are anathomized ; for the apostles preached the power of god to be the gospel ; and you have preached traditions , inventions , old wives fables , and outward ceremonies for the gospel , and so have deceived the nations ; and now when they begin to dislike your traffick , you are angry ; but the day hath made manifest , that discovers all your deceit . and now i have answered the substance of the book , and also the eight propositions proposed by the author and thee , & i am not yet at the wits end , as thou saith the ministers in germany & the low countreys have been , neither at wisdoms end , but am in it , and ready ( if you will lay down your carnal weapons to begin with thee , and to vindicate the truth as it is in jesus , against the doctrines of the church of rome , whensoever i shall hear of thee ▪ or any that pertain to your church make such another bold attempt , as to condemn all since the apostles days for sectaries , hereticks and scismaticks , who have dissented from you ; and shal indeavour in the strength of christ to vindicate and contend ( though not with cain's weapons ) for the faith and doctrine which was once delivered to the saints before the apostacy , and now is manifest again in us , and is with us , when the apostacy is coming to an end , and the everlasting gospel is to be preached again to them that dwell on the earth , and to nations , kindreds , tongues and people that they may come to the true foundation again , and to the rock of ages again , that they may be established in righteousness for ever , the joyful sound whereof is going into the borders of babylon , which will make the inhabitants thereof to abhor their city in which they have inhabited , and they shall return to zion with songs of deliverance , and everlasting joy upon their heads , because the hour of god's judgement is come , and coming upon the harlot , and the year of redemption is proclaiming to the captive , and the dead shall be raised to life , and shall hear the word of life , and their graves shall be opened , and they shall have victory over it ; and they that hear the voice of the son of god in themselves , shall live , and shall deny the voice of many waters , and the voice of your church , mysterie babylon , whose seat hath been upon them . and as for doctor baily , which the author asserts for his proof , and layes down his reasons wherefore the church of rome hath been , and is still the true church , by way of demonstration . he saith , that the church of rome was an excellent flourishing ▪ mother-church ; this church could not cease to be such , but she must fall either by apostacy , herefie or schism ▪ now apostacy ( saith he ) is a renouncing of the faith of christ , and no man will say that the church of rome had ever such a fall ▪ . ( he saith ) heresie is an adhering to some private and singular opinion , or error in faith , contrary to the approved doctrine of the church . ans. whatsoever the author is pleased to boast of the church of rome , we do not find flourishing for faith , wholsome doctrine and sound conversation , more than other churches that were planted before her , as is evident both by seripture , and the best ecclesiastical histories , which the church of rome her self will allow of ; and so i can say , the church of rome hath had a fall ( and prove it too ) by apostacy , heresie and schism ▪ as , first , she is fallen from her first love , and from the doctrine of christ , who taught to love enemies , and to do good to them that hate them , and to pray for them that persecuted them : now the church of rome hath not loved their enemies , neither such as they reckoned as so , but have persecuted them to death , and to banishment , who did not receive their doctrine : and this renouncing of that faith which was once delivered to the saints by christ himself , who taught to love enemies , and if they beat them upon the one check ▪ turn the other ; but the church of rome is out of this faith and doctrine , and hath renounced this faith of christ , and hath denied the power of god , and placed it in a man , to wit , the pope , that infallibility is in him and this is in the apostacy . . if heresie be an adhering to some private opinion or error in faith , then the church of rome is in the heresie ; for the faith that was held among the true churches , was that which did overcome the world , and give victory over sin ; and faith in christ was that which onely gave an interest into the kingdom of god ; but cardinal bellarmine ( a chief pillar of your church ) hath asserted this for the doctrine of the church of rome , that a man hath a two fold right to the kingdom of god , first by the merits of christ ; secondly , by the merits of man's good works , or works of supererogation : and this is an adhering to a singular opinion , and is an error in the faith that was generally held in the true churches of christ , as witness ▪ he worketh in us to will and to do , viz. christ. so that there is nothing appropriated unto the creature as a creature . . this is an error in the faith of the church of rome , who teacheth , and are taught , that there is a place called purgatory in which men are cleansed from some light faults , or venial sins ; and this is contrary to the faith of the true christian churches , and is no less than heresie ; for the true church , or churches of christ , taught , that the blood of christ alone cleanseth from all sin , and that he is ( to wit , christ ) the propitiation for sin , and the everlasting sacrifice and offering ; but you have other offerings , as the sacrifice of the masse , which you call an unbloody sacrifice , which is contrary to the faith of the christian church in christ's and the apostles days , and therefore is heresie . again , praying for the dead , and praying to angels , and worshipping of images , is absolute heresie , and contrary to the faith and doctrine of the true church of christ. . and as for schism , the church of rome hath separated from many other churches in their practice , and also have excommunicated them as schismaticks and hereticks , witness the eastern churches , the church of caesaria , and divers others , as about your lent , your fasts , feasts , and invented holy-dayes , which the true church of christ did not allow of ; but you have brought those things in as apostolical , and excommunicated all the rest that would not bow unto you : as for example , about the feast of easter , the time when it should be celebrated , though victor the bishop of rome excommunicated all the eastern churches because they did not accord with rome , euseb . lib. . cap. . at which iraeneus , bishop of lyons in france , sharply reproved him , ibid. cap. ▪ so in many more things which i shall not now stand neither to trouble my self nor the reader , which the church of rome hath departed in her practice from the primitive church , as you may see farther in a book entituled , the glory of the true church discovered ; published by f. h. and whereas the author desires to be satisfied by what general councils she was ever condemned , or which of the fathers wrote against her ; or dly , by what authority she was otherwise approved . ans. because the author is so confident in his assertions , as though they were unanswerable , i return this short answer , which if i hear any more from the author may be amplified . for instance , in the year . there was a council of bishops called at sinvis●● , where the pope was condemned ( which your church hath taught could not err ) for sacrificing to idols . at a council held at carthage decreed , that clergy men should not meddle with temporal affairs . at a council held at valentia in france , a decree was made that priests should not marry ; and these were called christians , and some of rome's visible , universal church . and this was again reproved and condemned in the first council held at tolledo in spain , they decreed that priests should marry . and now rome look to thy unity . again at a council held at caesar augusta , accursed all them that eat not the sacrament in the church ▪ but the church of rome hath decreed that it may be kept , and ready to carry abroad to sick people , and upon other occasions , out of the church . at a general council at constantinople , decreed , that mary shall be called the mother of god ; as though god were generated by natural generation , which is blasphemy . the council of armenium decreed for the armenians , that christ was not god. the council of chalcedon ( which was one of the four councils that pope gregory compared to the four gospels , and that their decrees were sure and certain as the scripture , yet ) pope leo did not stick to condemn it , and all of them as unadvised , viz. the whole council . so councils have erred , as is evident ; and that which some have decreed for apostolick doctrine since the apostles dayes , other councils have condemned as heresie , though called christians as well as the church of rome ; and yet they have condemned that which some councils did allow . so the pope hath erred , the councils have erred , as is manifest in what i have said , that i shall not trouble my reader in large things , which i could , and might do upon another occasion , if i hear any more from the church of rome . . by what authority she ▪ ( viz. the church of rome ) is reproved . in short , leo the fourth , bishop of rome , made void the the acts of adrian , bishop of rome . stephanus made void and abrogated the decrees of formesus and sabian , christ's vicars so called ; commanded that pope gregory ( another vicar ▪ so called ) his writings and decrees should be burned . and all these before-mentioned did say , and the church of rome holds it as such , that they were peter's successors . so here one father or head of the church , as they reckon the bishop of rome , hath confounded another . . the nicene council determined , that images were not onely to be placed in the churches , but also worshipped ; and the then pope said , that images were lay-mens calenders . the latterane council under julius , did repeal the decrees of the pissan council : the bazil council decreed that a council was above the pope ; but the latteran council decreed , that the pope was above the council , that he that should think otherwise , should be counted a heretick : yet the bazil council aforesaid , decreed , that they that judged that a council was not above the pope , were hereticks . and yet the church of rome layes claim to visibility and universality over all the world , and yet one as distinct from another , as black is to white , and is as unsuitable as snow is in summer , or rain in harvest . one word more , and i have done . boniface the eighth , a great father of the church of rome , and a pope , that no man in the world can be saved , unless he be subject to the roman church , like this author . and pope paschal thus said , that no council could make laws for the church of rome . and so much of general councils , and of the confusion of the church of rome ; a few words more of synods , and i have done . . bernardus saith , the church of rome was polluted with many superstitions ; that the bishops were biters of the sheep , rather than true shepherds : sometimes ( saith he ) i have admired that there should be a traytor among the twelve disciples , but now i much more wonder that among so great a company of bishops and prelates , one upright disciple cannot be found , apop . chr. lib. , p. . gregorius theologus , who lived about three hundred years after christ , did determine never to come more at councils or synods , because ( saith he ) there comes more evil than good out of them ; for the contention and ambitiousnesse of the bishops is above measure , said he , anno . d. paraeus said , often hath the truth suffered wrong in synods , because all that were assembled , agreed in one error , so that truth came to be passed by with silence , iren. pag. . again , gregorius nazianzius used to say , that he never had seen any good end of any council or synod , vide inst. clav. . lib. . cap. . and some synods have said , that remedy was not to be expected from the clergy , who were the cause of the disease , anno . so the author saith , whose company did the church of rome leave ? and from whom did she go forth ? and where was the church that she did forsake , that she should be counted heretical and schismatical ? i say , she left the company and society of the primitive church in christ's and the apostles days , and she went forth from the rest of the churches that were planted , as i instanced ; the church of rome in the year ▪ did excommunicate all the eastern churches : and where was the true church that she did forsake ? saith the author . not onely one , i say , but many , to wit , the doctrine that the apostles had laid down and preach'd at antioch , at philippi , at corinth , at ephesus , and the rest of the churches of asia . and so the church of rome is proved to be an apostate , in the apostacy , in heresie , in schism ; so that there is an absolute defection from the life and power of god which was manifested in the apostles dayes , and therefore the church of rome is not the true church . what i have said as to the doctrines and grounds which have been laid down by the author , i shall refer it , and the answer , unto gods witnesse in every man's conscience ; and if i hear any more of the author , his great boasts , or ambitious challenges , which may reach to all that do dissent from the church of rome , as to be hereticks , i shall engage in the strength of the lord to vindicate the truth , however opposed , and shall further ( if god permit ) be ready to give a more large and full answer unto the doctrines , and practices , and worship of the church of rome , and prove them to be contrary to the scriptures , and the apostolick doctrine , and the faith that was once delivered unto the saints . so in what i have said , i hope may convince the authour of his vain assertions , and them that are enclined towards babylon , it may put a stop to that which would too readily close with every thing which goes under the name of antiquitie . but in what i have said upon the whole matter , i hope will be sufficient unto all who read with a single eye , without prejudice ; and unto such i say , the lord give them an understanding , that they may see and discern the way which leadeth to life and felicity , from that which leadeth to the chambers of death , and the pathes that take hold on destruction . finis . ansvvers to severall queries put forth to the despised people called quakers, by philip bennett, who cals himself a minister of christ, but is found a deceiver; answered by them to whom they were directed. also, ansvvers to severall other subtil queries put forth by one iohn reeve, who lives in the city of london, who cals himself the last messenger and witnesse unto the true god, but is found a false witnesse, and a lyar, and a perverter of the right way of god. / answered by edward burrough, and francis howgill, who are witnesses unto the truth against this subtil serpent-like generation. burrough, edward, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (thomason e _ ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing b thomason e _ estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; :e [ ]) ansvvers to severall queries put forth to the despised people called quakers, by philip bennett, who cals himself a minister of christ, but is found a deceiver; answered by them to whom they were directed. also, ansvvers to severall other subtil queries put forth by one iohn reeve, who lives in the city of london, who cals himself the last messenger and witnesse unto the true god, but is found a false witnesse, and a lyar, and a perverter of the right way of god. / answered by edward burrough, and francis howgill, who are witnesses unto the truth against this subtil serpent-like generation. burrough, edward, - . howgill, francis, - . [ ], p. printed for giles calvert, at the black-spread-eagle, at .., london, : [ ] annotation on thomason copy: "octob: ". imperfect: imprint cropped; date of publication suggested by thomason catalog. reproduction of the original in the british library. eng quakers -- england -- london -- early works to . a r (thomason e _ ). civilwar no ansvvers to severall queries put forth to the despised people called quakers,: by philip bennett, who cals himself a minister of christ, bu burrough, edward d the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the d category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - john pas sampled and proofread - john pas text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion ansvvers to severall queries put forth to the despised people called quakers , by philip bennett , who cals himself a minister of christ , but is found a deceiver ; answered by them to whom they were directed . also , ansvvers to severall other subtil qveries put forth by one iohn reeve , who lives in the city of london , who cals himself the last messenger and witnesse unto the true god , but is found a false witnesse , and a lyar , and a perverter of the right way of god . answered by edward burrough , and francis howgill , who are witnesses unto the truth against this subtil serpent-like generation . london , printed for giles calvert , at the black-spread-eagle , at 〈…〉 answers to severall queries put forth to the diepised people called quakers . we having received a paper which was directed to rich. roper , and to his quaking friend , which words comes from the dark carnall mind , quaking and trembling , which the saints and holy men of god witnessed , we own and witnesse ; therefore do we deny thee and all thy dark divinations . whereas thou philip benett , in thy note which thou hast writen to roper , in answer to a letter which he wrote to thee , wherein he charges thee to be a lyar , and a false accuser , and charges thee to bring any man to witnesse what thou hast spoken by them , whom , thou sayes , denyed that christ that dyed at jerusalem , and who they were that denyed that christ that suffered at jerusalem , or else acknowledge thy self to be a slanderer , and in thy paper , thou gives no answer at all to these words , but sayes , thou called the congregation to witnesse , but doth not mention one in all the congregation that will witnesse it , whereupon the lye rests upon thy head , and thou found to be the lyar , and the slanderer , and the false accuser . and whereas thou sayes , thou hast sent queries concerning that matter , thy queries makes thee manifest what thou art , many of thy own tribe and generation , if they saw thy queries , would be ashamed both of thee and of thy queries ; for hundereds there are in the world that knowes nothing of the true and living god , and yet would see thee and thy queries not to be worth answering , yet lest thou should boast in thy filthy ignorance and darknesse , and for clearing of the truth to the simple : something in answer to them . quer. whether was the vvord made flesh , or the son of god made of a woman more or oftner then once ? answ. in this first querie thou hast manifested what thou art to all the children of light , and where thou art , and what spirit thou art of , a reprobate , a child of darknesse thou art ; thou might have spared the other nineteen queries , for in this querie thy spirit is tryed , and in the eternall light seen and known : thou askes whether the word was made flesh any more or oftner then once , which makes it plainly manifest , that thou knowes not what thou askes , and that thou dost not know nor cannot witnesse the word to be made flesh once , but art one of the antichrists and deceivers which john speakes of , that are entered into the world , which cannot confesse jesus christ come in the flesh , and therefore thou queries whether the word was made flesh any more or oftner than once , which querie comes from thy dark polluted minde , who is out of the light , and a stranger to the life , and without god in the world , amongst the false prophets , antichrists and deceivers which are in the world , and in the light of christ , which condemnes the world , yea , are all seen , known , and made manifest , and are turned away from by these who dwell in the light , which light condemnes thee and all thy generation eternally ; and the word made flesh we witnesse which dwells amongst us , and we behold his glory as the glory of the only begotten of the father , according to the scripture , whereby we witnesse thee and all thy generation to be in the sorcery , and in the witchcraft , deceiving and betraying the souls of the simple , the light of christ in thy conscience will tell thee so , for that thou must be obedient to , and witnesse before thou witnesse the word to be made flesh once , for thou art darknesse it self , and the light in thy conscience , if thou would let it rise , will be thy condemnation , and when thou can witnesse the word to be made flesh once , then thou wilt know whether the son of god was made of a woman any more or oftner than once : but thou art the dragon that would devour the manchild which the woman hath brought forth , who shall rule all nations with a rod of iron , and her child is caught up to god and to his throne , thou , the dragon , and thy angels is cast out into the earth ; and therefore dost thou persecute the woman which hath brought forth the manchild , but thou art overcome by the blood of the lamb , and the word of his testimony ; and for thy other nineteen queries , thou hast conjured them up in thy black art out of the bottomlesse pit , which is to be turned into perdition , if thou had an ear thou might hear , or an eye thou might read , but thou art blind . quer. whether did the man christ jesus the son of god , slain , ( in respect of gods decree and efficacie of his death ) from the foundation of the world really and indeed suffer death or dissolution of soul and body , as upon the crosse at jerusalem , more or oftner than once . answ. here in this querie thou diviner is found adding to the scripture thy divinations of thy own brain , whereupon the plagues of god is to be added unto thee , and poured upon thee , for as thou sayes , the man christ jesus the lamb of god , slain ( in respect of gods decree and efficacie of his death ) from the foundation of the world . oh thou lyar , let all people see where there is such a scripture that speakes as thou speakes here , but in the sight of christ thou art seen , and in the life comprehended , and art for condemnation . the man christ jesus we own and witness , and the lambs book of life , which was slain from the foundation of the world we witnesse , the lamb of god , which takes away the sins of the world , we witnesse according to the scripture ; praises , praises , eternal praises , be to the lord god for ever , and thee to be the beast that makes war with the lamb we witnesse , and thou anti-christ which looks at christs death at jerusalem alone , and cannot confesse him no otherwise but without thee , here thou art but equall with the pope of rome , for he confesses christ dyed at jerusalem as well as thou ; so let all thy congregation see what they hold up that followes thee . querie whether did the man christ ever really and indeed suffer in his own person , for that end and after that manner which he did once upon the crosse at jerusalem , before the time , or since the time ? answ. here thou full of all subtilty hath made manifest thy poison and enmity , but with the light of christ thou art seen , and known , and with it condemned for ever ; christ jesus in his own person doth , and ever did , suffer by thee , and such as thou art , and by thy generation he did suffer at jerusalem , and doth suffer where he is made manifest by you , after the same manner , and thou blind pharisee and blasphemer , would thou have christ to have more ends in suffering than one ? quer. whether was not that death which the man christ suffered once , and but once , upon the crosse at jerusalem so satisfactory for all the sins of the elect , as that the justice of god , did not , doth not since require any suffering or working upon that account , either from sinner or from saint . ans. here thou jesuite art pleading again for a christ farre off thee , according as thy father doth at rome , that christ that dyed at jerusalem did not satisfie for thee who art an enemy to him , and doth not abide in his doctrine , but acts contrary to his commands , and art under the wo , which he cryed against them that were in the same stops where thou art , and from that wo thou shalt never fly ; the death of the man christ jesus which suffered at jerusalem we own and witnesse ; the same christ that suffered at jerusalem we witnesse made manifest , and the one god and the one mediator we witnesse and know ; betwixt god and man , the man christ jesus , according to the scripture : and here thou lyar art made manifest to all thy congregation to be a lyar , who said amongst them , that we denyed that christ that died at jerusalem , so let them all be witnesses of thy lyes , & let thy mouth be stopt thou lyer , who art for the lake ; and whereas thou queries whether the justice of god be not satisfied for the sins of the elect , here let shame strike thee in the face , that ever thou should take upon thee to speak to any people , and knowes not the scripture ; where dost thou read in all the scripture , that god doth require satisfaction for the sins of the elect , or laid any thing to their charge , let all people try thee here by the scripture , and see whether thou be not a blind ignorant sott , who doth not know what the justice of god requires , neither from sinner nor from saint , isa. . . isa. . . . luk. . . rom. . . quer. whether you be reconciled to god by any other obedience , than that particular obedience which christ performed in his own person , and is mentioned in the scripture , or by any other suffering or death , than that which christ once suffered upon the crosse at jerusalem ? ans. silence flesh : would thou , ( who art an enemy to god , and a child of disobedience , in whom the prince of the air rules ) know how we are reconciled to god , and by what obedience , first own the light in thy conscience which condemnes thee , and be obedient to that , and then thou shalt know by what obedience it is that reconciles to god , for yet thou knowes no obedience , nor the death which christ suffered upon the crosse , thou dost not know , but art an enemy to the cross of christ , and in the mistery of iniquity , and in the dark power and man of sin ; what hast thou to do to talk of obedience , who art reconciled to thy lust , and sin reigns in thee , and thou art blind in the broad way that leads to death , as thy fruits makes it manifest , who lives in strife and envy . quer. whether did not the man christ suffer as a publick person in the elects stead , or in their behalf , and for that end that none who believed in him might dye eternally ? ans. there thou blinde guide makes many replyes , but still one and the same thing , but thou makes it manifest , that thou dost not know the man christ at all , nor his sufferings , for death reigns in thee yet , that hath passed over all men that askes this querie ; for a publick person christ is not to ●●ee , but a mistery which thou knowes nothing of , and for the redeeming of the elect from under such mouths as thine , did and doth christ suffer ; and those that are brought to believe denyes such dumb idoll shepherds as thee , who as yet doth not believe , and therefore shall dye eternally . quer. whether the sufferings of christ now in his saints , be all the satisfaction that is made to , or which the justice of god looks for , for sins past , present and to come ? ans. there thou blasphemer askes thou knowes not wha● ; is not christ the same now as ever , and is not the sufferings of christ satisfactory where ever ? what wilt thou have to satisfie , if the sufferings of christ do not satisfie , let all people take notice what a blasphemer thou art , or what they can learn of such a one as thee , who knowes neither the justice of god , nor the sufferings of christ in his saints . quer. whether was not that body of jesus which consisted of flesh , blood and bone , and which was offered upon the crosse at jerusalem , the one and onely sacrifice for sin god accepted , and to which alone exclusively the saints before under the law , and the saints since under the gospel , did and do look to be justified by , without any other works . answ. here again thou art replying thy former sottish queries , which rises out of thy dark mind , concerning the body of jesus , as the devill did about the body of moses ; let thy mouth be stopt here , for the body of jesus thou knowes not , nor what it consists on ; and the offering of it up thou knowes nothing of , but what thou knowes and heares by the outward letter , that it was offered up at jerusalem ; and the sacrifice for sin thou knowes not , and thou art none of the saints , neither under the law , nor under the gospell , but art without in the world , in the broad way , blind leading the blind into the ditch ; and for thee the body of christ is no satisfaction ; and thou reprobate , what hast thou to do to talk of believing , for that is the condition of the saints , they do believe and are justified , and their works thou knowes not , thou disobedient one , upon whom god will render vengeance in flaming fire . quer. whether there be not another righteousness by which the saints are justified in the sight of god , than that which christ works in them and by them ? answ. there thou accursed art made manifest , who preaches another gospell , and would have another righteousnesse than that of christ , here thou beast to whom the plagues of god is due , and upon whom his wrath must be accomplished , here thou hast made thy self manifest , thou who would have another righteousnesse than the righteousnesse of christ , which he works in the saints and by them , and so thou would be justified and live in thy sin , but thou art shut out from god for ever ; and we witnesse justification by faith , and the just shall live by his faith . quer. whether doth sanctification or justification in order antecede holinesse of life or justification by faith go before , or whether doth not god love man , ere man loved god ? answ. here thou dark blinde hypocrite hath shut thy self out from the knowledge of god in any measure , oh that ever people should be so blinde as to look for to learn any thing at such a one as thee but sin and filthinesse ; and what hast thou been teaching them all this while , that neither knowes sanctification nor justification yet , but art querying whether goes before , let all people judge if thou be not a teacher of lasciviousnesse , sin and uncleannesse , and how darest thou mention a holy life , or justification by faith ? which knowes neither justification nor sanctification . and thee , man , which art cain , god doth not love nor accept thee nor thy sacrifice , and for justification by faith thou knowes nothing of it , which we own and witnesse , 〈…〉 doth not love god ▪ quer. whether the justice of god be not fully satisfied for all the sins of the elect , ●re christ appear to their souls , or holinesse appear in their lives ? ans. here ●hou full of all subtil●y a●t comprehended , and with the light of christ thou art seen , and with the life judged and condemned , who would say sin to the charge of the elect , when the scripture saith , vvho shall ●ay any thing to the charge of gods elect ? it is god that justifieth , who shall condemn ? the soul that sinneth shall die . thou sorcerer , doth the elect of god ●in ? shall the elect dye ? to that in thy conscience i speak ? quer. vvhether the holy lives , or holy works of the saints be not excluded from the act of justification , from the guilt of sin ? ans. thou dead beast hath made it manifest , that thou art a stranger from the life of god , and is excluded from the holy life of the saints and their works , who art que●ying whether this be not excluded from justification : oh that ever thou should open thy mouth , or take upon thee to speak of the scripture ; doth not the apostle say , pet. . . for as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things , as silver and gold , from your vain conversation , but with the precious blood of christ , as of a lamb without blemish and without spot , who verily was ordained before the foundation of the world was , but was manifest in these last times for you , who by him do believe in god , that raised him up from the dead ? now let all people read this chapter , and try thee , who knowes nothing of jesus christ , but as thou hast heard of him , that he was crucified at ierusalem , and so thou art unredeemed from thy vain conversation , and so art not justified before god , nor never shall be , but those that can witnesse redemption by the precious blood of jesus christ , as all the saints of god do , are justified ; and by the same that they are justified thou art condemned into the lake for ever . quer. vvhether is that righteousness which is wrought by the saints every way answerable to the justice of god ? ans. there again thy blindnesse is made manifest ; is there any righteousness but that of jesus christ , and is not that every way answerable to the justice of god ▪ but such polluted filthy beasts as thou would have another righteousnesse , as thou ▪ speaks plainly in thy ninth querie , but all thy righteousnesse we deny , and the righteousnesse of jesus christ we own and witnesse , whose righteousnesse shall be revealed upon thee in flames of fire . quer. vvhether none be accounted righteous in gods sight , in whom there is any corruption , or failing , or who do not fulfill the law , and answer every demand of justice ? ans. here thou polluted beast hath made it manifest what thou hast been driving at all this while in thy queries , which is , that thou would have corruption and filthines to be accounted righteous in gods sight , that so thou might lye and wallow in thy sins & filthinesse , but iohn saith , that he that commits sin is of the divell : for the divell sinneth from the beginning , and for this purpose the son of god was made manifest , that he might destroy the works of the divell , and thou man of sin would have it to stand , but those that loves god keeps his commandements , and they are not grievous ; and god doth not accept anywhere there is any failing , or who do not fulfill the law , and answer every demand of justice , and he doth reserve the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished , pet. . and chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleannesse , and there thou art . quer. vvhether a soul be justified before god by the non-imputation of sin , and the imputation of the righteousness of the person of christ to his faith , or by a righteousness wrought by christ in the person justified or to be justified . ans. here stop thy mouth thou sorcerer , which art gathering up here a heap of confusion , which is fit for nothing but to be turned with thee into the bottomlesse pit , from whence it comes , wherein thou talkes of imputation and non-imputation , and of a person justified , and to be justified ; thy language is of aegyt , and in the mystery of iniquity , thou speaks it , which is condemned into the lake of perdition by the light of christ , and in the light thou and it art seen and comprehended ; and as i told thee before , i own no righteousnesse but what is of christ , and wrought by thee , which righteousnesse shall confound thee and all thy unrighteousnesse and conjuration , and the same that justifies us shall condemn thee eternally . quer. vvhether christ be in his saints in respect of that nature wherein he suffered at jerusalem ? ans. here thou enemy of christ would know how the saints injoy christ here , the scripture is fulfilled upon thee , the light shines in darknesse , and darknesse comprehends it not , when thou comes to own thy condemnation , the light in thy conscience it will let thee see thy evill deeds , it will lead thee up to christ from whence it comes , and then thou wilt know that nature that he suffered in ; but now thou art in that nature that iudas was in that betrayed him , and that they were in that crucified him . quer. how , and after what manner christ , who in respect of his divine nature is infinite and in all places , may be said to be in a saint , and not in reprobate ? ans. what hast thou to do to qu●rie after the divine nature , who art the naturall man , that knowes nothing of god , but what thou knowes naturally as a bruite beast , and knowes not the things that be of god , because they are spiritually discerned ▪ and the manner of christs divine nature , which is infinite , is hid from thy eyes , for of that eye that thou should see that with thou art blinde , and the manner of his being in a saint thou knowes not , who art a reprobate , and thou shalt find him to be thine eternall condemnation . quer. vvhether doth christ now in these dayes assume or take upon him the form of a servant , and the seed of abraham , that is our flesh : and whether doth not this assumption cause such a perfection of the godhead and the manhood , as that both of them are united together into one person ? ans. o thou dark beast and conjurer , who art querying with thy conjured words , that which thou knowes nothing of , and which is out of thy reach and comprehension ; thou blasphemer , dost thou limit christ to dayes , in taking upon him the form of a servant , and the seed of abraham ? is not he the same now as ever he was ? and for the union of the god-head and manhood , as thou calls it , let thy mouth be stopt , for with thee god nor none of his children hath any union , for god ha●h put an utter enmity , betwixt thy seed , thou serpent , and the seed of the woman , and the perfect union with christ we witnesse , who is the same to day , yesterday and for ever , and therefore are we separate from thee and thy generation . quer. vvhether is christ now conversant upon earth , amongst men , since his ascension , as he was before , and in those times wherein the apostles lived ? ans. in thy queries thy speech bewrayes thee , thy language is the language of aegypt , for in it thou makes it clearly manifest , that thou knowes not christ at all , not in the least measure , for where the first principle of truth is made manifest , it is the same that ever was , and never changes ; and thou askes whether christ be now conversant upon earth amongst men since his ascension , as he was in the apostles time ▪ dost thou know what thou askes ? did he not appear to the apostles since his ascension , in the most glorious manner that ever thou read ; and is he not the same now as he was then ? what would thou make of him , thou dark sottish beast ) such a one as thy self , who would be pleading for darknesse and ignorance of god , but praise and glory to him who hath discovered thee and all such deceivvers as thou art . quer. vvhether did not christ dwell among his saints , after another and more visible manner than now he dwels in his saints ? ans. there again thou hast shewed thy ignorance of the scripture , and for thy word visible , he is not , nor never was visible to thee , nor to thy generation , for those that did professe the scriptures , as thou and thy generation doth , crucified him , and said he was of the devill , as thou , and such as thou art doth now ; thou blasphemer , where hast thou a scripture that saith , that christ would dwell in his saints after another manner ? did he not say , it is expedient for you that i go away , and i go and prepare a place for you , and i will come again and receive you unto my self , that where i am there you may be also ; and ye have heard how i have said i go away and come again unto you , and if ye loved me , ye would rejoice , because i go unto the father ; and christ jesus saith in the . iohn . verily , verily i say unto you , he that believeth on me , the works that i do , he shall do also , and greater works than these , because i go to the father : but all these scriptures is hid from thy eyes , and thou art one of those that isaiah prophesied on ; and that scripture is fulfilled on thee which saith , he hath blinded their eyes , and hardened their heart , that they should not see with their eyes , nor understand with their hearts : now blessed be the lord that hath discovered thee , and such blind guides as thou art . so we have answered thy queries in the eternall light and life of god , and we have given judgement upon thee and them , which thou shalt eternally witnesse , without roving or wandring , but thou who art out of the light art roving , and wandring and stumbling in darknesse , who hath put forth these stumbling ▪ queries , which we have answered lovingly and plainly , and in the scripture language and termes , and with the eternall light and life of god , set thee in thy own place , which thou shalt eternally witnesse . these are matters of great concernment , and if you refuse to answer them in writing , spare your tongues and spare your papers , for i will henceforth neither hear the one , nor read the other . ans. thou saith , these are matters of great concernment ; we see that that which makes thee manifest , and such as thou art , and which layes thee open to poor ignorant people , which is deceived by thee and led into the ditch , and their souls kept in death by thee , to make this manifest is of great concernment , as these dark black stumbling queries , and thy conjured words hath done ▪ which thou hast no scripture for , as ambiguity , efficacy , exclusively , antecede , and non-imputation , assume , and assumption : now let all people read and consider what they do that holds such as thee up , who is shut out from god , and shut out from the saints life and language , and art shut out of the scriptures , though thou makes a trade of them for mony , and deceives poor people , but thou knowes nothing of the life and power that gave them forth ; so thou art to be condemned with the light , and with the life which gave forth the scripture . let all people read deuteronomie . from the . verse to the . there the priests and the levites which was ordained of god ; was to have no inheritance among the people , but the lord was their inheritance , and they were to have it of that which was offered up to the lord , and this is a figure of the everlasting priesthood , which ministers out of the everlasting treasure ; and the lord god commanded israel , that not to do as they did when they came into the land , nor to go after their abominations , as you may see , but gave israel their land to possesse , that did hearken unto such as the lord had not sent , which was abomination to him , and the lord saith to israel , thou shalt be perfect with the lord thy god , and in the . verse the lord thy god will raise unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee , of thy brethren like unto me , unto him shall ye hearken ; and so to the end of the chapter , he that hath an eye may see , and the lord is the same that he was , and he will not suffer the abominations that is committed in this land , but is discovering the abomination of it ; a horrible and a filthy thing is committed , which ieremiah cryed against , covetous men preach , drunkards preach , swearers preach , lyars preach , strikers preach , and proud men preach : oh , wonderfull , where is your eyes ? try your priests by the scriptures , see if they be not found in the same generation that all the false prophets and the deceivers were in which the true prophets of god cryed against , and discovered , and in the steps of the scribes and pharisees , that christ cryed w● against ; and see if they be not the antichrists and the deceivers which are entered into the world , which iohn speaks of , which cannot confesse christ come in the flesh ; but transgresseth , and abideth not in the doctrine of christ , so hath not god , neither knowes him ; but preaches for sin , and against perfection , and denyes the light which enlightens every one that comes into the world , and so keeps people in blindnesse and ignorance , and out of the knowledge of god , and never any that followes them shall ever come to the knowledge of the true and living god , therefore all people see where you are , and minde the light in your consciences , which is pure , and which testifieth against all sin , and it will let you see all your blinde guides which deceives you , to be in sin , and ignorant of god ; for they deny that which should make him manifest , therefore beware what you hold up , and give over going after them , to that in your consciences i speak , which shall witnesse me eternally to speak the truth , if you obey it , and shall condemn you eternally , if you disobey it . these blind guides that are in this land , denies the prophets which moses wrote of , which is the substance of the priesthood , which was before , and here they are found in the same generation , in the sorcery and in the witchcraft , which the lord commanded should be put out of the land , where the children of israel went to possesse . answers to several other subtil queries put forth by one iohn reeve who lives in the city of london , who cals himself the last messenger and witnesse unto the true god , but is found a lyar , and a perverter of the right way of god . a certain writing is come to our hand , called an epistle from the mighty jehovah , or jesus the onely lord , and god of the elect israelites , from one , whose name is subscribed iohn reeve pilgrim , who cals himself the last messenger , and witnesse unto the true god , unto which , for the sake of the simple , we , ( as one spirit ) are moved of the lord of heaven and earth to write something in answer , that so his folly may be made manifest , and his ignorance and blasphemy laid open , unto the simple hearted , who have been long deceived by such through their false voice , lo here , and lo there ; friend , to thee , who hath subscribed this writing , who cals thy self the last messenger , and witnesse unto the true god , i answer , the lord of hosts , and god of the elect israelites , doth not accept thy testimony and witnesse ; for thy spirit is made manifest not to be the spirit which came from god , and which dwels with god , which bears true witnesse unto god , but the spirit which is driven out from the presence of god into the creation , and into the visible world , and that is the living spirit , and bears not true witnesse unto the true god , but is a spirit which beares witnesse to the imaginations of thy own heart , which looks upon , and declares the living god , as if he were carnall , and a creature-like substance ; and here the scripture is fulfilled upon thee , thou thinks he is altogether such a one as thy self ; and for the true god thou art no messenger , nor hast received any message from him , for thy spirit is known , and he never delivered his message unto it in any generation , but kept his secret sealed up from it ; and friend , here i charge thee in the presence of the true spiritual god , that thou be-lies the lord of hosts , who sayes thy epistle is from him , thou uses thy tongue , and saith , the lord saith , when , saith the lord ? i have not spoken unto thee ; & of that generation thou art which ieremiah cryed against ; and therefore let all flesh be silent before the lord , and call not thy own imaginations his word , but thou who hast a dream , tell thy dream for a dream , and he that hath the word of the lord , let him speak it faithfully ; and though thou call thy self the last messenger , and witnesse unto the true god , yet i say unto thee , verily the lord hath a witness which was before thee , which hath been slain in the streets of the great city , which the lord will bring forth after thee , which will bear true witnesse of the true god , & against thee , and thou who hast been alive , shall be judged by him which hath laid slain , & he will eternally condemn thy testimony and message ; friend in the light of christ , which hath lightened every one that comes into the world , thou art comprehended , and seen , thy beginning , thy time , and thy end , and with it thy testimony and message is denyed , for thy testimony is such , and if thou swear the lord lives , thou swore falsly , and further , thou sayes , by inspiration of the holy spirit thou was moved to present this epistle : i answer , the language of the holy spirit is like it self , pure and spirituall , but thy language is carnall and sensuall , and so is thy spirit ; the saints which spake by the inspiration and moving of the spirit , cursed not that which god had blessed , as thou dost , neither did they say the elect was defiled as thou dost , neither did they speak of god as a carnall substance , as thou dost , but said that god was a spirit , and here be thou a witnesse against thy self , that thou speaks not by the inspiration and moving of the holy spirit , but speaks thy imaginations , and lies in the name of the lord ; and whereas thou sayest in this confused age , there hath appeared variety of spirits pretending to be sent by the everlasting god , yet they are at war with all their power to overthrow one another , that their own opinions may bear rule ; i answer , among the many pretenders thou speaks of , thou art one ; and it is true , you are at war with all your power endeavouring to overthrow one another , that your own opinions may bear rule , and though there be among you variety of opinions , yet by one spirit you act , for the kingdome of the devil is but one , and yet divided , and it is at war with it self , and therefore it cannot stand , and you cannot overthrow one another , but one is appearing to overthrow you all , and all your opinions , for all you pretenders are made manifest by your fruits , and thereby men may try you , for nothing is to be gathered from you but opinions and ayery imaginations , some of you speaking of a god , and christ afarre off , to believe in , others of you speaking of a god and of a christ within , and afarre off to believe in , thus you feed people by your own imaginations , and some of you pretends revelation , others of you denying revelation , and thus you strive to set up your own opinion , but you live all in one nature , and are of one generation , and he that walks in the light sees you all , and comprehends you all , and judges all your opinions , and are redeemed out of all your vain im●dgination into the life of god , acting and speaking as the spirit acts and speaks , and seeks to exalt christ , and him to bear rule , that all opinions may be by him thrown down , and that by him people may be brought out of a confused age , into the land of r●st , and peace , and righteousnesse to serve the true spiritual god , in the spirit , and by the spirit of his own son ; and further , thou sayes , some there are takes upon them to speak of a god , and of a christ in the invisible heavens , above the starres ; but are uncapable to demonstrate how christ by his spirituall word lives in mens hearts , and how he reigneth visibly in glory with his elect angels : i answer , there are not some but many , which lives in , and speaks forth their own imaginations , upon god and christ , and one of them thou art , thy spirit is tryed , god who is a spirit , dwels in the spirit of his son , even in the high and holy place , and with him also who is of a contrite spirit , and trembleth at his word ; but this by thy vulterous eye is not seen , neither can any demonstrate how christ dwels in the heart ▪ but he who witnesseth it through death , and where he reigns his glory is with him , and his elect angels , this i witnesse , but to thy carnall eye it is invisible , and by thy carnall wisdome he can never be known , christ and his spirituall word is not to be divided , though thy sensuall spirit would divide them , but by the flaming sword thou that speaks art divided from both , and shalt know neither but to thy condemnation ; and further thou sayest , others there are which speaks of an eternall spirit , or christ onely in the consciences of men , as if there were no creator ●● christ at all visibly reigning upon his throne of immortall glory ; i answer , they who talke of an eternal spirit , or christ in the conscience by hear say , o●●● other mens words , without ( as thou dost ) and doth not in life and power witnesse it , from the father within , made manifest , such are denyed by them who witnesse the eternall spirit dwelling with the contrite heart , which spirit is the creator which dwels also in the high and holy place , and reigns upon his throne for ever , and who do in power witnesse this , sees and judges all y●ur carnall imaginations , and conceptions of the living god in your carnall minds , where he dwels shall no unclean thing enter , but is without to be troden in the wine-presse of his wrath for ever and ever , and by him shall thy carnall conceptions be consumed , even by the breath of his mouth , for he is eternall , and his throne is eternall , and by the carnall eye shall never be seen ; and further thou sayest , there are , who through unbelief that ever any living creature had a beginning , they affirm there is no god or christ at all , but perishing nature , of this sort are innumerable , witnesse the lives and conversations of people every where ; i answer , all who do witnesse the eternall spirit made manifest , to rule and guide all such , doth deny and declare aagainst , for nothing was without beginning but the eternall word , which was the beginning of all things , and which will be the end of all things , even the destruction of the wicked , and the salvation of them that believe , who are born of the immortall seed , and redeemed out of the perishing nature into the image of god , and such do set to seal there is a god , who will reward every one according to his works , and beares witnesse against them , who in their lives and conversations denies god , as all do who do not witnesse the eternall spirit of christ ruling in the consciences , but talkes of a god in imagination at a distance , and such are innumerable , and saith in their heart , there is no god , and such are the fools the scripture speaks of , and whereas thou beseeches to consider of these ensuing particulars ; i answer , they are considered , and by them thy ignorance is made manifest , and thy folly disclosed , and thy blasphemy , who cals thy self the last witnesse . quer. in thy first particular thou queries , whether these men were sort forth by the eternall spirit to preach , which in the least cannot demonstrate what the onely true god is in himself ; and how he is a distinct being from all living creatures , and how he reigns in the elect by a created word , voice of spirituall motion onely . answ. those men were not sent forth by the eternall spirit to preach , who have not received it , and such knowes not god , what he is , no● where he is , but in their imaginations imagines him to be like a creature , by being i● a creature by place or habitation , god is a spirit , and he is not distinct from living creatures , for in him living creatures lives , moves , and hath their beings , and he is not far from them , nor distinct from them as he spake , who was sent by the eternall spirit to preach , he reigns in the elect not by a created word , voice , or a created spirituall motion , for the word which lives in the elect , from which voice and motion proceeds , is not created , but is uncreated , even as god is uncreated , for god is that word , and here thy ignorance appears , by calling the word which lives in the elect a created word , or voice , or motions , and here be a witnesse against thy self that thou speaks from darknesse , and not from light , which darknesse cannot comprehend the shining of the light , and this discovers thee more to be a false witnesse , and not the true witnesse of god , and therefore thy portion must be portion of false witnesses , read what it is . . quer. in thy second particular thou queries , is not this an infallible demonstration to men , that a man is sent forth by the eternall spirit , if he have received a gift from the holy ghost , to demonstrate what the true creator was in his own distinct essences , nature and glory , from all eternity in time , and to all eternity , and wherein elect men and angels differ in their natures , and glory , distinct from their creator in their persons . answ. he that hath not received a gift from the holy ghost in some measure , is not sent forth by the eternall spirit , or god of all truth , this is infallible , and such knowes not what the creator is , but by imagination , and carnall conceptions of him , and such in the light of christ is seen , and by it judged , and among such thou art , to that in thy conscience i speak , which will witnesse me , he that hath received the holy ghost , turnes people from the power of satan to the power of god , and knowes the creator , and the dwelling of him in the heart , for as the scripture saith , the word is nigh , but let all flesh be silent , he who is in time , knowes not him which was before time , and shall be when time shall be no more ; he who knows the creator which inhabiteth eternity , is redeemed out of time , into the habitation of the almighty , but this to thy dark minde and spirit is unknown , if ever thou know it , it must be through death , the nature and glory of the elect differs not from the nature and glory of the creator , for the elect are one with the creator , in his nature enjoying his glory , which was from eternity unto eternity , he that reads let him understand , thy word distinct essence , i deny , for the elect is not distinct from the creator , but lives by the dwelling of the son in him , and with the son the father dwels also , if thou hast an ear , thou mayest hear . quer. in thy third particular thou queries , what that angelicall serpent was in his creation , which the scripture speaks of , and how he came to be cast out of his glory , and how he overcame innocent eve , and how he entered into her wombe , and changed her pure seed into his nature of unclean reason ? and thou askes , what think you , was not that man cain the first murdering , lying devill that ever was ? and is there any devill but proud , vain-glorions , unmercifull men and women ? ans. that same which speaks in thee is that same serpent which the scripture speaks of , and if thou have the spirit of moses , thou knowes what he was in the creation ; for moses saw his creation by that spirit which was before he was , and if thou know his creation in thy self , then thou may know him without thee , but yet he lies under his vail deceiving thee , and is not deceived by thee ; and by the same which thou lives in he was cast out of his glory , even disobedience , and he overcame inocent eve even as he overcomes thee , by promising what he fulfilled not , and by presenting that which was visible , and so her minde was led out , as thine is , and by her consenting , he entered and got power , and set up his habitation , which is now standing in thee , and so she became the likenesse of himself , her minde and lust st●ayed into the visibles , out from the creator who is invisible , and spirituall , and she now lives under the curse , and brings forth cursed children , such as thou art who puts forth these queries , and this child was begotten by him who deceived her , and he is the father and prince of all you , who are wells without water , clouds without rain , and wandering starres having no habitations in the heavens , the blackness of darknesse is reserved unto you for ever , ye who speaks great swelling words of vanity ( that ye are the last witnesses and messengers , &c. ) but you your selves are servants of corruption , and to the last part of thy querie : i answer , before cain who is a lying devill was a child , he was a father , and if thou hast an ear , thou mayest hear , the proud , vain-glorious , unmercifull men and women , who bears his image must with him be tormented in the lake which burneth ( by the kindling of the breath of the almighty ) for ever and ever ; and here thou art answered , though not to the feeding of thy wisdome , but in the light by which thou art comprehended , which light will eternally condemn thee who hates it . quer. thou queries what condition adam was formed in , and how he came to fall from his estate , and what sin it was they committed ( adam and eve ) and whereby the elect and reprobate are defiled . ans. adam was created in the image of god , and god breathed into him the breath of life , and he became a living soul , but eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evill , therein he turned from the command of god and did dye , if thou hast an ear thou mayest hear , and thou that queries hast eaten of that tree , and thou shalt never know in what condition he was created in , but through the death : for a sword is set at edens gate to keep the tree of life , which will cut thee down , before ever thou know or can witnesse his estate , and as for the elect being defiled , here thou makest thy self manifest , that thou never knew what the elect was , for the elect is born of god , and he that is born of god sins not , and the promises of god are to the elect , and election obtains it , and the elect was never defiled : if thou hast an ear thou mayest hear , that which is defiled shall not enter into the holy city , and here thou hast manifest thy ignorance , and art that reprobate thou speaks , which is ordained of old for condemnation , which is the transgresser which is cast out , thou hast no communion with the elect , for thou art defiled and art without the gate , to be trodden in the wine-presse . quer. what that heavenly glory is , and where it is that the elect wheat of christ shall eternally enjoy , who are the seed of adam , and not of cain ? answ. what that glory which the elect which thou spoke of in thy fourth querie shal inherit which was and is defiled , it is to be in hell , in utter darknesse for ever and ever , where all the unclean are , and thou would know where it is , it is without the gate of the city , among the dogs and whoremongers , and lyars , and deceivers , and whatsoever is defiled shall be trodden in the wine-presse of the wrath of god for ever and ever , where is weeping , wailing , and gnashing of teeth . but as for the elect wheat of christ , which thou sayest is the children of adam , thou speakest thou knowes not what , the first man is of the earth earthly , and he begate his image , and that which is earthly shall never inherit , but are to have their portion with cain , where thou art that hath uncovered thy nakednesse , but the elect and the wheat shall be gathered into the barn , and they are not , nor ever were they defiled , but shall reign with the lamb in the new jerusalem for ever and ever , where no unclean thing can enter , nor nothing that destroyes or defiles in that holy mountain of the lord , if thou have an ear thou may hear . quer. vvhat that painfull and shamefull death in utter darknesse , and where it is , that is reserved for the reprobate , who are the seed of cain , and not of adam , or blessed abr●ham . answ. thou that queries shalt surely know , it is tophet , prepared of old even for the king , the burning of it is as fire , the breath of the lord doth kindle it , it shall be destruction for ever and ever , to that which hath given forth these queries , and it is to be separated from god for ever among all idolaters , and adulterers , and liars , the unbelieving , the abominable , and the fearful , in the lake of fire ▪ where the worm dieth not , nor the fire goeth not out ; as for adam thou knows nothing of him ; the first birth that he begate was cain , who slew his brother , who hath his portion with cain , and not with abraham , the promise was not to the transgresser , nor to adam who eat of the tree of knowledge , the promise came upon ; in the day thou eatest thou shalt dye , he was driven from the presence of the lord into the earth in the curse , the promise was to abraham , in isaack is the blessing , not in ishmael ; and here thou sh●ws thy ignorance , but it is but like the former , when thou joynes the elect and reprobate together , light and darknesse , and in babylon thou art , but in that which was before babylon was , thou art seen , and as for those dark spirits thou ●peaks of , who minde nothing but their lusts , condemning the glorious things of eternity , because their carnall reason cannot comprehend them : see at home , for in the light of christ thou art seen , that thou knowes nothing of eternity , but by thy dark imaginations , and naturally as a bruite , to the light of christ in thy conscience i speak , which will let thee see it is so . quer. are there not deceived persons , and utterly ignorant of the true god , who judge men and women in darknesse , if they a●k them questions about the needfull things of eternity : is it not because they went before they were sent , and so are of a bitter spirit for want of spirituall light to satisfie the ●ender christian querier . ans. all who dwell not in this light , which is pure and eternall , are ignorant of god , and never knew god , such judging shall be judged , and by the light which sees and comprehends all darknesse thou art seen , but the spirituall man judgeth all things , and he is judged of none , and all judgement is committed to the son , and where he i●made manifest he speaks , and judgeth righteously , and those men and women who would be asking questions of eternity , and never came to the first principle to be guided by it , the light which leads to eternity , all such men and women are in darknesse , and that minde which is in the earth and in the naturals shall never know ; and therefore they are judged to be in darknesse , and darknesse cannot comprehend the light , christ and his disciples answered and judged that spirit which would have had a sign ; and called them adulterers , and which spirit we witnesse to the praise of god ; and to thee that put forth the queries , i speak to thee in the presence of god , whether thou put them forth in simplicity and art ignorant , or would know , or in the pride of thy heart , and subtilty to tempt , the light of christ will let thee see , but thou art rich and full , therefore thou must be sent empty away , all who queries from that nature that would know , but never come to obedience , that is to be judged , & judgment must thou witness , and for a bitter spirit of envy that shall stand for thy self , and that thou wants spiritual light is made manifest , which curses that which god hath blessed , as i have seen under thy own hand , far remote from this city , and that thou hast cursed them soul and body to all eternity , which thou never heard nor saw , let shame strike thee in the face , and stop thy mouth , for thou cannot put a difference betwixt the precious and the vile , but curses thou knows not what , and speaks to that thou knows not : but as for them who have a desire to know the way to the father , we are ready to give an answer , and to impart of the gift we have received , and doth not break a bruised reed , but the fat we f●ed with judgement , and there thou art answered . quer. it is not an infallible demonstration unto them who have a discerning spirit , that tha● man hath no commission from the true spirit to preach or speak to a people , when for fear of his ignorance being discovered , or for fear of losing his hearers , he shall counsell them to strike close to the word of god , or to hearken to the light within them in their consciences , without what that is in the conscience , or what will be the issue of it , if men be obedient to it , or disobedient to it : and to beware of false prophets , and not thinking in the least himself to be that false prophet , and thus borrowing scripture language which we are the true messengers of the gospel , doth he not in his power hinder his hearers from reading the glorious things revealed unto , the two last witnesses , and so thou saith , it is clear that the spirit is not in them which was in paul , who gave them leave to try all . ans. here thy infallible demonstration is made manifest to be fallible and lying , when thou laies that down to be a sign of them that have no commission from the spirit , and not to have the spirit , because they exhort them to cleave close to the word of god , and to minde the light which shines into the conscience of every man , which is the light of christ ; here thy spirit is tryed , that thou hast not the same commission as they had , who spoke forth the scripture , and so thou preaches another gospel , for the word of god endures for ever , and by the word which is eternall , and which was in the beginning , who tryes all things , who searches all things , comprehends all things , and judges all things , he that cleaves not close unto , that builds upon another foundation ; and by the word which endures for ever , thou art seen , not to have that word , neither knowes what , nor where it is , neither hath cleaved to it , and so art raced out from the life , from the foundation , and the apostle who had his commission not from man , nor by man , he exhorted those he had preached to and wrote to , to take heed to the sure word of prophesie , as unto a light that shined in a dark place , and to wait in it , till the day did dawn , and the day star did arise ; and for distinguishing of that in the conscience what it is , he that is not separate from the darknesse knows not how to do it . but this i say unto thee , as we declare unto all , the light which shines into the conscience is the light of christ which he hath enlightned every one withall , and it is spirituall like himself , and eternall , and it leads out of sin , and declares against all iniquity , and he that comes to own it , and to be guided by it , it leads out of sin to know the crosse of christ , which is a mistery to thee , and it leads to the eternall word , which was in the beginning before sin was , and it will judge all thy imaginations and vain conceivings , and it leads to the inheritance incorruptible out of corruptible ; if thou have an ear to hear , thou may hear , it is that which will let thee see thy vain frothy imaginations , which thou hath of god , and will condemn all thy vain imaginations , and hating it , it will be thy condemnation , and there is the issue of it , and all such as steals other mens words , and the true prophets words , and never knew the life that was in them , all such we deny , and shut them up within utter darknesse , where they , thou and both are , and for the glorious things that thou and thy partner , which call your selves the two last witnesses , it is manifest that your mysteries are as in thy book , and thy queries , where thou puts elect and reprobate together , and as for tryall of spirits , we give liberty and exhort all that may try , and we direct them to that to try by , which is is infallible and eternall , whereby they may see and comprehend thee and all who have not the spirit . but that they should try , who hath nothing to try with , let all such be silent for ever , for none understands the spirit but the spirit with which we see thee , and all who stands in their imaginations ignorant of , therefore stop thy mouth in the dust , and be silent . quer. doth not they that speak to a people that declares against all appearances , which are contrary to his way , discover himself unto a true discerning spirit , not to be of the lord , unlesse they can demonstrate a spirituall commission that he hath received from heaven , by voice of words through the glorious mouth of the lord , so that no mortall man can disprove him , though few for want of understanding receive him . ans. the way that leads to the father is but one , which is christ , and he that declares from him , made manifest in him , declares against all sects , and opinions , and that which thou cals appearances , and the way is one , and the tru●h one , where there is no rent nor division , and he that dwels in the life hath discerning , and he that witnesses the annointing discernes , he is able to judge and discern , and in that thou art seen , who would sit on the throne , but thou must come down and lick the dust , dust is the serpents meat , and they who had their commission from god , and hath their commission from god , now they were made manifest to every mans conscience in the sight of god , and this we witnesse , this the scripture witnesseth , and he that believes hath the witnesse in himself , and the father bears witnesse , and they witnesse the voice of the lord , which is spirituall speaking to them , and they declare from that which is spirituall to the consciences of gainsayers , and this is witnessed ; but thy voice of words is carnal , and is denyed , and who art thou made manifest unto , that which is mortal cannot discern and disprove thee , but that which is immortal can , and they who are guided by the immortall denies thee , and will receive none of thy testimony , because it is not the same which the holy men of god witnessed , and doth now witnesse , which voice shakes the wildernesse , and rents the rocks , and makes the earth to reel to and fro , but to thee this is a mystery and sealed . quer. again he that speaketh of an invisible spirituall god , or christ living in the consciences or spirit of men , thou sayeth , he questions the truth of all the scripture records concerning the life , death , and resurrection , and aseension of the blessed body of christ into the throne of his immortall glory ; and doth he not que●●ion whether the consciences of the saints being sprinkled with the blood of jesus , which died without the g●●es of jerusalem , are purified from the pollution of the flesh and spirit , doth he not question the resurrection of the souls and bodies out of the eat●h at the last day . ans. here again , thou hast made thy sha●e and thy ignorance manifest and knows not so much as the letter of he scripture , paul in apostle of jesus ch●ist , notby the will of man , and minister of the everlasting god , he witnessed the son of god revealed in him , and he ●●i● , kn●w ye 〈…〉 christ ●s in you , or else you are rep●●●ates , and ●h●i●t is no● divided , and he tha● is joyned to the lord is ●●e spirit , and 〈◊〉 my father are one , ●●d w●●●e christ dwells the father dwells , and if thou have ●● e●● to hear ●hou may h●●● , and if the ●●●e spirit be not in you that raised christ 〈…〉 he ●●●d , you are 〈…〉 , and he that declared these things speak of a spi●i●ua●l christ , and an invi 〈…〉 god , and who ●●all ascend up to heaven , the word is nigh , in thy mo●t●● and 〈◊〉 heart , and this is the same christ that suffered without the ga●e at jerusalem , and no other wh●●h paul travelled till he was born in them , if thou have an ear th●u may hear , and the apost●● did not question the scripture records , for they spoke it and recorded it , and th●y witnessed the life of christ , and his death , and resu●rection , and a●c●nsion , and witnessed him ascended above thrones , and dominions , and to sit at the right hand of the father , and witnesse the same christ made manifest in us , and his resurrection , not because paul said so , we have seen it , and are witnesses of it , the same that ever was , the same that did ascend , the same did ascend ; this is a riddle unto thee , and seven seals is upon it , and thou that queries shall never see them opened , and they who had christ in them , and the father , the son supping with them , they had their conscience sprinkled , and none else for his bloud thou knows not , and so i say unto thee , thou art not sprinkled , nor thy conscience purified from dead works , and they who know christ in them , and no more after the flesh come to know his resurrection , he is the resurrection , he is the first and the last , who knows him risen , and have seen him witnesse the first day and the last , what speaks thou of a last day , that never came to the beginning , and so thy soul lies in death , and in chains , and in utter darknesse and therefore lay thy hand upon thy mouth , and see where thou ●●t , and the spirit that gave forth the scriptures thou cannot witnesse . quer. if after death there is no bodily resurrection , for the spirits of men to possesse an immortall glory to eternity , or to suffer an eternall devill like shame , according to their deeds , whether good or evill . is it not one of the vainest things in the world ▪ to discourse of god , righteousnesse , unlesse it be for earthly gain amongst men . ans. there is a resurrection both of the just and of the unjust , the just into everlasting life , and the unjust into everlasting shame and contempt , and every one shall receive according to his works , whether they be good or evill , but this a mystery hid , for none knowes it , but through death , but what knowes thou who art yet alive in sin , what shall be in the resurrection which is after death , which whoever comes to know the resurrection , knowes the e●d of all things ; therefore it is not taking their words , nor thy own imaginations , that is faith , nor if thou know christ no nearer than jerusalem , nor no nearer than above the starres , thou knowes not where , but through thy dark imaginations , this is not to christ risen from the dead , see therefore what hast thou seen in thy self : but thou art dead whiles thou lives in that nature , and at the resurrection contempt and shame will be thy portion , and turn in thy minde to that which shews thee sin , and witnesse the body and sin destroyed within , and then , and not till then , shalt thou know how it is in the resurrection . quer. thou raises a question from pauls words to the athenians , thou was before condemning them that stole other mens words , and here thou hast stolen a query , and thou askest what think you did that spiritual creator , dwell and live in the athenians consciences or did his glorious person visibly appear in the highest heavens . ans. the athenians to whom paul spoke worshipped the work of their own hands , as ●his generation doth their own imaginations , and that god whom ignorantly they worshipped at a distance , which god lived in pauls conscience , paul declared unto them , and they looked as thou dost carnally , thinking god to be carnal and at a distance , but he ●aid he , was not at a distance from every one of them , for in him they lived , moved , and had their being , and this was the god which paul preached of , which creator , we witnesse , lives in the high and holy place , and with him also that is of a humble and a contri●e spirit , and trembleth at his word . quer. and thou sayest , what think you , can there ●e any living spirit without a body , or person to display its life , in , or from , and must not the creator of necessity be a glorious personall substance , and thou sayest doth not these men that worship an in●inite spirit without any bodily f●rm , living in mens consciences , onely gl●ry in a god of their own imaginations , instead of honouring the onely lord of all life , the man jesus , yesterday , to day , and for ever ? ans. that which is not possible with men is possible with god , which god is a spirit as jesus christ saith , and a spirit hath not flesh and bone , nor a created body , but displays it self as it pleases , contrary to thy will , and the will of all men ; and thou who would by thy reason ●y the creator with a necessi●y to a personal being , are void of the knowledge of god , and led by thy corrupt reason , which shall never know god , and all those who worships god in spirit , worships an infinite spirit , which spirit inhabiteth eternity , and lives in the consciences of the saints , and this is not to glory in an imagination , but a witnessing of the same eternall truth , which he saints witnessed which spake forth the scripture , for they witnessed christ dwel●ed in them , and the same god they w●rshipped , whose temple they were , and not another , and we the same witnesse , and this to the honour of the man jesus , who was yesterday , to day , and for ever . quer. the eternall spirit , creator , and alone everlasting father , which dwels essentially in the glorified body , as our lord jesus his eternall son , and virtually reign● in all the saints , elect men and angels , be record between me and you world without ●●d , whether this epistle shall not be sent to you , and all the chosen that shall peruse it , principally for the establishing of your tender spirits upon that eternall spirituall rock jesus christ god and man in one distinct body , or person glorified , and ●●●ly honoured with all spirituall praises from elect men and angels when this world is consumed into ashes , and all time or times is swallowed up into eternity or eternities . ans. the eternall spirit , which is the everlasting father , which thou saith is essentially in the son , thy word essentially i deny , and thy voice , yet christ and the father is one , and the same spirit that dwels in the son dwels in the father which is one , i and my father is one , the same dwels in the saints , thy word virtuall i deny , the same that dwels in the father and in the son , the same dwels in the saints , not distinct nor divided , for he that hath seen the father hath seen the son , and he that hath the son hath the father also , and christ is divided , i in them , and thou in me , that they may be perfect in one , and he that is joyned to christ is one spirit , and not distinct nor separate : if thou have an ear thou may hear , and that eternall spirit , which is the father and the son , which dwels in the saints , is judge of thee , and by that spirit i judge thee , that this epistle came not from him to none of the chosen , for they who are chosen deny thy voice , and what dost thou speak of elect and angels , with whom god dwels , when in thy fourth querie thou said , they were defiled , and the holy ghost saith , he dwels with no uncleannesse , and so speaks confusion and babylons language , which is the land of thy nativity , from whence all these things have been spoken by thee , and all that shall ever be established with thy declaring , or thy epistles , shall be thrown down , for the rock shall beat thy image to pieces , and therefore leave off thy speaking of him , and of thy distinct body , and of his glory , for when he shall appear in his glory , instead of thy praises , thou shalt howl and lament , and wish the mountains to cover thee , and he who is out of time shall consume thee to ashes , who stands in time and in the airie philosophy and imagination , and thy great words eternity and eternities shall stand thee in no stead ; for that which is eternall was before thou was , and shall be when thou art brought down to the pit with all thy imaginations : and so that thou might not glory any more in thy shame , we have answered thy queries , and for the simple ones sake , that they might not be stumbled by thy stumbling queries , who dwels not in the light . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a e- tim. . . tit. . . pet. . . pet. . . pet. . . a woe against the magistrates, priests, and people of kendall in the county of westmerland, pronounced from the lord by one of his prophets. which may warn all the persecuting cities and towns in the north, and every where, to repent and fear the lord, lest the decree go forth against them. also the stumbling-block removed from weak mindes, who are offended at the strange signs and wonders acted by the servants of the lord, scornfully called quakers in the northern parts of this nation. howgill, francis, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (thomason e _ ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h thomason e _ estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; :e [ ]) a woe against the magistrates, priests, and people of kendall in the county of westmerland, pronounced from the lord by one of his prophets. which may warn all the persecuting cities and towns in the north, and every where, to repent and fear the lord, lest the decree go forth against them. also the stumbling-block removed from weak mindes, who are offended at the strange signs and wonders acted by the servants of the lord, scornfully called quakers in the northern parts of this nation. howgill, francis, - . [ ], p. [s.n.], london, : printed in the year, . signed: f.h., i.e., francis howgill. annotation on thomason copy: "decemb: [crossed out] th january"; the in the imprint date has been crossed out and replaced with " ". reproduction of the original in the british library. eng quakers -- england -- kendal -- early works to . a r (thomason e _ ). civilwar no a woe against the magistrates, priests, and people of kendall in the county of westmerland, pronounced from the lord by one of his prophets. howgill, francis c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - angela berkley sampled and proofread - angela berkley text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a woe against the magistrates , priests , and people of kendall in the county of westmerland , pronounced from the lord by one of his prophets . which may warn all the persecuting cities and towns in the north , and every where , to repent and fear the lord , lest the decree go forth against them . also the stumbling-block removed from weak mindes , who are offended at the strange signs and wonders acted by the servants of the lord , scornfully called quakers in the northern parts of this nation . london , printed in the year , . the word of the lord came unto me saying , write and declare against that bloody town of kendall , and leave it without excuse . hear ye which pretend to be rulers , and ye that pretend to be teachers , and ye people , the trumpet of the lord is sounded , gather your selves together , for i will plead with you , your iniquities are come up before me , and your transgression is come into mine ears ; wo , wo , and misery is coming upon you , you shall be as sodome and gomorrah , and as admah and zeboim ; desolation and a crie , a crie , lamentation , howling , bitternesse and sorrow shal come upon you at unawares , the sword of the lord is drawn against you , it is sharpned for a great slaughter , and you shall be cut off , because you have despised my name , and troden under foot my precepts , and walk after your own wils , and the imagination of your own hearts ; and yet saith the lord , they say i am amongst them : wo unto you hypocrites , i am weary of you , and of all your profession it stinks in my nostrils , and i abhor it as much as if ye slew a man ; you have slain my son , you have mocked my prophets , and despised my messengers which i have sent early and late to forewarn you of the evill to come , have not i wrought signes and wonders amongst you , as ever was in any day , or from the beginning , have not i made the mountains tumble down in your sight , have not i caused my judgments to fall upon them that have set themselves against me ? have not i cleansed the lepers ? have not i quickned and raised them out of the grave , which were dead in sins and trespasses ? have not i brought down the proud ? have not i exalted the low ? have not i caused the weak things to confound the wise ? have not i sent signs among you , and have sent my servants to declare against you , as i did to nineveh , and have you not heard it ? have not i commanded my servants to go bare and naked in your sight , to be a sign to you that your covering is now rent , and your garment is to bee torn , and you shall be left naked and bare , and you shall be made a mock and a proverb to all , as my servants have bin made a mock and a proverb to you ; and i will scatter you in my indignation , and i will cause my fury to rest upon you till i have consumed you ; ye rulers that rule by your own wills , and ye false prophets that cry peace to this people , and all ye people that delight in lies , is not all manner of wickedness committed amongst you ? as pride , covetousness , oppression , persecution , mocking , stoning , and imprisoning , haling before magistrates them who are made to do my will , and to declare against you ; ye strive against me , saith the lord , ye cry a confederacy , ye consult together , ye plot , ye call all your inchanters against me ; thus saith the lord , ye shall be broken as pharaoh , and go down to the pit with aegypt , mesheck and tuball , and all the uncircumcised ; wo is me , the spoiler is come up against you , and blackness covers you , and a consumption is entring into your bones , my eie shall not spare , my hand shal not pitty , but it will bring this upon you , howle and lament ye okes , ye mountains cleave asunder , and all ye people , both great and small , be astonished , put on sackcloth , put your mouths in the dust , for i will make my fury to pass over you , and none shall be able to deliver you , said the lord ; write this , let them know , but they will not hear , till i have caused my fire to burn them up and there be no remedy . written from the spirit of the living god , by me who am a wita witness for his name , whom the world knows not , but named by the world , franc. howgill . oh ye raging priests , who have set your selves against the mighty power of the lord in his own , whereby he is manifesting his works , his strange works ▪ his acts , his strange acts , making his servants signes and wonders amongst the heathen , and them that know not god , nor his power , whereby he is choosing that which seems foolishness , to confound the wisdom of the wise , which you who stand in your own wils and wisdom , know nothing of ; but in this , as in other things , out of your envie against the truth , take occasion to lay stumbling-blocks in the way of others , wherein you plainly aypear to be in that generation , who will neither enter into the kingdom your selves , nor would suffer others ; you who take occasion to preach and print against the truth , because the lord hath caused some of his servants to go naked along your streets , as in kendal and kirkby-stephen , as signes of his wrath to come upon that pride and fulness that priests and people live in ; and this , you who never knew what it was to obey god , contrary to your own reason and wils , ( for who act such things , act contrary to their own wils ) cry out on a delusion and madness , thinking thereby to make the truth odious to others , but it is that the scriptures may be fulfilled upon you , as it hath been on your generation before you , who counted always what the prophets , christ , and the apostles did madness , and called them mad-fellows ; but now all you who fear the lord , and believe his word , take heed of the deceit of these men , and mind not what they say , who have set themselves to speak evill of the things they know not , but search the scriptures and there you shall finde , that the mighty god ( who hath power over all flesh , and what he commandeth none must dispute by their reason ( though it seem never so foolish , and against their wills ) but must obey ) hath always before his great judgments which he has about to bring on a people , or nation , made some of his dearest servants to pass and act as signes to such nations of what was to follow , and was so usual among the prophets , and them who knew the word of the lord , that the prophet isaiah speaking in the name of the lord jesus christ , saith , i and the children whom thou hast given me , are for signes and wonders in israel , from the lord of hosts that dwelleth in zion , isaiah . . and if ye search the scriptures of the prophets , you shall see in what strange and foolish things to the wisdome of the world they were acted in , as in esay . the prophet was to go three years naked for a sign , what the lord would bring upon aethiopia and aegipt : now had these men lived in his dayes , they would have cryed that up as a delusion and madness , and not as the word of the lord , as they do at this day ; for they neither know the lord , nor his word who stand in their own wills : also read the . of ezekiel , and see what a sign he was to both the houses of israel and judah , a strange thing to the wisdom as ever was : also read the . of ezekiel , and see what a sign he was to be , and what folly he was to act as to their wisdome , and that in the midst of the city : also ezek. . , . & . . to the end of the chap. likewise ezek , . to . v. and many other of the dear servants of god , who were not only to declare the word of the lord from his mouth , but also to be signs to them to whom he was to prophecy , that so he might leave them all without excuse . now those who then were priests , and should have bin teachers and leaders of the people to fear god , and hear his word , and observ his signs , and repent that the judgments might be prevented , they were the only men that hated , reproached , persecuted , and called the prophets , christ and his apostles madmen , deceivers , becaus of these things , which into their wisdomes could not enter , and stirred up the rulers and ignorant people against them ▪ that they might put them to death as it is at this day , but these in our dayes are more inexcusable then all that ever went before them , inasmuch as they had no scripture to shew them that the lord had commanded such signes formerly ; but these have the scriptures that witnesse to the same thing ; which scriptures they make a trade on , and cry up in words , but are ignorant of that spirit by which they were acted that gave them forth , and envie and persecute that obedience that was acted in them , in whom it is now acted ; and they might as well cry out against esay for a mad-man , because he went naked at the word of the lord , and the rest of the prophets and servants of god for acting such weak and foolish things , to their wisdom , as they did as against these for obeying the lord in the same or the like things whatsoever , for god is not tied to any rule to walk by , but his own will ; and where he commands wo to him that doth not obey , and where he commands not , woe to him that acts in his own will , and saith , it is the word of the lord . wherefore all ye that fear the lord , take heed of being stirred np by these men to speak evil of that you know not , but consider that the priests have been alwaies the move●● and perswaders of the people against christ and his kingdom , and power in his saints , and instead of being forward to speak evil of the things you know not , turn in your minds into the fear of god , and mind the light in your conscience that will let you see what sins you are guilty of , which these signs are threatnings to , that you may repent of them , and escape the judgment and finde mercy , as they did in the time of the prophets , who feared the lord and escaped the judgment ; but the envious , scorners and fools passed on , and were punished and know this , that a wisemans eye is in his head and such an one hath his guide within himself , and will not be hastie to follow others though they be multitudes to do evil , and such know it is better to be silent , then to speak evil of the things they know not , and when was there ever any truth of god brought forth , but it alwayes suffered the violence of the proud and haughty , where the seed of the serpent reigns and shews his enmity ; and it is the same now , for that which hath been is at this day , but it is that the power of the lord may be seen , in carrying on his simple truth , against all the wisdom and power of of the world , and plotting of the serpent , yea and he will carry it on to his praise , and to the confounding all his enemies , who must stumble at the stumbling stone , and be offended at the rock , that must break them to pieces , wherefore be silent all flesh before the lord , whose foolishness is more then thy wisdom , and whose weakness is more then the strength of all the world , who is a defence to his poor despised ones , in the midst of their enemies . eternal praises to thee who art our wisdom for ever . to all you who have eyes and yet are blind , and who have ears and yet are deaf , and have hearts and yet cannot understand ; to you i am moved to declare . the lord is proclaiming himself to be king , and all the mountains and every isle and every oke of bashan , and all the cedars of lebanon , and all who rule as kings and conquerors shall bow : hear ye deaf , the trumpet is blown , the standard is lifted up , there is open war proclaimed between michael our paince and all the inhabitants of the earth . arm your selves , o ye mountains and gather your selves on he●ps o ye isles , the glittering the sword of the lord is drawn , and a fire is before him , and all ye will be found as stubble , and you are all to be slain heaps upon heaps , and are all to go down with all the uncircumcised rulers and people into the pit ; the lord the mighty jehovah is revealing himself from heaven in flames of fire to render vengeance upon all the workers iniquity ; for you have slain the heir of the vineyard , you are killing his prophets , and imprisoning his saints ; to you all professors , rulers , and priests , which say you are jews , and are not , but are the synagogue of satan ; i speak in plainess of speech unto you all who live in all the abominations of the heathen , and yet say you love christ , do not you call the master of the house now belzebub , do not ye mock , and set your mouths awry ye sons of the adultress , and of sodom , at the light of christ which enlighteneth every one that comes into the world , which light did lead all saints into purity , and up to god , and this you call natural , and them who witness redemption by the son , you call blasphemers ; christ which you profess and yet know not , was accounted by your generation a blasphemer , and all the apostles and saints were persecuted by your generation as evil doers , as despisers of government , as disturbers of the peace , as leaders of the people into iniquity , as the off-scouring of all things , as sheep for the slaughter , and were al of them put to death and in prison by that generation which professed god , and said they had his ordinances , yet slew them who professed him and kept his statutes ; for if ye be not wilfully blind , are ye not doing the same now ; mocking , haling , imprisoning , bringing before magistrates them that witness jesus christ in them , and becaus they bear witness against all sin ; did ever any of the saints of god persecute , imprison , or hale before magistrates , and falsly acuse any ? did ever the saints complain to authority to guard them ? hear ye whited tombs , ye painted sepulchres , what gospel is this ye profess ? what god is this ye serv that must be defended with clubs , swords , rulers , and carnal weapons ; the saints who had the everlasting gospel , said , their weapons were not carnal but spiritual , and yet they were mighty through god to beat down strong holds , even principalities and powers , thrones and dominions ; but your gospell and ministry can do nothing without a sword ; all people see where you are , & what you are doing , you run headlong to ruine ; those who were despised by that generation of pharisees & professors which you are in , were a burthensom stone , upon which all that opposed did break themselves ; so this generation whom ye set at nought , ye shal be made to bow and throw down your crowns before them , and before the lamb who is our leader & guider , glory unto him for evermore ; its hard for you to kick against the pricks , for we witness the two edged sword of the lord shall bathe it self in the blood of his enemies , and shal be made fat with slaughter . o ye mountains ye shall become a plain for the ransomed to come over you ; all your profession shall be as stubble , and you shall be left naked and bare , and nothing shall be able to cover you , because you are crucifiers of christ and the saints , repent that you may be hid in the day of his fierce anger , which is to come upon all the workers of iniquity . f. h. finis . the true rule, judge, and guide of the true church of god discovered, and borne testimony unto what it is, and wherein it consisteth in opposition to the pretended catholick church of rome her rule, foundation, guide, and judge, being returned in answer to captain robert everrand his book, titled an epistle to all the nonconformists ... / by ... francis howgil. howgill, francis, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the true rule, judge, and guide of the true church of god discovered, and borne testimony unto what it is, and wherein it consisteth in opposition to the pretended catholick church of rome her rule, foundation, guide, and judge, being returned in answer to captain robert everrand his book, titled an epistle to all the nonconformists ... / by ... francis howgil. howgill, francis, - . 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bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng everard, robert, fl. . -- epistle to the several congregations of the non-conformists. catholic church -- controversial literature. anti-catholicism -- great britain. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the true rule , judge , and guide of the true church of god discovered , and borne testimony unto what it is , and wherein it consisteth . in opposition to the pretended catholick church of rome her rule , foundation , guide , and judge . being returned in answer to captain robert everrard his book , titled an epistle to all the nonconformists , wherein his main reasons , grounds , and alligations laid down in his book are examined and discoursed with , wherein the faith once delivered unto the saints , is vindicated , and the doctrine of christ and his apostles : against the pretended faith and false doctrines which hath been held forth by the church of rome among christians as infallible . by a suffering member of that church which fled into the wilderness , when mistery babylon sat as a queen upon the waters . francis howgill . printed in the year . the true rule , judge , and guide of the true church of god discovered , and born testimony unto what it is , and wherein it consisteth , &c. after various reports and upbraidings , and insultings of divers men in my hearing , of a certain great pillar and a leading man among the nonconformists , who it was said had relinquished his errors , and had conformed , and also written and published a book for the convincement of all others to uniformity and conformity : also the weekly intelligencer willing to take advantage sometime when there is little or no occasion , doth signifie to the whole nation in his newes-book of the conversion of a great nonconformist , for the strengthening and supporting of those desires only in people who is willing to make shipwrack of all faith , hope , religion , and whatsoever also that is of the greatest moment , for a little ease and liberty in the flesh , and the imbracement of this present world , is willing to joyne with that which is the uppermost , and to sail with wind and tide , not minding the harbour , nor the way which they are passing , but only present enjoyment ; and such whose faith is builded upon men and not upon god ; and chuses rather to run with the multitude to do evil ( then with a few despised and afflicted who keep faith and a good conscience ) such flashes and airy ungrounded rumours staggr'd their mind , and makes them afraid and troubled when there 's no cause . at last this great and magnificent piece of conversion came published in the newes-book boasted on by the clergy and divers other great mountains of earth , came to my hand providentially unlooked for , unsought for , or desired , which is titled , an epistle to the several congregations of the non-formists , subscribed by captain robert everard ; as he stiled himself a member of the catholick church ; which book hath been spread up and down the counties it seems , as some rare , weighty , and great matter to induce others to be of the same mind . but why the members of the church of england should extoll this and rejoyce in this great convert i know not , except they have a a mind to shake hands with the roman church , and to receive their catholick faith so called and unquestionable ; but deceit loves to sport it self , and to make merry and triumph over any who do but relinquish the seeming appearance of truth to turit into the common road of darkness , they hug such a one for a while , and sets him out as an ensign to glory in , and over against others . after the said book came to my hand amongst divers others , i was willing to take a survey , and to make inspection into those things contained in it , and to see what demonstrative grounds , and solid and weighty matter was contained in it , which i have diligently weighed , and without a prejudiced spirit read , finding the matter in it chiefly to set up a council of men to be absolute judge of all matters of faith and doctrine , though never so repugnant unto the doctrine and practice once delivered and received and walked in by the saints , seting up this , both above the holy spirit of god which is the only and sole trier of all spirits ; but also above the scripture ; wherein i have taken notice his own eye being blinded he would captivate all others , and make them blind also , and lay wast the spirit of god , and its office the scriptures , and their translation , making them as uncertain as much as in him lies as the turkish alcbaron ; and all solid and weighty arguments and reasons that hath been produced this many years by many godly and moderate dissenters in divers ages , from the church of rome , this he strikes over all by whole sail , labouring to set all a jarr , and to make every thing look with a face contrary way to represent them uncomely ; and at last he hath concluded that the catholick visible church is the absolute judge and director , both in matters of faith and doctrine , without distinguishing of their abiding in the faith , or falling from it , as though the promise of god had been intailed to a certain place as rome , or to a certain sort of men that may call themselves peters successors , and ministers of christ , though they walk as far wide both in doctrine and practice as heaven is from earth from [ peter ] and would assume the title of name and office for honour and profits sake , but do none of peters work , feeds not the flock of christ , but worries them , and kills them that christ feeds , and sheares off the wool from off their backs , and pulls off the skin too , and instead of saving have destroyed hundreds of mens lives in europe and america ; some under the name of hereticks , and some under the name of infidels have been most mercilessly and cruelly destroyed by the power of this holy visible church , as r. e. calls it , as the true chronologies of ages past doth testifie , so that the nations have been made like akeldoma by that mystery babylon which hath drunk the blood of the saints , and slain the prophets and martyrs , under the name of hereticks , quite out of the doctrine of christ , and erred from his infallible spirit , who came not to destroy mens lives but to save them , and to save people from their sins : but this false visible church hath destroyed their lives under the name of heresie , and so hath destroyed them in their sins if they count that heresie be a sin . but of this something more afterwards may be said if god permit . but it is a great piece of confidence in r. e. that after fifteen hundred years as he saith this church hath continued as a judge and a director unto , which all christians are to submit , page th . that he that is but a man of yesterday should be so stout a champion as to make a flourish , and seem to over-ride all the weighty things that hath been spoken by the blessed martyrs and sufferers for christ , and righteous dissenters from this roman church at one clap ; and again to exalt his own feeble things that he hath brought forth and exhibit them so confidently to all nonconformists as unanswerable matter , or how he judged in himself that his reasons or arguments should be of that weight to convince or convert any , seeing he hath rendered himself , and they that knows him can testifie he hath always been a changable man , and unstablt in all his ways , tossed up and down like the waves of the sea , and now at last fallen into the black gulf of darkness ; but it seems by his own writing in his epistle , that it hath been his former method , being filled with a scribling humour in the days of his ignorance , as he saith , when the vail of pride and folly hung between his eyes , which appears to hang there yet , ( for any thing i can see ) having condemned himself , and also repented as he saith for being in the head of a troop of the rebellious army a captain : and yet after conversion and illumination and repentance as he saith , subscribes himself , captain robert everard ; argues both pride and folly , and gives but a small shew of repentance , but rather argues fanedness and flattery , and him to be a time-server , and a man-pleaser . and whether he intend by his epistle to all the non-conformists to the church of england , or all the non-conformists to the church of rome is doubtfull , for then the church of england hath to conform in part , as well as others , though i believe the church of rome will claim a good part of her discipline to be theirs , only it wants the formality of language : something might largely be spoken , as in return of answer to the things contained in the said book , but that it may be supposed some of those people with whom he hath formerly conversed , which he now calumnates with notorious error , will not receive his epistle as an infallible and heavenly oracle , but rather will return him some publick answer for the vindicating of their own principles , and also shewing him his weakness , how soon he was turned aside with , and for a thing of nought ▪ and also that he should be so bold as to turn in a moment their instructer and teacher , when he hath but newly learned within a year or two the principles of his own religion , which he saith he adores god in , and so is but a novis , and unskilfull in the word of righteousness , though his web be very long of linsie woolsie , and his words be many , which will pass away as wind , and have small effect , i hope of gaining many proselites , to be members of that visible church , which hath ruled over nations , kindred and tongues , which are the waters upon which the great whore sits . i take my self little concerned , or that people with whom i am joyned in the fellowship of the gospel of christ jesus , who are non-conformsts to the world , and ever resolves to be , ( according to the apostles doctrine ) and to all hypocrites and ▪ time-servers , and them that serve not our lord jesus christ , but their own bellies , of which this generation is full , who will transgress fon a morsell of bread , and conform to any thing , and every thing for the smiles of the world , ease and liberty in the flesh , but the followers of christ-hath not so learned christ , for who so will raign with him , must suffer with him . neither should i have said much , if the quarrel had been personal , or about some circumstantial matters , which a man may be with and without , and they neither add to , nor diminish from his goodness and vertue , but seeing it is a quarrel not only against us that are alive , but against the faithful sufferers , who laid down their lives in flames of fire , and the very foundation of god , which is the most sure thing is struck at , and the spirit of god turned out of doores , in regard of its office , of certainty and infallibility , and the scriptures of truth laid aside as an insufficient thing , except the interpretations of men be added to it for its authority , and the constitutions of fallible and erring men set up for rules , and men as men set up as law-givers and judges over mens conscientes , and lords over faith , and to be the most certain thing for any christian man to rely upon , and to believe , as the old phrase is , as the church believes , to pin ones faith upon others sleeves , and to hang ones hope of anothers shoulders , to put ones eye out that god hath given them to see with , and then see by anothers , may be led into any hole or ditch , and this to be published with such confidence , as the only infallible guide , to which all christians are to submit , world make a man half dumb to speak and stammer forth some thing as a testimony against such palpable error , and manifest darkness : put off with such confidence , and usher'd in among christians in such an age as this , when light and life is broken forth as a morning without cloudes in goshen , where israel the true seed inhabits , i could not but say something in vindication of that certain , sure , everlasting truth which the devil is out of , by which the saints are made free indeed in their inward man from sin , and non-conformists to the world , its error , wayes and worship , and also to shew the mistakes of the author , and how easily he hath been drawn aside to lean upon a broken read , all his particulars which are of any weight or moment shall be considered and weighed in the righteous ballance of equity , and answered in their due place : for the confirmation of them that do believe , and for removing the stumbling blocks out of the way of them that doubt or stagger , least they fall in such dark pits as these , ( viz. ) as to deny the spirit of god to be a sufficient guide , and take away its infallibility , and place it in men that have erred , do erre , and may erre : and call them the only sure infallible guide for all christian men to follow . but to speak something to the seeming weighty matter which weighed down r. e. his judgment , and cast the scales so far as that all his hope , faith , foundation , & religion was weighed down at one draught , and by such feeble things as put him to silence , which he heard from his laycatholick , as he cals him , argues a very weak & a poor foundation & a sandy , which was so soon driven away ; but one thing is to be minded , because he hath minded it himself of his conversion , as to matter of time ; this conversion hath happened to fall out since the happy restauration of our gracious soveraign to his crown and dignity , as he saith ; this to some will render his conversion somewhat suspicious , whether ( he name ) this time as only accidental , or the restauration of the king the cause somewhat of his conversion , i shall not determine ; but however he having been behind before in conformity resolved to make a good step to , before the next time to avoid suffering loss and reproach . but to speak a little as to the discourse which r. e. hath published as the weighty matter whereby he was convinced , their judgments now it seems becoming one , the lay gentleman he mentions and himself speaking to one speaks to both . first , whether that any can be certain that the christians in general is more true then the turkes , jewes , or any other , and whether any can be infallibly assured of this that it is not possible for one to be mistaken in this ; and again the answer amounting to no more then this , you conceive you are in the right , you hope and believe , you are not mistaken ; but it is possible you may be mistaken in this , for every man is a lyer , and every man and all men and every church is fallible and subject to error ; and with these and the like words r. e. was extreamly troubled as he saith , and knew not how to answer without shuffling . answer , the true christian religion stands not only in name , nor in words , nor in conforming , or transforming to this or that outward practice , which the disciples of christ were exercised in , which divers in the latter days in their old corrupt minds not having their hearts renewed , have taken on the outside , and have got the form , and wants the life and the power , and are not partakers of the divine nature of christ , and such a bare profession as this has no certainty , nor infallibility in it , neither the assurance but that they may be mistaken and may be subject to err as well as turkes or jewes , or any other , but the true christian religion indeed whom christ will own as true worshippers of him , stands in power , in life , and in being , obedient unto his living commands and precepts , which he giveth forth unto his disciples , and manifesteth by his spirit , his sheep hear his voice , and know it from the voice of a stranger : and he giveth the knowledge of his will to all that believe in the measure of his eternal spirit , which he hath given every one a measure of to profit withal ; and by it to be guided into all truth , out of all error , and this spirit is infallible and gives certain assurance to all that receive it , that they are in that way which is acceptable to god , and they feel comfort unto their souls coming daily from the presence of christ , who is the rock of ages , and the sure foundation upon which his holy church is founded , which is the pillar and ground of truth ; and they that are living members are not grounded upon a fallible certainty , or upon a conjectural supposition , or a vain hope which is without bottom , but upon that which is sure and stedfast , lasting and everlasting ; and all men in the unregenerate estate are lyers , but they that are born from above are of the truth , and lie not , and are not subject to mistakes , because the seed remains in them , and walkes in the pure religion which keeps unspoted of the world ; and they that have no other ground for their religion but only without them , and from the report of others are short of the true foundation , for that may be truth in it self indeed , which is not true to another , nor he truly partakes of it , and here is all the supposing conjectures and mistakes and fallible certainties , which it seems r. e. and his lay gentleman too , when the axe is laid to the root of the tree indeed , and not withstanding all the laying claim to infallibility and certainty its but grounded upon a report without , and the traditions of men from generation to generation ; for them that believe but only because of the true report without , and cometh not to witness the thing assured in their own hearts by the spirit of the lord , these will not be long of that faith , 't is true many did believe because of the apostles declaration and report , but at last came to feel the witness of god in their own hearts testifying the self same , in so much that they could say and truly too , though we have believed through your words at the first , yet now we have heard him our selves , and that which giveth perfect assurance which admits of no doubts nor fallibleness , for such evidence all true members of christ's church have in themselves , which carries divine authority and satisfaction in it to every particular believer , and so i say with r. e. in this it seemes unreasonable to perswade any to receive this or that for a truth , when they that so perswade are uncertain in themselves , neither dare say their judgment is infallible , which is that old protestant principle indeed , and also the principle of many sects who differs from the pretended catholick church of rome who persecuted one another about outward things even as the heathen about their idols , and yet will need sit as judge in mens consciences , with their fallible spirit , though i speak not of every individual person , neither can i justifie the roman catholick church so called , who layes claim to infallibility ; and whatsoever they judge to be heresie must be reckoned as such , though never so manifest a truth ; and to place infallibility in men that may err and have erred from the spirit , i like not neither ; for this is to give that to men that belongs to god , and to make the judgment of fallible men above the judgment of the infallible spirit of god ; and this i look to be great ambition and pride , in any to lay claim to the greatest things , as infallibility and certainty of assurance , and the most free of error , and yet falls the shortest of it of any , as hath been made appear by many learned and grave men of former ages ; and also if a necessity were , might be made appear , that the church of rome who saith she cannot err , have been as uncertain both in their doctrine and worship as any , yea more ; one pope contradicting and throwing down that which another did establish ; and one council decreeing , and another disanulling ; as i could easily make appear , but that i would not be tedious to the reader in things that have been so manifest ; neither do i desire to wade out into diversity of matters , in so short a discourse . but that which r. e. and his catholick instructer calleth late , wild , and loose opinions , that men of different faiths may be saved ; and this countenanceth schisme , and breeds rebellion as it is said ; 't is true , faith is but one , which is saving , and there is no differance in that , for the difference is among men where that is wanting , and only have the words and name of faith , and want the life and power . neither am i so narrow spirited as r. e. and his catholick , as to exclude all out of the faith , who may differ in their perswasions in some circumstantial things , if yet they hold christ the head : and what makes r. e. so verilent as to judge all in error , and to be out of the true faith , seeing the protestants and all sorts of separates professe justification and salvation , only through faith in christ jesus , as well as the church of rome ; and it were unreasonably judged in me if i should conclude a man to be no man , because he is not so tall as another ; but i see r. e. and his catholick would have all shoos made by their last , though they will not fit every mans feet . faith is the gift of god , there are divers degrees and measures according to the mind and good pleasure of the giver ; so that he that hath received any measure or degree , must not be excluded as having no faith , though he attain not to that degree that some do enjoy ; and the apostles doctrine was , that every one should be perswaded in his own mind , and if any was otherwise minded , they were to be let alone till god revealed it to them . and whatsoever people or church ( though they claim infallibility ) that teaches a contrary doctrine unto this ; we have good reason to suspect it , to be that hasty driving and overdriving spirit that would force a faith , where god hath not given it ; ( not to be the infallible spirit of our lord jesus christ ) of which the church of rome hath given a vehement cause of suspition , by their cruelty and tortors they have exercised towards them , who could not receive their principles and own their judgment in all things : but r. e. the lay-gentleman blinded thy eye , when he made thee call into question the truth of scripture , and that it proceeded from the infallible testimony of gods spirit , and if thou had a certain feeling of the same in thy self , and in thy own conscience to let this go and make this void as an insufficient ground to receive christianity upon , & to lean to a prop without thee , and to be judged by men , who have been as fallible and changable in their judgments as the moon ; which have assumed the name of catholick church , whose testimony thy instructer i perceive told thee , ought to be received , concerning what as is pretended to be revealed or not revealed by god , yet all must be obliged to stand to their judgment though never so repugnant to the doctrine of christ , and practice of the church of christ in the first primitive times , truly so called ; yet it is granted that the church of christ are the dispersed members through the world , though not of it , agreeing in one faith , being in the power of god , and being led and guided by the holy ghost , their judgments ought to be received , which cannot ( as lead by the spirit ) fail , in giving true judgment in matters of faith , which pertains to salvation , but as men they may fail , and as erring from the spirit they may fail ; and infallibility is not intailed to the persons of any men , but as they continue in the grace of god , and walk in the spirit , and bring forth the fruits thereof , nor to any place or city , but as they continue in covenant with god ; for the promise of god was to jerusalem , and mount zion , and to many other places and people in divers cities , where the glory of god once appeared , but now through their apostacy and unbelief , and disobedience they are desolate , as to the presence and power of god , and their sun is set , and they are covered as with the shadow of a cloud ; but this true church whereof i have spoken , was seen to fly into the wilderness for time , times and a half , and that since the apostles days , and then was she not so visible and universal as she had been before ; and the man child was caught up unto god ; now if thou reckon the roman church to be this true church ; shew the time , times , and half a time , wherein she fled into the wilderness ; and how long she hath been there , and when was the time of her return , and if ever she was there , how that will hang together with your assertion , that she hath been visible , and so universal this fiften hundred years ; and if this could be proved that rome hath been so , whether doth it not rather demonstrate her to be the whore that sat upon the many waters ? which waters are nations , kindreds , tongues and people , and what church ? instance if thou can , doth lay claim to the nations , kindreds , tongues and people to be yours , and to rule over so many kings of the earth , as you lay claim to be universally of your faith , and of your church , which gives us a shrewd character to believe , that indeed you are mystery babylon ; besides the blood of the saints that have been shed under the name of hereticks , by this visible catholick church among the nations this twelve . years , doth give clear evidence that it can be reckoned or imputed unto none but you . but i would not grate too hard upon thee , being but a new convert ; but when thy instructer had made thee doubt of thy own state , and question the foundation whereupon thou hadst received christianity , the next thing he labours to make void , is the spirit of god its testimony , which thou did lay claim too , but i feel had little portion in what thou said , at last he makes thee doubt of the infallibility of this spirit which thou had spoke on , might for ought thou knew be the spirit of error , and thou not able to distinguish betwixt the spirit of god in thy self , which is infallible , and the spirit of error , nor to distinguish betwixt their opperations , he perswaded thee that all was uncertain , and therefore no confidence to be given to any spirit or faith in ones own particular , which is the most absurd and ridiculous thing in the world so to judge : for if there be no certainty or assurance given to any man , or means to every man , wherein he may be assured of the certainty of gods will , then whither should any go or upon whom should any lean , seeing that no credit can be given to any thing that any man believes ; and this were but tossing up and down men from mountain to hill , that they might never have rest for their souls : and as for jer. . and eccles. . rev. . the heart of man is deceitful , &c. no man knows love or hatred , &c. and because thou sayest i am rich and increased with goods , and have need of nothing , &c. these scriptures was brought unto thee to make thee more blind ; the first is spoken of the degenerated estate , where deceit bears rule , and not truth ; the second is spoken of visible enjoyments , which are common to all ; and the third was spoken to one , who had erred from the spirit , and was exalted in pride , because of external performances , but having lost the power was miserable , &c. but what of all this ? doth this any whit at all detract from the certainty and assurance of the spirit of god in them that hath it ? what shall we reason thus because some have been led aside , and are deceived by their own hearts lusts , that therefore all may be deceived , even them that have the spirit of god , ( god forbid ) and we have some what more to answer an arian , a jew , or a turk , if they should urge the like knowledg and feeling with the like confidence , to prove they were in the truth and christianity , a delusion ; and thy instructer said , what would you reply to them ? we have more to reply in such cases then time will permit now , or the state of the case require ; seeing it is but a supposition and we take no thought what to answer the gain-sayers of truth withall , but relyes upon the promise of the father , and of his son jesus christ , who said to his disciples , take no thought for it shall be given you what to answer in that day , which promise all that are true disciples shall find true to the end of the world : but somewhat more we have to say , it may be then thou said when thou suffered thy self to be made blind and carried captive with another mans judgment , and neglected the measure of gods spirit in thy self at home , through which alone the secret things of god is revealed , and in which true certainty and infallibility is witnessed , and not in men who is fallible and changable . if an arian , jew or turk should urge their own interpretation of scriptures ( which is of no private interpretation ) contrary to the mind of him that gave it forth ; i would say he perverted the words of the scripture , which is in harmony and unity one with another , as to the states and conditions they were spoken to , and are plain , and are only read by that spirit that gave them forth : except it be in some historicall or chronology or genealogy of names and generations which might he ; some gathered from other hands , and different hands taking notice of them as to record them , there might be some variation , yet the substance of the report is true , but what is calculation of yeares or dayes or reckoning up of genealogies , as to the matter of salvation , and what if we had never had them , no more then we have , other histories and things that fell out among the jewes , but if there be any contradiction for ought i know , we may blame the church of rome the most of any ; who will needs affirm they received all or most of the things from the apostles ; and if the translations differ , or be somewhat uncertain , what have they been doing this fifteen hundred yeares , with their infallible spirit , that they could not have rectified them according to their first original ? and if any of the foresaid sects , should pretend the certainty of the spirit , and yet not have it ? i should answer , the spirit is known by its fruits , and the fruits of the spirit are manifest , and they that pretend to it , and bring forth contrary fruites , are manifest to be deceivers and deceived , but their states are different , and therefore requires different answers , which time will not now permit to insist upon : but over and beside all other arguments to perswade any man to , or from any thing , the witness of god in the party unto whom he speaketh , is to be reached , and that is beyond the understanding of man , and greater then it , and more convincing then any arguments that can be used without ; and he that cannot speak to this , is not skilful in the word of righteousness . that christ was an infallible guide , ( who is the way , the truth , and the life ) is granted by all christians , and that the apostles received the promise of the father , and the infallible spirit of god which led them into all truth , and this infallible assurance the christians had that lived in the apostles time , this is granted , and the apostles were infallible guides , not as men meerly , but as men full of the holy ghost , and as men who were filled with the spirit of god , and therefore the apostles said , be followers of us as we are followers of christ ; and if any controversie did arise , as some there did , and doutes among the then christians , the apostles and elders meeting together in the power of the holy ghost , did write their mindes and letters to the christians to pacify all ; and good reason that they that had believed through their word , should submit unto the holy ghost , and unto them by whom they were begotten unto god by the word of life , for the ending of strife about wordes and shadowes and outward things , and they whose mindes were outward then , in ages since and now , ran into contention about outward things , and such for the most part do erre from the spirit of god in themselves , but i would have thee to take notice of this , and all you catholick members so called , the apostles of christ only did exhort , and did not force their decrees by penal statutes , and to be observed under the penalty of loosing life or limbes , as since , their pretended successors have done , who have erred from the spirit , and have got the saints words , and turned against the life and power : but the decrees , as you call them , are not many nor burdensome , which the apostles wrote at jerusalem , as the many counsels since have made , they are so endless and numberless and burdensome , and so contradictory one to another in divers things , who will but look into the decrees of the counsels since the apostles dayes , that we can find little certainty in any of their decrees , but rather as thy instructer saith the sword of the flesh , and not the spirit hath been the rule and law to christianity ; but the masters of great wit and power and interest , have framed and made parties unto themselves , and hath not warres been raised among your selves about deciding your controversies , hath not the pope warred against the emperour , and the emperour against the pope , was not wars raised about the decrees when pope eujenius was deposed as a heretick by the counsel of bazill . — and one while the pope must be infallible as peter's successor , and above all counsels and churches , another while the counsell is above the pope , excommunicates him as a heretick and excludes his infallibility , and now where is the certainty , and whether should one go or appeal for true judgment ? so , though the church of rome boast of unity , yet how hath one nation made war against another , and yet professing the same faith at divers times and in sundry ages . and to tell thee plainly , and to speak the naked truth , according to the apostles prophesie , after their departure there was a great apostacy , and a great falling away from the faith , and a giving heed to lying seducing spirits , and doctrine of devils , and many were subverted from the faith , by them that spake lies in hypocrisie , and took up the priests office for filthy lucre , and they went out into the world , and the world wondered after them , and they had the form , and the sheeps cloathing , and the saints words , but were enemies to the cross of christ , and to the power of godliness ; and the kings of the earth were bewitched with their sorceries , and then forced all and compelled all to receive and believe such decrees and such articles , as was then set forth by a pack of those hirelings , who minded their own profit , and their own bellies ; who mingled their own inventions and traditions with the doctrine of christ , and brought the scripture for a cloak , and the apostles practice for a president , and could say falsly , as the apostles said in the truth ; it seems good to us and the holy ghost that these our decrees be observed , for god hath placed us as judges and directers , as them that are appointed of god himself . to which , all christians are to submit and none to question , and if any do question or will not obey , it is the kings and princes duty in every country to cause all to submit to these our decrees and orders , or else to be punished as hereticks with death , for we are the apostles successors , and we are the elders of the church , and we have the infallible spirit ; and though we make decrees contrary to what the apostles made in their day , yet none is to question that , the church was but in its infancy then , as unwasht , and unswadled , and in persecution ; but now she is grown up to a greater stature and power , and indowed with greater privilege , and that may be necessary now , that was not necessary then ; and last of all called themselves the clergie , which signifies the heritage of god , and so excluded all others but themselves : and these things are true and certain , and have been made good by many sufferers for christ ; and this kind of clergie or heritage made the heritage of god indeed , to fly into the wilderness , who had the infallible spirit , and the witnesses to prophesie in sackcloath , and then mystery babylon began to sit a queen , and to gild her cup , and to fill it full of abomination , and brought in judaisme and the practise of the apostles , and their own inventions , and patched up an endless kind of worship and service , consisting of out-side things in a great part , in postures and gestures , and meates and drinks , and dayes and times , and vestures and bonnets , and caps and coules , and such other like trumpery ; which they made the nations drunk with , and greedy after : and if any scrupled at any of those things or any other , the holy catholick church hath decreed it , and she cannot erre , for she is infallible : though the errors thereof cannot be numbered : and this r. e. thou rests satisfied in as thy only rule and judge and director , and thou hangs all thy faith here , and saith , thou shall not scruple to believe , what authority teacheth thee to be revealed by god , no more then if thou heard god himself speaking ; i say unto thee as the apostle said , the serpent hath beguiled thee , as it beguiled eve : and further say , as the prophet said , thou must arise and get thee hence , for this is not the rest , for thou wilt see thy self plunged into such a layborinth of uncertainties as thou never was before , if the lord ever open thy eye . and r. e. gives an account , that after his reading of some contravertal books , hath made some collections as to himself , and also declares , that all dissenting judgments grants there must be a way and a rule appointed to teach us , to deside all doubts , to judge of all matters , and to teach us the true way to heaven with certainty ; but who this rule or judge is , is not agreed upon by all ; which he hath collected into four heads ; first , some sets up the spirit to direct them , and to be this means ; secondly , another will have every mans own natural reason to be this rule and judg ; thirdly , others will set up sole scripture ; and the fourth assignes the holy catholick church to be that judge and directer . other then these , he saith , he never heard of any ; for he saith , he always esteemed the quakers light to be either the spirit , or natural reason , ( but which , r. e. doth not know ) and all the four before mentioned , he saith , he hath examined , and treateth largely upon them all ; wherein he goeth about and giveth grounds and divers reason , and divers iuterpretations of scriptures ; he layes wast all the former three and establisheth as he thinks , the fourth , as to be that way and rule , and judge , and governing power to deside all doubts as that , whereby all are obliged to submit unto , as to christ himself ; and this was that question which he was to gain satisfaction in ; and therefore he saith , he ceased to enquire of their doctrine , or this , or that article of faith , and hang altogether upon this point before mentioned . answ. 't is true , it is granted by all , that there must be a way and a rule as the means appointed of god , to answer all doubts , and to give satisfaction to every man , of the certainty of that which he believes ; and who this way and judge , and rule is , every one ought to be satisfied ; and the four heads into which thou hath collected the whole controversie of all dissenting judgments in christianity takes up the whole as to this particular , which have ordinarily been holden forth among christians . but i judge thou dealt not wisely in thy inquisition and search for satisfaction to hing all on this pin , but rather to have examined further as concerning matter of doctrine , and matters of faith held forth , most especially of this party , to whom thou was so much inclined ; and see how thou could have swallowed down that doctrine of purgatory , and sacrifice for the dead , and justification by a man 's own works , and of bread and wine after the words of consecration by the priest is transubstantiated into the very body and blood of christ , and becomes whole god their saviour and redeemer ; for these are principal things , either greatly necessary to salvation , or greatly unnecessary ; and when thou had tryed and found these to be so repugnant unto the doctrine and faith , once delivered among the saints , in the first plantation of the gospel , this might have put a stop unto thee , that thou could not so easily close with their judgment and pretended infallibility , who pretends to be only guids , and yet leads into the greatest errors in matters of greatest moment . but as to the four particulars mentioned , i shall not stand to trouble either my self or the reader , as to speak much what of that which is no part of my faith or judgment , but only to vindicate the truth against the many false conceptions of changable men : and first of all r. e. begins to treat of the spirit , and perverts the scripture at his first on-set ; and saith as touching the spirit bearing witness in secret with our spirits , or as he saith in plainer terms , the private spirit ; this saith r. e. i considered could not be the means to convey faith unto the world , nor the rule , guide or judge , which i enquired after , nor indeed the true spirit of god , which he promised to his apostles . secondly , those who pretend this guidance do not believe god , but themselves only , and their own perswasions , which tell them they have the spirit of god , but they can give no other account , but they are verily perswaded so , or no other answer , but i am sure it is the spirit of god , and i am a good man , and an honest man , and i believe my self , but other reasons or evidence can they give none . thirdly , this pretending of a private spirit is against pet. . . that no prophesie of scripture is of private interpretation . answ. this man beats all together beside the anvil , what ever the matter is , but that he is blinded and confounded in himself , he sets but up a shadow , and then fights with it ; for instead of proving the spirit of god not to be a competent rule , judge and guide , and instructer in all matters of faith necessary to salvation ; he goes about to prove a private spirit , a pretended spirit , a spirit of error is not a sufficient guide and judge ; and in this he fights without an adversary , and fills the world with noise and darkness , and the air with smoak , and would cloud peoples understandings with multitudes of words that tend not to edification , with a quareling wrangling spirit , which is not for peace , but i see he hath delighted in contention , and sported it self in varience , and like the son of the bond-woman , his hand against every man. secondly , i wonder why r. e. quotes so much scripture as for the proofe of his matter in hand , seeing that it is one of his great pleas , that it is insufficient as to be a rule , or a guide , or a judge as to answer any doubts , or give any satisfactory solution to him that is enquiring ; and seeing he hath given in so many reasons against it , as insufficient , and as much as in him lay to invaluedate and set it at nought , and hath laboured to set it at oddes , and to make contradictions in it , as to render it insufficient for matter of probation in any thing , which is in controversie , or how he can judge , that others should receive them , and his sometimes false rendering of them , or his own interpretations upon them , seeing he denies them as uncertain , as they are translated and insufficient , and not fit to be a rule ; and who this man hath conversed with i know not , that should ever affirm a private spirit or their own spirits to be a sufficient rule or guide to walk by , such i deny and leave them and thee , to quarel together about your imaginations and thoughts , and conceptions , or else the conceptions of other men who are as uncertain and fallible as the first , and shall assert the sufficiency of the spirit of god teaching , ruling , guiding and judging all true christian men in that certain , everlasting , infallible truth , which is necessary and satisfaction to the souls of all them that do believe in it , and shall deny all the pretenders to it , who run into heaps and heads , and quarels , and fights one with another about shadows , and can give no other account or manifestation ; then , i am sure i have the spirit of god , and i ought to be believed , and i am a good man , and the like , which thou saith thou could never receive any other evidence or testimony , and what though many have pretended to the spirit , and the guidance thereof , and in the mean while have brought forth the fruits of the flesh and their own imaginary false conceptions , and hath put on confidence enough to say so , as thou thy self it may be hath had a share in , in times past , shall this make the spirit of god insufficient and uncertain in its teachings to them that believe in it , and have received and bring forth the fruits of it , and have the deeds of the flesh mortified by it , god forbid . thirdly , why hast thou perverted the scripture , as i said at the first onset , rom. . . the spirit it self bears witness with our spirits that we are the children of god ; and this thou hath put in , in a distinct character to be taken notice of , as though it were scripture , and renders it thus , the spirit being witness in secret with our spirits , or in plainer termes the private spirit : thou must repent of this , and take heed how thou calls the spirit of god a private spirit , for it was that publick spirit which manifested it self among all the patriarks and prophets , and by which they spoke forth the words and mind of god unto the people , and prophesied of things to come ; and through it alone is the deep and weighty things of god revealed ; and was and is the only way and means by which christ promised after his ascension to lead , guide , instruct and comfort his disciples in all truth , and that it should bring to their memory whatsoever he had spoken , & that they were to be without care or thought , for through it the father should give them what to speak and what to answer before rulers and councils for his names sake . and here the sufficiency of it is proved to any reasonable man who hath the least savour or discerning of the things of god , and this is that publick spirit by which the apostles published the everlasting gospel of peace , and which christ the head of the body ( his church ) had received without measure ; and this is a private , twyning , creeping spirit of thine , who hath been lost in thy own imaginations , and following thy own forward rash spirit , and hath found no certainty in thy self of gods spirit to stay thy mind upon , nor no patience to wait upon it , but reaching & grasping at things in thy dark mind , & last of all hath brought in thy verdict for the devil against the sufficiency of the holy spirit of god , its guidance amongst his people in the later days ; & that is thy fond conception as to say , that the spirit of god is expressly against the . of pet. . . which thou calls a private spirit all along ; 't is true no prophefie of scripture is of private interpretation , but the holy men of god spoke it forth as they were moved by the holy spirit , which was publick and conversant among them , with them and in them ; and they that have it , can receive them as they are written , and can read them , and understand them as they were spoken , and doth see the intent of the holy ghost in so speaking unto different states and conditions , notwithstanding the many copies thou tells on , and diversions and different translations which thou would make a great mountain on , and raise it up so high to make the scripture uncertain and low , as not fit to be taken notice on , as to answer any doubt , or to be any rule or guide , or any example or president for any thing that i can perceive by the course of thy spirit , which in the truth is fathomed and comprehended , though it is as uncertain as the way of a serpent upon a rock , yet they that have the spirit of god sees beyond all , and hath unity with the words and minds of the spirit of god , notwithstanding the many corruptions and defects in translations , and the many foul hands it hath passed through . fourthly , the spirit of christ is the gift of god , which he giveth unto all that wait for his appearance , and his sheep have it , and they that are christs have it , for they that have not the spirit of christ is none of his , and it is that which is every way sufficient ( and no way insufficient ) and it is every way sufficient to lead into all truth , according unto christs promise , and to convince the world of sin , of righteousness , and of judgment : again , it is that which christ promised for a director , which was with them when they healed the sick , and cast out devils , and which was in them to consolate them and comfort them in the midst of affliction ; as it did peter and john , and made them bold who were yet illiterate men , and had not that sufficiency , which many looks upon now they have , to wit natural tongues and languages , yet it was sufficient in them , to give them wisedome to declare the things of the kingdome of god , to the salvation of many that did believe through their words , it was sufficient to comfort paul and silas when they were shut in the inner room , and their feet fast in the stocks , when there was no outward cause of joy but rather of sorrow , yet they were made to sing and rejoyce because of the great comfort and joy that the spirit of god filled their hearts with again , it was sufficient in the midst of great conflicts and tribulations which paul and the rest suffered for the gospels sake and for christs sake , and yet as suffering did abound it was sufficient to make consolation to super abound , to ballance the suffering and to make it easie . fifthly , it is that everlasting covenant , which the lord promised by the mouth of his prophets in former dayes , that he would fulfill in the latter dayes or after times ; that he would write his law in their hearts and put his spirit in their inward parts , and that they should not teach every man his neighbour , saying , know the lord , for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest : and again in another place , i will power upon them the spirit of prayer , and supplication , and they shall see him whom they have pierced , &c. and again , i will pour out my spirit upon all flesh , and my sons and my daughters shall prophesie , &c. and this was fulfilled at pentecost in jerusalem , when the disciples met together , and the promise of the father came to be fulfilled , and the unbelievers said they were filled with new wine , and the lord hath a care of his people through ages , and hath not left them comfortless , nor without a guide , and a certain and a sure one too ; which spirit is manifest among some non-conformists , whom thou takes liberty to call sects , and the sufficiency of it is witnessed ( praised be the lord ) in our assemblies , both as to convince , to convert , to save , to judge , to guide , to instruct , to comfort ; and is that alone in which all true christian men can worship god , in the silence of all flesh , and fleshly motions and thoughts , it 's that , that giveth assurance also , of acceptation with god , and is that which makes the prayers of the saints as sweet insence in the nostrils of the lord ; it is that which makes the words of him like butter , as pleasant as hony , or sweet oyle ; who speakes by it , through it , and from it , whereby the hearts of many hath been pricked , and the thoughts of many hearts hath been revealed , and many hath been comforted with joy unspeakable , and filled with pure love , from the sensible feeling of the sufficiency of its power , opperating in the inward man , even as when the harvest had been gatheredin , and the press been full of grapes , and the fattes had over-flowen with abundance ; so that they could have rejoyced and sung and danced for joy , as sometimes david did , when the ark of god was brought from the house of obed-edom , and placed in jerusalem , when david danced for joy , and all israel was filled with gladness ; what might i say for the certainty , sufficiency and all-sufficiency of this holy spirit of god ; i might fill my mouth with arguments , and time might fail me in speech , to speak of the excellency , certainty and infallibility thereof , against all opposers and quarellers : in a word it is that alone meanes ; through which god conveys eternal life to all man kind , and it is that rule by which all the sons of god were led , rom. . . it is that only sure guide , judge , way , rule , in which there is certainty and assurance of the love of god to man kind ; it is that by which the deeds of the flesh are mortified , and men quickned and enlivened unto god in their hearts , in which the saints are accepted , by which they are regenerated , and through which they become heires of the promise : what shall i say but this , let all flesh be confounded before it , and all deceit stop its mouth , and all the sons of men bow before it , all councils and churches , all rulers and elders , all reason and comprehension , all words and writing of men , and holy men , yea of the scriptures of truth , it gave them all a being , it was , it is , and is to come , and will remain when all visible things are past away , it is that by which god will plead with all flesh , and bring a consumption upon all the honourable of the earth , and burn up the mountains , and make the hills to melt , and make all a plain before him ; therefore make room , make room , make way ye potsheards , and cease all your contending and babling , and bow to it , and learn of it in your hearts , ( which r. e. like an ignorant man calls a private spirit ) that your souls may be saved in the day of the lord , and you my escape his wrath which is to come against all resisters of it . sixthly , your catholick church , falsely so called , who hath erred from the spirit , the infallible guide , ( though you much boast of it ) both in doctrine and practise abundantly ; insomuch that your faces seem altogether to look another way , and your course to arive at another haven , then the apostles and all the primitive christians attained unto ; to wit everlasting happiness and rest for their souls , and acceptation with god in their performances and sacrifices , which they offered unto him in the spirit , of which they and all that believe in it , and have received it , received perfect assurance in their hearts , by the immediate spirit of god ; and likewise the protestants in general , whether lutherins or calvins , or other sects known by denomination , are of so narrow and a pinching spirit , as that you would pinch and shut-up the universal love of god unto all mankind , into a narrow corner ; and monopalise the free grace of god that hath appeared to all men , that teaches all men that receives it , to deny all heresie , falshood , opinions and humours , private spirits , and spirits of error , which leadeth from all these , and is sufficient to lead out of all ungodliness and worldly lusts , and to do that which is acceptable in the sight of god , and this all sects , ( since the woman cloathed with the sun fled into the wilderness , viz. the true church ; ) and all parties hath laid claim to , and excluded all others that were not of their opinion , as from having any share in it , as though it were given only to such a company of men that succeeded the apostles , and by arts and parts , and natural language in the course and term of years , and at such and such places , as the apostles were sometime conversant at , and other sects besides you , who have kept more nearer in conformity , in doctrine and worship , and unto the apostles then you have done , they have laid claim to the spirit of god , and to the free grace of god , only extending it self to them under such a quallification , as though the spirit of god , and free and saving grace of god , had come by generation , or by succession , or because of such , and such a quallification or conforformity in outward practice as i said , as though the free grace of god and the infallible spirit of god , had been given to you , and had been bequeathed and intailed to you , or any of you , under such and such a denomination , and because inhabiting at such a place , and thus you would limit the holy one of israel , and to stop the wind to blow where it listeth , and circumscribe the infallible means which god hath given unto all mankind for a direction and a guide , a rule , and a judge , and pinch it up into a narrow corner , and yet shut up all under condemnation , who do not believe , and yet exclude all but your selves , from the sufficient meanes and guide , and way ; whereby they may believe : away , away , with this narrow , partial , pinching spirit ; for god will not be limited , neither can be , either to men , time , or place ; but as they keep in covenant with him , and keeps their first love and integrity , in the certain truth revealed in the first publication of the gospel ; which the roman church above all other hath wonderfully apostatised from , especially in this one thing , which she can never clear her self of ; to wit persecution , in taking away the lives of many , under the name of hereticks , and suppose any had been so , as doubtless there are such ; yet we never read , that it was christ or the apostles way to kill them and destroy them , but on the contrary denyed them , and warned others to beware of them , and to have no fellowship with them , and so left them to the world , neither that they exhorted or stired up , either kings or princes to take away the lives of any , who did believe or not believe what as they declared to be truth ; but on the contrary , when the disciples in the days of their infancy would have commanded fire to have come down from heaven ( as did elias ) christ rebuked them and told them they knew not what spirit they were of ; and again love your enemies , and do good to them that hate you : how your catholick church hath kept this precept i leave all nations to judge , where your power hath been known ; suppose real schismaticks and hereticks as some such there hath been in the world , how you have done good to them , and how you have loved them is manifest , except you judge that shuting them up in prisons , racking , tortering , and cruel torments , and at last of all death , was in love to them , and in doing good to them , which methinks any reasonable man should blush and be ashamed to think or say . but an old plea comes to my mind , which some of the members of the church of rome hath alledged to me in the days of my youth , when i was conversant with them , and among them , in a friendly , neighbourly , and sober discourse , of things of this nature before mentioned ; it was said unto me , the roman catholick church is that church whereby christianity hath been conveyed to all nations , and the great oraccles thereof delivered unto us , and the scriptures also came from us , by which you know the mysteries of the kingdom of god , and the knowledg thereof came unto all , and all her children ought to be subject unto her , as the true mother that brought them all forth , and if any went astray either into heresie , or schisme , which might not only hurt themselves , but also others ; ought not the mother in natural love to her children to correct them , and ought not they to bear her correction , and submit unto it ; and hath not she power to correct her children when they go astray ? unto which is answered , christianity that which is truly such , and them whom god will own to be christians was dispersed through the nations by the power of god ; and we say , that the church of rome hath begotten christendom into that mould and frame into which they are now cast , more by force and awe then any sound doctrine ; and as for the scriptures coming from her , that we deny ; we know they came from the apostles , and from the primitive christians , according to the will of god , and have been preserved to this day , though through many polluted hands they have come ; and we know how much your rage was kindled , that ever it should be translated into the english tongue , and many felt the effect of it to the loss of their lives , as i hope many in england doth well consider : but suppose a true mother have many children , and suppose some do swerve and go astray from her precepts , and under pretence of correcting of them she shut them up in goals , and nasty holes , and afflict them with sundry kind of torments , and at last of all kill them and destroy them ; what judgment will be given by reasonable men of such a mother , but this , that she is become unnatural and cruel , and hard hearted , and degenerated from the nature of a loving and tender mother , and deserves not to have or ever to have had any children ; and such a kind of mother hath your church been , to all that have dissented from her ; that i may say of her as the prophet jeremiah said , ( especially in these latter ages ) the sea monsters and dragons of the wilderness draw out their breasts to feed their young ones , but the daughter of my people is become cruel . seventhly and lastly , we know that god willeth that all men should be saved , and come to the knowledg of the truth , and hath given that , and doth give that unto every man that is come into the world , whereby every man that doth receive it is capable of fulfilling the will of god , and this gift comes not by the will of man , nor is received in the will of man , but in its own will even in the will of the giver , and this free gift of god is the free and saving grace of god which hath appeared unto all men ; to wit , every man that is come into the world , which teaches all the saints , and would teach all infidels to deny ungodliness , and worldly lusts , and to live godly and righteously , and soberly in this present evil world . howbeit all are not so taught , because they heed it not , and because they receive it not , and so they make the free gift of god of no effect , ( as to life to them ) but it is their condemnation ; yet however herein appears the equal , merciful and universal love of god , who is no respecter of persons , but hath distributed a measure of this unto all to the intent that they might have power to fulfill his will , and keep his statutes , and so the fault is not in god but in them , who slight and dispise his gift , and so condemnation is just of every one that doth not believe , and is of himself , and this reprehends that false , erronious , narrow , pinching spirit , which would shut it up in a corner , and tye it to one sort of men , or sect , or opinion , and the masters thereof would assume it to themselves , as though the spirit of god and grace of god were only among them , and must be conveyed from them , to other people before they have it , and the direction and guide of every man must be sought from their mouths , as though god had not given a measure of his spirit unto every man to profit withal ; and to be led and taught , and guided by it into all truth , out of error , according to christs promise , and according to the lords promise in the days of old ; that though his people might eat the bread of adversity , and drink the water of affliction , yet their teacher should not be removed into a corner ; and from this quieking , enlightening ▪ enlivening spirit of god , the saints of god , and ministers of christ in the primitive times received power and authority to propagate righteousness , and to judge deceit , and the mystery of iniquity , where ever it appeared , and in this their ability stood ; for they were made able and fit ministers by it , not of the letter , nor of mens traditions , nor of foolish fopperies , which hath been introduced since , and shuffled in among christians under the name of power and authority of the holy church , and the church of god that had received this spirit walked in it , and brought forth the fruits of it , whereby they were a good savour in the nostrils of the lord , and by which they adorned the gospel of our lord jesus christ , by a holy conversation , which did manifest them to be of god , and convince and stop the mouths of gain-sayers : and thus we are bold to tell thee & all , that the spirit of god which is given a measure of it to every man , and more fulness of it to them that believe , that it is the rule , and the way , and the means , whereby all the actions , words , and works of all men are weighed , tryed , measured , and judged , and objections answered , and is the alone judge of all matters , and answerer of all doubts , and giveth only true and perfect satisfaction ; and therefore r. e. may blush and be ashamed to ever publish such a thing abroad in the world , as to say , that the spirit of god is not a sufficient directer , teacher and judge , but calls it a private spirit , opinion , humour and fancy ; to make the eyes of them blind who wait for its appearance , only to trust to men who pleads antiquity and power , without verity : and further he goes on and sayes in th . page of his said epistle , there is neither jew , turk , pagan , or christian but he may put on confidence enough , affirming that he is taught by the spirit of god , many of all sorts doth this and yet teach contradictions ; and further saith , that it hath no effect among them who pretend to it , and that they can no more satisfie another , that they are guided by the spirit of truth then many who are cast into bedlam . answ. 't is true , many are confident and impudent enough , but confidence without ground , and impudence proves but little , and he that saith he is a jew and is not , but of the synagogue of satan will soon be found out by his doctrine and fruits , and he that saith he is a christian and led by the spirit , and keeps not the commands of christ , neither brings forth the fruits of the spirit , is soon discovered to be a deceiver , and deceived , and such are like to teach contradictions , but all such are denyed , shut out with the spirit of truth , but them that have the spirit of god , witness a blessed effect among them , for they are turned from satans power unto god , and doth witness remission of sin and reconciliation with god , and are not at difference , but at unity one with another , and are brought out of the obstinate and perverse estate which all pretenders are in , and as for contradictions they are more to be seen in the church of rome then many wheres else ; they who are but pleased and hath leisure to view over the decrees and constitutions of several popes and councils , since he was elevated to be universal bishop over all christian churches , by that heathen and cruel emperour phocus , who slew his master mauritius to obtain the empire , he did gratifie the pope so far that he might be cryed up as emperour , as that he should be vniversal bishop , and this proved a better plea for the pope ( because the emperour had power to defend him , and to compell all to receive his decrees ) then that he was peters successor ; i say who will but look into the constitutions and decrees shall find such seting up and throwing down , and such decreeing , and such disanulling , as twenty such champions as robert everard will never be able to free his catholick church from contradictions , although he is very forward to charge others , though he is but a new convert , but let him not boast till he have put off his armour , and it is that mad bedlam spirit of thine that saith , that among all the nonconformists there is no one that can satisfie another , that he hath the spirit of god ; i tell thee yes , there are thousands satisfied in one another that they have the spirit of god , besides he that hath it can speak to the witness of god in another which shall testifie the same , and moreover their works and fruits shall and doth manifest unto others , that they are born of the spirit , because the fruits of it are seen , as they are manifest to be born of god that do the works of god ; and thou must first know the spirit of god in thy self ( if ever thou look for it there , and not hang all together upon others belief as thou doth upon thy catholick church ) before thou can know it in another , and first be convinced by it and judged by it , for thy ill deeds and ill thoughts and hypocrisie , and time-serving , and flattery , and men pleasing , before thou can be convinced of others righteousness , and also be convinced of the unbelief of thy own heart before thou can believe others ; but thou hath been so busie abroad in quareling and contending about words and names , and empty shews without substance and life , that thy mind is all over grown with thorns and briers , scrawling and scratching , and entangling thy self and others ; so that , that which should savour the things of god is over grown in these , and it s buried , and to them that are like heaths in a desart , knows not when good comes , neither doth know what they enjoy that dwell in the fat vallies , and the pharisees had such unbelieving hearts , though christ was the express image of god , and did the works that never man did , yet being without faith and without reason , they said , he was a blasphemer , and all his works was done by belzebub , and would never be convinced that any thing he did was of god , and that spirit is near thee which would represent the fruits of the spirit to be delusion , and them that bring them forth like them in bedlam ; and what though turks , jews , pagans , mahomet , and the false christians do pretend to the spirit and guidance by it , and yet bring forth the fruits of the flesh , doth this make the spirit of god void ? or the certainty of it to them that believe , or do make their fruits of none effect , god forbid , thy ignorance is manifest ; but here thou ceases not , thy tongue being thy own , and thou being at liberty , and speaks thy own words , which in the end shall become thy burden . thou vapours and vaunts over them , to wit all the nonconformists , and saith , what can you say for your selves any of you , which these enthusiasts who have gone before you to maintain their errors , but the rule and judge , and then thou concludes that which god hath appointed to be rule and judge to all the world , and capable of being known and heard by all , and cannot contradict it self , nor must be contradicted by any , under pain of damnation ; if you cannot shew it to have been your rule you ought to lay aside your folly , as destructive to humane society , and them that hath pretended the spirit , the strongest party , and sword , upon the vote will prove it self the most convincing spirit , and force the weaker spirits to submit or cry , for thou concludes the nonconformists have no other testimony to try your contradicting spirits in matters of greatest moment , but force and success , if you have i pray you inform me what it is . ans. if the wind had not turned into another door , divers nonconformists believes we should have had another song from thee , if time had but favoured thee so far as to have granted thee the privilege of thy troop to be captain , which name thou holds up yet i' th pride of thy heart , though thou have lost thy force , success , and pay , which was the greatest plea when time was with thee , and not long since too , which makes thee measure every man's foot by thy last , and thou might have received information before thou had made a conclusion , had been the part of a wise man , before thou had set thy self as judge over all thy former fellowships , which thou fainedly pretends so great love to ; and before thou had discovered their nakedness ( if it be nakedness ) to all the world in such a publick insulting bravado as this , like goliah of gath , and as for what some nonconformists both to the church of rome , and to the church of england too , which thou creeping and sneakingly flatters , and saith its established , and therefore thou will not meddle , thou might have said , dare not , for thy spirit is well enough seen by them , only to have the spirit of a slave , and not a free member of the true church of god , and it s no part of vertue , nor honour , for thee to insult and glory over them , who are in suffering and adversity , when as thou dare not meddle with them who are as contrary to thee as the former , this is but the spirit of a coward , and is ignoble and base , and ever so to be accounted by all the children of light , who dare put all to venture which they do enjoy on this side of immortality , and to suffer the loss of all visible things for their testimony , and the truth which they believe , and for bearing witness against that , which is contrary unto their faith , as did the valiant primitive christians of old , and that which some nonconformists can say , is more then thou can believe , although demonstrated in the evidence of the spirit of god , with sound reason , and evident example from the scriptures of truth , and though thou and thy former fellowships then , and thy new fellowships now , have made this vapour , which for ought i know might lay your hands upon your mouths , all considering what contradictory doctrines and fruits hath been brought forth since the night of apostacy entered in , and all the world wondered after the beast ; some hath this to say , he that pretends to the spirit , and the thing cometh not to pass that they speak or prophesie let him be accounted a false prophet ; again , they that pretend guidance of the spirit as some formerly have done , and yet bring forth the fruits of the flesh as variance , hatred , emulation , strife , contention , heresie , false doctrine , persecution , force and violence , let them he counted ( as truly they are ) deceivers and deluders , which have gone out into the world , and deceived a great part of mankind , of which rome hath not had the least share , clear it when thou can ; moreover , he that pretends to have the spirit of god and layes down another foundation to build upon , in matter of faith , in matter of rule , in matter of judgment , in matter of doctrine , then that which the lord of life and glory hath laid down , he is a deceiver , and an antichrist ; but r. e. hath laid down another rule , another way , another judge , another foundation for faith , and let himself make the conclusion if he once dare joyne to true judgment , other foundation can none lay then that which is already laid , to wit , christ jesus , the foundation of the prophets and apostles , and of the church of god , by which they were all builded up as a holy habitation for god to dwell in through the spirit : again , the apostle saith , all judgment is committed to the son both in heaven and earth ; and again he saith himself , i am the way , the truth , and the life , and none can come to the father but by me ; and again , the spirit of truth shall lead and direct his disciples into all truth ; and sealeth unto them their justification , redemption and salvation : and this r. e. would lay all wast and void ; and why ? because many hath pretended to it , and hath fallen short ; therefore all the aforesaid things must be laid aside as uncertain , and not to be trusted unto ; and a certain sort of men called the apostles successors who have sought their gain and worldly interest , and to enlarge their dominions , and to make themselves lords over mens faith , and over mens consciences , whatsoever they say though never so contradictory to the primitive doctrine , delivered in christ and the apostles days , yet all must be received upon pain of damnation , as r. e. saith ; and this he calls the visible church , and the infallible judge , and rule , and directer , and hath laid wast the office of christ , and turned the spirit out of doors , and made it ineffectual , and would perswade all others to look to this from the true foundation , and so is a deceiver and an antichrist . again , we have this to say , he that teaches a contrary doctrine then that which was once delivered unto the saints is a deceiver and deceived ( and this was christs doctrine once deliverud unto the saints ) swear not at all , and love your enemies , pray for them that persecute you , do good to them that hate you : and many more precepts which this visible guide , to wit , the roman church holds not , but hath made void ; first it teacheth its members to swear , and again gives absolutions to remit them of their oath if she think fit , and both must be reckoned infallible , and them that are your enemies instead of praying for them , you curse them ; and instead of doing good to them , you hate them , and stirs up all your strength against them to destroy them , instead of convincing of them in love and sound judgment ; instance the days of king john , and divers other princes , which felt your fury and wrath ; and also frederick the emperour after he was interdicted , was made to go to rome to before the popes palace , and to stand bare foot and bare leg , with his wife and child two or three days in winter , waiting for peters successor , his absolution : but it may be thou wilt say this was in love to them , and in charity to their souls ; but let all unbyassed spirits judge , and whether have not you when you have been the strongest party , made force , violence and success your greatest engine and plea , to plead with all nations , and whatsoever people that dissented from you either in matter or form ; instance germany , bohemia , moravia , and divers other kingdoms and provinces ; besides the indians in america , which you destroyed chiefly for their gold and treasure under this pretence , that they were infidels , and forced a faith upon some , and a belief by the violence of your cruelty and swords , which made the noble man of india say , he had rather go to hell with the infidels of america , as you called them , then to heaven with the spaniards , so cruel a people , members of your catholick church , what might i speak of the king of castile against the poor moors of grandia , who were put to cruel torments by force and violence , which is a reproach upon this sort of christianity unto this day , and what persecution was raised against the peddamount christians , by the force of this infallible judg , falsly so called ; and what massacres in france , and also in ireland in latter years , propagated by the popes nuncio , a chief embassadour from the roman sea , to carry on that design to root out the hereticks , what destruction of people , in a most barbarous , inhumane , preposterous and prodigeous cruelty , some killed in the their beds , some knocked in the head like oxen , some stripped naked in cold winter and bereaved of all their enjoyments , and driven as sheep naked to the shambles , and at last driven by scores into lakes and rivers , and drowned , some burned alive in their houses , some tender women strangled in childbed , and their tender infants taken from their mothers breasts and tossed upon spears points ; and to my knowledg license and pardons given and sent from rome to divers of their emissaries there , that it should be lawful for any servant or catholick bondman to steal , wast and purloyn their masters goods if hereticks , for the weakening and disenabling of them to resist the roman enterprise begun ; these things and many more are legable in bloody characters , which i hope this generation will not easily blot out of their memories , so as to commit all faith , all hope , all religion , and all infallibility and judgment , to such a degenerated generation , as r. e. would have us do , and with such audaciousness is not ashamed to blow his trumpet as in the head of an host to animate and encourage all to come to this black standard for protection , and direction , judgment , certainty , and infallibility , under no less then pain of damnation ; and why but because peter was sometime bishop of rome as they say , and had given unto him the keyes of the kingdom of heaven , and whatsoever he bound on earth was bound in heaven , and whatsoever he loosed on earth , was loosed in heaven ; and because christ said , ( giving answer to peters faith ) upon this rock i will build my church ; therefore all the bishops and popes as heires apparent succeeds him , in laying claim to headship , and doth none of his office , nor none of his work , and this foolish foppery and private interpretation hath been put off at a very great rate , for catholick doctrine , which brings to my mind a pleasant story , i have sometime read of a certain poor man meeting a certain bishop at a certain time , in great pomp and glory , which the poor man beholding , took up a laughter , and being enquired of by the bishop wherefore he laughed ? said he , that peter should be such a fool as to live such a poor miserable life as he did , and persecuted in the world , and to leave his successors so rich , to inherit such pomp and glory : with that the bishop replyed and said , thou fool , i am not in this glory as i am bishop of such a place , but as i am duke of such a place : at that the man smiled again , and said , when the duke was in hell for his pride , where then would the bishop be . but to let this pass i am sure them that layes claim to be peters successors as to patrimony and riches ( which he was never endowed with , for sometime he said , silver or gold have i none ) but doth little of his work in converting of souls , or feeding of the flock of christ and doth lay claim unto his privilege and power , but will not come near him in doctrine , labour and suffering for his members ; and therefore i say to thee in thy own words , lay aside thy folly , with the consequences of it , as destructive to the church of god , to hang all their faith upon such uncertainties , but even to humane societies , which i have mentioned , and might instance more , but that i would not be tedious to the reader . lastly , yes , some have some other testimony by which spirits are tryed and may be tryed to be of god , otherwise then by force , carnal sword , a strong party , or success , that 's thy own and not ours ; we have the holy unction which is poured forth , whereby the saints knew all things , and tryed the spirits , whether they were of god or no , and he that confesses not christ come in the flesh is antichrist ; and he that confesses that christ is come in the flesh only , in word , and because others hath said so , and doth not witness sin condemned in the flesh , and turned from , and to have power over it , the same is a false witness , and is an antichrist also , and also we have other things to try spirits by , we know a proud , angry , hasty , perverse spirit , is not the spirit of god ; a persecuting , lording spirit , is not the spirit of god ; and again they that teach a contrary doctrine , to the doctrine of christ and his apostles , they have the spirit of error ; again , they whose practice and conversation is not suitable to the practice and conversations of christ and the apostles and primitive christians , that they are in the spirit of error ; again , they that would force a faith by any humane constitution or law which is repugnant to the law of god , or by force of the sword or any carnal weapons , they have the spirit of error ; for the weapons of the lamb and his followers are not carnal weapons , but spiritual , and yet mighty through god to the beating down of the strong holds of wickedness ; and to prevail over the powers of darkness : again , the testimony of god in every mans conscience , which is an unerring testimony , this savours the things of god , and by this the things that be not of god are discerned , and this will put a perfect difference between the spirit of truth , and the spirit of error ; but what can be said to a man in unbelief that hath closed his eyes . the next thing which r. e. saith he consider'd , was , that the natural reason of every man could not possibly be rule and judge , that i sought for ; for saith he , if reason were to be rule and judge , then it would follow contrary to scripture , that it is not impossible to please god without faith , and it would likewise follow that every religion would be truth , consequently contradictions would be true , consequently there would be many religions and no faith at all , for reason excludes faith , as in the . page of his book . thy tongue is thy own , and thou art at liberty , and goes whether thou wilt , & speaks what seems good in thy own eyes , & hath never yet known another to gird thee and lead thee whether thou would not , i stand not to vindicate every mans judgment , neither to prove other mens conceptions , but seeing thou hath taken in hand to lay all mountains wast afore thee that stands in thy ways , thou hast raised up some in thy discourse for others to stumble at , and hath spoken many false things , without distinguishing and puting a difference between light and darkness , between natural reason and spiritual reason , i could not chuse but say somewhat . although it is no part of my belief , that the natural reason of any man or every man is able to be rule , judge , and guide to any man in the things of god , yet faith is not in opposition unto pure reason , neither is pure and spiritual reason in opposition to true faith , but in harmony with it , and one with another , as they are the gifts of god ; but the natural reason of all the fallen sons of adam is corrupted , and is too short , and too narrow , too cross , and too perverse , as to be rule and judge in the things of god , for the natural man by all his endowments in the transgression perceives not the things of god , for they are spiritually discerned , and the things of god that are spiritual and eternal are above the reach of natural reason , and yet thy consequence is false , for faith doth not exclude pure reason , and faith doth not make blind the understanding , but enlightens it ; and though it is impossible to please god without faith , yet it is impossible that , that faith should be without reason , the apostle desired to be delivered from unreasonable men that had not faith , so it is manifest they that have faith have reason , and them that have no faith are unreasonable , and where thou hath borrowed this rule i know not , that a man must believe that which he doth not understand ; seeing the apostle saith to the romans , even of the gentiles , who had not the law nor the scriptures , that , that which may be known of god was manifest in them ; for by that it is manifest they understood the mind of god and knew him ; for paul saith further , when they knew god they glorified him not as god , but were unthankful , &c. and again , he that believes must know that god is ; for none can believe in that which is not , for to perswade any to believe in uncertainties , which is not manifest in the understanding , doth rather beget unbelief and doubting then true faith , but thy paths are so full of darkness i shall not traduce them , and thy consequences is false , for pure reason teaches not contradictions , neither doth teach that there is no faith at all , neither is faith excluded by pure reason , as thou ignorantly saith in the . page ; and is it not reason that i should believe in him , whom i know is the creator and governour of all the world , and pure religion is so far from excluding faith , that they that have true faith have reason , and stands not in opposition to faith , but this i conclude , that the reason of fallen men is corrupted , and is an uncertain thing to relie upon , and so not a competent judge in matters of so high concernment , as touching everlasting salvation . the third thing which thou treats upon , is against them who have pleaded that the sole scriptures are sufficient of themselves to teach true faith from time to time , to direct , rule and govern us , and to be rule and judge , and to supply the place of christ and the apostles . as i said , it is not my intention to vindicate other mens quarels , which is no part of my faith , notwithstanding i should be sorry , but that every thing had its true weight and measure , and shall not in the least detract from the price , value and true worth of the words of truth , to wit the scriptures of truth , which were spoken forth by the spirit of truth , and by the holy ghost , as it gave utterance , but as men erring in their judgments , runs sometimes to the right hand , and sometimes to the left hand , and walks not in a straight path , some men are seting them up above that which they were intended for , and placing them in the stead of god , christ , and the spirit , and others are too much debasing them and disesteeming them , as that they would set up the judgment of variable and changable men , who hold and teach things in contradiction to the scriptures , and repugnant to the mind of the spirit in them that spoke them forth . but first of all , i say not against thee in this thing , that the sole or whole scriptures are not sufficient of themselves to teach true faith , and give the knowledge of god without the spirit , for many have got the words , and yet hath not received the spirit , nor the power which the scriptures declare of , such wrangles and contends with the words , and opposes the life and the power ; the jews had the scriptures , and knew by them where christ should be born , and knew by them what his works should be , when he was manifest , and yet rejected him , unto whom all the prophets bore witness , from moses to samuel , and from him to john , and they were never intended by god , as to be set up as judge , and guide , to wit the words without the power and spirit of god ; yet notwithstanding , though i cannot set them up in the place of god and christ , and the spirit , nor contend ignorantly as some have done , that they are the author of true faith , and that they are the eternal word of god , which the world was made by , that they are the light , and the way , the truth and the life , and that they are the desider of all controversies , and sole , and absolute , and only judge of all matters of faith , and of all matters that ever hath been , or ever shall be in controversie to the end of the world without the spirit of god ; neither am i of that ignorant mind as some are , that the letter and the spirit is unseparable , as that whosoever hath the scripture must needs have the spirit , or whosoever hath the scripture must needs be infallible without the spirit , all that are of the aforesaid judgment are but wranglers for the most part about words , and contenders against the power of god and godliness , and brings the words to oppose the life , and them that have the spirit and walk in it , for a natural man may read the scriptures and yet not perceive the things of god , neither perceive the mind of the spirit , but wrest to their own destruction , as peter saith , because they are unlearned & untaught ( by the spirits teaching , ) though otherwise learned enough in languages , tongues and speeches . secondly , yet i cannot detract from them , neither undervalue them , or disesteem them as uncertain , or of no use , or of little use , but what ever themselves declare themselves to be , that i own them to be , to wit , the words of god , the words of christ , the words of the holy prophets and patriarkes , and apostles , who were endued with the holy ghost , and spake forth the scripture as they were moved thereby , in several ages of several things , and unto several states and conditions , as they were led thereunto by the holy spirit , and they are a certain declaration of things that were done and believed , and practised by the jewes under the first covenant , and by the apostles and primitive christians in the new covenant , and contain many precious and holy precepts and commands , doctrines , examples , exhortations , admonisions , reproofs and instructions ; and are as lively examples and holy patterns for all the saints in light to follow , by which we are given to understand what faith , what hope , what patience , what love , what mercy , what long sufferings , what consolation , and what vertue , and what inheritance the saints in light were made pertakers of , through faith in christ jesus : likewise , what doctrines were held forth , and what practice they used in the primitive times , when they walked in the order of the gospel , and had fellowship with god the father , and the son , and one with another in the light of the gospel , which is the power of god , through which they witnessed salvation and remission of sins , and published it unto others that they might believe . thirdly , the scriptures testifies of christ , and were written that they might be believed , and received , and read , that there by every one that believed might be made wise to salvation , through faith in christ jesus , tim. . and instructed in righteousness , that the man of god may be perfect , throughly furnished with all good works , and whosoever doth teach any doctrines contrary unto the holy men of god , who spake as they were moved by the spirit of god which dwelt in them , the scriptures are witnesses against such , that they have not the spirit of god , but are led by another spirit which brings forth contrary doctrine , and another faith then once was delivered among the saints , and whosoever brings in , sets up other precepts , constitutions , orders , and practices in point of worships in opposition and contrary unto those practices which were held forth in the primitive times ; and would set up other traditions then the apostles delivered either by word or writing , such are manifest to have the spirit of error , and are innovaters and bringers in of other things , as necessary in point of worship among christians , which the apostles and ministers of christ did not see necessary then , and yet they wanted no part of the councel of god , for paul said , he had declared the whole councel of god ; and further more they said , we have the mind of christ , and christs mind is not variable . fourthly , though divers of the writings of the prophets and apostles be lost doubtless , as is evident by divers places of scripture , yet blessed be god that there are those preserved which do bear witness of the one thing absolutely necessary unto salvation , and of the ministrations that were appointed of the lord for the church of god to observe , both in the first and second covenants ; so that christians of this last age are not left without example and president , which all ought to have an eye unto , and a diligent regard , and though there be divers coppies of that which is called the original tongues , and divers translations , yet he unto whom the spirit of god is given , and waiteth in the measure of christs light shall receive it , doth see and shall see the mind and will of god in every age , and the mind and intent of the spirit in them that spoke forth the scripture , and can receive the matter therein contained , as though they had heard them speak , that spoke it at the first , and though the translaters were men , yet i have such an honourable esteem of their labour , that i believe they have not varied wittingly and willingly from the best coppies that was extant in their age , neither that they were altogether void of the spirit of god in such a good work , which conduced to the benefit of mankind , but were assisted by it , for so good a work , and there be many figures and trophes , improprieties of speech , mysteries and difficulties , yet all these comes to be made easie and plain to them that are witnesses of the same spirit that gave them forth , and though there be deversity of judgments and professions of religion , one clashing again another , and thwarting another , and contradicting another , and all will seem to bring the scripture for their proofe , which yet canuot maintain and prove every thing good , especially when their doctrines contradict one another : this is granted , it is only their private interpretation , and not the scripture ; and for want of that spirit that gave it forth , for that alone gives the true understanding of it , and they that are without this are like to kill one another about words and names , and sounds , and titles , and jotas , but still wants the key that opens , and gives an entrance into the knowledg of the things of god , which alone is the spirit of god that gave forth the scriptures . last of all , r. e. after he saith the three former props which is the basis of the whole foundation , and glided over as sleightily as he possible could , although he hath never stated the matter right , indeed as to remove all things out of his way , which might hinder him in his cause which he drives so hard on in , to wit , to set up a certain company or multitude of men visible and universal , as he saith to be the only infallible judge to convey faith to the world , and to be the certain and infallible judge in all matters , that either pertaines to the worship of god , and to be believed under pain of damnation , as his term is all along , without questioning at all either their doctrine or principles , or comparing them with the doctrine of christ or primitive christians , whether they be true or false , whether they be with or against , but all is to be received by an implisite faith , hand over head , and by whole sail , for it will admit of no examination nor doubt , but all must be received of necessity as infallible , and upon so great a necessity to , as r. e. saith , if you will believe him , would make it so , that all forfeits eternal salvation for not receiving all the doctrines of this church , and consequently procures eternal damnation unto themselves who refuse it ; so that if i should say no more , but even lay down his assertions which are scattered up and down his book , called an epistle to all nonconformists , it were answer enough i hope to many , whose mouthes i hope would be filled with arguments , and sound and grounded ones too , or at least with faith in their hearts to oppugn , and not receive all these bold assertions without examination or trial , only upon the account of infallibility from the universal church of rome , falsly so called ; but r. e. having removed away all the stumbling blocks which is in his way , as he judges , the private spirit he hath concluded not to be this rule and judge , which i judge he hath no opposers in , though he have spent much paper and time in his scribling humour , which hath been his manner in former days , as he confesseth page the first ; neither reason , nor the scriptures , are this rule and judge , but he hath concluded the catholick church is , but all along he hath waved that which indeed is the only and alone rule and judge infallible , viz. the spirit of god ; but either calls it the private spirit , or concludes it is intailed upon the church , so that she cannot erre , page the . which i shall say something further unto . that there hath been a church of god , and a peculiar people whom god hath singled out , as to be objects of his love , which feared him in their hearts , and bore a testimony of him , and worshipped him according to the manifestation of his spirit unto them , whether by word or revelation , which was certain and infallible unto them that received it , is granted , and this was alwaies but little in comparison of the multitude of the fallen sons of adam , and the rest of the nations and people that served and worshipped strange gods , and never made such a boast of universality and visibility as this supposed catholick church hath done since the apostacy entered in , which the apostles foresaw and prophesied off before their departure out of this tabernacle , and since , many have believed in christ , and the worship of the jewes extinguished , and a fatal overthrow of their civil government and kingdom , are two main reasons of extinguishing their worship , and hath been no invitation to any to turn jewes , or holden in their worship , seeing they have lost their government and dominion , and are as scattered people without privilege , and is no inducement for the world to joyne to them ; therefore seeing the face of that government was demolished , and their worship ended , but only as to themselves , who remained in their unbelief , and seeing that the doctrine of christ did so far prevail as to extingush it , and put out the glory thereof in the apostles dayes , and sometime afterwards , and also the gentiles worship , and their false gods and dumb idols , which they were led after , the power of god prevailing through the apostles , the ministers of righteousness , by whom many were converted unto the faith of christ , the summe and substance of all shadowes , many being converted to the faith , did hold forth a publick testimony , and it became in some reputation , and many preached him of envy , contention and strife , and for filthy lucre , covetousness and self-ends , and many followed their pernicious wayes , and yet held the name of christ and christianity , and thus began the mystery of iniquity to work , and the devil to turn so far christian in name , ( only ) because it was in vain among many to hold forth the jewes worship , or the gentiles worship , because they had an inclination another way after christianity , that came into more repute with the world , and therefore suffered the name or many to profess it , and under this name , and under this cover , to bring forth his works of darkness , and the fruits of the flesh , and the nature of christ wanting , and here was the beginning and rise of your universal visible church . secondly , for the first two thousand years before the scriptures were written , r. e. saith , the church of god was this rule and judge and infallible director , which might to some indifferent man have been granted , but that i see which way his course bends , viz. to the setting up of men as judge , and rule , and guide , and detracts from the spirit and power of god , in which the ability and power of the church of god stood , and from which alone they received this proper power & right , because their understandings were enlightened , and their judgments informed to declare the mind of god freely , according as it was revealed , and to give true judgment , why is not this attributed rather to the spirit and power of god that was manifest in them , rather then to persons , seeing their ability stood , and their power only as they kept in covenant with god , and as any erred from that in any age , or fell from that , they came to be blind guides , and to give false judgment , as some such there were in all ages . thirdly , r. e. saith , that after the scripture was written the church of the jewes was rule and judge unto the jewes , & cites deu. . . thou shalt come to the priests , levites , & unto the iudge and enquire , and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgment , and according to that which they shall tell thee thou shall do . and likewise he quotes , mat. . , . the scribes and pharisees sit in moses chair , whatsoever they bid you observe , that observe and do , &c. and from thence he infers , would god direct them unto , and punish with death for not obeying an authority which might deceive them , and was this authority committed to them that was capable of mistaking . answ. it seems r. e. would narrow and pinch up the church of god among the jewes in a straight compass , when he would confine it only to the priests and levites , and to the judges in those days , when as all the tribes were called the church as well as levy ; again it is said , jacob is my portion , and israel is the lot of my inheritance , comprising the whole tribes and families of the jewes , but it seems these must be no part of the church with r. e. he pinches narrower now then he will do when he tells us of the vastness of the universal church ; but let that pass as by the way , and to come to the matter in hand ; the priests and levites were appointed by the express commandements of god , as to be ministers unto him , and to minister unto the people , according to that covenant that he made in those days , and the priests and levites were endowed with the spirit from god , suitable to the ministry and charge committed to them , and they were figures of christ the everlasting high priest , and the law and judgment which was given by the lord to moses , was delivered to the priests and their lips were to preserve knowledge ; and good reason , because they were committed unto them , and the tables of stone and the commandements were not given to the families and the rest of the tribes , and r. e. hath answered himself , neither could sufficient coppies have been written in any reasonable time to every particular tribe , family , or person , and therefore r. e. concludes full too hastily , but that his spirit indeed is byassed all along in his discourse to aime toward the mark he would be at , to set up men above the spirit , scripture and reason ; but i euquire of r. e. whether that the priests and levites , and judge did tell them any other thing , or direct them in any other way , or gave judgment after any other manner then as was written in the tables of stone , or the book of the law , which was written ; wherein the mind of god was contained both in point of worship , and also in point of government ; and why might not r. e. as well and reasonably have concluded that , that which was given from the mouth of the lord concerning all israel , was the direction , rule and guide , and judge , as well as the priests and levites , and the reason that the people or the church having recourse to their ministers appointed of god , wa● , because they had the statutes and ordinances of god committed unto them , which was put in the ark of the covenant , and in the tabernacle ; and by the way i would ask r. e. or any of his roman catholicks a question , seeing he saith , that this promise is granted and intailed unto the church ( without all limitation or condition ) as to be the only infallible rule , and that they cannot err ; whether that these priests and levites ever did err , yea or nay ? and when was the entail cut off from them ? seeing the scripture saith , they had violated his law , and broken his covenant ; and again the prophets prophesied for hire , and the priests bore rule by their means , and the judges judged for rewardes ; and as david and paul saith concerning israel , they are all gone out of the way , and there is not one that doth good , no not one ; and whether were they the rule and true guides , and judges in this revolted estate , yea or nay ? although i do not question but they retained still their places by way of office , and would claim the same power which they had before from god , as they stood in the commands of god , as r. e. and his catholicks do , and will lay claim to the office and power the apostles had , though they do err from the spirit the apostles were in ; and whether their power of being directers , guiders and true judges , and infallible rule , stood not upon this condition , as they did continue in the covenant of god , and kept the precepts of god in purity without violation , which when they did not , ( as sometimes they did not ) whether were they subject to err , or whether did they err , yea or nay ? viz. the priests and levites , judges , and heads of the people which r. e. reckons for the church ; and though christ did exhort his disciples to hear the scribes and pharisees who sat in moses chair , and to observe and do those things which they from the law before given , read and taught , and instructed the people in , because as i said before the law and the statutes was committed to the priests and levites , and they to read it , and minister unto the people , by the appointment of god ; and these statutes and ordinances were the rule that the then church ought to have observed , yet christ exhorted the disciples to beware of their leaven , and of their hypocrisie , and said , they said and did not , notwithstanding all the authority which r. e. saith they had ; and further saith , would god direct them unto , and punish with death for not obeying an authority which might deceive them , or would christ command the doing of whatsoever should be done by an authority that was capable of mistaking ; all which makes nothing for r. e. but rather would run him upon a harder rock , if this should be true or granted , for then he is bound both to believe and justifie the scribes and pharisees in whatsoever they did or said , of which methinks r. e. should be ashamed of ; 't is true they that sat in moses chair could not err nor be deceived , nor be capable of mistaking , as they continued to keep unviolate the ordinances , statutes and rule , which was given unto them by the command of god , but when they disobeyed and set up the traditions of men , and mingled them with the ordinance of god , and neglected the weighty matters of the law , as justice and true judgment ; both they that taught , and they that were taught , came justly under reproof ; and seeing r. e. reckons that the authority of the jewes , scribes and pharisees could not be deceived nor capable of mistaking , only because they bear the name of such an authority and office ; i query of r. e. again whether the scribes and pharisees were not mistaken , yea or nay ? and whether they were not deceived , yea or nay ? and wherefore christ should exhort his disciples to take heed of them , and to beware of them , and to take heed of their doctrine ? and why did christ pronounce so many woes against them , notwithstanding their sitting in moses chair ? but in what hath been said i hope will be sufficient to convince any , that what r. e. hath laid down for a seeming foundation makes altogether against himself , the premises before well considered : and as for all thy collections out of the prophets of the promise of god to his church , isaiah . and . and of its indowments and glory , and excellency , and of his puting his spirit in them , and of his word in their mouthes , and that it should not depart from the seed , nor the seeds seed for ever ; this is granted , and the promise is not to men as men , but to the seed which is not many but one , but israel was this true church then in the time of this prophesie , though it have relation to future ages also ; and if r. e. looks that this promise should be to israel after the flesh , the church then visible and in being , he mistakes himself , and he egragiously errs , and contradicts the scripture in sundry places , which saith , your house is left unto you desolate , their sacrifices ceased , the glory of god departed from them ; their prophets prophesied a divination of their own brain , and their visions were as visions of the night , and the lord spake not to the most of them , yet they said falsly thus saith the lord , in their revolted estate , for they were erred from the spirit and gone from the seed , and joyned to another seed , and their holy flesh was departed from them , though as men they had the same flesh still , go learn what that means ; and yet notwithstanding all this , the promise of god was not violated , neither unfulfilled on gods part ; for the promise was not then , neither now is to natural generations , or that which is born after the flesh , or to men as men , and creatures , but as they are the seed , and as they are men of god , and as they are born again and new creatures ; and if thou will have an intailing here it is intailed , which cannot be cut off , for the covenant stands not to men in such a place that carries the name of office or authority , but as they are led by the spirit the infallible judge , rule or guide , as they walk by this , and in this , they cannot err , and they erring from this , they are subject to be deceived , and to be mistaken in all things , and every thing , of which there is evident examples in the scriptures of truth in divers ages , of them that professed themselves members of the church of god , and so visible as r. e. speaks of , yea , and the greater part too , that have erred , and their paths hath been reckoned by the lord as crooked and perverse , and their habitants full of cruelty , and this is given for an instance , the visible church of the jewes did err and go aside , notwithstanding all the promise of god to them , and as they looked that it still belonged to them , because they were invisible profession , though they had turned their backs upon the lord , and their hearts too , and violated his covenant , yet still as i said , the promise of god and the covenant of god is not made of none effect , nor broken on gods part , but stands with the seed for ever , who are circumcised in heart , and who worshipes god in spirit and truth , and in uprightness of heart , and hath no confidence in the flesh , nor fleshly privileges , nor external performances , but only trusts unto the gift of righteousness manifest in them , by which justification comes upon all that believes , and the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of christ , and the fulness of the promise of god ; but these things i know though they be holy , faithful , and true , are a sealed book , and hid from all eyes living in the flesh , who hath not been baptised into the death and suffering of christ. fourthly , that christ by his own mouth and the mouthes of the apostles , did promise that there should be a church which the gates of hell should not prevail against , and this church was established upon the everlasting foundation , and the rock of ages , and was indued with power from an high , and with a great measure of the spirit of god according unto christ's promise , which more plentifully was poured forth after christs departure , and after his ascension , and great gifts were given unto them , the word of knowledge , the word of wisdom , the interpretation of tongues , & the gift of tongues , the gift of prophesie , the gift of discerning spirits , healing the sick , working of miracles , &c. and all these foresaid gifts were given for the work of the ministry , for the perfecting of the saints , for the edifying of the body of christ , till we all come into the unity of the faith , and the knowledge of the son of god , and unto a perfect man , and to the measure and stature of the fulness of christ , ephes. . , , . and all these were instrumental ( through the spirit of god which was with them and in them , the only means ) to bear witness unto those things that they had learned and believed , and to publish the word of faith abroad unto the world : and for all these aforesaid ends above mentioned , which though r. e. and his catholicks will need lay claim to the succession by way of office , yet by their doctrine denies in part the very end wherefore such gifts were given , to wit the doctrine of purgatory , for if they did perfect the saints , or were brought up to the knowledge of the son of god , and to perfect men in christ jesus , and to be without sin , what need had there been of raising up this damnable doctrine out of the pit , to purge from sin after they be dead , seeing they were to be perfect men while they were alive , and the ministry was given for this end ; but yours it seems cannot have these effects on this side of the grave , and therefore they must perfect them in the grave , and so be ministers in another world : and this church thus gathered and endued before mentioned , with the infallible spirit of god , if any that did sometime believe and were joyned unto it , did walk disorderly , as not becoming the gospel of our lord jesus christ , they were to be admonished and exhorted , and if they persisted in their disorder , it was to be told to the church , or the whole body , and if such a one would not hear the church , he was to be reckoned as a publican , or a heathen , and to be denyed as to have any fellowship with him till manifest repentance was shewn , but we never read that this church did shed any mans blood , or burn any , or give consent to destroy any , instance if thou can , though obstinate and hereticks too ; and in this amongst many other things the spirit of your church is seen to be contrary to the primitive church , and you out of christs doctrine ; but r. e. argues further and saith , but if christ by his spirit doth not preserve this church from all possibility of teaching error instead of truth ; i may receive such errors as may damn me ; unto which i say , christ by his spirit doth preserve this church from all possibility of teaching error , if they continue in the guidance thereof , and err not from the spirit of christ as some churches did , which were as truly christian , and might lay claim unto christs promise of preservation out of error , as ever rome could do , and yet fix of the seven churches of asia were reproved by the spirit of christ , some of them for holding gross error , and some for suffering it ; but where was the fault , did not christ perform his promise to his church , or to these and other particular churches ? as corinth and galatia ? ( yes ) but there was an erring from the spirit ; but all that r. e. goes about is to prove ( which he will never be able to do ) that christ is bound by promise to make it good to them that he hath once promised unto , though they perform nothing of their part in taking heed to his direction , and thus would limit the lord , and let men go free without obedience to his commands ; and he cites mat. . ● . how the promise of christ was , and lo i am always with you even to the end of the world ; but he hath done as the devil did , when he brought it is written , to christ , & left out half the words , so r. e. hath left out the conditions on the disciples part , and that which was their duty , teaching them to observe all things whatsoever i command you , & then loe i am with you , &c. but r. e. likes not obedience it seems unto christs commands , and yet he will needs be a sharer in the promise , and of the power that was given , and bind god unto that , and he and his church to be loose , to do and to teach what they will ; but as to all the scriptures he hath brought and minced them , and cut them in peece meale ; and all the inferences he makes , this we acknowledge without multiplicity of words , that whatsoever was promised to the church of christ , and the disciples of christ ; as the church of christ , and disciples of christ , the same promise of christ , doth belong to the church of christ and disciples of christ in every age , and stands upon the same condition ; viz. obedience unto his will , and that they still do teach and no other thing but what he commands them , then he is with them according to his promise ; but let not r. e. nor his roman catholicks look if they teach things repugnant to his mind and contrary to his will , and press upon others to believe that which christ hath never taught , that then the promise of god will be so intailed to them as that they cannot err , and here the deceit of thine and your hearts hath led you aside , and this is one of the cuning sleights of men , and craftiness whereby you lay in wait to deceive ; and by this you have deceived many ; because god hath made such large promises unto his church , how that they should be led into all truth , and preserved out of error , and you are their successors and must needs inherit this promise by way of intail , and you cannot err , you cannot be deceived , because the apostles was infallible , therefore you must needs be infallible ; though you err and go aside never so much from the infallible spirit , the true guide and judge of , and in the church of god ▪ as though you had been born to infallibility and the spirit of truth had comed by succession ; but the inward light which thou scoffes at , and the spirit of truth which thou calls a private spirit often , hath discovered you and your spirit , though thou boast of fifteen ages that your doctrine hath been held by the pastours and teachers in your visible church as in the . page of thy epistle ; suppose i should grant the fifteen hundred years , which i neither can nor will but i will lead thee to the sixteen hundred years and try thee and your doctrine that you have held this fifteen hundred year , if it be so as thou saith ; but this thou likes not , but seeing thou pleads antiquity let us come on and joyne issue , prove us transubstantiation in the first hundred year , nay i will give thee five hundred more , and if i gave thee five more thou would hardly prove it ; before the council of trent prove us the doctrine of purgatory in the first hundred year , and if thou take two , it shall not offend me ; prove us the forbiding of ministers to marry in the first hundred year , and abstenance from meats , as though they were unclean which are created by god for the use of believers ; prove us that man hath a twofold right to the kingdom of heaven , as your great bellarmine saith , the one by christ , the other by a man 's own works ; prove us invocation of angels , and prayer and sacrifice for the dead the first hundred year after christ ; prove us their selling of pardons in christs and the apostles days for money ; prove us seting up of images as to put men in mind of the saints deceased , and of their works ; prove us baptism of infants with cream and spittle , and signing with the cross , and godfathers and godmothers ; and let us have some example beyond bare report , for we dare not relie upon your infallible spirit in these things , therefore convince us , for we are gain-sayers , and upon good ground , and we do look upon all these doctrines and many more not to be of such a great age as thou tells on , neither to have any affinity or congruaty , with the church of christ in his or the apostles time nor sundry years after , but rather look upon them as doctrines of devils , and a very novelty ; a further scripture r. e. urges , tim. . . the church of the living god the pillar and ground of truth ; and may we not relie of that pillar that god hath erected for us saith he , and he that hears you hears me , and go teach all nations , and lo i am with you always , and yet if after all these promises if the church may not be believed except she teacheth according to the scriptures , and be only infallible but when she doth her duty , then the church hath no more privilege then the devil hath , for so long as he teaches conformable to the scripture he may be believed , and so long as he teaches truth he may be believed saith r. e. in page the , . answ. the church is in god , thes. . and is the pillar and ground of truth ; she is in the world though not of the world ; and though the members thereof be visible in the world , yet the world that lies in wickedness , never owned them as such , neither saw the glory of this church but always persecuted it , and was so far from owning it as rule and judge , as it altogether gainsayed its direction , but they that did believe in the word of life , and were separated from the world , and hated by it , were willing to hear the councel and to receive the instruction of the church of god , and the church only medled with their own members as in matter of judgment and not of the world , further then by preaching repentance in it ; for the apostle saith , what have we to do to judge them that are without ; and this church as in god was secure to relie upon , for she had the oracles of god committed unto her , and every one may relie upon this pillar if they dare trust it , which i see r. e. dare not because he likes not to be tyed to their doctrine declared of in the scriptures , but would have all to take what they say for granted without the scripture , or the apostle , example or spirit , and is not this unreasonable in thee , that would have the church to be believed , or that which calls it self so by name , when she teacheth not conformable to scriptures and to the faith which was once delivered among the saints , and would thou have a church reckoned infallible and to be believed when she doth not her duty ; the churches privileges is in speaking truth and judging righteously , and the devil was a lyer from the beginning and is out of the truth ; and where hath thou read that he teaches conformable to scripture , and so may be believed , is not the promise of god to his disciples , as they continued to the end , and as they kept his commandements ; and were they not known to be the church of god and disciples of christ by this , and was not the promise to them that hungred and thirsted after righteousness , and to them that did overcome , and was not the exhortation to the church of philadelphia , hold fast that which thou hast that none take thy crown , rev. . , . was there not a possibility of leting go that which they had , and of loosing the crown , or else why is the exhortation ? but i see r. e. would lay claim to promises and privileges without all condition , and will not be tyed to keep the commands of christ , nor would not have the church tyed to follow the doctrine of the primitive church , nor will not admit of any possibility or probability of failing or erring , nay not so much as a mistake ; but as to infallibility and certainty i have said enough before , and the confidence or rather the impudence of r. e. is easily seen , and to make up all , he concludes the apostles as men were subject to error in their private affaires , yet were they by the assistance of gods spirit infallible in delivering matters of faith , i say as they were assisted by the holy spirit of god they neither erred in private affaires nor matters of faith , but as they were not assisted by this they were subject to err , for in this stood their only ability to teach , instruct , exhort , and judge , and as they were guided by this spirit , they were infallible ; and so r. e. saith that the prelats of the holy catholick church as men they are fallible in their own private actions and affairs ; yet when they are assembled in a general council with their supream pastor they are still made infallible in determining matters of faith : it is well that r. e. will grant that there is any possibility for their prelats to fail either publick or private ; but i say he that is not faithful in his own actions and affaires , can never be faithful in the lords ; but it seems a general council cannot fail when the supream pastor the pope is there , but if he be not it seems by e's discourse , it is more doubtful : the like he also judges if the eleven disciples and the seventy too , with the brethren and elders , if they had all been to define matters of faith if peter had been wanting , which this catholick church calls the prince of the apostles , there had been some doubt of their infallibility in point of faith ; as though the promise of god and the spirit of god had not been with the rest of the apostles as well as peter : but a word or two and more hereafter of the infallibility of general councils , the nicean council decreed flat idolatry about worshipping of images , the council at constantinople condemned their proceedings , and made void their decrees , yet both these in e's account must needs be infallible ; the council at basil as albertus phigious saith decreed against all reason and against scriptures ( the council of calcedon ) which was one of the four that gregory the great compares to the four gospels , that their decrees were as certain and infallible ; yet pope leo did not stick to condemn it , and all them as unadvised ; stephanius bishop of rome made void the decrees of formosus ; and sabinian the pope commanded that pope gregory's mass and all his writings should be burned ; leo the fourth abrogated and made void the acts of adrian ; the basil council determined that the council of bishops was above the pope , but the latterine council under leo determined that the pope was above the council ; and they decreed also that he that should think otherwise should be held for a heretick ; but the council of basil aforesaid decreed that they that judged that the council was not above the pope they were hereticks : innumerable more instances i might give but that i will not trouble my reader with such unprofitable stories ; and all these popes said , they were peters successors , and had the keys of binding and loosing , and all these councils and many more which were of the roman faith which in e's account could not err but must needs be infallible , and yet are as contradictory one to another as light is to darkness , and black to white , and looks with their faces several ways like samsons foxes ; and therefore let not r. e. nor none of his catholicks think that the church of christ now coming out of the wilderness again , can receive all their contradictory decrees , and invented fopperies and constitutions of men for infallible : the day is broken , the light hath taken hold of the ends of the earth , the sun is risen which shall make all the foggy mists of darkness and clouds of ignorance to fly away . but r. e. ceases not here , but heapes up one peece of darkness upon another till blackness of darkness appear , and he tells of a visible church , mat. . which is builded upon peter that visible rock , for that rock there spoken of is not christ , saith he , but peter , for immediately after he names peter , whereas saith he , if he had meaned himself or peters confession , for that saith he is too remote or mediate and anticedent , for if christ had meaned himself or peters confession , he should have spoken according to the grammer rule and construction , vpon that rock , or upon this rock i have build , i do build , and not i will build , in the . page and in the . page , he tells of a church visible having two heads of an independent head , and a dependent head ; and in the . page he saith , he hopes that it will appear clear to all , as it did to him , that the visible church is that rule and judge appointed by god , and all upon pain of damnation are to submit unto it . where r. e. hath read of a visible church with two heads i know not , and to take it for infallible i intend not ; and where is peter called a visible rock , and the chief pastor among the apostles ; doth not this contradict scripture , doth not christ say , the gentiles exercise dominion one over another , but it shall not be so amongest you , he that will be greatest among you let him be your servant , and he that will be chief let him be your minister ; and as for thy visible and militant church we read no such words in the scriptures of truth , we read of a church of god and of the first born , whereof christ was the rock and the foundation , and another foundation can no man lay then that which is laid , which is jesus christ , cor. . . and paul saith in the . ver , as a wise master builder i have laid the foundation . i hope r. e. will not be so impudent as to say he had laid peter or that he had preached up peter to believe in for the remission of sins , nor for the foundation of faith , for that had been contrary to the apostles commission and their doctrine ; for saith the apostle , we have not preached our selves but christ the lord , and our selves your servants for his sake . and i may say to thee r. e. as paul said to the corinthians when they were striving about men , cor. . . therefore let no man glory in men , for all things are yours ; or as he saith in the chap. . ver . was paul crucified for you , or were you baptised in the name of paul ; were they not carnal that so gloried , was peter crucified for us , or were we baptised in the name of peter , is not your visible church carnal who thus judges that christ intended peter to be the foundation of his church , for what was he or the rest of the apostles , but ministers by which many believed ▪ and if thou had been present , it is very like would have instructed christ what to have said , and bidden him have spoken after the grammer rule and construction upon that rock i will build my church ; for peters faith in christ is to mediate it seems , and his confession too remote and anticedent , to be the rock meant in the . of mat. . and therefore peter must be imediate , and the rock upon which christ hath , doth , and will build his church , but as imediate as he was , and a sure a rock as he was , when he began to rebuke christ he turned him about ver . . and said unto peter , get the behind me satan thou art an offence unto me , for thou savours not the things of god ; and so say i to r. e. and his catholicks , they savour not the things of god , but it is thy private spirit and your own interpretations and not the mind of christ , and how far anticedent is peter's confession of christ the son of the living god , is it not in the . ver . and wherein was peter blessed but in this , that it was revealed to him that christ was the son of the living god , the rock of ages , and the foundation of his church ; and as for thy visible church with its two heads , indipendent head , and dependent head , which sure must have two bodies where they can be found , but that i shall leave to r. e. and i hope from the grounds that thou hast here laid which did appear so clear to thee , that none will be afraid not judge , that such a visible church with two heads is to be rule and guide to all to whom all is to submit under pain of damnation , which is to have peter for its rock , which if he had been living he would have denyed you all , as seters up of men and ●leighters of jesus christ the rock of ages , the foundation of the church , the head of the body , the rule of life , the judge of quick and the dead , the law-giver , directer , instructer , and preserver of his church for ever ; but r. e. goes on and saith , it only remains that we consider which among all these congregations now on earth , which pretend themselves to be this church of christ , for having once found her and knowing that she is so assisted with the holy ghost that she cannot teach us an error , we shall no more dispute the verity of her doctrines , then we would have questioned the articles of faith taught by the holy apostles or the words of christ himself , wherefore if this church this infallible guide shall teach us that infants ought to be baptised , and that it is as lawful to desire the saints departed to pray for us as to desire the prayers of them that are alive , and that the body of christ our saviour is really and truly present in the sacrament of the alter , or any other article of faith we shall no more doubt it , then the first christians did the verity of what the apostles taught them . among all those congregations on earth that looks upon themselves to be this church and spouse of christ , there is one if thy eye could behold , or if thou could discern it , but before thou can , there is an eye in thee must be put out , and there is a wisdom in thee that must be confounded and turned into foolishness , before thou can discern it in its glory as it is , but however that is it undoubtedly , which is begotten into the faith through the publication of the immortal word of life , & who are translated from death unto life , & who have received the power and spirit of our lord jesus christ , and meets in his name and power , and doth witness his presence among them , and have received a measure of that infallible spirit of truth which leadeth into all truth , and out of the pollutions of the world , and are dead unto the world , and baptised into the sufferings of christ , and are crucified with him , who keep unviolated his statutes and commands , without adding to or diminishing from , who walk in the order of the gospel , and are not conformable to the world , nor to that which fallen men sets up , but to the power of god which worketh in the hearts of all that believe , to the framing of them a meet habitation for god to dwel in , and abideth in the doctrine of christ and his apostles , and are sayers and doers , speakes the truth and doth the truth , and holds the truth in righteousness , and the faith once delivered to the saints in a pure heart , and a pure conscience , who prayes in the spirit , and with understanding , who publisheth the truth , and declares it in the spirit reaching to the consciences , and to the witness of god in all that hears , who rejoyce only in christ jesus the great power of god , and the wisdom of god , and hath no confidence in the flesh , nor fleshly performances , whose faith stands not in words but in the mighty power of god , which she hath received according unto the promise of god , this congregation or congregations which is one , and doth hold the one head by which all the members of christ are knit together in the one faith , by which they overcome the world ; this undoubtedly is the church of christ and the spouse of christ. but whether r. e. will not dispute against the verity of her doctrine i question ; notwithstanding all his submission in words , and if this church should teach that infants are to be baptised with cream and spittle , and signed with the cross as absolutely necessary to salvation , or that it is the duty of the saints alive , to pray to the saints departed this world , or to teach that christs body which was broken for us and hanged upon the tree at mount calvary , that this should now be in a morsel of bread and a sup of wine , and conveyed thither by the priest , and this to be really the body of christ , if this church should teach any such doctrine there were good and weighty reason to question , seeing that r. e. before hath said that they cannot be infallible who contradict one another and teach two contrary doctrines , and yet say , they are both infallibly directed so to teach , i hope r. e. will grant that the church in christs time and the apostles was infallible , and it taught no such doctrine , but to the contrary , therefore that church which pretends infallibility , and yet teacheth such doctrines as before mentioned contrary unto christ and the apostles cannot be infallible , neither led by the infallible spirit , and all hath good reason to question the verity of these things , more then what the apostles taught , seeing they are contradictory to christ and the apostles teaching , and contrary to scripture , and contrary to the witness of god in all consciences , and as i said before , this church of god whereof i have spoken now , though not denominated by any other name then the church of god , is and hath been assisted so by the holy ghost as she hath not erred , when she only hearkened to its instruction and direction ; but when the wisdom of the flesh , and the worldly part and states , and governments , and policies , and princes have been minded more then the spirit of god , then error hath been taught , and the greater part in a council have overswayed the rest , and established error by decree , and hath enjoyned it under penalties to be received as sacred and holy , and infallible , of which we find the church of rome exceeding guilty , and therefore do conclude notwithstanding the promise of god to his church that kept in covenant with him , that this church of rome have erred and do err , both in faith , doctrine , and practice of the infallible church in the apostles days ; and therefore their doctrine is more to be questioned then the apostles , and they not fit to be this rule and guide , and directer ; unto which r. e ▪ saith , all is to submit under pain of damnation ; scar-crows will hardly affright men of understanding , but unreasonable creatures it may . and last of all r. e. he saith , he will conclude his whole proof with an argument from heaven , and of the highest nature , and makes it evident that the roman church must be this guide and judge , which god hath appointed , because of the gift of miracles ; and cites the . of john and . if i had not done among them the works that no other man did they had not had sin , and now , i say , that the roman church hath done works and miracles such as no other church hath done , therefore if we refuse to believe her we shall have sin and shew our selves haters of god ; and he instances st. ber. st. mal. st. dom. st. fra. which wrought miracles ; and of austin the monk which taught christian faith first in england , and his fellow monkes which was then confirmed by wonderful miracles from heaven , not in confirmation of those points and articles of faith which you hold with us but of those which you call popish and superstitious , as the sacrifice of the mass , and about respect and veneration which is given to saints relicks and images , and about the doctrine of purgatory , and payment of tythes , and r. e. concludes if we will not believe what you have not seen , you destroy faith which is an evidence of things not seen . although r. e. make a great boast of the miracles of the church of rome , which no other church hath wrought the like , and therefore concludes that the is this rule and guide , unto which all is to give ear unto , under pain of damnation ; and these miracles he saith is argument from heaven , and proof of the highest nature , believe him who can ; if time would but permit , and the reader have patience to read most or many , if not all the miracles he so much crys up might be declared to his and their shame the very report and relation thereof cannot but be reckoned as fabulous and fained stories , and proceeds from that lying spirit which was in the false prophet which wrought miracles before the beast , and deceived them that had received the mark of the beast , and them that worshipped his image which must be taken alive and cast into the lake of fire , revelation . . it is an a dulterous generation that seeks a signe . and yet did not believe when they had miracles wrought by the finger of god amongst them , yet they said it was by belzebub ; the scribes and pharisees said , if he be the king of israel let him come down from the cross and we will believe ; but the power of christ was not to be shewed at the blind will of the pharisees , neither would they have believed if he had come down , though miracles have been wrought by the power of god , and is according to his heavenly will , and is not limited either to men , time or place , yet it is not so sufficient an argument from heaven as r. e. saith to prove the church of rome this true church , seeing that the devil and satan , and antichrist shall come with signes and lying wonders , and if it were possible deceive the elect ; and janes and jambres withstood moses in working lying miracles before pharoah to the hardning of his heart : and chrysistome in his hom , upon mat. . saith in the end of time power shall be given to the devil to work signes and miracles ; so that the ministers of christs cannot be known by working of miracles , but by working none at all : and augustine saith , though some said prayers at the tombs of the dead and obtained their desires as they said , saith , away with these things , they be either juglings and mockeries of deceitful men , or else delusions of lying spirits , chrys. in his hom. upon matth. . in old times it was known by miracle who were the true christians , and who the false ; but now miracles is rather among them that are false christians , and as for your great miracles which thou saith the chronologies and histories speak of j. l. as bed. and holm , sheads , stows , and others , we look upon them not at all as material in this thing , seeing they have had the reports from other hands and pens of certain monkish stories which they have found scattered here and there published themselves , and left their fables upon record to deceive poor people withal for their own advantage , and most of the miracles that we hear of , is either wrought about your tombes and sepulchres , and your holy mass , and your relicks and images ; i have heard of indeed how that from the skirt of an image of yours , one in a bloody flux did but touch , and immediately vertue came from it , and water and blood issued forth , wherby the party was made whole by washing therin ; also i have heard of the image of the virgin mary , first honored by christians in nazareth , afterwards translated into slavonia , & when images began to be villified there and disesteemed , it removed it self from place to place , as discontent did arise in it , it seems at the place and people where it was situated sometimes , and at last it removed a whole island with it nearer rome , now call'd lorreta , and commonly known by the name of our lady of laretta , to which all the pilgrims and monks commonly and frequently go to confess their sins , and to receive absolutions before they came to rome , and so continues to this day . i cannot forget indeed the notable miracle wrought by austin the monk of which r. e. glories so in , wrought at cometon in oxfordshire , touching the doctrine of due payment of tythes , a profitable doctrine to austin and his monks , the first bishop of canterhury confirmed by a miracle , and such as it is you shall have it ; about the year . as it is said , austin comes to preach at cometon in oxfordshire , the priest of the place complains to him , how that the lord of the manner would not pay his tythes ; austin questioning the lord about the fault in his devotion ; be stoutly answered , that the tenth sheaf doubtless was his , that had the intrest in the th . and therefore would pay none : presently austin denounces him excommunicate , and turning to the alter to say mass publickly , forbad that any excommunicated person should be present there ; suddenly a dead corps that had been buried at church door arose , and went out of the church , and stood while the mass continued ; which ended , austin comes to this living or dead whether you will , and charges him in the name of god to declare who he was , he tells him , that in the time of the brittish state , hujus villi patteronus ; and although he had often urged by the doctrine of the priest to pay his tythes yet he never could be brought to it , for the which after be was dead he saith , was carried to hell : austin desired to know where the priest that excommunicated him was baried ? this dead shewed him the place , where he makes an invocation of the dead priest , and bids him arise , because they wanted his help , the priest rises ; austin asks him if he knew that other that was risen ? he tells him yes , but wishes he had never known him ; for saith he , he was in all things ever adverse to the ●hurch , and a detainer of his tythes , a great sinner to his death , and therefore i excommunicated him : but austin declares that it was fit mercy should be used towards him , and that he had suffered long in hell for his offence ; you must suppose the author meant purgatory : wherefore he gives him an absolution , & sends him to his grave ; where he fell again to dust and ashes ; he gone , the prist new risen tells that his corpes had lyen there about . years , and austin would gladly have had him to have continued on earth again , for instruction of souls , but could not thereto intreat him ; so he also returns to his former lodging : the lord of the town standing by all this while , and trembling , was now demanded if he would pay his tythes , but he presently fell down at austin's feet weeping and confessing his offence and submits to pay tythes , and receives pardon , and became all his life time a follower of austin . besides the common legend of our saints it is in some volumes put alone for a most observable miracle , and it is found to be bound up at the end of the ms. life of tho. becket , arch-bishop of canterbury , written by john degrandesono , and it remains in the pvblick library of oxford ; there also it is related in johannes anglicus his history aurea , besides selden in his history of tythes makes mention of it , and in the . page of his book . and as concerning the miracles which is reported by certain jesuits , which was done in the west-indies by them of that society , after they had converted to the christian faith as they call it , in confirmation of their doctrine , they write of great miracles that was wrought by them , how that with holy water they had calmed the sea in great tempests ; and with holy water they had driven mice out of the country ; and how that by holy water they had made barren women to bear children : see copes dialogve the first , page the . and many devised and fained miracles is storied among you , and kept up to deceive and blind the people withal ; dead images have been forced to sweat , to weep , to laugh , and to shift themselves from place to place ; and as among the pamins and infidels the image of jupiter was able by art to cry aloud let all christians be banished the country , euseb. lib. . even so among the false christians , images have been able to speak whatsoever his keeper or sexton listeth ; and the image of our lady hath been able to attend her own candle , and other images hath been able to heal all diseases ; believe it who can . nicholaus saith , in the church of god the priests often times deceive the people with fained miracles for lucres sake ; and thus the world hath been borne in hand , that images were not only bare images but had some secret devine power hidden within them ; but i shall conclude and say as hirome saith , the truth of christ shall devour and consume the falshood of antichrist , and all his fained miracles and lying wonders , and inchantments , and sorceries . with which he hath deceived the nations : alexander hales saith , p. . qua . . men , the . in the sacrament it self there appears flesh , sometime by the conveyance of men , and sometime by the working of the devil . and hath not r. e. heard or read of a certain catholick of theirs , and no lay-man neither , not many ages ago that did penance at pauls cross , and made a publick confession of his dissimulation , when he pricked his finger and made it bleed when he gave that which youcall your eucharist ( or sacrament of the alter as you call it ) unto the people to delude them , making them believe that as the phrase is , christ by miracle had conveyed his blood into the bread after the words of consecration ; but enough of this hath been said by others , and written largly of by other hands and pens , so that i need not say much : but miracles be not evermore undoubted proofes of a true doctrine , nor such absolute signes of a true church , nor such infallible arguments as from heaven as r. e. saith his is ; and so i shall conclude with that which austin said unto faustus the manicha , ye work no miracles , and yet if ye wrought any at your hands , we would take heed of them ; and jer. . saith , the false prophets have deceived my people by their lies , and by their lightness , and by their dreams and miracles . and so hath this false fained pretended catholick church done , deceived the nations , and bewitched them with such lying fabulous stories , and false and ridiculous miracles , and sorceries , and inchantments , as is above mentioned , and many more of the like nature might be mentioned , but that i would not be tedious to the reader , which if they were summed up all would hardly make up a heavenly argument and proof , as r. e. saith it doth ; that their church is the only true church , and fit to be the rule and judge of all matters of faith ; and now reader view over their miracles before mentioned , and see if thou can receive them , because the church of rome saith they are true , and must not be questioned , for if thou do , thou art like to come under a hard censure by the verdict of r. e. and his catholick church ; first to be reckoned as an unbeliever , secondly to be a hater of god , and thirdly in not believing these miracles , or whatsoever else shall be declared unto thee by the said church , or else thou comes under no les penalty then eternal damnation ; as r. e. saith in the . page of his epistle : but it is a small thing to be judged by man , and especially such a man , who hath gaded abroad and changed his way so osft , so that he hath forgotten the true path of righteousness to walk in , or else never knew it , and hath turned and wheeled about ; and now at last doth as the poor indian doth with his deer skin , hangs it upon one shoulder and so upon the other shoulder to shelter him from the wind and tempest that comes of that side : but the day is dawned , and mens spirits are discovered beyond their words , and all the turnings and wheelings of things upside down , is but as the potters clay , for god measures every man , not by his words but by his heart and spirit , and works , and will judge every one in righteousness according to their deeds . and r. e. goes on as confident that his arguments and reasons laid down hath prevailed , and almost takes it for granted that it must needs be evident to all , that the roman church is the true church ; and saith , he knows but one single point between the catholicks and them that stand devided from them , and that is , saith he , that we follow a several rule , to guide and judge in the great affaires of faith , for all sides are bound to believe all truths , sufficiently propounded to them , to be revealed of god ; and therefore if the presence of christ in the sacrament , purgatory , worshipping of images , invocation of saints , and prayer to the dead , and for the dead , if these or any other point of faith be sufficiently propounded , by denying them gods varassaty is denyed , and god thereby made a lyer . the difference stands betwixt you and them that are devided from you , in more particulars then thou art aware of , or ever will be able sufficiently to propound them to be revealed of god , though it is true some are but devided from you in circumstantials and ceremonies , and some others in some points of faith and worship , yet some deny you in the very ground ; though 't is true the different rule by which each party are directed is a great and a main thing ; thou saith this church catholick is the rule ; but i say , and am not alone , that christ is the way to the father , and the way to the kingdom , and the rule and means by which his church is governed , and he is the lawgiver and the judge , and all judgment is committed to the son , and it is he alone that propounds truth sufficiently ; and they that are in him are new creatures ; and that which is the new creatures rule , guide and judge , is the rule , guide and judge of the church of god , and christ is the author of faith , and it is nothing that availes any thing with god , but the new creature ; and as many as walk according to this rule , peace is to them , gal. . . and christ hath not left his people without guide , for he said , lo i am with you to the end of the world . so as to commit the guidance thereof to fallible men , who may assume authority without his power , and to fasten those things upon god as to be revealed from him , when the lord hath spoken nothing ; and we are so far from looking that the main grounds that thou lays down to prove your church to be this rule and guide , and the many doctrines propounded by you are not sufficiently propounded to be revealed of god , but rather they are the imaginations of your own brain , and things packt up since the apostles days by different popes , and different mutations and alterations in your church , for filthy lucres sake ; and so to deny them is not to deny gods varassaty , neither to make god a lyer as thou falsly saith ; but thou and you are the lyers , as to propound those things to be revealed from god and to be received by all under pain of damnation , when god hath revealed no such thing , but the contrary , and so thy own words at last shall turn to be thy burden , because thou saith , the lord saith , and hath revealed and sufficiently preposed , the real presence of christ in your sacrament of the alter as a devine revelation , worshipping of images , prayer to the dead , and for the dead , and all the foolish imagination which you have brought in , and intruded and thrust upon people by force ; and these are sufficiently propounded as thou saith , as devine revelations , and the father , son , and holy ghost , or the incarnation of christ ; silence deceit , and for shame blush so to say , the prophets who spake as they were moved by the holy ghost and prophesied of things to come , they declared of the father , son , and holy ghost all , and prophesied long before that a virgin should bring forth a son , whose name should be called emanuel , god with us , and the government should be upon his shoulders : this the pope hath usurped , and you put it upon his shoulders ; but your invented doctrines aforesaid are meerly the imaginations of your own brain , which neither the prophets nor apostles bore witness unto but against , and therefore it is thy and your great presumption , to make god , christ and apostles the foundation of all this rubbish , straw , and stuble , which thou would put off as devine revelation and as sufficiently preposed as the doctrine of christ and his apostles was ; nay blush for shame ; they brought in the prophets for the peoples sake , to prove that they had testified of the same before , and had declared the coming of the just one ; besides they commended themselves to the witness of god in every mans conscience ; and upon waiting upon the lord and in the measure of his spirit , they found the things even so , and by searching the scripture as the bareans did , and found the things even so as had been declared of , but upon due consideration we find not these foresaid doctrines so propounded as to have the testimony of the prophets and apostles , neither doth your doctrine and worship answer the witness of god in every man's conscience , and so to deny you is not to make god a lyer , but god true , the prophets and apostles , and the witness of god true , ( and you lyers ) who contradicts them and their testimony , and the power of god , and would assume it to your selves , though you be erred from the spirit and would put all under the name of infallibility , and by such heavenly arguments as r. e. calls them , to wit , the miracles aforesaid , by which you have deceived the nations , and blinded the eyes of the people ; but the time is come , and light and life is broken forth that the skirts of the whore must be discovered , and her nakedness must appear , and her fornications and adulteries shall be manifest unto all so that you shall not proceed much further : and i hope by this time in e's words it will appear evident to all , whose eyes god in any measure hath opened that this catholick church ( so called ) is manifest in what hath been said to r. e. not to be the church of christ , neither their doctrines and practice devinely propounded , neither she taken from henceforth as the only infallible judge , rule and directer in all matters of faith , which all are to receive upon pain of damnation , as r. e. saith ; though she sit as a queen , and hath known no sorrow ; but on the contrary she to be a blind guide that hath bewitched the kings of the earth , and the nations ( which are waters , which is the universality r.e. boasts of ) with her inchantments and sorceries , which from henceforth shall not be taken as infallible but fallible ; and as that church that hath not conveyed the true faith which was once delivered to the saints , but rather hath spread abroad error and false doctrine , and the traditions and inventions of men , instead of the doctrine of christ , and would put off all this under the name of authority and power from god , and sufficiently propounded , and infallibility , and under the penalty of the highest curse upon not receiving it ; but the sun is risen which hath discovered all your deceit ; lay down your carnal weapons , cain's weapons , and your humane power by which you have prevailed , more by force and cruelty upon the nations , then by found doctrine , or that plea of being peters successors : i say , come forth with your spiritual weapons , which the church of god had in the primitive times , and prevail as far as you can , but oh you want these , and therefore you are necessitated to take up force and violence , the dragons power to compell all to come to your church . further r. e. in his postscript hath been confident of what he hath declared , that it is of such force what he hath said for the roman catholick church so called , that he believes what he hath said cannot be answered ; and he saith , his confidence doth not misbecome him , and that it is improbable to be answered , and that he hath not yet done his all ; neither in his first nor second edition , but hath somewhat more yet of great moment to speak as to prove the church of rome this only and infallible guide . unto whom i say it had been good not to have boasted when he put on his armor , but when he puts it off , and methinks having been so unstable and unsetled as he hath been formerly , he should not have been so confident in opposition to wisdom , as to give such a challenge and make such a vapour of , as that it is improbable to be answered , and it is more then any of you or all of you can answer , as his own words are , ( page the . ) these words are not becoming a man indeed , who saith , he hath learned meekness and humility of heart , and hath such great bowels of charity , as he professeth he hath ; page the . the substance of what he hath said or written , which he reckons so profound and unanswerable , and to be more then any or all the nonconformists can answer , they have been answered over , and over again , before r. e. was born , by many learned , sufficient , and good men ; whose reasons and weighty arguments about the premisses have not been made void unto this day , but hath prevailed with many , not only to the convincing , but also to the turning of many from that usurped authority of the roman church , and hath discovered the errors , false doctrine , and evil practices , notwithstanding their pretended infallibility , which r. e. will not be able to answer if particulars should be descended unto ; and though r. e. may reckon the reasons that he hath laid down , which he hath the most what taken at the gainest , and reckon them as impregnable , yet i hope they will not appear so to an understanding eye which is enlightened by the spirit of the lord , nor to them who are of a sound judgment ; what others have done to answer his bold challenge i know not , because i am shut up in a corner for the testimony of jesus , and for the word of god : but methinks them that are concerned should not let such boasts go unreproved , neither such false doctrine nor false suggestions as r. e. hath made , to villifie and debase and set at nought all things , and every thing , that seems contrary unto the judgment of this pretended catholick church ; and seeing that he shuts out all nonconformists as to be members of the church of god , and to be without all rule , all order , all government , and to come under the great penalty of damnation , by not submitting unto whatsoever this pretended catholick church doth impose , how repugnant soever it be unto the doctrine of christ , and how contrary soever it be unto the spirit of god , yet all must be received without question , though it be that which the spirit of god sometimes called the doctrine of devils , but now it must become holy , and of divine authority , and sufficiently propounded and so received ; because as r. e. saith , this church cannot err ; i say unto him and unto all men , and to the witness of god in every man , either the church in the apostles days did err and teach false doctrine , or this pretended catholick church , because they teach contrary one to the other , and do walk by a contrary rule ; and as r. e. saith , infallibility cannot contradict it self ; and he hath granted that the apostles and primitive christians had an infallible spirit , and did not err ; then let r. e. and all , take a view of the roman doctrine , and compare it with theirs and they shall find it as far wide one from the other as the heavens is from earth , or light from darkness , so that for the truths sake , and for the doctrine and faith sake that was once delivered among the saints , and for the nonconformists sake who cannot bow , their knee to baal , neither snbmit to the injunctions of changable men , instead of the doctrines of christ. i could not do less then give answer unto the substance of r. e. his epistle which he boasted of , to be more then any could answer , and to reprove his false doctrine and error , which he would perswade all unto , and not to question , because the church of rome hath propounded it as infallible ; most of all those doctrines are denyed , and i cannot but give my testimony against them as to be false , and that which leads people into error ; and let r. e. when he brings forth his all , prove to us , that infallibility as intailed to the pope by succession , and , prayer for the dead , worshipping of angels , worshipping relicts , worshipping images ▪ transubstantiation , purgatory , sprinkling of infants ; prove to us from the scripture in thy next , that these were apostolical and infallible doctrines , delivered and taught by the church of christ in the apostles time , or in the first hundred years after christ , and thou will not only gain me , but many more to receive and imbrace the catholick church of rome for an absolute rule and guide , unto which all on earth ought to be subject unto , which if thou do not , we will take it for granted ; thou dare not , least thou ingage thy self in such a controversie as thou never ingaged in yet , by which thy and your folly will more and more appear unto all ; i shall not trouble neither my self nor the reader any further in traducing r. e. in his multiplicity of words , although the main and weighty arguments and reasons as r. e. looks upon them is answered , which i commend unto thee , and to the witness of god in every man's conscience , to try and search out , where the difference and weight lies , and the truth , and as the measure of gods spirit in every man's conscience doth close with or against , if it can what i have said about r. e. his epistle , for unto that i dare stand to the judgment of and in it , as every one believes and walks , i bid my reader , farewell . f. h. westmerland this . of the fifth moneth , . the end . faults that have escaped the press through the negligence of the printer ; the friendly reader is desired to pass by , or correct . some of which are these , page first , line . for nonformists read nonconformists ▪ p. . l. . for and read as ; l. . the point or stop should be after over . p . l. . the point should be after the word director , and not after unto ; l. . for fanedness read fainedness . p. . l. . for christian read christians , p. . l. for minds read mind . p. ▪ l. . for legable read legible . p. . l. . for habitants read habitations p. . l. . for th . read nine . persecvtion inconsistant with christianity, humane society, and the honor of princes from the testimonies of themselves, and approved authors, and martyrs, herein impartially collected : whereunto is added certain solid reasons why no outward force, nor imposition ought to be used in matters of faith, &c. / by those faithfull witnesses who died under suffering for the testimony of jesus, viz: richard hubberthorn, samuel fisher, francis howgill. approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) persecvtion inconsistant with christianity, humane society, and the honor of princes from the testimonies of themselves, and approved authors, and martyrs, herein impartially collected : whereunto is added certain solid reasons why no outward force, nor imposition ought to be used in matters of faith, &c. / by those faithfull witnesses who died under suffering for the testimony of jesus, viz: richard hubberthorn, samuel fisher, francis howgill. crook, john, - . hubberthorn, richard, - . fisher, samuel, - . howgill, francis, - . the third edition. [ ], , [ ] p. s.n.], [london : . reproduction of original in huntington library. errata: p. [ ] at end. reasons for libery of conscience [p. - ] originally published, , with title: liberty of conscience asserted and several reasons rendred why no outward force nor imposition ought to be used in matters of faith and religion, written by j. crook, s. fisher, f. howgill & r. huberthorn. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng liberty of conscience -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - jonathan blaney sampled and proofread - jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion persecvtion inconsistant with christianity , humane society , and the honour of princes . from the testimonies of themselves , and approved authors , and martyrs , herein impartially collected . whereto is added certain solid reasons why no outward force , nor imposition ought to be used in matters of faith , &c. by those faithfull witnesses who died under suffering for the testimony of iesus : viz. richard hubberthorn . sumuel fisher. francis howgill . this being the third edition of the said reasons . now i say unto you , refrain from these men , and let them alone ; for if this counsel , or this work be of men , it will come to nought ; but if it be of god , you cannot overthrow it , lest happily ye be found fighters against god. acts . , . printed in the year , . the contents . king charles the second , his promises and declaration for the liberty of tender consciences . . some remarkable collections out of doctor tayer , chaplain in ordinary to his late majesty ( so stiled ) his book , entituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a discourse of the liberty of prophesying shewing the unreasonableness of prescribing to other mens faith ; and the iniquity of persecuting different opinions . . instances out of divers authors , treating on the same subject ; by william caton deceased . . several reasons rendred , why no outward force nor imposition ought to be used in matters of faith and religion , by r. h. s. f. and f. h. . several saying collected from the speeches and writings of king james , and king charles the first . persecution inconsistant with christianity , humane society , and the honour of princes . sect . i. king charles the second , his promises and declarations for the liberty of tender consciences . in the kings letter from bredah , that was sent to the house of peers , and read in the house , may the st . . and which letter was ordered by the lords in parliament assembled , that it should be forthwith printed and published for the service of the house , and satisfaction of the kingdoms ; it is said in the book of collections of the kings speeches , page , and . and because the passion and uncharitableness of the times have produced several opinions in religion , by which men are engaged in parties and animosities against each other ; which when they shall hereafter unite in a freedom of conversation , will be composed , or better understood . we do declare a liberty to tender consciences , and that no man shall be disquieted or called in question for differences in opinion in matters of religion , which do not disturb the peace of the kingdom ; and that we shall be ready to consent to such an act of parliament , as upon mature deliberation , shall be offered to us for the full granting that indulgence . and in the kings declaration , concering ecclesiastical affairs , which was dated october the th , . it is said , in a word we do again renew what we have formerly said , in our declaration from bredah , for the liberty of tender consciences , that no man shall be disquieted , or called in question for differences of opinion in matters of religion , which do not disturb the peace of the kingdom ; and if any have been disturbed in that kind , since our arival here , it hath not proceeded from any direction of ours . and it is said , we do in the first place declare , our purpose and resolution is , and shall be , to promote the power of godlines , and to encourage the exercise of religion , both in publique and private . and in the same declaration it is said , our present consideration and work is , to gratifie the private consciences of those who are grieved with the use of some ceremonies , by indulging to , and dispensing with the omitting these ceremonies . in the kings speech to both houses of parliament , the th of july , . it is to put my self in mind , as well as you , that i so often ( i think so often as i come to you ) mention to you my declaration from bredah ; and let me put you in mind of another declaration , published by your selves about the same time , and which i am perswaded made mine the more effectual ; an honest , generous , and christian declaration , signed by the most eminent persons , who had been the most eminent sufferers ; in which you renounced all former animosities , and memory of former vnkindnesses . and my lords and gentlemen , let it be in no mans power to chargeme , or you , with the breach of our words or promises , which can never be a good ingredient to our future security . and in the chancellors speech to both houses , may the th , . it is said , he told you , but now ( meaning the king ) that he vallued himself much , upon keeping his word , upon performing all that he promiseth to his people . and also in the kings discourse with richard hubberthorn , soon after he arrived in england , he said , well , of this you may be assured , that you shall none of you suffer for your opinions or religion , so long as you live peaceably , and you have the word of a king for it ; and i also have given forth a declaration to the same purpose , that none shall wrong you , or abuse you . and further in the kings declaration , dated decem. . . wherein he declares , first , his wonderful restoration without the least blood-shed by the military sword. and he expresseth his clemency , or the clemency of his nature . and he vindicates himself from divers suggestions , of disaffected persons , particularly from that , of intending to subject persons and estates to revenge or spoil , &c. and from intending to introduce a miliary or arbitrary way of government . also he expresseth these words , as a malicious scandal ( viz. ) that having made use of such solemn promises from bredah , and in several declarations since , of ease and liberty to tender consciences , instead of performing any part of them , we have added streighter fetters then ever . and further adds , viz. we find it as artificially , as maliciously divulged throughout the whole kingdom , that at the same time we deny a fitting liberty to those other sects of our subjects , whose consciences will not allow them to conform to the religion ectablished ; we are highly indulgent to papists , even to such a degree of countenance as may even endanger the protestant religion . these , and such like , in the said declaration are related as venemous insinuations , most false and malicious scandals , wicked and malicious suggestions , and the fomenters of them , as the most dangerous enemies of his crown and of the peace and happiness of the nation . and these words are further added , ( viz. ) it having been alwayes a constant profession of ours , that we do , and shall ever think our royal dignity and greatness much more happily and securely founded on our own clemency , and our subjects loves , then in their fears and our power . to give our people a testimony of our founding all our security , rather in their affections , then in any military power ; the sole strength and security , we shall ever confide in , shall be the hearts and affections of our subjects indeared and confirmed to us by our gratious and steady manner of government , according to the antient known laws of the land , there being not any one of our subjects , who doth more from his heart abhor ( then we our selves ) all sorts of military and arbitrary rule . as concerning the non performance of our promises ; we remember well the very words of those from bredah , ( viz. ) we do declare a liberty to tender consciences , and that no man shall be disquieted , or called in question for differences of opinion in matters of religion , which do not disturb the peace of the kingdom ; and that we shall be ready to consent to such an act of parliament , as upon mature deliberation shall be offered to us , for the full granting that indulgence . we remember well the confirmations , we have made of them since upon several occasions in parliament ; and as all these things are still fresh in our memory , so are we still firm in the resolution of performing them to the full . we do conceive our selves so far engaged , both in honour , and in what we owe to the peace of our dominions , which we profess we can never think secure , whilst there shall be a colour left to the disaffected , to inflame the minds of so many multitudes , upon the scores of consciences , with dispair of ever obtaining any effect of our promises for their ease . such an act , as in pursuance of our promises the wisdom of our parliament shall think fit to offer unto us for the ease of tender consciences . we profess it would be grievous unto us to consent , to the putting any of our subjects to death for their opinions in matter of religion only . our expressing according to christian charity , our dislike of blood-shed for religion only . our parliament is an assembly so eminent in their loyalty and their zeal , for the peace and prosperity of our kingdomes — can no wayes be doubted in the performance of all our promises , and to the effecting all those gracious intentions , which god knows our heart is full of , for the plenty , prosperity , and universal satisfaction of the nation . we think to give them the most important marks of our care : first , in punishing by severe laws that licentiousness and impiety , which we find to our great grief , hath overspread the nation . and lastly so to improve the good consequence — to the advancement of trade , that all our subject finding the advantage — in that prime foundation of plenty , they may all , with minds happily composed by our clemency and indulgence ( instead of taking up thoughts of deserting their professions ) apply themselves comfortably , and with redoubled industry to their several vocations , &c. also in the votes and advice of the house of commons , febr. . . upon reading the kings declaration and speech , are these words , ( viz. ) and our hearts are further enlarged in these returns of thanks-giving when we consider your majesties most princely , and heroick professions of relying upon the affections of your people , and abhoring all sorts of military and arbitrary rule , &c. sect . ii. here follows some remarkable observations , collected out of a book , entituled , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a discourse of the liberty of prophesying ; shewing the unreasonableness of prescribing to other mens faith , and the iniquity of persecuting different opinions ; by ier. tayler d. d. ( so stiled ) chaplin in ordinary to his late majesty . in his epistle dedicatory are these words : viz. as contrary as cruelty is to mercy , as tyranny to charity ; so is war and bloodshed to the meekness and gentleness of christian religion . and further speaks , to dispute men into mercies , compliances and tollerations mutual ; and further adds . i designed a discourse to this purpose , with as much greediness , as if i had thought it possible with my arguments to have perswaded the rough and hard handed souldiers to have disbanded presently ; for i had often thought of the prophesie , that in the gospel , our swords should be turned into plow-shares , and our spears into pruning-hooks . i thought it my duty to plead for peace and charity , and forgiveness , and permissions mutual . although we must contend earnestly for the faith , yet this contention must be with arms fit for the christian warfare , the sword of the spirit , the shield of faith , &c. but not with other arms ; for a church-man must not be a striker , for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal , but spiritual . i being most of all troubled , that men should be persecuted , and afflicted , for disagreeing in such opinions , which they cannot with sufficient grounds obtrude upon others necessarily , because they cannot propound them infallibly . considerations ( are to be had ) to the persons of men , and to the laws of charity more then to the trimmphing in any opinion , &c. if the persons be christians in their life , and christians in their profession ; if they acknowledge the eternal son of god for their master , and the lord , and live in all relations as becomes persons making such professions , why then should i hate such persons whom god loves , and who love god , who are partakers of christ , and christ hath a title to them , who dwell in christ , and christ in them , because their understandings have not been brought up like mine , have not had the same masters , they have not met with the same books — have not the same opinions that i have , and do not determine their school questions to the same sence of my sect or interest ? and whatsoever is against the foundation of faith or contrary to good life — or distructive to humane society — is out of the limits of my question , and doth not pretend to compliance or tolleration . the fault i find and seek to remedy is , that men are so dogmatical and resolute in their opinions , and impatient of others disagreeing in those things wherein is no sufficient means of union and determination , but that men should let opinions and problems not be obtruded as actions , nor questions in the vast collection of the systeme of divinity be adopted into the family of faith. . it s hard to say , that he who would not have men put to death or punished corporally for such things , for which no humane authority is sufficient for cognizance , or determination , or competent for infliction ; that he perswades to an indifferency when he refers to another judicatory , which is competent , sufficient , infallable , just , and highly severe — for god alone must be judge of these matters , who alone is master of our souls , and hath the dominion over humane understanding — god alone is judge of erring persons . i earnestly contend , that another mans opinion shall be no rule to mine , and that my opinion shall be no snare and prejudice to my self ; that men use one another so charitably , that no error or violence tempt men to hypocrisie , this very thing being one of the arguments i used to perswade permissions , lest compulsion introduce hypocrisie , and make sincerity troublesom , &c. from the dictates of holy scripture , it is observable , that this , with its appendant degrees , i mean , restraint of prophesying , imposing upon other mens understandings , being masters of their consciences , and lording it over their faith , came in with the retinue and train of antichrist , as other abuses and corruptions of the church did , by reason of the iniquity of the times , and the cooling of the first heats of christianity , and the encrease of interest , and the abatements of christian simplicity , when the churches fortune grew better , and her sons grew worse , and some of her fathers worst of all : for in the first three hundred years there was no sign of persecuting any man for his opinion , though at that time there were very horrid opinions commenced — and they who used all means — christian and spiritual , for their disimprovement and convi●tion , thought not of using corporal force — and therefore i 〈◊〉 not only urge their not doing it , as an argument of the unlawfulness of such proceeding , but their defying it , and speaking against such practises as unreasonable , and destructive to christianity , for so tertullian is express , humani juris & naturalis potestatis uni cuique quod putaverit colere , sed nec religionis est cogere religionem quae suscipi debet sponte non vi : it s of humane right and natural power for every one to worship what he thinks ; but neither is it the part of religion to compel religion , which ought to be undertaken of its own accord . the same is the doctrine of cyprian , lactantius , hillary , minutius , faelix , sulpitius , severus , chrisostom , hierom , austin , damascen , theophilact , socrates scholasticus , and bernard . all wise princes till they were over-born with faction , and solicited by peevish persons , gave tolleration to differing sects — but at first there were some heretical persons , that were so impatient , they were the men that first intreated the emperor to persecute the catholicks : but till four hundred years after christ , no catholick persons , or very few , did provoke the secular arm , or implore its aid against the hereticks ; save only that arrius behaved himself so seditiously and tumultuarily , that the nicene fathers procured a temporary decree for his relegation ; but it was soon taken off , and god left to be his judge . but as the ages grew worse , so men grew more cruel and unchristian ; and in the greek church atticus and nestorius of constantinople , theodocius of synoda , and some few others , who had forgotten the mercies of their great master , and their own duty , grew implacable , and furious , and impatient of contradiction . it was a bold and arrogant speech which nestorius made in his sermon before theodotius the younger ; da mihi , o emperator , terram ab haereticis repugnatum & ego tibi vicissim ca●lum dabo ; disperde mecum haereticos , & ego tecum disperdam pers●s ; which is in english , o emperor , give to me the land purged from hereticks ; and i , instead thereof , will give thee heaven : destroy me the hereticks , and i will destroy with thee the persians : it was as groundless , as unwarrantable , as it was bloody and inhumane . and we see the contrary events prove truer ; for theodosius and valentinian were prosperous princes , and have the reputation of great piety ; but they were so far from doing what nestorius had suggested , that they restrained him from his violence and immanity ; and theodosius did highly commend b. proclus , for his sweetness of deportment towards erring persons , far above the cruelty of his predecessor atticus . and the experience which christendom hath had in this last age , is argument enough ▪ that tolleration of differing opinions is so far from disturbing the publick peace , or destroying the interest of princes , and common-wealths , that it doth advant●ge the publick , it secures the peace , because there is not so much as the pretence of religion left to such persons to contend for , it being already indulged to them . when france fought against the hugonots , the spilling of their own blood was argument enough of the imprudence of that way of promoting religion ; but since she hath given permission to them , &c. the great instance is in the differing temper , government , and success which margaret of parma , and the duke of alva had ; the clemency of the first had almost distinguished the flame ; but when she was removed , d. alva succeeded , and mannaged the matter of religion with fire and sword , he made the flame so great , that his religion , and his prince too , had both been almost turned out of the countrey ; pelli●e medio sapientiam quoties vi res agitur , said ennius , [ wisdom is driven out , when the matter is acted by force . ] [ and therefore the best of men , and most glorious of princes , were alwayes ready to give tolleration . ] esebeus in his second book of the life of constantine , reports these words of the emperor , parem cum fidelibus ij qui errant pacis , & quiet is fruitionem gaudentes accipiant : ipsa si quidem communicationis & societatis restitutio ad rectam etiam veritatis viam perducere potest ; nemo cuiquam molestis sit , quisque quod animo destinat hoc etiam faciat ; let them which err with joy receive the like fruition of peace and quietness with the faithfull , sith the restoring of communication and society may bring them into the right way of truth : let none give molestation to any ; let every one do as he determines in his mind . and indeed there is great reason for princes to give tolleration to disagreeing persons , whose opinions cannot by fair means be altered ; for if the persons be confident , they will serve god according to their perswasions ; and if they be publickly prohibited , they will privately convene , and then all those inconveniences , and mischiefs , which are arguments against the permission of conventicles , are arguments for the publick permissions of differing religions , &c. — they being restrained , and made miserable , indears the discontented persons mutuall , and makes more hearty and dangerous confederations . king iames in his letters to the states of the vnited-provinces , dated mar. . . thus wrot — ita ut prohibeatis ministros vestros ne eas disputationes in suggestum aut ad plebem feran●s , ac districte imperetis ut pacem colant se in vicem tolerando in ista opinionum ac sententiarum discrepantia — so that you may sorbid your ministers , that they bring not those disputations into the pulpit , or to the people , and strickly command , that they embrace peace among themselves , by tollerating in that difference of opinions , and iudgments . the counsel like in the divisions of germany , at the first reformation , was thought reasonable by the emperor ferdinand , and his excellent son maximilian ; for they had observed , that violence did exasperate , was unblest , unsuccesfull , and unreasonable ; and therefore they made decrees of tolleration . and the duke of savoy repenting of his war , undertaken for religion against the peidmontans , promised them toleration ; and was as good as his word — as much is done by the nobility of polonia : so that the best princes and the best bishops gave toleration and impunities ( but it is known , that the first persecution of disagreeing persons was by the arrians , by circumcellians , and donatists , and from them they of the church took example , &c. ) and among the greeks it became a publick and authorized practise , till the question of images grew hot and high ; for then the worshippers of images , having taken their example from the empress irene , who put her sons eyes out for making an edict against images , began to be as cruel , as they were deceived , especially , being encouraged by the pope of rome , who then blew the coales to some purpose . i may upon this occasion give account of this affair in the church of rome . it is remarkable that till the time of iustinian the emperor , a. d. . the catholicks and novatians had churches indifferently permitted even in rome it self , but the bishops of rome , whose interest was much concerned in it , spoke much against it , and laboured the eradication of the novatians ; and at last when they got power into their hands they served them accordingly ; but it is observed by socrates that when the first persecution was made against them at rome by pope innocent the first , at the same instant the goths invaded itally , and became lords of all , it being just in god , &c. and i have heard it observed as a blessing upon s. austin ( who was so merciful to erring persons ) as the greatest part of his life — to tolerate them , and never to indure that they should be given over to the secular power to be killed ) that the very night the vandals set down before his city of hippo , to besiege it , he died , and went to god ; being taken from the miseries to come . but in the church of rome , the popes were the first preachers of force and violence in matters of opinion , and that so zealously that pope vigilius suffered himself to be imprisoned , and handled roughly by the emperor iustinian , rather then he would consent to the restitution and peace of certain disagreeing persons , &c. the first that preached that doctrine was dominick , the founder of the begging order of friars : the friars preachers , in memory of which the inquisition is intrusted only to the fryars of his order ; and if there be any force in dreams , or truth in legends , &c. — this very thing might be signified by his mothers dream , who the night before dominick was born , dreamed she was brought to bed of a huge dog , with a fire-brand in his mouth ; sure enough however his disciples expound the dream , it was a better sign that he should prove a rabid , furious incendiary then any thing else , what ever he might be in the other parts of his life ; in this doctrine he was not much better , as appears in his deportment towards the abligences , against whom he so preached — adeo quidem ut centum hereticorum millia ab octo millibus catholicorum fusa & interfecta fuisse probiantur , saith one of him , and of those who were taken one hundred and eighty were burned to death , because they would not abjure their doctrine ; this was the the first example of putting erring persons to death , that i find in the romish church . by this time i hope it will not be thought unreasonable to say , he that teaches mercy to erring persons teaches indifferency in religion , unless so many fathers , and so many churches , and the best of emperors , and all the world ( till they were abused by tyranny , popery and faction ) did teach indifferency : for i have shewn that christianity doth not puni●h corporally persons erring spiritually , but indeed popery doth . the donatists , and circumcelians , and arrians , and itaciani , they of old did in the middle ages ; the patrons of images did , and the papists at this day do , and have done ever since they were taught it by their st dominick . let all errors be as much , and as zealously supprest as may be , but let it be done by such means as are proper instruments of their suppression , by preaching and disputation , by charity and sweetness , by holiness of life , assiduity of exhortation , by the word of god , and prayer . for these wayes are most natural , most prudent , most peaceable and effectual , only let not men be hasty , in calling every disliked opinion by the name of heresie ; and when they have resolved that they will call it so , let them use the erring person like a brother , not beat him like a dog , or convince him with a gibbit , or vex him out of his understanding or perswasion . thus far ier. taylor ; these passages being truly collected out of his epistle , where are many more to the same purpose ; to which the reader is referred for further satisfaction , if he desire it : and further in his sixteenth section , for the lawfulness of princes giving tolleration to several religions , he hath these passages . for it may be safe in diversity of perswasions ; and it is also a part of christian religion , that the liberty of mens consciences should be preserved in all things , where god hath not set a limit — that the soul of man should be free , and acknowledge no master but jesus christ. that matters spiritual should not be restrained by punishments corporal . that the same meekness and charity should be preserved in the promotion of christianity , that gave it foundation , and increment , and firmness in its first publication . and that persons should not more certainly be condemned then their opinions confuted . and lastly , that the infirmities of men , and difficulties of things , should be both put in ballance , to make abatement in the diffinitive sentence against mens persons . as christian princes must look to the interest of their government ; so especially must they consider the interests of christianity , and not call every redargution , or modesty , discovery of an established error , by the name of the disturbance of the peace ; for , it is very likely that the peevishness , and impatience of contradiction in the governors may break the peace . let them but remember the gentleness of christianity ; the liberty of consciences which ought to be preserved ; and let them do justice to the persons , whoever they are that are peevish ; provided no mans person be over-born with prejudice : for if it be necessary for all men to subscribe to the present established religion ; by the same reason , at another time , a man may be bound to subscribe to the contradictory , and so to all religions in the world. uncharitableness is much prevented when no person is on either side engaged upon revenge , or troubled with disgrace , or vexed with punishments , by any decretory sentence against him : it was the saying of a wise states-man , ( i mean thuanus ) haeretici qui pace data factionibus scinduntur , persecutione uniuntur contra . remp. if you persecute hereticks , or discrepants , they unite themselves as to a common defence if you permit them , they divide themselves upon private interest , and the rather , if this interest was an ingredient of the opinion . sect . iii. instances out of divers authors treating on the same subject , by william caton , deceased . chrisostomus said , it is not the manner of the children of god to persecute others to death about their religion ; but it hath been , and is their condition to be put to death themselves for the testimony of of the truth . moreover , ( said he ) the shedding of blood about religion , is an evident token of antichrist , relig. vris . pag. . haywardus said , that the best writers of that time did agree in one opinion , and with tertulliano , lactantio , cassidoro , and iosephus , &c. that people must inform men to imbrace religion with reason , and not compel them by violence . i have for long season determined , said one of the kings of france , to reform the church , which without peace ( said he ) i cannot do , and it is impossible to reform , or convert people by violence . i am king , as a shepherd , ( said he ) and will not shed the blood of my sheep ; but will gather them through the mildness and goodness of a king , and not through the power of tyranny : and i will give them that are of the reformed religion right liberty to live and dwell free , without being examined , perplexed , molested , or compelled to any thing contrary to their consciences ; for they shall have the free exercise of their religion , &c. vide chron. vande vnderg . deel . pag. . luther said , that the hypocrites church was to be known by its manners , whose image and sign was esau , yet she boasted of god , and would be accounted his church , but lived wholly according to the world. further , ( said he ) the true church is not defended by a fleshly arm , which wicked bishops especially use , and cry unto . thesau . pag. . calvin said , that the apostle gave to understand , that to exercise authority over ones faith , was in no wise just , nor tollerable : ( yea said he ) it is tyanny in the church ; for faith ought to be free from all subjection of men . when several of the priests in the low countries requested of the prince and states , that they would introduce ordinances and discipline , according to their opinions ; but the prince , and the states , rejected their requests , esteeming them prejudicial both to religion and pollicy ; when they observed the diverse opinions that were among the people , concluding , it was the best way to preserve unity among the people , to give liberty to all , and to compel none , anno . edict . fol. . areneus affirmed , that all forcing of conscience , though it was but a forbiding of the exercise , which is esteemed by one or another , to be necessary to salvation , is in no wise right nor fitting : he also affirmed , that through diversities of religions the kingdom should not be brought into any disturbance . the antient reformed protestants termed that forcing of conscience , when they were constrained to leave off the exercise of their religion , saying , car nous privant de nostre religion on nous tiendroit en une continuele mors corporelle & spirituelle ( that is ) for to deprive us of our religion , is to keep us in a perpetual corporal and spiritual death ; adding thereunto , how that they would rather be put to death then be bereaved of the exercise of their religion , &c. and also they testified , how that the religion which was defended with cruelty , was not grounded upon the word of god. lactantius said , if you will with blood , with evil , and with torments , defend the worship , it shall not thereby be defended but polluted , lib. . chap. . constantius the emperor said , that it was enough that he preserved the unity of the faith , that he might be excusable before the judgment seat of god ; and that he would leave every one to his own understanding , according to the account he will give before the judgment seat of christ : hereto may we stir up people ( said he ) not compel them , beseech them to come into the unity of the christians ; but to do violence to them , we will not in no wise . sabast. frank. cron. fol. . augustinus said , some disturbed the peace of the church while they went about to root out the tares before the time ; and through this error of blindness ( said he ) are they themselves separated , so much the more from being united unto christ. retnaldus testified , that he who with imprisoning and persecuting seeketh to spread the gospel , and greaseth his hands with blood , shall much rather be looked upon for a wild hunter , then a preacher , or a defender of the christian religion . the state of holland testified , dat waer vervolginghen zijn datter daer al in roere is , maer waer geen en sijn al sijdor verscheijden religion dat dare alle saelren stilder sijn so oelr in onse ijden is bevon den : that is , where there was persecution , there was all in disstraction , but where there was none ( though there were several religions ) there all things were the quieter , as hath been evident in our dayes , said they , vide vrede handel van. col. fol. . calvin said , that those that are set over us must be obeyed , if that the command of god be not thereby disobeyed ; but if they lead us from obedience to god , and presumptiously strive against the lord , then must they not be regarded , said he , to the end that god with his authority may retain the preheminence . a book written in french , by n. m. anno . hath this sentence in it those princes that have ruled by gentleness and clemency , added to justice ; and have exercised moderation and meekness towards their subjects , alwayes greatly prospered , and reigned long . but on the contrary , those princes that have been cruel , vnjust , perfidious , and oppressors of their subjects , have soon fallen , they and their estate into danger , or total ruin . veritus said , seeing christ is a lamb , whom you profess to be your head and captain , then it behoveth you to be sheep , and to use the same weapons , which he made use of ; for he will not be a shepherd of wolves , and wild beasts , but onely of sheep ; wherefore if you lose the nature of sheep ( said he ) and be changed into wolves , and wild beasts , and use fleshly weapons , then will you exclude your selves out of his calling ; and forsake his banner , and then will he not be your captain . stephanus king of poland said , it belongeth not to me to reform the conscience , i have alwayes gladly given that over to god , which belongeth to him , and so shall i do now ; and also for the future , i will suffer the weeds to grow until the time of harvest ; for i know that the number of believers are but small , therefore , said he , when some were proceeding in persecution , ego sum rex populorum non conscientiarum , that is , i am the king of the people , not of their consciences : he also affirmed , that religion was not to be planted with fire and sword , chron. van. de rel. vrijh . . deel . tindal said , the new testament of christ suffered no law of compelling , but alone of perswading , and exhorting , fox . acts and mon. page . the prince of orange testified , anno . that it was impossible that the land should be kept in peace except there was a free tolleration in the exercise of religion . where hast thou ever read in thy dayes ( said menno ) in the writing of the apostles , that christ or the apostles ever cryed out to the magistrates , for their power , against them that would not hear their doctrine , nor obey their words ? i know certainly , said he , that where the magistrate shall banish with the sword , there is not the right knowledge , spiritual word , nor church of christ , it is invocare brachium seculare . it is not christian like , but tyrannical , said d. philipson , to banish and persecute people about faith and religion , and they that so do are certainly of the pharisaical generation , who resisted the holy ghost . er●smus sad , that though they take our moneys and goods , they cannot therefore hurt our salvation ; they afflict us much with prisons , but they do not thereby separate us from god , in de krijdges wrede , fol. . lucernus said , he that comandeth any thing , wherewith he bindeth the conscience , this is an antichrist , inde benuse disp . fol. . it was luther's opinion , that those that stirred up the princes to persecute abut religion , they raised the uproar , thesaur . pag. . reasons for liberty of conscience . sect . iv. several reasons rendred , why no outward force , nor imposition , ought to be used in matters of faith and religion , by r. h. s. f. and f. h. liberty of conscience ought to be allowed in the dayes of the gospel , in the free exercise of it to god-ward ( without compulsion ) in all things relating to his worship , for these reasons following . . because the general and universal royal-law of christ commands it , matth. . . all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you , do ye even so to them : for this is the law and prophets — that which every man would have , and receive from another , he ought by christs rvle to give and allow it to another . but every man is willing to have the liberty of his own conscience , therefore ought to allow it to another . . because no man can perswade the conscience of another , either what god is , or how he should be worshipped , but by the spirit , which god hath given to instruct man in the ways of truth . . because , all obedience or service that is obtained by force , is for fear of wrath , and not from love , nor for conscience sake ; and therefore will but continue so long as that fear or force abides upon them . . because , that by forcing , no man can make a hypocrite to be a true believer ; but on the contrary , many may be made hypocrites . . because , that in all forced impositions upon mens consciences , there is something of the wrath of man exercised , which works not the righteousness of god , but rather begets enmity in the heart one towards another . . because , that by forcing any thing upon mens consciences , as to matters of faith and worship , many are hardened in their hearts against the things imposed ; when as otherwise , through love and gentle instructions their hearts might be perswaded to willing obedience . . because , that persecution for conscience contradicteth christs charge , matth. . who bids that the tares ( or false worshippers ) be suffered to grow together in the field ( or world ) till the harvest ( or end of the world. ) . because , force is contrary to the end for which it is pretended to be used ( viz. ) the preservation and safety of the wheat , which end is not answered by persecution , because the wheat is in danger to be plucked up thereby , as christ saith . . because to force is inconsistant with the belief of the jews conversion ( and other false worshippers ) which is prayed for by the publick teachers , and cannot be attained , if persecution for conscience be prosecuted . . because they that impose upon mens consciences , exercise dominion over mens faith , which the apostles denied , saying , they had not dominion over any mans faith. . because , imposition upon mens consciences necessitates them to sin , in yielding a conformity contrary to their own faith ; for whatsoever is not of a mans own faith , is sin . . because , that imposition and force wrestles with flesh and blood , and carnal weapons , which are contrary to the apostles doctrine , who said , our weapons are not carnal , but spiritual , and mighty through god ; and we wrestle not with flesh , and blood. . because , there is but one iudge , law-giver , and king in and over the conscience , as the saints have testified in the scriptures of truth ; and whosoever would intrude , so as to be judge and law-giver over the conscience , intrencheth upon the perogative of christ , isa. . . iames . . . because , it is prophesied in isa. , the woolf shall dwell with the lamb , and the leopard shall lie down with the kid , and there shall be no destroyer in all the holy mountain : and therefore no imposition upon mens consciences . . because , to impose upon mens consciences for differences in faith , is contrary to the advice of the apostle , who directs people to wait upon god to be satisfied , and not to the magistrates , or others , to be forced ; who saith , whereunto we have attained , let us walk ; and wherein any man is otherwise minded , god shall reveal , even that unto him . . because , to force mens consciences , and to lay yoaks upon them , is to make void the blood-shed and sufferings of christ , who sits upon the throne of the conscience , and gives liberty there ; and commands us to stand fast in that liberty , and not to be entangled through the impositions of men , or yoak of bondage , gal. . . . because , in all nations the different professions and perswasions of religion , are either friends or enemies to the governors ; if friends then obliged by that bond ; if enemies then christ's command is to take place , who saith , love your enemies , which if observed , persecution for conscience will be avoided . . because toleration of different perswasions in religion was allowed in the iewish state , as not inconsistant with their safety , and that in things contrary each to other , as the sadduces , pharisees , esaeans , herodians , with others . . because , the true religion cannot be preached up by force of armes , and the primitive christians detested that form of proceedings . . because , no man hath such power ( by outward compulsion ) over the souls and consciences of other men , as to lay a necessity on them to believe that which they do not believe , or not to believe what they do believe ; true faith being the gift of god. . because , if the magistrate imposeth upon the conscience , he must either do it as a magistrate , or as a christian . not as a magistrate , for then heathens ( being magistrates ) have the same power to impose ; and so , by revolutions , and conquests , may come to give laws to christians , and compel them to idolatry . . not as christians , for that contradicts christ's saying , the kings of the gentiles exercise lordship over them , but it shall not be so among you , for all ye are brethren . . because ▪ by the same rule and reason that the magistrates of one nation ought to impose upon , and persecute for conscience , the magistrates in all other nations ought to do the same , and so the greatest part of mankind may come to be destroyed , there being more that dissent , than are at unity in matters of faith and religion . . because the strength of truth , and its conquest over falsity and deceit is best discovered by letting both have their liberty , from outward compulsion ; for no doubt , had outward force been less used , the prevalency of truth had been more manifest , and that wise saying , truly experienced in the world , viz. that which is of god will stand , and that which is not , will come to nothing . . because , the disciples of christ are rebuked by him for desiring the destruction of those that were contrary to him , and would not receive him ; which zeal is sharply reproved in his saying , they knew not what spirit they were of . . because , to impose upon mens consciences , and to destroy their persons for difference in religion , is contrary to the end of christ's coming , who saith , he came not to destroy mens lives but to save them . . because ▪ people of divers religions in one nation , if not tollerated , must some of them be destroyed or removed , by banishment ? if destroyed , the constancy and patience of the sufferers for their faith , moving pitty and commiseration , makes men more ready to own , then to reject their faith ; and so rather multiplies , than lessens the number of its professors ; if banished , this renders the banished as so many enemies abroad , ready upon all occasions to disturb the peace and tranquillity of their own native country . there is therefore in order to the outward welfare of all nations , a kind of necessity for a tolleration in them of all religions . . because , to impose upon mens consciences begets a hatred against the imposers in those who are imposed upon , and forced thereby to violate their consciences towards god , in matters of worship . . because , men are commanded to be subject to the powers that are , for conscience sake , and therefore such powers ought not to persecute men for conscience sake , being that is prescribed for the rule of obedience , the scriptures saying , be ye subject not only for wrath , but for conscience sake . sect . . several sayings collected from the speeches , and writings of king iames , and king charles the first . we find it asserted by king iames in his speech to the parliament , in the year . who said , that it is a pure rule in divinity , that god never loves to plant his church with violence and blood ; and furthermore said , it was usually the condition of christians to be persecuted , but not to persecute . and we find the same things in substance asserted again , by his son charles the first , in his book known by the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , printed for r. ro●ston , as followeth . pag. . in his prayer to god , he said , thou seest how much cruelty among christians is acted , under the colour of religion ; as if we could not be christians , unless we crucifie one another . pag. . make them at length seriously to consider , that nothing violent and injurious can be religious . pag. . nor is it so proper to hew out religious reformations by the sword , as to pollish them by fair and equal disputations , among those that are most concerned in the differences , whom , not force , but reason ought to convince . sure in matters of religion , those truths gain most upon mens judgements and consciences , which are least urged with secular violence , which weakens truth with prejudices . pag. . it being an office , not only of humanity , rather to use reason then force , but also of christianity to seek peace , and ensue it . pag. , . in point of true conscientious tenderness , i have often declared , how little i desire my laws and scepter should intrench on gods soveraignty , which is the only king of mens consciences . pag. . nor do i desire any man should be further subjuect unto me , then all of us may be subject unto god. concerning oaths . pag. . the injoyning of oaths , upon people , must needs in things doubtfull be dangerous , as in things unlawfull damnable . some words of advice from charles the first , to the then prince of wales , now king of england , &c. page . my counsel and charge to you is , that you seriously consider the former real or objected miscariages , which might occasion my troubles , that you may avoid them , &c. beware of exasperating any factions , by the crosness and asperity of some mens passions , humors , and private opinions , imployed by you , grounded only upon differences in lesser matters , which are but the skirts and suburbs of religion , wherein a charitable connivance , and christian tolleration , often dissipates their strength , when rougher opposition fortifies , and puts the despised and oppressed party into such combinations , as may most enable them to get a full revenge on those they count their persecutors , who are commonly assisted by that vulgar commisseration , which attends all that are said to suffer under the notion of religion . pag. . take heed that outward circumstances and formalities of religion devour not all . pag. . your prerogative is best shewed and exercised in remitting , rather then exacting the rigor of the laws , there being nothing worse then legal tyranny . to these sayings we add more , as collected out of the same book in duodecimo . in his prayer , page . o never suffer me for any reason of state to go against the reason of conscience , which is highly to fight against thee , the god of reason , and judge of our consciences . p. . break in sunder , oh lord , all violent confederations to do wickedly and injuriously . page . thou , oh lord , shalt destroy them that speak lyes ; the lord will abhor both the blood-thirsty and deceitful men . page . church affairs should be mannaged neither with tyranny , parity , nor popularity — neither people oppressed . page . he declares his willingness for fair satisfaction unto all , and against covetousness , and superstition . page . oh thou that art the god of reason and peace , soften our hearts — and perswade us to accept of peace with thy self , and both to secure and preserve peace among our selves , as men and christians — condemn us not to our passions , which are destructive both of our selves and others ; clear up our understandings to see thy truth , both in reason as men , and in religion as christians . page . stir up all parties pious ambitions to overcome each other with reason , moderation , and such self-denial as becomes , &c. page . o thou soveraign of our souls , the only commander of our consciences . and further , in his advice to the prince of wales now king , &c. page . the best government and highest soveraignity you can attain unto , is , to be subject to god , that the scepter of his word , and spirit may rule in your heart . page . he pleads for better arguments for convincement , then tumults , armies , and prisons . pag. . alwayes keep up sollid piety , and those fundamental truths , which mend both hearts and lives of men with impartial favour and justice . pag. . my charge and counsel to you is , that as you need no palliations for any design , so that you studdy really to exceed in true and constant demonstrations of goodness , piety and vertue ( towards the people ) even all these men that make the greatest noise and ostentations of religion , so you shall neither fear any detection , ( as they do who have but the mask of goodness ) nor shall you frustrate the just expectations of your people . pag. . use all princely arts and clemency to heal the wounds , that the smart of the cure may not equal the anguish of the hurt . pag. ▪ as your quality sets you beyond any duel with any subject , so the nobleness of your mind must raise you above the meditating any revenge , or executing your anger upon the many . pag. . keep you to true principles of piety , vertue , and honour ; you shall never want a kingdom . in his meditations on death ; pag. it is indeed a sad fate for any man to have his enemies to be accuser , parties and judge . some few errors and defects having escaped the press , the reader may correct . page . line . for actions , read axioms . p. . l. . for repugnatum , read repurgatam . l. . for persus , read persas . p. . l. . for distinguished , read extinguished . p. . l. . for counsel like , read like counsel . the end . the papists strength, principles, and doctrines (which they are sworn to preach, from the councel of trent, by the popes authority, and after confirmed by the last general assembly at rouen, , all which they have sworn to perform) answered and confuted furthermore their principles and doctrines answered and confuted, as they were laid down in two or three severall papers, by r.w. papist, lately sent from holland : also a challenge to the pope and all his adherents to choose out of all his dominions some cardinals, fryers, or jesuits to try their bread and wine, after consecration (by watching on their side and on our side) to prove that if afterward they have consecrated it, whether the bread and wine doth not loose its taste and savour, and so not the body and blood of christ : also a paper to all them that fast and afflict themselves who are in the will-worship and voluntary humility : also some quæries to all the papists upon earth to be answered in writing and sent to them, which all sects upon the earth call quakers / by george fox. fox, george, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing f ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing f estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the papists strength, principles, and doctrines (which they are sworn to preach, from the councel of trent, by the popes authority, and after confirmed by the last general assembly at rouen, , all which they have sworn to perform) answered and confuted furthermore their principles and doctrines answered and confuted, as they were laid down in two or three severall papers, by r.w. papist, lately sent from holland : also a challenge to the pope and all his adherents to choose out of all his dominions some cardinals, fryers, or jesuits to try their bread and wine, after consecration (by watching on their side and on our side) to prove that if afterward they have consecrated it, whether the bread and wine doth not loose its taste and savour, and so not the body and blood of christ : also a paper to all them that fast and afflict themselves who are in the will-worship and voluntary humility : also some quæries to all the papists upon earth to be answered in writing and sent to them, which all sects upon the earth call quakers / by george fox. fox, george, - . howgill, francis, - . [ ], , [ ] p. printed for t. simmons ..., london : . the answer to r.w. his paper wherein he vindicates the doctrine and practise of the romane church so called, to be the church of christ, signed f.h. [f. howgill], p. - . reproduction of original in huntington library. eng catholic church -- controversial literature. society of friends -- sources. a r (wing f ). civilwar no the papists strength, principles, and doctrines (which they are sworn to preach, from the conncel [sic] of trent, by the popes authority, an fox, george d the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the d category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the papists strength , principles , and doctrines ( which they are sworn to preach , from the councel of trent , by the popes authority , and after confirmed by the last general assembly at roven , . all which they have sworn to perform ) answered and confuted . furthermore their principles and doctrines answered and confuted , as they were laid down in two or three severall papers , by r. w. papist , lately sent from holland . also a challenge to the pope and all his adherents to choose out of all his dominions some cardinals , fryers , or jesuits to try their bread and wine , after consecration ( by watching on their side and on our side ) to prove that if afterward they have consecrated it , whether the bread and wine doth not loose its taste and savour , and so not the body and blood of christ . also a paper to all them that fast and afflict themselves who are in the will-worship and voluntary humility . also some quaeries to all the papists upon earth to be answered in writing and sent to them , which all sects upon the earth call quakers . by george fox . london , printed for thomas simmons , at the bull and mouth neer aldersgate , . the papists principles as followeth , whose name subscribed thereunto , is r. w. priest . he saith , he cannot but admire to see what a power satan hath over the sons of adam , and especially ●ver schismaticks , and apostates , from the union of the roman catholique church . answ. the● that be in the true light chr●●● jesus , that fathoms the world , 〈◊〉 not admire to see the great power of satan over the sons of adam in the fall , and over all the schismaticks and apostates ; for schismaticks and apostates , and the sons of adam in the transgression be all ●n the devils power , where he is in the transgression out of the truth , in one power murderers ; for the devil a murthe●er , sons of adam m●r●herers , in the fall out of the truth , schismaticks and apostates out of the truth , murtherers , and will all murther , and no●●dmired at with the children of light , who has tryed their spirits : so devil , sons of adam in the fall , and papists , and protestants , that will all murther ; for religion and worship be all in the devils power , murtherers , out of the truth , that christ and the apostles was in : so the roman catholique church which will murther , is satans synagogue , for he is the murtherer , and there he hath his seat : and all the protestants that be murtherers about religion and worship , are satans synagogue , are apostates and schismat●cks as well as you ; they were the first great synagogue of satan , and the first apostates and schismaticks from the life of the apostles , and christ , though since the dayes of the apostles you have apostatized from the life , others has professed against you , and so are broken into heaps , and names ; satan has got up many synagogues in many parts of the world , and gotten the sheeps cloathing , and cryed up himself to be the name of ch●●stian , which is meer antichrist quite against him , compelling all by sword , or faggot , or prison , or stocks , or whips , or houses of correction , or gaols , or inquisitions , to worship him . this is quite against christ & the apostles spirit ; in the apostasie from them apostatized : so you may strange to see the devils power over the sons of adam , apostates and schismaticks , and not see your selves swallowed up in the devils power , doing his work ; thus judging others , not seeing your selves , for the devill , sons of adam in the fall from the truth , and you who are apostatized from christ and the apostles doctrine , and the schismaticks that be from you in words , and sects , and names , that be called protestants , that will murther for religion and worship , they be all in the same power which the devil is in ; for the devil is out of the truth , the sons of adam out of the truth , and the church of rome out of the truth , apostatized protestants and all others that be out of the spirit , that gave forth the scriptures , be out of the truth , such are murthering one another about words , and are satans synagogues wre●●ling against flesh and blood . striking at creatures , in stead of striking at the power that captivates creatures , to the intent that creatures might come into the liberty of the sons of god , which was the work of the apostles and christ . pr. no man can discern head or foot of the quakers method , or order ; yet there is some shew of reason in their quaeries . answ. thus he confounds himself , babylon : and we do believe that neither the papists , apostates , protestants , nor sons of adam , nor d●vill out of the truth , can know either head or foot of the quakers principles , with all their thinkings ; for the quakers is come into that which the devil is out of , sons of adam is out of , the papists are out of , and the protestants , that which overwhelmes them all , devill , sons of adam , papists , protestants out of the life of god , with it are they all judged , which life the quakers are in . pr. he saith , not one papist that he knows doth call himselfe a defender of the faith : yet he saith in a sense , in writing against our principles , he might call himself a defender of the catholique church and faith , and yet notwithstanding he could not defend himselfe from the devill . answ. in this thou hast shewed thy faith , and the faith of the catholique church , which will not defend you from the d●vill ; so ye are the reprobates from the faith of the elect , that quenches the fiery darts of the devill , and gives victory over the world and the devill , and is their shield , and with that faith is his kingdom subdued : and we do believe that the faith will not defend you from the devill ; and if thou knowest never a papist that is a defender of the catholique faith , what have you done with all the fires and faggots , and inquisitions and killings and slayings , and writing of your great volumns against them that have protested against you all this time ? but now your faith fails , and your wheel is gone off , and the confusion of babylon is confounded , and the faith of gods elect contended for , witnessed amongst them called quakers , whose weapons are not carnall , but spirituall . and your wicked priests , and such as be in the reprobate sence like judas , betraying the just , have been the preachers and teachers which has gotten the form of godlinesse , but are out of the power , and the life , and these are them that have risen against the saints and overcome them , which are now warring against the lamb and the saints , but the lamb and the saints shall have the victory . pr. and whereas you say you give the title of holinesse to the pope after the same manner as was given to the high priest in the old testament , and wicked magistrates was called gods , and the priests wear their titles upon their breasts , and jacob called his wicked brother esau lord , and there is scriptures enough to give honourable titles to wicked men . answ. these are sutable proofs for the pope , and sutable examples . first , the priest-hood is ended ; they were never in that latitude , neither are you to be measured with them , neither do any true christians . as for esau and wicked magistrates , the fruits of this amongst you has appeared , and the wicked must bow before the just , and esau the elder must be a seruant to the younger ; and salvation is come out of sion , who judges the mount of esau , and is gathering the elect jacob , who rides over the high places of the earth , which have set up your images ; but you have shewed the fruits of esau , who are slaying and killing the just ; but who be in the power of christ , who hath all power in heaven and earth given unto him , be out of esau's , and be o' th top on his mount , and answers the elect. pr. he saith that purgatory is a temporall punishment to faithfull persons after death , who have not done due pennance for their sins in their life time , so must do pennance after death . answ. the faithful persons that be in the true faith of gods elect , which is the mistery held in a pure conscience , which gives victory over the world , purifies the heart , by which men are justified , and please god . this gives them victory over death , sin , hell , and all that which you do pennance for . now they that be reprobate concerning this faith , are doing pennance all their lifetime , and say they must have a purgatory to do pennance , when their life is ended ; and so all poor people you have a pittiful thing to passe through , a fire , before you be purified : and as for christs , and the apostles , and saints sufferings , you are found in that nature that caused the just always to suffer ; and as for your doctrine of purgatory , it is come up since the days of the apostles amongst the apostates , the devill has set it up , who is out of the truth , by his power , since he set up his synagogue ; but who be in the faith , be over his purgatory and synagogues , and the doctrine of it which is come up since the dayes of the apostles , for which there is no scripture ; for the saints which believed had passed from death to life , and so from the purgatory . for purgatory is in the death , he that passeth from it comes over purgatory and death both , to reigne with christ ; here you shew your selves , you are not believers . pr. the receiving of the sacrament thou saist is not for the cleansing of you from sin , but for the nourishment of your souls , the body and blood of christ being in it . answ. why do you and the protestants kill one another about such things , seeing that you say the body and blood of christ is in the sacrament , the bread and wine : and the protestants say , in it is the spirit of christ , as you may look in a book called the scotch principles , and in their catechisms , and is it not the same blood that cleanseth , which nourishes ? how are you confused in this , and put to your shifts . i have heard talk of papists and jesuites were witty men ; but i see it is at an end , and that which nourishes the immortall soule is not the mortal creatures , ye are deceived in thinking so , and the protestants both ; that which nourishes the soul is christ the power of god , who is the bishop of it , the life , the truth , the power of god , which is the immortall souls food , and not the bread that will perish , and things that will perish , which those looked after that followed christ for a time , which was in the perishing minde , which laboured after the perishing things , and laboured not for the bread which comes downe from above , which indures to eternall life , which who eats of it hungers no more . and so that is the devils doctrine and the apostates , which is got up since the days of the apostles , which tels people , after they have consecrated the bread and wine , it is the body and blood of christ ; which christ said bread would perish , for his flesh saw no corruption . nor his body would not perish , nor his blood that cleanseth from the dead works , through which blood they overcome death : and the word and power gives every creature its being without the consecration ; but that which nourishes the immortal soul is the mortal ; and man lives not by bread alone , but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of god ; and this is christs doctrine , and the others is the devils , and apostates out of the life and power of christ , that saith , men must live by bread alone . pr. christ useth the priest in the hands of a workman to make the sacrament , which is the body and bloud of christ , he saith , that the formes of bread and wine which will corrupt cannot take away sin , and after consecration it is not bread and wine , but the very body and bloud of christ . answ. in this you have shewed your confusion and unestablished state , was it the very body and bloud of christ that made the corinthians drunk ? and in this thou hast confounded thy self in saying , that the formes of bread and wine which is the very body and bloud of christ will corrupt after consecration , then the ministers work in this thou hast spoyled , who are the consecraters , for the body and bloud of christ will not corrupt , nor perish , which bread and wine will , but that which gives bread and wine their being , will never corrupt ; for bread and wine is a thing that is seen , and though the apostle said what he had received of the lord , that did he deliver to the corinthians , how that the same night the lord jesus was betrayed , he took the cup and the bread when he had given thanks , saying , as oft as they did eate that bread and drink that cup they shewed the lords death till he came , and the apostles delivered this to the corinthians ; then in the second epistle he brings them off from the things that are seen , to the things vvhich are not seene which were eternal ; for bread and wine were things seen , and temporal , and bids them prove and examin themselves whether or no christ was come , know you not your own selves how that jesus christ is in you except you be reprobates ? and he is the living bread that came down from above , who gives life unto the world , and he that eates of this bread lives and abides for ever . and as for thy word sacrament , we do not find that word expressed in scripture , nor where the apostles spoke by mary , as you do , who adore your own words , that are apostatized from the life & them that witness christ the substance in them , they see the end of all things is come , christ jesus , him by whom all things was made , who is the end of all things , him is possest , such are not reprobates , but reprobates and judas may stick in the outward things , as the jewes did , whose table was a trap , and eyes blinded , as you do , who are inwardly ravened from the spirit of god , and are the wolves in sheeps clothing worrying the lambs that comes to witness christ in them the substance , and hath proved and examined themselves and found him , and so there people sticking in that they call the sign , and keeping people from the substance , receiving christ jesus in them , for these things was to be done in remembrance of christ until he came , now if bread and wine be the body of christ and his bloud , then he is come , how do you that in remembrance of him untill he come , was they to eate his body and drink his bloud till he come ? did he go away in the spirit , and leave his body behind , answer this , whether or no his body did not rise , and whether his body be elementary ? there was a protestant against you that said the body of christ was corruptible , and you said the bread and wine is the body and bloud of christ , and that will corrupt , and so we see you all in the error . pr. he saith the bare form of bread and wine doth change , and though the light lead up to christ , they see nothing but that which doth change , namely bread and wine . answ. hear thou hast confounded thy self , and all the papists , the whole body of them , and confounded your own wisdom and knowledge , and your own faith in things you do professe ; fo● the body of christ , and his bloud doth not change , and yet you say that bread and wine after consecration is the very body and bloud of christ , and hear you say doth change , which is not comparable to the body and bloud of christ that corrupts not nor changes not ; in this you have confounded your selves and blinded your souls in looking at things which are seen , which the divel and wicked ones out of the light do run into , which you poor creatures are captivated under his power ▪ things that are not seen are invisible , but things that are seen , as bread and wine , are visible . pr. our faith and doctrine is that jesus christ hath but one body , and that the same body which is in that sacrament shall come at last to judge us all . answ. the body of christ which you call the bread after consecration , which thou hast confessed is a changeable thing , the ●orm of bread , that which is changeable is not a judge , christ and his body is not changeable , so therefore to judge , and shall remain his body when bread and wine ceases ; so in this thou hast overthrown your own doctrine , and faith and foundation , and proved your selves to be stones of babylon , who with them builds up and throwes down again . pr. whereas thou queriest whether god is able to make one body to be in two , or two thousand places at once . answ. the body of christ is his flesh which he gives for the life of the world , which they that eat it , and feed upon it , are of his flesh and lives for ever , and are in more places then one , & comes to be of his flesh and of his bone , and at this the jewes stumbled that followed him for temporal bread , and if temporal bread had been the body of christ , why would he bid them labour not for the meat that perisheth ? and that he said well in saying this is may body , this is my bloud , and except ye eat my flesh and drink my b●●ud ye have no life in you , but he did not tell the people after they had consecrated bread and wine that it was his body and bloud , and he would drink with them in the kingdom , and did christ eate his own body and drink his own bloud ? answer these queries , we see that the body of christ is hid from you all papists and protestants , and his flesh and his bloud , and his word● are spirit and life , and that remains , and bread and wine it is the elements ; did it come down from above , from heaven ? after you have consecrated it , is it not the wine that came of the grapes , and the bread which was baked ? christs body which is the bread is above the manna which is given from heaven , much more far above the bread of man ; christ the true bread , far above angles-food , is the body of christ , which who eates it lives for ever ; they that eated the manna the angels-food perished in the wildernesse , many of them , and far above mans bread that 's temporal , and drink , which they may eate and drink and hunger and thurst again , and perish , and which will perish . which they that decernes the lords body decernes him that gives every creature its being , the word of god by which all things was made , and none of the figures nor shadowes nor types are the body of christ ; but that which ends them all ; to you that is the word of the lord , which body was before they were , which body is the church , the piller and ground of truth , and bread is not the church after consecration , for the apostles never told us of that doctrine no vvhere in the scriptures , but you that of the body of christ be ignorant , the top-stone is laid on your heads , and the body of christ makes us free from the lavv . pr. we do not teach that bread after the consecration is the flesh of christ but we say that after christ had uttered these words , this is my body , or after the priests according to christs command , do this in remembrance of me , do utter the same words which we call consecration , then the substance of bread vanisheth and is no more there , but the body of christ commeth in its place . answ. this again is confusion , and you are confused and confounded in your own principles , if the bread and wine , which you say is not the flesh of christ after consecration , how is his body there , and how can you say it is his body ? and thus you confound your selves . pr. thou saist thou dost not find any expresse command of the apostle in scripture for observing of dayes , nor meats , nor none of these things , as meats , or crosses , but what the church shall command , and saith , but the church hath commanded us to observe dayes and meats , and that a crosse should be made in remembrance of christs passion , and the images of christ and his saints may be set up and honored , and that we should invoke the saints , &c. and whatsoever the church commandeth us ; and this is the sure and unmoveable ground upon which our catholique faith even to the very least circumstance and ceremony is built , &c. and the contrary ground is the ground of all hereticks . answ. we do believe you that all these observing of meats , dayes and crosses is set up by your churches command , and all your tythes , priests , pulpits and temples , amongst you and the protestants which hath been set up by your church command , which is offended if they be not observed , which is set up since the dayes of the apostles , which is apostatized from the apostles and the true church , in the apostacy , and are fallen into schisms and heresies and lying signes , which is your crosse , who are gone from the power of god , which is the cross of christ , who are them which the spirit spoke of expresly before the apostles decease that should depart from the faith , forbidding eating of meats , and marriage , which is the divels doctrin , who has given heed to seducing spirits , now you may see it is your mother which you call the church which is the mother of harlots , which your mother harlotted from the true church , the apostles doctrin , for the true church of the apostles did never command that men should abstayn from meats , or set up a crosse of wood or stone , or worship images , or saints , or names , or bow down to them , but worship god , and worship not the angels . now these things hath been sett up since the dayes of the apostles , in the apostacy from the true church , which has made war against the saints and over-come them , but now is the saints and the lamb come to have victory , and now the lamb and saints will have victory , who is come to reign and the holy prophets and the saints shall rejoyce over you : sing and rejoyce ye heavens , and rejoyce ye saints and holy prophets over her that 's your church which is inwardly ravened from the spirit of god , and has reigned over the kings of the earth , and all other that hath had the name of christianity , & out of the life of christ , found in your skirts ; the lamb will tread you together in the press without the city of the living god , & the church which is the pillar and ground of truth , against which the gates of hell cannot prevail , though they may fall all on heaps one among another about their worships : and we say that your mother the church , so called , hath commanded and laid the foundation of tythes amongst the protestants , and all their observing of saints dayes , holy dayes , and you have been them that has taught them to give the names , yea to their schooles , colleges , steeple-houses , which were your mass-houses , which the protestants has made their churches of them , you were the first root and layer of the ground and author of them , you and they are all judged with the spirit , which is not apostacy , which was before apostacy was . pr. i say again , that christ is not without a body , and the same body which is in the sacrament , is that which was born of the virgin mary , which dyed for us , and now sitteth at the right hand of god , and none other . answ. heaven is above , and earth is beneath , there is an earthly body , and there is a heavenly body , a naturall and a spirituall ; and if that which was born of the virgin mary be your bread after consecration , which body saw no corruption , though put in the grave . now see if your bread which you call the body of christ , will not corrupt after it lye a while , though you have consecrated it ; then how can you say that is the body of christ at the right hand of god ? and outward bread which will corrupt , which the body of christ saw none , which was born of the virgin , the lamb slain from the foundation of the world ; yet he did not corrupt , nor saw no corruption . pr. and to say , is christ to be looked for in the saints , is so profound that he cannot reach the depth of the meaning , the roman catholiques use no such manner of speech . answ. i do believe you ; since the dayes of the apostles amongst you that are got up in your likenesses and images , that sayes its so profound you cannot reach the meaning of it to ask you whether christ be in the saints , and amongst the roman catholiques , you have no such manner of speech , i do believe you ; and so you put him in the sacrament without you , and call the bread and wine his body and blood ; so this is to prove your selves to be reprobates , so are judged by the apostles doctrine , and the scripture . know you not in your own selves , how that jesus christ is in you except ye be reprobates ? priest . the more honour we give to saints , the more honour we give to christ . indeed to give godly honour to saints , is to commit idolatry . answ. if that you do not give godly honour to the saints , it is ungodly ; and here in this you have again confounded your selves , and that honour which belongs to the saints is of god , and godly , and not idolatry ; but that honour which you give , which is not godly , is given to such which are not saints , which is idolatry ; and so that honour which you should give to god , you give to images , in kneeling to them ; and so in that you are as the heathen , and are found idolaters , which never did any of the apostles kneel before an image ; but you that inwardly ravened from the spirit of god , and so lost the image of god , and fallen down to images . pr. a crosse , a crucifix , or an image of christ or any saint , whether they be made of silver , stone , or wood , are according to our doctrine but dead creatures ; neverthelesse are profitable and honourable memorials of them , and do much help our devotion , and demonstrate our love and affection to them , and they are not idols , but they represent unto us christ and his saints . answ. so then they being but dead things , and you bowing to dead things , is to idols ; for bowing to a dead stock or a stone is a bowing to idols , as saith the prophet , and dead images . now you having them as you say , to represent unto you christ , and to put you in minde of him and the saints , shews that you have not christs spirit in you , nor him in you , nor his mind in you , so are reprobates , and are none of his ; for those that have christ in them , and his minde in them , need no such representations as to put them in minde of christ , or to fall down before crosses , crucifixes , images , dead things , to stir up the love towards ch●ist ; which the blood of christ purgeth the conscience from dead workes , and not to bow down to dead images ; but thi● shews the love of god is not in you . dead things do not stirre up the love of god in people , but the faith which works by love , this stirs up the love towards christ who is the author of it , and the saints , to make images of the saints , and observing of dayes , shews that you are not come to just mens spirits ; which who are , need no other thing to put them in mind , nor observe dayes ; for they see over dayes , and so in these principles , i see ye are reprobates concerning the faith which works by love ; for the love of god is not in you , you are not come to the j●st mens spirits , so not to the church of the living god , the mind of christ you have not , his spirit ye have not , and christ is not in you , and so in the reprobation in the apostacy , and are fain to have dead images and pictures , and crosses , dead representations to put you in mind of christ , and to stir up your love , otherwise it would grow cold ; and that is the nature that will murther , and all those things , images , crosses , are held up by the spirit of murther , and not by the power of god , the cross of christ . pr. in some particulars he saith , there is no difference between them and the heathens ; as first i confesse their idols are made of silver , wood , and stone , and so are our images ; their idols were but dead creatures which had eyes and see not , and so are our images ; they bow to their idols , and we bow to our images : so far the resemblance is good , and the heathens do believe that their idols were able to help them , and we say our images and idols stirs up our love to christ . answ. so therein the images helps you as the heathens do , and you may see that all those things are got up since the dayes of the apostles , & you that be inwardly ravened from the spiri of god , and gotten the sheeps cloathing as the jews and the gentiles which was astray from the spirit of god , worshipping images & idols , which when the jews was in the spirit of god they kept above them all : so you being gone from the spirit of the lord , are fallen under images and dead idols since the days of the apostles , and bows down to them as the heathens , & they are dead a● the heathens , and so you are aposta●ized from the spirit of god , in which god is worshipped , and apostatized from the true church , who said , keep your selves from idols , for there was never any talk of worshipping of images , and bowing to images amongst them ; but the jewes while they lived in the law of god , they broke down the images of the heathens : so all that be in the life of god will break down the founder of the images amongst you apostates , which sees not and hears not : and jeremiah saying to them that worshipped images , who said unto a stone , thou art my father , and to the wood thou hast brought me forth . so say you to your images , pictures , and crosses , thou putst us in minde , thou art our similitude , and puts us in minde of christ , of mary , and shewing that you have not the minde of christ in you ; but dead stocks and stones must put you in minde , so this ( of yours ) is a higher mystery of iniquity then that of the heathen . pr. you say you account of the pictures no more then we account of any picture or pictures in our houses . answ. that is not so , thou dost not speak with the bit in thy mouth , we do not fall down to them , but deny them . pr. and the heathens did all kinde of godly honour directly to their idols ; but the small honour which we do to the images or pictures of the saints , is no more then an outward complement as i may say , just as it was the fashion in england to put off ones hat , or bow to the kings throne in honour of the king : neither do we this honour to the pictures simply considered as pictures , but as they are representations of christ and his saints . answ. that honour which the heathen did to their idols , was not godly honour ; for that which gave the honour to the idols , might be confounded before that came up that gave the godly honour ( to god ) though they worshipped the creatures and served idols , who should have worshipped the creator , who is god blessed for ever , and served him ; and your bowing and kneeling down to images , and before them , it is the worship of the beast , and that is more then a complement to kneel down and bow down to images which you call representations , and this is come up and got up amongst you since the power of god hath been lost , which should have brought you to have bowed down to the lord , and to have prayed in the spirit , and to have had him in your mindes , and not an idoll to put him in your minds : and the bowing before the kings throne in the kings absence ; and the hat in england , that is but the dead minde that bows the dead hat to the dead throne , and a dead honour , and so all the honour that is given to images is but a dead honour given from the dead principle , and not from the living principle of god within , which brings to worship god who never accepts the other ; and that bowing the hat before the kings throne in the kings absence is denyed by all that fears god , and judged , and worships him , and bows to him , for that is sup●rstition ( your bowing before images , and pictures , and crosses ) as bad & worse ( then that prof●sse christ and have him not in your minds ) then the heathens bowing to molock , baal , jupiter , bac●hus , venus , &c ▪ whose spirits are as unclean as theirs , who have set up images and crosses to bow down to them . you are the unclean spirits as the heathen , and a higher mystery of iniquity then the heathen ; but now is discovered by that which hath long been hid by the light christ jesus , and the seed of god which hath discovered the mystery of iniquity , which is the mistery of godlin●sse , and all these pictures , & crosses , and bowings is come up since the days of the apostles , for amongst them there was no such things . amongst you who have lost the power of god , the crosse of christ , and the image of god , and has not the mind of christ in you , so are fain to have dead images , crosses , and pictures , which you call representations , to put your dead minds in remembrance of christ , and to stir it up which kills and slayes the just , all that be contrary to it ; and the heathen and you do not differ , for they bow to images , and so do you ; but yours ( as i have said ) is a greater mistery of iniquity , who has fled from the true foundation of the true church , which is the pillar and ground of truth , and so since have got up your images and idols . pr. now because the main thing which you do carp at is at our bowing before images or pictures of the saints , to the end that all your mouths may eternally be stopt , i will shew you out of the scripture , that notwithstanding the bowing down to idols is most strictly forbidden in the second command●ment and other places of scripture ; yet was it lawfull both to make , honour and bow down to other images , and other representations , although they were but dead creatures , and the worke of mens hands . the arke of the covenant you must confess was but a dead creature made of wood and other materials , by the hands of men ; and upon this arke were placed two images , or representations of cherubims , read the of joshua , vers. . and you will finde that he and all israel did worship and fall down before this ark and these images , after the same manner that we fall down before a crosse or a crucifix , or the images of the saints . answ. joshua and israel falling down before the ark , which was in prayer to the lord , and the lord heard him , and spoke to him , and answered him . now he doth not say that he fell down to the ark or to the images , or bowed down to them ; for the law was contrary , which saith , thou shalt not bow down , &c. but he and israel fell down before the ark to the lord ; and this is nothing to the bowing now to images , and pictures , and crosses , for that was the time of the figure , there was a temple made , and many things , tabernacle and sanctuary , which was all in the types and figures , before the substance was come ; but now the substance is come , christ jesus , who ends all types and figures , and similitudes , and the patterns , for he is the substance of those things that figured him forth , who hath opened their mouths . so now your crosses , and your images , and your pictures , and your bowings before them wch you have made and set up is antichristian , without any command of god , against christ who is the substance . and if joshua had bowed to the outward arke , or altar , or temple , or any of the figures , &c. but it was not so , and the command of god was the contrary ; and we say christ is come , the everlasting covenant , the everlasting priesthood ; for in the first covenant and priesthood was the figures , and there was singings , &c. but now they that sing must sing in the spirit , and they that pray must pray in the spirit , and they that worship must worship in the spirit ; so it was the work of the apostles to bring people off the shadows and changeable things , to christ the substance , where there was no shadow not change , nor variablenesse , and to keep them from idols , and so all your idols , images , crosses , crucifixes , representations , are set up since the apostacy , from the apostles , and so our mouths are eternally opened ; and that scripture in joshua the . brings nothing for you , for the jewes ark is gone , and down now , and their altar and temple is down and gone , and denyed by them that be true christians in the life ; but them that have a name , but be dead , are setting up imitations and likenesses that has lost the life of christ , and his minde , and the image of god , are falling down before dead idols ; but christ is risen , and those that be risen with him are seeking those things that be above ; for crosses , crucifixes , images , idols , be below among the dirty mud where the devill is , in the earth , the murtherer , and murthering one another about their idols and these dead things which are all out of the truth . pr. and even as joshua and the israelites made their prayers to god after this manner and ceremony , so do we make our prayer unto christ and the blessed trinity ; and because we have , or at least ought to have a sense of our own basenesse , and of the just indignation of christ against us , we turne our selves to his saints and blessed mother , who are likewise represented unto us by these pictures , and do humbly beseech them to mediate between us and christ . answ. joshua his falling down before the arke to pray to the lord ; your falling down & praying before your images and idols , and crosses , to put you in minde of christ is not measurable nor comparable with joshua's ; but for the ark which joshua fell down before , it is ended , which arke was a command of god , but yours god never commanded , but have been invented by you that have apostatized from the apostles , who saith , little children , keep your selves from idols ; so that which god commanded being denyed which they fell before , much more ought yours to be denyed which god never commanded , and both are judged with the spirit of truth in which the saints pray to god the father of spirits , who can pray without images , or representations , or idols ; and the saints , and the apostles , christ bade them pray in his name , not in the name of mary , & not in the name of the saints , nor in the name of his mother , but ask in his own name ; for saith he , who is my mother , sister , and brother , but those that do the will of my father : so this i say , though people be never so vile , they are not to ask in the name of the apostles , nor of the saints , nor in the name of mary , but in the name of christ ; and he hears such who asks in his name , for there is no other name under heaven given by which any can be saved , then by the name of jesus . pr. he saith , when ye shall see the signe of the son of man , which is the signe of the cross in the ayre , &c. then shall all the mockers of this signe of the cross seeke to hide themselves in the clifts of the rocks . answ. who be in the crosse of christ which is the power of god , they are in christ , and are made free from the wrath that is to come , and are in christ , which was before the hills , rocks , and mountains was setled ; but your rocks , and your mountains , and hills in the apostacy hath covered you , and to them you have cryed , and under them you have sheltered , who has drunk the blood of the martyrs , and prophets , and saints since the days of the apostles ; and your crosse is in the ayr set up by the prince thereof ( who have inwardly ravened from the spirit of god ) which is the lying signe and the wonder , and not the signe of the son of man ; so spirituall sodome and spirituall aegypt , which is darknesse , mystery babylon the great mother of harlots which inwardly ravened from the spirit of god , which has reigned over the kings of the earth , which have set up her inventions , and turned against them that was in the spirit of god , who be in the lying signes and wonders : and the son of man is coming upon you like a thief in the night , the same to day , yesterday , and for ever . and all schisms and heresies in the whole christendome ( so called ) is amongst you and such that professe the scriptures , but be out of the life that gave it forth , which with it , the life , we comprehend you all , which life was before the scriptures was given forth , and who be in it be of the church . pr. he saith , if you will look upon others , then draw your eyes from the bad and worser sort , and look upon the better sort , whose lives and conversations are without reproof , whose godlinesse , innocency , love and charity to all men , &c. more then any other sort , and the very best amongst you in true reall worth and weight may no more compare then lead or dirt may be compared with gold . answ. your works and fruits should praise you ( that is the counsell of a wise man ) and not thy own tongue , and your own tongues ; but how can you speak of innocency , or godlinesse , or humility , when that fires , inquisitions , and gaols , and killing of such as be contrary to your minds , which was not the work of the apostles , nor of them that kept the faith of gods elect , that gives victory over the world ; and so those whom you call bad , and those whom you call good , are all found one here , having drank the whores cup , found in the fornication , without husband , out of the true humility , which is christ the seed that bears the sin and iniquity . pr. you take offence because the roman faith doth teach it lawfull to punish schismaticks and hereticks with the sword ; but if you will be mad , and say that those which seduce mens souls , & cause schisms and heresies in the church , and disturb the peace thereof , must be let alone , and may in no wise be punished , who can help it . answ. the faith of the true church did not teach any such doctrine to punish schismaticks and hereticks , or seducers with an outward sword , but said on the contrary , their weapons was not carnall , but spirituall . now the carnall weapons who punish them you call hereticks and schismaticks , whose church is disturbed by such . you shew you have not the power to convince gainsayers , & stop the mouths of them and make them to confess that god is in you of a truth ; and this doth shew that you are reprobated from the true faith which the apostles were in , and of christ , who said love your enemies , and if any one smite thee on the one cheek , turn the other , novv the beast and false prophets and the anti-christs , mother of harlots , should drink the bloud of the saints , martyrs and prophets , and kill them , which the faith and patience of the saints did not rise against ; now again the lamb and the saints should have the victory which should slay with the sword , which are the words of his mouth , not vvrestle against flesh and bloud , killing creatures , but over-comming with the bloud of the lamb , and here is the faith and patience of the saints whose kingdom is not of this world , but you that are killing with the sword , fire and fagots , and inquisition , bowing before images , idols , pictures & crosses , these be all of this world and kingdomes of it , carnal weapons and carnal things , held up by the carnal and not spiritual . now of your speaking of the magistrates , of the higher power , which is higher then all image-makers , and idols , which gave them to see before transgression was , which transgresser set up idols and images which they in the higher power broke down , that was the work of the magistrates , and they had the wisdom to make the true figure , and shadow , which christ came to put an end to . and they that set up images , idols , since the dayes of the apostles , and pictures , and crosses , and holds them up by an outward power , and magistrates , and compels others to bow down to them , is the worship of the beast , and not the worship of god , and this i declare , in the presence of the lord god , and all the magistrates that be in gods fear , they will break down your idols and images , and cross●s and crucifixes , and masse-houses , schooles and colledges , which you make priests and ministers in , which they that know the ministers made by the will of god will do this ; and the exposition of the scriptures by your church we cannot own , which is apostatized from the true church , which bid the saints keep from idols , which all that be of the true church are so to do ; and your church which is run into idols , pictures , and likenesses , is run into error , and is not infallible , and so you are gone from the life which gave forth the scriptures , which peter was in , and so run into idols , and must have images and likenesses to put you in mind of christ and the saints , and you are gon from the spirit & the holy ghost which they was in , which over-saw the churches , who watched for the souls and had the rule over the saints , so from this church are you apostatized & its peace , which church is the pillar and ground of truth , the divel is out of the pillar and ground of truth , he abode not in it , and all schismes & heresies they cannot disturb the peace of this church , here comes no sword-men here ▪ nor carnal weapons , nor inquisitions , fire nor fagget , stockes and prisons , nor idols , all such are w●thout that deceives nations , and tells them they are a church , which slayes the s●ints , p●ophets and martyrs , the same nature slew christ and his a●ostles , and abel with their carnall weapons , for all are one out of the life and power of god , striking at creatures , wrestling against flesh and bloud in stead of striking at the power that captivates the creatures , to the intent that creatures might come to the liberty of the sons of god , now you h●ving not continued in the apos●l●s faith , mind and spirit , but apostatized from them , you have all lost the guide and rule as they were in , both protestants and your selves that be out of the life and faith that the apostles was in that led them to give forth the scriptures , so you have been the wolves in the sheeps clothing , destroying one another about outward things and powers , but with the power of god , and life of god , by them that are in the wisdom of god are you all judged to be out of the kingdom of peace , which is the kingdom of christ fighting with carnal weapons hailing to the goals inquisitions , whips , stocks , houses , of correction , faggots , fires , either protestants or papists are you here like the kingdom of christ his subjects , but like pharisees , jewes , and cain , apostatized from the apostles , lost the faith , lost the unity , lost the spirit of god which the saints was in , which led them to give forth the scriptures , in which is the unity which is the bond of peace , into which all that is called christendome must come before they be one , and all the names blotted out that is amongst them given to them in the apostacy , since the dayes of the apostles , and all their prayers is abomination that be out of that unity ; and to you that is the word of the lord , and the quaeries thou hast not answered , and your prayers is denyed and your peace also , for you have not abided in that which the apostles and the saints was in , which did oversee the churches , but you are turned strikers , which the apostle saith they should not be so , and the apostle saw the comming in of the man of sin , and christ speaks of anti-christ and the false prophets coming in , with their signs and lying wonders , which if it were possible , would deceive the very elect , which john saw was come and went forth from them , and bid the saints keep themselves from idols , for they were them that got up idols which went forth from the apostles , which apostles bid the saints keep to the anointing in them , and they need not that any man should teach them , but as the same anointing teacheth them which is truth and no lye , and even as it had taught them , so they should continue in the father and in the son , and they that went forth from the apostles , went forth from this ; and in the revelations it is declared that all the world went after them who had the lying signes , wonders and the miracles and deceived them that dwelt upon the earth , and that has been the worship of the beast , and this has been since the dayes of the apostles , who said some should depart from the faith which is the shield , and so made war against the saints which was in the faith and over-came them ; but now the devill shall be taken , and with him the beast and the false prophets , and cast alive into the lake of fire , and babylon the great whore confounded , and the lamb and the saints shall have the victory ; and the everlasting gospel shall be preached to them that dwell upon the face of the earth , which is the power of god , and strike down all those that has got the words but not the power , and reach to the life and immortality , that that may come to light through the gospel which is the power of god , and to you that is the word of god . the profession of the catholique faith , of the last councell of roüen , holden in the year . according to the councell of trent , holden the year . which they have taken upon oath and sworn to perform . answ. which faith and profession , and catholique , which is held up and performed by an oath ; a company of swearers , which are sworn to perform the catholique faith and profession , is got up since the dayes of the apostles , and since the dayes of jesus christ in the flesh , and separate from them : for christ saith swear not at all , though they had sworn in the old time , christ who was the oath of god , and the apostle saith , above all things my brethren swear not ( who was in the covenant of god the oath of god , ) not by heaven nor by earth , nor any other oath , least ye fall into condemnation ; so all swearers whatsoever papists or other that are called christians , are fallen under the condemnation ; and the apostles contended for the faith , and was in the faith till death , and true brethren , vvhich vvas held up vvithout an oath ; so all that hold up , or perform their profession of faith , vvith an oath , are apostatized from the true church , faith and profession , from it reprobated , and are under condemnation , from the apostles , saints and christ , vvhich vvas never svvorn to perform the profession of their church , though the first priest-hood svvore , and the angel , and men in strife , and abraham , and solomon , and moses and the prophets , yet christ the second priest-hood , the covenant of god , and the oath of god , is that vvhich ends all o●ths and denyed svvearing ; and the apostl●s that vvere in the faith of him denyed swearing , and these was of the true church , and pure religion : and though the angell swore , the angels must bow down to the son of god , that saith , swear not at all ; who is the end of the prophets , greater then solomon , the end of moses , reigns over the houshold of jacob and joseph , and before abraham , who said , swear not . christ jesus , him by whom all things was made before it was made , the master of the family of heaven and earth , who is the author of the true faith , which is held without an oath ; which author of faith denies oaths and swearing , and ends them , and they deny swearing that be in his faith . . and . prin●iples . in . n. believe of firme faith , and professe all and every of the things contained in the symball of the faith , which the holy roman church uses , viz. i believe in god the father all powerful , creator of heaven , and of the earth , and of all things visible and invisible . and in one lord jesus christ the onely son of god , and begotten of the father before all the worlds , god of god , light of light , true god of true god , begotten and not made , consubstantial with the father , by whom all things have been made , who for all men , for our salvation is descended from heaven , and hath been incarnated by the holy spirit , of the virgin mary , and hath been made man , hath been also crucified for us under pontius pilate ; hath suffered , and hath been entombed , and is risen again the third day according to the scriptures , and is ascended into heaven , is set at the right hand of the father , and again shall come in his glory to judge the living and the dead , the kingdome of whom shall have no end . answ. you are not in the true faith of the son of god , nor know him not to be come in the flesh that be swearers ; and you that be not in the faith of the son of god , you know not god ; but swearers are under the condemnation , and knows not him that was crucified , that said , swear not at all . and knows not him that dyed , and rose again , and him that is the light of the world , and the judge of the world , christ jesus the saviour , by whom all things was made ; made of a woman , born of a virgin , who is one with the father , him ye know not , that be out of the faith of him ( and the apostles ) who said , swear not at all , whose profession , church , faith , and religion is held up by swearing and oaths , with all your stuffe and invented words , apostatized from christ and the apostles church , profession , and faith , and religion , under the condemnation ; and all professions besides upon the earth , which is held up by oaths and swearing , are under the condemnation , in the reprobacy concerning the faith which is in christ jesus , which gives the victory , and is the shield , and in which men please god without an oath ; you cannot please men , nor worship without an oath . prin. and in the holy spirit , lord and quickning power , who proceeds from the father and the son ▪ who with the father and the son is worshipped and glorified , who hath spoken by the prophets . ans. you talk of believing in the spirit that proceeds from the father and the son , or god that spoke by his prophets , which christ is the end of the prophets ; and you talk of true worship , as speaks in spirit and truth , which the devil and enmity is out of ; you talk of these things , who holds up your church , profession , and religion with oaths , a company of apostates from the true faith , which the apostles were in , which christ is the author of ; which faith hearing , the spirit is received , which denies oaths , and then in that spirit is god worshipped , and the scripture known , given forth from it , and the son and the father known , the spirit received , and the spirit of the prophets , and the end of their words christ jesus , these are all known by the hearing of faith , wherein the spirit is received . prin. and one holy church catholique and apostolique . prin. i confess one baptism for the remission of sins , and wait for the resurrection of the dead , and for the life of the world to come . prin. i admit and embrace most firmely the traditions apostolique and ecclesiastick , and all the other observations and ordinances of the same church . answ. your traditions , your word catholique , your sprinkling infants , which you call your baptisme , does not remit your sins , for there is no scripture for it ; so church , traditions , sprinkling infants , all have got up since the dayes of the apostles ; and so the unholy catholique and apostolique church , traditions , is got up since the dayes of the apostles , and your fruits declare it in the apostacy , from the true church of the saints and apostles , and the resurrection christ , you be ignorant of , and the power of the world to come , that be gone out of the faith that the apostles were in . prin. i admit also the holy scripture , according to the sense that hath been given by the holy mother church , to the which it appertaineth , to judge of the true sense and interpretations of the holy scripture , and shall never take in hand to interpret them , then according to the common consent of the fathers . answ. your mother which you call the holy church , which gives the sense , is the whore , from the spirit of god , which the apostles was in , and christ and the prophets ; for that is it that knows the scripture , and that was in the saints that gave it forth , and all must have it in them before they know the words again , and come into unity with god again , of whom they learned that gave it forth ; and unity with the scripture , and one with another , and this both papists and protestants are out of ; the spirit , and falling out about the sense of scripture , and your father and mother , sons which ravened from the spirit of god , and so thou and you all teachers from others inventions ; and your teaching is traditions for doctrine , which are the commands of men ; but now to the lord be glory , ye are all discovered by his life . prin. more i professe that there is seven ( truly and properly said ) sacraments of the new law , instituted by our lord jesus christ , and necessary for the salvation of humane people , but not all to every one , viz. baptism , confirmation , eucharist , penitence , the extream unction , the order and marriage , and that they confirme the grace , and that among them the baptisme , the confirmation , and the order cannot be rejected without sacriledge . answ. in this you have shewed your apostacy again , from the apostles and christs doctrine , which sayes , go preach the gospell to all nations , baptizing them , without any limit ; and marriage they that forbid , that is the doctrine of devils , which is honourable , the bed undefiled in all ; and the apostles doth not call them sacraments , neither baptisme nor marriage , nor the visiting of the sick , nor the lords supper : your confirmation and order , and your penitence , whipping and beating your selves for your sins , is your own invention , a sacrament of your owne making , which the apostle does not call repentance , a sacrament , or confessing of sin , or sorrowing for sin , the nature within should be afflicted , and circumcised in the spirit , which puts off the body of sin , and that brought down ; and not to strike the creature , and beat the creature , that is as you wrestle with flesh and blood ; the power of darknesse causes you to do that which guides you within , that strikes at the creature ; which power of darknesse should be struck at , that the creature might come into the liberty of the sons of god . prin. i receive also and admit the ceremonies of the church catholique , receive and approve in the administration solemnly , of all the abovesaid sacraments . prin. i embrace and receive all and every of the things which hath been defined and declared by the sacred holy councel of trent , touching the sin originall , and the justification . prin. i protest likewise , that in the masse is offered to god true , proper , and propitiatory sacrifice for the living and for the dead , and that in the most holy sacrament of the eucharist is truly , really , and substantially the body , the blood , with the soule , and the divinity of our lord jesus christ ; and that there is made a conversion of all the substance of the bread into the body , and of all the substance of the wine into the blood , and the which conversion the church catholique calls transubstantiation . prin. i confess also , that under one of these , one receiveth jesus christ all entire , and one true sacrament . answ. in these four principles which ye teach for doctrine , is but your owne traditions and commandements which are learned of one another , of men at the council of t●ent , and at your fathers , which is your sin , in the apostacy from the apostles , who was not of man nor by man : and as concerning justification , ye are ignorant of ; for where that is known , the sin is done away which came by the first adam ; and they that believe are passed from death to life . and there are some children of believers which is holy , yet all by nature children of wrath in the unbelief ; and your church is held up by tradition , and traditions , and vows , and oaths , which is all in the apostacy , from the spirit where it seems the root of the word protesting is come from your selves who are apostates , and not ftom the scriptures ; but you have thrust it in , & your offering and mass it is but a dead thing , it is neither good for the dead nor the living , the living do not accept of it but as cains sacrifice ; for are not you murtherers and destroyers of one another about religion , sacrifice and traditions , as cain did , whom god did not accept his sacrifice ? and as the jewes did ( without the life which gave forth the scriptures ) turn against the just , and all the apostates since the dayes of the apostles , which are inwardly ravened from the spirit of god , who set up all your lying signes and wonders , and traditions , and deceive people with them that dwell upon the earth , who be from the spirit of god , inwardly ravened from it , in which spirit god is worshipped , which spirit brings to offer living sacrifice : and the bread and wine after they have consecrated it , which you say is the very body and blood of christ , and soule , and it 's divine , and that ye call transubstantiation ; and he that receives either bread or wine , receives christ . now seeing that this doctrine and principle is laid down by you the council of trent , and tollerated by the great bishop of rome , the pope , and taught by the jesuites , i shall demand one thing of you out of every nation , and from every dominion and island belonging to the bishop of rome , the pope . let there come forth a bishop and a jesuite , and consecrate bread and wine , and after consecration and conversion , which you call transubstantiation , which you say then is the very body , blood , and soul of christ , which is divine : let that then be set by and kept ; and let us take of the same bread and the same wine , of the which you have consecrated part , and set them both together , and let us have a watch over them , seven of our side , and seven of your side , and see if that bread and wine do not corrupt and perish which ye have consecrated , as well as the other which is not consecrated , and prove not divine , and prove not immortall , but mortall as the other ; and if the bread and wine change not its taste , then we will say it 's the body of christ , if it do not ; and ye will not prove deceivers : but if it prove bread and wine , and loose its taste , and alter its property , then acknowledg your selves to be deceivers ; but if it corrupt not , but prove the body of christ , then the protestants may acknowledge they have wronged you , and be of your religion , but if that prove to be bread , and prove to be wine ; and mortall , and not divine , then shall you deny all your religion and acknowledge that you have wronged the protestants , and turn to the truth : so if you dare adventure to try your christ openly , and bring him out to the light , and see whether he will stand , and whether he will not corrupt , for the flesh of christ ( which the scripture speaks of ) saw no corruption . so now if you will take a publique consideration , and give a publique meeting after , send to any of them in england called quakers , and let there be a publique tryall ; and his word that comes to passe shall be the true prophet , and his word that doth not shall be the false prophet ; which ye are if the bread and wine corrupt , and prove not divine and immortall . these things have been taught for doctrines , about which there hath been fightings , slaying and killing , and much blood spilt : so that your weapons are but carnall and not spi●ituall , and there hath beene a great deale of profession of these things , and a great denyall . now if you will try them publiquely , if they stand , you will come off with honour , and give over fighting and killing one another about religion ; but in patience and meeknesse let it be tryed , and this will bring truth to light , and honour to god . if you dare not come to the light , to a publique tryall , and ye being so many nations and dominions , acknowledge your selves to be apostates , and deceivers , and so fall under the truth , and let the white horse go over you . prin. i hold most constantly that there is one purgatory , and that the souls that are therein retained are helped by the supplications of the faithful . prin. likewise that one ought to honour and invoke ( or pray to ) the saints which reigne with jesus christ , and that they offer to god their supplication for us , and that one ought to honour their reliques . answ. the scripture speaks of no purgatory ; and he that believes hath passed from death unto life , and shall never dye , nor come into condemnation . and the wicked shall be turned into hell , and all that forget god ; and death and hell must go into the lake of fire , and god who breathed the breath of life into man , by which man became a living soul ; he hath all souls in his hand , and the honour which the scripture speaks of it is owned ; but the honour which is given to the saints , from that are you apostatized ; and so your praying to saints and for the dead is in the purgatory already , your souls in the death ; so your soules are lean , who feeds your fleshly minds with similitudes , images , crosses , crucifixes , old reliques , pieces of cloath , or old bones , which you call reliques of saints , so are full of dead mens bones ; a generation of murderers , whose souls stands lean , and bound and captivated , and wants the vertue of the immortall food . prin. i assure most firmely that one ought to have and to hold the image of jesus christ , and of the mother of god , alwayes virgin and of the other saints , and render to them the honour and the veneration which appertains to them . prin. i affirm yet that jesus christ hath left in the church the power of indulgences , and that the use thereof is extreamly healing unto the people christian . answ. the power which ye have set up in your church , which gives the honour to the image of mary , the image of christ , and the other saints ; that i do believe you , that which you should give to christ , you give to images ; but this doth but shew and make you manifest to be apostatiz●d from the apostles , who had the minde of christ , and the image of the son of god in them ; so this church and its power is apostatized from the true church and its power , who are giving honour to the image of christ , mary , and the saints , which was not the work of the apostles ; and mary their saying ever a virgin , had not she children after to joseph ? and when they said , behold thy mother and thy brethren stand without desiring to speak with thee ? &c. is this the rise and ground of this word , god-father and god-mother , when your children are sprinkled papists and protestants ? prin. i know the holy church catholique , apostolique , and romane , to be the mother and mistris of all the churches , and promise and swear true obedience to the bishop of rome , successor of st. peter , prince of the apostles , and vicar of jesus christ . answ. i do believe you , your church as you call it catholique , is the mistress , and hath been the mother of all churches false of babylon , and the mother of the harlots ; from the true church the apostles and saints was in ; in the apostacy , which hath been held up by the sword , fires , faggots , inquisitions of the popes , and quite out of the faith of peter , who said , render to no man evill for evill ; but if any man offend you , ye will render evill again . and for saying peter was the prince , will ye give paul the lye , who said , he came behinde none of the apostles ? and christ said , he that would be greatest , should be least ; and that there should be no lordship exercised amongst them one over another : and every man should have but his penny that went into the vineyard . prin. i receive also and professe without any doubt , all other things which have been taught , defined and declared , by the sacred canons , and councels universall , and principally by the sacred holy councel of trent ; & together , all things contrary , and all the heresies condemned , rejected , and anathematized by the church , i them condemn , reject , and anathematize likewise . answ. i do believe you , who are bound up in the apostacy from the true church of the apostles , to that which your councell hath set up without doubt ; but your tryall is not yet come , and your selves you do not know , as for that , because your councell , pope , and bishop , their traditions of their own inventions , and profession and church , and all things belonging to it hath been held up by an outward sword , fires , faggots , inquisitions , and this hath been held up by the same nature , and the same weapons , by which the heathens held up their idol gods , and the apostate jews , as the apostate christians , from the true faith , and from the true christians of the true church , whose weapons were not carnall , but spirituall , by whose faith they overcame the world , the kingdomes , and subdued mountains , and quenched the fiery darts of satan . so your overcoming , and all other apostates , hath been with outward weapons , gaols , inquisitions , and death , bound with oaths , out of the covenant of god , whose religion is built upon that , who are all the wolves ravening , devourers , and so doubts ; the ground of them in your selves you feel not yet , your pasture and fields hath been so large for the beast to raven up and down in ; but now the lord god almighty with his power will hedg you up , and bring you into a narrower compasse : and anathematized and hereticks are ye all , from the apostles , as the gentiles from the jewes ; but jewes and gentiles all come to be one out of the life which gave forth the scriptures : so christians that be apostatized , and anathematized from the life that the apostles were in , be as the jewes and gentiles from the life of god , and with the life all comprehended , amongst the jewes and gentiles from the life of the apostles , and true christians , and with the life of god are all judged , who be out of the life of the saints . so it is not the professors of the words of the saints , but they that be in the life that are justified ; they are they who have unity with god , and one with another . prin. and this faith catholique , out of which any cannot be saved , the which presently i professe of my good minde , and hold truly . i say , promise , vow , and swear for to retain and confesse , god helping , most constantly , intirely , and inviolately untill the last , teach and preach as much as shall be possible for me , through them that shall be subject to me , or shall be in my charge ; so god me help , and these holy evangelists of god . answ. all swearers are out of the faith of christ jesus , who said , swear not at all ; and the faith the ministers of christ , and the apostles were in , who said , swear not at all ; and the ministers of christ was not made by oaths , nor sworn to preach ; but you are apostatized from their faith and life that gives victory : and the evangelists all of them was against swearing , there is not one example among them all , not among the apostles , that they broke the doctrine of christ in swearing , and was made ministers by oaths , but by the will of god , which you all are apostatized from them , and are held under with the life , and from their faith reprobated ; and your faith and catholique is out of that which saves , and church , and so come under the condemnation , which was the false brethren went out from the apostles , and since the world have gone after them , which have had the scripture , and your own traditions and ceremonies , the sheeps cloathing , which have been fain to binde one another , and tye one another by oaths to uphold what you professe , which is all out of the covenant of god ; and the saving faith you are ignorant of ▪ and from it apostatized , wch gives victory over the world : and your teaching and preaching hath been out of the true faith , who multitudes hath gathered after you , and so deceived the souls of people , telling of a purgatory , and your souls be in it ; and this is all judged with the true judge of the world , the bishop of the soul . prin. ye say that ye ought to honour the reliques of saints , and that god hath not forbidden images , and that ye ought to honour images of saints , because their bodies hath been the organs and temple of the holy spirit , and that god doth by vertue of their holy reliques many miracles : and because that the honour redounds to themselves , that they represent unto us : and when one worships the crosse , the honour of the worship redounds to jesus christ . but the idols ye say are forbidded , which doth represent the false gods which the heathen worship . answ. god hath forbidden to make representations and images of saints and reliques ; and the images of christ and the crosse is set up by you who are apostatized from the spirit of god , in which spirit god is to be worshpiped , and not the images of christ nor the saints , nor crosses , for those be all out of the power of god ; and the crosse of christ which is the power of god , which all must bend to ; and the crosses and images of male and female whatsoever , they that worship and honour them are as the heathen ; for reliques , images , and crosses are set up since the days of the apostles , by you who are inwardly ravened from the spirit of god by the same nature which went astray from the life in the jews and gentiles ; which wh●n they went astray from the spirit of god , they set up images which displeased god , as you that w●nt forth from the spirit of god since the dayes of the apostles , inwardly ravened from that ; who say that after bread and wine is consecrated i●'s christ , so are the antichrist that hath set up the false christ , who cries , loe here , loe there , and so put him in your chambers , deserts , and secrets , and yet you say he was crucified , and rose again , and at the right hand o● god , and say he was before all time , and that by him all things was made ; and yet ye likewise say , after ye have consecrated bread and wine , which you call transubstantiation , it is christ , and thus you confound your selves : and the lying signes and wonders which ye call miracles , which ye say are wrought by the reliques of the saints , is that which john speaks of in his revelation : the beast shall deceive because of his miracles : and the apostle speaks of , concerning the man of sin , which shall deceive with his lying signes and wonders ; and to the reliques ye have given the honour and worship , and not to god , and so lives in the outward . now jannes and jambres could do miracles by the power of witchcraft , by the same power the beast and the false prophets , the mother of harlots , babylon , and man of sin , acted to deceive the nations , since the dayes of the apostles , with all which is the mystery of iniquity ; she hath sate as a queen , lady of kingdomes , and hath seen no sorrow , but now she will come to l●sse of children ; for the lord god of heaven and earth will be honoured and worshipped , who will not give his glory to any other , and not to images , reliques , nor crosses : and the apostles , you are all got up since , from them apostatized ; for when they was adoring of paul , or adoring of apollo , the corinthians came under rebuke by the apostles , who said , who is paul , or who is apollo ? it 's christ that dyed and was crucified ; and bid them prove and examine themselves if christ were not in them . know ye not that jesus christ is in you except ye be reprobates ? and all these things are got up since the days of the apostles ; representations , images , crosses , and reliques , amongst you that are apostatized fr●m them , that bid the saints keep from idols , that had a sight of your coming up before their decease , which you papists and professors hath since reigned and drunk the blood of the saints , and the saints blood drunk , and hath been satans synagogue , and out from the saints . this should be , that the word of god might be fulfilled , and are fulfilling . but now the lamb and the saints , the top-stone is over your heads , and christ is come to reign , glory to the highest for ever , who kils with the sword , which are the words of his mouth , conquering and to conquer . and the seed is risen and rising in males and females , the sons and daughters of men . from them that be of the seed which the beast makes war against . the answer to r.w. his paper , wherein he vindicates the doctrine and practise of the romane church so called , to be the church of christ . in the dark night of ignorance when men hath been as in a deep sleep , & their eyes closed in security , & a spirit of slumber hath seased upon many nations , the god of this world having blinded their eyes , then the ravinous beasts , have come out of their dens , and hath ranged abroad in the earth , seeking to destroy and to devour the sheep of the lords pasture , and to kill them that the shepherd hath fed , and to lead them astray as into a great wildernesse from the fold , that they might worry them and destroy them , and make a prey upon them , and that which christ prophesied of which math. hath recorded chapter the . vers. . and in the . of math. . . and the . the false prophets , the wolves , which should come and devour , and to the intent , that they may not be so easily descovered by the sheep , they shall come in the sheeps clothing , but inwardly are ravining wolves , and these john and peter and paul saw come in their dayes , and fortold that they should more increase after , and should not spare to make havock of the church of christ , & this was long before the general apostacy , and they fortold that there should be a departure from the faith , and likewise that many should make ship wrack of faith and a good conscience , and the spirit spoke expresly , that in the latter time some should depart from the faith , and should give head to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils that should speak lyes in hypocricy , forbidding to mary , and commanding to abstain from meats which god hath created , tim. . , , . and this doctrine of devills is found in the church of rome , with many more which hereafter may be mentioned which clearly demonstrates , that the wolves the false prophets , the deceivers the anti-christs , the seducers , & them that taught the doctrines o● devils , & them that were seduced & believed this doctrine , which was apostatized from the doctrine of christ , and the apostles , here is your beginning , here is the corner-stone of your foundation , the dead-stones of which your visible church was made up of , which is none of gods temple ; but the synagogue of satan , and a residence for the devill , from whence all these devillish doctrines have proceeded , that hath corrupted all nations , & hath unsetteled them that they are become like a sea , casting out all this mire and dirt , swelling , raging , tossing , unstable , the nations are waters , tongues , languages , kindred , out of these waters , rose the beast with his heads and hornes that hath prevailed and hath over-come the saints , and hath shed their blood , and filled them , and hath made war against the lamb ( and yet doth ) & his followers , so that none hath escaped the rage of the beast ; who had not his mark , and upon these waters , kinreds , tongues nations , and peoples ; the whore sits which is none of the lambs wife , and she hath made all drunk with the wine of her fornication , so that all nations have been intoxicated , and inflamed , and have reeled , and staggered , and fallen from the faith vvhich stands in the power of god , and so being erred from the faith that works by love ; you have set up another fained faith which works by ▪ wrath and envie , murther and cruelty , witness your bloodly mas●acring , torturing , racking , tearing , rending , burning , destroying , killing and murdering many thousands since the dayes of the apostles ; so that your faith is manifest to be reprobate by the fruits you have brought forth before mentioned ; i challenge all the body of your visible church ( so called ) to prove , that ever christ , or his apostles , or the churches which beleeved and received the everlasting gospel , and were in the faith that wrought by love , where they taught , or practised any such things , as burning , kiliing , destroying , racking , them that were hereticks , or there was heresy at jerusalem among the jewish church , some that held that their was neither angel , nor spirit , nor resurrection which was heresy , and yet their is no mention of burning , or killing of such , and ( their was heresy in the primitive times , before ever your ruinous heap of visible dead stones were brought together , of which now so great a babell is builded , or before you had the name of a church , and yet no mention is made of their burning , or racking , or killing of them ; for the faith which wrought by love endured all things , in which the apostle was in the charity that suffered long and endured all things ; but your fruits have made your reprobate faith manifest unto many , blessed be the lord . but now the night is far spent , and the day is at hand , and is dawned upon many , and the anti-christs is seen , and the deceivers and false prophets , and the wolves that hath the sheeps clothing the saints words , and now the table of devills is seen , and the doctrine of devills , and they will not be partaked of , nor harkened unto as they have been in yeares past ; for now the heritage of god that hath laid wast , is coming to be tilled , and the threshing-instrument that hath teeth , is put into the hands of the lambs followers , and now wo to the hills they shall be threshed to dust , and shall be levelled , and wo to the beast his hornes shall be broken , which hath risen out of the sea , the sea sh●ll be dried up out of which he had his rise , and the mother of harlots shall become desolate and her flesh burnt with fire , and wo to her merchants , that have traded by sea , for it will be dried , the lamentation is heard which shall speedly come when they shall cry alas ! alas ! and wo to the kings of the earth that have drunk of the whores cup , and wo to them that have admired the beast , and have said who is able to make war with the beast : he is come who is able to make war in righteousness , and hath showed himself and hath put on strength who treads the wine press of the wrath ; who travels in the greatness of his strength , out of whose mouth goes a sharp two-eged sword which shall dash all to pieces . consuming fire is before him , ten thousands of his saints , is vvith him , and he in them ; they go on in his strength , conquering and to conquer , arme your selves , cast up your batteries , come all to the battel of the great day of god . and see if you be able to stand against the lord ; for he hath manifest his wisdome from above , which will confound all your deceit . for we esteem no more of your arguments then straw , nor of your devised fables no more then rotten wood : for you are all rounded as with a hoop , and measured as with a line ; your beginning is in the apostacy , your rise in the night of darkness , your strength lies in ignorance , and your end will be utter darkn●sse : and this shall stand true , when your place shall be no more found , nor one stone left upon another which shall not be thrown down . and now i come to the answer of the substance of thy arguments and principles . first , thou says , this is good catholique doctrine , that a man may have the true faith , and yet lead a sinfull life : and further , that a wicked man and a godly hath true faith , and it doth not differ a whit in matter or substance in the godly and ungodly . now to say one hath faith , and not the other , is against all sence and reason thou saith . answ. i do believe thee that this is thy catholique doctrine , but i cannot call it good , for then i should erre like thy selfe ; for this doctrine is contrary to the doctrine of the gospel , for true faith is that which the just lives by , hab. . . and that which the just lives by is pure ; the matter of it , by it he is cleansed , and the faith of the godly stands in the power of god , and that is a pure thing : and he that hath the true faith , hath the faith of christ , who is truth from whence it comes , and it leads out of sin , and a sinfull life ; gives victory over sin . this is the victory even your faith . by faith the godly stands , cor. . . and by faith the godly walks , cor. . . but on the contrary , a wicked mans faith , if thou call it faith , is called a feigned faith , and a dead faith , and is centred in him who hath the power of death which is the d●vill ; and this is another thing for matter and substance , and is a distinct thing ; and by the fruits and effects the true faith is ●nown from the reprobates in the different operations ; and so this is a devillish doctrine thou hast laid down , to wit , that they are one in matter ; for this is contrary to scripture sense and reason , and is an unreasonable position laid downe and ●●●firmed , from thy unreasonable minde which is erred from the true faith . and again , the faith of the godly and ungodly differs in effe●ts , but not in regard of the faith it self ( thou saith ; ) and here is thy confusion manifest , and thou saist all the five senses will teach you ; that a man may be chaste in his minde , and yet be angry ; and he may be temperate , and yet want patience . thou that hath no other thing to teach thee but the five s●nses , art sensual , and knows not the spirit : for a man to be chaste , and yet angry , is a false thing ; he that is angry and intemperate , is not chast , but joyned to that which adulterates , for these are the devils conceptions and works ; they and in whom these are brought forth is not chast , but is in cains way , and in dives way : and thou saist , if you can conceive this , that a man may have true faith , and yet want godlinesse of life and conversation , thy conception is false : for he that is temperate and chaste , and lives in that which makes him so , wants not charity nor patience ; for the true faith of gods elect purges from all sin , and that faith is reprobate where ungodlinesse is brought forth , and contrariwise thou saith , a man may be of an honest and godly conversation , and yet want faith ; utter darknesse is thy dwelling place , and thou speaks out of thick darknesse ; is there a conversation godly , or like god lived in where there is no faith or honesty ? where there is no faith , that 's utterly false , for these are the fruits of faith , of a lively faith ; for honesty and a godly conversation is the works which proceeds from a true and living faith , as the scriptures witnesse , and these things thou saith thou thought good to commend to consideration . thou that thought these things good , cals evill good , and good evill , and art in blindnesse , and i have considered of the things , and i never heard of so much blindnesse uttered by one who would seem to be a teacher of others : and now i come to that which follows . p●●n . that the people or church of christ hath been alwayes visible , not only in the beginning , or in the apostles dayes , but also since the apostles dayes , even untill now , and shall be to the end of the world : and for this thou saist , christ hath promised , that the gates 〈…〉 shall not prevail against it , but that he will be with them till 〈◊〉 end of the world : and for this end thou saist the apostle said , ephes. . that he hath given some to be apostles , some evangelists , for the worke of the ministry , till we all come to the unity of faith , and unto the stature , and fulnesse of christ . answ. the church of god in the beginning , in the prophets dayes , christs dayes , the apostles dayes , and since the apostles hath always been in god , and hath always been invisible , as to the eye of the world , which could never discern them , nor wherein their communion stood with god ; yet notwithstanding there hath always been men , and people , who feared god , and believed in the invisible god , whom the world never knew to be such , but always did persecute : and they that did persecute , have named themselves to be the church of god . yet notwithstanding all this , there hath been in all ages some that hath born a visible testimony against the world , that lyes in wickedness , and against the false prophets , seducers , deceivers , and antichrists ; and these that bore their testimony against all these before mentioned , they were in the faith of our lord jesus christ , and declared against their idolatry in all ages , and these christ promised , that the gates of hell should not prevail against them . and although the gates of hell did not prevail against their bodies , or outward man , yet never prevailed against the rock christ upon which they were builded , but hath always been with them in the deepest suffering ▪ and greatest ffli●ction , and hath preserved them faithfull unto death , so that they have not denyed his testimony , nor the word of his patience ; for they have not loved their lives unto the death : and sometimes they have been more visible , and sometimes lesse , yet two or three that know the name of christ , and live in the power of christ , christ is in the midst of them , and they may be truly said to be a church of christ ; and these god hath promised to be with , who believeth in christ the power of god , to the end of the world , and against these the gates of hell shall never prevail . and whereas thou saist , he gave some apostles , and some evangelists , pastors and teachers , for the worke of the ministry , for the perfecting of the saints . this is granted , and it did , and doth effect the same end for which he gave it : but when ordained he the popes , the cardinals , the fryars , the monks , the jesuites , & the nun● , for the work of the ministry ? or whether have any of all these effected the same things which the apostles did by their gifts : but rather on the contrary , they have perverted the straight way of the lord , and have made the word of god of none effect by their traditions , and hath introduced and brought in those things to be observed amongst people , which god hath neither commanded nor commended , but on the contrary forbidden and condemned . prin. that all those people or congregations , or meetings , or churches , which have not been constantly visible from christs time till now , are not , nor cannot be the church of christ ; and then thou makes this conclusion , that the roman church can shew its constant and successive visibility from christs time till now ; therefore the roman church must needs be the church of christ . answ. by thy own words thou hast proved your church to be no church of christ , neither your officers and ministers to be ministers of christ ; for matthew , mark , luke and john , peter , paul , and the rest of the apostles , makes no mention of any such officers , as po●es , cardinals , fryars , monks , nor jesuites , neither of any such doctrine did they allow of as you preach , to wit , the doct●ine of devils , in forbidding to marry , and commanding to abstain from meats wch god hath created ; and also teac●ing to make images , and set up images and idols , and also teaching to burn and kill , and destroy them whom you call hereticks , which christ nor none of the apostles ever did : so that it is manifest from the scripture of truth , that your visible church was not always since christs day ; for peter , paul , and many of the apostles lived after christs day , and they make no mention of any such ministry , doctrine , or practice , as is found amongst you , onely foretels of you , and prophesies of you , that antichrist should come , deceivers should come , and false prophets should come ; and peter , whose successors you say you are , he foretold of you , and hath left his testimony against you , & against them who preach for filthy lucre , those things the apostles taught not . ( amongst many things this is one ) in teaching and making people believe a purgatory after they be dead , and this was invented by you to get filthy lucre , and to get dishonest gain . another thing to give pardons , that you may get money , and filthy lucre , so that it is manifest you are none of peters successors , but are apostatized from the faith , from the doctrine , from the practice of christ , of the churches of christ in the dayes of the apostles , and were not visible then , nor counted the church of christ by any , in many years a●ter the decease of the apostles . but the false prophets that christ spake should come , which john , and paul , and peter saw creeping in then , who erred from the faith , and apostatized from the truth , who subverted whole housholds from the faith ; there 's your originall , they that did subvert , and they that were subverted , and held part of the form of godlinesse , & denyed the power , there is the beginning of your visible church , antichrists , false prophets , seducers , and seduced , you are their successors , and from thence your visibility came to be seen in the world . so in that which i have said doth clearly evidence , that you have not constantly & visibly had the name of a church since christs time , although you call your selves the ancient church : and i say unto thee in thine owne words , except thou be bewitched and possessed with a spirit of blindnesse , here is enough to convince thee , and all thy visible members , that your roman church is not so ancient as christ nor the apostles . but you are quite another thing , which hath sprung up since , and are apostatized from the doctrine and from the faith , which the churches which were before you were in , as the church at jerusalem , at antioch , and the rest of the churches , which had received the faith of our lord jesus christ without respect of persons , from which faith you are now reprobated . principle . thou saist , that luther , calvin , memno , beza , and others were first popish priests , and those that followed them was first of the church of rome , and these thou saist fell from the faith , and were accounted by you hereticks , and sayes they ought to produce more evidence , for their faith which they professed being separated from you , then you need to do from whom they separated . answ. they are hereticks who denies the true foundation , and who erre from the true faith which the saints possessed , and and lived in : but your visible church have left the true foundation , and have erred from the faith which christ and the apostles declared and lived in ; therefore you are the hereticks . therefore luther , calvin , memno and beza , and the rest , seeing your doctrine , principles , and faith to be contrary to the doctrine of christ , and the primitive churches , god opening their eyes , and let them see that you had innovated and brought in another doctrine and other practices then had been taught or practised amongst the apostles , therefore they denyed yo● in many things , although they were not clearly come off your principles , nor did not see clearly thorow your deceit ; yet so far as they saw by the light of the lord , they bore testimony against you , and gave a clearer demonstration that you were out of the faith then you ever did ( or can do ) that you were in the faith : but that is made manifest in this the day of the lords power , which sees over you , and beyond you , and comprehends your ground , and all the body of your religion which stands in imitations , imaginations , inventions , and traditions . and further thou saith ; that you can bring more scripture for your catholique doctrin then they that are separated from you ; and thou brings two scriptures to prove some of your doctrine , and sayest , that the church of rome teaches , that christs body is reall in the sacrament , for which thou brings the cor. , . verses , which proves nothing to the purpose ; for the body of christ is incorruptible , and saw no corruption : but bread corrupt● , and will corrupt , notwithstand●ng all your consecration ; but as concerning this , i shall refer the reader to that which is written in answer to the former pap●r . again , thou saith , that the apostles and their successors had power to remit sins , according to john . . the apostles who believed in the son of god , unto whom all power is committed , and had received power from god , could do nothing against the power , which was their life , and what they said and did from that power , st●ndeth for the same power that christ received of the father , the same he gave unto them ; and the same that they did remit was remitted . but what is this to the pope , who is out of the power of god , who follows his successors , the antichrists , deceivers , apostates and vagabond jewes , and exorsists , who would have cast out devils in the name that paul preached , but could not . when did christ or any of his apostles say to the pope , or any of the cardinals , fryars , monks , jesuites , whose sins ever you remit are remitted . or when did he give the pope , or any of his cardinals , fryars , jesuites , monks , power to sell pardons for money ; is not this a doctrine of the devill , which peter , whose successors you say you are , who declared against you , and such as you , who said concerning you ; that you taught those things for filthy lucre , which you ought not to teach . and further thou saiest , thou conf●sses that there are other points of popish doctrine which you teach ; that there is not such evident scripture for ; as for those before mentioned , if thou hadst said there had bin none at all , thou had spoke truth & this is the popish doctrine , which thou sayest you have not clear scriptures for ; for purgatory , & praying to saints , and baptizing of infants , &c. i say there is no scripture at all , except it be your own devised fables , for the blood of christ cleanseth from all sinne them that do believe ; and there is no need of any other thing to cleanse , and so your purgatory is a feigned fiction , and a lying invented thing , invented by the pope to get money by . and as for praying to the saints , there is no scripture for , but against it : for it is written , th●u shalt worship the lord thy god , and him only shalt thou serve ; and cal upon me in the day of trouble . it doth not say , call upon the saints . and farthermore christ said , whatsoever ●e aske in my name , it shall be given you . and farthermore christ said to his disciples , whatsoever you aske my father in my name , it shall be granted unto you . he exhorteth them not as the pope doth , to ask in the name of st. mary , and st. peter , and st. dominick . and as for baptizing of infants , that is an invention of your own , framed and formed since the dayes of the apostles . for the apostles were commanded to teach and preach before they baptized any ; but you baptize those that are unt●ught , and unlearned , and these they call members of you● visible church , and so all this f●igned doctrine before mentioned is denyed and and condemned by the spirit o● the lord , which you are erred from . prin. that the scripture doth no where clearly teach , that we must do nothing , nor believe no●hing whi●h is not written in the scripture , so thou saith even by our own rule , the whole foundation of all our n●w faith falls to pieces : for if i am bound to believe nothing but what stands in scripture , then thou sayest , thou art not bound to believe this maxime of heretickes , because it stands not in scripture . answ. paul was no heretick , and he said ; if i or an angell from heaven preach any other gospel , let him be accurst . and moses he was no h●retick ; and he said to the church of the jewes concerning the book of the law given unto them , thou shall not adde thereto , nor take therefrom . and john he was no h●retick , and he said ; if any man shall add unto these things written in the book , god shall add unto him the plagues that are written in the book . ( and yet all these were h●reticks in thy account ) & their faith stood in the power of god ; and this the scripture bears witness of , and those things were written in the scripture , that they might be believed , and from the spirit of truth they were written : and so if thou professe thou have the spirit of truth , thou art bound not to believe any thing contrary to the scripture ; and here your foundation and doctrine is dashed to pieces by the spirit of god who spoke for the scripture . and farther thou goes on in thy blindness and ignorance , and sayes , thou art not bound to believe that the bible is the word of god ; because it stands not in scripture , is not the scripture that which is written in the bible ? and dost thou not call the scriptures the word of god ? and yet foolishly saith , the bible stands not in the scripture . thou goes on and says it is most clear , that we are bound to believe and receive some things that are not written in the scripture ; they who know the bond of the spirit are not bound by i● , to beli●ve any thing which is contrary to the spirit , which speak forth the scripture . further thou brings thes. . and . & john & . to prove that we are bound to believe something that is not ●ritten in the scripture , because the apostle exhorts the thess●lonians to stand fast , and to hold the traditions which they had been taught , whether by word or writing . now if thou can produce thou may , the words that he taught to the thessalonians , which was spoken by the same spirit which he wrote the epistle● by : and that which he spake , doubtlesse is not contrary to that which he wrote , and so this proves nothing that every one is to believe your vain traditions which you have invented in your carnal minds , being erred from the faith , and having lost the spirit . and although john say , that there were many other things that christ did , which are not written : yet what doth this prove , that your innovated stories and devised fables ought to be believed ? and i say unto thee , and unto all you , it is meer madnesse to aver , or to believe that which is contrary to that which is written : and then thou says , if any man ask thee what those things be which christ and the apostles taught , and have not written , thou gives an answer thy selfe , that they taught to baptize infants , and that we must sanctifie the sundays , and other holy days , and to fast in lent , and acknowledge sr. peters successors for the governours of christ-church , and to say masse , and with all other points of catholique doctrine ; all which pack of lyes , and foolish fopperies , and invented imaginations , which is all contrary to that which christ spake , and the apostles wrote of him . for these are all invented stuffe , some from the heathens you have by traditions , and the rest has been invented , both the words and the things themselves since the apostles dayes , wherein there hath been a great apostacy , and all the world hath wondred after the beast . and thou saith , if any ask thee upon what ground thou believes that christ and the apostl●s taught all these things before mentioned . thy answer is , upon the same ground thou believes they wrote the new testament , even the testimony of all christians in all ages . here thou hast shewed thy faith , that it is but reprobate , & is but by hearsay , and is builded upon hear-say and tradition . and for your testimony of christians in all ages , let us have your testimony from the christians of jerusalem , from antioch , from thessalonica , colossia , and corinth , philippia , and the rest of the churches and christians , which lived in the age of the apostles : and likewise let us have the testimony of the churches of asia , which if thou dost bring to prove these fore-mentioned things , then thou brings a testimony against christ and the apostles , to make them transgressors , to build those things which they have destroyed : and thou saith , by that which thou hast written , we may see the firmnesse of the roman faith : by that which thou hast written , i see the blindnesse , and the ignorance , and the rottennesse , and the foundation of the roman church to be but rubbish , and sandy , for it stands upon inventions , mens traditions , and devised fables , and lying stories , and is not founded upon the rock of ages , and stands in the waters , which are moveable and unstable upon which the whore sits , which has made all nations drunk , which the great kings thou speaks of , which hath been converted , have drunk of , and so came to be protectors of the pope , & defenders of your religion by carnall swords , by fires , murthers , and inquisitions , and killing them who keep the word of gods patience , and deny all your idolatry , and this has been acted amongst you since the apostles dayes , in the apostacy . but the lord in his power hath appeared , and hath dryed up some of the waters out of which the b●ast had his rise , and hath broken some of his horns with which he hath pushed ; and all the kings which have given their power to the beast , have made war against the lamb and his followers : but the time is coming when the beast , and the whore , and the false prophets and antichrists shall be taken , and cast into the lake , and the lamb , and the saints shall have the victory . prin. your church , thou sayest , is proved to be the true church , by the great sanctity and power of godlinesse , and mortification , as hath appeared in the roman church in all ages , and how they have lived in pure and perfect chastity , and how they have left their pride , and thou challenges to shew thee such among all those thou calls hereticks . answ. more ungodliness hath not appeared , neither hath been acted by any heathens in the world , then hath been acted amongst you , as blood shed , murther , killing , burning , destroying them that would not worship your idol ; and you have made the name of christ which you professe in words , and christianity to stink among heathens by your barbarous cruel●y , and your unhumane usage of them in many places of the world ; and as for sanctity and holinesse you are altogether strangers unto . is there not tolleration for whoredome in the principal cities of the popes dominions , and cruelty , the like is not to be found in the whole world ? witnesse your devill●sh inquisition , and hellish devices , to torture , and kill , and destroy them which will not submit , and follow your foolish imaginations , and deny the living god ; and for pride , he which you call your holy father , hath exceeded , many kings hath been made to kisse his feet ; and in most of the nations where the roman faith is professed , no such pride appears in any nation except them . and furthermore thou saith , the mighty power of god hath appeared in converting whole kingdomes into the christian faith ; your conversion we know , and your converts have been made manifest by their fruits , that they are two-fold more the children of the devil , and have but only turned them from one sort of images to set up another ; and that which you call conversion , more hath been turned for fear of your swords , faggots , and fires , being afraid of death , then hath been by any of your doctrine which hath been taught . and as for your fasting , thou boasts of , we know what it is , denying one sort of meat , and taking another ; and fasting one day , and riotous another : and as for your voluntary humility and poverty which stands in your own wills , which is onely to deceive people , that thereby your cloysters and your cels might be enriched , that your fryars and your monks might live in pride , and idlen●sse . and thou saith by this doctrine which austin the monk taught , that is to say , to fast from lawful meats , and to confess their odious and secret sins unto him , have converted whole nations by this doctrine from the vanities and pleasures of the world , as i said before , they are but turned to outward shews , and images , and the pleasures and vanities of the world are still standing in their hearts , and shews themselves forth in their actions . and as for thy saints , boniface , wil●road , and saint patrick , their work is yet to be seen ; they which professe the same doctrine in ireland , the fruits hath made patricks doctrine , and their conversion manifest ( which was rebellion ) treachery , murther , and blood-shed , and many thousand men , women and children have been destroyed in that nation within lesse then this twenty yeares , which is manifested , that patrick and his converts was cains successors , and not the successors of the apostles of christ . and as for the lying wonders and miracles thou speaks of , and of a jesuite raising twenty dead bodies to life again . it is like thou will prove this , as well as thou proved that christ taught to say masse , and to fast in lent , and keep holy days : but all thy lyes are seen , and your deceit found out , and with the life of god you are all judged . and though you have deceived the nations long , and kept people in ignorance and blindnesse , and have maintained your deceit by cains weapons , and have upholden the kingdome of antichrist by your bloody cruelty ; yet he is come , and coming to be revealed in the nations , whose dominion is everlasting , who will subdue all his enemies under his feet , & take the wicked in their own craftiness ; and he himselfe alone rule , whose right it is , who will confound you with all your idols for ever , that his glory over all may be advanced . f. h. this is the word of the lord god to you that fast and afflict your selves , and observe days , & meats , which the kingdom of god stands not in . you that fast , you want the bridegroom , you want christ , and the bond of iniquity is amongst you ; and this fasting and afflicting of your selves for a day , & days , is not the fast that the lord requires , which breaks the bond of iniquity ; which fast being known , that the lord requires , the foundation of many generations is raised up . you may fast from meats and drinks for dayes , and observe meats , and afflict your selves ; the envious man , the man-slayers do thus , which would kill and murther , and slay in the heart . now this is not the fast which is required of god , but of men , while the bond of iniquity is standing , whilst strife and debate is , do you not make vowes from the marriage ? is not then the cause you so do in the doctrine of the devils , and the forbidding of meats , which ought to be used with praise and thanksgiving ? the fast of the lord is coming to be known that he requires , which break● the bond of iniquity , which is the foundation of many generations , and the marriage of the lamb many are come to know , and enjoy the presence of the bridegroom , where they do not fast ; where they come into the wisdome of god , by which all the creatures were created , with which they come to use and order the creatures of god to his glory , and sees the kingdome out of meats , out of drinks , out of the observation of dayes , above meats and drinks . your leaders have caused you to erre , envy and wickedness hath been in them strong , which is by the power of the lord god comprehended and judged , whose sacrifices god hath no respect to , who be in envy in cains way , man-slayer● ; therefore haste out of the old life , and come to witnesse the chast virgin , which follows the lamb , that to him you may be married and joyned all ye poor captivated ones ; for the lord is come , and coming to exalt the kingdome of his son , whose standard shall stand over all the earth , and nations shall be ruled by his rod of iron ; come to know strife ceased , and envy ceased , and selfishnesse ceased , and pride ceased , and wickednesse and wilfulness ceased ; and envy , and plots , and murther ceased , and the bond of iniquity ; for this is that which will and doth deceive the simple-hearted , for the lord god with his power is come to redeem , who inlightneth every one that cometh into the world , that all men through the light might believe , whose day is appearing , and glory is revealed . so now every one of you that be come into the world , having a light from christ the saviour of your souls , from whence it comes . now this , you that be enlightned withal , it lets you see your sins you have done , as thoughts you think , and words you speak , and actions you act , and wayes you walk , with the same light that lets you see this ( which comes from christ the saviour of your souls , who hath all power in heaven and in earth given to him ) the same will give you power to come out of your sins : and there you come to receive the covenant of god , christ jesus , who hath given you the light to see sin , he it is that takes away sin , and blots out sinne and transgression . and now every one of you , this is the word of the lord god to you , all heed the light that you are enlightned withall , with that you will feel your saviour , for the light lets you see sin , the same blots it out , the same is the covenant of god , the same gives power , for all power in heaven and in earth is given to the son , who is to rule and subdue to himselfe all the powers of darknesse and wickednesse . the light which you be enlightned withal lets you see your deeds you have done , your words you have spoke , your ways you have walked in , your actions you have acted , the same will give you power to stand against your sin ; and there is the teacher , and the same will condemn all of you hating the light , which is christ which hath enlightned you withal ; and if you go on still in wickednesse , the same will become your condemnation at the last . remember , when you are in your wickednesse , and upon your death beds , you were warned in your life-time , and this light will let you see when evill thoughts get up in you , and evill affections , and evill desires , and check you , and reprove you , if you love it , and heed it ; when you are walking up and down , when you are fitting still by your selves , secretly it will bring you to think upon god , and when you are walking up and down abroad , yet it is present with you , there will be your teacher , there will be your condemnation if you hate it : the light of christ , who saith , learn of me , i am the way , the truth and the life . this is my beloved son heare you him : and there is no way to the father but by him , who doth enlighten every man that comes into the world , him by whom it was made , all the sons of adam drove from god in transgression , christ the second adam , the way to god , who is the way and the life . but man being drove from god , from life , and from truth , so christ is the truth , man being drove from god , from gods righteousness ; so christ is gods righteousnesse , drove from god , from his wisdome : so in a wisdome that is below , earthly , sensuall , and devillish , drove from god , from his glory , there is the first adams state in the disobedience ; but christ the second adam , the obedience , the lord from heaven , who doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world . the light that shineth in his heart which christ enlightneth him withall , it must give him the knowledge of the glory of god ; and this brings him from things that are seen , that are temporall , the light that shineth in his heart , that gives the light of the knowledge of the glory of god , with it brings to know all things that be eternall : and the lord is coming to teach his people himself , and to bring them of all the worlds teachers and ways to christ the way : and the lord is coming to break all in pieces that are gathered , and are a gathering ▪ but not with the power of his son , and with the life of his prophets and his apostles , such will he break to pieces , and dismiss the assemblies , who is come and will gather his people with his spirit into the life , the prophets were in , christ and the apostles were in , they shall come to live in the power of an endlesse life , and the world where there is no end is known , where there is the hungring no more , and the thirsting no more ; the government of him is manifest where there is no end , and the kingdome and the throne of christ is exalted : so all that afflict your selves , and torment your selves , and fast and observe days and meats by the commandement of men , and not by the commands of god , and doctrines of men ; and wills of men . consider the power of the creator , and come to the witnesse of god in you , to the light which christ lighteth you withall , which is the covenant with you , a god which breaks all other covenants when you come to the light , all the covenants you have made with men , with death , must be broken , and will be broken , that is contrary to the light . then you must know a shame , which is to be despised in the sight of all the world in breaking covenants , who with them hath made covenants , and bound your selves in vowes . therefore come to feel the witnesse of god in you , which gives you to feel and see that all the covenants upon earth must be broken that is made from the light , the minde that is from it ; which if you come into the light , you will know the marriage of the lamb , your fast shall cease , for god doth not accept your extreams , your passions , your fast , your afflicting your selves for a day , while there is prejudice and envy seated among you , the man-sl●yer which shews that you be out of the light and life of the prophets , and of christ and his apostles , both magistrates and ministers and teachers . and the pope which sits now on high , whose arms , fingers , legs and head is brancht out ; but with the power of the lord is compassed and seen , the end that he is in , and all is but earth , and the worshippers but earth , and in the earthly things the threshing instruments must thresh ; for you lie like a wildernesse , for the lord god of power is coming to plow up , and so seed it ; and that the truth over may passe , and christ in power come to reign , who is law-giver and judge , and to break your wills , and bow down your thoughts , who will subdue all things to himself . who will reign , and to exalt his kingdome , whose dread and terror is gone out into the earth : all what is done in mans will which he pretends to god , he will be judged for it , and all your observances , and fasts , and circumstances , and worships , who hath required this at your hands saith the lord ? come to truth , and singlenesse , and innocency , then you will see cain is a vagabond , the envious man , the man-slayer , a murtherer , from god a vagabond and fugitive , though he built a city : and he observed outward things , but comes not to witness the spirituall sacrifice ; but it shewed that you be in envy , and slayes men concerning religion , being another spirit then christ and the apostles , wherein as i● is declared in scripture , with it ye are judged ; and your reading over prayers , cumbers and wearies the just with reading over prayers , and praying to names , your observing of images , and your earthly crosses ; and this keeps you from the life and power of god , which is the crosse of christ , and the spirit in which you should pray , which the lord knows the mind of . g. f. this is to go abroad among the papists in all the earth . friend , as thou hast spoke of giving a reason , which reason is fathomed and comprehended to be earthly . now there is a reason which flows from the faithful that makes reasonable , and that gives dominion over the earthly ; but this reason is but earthly , and stands in the earthly , as hereafter will be made appear , as thou art brought before the judgement , and weighed in the ballance : and as for the church in the days of the porphet , that was in the days of baal , that would not bow to him nor serve him . now it seems there was some that did bow to baal , that had been of the jewes , and remained as in the outward name . but those were of the church that bowed not to baal , to the earthly ( mark that ) and those stood in the truth , and bowed to the lord , and kissed not baal ; and there 's a distinction between the holy kisse , and the contrary . now that was invisible that kep● them from bowing to baal , and that was invisible that they were gone from , viz. these jews that did bow to baal . as for the seven churches of asia , that 's agreeable to these words ; for many got the words of the church , but the life they fell from . then as for the church of rome , as for the dissolution of the roman catholique faith , which was before luther and calvin , which is as a dark puddle , the smoak of the bottomlesse pit , that hath not a foundation , but from the foundation christ fled : and luther and calvin , something there was stirring in them . luther was true in his place , but it was but a little , but so much as comprehended you ; and as for their falling from you before , luther and calvin , they were but in your outward ceremonies ; for neither you , the church of rome , nor those you beget , nor luther , nor calvin , was in the very life , that is infallible , the apostles were in , and christ , that the scriptures were given forth from . therefore kill you , and slay you that be contrary to you in your religion , and it is the cause of all people running into sects and heaps upon earth ; calvinists and lutherans , because they are not in the spirit that gave forth the scriptures , that hath been lost among you all since the dayes of the apostles , which is now found among them that are called quakers , whom all the sects upon earth are against , that are got up since the dayes of the apostles ; and with the spirit that the apostles were in , you are all fathomed as a span . you that are the church of rome , came to be made up of all these rotten members that fell away from the apostles , before the apostles deceased , that got the forme of godlinesse , but denied the power ; that forbid meats and marriage , that minde earthly things : so you have been the ancientest apostates , and all that have apostatized from you , you call sectaries , which you apostates was the mother of all ; and so i tell you , you are the most ancient in the form of godlinesse , and that have denyed the power , as your gaols and inquisitions declares your fruits : and you lye like a barren field unplowed up ; but now the plough of the lord is going , the servants of the lord are driving on the horses , which will tear your ground . and the publique worship that the apostles were in , who were led by the spirit of god , hath been lost since the dayes of the apostles amongst you ; for christ said , false prophets should come , that were inwardly ravened , that were wolves , that had the sheeps cloathing , which john saw was come , and that the whole world were gone after them ; and so there you lost the infallible spirit , and have held up part of the visible form , and run into some inventions of your own making ; and so is become the mother of harlots , and have brought them forth that are harlots . now that which christ said should come , which false prophets john saw was come , and the whole world was gone after them ; they made war with the saints that kept the testimony of jesus , them that had the forme , the sheeps cloathing , and were ravened from the spirit , and so overcame the saints , then power was given to the beast over all kindreds , tongues , and nations , and all that dwell upon the earth should worship him . then the beast and his names , and his images , and his mark , and horns , then the vials and thunders should come again to be poured upon him and his seat : so the author of all these sects and names hath been from you that first ravened from the spirit of god , all sects upon the earth would kill one another about their worship , which shews the spirit of the devil , and not the spirit of the apostles : so when the beast had overcome the saints , and killed them , and got power over all kindreds , tongues , and nations : and the woman fled into the wildernesse , and the man-childe caught up to god ; and the dragon made war with the ●emnant of her seed that kept the commands of god ; and here by this you may see where the church hath been : and the great whore which went forth from the apostles , and ravened from the spirit of god , yet hath had the sheeps cloathing , which all nations hath drank her cup . she hath corrupted the earth , and made the inhabitants of the earth drunk , and the kings of the earth hath committed fornication with her , and all nations have drunk her cup of fornication . she sits upon the waters , and the waters are peoples , ( not a people ) and the waters are nations where the whore sits , and multitudes , and tongues . now mark , if nations be waters , and peoples be waters , and multitude waters , and tongues waters : and the earth is corrupted , and the inhabitants of the earth drunke , and all nations have drunk the cup of fornication , and the kings of the earth hath committed fornication with her . now where is the church and the rock all this time ? when nations , peoples , multitudes and tongues are waters , and the inhabitants of the earth drunk , and the earth corrupted , and all nations have drunk the whores cup . and the whore cannot be said to be the heathen ; for the whore goes from something , and there is the ancient visible church ; and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her , and all nations have drank the cup of fornication , and fornication is before you be married : and these are them that have drank the blood of the prophets , saints , and martyrs that have kept the testimony of jesus . but now again , the lamb is brought forth to rule the nations with a rod of iron , though the beast , and false prophet , and kings of the earth , and the old dragon make war against the lamb and the saints , yet the lamb and the saints shall get the victory , and the everlasting gospel shall be preached to all nations , kindreds , tongues and people , and life and immortality shall come to light through the gospel , which your old great grand-father went from in the dayes of the apostles ; and so to that that they went from , is people now come and coming , and the lambs wife is making her selfe ready ; and the saints do sing , the lord god omnipotent reigns ; and you are all too immoderate spirits , you and all other sects , then to be like the apostles and christ , or to be like the church of christ , your fallibility and your idols , inquisitions and cruelties makes it appear . two queries being propounded to thee ; in thy answer to the first query thou saist , that all churches or meetings of all sorts of men which have not the spirit of god , they may erre . in thy answer to the second query thou saist , that the church of christ , or the meetings of those christians that follow the rule and law of christ , and are always guided by them , cannot erre in any truth . reply . your church , the church of rome have erred from the spirit of truth , and the truth in which there is no errour . as instance , you have set up idols ; and the spirit of truth in the true church said , keep your selves from idols , as in johns epistle : and you have made ministers by men , and by the will of man , and so gone into your own wills , which the scripture came not by , nor which christs ministers were not made by ; and you and all apostates since are of men , and made by men , and so you are erred ●rom the spirit of truth , that leads into all truth . you are erred from the crosse of christ , the power of god , and have set up outward crosses , and falls down to that instead of falling down to the power of god . you have erred from the true image of god the saints were in , and have set up outward images of wood and stone : you have erred from the saints life and spirit , and from the spirits of just men , and so from the true church , and so set up the reliques , as pieces of cloath , and old bones : so you know after the flesh , which the apostles did not : and you are erred from the rock , and falln into the waters , as in revelations : and your idols , pictures , and images have corrupted the earth ; so you are erred from the true church , and the true spirit , which cryed against idols in all ages , as moses said in his command to the people , and the apostles . your church is commanded to make images and idols , and the church in moses time , and the apostles churches were commanded to keep from them . so no true church you are , but apostates , but fallible , and erred in matter of faith and doctrine , and praised be the lord who hath brought you to the light . and multitudes of instances may be shewed , who compares the church with what the churches of christians were in the dayes of the apostles . and thou saist , the difficulty is where the church of christ is to be found ; for papists , lutherans , calvinists , anabaptists , arminians , and all schismatical meetings , they do claim the title of christs church to themselves , &c. answ. all these the roman church being the mother of the apostates , and all these before-mentioned are started from her , her sturdy sons , and severall names still in the forme , for the light within they are all against ; and christ within to reigne and teach ; and the law within in the heart , and in the mind , whereby all comes to know the lord , and the word in the heart and in the mouth to obey and do ; and the spirit of truth to lead into all truth , whereby the saints have unity one with another , and with the scriptures , and with god . this the pap●sts are run from into images and idols , and this the baptists , lutherans , and all other sects are run from into other images within , but with the spirit of truth which leads the saints into all truth are these comprehended , and out of all these sects and sorts are people coming . i 'le break your names , and marr your images with the spirit of truth , fence your selves never so wisely : and so none of these nor you neither are of the true church , but the beast and his names ; but some of these you cal● s●cts are neerer the true church then you ; for the world who lives in images and idols wonder after you , who lives in images and idols , who are apostatized from them ; keep your selves from idols . as for the quakers who are risen in the ancient of dayes , in the end of the night of apostacy , among whom that's appeared that cannot be shaken , against whom you and all the sects upon ea●th appears that are come up since the dayes of the apostles , whom they comprehend , and will tread to dust and to powder : the seed of god is risen , and the top-stone is laid , glory to god in t●e highest . come out all sects and s●ctaries to the battel , and you are all in the vanity contenders and pretendeders , got up since the days of the apostles ; the marks are appeared not to be the marks o● the s●ints , who hath the fathers name written in their foreheads ; but you have the mark of the beast upon you , and without the true ground and the true reason of the apostl●s ●re you out of : for inst●nce , the true church taught not to persecute , and the true reasonable men that was in the faith ; for faith gives victory over that nature in particular that would persecute , and so doth not lead to kill the creature for the sake of the nature in it in general : and fafth teaches not this d●ct●ine , but denies it , and brings to suffer all things , through which mountains are subdued . thou further saist , they that are of a wicked life may have a right faith , and reproves others that cannot believe it . answ. a wicked man he hath not faith of the el●ct of god for faith gives victory over wickednesse ; and faith purifies , and faith makes reasonable ; and who are of the faith , are of abraham , and come out of all these adulterous generations , the mystery of fai●h is h●ld in a pure conscience . now , here you are in the errour you papists , and all apostates from the apostles , like the jewes and the devil that hath a belief , but is out of the truth , yet may get a belief in the letter ; as the jewes held a belief long in the letter , but kill'd the son : and you have had the letter and form of godlinesse long , but killed the saints and martyrs ; who are reprobated , devils , jewes , apostates , papists , from the elect of god , for who are of faith , ●re of abraham ; and who are of abraham , are of the elect of christ , which doth not pertain to idols . and here is the mystery of the church known , the body of christ , which is a top of your flesh and idols , both which is not of the fl●sh of abraham , nor of the church . all you are but the pretenders of the spirit of christ in the apostacy from it since the dayes of the apostles , as your fruits declare , your names and images : so i confesse to you it is the ancientest form that hath been since the dayes of the apostles ; but had i never known the papists nor none of these sectaries , we had know● truth : we came not through the popes channels , but are come to that which all apostates ravened from , and so you your selves must be put to silence , and your mouths stopped , which are the evill beasts that tears one another , worse then the common beasts which the apostles speak of , which was coming up before his decease . how are you learning one another about your meat , and husks , and worships , and images , and helps , and teachers , and scriptures , which was not the work of them that gave it forth , with your horns : and how many images have you upon you , and names , and marks , and what are all these images and marks , but the marks and images of the beast which is risen since the days of the apostles ? whereas thou queriest , what be all these but sect , ? as independents , anabaptists , and other sectaries , which sayest , thou was first of the church of rome : and thou s●yest , the church of rome cannot be said to be sectaries , because it hath been constant since the dayes of the apostles , and all sectaries springed from it , and not you from them : answ. the roman church was the first made up of hereticks , schismaticks , and apostates , and reprobates , and antichrists , and false prophets , which christ said should come , matth. . and john said was come ; and as you may read in timothy and titus , reprobate from the faith , and erred from the faith , and had the form of godlinesse , and denyed the power , and kept the form , and as john said was come , and they went after idols before his decease ; and he writ to the little children to keep themselves from idols . and jude saw them crept up before they were aware , which went in corah's , balaams , and cains way , that were murtherers : and are not you murtherers , that murther one another , as cain about his sacrifice ? and jude saw they turned the grace of god into wantonnesse , which should be their teacher and salvation : so all these self-separations , apostates , reprobates , which went after the doctrine of devils , and forbid meats and marriages ; and the spirit spoke expresly , should depart from the faith , and ●ll these have made up the church of rome , and there 's your visible church held up by cains weapons . then as for all these sectaries springed from you , you were like to beget no other children but bastards , which is but a false conception brought forth by the will of man ; which is applyed that god got it , and fathers it upon god . and as for all these sects which are sprung of you , are like no other wayes but like to a sea , and burst into names , which went from the spirit of god ; you are not like to be kept in unity , who ravened from the spirit of god , the life of christ , and the apostles was in ; and to that which you ravened from , are people come and coming , which stands a-top of you all . they that worship god must worship him in spirit , which mortifies all sin and corruptions ; and they that worship god , must worship him in truth , in that the devill abode not in . to all the papists upon the earth to come out and try their faith and strength , without cains weapons ; for there was two that did sacrifice , and the one killed the other about the sacrifice , and whether of these two was excepted can you read your selves ? and which was the vagabond ? it 's said , that the pope and the church of rome hath the key , and it 's left to them , and ye are the keepers of the key . now if you be keepers of the key , ye are to open to nations about you , and to render a reason of the hope that is in you ; if the lord be sanctified in your hearts , you will . are you according to the scriptures ? is the practice of your church according to the scriptures ? is the spirit of the lord powred upon you , and all flesh ? doth your sons and your daughters prophesie ? and if any thing be revealed to another that sits by you , and bids another hold his peace that is speaking , for you may all prophesie one by one . or are you not like others , and the rest of the sects , that will put them in prison , and say they have disturbed you , and so shew your selves both reprobates and hereticks from the church and the spirit that the apostles were in ? and can you say , christ is in you male and female ? or are you not reprobates , and say you have no such speech among you catholicks ? but is without , which is your bread and wine ; and are not all murtherers , persecutors , prisoners , whippers , burners , inquisitioners , sectaries and apostates , from the apostles , and sacrificers from that nature cain was in , and not from the divine natu●e , and the faith of the son of god , and the apostles , and abel ? have you the spirit of christ ? is any of the church , but who are of abraham ? is any of the church of christ , but who are of the flesh of christ ? is any of faith but who are of abraham ? and is not faith a myst●ry , a perfect gift of god ? and is not this faith held in a pure conscience ? and can any ones conscience which is not pure hold this faith of gods elect ( wch is the mystery ) and doth not this faith give victory over the nature in man and woman that doth p●rtain to idols an● images made with mans hands , and in the wills of men , in jewes , gentiles , apostates from the apostles , since their dayes come up ? and doth not the faith give victory over all the jewes changeable types , offerings , temples , tythes , priests , covenant ? hath the lord put his law into your minds , that you need not say unto your neighbour , and writ it in your heart , that you need not say unto one another , know the lord ; for from the greatest of you to the least of you , ye all know the lord ? hath god commanded the light to shine out of darknesse , and doth it shine in your hearts ? and then ( mark ) dot● that li●ht that shines in your heart ( mark again ) give you the knowledge of the glory of god in the face of jesus christ ? cor. . . are you them that doth take heed to the light that shines in the dark place ? is the day-star risen in your hearts that peter speaks of ? is the ingrafted word which is able to save the soule felt in you ? and the hidden man of the heart , which is with the lord a great price ? are you them that are no wearers of gold , or costly array ? are you them that exercise lordship one over another like unto the gentiles ? or are you like unto the apostles which christ said it should not be so amongst them . are you like to the pharisees , called of men m●ster ? laying heavy burdens upon the people , and go in long robes , chiefest seats in the assemblies , and loves salutations , and uppermost rooms at feasts , which christ said unto his , be ye not so . and where do you read mr. paul , mr. titus , and mr. timothy , &c. are you the ●rue believers that are ceased from their own works , as god did from his ? are you come out of the law of works to the law of faith ? is your consciences purged from dead works to serve the living god ? are you those children that needs no man to teach you , but as the same an●inting abides in you , and as it doth teach ye shall continue in the son of god , and the father ? or are you the seducers , sects , and hereticks ( that draws people from the anointing within ) and so men teachers ? are you them that keep your selves from idols that john speaks of ? are you of the seed of the woman that keeps the commands of god ? are you the children of the lord that are taught of him , that are farre from oppression ? are you ceased from men whose breath is in their nostrils , that the prophet speaks of ? are ye them that tremble at the word of god ? are you them that obey the word of faith in your hearts , in your mouths ; and that saith , the righteousnesse of faith speaks on this wise ? you need not say , you need not fetch it from above , or from beneath ; but what saith it ? the word is nigh thee , in thy heart , and in thy mouth , to obey it and do it . is this a sectary , or out of sectaries ? are ye of them that make images or likenesses of males and females , things in heaven above , and earth beneath , and bows down unto them , wch corrupts themselves with them , and corrupts the earth ? are you of them that saith , the kingdome of heaven is within you ? have you found it in you ? or are you like unto the pharisees , gazing for it abroad without you ? is god the author of your faith ? and is it in your hearts , and doth it purifie you ? are the professors the greater persecutors , that hath the form out of the faith , out of the life of them that be of the faith and life , then the gentiles ? whether have been greater in all ages , judge ye . have you found the pearl hid in the field ? are you the merchant man that hath made an exchange , and purchased it ? do you speak only as the holy ghost moves you ? as they that gave forth scriptures ? are you led by the same spirit and power that the a●ostles were ? do you speak but as the spirit gives you utterance ? and are you them that do not quench the spirit ? are you them that owns prophesies immediately as the apostles ? and revelation , and inspiration from god as they had ? have you heard gods voyce , and christs voyce immediately from heaven as the prophets and a●ostles did ? what is the tree of knowledge ? and what is the flaming sword that keeps the tree of life ? and what are the inwardly raveners ? and what is it they ravened from ? and what are the false prophets and antichrists that have got the sheeps cloathing , which christ said should come , and john saw they were come ? and in the revelation , the world went after them ? and what is the sea the beast rose out of ? and what is the beast ? and what is the second beast that rose out of the earth ? and what is the earth he should deceive with his miracles ? and what are his miracles ? and all that dwell upon the earth should worship him because of his miracles ? and what are his names , marks , horns , and heads , crowns and images ? and what is the woman that fled into the wildernesse ? and what is the whore that hath corrupted the earth ? and what did she whore from , which hath made the inhabitants of the earth drunk ? and what are these kings that have committed fornication with her ? and what is the cup of fornication that all nations have drunk of ? and what is mystery-babylon , that reigns over the kings of the earth ? and what is the whore , the false prophets weapons , antichrists , the dragons that fight against the saints withal ? and what are the lambs weapons , and the saints that they fight withal ? and what peoples , nations , multitudes , tongues are those that john says are waters that the whore sits upon ? and what are those saints that the beast overcame ? and who are they which then the beast had the power over all kindreds , tongues , and nations ? and are not these things got up since the dayes of the apostles ? and whether or no the lamb and the saints shall not have the victory over them all again ? and whether or no the saints must not come to that which they ravened from , before they have victory over all that which hath reigned since the days of the apostles ? and whether or no the spirits of people hath not separated from , since the dayes of the apostles , which they were in ? and is not that the cause that all nations are brought into sects and heaps , and lost their unity with god and the scriptures ? ( with which spirit they learned of god the father of spirits that gave forth scripture ) are you come unto the spirits of just men made perfect , to the church in god the father the judge of all ? what scripture have you for taking tythes ? and where did the apostles take tythes so , that denyed the first priest-hood , and witnessed christ the ( sum ) the change of the law by which the priesthood was made : and the disannulling of the commandement that gave tythes ? and are not you transgressors , and made your selves transgressors that have set up these things the apostles threw down . and where did the apostle take tythes ? and what is the first principle of pure religion ? and what is the soul of man ? and have you not lost the crosse of christ , which the scripture saith is the power of god ? and hath set up crosse● of wood and stone on the end of your steeple-houses ; and do take bread and wine on the day-time , which christ took at night . what is the light ? what is the word ? what is the gospel ? what scripture have you for sprinkling infants ? are you them that have heard , and learned of god , which christ saith , them that have heard and learned of god comes to the son : have you seen the shape of god ? are you them that god speaks to by his son , who is heir of all things , upholding all things by his word and power ? is your church the church that is in god ? have you heard of the father , seeing it is written ye shall all be taught of god ? are you not them that looks at things that are seen ; for things that are seen are temporall , the things that are not seen are eternall . are not images , idols , pictures , reliques , bones , pieces of cloath , things that are ●een , and temporall ? answer these queries in writing , and send them to the people who are scornfully called quakers in england , by all the sects of the earth . shall a man whiles he is upon the earth be made free from sin , and be made perfect , and the body of sin put off ? and what scripture have you for consecrating bread and wine ? and where did the apostles so ? will you try your church by the scripture of truth , and measure your selves by the apostles declaration , and venture your selves to be tryed and judged by them that the spirit of truth led them to speak forth ? and what is the wine-presse that was troden without the city ? and whether you bid every man examine himselfe , whether christ be in him , except he be a reprobate ? and whether or no you are as the apostles , who preached christ in them the hope of glory , warning every man , that you may present every man perfect in him in christ jesus ? to prove the papists church to be a false church , contrary to the apostles ; and that they are wolves , which christ said should come , which are inwardly ravening : ye have the sheeps cloathing , and are the false prophets that should arise , according to christs words ; that should shew lying signes & wonders , which if it were possible should deceive the very elect ; and should say , loe christ is here , and loe christ is there . do not you tell people that he is in the bread , and that he is in the wine ; and tell them that he is in the chamber , and that he is in the desert ; where you put the bread and the wine is not there christ ? cannot you put him in the cup-board , and in the chamber , and in the desert ? cannot you put , and tell people he is there ? and have you not the sheeps cloathing , but are you not ravening wolves , inwardly ravening from the spirit of god ? so doth not your fruits appear contrary to the church of god ? for have not you fulfilled the scriptures , having the sheeps cloathing , but inwardly are the ravening wolves ? have not you ravened , wearied , and destroyed and killed many hundreds ? and have you not your holes and gaols , which you call inquisitions , which you put them in ? are you like the church in this ? did ever lambs and the sheep weary and tear them to pieces , and then carry them into dens , and make wracks and tortures for poor creatures , or for the wolves either ? did ever the sheep destroy the wolves ? now which doth your fruits make you appear to be , the sheep or the wolves , judge your selves by the scriptures ? now let all people judge you all that be in the wolvish nature , that are not sheep no more then you : so christ calls them wolves , inwardly ravening from the spirit of god , these christ said should come ; and they have come up since the dayes that christ said they should come . and the apostle saith in acts . that after his departure grievous wolves should enter in among them , not sparing the flocke , which should arise from among themselves , speaking perverse things , drawing many disciples after them . now have not you papists risen since the dayes of the apostles : and you know the apostles did not prison , persecute , devour any , but the wolves should do it . now these rise among the saints that should not spare the flock ( mark ) make havock of the flock , to devour and destroy the flock . now we remember that christ told of you and of these things ; and the apostle tells of these things , john . said it was the last time then . whereas they had heard that antichrist should come , even now there are many antichrists and false prophets come into the world , cor. . , , . paul speaking there of cutting off occasion ; for as much as false prophets , deceitful workers , transforming themselves into the apostles of christ ; no marvel , for satan himself transformed himselfe , and his ministers transforming as the ministers of righteousness . now this the apostle saw come up among the corinthians before his decease : so now again you may see satans ministers they are murtherers , and his angels they are murtherers . now the apostle said , he out off the occasion ; he did not cut off the outward bodies of people as you do ; and the apostles were persecuted , whipped and beat ; now you see that you are whippers , persecutors , and beaters ; and though you persecute one another which have the name of christians , yet are not the sheep , nor the ministers , or true apostles , nor the true church : and when the true ministers and apostles saw that these false apostles should come , and ministers of satan should tran●form themselves into angels of light , he brings them to the light that shined in their hearts & them that would give them the knowledge of god in the face of jesus christ , cor. . and are not you as bad as the jews , who killed the lord jesus christ , and their own prophets , who kill the prophets that are sent among you , thes. . and are you not in the fornication . and set up places for fornication among you ? and no fornicator or idolater must enter into the kingdome of god . for are you not worshipping of images ? and do you not trust in them ? and doth not the lord say , cursed be all them that trust in graven images ? now the apostle faith , the mystery of iniquity doth already worke , and there should be a falling away before the man of sin should be revealed , who exalts himselfe above all that is called god , or is worshipped , and sits in the temple of god , and shews himselfe that he is god . the apostle bid remember that he told these things , and that he might be revealed in due time ; and now he is revealed , is not the man of sin a devourer ? and was the apostles so ? and are not you devourers , who worships the names of saints , and images , and reliques ; and so contrary to john , who was not to worship the angell , but god . how are you fallen from the truth , and from the state of john , how are you revealed , thes. . and this man of sin , whose coming is after the workings of satan , destroying with his power . now have not you a great power , and lying signes and wonders ? have you not your lying signes and great wonders among you , and the deceiveableness of unrighteousness ; who have not believed the truth , but are given up to believe the lying signs and wonders ? so god hath sent strong delusions among you . and was it not the apostles charge to timothy , that he should teach no other doctrine , neither give heed to fables ? now are not you run into the fables , run into images , and reliques , and purgatory , and idols , beads , and jewels , and so puts them in your inquisitions that denies your fables , and witnesseth the contrary , that which is the sound doctrine ? so are you not contrary to the sound church here , and given up to them that believe fables ? tim. . & are not your ministers made of men , and by men , so gone forth from the power the apostles was in , which was not of man , nor by man , so no true ministers . and did not the apostle say in his charge , tim. . to prove ministers and bishops , they might not be brawlers , they must not be given to filthy lucre , they must not be given to wine , they must not be covetous , they must not be strikers . are not you strikers , killing and slaying in cains way them that be contrary minded to you ? so not of the true faith , not of the true church , not of the true stock● nor of the true ministry . this i have proved by the apostles , separated from them out of their way ; are not you covetous ? would you not sell pardons for money ? are you not ashamed of your christianity , to the very heathen about you ? hath not god here brought the very man of sin to light , and revealed him ? now the apostle said , the spirit spoke expresly ; at the latter times some should depart from the faith , giving heed to seducing spirits , and doctrines of devils , speaking lyes in hypocrisie , having their consciences seared with a hot iron ; forbidding to marry , and commanding to abstain from meats . are you not departed from the faith that purifies , and the word that sanctifies ? and so the church made up of such as the spirit spoke should come ; that forbids to marry commands to abstain from meats ; and so your church made up with the seducing spirits , and doctrines of devils . doth not the fruits declare this to all the nations about you ? so are not you gone from the example of the apostles , who bids , follow us , as you have us for an example , both church and ministers . you have forsaken the example of the apostle , both your church & ministers . the apostle commanded timothy to keep his commandement without spot , unrebukeable untill the appearing of our lord jesus christ . and do not your fruits make you manifest that you are fallen into all these things that the apostle saw should come , and the spirit said should come ? and moreover the apostle said ; if you be dead with christ from the rudiments of the world , as living in the world , why are you subject to ordinances ? and if you be risen with christ , seek those things which are above ; set your affections on things that be above , and not on things that be on the earth ; as your images , reliques , idols , pictures , beads , jewels , earthly crosses , crucifixes ; are not all these things below ? and doth not these make up your church ? and is not this the voluntary humility that beguiles people ? such doth not hold the head , which are in the outward shews , which are not to be tasted , and handled ; which things perish with the using , after the commandements and doctrines o● men , which shews you are not risen with christ , not seeking the things that are above , but your affections are on things on the earth , col. . again , the apostle saith , in the last dayes perillous times should come , that men should be lovers of themselves , blasphemers , covetous , proud , boasters , heady , traitors , high minded , despisers of them that are good ; of this sort are them that creep into houses , leading silly women captive , laden with divers sins and lusts , always learning , and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth ; like jannes and jambres which with-stood the faith , to keep people in aegypt , keeping people in bondage and spiritual aegypt , having the form , but denying the power . and hath not the church been made up of such since the days of the apostles ? and evill men & seducers should wax worse and worse , deceiving and being deceived ; and the time will come , saith the apostles , that they would not endure sound doctrine ; they heap to themselves teachers that would not endure the truth , running into fables . now these things being come up before the apostles decease , of which your church is is made up of , which are turned from the truth , that have itching ears , and seducers , are reprobate concerning the faith , that keep to the fables : and this to the view of all people may be seen hath made up your church , for these things hath come up since the days of the apostles , which were coming up before their decease ; and the apostle speaks to titus of the unruly talkers , whose mouths must be stopped , who taught for filthy lucre , which were evill beasts , slow bellies , which followed fables made by the will of men ; and of these your church is made up of , which to every good work are reprobates , being reprobate to the good , and disobedient , tit. . and the grace of god which brings salvation hath appeared to all men , teaching us to live righteously , sob●rly , and godly . are not you run into the worlds lusts , and from the soberness , and from the grace of god which brings salvation , by which people are saved ? into the foolish questions and strivings about the law , unprofitable and vain , which are the hereticks which went forth from among the apostles , tit. . and so from the grace by which men are justified : are not you gone into the lusts , and so into the wars that brought forth sin , and so death , and fighting , and wars , that hath brought forth among you , and so out of that which takes away the occasion of wars ; and out of the faith that works by love , and so in the dead faith which is cains , which will murder and kill them that sacrifices , that are contrary to you , so are not you stepped into cains way from the true church ? moreover , are not you those that hold the faith of our lord jesus christ with respect of persons , and so are transgressors ? committers of sin , who breaks in that point as respecting of persons , is guilty of all ; and drawing before your judgment-seats , and killing . you great and rich men , whose time of weeping and howling is come , and so are turned to be the blasphemers , your church is made up of blasphemers , respecters of persons , transgressors , committers of sin , & convicted by the law that goes out of sion now the fruit of your faith is not the works of charity ; for you 'l kill and murther like cain , so that faith is without the true works , and the true charity ; but the belief is like the devils and cains , who is not justified by that faith , though you pretend faith and works to people ; but the ●ruits thereof declares you to be wolves , and so erred from the truth . are not you swearers ? which james saith , above all things my brethren swear not at all , lest ye fall into condemnation . so are not you the false brethren , the false church , the false ministers , fallen into the condemnation , contrary to james , who taught in the true church , and the true brethren , that above all things they should not swear , neither by heaven , nor by earth , nor by any other oath ? so is not your church made up of hereticks , & apostates , that are given to fables and rudiments of the world , and things below , forbidding meats and marriages , and reprobates concerning the true faith , and belief , which are found in the dead , without the works ; but in the works of cain and the devill , murtherers , doing his works , as the jews did against christ , and the apostles and prophets . again , the apostle peter bids beware of false teachers , who said there are false prophets among the people , even so there shall be false teachers among you , who should bring in the damnable heresies , which should bring upon themselves swift destruction even denying the lord jesus that bought them ; which are like to sodome , which are in their filthiness & fulness , and like unto core , turning away from the truth , and balaam and cain . now is not corah's , cains , and balaams marks found among you ? and h●●h not these made up your church , these which went forth from the apostles ? doth not your inquisitions ▪ your gaols , and dens , and persecutions , and murthers of the saints shew cains marks before mentioned ? so let corah's , cains , and balaams marks in your forheads testifi● , which had the high words , and spoke them in hypocrisie , and beguiled the unstable souls ; who are the cursed children ( and contrary to the apostles , and just lot , and noah , the th person ) who are the wells without the water , trees without the fruit ; who having escaped the pollutions of the world , by whom many is again overcome , is brought in●o bondage by you : so ●r●th hath been lost , troden under your feet , who ha●h born corah's , cains , balaams image , pet. . but your damnation slumbers not , for you have denied the lord in turning from the light which he hath lightned you withal , going from the spirit , as cain , core , & balaam did . and then john wrote to little children , said , it was the last time , whereof antichrist should come ; even now there are many antichrists come into the world , whereby we know it is the last time which christ said should come , matth. . and told them again , mat. . and said , he had told them before concerning false prophets and antichrists should come , inwardly ravening wolves , devourers , which john saw should come , and went forth from them into the world ; and in the revelation , the whole world that dwelt upon the earth went after them . so these that christ said should come , john saw was come , inwardly ravening wolves , false prophets , false teachers , which the world is gone after , hath made up your church , which went forth from the apostles ; and christ he said , they should come , bid them they should not go● after them ; and john who saw they was come , bids them keep to the anointing in them ; they need no man to teach them , but as the same anointing teacheth them , and as they continue in this , they continue in the son , and in the father . and from this are you all gone : so that which christ said should come , john saw was come , even the antichrist and the false prophets , and how they should try the spirits that was gone forth into the world . again , they should love one another , and not as cain slew his brother . why did he slay him ? because his sacrifice was accepted , & his was not ; cains was not . now doth not the fruits of your church shew you to be cains , & your love , which the apostle saith not as cains ; so are you not apostatized from the true church ? the true love into cains love ? so no true brethren : and your love stands but in the word , not in the deed ; and iohn saith , little children keep your selves from idols . he saw the false prophets & antichrists then come wch should run into those things . now here are not you apostatized again from the true church , and run into idols , who profess your selves to be men and teachers , and so run in that , that john bids the elect keep from , john . so have proved your selves to be the false apostles , that run after idols , which christ said should come , and the apostle saw was come , that should if it we●e possible deceive the very elect with your idols , which the elect before the foundation of the world was made keeps from , wch idols your church is full of . again , jude saw it crept up before his decease at unawares ; and he bids the saints contend for the faith once delivered to them , the common salvation . so these that crept up in the days of jude , hath made up your church again , and separated themselves from the apostle● sensual , not having the spirit , speaking the great high swelling words , admiring the persons of men for advantage , which are as sodom and gomorah and corah offering strange fire , you are offering the strange sacrifice who are like clouds , winds , raging waves of the sea , speaking great swelling words , having mens persons in admiration , going in the way of cain , corah , balaam : now the marks of all these are found in your church , and found in your foreheads ; cains sword is among you , do not you rage , do not you fome , do not you kill , do not you speak , the high swelling words ? but enochs prophecy is come to passe ; in ten thousands of his saints is the lord come to judgement , and to convince you of your ungodly deeds , and of your hard speeches against him , who be the filthy dreamers , defiling the flesh , speaking evill of the dignities , of the dominions ; that goes over all transgression ( which lets see the first transgression ) that was befo●● transgression was ; this is dignity and the higher power . now are you not in cains way , and lost the patience , that kills , slays , and murthers , let all the world bear witness that be in the fear of god ? are not you fallen into the deeds of the nicholaitans ; and so like them which said , they were jewes , and were not , but synagogues of satan ; and so do●h not your fruit declare you , that you are synagogues of satan , murdering , killing ? and was there not such before johns decease , which said they were jews , and were not ? which john told should cast into prison , and try , and many of the faithful martyrs were slain . have not you held the doctrine of balaam ? your idols , and do you not here commit fornication with them ? and is not this the stumbling-block you here lay for all people , balaam-like ? and is not the fruits of your church made up of such ? and was not the woman jezebel beginning to teach before johns decease ; & teaching to seduce the servants of god , and to commit fornication , and to eat things sacrificed to idols ? and was not all this separated from the true church , these idols , balaam , this prophetess ? and hath not these made up your church , which hath the stumbling block ? the word of the lord doth try all this ; hath not he promised , and the church doth know that he was the lord that tryeth the reigns , and searcheth the heart ? for is not jezebels mark upon your fore-heads , and your idols ? your church is full of them which defiles the land ; and do you not kill and slay , jezebel-like , and betray , and after fast , your hands full of blood , your heart full of deceit , strife and murther ? is not this jezebels teachings ? jezebels fast ? and your idols balaams stumbling block ? and was not this coming up before johns decease , creeping up among the true church ? if a true church fall into these things , god removes his candlestick from them ; so are you them the candlestick is not among : therefore you set up great outward candlesticks among all your idols , and so you have a name of christians , but are dead . thou hast a name of a christian to live , but art dead , and so deceives nations by your name ; but now you are proved , your church , your ministers all , jezebels mark , balaams stumbling block , your idols , you have not repented of your fornications , all your idols , god will cast you into your bed of sorrows . and now your day of tryal is come ; and he that overcomes shall be a pillar in the house of god : and so you have lost the key , and are shut up in darknesse ; for was not jezebel a murtherer , a slayer ? and yet did she not fast ? did not the apostles fast , and yet were no murtherers , nor slayers ? and at the opening of the th seal , was not the cry of the souls heard ; how long lord , how long wilt not thou be avenged on them that are put to death for the testimony of jesus ; and dost not thou avenge our cause o lord ? and was not the answer again , they should rest a season till the rest of their brethren were killed ? now who are the killers ? who are the murtherers ? have you not been the killers and murtherers one of another ? and so out of the true church , and all along apostatized from the true church , revel. . and so are not you them that are brought to poverty among all the earth for want of the vertue of god among all people , and choaks them with your idols ? and so the bottomless pit hath been opened which hath no foundation ; & your smoak and your locusts hath swarmed abroad ; so are you not them that fell ? the star that fell ? that fell from the apostles , that fell from the truth ? is not your church made up of locust ? and have not you worshipped devils & idols , and gold and silver , brass , wood , iron , and stone , that can neither see nor hear ? and doth not iohn speak of this in the revelations , which was distinct from the true church ? and is not your church here found your idols of brasse , of silver , of stone , and can neither see nor walk , revel. . and hath not the two witnesses been killed which was called the two olive trees , and candlesticks ; the olive trees fruits is the oyl , and what doth oyl do ? hath not this been killed , and the candlestick which stands before the god of the earth ? and the great city sodome and gomorrha where christ was crucified , and them that crucified him was the professors of scriptures , and you the professors of scriptures , where is the olive tree now ? where is the candlestick ? how is spiritual sodom full of your idols and images now ? there is none turnes from the olive tree and the candlestick ; but who are become spiritual sodome and aegypt in themselves ; and consider was not the dragon cast from heaven to the earth ? and did not he persecute the wom●n ? and is not all persecutors of him ? did not the woman flee into the wilderness ? where hath she been all this time of idols ? where hath been the church ? was not the man-child caught up to god ? did not the dragon make war with the seed which keep the commands of god ? did not the beast rise out of the sea , which had his power and authority from the dragon ? who have been like bears and lions and leopards ? and all the world wondered after the beast , and they wondered after the dragon which had power from the beast : ( now mark ) where hath the church been now ? who is like to the beast which rose out of the sea , which all the world worshipped , which ravened from the spirit of god ; which went out from the apostles , in corahs , cains , balaams way , erred from the spirit of god , they like a sea , out of truth ; so here came in the dragons power which gave the beast his authority , which all the world worshipped , which dragon had made war , was that which persecuted the woman ; and the beast made war with the saints , and had his power from the dragon which all that dwelt upon the earth should worship and over-come the saints , then power was given to the beast over all tongues , kindreds and nations ; over all kindreds , your tongues , your teachers , which saith tongues is the originall , orthodox men which have their learning from tongues hath the beast power over , and all that dwelt upon the earth should worship him , and he should deceive them that dwelt upon the earth by reason of his miracles ; he should make images to the beast , and they should worship the beast ; and they should neither buy nor sell ; but who had the mark of the beast and his image ; now it is the beast that sets up the image ; now here is the image , the beast , here is your church , and here is the beast that hath his power over all kindreds , tongues and nations , and the woman fled into the wilderness , and the man-child caught up to god , and the dragon made war with the seed , and the beast hath power from the dragon which kills the saints ; now where is your church ? where hath the true church been ? now where is the faith and patience of the saints ? he which kills with the sword , must be killed with the sword ; him that hath an ear let him hear ; the dragon the beast , out of the sea ; out of the earth ; these are scriptures , the beast out of the earth ; his miracles , his images ; now here is your church apostatized from the apostles , from john , from the woman , from the saints , from the man-child caught up to god ; so the beast hath had his authority and power that killed the saints , from the dragon and the man-child caught up to god , the woman fled into the wilderness , and hath had his power and authority over all tongues , people and nations , who hath deceived the nations because of your miracles , and yet the tongues , & your orthodox men , wch you call the original , which the beast hath power over , will tell the people that the false prophets are come but now , the . mathew , but now is the seven vials coming upon the beast , and his names , and them that vvorship him , for all these names in the vvhole christendom is the beasts names , not the saints but by reproach , and now are the reapers going forth vvith their sickle , and are calling people from the vvorship of the beast and his image , vvho had his seal to deceive them that dvvell upon the earth , & the spirits of devils vvorking miracles , vvhich goes forth to the kings of the earth in the vvhole earth to gather them to battel against the great day of the lord god almighty , and blessed is he that keepeth his garment clean : and the great whore , ( mistery babylon ) sits upon the beast , vvhose povver vvas from the dragon , vvhich all the world should vvorship , but vvho hath their names vvritten in the book of life , and so she sits upon the beast in his several colours vvhich all nations of the earth hath drunk of her cup & committed fornication with her , there the woman is called the church , now here is your church , and she sits upon the waters , and the waters are people , nations , multitudes and tongues , and she hath corrupted the earth , and made the inhabitants of the earth drunk , and the kings of the earth hath drunk of her cup , and committed fornication with her ; but where hath been your church all this time ? when the multitude are waters , and nations and tongues are waters , and the whore hath sat upon them all , and the inhabitans of the earth is drunk , and she hath drunk the blood of the martyrs , and the blood of the prophets and of the saints ; now if prophets blood be drunk , and the saints and martyrs blood be drunk , where is the true church now ? and if the prophets and saints blood be drunk , and the woman fled into the wilderness , now where hath the true church been ? now again the lamb and the saints shall have victory , the fall of babylon shall be known , the judgements of the great whore is come , and she shall be rewarded double as she hath rewarded : the beast , the false prophets , the kings of the earth shall make war with the saints ; but again the lamb and the saints shall get victory who shall kill with the sword , slay with the sword , which is the words of his mouth , & the beast shall be taken with him , the false prophet the old dragon , and be cast alive into the lake of fire . now here was the lambs weapons and saints , killing and slaying with the sword , which is the word of his mouth ; but their weapons is fire , faggot , inquisition , torturing , hanging , drawing , and quartering , about your religion , about your worship , that which your faith stands in which is proved to be cains and not abels , the keeper of sheep ; for the lamb and the saints shall have the victory , and the holy prophets shall have power over you , whom the beast hath had power over , whom you have worshipped , and the whore hath set upon all tongues , and kindreds , and nations , and the everlasting gospel shall be preached to them that dwell upon the earth , to all tongues , people and nations that dwell upon the earth , and so your church hath been made up of false prophets inwardly ravening wolves , and the grievous wolves , not sparing the flock , and that come in after the apostles departure , that rose up among them , that had the sheeps clothing , math. . and . acts . and your church is made up of hereticks which the apostle speaks of that served not the lord jesus christ , but their own bellies , which caused devisions , which had the good words and fair speeches which deceived the hearts of the simple , romans . and your church is made up of false apostles , satans ministers , satans messengers , transforming themselves as the true messengers , ministers and apostles , your church is made up of such who forbids marriages and meats , which the apostle said should come , and so in the devils doctrines ( as timoth. . and corinth . . and so are not built upon the true foundation of the prophets and apostles and christ jesus , ) who being past feeling , who are gone after the vanities of your own minds like gentiles into idols , ephes. . . who are the injurious persons , as paul was in his first estate , before conversion , when he persecuted , who never after conversion did persecute , for then he came into the life and substance of what he professed in words before , and so your fruits do shew your church to be made up of injurious persons , persecuting like saul , not converted , and yet you he doting about law and gosple which you do not know what you affirm and speak of ; so your church many of them through philosophie , and rudements below are held up by the commandments and doctrines of men , and feigned and voluntary humility which is your own , and usurped authority jezabel-like , so hath forsaken the command of the lord jesus christ and the true church , who said keep from idols , you have made idols and images that can neither hear , nor see , nor go , so your church is to be confounded , which trusteth in idols and images , so not in the true church of god , and your church is made up of them that kill the lord jesus christ , and kill the prophets , and kills the saints , and so fills up the wrath to the utmost which is to come upon you , and your church is made up of such who for the love of money hath erred from the faith , and are covetous , and will sell pardons for money ; your church is made up of such who be given to blaspheme , and so hath lost the godliness in which the saints increase ; but you have cankered the people with your images and pictures & idols of things below , so out of the sober state , in the malice , hatefull , out of the fruits of the true church , but made up of such which peter speakes of to be in corahs , cains , balaams way ; so your fruits declares , and thus you are contrary to christ and the apostles , and true church separated from them , and such as the apostle declares against hath made up your church . have not you been the first birth of the devil since the dayes of the apostles , murderers , and killers about formes and traditions , and images , and outward churches and ministers made by mens wills ? is not cains fruits the vagabond from god appeared among you , murderers , destroyers ? did the apostles kill , slay and burn ? had they their inquisitions like you ? and do not you all wear cains mark and balaams mark on your foreheads , and the devils colours the murderer that is out of truth ? has not his flagge been hung out among you ? all that denies your religion and worshipping your images , crosses , and all your ministers made by the will of men , and temples made with mens hands , its death , by fire , inquisition or wracks , and the devil is he that destroyes the creatures , but the power of god destroyes him , lets up the soul , and brings the creature into liberty . christ saith , my body i will give for the life of the world . and christ saith , he is from above , and he is not earthly ; the first man is of the earth earthly . so after you have consecrated your bread and wine , if you will come to an open tryall and proof , that may openly bee proved and seen whether or no your bread and wine is not below after consecration , and will waste and consume , which christ his flesh sees no corruption , his body is the church ; and is bread and wine after you have consecrated it the church ? or do you call your selves the church at rome ? or do you call your selves the body of christ ? do you call the very bread and wine the very body and blood of christ after you have consecrated i● , and so the very church ? and then where are you the church ? and have you not set bread and wine over you ? and you s●y christs body was humane , that 's the first adam earthly , the second is the lord from heaven ; and after you have consecrated bread and wine , if it be humane , that signifies earthly , & that shews the creatures as they were before your consecration , and so not the body of christ , and as oft as you do eat this bread , and drink this cup , y● do shew forth the lords death till he come : that signifies that he and his body was not present , for where his body is , there needs no representation , for it was in the night in which he was betrayed , that he gave them the cup for remembrance , and do you take it in the night , and follow the practise of christ and his disciples ? which is in remembrance of him , which is the cup of the new testament in his blood , this do as oft as ye do it in remembrance of me . this was in the night . now the apostle bid the corinthians ( that the end of the world was come to ) examine themselves , and prove their own selves , that they might know their own selves , how that jesus christ was in them except they were reprobates , and if christ was in them what need they to have bread and wine to put them in remembrance of him ? friend , who was the first author or setter forth of all your pictures , your crosses , your crucifixes , your images ? and what was their names , seeing that the apostles and teachers and ministers did not set forth such things in the church ▪ but witnessed against idols , and that they might keep themselves from idols , and that they were not to look at things that were seen , as in the epistles of john , and to the corinthians ; and are not images , pictures , crucifixes , crosses , things that be seen ? and the things that are seen are temporall , but the things that are not seen are eternall ; and is not it which set up these things , that which denyed the power of god ? how is it that you set up tythes , seeing that the apostle witnessed against the priest-hood that took tythes , and said , the law was changed , and the commandement disannulled that gave them ? and though abraham gave tythes to melchisedeck , the similitude , the son of god is come , the end of the similitude and likenesse ; and who was the first beginner of them amongst you ? who was the first author that gave ye the commands for the observing of dayes , holy dayes , saints dayes , seeing the apopostle and the saints which were in the true church , brought the saints off days , yea the days which god had commanded to christ the substance , and said , there was not any name under heaven by which a man should be saved , but his name ; and what they were to do , they were to do in the name of christ . and when they cryed paul , apollo , or cephas , he rebuked them ; are not all you come under rebuke now , that are crying up names , days , meats , drinks , which the kingdom of heaven stands not in , and so has lost the power and the substance ? where did christ or the apostles command in the scripture , or the church practiced , that such things forementioned should be done , or come after them , shew me by scripture . now if you say that solomon had a temple , and there were images and an ark , and an altar , those were but figures , they were not the substance ; and when the substance came , they ceased . now what does all your dayes , crosses , crucifixes , tythes type forth ? and who commanded them ? shew by scripture where ever christ or the apostles commanded any such thing as a crucifix , as a crosse , as tythes , as a temple , as an altar outward , or to pray by beads , shew by the scriptures , where ever the true apostles , true church or christians practised any such things , or that any such things were amongst them , or said that any such things should come after them ; answer me by plain scriptures ? may not a man give all his goods away to the poor , and his body to be burned ? and what will that profit him if he have not love ? yea , love to enemies ? and how can you love them when you bring them to your inquisitions , or burn or imprison them , kill or banish them ? now mark ; are not you of that sect that the apostle speaks of , that may give all your goods away to the poor , and your bodies to be burned , and yet nothing , not having love : and what differs your love from that love , that may give your goods away , and bodies to be burned , and yet not have true love ? and do not you think that you gain by that now , and do inherit some righteousness for it ; and is not that all out of the true righteousnesse , which is out of the true love ? now the love of god and christ which was in the apostles , was to love enemies . now if you love your sect , and them that be of your worship , and observes your customes , and burn , and prison , and kill others that be not of your sect and judgement , and observes your customes ? is this the love of christ ? is this the love of god ? is this the love that was in the apostles ? did the apostles do so ? did christ do so , that had all power , &c. to all that were not of their minde , yea or nay , answer ? what differs your works from the works of the pharisees ? for that which they did , they did to be seen of men . and the young man boasted of his works ; yet when it came that he should have sold all , and followed jesus , the beloved of god , there was the hard thing , whereby he might have had treasure in heaven : and how differs your giving almes from the pharisees , seeing the pharisees were in your state to murther , and murthered the just ? and you give almes , and are found in the same nature , that will and do murther them that be contrary minded to you , wherein do you here differ from the pharisees ? and ch●ist saith , love enemies ; and you have your inquisitions and fagots , here his love differed from the pharisees and yours . and saith john , let us love in deed , not in word , not as cain the wicked one who slew his brother , because his works were righteous , & the others were evill : and saith john , he that killeth with the sword must perish with the sword , here is the faith and patience of the saints now where is your patience , that are killing and prisonin● ? and we wrestle not against flesh and blood , saith the apostle , but against principalities and powers , and spiritual wickednesses in high places . how do you wrestle against principalities and powers , and spiritual wickednesses in high places ? does it not shew that your weapons are carnall , and not spiritual , while you are prisoning , burning , making inquisitions for the bodies of people that are contrary to your minde ? do not you wrestle against flesh and blood ? is not this to wrestle against flesh and blood to prison , to burn , to kill creatures ? are not you apostatized from the true apostles , and true church , which is the pillar and ground of truth , who said , we wrestle not against flesh and blood ? answer these things by scripture . do you own the law and prophets , which is to do as you would be done by ? would you have all that be contrary to your minde do unto you , as you do unto others , to make inquisition● , and to burn and to kill them that be contrary to their minde , as you have your inquisitions , fagots , fires , for such that be contrary to your minde , not observing your customes ? would you have others do so unto you , and serve you so , that will not observe your customes ? is not to do as you would be done by , the law and the prophets ? did ever christ or the apostles give any command that any should be put to death touching worship , touching religion ? shew me a command in scripture from christs or the apostles mouths ? are not they that murther , slay , and make war the beast and the false prophets , under the dominion of the mother of harlots , and in the steps of cain and jezebel , out of the steps of christ and the apostles ? what is will-worship ? does any worship god in the spirit & truth , but who be in that , which the devil is out of ? can any being in the spirit and in the truth which the devil is out of the murtherer , slay any concerning religion or worship ? but on the cōtrary ; if they be in the evil overcome it with good ; now if you kill , murther , slay , make inquisitions & burn , where is patience , where is long suffering , where is stopping the mouths of gain-sayers , concerning gain saying ? if you cannot , you have a fagot for them , or a prison , or an inquisition , are you not here like unto them , that rose against stephen , that were not able to resist his spirit , but stoned him to death ? wherein differs your nature and spirits from these ? did stephen do so to others ? the apostles were stoned , did they do so to others ? now this is christs command , he sent them forth as sheep amongst wolves , he sent out prophets and wisemen , and said some they should kill , and some they should thrust out of their synagogues & some they should persecute from city to city , and said , they should be hated of all men for his names sake , and they should speak all manner of evil of them ; and were these to do so again to others , kill , hate , hale out of synagogues , persecute ? nay did not christ say , love enemies , blesse them that curse , now are not they that are contrary to this , out of this , anti-christs , and false apostles ? . has not the true ministery , true spirit , true power , true church , & the true crosse , been lost since the dayes of the apostles ? and the false ministery , false prophets , false apostles , antichrists , synagogues of satan has appeared , since which all your crosses , your names , your pictures , your images , your praying by beads , has come up ? have not you lost the true spirit , the image of the father , and his name , by which men are saved ; and so since run into other names ; run into images , lost the true image ; run into crosses , lost the true cross the power of god ; run into praying by beads , and lost the true praying in the spirit , and is not the candle put out within , and so ye have set up your lights burning without ? you defiled the temple of god within ; and so set up temples without ; are they not set up by that which defiles the inward temple ? and is not that it which will murther , slay , prison , and bring before inquisitions , which defiles the temple of god ? seeing they that witnessed the temple of god , said love enemies , and does not it shew , that the love of god was there ? if love enemies , which was a command of christ , who are them that are to be persecuted and hated , and who are they that you are to slay and kill ? answer . have you heard the voyce of god immediately from heaven , as the prophets & apostles did , have you the same spirit wch christ and the apostles had , which gave forth the scriptures , which was before they were given forth , yea or nay ? . is that the blood of christ that is your wine , which was shed upon the cross when christ was crucified , alter you have consecrated it ? . is that the body of christ that is your bread , after you have consecrated , that said , lo a body hast thou prepared me to do the will of god ? and will not your bread corrupt , and let it lye after you have consecrated it ? and does the body , the flesh of christ see corruption ? answer . . what is the ground and cause of all the destractions amongst the called christians ? is it not because they have the words of christ , the prophets and apostles , but be cut of the life of them ? . what is that thing wch four men do carry on staves , that all men must bow before it , when you carry it in the streets ? and what do you do it for ? and where did christ or the apostels do any such thing ? . why do you when you sprinkle your children , put salt in their mouths , spit in their eares , dip their heads in the water , and crosse them over the faces ? . what is the death that hath passed over all men ? . what is the tree of knowledge of good and evill ? . what is anti-christ ? is not it he , which sets up things which christ has not commanded ? . what is the beast , the first and second ? . what is the dragon ? . what is the mother of harlots , and her cup which all nations and the kings of the earth has drunk of ? what is the bottomlesse pit ? what are the locusts ? what is the first principle of the pure religion ? doth christ jesus enlighten every man that comes into the world , yea or nay ? what is it that gives the knowledge of the glory of god , and where is it ? what is the word ? what is the gospel ? what is the record ? what is the original ? what is the law and the testimony ? what is self-righteousnesse ? shall a man while he is upon earth have the body of sin put off , and be perfect , and come to that which is perfect , and have his transgressions and sins blotted out , yea or nay ? what is conscience ? and what is the soul ? . would you not destroy them that would break down your pictures , your images , your crosses , your crucifixes , and throw away your beads ? would not that lov● in you destroy them that should destroy your pictures , crosses ▪ crucifixes , images , & beads ? would not the heathen have done the same to the jews , that had destroyed their images , groves , pictures set up which god never commanded ? would not the jews have destroyed the apostles for denying the temple , the altar , sanctuary , tabernacle , dayes , priests , offerings , the outward things which god had formerly commanded , but denyed by them that came to witnesse , and preach up the body that god had prepared to put an end to them ? and was not that the love of god in the apostles , and was not that the sel●ish love that held up pictures , temples , images , idols , which god never commanded , and was not that the selfish love in the jews , that held up temple , tythes , priests , images , similitudes , and are not you in the selfish love , and is not this selfish love that holds up temples , tythes , priests , images , crucifixes , pulpits , and is not all this in one nature , jews , gentiles , and you since the dayes of the apostles , and out of the love that the apostles were in , who witnesse against jewes , priests , tythes , and gentiles and idols and bad the saints keep themselves from idols , john . . . are not they the false apostles , ministers and teachers & antichrist , beast and false prophets who comes with lying signs wonders and miracles , since the dayes of the apostles and john ? and who are these describe them that should come with the lying signs and wonders , and the beast should work miracles since the dayes of the apostles ? . are not they the false apostles , ministers and teachers , and in the night , out of the true day , & have lost it since the dayes of the apostles ( the true christians , which were children of the day ) that now observes dayes ? is not this a figure and sign to be in the night ? was not the true apostle afraid of some , that observed dayes , that he had bestowed his labour in vain amongst them , and was not this observing of dayes coming up amongst some before the apostles decease which the true apostles rebuked , and since the dayes of the apostles , have they not spread over nations , observers of dayes , and are they not gone into the night and lost the true day ? . why do you whip your selves , with cords or ropes , or whips , where did the christians or apostles do so ? or did christ or the apostles give any such command ? will you be tryed and have your practises tryed by the scriptures of christ and the apostles ? . do you own the practice of the church of the saints and christians which the apostle was amongst , that if any thing be revealed to another that sits by , let the first hold his peace , for ye may all prophecy one by one , that all may learne , and be edified and comforted , the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets , and god is the god of order , and not of confusion ? . do you own that sons and daughters shall prophecy in this age , and that the spirit will be poured out upon them , yea or nay ? . do you own revelation and immediate inspiration as the apostles had , the same now in these dayes as was amongst them , yea or nay ? . do you own trembling and quaking as was amongst the saints which the scriptures speak of , and the salvation which is to be wrought out with fear and trembling , and doth not this work out that nature , that beats and striks the creature ? . what are all your names that you give to your fryers monks , jesuits given to them for ? where did christ and the prophets and apostles do so , or give any such names to any , as white fryers , black fryers , jesuits , abbots , monks ? has not this been set up since the fall●ng away from the power and life that the saints were in , who were of one mind and heart and spirit and soul , and the number of these names got up since ? . from whence was the rise of your pope , cardin●ls , abbots , monkes , pryors , arch bishops , covents , canons , nunns , jesuites , franciscans , dominicans , carth●sians , capuchins , benedictines , mendicants , carmelits , gray fryers , black fryers , white fryers ; your regulers and seculers ; our altar , rayles , organs , candlesticks , tapers , lights , torches , holy water , myters , vestments , fonts , surplisses , bendings before images , bowings before the altar ; where do ye find these names or things amongst the apostles or the saints and churches which the apostles were amongst ? or where did they do so , ( shew a proof of it ) before their decease , in all their epistles , or in all the declaration of christ or the apostles , for your practise to act or practise any such thing , or to give any such names , or set up such orders ? . where had the apostles and saints any inquisition-houses , to put them in that were contrary to their minds ? . where had the apostles and saints any houses to put men and women into , such as ye call abbies , monasteries , nunneries ? . where did the apostles or saints , set up a form , that some of them should beg all their life times ? is it not said , i have not seen the righteous forsaken , nor his seed beging his bread ? . where did ever any in the scriptures , wear sack-cloth or hair-cloth , except such as of the lord god were commanded to wear them as a sign ? . where is it amongst the apostles and true churches that were amongst them , that they should be distinguished one from another , by their habits , as every name hath their severall habits amongst you ? prove me this by scripture , have not you lost the true knowing one another in the spirit , and so know one another by habits and names ? . where did the apostles and saints that were amongst them , the true church , give any such commands that there should be any dayes set apart for fish , to be observed as you do , answer me these things out of the doctrines of christ or the apostles , or disciples of the apostles and the true church ? . where was there any amongst the apostles and disciples which was the true church amongst the true christians , that had the name of pope before their decease , or fryeries , or abbies , or nunneries or monkes , or any such names amongst them , answer me by the scriptures out of the practice of the true apostles , and true christians , which the apostles were amongst before their decease ? . where did the apostles and disciples take a vow of any christians , or make them to give them a vow , that they should never possesse any thing of their own , or never marry , but put them into houses , where they should never come out again , and is not that the doctrine of devils , which was coming in before the apostles decease , forbidding the eating of meats , and forbidding of marriage , tim. . and from what ground and root has this had its rise ? . what were the false prophets and anti christ , that christ said should come in the . and . of math. to his disciples , & which the disciples ●aw was come , as in joh. . and . which went forth from them wch he saith in his revelations , all that dwelt upon the earth went after , and all nations drunk the cup of the fornication , and the kings of the earth and all that dwelt upon the earth worshipped the beast , what kings of the earth , were th●y that drunk this cup of fornication ? and all nations , and what nations were they ? that cup was this ? was not it them that ravined from the life , which went forth from the apostles , which made war against the saints , and should overcome them for a season , that kept the testimony of jesus the spirit of prophesy , whose names were written in the lambs book of life , slain from the foundation of the world ? . where did the apostles and the church , that they were amongst before their decease , set up crosses , and did they fill their windowes full of pictures and images of males and females ? answer me this by scripture , out of the apostles practice : now if you say that joshua bowed before the arke , and solomon made images , joshua bowed to the lord before the arke , and christ is come the substance of all tipes , and figures and shadowes , and to him must every knee bow , who is a greater then solomon that built the temple , and stephen that was stoned to death for witnesing the substance and denying the figure ? . and where did the apostles and disciples , or the ministers of christ jesus which was amongst the apostles , before their decease , consecrate bread and wine , or christ give them any such comm●nd to consecrate it ? tell me out of the commands of christ , or the commands of the apostles before their decease , that they practised any such thing amongst the saints ; and what scripture have you , or command from christ or the apostles , or the church that was amongst them , that speaks of seven sacraments , or any such names that they had amongst them , or give forth any such thing to be practised after them ; let the practice of christ and his apostles and the saints then speak for it , or declare it , or else you must acknowledge your selves to be besides them , and acknowledge it to be , but an invention , and your own words ? . if your church be the pillar and ground of truth , the gates of hell cannot pervail against it , but if the gates of hell have prevailed , and you swallowed up in darkness and in inventions , and are fain to hold up your selves , with prisons and inq●isitions and goales , and outward carnal weapons , does not this shew that your weapons are carnal and not spiritual , and that you are out of the power of truth , which the apostles were in ; i am none of those that you cal your sects , separated from you and drove you out of your houses , and taken them and call them the church , nor any of them that holds up tythes , or temple outward which has your crosses on the end of them , nor any of them that holds up priests , which have been made by schooles and colledges , and has their temples and pulpits imitating ezra or solomon , & not christ who came to put an end to them , nor any of them that are taught to call the dayes by the saints names , nor any of them that are taught to call the colledges , by jesus , by christ , by immanuel , by trinity , none of them that ever was learned to call them by these names , nor any of them taught by the heathen to call moneths by the names of january , february , march , april , may , &c. and to name dayes , and to call them , by such a saint , or such a god , or sun , or moon , or starres ; but am a witnesse against all the priests made by schooles and colledges by mans will , and tythes , and temples , set up since the dayes of the apostles in the apostacy , and a witnesse against all the jews , temples , tythes , pulpits , priests and offerings , one of them that are the elect ; that witness the everlasting priest-hood and everlasting covenant . . are not all these pulpits , temples , tythes , priests , schooles , colledges made by the will of man , and set up by the will of man in the apostacy since the dayes of the apostles ? and are not you all in the apostacy from christ and the apostles , who said when they curse blesse ye , and the apostle sayes , my brethren bless and curse not , now you that do curse by your bell , by your book , and by your candle , are not you apostatized from the apostles doctrine here , who saith , bless and curse not ; and ye curse ; did not the apostle peter see the cursers , cursed speakers , come up before his decease ? . did the apostles give the names as whitsontyde , or easter , or christmas , the names of holy dayes , are not all these set up since the apostles ? seeing the apostle said he was afraid of them that observed dayes ; did not the jews dote upon the shadow more then the substance , dote upon the day more then they did upon christ ? but shew what your observing of whitsontyde , easter , or other holy dayes does signify forth , and who was the first author of your church , or where the apostles or the church before their decease practised or commanded any such thing ? if not , grant your selves apostates . . where did the apostles or ministers of christ or the beleivers before their decease , build great abbies , monasteries , and set crosses on the ends of them , nunneries , cloysters , build walkes in the ground ? shew it by scripture , by that prove your practice , else acknowledge your selves to have set up these things who be in the apostacy ? where had the apostles or the saints , bells jangling to call them together like a company of heathen , or like they that have a horn to call their hounds together , or the swine-heard for people to put forth swine , or hower-glasses to preach by the hower ? prove it by scripture , else acknowledge your are in the apostacy , and have set up ●hese things by your own inventions , and are them that limit the spirit . . where did ever the apostles consecrate any thing , or the scripture speak of sacraments , or where did the apostles use that which you call holy water , to sprinkle people withal ? if you cannot shew it by scripture , where the apostles or christ di● practise any such thing , acknowledge your selves that you be in the apostacy that have set up such things since the dayes of the apostles , and erred from the true church in your inventions . . where did the apostles when they went to preach or to pray , put on white hoods , copes , tippets , white surplisses and cornered caps , are not all these things got up since the dayes of the apostles amongst such as are apostat●z●d from them ? . who are the inwardly raveners that christ said should come , which was the false prophets , which should have the sheeps clothing , but inwardly ravening wolves , an inwardly ravening wolf , worse then a dog , which got the sheeps clothing , is not this it that has made war against the saints , that kept the testimony of jesus the spirit of prophesy , and has not the wolf been covered with the sheeps clothing long , such as ravined from the spirit , such as has inwardly ravened , and would ravine and destroy all that be contrary minded ? . have not men fallen into the flesh since the dayes of the apostacy , and ravined from the spirit , that went forth from the apostles , are not they them that has set up all these outward things , as temples , tythes , priests , crosses , crucifixes , schooles , colledges , to make them ministers , images , idols , abbies , nunneries , candels , altars , holy waters , praying by beads , sprinkling children with the sign of the crosse , and have not you gone back who are ravened from the spirit , and so lost the substance , and so imitating aaron and his sons , and imitating altars ▪ and outward things that stood in moses , which the apostle sayes , while moses was read , the veil was over their hearts ? . was not the first priest-hood a true tipe , and the temple a true tipe of the inward , and the sanctuary and altar a tipe , and the outward things in the law , shadowing forth the good things that were to come , which were but to have their times and seasons ? and did not the apostle witnesse the substance of all tipes , figures and shadows , and signs and similitudes and likenesses , and witnessed that which gave him to see where there was no shadow nor changing ? now are not all your tythes , temples , priests , altars , crosses , crucifixes , images , similitudes , beads , cloysters , abbies , nunneries , set up by your own inventions , which men and people has been compelled to worship , are not all these lying signs and wonders , and the worship of the beast , that which they that inwardly ravened , set up , and is not this to give worship to them that inwardly ravined from the spirit of god , who are the wolves , that ●an make a profession of christs and the apostles words , the beast and false prophets which the world has wondred after , and should deceive them with their lying signes and wonders : did not the apostles give hints of such things before their decease ? did not john see such come as the whole world went after , and all that dwelt upon the earth worshipped the beast ? now answer me these things , and clear me them by scripture , where the apostles did practise or act any such things before mentioned : and if ye be not such that john and the apostles speaks of , and christ , that should be the inward ravening wolves , and go forth from the apostles , which john saw all that dwelt upon the earth worshipped and went after ; and all that dwelt upon the earth drunk the cup of fornication , and should deceive them that dwell upon the earth with their lying signes and wonders , and miracles ; and if you be not them , tell me who they are ? what is the beast , and the number of his names ? and what are his names , and what is his marke , that they that would not receive should be persecuted ? and what is his image ? and what are his heads ? and what are his crowns ? and what is the mother of the harlots ? and what is the great whore which hath corrupted the earth ? and what is the cup of fornication that all nations has drunk of ? and who are the beast and false prophets ? & what are they that are come up since the dayes of the apostles ? how to say you believe as the church believes , and you will not trouble your selves about the scriptures , because they are hard to ●e understood ; you are to see that you be of the church that the apostles were of , which was the pillar and ground of truth , which was without spot or wrinkle , or blemish , and so their belief stood in christ and god : and when any did wrong , yea peter , peter was withstood , and not believed as he believed . and as for saying the scriptures are hard to be understood , that is to shew you want the spi●it as was in them that gave them forth , in which is the unity and the bond of peace . and none comes to be a member of the church in god the pillar and ground of truth without spot or wrinkle , or blemish , but who comes into the spirit that they were in that gave forth the scriptures , with which spirit every one in particular hath his particular satisfaction in the scripture , it opens it to them , with which spirit he hath unity with god , unity with the scriptures , of whom they learned that gave them forth , and there is the bond of peace now to tye up men to believe as others believe , and to compell them by a law , or a prison , or an inquisition , this was not in the true church , but this is a marke of the apostacy from it , and is a marke , that they that do so , are the wresters of the scriptures , and err'd , ravened from the spirit that they were in that gave them forth . for it was not their worke to compell people by a law , by a prison , by an inquisition to obey their faith , and to bring them into their worship and doctrine , that was not the worke of them that had the spirit that gave forth the scriptures ; but this shews and signifies , and declares it selfe forth , that you would have power over mens faith , which saith the apostles , we have not , but bade them look at jesus the author of the faith . and again , to believe as others believe , which do call themselves a church : is not this different from the apostles doctrine , who saith , he that believes hath the witnesse in himself ; and hast thou faith , have it to thy self ? is your church the body of christ , and is your bread the body of christ after consecration ? and is that bread after you have consecrated it , the church ? is that the body of christ the church ? for the apostle saith , the body of christ which is the church . is god worshipped in truth , but in the spirit that gave forth the scriptures , and in that which the devil is out of ? now can any of you worship god in the truth , unlesse you be in the spirit that gave forth the scriptures ? then being in the spirit that gave forth the scriptures , how can you say that the scripture is hard to be understood , or any that be in the church , seeing the true church is made up of living stones ; and the scripture was given forth from the spirit . and whereas it is a generall word to say you believe as the church believes , and the scriptures are hard to be understood . doth not this shew that you be all afraid of your standing ? and shew that your church is in the state of apostacy , from the apostles and disciples of the lord jesus , that there is a cry amongst you , the scripture is hard to be understood ? and we must believe as the church believes , and the church is the pope and his councel . now if he or his councel dare not venture to try their standing to meet the spirit of god , and to answer these q●eries , or all his train that be under him ; then shall we know , and then shall it be seen who is the true church , and who are the apostates , and set up a likenesse , an image : and if you do shelter your selves in the darkness , and not come forth to the light , and dare not venture your principles , and is afraid of the heat , and for fear that your heads should be cut or slashed , and your principles dasht to pieces ; and see that your weapons will not carry you out , and that your righteousnesse is but as rags , and you have been but wolves covered with the sheeps cloathing , and have been devourers of the lambs , and can do nothing without your swords and carnall weapons , and your inquisitions , then may the whole world see you : therefore come out , i challenge you all , and give an answer either in print or in writing , and bring your deeds to light , that they may be manifested to the whole earth , and declared on the house-top ; our weapons are not carnall with which we shall handle you ; neither need you fear your persons ; neither need you be afraid that we will wrestle with flesh and blood ; for that which was amongst the apostles , is come to , that which hath been since the apostles is seen : the arm of flesh is not our weapons , but the lord of hosts . come thou pope , with all thy jesuites and cardinals , and see if thou can stand this day before the truth , for these queries be to the whole body and thee , scattered up and down the face of the whole earth , and the power of the lord god of life , of heaven and earth is gone over you , and hath fathomed you . was it the work of the christians to be beating d●ums up and down , fighting , destroying one another ? where has been loving enemies ? where has been overcoming evill with good , and rendring to no man evill for evill ? doth not christ say , it hath been said of old time , thou shalt perform thy oath unto the lord ? but doth not he say , swear not at all ? now ye swearers , have not you b●oken christs command , and have apostatized from his doctrine ? but if ye say the prophets swore , or abraham swore , or david swore , or solomon swore , or moses swore , or the priests swore ; christ is the end of the prophets and priesthood , a greater then solomon , then joseph or jacob . before abraham was i am , who saith , swear not at all . now if you say , did not the apostles say , an oath was an end of controversie and strife amongst men , that men swore by the greater , which the apostle brings as an example , shewing how god could not finde a greater , and therefore swore by himselfe concerning his covenant that doth not change betwixt god and man , in which covenant man comes to have peace with god . now if ye say , did not the angel swear in the revelations ; i bring forth my first begotten into the world , and let all the angels worship him ; and this is the beloved son , heare ye him saith god . and above all things my brethren , saith the apostle , swear not at all , neither by heaven nor by earth , lest ye fall into condemnation : so are not all you swearers fallen under condemnation , and out of the apostles doctrine , and apostatized from it ? nay , is not the power which you call your supream , under the condemnation ? and magistrates that are swearers , and giving oaths , no christian magistrates , but they and their power is all under condemnation , all swearers upon the earth ; for saith the apostle , above all things my brethren swear not at all left ye fall into condemnation . so are not ye swearers , who calls your selves a church , pope , magistrates , all upon the earth under condemnation , and out of the doctrine of the apostles , false brethren , and out of the power of christ , who has all power in heaven and e●rth given unto him , who saith , let your yea be yea , and your nay nay , in all your communications , who is the end of oaths , whose doctrine the apostles preached and abode in . now are not all churches , teachers , powers , magistrates under condemnation that be the swearers , and not the help-government to christ , out of the higher power , all magistrates from under the higher power that be swearers , and out of christs power , and help magistracy and government for him , who has all power in heaven & earth given unto him , and out of the apostles doctrine , and christs doctrine , who saith , let all your communication be yea , yea , and nay , nay ; for whatsoever is more is evill . and so how can a company of swearers be a church , or the supream power , which are the beasts and false prophets apostatized from the apostles , and christs doctrine , and them that inwardly ravened from it , and has had the sh●eps cloathing , that tear and rend all in pieces , that will not come into the wolves way , and bow down to that which he has set up ; and so therefore is the cry amongst you , the scripture is hard to be understood ; and you are tyed to believe as yo●● church believes ; so by that means you have held the out-side , the sheeps cloathing , and pretend to be saved by your works and merit● , when the wolfe has been in your hearts tearing to pieces , and rend and devour them that will not believe as you believe : i cannot gainsay you in this , as for your saying the scriptures are hard to be understood , when you are all ravened from the spirit that gave them forth . where did ever any of the saints change their names , unlesse they had a command for it , as ye do when ye are made popes ? did peter change his name ? where was it amongst the apostles that some might not marry , and they might not at some times of the yeare marry ; but at those times they might have a licence to marry for money , as it hath been by them who be of you . where did the apostles bear about candles for the purification of mary as you do ? where was this practice in the church ? or how do you as the church did ? or believe as the church believes , when you fordid to marry ? did not the church say it was the doctrine of devils ? and how do you as the church did , when you forbid the eating of meats , when the church said it was the doctrine of devils . where did the apostles consecrate swords , and send them to one another to fight with their enemies ? how do you here believe as the church believes , who said , we wrestle not against flesh and blood ; and their weapons were not carnall but spiritual . where did the apostles sell pardons and indulgences for money ; who said , they were not redeemed with corruptible things ? and how do you believe as the church believes , when you are redeeming one another with corruptible things ? how do you forgive one another freely as christ hath forgiven , when by your pardons , indulgencies , and buls you get great sums of money of poor ignorant people ? are not you in this the covetous , that makes merchandize of the people , that peter saw coming in , who has the wages of unrighteousnesse , whose reward must be according to your works ; for every man must receive a reward according to his deeds ? and the apostles said , they were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold : and how are you apostatized from the apostles doctrine , that are selling pardons for silver and gold corruptible ? how do you here undervalue the blood of christ which does cleanse from all sin ; and believe as the church believes , who said , by no other name under heaven shall we be saved , but by him ? and how is it that yee have set up another name to pardon , the pope , and sell pardons ? do not you in this shew and discover you to be in the apostacy from the apostles and true church , and not to do as they did ? where did the apostles set up stews amongst them , the christians before their decease , give your example ? but bade them flee fornication ; and said , no unrighteousnesse must enter into the kingdome of god ; and he that defiled the temple of god , god would destroy . and do not you in this set up that which is naught , and tollerate that which is wicked ? where did ever the apostles or the saints say prayers by beads to the saints , or to saint mary , as you do , or compell any so to do , or set forth such an order that should be after them . where was any such things practised among the apostles before their decease , that they must say so many prayers , numbred by so many beads , before they had a pardon ? where did the apostles or saints run up and down for reliques , or bones of dead men as you do ? and why do you gather up the chips of wood and stone and dust that flyes from the door that you break open , after you have chosen a pope , and keep them as precious reliques ? where did ever any of the saints do such things ; and has not all these things come up since the dayes of the apostles amongst you who from them are apostatized ? the protestant and papist are fighting and striving about works . now because the apostle said , they were justified by faith without the works of the law : and james saith , that faith without works is dead . and these are the scriptures they fight about , being both protestant and papist found out of the faith the apostle spoke of , and are found out of the works of the law both , so neither in the works of the faith , nor in the works of the law , nor in seeing the intent of the apostles paul and james , when they was speaking of justifying by faith without the works of the law , and faith without the works was dead ; now the apostle when he speaks to the romans of being justified by the faith without the works of the law for the faith in the heart takes away the nature that hath the shadowes , and tipes and figures which causeth the obedience of the law , and which the fruits goes from that the law takes hold upon , and through this faith and by it , that 's removed , whereby man hath access to god ; now the law , the works of the law and the obedience to that , made such a provision for a command , being according to the law , for the tenth to be offered up for the widdows , fatherlesse and levite ; that there might not be a begger among them ; now who comes into the faith of christ jesus , in which the law ends ; the nature is removed that pertaines to the shadows , and figures which the fruits goes from , which the occasion of the law comes upon them which the faith purifies , and gives power and victory over the world , which hath access to god , which is justified in the sight of god , and pleaseth him ; now who are of this faith are of abraham over all the idolatrous nations , adulterers and fornicators and all such ; now this faith nourisheth and cherisheth and saves ; which works doth not ; but follows this , and they are wrought in god , and such cease from their own , as god did from his , so if a brother or a sister be naked and destitute of dayly food , he feeds him and cloaths him ; so this faith is in the wisedome of god , preserver of the creation , which is the son of gods faith , and the faith of the elect ; but then the devils faith that believes there is a god and trembles , but are out of truth , that cloathes not the naked brethren , and doth not give them victory , and sees them destitute of dayly food , and doth not feed them , but lets them cry up and down for bread & cloa●hes about the streets , this is like the papist and protestant , and sectaries faith , and they are not the preservers of the creation , but out of the living faith , and in the dead ; and when they have done all this , cloathed and fed , and not a beggar among them , it is not by their works that they are saved , but by their faith which these works followes , which works by love ; which is a preserver of the creation , for it was a great work of the apostle to bring them to the faith , and to be justified by that alone , without the deeds of the law , that the seed of god might come up in them , the wisdome of the creation , with it to be ordered and spread over it ; for who are of faith , are of abraham : christ according to the flesh was of abraham , so who are of abraham , are of the flesh of christ ; now when many had gotten the faith in a form , being justified by it without the deeds of the law , so they which had gotten the form of the law , without the life , saw not christ the substance and there rested ; but when these had gotten the form of being justified without the works , and their brothers and their sisters were destitute of dayly food , and was naked ; these were like unto your christians , and papists that hath the name and talkes of a faith , but it is dead , therefore so many of their brethren and sisters goes beging up and down the streets , destitute of dayly food ; for mark , they all say , they are christians , and that they are baptized into the church , and into the faith , and so then they are all brethren , and yet here is their brethren up and down the streets , destitute and naked , and yet they will say , depart in peace , and be you warmed and filled , and yet give them not these things which is good for them ; but may be make houses of correction to whip them and beat them ; is this like unto christians that was amongst the apostles , or like unto the law , who had the tythes for the service , that there need not be a begger among them ? is not this the faith which james rebukes , which is dead ; and all these are the christians that hath a name but are dead from the life ; and doth not this dead faith , carry you to beleeve that there is a god and a christ ? and so the devil doth , that is the murderer , and you will murder one another about religion and faith , church and profession , and idols and ministery , like the heathen , who will destroy one another about their images , & often envied the jews , because they broke down their images , and that faith which leads to murther the creatures about religion , ministry , and church , the same faith will no● preserve the creation , as to cloath the naked , & feed the hungry . now though the apostle brought them out of the works of the law , being justified by them , into the faith of christ jesus , who brought them into the wisdome of the creation ; and the love of the creation , the love of god which faith works by , which faith god is the author of it , and this faith leads people to be preservers of the creation ; feed the hungry , and cloath the naked , and these be the least things ye can do ; for these are but things that pertain to this life , who are of faith ( as i said before ) are of abraham , christ according to the flesh , heirs of salvation of the world that hath no end . he that believes hath entered into his rest , and ceased from his owne works as god did from his , and shall not come into condemnation , but is passed from death to life , and so loves the brethren : and he it is that abides in the house of god for ever , the son of god ; the son of god abides in the house for ever . cains faith , and cains sacrifice is now made manifest out of the faith of abraham and abel , and gods elect , and the son of god . the end . errors . page . l. . for mortall r. immortall , p. . l. . for then that , r. then you that . p. . l. . for filled r. killed . p. . l. . for did not r , did . p. . l. . for for r. forth . p. . l. . for a god , r. and god . p. . l. . for learning , r. worrying . p. . l. ▪ r. from that . p. . l. . for them r. then . p. . l. . for cut , r. out . p. , l. . for our r. your . p. . l. . for that , r. what . p. . l. . for toe , r. to be . the common salvation contended for, and the faith which was once delivered to the saints· or, an answer to a book called a plain answer to eighteen queries of iohn whitehead, put forth by william kays, who calls himself minister of the gospel at stokesly; wherein he hath perverted the faith once delivered to the saints, and pleads for those things which the scripture declares against, and so he is made manifest, not to be a minister of the everlasting gospel, but preachesanother [sic] gospel. the queries laid down, and the substance of his answer, with a reply to his answer. / by one who is a friend to all, who wait for the appearance of iesus christ without sin to salvation, known to the world by the name. francis howgill. howgill, francis, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (thomason e _ ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h thomason e _ estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; :e [ ]) the common salvation contended for, and the faith which was once delivered to the saints· or, an answer to a book called a plain answer to eighteen queries of iohn whitehead, put forth by william kays, who calls himself minister of the gospel at stokesly; wherein he hath perverted the faith once delivered to the saints, and pleads for those things which the scripture declares against, and so he is made manifest, not to be a minister of the everlasting gospel, but preachesanother [sic] gospel. the queries laid down, and the substance of his answer, with a reply to his answer. / by one who is a friend to all, who wait for the appearance of iesus christ without sin to salvation, known to the world by the name. francis howgill. howgill, francis, - . [ ], , [ ] p. printed for giles calvert, and are to be sold, at the black-spread-eagle, at the west-end of pauls., london, : [ ] a reply to: kaye, william. a plain answer to the eighteen quæries of john whitehead, commonly called quaker. thomason received his copy january [i.e. ]. annotation on thomason copy: "jan. ". reproduction of the original in the british library. eng kaye, william. -- plain answer to the eighteen quæries of john whitehead, commonly called quaker -- early works to . whitehead, john, - . society of friends -- doctrines -- early works to . a r (thomason e _ ). civilwar no the common salvation contended for, and the faith which was once delivered to the saints· or, an answer to a book called a plain answer to e howgill, francis b the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the b category of texts with fewer than defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the common salvation contended for , and the faith which was once delivered to the saints . or , an answer to a book called a plain answer to eighteen queries of iohn whitehead , put forth by william kays , who calls himself minister of the gospel at stokesly ; wherein he hath perverted the faith once delivered to the saints , and pleads for those things which the scripture declares against , and so he is made manifest , not to be a minister of the everlasting gospel , but preaches another gospel . the queries laid down , and the substance of his answer , with a reply to his answer . by one who is a friend to all , who wait for the appearance of iesus christ without sin to salvation , known to the world by the name . francis howoill . london , printed for giles calvert , and are to be sold , at the black-spread-eagle , at the west-end of pauls . the common salvation contended for , and the faith which was once delivered to the saints . first , as to the title of thy book , thy plain answer as thou calst it ; thou art plainly made manifest to be among the false prophets , and the scribes and pharises , and the false brethren , which the lord sent his true prophets to bear witness against , and which christ cryed wo against , and the apostles exhorted them who were in the faith , to turn away from : and art one that is gone out into the world , separated from the light , from the life , from the practice of all the holy men of god , who spoke forth the scripture , as they were moved by the holy ghost ; had they declared against all these things that thou art pleading for , like demetrius , and yet thou wilt tell of the scripture being thy rule , thy rule shall try thee , and thou shalt be laid to it ▪ and it will condemn thee , and the life of all the saints , and the practice of them who dwelt in the light , will bear witness against thee : thy hidden mysteries which thou speakst , are seen by the invisible eye of god , and thy deceit , and thy adding to the scriptures , and thy perverting of christs words and thy imaginations upon their words , who dwelt in the light , and one day thou shalt witness the lord who is just , will plead with thee for it , when by thy serpents wisdom , which is in the curse , and in the disobedience , and thou pleadst expresly against christs own words , and holdst up the types which was in the first covenant , and yet wilt not act according to the first covenant , and so art one that denyes christ the substance , the everlasting covenant the oath of god ; and yet calls thy self a minister of the gospel , thy gospel he and all that knows his voice will deny thee , and it who teaches for doctrine , the traditions of men , and sets up an image of many mixtures , that all may fall down and worship , which thou hast built and set up in thy sensual carnal wisdom , and would have all to worship the image of the beast , that sits upon many wa●ers ; but the lord i● risen to cut it down , and stamp upon it , and grind it to dust , and the whirlwind of the lord shall blow it away , and thou and all who hath worshipped the beast shall be broken by him who is set for the rise and fall of many in israel , and all those things that thou hast set up in thy carnal mind , and calls them the ordinances of god ; shall become as the broth of abominable things , and as the slaying of a man , and all who worship their own imaginations , both the circumcised , and the uncircumcised will the lord cut off together , for the lord is arisen to plead with all the enemies of zion , and his sword shall be fatted with the blood of the slain ; for prophaness is gone forth from the teachers of this nation , who abide not in the doctrine of christ to the ends and costs thereof , and the lord is grieved , and the earth shall disclose her blood , and the slain shall no longer be covered , but the deceiver of the nations shall be cast forth , and great shall be the lamentation of the merchants of babylon and iesabel that hath slain prophets , now is suffered to prophesie , and many are deceived by her witchcrafts , but she shall be cast into a bed of sorrow , and she shall be dashed in pieces ; and the dogs shall lick her blood , for behold he is risen who is king of kings , and he makes war in righteousness , and his name is called the word of god ; and out of his mouth proceeds fire that shall consume the men of the earth , and all who have not the image of the father written in their foreheads . the fire is kindled already in the earth , and the slain is great , and many shall gnaw their tongues for pain , and shall be consumed to ashes ; and he will plead with all the false prophets and merchants in babylou as in the valey of iehosaphet and his wrath is kindled as in the days of gibin , and the heathen shall all perish by the edge of the sword , lamentation and howling , and wo and sorrow , and bitterness shall come upon all who have professed his name and his words , and yet put him to open shame , and denies the end of his coming , which is to redeem his people from their sins , and to present them unto god without spot or wrinkle , which many in this generation , teachers and people are pleading for sin , and yet say christ is made manifest , but this answer all such shall have , depart workers of iniquity . i. query . whether thou have the same eternal infallible spirit that gave forth the scripture , yea or no ? answ. thou saith thou darest not conceal to bear witness with thy conscience that thou hast in some small measure the same spirit which was in the saints , yet an infallible spirit thou canst not own , and calst it a popish tenent , and thou saith christ had such a spirit that did not erre ; and further , thou saith if any minister as iohn in the revelation shall wander , yet the lord can is he hath a mercy unto his people , make the people to receive nothing but wholsome doctrine . reply . here thou hast made thy self manifest unto all that thou hast no measure of the spirit , neither great nor small , not of the same spirit which was in the saints , for the spirit which the saints had , was the spirit of christ , which is the spirit of truth , and infallible , and led them into all truth , and this spirit thou blasphemer calls a popish tenent , and so accuses christ and the saints : was it one spirit which dwelt in the saints , and another spirit that christ had ? and here thou speakst contrary to the scripture , as many as are the sons of god , are led by the spirit of god , and they that have not the spirit of christ , are none of his ; and all who walked in the spirit , and were led by the spirit , were led out of pollution , and the lust of the flesh , and out of error , and out of all deceit ; and they had received the anointing , which was truth , and no lie , and it guided them into all truth : and here thou wouldst divide the spirit of christ from the saints ; and here thy spirit is made manifest not to be that spirit which was in the saints , and which was in christ ; but thy spirit is fallible , that saith , that infallible spirit disgraces the ministery ; such a minister thou art , that a fallible spirit , and a spirit of error is thy glory : and therefore i say that spirit is not distinct from the saints , which was in christ , but one ; there is one spirit by which all the ministers of christ were guided , and they were ministers of the spirit which was infallible , and true , and eternal , and bore witness of him who was true and eternal ; and thou calst this a popish tenent , art raised out , and judged by the scripture not to have the same , and so art no minister , nor witness of the infallible eternal spirit , but speaks in thy own name : and thou art accusing iohn , that he did wander , ( as iohn did in the revelation thou saith ) and so would make iohn a wandering star like thy self , which iude speaks of , who art fallen into the earth out of the firmament , and so would bring reproach upon him , who witnessed the spirit , and was in the spirit , and dwelt in it ; but thy shame is made manifest , and now the eternal spirit is witnessed , which is infallible , and they will receive thy doctrine no longer , for it is not wholsome , but contrary to the scripture . ii. query . whether thou know the rules of christ , and whether thou wert immediately called by him , to be a minister or pastor of the gospel , yea or no ? answ. thou saith so often as thou hast the word rightly divided in opening of the same in any chapter or verse , so often thou hast heard the the voice of christ , and thou sayest thou dost not deny the reaching of the spirit to be an extraordinary voice of christ , and that thou hast heard , and so thou witnesses an immediate call , and yet thou sayest our imperfect actions being made perfect by christ , thou witnesses an immediate call . reply . thou that tells of opening chapters or verses by meanings , thou never heard the word of christ ; and i say unto thee , as christ said to the pharisees , which had moses and the prophets , they had neither heard his voice , nor seen his shape , and they which have not the word abiding in them , never heard his word ; and therefore if thou never hear of god or from christ , but what is written without thee , thou never yet heard his word , the word of god endures for ever , chapters and verses endures not for ever ; but thou art made manifest when thou canst not hear what is already writ , nor receive it , nor understand it without meanings ; and therefore brings their words down to thy reason , and cals that the word of god ; and thou calst the teachings of the spirit the extraordinary voice of christ : where reads thou in the scripture , of an ordinary and extraordinary voice of the spirit ? and here be a witness against thy self , in thy answer to the fourth query , the fourth page of thy book , to say thou had not known the spirit , nor the anointing but by the scripture , and the scripture is not the spirit ; and here thy immediate call is the like , that which is visible and without thee , is not immediate ; and here thou art tryed , that thou knowest nothing at all but by hearsay , and so thou art a falle witness , and thou saith our imperfect actions are made perfect by christ , when that which is perfect is come , imperfection is done away , but that which thou calls thy imperfect actions he comes not to be perfect , but to destroy , but to thee is a mystery . iii. query . whether the word thou preachest , is the same from the beginning which thou hast heard and seen , and hast been taught immediately by the revelation of iesus christ , yea or no ? answ. the word that thou preaches is so muth the same thou saith from the beginning , as a river is the same that runs continually from the fountain ; and as god is pleased to appear in his outward administrators . reply . he who is the fountain is eternal , which was in the beginning , and before all things , and endures for ever , and they who witness him & preach him , and have seen him , and tasted of the water of life , which they were witness of , iohn the first , but the river which thou drinkest , is as the brooks of teman , spoken of in iob , and shall be dried up , and as euphrates that shall be dried up , and the kings of the east shall pass over it , and the time is come already , blessed be the lord for ever , but thy fountain at the best is but the letter without thee , that was since the beginning , and thy old authors , and thy carnal wisdom , which is in the curse , and this is thy highest attainments , and thy administrations ; if thou hadst not had the letter without thee , thou hadst not known such a thing , and then where had all thy preaching been , as in the fourth page of thy book , thou mayest remember that thou saidst thou hadst not known god , but by that others have left upon record ; and therefore cease from thy divining , for thou canst not witness what thou speakest , but as thou stealest others words iv. query . whether ever any shall grow up under thy ministery , that they shall that no man teach them ; and whether thou own the anointing , or had known there had been such a thing , if the scripture had not spoken of it , yea or no ? answ. concerning thy ministery , there is no such promise thou sayest made to any mans ministery . reply . here thou hast manifested thy ignorance of the ministery of christ , for they turned many from darkness to light , and from satan unto god , and it was and is the very end wherefore the ministers was sent forth , for the perfecting of the saints , and to lead them from imperfection to persection , and a perfect man in christ iesus ; and they were sent out for this end , and are now sent out to direct all minds , and the apostle laboured and travelled , that he might present them without spot or wrinkle unto god , and in that thou saith , there is no promise to the ministry of man , in that thou sayest truly , but they which were ministers of the gospel , they neither were learned of man , nor had it from man , and so thou acknowledgest thy ministry to be of man , and so art not a minister of christ , but of anti-christ ; and thou saith if the anointing should onely teach , there would be no flock , here thou art blind and knows nothing ; is not christ the anointing , and christs sheep hear his voice , and he putteth them forth , and goeth before them , and he leadeth his flock like a shepheard ; but thou that preaches : for hire , and divinest for money , and they that follow thee are not of this flock : and as concerning thy knowledge of the anointing , thou saith thou mayest say as paul said of sin , he had not known sin but by the law , so thou hadst not known the anointing , had not he scriptures declared it , and thou sayest without it there is nothing to be known , here thou blind guide , thou puts the scriptures in the room of god , and wouldst exalt it above god , and hast made thy folly manifest that thou never knew the anointing but by hearsay , and if thou hast not had their words , who witnessed the anointing in themselves , thou hadst not known whether there had been such a thing , and thou that knows nothing but without thee , knows nothing at all , and yet the scripture is able to make wise unto salvation , and perfect the man of god through faith in christ iesus , but of the man of gods estate thou knowest nothing of , who art pleading and holding up those things which the men of god witnessed against . v. query . whether thou own christ to be the light of the world , and hath enlightned every one , yea or no ? vi . query . whether thou own the word of iohn . . where he witnessed christ to be the true light which enlightneth every one that cometh into the world ? answ. thou saith thou thinkst it s not amiss to declare that christ is not onely the light of the world through revelation but in works of miracles , and meritorious sufferings , and as he gives to all creatures the light in their creation . reply . thy thoughts are vain and not as gods thoughts , he is but one , who is the light of the world , and in him is no darkness at all , the light is but one and the same light in which he lives , the same light the saints lives in , who are guided by him who is the light , and the light is but one in him that loves it , and in him that hates it ; the one he loves it , and the other he hates it : and thou that art making distinctions of the light , art divided from the light , and so makes many lights by thy imaginations , and so perverts the scripture . and where readst thou of meritorious suffering of christ in the scripture ; nay , thou art so ignorant of him who is the true light , and hath not so much as a form of sound words : and where reads thou of such a distinction of natural and spiritual light in christ , thy rule shall try thee , and thou shalt be judged by it , for in thy serpents wisdome thou wouldst darken the counsel of god , and rent the scripture in pieces by thy imaginations , and thou never knewst what the light of christ was , and never shall comprehend it with all thy distinctions , and though the world is in darkness , yet the light shines in darkness , but this is a mystery , and sealed to thee , and therefore thou wouldst give thy meanings upon their words who were in the light . vii . query . whether it is not blasphemy to call the true light of christ which enlightneth every one that cometh into the world a natural light , and whether they do not deny the scriptures , that say that every one is not enlightned with the true light , yea or no ? answ. is light by just consequence and not otherwise called naturall , so the light may be called supernatural , which is properly called christs light , and thou tells of ordinary lights . reply . thy consequences are denyed , thou art in the philosophy and vain deceits : where reads thou in scripture of a natural and supernatural light ? and where reads thou that the light which is in every creature is ordinary light , and ●● thou goe●t on to prove that there is two lights in christ ; and that the light of christ is natural and spiritual , and so would make two christs : is christ spiritual ? and is that which is his light natural ? a natural man understands not the things of god , but the light which comes from christ which is but one , not divided , but is spiritual , it leads to an understanding of the things of god , and that which may be known of god is revealed in man , but thou art ignorant and blind , and cannot comprehend it , that which is natural is carnal , and so thou wouldst make a carnal christ , as one like thy self affirmed , who called himself a minister of christ , but he that loves the light is led up out of darkness , to the light of life , and he that hates the light , it s his condemnation , and he is but one that judges and saves his people from their sin : and in the last part of thy answer , thou sayest thou acknowledgest the light of the law of christ to be more or less in the light of nature ; here again thy ignorance is made manifest , paul said , the law was spiritual , and the law of the spirit of life in iesus , had freed him from the law of sin and death ; was that natural ? is christ spiritual , and his law natural ? for shame be silent , and speak not of the law , it is holy ; is that natural ? and thou speaks of putting the light of christ under a bushel , and some that destroy christs light ; thou blind pharisee , thou art he that puts the light of christ under a bushel , that walks in those things , and pleads for those things which they declared against : and thou art he that goes about to destroy christs light which is pure and eternal , and calst it natural and supernatural , when the light is but one , and thou that wouldst divide the light , art divided from it , and walks not by it , and so art in darkness till now : and thou saith further , that as christ is pleased , he can by the preaching of the gospel open thine eyes , and turn them from darkness to light : here again thy shame and thy nakedness appears : hast thou professed thy self a minister of the gospel , and a teacher , and are thy eyes unopened ? yetart thou yet unturned from darkness unto light ? then darkness speaks and wrote the book , and darkness cannot comprehend the light , and wouldst thou be judging of the light , and of christ , that is yet in darkness ? for shame own thy condemnation , for what thou hast done in speaking in the name of the lord , he accepts no such testimony , nor the testimony of them that walk in darkness , and not in the light ; and he will judge thee , who is the light , for perverting the truth in thy dark mind ; and thou confesseth that thou art blind , and thine eyes are not yet opened ; then how canst thou declare of him , whom thou hast neither seen nor heard , and here be a witness against thyself ? viii . query . whether the true light of christ , which enlightneth every one that cometh into the world , which discovereth all the deeds of darkness , is not sufficient to lead all those that love and follow him into holiness and all truth , seeing christ who is the light saith that those that follow him shall not abide in darkness , but have the light of life ? answ. to this thou answers , yea , it is when it is revealed ; and in thy answer to the third query , thou saith there is nothing that can be known but by the scriptures , and so here thou lyes in confusion and babylon , and puts the letter for the light of christ , and so art blind indeed , as thou confessed thy eyes were not opened , and thou was not turned from darkness , and thou saith christs light when it is revealed is sufficient , the light which christ iesus hath enlightned every one withal , is made manifest , and convinceth of all ungodlyness and worldly lust ; yea , he which is the comforter convinceth the world of sin , as the scripture witnesseth ; neither is their any other light in the world that convinceth the lyer , the swearer , the drunkard , but that light that comes from christ , and this is the condemnation of them that hate it , and that which declares against unrighteousness is righteous , and that which shews sin is holy , and thou that calls this natural , thy eye is blind , and thy understanding is darkned , and thy ear heavy , and so can neither hear , see , not understand it ; now the natural man understands not the things of god , but the light of christ in every mans conscience understands by it what is not of god , and by it he comes to see sin , that it is against god , and therefore i am a witness against thee , and against all the hirelings in the world , that by the light , which a measure is given to every one , that he that loves it , it leads to the the light of life , and though the light shine in a naturall man , yet it is not natural , but seven seals , and upon this , to the serpents seed , and he that hates it , and disputes against it , shall never know it , and thou saith , whosoever hath this light of christ , may see to obey magistrates and ministers lords day , worship , fasting , praying , singing , as well as to avoid blasphemy and profanness , magistrates we obey in the lord , and all their just commands , but we deny flattery and deceit , and respecting persons , but honours the power that is of god , and that which is acted by them which is not of god , we suffer for conscience sake , and resists not , but all that thou obeys is without , in flattery and deceit , and hath mens persons in admiration , because of advantage ; and ministers of christ we own , who are sent of god , and honours such , but thee and all the hirelings and imitaters , ianes and iambres like , we deny , and are bold to declare against you all , who walk contrary to the saints , and that which you call your rule , and are a generation of hypocrites , and your rule shall judge you all , and thou art tried by it , when all along thy answers , thou pleads against the scripture , and adds thy meanings , and god will judge thee for it , and thy shame shall be made manifest to all ; the day of the lord we own , blessed be that day ; but it shall burn as an oven , against all deceivers and hypocrites ; and false prophets , and this thou shalt know and witness ; and baptism , and watching , and fasting , and praying , and singing , this is witnessed , the same that ever was , and the power of godliness , but we deny thee , and all such as go and baptize , and then preach repentance to them fourty years after ; and fasting ; thou might have been sparing in this , pull out the beam , i speak to thy conscience : how often hast thou fasted , and crossed thy lust , nay all is too little , hay and corn , calves , lambs , eggs and swines flesh and all is to little for you , but you are still at a want , and removing from one place to another , for filthy lukre , and makes merchandise of souls for dishonest gain , and sues men at the law , as many can witness in the north of england , and casts those in prison that they call their flock , and so you are as ravening wolves , greedy of your prey , and as foxes in the desert , that devours all that resist you ; and then cries they are not subject to the magistrates nor ministers ; and then saith the labourer is worthy of his hire , and brings this for a cloak , when as they never hired you , and yet you seek wages of them , you do not work for , to maintain your luks : howl ye caterpillers and cankerworms , that devours the earth , and spends your time in the lusts of the flesh , and yet accuses others , and as for thy prayers they stink . god hears not sinners , and while thou lives in this nature , pleading for those things which the scripture declare against , and thy songs shall be turned into lamentation and howling , the dead cannot praise , nor the blind , and thou saith thou art blind and deaf ; what hast thou to preach , or pray , or sing ; and so cease thy gainsaying , the hand of the lord is against thee , and the scripture was not given out for thee to prattle on , and for those things thou cals ordinances , thou had not known such a thing , as in the answer to the fourth query thou confessest , and so let shame cover thy face , and let thy mouth be stopped , and all flesh keep silence , for what is known without , leads no●●o god , but that which may be known of god is revealed in man , rom. . and the time is come , iesable that hath slain the prophets , shall be cast into torment , and she shall prophesie no more , and by the light which thou sets all nought , shall thou and all the inchanters and diviners be confounded , to it shall all nations how , for he from whom it come , is king of kings , and lord of lords , who makes war in righteousness , and is now coming to cut off all by the edge of the sword , who hath prophefied lies in his name , and caused men to abhor the service of the living god . ix . query . whether the end of begisting and sending forth ministers ; is for the perfecting of the saints , and for bringing them up to his measure or fulness , yea or no ? answ. yea. reply . here thou thy self , shall be a witness against all the ministery which long hath been in this nation , for verily it is so far from perfecting of the saints , that openly the ministry pleadeth against it , and cryeth out of those that witness it to be in error ; and here thou shalt stand as a witness for the truth , against thy self , and against all thy brethren . x. query . whether any shall grow up under thy ministery , to a perfect man , to the measure of fulness , and stature of christ , yea or no ? answ. thou sayest , speaking of thy own hearers , they are at age , ask them , and try them whether there be not some that will not avoid to answer thee ; to which i do reply , it may be some of thy hearers might be as impudent in speaking lies against their own conscience , as thou art in writing against the commands of christ ; but that in their conscience , to which i desire to be known , and to the upright principle in them , to which i desire to speak , will not witness that under thy ministery , they have attained to perfection , but are yet learning under thee , and never able by thee to come to the knowledge of the truth ; and that which is of god in them , shall witness against thy ministery , that it perfects none into holiness , and into the image of god ; and thou sayest thou hopes we may see in the epbes . . . concerning the fulness of the stature of christ ; and further , by faith , then all our defects , imperfections and sins are not imputed , as therby god may apply the righteousness of christ , whereby we may see no transgression in jacob ; we are , and all believers must come to the measure of the perfection of christ . reply . what paul spoke to the ephesians we know is true , but what is this to thee , and those who are out of pauls way and life ; in the way of the false prophets , and of the scribes and pharisees , and the defects and imperfections , and sins , must lie upon your own head , for christ will be no cloak unto you in your iniquities , to cloak your hypocrisie and deceit ; if you had faith , then should you be purified from imperfection ; for faith is perfect , and so are all that live by it : and for thy word apply the righteousness of christ , it is not the language of the spirit of god , which gave forth the scripture ; for the righteousness of christ is not to be applied to the head of the wicked , nor to cover wickedness , but to destroy it ; but where sin stands , it will be imputed : for god cannot acquit the wicked , and he that sins is not of iacobs seed , but of esaus , and the righteousness of christ is not unto that birth , and thou and all thy believers , who art in defects and imperfections , and in your sins , art in the stature and measure of cain and ishmael , and not of the stature of the same god ; who art free from all unrighteousness , and defects , and imperfections . xi . query . whether they be not ministers of antichrist , and never were sent of christ , that deny perfection which they are sent of christ , to bring unto , yea or no ? answ. nay , they are not . reply , here thou hast manifested the ignorance and confusion , who in thy answer to the nineth query , said it yea , it was the end of sending faith , the ministers for the perfecting of the saints ; and now then sayest , they are not ministers of antichrist , which denyes perfection , and so speaks a plain contradiction , and so out of thy own mouth shalt thou be condemned ; and let all whose eye is open , see and behold thy deceit and blindness , and so also manifest thy selt , that thou was never sent of christ , who hath brought up none to perfection , but sayest they are not ministers of antichrist , that denies perfection , and yet sayes the ministers of christ was sent to that end , to bring up unto perfection ; and further thou sayest , that exhorting the world to look to the light that is within them , they shall never come to perfection , none must think or imagine reply . here thou hast uttered blasphemy , and quite contrary to christs own words , who saith i am the light of the world , he that follows me shall have the light of life , and this is perfection ; and be it known unto thee , and unto all , that no other light we direct or exhorts unto , but the light of christ within , which is sufficient to lead to perfection as christ himself saith his light leads to the light of life all that walk in it , and thou saith contrary and so speaks-against christ , and would make his light imperfect , and not able to lead to perfection , and part found an enemy to him , and mayest stop thy mouth for shame , who art ignorant of the scripture ; and whilst thou professes it , art found both walking and speaking contrary to it . xii . query . whether he that is born of god , do commit sin , yea or no ? and whether he that committeth sin is of the devil , yea or no ? answ. he that is born of god is exhorted to repent ; and may be deluded , and thou affirmatively says that those that are born of god may sin , as all the saints have experienced . reply . here thou more plainly hast shewed thy self to be a perverter of the scripture , and one that speaks contrary to it ; for he who is born of god , is the image of god , and needs no repentance , he which was born of god was commended by god , and not exhorted to repent , as that scripture which thou hast named , rev. . shall witness : but he which was fallen from the birth-born of god , was exhorted to repent ; and thou sayest he that is born of god may be deluded , and the scripture saith it is not possible that the elect should be deceived : and here again thou speaks contrary to the scripture , and thou sayest affirmatively , that those that are born of god may sin : and here again thou speaks contrary to the scripture , which saith , he that is born of god cannot sin : now let shame cover thy face , and let thy own conscience convince thee , that thou art a perverter of the scripture to thy own destruction , and so art unlearned , and without true experience , for that experience , and those saints which thou speaks of , which experiences that which is contrary to the plain words of scripture , which was the experiences of true saints , is damnable experiences , and servants of the devil , and cannot be believed by them who are true saints , and have true experiences , according to the working of the holy ghost in them : and further thou sayest that scripture , iohn . , . may be hard to be understood , yet taking good notice , the truth is easily reconci●ed , and thou sayest , this is his meaning , that the child of god sinneth not after the similitude , manner , or measure , or nature that the devil & his reprobates sins , & so to make good what thou sayest thou hast added to iohns words , his seed remains in him ( whereby he shall repent him of his sin , this last thou hast deceitfully added , as also hast added after the similitude , manner , or measure , or nature , that the devil and his reprobates sins , let all seareh the scripture , and see if iohn speak any such thing , and so gives thy sensual meaning of iohns words , quite contrary to what he spoke : for further , he said he that sins is of the devil , and never knew god ; and thou affirms , he that is born of god , which know god may sin , and so divides the scripture , and adds thy own imaginations unto it ; and so thou mayest read thy portion in it , god will add all his plagues unto thee , and truth needs no reconciling , for it is in verity , and cannot be understood by thee , who art unlearned , and therefore thou wrests it : and further , thou sayest a child of god being renewed through gospel-repentance , sins not devil like unto death or damnation . reply , o thou blind pharisce , a child of god needs no repentance and all sin is of and like the devil his image , the scripture saith he that sins is of the devil ; thou sayest contrary , and speaks of sin not to be like the devil : and here again art speaking contrary to the scripture . and further , thou sayest thou dost say that the child of god as he sins , is of the devil , not that the devil can claim him for his , or that he is in the possession of the devil , for your gift is of balaams nature , and not of the nature of pauls , and so your reward will be as balaams , and not as pauls , who inherits the everlasting treasure for ever . and further , thou sayest , but as to the point of taking tythes , which in respect of darkness and prejudice , some saints are herein unsatisfied : and thou sayest we understand not our selves in judging from the apostles example , except we could prove by scripture , that the apostles might have had tythes , or those ministers which were like timothy and titus , settled in a parochial way in their quarters , might have had tythes given them , and yet refused them . reply . they which are satisfied that they are ministers of christ which takes tythes , are indeed in darkness as thou speaks , and unto all that fear god , taking of ●ythes whether in paying or receiving , will be prejudice : and be it known unto thee , and unto all such that we do understand our selves in judging thee and all such ; to be antichrists , and deceivers and false prophets , who acts and upholds those things which the deceivers and false prophets acted in former generations ; and in seeking for your gain from your quarter and in making merchandise of people through covetousness , you make it manifest that you are such , and so in the light which was in the prophets , and in the apostles , we see you , and by it we judge you , and by the example of the apostles you may all be condemned ; who never took tythes , nor sought for their gain from their quarter , nor made merchandise of any through covetousness , as you do : and we tell thee plainly , it is as true as the scripture , for by the same spirit we speak , that none of the ministers of christ nor his apostle , did take tythes or wages of the world for preaching , and this we can prove by the scripture , that the apostles refused to take that which they might have had , which was offered unto them , and herein they shall judge you , who not onely takes what men give you willing , but compels some to pay against their will : and that timothy or titus , or any of the ministers of iesus christ , was never settled in a parochial way in quarters , we do deny it , and doth charge it upon thee , to be a false accuser , and a slanderer , and a lyar , upon timothy and titus , and would make them as bad as thy self , and the rest of the false prophets , and here let thy own conscience condemn thee , for believing the holy men of god , and speaking that of them which they were not to cloak and uphold thy own deceits & abominations : & further , thou sayest till then the light of the apostles that took whatsoever was given them , satisfies thy conscience to praise god for the magistrate that doth freely give it unto thee , and then brings the apostles words , they that preach the gospel , should live of the gospel . reply . the light in which the apostles lived , by which they were acted , will for ever condemn thee except thou repent ; for by their example thou art judged already as it is manifested , thy conscience is blinded by the god of the world , and not satisfied by the light of christ which was in the apostles , for if the light of the apostles acted thee , then would thou be found in their steps , but be witness against thy self , that thou art acted by that spirit which acted the false prophets , and false apostles , being thou art found in the same steps , making merchandise of people , and preaching for hire as they did ; which of the apostles had any law from any magistrate , to compel men to pay tythes to them , shew this by the scripture if thou canst , or else be a witness against thy self , that thou lives not upon the gospel ? for i know if you had not a law to compel men to maintain you , the gospel which you preach , and the people to whom you preach , would starve you for maintenance ; this scripture we own , and do witness , they that preach the gospel shall live of the gospel , and doth , without running to magistrates to receive order from them , to compel men to pay them . xvi . query . shew me by the scripture where ever any of the ministers of christ did give davids psalms to be sung of the people in a rime ; and if not , thou acknowledgest that thou art in the inventions and traditions of men , raised out from them all . answ. in thy answer unto this query , thou brings many scriptures to prove singing , some of which doth not at all prove any singing , and none of them will prove the singing which thou pleads for ; which is a great company of proud and covetous , and earthly minded persons , to sing davids words which they cannot witness , but are enemies to the life of what he spoke ; for the world cannot sing praises unto god , but you by your traditions cause men to sing lies , that they are not puft in mind , and that the law of god is dear unto them , and that every night water they their bed with tears , when as they never witnessed these things , though all this was true in david ; and as for that scripture chron , . where it was commanded of the priests to sing the words of david and asaph ; this was under the law , a figure , as the priests was a figure : and from that scripture you may as well prove the offering of sacrifice , as singing ; but thou makes manifest thy ignorance and blindness hereby unto all the simple , and many other scriptures thou brings , and the example of christ and his disciples , and the example of the churches , which will not at all prove the singing of your assemblies , which is onely by tradition and invention we do deny , and bear testimony against it , that it is not the singing to the praise of god , but god is dishonoured by it , and it shall all be turned into howling and bitterness , and the time is at hand wherein the iudgements of god shall be revealed against it , for in the eternal light it is discovered to be abomination unto god , and instead of singing you shall howle and lament , the lord hath said it ; and a great deal more rabble of stuff thou hast written to prove thy deceitful practice , which i forbear to answer , as not worth naming . xvii . query . whether that wo which christ pronounced against the pharisees , who were called of men masters , had the ceief place in the assemblies , and stood praying in the synagogues , do not abide upon thee , who art called of men masters , hast the chief seat in the assemblies , stands praying in the synagogue ? or how wilt thou justifie thy self in these practices , seeing christ is the same yesterday , to day , and for ever , who cryed woe against them that lived in them ? answ. thou sayest thou doth not feare the woes pronounced against the pharilees . reply . it is because thy heart is hardened , and thy mind is stiffnecked and rebellious , for as sure as christ is the same for ever , the same woe will be thy portion as was theirs , which acts those things which they acted , contrary to the command of christ : and further , thou sayest christ , his prophets and apostles and as well as thy self , were called masters , and sirs . reply . christ was called master , and here he approved it , and so he was , and is , even the one master of all the saints ; and their being called master will not justifie thee in thy pharisees steps : for he saith , mat. . be not ye called master , and thou mani●ests thy self to be an enemy to christ , who brings scripture against his commands , and this i ask thee , or any , whether you dare justifie that to be of god , which christ expresly commands contrary either in your selves or others ? and though some have erred herein , yet this will not justifie thee in thy pharisee steps ; for christ did plainly describe the pharisees to the desciples , by their walking , and we find thee , and the rest of thy brethren , compleat in their steps , by the same spirit as christ did we cry woe against you ; and as sure as christ is the same for ever , it will come upon you : and further thou answers , as concerning thy preaching and praying in a pulpit of wood in the synagogue , thou art no more then christ , his prophets and apostles ; who did preach in the synagogues to be condemned : reply . yea , thou art in the pharisees steps , having the chief seat in the assembly , and art to be condemned by the same which condemned the pharisees . and whereas thou hast brought many scriptures to vindicate thy pharisee like action , none or them will justifie thee nor thy action ; and thou hast belyed the prophets , and christ and his apostles , for they had not the chief place in the assemblies , which thou would go about to make appear they had , and so would make them as bad as thy self , and the phasees , but let all search the scriptures which thou hast named ; and as for that where ezra the scribe read the law in a pulpit of wood in the street , will not justifie thee except thou will own thy self to be a scribe and priest of the law as he was , and so deny thy self to be a minister of the gospel : this was not in a formal customary way , but at a particular time , and to a particular people , and he is not an example to the ministers of the gospel , for they went up and down in towns , and markets , and vilages , preaching to every creature , which is our example , and not ezra : and as for the other scriptures , they will bear witness against thy action , for not one of them doth prove that either-christ or his apostles had the chief seat in the synagogues , but sometimes they went and declared against them , and sometime they were hailed out and persecuted in them , as we are : and thy manner or action in the assemblies , is according to the pharisees , and not according to the apostles , thou makes a trade to get money by thy action , and they did not so , but freely what they had received from god they declared , but thou sels thine for money , and upholds an idols temple which they bore witness against , as the scripture bears witness , and here thou hast wrested the scripture being unlearned , to thy own destruction , and where is thou speaks of feeding the flock of christ , i answer , they who are the sheep of christ knows thy voice to be the stranger , and will deny thee and thy food which feeds dead minds with the dead letter , and then make a prey upon the people , as the false prophets did , and thou art raised out from all the holy prophets and apostles , art in the steps of the false prophets , and scribes and pharisees , and false brethren , thou speaks of our profaning the temples , and basely contemning it : to which i answer , we bear witness against the idols temples of the world , which god is dishonoured in , and baal worshiped , and do say god dwels not in temples made with hands , & no other ways we profane it nor contemn it , but as the apostles did , in witnessing forth the substance , and denying the figure : and further , thou sayest that as christ did , so thou doest acknowledge to be called master , minister , or pastor , and do likewise christ like , own in sincerity and humility , to stand praying in the synagouge . reply . here thou art impudent and shameless , who acknowledges thy self to be called masters , absolute contrary to the command of christ , and so art to be condemned with the pharisees , and as for ministers of the gospel , and pastor of the flock of christ , thou art none : for thy fruits doth make thee manifest , and being found out of the doctrine of christ , and of his apostles , art to be iudged by their life and spirit ; and that christ stood praying in the synagogue , which thou sayest , i declare against thee here to be a lyar , for in the scripture thou canst not prove that christ stood praying in the synagogue , and so hast belyed him ; and hast added in this answer to the scripture , as thou hast done in the twelfth query ; and so thou mayest read thy portion , plagues will god adde unto thee , and as for sincerity and humility , thou who pleads for that which the holy men of god witnessed against , mayest be ashamed to profess sincerity and humility , and thus thy answers are replied unto , and thy shame laid open , and thy portion read , even the breath of the lord will kindle thy torment , who hath slandered christ and his apostle , and would make them as bad as thy self , and the lyars portion must thou have , the mouth of the lord hath spoken it . xviii . query . whether they be not ministers of antichrist that do practice those things that christ cryed woe against ? and whether they be ministers of christ , that though their subtilty go about to justifie those practices that christ forbad and cryed woe against , yea or no ? answ. thou sayest if thou know any goes about subtilly to justifie these practices , it were well it were put out of a query . reply . for the information of the simple it was put forth , and that thou might be made manifest , and i put it out of all question , and say that they are the ministers of antichrist that practise those things that christ cryed woe against ; and thou art seen to be one of them , that hath declared thy self openly to all that shall read thy answers , that all thou hath written was in subtilty , and thou goes about to justifie that which christ cryed woe against , as is manifest pleading for tythes , and denying christ come in the flesh , and pleads against the words and commands of christ , and to be called of men master , and for standing praying in the synagogue , and calls it christ like , let shame strike thee in thee face , and i chalenge thee to prove where christ stood praying in the synagogue ; did he act those things that he cryed woe against , and so thou would make him like thy self a dissembler and an hypocrite ; but thou judges out of thy corrupt imaginations , and he will judge thee for it : and thou saith thou in charity ought to judge me to contend for the faith ; and in thy answer to iohn whites conclusion , thou says he pope like commands thee to answer ; and further , thou saith he required thee in his one name , what confusion thou lies in , and forgets what thou speaks thy heart is so full of deceit : and thou further saith , he ought to abound in charity , to think no evil , and to die to all causless jealousies and contempt against professors , thou would not have deceit judged nei●her in thy self nor others , but would build up , and be daubed with untempered morter , and it is beyond jealousies that we have of thee , and all profession that stands in that nature , when your profession is contrary to the doctrine of christ , and now possess not what you speak , and therefore makes hypocrites by your preaching , and to profess that which they possess not . and in thy conclusion , thou saith iohn whitehead , let me tell thee plainly , that thy words being far from the meek spirit of the apostles , i beseech you brethren . reply . the apostle never said i beseech you brethren to such as thou art , who acts those things that he declared against , and suffered by thy generation , as we do now , hailing , mocking , buffeting : and thou that art joyned to a harlot , would thou be called a brother , and thou saith thou should not have answered these queris , if it had not been to answer the command of god , and the teaching of the spirit ; the command of god thou never knew , who art pleading against christs commands and the spirit thou knows nothing of , who confessed in the fourth page of thy book , who confessed thou knew nothing but by the scripture , and the scripture is not the spirit ; and here let all judge of thy blindness , and thou saith thou hast answered without adding or diminishing the scripture , let all thy writing be a witness against thee , in thy answer to the twelfth query , and in thy conclusion thou sayes thou would not draw arguments from , and fetch guns out of a castle , to turn them against the same place ; this shall stand for thy self , and let all judge whether thou have not fetched arguments and scriptures to uphold thy trade of divination , and hath pleaded against christs own commands , and sets one scripture against another ; and thou would have distinctions to stand , because the holy ghost saith , this he spoke concerning the temple of his body ; but where is that scripture that saith this was said not of the material temple ? that is thy own word , and so thou cannot but twine , and wrest , and pervert , for if thou did not , the whole scripture would bear witness against thee ; and thou art accusing that thou heard him press , casting off ordinances , we know what thou calls ordinances , even beggerly rudiments , sprinkling infants , singing others condition , and when you read puts them on , and when you sing puts them off , and standing praying in the synagogue , and would accuse christ as thou hast done , in thy answer to the seventeenth query , and coming to an idols temple ; and hear thee speak an hour or two , what thou hast raised up by thy imagination from the scripture all the week , and then cry hear the word of the lord , and these and such like are your ordinances , but god will plead with thee , and all that offer strange fire , and all your sacrifice god is weary of , and therefore cease to pervert the way of the lord , lest thou be cut off within thy gainsaying , and perish with the uncircumcised . finis . to all dear friends & brethren in the everlasting truth & covenant of the almighty jehovah, blessed for evermore burrough, edward, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing t estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) to all dear friends & brethren in the everlasting truth & covenant of the almighty jehovah, blessed for evermore burrough, edward, - . j. c. j. p. howgill, francis, - . burrough, edward, - . p. s.n., [s.l. : ] caption-title. dated and signed: newgate prison, the th of the th month . e.b., j.c., j.p. "the cogitations of my heart have been many, deep, and ponderous ...", p. - , signed: fran. howgill. reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng society of friends -- england. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion to all dear friends & brethren in the everlasting truth & covenant of the almighty jehovah blessed for evermore . we the prisoners of the lord , and for the testimony of christ jesus , do bear in our remembrance with dearest salutations of perfect love , all our suffering brethren every where , and also the whole flock of our fathers tender love , whom he hath elected and chosen in his own secret counsel before the world began ; dearly and well beloved , our very souls this day , are deeply affected with the cause of god , and our persons at this time are engaged in these bonds , for the testimony of the same ; and truly , in soul , body , and spirit , are we offered up to the perpetual loss of all , that the name of the lord , and his saving truth , may be testified unto , in faithfulness unto all the world ; and in the lord our hearts are resolved in the confidence of his spirit , to suffer the greatest of afflictions and persecutions , rather than forfeit or loose , one grain of this so blessed a testimony now trusted with us , and for whic● , we now suffer these bonds : and unto faithfulness herein , we find that the lord our god , daily increaseth our strength and boldness , our patience and long suffering , and doubleth his spirit of power and wisdom upon us , that we may never faint in trial ; and we labour to be armed in our inward man , with whatsoever may uphold us , and defend us in this day of our afflic●ions ; even that our faith and patience , our holiness and meekness , our long suffering , and love to enemies ; and all heavenly vertues may be compleated in us , and possessed of us , till our god take vengeance upon the wrath of our adversaries , and deliver his ( now ) poor despised and oppressed people ; for these vertues are the armour with which we delight to be cloathed ; these are our weapons with which we chuse to be defended , and this must be our final vic●ory , when the faith and patience , the meekness and long suffering , and heavenly vertues of christ jesus in us , have exceeded in measure , and superabounded in effect , all the unbelief and impatiency , the enmity and ungodliness , in all that hate us ; love shall overcome wrath and envy ; patience shall subdue rigorous persecutors , and hatefull workers ; the very god that dwells with us , shall condemn and confound the wicked one , with all his might , and power , and malice , and persecution , cruel imposition on tender consciences , and oppression and injustice shall be no more : and this is that victory , for which we spiritually war , and these and no other , are the weapons with which we do contend ; and the cause is god's in which we are ingaged , and for which we suffer this present day . brethren , we hope ye are all like-minded with us , and that this same cause of god , his truth and righteousness is fixed before you , and is your aime and mark , and that it is alike dear and precious in your eye , and that ye are armed with the same armour of god's heavenly vertues ; it 's the breathings of our life to the father , that the whole church of chri●t , and every member thereof may be kept faithful , to hold forth the holy testimony of jesus , by suffering in this great day of trial. the testimony of which , we have heard and learned , believed and received , from god the father into all our hearts , is so precious to us , in it's evidence of peace , and comfort , and justification , and salvation , in eternal life in our inward man , that we compare no afflictions , nor present sufferings of our outward man , to the price and vertue thereof . for we can say in the verity of our souls , how ever it shall go with our outward man , in respect of tribulations , and persecutions , yet in our inward man , we possess the peace , and comfort , and salvation of the everlasting god ; and to bear forth the testimony of this in our age to the world , even of that love and life , mercy , justification and salvation which we have received , we can forgo liberty , life , and all : for this is our duty to which we are called , and the end for which we were born , to bear witness to the truth , and for the holding forth of this witness , we are given up in soul , body , and spirit , to suffer the loss of all , rather than to loose this testimony-bearing to the view of the world . wherefore , we beseech and exhort all of you , that have tasted of the loving kindness of our god , that ye be faithful and valiant this day in the cause of god ; not fearing the fury of the ungodly , nor the threats of enemies , nor the terrors of this world , nor seeking to save your own lives ; but in the faith and patience , pressing forward in the race of righteousness , till mercy , peace , justice , and true judgment , run down as a stream , willing to suffer the loss of all , that truth and righteousness may live upon earth , and the worship of the true god be exalted , and all the contrary overturned , and this is the reward of all the saints afflictions . be faithful in your trials , let e●tates , relations , life , and all go , rather than the cause of truth and righteousness be diminished of it's glory , by the unfaithfulness of any this day . surely our hearts are zealous for this matter , and we are pressed in spirit , to encourage all the lords people to put on all holy confidence in this day , and to cast away all unbelief , doubtings and fears of this world , and to maintain the truth of god's worship in the assemblings of his people together , in the strength and power of the lord jesus chri●t ; even to live in it , and to dye for it , to enjoy god's pure worship , and to suffer the losse of all , if called thereunto . we know you are not ignorant concerning this cause of god , which we thus affect , and exhort you to be faithful in ; it 's no other than the testimony of a pure conscience towards our creator , and that every person should follow christ , and obey him , and walk in the light and life of his spirit , which he hath revealed in the heart ; & that god should be feared and worshiped in a clean conscience , and that the salvation of god may be testified of ; this and no other is the cause of god , in which our souls and bodies are ingaged , we know no ca●se upon earth , worth our afflictions and sufferings , nor for which we will contend with any , save for the salvation of god , and that his justice and mercy , his truth and righteousness , his way and worship may be exalted upon earth , and all the contrary subdued by his mighty power . this is the very cause compared , to which our mortality is not to be accounted , even that we may behold god's salvation going forth in the testimony of it to all nations , and that nations and peoples , may injoy justice and truth , liberty and freedom , in the pure worship of the living god ; this is the cause that must live , [ the lord hath spoken it ] though for it we may die ; for our all is adventured upon the same . but whilest our hearts are pouring forth daily prayers towards god , and exhortations towards you , that you may be faithful to give publick testimony to the name , truth , and salvation of god ; our souls also desire that you all may eat and drink of that spiritual food , which will cause your inward man to grow , and that your own hearts may be kept pure and undefiled in his presence , and that the seed of life , with the fruits and blessings thereof may fill your own souls ; that while you are striving by patience and long suffering against your outward enemies , no inward enemy of evil lusts or affections , strife or divisions , or any thing of this world may enter into your bosoms to defile you . dearly beloved alwaye● h●ve a special regard unto your standing as to god-ward , and what increa●e of life , love , peace and comfort , ye daily receive in your spiritual ; man knowing , that by the inward vertue of the fathers presence , the peace and joy of god in your inward man dayly receive● from him , by that must you stand in strength and dominion against all enemies within and without . therefore , feel the seed of god , and it's growth and incre●se in your own hea●ts , that you may have perfect peace and vnion with god in spirit , while ye are hearing publick testimony , by doing or suffering for his truth and name . j. c. and brethren , our hearts and souls reach unto , and dearly salute you all ; for while we remember the lord and his goodness unto us , we cannot forget you , no not the least babe and little one amongst you all , for what are we , or you , or all of us together , joyntly , or apart ; but what we are in his life , love and peace , that endureth for ever ? whose mercies , glory , riches and goodness , as so many sparkling diamonds and jems of value , adorn our crown and make it glorious , and every one doth shine with lustre and beauty in the eyes of all that behold us ; and whilest we are so adorned , may we not say , our cloathings are white and fine , such as are in kings houses , and our attire no other than what becometh princes ? and what ever we have been it matters not , except to set forth the favour and goodness of him , that hath so raised us from the dunghil amongst the beggars , to sit upon thrones in glory with princes ? and to shew how the angel of gods presence hath saved , and taken us from our begging state , at the rich man's ga●e , like so many lazaruses , bruised and wounded , from head to foot ; and carried us into abrahams bosom , where we are at rest , praising our god , and our king of riches and mercy for ever . dear friends , we write unto you all , that you may partake with us of the same life , glory , rest and peace , and not only drops and sprinklings of the same , but full measure , heaped up , and running over . for you are our witnesses , that we , with the rest of our faithful brethren , have not withheld from you , the whole counsel of god revealed to us , and in us , according to the good pleasure of our lord and master ; neither have we kept back from declaring to you his mind , and the mysteries of his kingdom , yea , his hidden mysteries ; ( which have been hid in god since the world began ) and that in season , and out of season , at all times and places , as he hath given us opportunities , and required us so to do ; and that not in words , which man's wisdom teacheth , ( lest thereby we should make void the cross of christ ) , but in plainness and simplicity , that god's witness in every conscience might answer us , and we unto every conscience might be made manifest in god's fight , as we know we are this day , and we have our reward , from the lord of the harvest that sent us forth ; and this adds to our comfort in this day , that we were faithful unto our god in what he committed to our charge : and now , what is o●rs , and our brethrens reward , and crown of rejoycing , but this , that you stand faithful in this time of trial ? for you know we have not been like unto those who have begotten into the airy spirit , that so you might be alwayes kept in the uncertainty , ever learning , but never get ability to learn and perform what you have been taught ; for what we have received from christ , by vertue of his resurrection and assention , is perfect , and hath been ministred unto you , for the perfecting of you all , with the rest of the sanctified ones in christ jesus , until you all come to a perfect man in christ , even unto the fulness of the measure of the stature of christ. for which we pray , and desire of our god and father for you all . let your meetings be in god's fear and counsel , as at other times , never heeding what man can do unto you ; but still be you all followers of that which is good , and then , who can , or shall harm you ? keep in the love to , and unity with that of god in all : let the witness of god in all answer your words and actions , rendering to none evil for evil , but overcoming the evil with the good ; so shall you be known to be the servants of the living god , and followers of the lamb as dear children . and be terrified in nothing , as from any of the sons of men , that can befall you ; for all your hairs are numbred , and not one shall fall , without gods providence ; neither shall the wrath of the wicked be unbounded ; but what ever turns not to his praise , that he will restrain , and the day of your deliverance hastneth : only look not you out , but keep close unto the lord , with your eyes only towards him , and not upon , or unto any temporal , or visible thing ; but alone unto the lord god of life , and unto the measure of himself made manifest in your own hearts ; for unto that you were directed at the beginning , and in it is your safety and preservation unto the end . j. p. and dear brethren , the lord god almighty , who is our alone salvation , having laid the thoughts of the cause of our sufferings near unto the secrets of his own soul , uttereth his voice out of sion , to you his children , in his city jerusalem , saying , s●and up ye babes of my blessings , and you sons and daughters of my love , gird , gird on strength in this day of my battel ; for loe , my banner is over you , my standerd is with you , my ensigne is displaid amongst you , and my everlasting power and omnipotency attends you : and it shall not fail you , i will not leave you in the day of adversity , nor forsake you in the time of captivity ; for i have chosen you , i have called you , i have purchased you , after the travail of my soul for you ; and blood , even the everlasting blood of the covenant of my life was paid as a ransome for you ; and now you are no more your own , but mine ; and i cannot be hid , nor separated from you , but as i am faithful , i will be with you ; as you have had me your god in all your tribulations and sufferings , wherein i did bear both you , and your griefs , and all your afflictions in the yearning bowels of my tenderness ; which yet i will break , i will break , i will break , more infinitely open unto you , which shall melt , and dissolve you , and make you stream to me , as i am in flameing streams of love and life towards you ; i will reach you in your holes ; bolts , nor bars of brass or iron , nor walls like mountains shall shut me from you ; but in your denns and dungeons i will come in among you , and walk in the midst of you , and you shall know that i am the comforter of your hearts , and the rejoycer and gladder of your spirits , in all the times of your needs : and whilst the yoak is upon your necks , and the oppressive burdens upon your backs , and i bearing both you , and your burdens over the raging seas , that are angry at my voice , and troubled at the breathings of my life : i will trouble the hosts of the philistims , their horses shall fail them , their chariots shall not stand in any stead unto them , for i will break the wheels and the axeltrees , and they shall fall , they shall fall , they shall fall , i the jehovah of israel , the mighty god of little jacob have spoken it , & it shall surely come to pass , and you shall be delivered by the hand of my power saith the lord. and therefore sing you lambs , and reioyce you my little tender babes in that i have travelled for you , and born and brought you forth unto the day of my glory , in the glory and the excellency thereof , to witness my name of power , which will scatter all the chaff that is heaped up as mountains against you that you , whom i have planted may prosper as a fruitful vineyard , that the abundance of the fruits of blessedness , in the power of my righteousness , may be brought forth in you , to your joy , and mine honour , even for ever . ah brethren , our very hearts and souls are overcome , and ravished , whilst we consider the endless love , and everlasting riches of the favours and mercies of our father towards us ; and what he hath ready in his hand to deal bountifully unto us ; yet but a little , but a little , and he will give it , and make the emptiest vessel as an over-running river , whose banks cannot contein the streams for fulness . it is his love , his love , even his endless everlasting love that over-powers us , which is not conteinable within us , but must run , and flow , from the movings of the great oceans , as the swiftest streams into your tender bosomes , that you may he refreshed in us , in which the answer will return into our bowels , and our joy will thereby be augmented , and increased : and we trust in the pure living sense of all , our hearts shall be always full of the praise of our god , who in all his blessed works , is worthy of all honour , and everlasting thanksgiving , and glory , even of us , and all his saints and children for evermore ; who , in him , are yours to serve , both him , and you , in doing and suffering , whatsoever is his good pleasure concerning us : and in him , everlasting blessings and peace be multiplied to you all . amen . e.b. j.c. j.p. newgate prison , the th . of the th . month . the cogitations of my heart have been many , deep , and ponderous , some moneths , weeks and dayes , concerning his people , which he hath raised to bear testimony unto his name , in this the day of his power : and intercession hath been made often for them to the lord , and a patient waiting to know his mind concerning them for the time to come , which often i received satisfaction in , as to my self ; but yet still something i was drawn by the lord to wait for , that i might comfort and strengthen his flock by an assured testimony . and while i was waiting out of all visible things , and quite out of the world , in my spirit , and my heart upon nothing but the living god , the lord opened the springs of the great deep , and overflowed my whole heart with life and love , and my eyes were as a fountain , because of tears of joy , because of his heritage : of whom he shewed me , and spake unto me , in a full fresh living power , and a holy full testimony ; so that my heart was ravished therewith , with joy unspeakable , and i was out of the body with god , in his heavenly paradise ; where i saw , and felt things unutterable , beyond all demonstration , or speech . at last the life closed with my understanding , and my spirit listened unto him ; and the everlasting god said , shall i hide any thing from them that seek my face in righteousness ? nay , i will manifest it to them that fear me : i will speak , do thou listen , and publish it amongst all my people , that they may be comforted , and thou satisfied . and thus said the living god of heaven and earth . upon the th . of the d. month , . the sun shall leave its shining brightness , and cease to give light to the world ; and the moon shall be altogether darkness , and give no light unto the night ; the stars shall cease to know their office , or place ; my covenant with day and night , times and seasons shall sooner come to an end , than the covenant i have made with this people ( into which they are entred with me ) shall end , or be broken , and my word is unchangeable ; yea , though the powers of darkness , and hell combine against them , and the jawes of death open its mouth , yet i will deliver them , and lead them through all ; i will con●ound their enemies , as i did in jacob , and scatter them , as i did in israel , in the dayes of old ; i will take their enemies , and i will hurle them hither , and thither from me , even as stories are hurled out of a sling ; and the memorial of this nation , which is holy unto me , shall never be rooted out , but shall live through ages , as a cloud of witnesses in generations to come . i have brought them to the birth , i have brought them forth , i have swadled them , and they are mine ; i will nourish them , and carry them as on eagles wings ; and though clouds gather against them , i will make my way through them , and though darkness gather together on a heap , and tempests gender , i will scatter them as with an east wind , and nations shall know they are my inheritance , and they shall know i am the living god , who will plead their cause withall that rise up in opposition against them . these words are holy , faithful , eternal , good , and true. blessed are they that hear and believe unto the end. and because of them no strength was left in me for a while ; but at last , my heart was filled with joy , even as when the ark of god was brought from the house of obed edom , when david danced before it for gladness , and israel shouted for joy. fran. howgill . the end . a visitation of love, peace, and good will from the spirit of the lord sent unto the whole flock of god, now in this their day of tryal and hour of temptation, for the refreshing, strengthening, comforting and building of them up in their most precious holy faith, that they may be encouraged to hold fast the profession thereof through all tryals and sufferings, unto the end, that the crown immortal they may come to receive : being two epistles, the one from f.h. and the other from a.p. howgill, francis, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a visitation of love, peace, and good will from the spirit of the lord sent unto the whole flock of god, now in this their day of tryal and hour of temptation, for the refreshing, strengthening, comforting and building of them up in their most precious holy faith, that they may be encouraged to hold fast the profession thereof through all tryals and sufferings, unto the end, that the crown immortal they may come to receive : being two epistles, the one from f.h. and the other from a.p. howgill, francis, - . parker, alexander, - . salutation of dear and tender love. p. [s.n.], london : . the first epistle signed: francis howgil. "a salutation of dear and tender love, springing and arising from the fountain of light and life revealed from god, unto all the dear children of god, who love and believe in the true light" signed alexander parker: p. - . reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic 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xml conversion a visitation of love , peace , and good will , from the spirit of the lord. sent vnto the whole flock of god , now in this their day of tryal and hour of temptation , for the refreshing , strengthening , comforting , and building of them up in their most precious holy , faith , that they may be encouraged to hold fast the profession thereof through all tryals and sufferings , unto the end , that the crown immortal they may come to receive . being two epistles ; tho one from f. h. and the other from a. p. fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer , for behold the devil shall cast some of you into prison that you may be tryed , &c. be thou faithful unto death , and i will give thee a crown of life , rev. . . london , printed in the year . a visitation of love , peace , and good-will from the spirit of the lord ; sent unto the whole flock of god , now in this their day of tryal , and hour of temptation , &c. dear friends and brethren , who have been called to believe by the holy calling of the lord unto sanctification and holiness , that ye might inherit the promises of god , and and that your souls might live in the land of the living , and partake of his goodness ; that you might admire him , and praise his name for ever : and seeing the lord out of his rich love and mercy hath visited you , who sometime sate in the region of the shadow of death , and were cast out of his presence in the time of unbelief , seeing he hath caused his miraculous light to shine upon you , in his gracious visitation of you ; and hath given you to believe in his name , prise his love unto you : and let not his gracious benefits slip out of your mindes , least your hearts be filled with other things that will corrupt your hearts , and make you an unmeet habitation for the lord to dwell in and among . dear friends hear my brotherly admonition and exhortation , for the lord moved in my heart to write unto you , and in the bowels of his kind and tender love , and motion of his heavenly spirit , to stir up your pure minds and consciences unto stedfastnes in the faith of our lord jesus christ , and so much the more that you all be watchful , seeing the times be perillous , for now the adversary goes about roaring and ravening , on the right hand and on the left , to destroy and devour that which god hath brought forth-in-you , that so he might re-gain you too under his power and government ; and that ye might revolt from the kingdom of our lord jesus christ , that stands in power and righteousness , which is come and hath been of a truth manifest in great glory , and this is an hour the power of darkness is let loose to try the faith of them that dwell upon the earth , and he is let loose for a season ( blessed are they that hide themselves under the shadow of the almighty , and under the wings of christ jesus , who is given for a redeemer , a saviour , and a preserver of men ) that the wicked one touch them not ; and now the devil rages because he knows his kingdom is but short , and but for a small time is like to stand in many , because a stronger then he that rules in the world , is come , and hath began to dispossess the strong man , and bind him , and cast him out ; and now he rages and stirs up all the temptations within and without , and all his instruments to joyn with him , to make war for him , that he might not rule who is the heir of all things , and given for a leader , and to be the head of the body his church , in which alone he hath right to rule , because the lord of the whole earth , ye of heaven and earth , hath put all power into his hands , to bind and to loose , to bring out of captivity , and to lead captivity captive , that life and immortality might again inhabit in the sons of men , that truth and righteousness might sway , that mercy and love might sit on the throne , that his salvation might take hold on the ends of the earth , and his power made known from sea to sea , that all that wait for him , and love his appearance now when he is made manifest , might rejoice in his goodness and life , and may be made glad as zebulon and nepthaly beyond jordan , in the days of old , upon whom sprang up a marvellous light , that the whole earth might be filled with his praise and glory , that hath been filled with darkness , violence , and cruelty , in the time of the devil and antichrists reign , which hath been long and great in the earth : so that the hearts of the sons of men have been corrupted , and they are gone backward from the lord , and have been degenerated into a strange nature , and hath brought forth evil and corrupt fruit , like that of sodom ; and they that do evil are not at all ashamed , neither do they blush , but are become impudent , through the long custom of evil , and hard and impenetrable , upon whom the hammer of the lord must come , and his indignation be poured forth : but you whom god hath called out of this estate into a state of redemption and purity , by his son the light of the world , who hath illuminated the eyes of your minds , consciences and understandings , that you might bear witness unto him that is true , a testimony against the world that lies in wickedness , and pleads for it , and lives in it , as though it were the way to felicity , hold fast your liberty , hold fast your faith , hold fast your hope , hold fast your testimony , let none take your crown , and so much the more , as you are compassed with temptations , and the times be perrillous so much the more , you had all need to keep near the lord , for now father would betray the son , and the son the father : the mother her daughter , and the daughter her mother , and brother , and kinsfolks betray one another , and them that exercise authority would bertray who are not in the power of god , and through flattery and threats and fair promises , and frowns , and gifts , & rewards , & ease , and liberty , and the glory of the world , and what not to lead your hearts away from the lord , and then glory over you , and rejoyce that your feet should slip and you fall into the mire and dirt , and gross abominations , and pollutions of the world , that lyes in wickedness , dearly beloved never heed none of these things , let not the philisti●●● your eyes , nor damm up your wells , for then they would make you grind like samson & you might perish in the drought for lack of moisture , and then your dayes would be miserable , and your years full of sorrow , for the lord will perform his promise , and keep covenant with them , that keep covenant with him , but if you forsake him in your hearts , in what is made manifest , then he will forsake you , and then you are left to the mercy of your adversary which will be cruel . therefore heed not the pride , of moab nor the reviling of the children of ammon , for they are uncircumcised in heart , and the moath shall eat them up as a garment : oh if any draw back from following of the lamb , through suffering they will be smitten , and the lord will have no pleasure in them , and what will amaleck say , when israel turnes their backs in the day of battel , but where is their god , in whom they trusted , and he that brought them forth was not able to deliver them to the end , oh that such things may never be spoken of now in gath , or ashkelon as in the days of old , lest the sons of the philistines triumph , & the daughters thereof rejoyce in their wickedness , & this would make the hearts of israel of god to mourn , this is the day of the lambs war indeed in 〈◊〉 age , and a day of battel , though his weapons and his followers be not carnal but spiritual , and there is none that goes to war doth intangle himself that hath a purpose to hold out , and is resolved to continue with him in his sufferings , but will shake off these things that incumber , last he should not obtain the victory , and come short of the promise , and the victory , and crown , which all that endure hardship unto the end shall receive ; oh dear friends look above all visible things , and stand out of them all , and loose from them , that the enemy do not ensnare you ; what is not the earth the lords and the fulness thereof ? and hath he not given the utmost part of the earth for a possession unto his son ? what was not abraham our father blessed , when he was faithful and obeyed the voice of the lord , and went out of his own country he knew not whether ? was not the lord with him whether ever he went , and his blessing upon him where he sojourned in a strange land ; did not god intreat him kindly in mesopotamia , and among the hittites , and was not he loved and feared among his enemies , was not john the boloved and faithful disciple of christ banished into patmos for the testimony that he held ? was not shadrach , m●sech and abednigo children of the captivity , cast into the furnace , and daniel too among the lions , for the testimony they held against the common worship of nations commanded by a law ; did christ endure the death of the cross and the contradiction of sinners , and condemned by the most ? did not the believing hebrews who were banished , wander in sheep skins and goat skins , in holes , dens , and caves of the earth for the hope they held , and the country they looked for ? did not moses through faith forsake pharaohs court and became a companion of poor brick-makers in captivity , a cloud of witnesses might be brought , even of them who died in the faith and yet were not made partakers of the promises , who many of them saw not what you have seen , nor hear those things that you have heard , nor injoyed that which god hath made many partakers of ; and have we not a great cloud of witnesses in this our own age , some who have not loved their lives unto the death for the testimony they received , believed , and held fast to the end unto death ; hath not many died in prison with hard usage , hath not some been hanged and died a shameful death , and finished their course with joy and peace , have not many endured great , hard , and long imprisonment for years , and are they yet weary ; nay , have not many suffered great spoil of their goods , and have not they a reward seven fold into their bosom . oh let the consideration of these things dwell upon your hearts , and provoke you unto suffering , and long-suffering with joyfulness , that in the midst of all tribulations as it abounds you may feel according to the promise of god your joy much more abound to carry you above it ; indeed now is the time come , and he that will 〈◊〉 manifest himself to be on the lords side must suffer , and he that will no but turn back into the broad way , and run with the heard of swine in o the sea of common pollution must perish there , and indeed there is no place for halting , if god be god follow him , and if baal be he go after him ; and therefore let none draw you aside from that you are perswaded of in your consciences by the spirit of the lord , neither to joyn with that you know he disalows , and in the obedience you will have peace and joy ; look not at them that draws back , for they go to perdition , but rather after them that continues faithful , that shall receive honour , and glory , immortality and everlasting life , in the fresh heavenly power of god meet together and worship him as at other times , though the decree be gone forth and the more because you have been therein refreshed , and comforted , and edified ; and let none perswade you from that innocent du●y in worshipping god in his spirit , and assembling your selves together for the strengthning of one ano●her , for this is the will of god and acceptable in his sight as many of you well know ; watch and pray least you fall into temptation , and into the snare of the wicked one , the god of heaven and earth establish all your hearts that you may glorifie god in your generation , and be a sweet and an odorious smell unto him in bonds or liberty , in life or death is the prayer of him who hath besought the lord , and is determined so to do on all your behalf , till the lord by his power tread satan under your feet , that you may triumph and rejoyce and sing over all in heavenly rejoycing and praises unto god , and the lamb that lives for ever , and for evermore amen . from applebye goal the place of my rest where my days and hours are pleasant unto me the th . of the th . moneth . . your dear brother in the patience and suffering of christ , who abounds in perfect love to all the faithful flock of christ every where . francis howgill . a salutation of dear and tender love , springing and arising from the fountain of light and life revealed from god , unto all the dear children of god , who love and beleive in the true light . dear and well beloved friends you whom god in mercy and tender love hath visited with the day-spring from on high opening your understandings : and letting you see the deceits of the subtile serpent , and the empty dead formes and inventions of men , which have been set up in the night of darkness and apostacy , which have been over people of all sorts in that part of the world called christendom , since the days of the apostles of christ and not onely so , but by the vertue of the same light shining in your hearts , he hath revealed and manifested the great and deep things concerning his kingdom , and the beauty and glorious excellency of his house , and of those things pertaining unto life and peace , the sight whereof hath kindled and inflamed the hearts of many with holy desires after the full enjoyment of that glory , life , and peace , which in the light is set before them , and true breathings and strong cryes hath passed through many to him , who hath power to dispose of this kingdom , crying lord what shall we do that we may be heires of thy kingdom , and the lord hath hearkned and heard the cryes of such as have drawn near unto him in nakedness and humility of heart , and by his light hath shewed them those things which are evil , which they ought to refrain ; and also those things which are pure and good , which they ought to imbrace , and as many as in the light have received him to them he hath given power , not only to resist the evil in all its appearances , but also to embrace and obey the good in its appearing within . thus the lord begun his work even his great work of reformation in us , making a separation between the precious and the vile , laying the axe unto the very root of the evil tree , and by it cut down sin and iniquity within : which all profession without could never do , and as you and we did sensibly feel and know the lords power revealed within , making a separation , there the same power did lead and draw us to a separation without from sin and all sinful persons , so that we could not pertake , ( nor joyn ) with them in any bad thing , nor go with them to the same excess of riot , and foolish vain pleasure , which wicked men that know not god delight in , and as we were drawn out of the worlds wicked ways , into holiness and righteousness , to follow christ our saviour in the way that he walked in , oh then how did the enemy rage , and appear as a flood to swallow us up , and stirred up his instruments to scoff , scorn , revile , stone , beat , and persecute us , and through a great fight of afflictions we passed , through all which the lord led the faithful and put a stop to the raging sea dividing of it , and brought his children safely thorow . thus hath it been with us , in all our travells since we were called out of egypts dark land , the enemy hath been very busie going about like a roaring lyon , seeking whom he may devoure , which is no new nor strange thing , for from the dayes of righteous abel unto this day and age wherein we now live , the righteous holy people have suffered and been persecuted by the wicked and ungodly , as the scriptures of truth and other ancient ecclesiastical writings do declare , oh what cruel mockings , stonings and many deep exercises , and great persecutions did gods people endure in every age and generation , through which the lord led them , and by his holy power revealed in them did uphold them , and preserve them , and made all things easie unto them , so that they were conquerors , yea more then conquerors through the lord christ that loved them . and now dear hearts its the same hand and arm of power that was stretched forth and revealed in them , which preserved them , and gave them dominion and victory , that now is held forth and revealed in us , which is able to preserve , defend and uphold us in the greatest tryalls and exercises which we may meet withal or be exercised with for his names sake and therefore am i moved and stirred up in gods holy zeal by his own pure spirit , to admonish you in true brotherly love to hold fast your profession and what ever you have received from god through the son of his love , oh treasure it up in your hearts , that you may have abundance of durable riches , which none can take from you , for now is a day of great tryal , and the devil rages because his time is but short , yea very short , for as sure as god lives he shall be taken and all that joyn with him to uphold his kingdom of pride and oppression , and they all shall be cast into the burning lake that never shall be quenched there to be tormented for ever and ever , the day is dawned wherein the lord will accomplish and fulfil all these good things which he hath promised by his holy prophets in former times , and in this day pride and oppression , cruelty , and persecution shall have an end , the lord hath said it , who is able to perform it , and the righteous shall be delivered from all their heavy yokes and oppressive burdens , and the land shall be cleansed and swept , and evil-doers shall have no place , but the holy people who have followed the lamb of god in the regeneration , who have given up their all into the will of god , and have not loved their lives unto the death , they shall inherit the kingdom , and christ over all shall rule and reign , and so the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our god and of his christ , and this great work shall not be effected and brought to pass by sword , or any weapon of war by the arm of flesh but onely and alone by the spirit and power of the mighty god the great jehovah who has all power in his hand , who has power to set up and throw down at his pleasure , who is a consuming fire , and all the proud and those that do wickedly , ( though they may say well , and profess high things ) they shall be like unto the dryed stubble , and shall surely be consumed root and branch . and i know assuredly by the testimony of god in my heart , that the lord is able even in a moment of time to make all his enemies his footstool , for he who hath wrought mightily in our hearts by his spirit and power , wounding and bruising the head of the serpent , and destroying the devil and his works in us , as many can truly experience , he is the same unto all that wait upon him , and can work the same work in every individual person in the whole world . therefore all you deer friends of truth , who have been quickned by the word of life , and raised up unto a lively hope , who have made an open confession and profession of the holy name of the lord be encouraged , and put on strength even the streagth of god whereby you may stand against all the assaults of the devil , and may also be enabled to bear and suffer all things patiently , which for the name of christ , may be inflicted upon you , be faithful to god in his requirings and do his will , and you shall know more of his mind and doctrine , and as you are faithful to god in the obedience of righteousness , you cannot be unfaithful to man for obedience to god , in the light is the ground of all faithfulness unto men , and so herein we stand approved before the lord , and in due time shall be manifest unto the consciences of all men , though for a time we may be reproached and branded with foul names of heresie , error and sedition , as the holy people formerly were , and though for a time we may suffer , let us bear it with patience without murmuring or contriving , ( or without the least desiring ) the hurt of those who persetcute us , for herein the spirit of christianity will appear , and shew forth it self in us , and the lord in due time even as the day approaches will wipe away all these reproaches , and scandalous termes and names which are cast on us , and we shall appear as we are cloathed in the lambs innnocency , meeknesse , and gentlenesse , and true sincerity of heart , let every dear babe and lamb of god keep their habitations of innocency , and dwell under the shadow of the wing , the arm of the lord and there you shall be preserved . and whereas some term us to be a stubborn and rebellious people that is also false , for we cannot rebel against any man , neither king nor any under him , for the ground of rebellion is disobedience to god and rebellion against him by sinful deeds , for whosoever rebells against the light of god in his own heart , will soon rebel against the highest of men if he be provoked therunto & have opertunity , and though in words high things may be pretended , and flattering titles given unto men , it s all deceit and iniquity , and in the time of tryal it will manifest it self . but truth and the sincere lovers of it can call nothing holy , but what is really so , neither can they give the titles of pious , sacred and good to any man , or people , who are not really holy and good , for that were but flattery and deceit which god did ever : ( and doth at this day ) abhor so let none of these things trouble you , but walk in the light as gods dear beloved and redeemed people for their stands our union with god and one with another , and mind the drawings of the fathers love which will more and more draw you out of all carnal fading visible things where no lasting peace is , & bring you home to the true peace and centre of life , where fulness of joy is , and all spiritual blessings to refresh you day by day , & this is the priviledge of gods suffering people , at this day even their free access unto the throne of grace , and free liberty to eat and drink at the lords table , where there is bread of life that nourishes unto eternal life ; and where there is living water , that sweetly refreshes the thirsty souls , oh come dear hearts eat and drink abundantly , that you may be filled and abound that so you may communicate unto others , that may be refreshed with you , and you with them in the love of the lord. and dear friends as it was the saints practice in former times to meet together in the holy name of the lord to wait upon god , and worship him in spirit and truth , and as it hath been our practice , since we were acquainted with the lord to meet together likewise to wait upon god , and to declare and speak of those great things which he hath done for us , and wrought in us , accordingly as the good spirit of god doth move in any , and give utterance , so dear friends keep your meetings in the name of god , for you well know that we have no other end in our meeting but to serve god , and to turn people from the devil , and the service of sin unto god , that they together with us may glorifie god , and serve him in the new life of righteousnesse , and by this way and means many have been convinced of the evil of their wayes , and also of the deadnesse and emptinesse of mens invented customary formes and worships , and so have joyned and sate down with us in stilnesse to wait upon god in spirit , to receive spiritual food and refreshment to their souls . and this hath greatly troubled the people , and rulers of this nation , and now they strive to put a stop , and have made a law to hinder us in our meetings , but in this case knowing it to be our duty to god , and if neglected we should provoke the lord and kindle his anger against us , we chuse rather to obey the lord , though we provoke man , and we chuse rather to suffer such punishments as can be inflicted on us by man , being assured that god will be with us and uphold us , and give us peace in our hearts and consciences in our sufferings , which none can take from us , which if either for fear of man , or love to this present world we should neglect , and so provoke the lord , we know that no man can give us peace , or make an atonement for us ; for we have known gods terrours for sin and disobedience , and have known his righteous judgments revealed , and we know it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living god , who though he have long patience , and waits to be gracious , yet he will not always strive with man , but will suddenly come and render vengeance in flames of fire upon all that knows him not , and that doth not obey the gospel ; who shall be be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the lord , and from the glory of his power , when he shall come to be glorified in his saints ; therefore continue in his fear and love , and in true and sincere obedience of the gospel of peace unto the end , even untill all your enemies be conquered , so shall you be crowned with life as you do overcome ; but unlesse there be a conquest over sin , hell , and death , yea and over that nature which is unwilling to suffer there is no crown , therefore it s said be faithful unto death , and thou shalt have the crown of life . dear hearts mind these weighty things , and be faithful , bold , and valiant for the truth , and great shall be your reward . these things was i moved in the spirit of pure love to write unto you by way of remembrance to stir up your pure minds , that you may go on with boldness and courage in the way of the lord which he hath called you into , with the tender of my very dear love unto you , wishing and from my very soul desiring and heartily praying that bowels of mercy , true love , peace and patience with all other spiritual blessings , and all things conducing unto life and godliness from god our father & jesus christ our light , life , & leader may be encreased and multiplyed amongst you , and to him alone even the god of all our mercies who is israels keeper and protector , and to the word of his grace in you do i commit and commend you all resting with you in the patience of christ. let this be read amongst friends in the fear of god , when in his name they are met together . your brother and companion in tribulation waiting for the restoration of all things into their purity , even as it was in the beginning before transgression was , who am a sufferer for the testimony of jesus alexander parker . in the common goal in new-gate , london this th . day of the th . moneth . . the end . this is onely to goe amongst friends. howgill, francis, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (thomason e _ ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h thomason e _ estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; :e [ ]) this is onely to goe amongst friends. howgill, francis, - . burrough, edward, - . to the camp of the lord in england. , [ ] p. printed for thomas simmons, at the signe of the bull and mouth near aldersgate., london : ] signed on page : francis howgill. caption title. imprint from colophon. with a second caption title page : to the camp of the lord in england - signed on page : edward burrough. annotation on thomason copy: "feb: : "; also in the colophon the last number of the imprint date has been marked through and " " written below. reproduction of the original in the british library. eng society of friends -- apologetic works -- early works to . quakers -- early works to . a r (thomason e _ ). civilwar no this is onely to goe amongst friends.: howgill, francis c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread - emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion this is onely to goe amongst friends . to all the seed of abraham , who are jewes indeed , and israelites in whom is no guile ; who are of the true circumcission , made without hands . who are of the off-spring of david , and of the church of the first born , who are the first fruits unto god ; yee royall off-spring of the rocke of ages , who have come out of the everlasting washing ; my deare brethren called quakers ; who have eaten your bread with feare and trembling , whom your brethren hath cast out , oh how i love you ; my soule is knitt unto you , my heart and life breathes after you ; i am one with you in suffering , and in joy ; ye are the choycest of the flock , yee are the fairest of all the children which is brought forth ; oh my beloved ones , though i be among the tents of kedar as without where the voyce of the lord hath neither been heard nor known ▪ it you i forgett not , if i doe , let the tongue cleave to the roofe of my mouth , and lett me never speake more in the name of the lord ; who is my life and the portion of my cup for ever . oh what shall i say unto you , none knows your beauty , nor innocency , nor glory , but them , who are redeemed out of kindreds , and nations , and tongues , and people , and countries ; who follow the lambe whithersoever he goes . for the name of my god and your god , who is liing and lives for evermore is in your foreheads , you are his off-spring , and the fruit that came out of the eternall womb : begotten by the eternal word of life which lives for ever , and are norished at the eternall table in the everlasting mansion-house of my father which is in heaven ; none so faire , none so beautifull , none so glorious , none so rich , you are crowned with love for ever , you are cloathed with righteousnesse for ever , you eat of the tree of life which heales ▪ the nations , and of the bread of life that nourishes you up for ever , and drinks of the living waters which runs fresh , beautifull , and coole ; in it you are bathed and suppled , and made white ; you are builded upon a rock ▪ storms cannot move you , tempests cannot make you afraid ; in this you have been and are like to be tryed ; your armour is righteousnesse on the right hand , and on the left your city is free : the gates stand open day and night , and a wolf , nor lyon ▪ nor any beast can enter , no not so much as a flying fowle . oh how goodly is thy tents o thou seed of jacob , the elect whom he hath chosen ? o how pleasant is your scituation ? the tower of david , mount sion stands sure , and cannot be moved . oh who is a people like unto you , saved by our god that lives for ever ? his love is large , he is kind , he is long-suffering : he is faithfull and keeps covenant , and his promises are yea , yea : he is the amen , the first and the last . come forth my dear brethren , set forth his praise , declare his name among the heathen , publish his name among the congregations : let the earth be filled with his love and power , that his judgements may be declared , and his statutes , that they sound in the eares of generations to come . o yee that are convinced of the truth of our god , wait in that which doth convince , and keep your minds to it , and love it , and follow it whether it leads you , and it will lead you to know the gift of god which leads to repentance from dead works to serve the living god , who dwells in the immortall light : and take heed of looking back at the pleasures of sin you have formerly lived in , but wait upon the pure light of christ jesus in patience , that so you may see the enmity which is against god , and it slain in you daily : that so you may see him that is the saviour of the soule , and take heed of rebelling against the lord who hath given you a measure of his true light , to lead you from sin if you love it unto righteousnesse , from whence it comes , even from the righteous judge of all the world , who judgeeth every man out of the book of his conscience : and so prize the everlasting love of god to your soules , that you may see him who lives for ever . and all babes who are born again , who have suffered the pangs of death : and know the indignation of the lord against sin , and the terrour of the lord against the man of sin , who have roared for the disquietnesse of your hearts , who have born the indignation of the lord , and are come to the giving forth of the law , where there is thundring and earthquakes , and terrour , and great haile , and fire , and smoke , even such as was not since the beginning , in so much that you could not hear his voyce and live , nor see his face and live . stand still in patience , and let it have its perfect work in you , and bear the indignation , ye that are in it ; if you endure the tribulation with patience , hope you will see , and a time of refreshment will come : endure the crosse that the mortall , and earthly , and carnall may be judged , and the ground shaken and taken away , and that you may see the living hope to stay your minds upon . and yee who are enlivened , and doth witnesse the law of righteousnesse set up in you , which is a schoolmaster , and keeps in the fear , stand in it , and keep in the fear low , in sobernesse and calmnesse , and then you will see your hearts purified daily , and the cursed nature judged , which is out of its course , and it bridled and subjected : and the law which is pure , and holy , and eternall , which stands for ever in power and force against the transgressour , to judge all unrighteousnesse : and so wait that you may see the lyon tamed , and the wild heifer yoked , and the yoke of christ born : and the wild colt tamed by him , upon which never man sate before : then and not till then is hosanna sung . and all wait in your measures , dear babes , that the milk of the word you may see , and be nourished by it , and grow up as living branches about the table of the lord . and all you young men and virgins , that know virginity , keep your virgin-you in whom the prince of this world is judged and cast out : and the righteous law of god revealed and given forth , in which you stand and walk and hath peace , from him who is the law-giver and judge : who hath saved you from your iniquities , and blotted out your sins for his owne name sake : you who knowes the living water and spirit of which you are born again , and witnesses the birth which enters into the kingdome of god , where no mortall or unclean beast can come . keep in the life and power of god which limits all , and chaines all under , that the life of the son of god may live and speak in you , and be bould : in the dread of god stand : and that which leads into slavery keep out . and now being made partakers of his everlasting love , walk worthy of his love , and of the high calling whereunto you are called , who hath created you in christ jesus unto holinesse and righteousnesse for ever : that to the praise of his grace which you are saved by : by which you have obtained the remission of sins , and an inheritance amongst them that are sanctified : so wait in the living hope , and the living faith , in which god is well pleased , in which you ask and receive of him , and are accepted of our heavenly father . and this faith ye know , which is a present power , and a shield against all temptations , and a helmet , and as a fortresse by which ye are preserved , safe standing in it , and putting it on in the day of triall . my dear brethren of the everlasting kindred , and heires of the everlasting promise : wait all in patience , having received an earnest of the inheritance that never fades away : to the end abide , in the fathers counsell , and at wisedomes gate . yee know what i say . i write not unto you , because you know not the truth , but because you know and are made free in your measures by him who is the truth and the way : in which all our fathers and you also have obtained a good report : even of all the houshold of faith : and take heed of the glory of the world , and look not at hardship : for verily all the suffering is not worthy to be compared to that glory which is revealed and to be revealed unto all that wait and abide in patience and faithfullnesse unto the end : but be yee as good souldiers , endure hardship , that you may receive the end of your hope , and the everlasting prise , and the purchased possession , and the crowne of glory which god will give unto you in his owne day : which is coming on towards you , if you continue in the hope , in the faith , and in the love unfained , which thinks no ill : by which and in which love we have victory over the grave , sin , and death : which he hath freely shed abroad in our hearts , unto whom be everlasting praise for ever and ever : to him which was dead , and is alive , and lives for evermore , the mediator of the new covenant of life and peace , in which we have accesse freely to the throne of grace , and are accepted in him who is the condemnation of all the world , who hate the light : but your life the light of the world god blessed for ever and ever . and all you fathers and elders and honourable women , who are not a few , whose bones and sinewes are filled with marrow and fatnesse ; who waite at the altar of the lord , and knovves the mercy-seat , vvhich hath overshadovved you ; and the golden vessell in vvhich is the hidden manna , by vvhich all the children of the lord are fed round the table of the lord , out of the everlasting treasure-house of my father . watch over the flock of christ jesus in every place , and region , and quarter vvhere the lord hath set you , and govern them in all vvisedome and righteousnesse , that the gospel of our lord jesus christ may be adorned : and take care of them vvillingly knovving this the lord requires of you , and hath called you unto : and to nourish the plants , and the young ones , and the babes : and that every one may knovv their place , and vvatch , and instruct in all vvisedome , and correct and reprove in the name and povver of our lord jesus , that no rebellious nor sloathfull may grovv up nor be harboured among you : but all in diligence may be kept in the fear of the lord in their places , that the gospel of christ jesus be not evill spoken of , nor the heathen blaspheme . and therefore my dear brethren be diligent in the vvork of the lord , so much the more as you see the day is approached : and the harvest is great , and the vineyard of the lord is great and large , and but fevv labourers : yea , the lord is enlarging his borders , and spreading forth his everlasting truth , and stretching forth his eternall arm over the nations , and opening the treasures of heaven , and bringing raine out of his treasury to vvater the earth that hath been parched and dry , and to make his plants to grovv . and so all vvait that you may see the povver and presence of the lord in all your assemblies : and see that there be no strife nor contention nor exaltation amongst you , but all in meeknesse , and quietnesse , and long-suffering , and forbearance : even as the lord hath spared and forborn you : one submitting unto another , even as you have heard and received vvhen the vvord of the lord came first unto you : and he that vvill be the greatest shall be the least : but all in meeknesse and lovvlinesse of mind serve one another , in love even as you have received : and the everlasting god of life and povver be vvith you all , and make you grovv in the living povver and virtue of god : to order all things in his vvisedome , as good stevvards of the manifold mercies of the lord , vvhich you are made partakers of : that he alone may be glorified throughout all the churches of christ jesus every vvhere . and to you my dear brethren and fellovv-labourers , unto vvhom the vvord of reconciliation is committed , and are in the vvork and ministry of our lord jesus christ , and are made partakers of the everlasting gospel of peace , vvhich unto you is given to declare . lift up your voyces , blow the ttumpet , sound an alarum out of the holy mountain : proclaime the acceptable year , and the day of vengeance of our god . gird on your sword upon your loines , put on the tried armour , and follow him for ever who rides upon the white horse , and is cloathed with the same : who makes war in righteousnesse : ride on , ride on , my beloved brethren and fellow souldiers , make all plain before you : thresh on with the new threshing instrument which hath teeth : beat the mountaines to dust , and let the breath of the lord scatter it : make the heathen tremble , and the uncircumcised fall by the sword : the lord of hosts is with us , and goes before us . spare none , neither ox nor asse , neither old nor young , kill , cut off , destroy , bath your sword in the blood of amaleck and all the aegyptians and philistins , and all the uncircumcised , and hew agag to pieces : break the rocks , cut down the cedars and strong oakes , make the devils subject : cast out the unclean spirits , raise the dead : shut up in prison , bring out of prison : cast in your nets , lanch into the deep , divide the fish , gather the good into vessels , cast the bad away : bind the tares in bundles , cast them into the fire : the angel with his sharp sickle is come , the angel of the everlasting covenant is come : thrust in your sickles , reape the earth , the word of god is come , that divides , let all flesh keep silence , divide the word rightly , feed the lambs and babes , fill the hungry , stop the lyons mouths : feed the fat and the strong with plagues and judgements : declare his name , publish his eternall truth which shall stand for ever . eternall life is come , glory to him for ever : silence all disputers and diviners for ever : trample upon all the chaff and dung , and mire for ever , which all the wisedome of the world feeds upon . greater is he that is in us , then he that is in the world . oh my beloved ones ! although i am the lowest and weakest among many of my brethren , yet the eternall power of god is my shield for ever , the lord of hosts is with us . there is a crown which none can take away , to all who have denyed all : yea , it is on your heads : the dread of god is with us : and truly dear brethren we cannot say that we fished and catched nothing , for many vessels are full : nor we have not travailed and laboured and brought forth wind , as the false prophets doe : for we have the seales of our ministry , which shall be witnesses for the lord in generations to come . not unto us o lord , but to thy name be glory for ever : who hath done and doth all for us , and in us : who is our strength , our glory , our crown of rejoycing all the day long ; for his hidden treasure is brought forth and made manifest in earthen vessels : unto him be eternall living praises for ever . and so all dear brethren , members of the same body of christ jesus , by which we are set free from sin in the liberty , life , and power in which you are made free , stand as vvitnesses for the lamb , and for the holy nation , for the royall seed of the true israel of god ▪ that it may be brought out of captivit● , to serve the lord in the land of the living , and the eternall god of povver and life , of endlesse rich love and mercy be vvith you all , and prosper his ovvne vvork in your hands , that he alone may be glorified : unto vvhom be eternall , infinite praises , vvho is our life , our king , god blessed for ever and ever . and to you all my dear brethren and sisters , vvho suffers in bonds , and prisons , and dens , and holes , and suffers the enemy to plovv long furrovves upon your backs , in patience ; and suffers stocking , vvhipping , buffetting , beating , and cruell mocking and stripes and chaines and fetters vvhom the world is not vvorthy of : even as they did unto our master of vvhom vve bear witnesse of , and hath the witnesse in our selves ; even so doe they unto us : but the servant is not greater then his lord , and therefore we that are baptized for the dead , and stand in jeopardy of our lives often , we have a cloud of witnesses which endured the same ; and therefore the same baptism and the same cup must be drunk by all that follow him . well my dear brethren ▪ your sufferings i know , and i know he of whom you bear witnesse , bears up your heads , who hath called you thereunto above all that which is done unto you , as you stand in his will and councel : well as dear brethren and companions in the same tribulation and kingdome and patience of the saints , as witnesses of the same faith as they were which are gone before you : you are made partakers of the same : it is made manifest and revealed in you by the same god : in which faith they had power , and you have power , and indures as they did , and as he did , even the contradiction of sinners . well , our god is on our side , and takes our part , and therefore my own bowels in patience endure , god will bring forth your righteousnesse as the sun , and your enemies shall be ashamed : and i know and you also know it is for the advantage and the furtherance of the gospel of christ : and endure in patience and long-suffering , and look not out : and the lord in due time will enlarge your border , and the eternall god of power be with you chosen ones , for the lords work you shall have your reward : nay , he is come , and his reward is with him : i know you have it , and witnesse his power and his presence with you : so my dear ones , in that which limits all , and chaines all , and keeps under all deceit , dwell and abide for ever in the living power which makes the strong man bow downe , and the devils tremble , and the unclean spirits roare : and the power you know , where is your life , that all the powers of death cannot reach : and therefore doth the potsheards of the earth strive in vaine to set briars and thorns in battel against him , in vaine doe they rage : for notwithstanding all that , god hath set and will set his owne son upon the holy hill of sion : glory unto him for ever , shout out for joy oh yee sufferers for him , who are set free by him , and your freedome can none take away : for he is greater then all , even him in whom yee have believed , standing in his power , wisedome and councel , who is neer you , that none is able to pluck you out of his hand : for he hath the keyes of david , who opens and none ▪ shuts , and binds and none can loose : even he who rebukes the winds and seas ▪ and they obey him , and causes a great calme : and causes the waters to abate , nay to stand of a heap : and dryes up the tongue of the aegyptian sea ▪ that his ransomed ones may goe over into the rest : and he that hath and doth believe in him , is entred into the rest : where we all meet in one , in him who is the judge of all the world : the light of the world , and our life who believe in his name : but the condemnation of all the world ▪ who walk in unrighteousnesse for ever and ever . for with the pure and upright he dwells ▪ and his throne is established in righteousnesse for ever and ever : and unto our god who lives for ever , shall all the powers of the earth bow : to whom be glory and eternall praise of all his redeemed ones for ever and ever . f. h. o all yee sons of sion , and yee daughters of the king , who is glorious within , who is glorious within , who have waited for the bridegroom : oh my beloved ones , you who have long sitten in a solitary place , and have been as a silly dove without a heart , and hath been as a widow desolate , and as a parched heath : you that hath wandred up and downe in the long night of darknesse and knew no rest , but were as one cast off by all , and all that passed by you laughed at your sorrow : you have been as a hissing , and as a proverb to all , and as a mark to shoot at by all ; your faces have been as the tents of kedar parched , and your skin withered for want of refreshment , and as a dead tree that bears no fruit . oh yee who have come through great tribulation , and have suffered the losse of all , the spoyling of all , even the greatest riches , the chiefest jewels : who have lost all your knowledge and wisedome , and become fooles for christs sake ; and hath parted with all , and hath suffered the indignation of the lord to passe over all , and hath drunk of the cup of fury at the hand of the lord , who have suffered hunger , famine , pestilence , and earthquakes , and the darkening of the sun , and the moon lost her light , and the stars have fallen , and the pillars of heaven hath been shaken : the earth hath been removed out of its place as a cottage , and you have cryed out in the midst of all this , he hath forgotten to be gracious , and is his mercy come to an end ? the womb hath been shut up , desolation and sorrow , losse of children and widowhood in a day , came upon you . oh yee tossed , afflicted , and not comforted , that have been as eunuchs , dry and barren as in the drought of summer , that have been as pelicanes and as doves , who have sorrowed for the losse of her mate , and as one in sorrow for the losse of her first born : who have been in bitternesse , and none could comfort you : i am one with you ▪ your state i know , i love you eternally : yea , yee are my brethren and sisters for ever , sealed in my heart , and engraven to be read for ever . i see you , i behold you , i kisse you , and embrace you with an holy kisse of everlasting love , which overcomes death and hell , which love thinks no ill : yee that are made partakers of this love , knowes what i say : yee that have waited for him , and wait and suffer the spoyling of all , i am married unto you , i came forth of the same womb , which is eternity free for ever : free borne , not in bondage , because the prince of this world is judged and cast out , and the glory of the lord revealed . come forth yee sonnes and daughters of jerusalem which is free from above : utter forth your voyce , sing aloud , the bridegroome is come and is coming , and yee that have suffered the spoyling of all rejoyce for evermore : lift up your voyces as trumpets , he is come , he is covered with righteousnesse as with a robe , his countenance is as the morning , his eyes is brighter then the sun , his voyce is life eternall , salvation is round about him : he dwells in eternall life : life is in his right hand and joy is in his presence , and peace for evermore : he is a tryed stone , he is a rock which the righteous flyes to , he hides his under his wings , and covers them with his feathers . beauty beauty , glory glory , eternity eternity , almightiness almightiness , power , riches , honour ▪ dignity and dominion , strength , wisedome and goodnesse , fullnesse , satisfaction , eternall treasure , durable riches , infinitnesse , is his name for ever : unexpressible i am filled with his love and power : he opens the windowes of heaven , he raines his showres as silver drops and as fine myrrhe , as sweet odours : he nourishes the young , he carries the lambs in his arms of love : he drives gently them that are with young : he is true and faithfull for ever : he keeps covenant : he is long-suffering and kind : who can declare his power ? i am lost in the incomprehensible being of eternall love . oh my dear ones , come up hither , fellow citizens of jerusalem which is from above , who is our mother , which few know but you who are written in the lambs book of life : found forth his praise , trumpet forth his power , declare his name among the people , that it may sound into the eares of generations to come , this is he we have waited for , this is he who hath begotten us to himself to raign with him the lamb upon mount sion ▪ as kings and priests , and judges of the prince of darknesse , death and hell for ever , salvation , honour and glory be to him for ever : eternall infinite praises , praises to him for ever who was dead and is alive , and lives for evermore : king of kings for ever : majesty glory and power and eternall renown is in his right hand for ever : his redeemed ones lives for ever , dwells followes lives in him for ever : no beast can touch the mountaine where he dwells , but he dyes for ever . come away my beloved ones , drink abundantly and be refreshed , and praise his name for ever , eternally i am shed and spilt among you never so as now never to be separated out of the eternall onenesse : sound forth his praise ▪ declare his word , let it to goe forth as thunder , let the heathen bow , let the princes of this world fall , and the kings worship at his feet for ever : let the disputers tongue cleave to the roof of his mouth for ever : let all flesh keep silence for ever . babylon is fallen , and become the habitation of devills for ever : the judge of all the world hath confounded and cursed her language for ever : god is risen and sits upon his throne , eternall wisedome is come , and the ancient of dayes all carnall shall be confounded : stop all mouths in the dust for ever , eternity shall speak and judge for ever : whom he binds is bound for ever , whom he looseth he looseth for ever : whom he remits are remitted , the devil is chained , the grave gives up her dead , and the sea and hell , all is judged by him that lives for ever . o beloved ones , who are the children of my eternall father , who have eaten at his table , and drunken of the new wine in the kingdome of god , who are nourished and dandled upon the lap of everlasting love , who suck at the breasts of everlasting consolation : your beauty is comely , i am ravished , i am filled , i am filled with love to you all , i am sick of love : your beauty hath ravished my heart : come sit down my dear ▪ lambs together in the fold where no wolf can come , and let us rejoyce together , and sound forth his praise who hath washed us and cleansed us and covered us , and made us worthy to enter into the fold the bride-chamber , to eat with him of the bread of life for ever , at the eternall table of life : the bridegroom is come friends , of him i know you rejoyce greatly , because of his voyce . and now my dearly beloved ones , follow him for evermore in the eternall light and life where we were bred brought forth and nourished , and are unknown to all the world : but me you know , and i know you in one who is the condemnation of the world , and in him i meet you , and leave you in his arms , i lye down with you in the bosome of eternall love , life , peace , joy and rest for ever , where none can make us afraid . bandon in irela : the month , . my name yee know , my voyce yee know , this is to all my beloved brethren who are redeemed from the earth . francis howgill . to the camp of the lord in england to all you called , chosen , elected and beloved of the lord , who are of the true circumcision made without hands , of the seed of abraham : who are jewes indeed not after the flesh but in the spirit : unto whom belongs the everlasting promise and covenant , whom god hath and is fulfilling in you , so establishing with you : we your fellow-citieens of the heavenly jerusalem which is the mother of us all : and of the same body , and of the same seed , and same birth , begotten and brought forth by the immortall word of life which lives for ever , doe send greeting , and doe embrace you in the arms of our beloved , who is and is to come god blessed for ever : you who are called quakers : who are so not onely in word nor in shew , but in life and in power : whom god hath called and chosen to place his name in , and to take up his habitation among : above all the families of the earth the tabernacle of god is with you , and his dwelling-place is among you , and only among you is god known , and his name is great in your assemblies . we who are of the same root and off-spring , doth bring in our witnesse , and doth set to our seale ▪ that god of a truth is with you and among you : and he is the god of the living that answers by fire : he is i am , and there is none besides him : the first and the last , the beginning and the end of all things . praise him for ever yee redeemed of him : lift up your heads your redeemer is come : clap your hands and shout for joy , and let the everlasting praises of god be in your mouths for ever and ever . exalt ye his name above all gods , and glorifie him in the sight of all the heathen , and let his marvellous works stand upon record from generation to generation . wonderfull hath his work been among you , and that my soule knowes right well : you that were scattered in the cloudy and dark day , and were a prey for the wild beasts of the forrest , and were driven away as lost sheep in the wildernesse , hath god gathered into the fould , to lay down by the springs of living water in fat pastures for evermore . your bread is sure , and your waters never failes : a feast of fat things is made unto you , of wines well refined : the lord is become the lot of your inheritance , and the portion of your cup for ever . your crowns have you laid down at the feet of the lamb : and your lives and liberties have not been dear unto you : and let this never repent you , for now the lord will exalt you and crown you with immortall glory . the everlasting day-star is risen among you , which gives light unto the nations : and the light of the sun is as the light of seven dayes : and there is no need of a candle in your dwelling , but the lamb is the light thereof ; faire as the sun , and clear as the moon : yea it is he which was dead , and is alive , and behold he lives for evermore . praise him all ye people , praise ye him ye holy host , let all that hath breath praise him for ever . who can expresse his noble acts ? and who can declare his wondrous works ? oh my soule is ravished , and my heart is overcome , let me speak that i may be refreshed , and let me declare his wonders among all people . the lord is our king , our judge , and our law-giver , and our rock of defence ; just is he in his judgements , who hath avenged us of our enemies : mercy and judgement meet , righteousnesse and peace doth embrace each other . rejoyce for evermore ye saints of the most high , and tell it to your children , that they may tell it to another generation , what hath the lord wrought among you , and what hath his hand brought to passe . salvation is come , and plenteous redemption , and the dead hath heard the voyce of the son of god and liveth . let sorrow and mourning fly away , and be ye comforted ye that have mourned , and be ye refreshed ye that have been weary ; for god hath opened the everlasting fountain , and the streams runs pleasantly , which refresheth the city of our god . he is come and his reward is with him , even he for whom we have waited ; this is he who is our life , our peace and our exceeding great reward ; the light of the world our saviour , but the worlds condemner , our peace but the worlds torment : glad tidings , glad tidings , the acceptable year is come : praise ye the lord ye sons and daughters of sion , beautifull is your dwelling place , and aboundeth with pleasant fruit , for you are digged and pruned and enclosed a garden of lovely branches : let the wonders of the lord never be forgotten , nor his works never passe out of your remembrance , for he hath wounded and healed , killed and made alive , raised the dead and slain the living , brought out of captivity and bound with chaines , gathered and scattered , brought low and exalted , saved and condemned , all this hath your eye seen , and your ear heard : and the heavens and the earth hath been burned as a scroule , and the indignation of the lord you have born : but the winter is past , and the summer is come , and the turtle dove , and the singing of birds is heard in our land . o magnifie his name for ever ; you are made vessels of honour , wherein the everlasting treasure abideth , which never waxeth old : the voyce of the bridegroom is heard among you , and how can you have any more sorrow : instead of weeping rejoycing , and instead of heavinesse of heart fullnesse of everlasting joy : the lord hath fulfilled his promise , and made good his word , and his law and covenant is with you : and from you doth the law goe forth , and the powerfull word of life , and death soundeth out of your dwellings , and you are gods only witnesses to testifie of him in the presence of all nations , some of you by suffering , and some by declaring : oh endlesse love , and life , and riches , an eternall crown is upon your heads , and your suffering ( which hath not been a little ) is not worthy to be compared with the glory that is and shall be revealed . i speak to you who hath an ear to hear , my soule and heart is comforted in you , in the midst of my burdens and sufferings , who is separated from you outwardly , yet joyned and united to you by the spirit which is unlimited , which all nations doth comprehend : yea i behold your beauty afar off , and my heart is ravished with it , and i am sick of love : let his works praise him for ever , which he hath wrought , for his dwelling is with you , in the light unto which no mortall eye can approach . the new jerusalem is come down from heaven , and no unclean can enter : but you are made white with the blood of the lamb , and purged as silver , and purified as gold in the burning and unto you an entrance is given , and the way is prepared , and the marriage of the lamb is come , and his wife hath made her self ready , and the way of the lord is pleasant to you , and his commands are not grievous : no unclean thing can passe over , ● or no lyons whelps can tread therein , but it is called the way of holinesse ▪ where only the ransomed of the lord doe walk ; even your mountain is established upon the top of all hills , and all nations shall flow unto it ▪ sing praises for ever , for the kingdome of endlesse peace is come , which passeth understanding , and of glory which no mortall eye can behold , and of life which no flesh can live in . oh my beloved ▪ come up hither and i will shew you what god hath done for you , he hath rebuked the sea , and driven back the floods of waters which compassed you about , and he hath scattered your enemies with a whirlwind , and he hath given you to feed upon the flesh of kings and of captaines . can you call to mind the doings of your god , and his marvellous works brought to passe , and not cry out in praises for evermore ? o drink and be refreshed , and eat and be satisfied for ever , and let your soul delight it self in fatnesse ; the planting of the lord you are , and his own purchased possession , he hath separated you from the womb , and hath called you out of kindreds , and ye are the royall seed , of the off-spring of the lord almighty , and all nations shall call you blessed . and o thou north of england , who art counted as desolate and barren , and reckoned the least of the nation , yet out of thee did the branch spring , and the star arise which gives light unto all the regions round about ; in thee the son of righteousnesse appeared with wounding and with healing : and out of thee the terror of the lord proceeded , which makes the earth to tremble , and be removed : out of thee kings , princes , and prophets did come forth in the name and power of the most high , which uttered their voyces as thunders , and laid their swords on the neck of their enemies , and never returned empty from the slaughter . though i be as by the waters of babylon , in a strange land ; and as a pilgrim and stranger destitute but not forsaken ; as dying but behold i live : yet if i forget thee let my right hand forget her cunning , and let my name be blotted out of the book of life . o how i love the holy seed which in my eye is precious ! no man can hinder my boasting of thee , for i am sealed among you in the record of eternall life , to be read among you in the light where i am known to you , and where my unity stands with you in the love and life which never changes , and you are my mother and my brother and sister who doth the will of my father . our god is a consuming fire , and his habitation is compast about with dread and terror . the heathen shall see and fear , and the inhabitants of the earth shall tremble : our god is everlasting burnings , and it is tempestuous round about his throne , and he raignes for evermore : and though thou be despised and set at naught , and counted as the off-scouring of all things , and the scorn of the heathen , yet thy king raignes upon mount sion , and if he utter his voyce all flesh shall tremble , and before him thy adversaries shall fall , and thy persecutors shall be confounded , for thou shalt never be forgotten of thy god , but with his arm will he defend thee , and compasse thee about , and thy seed shall be encreased , and thou jerusalem shalt be made the praise of the whole earth , for among you is laid the sure foundation , and the tryed stone , christ jesus the light of the world , upon whom you have believed , which unto the nations is a stumbling-stone , but unto you precious : bring in your testimony , and set to your seale , is there salvation in any other , but in him who is the light of the world , nay there is no redemption wrought but by him , nor no deliverance but through him : his is the kingdome , the power , and the glory , and he is become all in all ; and you are no more of this world , but are of the chosen generation , and of the royall priesthood , a people redeemed , unto whom there is none like among the thousands of israel and judah , whose god is the lord , whose saviour is the prince of righteousnesse , who covers your heads in the day of battel , and smites your enemies in the hinder parts , and wounds them in the forehead . and now my beloved , let his name be had in remembrance for evermore , and let his praises ▪ be declared throughout ages to come , and walk you worthy of his everlasting love , wherewith he hath loved you more then your brethren : let his name be exalted by righteousnesse , by purity , and by a blamelesse life , and bring forth the fruits of righteousnesse and peace , and let your light shine forth into the world , and your good works abound plentifully , for you are as a city set on a hill , and as a lighted candle to shine abroad , and are created unto good works . let faith , hope , love and unity be encreased among you , and let mercy and judgement and equity flow down , and be establisht for ever , never to be removed . let joy and long-suffering and meeknesse and temperance spring out , and be you perfect as your heavenly father is perfect . stand upon your watch tower , and be not shaken nor drawn aside to follow any other gods , nor to bow to any other image , nor joyn your selves to strangers , and mingle not your seed with the adulterous generation , nor take not nor give not in marriage with them ; but keep your selves from the idols of the heathen , be not defiled with them ; but abide in your strength , you know where it lyes , by which you may work good , and be preserved from evill ; and you need not that any man teach you , for you are taught of god , and are far from oppression . ye children of light , worship your god for ever , who is light , and in whom is no darknesse at all , who is the same and changes not , whose mercy endures for ever : be followers of the lamb as undefiled virgins , and let your soule scorn the glory of babylon , and aegypt for ever ; for you are not your own , but are bought with a price , no more to serve your selves , but the lord god of israel for ever . put on your armour , and gird on your sword , and lay hold on the spear , and march into the field , and prepare your selves to battel , for the nations doth defie our god , and saith in their hearts who is the god of the quakers ▪ that we should fear him , and obey his voyce ? arise , arise , and sound forth the everlasting word of war and judgment in the ears of all the nations , sound an alarum , and make their ears to tingle . our enemies are whole nations , and multitudes in number , of a rebellious people that will not come under our law , which ariseth up against us , and will not have our king to raigne , but tramples his honour under foot , and dispises his law and his ●tatutes , and counteth his subjects as slaves and bondmen . stand upon your feet , and appear in your terror as an army with banners , and let the nations know your power , and the stroke of your hand : cut down on the right hand , and slay on the left , and let not your eye pitty ▪ nor your hand spare , but wound the lofty , and tread under foot the honourable of the earth , and give unto the great whore double , and give her no rest day nor night , but as she hath done , so let it be done unto her ; and give her double into her bosome : as she hath loved blood , so give her blood , and dash her children against the stones , and let none of the heathen nations , nor their gods escape out of your hands , nor their images nor idols , but lay wast the fenced cities , and tread down the high walls , for we have proclaimed open war betwixt michael our prince , and the dragon . your captains are mighty men , and your leaders are skilled to handle the sword , and they are riding on before you . arise worm jacob , and fear not , but thresh the mountaines to dust , for god hath given thee the power of thy enemies to tread upon , and they shall fly before thee , and shall fall by thy sword , there is none too strong for thee , nor no inchantment against thee ; but thou art blessed , blessed world without end : therefore all ye lambs of my father , and ye camp of the lords host , wait upon him to fulfill his will , for he hath put it into your hearts to make war in righteousness against the beast and the false prophet , and cursed be every one that riseth not up to the help of the lord against the mighty : the beast is mighty , and the false prophet is great , and they keep the nations under their power : but o thou beast , and thou false prophet , you shall be tormented together : thou beast upon which the false prophet sits , whom thou upholds by thy law , and defends by thy unrighteous power ; thy power is limited , and it shall be taken from thee , and thou shalt be overcome , and the lamb shall get the victory , and into the pit and lake of fire shall you be turned to have your resting-place . and thou false prophet , which hath deceived the nations , and scattered the inhabitants thereof , and builded by fraud , and daubed with untempered morter , thy judgement is past upon thy head already , and the decree of our god is sealed against thee ; thy smoke shall ascend for ever and ever ; and of thy sin there is no forgivenesse , nor of thy torment no remission . over you doe we and shall for ever rejoyce and sing , and over your god and your king , the dragon that old serpent ; cursed be he and his memoriall for ever . ye lambs of the true shepheards fold , with whom my soule resteth , whether ever i behold you outwardly , yet my heart is with you , and i am one of your fold , and i lye down with you under the shadow of the rock , upon the mountain which the beast cannot touch , where we are safe from all our enemies , and am to you well known , to be read in your hearts , in the record of the lambs book of life , and known only to the world by the name of edward burrough . written at dublin city in ireland . to the camp of the lord in england . london : printed for thomas simmons , at the signe of the bull and mouth near aldersgate . . finis . to the camp of the lord in england howgill, francis, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing h ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) to the camp of the lord in england howgill, francis, - . p. s.n., [london? : ?] caption title. signed at end and dated: francis howgill ; bandon in ireland the month, . imprint suggested by british library catalogue. reproduction of original in the cambridge university library. eng society of friends -- england -- pastoral letters and charges. a r (wing h ). civilwar no to the camp of the lord in england. burrough, edward b the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the b category of texts with fewer than defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion to the camp of the lord , in england . to all you called , chosen , elected and beloved of the lord , who are of the circumcision made without hands , of the feed of abraham : who are jewes indeed nor after the flesh but in the spirit ; unto whom belongs the euerlasting promise and couenant , whom god hath and is fulfilling in you , so establishing with you : we your fellow-citizens of the heavenly jerusalem which is the mother of us all ; and of the same body , and of the same seed , and same birth , begotten and brought forth by the immortall word of life which lives for ever , do send greeting , and doe embrace you in the arms of our beloued , who is and is to come god blessed for ever ; you who are called quakers : who are so not onely in word nor in shew , but in life and in power : whom god hath called and chosen to place his name in , and to take up his habitation among : above all the families of the earth the tabernacle of god is with you , and his dwelling-place is among you , and only among you is god known , and his name is great in your assemblies . we who are of the same root and off-spring , doth bring in our witness , and doth set to our seale , that god of a truth is with you and among you : and he is the god of the living that answers by fire : he is i am , and there is none besides him : the first and the last , the beginning and the end of all things . praise him for ever yee redeemed of him : lift up your heads your redeemer is come : clap your hands and shout for ioy , and let the everlasting praises of god be in your mouths for ever and ever . exalt yee his name above all gods , and glorifie him in the sight of all the heathen and let his marvellous works stand upon record from generation to generation . wonderfull hath his work been among you , and that my soule knowes right well : you that were scattered in thecloudy and dark day , and were a prey for the wild beasts of the forrest , and were driven away as lost sheep in the wilderness , hath god gathered into the fould , to lay down by the springs of living water in fat pastures for evermore . your bread is sure ▪ and your waters never failes : a feast of fat things is made unto you , of wines well refined : the lord is become the lot of your inheritance , and the portion of your cup for ever : your crowns have you laid down at the feet of the lamb : and your lives and liberties have not been dear unto you : and let this never repent you , for now the lord will exalt you and crown you with immortall glory the everlasting day star is risen among you , which gives light unto the nations : and the light of the sun is as the light of seven dayes : and there is no need of a candle in your dwelling , but the lamb is the light thereof ; faire as the sun , and clear as the moon : yea it is he which was dead , and is alive , and behold he lives for evermore . praise him all ye people , praise ye him ye holy host , let all that hath breath praise him for ever . vvho can expresse his noble acts ? and who can declare his wondrous works ? oh my soule is ravished , and my heart is overcome ; let me speak that i may be refreshed , and let me declare his wonders among all people . the lord is our king , our judge , and our law-giver , and our rock of defence ; just is he in his judgements , who hath avenged us of our enemies : mercy and judgement meet , righteousnesse and peace doth embrace each other : rejoyce for evermore ye saints of the most high , and tell it to your children , that they may tell it to another generation , what hath the lord wrought among you , and what hath his hand brought to passe . salvation is come , and plenteous redemption , and the dead hath heard the voyce of the son of god and liveth . let sorrow and mourning , fly away , and be ye comforted ye that have mourned , and be ye refreshed ye that have been weary ; for god hath opened the everlasting fountain , and the streams runs pleasantly , which refresheth the city of our god . he is come and his reward is with him , even he for whom we have waited , this is he who is our life , our peace and our exceeding great reward ; the light of the world our saviour , but the worlds condemner ; our peace but the worlds torment : glad tidings , glad tidings , the acceptable year is come : praise ye the lord ye sons and daughters of sion , beautifull is your dwelling place , and aboundeth with pleasant fruit , for you are digged and pruned and enclosed a garden of lovely branches : let the wonders of the lord never be forgotten , nor his works neuer passe out of your remembrance , for he hath wounded and healed , killed and made aliue , raised the dead and slain the liuing , brought out of captiuity and bound with chains , gathered and scattered , brought low and exalted , saved , and condemned ; all this hath your eye seen , and your ear heard : and the heavens and the earth hath been burned as a scroule , and the indignation of the lord you have born : but the winter is past , and the summer is come , and the turtle dove , and the singing of birds is heard in our land . o magnifie his name for ever ; you are made vessels of honour wherein the everlasting treasure abideth , which never waxeth old : the voyce of the bridegroom is heard among you , and how can you have any more sorrow : instead of weeping reioycing , and instead of heauinesse of heart fullness of euerlasting joy : the lord hath fulfilled his promise , and made good his word , and his law and couenant is with you : and from you doth the law goe forth ▪ and the powerfull word of life , and death soundeth out of your dwelling , and you are gods only witnesses to testifie of him in the presence of all nations , some of you by suffering , and some by declaring : oh endless loue , and life , and riches , an eternall crown is upon your heads , and your suffering ( which hath not been a little ) is not worthy to be compared with the glory that is and shal be reuealed . i speak to you who hath an ear , to hear , my soule and heart is comforted in you , in the midst of my burdens and sufferings , who is separated from you outwardly , yet ioyned and united to you by the spirit which is unlimited , which all nations doth comprehend : yea i behold your beauty a far off and my heart is ravished withit , and i am sick of love : let his works praise him for ever , which hee hath wrought , for his dwelling is with you in the light unto which no mortall eye can approach . the new ierusalem is come down from heaven , and no unclean can enter : but you are made white with the blood of the lamb , and purged as silver , and purified as gold in the burning and unto you an entrance is given , and the way is prepared , and the marriage of the lamb is come and his wife hath made her self ready , and the way of the lord is pleasant to you , and his commands are not grievous ; no unclean thing can passe over , nor no lyons whelps can tread therein , but it is called the way of holinesse , where only the ransomed of the lord do walk ; even your mountain is established upon the top of all hills , and all nations shall flow unto it . sing praises for ever , for the kingdome of endless peace is come , which passeth understaning , and of glory , which no mortall eye can behold , and of life which no flesh can live in . oh my beloved , come up hither and i will shew you what god hath done for you , he hath rebuked the sea and driven back the floods of waters which compassed you about , & he hath scattered your enemies with a whirlwind and he hath given you to feed upon the flesh of kings , and of captaines . can you call to mind the doings of your god , and his marvellous works brought to passe , and not cry out in praises for evermore ; o drink and be refreshed , and eat and be satisfied for ever , and let your soul delight it self in fatness ; the planting of the lord you are , and his own purchased possession , he hath separated you from the womb , and hath called you out of kindreds , and ye are the royall seed , of the off-spring of the lord almighty , and all nations shall call you blessed , and o thou north of england , who art counted as desolate and barren , and reckoned the least of the nations , yet out of thee did the branch spring , and the star arise which gives light unto all the regions round about ; in thee the son of righteousness appeared , with wounding and with healing : and out of thee the terror of the lord proceeded , which makes the earth to tremble and be removed : out of thee kings , princes & prophets did come forth in the name and power of the most high , which uttered their voyces as thunders , and laid their swords on the neck of their enemies and never returned empty from the slaughter . though i be as by the waters of babylon , in a strange land ; and as a pilgrim and stranger destitute , but not forsaken ; as dying , but behold i live : yet if i forget thee let my right hand forget her cunning , and let my name be blotted out of the book of life . o how i love the holy seed which in my eye is precious ! no man can hinder my boasting of thee , for i am sealed among you in the record of eternal life , to bee read among you in the light where i am known to you , and where my unity stands with you in the love and life , which never changes , and you are my mother and my brother and sister who doth the will of my father . our god is a consuming fire , and his habitation is compast about with dread and terror . the heathen shall see and fear , and the inhabitants of the earth shall tremble ; our god is everlasting burnings , and it is tempestuous round about his throne , and he reignes for evermore ; and though thou be despised and set at nought and counted as the off-scouring of all things , and the scorn of the heathen , yet thy king reigns upon mount sion , and if he utter his voice all flesh shall tremble , and before him thy adversaries shall fall , and thy persecutors shall be confounded , for thou shalt never be forgotten of thy god , but with his arm wil he defend thee , and compass thee about , and thy seed shall be increased , and thou ierusalem shalt be made the praise of the whole earth , for among you is laid the sure foundation , and the tryed stone , christ jesus the light of the world , upon whom you have believed , which unto the nations is a stumbling stone ; but unto you precious : bring in your testimony , and set to your seal ; is there salvation in any other , but in him who is the light of the world ? nay there is no redemption wrought but by him , nor no deliverance but through him ; his is the kingdome , the power and the glory , and he is become all in all ; and you are no more of this world , but are of the chosen generation , and of the royal priesthood , a people , redeemed , unto whom there is none like among the thousands of israel and iudah , whose god is the lord , whose saviour is the prince of righteousness , who covers your heads in the day of battel ; and smites your enemies in the hinder parts ; and wounds them in the fore-head . and now my beloved , let his name be had in remembrance for evermore , and let his praises be declared throughout ages to come , and walk you worthy of his everlasting love , wherewith he hath loved you more then your brethren ; let his name be exalted by righteousness , by purity , and by a blameless life , and bring forth the fruits of righteousness and peace , and let yout light shine forth into the world , and your good works abound plentifully , for you are as a city set on a hill , and as a lighted candle to shine abroad ; and are created unto good works . let faith , hope , love and unity be increased among you ; and let mercy and judgement and equity flow down and be established for ever ; never to be removed . let joy , and long-suffering and meekness and temperance spring out ; and be you perfect as your heavenly father is perfect . stand upon your watch tower and bee not shaken nor dr●w 〈◊〉 aside to follow any other gods , nor to bow to any 〈◊〉 image , nor joyn your selves to strangers , and mingle not your seed with the adulterous generation , nor take not nor give not in marriage with them ; but keep your selves from the idols of the heathen , be not defiled with them ; but abide in your strength , you know where it lies , by which you may work good , and be preserved from evil ; and you need not that any man teach you , for you are taught of god , and are far from oppression . ye children of light , worship your god for ever , who is light , and in him is no darkness at all , who is the same and changes not , whose mercy endures for ever . be followers of the lamb as undefiled virgins , and let your soul scorn the glory of babylon and aegypt for ever ; for you are not your own , but are bought with a price , no more to serve your selves , but the lord of israel for ever . put on your armour , and gird on your sword , and lay hold on the spear , & march into the field , and prepare your selves to battel , for the nations doth defie our god , and saith in their heart , who is the god of the quakers , that we should fear him , and obey his voice ? arise , arise , and sound forth the everlasting word of war and judgment in the ears of all nations ; sound an alarum , and make their ears to tingle . our enemies are whole nations , and multitudes in number , of a rebellious people that will not come under our law , which ariseth up against us , and will not have our king to reigne , but tramples his honour under foot , and despises his law and his statutes , and counteth his subjects as slaves and bond-men . stand upon your feet , and appear in your terror as an army with banners , and let the nations know your power , and the stroke of your hand : cut down on the right hand , and slay on the left , and let not your eye pitty , nor your hand spare , but wound the lofty , and under foot the honourable of the earth , and give unto the great whore double , and give her no rest day nor night , but as she hath done , so let it be done unto her ; and give her double into her bosome : as she hath loved blood , so give her blood , and dash her children against the stones , and let none of the heathen nations , nor their gods escape out of your hands , nor their images nor idols , but lay waste the fenced cities , and tread down the high walls ; for we have proclaimed open war betwixt michael our prince , and the dragon . your captains are mighty men , and your leaders are skilled to handle the sword , and they are riding on before you . arise worm iacob , and fear not , but thresh the mountains to dust ; for god hath given thee the power of thy enemies to tread upon , and they shal flie before thee , & shalt fall by thy sword ; there is none too strong for thee , nor no inchantment against thee ; but thou art blessed , blessed world without end . therefore all ye lambs of my father , and ye camp of the lords host , wait upon him to fulfil his will , for he hath put into your hearts to make war in righteousness against the beast & the false prophet ; and cursed be every one that riseth not up to the help of the lord against the mighty : the beast is mighty ; and the false prophet is great ; and they keep the nations under their power . but o thou beast , and thou false prophet , you shall be tormented together : thou beast , upon which the false prophet sits , whom thou upholds by thy law , and defends by thy unrighteous power , thy power is limited , and it shall betaken from thee , and thou shalt be overcome , and the lamb shall get the victory , and into the pit and lake of fire shall you be turned to have your resting place . and thou false prophet which hath deceived the nations , and scattered the inhabitants thereof , and builded by fraud , and daubed with untempered morter ; thy judgment is past upon thy head already , and the decree of our god is sealed against thee ; thy smoke shal ascend for ever and ever ; and of thy sin there is no forgiveness , nor of thy torment no remission . over you do we ( and shall for ever ) rejoyce and sing , and over your god and your king , the dragon that old serpent ; cursed be he , and his memorial for ever . ye lambs of the true shepheards fold , with whom my soul resteth , whether ever i behold you outwardly , yet my heart is with you , and i am one of your fold , and i lye down with you under the shadow of the rock , upon the mountain which the beast cannot touch , where we are safe from all our enemies , and am to you wel known , to be read in your hearts , in the record of the lambs book of life , and known only to the world by the name of edward burrough . written at dublin city in ireland . to the camp of the lord in england . to all the seed of abraham , who are iews indeed , and israelites in whom is no guile ; who are of the true circumcision , made without hands : who are of the off-spring of david , and of the church of the first-born ; who are the first fruits unto god : ye royal off-spring of the rock of ages , who have come out of the everlasting washing ; my dear brethren , called quakers , who have eaten your bread with fear and trembling , whom your brethren hath cast out , oh how i love you ; my soul is knit unto you , my heart and life breaths after you ; i am one with you in suffering , and in joy ; ye are the choicest of the flock , ye are the fairest of all the children which is brought forth , oh my beloved ones , though i be among the tents of kedar , as without , where the voice of the lord hath neither been heard nor known , it you i forget not , if i do , let the tongue cleave to the roofe of my mouth , and let me never speak more in the name of the lord , who is my life , and the portion of my cup for ever . oh! what shall i say unto you ? none knows your beauty , nor innocencie , nor glory , but them who are redeemed out of kindreds , and nations , and tongues , and people , and countries , who follow the lamb whithersoever he goes . for the name of my god and your god , who is living and lives for evermore , is in your foreheads ; you are his off-spring , and the fruit that came out of the eternal womb , begotten by the eternal word of life which lives for ever ; and are nourished at the eternal table , in the everlasting mansion-house of my father which is in heaven . none so fair ; none so beautiful ; none so glorious , none so rich ; you are crowned with love for ever ; you are clothed with righteousness for ever ; you eat of the tree of life which heals the nations , and of the bread of life that nourishes you up for ever ; & drinks of the living waters , which runs fresh , beautiful , and coole , in it you are bathed and suppled , and made white ; you are builded upon a rock , storms cannot move you , tempests cannot make you afraid ; in this you have been , and are like to be tryed : your armour is righteousness on the right hand , and on the left your city is free : the gates stand open day and night ; and a wolf , nor lyon , nor any beast can enter ; no , not so much as a flying-fowle . oh how goodly is thy tents , o thou seed of iacob . the elect whom he hath chosen ! o how pleasant is your scituation ! the tower of david , mount sion stands sure , and cannot be moved . oh! who is a people like unto you , saved by our god that lives for ever ! his love is large ; he is kinde ; he is long-suffering ; he is faithful and keeps covenant , and his promises are yea : yea : he is the amen , the first and the last . come forth my dear brethren , set forth his praise , declare his name among the heathen ; publish his name among the congregations ; let the earth be filled with his love and power , that his judgements may be declared , and his statutes , that they sound in the ears of generations to come . o ye that are convinced of the truth of our god , wait in that which doth convince , and keep your mindes to it , & love it , and follow it whither it leads you , and it will lead you to know the gift of god , which leads to repentance from dead works to serve the living god , who dwells in the immortal light : and take heed of looking back at the pleasures of sin you have formerly lived in , but wait upon the pure light of christ jesus in patience , that so you may see the enmity which is against god , and it slain in you daily ; that so you may see him that is the saviour of the soul : and take heed of rebelling against the lord , who hath given you a measure of his true light , to lead you from sin if you love it unto righteousness , from whence it comes , even from the righteous judge of all the world ; who judgeth every man out of the book of his conscience : and so prize the everlasting love of god to your souls , that you may see him who lives for ever . and all babes who are born again , who have suffered the pangs of death , and know the indignation of the lord against sin , and the terror of the lord against the man of sin ; who have roared for the disquietness of your-hearts ; who have born the indignation of the lord , and are come to the giving forth of the law , where there is thundring , and earth-quakes , and terror , and great hail , and fire , and smoke , even such as was not since the beginning , in somuch that you could not hear his voice and live , nor see his face and live . stand still in patience , and let it have its perfect work in you , and bear the indignation , ye that are in it ; if you endure the tribulation with patience , hope you will see , and a time of refreshment will come : endure the cross that the mortal , and earthly , and carnal may be judged , and the ground shaken and taken away , and that you may see the liuing hope to stay your mindes upon . and ye who are enliuened , and doth witness the law of righteousness set up in you , which is a schoolmaster , and keeps in the fear , stand in it , and keep in the fear low , in soberness and calmness ; and then you will see your hearts purified daily , and the cursed nature judged , which is out of its course , and it bridled and subjected : and the law which is pure , and holy and eternal , which stands for euer in power and force against the transgressor , to judge all righteousness : and so wait that you may see the lyon tamed , and the wilde heifer yoked , and the yoke of christ born : and the wilde colt tamed by him , upon which never man sate before : then ; and not till then is hosanna sung . and all wait in your measures , dear babes , that the milk of the word you may see , and be nourished by it , and grow up as living branches about the table of the lord . and all you yong men and virgins , that know virginity , keep your virgin , you in whom the prince of this world is judged and cast out : and the righteous law of god revealed and given forth , in which you stand and walk and hath peace from him who is the law-giver and judge ; who hath saved you from your iniquities , and blotted out your sins for his own name sake : you who knows the living water and spirit , of which you are born again , and witnesses the birth which enters into the kingdome of god , where no mortal or unclean beast can come . keep in the life and power of god , which limits all , and chains all under , that the life of the son of god may live and speak in you , and be bold : in the dread of god stand , and that which leads into slavery keep out . and now being made partakers of his everlasting love , walk worthy of his love , and of the high calling whereunto you are called ; who hath created you in christ jesus , unto holiness and righteousness for ever ; that to the praise of his grace which you are saved by , by which you have obtained the remission of sins , and an inheritance amongst them that are sanctified : so wait in the living hope , and the living faith , in which god is well pleased , in which you ask and receive of him , and are accepted of our heavenly father . and this faith ye know , which is a present power , and a shield against all temptations , and a helmet , and as a fortress by which you are preserved , safe standing in it , and putting it on in the day of trial . my dear brethren of the everlasting kindred , and heirs of the everlasting promise ; wait all in patience , having received an earnest of the inheritance that never fades away ; to the end abide in the fathers counsel , and at wisdom's gate . ye know what i say i write not unto you because you know not the truth , but because you know and are made free in your measures by him who is the truth and the way ; in which all our fathers , and you also have obtained a good report , even of all the houshold of faith : and take heed of the glory of the world , and look not at hardship ; for verily all the suffering is nor worthy to be compared to that glory which is revealed , and to be revealed unto all that wait and abide in patience and faithfulness unto the end ; but be ye as good souldiers , endure hardship , that you may receive the end of your hope , and the euerlasting prize , and the purchased possession , and the crown of glory , which god will give unto you in his own day ; which is coming on towards you , if you continue in the hope , in the faith , and in the love unfeigned , which thinks no ill : by which , and in which love we have victory ouer the grave , sin and death ; which he hath freely shedabroad in our hearts , unto whom be everlasting praise for ever and ever : to him which was dead , and is aliue , and liues for euermore , the mediator of the new gouenant of life and peace , in which we haue access freely to the throne of grace , and are accepted in him who is the condemnation of all the world , who hate the light ; but your life the light of the world ; god blessed for ever and ever . and all you fathers , and elders , and honorable women , who are not a few , whose bones and sinews are filled with marrow and fatness , who wait at the altar of the lord , and knows the merey-seat , which hath ouershadowed you ; and the golden vessel in which is the hidden manna , by which all the children of the lord are fed round the table of the lord , out of the euerlasting treasure-house of my father . watch ouer the flock of christ jesus in euery place , and region and quarter where the lord hath set you , and gouern them in all wisdom and righteousness , that the gospel of our lord jesus christ may be adorned . and take care of them willingly , knowing this the lord requires of you , and hath called you unto ; and to nourish the plants , and the young ones , and the babes : and that every one may know their place , and watch and instruct in all wisdom , and correct and reprove in the name and power of our lord jesus , that no rebellious nor sloathfull may grow up nor be harboured among you ; but all in diligence may be kept in the fear of the lord in their places , that the gospel of christ jesus be not evill spoken of , nor the heathen blaspheme . and therefore my dear brethren , be diligent in the work of the lord , so much the more as you see the day is approached : and the harvest is great , and the vineyard of the lord is great and large , and but few labourers : yea , the lord is enlarging his borders , and spreading forth his everlasting truth , and stretching forth his eternal arm over the nations , and opening the treasures of heaven , and bringing rain out of his treasury , to water the earth that hath been parched and dry , and to make his plants to grow . and so all wait , that you may see the power and presence of the lord in all your assemblies : and see that there be no strife , nor contention , nor exaltation amongst you , but all in meekness , and quietness , and long-suffering , and forbearance , even as the lord hath spared and forborn you : one submitting unto another , even as you have heard and received when the word of the lord came first unto you : and he that will be the greatest shall be the least : but all in meekness and lowliness of minde serve one another , in love even as you have received : and the everlasting god of life and power be with you all , and make you grow in the living power and virtue of god : to order all things in his wisdom , as good stewards of the manifold mercies of the lord which you are made partakers of ; that he alone may be glorified throughout all the churches of christ jesus every where . and to you my dear brethren and fellow-labourers , unto whom the word of reconciliation is committed , and are in the work and ministry of our lord iesus christ , and are made partakers of the everlasting gospel of peace , which unto you is given to declare . lift up your voyces , blow the trumpet , sound an alarum out of the holy mountain ; proclaim the acceptable yeer , and the day of vengeance of our god . gird on your sword upon your loins , put on the tryed armour ; and follow him for ever who rides upon the white horse , and is clothed with the same , who makes war in righteousness : ride on , ride on my beloved brethren and fellow-souldiers ; make all plain before you : thresh on with the new threshing instrument which hath teeth beat the mountains to dust , and let the breath of the lord scatter it : make the heathen tremble , and the uncircumcised fall by the sword : the lord of hosts is with us , and goes before us . spare none , neither ox nor asse ; neither old nor young ; kil ; cut off ; destroy ; bath your sword in the blood of amaleck and all the egyptians and philistines , and all the uncircumcised , and hew agag to pieces : break the rocks , cut down the cedars and strong oaks , make the devills subject ; cast out the unclean spirits ; raise the dead : shut up in prison , bring out of prison : cast in your nets , lanch into the deep , divide the fish , gather the good into vessels , cast the bad away : binde the tares in bundles , cast them into the fire : the angel with his sharp sickle is come , the angel of the everlasting covenant is come : thrust in your sickles , reap the earth , the word of god is come , that divides , let all flesh keep silence , divide the word rightly , feed the lambs and babes , fill the hungry , stop the lyons mouthes : feed the fat and the strong with plagues and judgements : declare his name , publish his eternal truth which shall stand for ever . eternal life is come , glory to him for ever . silence all disputers and diviners for ever : trample upon all the chaff and dung , and mire for ever , which all the wisdom of the world feeds upon , greater is he that is in us , then he that is in the world . oh my beloved ones ! although i am the lowest and weakest among many of my brethren , yet the eternal power of god is my shield for ever , the lord of hosts is with us . there is a crown which none can take away , to all who have denyed all : yea , it is on your heads : the dread of god is with us : and truly dear brethren , we cannot say that we fished and catched nothing , for many vessels are sull : nor we have not travelled and laboured and brought forth winde , as the false prophets do : for we have the seals of our ministry , which shall be witnesses for the lord in generations to come . not unto us o lord , but to thy name be glory for ever : who hath done , and doth all for us , and in us : who is our strength , our glory , our crown of rejoycing all the day long ; for his hidden treasure is brought forth and made manifest in earthen vessels : unto him be eternal living praises for ever . and so all dear brethren , members of the same body of christ jesus , by which we are set free from sin in the liberty , life and power in which you are made free , stand as witnesses for the lamb , and for the holy nation , for the royal seed of the true israel of god , that it may be brought out of captivity , to serve the lord in the land of the living , and the eternal god of power and life , of endless rich love and mercy , be with you all , and prosper his own work in your hands , that he alone may be glorified : unto whom be eternal , insinite praises , who is our life ; our king , god blessed for ever and ever . and to you all my dear brethren and sisters , who suffers in bonds , and prisons , and dens , and holes , and suffers the enemy to plow long furrows upon your backs , in patience ; and suffers stocking , whipping , buffetting , beating , and cruel mocking and stripes , and chains , and fetters , whom the world is not worthy of : even as they did unto our master of whom we bear witness of , and hath the witness in our selves ; even so do they unto us : but the servant is not greater then his lord , and therefore we that are baptized for the dead , and stand in jeopardy of our lives often ; we have a cloud of witnesses which endured the same : and therefore the same baptism and the same cup must be drunk by all that follow him . well my dear brethren , your sufferings i know , and i know he of whom you bear witdess , bears up your heads , who hath called you thereunto ; above all that which is done unto you , as you stand in his will and counsel ; well as dear brethren and companions in the same tribulation , and kingdome , and patience of the saints , as witnesses of the same faith as they were which are gone before you ; you are made partakers of the same : it is made manifest and revealed in you by the same god in which faith they had power , and you have power , and endures as they did , and as he did , even the contradiction of sinners . well our god is on our side , and takes our part , and therefore my own bowels in patience endure , god will bring forth your righteousness as the sun , and your enemies shall be ashamed : and i know , and you also know it is for the advantage and the furtherance of the gospel of christ ; and endure in patience and long-suffering , and look not out ; and the lord in due time will enlarge your border . and the eternal god of power be with you chosen ones , for the lords work you shall have your reward ; nay he is come , and his reward is with him : i know you have it , and witness his power and his presence with you : so my dear ones , in that which limits all , and chains all , and keeps under all deceit , dwell and abide for ever in the living power which makes the strong man bow down , and the devils tremble , and the unclean spirits roar ; and the power you know , where is your life , that all the powers of death cannot reach ; and therefore doth the potsheards of the earth strive in vain to set briars and thorns in battel against him , in vain do they rage ; for notwithstanding all that , god hath set and will set his own son upon the holy hill of sion , glory unto him for ever ; shout out for joy oh ye sufferers for him ; who are set free by him , and your freedom can none take away : for he is greater then all , even him in whom ye have beleeved , standing in his power , wisdom and councel , who is neer you , that none is able to pluck you out of his hand : for he hath the keyes of david , who opens and none shuts , and bindes and none can loose : even he who rebukes the windes and seas , and they obey him , and causes a great calme : and causes the waters to abate , nay to stand of a heap : and dries up the tongue of the egyptian sea , that his ransomed ones may go over into the rest , and he that hath and doth believe in him , is entred into the rest , where we all meet in one in him who is the judge of all the world ; the light of the world ; and our life ; who believe in his name ; but the condemnation of all the world who walk in unrighteousnes for ever and ever . for with the pure & upright he dwells , and his throne is established in righteousness for ever and ever : and unto our god who lives for ever shall all the powers of the earth bow ; to whom be glory and eternal praise of all his redeemed ones for ever and ever . f. h. o all ye sons of sion , and ye daughters of the king , who is glorious within , who have waited for the bridegroom ; oh my beloved ones ! you who have long sitten in a solitary place , and have been as a silly dove without a heart , & hath bin as a widow desolate , & as a par ched heath : you that hath wandred up & down in the long night of darknes & knew no rest , but were as one cast off by all , & all that passed by you laughed at your sorrow : you have been as a hissing and as a proverb to all , and as a mark to shoot at by all : your faces have been as the tents of kedar parched , and your skin withered for want of refreshment , and as a dead tree that bears no fruit . oh yee who have come through great tribulation ! and have suffered the loss of all ; the spoiling of all , even the greatest riches ; the chiefest jewels ! who have lost all your knowledge and wisdome and become fools for christ's sake ; and hath parted with all ; and hath suffered the indignation of the lord to pass over all ; and hath drunk of the cup of fury at the hand of the lord : who have suffered hunger famine pestilence and earth-quakes ; and the darkning of the sun , and the moon lost her light ; and the stars have fallen and the pillars of heaven hathbeen shaken : the earth hath been removed out of its place as a cottage , and you have cried out in the midst of all this , he hath forgotten to be gracious , & his mercy come to an end . the womb hath been shut up , desolation and sorrow , loss of children , and widowhood in a day came upon you . oh ye tossed , afflicted , and not comforted , that have been as eunuchs , dry and barren as in the drought of summer , that have been as pelicanes and as doves , who have sorrowed for the loss of her mate ; and as one in sorrow for the losse of her first-born ; who have been in bitterness , and none could comfort you : i am one with you , your state i know , i love you eternally : yea , ye are my brethren and sisters for ever , sealed in my heart , and engrrveu to be read for ever . i see you , i behold you , i kiss you , and embrace you with an holy kiss of everlasting love , which overcomes death and hell ; which love thinks no ill : ye that are made partakers of this love , knows what i say : ye that have waited for him , and wait and suffer the spoyling of all ; i am married unto you , i came forth of the same womb , which is eternity free for ever : free-born , not in bondage , because the prince of this world is judged and cast out , and the glory of the lord revealed . come forth ye sons and daughters of jerusalem which is free from above : utter forth your voice , sing aloud , the bridegroom is come and is coming , and ye that have suffered the spoyling of all , rejoice for evermore : lift up your voices as trumpets . he is come , he is covered with righteousness as with a robe ; his countenance is as the morning , his eyes is brighter then the sun , his voice is life eternal , salvation is round about him , he dwells in eternal life , life is in his right hand , and joy is in his presence , and peace for evermore : he is a tryed stone , he is a rock which the righteous flies to , he hides his under his wings , & covers them wth his feathers . beauty beauty , glory glory , eternity eternity ness almightiness , power , riches , honor , dignity and dominion , strength , wisdom and goodness , fulness , satisfaction , eternal treasure , durable riches , infiniteness is his name for ever : unexpressible i am filled with his love and power : he opens the windows of heaven , he rains his showres as silver drops , and as fine myrrhe , as sweet odours ; he nourishes the yong , he carries the lambs in his arms of love : he drives gently them that are with young ; he is true and faithful for ever ; he keeps covenant ; he is long-suffering and kinde , who can declare his power ? i am lost in the incomprehensible being of eternal love . oh my dear ones , come up hither , fellow-citizens of jerusalem which is from above , who is our mother , which few know , but you who are written in the lambs book of life : sound forth his praise , trumpet forth his power , declare his name among the people , that it may sound into the ears of generations to come this is he we have waited for ; this is he who hath begotten us to himself to reign with him the lamb upon mount sion ; as kings , and priests , and judges of the prince of darkness , death and hell for ever ; salvation , honor and glory be to him for ever , eternall infinite praises ; praises to him for ever , who was dead and is alive , and lives for evermore ; king of kings for ever ; majesty glory and power and eternal renown is in his right hand for ever : his redeemed ones lives for ever ; dwells follows lives in him for ever : no beast can touch the mountain where he dwells but he dies for ever . come away my beloved ones , drink abundantly and be refreshed , and praise his names for ever ; eternally i am shed and spilt among you ; never so as now never to be separated out of the eternal oneness : sound forth his praise ; declare his word ; let it go forth as thunder ; let the heathen bow , let the princes of this world fall , and the kings worship at his feet for ever ; let the disputers tongue cleave to the roof of his mouth for ever ; let all flesh keep silence for ever . babylon is fallen , and become the habitation of devils for ever ; the judge of all the world hath confounded and cursed her language for ever : god is risen and sits upon his throne , eternal wisdome is come , and the ancient of dayes , all carnall shall be confounded : stop all mouths in the dust for ever . eternity shall speak and judge for ever : whom he binds is bound for ever , whom he looseth he looseth for ever : whom he remits are remitted , the devil is chained , the grave gives up her dead , and the sea and hell , all is judged by him that lives for ever . o beloved ones , who are the children of my eternall father , who have eaten at his table , and drunken of the new wine in the kingdome of god , who are nourished & dandled upon the lap of everlasting love , who suck at the breasts of everlasting consolation : your beauty is comely i am ravished i am filled , iam filled with love to you all , i am sick of love : your beauty hath ravished my heart : come sit down my dear lambs together in the fold where no wolf can come , and let us rejoyce together , and sound forth his praise who hath washed us and cleansed us and covered us , and made us worthy to enter into the fold the bride-chamber , to eat with him of the bread of life for ever , at the eternal table of life ; the bridegroom is come friends , of him i know you rejoyce greatly because of his voice . and now my deer beloved ones , follow him for evermore in the eternal light and life where we were bred , brought forth and nourished , and are unknown to all the world ; but me you know , and i know you in one who is the condemnation of the world , and in him i meet you and leave you in his arms i lie down with you in the bosome of eternal love , life , peace , joy and rest for ever , where none can make us afraid bandon in ireland , the th month , . my name ye know , my voice ye know , this is to all my beloved [ brethren , who are redeemed from ye earth . francis howgill . the great case of the tythes and forced maitenance [sic] once more revived the true state thereof enquired into, before the law, under the law, among the jews : likewise under the gospel, the true ministers of christ, their allowance shown : likewise in the corruption of time since christ, how tythes have been introduced, wherein antiquity is searched, and the judgment of the fathers of the church in several ages produced, besides the scripture it self examined : in all which is clearly proved, tythes and forced maintenance, are no gospel maintenance : the scriptures answered, divers arguments confuted, and objections answered, which are brought by the ministry of this late age : also the institution and division of parishes and their rise, all which are published for the benefit of all, who desire that gospel order might be established again in all the churches of christ / f.h. howgill, francis, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the great case of the tythes and forced maitenance [sic] once more revived the true state thereof enquired into, before the law, under the law, among the jews : likewise under the gospel, the true ministers of christ, their allowance shown : likewise in the corruption of time since christ, how tythes have been introduced, wherein antiquity is searched, and the judgment of the fathers of the church in several ages produced, besides the scripture it self examined : in all which is clearly proved, tythes and forced maintenance, are no gospel maintenance : the scriptures answered, divers arguments confuted, and objections answered, which are brought by the ministry of this late age : also the institution and division of parishes and their rise, all which are published for the benefit of all, who desire that gospel order might be established again in all the churches of christ / f.h. howgill, francis, - . m. l. guy, edward, th cent. raunce, john, th cent. [ ], , [ ] p. s.n. ], [london : . marginal notes. signed: francis howgill. "an epistle to the reader": signed edward guy. "the poor husband-mans complaint : his hope and confidence" [in verse] signed j.r. [i.e. john raunce?]: p. - . "as one fore-seeing the day of terror that is to come upon babel, makes this invitation" [in verse] signed e.g. [i.e. edward guy]: p. - . "the great complaint and outcry of one of the sufferers of sion" signed m.l.: p. - . errata: p. 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instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng tithes -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the great case of tythes and forced maitenance once more revived ; the true state thereof enquired into , before the law , under the law , among the jews ; likewise under the gospel , the true ministers of christ , their allowance shown ; likewise in the corruption of time since christ ; how tythes have been introduced , wherein antiquity is searched , and the judgment of the fathers of the church in several ages produced , besides the scripture it self examined ; in all which is clearly proved , tythes and forced maintenance , are no gospel maintenance ; the scriptures answered , divers arguments confuted , and objections answered ; which are brought by the ministery of this last age . also the institution and division of parishes , and their rise , all which are published for the benefit of all , who desire that gospel order might be established again in all the churches of christ. f. h. printed in the year . an epistle to the reader . impartial reader , thou hast here recommended once more unto thy view , what as from time to time , and from age to age , hath been not only the grand cause of invocating counsels , but also hitherto even the ground of great dispute and controversie , if thou this treatise do with a single eye peruse , and ballance the same in just and equal scales , thou wilt find it of so much validity , as will poise thy judgement to give sensure , that this is a clear and true demonstration of the matter in hand ; if thou be serious in thy view , sincere in thy heart , and single in thy mind , as willing to know the radix , rise , and ground of the matter herein handled , then wilt thou find this the very key which will aright , and may without scruple open unto thee , and demonstrate the very certain infallible and sure testimony , as well of their original rise , growing , begetting , constituting , settling , confirming , upholding , and maintaining of them , viz. tythes ; all which that thou mayst be clearly informed , may thou finde as by step and step herein traced , thou wilt finde their original as first how tenths were given before the commandment was given forth to the jews , thou wilt also find their growing , and their institutions thou may clearly see , and wherefore they were so instituted , thou wilt finde them when confirmed , and thou wilt finde them when corrupted , thou wilt finde them when lawful , and thou wilt finde them when not lawful ; thou wilt find them when they were to be payed , and thou wilt find a time when they ought not to be payed , and because the ministers of our age , as we have daily from them , do vaunt and boast themselves of the orthodox fathers of their church , therefore wilt thou find by a narrow search , and a single eye in the reading hereof , unto which i do advise thee , and that in patience and sobriety , thou wilt , as one unbiassed ballance the same , here may thou have their opinions , and judgments also , and their ancient fathers quoted thou wilt have at large their own words ; all which as by this treatise is intended to inform thy mind , and be as a president how they are now in this our age apostatized from what they were , and now at length becom'd as usurpation , or abused ; and for thy more full and perfect understanding how they were continued and imposed , thou may also read the orders and decrees of many great councils , their opinions , judgements , and impositions , from time to time in many ages past ; thou wilt see the testimony of the holy martyrs and their verdict , and last of all the scriptures discussed , the arguments confuted , the questions answered , and the objections razed , which the ministers of our daies do produce , or in times past have been produced , as the basis or ground from which they inferre and lay their seeming fair foundation , these thou wilt all see sufficiently , clearly and evidently confuted , their structure defaced , their painted building demolished , their foundation unbottom'd , and they themselves , if their old root of covetousness were not so strongly centered in them , might be convinced , there is not one stone left , but all is overturn'd , and the bottom ●…wed , that thereby this babels foundation may now be thrown down at the last , which hath had so many batteries ●…d assaults against it , this as it is the last , so it is indeed a weighty peice , which if truth might have place ( and error and deceit , which since the apostacy is crept in once rooted ●…t ) then needed there not another of this nature , for this indeed doth bolt the door , and if sensibly felt , arightly understood , and the truth of it assented unto , then would there be no entrance ; but though all this may not take ●●ld with the worldly priest , yet herein have i hopes , that truth therein being so sufficiently demonstrated , may take place and footing in every honest reader , so far as that he may not only be informed , but convinced , and not only so , but being convinc'd by this which doth so candidly manifest the same , he may in the zeal of his heart own it , and stand in the defence thereof , vindicating the just cause thereof , and witness with his seal that this is true , which if unbiassed he peruse , it doth evidently appear unto me he cannot but own , as he is willing and aminded to own truth ; one thing more is also in this book inserted , to wit , the sufficiency of allowance to the ministers of christ i● gospel daies , according the doctrine of christ and the apostles ; and it were well if magistrates and superiors ●…ld weigh it , and that they would with the infallible eye of pure judgement , labour to discern the same , lest they de●…e or uphold that which in this case they ought not , to ●…t , tythes , lest the lord be angry for their so doing , it being so repugnant to the testimony of truth . and so let every honest reader weigh , and diligently and ●…riously consider , whether he ought to uphold truth or er●…r , light or darknesse , i assume he will say that he ought 〈◊〉 uphold and maintaine the truth , and to stand by it and for it , then let me ask him a sober question , in the sobriety and calmnesse of spirit , and i desire that in the coolnesse of the day he may answer it , according to the witness of his conscience ; my question is this , whether he doth not believe after that he hath had a serious view of this pie●● that he meets with such valid arguments , such clearness of demonstration , as may or doth convince him that the imposition of tythes now in gospel daies , is absolutely out of the doctrine of truth , and ought not so to be ? and if so convinc'd , whether he ought not to side and adjoyn with that of god in his conscience , in a testimony of this nature , and so partake with truth , which is a duty ought to be , and is incumbent upon every christian mans heart , which is the desire of him who is a well-willer to sions prosperity . edward guy . the great case of tythes once more revived , and the true state thereof inquired into , both under the jews , and also under the gospel , wherein antiquity is searched , and the judgment of the most orthodox fathers of the church produced , and also divers modern writers , beside the scripture it self ; all which clearly proving , that tythes are no gospel maintenance , neither are due by any divine right . also , all the scriptures answered , and the divers objections and arguments confuted , which are brought to maintain them by the ministry of this generation . since the seat of antichrist hath been set , and his thrown exalted so high as it now is , and he himself exalting himself above all that is called god ; and not only so , but he hath laboured to make void the laws and commands of the lord and his christ concerning his church , and likewise , to set up his own institutions and commandements , which are repugnant and contrary to the commands of christ , and the practice and example of the apostles , and holy martyrs of old , who laid down their lives , for the testimony of that doctrine and faith , which they had received of the lord jesus christ the saviour of man ●…d , and knowing the practice and the examples of christ and 〈◊〉 apostles , and holy witnesses , they continued in their doctrine to hold forth still the same in purity , and to keep it unviolated ●…n to their death , that they might shew themselves forth to be followers of their master christ jesus , and to abide in his doctrine , and walke according to the primitive example , notwithstanding all the opposition , and contradiction of antichrist and his followers which hath been great throw many ages , since the ●…tions have dranke , and the kings of the earth of the wine of ●…e whores fornication , and the way that antichrist and the false church hath had to exilt themselves , hath been by policy , craft , and deceit , in perswading the nations , that that which was once given , and offerd freely unto the lord for his workes sake , is now made of necessity , and claimed as divine right to th●● and their ministers , notwithstanding both the doctrine , the worship , and practice be all together inconsistant with the primitive times truly so call'd . but seeing the ministry of the false church who abode not in the doctrine of christ , ( but hath violated it , and now hath turn'd against the saints , the ministers and seed of the free woman ) hath not had power by vertue of their doctrine to worke upon the hearts and consciences of people , so as to open them and make them freely willing to minister earthly things to their ministers , because indeed most people in the nations are not perswaded that they have ministred spirituall things . and therefore the false church hath perswaded the powers of the earth , who have drunken of her cup , that it is their duty to force and compell all to give unto her and her ministers , as of divine right , whether people be perswaded or no that they are sent of god , and makes the s●…pture a cloak to cover their force or injunctions and produceth the example of the primitive christians for a cover , though they do nothing at all of the worke of the apostles or ministers of christ in converting of soules , but rather ministring their 〈◊〉 inventions , & vain traditions of men , instead of the true ordinance of christ , yet however maintenance they must and wil have though they do none of christs work , and are so imperious and arrogant as to recken tyths the tenth part of the encrease of the earth whatsoever , and of every mans labour , and merchandize , yet this they would perswade all people is by divine right , and a gospell institution , and this hath been received by many in our last generation , whose mindes hath been darkned with the cloude of ignorance for a truth , and for any to withstand or deny it , hath 〈◊〉 counted error and heresie , no less then a curse , from mistery babylon , did come upon all such as did gainesay , also some with losse of lives , as heretickes upon this account , and in this last age many imprisoned for divers years even untill death , and many have suffered great spoiling of their goods ten or twenty fold more then that which they pretended due , and yet all this people must believe is gospel institution and divine right . the consideration of which thing hath been an inducement 〈◊〉 my heart of late to make a true and a narrow search of the ●…fullnesse or unlawfullnesse of this particular thing , not only ●…ing the true state of tithes amongst the jewes , but also in 〈◊〉 primitive time , and amongst the ancient fathers of the church 〈◊〉 doctrine have been approved amongst the most faithfull ●…ers of the church of christ downward untill this last age . 〈◊〉 of all to speake of the tenths which were given before the ●…mandement was given forth to the jewes , abraham in his 〈◊〉 from redeeming his nephew lot , after the pursuit of ●…mer the king of elam with the rest of the kings joyned 〈◊〉 him having recovered his nephew lot with all his sub●… , and all the substance of sodom and gomorr ab was met by ●…dech king of salem , and priest of the most high god , 〈◊〉 blessed abraham , and brought forth bread and wine , and 〈◊〉 into him and to the rest who were with him , unto whome 〈◊〉 gave the tithes of all the spoile , that he had taken from 〈◊〉 ●●oresaid chedorlaomer , and the rest of the kings . chrysostome ●…stands the text only to be of the spoyls , whereof abraham 〈◊〉 m●lchisedech a partaker , by giving him the first fruits of his 〈◊〉 performance . and jerome often stiling it , decimas spoli●…da , & victoriae , that is , the tenth of the spoil of the prey , and 〈◊〉 victory . and this is made one of the main basis or ground 〈◊〉 probation of tythes due before the law , which is but only 〈◊〉 gift of abraham to melchizedech of the spoil he had taken ; 〈◊〉 that , but once that we read of ; take notice of that : not of ●…lies labours or industries , but of the spoil of what he had 〈◊〉 . and it is very clear , that it was a voluntary thing and 〈◊〉 given ; and there is a good shew of reason in it , that it was 〈◊〉 ●ay of gratitude unto melchizedech , and to requite his kind●… ●ho brought forth bread and wine unto his souldiers after a great 〈◊〉 , which refreshed both him and his souldiers , which was 〈◊〉 sign and a courtesie , if abraham had not given the tenth 〈◊〉 the spoil he had not sinned ; so an example of this nature 〈◊〉 be a binding law to future generations : for if the mini●… of this last age will make this a binding rule , we may as well 〈◊〉 of them bread and wine of every priest for our selves and whole families , and every officer may require bread 〈◊〉 wine of every parish priest for himself and all his souldiers , 〈◊〉 the one example is as binding as the other , both of them be●… voluntary . the next passage that seems to have any weight in it ab●… tithes , is jacobs vow , this stone , saith he , which i will set up at 〈◊〉 pillar shall be gods house , and of all that thou shalt give me , i 〈◊〉 surely give the tenth unto thee . this was an extraordinary occasion , and more then an ordinary appearance from god unto jacob before , when he 〈◊〉 from his father to haran , to take a wife of his own kin●… and the lord appeared unto him as he laid his head upon a stone the night being come , and said unto him , i am the god of abraham , the god of isaac , and the land whereon thou liest , to thee will 〈◊〉 give it , and to thy seed , and it shall be as the dust of the earth , and 〈◊〉 shalt spread abroad to the east , west , north , and south , and in thee 〈◊〉 thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed . he called 〈◊〉 name of the place bethel , viz. the house of god , because of th● glorious appearance of god , and of his great promise made 〈◊〉 him , which he did believe , as may be seen more at large in the whole chapter . so jacobs heart being opened and filled full 〈◊〉 joy and faith , he promised again unto the lord , and vo●… vow saying , if god will be with me , and keep me in this way th●● i 〈◊〉 so that i come again to my fathers house in peace , then shall the 〈◊〉 be my god , and of all that he giveth me , i will surely give the 〈◊〉 unto thee : which he performed after twenty years , as josep●… saith in these words , by offering unto the lord the tenth of all 〈◊〉 substance which he had got at haran , after that he returned unto tha● place where god did appear unto him , and made his promise unto 〈◊〉 then jacob performed his promise unto the lord. but unto wh●… hand he gave this tenth , appears not ; for before aaron the j●… say the priesthood was solely annexed to the first-born of fa●…lies , which agreed well with the sanctifying of the first-born commanded in egypt ; hence it comes that melchisedec is commonly reputed to be shem , the eldest son of noah , but that is controvertal , and so i shall let it pass . but it is thought by so●● that jacob payed his vow unto the hands of isaac his father , and gave unto him the tenth of what he had gotten , as being the 〈◊〉 of the family then living , and a priest also ; but as is said 〈◊〉 these two instances of abraham and jacob are only vo●… and free gifts , as a return of thankfulness unto the lord , 〈◊〉 one having got a great victory over his enemies , and the o●… having received a great assurance of the lord of his promise 〈◊〉 blessing with him , did bind them to it . but we do not read 〈◊〉 they were at all obliged by any special commandement , as 〈…〉 so much , though 't is granted , that after jacob had vowed 〈◊〉 was obliged , but these are no binding examples unto future ●…rations , especially them that pretends they are ministers of 〈◊〉 second covenant , the gospel : there is no other mention 〈◊〉 of tythes before moses his time , unless some will dreame , 〈…〉 will needs do , that the levitical law was written before 〈◊〉 creation . yet some of the ancients seem to have observed a ●…ct had to the quantity of what was as a part of the yearly ●…se consecrated in those times to the lord : and that even 〈◊〉 ●●e first memory of sacrifice , cains offering was not regarded 〈◊〉 say , because he did not well or a right divide what he offered , 〈◊〉 some quota pars were at that time required . 〈◊〉 this reason was from no other cause then the mistransla●… of the text in the story of cain , where the jews read it , if 〈◊〉 offer well , but not divided aright , hast thou not sinned ? 〈◊〉 ; unto which agrees the tex● of the septuagint , when as 〈◊〉 ●●ue translation out of the original is thus , why is thy coun●… cast down ? if thou do well , art thou not accepted ? if thou do 〈◊〉 , ●●n lyeth at the door . but most agreeable to the text , is that 〈◊〉 gave with a grudging mind , and not of the best and first of his 〈◊〉 , for it is expresly said , that abel brought of his first fruits , 〈◊〉 cain only of his fruit of the ground . abel giving then unto the 〈◊〉 a portion of the best , the other not regarding of what worth 〈◊〉 offering were . so here is not any certain quantity noted , but the ●ind of the spirit of him that offered , and the quality of the ●…on or gift . so the chief thing to be noted from this is , that cain was an hypocrite , and offered with that mind and spirit with which he sl●● his brother , and so his sacrifice was not accepted . but this is no plea or ground at all for the payment of tenths is due . tythes were never commanded to be payed by the lord 〈◊〉 any , but israel whose law was given forth four hundred thirt● years after the promise , as saith the apostle . neither were 〈◊〉 ever payable but by the jews , after they came to the land of c●naan , and to levi's tribe only , and to the jewish priests that 〈◊〉 no inheritance allotted them by the lord of all the land of ●●naan , or beyond jordan , but only the tenths , according to th● command of the lord , for the office of the priesthood , and 〈◊〉 the service of the tabernacle . how among the jews tithes were payed , or judg'd to be due , the yearly encrease being either fruit of ground , or cattel ; in the law of fruits of the ground , first , the first of the first ripe were offered to the priest in ears of wheat , figs , barley , grapes , oliv●● , pomegranates and dates , of these seven only the first fruits we●● payed , in what quantity the owner would . next the theruma or heave-offering , or first-fruits of corn , wine , oyl , and fleece , and the like , were given to the priests , but it being not determined by moses of what quantity this offering should be , the jews antiently judg'd it to be enough at the f●●t●eth part , but so , that no necessity was that every one should pay so much ; he that payed a sixtieth part was discharged , but some of better devotion payed the fortieth . the offerings spoken of in ezekiel , this is the theruma that ye shall offer , the 〈◊〉 part of an ephah of an homer of wheat , or of barley ; it is the sa●● as if he had said , ye shall offer the sixtieth part of an homer , for an ephah , being the same measure with a bath , that is near ou● common bushel ; and after this offered to the priests , every kind being given in season ; out of the rest were taken the tythes , which are best divided into the first and second time . the first tythe was payed to the levites out of the remainder at jerusalem , and out of this tenth received by the levites , the levites payed another tenth to the priests , which is called the tythe of the tythe ; for this is to be taken notice of , that priests received no tythe of husbandmen ; but now them that are no levites , neither of aarons priesthood , they take tythes of the husbandmen , and where it is not offered freely , they take it violently and by force ; so now in these latter dayes , in the apostacy , the late priests from that ●●●mple , have payed tythes to 〈◊〉 , being , as they reckon him , chief vicar upon earth . 〈◊〉 also now since the popes supremacy hath ceas'd with us in england , a late law hath been made , to pay the first-fruits to the 〈◊〉 ; yet notwithstanding the possessor was not to spend the 〈◊〉 till he had taken out of these nine another tithe , which he 〈◊〉 the first two years to carry to jerusalem in kind , or to con●●●● it into money , adding a fifth part to the value , after these 〈◊〉 thus disposed of , the remainder was every way prepared 〈◊〉 for common use of the husbandman . some make a third tythe , but that was only the tythe of 〈◊〉 third year , after the first was payed of every year , which was 〈◊〉 up by the husbandman within his own gates , for the levite 〈◊〉 is within his gates , the stranger , the fatherlesse and the wi●●● , ( and not carryed to jerusalem ) and this tythe bestowed ●●●y third year was called the poor mans tythe , and that third 〈◊〉 the second years tythe ceas'd to be payed at jerusalem : so 〈◊〉 every third year the levites at the temple received not 〈◊〉 second tythe at their feasts , but according to the law , i● 〈◊〉 spent at home in the gates of the husbandman ; neither doth 〈◊〉 second tythe , and the poor mans tythe differ in substance , 〈◊〉 only in circumstance , the place where the bestowing was 〈◊〉 only the difference , as the septuagint translates it , when 〈◊〉 ●●st ended the tythe of all the fruits of thy ground , in the third year , 〈◊〉 second tiths thou shalt give to the levite , and to the stranger , &c. but after the second temple was destroyed , and the dispersion 〈◊〉 the jews , then the laws of first-fruits , offerings , and tythes 〈◊〉 them ceased ; for their doctors determin'd , that regular●●● or according to the law , no inhabitants but of the land of 〈◊〉 was to pay any . first , because they then wanted their priesthood and tem●●● ▪ secondly , because the law did restrain the payment thereof to 〈◊〉 , and herein they all agree . also eusebius agrees with the jewish r●bbins herein , that tythes 〈◊〉 only limited to the land of israel . how the payment of these tenths was either observed or dis●●●●inued , partly appears in the scriptures , and partly in the 〈◊〉 of more trusty over●●●rs in their great sanadrim , or court of elders , wherein they agreed , that the overle●●● should be chosen of more honest men . by that which hath been said , may be perceived the state of the jews tything , by the commandement of god , and likewise the judgment of their own rabbins and doctors of the law , which gives a clear judgment of the practice , according as was in use , or exercised among them , and all do agree , that they , by a due right , did belong to the aaronical priesthood , and to the levites , and other officers in the temple and tabernacle , and for the service there , according to gods appointment , for hearing the tabernacle and setting it up , and for serving aaron and his sons ; and for the better ordering of things , they were divided into three parts , to wit , the levites , as the coathites , g●●shonites , and the marrarites , and these did receive the tenths of the people , and gave to the priests their part , which belonged to them according to the law of god in that covenant ; and 〈◊〉 the sons of aaron grew and multiplyed , then the priests were divided into ranks or courses to serve at the temple , of which our prebends , deans and chapters take their example , or imitation , so to serve by their turns at cathedrals as they are called , or else from the church of rome ; but the latter i am rather ●●clin'd to believe , because there was no such name of any minister among the jews , neither in the primitive church truly so called ; but the priests of aaron gave attendance to execute their office , and to burn incense as their turn and course came . and hereupon zacharias is said to be of the course of abia. the l●vites that were ●ingers were also divided into ranks or courses , of which i believe the present quiristers or singers , and s●●plice men do have their imitation , and bring the levites for proof concerning their offices ; but we cannot receive judaisme for christianity , neither their practice for apostolical ordinances in the church of christ. but how these things do agree with the primitive practice o● christ , his apostles and ministers , and the churches planted by them in their day , is easily seen in that which is written in sundry places of the new testament , so called ; and how it com●● to pass that they which pretend another priesthood , and to b● ministers of christ , should receive the tenth of all clean and unclean beasts , as pigs , geese , eggs , fowls , turneps , wood , and ●●●●is for the fire ; all which things we do not find mentioned , 〈◊〉 some of them forbidden to be offered under the law , and yet they pretend to be bishops and elders of the christian church , so that it seems they cannot distinguish of the time , nor yet of the ministration ; for if so , then they would be ashamed to lay claim to aarons tithes , and the levites , and yet doth none of their 〈◊〉 , which is contrary to all reason , truth , and equity , for that was given to them that had no portion among their brethren in the land , but these bishops , presbyters and priests , have their inheritances among their brethren , and besides have a great part of some counties and diocesses for their revenue , and their inferiour officers tithes of all things , yea of such things as was 〈◊〉 at all tithable in the law , as is said before , so what damnable deceit and hypocrisie is this ; is it any other but the popes 〈◊〉 ? an absolute apostate for hundreds of years , and must this be received as apostolick doctrine and practice , and enjoyned ? o for shame , let it never be made mention amongst them that do call themselves ministers of christ , neither any who do profess themselves to be christians , who dare not stand to christs doctrine and allowance in respect of their maintenance . but in the 〈◊〉 of time god raised up another priest , christ jesus , who was not of the tribe of levi , neither made after a carnal com●●●●ment , as the first priest was , neither was he consecrated 〈◊〉 the order of aaron , for he pertained to another tribe , of which no man gave attendance at the altar , viz. to judah , he 〈◊〉 a more excellent ministry , and of a greater and more perfect a tabernacle , not of the former building , he being the sum substance of all shadows under the first covenant , hath thereby put an end to the first priesthood , with all its shadows and 〈◊〉 ordinances , and changing the priesthood which had a command to take tithes of their brethren , there was a necessity also of the change of the law , and a disanulling likewise of the commandment which went before . now after christ jesus was manifest , the end of the law for righteousness to them that do believe , the end of the covenant , 〈◊〉 priesthood , tabernacle , temple , tithes , offerings , oblations , and in a word , all the worship of the jews , and all their shadows , types , and figures , and representations . all the sabbaths , fasts , feasts , and their divers washings , and purifying which all were but as shadows of things to come ; and he 〈◊〉 the sum and substance of them all , and ended them all ; 〈◊〉 whosoever will plead a necessity of all or any one of the former things mentioned in the first covenant that was faulty , christ profits him nothing , and he denies the faith of christ and ●is apostles , and ministers ; for circumcision was once commanded of god , and as real a type as any other , and yet they that would need hold it up , after the substance was manifest , to 〈◊〉 , christ jesus , the apostle paul concludes that christ profits the● nothing , though he elsewhere calls it the seal of the right●●●sness of faith unto abraham , which he had before he was circumcised . the like i also say of all the former ordinances which pertained to the first priesthood and covenant , and holds them up as of necessity , denyes the faith of christ , and christ profits them nothing , and do make themselves thereby as debtors to the whole law : and he that fails in the breach of one is guilty of all . therefore of how much necessity is it , for them that doth professe christ and the faith that was delivered to the sai●●● , to stand fast in that liberty wherein christ hath made them free , and not to be entangled with the yoake of bondage , but to keep the ordinances and commands of christ unviolated ; for they that lay claim to tyth●● , and would cause us to pay tyth●● , they themselves do not keep the law , but would constrain us , that they might glory in our flesh , and would confound the ordinances of the first and second covenant together , without putting any difference to the time and ministration unto which they did belong . the apostles and ministers of christ , who were made partakers of the divine nature , and of the word of reconciliation , did not look back , nor draw people back to the former ordinances of the jews , and their priesthood , but testified against them , their temples , fasts , feasts , and new moo●● ; and for these things , paul , and stephen , and divers others , suffered great persecution ; and christ the everlasting high 〈◊〉 , though he was the son of god , the heir of all things , and th●● first born of every creature , and the bishop of souls , though he was lord of all , he made himself of no reputation , nor did 〈◊〉 lay claim to the possessions of the world , but said , the f●xes 〈◊〉 ●●les , and the birds of the air have nests , but the son of man 〈◊〉 whereon to lay his head . he laid no claim to tenths , nor 〈◊〉 , nor oblations , neither to lands , where he travelled 〈◊〉 ●he work of the father , though he laboured for the conversion of souls in divers places , as the true bishop thereof . he laid ●o claim to any such places as to be his diocess , neither did look 〈◊〉 any gifts and rewards from any place , but as he was sent of 〈◊〉 father , and was the free gift of righteousness , he ministred 〈◊〉 : and likewise when he sent out his disciples , and gave 〈◊〉 commission to teach all nations and disciple them in the name of the father , son , and holy ghost , he said unto them ▪ 〈…〉 father sent me , so send i you . and again , freely you have 〈◊〉 , freely give . and again , take with you neither staff nor 〈◊〉 , nor mony , nor brass in your purses ; but into what house or city 〈…〉 , enquire who therein is worthy , and abide ye there till you go 〈◊〉 . and whatsoever is set before you , that do you eat and drink , 〈◊〉 the labourer is worthy of his meat . and though he sent them 〈◊〉 , as is before said , when they returned again , he said unto 〈◊〉 , lacked ye any thing ? and they said , nay . though they 〈◊〉 sent out as sheep among wolves , yet they preaching the 〈◊〉 of the kingdom freely , and turned people to christ the 〈◊〉 and living way , whereby their hearts were opened to mi●●●●● unto them , which serv'd for their necessity in the work of 〈◊〉 gospel ; they did not desire or require any s●ipend , sallary , ●●●mentation , or setled maintenance , but were ministred unto 〈◊〉 by them who had believed their report , and were made 〈◊〉 of spiritual things ; they never complained of want , 〈◊〉 never had any cause , nor did not give over preaching of 〈◊〉 gospel because they had no setled maintenance , like our lat●●● generation of priests , who if their maintenance do cease , 〈◊〉 gospel ceaseth , which demonstrates only they minister for 〈◊〉 and filthy lu●●e , and so are out of the apostles doctrine and 〈◊〉 ; for the apostles they often denied that which was 〈◊〉 profered them , lest they should make the gospel of christ ●●●●g●able , and their work of no effect . here was no tythes 〈◊〉 of , that we read on , commanded or commended , either to 〈◊〉 jews or gentiles who believed , in the age of the apostles , that we find mentioned either in scripture , or any other ancient records . and after many christians were converted unto thè faith , such was the liberality and bounty of believers in the beginning of christianity , that their bounty to the evangelical priesthood was so large , as that it far exceeded what the tenth could have been ; or if you look to the first of the apostles times , then the unity of heart among them about jerusalem was such , that all was in common , and none wanted ; and as many as were possessors of lands and houses , sold them , and brought the price of that which was sold , and laid it at the apostles feet , and it was distributed to every man according as he had need . so the whole church both ministers and believers liv'd in common of that which was freely brought in and ministred for the service of the saints ; so likewise the church gathered by mark at alexandria in egypt , followed the same practice as the believers at jerusalem . and ph●lu judaeus saith , that in many other provinces the believers liv'd together in societies . and in the church at anti●c● , galatia and corinth the saints possessed every man his own estate ; where the apostle ordained , that a weekly offering should be made for the saints by every man according to the ability of his estate , and this was put into the hands of the deacons of the churches , whereby the poor was relieved , and other necessary services supplied in the church of god ; and this continued for that age . the next age monethly offerings were made or given among the saints by devout and able christians , the over-se●●● appointed by the church was to receive it , and carefully and charitably dispose them , according to the necessity of the saints , for propagating of christianity ; as the maintenance for the brethren in their travels for the service of god , feeding , and cloathing , burying their poor brethren , relieving of widows and orphans , and persons condemned to labour in the mettal-mines , or to prison , or banishment into isles by the heathen emperors ; and these free offerings were never exacted , or otherwise , witnesse learned tertullian that lived about years after christ , as it appears ; his words are , that every mans gift is to be every month , or as he can , or after the manner he will , and as he is able , so is he 〈◊〉 give ; for , says he , no man is to be forced , but what as be confers of his ●wn accord . and further , he upbraids the gentiles with the charity and ●●●●y of the christians ; he saith , whatsoever we have in the ●●●●sury of our churches , it is not raised by taxation , as though 〈◊〉 put men to ran some their religion , but every man once , or when he pleaseth himself , gives what he thinks good , and it is ●o● bestowed in vanity , but for the maintenance of the poor , and the like necessary service aforesaid ; and this way of contribution continued until the great persecution of maximinian and dioclesian , about the year , as eusebius , tertullian , cypri●● , origen , and others do witness . also about this time , some lands were given to the church by them that believed , and the revenue thereof was distributed as other 〈◊〉 gifts were by the deacons and elders , for the aforementioned u●●●● , but the bishops or ministers medled not with them . origen ●aith , it is not lawful for any minister to possess lands given to the church for his own use . cyprian , bishop of carthage , about the ●ear also testifies the same , and shews how the church main●… many poor , and that her own d●et was sparing and plain , and ●…ences full of frugality . p●●sper also saith , that a minister able to live of himself , ought 〈◊〉 to d●sire any thing to be given unto him , and he that receiveth it , 〈◊〉 i● not without great sin . the council held at antioch , anno . finding that much fault had been among the deacons and elders , to whom it properly did belong to distribute the offerings and free gifts where there was need , which they detaining for their own covetou● 〈◊〉 , the council did ordain , that the over-seer or bishop might ●●stribute the goods , but required that they should take no part thereof to themselves , nor the use of the priest , using the apostles words , having ●ood and raiment , be ye therewith content . c●●●sostome homil. . in acta , notes , and he lived about the yera , that christian converts joyned in societies , and lived i● common , after the manner of the former christians at jerusalem , by whose writings it doth appear that there was not the least mention made of tyths in that age , the church at this time altogether living by the free offerings of lands , moneys , ●●d goods , and the people were much pressed to bountiful contribution for holy uses , as may be seen in the writings of jerome and chrisostome , who brought the liberality of the jews in their payment of tythes for an example , beneath which they would not have christians determine the charity . but about this time there began to be a declination and a coldness in the devotion of them that offered , which made jerome , ambrose , and others press very hard upon the people for liberality in point of offering , because it was much less then in the apostles time , in so much that cyprian reproved sharply , and said , they gave not so much as was worth speaking of . and it doth not appear in any old monuments of credit , till near the end of years after christ , that any payment to the church of any tenth part , as a tenth , was at all in use . from the year , till the year no canon or other law was generally received , to compel ony payment of tythes , although among the offerings of devout christians , gifts of that quantity was received as due by the doctrine then in use in some places only , which ambrose , augustine , jerome , and chrysostome taught by reason of the coldness and want of charity among the christians in divers parts ; and for their ground and foundation , the first two taught that the tenth was due by gods law , which they took only from the mosaical law , and the other two perswaded only that a less part then a tenth might not be offered , but ought to be paid for holy uses , as the phrase was ; and by the reason of the doctrine of ambrose , they were offered under the name of tenths in part of italy , he being the bishop of millan there in the year . likewise augustine bishop of hippo , hath a vehement sermon for the payment of them , whose doctrine brought in the word tenth in use among christians ; and as is said before his ground only was taken from moses law in point of offering , these two threatned them with great penaltyes , and heavy judgements , that did not pay their tenths ; but yet take notice to what end they required them , viz. that the poor might not want , and saith , that god had reserv'd them for that use and end ; so in process of time , when this doctrine came to be received , divers followed the opinion of the ancient fathers before mentioned , yet hitherto it was not laid down as a positive doctrine to pay them as the jewes did , but only brought the jewes in for an example that christians should not pay less . leo , call'd the great , about the year . who reigned yeares , he very earnestly stirred up mens devotion to offer to the church , 〈◊〉 speakes not a word of any quantity ; severin also about the year 〈◊〉 stir'd up the christians in panona to give the tenth to the poor ; likewise gregory not only admonished the payment of tithes , from 〈◊〉 mosaicall law , but also the observing of lent , which he reckoned as the tenth part of the year , and this he would have given unto god , saying , we are commanded in the law to give the tenth of all things unto god , and thus ignorance began to enter in , and juda●… among the christians brought in by their leaders , and from the opinions of these and other ancient fathers tithes , easter and pente●… came to be introduced and brought into the church among the christians . also jerome in these words , i do not take a part as the rest of the ●…s of possession of lands but as a levite i live of the tenth , and as i ●…e at the alter , i am sustain'd by the oblation of the alter , being 〈◊〉 with food and raiment , i follow nakedly the naked cross , but ●…re is no necessity to understand his words of tithes , but as the 〈◊〉 liv'd of tithes serving at the alter , even so am i maintain'd by the free offering of them that do believe . but it is to be observed ●hat there was divers councells in and 〈◊〉 the year only provinciall as mascon and arles , and some 〈◊〉 do take it for granted , that a tenth was due by way of offering , ●●d put into the hands of them that ministred to the church ; is ●…en of as good antiquity , grounded upon the mosaicall lawes , ●…ch they call their divinas ; all which did spring from the doctrine of the foure fathers before mentioned but especially ambrose and 〈◊〉 about the year , but take his owne words , it is not fit for 〈◊〉 , saith he , to prefer our selves as christians unless we do the work of christians , viz. to offer the tenth part of corn and of cattell and all the 〈◊〉 fruites of the earth ; and took it for granted as due , only his ground 〈◊〉 moses law . and if they should offer less then a tenth , thei● of●…g was not accepted ; also agreeing with him is augustine in a ●…on after this manner viz. deare brethren , for as much as the day 〈◊〉 christ drawes near , we ought to assemble our selves together , and to 〈◊〉 thanks to god , who hath given unto us , by our offering unto god 〈◊〉 tenths , for god is worthy to have the whole ; and this he grounds 〈◊〉 that of malachi , honour the lord with thy substance , &c. 〈◊〉 , exhorting them to pay their tribute to the poor , and their ●…ee to the p●rests ; then urging more texts out of the old testament , he tells them , that the neglect of payment of tithes was the cause of sterillity , and blasting of their corn , and the like . these two great bishops agree , and as was said before , from the law of moses , infers their whole doctrine ; yet notwithstanding the great pressures and hard threats of some of the bishops at that time , it was not a general received doctrine , that tithes ought to be payed , until about the year ; neither was any thing by the church then determined or ordained touching the quantity that should be given ; though ( no doubt ) in many places the offerings of the more devout sort , tenths , or a greater part of their encrease , were given according to the doctrine then in use : and then about this time the offerings and gi●… to the church were disposed of on this wise , being received into a common treasury , one fourth part to the priests , out of which , every one that laboured had his portion ; another part for the relief of the poor , sick , and strangers ; and a third for the repairing places of publick worship ; and the fourth to the bishop ; and generally then the bishop liv'd in some monastery , and his clergy with him , from whence he sent them to p●…ch in the diocesses and countryes , and there they received such offerings as were made and brought them to the treasury : so that hereby the reader may take notice that the priests had not such a peculiar interest in that which was given , but others had a share with them , but now they claim all ; their churches were builded out of the gifts of the people , the poor , fatherlesse , and widow were relieved out of them , and the prisoners , who suffered for the faith they held , were relieved also , the bishop and his whole clergy were sustain'd ; but now they claim it as due , and take tithes by force and violence three or four fold , and sometimes ten fold , and people thrown into prison , and widows goods spoiled ; how unsuitable these practices are from what as they were in the apostles time , and the antient fathers for years ? though they are very proud , and boast much of their antient fathers , yet they will not so much as come near them in example , and yet they cry up the church , the church , and antiquity , when they are far enough off from their practice , though they were in a declining condition in this age i have been speaking of before . also jerome upon the third of malachy in his commenta●y , doth admonish christians to give their alms to the poor , and double honour to 〈◊〉 that labours in the lords service , not binding at all to offer this or 〈◊〉 part , yet exhorts them not to be more backward than the jews , wherein they payed their tenths : neither is chrysostome at all different from him in this doctrine , 〈◊〉 perswading even labourers and ●…rs to give bountifully their alms to the church for holy uses , according to the apostolical ordinances , relating to the weekly offerings 〈◊〉 ●…e churches of corinth , galatia , antioch , and the jews liberality was brought as a president , below which be would not have christi●●s to determine their charity ; and sayes withall , that he speaks these things , not as commanding or forbidding that they should give 〈◊〉 , yet as thinking it fit they should not give less than a tenth part for holy uses , as the phrase was . syrril bishop of alexandria speaking upon that passage of abraham , gen. . . who , after he had gained the victory over the king of sodoms enemies , and rescued lot , when the king of 〈◊〉 offered him part of the spoils , he would receive nothing 〈◊〉 a few victuals : though , saith he , the holy teachers do war in ●…e behalf of perishing mankind , yet do they not take any thing from the 〈◊〉 of the world , nor do they heap up unto themselves riches , lest the ●…ld should say , we have made you rich , they only ought to receive the 〈◊〉 from the hands of those whom they have converted to the ●…h , for it 's christs command , saith he , that those who preach the ●…l should live thereby : so that its evident that very many of 〈◊〉 antient fathers , whom this generation have talked so much of , did deny tythes , and a forced maintenance from the world , 〈◊〉 in this point it 's like they will be judged but weak sighted , 〈◊〉 erroneous in their judgment by this generation , as they do the quakers , or men of mean understanding . but i see many will induce them in words , but few in practice . it was the judgment also , not of private persons , but of the 〈◊〉 learned and sound teachers of that age , in the fifth or year after christ. prosper saith , they that live of the gospel , who will be propriators of nothing , who neither have , nor desire to have any thing , not possessing ●…ir own , but the common goods ; and what is it , saith he , to live of 〈◊〉 gospel , but that he who labours should receive necessary supplies by 〈◊〉 among whom he labours ; without forcing . and further saies , though paul himself had power , yet he would not make use of it , lest he should create an offence , but laboured with his hands , being a t●…maker , that he might not be burthen some to the churches of christ. with him also agrees o●… , saith he , peter and john saith , silver and gold have i none : behold the riches of those who were priests of christs , but let us quickly apply these things unto our selves ( s●… he ) who are prohibited by the law of christ , if we have any regard thereunto , to have possessions in the countrey , and houses in the city , ( what do i say ) possessions or houses ? no not to multiply coats or money ; if we have food and raiment , let us be therewith content . jerome also writing to nepotianus a clergy man , sayes , i beseech you that you would not transform our spiritual warfare into a carnal one , nor imagine your self in the clergy as if you were in an army , getting spoiles , nor seek after no more than when you came first into the clergy , lest it be said to you , their lot shall not profit them . neither in any general or provincial councel was there any constitutions made for the right of payment of tythes , till the year . in a councel at mascon in the diocesse of lions : neither is this councel received into the body of any of the canons , the councel consisted of all the bishops of king ganthroms kingdome , onely some provincial councels and secular constitutions betwixt the sixth and yeares , which supposed tenths to be due , but they were disposed of diversly ; now to the priests , now to the abbots , & now to the poor , according to the mind of the giver , the quantity was only arbitrary , but judged that some kind of offering was necessary . neither till near yeares was there any general law that remains in publick , that is of credit , ordained any law in the western church , and for the eastern church never any law that mentions tithes . and further it is observable , that though there were divers national and provincial councels held , which supposed them to be due , as divine right , and that lesse than a tenth part ought not to be offered , yet was theré no commandment , or name of tenth in the first eight general councels . and though divers of the fathers , popes , and bishops , did declare , that tythes were due , and ought to be payed , yet till the ninth general councel held at lateran under pope calixius the second , about the year . mentions tythes , but speaks only ●…ch as had been given to the church by special consecration , 〈◊〉 at that time people being led to believe that tithes ought to be 〈◊〉 for the use of the poor , did dispose them to the heads and ru●… of religious houses ( so called ) who kept open hospitality then , 〈◊〉 the relief of the poor , entertainment of strangers , and supply of the ●…s , as is testified by cassian the hermite , but the councel held 〈◊〉 pope alexander the third , . seeing much given to the 〈◊〉 , and little to the priests , made a decree to restrain peoples free●… , and indeed about this time much wickednesse , and self-love , and covetousnesse was crept into those houses , or monasteries by this time , as histories do relate . about this time there was no law , cannon , or constitution of any general councel as yet found , that did command tithes to be ●●yed , or expresly suppos'd them duty of common right ; before ●…t councel of lateran held in the year . under pope innocent 〈◊〉 third , about which time the popes power was grown very great 〈◊〉 powerful , for about this time every man might have given 〈◊〉 tithes to what church he would , and people had more minde given them for the poore , rather then the priests , as may be understood from the complaint of innocent the third , he preaching on ●…us charity saies , dedit proprium & reddit alienum , &c. and ●…d out heavily against those that gave their tithes and first fruits 〈◊〉 the poor , and not to the priests as hainous offendors , yet about this time no regard was had to the nature of the encrease , but ●…soever did arise in profit , whether by trade , merchandize , or ●…andrie , the tenth was required to be paid , but when pope inno●… had commanded , so then no scruple was made of it , but an●ther took it with too much credulity , neither till this time , were e●…es sent from rome so frequent , to put in execution that which had been established in two former councels against that challeng'd 〈◊〉 of the laiety , for the laiety had enjoyed their liberty from the beginning of christianity , to bestow or retaine them to whom they ●…ld in most places till the year . about this time , notwithstanding the land occupiers in divers 〈◊〉 , as the bishop of matera complained to pope innocent , that 〈◊〉 his diocesse , they viz. the laiety divided their tythes at their ●…sures , and arbitrarily gave part to the church , part to the 〈◊〉 , and part to their kindred , likewise in divers places the thing was so much in controversie , whether that parishes had any due to tythes or no , that we see particularly in the diocesse of valentia , . which was , that every man wheresoever he liv'd , he might declare himself to be of what parish he would , and to that only give his tythes . the opinion of the canonists in answer to a question , viz. by what immediate law that tythes were payable , they are divided among themselves , some say , de jure ecclesiastico , others jus n●●urala , others divinum morale ; the canonists with one consent do ground themselves upon the letter of some of those passages of provincial councels , fathers and popes before mentioned , generally deliver that predial and mix'd tythes are due to be payed jure divino , and they usually cite the levitical precepts to justifie it , for they take this ecclesiastical revenue to be no otherwise due to the clergy by common right ( whom they to the utmost maintain as they reason ) may as a supreame steward of clergies maintenance dispose of this or that particular part of it to where he will , and this was their common opinion . but for personal tythes , they yet agree to be jure divine , although pope innocent the fourth make it a wonder to see any man deny it , and divers of them follow him , the best authority , they bring for personal tythes is that of deut. . where tythes and the offering of your hands are spoken of , and this is a received ground amongst them , that the tenth is due to the church jure divine , and so would hold up the first priesthood , and figures against the second who is the substance , only for covetousnesse sake . but some canonists , and those of no small note , that agree the determination of the tenth to be only de jure ecclesiastice , and th●● no more jus naturale , or divinum morale is in it , then what commands a competency of means to be given to the priesthood , but they are mingled and confounded among themselves , and the best bottom they have is either from the popes authority or from the jews , also many divines and schoolmen were at great contest , and their judgments are various as the former . the divines about this time have had several determinations and doctrines about this point , some hath held it , that the tenth considered quoad quotum partem , or as it is a determined , part devoted from that number is only due by law positive and ecclesiastical , but it is for the sustentation of the clergy , it is due by the divine 〈◊〉 law as they call it , and so they interpret it from the levitical commandment of tythes , but others say it is a judicial or ceremonial , as some will have it , and that it hath been brought into the law of the gospel , by ecclesiastick doctrine , and constitutions , others say ●…s , by the imitation of the jewish state ordered by the almighty , and 〈◊〉 in that regard , per vim obligativum , viz. by a continued force 〈◊〉 it under the gospel , and that the church was not only bound to 〈◊〉 part , but might as well have ordain'd the payment of a ninth or ●leventh , this is commonly taught by the old schoolmen , hales and aquinas , henricus de gandavo , cardinal caietan , and divers ●…s . the second opinion among the divines is of those that held tythes to be meer almes , and not to be payed to the ministers of the gospel by any parochial right , as a necessary duty to the evangelical priesthood , but that they might be detained and disposed of at the owners will , especially if the pastor did not well perform his of●…e ; of this were both some of the religious orders in their preach●… , and also others opposite enough to them in doctrine , the do●… and franciscans , who began about the year . and had in their monasteries great store of schoolmens writings , made it gainful doctrine to themselves , though there was a truth in it , they determined that it was not due by divine right , but only due as alms , 〈◊〉 of charity , not of justice or judicial law , but to be arbitrarily disposed of accordingly , to such as took any spiritual labour , and with ●…m agree the mendicants . likewise about . . and a . and after that tyths were called the lords goods , and the patrimony of the poor , when as also the councel at nants declared the clergy were not to use them as their own , but as commended to their trust , they were not then given to 〈◊〉 ●lergy , but to be disposed of to the use of the poor . furthermore , at a general councel held at lyons , under pope gregory the tenth , in the yeare . when religion was only made a cloak for covetousnesse , and they sought their gain , and not the good of souls , it was then constituted that it should not be lawful thence forth for men to give their tythes at their own plea●●e , where they would as it had been before , but pay all their tyths 〈◊〉 the mother church : by which it may be seen , that though the people who then generally were papists and in the midnight of popery , did believe they ought to pay tythes then , yet were rather willing to dispose of them where they pleased , till the popish councils restrain'd their liberty . but the great decree that speaks most plain , and till which nothing was given forth which did directly constitute them , but rather still suppos'd them as a due by some former right , was made at the councel of trent in the year . and yet that great councel followed the doctrines of their fathers , and said , they were due to god , but had no new authority for their great decree , which they commanded to be obeyed under the penaltie of excommunication . having thus briefly past over the ecclesiastical state , first of the jews ; secondly , of christ and his apostles time ; thirdly , of the state of the church near to their time , and the judgement of them which are reckoned the most learned and orthodox men , and fathers of the church in every age , till the very height of the papal domination , and hath given some true understanding in every age to the point in hand ; it will be requisite that something be said more particularly concerning this nation , and the practice thereof , and what hath been said with , or against this particular concerning tythes . about the year . or soon after , gregory the first who was the first pope of rome , sent over augustine the monk into england , who was a canon regular , by whom ethelbert , king of kent , was converted , as they call it , but it was but to popery , he and his clergy a long time after followed the example of the former ages , and imitated the practice of the apostolick primitive church , living in common upon the offerings of their converts , and those that received them joyn'd into societies , and with the receipt of the offerings they maintain'd themselves , they repaired the temples of the gentiles , which by the advice of pope gregory , were not to be destroyed , but to be converted to christian service , and builded some houses , which they called churches , in which the priests exercised their strivings , for then the whole diocesse of canterbury was indeed the only limitted parish in regard of profits ; and whatsoever was received through the devotion of good christians , as they were called , made up a common treasury for the whole diocesse , so that it was no matter of what place the bounty was offer'd , so that it was within the diocesse , the truth of this is confirm'd by that of augustine in his question to pope gregory touching the bishops , whereunto the pope answers , the custome , saies he , is generally to make four parts , 〈◊〉 , for the bishop , for the clergy , for the poor , and for the repai●…n of churches , but he doth admonish him in tendernesse to the english saxon church , that he and his clergy should use the community of all things , as was in the primitive times in the apostles daies , but afterwards having brought a great part of the nation to their faith , they began to preach up the old roman doctrine , that tythes ought to be payed to god and holy church , as the phrase was , and having taught the people that pardon of sin , and the joyes of heaven were meritted by good works , and the torments of hell traded by charity , it was no hard matter to perswade them to give their tenths and lands , but also their outward riches to those called religious houses ; then here and elsewhere may testifie in this nation , they and the clergy had almost gotten the third part of the whole land , so wonderfully besotted were the poor ignorant people , that had not a law been against such excessive gifts , a farre greater part of the nation had been in their hands ; but how long this community amongst the clergy continued amongst them , and the free offerings , fully appears not , but that it was not out of use till more then one hundred years after augustines coming , that is till past seven hundred years after christ , as may be conjectured out of the testimony of bede , which extends so far in the city of london , till the time of henry the third , no tithes , as tithes , were generally payed , but only a decree made , that for every twenty shillings rent a farthing a sunday was to be paid , which came to fifty two farthings yearly , and this was given by way of offering , but was supposed as due , and the tenth part of the yearly rent of their houses . as concerning laws and canons for tythes among the sax●… , it is reported , that in the year , in the time of pope adrian , when his power began to grow great , he sent two legates with letters into england , for r●formation , as it was call'd ; first to off●-king of merceland , and alfewold king of northumberland , who cell'd a councel in the north , and offis and kenulph call'd a coucel for the south , wherein they o●dained , that a tenth of the fruit of the earth should be paypayed as it was written in the law of moses ; and when this councel had thus concluded by alswold , the legates and embassadors took all the decrees and canons of the councel and carryed to offa , and he and his bishops and abbots did subscribe it with a cross to it ; likewise selden makes mention . that ethelulfe , king of the west saxons , in the year he made a law , that the tithe of all his own lands should be given to god and his servants , and should be freed from all taxes : but there is great difference among historians about this grant , some restrain it to the tithe of his own demesne lands , others to the tenth part of his land , and others to the tithe of the whole nation . about this time heavy pressures by danish invasions , and great wars came on , so that he call'd a councel , where were present bernereddus , king of mericia , and edmond king of east angles , and they to remove the heavy judgment that was upon them , gives the tithe of all the land to god and his servants , as the phrase then was . king athelstone about the year , and king edmond about the year , and king edgar about , king ethelred about , king knute about edward the confessor , and others of the saxon kings , made several laws for tythes , as histories do relate . likewise the normands , afterwards entring this kingdom and subduing it , william the conqueror confirmed the liberties of the church . also henr. . and hen. . did the like , and king stephen also : the reader may understand the principles upon which these men ●…cted , and the doctrine then that was believed by them , and maintained to be good by prelates of that age , that heaven was merited by good works , and sins pardoned for works of charity , which works was chieflly reckoned to be good by the prelates of that age , when some monastry was builded , church or chappel so called , and dedication of lands and goods to such places , for the health and happinesse of their souls , they had perswaded many men almost out of their estates , leaving their heirs and children very poor . many instances thereof might be given ; but one or two for manifesting the truth of this , king stephen in his dayes gave to the priory of eye in suffolk , as may be seen in an original charter of his , made to the said priory , wherein he gives the tenths of all his manors of stedbrook , rad●●ge , seldia , bedima , with divers other places , for the pardon of his sins , and obtaining the joyes of heaven ; and not only , he gave it for the health of his own soul , but for the soul of his father and of his mother , and of his uncle , and interceding kings to the use and end aforesaid . likewise out of another old charter , granted by ralph then bishop of chichester , to the abbey of battel , the tenths of vula●●●e , of hennam , and of servin , and of lezein , and badhurst , and the tenths of many other places to the said abbey , for the health of his own soul , and the health of the souls of his ancestors . also out of the charter of the monastry of ridding in hereforeshire , in the time of king john , walter clifford , for the health of his fathers soul , and of his wives and children , doth give the whole tenths of hamenesca unto the church of lem●er . but notwithstanding the many laws , canons , and decrees , of kings , popes , councils and bishops ( alluding to the page before ) that every man ought to pay the tenth part of his encrease , yet it was left to the owner to confer it where he pleased , which made so many rich abbies and monasteries . and till the year , or thereabouts , every one gave their tythes at their own pleasure , which made pope innocent the third send his decretal epistle to the bishop of canterbury , commanding him to enjoyn every man to pay his temporal goods to those that ministred spiritual things to them , which was enforced by ecclesiastical censures ; and this was the first beginning of general parochial payment of tythes in england , this his decretal was admitted , and enjoyned by the law of the nation , king and people being then papists . the decree of the pope receiving all possible assistance from the bishops and the priests , in whose behalf it was made , did not only in a short time take away the peoples then desired right to give their tythes to those that best deserved them , but did also so much corrupt the clergy , that in the time of richard the second , wickliffe , our famous reformer , did make a heavy complaint to the parliament in these words following , ah lord god , where this be reason , to constrain the poor people to find a worldly priest , sometime unable both of life and cunning , in pomp and pride , covetous and envy , gluttonnesse , dunkennesse and lechery , in simony and heresie , with fat horse and jolly , and gay saddles and bridles ringing by the way , and himself in costly cloaths and pelure , and to suffer their wives and children , and their poor neighbours perish for hunger , thirst and cold , and other mischiefs of the world : ah lord jesu christ , sith within few years men paid their tythes and offerings at their own will , free to good men , and able to great worship of god , to profit and fairnesse of holy church fighting in earth : why it were lawful and needful that a worldly priest should destroy this holy and approved custome , constraining men to leave this freedome , turning tythes and offerings unto wicked uses . a cloud of witnesses might be brought out of the ancient fathers , and also latter testimonies who witnessed against them , and divers martyrs , some whereof were put to death , others gr●●vously troubled , and suffered long and great imprisonments , as john hus , jerome of prague , the famous reformer john wic●liffe , who is spoken of before , and walter brute , william thorpe , william swinderby , and it was generally the judgment of all the wickliffians and the predecessors of the protestants , the b●●●●●ans being descended from the waldenses , they did professe and ●el● out , that all priests or ministers ought to be poor , and to be content with free gift , or what the people freely offered them ▪ so saith aeneas sylvius in his bohemian history . and it is one of john wickliffes articles , whose works are 〈◊〉 much esteemed of by the protestants of england and bohemia , as despised by the papists and their clergy , having his bones taken up and burnt years after his decease , and his articles condemn'd by the councel of constance ; his own words are , that tythes were and are a free gift as among the christians and only p●●●● alms ; and the parishioners may , for the offence of their curates , detain and keep them back , and bestow them upon others at their own will and pleasures . and his proposition af●resaid is maintained by that godly 〈◊〉 john hus who was burnt for his testimony at con●… but take his own words , that the clergy are not lords 〈◊〉 ●●ssessours of tythes , and other eccli●iastical goods which are 〈◊〉 given , but onely stewards , and after the necessity of the clergy 〈…〉 satisfied , they ought to be transported to the poore . and a●… clergy doe abuse the same they are theeves and robbers , 〈◊〉 ●●●●ilegious persons , and except they doe repent , by the just 〈…〉 of god they are to be condemned . ●…wise ambrose preaching upon the . luke give an ac●●●● of your stewardship , &c. from hence he infers that the clergy 〈…〉 lords but rather stewards and bayliffs of other mens sub●●● , farthermore jerom writing to nepotianus a clergy●…h , how can they be of the clergy , which are commanded to 〈…〉 and despise their owne substance , and yet to take away 〈…〉 friend , is thiefs , to deceive the church it is sacriledge , and to 〈…〉 that which should be given to the poor . ●…se bernard in his sermon upon these words , simon pe●●● 〈◊〉 unto jesus luke . from thence infers these words , viz. 〈◊〉 the goods of the church are the patrimony of the poor , and 〈…〉 thing the the ministers and stewards of the same ( not ●●●●or possessours ) doe take unto themselves more th●n sufficient ●…nt living , the same is taken away from the poore by a sa●… cruelty . 〈◊〉 eusebius in his treatise upon the pilgrimage of saint je●●● writes thus , if thou dost possesse a garment or any other thing , 〈…〉 extreame necessity doth require , and dost not help the needy 〈…〉 a thiefe and a robber . 〈◊〉 isidore in his treatise de summo bono , chap. . saith let 〈…〉 know that he is the servant of the people , and not lords o●●● 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 and divers more authors that worthy man john hus 〈…〉 at a disputation in the university of prague in vindi●… of john wickliffes sevententh article which was , that 〈◊〉 was a free gift in the time of christianity , and accounted as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 the reformed church in geneva they live upon free gift , 〈◊〉 tythes of all sorts are taken up for the use of the state , and 〈◊〉 up for the publick treasury . and that good man william thorp of whom i made 〈◊〉 before , who gave a large testimony against divers abuses 〈◊〉 into the church , it being the midnight of pope●y , being complain'd of by the then popish clergy , and brought to exa●●nation in the year ▪ being accused before thomas 〈◊〉 arch-bishop of c●●ter●ury , and chancellour of england ▪ 〈◊〉 gives a very clear testimony about tythes how that they 〈◊〉 no gospel maintenance , in his answer he saith , that in the 〈◊〉 law neither christ and his apostles tooke tythe of the people , 〈◊〉 commanded they the people to pay tythes , neither to priests nor deacons , and christ and his apostles preached the word of god to the people , and liv'd of pure aimes or free gift ; but after christs a●●●●●ion when the apostles had received the holy ghost , they tr●v●lled labouring with their hands , and also he saith that paul when 〈…〉 full poor and needy , preached among the people , he was not 〈…〉 unto them , but with his hands he laboured not onely to get his 〈◊〉 living , but also to relieve others that were poor and needy ▪ and further he saith , tythes were given in the old law to le●●●● 〈◊〉 priests , but our priests come not of levi , ergo by the law our pri●●● cannot challenge tythes , for as the priesthood is changed so is the 〈◊〉 , but since christ in the time of his ministry , and also his a●… lived by pure almes , or else by the labour of their hands , for the ●●vant is not greater then his lord : at which words the bishop 〈◊〉 unto him , gods curse have you and mine for thus teaching , 〈◊〉 further the said william thorpe saith that those priests that 〈◊〉 take tythes deny christ to becom'd in the flesh , unto whom the 〈…〉 said heard you ever lozell speak thus , and further the said william saith that the cove●eousness and pride of the priests 〈◊〉 the vertue of the priesthood , and also stirs up gods vengean●● 〈◊〉 upon lords and commons , who suffer these priests charitably , 〈◊〉 the arch bishop said thou judgest every bishop proud that 〈…〉 goe arrayed as thou dost , by god i deem him to be more me●●● 〈◊〉 goes every day arrayed in his scarlet gown , then thou in thy 〈◊〉 bare blew gown : this is an answer much like a lording bishop , and a tything priest , but i refer the reader to the whole discourse and testimony of william thorpe which is large in 〈◊〉 his acts and monuments . likewise william swinderby in the articles that are charged 〈◊〉 him is , that for an evil curate to curse his hearers , or excomunicate them for with-holding of his tythes is nothing but wickedly and wrongfully , getting from them their mony , for if saith he that the priest or curat● be a wicked man , ( as most of the tything priests are ) if the parishoners doe pay him tythe● , they are guilty before god of upholding him in his sin and evil deeds , and further saith he , but whereas christs law doth command to minister freely to the people , the pope with his law sells for money , whereas christs law teaches his priests to be poor , the pope justifies and maintaines priests to be lords . also with him doth agree walter brute , as is manifest by the articles charg'd against him , viz. that no man is bound to pay tythes in gospel times , 〈◊〉 . that if the parishoners shall know their curate to be bad they ought to hold from him their tythes . . that if any priest receive any thing by ●…y of bargaine or yearly stipend in so doing he is a schismatick and accursed . . that if we be bound to pay tythes in gospel times , then are we debtour● to keep all the whole law , for to say that men are bound to one part of the law & not to another is not true , for this were to prefer one part before another , and to set the law against it self . . seeing that neither christ nor any of his apostles , commanded to pay tythes , i'ts manifest and plain , that neither by the law of moses , nor by the law of christ , that christian people are bound to pay tythes , but by mens traditions : and all these before mention'd were opposite to the whole nation of friers of what order so ever , who suffered grievous persecution in their dayes , whose testimony yet lives , and will be priz'd in ge●… to come , though they be gone to the s●pulchres of their fathers . also to these may be added the articles of the ●…ians who were greatly persecuted for their faith and be●… published about the year ▪ wherein a divine write as ●…thes since the gospel were denyed , whereupon they long 〈◊〉 took away all temporaliti●s from their ministers g●rardus ●●●●●illus , also before wickliffe was hu●●t for an heretick , ( as 〈◊〉 church of rome reck●ned him ) upon this account , 〈◊〉 the great erasmus gave the common exacting of tythes , in his time no better name then tyran●y . moverover the abbigenses , bedemontane protestants have preferred their religion without corruption longer then any church with a ministry endowed with tythes and hire , in the world . likewise the primitive times never wanted able teachen , as the best histories relate , although they lived either upon their labour , or the free gift of them th●t were converted , but did trust their lord and master , who sent them out in his na●e and power , for the conversion of souls , this was very much unlike to the ministry of this generation , who knows not how to live by faith nor of the gospel , but rather by jewish tythes , or rather popish tythes , stipends , augmentation , set-wages , covenants , and sallaries , or else the old proverb is truely verified , which sprang up in popish times , no penny , no pater noster , for evidence whereof there are hundreds in england within this twenty years , that when the aforesaid maintenance was taken away by any temporal power whatsoever they have ceas'd their ministry , and laid down their commission , which they say they had from christ , and mad● voide their call , and all necessity of conversation of souls laid aside , we might bring the whole nation for a testimony in this , who hath been observant as to the practice of the ministry about the changes of government which hath happened in the aforesaid time . and the former christians was not so disquieted among themselves with political complying opinions , and curiosities , niceties , distinctions and contentions , although they had none of the aforesaid setled maintenance untill c●●st●●tine the great his time , when they began to grow rich , and give lands and grea● revenues to the church , and then they began to controvert and side in state matters , as is seen in the councells of basill and constance , and divers other former councells , and grew into pride , and idleness , and fullness , ●●somuch that histories say a voice was heard from heaven , this day poyson hath been shed abroad in the church . great and large are the testimonies that might be given i● this particuler of the best men who were sufferers for christ , although the greedy cov●tous hirelings of every age thought it a ●●range thing that they should deny the payment of tythes , because some great councells in the midnight of popery had c●●cluded them as due , some one way and some another ; and the clergy of our last age very unwilling to loos any thing that ●●y be commodious to satisfie their coveteousness , though ●●●y have denyed the pope and divers councells in other particu●●●● , yet in this point of tyths , they wil allow of their constitutions as jure divino , and if that will not serve ▪ having solicited 〈◊〉 princes of divers nations to make some laws for provision for their maintenance , because they were sensible their gospel ●ould not maintaine them , and now their greatest plea is became jure humano , or as one of the pastors of the church of england lately said , he cared not if the devil was the author of t●●●es , if the law of the nation did give him them he would have 〈◊〉 whether the parish would or no : and i believe many of them are of his judgement , though they will not be so hardy 〈◊〉 to deliver it in so open and shamefull words , but however th●m that have onely the powers of the earth to be their prop and onely refuge , and flyes to the hills and mountaines that ar● but earth , temporary and mutable for their help , for their backs and their bellies , yet this doth not make voide the testi●ony of them who abide in the faith , and dare stand unto christs allowance in point of maintenance ; for the work of the ministery , as the apostles and ministers of christ in the first age of the publication of the gospel did , but take some ●●●ther testimonies that the truth of this may not seeme a new thing , or as yesterday , nor onely of the meaner sort , or of illiterate men , but even of learned rabbies of our latter ages . antonius de dominis the learned bishop of spaletto de repub . eccles. lib. . saith christ himself , though he were lord of heaven and earth , and the fullness thereof , yet would not he be possessed of great lands and incomes , though he said the fowles of the aire have nests , and the foxes have holes , but the son of man hath not where to rest his head , yet did not he imbetter his condition , although to the effecting thereof there needed no more then that he should will it to be so , nor did he demand tythes though he was a priest , after the order of melchezedech indubitably ; but whilest he went throw the cities , and villages preaching the gospel , and instructing men for the kingdom of heaven and twelve with him , severall women that believed as m●●y magd●len , joanna , susanna , and others did minister unto him of their substance ; nor did he otherwise instruct his disciples who were embassadours on earth towards man-kinde in the beginning when he sent them out , he did not bid them for to receive tythes , or teach people to pay them , but bids them to live upon almes , carry not with you gold nor silver , nor any mony in your purses , not a scrip , not two coats , not a staffe , supernumerari , for the labourer is worthy of his meat : the disicples of christ being thus taught by their great master forsaking their lively-hood , and earthly possessions lived by faith in god , who would not have sent them abroad , but that he would dispose the hearts of men accordingly in order to their substance , so they relyed upon their converts for necessary supplyes , and received their benevolence of several pious women who ministred unto them , for so saith paul , have not i power to eat and to drink , have not i power to lead about a woman or a sister , as the other apostles , the br●thren of our lord and cephas , cor. . . he at large and clearly sheweth how they who sowes spiritual things ought to reap temporal things . likewise david paraeus in his commentary upon gen. . and . and . saith , that tythes or tenths were freely arbitrarily , a man might give them , a man might vow them , or he might not , even as he pleased before the lord , but under the law they were commanded to be given to the 〈◊〉 , and levits , hence saith he , our clergy men infer , that if it were so of old , then they are so now , but this doth not follow ( saith he ) they had a divine ceremonial right , but that 's now ceased ; they had tythes as a compensation of that lot they should otherwise have in land , ours not , ours have towns , villages , manners , yea countries , and provinces ; nor is there any end of their insatiable covetousness : and he conclude● , that when the levitical priesthood did cease , then did the right of that priesthood cease , and the right of tythes did revert to god , as governour and sovereign of the world. great and large are the testimonies that might be given , both 〈◊〉 of ancient and modern writers , who were the clearest in their judgments against tithes , how that they were not go●●●● maintenance , neither of divine right doth belong to any 〈◊〉 under the gospel , who professeth christ come in the 〈◊〉 . but what i have already said in this particular might 〈◊〉 sufficient , seeing so large things to this have been declared 〈◊〉 other hands ; but i am the more willing to instance divers a●thors , who by our protestants are owned as orthodox , that they may be thereby throughly convinced that this is no new doctrine , for which we suffer the spoyling of our goods , and 〈◊〉 persons imprisoned ; but that the covetousnesse of the 〈◊〉 and tithes have been testified against by many faithful and constant men in ages past , who died in the faith , who ●hough they be dead , yet their testimony still lives , and will ●●●nd for age● . but you shall hear what state the clergy and ●●●●stry was in about the time of the council of basil in the year . by lod●vicus , the cardinal arlatensis , a man very much praised for his constancy and wisdome in that council 〈◊〉 basil : lod●vicus seeing the cowardliness of the bishops and others of the clergy , that they were more afraid to grieve temp●ral princes , then afraid to offend god ; and afraid to be ●●●iled of their temporalities , rather than afraid that their 〈◊〉 should be devoured ; albeit , saith he , if you were true bishops , and true pastors of souls , you would not doubt to put your lives in hazard for your sheep ; neither he afraid to shed your blood for 〈◊〉 church in the cause of christ ; but at this present , saith he , ( 〈◊〉 ●●re is the pitty ) it is too rare to find a prelate in this world , 〈◊〉 in this age , which doth not preferre his temporalities before his ●…lities ; with the love whereof they are so withdrawn , that 〈◊〉 ●o study rather to please princes then god , and confess god in 〈◊〉 , but princes they will confess openly , of whom the lord speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gospel , every one that confesseth me before men , him will i confess before my father which is in heaven , &c. and contra●iwise , 〈◊〉 lord will not confess him before his father , which is afraid 〈◊〉 confess the lord before men , for fear of loss of their worldly glories , and temporal riches , and displeasing of princes , of which it may be more largly seen in the history of the council of basil , published by aeneas sylvius . so you that doth profess reformation , and the scripture to be your rule , and your ancient fathers to be your examples , whom the ministry of this last age hath talked of , and see now if you will own them in practice ; do not reckon your selves any more as ministers of christ , who cannot be content wit● his allowance , and let forceing for maintenance by tithes alo●● to the priests of the first covenant , and let bargaining alo●● for wages , and seek not hire of them you work not for ; and if your gospel will not maintain you , then have you great reason to question it , whether it be the very same that chr●●● and his apostles preached in the primitive times : and it is manifest , as aforesaid , that they required no tithes , stipends , augmentations , or sallaries , neither was ever any such word heard of amongst them , as , what will you give me , and i 'll be your minister ? and yet there was no complaint of any wants for christ asked his disciples when they had been travellin● abroad preaching the gospel , though they had neither staff , nor scrip , nor money , if they wanted any thing ? and they said nay . but this generation must know before hand , what is to be had at such and such a place , and what is it worth 〈◊〉 annum , or else no gospel is like to be preached there . but if any one should ask the ministry of this age , by what righ● they claim tythes ? they cannot say by a better right then the apostles had , nor i hope will not , for they pretend to be but successors of them . and if the extent of their commission be enquired into , they will give it you in these words or the like presently , viz. as my father sent me , so send i you : but if one ask if they will stand to this in all respects , i have little hope that they will comply in point of maintenance ; i have good ground so to judge , even many at this day have boasted of their call and ministry , and have thrown many into prison for these popish tythes . for if a law or statute were made for the taking of them away , they would give over the publication of their gospel , which demonstrates their commission is not of god , or else why should taking away of ●●hes invalidate them ? i desire they were tryed , who boa●… of calls and commissions , i am afraid we should scarcel● one in that would open his mouth ; for if the 〈◊〉 were taken away , the effect would also fallow ; if ●…nance were taken away , their preaching would cease . 〈◊〉 i shall return to speak something further concerning our 〈◊〉 nation . i● i● needful to inform the reader a little , that when the 〈◊〉 doctrine was received in any nation , that nation was ●…d into so many bishopricks as was judged needful ; and 〈◊〉 bishoprick into so many parishes as were thought con●…ent ( for parishes are but of a late erection , as to which ●…ing may be hereafter said ) for till then most preachers ●●re sent out of monastryes and religious houses ( so called ) ●ad the people at their own free will did give their tythes 〈◊〉 offerings where they pleased , till about the year , 〈◊〉 till that time every owner of the nine parts did give the ●…th to the priest , or to the poor , as he would . but after 〈◊〉 , parishes being set up , and priests appointed , and tythes 〈◊〉 to them , after years possion , what before was owned 〈◊〉 free gift , is now claimed as a debt , and prescription was pleaded by the priests as their just title ; but people seeing t●●●selves run into a snare , began to contend , but all too 〈◊〉 for the pope being grown great , thunder'd out his interdi●t against this nation , excommunicated the king , affright●d the subjects with his bulls , stuffed with commination or cars●● ; and that against the very point of arbitrary disposal of tythes : and the pope did highly insult over kings and pri●●es about this time , witness frederick barbrosa , hen. th 〈◊〉 king john , and some others , as the histories of them ●●kes mention ; so that by the power of the pope parochial payment came just to be setled , yet notwithstanding the eng●… parliaments not willing wholly to forget the poor , for whose sakes tythes were chiefly given , did make divers laws , th●● a convenient portion of the tythes should be set a part for 〈◊〉 poor of the parish for ever , as in the statutes rich. d . . 〈◊〉 and the th of hen. . the pope having by these means brought in tythes , and the priests made a pretended title , by prescription they set up courts , called ecclesiastical courts , which remains to this day ( amongst them that say they are reformed ) to recover thei● tithes by , and the priests came to be the judges of the co●rt , so people might easily understand what might be expect●● from them ; yet them that did not pay , no greater punishment could they inflict upon them but excommunication : yet notwithstanding this general decree , the pope did dispense , and did give exemption to divers orders of his clergy ( so called ) to free them from payment , as the hospitallers , templers , and generally to all lands which belonged to the religious persons and houses , which is the reason that divers at this day , who have any land which sometimes belong'd to th● monastryes now dissolv'd , say , they are tithe-free . now when the pope , by colour of the jewish laws ( by which tythes were given to the levitical priesthood ) had gained an universal payment of tythes to all his clergy ; he in further imitation of that earthly tabernacle , sets up a new building after the former pattern ; and therefore to himself he claims first-fruits and tenths , as a successour of the ●ewish high-priest , sins also he undertakes to pardon , cardinals are appointed as leaders of the families , mitres are ordained fo● the head as aaron had , synagogues they built , now falsely call'd churches , with altars like the jews , with organs and i●struments of musick with singers and porters , &c. and into the form of the levitical priesthood they transformed themselves , and this was taught for catholick doctrine at that time , and yet is still upholden , and pleaded for by the protestant clergy , there by wholly denying christ jesus come in the flesh , the end of all types and figures . likewise afterward henr. . being a papist , and believing the popes doctrine , as also did his parliament , made a law , that every one should set out and pay his tithes , as due to god and holy church . also a second law in his time was made to the like purpose , for great need and reason he had , having dissolv'd the monastryes who had many ti●hes , and either had them in his own hand , or sold them unto o●hers , to be held as lay possessions . and they having no law whereby to recover them , he made a new law to enforce the payment of them , 〈◊〉 ●●ill restrained the tryall of tithes in the ecclesiastical 〈◊〉 . after him also edward the sixth , in pursuance of his fathers 〈◊〉 , made a law for the payment of praedeal and personal tythes , under penalty of treble damages , who also re●●ain'd the tryal to the ecclesiastical court ; these laws supp●s●d them due to god and holy church , therefore they req●ired every man to yield and set out their tithes as had been acc●…omed ; likewise some ordinances were made in that which was call'd the long parliament , in the time of the war , ●…ded upon the former laws , for treble damages ; all ●●●th laws were grounded on the popes decrees and constitut●… , and his ground is upon the jewish priesthood , as be●… is made good by strong supposal , all which indeed is without any true ground in gospel times . for a gospel●…stry i think it not amiss to add here by the way a complain● made to the parliament , not long after the dissolution of the monastryes in england , when lay-men began to possesse appropriated churches and tithes into their hands ; but tak●● the words of loderick mors , sometime a gray friar , &c. ye that be lords and burgesses of parliament house , i require ye in the name of all my poor brethren that are englishmen , that ye consider well ( as you will answer before the face of almighty god in the day of judgment ) this abuse , and see to amend it , when as antichrist of rome durst openly without any vizard , walk up and down throughout england , 〈◊〉 had so great favour , and his children had such crafty wi●● , that they had not only almost gotten all the best lands of england into their hands , but also the most part of all the best benefices , both of parsonages and vicarages , which were for the most part all improperd unto them ( the impropriations held by them were much more then one third of all the parish churches in england ( divided into three parts . ) and when they had the gifts of any not improperd , they gave them unto their friends , of the which alwayes some were learned , for the monks found of their friends children at school , and though they were not learned , yet they kept kept hospitality , and helped their poor friends ; and if the parsons were improperd , the monks were bound to deal alms to the poor , and to keep hospitality , as the writings of the gifts of such parsonages and lands do plainly declare . and as touching the alms that they dealt , and the hospitality that they kept , every man knoweth that many thousands were well received of them , and might have been better if they had not had so many great mens horses to feed , and had not been overcharg'd with such idle gentlemen , as was never out of the abbeys , and if they had any vicorage in their hands , they set in sometimes some sufficient vicar , though but seldome to preach , and to teach . but now that all the abbeys with the lnds and goods and inpropered parsonages be in temporal mens hands ; i doe not hear that one halfe penny worth of almes or any other profit comes unto the people of those parishes , your pretence of putting downe of abbeys was to amend that which was amiss in them , it was far amiss that a great part of the lands of the abbeys , ( which were given to bring up learned men and to keep hospitality , and to give almes to the poor should be spent upon a few superstitious monks , which gave not forty pounds in almes , when they should have given two hundred pound : it was amiss that the monks shoulld have parsonages in their hands , and deale but the twentieth part thereof to the poor , and preached but once a year to them that payed the tythes of parsonages : it was amiss that they scarcely among twenty set one sufficient vicar to preach for the maintenance which they received : but see now , that which was amiss is amended as it is in the old proverbe , it is amended even as the devil amended his dams leggs , when he should have set it right he brok it quite a pieces ; the monks gave too little almes and set unable parsons many times in their benefices , but new where twenty pound was given yearly to the poor in more then one hundred places in england , is scarce one meales meat given : this is a faire amendment , where they had alwayes one or other vicar that either preached or hired some , now there is none at all , but the farmer is vicar and parson and all ; and onely an old cast away monk or frier which can scarcely say his mattens , is hired for . or . shillings meat and drink , yea and in some places for meas and drink alone without any wages : i know , and not i alone , but . more , know more then . vicorages and parsonages , and thus well and gospelly serv'd after the new gospel of england , and so the author goes on in his complaint , because that the maintenance was taken away , and there was a great famine for want of pastours . by all which may be seen what condition those religious houses , and abbies , as they were called , were in at that time ; and now they onely served to maintaine idle and supersticious monks and friers , which did deceive the nations with fabulous stories under pretence of preaching the gospel , and now these benefices being taken away from the papists , their gospel ceased in england , and have been translated over and over unto divers sects who separated from them ; but 't is to be observ'd that as the tythes and hire was taken away , and conv●●ted to other uses , their sect did alwayes fall . and it is ●lamentation that these tythes , and now forc'd maintenance which was first decreed by the popes canon laws should now be holden up by them that profess reformation and separation from them , and scriptures to be their rule . having thus briefly run over the doctrin , decrees , and practices , and opinions concerning tythes , from the apostles ●●me downward , we finde them various , as may be understood by that which is before written , and the right of tythes was never clear , but remain'd in controversie even amongst the most great and learned men in divers ages since the time of christ , yea even amongst the greatest of p●pists in the time of ●he popes domination , and in all ages there were that withstood the payment of them untill this day , and many of the martyrs for that amongst other things , suffered in the flames , and at great difference they ever were as about the end , the property , and the use of them , as may be hereby collected into severall heads : and first of all the tythe among the lews were payed to the levites and priests : secondly , that they were not for the priests onely , but for the strangers , fatherless , and widows : thirdly , when the levitical priesthood was taken away by the coming of christ , the law for tithing was also changed : fourthly , that neither christ nor his apostles in their age never received any , nor demanded any : fiftly , that in the beginning of the church for the first . years , whilest the simplicity of the gospel was retained , no tythes was either claimed or payed amongst christians : sixtly , but as the power of godliness came to be lost , and the mistery of iniquity began to work , mens imaginations taught in stead of the doctrin of christ , began to preach up tythes , fetching the ground from moses writings , that in the first practise of the payment of tythes , after the apostacy was entred in , they were not payed as tythes , but as free offerings and as the bounty of the giver , and were not given for the ministers maintenance onely , but chiefly for the poor . it was no received doctrin generally that tythes ought to be payed , till near . years after christ , that the pope had set up his authority and dominion over the greatest parts of europe● seventhly , that after they were confirm'd by the pope , and commanded to be payed , there was no compulsary law made but onely excommunication : eighthly , after that they were accounted an ecclesiastical duty , and never called a civil right , but were tryed in ecclesiastical courts : ninthly , untill about the year , the common practice was for every one to bestow his tenths where he pleased : tenthly , they were first brought in as a duty owing to god and to the church , and so was required & enforced , and therefore there is no civil property or right in him that claimes them : that first fruits and tenths are but a late invented thing , & claim'd by the pope as successour to the jewish high priest as he sayes . eleventh , that tythes were the same in the ground and foundation , whether claim'd by a priest , impropriator , or by an abbey , and differed nothing but in the person of him that possessed them : lastly , all may see the declining estate , the corruption and error that crept in among men , after the power of truth was lost , so was the fruit also , which caused such earnest pressing to needfull contributions , and then afterward was it necessary for laws and decrees to enforce them , but in the beginning is was not so ; while that purity and simplicity of the gospel remain'd , for then their charity abounded , even oftentimes beyond their ability , to whatsoever need the church required . but now to proceed to answer some other pleas which are come up in these latter dayes , for now the priests of this age begins to be ashamed to make claime for tythes jure divine , they have been so beat out of that their hole , and their plea jure ecclesiastico was but determined in the midnight of poery , and they are ashamed to derive their authority from the pope or his decrees , but now humane right is pleading , sometime by gift of kings and princes , others plead the temporal laws of kings and parliaments , others plead prescriptions by a legall right of their possessions , others plead a legall right by purchase , and lastly the priests they pleade the equity of the law of moses still to be in force , and alleadges all the scriptures in the new testamens for their proofe , unto which hereafter some what is said , these are the most pretences that of late hath been made by the priests of our daye , or the maine reasons that hath been alleadged for tythes ; and first whereas they pleade the gift of kings , as one by king ethelwolfe as before in this book : to that is answered , that if it could be proved , that if the whole land had been in the particular possession of any such king they had said something , but by what right could he give the tenth part of all the encrease , and fruits of the labours of all the people of his dominions , who had no legall property therein ? but if king ethelwolfes grant must be the foundation of tythes , then how many in●ceeding kings and bishops have violated his deed , by appropriating them to monastries & abbeys and such like houses , which shews the vanity of this argument . another argument which seemes more strong is urged , that the temporal lawes of kings and parliaments say , by the law , that they have as good a propriety to the tenth part as any hath to the ninth of their lends . ans. to such may be said , that the law doth not give any man a propriety either in land or tythes , or any o●her things , but doth only conserve and preserve every man in his proper right , whether by gift or by purchase , or by descent , and doth secure him from the injuries or violence of another . but let 's not be deceived with a new formed pretence , lately taken up to blinde the simple mindes with a name of legall propriety & civil right , for that 's but a meer shift , for i may give my land which i have by gift , purchase or inheritance , or i may sell it , and so cannot they that seemes to lay claime to tythes , but it matters not much what any say , when they see their other claimes will not serve , they would evade and shift from one thing to another to blinde people . but le ts hear what the makers of the law saith of them , though in the height of popery , passing by the saxon times and king stephen , who in their blinde superstition , being perswaded thereunto by the doctrin then taught of the popish clergy , that remission of sins was obtain'd by good works , 〈◊〉 aforesaid , they gave divers gifts and tenths for the health of their souls , and their fathers souls as is aforesaid ; but le ts come to henry the eighth , upon whose law all others that are since made are builded , who in his time cast off the popes yoke ; in that act concerning tythes it is declared , that tythes were due to god and holy church , and they blame men for being so wicked as not to pay them and therefore that law is made ; and here is the ground of their law , viz. not any property or civil right in priests or others , for the law requires them as due by divine right , and therefore cannot be by any civil or temporal right , ( for a man to claime that by humane right from humane law , which commands them as due to god and holy church as that stat. of hen. the eighth doth ) is but a meer juggle and decelt , and that law of hen. the eighth , and the rest since , takes them as granted due to god and holy church , but if they be not , but onely supposed as a duty , then the law cannot be binding , as they are in all the statutes . that tythes were never till of late pretended a civil right , is plain , for as they were imposed by the pope , so they are tryable in his courts , and those very statutes which do pleade made by late parliaments , appoint them to be tryed in ecclesiastical courts : and the act of . of hen the eighth , tythes are their called spiritual gifts , and therefore no temporal or civil right , for before the dissolution of the monastries in hen. the eighths dayes , they were never called a temporal right . 〈◊〉 what is the property that is now claimed ? it cannot 〈◊〉 person , or the priest hath them not untill he enter into 〈◊〉 office , & when he parts with his office he looseth his tythes , 〈◊〉 that the property cannot be in the priest , but it was sup 〈◊〉 due to the office , and what is that ? it was a popish 〈◊〉 , when tythes were first payed to it , how should the right 〈◊〉 now , the office being laid aside , and the pope also that 〈◊〉 up ▪ others who pleade à legall right by prescription , because 〈◊〉 have so long possessed them , therefore they judge them 〈◊〉 right . 〈◊〉 was the old device of the pope , first to preach that 〈◊〉 were due , and then to limit them to mon●stries and 〈◊〉 , when forty years were past , to claim that as a debt , 〈◊〉 before was payed as charity , or at the most as the free 〈◊〉 ●…ering of the owner : and thus the pope got first fruits and 〈◊〉 and peter pence , and great sums of moneys out of this 〈◊〉 nation● , and he might as well pleaded his prescrip 〈◊〉 any of his branches can doe now ; is any ●o blinde as 〈◊〉 see what poor shifts are now made to uphold to great an 〈◊〉 , that hath no better support then this , that it hath 〈◊〉 ●…long payed ? 〈◊〉 shall the continuance of an oppression , give right to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the grievance ? how many great and heavy press●… 〈◊〉 and other things long say upon the nation , as may be 〈◊〉 henry the third , when the pope got above one hundred 〈◊〉 twenty thousand pound per annum , which was then more 〈◊〉 then the kings revenue . now there is no such office in 〈◊〉 is plaine , for when henry the eighth renounced the pope 〈◊〉 declared by act of parliament , assented unto by the 〈◊〉 to be head of the church , and all the ecclesiastical or 〈◊〉 , were not to claim their benefices from the pope but from 〈◊〉 king as by act of parliament ; but this is more fully & large 〈◊〉 ●orth in a printed paper by gervase benson , to which i 〈◊〉 to the reader . 〈◊〉 as to the impropria●ours which lay claim by purchase , 〈◊〉 have bought the●… of the state , and payed great sums of money for them , and may be many have no other subsistance . unto this it is answered , that in the root & ground al 〈◊〉 is a like , whether they be claimed by priest or impropriator , 〈◊〉 seeing those that sold them had no good title , these that 〈◊〉 derived from them cannot then be good , but being it was 〈◊〉 king or state that sold them , and that the whole nation 〈◊〉 the benefit of their moneys , and the nations was eased in 〈◊〉 taxes and subsidies and charge which unavoidably would 〈◊〉 come upon the nation at that time , seeing the nation had 〈◊〉 generall profit ; it is equitable and just , when they cannot 〈◊〉 what is sold , that the impropriators should have their 〈◊〉 repayed , which went to the bearing and paying of the 〈◊〉 lick charge of the nation : and it is reason that it should be payed , by the nation in generall , and so there 〈◊〉 be no detriment to any particular person ; onely it is 〈◊〉 that the rate be moderate , for it is believed upon good 〈◊〉 that the value was but little , and the rate small which the 〈◊〉 propriators payed for them , because of the charges and 〈◊〉 zards that was upon them , for the purchaser could buy 〈◊〉 more , then what the monastries had , which was disolved 〈◊〉 henry the eighth , and these monastries were to finde a suffic●… priest or curate , which had his allowance out of them , 〈◊〉 a convenient portion of tythe , and likewise a portion of 〈◊〉 tythe was se● a part yearly for the maintenance of the poor 〈◊〉 the parish for ever , as is evident by divers acts of parlia●… after the dissolution of the monastries ; these foresaid charg● were to continue upon them as before , as may be seen at large in a treatise called the poor vicarsplea . others say the lawes were made by parliaments , the repres●… v●s of people , and though that tythes were not due before , yet 〈◊〉 might give tythes because as their owne , they being the body of 〈◊〉 people . answ , this supposeth a particular donation of the 〈◊〉 not onely in their legistative capacity to binde themselves by 〈◊〉 law , but by a particular act of free gift , but its evident 〈◊〉 act never intended any such thing , for it gives nothing , 〈◊〉 commands what was given before , and as to this or all other laws that princes , parliaments , popes , councells , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what ever else was by any man made for the payment of 〈◊〉 since christ jesus came in the flesh , joyn'd all together , 〈◊〉 doe they all or any of them binde the conscience ? for if 〈◊〉 be not due by the law of god , as hath been proved be 〈◊〉 that they are not , who hath set them up ? the laws of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the best , and what is man or the sons of men , that 〈◊〉 laws in the place , where god disanuls his own com 〈◊〉 heb. . . as is manifest in this point of tythes by 〈◊〉 scripture , verily it is better to obey god then 〈◊〉 , for christ hath not put that power into any mens hands 〈◊〉 a compulsary maintenance for his ministers , seeing 〈◊〉 his apostles and ministers , their practice was other 〈◊〉 is before mentioned . 〈◊〉 but some may say hath not the magistrates , power as 〈◊〉 , t● command the payment of them to ministers whom 〈◊〉 of . 〈◊〉 . if so as magistrates , then the turk , tartarians , and 〈◊〉 magistrates have the like , but it may be said , as 〈◊〉 magistrates . 〈◊〉 . then may not france and spaine , and italy claim 〈◊〉 , for what nation in europe will not say they have 〈◊〉 magistracy , though a f●r greater part of them be 〈◊〉 , and may not the papists by a● good right claim and 〈◊〉 maintenance for their ministers as henry the eigth , 〈◊〉 other could or can doe : but i would not be mistaken , 〈◊〉 i went about to l●ssen the magistrates power in things ●…oral and civil , as to raise taxer , assessements , or sub 〈◊〉 or other chrages for the service , defence , and 〈◊〉 being of a nation , but i distinguish betwix● things 〈◊〉 , and such as are called spiritual , and so give unto cesar 〈◊〉 things that are his , and unto god the things that are his , 〈◊〉 civil things or temporal things they have power from 〈◊〉 to make laws , and preserve a nation in peace , and to 〈◊〉 for the well being of a nation , because in such 〈◊〉 they are their own masters ; but in matters of religi●… spiritual things no man ought to be imposed upon , 〈◊〉 one must give an account to christ , who is the head 〈◊〉 church , and must stand or fall to his own master : but 〈◊〉 law had been just in commanding tythes , can it be judged equall to give treble damages , where they are not payed : if a man be oweing a just due debt , no more by the law is recovered , but what the debt is , besides the charges of the law , how cruel therefore are those injunctions , which in a matter of so just scruple , require and impose the treble values and furthermore to be required by a law to set out the te●… makes a man a voluntary agent in that thing , against which hi● conscience testifies , and he that cannot doe so , they sue and hal● before courts and magistrates , to get judgements of tr●bl● damage ; and by that judgement frequently being put it●… the hands of such persons as will doe it effectually to the priests minde , they take away sometimes . or . yea oftentimes ten fold damage , what i say in this particuler i can prove by ●●ny witnesses in this nation within this ten years ; and though in the ecclesiastical courts the ordinary might not examine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon his own oath concerning his own tythes , but now 〈◊〉 as make conscience of swearing , which christ forbids , o● 〈◊〉 they cannot themselves tel what tyth they had are cast into prison for contempt , & there may ly as long as they live , and many have dyed in prison upon that account . o what reformation is this ? what , compell a man himself to set out the tyths of his own goods to maintaine a hireling priest , it may be , a time server , a prophane one , or a turn-coat , and so to make a man sin against his own conscience , or else take ten sold as much , and not onely so but force him to swear or 〈◊〉 him to prison , there to lye without hope of any reliefe ▪ 〈◊〉 priests is not this the wages of unrighteousnesse that her● i● all this work about tenths and first fruits , and mortuaries & the like , which are no other then the superstitious reliques of popery . o did but the rulers and magistrates know and consider what havock is made through the nation , what driving of goods , oxen out of the plow , horses out of their teames , the cowes from poor and indigent children , and what carrying of pots , and pans , and kittles , and fetching away the cloathes off , of poor peoples beds , me thinks it should make the nation a shamed of such cruel practices ; or else of such priests and tythes as are the cause of all this : manifold instances i might give about all these things up and down the nation , but that i would not trouble the reader too much because they have been publickly made known before by other hands ●●d pens . there are some other that have claimed tythes and a propriety in them , as that they are right by a divine right , and for it pleades the law of moses ; but as to that i shall not say ●uch more , neither is there any necessity for it , because that most of the ministry are ashamed to make this plea. others have pleaded the decrees , canons , and constitutio●● of popes , and general councils , bishops and convocati●… , and these have said that tythes are due by an ecclesiastical right , and by that right generally under the papal power they claimed them , and others paid them : and this continued in england till the popes supremacy was cast off by 〈◊〉 . the th and then he received frst fruits and tenths . 〈◊〉 of this plea many are ashamed , or few will own as judg●●g the ground too weak to claim it by , on ecclesiastical right . lastly , the main and great plea of the ministry of this last age is , that tythes are not due by the law of god , because it was limited only to the land of israel , and to the levites , only they say the equity of the law is still in force , which obligeth all to give a compe●ent maintenance for the ministry ; a●d to maintain this , they bring in all the scriptures of the new testament which seemeth to encline that way ; and be●…se they know of no other way for maintenance , but by ●…hes , as they are supposed now to be established , many ●ave ignorantly gone about to make inferences and conclusions from them , as to prove their assertions . but to all which 〈◊〉 return this answer : that these plead not for tithes properly , but for a maintenance by way of tithes , as they suppose most convenient , &c. and the first scripture they bring in , is luke . . you pay tithe of mint and rue , and all manner of herbs : as also , matth. . . you pay tithe of mint , and annise , and cummin . also luk. . . i am not as this publican : i pay tithes of all that i possess , &c. it is answered , that christ spake this to the jews and pharisees in t●●e time when the levitical priesthood was not ended , and they were bound by the law , whilest it was of force , to observe this ordinance amongst the rest , which were in the first covenane , which was faulty , which continued until the time of reformation , viz. till christ was offered up , and said , it is finished , and was the ed of the law for righteosnesse unto all that believe ; but it is manifest that the jews then , unto whom christ spake , were not believers , but were such as withstood the son of god , and did not receive him , who was the sum and substance of all the types and shadows of that covenant ; and so this is great ignorance to conclude that because these scriptures are written in the new testament , so called , that therefore tithing is a gospel ordinance , for it is manifest that these scriptures had relation to the jews who were under the law , and not under the gospel ; and so their plea , as to this , is made void . but though divine right have been long pleaded , and are yet by some , but few are now left that will only stand to ●e ; for , if tithes b● absolutely due , as by the law of god , no custome , prescription , priviledge , exemption , dispensation , law or constitutions of man or men , can acqui● any from the utmost penny of the tenth part ; but scarce the tenth parson in england payes tithes in kind , and many plead that they are tith-free , and pay none at all ; but if any will stand to this , and plead divine right , then they are to be payed and received for the end and use for the which they were commanded , for the levites , strangers , poor , the fatherless and widow , and then , where is the impropriators share ? and some lawyers of late , of very good fame in england , have given their judgement , that tithes are not due by the law of god. other scriptures they seem to plead for the receiving of their tithes , as rom. . . render therefore to all their dues tribute to whom tribute is due . and matth. . . give un●● caesar the things which are caesars , and unto god the things which are gods. answ. herein is a clear distinction betwixt the things which are caesars , and the things which are gods ; this speaks only of tribute , and custome , or taxes , or as●ements , which the civil magistrate doth claim by law and by cu●●ome , for the preservation of a nation , or conservation of every man in his proper and particular right ; and herein every one ought to render subjection and obedience , not only for fear of wrath , but for conscience sake . but these scriptures hath no relation to tithes at all , nor forc'd maintenance for priests . object . but it may be objected , hath not the magistrate p●wer to command or make laws for the payment of tenths , o● what other part he will to the ministry ? ans● . this was answered before : if god disanulled his own command , hebr. . for the payment of tithes , who o● what is man that he should make a law , as well to consta●ict that his command , as also on the contrary to establish them ? and seeing the work of the ministry in the work o● the lord for conversion of souls ; and that lie is the lord of the harvest , he provideth for his labourers and harvest-men whom he sends out , so that there need not any outward law be made in this particular . the ministers of old ●…eded not , though believers were but few ; and the ministry of this age reckons whole nations to be believers , and yet they dare not rely upon them for their subsistance , but runs to the temporal powers , to make them a forcing law to establish their maintenance , which demonstrates they are no● true be●…ers , whom they reckon to be so , or else , that the lord of the harvest never sent them forth ; or else , that they do di●…st the lord of the harvest , who , they say , sent them out to preach . other scriptures are brought to plead for tithes , or at least some part of them , and forced maintenance , as cor. 〈◊〉 . . thou shalt not muzzel the m●…th of the o● 〈◊〉 treadeth 〈◊〉 the corn , &c. ver. . who plants a vineyard , and eats not of 〈◊〉 fruit thereof ? and who seedeth a flock , and ●ateth not of the ●…k of the fl●ck ? ver. . if we have sown unto you spiritual ●…gs , is it a great thing if we shall reaep your carnal things . answ. unto all which i answer , that they which do believe , and have received spiritual things indeed , that they are enjoyned by the doctrine of christ , and of his apostles , and not only so , but even from natural things , all that believes are largely taught their duty therein , to distribute and communicate freely unto them who labour in word and doctrine , and are sent out in the work of the lord , that they be comfortably provided for by them that are partakers of heavenly and spiritual things from the lord , as to go on in the warfare of the lord , and to plant in the vineyard of the lord ; yea , and it is agreed that the ministers of christ did not do these things at their own charge ; but if they might not be muzled that treads out the corn , yet they may be muzled that treads out no corn , but runs ramping through the lords fields and spoils the corn , these ought to be muzled . again , they that watch over a fleck , though they may eat of the milk of the flock , yet they that kill them that are sed , and feeds themselves with the fat , and cloaths themselves with the wooll , and worryes the lambs , they ought not to eat of the milk of the lords flock ; and of such as they r●c● , on unbelievers and hereticks , and they looks upon , belongs to another master , and not to the fold of christ , they ought not to clip and shear other mens . sheep . but in short , all the aforesaid scriptures makes nothing at all for tythes , or any part thereof , either from believers , or not believers ; and these scriptures also grant , that every man is the sole owner of his own labour and possession , y●● ought every one freely to glorifie god with his substance , and to communicate to him that teacheth in all good things needful ; and such sacrifice god doth well accept . again , other scripturs they bring , in which there is as little ground or footing as in the former , but that they are necessitated to get a shelter and a seeming cover for their practice to blinde people withall , that they may get their money : and so they bring , cor. , , . for it is written , or saith he , it 's altogether for our sakes no doubt this is written , that he aha● ploweth should plow in hope , and he that thresheth in hope , should be made partakers of his hope . ver. . and do you not know that ●●y who ministereth holy things , live of the things of the temple , ●●d they that wait at the altar , are partakers with the altar , even s● hath the lord ordained , that they who proach the gospel , should 〈◊〉 of the gospel . upon these scriptures , as upon the for●●r inferences hath been made to prove their lawful receiving of popish tithes , and forced maintenance . the apostle having travelled and laboured in the gospel of christ among the corinthians , afterwards wrote unto them , exhorting them to steadfastness in the faith , and also reproving the disorders that was amongst them , which was cr●●e in , in his absence , which was sown by them of the circumcision , who boasted themselves against paul , and led away the heart of the corinthians from him , as much as in them lay , into the liberty of the flesh , and looked upon paul as in bondage , whereunto the apostle useth plainnesse of speech , and tells them , that doubtlesse he was as an apostle to them , and magnifies his office , and declares also his power which he had received from christ , as he told them , ver . . have not we power to eat and to drink ? and i and barnabas , ●●ve not we power to forbear working ? doubtlesse , yes : it was the same that christ gave unto his disciples when he sent them forth , with them that are worthy to stay , and to eat , and drink what was set before them ; and doubtlesse they had power to forbear labouring with their hands , but they would not alwayes use it , least they should seem burthensome , but laboured rather to make the gospel of christ without charge ; so this which is alledged as out of the law , for the equality of it , as the ox not to be muzled when he ●●ode out the corn , and a husband man ploughs in hope to receive a crop ; and the thresher thresheth in hope to get out the corn ; even so , he that ministreth in word and doctrine , in the faith and hope , is also made partakers of his hope , and goeth not to war of his own charge , but christ maketh provision for them , and opens the hearts of people to contribute freely in the work of the lord , and for his service , and seeing the corinthians allowed this power unto others , who sowed dissention among them , the apostle urgeth it that he much more had power , though he had not used it . and further , like as they that ministred at the temple , who were partakers of the altar , as god had appointed them ; likewise now they that preach the gospel , live of the gospel , as god hath or● dained it . but that clause , ver . . [ even so ] hath been miserably strain'd by this last generation of teachers , as though they that preached the gospel should live of tythes , even a● they , viz. the levites that ministred a● the altar , did live of the offerings and tithes that pertained to the altar . bu● there is no necessity to understand the words [ even so ] as thereby to infer , that they who preach the gospel should live of tithes ; but as the levites liv'd of offerings nnd tythes , that ministred at the altar in their day , even so , they that minister the gospel , should live of the gospel in their day , and be content with christs allowance . and , as the apostle saith elsewhere , having food and raiment , to be therewith content ; for to live of the gospel , is not to live of jewish tithes , or popish tithes , nor forced maintenance , for this is contrary to the practice of the ministers of the gospel ; for we never read of any commandement given for payment of tithes under the gospel , neither exhortation to any , neither reprehension of any for not paying , in all the writings of the apostles ; so that we conclude , there is none due , neither ought to be received by any minister of the gospel ; but people being generally taught , that the scripture is the fourdation of faith , and practice of christians . the teachers of the last age , they know that people will expect to have some ground or scripture for proof of their arguments or pleas , and they not having what they could desire , brings such as they can get , miserably turning and twineing , perverting and straining these and the like scriptures before mentioned to blind people withal ; but the day is manifest that discovers all the crooked paths , and windings , and turnings of the old serpent , and ministers of unrighteousnesse , and wages of unrighteousnesse . but another seeming hold , is , cor. . . i robb'd other churches , taking wages of them , to do you service . answ. here the apostle shews how he had behaved himself amongst them , though he had power to eat and to drink , and to forbear labour , and to receive of them ( to wit , the ●…hians ) those things needful , yet he had not done so for reasons given , before mentioned , and in divers other places , though he saith , whilest he was present with them , that he wanted , as in ver . . and had preached the gospel freely unto them , ver . . and did not use his power as aforesaid , but rec●ived something from the brethren of macedonia , which 〈◊〉 freely given and ministred by them , amongst whom he ●●d ministred before ; and he made use of thir , even while he 〈◊〉 in the corinthians work : and this he took , being offered fr●●ly by the macedonians , that he might preach the gospel fr●●ly among the corinthians , and this he reckoned as wages , 〈◊〉 as taking from others , that he might serve the corinthians and that he might keep himself clear , and not be bur●…some ; but this was ingratefully done of the corinthians seeing it was that which they freely allow'd unto them , 〈◊〉 had deceived them , to wit , false apostles : but what doth all this prove for tithes and forced maintenance ? even nothing at all ; but on the contrary , proves receiving freely that which was given freely by them , unto whom he had preached freely , and the ingratitude also of the corinthians . but being willing to answer all the pleas and arguments that 〈◊〉 i heard , and al the scriptures in the new testament ( so called ) which hath been brought in for a plea , by the ministrey of this last age , that their cover may be rent , and their vaile ●…e away ; and the feeblenesse of their arguments shewed son● , that people may see , they are without foundation , or my grounded bottome for these challenged tythes and forced maintenance and that all may see we doe not suffer impris●●ment , and spoiling of our goods wilfully , or ignorantly , ●●t for our abiding in the doctrin of christ , and keeping stedl●st to the ordinances , and order of the gospel in the purest time of the publication thereof ; but take one other scripture which they alledge and i have done , which is , heb. . . and ●re men that dye doe receive tythes , but there he receiveth them of 〈◊〉 is is witnessed that he liveth . answ. unto which i answer , because this is written in the new testament so called which they ignorantly call the gospel ; therefore because this word ( here ) is mentioned in the scripture ; they have concluded that the ministers of the gospel doe receive tythes , which they as miserably wrest as they doe the words ( even so ) for here the apostle is exalting the priesthood of christ above the priesthood of levi , and shews that melchizedech was greater then abraham , after whose order christ was made an high priest , and that levi payed tythes in abram unto melchizedech : and these words , here men that dye receive tythes , hath wholly relation unto abraham and to levi in that covenant , and not so much as any shadow at all of paying or receiving tythes in the second priesthood , for if perfection were by the levitical priesthood , what further need was there that another should arise after the order of melchizedech : and all the aforementioned scriptures , which are the greatest seeming ground that the ministry of this last age pretend tythes and forced maintenance from , proves nothing at all , but rather to the contrary , as hath been said & much more might be said ; for it is manifest that all the ministers of christ never received any tythes or forced maintenance from the world , who were in the unbeliefe , neither of them who were not of their church , nor of such as they reckoned as hereticks , but this last generation of apostates exceeds all that ever went before them , in covetousnesse ; if they be but remaining within such a parish ( which was first set up by the pope and his emessaries , and ratifyed by the princes of the earth , that have drunk the whores cup ) whether they be believers or unbelievers , prophane , schismatickes , or heretickes ; yea or such as they 'l curse and give up to satan : tythes and forced wages , mortuaryes and oblations , besides many other things that they claim as due , this they must and will hav●s and will tell you he that preacheth the gospel must live of the gospel ? o sad generation who fills the world with darknesse , and blindes the mindes of people , may it not truly be said and looked for ; that which was prophesied of old , and came to passe concerning the levitical priesthood , when they had violated the commandements of the lord : for your sake shall sion be plowed as a corne field , and jerusalem become as beapes : and truly i doe reckon it as one of the maine transgressions of the ministry of this last age , which should have been leades of the people , but have caused them to erre ; that the nation hath been plowed up and turn'd over as a husbandman turnes ground , and therefore the nation hath not enjoyed its rest , nor the land its sabbaths : neither i look will or can doe , whilest these abominations are held up . likewise , let all the now call'd separated churches be proved and tryed , who reckon that they are separated from the world , and yet many of them have received pay and wages of those who are of the world , for their teachers , who send none out at their own cost , to preach to the world , and this is likewise hypocrisie and an abominable thing , and here also the r●●●rs of our present age might learn wisdome ( seeing that all the ministers of christ never received any maintenance from the world , or from them that did not look upon them as ministers of christ , nor own them as such ) to with-hold their hands from upholding any with their worldly sword , or compell others to maintaine them by their penall laws , but to leave christ kingdome to his owne rule , who is lord of the harvest , and sends forth labourers , and hath spirit and life , and power , and wisdome to put upon them , and give unto them , who chuses whom he pleaseth , and will not be limited , who sent forth fisher men , shepheards , herdsmen , plough men , tillers of ground , and keepers of flockes , who spoke plaine word● , and reached to the consciences of men of the meanest capacity ; and yet our litterall rabbies cannot understand , who are yet wise in the worlds wisdome , gathered into schooles and there study , and learn a trade , and trades with their words , thereby to get their livings , and what doctrine as suites the times ; that they study to uphold their maintenance . in the time of popery they studyed the popish doctrin , and preached it to the nations , in the time of prelacy they changed to a new form , and when that was lai'd aside ; presbitery step'd on the stage , and that doctrin and worship was studied and preached , and the universityes and schooles sent out such as would suit that time , then after that independency that was propagated , and then the universityes and schooles sent out such as would suit that time , and now episcopacy is started up from the grave , and all the former lai'd a side , and look what pleaseth them best which hath the greatest livings to dispose , and that is sure by them to be cryed up , and studyed and preached , and here 's the spring of the teachers , the universityes and schooles sends forth , who wheeles about any way to preserve them in esteem and in their maintenance . but let the rulers and all wise men consider , that christs love to the world for whom he died is not lessened nor abated , neither is his spirit diminished , nor his power shortened that he will not , or cannot send forth fit ministers for his service , or that he needs universities or schools , or magistrates to provide maintenance for those that he sends forth , for let the magistrates look to their own kingdom which is of this world , and to restrain and punish the evil doers therein , and to encourage and protect the good , and then all would be agreed , and the nations preserv'd and kept in peace and quietnesse , every one enjoying his true liberty and freedom in the things that are spiritual , and which belong to the kingdom of god , and herein would be no detriment at all to the magistrates , or the kingdoms of the world , nor any dimunition from their power ; and oh that they might learn wisdom , and as they would not have men to entrench upon their prerogative and power , as it is not meet , so likewise that they would not intrench upon the soveraignty and power of christs kingdom which is over all , and do we not say , thine is the kingdom , the power and the glory , and know this , that his glory he will not give unto another ; and let me speak freely the main reason wherefore the nations have been broken into strife , and fractions , and warre , is because many men hath made an inroad , and an intrusion upon the soveraignty of christ , and against such his power hath and will ever turn against , because they will not allow him that is the most high to rule and reign in kingdomes and the consciences of men , which he alone hath right to do , and this power , honour , and glory the lord hath not given to any other , nor yet will do , but to the son of god the light of the world , the life of men , and the saviour of mankind , and what is man or the sons of men , that they should strive with the lord in this thing ; let all the rulers of the earth consider betimes , was not this it that destroyed the whole nation of the jews ? was not this it that confounded all the roman monarchs , and brought them all to a miserable end , because they would not suffer christ to be head among the christians , and also how many princes , though otherwise wise , have lost their crowns and kingdoms , because they would not suffer christ to have dominion in his peoples hearts , but persecuted them for keeping his statutes , and then his power turn'd against them , as sad experience hath witnessed in many nations , and chiefly by the instigation of the ministry of every age since the apostasie ●●●red in , have stirr'd up the temporal kings , and temporal princes to make laws , and to compel all to obey them , and have pressed it upon the magistrates , as their duty , when their gospel would not maintain them to make laws for them , to compel people to give them tythes , and forc'd maintenance , and hire , or else most dreadfully complain upon the magistrates , as that christ was little beholden to them , if they would not compel & force according to the priests mind , they have then judged them as lukewarm , & irreligious persons , and such as had no care of the church of god at all , and thus the pope and prelates of every age downward untill this very time , have put on the magistrates and rulers to work drudgery for them , and intermeddle in those things which properly and solely belongs to christ jesus , or else have stir'd up the princes of the earth to make war one against another , only to vindicate their covetous and ambitious quarrel , which was only a self-seeking , and pride , and not the honour of god , nor the prosperity of his saving truth ; and so greatly wrong'd the princes of the earth , busying and troubling them with their own covetous and self-seeking affaires ( falsely calling it the church affairs ) and for the honour of christ , when they have neglected their own necessary and urgent affaires in many nations , and kingdoms to the great harm of princes , and detriment to the nations , and trouble to the people , as is evident in the history of divers christian princes , from the time of constantine , until this very day . o it is sad and lamentable to behold how emperors and princes have been gull'd and cheated by these pestiferous , worldly , and carnal priests , who have not minded the law of jesus christ , nor the conversion of souls , but their own bellies , and to be chiefly medling in state matters , and princes affairs ( which did not , neither do belong unto them ) rather then the flock of christ , insomuch that they are grown to that height , and pride , and imperiousnesse , that no king , or potentate could keep his crown or prerogative and kingdome in quiet , nor possesse his own dominion in peace , except he was subject unto them : instances i might bring many of emperours and kings , whose kingdomes have been interduced , and the king and his people curst , and excommunicated because of some factious legate , bishop , or pryor , who have complain'd to the pope , and upon every small sentence and judgement against princes , and all under pretence of vindicating church priviledges , and what a mischief and stir the former bishops of canterbury , priors , monks and others , what stirs and broiles they have made in this our english nation , and what trouble they have put the princes thereof unto , and involved them in , and the whole nation , only for their own particular interest , our own chronicles and histories of the nation doth sufficiently testifie , unto which i refer the reader , rather then to trouble in this discourse , and since the popes yoke hath been thrown off , how have the nations been involv'd in trouble , and princes disturbed with the covetous priests affairs , as about tythes , glebe lands , augmentations , forc'd maintenance , hire and mortuaries , and about their caps , and tippets , and hoods , and altars , and tables , and crosses , and unholy railes , and bells , and fonts , surplices , and girdles , and such other like trumpery , how hath the nation been troubled , and peoples consciences been burdened , and one disjoynted from another , in which god hath not been glorified at all , nor his people edified , and all this and much more the magistrates hath been pressed upon , and very much troubled . and for being afraid of offending their worldly priests , they have becom'd their servants , and drudges to work their slavery , and yet all is too little , and great commotion and strife hath been , and is in the nation this day about these trivial , yet troublesome things , by which the hearts and consciences of good people are troubled , and the nation vexed , and all under the name of vindicating the church priviledges . o all ye magistrates and potentates of the earth arise , and ●●and upon your own legs , and shake your selves and these things 〈◊〉 off you , and trouble not your selves with that which is too p●●derous and weighty for you to bear , which you are never able to made thorow , keep peace in your own dominions , and exec●te justice and judgement among all people without having respect to this or that particular judgement , for that 's the way and the only way to preserve the nation and people in peace and qui●●nesse , and let christs kingdome alone , and his church alone to him that is the head thereof , who gave his life for it , and hath a case of it , and let christians alone as christians , and as c●●ists subjects , to be governed by christ , who is the king , law●…r , and judge of his people , who only hath right to rule in the hearts and consciences of the sons of men , who doth teach , hath taught , and yet will teach his people , as is witnessed by the prophet isaiah . and this glory and power he hath not given to any man , as man , whatsoever ; but he himself teacheth how ●e will be worshipped , to wit , in spirit , and in truth . and ●…soever would arrogate unto themselves that power , then doth ●e power of the lord jesus christ turn against them . and therfore be warned , all ye potentates of the earth , and let your e●thly wisdome cease , and carnal policy cease , and earthly ●…rivance cease , and worldly consultations cease ; make room all , give place and give way to him who is risen and com'd in his second appearance in his sain●s , who must have way , and will have way , or else will force his way , though not by bow , s●ear , buckler , or shield , or carnal weapons of war , for out of his mouth goes the two-edged sword , and hot coals of fire are kind●… by the breth of his mouth : and the breth of the lord shall ●n the wicked , and burn up all mountains and hills before it . consider what god did to amaleck of old , whose king was a●●g a mighty prince , and to sihon , and ogge king of bashan , who was of the race of the giants , mighty for fortitude ; and , ●oreover , ammon and edom very great . nations , all these rose ●p to stop the lord in his way , and israel , unto whom the promise of god was made . and what was the issue thereof , when the lord was glad to force his way , though to the detriment and ●…ine of all those mighty nations ? christ the light of the world , now in the end of the world , and in this last age , hath chosen a people out of many peoples , and a family out of many families , and a nation out of many nations , to serve him and worship him , to honour and obey him in life , spirit and power , in their generation , and unto them the promise of eternal life is made , and the kingdome that is not of this world , and the inheritance that fades not away . and christ the king of eternal glory is their leader , and many are determined to follow him , and loves not their lives to the death , and are willing to lay down all in this world for that which is promised , and would fain walk on their way in quietnesse and peace , without any molestation to any man in person or estate in the world , eating their own bread , and drinking their own water , either by labour or by price ; but , alas , their way is stopt , and divinations is sought against them , the balaamites are called forth to enchant , and divine , and curse , and they give counsel to the princes to stand up in defiance , and seek by all means possible to stop , and hath fram'd many engines , to see if that will do , to wit , forcible laws , confiscations , premuniries , jayles , prisons , houses of correction , fines , stockings , whippings , execrations , cominations , and excommunications , and what not that can be invented by wordly policy , and now the battel is set , though one party hath no carnal weapon i● their heart or hand , and all nations mark the issue , remember the battel and the end thereof , and do no more , if the lord do not manifestly say , and make it evident one way or other ( for i dare n●…nit him a way ) saying as he did of old , touch not mi●● anointed , do my prophets no harm , to every kingdom , natio● and people , who riseth up against the inheritance of the lord and if he bring not a rebuke upon whatsoever nation , people o● family , that arises up in opposition against christ and his people , whom he hath redeemed , then let all conclude that god is no● among us , neither is with us , nor hath spoke unto us , but to be sho●● in this matter , because a few words to the wise is enough , and a little councel to the prudent may suffice , but in this particular of which i have been treating most what about tythes , and ministers maintenance in this i shall conclude , and also assent unto , as being the judgment of thousands of the lords people , as that the ministers of jesus christ , who are truly so , manifest in doctrine and works , who sow unto us or any people spiritual things , they should and ought to reap of our temporal things . but here lies the difference ; first of all , that the spirit of the lord in our consciences must be our judge , who these ministers are , and no other mans direction , for to the conscience were alwayes the ministers of christ made manifest , and not approved with the reason and wisdom of man. secondly , that our gifts may be free , and by no mans compulsion ; and this is according to primitive example , and the church of christs order in the first gospel-times , which all do conclude was the most purest time . and would not this ease the temporal magistrate of much trouble that he puts himself unto , and also be more acceptable to god and man ? for who hath made him a judge of these things in gospel ●…es ? but seeing i have run over the many particular judgements from the apostles time downward , and hath given the best ●…dent that can be given in every age , as to this particu●… , and seeing divers things are written by other hands , 〈◊〉 may be enough to satisfie the consciences of all who 〈◊〉 scruple in this matter : and so i shall conclude upon 〈◊〉 many good reasons and grounds before mentioned , which is agreeable , some of them , in every age unto the doctrine of christ , and the practice of the apostles , and 〈◊〉 is a certain and positive truth , believed among us , which 〈◊〉 is agreeable unto the scripture , that tythes and for●… maintenance , as to the ministers of christ , never was , 〈◊〉 , or shall be counted as gospel maintenance , neither 〈◊〉 the consciences of believers at all obliged in this mat●er . concerning parochial churches , and division of par●shes and parish profits . concerning these parish churches about which there is such heavy stir at this day , and for parish pay , and an injuction for all to worship there , is a very novelty , and compared with the apostles time , though it s granted that there were places wherein the saints did assemble themselves for the worship of god , yet no limitting to any such place , nor no limitting , nor no tying to pay , these were but set up at best in the time of popery , and not altogether in the beginning of it neither , for as is mentioned before , the teachers was sent out of the monasteries and religious houses so called , and the people did go to worship at any place , and at their own free will gave their offerings where they pleased , till the year . as before is mentioned , as learned selden hath well observ'd in his exact treatise of tythes . as for the brittains little or no testimony is extant of any credit , that discovers their order in their times , but some about the year after christ was found amongst them , for when da●ritrius was bishop of south wales , and his see appointed at landasse , divers churches were erected , and oblations , and other profits were appropriated to him and his successours , likewise mention is made of a church build in the time of the romans , to the honour of saint martin , in which austin and his followers , when they came first from rome , made their holy assemblies , as they were call'd , but guildas saith , that about the year . the clergy having lordship , had resort to them for filthy lucres sake . first , parochia or parae●●● be diversly taken , as first it was taken by the saxons , for bishoprick , or a diocesse , or otherwise , for a limitted place within that diocesse , called a lesse parish , but it is manifest that these parishes had no profits at all belonging unto them , but only were places where augustine sent his monks unto in the time of the saxons , and to preach and receive the offerings , and they were carried into a general treasury for the clergy , for then they had all things in common , so at that time when they began to grow rich they began to build some houses , call'd churches , and to repair the old temples of the gentiles , as pope gregory advised them out of the offerings of the people , ( but now parish priests , takes tenths and oblations also , and that by force , and will neither build nor repair these masse houses , and so are worse then the papists in their time ) for the conveniency of the neighbouring inhabitants were assigned to the ministring priests where they exercise their shrivings ; but not so limitted that every one was bound to keep his devotion within the limits of such a place or any parish , for in the respect of offerings , and profits , canterbury was indeed the only limitted parish , so it was not material at what place they met , or where they offered their bounty , so they did it any where , and it s commonly received , that honorus , who succeeded augustine at canterbury , about the year . divided his province into parishes , as some of the greatest and most learned writers relate . but when the popes doctrine was received and devotion grown great , such as it was , most lay men of great estates desired the country residence of some chaplaines or clarks , that might alwayes be ready for their instruction , their families , and adjoyning tenants ; and then parish churches began to builded by them also , and the bishops hallowed them , as it was called , and they were endued by particular maintenance from the founders , the territories , demesnes , and tennants , and neighbouring possessions , & they assigned the limits where the holy function should be exercised & appointed ▪ the persons that should repaire the church and offer there , and provided a speciall sallery for the performance , and made the revenue perpetually annexed to the church of that clark who received it , and so the offering were restrained from the common treas●ry of the diocesse . out of these lay foundations , chiefly undoubtedly came these kinde of parishes which at this day are in every diocesse ; their difference in quantity being originally , because of the several circuits deme●nes , or teritoryes possess●d by the founders , sometimes greater , and sometimes lesser . at what 〈◊〉 these lay foundations began to be frequent , appears not , but some mention is made of them about the year as bede ●●ith who mentions one puch a sax●n noble man , and one addi who builded also and endu●d them with sallary ; but about the year . many were founded by lay men , and recorded to be appropriated to the abbey crowland , by this time lay foundations grew very common , and parochical limitts also of the parishoners devotion , and in a councell held under wilfride archbishop of canterbury , we finde that where churches are builded , and that they are consecrated by the bishop of the same diocesse , a cannon of the same synod ordaines that thorow every church upon the death of every bishop , that all the families of every parish were to meet at the church , and sing . psalmes , and . psalters , and . missayes with fasting and prayer for the soule of the bishop deceased : many more instances might be given , and presidents about these parishes , but enough of this onely to informe the reader of their original ; from these it doth fully appear that the limits of parishes were understood : but the first expresse mention of limitation of profits to this or that church , as in the lawes of king edgar made in the year , in the very midnght of popery , where it was ordain'd that every man should pay his tythes to the most ancient church or monastery , where he heard gods service ; but some parishes had other beginnings in regard of the inconveniency , which made pope alexander write to the bishop of yorke that he heard of a c●rtaine parish in his province was so far distinct from the parish church , that the inhabitants could not repaire to it in winter ; whereupon he commands the archbishop to build a church in that town , and to institute a presentation of the rectour that might have to his use all profits encreasing in those limits , and acknowledge a superiority to the mother church , and so by the authority of the power either by the pope , bishop , or princes , who received their doctrin ; the limits , and maintenance of parishes have been more or lesse as they ordained , and as they doe continue to this day . likewise in other kingdomes and nations , where the pope had authority , the like rules as aforesaid were observ'd , as might be evidenced by sundry authors ; but not to trouble my selfe or the reader any more , with such unprofitable stuffe● i have onely given these instances to show the ground and rise of them , and shewn how that people then were not limited to any particular place in respect of worship , neither in respect of pay , orduty , so call'd but now them that pretends reformation , & hath denyed the pope and his doctrin , as they say , they claime both , and if all between such a hedge , and such a ditch , such a water , and such a way , will not come and worship at that place called their parish church , and hear their service and joyn with them in it , though it be never so repugnant to the doctrin of christ , and the true worship of god , but more especially if they come not with their pay : they 'l give them up all unto satan by whole sale , and cast them into prison , and denounce them hereticks , and cry to the temporal power for helpe against these non conformists , for they are not fit to live in a nation , because they are not commodious to us ; and then get an order , fetch away their goods , break open the gates , carry away poor mens corn , drive away oxen , & cows , & ●rayl away the pots and pans , hale away cloths of poor peoples beds , and then cry they are not subject to the orders and canons of the holy church ; no not conformable to our lawes , and this is the practice of our great reformers , of our latter ages , which is far worse then in the very height of popery : by reason of which practices the land mournes , and because of which we cannot joyn with them in their worship , neither give them pay for doing of mischiefe , nor suffer the lords goods to be given to such covetous lazy priests ; who serves not the lord jesus christ , but their own bellies and for denying of these late innovations and new upstart things which are no congruity with the primitive church of christ ; we are great sufferers at this day , but have rather chosen to keep our consciences clear , and the doctrin of christ inviolable whatsoever wee suffer , till god make our innocency and our righteousnesse appear as the noone day , and pleade our cause in the midst of all our enemies . the end. the poor husband-mans complaint , his hope and confidence . let pope and priests doe what they may , god will take tythes ere long away : for they 're oppressive in the land , which makes good men against them stand : for wee oppressed are thereby , which makes us to the lord sore cry , to ease us of this burthen sore ; that wee may praise him ever more . that he would hearken our addresse , which wee to him in humblenesse presents our suit to ease our griefe , and thorow pitty send reliefe . for by the mercilesse merchants crew , of babell● citty doth renew , our sufferings most heavily , housholds expos'd to penury . our kine , and oxen they by force , drive away without remorse . our bedding , pewter , and at last our selves are into prison cast . thus to misery they their doome , by authority fetcht from roome doth expose our sad estate , and whole housholds ruinate , by that which they usurpate , they wh●le familyes extirpate . o great oppression thou againe , makes us doubly complaine . our heavy burthen fetcheth groanes , this cruel tything forceth moanes : and wrong fully they have pretence of scripture made for their defence : from levies tribe they would possesse , tythes to them are by successe : and thus the gospels day in vain , to get their prey they would disdaine , 〈◊〉 gods worship that shall stand , when they have done what 's in their hand for what is done against gods power , shall be thrown down as in an houre . the world shall destroyed he , who lives not long may come to see god will try as there is need , and send deliverance to his seed , this is my faith i do believe that god will sore the wicked grieve , therefore let wicked men repent , that unto hell they be not sent ; and if they subject be to god , they ●ay escape his heavy rod , the time comes on , and hast apace , wherein great babylon god will race o●● of her power and might so great that she 'l be turn'd out of her seat , that christ may reign whose due it is , that all the faithful him may blisse , ●●bylons merchants with their pay i● gods time hee 'l turn away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is com'd to be their foe which is cause to bring their woe , 〈◊〉 they shall cry woe and alas when there is non to make redresse , 〈◊〉 ●ne houre shall judgement come with violence perpetual doome , of death and famine shall she taste , her stately buildings all laid wast , 〈◊〉 day of howling shall betake and she thrown down into the lake , 〈◊〉 dreadfully her doubled cup , of wrath and sorrow she 'l drink up ; 〈◊〉 ●hy the lords decree shall stand , 〈◊〉 purpose now is near at hand , and what is prophecy'd shall come , babels merchants they shall mourn , they shall weep and howl right sore , their merchandise will sell no more ; after that which they did lust , departed from them , is as just . read your sentence , babels train , judgment comes with might and main , the wrath of god , and fury great powred from his judgment seat : from his presence , yea from him will your cup be fill'd to 'th brim , kings will mourn , and cry alass , when they these things see come to pass , for through christs power and renown , down goes babel , she goes down . j. r. as one fore-seeing the day of terror that is to come upon babel , makes this invitation . come out of her my people , o return , make haste , her day 's at hand to weep and mourne , her dayes of howling hastens on apace , she hath nigh liv'd her time , and run her race : return , return , least that her plagues you taste , for desolate must she be , her buildings waste , her fiery burning smoake is nigh as hand , for fear of torments , kings at distance stand . the voice of mourning shortly comes to pass , babylon's merchants cry , alass , alass , this city great is now com'd ruinate , and all her stately buildings desolate . thus babylon the great is thrown to 'th ground , and never any more is to be found : then shall the glorious day , and then the voice as if of mighty thunderings , saints rejoyce , and they their song of halelujah sing , their praises , honour , glory , to their king. their joy and splendor , now the saints do say the lamb is come , this is our nuptial day . oglorious sun-shine , king of saints we 'll praise , and in thy powerful wonder we amaze w●● admirable joy , our souls to thee the song of sion sing ; o praised be thou holy , holy , glorious righteous god , who babylon hath shaken by thy rod , and gives thy saints the songs of joy to sing , praise to their god , praise to their gracious king. the saints in righteosness thou wilt aray with fine adornings , thee to praise alway , and i● thy glorious habitation rest , for eve● more with joy their souls be blest . 〈◊〉 , rejoyce , ye●saints of the most high , to sions king give praise eternally : the wondrous joyes unto you which are come unto the marriage supper of the lamb , in admiration which to you belong , the doubled halelujah is your song : when babels just reward that day shall be as a great mil-stone cast in to the sea : reward her as she hath rewarded you , double her cup , her torments eke renew . for in so much as she the saints blood shed , with rigteous judgments shall she be judged : sit down ye sufferers in the patience seat , and willingly content , though it be great ; tour measure 's hard in this your suffering day , but your reward shall come with double pay . resign your selves , and willingly sit down , in the expect●nce of the glorious crown , for why , your portion glorious shall be , a great reward is sure , you shall it see , fre● not your s●lves because of wicked men , your day will joyous be , even so . amen . e. g. the great complaint and outcry of one of the sufferers of sion . o rulers of england and teachers , and people how long will it be are you will awake out of the deepe slumber , that hath ceased upon you , and consider a little : you doe all look upon in this age that popery is idolatry , and to maintaine their worship and practice is not consistant with the worship which you own , but doe you think that talking against popery in the generall , whilest that you are upholding it many particulars in point of lawes and worship , doe answer your profession , or will preserve you in the day of the lord , when the righteous judgements of god shall be revealed ; seeing that though you have broken off from them in some circumstantial and ceremonial things , for that very maine basis and foundation upon which it standeth is absolutely covetousnesse , and filthy lucre , but to speak plain , tythes , offerings , oblations , mortuaries , peter pence & qu●dnon is claimed and looked upon to be due as to the pope in imitation of the jews high priest , with all the rable of that crew , even from the very bishop to the quirister boy ; and yet in point of wages and pay all the aforesaid ordinances which constitutes by authority from rome stands as evangelical or jure divino unto this day amongst the reformed churches so called , which are not onely disconsonant to the first primitive times , but also contrary to the very law of the jews , when tythes , oblations , and offerings were due to be payed , for then the husbandman , poor , fatherlesse , widows , and orphants might all eat together of that which was offered , or given according to the command ▪ but now them which pretends another mninstry , and layes little claime to the levitical priesthood , and have also possessions of lands amongst their brethren which the levits had not ; these goes with tythes , offerings and divers other things never claimed by the levites , but claimed by popish constitutions in the midnight of popery ; and all these things the reformed priests so tearmed , layes claim unto and must have , and will have , or else the whole nation shall ring with their noise , common 〈◊〉 , exchequer , capiter court , assise and sessions , shrieffs , ●●alers , bayliffs , and every common catch pole shall be employed to doe their work , and all too little , to satisfie their ●●ltrous eye : and if they can get a serowle und●r any hand that hath authority ; they 'le break open doors , pull down ●●dges , carry away the corn at their pleasure , drag away pots 〈◊〉 kittles , and tugg away beding and cloathes of all sorts ; c●ildrens nights beds as a priest of this order did in kent , ●●ly , yea curtaines and vallans , drink bear out of the cel●●r , and if it be but halfe a cheese ; and this is their plea , be that ●…eth the gospel , shall live of the gospel , and the aforesaid 〈◊〉 and man , fatherlesse and widows , hath not any part or ●●re in the aforesaid falsly claimed tythes , but all is too little , to satisfie the insatiable covetousnesse of these evange●●cal priests , falsly so called : o how can yee know and be●old these things , and not blush and be ashamed ; and shall 〈◊〉 lawes which have been made in the night of darkenesse 〈◊〉 popery , of necessity be a rule in this age to magistracy and ●…istry , which pretends they are in a more pure lig●… o 〈◊〉 the lord would open all your eyes to consider , but ●ow 〈◊〉 , them unto whom his marvellous light is shed , cannot bu● 〈◊〉 ●nto you , and also bear their testimony against the afore●… grievances and disorder which are executed beyond mea●…●pon the poore people in this nation , which certainly if 〈◊〉 amended will draw down gods heavy judgements upon 〈◊〉 nation ; and so i cannot but as one among the rest give 〈◊〉 ●y testimony for god and his truth against such cruell 〈◊〉 , and falsly pretended maintenance of black coates , ●…d turn coates , and my testimony is true and to seale it , i ●…ve given up my life and estate . by a servant of the lord. m. l. to all who say you are gathered out of the world into church-fellowship , these queries are for you to answer . . what was the woman that was cloathed with the 〈◊〉 and crowned with twelve stars , which travelled i● pain to bring forth ? . what was the sun she was cloathed withal , and : stars she was crowned withal , and when was she so cloathed and crowned ? . and what was the man-child that was brought forth , seeing christ was born of the virgin in bethlehem long before john saw this in the isle of patmos ? . and when did the woman fly into the wilderness , and what is the wilderness into which she fled , and what is the wing● of the great eagle , which she did fly withal ? . and what is the time , times , and the half time , which she is to be in the wilderness , and when did it begin , 〈◊〉 when will it be expir'd , and whether is the woman ever to come out again , and when shall be the time of her return ? . when was the time , that the man-child was caught o● unto god , which the women brought forth , seeing chr●… was ascended long before this man-child was caught up to god , which was to rule the nations , and how long is it since . and whether is he ever to descend again , and be mad● manifest to rule the nations , and when shall he begin 〈◊〉 reign ? . when was the dragon in heaven , and how came he there , seeing that it 's written , no unclean thing can enter there , or nothing that doth defile ? . and when was he cast out of heaven into the earth , and how long hath he to reign in the earth ? . when began he to persecute the remnant of the woman seed , and how long shall his reign be ? . when begins the one thousand years that he shall be bound ? or , whether is it begun or to come ? . when shall he be taken hold of , and with the beast and false prophet thrown into the lake of fire ? . what is mistery babylon , and when had she her rice , when was her city raised up , over which she rules as a queen ? . and what is the golden cup of fornication she hath made the nations drunk withal ? . and what is her merchandize which her merchants trade withal , and the sea upon which they carry their traffick , and upon which the ship-masters , and ships ride , and when shall it be dryed up , and what shall dry it up ? . when shall the city over which she hath reigned be destroyed ? and when shall her flesh be burnt with fire ? and what is the gospel that shall be preached again ? . and how long hath it been since it hath been preached to the nations , seeing it 's to be preached again to the nations , and whether is the time begun or not ? when was the gospel lost , seeing all europe is professing it , or whether is it yet to come , when it shall begin to be preached again to kin●●●● , tongues , and nations ? . and what is the light of the lamb , the nations that unsaved shall walk in after the seven vials be poured , upon the ●●t of the beast ? declare if thou have understanding . francis howgill . the end. errata . several faults have escaped the presse un-corect , but the most material are these . page line for chief vicar , read christs chief vicar , p. l. for preferred , r. preserved , l. for conversation , r. conversion , p. l. . for possion , r. possession , p. for their r. there , p. l. for pound per 〈◊〉 , r. pound out of this nation per an●… . p. l. for on r. an , p. l. for ed r. end , p. l. after the word pope , r. and upon every small complaint was ready to hear them , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 give sentence and judgment , p. l. for r. for psalter● r. psalteries . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e gen. . . & , , . gen. . . hebrews . . gen. . gen. . . gen. . , ver. . ver. . joseph . arcao●…g . a. c. 〈◊〉 . e. exod. . . tertul lib. a● vers . jud●os 〈◊〉 lii item sepius gen. . . ambros lib. 〈◊〉 de cain & . 〈◊〉 chap. . . . 〈◊〉 galat. . . ●eut . . . ezek . . exod. . ●ev . . . ●um . ●eut . . . ●●k . ch . . 〈◊〉 . . 〈◊〉 . . . 〈◊〉 . . . stat. . h●● deut. . ● levit. . ● . deut. . ● rabbi ben 〈◊〉 onion in 〈◊〉 chaze ch●… de therum●● ch . & mi● kotzi in p 〈◊〉 cept . . ch●o . . mal. . &c. neh. . ●●am de ●nis , ch . . ●●ke . heb. , . heb. . . heb . . v. . 〈◊〉 . . . 〈◊〉 . . . 〈◊〉 . . . matth. . . matth . . ver . . matth. . ● luke . . ●●s . . ●s . . ●e ocka● in ●ra ● du● , ch . . ●e synod . ●ger ▪ can . ●ul . his a●g . ch . . ● . offerings co● tinued years . eusebius li● ch . . cyprian in l● epist. . . . the counci● of antioch anno . chrysost. ho● . ●…r . de unit . ●…cles . ch . . greg. hom. . in evang. & dist . . de cons. jero . in epist. ad nepotian devira claricorum . in serm. de th temp . in tem . ● . córysost ho● . upon the epistle . co● . . syrril de adorat . in spir . ● ver . lib . a● finem . gen. . . pros●er de vi●… contemp . 〈◊〉 ● chap . oigen hom. . in levit. mascon . ●as . . cap. . in extor . de d●… . cum non sit vide a caput . prox . sec . selden . selden his hist. upon tythes . c. . ad tit. de paoch . & al pa●och . extra & significavit . so cora , aen●ias , varviar , ●solute l. r. c. . vide zona in confil. gang. nantz counce consil. trent . non sent ferendi qui variis artibus decimas ecclesiis , &c. bed. l. . extat . in 〈◊〉 exempla●… saxoni li●… linwood constir . vincia ti●… dec . sanci●… gotiom . ●meo re●…o animae ●…ni , & ●…li . john wick●●●● camplaint 〈◊〉 of fox his a●… and mon. ●●as sylvius is bohe● history . ●his acts mon. pag. acts and monuments p. . ambrose upon the luke . bernard upon . luke . eusebius upon jerome . isidore de summo bon● , chap. . heb. . acts and monuments , pag. . acts and monuments , pag. . paul grisaldus apud camell , borell inconfili●●●m parte . antho. bishop of spaletto d● repub . eccle● lib. . luke . . luke . . . mat. . . 〈◊〉 cor. . . gen. . and 〈◊〉 . . basils histories by eneas sylvius . exlicello dicto , the complaint of loderick mors , alim impress . geneva . notes for div a -e seldens hist. of tythes , chap. . hist. bode eccles. lib. . cap. . a general epistle to the dispersed and persecuted flock of christ jesus in the dominion of england and all parts and regions where this shall come who have believed in christ the light of the world and now suffers for his names sake / [by] f.h. howgill, francis, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a general epistle to the dispersed and persecuted flock of christ jesus in the dominion of england and all parts and regions where this shall come who have believed in christ the light of the world and now suffers for his names sake / [by] f.h. howgill, francis, - . p. [s.n.], [london] printed : . numerous errors in paging. reproduction of original in the harvard university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng society of friends -- pastoral letters and charges. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a general epistle to the dispersed and persecvted flock of christ jesus in the dominion of england and all parts and regions where this shall come who have believed in christ the light of the world , and now suffers for his names sake . f. h. printed in the year . a general epistle to the dispersed and persecuted flock of christ jesus , &c. dearly beloved whom god hath called and redeemed out of the world , and the vanities thereof ; to follow the lamb in the regeneration through the cross and suffering in this age , wherein the whore , beast and false prophet , and all that have drunk of her cup , and have received the mark of the beast , and are led aside to believe lyes , that proceeds out of the mouth of the time serving , flattering , deceitful workers of this generation : who are all joyned together in their strength and power to act every way against the lamb and his meek appearance , ( who takes away the sins of the world ) and against all them that are made clean through his blood , and are come out of the pollutions of the world : and to make war against the remnant of the seed of god who are begotten again to the lively hope of christ jesus , and to the inheritance that fades not away , and to root out and destroy and weary out through cruell sufferings the saints of the most high , that so the prince of darkness might rule in his full power and authority in his instruments and servants without opposition or any gain-saying . and as god out of his everlasting love hath redeemed and translated many from great darkness wherein they have been held in the time of unbelief , into his marvelous light , to walk in it and to bring forth the fruites of the day , of light , faith and righteousness to the praise and glory of his grace , who hath called them and translated them for that very end , to shew forth his power and glory in the earth ; who have been quickned and raised by it out of the grave that they might bear witness thereunto and testifie of it both in word and work against the world , and the god thereof , who now rules in the children of disobedience ; therefore is his wrath the more kindled and his fury grown great against them that are departed out of his kingdome and will not yeild their hearts and necks to be subject any more unto his yoak , by whom they have been enslaved and held captive , under many and divers lusts which the wrath of god is revealed against and to be revealed against , and because they are made free by the brightness of the glorious rising of the sun of righteousness in his power and quickning life in their hearts which hath broken his yoak of bondage , and destroyed the law of sin and death which sometimes had power over them : but now being made conquerors of them , through the power of christ : the old dragon the deceiver of the nations who is out of the truth labours by all meanes to bring them back again to under his yoak ; and his devices are not a few which are set on foot at this day to make all bow unto him , which the children of light are not ignorant of who are and have been watchfull against the mysterious working of his power , within and also without in his instruments , who have received great power from him to propagate his kingdome that stands in wrath , evil doing and cruelty : and therefore all had need to watch and be circumspect that they that are escaped be not insnared and intangled again , least their bondage be greater and the yoak heavyer then before ; therfore the lord moveth often in my heart to exhort all unto watchfulness and diligence , and so much the more because the dayes are perilous and the times dangerous , and the temptations many on every hand ; so they that look out are in danger to be insnared , and let in the enemy , and doubts and fear and unbelief enter and questioning in the hast ; can god deliver , or will he deliver , or hath he any regard unto our afflictions , and because the time seemes long , and they cannot see to the end thereof their hearts failes , and their faith is in danger to be shaken and they loose their states , therefore it concerns every one to watch and pray that they enter not into temptations , neither be overcome with the wicked one , neither of the fadeing pleasure , profit and ease that the children of this world do enjoy , which is but for a time ; and then is the begining of endless misery . therefore all dearly beloved look over all the sufferings , and troubles , and temptations , and necessities , and over the devil and all his works ; to the begining and to that have an eye which was before they had a being ; to the lord god everlasting who made heaven and earth have an eye , and let your eye be fixed on him which destroyes the devil and all his works , and will reward the workers of iniquity according to their deeds with everlasting torments . dearly beloved who have been under great sufferings and loosers for christs sake and the gospels in this age ; like as many faithful witnesses have been in former ages : i am a sufferer with you , and am sensible of your griefes , afflictions , necessities , and tribulations which are many , and do bear and suffer with you all in my heart , and in the true sence and feeling of you all , dispersed every where , where god hath placed you in the earth ; my heart , soul , life and spirit breatheth forth unto you all ; and your burden is mine , your afflictions are mine , your sufferings is mine ; i do weep with them that weep , i am sorrowful with them that are sorrowful ; and that which is a grief and vexation unto the spirit of god in any ; in the spirit of christ which is but one in all i am burdened with them , and do bear a part of their grief , i speak without austentation or glorying , for what have i to glory in any , but the lord , or to rejoyce in , but that which all the world hates , because it testifies against it ; and therefore we are become the objects of scorn and hatred in this world by them that are of it , who glory in sin , who rejoyce in iniquity , whose end is destruction and perpetual misery , and their rejoycing shall be turned into endless sorrow and grief . elected of god , our portion in this world is to be sufferers in it and by it ; because , god hath chosen us out of it and its nature ; therefore , we are hated , despiced and persecuted in our generation , like as all the people of god were in former generations , we cannot be exempted from drinking of the same cup which christ the heir of all things drank ; neither to be exempted from being baptized into his suffering : and therefore christ told his disciples , in the world yee shall have trouble ; and the apostles and ministers , and believers in christ did drink of the same , and were baptized into the same baptisme , and therefore testified , that them that will live godly in christ must suffer persecution ; for the world loves only the children of it , but alwaies hated the children of god , and them that were redeemed out of it , and they bore witness , against it and the workes thereof ; it 's no new thing or strange thing for it's that portion which all the prophets and holy men of god were partakers of , christ and the apostles , and all true believers in every age ; and the nearer any came to be unto god in their life and practice the more they were hated , and the more vilefied , slandered , and evil spoken of ; sometime by the jewes , sometime by the heathen , and now by the apostatized christians ; for the nature is one through all ages , and diversities of names in profession doth not at all alter man or men at the heart ; the jews who professed god in words , and cryed up the temple and moses , and the law in words , flew the prophets , and laid false things to their charge ; jeremiah when he prophesied against jerusalem , and spake to the princes and rulers when they were revolted from god in the dayes of zedekiah , and denounced evil against the city and people because of transgression , ( they put him in the dungeon , & where his feet sticked in the mire ) and said , he was fallen away to the caldeans , and did he alienate the heart of the jewes from them , and their law , and despised their government . christ was accounted a friend of publicans and sinners , and had a devil , a transgressor of moses law , though he came to fulfill it ; and an enemy to caesar , and a blasphemer , and what not ; who said so ? the elders , the doctors , the rabies and rulers of the people ; and they crucified him as an evil doer , though none could convince him of sin ; the apostles of christ as seditious men , ringleaders of sects , authors of vproars , turners of the world upside down , as disobedient , enemies to peace , as discontented men with the present lawes and customs then established , and judged as not fit to live . and therefore , many suffered long for holding out their testimony faithfully they had received , and last of all suffered death , not as saints and prophets but as evil doers at last ; some by the jewes , some by the heathen : the primitive christians of whom the world was not worthy of , were falsly accused by the romans , heathens , and pagans , in the great persecutions that arose , were evil spoken of , and falsly represented , and rendred odious , and as objects of hatred through the envy of the devil , because they opposed his kingdom of darkness . tertullian saith , the heathen commonly reputed the then primitive christians incestious men , killers of children , enemies of all mankind , enemies against the gods , against the emperours , against the laws ; they made an utcry upon them , it s not lawful they should live : and when any judgment did befall them , augustine saith , it was become a proverb , our rain failes us because of these christians . and eusebius saith , the religion of christ was called the heresie of godless christians . likewise , after the name of christ and christian became in repute and esteem , many hypocrites and formalists took on the name when it was countenanced by the kings and princes of the earth , and then turned against them that were more in the life and power then they ; as the bohemians and the waldences , and first protestants in germany ; how were they branded with heresie , schisme , as seditious , factious , enemies , to the lawes , church and state , and to princes ; and how was the hatred of the pope and emperour kindled against them , and war raised upon them , and many suffered death , in their account as evil doers who persecuted them : likewise come nearer our own age in the dayes of queen mary , how were the best of men and the best of christians in that age censured as enemies to the queens laws and government , enemies to the church , seditious hereticks , and such as was not fit to live ; and therefore , many suffered in the cruel flames of fire , and did undergo many great torments and sufferings , and last of all cruel deaths many suffered , and by them called christians , and yet slew him and persecuted him in his members . last of all god hath brought us forth in our age to bear witness unto him , and unto that life , power and light by which we are quickned and raised out of the grave of sin and death to live unto him , and serving him in newness of life and to confess unto his holy name and power , by which we are saved , illuminated and directed , and to worship him in spirit and truth according to the manifestation of his spirit to us , and in us , & according to the scriptures of truth ; for the lord god of heaven and earth , judge and all his holy angels , and all just men who are anointed with the holy unction , that knowes truth from error , whether we hold any other thing either in doctrine or practice , but that which the primitive christians bare witness of , and also the scriptures bare witness unto , and that which we are perswaded in our consciences by the unerring spirit of the lord , which doth give us assurance of his acceptation and peace in our hearts . and how often have we declared our selves both by word and writing , which is sufficiently manifest unto all , who have not wilfully closed their eyes , and stopped their eares against us ; that we are of no other faith , hope or religion , but that which christ and his apostles and primitive christians were of , which they did hold forth , both in doctrine and practice as in respect of worship : and how peaceably and humbly we have walked towards all men without seeking the hurt or detriment of any ; thou righteous judge of heaven and earth knows , and according to the innocency of our hearts do thou judge us , and plead our cause : and further , we have laboured that sin might be beat down , and that all every where might have been turned from it unto the living god , and that righteousness might have been advanced , and truth have taken place in all mens hearts both in word and deed ; that christ who is professed in words , might have ruled in the hearts of all men that make mention of him ; that so gods blessing might have been felt and known by all , and the souls of all saved from the snares of sathan , and out of that which the wrath of god and his judgments comes upon ; and lord god of heaven and earth thou knows how our adversaries have sought occasion against us , for no other cause but for the matter of worship of the living god , and unto gods righteous judgment seat we dare appeal , and do thou judge us and reward us according to our deserts if ever we have contrived the hurt of any man or men , or have sought to violate any righteous law of man which stands to the well governing of a nation or country , in the things that pertain to the world , yet how have we been fasly represented , slandered , belyed , misreported , hated , backbited , persecuted and killed , as all the day long ; and reputed we are as not fit to live in our native land , neither to enjoy our own wives and children , a thing common to all men , christian and heathen ; neither to breath in the common air . and how many grievous things hath been heaped , and are daily upon our backs that we are factious , seditious , enemies to magistrates , to the ministers of christ , plotters , conspirators against humane government ; enemies to the king , disobedient to the lawes , broachers of heresie , authors of sedition , enemies to the church and state. and this the devil who was a lyar , and a murderer , and a slanderer from the beginning , he hath put a lying spirit in the mouthes of some , and it s entred into the hearts of others : and thus by them are the powers of the earth stirred up , and the rulers to persecute us without any just cause ; but this must not be counted persecution , for all the aforesaid things and many more he hath perswaded them we are guilty of , and therefore all that comes upon us it must be reckoned as just , and is an equal reward for our offences , and as just punishment for our transgression and disobedience ; and so is no persecution at all , and he hath winesses enough to testifie against us , as he had against christ , all the scribes and pharisees and the leaders and rulers of the people with the high priests , judas and all to testifie against him that he was not fit to live , but all cry away with him ; even so now he hath all the rabbyes , and elders , and all the time-serving hirelings , who serve not the lord jesus christ , but their own bellyes , and all formal professors who profess him in words , but denyes him in works , and despises his cross ; with all drunkards , lyars , and swear●rs , all proud and covetous , all wanton and riotous , and all that loves the pleasures of sin for a season , all these will give their verdict against us . there was and is a generation that called darkness light , and light darkness , and good evil , and evil good ; the judgment of all such is false , and must be judged , and god who hath immortality and dwells in the light , with whom is no darkness at all , judgeth not as these men , & therefore let us never heed the censures and judgment of fallen men , who erre in their judgment , who cannot judge for god or his people but against them , let us count it a light thing to be judged or condemned by man , seeing the lord justifies us in his work and service , whereunto we are called , and all the aforesaid crimes falsly laid to our charge he cleares us off , and we can with a good conscience and pure heart bid defiance to all the powers of darkness , and all the enemies of god , and the lord will clear us more and more as his power , glory and light appears in the earth , and brings forth our righteousness as the noon-day before our enemies , notwithstanding all the false aspersions , and reproaches cast upon us in the mean time ; if we be crowned with reproaches as christ was with thorns , and evilly intreated for his names sake , let us bear all things , and endure all things with patience and hope to the end . and though they cover us with bare skins , and with draff as the heathen did the primitive christians , and so let all the wild beasts upon us , let us give up our bodies as a sacrifice unto the lord , and for a witness unto his name and truth , that so we all may witness eternal rest unto our souls , and everlasting joy in his heavenly habitation where all persecutors and evil doers are shut out . dearly beloved of the lord , i write not these things unto you because you , many of you do not know them , but because you know them to put you all in mind , and to stir up your he●rts to the holy consideration of these things in these perilous and trying times , and in very truth whatsoever doth lye within my view , that might conduce to any or all your good , i cannot withhold it from you , because i know it is not only my duty , but i can truly say , the love of christ constrains me ; for my soul , heart and life is knit unto you in the everlasting covenant of life above all the families of the earth , and the more you are hated the more i love you , and the more you are despised and set at naught , the more i prize you , and the more you are compassed about on every side with tryals and afflictions , the more my soul is poured forth unto the lord for you , that you may be kept stedfast in the faith and hope in the lord unto the end , that you may receive his rewa●d the crown of glory which is laid up for all them that love the appearance of our lord jesus christ , and in the faith do overcome . and blessed and happy are all they that keep their garments clean in this polluted time wherein wickedness walkes with open face , and ungodliness with an outstretched neck , and is exalted in great heigth , and doth corrupt many , and the earth is growing ripe with wickedness for destruction , for the proud are counted happy , and they that work wickedness is admired and gloryed in as the only brave men of these times ; which they make evil through yeilding themselves servants unto sin and their lusts , ease , and worldly enjoyments , and immediately drop down into eternal perdition : and its time for the lord to arise and plead with all flesh , for men make void his law , and goes about to establish their own in opposition thereunto , for violence , cruelty , and hardness of heart , and persecution are the forerunners of desolation and destruction : rhese things do generally abound all is secure and at ease , hardness of heart is generally over people , and clearly to me it doth presage judgment ; tenderness of heart and spirit is generally lost among people , and the most have made shipwrack of all their hope , faith , and professi●n to please the time and men of this generation , who is perverse and froward , they have been treacherous to god , and to their own souls , and cannot do good to his people ; keep as much as in you lies out of their spirit and manners , for they corrupt . and though gods judgments be abroad in the land , and his anger kindled and broken forth , yet few enquires the cause , or saith , what have i done ? but if any do enquire , it is generally in that dark spirit that leads them to evil , which god hides his councel from , and will not be found of , and yet they make conclusions , and gives judgment as the heathen of old , if any pestilence , famine , or drought , or judgment came upon them , they said , the christians was the cause , and so stirred up persecution against them ; the like the dreamers of this age in their mock-fasts and humiliations , they say , heresie is the cause , and because all does not conform , and are not willing to submit to the changable institutions of men , though never so repugnant to the law of god ; they tell the magistrates , the phanaticks and quakers is the cause , and so they fast for strife , and to kindle debate , and to stir up persecution ; and they seem to cleave so close to the magistrates that will force and exact gain for them , and give them large pay , they will cry them up as the higher power , that all is to submit unto , in all things under pain of condemnation , and they will cry them up , and dance , and clap their hands , and rejoyce as israel did about the calfe , when they had forgotten god ; so the lord is provoked more and more , and they think by rooting out his people is possible , will stay his judgments ; it 's lamentable to see what blindness is over the hearts of the seers of this generation , w●o c●y peace , peace , and how people are given up to believe their lyes , and to hardness of heart , and never consider their own estate , neither the afflictions of joseph is remembred . another thing also hath been in my heart many weeks , and a query hath been in my self , and i know hath been on many spirits why in this common calamity and in gods visitation of the city of london , and many other places of this nation , that they that have suffered so greatly , so long and so faithfully , and have borne such a testimony for the lord , why also they should be taken away among the rest ? seeing the lord was able to deliver , and also command his destroying angel to pass over as it pleased him , and spare and take away as he pleased , and why it should not be wholly upon his enemies , and upon them that called not upon his name in truth and righteousness ? i have had many sad thoughts of heart , and have waited upon the lord concerning these things , with supplications and tea●s concerning his afflicted people , and concerning his name and truth , and this satisfaction i have received in my self , and do communicate unto you . first , of all it is said , that paul stayed and preached the gospel at ephesus two yeares , so that not only them of ephesus but all asia heard the word of god , both jewes and greeks , and many were gathered unto god , and believed , and the rest were hardened . when i considered this , that not only two years but twelve years that citty of london hath heard the word of the living god declared and published plentifully in it , and the everlasting gospel of christ in the demonstration of the spirit , and with power , in so much that the sound went through and through , and many believed , and the rest were hardened , having lost the day of their visitation , but alass it was but a few , considering the labour and travel , and considering so many thousands who counted the things of god a sleight matter : and for them that were worthy , and did believe , they were hated and despised , and evilly entreated with the most , and shut up in holes , and miserable bonds and prisons , and lingering torments , which often time was the cause of their death , whose lives god is requiring at the hands of that place ; and the messengers of god was mocked , abused , and evilly entreated , and shut up in bonds till death and wickedness did abound , and peoples hearts grew hard in ease , riches pride , and vain glory , till the wrath of god broke forth and cut down thousands in his displeasure , and this was seen and foreseen full three whole years and upwards by some of the faithful servants of god who laid down their lives in bonds in that city , and are gathered unto the lord , and also some who remain in the body unto this day , and it was prophesied of , and the city was warned thereof , rulers and people , but the most made a mock of it , till the just judgment of god seized upon it . secondly , the lord took away these faithfull men of god , edward burrough , richard hubberthorne , and george foxe junior , who had been much conversant there , who were faithfull watchmen , and prevailed often with the lord till they were shut up in bonds for all their sore travel and labour amongst the inhabitants thereof ; and that place being unworthy of them any more , he delivered them and took them away to himself , from the evil to come , that they had seen and prophesied of ; that they might see none of that misery that is now come . thirdly , they were gathered unto the lord as a token and signe unto them that believed ; of many following after and of their dissolution . fourthly , the lord did fore-know and fore-see , and also had determined evil against that city , and that which is now come to pass , and that this generation , notwithstanding all the entreaties , woeings , warnings , and exhortations which they had and slighted , and that they would proceed on to more mischief and persecution in presumption against god , and his people ; and are yet determined , and have said in their hearts , though the bricks be fallen down , we will build with hewn stone ; to fortifie themselves that their end might not faile , which the lord god will blast and confound ; and though friends have borne their iniquity they shall at last bear it themselves , and know the reward thereof , and have none to help ; so the lord hath taken away many in his love and mercy from the evil to come , and hath freed them from further misery , and hath translated them out of the reach of all their enemies . fifthly , seeing they have suffered long and faithfully in that place and elsewhere , and hath borne a living testimony many to the loss of their lives , and to their ruinating in this world against the abominations that did abound , and their righteous souls was vexed as lots was with the sodomites , the lord hath considered and hath said , it is enough , your afflictions i will end , and take you into my rest and peace , out of the reach of the oppress●r . sixthly , for the frustrating of the purpose of them who decreed that unrighteous decree for banishment , that it may not profit them , neither answer their end and unrighteousness , and the lord , the lord hath cut them short of their purpose , and will cut them short of their hope , and in the end bring their councel to nought , for that which is formed against the lord shall not prosper . seventhly , for the hardening the hearts of this generation who have devised mischief from the womb , and have gone astray as soon as they were born , after so many warnings and evident tokens of his hand against them , and of his displeasure which hath been set at nought , and yet are resolved to go on to root out the heritage of god ; i say that their hearts might be hardened , and their eyes closed that they may not discern betwixt the end of the righteous and the wicked , nor see a difference in their states , but as one dies , so dies the other as to the outward appearance ; though you beloved know a difference both in life and death ; and i do believe many who have laid down the body , and put off this earthly tabernacle have given great testimony of gods love unto them of his favour , peace ; and acceptation in the in the latter end ; in this which i have said , i am satisfied , and therefore could not but signifie the same un●o you , that we might not sorrow concerning them that die in the faith and sleep in christ , as them who are without hope , for these rest from their labours , and their faith , works and life shall live , and we have and enjoy their spirit and life , so it is only personal absence of this earthly tabernacle that we want , so in that all be comforted . last of all , the wayes of the lord are unsearchable , but as he reveals them to them that fear him , and whatever may be manifest to any other , this i am certainly perswaded of , that god will have honour and glory through all these things as it shall be in the end for the prosperity of the gospel of truth , and i am perswaded of this , though the lord should permit many to be destroyed outwardly of all they enjoy , yet they are resolved to trust in him for ever . and though the day be dark and gloomy , and the devil be let loose to try the faith of them that dwell upon the earth , and the wrath of the wicked be great , yet the bond is set that they cannot pass , and though we that yet remain alive to this day were all dissolved and rowled in the dust together , which is the end of all flesh , yet that life and power which we have believed in , and that everl●sting truth which we have testified of , and suffered for shall never be extinguished or rooted out , but shall take up other persons and bodies from generation to generation , while sun and moon endureth , in this be all assured and comforted in the lord , and chearful in your sufferings , and comfort and strengthen one another : in the royal seed of god all live and dwell , ( which cannot bow to the seed of the bond-woman ) which hath the promise of life and immortality , and everlasting blessedness ; and all look unto the lord over all and above all the rage and wrath of men , and the afflictions of this present life , and feel that which is without end . the god of power be with you , and comfort you in the midst of all your trials , and preserve you that your faith fail not , is the earnest desire of him whose heart is knit unto the lord and all his suffering people , in the everlasting covenant of life and peace : pray all unto the lord without ceasing , that you may be able to follow the lord though through the valley of the shadow of death ; the peace of god fill all your hearts that you may rejoyce in the lord and trust in him for ever . yours in life or death , f. h. th of the th . moneth , . the end . one of antichrists voluntiers defeated, and the true light vindicated. in answer to a book called ignis fatuus, published by one r.i. wherein he vindicates edward dod and samuell smith (of the county of salop) in their lyes, folly, and wickedness, and hath added more of his own, with divers of his false doctrines, lyes and slanders, &c. brought to light, and reproved: as that the law of the spirit of life, is imperfect, and not fit to be a christian rule, and also, humane nature may be taken for the regenerate part of man, and the soul, &c. and likewise calls idolatry, civillity, and heathernish complements courtesie. his vindication made voyd, and his weapons broken, and he taken captive, and left with e.d. and s.s. among the slime pits of siddim near sodom, with his ignis fatuus. / by f.h., a witnesse to the perfect law, of the spirit of life. howgill, francis, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing h ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books; - ; : , : ) one of antichrists voluntiers defeated, and the true light vindicated. in answer to a book called ignis fatuus, published by one r.i. wherein he vindicates edward dod and samuell smith (of the county of salop) in their lyes, folly, and wickedness, and hath added more of his own, with divers of his false doctrines, lyes and slanders, &c. brought to light, and reproved: as that the law of the spirit of life, is imperfect, and not fit to be a christian rule, and also, humane nature may be taken for the regenerate part of man, and the soul, &c. and likewise calls idolatry, civillity, and heathernish complements courtesie. his vindication made voyd, and his weapons broken, and he taken captive, and left with e.d. and s.s. among the slime pits of siddim near sodom, with his ignis fatuus. / by f.h., a witnesse to the perfect law, of the spirit of life. howgill, francis, - . [ ], p. printed for thomas simmons at the bull and mouth near aldersgate, london, : . written by francis howgil. cf. wing. reproductions of originals in henry e. huntington library and art gallery ( : ) and swarthmore college library ( : ). eng r. i. -- ignis fatuus -- early works to . dodd, edward, th cent. smith, samuel, - . society of friends -- controversial literature -- early works to . a r (wing h ). civilwar no one of antichrists voluntiers defeated, and the true light vindicated. in answer to a book called ignis fatuus, published by one r.i. wherei howgill, francis b the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the b category of texts with fewer than defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion one of antichrists voluntiers defeated , and the true light vindicated . in answer to a book called ignis fatuus , published by one r. i. wherein he vindicates edward dod , and samuell smith ( of the county of salop ) in their lyes , folly , and wickedness , and hath added more of his own , with divers of his false doctrines , lyes and slanders , &c. brought to light , and reproved : as that the law of the spirit of life , is imperfect , and not fit to be a christian rule , and also , humane nature may be taken for the regenerate part of man , and the soul , &c. and likewise calls idolatry , civillity , and heathenish complements , courtesie . his vindication made voyd , and his weapons broken , and he taken captive , and left with e. d. and s. s. among the slime pits of siddim near sodom , with his ignis fatuus . by f. h. a witnesse to the perfect law , of the spirit of life . the wicked are estranged from the womb , they goe astray assoone as they be borne , speaking lies . london , printed for thomas simmons at the bull and mouth near aldersgate , . one of antichrists voluntiers defeated , and the true light vindicated . amongstall the opposers of the truth that yet hath appeared among the black army of the old dragon , who like the philistims hath alwayes defied israels god , and also their camp , through their ostentation and boasting , and with their clamorous loud cryes in the ears of the people , like rabshekah , to dishearten and dismay israel ; none hath appeared more out-ragious and virulent then one who subscribes himselfe , r. i. who in vindication of his brethren in iniquity , edward dod , drunkard , and samuel smith an unprofitable talker , otherwise called a minister at cresige , who hath preached that which he calls the gospel there divers years , and yet sees no fruit at all , and yet this impudent r. i. whom i beleeve to be another dreamer like him , for his language do manifest him to belong to mistery babilon , the great city , the mother of harlots , he saith , one may minister and preach the gospel , and the people not be profited at all , as samuel smith hath done at cresige ; and he saith farther , that they are barren professors , yet saith r. i. that s. s. need not be abashed at it ; and for instance he saith , was pauls preaching of less credit , because there were many runnagates , in the end shewed themselves hypocrites ? yet this comparison will not excuse s. s. neither e. d. nor r. i. who would cover them with an old patched cloak , some peices he hath scraped up out of aesop's fables , a book full of lies and altogether compacted and patched up of fictions , and some out of ovid & seneca , heathens in their own account , & the like frivolous stories , and plato , and diogenes , they must serve for a covering , if it will , to the two former opposers of truth : but stay r. i. did paul stay seven years in any place , and saw no fruit ? and though there were many unbeleevers among the jews notwithstanding the publication of the word and the miracles of christ , yet some beleeved ; and though the apostles and ministers of christ laboured in the work of the lord , yet some beleeved and clave unto them : but there is no fruit at cresige at all , but they are barren professors , as r. i. saith ; but if this will not serve , take another of r. i. his arguments ; that god sends his word sometimes for the hardning of people , and upon this account , s. s. teaching and ministry must be kept in credit . a sad thing for the people of cresige , that they should hire a man for seven years together , and pay him wages for hardning of their hearts , and for counting them barren professors , yet i judge , s. s. e. d. & r. i. counted them fruitful , and abounding in zeale and fervency to god , when they came into the meeting of the quakers , some ringing pans , some candlesticks and frying pans , and throwing water , like people void of understanding , and saith this r. i. these yeelded a better sound then the quakers ; so that thou may see what will not this r. i. vindicate , and what wickednesse as can be acted and spoken , here they may look for a shelter , rather then they shall want a guardian ( as pictures , images , crosses , cuffs , ribons , lace , and such other like things invented by the devil to draw people from serving and worshipping the living god ) r. i. will patronize them all being brought forth , and when they are not brought forth he will reach forth his hand to help to elevate iniquity , and to under-prop the devils kingdom , which is exalted in the children of disobedience , as all along may be seen in his fabulous scrole , called ignis fatuus , when like his two brethren before him , he goes about to vindicate idolatry , images , hirelings , mass-houses , cuffs and ribons , tithes , flattering titles , and vain customs , and popish practices , pride , persecution , and lying ; all those things he pleads for , and hath used many vain arguments and false interpretations of scripture , so that the two former , it may truly be said they have done wickedly , but this r. i. exceeds them all , who is so stout hearted against the truth and power of god , that whatsoever he can invent in his corrupt heart against it , and gathers up the rest of the priests lies that they have vomited up before , and cast in the face of truth , and tenders them as good proof , and some scriptures perverted with aesop's fables , and ovid , and diogenes stories , and upon such materials he hath framed his book ( called ignus fatuus ) which he hath writ in vindication of e. d. his book called a pair of spectacles for a dark-sighted quaker , and s. s. malice striped and whipt , three pamphlets whole title will discover what the substance of their matter is , and whose work they drive on , so that i need not say much , some of them vindicating persecution , and incouraging the rude behaviour of the people , another mocking at innocency and scorneth them who trembles at the word of the lord ; and last of all , r. i. who hath made a fortresse for both the other , and hath cast up a heap of confused darknesse to guard his brethren , he mocks at the light within , and calls it ignis fatuus ; and the law which is light which god hath promised to write in his peoples hearts , this he calls an imperfect thing , and therefore to be ruled , and not fit to be a rule of the saints , as may be seen in the page of his book , and so ha●h spoken contrary to the spirit and scripture of truth , prov : . and the law of the lord which is the law that endureth for ever , this saith r. i. is imperfect and the letter or law without written is perfect , and is a standard , as r. i. saith , for all controversies , then if it be so perfect and so fit to decide all controversies , why doth r. i. borrow his proofs and raise his arguments from aesop's fables , ovids stories , plato and diogenes discourses , and to omit seneca , because r. i. saith , ambrose hath reckoned him in the bead-row of saints , it may be wich saint dominick , and saint patricke , saint francis and some others of the popes canonizing ; but however , i shall set many of his envious and frivolous and impertinent arguments passe , as things of no validity or worth , being they have been answered over and over by mony hands , & all the fortresses & strong holds thrown down , so that to any judicious man they will appear , to be but rubbish , however r. i. would be gathering together the rubbish again , and would make it appear as goodly a fabrick as he can , when indeed there is nothing in it all ; so thou may see reader , in r. i. his vindication of this mouldey cankered ware of babylon which he would hold up , his own folly , ignorance , and error made manifest in the ensuing discourse of his doctrines , and most of his principles thou may view and see which i have taken up and answered , and his confusion and blindnesse thou may see , and also view the spirit that acts this man , and how this man is like to convince any who hath not power over his tongue , but lets it run to utter forth the deceit that proceeds out of his own corrupt heart , thinking thereby to blind peoples eyes that they should not see , how ignorant and light , vain , and treacherous , these priests are , who would monopolize all into their own hand ; nay though god command and move by his spirit , yet this must not speak nor declare the mind of god , except these priests will allow of it , ( in whom the welfare of all people lyes , if thou wilt beleeve r. i. in the page of his book , yet if these count it disorderly for any to speak as he hath received of the lord , from his spirit ) it must go for such , and be accounted such , as disorderly . in the epistle to the reader r. i. saith , such schismaticks as these quakers , hath torn the church in peeces , and its authority condemned , and the ministry slighted , and false religion advanced . answ. it seems that the church that r. i. is of , is none of the true church which is built upon the rock ( christ ) which the gates of hell prevaileth not against , neither any weapon that is formed against it , can prosper , but r. i. his church is torne in pieces and may be prevailed against , sure it is but babylon , whose stones must be scattered , and whole building must be thrown down , and it is but the whores attire which is renting off , that her nakednesse may appear , and her deceit made manifest ; and the authority which is condemned and reproved , is no authority but the authority of the beast , upon which the false church hath ridden , and hath call'd it by the name of higher power ; and the ministry , is but such as traffick with the whores sorceries , by which she hath deceived the nations , and this indeed , and those ministers indeed are slighted by us , because we know him who is the minister of the everlasting covenant , whose spirit is manifest according to his promise , to lead his people into all truth ; and so the religion which standeth only in the traditions of men , and in idolatry , such things as r. i. goes about to maintaine , as images , crosses and picture , mass-houses , hirelings , priests , popish tythes , and popish-ceremonies , which r. i. so much pleads for , all these are slighted , as not to be consistant with the true religion , or the true church of christ . yet neverthelesse saith r. i. in his epistle , i have adventured voluntarily to side with those that contend for the truth against the quakers , and yet in the same epistle , saith , he was moved of the lord thus to declare . answ. what confusion and lying , and blasphemy is here , hath r. i. adventured voluntarily in his own willfulnesse and perversnesse , to take part with those contenders against the truth , in which the quakers live and worship , and god must be made as the author of this , and all the heap of lyes and confusion , which is declared and uttered forth in his ignis fatuus , which if no more were said then hath been , were answer enough unto his railing discourse ; and yet what impudency this man hath to say , he was moved of the lord , when as he hath confest , he hath voluntarily took part with the contenders , so that it is manifest to all reasonable men , who set thee awork , and whose work thou hast been doing , for which thou shalt be sure to receive a reward , in the mighty day of the lord . and r. i. saith , forasmuch as their counterfeit coin , hath been offered to me for good silver , i thought it fit to nail it to the market-post , that it might not deceive others , and instead thereof i have here made a tender of other money ( viz : ) this ensuing treatise , which i doubt not , but that it may passe with truths approbation . answ. that which r. i. calls counterfeit coin , was made publick by our selves , and it hath been and shall be received by them that know gods image and the inscription of the spirit , and though r. i. hath denyed it when it was proffered to him , the value and worth of that , which hath been proffered , is no worse ; for though a price be put into the hand of a fool , he regards it not . and now reader thou shalt see , what kind of coin he hath tendered , and how thou judges it may pass with truths approbation , as hereafter will be made manifest in his further discourse . wherefore reader , saith r. i. have not so great regard to the authority of the writer , as the truth of the matter written by him , who was moved of the lord , as thus to declare against those who are adversaries to truth . answ. indeed the authority of a writer or of that which is written , is of no great moment , seeing he is but one of antichrists voluntiers , who hath not only belyed them that feared the lord , but also hath uttered forth many damnable doctrines , and yet would fasten all these upon the lord , so that his deceit might be of more authority , and none might question the matter thereof , because the lord allwayes moveth to truth and righteousnesse , and so r. i. is one of them that hath taken the name of the lord in vain , which will not be holden guiltlesse , but will be found guilty , when the searcher of all hearts shall make all things manifest . and then r. i. further saith , that sprinkling of infants is commanded by the scriptures , and is a seale of the covenant ; and baptisme of infants is that which answers to circumcision , for mortification of the flesh and remission of sins , and admission into the church , are sealed unto infants by sprinkling , or that which r. i. calls baptizing . i say baptisme of infants , is a popish-tradition , as hath been proved by divers , so that of it i need not say much , but where it is commanded in the scripture as r. i. saith . coll. . , . is but a bad proof for r. i. for the colossians were circumcised with the circumcision made without hands , and they were buried with him in baptisme , baptized into the death and sufferings of christ , such a baptisme as the priests never administred with their hands , and the spirit of the lord was wont to be the seal of the covenant to them that did beleeve , but now it must be turned out of doors , for visible water hath taken up its place in r. i. his judgement , which is corrupted , and how doth sprinkling answer to circumcision , the males onely were circumcised , and not the females , and why doe you sprinkle fenales , if baptisme must answer to circumcision , and if the extent of the one , must be as large as the other : and as for mortification of the flesh and remission of sins ; that which mortifies the deeds of the flesh , hath life in it , and that gives a living testimony within , and remission of sins is in the blood of christ , and the seal thereof is by the spirit unto them that beleeve ; but this popish tradition hath a●en up all in r. i. his account , if his argument be true ; nay the papists themselves who are as zealous for sprinkling of infants as r. i. or any of his brethren can be , yet one of their own bishops ( at a council in france , of both protestants and papists , at pisoy . ) claudius espencious saith , many things are to be beleeved by tradition only , as the baptisme of infants , which cannot be proved from scripture , but this r. i. would have the scripture to be a cloak and a cover not only for popish traditions , but for his own invented imaginations , which he hath set forth to blind people withall . the next thing that r. i. goes about to vindicate , is swearing , which their ministers teach men to sweare , which ought to be in righteousnesse and truth , and for his proof , deut. . . he brings , and he saith , christ only prohibits rash and vain swearing , and superfluous oaths . answ : unto this much hath been said and answered allready by many pens , and so that in the answer thereof i shall be brief ; in the first covenant it was lawful to swear in truth and righteousnesse , and likewise all rash and vain oathes under the law were forbidden , but christ who is the end of the law for righteousness , who is greater then the prophets , and greater then moses and solomon , and greater then the angels , unto whom they all worship , he saith expressely , swear not at all ; now whereas r. i. and others have said , christ onely in these words prohibits vain oaths , or false oaths , then he had reproved nothing but what the law had reproved , but he saith , it hath been said of old time , thou shalt not forswear thy selfe , but christ saith , i say swear not at all , so that it is manifest , that all oaths are forbidden by him , who is the oath of god ; and why saith r. i. it is not contrary to the gospel of christ for to swear , and yet doth account the writings which is called the new testament the gospel , wherein christ hath expressely forbidden it , and therefore those ministers that teach men to swear , are not the ministers of christ , but teach those things that are repugnant to the gospel of christ , for he that breaks one of the least of the commands of christ , and teacheth others so to do , is least in the kingdome of god . the next thing that r. i. would vindicate , is their singing of davids psalmes , in invented tunes , such as pleaseth the carnal mind , and for his proof he brings matth. . . they went out and sung a hymn , and paul and silas sang in prison , and singing is divine worship for the praise of god , and the comfort of our soules , and it is a soul-ravishing , and heart-raising ordinance . answ : it is acknowledged , and allwayes hath been by us , that praises belongs to the lord , and that they that are made alive , whose souls are raised out of death , can , and doth praise the lord , and they that sing with the spirit and with understanding , are acceptable unto god , and they that are in the spirit , doth that which the spirit moves unto , and so worships in the truth , and is accepted of god ; and christ , and paul , and silas and many more praised the lord , and many now doth praise the lord , and he that hath a psalme may sing , but what of all this ? what doth this prove for r. i. and the rest of the masse-house-singers ? and what doth this prove , as to the singing of them that is void of understanding , who sometime sing , i go mourning all the day long , and just at that moment are singing , and what doth r. i. think it cannot be a psalme , unlesse it be in meeter ? or doth he think it is not accepted , except it hath a tune with so many stops , and to sing davids prayers , and call it praises , is this with understanding ? and even to return r. i. his words upon himselfe ; a more ungrounded opinion was never invented by the devil ; for them to sing or to pretend to praise god , whose soules lyes in death , and do not know what it is to partake of gods benefits , neither the unsearchable gift ; this kind of singing and imitation doth not comfort the soule , but burden it , and this doth not raise the witnesse , but kills it , and you make merry over it ; and this kind of singing must be turned into howling and lamentation . and saith r. i. our worship doth not differ neither in whole , nor in part , in matter or manner from the saints worship in the primitive times . answ. this mans confidence or rather impudence , is in opposition to knowledge and wisdome , for it were easily proved , that it neither in whole ; nor in part , neither in matter nor manner agreeth with the primitive times ; as for example , it is no where recorded in the scripture , that any apostle , minister , or ministers , did take a little water and did sprinkle a few drops on a childs face , and call'd this an ordinance of god , and say , it is a seal of the covenant , and mortification and remission of sins , neither any such doctrine did they declare ; neither did any of the ministers and apostles of christ , cause people to buy them bread and wine , and then give it the people back again , a bit of bread and a sup of wine at the middle of the day , and call this the lords supper , or a great sacrament ; neither had they bels in their churches to call people together ; neither had they soft cushions , and pulpits , and a hour-glasse hanging by them ; neither did the primitive churches prohibit , or limit the spirit of the lord god amongst any , but if any was moved to speake any thing , or had any thing revealed from the lord , the first was to hold his peace . these and many more things you differ in , both in matter and manner , which largely hath been declared by other pens , and so in this i shall be briefe ; neither had the ministers of the gospel their maintenance by force ; neither had they easter reckonings , midsummer dues , mortuaries , money for churching of women , marriages , nor for the burials of the dead , nor money for funerall sermons , neither did they preach over the dead : all these and abundance more of such like invented things , was never practised nor found amongst the churches before the apostacy ; which things considered may cause r. i. to blush , that ever he durst be so impudent as to say , they differ not , neither in whole , nor in part , in matter nor in manner , from the primitive churches ; and untill such time as r. i and his brethren contenders can clear themselves of these things , let them not think any whose eyes god hath opened can receive them for a church of christ ; nay most of the parish ministers holds up those practises which the papists did deny , as money for marriages and burialls , baptisme , the sacrament , or the ground in which the dead were buried , this was reprehended and condemned by the councell of trent , in the height of all popery , . saith r. i. it seemes these tythes are a great matter to many , or rather a great trouble for them to pay the ministers , though abraham paid tythes of all to melchizadeck before the law ; and this proves e. d. his argument as saith r. i. that it is contrary to the light and law of god to withhold them from the ministers , because they were given by abraham before the law . answer , yea , it is a great matter with many to pay tythes , and a great trouble too , because he that confesseth christ is come in the flesh , cannot uphold the shadowes of the first covenant , which belonged to a changeable priesthood , having no other portion among their brethren , which was given unto them for the service which they performed unto the lord , and likewise were a twelfth tribe , and near a twelfth part of the people ; and now the law being changed , and the priesthood changed , and the covenant ended , and the ordinance thereof abolished , that such a company of covetous men , as the parochiall priests generally are , that they should claime the tythes that belonged to this priesthood , and not doe the worke which they did , and yet hath a portion among their brethren in this land , neither are they the three hundred part of the people ; and that such a company , i say , as these should claime the tenth part of all the increase in the land , this is a great matter , and a thing not consistent with the law of god , neither equity or reason . and it is but a poor and feeble argument neither of e. d. or r. i. that because abram gave the tenth part of the spoyle to melchizadeck before the law , that therefore it must be a binding thing to all generations to pay the tenth part as due to such as are neither after that order of aaron , neither after the order of melchizadeck . abram gave the tenth , and that but once , and freely , and melchizadeck brought forth bread and wine to abram's army ; and we may as justly , and upon as good ground , demand bread and wine for our whole families of the priests , as the priests can demand the tenth part of our substance from abram's gift to melchizadeck , and say , it is against the law of god , nature , and reason , as e. d. and r. i. doth conclude by their feeble arguments which they make upon abrams giving the tenths , for if the example of the one be binding , then the example of the other is also as binding ; abram gave the tenth part of the spoile and that but once , and melchizadeck demanded none , then why doe the priests who are but usurpers claime it every yeare ? and where they cannot get it freely , as few will give it them who witnesse christ come in the flesh , then they take it by force and constraint ; or would melchizadeck have pleaded with abram ( as this ignorant r. i. doth ) that the spoyle was none of his own ? as he saith tythes are no mans own ; or as i said before to e. d. would melchizadeck have taken away abrams oxen , cowes , or horses , sheep , or camels , if he had not given him the tenth part ? or did any of the ministers of christ require or demand , force or constraine any maintenance whatsoever from any , which this r. i. saith they differ nothing from , neither in whole nor in part , in matter or manner , neither in practice ; but saith r. i. this is nothing to the purpose , unlesse it could be proved that the apostles might have had tythes , which they could not being persecuted . yes it is something to the purpose if you take them for an example , as you say you doe ; and though it be granted the apostles were persecuted from place to place , and sometimes went from place to place when they were not persecuted , which r. i. would have condemned for runnagates , if he had lived in that time : but without all controversie , if it be a duty now to pay tythes unto the ministers of the gospell , then it was a duty in the apostles time , that though the rulers were persecutors , yet the apostles would have minded them , whom they had begotten into the faith , of their duty ; but we find no mention neither by commandement , reproof or exhortation , unto any of the churches , about any such thing , and so thy argument r. i. is foolish and frivolous ; for it may be easily proved , that tythes was never demanded , not for or hundred yeares after the ascention of christ . and r. i. saith , the apostles took whatsoever was given them , and this satisfies the ministers conscience to take tythes which the magistrates give them , so they may of such maintenance live of the gospel . answer , if the apostles took nothing but what was given them , then this shames your forcing , and also your seeking it of them who receives you not , which manifests you are out of the apostles example , and though it satisfies your consciences to take tythes ( which thou saith the magistrates gives you ) both of them that owns you , and them that owns you not ; yet i beleeve it would not have satisfied the apostles of christ , if any magistrates would have sent them back to the jews who believed not , or the gentiles who received them not , this they would not accounted as a free gift ; though this divers hundred years many rulers have drunk of the whores cup , and hath given their authority to the beast , and hath forced and compelled to a worship , and also to give to the whores merchants , yet this is but bad proof that they ought to have done so ; and the apostles never counted this living of the gospell to live of tythes and forced maintenance , which none of the ministers did receive , or ever will . and so for shame call in thy ignis fatuus again , in which thou hast published so many lyes , among which this is one , [ which will stand as a record against thee ] ( viz. ) that ye differ not in doctrine and practice , matter and manner , neither in whole nor in part , from the apostles and primitive saints . and this is another lye , that timothy and titus was settled in a parochiallike way in their quarters . nay the parochiall quarters , is all people , old and young , beleevers and unbeleevers , between such a water and such a wall , or betwixt such a hedge , and such a ditch . and because thou said i had not named the apostate that builded your masse-houses , i shall take away the occasion of thy clamouring this , and tell thee who invented your parishes , and your parochiall way , ( viz. ) the pope dyonisius , which it may be thou wilt calculate among the bead-row of saints , for his great devotion , as thou said ambrose did with seneca . the next thing that r. i. contends against , is no lesse thing then the doctrine of christ , and yet it may be he reckons himself as one of his ministers , and yet he raises arguments strongly against the doctrine of christ , viz. be not ye called masters . but it may be thou wilt say as one of thy generation said lately of some of the doctrine of christ , that these words give an uncertain sound , and therefore they must have an exposition , and it is this , that christ condemneth ambition , and superiority over our brothers religion and faith . answer . then all your parochiall ministers by thy own exposition falls under condemnation ; for this is a poynt of our faith , that if we be moved of the lord and by his spirit , to come into your assemblies to speak the word of truth , that we ought to speak it , and you ambitiously would arrogate unto your selves superiority over our faith and religion ; like as we beleeve that we ought not to give flattering titles to men , neither to give maintenance unto them , of whom we are perswaded , and doe believe are no ministers of christ ; and in these and many more things that pertains to religion , faith and godlinesse , you ambitiously and proudly have arrogated unto your selves superiority over religion , faith and consciences : therefore repent of it , and see you doe so no more left you fall into condemnation . and as for calling any man master who is our master we own , and it is the practice of such as are servants ; but to call him master who is not our master , is to speak an untruth , or else to give flattering titles , and we have not so learned christ ; but enough of this hath been spoken by divers , so that i shall pass on and touch a word about complements , and doffing off hats , and bowing of knees , a thing that r. i. and his brethren so dearly loves that they are loath to part with it , and these things we beleeve we ought not to doe ; and although r. i. doth confesse , that none ought to usurp authority or superiority over his brothers faith , yet notwithstanding he hath forgotten his own exposition in a moment , and falls a wrangling about hatts and caps , knees and complements , which we cannot doe for conscience sake . and saith r. i. if the quakers will not put off their hatts because it is a custome , or bow the knee because they are abused , they must not eat nor drink because it is abused by gluttons and drunkards . answer . a pittifull lame argument , we eat not , nor drinke not , because it is a custome , nor wear apparell , but because of their service and of necessity ; and yet i would have r. i. know , that we have learned to distinguish betwixt a thing that may be customary and good in it selfe , and a custome which is vaine ; and the saints did not salute one another because it was a custome , but because their hearts was joyned to one another in love and in truth . but for doffing the hart and bowing the knee to a fellow with a feather , or a woman with a fan , or a gold-ring , or powdered hair , this is a vain custome , and the antiquity of a thing doth not prove the goodnesse of it , neither customarinesse the worth of any thing , nor because a multitude of roysters and ruffins do practice such things , that therefore they are lawfull ; for we know broad is the way that leads to destruction , and many there be that enter in , and we have learned not to follow a multitude to do evill , though r. i. be untaught . but saith r. i. when sallutations are observed with a good decorum , they are like a hand diall which shews what order the wheels observe within , and the abuse of any thing doth not abollish the use thereof . answer . now what r. i. doth count a good decorum , reader thou may judge by what he hath before pleaded for ; for doffing of hatts , bowing the knee , and saying your servant sir , or , if it please your highnesse , or , if it like your excellency , with such feigned practises , and this is the decorum , which is counted civill ; and so reader thou may observe how the wheels runs within . it so came to passe that i was amongst a company of these that would be called ministers of the gospel , in number no lesse then ten , and in the room i was when they all came in , and they courted and bowed , and scraped with their feet , with their hats to the ground many of them one to another , and reeling up and down the house in this manner , and one striving to outstrip another in complements ; and though they had all intentions to sit down , yet they strave among themselves who should be last , and in this posture they continued halfe an hour together , at the which i admired , and indeed was ashamed , that men who professed godlinesse should be found in such transgression ; and it is like r. i. will count these civill salutations with a good decorum ; and now reader observe again how the wheels went within , and what they did drive after , but to gratifie one another in deceit , with these kind of decorums , like stage-players and fidlers ; and thou errs not knowing the scriptures neither the power of god ; when that which was commanded by god came to be abused they came utterly to be abollished , as the brazen serpent came to be idolized it was taken away , though there was no command for so doing , but they might have pleaded the former against them ; likewise the temple commanded to be built by god , and was to have continued for ever , yet being abused and made an idoll of , it was utterly abollished and was left unto them desolate , and the glory of god did not appear in it as before , and because of the iniquity of such a company of priests , sion became as a plowed field , and jerusalem became heaps , and the dayly sacrifices ceased , and not one stone left upon another of the temple that was not thrown down : and so for thee or any other to plead custome or antiquity , and examples , which was neither commanded or commended as to be standing and a binding rule to all generations , demonstrates thy great ignorance and blindnesse , and manifests thee to be one who pleases the spirit of the world , in whom the love of god dwells not . the next thing that r. i. falsly accuseth , and impudently affirmeth against the quakers , is , that they deny honour to superiours , and to them to whom it is due , and so blasphemes the name of god and his doctrine ; and further saith , charity , though shooting at randome , cannot misse the right mark . answer . it is one thing what god accounteth true honour , it is another thing what r. i. counteth honour . true honour is to obey the commands of superiours who rule in the power of god , and this the quakers doe , submitteth to all the just and equall commands which are required of them that rule in the power of god , and this is not to blaspheme the name of god and his doctrine ; but this fellow would have accused the apostles , as his generation did , who put them out of the cities charging them to speak no more in the name of jesus , and then when the apostles returned , plead their authority , saying , did not we command you to speak no more in his name , and now you are disobedient , blaspheming the name of god and his doctrine . is this good reasoning r. i. and charity shoots not at randome , neither misses the marke , but it is pure , and singles out its object to joyn unto , and joynes not unto deceit ; but this is r. i. his charity , to think wel of them that are doing evill , and joyne to them who are doing the devils worke , but this man honours charity as he doth the scriptures , he saith charity shoots at random , and the scriptures are the true cards , as hereafter thou shalt see . and saith r. i. f. h. labours to disgrace , if not to deface our churches , he like a cunning gamster knows how to alter the course of true cards , the scripture , as r. i. calls them . answer . because f. h. would have them to take away their crosses & pictures and images , which was set up in the time of grosse idollatry , this r. i. counts graces and adorns their churches , and so he is joyned to idolls i shall let him alone ; and the reader may see how r. i. honours the scriptures , when in one place he pleads for the same titles to be given unto them which is given to god ; and saith no man can dishonour christ by giving as honourable titles to the scriptures , as to god or christ ; then by his own argument he hath brought a great dishonour to god and christ and the scripture by giving them so base a title as the name of cards , and so in going about to exalt his own imaginations , he hath villified the scriptures of truth . and saith r. i. to call steeple-houses churches is no addition to the scripture , but a true exposition thereof ; and what if there be some reliques of idollatry in our materiall temples , as therei 's some reliques of sin in our living temples , must they therefore be called idoll temples ? answer . the temple in which the jews worshiped was builded by the command of god , which all these steeple-houses cannot be compared unto , which was invented and set up in the apostacy since men hath departed from the faith , and turned into formallities and idollatry . when christ was offered up the everlasting offering , them that did beleeve in christ separated from the temple ; and the gentiles who believed separated from their idolls temples and they met together in houses , which we do not read of was fill'd with pictures , images , and crosses ; and steeple-houses now was not then invented , and the councell of nice diverse hundred years after the apostles , decreed that images and crosses were to be placed in the churches , and also worshiped ; and there is the originall of those things which r. i. saith , doth grace and adorne their church . and if some of the reliques of idollatry doe abide in your temples , then it demonstrates that you are in the same spirit as they were that set them up . and if your temples take its denomination from the people that met therein , as r. i. saith in the page , then they may be truly called popish houses and mass-houses from the people that meet therein . and if the reliques of sin abide in your living temples and bear rule there , then they that defile the temple will god destroy , for holiness becomes the habitation of his house for ever , and the kings . . will be but a bad proof for thee , for the glory of the lord shall fill the house of the lord , for that is the temple , blind man , which was commanded by god , and the glory of god did appeare there ; but if this will not serve we must have another proof , psal. . . in salem is his tabernacle , and his dwelling place in sion , which may be understood allegorically of our temples saith r. i. doth the glory of the lord fill your mass-houses , you glory in deceit , and in pride , and your glorying is not good , and thy allegory is false , though his tabernacle was in salem , and his dwelling in sion , and his presence in the temple ; is yours the temple , or salem , or sion , or the tabernacle , if not , for shame pervert not the scripture , nor bring it to cover your idollatrous practices , which r. i. pleads for , and saith images , pictures , and crosses , may be continued in some places : and it is like r. i. would count it sacriledge to take them away , he is far from the exhortation of the apostle , abstain from every appearance of evill , and hate the garment that is spotted with the flesh . and r. i. saith , i plead not for baal , nor for proud phantastick , spirits , and yet a little after , saith that putting off lace , ribbouds and costly apparrell , may be putting on of pride . now who will believe this r. i. that he pleads not for baal , when he pleads for pictures , crosses and images , for cuffs , ribbonds , lace and costly apparell . now reader thou may observe by r. i. his decorum how the wheels goes within . and further r. i. saith , it is utterly unlawfull , for any christian whatsoever , gifled or not gifted , to preach the word in the name of the lord before the church publikely assembled , unlesse they be ordained and set apart by the church for such a work . answer . this man is farre from moses spirit , who wished that all the lords people were prophets , and would not forbid eldad and medad , to prophesie in the camp , which was a publick assembly , and israel then the church of god , and r. i. hath made too hasty a conclusion , who would prohibit all from speaking the word of god , if they wanted outward ordination ; then paul was a great transgressor , who consulted not with flesh and blood , neither with any other of the brethren , nor went not up to jerusalem for ordination , but preached three yeare the word of god , and then afterwards went up to jerusalem , and saw none except peter and james , and had no ordination then as we read of ; and afterward he went into syria and celecia , and furthermore saith , he was not known by face to the churches of judea ; so who ordain'd him all this time , for there was no churches of the gentiles but what he had planted then , and so they could not ordaine him , gal. . , , , , . and who ordain'd apollo ; but it may be that r. i. will say that paul was ordain'd at antioch , act. . . but i would have r. i. to understand that here was . yeares that he preached publickly before that , and where was his ordination ? many of the brethren who was scartered abroad in the persecution that was at jerusalem , went every where preaching the word of god , and when or where was these ordained ? and who ordained the brethren that was persecuted after stephens being put to death , who travilled as far as phenecia , and cyprus , and antioch , preaching the word and the hand of the lord was with them , and a great number beleeved and turned unto the lord , acts , , , . yet these things i bring not as to deny but that many went out with the consent of the church , and many were ordained elders who were grown up in the truth and established , who had received the holy ghost , by whom many was confirmed and strengthned in the faith ; but what is all this r. i. to your ordination , and who ordained you , the pope , a bishop , or a councell , or a parliament , and what are they you irdaube ? such as learnes the art of speech seaven yeares at oxford , who hath read homer and aristotle , plato and diogenes , and learned to play on a fiddle ; these are no mechanicks but gifted men indeed and quallified , and fit to be ordained and made ministers , pastors and elders to carry a broad the traffique of mistery babylon ; but this r. i. is very peremptory , and saith , it is utterly unlawfull for any that are gifted to preach the word ; contrary to the apostles doctrine , who saith , as every one hath receiveth the gift so let him administer , and not such as r. i. would have to be ministers , who hath learned an art to speak , and this must be called a gift , and a quallification , and a fit man to be a pastour , and thus they have ordained one another , and hath set up a trade of preaching , and with their confused stories hath fill'd the world with darknesse . and as concerning an infallible spirit , saith r. i. none except christ who was without sin can challenge it , or lay claime to it , and i may say of such runnagates and wandering starrs , as this f. h. and the quakers are , as john did , joh. . . they are gone out from us , because they were not of us . answer , however this r. i. hath cleared himselfe and the rest of his brethren for being ministers of christ , for they doe not only deny an infallible spirit , neither look to be made partakers thereof , but quite shut out all the saints from enjoying it ; and though in christ the fullnesse of the godhead dwelt , who was full of grace and truth ; he is the root from whence all that believe come to be made partakers of his virtue , and so many of his members may lay claime to it , as they have received it by a free gift according to the promise of christ , i will send you the spirit of truth which shall lead you into all truth , and the apostle had received the spirit of life in christ jesus , who had freed him from the law of sin and death , and the sons of god had received it , and they were led by it , and the ministers of christ was made ministers of it , who hath made us able ministers as it is written , not of the letter , but of the spirit , and that spirit was infallible and true , and that spirit which they declared of , was an unerring spirit , and as they were led by it they erred not , but were kept by it that the evill one touched them not , and they spoke from it , and ordered the church in it in the wisdome of god . but what doth these men minister from , who waits not to be made partakers of this , but denyes that ever any had it , or even shall have , and so are but a company of dreamers , and tells their dreame that they dreamed in the night , or at best steales the words from their neighbour , and saith , thus saith the lord when god hath never spoken to them . and though thou may say we are runnagates , because we sit not dreaming over or families yeares , but travills from city , and from country to country to publish the word of truth freely , as the apostles and ministers of christ did ; we must by such as this r. i. and his brethren , who hath gotten holes and nests in the earth to creep into , be counted as runnagates ; and though john said , they are gone out from us , because they were not of us , this he spoke of them who went out of the light , in which he and the rest of the disciples had fellowship with god , and one with another ; and they that went out from this , went into the spirit of the world ; and you are such as they that are gone out already , and blasphemously calls the light of christ ignis fatuus ; and so all that fear the lord will come out from you , and out from babylon , where the blood of the prophets hath been shed , and the witnesses kill'd ; you who deny an infallible spirit , is like to be in blindnesse and follow the spirit of errour , for you have nought else to cleave unto . and further , r. i. saith , when the lord said by joell , that he would pour out his spirit upon all flesh , and his sons and daughters should prophesie ; the prophet speaks not of a ghostly power to open the kingdome of heaven , given by christ to his apostles and successors , but of an extraordinary measure of enlightning grace , and a more copious effusion of the spirit , and also to pastors to whom more is given , more is required ; and this text doth not prove that all sheep shall be pastors , and all schollars teachers . answer . nay this text doth not prove all sheep to be pastors , neither all that are taught to be teachers , for all are not prophets , neither pastors nor teachers , for as christ said the labourers are but few , but this man is afraid that there should be too many , and indeed there are too many hireling loyterers , that are ready to supplant one another for filthy lucre ; and though many may be said to beleeve , yet all have not received the spirit of prophesie , or a gift to be pastors , but onely they to whom it is given of the lord for the worke sake , yet notwithstanding they who have received it ought not to be limitted , either son or daughter , for them who doe , quenches the spirit , and despises prophesie , as this r. i. doth , and how should he doe otherwise , seeing he hath denyed the infallible spirit , from which all the ministers ministred , and all the prophets prophesied and spoke as they were moved by the holy ghost . but r. i. saith , the prophet spoke not of a ghostly power to open the kingdome of heaven , if by ghostly power he meane the spirits power , as i beleeve he will not deny , then was it not by a spirituall power , sons and daughters prophesied , and did not this power open the kingdome of heaven , and if it be a more copious effusion of the spirit which is given under the gospell then the law ; then how is it that r. i. would straiten or lessen the effusion thereof under the gospel ; for there was daughters that prophesied under the law , and many sons that spake by the spirit of god ; but now all must be confined to the letter , and your pastors now hath far lesse of the spirit , if any at all , who speaks from the strength of naturall parts , and denyes the unerring spirit , and so shuts up the kingdome of heaven against men . and r. i. is so grieved at this infallible spirit , or this spirit of prophesie , that he cannot endure that a daughter should prophesie or speak by the spirit of god in the assembly of the saints , and the main stresse of his or all their arguments is the cor. . . let your women keep silence in the church , for it is not permitted for them to speak and if any woman speaks in the church , it contradicts the spirit , and though they have a gift , they ought not to improve it in a disorderly way . answer . that which hath been said in this perticular unto e. d. is sufficient to them whose eyes god hath opened , but this r. i. is one of the evil beasts that the apostle speaks of , whose mouth must be stopt . and so i further say , that the apostle writ to the church of corinth which were beleevers , which few will deny but that it consisted both of men and women , and he expressely saith , ye may all prophesie one by one , and , furthermore , if a woman prophesie with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head ; so that it is manifest that thee was women did prophesie and also laboured in the gospell ; but saith r. i. that was but in a private way , or amongst some few , this had been lawfull or orderly in r. i. his account , and if she might speak to two or three , or twice three it may be , as there is in many houses , is not this call'd a church , and doth not christ say , where two or three are gathered together in my name , i will be in the middest of them . moreover , was not that a church which was in aquilla and priscilla's house ? cor. . . and was not priscilla a daughter that did prophesie ? what must priscilla goe out of her house in which was the church if she had any thing to speak by the spirit ? was it lawfull to speak without doors and not in the house ? and if she might speak in her house , then she spoke in the church , and r. i. would have said she had contradicted the spirit of god ; and is not christ one in the male and in the female ? and is not male and female both one in christ jesus ? is christs power and the spirits authority any whit lesse efficacious or powerfull when he speakes in the female ? or is it the sects only that addeth or diminisheth from the authority of the spirit ; thou ignorant man who art voyd of the knowledge of god ? and was not mary a woman , and did not she preach christs resurrection to the disciples , and were not they the church ? but this is like will not satisfie r. i. his unreasonable mind who doth not beleeve that a woman may prophesie or speak in the church , for this would contradict pauls saying ; not at all , i grant pauls words to be true , this was spoke occasionally to one church ? concerning them that were unlearned and untaught of the spirit , that usurped authority over the man , and such as was disorderly whose spirit was not subject to the prophet , and what must this be a binding example , as to quench the spirit , and limit the lord from generation to generation as to binde or limit them , who are in subjection to their husband and who usurped not authority ? for it is one thing to have authority , and another thing to usurp authority ; now they that are come to feel the power of god , and thereby be moved to speak , the power gives her authority , but she that is not in the power neither doth feele the motion of the spirit , such a one usurps authority and is unlearned , and such , and they only were prohibited by paul and no other ; for if it had extended unto all , then the women before mentioned had been transgressors ; and likewise further for the satisfaction of all ; anna a prophetesse , the daughter of phanuell of the tribe of aser , she coming into the temple gave thanks unto the lord , and spake of christ unto all them that looked for redemption in jerusalem , and that was in a publick place , and in a publick congregation , luk. . , , . and last of all , if e. d. and r. i. will not confesse that the meeting neer cond , in which the women spake , was a church , which f. h. justifies , then e. d. and r. i. hath lost their cause , and wrangled about nothing , and the thing proved against them both , ( viz. ) that a woman declaring , speaking or prophesying by the spirit of the lord and in the authority of god , is a lawfull and a commendable , and a justifiable act in the sight of god and all the children of light : and therefore cease your foolish clamour , and let no such ignorant stuffe come in print again , lest your folly be more and more made manifest , and the stone fall upon you which will grind you to powder . the next thing which r. i. quarrells about , is a lye , which edward dodd asserted , that some of the quakers should say they were equall with god , unto which f. h. replyed and said , he that hath the spirit of god , is in that which is equall , and he that is joyned to the lord is one spirit , there is unity , and that unity stands in equallity , and these expressions saith r. i. offers violence to god and his glory . answer , this r. i. is so in love with the spirit of errour , for he hath denyed the infallible spirit , and is in such love with an unequall spirit , that he cannot endure to here that any should be joyned to the lord in an equall spirit , and so quarrells with plain scripture , and saith , it doth violence to the majesty of god ; the spirit of the father , and the spirit of truth , is an equall spirit , and them that are led by it and are in it , are in that which is equal , and so are joyned to the lord , and are neerly related to him ; but that i said or any other , that the creature is equal to the creator , in power , or in glory , is false and a lye , and let e. d. and r. i. know , that 〈◊〉 are for the lake . r. i. saith , christ is glorified in his humane nature , and humane nature and flesh may be understood of the regenerate part , and humane nature may be understood both of soul and body , and this may confute f. h. that doth contend against humane nature , and goes on and tells another lye , as every page is fild with some , and saith f. h. saith , christ hath no real body . answ. this man speaks out of thick darkness , and intrudes into those things he hath not seen , being vainly puft up in his fleshly mind ; i said unto e. d. that christ was the seed of david according to the flesh , and according to the spirit , the son of god ; and furthermore said , and new saith , that christ is glorified in a spiritual body , and incorruptible body ; and so by incorruptible body and spiritual body , according to r. i. his dark understanding , must also be understood humane nature ; and again , humane nature may be understood of the soul , o dark and fortish man , what art thou like to confute , who saith the humane nature may be taken for the soul , and also it may be taken for flesh , and also it may be taken for the regenerate part , and thus like a blind man hath lost all aime , thou runnest rambling up and down in every by-path , but how should thou doe otherwise , seeing thou hast denyed that spirit that doth not erre ? and also would have all others to deny it , and saith , that none may lay claime to it , although god hath promised it , to give the spirit of truth to lead his people into all truth ; and if into all truth , then out of all error , but this doctrine of christ comes too neer perfection for r. i to own , which is a doctrine so offensive to him , that he cannot endure to hear of it , or that ought should be perfect , and therefore he hath condemned the law of the spirit of life , and saith it is imperfect , as may be seen in the page of his book , and if flesh , and the regenerate part of man , and the soul , may all be understood by humane nature , then they are all one , and then the soul is humane and earthly , but the soul is spiritual and immortal , and flesh and blood inherits not the kingdome of god , and the regenerate part is that which is begotten and brought forth by the immortal word of life , and that which is born of the spirit is spirit , and so the ignorance of this man is made manifest , and so r. i. may take his lye home unto himselfe , as that f. h. denyes the reall body of christ , for f. h. hath said , and now saith againe , and that according to knowledge , that christ hath an incorruptible body , and a glorious body , and a spiritual body , and in this body is christ glorified with the father , and humane nature , is no where taken for a spiritual and incorruptible body , in the scriptures account , as this r. i. and his blind tribe doth imagine , and yet the flesh of christ is owned , and the word that was made flesh the saints know and doth feed on , by which they are nourished up into everlasting life , and so i say unto thee , as i did to e. d. when thou writes again speak plainly , if by humane nature thou intend a carnal body , or the same flesh thou art on , & thou would devide the flesh of christ from his spirit , would devide christ , & christ is not divided ; and thus he goes quarrelling on and heaps lye upon lye , and saith that f. h. saith , christ hath no real body , but his mystical body , which thing is thy own and never affirmed by me either in word or writing , and so repent of thy lyes , and for shame call in thy book least the judgements and plagues of god be multiplyed upon thee . and further saith r. i. how do the quakers condemn themselves , when they so proudly boast themselves , as the pharisees did , to be clear from sin , who needs not christs righteousness for their justification ; how then can they say that christs righteousness is their justification , when they are so righteous in their own eyes , for christ hath not promised to justifie any , but those that confess their sins . answ. we have confest our sins , and also departed from them , and not like you feigned hypocrites , who are confessing from year to year with your feigned lips , and your hearts never turned to the lord from iniquity , and takes the name of christs righteousnesse to be a cloak to cover your iniquity withall ; and we do not say , that we have no need of christs righteousnesse for our justification , for if we should say so , we should be lyars like thy self , for we have need of christs righteousnesse , for he is our life , who is called the lord our righteousness , he is our justifier , and who art thou that condemns any ? but the false accuser of the brethren , for christs righteousnesse is our covering , and we are not righteous in our own eyes , but in the eyes of him who hath made us so ; and we never said that we have not sinned , and so we have not made god a lyar , as this vile slanderer would make men beleeve through his false aspertions , for we say , we were once darknesse , but now are we light in the lord , and he who is our light and life , is our justification and righteousnesse , and his blood cleanseth from all sin , and the power of god keepeth us that the evil one toucheth us not , and yet all boasting is excluded . and the further r. i. goes on the lower he sinks towards the bottomlesse pit , and there we shall find him at last before we have done with his book , and speaks out of thick darknesse , like a man that never saw the sun , who hath altogether taken up his dwelling place in deaths region , and as though that were the land of his nativity , and thou shalt see reader by what ensues . r. i. saith , though it be said , he that commits sin is of the devill ; not that the devill can claime him for his own , or that he is in his possession , but he is captivated of the devill and everpowered . and for his proof he brings peter was cryed up to be a saint , and at that same time when he was cryed up to be a saint , christ called peter a devill , and that must be understood a saint had sinned . answer . he that is captivated by the devil , hath gone from the power of god , and he that commits sin doth the devils work , and he may claime him for his workman ; and he that is overpowered is brought into captivity , and he that carryes into captivity hath the captive in his possession , as it is written , his servants you are to whom you obey , and he that commits sin is the servant of sin . and these black confused distinctions r. i. maketh to make people beleeve that they are saints of god , when they are the devils captives , and that they are in the possession of christ , who yet doe the works of the devill who is an enemy to christ , and thou knows no more of a saint then thou knows of a devill , who saith that peter at the same time that christ called him a saint , called him a devil ; for thou must know , that matthew recorded many things it may be in one chapter , which was acted and done , and spoken in many dayes and weeks , for when peter confessed christ to be the son of god , he was in the faith , and christ said , flesh and blood had not revealed that to him , but at this time had spoken little of his sufferings ; as it is written , mat. . , from that time forward began jesus to shew unto his disciples , how that he must goe unto jerusalem and suffer many things , and be kil'd , and rise again the third day ; so that it is manifest , that here was distance of time and space betwixt peters confession of christ and of his rebuking of him ; however the unbelief was gotten up in peter , and he that had need to be taught , came to be a rebuker of him who was his teacher , this was another state then the former ; but of these things r. i. is ignorant , and let the serpent feed upon dust , for i desire to give him no other food . and further r. i. saith , though saints sin not devil-like unto death , yet if any man say he hath not sinned ofter the similitude of adam's transgression , he , saith john , is a lyar and the truth is not in him , for when all is done the best men are men still , and the best earth is earth ever , and will bear nettles and brambles ; me and if these things were well considered by f. h. he would not say and e. d. for pleading for sin or satan , for we plead against those who say they have no sin . answer . this r. i. is so in love with sin , that by his arguments which he makes , one would judge that he accounts it as necessary as his dayly food , and these are strange kind of saints that r. i would make , at the best they are but still sinners , and unsanctified ; but they that are called to be saints , who are begotten by god the father and preserved in christ jesus , they are sanctified and made clean through the washing of regeneration , & through the sanstsification of gods holy spirit which divelleth in them , by which they have power to mortifie the deeds of the flesh , and to overcome and to be made partakers of the promises ; but here lyes the difference in r. i. his account , betwixt his saints and his sinners , the sinners sinneth devil-like , yet the saints sin not devil-like , i say they that sin are in one nature , notwithstanding r. i. his blind distinctions , for they that sin are liker the devill then god , and liker his image then gods image , for gods image consisteth in righteousness and ture holinesse , and the devils image consisteth in unrighteousness , sin , and unholiness . and now reader thou may judge whose image r. i. his saints bears , and if thou be one that can plead against them who are born of god , and sinneth not , and who are cleansed from all sin by the blood of christ , then r. i. will rank thee with e. d. and himself in his bead-row of saints , as he calls it . and if any man say , he hath not sinned after the simititude of adam's transgression , he is , saith john , a lyar ; nay it is r. i. that saith it and not john , and so r. i. is the lyar , for the scripture saith on this wise , rom. . . death reigned from adam to moses , even over them that had ( not ) sinned after the similitude of adams transgression . so that it is manifest , that there were many that death reigned over , and yet they sinned not after the similitude of adams transgression . but this r. i. will accuse every man with whom he hath a mind to quarrel , and will not only tell lyes himselfe , but publish false doctrine , but he will bring the saints for his author ; and john saith not , if any man say he hath no sin ; and thou that sayest , when all is done , the best men and the best earth , will bear nestles , brambles , and tricks , as i said to e. d. so i may to thee , thou hast given thy verdict for the devill , and not for god and his saints , for they that are born of god sin not , and them that are cleansed by the bloud of christ from all sin , and are clear in his sight , and are kept by his immortall word which dwells in them that the evill one touch them not , but hath overcome the wicked one , and the best earth is that wherein righteousnesse dwells , which r. i. is altogether a stranger too , and that brings forth no bryars , no brambles , nettles nor pricks , for that ground is curst ; so this man by his devillish doctrine , hath made the coming of christ of none effect , and the bloud of christ of none effect , and so have denyed the work of redemption to the best of men , and deliverance to the creature who hath travelled in paine . this dreamer is far contrary to the prophet daniell , who saw by the spirit of prophesie ( which this r. i. so deadly hates , both in men and women that if it be not allowed of by such as he , it must not speak nor they by ir ) this prophet i say testified of the coming of the just one , and of his work , that he should make an end of sin , and finish transgression , and bring in ever-lasting righteousnesse ; but saith r. i. the best men are men still , and the best earth earthever , and the best saints sinners , though they sin not devil-like , & nettles and brambles and pricks they will all bring forth . now if this doctrine be true , how is the soul raised out of death , and where is the restauration of the creature from under the bondage of corruption , and where is the redemption of the seed which is heir of the promise . nettles and brambles , bryars cumbers the ground , and choakes the seed , and these things f. h. hath well considered , and i see more and more that thou art a pleader for sin and satan , and imperfection , for a spirit of errour , for images , pictures and crosses , for cuffs , ribbonds and lace , for nettles , brambles and bryars , and art a man that doth lay claime to the utmost borders of the devils kingdome , and a greater servant of his master i have not met with long , whose reward will be according to his works . and the lye being the chief cognisance of his master , in which he greatly gloryes in , he goes on and saith , another errour of the quakers is , they do not beleeve the scriptures to be true , because they deny them to be the word of god ; for if they beleeve what the scriptures say of themselves ; and they say of themselves that they are the word of god , and for his proofs he cites , mar. . . rom. . . cor. . . pet. . . answer . the scriptures we own to be true , and whatsoever the scriptures say of themselves , that we own them to be ( to wit ) a declaration , scriptures of truth , holy scriptures , the words of god , of christ , and of his apostles , a treatise ; and for his proofs i could wholly referre them to the readento examine them himselfe , and to discover the ignorance of this r. i. who tenders these scriptures aforementioned for sufficient proof , as that the scriptures calls themselves the word of god , as for mark . . making the word of god of none effect by your tradition ; he doth not say of making the word of god , the scriptures of none effect ; neither doth he say you make the scriptures , which is the word , of none effect by your traditions , and as for rom. . . the word is nigh thee in thy mouth and in thy heart , and this is the word of faith which we preach ; here the apostle saith , the word is nigh thee in thy heart , but he doth not say , the scriptures is nigh thee in thy heart , which is the word of god , and cor. . . for we are not as many which corrupt the word of god ; he doth not say , we are not as many that corrupt the scriptures , which are the word of god , or the word of god which is the scriptures . and as for pet. . . but the word of the lord endures for ever , and this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you ; he doth not say the scriptures endures for ever , or this is the word , the scriptures , which by the gospell is preached unto you . and as for thes . . for this we say unto you by the word of the lord , that we which are alive , and remaine unto the coming of the lord , shall not prevent them which are asleep ; he did not say , this we say unto you by the scriptures , for there was not such a scripture written before , and therefore we say this unto you by the word of the lord : and what a foolish man is this , to assert his own imaginations , and then imagins the scriptures will prove it ; and what an improper speech were this , to call twenty thousand sentences one word ; and it is called a declaration ; and what a declaration would that be which consisted but of one word ; but enough of this hath been published before concerning this perticular by divers hands , so i shall be brief . however r. i. doubts his proof allready , that it will not satisfie f. h. and therefore he thought good to make this conclusion upon him , that he does not believe the scriptures at all ; and though f. h. say , that these scriptures are nothing at all to prove that thing ; to deny his imaginations , is not to deny the scripture ; but f. h. beleeves what the scriptures saith of themselves , and doth not deny the scriptures at all , but r. i. his lye , and also his false conclusion . and further saith r. i. the scripture was delivered to the church in writing , that it might be an infallible standard ●f true doctrine , and a determiner of controversies , and the saints rule of knowing god and living to him . answer . reader take notice here is no roome for the spirit at all , the scriptures and writings have taken up the room of it in r. i. his account , for it hath lost its office , if his doctrine be true ; the letrer is become the infallible judg and standard to try doctrine , and a determiner of all controversies , and of the saints rule of knowing god , and living to him , and indeed is become all in this mans account , then what doth r. i. bring aesops fables , ovids fictions , plato's and diogenes stories , in this controversie to joyn with this infallible rule ; & because he hath the scriptures so high to be a tryer of doctrines without the spirit , doubtles is the cause here is no mention made of it , and so he shall be judged by his rule ; in the page take his exposition upon the words of joel , i will pour out of my spirit upon sons and daughters , and they shall prophesie ; this is not meant of a ghostly power , but of an extraordinary measure of enlightening grace . ignorant man , is not ghostly power of spirituall power an extraordinary measure of enlightning grace ? and was it not as spiritual power , and an extraordinary light the prophets prophesied by ; but it is this mans meaning that must be the standard when all comes to all , and the determiner of cases ; and he speaks contrary unto his own rule , as may be seen through his whole book , who hath either added to the scriptures , or perverted them , or otherwise given his false interpretations , or villified them in calling them the true cards , and so though he extolled them in words , he denyes them in practice ; the jews tryed christs doctrine by the scriptures , and judged him a blasphemer , and a breaker of the law , and the apostles seditious ; and so though a man have the scripture , and have not the spirit , it is all as a sealed book , wherein such unlearned men as this r. i. is cannot read ; and therefore he saith in his page , that it is a great fault in us , because we say the law of the spirit of life is the rule , & so like him will not say it is imperfect , as he doth , & so saith r. i. it is not fit to be a rule , & so blasphemously he detracts from the authority and power of the spirit , and like antichrist and his ministers sets the letter above it , & cals it living & an infallible standard , and saith the scripture inclines the heart unto obedience and like a drunken man this r. i. reels up and down and contradicts himself : before he said the law of the spirit chiefly gave power to conforme to the rule , and within four lines contradicts himself , and saith the scriptures inclines our hearts to the obedience of the rule , and the scriptures it self hath caused us to know it , as we have it from the church , it is a probable aid , and yet giveth but a confused beliefe , with a light impression . answ. it is probable enough indeed that thy faith is confused , & the faith of your church , & that makes thee utter forth all this confused heap , but in what hath been said , the spirit of this man and his doctrines will be manifest to all whose eyes god hath opened , and so will depart out of his paths and not give heed to his fabulous stories . it is true saith r. i. there is an inward law written in our hearts , called the law of the spirit of life , rom. . . and there is the outward law written in the scriptures ; now the outward and externall law is properly the rule of a christian life , and not the inward and internall law ; for the outward law is perfect in that it declares in what is the will of god , and in what it is not ; but the inward law received and written on the heart is imperfect , and therefore unfit to be our rule , the law within is that thing that is to be ruled , psal. . . the outward law therefore is the rule . answer . this man would set the sun by his diall , as it might be said , although he confess in the very same page , that the law of the spirit of life giveth power to the creature , yet now it is become imperfect , & not fit to be a rule ; this man like one unlearned , sets the law which was written in tables of stone , which the apostle calls the ministration of condemnation and was glorious , this he sets above the ministration of the spirit of life , which the apostle saith is much more glorious ; but nay saith r. i. the law written in the heart is imperfect and not fit to be a rule , but to be ruled ; contrary to the apostles doctrine ; and so this r. i. is tryed by his own infallible standard , to be a deceiver , who teaches contrary to that which he cals his law and testimony ; and the law which is outward , is the law of the first covenant , which made nothing perfect , but the bringing in of a better hope did , by which we draw nigh unto god , heb. . . therefore the lord said by the mouth of the prophet , behold the dayes come that i will make a new covenant with the house of israel , not according to the covenant i made with you when i brought them out of the land of egypt , when i was as a husband into them , which covenant they brake ; but i will write my law in their hearts , and put my spirit in their inward parts ; i will be to them a god , and they shall be unto me a people , jer. . . heb. . , . now this blind man , who gropes as at noon day , saith , this is imperfect which is written in the heart , and so faulty with him , and therefore to be ruled over ; and the other which is outward is perfect , and faultlesse , and so ought to be a rule ; but saith the apostle contrary to r. i. if the first covenant had been faultlesse , there had been no place for the second , which second the apostle saith , is a better covenant , and stands upon better promises ; but yet saith r. i. this is not the rule , not fit to be a rule ; and furthermore the apostle said , as many as are led by the spirit of god are the sons of god , and this was their rule , and the law of the spirit of life made the apostle free from the law of sin and death , and was the new creatures rule by which they were led into all truth , and as many as did walk in it , out of all sin : but nay saith r. i. it is not sit to be a rule , for this is imperfect , and is that thing to be ruled , and for his proof brings psal. . . by the word of thy lips i have kept me from the path of the destroyer ; and how doth this prove that the law in the heart is to be ruled . thou ignorant man , who litters forth nothing but deceit and error ? and so the scriptures declares against thee , for they say , the law of the lord is perfect converting the soul ; the commandement of the lord is pure enlightening the eyes , psal , . , . for the commandement is a lamp and the law is light , prov. . . and the commands of the new covenant are spirituall and not carnall , and they are perfect and fit to be a rule to guide all them that beleeve in a perfect way , and not as this r. i. saith , unfit to be a rule because of their imperfection , and would in his blind distinctions , cast a mist before peoples eyes ; and all may judge not only of this r. i. his mistake , but of his wilfull impudence , in preferring that which is visible and outward , and may be seen , which was given forth in time , ( viz. ) the commands outward , and the letter outward , above the law of the spirit of life , which is invisible , spirituall and eternall : and as i said to s. s. so i may say to thee , leane souls are they like to be , who receives such damnable doctrine as this for articles of faith . but however reader thou may take notice of r. i. in his epistle to the reader , he saith , the quakers money is counterfeit coyne , which he hath nailed on the market post , and instead thereof hath tendered other money ; and that thou may see what kind of other money the priests is , and what image it hears by the principles here discovered , which is altogether . tin and drosse and reprobate silver , which will be received by none , but them whom the god of this world ha●h blinded the eyes of , that they should not see the things that belongs unto their peace . and edward dodd being sensible that he & all his stuffe , or he and all his arguments was carried captive , and become a booty and a prey , he is glad that any will step in and rescue him , and flatters r. i. and saith , i am engaged to you , to imbrace you as a precious friend , that of so weake principles as mine , have raised so perfect a structure , so absolute , rationall , and demonstrative , that more need not to be done . answ. r. i. his vindication hath not redeemed e. d. his principles at all , but rather hath laboured in vain , and spent his strength for naught , and hath brought forth such a birth as sober men will blush at , made up of ignorance , blasphemy , derision , and lyes , which they that have the lest moderation will abhorre and detest ▪ and the principles of e. d. and r. i. are not only weak and feeble , but wicked and impious , as is manifest in what hath been declared ; and the structure that r. i. hath made , is but builded with untempered morter , lyes , falshood , errour , false doctrine , which the stormy wind of the lord will rent and scatter , and confound , and exalt his truth above it all . but e. d. saith , what can be said to reduce such a people i know not , since so many convincing arguments cannot prevaile . alass poor men whether would you reduce us , or bring us back , to the slime pits of sodome , where e. d. fell with his stuffe , or turn us back again to images , pictures and crosses , to mass-houses , hirelings and tythes , to lace , ribons , and cuffes , which both e. d. and r. i. hath strongly pleaded for , as faithfull servants to their master , who would not have him loose a foot of his territories ; however e. d. hath resolved to continue one in life and death with r. i. who hath shaken hands with the prince of darknesse , and made a covenant with death , which must be broken ; and though s. s. e. d. & r. i. joyne hand in hand , yet the wicked shall not goe unpunished , for every one shall receive a reward according to their works . and so i have done with r. i. his book called ignis fatu●● , whose arguments , false doctrines , errours and lies are dissolved into nothing ; his vindication made voyd , his ignorance made manifest , his false doctrines brought to light , and reproved by the word of truth ; only i shall returne him a few of his lyes back again for him to review the second time , and repent of them , and remember the sentence for all lyars is , the lake that burneth , rev. . . first , that their worship differs not in whole nor in part , in matter nor in manner from the churches in the primitive times . secondly , according to the scriptures their whole worship is framed . thirdly , that jezabel was never more madder against the prophets , then these quakers are against christs ministers . fourthly , the quakers contemn magistracy & infect the common-wealth with ●action . fifthly , that the quakers burnt some houses at oxford . sixthly , that timothy & titus were setled in a parochial way in their quarters . seventhly , that f. h. complains of the darkness of the sun , when the fault is in his own eys . eightly , the quakers deny honour to superiors , & to whom it is due , and so blaspheme the name of god and his doctrine ninthly , f. h. would never have cryed out of deceit , but a purpose to deceive the more . tenthly , that the quakers bid open defiance to the worship of god . eleventhly , that i. n. did say , that he was as just , and holy , and good , as god . twelfthly , that f. h. said , that christ jesus was not glorified in heaven with a real body . thirteenthly , humane nature is taken for the regenerate part of man , and the soul . fourteenthly , that the best men ( though regenerate ) bears nettles , brambles , and pricks . fifteenthly , there is an inward law , called the law of the spirit of life , which is imperfect ; and not fit to beare rule , but to be ruled . sixteenthly , and the scriptures leads us to the spirit , and enclines our hearts to the obedience of the rule . seventeenthly , and f. h. preferreth ignis fatuus , before the clear light of gods word . eighteenthly , & lastly , when he hath spoken all these lies , & publish'd them in print to the world , he blasphemously saith , in his epistle to the reader , have not so much regard to the authority of the writer , as the truth of the matter written by him , who was moved of the lord thus to declare . so all these lyes with many more , and all these damnable doctrines which he hath uttered forth against the truth , these things he would fasten upon the lords motion , and so make him the author of iniquity , and a cloak for his ungodly speeches against them who love the truth as it is in jesus , who hath suffered many reproaches for its sake , and hath been killed all the day long by this generation , amongst which r. i. is , who hath bent his tongue to mischief , and his lips to utter forth deceit ; and as jannes and jambres resisted moses , so hath this r. i. resisted the truth , being a man of a corrupt mind , and concerning the , faith , reprobate ; but he shall not proceed much further , for in what he hath written his folly will be manifest unto all men , and them that fear the lord will depart out of his foot-steps , which leads to the chambers of death , and from those dark paths in which r. i. treadeth , which leadeth into utter destruction . westmorland , the . of the . month , . the end . an information, and also advice to the armie on both parts, and this present committee of safety newly erected, and to the late parliament and also to all people who seeks peace and righteousness, and are for the good old cause, so much talked on. this is presented by him who stands off, and from all self-interests and parties, and wisheth that the wisdom of god may guide you all, and division and destruction may cease. by francis howgil. howgill, francis, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing h ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) an information, and also advice to the armie on both parts, and this present committee of safety newly erected, and to the late parliament and also to all people who seeks peace and righteousness, and are for the good old cause, so much talked on. this is presented by him who stands off, and from all self-interests and parties, and wisheth that the wisdom of god may guide you all, and division and destruction may cease. by francis howgil. howgill, francis, - . [ ], , [ ] p. [s.n.], london : printed in the year, . the first leaf is blank. tightly bound with slight loss of print. reproduction of the original in the british library. eng great britain -- politics and government -- - -- early works to . a r (wing h ). civilwar no an information, and also advice to the armie on both parts, and this present committee of safety newly erected, and to the late parliament; howgill, francis d the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the d category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion an ●nformation , and also advice to the armie on both parts , and this present committee of safety newly erected , and to the late parliament ; and also ●o all people who seeks peace and righteousness , and are for the good old cause , so much talked on . ● is presented by him who stands off , and from all self-inte●●sts and parties , and wisheth that the wisdom of god may ●●ide you all , and division and destruction may cease . by francis howgil . london , printed in the year , . an information , and also advice to the army on both parts , and this present committee of safety , newly erected , and to the late parliament , &c. what , is there not a wise man among you , who seeks not himself , but the good of all , that you so blow the sparks on every hand , and exasperate the spirits on● of another , and rather are for strife , then for healing ? and would ye have the fire kindled to rise up in such a great flame , as both to destroy your selves , and many innocent people in the nation ? what , is every one seeking to gratifie his interests and party , and to satisfie his will ? and is there none that seeks that the will of god may be done in earth , among the sons of men , that god might once delight to do us good , and settle these nations in peace and freedom , as men , and as christians . . consider : hath not this been the end which hath been proposed by all good men , who have not sought themselves , but hath ventured all that this might be accomplished , which if it had been , or were , or could be attained unto , would be a perfect recompence and satisfaction of all , and to all , who have sought it in their heart , viz. freedom from oppression in their persons and estates , which hath not been by reason of the many wicked laws which have been imposed to satisfie the self-interests of some particular men , which did imbondage all other . secondly , liberty and freedom of conscience in the exercise of their consciences to christ , who is gods annointed , according to the manifestation of his light and spirit to them , unto whom , and before whom all must give an account , and be judged ; but this hath been hitherto hindred by them who have re-assumed a power , and have usurped authority to themselves , and have made laws to the imbondaging of the dear and precious people of god in these nations , though you have been talking of the good old cause , these are not revocated and overturned , by which very many suffers to this day . . it is not names , titles , denominations , and words that we look after , and which will effect the thing proposed , which while some have been contending after , have let go the thing in hand , and have lost it , and so sets up a particular interest , and it clothes it self with the words and fair speeches , but nothing is brought forth , and so by fair speeches and flatteries the people have been deceived and cheated . . should not all rule and authority be for the good and safety 〈◊〉 ●nd well-being of a nation or common-wealth , and not to set up an arbitrary power in their own wills , to rule in tyranny and oppression , to satisfie their own lusts , to the imbondaging of all the people ? and when any power or authority have deviated or swerved from this , they became no other but tyrants and oppressors ; for the thing intended being lost , the ruler or rulers rule no more for god , neither he account them such , ( whatsoever they may account themselves ) and therefore hath raised another thing to overthrow that power , as hath been evident in this nation , in these many revolutions , although that power which was first in being , which was ordained for the end aforesaid , being swerved from the thing , might say to that which rose up against it , that it was rebellion and treason , and declare it to be such in the ears of the people , as hath been done by ●ivers , which is in the memory of most , so that i need not instance ; when i say it was not so accounted by the lord , and he hath given testimony of this by the overthrowing the former , and raising up the latter , and hath stood by it , while it stood in his counsel ; as for one instance , the long-parliament against the late king , which in mans account could be looked upon to be no other then rebellion , yet god gave a signal testimony to the one , while they stood in the power of god , and against the other . . was not israel governed sometime by judges , sometimes by the elders , and sometime by kings ? and while they stood in the counsel of the lord , and the people hearkned to them , was not the lord among them , and sometime raised up unlikely means , as to mans wisdom ; as david a shepherds boy , and gideon a thresher , and he was made a judge , and a redeemer of israel out of their slavery ; but mind this still , while they stood in gods equal counsel , which led to do equally to , and for the good of all , according to gods institution and appointment , then they were blessed ; but when either ruler , governor , or governors went from the power of the lord , in which they onely had authority to rule , and to do justly ; but when they went from that , and became corrupt in their minds , and hearts , and blindness came upon them , as it is said , blindness happened to israel through their unbelief ; and what was the effect thereof ? the judges judged for rewards and gifts , the prophets prophesied for hire , and the pri●sts divined for money , and the people ●oved to have it so , and the end thereof was misery ; for god raised up another thing , and overthrew the judges , prophets , priests , and people ; the ancient and honourable that were the head , and the false prophets , which were the tail . is not the same blindness happened to england ? when will her rulers , judges , prophets , priests see their error ? is 〈◊〉 ever like to be a free nation , till all act freely for god , without imposing heavy burthens , and giving as much to one officer imployed in the publike service , as would serve twenty , and make so many of them too ? when will these things be done away , that every one may be approved and manifest , how be loves his nation , or how he seeks the good thereof , by laying out himself freely , and acting freely without so much chargeableness to the nation ; i do not mean the soldiery , but men imployed in civil affairs , and the ministry , who would be counted godly and painful , to publish freely , or else be silent . . the ancient courtiers having found so much ease and profit by the late king , turned all cavaliers , and cryed up the prerogative of the king , above law and equity , setting that aside wholly which all good government was intended for , as the safety of the people , and freedom from oppression , tyranny , and usurpation , and that none might be imbondaged in the worship of god ; but when he and his assistants sought to inthrall all , and imbondage all , both in civil and ecclesiastical things , as they were called ; the long-parliament and the people that aided them at that time , counted it no treason to oppose him , seeing the end was not answered which he should have satisfied ; and god desided the controversie i● overthrowing the one , and establishing the other for a season ; yet many are so blind to this day , that they judge the nation cannot be established in freedom without a king , as though such a name were essential onely to freedom , and without it could not be obtained ; but the judicious will see this ignorance so now many are so doting on the name of a parliament , as though it were essential , or the name to be the foundation of government , and cryes up the priviledge of parliament , as the former did prerogative , and would fight about a name in their heat and passion , and lose the thing intended , though they be the representative of the people to do good to the people , and not hurt ; they are accounted as good servants to god , and to them that elected them ; but if they would so soon as got together , set up a particular interest , which serves to the imbondaging of the whole , and then cry up their priviledge to do what they list ; then it is no rebellion in gods account , neither in the account of just men , to call them away , when they do not perform the thing intended ; but if they will not hearken to the cry of their masters ( the people ) but may be call them rebels or traytors if they should be turned out , because they have clothed themselves with the name of higher power , when alas they are gone from that in which their power , priviledge , and authority stood . . and this i have to say to that part of the army who stands so much upon the name of parliament , and would seem to oppose all the rest , whether army , or the people from whence their power did at first arise , when they accomplish not the end that they meet for , neither intended so to do , but to set up some , and make the rest always sufferers , if you should take part herein , and manage your weapons , for a sound or a name , or for something that may sute you , though damnifie many thousands ; it will not go well with you ; for god looketh not as man , neither judges he according to mans wisdom ; therefore be not rash nor hasty to shed blood upon this account , but take counsel in time ; lest an outstretched arm stop you in your way to your detriment and hurt , and you may repent too late ; it is not your declaring in words for the good old cause , neither your proclamations nor declarations in good words , neither taking god to witness that will satisfie the people , who have been , and are present sufferers ; we have had enough of that , from all the former asserters of liberty in words , but the thing is not done ; so be less in words , and more in action , and deeds for righteousness ; and though you may seemingly retort the sayings of this army in england upon them , how they received commissions from the parlament , and promised to be faithful to them , and did that they repented of that such things should get up to rule & have dominion , as was acted by the two late protectors , whom the parlament and you judged usurpers , and so you take advantage at this , to spread forth this to their reproach in the nation ; this is not brotherly done , neither is that spirit that will forgive , and suffer long , but is heady , though they did receive commissions , and promise to bee faithful , yet the end i believe was still premised by them , as to be servants to them , for the foresaid end , the good old cause : . freed as men from oppression . . as christians , from being imposed upon either by antient laws , or laws which hereafter might be made , which hindered the aforesaid cause and end , of all the travel , expence , and suffering in the nation , which they would never have done : therefore the army in putting a stop to that which did retard and draw back from that end aforesaid , in gods sight , and in the fight of all illuminated men , is no rebellion nor treachery . . and as for the long parlament by whom god did good things , and great things , in the overthrowing that power , which was deviated from the aforesaid end ; ( to wit ) the late king , yet the axe must not boast it self against him that hewed onely with it for a time to accomplish his end , and when he pleases take up another instrument , and let the first lie still . what they did , they had the approbation of god and good men ; yet they went not through with the work purposed and intended . and though they were called together in a time of straits , when that which had obstructed through flattery and ambition was taken away , yet still you who were the members of the old parlament remaining , were called together , for to help to accomplish the aforesaid end , and to carry on the good old cause ; but truly you sticked in the mire , and did not run chearfully , but had your ears open to them that could complement and flatter , and their business you would hear , and return them thanks ; but them who had been your dearest friends in your former straits , coming in all love and humility , and represented their sad suffe●●ng unto you , of their long imprisonment , and how ●bove twenty dear pretious men suffered till death in prison for that grand oppression of tythes , could not bee heard : and again , when a representation came unto you from many thousands , who were faithfull men to the common-wealth , and had alwaies been , it was laid by as waste paper , or as a thing of no validity and worth , when others received thanks from you in words , and a seeming approbation of things of fa● less importance . furthermore , certain who had been officers in the army in the nation , and in ireland this fourteen or fifteen 〈◊〉 , came to you to present the sufferings and grievan●es of that nation unto you , and in seven or eight weeks ●●me would neither hear nor regard their suit unto you , neither take notice of it , neither return an answer ; but when a company of greedy hireling priests came from leicestersh●re to sound their trumpet in the house , and to tell you they had not engaged with the rest of their brethren in cheshi●e and ●a●cashir● with george booth , they were immediately called in , and thanks returned , as though they had done some great service for the nation , that they joined not in the rebellion ; but them who were your real friends , called quakers , who gave you and the army intelligence about the late insurrection in cheshire , who were spoiled by the said rebells of their goods , and horses ( especially ) to a great value , and could never receive any satisfaction or incouragement from you : and above all things this evil you did ; when diverse representations of the sad sufferings of the people of this nation , from diverse parts thereof ; not onely from one sort of people , but all , except one , ( v●z . the presbyterians ) ●●stead of taking off the heavie yoke thereof , the oppression whereof hath reached heaven , even to the throne of god , and hee hath considered it , though you would not ; but in stead of removing of it , established it , for which he was wrath with you ; you have lost your crown , and hee hath laid you by , as men who would not accomplish his end , and let his people go free : and let me tell you , it was rashly and proudly done of you , after so many valiant officers , who had waded through a sea of troubles , though i shall not say , but they sought themselves too much , which i hope god will give them to see : and after they had subdued the insurrection in cheshir● , and had considered what might best conduce , for the welfare of the army , and for the nations good and safety , and to present it to you , desiring your concurrence therein ; and though they did send among their quarters for subscriptions , they knowing before hand except it carried some bulk , or at least seemed a matter of concernment , y●u would take less notice of it , that you should in your heat , and passion , being filled with jealousies , vote out these officers at their return from performing the faithful service to you and the nation , it was an unworthy gratification ; and to put in others less capable , onely to exalt your own power , and rather to draw back to bonda●e , then going forward to perfect the business a foresaid ; for these , and many more instances that i might lay before you , it was just with the lord to remove you , and not to prosper you , and to overturn you , because you stood not in his counsel , neither hearkened to them who would have wished you well , with whom gods counsel is , and it is just you are turned out ; and let me advise you , and despise not my counsel , for the counsel of the mighty hath sailed take councel at a shepherd , or a man of low degree , be you quiet , and seek not revenge , neither blow the sparks nor kindle heat in peoples minds , neither provoke the army to bloodshed ; but rather disswade them , and wait t● see what the lord will do , if he will raise up any to perfect that long desired and hoped for end , freedom , and liberty in the things that are just as men , and in the things o● god without imposition , and if you live to have yo● share among the people , in this it will be well ; and yo● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no cause to repent of being still and quiet , though you may have cause to repent of your rashness , and of the things before mentioned . . and you of the english army who were dissatisfied with the proceedings of the late parlament against you , 〈◊〉 wish there be not too much selfe in you in the thing , rather for your own advancement and particular interest , then that the good old cause , ( profest ) was not carried on by the parlament , according to your desire , and the peoples expectations . if self-interest was the cause , as it is to be feared there was so much of that , you will be crossed in your expectation ; for that is the thing , which hath obstructed the thing intended all along , since the thing was asserted , that will soon be made manifest ; and there remains a ground in your selves , which i believe will hinder the end proposed , which must be done away before you can do much for god , though you may profess and declare in words much , which may take with some for a while , yet it wil not satisfie long . i wish from my heart good to you all ; but there is something stands betwixt you and good things : you would , like the rest , please all men ; but that cannot bee ; stand to the good , and let your actions answer the witness of god in the worst . and you say in your declaration , you have an intention to take away tythes , and settle some way for a godly preaching ministry ; i say , they will need none of the states or commonwealths maintenance . and if you should take them away , and settle any thing by way of compulsion upon the people for any ministry , you leave us in bondage , and we must declare against that , as against tythes , and we cannot pay , neither the one , nor the other , for conscience sake : and you who are the committee of safety newly erected ; yea many of you have seen , or at least might have seen what hath hindred the end proposed ; you have a day of visitation , god will try all sorts of men , if any will be faithful to the end . therefore this i say to you , and the rest of the army ; throw down all those corrupt laws made about religion , mass-houses , clerks-wages , forced maintenance ; and meddle not with it , for that thing broke all parliaments and councils hitherto , and so will it do you , if you meddle with it ; leave all people free without imposition of any maintenance to any , or else you do nought ; but let every one be , and let every judgement maintain their own , and leave people free , as to the worship of god , only to christ who is head and ruler of his church , and lord over the conscience , and is his alone right , which if you shall not do , he will throw you down also : therefore let him have room and way , or else that which resisteth will be cut off : and this is gods word unyou all , take heed of gratifying any to the embondaging of others ; let tythes and forced maintenance go down , and if for the good of the nation or commonwealth , ( as in things civil ) all which a free heart will most readily and willingly assist you in what money you need for the armies pay , or otherwise for the good of the nation . stand not puzling about business not worth mentioning , no● st●●ving who shall be greatest , but remove the present opp●●ss●●n● , and that which is the cause thereof , and set no 〈◊〉 nor unrighteous men in place of authority ; satisfie the nations with deeds , words will not ; with things , and not with names that will not ; and it is not a king , a parliament , a protector , a councel , or senate we look at , will do the thing : neither people be ye wedded and glewed to names ; he that purposeth righteousness and equity in his heart , and walks after it , is that which god will bless and prosper ; for when kings , parliaments , and councels are gone from the power of god , they are for the thraldom of a nation , and not for its liberty ; but this i forewarn you , whatever you do , meddle not in the things of god , or about religion , let that alone , and you will more readily serve the necessity which the present affairs calls for , and the common , civil , and equal liberty of all men . oh that you had wisdom , and the counsel of the lord were with you ! how soon might things be established ▪ then would you do more in one day , then in ten , while you consult with your reasons and the old corrupt laws , many of which 〈…〉 e good for nought but the fire . thus i have in all faithfulness cleared my conscience ●nto you , as the lord presented things to me , and happy 〈…〉 e they that can receive them ; for in this i am not alone , ●or many thousands will bear testimony hereunto . so i rest 〈◊〉 the peace of god , which no man can hinder me of . subscribing my self a faithful friend to the common-wealth , and all the good people therein , francis howgil . the end . the mouth of the pit stopped and the smoke that hath arisen out of it scattered by the breath of truth in answer to a lying story called hell broken loose, or, the history of the quakers, published by thomas underhill, a seller of the whores merchandize otherwise called a book-seller : his lyes returned upon him, his accusations answered and his envie decleared and truth cleared from all his reproaches / by one that waits to see death and hell cast into the lake of fire, with the beast and false-prophet, francis howgil. howgill, francis, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing h ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the mouth of the pit stopped and the smoke that hath arisen out of it scattered by the breath of truth in answer to a lying story called hell broken loose, or, the history of the quakers, published by thomas underhill, a seller of the whores merchandize otherwise called a book-seller : his lyes returned upon him, his accusations answered and his envie decleared and truth cleared from all his reproaches / by one that waits to see death and hell cast into the lake of fire, with the beast and false-prophet, francis howgil. howgill, francis, - . [ ], p. printed for thomas simmons ..., london : . reproduction of original in huntington library. eng underhill, thomas, fl. - . -- hell broke loose. society of friends -- controversial literature. society of friends -- doctrines. a r (wing h ). civilwar no the mouth of the pit stopped, and the smoke that hath arisen out of it scattered by the breath of truth. in answer to a lying story called h howgill, francis b the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the b category of texts with fewer than defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the mouth of the pit stopped , and the smoke that hath arisen out of it scattered by the breath of truth . in answer to a lying story called hell broken loose ; or the history of the quakers , published by thomas underhill , a seller of the whores merchandize , otherwise called a book-seller ; his lyes returned upon him , his accusations answered and his envie declared , and truth cleared from all his reproaches . by one that waits to see death and hell cast into the lake of fire , with the beast and the false-prophet , francis howgil . london , printed for thomas simmons at the bull and mouth near aldersgate , . the epistle . thomas underhill , thou seeds-man of lyes and slanders and false reports , whose hell is broken loose , and is spreading where the banks is not set nor the bounds , and thy greatest madnesse and rage is at them that trembles at the word of god , and works out their salvation with fear and trembling , and thy lyes and slanders and false reports we understand is set on sale in such a mans shop to get gain upon the innocent , and the ground is seen , and the earth in which thou mayest sow thy evil seed , and thy lyes , slanders and false reports , who art a man fitted , whom the devil hath found out to go on in his will , and to do his work , for a long time hath he been fitting of thee , and for a long time hath the seed been sowen in thee , and now it is growing and buds forth , and hell is broken loose ; but thou art taken ( and the hell ) who art the seeds-man of the devil that sowes lyes , the prince of death , but all is and shall be taken and cast into the lake of fire , the hell , the devil the authour of thy work , and thou except thou speedily repent . was there ever such a thing heard or seen , that thomas underhill should gather up lyes , slanders and false reports , and set them to sale at the starre in pauls church-yard , as he calls it ? there is a refuge of lyes of his for any to shelter under that are given up to believe lyes , but that will not save you from the storme nor the wrath of the almighty , but the beesom is witnessed that sweeps all the refuge of lyes into the fire , and brings the lyar to judgement , and thou wilt become a shame and a stinke to all modest and sober people , the witnesse in thy own conscience shall witnesse it . and dost thou think that the nations of england , scotland and ireland do not begin to see your priests and such as thee that holds them up , and such as thee calls converts ? what a stink and a nasty smel there is in your streets , in your towns , in your steeple-houses , as though you had never heard talke of god , and christ ; your natures are so unchanged , and your priests haling up and down to courts and assizes , and casts into prisons till death for their bellies and their mouths such they do no worke for , and your prisoning and persecuting for not swearing to the priests bill , and the priests rude multitude breaking the windows , breaking up meetings , and breaking the heads of people , the servants and messengers of the lord , that you are almost become like a field of blood , whipping such as warn you to repent , and here hell hath been broken loose , and thou art a seeds-man of him that is out of the truth , who art an encourager with thy lyes and slanders these persecutours , but thy own words shall be thy burthen . g. f. it is written , he that watches for iniquity shall be cut off , and the wickednesse of the wicked shall come to an end , although the long suffering of the lord be great , who waiteth that men might return and cease to work iniquity , and to strive against his holy spirit by which he reproveth the world of sin and the wicked of their transgressions , and to this end hath he given a measure of his spirit to every man , ( though contemned and dispised by the wicked ) that they might see themselves and be humbled for their iniquity and repent of their transgressions , yet notwithstanding such is the obstinancy of many , as that they hate the reproof of instruction , yea the scorners and the fools unto whom wisdom crieth , return at my reproof , so that all are left without excuse ; yet notwithstanding though they reject the mercy and love of the lord and gain-sayeth his holy spirit , though they do for a while perfist in their wickednesse , yet this shall be the end , the wicked shall not go unpunished , of that , certain testimony is given that god hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the secrets of all hearts by jesus christ according to the everlasting gospel , which was declared and now is published again by them that are come and coming out of the apostacy , and in that day thou thomas underhill shalt be convinced of thy ungodly deeds , and of thy hard speeches and false accusations , and reproachful calumniations and slanders , and of many false things which thou hast charged against a people whom christ hath redeemed by his most precious blood , which thou shalt be judged for in that day , when terror shal fill thy heart & wrath come upon thee from whence thou shalt not be able to flie , though thou may cal to the hard rocks and to the high hills which are in the transgression , whose hands thou wouldst now strengthen against the just , and blind their eyes , that so they might receive thy false suggestions and instigations , and so would perswade them to stretch out their hands against them which is to be preserved and cherished , who are dear unto the lord as the apple of his eye , but the lamb of god who taketh away the sins of the world , who is arisen and arising in his power and might to make war in righteousnesse against the beast and his power , the mother of harlots , and her golden cup of fornication , against antichrist & his men of war , against the dragon and his army , and he is travelling in the greatness of his strength , who shall subdue the nations to himself , and break all the ungodly that stands is his way as a potters vessel , and behold a numberlesse number hath taken part with him who rides on in the power and strength of his might , the least of which thou shalt not be able to stand before , but shalt vanish as smoke , and be consumed as stubble before the fire , which shall burn up all the ungodly , and melt them all away that hate the lord , then shalt thou call to the rocks and to the hills , from whence thou now looks for salvation , that thou might be preserved in safety still in babylon where is thy habitation , and in the region of the shadow of death which thou hast taken up for thy dwelling place ) and that they might suppress that which thou calls heresie and blaspemy which hath invaded thy kingdom already , and put out thy light , and is staining that which thou glories in , and is bringing contempt upon thy mothers merchandize , of which thy shop is filled with books of curious arts , and made up in the imaginations of men of corrupt minds , many of which is good for nothing but for the fire , which hath bewitched people from the simplicity of the gospel , and hath darkned peoples understandings , and brought a mist and a cloud over peoples hearts , so that the son of righteousness could not be seen to arise in the hearts of people ; and now thou ( with the rest of babylons merchants ) which have long traffickt with their sorceries , art angry because thou hast had a share in her merchandize , and hath gotten gain by selling of such traffick , which is as unsavoury salt , good for nothing but to be troden under foot of men , thou cryes like demetrius for his shrines , great is the goddess diana , and thou with others who have got a gain and trade by the aforesaid inchantments of the harlot and her merchants , thou cryes , the church the church , the ministry the ministry , and religion , the national ministry , which when the matter is enquired into , what the church is , it is found to be no other then the mother of harlots who hath sitten upon the waters this many hundred years , and the ministry is no other but them that are in balaams way , and such whose hearts are exercised with covetous practices , and such as the prophets and apostles declared against , who sought for their gain from their quarter , and who taught those things they ought not for filthy lucre ; and for religion , it is nothing but a profession in words at best without the life , or else some old traditions , humane inventions , and innovated customs , which hath been brought in since the apostacy ; but i say , because of thy gainful craft , thou art now busied as thou hath been diverse years , not onely against the quakers , but against others who have separated from your hypocritical worships and deceitful formalities , and for this end thou hast bended thy tongue to tell lyes , and thy ear is open to mischief , that thou might get any thing to accuse the truth withal , and to set up and promote thy long trading with deceit , what , hath not the hills and the mountains , parliaments , protectors formerly gratified thee , that thou art so covetous and greedy of persecution and blood-shed ? though thy insatiable desire hath not yet been satisfied , neither i believe ever shall , yet thou shalt not go unpunished , and when judgement comes upon thee , then may thou call to the rocks and to the hills to cover thee , and hide thee from the wrath of the lamb , and from the presence of his holy host , but they shall not be able to save thee . what , hath not all the beacons that thou hast fired given sufficient warning to all the dragons host & to all the beasts army , and to all the harlots merchants , and to all babylons children , that they might come out all to battel ? they have been fired these five years , hast thou not gotten all thy host up together by thy books which formerly thou calledst so , to withstand the lamb & his followers , that thou art come on again with a fresh on-set to see if thou canst stop the way of truth , that people might not receive it ? for that is thy end in writing this lying history , as thou thy self hath confest , alas poor man , is this all thy strength that thou art able to make up , and are these all the weapons of thy warfare , a company of vain arguments out of the priests books which have written as thou hast done against the truth , and old stories which thou hast received out of our adversaries writings which thou hast heaped up together to fill peoples minds which prejudice , that they might not receive the truth ? dost thou think this is like to prevail ? a company of broken bowes and shattered spears , and lame chariots , whose wheels have been often taken off , which we have over run and trampled down , that few will have any trust to these , or this is but to set bryars and thorns in battel against the lord . thy book thou calls hell broken loose , or a history of the quakers , published to preserve christians against formality of religion and apostacy , and to the intent that thy book might not grow old nor stick upon thy hands , as such other mouldy stuff hath done , thou saith london printed in the year . and so hath printed a lie in the frontize-piece of thy book , thy book by that time thou may hang up with old almanacks or sell for waste paper , and if thou begin with a lie and scorn , how dost thou think that this will be an antidote ( as thou calls it ) against formality and apostacy ? is not a lyar an apostate , is not he that pleads for popish trumpery a formalist in religion without the power ? he that reads but thy title page may see what thy book is within if he go no further , the covenant of death is not yet broken in thee , and the agreement with hell is not yet disannulled , and therefore all this smoak is come out of the pit in which thou delights to dwell . and is this such a worthy piece in thy account , that thou must needs shelter it under the wings of the officers of the army of england , scotland and ireland ? art thou so great a friend to them ? and in thy book tells them they were the in-let of heresie and blasphemy , who art but yet an episcopal stem , or at best a presbyteral branch . i believe many amongst them will favour thy spirit , and know what uniformity and unity thou art for , which may be more properly called deformity and enmity , and so thy flattering epistle when they see thy spirit will hardly merit thanks , and so that wicked spirit which could not be satisfied in the time of the former parliaments , and protectors , still persists in the unfatiable desire to see if the army will gratifie thee , and turn persecutors , but thou hast mist it far in crying a confederacy to the reverend pastors or priests of scotland , the army knows right well or at least might do , that the priests of scotland whom thou so reverencest have been alwayes hinderers , and obstructors of the way of god and of his work these divers years , instance two or three hundred of them before the fight at dunbar , who prophesied all like zedekiah for the poor scots against the english army to go up and prosper ; and cursed them and excommunicated them , and gave them up to satan and for distruction ; but such prophets were made fools , and their divinations was madness , and god gave a sufficient testimony against them and their deceived followers , wch i hope the english army hath not yet forgotten , and for the scotch priests and their doctrine and practice , 't is so grosly ignorant and abominably prophane , as i believe many of the army do right well know , but such as are not satisfied , i refer them to a book called the doctrines and principles of the priests of scotland , wherein may be seen their deceit , and how some of them hath said they had reason to curse the magistrates from morning to night , because that allowance was granted unto any to worship god in spirit and truth who could not be subject to their traditional uniformity ; and thou tells the army in thy epistle that ruine is like to come upon all religion and piety , if god prevent it not by you or some other way ; they may see what religion thou art of , and what god thou trusts in , and what piety thou art for , which may be rather called irreligious and impious , the government of religion and piety lies upon the shoulders of him who is a wonderful councellor , and mighty to save , and able to defend them that are subject unto him , & would thou have the souldiers or any others intrude themselves into christs throne , unto whom all power is committed both to make religious and preserve pious them that do believe in him , this were to derogate from the honour and power which belongs to christ who is head of the church , who will not give his glory to another , and let all take notice of this that whosoever hath sought to take the honour from him , and glory from him , he hath laid their honour is the dust , and their glory is become as the moth-eaten garment as hitherto it hath been evident ; and thou tells them they know the scripture is gods written word and a holy perfect rule of faith and practice , and that it holds out that christ is now in his humane glorified body in heaven . if thou hadst said the scripture is the words of god written thou hadst said something , for the word of god is one thing , and the words is another , though the words are a testimony of the word , and the word and the spirit which is one , which gave forth the words , are the perfect rule and foundation of faith , which was before the words , and is greater then the words , as we have often declared to thy dearest generation though they would not hear ; and where doth the scripture hold forth a humane glorified body in heaven ? thy deceit and ignorant mind holds out a humane glorified body , we say according to the scriptures that christs body is spiritual , and he is raised a spiritual body , and is glorified in a spiritual body and in a heavenly body , which thou never knew , neither art , like while the nature lives in thee in which thou now stands . and thou saith in thy epistle that one day in seventh should be set apart for rational souls to mind the things of eternity . and which is that day that thou wilt set apart ? some of babylons merchants have cryed up one day and some have cryed up another day , and some have called the seventh day the sabbath , and some have called the first day the sabbath , and whether was sabbaths made for man , or man for sabbaths , and whether was dayes made for man , or man made for dayes ? all time is in the hand of the lord , and they that have communion with him do mind the things of eternity every day , and so they come to know the day of the lord in which rest is given to the soul , and the creature hath rest though he labour in the creation when that is done away in himself which hath opprest ; thou may go learn what this means . in thy post-script ( as thou calls it ) thou saith if any shall take offence for thy seeking to civil or military power to support religion , thy defence is , and thy belief is that thou ought to seek to the higher powers to support religion , and this is the liberty of thy conscience , and that this thou may do more acceptably then they who cross their own profest opinion as they have done of late years by motions , councels books and papers which they have delivered for these many years for the pulling down the ministry and steeple-houses , and that their importuning the magistrate to pull down ministry and worship is a yielding of the cause . i say thy belief is without the true foundation , and so many properly be called unbelief , and thou errs in thy judgement , who seekes to civil or military power to uphold religion , which as i said before belongs to him who is the higher , and highest power ; civil and military officers are not for making religion or setting up religion , but are to keep the peace , and to stop the violent doer , and to be a terror to evil works and workers , and a praise to them that do well , and that is their place to govern in righteousness , but not to exercise lordship over the conscience , which power belongs onely to christ ; and as for them who have delivered books and papers and words and writings to them who were in authority to pull down the ministry and steeple-houses , or publike ministry and worship , if thou intend the quakers , as i believe thou dost , thy arrowes being shot onely at them ; we have delivered , or caused to be delivered divers books and papers , wherein we have shewed them the grievous suffering of the people of god , by the heavy oppressions which they did suffer under , because of the hirelings wages and upholding of mass-houses , things which hath been introduced since the primitive times in the apostacy , which aforesaid things hath been guarded and upheld by lawes made in the beasts power ; now to make null those lawes which were the ground of many oppressions , and an offence to many tender consciences , this is not to pull down religion , and that ministry which can be pul'd down by taking away of tythes and forced maintenance is no ministry of christ , but ministers of antichrist , and to deny paying to steeple-houses , clark wages , burying for the dead and such other like invented things , which many hath groaned under , is not to pull down religion ; for this i say to thee , and that which i can say to all , which no reasonable or equitable man will deny to be equitable or just , take the hireling ministry to thee , and give him the fifth part of thy estate if thou wilt , and erect thy steeple-house like babels tower , but trouble not us with none of these things , and for declaring to the magistrates that these things ought to be done away , and the law by which they stood which was made in transgression ought to be taken away , this is not to pull down the ministry nor true religion , but to overturn deceit and innovation which hath obstructed and hindered pure reformation which hath been talkt on , for these are but the rotten raggs of the whores menstruous garment ; so thy defence is made void and ours standeth true , that the magistrate or military power hath nothing to do to prescribe any form of religion to bind all unto , for this is an intruding into those things that belongs not to them . thou saith that thou dost freely and sincerely affirm , that thou hast not knowingly wronged the quakers in the least , but doth engage thy self to mak● good every thing thou charges against them , that shall require it of thee . that we shall see afterwards how thou wilt make good that which thou hast charged some with ; hast thou not knowingly wronged us , when thou hast brought all those which thou counts hereticks all europe over , and some parts else , and whatsoever they did or said , must be imputed unto us . i know thy envy in times past with the rest of the priests was as much against them who were separate from your assemblies as now against us , and all these things that thou hast racked up in this book out of histories of germany , of new england , which i am not credulous to receive from thy mouth , no more then i shall thy history as thou calls it of the quakers , for thou which wilt lye of them which are so near thee , may report many untruths at a distance , and these things the hireling priests were wont to charge upon the baptists and independants ; but now we are become the object of all your reproach and your butt to shoot at , but we are in that which the devil cannot prevail against , neither the gates of hell . in thy third chap. thou saith , thou wilt treat of the predecessors of the quakers , and thou reckons up simon magus , menander , saturnus , how he taught that marriage and generation was of sathan , and arians who denied the divinity of christ , and pelagius a monk who held that a man without the grace of god was able to fulfil all the commandements of god , and of balsidies , that he taught that it was not jesus , but simon of cyrene that was crucified in his shape . these are none of our predecessours , take them to thy self ; and whether hast thou not knowingly wronged us in these things , and how wilt thou make every thing good which thou hast charged us withal ? these things forementioned and many more which i shall pass over as not to trouble the reader with , in which thou hast charged us falsly , wherein thou art required to make good the charge , or else cease thy clamerous tongue , these that thou hast reckoned up you use to call them arians , saturnians and palagians , but now thou hast made them all quakers . in thy th page thou manifests what spirit thou art of , thou tells of the old church-government being taken away ( to wit , the common-prayer book , taken out of the mass-book ) then began sects to arise ; so that it seems thy chief reformation and religion is but the old lithurgy , which is little better then the mass ; and the ministers the old corrupt bishops that the earth groaned with the burthen thereof , whose ordination & call is from the pope their original , and from the church of rome your mother , from whence these state-hirelings which burthens the whole creation sprang forth ; thou would have all confined unto this dark mist , and compelled to worship according unto those popish traditions held forth for publick worship in that time . further thou brings a heap of lyes out of baxter , a man at enmity against all goodness , who hath written many lying books against the living truth , for which the lord god will call him and thee to account . thou sets down some of that which thou calls our principles in the th page , how that we deny all officers in a common-wealth ; and how we deny all relation , as brother and sister , magistrate , master , father , mother , son and daughter , husband and wife , and that husband and wife should part asunder , and that all things should be common ; all these things shall turn upon thy own head ; and now to the light in thy conscience i speak , which thou despisest , whether thou hast not wilfully wronged us ? and i require of thee according to thy promise , to make these things good , but i believe thy proof is out of our adversaries books , baxters and the priests of new-castle , which things have been answered , and their lyes turned upon their own heads . in the th page thou hast gathered some words and sentences out of our books , many of them are so evident and manifest truth to all that are come to a good understanding , that they need no vindication , for they will vindicate themselves , and have an evident witness in every ones conscience that believes , so far as thou hast truely transcribed them ; and many of those doctrines and practices which thou hast set down as errours , the scripture will bear witness too , and the example of the saints evidence , and the judicious will receive with gladness of heart , and by it thy envious spirit will be made manifest to all where thy lying story shall come . in thy th page thy lips being accustomed to utter forth lyes and deceit , thou proceeds and sayes , that the quakers say that a man is justified by the merit of good works , and inherent righteousness ; and how that we hold the real corporal presence of christ in many places at once , and overthrows the articles of christs humanity ; and further thou saist , that christ is corporally in heaven ; but for proof i expect none from thee , for thou speaks as though thy tongue were thy own , and i charge thee to instance where in all our writings we have said that a man is justified by inherent righteousness , or where thou finds real corporal presence , or where it is written in the scripture that christ is corporally in heaven ; yet the man christ is at the right hand of god , from whence he shall appear to thy judgement and condemnation , except thou repent , and christ , gods righteousness must be revealed within , by which the saints are justified . in the page thou tells of the actions and manners of the quakers , and thou sayes , they will not put off their hats before the highest authority ; and how they stood covered and thoued , and theed the chair-man and members of parliament , to the great dishonour of the authority of england , as ever was admitted ; this showes that the authority of england hath in times past been out of the authority of god , and in the same authority which we find mentioned in the scripture , before whom the prophets , christ and the apostles were brought before , though many of the magistrates then were out of the power of god , yet they did not reprehend them for want of hats , or caps , or bowings , or saying thee or thou , and it seems the committee and members of parliament did 〈◊〉 it no dishonour , though thou doth who art a busie body , but fools loves to be medling . then thou proceeds on and sayes , they will not petition men , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the greatest power , witness all their addresses to the protectors ; and also tells , how a quaker in hartfordshire swore against them that pulled down the house where the quakers met ; it is not consistent with them that are in the truth , and in the power of god , to come with fained petitions full of flattery and deceit , which answereth not gods witness , but rather the wrong part which would be courted & flattered ; which holds under the just , neither can they who are in the truth make such fained complemental addresses as the hireling teachers from all quarters of the nation did to the late protectors , who flattered them and told them they would stand by them , and lay down all for that which they asserted , and called one of them joshuah and the other moses , and said , they committed the keeping of the faith of our lord jesus christ unto them , and such like blasphemies ; but as soon as the wheele turned about in the next month , calls them traitors , tyrants and usurpers ; and these were your stinking addresses and your fained supplications , which all sober and understanding people were ashamed of ; and thy priests which thou calls ministers , and their confederates which thou calls christians , have flattered them and bowed under every deceit , & turned with every wind , instance in the dayes of edw. hen. . eliz. and mary , and charles , and when these were overthrown which you used to call gods annointed , then you strike in with what thing soever arises , ●s instance one parliament after another , and then for protectors , and then no protectors , but a parliament ; and thus have you flattered each of the rulers though never so unjust , till the wrath of god hath sunk the most of them , because they have hearkened to flattery and deceit , and had not their ears open to them with whom the counsel of god is ; we have counselled them oft , and have forwarned them in all plainness and nakedness of heart , though our counsel hath been rejected , yet god hath fulfilled our testimony thus far upon them all ; and as for the quaker in hartfordshire , who thou saith swore against some who did abuse him and the quakers , i do believe he was one of thy own generation , and lately one of your popish parochial congregations instituted first by pope dionysius , although the man was more moderate then the rest , and did grieve to see his neighbours abused , and sober people disturbed , and the house broken down , & blood shed , & that by the justification of thy sir t. h. the man not being convinced of the unlawfulness of an oath , did give testimony against the riotous persons and evil-doers , and against him who incouraged them in it ; and shall he be condemned by thee who acteth the same thing , was it evil in him and is it righteous in thee ? although i do not justifie the thing , for it is known to many thousands in the nation that the quakers will not swear upon any account , least they should fall into condemnation , but there is none can escape thy slanderous pen who loves uprightness and truth ; but all thy smitings in the dark will at last fall upon thy own pate . further thou goes on and saith , we cry up liberty of conscience , but are not willing to give it to others ; because thou saith , many thousand times some ministers hath been disturbed by them in their religious exercises . that liberty which we would enjoy our selves , the same we can and will allow unto all men , which is most equitable ; and though we have gone into the steeple-houses and old mass-houses , and declared against idolatry and deceit , formality , feignedness and hypocrisie , or spoken the words of truth and soberness , either in exhortation , admonition or reproof , this was the manner of the apostles of christ , whose consciences were exercised in purity towards god ; but that which was order in the churches of christ , is counted disturbance by you mass-house-worshippers , and yet you would arrogate unto your selves the name of a church , and yet are out of gospel order , you are for the liberty of the flesh , and not for the liberty of a pure conscience thou saith , the quakers are grievous lyars , and thy proof is that richard hub berthorn said , that the wicked are not to read the scriptures ; and e. burrough saith , the wicked and ungodly are to read the scriptures , and not the godly ; and thou sayes , in this they have not both spoken truth . we know no lye is of the truth , but of the devil who abode not in the truth , and we are redeemed out of lying by the truth which hath set us free ; and thou art found the lyar thy self , for the words both of r. h. and of e. b. thou hast perverted and not spoken the truth , as afterwards may be made more manifest . in the th page of thy lying story thou saith , the quakers hath succeeded much , and hath prevailed in these nations , and beyond the seas ; but thou hopes where ever thy book shall arrive before them , the people will so well know them as to abhor any further acquaintance with them . here thou hast manifested thy spirit to be like the envious jews , who crucified the lord of life , and persecuted the apostles from city to city , sometimes running before them with their lyes , and sometimes after to oppose them , & to stir up the vagabond-fellows & the ruder sort of people to oppose and abuse them ; yet notwithstanding the truth prevailed , and many believed on the name of christ thorow their words which they published unto them ; we have found the like opposition , not onely from strangers but also of our own countrey-men , and have had many such lying stories as thine sent before us , and spread over the nations , and yet god hath carried on his work , notwithstanding all rage , opposition and cruelty it hath prevailed and shall prevail , for so is the purpose and will of god ; and they who shall see thy book , who are but reasonable men , will abhor and detest thy envious spirit , and truth shall be more advanced , and that shall be fulfilled , the remainder of the wrath of man shall turn to the praise of god . thou sayes , they are a very cruel bloody people , if we may judge the lyon by his paw , or what is abundantly in their hearts . god will confound thy lying lips and thy deceitful tongue ; whose blood have we shed ? can we not say and that of a truth , and have our testimony by gods witness in every man , that we are clear of the blood of all men ? nay , on the contrary , hath not our blood been spilt in your places of worship which you account holy , and hath not many suffered in bonds until death , by the reason of the oppression of the blood-thirsty priests of this nation ? and thou might well have been silent if thou hadst not had an impudent face ; have not we much to lay to your charge and that truly ? what dost thou judge of thy godly ministers in lancashire and cheshire , whom thou calls the valiant captains of christs army , which preached up the people into rebellion upon pain of damnation ? and others said , except they went to the randevous , it was much if they were saved ; and others said , the nations must be purged with blood , to shed the blood of all those that withstood them ; and others said , if god would stand as a newter , they had men enough ; & such blasphemous words and doctrines were uttered , which are too tedious to relate , and all this quarrel they said , was against the quakers ; now let the reader judge the lyon by his paw , and what is in these mens hearts by their words and actions before mentioned . and now to conclude this in thy own words , what would not these men do if they had power to their will ? but the power of the lord god preserves the innocent , and is against all the workers of iniquity ; i shall not trouble the reader with what priest ford and fowler of redding hath gathered up out of priests books , which they have vomitted forth against the way of truth , nor what tho. underhill hath licked up and vomits out again , which is but that which hath been vomitted up before ; so that it may be said of them all as the prophet saith , their tables is full of vomit , and filthy spewing covers them all ; all which things hath been answered over and over , but that swine loves to be wallowing in the mire , and doggs loves to lick up their vomit , and the envy of the wicked will not cease till he be cut off , nor the evil eye for watching after mischief till it be put out ; and now tho. underhill and the rest of thy party , who resist the spirit , if i would recriminate , might not i more justly and truly bring many thousand bad examples acted by your party , who are accounted christians , and charge them all upon you , then all these things in thy lying story , which thou hast brought against the quakers . if i should go from parish to parish , as thou hast done from one end of the land to another , and also beyond the seas , and should i reckon up all the fornicatours and adulterers , all the thieves and murtherers , all the proud and covetous , all the fighters , brawlers , railers , drunkards , cheaters and defrauders , and should charge all these upon the presbytery , what a volume i might make , and were not this a just retaliation ? would thou count it an equal thing , or would it be accounted just in the sight of sober men , if i should charge the moderate and guiltless with these things before mentioned ? then judge thy self for thy envy and foolishness , and let thy mouth be stopped for ever , for accusing those whom god justifies . in the page in thy observation on the whole history , that one may talk much of god and christ , and of the things of religion , and all invain ; and how the coming in of unbelief shuts out truth , faith and pitty , and the great danger the nation is in by being overrun with hypocrisie and formality in religion , and how many hath the form of godliness , but denies the power . he whose eye is open may see the intent of thy history is to resist the power of truth , and to strengthen deceit , and this shall stand for thy own lot , and for the congregations and assemblies thou art pleading for , who at the best are but in the suburbs of babyl●● , who talk of god and christ , and of the spirit and of religon , but all in vain , for nothing is brought forth among you but formality , deceit and hypocrisie , and errour and unbelief , and a form of godliness hath long covered the nation , and truth , faith and piety hath been rejected , and the power of godliness ; but now hath the lord appeared , and hath rent the vail , and manifested the deceitful workers and hypocrites , and though thou be observant as to others foot-steps , yet thou hast not viewed thy self , neither pulled the beam out of thine own eye , neither hath discovered thy envy , nor the murderous spirit that rules in thy heart from whence all these muddy waters flows forth , and all this fog and mists arises which darkens the air , which whosoever receives in , their understandings comes to be darkned ; but all that fear the lord will see that out of thy corrupt heart all this mischief which thou hast long been treasuring up doth now come forth , upon which the day of wrath will come both upon thee and it . thou saith , the quakers hath no reason in the world to boast of their sufferings as they do , for they have suffered as evil-doers , for being uncivil to magistrates , and disturbing gods people in their assemblies , and for being busie-bodies and some other known wickednesses , and all their charging courts ●nd , justices with persecution falls flat to the ground . we are no boasters , but rejoice in our sufferings for christs sake , neither are we weary , but are willing to bear and suffer , till the lord arise and plead our cause , and our sufferings are recorded , and the lord hath considered them though men would not , and hath overturned many and rebuked many for our sakes , and it is he that justifies us , and who art thou that condemns us ? the testimony of our innocency and the causeless suffering hath a witness in many thousands hearts , who are not like thine as flint ; and what uncivility hath any to lay to our charge , as against magistracy , whom have we wronged , or what violence have we done to any , except thou judge that incivility , because we do not complement , bow and flatter , and make feigned addresses , like thy generation ? and this , your highness , and the other , your excellency , and another , my illustrious lord , and the next week or next month call them traytors , tyrants and usurpers ; and as i told thee before , that which was order among the churches , is accounted disturbance by thee , which evidently manifests that you are in the apostacy , and out of the christian religion which was professed & practised among the primitive christians ; and for any known wickedness among us , i am out of all doubt , if thou had any thing thou would preach it upon the house top ; known wickedness hath god redeemed us from , which thou yet wallows in & yet takes delight in ; and therefore all these known and wicked abominable falshoods and lies is come forth , besides the abusing of our words and false representing what we have written as our doctrines to the world , and this thou hast done , sometimes added to our words , and sometimes detracted from them , and sometimes adds thy own collections , and then presents them to publick view as our errours and blasphemies ; and as for courts and justices , magistrates and rulers , many of them hitherto hath ruled by the dragons power and not by the power of god , and in that , many hath incouraged the evil-doers , and hath not listned to the cry of the oppressed ; therefore hath the lord god overturned them , and their day is past , and our charges against their wickedness and persecution , neither our testimony , neither our sufferings hath fallen to the ground , but stands as a record against them . and thou saith , it is high time for all the redeemed ones , and sanctifie ones , and children of grace , the favourites of heaven , honest , godly , sincere christians , children that will not lie to improve their intrust in god , for this sinful devided nation . what dost thou own any to be redeemed and sanctified , or to be children of grace , or that doth not lie , and yet cryes out of perfection as blasphemie , or that any should come to or live by that which is perfect ; if thou exclude the quakers to be any of these , they will not find many redeemed , sanctified , honest , godly , sincere christians ; and all your improvement and your intrust which you have in god and in christ will but amount to a small dram , you all of you hitherto as you have said , have improved your intrust , and hath sought god , as you have said , by your prayers and humiliations for the suppressing of that which you call heresie , and yet you have had no answer , neither hath he listned nor will he listen nor bow down his ear unto you because your hearts is full of abominations ; and as for relapsing into popery , you never came out of it , witness the priests popish ordination , their popish attire , your popish mass-houses , your cross and bells , your popish tithes , easter-reckonings and mid-summer dues , your popish colledges , your popish crosses and your popish images in and about your idols temple , and because of the holding up of these things , the hearts of many of gods people are made sad , and because you would hold up your religion by swords and clubs , and persecute others who discent from you in this , you are one with the papists ; and is this all thy reformation that thy godly ministry can bring forth ? you have travelled in vain & spent your strength for nought , and because of these things the hand of god is against all in the nation who hold them up , and who is he that can alter the councel of the lord ? and god will not be reconciled to the nation till these things be done away , because of these things and many more grievous oppressions which hath been holden up ; therefore god hath broken them in the midst of their councels , and confounded them in the midst of their devices , and will confound and overthrow all deceitful workers and unprofitable talkers such as thou art , and one hill shall fall after another till there shall be a great plain , that the ransomed of the lord may walk over and worship the lord together in spirit and love and truth , in joy and gladness of heart , even as when israel kept the feast of tabernacles . and now i shall come to let the reader see how thou hast falsified our words which thou hast added thy own imaginations to , and then hath quoted our books to make people believe they are our words when as they are thy own forged lies , the which i shall return upon thee . first , thou sayes george fox in truth defended saith that preaching the word praying and singing are no appointments of christ , when as he saith no such thing , but the hireling priests divination and feigned prayers and other mens words in rhime and meeter are the inventions of men and not the ordinances of christ . secondly , thou saith e. b. in truth defended saith , the priest taking tythes in the time of the law was evil , and proved them to be false prophets and deceivers ; when as he saith quite contrary , that the priests took tythes under the law , according to the command of god , but ●ow the priesthood was changed , and the law was changed ; and them that preach for hire , and seek for their gain from their quarter , or take tythes , are in the steps of false prophets and deceivers , and no ministers of christ . thirdly , that its dangerous for the ignorant and unlearned to read the scripture , and the ministers of it are the ministers of death ; now thou hast detracted from the words ; there it is said that it is dangerous , for thee to take the scripture to war against the saints withal , and to make a trade with it , and give carnal exposition and then sell them for money . fourthly , thou tells of one master kellet in lancashire and his queries ; whether did not christ institute his last supper with bread and wine ? and r. h. saith , the bread which christ called his body is his church , which words thou hast mangled and perverted , as thou hast done the most thou hath medled with , there is no such man as master kellet ; the words are these in truths defence , . christ did not speak of bread and wine , but he took bread and brake it , and said this is my body ; and we witness the breaking of the bread which is his body , and in this answer , there is not one word of church . fiftly , e. b. in answer to firmin , his words thou hast perverted , and would bring this as a contradiction of r. h. thou saith he allowes onely the wicked and ungodly to read the scripture , such as the scribes and pharisees , and not the godly ; and not the godly is thy own adition : he spoke concerning the scribes and pharisees who thought to have eternal life in the scripture , he saith this was spoken to the pharisees , and not to believers , yet believers is not excluded from reading the scripture , for them it pertains to and they understand it ; but thou are like the spider where the bee gathers honey , gathers that which is corrupt , and in thy conclusion of thy story thou takes in hand to supplicate god ; and thou saith it is for the help of them that need it , this thou might have spared till the old prelates had come up again , it may be some synod of them will add to the book of common-prayer thy late service and worship ; dost thou think the lord will hear thy hypocrisie & lies without returning his judgment on thy head ? thou tells of some that sets light of christ and his blood and word ; thou art one of them that sets light of christ and counts his blood as a vain thing , as thy own words in thy book shall testifie , where the reader may observe , when we have testified of the true light wch lighteth every man that comes into the world , who is the way to the father , thou hath set down our words for blasphemy and errour , when divers of them are the words of scripture , and none of them but the scripture will testifie unto against thee ; and as for the blood of christ and the blood of the everlasting covenant , thou accounts a vain thing and an unholy thing , even which cleanseth from sin and and bears witness against it , and subdues it , and makes them that receive it conquerers over sin , but thou that cries out against perfection or freedom from sin , and counts this errour and blasphemy , ●hou denyes that which sanctifies and cleanseth from sin , and counts it unholy and vain , and so if the lord should hear thee and grant that thou prayes for , destruction would come upon thee , and thou art one of the formal professors that had need to repent of thy deceit , before thou can pray unto god either for thy self or others ; but enmity and wickedness lodges in thy heart against the lord and the way of truth , and thou hast resisted the counsel of the lord against thy self ; and therefore woes , plagues , thunders and storms is truely thy portion , and nothing else must thou expect , which undoubtedly will come upon thee , except thou repent , and it will be hard for thee to find a place of repentance , for it is yet hid from thine eyes . so i have answered thy lying history by which thou would inchant peoples minds , and have discovered thy deceit , and thy poison which thou hast put in that thou calls an antidote , that so the simple may not be deceived with thy lies and cheats , neither the innocent betrayed ; only i shall return a few of thy lies upon thy own head , which thou hath forged up against the quakers out of thy corrupt heart , and out of the lying stories of the priests , with whom thou art in league ; but he that sits in heaven laughs you to scorn , and all whose eyes the lord hath opened , will have thy lying history in derision and lothe thy enmity , and testifie against thy spirit as not to be of god ; and because thou hast said in thy advertisment to the reader , that thou hath not knowingly wronged the quakers in the least , i say thou hath either knowing or ignorantly wronged them , and both thou must repent before thou find mercy ; and because thou tells the reader thou will make good every thing thou hast charged against them to any who require it , i do require thee to make these ensuing things good . . that the quakers deny the death and ascension of christ . . that we deny the divinity of christ . . that the priests under the law , that take tythes did evil ; and for it were counted false prophets and deceivers . . that a man is justified by the merits of his own good works . . that the ignorant may not read the scriptures . . the quakers are a carnal and bloody people . . that the quakers are bewitched and possessed by the devil . . that christians are worse then beasts . . that the body of christ is not in heaven . . that christ as man had his failings . . that man is not reconciled to god until he can stand by his own power perfect . . that christ was a single man , true man and died for us . . that without the grace of god a man may keep the commands of god . . that they deny the relation of a father , a brother , or a wife . . that all that the quakers have suffered , is for evil doing , being malefactors . these amongst many others thou art required to prove , and to make good , as thou hast promised , or else for ever stop thy lying lips , and own thy condemnation for thy envy and false aspersions ; and these things i lay at thy door as lyes , see how thou wilt clear thy self in the fight of them unto whom thou hath written thy story ; many filthy and ungodly stories is besides in thy book , which i shall not trouble the reader or cumber his mind with thy filthy stuff , but in what is already declared thy deceit will be made manifest and laid open , and truth cleared from thy lies ; and that will be satisfaction to him who desires that all who love the lord may be kept out of the snares and temptations of the devil who goes about seeking whom he may devour , like a roaring lion ; and thou may see whose foot-stepts thomas underhill hath trode , who hath ranged up and down from age to age , from nation to nation , from one region to another to fetch up lies and fabulous stories to resist the truth withall , whose reward will be according to his works . london . of . mon. . friend , consider what thou hast done : o how hast thou brought a vail of bad report upon thy name amongst all that fear god ? and how hast thou hurt and wounded thy self by thy own wickednesse ? and the scripture is fulfilled upon thee ; the wickednesse of the wicked shall slay him ; what hast thou no better use to make of thy time , then to spend it with inventing mischief against a despised people that seek not the hurt of any one , but thirsteth and waiteth for the glorious appearance of the son of god ? and what thou hast sought to do against them , shall be the weight upon thy own conscience in the dreadful day of god , whose heavy judgments thou canst not escape . alas for thee , poor man , thou feeble child of babylon , whose strength is weaknesse , & whose wisdom is meer folly in the sight of the lord ; the children of zion do not fear thee , neither do they regard thy revilings , for they dwell in a safe habitation , and are at perfect rest , and are above all the fiery darts which in thy envy thou shootest against them , and thy reward shall be according to thy works , and the multitude of men shall not be able to deliver thee from the wrath that cometh against thee from the lord , and all the false prophets and wolves in sheeps cloathing , with whom thou hast taken part against the lamb and his followers , they shall be a broken reed for thee to lean upon ; for why ? alas , the determination of the lord is against them , and the day of their sorrow is approaching ; and hadst thou been wise for god , and for thy own soul , thou wouldst not have indangered thy own soul on their defence ; and though we have no goals , prisons , stocks , nor whips , nor yet any unjust or cruel way of dealing towards you as you have had against us , yet we have the lord to be our armour , and he is the only rock of our defence , and he is stronger then man , and in him we trust ; and what are all thy lyes and slanders unto us ? and what though baalam for a gift may seek enchantment against us , yet there is no divination found against the elect seed ; and seeing thou hast gone in baalams path , thou shalt reap his reward , who art an enemy of righteousnesse , and a perverter of the right way of god , whose end will be we and misery ; wherefore consider , o thou vain mortal man , that must die and come to nothing ; wherefore hast thou set thy self against god , and heaped up thy multitude of envious words , lyes , and slanders against his people ? what is the fruit of such a work , but eternal vengeance from the righteous god ? and though thou art come in the end of the battel , and hast helped gog and magog according to thy strength , yet friend , our city cannot be shaken , its foundation cannot be removed ; and what art thou , vain ignorant creature , that hast sought against god and his people ? the end . darknesse and ignorance expelled by the light shining forth, and the appearance of the day. in answer to a book called, innocents no saints. published by one edward dodd, wherein he hath laboured to prove tythes lawfull, and tithing priests and hirelings to be the ministers of the word, and the masse-house the church; and calls idolatry civility, and heathenish complements courtesie, and hath perverted many scriptures. his deceit laid open, his vindication made void, and his arguments confounded, and truth laid open in all these particulars, for the sake of the upright in heart, who rejoyces in truths prosperity. by one of the lambs followers, who makes warre against the heart of the dragon, and against the rear of the beast. f.h. howgill, francis, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing h ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) darknesse and ignorance expelled by the light shining forth, and the appearance of the day. in answer to a book called, innocents no saints. published by one edward dodd, wherein he hath laboured to prove tythes lawfull, and tithing priests and hirelings to be the ministers of the word, and the masse-house the church; and calls idolatry civility, and heathenish complements courtesie, and hath perverted many scriptures. his deceit laid open, his vindication made void, and his arguments confounded, and truth laid open in all these particulars, for the sake of the upright in heart, who rejoyces in truths prosperity. by one of the lambs followers, who makes warre against the heart of the dragon, and against the rear of the beast. f.h. howgill, francis, - . [ ], , [ ] p. printed for thomas simmons, at the ball [sic] and mouth near aldersgate, london : . f.h. = francis howgill. reproduction of the original in the british library. eng dodd, edward, th cent. -- innocents no saints -- controversial literature -- early works to . tithes -- early works to . a r (wing h ). civilwar no darknesse and ignorance. expelled by the light shining forth, and the appearance of the day. in answer to a book called, innocents no saints howgill, francis b the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the b category of texts with fewer than defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - andrew kuster sampled and proofread - andrew kuster text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion darknesse and ignorance . expelled by the light shining forth , and the appearance of the day . in answer to a book called , innocents no saints . published by one edward dodd , wherein he hath laboured to prove tythes lawfull , and tithing priests and hirelings to be the ministers of the word , and the masse-house the church , and calls idolatry civility , and heathenish complements courtesie , and hath perverted many scriptures . his deceit laid open , his vindication made void , and his argument confounded , and truth laid open in all these particulars ▪ for the sake of the upright in heart , who rejoyces in truths prosperity . by one of the lambs followers , who makes warre against the head of the dragon , and against the rear of the beast . f. h. and the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her , for no man buyeth her merchandize , any more , revel. . . and cryed when they saw the smoak of her burning , saying , what city is like unto this city , rev. . . london , printed for thomas simmons , at the bull and mouth near aldersgate , . the man-childe which was caught up unto the throne of god , when the red dragon sought to devour and destroy him , hath appeared again in power and great glory , after the long and cruell tyranny of the dragon , wherein she hath killed the saints , and prevailed against them , and hath made great war , spoil and havock of the remnant of the womans seed , this . or hundred years , and hath compelled all both small and great ( whose names have not been written in the lambs book of life ) to worship him , and the beast , unto whom he hath given great authority to kill , and to destroy whosoever worshipped the god of heaven , that so they might be worn out , and all the earth might worship him , and feare him , and extoll him , and his authority . now the time , times , and a halfe being near an end , that john saw the woman should be retired in the wildernesse , she appearing again in her beautifull garments , and her heir and her seed appearing again after the long night of darknesse . now when the lord in this the day of his power is appearing again , and the man-childe that is to rule the nations with a rod of iron . now the dragon , beast , whore , and false prophet , and all the mystery of iniquity , gog and magog , and all apostates , deceivers , and merchants of babylon that have traded upon the waters upon which the whore sits , they are all up in armes , every one with his weapons which he hath formed in the bottomlesse pit , is now set in array against the lamb who is risen ; the priests , hirelings , and babylons merchants , who have got so great gain by sea , they have given the first on-set in the front , of the black army of the dragon , and this sixe or seven years hath made a great noyse , and hath raised so much smoak out of the pit , that they have darkned the ayre , and made it cloudy , and hath filled the earth with a great noise , that many have admired what the issue would be , and what the event might prove ; but now many who have waited in patience , have seen the lamb appear , and have seen his rising in majesty , and hath prevailed ; and many of them who gave the first on-set grows weary , seeing the battel goes too hard against them , and the lamb and his followers prevail . and now comes on the tail of the dragon as the reserve , and the rear of the beast , among whom edward dod appears , and he thinks to prevail , and get himselfe a name , and to do exploits ; but alass , all his weapons are but the old broken bowes and the spear is that are strewed up and down the field of confusion , which we have run over and over , and trampled upon , and esteems them no more then rotten wood : he hath raked up those things which have been answered over and over , and that which the rest of the dragons army hath vomited up , before in the beginning , he hath licked up , and now vomits it out again , and casts out floods of poysoned words , false accusations , and arrogant reproaches , and proud disdainful speeches , as though his tongue were his own ; and like one of ishmaels brood , scorning and deriding at innocency , and saith , he hath laid down some of our tenets , and named them , and shamed them . all sober people who know any thing of god , will see thou hast shamed thy selfe , and not us , in uttering forth thy folly : and thy title of thy book demonstrates what is within it , the beginning is scorn and derision , the end is folly and madnesse , and many ignorant words uttered forth from a corrupt heart and unbridled tongue , which is bent to do mischief , and to speak falshood ; but lest thou shouldst glory in the old rotten broken weapons which thou hast taken up , which were formed by thy leaders , and not by thee , which we have answered again and again , and have over-run them as stubble ; which answers have cleared the truth to all sober people , that they see all your weapons are but carnall , and not spirituall , and they have no might in them at all to stand against the truth , nor them who are made free by it , whose weapons are spirituall and mighty through god to beat down strong holds of darknesse , and the towers of ignorance . many are beat down already , and the lamb is risen , and upon the white horse , and a numberlesse number is following him , who rides on after him , who shall subdue the nations to himselfe , and break the yoke of the ungodly , and deliver the oppressed , and no weapon that is formed against him shall prosper . i say , lest thou shouldst boast , i shall return these lines in answer to thy book . thy book thou titles , a pair of spectacles for a dark-sighted quaker . i say thy spectacles are more like to make ones sight dimmer , then through them to be made to see , they are such wooden ones ; but the quakers sees before thee , and beyond thee , and comprehends thee , and have received eye-salve , whereby their eyes are opened to see thy deceit , and the deceit of the treacherous generation with whom thou art joyned , and thy rejoynder and vindication of samuel smith , whom thou calls minister of the word at cressage in the county of satop ; thy vindication of him , and thy pleading for him , will not bring much honour to neither him nor thee ; and though thou and he both ioyne hand in hand in deceit , yet you shall not go unpunished . thou tels the reader of wandering planets who have left their station , who have stepped upon the stage in the county of salop , who are come forth in this apostatizing time . all who have a good understanding , may clearly see not onely in the county of salop , but also in every corner of the land , many wandering stars that have no habitation in the firmament of gods power , but are tossed up and down , and are as waters , unstable , tossed too and fro with every winde ; and the change of one magistrate , or head governour will make them all change their forme ; and as thou calls it , metamorphize them into another shape , witnesse the many publique teachers , and parish-masters , and tithing priests in the dayes of edward the sixth , henry the . queen mary , and queen elizabeths dayes , and now of late in the bishops dayes , when the magistrates voted down the bishops , all or most of the priests denied their fathers , and their institution ; and though they ordained them ministers , yet they denied them , and now are got into their seats and benefices , and there thy reader may see the metamorphosed changelings , and the apostates ; and i do believe the county of salop abounds with such like ; and they have been on the stage long , and have acted such a part in every generation , as would please the present authority , or power , whether they were papists or protestants , prelaticall or whatsoever ; but f. d the exit will come , and when the day appears , the beasts must go into ●heir dens again : and thou confesseth you live in apostatizing times ; thou that art among the apostates , and in the apostatizing age and time , would accuse others : nay , thou must hold thy peace , and leave pleading for apostates , and for the fashions of the heathen which hath got up since the dayes of the apostacy , which the whole scope of thy book is full of nothing else ; and we cannot permit or allow them who are in the time of apostacy , and who are one with the apostates , which have wandered after the beast since the dayes of the apostles . i say , we cannot allow such as you to be judges ; for we are come out of the apostacy , and to before the apostates , and to before the wandering stars , and thou hast mist it much that tells the quakers are they . edward , i tell thee , we are come to the everlasting gospell again , and have received it , and it 's the power of god , which was to be , and is to be preached again to the nations after the apostacy . and as for the book called malice stript & whipt i have seen it ; and the spirit of thy mr. smith , whom thou calls reverend , thou hast elevated him as high as the pope ; but e. d. what is the reason thou reverencest him so much as thou doth to thy reader ? and in the tenth page thou saist , many souls depend upon his ministery ; and thou blessest god , for the worke of god you enjoy in that congregation . thou hast extol'd him too highly , or else he hath wronged thee grievously ; for thou saist thou hast profited much by him : thou mayest call to minde a certain time , when he preached ( as you call it ) out of the of luke , and when he spoke of the parable of the man that planted a vineyard , and years looked for fruit ; and sam : smith , whom thou so adores , said , he had sought for fruit from your congregation this yeares at cressage , and had found none , he shall be an evidence for me against thee , that thy glorying of him is vain ; and it 's manifest he is one the lord sent his prophet to declare against , who hath run , and the lord never sent him , therefore he hath not profited you at cressage at all ; lean souls are they like to be that depends on him . in the first observation , as thou calls it , thou hast extracted the heads of samuel smiths book into five particulars , which thou saist we are ashamed to answer , or else know not what to say for our defence . i say unto thee , boast not , when thou putst on thy armour , but when thou putst it off ; for the victory may be doubtful . the first particular , that the nationall ministers doth maintain the true worship of god , and the doctrine of christ according to the revealed will of god . answ. so saying , and so doing were something ; the true worship of god is in spirit and in truth , which is not loe here , and loe there , nor in outward observations , but in life , in power , and in truth : but to be brief , both the doctrine and practice of the nationall ministery in generall , is contrary to the scripture , which thou calls the word of god ; ( as for instance ) their sprinkling of infants , their teaching men to swear , and calling it part of the worship of god , which is contrary to the doctrine of christ , who said , swear not at all . their singing davids psalms put into meeter , by poets and ballad-mongers , singing them in their invented tunes , which pleaseth the carnall minde ; their studied discourses , which you call sermons , invented from the strength of naturall wit , and not speaking as they are moved by the holy ghost , which the ministers of christ in all ages did . in these , and many other things which i could instance , they are out of the doctrine of christ ; and in a word , your whole worship differs both in matter and manner , from the saints worship in the primitive times . but seeing we have denyed the nationall ministers divers years ago , and have laid down our grounds and reasons to the world , wherein we have charged them , that their practice is contrary to scripture ; unto which grounds and reasons , not one parish-master in england hath yet vindicated themselves these sixe years . and unto that book called the grounds and reasons why we deny the priests , if the reader be not satisfied concerning them , there he may see how they erre , both in doctrine , and practice , contrary to scriptures . to the second and third particular . that the present government of the nation is the ordinance of god ; and that the ministers bringing offenders before the magistate is not persecution . as for the present government of the nation , the lawfulnesse thereof is not in question by us ; but many who are governours , and should be executors of the law , have acted contrary to law , ( being stirred up by the priests , who bite with their teeth , if one put not into their mouths ) and hath caused the just to suffer by giving judgement against them , in their wills , contrary to law , or else according to those lawes which hath been made in the will of man , in the transgression , under which we have suffered for the truths sake , and therein have peace . and as for ministers bringing offenders before magistrates , that is an usurped authority , to make a minister a magistrate ; but edward , what was the offence ? because a company of people came to cressage , and declared the word of truth in your streets ; and what if it had been in your assembly , this was no offence in the church of corinth , where all might speak one by one , although it s become an offence in your masse-house at cressage ; but the reader may judge in whose steps thou and thy priest walkes ; you have done the offence , and then accuseth others to the magistrates as offenders ; let shame cover your lips , you impudent men . hath not samuel smith in his own narration in his book , said , that william parrat constable , and humphrey dale church-warden , according to the ministers direction did pull down the quakers speaker , charging some to secure him ? and others also of your own county secured by the instigation of the priest , by his own confession , in the fourth page of his book . and here he and the rest of the society at cressage , who had a hand in this thing , are manifest to be in the steps of the pharisees , whom christ cried woe against , which cast out of their assemblies , and haled the disciples before the magistrates ; and like the envious jewes that cryed , help men of israel ; for these men turn the world up-side down ; but you are worse then they . the priest was the first fomenter of the breach of peace , the constable and church-warden his executioners , and yet thou tells of the quakers being offenders . now all sober people will see your envy & deceit , and that you are in cains way , and by your false flattery and deceit , would justifie the magistrate for your own ends , and cause them to turn the sword against the guiltlesse , which should be against the transgressor . and who was in the transgression on the reader may easily judge by that which is fore-mentioned , and yet the priest , and you of his congregation would make people believe that you did not persecute ; the priest did give order to pull down the speaker , the constable and church-warden they acted , and secured your own neighbours as prisoners , your own congregation swearing against them the breach of peace , and getting them shut up into prison , and sentence given against them , and yet thou wouldst have this called equall proceedings ; but to that of god in all consciences , i leave to be judge in this things . in the fourth and fifth particular thou saith , we have charged to be envious and bitter , and malicious against the most eminent ministers of the land . them whom thou calls eminent ministers , hath charged us with many false things , and have written many false things against us , for which thou and they in the dreadful day of the lord shall give an account . envy , bitternesse , and malice is put away from us , and we envy no man , but speak the truth in sobernesse ; and yet to say a lyar is a lyar , or a deceiver a deceiver , or an hypocrite , an hypocrite , when they are so , is neither rayling nor malice : christ , in whom no guile was found , he said , they were a generation of vipers , and they were of their father the devill , who were in envy , and went about to kill him . and the apostle was not envious when he said , o full of all subtlety , thou childe of the devill , to one who was doing the work of the devill ; and many such workers we finde , and many venomous spirits who shoot out poysoned arrows , even bitter words , and these we must reprove sharply . and those things which thou layst to our charge , take to thy selfe ; for the ground of iniquity is in thy heart , from whence thou hast uttered forth all these disdainful , proud , & scornful words , of which thou shalt be convinced , and also reproved when the lord searcheth thy heart , when he brings anguish and perplexity upon thee , then shalt thou confesse to his righteous judgement ; and so thy five principles i have answered , which thou sayest thou hast brought into thy booke to fill up the blancks ; they had better have been blancks still , then have spoyled so much paper with thy lylying disdainfull scribbles , which is not worth the answering . in the third page thou saist , thou wilt restate the reputation of the ministery of england to be ministers of christ ; and for proof , thou hast brought col. . . and rom. . those words proves that epaphtas was a faithfull minister , and that paul was a minister of christ to the gentiles ; but what hath this proved as to the nationall priests ? nothing at all ; and if thou have no better proof then this to bring them into reputation , in stead thereof thou wilt bring defamation upon them ; and when thou shouldst prove them ministers , thou proves that paul and epaphas were ministers , will not the least in the truth see thee to be a busie-body ; but fools will be medling . then thou art offended that we call them priests for receiving of tythes , i say it 's the most proper ; for none but priests and levites did receive tythes , and how long since is it , since they generally called themselves the tribe of levi ? for never minister of the gospell , nor of the word of reconciliation , either received tythes , or commanded that they should be payd , neither reproved any for not paying ; but said , the priest-hood was changed and the law was changed by which tythes were due ; but thou goes on , and makes a sound argument as thou judgest , and saith , abraham paid tythe to melchisedeck before the law ; and thou askest how he did give it , either by the law of nature , which is called the law of reason , or by the light within , or by revelation . thou speakst thou knowst not what ; where readest thou of the law of nature , called the law of reason , except it be in the devised fables and stories of the priests ? but what doth this prove ? gen. . abraham gave the tenth part of the spoyl which he had taken from his enemies , but melchisedeck first brought forth bread and wine to abrabam and his company , and greeted abraham and his company kindly , and blessed him , and abraham freely gave unto him the tenth part , melchisedeck desired none ; but dost thou judge , that if abraham had given him none , that he would have taken by force the tenth part of the spoyl from him ? now what doth this prove for the tything priests of this nation ? they must first do as melchisedeck did , if they will have melchisedeck for an example , he blessed abraham , and brought forth bread and wine unto him and his army ; but which of the priests have done so , which have received tythes ; which is not a gift of the people , but a forc't thing from them ? if this must be thy proof for tythes by the gift of abraham , then let the priests cease forcing and taking them till people be freely willing to give them , and then there will be no complaint : but let us reason a little further of this matter ; would melchisedeck have taken the tenth , if abraham had not given it him ? or when did melchisedeck , or any before the law take away the peoples oxen , cowes , horses , sheep , pots and pans , and bedding upon which poor people lyes , three-fold , four-fold , and sometime ten-fold ; that they claim , or sue people to courts , throw them into prison till death , as many evidences we have in this nation ? either give us a precept , or an example before the law , or under the gospell , or else stop your lying mouths and clamorous tongues for ever . dost thou and the rest of the priests think that wee are so ignorant , that we know not the originall of the tythes in these nations ? a thing invented to fill the popes coffers , and the rest of the clergies budgets , seven or eight hundred years after the ascension of christ ? all which tythes and oblations , and obventions were invented in the apostacy , since the dayes of the apostles , and since the woman fled into the wildernesse : and the man-childe was caught up to god , when all the world wondred after the beast , them they had their rise ▪ and when the kings and rulers of these nations did drinke of the whores cup , then they made lawes to compell the nations and the people therein to pay the whores merchants ; and the popes locusts , which he sent over the nations , to fill the earth with their deceit , which laws stands yet in force as though they were some divine institution ; but both the tythes and the law by which they are compelled to be paid , we deny , and bear our witnesse against , as to be things which holds up the devils kingdome ; and the gospel which the nationall ministery holds up and preaches , hath no more ability in it to procure a maintenance for them , then the papists gospell did for them : so to be brief , the priests hath the popes wages forced by a compulsory law , made and ratified by them who owned the popes supremacy . furthermore we assert , that tythes were never due by divine ordination , but onely to the priests & levites in the first covenant , nor never were commanded to be paid but in the land of anaan ; and who so upholds the ordinances of the first priest-hood , denies the ordinances of the second : so this commandement to pay tythes now to them , who are neither of aarons , nor levies tribe , and by us who are not in canaan temporall , nor of israel according to the flesh , the commandement by which tythes were due in the first priest-hood , reaches not unto us . and after christs ascension , nor one of the apostles either commanded or required any such practice of the saints , either to colossia , corinth , antioch , philippi , pergamos , or the rest of the churches of asia . so that it 's evident to all judicious men , that this is quite another thing got up in the apostacy , which no minister or believer ever did own who were witnesses of the second covenant ; but any who are not satisfied in this thing by what i have said , which much more i could say concerning this thing ; but i refer them that are not satisfied , to a book called , the great case of tythes stated , published by a. p. in thy fourth and fifth page thou art pleading for mastership for thy ministers , and so by thy own argument thou hast proved them out of the doctrine of christ , who said to his ministers , call no man master , neither be ye called masters ; but to oppose this , thou brings john . . how christ said to nichodemus , art thou a master in israel ? and then thou vaporest , and saist , these are not the words of mr. baxter and mr. smith , but christs . in some translation it is ruler in israel . in another , teacher in israel : but it may be , some who coveted after mastership as thou dost , hath put in master for ruler and teacher ; but grant the word master , christ testified that the jewes and pharisees that they were called of men master , and reprehended them for it : and if he did say to nichodemas , art thou a master ? he spoke but in their language , not with approbation of their being so called ; for it 's manifest he gave a contrary command to his disciples , and the commands of christ did not contradict one another . and as for richard baxter and samuel smith , whose works thou saith doth witnesse for them beyond thy testimony . as for r. b. his works are manifest to be works of darknesse , many false lyes and reproaches he hath cast upon the living truth of god , and hath been a great opposer of the strait way of the lord , for which the lord will plead with him and you all in the day of his righteous judgement . and as for s. s. let his owne testimony evidence what his worke is , who said in the congregation at cressage , he had look't for fruit seven years among them , but found none : so it 's manifest he is such a workman as may be ashamed of his work . in thy sixth and seventh page thou sayest , the pharisaical quakers makes voyd the fifth commandement , because they do not put off their hats to politicall and spirituall fathers , as thou calls them ; and thou heapst up a great deal of scripture to no purpose , not one word in them all doth prove any such thing , as putting off hats either to fathers spiritual or temporall , and so thou art a perverter and a wrester of it to thy owne destruction ; and thou cites rom. . . to prove putting off hats , render to all their dues , tribute to whom tribute ; and this is the tribute of the nation , thou saith . and the pet. . . submit your selves to every ordinance of man , this thou bringst . ignorant block , shew us either in plain scripture or example from the saints , where it is commanded or commended , or from any ordinance of man , or else cease thy foolish clamour , and learn a bridle for thy tongue , and cease thy foolish inferences . if the magistrates had no better tribute then putting off the hat , they would soon be poor rulers : and whereas thou callest it civill worship , doffing the hat , and bowing the knee , i know no more civility in it , then if thou should put off thy coat or thy doublet to every one thou meetest with ; and most of this which thou calls civility , is the most practised by them who are the rudest , vainest , and the phantastickst proud anticks in the nations , who are full of flattery and deceit , and vaine complements ; and to a proud fellow which hath a gay cloak , or powdered hayr , and a 〈◊〉 silver lace dawbed upon his cloaths , then off goes the hat , and the knee bowes , and your servant sir , and your servant my lord , or your most humble servant , or thrice humble servant ; when if he were commanded to do service to such a one , would not do any thing materiall , but disdain him ; and meet then with a plain man , who will not complement , and then sirrah , & unmannerly clown , and be ready to fight ; and this spirit rules the most in those men , who are so full of their complements , that begets one another into pride and deceit , and provoke one another by their bad example into deceit , like drunkards , drinking one to another to make one another drunk , it 's like thou wilt call this civility too : and if thou wilt plead , it 's the custome of the nation , doffing hats , and bowing . the customes of the heathen are vain , and many in israel who feared the lord were not to walk after the customes of the nations ; for this deceit was not from the beginning , and who ever comes to be a follower of christ , who received no honour of men , neither respected persons , will deny this deceit . take him for thy example , rather then a company of fidlers , and roysters , and ruffins , who are without the feare of god ; and christ who is the saints example , he said , how can you believe , that seek and receive honour one of another : so then , they were unbelievers who sought and received honour one of another ; and wouldst thou and the rest who live in deceit , brin● the custome of unbelievers , and the practice of unbelievers among the saints , who are believers , and follows christ their example ? i say we have no such custome , nor the churches of christ , the next piece of deceit thou art pleading for , is bowing to one another the knee , and titles of honour , wherein the devill hath a great hold among people . gen. . . this thou bringst to prove bowing ; jadah and his brethren came to josephs house , and they fell on the ground ; this is an example indeed . wilt thou take another ; the same brethren of joseph sold him when he was a boy , was that a good act ? if thou say nay , i say one is as much commanded and commended as the other ; for that same that doth violence , it 's the same that respects persons ; but abtaham bowed to the children of heth ; what of that ? so did joseph swear by the life of pharaoh , and both joseph and abraham were good men ; but they were never the better for these actions , neither the one nor the other : but then thou brings a scripture , and thou saith , it must stop our mouths , gen . . . and thou saith , this may teach us , if we be of jacobs seed and houshold , to bow to the god of jacob our king , & why should this stop our mouths ? but the scepter shall not depart from judah , nor a law-giver from between his feet till shilo come : so he was to rule , to wit judah , till shilo came ; why should this stop our mouths ? shilo is come , and hath opened our mouths , and the scepter is departed from judah long since ; both them that bowed to iudah , and iudah that was once bowed unto , they are both bowed under , and shilo is set above , and now he must be bowed unto , go learn what that meanes . it was answered against bowing , the second commandement prohibits it , thou shalt not bow down to them ; but the answer satisfies thee not . thou saith , doth this forbid civill respects , or idolatrous worship ? that which thou calls civill respect is idolatrous worship , putting off the hat , and bowing the knee to a man with a gay cloak , or a gold ring , or a company of ribbons , or a long gown : to bow downe to such , because of the attire , is respecting of persons , and idolatry ; but you are fallen into a far worse state then respecting of persons ; for you respect cloaths , and doffs your hats , and bow your knees to them with fine rayment ; and let the man in vile rayment or poor attire go by without either cap or knee , and for all thy civility thou so greatly pleadest for , and courtesie , if he put not off his hat to thee , it may be thou wilt call him sirrah , rogue , or clowne , for all thy civility . again , put on the poor man good attire , and a fine cloak , and a gold ring , then you change your note , and say , if it please your worship , or like your honour , your humble servant sir . now here is not only respecting of persons , which is commission of sin , but respecting the creatures , and worshipping the array which is upon a mans back , which is idolatry , and not civility , which is to be condemned ; yet civility and courtesie i owne , which is so in deed , and in truth ; but that which the world calls civility and courtesie is hypocrisie and idolatry ; and for salutations , thou saith , we seldome use : and thou bringst scripture to prove , that christ and the saints saluted one another . their salutations are owned , and such salutations are practised by us in uprightnesse of heart , and true love without feignednesse ; but we cannot do as you do , bid a man god-speed , when he is not doing the worke of god , nor say farewell to them who are in their evill deeds ; nor as the world doth , with their good-evens , and good-morrows , and takes gods name in vain ; and if one do not answer them according to their light vaine mindes , they will fall a rayling and beating ; all such spirits we deny , and their salutations . in thy second observation . thou saith , do not we prove , that places of christian assemblies to be a church , and thou brings many scriptures to no purpose . thou bringst the of kings , vers. . and cor. . for the glory of the lord shall fill the house of the lord . and thou answerest , and saist , not the steeple-house , but the church . there thou hast added to the scripture , and divers other scriptures thou bringest , wherein the temple was called the house of god , and the store-houses were called the house of god , mal. . . all which scriptures i own ; but they are nothing to thy purpose ; that the temple was called the house of god , and the tabernacle the house of god , and the store-houses the house of god , this is granted . these were made and builded according to the command of god , wherein the lords treasure was which fed the poor , the fatherlesse , and the widow , and the priests and levites that ministred unto him ; which temple , priests , store-houses and tythes , were figures and shadows of good thing to come ; which when the good things did come , the figures ended . but when did god command your idols temples to be built ? and what are they a figure of ? that which thou shouldst have proved is , that your steeple-houses where you meet , anywhere in scripture is called the church of god . thou and thy master smith art offended that we call the place you meet in a steeple-house , and saith , take heed that no such language be spoken again as steeple house . why not ? huth not these houses steeples ? but we shall call it truly and properly as it is , the masse-house , which hath the crosses standing upon them yet , or an idols temple , which was dedicated for the idolatrous worship , and for the idoll masse , and other superstitious ceremonies ; your windows full of pictures , your walls full of images , and monks faces , and bears yet the popish names , as st. anthony , st. clement , st. dunstans , and st. patrick , and st. maries , and the like . you blinde men , full of ignorance , perverters of the scriptures , which would bring the scripture to prove your idolatrous masse-house to be a church , and calls it the house of god , & temple of god , when the first founder was an apostate ; and you who hold it up , and calls it a church , are of his brood , and are dead stones , which worhips in the dead house , and knows not what the church of god is ; and yet you say , to what end should we bring scripture to prove any thing by to these men ; take it not into your mouths , except you bring it for a better end , to make people believe that the prophets and apostles when they spoke of the house of god , and the church of god , spoke of your idoll-temple , or ever intended or meant your steeple-house , or old masse-house . and thou saith , few of the ministers in england thou believes henceforth will have any thing to do with us , for we are blind leaders of the blinde . i believe they see sufficiently they have come to great losse , and sees their weapons have not prevailed , but are become all like broken bowes , in which there is no strength , which they may all lay downe in the field of confusion where they set their battell ; but the lamb hath prevailed , and his weapons are spirituall , and they who follow him are skilfull to handle the sword , and are able to make war with the beast and all his followers ; and many are overcome , and the rest shall be subdued , and the day hastneth greatly , that they shall melt away that hate the lord . and as for christs saying , let them alone , they are blinde leaders of the blinde . this he spoke of thy generation the pharisees , who were called of men master , and loved greeting in the streets and market-places , and stood praying in the synagogue , in whose foot-steps the priests of england are , which christ cryed wo against , and now they are seen to be blinde guides , and leaders of the blinde ; for they whose eyes christ hath opened , hath ceased from such , and now bears their testimony against such . in the eleventh page thou goes on in thy blindenesse and ignorance , pleading for your publique place of worship , the old masse-house , set up by the injunction of the pope ; and you have taken their houses into your hands , and scoulds against them in it , when you are in the same nature : and thou bidst us read what conspirators and enemies of god use to do , in pslam . , . they said , let us take to our selves the houses of god in possession . this was spoken of the heathen , of gebal , ammon , and amaleck , and the men of tyre ; who devoured , and destroyed , and sought to destroy the store-houses and synagogues that were used in the first covenant . and thou mayest take the application home to thy selfe , and to the generation thou art pleading for : have not the papists good ground to plead with you in this behalf ? was not the abbies , monasteries , masse-houses , tythes , oblations , and obventions , easter reckonings , peter-pence , the papists and jesuites maintenance ? and did not henry the eighth , who was the first establisher of your religion in this nation , did not he take them away from the papists ? and then the priests who denyed their holy father the pope , got their tythes and the maintenance , and took the masse-houses into their hands , and the tythes and easter reckonings : and if thou call these gods houses , and this gods maintenance for his ministers which maintained popery , then thou hast brought all these scriptures against thy selfe , and thou art in a great transgression ; and your schooles and colledges which thou ignorantly callest the schools of the prophets , like an unlearned man , and schools of piety , then the papists were prophets , and they were pious ; for these schooles and colledges were invented by them , and you have gotten these from them , to wit , the masse-house , schools , colledges , tythes , oblations , the papists maintenance , and their hire , and this is lawfull in your eyes , and yet you will call them impious and idolators : are not the things the same in your hands as they were in theirs ? but these things are quite another thing then was in the first covenant . these things are not to be paralleld with the synagogues , temples , store-houses , tythes under the law , for these were invented since the apostles dayes ; and the apostates , who went from the life invented them , when all wondered after the beast , and never mention a word of the scripture , as to thinke to prove these invented trumperies ; for the scripture never intends , nor them that spoke it forth , to patronize your deceit in these things . object . but it may be thou maist say , though these things fore-mentioned were set up by idolaters , and the places were made for an idolatrous service , and the maintenance and hire were to maintain idolatrous priests ; but now they are converted to a better use , and they are convenient to meet in , and convenient for our ministers maintenance . answ. did ever any of the ministers or apostles of christ goe into the iewes temple or synagogues to worship after christ was ascended , except it was to declare against them , and to bring people off them ; or did they take the jewish priests maintenance , which was commanded to be payd of god ? or did the ministers of christ exhort the jewes that believed , to build a temple or a synagogue to worship in ? or did any of the ministers of christ go into the temples of the gentiles to worship , or into the high places of the iews ? or did they receive the idoll priests maintenance , or the jewish tythes , or eate that which was sacrificed to idols ? if nay , where is your example ; i know you dare not plead commandement from the lord for these things . might not the jewes , when they had broken down the altars of baal , and destroyed the images and high places , and the beauty of them , have said , these are convenient places for worship , let us now worship here for conveniency ; and that maintenance of offerings that was offered to idols , let 's take them , and give them to our priests and levites , and let us offer them unto god ? if these things had been justifiable , then yours are justifiable now ; but if condemnable then , yours condemnable now ; and so let your mouths be stopped and speak no more so proudly , nor bring no more such impertinent proofs and arguments for your deceit ; for that is enjoyed that weighes you all , and can judge all your deceit . and for barbarisme , and heathenisme , and heresie thou speaks on , which layes the lords vineyard waste , it 's brought in , and dwels among you , and the fruits are manifest in most of your steeple-houses or masse-house as witnesse your ringing of pans , candlesticks , frying-pans , throwing water , and rude behaviour , which hath been used by your church-members , as fighting , beating , punching , tearing of cloaths , haling out of your assemblies them that come in the name of the lord ; and these be the fruits of barbarous heathens , which are not brought forth anywhere but among you ; but it may be thou wilt call this civility and courtesie , and the tribute of the nation : and for heresie both in doctrine and worship , none are to be compared unto you for unsoundnesse and ignorance ; for i looke upon you as the tayle of all the people in the nation : and the vineyard of god that thou speaks on , is no where layd waste so much as among you masse-house worshippers ; for you are like bryars and thornes , scratching , rending , tearing and haling , and are as a field untilled , and as a waste howling wildernesse , that knowes not when good comes ; and that your ministers are those proud phantastick sprits that have taken upon them to preach , who denies an immediate call . neither are they approved of his church which is in god , the pillar and ground of truth ; but onely they are approved by man , and by the colledges , which were invented by the pope , where more deceit and foolish fopperies are practiced , then in any society in the nation besides ; for them that denies an immediate call , and an infallible spirit , i deny them to be any ministers of christ , and so doth the church of christ who meet in his name ; but such are your ministers , therefore we have turned from them many years ago . and the next thing that thou art offended at is , that a woman spoke in a meeting near 〈◊〉 ; what if ten had spoke , if they had spoke by the spirit of the lord , what offence had it been ? did not god promise by ioel , that he would pour forth his spirit upon his daughters , and they should prophesie ? and wouldest thou stop them ? and priscilla instructed a minister , better then any of your parish tything priests , to wit , apollo . and had not philip three daughters did prophesie ? and was there not women with clement that were fellow-labourers in the gospell ? ( and what though she that was in the transgression was to keep silence in the church ? ) doth it therefore follow that they that are come out of the transgression , are to be silent in the church ? is this good logick edward ? if christ be in the male , and in the female , may he speake in the male , but not in the female ? doth not the apostle say ; the man is not without the woman , nor the woman without the man , but both in the lord ? and if the woman be in the lord as well as the man , may not the lord speak in her ? art thou one of them that wilt limit the holy one ? what if he speake in a dumb asse , and reprove the madnesse of the prophet balaam ? and if hee should doe so now , to reprove the mad prophets that are in balaams way , loving the wages of unrighteousnesse now , as he did then ? will you reprove god ? he that reproves him shall answer it ; and he that gainsayes either son or daughter , shall perish in the gain-saying . and now i come to thy third observation . the third observation . thy eye being evill , thou canst not see when good cometh ; and thou art one of them who watcheth for iniquity , that thereby thou mayest blaspheme the name of god and his truth , which thou art out of . and as for our tenets , which thou saith thou hast named and shamed ; thou no more knows us , nor our tenets , then thou knowest from whence the winde comes , and whither it goes : for all our words are as a parable to thee , and thou knowest not what we say , although thou hast catched and snatched up some of our words brokenly to quarrell with ; yet we are hidden from thee , and a gulfe is between thee and us , that as thou canst not apprehend nor comprehend ; but first a terrible day must come upon thee , and those things which thou hast laid down to be our tenets , thou doubtest whether they be or no , manifest by thy owne words . if we say so , and if we hold so , thou had better have been certain before thou hadst shewed thy selfe too imperious and arrogant , of sham●ng them , when thou knowest not whether we hold them , as thou hast layd them downe in thy owne words , the shame at last will come upon thy selfe ; and that rash , hasty , raging spirit , by which thou utterest forth all this mudd and dirt , every one may see in this observation thy deceit manifest . and the first thing that thy darke minde stumbles at is , that some have said , that they that have the spirit of god are equall with god . he that hath the spirit of god , is in that which is equall , as god is equall , and his wayes equall ; and he that is joyned to the lord is one sprit , there is unity , and the unity stands in equality it selfe . he that is borne from above is the sonne of god , and he said , i and my father are one . and when the sonne is revealed , and speaks , the father speaks in him , and dwells in him , and he in the father . in that which is equall in equality it selfe ; there is equality in nature , though not in stature . goe learn what these things mean , the understanding and learned will know what i say , and this is neither damnable nor blasphemous ; but on the contrary , it is saving and precious to them that believe . and thou concludes , though they be glorified in heaven , yet are not equall with god . here thou blasphemes ; the son is glorified with the father in the same glory he had with him before the world began ; the glory is in purity , equality , immortality , and eternity ; but for thy proof thou bringst psal. . for who among the gods is like unto our god and again , there is none like unto thee , o lord . here thou hast gone about to prove more gods then one in heaven : were the gods glorified in heaven , which were not like the living god ? or were they in heaven , which were not like the lord ? what blasphemy is this ? they that are in heaven are like him in his image , and not like any other ; but in the world there are gods many , and lords many , but that is not in heaven : there are no gods nor lords in the world , nor in the earth , that is like the living god and living lord of heaven and earth ; and many such nonsensicall phrases hast thou uttered , and foolish impertinencies ; and thou hast scarce cited one scripture , but thou hast either misapplyed , or wrested , and perverted , being very ignorant and unlearned ; and thy masters for whom thou contendst , will never receive much honour nor credit by thy writing , or vindication of them . but to the second particular , which thou calls our tenet , is , that christ jesus is not glorified in his humane nature , and that he hath no reall body , but his mysticall body , and this thou sayest is contrary to scripture , luke . . . and acts . . john . . and in this thou sayest , we are shamed . i say thou hast shamed thy selfe , and hath cited these scriptures to no purpose at all , none of all these speaks of humane nature , or mysticall body ; but this i say , he is glorified with the father in a spirituall body , in the same glory he had with the father before the world began . and the same jesus which was of the seed of abraham according to the flesh , and the sonne of god according to the spirit , is glorified with the father , the man christ jesus , he is set downe at the right hand of god ; but if thou meane by humane , a carnall body , or the same flesh that thou hast on ; deal plainly with us , and nakedly , the next time thou or any of thy teachers writes , and prove us by scripture where the church is called his mysticall body ; or where hast thou got these new coyned words , as humane nature , and mysticall body ? correct thy pen , and let no such popish phrases come in print again , least thou shame thy selfe more , instead of shaming of us : and thou concludes , if any say here he is , or there he is on earth , believe them not . where learnedst thou this article of faith , i pray thee shew me ? is he not both in heaven and earth ? how should he restore the earth and all things into their purity , if he must not be manifest in the earth ? what , wilt thou confine him to , or in a place ? doth not his presence fill heaven and earth ? is he divided from his presence ? but may be thou wilt say as thy generation doth , that ●e is in the earth by his spirit , and in heaven in his body or person , distinct from his spirit . if so , then you divide christ , and a person without a spirit , and not christ . i will aske thee a question ; no man hath ascended up to heaven , but he that came downe from heaven , the sonne of man which is in heaven . where was the sonne of man , or the man christ when this was spoken ? if thou canst see this , thou mayst be ashamed to shut christ out of the earth , or from among his saints , where his presence , his arme , his hand and his power is , which is not divided from his body ; but i know thou art deafe , and canst not heare what i say , and thou bringst heb. . . after he had offered one sacrifice , sate downe at the right hand of god ; that is sayst thou , in his humane nature . the shame is come upon thy selfe , who have added thy owne imagination ; and let all see whether the scripture speak of humane nature ; but thy folly must be manifest to all . thy third particular that thou names , and as thou sayest shames , is , if wee say wee are without sinne , we deceive our selves . thou hadst better have enquired perfectly whether we said so or no , before thou hadst undertook to reprove upon so doubtfull termes , and thou bringst prov. . . for who can say my heart is clean . he can say so , and speaks truth , whose heart god hath cleansed by the blood of christ from all sinne : and then thou bringst job . . if i justifie my selfe , my owne mouth shall condemn me . that 's true , we justifie not our selves , neither selfe ; but denies selfe , and selfe is condemned , and christ , gods righteousnesse is become our justification . and then thou bringest paul , phil. . not as though i had already attained , but follow after , that i may apprehend . what of that , he was in his growth , and was come to that which was perfect , and did believe to attain to the stature of a perfect man . and then thou saith , i tell you , you are not perfect , your contempt of the ministers of christ , and perverting the doctrine of christ are characters of sin . that shall stand for thy selfe , and thy masters whom thou art joyned with , who sets up popish trumpery in stead of the ordinance of christ ; and sets up the precepts of men , introduced in the apostacy , for the doctrine of christ : and then thou concludes , the scripture hath concluded all under sinne , all in the first adam ; but i hope the scripture doth not conclude all under sin in the second adam : neither doth conclude him under sinne that 's borne of god , who sins not . and if thou make any such conclusion , thou gives thy verdict for the devill , and not for god : then thou saith , i am not pleading for sinne . thou art pleading for nothing else but for sinne and imperfection , in which the devils kingdome stands ; and thou saith , thou hast cause to cry out , o wretched man that i am ! so thou hast indeed ; hast thou repented of thy drunkennesse ? how long is it since thou fell off a bridge , being drunke , and broke thy leg ; but it is like , for thy good service done to thy master , in writing this lying scrole , he will give thee an absolution for that transgression . the fourth particular which thou calls our tenet , is , that we deny the scripture to be the word of god ; and thou hast brought many scriptures to prove that they are ; but they are as impertinent to the thing as thy former about the steeple-house , or masse-house . thou hast brought many scriptures , jer. . . how they are called the words of the lord , who ever denyed that ? but the word spoke the words , and the word is greater . tim. . all scripture is given by divine inspiration . i deny that , some was spoken by the devill , and some by wicked men , and i hope thou wilt not call that divine inspiration . then thou may be wilt conclude , i deny the words of paul to timothy . i deny the word is , it is an addition of the translator , which word alters and varies the true sense of that scripture ; but all scripture given by inspiration of god is profitable for doctrine , &c. but knowest thou no distinction between inspiration and tradition ? you have it by tradition , the saints by inspiration . it 's a dead letter in it selfe , and as it is spoken from your mouthes , who speak of it by tradition ; but from them that were inspired , the living spirit uttered forth living words ; but what is all this to prove the scripture or writings to be the word of god . and then thou cites cor. . . not handling the word deceitfully . what doth this prove ? nothing at all ; and all the rest that thou hast cited is nothing at all but what we have answered over and over many times , wherein all that have any understanding in the knowledge of god are satisfied : that which thou shouldst have proved by the scripture , is , where the scripture , or writings , or letter doth title it selfe the word of god . it is granted , they are the words of god , and the words of holy men inspired : so in thy owne words , i say , take thou notice , though thou art confident and presumptuous , in this thou hast shamed thy selfe , and not us . the word was before either scripture , writings , or bible was ; which word is greater , and gave them a being : and thou that wouldst set that which is brought forth by the father , above the father , art out of the apostles wisdome , speaking a similitude ; he that builds a house , receives more honour then the house . now to call the scripture the word , is to give as much honour to the house , as to him that builded it ; but in a word , this i say , what ever the scripture doth testifie of it selfe , or call it selfe , that i owne it to be : and if any man call it another thing , it shall testifie against him ; and so thou that hast gone about to set up the words which were spoken in time , above or equall with the word , that was before all time , art ignorant , and unskilfull in the knowledge of god , and silence would better become thee . ●n thy last page thou saith , how often have wee beene called upon to make known to the world what we hold , and what we would have : are you the men raised for this worke alone , to cry downe tythes , and speake against lace , ribbons , and cuffs ? is there nothing for us to do ? then this declare , that this is enough to salvatior . i say , we have declared more in the world then they do receive or believe , and we have published the will of god to the earth in many things , and shall further proceed as the spirit of the lord shall direct us : and that which we would have , is , the old dragon chayned , and the whore burnt with fire , and her merchants cease trading , and the sea dried up upon which she sits , and upon which the merchants trade , and the beast and all the false prophets , deceivers and antichrists , which have all had their rise since the ascension of christ , we would have these be all shut in the pit again ; and we would have the lamb to reigne , and the everlasting gospell to be preached again , the power of god ; and we would have the earth restor'd , and we would have everlasting righteousnesse to reigne in the hearts of people , and lawes , as at the first , and counsellors as in the beginning , who iudge not for rewards ; and ministers , such as were in the primitive times , who will preach without tythes , hire , and set wages , and without the popes maintenance . if thou canst receive these things , i will shew thee further it may be hereafter , if i heare any more from thee . and we are the men that are raysed up for the worke , to declare against pride in the ground , and also in appearance , as against lace , cuffs and ribbons ; and thou askes , if there be nothing else : hast thou denyed these , and the spirit that leads to the abuse of gods creatures ? when thou hast , i will sh●w unto thee there is something else to be done ; but if thou doe not obey that which is manifest , why wouldst thou know more to adde to thy condemnation : and we do not say , that casting off these things is all that is required to salvation , thou bids us declare if there be any thing else ; so i shall , so that thou hearken to it , and receive it , else thy condemnation shall be greater then if i had written nothing . thou must repent of all thy sinne , and turn from it , and know the judgement of god for it , and deny thy selfe in every thing , and lay downe thy life also , and take up his crosse daily , and be crucified to the world , and cease from all thy owne words , actions and thoughts , and come to taste of death before thou come to know him to live in thee to be thy salvation ; canst thou do this ? when thou witnesseth this done , then thou shalt know further what god requires ; but a terrible day will come upon thee before these things be fulfilled in thee ; though thou be more stout then thy fellowes , i know him who is able to break thy horn which thou hast exalted against the lamb of god and his followers . and for thy exhortation , not to seed on husks , take it home to thy selfe , for thou hast nothing else to feed upon ; the words of the saints at best , without the life , or else some innovated invented trumpery of the whore , of whose cup thou hast drunke , makes thee speak forth all these venomous words against the life and power of god in his people . and thou concludes , what thou hast written is as much for our conversion as refutation . both alike indeed , for thou hast done neither ; but hast conceived and brought forth winde , and spent thy time for nought . alas poor man , tellst thou of converting , who art not come out of the grosse pollutions of the world ? who art not ceased from drunkennesse ? and art pleading for masse-houses , tythes , hirelings , and popish inventions , and art offended ; we should declare against ribbons , cuffs , and lace ; what shouldst thou convert any too , except to make them two-fold more children of the devill ? and what shouldst thou refute or confute ? wilt thou say one shall not steal , and dost thou ? wilt thou say one should not be drunk , and art thou ? and wilt thou say one should forsake all sin , and yet say none must be cleansed from it , but be alwayes miserable men , and wretched men ? be first convinced in thy self and turne from thy evill deeds , before 〈…〉 more of converting or refuting any ; for 〈…〉 when all shall be set in order before thee what thou hast done , and thou shalt receive according to thy work ; and thou shalt then see this worke to be for condemnation , which thou hast published against the truth , which shall and must abide for ever ; and they that are in it , and walk in it shall be everlastingly happy , and shall reigne as kings and priests unto god for ever ; and over all deceit , and shall live to confound all the children of falshood in all their devices . the end . liberty of conscience asserted and several reasons rendred why no outward force nor imposition ought to be used in matters of faith and religion with several sayings collected from the speeches and writings of king james and king charles the first / john crook, samuel fisher, francis howgill, richard hubberthorne. approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing l estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) liberty of conscience asserted and several reasons rendred why no outward force nor imposition ought to be used in matters of faith and religion with several sayings collected from the speeches and writings of king james and king charles the first / john crook, samuel fisher, francis howgill, richard hubberthorne. crook, john, - . fisher, samuel, - . howgill, francis, - . hubberthorn, richard, - . p. printed for robert wilson ..., london : . "this was delivered into the hands of the members of both houses of parliament the last day of the third month, ." reproduction of original in university of texas library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of 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true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng england and wales. -- parliament. liberty of conscience -- early works to . freedom of religion -- england -- early works to . religion and state -- england -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion liberty of conscience asserted , and several reasons rendred , why no outward force , nor imposition , ought to be used in matters of faith and religion : with several sayings , collected from the speeches and writings of king james , and king charles the first . john crook samuel fisher francis howgill richard hubberthorne . acts . , . now i say unto you , refrain from these men , and let them alone : for if this counsel , or this work , be of men , it will come to nought : but if it be of god , you cannot overthrow it ; lest haply ye be found fighters against god. this was delivered into the hands of the members of both houses of parliament , the last day of the third month , . london , printed for robert wilson , in martins le grand , . liberty of conscience asserted , &c. liberty of conscience ought to be allowed in the dayes of the gospel in the free exercise of it to god-ward ( without compulsion ) in all things relating to his worship , for these reasons following . . because the general and universal royal law of christ commands it matth. . . all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you , do ye even so to them : for this is the law and prophets . that which every man would have and receive from another , he ought by christ's rule to give and allow it to another . but every man is willing to have the liberty of his own conscience , therefore ought to allow it to another . . because , no man can perswade the conscience of another , either what god is , or how he should be worshipped , but by the spirit , which god hath given to instruct man in the wayes of truth . . because , all obedience or service that is obtained by force , is for fear of wrath , and not from love , nor for conscience sake ; and therefore will but continue so long as that fear or force abides upon them . . because , that by forcing , no man can make a hypocrite to be a true believer ; but on the contrary , many may be made hypocrites . . because , that in all forced impositions upon mens consciences there is something of the wrath of man exercised , which works not the righteousness of god , bur rather begets enmity in the heart one towards another . . because , that by forcing any thing upon mens consciences , as to matters of faith and worship , many are hardened in their hearts against the things imposed ; when as otherwise , through love and gentle instructions their hearts might be perswaded to willing obedience . . because , that persecution for conscience contradicteth christ's charge , matth. . who bids , that the tares ( or false worshippers ) be suffered to grow together in the field ( or world ) till the harvest ( or end of the world. ) . because , force is contrary to the end for which it is pretended to be used ( viz. ) the preservation and safety of the wheat , which end is not answered by persecution , because the wheat is in danger to be plucked up thereby , as christ saith . . because , to force , is inconsistent with the belief of the jews conversion ( and other false worshippers ) which is prayed for by the publick teachers , and cannot be attained , if persecution for conscience be prosecuted . . because , they that impose upon mens consciences , exercise dominion over mens faith , which the apostles denyed , saying , they had not dominion over any mens faith. . because , imposition upon mens consciences necessitates them to sin , in yeelding a conformity contrary to their own faith : for whatsoever is not of a mans own faith , is sin . . because , that imposition and force wrestles with flesh and blood , and carnal weapons , which is contrary to the apostles doctrine , who said , our vveapons are not carnal , but spiritual , and mighty through god : and we wrestle not with flesh and bloud . . because , there is but one judge , law-giver and king in and over the conscience , as the saints have testified in the scriptures of truth ; and whosoever would intrude , so as to be judge and law-giver over the conscience , intrencheth upon the prerogative of christ , isa. . . james . . . because , it is prophesied in isa. . the wolf shall dwell with the lamb , and the leopard shall lye down with the kid , and there shall be no destroyer in all he holy mountain ; and therefore no imposition upon mens consciences . . because , to impose upon mens consciences for differences in faith , is contrary to the advice of the apostle , who directs people to wait upon god to be satisfied , and not to the magistrate or others , to be forced ; who saith , vvhereunto we have attained , let us walk ; and wherein any man is otherwise-minded , god shall reveal , even that unto him . . because , to force mens consciences , and to lay yoaks upon them , is to make void the blood-shed and sufferings of christ , who sits upon the throne of the conscience , and gives libeyty there ; and commands us to stand fast in that liberty , and not to be entangled through the impositions of men , or yoak of bondage , gal. . . . because in all nations the different professions and perswasions of religion , are either friends or enemies to the governours : if friends then obliged by that bond. if enemies then christ's command is to take place , who saith , love your enemies ; which if observed , persecution for conscience will be avoided . . because , toleration of different perswasions in religion was allowed in the jewish state , as not inconsistent with their safety , and that in things contrary each to other , as the sadduces , pharisees , essaeans , herodians with others . . because , the true religion cannot be preached up by force of armes , and the primitive christians detested that form of proceedings . . because , no man hath such power over the souls and consciences of other men , as to lay a necessity on them to believe that which they do not believe , or not to believe what they do believe : true faith being the gift of god. . because , if the magistrate imposeth upon the conscience , he must either do it as a magistrate , or as a christian. not as a magistrate , for then heathens ( being magistrates ) have the same power to impose ; and so , by revolutions and conquests , may come to give laws to christians , and compel them to idolatry . . not as christians , for that contradicts christ's saying , the kings of the gentiles exercise lordship over them ; but it shall not be so among you , for all ye are , brethren . . because , by the same rule and reason that the magistrate of one nation ought to impose upon , and persecute for conscience , the magistrates in all other nations ought to do the same ; and so the greatest part of mankind may come to be destroyed , there being more that dissent , than are at unity in matters of faith and religion . . because , the strength of truth , and its conquest over falsity and deceit , is best discovered by letting both have their liberty , from out 〈◊〉 and 〈…〉 sion ; for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ou 〈…〉 ard force been less used , the prevalency of truth had been more manifest , and that wife saying , truly experienced in the world , viz. that which i● of god will stand , and that which is not will come to nothing . . because , the disciples of christ are rebuked by him for desiring the destruction of those that were contrary to him , and would not receive him : which zeal is sharply reproved in his saying , they knew not what spirit they were of . . because , to impose upon mens consciences , and to destroy their persons for difference in religion , is contrary to the end of christ's coming , who saith , he came not to destroy mens lives , but to save them . . because , people of divers religions in one nation , if not tolerated , must some of them be destroyed , or removed by banishment . if destroyed , the constancy and patience of the sufferers for their faith , moving pitty and commiseration , makes men more ready to own , than to reject their faith , and so rather multiplies , than lessens , the number of its professors . if banish'd , this renders the banished as so many enemies abroad , ready upon all occasions to disturbe the peace and tranquillity of their own native countrey . there is therefore , in order to the outward welfare of all nations , a kind of necessity for a toleration in them of all religions . . because , to impose upon mens consciences begets a hatred against the imposers in those who are imposed upon , and forc'd thereby to violate their consciences towards god in matters of worship . . because , men are commanded to be subject to the powers that are , for conscience sake , and therefore such powers ought not to persecute men for conscience sake , being that is prescribed for the rule of obedience ; the scripture saying , be ye subject not onely for wrath , but for conscience sake . . we find it asserted by king james in his speech to the parliament in the year , . who said , that it is a pure rule in divinity , that god never loves to plant his church with uiolence and blood ; and furthermore said , it was usually the condition of christians to be persecuted , but not to persecute . . and we find the samething in substance asserted again , by his ) son charles the first , in his book known by the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , printed for r. royston , as followeth . page . in his prayer to god , he said , thou seest how much cruelty amongst christians is acted , under the colour of religion ; as if we could not be christians , unless me crucifie one another . pag. ● . make them at length seriously to consider , that nothing uiolent and injurious , can be religious . pag. . nor is it so proper to ●ew out religious reformations by the sword , as to pollish them by fair and equal disputations , among those that are most concer●●d in the differences , whom , not force , but reason ought to convince . sure in matters of religion , those truths gain most upon mens judgements and consciences , which are least urged with segular ui●lence , which weakens truth with prejudices . pag. . it being an office not onely of humanity , rather to use reason than force , but also of christianity to seek peace and ensue it . pag. , . in point of true conscientious tenderness , i have often declared , how little i desire my laws and scepter , should intrench on god's soveraignty , which is the onely king of mens consciences . pag. . nor do i desire any man should be farther subject unto me , than all of us may be subject unto god. concerning oaths . p. . the injoyning of oathes , upon people , must needs in things doubtful be dangerous , as in things unlawful damnable . some words of advice from charles the first , to the then prince of wales , now king of england , &c. pag. . my counsel and charge to you is , that you seriously consider the former real or objected miscariages , which might occasion my troubles , that you may avoid them , &c. beware of exasperating any factions , by the crosness and asperity of some mens passions , humors , and private opinions , imployed by you , grounded ●●●ly upon differences in lesser matters , which are but the skirts and suburbs of religion , wherein a charitable connivance , and christian toleration , often dissipates their strength , when rougher opposition fortyfies , and puts the despised and oppressed party into such combinations , as may most enable them to get a full revenge on those they count their persecutors . pag. . take heed that outward circumstances and formalities of religion devour not all . pag. . your prerogative is best shewed and exercised in remitting , rather than exacting the rigor of the laws , there being nothing worse than legal tyranny . acts . , , . gamaliel said unto them , ye men of israel , take heed unto your selves , what ye intend to do as touching these men , &c. acts . , , , , . gallio said , if it were a matter of wrong , or wicked lewdness , reason would that i should bear with you : but if it be a question of words and names , and of your law , look ye to it : for i will be no judge of such matters . the end . caines bloudy race known by their fruits, or, a true declaration of the innocent sufferings of the servants of the living god, by the magistrates, priests and people in the city of westchester, who lives in a profession of god, christ, and the scriptures, as their forefathers did, who slew the prophets, persecuted christ and the apostles, as is declared in the scriptures of truth, &c. hutchins, anthony. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing c a). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing c a estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) caines bloudy race known by their fruits, or, a true declaration of the innocent sufferings of the servants of the living god, by the magistrates, priests and people in the city of westchester, who lives in a profession of god, christ, and the scriptures, as their forefathers did, who slew the prophets, persecuted christ and the apostles, as is declared in the scriptures of truth, &c. hutchins, anthony. howgill, francis, - . sale, richard. fox, george, - . [ ], p. printed for thomas simmons ..., london : . signed p. : anthony hutchins. preface signed: f.h. [i.e. francis howgill]; pp. - are by richard sale and pp. - by george fox. reproduction of original in bodleian library. eng society of friends -- england -- westchester. a r (wing c a). civilwar no caines bloudy race known by their fruits, or, a true declaration of the innocent sufferings of the servants of the living god, by the magist hutchins, anthony b the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the b category of texts with fewer than defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - melanie sanders sampled and proofread - melanie sanders text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion caines bloudy race known by their fruit or , a true declaration of the innocent sufferings of the servants of the living god , by the magistrates , priests and people in the city of westchester , who lives in a profession of god , christ , and the scriptures , as their forefathers did , who s●●w the prophets , persecuted christ and the ●postles , as is declared in the scriptures of truth , &c. they persecute him whom thou hast smitten ; and they add unto the sorrow of them whom thou hast wounded , psal. . . bloady men hate him that is upright ; but the just have care of his soul , prov. . . remember the word that i said unto you , the servant is not greater then his master ; if they have persecuted me , they will persecute you also ; if they have kept my word , they will also keep yours , joh. . . blessed are ye when men shall evile you , and persecute you , and shall say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake , rejoice , and be exceeding glad , for great is your ye ward in heaven , for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you , matt. . , . london , printed for thomas simmons , at the sign-of the bull and mouth , neer aldersgate , . to the reader . reader , amongst the many sad objects of pitty and commiseration which these dayes afford and do bring forth here is one not of the least , where thou may behold the sad and woful sufferings of many of the dear and precious servants of the lord , who have denied themselves and the glory of this world , that so they might be followers of christ , and doers of his will , that so they might receive peace with the father through jesus christ , who hath called us to suffer for his names sake , and be conformable unto his will , that so the crown of glory may be received , which is laid up for all them that keep the faith , and doth not deny it , nor him in whom-they have believed , before men , as these cloud of witnesses and faithful suffererers have done , who have kept the faith , and confessed him before men , and among such also where the devil hath his throne , and rules as king ; and by his unrighteous scepter hath the rulers of chester acted , as the discourse hereafter will manifest , wherein thou may see the image of the father in the sufferers , and of the lamb , who was dumb before the shearer , and opened not his mouth : and in this after written thou may see the scriptures fulfilled , as it is written by the prophets , they eat my people as men eat bread , and they chop them in pieces as flesh ; for the caldron and the time which christ spoke of is come , that they that kill you shall think they do god service , & all these things they wil do unto you for my names sake , and they shall shamefully entreat you , & cast you into prison , & speak all manner of evil of you falsly for my names sake ; but blessed are they who are not offended . and in those blood thirsty inhumane magistrates ( so called ) who have done all this violence and cruelty , thou may also read the image of the devil brought forth , for their works that they have done and wrought are of him ; and as christ said to them who would have been counted holy , who said god was their father , but their works manifested them to be of the devil , and he was their father who abode not in the truth . and that which makes the violence & cruelty more intollerable of these men , is , because they profess themselves to rule for god , & are christian magistrates , but their actions that they have brought forth will christ never own , for he came not to destroy mens lives , but to save them ; neither did he ever set up any such rule as to slay his servants , nor any such magistrates who are a terror to them that do well , and therefore they must be recorded among the adversaries of the lord ▪ whom the lord will dash to pieces . what! is this the reformation brought forth in their city , imprisoning them that reprove sin in the gate , and set drunkards at liberty ? oh preposterous and prodigeous cruelty ! in the time of the king , and in the time of the bishops , never such presidents of cruelty was found , and this hypocritical generation will be lesse excusable then they , they in ignorance , but these in the day , when light is declared abroad , and have been warned ; they never professed liberty of concience , but these do ; they never professed toleration or protection unto any but them that conformed to them in all things , but these do . oh england ! is thy sun set when it was but new risen ? and utter ) darknesse coming upon thee again ? and must this be fulfilled upon thy rulers , and among them , they are all evening . wolves , who devour so greedily , that they gnaw not the bones till the morrow ? oh unheard-of cruelty ! unparelell'd wickednesse ! violence is broken forth into a rod , and now smiteth the just in great cruelty , and the innocent in great rage ; but all these things are recorded and taken notice of by him who weighs all things in an even ballance , and will scatter the wiced and ungodly as chaff , and as dust shall they be blown away ; but all the stripes , reproaches , sighs , tears , and sufferings of the upright will he reward , when their enemies shall sink as a stone into the sea , and be overwhelmed in the pit of everlasting vengeance , wo and misery , which ▪ is prepared for the old dragon , the devourer and all his seed and race for ever , who would not have righteousnesse to rule , nor innocency to live , but subtilty and craft , pride and arrogancie , in which the kingdom of the devil stands , and envy , murder and oppression , and he that hates his brother is a man-slayer . and when thou hast read over this discourse and sees the envy , wickedness , and madness , and cruelty of these rulers , their spirit thou will see , and cannot but abhor as detestable , and may truly say , while such bear rule , the land cannot but mourn ; but the mischief they have hatched shall fall upon their own pate , and peace shall possesse the reins of the just , and the heart of them that have suffered shall rejoice and be glad in him who hath counted them worthy to suffer for his names sake , and great shall be their reward , for they shall reign with him for ever and ever over all their enemies , and shall trample them down under their feet ; which if thou believe , and in patience endure and suffer with them that suffer , thou shalt rejoice with them that rejoice , in the joy which is unspeakable and full of glory , and know the dominion which is everlasting , when all those unrighteous powers and dominions shal come to an end ; and all that endure to the end , and keep the faith , this shall see fulfilled ; and the lord is hastening it for wiekedness is near at the heighth , and then his wrath shall consume his enemies , and they shall melt away that hate the lord . f. h. caines bloudy race known by their fruits . first , under edward bradshaw , mayor ; richard hubberthorne coming into chester city about the th . of the . month , . the occasion of his coming at that time was to visite a brother in the truth , who was for the truths sake a prisoner in the county-goal , his name was iohn lawson ; so he ( richard hubberthorn ) being in the house , where he lodged all night peaceably , not giving the least occasion of offence to any but was writing in a book he then had of his own ; so as he sate writing came in richard golborne a lawyer , and took his book from him , and gave him envious and threatning words , and went his way , and informed edward bradshaw mayor what a dangerous fellow was in the town , and caused him to be brought before the magistrates into the pentice ; so when they and the chief priest had examined him , and finding the law not by him transgressed , he being clear in all things from the least breach thereof , they caused him to be put a-part into another room , until they had devised wicked and unlawful devices against him ; for this was the time when the lord first tryed them how they could bear the sincerity and plainnesse of the innocent truth and gospel of christ , which was then beginning to spread abroad in the nation ; which truth , and the servants thereof , doth onely seek the honor which comes from god , and doth only give the honor to god ; and doth not seek that honor which comes from men , neither can give that honor which men seek one of another ; and for this cause was the wrath of the magistrate lifted up , until they had lost both the knowledg of the law , and of reason , who in their wrath sent him into prison , no breach of the law being found by him , only by the information of richard golborne , who had broken the law in taking his goods from him , contrary to all the laws of this nation ; only this they said they imprisoned him for , because he could not promise them to go out of the town when they commanded him . but festus who was a ruler amongst the heathens , he well might be called noble , for to him it seemed unreasonable to send a prisoner , and not to shew the causes of offence that was laid against him : but these magistrates which say they are christians , they manifest themselves to be void of understanding , sence , and reason , having sent many to prison without so much as signifying a just occasion against them . so when r. hubberthorn had suffered about three moneths imprisonment , he was called before a sessions , and they finding nothing against him , again asked him if he would go forth of the city , which if he would , they said he should be set free ; which he denyed to promise them , and stood in the authority of the almighty over their deceit , being they could lay nothing to his charge ; then their wrath arose , and commanded him to be put into prison , and kept close that none should come to him ; all which the keeper obeyed for about eight dayes ; and then the mayor and the rest of his brethren joyned together to make a passe to send him from constable to constoble , into lancashire ; but when the lord had tryed them to the full , then they broke their order which was sealed with seven seales , and he was onely brought forth of the city , and set free . thomas holme coming into this city , had a meeting in the same about the nineteenth day of the first month , . where he and many more were met together to wait upon the lord in a house in the same city ; then thomas holme spake as he was moved of the lord , edward bradshaw then mayor , being informed thereof , sent one of his servants , and commanded him to bring tho. holme before him ; so he committed him to prison to the common goal for the city , where he was kept about six weeks , in which time he was much abused and beaten by robert emis●ne , keeper of the prison , who is a common notorious drunkard . before tho. holme was released , edward bradshaw sent samuel elcock unto him , to know if he would promise him to depart the city , which if he would , he might be released ; who said he could make no such promise . now tho. holme having a letter by to him , which was sent him from rich. hubberthorne , directed edward bradshaw , he gave it to samuel elcock to give it as directed , who did ; so when ed. bradshaw had read over the letter , he said that tho. holme should be whipped , and ( as we are informed ) had a man in readinesse to do it , he thinking all this while it had been tho. holme which writ it to him ; so thomas yarwood hearing what was intended against tho. holm , and understanding it was because of that letter , went to edward bradshaw , and said , friend , tho. holm did not write that letter to thee , it was rich. hubberthorne ; but tho. yarwood not dossing his hat , edward bradshaw committed him to the stocks , where he was kept about an hour and a half at the least ; then the next day after tho. holme was committed as aforesaid , edward bradshaw sent for rich. hickock and edward morgan , they being two that was at the meeting the day before , and committed them to prison upon the twentieth day of the first month , . and kept rich. hickock fifteen weeks , and edw : morgan nine weeks . elizabeth levens , and jane waugh , coming to this city to visite their brethren in prison , and as they were passing peaceably through the streets , were tooke up by a drunken man , and brought before edward bradshaw , and by him committed to prison , who were a great part of their imprisonment kept in a stinking place , where for the most part thieves and murderers are kept ; the whole time of their imprisonment was about five weeks , who when they were released , were sent from constable to constable , as vagabonds , into their own countrey . anne fara coming to this city , was moved to go to a steeple-house , and spake unto the priest , she was much abused by the rude multitude , and by them took before edw. bradshaw , and by him committed to prison for many dayes . richard hickocke was moved to go to a steeple-house in the city , where was a high-priest , called samuel eaton , who when he had ended that he called his sermon , rich. hitkock spake some words to the people , but they pulled him down , and did much abuse him ; yet neverthelesse edw. bradshaw committed him to prison , and commanded the keeper to put him into a dark stinking room , where he saw a snake , and other venemous creatures ; it is such a place that none is put into at any time but such as are condemned to dye , and therefore is called the dead mans room ; and likewise edw. bradshaw commanded irons to be put on him , all which his commands were executed to the highest degree of malice that might be ; in which condition he was kept weeks and upwards , and it 's believed by some , the priest and he together intended to destroy the outward man , though he had a wife and many small children ; such is their cruelty , had they not been prevented by george minshall , one of the protectors servants , who coming to the town at the time of the general sessions holden for the county , and hearing of their usuage of him , was moved with pitty , and fetched forth a habeus corpus , and brought his body before the judge for the county , out of the hands of those bloody and cruel men , to answer the law , who finding no just cause of imprisonment proved against him , and being moved with pitty towards him , understanding how cruelly he had been used by them , did freely release him , to their shame and trouble . tho. yarwood was moved to go to the steeple-house , and stood till the priest had done what he had to say , and then he spoke to the people , but he was haled forth , and ill abused by the baser sort , and brought before edward bradshaw , and by him committed to prison , where he was kept most part of two days ; he being a souldier , & under command , his officer sent to him to know why he had imprisoned his souldier , and fetcht him out of prison ; edward bradshaw sent him word , he came in amongst them with a laudable voice , and disturbed the assembly before the minister had done , though he spake not till the priest had done , as before is said . john owen being in his own house , following his lawful imployment there was a stone flang at his window , and missed it ; then he and his men went off the table they sate on , which was close to the window , who were no sooner off the table , but a great piece of a brick-stone was flang through his glasse-window , which broke it in pieces ; and had not he and his men ( as is said ) come from the window , it might have killed some of them , it came with such force into the house ; so he seeing who threw it , took the stone in his hand to edward bradshaw , and shewed him the stone , and who it was that threw it into his house , and brake his window , as is said , who said , do you come to complain before a magistrate in such an unreverent manner ? and said , i will neither heare your cause , nor right you ; and with his own hands christ him forth of his doors , and charged him to come before him no more . the innocent sufferings of the servants of the lord in chester city , under richard bird , mayor of the same . edmond ogden being moved to go to a steeple-house , spake not a word until the priest had done , and then spake some words to the priest to make good what he had said ; but he was drawn forth into the street by the hair of his head , and then sent to prison by richard bird , and kept nine weeks . richard bird sent for edward morgan forth of his own house , and committed him to prison , when he had not spoke to any , nor to this day knows what he was imprisoned for , onely it was reported by some he did it because edmond ogden had been at the steeplehouse . at another time rich. bird caused edw. morgan to be taken out of the street , who neither said or did to any , yet he caused him to be put into the grate , where for the most part thieves and murderers are put . mary endon came to this city to see her husband , who was in bonds for the truth , she was then moved to go a steeple-house , and asked the priest a question ; but she was exceedingly abused by the people , and taken before rich. bird , and by him committed to prison , where she was kept four dayes . william sarrot passing through the street with a piece of cloth , john poole called to him , and asked if he would sell his cloth , who said , yea ; john poole asked him his price , he said , so much the yeard ; john poole said he would have it ; william sarrot , hearing him say so hastily he would have it , said , friend do not mistake thy self , i ask so much the yard ; john poole said , thou lyest , thou asked me so much an ●ll , but william denyed it , and said as before ; then iohn poole struck him very ill , and thrust him out of his shop , and kept his cloth , though his wife and mother would have had him to have given him his cloth again , they being ( its very like ) sensible how it was ; but he would not give him his cloth again , but said he would teach him to be a quaker , many people cryed out against him for so doing , but for all that was said to him , he was shameless , and would not part with the cloth . so william sarrot , came and informed some of his friends , who had him go to the mayor , and inform him thereof , who did , the mayor was high with him , because he could not give him that honor he expected from him , but in the end did send for john poole , who came , and as soon as he was come , the mayor and he went a-part , and discoursed a while ; but when they returned to vvilliam , the mayor said to vvilliam , unless he would put off his hat ▪ to him , he would do him no justice , but would send him to prison for coming before a magistrate so unmannerly ; but in short , he sent vvilliam sarrot to the common goal , and not in the least reproved john poole , who would have cheated him of his cloth . so the third day after vvilliam was put in prison , the mayor sent for him forth to his own house , where pool had sent the cloth ; so when vvilliam sarrot saw his cloth upon the table , he said , friend , is this cloth of so much the ell , as pool said he would have it for ? the mayors wise said it was better worth ; then the mayor gave vvilliam his cloth again , and discharged him , paying his foes ; he denyed to pay any fees ; then the keeper took him to prison again ; but when he saw he would pay him no fees , he turned him forth without . the innocent sufferings of the people of god under william wright , mayor of chester city . sarah adgit , and margret vvood , coming to this city , were moved to go to a steeple-house ; sarah spake a few words when the priest had done ; margret spake not in the steeple-house at all ; they both were taken before vvilliam vvright , and by him committed to prison , and kept above four weeks , though ( as aforesaid ) one of them spoke not at all in the steeple-house . upon the th day of the first month , richard sale was moved of the lord to come to the city , and to go to a steeple-house , where the judge for the county , and many more of the city and countrey were assembled , and nathaniel lancaster priest , found in the steps of the scribes and pharisces , who in the highest place of the assembly was found , exalting himself as their teacher . so richard sale stood so long as he could , and opened not his mouth , until at last the burden of the word of the lord burned as fire within him , that contrary to his own will he was forced to speak ; but before he could utter many words , he was violently halled forth as their manner is , and committed to the county gaol for one day , and then by the same power that committed him was released for that thing ; so the law being satified , he went to his own house . then upon the second day of the second moneth , . richard sale , being commanded of the lord , to come to chester citty , and by the lord commanded to reprove sin in the gate , he being in the liberty of the county , about glovers-stone , he then was pulled by violence into the liberties of the city , and delivered to one of the mayors officers ; so he was taken before william wright major , who committed him to prison : demand was made what he was committed for ; answer was given , for speaking before the judges ; though he had as aforesaid satisfied the law , for that before , and yet for the same thing was committed to prison again , and there kept in a most cruel manner weeks , in all which time he might not be suffered to have a little fire , though none of their charge , he being in a cold open room , and the coldest time in all the year , such was their cruelty , then at last they released him privately without any tryal at law . the innocent sufferings of the people of god in chester cicity , under peter leigh mayor of the same , who in a most cruell , bloody , and mercilesse manner hath executed his power against them . upon the ninth day of the tenth month , . edward morgan had a servant wrought with him , whose name was william fletcher , who had stole a peece of leather from him , which was worth two shillings , or thereabouts ; edward being informed thereof by one of his servants , called thomas edwards ; then edward morgan asked fletcher , why he stole his leather from him ? fletcher denyed it , and did begin to quarrell with him : insomuch that another of edward morgans servants , went and informed peter leigh mayor , ( unknown to edward ) the mayor sent for them both , who came before him , the first word that the mayor spake was to edward morgan , asking him , if he was not a freeman of this city , being he came so unreverently before him , and farther said , are not you sworn to be obedient to magistrates ? he answered , what i do is contrary to my own will in obedience to the lord : the mayor said , the scripture saith , honour thy father , and mother : edward said , i honour my father in that i am obedient to that of god in my conscience : then the mayor said to edw. that unless he would put off his hat , he would not hear his cause , so edw. came away , and the man that stole his leather escaping punishment for stealing , because he whom he stole it from could not in conscience put off his hat . vpon the fifteenth day of the tenth moneth , . peter leigh mayor commanded edw. morgan to come before him , who ( as it will appear hereafter ) had laid a snare to entrap him , because he had escaped imprisonment before , when he was before him last , seeing he would not put off his hat : the mayor had sent for rich. bird , ( formerly mayor ) who was an approved man for his purpose , to persecute the innocent without a cause , and john johnson as bad as he ; so they being met together in the pentice , sent for edw. morgan , ( as aforesaid ) pretending to punish him that stole his leather if he desired it : here all may see how unfit these men are to be magistrates , for they that know any thing pertaining to the law , know this , that a magistrate in his place ought to be a terror to him that doth evil , and is upon all occasions to use his utmost endeavour to find them out , and them to punish according to their offence , and in so doing becomes a terror to them . nay further , if any man hath so much respect to him that hath transgressed the law , as to conceal it such a time as the law sets down , according to the offence , he makes himself equal transgressour with him that hath transgressed : now these magistrates are so far from this , that they told edw. morgan , that if he desired the thief to be punished they would punish him ; so ignorant are they of their places , that because edw. morgan did not desire it from them , they did not punish him for stealing ▪ but this was but their pretence to ensnare him , as their actions hereafter will appear . then the mayor asked him , if he was not a perjured fellow to come before them so unreverently , and many such like words he used , but ( in short ) according to their design on him , they began to cast how to bring him under their law , there being a bench at the lower end of the room ; edw did sit down : tho. robbinson one of the sheriffs called to him , and said , dost thou know where thou art ? and told him that was not a place for such fellows as he to sit on , and said , he should be taught better mannors : for they would put a bridle on his head , and many such like unsavoury words he used , not worth repearing over , so in the end , they got john taylor , john knowles , and john whitley to swear against edward morgan . to wit , he said his conscience told him , he could not bow to deceit , so this was the ground for which they committed him to prison , because he could not bow to deceit , and made a warrant which was signed by john johnson , and rich. bird , the sum of which was , that edw. morgan misbehaved himself before the mayor , so to prison edward was sent straight way , but he that stole his leather found favour from them and was not punished at all for stealing , though he confessed so far to the stealing of it , that of himself he brought part of the leather back again to ed. morgan , but not by any constraint of either mayor or justices ; so now that for which they sent for edward morgan hath fully appeared . now ed. morgan lying in prison , as is said , many as he dealt with in things belonging to his trade , understanding the grievous wrong he had done him , went of their own accord , unknown to edw. morgan , unto peter leigh mayor , to desire edwards enlargement from him , the mayor told them in a fawning hypocryticall manner , he did not desire to keep him in prison , and told them it was rich. bird , and john johnson that did commit him , they seeing how uncivilly he behaved himself before me ; and said , if they would release him , he would be content therewith ; this the mayor did say in the hearing of many witnesses . then david bathow who was one that heard him say so , went to rich. bird , and told him what the mayor had said , when ric. bird had heard him tell what the mayor had said to them , he did deny that he was cause of it , and said that he had rather have gone miles another way , then have gone about any such thing , when the mayor sent for him ; and farther said , he did not desire any poor man should be kept in prison ; & said farther , if any man would but come and passe his word for his good behaviour , he would undertake to prevail so far with mr. mayor , as to procure his enlargement , and likewise said if any man would come , and passe for him as is said , he would pass his word to him he should never be troubled for so doing . vpon the . of the tenth moneth , . some of those that had been with the mayor before , went to him again about the same business , but he would not suffer them to speak with him , but sent them word by his door-keeper that they should attend him upon fryday , it being the three and twentieth of the tenth month , and bring a surety with them , and he should be released : so as they were appointed they came to the pentice , and brought a surety with them , as the mayor had appointed them to do , now the mayor and many more being present , they made known their businesse to them , so they said as they had before ( not knowing ) there was any to passe for him , that if any would passe for his good behaviour , he should be released , or else not : then the man spoke , and said , he would passe for his good behaviour ; when the mayor and the rest heard that any would passe for him , they then denyed to release him upon sureties , unless edw. morgan would come himself ▪ before them , and desire it with his hat in his hand , if so , then they would release him upon sureties , or else ( some of them said ) there he should rot ; so they were all dismissed . now any who are in the least measure turned to the light wherewithall christ jesus hath enlightned them , may see their deceit , for at the first the mayor said it was john johnson , and richard bird that committed him , and he could not release him , because they did it : rich. bird said , what they did was by the mayors appointment , but both said , bring a surety to passe for his good behaviour and he should be released ; but when a surety came , none would release him , unlesse he would come before them with his hat in his hand , and desire his enlargement of them himself , or else some of them said , he should rot there ; but in the end all were made manifest to be lyars , for upon the second day of the first month — . after he had endured eleven weeks imprisonment , the mayor sent a constable to the keeper of the prison to release him privately , it is beleeved , because the general sessions for the county drew neer , least their actions there should have been made publick . in the time of edw. morgans inprisonment as aforesaid , he sent a modest letter to peter leigh mayor , by the hands of deborah maddock , she finding him in the pentice , did deliver the letter ; he asked her from whence it came ? she told him ; he said , what dumb spirit hath set them on work now ? then the mayor said unto her , that such huswifes as she was fitter for the stocks , or to be ducked in a cuck-stool , then to carry letters , and come before magistrates to deliver them so unreverently ; she said , there is no respect of persons with god ; the mayor called for a constable , and sent her into little ease , the hole in the rock , where she was kept about hours . richard sale , being a freemans son of this city , went to peter leigh mayor , to demand his freedom , as in right it could not be denyed him , upon the one and twentieth day of the tenth month ; the mayor asked him his name ; he told him , the mayor said , i thought you had been in prison long enough to have learned better manners , but seeing you have not ; i will teach you some if i can : rich. sale answered , evil words corrupt good manners , and thou hast heard none from me yet ; the mayor said , he would teach him to com with more reverence before magistrates , and called for a constastable , but being none ready , he sent him to a constables house ; the constable asked the man that brought him , what he must do with him , he said , bring him to prison : r. sale said , thou received no such orders ; then the constable went to the mayor himself , to know what he must do with him , so when he came back , he came to r. sale , and said , if he would promise him not to trouble the town any more , neither meddle with their ministers , he might go his way ; but he denyed to condition with him at all , who when he could get none , let him go without . vpon the th day of the th month , . it being the first day of the week , rich. sale , as he was waiting upon the lord in a meeting in chester , then was commanded of the lord to go to a place in the city called the minster : so he comming there , he met john glendall priest , and was moved to speak to him ; there passing by a constable , one told the priest thereof , the priest bad the constable take rich. sale to the mayors house , and keep him there untill he came to him : so the constable being ignorant of his place , did take him as the priest commanded him , and there kept him a great while , but the priest came not , as he said he would : for to them it is a light thing to lye : then at last rich. sale was taken before the mayor , who asked him , why he disturbed the ministers of the gospel ? ●he answered , he did not disturb any ministers of the gospel ; then the mayor demanded of him sureties , for the keeping of the peace : he told him he had not broken the peace , therefore he denyed to put in sureties to keep that he had not broken , so the mayor commanded him to be put into prison untill the next day ; so the next day he sent for him forth of prison , and gave order he should not be brought before him , but put into little ease , the hole in the rock , where he was kept about hours , it being a very cold day , in which place he could not sit , kneel , stand nor lye , yet before they would let him forth , they would have had him to have promised them not to have disturbed their ministers nor magistrates , or else they said they must not loose him forth . but he denyed their propositions and was made rather willing to give his body up to be murdered by them , then to yeeld to their wills . then to cover their cruelty , they said he pulled priest glendals cloak from off his back , when he did not so much as touch any part of his garments ; unless they meant it by laying open the fruits of his ministery , and pulling off his cloak of hypocrisie ; and if so they meant , we shall not say against it : then peter cowsnock being in the town , and seeing how the mayor had used edw. morgan , and rich. sale , it lay upon him of the lord to go to the mayor , and to speak to him concerning his usage of them as is said ; so upon the . day month . the mayor , and sheriffs , and many more being met together in the pentice , he went in amongst them , and spake to the mayor his message once and again ; the mayor seemed as though he heard him not : the mayor then spake to a man that stood by him , who came immediately and plucked peter cowsnocks hat from off his head , and flang it down , then the mayor turned towards him , and asked him , how he came before him so profanely with his hat on ? peter told him the occasion of his coming ; he received from them many scornful and reprochful words ; likewise some of them threatned to whip him , others to put him into little ease , the hole in the rock which is worse , then at last he pulled forth a pass with a letter , both from some of the council of state , his pass shewing that none should interrupt him in his journie to the isle of man , from whence he came ; yet for all this did wil. street , and will . haywood say to the sheriff , he might do well to search him for letters , it being ( as they said ) in his power ; so he being ready to execute their malice did , and took divers writings from him of great concernment , which he could never to this day get any of them again ; now let any man judge whether this was not a contempt against those of the councel of state , that made him his pass ; now this is certain , had he not had that pass , they would have don to him , as afore is said , for against him their malice was as great as against any other which they have acted much cruelty against ; for two or three times constables were sent to anthony hutchins house to charge him he should neither entertain peter cowsnock nor his son , but their message was by him little regarded in that thing . upon the th day month . richard sale was moved of the lord to come to chester , it being the d. day of the week , as he was passing to a friends house he met with one of the pharises called william haywood , and said to him , the serpent lives upon dust , and dust is the serpents meat : he then asked rich. sale if he was god , and many such like tempting questions ; but he shut him out , and would not answer to his vain questions at all : there standing by hamnet kerkes a shoo-maker in the same city , who began to kick and push rich. sale to and fro , and offered to strike up his heels , but missing of his end , stroke richard over the face , he turned to him the other side , then hamnet kerkes stroke rich. sale over the face with such violence that he bruised his left eye exceedingly , who when he had don so went to the steeple house worship , r. sale followed him to the door , but their worship not being ended , he staid in the grave-yard , untill the priest had done ; so when people came forth he spake these words , friends , let the usage of my body this day bear witness for god , and against you that your worship is not the worship of god , but of the scribes and pharisees ; and then when the mayor came forth , rich. sale cryed for justice and judgement from him for the wrong he had done him in the street , and shewed him his face , how he was used ; but instead of justice and true judgement , he commanded one of his officers to take him to prison , who did : the mayor sent word to the under-keeper to put him in little-ease the hole in the rock , who did as he was commanded , but he could not lock it , unlesse ( as he beleeved ) he must either bruse his body or soar face , he being moved with pity towards him , took him to prison again , and said he would go to the mayor , to know why he was sent to them , being they had nothing to do with that prison ; so he abode in prison till within night : then there came either one or both sheriffs , and five constables , as the keepers wife said , who took him forth of prison , and violently thrust him into the hole in the rock ; and hamnet kerkes who had bruised his face , did thrust in his head with much cruelty , and said he hoped it might be good for him hereafter ; so in this condition they kept him three hours , and then released him , the man telling him which did release him , he must not have released him yet had he not a boy to put in . upon the th . day of the th . month , . peter leigh mayor , and many more , as justices , aldermen , & sheriffs , all of this city of chester , was then passing through the street towards the common-hall of the same city , to a customary feast they there hold yearly , and before them went blowing a company of pipers , which were ( as i was informed ) sent for from shrewsbury by peter leigh mayor , to play the day before , before him to a customary horse-race , holden yearly without the city-walls ; but this is certain , peter leigh mayor , put by one of their exercise-days , or days of worship , set up and allowed on according to his own principles , to follow these pipers to this horse-race ; such is his zeal for god now come to , which so long he hath made a large profession of . so they all as aforesaid went along the street , following the pipers , as men void of either fear towards god , or shame towards men . thomas yarwood seeing them , was moved to speak a few words in much tenderness and pitty towards them ; the sum of what he spake was onely this ; he exhorted them to mind in what true christianity stood , which was in true holiness , in the fear of the lord . and vviliam ince ( one of their justices ) said , he said well , and for saying well , the mayor commanded one of his officers to put him in the stocks , who was about to do it ; then the mayor thinking them to be too good a place for such an offence , sent word he must not be put in there , but into little-ease in the rock ; so there they put him , and kept him five hours ; he being a weak and sickly man , his knees were bruised very much , that of some vveeks he did not recover the hurt he got there for disturbing pipers ; for none can say wel , but such cursed fire-brands of hellas those are disturbed , and all that takes pleasure in them . upon the seventh day of the first month , . vvilliam simson was moved of the lord to come to this city of chester ; and being in a friends house , the burden of the lord did fall upon him concerning the market ; and waiting a while after he had felt the burden , there came in rich. sale , who did partake of the same burden with him ; so they both together went into the market , and declared through most of the market ; then rich. sale was taken up , and put into little-ease , the hole in the rock , where he was kept above five hours . in this time vvilliam simson had been declaring in the streets , and after that had been in the county-goal with some friends who were then prisoners for the truth , and was come from them , and was passing thorow the street , intending to have gone to a friends house , but as he passed , was took up by a constable , and brought before the mayor , who commanded him to be put into little-ease , rich. sale being released , and there was kept four hours . upon the th . day of the first month , . vvilliam simson was moved of the lord to go to a steeple-house called iohns , where he stood peaceably amongst them until the priest had done , and was coming forth of his high place , then did he utter these words , to wit , friend , wo to him that is covered with a covering , and not with my spirit , saith the lord ; which words were no sooner ended , but violent-hands were laid on him , and he haled forth ; then a constable took hold on him , and took him before peter leigh mayor , who asked the constable if he had spoken within time ; the constable said he had not ; then the mayors vvise took upon her the place of a magistrate , and asked the constable if the minister had said his prayer , he said he had ; but for all this the mayor commanded that vvilliams simson should be put into the stocks , in which place he declared the vvord of the lord in much power : the mayor seeing people gather about him ( or being thereof informed ) did send for him forth of the stocks , and commanded he should be put into little-ease in the rock , where he was kept some nine hours , and when he was released , was not suffered to come into the town , though it was late in the night-season ; such entertainment they give to strangers in the city of westchester . then the next day in the morning it lay heavy upon william simson to go to peter leigh mayor , to demand of him in much meekness , to shew him what law he had broken , telling him it was the magistrates place to convince him of the law he had broken , being he had suffered so much hardship under him the two foregoing dayes ; the mayor gave him no answer to that , but queried of him who sent him to this city : william answered , he was moved of the lord ; the mayor said , by what spirit ? he said , by the measure of his spirit which he hath manifested in me . the mayor said , it was by the spirit of the devil : there standing by thomas robbinson , one of the sheriffs of the city , who was stirred up with envy and cruelty to such a height , that he ( thomas robbinson ) did strike william simson over the face with such a violence , that the blood burst forth in the presence of peter leigh , mayor , and john taylor a constable , yet did the constable ( its like ) by the mayors order , pull him who had his blood drawn , forth off the shop , and took him , and put him into little-ease , who bled all-along the street , which is one of the longest streets in the city , and some more , and after he was put into the hole , to the great astonishment of the people , who many of them cryed out of them ( shame ) for using him so barbarously . now let any sober-minded man judge what a magistrate peter leigh is , and who he bears the sword for , and turns the edge against , when a man for demanding ( after he is punished ) to know that , which was the mayor or magistrates place and duty to have told him , before he had punished him , what law he had broken ; and yet instead of shewing him the law , suffered the law to be broken in spilling his blood , and the shedder of blood not punished , but punishes him whose blood was shed , as is declared . upon the same day after that william simson was released out of little-ease , as aforesaid , he went to a friends house where rich. sale was come , who that morning was moved to come five miles to that city ; so both being moved of the lord , went into the streets with much boldness , and declared against their deceit and cruelty , until a constable came and took them to the mayors house , who when they came there , were not admitted to come before him , but he sent word to the constable he should put them into prison , richard sale he put into little-ease , where he was kept four hours , and william simson he put into the city-goal , where he was kept seven days . thus saith the lord , i will make my people as signs and wonders in this wicked and adulterous generation , and they shall see it , yet they shall not believe , but trust in the imaginations of their own hearts , until they sink down into the pit . this is a true declaration of the manner of my being a sign in the city of chester , as i richard sale was moved of the lord ; and it i declare for the satisfaction of the innocent ; to remove all occasion of stumbling out of the minds of any which might lend an ear to the wicked one , to think or conceive that i was mad ; but what i did was in obedience to the lord , whose commands and ways are strange unto the children of darkness , and was and is a true sign of the state and condition that all men are in who are erred from the light , being in the dark night of apostacy . the manner is as followeth . vpon the . day of the week , being the th . of the first month , there being a monthly meeting of priests in the city , for they have a custom for every new moon to observe a day of worship ; so upon one of their new-moon-days i was commanded of the lord to be asign in the city , the burden of which i had born for the space of . weeks ; the command of the lord coming unto me upon the . . day of the . month , as i was passing along the east-gate-street with candles in my hand , it being the . d. of the week , the word of the lord came unto me , saying , return again , and light up one of thy candles , and carry it in thy hand into the streets of this gity , and say , behold ye despisers , and wonder , for the lord is working a work in this your day , though a man declare it unto you , yet you will not believe it . and they shall say unto thee again , what art thou mad to come with a light candle into the street at mid-day . and thou shalt say unto them again , what use is all your candle-light for now who are in the night of apostacy ? now the light of the son of god is come , which hath given his people an understanding to discern betwixt things that differ ; and the temple now is witnessed , which neither needeth the light of sun , moon , or candle , for the lord god and the lamb is the light thereof , and no more use it all your candle-light-worship for now , then my candle is in your streets at mid-day . so i having undergone the terrors of the lord for my disobedience , was now made willing by his power to do what i was commanded of him , being that he would not free me from the same . and on the third day aforesaid , i lighted up a candle , and went into the street , and was to have gone into the steeple-house amongst them at their new-moon-worship , but i was prevented by a rude multitude , and strucken by a professing woman , who hath strucken others of the lords messengers , and slat dirt in the faces of some of them , and yet by the priests in this city , and other professors , is accounted a religious woman , ( her name is kathern hinde ) and my candle was pulled forth of my hand , and i ill abused ; but i declared the word of the lord in much power , until i was taken up by the sword-bearer , and delivered to a constable to be brought into prison , where i was kept about a week ; the same corrupt will which imprisoned me , sent for me forth , i neither being convinced , accused , nor examined what law i had broken , but turned me out privily , whose actions would not abide the light to discover them . from him who is a sufferer for the testimony of the truth , richard sale . now while rich. sale and william simson were in prison , as aforesaid , they sent two several letters to peter leigh mayor , to put him in mind of his unjust dealing with them , but the bearers of both he caused to be put into little-ease for many hours , though neither of them knew what was written in the letters , having not heard them read over . upon the next third day of the vveek after vvilliam simson was released forth of prison , he was moved of the lord to go into a steeple-house in the city , where many people were assembled , where he stood peaceably among them until the priest had done ; then another priest stept up , and desired the people to stay the ordinance of baptism , which was the sprinkling of an infant , in which discourse he laboured to confirm that to be an ordinance of god , and the child thereby made a member of a visible church : vvhen he had done this discourse , vvilliam simson desired priest nab in moderation to clear those things by scripture , to wit , that the church of god is visible , and sprinkling of infants is an ordinance of god ; but no answer could he get from him , but was ill beaten by the people , and thrust forth of the doors ; then the priest came forth , and passed by him ; he desired the same thing of him , that so the people might be satisfied ; but he would not answer , but the hireling fled because he was an hireling , and went into an house ; then vvilliam simson spake a few words to the people in the street , but a man shortly took hold on him , and put him into little-ease , the hole in the rock , where he was kept eight hours , or thereabout . upon the third day of the fourth month , . edward morgan being peaceably at his outward imployment , there then came joh. fletcher , who was il drunken , & a notorious common drunkard known to be all the city over ; this fletcher came and called edw. morgan cuckold , and his vvife a vvhore in the presence of many people , and railed so on edw. that he could not in quiet follow his imployment ; then at last edward went to peter leigh mayor , and informed him thereof , and told him he was now at his shop ill drunk ; the mayor said to edward , will you swear he is drunk ? he said , nay , what need i to swear when the man is to be seen ? said the mayor , i will order you both , and called for a constable , and called edward morgan a perjured fellow , for his unreverent coming before him , and straightway sent him into little-ease for no other cause then as is said , for complaining of a drunkard who had abused him , but the drunkard was not at that time questioned . many being sensible how it was , and saw edward punished , and the drunkard go free , cryed out against it ; and their cry coming to the mayors ear , three dayes after he sent for the drunkard , and sent him to prison until he had drunk a pot or two of strong drink , and then released him , little-ease being too course a place for a drunkard . and now let all honest hearted people judge if ever the like thing was done by any christian magistrate , as he professeth himself to be , yea , or by heathen magistrate either , that a drunkard should go free , and he that was abused by him , and made complaint against him , should be punished because in conscience he could not doss his hat when he made his complaint . he that justifieth the wicked , and condemneth the just , even they both are abomination to the lord . edmond ogden coming to a meeting of the people of god in chester city one first day , and another man came with him of cains generation , into the town , and was with him when the constable took edmond up , yet they suffered the other man to go , and took edmond ogden before peter leigh mayor , who committed him to the stocks , where he sate about half an hour , and then taken and put into little-ease four hours , or thereabout . upon the th . of the month , . it being the . day of the vveek , richard sale was moved of the lord to come to chester city , and to go into pepper-street , where he found it his place to abide , and there fate down , and within a short space after there were carryed forth a dead corps out of richard golbornes house , and two priests going before it ; and as they passed by him , he was moved to charge them in the name of the living god to make good their practice by plain scripture , and shew by it where ever any of the apostles or holy men of god preached any funeral-sermons ; but they returnd him no answer ; then he was made to declare against them and their practice , they being found out of the doctrine of christ , and practice of the holy men of god : then there following after them a company of proud ungodly ones , he was made to cry out from the burthen of the lord , against their pride , covetousnesse , violence , and oppression , which many of them lived in ; and was made to declare that all their worship and sacrifices offered up in that nature they lived in , was but as a smoke in the lords nose all the day long : then one ionathan goldson being more cruel then all the rest , though one of the chief pillars of the pharisaical church , came out of the company in great rage , and laid violent hands on him , calling him rogue and giving him many more unsavoury speeches , holding his hand up many times , as if he would have strucken him , and gnashed upon him with his teeth , and took him to a constable , and he brought him before peter leigh mayor , & he ordered him to be put into little-ease , who did with much cruelty , where his body endured the strength of four men before they could get the door to lock ; in which cruel place they kept him four hours , neither his friends nor others being admitted to come to him ; but by the power of the living and unchangeable god , he was preserved without pain , declaring his word in much power , to the confounding of all gain-sayers . then when he was released , the constable offered to take hold on him , thinking he was unable to stand ; but he denied his help , and was made in the power of god to go as well as before , though his knees were all bruised , and did swell ; and then the constable charged him to go home , and trouble the city no more ; but he refused his charge , and passed into the city again , where he staid all night . then the day following he was moved to go to peter leigh mayor to demand what law he had broken , and told him it was the magistrates place to convince the transgressor if a transgressor , what law he had broken , and then to punish him according to the transgression committed , but the mayor called for a constable , and said he was not subject to authority , or words to that effect ; he said to him , if thou wert a magistrate of the law of god , or any law or statute in this nation , i could own thee in thy place , but thou art a magistrate of neither , but of thy own corrupt will , and the hands of the wicked are strengthened by thee : then the constable came , the mayor gave him order to bring him out of the town from constable to constable , ( as the constable told him ) so out of the city he was brought by two constables , but after them he passed into the city again , in at the same gate he was brought forth at , and passed by the mayors shop , and went to a friends house . then the latter part of the same day rich. sale was passing neer newgate in the same city , and there meeting him ionathan goldson , who as he passed by him said , friend i exhort thee to repentance for the wrong thou didst me the other day , ionathan having a ruler in his hand offered to strike r. sale , and said , sirrah hold thy tongue , or i will make thee thou rogue ; rich. asked him if such words as these proceeded from a christian conversation , yea or nay ? but he said , sirrah , if thou wilt not hold thy tongue , i will put thee into this lake , there being by a dirty lake ; with that ionathan did thrust rich. violently from him , then rich. declared the woes of the living god against him , and all who were of the like profession with him ; then with another thrust ion. gave him , his hat fell off his head into the lake ; then richard going to take up his hat , ionathan struck at one of his legs , thinking thereby to have laid him along in the lake , but it was ordered he kept his feet , and when he was through the lake , he was made to stand still to be a witnesse for god and against him , it being from the lord cleared to him , that the fruit of his ungodly profession must farther be manifested ; so rich. standing on the other side of the lake as is said , the hypocrite ran for stones , and flang them into the lake to plash him , and with him came two or three boyes , who were hewing stones for him ; so he and the boys joined together , and were made brethren in iniquity , and set up laughters , and made a great hubub and stir , and plashed him so with the dirty lake water , that the fore part of his body was wet from the head to the feet ; but in all this time r. sale was made to stand still , and bade the people that saw his usage , take notice if any such actions as these ever proceeded from a christian conversation ; telling them , that they that were publicanes and harlots were neerer the kingdom of god then he ; then ionathan goldsons wife ran behind rich. sale , and took up clods of dirt , and flang them at his bare head , sometimes hitting him on the face ; insomuch that he was exceedingly besmeared with dirt ; all this while he was made to stand still not offering any violence : then in the sight of many people ionathan his wife did take up dunghill durt in her hands , daubing it upon his face and mouth , as if a man had been daubing a clay wall , so that his head , face , shoulders , and hands were all besmeared with her most barbarous usage of him , and in this condition he was moved to go thorow the streets , and up to the mayors shop , and informed him who they were that had used him so , and the cause for what they did it ; not that he desired any revenge on them , knowing his revenger liveth , but to try if he would be partial in respecting persons in judgement , and likewise in the city to lay open the truth of their ungodly profession ; then the mayor did appoint him to come the next day , when he and the rest of his council were met in the pentice ; so he came away , and declared down the streets in much power , and when he had cleared his conscience he went to a friends house , and in some measure made him clean , and then returned forth of the town to his own house . the next day as peter leigh mayor appointed him , he came to the pentice , and spake to the sword-bearer to go and acquaint the mayor , that according to his appointment the day before he was come , and ask him if i must come to him , the sword bearer brought him word again from the mayor , he must not come to him unlesse he had witnesses to swear , so r. sale staid in the outward pentice till the mayor came forth , and then said unto him , friend , i am come according to thy appointment , to wait for justice and judgment , but the mayor bade him either bring in his witnesses upon oath , or else he said he could do nothing ; this the mayor said though he himself were an eyewitness how he was used ; now this mayor must have witnesses to swear , or he cannot lawfully proceed to punish them that transgresseth the law ; then i would fain know by what law he hath acted , and leave it to any sober man to judge , when he hath judged and commanded soar and grievous punishments to be inflicted , when neither he hath convinced them of any law they have broken , neither any accused them , neither he himself examined them , nor never required any to swear against them , and yet tortured , imprisoned , and banished them , but now to do justice against any that hath evilly entreated , and shamefully abused the innocent , and harmless people of god , he cannot by no means unless witnesses be sworn , though as is said , he saw how shamefully he was used himself ; but the lord god liveth before whom he shall answer for these things , and true judgment shall pass against him , and none be required to swear , ( but to proceed ) the mayor went into the steeple house to a lecture sermon as they called it , the righteous spirit being grieved in rich sale , he was made to stay untill they had done their worship , and when the priest came forth he said , behold ye priests the fruits of your ministery , how that i had like to have been murdered in the streets by a professing man and his wife of your church : but wo to you that build up sion with blood , and ierusalem with iniquity , for the dreadful hand of the living god is stretched forth against you : then he was violently pulled down from the place where he stood , and halled away ; then as he went he informed the people how the mayor had appointed him to come for justice , but when he came was denyed of the same , because he would not bring people to swear ; therefore is justice perverted by him , and judgment turned backward , for instead of doing him justice , the mayor sent him into little ease , the hole in the rock , by two officers , but they seeing it could not be locked , but judged it would either bruise his face or limbs , they being not so cruel as some others , took him forth again , & put him into the city gaol , where he remained above hours , & then came a constable with another man and took him forth of prison , and brought him into little ease again ; but they likewise found it such a cruell place , it could not be locked unless as they beleeved they must lame him , they only reared a block of wood to the door , and said they would go to the mayor , and inform him , that if he would have any put in there that was in mans stature , the place must be made bigger unless he would lame them , so in that place he was kept five hours ; and when he was let forth he was charged straitly to keep him forth of the city ; but the next day he came to the city again , notwithstanding all the threats of his enemies . vpon the th day of the . month . rich. iones was coming to a meeting of saints in chester city , and was by a constable taken up , and his horse taken from him , and he let go : then when the meeting was broken up he went to look after his horse , and with him went edmund ogden , the constable took them before the mayor and iohn ratcliff recorder ; who asked them many vain questions , but in the end committed them both to prison , where they were kept untill the next day in the evening , and then released . vpon the . day . month . richard scostrip coming to this city was moved to exhort people in the street to repentance , and was then taken up and brought before peter leigh mayor , who asked him from whence he came , he told him from yorkshire ; then the mayor asked him if he knew in whose presence he was , he told him yea , he was in the presence of the lord ; he said , i will teach you to know you are before a magistrate , and straitway sent him into little ease in the rock , where he was kept about two hours . then the next day rich. scostrip was moved to reprove sin in the gate , when he had said what he had given him to say , he went his way with an intention to depart out of the town , he being clear of the same , and was gone as far as the gate of the city , but was fetched again by a constable , and put into the house of correction , who gave the man that kept the house strait orders to keep him to hard labour , where he was kept part of four days , and then released , and not at all called before any magistrate , neither when he was committed to prison , nor when he was taken forth of prison : such are their laws in this city . upon the th . day of the th . month , . i anthony hutchins did then send a true declaration of some of the innocent sufferings of the saints in chester , to peter leigh mayor , by the hands of iohn owen , the mayor sent him into the house of correction , and kept him two days . upon the seventeenth day of the eighth month , . there was at peters steeplehouse in chester , a sermon , ( as it s usually called ) to the hearing of which many people did assemble themselves , and the more , in regard this was the day that they in the city made choice and elected new officers , as mayors , sheriffs , &c. and it being said to be a free place where any may come to hear , rich. sale came in amongst the rest , and stood as peaceably , and gave as good heed to what was there said , as any there did , and against what was spoken , did not utter a word ; yet notwithstanding a man came to him , and by violence pulled him forth , and put him into the house of correction , who at the end of three dayes was released by the command of richard minshal , who was newly elected mayor . now observe , for not going to their assemblies we are by them reproached , and accounted as hereticks , then if any of us go , and take that liberty which the true church allowed , cor. . . , , . then are we cast into prison as breakers of the law , and disturbers of their ministers ; then will they say , cannot you come and be quiet , and take what you like , and let the rest alone ; and let our ministers alone and you need not be thus imprisoned ; and now richard sale came , as is said , and stood as civilly as any did , and neither spoke against their minister as they call him , nor any other , and yet ( as is said ) was not suffered to stay , not only so , but sent to prison . now whether these proceedings be lawful and honest , i leave it to the reader to judge . there hath been much more sufferings of the innocent people of god ( the saints ) in this city of westchester , which is not here mentioned , these being , sufficient to shew what fruits the proud , covetous , hireling-priests have brought forth in the same . and now i shall give you a true description of this little-ease , or hole in the rock , so often in this book spoken of , which peter leigh mayor hath made the executioner of his cruelty , madness and folly , against the innocent and harmless people of god . surely the wrath of man shall praise the ; the remainder of wrath shall thou restrain . it is a hole hewed into the rock , the bredth and cross from side to side , is . inches from the back to the inside of the great door , at the top , . inches ; at the shoulders . inches ▪ at the brest . inches and an half ; from the top to the bottom , one yeard and half ; now to take in the height of that as their malice puts them on , they have draw-boards which shoot over crosse into the two sides , to a yeard height , or thereabout . now let any sober-minded man in this nation judge if such inventions as these were ever invented by any that feared god , to torture their fellow-creatures in , for not putting off the hat , or speaking to a priest in the street sound and sober words , or for desiring to have the law shewed them they have broken , when they have endured much punishment , and have not known for what ; and instead of shewing them the law , themselves have broken the law in drawing their blood , and put them into this hole when they have done ; or for disturbing pipers with saying wel ; or for calling for justice when their faces have been bruised ; or for exhorting people to repentance ; or for reproving sin in the gate ; or for delivering a meek and sober letter ; or for desiring a priest when he hath done , to clear what he hath said by scripture ; or for complaining of a drunkard ; or for passing quietly through the streets to a meeting , to wait upon the lord ; all which things before mentioned , which this is a short relation of , hath been done by the command of peter leigh mayor of the city of chester , and suffered by the innocent people of of god in this little-ease , or hole in the rock ; to the truth of which , lest any should doubt , as they might do if they were not witnessed to by some , they being such unheard-of cruelties as never were acted by any who profess themselvs to be christian magistrates , nay , nor by the worst of heathen magistrates that ever i read of ; and i being an eye-witness to most of them as they were executed upon the innocent , shall be ready ( if called thereunto ) to answer to the truth of them , anthony hutchins . you that be magistrates in the city of chester , who hath thus acted with prejudice against the people of god , and servants of god , you have turned your sword backwards against the just , and ye have not been a praise to them that do well , but your fruits and actions have been a shame to men that four god , & to modesty , & them that own true justice and equity ; you make men offenders for words , and you persecute them that reprove sin in the gate , and they is made a prey upon by you ; you have provided a torturing place , a squeezing pressing place , for such as declare truth amongst you ; you are become rebels against the truth ; truth is fallen in the streets , and equity cannot enter , the door to that is shut ; ye become abominable amongst men , your doings the lord hath taken notice of : ye are boisterous and perverse , yea , envious in the persecution of the lords servants , and the lords presence hath been amongst them in all their sufferings , yea in the greatest of your cruelty : can you be proud , and boast when you have done , that you would have all to see your peevishness , the beholders by , that ye may be upon record brought . doth not your fruits and actions before mentioned , dishonor the place of a magistrate ? we number not the just with the wicked , nor the godly with the profane , but put a difference . what have you gotten by all your actions ? but shewed forth your spirits , whereby they are tryed not to be the spirit of christ nor the apostles , who saith , love your enemies , but you persecute your friends ; the lord forgive your persecutions , persecutors were ever blind , you have manifested the end of your religion in this the day of the lord , and the fruits of your teachers , and the end of your profession , and the order and government of your church and ministry , as before-mentioned declares , besides all the abuses the people of god ( the saints ) have had in their meetings , which was never rebuked by the magistrates . george fox . upon the . day of the th . month , . i sent a copy of all these things before-written , save only some which have been acted against the innocent since , and likewise some things which were acted before , which was not then in remembrance , which is added in this to peter leigh mayor of chester city . the direction that i writ in the beginning , was to this effect , that if he , or any other who was therein concerned , could object against the truth of any thing therein written , they might do it before i went on with what i intended , wch intent of mine was to print the book , though at that time i denied to certifie them so much ; but the bearer thereof peter i eigh mayor sent into little-ease in the rock , but i heard nothing from them until the eighth day of the . month , and then the mayor sent for me up to the pentice by two constables , and when i came in before them , i found peter leigh , mayor ; john ratliffe , recorder ; edward bradshaw , justice of peace , the two sheriffs , and many more then present ; the mayor asked me if i had seen that book , it lying before them , which was the same i sent him , as aforesaid ; i said i had . he asked me if i wrote that name at the latter end thereof , which was my own name . i said i did not ; but i told him i had gotten it written fair over after one that i had writ . then he said , do you own it ? i said i did . he asked me if i read it over . i said i had . then he gave me many threatning words . then i asked them whether committed the greater evil , they that act cruelty , or they that write down cruelty when acted by another ? the recorder said , who must judge of that ? i said , let that of god in your own consciences judge whether committeth the greater offence . the recorder said , many a one hath had their ears nailed to the pillory for a lesse offence . i said , if he deserved to have his ears nailed to the pillory that writ these things down , what did they deserve that acted them ? then they gave me threatning words . i told them i desired no favor from them , but that i might have fair plea in the face of a court ; and if i had transgressed the law , i was willing to suffer by it . likewise i told them , i judged it not equal they themselves should be judges in their own cause . one of them said they would not , twelve men should judge it ; but the recorder said twenty four men should judge it . then the mayor said i was a railing fellow . i turned to the people , and asked if any of them heard me rail since i came , he said i did in the book . i told him if i should say such words to them as paul said to elimus , they then would say i railed , though truth might be written , and names and titles might be given to men answerable to their actions , as paul said to elimus , whose name was elimus , yet paul called him a child of the devil , and an enemy to all righteousnesse ; but i said , i had used no such words to them . the recorder said paul might say , so to elimus , who was a sorcerer i said all the priests in england which preach for hire , and divine for money , are sorcerers , for thereby the right ways of the lord comes to be perverted . the recorder said i must not judge them : i said , their practice judged them . then i charged them concerning their hard usuage of my friends in that little-ease , or hole in the rock : and asked them , where they ever read of such a prison as that wch bruised mens bodies in such a cruel manner , & told them the law hath so much respect to men ( though transgressors of the same ) as to provide large prisons to secure their bodies in , and not such holes as these to presse and bruise them in , or words to this effect . i told them i could see drunkards and swearers passe up and down the streets , but i heard of none of them that was put into that place . the mayor told me if i saw such things , i might come and inform him thereof , and then see if he did punish them : i said , so i might get the same reward which edward morgan got , who came and complained to thee of a man that was ill drunk , and had ill abused him too , and thou caused him to be put into little-ease , and suffered the drunkard and quarreller to passe unpunished . many more questions and answers passed betwixt us , which i omit to make mention of here ; but ( to be short ) they put me to this issue , either to put in sureties to appear before them the next quarter sessions holden for , and in the city , or to go to prison ; but to put in sureties i refused , knowing my self to be clear from the breach of any law , and they themselves to be guilty , according as it 's written in the foregoing relation : so into the common gaol for the city i was brought upon the eighth day of the seventh month , . i demanded a copy of my mittimus , and used all the means i could , which stood in my freedom , but could get none , though the recorder said i should have one . so when i had been in prison about four weeks , the general sessions at this city for the county was holden ; so my body was by a habeus corpus removed out of the city goul to answer the law before the judges for the county , and before them i was brought upon the nineth day of the eighth month , after i had lain in prison ( as is said ) ● . days : so coming before the judges , as is said , they demanded of the recorder the causes of my imprisonment ; so the mittimus by which i suffered , was read in the court ; the substance contained therein , was , that i had writ a book of libels , wherein i reproached peter leigh esq ( for so it was written ) and other magistrates and ministers in the city of chester . to which i make this short answer , libels are things which are scattered , and not owned , which are full of lyes and scoffs , and their whole intention is to reproach and revile them they are directed against ; now so far as i know , things written and scattered upon this account , are libels : now this i sent to peter leigh mayor , cannot have any colour to be called a libel , for i writ my name to it when i sent it , and likewise i had not fea●●●red any of them at all , when i sent that to him , i owned it before them all , as is said in my examination , i put them to it to disprove any thing i had written , if they could , which was the ground i sent it to them for , that if they would object against it , they might , before i went on with what i now have accomplished , but they did not convince me of any thing i had written , to be false , neither could they ; besides my intent therein was neither to reproach nor revile them , or any one of them ; for i writ nothing therein but the truth , and the truth never reproached or reviled any man ; for if any act those things that are not just , and of a good report , or hath used violence , or acted cruelty against any man , and the truth of these things be written down , and published abroad , and they who have thus acted , come thereby to be reproached , he that writes down the truth brings not the reproach , but he that doth the thing which is not right , brings the reproach upon himself . but to proceed , my mittimus being read , the judge asked the recorder if he could prove against me any matter of fact ; he said , a deal , but not any thing which could prove any such a thing against me as matter of fact . the judge spake a great deal to shew him wherein i was wronged , and then did release me , and set me free : so when i was cleared , before i went from the bar i spoke to the recorder in the hearing of the judges and the whole court , these words , viz. i would have the recorder before you all ( if he can ) to disprove any one thing i have written ; but before them all ( as is said ) he was silent , and could not : so to the whole court it plainly appeared i was wrongfully imprisoned . righteousness exalteth a nation , but sin is a reproach to any people . anthony hutchins . a relation of the sufferings of friends in cheshire , because that for con science-sake they could not pay tythes and other things ; and where any thing hath been returned back , is mentioned , as i have bad knowledge . great budworth parish , ephraim elcock priest . thomas buckley for tythes of the value of . s. had a horse taken from him for the use of the said priest , worth . l. as the men of the world judged . george veakin for the value of . d. ob . which he claimed for smoke-penny , and easter reckoning , had one brass pot taken from him worth . s. and likewise the said geo. veakin for the value of . d. which they demanded for two years payment to their priest , according as they in their wills had sessed him , tool from him work-tools ( being a wheel-wright by trade ) worth . s. runkorn parish , william finmore priest . henry burtonwood for tythe of the value of . s. had taken from him one cow worth . l. . s. . d. for the use of the said priest abovesaid . and at another time henry burtonwood for tythe-corn of the value of . l. s. . d. had taken from him 〈◊〉 cows and one heiser stirk , which were sold for about . l. for the use of priest finmore abovesaid . john burtonwood for tythe wool and lamb of the value of . s. . d. had taken from him two yong beasts , which they sold for . l. . s. thomas boulton , for tythe-corn of the value of . s. had taken from him corn worth five pound , for the use of henry brooks . sisly cleaton had taken from her one warming-pan worth . s. for tythe-flax , and she had none , being sued at law , and cast by a false oath for the use of coll. brook . widow royle for tythe-corn of the value . l. . s. had taken from her one cow worth . l. . s. for the use of coll. hen. brooks . and likewise taken from her one load of beans , nothing being demanded ; and likewise she had one bed hilling taken for tythe too , for coll. brook . frodsam parish . widow millner for tythe-corn of the value of . l. . s. had taken from her one mare and one cow , worth . l. . s. & likewise for tythe-oats of the value of . s. had taken from her one colt worth . l. besides she lay in prison . weeks for the same thing , for the use of earl rivers . thomas hill for tythe-corn of the value of . l . s. and for which he suffered . weeks imprisonment had taken from him five load of wheat out of his field worth five pound for the use of earl rivers . james brown for tythe-corn of the value of . l. . s. had goods taken from him worth . l. . s. . d. by valuation , for the use of earl rivers . william sarret for tythe-corn of the value of . l. . s. . d. had goods taken from him worth . l. . s. besides the said william sarret was imprisoned for the same thing seven weeks . james brown for tythe of the value of s. . d. according unto their own valuation , had taken from him one yoke of oxen worth . l. wilinslow parish . iohn brereton priest . thomas ianney for tythe-corn of the value of . s. . d. had taken from him one mare , out of which they took trebble damage , and returned the remainder back for the priest abovesaid . thomas janney for tythe-corn of the value of s. d. had taken from him for the said priest , two young cows better worth then . l. thomas ianney again for tythe-corn of the value of l . s. valued by the abovesaid priests servants , had taken from him by justice writs one yong horse worth l which makes up his three years suffering ; and now for this year . the priest hath gotten an order for trebble damage from two justices , by whose writs all hath been done abovesaid against tho. ianney . thomas pots for tythe-corn valued by the abovesaid priests servants to . l. . s. d. had taken from him by justice writs two heifers which they sold for . l. s. john worthington for tythe-corn of the value of . l. . s. had taken from him by justice writs , one mare , and one young horse , which were thought to be worth . l. for the use of the said priest . richard burgges for tythe-corn of the value of . s. by the priests servants , had taken from him by justice-writs , two kine worth l. richard burgges for tythe-corn valued by the priests servants to . s. had taken from him one yong heifer worth l. s. d. lawrence pearson for tythe of the value of s. had taken from him one horse worth l. anne ianney of handford , for tythe of the value of s. had taken from her one cow and one heifer , which were thought to be worth . l. taken by one robert finy a constable , who denyed to shew any order from any in authority to do the same ; most of this crueity hath been done by writs from two justices , viz. thomas standley , and thomas brereton , being servants to this priests lusts . mobberley parish , robert barlow priest . thomas heald for tythe-corn of the value of s. d . valued by the priests man , had taken from him one heifer , which was thought to be worth l. s. . d. hugh strettle for tythe-corn of the value of s. d. had taken from him by two justice writs , two sacks of oats worth l. s. and the constable of the town being troubled at it , asked the priest how he took so much , seeing he professed not to take trebble damage of any : the priest answered , that it cost him so much in justices dinners , and their men , and for warrants , and for a judgement : so this scripture is fulfilled , the heads judge for reward , and the priests teach for hire , and the prophets thereof divine for money , yet will lean upon the lord . and so this is the measure the people of god receive of both magistrates , priests , and their people , until the lord arise and plead the cause of the innocent against him that is too mighty for him . clarks wages , and repair of steeplehouses . thomas buckley had taken from him a brass pot worth . s. because he could not pay s. d. to the repair of a steeple-house . thomas buckley had taken from him a . measures of oats worth l. s. d. because he could not for conscience sake pay the clarks , and to the repairing of the steeplehouse , being their demand , was s. at peever . henry burtonwood had taken from him goods worth s. because he could not pay s. to the repair of the steeple-house at runkorn . henry burttonwood likewise at another time had goods taken from him being four pewter-dishes , because he could not pay s d. to the repaire of the abovesaid steeple-house . elli● boulton had taken from her four pewter-dishes , and a pewter bowle , and one pot , and one candlestick , worth the sum of l. s. because she could not pay s. for the repair of the steeplehouse at runkorn . widow royle had taken from her one brass pan , and one pot , and a dripping-pan , worth l. s. because she could not pay to repair the steeplehouse at runkorn . james brown had taken from him one double flaggon , and a plow-chain worth s because he could not pay s. for the repair of the steeplehouse at frodsham . thomas hill had taken from him one pot worth s. because he could not pay s. for the repair of a steeplehouse at frodsham : and likewise at another time taken from him one pot worth s. because he could not pay s. for the repair of the steeplehouse abovesaid . william sarret had taken from him one pot worth s. because he could not pay s. d. for the repair of the steeplehouse at frodsham . iohn burtonwood had taken from him one skellet worth s. because he could not pay s. for the repair of a steeplehouse . thomas ianney had taken from him one pewter dish which cost s. because he could not pay d. to the repair of an idols temple at wilinslow . thomas janney because he could not pay to the repair of a bell , and repair of a steeplehouse , had taken from him four joynt-stools worth s. d. thomas pots had taken from him one brass pot and a skimmer worth s. although he was free to pay all they demanded of him but d. thomas another time had taken from him one coat , which they sold for l. because he could not pay s d. to the repair of the steeplehouse at willinslow . john worthington had taken from him by justice vvrits , one brass pan , and two pewter dishes worth l. because he could not pay s to the repair of the steeplehouse at willinslow . john worthington had taken from him one pair of cart vvheels bound with iron , because he could not pay s. to the repair of a steeplehouse at wilinslow . richard burges had taken from him one brass pan worth s. because he could not pay s. for the repair of a steeple-house at wilinslow . at another time richard burges had taken from him a gun which cost s. because he could not pay s. to repair the steeplehouse abovesaid . robert millner had taken from him three pewter dishes worth s. because he could not pay s. to the repair of the steeplehouse abovesaid at another time from robert millner one gun worth s. because he could not pay s. for the repair of the steeple-house . robert pearson and his son taken from them two pewter dishes worth s. d. because they could not pay s d. for the use abovesaid . james harrison had his coat taken from him because he could not pay s. d. which upon their account was due for another man to pay for the repair of the steeplehouse at vvilimslow . robert pearson and his son had taken from them one brass pan worth s : because they could not pay s : d : to the use abovesaid : john falkener because he could not pay to the repair of the steeplehouse at vvilinslow , had goods taken from him worth s : d : for s : d : thom●● lieuzley had taken from him one pot worth s : because he could not pay s : to the repair of the steeple-house at runkorn : concerning swearing . thomas leuzley because he could not swear , had a cow taken from him worth l : s : besides , suffered six vveeks and five dayes imprisonment for the same thing : and likewise seven of these friends above mentioned , to wit , john vvorthington , thomas janney , thomas pots , richard burge● , robert millner , james harrison , edward alcock , suffered the spoyling of their goods to the value of a l : s : d : for but passing to a meeting so far as their own vvarrant expressed , but two full miles distant from their habitations : and this was done by an order from two justices , edward hide , thomas standley , and it hath been often laid before the justices at several sessions ; but still they pervert justice : tho : burrowes in the parish of budworth , for tythe of the value of l : s : had taken from him one heifer worth l : s : so by their fruits you may know them , ( as christ said ) and their folly ( yea rather their abounding wickedness ) begins now to be made manifest unto all men , and the testimony of truth will shortly be fulfilled upon them , which hath been declared against them ; as a troop of robbers wait for a man , so a company of priests murther in the way by consent , hos. : : and they spoile mens goods , and punish mens persons , as men that are without mercy , which have never learned of the father , to be merciful as he is merciful , but are more cruel then the heathens , or any that went before them , so that as the lord hath said , they will become a shame , and a perpetual reproach unto all generations shortly . the end . mistery babylon the mother of harlots discovered her rise, and when, with many of her sorceries, with her merchants of divers orders, and ranks, and merchandize of divers sorts this many hundred years, also her last merchants, with their delicate merchandise discovered : in answer to a book tituled the directory for the publick worship of god through england, scotland, and ireland, which now is the chief traffick her last reformed merchants trades with, in all these nations / published by f.h. howgill, francis, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing h ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) mistery babylon the mother of harlots discovered her rise, and when, with many of her sorceries, with her merchants of divers orders, and ranks, and merchandize of divers sorts this many hundred years, also her last merchants, with their delicate merchandise discovered : in answer to a book tituled the directory for the publick worship of god through england, scotland, and ireland, which now is the chief traffick her last reformed merchants trades with, in all these nations / published by f.h. howgill, francis, - . [ ], p. printed for thomas simmons ..., london : . written by francis howgil. cf. bm. reproduction of original in huntington library. eng westminster assembly ( - ) directory for the publique worship of god, throughout the three kingdomes of england, scotland, and ireland. a r (wing h ). civilwar no mistery babylon the mother of harlots discovered: her rise, and when, with many of her sorceries. vvith her merchants of divers orders, and howgill, francis d the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the d category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion mistery babylon the mother of harlots discovered : her rise , and when , with many of her sorceries . vvith her merchants of divers orders , and ranks , and merchandize of divers sorts this many hundred years . also her last merchants , with their delicate merchandise discovered ; in answer to a book tituled the directory for the publick worship of god through england , scotland , and ireland , which now is the chief traffick her last reformed merchants trades with , in all these nations . published by f. h. and the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her , for no man buyeth her merchandize any more , rev. . . and every ship-master , and all the company in ships and sailers , and as many as trade by sea stood a far off , and they cast dust on their heads , and cryed , weeping and wailing , saying , alas , alas , that great city wherein were made rich all that had ships on the sea , for in one hour she is made desolate , rev. . . . london , printed for thomas simmons at the bull and mouth neer aldersgate . mystery babylon , &c. in the end of the primitive times , when the apostles had finished their testimony committed unto them , & had gathered many out of the world , and converted many unto god , and many were established in the faith of our lord jesus christ , ( which purifieth the heart and giveth victory over the world , ) and were led to the beginning , before the world was made , and the churches which were in god , which had received the anointing , by which they knew all things , even the invisible things of god , and the mysteries of his glorious kingdom , which god through the spirit did reveal unto them ; which spirit they had received , being begotten of god , by which spirit they called him father , and by which spirit of truth which was manifest from the ●od of truth in their hearts , by which spirit they were led into all truth , and became sons of god , and heirs of the promise , and this spirit was their direction , and led them to worship ●od aright , to obey and glorifie him , and his name which brought salvation unto them ; and into this spirit they were all baptised by the one spirit into one body , and in this one spirit they met and worshiped god , and were of one heart and of one mind , and did know their director near them , and in them , and the time did come when they worshipped neither at jerusalem , nor at samaria , but in the spirit , and in the truth , wherein the father was glorified , and came to see that fulfilled which the ●rophets bore witness of , even him in whom all the prophets ends in ; christ made manifest in them the hope of glory , whose voyce they heard from heaven , by which they were quickned & raised from death to life , by the effectual working of the mighty power of god , which wrought in them that did believe , and they were in the unity of the faith , by which all their hearts were purified who held it , which is a mystery held in a pure conscience , by which they received an assurance , and were made partakers of the promises , and became inheritors of life and light , and immortality , and heirs of the promise , and joynt-heirs with christ , and they sate together with him in heavenly places , and eat with him , and drank with him in the kingdom of god , which stood in power and in righteousness , joy , and peace , and did not look like the pharisees , loe here , or there , but first felt it ( as a grain of mustardseed ) in themselves , or as a corn of wheat which afterwards springs up as a blade , or as an ear of wheat to ripeness , to a full corn , and they did walk from faith to faith , from strength to strength , and did appear before god in sion , and the hebr●ws were come to mount sion , from whence god shined out in perfect beauty , who became their satisfaction , and peace , who had revealed his son in them , whom god had made unto them justification & sanctification & wisdom ; and so they knew one god , the father of our lord jesus christ , and one faith , one hope , one baptisme , the one spirit into which they were all baptised , into which they all did drink by which all that did believe were sanctified , and did receive the inheritance among the saints in light , and this was the church that was in god , which was begotten by god the father , and preserved in christ jesus , in the lively faith , and in the lively hope , by which their souls were anchored , & they established in the truth , that made free , and they had received the spirit of prophecy , and did speak one by one , according to the revelation of the spirit , ( which led out of confusion into order ) and they being in the power of god , did walk by its order , in the order of the gospel . and now was the woman cloathed with the sun , who had the crown of twelve stars upon her head , and the moon under her feet , who stood in that which was unchangeable and immutable , and now was the man-child brought forth which was to rule the nations , and was revealed to the church which was in god , and he was the head by which all the members of the body was united together in one , and reconciled to the father in one , and by his obedience , justification did come upon all that did believe . but since the woman fled into the wilderness , and the man-child was caught up unto god , the mid-night of darkness came upon the whole world , and the sincerity was lost , and the image of god lost , the heir caught up out of the worlds sight faith was lost , hope lost , the spirit lost , ( the saints rule and direction ) and then the whore appeared , and made all nations drunk with the wine of her fornication , and they staggered and reeled to and fro , hither and thither , having lost the spirit , became all waters , and unstable , and all the world wondered after the beast , which then arose after the primative times , and after the apostles daies , and admired him , and worsh●pped him , who killed the womans seed , and made war against it . and then the whore made decrees , who was gone from the law-giver , and she made confessions of faith , and articles of faith , being out of the power of god , who is the author of true faith , being guided by the power of the dragon , she made orders of worship , and gave directions for worship , having gotten on the free womans attire , the outside , the scriptures ▪ the form of godliness , but afterwards became more abominable , having both lost the power and the form , worshipped the devils power , and the dragons power , and came forth in the image of him , and reached out the cup of fornication , and made the nations drunk with her inchantments and sorceries , and she drunk the blood of the martyrs , the blood of the prophets , and them that kept the testimony of jesus , the spirit of prophecy , and then prescribed forms of worship , forms of prayer , and made creeds and faiths , and articles of faith , and many faiths ; having lost the order of the gospel , she made many orders , and sent out many merchants to carry abroad her traffique and her merchandize to the nations , and whole ships were filled full of it , vessels full of it , which went upon the sea , and road upon the waters , upon kindreds , tongues , nations , and peoples , who received of her merchandize , and bought of several sorts of merchandize which the several merchants traded with , who had several orders prescribed then , ( as popes , ●ardinals , jesuites , fryers of many orders , and monks of many orders , jesuites of many orders , and all these carryed their several wares & traffique , and many more tradesmen , many more merchants whom she sent out with her merchandize , who have been made rich by her merchandize , and other merchants were bishops , arch-bishops , deacons , arch-deacons , pryors , and covents , vicars , comissaries , chapters , chancellors , vice-chancellors , doctors of divinity , batchellors of divinity , doctors of art , masters of art , batchellors of art , priests and curats ) by which they were made rich , and abounded in treasure . and the beast whom all the world wondred after , compelled all to worship him , both small and great , upon which the whore rides , the scarlet-coloured beast which hath guarded all her merchants , and made all nations buy their ware , and hath compelled all people to buy the whores sorceries , even all the invented and heathenish trumperies which the whore hath patched up ; and their merchants painted over , which they have patched up , some from the jews , some from the heathen , some from the saints words mixt with their own imaginations , and deceit , and has holden forth these as the publick worship in the nations , and kindreds , tongues , and peoples , their many creeds , many confessions of the faith , many catechismes , and many forms of worship ; and when the people is weary of one sort of merchandize , then brings another in more deceitfull and worse , and the beast hath compelled the nations to buy it , and to hold it as the publick profession of the nations , though never so unsound and rotten , though damnable doctrines , and doctrines of devils , though invented , and heretical opinions , invented since the apostles dayes ; yet cryes the beast , the church hath ordained it , and the antient fathers has agreed upon it , and the councels has confirm'd it , and the devines has ratified it , and the bishops , and arch-bishops , and reverend fathers has confirmed it , and recommended it for orthodox and authentick . and therefore sayes the beast upon which the whore rides , ( the false church ) the mother of harlots , if you will not agree to it , you are hereticks , for the church has power to censure you , to excommunicate you , and to curse you , and to deliver you up to satan ; and then the beast having made laws for the sale of the whores sorceries , and for the guarding of her merchants , and their ships , if you consent not to the articles of the faith , and confessions , you break the law of the nations , and are not subject to authority ; and now you are not punished for religion sake , nor for christs sake , nor the gospels sake , but as evill-doers , and transgressors of the laws of our kingdom or nation : and thus the mother of harlots which got up since the apostacy , who hath drunk the blood of the saints , and shed the blood of the martyrs , and slain the witnesses , and hath put to many cruel deaths , she saith , i am clear , we kill none for conscience sake , we persecute none for the gospels sake , nor christs sake , nor for religions sake ; but you suffer as hereticks , and you have transgressed the law of kings , emperors , councels , and parliaments , and are enemies to states and governments , and rule , in breaking their wholsom laws cryes the harlot , who hath lost the savour ; and her merchants , which calls that which stinks and is corrupt , wholsome , and so saith the beast , we persecute you not for religion , neither in persons , liberties , or estates , but the church hath recommended this doctrine , these articles of faith , these creeds and pater-nosters , this publick worship , or that masse-book , or that common prayer-book , or this directory , and are not they the fittest to judge of religion , who hath the tongues , and the original ? and is fittest to give meanings and interpretations of the scripture ? and therefore we make a law , that the masse-book shall be holden out for the publick profession of these nations , as the pope , cardinals , jesuits , and fryers think fit , and that the common prayer-book be holden forth as the publick worship , which the bishops , arch-bishops , deacons , arch-deacons hath recommended unto us , as that which is consonant and agreeable to the primitive times , and to the church which hath been established so many hundred years , and whosoever will not consent and perform all the rites and ceremonies , let him be indicted , and let him be presented , and let him be cited to appear before a bishop , and let him imprison him , and fine him , and take away some of his estate , and excommunicate him , and then its fit that the secular power take notice of him for transgre●sing of their law , and pillory him , or cut off his ears , or stigmatize him , and banish him , and let his estate be confiscate to the king , or prince , against whom he hath transgressed , for he suffers as an evil-doer , and hath brought this upon himself , because he would not be subject to our church orders , and to the laudable customs of our nations or country . and saith some other of the whores merchants who are of another order distinct from the rest , and carries other sorts of ware , and traffiques with other sorts of merchandize , and some newer fashion , which is liker to bewitch people ; they cry out to the rulers of the earth to propagate their trading and their merchandize , and saith , it were fit that some doctors and orthodox men were called together to consider and consult about their trade , and what sort of ware or traffique will most bewitch people , and inchant their minds , that so her ships may go on the sea ; for if kindreds , tongues and people will not buy her ware ; her ships cannot go , and their trade will goe down ; if ever nations come to the rock , or people come to some stability , or know the precious treasure , and the heavenly treasure in the earthen vessels , they will buy no more of us ; if the sea be dried up that no more a gallant ship can passe thereon , nor never a gally with oars , then we shall all turn bankrupts , and then may we cry alas , alas , we that have been made rich are now become poor , therefore what doe we do ? let us take counsel together , and if any tell that they have obtained the heavenly treasure , and are come to the durable riches , and to the treasure that cankers not , and that they have found it in themselves , then let us cry out its heresie , and damnable doctrine ; and if any man shall say that they need no man to teach them , but the annointing that dwels in them , by which they know all things ; then let us give our vote with one consent , that , that 's a delusion , and let us frame arguments and say that that cannot be , you want hebrew greek , and latin , and the original , by which you should expound the scripture , and know the meaning of it , and therefore you to conclude that you have received the anointing is dangerous doctrine , let us pronounce this man as a heretick , for he wil infect people . and furthermore if any say that the lord is become his teacher , and he needs no man to teach him , but knows the lord to be his sheapheard , then let us cry out of this , as dangerous doctrine , and cry to the rest of the people ( that buyes yet our merchandise ) that he holds hereticall opinions , and d●spises the ministry , and the ordinances , and the doctrines of our reformed churches ; or if any say that the spirit of the lord is a sufficient teacher , to lead his people into all truth without outward means , as naturall learning , hebrew , greek , and latin , and the ancient fathers , and old authors , and so make void all our arts , and part , which is the foundation of our devinity , then let us cry in the ears of all the people , and in the ears of the rulers , and the powers of the earth , that this is blasphemy and error , and ought to be supprest . and furthermore , if any shall say that hee believes hee shall be made free from sinne in this life by the effectual working of christ ( the mighty power of god ) which condemns sin in the flesh , and destroyes the works of the devil , then let us cry heresie and blasphemy , and let us tell them that the holiest that ever was upon the earth sinned , and that the body of sin was un-cut down in them , and let us prove it by pauls words , he complained of a body ●f sin , and was never in any other condition while he lived upon the earth , and so it may be we shall keep them in blindness , that they will continue and trade with us ; and if any say they are come to the baptisme of the spirit , the one baptisme into which all the saints were baptized , in whom all other baptismes ends , and so being come to this , denies all the figures , and the baptisme of ●nfants , then let us cry out that they are sectaries , and denies the ordinance of god , infants baptisme , and let us give them some scripture , how that christ took up little children in his arms and blessed them , and how he bid his disciples go out into all nations , & baptize them in the name of the father , son , and holy ghost , and many be with an inference or two , or two or three consequences raised from this , and the like scriptures , we shall make their eye blind , that we shall put off this counterfeit ware yet a little while . and if any shall deny our church or chapel , and call it an idols temple ( which god never commanded to be built ) then let us bring some scriptures , how that god commanded a temple to be built at jerusalem , and how the jews had synagogues , and how god commanded store-houses to be built for gods service and worship , and it may be such a proof as this will satisfie them , that they will come to our shop another time , at the hour appointed for the sale of our wares , when the market-bell rings , and the wares are ready to be set out , and so by this means we may hold on our trade a while . and if any shall deny davids psalms to be sung in rhime and meeter , and with organs and pipes to be an ordinance of god in gospel-times ; then let us bring them some scriptures , and some fathers , & tell them in the church of corinth , that he that had a psalm might sing , and it may be , they will know no difference between a psalm which was given for●h by the spirit , and the psalm which is gotten by tradition from another ; and let us bring a proof out of revelation , that they that were redeemed from the earth played upon the harps , and sung a new song , and it may be they will not see no difference between them that are in the earth , and them that are redeemed from the earth , and so we may keep up this still as an ordinance invented by our mother , mystery babylon . and let this be agreed amongst us , now when many of us is assembled together , whose livelyhood and riches stands only in the merchandising of our mother church , that in whatsoever place we sayl to in our ships , if any be heard to say that the spirit of the lord ought to move first before any teacher , minister , or believer ought to pray , that so they may pray with the spirit , and in the spirit , in publick , and in private , whether with many or few , that so without the spirit none can be edified ; let us all agree to this , that it be voted down as an error , and let us do what in us lyes to prove from scripture , that set-forms of prayer is lawfull , and is an ordinance of god , and let us bring the lords-prayer , called by our mother-church the pater-noster , and see what that will do , and also hosea . . take with you words and turn to the lord , say unto him , take away our iniquity , and receive us graciously ; so with a deduction from these and the like scriptures , we may happily prove that a set-form of words invented by our church , ( or any of us that trades with her merchandize ) that this is an ordinance of god , and ought to be practised publickly and privately , and is accepted with god , although the people have not received the spirit as they had in the primative times ; and if this will not satisfie , then use some prevalent arguments , as our reverend brother , and fellow-merchant with us , mr. samuel boulton in the like case in hand used this forcible argument , though you cannot command the wind ( said he ) yet you may spread your sayles , and see what such an argument as this will do , but if they will not be content with this ( as it may be they will not in englan● , ●●otland , and ireland , holland , and some other parts , who are more quick-sighted than some other places where we merchandi●e ▪ if we cannot stand it out against them , that none can pray to god a right , but he that is come to the spirit , and knows by the signification of it what to ask , then let us grant them the thing , if we cannot help it , if common-prayer , forms of prayer will not go off as they use to do amongst our customers , then let us agree to them , ( but let that be the last shift ) that without faith , or the spirit it is impossible to be accepted or heard of god ; yet before this be granted , let us strive as much as in us lyes by forcible arguments from the scripture ( if so be that they will not allow the authority of antient fathers , nor of our ●annon-books ) how that there is a plat-form laid down in scripture , and the general heads of true prayer is laid down in an orthodox method in scriptures , that is to say , confession , petition , intercession , supplication , with giving of thanks , and if this will not stave them off from speaking so much of prayer by the spirit , and with understanding ( for it will be a grievous thing if we let this ordinance fall , of set-form of prayer , which our mother mystery-babylon hath allowed so many years , and ratified and confirmed in several great councels as niece , and latterar , and divers others ) and if nothing will serve them but prayer by the same spirit as was in the primative times ( before we lose them quite ) let us grant it them in words , that prayer by the spirit it is only acceptable . and reverend brethren , let us all agree not to be idle , but diligent , read the scriptures , and pack them up together , a deal of exhortations , reprehensions , admonitions , and prophecies , and read some old authors , as ireneus , ambro● , cyprea● , ierom , baz●l , austin , orige● , damizin , and it s not amiss if we take in luther and calvi● , memno , beza ; and some other late modern writers ; and so by much reading & meditation our affections will be whetted up and quickned , and those words which we read often will lodge in our memory , so that we shall be able to pray half an hour ex temp●re , or an hour and an half upon a fast-day ( for that 's the best traffi●ue that goes of such dayes as those ) without tautologies , or reiterations , and so though we pray several times , and in several places , as before kings , or councels , or a synod , or classis , merchants of our own order , yet by this means we shall be fitted for all places and times , to sute the business which we are about , and if any question the thing , let us say , we pray by the spirit as it gives us utterance ; but now this is the last and best of our merchandi●e , which is as gold & silver , & precious stone , & pearl ; if this will not go off , as upon the account of the spirit , or spiritual worship , or a spiritual ordinance , then there is little hope of driving any more trade , or getting any more sale , with these men , then let us cry to the magistrates , they are new-fangled & giddy-headed , and delights in novelties , and are erroneous schismaticks , and hereticks , and are factious and seditious , which if they be let alone , & not be timely checked & reproved , they will overthrow us merchants call'd ( by our selves ministers ) and not only us but also both church & common-wealth . and furthermore let us agree reverend brethren in unity and peace , and strive all with one consent to be funished with such merchandi●e as will sute with the countries and regions where we traffi●ue , as kings , princes , protectors , parliaments , and councels , noblemen , gentlemen , and also take in the common people ( if happily we can please them all ) because that by the last mentioned we receive many of our subsistance , yet if any of them do not like our merchandize , it is the least matter of them ; for then we have a king , a prince , a protector , or a parliament to appeal to , and if we can but satisfie them with merchandize upon petition , they will make us a law , and set a compass upon every one of our ships to ride in at sea , and they will command every parish to buy our merchandize , & if they will not buy it , at the worst ; compel them to give us our price , whether they receive our merch●ndize or not , or traffique or not , but if they will not ( having a law to guard us ) we can take it from them whether they will or no , & if at any time any seem obstinate , & refuses to pay us easter-reckonings , & midsummer-dues ▪ which may be comes to the value of d. or s. ) we can take a pot worth or s. or a pan or a kettle , and if they shall neglect to pay us a mortuary , which hath been an ordinance ordained by our mother mystery-babylon or hundred years ago or upwards , if they will seek to disannul such a laudable custom , then we can sue them for it in a county-court , and get or shillings dammage , and if any of the common people refuse to pay us our ●ythes , which belongs unto us , church-officers , which was given unto us by our mother , who sate upon the scarlet-coloured beast at the least hundred years ago , that if our tythe come to s. or l. we can go to a chapman or two , who resents our commodities , and they will give us a warrant for treble dammages , and then we shall get some bayliffs who are our church-members , and take away a yoke of oxen worth or pounds ; or a horse or cow worth ten or twelve pounds , and if the tythe come to or pound , then we can take five or six cows , and ascore of sheep , and half a score of swine , and thresh the corn out of his barn , and take it away , and take away the fether-beds , and curtains , court-cloaths , and blankets , rugs , sheets , kettles , brewing-furnace , or the rayment which the family wore ; and if we judge it too little to satisfie our insatiable desires , take pin-cushions , or if it be but half a cheese , as our reverend brother alexander bradley in the parish of elmstone in the county of ken● from robert minter of the same county and parish . and in thus doing there will be little loss or detrement to us ; and if any refuse to give us a tythe-cock of hay , or a shock of corn , ( having the power of the earth of our side ) we can pull down the hedges , and break open the gates , and fetch away a wain load or two , or as much as we think fit , as many of our reverend brethren of our order have lately done , which are good precedents to posterity that may come after us , and if any with whom we have traded ( who are neighbours ) do think much at us , we can call them hereticks , and say they are enemies to the church and commonwealth , therefore why do you pity them ? but reverend ●rethren , it is not with us now in the north regions of the world , as it hath been in time past , about two or three hundred years ago , neither as is it with the rest of our fellow-merchants in italy , rome , jerusalem , arabia , greece , portugal ▪ spain ▪ hungaria , france , and the rest of the regions where our mother sits as a queen , the people being all as asleep at midnight , any old , dark , rusty cankered ware will go off there at a good rate , and for ave maries , or pater-nosters , te deum , or a magnificat anima , or the like , or some other charm in an unknown tongue , or a story of st. damisen , or st. benedict about images , or a story of st. francis of his converting of wolves and bears ; or speaking an hour from some old fathers , and call it the word of god , and meddle not with the scripture at all ; for a story of the lady of lauretta , or the image of the virgin mary , and of what miracles they have wrought , which the members of the mother church believes for good doctrine , and receive these or the like , as crosses , crucifixes , pictures , beads and images , and such other like merchandizes of the baser sort , is all bought and received , without question , as merchandizes of great worth , and things belonging to happiness and felicity ; but alas ▪ 't is almost day , and the night is far spent , and the people in these nothern regions are come past midnight , some towards the dawning of the day , and they question our merchandize , and with some the night is quite over , and they are come to the day-break , and to the rising of the sun , and with these there is no hope of trading ( though with the best of all our commodities ) though with cinimon and odours , and oyntment , and frankincense , yet they will buy none of our ware , nor ther 's no hope of trading with them any more , for they are come to know the pearl which is more pretious than rubies , and the heavenly treasure that doth not rust , and the word which is sweeter than the honey and the honey comb , ther 's no hope of them ; but this is the misery , they will not be content with what they have found , but imparts it to others , and so begets a dislike in other peoples minds , to the best of all our merchandize . however , them that are gone from us , and denies our mother , and her golden cup , and denies all her merchants great and small , not onely them that trades in wood , and vessels , and brasse , and iron , but even them that trades with the best merchandize , as gold and silver , precious stones , and pearls , fine linen , purple , silk and scarlet ; however let us excommunicate them , and give them up to sathan , and let us call to the beast with his seven heads and ten horns , who is scarlet coloured , dreadful and terrible , and let us accuse them of heresie , schism and blasphemy , and call them seducers and deceivers , and false prophets , and let us brand them with names of reproach , as sectaries , and say they are seditious and rebellions and mutenous , and they are enemies to church and state , and all good government , peace-breakers , factious , and pestilent fellows , that brings all the nations into an uproar ; and if that will not do , le ts petition to kings , princes , dukes , parliaments , protectors and counsels that some speedy and effectual course may be taken for suppressing of these hereticks , and for stopping of these blasphemous doctrines , as that the steeple-house is not the church , and sprinckling of infants no ordinance of christ , and singing of psalms by tradition no part of the true worship of god , and it may be we shall get some law or act of parliament against them ; or call them vagabonds , and get them whipt abroad , and put in prisons , while we take away their oxen and goods at home , and so by this means it will stop others ( whom we traffique withal ) that they will not dare to hearken unto them ; for if they will not buy our wares and take our measures by a glasse , in love to it , yet because of fear of imprisonment or losse of their goods or estates , they will be constrained to trade with us . but alas , it is otherwise with us now then it was in queen maries dayes , when masse , mattens and even-songs professionings , ave-maries , creeds and pater-nosters took up most part of the time , and went off ●mongst people for spiritual worship at a good rate ; neither is it with us now , as it was in the days of bishop laud our great metropolitan , and the rest of our mothers merchants : then would common prayer translated out of the mass-book into the english , and creed , letany , pater noster , with a lor● have mercy upon us , or we beseech thee to hear us good lord , fourty times over in a quarter of an hour , with some of davids psalms turned into meeter , by hop●●ns and srer●hold masters of musick , sung with organs , with choristers , and boyes , with bowing to the altar , and such like merchandize , which then was precious in the eyes of our mothers children ; then whosoever would not be obedient to all the rites and ceremonies , then we branded them with the name of puritans and non-conformists , and haled them before sessions , courts and magistrates , cited them to appear before the bishops , served them up to the high-commission court , before the lords spiritual and temporal , [ falsely so called ] and there the flesh was gnawn to the bone , and ears cut off , stigmatizing and burning with irons , imprisonment and banishment : now as people came nearer the day they began to suspect all this , as not to be the spiritual worship of god , having no ground nor footing from the spirit of truth , nor example from the scripture , nor from the primitive churches , then them over whom our mother once reigned , began to question her whether she was the lambs wife , yea or nay ? and whether our predecessors and brethren were the messengers sent out by the true church , yea or nay ? and whether the ordinances and practises were the institution of christ and his apostles , yea or nay in the primitive times ? and the day dawning upon them , and the spirit came to be revealed , and did shine into their hearts , and they began to search the scriptures , and to compare the true church [ which was cloathed with the sun , and crowned with the crown of twelve stars ] with our mother , mystery babylon , and they began to compare the apostles and ministers in the primitive times with our predecessors babylons merchants , and also compared the institutions and ordinances which were delivered to the true church with the institutions , and rites and ceremonies , and inventions of our mother , mystery babylon ; and so they found all out by the ●evelation of the spirit , and by searching of the scriptures they found out the rise of our mother , after the woman was fled into the wildernesse , and that she sate not as a queen upon nations , kindreds , tongues and peoples , till after the woman did fly away upon the wings of an eagle into the wildernesse for a time , times and half a time , and likewise they found out that our predecessors and fellow-merchants were not like the ministers of christ in the primitive times , neither our doctrines and ordinances , like the ordinances and doctrines which were once delivered to the saints , before ever wee merchants set sail or floated in a ship on the sea ; and so finding our city to be raised up in its glory , since the glory of god was lost in the earth , and finding our queen , mystery babylon , ruling in our city since the lambs wife fled , and finding us merchants to receive her traffique from her city since the faith was lost that once was delivered to the saints , and did see our creeds and beliefs and pater-nosters , our prayers , and our hymns , that they are quite another thing , which was part of her traffique , they have concluded ( and that upon infallible grounds ) warranted by a cloud of witnesses in the prophets and apostles , that our mother is a whore , and her predecessors are her merchants , and that our ordinances are and traffique have been invented by some of our mothers children which are apostates , and they have found us out ; and now alas ! a ship will bee hardly able to ride any more upon the waters , nor the sea will hardly bear up our vessels any more , the nations , the kindreds , the tongues , and the peoples are almost dried up , especially in the north regions they will not buy our merchandize any more , our ships are like to stand still , and our merchandize is like to be all shipwrackt ; therefore let us take councel , least all the sea dry up , and we all sit down in solitarinesse , and our song be turned into woe worth the day , misery , and alas . therefore now it behoves us all , reverend brethren , who are of this last edition ( tything presbyters ) to deny our mother in her greatest fornication , and adultery , since she hath committed fornication with kings and nobles , and since all nations have drunk of her cup : but yet let us own her three or four hundred years after the ascention of christ , for then though she was inclining to adultery , and it lodged in her heart , yet it was not so openly known then , but only to a few , and then she held part of the form of godliness , and had part of the true churches attire and ornaments on the outside , and so let us all agree to stick close to her hear , and vindi●ate her then , and her merchandize the form of godliness , for if this traffi●ue will not go off , we are at an end , for either this must serve in the north regions of the world , or we must pull down our sayles , and let our ships stand still on dry land ; let us put on resolution , there is some hope that this may serve a while , for that our mother was a true church hundred years after christ , hardly any in this will gain-say us , and let us deny all the popes , cardinals , legates , fryers , monks , jesuites , semenaries , and all their several orders , which are one distinct from another , and let us deny the rest of our fellow-merchants , or rather fathers , which did ordain us to be merchants to trade at sea , seeing that kind of merchandize which they then traded with , which they received from our mother will not go off now ; for nations , kindreds , tongues , and people now will not buy that kind of merchandize which hath not the face of purity upon it ; and though we were made ministers by them , yet now when they are grown out of date ( a parliament having voted them down ) it s not safe for us to hold them up , nor none of their worship nor merchandize ; so we having a distinct order of our own , and are rank'd into another fellowship , distinct from the fryers and the monks , let us keep our fellowship one with another ; and so we may set up our selves , and so may bring honor to our mother , mystery babylon , under another name ; and so let bishops , arch-bishops , arch-deacons , deans and chapters , prelates , vicars and curates be denyed ; and seeing their traditional traffi●ue before mentioned will not go off , and all the forms of publique worship hath been contrary to the scriptures , and contrary to the primative times , and seeing we cannot hinder people from seeing of it , therefore we must let it all pass , and deny both them and it , at least in the hearing of them whom we trade with therefore let them merchandize with it in some other country for our mother , where she hath more reputation , and where the beast hath more power ; and the time may come , if we can but perswade people , that they cannot understand the scriptures , nor come to know the mind of christ without our original , hebrew , greek , and latin ; in some time it may be this traffique will go off , if we can keep people but ignorant enough , that so we may be a means to bring our mother , and her messengers , that she hath sent forth , into more reputation than they are . notwithstanding though the day be dawned , & every mans works made manifest of what sort it is , yet it is well enough that we receive the maintenance which our mother mystery babylon gave unto our former merchants , as tythes , oblations , obventions and offerings , easter-reckonings , and midsummer-dues , and mortuaries , twenty shillings for a funeral sermon , ten groats at the grave , twelve pence an hour for ringing of bells , and such other like commodities that befalls us ; and besides all this we have got something out of bishops lands , and deans , and chapters , and prebends lands , some good augmentations out of these ; so that all the merchandizing and traffique lyes in our hand , and all the wages that our mother gave to other officers , and ambassadors of several orders , which to speak plainly is the very reins and finews of our gospel which we preach , and therefore if we cannot keep the people blind , but they will see our error in most things ; yet while we have the powers of the earth to make us a law , that all may be forced and compelled to pay that unto us , which our mother the church gave us , when she was in her exaltation , while this is kept up , we shall cary about our ships , and merchandi●e , though the people have no great heart to it , we shall cry out to the magistrates to compel them to buy it , or else the people will turn atheists , and barbarians , and however get our price . yet now , reverend brethren , seeing we cannot keep the people in ignorance and darkness , nor hinder the day from dawning , nor the sun from rising , while it is but even yet twylight , let us work and carry about our traffique , for the best sort of merchandize which our mother hath , will hardly please now , for now it comes to that , that nothing but spiritual ordinances will be accepted among people now , therefore we , which are of the tything presbyterian order , though we have denyed our mother in some of her sorceries , and though we have denyed the bishops , our fathers , and ordinances , and their established form of worship , we being heirs apparent to their inheritance , and revenues , and wages ; now we being come to maturity , and goes under the name of reformers , yet let our mother mystery babylons wages stand unalterable as the law of the medes and persians , and though the professions of publick worship have been denyed and abolished , let us perswade the magistrates , and rulers , that if they abolish our tythes , and set wages , then the gospel will cease to flourish in these nations , and though the mass-book , or book of common-prayer , and the lateny will not go off for gospel and longer , we shall set something else up in its stead to be called the gospel , and because we have not an immediate spirit , nor an infallable , neither ever looks to have it ; its requisite that we prescribe some form or directory of worship to be as a rule of direction to all of our order , and if we can get a parliament to make an ordinance for the recommendation of it to the nations , as the publick worship of god , then we may trade yet with out merchandize , and whilst our set wages is not altered , the matter is of less moment ; and though the directory should be discommended , as it is recommended , and our form should go down , and another thing should be established instead of it ; yet it were lawfull for us to joyn to another , and though they should accuse us for time-servers , and men-pleasers , yet we have a cloud of witnesses , as in edward the . and henry the . how many hundred of our fellow-merchants denyed driving a trade with the mass-book , and likewise in the daies of queen mary many thousands owned the mass-book as the publique worship of god , which was then holden out . again , how many thousands of our fellow-merchants denyed the mass-book , our publick profession , doctrine and discipline , and joyned to the book of common-prayer , and the lateny , as the publique profession of the worship of god , and now of late years we have denyed it our selves , and so we which are of this order can dispence well enough with this , seeing that we trade with som of our mothers ? merchandize under another name , and so the matter is less grievous , because the orders and ceremonies about worship is retained still in our directory under another habit and guise , and so having these witnesses before mentioned for our example , and if any seem to contend with us , this will take the edge off people , seeing it s no new thing with us to set our sayles which way soever the wind blows , and it may be we may bring them a scripture or two , and an inference from it , for a cloak , as to submit to every ordinance of man for the lords sake , and let every soul be subject to the higher power , so henry the th . while he stood he was the higher power and so mary , elizab●th , james and charles they were the higher power while they stood , and they did ordain , that sometime the mass-book should be the publique worship , & somtime the common-prayer book should be the publick worship ; and now the directory a plat-form of publick worship ; it may be these and the like arguments to them that are dim-sighted will take place for sometime . but there is one thing above all which ought to be considered of by us , who are allowed to be publick merchants , seeing that we must go under the name of reformation , for that is our flag we carry in our ship , that seeing that generally people of the most understanding will not allow of any preaching to be effectual , to the converting of souls , but that which is ministred by or from the spirit , for the reading of old homilies which served in our predecessors dayes will not serve now , or if we should speak some hebrew or greek , or latin in an unknown tongue , they will conclude , that is rather the wisdom of the flesh , & from natural wit , rather then from the spirit ; and therefore it is not much amiss if we conclude to let some of the ancient fathers pass , and not mention them , because it is holden generally , that they lived in an apostatizing time , and so it will not be effectual in the audience of people : and so for austin and cyprin , jerom and ●ead origen and damasen , their traffique will hardly go off , for they will conclude , it s rather by art and study that we preach , then by the spirit ; and so we being fallen into such a dangerous time as this is now in the break of day , when men begins to be quick-sighted , and will not only espie hills , but also moats ; therefore all we which are merchants of this order and rank , to our mother mystery babylon , had need to trade with the best merchandize , as gold , and silver , and precious stone , and fine linnen , and silk , and scarlet ; and so let this be agreed upon by us all , that we study hard , and read the scriptures , and other modern divines which are orthodox , that so if need require , every one may preach ex tempore , for else it will not go upon the account of the spirit , & so have words to fit all times , occasions , & seasons ; as before protectors , parliaments and councels , or noble men , or classis , or synods , or the like , and every one labour by study and art to raise many doctrines from one scripture , and make many uses and trials , and motives , and so carnal peoples minds will be affected with such dexterity and readiness , so that we shall clear our selves from clamour , which some of our merchants have fallen under , because of their negligence ; and if any should accuse us for studying and patching up our sermons out of divers authors mixt with scripture , and our inventions , then bring such a scripture as that tim. . ● . study to shew thy self approved unto god ; it may be some blind people will take that for a good proof ; and such a word as that , study to be quiet ; and because the word study is found in scripture , therefore with a consequence or two we may prove in the ears of people , that studying of sermons is lawful ; and if any question our set wages , and hire , be sure that all with one accord do study to vindicate this , for this is the life and sinews of the propagation of our gospel . and now reader , i shall give thee an account of the principal and chief traffique , which is established for the publike worship amongst those that are called gospel-professors , the general heads whereof is laid down in a directory of the publike worship in these three nations of england , scotland , and ireland ; and the general heads of that which they purpose to traffique with , is laid down in their directory ( so called ) and what traffique is of less moment , may be ushered in , time will make manifest , and in their preface to their book , they say as follows . directory . that the liturgy hath been a great means to encrease an idle ministery from putting forth themselves , for putting forth the gift of prayer which christ pleaseth to furnish all his servants with , whom he calls to that office . answer . so then by this conclusion all their former fathers and fellow-merchants were not sent out by christ , because they contented themselves with set forms of others made to their hands ; and if all whom christ called to this office be furnisht with the gift of prayer , then this must needs follow , that they that have no gift of prayer , are no officers of christ : well , their part being acted , and the exit being come , let them go off the stage , and thou shalt see the gifted men come on next . direct . in the assembling of the congregation together , the direction is , that the people do reverendly compose themselves to joyn in the ordinance of god , which is then coming in hand ; as it is written in the eleventh page of their book . answ here they are putting self to perform the ordinance of god , which whosoever comes to perform aright , or joyns with the assembly of the righteous , they must deny themselves , and all their own composings . direct . the next thing is about reading the scriptures , and exposition of them ; and in their expounding they are to take heed , that preaching , and other ordinances be not streightned . answ. as for reading the scripture , it is a thing so harmless , and honest , and just , and good , that i wish that all their whole ordinances ( so called ) had been all waved , and given place to this ; and if it were read oftner to the people without adding or diminishing , the understandings of people would be more opened , then by their cloudy and dark packt up speeches , which is called preachin● ; but preaching i am not against , that is to say , to declare the mind of god as it is revealed by his eternal spirit , to , and in them that speaks ; and why do you pref●r one part of your worship before another ? was not a psalm in the church of co●inth acceptable unto god when it was sung in the spirit , and with understanding , as good as an interpretation ? and was not prophesie as acceptable as speaking with tongues , if your expounding ( so called of the scripture be by the spirit of god ? why should that give way to a sprinkling of an infant , till the spirit cease to speak in him that spake by it ? direct . the next pie●e of merchandize is , of their publike prayer bef●re sermon , and to pray after this manner , to acknowledge your great sinfulness by your original sin , which makes you liable to everlasting damnatio● , and doth defile your best ●ctions , if it were not re●●roined by gods grace ▪ as in page the fift●enth . answ. what , is original sin unwasht away ? and is a deprived nature alive , that poysons all your faculties , and defiles your best actions ? what , is not this taken away yet ? then you have confounded your orthodox doctrine , or else never have been bapti●ed when you were infants : for , did not you use to say , that when an infant was sprinkled , that he was regenerate , and born again , and ingrafted into the body of christs congregation ? and furthermore , to give thanks to god on this wise , we yeeld thee hearty thanks , that it hath pleased thee to regenerate this infant , and to receive it for thy own child by adoption , and to incorporate this child into thy own congregation ; then seeing that all that are baptized , are regenerate , as you say , how is it that original sin , and the guilt is not taken away ? and how is it that the best of your actions is defiled ? for regeneration is a cleansing work , and the actions of the regenerate are pure and holy , but your best actions are defiled ; then you are not regenerate by your own doctrine ; and if sin be restrained by gods grace , then actions do not defile , for grace is one , that which restrains , and that which saves ; for it s written , by grace you are saved , and if you are restrained from sin , or saved by grace , then your actions would not be defiled ; what ●ankered rusty merchandize is this ? but i shall proceed to shew more of the like nature . direct . the next doctrine is to conf●ss your actual sins , the sins of your magistrates , ministers , and whole nation , and how that you have broken all the holy just ●aws of god , doing that which is forbidden and leaving undone , that which is injoyned , and not only ignorantly , but presumptuously , against the light of our minds , and checks of our consciences , but also despising gods forbearance , and standing out against all the offers of grace in the gospel . answ. was not the baptized infant incorporated into a holy congregation ? and now you confessed you are a sinfull congregation , not only ignorant but presumptuous also , and have sinned against the light of your minds , and the light of your consciences ; what , is there any thing in your minds or consciences worth taking notice of ? what , will the light in the conscience shew sin and reprove for it ? then how is it , that you merchants of this rank cryes out against it as delusion and heretical doctrine , when any exhorts them , that they sin not against the light of their own consciences ; and if you stand out against all gods invitations and offers of grace , then are you none of christs ministers ; and never blame me for calling you babylons-merchants , for the ministers and disciples of christ , they came at christs invitation , and peter and john left their nets , and followed christ when he invited them ; and they resisted not the offers of grace , but received it when it was offered , and were saved by it ; and if you walk so unworthy of him in your selves , then repent and cease carrying abroad such trumpery as this to deceive the people withall . direct . in the sixteen page , you reformers say you ought to bewaile your blindness of mind , and hardness of heart , and unbelief , impenitency , secureness , lukewarmness and barrenness , and not endeavouring mortification , nor to keep your garments unspotted . answ. you had need to bewaill your state indeed if this be it ; but see that you be not hypocrites , to confess that before the lord and your congregation ; and if any say you are hard-hearted & unbelievers , you deny it again , and so ma●e your lives transgress , and your ●ongues utter forth deceit ; what is such a company of blind minds , and hard-hearted , impenitent , unbelieving , secure , lukewarm , barren , whom god will spue out of his mouth , who doth not so much as endeavour after mortification , nor to keep your selves unspotted , and have broken promises and vows , and covenants ; that ever such a company as you should carry a ship at sea , or think in your hearts to give directions to others to reform , when you are unreformed your selves , and full of unbelief ; what people will take directions at such a company of heart-blind guides as you ? if this be reformation , what is deformity ? the wise in heart may judge of this merchandize . direct . yet you say notwithstanding in the th page , let us draw near to the throne of grace , and incourage our selves with hope of a gracious answer of our prayer● . answ. he that sits upon the throne of grace , before whose face the heavens and the earth shall fly away , he will reject your offering , notwithstanding all the encouragement you may take to your selves ; and how can you have hope to receive a gracious answer ? its but the hope of the hypocrite , you that are blind in mind and hard in heart , and doth not so much as endeavour after mortificaon . david a messenger of god , said , if i regard iniquity in my heart , god will not hear my prayers ; and you that are so presumptuous , and are so full of vain hopes , as to think that god will hear your prayers , who are in unbelief , and endeavours not after mortification , he will send you empty away . direct the next doctrine is about preaching the word , the subject of his sermon is to be some text of scripture , sutable to some emergent occasions , and he may go on in some chapter or psalm , as he shall think fit . answ. here , reader , thou mayest take notice these artificers of the last edition have traffique of divers sorts , to fit the several places and occasions ; as when they come before some princes , or courtiers , or some convocations or councels , then some great swelling words , and new ●oyned expressions , and rhe●o●ical speeches , and p●ilosophical phrases , this will go off at a good rate ; and by this the merchant may procure his discourse to be printed , which may procure his fame and renown among ignorant people ; besides , it may be he gets profit by printing his sermon , setting all set-wages , tythes , salleries aside : but if it be amongst poor count●y people , or an odde corner of the land , then any ordinary traffi●ue , a sermon , which it may be he hath sold four times over , this will go off among ignorant people , and make them more ignorant ; and as you say a text out of the ●salms , or any other scripture as the mi●ister shall thinks fit , will serve to treat upon ; reader , thou mayest take notice that here is no notice taken of the holy ghost or spirit , what it thinks fit ; but what he that preaches hath ready must go off , and counted as fit for that people . direct . and in the page your direction is to the merchant , not to rest in general doctrine , but come to particular application , whi●h is a work of gre●t diffi●ul●y to himself , requiring prudence and moderation , and to the natural corrupt man it will be very unpleasant . answ. the doctrines and the applications of the natural corrupt man will not be profitable nor powerfull at all upon the hearers , neither will disarm the thoughts of the heart at all , and you that gives prescriptions to natural corrupt men what to preach , who sets them about performing the work of god , that knows it not , are very ignorant ; for the natural man understands not the things of god , and the corrupt man in heart sees not god , and he that understands not the things of god , must needs preach a devination of his own brain . well , let who will take this traffi●ue , the children of light will have none of it , it may be such husks as these will satisfie a herd of swine , and so let them take it . direct . and you say , he that preaches , is to be perswaded in his own heart , that all that he teaches is the truth , and that he is to walk before his flock as an example . answ. how is he like to be perswaded in his own heart , that sins presumptiously against the checks of his own conscience ? and you set examples indeed , but they are but bad ones ; would you have your flock to follow your example ? would you have every one of your flock to have a long gown , or a long robe , and make them all like cardinals , princes ? would you have every one to have a ring on his finger , and a company of points at his knees , like a besom , and a company of ribons and cuffs , like a fidler ? or would you have any of your flock to come and fetch away a yoak of your oxen , or a couple of your horses , or take his teem , and come into your field , break down the hedges , and throw open the gates , and load his waggon with corn , if one could not pay it him for conscience sake ? or would you be sewed up two hundred miles into a court , for a tythe hen worth four pence , or six pence , and thrown into the fleet a year or two for four or five shillings ? many such evidences and examples we have from you , you late reformers ; but to the light in all consciences i leave to judge , ( which you have presumptiously sinned against ) what examples you are to your flocks . direct . and now , reader , i come to prayer after sermon , and thou shalt see what traffique is there ; the minister is to give thanks for the bl●ssing received , as election ▪ v●cation , adoptio● , justification , and hope of glory ; and likewise to turn the heads of his sermons into some few petitions , and after to pray for the preparation for death , and to entreat of god to forgive the iniquity of your holy things . answ. ●ere , reader , thou mayst see as bad merchandi●e as the story of the lady of laureita , or the story of saint francis , which the begging fryers , your fellow-merchants traffique withall . first , you give thanks for election , vocation , ●ustification , and hope of glory , and afterwards to pray for the forgiveness of the iniquity of your holy things ; how are your things holy , when they are full of iniquity , and sinful ? is that which is holy , iniquity and sinful ? or is that which is iniquity and sinful , holy ? are they elected , justified , adopted , and sanctified , whose sins are not blotted out , whose iniquities are not forgiven ? let the wise in heart judge of this dream . what , are not they well prepared for death , that are elected , adopted , justified and sanctified , but they must needs have your prayers full of iniquity ? will that prepare them better ? what ignorance is here ? and where learned you this article of ●aith , to turn the heads of the sermon into petitions ? let the wise judge . was not prophesie one thing , and prayer another ? but now prophesie must be turned into prayer , and prayer into prophesie , sermons into petitions , and petitions into sermons ; what mangl'd traffique is this ? direct . in the . page , this kind of prayer fore-mentioned ended , a psalm may be sung , if it be convenient , if some other ordinance doth not follow . answ. then it seems that your psalm is no ordinance , but if it be , it must give way however if the priest thinks fit ; god must have no prayers at that time ; it may be sprinkling of an infant may serve in stead . direct . and now i come to the great ordinance , infants baptisme , ( falsly so called . ) in the . page , the minister is to use some words touching the institution , how that it was instituted by our lord jesus christ , that infants should be baptized , and that it is a seal of the covenant of grace , and of our grafting into christ , and of our union with him , and of remission of sins , regeneration , adoption , and eternal life . answ. reader , take notice christ never sent them forth as ministers to tell lies ; as to say , he ordained that which he never did . and furthermore , thou may take notice , that the spirit of the lord is turned out of doors , there is no place for it ; outward water with which the infant is sprinkled , hath taken up the authority , and the work of the spirit , the ministers of christ declared , that the spirit of promise , and the spirit of truth , was the seal of the covenant of grace , and remission of sins , regeneration , and adoption ; and that the faith , and the spirit , is the seals of eternal life : but these reformers hath excluded both , and have set up a beggerly element in the room ; let the spiritual man judge what kind of traffique this is . direct . and in the . page , that children by baptisme are received into the bosome of the church , distinguished from the world . answ. now what kind of a church yours is , and what kind of a bosome your church hath , distinct from the world , the wise in heart may judge . you have confessed , that magistrates , ministers , and the whole nation , doth not so much as endeavour after mortification , and a newness of life , and that you are blind , hard-hearted , full of unbelief , impenitent , secure , and luke-warm , and have not so much as endeavoured to receive christ into your hearts by faith , as in the sixteenth page of your directory may be seen ; and how your church , and the bosome of it , is distinct from the world , if your church be as you have said , ( the understanding may judge ; ) for you that are impenitent , and full of unbelief , and have not received christ into your hearts , you are of the world , and your bosome full of deceit , and are none of the church of christ . direct . and moreover , the minister that baptized the infant , which is a popish invention ▪ and not an institution of christ , however he is to press it upon people as such a one , and to exhort them to look back to their baptisme , and to repent of their sins against god , and to stir up their faith . answ. said ye not even now , that baptisme with water was an ingrafting into christ , and of regeneration , and of eternal life , and he that is baptized , hath the seal of all this ; and yet they are to repent of their sins ? and how should their faith be stirred up , that hath none , which yet hath to repent ? what blind doctrine is this , that these blind merchants of this last edition hath given out for a plat-form ? direct . in the . page , the minister is to joyn prayer with the word of institution , for sanctifying the water to this spiritual use . answ. mark , reader , what sorcery is here ? was not the water instituted in the beginning by the word , and gathered together into one place , by the word ? and then i● was sanctified , and holy ; and how became it unholy again ? and how hath the water transgressed , that it s become unholy , that it needs sanctifying again ? but in stead of sanctifying it , you abuse it , and would make it serve for that end which god never ordained , ( viz. ) to be a seal of the remission of sins , a seal of regeneration , and eternal life ; all which is contrary to the scripture , contrary to the ministers of christ , and contrary to the precepts of the ministers of christ , but are indeed institutions of your mother , mystery babylon . direct . and now i come to the celebration of your great sacrament of bread and wine ; you say in the . page , we judge it convenient to be done after the morning sermon , and that all ignorant and scandalous are not fit to receive this sacrament . answ. and why after the morning sermon , ye great reformers ? if you intend that christs breaking of bread , and giving the cup to his disciples , that this must be your foundation for your sacrament , that was at supper in the same night he was betrayed ; and if he had judged it more convenient , why could he not have given it them after some morning sermon ? what example have you for so doing ? it may be saint g●egory , benedict , or damasen , or some other of your mothers merchants . and if they be unfit that are ignorant and scandalous , to receive this sacrament , ( as you call it ) then none more unfit then your selves , none more ignorant and scandalous , which hath left that undone which god hath injoyned , and hath done that which he never commanded , and that not only out of ignorance , but also presumptiously against the checks of your own consciences , and motions of his holy spirit ; what , not so much as endeavoured after mortification , or newness of life , but are a blind , hard-hearted , unbelieveing , and impenitent people , witness the sixteenth page of your directory ; and if such as you be fit to receive this sacrament , ( as you call it ) i know none unfit to receive it . ●irect . in the . page , the minister is to warn all that are ignorant , and scandalous , and prophane , that live in any sin , or offence against their conscience , that they come not to this holy table ; and on the other hand to incourage and assure them of refreshment and strength , by coming to this table , if they desire a farther progress in grace . answ. whom do you call ignorant , and prophane , and scandalous ? is not he a scandalous person that sins presumptiously , and against the checks of his own conscience , and gods holy spirit ? and if such be prohibited , all you reformers are excluded ; and if you do come , you are like to have no refreshment , or strength here ( if your own doctrine must stand good for refreshment and strength ) you promise to them that hath a desire after the progress in grace : but , say you of your selves , we have no desire after mortification , or amendment of life , and so you are without hope , come , or not come . furthermore , bread and wine was a seal of eternal life , before , you said , and now ease , refreshment , and strength is promised to the weak : i say as the apostle said to them who discerned not the lords body , but came unworthily , for this cause many are weak , and many are sick , and many are fallen asleep ; and though they have come to your table , they have come sick and weakly , and have gone away so , and hath found your promises and assurances of no effect at all . dir. and now i come to the consecration , the minister is to begin the action , with blessing the bread and wine , setting them aside for this holy use . an. i say bread and wine was sanctified by the word , for that end and use that god created them ; that is to say , for the nourishment of man , and they were holy and good before ever the priest touched them ; as it is written , vnto you that believe , are all things clean ; but if you set them apart for any such end or use , as to be a seal of remission of sins , regeneration , and eternal life , then you convert them , or rather pervert them to that end which god never intended . but this is like the rest of your idolatrous merchandize . dir. then after the sacrament is taken , in the page , the minister is to put them in mind of the grace of god held forth in the sacrament , and to entreat for pardon for the defects of the whole service . an. the church of rome , your mother , saith , that the body and blood of christ is held forth in the sacrament , and you say , the grace is held forth in the sacrament , and the seal of eternal life . what , do you think to make it , the fountain of life , from whence all good comes ? & in the conclusion of all the whole , a sacrifice must be offered up for the defects of your whole service ; what pitifull blind merchandize is this ? before it was a seal of the vocation and election , eternal life , and pledges of adoption ; and by it the comers thereunto are not made perfect , but are full of defects , and sinfull , & your whole services full of iniquty , and sin , and defects ; will not any , who hath but the least sight abhor your ●ypocritical sacrifice , and your mouldy , rusty , cankered traffique ? and now their holy ordinance , and their most holy things is ended in defect , in sin and iniquity ; and these worshippers the more they offer the more they sin , and how the rest of their ordinances will end , thou mayest judge before thou pass any further . direct . and now i come their sanctification of their sabboth , the whole day , you say , is to be celibrated as being the christian sabbath . if you intend the first day of the week , where is that called the christian sabbath ? the sabbath , in the first covenant was given for a sign of the christian sabbath , which was to be revealed when they ceased from their own works , words , & thoughts , then the rest was to be known , the christian sabath ; and whether is a christian sabbath a visible or invisible thing ? but stay sirs , do you keep this day ( which you call a christians sabbath ) holy to the lord ? is not this your market day upon which you sell your traffique , one or two glasses for or s. a day , besides what you get for sprinkling of infants ? do you not speak your own words , nor think your own thoughts , nor work your own works ? if you say you do not , how comes it to pass , that there are all these defects in your performances , & all this iniquity in your holy things ? i hope you dare not say , that defects is from god , or that iniquity or sin is of god ; and if you have not a male in your flock , let sacrificing or offering alone , and do not think that god will be pleased with your lame , blind , maimed , defective sacrifices , neither with your strangled things , nor your swines flesh ; so i say unto you , repent and learn to be reformed your selves , before you prescribe rules for others , least both you , and them that follow you fall into the pit ; and because the merchants of this rank and orders doth love to be medling with every thing , wherein there is hope of any thing to be got , they will try all kinds of merchandize , and so present they their direction about mariage to any who will take their ignorant councel . direct . they say mariage is no sacrament , nor peculiar to the church of god , and they say we judge it expedient that it be done by a lawfull minister , and to be published three times before it be solemnised by the said minister . answ. if you mean by sacrament a holy thing , then mariage is either holy or unholy , if unholy , then fit to be done by none ; if holy , why is it not proper and peculiar to the church of god ? if they who are members of the church of god may marry ( in the lord , & in the covenant in which man was made ) the male and the female , ; then what hath any to do with it , who are not of the church of god ? and what hath the church of god to do with them that are without ? and what hath a priest to do with this ? where was abrahams and sarahs priest when they were maried ? and where was the priest to solemnize the mariage of isaac and rebeccah ? and of sachariah and elizabeth ? and because you say it s not peculiar to the church of god , whether were these of the church of god before mentioned ? but what hath the priest to do to publish it three times like a belman for the loss of a horse or cow thorow the market ? or rather why ought not the man and the woman both in the fear of the lord ( if they be moved thereunto by the lord ) publish their own intentions ; and moreover , their joyning together in the church of god , when the members of the church of god are present ; but this frustrateth the priests or s and his clerk d. or a shilling more or less as they can get . direct . furthermore , they say it may be done any time of the year , but on a fasting-day , or on the lords day . ans. why are these days prohibited ? if mariage be a holy thing , or an honorable thing , why may it not be done in the fear of god , and the power of god , why not on any day ? was days made for man , or man made for days ? your ignorant predecessors , the pharisees judged as you do , that it was not expedient or convenient , that he should heal a daughter of abraham whom satan had bound on the sabbath day ; and now they say , that the honourable estate of mariages , is the covenant of their god ; and before they said , it was not peculiar to the church of god ; if entering into a state of mariage be the covenant of god , and if the covenant of god be peculiar to the church of god , then what is the reason ( you reformers ) that mariage is not peculiar to the church of god ? and now take their directions ( who hath a desire to trade any more with their merchandize ) concerning the visitation of the sick . direct . the party sick is to send for the minister timely and seasonably before their understanding fail them , and if the minister susp●ct the party of ignorance , he sh●ll not examine them in the principles of religio● , especially touching repentance and faith , and to make known unto him the danger of desering repentance . answ. if he be such a one who is sick , as hath traded much with the priests merchandize , if he be capable of understanding , there is some hope he may give the priest pound , or ten pound ; and it hath been high time for the minister to have shown him the danger of de●ering repentance before now , ( when he is like to go out of the body ) not to have deferred his exhortation till this time ; and if the party be ignorant , it were more time to inform him about the principles of religion , and repentance , and faith , than to have him make answers to that which he knows nothing of ; and then you conclude , if desired , the minister shall pray for him to this effect . direct . confessing and bewailing original and actual sin , and the miserable condition of man by nature , and that god would give him an ev●dence of an interest in christ , and the seal of eternal life by christ . answ. in sin you began , and in sin you will end ; complaining of original and actual sin , before you know what it is , and hold on till you come to the grave , and never depart from it ; and what must not the minister pray except he be desired ? it seems they alwayes must please other mens desires , rather then mind the spirits motion in themselves ; and what is interest in christ yet wanting , and evidence , and seal of eternal life yet wanting , and it may be the party or years old ? what was not this man baptized when he was an infant ; and have not you said , and in the page and page of your directory , that water-baptism is a seal of the covenant of grace , and of being ingrafted into christ , and of regeneration , adoption , and eternal life ; and what is the evidence and seal lost now ? useth not this to be the doctrine amongst you , once in christ , and ever in christ , and whom he loves once , he loves to the end ? and hath not this man partaken of the sacrament , and eat the flesh of christ , and drank his blood , and a church-member ? ( as you call it ) and is his evidence now to seek , and the seal now wanting ? utter darkness is your dwelling place . direct . and now we come to the directory , for solemn fasts , that when some great and not able judgement is inflicted upon some people , or app●rently evident , or when some special blessing is to be sought , or obtained , then solemn fasting is a duty that god expects from a nation or people , an● they are to abstain from all food , and from wordly labour , and discourses , and bodily delights , and rich apparrel , and ornaments , and such like , although lawfull at other times , and gorgious attire , and lascivious habits , and if any such things be , the minister may reprove them at a fast . answ. to fast unto the lord , is not to set a day apart by the will of man , but by being moved thereunto by the lord , and not to hang down the head for a day like a bull-rush , nor to smite with the fists of wickedness , but to loose the band of wickedness , and let the oppressed go free : and as for gorgious attire , and rich apparrel , and ornaments , it s no where found so much as amongst you ( steeple-house ) fasters ; and for delights , and pleasures , and these things , which you say is lawful at other times , that which so judgeth will not forsake them in your set times ; and if they be lawful at any time , then the apostles exhortation is made void , who said , not in gold , nor costly array , nor broidered hair ; that which abstains from them one day , and takes them up another day , is hypocrisie and deceit : and as for your abstinence from one set meal in a day , and it may be go to a banquet , or a riot , the next day after , this is abomination to the lord . and how should the minister reprove any for pride , when it may be he hath as many points at his knees as a ●esom , ribons & cuffs , and a long robe to his heels , and a broad harband , enough to cover one , most part down to the wast , if it were spread out ; and who do you think will receive this mans reproof for pride , that is thus gorgiously attired ? and what do you judge this man will have on the thanksgiving-day ? direct . the next comes on the performance of the worship ▪ which is reading , preaching , with singing of psalms , fit to quicken the affections , and es●ecially prayer , wherein sin is to be confest , with several aggravation● , and with greater inlargement then at other times . an. you ▪ that have nothing to quicken your affections , but to turn davids cryings and tears into a song ; and sing , ( you roar for the disqui●tness of your hearts ) and as men distracted , when your hearts are whole , and unrent ; and you that think to be heard for your feigned confessions ; and if you speak from your hearts , ( as you say the minister ought to do ) there is no such hypocrisie and deceit among any people , as amongst you , who doth ●hat which is forbidden , and leaves that undone that is commanded , and presumptiously sins against the light of your own consciences , as you confess , and doth not so much as endeavour to receive christ into your hearts , nor so much as endeavour after mortification , and newness of life : and how can you think for your multitude of words , and inlargement of words , and seeming importunancy god will hear you for your much babling ? many hypocritical fasts hath been made , which ● have observed , as well as some other men , what would be the end thereof , the beginning thereof was feignedness , and the performance thereof like them that amos speaks of , that howled for their corn , and wine , and oyl , and mocked god , and drew near with their lips , but their hearts were far from him . direct . but to proceed , such texts ought to be used for preaching , that may best work the hearts of the hearers into humiliation , and repentance , and the minister is to exhort before they depart , that their assembly may improve their whole life to the glory of god , by re-inforcing themselves and their families in all private resolutions towards god , which they professed in publike . answ. you that have no other thing to bring people to humility and repentance , but by a text ( as you call it ) of scripture , which you may judge in your carnal minds will do it , and pick and chuse too , the scripture where you like : what , was not the scripture spoken forth by the spirit of god , and cannot be broken ? and one scripture is as good as another , and is as effectual as another , but none is effectual without the spirit , which is that which leads to repentance , and brings down the pride of the transgressor ; and except people come to receive the spirit , and believe in it , which convinceth them of sin , and leads them to repentance , all your stirring up , and composing , and re-inforcing , will do no good at all ; and so re-inforcing of self began your fast , and there it will end , without christ , which who so comes to follow , denies themselves , and are otherwise taught , then to take the kingdome by force . and concerning their humiliatio● 〈◊〉 hast heard , and mayest judge , reader , what their thank●giving will be , like the rest . dir. the minister is to make some pithy narration of gods deliverances , and sing some pertinent psalms , and choose a pertinent text to the occasion . an. the thanksgiving doth not arise from any sencibility that people feels in themselves , but it arises from the pithy story , as they call it , of the minister , and likewise from his devised sermon , which hath fed the carnal minds , to re●oyce in words without the life , and then ring the consecrated bells , and get bonfires , and eat and drink , and satisfie the flesh , & these are the thanksgivings , and the rejoycings that the world makes , over the witness in themselves . dir. and now i come to the singing psalms , and their mass-house , the place of their worship , and so i have done with their traffique . first , they say , that singing of psalms publikely in a congregation , with a tuneable voice , is a christians duty . an where was it injoyned by christ , or any of his ministers ? i am ignorant , and yet the scripture i know , but no where read in it , that singing of prophefies , and prayers , and other mens conditions , turned into rime and meeter by poets , and masters of musick , in an invented tune ( in the same mind which invents tunes for ballet-mongers ) and to sing such conditions amongst proud , wanton , and disdainful people , covetous , envious , and such as hath not so much as endeavoured after mortification , or newness of life ( as generally your parochial congregations are ) as you have confest in your directory for publike worship ; this is no way accounted as a christian duty , for whose souls are not brought out of death , cannot praise the lord ; and you confess ministers and congregation , that you are blind in mind , and hard in heart , and full of unbelief , impenitency , luke-warmness , and barrenness , not endeavouring to receive christ into your hearts , your state is howling and lamentation , and not rejoycing , yet singing with the spirit is owned , and with understanding . dir. and now we come to the place of publike worship : they say it is not unlawful or unconvenient for christians to meet together in the place which was dedicated to idolatry , or consecrated to an idolatrous use , yet we hold it requisite , that the places of publike worship should be imployed , and continued to that use . a● . and upon what account do you count it lawful , convenient , and requisite to meet in an idols temple , or a mass-house ? your account will be but slender and poor , which will be without example from the saints . did josiah or hezekiah , when they had broken down the altars of baal , and thrown down the high places , did they say , its requisite and convenient , that our priests , and the levites , & the congregation , do meet at the altar of baal , or at the high places ? or did the apostles bid the gentiles , who did believe , go to their idols temple again , and say it was a convenient place to worship the true god in ? and have you forgotten that exhortation or precept , abstain from every appearance of evil ? and though some do know that an idol is nothing in the world , howbeit there is not in every man that knowledg ; and is it not yet called by most of you yet , the house of god , house of prayer ? but as you did begin , so will you end to carry no traffique but for your mother , mystery babylon . and thus , reader , i have led thee through many things , from the rise of the whore , and through the most of her merchants , and through the most of her traffique merchants , of divers orders and ranks ; but i find them all to trade with nothing but inchantments and sorceries , which hath long bewitched the nations ; but the time is come , that she is manifest , with her merchandize and sorceries , and turned from , by me and many thousands more , which is my exhortation to thee , that so thou may come to the church which is in god , and to the elect assembly , and to know the seed which is heir of the promise , and of the life which is without end : which mystery babylon , with all her merchants have sought to destroy , since she got up to ride upon the beast , who hath compelled all both small and great to worship him , and also all nations to buy the whores merchandize and traffique , which hath deceived the nations , and bewitched them ; but the time is come , that she shall be hated of her lovers , and they shall forsake her ; and her merchants shall say , alas ! alas ! which day is dawning and dawned , which discovers the whore the beast and false prophet , with all their sorceries , and the lamb shall reign , and the holy men of god , and prophets shall rejoyce over her , when the smoak of her torment ascends up for ever and ever ; which the lord hasten saith my spirit , amen . london , the month , the day . . the end . the measvring rod of the lord stretched forth over all nations and the line of true judgment laid to the rulers thereof wherein all governours and rulers, potentates and powers are measured, and all governments and lawes weighed in the true weight : wherein they all may see how far they are degenerated from the law of righteousness, and the rules of wisdome, which was in the beginning, before tyranny, and persecution, and rebellion had shewed it selfe : also shewing the end that will come upon all those rulers and governments, rulers and lawes that have been made in the apostacy, which is to all overthrown ... : also an advertisement to all the rulers upon the earth ... : published for the information of all the rulers upon earth ... / by one who waits to see the kingdoms of the world to become the kingdomes of the lord ... francis howgil. howgill, francis, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing h ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the measvring rod of the lord stretched forth over all nations and the line of true judgment laid to the rulers thereof wherein all governours and rulers, potentates and powers are measured, and all governments and lawes weighed in the true weight : wherein they all may see how far they are degenerated from the law of righteousness, and the rules of wisdome, which was in the beginning, before tyranny, and persecution, and rebellion had shewed it selfe : also shewing the end that will come upon all those rulers and governments, rulers and lawes that have been made in the apostacy, which is to all overthrown ... : also an advertisement to all the rulers upon the earth ... : published for the information of all the rulers upon earth ... / by one who waits to see the kingdoms of the world to become the kingdomes of the lord ... francis howgil. howgill, francis, - . p. printed for giles calvert ..., london : . reproduction of original in huntington library. eng kings and rulers -- early works to . a r (wing h ). civilwar no the measuring rod of the lord, stretched forth over all nations, and the line of true judgement laid to the rulers thereof; wherein all gove howgill, francis c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - andrew kuster sampled and proofread - andrew kuster text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the measvring rod of the lord , stretched forth over all nations , and the line of true judgement laid to the rulers thereof ; wherein all governours and rulers , potentates and powers are measured ; and all governments and lawes weighed in the true weight ; wherein they all may see how far they are degenerated from the law of righteousness , and the rules of wisdome , which was in the beginning , before tyranny , and persecution , and rebellion had shewed it selfe ; also shewing the end that will come upon all those rulers and governments , rules and lawes that have been made in the apostacy , which is to be all overthrown , and all that which is acted out of gods power , to be thrown down by him , unto whom all power is committed . shewing also that they in whom the power of god is made manifest , cannot be subject to any usurper , or to that power which is gone from the life of god . also an advertisement to all the rulers upon the earth , that they may wait for the restorer to be revealed in the nations , to make up the breaches , and to crush that down which hath made the breach , that so righteousness may cover the earth , and gladness of heart may possess the people . published for the information of all the rulers upon earth : by one who waits to see the kingdoms of the world to become the kingdomes of the lord and his christ , that he alone may rule for ever and ever , called francis howgill . london . printed for giles calvert , and are to be sold at the black-spread-eagle at the west end of pauls . the measuring rod of the lord streched forth &c. listen oh world , hearken oh earth , and all the inhabitants thereof , give eare , oh all nations that are therein , and all the isles thereof , draw near ye potentates thereof , ye ▪ emperours , kings , earles , dukes , nobles , princ●pallities , and dominions , my mouth shall speake the thing that is right , and my lips shall utter forth understanding , my toungue shall declare unto you the counsell of the most high , and what he is bringing to pass in the latter dayes , he that is higher than the highest hath said , he that is greater than the greatest hath spoken , the whole world lies in wickedness , and thick darkness is over the world , his way is perverted , his counsell is despised , and all nations is out of order , notwithstanding the multitude of their counsellers , and notwithstanding all their wisdome , yet folly is brought forth in the middest of the nations . because they have asked counsell and not at the lord , and taken advice and not at the holy one , therefore violence is set up as an ensign , and wickedness runneth down as a river , and cruelty and opression as a mighty stream , the whole earth is full of folly and madness , and all the people thereof are degenerate and grown out of the image of god into a monstrous and strange nature , the prophets are all fooles , the diviners thereof are mad , and they being degenerate themselves from the life of god , have not turned the people from their iniquitie , but hath led them into further blindness , darkness , ignorance , and deceit , and hath made the word of truth of none effect through their traditions , & hath taught for doctrine the precepts of men , & the traditions of them who are out of the faith , and out of the life , and out of the power of god , and the counsellors they have established wickedness by a law , they themselves being stranged from the life of god , therefore violence is broken forth into the earth as a flood , and now all kings , rulers , potentates of the earth who have given their power to the whore , who sitts upon many waters , and the waters are kindreds , and tongues , and people , and nations , yea all nations have been drunk with the cup of her fornication , and being all gone forth from the life , in which the prophets and the holy men of god lived in , and were established in ; the nations are become as waters , reeling to and fro , hither and thither , unsetled , unstable , there the whore hath her seate , and all having drunk of her cup of iniquity and fornication , even of mystery-babylons cup , and are inflamed therewith ; and so reeles to , and fro , as the waters , and are as the waves of the sea unstable , by her who hath made all nations drunk , and by them who have been made drunk with her , even all nations , kindreds , tongues , and people , have the prophets been slain , and the witnesses slain , and none to bury them , not in mystery-babylon , who is drunk with the blood of the saints , and they that have drunk of her cup of fornication , even all the kings , nobles , potentates of the earth , they have acted the like , and have slain the appearance of god , where ever it hath been brought forth , and the red dragon hath stood ready to devour the heir , which is borne of mystery-ierusalem which is the mother of all who are borne from above , who are heires of the promise of eternall life , and the powers of the earth hath joyned their power to the dragon , who cast out floods of venome after the child , which is brought forth by the woman , which is clothed whith the sun : and now the powers of the earth taketh part with the dragon , and their authority and dominion that they exercise is by his power which arises out of the bottomless pit ; and shall goe into perdition , and he hath deceived the nations long , and all hath exercised their power against him who is the heire of the promise , the first-born of every creature , who is higher than the highest , and greater than the greatest , and have changed his lawes , and made them void , and hath set up the law of sinne and death , & hath established unrighteous lawes by the power of darkness , in which all nations hath been involved in , since the dragon hath power , and whosoever would not obey those lawes and customs , and constitutions , the dragon hath had power , and all that have joyned to him for a time , to kill , to imprison , to destroy , and they who have been exalted have had thought to weary cut the saints of the most high , and to root out the memoriall of the just , that he and all his adherents , might reign for ever , in the kingdome of unrighteousness , and in the dominion of darkness , which is the devills dwelling place , and residence for ever , who is at enmity against god , and the children of light , which worship god in spirit and truth , in life and righteousness . now is the time drawing near , and he who is the desire of all nations appeareth , the ancient of dayes is coming , whose throne is established in righteousness for ever , who will break the head of the dragon , and will lay hold upon him , and chaine him up that he deceive the nations no more , and all you emperours , kings , dukes , earles , nobles , lords , and potentates , who have joyned to him , your kingdome shall be rent from you , and your hands shall grow weake , that you shall not be able to defend your selves against him who travells in the greatness of his strength , who is comming up against you , as a lion greedy of his prey , and will devoure at once all his enemies , that thought in their hearts to reign for ever , and to settle themselves in iniquity for ever : now the time draws near when he will put down the authority of the dragon , and of the beast , and the beast with many heads and hornes , and their rule shall come to an end , and he will dash you one againe another as broken pitchers , till you be consumed and brought to nought , and be worn out as a motheaten garment , and will overthrow your lawes and customes , which is made in the night of ignorance , and blindness , and will change your customes and the times , and will reduce the earth again into its first purity , and you that have ruled , shall serve and be tributary ; and as you have had a time of rejoycing over the wittnesses ( who hath troubled your earthly and devillish peace ) and slayn them as sheep for the slaughter ; a time of mourning is comming upon you , when you shall say alas , alas , for your glory shall pass away , and your renown shall wither ; and for your dominion which shall grow so weake , tht you shall not be able to resist him who travells in the greatness of his strength , and treadeth the winepress of the wrath of god , who is mighty and strong to judge the whore , and all they that have committed fornication with her , and have drunk of her cup , and are inflamed with adultery , and cannot cease from sinne , but burnes in envie against the appearing of the manchild who is heir of the promise , yea of life everlasting , born heir to the inheritance which is incoruptible , unto whom all power belongeth both in heaven and earth , who will subdue the lower power , and powers of darkness , and tread them under foot , and all who act from that power which is below the life , below the truth , below the light , that power will he ( and all whom he brings out of the grave , and raises above the grave ) tread down under foot , which stands but in the earth wherein dwells unrighteousness . allthough thy teachers and diviners in the oh earth , who preacheth a divnation of their own brain , & from the imagination of their own hearts , hath made you beleive , oh you powers of the earth , who are in the fall , in the transgression of the life , that you were the higher powers , every emperour , king , duke , earle , nobles , lords , and that all were to stoop to your wills , how contrary soever they have been to god , but you and they must know , there is one higher than the highest , who is king of kings , and lord of lords , who alone will judge the hearts of his people , and their consciences , for he will not give his glory to another , although you have long usurped it , since the dayes of the apostacy , and would have had all to bow to that power which hath transgressed the life , and is gone from the power of god , oh long hath been the night of ignorance , and darkness , and great hath been the apostacy in the earth , since the dayes of the apostles , and since the false christs and false prophets entered into the world , which christ said should come , and cry lo here , and there , and should deceive many , yea all the world wondered after the beast , and iohn , sa● it all ly in wickedness , and the time that christ prophesied of came to be fullfilled in the dayes of iohn , and he saw it ; matt. . , . that many false prophets and antichrists , were gone out into the world , out from the life , out from the truth , cut from the light , wherein the saints had fellowship , who wrote forth the scriptures , and he said they were gone into the world , and he said the whole world lay in wickedness , and so they went from holyness into wickedness , and from the fathers love into the love of the world , and peter and jude , who lived in the same age , they saw them that went in the error of balaam , and in the way of cain , and in gainsaying the power , being turned from it like corah , and also their hearts were exercised with covetuous practices , so iohn saw they were come , john . , , ver. little chilldren it is the last times as you have heard that antichrist shall come , even now there are many antichrists , whereby we know its the last time , and peter saw that false apostles should come , who should make merchandise of the people , and prophesied of it , as you may read pet. . , . and in the , . verses , you may know them by their fruits , having eyes full of adultery ; and cannot cease from sinne ; beguiling unstable soules , and hearts they have exercised with covetuous practices , and they were the cursed children ; and these had forsaken the right way , christ the way and his command also : freely ye have received , freely give , and they laboured to keep the gospell without charge , who were true apostles , but these false prophets , deceitfull workers , antichrists and false apostles , they were gone in balaams way , after the wayes of unrighteousness in cains way , in coras way , in antichrists way , cut of christs way , and these false prophets , false apostles , they spoke swelling words of vanitie , and did allure through the lusts of the flesh , and they like the rest of the false prophets gone before them , cried peace , and promised peace unto others , while they run with them into riotousness , and while they put into their mouthes , and these promised libertie to themselves and others , while they themselves were servants of corruption , and jude bore witnesse that they were turned from the grace of god into lasciviousnesse , and wantonnesse , even from the grace that taught them to deny ungodlinesse , and was sufficient to preserve them from these errours before mentioned , but they went from it , and from the light and life of men , and denied him , and owned another , even him who abode not in the truth ( the foundation of god ) but went out of the truth , and so are bottomlesse or without foundation , and there is the very center , ground and residence of all the false prophets , antichrists , deceivers , all comes from or out of the bottomless pit , and leades to perdition . and paul if not in that age , yet in the next age after lived , & he saw the mystery of iniquity already begin to worke , thess. . . and paul an apostle of christ wrote to timothy his son that the spirit spoke expresly some should depart from the faith , and they should speake lies in hypocrisie timothy . , . and in the of tim. he gave him notice what fruits they should bring forth , they that departed from the faith , chap. . ver. , , , , . yea a great apostacy from the faith there was , while paul was yet living , for he writes to timothy . tim chap. . this thou knowest , that all they which were in asia , be turned away from me , and there were a great people in asia , for great persecution he suffered in asia , and stayed years in asia , acts. . ver. . in so much that all they that dwelt in asia heard the word of the lord , yea and divers great men and of the cheife of asia were his freinds , acts . ver. . so its manifest there were great people , for acts . verse , not only at ephesus , but almost throughout all asia this paul hath perswaded , and turned away much people , said demetrius : and paul writing to the corinthians , saith cor , . . the churches in asia salute you ; and iohn writes to seven , rev. , . rev. . and as was said before , all was departed from the faith , even all they that are in asia are turned away from me , and the apostle wrote to titus ; titus . ver. , . that there were many unruly , and vaine talkers , and deceivers , who subverted whole houses , teaching the things they ought not , for filthy lucre . and iohn , who wrote the last in the revelations , he writes that the whole world wondred after the beast , and his power was so great , that it was said who is able to make warre with the beast , & they worshipped the beast , saying , who is able to make warre with the beast rev. . ver. , . and the beast that arose out of the sea , having seven heads , and ten hornes , and upon his hornes ten crownes , and upon his head the name of blasphemy , and the dragon gave him his power , his seat , and great authority , and he opened his mouth in blasphemy against god , to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle , and them that dwell in heaven , and it was given him to make war with the saints , ver. . , and to overcome them , and power was given him over all kindreds , tongues , and nations , and all that dwell upon the earth , ver. . shall worship him , whose names are not written in the lamb's book of life , shin from the foundation of the world , this beast receiving his power and authority from the dragon hath prevailed ; he rose out of the sea , the waters upon which the whore sits , and the waters are kindreds , tongues and people , and the beast arose out of the sea also , that the whole world wondred after and worshipped , and john that saw this coming or hundred years agoe ; so that in a few ages after the apostles all was worn out , the life lost , the dragon had power , the beast had power , and all wondred after him , and the whore had made all nations drunk with her fornication ; and then she came to sit upon many waters , kindred , tongues and people , hears the waters , hears the sea out of which the beast rose , who received his power from the dragon , and this is he who upon his head had the names of blasphemy , and all kindreds , tongues , and nations whose names were not written in the lambs book , they who honoured the beast , and worshipped the beast , and said who is able to make war with him , admired his power , and submitted unto him ; and he hath had power , and hath prevailed against the saints , did overcome them , and the dragon hath made war with the seed which keep the commandements of god , and the testimony of iesus , all this was seen many ages agoe , and what worke the dragon hath made in the nations and in the earth , where he hath had dominion and prevailed , and what a raging the roaring lyon hath kept in the earth is evident , seeking to destroy them in whom the seed remained , and to destroy them in whom the power of god was , or the least measure , and so the false , prophets , deceivers , antichrists , which wenout then , which the apostle saw , they cried up that power which was from the life of god , and hath cryed it up for the higher power , and said all ought to be subject to it , and said who is able to make war with the beast , for the false apostles and deceivers and antichrists went from the grace of god , and from the light , and from the power of god , into the world and into that nature , which all kindreds , and tongues , and people walked in , and into the power that acts the children of disobedience , and joyned with that power upon which the whore sits : and they taught nations and people to admire this power , and to admire the beast because of his heads and horns , and crowns and names ; and hath wrought miracles before the beast ; and this power which the beast had received from the dragon , this power admires the false prophet , and the false prophet the beast ; so that none could buy nor sell , nay nor live , but that had his marke or the number of his name , and so all hath been in utter darknesse , and the deeds of darknesse hath spread themselves over the earth ; for the whore who is adulderated from god ; and the dragon , and the beast , and the false prophet , all have acted from that power , which is below the truth , and below the life , which power is at enmity against the truth and the life and against the light ; and this power overspread all nations , and the sun being set , the night came over all , and the shadow of death over all nations , and a veil and a covering hath been spread over all : and so out of the midst of thick darkness all hath acted this long and darke night of ignorance in the apostacy , wherein the dragon hath had power , and the beast , and that power hath been admired and set up , which hath transgressed the life , so that any who have been zealous for the truth , and have kept the testimony of jesus , and the spirit of prophesie ; the false prophets in all nations , who are from the testimony of jesus , have called to the beast to slay and to kill and to destroy the seed of the woman , which is cloathed with the sun , and so the beast exercising his power which is from below , have killed and destroyed them who were subject to the higher power . and what torturing and massacring , and persecution , what burning and strangling there hath been , what cruell deaths many have been put to , over all nations and in all nations , where the beast have had power , who makes warr against the life , so that the streets have run with blood , and all being gone from the life and power of god , they set up themselves to be judges over mens consciences , and they who were in the errour , they cryed out of heresie , and they that are gone from the truth into a lie , the ground of blasphemy , they cry out of blasphemy , and under the hornes of the beast , and under the heads , and the crownes of the beast , what cannons constitutions , edicts , and lawes have been in all nations , what trapps , ginns , and snares have been laid in every nation , yea , every home hath pushed , and every head hath lifted up it selfe against christ the head , and every mortall crowne hath advanced it selfe against the crowne of glory , and against the immortall crowne , so that it might be said as eliah said , the altar of the lord hath been broken down and his prophets and his witnesses slain , none hath escaped the rage of the beast . yet there hath been a few who have kept their garments clean , and were not defiled with women , nor with the harlot , those who feared the lord , and durst not offend the righteous law of god in their consciences , but hath denied whole councells who were erred from the faith , and all the powers of the earth in which the beast bore rule , but rather chuse to suffer cruell deathes , than to let goe the profession and possession of their faith , whose blood cryes under the altar , how long oh lord , holy , just , and true , will it be ere thou avenge our blood , which blood and cry is entered into the eares of the lord of hosts , who will speedily take vengeance on the nations , and dash them one against another , and will breake down that power which hath slain the witnesses , yea , and hath gainsaid the power of god , and all nations who are from the life , in which the holy men of god lived , and in that nature still which persecuted the life of god wherever it did apear in any measure , yea , swell'd up and climb'd to the very top of iniquity , which is satans crown and glory , and the preists , and they that went out from the light into the world , in iohns dayes , and peters dayes , who then taught for filthy lucre , and did subvert whole houses from the faith , ever since that time hath spread themselves over the nations , and hath begotten people into a form and into an image , without the life , and so hath worshipped the beast and his image . and the deceit being entered then , and images then being set up , one on this wise , another on that , and some have had an image of many mixtures , such an image as the preists of england , scotland , and ireland worship , and hath got a law to guard it , that whosoever will not bow to it , the furnace is heat hotter to throw them into it . object . and if any say , why i say so , or how do i make that appeare . ans. i answer thus ▪ the cardinalls , jesuites , and other romish preists had a law made to protect their idoll , the mass , and if any spoke to him that was sacrificing to the image , or idoll , then three months inprisonment , but now if any declares against the image , that the preists of england , scotland , and ireland have set up , every one is to pay five pound , or six months imprisonment in a house of correction , and there be tortured , and whipt , and shamefully intreated , nere to the loss of life , nay it s now so much the more hotter now than ever . none must come near the house of their idoll god or image , but must be counted a breaker of the peace , nor speake to a deceiver , and say he is so , nor a hireling and say he is so , nor to a covetous preist and say he is so , and can for proofe bring halfe of his parish to witness the truth of this , but if he speake the truth never so clear , he must to prison or pay five pound , or the house of correction , and there be whipt , and stocked , and fettered , and chayned , and tortured , and so it is manifest that those magistrates , who had a hand in making of this law have outstript the magistrates in the time of mary , when the pope had domination in his height in these nations . and the preists ●ow , who in these nations , who have set up their image of many mixtures , and one year they make one , and another year another , and what as that power likes the best , that is gone out of the life and power of god , that they present to the authority of the nation as an image of a more comely stature , than the former , and then authority makes a law to guard it , and so it may truly be said , as it was said to israell , hath any other nation changed their god , but israell had changed from the living god , to them by nature which are no gods , and so hath these nations gone from god , the fountaine of life , and from the power of god , and hath set up an image in which is no life instead , nay , they are not content with their image , but it growes old , and then pa●ches up another of many mixtures , one while the masse that was held forth as their publick profession , and then prelacy and the book of common prayer , and then presbytery and the directory mixt and made up : ignorance , blindness and of the fragments of popery , and their own invention , and this now is set up for all to bow to , one while one thing which they call faith , and another while another , and heaps of confused confessions , but are all out of the life and from the true faith . and now they have manifested themselves to have no faith , and to be without faith , and are unagreed upon it , instance that which is called the humble petition , and advice presented to o. p. by the late parliament , that there may be a publick confession of faith made and recommended , as the publick profession , and also that none may speak or write against , under a penalty , but this image the lord hath by his immediate hand from heaven curst , and confounded them that would have founded it , before it ever came to be set up , ah silly silly , that ever they who should profess godliness , should so shame themselves and all their teachers , for the teachers are not agreed yet of their faith , so they have either no faith , or else many forms which is feigned , and in this they are not yet agreed , and so being out of the true faith , in which the saints had fellowship ; in the unity of the faith they are all in distraction , and confusion , head , and taile , in the jarr , in the strife about words , and a forme of words , and how many confessions and forms and images is there set forth , and people still ignorant of the mystery of faith which is held in a pure conscience , and wants that which is the evidence of things not seen , and wants that which should let people see him who is invisible , and oh how is people lost in the middest of these fayned , formall , divinations , and how are the rulers in most nations lost in the middest of their counsells , being gone from that which should be a terror to evill doers , and should be for the praise of them that do well . and what if all people in all nations were constrained under a penalty to hold such a form of words , and to consent to such a confession , doth this any more but make hypocrits , when a man is not first perswaded of those things in his mind by the spirit of truth , is this any more , but fainedness , how long hath the god of this world bl●nded the eyes of people , whole cities , townes , and countryes , because they have gotten a formall confession , made by a priest , who is out of christs doctrine , in the steps of the false prophets , and in the practice of the false apostles , and deceitfull workers , and when they have made a confession , or a catechism , as they call it , and hath gotten over the words , and can say them over , now judges they have faith , and are sound christians , when they are ignorant of the first principle or of faith towards god , and so are carried on in the mist of darkness , and ignorance , and knowes not yet repentance from dead workes . object . but some of the rulers , and potentates of the earth may say , we have not persecuted them for well doing , but for heresie , and blasphemy , and sowers of sedition , and because they have not submitted to obey our constitutions and lawes . ans. deceit hath never wanted a cover hitherto , neither hath or can the serpent want subtilty , for it s his nature by which he liveth : nabucadnezar made a law , that whosoever would not obey , should be cast into the furnace , and might not all his magistrates have said to shadrak , meshach , and abednego , that they were not subject to the kings decree , and therefore judge they suffered deservedly , and did not the jewes who were uncircumcised in heart say , when they took up stones to stone christ , we stone thee not for thy good work●s , but thou being a man maketh thy selfe god , and the jewes stoned paul , and stephen , and put peter , and iohn in prison , they said they were movers of sedition , and ring-leaders of sects , but the cheife preists and the false prophets , had allwayes their hands , in conspiring against the life of the just , but persecutors were ever blind , and yet were so conceited , that they saw , that they said to christ are we also blind , but the seed of falshood hath fitten as judge long , and hath laid the heritage of god wast , and hath set it selfe in gods temple as the true heir , and judged the heir not worthy to live , and thousands of thousands have been put to cruell deaths , and a numberless number hath suffered since the apostles dayes , and since the apostacy came in , yet these which have done these things would be called christian magistrates , and ministers of justice , and those teachers who have called to the rulers to punish such as hereticks , and seducers , they would be counted the ministers of christ , and such nations who are out of the life , they would be counted holy . oh nay , christ came not to destroy mens lives , but to save them , and all you rulers in all nations , who goes under the name of christendom , who are upon the earth , and all you teachers that are therein , whose actions and lives , doctrines , and principles , and practices , are contrary to the life of righteousness , and contrary to the doctrine of christ and the practice of the holy men of god , you are all out of christs nature , and out of the divine nature , in the dragons natu●e , and in the corrupt nature , in the nature in which all the disobedient and the rebellious are in , who are heires of wrath and eternall vengeance , therefore repent ye of your iniquity , and tremble before the lord god of heaven and earth , who is roreing from his dwelling place , and uttering forth his dreadfull voice , at the sound thereof all nations shall fear , and be astonished , and the fenced cities , in which you dwell , shall be horribly afraid . behold the time of restoring , is come , and coming , and the year of gods controversy with sions enemies is aproching near you , and he who sits and judges in righteousness , hath shewed himselfe , will rule over the heathen as with a rod of iron , and will pour forth his plagues upon all the families of the earth , that calls not upon his name , but despises it , and tramples upon it , the earth is filled with violence , cruellty and opression , yea it is broken forth as a flood , and the nations is covered with unrighteousness , as with a garment , the beast hath exercised his power , and hath overcome and prevailed long over the heritage of god , and the mountain of the lords house is made desolate , all is void and without form , deceit inthroned , truth trampled upon , judgement turned backward , and the devill reignes a king , equity hath found no place , mercy is shut out of doores , cruelty is entertained , temperance and moderation hath no residence , lust , uncleanness , excess , riotousness , and wantoness , is loved as though it were the way to eternall felicity , pride , hipocrisie , and dissimulation is taken pleasure in , sobriety and meekness hath no dwelling place , but is thrown aside , folly and madness is set up as the greatest wisdome , and the wisdome which is from above counted the greatest folly ; the fear of the lord is slighted , gods pure law thrown behind their backes , the nations and the people therein are compassed about with darkness as a wall , and with ignorance as a curtaine , and with blindness as with a strong fence , they are situated in the region of death , and at the side of the pit , and yet saith no evill shall come near us , nor sorrow touch our tabernacle , and is in a dead sleep of security , wrapt up in the slumber of iniquity , involved in utter darkness , folded up in the deep pit of ignorance ; and desires not the knowledge of wisdome , neither to walk in her path , but her way is grievous unto them , and the eye lid of the morning is unto them as the shadow of death . nevertheless he that weighes all things in an even ballance , before whom all nations are but as the drop of a bucket , he is appearing in his power , and thundring from his holy place , who will make the nations shake as an olive leafe , and the isles tremble before him , who is uttering forth his voice as the sound of many waters , which shall make all the potentates , and mighty of the earth bow , the eye-lids of the morning is opened , and the sun is rising to his height , and the darke aire is scattering by the breath of his mouth , and so all things shall appear in the earth as they are , and every thing under the face of the heaven shall be brought to light , and all the powers of darkness discovered , and the workes , and workers of iniquity shall no longer be hid , but shall be discovered by the light of the sonne of god , and shall be judged and cendemned by the life of righteousness , and blessed are they who know a hiding place in him , when his overflowing scourge passeth over the nations which is already made ready to execute his judgement upon the heathen that know him not , oh who may abide his presence , when he appeares in his power and maj●sty and glory , all the ungodly of the earth , sha●l be as driven stubble before his bow , and shall fly before him , nevertheless the pursues shall overtake , and the destroyer shall lay hold upon them , and all the ungodly shall hear the sentence , go ye cursed from the presence of the lord into the pit of everlasting destruction . and when this day comes upon the nations , all your prophets , diviners and teachers , who are out of the life of christ , who have flattered you and told you , you were the higher power , and you must sit as judge in the things of the father , & lord it over the consciences of people , and prescribe the lord a way , and a limit in your several , nations , and dominions , they shall not be able to deliver themselves neither you , but the helper and the helped shall both fall together , the strengthener and the strengthened shall grow feeble , & their loines weake , so that they shall not be able to stand before him who is the higher power , and the greatest digni●y , who will rule over all usurpers , and over all the children of pride , the dragon , the beast and the false prophet , and teller of lies , shall have their portion in the lake that burns . then shall the ransomed of the lord , and the righteous seed , whom the nations have slain , and persecuted ; the prophets , and holy men of god , and all that have been slain for the testimony of iesus , rejoice over the deceit , and it shall be sung in that day , the lord god omnipotent reigneth , who will ascend above all principallities and powers , thrones and dominions , and tread down all under his feet that the earth may be filled with his glory , and behold he cometh quickly in a moment , and suddain destruction shall be upon his enemies , and the breath of his mouth shall make all melt away that hate the lord , and their remembrance shall rot for ever and ever . therefore oh all ye powers of the earth , who are the sons of fallen adam , whose power ariseth out of the earth , in which the devill dwells and the serpent fe●ds , who bear rule but not by the lord ; who sits as judges in the earth , and yet your judgment is from the earth , and from below , know this , you shall all be judged with the just ; and all your unrighteous decrees , lawes constitutions , ordinances , and edicts , which is made in the fallen wisdome , you and they both together will be cast aside as a thing of nought , and must all be judged with the just , therefore repent and turn to the lord of heaven and earth , that you may know his righteouss judgment set up in your hearts , and the spirit of in justice and error purged out of your hearts , or else you judge not for god , for all the lawes , constitutions , and ordinances , which are made in the fallen principle , and fallen wisdome , to have all these in the head or in the memory , so that he may act in a nation or kingdome , according to the letter of a law prescribed in a nation ; that doth not at all make a man an able minister of justice or a magistrate for god for the root being unholy and corrupt and erronious , from whence those lawes were given forth , the branches is unholy also , the ground being corrupt , the tree bad , the fruit is bad also , and so all nations who are degenerate from the life of god , their lawes and constitutions doth alwayes imbondage the regenerate ; so the heart being deceitfull and unrighteous , such lawes proceeds forth which doth oppress the upright in heart , and all , or most of the lawes in all nations , are received by tradition from generation to generation , since the scattering of israell , who received the law from gods own mouth by the hand of moses a magistrate of the lord , and a judge over israell ; and so heapes of decrees , statutes , and ordinances there is in the nations which doth not answer that of god in the conscience of every man , and so that which is pure of god in the conscience of every one cannot be subject to those lawes and tradi●ions , but rather suffers , as many thousands have done , cruell deaths , and great oppression all this dark time of antichrist reign , and of the beast in all nations since the apostacy ; and death raigning over all the sonnes of the first adam , in the transgression , death hath breathed forth it self upon the face of the earth , for sin entering and death by sinne it rules in the heart , and exerciseth his power which stands in unrighteousness , and so all mankind in all their acting , can do nothing for god but against him ; and against his people who are redeemed out of the region of death , and so all law-givers , and law-makers , and lawes which stands in the will of man , and in the unrighteous principle , will the second adam , the lord from heaven , the restorer of mankind utterly overthrow , abolish and take away their power , for the law-giver shall come out of sion ; who ever in all nations , that ever come to see him must see him come from thence , whose appearance shall be as a lamp that burnes , and he shall change the customes and the times and the lawes , and overthrow all them that stands in the curse , for he shall lead out of death , and out of its path ; and from under the law of sin and death , that all that heares him and comes to be subject to his law , shall deny all those lawes in the very ground , and bear their testimonie against them , which stands in that nature , that transgresseth the life , and therefore give ear all nations , and all emperors kings , monarkes , lord , iudges , and rulers of the earth , in all nations he is come and coming , whose right it is to judge the earth in righteousness , and the people with equity , even he unto whome all judgment is committed , and he hath appeared as the sonne of god in the north region of the world in power and majesty and great glory , and hath made the mountaines me●t before him , and he hath dried up all the springs of babylon , and hath made the cedars bow ; and made the trees of the forrest to shake ; and the sturdy oakes hath he cut up by the rootes ; and turned a pleasant land into a wilderness , and hath made the wilderness to blossome , and hath changed the customes allready , and hath broken deaths covenant , and hath overthrown the mighty men , yea even the horse and his rider , and hath taken off their chariot wheeles in the day of battail , and it hath been a dreadfull day and a sore slaughter , as in the dayes of gibea , or as in the valley jehos●phat and a sorrowfull day hath come , and great mourning , as hadadrimmon in the valley of megiddo , for one post hath met another , and the news hath been , babylon is taken at both ends , and he hath over-run the multitude of egypt , and trampled upon them , as the prancing of horses in battel , so that the mighty are fallen by him , and the strong hath not been able to help themselves against him who hath come as one that trod the winepress , and now hath overturned the powers of death , hell and the grave , and hath broken deathes covenant , and will put an end to all changeable lawes , and hath and will establish his law which indures for ever & ever : and now heare , all that are left unspoyled are angry , and all that worship the beast , are left unslain , blasphemes him and speakes evi●l of his name , and of his wondrous workes which he hath done in t●is day , as in the land of egypt , and in the fields of zoan ; for he hath turned the waters into blood , and hath cut all the fresh springs , and hath slain the first-born of egypt , at which pharaoh and all his wise men , and all the egyptians are angry , and still resists the lord , till they will , with the rest who have resisted him , be swallowed up of the deep . and now oh nations , who are scituated under the whole face of the heaven , he is coming up against you as a giant refreshed with wine , and shall run his course , and none shall be able to stop his way , and shall come as israel , after the slaughter of edom , with their garments red ; and he travails in the greatness of his strength , and shall make all nations desolate , who have given their power to the beast , and will break their covenants , and throw down your traditions which are heathenish , and he is bringing a handfull out of the north country , who have been eye-witnesses of his power , majesty , and glory , and of his noble acts , and though but a handfull , yet they are blessed , and his increase shall be great , for they shall subdue nations , and kings shall be tributary to them , and they shall be his witnesses to the ends of the world , and shall publish his righteousness from generation to generation , & bear their testimony of him , who lives for ever and ever , who is the lord of heaven and earth , our righteousness ; who hath broken open the seals of the deep , and hath made the springs of life to flow forth as though it issued out of a wombe ; by which his little ones are refreshed and grow in strength , honour , and glory to him in the highest , whose judgements are just , holy , pure and equall for ever and ever : oh who can stand before him , who hath uttered forth his voice before his camp , and its very great , devouring fire is before him , and it is tempestuous round about him , and his sword devoures much flesh , and all the ungodly shall be slain , heaps upon heaps , so that there shall be none left to bury the dead : a glorious high throne hath he erected , and he sits thereon , and judges in righteousness , even he before whose face the heaven and the earth shall fly away , and the sea be dried up , oh who can dwell with d●vouring fire , who can dwell with everlasting burning , who can stand when he appears , when he draws out his sword of justice all nations shall grow pale , and all the rulers feeble , and the warriour shall not find his hands in the day of batta●l , when they encounter with the almighty , for his sword shall be fatted with slaughter , and all nations who resist shall become soked with blood . oh he is dreadfull , who can stand when he appears , who is a consuming fire , therefore all rulers in nations , and potentates of the earth , feare and dread his holy name , and bow unto his righteous scepter , least you be cut off , and perish with the rest of the uncircumcised , who have resisted him , and go down into the nethermost hell for ever ; for assuredly the day of your fanning and trying is near , arme your selves , put on your armour , see if you be able to stand in the day of the lord . oh , nay you will all be as dust before the whirl-wind , and shall be scattered in the fierce anger of the lord , and all your changeable laws , constitutions , customs , and traditions , which is brought forth from the changeable principle , which is gone out from the life , and all your turning of th●ngs upside down , shall be as the potters clay , for he unto whom the eternall being hath committed all judgement , which he hath appointed to judge in righteou●ness is appearing , and come , and coming , who si●s as a refiners fire , and sits as judge among the gods , who will not give his glory and honour to any other . and so all you that b●are rule and not by him , who is the true light which in●ightneth every man that cometh into the world your p●wer other is from another , even from him who is 〈…〉 with the light , for by me saith the l●rd k●ngs rule , and princes decree justice , and such as were obedient un●o his righteous law written in their hearts ; as david , solomor , jehosaphat , ezekiah , and the rest of the holy kings and princes , who were guided by that which was just & unchangeable , they ruled by his power and decreed justice , and answered that which was just in every mans conscience , which is one with that power in which they ruled , and from whence they acted , and so a terrour they became to none , but evil doers , who were out of the power , and out of the truth , and in that nature which stood up against that powers by which the princes decreed justice , and so with the power of god , all these rulers , and rules , and governments , which is not according to the power of the just god , is to be abolished at the coming of him , whose day shall come , and in his power and glory he shall appear , which shall darken and dazell , extirpate , and utterly destroy all , root and branch together , who is out of his power and against it , so there shall be a very great overturning , such as hath not been from the beginning , neither shall be ever hereafter . and then shall the restorer be seen , who shall restore the earth into its first purity , and there shall be judges as at the first , and counsellers as at the beginning ; then shall the earth injoy her rest , and the nations their sabaoth , for the lord of glory hath considered it , and he hath listened , and a great cry is heard out of all nations , of the poor , and of the opressed , and of his creatures which he hath made , how they have been chopped to pieces , as flesh for the pot , and ground to dust as though they had not been gods workmanship , and his seed in al● nations hath been held in great captivity ; whose sighes , groanes and tears hath pierced through the clouds , and is entered to the throne of god , who is now arising to plead the cause of the poor and the needy , and now woe to the world , and to all them that have borne rule , but not by the lord . an advertisment to all the rulers upon earth , there is one onely god , the creator and the bringer forth of all things , whose way is equal , and whose judgements are just , whose law is righteous , whose statutes are pure , answering his own pure witness in every man under the face of heaven in all nations upon the earth , so as every man in all nations upon the earth comes to own gods pure witness in himself , placed by the lord ; he shall be made to confess unto the righteous acting of those rulers who rule in righteousness , by the righteous law of god ; but where any ruler is not ruled himself , by that which is pure of god which condemneth self , and self-actings in himself , he bears rule , but not in gods dominion , and so layes yoaks upon a nation , country or people , to make all submit to his will , decrees , and ordinances , and to deny that which is pure of god in themselves , and then joyns to his deceit , and thus iniquity gets head , and is set up as a rule , and the law of god , both in the ruler , and the ruled , is throwne behind their back , and so deceit leadeth , and the changeable mind acteth it self out in every thing that it hath to do withall ; and so tyranie and opression spreads over a whole nation , and the just suffers in it . and hence it is that there are so many several laws , ordinances and constitutions , and traditions , and customs among men in many nations and countreys , and regions , one differing from another , and heaps of confusion , that hardly in any nations , or few in a nation knows what is law , there is so much variableness , and changeableness amongst the lawmakers , one while setting up , another while pulling down , and as deceit advanceth it self in any particular ruler , then there must be a law made , and a penalty upon the non-performance , as death , banishment , tortering , whipping , racking , prisonment , fining , to the utter destruction of many ; and all the ground of this is because the rulers are gone from that of god in themselves , and then acts in their own wills , and by their craft and deceit which stands in the ground , which is cursed , and calls this christian pollicy and wisdom , and cruelty becomes a law , and the devil keeps his dominion in the earth , and deceit gets a cover and hides it self now it was not so from the beginning ; for as god is one , and his name one , his law is one , which is pure and equal , and unalterable , and indures for ever and ever . now man being made in gods own image , answered the pure law of god , and being gods image was one with the law , and the law was not against him , but was his life and joy , and he had power to obey it ; for he was of its own nature , for as god is pure and holy , and the image which he brought forth man in was pure and holy , and that which was mans guide and rule was pure and holy , here was unity and purity , and he that created , and man that was created was in unity , and then there was no woe , no condemnation , no sorrow , no death , no tribulation , nor anguish , nor wrath , revealed against man who was the image of god , and he stood in the dominion of god , and had dominion over that which was contrary , here was no tyranie , here was no cruelty , no prisons , no envie , no persecution , no killing nor destroying , no defrauding , no jarre , no strife , no devouring , but all gods creation at unity , and man at unity with god , being partakers of his dominion , whereby all the earth was in order , and in that wisdom which changed not , and here man had dominion and power , and ruled in gods authority , and was guided by the higher power , and while he was subject to it , death had no power over him ; now this was before sin entered , and before death entred , & before enmity had appeared in the earth , but now was the lord king and law-giver , and judge , who ruled in righteousness , and man being subject to him , there was no law against him , nor no guilt of any thing , for transgression was not known in the earth , and there was no curse , but all was in unity and peace , no changeableness , but all was in the covenant , all the workmanship of his hand was united unto him , and all that he had made was blessed , and all the creation were partakers of his blessedness , and all stood in the covenant , by which every creature received power , virtue and dominion , here was one mind , and here was no double , no variation , no mutation , nor change , but the dominion of the everlasting god was felt , which indures for ever and ever , and any other thing was not seen in the earth , but man crowned with honour , dominion and dignity , wherein could be nothing but rejoycing , and pure peace and joy , now no evill was known , neither was there any such thing , but goodness possessed the whole earth , and righteousness breathed forth it self in all things in the circumference thereof , and all the works of his hends pleased him , and man made partakers of his pleasure , and was accepted , and not rejected , thus in part i have shewed unto you the state of the earth , and of mankind , and the glory of gods creation , and the blessedness thereof , but if i could declare unto the whole world , from years end , to years end , i should fall short , and words would be wanting , to express the felicity and happiness in which man was brought forth in , neither shall any be able to see into those things , or to declare certainly of those things , who come not beyond time , to him who is eternal , who gave them a being . but after man had taken of the tree of knowledge of good and evill , and had eate of the fruit thereof ; and consented to the beguiler , and to the serpent , sin entered , and death by sin , man lost his dominion , and became subject to another , and another had power over him , and now the course of nature was set on the fire of hell , the curse entered , and man dead while he lives ; and in that day he eate did die , and death breathed forth it self in the earth ▪ and cain is brought forth in his own image , to wit , in the image of him who was gone out of gods dominion , and he became a murderer , and slew him that was accepted of god , and here appeared now the enmity , and its life was to destroy , and to murder , and to kill abell , who believed and offered up a sacrifice , and cain offered in the unbelief , and was not accepted , so abell who was just lived by faith , but cain who was in the envie and in the wrath , this life was death to him and to his nature , and so all who are out of the faith , are dead while they live . now after the transgression in process of time , when the seed of fallen adam began to increase in the earth , being driven out from the presence of the lord ; they spread over the whole earth , and sought many inventions being gone from that of god in themselves , by which they were united unto him , having broken his covenant , and joyned in covenant with death , death acts forth it self against the seed , which is not of its nature , and alwaies sought to imbondage it , and to kill it as cain did abell , and esau , jacob , and ismael did unto isaack and unto his seed . now the seed unto which the promise was received , the law from the mouth of the lord , and they that persecuted the seed , invented , and made laws of their own , according to that nature in which they lived , and so became heathenish in their fashions , and laws , and customs , and cruelty grew up as it was nourished , and leavened into its own nature , and unbelief grew into a mighty stature , and monsters was brought forth in such a strange shape in every thing , that the enmity did appear in , as had not been seen in the earth before , and and so man being gone astray from the life of righteousness , every thing is abominable , and of a stranger nature , that he brings forth : yet take notice of this , that as the seed unto which the promise was who were in the faith , and obeyed through faith , they had a law , so they in unbelief had also a law , as the seed worshipped the living god , through a lively and a living faith , and so sinned not in so doing , the seed of the serpent imitated a worship , and worshipped in death and unbelief , and as the laws of one was equal , such as david and solomon , the other was unequal , such as jeroboam and rehoboam , and as the one set up equity by a law , the other made a law to set up iniquity . and the seed , they sought not their own honour , but the honour of him who was their reward , but the seed of the evil doer sought himself and his own honour , and as the spirit of the lord breathed forth it self , and spoke the truth in the power of god , deceit uttered forth lies in hypocrisie , and in the power of death , and as the upright lived unto god in the spirit , deceit lived unto the flesh , and unto him who hath the power of death , which is the devill , and as they fulfilled the law of god , who were led by his holy spirit of god into all truth , the other followed their own imaginations , and answered the deceit and foolish mind , and they whose understanding was darkened loved them , and had pleasure in them . so it may be truly said , many nations , rulers and ruled sit in the region of the shaddow of death ; and the living god is forgotten among them , & one against another , they are seeking one anothers ruine , & all in the violence , & in the cruelty . therefore all rulers and potentates of the earth , magistrates and governours under the whole face of heaven , hearken unto the words of my mouth , and listen unto understanding , that you may be partakers of the happiness and felicity which god is shedding abroad , now in the latter dayes , that so the restorer you may know in your regions , and the deliverer in your nations , and the maker up of the breach in your dominions , that he who is the desire of all nations may be revealed among you . he which must restore is not born of man , nor cometh not to a people or a nation , in the will of man , neither seeks he himself , but the glory of the father , who hath sent him to seek , and to save that which is lost , and to heale the breaches , and to destroy that which hath made the breach , that so all nations who receive him , & believe in him , may be reconcil'd unto him , and one to another ; that the earth may injoy rest & the regions quietness ; therefore all be warned not to look forth in your wils , for there you will not receive him , but slight him , as many before you have done , and so lie down in sorrow , and weary your selves in vanity , and lie down in infamy , and never come to see his dignity . now he , of whom i declare unto you , is the son of god , who is the light of the world , and the life of man , and hath lightened every man that cometh into the world , which light wherewith all men are inlightned is not contrary to the law of god which indures for ever , but one with it , and this will let you see , violence , treachery , murder , envie , wrath , maliciousness , drunkeness , whoredom , lying , cursed speaking , stealing , defrauding , cheating , cosening , rioteousness , pride , arogancy , emulation , contention , strife , hatred , persecution , cruelty , opression , i say the light which comes from christ by whom the world was made , will shew you that all these things is sin and evil in the sight of god , and also will let you see there is a ground from whence these , and all other evils proceed , which ground is in all the sons of men in the transgression , till it be removed , and these things before mentioned , be the fruits that grows from it , and buds forth themselves in all nations , and in every man in every nation , so the earth is filled with violence , and the grapes are as sodom , & the fruit as gomorrah , whom god overthrew , and till these things be done away , and these fruits wither , and the root from whence they arise be removed out of every particular man who is a ruler , he cannot be a blessing to a nation , neither rule for god in a nation , neither will he or can he be a terrour to all these things before mentioned . while he himself is in those , for he cannot destroy his own life , neither will iniquity set up righteousness , nor the worker of iniquity advance christ . therefore listen to the words of my mouth , and despise not counsell , least you perish among fools , and go down to the horrible pit , where there is everlasting misery unto all perpetuity . now god that made both heaven and earth , and all things that therein are ; he is light , and with him is no darkness at all , he never changes his purity ; nor alters his righteous decrees , his eye is pure , and alwaies fixed to behold all the works of the sons of men , and he searches the heart of man with his eye , and pierceth through the secret places , and is near to every man , although man do not see him , he is invisible , and eternal , and his law indures for ever , and the unalterable decree , by which sin is judged and reproved in the world , and in every particular man , and every man who hearkens and hears the words of the pure law , which judges all sin in man , receiveth the sentence of death in himself , and is judged by the righteous words of his mouth , and so sin in the particular comes to be condemned , and all these changeable things is trodden under foot , which is acted and brought forth from the changeable mind of man , and so all laws , constitutions and decrees , which is made in the will of man , comes to be thrown down by his righteous law which proceeds out of the mouth of the righteous god , who is light , and so as his unchangeable and unalterable decree comes to be set up in every particular ruler , & governour , and himself judged with the just , he comes to bear his rule for the just , and answers that which is just in every man , and no longer can he act against well doing , but is a leader , and an incourager of it in all , and is a terrour to the unjust , and so comes to know the dominion again which man lost through disobedience and transgression . now all you powers of the earth , wait that you may come to see that , & feel it revealed in your selves , to wit the law of god from the mouth of god , that so you following it , sin may be judged in your selves , & you come to know the one lord the lawgiver which leads man back out of sin , & transgression by his son whom he hath sent into the world , that all men through him might believe in the father , & be restored out of sin & transgression unto life eternal , where death hath no entrance , & so all who waits upon the light of the son of god , and is obedient to it , they come to feel his power and his decree which cannot alter its property or verity , , & all who comes to be guided by it , you will come to see that which unites you unto god , & one nation to another , in the covenant of god! oh that all your eyes were opened , that you might see that which belongs to your peace & the well being of all nations , that so the power of the flock might be refreshed among you , and this i speak unto you , a change must be witnessed in your selves , before you will cease acting in the changeable mind , now the time draws near , the lord will try you , for the earth must be left without excuse , and he will have all warned , for god will no longer be limited , and therefore take heed how you gainsay any or resist any , vvho may declare unto you the counsell of god , and cause them not to be persecuted or hurt , but all be calme and moderate , and learn vvisdom from above , from him vvho hath inlightned you , that you may come to deny your selves , and follovv him vvho condems all self actings , and self vvill in man , and all customs , lavvs , and worships , & traditions , that is made in the vvill of man , that so he unto vvhom all povver is committed may be feared , and vvorshipped in spirit , in life , truth and righteousness , that so all sedition , rebellion , treachery and unrighteousness may be cleansed out of the earth , and that all quarrelling , fighting , contention may end ; and people come out of that vvhich the svvord is against , that so the svvords may be beat into plovvshares , and the spears into pruning hooks , that so violence may be done avvay , and cruelty , svvept out of the nations , that the dominion of god may be set over all , and his truth advanced above all , that the kingdoms of the world may become the lords , & his christs ; and blessed are they that stoop unto his scepter , vvho judges the nations in righteousness , and the people vvith equity , who is the salvat●on of all his people for evermore , and a hiding place in the day of trouble . london , the . of the . moneth , . the end . the visitation of the rebellious nation of ireland. and a warning from the lord proclaimed, to all the inhabitants thereof, to make their peace with him before hislong [sic] suffering come to an end. with a lamentation over its unfruitfulnes and rebellion after so many visitations. and an exhortation to all the honest hearted, to meet the lord by repentance, while the patience of the lord continues. or the sealing of the lords testimony unto all sorts of people in that land, by his servants, after their several months sore labours, and travells, and sufferings therein, who loved not their lives for the seeds sake. also some particular papers, written in that nation, to severall sorts of people. i. a warning, to the heads, and rulers, and people of dublin. ... vii. an invitation to all the poor desolate souldiers, to repent, and make their peace with the lord, and their duty shewed them, what the lord requires of them. by them who are sufferers, for the seeds sake; waiting for the building of distressed sion: f.h. e.b. howgill, francis, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (thomason e _ ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h thomason e _ estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; :e [ ]) the visitation of the rebellious nation of ireland. and a warning from the lord proclaimed, to all the inhabitants thereof, to make their peace with him before hislong [sic] suffering come to an end. with a lamentation over its unfruitfulnes and rebellion after so many visitations. and an exhortation to all the honest hearted, to meet the lord by repentance, while the patience of the lord continues. or the sealing of the lords testimony unto all sorts of people in that land, by his servants, after their several months sore labours, and travells, and sufferings therein, who loved not their lives for the seeds sake. also some particular papers, written in that nation, to severall sorts of people. i. a warning, to the heads, and rulers, and people of dublin. ... vii. an invitation to all the poor desolate souldiers, to repent, and make their peace with the lord, and their duty shewed them, what the lord requires of them. by them who are sufferers, for the seeds sake; waiting for the building of distressed sion: f.h. e.b. howgill, francis, - . burrough, edward, - . [ ], p. printed for giles calvert at the west end of pauls., london : . consists of several items signed by francis howgill and edward burrough. annotation on thomason copy: "may ". reproduction of the original in the british library. eng society of friends -- doctrines -- early works to . ireland -- history -- - -- early works to . a r (thomason e _ ). civilwar no the visitation of the rebellious nation of ireland.: and a warning from the lord proclaimed, to all the inhabitants thereof, to make their howgill, francis c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - elspeth healey sampled and proofread - elspeth healey text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the visitation of the rebellious nation of ireland . and a warning from the lord proclaimed , to all the inhabitants thereof , to make their peace with him before his long suffering come to an end . with a lamentation over its unfruitfulnes and rebellion after so many visitations . and an exhortation to all the honest hearted , to meet the lord by repentance , while the patience of the lord continues . or the sealing of the lords testimony unto all sorts of people in that land , by his servants , after their several months sore labours , and travells , and sufferings therein , who loved not their lives for the seeds sake . also some particular papers , written in that nation , to severall sorts of people . i. a warning , to the heads , and rulers , and people of dublin . ii. an information to the heads , and the ground of the law laid down to the judges , and justices , and to all that handle the law through that nation . iii. an exhortation sent to the chiefe commander and his councell , and the just cause of the innocent laid before them . iv. the unjust suffering of the just declared , and their appeal to the just witnesse of god in all mens consciences . v. a challenge to the priests of dublin , to try their god , and their ministry , and their worships . vi . a discovery of the idoll dumb shepheards in that nation , and a lamentation over their starved , and strayed flocks . vii . an invitation to all the poor desolate souldiers , to repent , and make their peace with the lord , and their duty shewed them , what the lord requires of them . by them who are sufferers , for the seeds sake ; waiting for the building of distressed sion : f. h. e. b. london : printed for giles calvert at the west end of pauls . . the visitation of the rebellious nation of ireland . alas , alas , woe is me for thee thou desolate nation of ireland , thou art to be pittied , and lamented , because of thy backslidings , and rebellion against the lord , thou abounds in iniquity , and thy transgressions cannot be numbred . o thou art a fruitlesse habitation , and barren of righteousnesse , and mercy , and true judgement ; even from the head to the taile , thou art corrupted , and thy wickednesse is marked before the lord : thy rulers , and teachers , and people , are all gone out of the way , and are disobedient children , having backslided from the pure wayes of the lord god , a deceitfull heart is found among them , and a lie is in their hand ; even the best of men are as a bryar , and the most upright among men sharper then a thorn hedge ; a cursed seed hath taken root in thee , and fruit of a cursed tast is abundantly sprung forth ; thou art turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto god , and are become abominable in his eye ; thy vines brings forth a soure grape , and the lords soule hath no delight therein ; thou art altogether untilled , and thy flowers gives an ill smell ; thy inhabitants have set themselves to doe wickednesse , they imagine mischiefe upon their beds and brings it forth in the morning , cruelty is their weapon against the innocent , and hard heartednesse is their defence against the upright . woe is me for thee thou desolate nation , who hath rejected the counsell of the lord , and neglected the day of thy visitation , wherein the lord would have gathered thee , but thou wouldst not ; how often hath the lord spoken unto thee , and thou wilt not hear his call ? by judgement hath he spoken , and by mercy hath he drawn , but thou refusest to returne , and wilt not be reclaimed , but continues in thy rebellion against the lord , and forgets the work of his hand , in ages and generations past ; even since the beginning hast thou been a land of wickednesse , and a people of a cursed seed , drinking up iniquity as an oxe that drinks up water , and fild up the measure of transgression , till the lord was forced in grievous judgements to deale with thee , even his wrath in a day broke forth upon thee , and the fire of indignation was kindled in thee , and thy princes were cut off in fury , and thy inhabitants fell by the plague and sword in great numbers , and thou was given up to be a prey to thy enemies in thy treasures , and the cruell hearted took the spoyle , thou wast laid levell in the dust of deep misery and confusion , and thy lamentation and sorrow was heard among the nations , and the stroke of the lords hand was heavy upon thee , and his judgements was just upon thy head , and he gave no rest unto thee for many years , but thou wast as a trembling leafe and as a forsaken bough , and thou wast made desolate and comfortlesse , and misery girded thee about , and then thy stout heart was brought down into sorrow when the lord contended with thee ; but now thou hast ease from thy bitternesse , and a day of rest from thy sore trouble , yet hast thou forgotten the day of thy distresse , and art againe more abundantly exalted , and thy sins are much more encreased , the pride of thy heart is become equall with sodome , and thy transgressions are encreased to her number and thy rebellion against the lord is grown more high , and through mercies and deliverance art thou waxen fat , and now thou kicks against the lord , and in thy heart sayes , who is he ? o when wilt thou consider , what the lord hath wrought ? when wilt thou call to minde his just and righteous dealing ? who hast forgotten the day of thy former visitation , and is becoming more vile in the sight of the lord , by thy secret hypocrisie of deceitfull profession , then thou wast in thy open prophanesse , when thou layest naked in thy open sins . o desolate nation , the lord once and againe hath stretched forth his hands unto thee , in pitty for thee , and he sent his servants and witnesses to warn thee of these thy transgressions , and to call upon thee to awake thee out of thy carelesnesse , and he gave thee a glorious day of visitation , and free tenders of salvation , wherein thou mightst have made thy peace with him , and repent thee of thy sin ; and his servants were faithfull in thee , and lamented over thee , and gave themselves to be spent for thee , and gladly suffered the reproach of the heathen , and the cruelty of the wicked , that thereby thou mightst be reclaimed out of thy rebellion and wickednesse , and they gave their back to the smiter , and loved not their life unto death , nor prized not their liberty unto bonds , but diligently in sufferings , and labours , and perplexities , called unto thee , and through thy townes and cities proclaimed the visitation and message of the lord concerning thee , and was accounted as sheep for the slaughter , that they might finish their testimony to the gathering of thee , but thou wouldst not , but hast to this very day stopped thy eare from counsell , and hardned thy heart against reproofe , and contemned the day of thy visitation , and hereby added to thy measure of wickednesse in dealing cruelly with the lords servants , who rewarded them evill for good , and entreated them shamefully , and laid thy hand of oppression upon them , and rejected their message of glad tidings , and would not be instructed in the way of the lord unto salvation , but gave heed unto the false visions of thy lying prophets , and took counsel against the lord of thy inchanters , & persecuted the faithfull by unjust imprisonments , and dealt wickedly with the lords chosen , and made unrighteous decrees in thy wrath , and sealed them in thy cruelty , and made a purpose in thy heart to root out the seed of jacob , and to lay wast the lords heritage . o ireland , hereby in the name of the lord ( thus far ) i seal my testimony in faithfulnesse unto thee , and binds up my many burdens , and travells , and reproaches , and tryalls , and sufferings in thee , in a few words , which is the word of the lord concerning thee . yee heads , and rulers , that sits upon the throne , repent , and turne to the lord , from whom you are grievously revolted by wofull backslidings , a grievous sin have you committed , a grosse sum of hainous abomination is recorded against you , the righteous god will meet you in his judgements , and once more will appear in the fire of indignation against you , and your mountains of pride , and vaine-glory , and selfe-exaltation , shall be layed wast , as your enemies were before you , and as you have thought to doe ( to root out the seed of jacob , and to spoyle the tender grapes of the lords vintage ) even so shall it be done unto you , and your destruction cometh as an armed man , and you cannot escape , nor fly to hide your selves , from the wrath that cometh , which is kindled already to devoure the pleasant palaces of your wicked hearts delight . woe is me for you ; you that are exalted upon your mountaine of ease and liberty , having forgotten the rock from whence you are hewn , who were raised out of weaknesse to reprove the mighty , and gives not glory to the lord , neither considers what he hath done for you , but are become ingratefull , and disobedient children , and of a double heart and tongue , professing liberty of the pure conscience , but living in corrupt fleshly bondage , oppressing the just , and slaying the holy one , and neglecting the cry of the innocent , having made your fingers as heavy as your fathers loynes ; the hand of the lord is against you , and his wrath will break out upon you , who strengthens the hand of evill doers , and gives liberty in your dominions , unto the scum of the nations , to possesse your land in peace , and will not give place unto the seed of jacob , but fortifies your selves against him , and will not suffer him to inherit ; how full is your land of murderers , of drunkards , of lyars , and swearers , and of prophane persons , of sugitives , and vagabonds , and runnagades , who is protected by your law , to possesse in peace ? but in wrath have you turned your sword against the upright , and have made lawes to limit the spirit of the lord , and to uphold deceit . therefore repent of this your sin , who hath endeavoured to prevent the lord ; and humble your selves ye lofty , for the purpose of your hearts are broken , and a scattered seed remains in your dominions , which the lord will blesse , and which you cannot be able to suppresse , and as pricks in your eyes will it stand a witnesse against you in your hypocrisie , and cruelty , and the more ye lay yokes upon it , the more it will spring forth . therefore be wise ye rulers , and judges , and leave to imagine mischiefe , and lay your hands upon your mouths , and open them not any more , and turne in your minds to the light of christ jesus , wherewith you are enlightned , and it will let you see what you have done , and will set your sins in order before your eyes , and will justly reprove you , who have not done , as you would be done unto , but have cast the law of god behind your backs , and not regarded the call of equity , and if you love the light of christ it will change your mindes , and will bring you to repentance from sin unto god , and from the dominion of ●a●an unto the kingdome of christ jesus ; the light is your teacher if you love it , and will guide you in the wayes of god , but if you goe on in your wickednesse , it is your condemnation eternally , and shall seale to the justnesse of the judgements of god when they come upon you ; now you have time and a faire warning , prize the day of your visitation before the decree of vengeance be sealed against you , and repentance be hid from your eyes , lay it to heart , you are but men and not god , and your strength flesh and not spirit ; if you own the light it will manifest the will and counsell of the lord unto you , and give you power to act righteousnesse unto god , wherein you will be accepted ; consider , least you goe down to destruction , and there be none to deliver you . and unto all you that doe professe the name of the lord , and have got the forme of the saints worship in your imaginations , and have separated your selves into an outward conformity , without the power of righteousnesse brought forth in you , and would be called members of the church of all sects and sorts ; repent ye , of your hypocrisie , and stop your mouthes in the dust , for you are weighed in an equall balance , and are found wanting ; and are tryed by the searcher of hearts , the light of the world , and are found corrupted ; deceitfull are you in the root , and cursed in your branch , of deep and secret hypocrisie , pride and coveteousnesse , and the love and glory of the world , and fleshly exaltation abounds among you , as branches of the root wherein you grow ; and how can you bring forth good fruit out of your cursed ground ? your knowledge is bruitish and vaine , and your outward conformity is a wearinesse to the lord ; for you are found fighters against him , and opposers of christ jesus , and denyers and contemners of his light , by which he hath lightned every man that comes into the world ; you stumble at the foundation and builds upon the sand , one of you building a wall , and another daubing it with untempred morter ; your hearts are not upright with the lord , but flatters your own soules ; which of you hath denyed the world for christ , or what have you laid down for him ? in your vaine imaginations you worship god ignorantly , making his commandements voyd through your transgressions . you stand in the cursed nature , alive to the world , following the vaine delights thereof , resisting the way of the lord , through your wisdome , which is foolishinesse with god , you have the profession of the scriptures in your naturall knowledge , but you are without the life thereof ; out of the unity of the one spirit of life in severall meanings , and opinions , which is death ; and in vaine conceits are you scattered upon the barren mountaines , where your soules are starved , and strayed , in the cloudy and dark day ; and you are devoured under your dumb idoll shepheards , who are in cains way of wickednesse , and in the steps of all the false prophets , and of the scribes and pharisees , fulfilling their measure of wickednes and persecution , against them is the wrath of god kindled to consume them as stubble ; they preach for hire , and they divine for money , and they seek for their gaine from their quarter , and they run , and was never sent , and you are not profited by them , but are ever learning , and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth . awake ye professors , god calls unto you , give eare unto his voyce , come out of babylon and turne unto sion , that her desolate places may be builded , you wander abroad in the darknesse , groping as blind men , your profession will wither , and all your knowledge will consume away , and your righteousnesse is abomnation to the lord , your praying god hates , and your oblations is a wearinesse to him , for you are in the enmity against god , and the serpents head is not bruised . come down ye cedars , who are exalted above the crosse of christ , and make not a cloak of the saints words to cover your unrighteousnesse ; grievous is your idolatry , who have painted your selves with the likenesse of the saints life , and bows to the image set up in your imaginations , drawing near god with your mouths , but with your hearts going after your coveteousnesse : repent , the day of the lord is coming upon all flesh , and meet the lord , and prepare his way ; and bow your heads you lofty oakes , who saith in your hearts you are the onely people , but your lying hearts deceives you , and you are found naked and without a covering . all ye that desire after the way of the lord , of all sorts of people who are simple and honest hearted , whether prophane or professor , you have a day of visitation from the lord , yet stretched forth unto you , come ye unto the lord , and forsake all your lovers , lay aside your evill hearts which hath led you aside from the way of salvation , and now learne the fear of the lord , which is the beginning of wisdome , and mind the one thing needfull , which is of great prize , even the salvation of your soules , presse after , and come out of the broad way of perdition , wherein the world goes on to destruction , and enter into the straight way , where the unclean walks not ; cease from all the deceitfull wayes and worships of the world , and love truth , and walk in simplicity . cease from all your idoll temples , for god dwells not in them , but his saints are his temples , wherein he dwells and walks : cease from all your idoll worships , and feigned prayers , and praises , for god is not worshipped in vaine traditions , as in observing dayes , and times , and outward things , but in spirit and truth is he worshipped , and such he seeks to worship him , and a broken spirit and an upright heart is accepted with him . cease from all your idoll shepheards , and priests of baal , that preaches for hire , and divines for money , and seeks for their gaine from their quarter , for they profit not the people at all , who are ever learning while they live upon earth , and none able to come to the knowledge of the truth : therefore cease from man , and wait upon the lord , who is now risen to teach his people by his spirit in his way of truth and righteousnesse , in his peace and purity , where his blessing is received from his presence , which is with all that fear him . therefore awake , awake , out of darknesse , and love not to slumber in the dark night , which long hath ruled over you ; this is the day of your returne , and of your visitation , wherein the lord would gather you ; therefore resist not the love of the lord , wherein he calls you to repentance from dead works to serve him in righteousnesse ; but every one turne your minds inward to the light of christ jesus , wherewith every one of you is lightned , which light is it which convinceth you of sin , and lets you see your evill deeds , and whom you have served , and how you have spent your time ; the light shines in darknesse , and reveals unto you the secret intents of your dark hearts , and doth secretly reprove the wicked purposes of your minds : with this light in your consciences , your sins are written , and all that ever you have done is recorded ; and this light shall be the swift witnesse , of the condemnation of the wicked , in the day of the lord ; and by it all your works will be brought to remembrance , and your sins will be set in order before you , to receive judgement by christ jesus : and here is the free love and gift of god unto you , who hath given you a light to guide you in his way ; if you own it , and wait in it , it will manifest the judgements of god against sin in you , and will condemn sin in your flesh , and will reveal the righteousnesse of god to be your covering ; if you dwell in the light , it is your teacher , and way unto life eternall , and if you bring all your deeds to it , it will reprove every evill word and work , and give you discerning of things that differ it will manifest the secretest deceit of your hearts , and the windings of the serpent , and will be judge thereof , till unrighteousnesse be taken away , and a birth brought forth from above , and born of another nature and seed , which if you be not born againe , you cannot enter into the kingdome of god . therefore in the fear of the lord all consider , and search your selves , in tender love to all your soules i write : you must be judged in the flesh , that you may be justified in the spirit , and you must be made poor , and emptied of all your knowledge , and wisdome , that you may be filled and made truly wise . so if you believe in christ jesus the light , and life , of the world , your hearts will be cleansed by the word of god , which endures for ever ; and the covenant of peace will be established with you , where sin is no more remembred , being condemned , so now you have all time , this is to you all a warning , as i was moved of the lord . repent , the dreadfull day is at hand , and meet the lord , by confessing and forsaking your sins , and prepare the way of the lord , his coming draweth near , least his judgements come upon you unawares , and his wrath sweep you away in fury , and your nation become more cursed then the rest : all your applying of christs righteousnesse , while your selves are sinners , is to no purpose , for no hypocrite can enter into life , nor none that works wickednesse , hath eternall life abiding in them , but are in the death , which hath passed over all men , and the curse remaineth upon the disobedient , and all in the first nature are children of wrath . therefore every one wait in the light , that you may be changed , and take up the daily crosse of christ , that your own wills , affections , lusts , and desires , may be crucified , and you may become dead to the world , and may live unto god , in his nature and likenesse , that your souls may be satisfied therewith ; and all that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse , shall be filled with the true food . therefore wait , all you that fear the lord , and meet together in his counsell , and wait for his law that you may walk therein , and lay aside the works of darknesse , which are made manifest by the light , and also condemned , in all that come to sion . spend not your time in the vaine deceits of the world , nor follow not the delights thereof , for according to your works must you be judged in the day of the lord . depart from iniquity , and all the works of the flesh , pride , and coveteousnesse , lying , swearing , and double-dealing , and all the fruits of unrighteousnesse , let them be judged , and let the time past be sufficient that you have wrought evill , and now returne , and work righteousnesse in god , by the light , which all that lovees , works in god . and deceive not your selves , with a deceitfull covering , of selfe making , and selfe righteousnesse , professing the scriptures in your carnall minds , which was given forth by the spirit , and is not understood , but by the same spirit ; while the first nature stands alive in you , you cannot please god , but is in the enmity against him : humble your selves , and come down to the light ▪ and search your hearts thereby . woe unto the lofty , and high minded , who will not be instructed , but hates reproofe . woe is unto all lyars , and swearers , and whoremongers , and vagabonds , and prophane persons ▪ such cannot inherit the kingdome of god , nor enter to within the gates of the city , but are to be troden in the wine-presse of the wrath of god for ever and ever . therefore awake , awake , ye carelesse and unbelieving , and fear and tremble ye children of disobedience , who hates the light , and loves your evill deeds , and upholds your false prophets , whom god never sent , and will not own the lord to be your teacher , the light in your conscience is your condemnation , for this is the condemnation of the world , that light is come , and men hates it . so be you warned all people , the day of the lord is at hand , and now he calls , therefore hear his voyce , and hearken to his light , which is of christ , which onely is needfull to salvation ; and there is no other name given for salvation . and if you will not hear and receive this day of visitation , which in love appears unto you , you shall hear in the day of visitation of vengeance ; and behold the lord comes quickly , make straight his pathes ; the light is your teacher if you love it ; and your condemnation if you have it . written from london , to go abroad in the nation of ireland , as a visitation to all sorts of people , and is the sealing of the lords testimony unto that land , as moved of the lord , in love , and pitty , to lost soules , by edw : burrough . a warning to the heads , and rulers , and people of dublin . hear the word of the lord oh ye inhabitants of the city of dublin , ye rulers , and magistrates , governours , collonels , captains , and souldiers , and all ye people of the city , and ye inhabitants of the land of ireland , my word is to you all , saith the lord . oh thou city of dublin , in the day of thy calamity , when sorrow , fear , paine and tribulation was upon thee , when thou was compassed about with adversaries , who cryed ah , ha ! we will make thee as a plaine , and as a wildernesse , as we have done the rest of the nation : and they said in their hearts none should be able to deliver you out of their hands , but said , we will cut off and destroy at once , that our selves may be exalted ; i the lord who changes not , was as a fortresse , and as a bulwark about thee , and made thy heart couragious against them , and delivered thee out of their hands , even from a people whose hands was full of blood , and whose mercies were cruelty , and whose hearts were hardned against me , and had sould themselves to work evill in my sight , and counted it their glory to despise my name , and to abhor all righteousnesse in their hearts : and in that day when they opened their mouths wide , as a leviathan , to swallow thee up , and make thee a heap of stones , and a desolation ; then i made thy walls as iron , and thy gates as brasse , and thy batteries strong , and guarded thee , and compassed thee about with my strength , and i made thy face as an adamant against them , and delivered thee by my out-stretched arme , and by my power , out of their hands , and brake the teeth of thy enemies , and put a hook in their jawes , and brake them before thee as a potters vessell , and powred out my indignation against them as a flood , and my wrath as a stream swept them all away , and i gave their carkases to fall by the sword , and for the fowles of the aire to feed upon , and hath made them perish in my wrath , and cut them off in my sore displeasure , and made their names stink in the nations , and their princes are cast out as a withered branch , and are perished with the uncircumcised , and their glory and renown is turned into reproach and everlasting infamy , and are rotten and become as dung and as mire to tread upon in the streets . therefore thus saith the lord unto thee oh dublin , and to thy inhabitants o nation of ireland , take heed and beware least thou be lifted up in thy heart , and say , my hand hath done all this , but give glory and honour to me , saith the lord , who am the god of the living , who dwells in the light ; and now beware that the same root of bitternesse spring not up in thee , as did in them whom i cast out before you . and oh you rulers and heads of the people , i have sent to try you , and this i require of you , doe justice , love righteousnesse , and ease the oppressed , and take heed of seeking your selves , and your own honour , and glory , and renown in the earth , nor lord it not over your brethren , who have born a part of your suffering , and the nations , in the heat of the day : lift not up your selves as the gentile lords whom i cast out , who exercised dominion one over another , and did grind the face of their brethren , and made them as slaves , and intreated them shamefully ; and because of this i cast them out , and hath given their dominion to others , and their houses and lands you possesse , which you builded nor planted not . now therefore take heed unto your selves , and be of a perfect heart before me ; for my righteousnosse is to be revealed in the earth , and now i am about to declare my name , and my power and my glory will i reveal in the earth , and will poure out my spirit upon my sons and my daughters , whom i have , and will send abroad to publish my name , and declare my cousell to the ends of the earth , that the nation may know me , whom for many generations they have worshipped ignorantly . therefore be ye all warned , stint not me , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not me the holy one of israel , saith the lord , by your power , nor make no law against me so as to think in your hearts to make me subject to any creatures will , for i am the lord who works , and who shall hinder ? and will bring my purpose to passe and none shall let ; therefore i say unto you , limit not me , how , where , by whom , and when i must speak , for i have chosen the weak things to confound the wife , the mighty , and the honourable : and now i will be no longer flattered with words , but he that is of an upright heart will i honour , and he that seeks himselfe will i abase ; therefore now while you have time prize it , and neglect not the day of your visitation . and oh you rulers , uphold not these by a law whom i have made the people of my curse , who have devoured gods heritage , and have flattered the nations , and their princes , and their rulers , and have sought themselves , every one seeking for his gaine from his quarter , for with them , above all , my controversie is against , and my wrath shall be accomplished upon them , for they have caused my people to erre , and they that said they have spoken in my name know me not , therefore my people is lost because there hath been no vision among them : but now saith the lord , a stem is sprung up , and the star of jacob shall arise , and the earth shall be filled with light , and my righteousnesse shall flow as a stream ; and my glory have i , and will i to my servants reveal , who have denyed and doe denie themselves and follow me , unto them is my will revealed . therefore hearken oh ye people , and give eare thou nation of ireland , and all your people from highest to the lowest , thus saith the lord , though thou be parched , and thy skin peeled off thee , and become as a wildernesse , and as a reproach , and as a lamentation for all that passe by ; thy walls i will build , and thy breaches which is as the sea will i make up , and thou shalt be no more a proverb , nor a reproach , nor a hissing to the nations , and to all that passe by ; for because of unrighteousnesse the land said i wast , and gave it to the spoiler ; so now if thou wilt hearken unto me , i will repsenish thee againe , and the remnant that i have spared shall be blessed ▪ therefore all ye people give eare , and take need of lying swearing , cursing , drunkennesse , coveteousnesse whoredom , drunkenness , hypocrisie , dissimulation , and worshipping strange gods , for those and many more abominations that was committed among the people , i cast them out , and made them a reproach , and executed my wrath upon them . therefore fear me , who am near , who inhabites eternity , and dwells in the light ; i am near , saith the lord , and my light is revealed in your consciences , and there mind my light which convinceth and shews you every one your sins , and love it , and bring all your deeds to be tryed by it , and there you will see me revealed in righteousnesse , to all you that waite upon me , and keep your selves from the pollution of the heathen , and so the way of righteousnesse you will know as you hearken unto me , saith the lord , who dwells in the light , which is the life of men , and searcheth the hearts of the sons of men by the light . therefore unto the light take heed , this is present with you , in which god manifests himselfe , here is all your teacher loving it , here is your condemnation , hating it , as christ saith who is the light . so all people of the nation , i have cleared my conscience unto you , as i was moved of the everlasting god ; and so be you all warned , least the same thing come upon you as did upon them whom i cast out and trod under foot , saith the lord . dub. of the month , . a lover of your soules , and one that hath borne with you in suffering , and shall rejoyce with you as you own the lord , who hath visited you , called after the flesh , francis howgill . an information to the heads , and the ground of the law layed down to the judges and justices , and to all that handle the law in that nation . all ye heads , and rulers , and judges , and counsellours , and all you that sit in counsell together in the seat of justice and judgement , from whom the law doth goe forth into the nation , and all you that handle the law take heed to your selves , for the living god of power is judge of you and over you all , to you all i speak the word of the lord , without respect to any of your persons ( but is a lover and respecter of righteousnesse , and true judgement , and justice ) that i may stand clear of your blood , for god hath laid it upon me to give you warning , which if i doe not your blood will be upon me , and if this you refuse to hear and obey , your blood be upon your selves for ever . christ jesus is the light of the world , the true light , which lightneth every man that comes into the world , and by which every one of you is lightned , which light , if it you love and be guided by , it will lead you out of the worlds way and nature and unrighteousnesse , and will give you an entrance into eternall life and peace , and an assurance in christ when this world ceases to be , and in this world it will teach you how to serve god in righteousnesse in your generation , and to give righteous judgements and counsell among your brethren without respect of persons , for the law of god respects no mans person , nor justice regards not the person of the mighty ; the light of christ jesus in all your consciences , and in all mens consciences , is just , and one with christ , and one with the law of god , in its measure , and condemneth the unjust and all works of wickednesse , who against it doth act ; by which light every one of you being guided , your own consciences in particular will be exercised towards god and towards men , and by him you being ruled and judged will know how to rule and to judge for him in the world among men , who are required for god to rule and judge in righteousnesse and equity , and none can rule for god but who are ruled by him , with his light which shines in the conscience , by which you being governed , will by it governe in the earth righteously . you are not to judge for gifts and rewards , for if you doe you judge not for god but for your selves , and you and your judgement is to be judged and condemned with the righteous law of god which is free but such who fear god and hates coveteousnesse and gifts and rewards , are to bear rule , and such will handle the law righteously , and will be a terror to evill doers who doth not fear god but acts contrary to the light of christ in their own consciences , and so transgresses the just law , and brings themselves under the guilt and so under condemnation , and such a government will stand for the praise of them that doe well and encouraging of the upright , but if such bear rule and handle the law which know not god nor is not ruled by him , these will abuse the law , and will be a terrour to righteousnesse and good works , and will strengthen the hands of evill doers and will let vice and wickednes escape unpunished . this i speak in love to all your soules , to the informing of all your minds , that you may know your place and how to exalt justice and judgement ; the light of the son of god , by which every man is lighted , is but one in all , just , righteous , and equall , the same in him that hates it and transgresses the righteous law , as it is in him that loves it , and judges all transgressions . and this light of christ , by which all men is lightned , is the seate of justice and of true judgement , and the ground of all good wholsome laws , and every law that is contrary to it is for condemnation by it : therefore i say , waite in the light , by which you are lightned , to receive the pure law of god to judge all causes by , and make no law in your own wills , nor act not in such laws made by the will of man , for such laws is oppression , and tyranny lodges in them , and false judgement , and such god hath and will cast out , who acted from that ground . so be ye warned by their fall , and judge not after your own thoughts , nor sensuall carnall wisdome , nor follow not your own wills , nor the counsell of your own hearts , but stand in gods counsell , and fear his name , and tremble at his presence , and waite to be guided by him in his holy law , which all unrighteous counsells , and vaine affections , and false judgements will condemn in your own hearts , & then you will truly know how to judge your brethren in equity & righteousnes , how to reward well doers , & how to punish evil doers according to the measure of their transgressions , and according to the light in their own consciences , by which they being convinced from your law of the evill of their transgression , will confesse your law and judgement to be just and equall , and you to be righteous judges ; here you judge for god , and bears not the sword in vaine , but is a terror to transgressours , and to the disobedient , and lawlesse , against which the law was onely added to slay unrighteousnesse , but it was not made for the righteous whose consciences are exercised towards god and towards man , by the pure law of god written in the heart , and upon such and over such your law hath no power , for they are one , and in union with that law which is righteous and doth witnesse the justnesse , and goodnesse , and holinesse of it , but if you make a law in your own wills , and judge by such a law , then you will make the innocent suffer , and oppresses them who walks in the law of god and in the exercise of a pure conscience , christ was put to death by such a law , and the saints in all generations was persecuted by such laws which was made in the will of man contrary to the will and law of god ; therefore take heed to your selves least god hew down you and your law together , and condemn you by his righteous law eternally , which law of god needs not to be made but is made already , and to be witnessed by the light in every mans conscience to justification or condemnation , and is revealed in all that love righteousnesse . so take heed what you doe , and know your place and the length and breadth of your law which is committed to you , which is to keep the outward man in good order , and the nations in peace and truth , and from theft , and murder , and adultery , and fighting and quarrelling , and drunkenesse , and wronging one another , and such like ; such who acts these things walks contrary to the light , and so brings themselves under the penalty of the law ; but over the inward man your law which is outward hath no power to bind , to limit , or to tie too or from any way of worship in religion , but let religion defend it selfe , and lay not your law upon the conscience to exercise dominion over it , for it is christs seat in whom he will rule , least you be found tyrants and numbred for destruction , nor limit not the spirit of the lord how , when , where , and by whom it must speak , for the holy men of god in all ages ever cryed against such laws as was contrary to the law of god , and did limit the spirit of the lord , and against such rulers as did judge false judgement , and for gifts and rewards , and against such priests and prophets as preached for hire , and divined for money , and sought for their gaine from their quarter , and made a prey upon the people , and through coveteousnesse made merchandize of soules ; therefore be ye warned , if such you uphold by a law which acts those things which the scripture declares against , which the holy men of god gave forth by his spirit , the scripture which you professe shall stand a witnesse against you , and the law of god will condemn you , and god will lay your honour in the dust , and cast you out of the seat of judgement , as he hath done the power of the king & bishops before you , but judge the cause of the poor & needy , of the widow & fatherles , & joyn mercy with judgment , and lay your swords upon oppression and all tyranny and wrong dealing , that the land may be cleansed of evill doers , and equity and righteousnesse may flow down , and the nation in good order may be kept in peace and righteousnesse , and so god will establish you among his children , who are taught of him alone , and are far from oppression , to the light of god in all your consciences i doe speak which if you make laws contrary to it , and judge contrary to it , it is the eternall condemnation of you , and of your lawes and judgement . and remember you are warned in your life time , and my conscience is cleared to you , and in the day of the lord you shall witnesse me to be true , and this to be the word of the lord to you , whether you will hear or forbear . written to you by a friend of righteousnesse and true judgement from the spirit of the lord , as moved of him in love to all your soules , to go abroad among the heads and rulers and judges in dublin and else where through the nation of ireland , from one who is called a quaker by scorners whose name in the flesh is , edw : burrough . written at dublin the of the month , . and now o ye heads and rulers , happy had you been if you had taken the counsel of the lord , and submitted to have obeyed his word , which came to you as moved of him , but in that you have neglectted , & have made laws in your will , & exercised lordship over the conscience , and have limited the lord , and have purposed to be a terror to good , and strengthned the wicked ▪ and have not regarded the will of god , but have persecuted and imprisoned the innocent , and judged after your own hearts ; therefore according to the word of the lord , your blood will be upon your own heads , for you have not taken warning , and i am clear thereof for ever . an exhortation sent to the chiefe commander and his counsell , and the just cause of the innocent laid at their door . we who are servants of the lord of hosts , who is the protector of heaven and earth ; we who stand in his fear , and knows his counsell , are moved of him who lives for ever , who is , i am , and there is none besides him ; to clear our consciences , and our lords truth , from the lies and slanders which are cast upon us , and the good way of the lord , which envious spirits who are proud and knows nothing , that cannot abide sound doctrine , doth reproach and slander us , and by false accusations lay things to our charge which we never knew ; therefore we being innocent and clear cannot but deny and bear witnesse against all those proceedings , which is not according to the law of righteousnesse and equity , and lay them at your door , whom it nearly concernes . unto thee henry cromwell , who is commander in chiefe for the affaires of ireland , and to thy counsell we write . we have seen two severall warrants under your hands , dated at dublin , and in them both you say you have received information at your board , of great disorders , and disturbances of late in the county of corke , and places adjacent , by francis howgill and edward burrough . this we say unto you , your informer hath declared an untruth at your board , and we desire that you may make it appear wherein we have made any disturbance , or disorder , all these things in your warrents we denie , and doe charge you in the name of the god of justice to send for them that so informed you , that have so abused you , and are so bold and impudent , as to declare unto you any such thing , and so hath caused you to bring guilt upon your selves , in sending out your warrants to bring the innocent before your judgement seat , and caused us to be dragged a hundred miles from place to place , as malefactors , and as though we had done some criminall act , and when we have come before you , you had nothing to lay to our charge , but hath endeavoured to give sentence of banishment of us out of your nation , who are free born english men , and have alwayes been faithfull and true to the common-wealths interest from first to last , even untill now , neither have been burthen some to your nation , nor transgressed any known law of the nation , and you have judged us before our accusers come , and herein you doe us great injustice , and you act contrary to the law of equity , and that which you your selves in your own case would not allow ; to that in all your consciences i speak . oh that ever you should thus requite the lord for his love and mercy , in breaking the yoak of the oppressor from off your necks , and now power is given into your hands to relieve the innocent , and to set the oppressed free , to execute judgement and righteousnesse upon the transgressors , whom the law is against : and this doth god require of you , that his will may be done , and your wills denyed , that so the nation may be established in righteousnesse , and that your latter end may be better then your beginning ; but if you goe on in the way you are beginning , and turne justice backward , and let equity fall in the streets , and not suffer judgement to enter , then misery will be your end . woe is me , for you have all forgotten the rock from whence you were hewn , and the deliverances of the lord to you in the time of distresse , yea you have forgotten , and your hearts are lifted up , and by your policy think to establish your own wills , and to limit the holy one a way , and set up your standard by his , and trust in the arme of flesh ; what is become of the liberty of tender consciences you have spoken of ▪ and we have engaged with you to purchase ? and is it ended in this ? oh horrible hypocrisie ! that they who bear witnesse against all sin , and iniquity , and against all deceit , that they should now be made a prey of . and we charge all in the name of the living god , in ireland to convince us of evill , or the transgression of any law ; and if it cannot be done , let none lay hold on us , to abridge us of our liberty , least you bring guilt upon your selves . and doe not take counsell at them ▪ ●or hold them up , who are hirelings , and in the steps of the false prophets walks , and in the error of balaam , who speaks for gifts and rewards , who in all generations resisted every appearance of god in his saints ; and now would make all bow to their image , and they bend their tongues , and reports lies , and makes lies their refuge , the hand of the dreadfull god of heaven and earth is against them , yea the lord will thunder from heaven against them , they shall be blown away in the whirle wind of gods wrath , who have perverted the way of the lord , because they stand not in the counsell of the lord , but flatter you , as they have done the princes in all generations , till all was laid wast together . woe is me for you , have you consulted , have you taken counsell together against the lord , and his servants , whom he hath sent unto you , and doe ye thus requite the lord already ? have you sent out your decree , to shut out and root out the seed of jacob in a day , whom the lord hath made choice of above all the families of the earth , surely your decree will be broken , and your cords will be but as a bulrush ; for them whom you now set at nought is precious in the eyes of the lord , and unto our god shall you bow and worship at his feet . consider if there be any honesty left among you , what is become of all the persecutors of old ? what became of the bishops , and what became of that power that held them up , are they not all sunk as a stone into the sea , and become a reproach ? and will you tell of reformation , and yet act in the same footsteps ? if you go on you are at the bank of destruction , and at the sides of the pit , and you will be made as a ruinous heap , and as desolate as mount esau ▪ which is a place for dragons ; was not persecution ever blind ? would they ever own themselves to be such ? for verily if you knew us , you would not have done so unto us . when herod stretched out his hand to vex certaine of the church , the next you hear of him he is eaten up of worms ; the dread of the lord of hosts is upon all the proud , and lofty , and high oaks , and the wind of the almighty shall blow them all down root and branch , and all your strength , in which you trust , if you take counsell at aegypt , will become as a bowed wall , and as a rotten hedge ; and god will make them that exalts themselves against him , as a dunghill , and as the princes of gog , of mesek , and tuball , which are all perished among the rest of the uncircumcised . oh ye potsheards doe you think you can limit the lord , will he be instructed by you ? he that reproves him let him answer it ▪ can you command the wind that it blow not upon the earth ? can you stop the waves of the sea , and say unto them be still ? can you stop the bottles of heaven that it raine not ? if you cannot , all be silent , and strive not to resist the lord in his own work which he is bringing to passe in this his own day , he will confound the wisdome of the wise , and bring to nought the honourable of the earth , and make all as a plaine before him , who can withstand him ? oh ye potsheards feare and tremble before him , who is a consuming fire to all the ungodly , who is visiting the transgressours with vengeance dread and fury , and putting into their hands a cup of trembling , and making jerusalem a burthen some stone , all that meddle with it shall be wearied , they shall faint and bow themselves , and sink under it , and be crushed as with a cart wheel to pieces , and their names shall rot from under heaven , and all shall know our god is the living god , yea the god of gods , yea there is none like him ; and know this , no power you had of us except it had been from above , we were with you in the city of dublin ▪ near three months , some of us , and none laid hands on us , but the time was not come , and till the testimony of the lord was near finished , which he sent us to doe , none could lay hands on us : and know this , though this be a time of temptation and tryall , yet it shall be for the furtherance of the gospell of christ ; and though you think in your hearts by sending us out of your nation that so all will cease , and deceit will stand without molestation ; i tell you , nay , even the children who are yet in the womb shall be brought forth and bear witnesse against the deceit of this generation . and know this , there is a stump which is but little , which is bound about as with iron and brasse , and out of it shall spring fire that shall be kindled and flame to the torment of all them who worship the beast and have received his mark , and to the tormenting of all the fals prophets in the nation , and it shall burne and none shall be able to quench it ▪ many shall bear witnesse unto us , that we came not in our own names , but in the name of the living eternall god ▪ who by his power hath accomplished his own work , for his own glory , and many shall blesse us in the name of the lord ; and all our opposers shall gnash their teeth , and gnaw their tongues for paine , for the torment that is coming upon them ; all that have resisted the counsell of the most high god ▪ and have gaine-sayed the lord , they shall perish in their gaine-saying , and we are clear and free from the blood of all men in this nation thus far , yea of every city town and village unto which we were moved to goe , and the blood of all the rest be upon those that have resisted us , and a good savour we are unto god in them that have believed in his name , of whom we have borne true witnesse unto , and in them that perish we are clear in the sight of god . and oh thou city of dublin , thou art as moab at ease , and art lifted up in thy heart , and rejoycing in thy spoyle , and art making thy selfe merry in the abundance of thy delicacies ; oh how full of prophanesse art thou ? oh how full of pride and vaine glory , of deceit and unrighteousnesse , of lust and filth , lying and swearing , and full of bryars and thorns ? a carelesse untoward people : oh your abominations is loathsome to all the children of light , professing god in words , but in your lives and works denies him ; oh that thou hadst known in this thy day the things that belongs to thy peace , a crooked generation you are , the yoke must be laid upon your necks , will neither plague , famin , nor sword bring thee into subjection unto the lord , will neither mercy nor judgement take place in your hearts ; oh how long shall the lord bear with you ? how long shall he spare you ? his long suffering is near at an end , his patience is near out concerning you , and then woe woe to him that shall see the day which will come , the lord will arise as a lyon , and will rend and tear you , and his sword shall be bathed in the blood of his enemies , and he shall be wrath as in the valley of acor , and as in the dayes of gibea , and will bring ye down the mountaines , and levell you ye hills , and will make his name known in your overthrow , except ye repent , and they that are round about you , when they shall see calamity coming upon you , this shall be their proverbe , this is the city and people that despised the counsell of the lord , and contemned the instruction of the most high god , and provoked the lord to wrath , till his patience was worne out , and his long-suffering came to an end , and therefore is this evill come upon them . therefore gird your selves in sackcloath , and pour ashes upon your heads , houle and weep ye carelesse people , misery is coming upon you , the dreadfull god will visite with a scourge , and will make you know he is the lord ; blessed is he that hears , and considers , and repents , and turnes from his iniquity , before the decree be sealed against you , which will never be altered . this is the day of your visitation , and if you contemn it woe unto you for ever , and so we are clear in gods sight of you all from the highest to the lowest , and your blood if you perish will the lord require at your own hands , from this time forth and for evermore . dublin of the month , . we are friends to all just power and are subject to the highest power for conscience sake , but witnes against all deceit , and unrighteousnes , and against all that holds the truth in unrighteousnes ; who are prisoners of the lord for the testimony of christ , our consciences bearing us witnesse in the holy ghost , francis howgill . edw : burrough . the unjust suffering of the just declared , and their appeal to the just witnesse of god in all mens consciences . to all ye collonels , and commanders , and officers , and to all the honest hearted in the city of dublin , and else where , to whom this may come . hereby we the prisoners of the lord for the testimony of jesus , and for the exercise of a pure conscience , doe lay down our cause before you , and to the light of jesus christ in all your consciences we appeal in this our cause of righteousness and innocency to be judged thereby ; we are men fearing god , and working righteousnesse , and are friends to the common-wealth of israel , and are exalters of justice and true judgement in the earth , and are subject to all just power , and to every just ordinance of man for conscience sake , and have suffered the losse of all , and have borne part of the burden with you , that we might obtaine the freedome of the righteous seed , and the liberty of tender consciences , to serve the lord in his own way , and we are well known to the lord , though strangers to you , and are free men in the record of heaven , though now sufferers unjustly under your present authority , who hath taken the place of exercising lordship over our pure consciences , and hath imprisoned us , and endeavoured to give judgement of banishing us , onely upon false accusations and informations , and slanders , without the proofe or testimony of any accusation of evill justly laid to our charge . and to you hereby be it known , that not for evill doing doe we thus suffer , for to this present no man hath convinced us of any evill , nor justly proved the transgression of any law ( martiall or civill ) against us , though we stand accused of many grievous things , of which we are clearly innocent in the sight of him that lives for ever , and doth nothing more desire herein but to be tryed by the law of equity ▪ and righteousnesse , and judged according thereunto . by vertue of command given unto us , by the eternall spirit of the lord came we into this land of ireland , contrary to the will of man , not to seek our selves , nor our own glory , nor to prejudice your nation nor government , nor to be hurtfull to your common-wealth , but with the message of the gospel of christ jesus we came to turn from darknes to light and from the power of satan to the power of god , and to minister the word of reconciliation and salvation freely without a gift or a reward unto lost soules , and hereof god is our witnesse , and also we have the seals of our ministry , which unto us herein can give testimony by the same spirit , and this are we ready to seal with our blood : and these six months , and upward have we laboured in travells , and sufferings , and reproaches , and have passed through your cities and towns in sobernesse , and meeknesse , have we preached the kingdome of god , and have holden forth the word of truth , and the testimony of jesus , and our lives have we not loved till this day , though sometimes dangers on every side hath beset us , that we might hold forth the faith of jesus , the author of our profession , in the exercise of a pure conscience , both by doctrine and conversation , and herein we are justified in the sight of god , and who is he that condemns us ? and doth call heaven and earth to record , and the light in all mens consciences who have heard our doctrine , or seen our conversation , to witnesse for us herein , and we challenge all you nation of ireland , our very enemies , to prove the contrary , though otherwise we stand falsly accused , and falsly reputed , to be disturbers , and makers of disorders , to the breach of publique peace , and such like grievous things upon the false information ; whereof a warrant was issued out from the chief ruler and counsell of ireland , and we thereby was apprehended in the city of corke , and haled by guards , as malefactors to , before the counsell in this city , where none of all these false accusations was or could be proved against us , nor the transgression of any known law could we be convicted of , and though occasions was sought against us , yet none could be found , and though snares was laid for our feet , yet were we not entrapped , but was cleared in the sight of god , witnessed by the light in all their consciences , and was found innocent and without reproofe in the eye of the lord , and by our innocency was their orders of false accusations made of none effect , and we thus far proved to be guiltles before the throne of true judgment ; yet notwithstanding contrary to the light in their own consciences , and contrary to the just laws of the nations ( which afordeth freedome to the freeborn and righteous ) were we committed to prison , without conviction or any guilt charged upon us , or the least appearance of evill towards any mans person , though falsly accused , yet nothing given true testimony of against us , whereby our boldnesse in the way of the lord could be discouraged , as having the testimony of the spirit of god bearing us witnesse in the holy ghost , that in all good conscience towards god and towards man we have lived unto this day , and so are without reproofe in the sight of god and all just men ; and though upon search and examination we were found guiltles thus far , yet further hath the enemy the devil prevailed in cruelty against the innocent , that it is endeavoured that we be banished , under the account of vagabonds , which last accusation is the most false and urighteous , for we challenge this , of whom have we begged ? or to whom have we been burdensome ? or whose bread have we eaten for nothing ? or what evil have we done ? where is the testimony of your slande●s ? but innocently doe we suffer these things , bearing reproaches , and binding the cruelty done unto us as chaines about our our necks , and as crowns upon our heads , having the assurance that for well doing we suffer these things from the hands of the rulers , through the lies and slanders of the teachers , who are in cains way of persecution , till they have fulfilled their measure of wickednesse , and be laid wast as the wildernesse . and this is our cause , and hereby it comes before you , by the light of christ in your consciences to be judged , if your hearts be not altogether hardned and your minds wholly blinded , and we lay it at the doore to receive sentence from you , and without respect of your persons , holds forth our guiltlesse cause before you , not begging any thing from you , but herein to clear our consciences , that you may save your selves from this untoward generation , whose root is corrupt , and fruit bitternesse , for while we have breath from the lord and injoynment of his presence , our duty is to serve the lord in bearing witnesse against injustice and all cruelty and oppression , and shall appeal to receive justice from the present power which now rules ; for in the name of the lord we challenge our priviledge of freedome as being freeborn ▪ till we be accused guilty by the just law of equity , unto which we are subject for conscience sake , and not to any mans will , but by word and writing is bound by the law of god to bear witnesse against the unjust proceedings herein of the heads and rulers of dublin , and shall seale our witnesse against them , and against their unrighteous decrees sealed in their cruelty against the innocent with our blood , if thereunto we be called . dub. of the month , . francis howgill . edw : burrough . a challenge to the priests of dublin , to try their god , and their ministry , and their worships . we the servants and faithfull witnesses of the most high god , called and chosen of him , and redeemed out of nations , kindreds , tongues , and people , who are ministers of the word of life , and reconciliation , and messengers of glad tidings , and salvation , unto captive and weary souls , our glorying is onely in the lord , and not in our selves , who are by the world in scorne called quakers , who are at this present in outward bonds for the testimony of jesus christ in dublin , and who have been in the labour and travell of the gospell of god , this six months and upwards , in this nation of ireland , according to the will of god ordained hereunto , and moved , and commanded by his eternall spirit into this his work , for the seeds sake which is not of this world , to the gathering of it into the fold of everlasting peace , and to the clearing of the lord from the bloud of his enemies , that they may be left without excuse , by his powerfull word given unto us , and uttered by us ( and herein we are a good savor to god , both in them that perish and in them that believe ) and for this cause have we denyed our dearest and nearest relations , and loves not our lives unto death , that our testimony we may finish which is committed to us of the lord ; and because of this are we labourers under many burdens , and travells in many afflictions , and sufferings , and are abundantly reproached , and our lords truth of which we bear witnesse , greatly infamed , by many slandering , and back-biting tongues , especially by the teachers , and professed ministers , in the eares of their people and hearers , slandering us with being jesuits , and deceivers , and seducers , and hereticks , and blasphemers , and witches , and such like ; and we of those false accusations being clear , and our lords truth , the testimony ▪ which we hold wholly innocent , and are willing to be tryed , and proved , and made manifest to the inhabitants of this city and nation , in the sight of god . this therefore am i moved to give forth ; and hereby in the name of our living eternall god of heaven and earth , whom we serve , and worship , in that way which is called heresie , doe send it abroad as a challenge to all you teachers , and pretended ministers of what sort and forme soever , and to all you people whom it may really concerne , and especially to all you in the city of dublin , and places elsewhere in ireland , to whom this may come , that you meet us in the city of dublin , at some publique place , at a conveniant time appointed by you , at which place and time if the lord permit ( by the permition of the counsell of ireland , whose prisoners we are ) we shall you meet then there , to have a faire and sober dispute in the presence of all people , who may desire to be informed , or satisfied , concerning us and you , in these things whereof you can accuse us ; and also of those things , by way of sober questions , which we have to propound to you , not for any end to our selves , not to set up a kingdome of our own ( god is our witnesse ) but that the way of our god may be made manifest , and all deceit , and errour discovered , and all people may be informed the way to salvation , and as you are true to your god , and will answer for him , and are willing to be made manifest in your way of worship , and doctrine , and ministry , you are not to neglect , but hearing to answer our desires , and the desires of many hundreds , that you and we may be made manifest in the sight of god , to all mens consciences , who are in truth , and who are in errour , that shame and condemnation may come upon the guilty , and truth may be exalted over all deceit . given under our hands , who are prisoners for the testimony of jesus , whose names in the flesh are francis howgill and edw : burrough . you are desired to send your answer of these propositions to us , and if you consent to meet us , let sufficient notice be given abroad , that the inhabitants of the city and country may know five or six dayes time before . sent forth the of the month , from the sergeant at armes his house in dublin . this was sent to the priests of dublin , but no answer to this day have we received from them ; whereby it is manifest that they are not true to their god , nor willing to be tryed and made manifest , but loves darkenesse and hates the light , and back-bites in secret , and cannot give a witnesse openly but falls before the tryall , and truth reigns over them , and is exalted over their deceit . a discovery of the idoll dumb shepheards in that nation , and a lamentation over their starved and strayed flocks . the day of the lord is approaching , and the day of account draws near upon you the inhabitants of the earth , the time of your covenant is expired made with death , and hell , and the lord god will plead with you , and reckon with you , and give unto you a just reward , every one according to your deeds , even the condition of your bond . ye shepheards , and pastors of the flock , and teachers of the people , what account will ye render to the lord in the day of his appearing ? should you not have gathered the flock , and fed them , and taught them in the way of righteousnes , & preserved them from straying abroad , but instead thereof you have scattered them upon the barren mountaines , and have starved them , and have strayed them , and led them into by paths of idolatry , and made a prey upon them , and have fed your selves of them , and the heritage of the lord hath been wasted by you , and the pastures of the fold eaten up by wolves , and devourers , and lyons whelps , which made the flock afraid , driven them into secret corners of darknesse , leannesse , and poverty , where they are dead for want of food . o ye shepheards your account will be wofull , and miserable , in the dreadfull day which is hastning upon you ; not one lamb have you brought forth to perfection , to lie down in peace in the fold , but have nourisht it into the nature of a dog ; and a wolfe , and you have fed them with swines flesh , and with the husk , and milk they have not received from you , thereby to grow up unto god in his image ; and not one fleece hath the lord gathered from all your flock , you teachers , shepheards , and pastors , your debt of wickednesse is a grosse sum of great abomination in the record of account , you have taught innocent children into subtle hypocrisie , out of uprightnesse into guile , you have taught lies instead of truth , and thereby hath the people been instructed into error , sects , and false opinions , and not one child have you taught perfect in the way of the lord , neither one of your hearers have you presented perfect in christ jesus unto the father , but for gifts and rewards have you taken the charge of the learners , and not one hath come to the knowledge of the truth by you under your teaching , for you have been a cursed example , in pride , in coveteousnesse , in oppression , and in hypocrisie , and how could you teach children in the way of purity when your selves have walked in the way of idolatry , the language of babylon have you instructed the people , and not one verse have they learned in sions record , you have nurtured them in the nature of whoredome , and their virginity have they lost . what will ye doe ye shepheards , and teachers , the arrest of judgement from the court of equity is come forth against you , and sealed never to be changed ; whether will you fly to hide you ? gods judgements will pursue you , and your reward will be indignation and vengeance , and your charge will be the devouring and murder of soules , and the flock will be required of you , and every lamb , which carelesly you have starved , the blood thereof will be put upon your account , and every child you have taught in the way of iniquity , the iniquity thereof will be laid to your charge . o dolefull reckoning ! when the lord appears , a grievous sum are you guilty which you are never able to pay , and just he is that calleth you to account , and the truth of his bill will be sealed with the light in your own consciences , which is the lords witnesse , which hath been privy to all your abominations , one year after another have you been spared , and interest upon interest will be put upon your score , not one day of faithfull service and true watching over the flock can you give testimony of , but idle shepheards have you been , and slumbring watchmen have you proved , and the whole flock hath been devoured , and scattered , and not one lamb is found in the fold , nor one strayed sheep brought home from wandring , but the fences of the fold is laid wast , and the door is shut up , and bolted against him that would enter ▪ and you have removed the pastures out of the pleasant valleys , into the desolate , and wild , and untilled mountaines ▪ where every wilde beast playeth , and every desolate bird inhabiteth . what will you plead for your selves ? oh ye deceitfull hirelings , who have run and was not sent , by whom the people is not profited at all : but you leaders of the people have caused them to erre in unknown paths , and you have taken the charge of that you were not able to performe , you have wasted the masters goods , and his children have not been taught the way of holinesse ; you have spent his portion among harlots , and have given your lords mony to abominable uses , nothing is gathered of your vines , but wilde grapes , and sowre grapes , which the lords soule loatheth , no figs of your thorns hath been reaped , but your best fruit hath been of a loathsome tast , the most innocent among you hath been found guilty of innocent blood of soules . woe is me for you ye flocks of these shepheards folds , alas , alas , your soules are starved , and your feet are strayed , and into by paths of whoredomes have you been instructed , and the door of the true shepheards fold hath been shut against you , and the key of true knowledge hath been hid out of your sight , and obscurity and darknesse hath been cast before you , and the way of the lord hath been undiscovered to your understanding , and into secret and subtle idolatry and witchcraft have you been nurtured , and your wound hath been healed falsly , and it will break out into more incurable dangers . o how have you been driven away into strange pastures , and into barren heaths , and desarts , scattered loe here , and loe there , by the voyces of strangers , now when the lord is come to search you , instead of lambs you are found in the nature of wolves , and dogs , and lyons , biting and devouring , and scorning and reproaching the children of the true seed , and instead of children of light and truth , are you found strong men of darknesse and errour ; how is your nature changed since the first creation in the innocent image of god , strayed have you been , and not one brought home by your shepheards into the fold of truth , you have been a prey to devourers , and meat for the wild beasts of the desolate forrests , and a strong language have you learned of the egyptians character , and your delight hath been therein , even you have loved to have these things so , and like shepheards like sheepe strayers and strayed , devourers and being devoured ; what account will you give in the day of the lord ? for your sin is written with a pen of iron , sealed in your foreheads , children of the womb of wickednesse , a grosse sum of abomination is put upon your account , even lovers of darknesse , and haters of the light , how many times have you been called by the true shepheards voyce , and you neglect and will not be gathered ? how many good instructions have you heard ? and what profit have you received ? much teaching and many sermons have you heard , and yet to this day the way of truth have you not learned , but are groping in the dark in blindnesse and ignorance , and you blind have been led by the blind , and the mouth of the ditch is opened to swallow you uptogether , and you have refused knowledge and cannot endure to be reproved , you love to stray rather then to be gathered , and you delight in leannesse and poverty upon the barren mountaines rather then to be fed in the fat pastures of true food . shall not the lords soule be avenged upon you ? ye shepheads and flocks , ye teachers and people , your debt is summed into a large sum of grievous abomination , the indictment of vengeance is read , and sealing against you , proved to be just in the register of heaven , everlasting prison in the pit of darknesse , and everlasting banishment from the presence of the lord is signing against you , in the eternall law and righteous decree ; the light of the lord jesus christ which shines in all your consciences will arise to be the evidence of this just proceeding . god is grieved with you , you spirituall idolaters . repent , repent ye idoll shepheards , and deceitfull teachers , and ye scattered flock , and deceived people ; this is the day of your visitation , and a warning in your eares , the sword of the lord is drawn against you , and the whirle-wind of his wrath is gone forth , your builded wall shall fall , and the pillars of your habitation shall be shaken . god will gather his flock out of your mouths , and feed them in his own fold , and your nakednes shall appear , and your deceits shall be laid open , and your secret whoredoms shall be discovered , your beginning was in darknes , and your time is out of the light , and your end will be in destruction , now you have all time prize it . writ in corke city in i●eland as moved of the lord concerning the shepheards and flock , the teachers and people in that nation . from him who is a lover of all your soules , but a witnesse against all your deceits ▪ e. e. an invitation to all the poor desolate souldiers to repent and make their peace with the lord , and their duty shewed them what the lord requires of them . to all you poor desolate souldiers of the lowest rank , who are scattered up & down in this desolate land of ireland , & lives a carelesse and a desolate life , without the fear of the lord , in lying , in swearing , in drunkennesse , in whoredome , in oppression , and in the wickednesse of the world , and are past feeling and senslesse of the operation and power of god , carelesse of your eternall happinesse : the dreadfull day of the lord god is coming , in power the lord is risen , and the wrath of the lord is gone forth , with the strength of indignation and fury will you be besieged , and fearfulnesse shall surprize you . repent of your transgressions , and fear and tremble before the presence of the living god , who is commander in chiefe over heaven and earth ; prize your soules , this is the day of your visitation , and make your peace with the lord ; the righteous judge the lord seeth you in your darknesse , and searcheth you in your desolate obscurity , and the soule is pressed under your iniquities , and he hath not disrespected any of your persons or desolate places , but god is light and hath lightned every one of you with the true light of life eternall , if you love it and be guided by it or of death everlasting if you hate it and disobey it , and walk contrary to it ; that is the light which convinceth you of sin , of lying , and swearing , and cursed speakings , and drunkennesse , which are the fruits of the cursed tree , which cumbers the ground of the lord , which the axe is now laid to the root of , to cut it down and cast it into everlasting burning ; and while you act against this light in your consciences , you crucifie the life of christ jesus , and are enemies unto him , and servants of the devill , and loves your evill deeds , and upholders of the devills conquest , which is the dominion of sin ; this light reproves you in secret of violence , and false accusing , and all unjust words and actions which are contrary to god , so turne your minds to the light , which will lead you to repentance , from dead works , out of the broad way of destruction , which many are in ( as christ jesus saith ) and it will teach you in your places to serve the living god and to doe violence to no man , but to be terrour , and reprovers , and correctors of all violence , and of such who lives in it ; and it will teach you not to strengthen the hands of evill doers , but to lay your sword in justice upon every one that doth evill , and it will teach you not to make war but to preserve peace in the earth ; and this is your place and duty required of you from the lord god commander in chiefe , unto whom you must all give an account , and receive a just reward according to your deeds , everlasting punishment to him that doth evill ; but if you stand in the fear of the lord , your sword will be a terrour and dread to them that fear him not but lives contrary to the light in their own consciences , which light if you love it is your command to march by , and your rule to judge by , and weapon to fight withall , and your chiefe commission for duty . and now you have all time take heed to your selves , goe not on in your course of evill , nor take not your pleasure in unrighteousnesse , but to the light in your conscience take heed , it is your teacher to god if you love it , or your condemnation from god if you hate it ; and this is your termes with the lord , prize the acceptance of his love to your soules , and the day of your visitation , least you perish in your rebellion eternally . written in love to your soules , written in ireland at caterlough . e. b. a warning from the lord to the natives of that nation of ireland , who are made a curse , and a prey to be destroyed of your enemies . repent , repent , ye that remaine from being devoured , whose dayes are yet stretched forth , that you may return to the lord , from whom you are grievously degenerated into filthinesse , and uncleanesse , being a cursed brood , and are become unhuman in your impudent shamelesse , practices of ungodlines , and are brazened in your filthinesse , and cannot blush when you have done evill , the plagues of god , and his wrath waites to consume you from off the face of the earth , you are shut up in blindnes and covered with darknesse which may be felt , and you are as deafe adders , voyd of understanding , and past feeling , and given up to work all unrighteousnes with delight , counting it your glory to work wickednes , having sold your selves to commit sin , you have wholly slaine gods witnes , and are become wild and bruitish as the beasts of the field , and untamed as savage colts , the indignation of god is against you , who are as dead trees and withered branches , and scorched heaths , not sensible of good nor evill , but as wild asses , who neither fears god nor regards man ; to the light in your consciences , wherewith christ hath lightned you , doe i now speak ; gods murdered witnes shall answer me , by which you are inexcusable , for with the light you know lying , swearing , stealing , murder , drunkennes , and whoredom , are sins and transgressions ; the light will let you see these abounds among you , by which you are reproved , and eternally to be condemned if you do not repent of these your grievous abominations : and if you love the light and turne to it , it will lead you out of sin , and out of your vaine foolish traditions , and imitations , and sorceries , and witchcrafts , which deceives your soules ; and this light in your consciences will change you into sobernes , and humanity , and will lead you into the way of life and salvation , out of the way of death and hell ▪ wherein you walk , to eternal misery . therefore prize your soules , and the dreadfull god fear , and tremble before him ye prophane wretches , and cease from your filthy , nasty , poluted ways of idolatry , lying , swearing , stealing , drunkennesse , and such like , god forbids with the light in your consciences , and he that doth these things shall eternally perish in condemnation for ever . and this to you is a warning , in pitty to your lost souls , whose hearts are desperately wicked , and set to doe mischiefe ; the vengeance of god is against you , the light in your consciences shall witnes me , and justifie the lord , in the day of recompence , when every man receives according to his deeds , the righteous unto life , the wicked unto eternall wrath . now you have time , prize it ; the light is your teacher loving it , and your condemnation for ever hating it . edw : burrough . finis . the heart of new-england hardned through wickednes in answer to a book, entituled the heart of new-england rent, published by john norton appointed thereunto by the general court. the doctrine of the quakers uindicated [sic], his ignorance manifested, and his lying doctrines brought to light and judged with the word of truth, and truth cleared from his aspersions and slanders. by him that waits to see the throne of righteousness exalted above all deceit. francis howgill. howgill, francis, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing h ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the heart of new-england hardned through wickednes in answer to a book, entituled the heart of new-england rent, published by john norton appointed thereunto by the general court. the doctrine of the quakers uindicated [sic], his ignorance manifested, and his lying doctrines brought to light and judged with the word of truth, and truth cleared from his aspersions and slanders. by him that waits to see the throne of righteousness exalted above all deceit. francis howgill. howgill, francis, - . p. printed for thomas simmons at the bull and mouth near aldersgate, london : . a reply to: norton, john. the heart of new-england rent at the blasphemies of the present generation. reproduction of the original in the british library. eng norton, john, - . -- heart of new-england rent at the blasphemies of the present generation -- early works to . quakers -- early works to . a r (wing h ). civilwar no the heart of new-england hardned through wickednes: in answer to a book, entituled the heart of new-england rent, published by john norton a howgill, francis c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the heart of new-england hardned through wickednes : in answer to a book , entituled the heart of new-england rent , published by john norton appointed thereunto by the general court . the doctrine of the quakers uindicated , his arguments made void , his ignorance manifested , and his lying doctrines brought to light and judged with the word of truth , and truth cleared from his aspersions and slanders . by him that waits to see the throne of righteousness exalted above all deceit . francis howgill . and the rest of the men which were not kil'd by the plagues repented not of the works of their hands , neither repented they of their murders nor sorceries nor worshippings of devils , revel. . , . london , printed for thomas simmons at the bull and mouth near aldersgate , . now , when the lord of life and glory is appearing in his power as in the days of old , and his goodness , mercy , and truth as in the years past , and the riches of his grace & salvation , which he maketh to flow forth and spring forth from the great deep ; now when he is manifesting his light from his holy habitation , & his saving health from his dwelling place , that the sons of men might be partakers thereof , and praise him who liveth for ever and ever , who is the author of eternal salvation unto them that believe ; the pit of darkness hath also opened its mouth , and out of it many unclean spirits doth arise , and foggs and mists of darkness , ignorance and error is also arisen out of it to hinder the light from shining , and to darken the air , that the son of righteousness might not be beheld , and would dam up the way that the springs of life might not refresh the city of god , and his tender plants ; that so the prince of darkness and the king of the bottomless pit might not lose his dominion , for this end hath he mustred up and is mustring up all his men of war with their several weapons , and all the engines of wickedness to resist the lamb of god , who is risen to make war in righteousness , that so the kingdom of darkness might still be established , and the subjects thereof live at ease and peace in egypt and sodom , where christ and the witnesses are flain ; i say for this end hath he sent out his men of war to resist the work of the lord , which is to destroy the devils work ; one of his champions more stout then his fellows is come out with his weapons of war , which are most of them borrowed , and not his own , and the city in which he hath encompassed himself is a refuge of lies ; but however he appears with the face of authority and subscribes himself john norton teacher of the church of christ at boston in new england , who was appointed thereunto by the order of the general court ; his book he calls the heart of new england rent at the blasphemies of the present generation , or a brief tract concerning the doctrine of the quakers , shewing the destructive nature thereof to religion , churches and state . now whether john norton was appointed of the general court to be minister of boston , or he was appointed by the general court to tell lies , how the heart of new england is rent , whether he intends , should be believed , the reader may judge ; for his words may be understood of both : however john norton hath manifested his master , that it was not christ who appointed him to be minister at boston , but the general court that appointed him ; neither was it christ nor his spirit that set him to work to publish lies to the world , that the heart of new england was rent , but the general court ; neither was it christ nor the general assembly that ordered him to write this book , which he calls a tract concerning the doctrine of the quakers , but the general court they have ordered thee to tell lies , and thou hast received thy commission and acts it , and shewes it to the world , and the sign thereof is by the appointment of the general court : before we go any further , men of understanding will judge whose minister , whose souldier , whose warrier john norton is , and at whose appointment and commandment he ministers and wars , and hath cleared himself to be no souldier of christ , no minister of christ , but appointed to minister and to war at the appointment of the general court ; and so what will be brought forth by him in his tract as he calls it afterwards , as to minister grace to the hearers and readers , the reader may judge , seeing that he is a minister by the will of man , and his work is appointed by the general court ; and doth john norton believe that people will receive his testimony as that the heart of new england is broken and rent , when as the blood-thirsty cruelty and barbarous actions and inhumane acts of cruelty , and the noisome smell , and a bad example have you given to the world , and the laws and appointments and orders of that general court of boston and new england stinkes in the nostrils of all sober people , which is sounded through the world , and your state is as it was with israel when blindness hapened unto them through their unbelief , the effect of it manifested their apostacy , the judges then judged for rewards , the priests preached for hire and prophets devived for mony , and the people loved to have it so in their unbelief , and then ●id the rulers grind the faces of the poor , and chop them in pieces as flesh for the caldron , even as you have done , banished some from their habitations , some from their wives and children , and some you have seized upon their lands , taken away their goods by the appointment and order of your courts by which thou art made a minister , and appointed to tell these lyes , and to utter forth deceit to cover your wickedness , and to strengthen the devils kingdom and the subjects thereof , against christ and his kingdom , who came not to destroy mens lives , but to save them , who came not to lay burdens , but to take off burdens , who came not to destroy the poor and needy , but to relieve the oppressed ; and have not your general courts done all this and much more , which they may see and behold with confusion of face ? and when they have whipt them and scourged them , fined them and imprisoned them , ceized upon their lands , taken away their goods , wasted their estates , banished them upon pain of death , and when nothing hath remained of all their estates , have ordered their children to be sold for bond-slaves , and this by the appointment of your general court , and for no other cause but because they would not put off their hats to their equals , or come to your publick assemblies . oh! un-heard-of and unparallel'd wickedness , the name of your general court and the appointments and ordinances thereof will be crowned with infamy and reproach from generation to generation , but this is com'd to pass that your hypocrisie might be made manifest , and your skirts uncovered that your shame might appear , and that might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet , they cat up my people as men eat bread ; are these the fruits , symptomes and characters that your hearts are rent and broken in new england , or are they not rather manifest tokens that your hearts are like adamant , or like the nether mil-stone or like flint , which is harder then ordinary stones , in which there is no remorse or reluctancy ? and is not this your state , as it was with israel when their hearts were hard ? doth not christ say , by their 〈◊〉 the false prophets are known , and the tree is known by its fruits ; and have not you brought forth the same fruits ? do not your 〈◊〉 and teachers rule and teach for reward ? nay , are ●hey not worse ? have not you taken money from them whom you judged malefactours to pay your servants for doing of your work to your marshals and your bloody taskmasters and wicked executioners ? oh! shameless man and full of impudency that ever thou durst put pen to paper , or that the general court should ever appoint thee to tell the nations that your heart was rent in new england ; but the terrour of the lord and the dread of god you must all know before your hearts be rent , which is yet impenitrable and hard , or else all these wretched manifestations and fruits thereof would never have appeared ; but one of thy own generation if not thy self saith , that a company of thieves , fornicators and fellons may cry out of deserved punishment as persecution as well as we ; god hath cleared us and redeemed us from those things , but is not putting off the hat to ones equal , or not joyning or coming to your congregation , that they deserve punishment sutable to thieves , fornicators and fellons , but persecutors and blood-thirsty men were ever blind ; for christ , the prophets and apostles and all the holy men of god who suffered for the testimony of a good conscience , were ever reputed transgressours and judged that they suffered deservedly by them who caused them to suffer ; christ was crucified betwixt two thieves , and herod the governour and his men of war set him to naught , and he was numbred amongst transgressors , as it is written of him , and so were all his followers by them that were in cains way , and in baalams way ; and so hast thou with the rest of babylons merchants these divers years numbred us amongst transgressors , every sect and opinion hitherto hath joyned us to that opinion or sect which was contrary to them , but thou would marr our countenance more than any , thou hath not found a generation bad enough to number us with in this age , but is gone back a thousand years to fetch up men and doctrines and principles , and would fasten them upon us , and so to represent us odious to people , thou might have spent thy time better then to have raked in those old mouldy histories , in which i see thou art better acquainted then with the mind of christ ; but i shall not trouble the reader with thy stories , neither vindicate their doctrines and principles , which were counted hereticks , these men are dead and gone , thou might have let them pass , and have medled with things that pertained to thy own generation , but that thy dead mind feeds upon dead things ; & to tell thee and the world plainly , that thou which will lye and lay things to their charge which they never knew nor maintained , which may be are living and can reprove thee for thy falshood and deceit in this generation , thou may well speak falsly and lay things to their charge which they never maintained which are at such a distance as or years ago , and if the adversaries of these men did write their principles and set down their errours and blasphemies as i believe many of them did , i do less credit their report , and i am not altogether unacquainted with ecclesiastical histories from whence thou hast had these stories , although now i count the time just lost in which i spent in those things ; and though thou judge that we vilifie the scripture , yet i prefer it above and before all the ecclesiastical histories that i have read ; i shall not trouble the reader with thy old hetrodoxes , as thou calls them , of the heads of religion , there is many that knows those things as well as thy self , and as for praxes , sabellers , nestorus cerinthius , eutichas , nor with quintinius , swinckfield , muncer , david george and john of leyden , what are these to us ? and what are their principles to us ? some thing they spoke which was real heresie , if the histories be true , whereof i much doubt , because many such as thy self were the authors thereof , and something it may be was truth which might be vindicated , not because they held it , but because it is truth in it self ; and as for thy comparing of them to us , and their principles to ours , doth not at all detract or invalidate truth as it is in it self , for corrupt minds may speak true words , and that which is truth in it self , yet not live in the life thereof , they are judged though , the truth in it self stands clear , and so what as they were in their principles and practise in life or in doctrine , must they give account for ; but thou like the rest of the hireling priests of england used alwayes to be confuting your adversaries when they were at a great distance , when they were dead and could not reply , or at such a distance that they could not hear , and you are such valiant champions for the most part as to disputation , except you have club-men and prison-doors standing open , to fight or to shut them in , you will hardly enter into a dispute publickly , or it may be if they be afraid that they shall be worsted and their ▪ deceit laid open , put a key in the mouth of one , as some did in the mouth of humph. norton , when he was with one of thy brethren , and then cry , the opposite or quaker he hath nothing to say for himself ; & such dark muddy stories you used to fill up your hour with , as to confute arius & pelagius , men that were hundreds of years dead , and no such principles holden in a nation , and such dead stories you fill peoples minds with , and confute the pope when your elbows was leaning upon the soft cushons on the pulpit , and or s. for such a dead story as you told people , but when have you gone amongst them and reasoned of the things of the kingdom of god into their dominions , and convinced them by sound doctrine , and yet you will say christ said , go into all nations and preach , and plead that for your commission , and it may be stay forty years over a hundred families . as for the hetrodoxes of the quakers concerning the heads of religion , as thou hast set down , this i say to thee , and to all the world , we do not hold them because any man before did hold them , or may hold them after , but because god hath revealed them unto us by his spirit , which also may be confirmed by the testimony of the scriture of truth . as to those which thou sets down as our tenents i shall answer on the lords behalf for truthes sake , and for the rest thou may take them home to thy self . first concerning the trinity thou saith , they confesse the father , son and holy ghost , and yet they deny the trinity , and those to bet hree distinct persons , for confutation of this thou brings heb. first and third ; he is the expresse image of his fathers person . thy trinity is an old popish term and we love to keep to sound words , but by trinity i suppose thou means three , and thy own words shall confute thee ▪ thou confesseth we say there is father , son and holy ghost , and yet but one god , or one eternal being or substance in which they all subsist , but thy word distinct is thy own and not the spirits , yet to distinguish betwixt father , son and spirit we deny not ; and as for the first of heb , it is in another translation rendred the expresse image of his substance , for person is too grosse a word , as to expresse an eternal and divine being in , and if thou do hold three distinct substances thou errs in thy judgement , for that were to make three gods . secondly , they deny christ to be god and man in one person , and christ to be a distinct person from the father , and they acknowledge such a christ as unchrists christ ; and when they say christ manifest in the flesh , they mean not as the scripture , but falaciously . answ. we say according to the scripture of truth and not according to thy falacy , that in the man christ did the fulness of the godhead dwell , and god was in christ reconciling the world unto himself , and he saith i and my father are one , and the father the son and the spirit subsist in one eternal power , life and glory , which thou with all thy stupid generation are ignorant of ; and christ that we acknowledge is such a christ as is able to save to the utmost them that come unto him , and receive him and believe in him , and is such a christ is as able to raise them that have been dead , and such a christ giveth eternal life to them that believe ; and so that christ that we own doth not un-christ christ , but by your doctrine who pleads imperfection and the continuation thereof , and a continuation in sin for term of life , as one of thy own said , sin will dwell in the house till the house be pulled down , speaking of the natural body , which some other of thy own generation have called the body of sin , and so it is you that hold such a christ as unchrists the true christ in thy own words ; and when didst thou enter into our thoughts and into our heart , or with what dost thou search , that thou sits as judge over the heart , who knowes not judgement in thy self nor of what spirit thou art of , and so thy lies and deceit is turned upon thee ; when we say christ manifest in the flesh we say that holy thing which was brought forth and born of a virgin , and conceived of the holy ghost in whom the fulness of the god-head , dwells , in whom the eternal power of the father was manifested , that he was the christ which was manifested in the flesh and justified in the spirit , preached among the gentiles , seen of angels , and received up into glory , and this is according to scripture of truth , and thy judgement must be judged . thirdly , concerning the scripture considered as the rule of life , they deny the scripture or written word to be the rule of life , and they make the spirit without the scripture to be their guide , they account chyrch , instituted worship and waiting upon god for the efficacious pres●nce and operation of the spirit of grace in the ministry of the word and sacrament for conversion and edification to be i●●latry , and the political order of church officers and members they affirm to be an image . answ. concerning the scripture we say they are scriptures of truth and words of truth spoken from the spirit or truth , that which gave them a being is greater then they , as he that creates is greater then they that ar● created , which is preferred above and before , and yet no deminishing or detracting from the creature ; so the spirit is greater above and before the words , and yet this doth not deminish , neither derogate from the scripture ; these and the like sound words we have spoken to thy deaf generation , yet a spirit of slumber being upon them all , they could not hear that which giveth life , and bringeth to life , and preserves in the life , is a rule and a guide to them that are enlivened , the sons of god who were quickned by the eternal spirit of their father & of christ , and raised from death to life , this was their rule , as it is written , as many as are the sons of god are led by the spirit of god , and we say it is a sufficient rule of it self , and thou may as well count the rule of the sons of god hetrodox and heretical , and the apostles position , who said , as many as are the sons of god are led by it , and christ promised unto believers the spirit of truth to lead them into all truth , and to bring things to their remembrance , and to guide them in the path of righteousness ; what has envy and madness eaten all the good out of your hearts ? yet the scripture is not so excluded by us as thou judgest , though we say the spirit may lead and direct with it , or without it , yet not contrary to it , for the spirit doth , will and may take up what thing it pleaseth to manifest it self and its mind unto the creature , and who art thou ? and what art thou ? any thing but an egyptian who would limit it , and tie it to paper and ink , to words and syllables sounded and written in diverse tongues , languages and caracters ; they that appointed thee for a minister never knew gods work , and we know that there are several ministrations and several operations , yet the same god and the same spirit who manifested it self , and formeth and ordaineth things according to its heavenly will , to represent its heavenly mind to the creature , and that which christ hath ordained and instituted to be worshipped in , waited in , and his presence seen in , and the operation of the spirit of grace in the work of the ministry , which is for conversion and edification is dearly owned by us , as that whereby we have found the lord and his pure presence through this or that thing , and without and beyond all creatures or visible appearances , and this is not accounted idolatry by us , as thou falsly saith , which god will judge thee for in the day when he appears to take vengeance upon his enemies in flames of fire , and thou that talkes of trying the spirit by the letter knowes no more of god then a horse , but what thou knowes naturally ; the jewes had it , and they tryed and condemned him for a blasphemer , and the apostles for breakers of the law and makers of it void , and so condemned the lord of life , and the spirit by which the prophets and apostles was led by , even as thou doth with us ; and i never heard of any political order of church ordinance or officers or ordinances , not of the most dark and sottishest marchants of babylon that ever spoke or wrote yet , there was sundry gifts given and sundry institutions in the primitive times which were signal things of things of a more heavenly and celestial nature which was to be made manifest ; he gave some gifts to be prophets , some evangelists , some apostles , some pastors , some teachers , but these were ministeriall for the work and service which he had appointed , but this was all by one and the same spirit , but i never heard of any political order of office● , or political ordinances ordained in the primitive churches ; but it seems you have got such in new england ; in the church of rome , so called , i have heard of the order of benedict , of francis and austin , and the like and of several ordinances instituted by their mother to perform ; but i never heard of any such as a political order of officers and ordinances before , and this may be called an image indeed , and nothing in the world but deceit , and is no hetrodoxy ; that ever such a blind fellow as thou should put pen to paper , who hath crept so into the mudd and dirt , that grosse ignorance and darkness is in all thy words ; but the least of the children of light will see thy ignorance , so that i need not say much . concerning the magistrate , they own none are lawful magistrates who are not of their way , their non-acknowledgement of the magistrate , as now established , in all christian states is more then nanifest answ. if thy aspersion were full proof no more need be said , but the judicious will not easily believe thee ; that there is a state of magistracy is granted by us , and that a true magistrate that rules well , and rules in the power of god and is a terror to evil doers , and a praise to them that do well , and are as nursing fathers , who preserves mens persons and estates from devourers , as a father preserves a child from injury , these are ordained of god , and such we are subject unto for the lords sake and for conscience sake , and to every ordinance of man which is consistant with the honour of god and a pure conscience , but i believe you have few of them in new england , who are rather like beares and lyons tearing and rending their estates , and rends and tears their flesh , and gnawes it like evening wolves that the prophet speaks of , and would thou have this counted as gods authority ? and we tell thee and all the world in singleness of heart and unfeignedness , that our way is christ the way to the father , the truth and the life , the power of god and the wisdom of god , and all that rule not in his power rule in the devils power , in the dragons power , in the beasts power , who made war with the lamb and killed the saints , and compelled them to worship , and herein they that rule in the power of god and for god are manifest , and them that rule in the dragon and beasts power , for they that rule in the power of god answereth gods witness in every man , and reaches to that by his act of justice in the transgressor , and he restraineth the evil doer within , and limiteth that , and preserves the creature as much as him lies from harm , and his estate from destruction , and also saveth the innocent , meek and harmless from the violence , and from beating and fighting , and from them that would destroy their persons and estates ; and herein the magistrate that rules in the dragons power and in the beasts power , he is also made manifest , he reacheth not gods witness by his governing , he lests the transgressor live , and is not a terrour to evil works and workers , but a terrour to them that do well and exercise a pure conscience towards god and man , and may be cannot go into the house of rimmon , neither can bow to baal , nor be subject to that which another may set up in his will and in his pride , then he afflicts the body , the creature , and mars gods workmanship and defaces it , and doth violence to the creature , and rends away his outward subsistance , and sayes for his authority it was so ordered at our general court . i must tell thee , the false church , the mother of harlots has ridden long upon the scarlet-coloured beast , which has been made drunk with the blood of the saints , whose garments have been red with scarlet colour ; and i know no where in any christian state ( so called ) where he reigns in more power then in new england , and you ride upon the beast which hath risen out of the sea , which is amongst you , and the beast carries you , your church , on his back bears it up , for all your weapons are but carnal , and that which wrestles with flesh and blood , which the true church wrestles not with , nor with creatures , but with spiritual wickedness and principalities and powers of darkness in the creature , and threw that down and saved the creature alive , and redeemed it who was in captivity . oh sottish children , when will you learn wisdom , and when will you hearken to reproof of instruction which is the way to life ? but remember this , the beast shall be taken alive with the false prophet , and them that have wrought miracles before him , and then shall be cast into the lake of fire . they pretend to act from an infallible light within them , and professes perfection in degrees in this life , and publish smart invectives against ministers who teach the contrary . answ. we pretend to nothing but to that which god hath given us through his free mercy , which we have a true right unto , having received him as the father hath tendered him to be a light to open our eyes , and to be a leader unto us and all his people , and to be gods salvation , even to the ends of the earth to them that receive him , and he is that infallible light which the father sent into the world , that all men through him might believe , and he is the true light that lightneth every man , though every man hath not received him , the fault is not in the giver , nor in the gift , but in them that will not receive , and he that is the life of all men , hath lighted every man that comes into the world , and he is in us our hope , and our glory , the riches of the gentiles , and the riches of all them that do believe , he is our way and our life and peace , i say all glory unto him for ever , though thou debase him & set him thus at naught , and for his sake we can bear reproaches and become fools , in that we have obtained that in which true wisdom stands and life eternal ; and what is this hetrodox to profess perfection of degrees in this life , is not this orthodox ? used not you and do not you generally hold perfection in part or parts , and is not that which is perfect in parts perfect in degrees ? he that feels victory over one sin by christ the power of god , hath not he some part in that which is perfect , and of that which is perfect ? and if he witness victory over more , is he not come to a greater degree or degrees of the life which is perfect ? and he that knows the blood that cleanseth from all sin , is not he perfect and compleat in him who hath made him so ? but art thou so offended at perfection that thou dost not admit of any part or parts , degree or degrees thereof , that thou sets this down as a blasphemy ? and its time indeed to reprove you sharply who are puffed up in pride and knows nothing , who teaches contrary to the perfect life of christ , or any degree or degrees thereof to be attained unto ; thou art perfect in wickednesse , and a perfect minister of antichrist , and a perfect heathen , and its time to bear testimony against you and lay you open , and your deceit in the sight of the sun , that them that have but the least glimring of the light may behold you ; a pitiful church is that like to be which thou art pastor of , by appointment of the general court , who cryes out against any degree of the perfect life of christ in this life to be obtained or enjoyed , a minister of sin , a minister of sathan and unrighteousness , that is thy name , own it . in the ninth page thou art going about to prove thy trinity , as thou calls it , and thou saist , the father is a distinct subsistance , and the son a distinct subsistance , and the holy ghost is a distinct subsistance , and thou brings john . there is another bears witness likewise , speaking of the holy ghost , he calls him another , and this another thou sayes , is intel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the essence , and then saith , what is more manifest then another subsistance , and another subsistance speaks distinct subsistances , and thou saith , the spirit is called the hand of trinity . answ. another is not understood of another being of another life or another substance , but is understood of another manifestation or operation of the same god who subsists in the same power in which the father the son and the spirit subsisteth , as i said unto thee before , another , as to distinguish of the operation and work of the spirit , and of the son , we do not refuse ; but to make three distinct essences and beings is ignorance and errour , as thou saith , another is intel●gible of the essence , and so thou hast made three essences , three subsistances , three persons and three gods ; but we say there is but one god , and there is three that bears record in heaven , the father , the word and the spirit , and these three are one . now as for subsistance and essence , they are unsound words coyned of your selves , from your dark imaginations , in which there is no truth at all , but to cast a mist ; now where the holy ghost is called a person in the scripture i have never read , and where it is called the hand of trinity i have never heard of before thee , and so thy blind ignorant conclusions and sophistical arguing will have little place with them that are come to know the teachings with the spirit , and also keep to a form of sound words , which thou cannot . and thou saith , he that sendeth and he that is sent are distinct , and so the father sending the son , and the son sent of the father , and the father and the son sending the spirit , and the spirit sent by the father and the son are distinct subsistances , and not the same . he that sends and he that is sent may be distinguished , but he that sendeth and him that is sent is not so distinct & afar off one another , but that him that sendeth is with him that is sent ; and so god was in christ reconciling the world , and then how were they distinct one from the other , and by him was all things made , and christ was not so distinct or afar off at a distance when the heavens and the earth was made ; so that it is truly said , without him nothing was made that was made , and the spirit of god which may be distinguished in regard of its operation , yet it was not absent or distinct from the father and the son in the creation , neither is absent from the son in the regeneration , or work of redemption . and then in thy answer to an objection which thou makest thy self , how the doctrine of life was communicated vocally by the patriarchs , but it is not so now ; and in thy answer thou saith , the scripture is not necessary , absolutely , but it being gods will to communicate life through the scripture , hence the scripture is necessary ; and then thou sayes , not the letter without the mind of the authour , nor the spirit without the scripture ; and that the words in the th of john . that they may be one as we are one ; these words give an uncertain sound , thou saist ; and further thou saist , surely , they are under a rule of live who hare not the spirit since the canon of the scripture is closed , so far is the spirit from being a rule of life , that to us it is not the spirit , except it move in the written word . answ. gross darkness is thy dwelling-place , and out of thick darkness all this pitiful confusion cometh , the doctrine of life was communicated according to the will and mind of god , sometime by dream , sometime by vision , sometime by revelation to the patriarchs and believers from abel till moses , and by faith they were followers of christ , and doubtless they did communicate in their generation those things that were manifest unto them by the spirit , which was the then rule and guide to the feet of the upright in the way of peace before any scripture was written , and if the scripture be not necessary absolutely , thou hast said as much as we say , therefore we ' speak of a rule and a way which is absolute necessary , without which no man can know the father or the son , nor the way of peace , but by the spirit of truth which gave forth the words of truth , which may manifest and doth manifest it self as it will , when it will , where it will , and how it will , for it is unlimitted , and it will not be limitted by its own words as to sound , but may speak words which it never spoke before , as for instance , paul by the spirit said , the second adam the lord from heaven is a quickning spirit , which none of the scriptures before written speaks in these very words , and if the spirit be not spirit without the letter , then where the letter is wanting the spirit is wanting , and consequently them that have the scripture have the spirit , which were no less then ignorance and darkness to say , and what rule are they under who have not the spirit or no measure of it , there is but the spirit of truth and the spirit of errour , and they that are not ruled by the spirit of truth , they are ruled by the spirit of errour , though they may have the words to fight with and quarrel about without the life ; but last of all thou hast in plain words set the dead letter before the living spirit , and saith , that the spirit is no spirit except it speak by the scripture ; and if the words of christ in the th of john give an uncertain sound , it is but to thy deaf ear and to thy blind understanding , for he spoke soundly and certainly , and prayed to the father that as the father and he was one , so they also might be one , being guided by the one spirit of the father in the son , and that they might live in the unity of it , and have unity one with another in it , and with the father and the son . in thy th page , though thou hast set up the letter for a perfect rule of life , yet here thou throws it down again , and saith , it is to be understood as including consequences , for the greatest part of scripture is consequences , and the scripture cannot be true without consequences , for thomas and mary are neither commanded obedience or forbidden disobedience , for we no where read thou thomas or thou mary are therein commanded obedience or forbidden disobedience , such a one by name do this or that . answ. i told thee the spirit of god is unlimitted , and whether it speaks of degrees or measures of a greater or less thing , or whether it speaks the greater first and the lesser after , whether it speaks from major to minor , or from minor to major , or what may truly follow either from the greater to the less or from the less to the greater it is all truth , but thy consequences is no part of this , the spirit still demonstrates its own mind by what words and terms and expressions it pleaseth , and will not be limitted or confined to this or that form of words , and thou errs grosly , neither knowing the scripture nor the power of god , and thy consequences are false , for there are the individual persons or names of thomas and mary , both commanded obedience and forbidden disobedience , and if thou have never read this in scripture , i inform thee and instruct thee , thou may read the th of john , . where jesus saith unto mary , she turned herself and said unto him rabboni , which is to say master , jesus said unto her , touch me not , for i am not yet ascended ; here is a prohibition , and forbidding that she should not touch him , secondly here is a command of obedience , but go unto my brethren and say unto them i ascend to my father and your father , to my god and your god ; and in the same chapter thou may read in the th where christ spoke unto thomas by name ( after his resurrection ) then said he to thomas , reach hither thy finger and behold my hands , and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side ; here was a command to be obeyed , and be not faithless , there is a prohibition or a forbidding of unbelief , and so thy foolishness is manifest and ignorance of the scripture , some of it thou sayes is an uncertain sound , and the scriptures fore-mentioned thou hast denied or else never hast read it , and so art unacquainted with thy rule which thou quarrels and fights so much about . and then thou comes and sayes , thou wilt vindicate some scriptures , and cites john . that this was the true light which lighteth every man that comes into the world , hence they affirm that there is a light in every man , which being followed is an infallible guide , and that this light which lighteth every man is the rule of life , and not the written word ; thy answer is , the sence of the text is notoriously false and thy reason is if christ the true light that lighteth every man be the rule , then righteousnesse should be by the law ; for the light which is in every man is not gospel light , but there is a natural light or the light of nature , which is to be construed in opposition to spiritual , and the light of nature and the light of the spirit are contradistinct , and by this light of nature there is a difference put betwixt that which is good and bad , and it will teach us not to lye nor steal , and it will lead to the knowledge of one god , and yet it is in opposition to one spirit , and it will lead to know eternity omnipotency , and it will lead to know the creator , yet it is contradistinct to the spirit . answ. the scripture needs none of thy vindication , for thou hast defamed it and sayes christs words is an uncertain sound , and thou hast said that neither mary nor thomas was commanded obedience ; thou may look back of thy lyes and repent of them , and why is the sence of the text utterly false , that christ was the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world without exception , and why is this utterly false , if he be followed , that he who is the true light is an infallible guide , and the rule of life , hath he not enlighted every man that comes into the world ? if thou make exceptions where the spirit makes none , then thou perverts the scripture ; doth not he say i am the light of the world , the world in the scriptures account is set in opposition to believers , for believers are not of this world , but are redeemed out of it , as for example , god so loved the world that he sent his son into the world , that whosoever did believe in him might not perish , but have everlasting life , for it is manifest that the saints and believers had life given already that followed christ and were his sheep , and saith christ , i put them forth and go before them , and give unto them eternal life ; and he said to them who had not eternal life , while you have the light believe in it , that you may be the children of it ; and is not christ gods righteousness , who is given for a covenant of light to the blind , and dead , and lame , & to the dumb to open their eyes , to quicken them , to make them leap as a hart , and their tongue to sing and utter forth praise ; we say righteousness is not by the law , but by christ that lighteth every man who is the end of the law , and why is not the light which lighteth every man gospel light , seeing it is said , go preach the gospel in every creature under heaven ; go learn what that means , and if natural light must be construed in opposition to spiritual , and the light of nature contradistinct to the light of the spirit , then it must needs be sinful , for that which opposeth spiritual light & is set in opposition against its leading , must needs be sinful , and that which is contra or against the light of the spirit must needs be sinful ; and then if it be as thou hast said , and if this must be the true sence of that scripture , that it must be understood of natural light , and that natural light thou construes in opposition to spiritual , and saith it is contradistinct to the light of the spirit , and in opposition unto it , that which is against the spirits light or the light of the spirit must needs be darkness , sinful and evil , and yet thou hast confessed it will teach that none ought to lye or steal , and to know one god , and the creator , and eternity and omnipotency , and yet it must be taken in opposition to the spirit , and contradistinct from the spirit ; that which leads to know the creator and eternity and omnipotency is that spirit of god , through which god and the things of god are revealed , and that that teaches that a man should not lye , that is truth , and that that leads from sin , and accuses for evil-doing and convicts , that is the spirits light , as it is written , he shall convince the world of sin ; and so thou like a man who hath lost all aim , rambles up and down in every by-path , and like a blind man gropes , but cannot enter into the treasure-house of wisdom , thou hast called the light that every one is lighted with , the righteousness of the law , and no gospel light , and in opposition to spiritual , and contradistinct to the spirit , and in a word hath made at it at the best construction but bad and evil , and then when thou hast done thou confesseth that it will put a difference between good & evil , and shew that god is to be worshipped , and eternity is known and omnipotency ; and are not these the deep things of god ? and so b●bylon is the land of thy nativity , and thou reels and staggers up and down like a drunken man , and would be a teacher , and knows not whereof thou affirms , nor of what thou speaks . further thou saith , that this little light there is , is much miscarried , and thy reason is , because it is managed by the reigning power of darkness , and the judgement of man is corrupt , and then thou goes on , the light of nature since the fall is not to be compared ( saist thou ) with the light of the image of god before the fall , and it hath no proportion with gospel light , but is gross darkness , nay , is worse then gross darkness . answ. and how did the light miscarry thou blind-man , and when did the reigning power of darkness manage it , seeing that there is no fellowship betwixt light and darkness , and the light which every man is lighted with hath born witness against darkness and the reigning power of it , and though the judgment of man be corrupt , his miscarriage is because he hath not minded the light , and because he hath turned his back on it , and then sin entred , and then came to reign in the power of darkness , and corrupted the heart , and this hath made man miscarry ; and though thou say that the light which lighteth every man is not compared with the light of the image of god before the fall , and hath no proportion , i 'le tell thee a riddle go learn what it means , the light of the image of god before the fall is the same in it self after the fall , and holds its proportion , and is no whit lessned or deminished in its purity in its self , although fallen man do not see it neither can behold it , because sin hath entred and death by sin , and that is it which obscureth the image of god from man , and its light , yet the light shined in darkness , but thou concludes it is darkness , yea worse then grosse darkness , and thou brings a proof to prove it , ye were darkness , the apostle doth not say that the light which shined in darkness was darkness or worse then grosse darknesse as thou ignorantly saith , but he said the ephesians or the men of ephesus were darkness , and not the light in them which shined in darkness , though the darkness comprehended it not ; but how now john norton , what will the general court of boston say when they see thy confusion laid open , and the deceit made manifest to thine and their shame and ignorance , thou confest in the . page , that it would lead to know god and the worship of god , and teach not to lie and steal , and so forth , and to discover some of gods attributes , as eternity , omnipotency , and the like , here was some good in it in thy own account , but now it s become grosse darkness , in the . page and worse then grosse darkness , and so hath made as bad if not worse then any principle that is in a beast ; and it may truely be said of thee even in thy own phrase . — quanta sub nocte jacebat nostra dies — but now thou comes to a further interpretation of job . . and thou saith the light which we are enlightned with it is either the light of nature the light of reason or the light of saving grace , and the light enlightning is either the word considered as the second person or christ the son considered as incarnate . answ. it seems that thou knowes not which it is , but gueses like a blind man , and like a wild archer shootes at random ; and why dost thou make such distinction betwixt the word the son of god , and christ the son of god , thou made but three persons in the trinity before , but it seems by thy arguing thou would now make four ; and as for thy collective and distributive light , the distinctions is that which would cast a mist before people eyes , and thou brings the judgement of calvin , besar , and piscator , and others , that as concerning man endued onely with the light remaining since the fall , they conclude him to be darkness and unable to comprehend the light or to improve it to salvation , their judgements is more sound then thine , though thou would bring them to strengthen thee that the son of god hath not enlightned every man , they confesse , the man in the fall is in darkness , and darkness is over him , and in that he is not able to comprehend the light which is in him , and as to the improvement of it , in the darkness man hath not power to improve it to salvation , but what doth this invalidate the light which is in darkness , the power of improving is in the light being turned to again and received ; and what if i say it is the light of life in its self though thou deny it , i know what i speak ; for in him was life and is life , and that life is the light of men , and the light of the world , and so that light which every man is lighted with , is of the life and from the life , and so may truely be said to be the light of life in it self , though man in the transgression doth not feel it so as to him , but may truely say it is the light of condemnation , because he feels it so in the operation thereof , being in the transgression , it convicteth , reproveth , accuseth and condemneth for evil , and therefore it cannot be the light of life to him , till it be received closed with obeyed and followed , and then the back is turned upon the transgression , and man is come out of the darkness ; and therefore the apostle spoke well and understandingly according to knowledge , that which was ordained for life wrought death in him , that was because the law was against him , and he in the contrary nature to it , the ignorance of many wise men ( so accounted ) in this generation is such , that when they see or feel contrary effects , they judge there must needs be contrary subjects or objects because there are different effects ; for now the same light which shewes evil and accuses for it , and judges for it , there is one operation , and excuses him that loves it and obeyes it , here is another operation , that which convinceth the world of sin , of righteousness & of judgement , and that which consolates and gives peace to the believer is the self same spirit ; so here is not two spirits or two lights , so that he which kindles a fire in the earth , and appears in flames of fire , and rendreth vengeance upon all them that obey not the gospel which is the power of god , here is one work or operation of christ , the same bringeth peace , joy and gladness , and refreshment , and makes the springs of life to buble up in them that believe , here is another operation yet the same christ ; these things i write to inform thee and all where this may come , that that is truely an appearance of christ which sheweth sin and condemns it in any measure , and he alone is the judge of the quick and the dead , and if all judgement be committed to the son , then to be judged for lying for stealing , and for wronging any man , it is the work of christ and the work of the son . oh man thou hast much to repent of , and thy ignorance is great , which hath called christ the light or the light of christ , or the light of life darkness , and contradistinct to the spirit , and worse then grosse darkness , so this is thy conclusion against the first of john and the . that christ hath not enlightned every man or all men that come into the world , but all men so qualified of every sort , so then by thy conclusion the first of john and the . verse gives an uncertain sound , like the . of john and ▪ so then its qualifications of men that procures light from christ , and so it s not of grace but of debt , but if it be of debt , which is owing unto a person so qualified , then it is not of gift , but thou errs in thy judgement , for it is by the gift of righteousness that justification comes upon all that believes , it is not this or that qualification before their conversion which is any cause of gods enlightning them , but it is the free love of god unto man without exceptions , or respect of persons that he hath lighted every man , to the intent that all and every man might see his error and depart from it , and turn to him that shewes him it , who would have all men saved and come to the knowledge of the truth , and such is the large love of god unto whole man-kind , which thou wouldst restrict and bind up to such and such persons so qualified , as though qualifications of persons were a meritorious cause wherefore christ was bound to give them light , this is rank popery , and not according to the doctrine of godliness . and thou citest the pet. . . we have a more sure word of prophesie , where unto you do well that you take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place , untill the day dawn and the day star arise in your hearts , hence it is inferred , thou saith , that after the reception of the spirit there is no need to attend to the scripture , and so thou goes on and sayes the word of prophesie is the scripture of the old testament , that thou art to take heed unto untill the day dawned and the day star arised in their hearts ; and that untill signifies for ever . asw. and here thou art in confusion , i know none that makes any such inference but thy self , for the scripture is seen most clearly , who know the day dawn and the day-star arisen in their hearts ; and first thou sayes , we are to understand the word of prophecy the whole scripture , and then in the same page saith , that peter expounds the word prophesie of the old testament onely , so then peters exposition by thy account , and thine is different , thou sayes he spoke of the old testament , and thy interpretation is of the whole scripture , but thou hast mist it , both of peter and thy self , for peter wrote unto people in that epistle in several states , yet they all might be said to be believers , according to a proportion of faith given unto them , and in that which thou hast cited p●t. . . we have also a more sure word of prophesie , here is to be understood first a sure word , secondly a more sure word , for the apostle in that chapter speaking of their diligence towards them that did believe , and declared unto them that they had not followed devised fables , when we made known unto you the power and coming of our lord jesus christ , but are eye witnesses of his majesty , verse . and heard the voice from this excellent glory , this is my beloved son in whom i am well pleased , when we were with him in the mount , this was as sure a word to the apostles as any that ever the prophets had spoken before was to them , and so the old testament could not be more sure then this which they had from the excellent glory , but this was not so sure unto them to whom peter wrote , and this was only the apostles declaration , but the word of prophesie unto which he exhorted them unto was nearer them then any of the prophets words or the apostles testimony of what they had heard in the mount , the testimony of jesus is the spirit of prophesie , to wit that which bears witness against sin and to righteousness , from this the prophets spoke , and this was that publike thing or spirit , and they that speak not from it speak from a private spirit of their own , and this word of prophesie or that wherein they could see or foresee things to come , they were to take heed unto as unto a light which shined in a dark place , and this was the more sure word which he directed to , which in all thy book thou quarels against , and through this they saw the appearance , and knew the coming of our lord jesus christ in power and great glory , and did see the day dawn and the day star arise in their hearts , and they were to attend to this not onely before , but also after , for by the word of his testimony the saints did overcome , and so all thy interpretations are false , and thine is the private interpretation , and not from that sure word of prophesie which the prophets and believers took heed unto , and through which they interpreted things truely according to the mind of god . as for the story of false teachers arising and prevailing among people , and what the signal nature is , and thou sayest they are sent as scourges and as judgements to them who have not received the truth in the love of it , and thou brings a scripture , i came in my fathers name and ye received me not , john . but if another shall come in his own name him you will receive . it s manifest that thou comes not in his name nor in christs name , and if not so , in thy own name thou comes by the appointment of the general court at boston , and so there will few believe thy fabulous stories which are not worth rehearsal , which will cast a mist before the eyes of them who cannot see through thy deceit , and the sum is , thou sayest , of all that the doctrines of devils audatiously deseminated , pretending themselves to be sent of god , are signal signs of evil times . the doctrine of devils hath long been seminated audaciously by numerous false teachers and false prophets , as christ foretold in mat. . and . which john saw come john . little children it is the last times , ye have heard that antichrists should come and even now there are many , and they have ruled long in most parts of the earth , that john said the whole world wondred after the beast , and this hath been a sad time these . or . hundred years wherein the true church , the woman cloathed with the sun hath been in the wilderness , in a solitary place exiled because of the beasts power , and the dragons power and the false prophets miracles , and because of the doctrines of devils , has made it a sad time and an evil time , such as thou hast taught ( viz. ) that the light which every man is lightned with is grosse darkness , and worse then grosse darkness , and that christ left political officers , and that the lords supper is a visible political church ordinance , and that baptism is a visible political church ordinance , and that it is blasphemy to hold perfection of degrees in this life , and that none can be cleansed from sin while upon earth , these and the like doctrines of devils hath been sown which thou now audatiously seminates by the appointment of the general court at boston , but the time drawes near an end , the night is far spent , and the day is at hand when the beast shall be taken alive , and the old dragon laid hold on , and the mother of harlots burned with fire , and the false prophets which have wroughts miracles before the beast , and has cryed as thou cryest him up in new england , who is able to make war with him , who hath shed the blood of the saints of the most high god which will lie as a stain upon your political church as thou calls it , which will not easily be washed away , the time of your mirth in sodom and egypt is near an end , though you strengthen one another and make merry , yet wo will come when all these before mentioned goes down alive into the pit together , and when the sea is dried up that your traffique will not go off , then alas shall be the note of her merchants , who have traded with her sorceries and witchcrafts , and have made people drunk that they have reeled and staggered and have been all like a sea unstable , and have not known the rock of ages upon whom all that do believe a●● established . thou sayes the gospel is a constitution or effect tempered of the grace of god and of the blood of christ . answ. the gospel thou knowes not , but builds with thy untempered morter , and unseasoned words , and what is the gospel an effect of , it is not onely an effect of an operation , but it is that which operates and is the power of god , which will confound all this mudd and all these muddy traditions which you mix with the scriptures and calls them gospel . and now thou comes to the distructiveness of the doctrine of the quakers , to religion , the churches of christ and christian states , because thou sayst i● appears in this from the nature of the object they single out to fight against , as the trinity , christ , the script●re , order both civil and ecclesiastical as instituted in 〈◊〉 gospel . as to tho●e principles i have answered before in part , but dost thou 〈◊〉 of civil order in your state or in your political church as thou calls it , is that to be counted a civil state , who destroyes the creatures gods workmanship , and destroyes mens estates and sells their free-born children as bond-slaves ? dost thou judge that these rules well according to the appointment of god , who is a terror to them that do well , and an encourager of violence and cruelty ? as your late actions hath sufficiently evinced , and as for the order of your political church , we have heard of it that you are as a company of wild beares , rending and tearing , and stops gloves and napkins , and binds keys over their mouthes , that they may not speak the word of truth amongst you , contrary to primitive order , and as for the doctrine of the quakers , many who knowes it better then thee , knowes it to he distructive to nothing , but to the doctrine of antichrist and such ungodly doctrines as thou hast laid down in this book , as that that light which christ hath enlightned every one withall is grosse darkness , and worse then grosse darkness , and that the supper of the lord is a visible political ordinance , and such black doctrines as these our doctrines are distructive unto . and further thou goes on and tells , the work against order is policy against policy , the pollicy of hell against the pollicy of heaven . it seems your order stands in pollicy both in your church and state , and in craft fraud and deceit , and thou judges that heaven stands in policy to , but he that sits in heaven laughes you to scorn with all your deceit and pollicy . and now thou comes to thy proof and saith , that doctrine that denyes obedience to magistracy in his due subject , in effect denyes the order of magistracy , but their doctrine denyes obedience to magistracy in its due subject , therefore their doctrine denyes the order of magistracy . answ. the major and minor is both false , for we own magistracy in its due subject which stands in the power of god and in the higher power , and that which leads into order and out of confusion and distruction ; and thou must not think to fasten stork and muncer upon us for thy proof , what as they did stands upon their account and not upon ours , and that mischievous spirit of thine is that which presseth on the magistrate to abuse his power , and to intrude into those things which belongs not to him , to keep up your confused babel which thou calls a political church , which must all be scattered with the breath of his mouth and with the brightness of his coming , whom thou yet judges to be gross darkness . in thy th page , & in the th page thou speaks that visible political church , church-officers and church-ordinances are gospel institutions appointed by christ to continue to the end of the world , and that command which paul gave to timothy is to be kept , and that visible political church estate is to continue to the end of the world . answ. i see thou art ignorant of god , christ , heaven , church , church-officers , ordinances and institutions , the churches of christ were established by and in the power of god , and the ministers thereof ministred , walked and ruled in the power of god , and the ordinances and institutions of the true church of god are pure and spiritual , but the church that thou art pleading for the continuation thereof , is a political church , political ordinances , political officers , political institutions , political pastors and teachers , the lords supper a political ordinance , baptism a political ordinance , the spiritual councel which paul gave to timothy about the elders of the church , and about the holy practise which they were to walk in , and the godly conversation this thou calls political ; nay , furthermore thou saist , heaven stands in policy ; and in thy fourth chap. saith , to christ belongs the prerogative of being the onely politician ; these and the like damnable doctrines and heresies thou hast uttered forth , and these must be proved from the first of tim. . ● . and chap. . did paul when he wrote to timothy when he gave him direction about elders and such as took care of the church of god , did he say a bishop is a political officer , and must be blameless ? or did he say a deacon is a polical officer and must be grave ? and therefore reader thou may read these scriptures ; tim. . . cor. . . and thou maist see this sophister , and this man that is void of understanding , who cryeth up the scripture for a rule of life , and yet holds such a church , such pastors , such officers , such ordinances , such institutions which the scripture makes no mention of , and therefore this man having made a monstrous body , a politick church , he imagines a head like it , and therefore blasphemously saith , christ is the greatest politician ; much i need not say unto this black dark stuff , which is to be confounded , which is imaginary and deceit , which the wrath of god must scatter ; but this i say to thee , there was no officers in the church of christ , but they were ministers made so by the spirit , and were made so by the holy ghost , and were ministers of the spirit and not of the letter , and some were elders and ruled in the church and churches , which was sanctified by god the father and preserved in christ jesus , and these were spiritual , and not political ; but thou hast cleared and quitted your selves from being any such church , and that which you call the sacrament which thou calls visible and political , and brings cor. . for thy proof , did paul say as often as ye eat this political bread , and drink this visible political cup you shew forth the lords death till he come ? and did christ when he sent forth his disciples to preach and to baptize in the th of matth. . which thou pleads must continue until the end of the world ? did he send them and say , go and teach and preach the visible & politick word of the kingdom , and baptize them with visible political water , and that this should continue to the end of the world ? and little marvel if the throne of sathan be exalted among you , and such ministers as thou who ministers deceit , and unrighteousness and ungodliness , art set to be a teacher , and appointed so by the general court , who cannot speak a form of sound words , but like a phylosopher , a star-ga●er , an astrologian or a stage-player , which them that reads thy book will see thy tract frothed with such black dark sentences which are like enchantments . as for beckold and knipperdolling , and quintinius and poquius , thou might have taken up thy pen ere now , and not have brought all this rambling stuff out of the history of the germans , which thou wouldst cast upon our backs ; the bishops used to cast it upon your backs , and you upon the baptists backs ; but now we must bear all , and ●●ou in envy unto us , that thereby thou might represent us odious to the world hath made them all quakers , and saith , they are our predecessours , take them to thy self and joyn them to your political church , and your political ordinances , and your politick doctrines , which is of the same nature with theirs , which you maintain and uphold with carnal weapons , as they did theirs . and last of all thou art coming to the magistrates power in matters of religion under the gospel , and thou saith , notwithstanding manifold evils prevails , and the wiles of the devil are great and malignant , and heresie which is a horrid aspect ; yet thou saith , there is balm in gilead , and a physician there ; and the balm and the physician is that thou saith , god hath armed the magistrate with civil power for the defence of religion , through the concurrences of devine benediction , and the magi●trate is to vindicate the truth of god , and also exercise his power for curing the offenders , and for his proof he brings tim. . ● . of whom is hymenius and alexander , whom i have delivered up unto sathan . ans it seems your gospel that you preach hath not power in it to prevail against heresie , neither your weapons are able to prevail which are but carnal ; and so the power to suppress heresie and convince gain-sayers is wholly without you , and though you censure and excommunicate , and deliver up to sathan , as you say , yet you being in sathans power , that which is against you hath power over you ; and therefore you are fain to cry up the beasts power , which alwayes made war with the saints under the name of hereticks , and you say , that in exercising of his power is but defensive , i say yes it is offensive and distructive to the government of christ and his prerogative , unto whom all power belongs both in heaven and earth , and the government lies upon his shoulders , who is a wonderful councellor , of whose government there is no end ; and he is able to defend his church ; and further more to take away thy objection is willing , and furthermore hath promised to keep his church that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it ; and therefore thou who would have the civil magistrate to intrude into those things which belongs not to him , would have them usurpers and traytors unto christ the prince of peace , and the king of his people and head of the church his body , unto whom absolute power and soveraignity belongeth and glory , which he will not give to another ; and as for all the proofs which thou brings of the magistrates under the first covenant , they are all invalid , as to the second covenant , for all the kings and magistrates in the first covenant what as they did in and about religion , as to the punishment of the false prophets , and them that had familiar spirits and wizards , they were but typical as in reference unto christ the second , covenant who hath another way to kill the false prophets and to make war against heresie and blasphemy , and against all sorcerers , deceivers and antichrists , by the two-edged sword which proceeds out of his mouth , with which his enemies shall be slain who will not that he should rule and exercise his spiritual power against his spiritual enemies ; is not heresie an errour , an inbred thing ? and is an outward sword like to reach to that ? therefore though thou may press the magistrates or them whom thou calls so by their coersive power , as thou calls it , and promise to them devine benediction , like the pope , for making of laws against that which thou and others may judge blasphemy and heresie , and execute them with whips and ropes and cutting off ears , and destroying the creature , yet this doth not reach to heresie and blasphemy , and all the balm and physick that you have in new england , wherein your hope standeth , as hath yet appeared , are your knotted whips and pitched ropes , banishment and death ; here is balm and physick indeed which destroys the creation ; and what , was paul a magistrate who censured hym●nius and alexander ? or else what dost thou bring this for ? thou frames an objection , and also an answer , that the int 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a●thority in matters of religion is violation of liberty of conscience ; thy answer is , church authority is authority , were this objection good , the church may not then , thou saith , authoritatively deal with any of her members , for holding forth or teaching of false doctrine , contrary to gal. . . and rev. . ● . answ. the objection is good enough , the interposing of civil authority in matters of religion is a leading them beyond their line , for that which is ordained for the ordering of civil things is not to intrude into that which is beyond its sphere ; and why may not the true church authoritatively deal with any of her members for holding forth false doctrine ? what dost thou think that paul in the fifth of the galatians , when he wished that they were even cut off that troubled them , that he would have had them killed or beat with pitched robes ? or would he have had the galatians to have denied them , and have them exercised their authority in the power of the lord jesus christ ? and dost thou bring rev. . . to prove that thyatira had not power in the authority of god to have thrown out and judged jezebel ? this was their fault , because they suffered her , who called her self a prophetess , to teach and seduce , and to eat things sacrificed to idols , or thou judges they wanted some magistrate to kill her authoritatively ; and if the church may not deal with the members authoritatively , who makes defection from the faith , why have you excommunicated and thrown out so many for hereticks in new england ? thou saith , liberty of conscience , and liberty for errour and heresie are two things ; and the error of conscience is a liberty to bondage , and thou brings , they shall put you out of the synagogues , john . and to think to murther the saints was service unto god , was not from conscience but errour of conscience ; but the ob●ect thou saith , subjected to the coersive power must be some act of the outward man ; and further thou saith , there is a difference between quiet heresie and turbulent heresie , schism and sedition . answ. it is true , liberty of conscience and liberty of errour and heresie are two things , but these lyes both without the power and the line of any civil power , as civil power to reach unto , the one he should encourage , that is to say , them who exercise a pure conscience towards god and towards man ; and as for the other errour in judgement , it s beyond the power of the civil magistrate to rectifie , but as it puts forth it self in outward acts of wickedness , as to kill , steal , murther , adultery , defrauding , cozening and cheating in outward things , then the sword reaches to the act outward , but can reach no further ; and as for heresie , schism , sedition , turbulent and quiet , as thou makes distinctions , they are all one in the ground , and you have had too many such thoughts in your hearts as that you did god service with all your whipping , cutting off ears , bearing with ropes , casting out of your assemblies , and not onely so , but out of your countrey , and banishing them from their wives and children , and all this you have done , and thinks you have done god good service , and have cast them out and said ( as the prophet spoke of your generation whose hearts were hardned ) let the lord be glorified ; these things you have to repent of before you know or will feel remission of sins from the lord , though thou say you know it belongs not to the magistrate to compel any man to be a believer , nor to punish any for not believing , but hereticks , turbulent hereticks , we believe belongs unto him to punish , and who must be judge of turbulent hereticks ; is not a heretick an unbeliever ? and if the magistrate ought not to punish an unbeliever , then not a heretick , for a heretick is an unbeliever ; and they which are in the power and authority of god , can deny such a one and judge him out by the power of god , there is his punishment according to that which thou calls gospel institution , and beyond that or any further act upon such a one , we do not read of in all that which is called the new testament , neither that christ , his apostles or any of the true churches or officers or believers ever commanded or commended or exhorted any to stretch forth their hand against the person of any who were hereticks really so , and blasphemers really so ; and therefore see there is neither command , precept nor example ; doth not thou wretchedly err in pressing on them which thou calls believers to act such wretched acts of cruelty as you have done , and thou vindicates them in it as their duty ? it 's true , we read of the beast and of the dragon , who made war against the saints and killed them , and of mystery babylon , and of sodom and egypt where christ was slain , and the witnesses slain ; now if thou wilt take these for proofs and for a ground thou may , and so all thy twisting and twining , and vain arguments falls to the ground ; and doth not the church of rome account all you as hereticks ? and is not their judgement that they ought to punish you with corporal punishment ? and is not this your judgement also page that the magistrate ought to proceed gradually ? that is , to inflict punishment by degrees with lingring tortures , like their inquisitions ; and wherein doth thy doctrine differ from theirs in this ? take them to thee and thy doctrine , for thou art but a stem sprung out of the same root , and acts from the same principle , and yet i tell thee and all the world , i am not pleading for any matter of fact or for breakers of the law which is righteous , for the law is good if a man use it lawfully , it is against murtherers , man-stealers , and stealers of the creatures , for idolaters and defrauders , and cheaters , and every act or fact deserves punishment suitable to the transgression ; now had it not been more reasonably done of thee to have produced the fact of the quakers in new england , which hath deserved all these barbarous tortures , then to declare them and publish them as offenders in matter of fact , and hath none to lay to their charge ; and i challenge thee and the rest of thy adherents to produce some matters of fact which the quakers hath done , which is contrary to any righteous law of god , or else own your condemnation and repent ; and thou must not think that this poor tract of thine which is full of deceit and confusion , errour , blasphemy and madness , though thou publish it by the appointment of the general court , that it will cover your wickedness or hide you from being discovered to moderate people , neither will shelter you in the day of the lord . and thou saith , it concerneth new england awayes to remember , that originally they are a plantation religious , the profession of purity of doctrine , worship and discipline is written upon your fore-heads , that after new england hath now shined years , should now go out in the snuff of morallianism . answ. there was something amongst some of you , but you fled the cross as i told you before , and so that spirit that persecuted you in the bishops time got up in your selves , and that which once you had while you were under affliction here , you have lost , not onely the power of godliness but the form thereof , and also of sound words ; and now as to matter of religion , its rather become a place of ostridges and owles and satyrs ; and for purity of doctrine , worship and discipline written in your fore-heads , if it must be tryed by your rule , and if it be the same years that it is now , i have not heard of more unsoundness in doctrine , worship and discipline which i have read on in many ages , but especially in the scripture , and truly your shining now is turned into blackness , and your sun is set , and your day is darkness , and your light is gone out as the snuff of a candle , because this man boasts of their doctrine , worship and discipline , take a few things out of many and behold them in the light of the lord , and compare them with the scripture ; and so i leave them to thy judgement . first speaking of the trinity , he saith , god is a distinct subsistance from the son and the spirit , and that the son is a distinct subsistance from the father and the spirit in the th page ; and because it is said , the father shall give you another comforter ; this another he saith , is intelligible of the essence ; so then the son is a distinct subsistance and essence from the father , and the spirit is a distinct subsistance and essence from the father and the son ; so here is three distinct essences . and that the spirit of god without the letter is no spirit , that which obligeth a man to obey a command of god is one power , and that which strengthens him and enables him to obey is another power , page . and that christs words in the th of john . gives an uncertain sound ( which are these , that they may be one as we are one . ) that scripture is a perfect rule of life , but not without consequences . that thomas and mary is no where mentioned in scripture , neither are commanded obedience nor forbidden disobedience , contrary to john . , , . that that light which teaches a man there is a god , and to worship god , and that parents are to be honoured , and that a man shall not lye nor steal , and that which discovers the creator his eternity and omnipotency , is to be construed in opposition to spiritual light , and contradistinct to the light of the spirit , page . that the light which is in every man , hath much miscarried whilst that it is managed by the reigning power of darkness , page . . that that which lets a man see that he should not do to others what he would not have others do unto him , and shewes a man ought not to steal nor to lye , and that which discovers eternity and omnipotency ; this indeed , saith he , is darkness , it is worse then gross darkness , page . christ enlightens no man with the light of life , but them that are so and so qualified . that the gospel is a con●●icution or effect , tempered of the grace of god and the blood of christ . that the visible political churches , political officers , political worship and administrations are gospel institutions or appointed by christ , page . that there is policy in heaven , page . pastors and teachers are political church officers . that the lords supper is a visible political ordinance , page . that baptism is a visible political church ordinance . that to christ belongs the prerogative of being the onely politician . that there is much darkness in the hearts of all children of light in this life , page . likewise at a lecture at boston john norton taught , that the justice of god is the armour of the devil . take a view of thy doctrines again , and be ashamed and blush , and repent of thy deceit and false doctrines and lying stories , and cease to pervert the way of the lord , for all this which thou hast waded through will little advantage your kingdom , neither all this covering which thou hast made will not vindicate your wicked practices , nor shelter you from the storms and thunders , and plagues , and terrour , and wrath which is to be poured upon all his enemies , and then thy order from the general court will stand thee but in little stead , when the terrour of god comes upon thee , and when the witness of god is awakened in thee to bring all thy iniquities to remembrance , and thy deceit that hath been hid to the light , then shalt thou see that thou hast not set thy self onely against man but also against god and his dear servants whom he hath redeemed by his pretious blood , who knows a habitation unto which you cannot reach with your clubs , whips and ropes , and their habitation is as the munition of rocks , their bread is sure , and their water doth not fail , and happy are they who suffer for the truths sake , for they shall receive honour and glory and immortality , and the crown of life which he hath laid up for all them that endure the cross and dispise the shame , which will be given in the day of his glorious appearance to them that keeps the word of his patience , and the word of his testimony committed to them unto the end . london , the th day of the th month , . oh ! new england whose heart is unbroken , and is as hard as a stone , thy fruits declares it , and thy iuhabitants are rebellious against god , thy teachers and people are filled with enmity against the lord and his people , and they have not known sorrow , nor are they acquainted with the lord in his judgements , but the rebellious , and stiff-necked lives in them ; and they are covered with a profession of gospel , but are as the wolves in sheeps clothing , who is covered with the saints words and practices , but are destroying the lambs of christ ; oh ! new england , what hast thou done ? how thou hast greedily run in the way that is not good , how hast thou opposed the way of thine own peace , and rejected the loving kindness of the lord , we have heard , and we have seen , and we have been sencible of thy wickedness , of thy mercilesness and thy cruelty which abounds in thee , and art without respect to god and his eternal power which is over you , though you oppose it ; yet you are comprehended with it , and it shall eternally judge you ; your church hath brought forth bad fruits , even of sodom and spiritual egypt , and in the streets is the lamb slain , and the just crucified , and ye are the people that have done it , doth not your dealing towards the people of god called quakers evidence this unto all the world ? and nations do hisse at you ; what , ye a gathered people ? what ye a seperated people ? and brings forth persecution in such a manner , exceeding the very cruelty of the scribes and pharisees , and the chief priests , this nation hath wondered at your hard heartedness , & sober people are grieved at their hearts for you , that you should so far indanger your souls to everlasting loss , as to go on in this way as you have done for years together , every day as it were heighthening your malice and your fury against the lamb and his followers ; oh you teachers and professors which hath openly appeared under the dragons ; collours , who hath warred under his banner , even the dragon which sought to devour the man-child , and by him do you make war against the lamb and his followers , with the dragons weapons , prisons , houses of correction , whippings , banishments , cutting off the ears , and such like cruel dealing , which is of the dragon his weapons , and not the weapons of the lamb ; oh what have you done , is there not a wise man among you , are you all besotted , and inchanted , are you all blind , is there none among you that considers these things , hath not your own doings pierced your hearts ? hath not the innocent blood that you have shed yet struck terrour upon your consciences ? can nothing awaken you , will not your own doings reprove you ? oh consider , for you are not hid from the eternal eye of god , it beholds you , and you are naked and bare before it ; and your filthiness and wretchedness is open before it , oh what floods of wickedness do you cast out ? and what wicked practices do you bring forth ? we are wounded in our spirits for you because you have lost all feeling and sence , and are void of understanding , your ears dull , your eyes blind , and your hearts hardned , and hath neither religion nor pure humanity ; but do you think to prevail against the lord by your doings ? do you think to weary him out from among you ? no he is stronger and his kingdom and government of more force , and though he is long suffering , yet he can dash you to pieces , and take your breath from you , and cause you to melt away , and sink you into confusion , and destruction , and his truth will prevail over you , for there is a seed which you cannot quench , there is a root which will bring forth though you choak it never so much , and in all your glory you shall wither and pine away , and your flower shall be cut down , and your strength shall become weak as water , and your authority shall sink into the bottomless pit , and there is no vision unto you of peace and prosperity in your way ; but you shall fall with no small weight of dishonour and affliction which shall be your portion , for god is just and all power is with him to break you to pieces , and he can make you know , that he can do whatsoever he will , and you are but as the pot-sheards of the earth which he will break , and his heritage shall be increased , and he will not be wanting to it , his people shall have peace when you shall have trouble , his people shall have joy when you shall have mourning , he shall appear to their joy but you shall be ashamed ; for your portion shall not be like unto theirs , but the wrath of the lamb shall torment you , even the long suffering of god , which hath been great towards you , shall be turned into a devouring fire , and into fury to consume you , this shall doubtless come to passe , for the lord hath said it ; wherefore repent ye rulers , repent ye teachers , repent ye hypocrites , and if there be any among you that will be saved , let him deliver himself by turning to the lord . but besides all that you have done , by way of persecution , imprisonment , lies and slanders , cutting off ears , banishment and whippings and such like , yet after all this here is a book come over , called the heart of new england rent filled with false reproaches , with slanders , with false doctrines , and misinterpretations o● scripture , and such like stuff , which we have taken notice of and viewed over , and returned answer ; what is this your best divinity in new england ? we have heard of your wicked practices towards the people of god , but now we have seen the wickedness of your profession , and the emptiness of your religion and doctrines , and we cannot but turn them back to you again that if possible the lord may open your eyes that you may be converted , and live ; and what do we fear your revilings and threatnings and your persecutions , in the immortal life is our victory , which life you cannot reach , for the devil hath not power given over it ; though you may have power over the body , and over the goods , yet the immortal life you cannot touch ; and that is eternal victory , and that life is our god bringing forth more and more , and he can deliver if he will , but if he will not , we cannot bow to your image ; nor say we have done you wrong in what we write and speak to you ; for this is our religion , that our conscience may be kept clear , and our zeal for god is in this , that we may keep void of offence towards god and towards you ; by warning of you from time to time , and though we are far distant in the outward man , yet we have a witness in your consciences ; and in that we know you , and by that shall be answered in the dreadful day of the lord , and that day is coming upon you , and the judgements of the lord the wicked shall not ●scape . o have you forgotten since you were sufferers your selves , and then it was well with you , far better then now ; for you are at ease in the flesh and have forgotten god , and lost that sincerity which once was in you , and the very spirit of the old bishops which once persecuted you it is entered into your hearts , and now li●es in you , and acts you , and in the dayes of your prosperity you are exalted , and have forgotten the lord , and you requite him evil for his love , and seem , to be a people given up to do wickedly till the time of your distruction , and like rulers , like teachers , all in the hard-heartedness , and in the pathes of death and destruction , your church , your ministry , your religion is all of it a weariness , and abomination to the lord , while that spirit of murder , and ●alice lodges in you ; wherefore repent , least you perissh , the day of god almighty is approaching ; the terrible day of the lord is at hand ; i am a lover of righteousness and a friend to the seed of god throughout the world , and that waits for the redemption thereof . e. bvrrovgh the end . oaths no gospel ordinance but prohibited by christ being in answer to a. smallwood, d.d. to his book lately published, being a sermon preached at carlile, , wherein he hath laboured to prove swearing lawful among christians, his reasons and arguments are weighed and answered, and the doctrines of christ vindicated against the conceptions and interpretations of men, who would make it void / by a sufferer for christ and his doctrine, f.h. howgill, francis, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) oaths no gospel ordinance but prohibited by christ being in answer to a. smallwood, d.d. to his book lately published, being a sermon preached at carlile, , wherein he hath laboured to prove swearing lawful among christians, his reasons and arguments are weighed and answered, and the doctrines of christ vindicated against the conceptions and interpretations of men, who would make it void / by a sufferer for christ and his doctrine, f.h. howgill, francis, - . [ ], , [ ] p. s.n.], [london : . reproduction of original in union theological seminary library, new york. attributed to francis howgil. cf. nuc pre- . errata: p. 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texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng smallwood, allan, - . -- sermon preached at carlisle, aug. , . oaths -- england -- early works to . oaths -- moral and ethical aspects -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread - emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion oaths no gospel ordinance but prohibited by christ : being in answer to a. smallwood , d. d. to his book lately published , being a sermon preached at carlile , . wherein , he hath laboured to prove , swearing lawful among christians ; his reasons and arguments are weighed and answered , and the doctrine of christ vindicated against the conceptions and interpretations of men , who would make it void . by a sufferer for christ and his doctrine , f. h. because of oaths the land mourneth , jer. . , , , &c. by swearing and lying , and killing , and stealing , and committing adultry , they break out , and blood toucheth blood ; therefore shall the land mourn , and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish , hosea . , . printed in the year . to the reader . reader , truth never had that advantage nor countenance from the men of this world , ( though wise in their generation ) ( since sin entered into it ) to have the approbation of the world , neither of the powers and potentates thereof , for it alwaies hated the truth , because it bore witness against the world , and the deeds and works thereof which are evil ; for wisdom is only justified of her children ; and truth is justified of her children : neither indeed doth it need any other patron to shelter it self under , but the god of all truth , from whence it proceeds ; neither shall i seek a shelter , neither run to any mountain or hill for safety or protection , nor to the mighty of the earth , as many of latter dayes have done to patronize their labours , and to make them the more acceptable , and to be the sooner and more readily received : but seeing the apostle saith , not many wise , not many rich , not many noble are chosen , but he hath chosen the weak and poor , and despised of the world , who are rich in faith and good works , who are heirs of the promise , and of the world to come . i chuse only to be approved to the witness of christs light in every mans conscience , and to the measure of his holy spirit which he hath placed in every man , to that only i desire to be either approved , or by it reproved , for wholly unto the judgment of that in every conscience i appeal , and do commend this ensuing discourse , in the sight of god , and the answer unto smalwood's book , who hath sought to make void christs command , for to obey the command of men , as is manifest in his epistle dedicatory to the gentlemen of cumberland : for it seems by his epistle they put him on work , to preach and print this sermon , whether upon this subject or not i shall not determine , but however he sayes he hath obeyed their commands ; though he hath laboured as much as in him lies to make the command of christ void , and the apostles doctrine by his arguments which he hath raised to prove christs doctrine one thing , and his intention another , and so would blind the minds of people , only to establish the doctrines of men , and the traditions of men in the apostacy , and hath put divers constructions upon the plain words of the scripture and interpretation to prove his false assertion that he laid down at the first , that christ did not forbid all swearing ; i say i could have willingly have been silent rather then to be found over and over again contending with every new opposer , of those old truths , that have been believ'd and received long before the apostacy entered in , which hath been answer'd ( by that people i own , in judgment and conversation ) long ago ; to let pass those disadvantages , we have adventered upon ; our low persecuted , imprisoned , and in a manner condemned condition , so that we may exspect our words , how true soever , yet they are not like to gain much credit against such an eminent man as doctor smallwood . again , considering how we expose our selves to the lash and severity of a sharp law , which some men in their blind zeal are far more ridged and severe in their prosecution of it then i am apt to believe the supream enactors of it were in their intentions when they did inact it ; all which notwithstanding are no discouragement unto me , for as much as the internal and eternal truth of our god , which we have known , received and believed , is very precious in our eyes , yea , far more then either life or liberty , and estate , ( which some have forfeited and lost upon truths account ) or any external treasure , or outward enjoyment whatsoever , so that considering how the truth lies at stake we cannot be silent , least thereby we should appear to some mens apprehensions , as to be satisfied with what the doctor hath said , and own his arguments & reasons that he hath laid down for possitive truth ; i could do no less then to show our dislike of his doctrine , and to manifest the weakness of his arguments about this particular of swearing at all , under the gospel , though he hath strained very hard to prove his assertion , that oaths may lawfully he taken by christians in some cases , notwithstanding christs prohibition and command to the contrary , but of how little effect or force his reasons are thou wilt see in the ensuing discourse , although his book be looked upon by some , to be sufficient force to convince all gain-sayers , and although he say he hath had divers papers and books of dissenters , who are of a contrary judgment , where he found any reason offered against what he hath laid down for doctrine , he hath answered , though indeed he hath over-riden the most weighty matters in them , and hath said little but that hath been said before by other opposers of christs doctrine ; though its very like the doctor will count this but a loose discourse , as he hath done others of very great weight , ( yea indeed of more weight and reason in them then any thing , he hath exhibited , yet to the contrary ) and so count it not worth taking notice of ; but though he do not , it is not of much moment , for that end only i have writ , to bear my testimony for christs doctrine against all the false and feigned interpretations of men , being that which i have stedfastly believed , and is of that force and weight upon many consciences , and so evident by the spirit of christ , that they can receive nothing of mans faln reason and conceptions which are variable and changable to answer , or weigh down the doctrine of christ , and his apostles , and primitive christians , who walked in the order of the gospel , and obeyed the commands of christ before the apostacy entered in , and the power was lost , and the life and spirit of christ erred from ) and mingled the ordinances of the first and second covenant together , and the injunctions of men among them for doctrine , and then compelled all to receive it , all this long time of antichrists reign , and the false church visibility , wherein she hath sitten as a queen upon the waters , which are the nations , kindreds , tongues and people , which a. s. brings as a great argument to prove swearing in use among christians since christ gave out that command , swear not at all . the reasons the very strength of them , i have laid down as a. s. hath published them , without varying from his own words ; the answer thou may peruse and read without prejudice , and weigh with the measure of gods spirit in thy self , for unto that i appeal , which is a more certain thing then councils , or nations , or consent of multi●udes , who hath the name of christian , and walks not in his doctrine , neither lives his life , nor doth the things he saith , i am shut up in a corner , and have not that advantage that some opposers have of others labours as to bring authors of divers ages that denied to swear , though not only some there were but many ; but alas , they are condemned already by a. s. and others for phanaticks and heteradox , and so their sayings , will seem of less force , but however , i have not much striven , neither shall to fetch things from far in the apostacy , but rest in that which makes all things evident , even the spirit of god in thy own heart and the scriptures of truth , which was spoken by the spirit , which are so clear unto many , that there needs not multitude of words , to demonstrate this truth of the prohibition of all oaths among true christians ; but i shall not detain thee from the matter it self , and the lord give thee an understanding . f h. oathes no gospel ordinance , but prohibited by christ. there being a book lately published by a. smalwood . d. d. as i understand doctor of divinity ; first preached in a sermon at carlile , i suppose before the judges at the assizes then holden the th . day of august , . since which i perceive many additions , by reasons and paraphrases are added thereunto , and printed at york : in which discourse he hath vindicated the lawfulness of swearing under the gospel , and hath gone about to prove it by many reasons , and authors ; how that christ upon that subject , mat. . . swear not at all , did not intend an absolute universal prohibition of all manner of swearing under the gospel ; which book of his i have perused with an upright heart , and an impartial eye , seriously , to the end i might own that which is good in it , not as one being glued to an opinion or judgment ; but what as carries demonstration of truth with it upon my conscience and in my heart ; it being a principle well known and believed amongst us , to have our consciences void of offence towards god , and towards man : and seeing my self and many more are great sufferers at this day upon this very account , which i look upon , being truly and conscientiously grounded upon the doctrine of christ , and consonant to the primitive christians , and seeing so large things have been written by other hands in asserting the truth of what we have believed , which yet stands as a witness unto the doctrine of christ ; notwithstanding all opposition and gain-saying , that it hath had by many hands ; i could have been wholly silent , and have refered all that have been said to the judgment of the lord , and to that of god in every mans conscience ; but that i perceive a. smalwood hath rendred that people which i own in judgment , and practise , to be in error , and hath greatly gain-sayed and villified all such as ever did or do deny swearing upon never so conscientious account ; as erroneous , and as only sprung from the pelagian heresie and manacheus , and i know not who , and have rendred all with reproach and disdain , as phanaticks who discent from him , with disdainful , and reproachful names , to represent us as odious as may be to the magistrate , and at such a time as this , when tender and conscientious people , who fear the lord in their hearts , ( and desires to live and be at peace , and seeks it with all men ) are sufferers , and great sufferers too ; upon this very account , whereby many are stired up to more persecution and wrath against us : and besides this discourse it seemes is cryed up , as the most exquisite that ever was , or can be ; and as unanswerable , and that we who deny to swear , would abolish all judicable proceedings , and make them nothing ; this discourse is printed , as a. s. in his . page sayes , to induce us to forsake so irrational an opinion , and to convince us of our error ; and it seemes he himself , besides many other exspects it must effect some great matter . reply . i say all these things being considered , was a strong inducement to me , to write something in reply thereunto , though in very deed i love not contention , neither strife about words , but seeing it is the doctrine of christ , and that which hath been , and is stedfastly believed by divers faithful professors , and sufferers both formerly and now , however by a. smalwood accounted and reproached by that disdainful name of phanaticks ; a word lately invented in the pit of darkness , where many of those and the like reproaches come from ; i was engaged in my heart , to hear my testimony against this said book , and for the truth of christs doctrine ; not out of obstinacy and wilfulness , but in duty as by conscience to god and his truth ; which is dearer to me then my outward liberty or all i have to loose for it , which i and many more at this day choose rather to suffer , then to be found violating the commands of christ , or deny that which i have stedfastly believed ; being perswaded thereunto by the spirit of the lord , and evidence of the scripture of truth . the subject a. smalwood hath taken to treat upon , and in the end to gain-say , and pervert ; are no less then christs own doctrine , mat. . . but i say unto you swear not at all : who would have believed or thought that one who accounts himself a doctor , a divine , and a minister of christ , should choose christs own words to plead against christ , and them that do abide in his doctrine ? or that ever any should go about to prove swearing lawful from these words in gospel times , or that swearing is not forbiden ; but what would not this man encounter with ? or what would not he oppose ? if he have but the power of this world on his side ? it is a small thing to gain-say what we say , and pervert our words , and make them seem erroneous , and to make our intentions one thing , and our words another ; when he is so bold as to make christs doctrine , his express words swear not at all , and his intentions contrary to his words , what do we judg of a man that speaks one thing , and intends another ? it's fearful to think what conclusions some will make to carry on their intended designes , but me thinks a. s. might have been more considerate then to have taken christs own doctrine and words , to oppose christs intention , or to be so bold as to assert the intention of christ was otherwise then his words import ; but rather have chosen some other subject ; but what matter makes many of subjects , for with a consequence or two , and a little logick , they will seem to turn things any way , and go about to prove darkness is light , and light is darkness , and what as in them lyes make it so to appear if they take a matter in hand ; and therefore the apostle exhorted to beware of phylosophy and vain deceit , for by this men have been cuning and crafty , and lie in wait to deceive the innocent and harmless and to lead them out of the way . in the fourth page he saith , he will clear his intention , and that there are two sorts of men that do violence to this text ; the one winds it up too too high a note , as though christ had forbidden all swearing whatsoever . and in the tenth page he saith , this error is masked under a fair colour of a more then ordinary piety , but tends to overthrow all judicatures , and takes away the decision of all emergent suites and controversies ; and were it granted saith a. smallwood , we should be necessitated if not to disown the magistrates authority , yet to disobey their loyal command , as having a countermand from christ , swear not at all , and the other sort of men are such who in despight of this text do commonly , rashly , prophanely and falsely swear . answ. who doth the greater violence to this scripture ? whether a. s. who in his doctrine he hath raised from these words to be the foundation of his discourse , who makes christs plain and express words one thing , and his intentions another : i leave to all unbyassed spirits to judge off , or they that say , christ intended what he spoke , and spoke what he intended , i say let all see and consider where the violence lies , and in whom , and whether he doth not wind it up by that not , or contrary to it , to use his own words otherwise then christ intends it , as after will be made more evidently to appear , and we say it s not error but truth to believe christs words , who are truth , more then a. s. his conjectural supposition , neither do we believe it , to be error masked , but truth revealed , and christ spoke and declared it , that we might beleive it and obey it : and we believe that a. s. and many more hath put a mask and a vail upon christs words , and would hoodwink all , and lead them blindfold after their imaginations , and crooked pathes , winding and turning this way and that way that leads into darkness and trouble , and confusion , from the path of life : and what doth christs command ? viz. swear not at all ; doth it overthrow all justice and judicatories ? it is not the seat of judgment established in righteousness and truth ? and they that sit in judgment ought they not to give sentence and judgment in righteousness and truth , and as the causes are represented unto them , and brought before them , and may not every truth be confirmed out of the mouth of two or three * witnesses , and all emergent suits and controversies ended according to the best evidence after diligent inquisition and judgment given accordingly , and that without the needless and cumbersome formality of an oath , * which is sometime this , and sometime that , and changable , when as every true confession and testimony is equiv●lent thereunto , in the presence of the god of all truth , and who ever denyed this ? and there is no necessity so to judge that he that fears to swear , and take an oath , yet refuseth not to g●ve true testimony about any matter , whether it do concern the lord or his neighbour , that therefore he denies the magistrates authority , or yet disobeyes their legal commands ? so that though all swearing should be denyed , yet that which answers the cause in hand is not denyed , true testimony ; and therefore the magistrates authority and their lawful commands may well stand and be obeyed , and right done unto every man , and command stand also , these are but the secret smitings and suggestions of a. smallwood to render them odious to the magistrates and all people , who dissent from him in judgment : and indeed such like discourses and instigations from such like mouths and pens as his is , who is accounted learned and eminent , hath not a little added afflictions unto our bonds , and they have made wide the wound , and hath made the breach seem greater then it is , and the matter more grievous then there hath been any cause for , i desire they may consider of it and repent . and in . page , from this text , mat. . . but i say unto you swear not at all ; he layes down this proposition or doctrine , viz. our saviour did not intend by these words , swear not at all , an absolute , universal and limited prohibition of all manner of swearing , and goes on to prove it by divers reasons . the first he gives is , that the father and the son are one in nature , power , wisdom , immutability , and eternity , and one , in will and wisdom , therefore they cannot give forth contrary commands , but god the father hath commanded swearing , in these words , thou shalt fear the lord and swear by his name and serve him , deut. . . and therefore it is not possible that god the son should forbid it . answ. though the father and the son be one in nature , power and wisdom , and immutability , and will , as in themselves , and alters not , but keeps covenant from age to age , and from generation to generation , there is no contrarity in them , yet there are diversities of gifts but the same spirit , and there are differences of administrations but the same lord. it is granted that after sin entred into the world , and death by sin and diffidence , and unbelief , variance and strife , and many transgressions , for which the law was added ; and because of which the law was added , and the command given forth unto the jewes to swear by the name of god , as jerome saith upon the . of mat. . . it was permitted the jewes under the law , as being tender and infants , ( and to keep them from idolatry , which the rest of the nations did run into ) they might swear by the name of god , not that it was rightful so to do but that it was better to swear by the lord then by false gods or devils : but the great evangelical sincerity and truth admits not of an oath . secondly , for the ending of strife and variance being in the unbelief , which was the occasion of the adding of the law , and the cause of the command given forth , deut. . . with divers more words specified by moses and the prophets : and though christ came not to destroy the law but to fulfill it , and to destroy that which the law was against , ( and which it took hold upon ) and to finish sin and transgression , and bring in everlasting righteousness , and to restore to the beginning , and we say according as we have believed and received of the lord , and have a cloud of witnesses , both them that are gone before , and of them that yet remain alive : as christ said of divorcement , it was not so from the beginning ; so we say , oaths was not from the beginning , but was added after hardness of heart and sin , and unbelief , entered into the world ; but christ who was made under the law and fulfilled the law , put an end to the transgression , sin , unbelief , variance , and strife , in whom all the promises of god are fulfilled , he is the righteousness of god , and who are true christians indeed are come out of unbelief , variance , and transgression , and doth see and know christ to be the end of the law , for righteousness to them that believe , who exhorted to do the truth , confess the truth , and speak the truth , who said , swear not at all by heaven , and which after more shall be said god willing to the text it self : and so a. smallwood his reason is made void , and his impossibility made possible , that god gave forth a command , and permitted the iews to swear in that covenant and ministration , and yet christ in the new covenant countermands it as in the text , being the minister of a better covenant which stood upon better promises , who leads to the beginning , and is the restorer of all mankind that do believe ; and yet the father and the son are one in will , wisdom and power . and though a. s. and others cannot understand , or else hath no mind in that latitude as generally prohibitive of all swearing ; because he says , god did require it , no less then he did his own worship and service in the moral law ; these nice distinctions of moral , judicial and ceremonial hath confounded peoples understandings , though it is still acknowledged they did vow , and did swear in the first covenant under the law ; but whether he or any other making , swearing , moral , judicial or ceremonial is not much matter , seeing that christ the righteousness is the summe and substance of all , and the end of the law for righteousness to them that do believe , & in him is life and righteousness enjoyed ; for the law was given by moses , but the grace , the truth cometh by jesus christ , who is the summe of all types and shadowes , and therefore the apostle said , we are circumcised in him , and baptised in him ; and we do look upon an oath under the law to have some type and figure in it , notwithstanding a. s. say it was none , and that christ is improperly called the oath of god , no more improper then he is a vine , a door , a way , a shepherd ; * for all the promises are fulfilled in him , and are yea , and amen : and as for the morality of it so far as it is moral and perpetual to all under the gospel , is in confession of truth , and bearing witness thereunto as before the lord , or in his presence , and speaking the truth when there is necessity , as when any mans person or estate , or any part thereof is in danger , and this we have ever owned , and do own , and have , and are ready to testifie the truth before the lord , or in his presence as concerning any matter which concernes the glory of god , or the good of our neighbour without being pinched or bound up to a certain form of words imposed upon us , but according as necessity requires , so amply and largely as our words may give knowledge and understanding and light in any matter which is to be desired , but this hath been denyed , and hath not been received by this unbelieving generation , who seeks rather to establish the traditions and customes of men , rather then the evangelical doctrine of the gospel . and though doctor smallwood will needs have it , viz. swearing , neither to be ceremonial nor judicial , but for any proof he brings for ought i see it may be either as well as that he calls moral , for sure i am that oathes was used * in judicial proceedings , and ceremonies were used in the worship of god and his service then , and by commandement ; and the service of god , and his worship , i hope he will say is moral ; yet so as under the law , it was not without ceremony , and it is concluded by the most learned that there was some ceremony , or figure , or signe in that covenant , in all the worship , and some shadowes of good things to come , ( then if swearing was any part of the worship of god ) as the most do grant , and assert , and i think a. s. will hardly deny , then i argue it had some ceremony or shadow in it : but oh this a. s. cannot away with in this point of swearing , but it must needs be all moral for fear he should waken his matter that he hath taken in hand to war against christs command ; but it is evident that swearing was used in judicial proceedings , as is manifest , deutr. . . about killing of a man accedentally , and the . verse , about murther , and the . verse about land-markes , and in the . life for life , eye for eye , tooth for tooth , hand for hand , and foot for foot , about all these things and many more , and in the . verse about a false witness ( were to be decided and tryed by witnesses before the judges ) and judgment was to be given according to the several commands about the aforesaid different transgressions , all which statutes belonged to their judicial proceedings , as this about swearing , and as is manifest in this chapter ; and all of these commands seemes to have as much morality in them , as swearing hath in the judgment of many , unto whose judgment i leave what i say , to be weighed by the spirit of god in them . thirdly , the law sayed many things by way of precept and commission ( at least permission from god , which would be irregularities grosly reproveable in mens manners in moral matters , conversations , civil transactions , and communications , should they be used among them who profess the gospel , the law said an eye for an eye , tooth for tooth , hand for hand , foot for foot ; the gospel saith avenge not your selves , resist not evil , suffer wrong , put up , forgive , forbear , the law said , thou shalt love thy neighbour , and hate thy enemy ; but a. s. will look upon this as an addition or false interpretation to the law it may be , but how ever certain it is that under the law they made war , the jewes with amaleck with moab , with ammon , and the canaanites , and the aegiptians might be spoyled , but the gospel said only love your enemies , if he be hungry feed him , if he be thirsty give him to drink , and for any thing i can see the aforesaid commands were as morall , and had as much morality in them as swearing , what ever a. s. say or can say : in the th . section a. s. sayes if any argue that christ abolished the ceremonial and judicial lawes once commanded by god , he sayes he denyes that assertion , for we were never under the judicial law , it being solely given to the jewes for the regulating their common-wealth in the land of canaan , deutro . . . and they were never obligatory to us that are no jewes , nor never dwelt in canaan , and as for the ceremonial it was meerly temporary , and ceased at our saviours death , and was not abrogated , but observed by him in his life , neither can it properly be said to be repealed . reply . though i do not argue that christ abolished the ceremonial and judicial laws once commanded , nor abrogated them : yet bishop gauden doth , who attain'd , if not to a degree of knowledge and learning , yet to a degree of promotion above a. s. in his book which he wrote for the information of the quakers about swearing , he saith in his own words , christ came to fulfill the moral law , however he came in a way of fulfilling to abrogate the ceremonial , yea and the politick lawes too , belonging to the jewes policy in church and state ; and herein is the bishop and the doctor at odds , the bishop said , he abrogated the ceremonial law , and judicial law too , belonging to the iewes policy and state : but doctor smallwood says , he denies his assertion ; for says he , we were never under the judicial law , and what was never imposed need not be abolished : so then what remains for me to say but this , if swearing was any part of the iudicial law , or did belong to their political estate , as it is the judgment of many , but it is evident that swearing was used by the witness before iudges in israel in those days to try out their matters according to commandment given of god , as is evident from . deut. in the whole chapter , and divers other places then by this argument a. s. hath made , he hath overthrown himself ; for he saith , we are no iewes , nor in canaan , and so never imposed ; and what was never imposed need no abolishing ; and it is as i have said , manifest that oaths had relation to judicial proceedings , and to the service of god too in that covenant , which was shadowy , and consisted much in outward signes and figures , but the substance is christ. so then instead of proving swearing under the gospel lawful , he hath by his argument proved it never injoyned unto the gentiles , neither indeed was it , either ever commanded or commended unto the gentiles who believed , or they reproved for not observing it that ever we read of by christ or his apostles , or ministers in the first and purest times of christianity , for to jacob he gave his law , and to israel his statutes ; to every nation he did not so , no not to moab , ammon , nor the canaanites , neither the gentiles ; and though he seem to plead hard for swearing under the gospel , yet he falls short in his proof , except he took his own reasons and arguments which divers of them are but imaginary , & in the foundation of his discourse he hath taken such great compass , as there is not an universal , unlimited prohibition of all manner of swearing ; but what this manner of swaring is , it is very uncertain , somtimes he makes it this , and sometimes that , sometimes he saith it is no oath , though in the form thereof there be not i swear , or god be not named , or by god doth not always signifie an oath ; and other where he seems to affirm it to be an oath , but when an impartial eye hath sounded and tryed to the bottom what this swearing is that brings so much glory to god , and so much good to our neighbour , that he so vehemently contends for that ought to be observed as well as gods fear and service , ( it is but their own traditions and inventions , for that under the law will not serve ( as the lord lives ) or that he calls swearing under the gospel will not serve , ( the lord is witness ) or i speak the truth in christ ; or this is truth in the presence of god , or the like , none of these will serve : but though he and the rulers do say they are oaths , yet when at any time we have proffered willingly to declare the truth in this or that particular cause , or to make as ample confession in demonstration for clearing any cause in debate , that hath either conduced to the glory of god , or the good and profit of any particular man in the nation among whom we converse , and not without some attestation of god , or of his wisdom , power , and presence , yet it would never yet he received but reckoned as insufficient , though both the rulers of this age , and a. s. have sayed it , it might be that in private it might , but in judicature never was received , though i do believe the most doth believe we dare not lie in ordinary communication , much less in judicature , yet we have been set aside as objects of wrath , as deluded erronious , factious , seditious , contemners of law , obstructors of legal proceedings , except we would lay our hand upon a bible and kiss it , and say , i swear , and by the contents of the book , and so help me god , or else fined , imprisoned for term of life , our lands and goods confiscated , and we sentenced to be banished , our wives and children ruinated , husband and wife parted , children and parents separated , and such monsters of christians have we to deal withal in this age , and how many brought into this sad condition in england , as little a. s. knows as cares . but for ought i know that he and such as he , in such publick discourses as this of his hath blown the sparks and hath kindled a flame in the rulers , and incensed them , and stirred them up to severity and harshness against them who fear the lord , and doth maintain peace with all men as much as in them lyeth , and keeps their consciences void of offence towards god , which makes us to chuse rather all this hardship then to offend the lord , who serve and fear his name , and reverence it more then they who seem to honour it , and pretends gods honour thorow their swearing . but to make amends for this , a. s. he saith , the magistrates must act by the law , and that enjoynes such a forme of swearing and they cannot allow it . unto that i answer , it had been a more necessary discourse for a. s. to have exhorted the magistrates , if the law had been answered in the substance , not to be so severe in the forme , and also to have told them where any law was made contrary to the law of god , either in matter or forme : the consciences of believers could not yield obedience thereunto , when it was repugnant unto the law of god , and not according to the forme thereof , and in such cases to be wary , and he and the rest of the clergy to have advised with the rulers and law-makers , and to have informed them from whom they receive such great incomes , and revenues , ( for the preservation and peace of all men ) that they need not stand so much upon the forme , seeing that so many conscientious people questioned it , so that there needed not such tying up to forme , under such great and heavy penalties , as banishment , confiscation , and perpetual imprisonment , but have informed them so that the truth might have been found out , and no judicial proceedings hindered , which i am sure may be without any swearing , true testimony never being denyed , when required by any magistrate , and let bua a penalty be upon him that gives false evidence , or speakes an untruth about any proceedings in judicature , or otherwise called to bear evidence in any controversie , if found out , let them suffer as them that sweares falsely , and as perjured , and the case is one , and here all scruples , and contentions about swearing would end , and there would not be the least obstruction in legal proceedings , or in administration of justice , and let me tell doctor smallwood , and the rest of his brethren , that if they would move such a thing in parliament , peradventure it would be readily received from them , and in so doing , they would do as acceptable a piece of service , and as well pleasing to god , and would conduce as much to the peace and tranquility of the nation , as any thing that ever they will do in their age , or hath been effected many ages , and so all these heart-burnings , contentions , and evil surmisings , and evil representing one another would cease and end , and which if not effected , nothing can be looked for but sad suffering , and great oppression and persecution , which will provoke the lord to anger , and ever did against all them that were the cause of it in ages past , but i come to his second argument . second argument . some without any colour , reason or possibility of proof , will need have swearing a ceremonial write , but god ranks it with his fear and service , therefore it must needs be moral , and therefore what at all times , as well under the gospel as under the law , as well amongst the gentiles as the jewes , tends to the glory of god , that is not a ceremonial ordinance , nor forbiden by christ , but such is swearing , and therefore it cannot be thought to be prohibited . reply to this . it hath been said and often asserted that all the ten words and commandements were moral and perpetual , as well under the gospel as under the law ; then i wonder what a. s. and divers others intends to do with the fourth commandment , if it be moral and perpetual and to be observed , in the same manner and with the same service , as then commanded , and the same day and time , then he and most of them who contend most for the morality of these ten commandments , are great transgressors , and if he grant there was something ceremonial in it , and typical or figurative , which then was the seventh day , which was given for a signe , ( of the worlds rest from its labour ) and of keeping after it an everlasting sabbath to the lord , by mans cessation from his own works , as god did from his , isai. . and the last heb. . which iewish observation of the seventh day as a sabbath now , though never so solemnly , as then commanded , will have no acceptation at all , no more then he , and he as much ( that is none at all ) that never so solemnly swears by the name of god , in such ceremonious ways as the iewes did of old , ( or goes beyond the bare asseveration or testimony of truth , with some attestation of gods power and veracity which hath never been denyed ) which to do , we do not only think but know it to be a superfluous ceremony of judaism ) not to say brat of jewish extraction as a. s. doth ) now circumcised and cut off from christians by christ , and what though god did , deutro . . . rank it with his fear and service , was there any service or worship in that covenant , that had not some signe and shadow in it , and was ceremonial , and was to end in the substance , was there not prayer , and praysing , and were not these service and worship , and had these not the ceremony of incense and sacrifice , which then attended these services , but the substance was lifting up of the heart unto the lord , and making a melody in the heart , and circumcision is now that of the heart , rom. . which was outward before , the killing of a lamb at the passeover was an ordinance in that covenant , the substance thereof is christ , the passeover ; the other now under the gospel would be no more then cutting of a dogs neck , these were all ordinances of god to be observed , and in their time and day , and they that did according to the command of god , tended to the glory of god , in that first covenant , but in the second under the gospel , whosoever should observe them , in the figure , ceremony , and shadow should much dishonour god and his christ the substance , and christ would profit him nothing , see that ceremony of swearing , the morality that only abides under the gospel is testifying the known truth from the heart , with some attestation of god to witnesse , who is witness of all we do or say , and that no more then confession or deniall , by yea or nay which is no oath , is that standing substance and the moral , if a. s. will have it called so that remaines under the gospel , which answers that ceremonious way of swearing under the law , which is most evident by the apostle pauls rendring of that terme swearing as it was spoken in way of prophesie concerning its continuance , then isa. . . to me every tongue shall swear under that tearm confessing only under the gospel , rom. . . every knee shall bow , every tongue shall confess to god , confession under the gospel is made equivolent with an oath under the law , but this rendring of it a. s. doth not like , but would pervert pauls words to have it confession , ( but put to his own addition ) by oath so that his argument is void , swearing was binding in that ceremonious way which it was commanded under the law , but not under the gospel , nor among the christians , who are come to the substance , and to confess and speak the truth in christ to the glory of god acknowledging his power and omnisciency , and his justice in discerning whether truth be spoken , and in punishing them that speak falsely , and his wisdome in discerning the secrets of all hearts , and a s. might as well have said that offrings and oblations and sacrifice tends much to the glory of god under the gospel as under the law as swearing , but saith he swearing is a part of gods peculiar service , that is incommunicable to any creature , the like i say of the former , offring and sacrifice , and incense , was incommunicable to any creature , but was due unto god alone ; yet it doth not follow as well under the gospel , as under the law , for that were to set up the figure and deny the substance , so this second argument is insufficient , and the third is somewhat related to it , which i now come unto . thirdly . this third argument is , that if christs purpose be utterly to abolish all swearing as an illegitimate brat of jewish extraction , not to be admitted into the christian church , then it must be either as it is repugnant to our duty to god , or else to our neighbour , for into that summary he hath contracted the whole law. reply . we must still distinguish that which was once a duty to be performed under the law , because commanded , is not required as a duty under the gospel , and the strength of most of a. s. his arguments , and the rest who contend for swearing under the gospel , are grounded upon the mosaical law , though this of oathes he will needs have to be moral ; it may be he would contend as much for the morality of tithes and oblations , if it had been the subject of his discourse , as for oathes , and them to be jure divino , under the gospel , for many such we have met with , and he might bring the same arguments for tithes and oblations , they are not repugnant unto god , but brings glory to his name ; because hereby his ministers under the gospel are maintained , and are enabled thereby to preach the gospel for the conversion of soules , which addes much to the glory of god , and therefore cannot or are not to be prohibited , but these only belonged to the levitical priesthood , and continued only to the time of reformation , viz. to the bringing in of a better hope and a better covenant , which stood upon better promises for the priesthood being changed , there is also of necessity a change of the law , hebr. . . by which tithes was a duty , and they robbed god that detained them , m●l . . . but this being ended and fulfilled in christ the everlasting high priest , who by one offering perfected for ever them that are sanctified , he bid not his disciples require tithes as a due , or duty belonging to god , under the gospel , but freely you have received freely give , and what house soever yee enter into that is worthy there abide , and eat such things as is set before you , for the workman is worthy of his meat , and this was far more evangelical , and conduced more to the honour of god , then tithes , and the apostles lived more by faith upon god , who provided for them , who was employed in his service , so that i argue what was once a duty under the law ; that was to be performed unto god , is not always a duty among christians , for though oathes were commanded unto the jewes in that time of infancy , and as being weak , and it was permitted them , as jerome saith upon the th . mat. vers . . to swear by the name of god to keep them from idolatry , seeing all other nations were given to idolatry , and swear by false gods , as chemosh , ashterah , and baal , he knew their aptness to be led aside with the customes of other nations , and therefore they were to acknowledge him alone , who was the living god , and no other , and to testifie truth by his name , as a thing certain and sure , and therefore one of their oathes was , as the lord lives , and this among the rest was one of the precepts of the law , which was added because of transgression , to swear by his name , which needed not have been added , if sin , and transgression , and unbelief had not entered in , ( mark this ) and this law of oathes pertained to that part which was in the transgression , and variance , and strife , and that led to worship idols , and this continued while that nature was standing , but christ was revealed and given to finish sin , and transgression , and unbelief , and to do away that part that lusted after idols , and that led into variance , and he leads out of the occasion of evil , and from that which was the cause of the addition of the law unto everlasting righteousness again , which was in the begining before sin entred , and they that come to believe in him are not under the law , but under grace , moreover the apostle saith , rom. . . the law hath power over a man so long as be liveth , even as a wife is bound by the law of her husband so long as he liveth , ( and no longer ) so as long as man liveth in sin , unbelief , transgression , discord , variance , and strife , and idolatry , the law hath power over him to correct and reprove him , and judge him , and was to be a limit unto that nature ; but christ leades out of the occasion of all these , for which the law was added to do the truth and speak the truth , and ceaseth strife , for which the law was added . again , the law was added as a cure and a remedy to defide controversies , and ill distempers , that was entred into the hearts of men , in the unbelief , and that is one reason which doctor gauden gives , why solemn swearing should and ought to be in judicial proceedings among christians , to take away jealousies , distrusts , dissimulations , frauds , unsatisfactions and insecurities ; and quotes grotius , that swearing is necessary , not absolutely and morally , or preceptively , but by way of consequence and remedy , as to the state of the jewes we shall not , nor have not denyed it ; but as to the state of christians who are truly such , we say that the cause is taken away and the effect follows , all jealousies , distrusts , dissimulations and strifes , and insecurities , and so the remedies , to wit oaths ceaseth , and the necessity of them , and that was one main thing why oaths were permitted to end strife , and strife is a work of the flesh , and variance and discord , and it is inconsistent with true love to our neighbour to hold that which answers the strife , and that part , for love fulfills the law , works no ill to the neighbour , ends strife , and so puts swearing the means to end strife , and the remedy out of place and date . but a. s. goes on and tells us that oaths advisedly and reverently taken upon necessary occasions are so far from displeasing god , or hurting our neighbour , that on the contrary they are acceptable to the one , and advantagious to the other , for by them princes are secured of their subjects allegiance , and generals of their souldiers fidelity , leagues confirmed betwixt nations , every man 's just right maintained , offenders discovered , and duly punished , and controversies and suits desided : and these are such great and good ends that men cannot be in any degree of security or happiness without them . reply . to this i answer , that notwithstanding all the great and good ends , and the necessity of oaths which a. s. conceives that men cannot subsist in any degree of security without , yet we see by experience notwithstanding all the reverent taking , and all the solemn taking , and the necessity that is put upon oaths , yet they have never answered the end purposed , for where perfidiousness and unbelief , and distrust , and jealousies , and strifes are , ( which is no where so much ) as among those that plead for swearing , yet oaths doth not , nor hath not bound them , when they had a mind to be loos'd , & sees that to stand to such obligations will not be for their profit , or present safety , many instances might be given ; what security had the pope when all the nobility and clergie in england were bound to maintain his supremacy by oaths ? and no doubt but they swore reverently , and it was judged both by the then church and state to be binding , and yet notwithstanding all the obligation , all was broken , and the popes supremacy denyed , in the time of hen. . and edward th . in their time all swore against the popes supremacy , either in church or state , and how much security was the nation in when queen mary came to the crown , though the nobles and the bishops , and prelates did all swear against the supremacy , yet behold it was brought in again , and confirmed by oath again ; and yet in the days of elizabeth renounced again , and of latter days what oaths have been exacted , first by one , and then by another , and one party contrary to another , though every party fancyed a security for the time , but it proved of no more effect , neither were they in any degree more secure then if there had been none at all ; for indeed that frequent swearing hath made men being got into a custome of it that it is become a light thing unto them , though otherwise they look upon themselves as bound ; generals how have they turn'd one way , and another way , and souldiers the like ; so that one may conclude indeed that oaths are made no more of but even to stand in force , while ( that bears up head and is exalted ) that to please the present time and power they seem to be devoutly obliged to it , but if it come under any eclipse or demunition , then they reckon themselves no longer obliged ; so that indeed their oaths are becom'd of little or no force at all ; and for controversies we see they begin many , and is the cause of much dissention and discord , but ends few ; for why may not all these foresaid states and conditions be secured , and as well , and the good and great ends accomplished , that a. s. pleads for by true evidence of every one concerned in any of the foresaid relations , by declaring and confessing the truth , and speaking it unto men as necessity requires without oath , yea and all the foresaid states have as much security , and subsist as well , if not better , then by all this swearing , which more properly belonged to the judaism then to christians , and there is no such necessity of them among christians if any at all , who dare not swear for fear of offending christ , or denying his doctrine , and yet will not lie but speak the truth , and indeed it is the custome of swearing , that have been used in the nations since the apostacy entered in , that is more looked upon then any thing else , more then any legality , necessity , or security , under the gospel seeing in the primitive times truly so called , it was enough to say , christianus sum , and that sort of swearing that is imposed now hath no other ground but custome , which jer. . . is accounted to be vain , neither hath it so much as an inch of ground from the scripture , and therefore doth not bring so much glory to god as a. s. tells on , because whatsoever is added or superadded to whatever god commanded as to matter or forme is but will-worship at the best , and a making whatsoever was said or commanded , or practised before , imperfect , and no way sufficient , but more of this shall be said after if the lord permit . fourth argument , had christ intended universally to forbid all kind of oaths in the words , swear not at all , then those amplifications , neither by heaven , nor by earth , neither by jerusalem , neither by the head , had been useless as being generally included in the general prohibition , but had he meant that no oath should be used upon any occasion , the subsequent words are so far from giving light to the preceeding that they much obscure them , but had he said no more then swear not at all , it might have been said he disallowed all oaths , but he descending to this or that creature may rationally imply that his purpose was only to forbid such swearing , and not that which was formerly enjoyed , and his conclusion is only creature swearing , or swearing by creatures is that he would have forbidden . answ. christ knew better what he intended then a. s. who would make his words one thing and his intention another ; it is evident by the preceeding doctrine , and by that which follows after the text , that christ prohibits all swearing , which shall be further spoken on when the second part of the discourse is spoken of ; some stumble ignorantly , and some wilfully , would pervert , and turn aside from that which they have no mind to receive , and would hold up that which they assert true or false , & that makes all this disputing and reasoning about the plain words of scripture , christs words ; but i say unto you , swear not at all by heaven or earth , is a general negative of all oaths , even of those which before were used in the time of moses , and by heaven and earth , and jerusalem , are more ample expressions of christ to make the scribes and pharisees understand his mind of his dislike of these oaths by creatures that they frequently used , and though these and much more were included in the general negative , swear not at all ; yet they are not to be excluded as superfluous , neither do they obscure the former , swear not at all , but gives more light to the former , to any but them that fees with a. s. his eyes , for by heaven , by earth , by jerusalem , are more ample expressions of his mind , and a further explication of the former , swear not at all ; and though they seem to a. s. to obscure and darken christs words , if he did intend all oaths , yet they that see with another eye then he doth is that they are only more large expressions thereby to make the pharisees understand , who were in the unbelief , and dull of hearing , that he did not only forbid what the law had forbid before , but even those oaths that they frequently used , under those terms and forms which the law had not spoken of in those words , as heaven , earth , jerusalem , head and foot , and therefore he enumerates them as an amplification of his former prohibition , and so they are to be joyned , and we shall not stop as a. s. says some doth at the words swear not at all , but shall joyne that which christ hath joyned , viz. heaven , earth and jerusalem , and to be enumerated only and joyned to the former negative , and spoken as to their capacities in those ful and large terms that they might understand his mind , that he prohibited not only by heaven and earth and jerusalem , but even any other oath which the law had commanded , or the jewes permitted to swear before ; and though a. s. would have it limited , only to swearing by creatures , which indeed were forbidden under the law ; but christ who taught a more evangelical and exact obedience then the law , he said , it hath been said of old time thou shalt not forswear thy self : but i say unto you , ( who saith more then the law hath said ) swear not at all , but let your yea be yea , and nay , nay , for whatsoever is mere cometh of evil . and of this mind was bp . vsher , late of armaugh , who pleaded the cause of the w●ldenses , or leonists , whose names are famous amongst the reformed chu●ches , and were the most ancient and true protestants , if any reformation be looked at beyond luther , they professed it no way lawful for a christian to swear , and the said bishop vsher de succes . chap. . doth esteem that place of the th . of mat. swear not at all ; and that of th . james to be a sufficient plea for them against the papists , and he pleads their cause ; and this made renerius and jansenius so much envy the waldenses two romanists , who said amongst all the sects which are or have been , there is not any more pernicious to the church ( meaning the church of rome ) then the waldenses ; and that for three reasons , first , their antiquity ; secondly , because of their universality ; thirdly , in that they did maintain and hold it no way lawful for a christian to swear on any occasion . but it may be that a. s. will tell us that these and other were condemned in some general or provincial council for heresie , and if he do it is no great matter , since most of these have erred , especially since all nations have drunk of the vvhores cup of fornication , and have erred from the faith , and have lost the power , and then contend for a forme , and bind all to receive it upon some comination or malediction , or other , or else they were hereticks ; and why who said so ? the church hath so decreed ; and if these canons and such like must be binding , a. s. will hardly escape their censure , if he continue in the profession of the faith he is in , though he and they seem to agree in this particular , about swearing . but i come to his fifth argument . fifth argument , christ never forbad any thing but what was intrinsecally evil , as may be proved by induction , he forbids anger , abusive language , he forbids lust , and divorce , and swearing by creatures ; and therefore what ever he forbad was evil , and that in it self , and not meerly as forbidden but swearing in general is not , for that hath not only been the practice of holy men , but of angels , dan. . . revel . . . reply . was it evil in it self under the law if a man smote out anothers eye , or tooth , or cut off his hand , or his foot , or give one a would in any part of the body , deut. . . levit. . . . deut. . . was it evil in it self for the judges in those days to give sentence , that he that had struck out his neighbours eye , or struck out his tooth , or cut off his hand to pronounce and give the same judgment unto the offender that he should be so done withal , was this eternally evil or intrinsecally evil for the party so wronged to seek remedy ? or was it not an act of justice equal and good , not only because enjoyned and commanded , but in it self just , and was it or is it an act in it self ( intrinsecally evil ) if a man sued a man wrongfully at the law , and takes a mans coat or garment away to seek to defend himself , and preserve his coat or cloak , if not a. s. his argument is of no moment ; for even in the same chapter , where envy and murther , and divorce saving for fornication , and abusive language , and all swearing is forbidden , so is that forbidden which is not intrinsecally evil by christ , mat. . , . but i say unto you that you resist not evil ; and whosoever shall smite the one cheek turn him the other also ; and if a man sue thee at the law , and take away thy coat , let him have thy cloak also ; and whosoever shall compell thee to go a mile go with him twayn . and it is in the new testament ( i hope ) written , avenge not your selves . and was it evil in it self , or morally evil to keep the seventh day of the week as a sabbath , or only good because commanded , or was it lawful to fight with amalecks , edomites , aegiptians , and canaanites , because israel was only commanded , or because they were real enemies to god in their hearts ; or as samuel fisher said well in answer to doctor gauden , which a. s. quarels with , that circumcision , sacrifices , and offerings , passeover , and new moons , fasts and swearing , was not evil in themselves but because forbidden ; and though a. s. give such a great challenge to s. f. to produce one instance that any thing was prohibited by christ , but what was intrinsecally evil , or else his argument is in vain , i say the aforementioned thing prove it , that something was forbidden that was not evil eternally and intrinsecally , but because prohibited , and again in the same chapter , ver . . but i say unto you love your enemies , bless them that curse you ; though under the law they did fight , and might fight with the aforesaid enemies , the canaanites , and gentiles ; but now i say , put up , forgive , love your enemies , peter put up thy sword , he that takes hold on it shall perish by it ; avenge not , go not to law one with another , cor. . . suffer , forbear , forgive if thy brother sin against thee seventy times . times . and though a. s. say that nothing was forbidden by christ , or in all the new testament but what was in it self evil , or in some respect conducing thereunto ; methinks he hath given too bold a challenge ; what will he say to all the former things mentioned ? and what evil had circumcision in it , or the passeover , or sacrificing , or new moons , and the sabbath days , or what tendency had they to evil , but rather were good for the end they were ordained , to be signes and types , and figures of holy things to come , like as swearing was among the rest , what ever a. s. say or argue ; and yet when the substance of the good things was come to them that had believed , and received him who was the summe of all ; the apostle said , gal. . , . if you be circumcised christ profits you nothing ; after he was offered up : and gal. . , , . you observe new moons , and holy days and sabbaths : and these things that were once as really good as ever swearing was , considering the end wherefore they were enjoyned , and these things was never evil in themselves , yet the apostle reckoned them beggarly rudiments , and told them they had begun in the spirit , and now sought to be made perfect through the flesh ; and so stood in doubt of them that his labour had been in vain , and therefore if a. s. or any other will needs uphold swearing , because commanded to the jewes , ( before the seed christ was revealed ) i say he is gal. . . ) a debter to the whole law ; and is as much bound to keep it in all other points as this , or else he is a transgressour , and is one of those that would be laying yoaks upon the disciples necks , unto whom they were never intended , for if the ceremonies and rites and outward observations which properly did belong to the jewish church , and state to observe till the fulness of time , when the partition wall should be broken down , and the jewes and gentiles should be one , and one shepherd and one fold for them both ( and no longer ) and they were never given to the gentiles to observe ; and therefore , for ought i can perceive many would have the gentile christians , who never were under the law , neither the ordinances of the first covenant , neither ever given to them , yet they would compell the christians to live as do the jewes , and to observe their ordinances ; and therefore are greatly to be blamed , gal . , . therefore we do not look upon any swearing to be now a duty under the gospel among true christians , truly such , as some swearing was once under the law , but affirme all swearing to be now a sin , because forbidden by the positive law of christ under the gospel , who by his death ended the right of that , and many more legal rites and rudiments , which who so doth observe now as christians doth it not without sin , and guilt , and superstition ; and therefore s. fisher that faithful servant of god ( who suffred in bonds til death for his testimony even in this particular ) saith well , that that sort of swearing which was not sin simpliciter in its nature under the law , is now a sin upon the account of christs universal prohibition of all swearing ; who was of authority to put to an end , as he did by his death unto the law : and therefore that sort of service and worship which stood in outward observations , which was a duty because commanded under the law , and no sin , in their own nature , neither were evil in themselves , nor in any respect conducing thereto , as they were observed , but had some signal good in them once , and yet who observes them now , as service of god , makes christ of so little effect to himself , as that he profits him nothing at all ; i hope a. s. will not deny but these things are forbidden in the new testament , which sometime were not evil in their own nature , but now are evil when the substance is come , in whom they all end ; and therefore s. f. his argument is not vain but of force : and yet let a. s. know that there were many things observed and done not only by the jewes , but by them that believed in christ , and thought well of him while he was present with them , and yet did not see to the end of these things which were shadows and signes , and good as once commanded , and had no evil in them , but were good as commanded , and for the end for which they were ordain'd , which afterwards in the more full growth and knowledge in the mystery of christianity they came more to be seen thorough , and that was felt in which they all ended ; and though christ came not to destroy the law , but to fulfill it , and to observe the ordinances commanded in that covenant to fulfill that which was written of him , psal. . . in the volume of the book it is written , i am come to do thy will o god. and further he said himself , it behoveth us to fulfill all righteousness : and that which was commanded , but this was before he was offred up , and was as a midle dispensation betwixt the ending of the law and publishing of the gospel ; yet howbeit christ knew it , and did speak of it at some time , that those things that had been sometime commanded , deut. . . and was good as they stood related to the end wherefore they were commanded , instance the worship at jerusalem , and the service there , and the place where god had promis'd to place his name , yet christ said as foreknowing the end of all , the aforesaid worship which appertained to that covenant , and therfore he said to the woman , joh. . . but the hour cometh and now is when the true worshipers , shall worship the father in spirit and truth , for the father seekes such to worship him , and . vers . god is a spirit , and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth , cor. . . from hence it is clearly evident ( for this was before he was offred up ) ( that then was the time ) that neither at jerusalem , nor in the mountain of samaria , it shall be only said they worship the father , though at jerusalem was the place , deut. . , , . of worship formerly , and the jewes held it then , and the worship was that which was commanded , to wit sacrifices , and offrings , and many other legal services , which belonged to them to perform according to the command of god , and if swearing or oathes was any part of the service of god , as in that covenant , as we with a. s. doth grant , deutr. . . you shall fear the lord and serve him , and swear by his name , then i say , that swearing amongst the rest of the worship is included , but saith christ , neither at jerusalem , nor this mountain , but they that worship shall worship the father in spirit and in truth , so that the time was ( then ) but came on more afterwards to be fulfilled , that both the place , and the worship , and service that belonged to the place , they should no more worship the father ( with and in ) but in the spirit and in the truth , and this may be in answer to that which a. s. makes a great adoe with in his book , how that christ said , swear not at all , it was before his death , and therefore they that argue , saith he , that swearing was prohibited only and ended in christs death , cannot plead that all oathes was prohibited , but that command of christ , mat. . because he spake this in his life time , i say so did he this , jo. . , , . and he may as well argue that christ destroyed the place of worship at jerusalem , and the worship also , and came not to fulfill it as he saith he did , and why , but because he spoke this before he was crucified , and so did he , swear not at all , and why may not a. s. conclude with us that this is a commodious place to interpret and explain christs meaning in those words in the th mat. , and . and so the words may truly be understood thus , yee have heard that it hath been said of old time , thou shalt not forswear thy self , but shalt performe unto the lord thine oathes , exod. . . and deutr. . . but the hour cometh and now is , ( when i say unto you ) that say more then the law hath said , swear not at all , neither by heaven nor by the earth , but let your yea be yea , and your nay nay , for whatsoever is more then these cometh of evil , and yet whatever may or can be said a. s. will need conclude that all swearing is not forbiden , and why ? because it hath been the practise of holy men , and also an angel , this argument is of little force , so was it the practise of holy men to offer sacrifice , and burn incense , and as for the swearing of the angel , dan. . and revel . . . to prove the lawfulness of some swearing , these hath been answered , over and over , and over again , though a. s. will take no notice of it , though i perceive he hath read the arguments that have been used as answers to these things , though he will not seem to take notice , nor to reply to confute the arguments , but rather minds his own , and to assert what may seem to make for his purpose , as to the matter he hath taken in hand , but as for good mens swearing , and the angels swearing , if their example would justifie the lawfulness of swearing , yet they could not be any president to us , who are under the gospel of the son that is greater then the angels , ( by the dispensation of whom ) the law for oathes , tithes , offrings , oblations , and other legal rites , and rudiments was given , which son also , all the angels of god are bid to worship , for the apostle saith , hebr. . . for unto the angels hath he not put into subjection the world to come , but that is committed unto the son , under whose ministration and subjection we are , who said , let your yea be yea , and your nay , nay , and speak the truth , and do the truth , and bear witness to the truth , who said , learn of me , and these things we have learned of him unto whom all power is committed , for he is counted hebr. . . more worthy of glory then moses , though moses was faithful in his house as a servant , but christ as a son , which is that great prophet that moses prophesied of , which all is to hearken unto , with whom the father is well pleased , being made so much better then the angels , hebr. . . as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name then they , vers . . for unto which of the angels said he at any time thou art my son , this day i have begotten thee , vers . . again when he bringeth the first begotten into the world , he saith , let all the angels of god worship him , of the angels he saith he makes them ministring spirits and a flame of fire , but unto the son he saith thy throne oh god is for ever and ever , the scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdome , for if the words spoken by angels was stedfast , and every transgression received a just recompence of reward , how shall they escape ( hebr. . . ) who do not only neglect the command of christ but labours to pervert , through their strength of their own reason the ministration of the son , who is the summe and substance of all shadowy and typical ministrations ; and therefore a. s. and all concerned look to it who would introduce judaism and the mosaical observations upon the neck of christs disciples , and as lawes in his kingdom , and whether would not this prefer the servant before the son , yea or nay , and his ministration before the ministration of the sons , though the one is not against the other , but the one pointing at the other , and in the latter the first is fulfilled , the truth declared , the truth spoken , the truth lived in , and the truth confessed in every matter wherein any christian is concerned , which is the summe and the matter , which all oaths in their highest and greatest ordination could or can effect . in the ● th . page of his book he saith , our saviour saith amen , amen , . time in john's gospel , which he saith st. ambrose will needs have to amount unto an oath ; and he cites apoc. . these things saith the amen , compares it with isa. . . where he concludes that amen seems either to be a name or an epethite of god , and this he says is the opinion of our church in the homily against swearing , that our saviour did swear divers times ; and further says , it cannot be denyed that god himself swore , psalm . . . the lord hath sworn and will not repent ; and so concludes that christ forbid not all swearing : unto this bp. gauden though he straines and scrues very hard as a. s. doth to make all things to bend to their inclination will needs have ●men , or verily , verily , to be an oath : doctor gauden in his citation of capellos out of rabby johnas , says , in veritate forma jurandi apud judeos ; but he concludes doubtfully , and says , it is only the next degree unto an oath ; but a. s. thinks he hath put it out of doubt with his reason and his authors , that verily , verily , is an oath , which if it were true this would only prove swearing lawful in sermons , and not in controversies , which is the great good end he so much pleads for , and if this were true would serve his turn . the magistrates exacting oathes he seems to prove out of the mosaical law , and the priests swearing lawfully out of pauls epistles and christs sermons , but this his covering is too short , and is but trifling in the weighty things of god , not distinguishing betwixt the first covenant and the second , and the ordinances thereof ; for the first he hath no adversary , viz. that they did swear though never exacted under penalties , the second we conclude to be no oath , viz. amen , amen , or verily , verily , which is no more then truly , truly , i say unto ye ; and if this be an oath why hath it not , and why is it not accepted as such ; for we have said more then this and can do in truth which we look upon to be far from amounting to an oath , and yet it would never be received as such , which argues plainly that what s. f. and r. h. hath said , though a. s. quarel with it , that surely the magistrates in england doth not believe the priests doctrine , for if they did , why are so many sentenced to perpetual imprisonment , with confiscation of all lands and goods to the ruinating of many poor wives and children , which a. s. knows little of , and for ought i know such a discourse as this may add affliction to their bonds , and misery to their sufferings , and yet these have never been received ; as if we say , verily , verily , or truly , truly , or god is our witness , or we speak the truth in gods presence ; yet notwithstanding this would never give satisfaction to any magistrate in any judicature that ever we knew or heard of in england ; and though he tell us of i. pennington , how that he gave satisfaction , and that it found acceptance with the court , and also to the king : we are not ignorant of what i. p. hath written , which is wholsome , just , and good , and sound , and condescendingly as a christian man could do , as about the premisses to pacifie and satisfie all whom it concerned , that they might not proceed in such a rigorous manner against the truly conscientious , and so in letting them know what we could do , and what we could not do , yet notwithstanding what ever any might seem to own as sufficient in private , we never found it in publick , or in any case of concernment , but rather they knew before hand what would ensnare us , have set the snare , and run us into it ; but notwithstanding all this that a. s. will have to be oaths , as god is witness , and i speak the truth in christ ; and verily , verily , it will not serve , for he says , the law will not allow of it , for inferiour magistrates are sworn he says to act according to law , and the law prescribes in what manner , and with what formality oaths shall be taken ; and therefore the magistrates are not at liberty to accept thereof , because they are tyed up to the rules of the law , as i said before , seeing that oaths are a matter of great concernment unto many it had been a more necessary discourse for a. s. to have told the magistrates that these things in testimony which were ready to be given had been sufficient , and that they should not so much have stood upon the formality , seeing that which answered the substance of the law was not denyed , though we except against the formality which is now used , and hath no example or president in the scriptures of truth as they are used ; and therefore let a. s. tell the rulers that the rules of the law in this case is too strict , and the penalty exceeds the transgression far ; as for a man for not holding up his hand , or laying it upon a bible , and kissing it , and saying after a clark or a cryer , i swear , and the like needless ceremonies , which are not without ( at least ) a shew of evil in them , yet for not doing and observing these formalities , though those things which a. s. and others calls swearing , we have condescended unto ; yet it 's reckoned as insufficient , though themselves say it is an oath , yet it is not called so , nor accounted so , except the aforesaid needless trifles be observed , and is not this a hard thing , and far from equity , justice , and reason , that a man should be exposed to so great a penalty as confiscation of lands and goods , and perpetual imprisonment , for want of observing of these trifling , groundless , needless ceremonies and formalities , which is not at all beseeming christians ; and whether the law had not need to be rectified in this case , which exposeth so many to so great suffring , which we in conscience doth except against as well as oaths , and seeth that the penalty far exceeds the crime , if it were any ; but we look upon it to be none at all , but rather a duty incumbant upon christians to keep to yea and nay ; or that which amounts to it in all their communications both publick and private , and not to swear at all , but to abide in christs doctrine and walk after the primitive christians example to testifie the truth and not to swear : and as for amen , amen , verily , verily , is no more then truly , truly , and is no more then an ardent , and a fervent speech from the heart of him that speaketh , wherein he would be believed , or it is truth from which and in which he speaks ; and as for comparing amen with the . of isa. and . where he is called the god of truth ; this proves nothing at all , he is called the god of truth in opposition to false gods , which were lies ; and in opposition to the heathenish gods which were not true gods , which had eyes and saw not , &c. and could not save ; he might as well say , when wisdom , holiness , righteousness , or immortality is named or mentioned , that therefore it is an oath , as when truth is spoken , for these are as much epethites of god as truly or truth ; and though your church in a homily against swearing , do say that christ did often swear because he said , verily , we judge you have concluded upon too slender a ground : and as for psal. . the lord hath sworn and will not repent : it is not denyed though the lord swore once , yea more then once by himself ; this was in condescention to the state of man in weakness and unbelief ; and as to the state of the jewes , gal. . . before the seed was revealed , which was the substance of all figures , and gods example of swearing is no example for us now to imitate , and was in no wise a confirming of that old legal ceremony of oaths , as a practice legitimate to his saints for ever , as a. s. would make us believe it was , for his oath , viz. ( gods ) ended in christ , in whom all the promises confirmed by oath , were yea , and in him amen , was also to end all strife between him and men , and to put an end to all strife and oaths also that are among men to end strife ; ambrose saith upon that . psal. let him then swear who cannot repent of his oaths ; a little after the same ambrose saith , do not imitate him in swearing whom you cannot imitate in performing ; and indeed the principal sollution he gives is not to swear at all : and theophilus upon the place in controversie whom a. s. says was not ca●telous enough , as it seems among the rest of the fathers that a. s. sets as judge of , he saith , learn hence that under the law it was not evil for one to swear , but since the coming of christ it is evil , as is circumcision , and in some what ever is judaical , for it became a child to suck but not a man : so that it appears he amongst the rest of the fathers did not only declare against oaths in general or private communication , but also distinguishes betwixt the first covenant and the second , and the ordinances thereof ; and though the holy ghost bear witness that both angels and men , yea and good men , and the creator himself in that first covenant did swear , so that a. s. concludes that it is not morally evil of its own nature ; in the first we shall not much quarel nor dispute as under the law , but that which was obliging then , as by command , is not always obliging , but christ the end of the law for righteousness said , let your yea be yea , and your nay , nay , for whatsoever is more under the gospel ( then amounts to this ) comes of evil ; therefore there is no necessity to put any other sence of christs words then his universal prohibition of all swearing as under the gospel , ( seeing that speaking the truth , confessing the truth , declaring the truth , and nothing but the truth in any matter wherein any christian is concerned either in respect of god , or a mans neighbour , this answers the very substance of the law , and the very end and purpose thereof , as ever an oath did among the jewes in the first institution ; for asmuch as speaking the truth acknowledgeth gods omnisciency and presence , and power , and wisdom ; secondly it doth any office to any neighbour , as in bearing witness to any truth , and again to find out any transgressour , or transgression ; and this is done , may be done , and ought to be done by all true christians ; and therefore no necessity of that formal ceremonious way of swearing as under the law , neither is there any necessity for seeking any other sence of christs words and the apostles words , swear not at all by heaven or earth , or any other , seeing all the main ends and good ends , and good purposes is answered in the full , which the law in the full latitude and morality thereof did require , or for which it was given . his sixth argument is , that either these words , swear not at all must be interpreted as not to forbid any oath though taken upon just occasion , or else paul never knew the meaning of this text , or else contrary to his knowledge , and that upon good deliberation he acted against it , and that in these very writings wherein we all believe that he was infallibly assisted by the holy ghost ; for his oaths saith a. s. are upon record , thes. . . god is witness ; see rom. . . now to call god to witness is the very substance of an oath saith a. s. and as austin tells him , and he says he hath not read of any of a contrary opinion except some phanaticks , which if they would yield to as much as paul saith , god is witness of the truth of their assertions , it might be wished out of condescention to their weakness that they might be dispensed withal if the law would give leave as to the external formality of an oath . ans. what a. s. will call a just ●ccasion i know not , it appears to me he would have a large compasse , and a larger then the most contenders against christs doctrine that we have met with or what he will account a just occasion i know not , though otherwise he seem to condemn sometimes needless and vain oaths in ordinary communication , though i know some without reflection upon a. s. who uses them too too frequently , and are not only members but pastours so called of the church of england , and though he seems in his discourse here and there to be against customary and vain oaths , yet for all that what he calls a just occasion upon some ground , some calls it a needful occasion when they are called before a magistrate and some when any business is in controversie betwixt man and man calls it a just occasion , where sometimes i have seen a curate administer that which he called an oath upon a book , what ground he had i suspect either from commandement , or example of primitive ministers , ( is certain he had none ) but it may be a. s. will conclude it was upon a just occasion , but what compass he will have for his just occasion is doubtful , seeing he hath put no termination or end to it ; but for ought i can perceive would leave liberty for every man to exact an oath upon another when he would , and call it a just occasion , and account it a point of duty in the other to obey even in ordinary communication . and as for st. paul we deny thy argument , as that he never knew the meaning of this text of christs prohibition ; secondly that in his writings he acted contrary to his knowledge , and upon set deliberation , for though god was his witness whom he served with his spirit , in the gospel of his son , that without ceasing i make mention of you always in my prayers . also , that which a. s. calls an oath , thes. . . for neither at any time used we flattering words as ye know for a cloak of covetousness , god is witness . though we know and infallibly believe with a. s. that he was infallibly assisted by the holy ghost , when he published the gospel of christ among the gentiles , and wrote both unto the jewes , and to the gentiles , who believed that his calling god to witness was not any oath , neither was there any necessity or just occasion , whatever a. s. may call just occasion we cannot , for he hath left such a great compass for himself to turn in , though here and there he seem to disallow of customary oaths and frequent oaths ; yet notwithstanding his , discourse rather tends to an allowance of swearing frequently and unnecessarily , for we reckon it to be a piece of ordinary communication for a christian minister to write a letter of admonition , or exhortation , or an epistle unto the believing hearers , and that there is no necessity of oaths in such a discourse ; for what ever a. s. sayes this would make the apostle guilty of frequent , and unnecessary , and common swearing , which we are far from believing ; for asmuch as they that did believe through the word of life declared by the spirit of god in him , neither through his epistles written , being assisted by the holy ghost they were not like to believe him for swearing if he had sworn ; but saith a. s. if his words had really been believed which he spoke and wrote , what occasion would there have been for him to have written so to the romans , rom. . . i say the truth in christ , i lie not . the apostle knew what occasion he had to speak these words , and the occasion was this , that the jewes sought to be justified by the righteousness of the law and by the works thereof , and would need look upon themselves as the children of god , because they were of the stock of abraham according to the flesh , but the apostle knew and also gave them to understand that the children of the promise was counted for the seed ; and again , for they are not all israel which are of israel , rom. . , , . and thus he spake truth unto them , as it was revealed by christ , whom the father had revealed in him , and why might he not say , i speak the truth in christ , seeing that christ was in him , and he in him ? i lie not , my conscience also bears me witness in the holy ghost , he might also as well say that paul swore by his conscience , seeing that he took it for a witness ; away , away , with such perverting and straining of the scripture beyond and beside the mind of the holy ghost , for god is witness , and i say the truth in christ , they are no more then ardent and zealous , or fervent expressions , as the spirit of god at several times did stir up in his heart both to speak and write , for the end that they unto whom he spoke or wrote might believe ; and therefore we conclude not as a. s. would needs have it , that the apostle spoke these fervent words unnecessarily , for we know and see his end and purpose was good , and therefore he spoke with fervency , and with boldness the spirit of the lord bearing witness in his conscience that he spoke the truth , which we are far from believing , is either juration or abjuration , and for ought can be perceived by a. s. disdainful spirit , all that doth dissent from him in his opinion he calls phanaticks , and paul shall hardly go free , nor divers of the ancient fathers , as , orgen , chrysostome , jerome , theophilact , and others , who denyed not only swearing in private conversation , but to swear at all ; but now these must be called phanaticks , who dissent from all men but themselves , by a. s. and such as he who sails with wind and tide , and exalteth and applaudeth that which hath praise amongst men , and hath not the praise of god ; and so the last of all he makes this conclusion , that so help me god , is the most certain expression of an oath ; which forme of words that though he count them certain , we find not either under the law or under the gospel , and i look upon it more as a piece of flattery in a. s. because this is the forme and the custome which is now called swearing , which is in use in this nation , and its strange to us that they will reckon this so great a piece of peculiar service , which is incommunicable to any creature but only to god , when as indeed we never find it written or commanded , either among the jews , or commended or used amongst all the writings of christ and the apostles that hath relation to christianity ; indeed i remember that i have read that in the days when the popes authority was in full power here in england , how that the chancellour then of england said to one of john wickliffs followers being brought before him , in examination he said unto him , lay thy hand upon the book thou heretick and swear , so help me god and holy doom : an old superstitious popish forme i look upon it to be , and hath no consistance with an oath in its true matter and forme under the law , when it was commanded ; and for ought i see a. s. will rather take part with the church of rome and her members , who persecuted , rather then wickliffe that famous reformer , who had his bones taken up and burned . years after his decease , and his books , and these articles condemned by the council of constance , who also burned john hus , and jerome of prague for holding john wickliffs opinions , which was , that all oaths under the gospel be unlawful . i say a. s. might have been more modest then with the council of constance condemn them for error , seeing they were the only people in their age and time that opposed , and suffered for opposing the church of rome in the apostacy , seeing that they are faine to own them if they look for any reformation before luther to be their witnesses against the church of rome , which i have heard many protestants say that they were on their part against the church of rome ; and though a. s. tells us of a generation of people , quos non persuadabis etiam si persuaveris , who as they will not be perswaded so they will not be councelled , who will have nothing else to be the formality of an oath but by god ; but this he says only of his own head , except he knew some people that we know not of , for we say to swear the lord liveth as an oath , and again , as the lord lives is an oath , or by the lord that lives for ever and ever is an oath ; and yet we must needs deny that paul swore in the cor. . . when he said by your rejoycing i die daily : and we never said a. s. mistook himself in saying that , by , as the only mark and character of an oath ; and if austin said upon these words of paul as a. s. tells us , per vestram gloriam juratio est , upon pauls words , i suspect his judgment , and therefore shall not so much regard it : but a. s. seems not to be at unity in his book with himself notwithstanding all his raveling out where he seems in his . page to dislike of nicholas fullers judgment , viz. that there is no oath where god is not interposed ; and yet in the . page he saith that the substance of an oath consists in the attestation of god , and in the . page he saith that christ answering to the high priest , i am , and thou hast said , is an oath . and in the . page it was enough that christ denyed not to swear , and from this he imagines that he did swear ; and when we enquire what the oath was , it amounts but to this , thou hast said i am ; and where was the attestation of god here named , or mentioned , or spoken on by christ ? was his words any more then his own doctrine which he taught before , let your yea be yea , and your nay , nay : when the high priest said , art thou the king of the jewes ? he answered i am ; and is this any more then yea , though not in the same syllables ; and mat. . . i adjure thee to tell us whether thou art the son of god or not ? and he answered , thou hast said . and is this any more then yea , or i am , or it is truth but indeed if one should traduce a. s. in his discourse and of his definition of an oath , it is so uncertain one shall hardly know what to pitch upon to be his judgment , sometime it is this , and sometime it i● that , and sometime it is neither this nor that , sometime he says it is an oath where god is interposed , one while an oath consists in the attestation of god , another while it consists in saying truly , truly , and sometimes , i call god to witness is an oath ; and sometimes thou hast said is an oath , sometime because god is named in a sentence , therefore he concludes it must be an oath , otherwhiles when he is not named it must be an oath ; and thus he twines up and down , leaving people in the dark , and leading them after his imaginations . and i shall conclude the answer to this reason , and neither impute ignorance nor wickedness to the great apostle , nor conclude that christs words as he saith doubtless the apostle did , must be understood in a limited sence , and limited only to creatures , and not to all swearing ; and why so but because the apostle said , god is witness ; and i speak the truth in christ , which is no contradiction of christs prohibition , swear not at all . his seventh argument is this , if some swearing be enjoyned in the third commandment , then all swearing is not forbidden by christ in these words , swear not at all , because he came not to destroy the law , but some swearing is their enjoyned , or else the law written by the finger of god in tables of stone cannot be vindicated from imperfection ; and therefore in this negative precept the affirmative must needs be included , thou shalt reverence the name of the lord and swear by it , whensoever it is not vain but necessary , which is required by a lawful magistrate for the glory of god , and for maintaining of peace , punishing offenders , and ending of controversies , and all these are necessary ends , but not attainable , at least not so well by any expedient , yet put in practice as by interposition of oaths , so it cannot reasonably be believed that christ would forbid them being of such important use . reply . the substance of this is answered before , but however a. s. how he can make this third commandment , thou shalt not take the name of the lord thy god in vain , to prove the continuation of swearing under the gospel among christians we do not see , if bishop gaudens words be true ( as they are ) who says , a true christians oath is needless , his word being as firme as it , page . and an evil mans oath is worthy of no more credit then a lyer , pag. ● since upon that account whosoever swears by the name of god swears in vain and to no purpose , whether he be a true man , or one deceitful , his word amounting to as much as his oath : and why a. s. mentions the third commandment to prove swearing lawful under the gospel except for the morality of it which he looks upon christ came not to destroy , and doth he look that every letter and syllable of all the ten commandments is so moral in all respects unchangable and uncaple of any annihilation by christs coming he much forgets himself , for all these things contained in the first table are not so moral or perpetual without some ceremoniality and subjection to alteration by christs coming , as he imagines if he had but remembred the fourth commandment the next unto it , remember that thou keep holy the sabbath day , which then was the very th . day of the week which god had sanctified , was but a type and sign , and shadow , and figure , and a ceremony of the th . day of the worlds rest from its labour and of the everlasting sabbath as i said before , heb. . and i might as well argue if the th . day of the week was commanded in the fourth commandment , then the th . day is not prohibited , neither by commandment , example , or practice of christ , the apostles or primitive christians ; and i might add this as a reason , because christ came not to destroy the law but to fulfill it ; and further i might add the th . day was enjoyned in the th . commandment , ( and they used to call it as moral as the third ) and therefore it ought to be so under the gospel , or else the law written in ' lables of stone cannot be vindicated from imperfection , and what would all my arguing prove , even as much as a. s. his arguing , the continuation and necessity of oaths from the third commandment , and that is nothing at all ; and the law of god needs not a. s. nor any vindication , it is perfect and endures for ever , psal. . . and the ceremonies , land types , and shadows that were joyned with , and unto the substance of the law , doth neither add nor detract from its perfection , but it is the same in its self for ever ; and though we cannot own swearing in that ceremonious way as the jewes did use it till the seed came , unto whom the law and the prophets bore witness ; yet we do not make void the third commandment , we take not his name in vain , but reverence it , and speakes well of it , and sanctifies it in our hearts ; and as the apostle said , do we make void the law through the preaching of faith , god forbid . so do we make void the law , or the perfection of it , by speaking the truth , and bearing witness to the truth ; though as i said we cannot own those typical ceremonious way of swearing as it was in the first covenant ; nay it is established , and the third commandment is established , for he that speaks the truth and bears witness in and from the truth , honours gods name , and reverences it , forasmuch as he is called the god of truth , and as we have said , being lawfully called before a magistrate to bear testimony in any thing wherein the glory of god , or our neighbour is concerned , or the decision of controversie , seeing that true testimony is a medium that concernes as much to that purpose now as swearing did under the law , therefore we have still been and are ready to answer all these necessary ends , and as well ; and this is as good and expedient to be put in practice amongst christians as interposition of oaths , enjoyned by god in the first covenant , and far more evangelical , and therefore shall conclude with that of jerome , the gospel truth admits not of an oath . his eighth argument is , that christ did never any things without some ground of reason , but no reason can be shewed why all manner of swearing should be forbidden in a due manner , and upon a just and necessary occasion , and therefore we may well believe that such swearing was neither here or any where else forbidden . reply . we shall not much dissent or disagree about terms with a. s. that christ did never any thing without some ground or reason , but yet we must deny his conclusion , that no reason can be given why all manner of swearing should be forbidden ; first of all there was a time since man had a being in this creation when he was in the image of god , and stood in the covenant of god , when there was no oath , neither any necessity thereof , man being endued with power from god , which was placed in him , so that he was in a capacity to fulfill , obey and serve , and believe his maker without an oath ; for unbelief or sin had not yet entred , and this was before the fall , gen. . , . secondly , christ the unspeakable gift of god , who is the mediator of the everlasting covenant , yea the covenant it self , who is given for a leader to the people , and who is made a propitiation for sin and transgression , to end both sin , transgression , and unbelief , which was the cause of the addition of the law , who leads to the beginning again , all that truly do believe , and are worthy to be called true christians , or by the name of christ to have union with god again , in that life , power , truth , righteousness and wisdom , in which the image of god truly consists which was before sin and transgression , and before the law which was added because of it , which was commanded four hundred and thirty years after the promise was made , gal. . . thirdly , after sin was entred , and death by sin , an unbelieving part got up in all the sons of adam , so that they could not believe god nor his promises , and yet such was his love unto mankind , considering the state into which they were plunged for confirmation of his word unto man , he swore by himself this was the lords condescention unto their low and unbelieving estate all that time , and no way exemplary for christians ( truly such ) who are come into the faith , and to the truth it self , who do believe that all the promises are fulfilled in christ , yea , and amen , who is the author of faith and of eternal salvation to them that believe , heb. . . who prohibited that by his command , mat. . . which sometimes was permitted , yea and commanded , yea and added because of transgression , and for which the law and the command for oaths ( was only added ) which he did not destroy ) because he leads from under the power of that which the law came against ( which is just and good , and holy ) and the seed fulfills it , and hath unity with it , and with him who is the judge and law-giver , and saviour of all that do believe in him from sin and transgression . fourthly , at that time when the law was given forth at mount sina , exod. . . generally all the nations were given to idolatry , and to serve and worship strange gods , as baal , ashtaroth , chemosh , rimphan , & many others , as the gods of samaria , which was said to be according to the number of their cities , and their idols were called the sin of samaria ; amos saith , they swear by the sin of samaria , that did say , the god o dan lives ; and the manner of barsheba lives , even they shall fall and never rise again , amos . . which was no other then the calves which jeroboam set up at dan and bethel , which they feared , worshipped and swore by ; therefore god having chosen a peculiar people to himself to worship and serve him , and honour him , who should not walk after the manner of the rest of the nations who knew not god , he commanded them to serve him , and worship him , and swear by his name , as jerome saith well , to keep them from idolatry , and that they should not swear by the gods of the heathen as the rest of the nations did round about ; yet still this must be considered that this was the state of the minority of the jewish church , wherein god gave them ordinances suitable to their state , but it doth not follow , neither can it be reasonably concluded that these ordinances were to be perpetually binding unto all future generations , especially when christ the seed unto whom all the promises are , in whom the law is fulfilled , and in whom the former ministrations ends , that his disciples and true christians should always be bound to those things once commanded , especially seeing christ their master , in whom the father is well pleased hath prohibited this about swearing , and also did prophesie of the time to come after his resurrection and his scension , that those visible things which were as a ministration for a time , should end as to the outward exercise and typical and figurative appearance of them , and that all these things should be revealed within by the spirit and felt in the power of god in all that did believe ; when the holy ghost should be poured forth , and the promise of the father be made manifest . fifthly , now considering that the name of god is believed in , and he is confessed unto , and his christ , and that there is not that idolatry ( especially outward ) as there was in the nations before and after the flood especially in that which is called christendom , though we dare not conclude that all are israel that are of israel , or that all are christians that have the name , yet generally i say the name of god and his christ is acknowledged and worshipped , and not idols and false gods ; therefore there is not the necessity of swearing by the name of god , as there was at the time of the giving forth of the law , but especially among them that the father will reckon as truly his subjects and disciples of christ , who are partakers of his divine nature , here is not that necessity among them , for they through the law being dead to it , it hath no more power over them ; and therefore no reason that they should be kept as under tutors and governours , seeing that the age and ages is come , which the apostle spoke of , eph. . . wherein christ is revealed the hope of glory , and whom he makes free are free indeed , joh. . , . sixthly and lastly , the command of oaths was given for the ending of strife and controversies among men , heb. . which hath relation to the law , and to the state of the jewes , and their political proceedings the apostle brings but that in , as an instance or an example , and it is but a. s. his groundless supposition that it seems it was used in the apostles time , the apostle speaking of an oath only as among men , and not of saints , who as concerning strife the occasion of swearing , and consequently concerning swearing should not walk as men , cor. . , , . but a. s. should consider this as every one ought that when men that hath been once in strife and contention , and variance , come once into christ , and to be in him new creatures , ( christians ) to walk no more as carnal , not as men , but as men of god , and as spiritual , and as true saints and christians , they come both out of strife and swearing , which was added to endstrife ; and what ever a. s. may conclude , we say these and divers more are great and weighty reasons wherefore christ did prohibit all swearing , and puts it out of use and date , and no necessity of it as among true christians , seeing that every true saying or testimony is equivolent with an oath . his ninth argument is , that either these words swear not at all must not be extended to a total prohibition of swearing , or else christ thereby gave a new moral command , but christ gave no new moral command , for that had been contrary to gods express will , thou shalt not add unto the word which i command ; & besides he ordained no new law in the matter of the th . and th . commandments , and shall we think that he who vindicated the other commandments from the leud depravations of men , hath abrogated this only , as though it had not been framed by the same wisdom , and acted by the same god , and further christs opposition is only against the pharaseical misinterpretations of the law , and if only so , then christ did not forbid such oaths as was lawfully before enjoyned . reply . what ever a. s. call a new moral command , sure i am , he commanded that which was more exact then the law , so that doctor gauden himself says , that christ gave many singular precepts of more eminent diligence , patience , charity , moritification , self-denial , sincerity , and the perfection of obedience required now under the gospel is above what ever the letter of the moseical law seemed to exact , or by the pharaseical interpretation were taught by the jewes , &c. in which he speaks the truth : it was said in the . of exod. and . of levit. an eye for an eye , and a tooth for a tooth ; but in mat. . . christ commanded that which the law had not spoken of , and not only a further thing , but another thing , but i say unto you that ye resist not ill , but whoever shall smite thee on the right cheek turn to him the other also , ver . , . and if a man shall sue thee at law and take away thy coat , let him have thy cloak also ; where said the law this , and whosoever shall compell thee to go a mile go with him twain ; where did ever the law of moses command this ? and though the law said , levit. . thou shalt love thy neighbour , and hate thine enemy ; which he saith was but a pharaseical innovation , which if it be , i query of a. s. where in the law it is written , love thine enemy , and as was said before , whether did not israel fight with their enemies , and kill them , and destroy them , and whether they had not a command so to do , yea or nay ? as in deut . . chap. . . numb . . , , . josh. . . . and whether this be not another thing that christ saith , ver . . but i say unto you love your enemies , bless them that curse you , do good to them that hate you , &c. but it is manifest that in the second covenant under the gospel that a more evangelical and exact obedience then was exprest in the letter of the law , which so far as it was typical , was only a temporary dispensation ; for as i said before the letter of the law of moses permitted to be avenged on enemies , aegiptians , amalckites , &c. and i hope that a. s. will not conclude that they killed them in love to them , and they might be avenged and take an eye for an eye , and a tooth for a tooth , whose gospel in other points which the law had not said forbids and condemnes rash anger , lust after women , polligum , divorce , except for fornication , and yet it was indulged and connived at as under the law , yet the lord saith by the prophet malachy , mal. . . he hateth putting away ; while the letter condemned no more but actual murder , and adultery , indulging and conniving polligume and divorce : and though under the law , stripe for stripe , wound for wound was permitted ; but under the gospel resist not evil , avenge not , forbear , forgive , for the whole law of moses was given by the dispensation of angels in the hand of that mediator for a time ; and so some swearing and such swearing as even by god , was used in order to end strife , where it was yet standing , yet christ the mediator of a better covenant , in whose hand the law is now unto all christians , he forbad not only that which the law allowed , and indulged , connived at and commanded in divers things , as is manifest in this fifth of mathew , where he prohibits all swearing ; so that it is evident that christ doth not only reprove the false glosses , and the abusive loose interpretations of the law which they allowed , but even divine indulgence dispensed with and connived at in the things before mentioned , because of the hardness of their hearts : and let a. s. or any man living shew us wherein christ requires a righteousness or perfection that exceeds that of the law , for the law said , swear not by any creature but only by god , and forswear not , and if christ said no more but swear not by any creature , as heaven and earth , and jerusalem , where is that higher state of perfection , and that righteousness which exceeds that of the law , and of the scribes and pharisees . and though a. s. will not grant that he ordained a new law in matter of the . . commandments , no more will he grant of the fourth , which i suppose a. s. doth not keep as it was commanded under the law where ever he will have his dispensation i know not ; so to conclude in answer to this , he did more then reprove the erroneous tenets and vicious manners of the jewes , and their false interpretations and glosses which they had given upon the law , but he doth disallow also something which the law had allowed before , as is proved before , and that he disallowed something , yea divers things which the law had allowed and connived , and indulged , as divers polligume , killing enemies , or in seeking revenge upon them that had done ill unto us , which the law allowed as an act of justice , deut. . . eye for eye , & tooth for tooth ; but this christ exhorted unto , overcome evil with good , avenge not , resist not , do good to them that hate you , and pray for them that despitefully use you , and persecute you : likewise the law , deut. . , . when a man takes a wife , and it comes to pass she finds no favour in his eyes , because he hath found some uncleanness in her , then let him write her a bill of divorcement , and send her out of his house , and when she is departed out of his house she may go and be another mans wife : but christ saith , mat. . . who shall marry her that is divorced , commits adultery : which is a clear prohibition of that which the law allowed , and what a. s. will call this , whether a new moral command , or promulgation of a new law i know not , but it is evident enough that some things were prohibited by christ , which the law commanded , or at least allowed , and therefore we conclude from the . and . verses of the th . of mathew , that christ did prohibite all vain swearing and unlawful swearing , which was disallowed before under the law , but even all swearing which was commanded , or at least permitted under the law , for the reasons and ends given before , and this will stand as truth , notwithstanding a. s. his argument . his tenth argument is , that if the high priest charged christ to swear , and he without exception answered upon oath , and that some years after he had said , swear not at all , from hence follows that when the magistrate imposeth an oath , the person charged to swear may lawfully answer upon oath as christ did , notwithstanding his prohibition of swear not at all . reply . first that was a time when the administration of the first covenant was not fully ended , for christ was not yet offred up , and so the high priest as being a jew might from the commandement or permission of the law as being one that sat in moses chair might require christ to speak upon oath , as persumeing he had authority so to do , being he looked upon it as a work of god ; and what though it was some years after christ had said , swear not at all ; what doth a. s. infer from this , christ knew that the high priest and pharisees were about the work of their father the devil ; and though the high priest did say , i adjure , which a. s. * tells us is , i command thee to swear to us ; christ answered in his own authority , and in the power and wisdom of the father ; and if he had answered as taking notice of the high priests adjuring , who was about to crucifie the just , which was not the work of god , neither was jurations or oaths , ever intended to be instrumental in the devils work , then i argue that if christ had answered to his adjureing , knowing the end was to ensnare him the son of god , then christ had consented unto his evil work which were blasphemy to think or speak , and therefore as it was prophesied of him , he was led as a lamb to the slaughter , sometimes he opened not his mouth , the other sometimes he did in the authority and power of the father which was with him , and in him , and though the high priest charged christ by the living god that thou tell us whether thou be christ the son of the living god , mat. . , . jesus answered , thou hast said , and what is this the oath that christ sware , a. s. tells us before that an oath was , an attestation of god to the truth of what was said , but now the words ( thou hast said ) barely of themselves without any attestation of god is an oath ; if the high priest had said , art thou peter , or art thou john that was with jesus of gallilee , and peter and john had answered , i am peter and i am john that was with him ; what will a. s. conclude now that peter and john hath sworn ? away with such perverting and straining and screwing of the scriptures from their genuine sence only to uphold that which was added because of transgression , now when sin and transgression is finished the end of christs coming is witnessed to uphold that which christ came to end , to wit sin , and also an oath which was added because of sin and unbelief , and the hardness of their hearts only to remain till that part was done away , and untill the time of reformation , heb. . . to wit the bringing in of everlasting righteousness , and it cannot be reasonably concluded , that because christ answered the high priest , thou hast said , that therefore he took notice of commanding to swear , or at least approving of his adjuration , knowing that he was about an evil work , and doing the work of the devil , which must needs be judged that christ did neither approve of , nor consent unto , what ever a. s. may say or think , but only in his own authority spoke the truth , and made a good confession as he did before pontius pilate to the glory of the father , who had sent him , whose will he came to do : and luke . . art thou then the son of god ? and he said unto them , ye say that i am ; and pilate was as much a magistrate as the high priest , and he asked art thou the king of the jewes ? and he answered him , and said , thou sayest it : and herod was as much a magistrate as either pilate or the high priest , and he questioned with him in many words , but christ answered nothing , so that he did not so much take notice of their questions , or examining or charging , or adjuring as a. s. would seem to make of it , but according to the wisdom and power of god which was in him spoke , and answered in his own authority , without taking so much notice of them as he would infer , he knowing what they were going about , though they had the name and bore the title of magistrates yet were out of the power of god ( in the persecuting nature ) which is the ground and foundation of all authority which is of god , but a. s. says marke . . relates plainly that christ answered , i am ; but yet neither marke , luke , nor john takes so much notice of the high priests , adjuring or makes so much for a. s. his argument as he would have them , marke saith only , mar. . . the high priest asked him and said unto him , art th●u christ the son of the blessed , he doth not say , i adjure thee , or i charge thee to swear unto us , as a. s. would have it ; but thought mat. . . say , ( i adjure thee to tell us whether thou be christ the son of god ? ) is not much material ; for a. s. hath made more matter about it then is to any great or good purpose , but i say he was as much bound to answer pilate or herod as the high priest , and as much directly to one as to another , we see his answers was not all alike , but i would not have a. s. nor my self neither sit as judges over christs answers , and squeeze and serue them beyond or contrary to christs intention ; for the summe of the matter is this , thou hast said , i am , and thou sayest i am king ; and is christs answers to the high priest and pilate , and nothing to herod ; and a. s. might as reasonably have concluded that the high priest rent his cloaths and cryed blasphemy , not so much at , thou hast said or i am ; as of this the next words , nevertheless i say unto you , ye shall see the son of man sitting on the right hand of power , and coming in the clouds of heaven ; for then the next words are , then the high priest rent his cloaths and cryed , blasphemy ; and then a. s. goes on it was enough that christ denyed not to swear , and the summe of all or the most that he can make when he hath twined about with many circumstances to prove that he did swear or consented to caiaphas adjuring , and answered his adjuring , this is all , i am , and thou hast said ; and therefore what either may be or can be said a. s. hath concluded christ did swear ; and yet sect. the . he tells us that the essence of swearing is in calling god to witness , and how or where did christ call god to witness ? then this overturns his own argument , seeing we do not read that christ sayed any more in his answer , then as is aforesaid , i am , and thou hast said ; and he says to alledge that christ sware not , because he laid not his hand upon a book or kissed , or lifted up his hand , is but to trifle , yet he says that ceremony is ancient , as chrysostome tells him that it 's above . years since , if it be but to trifle , why are so many conscientious people in bonds this day in england , under a premunirey for these trifles , a very shame to christianity , for where any or all of these have been denyed , though they have answered the truth , and the whole truth , and as much as a. s. calls an oath , yet this hath been counted insufficient , and we know justinian the emperour ordain'd the ceremony that men should swear by the gospel or book , and lay their hands thereon and kiss , or the like ; and though it be so many years since it was ordained , as a. s. says , this adds nothing to the warrantableness thereof , but custome is proof enough to such a ceremonious age as this , when formalities , ceremonies , jestures and postures are more regarded then the power of god and godliness , and we say such a ceremony about swearing are not without the appearance of evil , for the bible is a creature made up of many creatures , and laying the hand , and kissing and adoreing it in such manner is i know-looked upon by many to be swearing by it , and so the most takes it , and this were unlawful , and therefore better to be whollyavoided then so many suffer because they cannot do it , besides as i said , the evil appearance of it , for it is not any gospel institution , but an innovation since the apostacy entred in ; and if god had ever judged any necessity thereof , or that it had rendred an oath more solemn , the law would have said something of it , and it was never a practice among the primitive christians , and therefore a vain humane tradition crept in since ; which ought to be avoided ; and though a. s. say to reply that christ swore not , ( though caiaphas adjured him is vain ) for an examinate is to answer both in matter and forme according to what is proposed , i say its a. s. his vain supposition and presumption without ground so to judge that christ swore , i say sometime he held his peace , that it might be fulfilled , which was spoken by the prophet of him before that he should be as a lamb dumb before the shearer , as sometime he was , both to the chief priests and elders , to pilote , & to herod , which was all in some authority , and sometime he answered them in the wisdom of god , and sometime he spoke and bore witness to that , and prophesied unto them , which was not at all either as to the matter or forme of the high priests adjureing , for the very next words , ( but thou hast said , nevertheless i say unto you , hereafter shall you see the son of man sitting on the right hand of the power , and coming in the clouds of heaven ) mat. . . and therefore this showes a. s. his argument to be frivilous and vain ; and marke saith , the chief priests accused him of many things , marke . . but he answered nothing either to their accusations , or took notice of the high priests adjuring to answer him in matter and forme , as a. s. would have it , neither did he look upon himself so oblig'd , but answered sometime , and spoke the truth always when he spoke , and that which always displeased and dissatisfied the jewes when he answered , and for ought can be perceived by his arguing that every examinate is to answer directly to every matter and forme to any that pretends power to administer an oath , or to adjure , he goes about to establish the popes inquisition , and create matter , as sometime they did here in england , in the heighth of the popes domination forged matter out of their own wicked hearts to ensnare the lambs of christ and then to require them to swear that they might destroy them , and accuse them out of their own mouths , even as the high priest sought to destroy christ and to ensnare him , which methinks a. s. hath sayed too much in vindication of his adjuring , and will needs have christ to be of his mind , and at last concludes that christ swore , but it s but upon his own presumption and supposition , and is more then ever he is able to make evident from what is written : and a. s. tells us over and over again , swearing was a part of gods worship , wherein gods wisdom , power , and justice is acknowledged , and then incommunicable to any creature or false god , as is answered before , so was circumcision then , and the oblations , and burnt sacrifice , and offrings , and new moons to be performed only to the lord , and was peculiarly to be performed unto god , and not communicable to any creature ; and we say and prove , deut. . . . . that these was a part of the service and worship of god , and which as we shall grant that an oath under the law was commanded as well as these services , or in his own terms an oath was equally commanded with his service as is proved above ; in this he hath no adversary , but what doth this prove in respect of his argument which makes it more ( then equally commanded ) for he will yield that these services were but temporary , but swearing is perpetual , and so he hath given it a priority above the rest , his argument all along hath been chiefly drawn from the moseick law , that it was joyned equally with fear and service under the law , and so hath striven without an adversary , but now it must needs be above the service of god then , and yet from the same command he would only prove it , for he hath no better strength nor ground , and we may as well alledge as he doth , and say consequently to this sort of service that was commanded by the lord as well as swearing , for god hath joyned them together in the text above said , & obligeth equality at all times , as well under the gospel as under the law ; yet then a. s. would call this absurd it it be so as it is indeed , then we may as well conclude the other absurd , because one is standing as well as the other , and binding as well as the other by the vertue of this command ; although he tells us that an oath in its substance ; hath not any type at all , so we say , for the substance is christ the oath of god , in whom all the promises and oaths are fulfilled , and this is its substance but as under : the law it was a type of the substance , and not the substance it self , and that circumcision , the passeover , and the legal offrings under the law had as much goodness in them as oaths had , what ever a. s. say : and served to as good ends and purposes in that ministration as they were ordained , and conduced as much to the glory of god , and were subservient to , but not against the morality of the gospel , for the shadows were not against the substance , nor the ceremonials against the morals , though the apostle says , the law is not of faith , yet not against it for as ministerial as the ordinances of the law was to the gospel then , yet the gospel may be and now is without it . but to conclude this argoment a. s. were it so indeed that oaths were ceremonial , then it follows that christ in this text did not forbid them , for he didnot forbid the ceremonial law , but observed it all his life , eating the passeover with his disciples the night before his death , unless some would interpret his words ( i command you that you do not swear ) yet i am content for a year or two you may swear by heaven or earth as you have been accustomed , but after my crucifixion and resurrection swear no more , and there let these that disallow swearing as a part of the ceremonial law , argue no more the unlawfulness of swearing from these words , ( swear not at all . ) reply . though christ did observe the ordinances of the law , as being that ministration appointed by god untill the time of reformation and the bringing in of a better hope , heb. . it became him to fulfill all righteousness , so was he cireumcised , and eat the passeover , and was baptized , washed the disciples feet , which were not enjoyned by the law , ( though not against it ) and that ministration not fully ended , though he see it must end , and spoke of a further thing , and of the time then , and also it should be ministred more afterward after his resurrection , joh. . , , , . the time cometh and now is , neither at jerusalem , nor this mountain , but they that worship the father shall worship him in spirit and truth ; so that he prophesied of the end of all those things , and of the cessation of them , which were sometime commanded , respecting both the place and the worship , and to them that did believe the disciples , unto whom it was given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of god , ( then was the time ) to them it was come , even ( then ) before christ suffred ; and therefore a. s. his consequence is not true ( that christ did not forbid all swearing from this text ) and though he had both prophesied of a clearer ministration , and laid down in doctrine a more evangelical precept then the law , yea and more strict obedience , yet notwithstanding many did still hold up these things , which the law commanded , though they believed well of christ , yea and after his suffring and resurerection , and that a long time , though that the apostles told them the substance was come , and that there was no more offring for sin , nor oblations , neither legal observations to be minded any more , yet still many observed them , and doubtless as to that formal swearing that was among the jewes , and that vain swearing too many did continue in it afterward notwithstanding christs command , but then not submitting , made not his command void in it self , and there is no necessity to make such an absurd interpretation as that he permitted them to swear for a year or two , by heaven and earth , and then at his passion to swear no more , for after he gave forth the command there was no permission , and yet afterward as i said the apostles declared against the shadows . and preached up the substance , and as a. s. confesseth the types ceased of themselves , but let him know that there was a time of dying to them , and they ceased not all at once to them that had observed the law , neither was the mysteries revealed all at once , but as they grew in faith and knowledge , for the righteousness of god is revealed from faith to faith , and though the legal observations were observed in christs time , so were they after , by many , but by right ended in the substance , and when he was come , though many did not see it till afterward : but i come to his th . argument . eleventh argument , no exposition of the text or any other is to be admitted , that puts inconsistancy betwixt the old testament and the new , seeing both are inspired by the same god , who is incapable of falshood or alteration ; where upon if we be not so atheistical as to deny , the varasity or immutability of the most high , tit. . . it must be granted that his word is of eternal truth , jam. . . his promises yea and amen , his precepts more unalterable then the lawes of the medes and persians , nor did our saviour come to destroy but to fulfill the law , thereupon he enjoynes obedience to the commands of the pharisees , as sitting in moses chair , mat. . , . from all which it is apparent that the old testament is so far from being contradicted , that it is fully confirmed in the new ; therefore i may well draw this conclusion that these words ( swear not at all ) ought not to be interpreted as to render all svvearing unlawful , deut. . . psal . . . not without promise of reward , jer. . . and it was prophesied before by isaiah that christians under the gospel should swear , isaiah . . and . and . and i look upon it as a piece of manichisme , and extremely derogatory both to the scripture and god himself , therefore what moral duty one man was commended in the law , another should be condemned in the new . reply . 't is true no exposition of this text or any other is to be admitted that puts such a difference , betwixt the old and new testaments in matter of substance , but shall agree with austin : the law is the gospel vailed , and the gospel is the law revailed ; and what was prophesied and typefied in the first is fulfilled in the latter , but what shall be thought of them , that holds up the types and figures of the first , as though they were not fulfilled , or as though the promise were not come : and he made manifest in whom all shadowes end ; and though god be unchangable in himself , and incapable of falsehood or alteration , and i know none , who denies the varasity of his word , or the immutability of the most high : yet notwithstanding i cannot set up the changable priesthood , and covenant : and the ordinances belonging thereunto , against the unchangable and everlasting priesthood and covenant , and as hath been said before , as though that all the precepts , therein were so unalterable , as that of necessity they must needs continue , as obligatory to generations , i might truss up together many scriptures , and thwack them one on the back of another , which belongs to the jews , and the first covenant most properly , ( till the seed christ was revealed , and offred up ) and i might bring in scripture to prove that many things was commanded by the immutable god , and by him who is uncapable of alteration , and multiply many words , as a. s. doth to little purpose , and say what was written in the old testament was by the inspiration of god , and that his precepts is no more alterable then the lawes of the medes and persians , and therefore they must needs still be observed by all christians to the worlds end , or else conclude they that do not are atheistical , and denies gods varasity , and makes the law of god void ; and what would all this in arguing prove , nothing at all ; the jewes will confess as much , and plead as hard as a. s. can , who yet have not believed in him , of whom the prophets prophesied , neither hath received him who is the substance of what moses and the prophets bore witness , and in whom the law is fulfilled , and the promises made good , and confirmed with , and in whom all the shadows ends , and the vaile done away , and all the worship and precepts belonging thereunto : who hath manifested and revealed the father in all that believe , who is the new and living way , whose worship is not now in the letter , nor in the shadows , nor types , nor in any outward observations , but in spirit and truth is he worshipped , for he seeketh such to worship him ; for the great promise of reward was to , as ever was to swearing ; yet when they resisted him whom the father had sent , all their observances though never so strict did not avail ; but their circumcision became vncircumcision , and their worship and service became prophaneness , when they dispised the substance by whom grace and truth came to all the children of promise : and we grant with a. s. that he came not to destroy the law but to fulfill it , and to end both sin and transgression , and the law which was added because of it , and to bring in everlasting righteousness , and it to rule in the hearts of all that believe ; and against such there is no law ; and though christ enjoyned the disciples , mat , . to observe what the scribes and pharisees bad them who sat in moses chair and read the law , and performed those services in part , commanded ; that was the time before he was offered up , and the ministration of that covenant was not fully ended ; yet i hope a. s. with us will grant that they were not to heed them or to obey them in their vain traditions and false glosses , and interpretations and evil manners which he cryed wo against , mat. . , . neither after his resurrection did he enjoyne them to hear the pharisees , neither to observe the legal ordinances of the first priesthood , but they declared against them and their practice , which continued in the observation of those things which did not make perfect as pertaining to the conscience , heb. . . heb. . . and for all these texts he alledges out of the old testament , mat. . . psal. . . jer. . . unto these it hath been answered that this proves nothing that christians under the second covenant should swear as they did in the first , for these precepts were only to keep them from idolatry , for jer. . . if you will diligently learn the ways of my people to swear by my name ( the lord liveth ) as they taught my people to swear by ( baal ) then shall they be builded in the midst of the people : and the . of deut. . is to the same effect , you shall fear the lord and serve him , and swear by my name : and verse the . ye shall not go after other gods. all these only prove that the nations went after other gods and sware by them , and served them , and israel too prone to follow their manners did so also , and therefore he gave them these precepts to serve him , and fear him , and acknowledge him , to keep them from idolatry , as hath been said ; in the state of their minority and weakness , and that before the seed was revealed ; and that which a. s. calls a prophesie by isa. . . of christians swearing under the gospel , it s no such thing but a prophesie of aegipt , his joyning to the jewes , and owning their worship , and their god , and acknowledge him ; and do sacrifice and oblation , yea and vow a vow unto the lord and performe it , ver . . which clearly hath relation to the law and the worship of the jewes , and not to the gospel ; so that a. s. might have as well said it was a promise how christians under the gospel should offer sacrifice and oblations as under the law , as well as swear . but the doctor hath traversed many paths which are crooked , winding , and turning , to gather something together , and hath fetched it farre to prove swearing under the gospel , but all his proofe falls short of his matter by much : and that of isaiah the . . is a prophesie of israels return out of the captivity of babylon , in the days of cyrus , whom the lord called his anoynted , and shepherd , isa. . . . who made a decree for all israel to go out of assyria to jerusalem and build their city , and their temple and worship their god according as he had commanded ; as may be seen at large in the book of ezra , and nebemiah , and this was fulfilled ( then ) when they builded the city and the temple in those days , ( long before christ was manifest in the flesh ) and then did israel return , and every knee did bow , and every tongue did swear by the lord , which before the captivity had not bowed , nor served , nor acknowledged his name , but idols which provoked the lord , and therefore gave he them into the hand of the babylonians for seventy years till they were humbled , and then brought them back according to jeremiah , isaiah , haggai , and zachariah's prophesies , for this was fulfilled ; then is spoken by isaiah in this prophesie , isaiah . ver . , , . ( without contradiction to christs command ) and his command entrencheth not upon this prophesie , neither doth this make the gospel thwart the law , beyond all terms of reconciliation , as a. s. vainly suggests in his margent , for this prophesie was fulfilled long before christ gave forth this command , swear not at all : moreover , if this prophesie have any relation to the state of the christian church ( as a. s. supposes , upon what ground i know not , saving his own affirmation ) then we shall consider and see how it is fulfilled under the gospel , and what the gospel allowes of in this particular ; the apostle paul a minister of the gospel , not of the letter , as he saith himself , which some interprets to be the law , citeth this prophesie of isa. . . compare it with rom. the . ve . . for it is written ( where ? in isaiah before cited , ) as i live saith the lord every knee shall bow unto me , and every tongue shall confess to god ; and in philippians the . v. , . that at the name of jesus whom the father hath sent , whom all is to obey , unto whom all power is given in heaven and earth ; the apostle citing again the very words of the prophet says unto him ( viz. ) jesus , every knee shall bow ; and ver . the . and that every tongue shall confess to the glory of god the father ; so that it cannot be reasonably thought or judged that if god had required swearing by his name among christians as among the jewes that the apostle thus should alter the words as to put confessing instead of swearing , seeing he says he used always plainness of speech , for this had not been plainness , and we have better reason to believe the apostle , unto whom the gospel was committed whom the son was revealed in , who declared the whole council of god , and yet never either commanded or exhorted any to swear , or reproved them for not swearing by the name of god ( as the jewes did ) in all his writings that are extant , i say we have better ground to believe him and his rendering of the words of the prophet to be according to the mind of christ , where he puts in confession to the christians ( which before was swearing to the jewes ) as being acquainted with the command of christ , mat. . . swear not at all : ) and what ever a. s. look , upon it as to be heresie , and derogatory both to the scriptures and god himself , it is not much matter of man's judgment , he might as well accuse christ and the apostle , the one forbidding to swear , and the other for deminishing from the scripture , and altering the prophets words ; and though it seems strange to a. s. yet it is not to us that some men was commanded in the old testament for observing some things , yea many things , which is condemned in the new , and yet god is not dishonoured , neither the scripture broken ; if we see the end of every command , and the time for which it served , and the service for which it served , as this about oaths , hath been sufficiently declared before , to keep the jewes from idolatry , to end strife among them where it was ; ( but among true christians , indeed ) strife is ended and peace is come , and they seek it with all men ; and that is done away ( for which the law was added ) to wit sin and transgression , diffidence and unbelief , and strife , and no necessity of them among them ; and all the morality that doth remain is confession , or saying , or testimony in true words in any matter is that which is equivolent with an oath , and is that which is the most conforme to christ and the apostles doctrine , under the gospel : but i come to his last argument . twelfth and last argument , the consent of the christian world ; the practice of emperours , kings , princes , councils , bishops , and people of all sorts , confirme this truth that christ notwithstanding these words , ( swear not at all ) had never forbidden swearing as altogether unlawful ; 't is true , some of the fathers in their homilies , & to the people inveighed much against swearing , as though it had been altogether unlawful , but it was only against customary oaths ; chrysostome in his homily to the people of antioch preached so much against swearing that the people was offended , he told them he would never leave that sermon till they would leave that prophane custome of swearing ; but the fathers were less cautelous , but with great vehemency enveigh'd against common swearing in ordinary discourse ; but not at all intending to take away necessary oaths ; but origen in his first book against colsus , god is witness of my conscience ; and athanatius yet vehemently declaimed against prophane swearing , yet in his apology to the emperour constantius , he sware again and again , the lord is witness , and his christ is witness : all which clearly shews they did not disallow the voluntary taking an oath , much less in judical proceedings , and the reformed churches , and the church of england , and the whole catholick church in all times and places approved this doctrine , that all swearing is not unlawful ; so that it follows that the church in all ages was so ignorant as not to understand christs meaning , or so wicked as to teach and practise quite contrary , or else christ never meant to forbid all kind of swearing , ( to assert the former ) were to profess all that went before either dunces or devils . reply . what ever a. s. conclude and think he hath not such a consent among christians , as he makes a great flourish of ; it 's manifest by what hath been said , christ prohibited it amongst his disciples , swear not at all ; and likewise james the apostle agrees in the same doctrine , and the rest of the apostles , also all the primitive christians were esteemed so strict , exact , & cautious of their asserting , or promising , that there was no need of an oath among them , they kept up the sanctity , credit of their profession , yea among unbelievers , that it was security enough in all cases to say , christianus sum , i am a christian , as justin martyr asserts ; and if they were urged any further to any oath , for matter or manner they repeated this as the only satisfaction they could give , there needed no more then the veracity of their bare record ; and thus much bishop gauden confesseth , and also in the . page of his book he says , the ground or foundation for swearing now is the wickedness and unbelief of men ; but christians ( truly such ) are brought out of evil and wickedness , unbelief and distrust , and there is no necessity among them either publick or private to swear at all : polibus observes in the better , and simpler ages of the world , oaths were seldome used in judicatures , but after unbelief and lying increased , oaths increased , as a only remedy to cure and restrain those evils : ( but let it not be said that those are christians ) that names christs name and departs not from iniquity , and since the perilous times came on that the apostles spoke , that men would not abide sound doctrine but be lovers of themselves , that should have a forme of godliness and deny the power thereof ; such went out of the truth , and went into the world , and the world went after them , and the false church began to rise to dignity , and have the name of christian , though she consented not to the wholsome doctrine of our lord and saviour jesus christ , swear not at all , but perverted this , as she hath done many other doctrines , and beguiled the kings of the earth , and held out her golden cup of fornication , and made emperours , kings , and princes drunk with her fornication , rev. . . councils , bishops and people are in their judgments , and by tradition one age after another have holden that lawful which christ did not prohibit ; but what doth all this prove , for it 's manifest that most of the ancient fathers of the church , as origen , chrysostome , theophilact , hillary , athanasius , jerome , theodoret , laurentius , and others in their sermons and homilies to the people , vehemently and frequently enveighed against all swearing without any limitation , without any reserve amongst christians swearing as to private conversation , yet they did not disallow the voluntary taking an oath , much less in judicature he says ; but those are but terms of his own shufling in , and what he speaks only of his own head , by mingling his own words with theirs , for his own ends , for there is no such distinction made by them , as he makes , as lawful swearing and prophane swearing , and voluntary swearing , and swearing in judicature ; and it 's to be desired that a. s. had but produced their testimonies , and have cited only their own words without adding to them , that they would have made much against him , for it 's plain their judgment and witness was against all swearing what ever . but a. s. tell us , chrysostome in his homily to the people of antioch preached so much against that prophane custome of swearing , that the people were offended , and he told them that he would never leave that sermon till they did leave swearing ; it were to be desired that more in this age who pretends to be christian ministers would follow his example , for the like i believe hath not been in any age ; oh what customary , vain , rash , prophane , ungodly oaths ( in their acceptation ) take gods holy name upon every trivial occasion in vain in their mouths , and daily inventing new oaths and execrations , even daring god to confound them and damn them ; yea it grieves my heart to think , and the spirit of the lord in me , to consider what sounded in my ears not long since , which i mention with detestation and abhorrency , that some when they had sworn even all the customary oaths , and all the new invented oaths , did profer . shill. to any that could invent ten new oaths , even glorying in sin , and making a mock at it ; and indeed it is fearful to hear , how without any reverence unto god , or dread of his majesty , oaths ( these late years ) are broke out like a land-flood over all the banks , and no where so much to be found , nor no where so common as among them that reckons themselves conformable men , ( loyal ) and members of the church of england , which is one crying sin that draws down the judgment of god upon this land , and what credit can be given to such men in judicature , shall we not say as st. austin says , it disposes men to false swearing and gross perjury , nor can indeed much credit be given any more then to a lyar to any man that swears never so solemnly , and in judicature , who is a common swearer : but instead of beating down that for which the land mournes , jer. . . many are even propagators of it , and pleaders for it , and glories in it , and it s become almost the only mark of a conformable man : oh what a sad time are we fallen into , and what a sad state that they that depart from this great iniquity are become a prey ; i say it had been more time for a. s. to have used his utmost endeavours this way , rather then to have opposed christ's doctrine , and added affliction to the bonds of conscientious sufferers , who dare neither swear nor lie . but not to digress a. s. he would make the fathers as he doth with christ and the apostles , he would make all dance after his pipe , and make them all of his mind , and construe and interpret all their words to his end though never intended , and therefore he says they were not cautelous enough , and so doth with them as he doth with christ , he makes their words one thing , and their intentions another ; though saith he , origen in his . tract upon math. says that christ did forbid all swearing , yet he himself swears in his book against celsus , for he said , god is witness of my conscience ; and athanatius though he declaimed against swearing , yet in his apology to constantious he swears again and again , and why he wrote as the apostle did ( the lord is witness ) and christ is witness , and these must needs be oaths , and voluntary oaths ; it 's not probable that they should use voluntary oaths when they declaimed against all oaths ; and therefore origen saith , it behoves not a man who lives according to the gospel to swear at all : and jerome , the gospel truth admits not of an oath : likewise chrysostome who was bishop of constantinople ( in commendations of whom much is said in the ecclesiastical histories , acts and monuments , vol. . fol. . too ) blames them greatly who brings forth a book to swear upon , charging the clerks that in no wise they constraine any body to swear , whether they think a man swear true or false , saying it 's a sin to swear well . so that not only swearing upon a book was reprehended , but even all swearing , such as a. s. calls lawful : theophilact upon the place in controversie , learn hence that under the law it was no evil for men to swear , but since the coming of christ it is evil , as circumcision , and in some what ever is jewdeical : to omit wickliffe , john hus and jerome of prague , who were faithful men and righteous in their generation , which the reformed churches is beholding to for their testimony in other weighty things against the church of rome , though a. s. will not own them in this , but rather takes part with them who burned his bones . years after his decease , and burnt his books and these articles condemned by the council of constance , who also burned john hus , and jerome of prague , who maintained his articles , that all oaths be made for any contract or evil bargain betwixt man and man be unlawful under the gospel ; and walter bevite whose testimony with many others was , that as the perfection of the old testament was not to forswear themselves , so the perfection of christ was not to swear at all , because they are so commanded of christ , whose commandement in no case must be broken : the testimony of many worthy men and godly sufferers at this time is suitable to many of the fathers before mentioned ; but this a. s. calls error ; who said so ? the church of rome , and the council of constance , with whom a. s. joynes rather then the sufferers of christ , and they who hold it an error not to swear at all , and yet no error to break it when they have a mind , and dispense with it as the papists doth to this very day , and these fathers of the church doubtless were the best of men in that declining age , and were neither dunces nor devils , but understood by the signification of gods spirit in them the doctrine of christ , ( and that which was consentaneous thereunto ) was witnessed by divers in after ages before mentioned , which a. s. would condemn as hereticks , and why the church of rome had called them so , and them that sat at the sterne , who always called themselves orthodox , and others heterodox that did not sing to the same tune in swearing , and every thing else , when they had once got up into a pompious lordly dominion over mens faith : but what doth this prove ? nothing at all ; and what doth this prove which a. s. inserts in his marginal notes ? that the ministers who are inferiour in hungary , and transilvania , swear canonical obedience to their bishops , or the church of england , or the confessions of helvetia , basil , or others whom he calls reformed : what of all this ? what doth this prove from the scripture of truth , or as to the convincement of them who hold it unlawful to swear under the gospel , because christ hath prohibited it by his doctrine , what is all that a. s. hath said in his arguments to dissenters satisfaction ? who know hundreds of things wherein as much as they fall out and fight even to blood with each other about their fancied formalities , they all agree in against the light and power of godliness , and against the very appearance of the image of him in his holiness , who is the substantial truth it self , we say what is all this to some , that dissents from a. s. his judgment , and others he calls reformed whose faith stands higher then the wisdom and thoughts of men who cannot consent so as to lead their faith and reason captive after them to try this or any other truth , seeing it is the gift of god , and the inspiration of the almighty gives understanding , & though the church of rome and you agree in this , though you damne one another in other matters what is this to us ? it shewes only they erred from the doctrine of christ and his apostles , and you in this and many other things are not separated from them ; and thy conclusion which thou accords with is false , that though god in the old testament commanded it , yet it doth not follow that christ in the new did not forbid it , ( neither that christ and his apostles practised it ) who were under another covenant , and for ought can be perceived by a. s. by that he calls voluntary swearing which he hath no ground for , though in other places he seem to condemn vain swearing and customary oaths , yet in this he looks not like himself , but seems to tollerate a kind of oaths we find no mention made of in the new testament , and yet we shall not conclude as a. s. says , that all were so ignorant as not to understand christ's mind , nor so wicked as to teach the quite contrary to his mind ; for it is manifest many have been of the mind of christ in former ages and latter , though we shall never strive to bring in all the world , or the heathen , or nations , that became as waters after the publication of the gospel , nor that rable which he calls the christian world , which hath wondered after the beast , rev. . . and yet there hath been still some testimony borne through ages unto the doctrine of christ , and christs doctrine stands in force and in that latitude that he intended it , notwithstanding a. s. his reasons and arguments , and many more as to forbid all oaths in the second covenant to his disciples ( truly such ) in these words , swear not at all : many instances might be brought of particular bishops might be instanced , as otha bishop of bambergences in germany , and bosilius of chalcedon , who refused to swear ; and though a. s. cannot trace it beyond pelagius or manacheus , yet we know that both christ and the apostles confirmes it , and also the essarus among the jewes did refuse to swear at all , even in judicature ; for josephus a jew saith of them , whatsoever they say is as firme as an oath , and to swear among them was counted a thing superfluous : likewise st. basil commends chinas a famous greek that he suffered a fine of three talents rather then he would save it by swearing , to the loss of his honour ; and shall christians ( truly such ) with whom truth abideth , and in whom it dwelleth , come short of that exactness that was among some of the jewes , and the best and the virtuousest of them called heathen ; shall not this kind of christianity which is professed in this day , who is in unbelief , frauds , infirmities , contentions , be condemned by these ? shall not this circumcision become uncircumcision ? and shall not they that fear to swear and deny all oaths be set above this , whose yea is yea , and nay , nay , in all their communication , according unto christs doctrine ? shall not this inherit the promise ? and is not this more gospel like , to say speak , testifie , and do the truth , rather then to go back to judaism , or into contention , strife , emulation and distrusts that the swearers are in ? ( falsly reputed christians ) and yet abides not in his doctrine ? but having done with a. s. his negative part , i come to his affirmative part which is no other then hath been answered over and over again , yet he thinks he hath said more in clearing of it then others hath said , that christ only forbad swearing by creatures , and that indeed is the sum of his affirmative discourse , and the pharisees interpretation . and he brings the judgments of divers expositers upon this text , first promisary oaths are here principally forbidden ; ly . others think that christ only here forbad such oaths as then was used in common discourse ; ly . others say that prophane , false and rash , and vain oaths are generally here prohibited ; ly . many understand that by these words of christ , all swearing by creatures is forbidden , but not that by god himself ; and last of all a. s. gives his thoughts , which are as follows . that christ did not forbid what the law had commanded , but only the pharesaical corrupt glosses thereon , and the irreligious practices of the misinformed jewes ; and cites origen and chrysostome , who says upon this place they were accustomed to swear by heaven , and by creatures ; and further a. s. says , the pharisees taught them to affirme what ever they had promised , swearing by god ; they under a spacious pretention that they would not take god's name in vain upon a sleight occasion , fell to swear by creatures , which grotius showes out philo judeos , which the pharisees did not disallow , the easier thereby to delude such credulous people as believed those oaths which themselves neither thought obligatory , nor meant to keep , and it 's certain the scribes and pharisees taught the people that to swear by several creatures , as by the temple and altar was not binding ; christ reproves them as blind guides upon that account , mat. . . and further they taught it was perjury indeed to break an oath if a man had sworn by god , but not if he had only sworn by creatures : in exposition of which christ forbids all swearing by creatures , and teaches contrary to the jewes rabbies that such oaths ought not to be taken , yet being taken are binding in respect of creatures relation to the creator , and christ reckons them among sinful oaths , and teacheth them to use only bare affirmations or denials in their communication , and this is the very summe of his judgment ; and the words of christ is only to be limited to this sense and no further , this is not to swear at all by creatures in their mutual converse and communications ; and this he hath repeated over and over in his book , and this is the furtherest latitude that he will allow unto christ's prohibition , swear not at all ; and this interpretation before mentioned he looks upon to be the genuine meaning thereof ; and is the judgment of doctor gauden also , who hath contended as hard for some swearing as a. s. hath ; and i perceive that a. s. hath read the answer to bishop gauden , published by that precious servant of the lord samuel fisher , who finished his life in bonds for the gospel truth against all swearing , whose answer stands firme , and his demonstrative arguments of force , and is yet unanswered , though a. s. hath a little here and there carped at , and hath bitten at the h●el , but hath not made void at all his answer , which will live as a living testimony in generations to come , as consonant unto christ's doctrine , wherein he prohibites all oaths under the gospel . reply . though there be some truth in the different authors which is alledged , and also in a s. his words , that swearing by creatures , as heaven , and earth , jerusalem , and vain oaths , is forbidden , and customary oaths , and the corrupt glosses of the pharisees , and the false interpretations , yet all this comes short of christ's mind , and of the true genuine sense of the words and the scope of christ's sermon as is manifest in the chapter , and in his testament , and all he hath said will not help him to carry on that work he hath undertaken , ( viz. ) the justification of any , or the lawfulness of any swearing , or the defence of that limited sense , he would put upon the universal terms in the . texts wherein christ and the apostle forbids all swearing : and though a. s. often tells us christ did not forbid what the law had commanded , neither gave any new possitive law before his death ; he sure hath forgot himself much ; what will become of the two great ordinances still upheld , as baptisme , and breaking of bread ? and whether was this a new institution of christ , or was it an institution in the law ? and if it was an institution of christ ( as the church of england doth hold ) and not of the law , nor of moses , ( as indeed it was not ( then a. s. his argument is fallen to the ground , that he gave no new commandment , neither instituted any new ordinance ? and then what is become of these two great mysteries as they have been called ? but he hath ravelled out and spun out his threed so long , that he often runs off his legs ; and though a. s. do often urge that he came not to destroy the law , but to fulfill it : and therefore hath said falsly that christ sware before the high priest after he had given forth this commandment , swear not at all , which if it had been true it had been no more president for christians then eating the passeover ; and though he sometimes urge that such oaths as were commanded under the law are not forbidden by that text , mat. . . because it was spoken sometime before his death , and the ministration of the first covenant was not ended till his death ; and therefore he concludes that all oaths would not be forbidden by christ in this text , for saith he christ did not forbid what the law commanded ; but though this prohibition was given out before his death , yet with reference to the gospel times after his death : it is evident by the texts before it and behind it , ( viz. ) of divorce and of deportment towards injurious ones and enemies , so in this of oaths christ prohibites and condemnes not only those gross abuses of those things that they had a dispensation for under the law , and that by divine indulgency , which abuses crept in by the pharisaical false glosses , too much loosing the meaning of gods law by moses by their depraved examples or popular customes ; but christ condemned and prohibited those very things , which in regard of the hardness of their hearts , distrust and wicked cruelties , god himself in that very letter of the law indulged them in , and gave them both a dispensation , and a precept for , in the law ; for the law said of old time , before the false gloss of the scribes and pharisees came in some things ; so as it was not said from the beginning , when man was in innocency , and was mercyful as his heavenly father was mercyful , and the law said , deut. . . whosoever shall put away his wife let him give her a bill of divorcement , and then she may go and be another mans wife , but i say who so putting away his wife causeth her to commit adultery ; and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery , mat. . . so that not only the corrupt glosses and irregular practices of the misinformed jewes is forbidden ; but even that which the law not only permitted and allowed , and dispensed with , but commanded , is forbidden ; ( and another thing injoyned ) and in cause of injury as he hath done , so shall it be done unto him : ye have heard it hath been said an eye for an eye , and a tooth for a tooth , this was the law , exo. . . levit. . . dent. . . and this was commanded : but christ saith , i say unto you that ye resist not evil , whosoever shall smite thee on the one cheek turn the other also , and if a man sue thee at law and take away thy coat , let him have thy cloak also , and whosoever shall compell thee to go a mile go with him twain , mat. . , , . so here is not only a further thing , but even another thing commanded by christ. further , the law said , exod. . . thou shalt not commit adultery ; but christ the wisdom of god saith , mat. . . whosoever looketh upon a woman and lusteth after her hath committed adultery with her in his heart , again yee have heard that it hath been said that thou love thy neighbour and hate thy enemy , though a. s. say that is not found in the law , but a corrupt gloss of the pharisees ; i say that is found which amounts to as much , as hath been shewed : for the jewes that was of the law , might and did spoyle their enemies , the gentiles and canaanites , egiptians and amalekites , and had a command so to doe , & kill them , & root them out , and yet to help his enemies oxe or asse under a burthen , if he were belonging to a jew that personally hated him , and not an amalekite one of the cursed race ; but this is a ridle to many ; but i say unto you love your enemies , bless them that curse you , do good to them that hate you , and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you , mat. . . and the apostle exhorted , give no offence to jew or greek , so that his doctrine went beyond the law , put up , pass by , forgive , forbeat ; again you have heard it hath been said of old time ( where ) exod. . . deut. . . numb . . . mat. . . thou shalt not forswear thy self , but shalt perform unto the lord thine oathes , but i say unto you swear not at all , neither by heaven for it is gods throne , nor by the earth for it is his foot-stoole , neither by jerusalem for it is the city of the great king , neither shalt thou swear by thy head , because thou cannot make one hair white or black , but let your communication be yea , yea , and nay , nay , for whatsoever is more then these cometh of evil : it s most evident that christ prohibits somewhat more here then was forbiden under the law , yea what ever oathes were lawful under the law , therefore it must be all swearing at all , or else none at all : either all such swearing as was used lawfully , and allowed as a type for a time , in the law , oathes made lawfully and acceptably to god , or else nothing more at all then what was forbiden in the law : for all false swearing and forswearing , and all swearing by creatures , or breaking of solemn oathes , made as unto god , was forbiden in and by the law : therefore swearing it self is forbiden or nothing , but saith a. s. the grand objection falls of it self , which is either all kind of swearing is forbiden , or else christ forbids nothing , which was not forbiden before , which is utterly improbable saith he ; and he grants that god had formerly prohibited all false and vain oaths , and all swearing by creatures saith he , which i grant to be true , then how is the grand objection fallen , for is not heaven , earth , jerusalem , the head creatures : and this is the most that a. s. and divers others affirms , that it is only oaths by creatures , such as before mentioned that christ only prohibits , and vain oaths , and swearing by creatures : a. s. sayes christ reckons among sinful oaths ; then if so , as they are indeed , had not the law forbiden this before ; in general tearms wherein all creatures are included ? therefore the reason stands still in force , and the objection ; that either christ forbad all swearing , or else he forbids nothing but what the law had forbiden before : it s manifest it stands still in force , for christ forbad even those oathes the law required , and all vain swearing and swearing by creatures , and all swearing whatsoever , mat. . ye have heard it hath been said by them of old time , not of late by the scribes and pharisees , only puting their false glosses on the law , as a s intimates pareus and others , in his annotations , and hence conjectures , that by them of old time is only meant , the scribes and pharisees , and not moses and the law , and of old time must be meant ( a good while ago ) or not very long , as commentators understand it , less then ( twenty years ) and thus he twists and twines to make the true sense of christs words void : its evident by them of old time , is moses time , the place before cited , numb . . . is the place christ alludes to , you have heard it said thou shalt not forswear thy selfe : so saith the law in forty places , but performe unto the lord thine oathes ; but i say unto you swear not at all ; no not by any oath at all , note the opposition in the particle [ but ] which is between the old lawful legal swearing , and no swearing at all , not between no swearing , and such prophane swearing , as was unlawfull under the law : the whole summe is this , the law said break no oaths , but i say take none ; for if christ intend no more in these phrases ( swear not at all ) not by any oath then thus , swear not vainly , prophanely , ordinary , or by creatures in your communication , forswear not your selves , what forbids he more then the law forbad ? for heaven and earth , jerusalem a. s. says , christ reckons among sinful oaths ; and these are creatures , and swearing by creatures was forbidden by the law , i grant quoth a. s. then this reason stands still good , he either forbad all oaths , or he forbad no more then the law forbad ; and though it be granted that the jewes swore by the creatures , as the temple , altar , jerusalem , and therefore christ prohibits them , and reproves them for these things , and likewise all swearing whatsoever ; what doth a. s. gain by this ? for it 's evident in divers passages of his sermon in the th . chap. of mat. that he teaches a righteousness which exceeds that of the law , as i have shewed before , which he came to fulfill and not to destroy , by taking away the ceremony of swearing , and establishing the substance in its stead , which is speaking the truth , as in the sight of god in uprightness of heart , yea we say again what saith he more to his disciples else ? then the scribes and pharisees to theirs ? they said , swear not falsly , prophanely , but by god , only swear not falsly : for bishop gauden cites for his author drusius , among the jewes all thing in judicials were confirmed by the religion of an oath , wherein the name of god was interposed , therefore christ says more unto his disciples in express terms , swear no oath at all , otherwise how would their righteousness exceed that of the scribes and pharisees , which except it did , they could in no case enter into the kingdom of god ; the perfection and righteousness of the law therefore in this point of swearing was not forswearing : the perfection and righteousness of the gospel , in the same is not swearing at all , so though the gospel be not against the law , yet the gospel exceeds the law in every point ; the law said kill not , the gospel be not angry ; the law commit not adultery , the gospel , look not on a woman , lust not ; so in all the prohibitions of christ ; the commandements of christ went beyond the law , also in this of swearing : yet it did not if now there be any swearing at all among christians and disciples of christ , yet we shall also with a. s. agree that christ not only forbad all swearing ( even that commanded by the law , sometime lawful ) but he also forbids and reproves , and condemnes swearing by creatures , and vain swearing in all communication , and their perverting of the law , and too much loosing it by traditions , and making it void by their false glosses , and counts them blind guides which said to swear by the temple , by the altar , by heaven , was nothing , he pronounced a woe against them , and concluded they were bound to keep those oaths , though they ought not to have sworn them : for as much as he that swears by the lesser swears also by the greater ; as he that swears by heaven swears by the throne of god , and him that sits thereon ; mat. . , , , , , , . we confess with a. s. this was but a sinful prophane creature swearing , an irregular forme of swearing ; by the name of god the jewes indulged themselves in : but what doth a. s. gain by this ? it's evident enough that solemn oaths by god himself , as those familiar oaths by creatures , in which they tacitely sware by god are forbidden by christ , but i say unto you sware not at all . but a. s. tells us as grotius tells him out of philo judeos , that the pharisees taught them to performe what ever they had promised swearing by god , they under a spacious pretence that they would not take god's name in vain upon sleight occasions fell to swear by creatures , which the pharisees did not disallow to cheat people withal , which they themselves neither thought obligatory , nor meant to keep : the name elohim and jehovah they might possibly scruple at , but that name adonai they oft , as superstitiously , repeat in their much babling as they superstitiously decline mentioning of the other , but that in serious cases of concerne of justice and equity , and in judicature in matter of debate , or ending of controversies , that they should wave and forbear swearing by the name of god , when their scriptures was so express for it , and that they should chuse that way of swearing , there is no reason at all to believe it , seeing drusius says , among the jewes all things in judicature were confirmed by oath , wherein the name of god was interposed as above mentioned . ly . that they should wave swearing by the name of god in matters of concernment , which they all believed were binding , and should swear by creatures in order to the giving satisfaction to one another , and security of each other , and by such oaths as they judged not to be obligatory , and never meant to keep them , seeing a. s. says it was in pretence of reverence to god , they swear not by god but by creatures , to cheat and never meant to keep , they knowing this that he that so sware by creatures meant not to keep but to cheat and not performe ; such oaths were not very probably used in judicature among them , neither in serious cases , for such oaths instead of giving satisfaction and putting an end unto jealousies and distrusts would have sure created them more then before ; for as much as he that so swears believes himself not to be bound thereby , then if he had not sworn at all , and he unto whom he swears also knows the same that such oaths ( as a. s. tells on that they did swear ) is not binding , neither can any more credit be given to them then to a lyar , because in this sort of swearing there was no security ; it is not probable i say , that they should chuse this in judicature or any serious case of controversie : and if it be that swearing that christ only prohibits by heaven , earth , and creatures , which the pharisees indulged them in , wherein ( as to the point of swearing ) does he prescribe a righteousness and perfection above or beyond moses his servant whom he was to exceed ; for god by moses in the law it self had universally forbidden all other oaths , either in general terms , or sometime more particularly ; but still all false oaths , vain oaths , and oaths by creatures are included , save only solemn swearing by his own name that there was no more swearing left for christ to forbid his disciples , but swearing by god himself , which the law allowed of . besides moreover , the opposition then which lies intimated in that particle [ but ] being not between false swearing and prophane swearing , and swearing by creatures as a. s. would have it , but between forswearing then , and no swearing now , shew christs intent to be to prohibit all swearing ; for it is indeed as if he had thus said , god under the law commanded you to swear by his name , & when you had sworn in truth by him to perform the oaths ye made by him , whether to him or any other ; but i say now god allowes you not to swear at all , nor by heaven , earth , or any other , no not those oaths which ye did , and might make of old unto the lord your god in things lawful ; but no oath by a creature did god account as an oath made to him , provided ye performed it when ye had done any more then he counted their , solemn fastings to be to him , zachariah . . again , christ's own expressions in the affirmative part shewes his meaning in the negative to be a prohibition of all swearing as well as any , but let your communication be yea , yea , nay , nay , so the negative of his words swear not at all , must be understood in such an universal exclusive latitude as admits of no oaths whatsoever among his disciples ; and as hath been said that particle [ but ] which stands between those two prohibitions of moses saying , forswear not but performe to god thine oaths ; and of christ saying [ but ] i say unto you swear not at all , doth manifest it that christ forbids all swearing as much as any ; even such swearing as was not indulged to them by the pharisees only but by moses and god himself , who by his servant dispensed with them in , and instituted even their swearing by god's own name , who never indulged or dispensed with any of that creature swearing as a. s. speaks of , but threatned woes to it under the law ; and by the law again , if it be said christ only prohibited all such voluntary oaths , which they sware to performe to the lord by any creature as heaven , earth , in their communication and mutual converse , as a. s. says , but not solemn oaths by god in courts or before magistrates , and not between man and man , and matter of deliberation as some other say , and have interpreted the words , let not your whole conversation be interwoven with oaths . reply . christ does indeed forbid all such voluntary oaths as was used by the jewes and pharisees , and all swearing by any thing besides god or below god , also all swearing in common communication , and ordinary conversation where yea and nay should serve , yea and that which is called solemn and by some sacred and lawful even by god , even all swearing , by god commonly , frequently , or generally , which is now in courts and imposed by justices , magistrates , than which , nothing almost is more ordinary frequent and common ; if our communication and conversation should be without swearing , and our mutual converse one with another among men should be without oaths of any kind whatsoever ; is not this exclusive of swearing in courts and before magistrates as well as other men , whether in courts and consistories as well as other places , where men have their conversation and their mutual converse with each other , as ordinarily & commonly as elsewhere , which being considered i have with other often mused why some men have been so inconsiderate as to interpret christs words and prohibition as exelusive , of mens swearing in their ordinary converse in courts , where oaths are as ordinary , frequent and common , as in any places whatsoever , especially that some men plead so much for oaths in courts and before magistrates only ; ( as though they were sacred and solemn there and no where else , and holy , and lawful only there ) and yet can bring no better proof under the gospel for them , nor of their right to impose them upon christians more then others ? among the many false instances they bring of paul , swearing frequently to the churches in his letters ; and such pittiful proof as a. s. offers of christ being charged by the high priest as he says to swear , though he swore , for i deny that ; ( i adjure thee , ) proves not that christ swore , it being not his but anothers charge upon him ; and it 's silly to think that christ who said , swear not at all , no not by heaven , for it's god's throne , which who so swears by , mat. . swears by god that sits thereon ; that he should swear by the living god , he was the christ , at the command or charge of the high priest , who was his inferiour , ( though he had been a better priest then he was ) as being but the type of himself ; but indeed there was no such matter as a. s. and others have affirmed , for when the high priest barely asked him only whether he was the christ or not ? he answered i am : besides the law was not in the shadow of it fully ended , although christ had instituted divers things among his disciples which was not in the law , and yet not against it , but all these instances that many opposers with a. s. hath brought of the apostles and christ swearing , are but shrouds and shelters they make for themselves , because they have a mind to obey the commands of men rather then christs doctrine , for avoiding of persecution and suffering , and therefore would make all things they take in hand look like their own image : but having discoursed of this before i come to a. s. his last part of his discourse , and his interpretation upon mat. . and james . in his . section he says , if any still urges the universality of the expression , ( swear not at all , ) and that of jam. . ( above all things my brethren , swear not neither by heaven , nor by earth , neither any other oath ) to the first he says , its plain that they that thus argue break off our saviours sentence in the midle , and suffers him not to come to his period , for he saith not , swear not at all , there fixing a point , but swear not at all , neither by heaven , nor by earth , &c. and for that of james must of necessity be understood , with restriction ; quotes austin upon the text , it cannot be that swearing is worse then forswearing , theft , adultery , murther , these are hainous crimes , nulla autem culpa est verum jurare ; but if no sin to swear the truth , why then above all things swear not ; not that swearing is so great an offence as many others , but least we contract a habit thereof , then probably by rash oaths we shall offend god by false swearing , which is no more then in an especial manner , forbear forswearing , and any other oath must be restrained in a limited sense , for there is not meant any oaths what ever , but such as the apostle speaks of , neither by heaven , by earth , nor any other oath , that is any oath taken by other creatures , for so must they be understood , unless we interpret his words to make them contradict gods , and set the servant in a manifest oppositon to his master . reply . we who are of a contrary judgment to a. s. do still urge the universality of the text , mat. . , , &c. and we shall not break off the sentence of christ in the midle ; swear not at all &c. but shall render it as it is , neither was it ever intended otherwise , but for brevities sake , because the innumeration of heaven and earth , &c. are only inclusive in the prohibition , and we shall speak on , and what christ hath joyned we shall not separate : but read the words as they are , yee have heard it hath been said of old time , thou shalt not forswear thy self , but shalt performe unto the lord thine oaths , but i say unto you swear not at all , neither by heaven , for it is gods throne ; neither by the earth , it 's his foot-stoole ; neither by jerusalem , for it 's the city of the great king ; neither shalt thou swear by thy head , because thou cannot make one hair white or black : but let your communication be yea , yea , nay , nay , whatsoever is more then those cometh of evil ; james . & . but above all things my bretheren , swear not , neither by heaven , neither by earth , neither by any other oath ; but let your yea be yea , and your nay , nay , least you fall into condemnation : in which two texts we say ( in the affirmative ) all manner of swearing is forbiden , for the truth of which many reasons have been and may be given . first , because all manner of swearing is here expresly instanced in these two disjunctive clauses , which are expresly conclusive , and consequently ( because spoken by way of prohibiton ) exclusive , exceptive of all swearing , that can be thought on , swear not , swear not at all , sayes the texts , yea that none may imagine , as a. s. would make men do , that this general rule admits of any exception : but all know the prohibition is so strickt , as to allow , of no permission in the point to swear , by any thing but god , he addes neither by heaven , neither by earth , neither by jerusalem , neither by thy head ; and these are only more ample expressions , of that prohibition , and are not exclusive or disjunctive , from the prohibition , but conclusive of the prohibition of all swearing whatever . but least any should think he forbids only , and no more then extravagant oaths of such as swear by creatures , as earth , jerusalem the head , and such like , when as whosoever swore lawfully under the law , was to swear by none but god himself . but that there be no root at all for any reasoning , for swearing against the flat prohibition of it : james . he concludes and shuts up all in these universal tearmes , and excludes all oaths , and all possible pretence of plea , at all ; also for any swearing , adding neither by any other oath , what words more plain words can be uttered , or can be more expresly exclusive , both of all kinds or sorts of swearing , and of all sorts of particular oaths of every kind , and by heaven , and by earth , and jerusalem , are so far from signifying , that those oaths by creatures are only the oaths that christ prohibits , that they are but only innumerations and amplifications ; of the former part of the prohibition , swear not at all : which we grant were spoken to reprove the pharisees , and the jews practise about their vain swearing . and why must those words ( of james . ) needs be understood with restriction , ( above all things , swear not neither by heaven , neither by earth , &c. ) why st. austin scruples at the first words , quare ante omnia jurare est quam furari , &c. quàm adulterare , &c. quàm hominem accidere , it cannot be that swearing is worse , and forswearing , then adultery , theft , murther , we do not say it is , but if it be not ; or that be not , the reason why he says , above all things swear not , because swearing is a sin above all sins , can no other reason then that be rendered ? yes , yet we shall agree with austin , and a. s. too ; if their judgment be one thus far , that it was not sin to swear the truth when called unto it under the law : why then above all things swear not , not that swearing is so great an offence as murther or adultery , but least we contract a habit thereof ; and then possibly by rash oaths we should offend god , which is no more saith he , then in especial manner forbearswearing , and any other oath , saith a. s. must be restrained in a limited sense , for there is not meant any oath whatever , but such as the apostle speaks of , by heaven , by earth , &c. though there be some truth in what is said ; yet it s too short to answer the apostles end and scope , and the reason falls short that is rendered ; but the man reason is , ( they were jewes unto whom he wrote , the twelve tribes scattered ) whom we deny not , but were run into that custome of vain swearing by creatures , as heaven , earth , jerusalem , head and temple , &c. but that is not all , though we grant it is some reason ; but they being jews , who might under the law swear serious or solemn oaths , and were not so fully informed of the end of the law in christ : under which among them some oaths were lawful ; they were apt to think , they did as well in swearing , so now as they did before ; so though adultery and murther may be as bad and worse then swearing ; yet the law being so expresly against them , which yet in its time allowed some kind of swearing in some cases ( it was more hard to bring them of from some ceremonious services of the law that were once lawful , as is evident long after christs ascention , the apostles had much to do with them about the rites of the law , as circumcision , and times ; and dayes , and new moones , &c. then from such sins as were known and hated by them , and held accursed , by the very letter of the law ; and therefore he says ) above all things my bretheren swear not ; that they might not only take hold of all vain swearing , and swearing by creatures , that was ever unlawful ; but if that they might know that now to be unlawful which in former times was accounted lawful for them : and so its ordinary to say to men , above all things take heed of that to which they have been long accustomed , and with which ( through heedlesness of the unlawfulness of the thing , ) they are apt most easily to be overtaken . again , it is by solomon , who spoke by the eternal wisedome of god , and in it to fear an oath is made the character of a righteous man that sacrificeth acceptably to god ( to swear at all ) is more the character of a wicked and uncleave sinner , eccles. . . . for how he it men shall once return , and discern , the happiness of him that serves god , from his woe who serves him not , yet he is one event to the righteous and the wicked , to the good and to the clean , and to the unclean to him that sacrificeth and him that sacrificeth not , as is the good so is the sinner , as he that sweareth so be that fears an oath , and so as above all things swear not , is to be taken not only of those oaths which were ever unlawful by heaven and earth , but even of those that sometime were lawful under the law , in the type which now when the substance the oath of god is come , and the covenant of light given to all nations , isa. . . luk. . , . who ends all , not only vain oaths , but all oaths , and is the substance of all , even to the subsequent , neither by any other oath is not only to be taken of such oaths neither by heaven , neither by earth , which were ever unlawful ; but even of those sometime lawful , even all swearing and all oaths ; and the servant is not in opposition to his master , but knew the mind of his master christ , and therefore taught like doctrine and the same : but what ever christ or james had said a. s. would make them , if he could to mean as he means , to set their plain express words against their mind : but so much hath been said by many others who fear the lord and an oath too , and so many demonstrative and weighty things have been offered to the consciences and publick view of all , which a. s. i perceive hath seen some of them , though he come not so much as near as to answer them , but only asserts his own , being a work it seems he was put upon by others to plead for swearing ; so that something he must say on that behalf , and draw that way , and to make all things look towards that end , and to concur together ( to justifie them ) and the lawfulness of oaths under the gospel , and their work who persecutes the servants of christ for abiding in his doctrine , who speaks the truth and dare not lie nor swear at all ; i say i shall be the more brief because i know many things is extant by others , and of weight which hath not yet been answered , nor is by a. s. though here and there a little in his annotations he carps sometime upon small ground , although he hath asserted nothing but that which hath been answered over and over again : but i draw on to his last refuge and plea , his answer to both the texts conjunction . that these propositions ; says a. s. ( how universally soever exprest ) ought not in equity to be extended beyond the intention of the apostles , but be limited according to the subject matter , swear not at all ( says christ ) neither by heaven , nor by earth , &c. that is , i universally forbid you all those oaths which you were wont to use frequently to wicked purposes ; and further he says all vain and false oaths by god , even by the acknowledgement of the pharisees were sufficiently forbidden before , so there was no need either for christ or james to speak of them again , other places of scripture must of necessity be thus interpreted , cor. . . matthew . luke . . mat. . luke . . how universally soever exposed must be restrained according to the mind of the speaker , and so must these words swear not at all . reply . it 's freely granted that these two texts ought not to be extended beyond the intention of the speakers , but be limited according to the subject matter , as for general terms and universal prohibitions , admitting of exception they do so , we grant now and then they do , and of restrictions , but when they do these exceptions and restrictions are usually in one place or other of the same testament , where they are made , or at least most manifestly amplified by him that gave out these general prohibitions , & so are most of these generals and restrictions that a. s. hath instanced , cor. . . all things are lawful for me , to eat that which was sold at the shambles was lawful , but that which was sacrificed to idols , v. . there he mentions the restriction himself , and so luke . . it seemed good to me also , having perfect understanding of all things from the very first , the subject matter whereof he writes & the things are exprest , and the exceptions , in the . chapter , and in mat. . . all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men , but the blasphemy against the holy ghost shall not be forgiven , there in the same verse christ makes the exception and restriction , and exodus . . thou shalt do no manner of work , it s abundantly expressed else where in the law ; where the priests service on every sabbath are appointed them , and the exception of dressing what every one was to eat , and was expressed , and the exception of doing good , and of works of mercy , in saving the life of man or beast was to take place ever against the typical sabbath ( i will have mercy and not sacrifice ) and that of luke . . and the woman that was healed by touching the border of christs garment , she declared unto him before all the people ; what saith a. s. before all the people of the world , or before all the people of the land ? no there is none so ignorant as to understand it , for mark. . . manifest the exception before all the people , only that were with him nigh unto the sea ; when he returned from the country of the gadarens , or before all the people of his own city that came out to meet him , mat. . . mat. . . many more i might add to what a. s. hath instanced , that christ uttered many truths in general terms which must admit of exception , luk. . . all the sinners christ spoke to about him , in the general terms , ye shall perish , but this was not without exception of such as should repent ; but that exception was not without expression , viz. except ye repent , again he said unto his hearers , ye cannot enter the kingdom of god ; that was not without exceptions , nor these exceptions without expressions , viz. except ye be converted ; yea in the verses immediately before , this universal prohibition swear not at all , mat. . , . christ says 't was said of old , if any put away his wife let him give her a bill of divorce ; but i say whosoever shall put away his wife causeth her to commit adultery : but this admits of an exception , and that exception is thus exprest , viz. saving for the cause of fornication ; but though all this be granted , even these and many more universal terms admits of exceptions and restriction , yet we cannot grant that these two texts admits of any such exceptions of restrictions as a. s. would interpret them . my reason is this , because in this general term and universal prohibition , swear not at all , it cannot in equity be taken and limited in that sense which a. s. puts upon it , not with that restriction , for that sense would make it short of the subject matter where all swearing is forbidden as well as any , because swear not at all by heaven , earth , &c. because there is not only no expression made any where ( after ) of any such exception or restriction , but a fuller amplification of it , by such particulars as is enumerated , and are more particularly exclusive of all kinds of oaths , and of all oaths of any kind , not only of those that they used to wicked purposes , but even those they solemnly used sometime to good purposes before the seed christ was revealed , and the apostle james . . neither by heaven , neither by earth , neither by any other oath ; which is a re-inforcement and redoubling of the said universal prohibition ; whereas if christ had intended any exception here , he might as easily have exprest , and would as assuredly as he did imediatly above , in the cause of divorce , by ( except in the cause of fornication , ) and have so said , swear not at all , except it be solemn and sacred oathes , and by the lord to good purposes in courts where ye are call'd to swear before a magistrate ; so james if he had intended as a. s. will needs in force yet without any ground , a limitation and restriction , above all things my brethren swear not , neither by heaven , neither by earth , neither by any other oath , except ye swear solemnly by god to good purposes , in courts , or before magistrates ; but as i said instead of excepting any exception , he adds that which more strangthens and clears beyond all exception , the universality of his prohibition ; and if all vain oaths by god were forbidden before , and all swearing by creatures , so that there was no need either for christ or james to speak of them again , as a. s. says ; then this is still matter for the argument on our part , that some oaths were prohibited by christ and james which were not prohibited before , and of which there was necessity for them to speak , as there was indeed , not only about those oaths and other things which the law before had prohibited , but even of those things that it had allowed and indulged , because of the hardness of their hearts , so we say there was a necessity of christ and james not only to mention those things again which the law had spoken of before , and disallowed which we have instanced before , and is manifest in that chap. . which the pharisees had perverted and loosened by their false glosses and traditions ; but even those things which were permitted , indulged and commanded under the law , and suffered to be , because of the hardness of their hearts , and strifes , unbeliefes , insecurities ; and therefore christ teacheth and informeth his disciples , as it was in the beginning before those things entered , and in this cause about oaths amongst the rest prohibites all swearing without limitation , not only that which was once forbidden , but even that which was once permitted and commanded , and indulged ; and therefore it hath been said of old time thou shalt not forswear thy self under the law , ( where in ) numb . . . deut. . . but i say unto you , swear not at all , neither by heaven , nor earth , nor jerusalem , no thy head , which is manifestly an exclusive prohibition of all oaths , without exception or restriction , or limitation , and still will stand good ( not withstanding all a. s. and others opposing ) among his disciples and true christians , in whose hearts he hath put it to speak the truth , and confess in any cause wherein they are concerned to the glory of god the father , and to keep the commands of his christ , and to glory him by abiding in his doctrine , swear not at all . and then a. s. concludes here the grand objection falls of it self which is either all kinds of swearing is forbidden , or else christ notwithstanding his words , ( but i say unto you ) forbad nothing which was forbidden before , which is utterly improbable , and the reason is saith he , because god formerly had forbidden all false and vain oaths , and all swearing by creatures , all which i grant to be true saith he ; but the pharisees had taught the people otherwise by their wicked glosses , that made the commandement of small effect by their tradition , and the practise of that nation was widely distant from the commandement , both which were necessarily to be reformed , which our saviour did in these words , but i say unto you swear not at all . reply . who ever denyed but that the pharisees were blind guides , and that they laboured to make void the law , and made the commands of god of small effect by their traditions ; or that the practise of that nation was not widely distant from the commandement , and that they sware by false gods sometime , and vainly by the true god , and took his name in vain ; and sware also by heaven and earth , and jerusalem , like as many do now ; all this we grant , that they were out of the way both in oaths and other things ; also that christ reproved in the fifth of matthew , and elsewhere , which christ reformed and reproved their doctrine and manners : i say again how is the grand objection fallen by this that either all kind of swearing is forbidden here by christ , or else christ forbad nothing which was not forbidden before , which is utterly improbable saith a. s. but it is more probable then any thing that a. s. hath yet offered ; for if only by heaven , earth , jerusalem , head , temple and altar , by that which christ forbad that the pharisees taught the people they might swear by ; these were forbidden before inclusive in false swearing or swearing by creatures though not expressed , or enumerated nominally , yet included among the sinful and vain oaths under the law , and so were forbidden before , and faith a. s. i grant that all vain oaths and perjury , and all swearing by creatures were formerly forbidden , and if so as indeed they were , what more did he forbid then was forbidden , if the words must only be understood of those sinful and vain oaths by creatures above mentioned , that the pharisees indulged the people in , and taught as a. s. would only limit his prohibition and exception i shall leave to the conscience of every enlightened man to judge , and say that in these words it hath been said of old time thou shalt not forswear , but pay thy vows unto the lord ; but i say ( who am come to restore man again into that estate he fell from by transgression , and to redeem him that believes out of strife and contention , and idolatry , to have fellowship with the father ) swear not at all , neither by heaven nor earth , nor any other oath , that as hath been said before here is a prohibition of all vain oaths and false oaths , and perjury , and all oaths by creatures , and all the vain traditions of scribes and pharisees about oaths , and somewhat more , even a prohibition of those oaths to his disciples , which the law allowed after sin had entered , for which cause the law was added , and oaths added , but christ ends it , ( not by destroying it ) but by fulfilling it , and hath set up that which is more evangelical , truth it self , in which there is no shadow of change , and it is binding upon the souls of all true christians , and that by which they are bound one to another , and every word , promise , or testimony that go out of their hearts and mouths , they by it are bound to keep , least they fall into condemnation , but their yea is yea , and nay is nay ; and whatsoever is more then this cometh of evil , and therefore they do not , cannot , nor dare not go beyond this or that which doth but ▪ amount to as much , and there needs no more among true christians . now as to them , who are in the contention and strife and unbelief and oathes , works of the flesh , as variance , discord , whom the law hath power over and is against , as long as they live in such estate , it s granted that the law was added because of these transgressions , and is against such ; and how far swearing can be binding among evil , contentious , unconscionable men , that make no conscience of any thing , who cannot believe one another , nor give credit to one another without swearing , experience hath manifested whether they judge one another to be believed better by swearing then without swearing , that 's little to us , neither shall we meddle in contentious matters , nor have to do with striving men , as little as possible : but rather suffer wrong , then wrong our consciences by swearing , which we are perswaded by christ we ought not to right our selves , as hitherto we have done and have peace , blessed be god in our hearts , however , we could rejoice and be glad to see all men be at peace , and agree , and it s our desire to live in that love , and we shall seek it with men , and to be at peace as much as in us lyes , even in that love that works no evil , nor thinks no evil , but believeth all things , and beareth all things , and so carries beyond strife and oaths , but if they will not be without oathes in courts and judicatures , we are cleer in the matter , if they exact upon us , and do as they have done , to the undoing , & ruining of many in this world , we must be content , knowing it better to suffer wrong , then do it , and shall acquiesce and rest in the will of god , till he plead our cause , and open the hearts of men to see through the clouds of error and ignorance that is over their consciences . yet how ever this i must needs say , this frequent , common , prophane swearing , that hath exalted its horn , more of late years , is one of the crying sins of england , that gods anger is against , and will draw down his judgment , and kindle the indignation which hangs over this nation , not only , because of those that command men to swear , contrary to christs command : ( and that for to establish cruelty and injustice ) but also that swore falsly and vainly , and that against their knowledge , for their own profit , and the disadvantages of others ; to accomplish their wicked , malicious and revengeful designes , against the innocent , who dare not swear at all , and thereby are made a pray to the teeth of wolves , and to the wills of corrupt men , who take occasion ( as it were ) to plow long furrowes upon the backs of the poor and needy , for which things sake the wrath of god will be poured out upon the head of the wicked , and the nation shall be on heaps , and the wise men shall be turned backwards , and their table shall be a snare , and the curse shall be upon the rebellious , and they shall fall and be broken , and rise no more : and this may justly befall this nation , because of oaths , and because of oppression . and oh much pittied nation , it may be said of thee truly as the prophet hosea . , . ( because of swearing , and lying , and killing , and stealing , and whoring , they break out , and blood toucheth blood , therefore shall the land mourn , and every one that dwells therein shall be cut off ) oh what sad times do we behold , nothing but extreames of evil are presented to our eyes and eares , some do little but swear ordinarily , commonly and vainly , in all kind of communication and conversation , not only in their usual outer sourses in courts , with judges and magistrates , but in their ho●ly discourses also with other men , in cities , townes , princes , and great mens courts , and places , vniversities , colledges , almost all houses , at least all talvernes and ale-houses , and in the open streets and assemblies , almost every where , are full of dreadful oathes , and mens discourses interwoven with execrable and direful oaths , even as it were daring god to confound them and damn them , and such like , and though there be divers laws against swearing vainly and forswearing , yet these are not looked at , but how should we exspect that they should look at the execution of the laws of men which are good , who heeds not the law of god ; and are so buzzed now a days , with over-executing those intangling laws that are extant for oaths , and forswearing , to intrap and insnare poor innocent men , who dare not swear at all , but keep the commands of christ ; so that there is no leisure lost to look after those most wholsome and profitable laws of both god and the king , which are against vain oaths , and forswearing , which the land abounds with , the like hath not been in any age , which is a sad presage of the judgment of god to be at hand . and last of all , a. s. he says hath done , and he fears it 's more and time to have done with the exposition of those words , and so comes to application , and so he speaks to all in general ; who at that time or any other may be legally called to take their oaths , which you have heard vindicated to be lawfull , notwithstanding the seeming opposition of these words , swear not at all ; but those must be understood of necessary oaths , and your righteousness is to exceed the scribes and pharisees , but they condemned perjury in the verse immediately before mytext , and your warrant for swearing is in jer. . . which thence appears not only lawful but in some cases necessary . reply . it 's more then time indeed to have done , to pervert christ's plain doctrine with his imaginary exposition , and what he counts ( legally called ) seeing christ prohibited it is not of much force , neither will a. s. vindication stand against the real opposition of christs words , swear not at all ; but his seeming vindication ( will in the day of the lord when the secrets of all hearts shall be manifest by jesus christ , when the book of conscience shall be opened ) will be found to be in real opposition unto christ , and his reward will be according to his workes , who hath by his work strengthen'd the hand of evil doers and persecutors , to the adding affliction to affliction upon the righteous ; and if the words must be understood of necessary oaths , then there is none necessary among christs true disciples , who commanded , let your yea be yea , or your nay , nay , for whatsoever is more comes of evil , and whether the scribes and pharisees condemned a perjury or not , we are sure the law did , which christs words hath reference to , it hath been said of old time thou shalt not forswear thy self ; and if the righteousness of christs disciples be to exceed the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees , and they condemned perjury , and all false swearing by god , and the law condemned all false oaths , and vain oaths , and oathes by creatures , as a. s. hath granted ; then the righteousness of the disciples is to be another , then the righteousness ( of the law ) which condemned all perjury and vain oaths ; then what is it , but not to swear at all any oath ? but speak the truth , and confess it to the glory of god in yea and nay ; and this is that which exceeds the scribes and pharisees , and is only lawful and necessary under the gospel ; and as for jer. . . this is pittiful proofe and warrant for christians to swear under the gospel , for that was only spoken to israel or juda , who were under the first covenant , and yet were revolted from the ordinances thereof , and were back-sliders , as is to be seen , jer. . . and hath not reference to the second covenant : but i shall come towards an end as well as a. s. and conclude and refer all ( what both he and i hath said ) to the judgment of the lord , and the measure of gods holy spirit in all mens consciences , to be received or denyed by that as he and his witness bears evidence , so shall the matter stand eternally . yet i cannot but mind the reader , though a. s. hath had , as appeares , certain books of the dissenters , in which are weighty things , about this particular of swearing ; which he hath not answered at all , as to their arguments , only carped here and there at a word , which is not of great moment ; but though he may plead some reason , that it was not possible , to answer all things in so short a discourse , as a sermon , wherein he was limited as to time , yet since he had , i perceive , by his annotations , time enough to have answered them , having their books extant by him , but hath not , in the most weighty considerations , therefore i refer the reader to them , for his further satisfaction , viz. to the answer of bishop gauden , by that faithful servant of god , sam , fisher , where this point is largely discussed , likewise his antedote against swearing , in answer to henry den , and jeremiah ives , likewise a book published by isaac pennington , titled , the great question concerning the lawfulness or unlawfulness of swearing under the gospel stated , and considered of ; wherein are weighty things declared in short ; st . what an oath is ; d . the ground and occasion of an oath ; d. the causes wherein an oath was to be used ; ly . the end of an oath ; ly the suitableness of its nature to the end aimed at by it ; ly ▪ the persons to whom the use of an oath was proper and lawful . wherein also is clearly showen the state of man kind from the creation , comprised in four heads or particulars : ( first , the state of innocency ) ( when there was no oath ) secondly , an estate of captivity , wherein an oath was proper and lawful : thirdly , the estate of shadowy redemption , wherein it was lawful also : fourthly , an estate of true and perfect redemption , wherein , it s neither needful nor lawful , seeing it s prohibited by christ , all which a. s. hath passed over , and hath not answered . likewise a book published by john crook , titled , the case of swearing ( at all ) discussed with ; and several objections answered : these things a. s. hath not answered , i only instance them , for the readers further satisfaction , if unsatisfied in what hath been said already ; all which great and weighty things , are worthy of the serious consideration of all . likewise a book , titled , ( swearing denyed in the new covenant ) by morgan watkins . when all that hath been said , is duly considered and weighed in the righteous ballance of gods holy spirit , they will not think it strange that some denies to swear at all , but rather wonder that such a vaile of darkness should be so long over the minds and hearts of them that believe not , notwithstanding so clear evidence from christ and his apostles , or the example of the primitive christians or holy martyrs , who spoke the truth , but denyed to swear at all ; but that custome and tradition is often more minded then the very truth it self . oh that the rulers of this nation would once consider and weigh what they are doing , and how many and great the suffering of a conscientious people that fears the lord in their hearts are , who dare not disobey the commands of christ , least they fall into condemnation , and come under the rebuke of the lord in their hearts , who hath power alone to kill and to make alive , but rather chuseth to suffer the loss of all , and undergo the manifold sufferings that some malicious spirits causeth to be inflicted upon them ; when indeed there is no cause at all ; while prophane persons swears , and forswears , and takes gods holy name in vain , and makes little conscience of any thing , but sometime for , and sometime against , whatsoever seems countenanced or discountenanced by the magistrates ; so that neither the king nor kingdom is in any more security notwithstanding all such swearing , how solemn soever they seem in swearing , neither any more credit to be given in judicature , then there is to be given to him that is a common swearer in his private occasions , or common communication ; and oh how doth the land abound in this , in so much that he that is not a curser or a swearer is looked upon as a phanaticke , or some disobedient person , or unconformable man , which ought especially to be eyed for a dangerous person : oh that the heads and rulers of the people would but consider how near the judgment of god is , and how ready to break forth upon the nation , and not without cause , even great evils are begun , pestilence and sword already threatned , and gods arrows flying abroad to wound and to destroy them that continue in hardness of heart and rebellion against god , and will not suffer him to rule and reign in the consciences and kingdoms of men , but vain men would set up their thresh-hold with his , and not only so , but against his , and great is the wickedness and the sins of this nation upon many accounts , which the lord will bring a scourge upon , especially that greivous sin of persecution , that cain-like way , which the generations hath chosen to add as they ignorantly suppose unto their church , and so builds up their zion with cruelty , and their church by iniquity : oh this is loathsome in the sight of god ; had zimri peace who slew his master ? had israel peace when she slew the prophets ? had the jewes peace when they had crucified christ ? had the romans peace when they persecuted the first christians ? had cain peace when he had slain his brother ? if nay , let not england expect peace , when they are persecuting them that are members of christs church , so that this grievous sin ( if england had no more ) were enough to bring the dreadful judgment of god upon the whole land , and undoubtedly will , if not repented of ; but now it must not be counted so ; and why ? because there are some statutes and lawes which they obey not , and so it 's for disobedience ; consider , did not all the former pretend one law or other , did not all that ever suffered , even the best of men and the best of christians suffer as disobedient , and as offenders against some law or other , ( and as evil doers ) in the account of them , that inflicted punishments upon them ; if so , as it is certain they did , may not england be deceived , while that they are thinking they do god and the king service to root out and destroy some , under the notion of heresie , and some under the notion of disobedience , and factious , may they not be persecuting christ in his members , or destroying the peaceable members of their native country ; the lord open all their eyes and do away the darkness and the vaile of ignorance that is over many hearts , that they may turn to the lord and submit unto his eternal and unchangable power , that so they may escape the day of the lord which is at hand , and the judgment of god that is ready to break forth as an overflowing scourge to cut off and sweep away in his displeasure even all them that would not have christ to rule in their hearts , neither have his lawes fulfilled nor obeyed , which he writeth in the hearts of all true believers , unto whom all must bow and be subject , because the father hath committed all power into his hand , and his glory he will not give to another ; no , to none but him whom he hath given for a convenant of light and life , to be king , law-giver , saviour , and judge of his people , and to be the head of the body , his church , whom he redeemes out of the world to himself , to glorifie him , who is the only potentate and king of immortal glory , god blessed for ever and ever , amen . the end . faults escaped the press . page . line . for waken read weaken . p. . l . for polligume r. polygamie . l. . for polligume r. polygamie . p. . l. . for polligume r. polygamie . p. l. . for persuming r. presuming . p , . l. . for jestures r. gestures . p. . l. . for revailed r. revealed . p. . l. . for are r. erre . p. . l. . for evil r. civill . l. for beuite r. brute . p. . l. . for essarus r. esseans . p. . l. . for putting r. putteth . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e * without an oath as under the law in divers causes where no oath is mentioned but w●tn●sses , deut. . . * deut. . . in case of life & death , no oath was used we read of * for he is called gods covenant , isa. . and god's covenant is his oath which he sware , luk. . , . * deutrono . . . exod. . . * adjure doth often sign sie to charge or oblige , by bare promise as well as oath ; for if the phrase , i adjure thee by god , be a command to swear by god then this would make , acts . , . abusurd ; when the exorcists did adjure the evil spirit in the name of jesus , ( not to swear ) but to come out or depart out of the man. the fiery darts of the divel quenched; or, something in answer to a book called, a second beacon fired, presented to the lord protector, and the parliament, and subscribed by luke fawne, john rothwel, samuel gellibrand, thomas underhill, joshua kirton, nathaniel web. wherin, their lies and slanders are made manifest against the innocent, and those books which have been published by them they call quakers, owned and vindicated, and all the rest which is in that book disowned, and their deceite laid open; how they have perverted the truth and our words in those books which they cry out of as blasphemy, that the truth may not suffer under the reproach of the heathen. / by one who is a witnesse for the truth against gog and magog, called after the flesh, francis howgil. also something in answer to a booke called a voice from the word of the lord, by one john griffith, against us, whom the world calls quakers, wherein his false accusations is denied, and he proved to be a slanderer, and the truth cleared from his scandals. by one who is a witnesse against the deceits of the world, called edward burrough. howgill, francis, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (thomason e _ ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h thomason e _ estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; :e [ ]) the fiery darts of the divel quenched; or, something in answer to a book called, a second beacon fired, presented to the lord protector, and the parliament, and subscribed by luke fawne, john rothwel, samuel gellibrand, thomas underhill, joshua kirton, nathaniel web. wherin, their lies and slanders are made manifest against the innocent, and those books which have been published by them they call quakers, owned and vindicated, and all the rest which is in that book disowned, and their deceite laid open; how they have perverted the truth and our words in those books which they cry out of as blasphemy, that the truth may not suffer under the reproach of the heathen. / by one who is a witnesse for the truth against gog and magog, called after the flesh, francis howgil. also something in answer to a booke called a voice from the word of the lord, by one john griffith, against us, whom the world calls quakers, wherein his false accusations is denied, and he proved to be a slanderer, and the truth cleared from his scandals. by one who is a witnesse against the deceits of the world, called edward burrough. howgill, francis, - . burrough, edward, - . [ ], , [ ] p. printed for giles calvert, at the black-spread eagle at the west end of pauls., london, : . annotation on thomason copy: "nou: ". reproduction of the original in the british library. eng griffith, john, ?- . -- voice from the word of the lord. second beacon fired. quakers -- england -- early works to . persecution -- early works to . freedom of religion -- early works to . a r (thomason e _ ). civilwar no the fiery darts of the divel quenched; or, something in answer to a book called, a second beacon fired,: presented to the lord protector, a howgill, francis c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - elspeth healey sampled and proofread - elspeth healey text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the fiery darts of the divel quenched ; or , something in answer to a book called , a second beacon fired , presented to the lord protector , and the parliament , and subscribed by luke fawne , john rothwel , samuel gellibrand , thomas vnderhill , joshua kirton , nathaniel web . wherin , their lies and slanders are made manifest against the innocent , and those books which have been published by them they call quakers , owned and vindicated , and all the rest which is in that book disowned , and their deceite laid open ; how they have perverted the truth and our words in those books which they cry out of as blasphemy , that the truth may not suffer under the reproach of the heathen . by one who is a witnesse for the truth against gog and magog , called after the flesh , francis howgil . also something in answer to a booke called a voice from the word of the lord , by one john griffith , against us , whom the world calls quakers , wherein his false accusations is denied , and he proved to be a slanderer , and the truth cleared from his scandals . by one who is a witnesse against the deceits of the world , called edward burrough . london , printed for giles calvert , at the black-spread eagle at the west end of pauls . . first of all you go about and flatter the powers and the magistrates , and tells them they ought to have a care of their peoples souls in keeping them from infection of idolatry and blasphemy , and you say you are to informe them of the dangerousnesse of great meeting in london of quakers , whose opinions are blasphemous , paganish , antiscriptural and anti-christian , even as the former . and further , the greatest thing that troubles you , is printing and publishing books many thousands , you say , concerning blasphemous and heretical , and antimagistratical opinions tending to unchristian people , and disorder the people of the nations , and to bring in paganisme , and libertinisme , and this you say you present unto them to provoke their zeale against them . oh you blood thirsty minded men , all the care that you would have the magistrates to take of the people is to destroy them , and to have them shut up in holes and caves , and dens , and prisons , and the truth ever suffered by your generation , and your generation hath ever pressed the magistrates that they might abuse their power , and if they will but hearken to you , instead of healing the people , they will be destroyers ▪ and in stead of making up breaches , they will make desolate , and so you would drive them on hastily to satisfie your corrupt wil , and to uphold your diana , and your craft , that you may make merchandize of that which hath been long enough sold and printed by you ; and what hath it done ? who is turned from darknesse to light ? and you that makes a trade of others writings and words , to maintain you in your lusts , and deceive , this you would have them to uphold ; but as for the care of peoples soules , it s far enough from you , and all along your filthy lying slanderous booke , you are made manifest to bee of those that would have fire to come down from heaven in your wils to destroy all those that withstand you and your imaginations . and therfore let all magistrates in whom the fear of the lord is , take heed how they take things from the hands and mouthes of them who hath alwaies persecuted the power of truth , and called truth errour , and light darknesse , and darknesse light ; and in a blind zeale for god , destroy them whom the power of the lord is manifest in ; for so paul persecuted christ , and the saints , and so the jewes crucified christ , and all the saints have suffered . and you are offended at our meeting in london , while wee have beene here in the city wee have not been in a corner , and wee challenge you and all the city in the name of the lord , who is dreadfull to all liers , and slanderers , to show what are those blasphemies that you speake of , you backbiters shall have your portion with the rest of hypocrites : opinions we deny , for the light of jesus christ which is spirituall which appears and declares against all sects , and opinions , and blasphemies , and all you who hates it , are in contention , and in opinions , and blaspheme the truth ; and here i charge it upon you in the presence of the living god , that you are blasphemers who calls the light naturall and paganisme ; and the lord wil plead with you , you filthy corrupt minds , who calls the light of christ . antichristian , for here in the presence of the lord of hosts ▪ i speake it , no other light doe wee owne to walk by , but that which is spiritual and eternal , the light of christ , which he hath enlightned every one that comes into the world withal ; and this is not anti-scriptural as thou cals it ; for the scriptures witness the same , and christ bears witness of it , and no other light do we own but the same that ever was , which was in the beginning , and which convinceth the world of sin , and the same that led up the saints to know the father and the son : and you that cal this paganisme and heretical , and blasphemous , and antichristian , let all who have any light in them judg , and let shame cover your faces , and fear take hold upon you , for your words stinke , and come out of the mouth of the dragon ; ye filthy unclean frogs , which hath poison under your tongues ▪ and as for the bookes which wee have printed , wee owne them , and are ready to lay downe our lives for the testimonie of jesus , and the truth of them , and seale them with our blood , and what are written in them , through the eternal power of god , which is made manifest , and that wee have published any thing against any just magistracie , let all our writings , and all who reade them judge ; and if bearing witnesse to jesus christ unchristians people , let all judge ; for no other do wee owne , but the same christ to day and yesterday , and for ever ; and here all your petitioning is made manifest , from whence it did arise and proceed , and your shame and nakednesse , and envie appears . and the sacraments which you say you use , which is appointed in the scripture , and farnworth in answer to a petition did deny them . answer , his answer we owne ; and i challenge you to bee perverters of the scripture ; where read you of sacraments in the scripture ? here i charge you to be liers and slanderers , and deniers of the scripture , and adders to it , and the plagues shall be added to you ; and as for that which you use among you is traditional and imitatory . yet the bread which wee break is the communion of the body of christ , and the cup wee drink is the communion of the blood of christ , and this is that which paul received from him : and baptisme by one spirit into one body we owne ; the baptisme is but one , and this wee owne , and here you liers and slanderers are seen and denied . another thing you call heresie and blasphemy , is , that wee say that christ hath enlightned all men ; but i shal lay downe your own words , and prove you liers out of that booke called the general good to all people : and you say the light of god that is in all men , that is to wit , natural conscience , that it is sufficient , if wee give heed unto it , to discover sinne , and and turne our minds towards god , and that this light within , is the grace of god , and that it is christ in us . answer , let all that reades that booke , see if you bee not liers and slanderers , and perverters , and are in the generation of those false witnesses which bore witnesse against christ ; and here i charge you to be liers . where in all the bookdoth he say that the light of a natural conscience is sufficient to guide to god , if it be taken heed to ? or where doth it say it discovers sin ? there is another lie : and where doth hee say that natural conscience is the grace of god ? there is a third lie ; and where doth hee say that natural conscience is christ in us ? there is a fourth lie ; bee ashamed that ever you should goe and present so many filthy lies to authority that there is no truth in at all . oh ▪ yee darke mindes , would you be judging and prescribing what is heresie and blasphemie , and cals the light of christ paganisme and heresie ? but i am bold in the name of the lord , to declare unto you , and unto all the world , that christ is the true light that hath enlightned every one that comes into the world , and that this light is spiritual , and not natural , and it convinceth of all sinne ; hee shal convince the world of sinne , and whoso obey this light which shines into the conscience , it leads up to christ , and out of sinne , and it turns the mind towards god , and it shines in darknesse ; but you dark sottish children know it not ; yea , you that hate it , have it , and it shal condemne you , and when the book of conscience shall be opened , you shall be judged for all your hard speeches against the truth . another thing you present to be blasphemie and heresie , is that the worship that is performed in england with those ministers that sing davids psalms , baptize infants , weare double cuffes , boot hose tops , take tithes , say men shal never be perfect in this world , and that say the letter is the light , and the letter is the word ; and that salvation is in the scripture , and that cals matthew , mark , luke & john , the gospel , are seducers , and no ministers of the word , but shew forth the spirit of error . answer . all those ministers in england which abide not in the doctrine of christ ▪ all those worshippers and worships which is contrary to the scripture are heathenish , and they worship they know not what ; and all such worship is an abomination to the true god ; and i charge you and all those that would be counted ministers in england , to prove from the scripture where the saints sung davids conditions , and psalms in rimes and meter ; and where is there any scripture for baptizing of infants ▪ and whether any of the ministers of christ lived in pride and lusts of the flesh , and where any ministers of christ took tithes , which belonged to the first priesthod and the first covenant ; and so they that uphold the first , denie the second , and the one everlasting offering which perfects for ever them that are sanctified ; and where doth the scripture say that the letter is the word and the light ? but it witnesses against you and saith , god is the word , and christ is the light , and christ is the gospel , yea the everlasting gospel ; and mathew , marke , luke and john declared of him : and heare be you a witnesse against your self , ye dark minded men : and i charge you that you deny the scripture ; and all those who upholds those things are in the heathenish nature , without god in the world , in the earth where the divil dwels who is an accuser of the bretheren : and doth not the scripture and they declare it who were ministers of christ , that there were that ran after the errour of balaam , and their hearts was exercised with covetous practises ? and were there not such that was raylers , and false accusers , and blind watchmen , and greedy dumb dogs , and such as sought for their gaine from their quarter , and such as lead into wichcraft , and antichrists , deceivers ? you might as wel have called christ , and paul and peter and jude blasphemers and hereticks ; but you are made manifest just to be them and in the same nature that called christ a blasphemer , and paul a pestilent fellow , and a setter forth of strange gods , and the ministers of christ seditious ; and thou might as wel say christ despised a governor when he called herod a fox ; and now blessed be the lord the houre of his judgments is come : and we freely declare against all deceit both in magistrates , priests and people as they did that wrote forth the scripture , and beare witnesse to his name as they did , in our measure , and we have suffered and do suffer dayly by slanderous tongues , such as you have ; and imprisonments , and cruel mockings , and stripes , and bonds , and can truly say to the praise of his name , we beare in our bodies the markes of the lord jesus ; but we must passe through good report and evil report , and it is our crown and rejoycing to suffer for his name ; and now gog and magog and all the powers of the earth bends themselves and are angry , even the nations that professe christ in words , and say the scripture is their rule , but walke not according to it ; and against all such hypocrisie are we witnesses , to the fulfilling our testimony , and the laying down of our lives , that he alone may be honored who sits upon the throne of david , and of whose government there is no end , to whom be praise for ever , who shall breake all your combinations and plots , and you shall be ground to powder who set your selves against him , and be dashed to pieces as a potters vessel . and now to that which you call antimagistratical errors , that the magistrates are not to have titles of worshipful or right worshipful , and that the subjects of a common wealth which is not israels common wealth are to be disturbed , and that no civil government is to be acknowledged but the government of the law within us . answer . where reads thou or any , that any magistrate was called worshipful or right worshipful , or ever any of the saints of god did so ? he that is righteousnesse and truth , unto whom all honor and worship belongs , god blessed for ever , we owne and worship , he is no respecter of persons . and you filty flaterers who are in the curse , respect mens persons , and so you are rased out for ever from the faith of christ , and from the faith which all the holy men of god lived in , that you know it not : but you false accusers , magistrates we know , and they are for the punishment of evil doers and for the lawlesse , for liers and slanderers , such as you are , and for the praise of them that do wel , and we honor such in our hearts , and obeys their just commands ; and are not like him that said he would goe and went not , but are subject for conscience sake to the powers that are of ●od , and are subject to every ordinance of man for the lords sake ; but we cannot flatter nor respect mens persons and deny the faith of christ , but are brought from under the power of unrighteousnesse by the mighty power of god , and are subject to all just lawes which stand not , nor were made in mans wil , but obeys them for consciences sake , and if any law which is not just nor equal be required upon us that wee cannot do ; wee suffer for conscience sake , and resist not at all , as many of our enemies will witnesse for us ; and therefore you false accusers be silent ; they that are subject to israels commonwealth are righteous , and walkes in righteousnesse , in that which is just , good and holy ; and wee witnesse against all the canaanites who walk in unrighteousnesse , and all who are enemies to the commonwealth of israel must be broken to pieces , and them that strive and contend against the faith which was once delivered to the saints , and is now witnessed , praysed be the lord , all such must be disturbed and broken to peices by the just , even all the unjust shal be broken ; and as for that which thou sayest wee say , we ought not to be subject to any civil government but that which is within us , oh thou lyer , when wilt thou cease thy lying ? where is that ? i charge thee to prove where that is spoken : yet this i say unto all , moses received the law from the mouth of the lord , and it was revealed to him , and in him , and then he wrote it without and was subject to it , and all who makes laws now and doe not receive them from god , they make them in their own wils , and such as doe act contrary to the law of god ; but that law which is righteous , which is according to that in the conscience , which is holy and good and civil , we are subject both within and without to it : and all you your subjection which is not from a principle within , is not in truth not singlenesse of heart , but with flattery , and your eye service and your bowing downe in hypocrisie and saying you are subject when there is no truth in the heart , and so you are not subject for conscience sake . and further , you say in farnworth general good to all people , let every soule be subject to the higher powers , by powers is meant god , the father of jesus christ , and by king the lord of hosts , and that is another blasphemy . woe unto filthy lyers ; i challenge you that you have perverted his words , and would give meanings upon them as you do upon the scriptures , and your owne dark sottish mindes cannot comprehend , and therefore you give your own imaginations , and then calles it blasphemy ; and let all that read that booke , see if you have not belyed the truth , and perverted his words another thing you set downe for blasphemy , that none are ministers of god and called by him who are sent forth by authority of man , and that he that is not infallible in his judgement , is no minister of christ . answer . you might have said pauls words were blasphemy ; he was made a minister , not by mens wil , and all the holy men of god , and apostles were not ministers by the will of man , but contrary to the wil of man , and all who are made ministers of man , and by man , we deny , and the scripture denies them , for what they preached , they neither received it of man nor from man , but by the revelation of jesus christ ; and all who have and are made ministers by heare say , and what they have formed up in their imaginations from the scripture , with their points , and their doctrins , which they raise in their carnall mindes , all such we declare against ; and all such who abide not in the doctrine of christ , and all who were made ministers of christ , were spiritual and infallible ; that which is not infallible , is carnall : and all who are guided by the spirit of christ is infallible , and they that are not guided by it are none of his , nor the sons of god , nor ministers of christ : and therefore , all that such can judge of , is nothing but imaginary ; and all you who have subscribed this booke , and all such ministers i deny . yee shamelesse men , would you be trying and perscribing , and set dowe what is heresie , and blasphemy ; and cryes out of that for heresie , and blasphemy ; which you should try with all ? your shame is laid open to all , and now your shame i hope will appeare to the parliament , whom you petition . what cry you out against books , and printing , and blasphemy , that cannot distinguish a lamb from a dog ? would you judg truth by darknesse ? and you are offended that there are so many quakers met in the north parts lately , two thousand ; yea blessed bee the lord , there are many thousands that sees you , and never will bow to baal , nor worship in the house of rimmon more ; and m●ny shal not only come from the north , but also from the south , yea in london , that now sees all your deceit , and they shal enter , and you shal be shut out . and what truth is this that cannot defend it selfe ; and what religion is that which cannot defend it selfe , but you must have all bend to your image that you would set up ? and now unto you who are petitioned unto ; i say , unto you , take heed and beware how you call or suppresse any thing as error , or how you meddle in the prescribing god a way to walke in , for he cannot , he will not be limited : and i say unto you , it were better a milstone were hanged about your necks , then to hinder or stop , or make any law to hinder the passage of the truth which is arising : and consider the lord hath thrown out all powers before this because they would needs limit the holy one of israel , and prescribe him a way , and a government how he should be worshipped , and many have suffered , and what hath all come to ? all the rules that men hath laid down , hath they not beene as the untimely fruit of a woman and as corne upon the house top , and for that all hath beene throwne downe , and broken ? and the jealousie of the lord is broken forth as fire , and and woe to them that withstands him in his way : and now i say unto you , if you now prescribe god a way , and if that in the conscience have not liberty , but you wil goe about to set bounds to him , and his people in the worship of god , you shall be broken as a potters vessel , for the government is upon his shoulders , and he wil not give his glory to any other ; the lord hath spoken it . and for the rest of the bookes in the beacon fired , wee disowne them ; but i believe you have belied them , as you have done ours . a certaine book being come forth into the world , ful of lies and slanders against the innocent , called a voice from the word of the lord , to those grand impostors called quakers ; to the author of which book ( who calls himselfe j●hn griffith , a servant of christ ) and to all to whomsoever it may come , i am moved to write something in answer , that his lies and slanders , and false r●proaches may be made manifest , and that he may proceed no further ; for as jannes and jambres withstood moses , so doth he resist the truth , being a man of a corrupt mind , and reprobate concerning faith , and is not a servant of christ , nor a witnesse for his name , but a child of disobedience , in whom the prince of the aire rules . and first to the title of thy book , i answer , the word of the lord is powerful , and wil cut thee down , thou sensual minded man ; yet thou knowest not , but takes the words of others declared from the word vvhich vvas in them , and thou useth thy tongue , and saith the lord saith it ; but i say unto thee , the lord hath not spoken unto thee , neither commanded thee to speak of his name : and i charge it upon thee in the presence of the lord god of life , that thou art of that generation which jeremiah was sent to cry against , jer. . . for thou speakes thy imaginations upon their words which dwelt in the life of god ▪ but the life thou knowest not , and thy whole book is no more but an empty sound and voice , & is as the untimely fruit of the womb which wil wither and perish away : and one of them i am whom thou calls quakers , to whom thou saist , thou directs thy speech ; but that wee are grand impostors , i do denie , for we are gathered up into the life which the holy men of god lived , and are fallen from the world , and from its wayes and nature : and i charge thee here to be a slanderer , and from the mouth of the lord i do declare unto thee that thou must have a slanderers reward . and vvheras thou saist thou hast discovered their fleshly and filthy mindednesse , together vvith the judgments of god attending them . i answer . fleshly and filthy mindednesse , we have denied by the power of the sonne of god made manifest in us ; thou hast laid it to our charge , but thou hast not proved it nor discovered it , and here againe thou art a false accuser ; fleshly and filthy mindedness shal stand for thy ovvne condition ; for there thou art in the flesh and filth , living to thy vvil in the lust of uncleanesse , for you may remember thou came out of the bowling allie to our meeting , though pharisee like thy out side is painted and made clean , but thy heart is ful of enmity and lies , and slanders and false reproaches , to that in thy conscience i do speake which shal for ever vvitnesse me , and as for the judgments of the lord upon thy own head wil they fal , and with what measure thou metes it shal be measured to thee again ; we are passed from judgment , and from the condemnation , and who art thou , thon enemy of righteousnesse , that shal lay any thing to the charge of gods elect ? and whereas thou saiest thou art one that bears witnesse against those wandring starres . i answer , this shal stand for thy owne condition , a wandring star thou art , and hath no habitation in the heaven , but speaks swelling words of vanity , thou thy self being a servant of corruption , we have an abinding place , and an habitation in the lord , and are not wandring ; and here againe i charge thee to be a false accuser , and a false witnesse , who bears witnesse of thy selfe ; for the father bears no witnesse of thee , but against thee . whereas thou saist the most high god that made the heavens and the earth , hath moved thee and stirred thee up to bear witnesse to the truth , and to witnesse against the abmoinable fleshly mindednesse , and yet spiritual pride of those grand impostors called quakers , by whose sorceries many are bewitched and drawn from the simplicity of the gospell , to another gospel , which is not another gospel , but the vanity of their owne minds , and their owne fleshly and corrupt thoughts which they cry up as oracles of god . i answer ▪ the most high god judge between thee and us ; whose wrath is kindled against thee ▪ thou enemie of righteousnesse , and child of wrath ; thou hast belied the lord of heaven and earth , for to this he moved thee not , for he moves none to utter lies and slanders as thou hast done , but the spirit of enmity and of the divil hath moved thee , and to the truth thou beares no witnesse , but against the truth , and against the innocent ; and charges us with fleshly mindednesse and spirituall pride . o thou lier and false accuser , the lord who takes our part against thee will plead with thee , and render upon thy head according to thy deedes ; prove what thou speaks that we are fleshly minded and spiritually proud , or else let thy mouth be stopped and shame cover thee for ever ; sorceries and witchcraft and drawing from the simplicity of the gospel wee doe deny ; but the plaine single truth wee doe declare , by which the eye of the blind is opened in many to see your deceits who call your selves churches and preachers of the gospel ; which is not the gospel that the apostles preached but an adding your own imaginations upon their words , who witnessed the gospel , and it shal stand for thy own condition , thou art in the sorcery and witchraft ; who draws people to observe an outward visible thing , from the light of christ within them ; which leades to the simplicity of the gospel , which is inward and not outward ; and thou art in thy fleshly and corrupt thoughts , crying up the ordinances and oracles , of god , which are but carnal and beggerly rudiments of the world , which passeth away ; and here thou art seen and made manifest in the light of christ , to be a hypocrite , who false accuses others of that which thou art guilty of thy selfe ; the same gospel as ever was , doe we declare ; and not another , which wee received not from man , neither was taught it by man : and as the oracles of god it shall stand for ever for a witnesse against thee , and all the world who doth not believe , for even the father beares witnesse of us , and therefore our witnesse is true ; and the righteous god will plead with thee thou lyar and false accuser , and here be a witnesse against thy selfe that the lord moved thee not , but the divil , acting in thy owne imaginations , and in the vanity of thy one minde , and in thy one fleshly and corrupt thoughts ; and whereas thou sayest to us thou directs thy speech from the lord , thus saith the lord to thee o quaker , thou art fleshly minded . i answer , it is not the voyce of the lord to us that speaks in thee , but the voyce of the divil , and the serpent which speaks from thee : fleshly minded we are not , but are redeemed out of it , and our mindes are changed and are spiritual and 't is the spirit of the living god seales unto us and witnesses in us , and here thou art of thy father the old dragon , an accuser of the bretheren , but it is god that justifies , and who art thou that condemns ? and this thy speech is seene and comprehended , which thou hast directed to us , and it is judged by the spirit of true judgment to be a false accusation and a lie , and not the word of the lord , and into the lake amongst the false prophets thou art to be turned , who useth thy tongue when the lord never spake to thee ; and thou saiest we looke upon the institution of christs supper with a fleshly and carnal eye , because wee say that the bread and wine which christ commanded his disciples to eate and to drinke , is carnall . i answer . the bread , and wine , is visible and carnal , and fleshly , and not spiritual , nor eternal , and in the eternall light by the spiritual eye of god opened in us , we see them and do owne that it was a command of christ , to stand for its time , and no more , but a carnal figure of a spiritual thing , and the spiritual thing being the substance bearing witnesse , the figure is denyed and declared against , and thou and thy generation who art acting in those things by tradition tying and limiting god to a visible thing ( that without it no salvation ) art in the sorcerie and witchraft , and an enemie to the substance ; for christ never since he was sacrifised brake of the bread or dranke of the cup with his disciples , but new in his fathers kingdome ; and thou who art in the carnal figure acting those things without the injoyment of christ art sensual and by the light of christ is to be condemned and juged , with the world , who art without god and without the injoyment of christ , in the beggerly rudiments of the world , thou saist o fleshly minded men whom the god of this world hath blinded because you believe not : and thou sayst , thus saith the lord and speaks the prophet mal. words : to which i answer ; this again i do deny ; the god of the world is cast out , and the eye is opened through judgment , and our fleshly minds are judged , and in the name of jesus we do believe , and our belief in him hath purified our hearts ; to the praise of the living god , who hath wrought all our works in us , and for us , do i speake without boasting ; and here againe i charge it upon thee , that thou art a slanderer and a false accuser ; and let shame cover thee who professes thy selfe to be a teacher of others , who thy selfe is not taught of the lord ; but steals malachies words , and speaks them to us in thine own imaginations , and calls it the word of the lord ; the lord is against thee thou false prophet , who prophesies lies in his name ; and that which thou speaks to us is thy owne condition , and that which shall come upon thine own head , for a child of disobedience thou art , and thy eye is blinded by the god of this world ; and whereas thou saiest wee are spiritually proud , that give forth our selves to bee some great ones ; and wee say wee are apostles , and are not , but are found liers , proud pharisees , hypocrites , that say wee are just , holy , humble ; and the poor sinful publicans are more justified then wee ; i answer ; proud wee are not , our god shall judge between thee and us in this thing , for wee have nothing but what wee have freely received from him : and that we give forth our selves to be great ones ; here thou art a lier , and a false accuser again ; this we have said , and do yet again declare that we were moved of the lord of heaven and earth to come to declare his mind and his truth in this city ; but this is no boasting , and by that same spirit which was in the apostles , were wee moved , and are guided , and by no other , but who hath found us liers since wee came , i challenge you , and all thy sect to prove one lie that wee have uttered ; or else let shame cover thee , and let thy mouth be stopped ; and let thy owne heart condemne thee to be found the lier thy selfe ; and this we testifie against thee , and all the world , that by jesus , and in him are wee made holy , just , and humble , he is made these things in us , and for us ; and the publican state is witnessed by us who have passed through the figure and parable into the life and substance ; and whereas thou saist wee that boast of our light within , and faith , thus saith the lord and brings christs words . i answer , this is another lie , wee doe not boast of our light within , but vvee vvitnesse it to bee within us , and to have enlightned every one that comes into the vvorld ; vvhich thou and thy generation denies ▪ and so vvould make christ a lier , and the scripture a lie ; but against you all with all the vvorld vve beare testimony , and the father beares vvitnesse with us , that every man that comes into the world is lightned by the light of christ ; which teaches all that love it into righteousnesse , but condemns them that hate it , wherof thou art one who utters forth thy lies and slanders , and false accusations against the innocent ; and that scripture john . we owne , and do witnesse to be fulfilled in us by the coming of christ ; hee which did see , is blind , and hee which was blind now sees ; and while wee did see our sin remained , but being blind wee have no sinne ; but this to thee and to thy spirit is a mystery sealed , and never to be known in that nature and wisdome ; and here againe thou hast used thy tongue false prophet like , and must receive a false prophets reward . and whereas thou saist if christ had not spoke to us in his word , we had had no sin , but now wee have no cloak for our sinne . i answer . christs words we owne , but here thou art made manifest to all to be an adder to the scripture ( in his word ) this thou hast added false prophet-like , and therefore the lord will adde his plagues unto thee as the scripture saith ; bee ashamed and blush , thy folly and wickednesse is made manifest , who is not ashamed ( to carry on thy designe ) to adde to christs words . and whereas thou saiest , wee do not only neglect the weightier matters of the law , but the law it selfe , teaching men so to doe ; for wee said that the scripture is not the rule of faith and conversation , as one of us taught sept. . in thy hearing , and many others that will witnesse it . i answer , here i challenge thee to prove that thou hast spoken , and all thy witnesses which thou speakes of ; oh thou lier be ashamed to forge such lies , and declare them in writing for truth , we neglect not the weightier matters of the law , nor the law , nor teach any so to do ; all that ever heard us wil bear witnesse against thee , and they ( though our enemies ) shal witnesse for us , and against thee in this thing , for we declare the everlasting gospel , which is the fulfilling of the law , and this we declare , that the law must have its operation through , before the gospel be witnessed ; and one of thy owne society said to us , wee had preached the law , and brought men to understand it from grace ; now let all take notice of the confusion you live in , and let your owne hearts condemne you , and the light in your owne consciences convince you , that you are in babylon and in confusion , and are no true church of christ , where all are of one heart , and one mind ▪ and this againe i affi●me as before i did in thy hearing , that the scripture is not the saints rule , but the spirit which gave forth the scripture , as the scripture it self witnesses , rom. . faith was before the scripture was , and therfore the scripture is not the ground of it , but a declaration of it , and no other faith we owne but the faith which abel had , and which moses had , which was when no scripture was written , and that we own to be the rule of our conversation , which they walked by , the immediate spirit of god which was before the scripture was written ; and all you who professe the scripture to be your rule , your own rule shal testifie against you when the eternal god judges you , and they vvho vvitness that to bee their rule which gave forth the scripture , walkes up in the life of the scripture more then you all ; and you are proved to be but the jew outward , who bosts of the ordinances from the letter , but persecutes them by slanders and false reproaches , who witnesse the substance ; and your praise is only of men , and not of god ; and the same woe which thou pronounces upon us wil fall upon thy owne head for this thy grievous slander , that we neglect the law , and teach men so to do ; and whereas thou brings many scriptures , and saith thus saith the lord , i answer , the scriptures we owne , and by that spirit which speaks them forth , wee witnesse them to be true , and they are ours ; and though you say they are the savour of death to us that perish , yet thou art found a lier , for wee are saved out of the perishing state , and death is destroyed through death , and thou hast diminished ( through faith ) from that scripture tim. . . false prophet like againe , and so art both an adder and a diminisher , and thou maist read thy portion in rev. . , . and whereas thou saiest , know this thou perverter of the right way of god , thou shalt bee judged by the word of christ spoke . i answer , here thou sets the scripture in the roome of christ , and art the perverter of the right way of god thy selfe , for the scripture saith , all judgement is commited to the sonn , and the scripture is not the sonne ; and thou didst say and now againe writes , that the scripture shall judge the vvorld ; and so i charge it upon thee that thou art a blasphemer , vvho exalts the scripture above the sonne , of god , and shalt be judged by the sonne into utter drrknesse , and into the pit , from vvhence thou art come ; yet this i testifie , he that receives the sonne rejecteth not those vvords vvhich vvas spoken by him ; though thou and thy generation pharisee like may make a profession of the vvords vvhich christ spoke and yet reject the sonne , and all to vvhom christ speaks , vvhich receives him not , shall be judged by the vvord vvhich he speaks , for he speaks eternally which shal stand eternally ; but when did he speake to thee ? for this i doe declare , thou maist have those words which he spoke , and yet never have heard his word nor voice ; as the pharisees had those words , which god spake by the prophets , but never had heard his word , nor seen his shape . john . . and thou saist quake and tremble at this ; that word which you reject and dispise shall judge you at the last day ; and saith , thus saith the lord , and brings christs words , and the apostles words ; i answer . the lord rebuke thee thou scorner , here thou hast made the filthynesse of thy heart knowne , for out of the abundance thereof thy mouth speaks : here thou art seen to be a scorner ; quaking and trembling we own , it is that which the holy men of god witnessed , but here be a witnesse against thy self , that thou art a scorner of their conditions : what hast thou to doe to talk of the scrip●ure , who art scorning that which it declares of ? here thou art made manifest to be one that hath the form but denies the power , and scornes at it ▪ god scornes thee , thou scornful one ; and let all that feare the lord depart from thee , and see thy filthinesse and search the scripture whether it testifies not of that , which thou scornes at , and makes a mock upon . and that we reject and despise the scripture and the words which christ spake , which thou accusest us of ; this is another lie , and a false slander , for the scriptures vve ovvne in their place , and by the spirit of god sets to seale that they are true , but that they shall judge the vvorld vvee doe deny ; and herein thy ignorance doth appear , and that thou art blinded by the god of this vorld , which thou vvould cast upon us : and christs vvords , and the vvords of the apostles shall fall upon thy own head , for vengeance in flames of fire will the lord render upon thee , thou lier and slanderer and false accuser , who art in disobedience to the gospel of god . and whereas thou saist the lord hath spoken it , and it shall surely come to passe , and bringst many scriptures , i ansvver . the scriptures vve ovvn and vvhat is spoken in them shall be fulfiled ; but thou lier when did god speake this to thee ? the judgements pronounced in them shall fall upon thy ovvn head , because thou art guilty of the same iniquities , as they vvere of , against vvhom these scriptures vvas declared ; and wheras thou saist we are those that the lord before hath spoken of in his vvord , ( and therefore no marvel vve vvould not have men to reade it ) and cites the . of peter . . chap. i ansvver . i doe in the presence of the living god deny thee & thy false assertion , but it shal stand for thy owne condition ; thou art one in the generation which christ spake of , and that vvas in the apostles dayes , which hath the forme , but denies the power as they had ; and i charge thee againe with a lie in thy mouth who saith , we would not have men to read the scriptures ; they who have heard us shall witnesse against , thee , that wee do direct to search the scripture , whether our doctrine be not true , and by the scripture shal our doctrine be tried ; how long wilt thou utter thy lies in the name of the lord ? the lord will plead with thee thou unclean lying spirit , and that which thou pronounces against us , shal come upon thy selfe ; and thou saiest we through covetousnesse make merchandize of some ; wee challenge thee and all the city of london to prove this , thou lying serpent , god shall plead with thee , wee are free and cleare in the sight of god , of thy false accusations , and have desired nor sought after no mans mony , nor gold , nor apparel , god is our witnesse , and many in this city knowes the same , though thou slanderingly an enemie of god doth accuse us ; but i challenge thee in thy reply to this , make it appear what thou assertest , or lay thy hand upon thy mouth , and let shame strike thee in the face for ever ; i charge thee that thou canst make appeare plainly in particular , and do not darkly accuse us , what those damnable heresies are , which we bring in , and wherein we deny the lord , and what our pernicious waies are which thou falsly and slanderously accuses us of , and wherein wee are fleshly and despise government , and are presumptuous , and wherein or how wee speake evil of dignities , and wherin we are as natural bruit beasts , and what these things are , wee speake evil of which wee know not , and what our swelling words of vanity are , and whom we do allure through the lusts of the flesh , and through much wantonness . in the presence of the lord i challenge thee to prove the particulars of thy accusations , and not to slander in the darke , though such as these there were in the apostles daies , who were turned out from the light , and the apostles which dwelt in the light saw them , and such a generation there is now , they are seene and known where they are , by them who abides in the light ; but of these thy false slanders ▪ upon us , we are cleare in the presence of the lord god , and that portion which thou wouldest give unto us must thou have thy self , for with what measure thou hast meted , it shal be measured to thee againe ; even the blaknesse of darknesse for ever , and the day of the vengeance of god is at hand against thee . and wheras thou saist , we pretend to tremble , it is true , we pretend the example of moses , and thou saist o abominable hypocrysie and dissimulation , will that justifie your shaking your hands like idiots , and your raving like mad men ? moses was a man in whom the fear and dread of the lord was , who kept his word , but you dispise it ; who loved the law , but you reject it . i answer . we doe not only pretend to tremble , but oft doe we , and have we witnessed it , by the mighty power and dread of the lord upon us , and we walke not by the example of the servants of the lord without us , but the same power we witnesse which was in them by which they were made to tremble ; vvhich thou scornes and derides at , and calles it madnesse : the holy men of god vvere counted by such as thou art , mad men ; and vvere cast out of their assemblies vvhich trembled at the vvord of the lord : but that vve despise the vvord and lavv of god , here thou art a lier againe ; and the plagues of god hang over thy head ▪ for thy lies and slanders against the innocent ; the same seare of god vvhich vvas in moses vve vvitness , and no other , and thou vvho art vvithout it art a heathen , and moses , and jeremiah , and habbakuk , which thou speaks of , were our example , who walked by the same spirit ; and served the lord by the same spirit , but that wee served our fleshly lusts ▪ which here again thou accusest us of ; i do challenge thee to prove it ; but i know thou canst not , and therefore art in the nature of the divel accusing the brethren ; and to walk by tradition , wee deny , which you also would lay to our charge ; but the same spirit by which they were acted , acts us the same way according to its measure ; and the same light which they walked in is our light , and this light is the light of christ within us and not without us : and whereas thou saiest its true , if wee served the lord , and kept his word , it would make us to tremble , as it doth those that fear him , but wee have rejected the law of the lord , and the word which hee hath spoken ; and the lord when he comes to shake terribly the earth , shal give us our portion in the lake that burnes . i answer . let all the world here take notice of thy confusion and ignorance which utters forth it selfe through thee ; thou before was scorning trembling , and now thou art approving of it ; and if it be they that tremble which serve the lord , here be a witnesse against thy selfe , thou serves him not , who art not yet come to tremble , but art in thy high nature above the fear of the lord ; and here againe thou art found a false accuser , for wee reject not the law of the lord , nor the word which hee hath spoken , but live in it , and rejoyces in it daily , for in it is our hearts delight ; and here againe , as thou hast measured to us , it shall be measured unto thee when the lord god arises to recompence his enemies ▪ thy portion will bee the same , as thou hast said in the lake which burnes with fire and brimstone . and now a few words in answer to that which thou calls a caution to all that are called saints in the nation , which may concerne all people . i answer . they who are saints who dwell in the light , and walkes in the light , doth discerne thee to be no saint , neither wil receive any caution from thee , but will testifie against thee , for thy lies and slanders and false accusations which thy booke is filled withall , and herein it may concerne all people that thy lies and slanders be reproved and laid open , lest they receive lies for thy truth , and be deceived by thy subtil speeches , who brings the prophets words , and the apostles words , wresting them and f●lsely applying them , to make thy lies to be received ; but all people who love the light wherewith christ hath enlightened them , will see thee and deny thee , and turne away from thee , as having the forme of godlinesse without the power . and whereas thou saiest ye may rejoyce that you live to see not only the mystery of godlynesse , but also the working of the mystery of iniquity in the fleshly corrupt and sensual minded men , called quakers . i answer . that name quakers was cast upon us by the heathen , through their scorne and derision , as the name christians was upon the disciples , though quaking wee own , for all the holy men of god witnessed it , and the holy scriptures declares of it ; and here againe thou enviously and maliciously hast cast a slander upon us , fleshly , corrupt ▪ and sensual mindednesse , and the working of the mystery of iniquity is destroyed in us by the mighty power of god made manifest in jesus christ , which takes away sin ; to the praise of the living god i speak , in clearing the innocent from thy false slanders , and it shall stand for thy owne condition , fleshly corrupt and sensuall minded , and the working of the mysterie of iniquity . and herein i prove thee to be so by thy fruits , thy lies , and false reproaches , and envious false acusation which is the fruites of the flesh and of corrupt sensuall mindednesse , which fruits doth appeare in this thy writing , and as for the mysterie of godlinesse , it is hidden from thee , and in that mind and nature you shall never know it , for thou lives in the sight of thy owne pollutions , and of thy carnal ordinances , and not in the injoyment of the mysterie of christ , which is godlinesse ; and whereas thou saiest , yee may rejoyce , and in nothing be terrified , because the scriptures did foretel of such , and is fulfilled in these men , and thou brings many scriptures where christ and the apostles prophesied of the coming in of false prophets and teachers : i answer , though yee do now rejoyce , yet your joy shall be turned into howling and sorrow , and the lord hath said it , and the day of terrour will overtake you , wherein your hearts shal faile you for feare , and your foundation shall be removed ; and it is true , that the scripture doth foretell of us , and is witnessed in us , that all the lords children should be taught of the lord , and that the lord would gather his flock out of the mouths of all dum be shepherds ▪ &c. and according to our growth up in the life of the scriptures , they are fulfilled in us ; but false prophets wee do deny , though all those scriptures which thou hast set downe we owne to be prophesies of false prophets , those false prophets which christ prophesied of , came in the apostles dayes , they saw them coming in then , . joh. . . and as all these scriptures testifies which thou hast cited ; and since the apostles daies , hath beene a great apostacie and not a true church of christ could be found , and ever since hath the same generation of false prophets stood under several forms and appearances , deceiving the nations : but now the pure light of christ shines , discovering to them who walke in the light who they are ; and daily more and more clearly shall they be seene , and thou wilt be found in their number , who art a cursed child , in whom the son of perdition is exalted , which utters forth thy lies and slanders sensually , and make it manifest to all , that thou hast not the spirit of god , but art separated from it , in self separation which is abomination unto god , and must be scattered by him : and whereas thou saiest , seeing it is so , let you be filled with boldnesse , and let you contend against those ungodly ones which are now risen ; i answer , ungodlinesse wee deny , and your boldnesse shall the lord turne in weaknesse , and faintnesse , and your contendings against us shall not prosper , for this is our heritage ; every tongue that riseth up in judgement shal be condemned ; you shall all be scattered and driven away as chaffe before the wind , who sets your selves to contend against the truth , for that which is now risen shall confound you all . and whereas thou brings many scriptures , which were exhortations of the apostle to the saints , with exhorting thy brethren . i answer . the scriptures i do owne , and that spirit which spake them forth i witnesse , but thou art an enemie to the power of them , though thou have the forme of truth ; thy lying and false accusing hath made thee appear to be an enemie to the life which the holy men of god lived in , and so hath cleared thy selfe from those scriptures which were written to the saints , and must owne those which was written to the world , the lier must be cast into the lake , the wicked must bee turned in hell , and such as these must thou owne to belong unto thee , and these are thy scriptures which thou hast right unto . and whereas thou saiest , wee talke of high enjoyments , and great revelations without , above , and beyond the scripture , and that wee talke of a light which is besides the scripture , but it is deepe , and thick darknesse ; and what hath such lights led men unto ? even contempt of god and of all righteousnesse . i answer . here again thou art found a lier , and an accuser of the brethren , for what wee do declare , the scripture witnesses to the same , and wee speake of nothing but what is declared of in the scripture by the holy men of god , and neither without it , nor above or beyond it do wee speake . i challenge thee to prove what thou hast asserted , and all the city of london ; that we speak or declares any thing but what the scriptures bears witnesse to the same , and the light which wee declare of , is the light of christ , which the scripture saith lightneth every one that comes into the world ; and it is not besides the scripture , so as contrary to it , but the scripture bears witnesse of the light ; and ●ere i charge thee with blasphemie , who calles the pure light of christ thick darknesse , and that the light of christ ( which is the light which wee declare of ) hath led men , or leads any to contemne god , or his ordinances , or righteousnesse , let shame strike thee in the face thou impudent one , who blasphemously say , that the light of christ is thick darkness , and leads into contempt of god ; let the light in thy owne conscience condemne thee , thou enemie of god ; for thy lies and slanders , and blasphemie which in this thy booke thou hast uttered : and wheras thou exhortest to labour to see an excellency in christ , in the word of christ , and in the church and ordinances of christ . i answer . for the simple ones sake , that they may not be deceived , none ever shall see any excellencie in those things , but who ownes and walkes in the light of christ , which lets every one see themselves first ; and your talking of the same , and report of christ , and of his word and ordinances , is not to know the excellencie of those things , for death in you talkes of the same , but the thing in subst●nce you are ignorant of ; and you who stumbles at the light wherewith christ lightneth every one , are above the doore which is the entrance unto the life of these things ; and so i exhort all to mind the light of christ , and to walk in it , and it will lead unto christ from whence the light comes , and it wil lead to the fulfilling of christs words and to the one bread ▪ and to the one baptisme , and the light is the door and entrance unto the life of those things : but you who hate the light and denies it to be in every one , hath but the huske and outward declaration of those things , and are without the life ▪ and wheras thou saist , they that are of god wil hear john , peter , and paul , and the rest that were the servants of christ , not the fleshly conceits of those or any other men & christs sheep hear his voice , and a strangerthey will not hear . i answer . they that are of god , do owne the writings of all the servants of christ ; but many may professe their words , as the pharisees did the prophets words , and as thou dost ▪ now , and yet not bee of god , but children to the divel ▪ but that our conceits are fleshly , i do deny thee , for all conceits of the flesh wee deny , and beares witnesse against , and it shall stand for thy owne condition , and thy voice is the voice of a stranger , and they that are of god will not follow it : though thou bring the saints words in thy mouth , as the divel did unto christ ; yet in the light of christ thou art seene ▪ and comprehended , and from the light of christ answered , and by it judged to be without the life of those scriptures which thou speaks of , and they are from thee but as an empty sound . and whereas thou cites many more scriptures , which are exhortations of the apostles to the church , and exhorts thy bretheren with them , to vvhich i ansvver as before . the scriptures i doe ovvne , but to thee thou envious man , they doe not belong , for as in this thy vvriting thou art proved a lier , and a scorner , and a slanderer , and a false accuser , and a blasphemer ; out of thy ovvne mouth , be a vvitnesse against thy selfe , and let all thy vvhole assembly beare vvitnesse against thee , that the scriptures vvhich vvere spoken to the saints vvho vvalked in the light and had denyed ungodliness , doth not belong unto thee vvho art an hater of the light and lives in the pollutions of the vvorld ; but the scriptures vvhich vvill surely be fulfilled upon thee , the wicked shal be turned into hel , and the lier shal have his portion in the lake , and he that works abomination is to be troden in the winepresse of the wrath of god without the city , and such like . and now somthing in answer to something in the epistle to the reader ; whereas thou and the rest of you there say , although the light hath appeared , yet there is a generation of men in the world , that doe hate the light , and endeavour to put it out , crying against the scriptures of truth ; it s a dead letter , and against the forme of doctrine therein contained ▪ to which i answer . it is true , the light hath appeared ; christ who is the light , lightneth every one that comes into the world ; which light hath appeared in every mans conscience ; and there is a generation which hates the light , and you are of that generation which say , every man hath not the light , and calls the light of christ thick darknesse , and endeavors to put it out ; and here you have read your owne condition though you make a large profession of the scriptures ( which is not the light , but words declared from the light ) as the jewes did professe the prophets words , but persecuted christ , and spoke against him , who was the light and substance of the prophets ▪ words : and if you know any who cries against the scripture , and against the doctrine therin contained with you , we cry and declare against such , for the scripture we owne in its place to be a true declaration of god , of christ , and of the saints conditions , but they are not the light , but christ is the light , as themselves bear witness , nor are they the saints guide , but he spirit that gave them forth , as they themselves bear testimony , neither was the scriptures given forth to give your own imaginations and suppositions upon , but they themselves are doctrine , and are as they speak , he that hath the same spirit which speaks them forth , reads them and understands them , and none else ; and whereas thou saist lest that simple , plaine meaning men should be kept in babels darkness , or the enlightned fall into the errour of the wicked , for that reason your book came to publick view ; i answer . truly you are deceived , who think to gaine into your form , the simple , plain meaning men by lies , and false slanders and false accusation ; who are simple and plain unto god , wil discern your deceits , and how falsly you have accused the innocent , and wil see you your selves to be in babels darkness , and who walks in the light wherwith they are lightned wil see you to be in the errour of the wicked and out of the truth ; and it is well for the truths sake , that your book came forth , that thereby your filthiness and deceitfulness , and enviousness might be laid open to the simple . and truly i say unto you , you have , and wil miss of your end in putting forth this book of yours ; and whereas you say you shall be willing at any time to vindicate every conclusion therein contained against any that shall oppose . i answer , i challenge you all in this particular to prove those accusations which you have laid to our charge whom you call quakers , in many particulars which before i have demanded ; what they are is before spoken of ; and whereas you say , you account that light within ( not witnessed by the scripture without ) which some so much talke of , to be deep darkness . i answer , if you know any who speake of any light which the scripture doth not witnesse of , we with you freely declares against such , and such a light is darkness , but the light of christ which we speak of , which hath lightned every one that cometh into the world , i hope you are not so impudent , but you wil acknowledge that the scriptures speaks of this light ; and dare not deny , but that the scripture witnesses that christ is the light of the world ; for as i said , we freely give way , and desires that all might search the scripture , whether these things be not so as we declare . and whereas you say , and exhort to let the scripture be the rule of faith and practice . i answ . here you would alwaies keep people in darkeness , under your teaching , and would make void the new covenant which is the law written in the heart , and the spirit of the lord put in the inward parts , to be the rule and guide of the saints , for who walkes by the rule without them , and teaches men so to do , would make void the covenant of life and peace , where the teacher is not removed into a corner , which teacher all that have faith and an holy conversation do witnesse , which teaches not contrary to what the scripture speaks , but is a teaching fulfilling of the scripture , and an establishing of it , though thou and many may professe the teaching of the scripture and may in your own wills , conform unto it in the outward appearance , as the pharisees did , and yet be but hypocrites and deceived as they were ; and i say againe , that faith was before the scripture was written , which faith is declared of in the scripture , which faith comes as is manifested by hearing of the word preached , which word is even in the mouth and in the heart ; if you have an ear you may hear ; & now i advise you all in the name of the lord to cease striving and contending against the truth , for verily the stone which is cut out of the mountain without hands , will dash your image of many mixtures to peices , and it falling upon you , wil grinde you to powder , and your conforming the outward man , to an outward thing and teaching men so to doe , and limiting and tying the holy one to a visible thing , wil not cover you in the day of the lord : nay verily , though concerning the scripture without , you may walk blamelesse , yet one thing will be found lacking even the crosse of jesus christ , by which all sin is crucified in them who walks in it ; and i say unto you , that your covering is too narrow , and it will not hide your secret parts : for in the eternall light of christ you are seen and comprehended , your beginning , your time , and your end , for though you have the scriptures , and jewish like , walkes up in the outward appearance of them , crying the ordinances and churches are ye , yet your praise is of men , and not of god , for you are enemies to the life of the scriptures as is made appear by your many lies and slanders against us , which you have uttered ; and i say returen your minds every one within to that in your own consciences which reproves you in secret for your secret iniquities , it wil let you see where your hearts are , and how far they are mortified to the world , and the love of it , and this light wherewith every one of you is lightned is the light of christ , and it is the lords true witnesse and shall witnesse for him eternally against all whose deeds are evil , who walk in disobedience of it , and all who love it and walk in it , it leads unto christ , and into all purity and holinesse and uprightness of heart towards god and man ; and this light leads unto justification , all them who are taught by it ; and here is your teacher , loving it ; and your condemnation eternally , continuing to hate it . and thus i have answered your booke , and the truth is witnessed , and many false lies and false accusations denied and testified against , and thus i rest , waiting for an answer to clear your self ( if you be able ) of those things which i have denied from you , which you have charged upon us , for god is my witnesse , this i do desire , that truth may be made manifest and imbraced , and deceit and errour discovered and denied . truth lifting up its head above slander in an answer to thomas jackson, late priest of stoke in sussex, his lying paper which he left in the north of england / by francis howgill ; whereunto is added something by way of letter from another hand to the said t.j. shewing the reasons why it is meet to publish the same at this time ... ; likewise a brief rehearsal of some remarkable passages out of e.b. his book called satan's design defeated. howgill, francis, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) truth lifting up its head above slander in an answer to thomas jackson, late priest of stoke in sussex, his lying paper which he left in the north of england / by francis howgill ; whereunto is added something by way of letter from another hand to the said t.j. shewing the reasons why it is meet to publish the same at this time ... ; likewise a brief rehearsal of some remarkable passages out of e.b. his book called satan's design defeated. howgill, francis, - . burrough, edward, - . satans designe defeated. p. s.n.], [london : . reproduction of original in the harvard university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng jackson, thomas, - . -- tenets of the quakers in the north. society of friends -- england -- controversial literature. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread - emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion truth lifting up its head above slander : in an answer to thomas jackson , late priest of stoke in sussex , his lying paper which he left in the north of england . by francis howgill . whereunto is added something by way of letter , from another hand , to the said t. j. shewing the reasons why it is judged meet to publish the same at this time . namely , because he the said jackson continueth still his old course of slandering , and private back-biting the innocent , by his devised fables , notwithstanding he hath been privately admonished , and since more publickly reproved in print , by e. b. wherein his scandalous imputations of popish tenents , falsely cast by him upon others , are deservedly laid upon himself . likewise , a brief rehearsal of some remarkable passages , out of e. b. his book , called satan's design defeated ; in answer to another manuscript of the said priest jackson's , by way of prophesie , to that remaining part of the old parliament then sitting ; threatning their destruction , if they took part with such malicious priests against the innocent ; which since in a great measure the lord hath fulfilled upon them and him . which may serve for a warning to this present generation : by a friend to truth , and an utter enemy to persecution , j. s. printed in the year . truth lifting up its head above slander : in an answer to thomas jackson , late priest of stoke in sussex , his lying paper which he left in the north of england , &c. thomas jackson , thy paper which thou lestest in the north of england , with thy brother parson , i have received ; wherein i find many devised fables , which thou hast invented in thy corrupt heart , which thou wouldest fasten upon me as my doctrine and principles : and coming to london , i also find most part of the same things spread abroad by thee , and sent to some of the late parliament ; which thou callest , the tenetns of the quakers in the north ; which thou sayest , thou hast recited , and also they maintained : thou hast recited for the most part , the deceit of thy own frothy brain ; and thou must not think when thou bringest forth thy own imaginations , who watchest for iniquity , that the quakers will maintain those things ; but if thou assert things of thy self , and from thy dark understanding , which thou hast raked up out of the dungeon of confusion , which thou sayest thou hast waded in , as in thy letter to thy honourable sir , to whom thou writest in feignedness and flattery these things , that thou hast charged us with ; thou must stand to thy self ; for that which the quakers do assert , they will stand to and vindicate , against thee and all opposers . thou sayest , thou hast more soul-refreshing work than to answer my letter , which i sent unto thee , with the queries . forging up of lyes , and inventing of mischief , is no soul-refreshing work , but is the work which is brought by him , who is the father of lyes , whose work thou hast been working , which shall be made evident to thee , when the lord shall arise to plead with thee , for all thy ungodly deeds and hard speeches against the truth ; thou sayest , thou wast willing to write a few words , that it might appear , whether thou or i were the lyar ; because i said unto thee , in thy own words , what thou declaredst before near twenty people , after i had spoken two or near hand three hours ; when i know truth had power over thee , that thou couldest not open thy mouth against what was spoken that day by me ; but after the meeting , in thy brothers house , thou saidst , that no godly minister in england would deny what i had spoken then in the meeting to be truth : which words i returned unto thee , when i heard that thou backbited when i was gone , and said , i held popish tenents , and thou challengedst me to produce one witness that did confess unto the words before mentioned , as , [ that no godly minister would deny what was spoken by me to be truth : ] now that thou mayest be convinced that thou art the lyar , and not i ; i give thee four witnesses , whose hands are subscribed for my testimony against thee , to the aforesaid words ; that is to say , william pearson , james adamson , john cay , jane pearson , with several others : and so thou must either plead thy forgetfulness , or else thou shewest thy self , in thine own words , to have an impudent face , that darest deny that which thou spakest before many witnesses ; so there is no way now to acquit thy self , but to confesse and repent of the envy which is in thy heart . further , thou saist , that i denyed imputed righteousness , which thou sayest , is a popish doctrine ; thou must reckon that to them , and not to me ; for i told thee then , and now again , whatsoever was imputed or reckoned to them that did believe , i owned ; but for thee and the rest of you parish-teachers , imputing or reckoning that unto your flock who are unconverted , which god reckoneth not nor imputes to them , is delusion and deceit . and further thou sayest , that i made the gifts in the heathens of the same quality with the graces in believers . these are thy own words , and not mine : but that the light in unbelievers , and the light in believers , is of the same quality or nature ; which is evident by its operations , and by the testimony of scriptures ; this i shall stand unto . christ saith , i am come a light into the world. and the world in the spirit 's account is not taken for believers , though many of you parish-teachers have said so ; but the world are such as are unredeemed and unsanctified , and yet christ is that true light which is come into the world ; and that he is the light of believers thou wilt not deny . now this is one and the self-same christ , one and the self-same light ; his nature one , and his quality one , which is pure , holy and divine : yet the manifestation of this light is more clear in them that believe , than in them that believe not ; yet this altereth not the quality of the light : for unbelievers have also some manifestation , and that is it which convinceth of sin , and sheweth them things reprovable ; for whatsoever things are reprovable , as it is written , is manifest by the light ; but that the heathen are reproved , and unbelievers are reproved , when they sin against that which is manifest in them , as is clear , rom. . and that which reproveth for impurity is of a pure quality , as that which justifieth purity and righteousness . but i see , though a prize be put into the hand of a fool , he regardeth it not ; and though i then did declare , and now do , the wisdom of god , yet thou being in the night perceivest it not . and thou sayest , that i hold falling away from grace , which is a popish tenent : then in this the papists are nearer the truth than thou ; and although a papist hold it , i must not deny it , because it is true . the apostle jude speaks of some , who turned the grace of god into wantonness ; or , more truly rendred , from the grace of god into wantonness , and then walk after their own ungodly lusts , being gone from the grace of god which had appeared unto them , which afterwards they turned their backs upon , and fell from . and the grace of god , which brings salvation , hath appeared unto all men , yet all men are not taught by it ; my reason is not , because they want a teacher ; neither , because grace is not given to lead them , and to uphold them in righteousness : but because they love it not , or stand not in his counsel ; and so , falling from his counsel , fall into ungodliness . and furthermore , the apostle saith , as concerning faith and a good conscience , they had put away and made shipwrack of it : they could not put faith away which had none , neither make shipwrack of a ship , that never had one . and furthermore , christ said unto his disciples , except a branch abide in the vine , it cannot bring forth fruit ; no more can you except you abide in me . so that it is evident , that there is a possibility for a branch to be cut off from the vine , and to wither ; and also that there may be a coming unto christ , and a bringing forth fruit unto god , and yet losing the power of god , the ●ight and life thereof , by which they have ability to do the will of god , may wither and die , and so become unprofitable . thou bidst me reade the jesuites writings if i had so much understanding . thou art more conversant with the jesuites writings than i desire to be : it may be thou hast waded seven years in the old popish colledges , in which there are great store of such , and what thou hast done since , the light in thy conscience will let thee see : yet i see before the jesuites or their writings , and need not to search there in such blackness and darkness . and then thou sayest , tell me who thou art like ? i say , i deny them all in the root and in the ground : but as for thee and the rest of the parish-hirelings , you are a stem sprung from the same root , manifest clearly to thousands in england , by very many of your practices , which have been made evident in publick , and so in that i shall forbear . thou sayest in thy rage , i am given over to a mind without judgment , because i said unto thee , thou knewest not what the soul was , because thou said and affirmed it was a created thing , which thing i bid thee prove ; which thing thou did not then , neither yet hast ; and yet most impudently hast set it down as a tenent of mine that i should affirm , when only i desired thy proof : but let the serpent be blind for me , i shall not feed that which is for destruction ; for thou art not one of those which watch for the soul , to see it brought out of the grave , or out of death , but for thy gain from thy quarter , and for iniquity . thou sayest , do not souls go to hell ? and , can the eternal birth go thither ? i 'le ask thee a question , what was it that delivered david from the nethermost hell , that brought his soul out of the pit , and delivered his darling from the devouring lion ? and what is it that tormenteth the wicked in hell ? is it not written , if i go up into heaven , thou art there : or , if down into hell , thou art there . whither shall i go from thy presence ? or , whither shall i flee from thy spirit ? art thou fit to be a leader of a flock who art ignorant of what salvation is preached to ; or what it is that wants redemption ? i say , thou preachest up the report of christ , without the knowledge of him ; and thou sayest , blessed are those that believe thy report , unto whom the arm of the lord is revealed . many have heard thy report , and such reporters as thou , and yet know not blessedness , neither is the arm of the lord revealed to them , or in them . thou preachest him in words , but in works deniest him . thou sayest , what gracious souls can but bleed , to hear how the offices of christ are rejected and denied amongst us , yea , his blood and sufferings , as to be onely report or signal thing : signal thing is thy own words ; and it is evident who deny the office of christ , and who deny his sufferings : for we say , he suffered once to take away sin : but you say , that the dearest saint of god cannot be cleansed from sin while upon earrh . we say , that the blood of christ cleanseth from all sin ; and there is no remission without blood : and you say , that none is to expect clensing from all sin in this life . we say , christ is anointed of god to be a leader to his people , whose lips only are to preserve knowledge , and the law is to be received at his mouth , who saith , learn of me ; and we say , the testimony of jesus is the spirit of prophecy ; and that christ is to rule as king ; and where sin rules , he ruleth not ; where sin is acted and brought forth , christ is not king over them : but you say , the acts of sin , or the reliques or remainders thereof must never be subdued , while upon earth , or done away wholly . we say , according to christ's own words , believe in the light , and this is an ordinance of christ : but this you call delusion , and would make it void . so thou mayest take a view of your doctrines , and let thy heart bleed when thou comest to consider , how thou rejectest the office , ordinances , blood and sufferings of christ ; and , in a word , deniest the very end of his coming , which is , to save his people from their sins . but thou sayest , the children of the promise can by faith glory in him , and rest in him for eternal life . there is none knows eternal life , but who have the living faith through which it is revealed ; and the life is the light of men : but you deny the light , and so deny the foundation of faith , and the author of it , and live in a life which is carnal , and take up a rest in these things which are invented in the apostacy by corrupt-minded men ; which things are polluted , which all them that come to know eternal life must rise out of ; for this is not their rest , but their rest standeth in him , who subdueth and putteth under that which hath resisted him in all that believe , and then they come to know their rest. thou sayest further , what , is it a cankered way to preach repentance and faith , and to mortifie the deeds of the body , and to have their conversation in heaven ? i say , nay ; but to make people believe that they have repented , and have faith , and that they are cleansed , and that they are mortified , and that they have their conversation in heaven , when they are alive to deceit and to unrighteousness , and to the lusts of the flesh , and converse with the worldly lusts , which make war against the soul : i call this cankered doctrine , and it eats as a canker where it is received in . what art thou out of thy wits ? or , hast thou lost thy understanding ? doest thou look that any have their conversation in heaven , whilst they are here ? is it not written , no unclean thing enters into the kingdom of god ? and stands not this as an article of your faith , that none is to expect cleansing from all sin here ? what , art thou putting people upon impossibilities , as to converse with god , or have their conversation in heaven ? what blindness and ignorance is here ! and further , thou sayest , there are many ministers in england , whom i call babylons merchants , which cause both hell and rome to shake , and to rage . alas , what have you done ? the covenant of death is not yet broken , the agreement with hell is not yet disanulled ; for many are at union with it in their rage and envy , and would kill and destroy for their worldly maintenance , and to set up and establish those reliques of popery , and of rome , which yet are unpurged out , out of the nation ; as the popes wages , tythes , masse-houses , sprinkling of infants , and many more things which i might enumerate , which the devil keeps himself alive in , and rome hath an interest in ; and you rage and revile , and draw out your carnal weapons to destroy unmercifully them that bear witness against those things ; witness of late the conspiracy of thy brethren in cheshire , lancashire , and divers other places , who laboured to set all on a fire , and to kill and destroy them , who bore witness against death , hell and rome ; and so your preaching is to stir up sedition amongst people , for your own interest , and for the interest of hell and rome , which is yet unpurged out of the nation . and what tellest thou of the suffering martyrs in queen maries dayes , to whom you are not to be compared ; many of them bore witness against many of those things , which you are holding up , and pleading for , as tythes , hire , and killing for religion , and throwing into holes and dungeons them that cannot comply with you , to the upholding of these and the like deceits , which god will overthrow and confound . and thou sayest , when i will make it appear either by word or writing , that i have learned which be the first principles , the oracle of god , and do own the person and offices of christ , thou wilt answer my queries . now i let thee know both by word and writing , that i have learned and know which be they , as repentance from dead works , and faith towards god , and the doctrine of baptisms , and the laying on of hands , &c. and the person , ordinances , and offices of christ ( as i have proved before ) i own : therefore see that thou fail not the second time to answer my queries . and as for the dishes thou speakest of , i have left them behind me ; i say , they are thy own for the most part ( and not mine ) which thou hast scattered up and down the world to feed the devil with . as first , that the scriptures are neither a light , nor the saints rule , neither is it every ones duty to search them . two parts of this is thy own forged lye : but yet the saints rule , and the son's rule , is the spirit that gave forth the scriptures . . that the seed of the woman is in every one ; else what should bruise the serpents head ? or what should destroy the works of the devil ? and , the seed is sown in stony ground , thorny ground , and high-way ground , and good ground : go , learn what it means . . that the body which worms eat , shall never rise again . this is thy own forged lye : carry this dish to the table of devils , from whence thou fetcht it . . that all who are reconciled unto god , have a measure of that seed , which was conceived in the virgins womb by the holy ghost . two parts of this is a lye , and thy own words : but all that are reconciled unto god , have christ the seed revealed in them . . that the soul is not a part of man , nor created . this is thy own assertion , and not mine . the soul is immortal , and came from god , and is preserved in the hand of the lord. . the light in every one is a spiritual substance , and a measure of god ; christ that hath enlightned every man , is a spiritual substance ; and that which convinceth of sin , is the spirit of god ; and god is a spirit . . that the talent which was lost , was that which christ came to save . this thou hast forged up in thy dark mind . but the sheep that were lost , he came to save ; and they that were hid in prison-houses , he came to redeem ; and they that were snared in holes , and were for a prey and for a spoil , these he came to save from the spoiler . go learn what it means . . that the clouds in which christ is said to come , are in man , and so are the elements which are said to melt . this thou must see thy self before thou see his appearing ; for a cloud covers him out of thy sight , and therefore thou art gazing and imagining abroad thou knowest not where . . that we are justified by the sufferings of christ in us ; and that christ as he is the seed of the woman doth suffer , and hath suffered from the foundation of the world . they that are justified , know him that hath suffered by them , and in them , and do believe his suffering at jerusalem ; and by his life revealed and manifested in them , they are justified ; and by his righteousness which he hath revealed in them , and which he hath wrought for them , and by receiving of the gift , justification comes upon all that do believe . and is this such a strange doctrine to thee , [ that christ the seed hath suffered in all ages by unbelievers ] and yet thou profess thy self a minister of christ ? was he not slain from the foundation of the world ? did he not suffer after at jerusalem ? hath he not been slain since in sodom and egypt , and now suffers by thee who art an inhabitant in that city ? a terrible day will come upon thee before thou knowest his life revealed , or him to live in thee ; and this thou shalt witness to be true in the day of the lord. answer my queries , and do not evade as thou hast done , in forging thy own imaginations , and then send them to me as my assertions to prove . thy things i return back to thee , thy dishes , that thou mayest carry them back again , to the table from whence thou hadst them ; and be no more a servant to him whose work thou hast been doing , lest misery and perplexity be thy end . fra. howgill . something by way of a letter , from another hand , to the said thomas jackson , &c. forasmuch as the private admonition contained in the foregoing letter , sent unto thee in writing by f. h. nor the publick reproof by e. b. in his printed answer to a manuscript of thine , sent in the year , to a member of the old parliament , then sitting ; nor yet the word of the lord , therein prophesying against thee , and them ; which hath since in a measure been made good upon thee , and them ; hath taken no good effect upon thee to beget a true repentance in thee ; but like evil men and seducers , thou growest worse and worse , deceiving and being deceived , still continuing in thy old course of backbiting , railing , and secret smiting the innocent : and because the judgment of god hath reached thee in some measure , according to the word of the lord by his servant aforesaid , in his said answer , even so as thou canst not now vent thy devilish persecution openly in a pulpit ; yet still , as i have heard , thou takest occasion , by creeping into houses and corners , when thou canst but get together a company of silly women laden with sins , and led away with divers lusts , then thou takest opportunity to vent thy old lies and blasphemies afresh against god , his name , his truth , his tabernacle , and them that dwell in heaven ; calling the truths of god , popish tenents , and they that hold the same , hereticks ; when as it is thou thy self and thy presbyterian brethren that do hold such things , and not the innocent people of god called quakers . as witness ; . your denying the doctrine of christ and his apostles , which they held forth , preached up , pressed after , and attained unto in this life , viz. a freedom from sin ; and perfection ; as these scriptures following do testifie and bear witness unto . how shall we ( saith the apostle ) that are dead to sin , live any longer therein , rom. . . knowing this , that our old man [ is crucified ] with him , that the body of sin might be destroyed , that henceforth we should not serve sin : for he that is dead [ is freed from sin ] ver . , . being then made [ free from sin ] ye became the servants of righteousness ; for when ye were the servants of sin , ye were free from righteousness : but now being made [ free from sin ] and become servants to god , ye have your fruit unto holiness , and the end everlasting life , ver . , , . what can be more plain ? and then again , he that committeth sin , is of the devil ; for the devil sinneth from the beginning ▪ for this purpose the son of god was manifested , that he might destroy the works of the devil . whosoever is born of god [ doth not commit sin ] for his seed remaineth in him , [ and he cannot sin ] because he is born of god , joh. . , . and so for perfection . be ye therefore [ perfect ] saith christ , even as your father which is in heaven [ is perfect ] mat. . . we speak wisdom among them that [ are perfect ] saith the apostle , cor. . . and he gave some , apostles ; and some , prophets ; and some , evangelists ; and some , pastors , and teachers ▪ ( what to do ? why mark ) [ for the perfecting of the saints ] for the work of the ministry ; for the edifying of the body of christ : till we all come in the unity of the faith , and of the son of god , unto [ a perfect man ] unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of christ , ephes. . , , . and this was the end of the apostles preaching , to present [ every man perfect in christ jesus ] col. . . and this is the end of all scripture , even that the man of god [ may be perfect ] thorowly furnished unto all good works , tim. . , . for the law made nothing [ perfect ] but the bringing in of a better hope did ( viz. christ ) by the which we draw nigh unto god , heb. . . for by one offering he hath [ perfected for ever them that are sanctified ] heb. . . what can be more plain ? and ye are come unto mount zion , and unto the city of the living god , and the heavenly jerusalem , and to an innumerable company of angels ; to the general assembly and church of the first-born , which are written in heaven ; and to god the jvdge of all ; and to the spirits of just men [ made perfect ] heb. . , . but your denying of this truth , sheweth you have made a league with sin , death and hell : for as long as you live , you teach others to do so too , telling them they must not look to be free from corruption and sin while they live here . the consequence of which doctrine of yours must in the end bring in that popish tenent of purgatory : for , if perfection and freedom from sin , is not attainable unto in this life , as you say on the one hand ; nor no unclean person or thing can enter into heaven the kingdom of god in the life to come , as the scriptures of truth say on the other hand , eph. . . rev. . . then tell me when and where must the time and place of cleansing be ? must it not be in a middle place , and a middle time ? between earth and heaven , and between this life and the life to come , and so equal to the papists purgatory ? if this be not the consequence of this your doctrine , let the wise in heart judge . again witness ; . your maintaining the lawfulness of swearing now under the gospel , against the express words of christ and his apostles to the contrary , who saith , but i say unto you * swear not at all , ( what more full ) neither by heaven , for it is gods throne ; nor by the earth , for it is his footstool ; neither by jerusalem , for it is the city of the great king : neither shalt thou swear by thy head , because thou canst not make one hair white or black : but let your communication , be yea , yea : nay , nay : for whatsoever is more then these , cometh of evil , mat. . , , , . and the apostle james saith , but above all things , swear not , neither by heaven , neither by the earth , neither by any other oath ; but let your yea , be yea ; and your nay , nay ; lest you fall into condemnation , jam. . . which is plain without all exception . and whether is not that an antichristian and popish tenent , to put constructions and meanings , upon plain places of scripture , contrary to the mind of christ and his spirit which wrote them ; which are so plain , that none that are simple-hearted , can oppose or evade . again witness ; . your former taking , and now pleading for , and justifying that popish maintenance of ministers by tythes , which in its first institution , in the time of the law , when it was in full force , was appointed for the levite ( because he had no part nor inheritance among his brethren ; and therefore he was not to be forsaken nor forgotten ) and for the stranger , and the fatherless , and the widow , that they might eat and be satisfied , deut. . , , . and so there was no lack among them . but you plead for it now under the gospel , and that by the same law , which law christ hath since ended , and also changed that priest-hood , and disanulled that commandment , by which it was both taken and given , heb. . and the stranger , and the fatherless , and the widow , have little or no benefit by it at all from your hands , neither are our streets free from beggers ; and besides , they are taken by you , who have great inheritances in the land , and yearly revenues besides . again , in the first institution of tythes , they were all to be brought into one treasury , into the house of god , year by year , for the ends aforesaid , neh. . but you carry it into your own barns and houses , and there use it for your own ends ( if not to abuse it , and spend it upon your lusts . ) again , then the levites , ( whose right the tythes then were ) they were to offer up a tenth part of all the tythes , for a ●eave offering unto the lord , but you do not do so . again , they were not to eat the tythes by themselves , in their own houses , or within their own gates , but with the strangers , and fatherless and widows , in the house , and in the place the lord had chosen , deut. . , . but you do carry it into your own barns , and do eat it within your own gates , and do shut out the strangers , and the fatherless , and the widows , so that they have no part nor portion in this matter with you . and thus it was in the time of the law among the jewes , about tythes , when it was in force ; which though you will take as by virtue of that law , yet you will not pactise in all things , no nor in any thing according to that law , except in the very taking of them . but now under the gospel , since christ , ( as i said before ) hath put an end to that priesthood , and changed the law , and disanulled the commandment thereof ; we do not find , that ever christ commanded tythes to be payd , or ever appointed any set maintenance for his ministers to receive , which he sends forth to preach the gospel : neither was any such practice used in the primitive times ; but christ sent them forth , without gold , without silver , and without brass in their purses , and without a scrip for their journey , &c. mat. . , . and they had as hard a hearted people to deal with then , as any are now ; for who more hard-hearted then jews ? ( and therefore it is become a by-word amongst us to say , as cruel and as hard-hearted as a jew ) and yet they lacked nothing , luk. . . and paul , who was an apostle , not of men , neither by man , but by jesus christ , &c. gal. . . saith , ( whom all men are to follow , as he followed christ ) he behaved not himself disorderly , neither did he eat any mans bread for nought : but wrought with labour , and travelled night and day , ( with our hands , cor. . . ) that we might not be chargeable to any of you , thes. . , , . and is not then the matter of tythes , now under the gospel , a popish intrusion , which you stand up to maintain for your bellies sake ? again witness ; . your calling the popish mass-houses , built of material wood and stone , churches : when as the church of christ is in god , thes. . . and is built up of living stones , fitly joyned together by him ; whereof he himself is the chief corner stone , elect and pretious , pet. , , , . again witness ; . your late fleeing from your flocks , when you saw the wolf coming , leaving them to be scattered and catcht by the wolf in the time of their greatest danger ; which proves you to be hireling priests and idol shepherds , and not true shepherds , whose own the sheep are not ; for then would you care for the sheep , and lay down your lives for the sheep , and for the truth , the pasture of the sheep ; and so make good the words of christ against you , who saith , the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep , but he that is a hireling , and not the shepherd , whose own the sheep are not ; seeth the wolf coming , and leaveth the sheep , and fleeth : and the wolf catcheth them , and scatttreth the sheep ; the hireling fleeth , because he is a hireling , and careth not for the sheep , joh. . , , . yea , and that which is worse ; thou tho. jackson more especially , hast not onely , contrary to thy duty , left thy flock , and left off preaching the gospel , for fear of persecution ; and so thereby brought thy self under the woe the apostle pronounces , cor. . . who saith there , that a necessity is laid upon me , yea woe is unto me , if i preach not the gospel ; but also hast , with some others , most treacherously betraied your simple ignorant flocks into the very hands and mouthes of the wolves ; by perswading them , ( poor silly sheep , whose faiths are too much pin'd upon your sleeves ) to go to the publick , to the high places , there to hear the service book , &c. and those that preach there in all the whores robes , rather than not go to the publick at all ( which some have done to the wounding of their consciences ) and all this lest peradventure , ( as you fear ) they your proselytes when they have used themselves to a separation from the publick , may hereafter separate also from you , when the day of your restauration shall come , which you daily hope for ; or otherwise , it is to be feared , that if you had not many of you taken the covenant , you would have stooped to and crouched under all the relicks of popery that are now publickly in use , rather then to have quit your livings , which now you cannot some of you , ( though too many of your brethren have ) and all because if you should , your more discerning hearers would easily discern your perjury , and so decline you for ever . and now hast not thou hereby betrayed the souls of the ignorant , and sold them for bread ; and made merchandise of them for a pair of shoes , and will they not be required one day at thy hands ? consider and repent , if it be possible , before it be too late . but oh ! you simple-hearted people who have been long hearers of these men , and a long time learning , and not yet come to the knowledge of the truth ; why are ye so blind ? and see not that these be the men , most of them , that the apostle speaks of , that have but a form of godliness , but deny the power , from whom you are warned and commanded to turn away from , tim. . , , . wherefore , come forth from among them and be ye separate saith the lord , and touch no unclean thing , and i will recieve you , and will be a father unto you , and ye shall be my sons and daughters , saith the lord almighty , cor. . , . turn your hearts and minds inward , and look within , for the grace of god which brings salvation , hath appeared unto all men , teaching us , that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts , we should live soberly , righteously , and godly in this present world , tit. . . therefore look not for it without you , but look for it within ; your outward teachers are taken away , and removed into corners , that you may look within for a teacher that cannot be removed into a corner ; and the word of god is within ; and the true teacher which can teach you all things , is within ; and the kingdom of god is within you ; and christ the king of that kingdom is within you too , except ye be reprobates ; and the temple of god is also within ; therefore have no fellowship with the works or workers of darkness , neither without nor within ; for what agreement hath the temple of god with idols ? for ye are the temple of the living god , as god hath said , i will dwell in them and walk in them , and will be their god , and they shall be my people , cor. . . therefore hear the call of the lord , for it may be the last time that some of you may hear it , who calls out of babylon ; come out of her my people , saith the lord , that ye be not partakers of her sins , and that ye receive not of her plagues ; for her sins have reached up to heaven , and god hath remembred her iniquities , rev. . , but to return . again witness ; . your popish ordination to the ministry , which is of man , and by man , and derived either from the pope , to the bishop , and from the bishop to the presbyter , and so from the presbyter to you , or from a congregation of men , in an university or otherwise ; and so still of man and not of god , nor separate by the spirit , unless by such a spirit as can be bought for mony , at the university or elswhere , by being sometime a student in arts , tongues , and languages , humane and natural sciences ; ( the seat of the whore , rev. . . ) and for this are you reckoned by men , and do account of your selves , to be set apart for the ministry , and to be superiour to others , thereby to lord it over god's heritage ; to be set in the uppermost seat in the synagogues , and at feasts , and to be greeted in the market-place , and called of men master , and ( master of arts ) contrary to the scriptures ; although you must for all this , study hard for a sermon , and having compiled one , you must either con it without book , and so put it to sale , by repeating it over again , or read it within book , to make money of it , yea sometimes you sell them two or three times over ; and after this manner do you divine for money and preach for hire ( and own the name of divines ) and say , thus saith the lord , when the lord hath neither spoken to you , nor sent you . therefore read your portion in ezek. . to the end . now are not these your tenents , popish tenents indeed ? and these your practices , popish practices indeed , which are practised by you ? well , i shall leave it to the judgement of all those that are but a little enlightened in their consciences , with christ the true light , which lighteth every man that cometh into the world , to determine . and now , dost not thou shew thy self a true son of the church of rome in this matter ? who whore-like , cryest out whore first , and a right merchant of babylon , in crying out error , heresie , and blasphemy ; hereticks , and schismaticks , popish tenents , and seducers ! when thou thy self art found in the self same thing . well , read thy state in the second chapter to the romans : read the whole chapter with a spirit of meekness and patience ; and if it were possible i would ( or rather the lord by me ) perswade thee to repentance , before it be too late ; for the lord is come , and coming ( according to the prophesie of enoch ) in ten thousand of his saints , to render judgement upon all , and to convince all that are ungodly among them , of all their ungodly deeds , which they have ungodlily committed ; and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against them , jude , . read the whole epistle with a sensible heart , and weeping eyes , in fear and trembling ; and remember and call to mind all thy rayling , lying , slandring , backbiting , and malitious reproaches thou hast cast upon all perswasions differing from thee , in secret and in the dark . remember what thou hast said against , and how vilely thou hast reproached the author of that book , called , the retired man's meditations , as also the baptists , and our friends . now thou wilt not , nor canst not preach in publick , consider what thou art doing in private : the lord seeth thee , and a book of remembrance is taken of it , and shortly thou must come to account , and what a sad reckoning wilt thou make , and an account give to him that hath said , the reproaches of them that reproached thee , are fallen upon me , psal. . . rom. . . and , in all their afflictions he is afflicted , isa. . , . and , in as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these , my brethren , ye have done it unto me , mat. . . and , whosoever toucheth them , toucheth the apple of his eye . therefore repent betimes , else horror and terror , tribulation and anguish will fall upon thee , and torment thee without end . and know also , that that which edw. b. did write unto thee from the lord , in the year . ( when part of the long parliament was sitting ) in his answer to thy manuscript , is truth still , and thou , if not ●eared , mayest both see it , and feel it made good , upon thy self and others at this day , and the rest hastens apace to be fulfilled . a taste of which , by reciting some of the passages in that book , to put thee a little in remembrance thereof , thou wilt find at the end hereof . now i say , for these reasons aforesaid , it is judged meet to print that letter foregoing , which was sent to thee in writing so long ago ; for the making thy folly more manifest , and if it might be that thou mayest bethink thy self , and that thy poor deluded proselytes may see , if it may be , what a deceiver thou art ; who continuest still to whisper thy lyes and envy about , and seekest darkness for thy cover , as being ashamed of the light , and all because thy case is naught , and thy deeds be evil ; whereas he that doth right , seeks no corners : for every one that doth evil , hateth the light ; neither cometh to the light , lest his deeds should be reproved : but he that doth truth , cometh to the light ; that his deeds may be made manifest , that they are wrought in god , joh. . , , . the th . month , . from an utter enemy to all manner of persecution for conscience sake , but a real lover of thy soul , j. s. some passages of e. b. his book , in answer unto tho. jackson's paper , written to all the remaining part of the old parliament , then sitting ; as well as to the said t. j. in . which in a great measure is fulfilled already , and the rest is hastning , to be fulfilled in due time ; which may serve also for a warning to this present generation . thomas jackson , in the conclusion of his paper written to w. c. member of that remaining part of the old parliament aforesaid , saith thus , worthy sir , it will be your honour to stand in the gap , to stop the violence of this hellish torrent ( meaning those tenents he falsly chargeth upon the innocent harmless people of god , called quakers ) that is so high , that it sounds from dan to beersheba , and threatens judgement to our israel , &c. to which e. b. answers thus , page . and part of the . answ. here is the concluson of thy matter , which is the sum of it ; a running to the powers of the earth for help . what , have you ministers lost the lord to be your strength , that you must fly for help to men , to defend you from the spirit of god in his people ? must they make laws to establish you , and set you up ; is not this the whore that rode upon the beast , and that the beast carries ? is not here a description of her , out of the mouth of this author ? is he crying to you to persecute the innocent ? it is true , the seed of god is risen , the elect seed , that is able to make war against the beast , and against the false prophets , even with the word of the lord , and is he offended that truth is risen so high ? and would he have some fire and * faggots again in smithfield ? and some persecution and banishment , acted upon the people of god ? is this the standing in the gap , and stopping violence , or would ye have it done this way ? yea , judgements indeed are threatned to your generation ; for if god will not destroy you soon enough , you will destroy your own selves ; and your own iniquity will be upon you , and the wickedness of the wicked shall slay him . but my counsel is not only to that particular member , but to the whole body of them , that they be wise and take heed what they do ; for the eye of the lord is over you , and his hand can dash you in pieces ; and if you be oppressors of the poor people of god , sand will not relieve the opressed , the innocent , and break the bonds of oppression , the lord will break you in pieces ; for this is the rock that hath broken all before you , [ persecuting people for conscience sake ] and if you go on in this way , your destruction shall be the most lamentable of any that was ever yet before you : do you not yet see the wickedness of this generation ? will you yet contend for them ? surely you might learn wisdom even by their folly ; and if you do not shut your eyes , there needs no more discovery than their own present wayes and works . wherefore consider the day of god's visitation is upon you , make good use of your time , lest the lord break you down , and never build you up ; and let the spirit of the lord have its liberty , and limit it not , for if you do , you shall never prosper , nor never be made a blessing unto the people under your charge . ☞ remember you are warned by a lover of your souls . and page , , , . e. b. saith , and this i say unto you in the name of the lord , that whilst that interest ( of this false priesthood i mean ) is so much favoured ☞ and defended , you can never prosper , nor the nations be ever happy under you ; for it is one of the greatest oppressions this day in the nation , the maintaining and upholding of this ministry by tythes and other unrighteous wages ; and the very land groans under the oppression of this church and ministry , which lieth as a heavy burden upon both persons and estates , and consciences of many good people , even of your dearest friends ; and though the lord doth manifestly ( even from heaven ) shew signal tokens of his displeasure against them ; and the servants of the lord they also cease not to warn you concerning them ; and their own doings are sufficient testimony of the malice of their hearts against you , and all good men in the nation ; yet nevertheless some of you seem to shut your eyes , as if you would see no evil in them , and are crying up your godly ministers ; and some of you despising the man ( as not worthy to live ) that doth but speak against them : and thus are you blinded , and perceive not where the cause lies of your interruption to bring forth righteousness . i say , it is the favouring of that interest which stops the issues of good things ; and while you oppress peoples persons , and estates , and consciences , to uphold this ministry and priesthood aforesaid , the ☞ lord shall never prosper you , nor make the nations happy under your charges . and this you shall witness eternally . therefore , clear your selves ; do not any longer drink the whores cup , neither be ye carriers of her , to execute her wickedness upon the bodies and consciences of people ; for it is written , the beast hath carried the whore , and we see it hath been thus , as john saw it was to come to pass ; and so clear your selves from her tyrannies and oppressions , and leave this false church and ministry to themselves ; and if god will not uphold them by his power , why should you do it ? if these priests have not yet planted vineyards that will yeeld them fruit , and if their flock will not yeeld them milk freely , why should you unjustly impose upon peoples consciences , and compel tythes and money from them , for the maintenance of these men ? ye ought not to do it ; for while ye compel and force people by violence , contrary to good conscience , to maintain ☜ and uphold this ministry , and church , and worship , you do but cause people to drink the whores cup , and you are but them which carry the whore , viz. the false church . and this is plain-dealing , to tell you the truth , whether ye will reject it or receive it : wherefore cast them off , and let them not lurk under your wings , &c. they will cry out heresie and error of others , that themselves may seem clear , while as the same lodgeth in their own hearts ; wherefore , i say , do not make a false peace with them , neither do ye flatter with treacherous minds , &c. i say unto you , better were it for you to lay these men aside , ☜ and their flatteries and feigned prayers , and to save your selves from their flattery , than to perish with them . and one of these will come to pass ; for it 's decreed of the lord , if you uphold them , and oppress peoples persons and estates , and consciences on their behalf , and in their evil cause , for tythes and wages to them ; ye shall fall with them , and none shall be able to deliver , neither you nor them , &c. wherefore , take heed unto your selves , and be wise , and learn , and do us justice ; or else god will do us justice upon you ; if you will not take off our burdens , and ease our oppressions , ☜ the lord will ease us of you , and the earth shall not be oppressed with you : and if ye will uphold this priesthood against equity and good conscience , the lord will free good consciences both from you and them . and this is the word of the lord god unto you . ☞ the open enemy hath not prevailed against you , but the secret hand of the lord will not miss you . the end . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e tim. . . tim. . . rev. . . heb . heb. . , . * though the words [ swear not at al ] be free enough from any exception , yet ( in regard some of the corrupt sons of adam say ) this was meant in our communication only , that is , say they , in our ordinary discourse ; but yet liberty is left thereby for swearing before a magistrate , being thereunto lawfully called . i say , the apostle james , as one foreseeing these two cavils or exceptions , saith ( to put the matter out of doubt ) neither by any other oath , and also leaves out the word communication ; so as there is no room left for any exception at all . amos . . ch . . . read diligently and mark these places . isa. . , . joh. . , . luk. . , . cor. . . cor. ▪ . act. . , . rom. . ▪ , . luk. . , . luk. . . mat. . . , , , . mich. . ezek. . , , , , , , &c. joh. . : notes for div a -e * mark , is he not the same man still ? though he be a sufferer under a pretence of conscience , yet his principle nor nature is not changed to this day . ☞ mark . mark , is not this made good to the full at this day ? ☜ yea surely , a prophet of the lord hath been among you . mark. mark. was not this truly prophesied ? mark. let this generation beware ; for there is no resisting the hand of the lord. we the servants and faithfull witnesses of the most high god ... howgill, francis, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing b a). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page image. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing b a estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) we the servants and faithfull witnesses of the most high god ... howgill, francis, - . burrough, edward, - . sheet ([ ] p.) s.n., [dublin : ] title begins first line of text. signed: sent forth the of the m. ... dublin ... francis howgill & edward burrough. date of publication suggested by wing. reproduction of original in: friends' library (london, england). eng quakers -- persecutions -- early works to . broadsides -- england -- th century. a r (wing b a). civilwar no we the servants and faithfull witnesses of the most high god, called and chosen of him, and redeemed out of nations, kindreds, tongues, and burrough, edward a this text has no known defects that were recorded as gap elements at the time of transcription. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - john pas sampled and proofread - john pas text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion we the servants and faithfull witnesses of the most high god , called and chosen of him , and redeemed out of nations , kindreds , tongues , and people ; who are ministers of the word of life and reconciliation ; and messengers of glad tidings , and salvation unto captive and weary soules ; ( our glorying is only in the lord , and not in our selves ) who are by the world in scorn called quakers ; who are at this present in outward bonds for the testimony of jesus christ : in dublin ; and who have been in the labour and travell of the gospell of god this six moneths and upward , in the nation of jreland according to the will of god ordained here unto ; and moved and commanded by his eternal spirit , into this his worke for the seeds sake which is not of this world , to the gathering of it into the fold of everlasting peace ; & to the clearing of the lord from the blood of his enemies , that they may be lest without excuse , by his powerfull word given unto us and uttered by us , ( and herein we are a good savour to god both in them that perish , & in them that beleeve ) and for this cause have we denied our dearest and nearest relations ; and loves not our lives unto death , that our testimony we may finish , which is committed to us of the lord , and because of this are we labourers under many burthens , & travellers in many afflictions , and sufferings , and are abundantly reproached , and our lords truth of which we bear witnes , greatly infamed by many slandering and backbiting tongues ; espetially by the thachers and professed ministers in the eares of their people and hearers ; slandering us with being jesuits , and deceivers , and seducers , and heriticks , and blasphemers , and witches and such like : and we of those false accusations being clear , and our lords truth ( the testimony which we hold ) wholy innocent ; and are wiling to be tried and proved , & made manifest to the inhabitants of this city & nation , in the sight of god ; this therefore are we moved to give forth ; & hereby in the name of our liveing eternal god ; of heaven , and earth ( whom we serve , & worship in that way which is called herisie ) doe send it abroad , as a challenge to all you teachers , and pretended ministers , of what sort & form so-ever , and to all you people whom it may really conscerne ; and especially to all you , in the city of dublin , & places else where in jreland to whom this may come . that you meet us , in the city of dublin , at some publique place at a convenient time appointed by you ; at which place & time , if the lord permit , ( by the permission of the counsel of jreland whose prisoners we are ) we shall you meet then , and there to have a faier and sober dispute , in the presence of all people , who may desire to be informed or satisfied concerning us , and you , in these things whereof you can accuse us , and also of those things , by way of sober questions , which we have to propound to you , not for any end to our selves , nor to set up a kingdome of our own , god is our witnes , but that the way of our god may be made manifest , and all deceit , and error discovered , and all people may be informed the way to salvation , and as you are true to your god and will answer for him ; and are willing to be made manifest in your way of worship , and doctrin , and ministry , you are not to neglect ; but here-in to answer our desires , and the desires of many hundreds ; that you and we may be made manifest in the sight of god , to all mens consciences , who are in truth and who are in error : that shame and condemnation may come upon the guilty , & truth may be exalted over all deceit . sent forth the of the m from the sarjent at armes his house in dublin . given under our hands who are prisoners for the testimony of jesus , whose names in the flesh are francis howgill , & edward burrough . you are desired to send your answer of these propositions to us , and if you consent to meet us , let sufficient notice be given abroad ; that the jnhabitants of the city and countrey may know five or six dayes time before . a lamentation for the scattered tribes, who are exiled into captivity, and are now mingled among the heathen, and are joyned to the oppressor, and refuses to return. presented unto all the separated congregations, under what name or form soever, in love to the lost. shewing, the difference betwixt them that were separated by the word of faith, and them who have separated themselves, in imitation from the letter: ... / by a servant of truth, and a friend to righteousness, who suffers with the seed, which is held in oppression, waiting and labouring for its return; called francis howgill. howgill, francis, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (thomason e _ ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h thomason e _ estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; :e [ ]) a lamentation for the scattered tribes, who are exiled into captivity, and are now mingled among the heathen, and are joyned to the oppressor, and refuses to return. presented unto all the separated congregations, under what name or form soever, in love to the lost. shewing, the difference betwixt them that were separated by the word of faith, and them who have separated themselves, in imitation from the letter: ... / by a servant of truth, and a friend to righteousness, who suffers with the seed, which is held in oppression, waiting and labouring for its return; called francis howgill. howgill, francis, - . [ ], , - , [ ] p. printed for giles calvert, at the black-spread-eagle at the west end of pauls., london, : . annotation on thomason copy: "aug: th". reproduction of the original in the british library. eng society of friends -- doctrines -- early works to . a r (thomason e _ ). civilwar no a lamentation for the scattered tribes, who are exiled into captivity, and are now mingled among the heathen, and are joyned to the oppresso howgill, francis d the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the d category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - jonathan blaney sampled and proofread - jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a lamentation for the scattered tribes , who are exiled into captivity , and are now mingled among the heathen , and are joyned to the oppressor , and refuses to return . presented unto all the separated congregations , under what name or form soever , in love to the lost . shewing , the difference betwixt them that were separated by the word of faith , and them who have separated themselves , in imitation from the letter : and how they differ both in doctrine , in matter , in form ; and so not the same with the churches of christ in the unity . the difference between the true and false ministery . the difference betwixt the faith which is feigned , and the saints faith . the difference betwixt true and false hope . a few words to the ministery in all sects , and to all the mingled people who dwell in the land of darkness , and are tossed up and down , and knows not where the power is which is of god , which gives victory . a few words for your information . thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee , and they have not discovered thine iniquity , to turn away thy captivity : but have seen for thee false burthens , and causes of banishment , lament. . . by a servant of truth , and a friend to righteousness , who suffers with the seed , which is held in oppression , waiting and labouring for its return ; called francis howgill . london , printed for giles calvert , at the black-spread-eagle at the west end of pauls . . the contents . concerning the word of christ which the apostles and ministers preached , who had it in them revealed , which did gather them into one , that believed in it , and its effect and operation that it had . and the difference shewed betwixt that m●nistery , and the ministery of them that preach the letter for the word . the difference between them that were separated by the word , and them who have separated themselves . the difference shewn betwixt them that are taught of christ , and them that follow the principles of darkness , that leads into error . the difference betwixt the faith which is feigned , which is the worlds , and the saints faith . concerning hope ; and the difference betwixt true and false hope . true faith , how it s wrought , and what it is , and its operation . a word to all the ministers of the world , in all sects , and to all people in every sect. a few words to all you who put out the eye , through long accustoming unto sin , who are near utter darkness . with some information to them who are tossed , and findes no rest , nor knows not where the power of god is , that gives dominion over sin , the power declared , and the way to peace . to all you who profess the name of our lord jesus in words , and makes mention of his words , and of his ministers words , who had the everlasting gospel and the word of reconciliation ; and of those practises which the churches of christ had in their day committed unto them , after they were gathered out of the world , and had denied it and its nature , and were not conformable to it , but were changed in their inward man , & fruits of righteousness were brought forth , and they were as lights in the world , and did bear witness against the world , that they were evill ; and said they were of god , and had the witness in themselves , and were bold to say the whole world lay in wickedness . to you who are called separated churches and fellowships , under this or that name ; to you i write ; my soul pities you above the rest of the world ; and in love to those desires which was once among you , i write ; that so if it be possible you may come to see your selves and the foundation on which you stand , that those desires which was after god begotten , may not wholly be slayn , extinguished , and betrayed , through the subtiltie of the serpent , whose wayes are crooked , and whose subtiltie is great , to keep man under his power . this i have to say unto you : there was and is a zeale in you , but not according to knowledge : bear my words , and judge that in your selves which would be angry . there was that which shewed you the nationall way of worship under episcopacie and prelacy , and presbyterie ; which is one in the ground and nature that this was , the broad way , and not according to the mind of the lord ; neither was it according to precept , nor the practises of the churches of christ ; which is cleare from the scripture : now you seeing this was not according to christ , nor his ministers , nor the churches ; you began to separate from them into this or that body , under this or that name , as a body separate from the world and their worship ; because you found in the writings of that which is called the gospel , people be gathered out of the world : now your eyes being still without you , conformed to their practises , as you judged , both in matter and manner ; and practising those things which you read in the scripture that the churches practised , and so some zealous did go forth and gather people together in this or that forme : and here was your beginning ; and so here you set up your rest , that you walk according to the most exact patern that is visible or written : yet since this you do not agree , but are divided in your selves ; one sets up this , and another that thing , which you in your reason judge right . now many things i might write unto you , which you cannot bear ; but rather in love a few words , that you may see the vast difference betwixt your assemblies and churches , and the churches which you say is your example . and first of all , i will show in the ground how far you fall short : although it may be you may hate my instruction , yet i say , suffer me a little , for i am one who have obtained mercy , after a long and a sore travel , and tossed up and downe in great tempests , but at last entered into the everlasting rest , and do not desire to contend with you ; for out of debates carnal i am brought ; but rather in love to the honesty in you all , which is not of this world , i speake . first , they received power from on high , and commission given to preach the gospel to all nations . i speak of the ministers of christ ; and those things which they had heard , and seen , and felt , and tasted of , and had handled , of the word of life ; which life was manifest in them ; this they preached , and were sent to turne people from darkness to light , and from satan's power unto god's power ; and as many as received and believed the word which they preached , which was the word of faith ; and faith was begotten by the preaching of it , and they heard and learned of the word of life : fayth came by hearing that word : and this word which they preached unto them , was nigh them , in their mouth and in their heart , which as people turned to it , and received it , and believed ; so a change was wrought in the hearers of it ; and they were turned from dead workes unto the measure of the living god , and they separated from the temple , and left circumcision , and all those things of the first priesthood , which were commanded by god , and out of the worlds ways , fashion , custom , worships ; and came to see the worshipping in spirit and truth , was that worship god required ; and the ground of their separation was not from any literal command or precept ; for all that was written there , was flat against it ; but they which were ministers of christ , which had believed in him , preached him the substance , and the measure of him and of his grace which was in them unto whom they preached ; and this was the apostles witness in their hearts , unto which they did commend themselves in the sight of god , which is a great mystery ; and they are not ministers of the letter , but of the spirit . now in these few words before written ; with much more i could write , compare your ministry and your members gathered ; and you will see you differ in the ground in the first ; for your command you take from the letter , and so are ministers of the letter , and not of the spirit . . ye preach the letter for the word of faith ▪ which they did not , as is playne in their own writings , without adding . . them whom you gather , it s but into conformity to the letter , and to that which is visible : which all this may be done in the will of man , which is fallen from god ; and see if it be not so with you , both pastors and members , not witnesses of that word which they preached , which did beget faith in them that received it , and believed in it ; which faith was in them , wrought by the power of god , which gave them assurance , and their assurance was in them , and their hope in them , brought in , and wrought by the operation of the spirit : which the preaching of the letter , sound , or declaration only of that which was in them , never workes assurance , nor true faith , nor hope . and now consider where had your ground of the knowledge of god been , and your gospel , and your faith , and hope , if you had not had the letter . i speak not to upbraid you , but to the light of christ jesus i speake , which will let you see how far short you are , and that you must come backe againe to the first principle : and now you may see , if it had been the same word or command , it would have the same effects as it had , and change into it's own nature all that received it : now see what change is in you or not ; some of you , yea , many running back after the foot-steps of the priests , preaching for hire , and upholding the idols temple , if you can get into them , and in the costomes of the world ; nay , most of you not come to yea and nay in your communication , but one with the world in all or most of things , differ only in words and names ; and your gospel you have preached , hath nor begotten such a faith as was in them that had the gospel , not to respect persons ; nor none dare own cleansing from sin in the body , but calls that a delusion : but the word and faith which they preached and received , gave them victory over the world , sin and death ; and by it's power made them more then conquerors , and their hope purified their hearts : but you cannot believe that ever you shall be made free from sin , nor hath not hope in that , and therefore are ignorant of the body of christ you so much talk on , which made them clean and free from sin . secondly , your doctrine is the same with the world ; your hope , your faith , your justification is all at a distance grounded upon the report of christ dying at ierusalem , and of their report that knew him : and believing this , you call it faith , and so are one with the faith and hope which the world hath : for the report of christs righteousness , what he did suffer , and wrought in the saints , if this be the ground of salvation , then why have you separated from the world ? if you say ▪ because the world hath not right to the ordinances : i say , doth not faith in christ give interest to all his ordinances ? and if this be onely your faith ▪ the world hath as good an interest as you : so why do you separate from them ? and so you shall see the matter is the same with the world , of which your fellowships consists ; and the name of christ is a great mystery , which they were sent to baptize in ▪ who knew his name : his name is not letters and syllables , and using these ▪ this with the lips speaking over , is not to baptize into his name : and so , friends , in love i speak unto you : there was such as separated themselves , and were sensual , and had not the spirit ; and so there was no difference betwixt them and the world , for they are clouds without rayn ; appeared wells , but had no water in them ; seemed something , but were but a show . freinds , your foot-steps i know ; your ground i know , and your compass and your measure ; yet i shall not glory over you , nor boast my selfe against you ; but rather , to informe your minde , that you may not build upon a foundation which will moulder away : and now boast not your selves in your ordinances , as water , bread and wine , which is but elementarie , and was never but a signe ; and in the day of appearance of christ , the elements shall melt with fervent heat ; and while you stand here , and have confidence in these things , your sun will set in obscuritie , and you shall know the old heavens and earth will pass away with a noyse ; which when you come to know and heare , your hearts will fayle for fear : for this i say to the highest of you , if you build upon any thing , or have confidence in any thing which stands in time , and is on this side eternity , and the being of beings , your foundation will be swept away , and night will come upon you ; and all your gathered in things , and taken on , and imitated , will all fayle you . many more things i might write , time would fayle me to utter ; but these few among many , i have written , that you may compare your selves with the ministers of christ then ; and the gospel which they preached , which were separate from the world in the ground and nature : and if you see your selves in the light of christ in your consciences , not to be the same , neither in matter nor maner , let not a deceived heart lead you aside any longer . further , i say ▪ they were sent out for the gathering in of the saints , some apostles , some prophets , some pastors & teachers ; yet all was by the spirit . now if you denie the command of the spirit , or cannot witness it , but from the letter takes it up , and talks of , because the scripture speakes of it ; then you are not that ministry . again , this end was the ministry sent forth for , for the perfecting of the saints , which it did ; which not one of you dare own , not dare say your ministry shall , nor never did ; and so not the same , nor hath not the same operation ; and so is not the same faith nor word which they preached . and now to you who are called members in all separated societies , and yet in babylon and egypt spiritually so called , where the seed is held in captivity : i say , come forth of her , and returne to your maker , from whence you are erred , and cast off your garments of selfe-righteousness ; and those coverings you hid your selves under , must all be rent ; they will wax old : yea , your heaven shall wax old as a garment , and your stars will fall , and your towers will be demolished , and all your buildings will fall ; and your strength will fayle , and egypt cannot save you : why gad you abroad ? why trim you your selves with the saints words , when you are ignorant of the life ? return , return to him that is the first love , and the first-borne of every creature , who is the light of the world , which light will show you backe againe is the way from off the mountains of leanness and poverty , where you feed upon wind and huskes : and now returne home to within , sweep your houses all ; the groat is there ; the little leaven is there ; the graine of mustard-seed you will see , which the kingdom of god is like : and you will see from whence you have erred from the true shepherd christ the light of the world , who hath enlightened you with his light , which light will show you sin , and let you see what rules in the mind and heart : which light will let you see the way out of the world , and will judge sin in you and bind it , and give you power over it ; & this is the true shepherd : and if you say you love him , manifest your love unto him , by following his light revealed in you , which leads into the true separation from sin unto the lord , to see his presence neer you , who will guide you with his eye : the light is the eye of the body : and here you will see your teacher not removed into a corner , but present when you are upon your beds , and about your labor ; convincing , instructing , leading , correcting , judging , & giving peace to all that love and follow him . therefore , haste i say ; come away , while the lord is near and at hand , while his grace shines with you : and he waits , and hath waited long to be gratious ; and you have kept him out so long , his lockes is bedewed with the drops of the night : his spirit shall not always strive , that that checks and strives against sin , is it : in love follow it ; let it lye in your bosome day and night ; make it your companion . i pitie you , i pitie you ; my bowells is troubled for you ; i am payned for the seeds sake : therefore all sleight not this love , quench not the spirit ; put not that which reproves sin away ; owne it , that sin may be seene , and the man of sin may be revealed by the brightness of christ , whose coming is as the light shines from east into the west , discovers all darke pathes , and the twining of the serpent , and the crooked wayes of the old dragon , by this light : and thus if you wait , you will see the day revealed in you which the scripture speaks of , which shall declare all things , and make manifest the hidden things of esau , who hunts abroad , and is a man of the field ; whose minde is a broad . and you whose mindes are a broad , hunting after savory meat , to please the flesh withall ▪ you are of his birth ; you will be laid wast , and the mount in which you dwelt . therefore all prize your time , and your visitation ; if you will returne , come , that he may heale your backsliding , and receive you : if you resist the light , misery will be your end , and you will lie down in sorrow . this have i written in love to all your soules , who am one who did drinke of the cup of fornication , and have drunke of the cup of indignation , but now drinkes the cup of salvation , where sorrow and tears is fled away : and yet am a man of sorrows , and well acquainted with griefe , and suffers with the seed , and travels , that it may be brought forth of captivity ; called by the world f. h. the difference shewn betwixt them that learne of christ , and are taught of him , and them that follows the principal of darkness , that leads into error . he that stumbles at the light , stumbles at the door , and his minde is erred from the truth , and he followes his owe will , and walks after the imaginations of his own heart , without a law or a guide to his feet ; and so falls into snares and temptations ; and into the noison lusts , which doth hurt and annoy the spirit of grace , which should lead and guide man up to god , out of the fall and transgression . he that sees not with the light ▪ he is blind ; for the light is the eye of the body , and makes manifest the light of the body , which cleanseth from sin , and leads to the body , where christ is the head , where the unitie stands in one ▪ by which all comes to be united , by one ▪ who is the light and life of men , and comes to the one baptism ; and all who waits in the light that is pure , comes to know the name of the father and the son , which is one : and here is the one baptisme seen and received ; and all that comes to be baptized into his name , comes to be baptized into his nature ; and comes to see the word which was in the begininng ; and there is no other name but the word which sanctifies and washes : so all that knows not this baptism , nor this word , nor this name ; knows not salvation from sin ▪ but lives in the reasonings and imaginations , and knows not that water which is the gift of christ , nor the spirit which is given to every one to profit withall ; of which a man must be born of , else he cannot enter into the kingdom of god ; and all who denies the light wherewith christ hath enlightened every one withal , denies the gift of god , which leads to repentance ; and so lives in sin . repentance is the gift of god ; and this is the gift of the father which was promised , the light of the world ; and all that receives not and believe not in the light , they are in the old nature ; and he that is not born of the light , is not born of god ; for god is light : he that is not born of the light , knowes not the virgins womb , where the man-childe is borne and conceived ; nor the day of christ , nor cannot discerne his coming , but lookes for signes and outward observations ; lo here , and there , in the outward ; and are in the unbeliefe ; nor discernes not the kingdom where christ reignes , which is not of this world : all things that are outward , are of this world ; and who live in them , and have their hearts exercised in them ▪ knows not that which leads to before the world ▪ and to the end of the world ; and knows not the true and faithfull witness , the beginning of the creation of god : and all that waits in the light , waits not in the grace of god , but waits in that which turnes the grace into wantonness : there christ suffers , and is denied , and another is owned and learned of , and another teacher : and where the grace of god is not taught and learned of , ungodlyness is not denied , but ungodlyness is denied : where the grace teacheth , and where another thing is hearkened unto and learned of , that which is not like god ▪ is learned , and deceipt is brought forth , and the childe of fornication , which must not inherit : and all who learne of this nature , they are blind , and ignorant of the will of god , and so knows not the doctrine of christ , but their eyes is without in the world , where the false prophets are gone out into the world ; and there is the errors , and the sects , and the judgments , which are many , and the opinions which are out of the unitie , and their vaine imaginations , and vaine thoughts lodges in the heart ; and there the light of christ is not known , but the woman speakes , which ought to learn in silence , who was first in the transgression . and all you that put the letter for the light , are blind ▪ and calls it the word and the gospel : you are not knowing the scripture , nor the power of god ; for the word of god is the power of god , which is immortal and eternal , and all that which is visible stands in time , and cannot lead to know him which was before time , in the beginning : and so all you who are in your earthly carnal minds , imagining a rule without you , and a word without you , you have not learned of him who is entered with the veil : you are hunting upon the wild mountains and forests , and knows not the voyce of the true shepherd , who saith ▪ learn of me ; whose word is nigh thee , in thy mouth and in thy heart : and thou that hath not hearkned unto this , a separation thou never didst see , but darkness is upon the face of the deep ; and the word of god is not known , by which the heavens and the earth was made , and all things therein are upholden by the word of his power ; which word of power is seen by them whose mindes are turned within ; and there the thoughts and intents of the heart is by it discerned , and seen ; which word is quick and powerful , and discernes the secrets of mans heart ; and is as a hammer , to break the rocks and the hard hearts : and this is immediate and eternal : and all who knows not this , your carnal minde stands wholly in your , and your hard hearts is unbroken ; and the mountaines is unlevelled , and you walke in the crooked ways of the old serpent , in subtiltie and deceipt , and stands covered before the lord ; and the straight paths of righteousness you have not known . therefore awake out of deceipt and security , all sorts of people , where you have been making your rest in the lap of the adulterer , and have drunken of the wine of fornication , and of the old drags of unrighteousness , whereby the whole man is in flamed , and the whole course of nature is set on the fire of hell : and filth and abomination lodges in the heart : and you talke of the word of god , and of the law of god , and of the new covenant , and yet never see any thing in you which you can own to guide you , which is contrary to your wills , which is the will of god . all sorts of professors , whether presbyters , independents , bapists , or of what name soever you are called by , who sayes you are separated ; let me ask this : what are you separated from , and what separated you ? if you deny the sufficiency of the spirits teaching alone , and it to be the rule and alone guide unto god , who is separated from sinners , and behold them a far off : i say , you who cannot own that which shews you your vain minds , and vain thoughts , and that discerns the thoughts ; if you cannot own this , the word of god you never knew , nor the law written in your hearts , nor the word of separation ; and all are in your imaginations and vain conceivings ▪ in your fleshly minds ▪ here and there setting up an image raised from a dead letter , and founded on your earthly imaginations , and they stands in the vallies of vain hopes ; and there is no life in nothing you worship and set up , neither sight nor hearing ; and every one of you worship a dead thing , and that which makes not the comers thereunto perfect ; but you are all pleading for imperfection and sin in the body , and all joyne together to oppose the life and power of god which the saints ought to press after : and they that stand in the counsel doth obtain victory , and witness of his righteousness which is perfect . are you not many of you turning into the old bishops , road , who would tie all unto their idols temple , or parish-church so called ; and are not you many of you going about to stop all from hearing any but you , under payn of excommunication ? oh the gross darkness you are led in , and the wilful blindness , who have taken up your rest in that which is carnal and without , where all the hypocrites may come : verily i say unto you , your rest will be but as the leaning upon a bowed wall , or as a reed of egypt ; for the ground of iniquitie stands whole , and the whole body of darkness is not removed ; the earth is whole ; the fallow ground is not plowed up ; thornes , and briers , and fruitless trees which cumbers the ground of the lord , is not cut down ; and so the works of condemnation you are none of you brought from under , but selfe stands , and your wills is alive , which is at enmitie against god : only talking of a christ at a distance ▪ and his righteousness as far from you as betwixt earth and heaven : and here is your justification , applying this unto your selves , while you are disobedient to the grace of god in you , this is your fayth and your rest ▪ and this fayth all the world hath and this hope ; but this fayth cannot justifie , nor not one of you hath assurance who hath but this ; who doth not witness gods righteousness brought forth in you , which is wrought by the word of fayth , which is incorruptible , which justifies , and gives assurance , and is witnessed through the death of the cross . and therefore i cannot forbear but to declare your ignorance ▪ and shew you your deceipt you ly in , and your ragged veiles you hide your selves under : for i know your peace you have , is that which will not last ; and therefore be not secure and careless , nor obstinate , but lay down your crowns at his feet , and come out of your ease and rest , and fleshly exaltation , puffed up by the wisdom of the flesh : and that which you have gathered in , and not witnesses of the same wrought in you , all for the fire : yet a little while , and time shall be no longer , for the end of time shall come upon all your strength : and all your rest in the flesh , and ease in your beds that you have made , shall be taken away : you have slayn those desires in you which was once after god , and now follows the pleasures of the flesh , and have set up such a worship over every one of you ▪ as you can live at ease , and in pleasures , and in pride and vain-glory , and covetousness ; and are men-pleasers , and respecters of persons ; and yet your justification stands sure , and your fayth which you hold ; and this fayth is reprobate , which leads into the works of darkness : oh you are high , you are strong warriors for the prince of darkness , and greater opposers of the power of the lord , then they that have professed lesse , who are gone before : verily , this is fulfilled in this generation : publicans and harlots enter the kingdom , and comes to fit down with abraham , isaac and iacob , and you are shut out . will he accept you for your words ? will he accept you because you eat his bread and drink his wine ? and one of you is hungry , and another company of you plead that your communion must now be as much wine as you can drink ; and this is gods ordinance , you say . oh ye blind and slow of heart to believe ! is not parphar , and damascus and jordan , and all the water his , and the cattel upon a thousand hills ? is he beholding to thee for thy lame and blind sacrifice ? will he accept you for these things , while your wills stands , and while you hate to be guided by his light and spirit , which cleanseth the inside ? shall i not say as paul sayd of circumcision , it 's neither baptisme , or not being baptized ; it 's neither breaking of bread , nor drinking of wine , neither your observances and washings ; your prayers nor your fasts ; your feigned communion and fellowship ▪ but a new creature that god requires : not outward washings , nor things carnal , which none of these things makes perfect as pertaining to the conscience , nor the coming unto these , doth not purifie nor make the answer of a good conscience : while you do not witness that which makes you partakers of the divine nature , you have no fellowship with the father nor the son , but only sacrifice to your nets , and feed upon ashes , and would take those things which was but figures , to oppose the substance ▪ as the jews did ; and never looks for him to be revealed in you , who is the end of the figures , and the end of the law for righteousness , and the end of the prophets , who now is not worshipped in the oldness of the letter , nor in figures , but in newness of spirit , and in the new and living way which he hath consecrated for all them that come to him , and believe in him , and comes to within the veile : heb. . . nay , these things which you call ordinances , as you practise them , are not so much as the image of heavenly things ; and though you come to them year by year , and weeke by weeke , they do not make you that are comers thereunto perfect : for if they did , then there were a necessity for the continuance of them . but now to that of god in all your consciences i speak , which shall witness in the day of the lord , that your consciences are no more purified , nor you made any more perfect , then the first day you took them up . and this i say unto you in love to your soules , i know no more of the power and presence you do witness among you in these things , then if you worshipped in the temple at jerusalem , and burned incense , and offered sacrifice and burnt-offerings , which christ sayd was left unto them desolate : and verily in the day of the lords account , you shall bear witness unto me , that i speak not in mine own name , although you cannot believe : i say , the lord is departed out of these things , and the gentiles and heathen , who knows not god , hath now all these things to tread upon , and all also to feed upon : but this i say unto you , sacrifices and offerings without , which are carnal and elementary , and perishes with the using , he will not have : but he is come , whose flesh is the life of the saints , and his body is known which is prepared to take away sin : and it was witnessed of him ▪ and he is come to do the will of god : and this is he in whom the father is well pleased , who is the light of the world , and hath enlightned every one that comes into the world : and whoso is not led by the light , he is not led by the son ▪ and there is no offering but in the light that is accepted , nor nothing which is well pleasing to god ▪ but what he now commands , who is entered to within the veil , into the heavenly tabernacle : and you whose hearts the veile is over , and flesh is over , unturned to him you are ; and his face doth not see , nor his mind doth not know ; and now his worship is no more outward and carnal , but spirituall and everlasting : and all you that cannot own the measure of god in you , which shews you his teachings and doctrine , the offering up of that which is perfect , you do not know , nor the offering up in and by the eternal spirit you do not know ; and so doth not know purging away sin ; but still you are checked and condemned in your selves , notwithstanding your large phylacteries and long garments of self-righteousness ; and selfe taken in performance in your wills , from imitation ; yet all of you confess the guilt must remain : because none of you are come from under condemnation , therefore you judge all is so . ah ah , miserable redemption and justification is this ! what redemption is wrought among you ▪ when the light in your own consciences shews there is guilt ; and you are under the power of pride , and covetousness , and envy , and wrath , rayling and slandering them that bears witness against your deceipt ; and hath not power over your tongues , nor over your thoughts ; but are led captive by him that workes unrighteousness : nay , so ignorant are you , most of you , that you know not what it is that is in captivitie , and what it is that wants redemption , nor what it is which the gospel is preached to : and puritie of spirit you do not know . verily i say unto you all , whose minds are not turned to the light of christ , which will let you see , notwithstanding all your righteousness and fulness , which you judge you have attained to there is one thing you lack yet ▪ you that hath keeped all the commands in the letter , which few of you have done , you must sell all , and give to the poore : and yet before you witness a disciple of christ , you must take up the cross of christ which you all stumble at , and it is foolishness to you , as it was to your generation , who were in your nature who sought to be justified by the works without them ; and even you are the same ▪ looks that god accepts you , because you have conformed to the outward part of the law , or scripture : and if that will not do , then you looke to be justified by the righteousness of one you have heard of without you : and even then , when you your selves are found sinners , and so would make christ a minister of sin . how long will you speake these things , and how long shall the words of your mouth be as a strong wind ? doth god pervert judgment , or doth the almightie pervert justice ? job . . , . shall not he that sins dye ? and is not he that commits sin , of the devil ? doth god justifie him that 's of the devil ? nay ▪ he shall condemn him : the gospel is not preached to that seed , but the day of vengeance , and tribulation and wrath upon every one that doth evill : and whom he condemns , he justifies not ; and whom he redeems , he redeems out of sin , and creates them that they may walk to the praise and glory of his grace : them that praises grace , and glorifies grace , walks in it , and are under it , and it hath dominion over ; and their ungodlyness and worldly lusts is denyed ▪ and holyness and righteousness is brought forth , and the image of god is restored . oh how long shall death talke of the fame of wisdom ! how long shall a deceived heart lead you aside ! how long will ye be blind , how long will ye hearken to your imaginations ! is any redeemed out of sin ? where sin rules , and where it is acted , grace reigns not : is not this the grace of god which condemns mans will , and selfe , and the lusts of the flesh ? and you that are in your wills , and selfe in every thing standing , doth not the grace condemn you ? how then , or by what are ye justified ? but this hath been a piece of your divinity , when that in your consciences condemned you , looking up to christ justified at a distance . oh you vayn minds ▪ is not the light of christ one with christ ? is christ divided from his spirit , or against himself , or in himself ? when that his light condemns , and his spirit reproves thee for sin , doth he justifie ? doth not his spirit bear witness in the spirits of them that are sanctified ? and is not this the spirit which convinceth for sin ? and as thou actest sin , it reproves thee , and bears witness against thee ; then how should it bear witness to thee ? and so you may see , all of you who tells of justification by faith , that you are in a dreame , and not in the faith that justifies : for he that is justified by faith which is true , he hath the witness in himselfe : now if thou be reproved in thy selfe for sin by the light of christ , where is thy witness in thy selfe ? shew it . for them that are saved by grace , and justified by faith , selfe and self-will , and the lusts of the flesh , and disobedience to the grace of god , is judged and condemned , and selfe-righteousness , titus . . , not by works of righteousness that we have done , but according to his mercy he saved us , by the washing of regeneration , and renewing of the holy ghost . ephes. . , by grace are ye saved , through faith , and that not of your selves ; it 's the gift of god : and them that receives , and believes in the gift of god , are justified : and grace is the gift of god , which teacheth to deny ungodlyness : and them that are taught by this , it teacheth and leadeth out of all sin , and so redemption from sin is witnessed , and justification is witnessed ; and the gift of god which is the spirit of promise , seales the assurance in the heart : but where sin is committed , grace raignes not through righteousness : and thou that art here , art under the law , and under wrath and condemnation ; and art not under grace that justifies through faith : and so your cover being taken off , see your shame all , and blush and repent . the difference betwixt the faith which is feigned which is the worlds , and the saints faith . now your faith which leads you not to believe that you can ever be freed from sin , this faith is reprobate , and brings forth no good works , but dead works , and is not the life of the just , but the life of the unjust , which leads not to overcome the evil , and the works of the devil , nor leads not into the rest which is in god : for you speake your own words , and thinke your own thoughts , and hath not ceased from your own workes ; but worships in your wills , acts in your wills , speaks in your wills , and are your own , and doth not see an overcoming of sia , but a growing into it , into deceit more and more , and looking all is done for you ; and you believe christ hath done all , and hath fulfilled the law for you , and yet doth witness nothing done in you , nor the law fulfilled in you , nor sin destroyed in you ; and yet you say you lay hold upon the righteousness of christ by faith . o what righteousness is that you lay hold of , which is imperfect , and leads not out of imperfection ? that is not true faith that lays hold on a righteousness which is imperfect : and all of you say , all that is in you there is defects and imperfections in it , yea even the graces and gifts of god , you say they are imperfect : then consider , if you see imperfection in all those things you have laid hold on , and have received , then you know not faith , nor grace , nor the gift of god , which is perfect ; but believes in a dream of a thing done , and an apprehension of a thing at a distance without you : imagining you are eating , but when you awake you are hungry ; imagining you are saved , but when you enter into your hearts , see nothing witnessed , nothing done , nor redeemed from nothing ; your faith and hope stands in works , and that is all ; preaching the letter over , and proving that which is proved , and was proved in them that witnessed the life of those things in them that are written : but nothing is proved in you , but applies their righteousness , which was the righteousness of faith , and of christ , which was in them , wrought through death , to you that are alive in sin , and lust and pride , and enmity , and malice , and deceit ; yea , even to the head of the serpent , and so would be covered in your in quity , and saved from guilt and condemnation and wrath : but to be clensed from sin you regard not : for if you own that word , and faith , and hope which is of god , it will slay and kill that life for ever , and destroy all your wisdom which stands in the earthly nature : and therefore i say unto you repent , and cease from your way ▪ from your vain conceivings , and all be uncovered ; and you will see the first principle you have to learn : so all your faith which is out of the light , is seen , which you gather in from the letter , and not wrought in the light , it leads not out of the world , nor to above the world : but all who have faith , works in the light ; and mortification , and sanctification , and holyness is brought forth , in purity , uprighteousness , meekness , temperance , patience , and the fruits of righteousness : for it is not dead ; but the just man lives by it , and his works appeares in the world , and is as a light ; but your faith which is dead , talks of it : and when you are viewed in the light , no fruits of righteousness grow in you ; your hope and faith is vain , and it will not save you from condemnation in the day of the lord : and because you finde written in the scriptures , that by the deedes of the law no flesh can be justified , therefore you would exclude the worke of grace , and the righteousness of faith , and the life of christ , which brings forth fruits , and all faith is dead without works : for as the body lives not , but it moves and acts , no more is faith living , except it move : and so you whose faith stands in words , and in things taken on in the fallen wisdom which you read without you , that faith is reprobate unto every good work , and is vain : for the living is not witnessed , nor the dead raised in you to life , nor the lost sheep found , nor that which hath been driven away brought back ; but the earth yet closeth the blood , and the earth in you covers the slain , and the grave you see not opened , nor the dead raised incorruptible : and so you are unchanged , but the corruptible lives , and the mortal , and draws you after it , and is exalted , and the head not known , who is the life of men , nor exalted : and so he draws you ▪ not nor leads you not ; but you are led by your own wills , and another girds you not nor the gird of strength is not at all known but in words : and so the old man is alive uncrucified with his deeds : but his deeds are brought forth ; and so by your fruits you are known . concerning hope ; and the difference betwixt true and false hope . and to all sorts of professors i shall clear my conscience to you all , and finish my testimony , that i may dwell in peace with the lord , who hath commanded me to bear witness to his name ▪ and his love also constrains me ; and in love to the seed of israel , who are bone of my bone , and flesh of my flesh ; who are of the true circumcision , that they may come out of captivitie from among the lying inchanters , and sorcerers , and diviners , where they have been long held captive , and the heritage of the lord laid waste : and therefore you whose hope is without you it 's vain , whose hope stands without , in these things which are weak , as the apostle said of the law , which made nothing persect , because of the weakness and unprofitableness of it , which stood in washings ; and signes of the true tabernacle they were , yet they did not make perfect : so i say unto you , your bread , and wine , and water , which were figures of a more heavenly thing , they do make nothing perfect , but the bringing in of a better hope ▪ heb. . , . and so while you have hope in any thing without you , you stand in that which is imperfect ; and contends about that , but looks not for the hope to be brought in , by which you might draw near unto god , christ the hope , the light : and while this you own not , to lead you , the light , you cannot draw near unto god , but he will slay you , and kill you notwithstanding all your words : and all that walks in the light , comes to see the hope brought in ; and this hope purifies the heart , as christ is pure : and then by it and through it there is a drawing near unto god , and an access to him with boldness : for where the lively hope is ▪ there is no guilt ; then there is boldness : and so you whose hope is in words without , and not in you , you forget god ; all that forgets the light ▪ forgets god : your hope is the hope of the hypocrite , which shall perish ; whose hope shall be cut off as a spiders web , job . . , and all your hope which doth not purifie the heart , and give you victory over sin dayly ▪ is the hope of the wicked , job . , ▪ but the eyes of the wicked shall faile , and they shall not escape , and their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost . true faith how it is wrought ; and what it is in it 's effects and operations . now concerning faith , it is begotten in the heart of man , by preaching of the eternal word ; which word is nigh , in the mouth , and in the heart ; and all that comes to hearken to the word which is pure , and receive it , and believe in it , comes to see faith revealed , by which they draw near unto god ; and this is begotten by the word of faith , which is the word of christ ; which word is spirit and life to all that receive it ; and by it is the mountains removed , and sin overcome ▪ and victory witnessed over sin , mat. . . and this faith is pure , and leads into purity ; it is the gift of god , and leads all towards god that hath it : and it is perfect ; and all that stands in it , comes to have the will of god perfected in them , and that which is imperfect , comes to be done away ; and the just lives by it ▪ heb. . . and in it , and by it , and through it , is the righteousness of god revealed from faith to faith , rom. . . and all that do witness the birth which is from above , which is borne of god , which sins not ; faith is the life of this birth , which is just ; and the son of god lives by it , who doth the will of god ; as it is written ; the life that i now live , is by the faith of the son of god : and all who hath it , and believes in this , shall never die : for by it is translation witnessed from sin and death , and condemnation , into the immortal life ; and by it is gods righteousness revealed ; and well pleased is he with all who walk in it ; and where this is not , his wrath and displeasure arises : and all who stands in the least measure of it , is perfect , and comes to be free from sin ; for it brings and reveales the righteousness of god ; which justifies , sanctifies , and mortifies ; even the righteousness of god which takes away sin , and purges the heart from all filthyness both of flesh and spirit : and thus remission of sins comes to be witnessed ▪ and man justified by the righteousness of christ ▪ which is the righteousness of faith , wrought in the creature by the eternal spirit and word , which is one : and thus assurance comes to be made manifest : for it bears witness , and is the true evidence of the everlasting substance which is brought in ; and sin , and self , and all iniquity comes to be seen and revealed , judged and condemned , and cast out ; and gods righteousness comes to be the life of a believer , even the life of christ , which is immortal ; by which man comes to be redeemed and purchased unto god , and not his own , but becomes servant to him , and obedient to him ; whose life is given and laid down , and revealed to redeem his own seed : and all that come to see this , comes to prize his love , and walkes in his fear , and hath the shield of faith , by which they are defended from the enemie of their souls , and his temptations are resisted , and the fiery darts quenched : and so the enemies comes to be subdued : and this faith is present power against all sin ; and all that keep in it , out of doubts and distrusts , and consultations , and murmurings , come to be preserved : and all that hath this faith , doth believe the overcoming of all sin , and walk from faith to faith ; and they are daily renewed in the lords strength , and comes to have victory , as they keep in it , and so remains in the true rest with god for ever , which none that lives in sin shall ever come to attain unto . a word to all the ministers of the world , in all opinions and sects : and to all yourpeople in every sect. the lord is risen in his glory , and is arising in his power , to tread down the mountaines : all nations make way , make way , and all ye isles be removed , all ye high walls fall down , and all ye strong towers be rent asunder : all ye strong gates flie open ; ye fenced cities fall ; ye mighty men of valour bow ; your hands shall grow feeble , you mighty warriours for the prince of darknesse : a day of sore distress is coming upon you : the princes of tyre shall no more rejoyce ; ye dukes of edom shall fall by the edge of his sword ; ye daughters of the philistins shall no more rejoyce , nor ye daughters of moab ▪ who have been at ease from your youth , shall no more take pleasure in your delicacies ; for the earth is growing thin and feeble , where all your renowne and glory lay ; the root is cursed , from whence your joy hath sprung : god is risen , and blasting all with the breath of his mouth , and darkness shall cover all your pavilions ; and leanness shall cover your faces ; who have rejoyced at the captivitie of the holy seed ; for now is he arising , as a giant that runs his course , and shall tread down the earth , and blast all its glory ; and will fan the nations ; and all the uncircumcized in heart shall be as chaff , for now is the lord bringing his determination upon the whole earth , to cut down all the gods of gold and silver , and spoyle all your pleasant pictures and images which stand in the earth , which you have worshipped in your hearts ; yea the lord of life hath a sacrifice in babylon to performe , to confound her languages which is many , and to slay all her children , in the place where they have slaine the seed of the free-borne . woe is me ; what will become of ye ▪ ye shepherds who have nourished people into the nature of swine , and led into the nature of dogs , and hath driven away the sheep from the fold ; and hath begotten nothing but subtilty and deceit in peoples mindes ; hath made them wise to do evil , and subtil to deceive , and causing to turne away from righteousness ; yea many of their eares you have bored , and they have sold themselves to be bond-slaves unto you , and to their lusts for ever : a wofull reckoning will you make , to the lord of heaven and earth , who is coming to take an account of all , what they have done and brought , and what sheep they have gathered in : the bill is drawne against you all , you hirelings ; the cup of vengeance will be your reward ; not one lamb have you brought in the bosome of the father , nor one sheep into the fold ; but hath scattered them : so that by deceiving them so long with your strange voyce , they have forgot the true shepherds voyce ▪ for into a wolfes nature you have nourished them , and they are become wild ▪ and now loves no fold , no bond nor limit ; but loves to lie downe with you upon the mountains of iniquity , pride , lust , and deceit ; where all the wild beasts of the field play : and they are all gone out of the way , into the crooked paths of unrighteousness ; and they follow your example who leads them ▪ and this will be proved against you all shepherds who are idle , who loves the fleece , and feeds upon the fat , and seekes for your gaine from your quarter : the blood of soules will be your charge ; guilty will you all be found ; your mouthes stopped : the light in your consciences shall be the lords witness , bound will you be , and cast into utter darkness . and you that have set up your selves to be teachers , who pretends separation from the world ; who have run in your wills , and have gathered to worship an image with a more beautifull face ▪ you are strong , you are fat ; you shine ▪ you are full ; you appeare as oracles ▪ at which them that seeks after knowledge , seekes unto ; you are painted over with names and colours , and appeares of a comelie hue : your cup is golden and beautiful to behold , to the earthly wisdom , and desirable to drinke of ; yea many have drunke of it ▪ and are drinking of it , and they come to grow tall , and as strong as horses in battel , and as rampant as lions , and as behemoth , who thinkes he can drinke iordan drie . but one thing you have left behind you , and that is the cross of christ , which is the power of god : now is the lord coming to fan you , and to weigh you , how you came hither , to tell of justification , and of being saved by the righteousness of chist , when you will not owne the simplicity of the gospel ; nor the meeke principle to giude you into the lambes nature : your flocke is not so speckled as the former , and yet they feed in the same pasture , where knowledge , the tree of knowledge is the food ; which nourishes them into a strange nature , and turnes them farther into degeneration . woe is me for you all , who are leaders , and you who are thus led ; upon the left hand among the goats you will be turned , who hates the still small voyce ; that you cannot abide to hear in you : therefore you are erred for lack of true knowledg , and you shall goe into captivity with them that go into captivity : for you have lost the key of knowledge , and you are setting up , and seeking to open , with another thing then the key of david ; but you must either have that ▪ or else , where the saints life is , you cannot come , although you are reaching at it with your sensuall wisdome ; but farther it flies from you . oh when will you be weary of feeding upon ashes ; of winde and air , which puffs up your fleshly mindes ! when will ye seriously consider , what ye enjoy of god , and what you possess of him ? are you not lost in your selves , in and about that which you acount great part of obedience unto your god ? are not some of you who are called baptized persons , differing about the form ? some baptizing into this , some into that ? some sprinkling , some dipping , some plunging : where is your example for these things ? nay , do not the most of you conclude no salvation without it , although in words , some of you will denie it ? and as for that you call your supper and communion , which is but carnal and earthly , you have none of you the forme ; one of you is for eating before supper , another after supper , another for as much bread and wine as you can eat and drinke ; and so your god is your bellie , and you mind earthly things : and in stead of remembring of christs death , you crucifie him afresh , one with lust , another with envie , another with pride ; and so in stead of coming to the table of the lord , you feed at the table of devils ; and nourish the flesh , and deceit and uncleanness : and as jannes and jambres resisted moses by making likenesses ; so do you resist the spirit of the lord , because it comes not according to your carnal will , nor your vaine conceptions : and so deceit leads you all , and the cross of christ you know not ; and those things you have formerly declared against you now take up : some pretends sending out to preach ▪ & takes tythes , others crying out against them in words , and yet upholds them , and payes to the priests whom you say is not ministers of christ ; and so waste the lords , goods to uphold deceit ; and betray the just in your selves ; and not one of you will suffer for that you judge your principal ; and now you begin to creep into the idolstemples , and worship there , and seekes to the powers of the earth to uphold you : and one of you preaching up free-will ather downe , another an election of persons , and yet you never knew true faith which is without respect of persons : another company of you ▪ dreaming of a personal raign in your carnal imaginations , and judges just such a god and a christ as your selves , that you may live in pride and lust , and filthy and earthly mindedness , and envie ; and yet talke of raigning with him : but of being baptized into his death , you know nothing , nor suffering with him you know nothing of , nor of bearing his reproach dayly nor of suffering the spoyling of all : and denying all for him , this you are strangers to ; and you that tell of exercising your gifts , you have no gift but acquired by long raking in the letter , and the exercise of your carnal wit and knowledg in contention and strife : you have treasured up a great deale of stuff in the earthly memory ; and this you call a gift of the spirit ; and such a one you make a pastor or an apostle on , and he begets into his image ; but still in the curse , and makes proselytes in the same likeness ; leads into sorts and opinions from the true gift of god ; for who hath a gift , it exercises him first , and then he declares unto others of those things which the gift of god hath wrought in him : and he that knowes the gift of god , is led out of his own way , will , and time , into his will from whence it comes : and here is the ministrie christ alwayes blessed ; not in their owne wills , but in his will , and this wrought a reall change in people , from satan's power unto god's power ▪ and so in all your separation , self shines in all you have : not the forme , much less the power . another sort tells of a power to come , and of a greater glory to be revealed , and a more glorious ministrie then hath been yet ; yet your eyes is without , and the glory you looke at , is in great words ; and your expectation will fayle : for you neglect the present measure of christs gift that leads to repentance , and that you are got above , and this is too low a thing for you ▪ you judge because you heard of this , and talked of it ▪ therefore you are past this ; but i shall say unto you all adulterers and adulteresses , come down from off your mountaine of exaltation exalted above the door and the cross : and you that are here , are thieves and robbers ; your mindes is without , feeding upon the tree of knowledge and imitating : the best of you , in your fallen wisdom , and your foundation , is but upon report , as the vagabond jewes were ; in the name of jesus that paul preached , they would cast out unclean spirits ; and they were sorcerers : and what are you now , who only preaches of christ that paul and peter and john , in the name of that jesus they declared of , and his righteousness they spoke of ; but knows not his name in you , or his power , nor his righteousness , but in tradition , imitation , and conforming in the earthly will : here is all your worship , all of you calling the letter the light , the word the gospel ; nay some of you so impudent as to call it spirit and life : and so now you are made manifest and seen ; and your god , and worship , and all your profession , is tryed by the light , is seen , comprehended and weighed , and judged with the light ; and all this will be too narrow to cover you in the day of the lord , which is coming as a thief upon all the world , who make mention of the name of the lord but not in righteousness : & therefore strip you , make you bare , be uncovered , cast off your old ragged covers which will rust and wax old ; and mind the first principle , the light that shews you evil , and own it , to lead you , and guide you out of sin , or else i testifie unto you , you shall die in your sins ; and wrath eternal will be your portion , except you repent and cease from your vain thoughts and words , and wait to see the law of god revealed in your hearts , that may shew you sin , and condemn this nature in the transgression , and doe it away , and slay you , and quicken another thing which is dead in trespasses and in sins : and while you sin , the image of god is dead , and christ suffers : so while you have time , prize it . f. h. to all you who put out the eye , through long accustoming unto sin ; who are near utter darkness . and you mingled people of babylon and egypt ▪ who are in darkness , and loves to be so ; who are blind , and loves to be so ; who wallowes in your iniquity , and loves to be so ; who live at ease in the flesh , in pleasures and wantonness , you are dead while you live ; you have taken up your rest in the earth ; you are inlarging your barnes , you are cieling your houses , and you are building with hewne stone , and cedars ; and are laying house to house , and land to land , and are making your selves great in the world , and seeking a name among men : you are swallowed up of the earth , and you go upon your bellies , you feed upon dust . vvoe unto you that are here , you have your consolation here , you lay up your bags , where thieves break forth and steal : your garments are moth-eaten , your gold is rusty , & your silver is cankered ; and there is your god which you worship , which you have set up ▪ and worships in your heart . and when you have over-reached your brethren ▪ and cheated , and oppressed , and defrauded your brethren , and are grown rich , then you say , god hath given you all this ; when as ye have stolen it , and got it in usurie , and oppression , and deceipt : and when you have it , spends it upon your lusts , and by your greatness grinds the face of the poor when you are become strong in the earth , and have spread out your boughs so broad that nothing can grow that is neer your shaddow ; and yet talk of god at a distance ; but you know him not , but live in carlesness and ease , and liberty of the flesh ▪ and pleasing the carnal mind : the mighty day of the lord is at hand , which shall come as a theife upon you , and require all your souls at your hands , and take them away ; and then whose shall all these things be ? and all you poor blind people of the world of all sorts , who followes the blind guides and teachers of the world , who know not the path of righteousness themselves , but live in covetousness , pride , oppression , seeking for their gaine from their quarters in the steps of their fore-fathers the false prophets which the lord declared against by ieremiah , isaiah , ezekiel , hosea ; and christ cryed out against such blind guids as led the blind : and the apostles declared against such whose hearts was exercised with coveteous practises ; and them you set up for your teachers who are not taught of the lord : and they walk in the broad way , and you follow their example ; and yet you have a green tree to worship under , which seems beautiful in your eyes ; you talk of a god and christ ▪ and of his gospel and ordinances ▪ but knows him not , nor his will , nor how he will be worshipped , but according to the customs and fashions of the nations ▪ as the heathen doe ; and follows the traditions of men , and lives in pride and fulness , and at ease , lust , and envie , in covetousness and double-mindedness , in drunkenness and riotousness , sports , pastimes , pleasures , gaming playing , nourishing your hearts as in a day of slaughter ; wanton wilde , in swearing , lying ▪ cursed speaking ; in foolish jesting , in filthy communication , in laughter and folly , which is madness : the dreadful god of heaven and earth is arising in his power , and his day is coming upon you ▪ that shall rip up your hearts , and you shall see that you are heathens ; and knows not god , although your idol-shepherds and hirelings have told you you were christians , because you came one day in seven , and heard a few words spoken from the imagination of their own braine , and all the week long and year long live in carlesness ▪ and in all the abominations before mentioned , and many more ; and yet you hate to be reproved , and hate to be reformed : dreadfull is the day that is coming upon you , all sorts of carnal professors , and vain talkers , and busie minds ; which talkes of that you cannot witness : terror ▪ terror , dread and wrath , vengeance in flames of fire , will god raine upon the ungodly , and snares , and turn them into hell , with all them that forget god . think on this , oh all you careless wanton earthly minded people , whose god is your bellie , who glory in your shame , who minde earthly things , and turnes his grace into wantonness , and sport your selves as in the day-time ; and never consider your latter end , and sleights the day of your visitation , and so dies in your sin ; and will lie downe in everlasting misery except you repent . terrible and dreadful is the day that is coming upon all the world , and all you who make mention of the name of the lord , but not in righteousness , in the many sects , and opinions , and judgments , in babylon , confusion , and error ; the lion hath roared , who will not fear ? the lord hath spoken , who can but prophesie ? the lord hath roared out of sion ▪ and uttered his voice from jerusalem , he will send a fire in the gardens that you have made , and consume all the thickets round about it ; and you shall be a shamed of the oakes that you have chosen , and of the trees you have worshiped under ▪ and the groves where ye have committed fornication with other lovers ; and hath forsaken the lord , and joyned your selves unto idols : and now your hearts is become hard , and you will have none of the wayes of the lord , nor will that christ should reigne over you ▪ for you hate his light which shews you sin and evil , and would turne you from it , and out of blindness and ignorance : but your wills leads you , and the crooked ways of the serpent you follow ▪ but now is the time neer finished ; all your joy shall be at an end , and all your lovers shall forsake you ; and you shall mourn and howl ye careless people , who live in deceit , and are wise to do evil , and mighty to work wickedness , but to doe good hath no understanding . awake , awake ; arise , arise , and stand all up to judgment : let the heathen be awakened , for the lord shall roare out of sion , and utter his voice as a whirlwind ; and the heavens and the earth shall shake , and the mountains shall melt at his presence , and all the hills shall melt before him , and all the isles shall flie away at his presence , who is risen to take vengeance upon all the ungodly ; and all shall be slain before him . assemble your selves , and come all ye heathen , and gather your selves together round about : for the lord will plead with you as in the valley of jehoshaphat , and there will he sit as judge , to give every one their portion according to their work . awake , all you that are asleep , and stand up to judgement ; the angell of the covenant is come , and the time of harvest draws neer ; the reaper is come with his sharp sickle , and is come , for the press is full , and the fats overflow ; for their wickedness is great : multitudes , multitudes shall be slain , and bound in bundles , and cast into the lake , and into the valley of decision : the sun and the moon shall withdraw their shining , and the stars shall fall , and lose their light ; yet a little while and time shall be no longer , but you will be swept into the pit , where shall be weeping and wailing , and gnashing of teeth , and overturned as sodom and gomorrha , and you shall know there is a god , who is pure and holy , who will judge you not according to your words and feigned deceitfull hearts , but in righteousness . and so all dread his name , and fear him , and tremble before him , and bow your selves , and submit unto him , least you perish for ever from his presence , and be tormented with the devil and his angels in the lake of everlasting fire . and all you ungodly , think on this , for this shall be the portion of your cup for ever , who sleight the day of gods love and visitation , and turnes his grace into wantonness : his long-suffering shall come to an end , and his spirit will not always strive with you : and then he will arise in his wrath , and take vengeance upon his enemies , and bind the tares and the briers and thornes in bundles , and cast them into everlasting fire , where , where is perpetuall exilement from the presence of god , and from the lamb for ever and ever , and from the light of his countenance ; and this as the lord lives will come upon all who are not cleansed from sin , and purged from your iniquity ; and destruction is of your selves ; it is not because there it no balm enough in gilead , nor no physitian , nor because you have no grace nor power ; but because you despise it , and will not come to christ , who is the light , least your deeds should be repoved ; nor mind that which is given into you , to lead you out of sin ; and so the one thing needful you heed not ; and you that doe not , will lie down in everlasting misery and sorrow world without end . and now to you that are tossed and finde no rest for the sole of your foot ; but are still led aside into pollutions and sin , and knows not how to come forth , nor where the power is . cease gadding abroad , and seeking in that principle which leads you further from god ; and from your own wisdom , and reason , which is in the fall , and in the disobedient nature : for there can you never finde peace , nor the way that leads unto it : all that you have heard , you see still there is one thing lacking , and you are unsatisfied : and while your eyes are without , his power you know not that gave the saints dominion ; and the further you inquire in the natural fallen wit and reason , the further you are off the first principle that leads to know god . now i say unto you all , christ jesus , who is anointed of god to preach glad tidings to the poor and to the captive , who in the days of his flesh declared and preached the kingdom of god was neer ; yea in them , i say unto you , now he preaches by his spirit in the world ; and he is now in the world : and this is he that convinceth the world of sin , and shews thee thy evil deeds by his light in thy conscience : and as thou waits upon that light that is given from god , it will open thy understanding , and let thee see all that ever thou hast done , and will bring trouble upon thee , and a true sensibleness of thy condition ; and will bring wrath upon that nature in thee which is corrupt and contrary to the light : for the light is of the nature of christ jesus ; and so thou wilt come to see as thou waitest in the true light wherewith ▪ christ hath enlightned thee withal , two seeds , and each of these seeds hath a nature , and they are one contrary to the other in their natures : the nature of the one is to work unrighteousness ; and of the other , to bear witness against sin , and also works righteousness ; and these two are contrary : the one leads into bondage the just , and the other leads into bondage the injust : the one is the image of god , the other the image of the devil : and if thou wait in the light , thou wilt see two striving in the wombe ; and here is nation against nation , and kingdom against kingdom ; and these are at variance ; and the life of the one is the death of the other . now that which lets thee see that cain and ismael are goodly children , who are of the first birth , yet they must not enter , nor have any share with the seed of the free-woman , but must be cast out , and therefore another seed must be witnessed , which the promise is to : who are born again , are born of that which is pure , of the living water , and that washes from sin and uncleanness ; and also of the spirit , which is life : they that are borne of this , enters into the city , where no unclean thing enters ; for god takes nothing into communion with himself , but that which is made holy , and cleansed , and purged , and purified , by the operation and working of his spirit ; which spirit is life to them that receive it , and it reproves them that receives it not : and this is in the world , and reproves the world ; yet the world receives it not , and so lies wholly in wickedness , in darkness , and blindness . now unto you that hath but any stirring or desires begotten in your hearts after god or his truth , that so you may know the power of god which gives dominion over sin , hearken a little , and i shall declare unto thee , if thou have an eare to hear christ jesus who is the light of the world , and hath lightened every one that comes into the world by his true light : and this is it that shews thee thy evill deeds , and the vanities of the world , and shews thee what is evil , and discovers unto thee all things that ever thou hast done , and will check thee when thou doth any thing contrary it , and judge thee for that which is past : and this is the gift of god ; and as thou turns thy mind to it , it will turn from sin and evil unto jesus christ from whence it comes : and this is present with thee ; and as thou hearkenest to this , thou seest god is pure , who is present , and by the light takes notice of all thy actions and performances , with what heart thou dost them , and offers them up in : and this will let the see if thou regard iniquity in thy heart , all is abomination to the lord : therefore keep into this , and it will shew thee sin and evil before thou commit it ; and as thou stands in the counsell of the light , thou stands in the counsell of christ , and his power preserves thee ; for the light is power : all that hearken not unto another , is preserved out of sin , and temptation , and pollution , and sees an overcoming by the power of christ which is present : and here is a guide to all your minds who have wandred here and there and have found nothing ; here you come to know the doctrine and teaching of christ which leads into all truth all that believe in it , and receive it ; and so it will change you out of pride and wantonness , out of covetousness and earthly mindedness , and from sin it will lead you , and from the pathes of unrighteousness , into righteousness , which is the pure path of the lord , which all comes to injoy peace in , who walk in it : but the cross of christ must be taken up daily , or else you cannot walk in the way of the lord : and so to the cross all come , and to the yoak , that you may see the wild nature bound under and limited , and your vain thoughts judged out , and you may come to see the straight way where no lyer can enter , nor no ravenous beast , nor no unclean ; but they come all to be kept out : and so as you love your soules , and the way of the lord mind the witness of christ in you : and if you go from it , and despise it , it will follow and pursue you , and you shall never know peace : while you stand in disobedience to the grace of god , and the free gift of god , you can never see redemption , nor know gods power which he gives unto all that receive him : and you cannot receive his gift , but self and self-will must be denied ; and so the will of christ , which is the will which wills in the light , and works in the light , and reveales sin by the light , and declares righteousness through the light ; and here the coming of christ comes to be seen , and his day comes to be known , which abraham saw : but through death this comes to be read and known : and so turne all to this here : the word you will hear , which is pure and powerful ; it separates as you hearken unto it , and divides between the pretious and the vile in you all who love it ; and it 's nigh thee , in thy mouth , and in thy heart , and discerns thy thoughts : and here thou wilt learn , as thou waitest in patience of the son , in whom the father is well pleased : and if thou hearken to any other , it 's the false prophet which leads thee to error : and so the displeasure of god will come against thee for ever until thou return . blessed is he that hears , and receives and considers , and prizes the offers of grace , and the day of gods everlasting love , and ownes the gift of god in him revealed , which leads to repentance , and works a change in the heart and mind of all that believe in it , and gathers up into its nature all that waits in diligence , and believes in it , : and so the day of redemption comes to be seen , and known out of death , out of the grave ▪ and immortality comes to be brought forth , and incorruption comes to be put on : and they that witness this , can truely say we have found him whom our soul loves : and doth not look for any other . blessed is he that hears , and considers , and waits to be made partakers of gods righteousness revealed , justifies all that receives it , and believe in it ; and they by it comes to be pillars in the house of god for ever , and follows the lamb whither soever he goes , where pure peace is injoyed for ever and ever . finis . a copy of a paper sent to john otway, justice of the peace, concerning swearing howgill, francis, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing h a estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : b or : ) a copy of a paper sent to john otway, justice of the peace, concerning swearing howgill, francis, - . [ ] p. s.n., [london : ?] caption title. signed at end: francis howgill. this item appears at reel : bound following wing c , "a journal of the life of ... will. caton," and at reel : . reproduction of originals in huntington library and earlham collge library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng oaths -- quaker authors. society of friends -- apologetic works. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - andrew kuster sampled and proofread - andrew kuster text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a copy of a paper sent to john otway , justice of the peace , concerning swearing . my friend , tho i am little known to thee , or acquainted with thee , as to any converse or conversation , yet hearing of thy sobriety , and readiness to hear and enquire into those things which are scrupled among christians ; and what may be said for or against any thing wherein every true christian ought to be satisfied in his mind , before he can believe and receive it as a truth ( to have his conscience obliged thereby ) which i account a point of wisdom , and not to take things upon trust , and hear-say , and tradition as many do , without any further enquiry ; also understanding , that thou hast not a hand in persecuting thy neighbour , in bringing them into bonds , and others which i know thou mightst have done , had not somthing in thy self limited thee beyond either law or examples , which i hope thou wilt never have cause to repent thee for : for the meek shall inherit the earth ; and to the merciful god sheweth mercy . and if ever there was an act of mercy , this is one , to be tender of them that are tender of gods glory and worship , when so great severity hath been used against them that fear the lord in their hearts , which is the seat of the lords judgment in man. likewise hearing , that thou at a publick session at kendall lately , in thy charge or speech in the court , spoke something about oaths , and the lawfulness of them , and said that some gave false glosses upon matth. . and james . and did assert the morality of them among christians , and how the angel swore after christ had given that command ; and shewed a necessity of them among christians . the consideration of these things , with some other , was an inducement unto me , to write these few things unto thee , and shall leave them to thy consideration , , and to the spirit of the lord in thy self to judge according to that , and seeing i am a sufferer at this day , and a great one too , upon this account , which if i were not certainly perswaded upon good ground of the truth of that i have believed in this particular , i neither could nor would suffer for it ; but i must not forcean implicit faith upon any , only judging it may induce thee the more to consider what i say . i have had my share of long contests about this thing amongst my brethren , and much hath been written about this particular by divers hands , whether any of them ever reached thy hand or not ; but however , i would not be tedious unto thee , and therefore shall contain my self in as narrow a compass as may be in so weighty a matter , for which many thousands have and are like to suffer . first of all , there was a time when there was no oaths , when man was made in the image of god , which consists in righteousness and true holiness , equity , long suffering , patience , goodness , mercy and truth , wherein man was in a capacity to believe in god , and men to believe one another : this was in the beginning after the heavens and the earth was made , and all things that are therein ; then there were no oaths , neither needed any , for truth lived and man in it , and that spoke ; and a certainer testimony there could not be , nor a greater : and this was before sin and unbelief entred . . whosoever comes to witness a restoration again into the same image by christ , the second adam , as all that are born of god and are true christians indeed do come to , there will be nothing but truth speaking and ruling in the heart , and in the words : and oaths ends . . but after man had transgressed , and eaten of the tree of knowledge of good and evil , and went from the power of god , and had broken the covenant of god , he lost his wisdom , and folly entred ; he lost truth and a lye entred and unbelief : so that he believed not god , neither the sons of adam in the fall could believe one another ; and sin being entred , and death by it , deceit grew fast and unbelief , and but a few in a generation bore the image of god before the flood , as abel , enoch and seth , and some few in comparison ; and the rest generally corrupted their waies , and bore another image , and went after the imagination of their own hearts , and set up images and idols ; and also after the flood when the earth began to be replenished , the cursed seed grew faster , and many great nations became ignorant of the true god , and made gods of gold and silver , wood and stone , and reverenced them , and worshipped them , and stood in fear of them , and had them in esteem ; and swore by them as the greatest thing , and gloried in them . . abraham who feared the lord , and hearkned unto his voice , whom the lord singled out of many people , as a righteous root of whom he would raise up a righteous generation ; and more righteous than the rest of the nations , and made a covenant with him , and he was called the father of the faithful , and was the original of all the tribes of israel , and the thousands of the people ; but the most of them became vain also , and as corrupt as other nations . and the four hundred years that they had lived among the egyptians , they learned too much their manners , and were much corrupted and darkned in their understandings , and therefore the lord was wroth with them , and few were made partakers of the promise , because of their unbelief . . the law was added because of transgression four hundred and thirty years after the promise was made ; or as some account from the creation two thousand years , which law was given at sinai to israel , and not to the gentiles ; as it is written to jacob , he gave his law to israel , his statutes to every nation he did not so ; which law some of latter times have divided into three parts , moral , judaical , and ceremonial : which distinction i do not read of particularly in the scripture . moral , as that which pertaineth to the manner of israel , how they ought to worship god , and walk towards their neighbour . ceremonial , that which pertained to the priests and people , as to form or discipline , which was shadowy . judaical , as that which belonged to their policy or state. the two last generally are acknowledged ( if i may say parts of the law ) to be ended , and is not binding unto christians ; but the first part , some have said , is moral and perpetual ; the discussing of which would take up more time and reading than i intend to trouble thee with . . seeing the law , all of it was added because of ( transgression ) that was the cause its evident , if there had been no transgression there had needed no addition of a law , as a limit or rule : so whosoever comes thro christ jesus , to witness transgression finished , and an end of sin , they become dead to the law ( tho they are not without a law to god ) for it hath power over a man as long as he lives , to convict him , and judge him ; but being come to the image of god against such , there is no law , tho they are not without one , as i said , to god and his christ. . but because the lord would not suffer israel to walk according to the heathen , he in love to them , gave them a law sutable to the state they were in before the seed christ was manifest , and the covenant was sutable to their state ; their minds was outward ; and their covenant was outward : their minds was mutable , their covenant was so ; and these pertained to a part above the seed , and were shadows of good things to come , which ended all in christ ( tho not destroyed ) so the tabernacle , temple , priests , oblations and offerings ; sabbaths , fasts , feasts , oaths , tythes , circumcision , and the like , tho they were all real commands of god in their time , and continued unto the time of reformation , that is , till the law ended , and the priesthood , covenant and hebrews . . it is granted by us in the covenant , the jews might swear , and did in truth and righteousness , and were commanded so to do , to swear by the true god , and reverence his name and sanctifie it ; and least they should swear as the heathens did by their false gods , and reverence them that are no gods , he commanded to swear , and fear and reverence his name that was the living god ; and i look upon it as the low condescention of god , or stooping to them in their state they were in , because there was unbelief in them ; therefore to end strife they might swear , and it was permitted them , even as it was to have a king when their hearts was set upon it ; so the lord considering their state , the lord swore by himself , for their sakes , and as they swore by the greatest ; so he by himself , being there was no greater to confirm the truth of his words , because of the weakness of their faith , or rather unbelief . . but we do not read of all the oaths amongst the jews for some there was that feared an oath , that ever they were imposed under any outward penalties , as they have been of late among christians in name ; but for all the scriptures and examples that have been or can be brought , to prove oaths lawful under that ministration and covenant to save all men the labour , who would contend for the jews swearing , we allow the same and assent to them ; so thus them that will contend and prove swearing , then they shall contend without an adversary for me or that people i own in judgment . . but the great thing that seems to carry all the weight on its back , is the morality of it still among christians , as some plead ; unto which i answer , was not the sabbath of the jews , as moral of that of oaths , or any other command in the ten , or elsewhere , which i have heard some parish priests say was moral and perpetual among christians , and yet they themselves break it by practice ; the command reached only to the seventh day , and whoso alters it , lets up another thing , and then how is it moral . the like doctrine they teach about oaths , and hath darkned peoples understandings without distinguishing betwixt time and time , and ministration and ministration ; but some say , christ came not to destroy the law moral but to fulfil it ; it is granted again , some say , tho they very far strain the words in the third commandment , we are not only forbidden to take gods name in vain , but to sanctifie by praying , praising , and swearing upon occasion : if i grant all these under the gospel in force , in the substance as under the law ; i say , leave nothing of the shadow , or type , or ceremony , as to be standing or binding among christians ( as it is not . ) it s granted , the substance of all had nothing of force under the gospel : for the law had a shadow of good things to come that came by moses , but the grace , the truth came by jesus christ , the substance ( and he is the substance ) and he living in a christian , speaks and testifies the truth , and there need no other in any judicature , and that was never denied by us but often profered , but seldom received . incense was the ceremony of praying and praising , but the substance is lifting up the heart to the lord , from the motion of his spirit ▪ and praising is making melody in the heart to the lord. and circumcision of the heart is the substance of the circumcision in the flesh , rom. . and christ the substance of the passover ; and christ is the substance of that shaddow or ceremony of swearing , and that which every christian ought to do , is to speak the truth , and to testifie the truth from the heart , and this is the substance , and that which is required under the gospel ; and this we never refused , and this divers learned men hath confessed is the sum ; read isa. . . and compare rom. . & . and so is confession of a truth , and testifying the same about any matter , be not equivolent with an oath under the law. . as for matthew . and james . we give no glosses upon them , but do receive the words as they are , the precepts of christ and james ; and we cannot allow all those glossers , who would pervert their words from their jenuine sence , which we take clearly to be a limitation from all swearing whatsoever under the gospel ; and not only in communication , but even before all men , and at all times ; not only from vain oaths , and false swearing , and by the creatures , but from all swearing whatsoever , the scripture is so evident and so clear , that its much that any should stumble at the commands ; the very stop of the chapter clears the thing ; yea , even some who have contended against us , have been made to confess that the perfection of obedience required under the gospel , was above that the mosaical law did exact or teach ; and from these scriptures , so dr. gauden and vsher , the one contended against the quakers , the other for the waldenses against the romanists . christ saith of old time it hath been said , thou shalt not kill ; thou shalt not commit adultery ; thou shalt not for swear thy self , nor by the creatures ; and if they were not to swear by them alone , nor the altar , neither head nor foot , then , why now by the bible or upon a book , seeing that it s made of creatures ? but it s said by the contents of the book what doth the book contain more then true words ; and if the heaven of heavens cannot contain him , i am sure the book cannot . away with this imposed traditional ceremony . but christ saith , whosoever is angry with his brother , is in danger of judgment . and again , love your enemies ; and whoso looks upon a woman , and lusteth after her , hath committed adultery : but i say , swear not all , but let your yea be yea , and your nay , nay , whatsoever is more cometh of evil ; so that its evident he speaks of a further perfection of obedience under the gospel , than under the law : for if it be only vain oaths and false swearing , and by the creatures that he prohibits , then the law had said as much , and he said no more than the law , for these were reproved by the law ; but its manifest he required a more exact obedience than under the law ; and likewise those things that had been permitted because of the hardness of their hearts , he took away and brought them by his doctrin to that state which was in the beginning before darkness and hardness was . and as concerning the angels swearing , to which of the angels said he , thou art my son , this day have i begotten thee ? and again , i bring forth my first begotten son , and let the angels worship him : and therefore the ministration of the son is above the angels , and both angels and their ministration are to give way unto christ , and he must be worshipped ; and no example of either angels or men ought or can violate the commands of christ. . it was a doctrin believed and received among the primitive christians not to swear at all , that there was no question made of it , tho in the times of persecution , when their liberties and lives lay upon it , yet they denied to swear , and keep in the first gospel doctrin taught , and would not violate it . a cloud of witnesses i might bring to confirm the truth of what i say in that particular , but that i intend this only as a manuscript and no further ; so i will not be tedious , but only take a few fathers whose doctrin is generally received . origen saith , it behooves not a man , who lives according to the gospel , to swear at all . chrysostome forbids not only swearing , but to swear at all . jerom , the gospel truth admits not of an oath . austin , any man that is a common swearer , no more credit can be given than to a lyar , a thing too much in use in our age , yet none debarred from swearing in judicature . jerom upon mat. . and james . these are his words , it was permitted to the jews , being in wickedness and infancy to offer sacrifice to god , least they should sacrifice to idols , so they might swear by god , not that it was righ ful so to do , but because it was better to swear by the lord , than by false gods or devils ; but the great evangelical sincerity and truth admits not of an oath , since every true saying is equivolent thereunto . theophalact , hillary , athanasius , theodoret , and lactantius , and others taught much against swearing without any limitation . polybius observes in the best and purest times , and simpler ages of the world , oaths were never used in judicature ; but after unbelief and lying increased , oaths increased . justin martyr saith , it was enough security in all cases to say , i am a christian ; and if any oath either for matter or manner was tendred , they repeated this as the only satisfaction they could give , i am a christian. polycarpus and basilides , both martyrs , denied to swear at all , and what is this become such a strange , new , and dangerous doctrin amongst us in those days that profess christianity ; as that now are reckoned good members either of church or state but swearers , but i have done , desiring thee to peruse these things over in the same love that i writ them , and what ever thou dost hold thy hand from persecution , for assuredly god will bring a rebuke upon the nation for it , and all them that withstand the lord in his people . farewel . thy true friend , francis howgill . the glory of the true church, discovered, as it was in its purity in the primitive time also, a manifestation how and when the apostacy came, and how long it hath continued in the church of rome, proved to be in it, because she differs in doctrin & practice from the church of christ in the apostles dayes : published for this end, that people may be informed, and their understandings opened to discern of the times and seasons, and see the difference between the lambs wife and the mother of harlots / by one who desires that all may come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved, and walk in the light of the lord, francis howgill. howgill, francis, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the glory of the true church, discovered, as it was in its purity in the primitive time also, a manifestation how and when the apostacy came, and how long it hath continued in the church of rome, proved to be in it, because she differs in doctrin & practice from the church of christ in the apostles dayes : published for this end, that people may be informed, and their understandings opened to discern of the times and seasons, and see the difference between the lambs wife and the mother of harlots / by one who desires that all may come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved, and walk in the light of the lord, francis howgill. howgill, francis, - . [ ], p. printed for giles calvert ..., london : . numerous errors in paging. imperfect: stained and print show-through. reproduction of original in the british library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng society of friends -- apologetic works. anti-catholicism -- early works to . apostasy. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the glory of the true church , discovered , as it was in its purity in the primitive time . also , a manifestation how and when the apostacy came , and how long it hath continued in the church of rome ; proved to be in it , because she differs in doctrin & practice from the church of christ in the apostles dayes . published for this end , that people may be informed , and their understandings opened to discern of the times and seasons , and see the difference between the lambs wife and the mother of harlots . by one who desires that all may come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved , and walk in the light of the lord , francis howgil . london , printed for giles calvert , at the black-spread-eagle , at the west-end of pauls , . to the reader or readers . great hath been the wisdom which god hath shed abroad in the hearts of his people , and made known unto his servants through ages , wherein he hath made known his mind and will at sundry times and in divers manners , sometimes by types , sometimes by shadows and representations , sometimes by dreams , sometimes by visions , sometimes by prophecy , and there was not the least ministration , but it had a glory in it , and the one living god manifested his mind unto the sons of men who feared his name in every generation , and shewed unto them , and signified his mind unto them what he was , and shewed unto them how he would be worshipped , and they that were obedient unto that which was made manifest in every age and ministration found acceptance with the lord , and the peace of god in their hearts ; after man had transgressed and gone from his maker , and lost the guide of his youth , and broken gods covenant , then blindness came upon him , and a vail was betwixt him and his maker , and man increased and grew in an earthly part , and lusted after earthly things , whith fed and increased that part , and the image of god was lost , in which the creature delighted , yet notwithstanding such was and is the love of god towards his creation , and to his workmanship , that he did not utterly cast off man for ever , but followed him to draw him back again out of the transgression , to have unity with him who was his maker , and when man was gone into the darkness , the lord stooped so low as to come near him , and to that state he was in , and made a covenant with man , ( when mans heart was outward upon outward things ) and gave him commands outward , and statutes and ordinances outward , that he might worship therein , which were shadows and types of some better thing to come , and these were the ordinances of the first covenant which pertained to the changeable part that was above the seed , but they typed forth more heavenly things which was to be revealed in due time , and when the seed came to be manifested and raised up , they had an end and the cloud passed away , and the day did spring forth in clearness , and he brought forth which restored all that believe unto god , viz. christ jesus ; then did god more clearly manifest himself in the earth through his son , who had the will of the father and declared it , who rent the vail , and put an end to the shadows , and blotted out the hand-writing , and ended the types and figures , and all that believed in him , who was the end of them and the sum of all , he overthrew the nature in them which was changeable , unto which they pertained until the time of reformation , which was when he was sacrificed up a propitiation for the sins of the whole world , and they that did believe and received him came to be the sons of god , and declared the mind of god as it was revealed , and as the spirit gave utterance , and many did believe , and did grow up and become of one heart , mind and soul , and worshipped god with one accord , and in the spirit and in the power of the father , and separated from the jewish worship and the form thereof , and met together in the power of god , and glorified god , and spoke of the things of his kingdom unto all that waited for it freely , and the lord was honoured by them , and glorified in them . but soon after the mystery of godliness was brought forth , the mystery of iniquity began to work and opposed the work of the lord , and transformed into the similitude and outward appearance and form , and yet lived in the flesh , and there began to be an apostacy , and a deviation from that glory and power which was once revealed , and antichrist wrought with signs and lying wonders , and got the words , and hated the life and power , and them that appeared in it , and then they that were under his government and reign hated the reign of christ , and said in their hearts we will not have him to rule over us , though in words they confess him , and then persecuted and drove the true church into the wilderness , and set up imitations , and inventions and traditions , and vain customs which they have called apostolical , and holy institutions , which are contrary unto primitive institutions and ordinances , onely brought in by them when darkness began to spread over the earth , when the bishops , in the first three hundred years after christ , began to contend about dayes , and times , and meats and drinks , and rome began to claim superiority over all churches called christian , and the pope became as a law-giver . i have led thee through divers ages and times as briefly as possible may be , to single out the original and beginning of those things , and who were the first ordainers of them betwixt this and the apostles dayes , which are now accounted as holy institutions ; the state and glory of the true church in this treatise thou wilt see before the apostacy , and the state in the apostacy , how she fled into the wilderness , and how mystery babylon was raised , and the false church called her self visible , many of her doctrines and practices which are contrary to the primitive church are here discovered , and the authors and formers made known , whereby thou may come to see a difference in the ordinances of the true church , and the traditions and inventions of the false church , which are too much contended for in this day by them who say they are come to the true reformation , according to the primitive times ; but thou wilt see as thou compares but their practice with the primitive times , to be quite contrary , and to be but smoke , and that which has darkened the ayr , clouded peoples understandings , and hath led them into ignorance and darkness , so that the way of truth hath not been discovered unto many ; but the lord is arisen and that which comprehends time is made manifest , and all that which hath got up in the apostacy is viewed and seen and laid open to the view of all , that they may depart out of these things which are but the inventions and traditions of men , in which eternal life is not to be had . read with meekness , and in that which is spiritual in thy self , through which the things of god are made manifest , for with that i have unity , and in that as thou livest and walkest , i bid thee farewell . f. h. the principal heads treated upon in this following discourse . . the state of the church from the manifestation of christ in the flesh to the end of the apostles , briefly discovered . . the entring in of the apostacy and the declination from that purity and doctrine , worship and practise , downward unto this present age and time . . the reformed and separated congregations called parochial , proved in the apostacy , compared with the primitive times in worship and practise . . a few words unto all , how they may come out of the apostacy to the true church which is in god the lambs wife . . concerning baptizing or sprinkling infants . . concerning the sign of the crosse , and ordaining of parishes and parochial churches . . concerning swearing by the gospel as it is called , and kissing the book and bishopping of children , the first authors shewn . . concerning fasts and feasts , and holy dayes , their institutions and founders in the apostacy . . concerning priests vestures and garments , and bells , their authors shewn which are practised amongst christians as apostolick institutions . . concerning the mattens and singing of psalms by course in musical tunes , and supplications , and short prayers called lettanies , their authors shewn . . conrerning the passeover and the lords supper , and the ceremonies about it . . concerning ministers and their office under the law , and under the gospel . . concerning the ten persecutions under the heathen emperours , and how diverse vain traditions and institutions got up among the christians in those times , and constitution amongst the east and western churches after the apostacy was entered in the first . and . years after christ. . of the decrees of the church of rome , and ordinances which are held as apostolick institutions . . concerning the general councils since the apostles dayes which belonged to the church of rome ; their decrees not infallible but are contradicting one another . . concerning the worship of god , and whether kings and rulers ought to compel in spiritual things , declared ; and some scriptures cleared , and divers objections answered about this thing . . concerning oaths in the first covenant , and the lawfulness thereof and the unlawfulness thereof discovered in the new covenant in the gospel times , though the apostates mingle the ordinances of both together . . tythes in their first institution unto whom they were due according to the command of god , declared ; and that tythes are no way lawful to be received , neither sought for by any who are ministers of the new covenant , and the everlasting gospel , proved out of the scripture and antiquity . . respecting of persons and complemental bowings and worshipping one another , and flattering titles no good manners , but are in the transgression , and hath been antiently reproved and condemned . . universities and schools of natural learning are of no use , as to the making of ministers of christ in the primitive times , but a thing introduced , and brought in , in latter ages , by the apostates who had erred from the spirit , who then admired and set up natural languages and philosophy , that thereby they might be furnished to make discourses , speeches and sermons to get money by ; and as they are holden up at this day , are made an absolute idol ; and as to their practise , it s generally known to be prophane , and no way meet to advance the church of christ. chap. i. the state of the true church , from the manifestation of christ in the flesh , to the end of the apostles dayes , briefly discovered . god according to his determinate will , and everlasting counsel , in the fulness of time , sent his onely begotten son into the world , to be the light of the world , and to be a leader to the people , and to be a propitiation for the sins of the whole world ; who obeyed the will of the father in all things , according as it was testified of him by moses and the prophets , and as it was said by david concerning him , in the volumn of thy book it is written concerning me . i come to do thy will o god , psal. . . and so he did as it was written of him , he fulfilled all righteousness , and ended all the types , and figures , and shadows , and worship of the first covenant , as the apostle testifieth of him , heb. . . the law was changed , and the priest-hood changed , in that they were but figures and shadows of good things to come ; and in regard that they were faulty and did not make the comers thereunto perfect , as pertaining to the conscience , but the bringing in of a better hope did , and the better covenant , to wit , the covenant of life and peace , which the prophets by the spirit had testified of from moses to samuel , and till john , and john likewise bore testimony of him , who was the lamb o god , that took away the sins of the world , joh. . . . and now he being come ●o whom the prophers testified , who was not made by a carnal commandment as was aaron , and the rest of the priests under the law , but after the power of an endless life , offered up himself once for all ( putting an end to all the offerings of the first covenant ) for the perfecting them that are sanctified . heb. . . now he being come into the fulness of time manifest , according to the testimony of the prophets , he fulfilled all things which the prophets testified of him , and his works did testifie of him that he was the son of god ; now he declared the will of the father , and discoursed with them who were doctors and ministers of the first covenant , declaring unto them divers times , and shewing unto them in divers places , that the kingdom of god was at hand , and to be manifest in power , and testified of himself and the father also with him , and his works declared the same , that he was the everlasting high priest , which put an end to all the first priest-hood , covenant , and ordinances thereof , and he preached the word of the kingdom , and declared against them who sticked behind in the figures , and types , and shadows ▪ and did reprove them , to wit , the professors of the first covenant , who were searchers of the scriptures , and said , you will not come unto me that you may have life ; i am the bread of life that came down from above , and came to fulfill the law and all righteousness , and to publish the word of faith , which did not make void the law , but establish it which was new ▪ and so he said while you have the ●ight , believe in the light , that you may be children of the light ; and this he spoke to the pharisees , which had the law and the prophets , and were acting in the types , and figures , which were shadows of the thing it self , but not the very thing , but he preached the very thing ; the word of the kingdom , the word of power , and the word of life , and many were quickned by it in their hearts and minds , who believed and heard the voice of him who was the son of god , and so came to live ; who could not be made alive in the exercising themselves in the ordinances , and many believed in him , and he chose unto him disciples who believed in him , and sent them out to preach repentance , and to begin at jerusalem , though they were the chiefest professors and ordinance men , and were for conformity to the ordinances of the first covenant , yet repentance was to be preached to them , and the first principles of religion , though they had been and were the greatest professors and observers of the ordinances of the first covenant that was in the earth at that time . and afterwards he sent out disciples , and gave them commandment to preach , and disciple all nations in the name of the father , son and holy ghost , and these which he sent out to preach the gospel , unto whom he gave power to cast out devils , and work miracles , prophesied after a season the word of the kingdom , both to jews and gentiles according as the prophets had testified ; and these who was sent out and made ministers by the holy ghost , and received gifts from the holy ghost , for the work of the ministery , they preached not up the ordinances of the first covenant , but preached christ the everlasting covenant , and the power of god , and the wisdome of god for the remission of sin , and the word of faith they declared in the mouth and in the heart , and went not to tables of stone to direct people thither , but to bring people to believe in him who was the light of the world , and lighteth every man that cometh into the world , that all men through him might believe . and many did believe in him who was the covenant , and did believe through the apostles words who was commissionated , and fitted for the work of the ministery , and through their words which they declared many did beleive , both of jews and gentiles , and as many of jews as did believe , and separated from the temple , priests , sacrifices , ordinances of the first covenant ; and they met together in houses and other places , acts . . chap. . , . and the gentiles which believed separated from their dumb idols , after which they had been led formerly , and from their temples , and ceased any more to ▪ offer unto idols ; and they met together at certain places , in towns , and cities , not onely at jerusalem , but also at antioch , collosse , the ssolonica , corinth , and divers other places , which were long to enumerate ; act. . . chap. . , . chap. . . but now mark this , that by which the apostle gathered them from the jewish temples , and priest-hood , and the gentiles from their ●dols temples , was by the preaching of the everlasting gospel , to wi● , no● the law , nor the ordinances of the first covenant , but the power of god , and the word ▪ of reconciliation ; for the first covenant of the jews made not the comers thereunto perfect as pertaining to the conscience ; neither the gentiles idols temples nor worships , made them perfect as pertaining to the conscience , but rather made them worse and more corrupted , heb. . . but the preaching and publishing of the word of reconciliation that did , it was committed to the disciples , it was received and believed in by many , both iews and gentiles , as at ephesus and elsewhere , and they were made a habitation of god through the spirit , ephes. . . now mark this , they preached not up the letter of the law , nor that which was written in tables of stone , for the first priest-hood that was ended , and the ministry of that , and the vaile was over their hearts while moses was read , and their ability stood not in the litteral knowledge , or in that which was written ; but they were able ministers of the new testament of the spirit , and so all that did beleive both jews and gentiles , who received the word of faith , which was nigh in the mouth and in the heart , rom. . . they grew up in the knowledge of god , and of his holy sprit , and great gifts grew amongst them , as of prophecy , of speaking with tongues , of interpretation , and there was diversity of gifts , and diversity of operations , yet all by the same spirit which the apostles was made ministers of , and which , they that did beleive and receive , received gifts from it , and knew the operation of it , which wrought in them mightily to the throwing down the strong holds , cor. . . and the principalities and powers of darkness , and to the translating and changing of them from darkness to light , and from sa●ans power , to the power of god , even into the kingdom of his dear son , col. . . and several congregations in divers places were all one body , whereof christ the life was the head , in which they had believed , and of whose power they had tasted , grew up in knowledge , and wisdom , and gifts ; and the day of christ approached which abraham saw ; and they exhorted one another & admonished one another , and when they met togethere at several places , every one according to the gift of god , as he had received ( nor from the letter ) but from the spirit , did and might admister to the edification one of another , and to the building up and comforting one another in the most holy faith , which gave them victory over sin , which faith was ought in them by hearing of the word that was nigh them , in the mouth and in the heart , which was the word of consolation , which was in the beginning . moreover when they met together , they might prophesie one by one , and every one exercise his own gift to the edification and comfort of the body , as the spirit did lead them in order , and if any went out from his measure , he was judged by them that were in the spirit . furthermore they that had beleived the gospel which was published to them for remission of sin , they grew up into great enjoyments and attainments in the righteous life of christ , which was manifest in them ; and though first they knew the ministration of condemnation and the sentence of death , yet afterwards came to know the ministration of the spirit , and the sweet assurance ard testimony of it , bearing witness to the spirit , that they were the sons of god , and they were made heirs according to the promise , heb. . . and were made joynt heirs and co-heirs with christ in the kingdome which is immortal which fados not away , and did come to know mount sion , and the city of the living god , heb. . . and it were large to speak of the glory and the transcendent excellency of the church of christ ( which became a purchased possession to him ) in the primitive times , or the first hundred years after the manifestation of christ in the flesh . but take notice of this , that them that were sent out , who had received freely of the father , of christ , and of the spirit , ministred freely , as they had received freely without making any covenants , or enquiries after wordly revenews ; but went from city to city preaching the gospel of christ freely , as they had received without any conditions from the people ; and as many as beleived and received the gospel , did minister freely , their hearts being open unto them , who had declared unto them spiritual things , acts . . mat. . . &c. so that we read of no compulsion , or forceing maintenance from any of the cities whether they beleived or not believed , the father took care of such harvest men , and what they received was given freely , and there was no complaint , though often they denyed that which was profered to them , and their care was to make the gospel of christ not burdensome or chargable , but rather their hands should minister unto their necessities , act. . . again , though divers gifts were given unto the disciples before and after christs ascention , as some to be apostles , some prophets , some evangelists , some pastors , some teachers , and some elders or bishops ; yet they were all made ministers by the holy ghost , yet it were large to speak of the power and of the wisdome , and of the enjoyments of god in that day and time , and of the gifts , and of the order which was in the church at that time . but in a word the son of god was made manifest and gave them an understanding , and they knew him that was true , ( truth it self ) and christ was revealed in them , and manifested to them the hope of their glory , col. . . furthermore , they came to see over the new moons , and fasts , and feasts , and dayes , and times , and meats , and drinks , and nonecould judge of them , or ought to judge of them in those cases , for they saw the body christ , for the man-child was brought forth , and the woman was cloathed with the sun , who had the crown of twelve stars upon her head , who brought forth the holy child jesus , who saves his people from their sins ; in whom all shadows , types , figures , representations ends ; this in short was part of the glory of the primitive church , which would be large to spake of , as it was in the first state of its purity ; but hereafter some fuller thing the lord may bring forth in his own time and day . chap. ii. concerning the entering in of the apostacy , and the declination from that purity of doctrine , worship and practice , and when it began downwards from the entering of it in , until this present age and time . christ the true prophet , which moses spake of , whom the lord raised up , & manifested in the fulness of time , he prophesied and declared of false prophets that should arise , mat. . . beware of false prophets which shall come unto you in sheeps cloathing , which are inwardly ravening wolves , ver . . ye shall know them by their fruits ; and in mat. . . but many false prophets shall arise and deceive many , and this came to be seen , and fulfilled in the age of the disciples ; and john testified , joh. . . little children it is the last times , as ye have heard that antichrist should come , even now there are many antichrists , whereby we know that it is the last time , they went out from us , but were not of us ; and chap. . . so they entered in then and went out from the light , from the power of god , which the apostles preached for the remissions of sins . and jude he testified against such as was entered in , who was in cains way , that were degenerated , and killed , and in balaams way for gifts and rewards , and yet preached up the words which the apostles spoke , ( but for filthy lucre ) and had mens persons in admiration because of advantage . and peter said , false prophets and false teachers should arise , that should bring in damnable heresies , that should deny the lord that bought them , and many should follow their pernicious wayes , pet. . . and the apostles wrote to timothy the bishop or overseer , that the spirit spoke expresly that in the last times some should depart from the faith , giving heed to seducing spirits , and doctrines of devils , speaking lies in hypocrisie , forbiding to marry , and abstain from meats , &c. tim. . and again paul in the tim. . saw the apostacy coming in , and perillous times should come , that men should be lovers of their own selves , covetous , boasters , without natural affection , truth-breakers , false accusers , dispisers of them that are good , traytors , heady , high-minded , lovers of pleasures more than lovers of god , men of corrupt minds , reprobate concerning the truth , having a form of godliness , but denying the power ; and as the same apostle saith in another place , was enemies to the crosse of christ ; and these went out into the world , and this is . years agoe and upwards . then the mystery of iniquity began to work and worught , and they went out and did not preach up the jews religion , the ordinances of the first covenant : but they preached christ in words , and transformed into the form of the apostles words , but denyed the cross , and spoke those things they ought not for filthy lucre sake ; and there was the beginning of the hirelings that care not for the flock , and those went out into the world , and many followed their pernicious waies , and there held the form but denyed the power , and so indeed preached another gospel , and they lived in the liberty of the flesh , and held people in the liberty , yet prosylited them into a kind of a faith which was seigned , and these kinde of false apostles , and deceitful workers , led many after them ; and there was the beginning of the apostacy , and they published these things in the world , and when the name of christ came to be in reputation , and the preaching of the gospel to be in request , then they for filthy lucre went out with the words , and retained the form , not the jewish from altogether , but the form of the saints worship and practice , which were in the church of christ , which were elect and precious ; and they grew to such a head and to such a body , and became such a number ; and yet gain-sayers , and in cains way , for they were out of the power , and out of that which mortifies the deeds of the flesh ; and they spred themselves over nations , and kindreds , over tongues , and people ; and nations , and kindreds , and tongues , and people , have now got the name of a church , and the seat thereof came to be great , the false church the harlot , mystery babylon the mother of harlots , which had denied the husband christ , the power of god ; her seate was set upon nations , kindreds , tongues , and people , and these were her seate ; and john said these were the waters , which he saw the whore or false church sit upon , and she turned , and all her children against the free-woman , the lords spouse , the lambs wife , and made her fly into the wilderness , for a time , times , and half a time , and she reached out her golden cup ( a fair out-side ) but full of fornication within , and she claimed christ to be her husband , and sate as a queen , and the kings of the farth , john sa● in the revelation drink of her cup , and bewitched by her sorceries ; and then all the nations becoming water , and unstable , being drunk with fornication , sraggered up and down , and reeled up and down , and stood in nothing , being out of the power which should have stablished them : and then a great beast arose ( out of these nations , kindreds , and tongues , and people , which are these waters ) with seven heads and ten horns , and then these apostatized disciples or ministers which preached for filthy lucre , and them that beleived them , sheltered them under the beast , and cryed , who is able to make war with the beast ? and the kings of the earth gave their strength to the beast which arose out of the waters ; and now the false church gets upon him , ( these that had the form of godliness and out of the power ) and rides upon the beast and he carries her , and hath done this many years , and she hath travelled in the greatness of his strength . and then laws began to be made about religion , and then began compelling ; we heard of none in the primitive times , nor in the true church , but now the false church calling her self by the free-womans name , and getting on the outward dress , and habit , and attire , saith i am she ; have not i the form and ordinances which was practised in the apostles dayes ? who doubts of that , may look into the primitive times , and see that i am conformable to the form which was amongst the first christians in things that are outward . and thus she hath deceived the nations , rev. . . now rome look to thy beginning , and read thy original , and view thy antiquity . we will grant thee every dram , and every hour of time these thirteen hundred years , and prove thee to be in the apostacy in doctrine and practice from the primitive time , after the first hundred years after christ was manifested in the flesh . and christendom look about thee , for thou art measured , and thy compass is seen ; if nations , and kindreds , and tongues , and people , have drunk the whores cup , since johus dayes , as will be made manifest ; then what cause hast thou rome , to boast of antiquity , and universality , for that doth the sooner prove thee to be a harlor then the true church , and thy universality which hath long been boasted of , proves thee no more to be the true church of christ , then the sea can prove it self to be a rock ; for if nations , kindreds , and tongues , and languages , and people universally be the waters that the whore sits upon , and the beast rose out of the waters . now read thy self ; we have measured thee as in the hollow of a hand , and we have thee in the apostacy , clear thy self when thou can ; if the beast compelled all both small and great to worship him , and made war with all that bore not his image , then we have thee between us and the apostles time as in a press , for not such compelling was in the true church , by any ecclesiastical or secular power ; instance if thou can from the apostles writings any such thing , or where cains weapons was lifted up , or creatures men and women killed by the sword , or destroyed with lingring torments in the time of the apostles . now in that it is said the church hath been universal , to that more might be said . europe or some parts adjacent is not all the earth , and it is no where found since the apostles , that klling , and compelling , and forcing hath been but by thee , and them that are at the best , but in the suburbs of thy city which afterwards i shall in brief descend to , and so it is evidently known , that thy church ( so called ) hath been upheld more by cruelty and force then any sound doctrine or practice agreeable to the apostles dayes : though thou may wipe thy mouth , and say i am clear , we persecute none to death , we have a beast to ride upon , and will make war for our city , and will compell to our worship , and institutions , we 'l cry him up for the higher power , and we will frighten people that who resists this , resists the ordinance of god ; and he will kill , and destroy , and compel , and force , and we shall be clear , and he will call us the holy church , and we will call him the higher power ; and so it is clear and evident by what hath been said that thou art in the apostacy , as hereafter shall be manifested by name and practice . first , thy ministers are not according to the ministers of christ in the primitive times , their call not such , their practice no● such . they were made ministers in the primitive times by the holy ghost and by the spirit , but yours by natural parts , tongues , arts , philosophy , and study , and packing up old authors together to make a little discourse of , and this must be called the gospel . secondly , the ministers of christ they preach freely , not for gifts , and rewards , and tythes ; but you have brought in judaisme , tythes which belongeth to the first priest-hood , your oblations , obventions , your mortuaries , and these invented , and introduced things to maintain your ministers by . thirdly , the ministers of christ did not compel any at corinth , thessalonica , macedonia , or any other church to give them such and such maintenance by force , who received not their doctrine . but you compel and force , and have made that which you call the gospel , chargeable to the earth where you have power , cor. . . fourthly , your doctrine is contrary to the doctrine of christ and the primitive times , as that the real and substantial presence of christs body and blood ( after the consecration of priests ) is in the bread and wine which may corrupt , and so doth not the body of christ do contrary to christs doctrine , who saith he that eats my flesh and drinks my blood shall live for ever , joh. . . but you that eat that which you call his substantial and real body and blood ; both it and you shall corrupt . fifthly , of the unbloody sacrifice of the masse , this sacrifice doth no good at all , for where there is no blood there is no life , and where there is no blood there is no remission saith paul , heb. . . and so your sacrifice is abominable , and an idol , and such an one as there is no mention made of in the scriptures . sixthly , of your liturgy , and publick prayers in an unknown tongue , this is an unprofitable and a vain worship , and this is like your unbloody sacrifice ; herein you are like barbarians one to another , and how should they that worship with you say amen , when they know not what you say , you praying in an unknown tongue is contrary to the apostles doctrine , who said , cor. . and the verse . i thank my god i speak with tongues more than you all , verse . yet in the church i had rather speake five words with my understanding that i might reach others also , then ten thousand in an unknown tongue . seventhly , your doctrine of purgatory , an invented and an imagined thing , as to clense from sin ; this is contrary to the primitive doctrine , the blood of christ clenseth from all sin , john . . and your distinctions of mortal and venial sin is to blind people withal , for the wages of sin is death , rom. . . eightly , of worshiping and invocation of angels , and saints as mediators between us and god ; this is contrary to the primitive doctrine , there is one mediator between god and man , even the man christ jesus , tim. . . and he alone makes intercession for all them that beleive . heb. . . and the angel reproved john , rev. . , . when he would have worshiped him , and said unto him , see thou do it not , for i am thy fellow servant , &c. and the prophet said thou art onr father though abraham know us not , and israel be ignorant of us , isay. . . ninthly , of reliques and sacred images , this is contrary to what the lord spake by the prophets , lev. . . ye shall make you no i dols nor graven image , neither rear you up a standing image , neither shall you set up any image of stone in your land , to bow down unto it , deut. . . neither shalt thou set thee up any image , which the lord thy god hateth ; and ezek. . and your images shall be broken ; and rom. . . there they were condemned that changed the glory of the incorruptable god , into an image made like to corruptable man , &c. thus you may plainly see your idolatrous image worship is forbidden , and condemned in the law , prophets , and new testament , and as for your reliqne worship you have neither command nor example for it from christ nor his apostles . many more things might be enumerated , which is found among you in the apostacy , as your voluntary poverty , and feigned humility , and your wilful vows , and many more things which are found to be contrary to the church of christ , which must be turned from and denyed , if ever you come to know the everlasting gospel which is to be preached again to the nations , by which they must be brought out of all this apostacy . furthermore , as to the practice and discipline of the catholick church ( as it is called ) which pleads for antiquity , we find it not consonant and agreeing to the churoh in the primitive times , the first hundred years after christ. as for the vestmeuts your priests wear at certain times , one on this manner , another on that , your ecclesiastical men , or church-officers of several ranks and orders , such we find not in the primitive times , in that which may be truly called primitive . and for the invented holy dayes and their eves , for fasting , and feasting , we find no such things in the primitive times , and such a service for such a day , and such a worship for such a day , we find not in the first hundred years after christ. and for your lent , which one of your fathers invented , and this was his ground , because god had the tenth of the increase or tythes due to himself , and for his ministers under the law , therefore it was necessary that the tenth part of dayes should be allowed as tythes to the lord ; o grosse ignorance , and palpable blindness , midnight it self came upon you in the time of your visibillity , when the true church was fled into the wilderness . as though the lord was not lord of all dayes , and as though all dayes were not his , and to be used to his glory . and your prohibiting meats , and distinguishing of meats , one holy for such a day , another for such a day , flesh one day , and fish another day , as though there were not the flesh of fish , or one thing were clean and another unclean . and this invented trumpery hath been observed for catholick and apostolick doctrine , but by whom we must needs tell you , by the nations , kindreds , and tongues , and people , upon which the whore sits , and out of which the beast rose . and we will grant you antiquity enough this many hundred years , and yet we will prefer the primitive times before you , and bring their doctrine , and practice to reprove you , though we do not desire to go in cains way , and to kill creatures that are out of the doctrine of christ , and contrary to apostolick and catholick doctrine , which wrestled not with the flesh and blood , but with spiritual wickedness , whose weapons were not carnal , but spiritual , and yet they had great might in them , and threw down by these weapons , that which never could be by carnal , cor. . . again , your forbiding to marry , which is reckoned by the apostles doctrine to be a doctrine of devils , and contrary unto that the apostles doctrine was , marriage is honorable in all estates , the bed undefiled , heb. . . and seeing you plead peter was at rome , and peters chair , and that the bishop of rome doth succeed him , and hath the keys as peter had ; why do you exclude the chief bishops as you account them , from marrying , and divers other orders , seeing peter had a wife , and seeing that it is catholick , and apostolick doctrine ( before you could claim the name of visible church ) that a bishop should be the husband of one wife , and should not be covetous nor no striker , nor given to wine , nor filthy lucre , &c. but since the bishop of rome hath appropriated to himself , to be the head of the church , and the chief bishop over all the catholick church , it hath been manifested how much covetousness , and covetous practices hath been acted , as money for pardons , and indulgences , and get money for the living and the dead , and the invented purgatory hath filled your coffers , and your meritorious works have been sold at a dear rate ; in so much that a poor woman who hath lost het husband , and he deceased must pay ten shillings for a mortuary , that he may be prayed for , or some of your merits may be accounted to him which you have in store as a stock to sell to any , who come with a prize in their hand . and from whence have you all these tythes ; have yo● not borrowed them of the jews ? and yet you are no jews , and such things we do not read among the iews were tytheable , as pigs , eggs , hens , and geese ; to omit greater matters , and the smoak passing up the chimneys , and that which you call your peter pence . and this is contrary to the catholick and apostolick doctrine , which peter would have been ashamed , to ever have mentioned either amongst iews or gentiles . and now i would ask you a question or two , seeing john saw the true church flee into the wilderness , the woman that was cloathed with the sun who brought forth the man-child . what cause have you to boast of visibility , or universality ? now when were you in the wildernesse ? if your church hath not been so , then it demonstrates that your church is nor the woman cloathed with the sun , for she did fly into the wilderness as with the wings of an eagle . secondly , whether hath your gospel been universally and publickly preached these sixteen hundred years or nay ? and is it the very same that was preached in the first hundred , or two hundred years , seeing that john saith , that all nations did drink of the whores cup of fornication . and then n●tions were waters , seeing he saith the gospel shall be preached again to nations , kindreds , and tongues ; which clearly demonstrates , there was a time when the everlasting gospel was not preached to the kindreds , and tongues , which are the waters upon which your church is scituated ; and it is evidently manifested that yours hath been another gospel then that which was preached in the apostolick church , and in the catholick church , the first hundred or two hundred years after christ was manifested in the flesh . much might be said , to demonstrate the truth which is in hand , that there hath been an apostacy , the beginners whereof came forth in the apostles dayes , and afterward ; grew into a body and became like a great sea , which according to the best ecclesiastical writers , which have given a narrative of the first five hundred years , declared that there was a great loss within . years ; but in five hundred years or less , the very power of godliness was denyed , and very much of the form . and though your church pleads antiquity for a thousand years for these things a fore mentioned , which they would be hard to prove ; for although it should be granted them , yet we will joyne issue with them in this thing , and are able to prove all these doctrines and practices , not to be as it was in the first two hundred years ( except they will own such as taught the doctrine of balaam , and taught the doctrine of devils , and went in cains and chores way ) for an example . it were not hard to prove the introducing of all these things before mentioned , and how they have come in by degrees , one counsel that rose out of the waters ordaining this , another ordaining that ; and so have risen up into this great body of darkness , some of the practices borrowed from the jews , and some from the heathen , and some invented of themselves in latter ages ; so that the worship that was in the spirit and in truth , in christs and the apostles dayes is turned from , and such a numberless number of vain traditions , avemaries , creeds , and pater nosters , and such a deal a do as there is about their unbloody sacrifice of the masse , that they are glad to be counted by their beads on strings , as many very well know ; by all that which hath been said may easily be collected , that there hath been a great diviation , and apostacy from the doctrine and practice of the primitive times ; thus far as i am descended i leave it to the reader to judge , and compare these things with the churches doctrine and practices in the first hundred years after christ , and if these things be found invented , and without footing or ground , then let them that are informed , depart from them . chap. iii. but now to descend a little further , nearer unto our own age , to speak somthing to them , which i believe look upon themselves , to be catholick and apostolick in doctrine and practice according to the primitive time and order , and that they are totally come out of the apostacy . this i have to say to you , which is my judgement and belief , and that upon good ground , that you are in many things in the apostacy , as hereafter i shall demonstrate , and to tell you nakedly and plainly we look upon the reformation which was made in denying the church of rome , to be but very weak , and poor , and feeble , and imperfect , comparatively with the doctrine and practice , and order in the primitive times , in so much that we judge upon good grounds that it cannot be parrelled with the church in the primitive times , which i have spoke of before , in that you have denyed the pope to be the head of the church , and so are called protestants ; so am i , knowing that christ is the head of the church , and ought to rule by his spiritual scepter and his eternal power in the hearts and consciences of people , and in and over the true church which is his body whereof he is the head ; and let all take heed who doth intrude , and take upon them that which belongeth to the king of kings , and king of saints , as to matter of head-ship , regulation , or goverment , for all power is committed unto him in heaven and earth , and the father hath given it to him , and will not have any other have that glory ; but whosoever seeks it must be condemned , and his glory he will not give to another . for the lamb is worthy of glory and strength ; and though the church of rome be generally acknowledged to be in the apostacy , by them that are separated from them , and that upon good grounds , yet i say the separation is in some little or smal part , more in name then in nature , more in form then in power , more in some circumstantial things , then in the very ground it self , and very many of these doctrines , practices , discipline and order ( as they call it ) i find to be upholden , practiced , and contended for , which are found in the former i have mentioned . first of all to instance that which is generally holden out by the reformed protestants , is , that the writings of mathew , mark , luke and john , and the several epistles is the gospel which the primitive disciples and ministers preached and published , and which people did receive , and by believing the found thereof , were accounted christians , and believers . we would have all to know the gospel was preached to abraham , before mathew or mark or any of the apostles writ a word . moreover we would have all to know , that christ had preached glad tidings to the captives , and some of the disciples had preached the word of the kingdom , before matthew , or mark , or luke , or john had wrote a word ; my reasons are divers , matthew , mark luke , and john must needs hear and see that done which they testified of before they writ , and if matthew , mark , luke and john be the gospel , the writings of them i intend , then the disciples could not preach it before it was given forth ; and if the epistles be a part of the gospel , this the disciples , could not preach before it was written , for paul succeeded and was converted , after divers of the apostles had preached the gospel ; so then doubtless the disciples and apostles , had something to say , and declare and p●blish before any of the new testament was written ; and it is manifested that they were not sent out to preach the law , nor the ordinances of the first covenant , after christ were offered up the end of the first ; so then there was something , and is something which was preached by them , and is to be published now to all that are made ministers by the holy ghost , and that is in few words ( the power of god ) which was before the new testament ( so called ) though the words declare of it , but is not it ; now they went and preached , and discipled in the name of the father , son , and holy ghost , which is a ministery far beyond the written or declarative sound ; and indeed is a spiritual and invisible thing , which the apostles , acts , . . declaring his message which he had received by the holy ghost , saith , i was sent to turn them , ( viz. the gentiles and iews , and them of arabia and else where he sojourned ) from darkness unto light , and from satans power unto gods power , that they that beleived in the light and received the power of god , which he preached to them , might receive remission of fins , for remission of sin was onely preached in his name , and no name under heaven there is , by which men can be saved , but by the name of jesus , though the apostles spoke according to the motion of the spirit , in divers words , calling him the gift of god , the free gift of righteousness , the unspeakable gift , the true light that lightneth every man that cometh into the world , the power of god , and the wisdom of god , which wisdom and power they had received , and because the son of god was revealed in them , the apostle said , i am a debter to the jews , and the greeks , rom , . . and he having received this freely of the father , he went to the ●ews , and went to the greeks , to the gentiles and heathen , where the name of this gift and power , and jesus had not been named and published , freely without gifts and rewards , and the necessity did lie upon him , cor. . and the love of christ which was shed abroad in his heart constrained him , and made him reckon himself as a debter unto all , because of the abundant loving kindness and riches of gods love and grace , and spiritual gifts , which he had received , he longed , and thirsted , and travelled to communicate it unto others . largely i might speak of this hidden mystery , as to demonstrate what the gospel of christ was and is , but in what i have already said , them that are any thing spiritual minded will iudge , that the law and the prophets , matthew , mark , luke and john , and the epistles , was not the everlasting gospel , but it was a thing beyond and above , and before any of these writings was ; although they all in their several ages , bore testimony of it , ( viz. ) the power of god , which condemns sin in the flesh , and mortifies the deeds thereof , and gives victory over it , and taketh up all that believe in it into one life , power and vertue , into pure peace , and heavenly contentment , and perfect satisfaction : so you who are calling the letter the gospel , or the new testament writings the gospel , i would ask you a question also ; when was there a time since the first hundred years after christ , or in that time till now , but these words and writings have not been spoken and preached bought and sold as a gospel , not only in the church of rome , but also among all them that are separated from her , even untill now , this hath been preacht to nations , kindreds , tongues , and people ; and if the writings be the everlasting gospel , then how doth john say , or why did he so say , that the everlasting gospel should go forth again , and be preacht again after the apostacy , or to bring out of the apostacy ; but it clearly implies the words had been preached and published , and the temporary writings which was given sorth at divers times had been preached up for gospel these many hundred years , which many have received by tradition ; but the power of god , and the gift of god , by which , and from which the ministers of christ in all ages ministered , hath been wanting , if not altogether lost , for the most part among them that are called christians ; then what is the quarrel betwixt you and the romanists , it s but in translation at the most ; and while words and translations , and vertions have been contended about , the everlasting gospel hath been hid ; therefore all people are upon heaps , and the nations like waters rowling up and down in instabillity . now the reformed ministry ( so called ) are in many things in the same practice with the former ; you deny an immediate call ; and sets up an outward ordination , and a form of laying on of hands without the holy ghost , ordaining such and such who have some skill in natural tongues , or some words of oratory , to be a subject matter to make ministers upon ; and that which they preach in words , which hath been held in the form long without the life , you call the gospel ; and these are confined to a parish , as the former to such a cloyster , and such a monastry ; and these preach for hire , and gifts , and rewards , and for maintenance , and kepts up all the soresaid wayes , and maintenance , as lawful , and will make people believe it is according to gospel institution , when alas it is but the popes tythes , oblations , obventions , mortuaries , and prayers for the dead , keeping up the wages but denyes the work ; and tythe of all things , as piggs , and geese , hens , and eggs , apples , and cherries , and turnips , and all , nothing excepted ; this is a feeble thing , as to hold out to people for gospel maintenance , and the preachers of the gospel are ashamed of it . furthermore , them that will not give it , sue them at law , throw them into holes till they dye , take away ten fold that which is claimed , say the man is not subject to gospel order , denies ministers maintenance ; this hath been crime enough to take away the estates and lives of men ; all this is in the apostacy . and seeing it is said we are under a gospel administration , and ordinances ; what do you with organs , whistlers , and pipes in any part of your services ? this pertained to the jews and not to the primitive church . and what do you do with surplices , tipets & hood , and other strang● kind of garments ? it may be the high-priests garments , or the priests linin ephod , or linin breeches , must be brought in for a gospel proof , and for an apostolick ordinance ; and what do you with the popes lent ? and why should the popes lent be among the reformed protestants churches , forbiding meats and drinks ? and why forbidding marriage in lent , and who ordained these dayes ? what have they been borrowed from the heathen ? or are they looked upon to be such dayes as used to be cited in the callender for the dog-dayes , which have been brought from the heathen , and stands to this day , in too much credit among believers so called . and why is one day preferred before and above another , and some counted holy dayes , as though some others were unholy dayes ? and why such a collect , and such a gospel , and such a chapter , and such a psalme , mincing , and cutting , and severing the scriptures into pieces and shreds ? is this like apostolick doctrine ? truly friends , many things we have to say , if you had an ear to hear , and that upon good grounds we can speak , that we look upon all these thing , to be feeble , and poor , and beggerly things , and hath no agreement , or congruity with the primitive times . and should people be limitted or stinted to such a certain form of words , called service , or prayer , and divine worship ? was that ever reckoned divine worship , that was not from the divine spirit ? but it may be you will say the words are good or some of them ; i am not speaking about words , but the spirit , from which every service ought to be performed to the lord god ; and the primitive christians prayed in the spirit , and with understanding , and sung with the spirit and with understandnig , cor. . . and there was some that knew not what to pray for as they ought , but the spirit helped their infirmities . rom. . but you konw what to pray for , and how much must be said on such a day , or such a time , and if there be a homily , or a sermon , lettany must be missed . now i say if it be divine worship , or any thing wherein god is honoured , and the people bettered , nothing of it ought to be wanting . but these things the primitive times doth not countenance ; but when the power was lost , and the life gone from , and the spirit erred from , these things have come into the latter dayes , which have been very perillous times , as to them who have kept the apostolick faith , and the order of the primitive church . many more things we could instance which are practiced , as for discipline and order , and some for necessity , which hath no affinity or union at all with the primitive churches , but rather are things which are too near of kin unto her that sits as a queen upon the waters , whose flesh must be burnt with fire , who hath drunk the blood of the saints ; and how many of the lords servants have suffered in and about these things , not only in the church of rome , but also by them which have been called reformed , many have known and are living witnesses thereof . and all these temples , bells , hour-glasses , pulpits , & cushons , altars , tables , and founts , which are things that pertain to them that locks they are come out of the apostacy ; but the spiritual minded sees over them , and beyond them , and before these things ; and also sees through the spirit of prophesie and time when they shall be no more adored , worshipped and honoured ; but god shall be feared in the hearts of the sons of men , and glory shall be given to him , and he shall be worshiped in spirit and in truth as he was in the primitive times , when the beast and the false prophet , and them that wrought miracles before him , and all they that have cryed who is able to make war with the beast , and have cryed worship him , all must be taken alive ; remember that ( alive ) in their strength , and cast into the lake , and the mother of harlors shall be made desolate , her cup of fornication thrown under foot ; the kings of the earth shall deny it , and to give their strength any longer to the beast ; and then shall that be fulfilled , rejoce ye prophets and holy men of god , and ye that have suffered , for the hour of his judgement is come , and as she hath served the saints , so shall she be served , and rewarded double , and the day hastens , and the times and seasons we see and know as god hath made them manifest . the man-child is descended again , who hath right to rule the nations with a rod of iron , and break the ungodly in pieces as at potters vessel , and stamp the residue of his enemies under his feet ; and the church is coming out of the wildernesse again , who leans upon the breast of her beloved ; who is clothing her again with beauty in stead of ashes , and putting upon her again the beautiful garments of glory and excellency , even his own righteousness , and they that see it , their hearts shall be made glad , and their souls rejoyce in god , and their flesh rest in hope , for the time is come when she must appear again , which hath been retired and hid in a place which god hath prepared for her , while the false church sate as a queen , and the apostates as princes , and their merchandize sold at dear rates ; but their joy shall be turned into mourning , and alas , alas , shall be the cry of them that have been in glory with her , for their frankincense , odours , and sweet perfumes , and scarlet , and purple , and gold , and silver , and wood , and tin , and iron , and brass , none will buy any more , none of the lambs followers , nor none of the true churches children , who worship god in the spirit , and have no confidence in the flesh , neither in any outward appearance , but in the hidden life of god , but in the immortal life , which he hath brought to light through his blessed gospel , which he hath caused to be published again ; the joyful sound whereof many captives have heard and are glad , and a numberless number shall hear the joyful sound thereof , and shall enquire after the brightness of the rising of the son. therefore all apostates , hills and mountains , make room , make way , the lord is risen in power and in glory , which shall dazzel the eyes of all the earthly , and shall extinguish and put out the very brightness and the glory of all invented worships , in the apostatized ages , and shall bring them that believe in the everlasting gospel to stability , to the rock of ages , to the valley of achor , to mount sion , to the blessing of the everlasting hills ; and blessed are they that hear , and believe , and wait to be made partakers of that which the lord is about to do in the earth , as he hath shewn , and foreshewn to his servants the prophets . chap. iiii. now a few words to shew unto all , how they may come out of the apostacy , to be members of the true church , which is in god , the lambs wife . so far as god did appear in any age or generation . or manifest himself unto the sons of men , in any shadows , figures , representations , or outward appearances , the evil spirit , and serpents seed . and evil doer , alwayes took up the form of the thing , when it came into reputation , as largely might be demonstrated and instanced through all ages and generations , till the closure of the apostles writings ; something whereof hath been briefly hinted at before , so in this i shall be very brief . the jews held up the types and figures of the first covenant , and the ordinances thereof , and opposed christ the light , the everlasting covenant , and also the publishers thereof . moreover , when the name of christ came to be spread abrood , then false apostles and deceitful workers , who were enemies to the cross , and to the power of god , they preached christ out of contention , and envy , and for filthy lucre , and by wicked practices made the name of christians odious among the heathen , as it is this day , and caused the worthy name by which the saints were saved , to be blasphemed by their ungodly practices , rom. . . when the apostle gathered together many that believed , and setled them in the order of the gospel , and the order came well to be accounted of , and the conversation of the saints of good account amongst many ; divers false prophets and deceitful workers got up , and as the apostles met in houses , and the saint met together in houses , the false apostles they crept into houses , and held the form , as i said before , and denied the power , and they were to be turned away from , by the apostles exhortation to timothy . now since the true church fled into the wildernesse , the false church came into visibility , and to sit as a queen upon the waters , the nations and peoples ' ; other things have been brought in , other things are brought in and invented , which were not constitutions of christ or the primitive churches ; and these the world have wondered after , in the dark night of apostacy . and the worship hath been made up , and compacted partly from the jews worship , partly from the heathen , and partly from themselves , being corrupted , and the scriptures perverted every way to prove all this deceit . now many have judged to relinquish the former superstitious practices , and to come and to take up the form and practice again in the outward , as it was in the apostles dayes , is to come out of the apostacv . let all know this , the outward court of the city was given to be trodden under foot of the gentiles , to pollute and defile it , and many may wait there , and look there in the polluted court , and in the out-side , that hath been defiled ; and many may visit the sepulchre and wait for christ when he is risen , and so look for him to appear in that which he is risen out of , the iews at their temple when it is left desolate , the christans ( so called ) may glory in their outward court , though it be defiled , and so defiled as god will not appear therein again ; for he hath another way manifested himself unto the sons of men . and now , that worship that god requires , that service that he requires , and that glory wherein he will manifest himself , is , and will be in the spirit , which all people is to wait for , which comes to witnesse restoration , and to come to the end of the night of errour , to the bride the lambs wife again . now a measure of gods spirit being given to every one to profit withal , which shews them sin and transgression , and will lead out of it , which shews formal worship , and how deceit hath transformed into them , and leads them that believed in it , out of that which is polluted , and out of deceit , to christ the sure foundation , and mighty power of god ; and to know gods peace , and good-will to all men . and that which must restore all people , and bring them out of the apostacy , into purity , and to have fellowship with the father and the son , and one with another , as it was in the primitives times , is the mighty power of god alone , which must be waited for , and believed in , and received , and made manifest in the heart of the people , or else thev cannot come out of the apostacy , nor see to the end of those things that are to be abolished ; and this is that which must be witnessed by every man , that comes to be a living stone of the holy city , and a living son of the free-woman , and true member of the heavenly jerusalem , whic● god hath caused to descend , which is the mother of all the saints , and the womb that brings them all forth , and the breast at which they all suck , and are satisfied and nourished up to everlasting life . these sayings are faithful and true , and blessed is he that heareth , believeth , and receiveth them . and this is a testimony of the people called quakers , whom god hath brought out of the apostacy , to the beginning again , to see the brightness of the day of the lord , wherein there is not a cloud . furthermore it is manifest how many things have been introduced and brought in , concerning worship , and ordinances , and are taught to be doctrines of the primitive times , when as they are brought in by men of corrupt minds in latter ages , which had lost the faith once delivered to the saints , and had lost the gospel order , and compelled people by outward law to submit unto them , and yet all those things they would fasten upon the scriptures , and bring some scripture which they pervert , as a cloak and a cover to blind people withal ; but i shall descend to some particulars . chap. v. concerning sprinkling infants . and first concerning baptizing or christning infants ( as it hath been called ) which is without prescribed command or example , commanded or ordained by christ or his apostles , although many in these latter ages , have wrested the scripture , thinking thereby to make their own inventions to be reckoned or accounted to be ordinances of god , and the main ground which the greatest rabbies have given , hath been from these or the like scriptures ; go teach and baptize all nations , mat. . . but this is nothing at all to prove baptizing of infants ; here teaching was to go before baptizing , or discipling as the words may be rendred , for they were not like to be discipled which were untaught ; now infants not being capable of teaching , so are not capable of being made disciples : now to baptize infants , or sprinkle them with water which are untaught , and not capable of being disciples , is a ridiculous thing , and to do it so as the church of rome uses it , and they who are separated from them , is contrary to the scriptures , and there is no mention made of water at all , nor insants ; and their other scriptures they have offered for proofs , to prove this an ordinance of christ ( and why ) only because christ took up children into his arms and blessed them , and because he said , whosoever enters into the kingdom of god , must enter as a little child ; these scriptures have been tendred for good proofs , but the spiritual minded will judge of the weakness of them who offer these things for a proof . but again it hath been said and accounted orthodox , that baptism came in the room of cricumcision , but how they will prove it is yet unknown to many , for the scriptures make not mention of any such thing , for one type did never type out another , but every type typified a substance ; now circumcision , was a type or a figure , and cutting off the fore-skin was a figure of circumcision , and cutting off the fore-skin of the heart ; now baptisme with water is a type or a figure , pet. . . which typed out the spiritual washing of regeneration ; and if baptism of infants came in the room of circumcision , then how do they agree in a paralel ? the males was only circumcised , and why are the females now baptized , if baptism came in the room of circumcision ? another thing which hath been alledged for a proof that which christ spoke to nicodemus , john . . except a man be born again of water & the spirit , he cannot enter into the kingdom of god ; from whence it hath been inferred by many , that baptism of infants was absolutely necessary to salvation : christ spoke of that which did regenerate and make a new , and clense the heart , and of the clean water which the prophet ezekiel spoke of , which he would pour upon his people ; visible water cleanses not the inside , neither doth regenerate , but the water which christ giveth to every one that thirsteth to drink , is the water of life , and this washeth the inside , and cleans the heart , and this is the washing of regeneration , which whosoever comes not to know , connot enter into the kingdom of god , because that which is defiled is shut out , but they that do not look after the substance , hath made an idol of the figure ; but the chuch of rome themselves which were the first inventers and setters up of this humane institution , have said that this must be recieved by tradition , and not from the scriptures , because it could not be proved as a commandment , witness claudius espontius a popish bishop at a counsel at pysoy in france . and yet this doctrine hath been held out to the nations for catholick and apostolick , which the primitive churches made no mention of , neither the apostles taught any such doctrine , but was preached up by such who went out of the light , and from the power into the nations , which became as waters ; for the first ordainer of baptism of infants , and that they should have a godfather and godmother , was ( ignatius ) bishop of rome , long after the apostles daves , when rome was got up into pride , and claimed authority over all christian churches to impose upon them what ever they listed for doctrine ; and such dark things as these have been brought forth whereof mention might be made of many things , and what unsavory words , as godfathers and godmothers is used not only amongst them , but also amongst the protestants to this day , who is gods father , or who is gods mother ? is this apostolick doctrine ? as though god was begotten by generation , indeed is it not blasphemy to affirm such things , and also to hold up such things , all which demonstrates these things to be in the apostacy . and therefore you who profess your selves that you are come out of the apostacy , and are reformed churches , for shame leave off practising and pleading for the upholding such things which the scriptures do not own , or else the practice of the saints in former ages will judge you ; and it hath been reckoned as absolute necessary to salvation , and therefore victor bishop of rome did institute , that the children might be christened by a lay-man or lay-women in time of necessity , because infants were often in danger , as polydore makes mention , lib. . chap. vi. concerning the sign of the cross , and ordaining of parish churches . likewise the sign of the cross , and the chrism , are invented things which are in the apostacy , and therefore you who profess your selves reformed , for shame leave off these things and come out of them , and deny them . secondly , parishes and parish churches , which were ordained and builded in the apostacy , and dedicated unto saints , which stand to this day both in the church of rome , and in the reformed churches so called , and church-yards , which they call holy and consecrated ground to bury their dead in , this is an invented thing and superstitious , and yet it stands as an apostolick order both among papists and protestants in the primitive times , in the dayes of the apostles ; the scriptures make mention of the jews temple at jerusalem , and of the gentiles idols temples in which they worshipped , the apostles and ministers of christ , who published the word of reconciliation , and christ the substance of all figures , they gathered them that did believe of the iews from the temple and temple-worship , and the gentiles from their temples and idols , to worship god in the spirit , and they met together in houses ; we read of no parish churches dedicated to saints nor consecrated ground , for they knew the earth was the lords and the fulness thereof , and was clean and good and blessed to them that believed , and there was no dividing into parishes then , nor no compelling ; then corinth was not divided into a parish , antioch , philippi , thessalonica , philadelphia , and smyrna , and the rest were not all made into parishes , neither were them that believed not compelled or forced to come to the christians meeting at antioch , philippi , thessalonica , philadelphia , or any other place that we read of in the scriptures ; and the apostles were not confined , nor their spirits were not so strait as to stay over one hundred or fifty families twenty years , and call that their parish between such an hedge and such a ditch , and such a water and such a way , as parishes are now divided into ; though i say they had houses to meet in , and preached the word , and brake bread from house to house , and sometime by the sea-side they congregated , and sometimes on an hill , and at certain places they met together to worship god , they went not back to the jews temple nor gentiles idols temples , neither forced any of their maintenance as to minister unto them , by which all may see that these invented churches and church-yards for holy ground and parishes are not apostolical , nor was no catholick nor universal thing then in the primitive times , neither was there any command given to the christians to do any such thing , neither reprehension for not doing such things . the first church or temple that we read of was consecrated by pius bishop of rome in honour of the virgin prudentia , and afterwards calistus made a temple to the virgin mary a place beyond tibris , and instituted a church-yard in apius his street , and called it after his own name ; and dionysius in the year , divided both in rome & other places , churches and church-yards to curates , and made parishes and diocesses to bishops , and commanded that every man should be contented with his prescript bonds , and there was the beginning of parishes , churches and church-yards , consecrated ground ; and in process of time when all nations had drunk of the cup of fornication , the nations began to imitate their mother , and to build and consecrate temples , and churches and church-yards , to this saint , and the other saint , as is too too manifest through christendom to this day ; and here 's the rise of holy parish churches , which of late have been preached up for the house of god , and the house of prayer , which bears the name yet by which the pope baptized them , saint peter , saint paul , saint mary ; saint hellen , saint katherine , saint gregory , saint maudlen , saint alban , saint anthony , saint george , saint margaret , saint dunsto● , saint clement , saint christopher , saint giles , saint martine ; and painting and garnishing these houses with images and pictures , and hanging of flowers and boughes and garlands , this came from the old heathen who sacrificed to saturn and pluto ; and this hanging up candles , and their candlemas dayes , this came of the gentiles and pagans , who honoured their false god saturu , and their altar which they have builded in this temple , and their tables upon which they offer and set their sacrifice , these boniface the third commanded that they should be covered with linen clothes , and here was the beginning of these kinds of orders ; so that as i said before , most of the●e things in and about the worship , which hath been since the reign of antichrist , and since the whore hath sate as a queen , they have been either borrowed from the jews , or else from pagans and heathens , and the mother of harlots hath put these things off for apostolick institutions , these many hundreds of years , and divers other things which are in and about the parish churches , your many crosses in and about them of wood and stone , your baptized bels , and consecrated pulpits , and sonts , and hour-glasses , and soft cushions to preach on , all these the scriptures makes no mention of , not in the christian churches the first two hundred years after christ. now protestants who have denied the church of rome and their practices , which was contrary to the primitive and the scriptures , look about you and see how you are sticking yet in babylon , and buying yet the merchandize thereof ; and as for your holy ground called your church-yards , which you only judge fit to bury the dead in , and would compell all to come thither , because there are many officers in and about this temple , who are greedy of rewards , so that they would not miss any thing that might be commodious unto them , and so would compell all to come there for their gain ; but , abraham was the first we read of that made any place of burial in hebron , which he bought so ephron an hittite for thirty shekels of silver , and there was he and his wife buried , and this was no parishyard , neither did he leave any priest or clerk that we read of to receive wages and fees , and for ringing a bell , and reading and singing over the dead ; and so for shame , you who profess the scriptures and the apostolick order and institutious of christ , come out from among all this trumpery , and wait that you may come again into the order of the gospel , and the primitive order which hath been talked of these many years , and yet not known . chap. vii . concerning swearing by the gospel and kissing a book , and that which is commonly confirmation or bishoping children , things invented contrary to the apostles doctrine , and are in the aopstacy . in the first covenant the jews were commanded to swear by the lord , and oaths were observed by the jews that were in the first covenant which was faulty , heb. . . which ordinance did nor make perfect as pertaining to the conscience , and so there came to be an end of that covenant , and the better was brought in , which stood upon better promises , and then the priest-hood , law , first covenant , and the ordinances thereof ( which was only to continue till the time of reformation , h. b. . ) by christ the everlasting covenant came to be made manifest , the everlasting offering , who perfected them that are sanctified , who is the oath of god , the end of oaths , and of all strife and contention ; his doctrine was , swea● not at all , mat. . , , , , ● . neither by the head nor 〈◊〉 , nor books , nor gospel , nor any other thing , but that yea should be yea , and nay nay in all things ; and james an apostle of christ jesus , who knew the new covenant which was everlasting , which saw over the ordinances of the first covenant of the jews , saith , above all things my brethren sweare not at all , neither by heaven , neither by the earth , nor by any other oath ; but let your yea be yea , and vour nay nay , lest you fall into condemnnation , james . , . and this was apostolical and catholick doctrine in the primitive churches . but afterwards the faith being lost which once was delivered to the saints , and the power lost , they began to set up oathes again , imitating the iews , and bringing the commands of the iews who were under the first covenant as their ground ; but this was in the apostacy : and justinian the emperour appointed , first , that men should swear by the gospel or book called the gospel , and lay their hands thereon , and kiss it , saying , so help me god , and here christendom may see who are in the apostacy , and who were the first instituters of this swearing , and the manner thereof , which the teachers of these latter ages do ignorantly press for an ordinance of god. in the primitive times , they that had the word of reconciliation , who had received the holv ghost and gift of prophesie , and were made able ministers of the spirit , who had discerning , and saw by the spirit who was fitted for the work of the ministry , and fit to be elders and helpers in the church ; they laid hands on them in gods power , and they received the holy ghost ; but now since the apostacy came in , this kind of imagination of laying on of hands one hypocrite upon another , who are out of the power , who have not received the holy ghost , neither they upon whom their hands are said , but afterwards it came to be a custom , and a holy rite to be performed upon children . sylvester bishop of rome ordained ; that all that were christned churches and chalices should be anointed with oyl ; and fabianus commanded that it should be renewed every munday and thursday . clement the first ordained that children that were christned should be anointed with chrisme , and he also instituted the sacrament as it is called of confirmation , or as it is now called bishoping , and did suppose that no man was a perfect christian if this rite and ceremony was omitted ; and for this cause it hath been judged , and lookt upon as catholick doctrin , both by the church of rome and the protestants , that the holy ghost is more plentifully given them by the hands of the bishop ▪ and on this wi●e in the first institution thereof it was only administred by the bishop ; first he asked the name of the child , making the sign of the cross in his forehead , saying , i sign thee with the token of the cross , and confirm thee with the chrisme of salvation , in the name of the father , son , and holy ghost , &c. and smote the cheek of the child softly ; but if of greater age , which was to be confirmed , the bishop gave a sharper stroak , that he might remember this great mystery ; and here you may see how these things came in , and the traditions , and inventions and precepts of men have been and are taught for doctrine and apostolick institutions , many of which are upholden in the reformed churches , so called , unto this day , and so people are kept in blindness in a multitude of traditions and heathenish customes , and their minds led out from seeking after the living god. chap. viii . concerning fasts , feasts , and holy dayes . the jews in the first covenant had many fasts , and feasts , and holy dayes , as the sabbath and feasts of the new moon and passeover , and feasts of unleavened bread , penticost , the feast of tabernacles , and feast of dedication , which are largely shewn in the books of moses ; all which things as the apostle saith to the hebrews , were but shadows of things to come , and not the things themselves , which only continued till the time of reformation , and till the better hope which brought in the better covenant , which stood upon better promises ; now in the primitive churches they came to see the end of these things , and were brought to him that was the substance , in whom all figures , and shadows do end , c●l . . , . let no man therefore judge you in meat or drink , or in respect of a holy ●ay , which are a shadow of things to come , but the body 〈◊〉 christ ; now afterwards when they minded the form more than the power , they run out into those things with many additions , some borrowed from the heathen , and some by their own invention , and then press them as apostolick ordinances upon christians , which things stand in force with many until this day , too too much among them that are called reformed . victor bishop of rome about the year . decreed , that easter should be kept and celebrated on the sunday , from the th . day of the first mon●h , that is march , to the d of the same ; now the ●ews kept it sooner , and so it is without ground from the iews practice , and meerly an invention of their own , which led people back into dayes , and about what time they judged any thing to be done , which christ or the apostles did , they invented a day and a time to keep for it , as to reverence sunday in advent and nativity , circumcision ▪ and epiphany , purification of mary called candlemas , lent , palm-sunday , monday , and thursday on which christ washed his disciples feet , as it hath been imagined , good fryday , easter , pen●●●●st , was kept by the iews ; and this they would hold out for an apostolick example to christians and for all the former dayes they were invented with many more which have been brought in since ; and so they were decreed and ●a●ified at a councel at * lions in france , that such dayes as either the holy saints departed this life , or did any notable deed , a day should be kept holy as they said in that council for the increase of their religion : there was also other dayes instituted , the feast of saint steven and innocents , by pope b●nifa●e the fourth , and likewise john baptist , and that which they call lady day , lawrance , michael , and martin , and generally of all saints , and these were his institutions which are practised by the church of rome , and oractised among the pro●estants to this day . likewise that which is called corpus christi day , this was made a holy day and dedicated by urbane the fourth ; sylvester assigned the day of advincula sancti petri , commonly called lammas in memorial of peters pains and persecution ; felix the first to magnifie the glorious commendation of ma●tyas , made a statute that a yearly oblation should be had in memorial of them : and gregory would that masse should be said over their tombes or graves ▪ now priests read the original of your service over the graves of the dead and see if this be apostolical . the fast of wednesday and friday was appointed , the one day christ was crucified , and on wednesday judas purposed in his mind to be●●ay him . gregory was he that ordained that neither flesh nor any thing that had affinity with it , as cheese , milk , butter , eggs , should not be eaten on such dayes as were fasts , and here came in this doctrine of devils . soulmass day this was begun by odilo that was provost or provincial of cluniassentis order , upon the occasion he heard about etna the burning mountain of sicily oftentimes great lamentations , and cryings and weepings was heard , which he supposed to be the w●epings of evil spirits that bewailed because the souls of dead men were taken from them by the pe●itions and sacrifices of well disposed christians ; therefore he appointed his covent to make a general oblation for all souls the next day after the feast of all saints ; and this great institution was ordained about the year . . and so all whose eyes god hath opened , will see all this heap of invention hathbeen practiced since the beast rose out of the sea , and the whore hath sat upon the waters , which is since the apostles dayes . chap. ix . concerning priests vestures and bells , which are practised among christians as apostolick institutions . the iews high priests had vestments , and the rest of the priests who offered sacrifices and oblations at the temple and tabernacle , lev. . , , , , &c. . and aaron the priest had a coat girded with a girdle , and cloathed him with a robe , and put a linen ephod upon him , and put a brest-plate upon him , and a mitre upon his head ; and aarons sons had coats with girdles and bonnets , as was commanded by the lord ; and chap. . . and he put on a linen coat , and linen breeches , with a coat and mitre , and girded it with a linen girdle , and these were the holy garments , and these garments were to be put off in the holy place , and divers other garments and vestments , which were worn by the priest about the temple-worship and sacrifice , which were shadows of better things , and of more holy garments , but this was in the first covenant that made nothing perfect which was faulte , and was to continue untill the time of reformation ; but christ being come and offered up , all shadows had an end , and they preached up the everlasting offering , and him who offered up himself once for all ; now christ sent out his disciples without great provision as to attire , for they were to take neither staff , nor scrip , nor shoes , nor mony , nor brass in their purses , and yet they were to go among them that were like wolves , renting and tearing , devouring and destroying , and there was no great likelihood of obtaining any earthly thing from such while in that nature ; but the apostles lived by faith , mat . . . and luke . , . and they were not to take two coats , and the apostle in his travels was often in necessities , in hunger , and cold , and nakedness , and did not go in costly array , nor in disguised habits , but in his old age wore sometimes a cloak among the churches which he sent for to troas , an ordinary garment , cor. . , , . chap . . the verse , tim. . . and john the baptist who was a great prophet , had a coat made of hair , and a leathern-girdle about his loyns , mat. , . and the primitive christians wandered up and down in sheeps skins , and goats skins , being destitute , of whom the world was not worthy , heb. . , . but after the apostles decease , deceitful workers and evil beasts , and they that abode not in the doctrine and ordinances of christ , went out into the world , and the world went after them , and so lost both power and form of godliness , and invented things some from the heathen , and much from the priests under the law. sextus the first commanded that the corporis should be of linen cloath only , and that of the finest and purest , and forbad that lay-men should handle the hallowed vessels , and namely women were prohibited hallowing the priest ; vestures , and altars and cloaths , diversity of vestures of sundry orders were muchwhat taken from the example of the hebrew priest-hood , was practised and ordained by s. even bishop of rome . and sabinianus decreed first that the people should be assembled together to hear service at certain hours by ringing of bells ; and john the . bishop of rome ordained that bells should be roled every day three times , and that the● every man should say three times a●emary as polidore saith , lib. . the invention of bells was from imitation of the hebrews , because the high-priest had in the skirts of his uppermost garments little bells to ring when he was in the holy place within the vaile . and the banners and trophies which are hung up in churches , were taken from the heathen , which did bear them to signifie the conquest of their enemies ; and these have been set up in the churches , so called , by some of the bishops of rome , to declare as they said , the triumph of christ over death and hell . now all nations who are called christians , look to your original and from whence these practices have risen , and those things are continued , even amongst the protestant churches , are either from the iews or from the heathen , or from the apostatized bishop of rome , long after the dayes of the apostles ; and so these hoods and surplices , and caps and bonnets , and cowls and tipets , and miters and canonical coats , and girdles , and divers strange attires ; it is like to prove these things we must have aarons breeches brought in , and the linnen ephod , and his sons girdles and coats , and bonnets , and the high-priests mitre , and all these candlesticks for a gospel proof . chap. x. concerning mattens and singing of psalms by course in musical tunes , and supplications and short prayers , called letany . the jews under the law had many officers which belonged to the temple-worship , among which were singers , as the sons of corah and the sons of asaph , and exrahites and chief musitians , &c. and divers psalms were given forth by the spirit of god by david and others upon several occasions , sometimes after victories , and sometimes when he felt the presence of god , and the working of his power , and who were eye-witnesses of his wonderous works , as the rest of israel was many times , as at the dedication of the temple , and also when they came out of captivity , neh. . . chap. . . , . psal. . , & . , . and all these singers of songs pertain to the temple and the first covenant , and to that priest-hood which could not continue by reason of the faultiness thereof , heb. . . and because all these things did not make perfect as pertaining to the conscience , and was but to continue for a time untill the time of reformation , and then an end of the temple priests and worship , of the singers and porters , and organs and stringed instruments as in matter of worship , an end was put to all these when he was offered up that perfecteth for ever them that are sanctified . and the christians and true believers in the primitive times , who had received the spirit in which they did rejoyce , in and with what words the spirit was pleased to utter , and they that had received the holy ghost did joy in the holy ghost , and they that did sing sang in the spirit , and with the spirit , and with understanding , from the feeling of the living which they had in their hearts of gods presence and his assurance ; and he that had a psalm might sing , but all the church did not sing together , a psalm was a gift of the spirit , every one had it not , there was diversity of gifts , and diversity of operations , prophecy , interpretation , and a psalm were gifts which were received from the spirit and not by tradition , carinth . . ephes. . . james . . and they that overcome and were redeemed from the earth , who had followed the lamb , who had given them victory over s●n , death and the grave , they sang a new song , which none could learn but those whose names were written in the lambs book of life . rev. . , , . chap. . . . and these were the songs of the redeemed which god had delivered our of their enemies hands , and they were witnesses of his wonderous works , and praised the lord in the spirit and with understanding , and did not get a form of words , of davids words which he spake after his victories and triumphs over his enemies , and also they prayed in the spirit and with understanding , and spoke as it gave utterance , and as they were moved by the holy ghost , and were not limitted as how short or how long , but as the spirit gave utterance , and not limited to hours and set times , but when the spirit of god which they had received moved thereunto , and then their prayers were accepted , and were as sweet incense , rev , . . chap. . . 〈◊〉 . and were not stinted to set hours , but as they saw in the wisdom of god , and were moved by his spirit . but since the apostacy that the spirit hath been lost by many and the power , and some of form retained , and then they began to imitate three times a day , and seven times a day , but mattens at set times , and hours was appointed by hierom , as polydore and others say . also the heathen they had mattens , as apuleus saith , which they sung at divers times of the day , and so sorted the hours of the day for sacrifices which they did offer unto their idols . pelagius the second , was the first that commanded priests to say them dayly , and said , as the just man falleth seven times , so by instant prayers and mattens , he might as often rise and amend . urbanus the second ordained the mattens called the ladies mattens to be said daily , and confirmed them in a councel which he had at mount clear in france ; and damasus bishop of rome gave commandment , that martens should be said or sung in all churches , and added gloria patri to the end of every psalm . damasus also instituted that psalms should be said or sung by course ; damasus also commanded that the creed should be said every hour : and vitilianus invented the decent tunes wherewith the hymns be sung , and joyned the organs ; but there was divers and sundry manners of prayers , and forms and mattens , and singing devised by many , as bennets monks had one use , and bernard another , and dominicks brethern had one order by themselves , and every provincial bishop made a several use in his diocess , and all was confirmed by the bishop of rome telesphorus appointed that lent should be kept before easter , and added another week to it , which we call quinquagesima , and this week he commanded priests to fast more then the laity ; and thus one runs into one invention after another , and hath brought in all this mountain of darkness , so that the practice of these things since the apostles dayes hath been much-what corrupted , and imitation at the best without life , and are either from the jews and their worship , or from the heathen , or from their own inventions and imaginations , which are so many in their mattens and their prayers , that at last beads where glad to be got to tell them ; and so all who view these things and sees them to be in the apostacy , come out from among them , and them that are joyned to idols let them alone , and keep your selves from them , and compare but the worship and practice of the primitive times in the apostles days , with all this which hath been brought in since , part of which is here demonstrated : and much more might be said , but you will see that these practices are not apostolical , neither agreeable with the purest times , but people have been corrupted with them , and made twofold worse than before . and as concerning the mass and letany which are used in many congregations , there hath been so many authors about patching them up , that they are almost past numeration , but take a short hint of the forming of them up near unto the apostles time , although they did celebrate the sacrament as it was called , it was done with little mixture or ceremony but only repeating the words of christ , and after the consecration they joyned to it the pater noster ; celistinus ordained some prayers that the priest should say when he re-vesteth himself to mass , or putting on his clothes , and began judica me domine , &c. and in the church of greece they sang when the people assembled together ; damasus instituted the confession at the beginning of mass ; and gorgius caused confession to be said nine times over in the latin church ; gregory in excelsis is ascribed unto telesphorus and hilarus . and also telesphorus ordained epistles and gospels , and damasus divided them as they are read at this day in the reformed churches : and anastasius commanded that people should stand at the gospel ; marcus ordained the first part of the creed to be read after it was made by the councel of nice , and the second part , and spiritum sanctum , that the councel at constantinople composed ; eutichianus instituted the offertory to be sung while the people offered something to the poor ; galasius made the prefaces , in the beginning they used but one ; an●ekius added the snactus out of the prophet esay ; burning of incense that which was occupied in the old testament by aaron and the pannims in their superstitious rites . leo the third ordained it to be had in the latine church , and privity of mass , called the common , was made by divers persons , as gallatius made reigitur , satitius added communicantes ; and alexander made qui pridie , hanc igitur leo joyned to it ; gregory annexed three petitions in the same , dies qui nostros , &c. innocentius , priests in the upper part of the church called the quire should kiss one another , that pax should be born to the people ; blessed with hands and challices came out of the hebrew ceremonies , christ at his ascention blessed his disciples ; and surgius from this ordained angus dei seven hundred years after christs ascention , to be sung of the clergy at the time of communion , and often turning the priest to the altar , and wheeling about when he saith dominus vobiscum , or oratis fratres , these came from the hebrew rites ; when the mass is ended , the deacon turns to the people , and saith , ita missa est , which words are borrowed from the pagans , they were used in the sacrifices of isis , that when the sacrifices was done , this was the watch-word that the people might depart , and of this sprang the custom of singing ita missa est , signifying that all service was ended . mass is an hebrew word , signifies an oblation and sacrifice , with all circumstances concerning the same ; alexander inhibited that they should not sacrifice but once in a day ; telesphorus ordained three masses to be said on christmas day , the first at midnight when christ was born , the second in the morning when the shepherds visited him , the third further on the day , as at the third hour . foelix decreed on that mass might be said but in places consecrated , and none was to meddle with the mysteries of consecration but the priest. anaclatus ordained that no mass should be said but in the presence of two in the least least the priest should say in vain to bare walls , dami us vobiscum , the lord be with you , when none were present ; and so on this wise , one piece and scrap was added to another , with much more , which i shall not trouble the reader with ; by which peoples minds have been drawn from attending on gods spirit , to hearken to these foolish ceremonies and invented charms , and so have been led out into ignorance and into the region of the shadow of death , where many have taken up their habitations ; and babylons merchants these many hundred years have traded with such merchandize , under the name of apostolical ordinances and holy institutions . chp. xi . concerning the passover and the supper . the passover was a command of god by moses unto israel , while they were in captivity in egypt , which god manifested his wonderous works in the land of egypt , and in the field of zoan , for their deliverance , exod. . , , , , , . that every family shall take to them every man a lamb , according to the house of their fathers , a lamb for an house , and where the family was little the neighbours were to joyn with him , ver . then moses called for all the elders of israel , and said unto them , draw out and take a lamb according to your families , and kill the passover , and ye shall take a bunch of hysop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin , and sprinkle the lintel and the two side posts of the door with the blood , and none of you shall go out of doors untill the morning , ver . , . the lord will pass through to smite the eyptians , and when he sees the blood upon the lintels and posts , he will not suffer the destroyer to come into your houses to smite you , and ye shall observe this thing as an ordinance for thee and thy seed forever , ver . . and it shall come to pass when the children shall say unto you , what means this service ? ye shall say it is the sacrifice of the lords passover , who passed over our houses in egypt , and smote the egyptians ; and this was the ordinance which was performed , and this is that passover which christ sent his disciples to prepare according to the time prescribed , because it became him to fulfill all righteousness , and he being not yet sacrificed up , this offering was not ended , but now he being offered up , this is to be witnessed in the spirit , and in the hearts of his people who are marked and bear his spot , when a destroyer comes to execute vengeance upon the wicked , he passes over his seed which bears his image . and when christ came with the twelve and sate down in the place appointed in the even , the same night he was betrayed , and he said unto them , i have desired to eat this passover with you before i suffer , luke . , , . and he took bread , and gave thanks and brake it , and gave it unto them , saying , this is my body which is given for you , this do in remembrance of me ; likewise also the cup after supper , saying , this is the cup of the new testament for you in my blood , ver . . and this he gave as a sign & a token to the disciples , that as often as they did eat the bread , & drink the cup , they should remember him ; and it should shew forth his death till he came again , and this was practised by the disciples according as christ had said unto them , therefore the apostle said cor. . . that i receive of the lord , that delivered i unto you , that the lord jesus the same night he was betrayed , took bread , and brake it , and said , take , eat , this is my body which is broken for you after the same manner also he took the cup when he had supped , saying , this cup is the new testament in my blood , this do ye , as often as ye do it in remembrance of me , ver . , . for as often as ye eat this bread , and drink this cup , ye shew forth his death till he comes ; and so he pureth them upon examination , ver . . let a man examine himself , and so let him eat of this bread , and drink of this cup , ver . , for he that eats and drinks unworthily , eateth and drinketh damnation to himself , not discerning the lords body ; but believers grew in the knowledge of the mystery , which was revealed through the spirit , and came to see beyond these outward things , and things visible , cor. , . while we look not at the things which are seen , but at the things which are not seen ; for the things that are seen are temporal , but the things that are not seen are eternal ; so that which was given for a sign to be observed in remembrance of christ till he came , was visible , to wit the bread and the cup , which he gave to the disciples at supper , which they were exercised in for some time , in the time of weakness while their eyes and minds where much outward , but they came to look at things which are beyond time , and things they saw which are not seen in time , but things that were eternal , and this they sed upon ; and so the corinthians grew up in the life , and knew the flesh of christ and his blood , and they did eat his flesh and drink his blood , and had life in them ; now they which eat his flesh and drink his blood , need nothing to put them in memory of that which they already enjoy and possess , and so the apostles brought them to a further examination , not to look at things visible , but to examine themselves whether they were in the faith , for he that is in the faith , is in that which is visible , prove your selves , know you not your own selves , how that jesus christ is in you except you be reprobates , cor. . . now they who came to witness christ in them , knew the resurection and the life in them , and witnessed the life of the son of god to live in them , and they in it , and this was a further state then looking at visible things , which was in remembrance only of his death ; and blessed are they who have an eye to see , and an heart to believe these things . and now the apostle spake unto wise men , and bad them judge what he said , cor. . . so that novices or them that were young , or babes , had hardly been able to discern if he had spoken such things to them , but he spoke to wise men which could judge of what he said , and ver . . thus he said , the cup of blessing which we bless , is it not the communion of the blood of christ ? and the bread which we break , is it not the communion of the body if christ ? ver . . for we being many are one bread and one body , for we are all partakers of that one bread , and that one bread was christ , who said , i am the bread of life , and this they witnessed , and these are great mysteries , and them whose eyes are towards visible things cannot see them . and what a noise and a stir hath been made these many hundred years , and what killing and persecuting about things that are seen . and since the mysterie hath been lost , and the key which opens the mysterie , how people have waded in the dark till they have lost themselves , and are sunk down into utter darkness , as hath been manifest about visible things which do corrupt ; how many have been killed about this bread and this cup which are visible , since the apostles daies ? and how many institutions and laws have been made about this , and have foughten like swine about the husk , and discerns not the life , neither the lords body . it is endless to declare what stir they make about this bread and this wine in the church of rome , which i shall not now stand to particularize much ; but however after the priest have consecrated it , they conclude it to be the very body and blood of christ , and yet a thing which may be seen , and that is a temporal thing , and so gave it names past numeration . and what work they have made about times and dayes , when it was fi● to be received , and how many decrees have been made about these things . anaclatus caused a decree to be made that all was to come to it under pain of excommunication . and victor denounced that those should be interdectid from all service , when they should receive the sacrament that would not be reconciled to their neighbours of all gurdges and hatred . again clepheranius one hundred years after anaclatus , commanded that all that professed christ or bare the name of christians , being of the age of twelve or fourteen years , should at least once a year at easter receive the blessed sacrament . fabianus decreed that they should receive it three times in a year ; and innocentius the third , decreed it should be kept in the church , that it should be ready at all times , least they that were sick should want the spiritual comfort of it ; and honorus the third confirmed the same ; and austin concluded , the eucharist to be of absolute necessity for infants . and what a stir hath been in the reformed churches so called about this ? and what disorderly work , and what high imputations they have gained to it , when as they commanded the parishes to buy it , and then sells it them again , that the priest must have an offering at easter ; also a token of a piece of lead , a token that they are at unity with the priest , or else they may not have their bread and wine again for which they paid before , and this hath been called a great mystery . chap. xii . concerning ministers and their office , under the law and the gospel . before the law was given forth , there were divers did offer sacrifice , and buidled altars unto the lord , as seth , abel , melchizedeck , abraham , isaac and jacob , who pere guiders and directers of people in the way of righteousness , who instructed their families in the fear of the lord ; but after the law was given forth , aaron and his sons , and they were to offer sacrifice according to the command of the lord , and to perform the worship that god had appointed ; for that time and age at the tabernacle and temple there was levites who bore the ark , and looked to the vessels , and pitched the camp , and div●● other services , as singers and readers of the law and prophets on their sabbath dayes , and porters and the like , and all these petrained to the first covenant and priesthood , which was to have an end , both the priesthood , and the law and the service thereof ; for it was but to continue till the substance came . now christ being come the end of the law , for righteousness unto all that beleive , made after the order of melchizedeck and not by a carnal commandment , he offered up himself once for all , and became the author of eternal salvation unto them that believe , put an end to the first worship and priest-hood . before he was offered up , he chose disciples unto him , twelve and also seventy , and endued them with power ; and many did believe through their words , and they were not men of great parts , but as they were sitted by the holy ghost that gave them utterance ; and they were sent out not to preach the law but the word of the kingdom , and many did believe , and grew and were confirmed in the faith ; and after christs ascention the holy ghost was poured forth upon them in a more ample manner , and it did bring to their remembrance , as christ had foretold , and they received great gifts for the work of the ministry ; some were prophets , some apostles , some evangelists , some pastors , some teachers , and all made ministers by the spirit for the work whereunto they were chosen , and many were converted and did believe , then they that had the word of god to publish , travelled as they were led and moved by the spirit , to publish the glad tydings of the gospel ; and when the believers were many , and many young in the faith , they ordained overseers , or bishops , or elders , who were sound in the faith , to watch over them that were begotten ; but mark , they were approved men and faithful , and of blameless lives , not given to covetousness , neither did tirannize over them in rigour , but were apt to teach and instruct in love and gentelness ; and they that had been ancient laborers in gods work did so , who had received a gift to minister unto others , and as to be helpers in the work of the gospel , and all that were ordained , were ordained by the holy ghost although its true they had the consent of the brethren and the church in that thing , and there were also deacons ordained , which served to look to the widows and for the ministration of the poor , and these were faithful men , and had also a gift . stephen was one full of the holy ghost , and these were helps unto the apostles , also the●e were some faithful widows , who were examples to younger men , and to instruct them , and to be patterns unto them , and all was as a body knit together in love , and served the lord , and strengthened one another in the faith , and served one another in love , and all these forementioned served the lord freely and willingly , and not for rewards , and gifts , and benefices , and earthly things ; this was the state and glory of the church in that time in short , and these are the ministers we read of in the primitive times . but since the apostacy hath entered in , and the power hath been denied of godliness , there is such a numberless number of names crept in we never heard of then , and so many offices , and yet none of that work done which the ministers of christ did , but certain new invented things brought in for worship and service , and the power despised , and men seeking offices , and great titles , and great benefits , and great revenues , and the heritage of god is laid waste , and the earth become like a wildernesse unplanted with good , and the sheep is scattered ; and so all may compare these ensuing names and off●es with the apostles dayes and the primitive church , and see if they be alike . first of all , the pope , his holiness , christs vicar , universal bishop , metropolitan bishop , lord cardinals , which were but priests at the first ordained to baptize the heathen , who came to rome when the seat thereof began to be had in honour ; but now they are swelled big and become princes and the only men to govern states ; also monks of divers orders ; and friars of divers orders , hieroms order , of austins order , gregorys order , carmalite friars , cross or crouchet fryors , of dominicks order , of s. frances order , benets order , and all of these orders sprung up and were ordained in the midnight of darkness , within this four hundred years at the most , as were easily proved ; and trinity order , and brigandine order of jesuites and hermites , and anthonies order , and clunisencies order . and nuns sprung up ; first , of one st. clara , one order , then brigidia a widow in the time of urban the fifth , in the year . and all these kind of orders were distitute of the true order of the primitive church , and their service was appointed by them that ordained them , and these practised the patched inventious that were given them for worship which hath not concord with the primitive doctrine , but borrowed from the iews or heathen ; and all these kind of offices , and officers have been acting their parts this many years , and led people into superstitious blindness , and further from the lord then ever . but to come to the reformed churches so called , and there is so many officers and names , but few that do accord with the apostles times either in name or nature ; as metropolitan bishops , arch-bishops , lord-bishops , we heard not of lord timothy , or lord titus bishops , before mentioned ; but to come on to other orders , arch-deacons , deans and chapters , prebends , and these must attend on some old superstitious buildings called cathedrals or ministers , and there performs a service somewhat like the former , & these are injoyned their service like the levites and priests of old by turns and course , as once in a month or two it may be , and have a hundred or two hundred pounds in the year for the same , and hardly stir from thence till they die , except some greater advance offer it self ; also commissaries , procters , parotters and these are subservient to the former : then chancellors , vice-chancellors , doctors of divinity , batchelors , of divinity , doctors of art , masters of art , batchelors of art , graduates , under-graduates , and these belong to the former ; then prelates , parsons ; vicars , priests , curates and church wardens , all which titles and names , and officers , if they be but compared with the scripture , there will be hardly any parallel either concerning office , work , or doctrine ; and notwithstanding all these orders and sorts who are fitted by humane learning or natural study , though divers years exercised therein , are not skilled in the word of righteousnesse , neither hath the tongue of the learned to administer a word in season to the weary , nor to turn the sinner from his sins ; and thus the form of things , titles and names are holden up , but who seeks after the power of god , or to be made able ministers of the spirit . literal ministers enough while maintenance lasts , but the ministration of the spirit few is acquainted with ; and if there be any such , it is well if they be not persecuted ; so in that which i have said the understanding will see , that there hath been a great apostacy since the apostles dayes in the ministry , in doctrine , in worship and practice , divers of which i have touched upon , to the intent that they that enquire after the lord , may depart out of the mist of ignorance and come to worship god in spirit and truth , and in the temple made without hands , and be joyned to the church which is in god , which the gates of hell prevails not against ; though many will claim authority from the apostles , few will own their life , neither walk after their example ; so take but a few more institutions which is called apostolick to this day , among them called christian churches . clatus the third bishop of rome , was the first that wrote this tittle , that is , greeting and apostolick blessing , he ordained the order of priesthood . everastus the fifth bishop , ordained that priests should be honoured , and that they should be shaven . alexander the sixth bishop of rome , ordained that matrimony should be only solemnized , and that the married should be blessed with the priest , there was the beginning of being married by priests . sextus about the year . after christ , the seventh bishop of rome , ordained holy water , and ordered that it should be strowed abroad in christians houses , and when the people met to worship . telesphorus the eight bishop of rome , ordained that the communion should be laid upon an altar , and that lay people should not touch the holy vessels nor the holy garments of the priests ; he ordained lent which was to be kept by the clergy in the year one hundred forty two . higinus the ninth bishop ordained the communion to be celebrated three times at christmas , and that lent should be fasted . pius about the year after christ , the tenth bishop , ordained that crism should be ministred as baptism , and that children should have god-fathers and god mothers ; here was the beginning of this great ordinance , and he ordained that easter-day should be kept on the sunday . urbanus the seventeenth bishop of rome ordained church-yards to be hallowed , and forbad marriage of priests . pontianus the eighteenth bishop , ordained that psalms and mattens should be sung in church night and day to drive away evil spirits . sextus the twenty fourth bishop in the year . after christ , ordained that priests should wear holy garments , as coops and divers other things in imitation of aaron , and then came up surplices ; he commanded images to be set up in churches . foelix the twenty sixth bishop of rome ordained division of parish churchres and diocesses to bishops . leo the emperor gave commandment that all images and pictures of saints should be taken out of the churches for the avoiding of idolatry , but the bishop of rome withstood the emperor ; the emperor for his confirmation of taking of images away , called a councel of bishops about three hundred and thirty , and they ordained and decreed that all images should be taken away and burned in the . but in the year . gregory the third called a council together at rome , near a thousand bishops , and condemned leo the emperor and three hundred bishops for taking images out of the churches , and yet the former counsel and this , all of one faith and church , which they use to say could not erre , and the latter decreed they should be adored and worshiped with all reverence . boniface the eighth , he gave licence to the mendicant friars to hear the private confession of sins , that people should confess to them . pope alexander gave commandment that the sacrament should be made of the sweet bread , and commanded that water should be mingled with wine . innocentius the third ordained that people should confess their sins to a priest once a year , in the year at the least . and these kinds of decrees stand for apostolical to this day among the apostates ; and the reformed churches so called do own many things that are too near a kin to them , and preffeth them for ordinances and holy institutions ; yea in many countries the self same things are both owned and practised in many particulars , which i have mentioned before in other parts of this book , and are looked upon as divine service and holy worship , which the ministers of christ who have the word of reconciliation to publish , are ashamed of , knowing them to be such things as never was practised nor holden out by christ or his apostles , but are brought in since darkness hath over-spread the earth , and the power of god hath been lost ; and at the first institution thereof , though there might be some shew of a good intention in the formers of them , but now they are become absolute idols ; and however at the first some of the things mentioned might seem to some to be indifferent , yet now being prest of necessity , as the ordinances of god , they are become idols , and ought to be thrown away and departed from by all that professeth the gospel of christ jesus , and the worship of god in the spirit . for the lord god hath drawn away his presence , out of all formal and visible appearance , since antichrist and the false church hath got them on for a garment , and to cover themselves withall , to the deceiving of the nations ; and now in this the day of his power hath appeared in a more mysterious , and secret and hidden way , and in a more spiritual appearance ; into this , deceit cannot enter nor transform , and therefore all babylons merchants are angry , and antichrists followers are full of wrath , and the dragon cast out floods after the heir , and her that brings him forth , and makes war with her seed , but the lord is putting on her beautiful garments , and marrying her to himself , and she shall reign , and her seed who are born of the spirit , when she that sat as a queen upon the waters shall have an end , and the dragon shall be laid hold on and chained up , and the beast and false prophet be cast into the lake for ever . blessed are they who keeps in the faith and patience till these things be fulfilled , their hearts shall rejoyce , and their tongue praise the lord , and magnifie him , whose throne is established in the heavens , and his kingdom is over all . and although there was a defection from the faith and practice of the apostles in the first two hundred years after christ , yet doubtless there were many who lived and died in the faith , and suffered as martyrs in the time of the great persecutions by the heathen emperors , and many who could not , nor did not sacrifice to their idols , suffered death , and under-went cruel torments by the heathen who were in the dragons power , for the testimony of a good conscience , for confession of christ jesus ; and although divers of the bishops of rome and other places , did bring in things which they instituted as matter of worship , & so people was darkned by them , yet in the ten persecutions by the heathen emperors many of them suffered death , and thousands of the christians besides ; but deceit crept in by degrees , and invented things were brought in by the leaders of the people , but these things that were invented , were prest to be observed in their diocesses and parishes which they had made and sat down in , but there was little compelling yet till the dragon gave his power to the beast , and it was years before ever the bishops of rome did climb up unto their heigth , as to claim the title of the universal bishop or head of the church , or challenged supremacy over all christian churches ; yet before this time abundance of darkness was entred in , and the power was much lost , and divers innovations were brought in for ordinances , divers of the jews ceremonies , and divers of their institutions which belonged to the first priest-hood , and these were prest upon the churches by several leaders or bishops , as apostolick ordinances , which had no concurrence with the primitive church in the firist hundred years after christ , as hereafter may be shewn in diverse things wherein they were apostatized from the life and power of god , and from the practice of the saints mentioned in the scripture , and of the churches planted in the apostles dayes . chap. viii . something concerning the ten persecutions by the heathen emperors of rome . for the first three hundred years after christ , who was born in the reign of augustus cesar then emperor of rome , and was rejected and crucified by the jews in the seventeenth year of the raign of tiberius cesar then emperor of rome , who raigned eight years after christ was crucified , when pilate gave sentences against and delivered to the jews , the said pilate was banished by the emperor , and afterwards he killed himself , in which time stephen the martyr was stoned to death by the jews , and the same day stephen was stoned ( dorothees saith ) nicanor one of the deacons suffered with two thousand christians more in his raign ; about this time paul was converred . the next emperor that succeeded tiberius cesar was cesar caligula , who commanded his image to be set up in the temple at jerusalem to be worshiped as god ; herod who mocked christ with his souldiers , and set him at nought , was banished and died miserably ; he likewise put forth caiaphas the high priest , and afterwards in the fourth year of his raign , caligula was slain . claudius nero succeeded him , and raigned thirteen years , a grievous tyrant and an hater of all good ; by him was james the son of zebedee martryed , and symon and pemenius the second of the seven deacons martyred , and thomas who preached to the medes and persians , was slain with a dart in his raign ; about this time simon zelotes who preached in africa , was crucified , andrew and matthew , the one crucified , and the other slain with a spear ; matthias and philip , the one was crucified , and the other stoned to death . about the . year after christ , james the son of alpheus called the brother of christ , was stoned to death with many more , and mark slain at alexandria . domitius nero began his raign about the sixty seventh year after christ , he raigned fourteen years emperour of rome , under him was the first of the ten romane persecutions , he caused the christians of all ages , sects and sorts to suffer ; he commanded rome to be set on fire in tewlve places , and to avoid the infamy thereof , he accused the christians with it , and caused them to be persecuted and put to death ; and in the latter end of his raign , paul was put to death for the testimony of the faith of christ. in the year sixty nine , this nero was afterwards proclaimed by the senate of rome , an enemy to all mankinde , and condemned to be drawn through the city , and to be whipt to death , for fear of which he fled , and afterwards slew himself , and the church had rest for a season from persecution after him . in the ninety sixth year began domitian the emperor to raign , who began the second persecution , who was a blasphemer against god , and an idolater ; in his dayes was simon bishop of jerusalem crucified , and john the evangelist banished into the isle of patmos ; but after the death of domitian he was released by pertinax ; this domitian the emperor fearing the coming of christ again , commanded that all that could be found of the stock of david in jury should be slain , and many false accusations was brought against the christians , and the inquisition was this , swear the truth whether thou art indeed a christian , and if they confessed , they were condemned and put to death for that alone . clement succeeded anaclatus the bishop of rome , and after him everistus who was martyred under trajanus in the . year after christ. in the raign of trajanus the emperor , began the third persecution of the christians , simon who was said to be christs kinsman was bishop of jerusalem , and ignatius bishop of antioch who suffered martrydom in the raign of trajanus , in the year . with many other of the christians who were destroyed in this persecution ; the church of rome was not so highly exalted as afterwards she usurped authority ; neither were the officers thereof nor bishops so corrupt as afterwards they came to be both in doctrine and practice . marcus antonius verus began the fourth persecution in the year . in whose time a great number who professed christ , suffered cruel deaths in asia and in france , and other parts , amongst whom was policarpus the bishop of smyrna ; this persecution continued thirteen years ; the church had some rest under the raign of lucius antonius comodus , and then the christians began to wrangle and jangle about the celebration of easter , and about observation of times and feasts , and run into things outward , and contended about them , and so weakned themselves , and , hurt one another . alexander bishop of rome succeeded everistus , and telesphorus succeeded him likewise , and higinus , and pius , and ansatus soler , and elutherius ; all these were bishops of rome , but many things began to creep in in their time , but being kept under by the romane emperors , they did not get much outward power , because they had no outward compelling laws to force their institutions in divers things which were contrary unto the former apostles practices , yet notwithstanding there was something of truth , and of the power of it kept , and they testified against the idolatry of the heathen , and so suffered death . severus succeeded in the empire about the year . under whom was the fifth persecution against the christians , who raigned eighteen years ; in the beginning of his raign he was somewhat favourable to the christians , but afterwards through the malitious suggestions and accusations of wicked men , he was so enraged and incensed against the christians , that by proclamation he commanded through the empire , that no christians any more should be suffered , whereby a great number were destroyed and killed , as eusebius saith in his sixth book about the year . this severus the emperor was slain in britain about the year . and was buried at york . aurelius alexander severus began his raign about . at this time the church had gotten some rest from persecution , at this time the christians had gotten some house or place to meet in in this time of rest in rome , and the cooks and tiplers challenged it to belong to them , the matter being brought before the heathen emperour severus , he judged it to be more honest and reasonable , that this place should be continued to the christians to worship god in , then that the cooks and victuallers , and tiplers should enjoy it ; by this all may understand that there was no great ministers , steeple-houses , or places called churches erected in rome unto this time for the christians , although there be so much ado in this time about steeple-houses and ministers , and parish churches , within this latter age , by them that are run into visible things have been so strongly pressed for a house of god , and a holy church ; so that in this time the christians had no mass-houses with steeples , and crosses , and bells , and organs . standing east and west , which are pleaded for to be decent and holy institutions , yet notwithstanding the moderation of this emperor , calistus and urbanus bishops of rome were put to death , but yet the bishops of rome did not arrogate to themselves to be universal , and these were not called popes , though divers superstitious things crept in , and were allowed by the said bishops , and they were declining from the doctrine and practice of the apostles in the first century , and this was about the year . maximinius the next was chosen emperor rather by the wilfulness of soldiers , then the will of the senate , he caused the sixth persecution , which was great against the christians , especially against the leaders and teachers , hoping that when they were smitten , the sheep would soon be scattered , this was in the year . pontianus bishop of rome was banished by his emperour , and many more christians suffered under this emperor , and were put to death , and more its likely would have suffered , but the lord shortned his dayes and his tyranty , for he raigned but three years . the next emperor was gordianus in the year two hundred and forty , who was more moderate towards the christians , so that the sixth persecution ceased ; but after he had raigned the space of six years , he was slain by philip the succeeding emperor . philippus who slew gordianus who was called the first christian emperor , who slew gordianus , & began with blood , he with his son philip governed the empire seven years ; about the year . it is said this philip with his son and family was converted by fabianus and origen ; it is said that both he and his son was slain by decius one of his own captains , and though being the first that brought in christianity into the emperial seat , but the name of christianity would not save him , being out of the nature beginning with blood , it was required at his hands , and anthetius bishop of rome after pontanius ; damasus saith , that this bishop was put to death , because he recorded the deaths of the sufferers , and here was the beginning of that which they call the legend of martyrs in the church of rome . the seventh persecution began by decius who succeeded philippus in the year , by whom was moved a terrible persecution against the christians , which is noted to be the seventh persecution . fabianus being a married man , and had a wife , was chosen bishop of rome ; this doctrine of devils forbidding to marry , was not yet brought in , which the apostle to timothy prophesied of , no not in the church of rome , not for . years after christ ; so the emperor decius put him to death , and gave forth a proclamation that all that prosessed the name of christ should be put to death . origen suffered many bonds , wrackings , torments for religion , yet afterwards it is said he sacrificed to idols , and was excommunicated , yet afterwards repented ; and nicephorus saith of this persecution under the emperor decius , that it was as easie to number the sands of the sea , as them that suffered under him . cheremon a married bishop fled with his wife into the mountain of arabia , and never was seen more ; the prohibition of ecclesiastical men , or ministers marrying was not yet begun , no not in the church of rome , although they plead antiquity for their institutions and practices ; the emperor raigned but two years , and was slain by the barbarian ; about this time divers bishops suffered , and others were condemned to the mettal mines ; cyprian bishop of carthage was banished ; these had no power yet to give forth laws nor inquisitions , nor to force things upon people , for they had not the outward authority then , though divers things which were unfound crept in by little and little , even amongst them ; about the year two hundred and fifty five , valerianus together with his son gallienus came to be emperors , who raigned together ; at first they were moderate to the christians for about two or three years , insomuch that in the emperors court there were many christians ; but afterwards being moved by an egyptian , was stirred ●p to persecution , which was about the year . this emperor was stirred up to persecute the christians , which was the , eighth persecution , being instigated by the egyptian who was great in his court , telling the emperor that the christians was the cause of the evils of famine and plague upon the empire ; divers bishops and many hundreds were put to death besides ; stephanus suffered with six more which were leading men , also lawrence suffered , who was pinched with fire tongues , and laid upon an iron grate or grid-iron red hot , and so broyled to death . in the sixth year of the raign of valerianus gallianus , having laid for the space of three years in prison with claudianus and bossa his wife , were put to death for being christians ; likewise fructuousus bishop of tarracona with two deacons were burned the same year for being christians ; this valerian the emperor raigned seven years , and was taken in the war by the king of persia , who made him his block to take horse on to his dying day ; and though the christians in this time were much darkened , yet they were much more justiffed in the sight of god then the heathen emperors , who came all or most of them to a woful end for their cruelty , and tyranny , and murther ; for the hand of the lord who distributes justice equally to every man according to his works , found them out ; and gallianus the son of valerianus who joyned with his father in persecution had many earthquakes , and thirty rebellions and insurrections raised in his time , in the empire in nine years time , and this stopt their persecuting of the christians somewhat ; and after gallianus the emperor succeeded claudius , who raigned two years , and after him quintilian●s the brother of claudius , who continued only seventeen dayes , about the year . in this time the christians had some rest from persecution . the ninth persecution began under aurelianus , who began his raign mildly , but soon after moves the ninth persecution , about this time many christians suffered , and some of the bishops of rome , and sixtus , and dionysius , and many others in the middle of his raign , there was a council of the christians at antioch , the emperor seeming not to be against it , nor them , but afterwards he was about to seal an edict for further persecutions of the christians , but he was so terrified with thundering and lightning , that it stopt his tyranny , in the sixth year of his raign , he was slain about the year . after him succeeded tacitus , who raigned but six months , and florianus raigned next , who raigned but sixty dayes , and after him raigned marcus aurelius probus , who raigned six years and four months , in this time there was no persecution , but the christians had rest as in matters of religion , but he was slain by his souldiers in the year . carus with his two sons carinus and numerianus succeeded probus in the empire , the raign of which emperors continued in all but three years ; carus was slain with lightning , and numerianus was also slain , and carinus the other son raigned alone in italy with much wickedness , who afterwards was slain by the hands of the tribune at rome ; so that from the latter end of the raign of valerianus , unto the raign of dioclesia , there seeming to be about forty four years , in which there was little persecution of the christians , but they had rest and enjoyed their worship in quiet , and they were kept under sufferings , and the law , and did not exercise authority over the consciences of the rest , as afterwards they did , when they came to have power in their hands , although as i said before , divers things were brought in by the bishops of rome in this time , which were much disagreeing from the apostles dayes , yet they held part of the true worship , and bore a testimony against the open prophaness and cursed idolatry and pride of the heathen emperors ; who killed one another for the impeiral seat ; and in this testimony that they bore for god , i beleive they were accepted , and had peace with god. the tenth persecution began under the raign of dioclesian , which was in the year . this was the last persecution against the christians , which was horrible and grievous , that never was any persecution before or since comparable unto it , for the time which it continued , which was the space of ten years together , though there were more emperours which had an hand in this persecution , yet principally it beareth the name of dioclesian ; this dioclesian the emperor took unto himself maxillianus to be partner with him in the empire , those two emperors chose two others to themselves , that is to say , gallerius and constantius whom they called cesars ; gallerius was sent into the east parts against the christians , and constantius to the west to britain , these two last raigned moderately and did not persecute the christians for about . years , so they prospered in their wars abroad , but afterwards by reason of their victories were puft up with pride in their hearts , they ordained a triumph at rome , after which triumph dioclesian gave commandment that he himself should be worshiped as god , and said he was brother to the sun and moon , and so commanded the people to kiss his feet , which afterwards when the chief bishop of rome got up into pride , and claimed superiority over all the christian churches , having got the authority of the dragon , commanded the emperors , and kings then to kiss his feet , and so in this the pope hath imitated the heathen emperor , who was the greatest persecutor that ever we read of ; but to return to dioclesian , he began a great and grevious persecution of the christians which was the nineteenth year of his raign ; in the year of christ . he commanded all the meeting places of the christians to be spoyled , and the books of the holy scriptures to be burned , he sent out a proclamation for casting all the bishops and elders into prison in his empire , and constrained them by several torments to worship idols , and so great persecution there was among the christians , and grievous torments they suffered , because they would not offer sacrifice to idols ; one nobleman at nicom pluckt down the two emperors proclamations against the christians , not fearing the emperors who were then in the city , for which act he was put to most bitter death ; afterwards they were so mad that they sought to destroy all the christians in the world , it can hardly be expressed with words what numbers suffered , and what blood was shed throughout all the regions , and they cast the christians among the lions , bears , and leopards who were kept hungry for that purpose , and them that the wild beast would not devour , they , slew them with the sword , and threw them into the sea. cerena the wife of dioclesian he killed , because shee was a christian ; two thousand were burnt in one place , many suffered in phrygia , and were burnt with the whole city in this persecution ; likewise in france , spain and brittan , so that some rivers were coloured with blood , one thousand slain sometimes in one day , and they slew them by ten , twenty , sixty , and sometimes an hundred men , women and children . damasus , beda , oratius , honorus , and others do testifie that there was slain in the space of one month seve●●een thousand persons ; likewise peter bishop of alexandria , and three hundred more were slain with axes there ; mauritius was slain with . victor with . were slain in the city of troy ; the christians notwithstanding all this persecution did increase , and though a cloud was over many , and darkness entred in in part , respectively to what had been in the first century , yet they were the best witnesses for the lord in their generations , and the christians did increase , so that the two heathen emperors were tired with persecuting , and gave up their empire , and led a private life , having raigned one and twenty years , which was in the year . these two latter emperors maximinius and constantius who were called cesars , now became the emperors of the whole , one in the east , and the other in the west . maxentius was set up emperor by the souldiers , and goes against maximinius the emperor , who sent severus his son to war against him , which severus being slain lycinius caesar was chosen in the room , so that maximinius , constantius and maxentius continued the tenth persecution after dioclesian and his partner had given over , saving constantius , and esepcially his son constantius were kind to the christians ; constantius chused those who refused to offer sacrifice and commit idolatry to be in his court , and banished the heathen idolaters as unfit for his service that were traitors to god , and this was about the year . on the other hand . maximinius the emperor and his partner was very wicked in idolatry and cruelty , god struck him with a great plague in the belly and secret parts , which purrifying broke our with swarms of lice , which caused such a stink that the physitian could not endure the same , wherefore he slew the physitian , and by the anguish of his disesase , he slacked persecution , making confession that his persecuting of them had brought this upon him , and so acknowledged his offence ; and the infidels divers exalted the god of the christians , yet afterwards being incensed against the christians , this emperor set up decrees afresh , to persecute the christians , whereby many bishops and others were martyred ; here was no titles of lord bishops and arch-bishops not yet in the first three hundred years , neither was there any pope then that did lay claim to supremecy over all the churches , neither had these bishops whole counties and provinces for their maintenance , neither all rome , constantinople , antioch , and jerusalem , and all people therein for their dioceses , but them only of the christians who believed , in each of those places ; but afterwards in the great persecution there followed great famine and pestilence on the heathen , which caused the persecution to cease , and caused maximinius to revoke his decrees , and punished the inchanters that incensed him against the christians ; maxillianus who was joyned in the empire with dioclesian , who laid down the goverment of the empire , endeavoured to have slain constantius the emperor , that he might have got up again into the empire , but failing of his enterprize , was slain of constantius . maxentius this time reigns wickedly and tyrannically at rome , which caused the romans to entreat costantine to come against maxentius for his wickedness , who made war against him , and upon a bridge made of boats over the river tyber , he was intraped by constantine , and drowned in tyber ; and thus the righteous judgements of god at last came upon them for their blood and cruelty , as a recompenence and a reward for their deeds , but constantine set forth decrees of favour to the christians . marcellinus was bishop of rome about the tenth year of dioclesian , in the persecution he sacrificed to idols , and was excommunicated by three hundred bishops , but afterwards was killed in the massacre of dioclesian . marcellus succeeded , and one lucina a rich maid of rome dying , made marcellus her heir , and gave him all her substance , and from that time saith pollidore lib. . the bishops of rome were greatly enriched , and so began to grow up in earthly honours higher and higher . but constantine the emperor , about the year . caused a cross to be made of gold and precious stones , and to be born before his army instead of a standard , when he went to fight against maxentius , maximinius , and lucimus , these were the least persecutors of the christians in the romane monarchy , which this constantine did vanquish , and set the christians at liberty who had been persecuted about three hundred years ; and so afterwards this cross others began to imitate and set up in their churches , and became a flat idol ; notwithstanding after this , some persecution was stirring in the eastern counties , yet in rome and the western parts , and there was no general persecution for many years , and also in the east part he subdued those tyrants ; and we read of no persecution against the christians , untill the time that john wickliff suffered , which was when the spirit of the heathen was entred into the bishops of rome , and popes , who had retained the name of christian , but lost the life and the power ; he began with fire to persecute the members of christ. but long before this time the wisdom and power of god was much lost among many of the bishops of rome , and also divers others , that the apostacy was entred in , and they made great contentions about easter , and about dayes which should be fasted , and some was for two , and some was for three , and some was for forty dayes , all the churches of asia , and their bishops was for keeping it the fourteenth moon , as eusebius saith , lib. . for asia observed the feast of easter , and they called a great council together , and decreed that it should be observed the fourteenth moon upon what day soever in that week the moon fell , and appointed fasting dayes , and meetings and synods in all parts met together about this trivial matter , in the year . at rome likewise there was a synod gathered together , wherein victor the fourteenth bishop was president . and the eastern churches decreed it the day aforesaid , and fastings before it , and a western church decreed it to be the day wherein christ rose from death to life ; but victor bishop of rome with the adjoyned congregations , pronounces flatly all the westren churches to be excommunicated persons , and gives them up to sathan , so that it became a proverb , that the bishop of rome must judge all , and be judged of none ; this was about the year one hundred ninety nine after christ , when they had respit from persecution . and iraeneus bishop of lyons , he was of victors mind , that it ought to be celebrated on the sunday only , yet reproved victor bishop of rome , peters successor as they say , for cutting off all the churches of god in asia for such a trivial thing . and policarpus and anisatus contended about trivial things ; and although there was much good in them both , yet this weakned the christians , and led the minds of people out into the observance of outward things , and neglected the life and the power . lucius the two and twentieth bishop of rome , about the year . and stephanus who succeeded him , a great contention in their time about baptism ; the matter was , whether they that returned from any heresie should be rebaptized or be received in with prayer , and laying on of hands only ; and so here was a great jangling and contention about outward things , which were geting up as idols ; and cyprian bishop of carthage judged that hereticks had no way to be purged from error , but by baptism ; but stephanus was greatly offended with cyprian for this . after stephen xystus succeeded , and dionysius writes unto him , how that all cilicia , cappadocia , galatia , and the bordering nations , how great synods had decreed , that they would not communicate with them because they rebaptized hereticks ; and saith further , the greatest synods of bishops hath decreed that such as renounce any heresie , should first be instructed , and then washed and purged of their impure leaven ; and thus they wrangled and jangled about things with one another , and brake into fractions ; notwithstanding many of these men suffered under the merciless cruelty of the heathen emperor ; likewise they excommunicated one another , and called councils , and censured one another , and hurt the spreadng of truth amongst them that believed in the name of jesus ; all this is to shew that they were declining and coming to loss in this time , though so near the apostles time ; and though they suffered under the emperors , and found peace with the lord , yet many practices and institutions were made which are not according to the primitive times , which ought not to be binding to all generations afterwards because of the antiquity of them , as the now called church of rome would have all to receive as apostolick doctrine . but to return to constantine the emperor , when peace was established in the empire , he set forth a general proclamation or edict , not constraining therein any man fro any religion , but giving liberty to all men to exercise their religion , whether christians or others , which thing was taken well by the romans and all wise men ; this licinius joyned with constantine in the government of the empire , and seemingly favoured the christians , and joyned with constantine in setting forth an edict for the christians liberty , yet afterwards he had great hatred towards constantine , and conspired his death , rejecting the christian religion , and persecuted them , who said he would become an enemy to the christians , for that in their meetings and assemblies they prayed not for him but for constantine ; so cast the christians into prison , and persecuted them within his dominions , and many were put to death , but at length he was slain after several battels between him and constantine by the souldiers in the year , . constantius the emperor the father of constantine dyed a natural death , and was buried at york , dioclcesian died at salena , as some say by his own poyson in the year . he was the chief of the seven tyrants in the tenth persecution . maximinian the second , who was hanged at mazilla by constantine in the year . thirdly galerius who was plagued with a terrible disease ; severus the fourth was slain by maximinian the father of maxentius the wicked tyrant , who was banished by constantine in the year . the sixth was maxentius who dyed not long atfer in the year . lastly , licinius was overcome by constantine , and slain about the year . and thus the lord plagued the cruelty of the heathen emperors who knew not god , but hated his appearance , and rewarded them according to their deeds . the christians in these three hundred years wherein was the ten persecutions , they were sufferers under the power of the dragon , who ruled in the emperors , and then they were not persecutors , having not the outward power in their hand , but when they had the outward power , then they turned persecutors , especially the bishops of rome , when they had the outward power on their side , then they were worse then constantine the great , who gave liberty to all christians and others to worship god without forcing of any , as their actions following afterwards makes it appear ; for being countenanced by the emperor , they grew proud and lordly , and increasing in power and outward authority , though set up at first by the emperor , at last excluded him for having any authority or power over the see of rome . as after a season may be made appear . in the year . damasus was bishop of rome . years . also in the first three or four hundred years before ever the bshop of rome did get so high as to be called universal bishop , abundance of darkness spread over , and abundance of idolatry and superstitious things was invented , and abundance of orders , as friars , and monks , and monasteries , and nunneries , wherein they were diverted from the order of the gospel , and a great apostacy came in . in the year . anthony is called the father of the monks , who followed the example of paulus born at thebes in egypt , who retired himself to a private gave under the foot of a rock in the seventh persecution by decius ; and one called basil is said to be the first that built monasteries , and ordained vows of poverty , chastity , and obedience ; and these are called the monks of basils order , and are bound to abstain from all kinde of flesh ; and here began this doctrine of devils , contrary to the doctrines of the apostles of christ. the next who prescribed orders , was augustine born in the year . this order was called austin fryars , they wear a lethern girdle to distinguish them from the monks ; the first order of the eriars was mendicants ; the third that prescribed orders was benedict in the year . and out of this order did spring the monks of benedict , and divers other orders which i have mentioned before in the former part of the book . the fourth that prescribed orders was francis of assis , these are called franciscans or grey friars , their rule and order was confirmed by innocent the third , these are the fourth order of friars mendicants , or begging friars , and from this order sprung friars , miniries , and capouchen friars ; miniries were ordered by franciscus de pola , and capouchens were ordained by one matthew basa of acona ; the jesuites were first founded by ignatius loyolla born in navar , they were first confirmed by paul the third . the nuns first author was one clare the daughter of asses who forsoke her fathers house , and devised an order of religious women who vowed poverty and virginity , they were confirmed by honorius the third ; but many of these being mentioned , and their practices which are contrary to the primitive time is mentioned before in this book , and so let them pass , and to return to the bishops of rome ; but divers contentions and sects began to breake forth , and the bishops not only of rome , but of alexandria and nicomedia , and miletus , and one clashing against another , alexander bishop of alexandria , and eusebins bishop of nicomedia , and many bishops in other places joyning one to one side , and one to another , and envying one another , insomuch that as eusebius saith , a man might have seen not only the presidents and chief rulers of the churches envying one against another with spightful approbrious terms , and also the multitude severed into parts , that the christian religion was openly derided of all men , and so called councils and synods , and condemned one another , and excommunicated one another as hereticks , and so went out of the long-suffering , and patience , and forbearance which the apostle exhorted unto . and so no less then four hundred years many run wholly out into contention about dayes , and meats , and drinks , some running this way , and some that way , and forging things upon the apostles and churches in asia , saying , that john the disciple gave them an order to observe easter the fourteenth day of the month ; and rome and the western parts alledge peter and paul for their author , how they left them this tradition , both alike true , for this came up more by custom , then any injunction from the apostles , or tradition either ; for they condemned such things in their life time , and called them beggarly rudiments , such as inhabit at rome , they began to make fasts , and fasted three weeks before easter , excepting the saturday and the sunday ; illyricum , greece , and alexandria began their fasting dayes six weeks before easter , and that they call fourty dayes fasting , or lent , others begin to fast seven weeks before easter ; yet in all the while they use abstinency but onely fifteen dayes , and hath intermission amongst those dayes , and yet calls these fourty dayes fasting or lent ; so that they disagreed in the time , disagreed in the months , disagreed in the dayes , and times , and in the abstinence , and contended about these things , or for life and death , and excommunicating one another , and judging one another hereticks , and at last when they got power , killed one another , and stirred up the emperours one against another , and this in the or years after christ. and all this fasting was but from some meat , as though some had been clean and some unclean , some abstained onely from flesh , and fed onely upon fish , and abstain from all other creatures , others upon fish and fowls of the air , affirming their original is of the water , and so no flesh ; and others some fasted till nine of the clock , and then eat of divers sorts as they pleased ; and here was their fast and their lent , about which all this contention and stir ; all which practices are condemned in the apostles writings , and such ignorance and hypocrisie ; for the kingdom of god stands not in meats and drinks , and yet the protestants and them that calls themselves reformed will needs presse these things as holy institutions , when as it is manifest when the christians in former dayes began to judge one another about these things , and strive , and bite one another , and devoure one another , and they lost the power , and then mystery babylon began to rise , these things became her merchandize , and these practices became to be called christianity , which christ and the apostles would have been ashamed of . and about the sacrament great contention arose , as about the time and the manner , some did receive the bread and wine every sabbath day , yet alexandria and rome do not use it : yet the egyptians joyning to alexandria , and the inhabitants of thebes they had another order , they did receive it when they had banquetted , and filled themselves with delicates , and then received their communion , and so they judged one another in these things : in thessalonica , macedonia , and hellas in achaia , they baptize only on the easter holy dayes : likewise in hellas , jerusalem , and thessalia , their service they said with candle-light : likewise in caesaria , cappadocia , and at cyprus the priests and bishops expound the scripture on the saturdayes and sundayes by candle-light , as socrates saith lib. . in this time it is said the customes and observations were so many that none was able to find two which did retain one order of the service . at caesaria in cappadocia , they receive not into communion such as sin after baptism , and even so the macedonians in hellespont did the same . the phrygians allow not of two marriages : the original authors of so great diversity of services , rights , and customes were bishops which governed their churches at several times , and such as do like of such practices have commended them to posterity for laws , and such vain and frivolous contentions did arise in this age , whereby it is manifest the apostacy from the life and power of god was great , and gods wisdome and the unity of the spirit was wanting , and philosophy and customary practise was their chief foundation . and one bishop exiled another , and complained to the emperors , and banished one another , and so the sheep was made havock of , and starved , and scattered , and the name of christ and christian came to be evil spoken of by the many fractions and contentions that were amongst them . but to return to the bishops of rome after the raign of constantine in which persecution ceased , many superstitious injunctions and idolatrous practices were set up in the first five hundred years , which i shall not much trouble the reader with further then what is already said ; but divers other things were brought in afterwards more gross then the former . gregory called the great , the bishop of rome , of whom it is said of all that went before him , he was the basest or worst , and of all that came after him , he was the best ; it is he that brought in this title among the roman bishops , to be called the servant of gods servants , but by his practise he proved a lord over gods servants , consciences , and over their faith , he made an act that priests should not marry a wife , and he ordained a book called the service or letany , which goes under the name of gregories mass-book to be recived in all churches . after the death of him , fabianus was bishop , who continued scarce . years , he was the last of the roman bishops , who had not the title of universal bishop or head of the church , he was the last of sixty five bishops before the first pope , he died in the year six hundred and five . palagius , the first was the bishop of rome in the year . he ordained that hereticks and shismaticks should be punished with temporal death ; there was bishops before boniface the third , who was the first pope , and since there hath been popes . boniface the third ( who succeeded fabianus was the first pope , he reigned but one year , and did more hurt in that year then gregory could do in many , before he obtained of the emperour phocas that he and his successors after him in the see of rome above all other churches should have the preheminence , and that the bishop of rome should be the head of all the churches of christ in christendom ; alleadging this frivolous and reasonless reason , that saint peter had left to saint peter his successors in rome the keyes of binding and loosing ; for before this constantinople , asia and other churches , their bishops had some stroak , and divers times many of the bishops of rome were reprehended by the rest , but now obtaining this decree of phocas , he began to take head over all other churches , and this phocas to aspire to the empire of rome he murthered his own master , and mauritius the emperour and his children ; so phocas somewhat fearing and willing to have boniface his favour , gratifies him and condescends to all his petitions , and grants him to be universal head bishop over all christian churches , and there was the first rise of the pope ; but phocas for his murther was justly rewarded , for heraclius the emperour cut off his hands and feet and cast him into the sea ; but rome would not so soon loose her supremacy once given as the giver lost his life , and ever since that time the popes have holden , defended and maintained the same by all force , pollicy and cruelty that possible can be ; this was in the year . and so the bishop now became pope , his rise was not because of his holiness or righteousness , or doctrine or holy practices suitable unto peter . whom he saith he succeeded for his doctrine and practice , peter had condemned the same things before boniface was , but his rise was by a heathen emperor who had command over a great party at that time , and so by the force of his edict he claims authority . vitilianus , the eleventh pope in the year he confirmed that practice which was set up before by some other of the bishops of rome , that organs should be set up in churches . paschal , in the year was the first that appointed cardinals to be in number . adrian the third the pope in the year ordained that the emperour of rome from thenceforth should have no more to do with the election or confirmation of the pope , but that it should be left wholly to the romane clergy ; so now that which first gave the pope power , to wit the emperour , he now throws off the yoak , and if the emperour please not him , hath stirred up the people to mannage war against him , and against divers princes , as may be seen in the histories of latter ages . sergius the third was the first who ordained bearing of candles in the feast of the purification of mary , thence called candlemas day . calistine the second in the year was the first inventer of cursing or anathamizing any who received not his ordinances , with bell book and candle . innocent the third was the first that brought in the doctrine of transubstantiation , and imposed auricular confession upon the people . clement the fifth was the first that sold indulgencies and pardons . sixtus the fourth brought in the beads to be numbred when they prayed , & authorized the ladies psalter . leo the tenth in the year set indulgencies and pardons on sale in germany and france , which things caused luther in germany and zunglius amongst the switzers to write against the popes ministers , and afterwards questioned many points of the popish doctrine upon which the pope burned luthers writings and condemned him for an heretick , and luther burned the popes canon law at wittenburg , and declared the pope to be a persecutor and a very antichrist . the inquisition began first in spain which was set up by the papists there , to terrifie the moors who had inhabited spain for years , and so long spain was governed by the emperour of the moors in africa until the year . and after this time the inquisttion began against the moors , which was not so cruel at first as afterwards it began to be against the protestants , and is now accounted the greatest violence and torture , and the greatest tyranny and severest kind of persecution upon the earth , insomuch that many papists abhor the very name and mention of it , and to the death withstand the bringing in of this slavery amongst them ; the extremity and rigor of this inquisition untill the year . in philip the third king of spains time , notwithstanding , though the moors did make a shew of the papists religion because of the inquisition , yet eleven hundred thousand of them was forced to quit the country it was so dreadful ; and all these kind of ordinances and institutions before mentioned , compare them with the scriptures , and the cruelty and severity which hath been exercised towards them who could not receive them ; none who have their eyes open in any measure , but must needs conclude , that all this is in the apostacy ; and so all who prosess reformation flee from these things , and from this spirit , and from this church who forces and kills all them that oppose , who are under his power ; and why should any plead for the holding up of those practices as good and warrantable when as so many has been killed about them , and so many has been led from the life and power of godliness while they received and practised these humane inventions & vain and customary traditions for the doctrine of christ , and for apostolick ordinances ? and must it not needs be concluded them who would tye people up , and bind men to observe such and such things as is mentioned before in this book , and persecute for not observing , that they are they who draws back to perdition , and keeps people from laying hold upon eternal life ? many more vain practises and doctrines which have been brought in since the apostles dayes might be mentioned , but in that which is said already , the understanding will see that there hath been a great apostacy both in life , doctrine and practise from the apostles time downward untill now , & that which is called the catholick church in rome is in it ; and likewise diverse of them who are separated from her sticks too much in these things , because of the custom , tradition and antiquity of them ; in part i have shewn their antiquiry and their rise , and also shewn that which is more antient then they , from which they have swarved , to the intent that all may come out of babylon , and drink no more of the cup , nor buy no more of the merchandize , nor wear no more the harlots cognizance nor the false churches at tire , but that all may come to see before this heap of dark confusion , and beyond the vain observations which hath been introduced , which maketh no man through the observation thereof more acceptable unto god , but rather twofold more like children of the wicked one , who abode not in the truth . chap. xiiii . something further of the decrees and ordinances of the church of rome , which are holden out for apostolical ordinances . pope paul about the year condemned the councel at constantinople for condemning worshipping of images , he wrote a book of the worshipping and vitility of images , calling them the laymens kalendar . pope adrian about the year cloathed the image of saint peter with silver , and covered the altar of saint paul with a pall of gold , and condemned them for hereticks , who kept peter and pauls doctrine which declared against idols . pope nicholas about the year enlarged the popes decrees , equaling them to the writings of the apostles , he decreed that service should be said in latine . and although by the emperours the pope was first elected , yet now having got head did climb up so high in power , and pride and arrogancy , endeavoured that no emperour should be crowned without his leave in germany . and pope clement the fifth excommunicated andronicus peleologus emperour of constantinople as a heretick , because he would not suffer the greek church to appeal to rome . and when any kings or princes had displeased him , he hath excommunicated them , and given away their kingdomes to some other , teaching their people to rebell ; and also instigating other princes to make war against them , and to kill one another for trifles , and if any displeased him , he caused many kings to do penance , and to pay great summes of money to get an absolution from excommunication ; and the rule and power of the empire which gave him first his being to be universal bishop , and to be called pope , he hath raised war often against , and if he like not the election of the emperour , he hath deposed them , and one he brought into such subjection that he caused him to hold his stirrop , a thing that the emperour was not accustomed with , he happened to hold it on the wrong side , for which he received a sharp reproof by his holiness . likewise some difference being between pope innocent the fourth , in the year and the emperour frederick the second , the pope would not be reconciled , though the king of france strongly interceded , and offered full satisfaction for all pretended wrongs , would go out of his empire if the pope could not endure him there , never to return into europe again , so as that his son with the popes approbation might but succeed him in the empire , which the pope would not do . and how england and diverse nations hath been troubled with his oppression is well known , and what exactions and great sums of mony there hath been enhaused and squeezed out of the dominions where he had power , the nations well remembers , to maintain the pride of his court at rome , which abounded with all manner of vitiousness , in so much that it was grown to that height that vincentius clemence the popes legate , said it was now too late , and past reforming . but to take the legates own words as follows against his master the pope and his court , w. h. in his book called a description of england in the page , saith thus , that this vincentius clement in the year being legate for the pope , was here in england about the popes business , and hearing that the clergy had given the king two tenths for the repaying of his losses which he had sustained in france , and for the recovering of bou●deox ; this legate vincenti●s coming into the convocation house , he earnestly required the clergy to be no less favourable to their spiritual father the pope , and their mother the see of rome then they had been to his vassal and inferiour , meaning the king ; and in his speech in the convocation he shewed them how that his holiness the pope was much disturbed and in daily danger of his life by cut-throats , varlors , and harlots which did much abound as he said in rome ; but the clergy in the convocation slighted his speech , and said how should we contribute towards the suppression of such , whenas he and such as you continually uphold them ? i grant saith the legate that there wanteth just reformation of many things in the city of rome which would have been made sooner , but now it is too late and past reforming ; nevertheless i beseech you send the legate to write unto his holiness the pope , to request him that he would abandon and leave that baby●on which is but a sink of mischief and of all ungodlinesse , and keep his court elsewhere in some place of better fame ; and this is the legates testimony of the seat of the mother church of rome . besides many of her own members in england in the year do manifest what exaction has been upon this nation , as may be seen in a supplication written in the names of the nobles and commons of england to pope innocent the fourth , shewing how many subsidies and taxes had been levied and sent out of the r●alm , and how they had been liberally paid , they complaining also how he sent italians and forraigners to possess their churches and benefices in england , who had no regard of peoples souls , and so were no good shepherds as they said ; and how the italians received threescore thousand marks by the year , besides other vails and excises they do reap more rents then the king himself , and so when he could not have his subsidies , and raise all the sums which he exacted from year to year , pope innocent perswades the french king to make warre with the king of england , for his not condiscending to the pope in all things , although he was then one of his sons , and of his church , but enough of this ; it were large to enumerate the actions and cruelties , the oppressions which hath been done in that which is called christendom , since the emperour gave unto the pope his power , and how much idolatry , supersttion , her●sie , and doctrines of devils hath been spread over the nations these many hundreds of years , and how many have been put to cruel death ; for not obeying and conforming to the said doctrines and practices , injunctions and ordinances , and how many he this falle church hath stirred up to kill one another , and destroy one another about these things , which hath been put upon people under the name of divine authority , and holy subjection , and apostolical institutions ; by what as i● written , all may see that these things are in the apostacy , and in the fall , in the cu●se , and in the night of darknesse wherein all this wickedness hath been wrought by the false church which the lord god will reward double , and dry up her waters under which she sits , and make her seat desolate , and throw down her pride who hath drunk the blood of the martyrs , and shed the bloud of the saints , and devoured the lambs of christ , and made merchandize of souls ; and therefore all who are in part departed from her , stay not in the suburbs , but come out of her-city , and the adjacent places thereof , that ye be not partakers of the judgement which is to come upon her ; but oh abundance of darkness remains yet in the nations , and even in the protestant churches who hold up things yet which was invented by her , insomuch that one belonging to the church of rome , dionysius petavius 〈◊〉 cardinall layes claim to the ceremonies which were practiced in england in the bishops time ; for saith he in his book called the history of the world , the religion of england and doctrine is calvinis●● , the doctrine of geneva , but the ceremonies are of rome as they were practiced in england in the year . in the time of leo the fourth , edelw●lphus king of england went to rome , for performance of a vow that he had made , and was courteously received and accepted by the pope leo ; for which cause he ordained atribute to be paid yearly to the pope , to wit a penny sterling for every house in england that kindled a fire . new protestants look to your easter reckonings , you have denied the popes supremacy , and yet vicars and parsons receives his tribute of every house that kindles a fire , and this stands yet as a good and wholsome institution amongst you . and so for shame , let all that profess reformation , and the doctrine of godliness , and the faith of christ , and the practise of the apostles as their example , come out of things which the harlor hath invented , and say as abraham said to the king of sodom , that he would not take a shoe-latchet , least he should say he had made abraham rich ; so let them that professes reformation , not keep a shoe-larchet , nor one lap of the whores garment , nor any piece of her ornaments , that she may not boast any more that we are made rich by her merchandize ; so purge out horn and huff , and all the old leaven out of your hearts and out of your assemblies , and come to believe in christ the true light that lighteth every one that comes into the world , that he may be your law-giver , whose institutions are spiritual and his ordinances heavenly , which makes perfect , and clean and pure the comers there unto , and so let the old rom●sh t●ash and foolish ceremonies about worship alone , many of which are borrowed from the heathen ; and judge not any for departing from them , nor per●ecute none for not observing of them ; for who so doth , will manifest themselves to belong to the city which is to be overthown , and to be in the apostacy , and not members of the true church of christ , the lambs wife . and many more things which stands yet amongst them called christions , as set discourses hath been set up ●●lled homilies . and the a●oresaid w. h. shews the ground wherefore they were devised ; some complained that their churches and universities were spoiled with error ( as many are at this day ) by which there was a want of able pastors ; four sermons were appointed by publick order in the year only , and certain homilies was devised by learned men , and confirmed for sound doctrine by the clergy , who made them , and the authority of the prince , which homilies were appointed to be read by curates of a mean understanding , and them that had but mean pay , as five mark or twen●● nobles a year , of which sort we had many in england in the year . i desire we have no more , le●st more ignorance abound ; and these homilies were to be read after a certain number of psalms read , and the le●any , and an epistle and gospel , and it may be a●h●nasius or nicene creed , and this was the worship which hath been holden out even amongst the reformed as spiritual worship ; all which while people has been exercising themselves in those things , they have been further and further off from god and the knowledge of his truth , which is manifest to them that believe not by the injunctions and ordinances of men , but by holy spirit which leads out of all error , superstition and deceit , and all that believes in it comes to be taught of the lord , and worship in that which is pure , and are acceptable in his sight . chap. xv. something concerning the general councils since the apostles dayes , though they have been all of one faith , and though it hath been said the church could not err , all which of the several councils belonged to the church of rome , yet see the difference . in that which some call a council or a syn●d at jerusalem , acts . when some dissention arose , because of some of the phari●ees that believed , and yet would needs judge it needful for all that believed to be circum●i●ed ; so they that stickt in the outward types and figures would needs lay yoaks upon the necks of them who were come to the substance ; so the apostles , elders and brethren coming together , seeing the state of the matter stood not disputing years together , as the council of trent forty years ; but they as they saw in the wisdom of god sent some chosen men from jerusalem to the gentiles , to certifie the gentiles , by the spirit of the lord that they abstained only from meats offered to idols , and from blood , and from things strangled , and from fornication , from which if you keep your selves , you shall do well , acts . they pressed not upon them the ordinances of the jews , neither the custome of the gentiles in the unbelief , which since this the church of rome hath done ; and diverse councils appertaining to her , hath cumbred people with multitudes of things and heavy yoaks , some borrowed from the jews in the unbelief , and some from the heathens in the unbelief , and prest their institutions and inventions as ordinances of christ upon all the members of the church , which are so many and so innumerable , and all contrary to the primitive church ; and they have been of the nature of those councils that david speaks of , psal. . who took council against the lord and against his anointed , and that was a council which condemned the son of god , christ jesus , and these councils though rabbies and great men , yet they ●rred from the life ; but to come downward amongst the doctors and bishops of that which they call the catholick church , the council that was held at carthage under cyprian decreed that those who were baptized by hereticks ought to be baptized again , which others called it error : and that councils proceedings was condemned . the nice●e council decreed flat idolatry about worshipping of images : and the council at constantin●ple condemned that proceedings and their decrees : the council of basil as albe●●us p●igius saith , decreed against all reason , and against the scriptures : the council of armenium decreed for the a●me●ia●s that christ was not god : the council of calcedon which was one of the four that gregory the great compares to the four gospels , that the decrees were as sure and constitutions as certain & infallible as the scripture ▪ yet pope leo did not stick to condemn it and all them as unadvised ; and these councils has been one against another , and the multitude of their votes is brought for great proof , not only amongst the romanists but also amongst them that are separated from them ; so councils have erred , and hath opposed one another , yet and the popes and bishops of rome to leo the fourth abrogated and made void the acts of adrian , & yet they both said they were peters successors and infallible ; and stephanus bishop of rome made void the acts and decrees of formos●s ; and sabinian the pope commanded that gregories mass , and all pope gregories writings should be burnt ; and all of these said they had the keyes to bind & loose , and yet one bound that which another had loosed , and another loosed that which the former had bound ; and yet all these claimed infalibility ; the council of carthage decreed that the bishop of rome should not be called high priest nor chief of priests , nor the head of the church , but following councils have stiled him chief priest , chief bishop , and head of the catholick church . the eliberine council decreed that no images should be set up in the churches ; nor worshipped , nor the walls painted ; likewise the council of constantinople before mentioned , decreed that images were not to be suffered in the churches or meeting places , but on the other side , the second nicene councils determined , that images were not only to be placed in the churches , but also to be worshipped , and the pope said that images were to be lay-mens calenders ; the latter council under julius the second did repeal the decrees of the pisan council ; the basil council deterrmined that a council of bishops was above the pope ; but the lattern council under leo , decreed that the pope was above the council , and they decreed also that he that should think otherwise should be held for an heretick , and yet the bishops and abbo●s in the council of basil aforesaid , decreed that they that judged that the bishops were not above the pope , were hereticks , and yet these councils the church of rome layes claim to , to be of their faith and church , and yet one making void what another had decreed ; the same council did with an uniform consent remove the pope enge●ius , and put amidius in his place ; but engenius vilifies the councils decrees and condemns them ; the council of trent commanded that bishops should teach the people , and should have no more benefit for preferment then one place ; but since they have made this decree void , and now whole countries is too little , and the protestants imitates the same , and does not teach the people ; and so of what validity have these councils been worth , or of what force hath the decrees been of mutable men who have been tossed up and down like waters need ; i nominate the several convocations and councils that hath been amongst the reformed churches as they are called , and their synods ; one while decreeing this , the next throwing it down again ; and yet all these will lay claim to be ministers of the true church , and persecute as hereticks to death them who owns not their changeable decrees , and mutable institutions ; but such hath been the arogancy and pride of her that hath set as a queen upon the waters , that she must be the only judge ▪ and then the prophets must be slain . pope julius said no council is of any credit , unless it be confirmed by the church of rome ; and boniface the eighth saith , that no man in the world can be saved , unless he be subject to the romane church ; and pope paschal thus said , as though said he any council could make laws for the church of rome , and all councils do subsist by it , and receive their strength from it ; and that w●h the pope approveth or disapproveth : and so all confederacies & councils of men who are out of the life and power of god doth decree that which brings the seed of god into bondage . now rome look to thy infallability , and thy universality , which thou so much cryest up , and thy unity one while sets up one thing , another time throws it down again when it wil not s●rveparticular interests : and what a stir has here been amongst them that call themselves reformed in these latter ages , one setting up this , & another that , sometimes this service for a worship , then the next calls it idol●trous ; & then another service , and this ceremony and the other ceremony , and this pater noster , and the other creed , this ca●echism and the other ca●echism , these articles of faith , & the next synod make them void , and so leads people into distraction and madness , and this ca●on and the other institution , one while its idolatrous , another while sacred and holy ; and thus people has been led up and down many generations , too and ●ro , up and down , and persec●tion about changeable , mutable and alterable things , and the life which redeems out of the world up unto god has not been sought after ; and so all that looks to have peace , and to enjoy the testimony of gods blessed spirit , come out of this babylon this city of confusion , whose seat is ●rected upon the sand , whose foundation is laid in the waters , and faith upon the humane institutions of men which are variable and subject to mutation , and come to know the rock of ages and the unalterable council of the lord , and the wisdome of the most high to rule in your hearts , & wait in the immortal light of god which is within , that you may see over all these mountains of darkness which is risen up in the apostacy , and over all the institutions , decrees , statutes , ordinances and inventions of men , to before all these things were , and come to him who is the beginning of the creation of god , who is that quickning spirit by which all that believe are raised out of death to be partakers of the life which is immortal which fades not away , and the lord will be worshipped in spirit and in truth ; away with all types and figures , shadows and vails , humane institutions and ordinances of men , ceremonies and vain superstitions , traditions , which god hath no pleasure in , which doth not profit at all , and whatsoever leads the mind into visible things from the invisible god is to be thrown aside as a menstruo●s cloath , and as the breath of abominable things which god will confound , because he hath no pleasure in them ; for the life is risen , and the vail of the covering is rent which has been spread over all nations ; the night is gone , the day is come , and appeared in brightness , the shadows are past away , and the morning of righteousness is appeared , the son of god is come who has given his flock an understanding , in whom life and blessedness , and peace , and everlasting consolation resideth and resteth upon his people for ever more . chap. xvi . something concerning the worship of god , whether that kings and rulers now in gospel times have any power from god to compel or force about spiritual things declared , and some scriptures answered which hath been perverted by them who are in the apostacy , to maintain the beasts power , and the false churches worship under the raign of antichrist . vvhen the lord brought israel out of the land of eygpt by a strong hand and an outstreched arme , he made a covenant with them , and gave forth a law at mount sina , by the hand of moses the judge of israel , and statures and ordinances which israel should walk in , who were as a family who came of one stock , and the laws and statutes which were then given forth was concerning civil things , as concerning man and man , and betwixt a man and his neighbour , and for the government of whole families , and the camp of israel ; and likewise laws and statutes which concerned the worship of the true god ; which may be read at large in exodus , numbers and d●uteromony , and that worshipped not the true god according to the command given in the first covenant which was outward , were to have judgment executed upon them according to the law ; and moses over israel and the rest of the judges were to see the laws and statutes executed upon the transgressors , and if any were an idolater & worshipped a false god or a blasphemer , were to be stoned to death , or sabbath-breaker was to be stoned to death ; and this was according to the law of god , & their bloud was u●on their own heads ; and when israel ●usted after a king , he gave them a king , and they had many kings who were anointed of god , by his appointment , which was to rule in the same manner as moses , joshua and the rest of the judges had done , and whosoever were disobedient unto the aforesaid command of god whether in things civil , or things concerning the worship of god , and several punishments were to be in●●icted by them for several transgressions , as blasphemers , sabbath breakers , false prophets , and wizzards and witches were not suffered to live ; this was before christ the seed was manifested in the flesh , this was the old way ▪ the old paths that israel was to walk in , but this covenant was filthy as the apostle saith , and the ministers thereof could not continue by reason of death ; the law was changed and the priest-hood was changed , and the ordinances and worship was changed when christ came to be manifest , the end of the law for righteousness ; now as a●ron and the rest of the high priests were but types and figures of the everlasting high priest ; so the judges and kings of israel were types and figures of christ , the king of kings , and king of saints , and lawgiver , and judge ; and their outward power which continued but for a time , in compelling to the true worship under that covenant , or restraining from idolatry , did but continue until the time of reformation was ; but a type and a figure of christ and his spiritual power and weapon , and spiritual execution upon his enemies who are not subject to his government o● power , seeing the father hath committed all power unto him in heaven and in earth ; and moses the mediator of the first covenant which stood in outward ordinances , both the mediator , the covenant and the ordinance had an end [ when the better covenant was given , the covenant of light , and christ the mediator thereof was manifest ; ] and this covenant and ordinances pertained unto the jews , and the compelling unto the worship and punishing for idolatry partained to the jews only , who were under that covenant , and not to the gentiles , as it is written to jacob he gave his law , and to israel his statutes , to every nation he did not so . so they which would bring people now under this covenant and the power thereof , denies the second , the everlasting covenant & his power ; and them that would preach up compelling and forcing to worship , and bring those scriptures of the first covenant to be their ground , are ignorant of the times unto which they were spoken ; and upon this false foundation hath the false church persecuted about worship this many hundred years , and this doctrine is in too much credit with many in these dayes , who say they are under the gospel ; and this hath made people to hate and persecute one another . and the ministers of antichrist hath pressed it upon kings & rulers , that god hath required it of them to enforce and enjoyn all people unto a worship , although they themselves are divided amongst themselves , one while for this thing , and another while for that ; and because the kings of israel did so , and had power to do , therefore they have concluded that princes and judges ought to do so , and so have made them put their neck in a yoak which is too heavy for them to hear , which the lord hath not required at their hands ; and because of this compellings and forceings , many hypocrites have been made , and many of gods peoples consciences wounded and burned ; and many kings and rulers have lost their dominions , and they have been taken from them because of this by the lord. so all they that have in truded upon christs prerogative & soveraignty in this thing , are sure to be reckoned as no other but as usurpers and intruders into that power which the father alone hath given unto his son , which power , dominion and glory he will not give unto any other as to be judge , law-giver in the hearts and consciences of his people . object . but some may say , did not the prophets exhort to inquire for the old paths , and the good old way ? and did not the prophets say , kings should be nursing fathers , and queens nursing mothers ? and must not this be fulfilled in these dayes ? ans. this is true that the prophet did exhort the princes & people of israel who were in the revolted estate , who had transgressed the commandments of the lord , and had lost the guide of their youth & the rest of their souls ; and therefore he turned them back to consider of the day of old , and inquire after the good old way that they might walk therein , wch they were gone from , but this doth not pertain at all unto this time ; for christ jesus is the new and living way which all is to inquire after now , who is the end of the law for righteousness , and the first covenant unto them that believe ; and as for kings being nursing fathers , the queens nursing mothers , this was prophesied by the prophet before they went into captivit , & how the heathen should have power over their kings , prophets and priests and people , and jerusalem should lye desolate ; now this the prophet spoke of concerning the return of them unto the lord , and they to inhabit their own land , then their own kings and queens should rule over them , & be as nurses to them , when they should return from their captivity , then jacob should rejoyce and israel should be glad , and this was spoken to the jews , and this had reference to their state in that time . further it may be objected , ought not blasphemy & idolatry and adultery to be punished , is this to be suffered now ? seeing it was punished under the law. answer , yea , this is to be punished , and shall be punished , and that even with death ; for as i said the father hath committed all power unto the son , who will execute his judgement upon all them who will not have him to raign in their hearts , as it is written , these my enemies that would not that i should rule over them , bring them before me , that i may slay them ; with what weapons ? with carnal ? nay , but with the sharp two edged sword which proceeds out of his mouth , and with the sword of the spirit which is the word of god ; and the spiritual weapons which runs thorow the blasphemer and kills him , and flayes the false prophet , and soothsayer , and inchanter , and idolator , and yet saves the creature a live ; take one example of christ the new and living way , when the pharisees brought a woman tempting christ , which was taken in adultery , saying , according to the law of moses , she ought to be stoned to death ; he that was the end of the law , said he that was without sin cast the first stone , convicting them al that they were in the same nature , and yet did not approve of the adultery , but said go and sin no more least a worse thing come upon thee ; likewise paul said i was a persecutor , and a blasphemer ; this generation who professeth pauls words would say , let him dye , he hath confessed he was a blasphemer ; but he was slain with other weapons ; christ slew the blasphemer and the persecutor in him , and left the man alive , and made him a chosen vessel to declare against blasphemy , and lead out of all ungodliness . and herein is the second covenant more excellent then the first , and the ministration more excellent then the former , and the dominion and government of christ more excellent then the dominion and government of the kings of israel , and the weapons more excellent then theirs , and the power greater then theirs which is able to destroy the works of the devil , as blasphemy , idolatry and adultery , and save the creature alive ; this is the better covenant , indeed the everlasting ; and herein is the mercy of god exalted , his dominion and power exalted , and christ the king of glory exalted ; and these sins before-mentioned punished with great severity and great judgment ; for in the first covenant they slew with a temporal death ; but christ when he appeareth in his power and glory in flames of fire , renders vengeance within upon the wicked , which burns and scorches , and brings anguish , & tormenteth all them that are in that nature , and banisheth all them from his presence and from the glory of his power , till that be dead and slain which would not have him to raign , to wit , that which is born of the flesh which is within ; and blasphemy , idolatry , murther are the fruits of the flesh , where the flesh is not lived in these things cannot be brought forth ; i speak not of the creature who is gods workman-ship , for that may be alive , when the birth & fruits which are after the flesh are both dead ; and herein is the mighty power of god made known , and his justice and his severe judgment , which all must pass thorow before they come to witness eternal life ; he that dispised moses law , died by the mouth of two or three witnesses , which was a natural death ; of how much sorer punishment shall he be worthy which treadeth underfoot the son of god , and counteth the bloud of the covenant an unholy thing , heb. . , . and blasphemeth . but further , it will be objected that the apostle exhorteth for a submission unto every ordinance of man for the lords sake , pet. . . whether it be unto kings as supream , or unto governours , as unto them that are sent of him , and in romans the . , . let every soul be subject unto the higher power , for there is no power but of god , and the powers that be are ordained of god. ans. from these scriptures many bad constructions and inferences hath been gathered , as that kings and rulers were to be obeyed in all things , and that every worship which is commanded by●a king or superiour ought to be obeyed , and that kings and rulers had power in spiritual things , to make a law for such a worship , or forbid such a worship , and all these ought to be obeyed ; and so in the apostacy the ministers of antichrist hath brought in many inventions and traditions , and humane institutions for divine worship and service , and thereby hath pressed rulers to make laws , and compel all people to receive them , although they have been repugnant to the true worship of god , and then such teachers hath pressed such people to obedience as of duty and necessity , because the aforesaid scripture doth command subjection to all rulers ; and thus hath babylon reared up her city , and gotten merchants to put off her merchandize , and so hath cheated both rulers and people , and hath led them to hate and destroy one another . unto these scriptures , and divers others which speaks of obedience to magistrates in all things , must needs be truly understood to be of things that are just and equal , which are onely civil ; and concerning things between man and man , and the ordinances which are for the well being of a nation , or the good and wholesome government of a state , and cannot be understood of things spiritual , or relating to things appertaining to the conscience , or respecting things about the worship of god ; my reasons are weighty , for in that time and age the apostle wrote , whether peter , paul or any other , the magistrates were all heathens , as herod , pontius pilate , augustus caesar , tiberius caesar , and nero , who were all heathen emperours of rome , and idolators , and at that time they had power over rome , and also over jerusalem & judea ; and paul writing to the romans , and peter to capadocia , pontius and asia who were also under heathen rulers , and did not worship the true god ; doubtless they injoyned not submission unto the heathen rulers in spiritual things , for then they must have been joyned unto idolatry , for if it be understood that they had power in spiritual things , which partained unto the conscience , and that they ought to be obeyed in all spiritual things , then peter and john were transgressors themselves , when they taught boldly the things of the kingdome of god , in every city where ever they came ; and the rulers in most places opposed and put peter and john out of the city , and commanded the apostles to speak no more in the name of jesus ; and yet they returned again and disobeyed their command , and their power and authority , and said , whether it were better to obey god or man , judge ye ; so that no king , ruler nor magistrate , as a magistrate has power given of god to imprison or force , or perscribe any law or worship upon the hearts and consciences of men ; for that belongs onely to christ the law given the bishop of souls . but then it will be objected , if not as a magistrate , yet then as a christian , he may injoyn and give command concerning worship , and compell and punish them that obey not . answer , as a christian they have no priority , but as they stand in the growth of truth , not above others for god is no respecter of persons , for the apostles and ministers of christ who preached the gospel , and had begotten many into the faith thorow the power of god which was with them by which they spoke , and in things spiritual might have claimed obedience to their command much more then any temporall prince , and yet they said we are not lords over mens faith , nor did they exercise lorship over mens consciences , but left every one to gods witnesse , and to the word of his grace which was nigh in their hearts ; and furthermore said , let every one be perswaded in his own mind , & said if any should be contrary minded , god would reveal it to them , and so waited in the patience to see the work of god prosper and was content ; and so forcing and compelling about spiritual matters by temporal punishments and temporal law is all contrary to the apostles practice in the primitive times , though the heathen persecuted the christians by their temporal laws for spiritual things , and about spiritual matters for the worship of god ; but we never read of any called christians that did so untill pelagius a bishop of rome or pope , when the emperour had given boneface the third this power to be called the chief bishop and head universal over all christian churches ; then he begun to make temporal laws to punish about spiritual things : and pelagius made a decree that hereticks should be punished with temporal death about years after christ ; so let all princes , magistrate , and rulers , who denies the church of rome in her apostacy , follow not her example , but leave every one free to the lord in spiritual matters as concerning his worship , for to him must every one give an account in his own day when it shal be required , from which the wicked shall not be able to fly . another objection . but then it may be said , what power will you allow unto magistrates that profess the name of christ ? or how far have they authority from god to punish evil doers , and encourage them that do well ? answer . it is said by me kings rule and princes decrees justice , there is a ruling by him , and that is a ruling in the power of god in him ; he that rules in the power of god , measures equal justice unto all men , and ruleth by the good and wholsome laws which are made by the will of god , which is according to gods witness which he hath placed in every mans heart , and such a one is a temporall head over the temporal body & ruleth in righteousness in temporal things ; but christ he is the head of the body that is spiritual which is his church . now the law is against the lawless , as against liers , swearers , stealers , cursed speakers , murderers , man-slayers , man stealers , violence , and oppression , and deceit , and that which tends to the hurt and destroying of the creation ; and he that is the executor of the law , ought to inflict temporal punishments for temporall facts , provided , that every punishment be suitable to the transgression , and go not beyond it , and in so doing he rules for god , and the sword is to be turned against that which doth evil , and to keep peace amongst all men , and to keep down all strife and contention , quarrelling and fighting , and keeping the unruly from devouring and destroying one another ; and this is to rule for god in a nation in the creation , and to countenance the honest , upright , and quiet and meek , and this is a praise unto them that do well , and this is that which would keep the nations at peace ; and here governors and rulers comes to be blessed , when the princes thereof rules in righteousness , and when people live under them a holy , godly and quiet life ; but when godliness , holiness , righteousness is counted as a crime , and wickedness and violence and iniquity set up , that nation is near a judgement , and for the iniquity of rulers , kings and people , many fruitful lands hath the lord made barren , and that which is for the well-being and preservation for the universal good , and all people therein , all people ought to render obedience unto such command for conscience sake , and all people ought ●to obey rulers and governours in that which is good and lawful and warrantable in the sight of god , & unto all just commands to yeild obedience , not for wrath , but for conscience sake ; for so the lord requires , which will be acceptable and pleasing in his fight . and all magistrates who are christians , ought to be paterns of holiness and righteousnesse to their people , and to admonish , exhort and reprove the prophane and ungodly , and to the worship of the true god who is a spirit , and will be worshipped in spirit and in truth ; it is the duty of every true christian who is a king and a priest unto god. chap. xvii . concerning oaths in the first covenant and the lawfulness thereof , and the unlawfulness thereof discovered in the new covenant , in gospel times ; though apostates mingle the ordinances of both together , denying all oaths proved to be no new doctrine . in the beginning when god created the heavens and the earth , & all things that are therein , by the word of his power , and set the bounds & the habitations thereof , & separated betwixt light & darkness ; and when man was created in his own image , in the image of god created he him , male and female created he them ; now the image of god consists in righteousness , holiness , equity , long suffering , patience goodnesse , mercy and truth , the glory thereof is unspeakable , man being in this image there was no trangression nor sin , nor sorrow , man was bound unto his maker by the power in which he was made , yea he was in a capacity to fear , love , honour , obey and worship his maker , from the virtue of that power and principle which god had placed in him , which some ignorantly calls the law of nature ; ( but that is not the intention of my discourse to contend what it was ; ) but to shew that man was at union with god and bound unto him by that which god had placed in him , in which his wisdom , power and dominion stood , to rule over all the creatures , life was in him , there was no death then , in this the obligation stood not in outward written commands or ordinances , but it stood in that which was internal and invisible , this was before the transgression , here was no oaths yet nor outward covenants made , nor outward ordinances . but after man had transgressed and eaten of the tree of knowledge of good and evil , and gone from the power and broken the covenant , he lost his wisdome , and folly entred , he lost his dominion , and weaknesse entred , he lost his knowledge , and ignorance entred , and an earthly part and a mutable came to have dominion , not that this was evil in it self , being subjected by the power and word in its place , and in the state wherein it was good , but man being gone from the power and from the covenant joyned to something out of it , and out of the mind , and listened to that which should have been ruled over , that became a leader which god never appointed , and this led mans heart from the invisible god of life , and light who is immutable , to lust after visible things and mutable and earthly things , and into instability : and so his heart and mind and affections became more and more to be alienated from the lord , and his understanding more darkned , yet such was the love of god unto mankind , that he did not wholly cast him off here , but followed him with his mercies , and promised the seed of the woman should bruse the serpents head , and so it did , yet the adulterers generation in the transgressing nature were great and fast , and there was but few before the flood , in comparison of the multitude who bore the image of god , and few in a generation , as abel , enock , seth , and the rest went after the imaginations of their own hearts , and set up images and idols , and also after the flood when the earth began to be replenished , the cursed seed grew faster , and many great nations were ignorant of the true god , and made idols and images of wood and stone , of gold and silver according to the mind of the crafts man ; and worshipped them , and became in love with them and swore by them : yet abraham the father of the faithful , feared the living god of heaven and earth , and god was with him in all his wayes and he hearked unto his voice and obeyed it , and followed the lord where he led him , and god made a covenant with him and his seed for ever , and gave him a son in his old age , and said unto him , in blessing i will blesse thee , and in multiplying i will multiply thee , and this was fulfilled , for isaac begat jacob , and jacob begat the twelve patriarchs , and jacob in the time of famine went into egypt and sojourned in that land , he and his sons , and all that pertained to his family increased & became a great people : but after many years the egyptians afflicted them & multiplied their burdens ; insomuch that god considered them & the covenant he had made with abraham , and his seed , & sent moses his servant as a leader to be a guid unto them out of that land , & they were brought forth by an outstreched arm , and great was their deliverance ; and he led them through the wilderness & sed them with angels food , and at mount sina gave forth a law and made a covenant with them sutable to the state wherein they were , for their minds were outward , and the covenant was outward , their minds was changeable and murable , and the covenant was so also ; and all these states and ordinances pertained to a party which was above the seed , yet they were shadows of good things to come , & every ordinance in this covenant was but a figure or shadow of a more heavenly thing which was but to be in force , to wit these ordinances , untill the seed came to be made manifest which ended them all . so all priests , offerings , sabbaths , fasts , feasts , oaths , though they were real in their time , and all vows , yet the law was changed which pertained to the changeable party , when the seed christ was revealed who is unchangable ; the first had an end , and continued to the time of reformation , take notice of this , this covenant was made , to wit the first after the transgression , but when and wherein christ is revealed and manifest , the great reformer & the restorer they end , & he leaves all to the beginning again , out of deformity to be for transgression to that in w●h man was bound unto god at the first before sin entred , and to be for shadows was for all the new moons , offrings , oaths and sabbaths were given forth to man when there was a cloud and a vail and a shadow over within , that the glory of the invisible god could not be seen in this state , nor his naked & clear glory , but as that part comes to be done away and crucified and subjected , and the cloud scattered , the shadows and clouds outward pass away , the apostle calls the ordinances outward shadows ; and paul to the corinthians calls them a cloud , theywere all baptized into moses in the cloud ; and when the day appears and christ who is the light is manifest , the clouds are scattered and ended , the shadows fly away , and clear ayr appears , & glory and clearness is beholden , even the lord with open face , and yet man lives and is not afraid of his presence , but is glad because of the light of his counrenance ; but this is a mystery , and these things are hidden from the wise and prudent of this world ; but this is the some of much , there was a time when there were no oath outward before the transgression , when man was the image of god after the transgression , the oaths were given forth and the commands outward , but in the restoration or reformation they end again and there shall be none , for truth it self shall live , and it shall testifie in man , and there shal be no other witness , blessed are they that believes and understands . but to come nearer the understandings of all ; it is granted in the first covenant under the law , oaths were commanded and men did and might swear , but this was after sin entred into the world many hundred years , & the nations who were heathens swore some by their kings & some by their heathen gods ; the egyptians swore by the life of pharcoh , & the romans by the life or fortune of caesar , but israel was to swear by the living god , deu. . . thou shalt fear the lord thy god , him shalt thou serve , and to him shalt thou cleave & swear by his name , lev. . , , ye shal not steal neither deal falsely , neither lie one unto another , ye shal not swear falsly by my name , neither shalt thou prophane the name of thy god , i am the lord , in num. , . and if any vow a vow unto the lord & swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond , he shal not break his bond but do all that proceeds out of his mouth ; and so josua kept covenant with the gibeonites , but when israel revolted from the lord in their hearts and yet swear a true word and said , the lord lived , yet the prophet jeremiah saith , chap. . . . . though they say the lord lives , yet they swear falsly ; no truer thing could be said or sworn , then that the lord lived , but he lived not in them that did lie & steal , & kill and commit adultery ; they held the form but were gone from the life and power , and then it was a customary thing with them to swear even as it s now among the apostate christians , and because of which the land mourns , and in chap. . verse . though israel play the harlot , yet let not judea so offend , and come not ye to gilgal , neither go ye up to bethaven nor swear the lord lives ; and amos saith , they that swear by the sin of samaria , and say the god of dan liveth , and the manner of bersheba liveth , even they shal fall and never rise up again . so when they kept the covenant of god they swore by the name of the lord in truth and in righteousness , but when they revolted they kept the words & swore without fear & prophaned the name and did swear then by the heathen by maleam and the sin of samaria , even as the apostate christians now swear by any thing , yea even the most religious swearing is by a book , which is not the living god ; and so this kind of swearing hath no ground at all but custome and tradition , but still this is granted that the jews and many of the faithful fathers swore , as jacob and abraham and many others and they all died in the faith and yet were not made partakers of the ( promise ) but saw through the vail and the shadow , and an oath was a type of christ the oath of god ( and the promise ) but now the promise is come , and the restorer and reformer is come , and all is to hear him or else be cut off from having any share in him who is the promise it self , yea all the promises of him are yea and amen , in whom , not only the children of abraham after the flesh , but all the children of the promise are blessed , and him who fufilled the law in whom god fulfilled his oath , who is the everlasting high priest after melchizedecks order , he hath put an end to all oaths and swearing and all the types and shadows . he saith , mat. . , . it hath been said of old time thou shalt not forswear thy self , but shalt perform to the lord thy oaths ; but i say unto you ( my disciples and followers who have believed in me the true and living way who makes all things a new ) swear not at all neither by heaven , &c. their being and generation then ( as now ) who said to swear by the greater is nothing , but he that swears by the lesser is guilty , he calls them hypocrites , & saith whosoever shal swear by the eternal , the lesser sweareth by him ( the greater ) that dwelleth therein , and he that sweareth by heaven ( the lesser ) sweareth by the throne of god ( and him ) that sitteth thereon ( the greater ) and if christ had only forbid vain swearing and oaths as most do ignorantly imagine , he had done no more then the law had done before ; but t is manifest he forbids all swearing , yea even ( by lord ; ) for if they that swear by heaven , swears by god that sits upon the throne , as he himself saith , then he prohibits this also , and saith , i say unto you swear not at all , and jam. . . who will know christs mind , saith , above all things my brethren swear not , neither by heaven nor by earth ; now we know heaven & earth comprehends all created things , and yet the apostle goes further , & excludes all manner of swearing , saying neither any other oath , and this he commands above and before all things , and that upon the penalty of condemnation ; but much by divers hands have been written about this particular ; so i desire not to be large , seeing we have a cloud of witnesses wch have good assurance in themselves by gods spirit , sealing unto them rather then swear & bring condemnation upon themselves , have denied their estates and liberties which lies at stake upon it , but happy will they be who hath no hand in it to provoke the upright & tempt them aside out of christs way , for woe will come undoubtedly upon such . and that others may see it is no new thing ; take a few examples of the faithful in ages past , who suffered as martyrs , and it were an easie thing to bring a cloud of witnesses out of the ecclesiastical histories of them that denied all swearing in divers ages , i shall instance only a few . policarpus , who was as it is said johns disciple , & had been a christian eighty nine years , when he came to suffer martyrdom , the proconsul requiring him to swear by the emperours good fortune , and by caesars prosperity , which was the custome of the romans at that time , & divers heathen emperours set up their own images to be worshipped , and their persons to be sworn by ; but policarpus denied and said he was a christian , and would show forth the doctrine of christiany , if he desired the same , if the proconsul would appoint a day and hear it ; so at that time it seems christians did not swear , as afterwards they did in the apostacy . and basillides a souldier and afterwards a martyr , being required to swear , affirmed plainly , that it was not lawful for him to swear , for that he was a christian ; so it seems that it was the mark of a christian not to swear . and the waldenses or leonists ( whose names are so famous amongst the reformed churches ) & who are said immediatly to succeed the apostles & were the most antient and true protestants , professed it to be as way lawfull for a christian to swear . in defence of whom in this very thing bishop usher late bishop of armagh primate of ireland , pleaded their cause against the papists and jesuites who are the swearers and breakers of oaths , and yet pleads for swearing . and the plow-man in his prayer ( which is so much esteemed of , & commended in the book of martyrs ) saith , lord thou givest us a commandment of truth , it bidding us say , yea yea , and nay nay , and swear for nothing ; thou givest us also a commandment of meekness , and another of poorness , but lord he that calls himself thy vicar on earth , hath broken both these commandments , for he maketh a law to compel men to swear , fol. . and it is one of john wickliss articles ( whose works was as much esteemed of by the protestants in england and bohemia as dispised by the papists and their clergy ) having his bones taken up and burned fourty one years after his decease , & his books , and these articles condemned by the council of constance , who also burned john hus and jerome of prauge for holding john wickliss opinions that ●aths which he made for any contract or civil bargain betwixt man and man be unlawful . and walter brute a teacher among the people of god ( in that age by scorners called the devils servants ) called lolards , against whom the pope and the king ( richard the second , and then the ungodly bishops make so much a do to have the name of truth extinguished and the professors there cut off ; ) this is walters testimony , as concerning oaths , i believe and obey the doctrine of almighty god. & my master christ jesus which teacheth that christian men in affirmation of a truth , should pass the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees of the old testament , or else he excludeth them from the kingdom of heaven ; for he saith except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees you cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven ; and as concerning oaths he saith it hath been said of old time , thou shalt not for swear thy self , but shalt perform those things unto the lord thou knowest ; but i say unto you thou shalt not swear at al , neither by heaven nor by earth , &c. but let your communication be yea yea , nay nay for whatsoever is more then this cometh of evil ; therefore as the perfection of ancient men of the old testament was not to for swear themselves ; so the perfection of christian men is not to swear at all , because they are so commanded of christ , whose commandment in no case must be broken ; although the city of rome is contrary to this doctrine of christ , &c. a good testimony of a blessed martyr . here it appeareth that the swearing which christ forbids , is not only prophane swearing in the communication , for that was forbidden in the law , where it s said thou shalt not take the name of the lord thy god in vain , &c. but solemn swearing which was to be performed , & that was the perfection of law ; and kings and princes may take warning by this king richard not to fulfil the cruel and bloody desires of their prelates . and chrysostome ( who was bishop of constantinople ) in commendation of whom much is said in the ecclesiasticall histories , he blameth them greatly that bringeth forth a book to swear upon , charging clerks that in no wise they constrain any body to swear , whether they think a man swear true or false , saying that it is a sin to swear well ; now i mentioned before it was an emperor that commanded first that men should swear by it book , & this chrysostom reproves ; so hereby it may be seen by these examples , it is no new doctrine to deny all swearing , and there hath been a people very many years in the low countries , that have denied swearing in any matter , therefore their yea and nay stand in courts of judicature equal with an oath , they being men generally of known integrity , whose yea is yea , and nay nay , in all places and matters ; if they that despise moses law died without mercy , of how much more sorer punishment suppose ye shal they be thought worthy of who treads underfoot the son of god , &c. and disobey his commands & teach others so to do , they shall be shut out of the kingdom of god & have no part with the obedient , who keeps christs commands , through temptations and sufferings and are not offended at them , neither counts them grievous ( they only are happy and shal inherit everlasting life . ) likewise jerome who was an antient father and teacher in the church , which all the protestants owneth , upon that place the of mat. and . ver . & james these are his words , it was permitted under the law to the jews as being tender and as it were infants , that as they were to offer sacrifices to god , least they should sacrifice to idols , so they might swear by god ; not that it was rightful so to do , but because it was better to swear by the lord then by false gods & devils ; but the great evangelical sincerity and truth admits not of an oath since every true saying is equivolent thereunto . in like manner doth theophilact an antient father of the church whō the protestants owns , & have often cited his doctrine for proof upon the place in controversy , saith learn hence that then under the law it was not evil for one to swear , but since the coming of christ it is evil as is circumcision ; & in sum whatever is judaical ; for it may become a child to suck but not a man. so that oaths pertained to the jews who were under the changable covenant , & the mutable covenant which continued but for a time , till the seed christ the oath of god was revealed , and where he is revealed and witnessed , all the judaical types and figures and changeable ordinances hath an end . likewise ambrose upon the . psalm , he saith none doth swear a right but he that knows what he swears , and the lord hath sworn and will not repent ; upon psalm ambrose saith let him then swear who cannot repent of his oath ; and a little after the said ambrose saith , do not imitate him in swearing , whom we cannot imitate in fulfilling ; and indeed the principal solution given by him is , swear not at all ; and the aforesaid waldenses who condemned all maner of swearing as unlawful , they made it their care to avoid swearing and lying , and hereby they did give sufficient caution against all inconveniences which may come thereby as to government in general ; for where a testification or assertion is made without an oath , is as sure as if it had been sworn to . and bishop usher doth esteem that place of matthew the fifth , swear not at all to be a sufficient plea for the waldenses against swearing ; and therefore they who have any esteem of the aforesaid authors , and of their doctrine must not condemn the quakers as for novelties , or for broachers of new doctrine ; for reynerius one of the popish inquisitions saith amongst all the sects which are or have been , there is not any more pernitious to the church , meaning the church of rome , then the waldenses , and that for three reasons ; . because of their antiquity , & secondly because of their universality , & thirdly in that they did profess it no way lawful for a christian to swear on any occasion , which doctrine was contrary to the church of rome which made rinerius & jansenius two papists so much envied the walden ses in this thing about keeping the commands of christ ; and yet notwithstanding all this cloud of witnesses both in primitive times , & after ages , diverse who suffered as martyrs did hold the same & also the many testimonies of them who have died in the faith , yet many are so wilful and so peevish and so envious against every thing which they cannot joyn unto , as that they will brand this doctrine for novelty and heresie ; let such consider how they will condemn this doctrine , and yet justifie christs words , and them which have been reckoned as fathers and marryrs , and as orthodox & found in the faith by all , except the church of rome who too much imitates the jews , & yet are no jews , and they have been the chief criers up of oaths , and swearing , & afterwards gives dispensations to them that breaks them ; and therefore all who reckons your selves as christians , keep to the doctrine of christ and the doctrine of the apostles who were followers of him , and run not back to the jews ordinances w●h continued but til the time of reformation ; and you that reckons your selves a● protestants , for shame leave off that doctrine which hath been brought in by the apostates who hath mingled things together without having respect either to time or age or people , and so have run back to the jews , and brings those commands & injunctions wch pertained to the jews , & layes them as yokes upon the necks of christians ; remember what the apostle said to the galathians concerning the works of the law , & concerning types and figures , gal. , . if ye be circumeised christ profits you nothing , and an oath was a type as well as circumcision to the jews , and what if i say of all swearers who hath no better ground for so doing then the jewish oaths which were types , and testifie unto every one that he that takes an oath & swears at all , is bound to keep the whole law. christ profits him nothing ; and so ler all people who fear the lord and doth believe that they have received christ in their hearts the end of the law for righteousness , not turn back to the changeable covenant again , least he who is the everlasting covenant say unto them who hath required these things at your hand and also raise up his swift witness to condemn them who transgresses his pure and holy and righteous , commands , and would compel others so to do . chap. xviii . tythes in their first institution unto whom they were due according to the command of god declared ; and that tythes are no way lawful to be received , neither sought for by any who are ministers of the new covenant and the everlasting gospel , proved out of the scripture and antiquity . to omit abrahams giving tythes , or the tenth part to melchizedeck , after the overthrow of his enemies ; and jacobs vowing to give the tenth when he should inherit the land of canaan , because a voluntary promise only bindeth him that promiseth , and a free gift from one to another is no command , neither binding to all generations , because abraham gave the tenth part to melchizedeck freely of the spoil he had taken , and that but once ; not of his families labors or industries , but of the spoil ; this was a voluntary and a free thing both in jacob and abraham , if jacob had not vowed he had not sinned , & if abraham had not given the tenth part of the spoil he had not sinned ; so this is no command or binding example unto future generations , especially of them that pretends they are ministers of the second covenant and the gospel , but a very feeble and a poor thing for them to alleadge . tythes were never commanded to be paid by the lord to any , but israel whose law was given forth years after the promise , as saith the apostle ; neither were ever payable but by the jews in the land of canaan , and to levies tribe only , and to the jewish priests that had no inheritance allotted them by the lord of all the land of canaan or beyond jordan , but only tythes or the tenth part among their brethren , & that only according to the command of the lord , deut. . . ezek. . . for the office of the priesthood , and for the service of the tabernacle . at the giving forth of the law after israel came out of egypt , god chose aaron & his sons for the office of the priesthood , and the rest of the tribe of levi for the service of the tabernacle , god gave unto the levites by commandment all the tenth in israel for an inheritance for their service , and the levites out of their tithes were to offer up to the lord a tenth part of the tiths and give it unto aaron the priest for himself & his sons , and no other portion had the levitical priests out of the tiths , but the tenth of the tenth ; as for the rest of the tythes they were for the levites that did serve at the tabernacle , and for strangers , for fatherless and widows . moreover the tenth of the tythe the priest had the first ripe fruits of the ground of wheat , of barley , of figgs , grapes and olives , of pomgranates and dates , at what quantity the owner pleased , a heave offering also of corn , wine and oyl , fleece were given to the priests at the part , sometime the at the devotion of the owner . but how comes it to pass that they that pretend another priesthood then this , should receive the of all , of unclean beasts , as pigs , and foals , and of such things as we never read of tythable , under the law ; of eggs , geese & turnups , and the tenth of the wood for faggots for the fire , and yet are not of this priesthood , but pretends to be bishops and elders in the christian church ? so they cannot distinguish of the time ; neither of the ministration , neither of service and worship that belongs to each covenant , else they would be ashamed to claim title to aarons tyths and the levites , that was given to them that had no portion among their brethren in the land ; but these bishops , presbyters and priests hath a great part of some counties & diocess for their revenue , and their inferior offices tyths of such things as were never tythable under the law ; so what damnable deceit & hypocrisyis this ? is it any other but the popes yoke , an absolute apostate for hundreds of years , and must this be received & injoyned as apostolical doctrine ? oh for shame let it never be mentioned among them that calls themselves ministers of christ , neither of any who professeth themselves to be christians . but to return to the levitical priesthood , no tyths did the priest receive under the law of the people ; for those belonged to the levites , 〈◊〉 . . . that were appointed over the tabernacle to bear it , & to take it down and to ser it up , to serve aaron and his sons & to keep the instruments thereof ; and for the better ordering of things they were divided into three parts the coathites , the gershonites , and the mararites , and these received tythes of the people & delivered , the priests did not all ; so our tythe-●aking priests are contrary to the law and first covenant and the gospel also ; and therefore are to be looked upon as no other then antichristians ; but to return to aarons priesthood in the first covenant , they grew & multiplied , & then the priests were divided into ranks or courses , of wch our prebends , deans and chapters takes their example or imitation , so to serve by their turns at cathedrals as they are called , or else from the church of rome , which is worse ; but the latter i am rather inclined to believe , because there was no such name of any ministers among the jews , neither in the primitive church truly so called , but the priests gave attendance to execute their office , and burn incense as his turn came , and hereupon zecharias who is said to be of the course of abiah , luke . the levites that were singers were divided into ●anks also or courses , of which i believe the present queristers or surpless-men doth imitate , and will bring the levites for a proofconcerning their office ; but we cannot receive judaism for christianity , neither their practice for apostolical ordinances in the church of christ. the priests and the levites being separated for the work of the lord in the tabernacle & temple , ministred according to the command & ordinances of the first covenant , which were only figures of things to come , and shadows of things that was but to continue until the time of reformation , & then they all had an end , both the priesthood & levites , and their service and office , and maintenance & tythes ended , as the apostle saith to the hebrews , the priesthood is changed , and the law is changed by which they received these tythes for the work aforesaid ; but to descend and to come unto the primitive time , we shall see whether tythes were paid or no to gospel-ministers in the second covenant . in the fulness of time god raised up another priest , christ jesus who was not of the tribe of levi , nor consecrated after the order of aaron , for he pertain'd to another tribe , of which no man gave attendance at the altar ; he obtained a more excellent ministry and of a greater & a more perfect tabernacle not of the former building , he being the sum and substance of all the figures under the first covenant , he put an end to first priesthood with all its shadows and carnal ordinances , and changing the priesthood , which had a command to take tythes of their brethren , there was made of necessity also a change of the law , and a disanulling of the commandment going before . christ jesus when he had finished his office upon earth by fulfiling all righteousnes , he offered up himself through the eternal spirit & sacrifice unto god , without spot ; the apostles and ministers who were made partakers of the divine nature , and of the word of reconciliation , did not look back to the former ordinances of the first priesthood , but testified an end was put to them , & witnessed again the temple wherein the priests ministred ; paul and likewise stephen was stoned to death & against circumcision , saying , it was not that of the flesh , and against all the outward ordinances of that covenant , & called them carnal , & preached up christ jesus & his doctrine the new and living way wch was not manifest while the first tabernacle was standing ; they preached freely the ever lasting gospel , and did not desire or require setled maintenance , but were ministred unto only by them who had believed their report & were turned to christ jesus , and were made partakers of spiritual things , though they often denied that which was given unto them ; here was no tythes spoken on , either to the jews or gentiles who believed . at jerusalem and there abouts , such was the love and unity of heart among the saints in the apostles time , that all things were in common & none wanted ; so likewise the church gathered by mark at alexandria in egypt followed the same practice ; and the church at jerusalem , and philo judeus saith , in many other provinces the christians lived together in societies . in the church of antioch . galatie and corinth , the saints possessed every man his own estate , where the apostle ordained that a weekly offering should be made of the saints , that every one might offer freely of that which god had blessed him with , which was put into the hands of the deacons of the churches whereby the poor was relieved , and other necessary services were supplied . in the next age , monthly offrings were made , not exacted but freely given , as appears plainly by tertullian in apologet. chap. . where he upbraids the gentiles with the piety and charity of the christians , he saith whatsoever we have in the treasury of our churches it is not raised by taxation , as though we put men to ransom their religion ; but every man once a month or when he pleaseth himself gives what he thinks good , for no man is compelled but left free to his own descretion , and it is not bestowed in vanity , but in relieving the poor , and for maintenance of poor children deffitute of parents , and aged people , and such as are cast into prisons for professing the christian faith . and this way of contribution continued till the great persecution under maximinian and dioclesian about the year as eusebius witnesseth , and so doth tertullian , origen , cyprian and others . also about this time some land was given to the church by them that believed , and the revenue thereof was distributed , as other free gifts were , by the deacons and elders to the poor , for the fore mentioned uses ; but the bishops or ministers medled not with them ; origen saith , it is not lawful for any minister to possesse lands given to the church to his own use . cyprian bishop of carthage about the year also testifieth the same , & sheweth how the church maintaineth many poor , and that her own diet was sparing & plain , and her expences full of frugality ; prosper saith also that a minister able to live of himself , ought not to desire any thing to be given unto him , and he that receiveth it doth it not without great sin ; the council at antioch , anno , finding that much fault had been among the deacons to whom it properly belonged to distribute the offerings or free gifts where there was need , which they detained for their own covetous ends , the council did ordain that the bishop might distribute the goods , but required that they took no part thereof to themselves , nor to the use of the priests , using the apostles words , having food and rayment , be therewith content . chrysostome notes who lived about the year that christian converts joyned in societies , and lived in common after the example of the former saints at jerusalem , by whose writings it doth appear that three was not the least mention made of tythes in that age ; the church at this time living altogether by free offerings of lands , monies and goods , the people were much pressed to bountifull contributions for holy uses , as may be seen in the writings of hirome and chrysostome , who brought the liberality of the jews in their payment of tythes for an example , beneath which they would not have christians determine their charity . chrysostome saith , i speak not these things as commanding or forbidding they should give more ; yet as thinking it fit they should not give less then the tenth part ; and hierome also doth admonish them to bounty and charity towards the poor , not binding at all to offer this or that part , leaving them to their own liberty ; yet pressing them not to be shorter then the jews in their tenths . ambrose who was bishop of milane about the year preached up tenths to be offred up for holy uses , as the phrase was then ; but his authority he produceth wholly from moses writings ; likewise augustin bishop of hippo joyns and agrees with ambrose in this thing , but from the law given to israel take their whole doctrine , and threatned them with great penalties and heavy judgments from god that did not give their tenths ; but yet take notice to what end they required them , that the poor might not want , and saith god hath reserved them for their use ; so by this time love did grow cold in many , and the power of god was much wanting , which would have kept the hearts of people open in love and mercy to their members ; and therefore they were much prest on and threatned by the bishops to give their tenths ; not that the bishops had any better ground , but only the jewish law for their foundation , and so in process of time this doctrine came to be received , many following the opinion of the antient fathers , yet hitherto it was not laid down as a positive doctrine , to pay them as the jews did , but onely brought the jews for an example , that christians should not pay less : leo ( called the great ) about the year who reigned twenty years , he was very earnest in stiring up mens devotion to offer to the church , but speaks not a word of any quantity . severin also stirred up the christians in panona to give the tenth to the poor ; likewise gregory not only admonished the payment of tythes from moses law , but also the observing of lent , which he reckoned as the tenth of time in the year ; and this he would have given unto god , saying we are commanded in the law to give the tenth of all things unto god ; and thus ignorance began to enter in , and judaism among the christians brought in by their leaders , and from the opinions of these and other antient fathers who took their ground from the law , tythes , easter , penticost and other things came to be introduced and brought into the church . yet notwithstanding the doctrine and hard threats of some of the great bishops of that time , it was not a general received doctrine that tythes ought to be paid till about the year . neither was any thing by the then church determined or ordained touching the quantity that should be given , though ( no doubt ) in many places the offerings of the devouter sort , tenths or a greater part of their increase were given according to ambrose doctrine and others ; and then at this time the offerings or gifts to the church were disposed of in this wise , being received into a common treasury , one fourth part to the priests , out of which every one had his portion , another fourth part to the relief of the poor , and sick and strangers ; a third to the building and repairing places of publick meeting ; and the fourth to the bishop , and generally the bishop lived in some monastry & his clergy with him , from whence he sent them to preach in the countries and diocess , and there they received such offrings as were made and brought them to the treasury ; so that by the way the reader may take notice that the priest had no such a peculiar interest in that which was given ; but now they claim all their meeting places since called churches was builded out of the gifts of people , and the poor was relieved and the widow ; but now tythes taken by force three or four sold , and people compelled to build & repair their houses or temples by force , and the poor & the widdow hath no share ; nay hath not many poor been cast into prison , and widows goods spoiled by the priests of this generation ? & how unsuitable these practices are unto the apostle , let all judge ; nay they are proud of the antient fathers and their words , but they will not so such as come near them in example in any thing that 's good ; so for shame you protestans leave forcing of maintenances , and forcing of your wages , and forcing to repair your houses of worship , and do not tell us of church . church and antiquity when you are far enough off their practice , though they were in a declining state in this age i have been speaking of . and although divers of the fathers and bishops and popes in this age did declare that tythes were due and ought to be paid , ( their ground only taken from moses . ) yet none of the first eight generall councils did ever so much as ever mention the name of tythes , or declare them a duty . the ninth general council held at latteren under pope calixtus the second mentions tythes , but speaks only of such as had been given to the church by special consecration , for at that time people being led to believe that their tythes ought to be given to the poor , did dispose of them to the heads & rulers of religious houses who keeps open hospitality for the poor and for strangers , they were esteemed holy and good treasures for the poor , who took care of distribution of them as is testified by cassian ; but the councel held under pope alexander the third , anno . seeing much given to the poor , & little to the priests , made a decree to restrain peoples freedom , and indeed by this time much wickedness was crept into these houses , as histories relates . there was no law cannon or constitution of any general council as yet sound , that did command tythes or expresly supposed them a duty of common right before the council of lateren held in the year under pope innocent the third , about which time the popes power was grown great & powerful ; but still the people had greater mind to give them to the poor , then to the priest , and made innocent complain & cried out against those that gave their tythes and first fruits to the poor , and not to the priests as hainous offenders . at a council held at lions under pope gregory the in the year it was constituted that it should not thenceforth be lawful for men to give their , tythes at their own pleasure , as they had done before , but to pay all to the mother church . but the great decree which speaks most plain , and till then nothing was given forth which did constitute them , but rather supposed them as by former right , was made at the council of trent under pope pius the th , about the year . they commanded tythes to be paid under the penalties of excommunication about the year , , and after tythes were called the lords goods , the patrimony of the poor , according to ambrose , jerome , & chrysostoms doctrine only borrowed from the jews . so thus in short i have shown that tythes were never reckoned as due to the clergy for a thousand years , but they did give them as they would , & how much they would , & that without compulsion , till the hight of popery and the power of darkness spread over all ; and since forcing constitutions have been made by councils of priests ; and so you who looks upon your selves to be ministers of christ , and to follow the doctrine of the primitive times , for shame cease from those things of taking tythes and giving tythes which was ordained and constituted in the mid-night of popery , when the power of god was lost , which should have opened peoples hearts both to the poor and to the ministry , and then this false church began to force and compel , or else they could not have subsisted , for the doctrine had little influence upon peoples hearts : about the year or soon after , gregory the first then the pope of rome sent over augustin the monk into england , by whom ethelbert king of kent was converted as they call it , but it was but to popery ; he and his clergy long time after followed the example of former ages , living in common upon the offerings of their convers & those that received them , joyned into societies according unto the primitive practice by gregories order , and that they should in tenderness to the saxon church that they should still imitate the primitive times that they might not make their religion burthensome ; but afterwards having brought a great part of the nation to their faith , they began to preach up the old romane doctrine , that tythes ought to be paid ; and having taught people that pardon of sin was merited by good works , and the torments of hell be avoided by charity , then it was no hard matter to perswade them to give their tenths and lands , but also their outward riches , and the clergy had almost got a third part of the land into their hand . as concerning laws and canons for tythes , among the saxons in england , it is reported that in the year two legates were sent from pope hadrian the first , to off a king of mercland , and elsewolf king of northumberland , who made a decree that the people of those two kingdomes should pay tythes ; by this it may be seen chat tythes were not reckoned as due for many hundred years , and indeed were never due in the second covenant ; so these things that are so pleaded for by these hireling priests of this last age which hath no better plea then antiquity for their tyths and forced hire , may be convinced , that antiquity without truth is nothing , and yet the antiquity of the churches in the primitive times condemns these practises ; so that let all protestants deny these introduced institutions and the popes wages , forced tythes and hire , which is antichristian . a cloud of witnesses might be brought out of the antient fathers , who testified against them , and diverse martyrs , as walter brute and john wickliff who suffered martyrs for testifying the truth against the idolatry and superstitions of that age . selden in his history of tythes , saith that before the year or there abouts , there is not any general law that yet remains in publick , and is of credit , which ordained any payment of tythes in the western church , for the eastern never any law that hath been observed , mentions them ; so in the first giving of tenths was by the perswasion of some of the fathers formentioned , for the poor and service of the church , and they were only the free offering or free gift of the people , as almes which were brought into the common treasury first disposed of by deacons , for the service of the church ; but they being found faulty , it were ordered & decreed in a council that the bishop or overseer should dispose of them , to wit the offerings ; but they were not compellable , who did not offer this or that part , but were left free to do as they had freedom , only exhorted and threatened with the judgments of god , if they suffered the poor to lack or be in want . the predecessors of the protestants , the bohemians being descended from the waldenses forementioned did professe that all priests or ministers ought to be poor , and to be content with the free gift or what the people freely offered them ; so saith aeneas silvius in his bohemian history , and it is one of john wicklifs articles for which he was censured , viz. that tythes were a free gift as among christians , or only pure alms , and that the parishoners may for the ●ffence of their curates detain and keep them back and bestow ●hem upon others at their own will and pleasure . and this proposition aforesaid is maintained by john husse in the said book of martyrs , pag. . that the clergy are not lords and possessors of tyths or other ecclesiastical goods , but only stewards , and after the necessity of the clergy is once satisfied , they ought to be transported to the poor . at geneva tiths of all sorts are taken up for the use of the state , and laid up in the publike treasury . ambrose bishop of millain , as zealous a man for church priviledges as we hardly read of the like , ambrose epist. : . s●ith , if the emperour have a mind to church lands , he hath power to take them ; there is none of us interposeth , the poor may sufficiently be maintained by popular collections , let them not create us envy , by taking of those lands , let them take them away if they please . it may be observed at this time that the ministers were not maintained by setled tythes , like the priests of our time , but both they and the poor were relieved by oblations of the people , and by such lands as were given by the emperours to the severall churches ; so it was upon this account that ambr●se thus speaks ; and william throp of whom i made mention , being examined in the year being brought before thomas aurandel arch-bishop of canterbury & chanceller then of england , gives a clear testimony against tythes , how that they were no gospel maintenance , in his answer he saith , in the new law neither christ nor his apostles took tythes of the people , nor commanded the people to pay tythes neither to priests nor deacons ; and christ and his apostles preached the word of god to the people , and lived of pure almes of the free gift ; but after christs assention when the apostles had received the holy ghost , they travelled with their hands ; and afterwards he saith , paul when he was full poor and needy , preached among the people , he was not chargious unto them , but with his hands he travelled , not only to get his own living , but also to relieve others that were poor and needy ; and further he saith , tythes were given in the old law to levites and priests , but our priests come not of l●vi , but since christ lived and his apostles by pure alms , or else by the travell of their hands ; at the which the bishop said , gods curse have you and mine , for this teaching ; and further william saith those priests that challinge to take tythes dinies christ come in the flesh ; unto which the bishop said , heard ye ever lossel speak thus ? and further william saith that the covetousness and pride of the priests destroys the vertue of the priesthood , and also stireth up gods vengeance both upon lords and commons who suffer these priests charitably . and the arch-bishop said , thou judgest every priest proud that will not go a●ayed as thou dost ; by god , i deem him to be more meek that goeth every day in his scarlet gown , then thou in thy threed bare blew gown ; an answer much like a tything priest ; but i refer the reader to the whole testimony of william throp which is large in the book of martyrs . david pareus in his comentary upon gen. . . saith tythes or tenths were freely arbitrary , a man might give them , a man might vow them , or he might not , as he pleased before the law ; but under the law they were commanded to be given to the priests and levites ; hence saith he our clergy men infer , if they were so of old , then they are so now ; but this doth not follow saith he , they had a divine ceremonial right , but that is now ceased , they had tythes as a compensation of that lot they should otherwise have in land , ours not so , ours have towns , villages , mannors , yea countries and provinces , nor is there any end of their insatiable covetousness ; and he concludes when the leviticall priesthood did cease , then did the right of that priesthood cease , and the right of tythes did revert to god as governour and soverain of the world. great and large are the testimonies that might be given both out of ancient and modern writers , who were the clearest in their judgements in their age against tythes , how that they were no gospel maintenance , neither of divine right do belong to any ministry under the gospel , who professeth christ come in the flesh ; what i have said in this particular might be sufficient , seeing so large things by other pens have been declared ; but i am the more willing to instance divers authors , who by our protestants are owned as orthodox , that they may be convinced that it is not a new doctrine , for which we suffer the spoiling of our goods , and our persons imprisoned , but that tyths have been testified against by many faithfull in ages past , who died in the faith , who though they be dead yet their testimony liveth , and will stand through ages , even for ever ; take this of the primitive bishop . antonius de dominis the learned bishop of spalato de repub. eccles. l. . christ himself though he were lord of heaven and earth and the fulness thereof , yet would not he be possessed of great lands and incomes though he seemingly complained , the fowls of the ayr have nests and foxes holes , but not the son of man where not to rest his head , luk . . yet did not he imbetter his condition , although to the affecting thereof , there needed no more then that he should will it to be so ; nor did he demand tythes though a priest after the order of melchizedeck indubitably ; but whilest he went through the cities and castles preaching the gospel , and instructing men for the kingdome of heaven , and twelve with him , several women , as mary magdalen , joane , susan and others did minister unto him of their substance , luke . , . nor did he otherwise instruct his disciples who were to be embasadors on earth towards man kind . in the beginning when he sends them out , he did not bid them for to receive tythes or teach people to pay them , but bids them to live upon alms ; carry not with you gold nor silver , or any money in your purses , not a scrip , not two coats , not a staff suternumerary , for the labourer is worthy of his meat , mat. . . the disciples of christ being thus taught by their great master , for saking their livelihood and earthly possession , presumed upon the goodness of god , who would not so have sent them abroad , but that he would dispose the hearts of men accordingly in order to their subsistance ; so they relied upon their converts for necessary supplies , and received the benevolence of several pious women who ministered unto them ; for so saith paul , have not i power to eat and to drink , have not i power to lead about a woman or a sister as do the other apostles , and the brethren of our lord , and cephas ? cor. . . he at large and very clearly sheweth how they who sows spiritual ought to reap temporal things . if one should aske the ministry of this age , by what right they claim tythes , they cannot say by a better right then the apostles had nor i hope will not , for they pretend to be but successors of them ; and if the extent of their commission be required , you shall have it in these words forthwith , as my father sent me , so send i you , or the like ; but if one aske if they will stand to this in all respects ; i have little hope they will comply in point of maintenance , i have good ground so to judge , even many at this day who have in times past vaunted and boasted of their call and ministry , and have thrown many in prison for these popish tythes ; now when they are like to be taken from them , would give over publication of their gospel , if they knew how to subsist for their backs and bellies , which demonstrates that they had no mission from god , or else why should taking of tythes away from them invalidate it ? or do they judge all is converted , there is no more work ? now such will be cried who have boasted of calls and commissions , and if all were gone , they would preach for nothing or freely without gifts ; i am afraid we shall hardly find one of five hundred , but will rather then quite cease the gainful trade , will traffique in such merchandize as the times allows , though they must now be content with eight for a night-wake , and four for churching a woman , and sixpence for reading over a grave , or tythe eggs at easter , and rather then they dare stand to christs allowance , will take this and such allowance as can be got under hand and seal , as the time will afford them ; but to return to that which was in my heart to shew out of antiquity , tythes no gospel maintenance . prosper saith , they do live of the gospel who will be propriators of nothing , who neither have nor desire to have any thing , not possessing their own but the common goods ; what is it to live of the gospel , but that he who labours should receive necessary supplies by them amongst whom he labours without forcing , though paul himself would not make use of his permission least he should create an offence , but laboured with his hands , being a tent-maker , and they that would receive it by voluntary contributions were the apostles and others which laboured in the gospel . cyril of alexandria speaking upon that passage of abraham , gen . who after he had gained victory over the king of sodomes enemies and rescued lot , when the king offered him part of the spoiles , he would receive nothing but a few victuals , though saith he , the holy teachers do war in the behalf of perishing-man kind , and though they undergo much pains , yet do they not take any thing from the men of the world , nor do they heap up unto themselves riches , least the world should say i have made you rich , they only ought to receive their sustinance from the hands of those whom they have benefited ; for it is christs command saith he , that he who teacheth the gospel should live thereby ; so that it is evident that very many of antient fathers whom this generation of teachers have talked so much on , did deny tyths and forced maintenance from the word ; but in this point it is like they may be judged for eronious or weak sighted , as they do the quakers or men of weak understanding , but i see many will traduce them in words , but few in practise . peter and john saith silver and gold have i none ; behold the riches of those who were priests of christ , but let us quickly apply these things faith he unto our selves , who are prohibited by the law of christ , if we have any regard thereunto , to have possessions in the country or houses in the city , what do i say ? possessions , houses , no , not to multiply coates or money . if we have food and rayment let us be therewith content ; hiorom writing to nepotianus a clergy man , he doth much extol the poverty of the clergy , as a levite and a priest saith he , i live and am supplied with the oblations of the altar , having food , having cloaths i will be content therewith ; and naked follow the naked crosse ; i beseech you that you would not transform our spiritual warfare into a carnal one , nor imagine your self in the clergy , as if you were in an army , getting spoils , nor seek after no more then when you came first into the clergy , least it be said to you , their lot shall not profit them . the albigenses bedemontane protestants have preserved their religion incorrupt , longer then any church with a ministry indowed with tythes & hire in the world ; and likewise the primitive times never wanted able teachers as the best histories say , although they lived either upon their labour , or the free offering of them that were converted , and was not so disquieted with politicall complying opinions and curiosities , and nicities , and distinctions , and contentions , until constance began to inrich and give lands and great reveneus to the church ; and then they began to side and controvert in state matters , and grew into pride , idleness and fulness , insomuch that histories say , a voice was heard from heaven , this day poyson hath been shed in the church . so you protestants view over your fathers whom the ministers hath talked on ; and so now if they will own their practice so as to walk in it , and let them never be reckoned as ministers of christ more , who cannot be content with his allowance , and let forcing alone about maintenance , and the tythes alone to the priest of the first covenant , and let bargining alone for wages , and seek not hire of them you work not for ; and if your gospel will not maintain you , you have good cause to question it , whether it be the very same the apostle preached and the primitive fathers , and never such a cry be heard more among people for maintenance and hire , for wages and tythes ; but he that hath the gospel , let him preach the gospel , and live of the gospel , not upon tythes and forced maintenance and set stipends , for the gospel condemns this , a cloud of witness is against it , both in former and latter ages , yea it is inconsistent unto reason to require tythes in this age by the ministry . first the levites were one of the twelve tribes , if they were not the twelve part of the people , but so is not the priests now . secondly , they had no portion among the rest of the tribes , but the teachers and priests now have equal to other men , in lands and revenues . thirdly , the priests were but to have the tenth of all clean things , but now clean and unclean beasts , birds and fowls , piggs , eggs , turnups , and every thing , which were not tythable under the law. fourthly , their service was great at the tabernacle and temple , and in time of the war and sojourning , it is not so with priests , who staies over a few families all their life long . fifthly , seeing the service is abrogated for which the levites had tythes , and none of the service performed now , no reasons that tyths should be required now , when the work is not done unto which the tythes belonged . sixthly the levites were of aarons priesthood , of which tribe christ came not ( but of the tribe of juda ) but these priests are not after aaron nor levi neither their successors , therefore hath no right to tythes . seventhly , that which was given by the command of god only to aaron and his sons and levites , and never to any other priesthood or ministry ; now seeing the law is changed and the priesthood changed , christ being come , these priests are unreasonable who demanded them contrary to the command of god , which belongs only to that priesthood . chap. xix . respecting of persons and complemental bowings and worshipping one another , and flattering titles no good manners , but are in the transgression , and hath been antiently reproved and condemned . although this generation have so far run after every invention and vain custome and tradition , into complements and flattery and deceit , and respecting of persons , which is a thing in high esteem , as a piece of good breeding and education , and good manners accounted not only among the prophaner sort , but even among christians so called , who have conformed unto every vain custome of the nations ; yet they that know the life of christ , cannot do so , and they that abide in his doctrine must not do so , though things be never so applauded by fallen men , whose glory is in that which is earthly ; yet god beholds not nor looks not as man , but his thoughts are contrary to mans in that state , and that which the sons of men in the fallen estate do highly esteem of , is disesteemed by the lord. the best manner of walking is , that which the lord directs and leads into , which is pure and holy and incorrupt , and the saints practise who were taught of god , is the best example to follow , and their manner and deportment among the sons of men are chiefly to be followed ; although that which is from below , doth and hath ever disesteemed their way and the honour that comes from above , although the heathen had many lords and many gods , yet it was said to israel , thy god is but one , and him shalt thou bow unto alone and reverence his name ; israel was not to follow the vain customes of the nations , neither follow their example who served not the living god with their hearts , & multitudes are not to be followed in doing evil ; custome without truth is but a bad plea , antiquity with unrighteuosnesse is but bad proof , that which leads into degeneration is not to be minded , but that which leads into restoration and innocency . the redeemed of the lord and the israel of god , now who works after the directions and leadings of gods holy spirit , upon whom peace resteth , are otherwise taught then to follow vain customes which begets one another into pride and deceit , and unbelief , christ reproved the pharisees for seeking honour one of another , and told them they could not believe who sought it ; was it reprovable then , is it commendable now ? are there not many that seek it now ? yes , that which is offended when it is not complemented and bowed unto , seeks it and would have it , and is in the unbelief ; what capping and cringing , what bowing and scraping , in which many spends much of their time , what complements and fained speeches is daily invented , and gestures and ceremonies , of which there is hardly any end , which people runs into now , who calls themselves christians , many generations before cannot paralel it , and yet this must be counted good manners and be reckoned as such ; oh! the lord is grieved with these things , and they are abominable in his sight , & will provoke the lord to anger , if they be persisted in , and the honour which is from above they despised ; and what invented words and names which puffs up the proud minds , is people run into , and like ephraim in the transgression seeds upon wind , and that which will vanish as a buble and pass away as a morning dew ; god will stain it all , and the pride and glory of all flesh , and bring contempt upon all the honourable of the earth , for the saints knew who were come out of the respect of persons , that the fashion of the world and the custom● and manners , and glory , and honour , and esteem thereof should pass away , and that all that come to the beginning again , to union with god , must die to all these things which is got and entred into the hearts of men since the transgression , and while these things are loved they alienate the mind from the living god , and from the honour due unto his name . and oh what strangers are men to the doctrine & practice of christ and his apostles and to the primitive saints , that it is even become a dispisable thing in their eyes , and then practise and manner of walking is now become an offence and reckoned unmannerly ; and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but it is counted such an offence and a crime as diserves punishment ; o● for shame look back upon the saints practise for your example , unto their manners for your ●mitation , and not unto the vain custome of the n●●ions , not unto mou●tibanks , s●●ge pl●iers , fidlers , roysters and ru●●●●● , who make a mock of sin ; and live by the sins of the people . will it be a good plea do you judge before the lord ( when the secrets of all hearts shall be opened , and every action brought unto righteous judgment ) that you have followed the fashion of a nation , the custome of a court , city or county , or the most in the world ? doth not the scripture say , that the saints should not fashion themselves like unto the world , neither be conformable to it , but rather be transformed in your minds , & seek the things that are above ? for where the mind is transformed and changed from the earthly to the heavenly , there the actions will be new and the works new ; did the pharisees say truly of christ in this , we know thou respects no mans person , yes they knew it , though they tempted him ; and did not peter say of a truth , god is no respecter of persons ; and did not solomon say lie that respecteth persons will transgress for a morsel of bread ; and did not elihu say i know not to give flattering titles to men , in so doing my maker would soon take me away : is not this a flattering generation and full of hypocrisie and deceit ? flattering one another , when in a moment they are like to kill one another , hating one another , and speaking evil of one another when as soon as one is pa●ted from another , these things are an abhorrency in the eyes of the lord. consider what james saith the apostle of christ , jam. . ver . , , , , , , , , . my brethren , have not the ●aith of our lord jesus christ the lord of glory with respect of persons , for if there come into your assembly a man with a gold ring , in goodly apparel , and there come in also a poor man in vile rayment , and ●e have respect to him that weareth the gay cloathing , and say to the poor stand thou there , or sit here under my footstool , are ye not then partial in your selves and are become judges of evil thoughts ; hearken my beloved brethren , hath not god chosen the poor of this world rich in faith , and heirs of the kingdome , which he hath promised to them that love him ? do not rich men oppress you , and draw you before the judgment seats ? do not they blaspheme that worthy name , by they which you are ▪ called ? if you fulfil the royal law of god according to the scriptures , thou shalt love thy nighbour as thy self , ye d● well , but if ye have a respect to persons ▪ ye commit sin and are convinced of the law , as transgressors . and the apostle concludes whosoever shall keep the whole law , and offend in one point is guilty of all , and such is the respecting of persons , and giving flattering titles unto men , and they that do it are judges of evil thoughts and transgressors of the law , and is guilty of all . marlorat out of luther and calvin saith upon this place , to respect persons here , is to have regard unto the outward habit , garb and attire , and accordingly to esteem or undervalue him , love or dread him , and that such respect of persons is repugnant unto true faith , and is inconsiste●● with it , and concludes that none ought to be honoured up●● the account of riches ; but this generation of hypocrites are gone further into the transgression of the law , into honouring or disesteeming of men because of the●● cloaths or habit , a gold ring , a gay cloak , a fan or 〈◊〉 fether , are become the only cognisa●ce or badge 〈◊〉 honourable persons in this age among professors , 〈◊〉 it was not so in the dayes of old , but modesty , gravity , sobriety , temporance , humility were the toke● of one truly honourable . jerome writing to a great person in the world name● celentia , directing her how to live in the midst of h● riches and honours , saith thus , heed not your nobility nor do you thereupon take place of any , repute not them w● are of a lower extraction to be your inferiors : our religi● admits no respect of persons , nor did it lead us to value t● outward condition of men but their inward frame of spiri● it is hereby that we pronouce men noble , and base with go● not to serve sin is to be free , and to excell in vertue is to 〈◊〉 noble ; besides it is folly for any to boast of gentility , sin● all are equally esteemed by god , nor is it material in wh● estate a man is born , the new creature hath no distinctions ; or was this the doctrine of one single person alone , for paulinius bishop of nola reproved sulpitius severus for writing himself in the title of a letter to paulinius ( your servant , ) he saith in the title of my letter , i have not imitated your excellent brotherhood ; because i thought it more secure to write truth ; take heed hereafter how you being from a servant called out unto liberty , do subscribe your self servant unto one who is your brother and fellow-servant , for it is a sinful flattery , not a testimony of humility to pay those honours unto a man , which are due to the one lord , one master , one god ; so this is no new doctrine to deny respecting of persons , and flattering titles and complements , although it seem strange to this generation , in whom the corruptable part is exalted , and that which is below , the truth and the power of god elevated in their minds , which dispiseth the honour which is from above , and the humility and lowlinesse of the saints , and their plainness and innocency ; but all that comes unto christ and to believe in him and follow him for their example will come out of all these vain complemental flattering titles and respecting of persons , and give all honour , and glory , and reverence unto him alone unto whom it is due , and to respect him who is their life , and have a respect unto all his commandments , and unto that which leads out of the vanity of the world and to the beginning again , before deceit , pride and flattery had a being in the pure innocency and uprightnesse , where truth is spoken from the heart without flattery and dissimulation in all plainness . chap. xx. universities and schools of natural learning are of no use , as to the making of ministers of christ in the primitive times , but a thing introduced , & brought in in latter ages by the apogates who had erred from the spirit , who then admired and set up natural languages and philosophy , that thereby they might be furnished to make discourses , speeches and sermons to get money by , and as they are holden up at this day , are made an absolute idol ; and as to their practise it s generally known to be prophane , and no way meet to advance the church of christ. christ jesus the everlasting high priest and minister of the tabernacle , when he was manifest in the fulness of time , to fulfill the work which was given him to do of the father , he chused unto him twelve disciples which believed in him , men who were not brought up at universities , neither had studied philosophy nor natural tongues , but some fishermen and such as were illiterate , to be ministers of the glad tidings of the gospel of peace to the nations ; and their ability stood in the spirit where the ability of all the ministers of christ now standeth , viz. not in the letter , not in philosophy , not in natural languages , not in gramar and musick , but in the spirit which qualified them , and from whence they received abilities to declare the word of righteousness , and by it they had skill to divide it aright , and to give every one their portion , and to minister to every one suitable to their state in which they were , and they were skilled in the word of righteousnesse , and many did believe through their testimony , though they had not the wisdome that was from below , nor much read in natural languages , and some not learned ( at all ) yet they wanted not wisdome and utterance , and words meet and suitable to declare and demonstrate the heavenly mind of christ , although it is true many of the jews and learned rabbies opposed them , and set them at nought , the philosophers , stoicks and epicures resisted , yet they desired not to be approved in that wisdome which man teacheth , but in the wisdome which is from above , which the natural man with all his natural parts does not understand , and natural men with their naturall parts despises the simplicity of the gospel , and they seek qualifications which the lord never sought , and such will not heed the qualifications which is laid down by them that were ministers of christ , for they that had received the spirit and were made ministers by it , were qualified by it , and their holy conversations preacht unto others , they were vigilent , they were watchful , they were sober , they were in temptations and tryals , but their lives were of good report , no covetous persons , seekers for their gain from their quarters , no lords over mens faith , nor masters over mens consciences , but were servants unto all for christs sake ; not like the ministers in these dayes who will assume the office but has not received the gift of god , neither are so qualified or fitted as they were who had no universities nor schools of learning , and these are they that cries up natura tongues and languages as the chief abilities of a minister of christ , and that none are fit to dispence the word of god , but such who are bred up and educated in these things , and such in former daies dispised the cross of christ , and the simplicity of the gospel , and set up tongues above it , and so do they now ; but let us consider whether soon after the primitive times they had any such universities , or seven years prentiships as they have now , or whether it was their practise to be studying these things which be bu● natural , and whether they did esteem them as any way helpfull to the ministry . but that i may not be mis-understood , i know each language and each tongue hath a proper signification , and is not evil in themselves ; schools of learning i am not against , natural languages they may be servicable for natural uses , natural transaction in civil affairs betwixt nation and nation , man and man ; but as they are extolled and cried up to be nurseries of piety , and to fit men for the ministry as to make it effectual , is utterly false , and more mischief is learned and impiety practised in these universities then in any other parts of the nation , and indeed it is one of the main props and pillars of antichrists throne and kingdome , and that which upholds his seat ; and that they only are the only fitted and called men to minister , who have natural tongues , and have read a little in a few heathen authors , and thereby is able to comment and make a discourse to the hearing of the ear , ( but gods witness is not reached at all ) and such dispises the spirit , and sets light by them that enjoy it , which clearly evidences they are out of the power of god which was among the first christ●ans , who received the spirit and spoke from it , which is only sufficient and able to make a minister of christ ; so let us see what antiquity saith . gaudentius de mor. secul . justinian saith , we do not read that ever the antients did ever openly in schooles teach philosophy , since they did rather abhor it ; and saith a good author i would fain see a man that could shew that christians either before or in the time of justinian did openly teach philosophy ; and hadrian saraviah informs us the primitive christians had no accademicall schooles like to those now adayes , yet there was one at alexandria , but in these schooles they read only catachristicall lectures ; and we do not read of any universitie of the waldenses , albigenses and bohemians , for most of their ministers were tradsemen and handy-crafts men , and did not spend their time in reading tongues or studying authors . herrald anaimad . in ar . nob . the christians in the primitive times , living excluded from all honours and magistracies , did neglect these studies which were for the discharge of civil imployments , because that sophisters and philosophers were the principal enemies of christianity ; therefore upon this account they condemned also all politie , learning , they condemned tragedies and comedies and other poetical writings , being the main part of humane learning , as judging they did not conduce to solid knowledge . tertullian liber de idolatr . page , . judged that schoole-masters professing learning were guilty of great idolatry , because they only explained names and genealogies and fabulous acts of heathen gods : and generally believers in those dayes harbered a very bad esteem of natural learning , & generally the christians were provoked thereunto , because the gentiles did upbraid them that the teachers were illiterate persons , as combers of woolls , weavers , fullers and the like : these things being objected a-against the christians ; the christians on the other side rejected all learning , as an useless thing and no way advantagious to salvation , though their adversaries boasted of it : origen lib. . saith the christians did declare that men of any condition might be saved , servants , idiots and rusticks , and such as the world valued as fools , and that god did confound the wise in their own wisdome ; and selsus as origen in his book saith , that christians did proclaim it in their assemblies , ( let none that is wise enter , none that is learned , none that is prudent , for thus it is appointed us in the gospel ; but if there be any unwise , unlearned , any foolish , let him approach with confidence , for these were fit to be the servants of god. ouzetius in his animadversions page saith , that the gentiles did object against the christians , their rude stile , their harsh language , and how they were destitute of all addresses , calling them rusticks and clowns ; so the christians did again term the gentiles the politie , the eloquent and the learned ; clemence romanus saith in his writing , lib. . chap . abstain from all the books of the gentiles , for what have you to do with strange discourses or laws or false prophets which seduce weak men from the truth . in the council at carthage there was a canon made distinct , . cap. epist. citante , jac. laurentio de lib. gentil . page . let not a bishop read heathen authors , gracian saith , we see that the priests of the lord neglecting the gospel and the prophets , they read comedies , and read love verses out of beuchlies , they peruse virgil ; and what is a sin of enforced necessity in children is become their delight , doth not he seem to walk in vanity and darknesse of mind , who vexes himself day and night in the study of lodgick , who in the persuit of phisicall speculations one while elevates himself beyond the highest heavens , and afterwards precipitates himself below the neather parts of the earth , and diveth into the abisse , and chargeth his memory with the distinct knowledge of verses . petrus belonius saith , in greece amongst the christians which were very many , there were very few learned men , because they esteemed not of it , as of nenessity to christianity , though they could speak greek and some latine , but few could write or read , in their libraries were severall manuscrips of divinity , but no historians , no philosophers , for those were anathomized ; and all christians were exhorted not to study poetry nor philosophy ; yet reader thou mayest understand that the greek church is highly owned for a true christian church , and highly owned by the protestants , yet neither they nor the pickards nor waldenses in bohemia did value learning , so far were they from esteeming of it as the proper true religion , luther de institu . puer . inter . aper . wittenburg , to . fol. . paul exhorteth to beware of philosophy and vain deceit , col. . he had been at athens and had acquainted himself with that vain-glorious humane wisdome , and knew the multiplicity of contradictions which it had procured ; what then hath athens to do with jerusalem ? what fellowship hath the epicures and stoicks with the church of christ ? jerome lib. . contra , pelag. what hath aristotle to do with paul , or plato with peter ? a multitude of testimonies might be brought to this effect , how the christians did in former ages reject philosophy and heathen authors , and all such frivilous stories as no way lawfull for christians to meddle in ; nor any way good to propagate christianity . bishop usher in vindication of the waldenses by way of apologie , he saith god did chuse fisher-men that so he might not give his glory to another , for asmuch as the little ones had asked bre●d came to receive it , and the learned being busied about vain contentions and disputations were sent empty away ; the waldenses saith bishop usher de success chap. . . we are not ashamed of our teachers , because they labour with their hands , procuring thereby a livelihood to themselves , because both the doctrine and example of the apostles doth lerd us to such apprehensions . and as for the ceremonies which are found in these universities and colledges and popish superstitious practises , i shall leave the reader to read thém else where , which are so many and so superstitious that they come little behind rome in idolatry ; and as for their consecration of priests , and the endlesse rabble of ceremonies which do attend as such times as they take degrees is well known to many in this nation , and yet these universities and schools are elevated in some mens minds as though they were the chief propagators of christianity , when as indeed they are an in-let of heathenism and idolatry and no way of necessity usefull for the true church of god. and it is judged by some learned men and that upon good ground , that the present fashoned universities orders and habits was from the dominicans ; an order instituted by the pope to suppress the waldenses , and their doctoral degrees by the learned are judged to be no other then noval and accounted antichristian , by the reformed churches so called , in scotland , france , holland , switzerland and the calvinists in high germany ; and so many doctors there are in the universities who never knew how to divide the word aright , nor what it is to convert one soul unto god ; a doctor that is no teacher he is a dumb dog and an insignificant piece of formality in the universities , which carries a shew of something , but is nothing in substance , and the chief practise is several ridiculous solemnities , together with constant wearing of a coull and some other vestments fetcht out of a popish wardrobe ; it was an article of john wicklifs condemned at constance , who suffered as a martyr , that graduations and doctorships in universities and colledges as they were in use then did conduce nothing to the church of christ , acts and monuments , page . didoclavius in his book alte damascanum page . saith that hoods , tippets and square caps were introduced by antichrist to promote his splendor , and it is a stage-play dresse and altogether ridiculous , being a distinguishment of some men from others by signes useless and destitute of all ornament ; upon their shoulders ( saith he ) there hangs down a hood such as fools used to wear , being neither handsome nor convenient . bucer refused to wear a square cap , and being demanded the reason , he answered that god had made his head round . philpot chused rather to be secludvd the convocation of the clergy then to wear a hood and a tippet , who died a martyr for the faith of the protestant church , as fox tells us in his acts and monuments , and the superstitious hoods is but a product of the old monkish mettel , grounded upon the superstitious exposition of that place , heb. . they wandred abroad in sheeps skins , &c. and whether such men are fit to be ministers of christ who gives such expositions upon the scriptures , or whether it is not altogether detestable and idolatrous , and savours altogether of ignorance , as to expound such a scripture as this , stand fast having your loyns girt , &c. and this must signifie the episcoparian girdles with which they tye their canonical coats or long black frocks ; and whether this is a good foundation for the colledge doctors to stand booted and spurd in the ( act ) because there is mention made in scripture of being shod with the preparation of the gospel ; see statute accad . oxon. tit. . parag . . and whether this be not ridiculous and foolish to give for their armes the book with seven seales ? is not that a gross abuse of what is laid down in the revelation , as if the liberal arts ( two whereof are grammer and fidling ) are typified by these seals , which none were worthy to open but the lamb ? and as for their habits and black gowns and black coats , these have been borrowed from rome or else from the chimerians , a sort of people of old among the jews who were idolaters , hosea , . 〈◊〉 . some of the kings of israel who drew people into idolatry , and countenanced idolatrous priests , kings . who were attired in black ; these were prophesied against by hosea . chap . they were supprest by josiah and zephany chap. . saith he , stretch forth his hand upon judah and upon all the inhabitants of jerusalem , and cut off the remnant of baal and the name of the chimerims or black-coats with the priests ; jerome bids nepotian being to enter upon the clergy to avoid black attire . in tertullians time every one that did turn christian or was made a presbyter , did renounce his gown which was the romane vestment , and afterwards the clergy relinquisht dark coloured cloaks for coats , and the clergy and laity in fine were both alike habited ; and a bishop was condemned of the council of ga●grae for introducing the fashon of long sad coloured cloaks that was condemned by the assembly unbeseeming the priesthood ; all this is clear out of tertullians writings de pallio with the notes of salmasius thereon ; and all these things had but a bad original , and were never commanded by god ; and seeing they are made such idols of ought no longer to be imitated but to be quite abolished ; but some may object though the original were popish and antichristian , yet since they are employed to better uses , ( viz ) for distinction , order and decency they may lawfully enough be retained ; to this is answered , might not the jews have given the same reason to their reformers , that the golden calfs and their groves might not be consumed and turned into ashes , because they might be better employed to good uses afterwards , or might not the brazen serpent have continued as well as the pots of ma●na ; yet when it was become an id●l away it must go ; but the sum of all is , all these habits & attir's have been used for superstitious ends , and pride , and pomp , and vain glory ; so they that retain them , they do no more then the levite that stole away michals gods from mount ephraim and set them up at dan , where idolatry became a more publick worship ; so all this innovated superstitious trumpery is no way advantagious to the church of christ , neither conduceth to any true order , neither hath any congruity with the primitive times , & is to be denied by all that comes out of babylon , and out of the apostacy into the primitive order and the true churches practice and the saints example . as for parish churches which i mentioned before , some say it was the decree of the lattern council in the year . but cambden saith that dyonysius did onely distribute into diocesses , and others judge into parishes ; and as concerning church-yards to bury the dead , its original is superstitious , and all the ringing and singing and the reading before and over the dead is iddlatrous and superstitions ; gaudentius saith that of old times , ( and so saith the scriptures ) they did bury their dead in their own ground , which custome was taken away by pope innoteat the third , he prohibited that any should cause themselves to be buried in unconsecrated ground , forsaking the sepulchers of their fathers . hospinian saith that at last it became so superstitious in being buried in order near the church that they judged it material even to their salvation . de orig. temple lib. . chap. . the waldenses said the uses of church-yards is superstitious and invented only for lucre sake , and it is no matter in what ground any one is buried , see usher de suc●es . eccles. christ. chap . and how much there is of this superstition in england now , and what excessive rates are paid for breaking up ground all is sensible of that , it is only one of the popish nets which is holden up to get money by . and so i shall conclude these things and say with john , come out of of babylon , and be not partaker of her sins , least you be partakers of her pla●●es , for the hour of her judgment is come , and the time wherein her filthiness and loathsomeness shall be made manifest to the nations , and her skirts shall be uncovered , and her abominable practises discovered , of which in part i have declared unto all in this discourse , that all may see the abominations , and depart out of the snares that leads to death , and these practises which tends to destruction the end . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e claudius espontius ordain●d a●a counsel at pysoy in france , that infants baptism should be received by tradition , because it could not be proved as a command from the scriptures . ignatius bishop of rome was the first ordainer of infants baptism , and that they should have godfathers and godmothers , &c. victor bishop of rome instituted that children might be christned by lay-men and lay-women in case of necessity . notes for div a -e pius bishop of rome built the first temple after the apostacy , in bonour to prudentia . dionysius in the year divided both in rome and other places into parishes and dioceses for bishops . abraham and his wife buried in hebron , in a piece of ground he bought . notes for div a -e justinian the emperour ordained that men should swear by the gospel or book called the gospel , and lay their hands thereon and kiss it , saying , so help me god. silvester bishop of rome ordained that all churches should be christned and should be anointed with oyl . clement bishop , ordained confirmation of children , and said none was a perfect christian if he wanted this , and thus children should be smo●e on the cheek signed with this cross. notes for div a -e * at lions in france they apointed holy dayes to increase their religion . boniface , the fourth ordained stephen , innocents , lawrence michael , martin , john baptists , and all saints to be kept holy . corpus christi day ordained by urbanus the fourth . sylvester bishop ordained lammas day in memorial of peters pain● . gregory ordained that mass , or short prayer , should be said over the tombs of the dead . gregory appointed wednesday and friday should be fasted . soulmass day was ordained by odilo . notes for div a -e sextus commanded that no lay-people should touch the priests garments , sabinianus ordained that people should come together to hear service by ringing bells . john . bishop ordained bells to be tol'd three times a day . notes for div a -e singing of mattens at set times hierom appointed . pelagius the second commanded priests to say them dayly . ●elesphorus appointed that lent should be kept before easter and fasted . concerning mass and letany many authors patched it up at sundry times . notes for div a -e acts and monuments vol. . fol. . euseb. lib. . chap. pag. . in his book de succes . cap. . acts and monuments , vol. . fol. . fol. . exodus . . acts and monuments vol. . fol. . de succes . cap. . notes for div a -e acts . . cor. . . eusebius lib. . chap. . cyprian . epist. . . . hom. . in actn hom. . in evan. and dist . . de consecr . acts and mon. p. . acts and mon. p. , . prosper de vita contempt lib. . chap. . cyril de adorat . in spir . & ver . lib. . ad finem . origen . homil . in levit. one warning more unto england before she gives up the ghost and be buried in the pit of darkness to awaken the inhabitants thereof out of their deep sleep, to see themselves what misery is coming upon them through their degeneration and horrible ingratitude, that the people therein may be let without excuse in the day of the lord / by him that pities thee in this languishing state, f.h. howgill, francis, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing h ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) one warning more unto england before she gives up the ghost and be buried in the pit of darkness to awaken the inhabitants thereof out of their deep sleep, to see themselves what misery is coming upon them through their degeneration and horrible ingratitude, that the people therein may be let without excuse in the day of the lord / by him that pities thee in this languishing state, f.h. howgill, francis, - . p. printed for thomas simmons ..., london : . written by francis howgil. cf. bm. reproduction of original in huntington library. eng society of friends -- england. regeneration (theology) -- early works to . a r (wing h ). civilwar no one warning more unto england before she give up the ghost, and be buried in the pit of darkness. to awaken the inhabitants thereof out of t howgill, francis b the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the b category of texts with fewer than defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion one warning more unto england before she give up the ghost , and be buried in the pit of darkness . to awaken the inhabitants thereof out of their deep sleep , to see themselves what misery is coming upon them through their degeneration and horrible ingratitude , that the people therein may be left without excuse in the day of the lord . by him that pities thee in this languishing state . f. h. london , printed for thomas simmons at the sign of the bull and mouth near aldersgate , . oh england ! is thy dry land all become sea ? is not thy mountains from whence thou hast look'd for help , cast all into the waters , and floats up and down , and is driven up and down , and carried about with every tempest , insomuch that hardly any dry land appears anywhere in thee , but all like raging waves , and like boisterous floods which hath no bounds , but over-flows all the banks , which fills all with slime , and mire , and dirt : oh nation , whither art thou posting ! and after what dost thou so hastily pursue ? hast thou chosen madness for thy crown , and folly for thy diadem ? hast thou fixed thy eye upon the land of darkness , that thou so hastily runs ? art thou become benummed , and altogether past feeling ? hath not the lord intended good unto thee , but thou rejects it ? did not the lord break off the bonds from thy neck , and take the burdens from off thy shoulders , that thou might have been a free people , that thy people might have been a free people , that thou might have served the lord god in truth and righteousness , and might have been established by his free spirit , that righteousness might have run down the land as a stream , and equity as a river , that violence might have been done away , and the heavy yoak removed , that so the nation might have rejoyced in gods saving health , which he was about to shower down as a mighty rain , that the land might have been refreshed , and that the people thereof might have rested under the almighty shadow of the lord , that every one might have eat the fruit of his labours with joy , and have been satisfied therewith , and every precept of man have been taken off the conscience ; and that yoak which hath limitted the lord would the lord have broken , that so his people might have rejoyced in him , and in his saving health . but oh nation , how art thou betrayed ! the treacherous dealers hath dealt treacherously with thee , and have robbed thee of thy glory , and of thy crown ; and no art thou like to be crowned with infamy and reproach , and to be as a hissing-stock , as a proverb and a by-word to all the nations , who will rejoyce in thy calamity , and be glad at thy destruction ; and because the love and mercy of god was manifest in thee more then to any nation of late besides , therefore the nations were angry at thee ; but now seeing thy base ingratitude and unthankfulness , for all the kindness of the lord unto thee , which thou hast wonderfully abused , which hath been a cause which hath provoked the lord against thee , because thou hast chosen the way of death rather then life , and chosen darkness rather then light ; and therefore art thou hurled and tossed in all this sea of confusion ; and what will the nations say who are round about thee , is not this the nation from whence light did shine forth , that 's now filled with darkness ? is not this the nation which was strong and mighty , that 's now become feeble ? is not this the nation , the fame of whose righteousness was spread far , that 's now filled with violence and cruelty ? is not this the nation , which made the nations and isles about it to tremble , whose hands is become so weak that they cannot help themselves ? is not this the nation whose sound and fame for liberty as men in the nation , and as christians without being imposed upon , which the lord was bringing to a perfect freedom , who now are putting the yoak of bondage upon the inhabitants necks , and laying heavie burdens upon the necks of the righteous , and are imposing things upon the consciences of his people , whom god would have set free ? oh this causeth the name of the lord which hath appeared in thee , to be dishonored , and the noble acts which the lord hath done in thee to be vilified : oh england , what shall i compare thee unto , thy state is sad ! oh what might i do to make thee sensible thereof ! thou art as a ship in the midst of the raging sea , whose mast is lost , whose tacklings is broken , and the men all dead , and nothing left but a bare hull ready to be blown with every gust of wind upon every rock , and art like wholly to be split , never more to be builded up : it may truly be said of thee as it was once of israel , when they had revolted from the lord god , and followed after the imaginations of their own hearts ; the head is sick , and the whole heart is faint , and every member which should move in the body is become feeble and benummed ; thy breach is great , who can heal thee ? or who can bind thee up ? what is there no balm in england ? is there no physitian there to heal the breaches and wounds of this people ? what , not one wise man among all her rulers , are they all like wild bulls in a net , fit to be taken and destroyed ? not one interpreter amongst all her prophets which can discover the disease ; not one physition that can apply a healing medicine to these grievous wounds ! what not one leaf of the tree of life amongst you all , by which the nations are healed ? not a healing spirit amongst ten thousands of england ; oh sad and deplorable is thy state , for all is out of order , and it may truly be said of her rulers , of her priests , and her prophets , and of her people , as it was said of israel when they had forsaken the lord , and blindness happened to them through their unbelief , a people laden with sin and iniquity , they are all gone out of the way , there 's not one that doth good , no not one , a seed of evil-doers , a treacherous generation , a false-hearted people , who eats up iniquity as men eate bread , and drink it up as oxen water : oh nation consider , thou art upon thy languishing bed , and thy eyes is almost closed , and thy ears stoped , and thy understanding besotted , all thy vitals is decaying , the characters and symptoms of death is upon thee , the form of thy countinance is changed , the flower of thy beauty is passing away ; old age and decrepedness is coming upon thee , all thy joynts are growing feeble ; what wilt thou do now in a day of adversity ? whether wilt thou go in the day of calamity which is approaching , the grave is opened to receive thee , and thy enemies stands ready to bury thee in silence , that thee and all thy glory may be trampled upon , and that thy memorial may die and rot , and thy renown be shut up in the pit of oblivion ; the fellers stands ready to cut thee down as an abominable branch , and to cast thee into the fire to consume thee , and to make a final end of thee , and to destroy all thy pleasant things : the lord is grieved for thee , and the spirits of his people is made sad , for they feel the weight of iniquity , and the load of transgression which will sink the nation if it be not turned from ; but the lord will ease him of his enemies , and avenge him of his adversaries , and will sweep away the refuge of lyes and the lovers of them into the pit of destruction ; and the day hastens when they that exalt themselves high even upon pinacles , shall be brought low , and many hills hath god made one with the plain , and many more yet shall be made a plain , that the glory of the lord , and his interest may be exalted . oh england , consider thy former dayes , and call to mind the years past , and consider in what state thou wast twenty years ago , and what complaints filled every corner of the land by reason of the heavie yoaks which was laid upon the people , by reason of many wicked lawes which was made by men of corrupt minds , in the years of the former kings , not only upon the estates of men , but also upon their persons and consciences , and the cry of many innocent people was great , and reached through the clouds ; for princes , and kings , and nobles was grown to that height in arrogancy , and pride , and usurpation , so that they claimed all power as to be in themselves , and the courtiers being in the same nature with them , and climbing up the stairs of ambition till they attained to the seat of violence , cried up the king above all law , and whom he would kill might be killed , and whom he would save might be saved ; so that neither life , person , or estate of any man could be exempted : so that by the oppression of the former kings , and also later , even the last , was very great , and was soar'd up so high , without all limit or bounds , as though all people in the nation had been made as for their vassals and slaves , which thing was very grievous to the lord , and also to the people of the nation ; and they came to see that that power and authority was but usurped , or taken on without any just title or right as from god , or from the free people of this nation ; and likewise what deceit was used in the execution of all lawes , that if any man was wronged , and did appeal unto any law for redress , their remedy proved worse then the disease ; so that the cry of the oppression on every hand was very great . again , what innovations and impositions was made upon tender consciences by those apostate bishops , which the very land groaned with the burden thereof , who were but a stem sprung from that corrupt root of rome ; and most of their worship , cannons and constitutions they had from thence ; and what intrusion and popish-stuff was ushered in daily upon the people in this nation , which they groaned under , and compelling and forcing about the superstitious rites and ceremonies , and foolish fopperies which they brought in as religious matters ; and what lazy droans they upheld , reading a piece of the old masse-book in english , and calling it divine service , and judged them hereticks who opposed all this mudy dark stuff , which the people was vexed with , and their souls grieved , and the lord grieved and vext , insomuch that the lord heard the cry of the oppressed , and did appear in his power and strength in many people to bear witness against the aforesaid evils which was growing upon the nation , which tended to bondage and thraidom , both as concerning mens persons and estates , and also their consciences ; which bondage they were weary of , which yoaks the lord brake , and gave a total overthrow both of the one , and of the other ; and many upright in heart did rejoyce , and with unwearied pains did travel thorow a sea of troubles , not minding the present difficulty , but rather eying the end , freedom and liberty ; and many pretious men ventered their lives , and lost their blood , and consumed their estates , and offered willingly of their substance in the time of need , that they might accomplish the aforesaid end , liberty and freedom as men , according to the equal just law of god , and freedom as christians , without being imposed upon either by men or laws , which was a prize which the lord did intend should be put into the nations hand , as a recompence for their former sufferings , in which all the upright would have been satisfied ; and therefore they who have been obstructors and hinderers of this thing , hath the greater sin and load upon their backs , which hath sunk many of them . but alas , when the obstructions was taken out of the way , and the common enemy suppressed with their whole strength , covetousness did get up , and pride in the hearts of the rulers , and them in authority , in the hearts of the souldery , especially the officers of the armie , most of which god had raised from a mean estate to great dignitie ; you forgat the lord , and did divide the spoil amongst you , and so became full and fat , and then kick'd against the lord , and neglected his service to pursue that which god had put into your hands ; but getting into places of honour , became as bad , if not worse , then many that was cast out before you , and then laboured to set up your own interests and not the interest of the nation , and to set up a form of religion , and another deceitful image , and not the interest of christ jesus , for he could have no room among you : it grievès my heart , and vexes the spirit of the lord god in me , to consider what tenderness , and fervency , and love there was in former years to the appearance of gods truth , life and light ; and now it s become the chief object of your scorn , and the whole bent is to turn christs interest out of the nation , and to destroy the sheep of his pasture whom he hath redeemed with his most pretious blood , to lay your sins before you , and your transgressions in your sight , that you may see what you have done . oh people of england ! was it only a form of government , or such and such a government in name that ye pursued after ? or was it not the thing it self , freedom it self , liberty it self , righteousness itself , that the heavie yoak might be done away , which as to any of the last i do not say but they might have done it , if they had stood in gods fear , and in his counsel , for it is not this or that title , or form of government , which is only essential to the well-being of a people or a nation ; you have had tryal of many names , and what do you enjoy yet that which you look'd for ? oh nay , you are defrauded , you are cheated , you are robbed and spoiled of that which the lord god did intend you by treacherous and false-hearted men , whose words hath been smoother then oyl , and their hearts full of rottenness , and through fair pretences of liberty and freedom , and sanctity and holiness , people have been led up and down like horses , and tossed up and down like a tenis-ball . or was it a form of religion which might be set up by this or that party , that tender people did seek after , so as to be bound to this or that form by an outward law , by compelling and forcing ? was it not reformation according to the scriptures which was spoken of , and intended by the upright-hearted ? and behold how have we been cheated here ! was this the liberty of conscience that was pursued after , to set up popish tithes , which no true christian can pay for conscience sake ; or to set up a company of men to be teachers to learn seven years the art of speaking , to borrow their words from homer or aristotle , and heathen authors ; or to rake up a company of errors decreed at cha'cedon , neece , latren or trent , for articles of faith , or to get words from astrologers and southsayers , and mingle this with the scripture , and call them the gospel , and to have set wages by a law given unto them , and to have traditions of men brought in for the ordinances of god ; such as the baptizing of infants , which glaudius espencius , a popish bishop confessed that this was to be believed by tradition , for it could not be proved by scripture , that such a company i say as these should be forced upon the nation as godly ministers , and their invented worship to be acknowledged as divine , and to maintain the old masse-houses , and pay clerks wages which the scriptures makes no mention of , and all this must go in the nane of pure reformation according to scripture ; & to gather money from house to house to buy bread & wine , & then a priest to patter a few words over it , & then say its consecrated , and call it a sacrament ; and that priests should have money for marrying of people , and for baptizing of infants , or for burials , or to pay for the ground in which the dead is buried ; this was reprehended and condemned by the council of trent in the height of popery in the year , . and many such bad impositions is daily holden up , and they that holds them up must be accounted as godly ministers ; and many more things of this nature are continued , which is so far against the consciences of many whom god hath enlightened , so that they are a great offence : oh this is quite contrary to that which was intended , and that which is the worst of all , many of these things are forc'd upon the people by a law . and now oh heads of the nation , how do you think to be believed , or who can trust you any more ? obligations , covenants , oaths and promises all broken and falsified ; and as soon as the common enemy was subdued and brought under , when you had time to have prosecuted the aforesaid things declared for , purchased at a dear rate , through much expence , and bloodshed , and suffering , you let most of all their corrupt laws stand , many of which is good for nothing but fire ; and it became as hard ( if not harder ) to obtain any right by appealing to the law , or judges thereof , then it was before ; and the vast lands and revenues of your enemies you divided amongst you , and sold it at inconsiderable values , and giving great and large sums to a company of dreamers and blind watchmen , and so wasted that which might have well maintained an army in the nation for many years , as though the work and the lives of many pretious men , and the shedding of the blood of thousands had been only to purchase wages for the greedy priests and hirelings who can never have enough , and so all the pretious treasure which became a booty and a prey for you , is exhausted and gone , and greater pressures upon people then was before , and now the nation more in poverty and need then ever , and the people more in thral'd in bondage then ever ; and queen maries act for guarding jesuites and the masse , stands yet in your law books , as though it were a heavenly oracle , and yet you cry out of popery ; and so when your hearts was not right with the lord , he set you one against another , and you came to be divided amongst your selves , and set up and pull down , and ordain and repeal , and so brittle and changable , that none did lean upon you but he was hurt by you ; and yet every party crying like absolom , oh that i were a judge in the gate , how righteously would i do ! and so every party have stoln away the hearts of people after them for a while , and at last betrayed them ; and thus every one hath been seeking his own interest , and not the lords , till the lord hath left you , and the line of confusion is stretched forth over you , and you bring forth the stones of emptiness ; and every party when he is got up into the seat of government , seeks vengeance on him that hath opposed him , and blowes the sparks which sets all of a flame , and only for self , and honour , and exaltation , and interest ; and thus have you led people up and down like animals till they are weary ; and saith , it was better with us in egypt , though in hard servitude , then to have yoaks multiplied upon us , and cannot see when they will cease : oh how unstable are you in your minds , and runs like a swift stream till you be lost and know not how to return ; and flattery and deceit , that must go under the name of civility ; and one while calling this his highness , and the other his excellency , and the next month proclaim him tyrant and traytor ; and so if the wills of a party be but crossed or opposed , though honoured a week afore for good service , and applauded , and in a moment then proclaim him traytor , and so betrayes one another , and are treacherous one to another , and in rage would eat up one another : are you like to help the nation , and decree one week , and throw down next week , and so runs to and fro like drunken men ; and how are you like to do any thing that 's good ? the lord hath tryed most sorts of men , especially the great ones , and the heads of the people , and they are become just all dross , and little or no vertue is found in them at all ; and so is the nation like to be established in freedom , while policy , craft , and treachery , and wrath are the chiefest instruments in the work ? but the day of many is past , wherein they might have done good to the nation , and to the people of the lord therein ; but their sun is gone down , and their day is done , and night come upon them . and oh people ! will nothing satisfie you but egypt again , that you run so fast that way , that you have forgotten all gods wondrous works in this land ? will nothing but the iron furnice satisfie you , and the heavie yoak of bondage , which in former years you complained of ? are you grown altogether insensible of the things that belongs unto your peace , that you lust after that which will destroy you , and inthrall you for ever ? you have had many warnings from the lord , and your state hath been clearly declared unto you , but have lost all fervency and zeal , you are become dry , dead , careless , and secure , and now would be content to make a covenant with death , and shake hands with deceit upon any terms , if so be that your wills were satisfied ; and the heart of unbelief being got up in you , and a departing from the living god , you seek peace and settlement in another thing where you are never like to be established : what stands your hopes upon the sandy foundation of unstable men ? have you not sufficiently yet tryed all that , that it hath proved as a broken reed , and as a bubble which passeth away ? oh is it not high time to look upon the lord , and to eye him ; have not men of high degree proved a lye , and men of a low degree proved vanity ? have you not look'd long enough for salvation from the mountains of the earth , and are they not all melted and hurled into the sea ? are they like to deliver you , who cannot deliver themselves ? are they like to settle you , who are unsettled themselves ? are they like to bring peace unto you , who knows not the way thereof ? are they like to put an end to wars and strife , who are in the variance , strife , and war against the spirit of the lord in themselves , and against one another ? every one striving that his heady-mind may be satisfied : is that it which is like to make the nation free , when that which tends to true freedom is counted by them bondage ? hath not this and the other party promised great things , and have they not all laboured in vain , and spent their strength for nought ? and is not the nation farther off from establishment in righteousness , then it was sixteen years ago ? and is not more hypocrisie and deceit abounding and increasing , who uses good words for a cloak of malitiousness , and fair speeches to deceive the hearts of the simple ? and hath not many been deceived here ? and are they not all become broken bowes in which there 's no strength ? oh what brittleness , giddiness , and madness , and instability among the people , just carried about as a tempest , blown up and down with every wind ? and oh how doth people feed upon wind , and the aiery breath of corrupt men , which vanishes away as smoak , which hath wrought no deliverance at all , but rather led farther and farther into slavery ? oh what is your spirits so heightned in ? and what is it in which you so greatly rejoyce ? is it not in that which the lord god hath blasted , blown upon , and its withered ? your rejoycing is not good , and it stirs up the wrong part in people , to rejoyce in vanity , and to take pleasure in folly : what have you made captains , and are turning back again into egypt ? do you love pharoahs power so well , and the wise mens counsels so well , and were it not just with the lord to let you go back into perpetual slavery , and chuse your delusion , seeing you make your necks as an iron sinew , and are so stout-hearted against the lord , if you never attain unto that which god intended unto you , blame not the lord ; for you have made your selves unworthy thereof , by neglecting the counsel of the almighty , and dispising them with whom the counsel of the lord is ; and therefore its just to bring one bramble after another to rule over you , and one bryar after another to scratch , and rend , and tear you ; many hath born your burden long , and have been prest with your transgressions , and the souls of the righteous have been vexed from year to year to see you dispise the loving kindness of the lord , and the tender offers of mercy ; but the burden at last must come upon your own shoulders , which will bow you down ; and then shall you see the lord would have healed you , but you would not ; the lord would have healed your breaches , but you would not because the way did not suit with your peevish , pettish , crooked minds , and therefore you are like to be bowed down under that which you have chosen , as asses under a burden ; and you will suffer your eyes to be put out by the uncircumcised , and hath given your strength to the beast , and now must you grind as sampson at a mill ; and they that exercise rule over you , will make sport with you . be awakned out of your deep sleep , and shake the spirit of slumber off you , that so you may come to see the state that you have plung'd your selves into , and the little inch of time which is yet left you , prize it , and wait to feel the witness of god arise in you above that rashness and wilfulness which doth so easily beset you ; and eye the lord god , and look for salvation from him , for else neither person , family , nor nation is like to be established ; have you not run far enough ? are you not yet weary ? have you obtained any thing by looking after men but breach upon breach , and one vexation after another , the line of confusion being stretched out over all , and stones of emptiness brought forth , which is never like to do good , or to be a good foundation to build upon ; for salvation must be brought to a nation by a people that is saved by the lord , who hath the eternal god for their rock and refuge , who hath the lord for their god and king ; for they know how to rule in righteousness , who have denied themselves , and all self-interests : take but a view of your leaders , and see in what they have denied themselves , or their own interest ; and that person or man can never be for the general good of all people , neither for the common freedom of the nation who seeks himself ; and they that know not the judgment of the lord against evil in themselves , is never like to judge righteously among the people , but will turn it backward , and let equity fall in the streets , and the poor and the needy suffer , and will let the yoak of bondage lie upon their necks whom god hath made free , and count the proud happy , and they that work wickedness they will set them up : oh the lord is grieved , and his spirit is vexed this divers years at these things , and therefore hath he poured contempt upon the mighty , and is bringing a consumption upon all the honourable of the earth , and will make them all as burned mountains ; and while your eyes are upon them for help , your expectations shall be frustrated , and your hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost : and this is the word of truth unto you all , which shall not pass away unfulfilled . and thou false and treacherous ministery of this nation , who only hath the power of the carnal sword to hold thee up , & were made and constituted to be a ministery by a carnal commandment of man , you have been the chief incendiaries of much of these comotions , stirs , uproars and broils , war and strife ; how have you twined , and turned , and wheeled about like weather-cocks , and flattered every horn of the beast which exalted it self , though but for a little season , and like as your fore-fathers did in former years , so have you done in the later years , flattered and set up every thing and image , which though there was nothing in it at all , no life nor breath , you have cried it up for the higher power while it stood and would work your drudgery and satisfie your interest ; and if it went not on as you would have it , then you have cried it down , & them that you counted the higher power , and have said , it hath been by gods appointment ; the next week , usurpers and traytors , and countinancers of error and blasphemy , and hath kindled a fire among people , & set them up in a rage one against another ; and when your deceit was like to go down , then cried religion was despised , and the gospel was like to fall and to be extinguished : come , let us reason together a little ; is reading old writers ( whom you call heathen ) seven years , and other later popish writers , and aristotles philosophy , any part of the gospel ? and to frame up a speech about religion , out of your old comentaries which have been made in the night of ignorance , and to mix scripture with them , is this the gospel ? and to get a patent from a protector , a parliament , or a committee to preach at such a place , is this like gospel ? may be a great seal at it , and then stay whether the people would have you or no , and force maintenance from them , and plead your letters patent for your lawful call , like an indulgence from the pope , and to claim all the tithes of a parish , and all oblations , obventions , mortuaries ; is this like the gospel , or like the best reformed churches which you talk on in that you call your covenant , and to set up the old mass-houses , baptized bells , hour-glasses , clerks to say amen , church-wardens , is this like the reformed churches ? and to gather money from house to house to buy bread and wine , and then mut●er a few words over it , and give it to people on the mid-day like a dinner , and call this the lords supper , or a sacrament ; and to baptize infants , and get money for registering a name , and call this an ordinance of god ; is this like the reformed churches in the primitive times ? and to take money for marrying of people , is this gospel like , to preach over the dead , and observe other cerimonies like the popes exequies , is this like the best reformed churches ? nay , which of all the reformed churches ( so called ) who are broken off from popery in something , have not denyed tithes ? is there any ministers among all the protestants in europe , but they have wholly relinquished tithes as to be no gospel maintenance , as germany & the easteren countries , france , geneva & switserland , and many others , yet these treacherous priests of england boast of the purity of doctrine , worship and discipline beyond all , and these must go under the name of godly learned ministry , if this be godly , what is ungodly ? if this be learned , what is ignorance ? and to stay at a village . or . years if there be gain enough , if this be laboriousnesse , what is idleness ? and what havock and spoil have you made within this . years in this land , more then the corrupted bishops did before ? oh , what havock have you made , and spoyl of mens estates in this nation within these few years , which was called years of liberty , if the chronicles were searched amongst all the protestants in europe , the like paralel could not be found , neither hath there been the like wickednes acted ; many dyed in prison for denying your insatiable desires ; and because you demand things contrary to the best reformed churches , which you say you press after , you must deny all the things before mentioned , before any judicious man will believe ; and therefore it is in vain for you to cover your selves with a cloak of hypocrisie , for god hath opened an eye in thousands , that you will never be able to blind , though you stir up smoak , and dirt , and dust , and fogs , and mists of ignorance that darkens the air , yet they will see through it , and by the breath of his mouth in whom they have believed , it will all be scattered , but however it is just with the lord to let loose upon your backs the old prelates and bishops to be tormenters of you , and make you drudges and slaves as you were formerly , and it is just with the lord to let the dragons power over you all again , and to bring a scourge upon you , and the people who have hearkened to your lies & deceipt , that the helper and they that are holpen may fall together , that the blind & they that have chosen the blind for a leader , may both fall into the ditch together , into the pit that they may never rise again . yet know this oh nation , and the inhabitants therein , there is a people in thee which is pretious , and so accounted of the lord , that hath not joyned to your back-sliding , but have kept their integrity and their first love , neither have they joyned to your brittlnesse , and instability ; neither have they sought themselves , but the good of the nation , and all the people therein ; and though they have had many provocations as from the cruel and mercilesse cruelty of self-seeking men , yet they have born and suffered , knowing vengeance belongs unto the lord , who in his day will recompence fury upon his adversaries , and scatters them as the wind scatters clouds , and so are in peace and quietness under the shadow of him who hath brought them forth with a mighty hand and out-stretched arm , notwithstanding all opposition ; which hath been very great , even by all parties and interests hitherto , and little or no regard hath been had to this people ; but they have been as for a prey and for a spoyl unto all , and unreasonable men have plowed long furrows upon their backs , and they have had no helper in the earth : but on the contrary , every one hath lent his hand to bow them down , and tread upon them as ashes under the soals of their feet , and yet no evil to lay to their charge , but false surmises and receiving the false representations of corrupt men , whose hearts have gain said any appearance of good that ever appeared , if it crossed their ignorant corrupt mind ; what hath this people come to harm thee oh nation , that thou makest them thy butt to shoot at , and they are become the object of your scorn and dirision ? what have they plotted or contrived rebellion ? have they gone out upon their enemies and sought vengeance against them as every party hath done else besides , except it s become a crime to speak the truth , & bear witness against the hypocrisie and deceit of treacherous men , and to lay their iniquities before them , that they may see and be ashamed , and turn from their evil which hath provoked the lord to anger ; and because of their rejection of gods counsel , they cannot be established : and for the sake of this remnant , he will confound and overthrow on the right hand , and on the left , all that rise up against them , though they should never open their mouths as to plead their innocency ; yet the lord will , and condemne them that rise up against them , and plead the cry of the oppressed that cry unto him day and night . which the lord hath heard and considered , and is come down , and hath begun his work though man doth not see it , and hath poured forth a spirit of confusion upon them who hath ill-will to the lambs of christs fold ; and who shall act any thing further , as to think to root out the heritage of god , their counsel shall be turned back-ward , and their enterprize cursed ; for god he hath determined to lay the rop-stone with shouting , and that which he is building he will finish ; and of a truth this is the family which he hath chosen , which his love is unto , and his power amongst , and their adversaries will god rebuke for their sake . therefore oh nation consider and take this one warning more , that thou proceed not further to thy hurt , and repent when it is too late . the end . some of the misteries of gods kingdome declared, as they have been revealed by the spirit through faith for the information of all such who have erred for lack of knowledge in their judgements, and have perished for lack of understanding ... : also for the confirmation of such who are made partakers of the like precious faith / by one who is made partaker of the riches of his grace, and of the salvation which is in christ jesus revealed through the spirit, called francis howgill. howgill, francis, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing h ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) some of the misteries of gods kingdome declared, as they have been revealed by the spirit through faith for the information of all such who have erred for lack of knowledge in their judgements, and have perished for lack of understanding ... : also for the confirmation of such who are made partakers of the like precious faith / by one who is made partaker of the riches of his grace, and of the salvation which is in christ jesus revealed through the spirit, called francis howgill. howgill, francis, - . [ ], p. printed for thomas simmons ..., london : . reproduction of original in the bodleian library. eng society of friends -- doctrines. kingdom of god. a r (wing h ). civilwar no some of the misteries of gods kingdome declared, as they have been revealed by the spirit through faith. for the information of all such who howgill, francis d the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the d category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - rachel losh sampled and proofread - rachel losh text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion some of the misteries of gods kingdome declared , as they have been revealed by the spirit through faith . for the information of all such who have erred for lack of knowledge in their judgements , and have perished for lack of understanding , to the intent that they may for the time to come wait in that which gives the true knowledge of god , and of his kingdome , and of the mysteries thereof , which comes to be revealed through faith to the upright in heart . also for the confirmation of such who are made partakers of the like precious faith . by one who is made partaker of the riches of his grace , and of the salvation which is in christ jesus revealed through the spirit , called francis howgill . the secrets of the lord are with them that feare him . london , printed for thomas simmons at the bull and mouth neer aldersgate , . the particulars treated on in the following discourse . what the day of the lord is , and to whom it hath appeared , and how it is seen , and discovered . what it is , and what it will be to the wicked , declared . what it is to the righteous , and how he appears to them , and whether we are to look for it while in the body , resolved . where it doth appear , and how it cometh , and how it is to be looked for , declared . what the spirit of the lord is , and how it comes to be received , which discovers the things of god . how the spirit of truth worketh , and opperateth in them who are convinced , and yet have not obeyed it , shewed . how the spirit of the father worketh in them who hearken to it , and are in some measure made partakers of its power , shewn . vnto whom the spirit of the father bears witness , and seals assurance of the fathers love , and of justification with god , declared . what the grace of god is , which is free , and to whom it hath appeared , and where all is to wait to receive it . whether all have received the grace of god or no , and whether it be a sufficient teacher in it selfe , demonstrated . some objections answered . a word to the wise men of this world who are glorying in the sound of words . also another to them who are glorying in outward appearances , and worshipping visible things in stead of the life . the kingdome of god and his christ declared , in some measure as it is revealed by the spirit , what it is , and where it is to be waited for , and how it comes to be revealed in them that believe . divers objections answered . to the reader . reader , in times past , in the night of ignorance , when men groped in the darke as blinde men , since the apostles days ; and out of thicke darknesse have spoke darkly of the things of god and of his kingdome , and written many things about the things of god , and of his kingdome , which hath fed the darke mynds of many who are unconverted unto god : and seeing how many people are confused in their mindes , and erre in judgement , and have lost the key of knowledge which should give an entrance into the mystery of gods kingdome , and open their hearts ; therefore in compassion unto them who are thirsting after the lord to finde him , these few things i was moved to write for the sakes of those who have no place to rest in or upon , to the intent that all may wait in that , through which god reveals his minde , and manifests his true knowledge in man : and these things that i have written , as they were revealed to me , and in me by his pure spirit . if thou wait in the manifestation of the spirit ; these things thou wilt see to be truth , though hid and vailed from the world that lies in wickednesse , as th●u comes out of its nature . i have not written for to please men of corrupt minds , who glory in words and outward appearances , and glory in naturall parts , and in sounds , and are erred from the life ; but to the simple-hearted , and for the strengthning of the weake , and for the understanding of the simple ; and that which thou seest in the following discourse , which thou canst not close with , let it alone , and judge nothing before the time , in thy wisdome which is earthly , or in thy reason , but in that ; and to that of god in thee , i desire to be approved , and to nothing ●lse , and shall be made manifest in the day of the lord which is dawning in the world and many have seen it to appear in power and glory ; wait thou in thy own particular , that thou maist f●ele thy own condition , and see thy own state ▪ and that which lets thee see thy own condition , will let thee see the lord , and what i have declared of him to be true . i am thy friend in truth , and wisheth good to all men , f. h. the lord god of the whole earth , who lives for ever , even the god of abraham , the god of isaac and jacob , whose throne is established in righteousness for ever ; who rideth upon the heavens , and shines forth in his eternal excellency , from the firmament of his power ; he is manifesting himself in his power , as in the dayes of old , & revealing his righteousness as in the years past , and pouring forth his spirit upon his sons and daughters , according to his promise , and they that believe , comes to be made partakers of the blessing of the everlasting hills , even the lord , who appeared at sinai , unto moses his servant in the bush , who rose up from mount seir , and shined forth in his brightness from mount paran , and came with ten thousands of his saints , even he , from whose right hand went a fiery law ; so that the people could not behold his glory : the same is he who hath now appeared in this the day of his power , and is appearing , whose glory shall dazel the eyes of the world ; whose brightness shall make dim all the worlds glory , and stain its wisdom , and shut it up in utter darkness , that it shall not a●pear to have any existance or being , and the shadow of death shall flie away , and all the haughty and lofty princes of this world shall be horribly afraid ; the beasts shall go into their dens when the day appears , and the lambs of the everlasting fold shall come forth and be fed in the fat valleys , where the springs of life compasseth about all the banks , and rejoyce in their shepherd , and shall say , the lord is my shepherd , which many at this time doth admire and say , what hath the lord wrought ? who have seen his wonders in the dayes of old , and have seen his noble acts , which the fathers have told of , who are fallen asleep , and are at rest in the lord : and now many is god bringing to see their witness to be true , and to have the same fulfilled in themselves ; honour and praise unto him for ever , who is the stay and strength of all his people for ever . and the day of the lord is broken , and the light hath appeared that manifesteth all things which are reproveable ; and the day-star is arisen in the hearts of many , and they are come to see that fulfilled in their hearts , which peter exhorted them to wait for , and to take heed unto the sure word of prophesie , until the day appeared , and did dawn in their hearts ; which day when it appears , and to whom it appears , discovereth all things and maketh all things manifest , as it is declared by the spirit of truth , in the scripture of truth , and every mans work shall be tried of what sort it is , and of what nature it is ; and this day hath appeared to many , praises to the lord , who have waited for it , and now they see every thing in its ground and rise ; and every tree and fruit is seen according to its kind , whether good or bad , and every mans works is obvious to every one , who are in the day , and upon whom the morning of righteousness hath appeared , and the sun of righteousness hath shined upon , whereby that is seen in every one ( by the light which is truly called day , by the lord who causeth it to spring from on high ) which is reproveable and condemnable , and also whatever is justifiable and unreproveable , is seen by the day of the lord appearing in the heart . the day of the lord , what it is , and to whom it hath appeared , discovered , and how it is seen . god is a spirit , his day is spiritual , and is seen with a spiritual eye , its pure light , pure brightness , the pure shining forth of the lord in his glorious excellency , the pure shining forth of eternity , life puting forth it self in its brightness , holiness sheding it self abroad in its glory , purity , spreading it self in its immeasurable excellency , and can onely be seen as it is in it self , by the children of the light that are born of it : there is a natural day , there is a spiritual day , the natural day receives its brightness from the son , the spiritual day receives it brightness from the son of righteousness , by whom it s brought forth ; without whom nothing was made , or is made , or brought forth but by him who is the fountain of life ; and as the natural day receives its clearness from the natural sun , and is discerned by the natural eye of a natural man , and all things natural are seen and discovered by and in the natural day , and are perspicuous and obvious to him that hath his natural sight ; even so , from the sun of righteousness , the lord of glory , light and purity ; the day of god receives its brightness , and is issued out from him by the rays of his brightness , and is discerned and seen only by the spiritual eye of the spiritual man , who is the image of the father brought forth in life , and in his own nature and quality ; ( that is to say ) from god the father of life , by christ jesus the life of men , the light of the world ; and this is the birth which is born from above , which is of the nature of the father and the sun , and of the day , and he onely comes to behold this day , and discerns all things of the fathers kingdom by it , and likewise discerns all the hidden things of dishonesty , and the works of darkness which is brought forth by the prince of darkness , who is shut up in eternal and utter darkness , which is his dwelling place for ever , which is his residence , and shall be the residence of all the workers of iniquity that bear his image for ever . obj. but some may be ready to say , it is not yet appeared , and all things are not yet made manifest , and that day is not yet come , neither hath appeard in this age to any . answ. what if a man that is naturally blind say , that there is no light in the day , nor in the sun , because he sees none ; is therefore there no light in the day , nor in the sun ? and what if all things be alike unto him , day and night , so that he can distinguish nothing , doth this therefore make void their seeing , who do see with the natural eye , both the sun and the day , and hinder them from distinguishment or discerning ? and what if they who are spiritually blind , and are children of the night , say they see nothing , nor beholds nothing of the day of the lord , or of the discovery of the things of god , or of his glo●ious appearance , which many witness ; doth this therefore make their sight void , or discovery of the things void to them who have seen into the things that be of god● kingdom ? the unbelief of some , doth not make the faith of them that do believe void , god forbid . what the day of the lord is , and what it will be to the wicked , declared . as i have said , though the day of the lord be pure light and brightness in it self , and mixeth not with the night , which is of a contrary nature , because the lord in the beginning separated them , and set a decree which will last unto all perpetuity , and that which limited the bounds and circumferen●e the●eof now is the same : i say , though the day of the lord be pure , and keeps its purity , and property , and nature , and is still one and the same in it sel● ; ( for nothing can alter its purity ) yet it is a day of blackness and gloominess , and a notable terrible day unto the wicked , who hates its appearance , and hates the light ; children of falshood and of deceit , whose deeds be evil , it makes them and their deeds manifest ; there it is unto them , as it is written in a certain place , the eye lids of the morning are unto them as the shadow of death ; the appearance of the lord affrights them , and they would run from it as a thief that diggeth through a wall , and breaketh open a house in the night when deep sl●ep is upon men , but when the day appears , that discovers his actions , he is afraid , because he wil then , ( if he stay there ) be seen ; and all that live wantonly upon earth , whose hearts are set to seek after wickedness as for hid treasure ; the day of the lord will steal upon such as a thief , and will come as upon a thief , and they being children of the night , and bringing forth the fruits of darkness , contrary to the light , they will have their portion in utter darkness , and eternal vengeance will compass them as a wall , and fury as a fi●e that devoureth all the fewel , so sh●ll the ungodly perish , and have their portion with hypocrites . think on this all you raylers , and revilers of the light , and of the appearance of god , and repent ; for as ●●e wilde asse that snuffs up the winde , and they that seeks will not weary themselves with her , yet a time cometh when she may be found and taken : even so all the ungodly , though they may runne as a wild asse , & traverse their way as a dromedary ; yet the moneth cometh , and the day cometh they wil be overtaken in the middest of security , and they shall not escape : and though the children of this world , & teachers of this world , and professors of this world , who profess the scriptures , have prayed for the day of the lord ; yet when it comes , it will be as hot burning fire , as devouring fire , and they will fall as stubble , and as burnt mountains before it , and will not be able to abide ; for as i said , whatsoever is reproveable , is manifest by the day , the light , which is eternall , in which god appears ; and it shall appear even to the wicked , to the ungodly , they shall be made manifest ; that which is manifest , is not hid , but seen , and brought to light , and beholden : so all you hirelings , who preach for hire , and you people that love to have it so , you shall not be hid ; all gainsayers of the truth , you shall be found out , all shall be convinced of their ungodly deeds , and hard speeches , and that which makes your deeds manifest will be the day , and that will convince you ; for even the wicked shall see his appearance , although to condemnation , shame , and contempt , they shall see him whom they have pierced : and know further , even in the wicked god hath a witnesse , which is pure , which checketh often , though they heed it not , because the god of the world hath blinded their eyes ; yet when christ the life shall appear , he will make that see in the wicked which they have put out , and the god of the world hath blinded ; yet he by his power will open even the eyes of the wicked , and they shall see him and his coming in dread ; and his pure appearance , which shall make them horribly afraid , and his day and appearance will be to their sorrow : although they would not see , yet they shall be made to see , and to hear that which they would not heare , when god sounds his trumpet , to give warning to all ; that the dead both small and great may arise , some unto everlasting life , and some unto shame and everlasting contempt . all that hath hated his appearance shall see , though they would not ; put not this far away , all deceitfull workers , drunkards , lyars , swearers , whores , & whoremongers , adulterers , idolaters , who worship your own imaginations ; and all raylers , mockers , and proud wanton disdainful people that live in wantonnesse and pleasure , time-servers , flatterers , men-pleasers , cursed speakers , vain talkers , foolish jesters , fiecre despisers of those that are good , who are come out of the pollution that you wallow in ; his appearance will be to their joy , but to your shame and eternall misery , except you speedily repent . what the day of the lord is to the righteous , and how be appears to them , and whether any are to looke for it while in the body ; resolved . the appearance of god who is eternall life , in his day , in his immeasurable light , a great joy and rejoycing to the righteous ; for there they come to behold him who is unto his people an everlasting light , and in his light they come to see light ; and in his day he reveals the secret mysteries of his kingdome in them , who see his day appear in their hearts , which maketh all things manifest , even the secrets of the lord , and his hidden treasure , and his durable riches which never cankers nor rusts , but is fresh , and keeps its pure image and impression , and is still the same ; by which all the righteous who have waited for gods appearance , comes to see him and his riches , as it is written , this is he we have waited for , let us rejoyce and be exceeding glad ; why ? what is he come that you have waited for ? yea , come , and his reward is with him ; and they that see him come finde contentment in him , and in his reward ; and what is the reward ? joy , gladnesse , peace of conscience , assurance of gods love sealed in their hearts by the pure spirit of the lord , the streams of life flowing forth continually from the great deep , which refreshes and keeps cool in the greatest extreamity and heat temptation ; and this is enjoyed by them that have waited , and do wait for it even in the body ; they bare witnesse of him and of his coming , the disciples ; what was their witnesse ? the son of god is come , and hath given us an understanding : of what ? of god , of his day , of his appearance , of his power , of his wisdome , of his kingdome , of hope , of faith , of assurance , of peace , of joy , of comfort and consolation : what in this life ? yea , a cloud of witnesses i might bring in former ages , and a cloud of witnesses i might bring in this age , blessed be the lord ; but my witnesse is nearer me , that giveth me assurance , and is surer to me then all their witnesses , although they be all true : abraham the father of the faithful , and of the righteous , who believed god , and was accepted ; he saw christs day , and was glad . say literall professors , that 's by faith ; yea what else ? by faith he and all that ever saw christ and his day , or the father , they saw him by faith ; by faith they saw him who was invisible . isa. . . behold god is my salvation , he also is become my salvation ; what , dost thou enjoy it already ? yea , he is become : and simon who waited for the consolation of israel , luk. . . now let thy servant depart in peace , for mine eyes have seen thy salvation . and this he said , who knew gods comfort and consolation ; as our suffering for christ doth abound , even our consolation in christ doth m●ch more abound ; and they were made partakers of his divine nature , and sate together in heavenly places in christ jesus . for heaven is his throne , and they that are in him , and enjoyeth him , who is the power of god , and the wisdome of god , knows peace , and rest , and salvation both from guilt and act of sin ; and the apostle wrote to the hebrews ; after he had purged away our sins ( speaking of the attonement ) the everlasting high priest , he sate down on the right hand on the majestie on high . he saw beyond sin even him who had purged away sin ; and this comes to be made manifest unto them , and in them that believe by the spirit of jesus who is christ the lord , the arm that brings salvation ; and is the author of eternall salvation unto all them that believe , who begins it in his day , and perfecteth it in his day ; for he works in the day , as he himselfe said , hitherto my father worketh , and i worke ; but the night cometh when none can worke . so that he destroys the work of the devill , which is his work in man ; which they that are come to his day feels and sees the handy-work of god in themselves , and his owne works praise him , for they onely can ; and they that are not come to the day knows not gods work in themselves , and they who have not yet heeded that in themselves , which manifesteth all things reproveable ; neither that which doth reprove they are not come to know ; the appearance of the glimmering of light , or of the day yet in themselves , which the saints witnesse in them , even all they that are sanctified . where the day of the lord doth appear , and how it cometh , and how it is to be looked for , declared . they that gaze abroad , whose eyes are abroad , cannot see his appearance , nor his day which appears . he that knoweth not wherein it consists , knows not how to look for it , no more then the jewes who were scripture-professors , and learned men knew , wherein the kingdome of god did consist ; even no more do the litteral professors , whose faith is founded on the letter , and upon that which is visible , knows what i say . first , all must know wherein it doth consist . it is eternall brightnesse shedde abroad through all things , which pierceth through , and searcheth the secretest place , even that which is invisible , and maketh manifest all things ; and the nature of every thing by the day of the lord comes to be seen , and it appears in the heart ; they were to wait for the day to dawn , and to break forth in their hearts , and to wait for its appearance there ; and that 's it which is to be waited for and upon ; that which maketh evill manifest , and brings it to light , and declares against that which is contrary to its nature , and so the day cometh to dawn . christ the covenant of light , gods gift , who is sent and annointed of god to preach , and to proclaim the acceptable year of the lord , and also the day of vengeance . he proclaims in the heart ; for he comes not to bring peace , but a sword , and his sword is the sword of the spirit , it 's that which divides and discerns the intent of the heart ; and his day discovers the desperate wickednesse of the heart . and where he finds no faith in the heart , he kindles a fire in the earthly heart , and executeth his vengeance : and his day unto such is a day of great perplexity , their spirits comes to be wounded , the heart comes to be made faint , and sorrow comes to fill their hearts , and trouble to be felt ; and in this state are all in , who are unconverted , he findes no faith , no hope in the heart , therefore he comes and takes away peace . many hath talked of the day of the lord ; but when it comes to draw neer them , they will not abide it . whatsoever makes manifest is light . now the day makes all things in every one manifest ; and when deceit is seen , and wickednesse brought to light , then th●y that have done evill cannot abide , but would run to any thing , rather then abide the day , or to see the lord of life appear in his day to execute vengeance upon his enemies , and to destroy his adversaries ; and to kindle an unquenchable fire to consume all his enemies : and who hath not seen this yet in themselves , never hath seen the day of salvation , nor of gladnesse ; and this made the prophet cry out , who may abide the day of his coming ? and many have been eye-witnesses of the dreadfull day of the lord which hath appeared , wherein all peace hath been hid from their eyes ; and all that ever came to see the day of joy and gladnesse , first did know the terrour and terrible day of the lord in themselves : therefore said the apostle , we knowing the terrour of the lord , doe perswade men . now it cometh not with observation ; loe here , or there : so the pharisees looked the kingdom should come , when christ told them it was within them . so say i , if ever any do behold the bright shining forth of eternal life , thou must wait in that which is pure of god , through which he will manifest his day , and his power in his day in thee ; as thou keepest in thy minde to that which manifests unto thee evill , and shews thee good , thou wilt see how it appears . even as the light shineth from the east unto the west , so is the coming of the day of the lord . and the eye which is spiritual sees it , and the power and the glory of the lord comes to to be seen in the day which is pure and spiritual in the heart ; and the eye which is pure , doth behold when it comes , where it comes , and how it comes , and it 's hid from vulterous eyes , and from their eyes which are full of adultery , and cannot cease from sinne . now the day of the lord cometh not where the carnall mind may imagine , nor when : man will neither according to the carnall desire of the carnall heart , neither according to the evil eye that looks out , can it be seen , but it is seen in gods own light , and by the measure of gods holy spirit . and as the day of the lord is a mysterie , the spirit of the lord is the onely discoverer of it ; none knows the things of god , but by the spirit of god ; and the day of the lord and his bright shining forth in the heart of man , is one of the glorious things of god , which onely the spirit of god doth give the knowledge of to man , and in man , and not the letter , nor the scripture ; for the jews had the letter , and they had neither heard gods voice at anytime , neither ever did see his shape , neither did they see the day of the lord , nor the power , neither in a word , did see or perceive god or any of the mysteries of gods kingdom at all , but dreamed , imagined , thought and conceived of things in their minds , their foolish hearts being darkened , for the further a man draws from the light , his heart comes to be more dark , and their understanding closed up , and shut up , that they cannot behold the lord , neither his glory , which is revealed onely by gods holy spirit , which spirit is near man , though he see it not . what the spirit of the lord is , and how it comes to be received , which discovers the things of god . the spirit of the lord is pure , holy , equal , purity it self , holiness it self , equity it self , and is one with the father and the son , the father , the word and the spirit is one , its life , its pure power , pure strength , purity it self , which mixeth not , neither joineth to any thing but that which is of its own nature ; it s an immeasurable pure substance , its life issued forth , an active living power , and is everlasting , alters not , changes not , keeps its holiness , its purity for ever , it is unsearchable , unfathomable , undeclarable ; words are all too short , too narrow , to declare its excellency and glory , but onely as it makes it self out to them that believe , and opens it self , and sheds it self abroad in them that wait upon it ; it is revealed in its own purity , manifest in its own power , and received in its own light , felt in its own vertue , the living father of life himself is manifest by it , and appears in his power , majesty and excellency through it , to man and to the sons of men , to the righteous and unrighteous , to godly and ungodly , to the upright , and to the deceitful , to the children of darkness , and to the children of light , that which searcheth the heart of man , and sees through all things , and maketh manifest all things , even the hidden things of god , and the secret works of darkness , and reproveth for all evil , all iniquity ; that is the pure act of the spirit , which convinceth every man , and as the creature comes to join to it , it arises and shines forth more clearly , and maketh it self known in its power and operation , its power comes to be felt , it checks and reproveth , judgeth and condemneth all actions which is done and past , and brings them to the creatures remembrance ; and as it is waited upon and hearkened unto , it sheds it self abroad in its own pure brightness , and bringeth all things to light , even all the deeds of darkness , and maketh manifest the intents of the mind , and manifesteth all things reproveable : now as there is a waiting upon the pure appearance of it , and the mind be still and quiet , and calm , the creature comes to feel and sensibly know his own condition , he sees his mind is alive to other things and other lovers , and not to god , and so he sees himself dead to the things of gods kingdom , and in the loss , and in the fall , and in the transgression ; now this which shews the vain motions and vain thoughts , and checketh them , is an operation of the spirit , and purity comes to be felt working in the heart , and as it is loved and obeyed , it leadeth and converteth the heart to the lord , and draweth towards its self , out of unholiness , and from under the dark power , and brings that under , and so it arises in its strength as it is believed in and waited upon , and judges and condemns for all evil , for it is the discoverer of the mind of the lord to the sons of men ; or the father by it makes known his mind to and in the creature , and doth discover the things that be eternal in their true property and nature ( which onely they that have the spirit , and have received it , and are brought out of the sensuality comes to discern him , who is invisible , and the things that belongs to everlasting happiness , which is not seen by a natural eye , neither received by the spirit of the world , who never received the things of god , neither the testimony of them who were in the life . now all that comes to receive it ( that is to say ) the spirit of truth must wait in that which is pure , unto which it joins ; it joins not to the corrupt man , neither to the sensual heart , neither to the vile affections , neither unto them whose eyes is full of adultery , which cannot cease from sin , neither to the seed of falshood , neither to the corruptible birth , neither unto that which is born of the flesh , nor unto the will of the creature ; yet notwithstanding , though it join not to these , yet is it near man , even the natural man , its manifestation or the shining forth of its brightness , maketh all these things manifest before-mentioned to be evil ; and thus far the spirit of god hath appeared to the world and all mankind , as to convince the world of sin , yet stil it remains in its own purity , and while the heart of any man is taken up with that , and joined unto that which the light reproves , ( that is to say ) the worker of iniquity ; that man hath not received the spirit , neither is made possessor of it , nor injoyes it , but it stands off man , and from man at a distance , shewing the worker of iniquity and the works of darkness , and manifesting to the creature in its light , and letting him see unto whom he is joined ; for so far as a man denies himself in acting or joining to that which the manifestation of gods spirit ( shining forth in its own purity ) in him reproveth , so he comes nearer , and comes to join in some measure to the spirit of holiness , or the holy spirit , and to receive it , and to feel the power of god in some small measure , though but weakly working in him , to the purging out those things which the spirit lets him see is evil , which hath been reproved in him , and so in some measure feels in himself what to wait upon , and where to wait , and in what , even in that which gives every one a feeling of their own condition within , and opens their understandings . how the spirit of truth worketh and operateth in them who are convinced , and yet hath not obeyed it , shewed . though god who is a spirit hath appeared by his manifestation unto all , yet all have not received it , he that hates the light hath not received it , the eye-lids of the morning are unto him as the shadow of death ; that which manifesteth and bringeth to light all evil , the evil doer likes it not , heeds it not , receives it not , but still is without god in the world , that lies in wickedness , and without the spirit , in death , and dead in trespasses and sins , a sepulcher , in which the just lies slain ; in this state god is not remembred , there is no remembrance in the grave , nor no thanks in the pit , yet light shines in darkness , and a man unconverted , yet convinced , is that darkness , and that which convinceth him is the light ; so light shines in darkness , in man , in the greatest darkness ; and this may convince all vain disputers , who say every one is not inlightened , neither that the spirit of god hath appeared to all ; good men have it , bad men it s near them ; they that bring forth the fruits of darkness , & bring forth the deeds of darkness , they are lighted , yea , they that are in darkness , & are darkness , the light shines in them , the spirit of god shines there in darkness , manifesteth their darknes , here man is darknes , the ephesians were darknes , in the unconverted estate , yet had light shining in them , eph. . . the spirits manifestation they had , but were not led by it ; once they were without god in the world , but after it was turned unto , it shewed them their darkness , and it leading their minds , they came to be made light in the lord , who is that spirit , whose manifestation hath appeared to all , so all are without excuse , for he hath not left himself without witness ; and they that have not gods witness to be theirs , ( that is to say ) to possess it ; they have no faith nor assurance in god at all , but that which should bring assurance of salvation unto them ; it assures their condemnation , and also reveals sorrow . now as every one is turned to the measure of gods holy spirit , and keeps his mind into it , he comes to feel and to see its reproof , and so as the mind is kept still into it , it arises in its pu●ity , and shines forth in the heart in more brightness , still checking man for disobedience , still judging , and as it is listened unto , it appears in strength , and layes every mans heart open , and lets him see how full of unrighteousness he is , how full of imaginations he is , how his heart is full of vain and idle thoughts , and how lust aboundeth in the heart ; this makes his trouble to increase , and his sorrow to multiply , and this is alwayes present , none can run from it , but it follows him , and shall pursue every one to the pit who obey it not , and kindle his torment ; and whatsoever the mind may run into , to take pleasure for a moment , and the heart be exercised in , yet this measure of gods spirit is alwayes present to condemn it , and judge a man for it , so the strokes of the almighty is still heavy upon his back , being still in the disobedience of the spirit ; it never bears witness unto any man in that state , but god through it still sounds the alarum of war and terror in his heart , so that fear compasseth him about on every side , and though for a moment , the cry may not be heard , and through disobedience it may seem as dead as unto him , yet if ever the mind be but still , and a man sober and calm , and ever mind what he is doing , it appears again , and though a man may take up something , and perform something which is called religious , and pray in words , and read , and talk of the scriptures , and may take up some carnal outward ordinance , and there content himself for a time , yet still the witness of gods holy spirit , for that , shews him his hypocrisie , and that he seeks a cover to shelter himself under , that he may live in disobedience , and be at ease in the flesh , but all in vain , for there is no peace within , but the measure of gods spirit still shews him he serves sin , and follows his own will , and in this will brings forth a worship , and this is will worship ; nay , if a man should practice all those things which others who were in the life performed , and were accepted ; yet this will not satisfie , god hath no pleasure in this , no more then if one slew a man , or blessed an idol , or kissed baal , all is abomination to the lord ; and though a man may sin so far against the light of christ in his own conscience , that the light be to him as though there were no such thing , yet all this will not do , for the lord will thunder from his holy place , though thou have stopped thy ear as to him , and closed thy eyes , yet he will make thee hear and see , and will cause his terror to strike into thy heart , so that dread shall compass thee about as a wall , and thou shall be afraid for that which thou shalt see and hear ; and though the spirit strives long , yet being still disobeyed , the long-suffering of god comes to an end concerning him that hath been unfaithful , and then his wrath is kindled as fire , which shall burn to the lowest hell , into which all the rebellious and stiff-necked shall be cast and have their portion for ever among all the children of darkness ; therefore all who have been convinced long , and still are by gods holy spirit , of the way of truth , and yet have not submited to the leading of the spirit ; think on this ( for its the lords truth which i declare unto you ) or else eternal misery will be your end . and if thou still persist on after the imaginations of thine own heart , and in thy rebellious will , thou quencheth the spirit and the motions thereof ; and though it be life in it self , yet is as dead unto thee who art in the gainsaying , resisting that through which gods eternal power is manifest in them that believe ; and thou wilt grow insensible and past feeling , and become as seared flesh , and be sensless as to the things of god , and hardness of heart will come upon thee , and thou wilt be as a stone which cannot be melted , and wo wil be unto such where the spirit of the lord in them ceaseth to strive with them , having so long rebelled against , and gainsayed the pure drawing of it , that so the lord is grieved and wearied with their impenitency , that he gives them up to their vile affection , and to follow the imaginations of their own heart ( who receiveth not the truth in the love of it ) but in the enmity still remains obstinate , doing despight unto the spirit of grace , his long-suffering comes to an end , and his fier●● wrath comes to be kindled against such , and that which would have led them out of the world , into true pure everlasting peace , now becomes their tormentor , and they banished from his presence , and shut up in eternal misery , where the fire is kindled by the breath of the lord that burns for ever , the sentence of condemnation being past upon them because they had pleasure in unrighteousnesse , and have sold themselves to do wickedly , and crucifying the appearance of god in themselves ; which appearance though it live in the fountain of life , yet crucified by thee who art out of the life , yet lives still for ever in it selfe to be thy condemnation eternally . how the spirit of the father worketh in them who are turned to it , and have taken heed unto its manifestation , and are in some measure partakers of its power . there are differences of administration ; but the same lord ; and there are diversity of gifts , but the same spirit ; and there are diversities of operations , but the same god which worketh all in all . now the spirit of truth which is life in it selfe , putteth forth its own pure act , not onely to convince and detect him that transgresseth its appearance , & manifesteth evill which hath been committed by man ; but also being turned unto , and waited in , it shews man when motions and temptations unto sin ariseth ; and as the creature is still , and waiteth in that which manifesteth and singly keeps in his minde to it . it sheds abroad its power , and vanquisheth and subdueth those lusts which do arise , and condemns the ground from whence they arise , and it purely draweth the mind after it , and secretly worketh and breatheth forth its pure life in him that waiteth in patience and in stilness , not heeding the vain thoughts and imaginations that riseth in his heart ; but rather heeds the manifestation of the spirit , at whose bright appearance all the vain desire● comes to be extinguished , and there comes to be a hunger begot within , to be made partakers of its purity and of its nature ; for god through the operation of the eternall spirit lets forth his power , which turneth and changeth the heart , and cuts asunder and divides betwixt a man and those lovers that he hath joyned unto , and makes a separation within , and carries a man further from those things which the measure of the spirit reproves , and this leads nearer unto god : and so they that do believe in the measure of gods spirit , comes to feel what repentance from dead works is , and the works and the worker is seen ; and who it is that hath wrought is manifest in the light : and as there is a diligent waiting upon it ; there is nothing that passeth through the minde , but it discerns , and gives a discerning unto every particular heart , who singly and quietly waits upon it . but yet after the spirit of truth in some measure be felt , and its living testimony in some thing ; yet it may be a long time before there be a clear distinguishment in the understanding ; so that one cannot clearly discern its moving from all other false motions and high imaginations which are above : and hence it is , that the hasty and forward minds follows their vain motions which leads them into deceit , and then the questioner gets up , and then they question all that ever the spirit hath made manifest unto them before ; a vaile then is drawn over , and the enemy lodges in the vayl and in the darknesse which is entred , and then as soon as any hearkens within , to that which is the uppermost , and doth abound ; the enemy that lodges in that presents motions as to obey this and that , and all is deceit : so therefore all is to keep back , that they may sensibly feele between the pure motions and drawing of the spirit , and the vain thoughts that arise out of the earthly heart ; and when any thing doth arise which the light doth not bear witnesse to , it 's not to be followed nor heeded , but a quiet still writing that things may be cleared to the understanding ; and for want of this many have run out , and have brought forth satans work , and acted things forwardly in their wil , and so have clean lost the true sense of that which should guide their minds , and have followed the spirit of errour , and have caused the pure spirit of the lord to be evil spoken of ; but as there is a keeping back , and a quiet waiting out of willing , or running and hast ; it arises purely and stilly in the heart , and shines forth in brightnesse in the heart , so that it giveth perfect evidence and full testimony of it selfe , that there will be no doubting nor questioning of it's motion ; for it will apparently shew forth its selfe in its own transparent brightness , with full assurance of its own will , and then after it be cleerly seen , and its motion , then keep under all reasoning , and keep out all questioning , and give not way to temptation ; and that which moves of the lord of life , will carry thee through in its own operation and power to accomplish the will of god , and so thou wilt have peace being obedient , and thy strength will be renewed ; for as any is brought to submit unto the will of god , when it is known , and comes to obey by vertue of its own power ; that which is contrary unto gods spirit in thee , comes to loose its strength , and to decay , and be we●kned ; but as any disobeys the pure motion of gods holy spirt after it be known , the enemy is strengthened , and that which is of the flesh nourished , and the spirit comes to be quenched , that which would give thee power , if thou submittest to it : but yet know this , the spirit in it selfe never loses its purity , neither can be quenched in it selfe , but will bear its pure witnesse against thee , and none shall be able to stop its reproo● ; thus the diversity of its operation comes to be known as it s hearkned unto , obeyed , loved , and believed in ; it puts forth its pure power and gives strength , and seales peace to the obedient ; but disobeyed and resisted , it condemns , judges , reproves and seals condemnation to the disobedient , and yet there is no variation in it self , for it is always one and the same . but as it operateth upon different natures or objects unto which it joyns to , or stands at a distance from , that is to say , the good ground it causeth to bring forth fruit unto god , and the cursed ground , out of which bryars and thorns do arise , it kindles a fire in , that shall not quenched ; but as there is a submission unto its pure operation , it burns up and destroys that which hinders the growth of the seed , and it purgeth the heart of them that have confidence in it from all filthinesse both of flesh and spirit , and worketh up the creature into its own frame and nature , and fashions , and makes and moulds all that are in the faith into the image of the father ; and so the fathers love comes to be shed abroad in the heart : and as wrath was revealed through the spirit and condemnation , so now the peace of god comes to be enjoyed , and his consolation shed abro●d largely , in which there is pure rejoycing for ever . vnto whom the spirit of the father bears witness ▪ and seals assurance of the fathers love , a●d of justification with god , declared . none hath the witness of gods spi●it bearing witnesse to them nor in them who have not believed in the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world , by whom alone life is begotten by the powerful operation of christ in them that believe in him who is eternal light it selfe , whose word is spirit and life , by which the new creature is framed & formed in them that b●lieve , unto whom he maketh manif●st his power ; for unto him who is the life of men is all power committed both in heaven and ear●h ; for nothing was made or created but by him , neither is any turned from sin but by him , and by his mighty power : without him ●s death , in him is life , and the life is the light of men : so that none but they that are born of the light , and are begotten by him who is light , can have the spirit of christ who is light to bear witnesse unto them , neither the assurance of the fathers love ; for onely they that are born of the spirit , and walk after the spirit , are justified by the spirit of the lord ; for the assurance of his love is not made manifest to his enemies , but unto them that are born and brought forth in his own image , in his own likenesse and nature , which is pure and incorruptible without stain or d●filement , the holy seed which is heire of the promise , who knows the living hope which purifies the heart , and bringeth the answer of a good conscience unto them that feel and witness●the washing of regeneration , and have know● in themselves the clean water poured sor●h upon them , which hath taken away the stains , and spots , and bl●mishes , and the defilements ; for where these are not washed out , and the heart cleansed from them , and that believed in , wherein gods all-suffi●iency is felt , and his pow●r made manifest , there cannot be assurance of the fathers love in the heart , nor in the soule ; neither doth the spirit of the fa●her bear witnesse unto such , nor assure their justification ; but on the contrary , where sin remains unsubdued , and taken away ; the spirit of the father condemneth the sin , and the creature now is joyned to it , and is become one with it ; for no sin is brough● forth , but there is a consent and an ascenting to the instigation of the devill , although when a temptation ariseth either within or without , there may be a resisting and a striving against it for a little ; but the heart not being kept close to the spirit , the enemie often enters , and so captivates the understanding , then there is an agreement and ajoining to the adversary , and so the spirit pronounceth the sentence of condemnation upon him who is joyned to the harlot , and becomes one flesh , and joyned unto strange flesh w●ich is not the flesh of christ the seed , and that which hath joyned and consented to drink of the cup of fornication , must drink of the cup of indignation and terrour , and bear the stroke of divine justice , and lye in patience under it till that be cut down which hath joyned to deceit , before there can be the remission of the trangression , or the creature justified in the sight of god : for sin is not blotted out of the book of gods remembrance till it be turned from , and repented of , neither doth the creature stand clear in the sight of god , when god judges in righteous judgement , which the light in every ones conscience shall answer . now he that is born of god sins not , for the seed of god remains in him , which is life : and as the creature joyns to that seed which is heir of the kingdom , and of the crown immortall , he comes to be made partaker of its vertue and operation ; which seed is christ , and by his power by which he limiteth the seed of the serpent , and weakens his strength in the creature , as man cometh to believe in his strength unto whom all power is committed , the covenant with death is broken , and that agreement that the creature hath made with d●ath comes to be disannulled by the arm and power of the lord , and so the creature comes to be delivered from the bondage of corruption , and the new man comes to live , or the new creature which is born of god , which sins not , comes to be framed and fashioned in the image of the father : and the fathers love is manifest unto him and in him , and he hath the assurance in himself . the babe that is born from above , of the spirit which is from above , of which he is born and brought forth of the just by the just , he is justified by the just god , and the just wi●ness of the spirit sealeth this in him : and he hath the record of his justification ; for there is three that bear record in the earth , the water , the blood , and the spirit ; and he that is born of that which is pure in it self , hath the witness of all these three in himself , for they agree in o●e : that which one beareth witness too , and for , the other doth the same , and the record , and testimony , and witness of all these three hath he that is born from above . moreover , there is three that bear record in heaven , the father , the word , and the spirit , and these three are one . so he that is born of the father , and begotten of the father in christ the seed through the spirit , he and he alone comes to feel the fathers love made manifest in him , and is justified in the sight of the father , and hath the record of all these witnesses before mentio●ed in himself ; so that he hath his assurance and evidence near him and in him , the seal of the father , the seal of the s●irit : and so when the adversary comes to tempt and to assault , and would raise up doubts in the mind , the evidence is near , which puts him out of all doubt that he is in the love of god , and blessed for ever ; and happy are all they who have waited for these things , and have felt these things , and are witness of these things ; for flesh and blood hath not revealed these things . now let every man who reads this prove himself , and try himself whether he be in the faith or no , and whether he have the evidence of the spirit or no , that he is born of it , and knows a birth that sins not , because the seed remaineth in him ; who is kept by the power , that the evil one touches him not , kept in salvation , and in saving health alive unto him who hath brought him forth to life to drink of the cup of blessing , and of the cup of salvation which nourisheth and refresheth up unto eternal life them that continue in the faith . what the free grace of god is , and unto whom it hath appeared , and where all is to wait to receive it , declared , as it hath been revealed by the spirit . the grace of god is pure , and is the free gift of god , and it i● perfect , it is the appearance of christ , it is a beam of righteousness shining forth , it is a measure of gods strength and power issued out from himself , and a proportion of his treasure , vertue , and sufficiency which comes to be shed abroad in all them that believe in it ; it s that through which god maketh known his will , and teacheth his by it , and reveals his saving health through it to them that are taught by it and through it ; them that believe in it , are builded up in the truth , and becomes a habitation for god ; no man doth any thing to purchase it , none need say , where may i get it , or how may i know its teaching ? its near thee , it is in thee , it hath appeared to all men , it shews ungodliness in the heart of man , by its pure brightness ; yea , to all men it shews the motions unto sin , and that which is not like god in motions , words or actions ; it draweth the heart of man from them as with a cord , it shews the lusts of the heart and mind , the lust of the eye , and the pride of life , it never joyned to sin , nothing can alter its purity or property , as in it self it is always one and the same , it is p●rfect , and will be alwayes so , it stands off , and at a distance from that which is corruptable and imperfect , and yet beholdeth it , and although some that have turned to it , be again turned from it , and may turn it as in themselves into wantonness , yet it keeps its purity , and still reproves thy wantonness , and will lay i● before thee , and will shew thee how thou hast abused the appearance of christ , and hath marred his countenance and his face , and reprove thee for it ; many have been the talkers of it in this professing age , but knew not of what they spoke , neither ever informed the mind of man , where it was to be waited for , neither how it might be known , or how , or what the operation of it was , but hath cryed up their own imaginations , we are justified by his free grace , from all sin past , present and to come , and in this conceit thousands have been led into the pit of darkness , while out of thick darkness they have cryed up , we are justified by free grace in christ , while the free grace of christ , gods gift , which should have taught them , they never heeded at all , but got up into conceitedness , and careles●ness , and presumption , out of the fear of god ; and pretending justification , while they themselves were the servants of sin , and bond-slaves to corruption , and this is the state of thousands at this day , and they that have been publishers and preachers of free grace : now when the thing it self comes to be witnessed and declared what it is , and as it is , and where it is ; now they say it is not sufficient to teach any the knowledge of god , but from all such foolish doaters , and blind guids , and ignorant shepherds , is god bringing many sheep home which they have driven away , and they would kill now them that are fed and taught by the gift of god , and says its not sufficient , and so make them to dislike their food , & dislike their shepherd , so would make them deaf & blind , and then they might lead them into any desert , & feed them among the swine , who wallow in the mire , in filthiness , and lust , and pleasure , and ungodliness , and so beguil the sheep , and scatter them from the fold , and lead them from the true shepherd , and from his appearance , which is his grace , and from the shepherds voice , which is the word of his grace , which is able to save the soul . oh all you blinde guides , and you that call your selves orthodox-men and ministers , and all you that have been preaching free grace in words ; and now when god hath given them that have waited upon him an understanding to declare the thing it self , that you have spoken of ; now you cry it s not a sufficient teacher . now let me ask you a question , if that which teacheth to deny ungodliness , and shews it , be the grace of god , and the gift of god , then how say you , it s not a sufficient teacher ? if it be not a sufficient teacher , then why did the apostle commit them , and commend them to the word of his grace , which was able to save their souls , and whether is not that which is able to save the soul , a sufficient teacher ? answer ye wise men , and ye literal rabbies , if that which shews sin and temptation be not sufficient , then declare you , and let us see your skill in the mysteries of god ; but to return unto them , in whose minds there is a desire to be informed ; seeing then that gods free grace , which is his pure appearance , hath so far manifested it self , or god through it shews sin , and teacheth from sin , that which teacheth from sin is holy , and that which leadeth from worldly lusts is pure , and that which saves from sin is grace , which is saving in it self , and god hath so loved the world , as that he hath sent his son into the world ; and he was and is the light of the world , and hath shed abroad his grace , and hath made it appear to all , and all that waites upon it , and comes to be taught by it , feels its assurance , so all is left without excuse , therefore wait in that which hath appeared in thee , that which shews the lusts , and thoughts and motions unto sin , this is gods gift , gods grace , this is sufficient , though all men in the world say it is not sufficient , yet this makes not my faith void , neither thine who hath received it ; but thou hast the witness of thy faith in thy self , which giveth pure and perfect feeling of the operation of the spirit of the lord , and all is to wait within , to hear him who condemns sin in the flesh within , which by his grace shews man his transgression and insufficiency in himself , and by the word of his grace saves all them that believe in it out of sin , and giveth dominion over sin ; and this comes to be revealed in the heart of man , and there must it be waited for in that which is pure , that it may be received , and there the operation of it comes to be known , and its vertue partaken of by all that do believe in it , and receive it , and are subjected to it , they see and feel gods salvation revealed through it to their souls , and knows where their strength lies , not in self-acting , but in the free gift of god , the gift of righteousness , the righteous gift , by which justification cometh upon all that believe· whether all have received the grace of god or no , declared ; and and whether it be a sufficient teacher in it selfe , to wit , that grace that hath appeared to all , if it be received , demonstrated . this wise generation , whose wisdome is below the wisdome of god , have confounded peoples minds with distinctions ; as that there is a two-fold grace . first , that which they call common , which they say hath appeared to all men . secondly , that which they call special , and saving , which hath only appeared to the saints , and by giving heed to these distinctions , in times past many years ago i lost my selfe and my guide , and went from the appearance of it in my selfe , to hearken to a thing at a distance from me , and heeded not that at home which was near , because it was called common and insufficient , and so suffered great losse ; and there i am moved by him , in whose fight i have found favour and mercy , and grace , to declare the truth as the lord hath made it manifest to me , and in me ; that all who seek after the lord may be informed , and know where to wait upon the lord ; for unto that grace which shewed me evill , and temptations unto evill , i was made to go back unto , after many y●ars profession ( which they called common and insufficient ) before ever i found the lord , or felt his living power again ; for the first , they ground upon the letter , as they judge , where it is said , he causeth the sun to shine , and the rain to fall upon the just and unjust : and where it is said , in him we live , and move , and have our being , heal●h and strength , and an understanding in things naturall , and by which men comes to see grosse sins and evils ; but that which they call special , is that which the saints are saved by , & are established in , in righteousnes● , and receive the remission of sins . now he that causeth the sun to shine , and the rain to fall , ●nd giveth health , and strength , and nourishment to all things living that are visible , in the outward visible creation , and that discovereth grosse sins , and open evils to man , the same is he who is the life of the soul , the same is he that sanctifies , and purifies , and saveth them that believe , and its the same vertue and power that upholds the naturall man in his pure nature , that upholds the spirituall man , and by which he liveth unto god : it 's the same grace , i do not say the same measure ; for the same vertue and power by which all things that are visible and living , were made alive , and subsist in their station and covenant , and bound where they are set and placed ; the same grace , strength , power , and suffi●iency upholdeth the heavenly bodies , and moveth and acteth in a higher sphear or degree , and preserveth all that believe , and are quickned by him who is the power of god in heavenly places , and the same power and vertue that discovereth the dark places , and hellish places , and the horrible pit ; it 's the same power , life , strength and vertue that leadeth all that believe into the land of the living , into the holy place , into the peaceable habitation , into the holy mountain , and into the heavenly tabernacle made without hands : and in few words , he that discovereth open sins , the same grace and the same purity discovereth hidden and secret sins , though the measure of its purity shine in one more then another , because them that are in the unbelief , the darknesse over-shadows , and the mountains are high , and the vayl is thick , and the clouds are many ; and the ayre dark , so that it's resplendency and brightnesse is not seen because of the vail which shadows it , that it hath not much entrance ; but in them that believe , and have received that grace , and is joyned to it in which they believe , it renteth the vail , and maketh the shadow to flye away , and scatters the clouds , and breatheth forth it self in purity , and makes the ayr clearer , so that its brightnesse shineth more purely forth to them , and in them ; because the heart is more open to receive its vertues in , yet the same purity and vertue remains still , and the same grace keeps its purity and property in it selfe , and its power and sufficiency is always the same , though it do not appear so to the creature : so this i say , and is my testimony of the grace of god which is the gift of god , which hath appeared in some measure more or lesse unto all men , and convinceth and shews grosse and op●n evills , even the same grace by its vertue and power , leadeth from the least or impurest thought , and shews the secretest evils that lodgeth in the heart , unbelief , and also every temptation unto sin ; and this shall be witnessed to be the truth by the whole earth in the day of the lords appearing , and is now witnessed by all the children of light who believe , with whom i have fellowship in the pure living sufficient , perfect grace of god , which is gods free gift , which in some measure hath appeared to all , whereby all are left without excuse : and herein is the wonderfull love of god made manifest to all man kinde ; and all that turneth to his grace , will see he hath long waited to be gracious in his grace , which is near , that all man-kind might be partakers of his bounty , love , mercy , favour , and free gift , by which justification cometh upon all that believe . therefore my bowels and heart is more open in this unto all , because many have erred for lack of knowledge , and have wandred aside , because they have not found a true guide . therefore in dear love unto all upon the face of the earth , where this may come , i write and let out my bosome into this thing , that they may also be partakers with me of the free love of god , and the free grace of god , by which i am saved , and know the wall which is salvation , and the gates which are praise , which the saints are compassed about with , and enterd in at ; and for the sake of such who thirst after god , and the knowledge of him , i write for their information , and not to satisfie critical men , nor them who are in the philosophy and vain deceit , who are swollen big in their fleshly understanding , and puffed up in their earthly mindes ; for by such i desire not any testimony , neither acceptation . but now to come to speak of that which many are doubting about ; that is to say , the grace of god which bringeth salvation , which hath appeared to all men , whether this be a sufficient leader and teacher of it selfe , if it be received ; but in order to the thing in hand , let all take notice of this , that when i speak of the sufficiency of grace , and that it is a sufficient teacher : i do not speak of it distinct from christ , or of a thing separated from the power of god ; but one with it , and him from whence it comes ; for as he is salvation it selfe , so the grace of god is of the same nature , by which he manifests himselfe and his salvation to them that believe , and also reveales his witnesse in them ; for where the appearance and presence of christ is manifest , there is his power and strength m●nifest , either to condemnation or salvation ; and though his pure appearance and presence is one in it self , yet them that have marred his countenance , and pierced him , his presence always hath been , and will be very dreadfull and terrible ; but unto them that believe , and have continued with him in his temptation , and have suffered with him , and have longed for him , his appearance and presence will be amiable , beautifull , and lovely , sweet , pleasant , delightful , desirable , glorious , and admirable ; so that they who have seen it , have been melted into tears , and dissolved as into water , because of his love and beauty , who is the chief of ten thousand . oh! that all that long after him may wait for him in patience , in that wherein he will appear , they shall see him , whose sight will be a recompence for all longing , and thirsting , and desiring , and waiting , the sense of longing and thirsting will be taken away , when he that makes glad the heart appeareth , who lifteth up the light of his countenance , and maketh whole them whose hearts have been broken for him whom their souls loved ; therefore all wait , and think not the time long : keep in your minds to his grace , which is his appearance , and him you will feel , and see , and be satisfied , and say , this is he we have waited for , let us rejoyce and be exceeding glad ; for now he is come , and his reward is with him , to give every one that wait upon him in purity , full contentment and satisfaction , where peace comes to be f●lt , and joy unspeakable which is full of glory . and though god , out of his everlasting love unto the sons of men , hath followed man , and hath called him to return ; yet that nature which is above in man , which hath transgressed the life , doth alwayes resist the drawing of the lord , and is not subject to the law of god , neither to the grace of god which teacheth to deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts , that hath beset and compassed the creature about as a thick cloud , and always maketh war against the soule ; that till there be a listning unto that which sheweth ungodlinesse , which hath power in it selfe . none hath power neither dominion over that in themselves , which leads into the transgression : therefore , though god who is salvation it selfe , hath let out himself so farre , and hath appeared in his pure and perfect grace unto all men , yet all have not received grace ; for , though the lord profer his gift intentionally , that the creature might receive it , and so have benefit , and partake of its living vertue and operation ; yet while that hath preheminence in man , which is contrary to grace , that will never receive it , because it is contrary to the life of the corruptible , and takes its life away , and mortifies and slayes the enmity ; therefore all must be still and quiet , and wait in that which is pure of the lord , that they may feel that raised up ( which receiveth grace ) above the corruptible thoughts and desires of the carnall mind ; but many who talk of free grace , have put no difference betwixt the precious and the vile , but hath put them upon doing and working , who are in the enmity , and curse , and in death , and so hath brought forth dead works ; notwithstanding all performances , they being dead to the life god ; another acteth in them , even he which hath the power of death , which is the devill , and so have not known that which was precious in themselves , could not minister unto that which was precious in others ; but have been ministers of death , and have ministred to death , and so death nourisheth it selfe in all them who are not yet come to the separation , to see betwixt the precious and the vile . now though all have not received grace , so as to save them from the committing of sin , the fault is not in god ; israel would have none of my counsell , they stopped their ●ares : neither is the fault in the grace which hath appeared unto all men . neither is it because of it's imbecillity and weaknesse ; but because it is not hearkned unto , and waited in , and obeyed , believed in and received : for this eternall truth which shall for ever stand , the least measure of the grace o● god hath power in it self to save man from committing of that evill or sin which it shews man : and as it is received , the power comes more and more to be made manifest , where all that believe comes to be preserved out of evill . object . but some have said , and now say , there is common grace , and preventing grace , and restraining grace , and saving grace , and the former , that hath appeared to all but the latter hath appeared to the saints , and to the elect onely . answ. grace is gods pure and perfect gift , and is but one thing ; i speak not of q●antity , but of quality ; not o● so much , as that the fulnesse of grace hath appeared to all ; but of a measure of that fulnesse which is in christ the head , although i do not divide the least measure from the fulnesse in quality or nature , for it 's one and the same ; for that which shews a man he should not lye , nor swear , that is as pure according to it's latitude & proportion , as that which shews a man all that ever he hath done ; and that same grace which leads a man from drunkennesse and excesse , is as pure , and of the same kind and nature as that greater proportion which leadeth a man from all sin , i speak what i have seen from the father , though the dark world cannot receive it : but people h●ve been blinded and darkned with sounds and distinctions which men coyn and frame in their natural reason , and by their natural parts , which is out of the life , although i do not condemn naturall parts , which are purely naturall , if they keep ●hei● bounds and compasse ; that is to say , to the management of naturall things of the visible creation ; but the things of gods kingdom are of another quality and n●ture , and cannot be reached unto by the natural ; but as i said , men through distinctions and names hath wrack●d peoples minds , and confounded their understanding , and have led them into a thick wood , or a wildernesse , so they know not where to get forth , neither what the thing is , of which one speaks , because not being spoken through the enticing words of mans wisdome , which darkens the counsell of god . now that which shews a man evill after it be committed , is the pure appearance of god : and that which shews a man the temptations when they arise , that is the same ; now this they call common , and that which preventeth a man , and keeps him back , that he lend not his heart , nor puts forth his hand to commit evill , but restrains a man from it , is not that saving out of evill , and that which stops the adversary in his way that he enter not ; but preserveth the creature out of defilement , and saves him from it , is not this saving ? is not this the same thing that the apostle , who was well acquainted with the grace of god , and of it's operation wrote of to titus ? that grace of god which brought salvation , which had appeared , and doth now appear to all men , which taught self-denyal , them to deny worldly lusts , and also to live godlily , or like unto god in this present world , and now doth the same ; is not this sufficient to believe in , and sufficient to save ? now i do not say but there is a greater measure let out unto them that are converted unto god , then is to t●em that are convinced of their evill by the same grace , yet still ●t is one and the self-same thing ; one gift , yet a greater measure of one and the same pure vertue and power which is given to them that obeys the life , which is already made manifest by its appearance unto all . object . but some will be ready to say that this is errour , and that which is contrary to the scripture , and to orthodox teachers ; that the grace which is saving , is near all men , and hath appeared to all men . to that i answer ; though grace be saving in it self , even the grace that hath appeared to all men , and may be truly called saving grace ; yet to them that believe not in it , neither are taught by it , it convinceth and shews evill , and checks and judges for it ; yet there is no variation nor change in the gift of god , but as it worketh upon different objects ; for faith and unbelief are two different things , as light and darknesse are different , and so the word of his grace is the savour of life unto life , ( that is to say ) unto them that believe , and is the savour of death unto death , unto them who are in the unbelief , who indeed are dead while they live , yet here is the same grace , and the same word of grace , yet here is different operations ; so the lord killeth and maketh alive , yet the same lord ; the spirit convinceth of sin , and reproveth for sin , and also consolates and comforts ; here is diversity of operations , yet the same spirit , which never alters . obj. but further , some may say , if that it be saving grace , or at the least a degree , and a measure of saving grace , that hath appeared to all men , then how is it that all are not saved by it ? answ. because i would all stumbling blocks were removed away , that the path might be made plain , that all might come to believe in that which is gods gift , in which there is power and sufficiency ; therefore i am constrained by the grace of god to declare of it , and to bear witness to it thus largly , which i know will be to the edification of all that hunger after righteousness . all are not saved by it , because they believe not in it , neither are taught by it , yet its validity , power and vertue , is nevertheless in it self , and though them that are careless and heedless , say we feel no power nor sufficiency in it to save us from sin , yet this makes not void their confidence who have received it , and knows its power , which hath given them power , and also sufficiency to do the will of god ; what though unbelievers , who are in the alienation , say there is no beauty in christ , neither form nor comliness ; this makes not his glory void , who is the express image of the father , full of grace and truth ; the disciples saw it , and bore record of him , who were in the faith , and the pharisees said he had a devil , who were in the unbelief ; but in brief , this is my testimony , that the grace of god , the perfect gift of god , which shews ungodliness , and leads from ungodliness all that are taught by it , is a sufficient teacher of it self , i mean , as the power of christ through it is made manifest unto all them that hearken to it ; paul a minister of the word of reconciliation , who was rapt up into the third heaven , where he saw things unutterable , came to be tempted and buffetted with the messenger of satan , and fear and doubting rose up in him , and he prayed unto god thrice , and this answer was given unto him , my grace is sufficient for thee ; so this is evident to all understandings , who are opened by the lord , that which shewed him the temptations , and satans messengers , and satans buffetings , was sufficient to preserve him , and so is it for all who singly are kept to it and in it , sufficient to shew ungodliness because of its purity , and to lead from worldly lusts by its power , and to teach the will of god , and to live like unto god in this present world ; and this testimony i bear of it , and to it , even what as i have felt , and tasted , and handled of its sufficiency , and vertue , and power of its operation , for the confirmation of the same truth , which is believed by many brethren , and also for the information of them who thirst after the lord , and for the opposition of all the gainsayers and opposers of it ; which testimony i commend to that of god in every man , which will witness me herein in the day of god , when all hearts is opened , and all falshoods and truth is made manifest , in the mean time shall rest in that which i have declared of , in which there is pure and perfect peace . a word to you wise men of this world , who are glorying in the sound of words , and worshipping outward appearances ; to all wise and litterall professors , who think you are worshipping god aright , who think to search into the deep things of god by your natural wisdom , learning , and parts , and study . god hath broken open the seals of the great deep , where the wonderful unutterable things of god is revealed , from whence eternal wisdom is flowing forth to his little ones , whom he hath sanctified from the womb , and his power and glory is he sheding abroad , and making it to flow forth as though it issued out of a womb , by which power and wisdom you are all weighed , even by one who is swaddled about with righteousness , and girded up with the girdle of truth , you are all measured as with a span , and are all weighed as with a scale ; all your parts , tongues , languages , interpretations , significations , wisdome ) that is come to be enjoyed by them who have believed in the true light that lighteth everyman , wch rounds you all as a heap , & measurs you all as with a line ; your breadth , length , height , & depth ; your parts , tongues , languages , interpretations , is but all natural ; words are but empty sounds , though there be many languages , and each have an interpretation and a signification , they are all short to d●cl●re the life , the immeasurable being of eternal life , you with all these are on heaps , disjointed one from another ; your rhetorick , philosophy , your framed and devised disputations , your tongues , and the significations of all tongues cannot know the mind of the spirit , neither knows the original of eternal salvation by all these , and so not knowing the sign●fication of the living eternal spirit in your selves ; you invent , study , devise , forms and frames up things in your carnal mind , by the strength of your learned , studied , devised parts , and framed speeches , and hath filled the whole world with your dark muddy conceptions , and hath led all out from seeking after the living wisdom of god , which is from above , which was before your tongues and languages was , and they have sucked in your conceptions and distinctions , and your devised fables , and your imagined worship , that many have lost the sence of any thing of god in themselves to guide them , and when you have come as far as you can in those things , and have devised in your minds , by the strength of those parts natural , you are farther from the knowledge then before ; and all that hear you and sucketh in your conceptions and imaginations into their hearts , they are farther off gods true knowledge then they were the day in which they came out of their mothers womb ; it is a lamentation to see how people are gone out of the pure simplicity which is in christ , into subtilty and deceit stuffed up full , brim-full of that which must be all poured out as water , before they and you all come to the least measure of gods true and saving knowledge . oh a dreadful day is come upon many , and it lingers not , but will come swiftly as a thief upon you who have taken away the key of knowledge , and gives people that which will not open , and tells them of a litteral carnal thing that must give them entrance ; you and all they will be shut out together , among the uncircumcised as fools , though you count your selves wise men , your wisdom will perish , and your honour will be laid in the dust ; the time hastens , it is the word of truth to you all . and you litteral professors , who have got the scripture into your head , and into the carnal mind to talk on , and are run into so many heads , you are almost past numbring , and hath exalted so many horns , yet the number is read , the number of the heads of the beast , and the number of his name ; you have taken up things , and are exalting a visible shadowish practise , and neglecteth the li●e , and are making idols of those things which were but a figure and a representation , in their purest time ; now you like the pharise●s are limiting the lord , that if he will not appear unto you in those thi●gs that you have prescribed unto your selves , and fetched in from the l●tter , and gotten it into the fleshly part , which is heaped up as a mountain in many of you so high , above gods pure witness in you , and so high above the appearance of god in you , that you have quite lost the sight of that in your selves , which should give you the knowledge of the living god , and m●ke you sensible of his pure presence ; i say , if he appear not in the way , you would limit him to , in those things you would confine him in ; you cannot receive him , the lord open your understandings , that you may see your selves , and how frothy , vain , light , and wanton you are ; one with the world in all things in the very ground , pretending liberty in christ , and priviledge in him , when you may see you are servants to corruptions , and to many noysom lusts that makes war . again , what are all outward appearances any more but as a curtain , or as a veil , and as a shadow , in respect of christ , gods righteousness within , but you are filled so full of your apprehensions of his righteousness at a distance , that you have forgotten all at home , and your own conditions ; for his righteousness will not be a cloak for your self-righteousness and unrighteousness , and if christ be nor formed in you , gods righteousness , and live in you , and act in you , and work his work in you , you are in the self-righteousness , and a talk of imputation , will not save you while you are not in that capacity , & nature , and faith , ●nto whom his righteou●ness is imputed . are you not weary with tumbling up and down among the earthly hills , among which you have situated your selves ? do you not see your land grows barren , and your possessions dry , and your worship dead , heaven rains not on you , the bottles is stopped , the dew falls not on you ; you wither daily as a stick withousap ; what , have you found that which will last unto perpetuity ? oh ! nay it s rusted already ; it 's canckered already , it 's moth-eaten already , it 's fading , the glory is staining , the renown of all earthly things is ●ading , and all terrestrial appearances , though never so glorious , they are all to cease ; a consumption is coming , blasting is near , there will be no more glory in these things , they will flye away as a shadow when the sun arises ; your riches are wasting , when will ye seek after that which endures for ever . i pity you who have had breathings after god , & hath sate down at ease in that which is not eternal . be warned , return home , consider , see what corruption thou hast power over now , which had once power over thee ? dost thou rest in that faith , that thou shalt never be cleansed here ? that fai●h is curst , it 's reprobate , it s rather properly unbelief ; it 's not the faith of gods elect , by which they were sanctified , and overcame the wicked one in themselves by the power of christ , who is able to save , and manifests his ability in all them that believe in the light , which they are enlightned withal , through which he manifests himselfe to the creature , and makes known his power in the creature , to redeem the soul out of death , and to redeem the creature from under the bondage of corruption , to serve him in the free spirit of god , in which the sons are made free from sin , from the act and guilt , they become the temples of the holy ghost : how far you are from this many of you consider , who are yet temples of uncleanness , and a habitation for many noysome lusts ; repent and minde that which empties you of your thoughts and conceitednesse , that you may know poverty of spirit , that the kingdome may come unto you , and be yours in possession , else you are everlastingly miserable ; and this is the true state of many of you , own it and repent , that if it be possible you may finde a door of mercy yet opened unto you , and that you may enter in thereat ; for it is not setting up , and conforming to a visible practice without that will justifie you , while that which is in the transgression , and hath transgressed the life , and hath disobeyed the light in your consciences ( is head in you and above the pure ) that will not recommend you unto god ; neither can you have any accesse , or acceptation with god in that state , till you come out of the waters upon which the whore fits , which is unstable and boysterous , and reels too and fro , and unsetled ; which is all to be dried up , and all the springs cut off that nourishes ; and you must come to the rock , before you know any thing that will endure , to build upon , which rock is christ , who abides for ever ; but you are all gone from that which should give the knowledge of him in your selves , and doth not retain him in your knowledge ; neither that which gives the knowledge of him , the light of his spirit which shines in your hearts , making manifest in your hearts the intention of your hearts , when motions unto evill do arise ; this must you all come to , before gods salvation or redemption you come to know in your selves , or have the witnesse of gods holy spirit , without which there is neither seale nor evidence , nor assurance enjoyed or felt of the love of god . the time of restoring is come , and many are restored again into gods covenant , and are delivered out of the jaws of death , and feels him who is the healer of the nations , and the restorer of the desolate places to dwell in : but first you must come to see those places made desolate , wherein the wilde nature lodges , before you come to have a share in the restoration . come off these barren mountains where you are feeding , to christ the life of men , who hath lightned you , and wait in it that you may feel his mind in your selves , and the signification of the spirit of truth from your own spirits , or else you will still erre for lack of knowledge , and perish for want of understanding , and so lay down your heads in sorrow . the kingdome of god , and of his christ declared in some measure as it is revealed , what it is , and where it is to be waited for , and how it cometh to be revealed to them , and in them that believe ; that all who are waiting for it , may know wherein consists , and so receive the end of their hope , and the end of their expectation , and know the dominion , which hath no end . the lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens , and his kingdome ruleth over all ; his dominion is an everlasting dominion , and without end . god is a spirit , his kingdome is spiritual , his habitation is sutable to his own nature ; he is immortall , his kingdome is so ; he is light , his dwelling place is so , a pure scituation in which there is no uncleannesse , nor ever shall be : it 's eternall dignity , it is an immutable being , that remaineth always in it's purity and pleasantnesse : eternally glorious , it consists in power , in righteousness , in purity , in joy , in hope , in peace , in life , in vertue eternall : in quietnesse , it 's a quiet habitation , it is incomprehensible , unsearchable , and indeclarable ; words are too short , they are but as sounds , as vayls : it is unexpressible , in it is the treasure-house of wisdome , out of which all that believe in him , ( who is the king of eternall and immortall glory ) comes to receive of his wisdome , of his life , of his power , vertue , righteousnesse , and comes to enjoy him , who is the fulnesse that filleth all things , whether visible or invisible , whether terrestrial , or coelestial ; his power is over all , his dominion is over all , who is eternally blessednesse it self , and felicity it selfe ; who makes all that believe in him to partake of his kingdome , of his grace , of his power , of his dignity , of his dominion , and of his glory coelestiall ; but these things are hid from the world , who are not redeemed from the earth , neither never looks to be while they are in the body : unto such i say , gods kingdome you shall never see , nor enjoy , while you are in that faith which is reprobate , but may be truly called unbelief , although you imagine a glory , and a kingdome in your earthly minds , and dream of a thing to come , sutable unto that wherein your glory now standeth ; but that will all fail , and those imaginations will be confounded , and dissolved into nothing , because they are centred in that which is out of the truth , christ , and so are without ground or bottome , and are out of that which should give you the sight and knowledge of god in your selves and his kingdom . christ when he taught them that followed him , exhorted them , that first of all they might seek the kingdom of god , even while they were in the body , mat. . & . the pharisees were gazing abroad in their earthly knowledge , although they had the scripture that declared of gods kingdome , yet they knew it not ; and this generation is the same who are in the same nature , and in the same wisdome which is earthly and litteral , and they are imagining as the jews were , and are loe here , and loe there , in this observation and the other , and look to see it there . nay , christ said , the kingdome of god is within you to the pharisees : and he bade them and others seek it first ; what strange doctrin was this might the pharisees say ; he saith the kingdome of god is within us , and yet bids us seek it : need we seek that which is in us may professors say ? yea , it 's like a pearl hid in the field ; it 's like a grain of mustard-seed among many great seeds , which is not easily found ; it 's like a piece of silver lost in the house among much rubbish , till that be swept away thou wilt not finde it ; thou must dig deep , sweep clean , search narrowly before thou find it ; although he said to the pharisees , the kingdome of god is within you , he did not say they were possessors of it , or that it was theirs ; but to the disciples whom he taught to pray in faith thy kingdome come , & they came to find it ; that which they prayed for , that pearl , that groat , that grain of mustard-seed which it was like ; & having found it and believed in it , he said unto them , matth. . . blessed are the poor in spirit , for theirs is the kingdome of god . and in luk. . . and he lift up his eyes on his disciples and said , blessed be ye poor , for yours is the kingdome of god . they had seen it , and were possessors of it , it was theirs . and christ said unto his disciples , there are some of your standing that shall not tast of death till ye see the kingdom of god come in power . and his words were fulfilled ; they declared what they had felt and seen ; and some of them say , the kingdome of god is not in w●rd , but in power . and paul to the romans writes , rom. ● . . who was also made partakers of the same power and the same kingdom ; he spoke his knowledge of , and said , it 's not meat nor drinke , but righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy ghost . and the colossians who had waited for it , and believed in that through which it vvas revealed ; the apostle vvas in the same faith , colos. . . & . who hath made us meet partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light , who hath delivered us from the power of darknesse , and hath transformed us into the kingdome of his deare son : and those things vvere seen in the body , and vvitnessed in the body : and the apostle to the hebrews saith , he that believes is entred into the rest . and this and all these things vvas feeled vvithin by the seed immortal the birth immortal , and they that witness the birth immortal to live in them : one said , who hath made us joynt-heirs with christ who is the king of eternall glory , and they were joynt-heirs with him of the kingdome that fades not away , and all that ever comes to see the kingdome of god in the spirit , which is spiritual , must wait in the spirit , and in it's manifestation , that so god and his kingdome , and the things o● gods kingdome may be felt and seen and enjoyed in the spirit which is glorious . obj●ct . all this which thou hast spoken may som● say is the kingdome of grace ; and that we hold there is a two-fold kingdome , the one of grace here , the other of glory hereafter ; which none comes to enjoy glory , nor any part of it in this life , or in the body . answ. people hath long been blinded with confused distinctions about names ; and being full of imaginary thoughts and conceptions , have brought forth foolish and unlearned distinctions ; and that which god hath joyned together , they would separate : grace is glorious , and glory is gracious ; he that can receive it let him ; the kingdom of god , which was like a grain of mustard seed , afterwards it became a great tree ; the tree in its strength , and glory , and height , is more glorious then when it s in the seed , yet the seed and the tree is in nature , and quality , and kind , one ; if the kingdom be in dominion in purity , and power , and glory , is not here unity ? yet a greater measure , yet still the dominion is one , the power one , the glory one , and the thing one , wherein grace standeth and glory standeth , wherein the kingdom standeth ; grace is glorious , eph. . , . having predestinated us unto the adoption of children , to the praise and glory of his grace , wherein he hath made us accepted in beloved . in the fathers house there are many mansions , places in the kingdom of god , there are many heavenly places , and they that walked to the praise of his grace , came to sit also in heavenly places , eph. . through grace , salvation , through grace glory comes to be revealed in the earth , isa. ▪ . the earth is full of his glory ; he that makes heaven and earth glorious , is glory it self , from whence grace and every degree of glory receives its being ; the least measure of gods strength and power is glorious , and to be gloried in , in the lord , by all that have seen it ; things might be declared which god hath revealed , which is not lawful for me now to utter ; for as one star differs from another in glory , yet all glorious , even so is it with the children of the resurrection , who are quickened and made alive , and raised from the dead , and fashioned like unto his glorious body , partakers of the glory of god , of his kingdom , of his power ; the power is his in which the kingdom stands , the kingdom his wher●in glory stands , the kingdom , power and glory stands all in him who is the glorious god , and the god of eternal glory , who is revealing his power , his kingdom , and his grace , and his glory , unto all that patiently wait upon him , in that which yet is as a grain of mustard-seed ; they will come to feel his presence , his power and glory revealed in their hearts , through the spirit , and injoy god in his kingdom , in his power , and in his glory , and through faith shall see the weight of glory , which god and father of our lord jesus christ will reveal unto all that patiently wait for his appearance , and in his appearance . obj. but some will cry out , grievous blasphemy and error ; what , i think you look for no other glory but in this life , nor for no other kingdom , but what you enjoy in this life ; thus i know dark spirits reasons . answ. the saints looked not after any other glory but that which stood in eternal life , and in the immortal life , and in the uncorruptible life , and the country they sought after , was that which god was the maker and the builder of , and they looked and waited to receive of his power in which the kingdom standeth , and did in this life ( i do not say the full weight of glory ) and to know and injoy , and to be made partakers of his eternal dominion and authority , is that which all his saints in measure witness , and in due time , came to injoy through faith ; for by faith they saw him who was invisible , and the things of his kingdom , which is invisible , spiritual and eternal ; but to speak of the carnal corruptible life in the flesh , who are dead while they live there , that life , neither the kingdom , nor the pow●r , nor the glory of god is revealed to them , not till after the death of that life , and till after the death of him who hath the power of death , which is the devil , which ruleth in the hearts of the children of disobedience , where all the mysterie of gods kingdom is hid from , from their eyes , and ever shall while in that state ; and so let the serpent be blind , and they that have an ear to hear , blessed is that ear , for the kingdom of god is come nigh unto many , and the salvation of god , and the power of his christ is seen by many , honour and praise unto him everlastingly , who is the onely potentate that puts down all authority under his feet , that god may be all in all , but first every one must come to feel in himself the kingdom , which is as a little grain , in himself , and in it believe , before any can come to know the kingdom , or wherein it consists , and after it be known in its measure , yet this is far short of glory in the fulness ; so many may come to be partakers of the power in some measure , yet this is far short of the eternal weight of glory ; he that believes is entred into the r●st , and made partakers of the heavenly gift , and of the heavenly power , and of the heavenly grace , which is glorious , and doth witness a heavenly place in christ jesus , and yet many enemies to be subdued , and much of the heavenly habitation , which they see not , which comes to be revealed as there is an abiding in the faith , which stands in gods power , in which the kingdom stands , the mysteries of god and of his kingdom , comes in due time to be revealed ; through death they come to be known , ( that is to say ) through the death of death ; for israel the true type , after they passed over jordan , and had taken jerico and ai● , and had made an entrance into the land , yet there was many enemies to be subdued , and much land and possessions , which they were not made partakers of long after , even so after there be of the true rest injoyed and possessed , and an entrance made into , yet there is many enemies to be subdued , and much of the heavenly inheritance to be injoyed by them that stand in the power which giveth domion over sin , the devil , hell and the grave , and they come to be made partakers of god , and so the enmity being slain , man comes to injoy god who is eternal life , and comes to receive the crown immortal , which god the eternal power & strength giveth in due time , to them that wait in patience and in faith , through which the immortal inheritance comes to be revealed to all the children of light . and so to conclude in few words , this i say unto all , who are longing after god , and waiting to feel his power , keep in your minds to the pure measure of gods holy spirit , and therein wait to see his kingdom , and his dominion , and to be made partakers of it , which brings the world to an end ; and will let you see to the end of it too , before it was , and him who is now glorified with the father in the kingdom of god , with the same glory he had with the father before the world began , and who so comes to the end of the world , and to the beginning again , comes to see him and his glory , and the kingdom of glory which fades not away , which who so comes to enjoy , are eternally happy . lond. the . of the . moneth , . the end . the popish inquisition newly erected in new-england whereby their church is manifested to be a daughter of mysterie babylon which did drink the blood of the saints, who bears the express image of her mother, demonstrated by her fruit : also their rulers to be in the beasts power upon whom the whore rideth, manifested by their wicked compulsary laws against the lamb and his followers, and their cruel and bloody practises against the dear servants of the lord, who have deeply suffered by this hypocritical generation : some of their miserable sufferings for the testimony of jesus, declared as follows and some of their unjust and vvicked laws set down ... / published by a lover of mercy and truth, and an enemy to envy and cruelty, francis howgill. howgill, francis, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing h ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the popish inquisition newly erected in new-england whereby their church is manifested to be a daughter of mysterie babylon which did drink the blood of the saints, who bears the express image of her mother, demonstrated by her fruit : also their rulers to be in the beasts power upon whom the whore rideth, manifested by their wicked compulsary laws against the lamb and his followers, and their cruel and bloody practises against the dear servants of the lord, who have deeply suffered by this hypocritical generation : some of their miserable sufferings for the testimony of jesus, declared as follows and some of their unjust and vvicked laws set down ... / published by a lover of mercy and truth, and an enemy to envy and cruelty, francis howgill. howgill, francis, - . copeland, j. r. (john r.) hodgson, robert. norton, humphrey, fl. - . rous, john, d. . [ ], p. printed for thomas simmons ..., london : . reproduction of original in huntington library. includes brief first-person narratives by robert hodgson, humphrey norton, john rous, john copeland, and others. eng society of friends -- new england. a r (wing h ). civilwar no the popish inquisition newly erected in new-england, whereby their church is manifested to be a daughter of mysterie babylon, which did drin howgill, francis c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - melanie sanders sampled and proofread - melanie sanders text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the popish inquisition newly erected in new-england , whereby their church is manifested to be a daughter of mysterie babylon , which did drink the blood of the saints , who bears the express image of her mother , demonstrated by her fruits . also , their rulers to be in the beasts power upon whom the whore rideth , manifest by their wicked compulsary laws against the lamb and his followers , and their cruel and bloody practises against the dear servants of the lord , who have deeply suffered by this hypocritical generation . some of their miserable sufferings for the testimony of jesus , declared as follows ; and some of their unjust and vvicked lavvs set dovvn , by vvhich they have made the ungodly to rejoyce , and the righteous to lament , that all who fear the lord , may come out of their foot-steps . published by a lover of mercy and truth , and an enemy to envy and cruelty , francis howgill . london , printed for thomas simmons , at the bull and mouth near aldersgate , : to the reader· great hath been the havock and spoyle that the old dragon hath made since he was thrown out of heaven , and many hath been the floods which he hath cast out after the woman , and great hath been the waves which he hath made to rise up in the sea ; yea , the nations that hath been as waters , he hath gathered on a heap , and made them burst out in a foaming rage , to overflow , and to drown , and to swallow up the woman , which was made to flye into the wilderness for many dayes , having a retired place there which god hath prepared for her , for a time , times , and half a time ; and the remnant of her seed hath he made war with every where , and hath also given great authority to the beast who rose out of the sea , to kill with the sword , to cut off , and to destroy all that worshipped him not , and his image ; and he hath had power over both small and great , and hath killed them , and hath compelled them , & forced them to worship him ; and all whose names have not been written in the lambs book of life , have worshipped him ; for all hath wondered after him ; and all the nations have drunk of the whores cup of fornication , and have been enflamed therewith ; and all have partaked with her in her whoredoms , the kings , the rulers , the noble men , the captains , and all , both small and great , who have drunk of her cup , hath made war , and hated the free-woman and her seed ; and all the deceivers , false prophets , and seducers , hath traded with her merchandize , and have deceived the nations with her sorceries , and they have the sheeps clothing , the outside , and are inwardly ravened . and in the ensuing discourse thou wilt see great professors , whom many did judge had been come out of mystery babylon many yeares ago , to wit , the churches of new-england , who cryed up reformation , thou wilt see them making war for their mother , mystery babylon , for they are her off-spring , manifest in every circumstance , by their visage and countenance , by their doctrine and discipline , by their practise and fruit , by their spoyle and violence , by their cruelty and bloodshed ; their mother drunk the blood of the saints , and so are they drinking of the same ; and the beast roars in that na●io● , which rose out of the sea , upon which the whore rides ; and he is in great majesty there , as ever he hath b●en since the apostles dayes , and breathes out threatings , that none must buy nor sell w●o hath not his mark in his forehead , or in his right hand , and who hath not some of his names of blasphemy , they must be kill●d , or tortured , o● banished , robbed , and spoyled , censured with the whores censures , a●d then destroyed by the beast , who calls himself the higher power , when as his authority is from the drago● who was cast into the earth , and exercises his rage ; and the b●ast by his authority would roo● out all , ●nd destroy all that keeps the testimony of jesus , and are obed●e●t to his will . reader , the ensuing discourse will prove it ; i need not say more , but leave their fruits and actions to declare them what they are ; the sufferings of the lords servants in that land hath been great , and thi● in so s●ort a time , that i am sure any sober man cannot but abhor such practises , & say in his heart , d●part from me ye blood-thirsty men . the narrative of the sufferings is some of them from men of their own nation , the rest is the sufferers own narration , under their own hands , the substance of which i extracted in short for the read●rs sake , but much more hath been exercised upon the servants of the lord in that nation , and to repeate all their wicked invented laws and enterprises , would make a volume i● self , some of which laws thou hast in this discourse , as many as came to my hand ; and in those which are manifest , thou ma●st j●dge from what root the rest did spring , which is all judged , and to be judged with the life of god , root and branch ; but in the long suffe●ing of god , ( if there thou dwell ) i bid thee farewel , f. h. the popish inquisition newly erected in new-england ; whereby their church is manifest to be a daughter of mystery babylon , which doth drink the blood of the saints , who bears the express image of her mother , demonstrated by her fruits , &c. the devil who was a lyar and a murderer from the beginning , who abode not in the truth , who spoke of himself , ( and not from the commandment of god , or the motion of truth ) who is curst from the presence of the lord for ever , who hath alwayes made war ( since he went out of the truth ) against god and all the children of truth , and he is that seed who has made war with the heir of all things , and against the woman in all generations , which brought forth the heir , the man-child ; and since he hath usurped authority , to wit , the serpent ; all the earth hath been filled with violence where he hath born rule ; god did not appoint him to be lord , nor to be a law-giver over man , nor over any of gods workmanship ; but he was to be ruled over by man , who was made in the image of god ; but when he came to usurp authority of himself , contrary to the command of god , he became curst ; & man also , who became subject unto his usurped authority , which he should have ruled over by the higher power in which he was made , and had power and authority over all the contrary ; but being gone from the power , and ioyned to him who moved without the power , they both became enemies to the power , and so came to be cursed by the god of power for ever , and then became at enmity to the povver of the endless life , and fed upon dust , and that which is corruptible , vvhich shall have an end . and now the serpent and his seed in the transgression , striveth and resisteth against him vvho is the higher power , with all their strength , and all the weapons formed in the bottomles● pit , by which weapons he hath prevailed since the lamb hath been slain , and hath brought all the creation into bondage which have been subject to his authority , which is out of the truth ; and he doth not onely make war against the seed , ( by whom salvation is revealed to the ends of the earth in them , that believe in him ) but also he labours to destroy gods workmanship , and to deface the creatures which god made , and formed by the word of his power : and thus all the sons of adam in the transgression having shak't hands vvith the prince of darkness , doth fulfil his unrighteous decrees , ( being gone from the povver of god ) although man sees that the way of the serpent is unequal , yet he hath not power to resist in that nature ; and so all are in captivity , and bondage , and slavery unto the noysome lusts which the devil instigateth and suggesteth into the hearts of all the children of disobedience , and so fruits of the flesh , and of darkness , is brought forth , to the dishonor of the lord of heaven and earth ; and herein the devil rejoyceth , and the seed of the evil-doer taketh delight , and thereby his strength encreases , by drinking in iniquity as water ; he is nourish'd up in the reign of the shadovv of death , and strives to bring all thither to take up their habitation , and to be servants to the prince of the ayre , vvho vvas a murderer from the beginning . and so adam when he had lost the image of god , and vvhen the heritage of god vvas laid waste in himself , he begat a son in his own image , vvho vvas cain , ( a murderer ) who was of that wicked one that went out of truth ; & he rose up in envy , & slew abel the just , who was of the seed . and here 's the off-spring & the fruit of the seed of the serpent ; for as god is love , and all that are begotten by him , live in love , and all the creatures that he did make , was to serve one another in love , in the covenant of life and love , in which they were made ; so the devil lives in envy , and all his children , and leads into discord , and perverteth all the creatures from that end which god made them , to serve his end , vvhose life stands in discord , envy , wrath , and unrighteousness , and whatsoever is evil ; and herein is the children of god made manifest , and their works , and the children of the devil , and their works ; they that love god , loves the workmanship of god , and cannot hate his brother , but hath eternal life abiding in him ; but he that 's of the devil , destroys gods workmanship , kills his brother , ( a man-flayer ) and hath not the love of god dwelling in him . and this seed of the serpent hath spread it self forth over all the earth since the transgression , both amongst jews and gentiles , professors , and prophane ; them that had the law , and them that were vvithout the law ; them that have had the scripture , and them that had no scripture ; and in that which is called christendome , as well as they which are called heathens ; as well amongst the highest professors , as amongst the grossest prophane , in all times since the foundation of the world , that the lamb hath been slain , and the seat of iniquity raised up , and this seed hath been made manifest by its fruits throughout all ages and times , throughout all nations , kindreds , tongues , regions , countreys , and kingdoms ; and by the fruit which is brought forth in new-england , they themselves may read their stock , and off-spring , and fruits , a little of which , ( which is brought to light , and evident ) hereafter i shall declare , which when they come to view over their work again , shame may cover their faces , and astonishment fill their hearts , that such fruits should be brought forth by them who are so high professors of god in words , and of the scriptures to be the rule of their obedience and faith ; now shall you be tryed by the scripture , your rulers , your teachers , and your church-members , and the life of the saints that gave forth the scripture , will stand a witness against your doctrines and cursed practises for evermore ; you may read your example , cain , herod , murderers , & men of blood , the persecuting jews , who were zealous for god as they thought , who persecuted to death , and said they had a law , and by that law christ ought to dye ; but you are worse then they , for you had no law which would take hold upon the righteous and faithful witnesses of god , till you had made one , or invented one , and digged down to hell to ask counsel of the prince of darkness , your god . and further , you may read your example , nimrod , who came of the stock of ham , who was cursed as well as the serpent , as well as cain ; and your thoughts are vain , like the thoughts of your fore-fathers , the pharisees , whom christ prophesied of to his disciples , and said , the time would come when they should hale them out of the synagogues , and persecute from city to city , and sp●ak all manner of evil of them , and should go about to kill them , and yet think they did god service ; so void of understanding hath the seed of the serpent alwayes been in all generations ; which words of christ is fulfilled among you professors of new-england , who are thinking ( as they did ) that you do god service in killing his members , and you are come to that time , your fruits has made it manifest . oh! could you have believed in times past if it should have been told you that you above all people , should be the greatest persecutors , and exceeded in wickedness , and cruelty , and hard heartedness , the papists , the turks , the heathens , who make little or no profession , in comparison of you , and yet that you should exceed them in rage , cruelty , and madness ? it is an abhorrency to all sober people ; you have stained the earth ▪ and defiled your land with blood , and have caused the name of the lord of heaven and earth to be blasphemed among the heathen , by your wicked , ungodly , barbarous , and brutish actions ; and you are in that nature , and in their steps which kill'd the prophets , and mock't ●is messengers , and shamefull● entreated his servants , upon whose heads all the blood shed from abel to this day , will be required but blessed be the lord , whose arm hath been stretched forth , and hath gathered thousands out of that nature which is cursed from god for ever , and hath revealed his salvation unto them , and the everlasting gospel , which is to be preached again after the apostacy , and hath made us partakers of it , ( to wit ) the power of god ; and so we see unto whom the arm of the lord is revealed , that all nations since the apostacy , hath drunk of the whores cup , and are bewitch'd with her sorceries , and therefore according to the command of the lord , and the motion of his eternal spirit , we have born our testimony against the apostates and deceivers , ( who retain the words , and has lost the life and power ) to the intent that all that believe in the light which christ hath lighted every man withall , that people might wait to receive power from on high again , ( which all the sons of adam hath lost in the transgression ) that as many as receive the power , may come out of the transgression ; and for this end hath god chosen and seperated many contrary to their own wills , and from whatsoever was dear unto them in the outward , to deny it all , and to answer the pure motion of gods spirit whither soever he leadeth , and in so doing , many have found the power and presence of the lord going with them , and before them , and he hath prospered his own work in their hands , and hath brought many out of sodom and aegypt , and out of mystery babylon , to christ the mysterie , and to the mysterie of faith which is held in a pure conscience . and we were not ignorant of this , what opposition we should receive from antichrist and his ministers , satan and his messengers ; and how that the whole world lay in wickedness ; and how that nations , kindreds , tongues , and people , had drunk the whores cup ; and how that all hirelings , deceivers , false prophets , and seducers , would withstand : neither were we ignorant that the beasts power which got up in the throne of iniquity and exaltation , since the man-child was caught up unto god , & the woman fled into the wilderness , wherein he hath compelled all ( both small and great ) to worship him . neither were we ignorant of his strength , and of his great authority that he had in the nations , and how that the whore ( the false church ) rode upon him ; ( and also we knew that the nations were as waters ) nor of the great waves which would lift up themselves ; nor of the multitude of merchants which makes merchandize of souls for dishonest gain , who are greedy of filthy lucre ; nor of the multitude of ships in which they carry their merchandize and deceitful ware ; neither was the servants of the lord ; who hath thus deeply suffered ( as i shall hereafter make mention ) of the spirit that ruled in the professors and teachers of new-england : notwithstanding all this ( which was seen before ) we consulted not with flesh and blood , but was obedient to the heavenly call , and stood ( given up to the lord in life , or in death ) to finish the testimony which god hath put into our hands , that so many may be brought to know the living god revealed in themselves , that so they with us , and we with them , may rejoice in him who is becoming the king , and law-giver , and the exceeding great reward of all his people ; to whom be glory for ever and ever : amen . and now reader , i shall give thee a plain and true account of the grievous proceedings of the rulers of new-england , and the miserable sufferings of the servants of the lord , whereby thou mayest see the divinity of new-england , by the fruits and effects it brings forth , the laws by which they rule their nation not to be according to the law of god , nor according to that which is equal in every mans conscience ; for that law takes hold upon the transgressor , but not the innocent ; and because of unrighteous rulers and laws , many up ▪ right-hearted people in that nation mourns the grievous suffering of robert hodshon , by the governor of the dutch plantation in new-england . i robert hodshon being moved of the lord to go to new-england , to declare the word of truth made known by his spirit , was obedient thereto , who after a prosperous voyage , arrived at long-island , where our own countrey people did inhabit under the dutch jurisdiction , finding drawings , and two more with me , we left the ship , and passed to a place called gravesend , wher● our testimony was received ; from thence we passed to a town called semico , where we were received with gladness ; so we passed to another town called hampstead , where we were received also ; so i being left in the town at a friends house , ( the other two being passed away ) the next day being the first day , i passing to another friends house , and some friends following me into an orchard , where we had thoughts to have met together , i being walking alone , there came a man from the magistrate , and laid hold of me , and haled me to the magistrate , and kept me a prisoner in his own house , while he himself went to his worship ; many staid and heard the truth the fore-part of the day declared ; after he came home , and see so many with me , and could not stop my mouth , he wrote a ●ittimus , and gave another man charge to keep me at his house ; so the latter part of the day i had many came to me , and those that had been mine enemies , after they had heard truth , confest to it . so that magistrate that committed me , took his horse , and rode away to the dutch governor to make his complaint ; but the other magistrate , and most part of the town , would not joyne vvith him against me , but some few of the ruder sort . there was i kept a prisoner till the governor of the dutch sent a guard of twelve musketiers , and the gaoler , and the sheriff came about twenty miles ; so i was committed to them , and they searched me , and took away my knife , books , and papers , and pinioned me vvith cords ; the next morning they took two women , one having a young child sucking , and committed them also , and more if they could have found them ; and thus they entertain strangers in new-england . and then a warrant vvent forth to bring those people that did receive us ; and so he fined them , and commanded them to pay , within six weeks , or else depart the jurisdiction ; and one man he committed , and laid irons upon him , and fined each of them three pounds . so i being pinioned till i came near vvhere the dutch vvere , being tyed vvith a rope to a cart-tayle , thorough the woods near . miles , and then i vvas cast into a dungeon so odious as i never savv , for vvet , dirt , and nasty stink ; and the next day i was brought to examination , and an english captain there to interpret , and took in writing in their ovvn language , committing me again to the dungeon , suffering not any english to come to me . the next court calling me out again , reading my accusation in their language , the captain interpreted some of my accusation , and thus said before the court , that it is the generals pleasure , seeing i did behave my self thus , that i must pay . gilders , ( which is . pound ) or else to serve at a wheel-barrow , lock'd with a chain . i did ask him if i might give an answer ; and they answered , no ; but shut me up in a dungeon . so on the second day in the morning they took me forth , and lockt me to the wheel-barrovv ( amongst the slaves ) to work ; i told them , i was never used to that work ; and they took a hard ship-rope , ( near four inches about ) and commanded a black-more to beat me with it ; so he beat me so long till i fell down , and the sheriff commanded him to take me up again , and beat me again ; so it was judged by the standers by , that he gave me an hundred blovvs : then they forced me to go into the fort where the governor lived , and went to know what they should do vvith me ; so they sent a moor to gather rods to vvhip me ; and so with the blovvs , and the heat of the sun , i sunk down vvhere i stood in the fort , and there i vvas till the seventh hour in the night ; when the gaoler came to unlock me from the barrow , i was so sore swollen , that it was as much as i could do to stand , and was put that night in the dungeon ; the next morning i was taken out about the fifth or sixth hour , and vvas lockt to the barrovv till the seventh hour at night , vvith a century over me , that none should speak to me , and if i spoke to any , they told me they would punish me more ; yet for all this , my mouth was opened to declare the word of truth . afterwards they shut me up in the dungeon about a week , and then brought me forth again ; and then they stript me to the waste , and hung me up by the hands , and tyed a great clog to my feet , the gaoler being full of wine and the black-moor a strong man , came vvith rods , and whipped me , ( the stripes cannot be numbered ) back , sides and breast , which was cut very sore ; and then i was put into the dungeon , two nights , and near two dayes , giving me neither bread nor water ; the gaoler being drunk and asleep , two souldiers got in at the door , and got me some water ; so aftervvards they took me forth again , and asked me if i would pay the fine ; i told them i could not : they asked me if i would work , or be whipped every day ; i asked them vvhat i had done , or vvhat law i had broken , and to know my accusers ; so they took me and hanged me up again , ( as they had before ) and put my body to great pain , in keeping my body so long hanged , and giving me about ten stripes , and then asked me if i vvould work , and then gave me stripes again , four or five times , then they let me down , and put me into the dungeon ; then a woman came to me , and washed my stripes , and afterwards parted from me , and went home to her husband , and letting him know how it was with me , he proffered the sheriff a fat ox if he would suffer me to come to his house ; for his wife after she parted from me , looked when word should come that i was dead ; but the governor would not suffer me to come forth unless the whole fine was paid ; there were many friendly ( both dutch and english ) that would have paid it , but i could not consent ; and then afterwards ( within three dayes ) i was moved to work , and was made able and strong within three dayes after i was so sore abused , ( as the first going into prison ) which did much confound and torment them to see me work ; many english came to me to have my consent the fine should be paid , and grieved to see me made a slave ; but i could not yeild that any should give one penny . but after i had wrought one week , i had liberty to speak to many that did resort to me ; and captain williams ( one of my greatest adversaries ) said i should be freed , for he had lost the love both of dutch and english ; and so for his own benefit , he begg'd my release of the governor , a man more fit to be ruled over , then to rule : and this is the fruit of the governor and sheriff , who would be counted christian magistrates ; but the mercies of the wicked are cruel . but in all this the arm of the lord did support me , wherein i had peace in the inward man ; and so i was brought to road island . robert hodshon . the ninth month , . christopher holder , john copland , richard doudeny , and mary clark , all imprisoned at boston , and after brought to their court , which vvas in much fury and rage , in cain's vvay , accusing them of sedition , and said they vvere vvorthy of death ; rich. doudeny received thirty stripes . they made this lavv at their county-court held at boston , as follovvs . it is hereby ordered , when the quakers shall have paid the officers their fees , and five shillings a day to the three men to carry them away to road island , out of this iurisdiction , &c. and now reader thou mayest observe , they in this jurisdiction are worse then the gadarenes , who desired christ to depart out of their coasts , but did not require five shillings a day of him , for a man to carry him avvay , as these corrupt rulers and officers of the jurisdiction of boston ; but this is but the beginning of their masters work , more thou shalt hear hereafter , vvhich vvill make thee admire that the gathered churches of new-england should bring forth these fruits . several inhabitants of new-england have been fined for meeting together in the fear of the lord , vvho have vvaited upon him to feel his mind and will revealed in them , and among them , according to the example of the primative christians . william newland for having a meeting in his house , and refusing to swear , suffered five months imprisonment , and vvas fined . shillings , for vvhich they took a heiser vvorth : shillings . ralph alin for having a meeting in his house , vvas five moneths imprisoned , and fined . shillings . and for not putting off his hat he vvas fined . s. and had one sheep distrained . peter gaunt for not putting off his hat , vvas fined . s. william alin for not putting off his hat , had a kettle taken away . daniel wing ( for the same ) fined . s. edward perey ( for the same ) had pewter taken avvay valued at . s. john inkins had an iron pot taken avvay : peter gaunt ( for the same ) had pewter taken avvay , valued . s. robert harper ( for the same ) . s. thomas euer ( for the same ) had his pot taken avvay in vvhich he dressed his victuals . tho. greenfeild for not swearing , fined . s. fourteen of the inhabitants of sandwich , fined . l. a piece for keeping the command of christ , vvho said , swear not at all ; these vvas fined at the last court at plymouth . o you hypocrites , whose hearts are full of venom ! would you be called christian magistrates , and members of the body of christ , vvhile you bring forth such fruits as these , apples of sodom , and grapes of gomorrah ? will you let us reason together a little ? did the church of corinth fine the rest of the corinthians vvho met not together at one place , and fetch away their kettles and their pans ? did the members of the church at galatia , vvhen the other galatians worshipped them not , fine them . s. and fetch away their heifers ? or did the members of the church of antioch , fine the rest of the gentiles that did not believe , for not coming to them to worship , and take away their pots in vvhich they drest their victuals ? or did the jews ( vvhich vvere unbelievers , that worshipped in the temple ) fine the rest of the believers that were at ierusalem , for not doffing their hats ? or did they fine them five pounds a piece because they vvould not swear ? or did the church at ierusalem fine the temple-worshippers , ( the iews ? ) if you can give an example either from believers or unbelievers , do ; if you cannot , be ashamed of your doings , and repent of your wickedness . and are you like to be rulers for a common-wealth , who destroys the estates of them who are members of the common wealth ? such church-members made the woman flye into the wilderness ; and such rulers destroyed israel's common-wealth , who grinded the faces of the poor , and chopt them in pieces as flesh for the caldron . and this is truly verified among you rulers of new-england , who has turned judgement backward , and not suffered equity to enter ; but these actings hastens the scattering of your church , ( falsly so called ) and will incur the wrath of the lord upon your nation , and make you an abhorrency to all that fear the lord . the cruelty of francis newman , and others of the magistrates of new haven , towards the lords servant , humphrey norton , their cruel whipping of him , burning him with the letter h. and fining him ten pounds , and both him and john rows whipped at plymouth patten . humphrey norton being moved of the lord to visit the dutch plantation upon the continent of new-england , and passing thitherward through an english plantation , was apprehended by order from the magistrates of that place , where he prevented him , and put him a-board of a vessel that went for a place called new-haven , where he was carried before one francis newman , a magistrate in that place , having nothing to charge him with besides his giving forth of papers which he had writ in answer to their priests , yet committed him to a wide , open prison , which wanted repairing , and in the coldest season of the year , suffered him not to have either fire or candle , but chained him to a log all that night , and the next day and night , the morning following he was brought before the said newman , and two other of the magistrates , who having nothing to accuse him with , ( but concerning the papers aforementioned ) one of the justices ( so called ) stood up , and declared , that if the said humph. norton would return , and acknowledge he had done amiss , and declare against himself , he should be cleared ; who answered , he could not declare that which was false , for he had declared the truth already . so after they had used both flattery and threats , ( to little purpose ) this newman in much rage commanded him to prison again , saying , he would prosecute him in the same prison , & the same manner chained him to a log , they kept him sixteen or seventeen days , and then brought him before them again , and read his charge , which he desired he might have a copy of , to answer to ; and a priest being present ( to whom the said h. norton had sent some queries ) who undertook to answer him before the people , and the said h. n. replyed to him as he answered each query ; then they tyed a key cross his mouth till the priest had done , and was gone , and the court broke up , although they promised he should answer vvhen the priest had done ; but they returned him to prison till the afternoon ; then they sent for him to a private place , using flattery to ensnare him ; but seeing they could not , they returned him to prison . the next morning they sent for him again , and then read a sentence against him , that he should be severely whipt , and burnt in the hand vvith the letter h. for spreading his heretical opinions ; all vvhich vvas severely executed upon him the same day , in the sight of the magistrates and nine or ten priests , and many people ; they also fined him ten pounds , for that the collony had been put to charges and trouble with him , vvhich they had the conscience to take of a dutch man , who had compassion on the suffering man , and would needs pay it for his release , although much perswaded to the contrary by h. norton . being released from thence , and sent out of their coasts , ( according to their sentence ) he with another friend , called john rous , passing into plymouth patten , was there also apprehended , and cast into prison , and after called before their court , and sentenced ( again ) both of them to be whipped , which vvas the same day performed upon them , h. norton received thirty lashes , and john rous fifteen , or sixteen , and so sent away . this is but little in comparison of their cruelties exercised on the bodyes of many of our friends , vvhich the lord takes notice of , as farther hereafter thou mayest hear . humphrey norton's relation of his , and john rous's sufferings again in plymouth-patten , by the magistrates and governor there . i being returned to road-island , and hearing there was information taken against me ( in plymouth-patten ) upon oath , and also that they had entered me upon record for being convicted of several errors , ( a necessity vvas laid upon me to appear in those parts , besides what drawings i had to visit the great seed of god that there is , when the fulness of time was near come for the finishing of that service , there vvas a cry in me for tvvo dayes together , bonds abide thee , bonds abide thee , and their court and collony presented to me ; ) with zeal and courage for god , i made my vvay , with my beloved brother , john rous , who had drawings thither , and did accompany me ; the strength of darkness being on their parts , and their late-made laws being so abominable and wicked , the few dayes we had to visit the seed , we were forced ( so as in the wisdom of the father ) to keep hid in the wilderness , and to have the church to meet us there , it being against me ( if i could prevent it by lawful means ) to go bound to pilate , but that in the povver and authority of god we might at their court appear , in which time the particulars vvere presented to me , vvith the truth of every thing , vvhich i sent before me to the governor and magistrates , to make vvay for me by a constable , with a line to him to this purpose , that neither the governor nor constable needed to seek any further after me , for it was my intent ( with j. rous ) to appear before their court and countrey , if god permit ; which repairing thither ( upon the first day of their sitting ) quietly into their town of plymouth , vvith some friends accompanying us , their under-marshal ( so called ) came to us ( upon sight ) in the street , and said he did arrest us in the lord protector's name , and so took us avvay to prison , and there kept us ( without suffering any to come to us that he could hinder ) for the most part of two dayes , whilst they were sitting upon their aegyptian juryes ; and being then brought before their court and magistrates , we were demanded the occasion of our coming , and whether we had not had warning to depart their collony ? my answer was to the governour , that part of my grounds i had sent before me , with his name ( and several other of the magistrates names ) upon the outside , and asked him whether he had received it , or not ? which thing he vvould neither acknowledge , nor deny ; upon which i tendered him another copy of the same , and required that it should be read in the audience of the court , and that i might have liberty to declare the rest of my grounds , the which he would neither receive , nor suffer to be read ; afterwards i made way that i might read it my self , and he caused me to be pulled down , and haled forth , and abused both me and iohn rous , with his tongue , and caused us to be haled to prison again . about a day after i sent a little note to them , to require of them that we might not be shufled off in that manner as we were , but that we might be called before their court again , wch was done in a wicked and corrupt manner , labouring by what means they could , to prevent the people from the hearing and sight of us , which when we were called , the governor began with his rage and railing , ( the strength of darkness being with him ) laboured ( if he could ) to stop me from speaking , so that our ground and cause could not be heard , according to our desires ; & as he abused me with words , calling me a number of filthy names , and that he looked upon me as the wickedest of all my consorts , or words to that purpose ; but at last their sentence passed upon us , to be whipped , or to pay five pounds ▪ ( according to their law ) i told them , if it were the will of god , i could freely lay down my life in witnessing against that law . upon the day we were called forth to suffer their law , and being brought to the stocks , the people and magistrates gathered together to see the execution ; it vvas received by us vvith great courage & boldness , to the astonishing of the heathen , & to the tendering of many ; after wch , the magistrate said we were cleared , paying our fees . back again to prison were we returned , ( and continued for our fees not being paid ) and there continued about five dayes ; and the marshal perceiving that we were what we spake , came upon the day following , and laid before us the poor condition of his wife and children , and told us the doors vvere open to us , he would stand to what the lord would move our hearts to communicate to his wife and children's necessities ; upon which account vve came forth . humphrey norton . laws made at their march-court , holden at new-plymouth , where the governor caused deputies to be called on purpose to make these following laws against friends , to prevent the spreading of truth . it is enacted by this court , and the authority thereof , that no quaker , or person commonly so called , be entertained by any person , or persons within this government , under the penalty of . l. for every such default , or be whipt ; and in case any one shall entertain any such person ignorantly , if he shall testifie on his oath that he knew them not to be such , he shall be freed of the abovesaid penalty , provided that he upon his first discerning them to be such , do disc●ver them to the constable , or his deputy . it is enacted also by the court , and authority thereof , that if any quaker , or person commonly so called , shall come into any township within this government , and by any person , or persons , be known , or suspected to be such a one , the person so knowing or suspecting him , shall forthwith acquaint the constable ( or his deputy ) of them , on pain of presentment , and so lyable to censure in court , who forthwith shall diligently endeavour to apprehend them , and command them to depart out of the township and this government ; and in case any such person delay , or refuse so to depart , then the said constable , or deputy , shall apprehend them , or him before a magistrate in their township , if there be any ; and if there be none , to the select men appointed by the court for that purpose , who shall cause them , or him to be whipt by the constable or his deputy , or pay five pounds , and then conveyed out of their township . and the same course is to be taken with them as often as they transgress this order . it is enacted by this court , and the authority thereof , that henceforth no such meetings be assembled or kept , by any person , in any place within this government , under the penalty of . s. for every speaker , and . s. for every hearer , and . s a time for the owner of the place , that permits them so to meet together ; and if they meet together at their silent , ( so called ) then every person so meeting together , shall pay . s. a time , and the owner of the place shall pay . s. it is enacted by the court , that henceforth no publike meetings be set up within this government , but such as the court shall approve off . f.h. and e.b. my dearly beloved friends , about the last of the sixth month , . i came from barbado's , with another friend with me , an inhabitant of the island , and according to the appointment of the father , landed on road-island in the beginning of the eighth moneth , on an out-part of the island , but the vessel went for boston ; and being come thither , i heard of the arrival of friends from england , which was no small refreshment to me ; and after i had been there a little while , i passed out of the island into plymouth-patten , to sandwich , and several other towns thereabouts ; and after some time i was in conecticut-patten , with john copeland , where the lord gave us no small dominion ; for there we met with one of the disputers of new-england , who is a priest of hartford , who was much confounded , to the glory of truth , and his shame ; and after some staying there , we returned to road-iland , ( where h.n. was ) and after some stay there , we went to plymouth-patten , and they having a court , we went to the place where it was , ( having sent before , the grounds of our coming ) but we were straightway put into prison , and after twice being before them , ( where we were much railed upon ) they judged us to be vvhipt , h. n ▪ received twenty three stripes , and i fifteen , ( with rods ) which did prove much for the advantage of truth , and their disadvantage ; for friends did with much boldness own us openly in it . and after we were let from thence , vve returned to road-island , and from thence to boston , and bore vvitness ( in their meeting-house ) against their worship , in a fevv words , till they haled us forth , and had us to their house of correction , and that evening vve vvere examined , and committed to the prison ; and on the seventh day in the evening they vvhipt us vvith ten stripes apiece , vvith a three-fold whip , to conclude a vvicked weeks work , which vvas this ; on the second day they vvhipped six friends ; on the third day the gaoler laid william brand neck and heels , ( as they call it ) in irons , ( as he confessed ) for sixteen hours ; and on the fourth day the gaoler gave w. brand one hundred and seventeen strokes vvith a pitch rope ; on the fifth day vve vvere put in prison , and on the seventh day vve suff●●ed ; and after a vvhile a warrant vvas given forth , that if vve vvould not work , we should be whipt once in every three dayes , and the first day have fifteen stripes , the second time eighteen , and the third time twenty one . so on the seventh day vvas a week after our first whipping , four of us received fifteen stripes a-piece , and on the fourth day after , we were released : so we returned to road-island , and continued there a while , and after some time h.n. went into plymouth-patten , to friends there , and i was moved to come to boston ; so that day five weeks as i was released , that day five weeks i was put in again , where was christopher holder , and john copeland , and we do lye according to their law , to have each of us an ear cut off . but we are kept in the dominion of the lord , over all our enemies . this is the proceedings of the great professors of new-england , whose fruits declare to all sober people , what stock they are of , even of cain , that hated and slew the just . john rous. here followeth the tryals , and examinations , and sufferings of the three servants of the lord , christopher holder , john rous , & john copeland , and the cruel and unmerciful proceedings of john indicot , who is called a governor of boston , and their court , called , the court of assistance . but it is of their father the devil's work , against the above said three servants of god , and harmless and innocent lambs of christ . it came to pass that we two , christ . holder , and j. copeland , being moved of the lord to go to boston , set forth thitherwards on the third day of the sixth month , ●nd the same day came to a town in that jurisdiction , called dedham , and it being near evening , we turned into the ordinary , where we lodged that night , and early in the morning came two constables ( with some others ) and demanded of us whither we were going ; our answer vvas , we intend to pass towards boston . then they said they had a vvarrant to bring us to boston before the magistrates . then we required to see it ; but they would not shew us it ; so after some hours , one constable , and two men with him , had us to boston , and brought us to the governor's house , who when he saw us ( being much perplexed in spirit ) said in a rage , you shall be sure to have your ears cut off ; then he asked our names , so we told him ; then he said , you have been twice here before , and said , he looked upon it to be a great judgement of god to them , that we were suffered so often to come amongst them , to trouble them , and asked us why we came , seeing you know we would not receive you ? we answered , the lord hath commanded us , & we could not but come : then he maliciously said , the lord commanded you to come ? it was the devil . then he urged us to prove our call by the scriptures ; our ansvver vvas , our names are not vvritten in the scriptures . the governor ( whose name is john indicot ) said , he did believe we spoke true , for he did think our names vvere not vvritten in the scriptures ; and farther said , it vvere something if you could make it appear to me that you are sent of god . we answered , that vvhile he stood in unbelief , though vve speak never so plain to him , yet he would not believe it . then one nathaniel williams standing by , said to this effect , seeing that you knew we would not receive you , it must needs be out of malice that you came . our answer was , that the lord god who searcheth the hearts of all , knows that we came not in malice , but in obedience to him . then j. indicot asked us , whether vve did believe that christ's body vvas in heaven ? ans. we knovv that his body is in heaven . so he sent for the gaoler , and bid him take us avvay , and said we should hear from them to morrovv . so he had us away ; and put us in the house of correction , as they call it . so on the morrow ( being the fifth day of the sixth month ) they had a court at boston , before vvhich we were brought ; when we came before them , they caused our hats to be taken off , and throvvn on the ground ; then j. indicot said , you were before me yesterday , and i asked you to prove your call , but you did not , because you said i would not believe it ; therefore i ask you to prove it before the people , & it may be they wil believe you . then we asked them if they vvould believe us when we spoke the truth ? i , i , if you prove it by scripture , we must as before . to prove our call hither by express words of scripture , we cannot , because our names ( neither this place ) is not mentioned in scripture ; but that vve have examples in scripture from the prophets and apostles , who in obedience to the lord travelled from place to place , as we do , that we can prove . then i. i. laughed , and said , are you prophets and apostles ? then he asked us , whether we did believe that christ had a body in heaven distinct from the body of his members . vve answered , that christ's body is divided from his members , we do not believe . i.i. turned to the people , and said , they mea● his mystical body . then we said , vve know no such word in scripture as mystical , and put them to prove by scripture that christ had two bodies . then one stood up ( like a priest ) and asked us whether we did not believe that christ had a body in heaven made of sinews , flesh , and bone , distinct from the body of his members ? then we asked what the body of his members was ? to which they gave no ansvver . then the secretary made a speech to this effect , saying , that these men have been here twice before , and have received the law , and was sent out of this jurisdiction , and now are come the third time ; and so vvrote an order , and delivered it to the governor , who delivered it to the gaoler , and bid him take us away , and keep us according to his order ; but they read not the order to us then . so he had us away to the house of correction again ; and the next morning the gaoler came to us , and asked us to work ; then we required to see his order ; so he shewed us it : the order was to this effect : to the ke●per of the house of correction ; you are by vertue hereof , to take into your custody the body of christopher holder , and john copeland , and them safely to keep close to work , with prisoners diet onely , until their ears be cut off , and not suffer any to converse with them whilst they are in your custody . then he asked us again to work , and said , as you are rational men , i would wish you not to put your bodyes to so much sufferings , saying , he had an order to have us whipt twice a week if vve vvould not work , and shewed us the order that vvas made for the other friends that vvere in the prison before us , whereby they were whipt ; but we answered him not : then he said , he would not be harsh vvith us , but vvould give us time to consider of it till noon . so after some time , he came to us again , and asked us as before ; then we answered , we were shut up , and vvere not at liberty to vvork ; then he haled us , and had us into the room where the work vvas , and kept us there till night , and then had us into the common gaol , and on the morrow had us down again where the work was , and said he would keep us there till our backs were slash'd , and set bread and pottage by the work , but vve had not freedom to meddle with it neither . so at night we were had into the common-gaol again , where we were shut up in a close room , and had bread and pottage set by us , but they said they vvould not take any thing for it but work ; in which place we remained eight dayes , they not knowing of any thing vve did eat . then the gaolers wife came to us , and said , if we would have milk , we might have it bought for us ; and if we would have beer , we might buy it of her ; so from that time the other friends who were in the house of correction , ( some time after ) was suffered to bring us what we did want , in at a window . some time after c.h. and j.c. were put in prison , i iohn rous was commanded of the lord to go boston also , and as way was made , ( according to the will of god ) i prepared to go thitherwards , and on the . of the sixth month , ( in the evening ) i came to boston , so i went into an inne , and not being desirous to be a snare to any man , i declared who i was , to the man of the house , who fetched the marshal , and the marshal had me to the governor ; and when i was brought before the governor , he came towards me in a lofty manner , and said , put off thy hat ; i answered , i cannot ; so my hat at his command was taken off . j.i. asked me why i came to town ? i said , to visit my friends that were in prison ; and ( if i may have liberty ) if they want any thing , to minister to their necessities . he answered in derision , that was a charitable deed ; why did not humphrey norton come ? he asked me if i had any letters ; to which i vvas silent . so he bid the marshal search me , who did according to his command ; and i. indicot took several papers out of my letter-case , and kept them . and after some questions about the body of christ , ( to which i answered him according to the scriptures ) and telling me that was no new thing we held ; for ( he said ) if he had time , he would shew me out of books which he had in the house , that several hereticks ( before us ) held the same opinions . to which i answered him little , ( knowing that the spirit of god is pure from all heresie , whatsoever blind men m●y say of it . ) i.i. bid the marshal have me to prison , the which was done without warrant or mittimus , that i saw or heard of . again , on the seventh day of the seventh month , we three were sent for ( from the prison ) before the court of assistance held at boston , who ( when we came ) commanded our hats to be taken off , the which being done , ( after some time ) i.i. asked us one by one , whether we knew the law against quakers ? we answered , we knew their law . then he asked us , why we came hither ? we answered ▪ that the lord ( whose law is just ) required it of us to come , in obedience to him we came . then one called major denison , asked us , whether every man is not master of his own house ? we answered , the lord god is master of heaven and earth , and he can send whither he vvill , and vvhom he vvill : then j. i. said , were you not here before , and vvere sent away , and vvere vvarned not to come again , and now are come a third time , ( to which rich. bellingham added ) in contemp● of authority ? we answered , amos must prophesie at bethel , though he be forbidden . then major denison said , if a man should forewarn another man from coming into his house , and should stand with a pike ( or a sword ) at his door , and yet for all this , the other should attempt to come into his house , and should be slain , would not this man's blood be upon his own head ? ans if the lord sent a man to such a man's house , to warn him ( or any in his house ) to repent , or of the judgements that vvas to come ; if this man vvas slain , he was innocent in the sight of god , and had cleared his conscience towards the man , and his blood would be upon his head that slew him . then some words passed betwixt us , whereby the governor was called by his name ; then major denison spake to this effect , it was not fit for us to call him by his name ; [ mark but the pride of this man's heart ] to which it was replyed , he might have shewed more wisdom ; for hís name is john indicot , and mens names are given for men to be called by . then they fell to plead for being worshipped and honored with the honour which is from below , which unbelievers live in , and seeks , and would have it , and brought many scriptures for resp●ct of persons . they were answered , they that respects persons , commits sin . then one said , that is in judgement . to which it was replyed , now you are in judgement , why do you then plead for it ? if you were magistrates of god , you would speak in the majesty of god ; but they were light , and vain , and laugh'd . john indicot asked , what is the honor that you would have given to men ? ans. love is the honor due to all men ; and further said , how can you believe , that receive honor one of another ? if you were believers , you would not seek it ; but the unbelieving pharisees sought it , and were reprehended by christ ; and the same reproof reaches to all men who are seeking the same . denison said , it might be ignorant people vvould wonder that we should make so much a-do about putting off the hat , and seeking honor to our persons , for therein lyes the ground of contempt of authority . both ignorant and wise may wonder at it indeed , that you make such a do about the hat ; is putting of hats , and bowing the knee , obedience to the higher power ? is that the honor from above ? nay , christ saith its below . and though denison said , they fought not honor to themselves , yet ( reader ) thou maist judge by their late act , ( which hereafter i shall mention ) that they were so unvvilling to lose this honor , ( which is corrupt and below ) that rather then they will want it , death and banishment shall come upon him that vvill not give it them . and further , denison ( out of the pride of his heart ) said , we are stronger then you , look to your selves . answ. the lord is stronger then all , and he shall reign . then one of them said , we were deceived and deluded . ans. if we were deluded , and out of the way , you had more need to pitty us , then do as you do . one of them said , we pitty you , while we punish you . [ mark the deceit of this man ▪ ] then after some more words , ( wherein they call'd us bold boys , and blasphemers ) j. indicot said , you come in a way , and shew of love and humility , and the spirit of meekness , but you are such as christ spoke of , vvho outwardly have sheeps clothing , but inwardly are ravening wolves . ans christ there speaks of a people very like your selves . then j i. made a speech unto us , to this effect : exhorting us to make our peace with god , saying , that the way we walked in , ( deceiving of people , and speaking against ministers and ordinances , and despising of magistrates ) is the way that leads to hell ; and said , [ the boaster ] i speak from heaven , but you will not believe me . answ. nay , we do not believe thee , ( he who is a man of blood , speaks from the pit of darkness , where his residence and abode is ) but as for deceiving of people , and speaking against ministers of christ , and despising of magistrates , we are not guilty . so they bid the gaoler take us away , the which he did ; and this is the substance of our examination at that time . again , on the tenth day of the same month , we were called before the court ; and when we came before them , the deputy-governor made a speech to this effect : these men have been formerly here , and they have been sent avvay ; and though they know the law , yet are come again in contempt , and to revile magistrates and ministers , and to break all order in churches , and deceive the people ; and so what ever become of them , whether loss of ears , or loss of life , your blood be upon your own heads . [ mark , worse then pilate , and the envious jews . ] to which he vvas replyed , you heap false accusations upon us , and god will heap his judgements upon your heads ; and if we suffer either loss of member , or loss of life , our blood will be required at your hands , for the lord hath sent us hither . j. i. said , prove that , ( and said ) christ's messengers were to pray for them that persecuted them ; but you prophesie his judgements upon us . we have not done any thing that deserves either death or bonds . then indicot said , you are greater enemies to us , then those that come openly , while you come under pretence of peace , to poyson the people . then one of us said , it grieves me to hear thee speak so many false things . then they urged us to prove that we were sent of god . ans. that vvhich you do unto us , doth prove that vve are sent of god ; for the same things that christ said should be done to his disciples , ( by those that were contrary to him ) have you done unto us , as vvhipping , &c. to vvhich major denison said , then evil-doers that are whipped , suffer for christ's sake . to vvhich iohn rous replyed , if we were evil-doers , the judgements of god would he heavier upon us then that which we suffer by you ; but not being evil-doers , we have peace with god , and his peace keeps us above all sufferings . to which major denison replyed , mr. rous ( for so i may call you , having heard your father is a gentleman ) what judgement of god do you look for greater ( then is upon you ) then to be driven from your fathers house , and to run about here as a vagabond , with a company of deceivers , except you look for a halter , or to be stricken with a thunder-bolt ? [ reader , do but mark this christian-magistrate , for so he would be called . ] joh. rous said , i was not driven from my fathers house , but in obedience to the lord i left it ; and when the lord shall have cleared me of this land , i shall return to it again . then j. indi●●t called to the secretary to read the law , then he read this clause in it , that if any that had suffered the law , should presume to return again , they should have one of their ears cut off ; ( worse then the jews , when the apostles came again into a city after they were commanded not to come , yet when they came , they cut not off their ears ) then j. indicot did as he used to do , spoke many words in derision ; then one of us said , more gravity would become thee . to which j. indicot said , do you come to reprove us ? major denison said , if you could shew unto us your commission , as plain as we can shew you that you transgress our law , &c. [ reader , take notice , they had no law at all when the quakers came into new-england , till they consulted with the prince of darkness to make one . ] whether you believe us , or no , from the lord we have received our command , and his spirit is our seal . then j. indicot said , they have nothing to prove it by , but the spirit within them , and that is the devil . ans. take heed of blaspheming the spirit . j. indicot said , you come in contempt . reply , the lord god ( who knows the hearts and reins of all mankind ) judge betwixt us and you , whether we came in contempt . so after some words , we spake something to them concerning their law , and said , we have seen some of your laws that have many scriptures in the margent , but what example have you in scripture for cutting off ears ? j.i. said , what scripture have you for hanging then ? m. denison said in way of derision , yes , they would be crucified . so they hastened the governor to dispatch us quickly , who spoke to the secretary to read the law to us three ; so he called us three by our names , and ( as he was going to read it ) the governor and magistrates whispered together , and ( while we were expecting to have the lavv read against us ) j. indicot turned suddenly about , and in great haste and bitterness passed his sentence upon us three , in these words , it is the sentence of the court , that you three shall have your right ears cut off by the hangman . then we seeing their unjust proceedings against us , and that they were both our accusers and judges , we were stirred in spirit to appeal to the chief magistrate of the commonwealth of england , the vvhich appeal we made one by one ; but they made a light thing of it , and hastened the keeper to take us away ; so we were had away , and put into the prison again ; and the same day was laurence southwick , and casandria his wife , and josiah their son , called before their court , who had been prisoners in the house of correction eleven weeks , for being taken in a meeting at salem , who have been imprisoned here before ; so they began with them , saying , this man was a member , and this woman a member ; then josiah asked them , what error he held ? they said , you do believe and hold forth , that there is that in every man , that if he will , he may be saved by it . josiah replyed , there is no power in any mans will to save himself . laurence said , the reason why you gave me admonition , was because i entertained two men in my house ; they answered , they were quakers . he replyed , it was christopher holder , and john copeland . so they were had to the house of correction again , and on the morrow a bond was sent them for to sign , ( of vvhich a copy followeth ) for the signing of which bond , liberty was offered . we , laurence southwick , josiah southwick , and casandria southwick , do bind our selves joyntly and severally , in the sum of . l. to the treasurer of the county ; the condition is , that we , and every one of us , will forthwith depart the jurisdiction of the masatuthers ; or that we , or any of us , shall publish or maintain any of the diabolical opinions of the quakers , or entertain any of their sect that resort unto us from other parts . the which bond they cannot sign , and therefore they remain prisoners still . so on the . day of the th . month , . the marshal ( with a company of blood-thirsty men ) came to the prison where we were , & when they had let in so many as they thought meet , they lock't the door , & did not suffer one friend to come in , though some did much press it , especially one friend who was moved to come from rhode-island to bear witness against their cruelty at the time of their executing of it on us . so when they had made the doors fast , the marshal ( vvith some others ) came into the room where vve vvere , and read an order to this effect , as follows . to the marshal general , or to his deputy ; you are to take with you the executioner , and to repair to the house of correction , and there see him cut off the right ears of john copeland , christopher holder , and john rous , quakers , in execution of the sentence of the court of assistance , for the breach of the law , tituled quakers . edward rawson , secretary . so they had us forth into another room , vvhere vvas more light ; ioh. rous said to the marshal , we have appealed to the chief magistrate of england ; he answered , he had nothing to do with that . christoph . holder said , such execution as this should be done publikely , and not in private . one called cap. oliver , replyed , we do it in private , to keep you from twatling . so the executioner took c.h. and when he had turned aside his hair , and was going to cut off his ear , the marshal he turned his back on him , because he would not see it ; the which i. rous taking notice of , said , turn about , and see it ; ( for so was his order ) and the marshal ( being filled with fear ) turned , and said , yes , yes , let us look on it . so in the fear of god we suffered boldly , saying , those that do it ignorantly , we desire ( from our hearts ) the lord to forgive them , but for them that do it maliciously , let our blood be upon their heads ; and such shall know in the day of account , that every drop of our blood shall be as heavy upon them as a milstone . so when they had done , they slank away as a dog when he had suck'd the blood of a lamb , and is discovered . and this is a declaration of the sufferings of us three , c.h. i.r. i.c. the friend that came to bear witness against their cruelty , ( whose name is katherin scot ) is committed to the house of correction . boston prison , the . of the th . month , . here follows the cruel and merciless sufferings of william brend , by the hands of pharoah's task-masters , who would be called christian magistrates , but by their fruits thou mayest see by whom they bear rule , and for whom they rule . the testimony ( as follows ) under his own hand , take . on the th . day of the th . month , . i came to salem , ( being moved thereunto by the lord ) where there was several meetings , which was of service for the lord . upon the . of the . month , we had a meeting at nicholas philip's house , ( some five miles from salem ▪ ) and after we had been some time together , ( and were waiting upon the lord ) in silence , there came one edward batters , ( who called himself a commissioner , as he said ) and a constable with him , and the said batters commanded the constable to take us away . i asked him for his warrant ; he said he had none ; then we refused to go with him . then he bad the constable command some friends ( that were present ) to aid him . they refused , seeing the constable had no warrant . batters willing to drive on his masters work , went out , and brought two other men ( which he had ready near the house ) to force us away , but stil we refused to go with him , unless they would carry us by force ; though they hailed us , and forced off our clothes , yet we went not ; ( see the fruits of new-england-members on their sabbath , which they pretend to be so zealous for ) so they went away without us . this was about the fourth hour in the afternoon , and we tarryed thereabouts till after the sun was set , expecting their return , seeing we had wronged no man . there was a man at this meeting , called r. adams ( who lived at a town called newbury ) hearing the truth declared , did desire if we came that way ) to come to his hou●e , and have some conference with their minister : we came to this mans house the . of the . month , in the morning , and when we came there , he desired that their minister might be sent ●or , whom he said was so moderate a man , that he would not wrong us : but the priest ( notwithstanding all his seeming moderation ) brought a club-man with him , ( whom he called a magistrate ) one captain garish , and others with him ; and as we were walking in the wood , one came and told us the priest was come , and several others with him ; they promised robert adams they would not injure us , but we might freely pass away as we came . so we went into the house , and had many words vvith the priest , some of them were , that there is a necessity of mens sinning in this life ▪ a doctrine ( not onely preached , but ) lamentably practised in new-england . but cain's nature began soon to rise , and they began to threaten us that they vvould exercise their power again●t us and so kept us several hours , notwithstanding their promise : but at last said . if we would promise to depart their town , they vvould let us go , vvhich vve could not do , nor make a covenant with death . so we passed away , and after vve were gone almost half a mile , garish came riding after us , and bid us go back , but we refused ; then he forced us along vvith several men to assist him back again to robert adam's house , and there kept us till the constable came , whom they had privately sent for ; and gar●sh writ some kind of warrant , and sent us to rouly , to be conveyed from constable to constable , till we were brought back again to salem . they brought us to rouly in the night , so the next day we passed through j●swich , and other places , which was of service to the lord ; we came to salem where their court was sitting ; we vvere brought before them in the night , where one simon broadstreat sate as judge , daniel denison , william hathorn , with another assistant ; simon broadstreat asked us , if we knew before vvhom vve vvere : then after they had pulled off our hats they asked our names , we told them . they asked us if vve vvere quaker ; we answered , we were of those vvhom the world in derision calls so ▪ simon broadstreat s●id , he never saw any of us before , and he began to tell us we held dangerous errors : we bad him declare what they were ▪ then ( like the rest of cain's race ) he began to accuse us , we denyed that christ that suffered at jerusalem ; and that we denyed the scriptures ▪ but vve declared the contrary , and that we owned no other jesus but he that suffered at jerusalem ; and the scriptures of truth vve owned . and then they said , we were much wronged ; and further said , what we had declared concerning christ and the scriptures , they owned . then they would know our call to come into those parts . we answered , we came to visit the seed in captivity . then they began to threaten us with their law , and before confessed they owned what vve said . we asked wha● they had to lay to our charge , but they had nothing , but said they had a law against such a people as we owned our selves to be of and according to that law , sent us to the house of correction , and bid the constable take us away , and kept us prisoners ; some of salem people , which were summoned to answer for being at the meeting before-mentioned , six of them were sent to prison with us to boston . the second day of the fifth month being the sixth day of the week , and the presence of the lord was vvith us , and we stayed at laurence southwick's house , where we had a meeting of friends vvhich passed some part of the way vvith us , after we had given up our selves to the lord by prayer ●nd supplication . and vvhen we came to boston , vve were seperated into several rooms in the prison , and we into a room that the bloody gaoler had provided to put us in , he hearing we were taken , resolved ( in his wicked heart ) to torment our bodies , or to make us bow to their wicked and cursed law , ( as he said to us . ) he took us up into a high room in the inner , prison , had stopped it so close , that he left not a hole for any air to come in , nor suffered any to come at us ; and stopped all necessaries from us , as food , and whatsoever might be serviceable to us , neither let us have any victuals for our money ; but after some time he brought a few pottage and a piece of bread ; we would have given him money for it , but he said , he would have nothing but work for it ; and further said , if we did eat , he would make us work for it ; so he kept us without any , five dayes ▪ on the second day of the week he called us down to be whipped , which was executed upon us in twenty blows , with a three-stringed whip , with knots at the ends , with as much fury and violence as ever he could lay it on . so after i spoke a few words against their bloody law , ( which lay upon me to witness against ) by which we suffered , he locked us up again , ( as before-mentioned ) and about an hour after he came to signifie to us , that we were clear , ( according to the law ) and might pass away if we would pay the marshal to go with us out of the collony : [ oh inhumane ! we to pay a man for banishing of us ! ] the answer was , if he would set open the doors for us , we would pass away ; and after he demanded , whether we would work his work ? we refused : then he began to threaten us what he would do to us , and said he would put me in irons that night ; so the next day he came with his irons , and put one iron on each thigh , and another about my neck , and he locked them together with a horse-lock , that there was no more liberty between the irons then the lock allowed , ( so that my body was crumbled together , my head close to my thighs ) those irons was upon me from about the fifth hour in the morning , till after the ninth hour at night ; ( which was sixteen hours . ) and when i lay in the irons , i was strengthened in the power of the lord . the next day in the morning he came as he did before , to know vvhether i had occasion to go dovvn , i vvent dovvn , and vvhen i came into the lovver room vvhere his mill stands , he haled me tovvards the mill , and bid me go to vvork ; he took a rope about an inch thick , and laid upon me as hard as he could lay upon my back and arms , until his rope untvvisted , and then he left off , and ( as it vvas said by the prisoners ) he gave me about twenty blows at the least , so that with those blows , my back and arms were swelled . then i went up into the room , ( where we were locked in ) then he brought another rope bigger and stronger then the former and haled me down again into the lower room , and said ( as he often did ) that he would make me bow to the law of the countrey ; he bid me work , wch i could not do for all the worlds frowns or favours . it being in the heat of summer , i had nothing but a searge cassock upon my shirt ; then he began to lay on again ( vvith his rope ) upon my back , that had been vvhipped but tvvo days before , and the day before lay in irons , and had laid so many blovvs upon me ( before ) that morning ; but he ( like an unreasonable man ) had no compassion , but vvith violence laid four-score and seventeen blovvs more on me , as hard as he could lay them on ; and if his strength ( and his rope had not failed him ) he vvould have laid more on ; but he threatned to give me as many more the next morning , if i vvould not bovv to the lavv , and also that friend that vvas vvith me , if he vvould not yeild ; but the lord prevented this cruel man of his purpose . so he locked us up in the room , ( as at the first ) and yet the lord did bear me up , that i fell not under the strokes of this vvicked man , being kept from dyet five dayes , and my body vveakned both for vvant of ayre and dyet , and having lain in irons so many hours , and receiving so many blovvs , that soon after i vvas laid dovvn upon the boards , i felt the parts of nature decaying , and natural strength to fail me , that my body vvas turned as cold as the earth , and a striving there vvas in nature for life , ( vvhich vvas near departed from me ) so that at last all my sences vvere stopped , that i had neither seeing , feeling , nor hearing , for some time , but the povver of the lord broke through me , and life broke through death , and the breath of the lord breathed into my nostrils , and a noise went forth into the town , among the people ; so the vvickedness that vvas intended , ( and murder in secret ) vvas manifest openly ▪ and many came into the prison to see vvhat vvas done both small and great ) vvhich vvhen they savv , their eyes afflicted their hearts ; for they savv my back and arms bruised , and black , and my flesh become as a jelley , and svvelled vvith the blows , and the blood hanging as in bags under my arms , vvith the cruel beating having received an hundred and seventeen blovvs , ( at the least ) as vvas told by them that heard and saw them and what the lord hath done , is to make this profession and hypocrisie of theirs manifest , that all that fears the lord may come out from among them . and whether these be magistrates that rule for god , and whether these laws be according to the righteous law of god , vvhich is made to destroy god's workmanship , and to deface his creatures , and whether these be the fruits of them that are members of christ , let the vvise in heart judge . the cause is the lords , and whatsoever we suffer , it shall be for the furtherance of the gospel of christ , which is the power of god to salvation , to them that do believe : and my peace is in him vvho is the prince of peace , vvho bears me up in his arms above all the rage and wickedness of the wicked , which shall come to an end ; to him be praise for ever and ever : amen . from the common-goal in boston , this th . of the th . month , . william brend . a true relation of what some have suffered for conscience-sake in salem , and some other places in the masathusets collony in new-england . in september , in the year . there came two young men to salem , one christopher holder , and john c●peland , these men came from england to road-island , who on the first day of the week came to the meeting-house , who vvhen their meeting vvas ended , they began to speak , vvho vvere thrust out of the meeting in great fury ; one that vvas a commissioner in the tovvn , pull'd him back by the hair of the head , and thrust his hand ( with his glove ) in his mouth , to stop his mouth , one samuel shattock was present , and pulled his hand from his mouth ; he vvas the next day sent vvith them to boston , with an accusation sent by captain hathorn , that he vvas a friend to quakers , and pleaded for the maintenance of their opinions , for the vvhich he vvas sent to prison , & the other tvvo men ; the tvvo men vvere vvhipt lashes a piece with a three-corded whip , with knots on the end , laid on with great fury ; and s. shottock vvas bound in a bond of twenty pounds , to answer it at court , and vvas not to speak with one of them called quakers , but when he mad● his appearance , none appeared to prove the charge ; he was required to come the next week , so made three iourneys to the court , and then could prove nothing ; the deputy-governor would have him bound over longer ; but the governor said , they could not answer it , in as much as evidence did not appear . so it was entered into the court-rolls , that he should make his appearance at the next new-commons . now there was one laurence southwick and his wife , was sent to boston-prison for entertaining these two strangers ; the man , they let come home again , because the church was to examine him & cast him out ; but the woman was kept vveeks in prison , although they had no law then made against the thing . in the end of this time , having nothing against the woman , did at last ask her if she owned such a paper as some in prison had written , concerning their owning of god , and christ , and the scriptures ? she owning of it , was fined forty shillings , and so let her go . now about this time there were some observing that cruelty that was practised by them , ( altogether unbecoming christians ) and the drift of their preachers vvas to encourage and drive on this design , vvhich filleth up most of their sermons , and that time vvhich should have been better spent ; insomuch that vvhen vve went to look for bread , we had a stone given us , and a serpent instead of a fish : at length finding it so unprofitable , had no rest nor peace in our spirits to sit down under it , as the ordinances of god , and spiritual worship , vvhich was altogether empty of god , did then withdraw our selves from them , and did meet together on the first dayes of the week ; the constable was then sent to take the names of them that met ; and on the next day they were brought b●fore captain hathorn , ( who was a commissioner ) and he read the law to them for conviction , to pay five shillings a week for not coming to the meeting ; but this did not content them , but did afterwards send for them again before him , and three of them were sent to boston by the constable , with laurence southwick , his wife , and his son josiah southwick , who were com●itted to the prison , no breach of any law being proved , but for not meeting , for vvhich they made them pay besides , so they put them in the house of correction , and vvhipt them in the dead time of all the winter , and the gaoler required seven shillings six pence fees for each of them , and kept some of their clothes for it ; . s. . d. vvas each of their fees .   l. s. d. novv they took from laurence southwick for six weeks absence from their meeting , . s. aftervvards for six weeks absence for his wife , . s. and from josiah southwick ( upon the same account ) s. and from an old man and his wife , one edward harnet , he was aged about sixty years and nine , and his wife aged about seventy three years of age , who was forced in his old age to sell that which he had , which was a poor house , and a little land , and now to be gone , or wrong his conscience , his labour being almost done , and being not able to stand under the fine of five shillings by the week , did sell ; and notvvithstanding the poor honest man was going away from troubling of them , the marshal was sent , and took away thirty seven shillings from the poor aged people . now about this time there was one william shattock in boston , ( a poor man that did refrain from the publike meeting ) was had to the court , who ( because he had not to pay the five shillings a-week-fine ) was put in prison , [ they judged him a friend to quakers ] he was ( by the courts order ) whipt , and kept prisoner from his family ; and the gaoler took all his work for himself , allowing his family not a penny . he at last sent to the court to know what they would do ; he had this word sent to him , that if he was able to pay five shillings a week , he might stay ; but the deputy-governor said , seeing he had no house of his own , into his house he should not come , [ for he was his tenant ] & that none should receive him into their houses , therefore he must abide in the house of correction . the case being so hard he desired that he might then look out for a habitation in another jurisdiction : so they gave him but two or three dayes time to depart the collony ; so he was forced from his family , having his wife and four small children . the time proved so troublesom , that it was the desire of some to look out for a habitation in road-island patten , so there went three from salem , john small , john burton , josiah southwick , towards the island , and the first night came to a town called dedham , and went to the inne to lodge , they had not been long there , but the captain of the town came ( his name is cushar ) and examined them of matters of religion , and whether they owned their churches and ministers ; who being not free to answer according to his will , told them he would send them where they should . they told him upon what account they went ; but he got them secured that night , and the next morning sent them back to b●ston , with a constable , and tvvo men , vvith a halbard and black staff , ( as if they had been murderers ) and carryed them before the deputy governor , vvho threatned them to send them to prison , but they desired to go to the governor , ( who had a little more consideration then the other ) and said , that they could not hinder men from that ; so let them go but did afterwards send a warrant to the marshal to levy . s. upon them , to pay the men for bringing them back again to boston ; the governor , and deputy-go●ernor's hand was to it . after this , there came two men more to salem , ( of those called quakers ) and it was their desire to have a meeting with us ; so there was a meeting , and about twenty persons ( and upwards ) of the inhabitants , and whilst we were peaceably together , there came one edmond batters ( a commissioner ) with a cons●able with him ( it was about or miles from the town at a farm-house ) who came in with great rage , and took account of our names ; the court being at sal●m , the follovving week we were sent for , & some of us were kept prisoners two days by our own houses , at another house ▪ out of these the court chose six persons to send to prison , as axamples to the rest , their names are after expressed ) these they sent to the house of correction , as quakers ; they did earnestly desire to know what a quaker was ? they answered him that spake , saying , thou art one , because thou comest in with thy hat on ; he replyed again , that was a horrible thing to make such cruel lawes of whipping , and cutting off ears , and burning thorow the tongue , for not putting off the hat : so we were sent to the house of correction , and four of us was whip't , the other two was before whipt , as is before-mentioned , lawrence southwick and his son , but his wife was whip't the second time ; and the names of the inhabitants were ●awrence southwick , cassandria southwick , josiah southwick , samuel shattock , iosiah buffum , samuel gasken . now besides the six inhabitants , they sent the two strangers to prison , the one was william brend , that was a dweller in the city of london , and the other was an inhabitant of barbado's , his name is william leddra ; now the strangers were put into the goal , and the inhabitants in the house of correction , the goaler ( a cruel tyrant ) he required the strangers to work , but they refused to do his work ; and for the cruelty the goaler exercised on william brend , ( the passages are before mentioned ) some of their own society vvas dissatisfied , because the goaler vvas a church-member , and would have had him been cast out of the church ; but vvhen he vvas called before the church , iohn norton the teacher vvould hardly suffer any to blame him , but did countenance him in it ; so he vvas past by , and let alone . now the same week came one humphrey norton , a stranger , and one iohn rous , they were put in prison also ; so the ●oalor required them to work , but they refused , and did desire to eat their own bread , so they were cruelly whip't ; and because they would not work , iohn indecot governor , and richard billingham deputy-governor , wrote an order of cruelty to the goaler , that all the quakers then in prison should bee severely whip't twice a week , beginning with fifteen lashes , ( with a cruel whip ) and every time to exceed three ; which was barbarous cruelty , which they put in execution ; but compassion was in some of the towns-men , that they paid their fees and released them ; now in the end of three weeks some of the inhabitants were released , such as had not been in prison once before ; now these cruel acts made more of the inhabitants of salem with-draw from their assemblies , because their hands were defiled with blood . now about three weeks after the former court at salem , the court did again sit , and had divers persons brought before them ( upon this account ) for not comming to the meeting ; the general court having now made a law , the first law was , to pay five shillings a week for not coming to them ; now to adde to that , we must pay ten shillings every time we meet ( to worship the lord ) together ; and if any one spoke in our meeting , they must pay five pounds a time , ( each person : ) amongst those that were presented , came in one nicholas philps , vvith his hat on , vvho hearing them say that the quakers deny magistrates , and having a paper in his pocket that did express under some of their hands , that they ovvned magistrates , did give it to them ; they asked if he vvould own it ? he answered , yea ; then they fined him forty shillings for ovvning that , and for not putting off his hat , sent him to ipswich correction-house , where he was whipt at first entrance ; the gaoler requiring him to work , he told him , if he would let him go home to his work , he would vvork ; for he thought it unreasonable for them to require him to vvork for them , and for the gaoler to take eight pence out of every shilling that he got , and he ( the mean time ) to hire men at home about his own harvest ; and told them , houses of correction ( in england ) vvere for such as vvas not fit to guide themselves , idle persons , and vagrants , and not to take men from their families and employments , that did help carry on the common charge of the countrey . but they vvhipt him for not vvorking ; he vvas vvhipt three times in five dayes , a poor , vveak , crooked man . these courts vvas carryed on by simon broadstreet , magistrate , major denison , and william hathorne . now about six or seven weeks after that , there vvas some of us quietly and peaceably met together to worship the lord , and shut the door , ( about a mile from the town ; ) the constable ( and one more ) came and required us to open the door , but we answered them not ; so he took an ax , and broke up the door upon us , and took notice of our names ; and soon after vvas ipswich court , vvhere some of our names vvere sent in ; the magistrates chusing out four of us , sent for us , vvho vvere carryed by the constable thither , and vvas there apprehended for not coming to meeting to their publike assembly , & vvas fined five shillings a week ; and for meeting by our selves , vvas fined ten shillings a time ; and for coming in vvith our hats on , vvas again sent to prison as quakers , and vvhipt , and at the first entrance hardly used . those that was committed , was samuel shattock , nicholas philps , josiah buffum ; & continued in ipswich gaol about three weeks , and three dayes , ( it was then the time of the general court in boston , the second sessions of it : ) so three days after the court began , there passed a warrant out under edward rawson's hand , ( secretary ) to the gaoler of ipswich , to bring away the prisoners ( that was quakers ) with speed , to deliver them up to the master of the house of correction in boston , to keep in safe custody . so thither we were brought , and the same day that we were put into the correction-house at boston , we were called forth before the court , [ reader , take notice that the law that they made against quakers , was thus exprest ; that they was a cursed sect of heretick● , that spake and writ blasphemous opinions , and that the doctrines they held was diabolical ; with many more charges of that nature ] when we came to the court , we desired a fair tryal according to their own law , and that we might be tryed , if we had delivered any blasphemous heresie , or devillish doctrine ; that we might be tryed either by the general court , or a jury of twelve men , whose charges we would bear , de●iring a fair hearing of things . now when we desired a fair hearing of matters , the magistrates that had been our former judges , major denison , and simon broadstreet , did then the more set themselves against us , to make good their own actings towards us ; but vvhen we desired a fair hearing according to the lavv , ( by which we suffered , and held them to it , to prove us blasphemers , and hereticks , ( they could not at all prove any such thing against us ) they said , we were not punished for matter of judgement , but for fact : we desired to know what was our fact ? they answered , that we did withdraw our selves from their meeting , and kept meetings of our own , and owned such as was enemies to them , and by that did manifest our selves enemies to all government in church and common-wealth . it was answered , that we sought not the hurt of any of them ; & for that as they called fact , their laws had already taken hold of us by fines ; but seeing that their lavv run upon heresie and blasphemy , we desired to be tryed according to it ; but they would not hear us , so we were sent back to prison . now the next day was boston-lecture-day , vvhereon chansey ( master of their colledge ) preached ; and seeing they could justly prove not any thing against us , ( as the law speaks ) did thus deliver himself , suppose ( said he to the magistrates ) you should catch six wolves in a trap , you cannot prove that they have killed any lambs , or sheep , and now you have them , they will not bark nor bite , yet they have the plain mark of wolves ; whether you would let them go , yea or nay ? [ there being six of us then in prison upon that account . ] and this is the doctrine of one of the false prophets in new-england , whose hands is full of blood , and hearts full of deceit and wickedness , which the lord sees and takes notice of . novv vvhen they wanted to make us appear to be what was exprest in the law , the priests vvent thus to vvork , that seeing they could not prove that , therefore their plot was ( as we heard ) that on the lecture-day the magistrates and ministers combining together for to call us forth , & went to work ; ( about half an hour after we were thus informed , ) so we vvere called forth , and a great company of their teachers vvas present , and the general court made john norton their mouth to examine us , who put questions to us , but we refused to answer him , because we referred our cause to the court to be tryed , and he being not one of them , we was not free to give him answer ; when he saw that , he then put questions in the magistrates mouths to ask us , but durst not trust them with the managing of them neither ; so we told the court it was a great disparagement to them , and that they did much undervalue themselves , as if they were not wise enough to propound their own questions to us , vvithout the help of him ; but he would not be put by , but put forth many subtil ensnaring questions , to catch advantage , and no scripture-answers would in the least give him satisfaction ; but he could not at all accomplish his ends at that time by us ; so when they could not have their wills , did then address themselves by petition to the court , ( as we were informed ) to forward their designs for death and banishment , and presented particulars to the court for tryals ; so at last it was concluded by vote among the magistrates , that such and such persons should be banished upon pain of death , ( as their law doth express . ) now when it had thus past , it was sent to the house of deputies , desiring their consent ; but it met with hard service amongst them , for those of understanding amongst them , judged it absurd and ridiculous ; but at last when it came to be voted , they that that was against it judging their side the greatest put it to vote , and it so fell out , that there was twenty seven of them in all at that time , and fourteen was for it , and the speaker and twelve more was against it ; one of the deputies that was against it , was sick , he desired the speaker to send for him when it was put to vote , but the speaker concluded that they should carry it without him , & let him alone , & the want of his vote cast the case , which when it was cast , the man hearing of it , was exceedingly distressed in his spirit , that his absence should occasion the passing of such an unrighteous law . now after this , it was in question , whether all the particulars in the law , should go to make one transgression ; but that was rejected ; so that one of these ( if the judges please ) may expose to death or banishment , the not coming to their meeting , or not putting off the hat to a mans equals . so the court released us at present , onely we were to be gone by the court of ele●tion in may . now before the conclusion , we sent into the deputies , that seeing the chief offence was not putting off the hat , we desired to know if our punishments had not been sufficient for our offences , some of us had been twice imprisoned ten weeks , and twice whipt , one of us had been four times whipt ; three had been tvvice imprisoned , and tvvice vvhipt , and the last time kept prisoners tvventy weeks , that vvas husbandmen the time of hay and harvest , their things lying upon spoile all the chief time of summer , that had many cattel to look after , who was imprisoned from the first of the fifth month , july , till towards the latter end of the ninth month , called november , and nothing could be charged on us , but for meetting together on the first day of the week , and coming before them with our hats on . now in the time of our imprisonment , one of us ( josiah southwick ) sent to the governor and magistrates at their meeting , & desired a little liberty to go home , ( his goods being on the spoile ) and he would give bond to come again faithfully to the prison at their appointed time , but they denyed it . now there was one william marston that lived at hampton , they finding two little books in his house , one was john lilburn's little book sent to his wife from dover-castle , and the other was a sheet of paper of william dewsberry's , called , the mighty day of the lord ; for the vvhich they took from him ten pounds ; this man withdrew from the publike meeting at hampton , they rated him three pounds to the priest for his wages , and took it violently from him , and was also fined five pounds for not coming to their meeting , and took away a barrel of salted beef that he had provided to send to sea , more moneys they took from him , but the true account of all we yet had not ; besides many other particulars ( which would be too tedious to mention ) which the inhabitants of the masathusets endure , with what more , may be expected in the prosecution of this unjust and unrighteous law , which if there may not be an allowance of appeals from the state of england , to the inhabitants , their subjects in new-england , it 's like to be a bloody time amongst us ; for they have not onely combined to kill and banish amongst themselves in the masathusets , but ( as we hear ) have by all means used to hedge up all wayes of succor to us in the neighbour-collonyes , which some of them had more tenderness then themselves : but our trust is in the most high , vvhose living presence is the fulness of all satisfaction to us in all outward straits . all these particulars have been since septemb. . to this present writing , . of the th . month , . in which time they drunk thirty and two draughts of cruel whippings of strangers and inhabitants ; and three strangers they cut their ears off : all these vvhippings and ear-cuttings , vvas done privately , in the private prison-houses . this william marston ( as is before exprest ) coming through salem , ( when we were in prison ) josiah southwick's wife sent some provision to her husband , and lau. southwick's daughter sent some to her parents then in prison by this man , who was ( for it ) carryed before the governor , and by him vvas committed to prison , and there vvas kept two weeks , and made pay five shillings fees to the gaoler , and let go . this affirmed under our hands , samuel southwick . josiah southwick , laurence southwick , samuel gasken , josiah buffum . now after all this , there was a court held at salem , the last day of november , . this court sent for about fifteen of the inhabitants for not coming to their meeting , twelve of which did appear ; of these , nine of them were fined ( for sixteen weeks absence ) four pounds a piece ▪ one was fined three pounds fifteen shillings , and one fined twenty shillings , the other did now enter into pay ; the sum of what was fined by this court , was forty pounds , fifteen shillings . and now the devil being let loose for a little season , he rages , and goes into utter darkness , ●nd fetches up all the powers of darkness , and they combine together to fortifie his kingdom , that so none but he ( who was a murderer from the beginning ) may have any rule in the town of boston , or the jurisdiction thereunto belonging ; and now he thinks his kingdom is sure . the last piece of work which the rulers have done for their master , is as followeth . an act made at a general court held at boston , the th . of october , . whereas there is a pernicious sect ( commonly called quakers ) lately risen , who by word and writing , have published and maintained many dangerous and horrid tenents , and do take upon them to change and alter the received laudable customs of our nation , in giving civil respect to equals , or reverence to superiors ; whose a●●ions tend to undermine the civil government , and also to destroy the order of the churches . the people called in scorn quakers , are risen up from under the powers of darkness , and they are come forth from the rising of the sun , where the morning hath appeared without clouds , and though set at nought by you , yet they are a mighty people , and of the royal off-spring , even of his family who is the first-born of every creature , and the heir of all things ; the shout of a king is among them , who is greater then abaddon , or appolyon ; his living presence is with them , and they shall come upon you hypocrites and dissemblers , as mortar and clay ; and though you lift up your horns high , and pusheth every way with them against the lamb and his followers , yet your horns shall be broken by him who is their king , by his horn of salvation , which now is lifted up far higher then the horn of an unicorn , and you shall be as ashes under their feet . we are not ignorant of the swelling of the sea , nor of the strength of the beast which hath risen out of the sea . we were not ignorant of his strength in new-england ; but he is brought among the quakers , and dwells in their tabernacle , who is able to make war with the beast and his followers , though you have cast up your banks very high , and fortified your selves , as the pope by his inquisition ; yet you must be gone over , and be made level , and yet not by clubs , nor staves , nor whips , nor hot irons , cain's weapons , the weapons of the murderer , which you have taken up , which shall be broken ; though your bows be as steel , yet they shall be broken by the arm of the lord , ( the quakers strength ; ) and what is the horrid tenents , and dangerous things they hold out , that you open your mouths so wide ? the horrid and dangerous tenent is , they alter the laudable customs of your nation ; would not thou judge ( reader ) when there hath been so many great words and accusations , that some capital fact would be laid down ? but behold the capital crime , the quaker will not put off his hat , nor his coat , nor none of his clothes to his equals , nor to a persecuting fellow , who hath a few buttons , and a few ribbans , who calls himself a superior ; and here is a crime ( indeed ) which deserves banishment and death , nothing below this will be able to satisfie justice for this crime , by the judgement of the law-makers of boston . and when became this such a laudable custom , that it is worthy of so much praise ? ye blind and ignorant , have you not read the scripture , he that respects persons , commits sin , and he that hath mens persons in admiration , will transgress for a morsel of bread ? and ye never learned this of elihu , this laudable custom , ( as you call it ) he said , i know not to give flattering titles to man , for in so doing my maker would take me away , but envy hath eaten out all knowledge out of your hearts . and is this your church-order , to take away mens beasts , kettles , pots , sheep , and peuter ? or is this your order , to fine men five shillings every day they come not to your synagogue , or because men cannot break the command of christ , and swear among a company of cruel , covetous , blood-thirsty men , to fine them five pounds ? tell the nations when this order was made in the churches , among all the orders and directions that christ and his apostles gave to believers , and to the churches to be observed ; i never read of any such as these . oh ignorance , folly , and madness ! what , fine five pounds a piece if they will not joyne with you in worship , nor come to hear a covetous hireling dream an hour ! what ? banish them that will not come to you ? what ? put to death if they come again ? greater cruelty never appeared among all the persecuting emperors of rome , in the greatest apost●cy . well , if this be your church-order , it's time for the lord to arise and scatter you ; and blessed shall he be that bears his testimony ( for god ) against you , though to the loss of his life , his end shall be peace . by denying all established forms of worship , and by withdrawing from orderly church-fellowship , allowed and approved by all orthodox professors of the truth , and instead thereof , and in opposition thereunto , frequent private meetings themselves , insinuating themselves into the minds of the simple , or such as are least affected to the order and government of church and commonwealth . you that have established such a form of worship , and such an assembly as this , that if any come into your assembly , and speak the word of the lord for the edification of the hearers , so that people● minds may be informed , you pull them out by the hair of the head , and stops their mouths with napkins or gloves ; and if any reprove him that doth so disorderly , you send him to prison , and fine him ; its time to withdraw from such disorderly assemblies as yours are . and if this be the order of your established form , approved of by orthodox professors , then the church of corinth was not orthodox , for there one might speak one by one , that all might hear , and be edified and comforted ; but this is accounted disorder in your church , and by your rulers ; and they that walk according to that order approved of among the saints of old , must bear the name of disorderly persons , and the sentence is , prison , and be fined , and be whipped . indeed amaziah the priest of bethel , was of your priests mind , and of the mind of your rulers and assemblies ; you may read your example when amos ( the herdsman ) said , the songs of the temple should be turned into howling , and prophesied against such a generation as you are , hear this , ye that swallow up the needy , even to make the poor of the land to faile , amos . . there is your example , ( you rulers of new-england ) who takes away poor peoples estates , ( their goods ) and casts them in stinking holes , and tears their flesh from off their backs , as you have caused to be done unto many poor people who are dear unto the lord . amos . . hearken what the lords sentence was to such a people , the lord hath sworn by the excellency of jacob , surely i will never forget any of their works . ver. . shall not the land t●emble for this , and every one mourn that dwelleth therein ? and it shall rise up wholly as a flood , and it shall be cast out and drowned , as by the flood of aegypt . read the , and . i say , amaziah was of your mind , he sent to jeroboam , and said amos had conspired against bethel and the altar , ( their church-assembly ) and against the land , so that it was not able to bear his words , amos . . and just like the king and priests then , so are you now ; church and state is like to be overthrown ( say you ) by the quakers , [ herdsmen and plowmen ] no orthodox divines , nor orthodox professors , but seditious , say you ; ( like as the envious iews , who falsly accused the apostles in the same words . ) and say you , they frequent meetings of their own : why not ? did not the apostles and saints meet from house to house ? went they to the temple at ierusalem , or into the jews synagogues ( after christ was ascended ) to worship ? you ignorant men , and yet cry , scripture is the rule of faith and obedience ; how is the scripture your rule now ? when any worship god anywhere but where you meet , banish them , fine them five shillings , and ten shillings , and five pounds a day , and if they return , death ; where is your rule ? the generations to come , will number you among fools , as men that have lost your natural understanding , through your madness and envy , which one day you will repent of . whereby divers of our inhabitants have been infected , notwithstanding all former laws made upon the experience of their arrogant and bold obtrusions to deseminate their principles among us , prohibiting their coming in this jurisdiction , they have not been deterred from their impetuous attempts , to undermine our peace , and hazard our ruine . and what , hath all your unrighteous decree● done you no good ? all your lying and invented expressions in your laws , ( to make your matter hainous ) not accomplished your purposes ? hath not your law for five shillings a-day , brought all to your confederacy ? nor ten shillings a-day , nor fetching away their beasts , pots and ketttles , will not all this hinder them , but they must depart from you ? will not all the whippings again , and again , ( as john indicot your governor , did consess to his own shame , that you had done ) will not all serve ? call all your inchanters together , and see , something is the matter more then ordinary , and cannot all this you have done , deter them from your jurisdiction ? yet you resolve to make another law , and try what that will do ; novv have you covenanted with death , and hath shaken hands with the destroyer and murderer ; sure enough your peace is undermined , for els all these horrid , cruel enterprises you vvould never have followed , ( which you have begun ) and ruine , and wo , and eternal misery , and everlasting sorrow is to them that are in that nature you live in , which is cursed from god for ever . for prevention thereof , this court doth order and enact , that every person or persons of the cursed se●t of the quakers , who is not an inhabitant of , but is found within this jurisdiction , shall be apprehended without warrant ; where no magistrate is at hand , any constable , commissioner , or select man , and conveyed from constable to constable , to the next magistrate , who shall commit the said person to close prison , there to remain ( without bail ) until the next court of assistance , where they shall have a legal tryal . now comes up the rear of the beast , and the reserve of the prince of darkness , to back & fortifie all the wicked enterprises they attempted before . who gave you power to order , & so to enact , to apprehend without warrant ? so you have made every man a magistrate , and a ruler in your jurisdiction , and i believe if they should kill , or take away the life of any , you would give them an absolution : is this the example of christ , or any church-members , or any christian-magistrate ? and why do you call them a cursed sect of the quakers ? you have cursed them whom god hath blessed , whom no weapon that is formed against , shall prosper . and as for your legal tryal , we know your rule , your own wicked , proud , arrogant , imperious , and envious wills , and this must sit as judge and tryer. well , you have now set your selves against the lord in your strength , having the old dragon for your leader ; will this serve you ? the angel of the everlasting covenant hath a chain in his hand to bind him , and to dissipate your wicked counsel , and confound you in the midst of your devises . and being convicted to be of the sect of the quakers , shall be sentenced to be banished upon pain of death . you who are banished from the presence of god ( your selves ) and are in cain's way , vagabonds , driven out into the earth where the dragon dwells , you would banish them out of the earth whom god hath shewed his face and presence unto ; and you are a sect which hath risen from the great whore , ( your mother ) who hath made all nations drunk , she that did drink the blood of the saints ; and you are the fruit of her womb , & are like your mother ; you have drunk the blood of the saints whom god hath sanctified & washed by the precious blood of jesus christ ; and now you are grown so blood-thirsty , that nought but banishment and loss of life , will satisfie your rage ; your cup shall be filled with the wine of the wrath of god , which shall be poured forth without mixture , and that will be your portion to drink . reader , stil take notice , all these laws mentioned in this book , and the fierce censures and punishments inflicted upon the servants of the lord , is , because they will not complement , ( like flattering courtiers , and roysters , & fidlers ) and use flattering titles to men who are in unbelief , who seek respect & honor one of another , ( which is below ) and because they cannot ●oin with them in their hypocritical assemblies , nor partake of the table of devils , ( who destroys mens lives ) nor drink the whores cup , ( which hath drunk the blood of the saints ) and this is a fact worthy of banishment and death , in the account of these blood-suckers . and now they come to their own inhabitants , and thou shalt hear their judgement concerning them , and thou shalt see how they love their neighbours . and that every inhabitant of this jurisdiction being convicted to be of the aforesaid sect , either by taking up , publishing , or defending the horrid opinions of the quakers , or the stirring up mutiny , sedition , or rebellion against the goverment , or by taking up their absurd and destructive practises , viz. denying civil respect to equals and superiors , and withdrawing from our church-assemblies , and instead ●hereof , frequent meetings of their own , in opposition to our church-order . now all may see how these men loves their neighbours ▪ themselves , and here is a great deal of aggravating , high , boasting words , packed up together in this unrighteous and ungodly act , as , sedition , rebellion , and absurd , and destructive principles ; and ( like scolds ) they make a great noise and clamour ; but if thou enquire into the fact , is it not putting off the hat , and disowning their assemblies ? and ( in their account ) banishment and death is punishment little enough for this transgression . these men would set up their assembly as nebucha●nezar's image , and whosoever will not bow , must into the fornace , or be banished , robbed , spoiled , and killed ; or like jeroboam's calf at dan and bethel , and if israel will not come to da● , or amos cry against bethel , amaziah will cry to the king , he hath uttered sedition and rebellion among the people , and he hath conspired against the king and the land cannot bear his words ? and is not this the same language , they will not come to our church , our assemblies ? but they meet of themselves and opposes us , and breeds mutinies , sedition , and rebellion in the government . these priests of new-england , a●d rulers , would have banished all the apostles , and have killed paul and stephen , who said , god dwelt not in temples made with hands , neither was worshipped in temples made with mens hands ; and drew people out of the temple , into private houses , and fields , and by the sea side ; and these men would have killed christ , ( the same generation did ) in whose foot-steps they are ; he said , neither at jerusalem , nor at samaria ; but they that worship the father , worship him in spirit and truth ▪ might the jews have replyed , was not the temple builded by the command of god ? and is it not so agreed upon by the whole nation of the jews ? and wilt thou say that god is not worshipped ? thou art mutinous and rebellious . and the samaritans might have said , this is the mount we met in , and it is agreed upon by our rulers and people , and it is the laudable custom of our country , and our assembly , and dost thou teach thy disciples to seperate from jerusalem , and from this mount ? then thou art seditious , and a mutinier , and a stirrer up of rebellion , an enemy to our nation and countrey ; and wilt thou respect no mans person ? nay , ( said the pharisees , tempting ) we know thou respects no mans person , what saist thou of caesar ? they might have said , what , wilt thou not respect thy equals and superiors ? then thou art not civil , and art against the laudable custom of our countrey , which all our approved orthodox persons doth allow of , thou must be banished , and if thou return , death . or by adhering to , or approving of any known quaker , and the tenents and practises of the quakers , that are opposite to the orthodox received opinions of the godly , and endeavouring to disaffect others to civil government and church-orders , or condemning the practise and proceedings of this court against the quakers . now if any ( like nicodemus ) would come but by night , ( who are yet no quakers ) if the rulers and priests of new-england know of you , you must out of the synagogue , and be banished , and if return , be put to death ; for this is an orthodox received opinion , to banish and kill them that comes not to their assembly , and puts not off the hat , then the orthodox received opinion of the church-members of new-england , is banishment , and if return death ; and he that justifies the practise and proceedings of that court , is not justified of god : what , whippers , robbers , spoilers , killers and destroyers , marrers of the workmanship of god , wrestlers with flesh & blood , blood-suckers ? he that justifies you , is condemned of god ; he that condemns your court , and proceedings , and practises , will god ( and all the holy angels ) justifie , and the church of god . it may be you will call this rebellion , and so it is against the prince of darkness , from whence you have received your authority . manifesting thereby , their complying with those whose design is to overthrow the order est●blished in church and state , every such person upon conviction before the said court of assistance , in manner as abovesaid shall be committed to close prison for one month , and then unless they chuse voluntarily to depart this jurisdiction , shall give bond for their good behaviour , and appear at the next court , where continuing obstinate , and refusing to retract and reform the foresaid opinions , shall be sentenced to banishment upon pain of death ; and any one magistrate upon information given him of any such person , shall cause him to be apprehended , and shall commit any such person to prison , according to his discretion , until he come to tryal , as abovesaid . and here is an end of their wicked law , which must come to an end . you that build up a nation with iniquity , and a church ( so called ) with blood , who layes traps for the feet of the innocent , and makes laws to destroy mens estates , and to banish men from the earth , which is the lords , and the fulness of it ; and furthermore , makes laws to destroy mens lives , and shed blood ; wo and misery is to your church and state , and the righteous god of heaven and earth will plead the cause of the innocent and needy , and overthrow that which you have established ; and if they will not recant , ( as you call it ) which is to deny christ before men , then banishment and prisonment , and their estate wasted , and they destroyed , then you think you are secure ; your laws is cursed , your religion cursed , and your enterprises cursed ; what , is not your gospel able to defend it self , but you must take up the beasts weapons , cain's weapons , ( the murderer ) the devil's weapons to defend your church and state , carnal weapons , hellish weapons , the dragons weapons ? hath your deceitful merchants ( the hireling priests ) made you believe that this is an orthodox received opinion ? they received this out of the bottomless pit , and the weapons ( with all that handle them ) shall go down thither again , and the lamb shall reign over the beast and his followers ; though you have established wickedness by a law , and think your selves secure , yet god will provoke you , that the rottenness of your hearts may be brought forth , and that all your deceit may be made manifest , that all that fear the lord may come out from amongst you , for wo and misery shall compass your tabernacle , and the dread of god is against you . and the next thing whereby the devil and his ministers fortifies themselves , is certain articles exhibited by them ( like the popes inquisition , although they are full of ignorance and blasphemy ) and these they intend to impose upon any ●an , and if they answer not according to their blind understandings , then they say they are convicted as hereticks , and must be sent to prison , and if they do not retract , banished and whipped in the mean time , and his estate made havock on , and then banished , not to return upon pain of death , and if he do return , to be put to death ; and this is the fruit of their orthodox received principles , and of the laudable custom of new-england . and now i come to the articles . . if a●y person or persons , besides their refusing to come to the publike assembly of divine worship , shall either deny the blessed trinity of persons in the divine essence : ans. and is this one of your orthodox received articles ? then the pope is as orthodox as you ; and what is there to be found , or can be expected in your publike assemblies , amongst a company of envious men , whose hearts are filled with envy , whose hands are defiled with blood ? divine worship , say you , like wolsey , bonner , and that bloody crew , divine service , said they : but you might more truly have said , humane invention , and vain tradition : and trinity of persons in the divine essence ; where learned you this article ? from the pope ? from the mass book ? yet the father , son , and spirit is owned , and these three are one ; and the father , word , and spirit , and these are one ; but i challenge all you orthodox professors , to shew me from scripture where the holy ghost , ( or spirit ) is called a person ; be ashamed of your ignorance , ye illiterate men . . or shall den● the person of christ to be distinct from the father , and the holy ghost ; or shall deny the person of christ to be distinct from every believer . ans. do but mark the , madness and confusion of these mighty rabbies , before there must be three persons in one essence , and now christ must be distinct from the father and the holy ghost ; before in god , and now distinct from god ; this is damnable doctrine , which hath been brought in since the apostacy ; for the scripture saith , god was in christ , reconciling the world to himself then ; how was he distinct from the father , when the father was in him ? and i am in the father , and the father in me , and i and my father are one ; nay , saith new-england doctors , they are distinct . an● the fulness of the god head dwelt in him bodily . now prove you that the father and the holy gbost are distinct from christ . or how is christ's person distinct from every believer , when he that is a believer hath him revealed in him , and he that is a true believer , eats his flesh , and drinks his blood ? how is he then distinct ? what nearer union can there be exprest ? is that distinct from a man , that he hath in him ? but it may be they will say , ( as the rest of the dreamers do ) he is in believers by his spirit , distinct from his body : then i say , christ is not divided ; for a person without a spirit , or distinct from the spirit , is not christ ; but this blind doctrine came up since the apostles dayes , and was counted as orthodox by the councels at neece and latteran , a company of apostates ; and hath been counted by the beasts followers , a great point of divinity . . or deny the manhood of christ to be a manhood distinct from the manhood of any other man . a. the man christ jesus who was of the seed of abraham , according to the flesh , and the son of god , according to the spirit , his flesh is distinct from you who live in envy , whose flesh is as the flesh of horses , and as the flesh of dragons , who devours ; you know not the holy flesh of christ , but the man of god doth , who is born of the spirit , and the flesh of christ is his meat ; and they that believe in him , are bone of his bone , and flesh of his flesh ; you ignorant dreamers , how then is his flesh distinct ? but do you feed upon ashes as your father doth , ( the cunning serpent ) for gods wisdom is hid from you . . or shall deny the scripture , or the written word to be the rule . a. we own the scriptures , which you ignorantly call the written word , as though all the scriptures were but one word ; the word is christ , which was revealed in the saints which spake the words forth , and he is the way and the rule of life to them that believe , and his spirit is the leader and guider into all truth , and the rule of obedience ; and you are they that denies the scriptures , and the rule of holy walking , you own it in words , and in works deny him , witness all your forementioned deeds of darkness : and hypocrites and dissemblers cryes , scripture is the rule of faith and life , when their life that they live , stands in sin , wickedness and deceit . or shall openly revile either church or state , or church-worship , church-officer , or ordinances divine , or the publike assembly of the people of god , to worship him according to the prescription of the gospel . a. your church , and state , church-officers , and ordinances , and assembly , and your worship is manifest to be a place where dragons are , who stings , devours , kills and destroys gods workmanship ; and he that speaks for you , god will condemn him ; for he that justifies you , justifies the wicked , and that is an abomination to the lord . and let the nation see your prescription , ( in that which you call your gospel ) where christ commanded the churches , or gave his disciples such prescripts as these . if the rest of the jews or gentiles will not come to your assemblies , fine them s. a day , and . s. a day , or . s. a month ; and if any speaks anywhere in my name , but where you meet , let him that speaks be fined . l. and if they will not pay , fetch away their goods , beasts , horses , break open their houses , and take hatchets , and beat down their doors , and take the names of them that meet , and hale them to the court , and there fine them . l. a man , and send them to prison , and load their backs with stripes , and whip them severely , and if any refuse to doff his hat , and will not say , reverend mr. peter , and reverend mr. paul , and reverend mr. john ; or , if it please you mr. mark , or mr. andrew and philip , then go you to the judgement-seat , and tell the magistrates , and let them indict them , and put in a great deal of aggravating words , as mutiny , sedition , insurrection , rebellion , and the like ; and let them say unto them , you are against the laudable custom of our countrey ; and last of all , banish them , and if they return again , put them to death , and let them say as richard bellingham , ( the deputy-governor of boston ) said to john copeland , and john rous , and christopher holder ; we commanded these men not to come again , but they are returned again in contempt of the magistracy and ministry , and so whatsoever comes upon you , loss of ears , or loss of life , your blood be upon your own heads . i say , let the regions know your prescript in your gospel , and your rule of life for these practises , and then you will convince the quakers , and satisfie all people . . or shall entertain any such in a way of conventicle , or private meeting , or shall resort unto the conventicle of any such who are known refusers to come to the publike worship of god in the publike assembly . a. these men would have banished paul , he was a man publikely known to refuse to go into the temple and synagogues , except to lead people out of them ; and yet they have got his words in their mouths ; and these men would have imprisoned the church of corinth , and galatia , and thessalonica , and the church of antioch , for they met in houses , and denyed the rest of the synagogues of the jews , and the temples of the gentiles , and they had private meetings , and often by the sea-side & mountains , and other places ; & although bishop land be dead , his spirit speaks and acts in new-england ; he made such articles as these against conventicles , and told of the laudable customs and worship of the nation ; but these men hath far exceeded him in cruelty ; they have done more wickednesse in one year , then he in seven . . or shall openly contemn , revile , or disobey , or disswade others from yeilding subjection to the christian magistrate , as at present established in this jurisdiction . a. shame and contempt is already come upon the magistrates of that jurisdiction , and shall more and more encrease , who rules not for god , but for the murderer ; and they who have established wickedness by a law , none can be subject to them nor their laws for conscience-sake , for they that do wrongs their own souls ; but rather bear their testimony against , and suffer under it , till god arise and plead their cause . it may be they will call this sedition and rebellion . . or being questioned by lawful aut●ority , shall refuse to give direct answers , or plain , to the aforementioned particulars , together with their obstinate persisting in any of the premised d●linquencies . a. so here is an end of the inquisition ; if they will not give plain answers , then to prison ; but in plainness that is , if they will not accuse themselves , then to prison ; so whether answer , or not answer , directly , or indirectly , all 's one ; if they answer contrary to these articles , then hereticks , to prison , and whip them , and fine them . l. and if they will not accuse themselves , but answer as the lord shall give them to answer , ( when asked by such tempters as these ) then they conclude their answer is not plain , but indirect ; and if they say nothing at all , then conclude them guilty , send them to prison , cut off their ears , whip them with ropes , whip them with whips , take their goods , banish them from their estates and families , and if they return , put to death , and then say , whether loss of ears , or loss of life come to you , your blood be upon your own heads . pilate was not clear , though he said the like as richard bellingham . o lord arise , and plead the cause of the poor of the flock ; for ungodly men is risen up in the pride of their hearts , and blasphemes thy name and thy tabernacle , and them that thou hast redeemed , they seek to destroy . here follows a narration of the sufferings of many godly people of salem : the particulars was sent from one friend to another . dear friend , i sent thee in the last information the fines of the court to be levied upon friends , which was . l. . s. but i was likely to have sent thee a larger sum , the marshal promised me a copy , but was not so good as his word ; for that which i saw in his hand , ( which he hath order to take ) i do believe will amount to above one hundred pounds ; he did secretly attach half of my house while i was in prison , ( i never heard of it till now ) so when i heard of it , i went to him to see whether it were so ; he told me he had done it , and attached my ground about it ; and told me if i would pay about ten pounds , i might have it before another ; for he told me there had been two men with him to buy it , and that he must forthwith get it prized by men , and put it to sale so that i am not like to have so much as a passage to the back-side of my house , and so by that means makes the rest uncapable at all to sell , so that my house is like to be a standing-testimony in this place against them ; but in the lord i rejoice that i have any thing to suffer the loss of , for the lord ; i did endeavour to have gotten a copy of the fines , & to have sent thee before the ship went , but i am prevented ; remember my love to thy husband ; friends here are all well . from salem the of the th . month , . thy friend in the truth , samuel shattock . now all sober people take notice of the wickedness , cruelty and madness of these rulers , and church-members , who are thus filled with rage and envy , who hath made and enacted all these wicked laws , and moreover have put them in execution , and have imprisoned many a long time , over and over , and whipped them again , and again ; and knocked down their doors , haled men out of their own houses , & from their families and estates , and have fined them . s. a day , and . s. a day , and . l. a day , and have wasted their estates , spoiled their goods , tear their flesh with knotted whips , ( men and women of great age ) cut off the ears of some , burnt some with hot irons , set them in the stocks , bound some neck & heels in irons . hours ; beaten with pitcht ropes ; detained all air from them ; shut them up in nasty holes , not suffering them to have any lively sustenance for many dayes , and last of all banish them , & take away their money by force , and give it to their butcherly marshal to banish them , & if return , death ; & then say , whether loss of members , or loss of life come upon you , your blood be upon your own heads ; and hath seized upon their beasts , pots , kettles , houses and lands , for their fines , which they have most wickedly imposed ; & for all this barbarous cruelty , & inhumane dealing , nothing they have against any of the forementioned sufferers , but because they will not worship this bloody spirit , nor put off the hat , nor give flattering words to their equals ; and because they will not come to their assemblies , and join in hypocrisie with this envious & perverse generation , in this their hypocritical worship ; & all these forementioned things hath been acted upon them ; and these are the horrid tenents , and the seditious practises they so much cry out of : do you think that this is like to make people close with you , and own your assemblies to be true churches of christ ? nay , though your deceit was never so apparently manifest , as now , some might be deceived , ( and judge you were a pure reformed church in the time of their ignorance ) now who are but moderate , cannot but see you a synagogue of satan , and a cage of uncleanness , and cannot but seperate from you , as the believers did from your fore-fathers the jews , who cryed up their temple , and ordinances , and assemblies , and the law , and yet slew the heir , and did unto his servants then , as you do now ; and ( just as they ) thought they did god service if they brought them into bondage , and did kill them , and persecute them , even as you do now ; i say , they fulfil the scripture in this , and upon that generation all the blood was required ; and you are in the same footsteps ; you have forgotten the law of god , even as you would that men should do unto you , do ye even so to them , would you be so dealt with ? would you be whipt again , and again , with knotted cords and ropes ? would you have your houses robbed and spoiled because you go not to their meetings ? would you be banished , and would you be put to death because you cannot submit to other mens wills ? let the light in all your consciences answer : well , the same measure that you have measured out to others , even the same will be measured to you . and do you think that these proceedings wil affect people to submit to your commandments and government ? would you have such laws made against you , or executed upon you ? if not , repent of your doings , and amend your wayes ; for though this may keep people in slavery a moment , yet all who fears god , or minds but the witness of god in their own consciences , they will see you , and seperate from you , and not partake with you in your evil deeds . and would you be called magistrates for god ? then do the work of god , and abuse not your selves with mankind , and turn not your swords against the innocent , which should be against transgressors ; but you being in envy , makes laws contrary to the law of god , and contrary to the witness of god in every mans conscience , and then you cry , they have transgressed our laws , and breaks the l●udable customs of our countrey ; how can any reasonable man keep them , but wrong his own soul , and sin against his own conscience ? and you that think to establish a land by iniquity , and build up an assembly with blood and violence , and think by this means to bring honor to god , you dwell in thick darkness , and are come to the mid-night thereof ; dreadful , dreadful will the day of the lord be unto you , you shall cry to the hills and the rocks to fall upon you , and hide you from the wrath of the lamb , who now is risen in his mighty power , out of his mouth proceeds a two-edged sword ; flaming fire is gone before him , and it is tempestuous round about him , & all the wicked , and ungodly , & hypocrites , shall be as driven s●ubble before his bow ; and he shall smite his enemies in the hinder parts , and break all their weapons of war , and they shall be slain before his face . in that day the hearts whom you have made sad , shall sing and rejoice over you , who would not have him to rule over you , nor among you , but shuts his members in prison , and banishes his little ones , who are dear unto him as the apple of his eye ; he will arise to their joy and rejoicing , and will appear to comfort all his , and shame shall cover the face of all his enemies . therefore all in new-england , ( who have been deceived with the wine of the fornication of the whore ) come out from among them , and seperate from them ; and though they cast you out , the lord will receive you ; and though they waste and make spoile of your estates , the lord will provide for you , and become your lord and master , and will provide for your families and little ones ; and though they despise you , the lord will embrace you , and the children of light will love you , & they that fear the lord will receive you ; therefore all be valiant for the truth , and endure the cross , and the light affliction , ( which is but for a moment ) and you will receive the exceeding weight of glory , which god will reveal in his own time to you , ( if you continue in faith and patience ) which shall be a reward and a recompence for all your sufferings ; for he is appearing ( and hath appeared ) that is able to make war with the beast , and to dry up the sea out of which he arose , and take peace from the earth , and scatter the nations , and break them , ( as the east wind scatters the clouds ) and exalt his name over all : and blessed and happy are all they that are faithful in bearing their testimony for him against deceit , and suffers any thing for his names sake , their end shall be happy , and they shall receive the crown of glory , which god ( the father of life ) will give to all that fear and obey him , and keep in the faith unto the end . here follows an answer to two letters ( of john indicot's , and richard billingham's ) stuffed full of envy and inveterate words , and sent to some ( like themselves ) to strengthen their hands in wickedness ; the letters answered as follows . john indicot governor of boston , and richard billingham , who have made your selves manifest by your actions and carriages , by your papers and writings , to be of the serpents seed , who makes war with the lamb and his followers , who joyned with the dragon , and casts out floods after the woman , and the remnant of her seed , to destroy her and them , that so you might rule in the kingdom of darkness without molestation . richard billingham , thy inveterate words , and thy persecuting spirit , the sound of which hath reached as far as old england ; you that were cryers out of persecution and cruelty in times past , are now become as cruel persecutors as any of the beasts followers . you fled the cross of christ here in england ▪ when you were proved and tried , when you should have born witnesse for god in your generation ; and now that which fled the cross , persecutes them who takes up the cross , and follows christ in the strait way , ( which you never yet set foot in ; ) and that nature which was to be limited by the cross of christ , you carried with you into new-england , and now it manifests it self by your bloodie crueltie ; and insolent wickedness which you have a●●ed , which makes your names and practises to stink amongst all sober people , and are becom as cruel and brutish as the barbarous heathens ; and the papists inquisitors are short of you in cruelty , madness , and wicked inventions ; and now ye rejoice in iniquitie as though it were the high-waie onelie to felicitie . richard billingham , thou saist , thou art glad to hear of mr. gurden's careful and faithful proceedings against the incorrigible , obstinate , roguish quakers . as for gurden , he is manifest to be one of the same race with thee , in cain's way , in envie and wrath , and hath manifested his follie in the county of suffolk , so that all sober people abhors and detests his practises , and is counted no other then a peevish , wilful , blind , ignorant man , before whose face the fear of god is not ; and his proceedings will never bring honor to him , but rather infamie , and reproach , and perpetual shame ; and truly the least of the children of light ( & them that have but moderation as men ) are ashamed of his practises , both superior and inferior ; and thou that rejoicest and art glad of his proceedings , ( and also some other whom thou writest to , which is one with thy spirit ) thy rejoicing is not good , and thy joy shall be turned into mourning , and shame shall cover thy face when the lord god of heaven and earth ariseth in his righteous judgement , then shame and confusion shall cover your faces . thou saist , they are a formidable people , and not to be neglected , for many follow their pernicious wayes . i say , they are a people whose beginning hath been but small , who hath come through great tribulation , whose end shall be great ; they are the heritage whom god hath chosen to place his name in , and to reveal his power unto , and to be witnesses of his salvation unto the ends of the earth ; and they are , and have been , and shall be a dread unto all their enemies ; and though thou maist seek to oppose , and use all thy diligence , and neglect no opportunitie to withstand them , yet it is but as if thou shouldest set thorns and briers in battel against the lord . thou saist , if the lord hath given these hereticks commission to kill the witnesses , they are malignant enough to make it the most direful execution that ever befel gods people . hereticks are they that denie christ the true light , that lighteth every man that cometh into the world , amongst whom thou , ( with john indicot ) and the rest of the blood-thirstie men in new-england , whose malignitie hath appeared , whose crueltie hath surpassed , and super-abounded many that are gone before you ; and the witness you have killed in your selves , and the witnesses you seek to destroy without you ; and your execution against both the witnesses hath been as wicked as most of the persecutors of old , who hath ploughed long furrows upon the backs of his people , so have you done with your whips and stripes , again , and again , ( by your own confession ) which hath not onely teared the flesh of gods people , but reached to their sinews , and to their joints , and yet you would be called christians : oh full of ignorance and gross stupidity ! christ came not to destroy mens lives , but to save them ; and you pretend your selves rulers , and christian-magistrates , and would not be accounted men of blood , and instead of saving , you seek to destroy , as your actions have made manifest against william brend , a man fearing god , a sober man , known to many of the inhabitants of the city of london , to be a just man in his generation , in causing one hundred and seventeen stripes ( and upward ) to be executed on his body by a pitcht rope , as though he had been a block , or a stone , altogether insensible ; shameless men , and full of impudencie and hard-heartedness , in whose hearts there is no remorse nor fear of god! witness your cutting off the ears of john copeland , christopher holder , and john rous , men fearing god , and as well educated as your selves , and for no transgression at all of any law of god , neither of any of your own ; but when you had none that could reach to be a cover for your cruelty , you go into the nethermost hell to invent laws , christians are ashamed of , and all sober people detest it ; and so let your actions bear witness to your faces , & let all sober people judge who are in the malignity , and who are slayers of the witnesses . and these quakers by open profession , ( thou saist ) tendeth to ruine all christian society , compassing sea and land to that end . thou vomits out thy rage , and casts up mire and dirt , ( like a raging wave ) but thy bond is set . that which the quakers professeth , tendeth to the uniting all that believe unto christ , and one unto another in love , and unity , and peace , in meekness , long-suffering , and patience ; but all such societies that thou art of , who art associated with death and hell , and in confederacy with all the army of the beast , who is full of rage , venom , insolency , and wickedness , whose heart is set on fire of hell , which makes all this flame and smoke ascend out of the pit , where thou and the rest art associated with the residue , and hath your dwelling-place . and thou saist , their religion is to speak rebellion and sedition in the presence , and to the face of authority . god will confound thy lying lips , and bridle thy deceitful tongue , and cause sorrow to fill thy heart in the day of his righteous judgements , for all thy hard speeches , false accusations , slanderous words , all sober people in englend , scotland , and ireland , knows thee to be a liar . all people in every sect have been stirrers up of parties , and have ( in one thing or other ) striven to rebel against that power which hath gone about to limit them in their ends ; but the people ( scornfullie reproached ) called quakers , have born all , hath suffered under all in patience , and hath let many floods go over them , and many waves compass them , and yet have rested in patience , knowing that it is better to suffer wrong , then do wrong ; though i tell thee , the quakers ( so called ) might more justlie ( in the three nations ) claim proprietie and libertie for the exercise of their pure consciences , & also their persons & estates , then any other people in the three nations besides ; for they are they that have stood by the authoritie in time of greatest danger , in time of the bishops , when persecution was the greatest , which you ( like cowards ) fled from , they staid in the midst of it , bearing their testimonie against the gross ignorance of them who exercised lordship over the heritage of god in that time ; and also in all the late wars in the three nations , there are few of them but have joined with them that cried up reformation , and seemed to seek after righteous things ; and their fidelitie to righteous government , magistracie , and ministrie , is manifest to all unbiased spirits ; and though now at last when we expected free libertie for the exercise of our consciences , & preservation of our persons and es●ates , ( which had been a just recompence for all our sore trials travels and labours ; ) but behold , a troop of robbers have laboured to nip and spoile the plant of renown which god is bringing forth , and have made havock of our estates , and cries up the powers of the earth to stand by them for their own ends , onely to maintain their covetous greedy practises ; and behold the priests of these nations , they are now , as they have been in former generations , fomenters of mischief , stirrers up of sedition , and patronizers of rebellion , and seeking to make parties to hold up their deceit , and calls upon authority to persecute , and tells the magistrates they ought to do so , and teacheth them to abuse their power , to the provoking of the wrath of god against a nation or a people . and thou saist , in the presence of authority they labour to make the magistrate to be a man of blood . thou ignorant man , who hast lost thy natural reason , will a magistrate ( who is become a man of blood ) become advantagious to us ? but rather have not we suffered ? and would not you be counted bloody magistrates ? then cease your shedding of blood , your whipping , your beating , your burning , and stigmatizing , and cutting off ears ; for else your own actions hath , and will evidence and demonstrate you to be men of blood , and you will be recorded amongst the blood-thirsty and cruel persecutors , and you can expect nothing from the hand of god , but severe destruction . and thou saist , they encourage people against lawful authority , not regarding their lives so they may attain their ends . would you be accounted lawful authority ? what law of god hath authorized you to turn your sword against the innocent and upright ? and many love not their lives to death to finish their testimonie against the dragon and his power , the beast and his authoritie , which would compel all ( both great & small ) to worship him ; and were you not blind , you might see that you are his followers , and not the lamb's followers . thou saist , was there ever state so bereaved of reason , as to suffer such things , the honor of god , the safety of religion , the peace of the countrey , invaded by these emisaries of satan ? you are that state that is bereaved of sence , and bereaved of reason , who think to defend your religion by clubs , & staves , cain's weapons , and think to bring honor to god by killing his servants , and defacing his workmanship which he hath made , and are amongst the pharisees recorded , who thought they did god service when they went about to kill his members ; and are not your thoughts the same , you blind and slow of heart to believe ? and shall not the magistrates be as confident to punish , a● they to offend capitall● ? what is the offence ? you had no law till you had made one to satisfie your wicked end , and your insatiable cruelty ; and though you may be confident that this will stop the spreading of the truth of god over the earth , you shall know ( ye potsherds ) your confidence will fail , and truth shall go over you [ hills ] as a flood . at this time ( thou saist ) we have twelve quakers in prison in boston . to thy shame be it spoken , who gives such entertainment to strangers , and to men of your own nation ; you are far from abraham's spirit , and far from jacobs or jobs spirit , who opened his door to the traveller , and entertained the stranger ; and you are out of the law of god , who commanded to entertain strangers ; and were not you once strangers in that land ? and do you thus requite the lord for his kindness , as to shut them up in holes , and dens , and caves , and ( pharoah-like ) hath your task-masters to exercise your cruelty upon them ? oh unheard of cruelty , and unparalel'd wickednesse ! the memorial of your cry will not easily be blotted out , but will sound into the ears of generations to come ; and the record of you , will be unthankfulness and ingratitude ; and your inhumane cruelty hath appeared to your own neighbors who have resided long amongst you , men of great age , and of fame in your countrey for uprightness , have become your prey ; and this is fulfilled amongst you , which was spoken of by the prophets , her princes are as ravening wolves , who are greedy of their prey , who gnaws not the bones till the marrow . thou saist , they prevail much . they have prevailed , and shall prevail ; for strong is the lord of hosts that is with them , and goes before them , whose arm compasses them about , and refresheth them , and preserves them in patience in the midst of all your cruelty ▪ for no weapon that is formed against him ( whom they bare witness of ) shall prosper ; and every tongue that riseth up in judgement against him , will he condemn . thou saist , there are two jews amongst them . what if there be ? used not you ( and the rest of the clergy ) to pray for the conversion of the jews ? and are you now angry if any of them be turned from darkness to light ? but none can escape thy slanderous tongue without reproach . thou saist , the juncture between the jesuits and these hereticks is strong . thou art nearer joined to the jesuits then the quakers , for they and you in new-england are working one and the self-same work : will not most people in the regions know thy lyes ? is it not publikely known in many countreys , that two of the quakers were imprisoned by the pope and jesuits at rome lately , and hath been put in the inquisition , and one of them prisoned till death , and the other remains in prison under cruel bonds to this day ; and now read whether the juncture between the jesuits and you be not great , who are acting in one and the self-same work , and brings forth one and the self-same fruit , the apples of sodom , and the grapes of gomorah , whom god destroyed , which will be the end of all the wicked except they repent . there is more danger ( thou saith ) in this people to trouble and overcome england , then the king of scots , and all the popish princes in germany . thy tongue is set on fire of hell , which makes thee utter forth all these horrid lyes , and false accusations , and bitter things against the lord and his people ; and will not all sober people in england see thy envy ? hath not england had sufficient proof of our fidelity against the king of scots , and the popish princes , and confederates with him ? and thousands in england shall be witness for us against thee and all thy false accusations . thou saist , they strengthen all disc●ntents against the present government , and hatch all plots , and encourages all combinations and insurrections . the present government of these nations will be a witness for us against thee , that ( amongst all the people in the nations ) we have been most passive and suffering ; and the discontents , and plots , and combinations from time to time , have been amongst the presbyter-priests and their faction , of whose stock and off-spring you are . and further thou saist , they vent horrid blasphemy against god , which ought to be persecuted with the severest censures . thou art of that generation that called the master of the house beelzebub , and in the steps of the persecuting jews , who said , he hath spoken blasphemy , what need we any more witness ? but how can we speak evil , or blaspheme him who is our life ? and in the day when he ariseth to judge all the earth in righteousness , he will justifie us , and clear us , and condemn thy malignity , and thy hard speeches , and vain thoughts , which lodge in thy corrupt heart , from whence all these unsavourie words hath been uttered forth ; and is that new-england-divinity to teach persecution , that thou art so impudent to own it in words ? that which persecutes with the severest censures , is of the devil , and is in cain's way ; and dost thou lay down this for a doctrine to engl●nd , to appease the wrath of god towards it ? i say , persec●tion and severe censures , ●s that which kindleth the wrath of god against these nations , and did overtake the bishops , the king , and all their confederacy , and overthrew the nobles of the land , the ancient , and ●e honorable , which were the head ; and all the false prophets , which were the taile ; and that same wrath shall be over you , who are of that stock and off-spring , manifested by these deadly actions , and characters of most horrid and wicked cruelty , which the lord god will confound and blast , and set his truth above it all . and ( iohn indicot ) thou saist , the quakers trouble us very much ; though we cause them te be whipt , and sent away again , and again , yet they return again . thou maist see there is another spirit in them , then was in you , when you fled from old england , ( from under the bishops ) you would suffer nothing for the truth , and therefore were you given up to the same spirit that was in the persecutors here in england , this is entered into you now , and become ten fold stronger ; but now he that is stronger then all hath appeared , and is coming to trouble you , and disquiet you of your rest which you have taken up in the earth ; what , hath your gospel ( and the ministers thereof ) no more strength in them to convince the gain-sayers , then gain-sayers have to seduce them that are in the truth ? the daie of your trouble is come , and the beginning of sorrows is kindled upon you , & a greater wo follows after ; for the rod of god is stretched out over you , and shall reach unto you , and turn your counsels backward , and confound you in the midst of your combinations ; where did any christian-magistrates whip and imprison any for religion's sake or conscience-sake , or cut off their ears ? where is your law ? did any minister of christ perswade the magistrate it was lawful for him to do so ? give us some evidence , and let us see your rule , and by what authority you do these things , and from whence you have your authoritie ? i am sure god never authorized it , christ , nor his ministers , nor no christian-magistrate ( that ruled for god ) never countenanced any such thing , as to whip again , and again , to beat with ropes till men fall down as dead , till mens flesh becomes as jelley , as some of your own nation have said ; and shall not the saints be bold to tell you , that this is of the devil , who was a lyar and a murderer from the beginning , in whose footsteps you are , who shall receive a reward according to your works . and thou saist , divers of you do think , that unless the court do make a law to banish them , and not to return upon pain of death , this collony will n●t be rid of them . nay , nor then neither , though you make covenant with death , and agreement with hell , and shake hands with the prince of darkness , your covenant shall be broken , and your confederacie disannulled , and you confounded in the midst of your counsels ; what , have you your law yet to make to serve your turns ? it seems you act not by the law of god , ( which is made alreadie ) which is equal , just , and good , and is for the transgressor of justice , goodness , and equity , but takes not hold upon the just , equal , nor good , but you must now have another invented to satisfie your envious minds , and to accomplish your wicked determinations ; and you that think to make a law to banish , and to put to death , your thoughts are vain , and wicked , and god will bring them to judgement , and condemn you for them ; for christ came not to destroy mens lives , but to save them ; but the devil makes laws to destroy , and not to save . read your example , and let shame cover your faces , and astonishment fill your hearts , that you should become so brutish and vain in your thoughts , as to think to limit the lord of heaven and earth . can you command the wind that it blow not ? can you stop the bottles of heaven that they pour not ●orth water ? if you cannot , no more can you limit the lord . and if you make any such laws to banish , or put to death , it will procure the indignation and wrath of god more speedily then if the king of scots , and all the popish princes in the world did enter into the midst of your land . but this is come to pass that your hypocrisie and deceit might be made manifest in the sight of the sun , and that all men may see what profession of words is without the life of christ to rule in men . if it should have been told you ( when you fled from this nation ) what you would do ( in the time to come ) against god and his servants , you would have said , ( with hazael ) are we dogs ? but the heart of man is deceitful , ( unconverted ) and your deceived hearts hath led you aside . thou thinkest they are the worst hereticks . thy eye being blinded , and thy understanding darkened , and thy heart full of envy , how shouldst thou think otherwise ? but thy thoughts shall be discovered to thee , and thou shalt be convinced of the evil of them . thou saist , one ( whom many think is a iesuit ) pressed for a conference with one of our teachers , called mr. norton , but the quaker was quickly weary of it . you live by your thoughts , and knows nothing ; if he had been a jesuit , it 's like he might have had more favour from you ; and the minister might be very bold , knowing before-hand no evil was like to befall him , having the rulers ( with their clubs ) on his side ; the prison-doors , and house of correction , readie to receive the quakers ; the gaolers and task masters with their whips , and butcherly fellows with their knives to cut off their ears , at the pleasure and wills of a company of envious men , before whose face the fear of the lord is not . but it is like you will make the quaker weary soon , if he would look out at your cruelty , if you did ( as sometime some of your priests and rulers caused to be done in new-england ) stop napkins in their mouths , and bound keys over their mouths that they could not speak , and boast , and say , the quaker had nothing to answer . well , all these things are recorded , and are written as with a pen of iron , and they are engraved where they shall not be blotted out , and you are registred among the uncircumcised , with mesech and tubal , the great princes of gog , which makes war against the lamb and his followers ; but the lamb and the saints shall have the victory , and you shall be trodden as ashes under the toles of their feet , for they shall melt away that hate the lord . reading , the . of the . month , . the end . the inheritance of jacob discovered. after his return out of Ægypt: and the leading of the lord to the land of promise, declared, and some information of the way thither. or a word of exhortation to all professors in england, scotland and ireland, and to all the world where this shall come, wherein the common salvation is declared, in which the saints believed; and deceit discovered and made manifest. published in love to all the honest hearted in the nations, in love and bowels of compassion to your soules. also a few words of exhortation to the rulers of england, and ireland. / by a servant of jesus christ who delighteth in his masters worke. francis howgill. howgill, francis, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (thomason e _ ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h thomason e _ estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; :e [ ]) the inheritance of jacob discovered. after his return out of Ægypt: and the leading of the lord to the land of promise, declared, and some information of the way thither. or a word of exhortation to all professors in england, scotland and ireland, and to all the world where this shall come, wherein the common salvation is declared, in which the saints believed; and deceit discovered and made manifest. published in love to all the honest hearted in the nations, in love and bowels of compassion to your soules. also a few words of exhortation to the rulers of england, and ireland. / by a servant of jesus christ who delighteth in his masters worke. francis howgill. howgill, francis, - . [ ], p. printed for giles calvert at the black-spread eagle, at the west end of pauls, london : . in this edition, line six of title reads "Ægypt:" and the last words of lines and read: "soules" and "worke" respectively. annotation on thomason copy: "march. st". reproduction of the original in the british library. eng society of friends -- doctrines -- early works to . a r (thomason e _ ). civilwar no the inheritance of jacob discovered. after his return out of Ægypt:: and the leading of the lord to the land of promise, declared, and some howgill, francis c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - jonathan blaney sampled and proofread - jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the inheritance of jacob discovered . after his return out of aegypt : and the leading of the lord to the land of promise , declared , and some information of the way thither . or a word of exhortation to all professors in england , scotland , and ireland , and to all the world where this shall come , wherein the common salvation is declared , in which the saints believed ; and deceit discovered and made manifest . published in love to all the honest hearted in the nations , in love and bowels of compassion to your soules . also a few words of exhortation to the rulers of england , and ireland . by a servant of jesus christ who delighteth in his masters worke . francis howgill . london : printed for giles calvert at the black spread eagle , at the west end of pauls . the inheritance of jacob discovered : after his returne out of egypt , and the leading of the lord of the land of promise , declared , and some information of the way thither . awake oh sion , who hath long sitten in the dust , in sorrow and bitternesse , and hath been covered with ashes , and none hath had compassion upon thee , but all the kings , and mighty men of the earth who have worshipped the beast , and received his marke , and committed fornication with the whore , which sitts upon many waters , which is full of abomination , and the cup in her hand have all the men of the earth drunken off and are made drunke , and staggers and now glories in their abominations , and ( oh sion ) dispises thy virginity , and thy scituation , and hath pulled downe thy towers , and made thee as a desolate widow , and hath gone over thee , and trampled upon thy glory , and hath made merry over thee , and hath slaine thy sons and daughters in the streetes , even in babylon , where the whore sits as a queene , and in sodome and aegypt , with whom they are joyned , where the witnesses lieth slaine , but the time of thy deliverance is come , and the yeares of thy captivity is up . arise , oh virgin , who art not defiled , who could not joyne with the daughter of babylon in her whoredomes ; therefore they have mocked thee , and wagged their heads at thee , and hath said in their hearts , who shall deliver thee ? arise , shine forth , put on thy beautifull garments , behold thy king cometh in his glory , who will adorne thee and crowne thee with a royall diadem , in the sight of thine enemies , who have reproached thee ; and thy reproach shall be taken away , for thy seed shall be as the starres in multitude , yea ▪ they that have spoiled thee , shall be spoiled , and they that have destroyed thee shall be destroyed , for the king is coming out of his tent , yea he hath lifted up his standard against all that have spoiled thee , yea , the destroyer is come up against babylon , and aegypt shall tremble , and the philistines hearts shall faile for feare , and all the canaanites shall be cast out , and this shall be performed by the lord of hosts , the god of jacob , who is now arisen in his jealousie and it burnes as fire , against all the inhabitants of the earth , and the sea , who hath joyned their strength together against the inheritance of the lord , rejoyce for evermore all that love his appearance , and who have waited for him , he is come , and coming to take vengeance upon his , and you adversaries , for he hath a sacrifice in babylon to performe , even to cut off all her children ; who hath despised thee , oh ▪ sion . arm your selves , oh yee high cedars , and mighty men , put on your strength , and gather together all your forces , which you have trusted in , call upon your gods , and all your soothsayers , and diviners together , for now he is come , and the daughter of sion now laughes you to scorne , and jerusalem , the free citizens doth wagg their heads at you ; for he will now plead the cause of the poore , against you who have been too strong for them , and now all that heareth this shall tremble ; for he will make jerusalem a praise in the earth , and from it doth the law and the prophets come forth . awake , oh arme of the lord , and put one strength as in the dayes of old , to redeeme thine own inheritance , which hath long been by the heathen laid wast , and hath been trampled upon by the uncircumcised , art not thou he , which was , and is , and is to come ? who wilt not give the glory to another , arise and shine forth in thy brightnesse thou starr of jacob , and sun of righteousnesse , and let the earth be filled with thy light and glory , that generations to come may call thee blessed . dry up the tongue of the aegyptian sea , confound the wisdome of this world which never knew thee , neither would owne , nor receive thee , make the diviners and sorcerers mad , who have scattered thy sheep from the everlasting fold , and have healed the hurts of thy people deceitfully , and have caused them to erre , in telling them , thy power , nor thy arme was not to be looked for now , as in the dayes of old , nor thy immediate voyce , nor word was to be looked , or waited for now in the earth , and so have deceived the people , with their lying divinations , which they have spoken from the imaginations of their owne hearts , and have laid a stumbling block in the way , as the sonne of nebat did who made israel to sin . but oh lord , thou seest how thy owne seed lyeth scattered , and the ravenous beasts make a prey upon it , and the devourers swallow it up , therefore hast thou appeared in thy love and power , for thine owne names sake , and will not suffer thy seed to be trodden upon any longer , by the prince of darknesse , nor his children whom he hath begotten in his own image . arise , shine forth , thou everlasting covenant of light and peace , by which , and in which , all our fathers believed ▪ and so obtained a good report , and were redeemed out of captivity , to serve the ▪ lord for ever with one heart and minde , and worshipped in one spirit , in which faith they laid hold upon the perfect righteousnesse of christ , made manifest in them , and were justified , but hath been hid for many generations , in the time of antichrists reigne , and all the world hath wondered after the be●st , and hath received his marke , but now is the night farre spent , and the day is at hand , wherein all that hath been hid shall be made manifest , and the number of the beast is read and knowne by all that are redeemed from under his power , and now the beast and the false prophet is seene , and the man of sin , is made manifest in this the day of his everlasting power ; and the brightnesse of the sun of righteousnesse , who is the light of the word , hath made him manifest who is come and coming : glory unto him for evermore , who alone is worthy to take the kingdome . wherefore all honest hearted ▪ in , and underall formes of professions who have travelled , and are weary , and all you that have kindled a fire , and have warmed your selves at the sparkes thereof ; and yet still you lye in sorrow . oh all yee that have pantel , and thristed after righteousnesse , who have wearied your selves in seeking , among the dead graves and tombes for a saviour , but have found no rest , and who have followed , loe here , and there , in this grave , and the other sepulcher , builded on this and that sand , and still swept away ▪ your state i know , you have no peace in the eternall rest , i say unto you , while you looke without you , your eyes may consume in your holes , and your expectations faile , and you will be still complaining ; for your sakes , who are weary , and have found none to direct your way , a few lines i am moved in compassion to write , unto you , and if you will not receive it , you will not believe , if one should rise from the dead , for i have obtained mercy from christ : through his free grace who is risen from the dead , and saw no corruption ; by which grace i am saved from sin , and cleansed from unrighteousnesse , after long and sore labour and travell , under pharaoh the oppressor , from under whose dominion i am brought to worship the living god , in spirit and truth , in his temple , where he dwells in righteousnesse for ever . and for the simples sake , ( who have erred for lack of true knowledge , as i did in times past ) i shall declare unto you a little in short of my travells in aegypts-land , where darknesse is so thick , that if yee wait but diligently to see your selves , you will feele it also . from twelve yeares old i set my heart to know that god which the world professed , and which i did read of in the scripture , which abraham , noah , moses , and the prophets , and the rest of the fathers worshipped , and i did fall into the strictest worship that was in that part wherein i lived , and often i desired to be alone , and attended much to reading , and meditation , and then as i was sober , and serious alone . i began to see that all the sports and pastimes , and such as youth delights in naturally ▪ were vanity , and they lasted but for a moment , and while i was in folly and wantonnesse , doing of them , the nature which was run into transgression , had pleasure in them , but assoone as i was come from among them , i was judged in my selfe , for what i had done , and often made me weepe , then i resolved in my will , that i never would doe so againe , and for some time did restraine from the common practise of those things that i had walked in ; but assoone as i came amongst those againe , i acted those things againe ▪ which before i did see to be vanity , but long before that i was checked for many things ; and so i walked , often condemned in my selfe , when i was serious , and had no peace , and then not knowing what to doe in much sorrow when i was alone , i had a desire to be alone where i might not heare nor see any folly acted , and did not goe to the former exercises , although som thing in me hanckered after it , but when i yielded not unto it , i was glad , and had peace , and then i began to oppose my fellowes with whom i had walked in wantonnesse , and then they began to revile me , and hate mee , and scorne me . yet notwithstanding i mattered not , then i read much and prayed in words often , three or foure times a day , but i knew not where god was , but in my imagination , imagined a god at a distance , and so went on ; and then i began to grow in knowledge , without ( which is sensuall ) and then i was puffed up , for the world admired me ; but still i was condemned for vaine words and actions , and the roote of iniquity grew in me , and then i followed a more strict course ; and often went five or six miles , to heare some more excellent meanes ( as they called it ) and so did get more words , but still i was the same , nay worse , for knowledge puffed me up ; then along to about fifteene yeares of age , i posted up and downe after the most excellent sermons , so called , and so became acquainted with all the eminent christians so called in the region , where i lived , and i was despised of my parents , and of the world made , and great reproach came upon me , but still i saw they knew nought , and it was no matter , and so much sorrow fell upon me , foure or five yeares , and when i was turned within , i was judged for all myiniquity formerly , and still my heart was shewed to me , that it was corrupt , but as i kept whithin to the light in my conscience , i was restrained from many actions , which i had a will to doe , and in the instant when i have been doing any unrighteousnesse in actions or words , in many things i was often stopped , and when i saw that i did it not , a great joy arose in me , and when i had done any thing forwardly and rashly , i was judged , but this the teachers said was a naturall conscience that kept from sin , and did restraine it , and said , he that had but restraining grace , ( as they called it ) he was but a tame devill . and so i hearkned to their imagination and so slighted the light as too low a thing , that was but common grace that did preserve out of grosse evills , but the saints had a peculiar faith and grace ; and so i hearkned unto them , and still i was convinced of sin ; and then they told how the saints did believe in christ , and so sin was not imputed , but his righteousnesse was accounted unto them , and so i must seek him in the means , as prayer , and receiving the sacrament ( as they called it ) and judged me a worthy communicant : and in great fear i was that i should eate unworthily , and none could direct me what the body of christ was , insomuch at one time i read all the scripture that spoke of christs suffering . and they said , i must believe he suffered for me ; and i believed all that they called faith , but yet i could not see how he dyed for me , and had taken away my sin , for the witnesse in my conscience told me i was a servant of sin , whilst i committed it . and they told me i must not omit that ordinance , for thereby strength was confirmed , and faith added ; insomuch , on the one hand they pressing it as a duty , and on the other hand i saw that the scripture said , he that eates unworthily , eates damnation to himselfe ; i was in fear , notwithstanding none could accuse me without : yet then afterward a great fear fell upon me , and i thought i had sinned against the holy ghost , and great trouble fell upon me . then they said , i had not come prepared ; and yet i had all the preparation that they had spoken of , but still they were all phisitians of no value . then i fasted , and prayed , and walked mournfully in sorrow , and thought none was like me , tempted on every hand ; so i ran to this man , and the other , and they applyed promises to me , but it was onely words , for the witnesse of christ shewed me that the root of iniquity stood , and the body of sin whole ; notwithstanding i was kept by a secret power from grosse evills : but still sorrow compassed me about , and i questioned all that ever i had ; which they said was grace , and repentance , and faith . and then i told them there was guilt in me : and they said , sin was taken away by christ , but the guilt should still remaine while i lived , and so brought me the saints condititions , who were in the warfare , to confirme it : and so i said in my selfe , this was a miserable salvation , that the guilt of sin and condemnation still in me should stand ; and so i was tossed from mountaine to hill : and i heard them preach confusion , and so i matterd not for them , and said , sure this is not the ministry of christ , and so i ceased long by fits and did not mind them , but kept still at home , and in desart places , sollitary in weeping ; and every thing that i had done was laid before me , insomuch that every thought was judged , and i was tender , and my heart broken , and when i could sorrow most i had most peace , for something spoke within me from the lord , but i knew him not then . and they said , that it was heresie to look for the word of the lord to be spoken now in these dayes , but onely the letter ; and so i regarded it not much : yet often i was made to doe many righteous things by the immediate power and word of god , and then peace and joy sprung up in me , and promises was spoken , that he would teach me himselfe , and be my god ; and often i did obey contrary to my will , and denyed my will : but they told me , this was legall to obey out of fear , and that was slavery ; but there was an evangelicall obedience ( as they called it ) so i got above the fear , and yet acted the former things , which they called ordinances , and they said that was son-like obedience , and christ had done all . then there appeared more beauty in them called independants , and i loved them , and so joyned my selfe to them , and all the money that i could get i purchased books with , and walked with ( and owned ) them as more separate from the world ; and they prest separation , but at last i saw it was but in words , that they would doe things , and chuse officers , and members of themselves , and so made themselves an image , and fell down to it ; yet there was some tendernesse in them at the first , but the doctrine was the same with the worlds words without , of others conditions . then they whom they called anabaptists appeared to have more glory , and walked more according to the scripture , observing things written without ; and i went among them , and there was something i loved among them ; but after they denyed all but such that came into their way , as out of the fellowship of the saints and doctrine of christ , i saw the ground was the same , and their doctrine out of the life with the rest of the teachers of the world , and had separated themselves , and made another likenesse ; but still all said , the letter was the word and rule , and christ at a distance without had done all ; and some of them holding freewill others opposing , and all in the will . but still i loved them that walked honestly amongst all these , but though i had seen and owned all that i had heard ( except the figure which i saw was outward , and that was their greatest glory ; and i saw they would have all fall down to it , else no communion ; in the midst of all these , and much more , which is death to speak on : but onely that all honest hearted may see themselves where they have rested and also may not trust any more to a reed of egypt ) after all this no peace nor no guide i found . and then the doctrine of free-grace ( as they called it ) some preach't , that all sin was done away , past , present , and to come , and so preached salvation to the first nature , and to the serpent that bore rule , onely believing this , and all was finished ; to this i hearkned a little , and so lost my condition within : but still whither ever i went ; this was spoken in me , his servant thou art to whom thou obeyes ; and so i being overcome by sin , i had no justification witnessed in me , but condemnation . then some preached christ within , but they themselves were without , had but words , and yet they said all must be within ( unto which my heart did cleave ) and spoke of redemption , and justification , and all within , and of god appearing in man , and overcoming the power of the devils , and then that in my conscience bore witnesse it must be so , and i was exceedingly pressed to wait to find it so , and something breathed after the living god ; and a true love i had to all that walked honestly in what profession soever , and i hated reviling one another , and that they should smite one another , and persecute one another , and with the sufferer i alwayes took part : but still i saw though they spoke of all things within , and of a power to come , that they enjoyed not what they spoke , for the same fruits was brought forth ; till at last , i saw none walked as the ministers of christ , nor none that pretended to the ministry had any such gift , neither pastour , nor teacher , nor any such members as was in the apostles time . so at last , having passed up and down , hurried here and there , i saw all the teachers of the world , that they sought themselves , and fed poor people with dead names , and deceit and that they were not the ministry of christ : and so i saw them all in deceit who did not abide in christs doctrine , and so i got my selfe quit of most of them , for ever as i dissented from their judgement , they hated me , and persecuted me . so at last , there was something revealed in me , that the lord would teach his people himselfe ; and so i waited , and many things opened in me of a time at hand : and sometime i would have heard a priest , but when i heard him i was moved by the lord , and his word in me spoke to oppose , and often as a fire , i burned , and a trembling fell upon me , yet i feared reproach , and so denyed the lords motion : and it was revealed in me to waite , and i should know his counsell , and the word of the lord was in me , the time was at hand when the dead should hear the voyce of the son of god , and it burned in me as fire , that the day was near when it should not be , loe here , nor there , but all his people should be taught of the lord : but still my mind ran out , and out of the fear into carelesnesse , for the crosse of christ i knew not ; and yet this i say , i was wiser then my teachers i met with in that generation , i doe not glory in it , for condemnation is past on it all for ever ; yet still i had ever as my mind was turned to the light , pure openings and prophesies to come , & a belief that i should see the day , and should bear witnesse to his name ; and so when things opened so fast , the wisdome of the flesh catched them , and so i went up and down preaching against all the ministry ; and also run out with that which was revealed to my selfe , and preached up and down the country of the fulnesse that was in the old bottle , and so was wondred after , and admired by many who had waded up and down as my selfe had , and we fed one another with words , and healed up one another in deceit , and all laid down in sorrow , when the day of the lord was made manifest ; for i was overthrown , and the foundation swept away , and all my righteousnesse and unrighteousnesse was all judged , and weighed , and all was found too light . and immediately assoon as i heard one declare ( whose name is not known to the world , but written in the lambs book of life for ever ) in eternall record for ever ; assoon as i heard him declare that the light of christ in man was the way to christ , i believed the eternall word of truth , and that of god in my conscience sealed to it ; and so not onely i , but many hundreds more , who thirsted after the lord , but was betrayed by the wisdome of the serpent , we were all seen to be of the foundation , and all mouths was stopped in the dust , and so we stood all as condemned in our selves , and all saw our nakednesse and were all ashamed , though our glory was great in the worlds eye , but all was vanity . and then after all this , i was ignorant what the first principle of true religion was : but as i turned my mind within to the light of jesus christ wherewith i was enlightned , which formerly had reproved me for all vanity , and also as i did own it , it led me into righteousnesse , and when i turned to it i saw it was the true and faithfull witnesse of christ jesus , and then my eyes vvas opened , and all things vvas brought to remembrance that ever i had done , and the ark of the testament was opened , and there was thunder , and lightning and great haile , and then the trumpet of the lord was sounded , and then nothing but war , and rumour of war , and the dreadful power of the lord fell upon me , plague , and and pestilerce , and famine , and earthquake , and fear , and terror , for the sights that i saw with my eyes , and that which i heard with my eares , sorrow , and paine , and in the morning i wished it had been evening , and in the evening i wished it had been morning , and i had no rest , but trouble on every side ; and all that ever i had done was judged and condemned ; and all things was accursed , whether i did eate , or drink , or restraine , i was accursed ; and then the lyon suffered hunger , and the seals were opened , and seven thunders uttered their voyces ; mine eyes were dim with crying , my flesh did faile of fatnesse , my bones were dryed , and my sinnews shrunk : i became a proverb to all , yea to them who had been mine acquaintance , they stood afar off me ; the pillars of heaven was shaken , and the earth reeled as a cottage ; one woe poured out after another . and i sought death in that day , and could not find it , it fled from me , and i sought to cover my selfe any way , or with any thing , but nothing could , for the indignation of the lord was upon the beast and the false prophet ; and babylon came into remembrance in that day , the mother of harlots , and the sea dryed up , and all the merchants that had traded with her stood asar off , for the cup of fury was poured forth , and cain was seen , and judas that had betrayed the lord of life : and i would have run any way to have hid my selfe , but nothing but weeping and gnashing of teeth , and sorrow , and terror , and i roared out for the disquietnesse of my heart , and the kingdome was full of darknesse , i knew not the right hand from the left , i became a perfect fool , and knew nothing , and as a man distracted ; all was overturned , and i suffered losse of all : in all that ever i did , i saw it was in the accursed nature , and then somthing in me cryed , just and true is his judgment , my mouth was stopped , i durst not make mention of his name , i knew not god , and as i bore the indignation of the lord , somthing rejoyced , the serpents head began to be bruised , and the witnesses which were slain , were raised , and stopped heave● that it rained not in the dayes of their prophesie , and a great samine there was ; and the sun was darkned , and the moon turned into blood , and the stars did fall , and all the grasse of the earth withered , and every green tree , and all the springs were dryed up , and a great and a noysome smell , and a plague fell upon the earth , and the waters became as the blood of a dead man , and the heavens passed away with a noyse , and the elements melted , and the earth was scorched with the flame which proceeded from the throne of god , and the judgement seat of christ was seen , and an account was to be given , and then esau was cursed , and cain , and judas , and ishmael , and all the cananites , and the egyptians , went to the left hand , and as the judgement was pronounced , something cryed , just art thou oh lord in all thy judgements ; and as i did give up all to the judgement , the captive came forth out of prison and rejoyced , and my heart was filled with joy , and i came to see whom i had pierced , and my heart was broken , and the blood of the prophets i saw slaine , and a great lamentation ; and then i saw the crosse of christ , and stood in it , and the enmity slaine upon it , and the new man was made , and so peace came to be made , and so eternall life was brought in through death and judgement , and then the perfect gift i received which was given from god , and the holy law of god was revealed unto me , and was written in my heart , and his feare and his word which did kill now makes alive ; and so it pleased the father to reveal his son in me through death , and so i came to witnesse cleansing by his blood which is eternall , glory unto him for ever , and am a minister of that word of eternall life which endures for ever , glory unto his name for ever , and have rest and peace in doing the will of god , and am entred into the true rest , and lie down in the fold with the lambs of god , where the sons rejoyce together , and the saints keep holy-day , glory unto him for ever . and these few things have i written for your sakes who walk in darknesse , that you may see where you are ; and also ye high cedars , who trust in the arme of flesh , that you may cease your boasting and com● down from off the pinacle where you are exalted , for the same must come upon you , if ever the lord you know in truth and righteousnesse , even through the death of things , in the curse of all knowledge and wisdome which is from below ; yea , through the death of death that rules in you , which must be slaine upon the crosse of christ jesus if ever you come to true peace and witnesse eternall salvation . and therefore , cease you diviners , and imaginers , who have feigned a faith , and a christ , and a salvation in your imaginations , and yet that you may live in the lust and filth of the world and the customes and fashions which perish . i say , your expectations shall faile , and you will lie down in sorrow , for where salvation is witnessed , the life of christ is witnessed , but you would have salvation , and the life of the devil brought forth and lived in . but unto all such i say , this will be your sentence , depart into the lake : therefore take warning , for it is not your good words without the life of godlinesse nor your swelling speeches that is accepted with god , for he accepts nothing but what is of himselfe , and by him wrought in the creature by his own will and power ; and this destroyes the carnall will and power and righteousnesse ; and this work which he worketh of himselfe and by his power and in his covenant is perfect and is accepted of god , and so it s no more the creature but christ who is all in his saints , and so he brings all that follow him out of the works of condemnation ( which is acted in the disobedient nature , and is accursed whether praying or plowing , or whatsoever while cain lives , which is in the banishment out of the acceptance of god ) and all who follow him who is the light , and leads all that believe and follow him into the living works of righteousnesse wrought by christ through faith , and is accepted and well pleasing unto god , and here all boasting is excluded for all is of him , and from him that works both the will and the deed , and here the lord is admired in all his works , and his works praise him . wherefore all honest hearted , who travells and are weary and have found no rest for your soules , i say unto you , arise , and come away , lye not groveling in the earth like moses , nor seek not to know god in your fallen wisedome , for the well is deep , and if you know nothing but the old wisedome , which is corrupt and naturall , you cannot come to one drop of the living water ; therefore dwell no longer among the graves , and tombs , where the unclean spirits dwell , which troubles and vexeth all that passeth in their way , neither dwell among the pits where there is no water , he is risen , he is not there , look upward , mind that which drawes you from the earth , the covenant of life is made manifest , glory unto him in the highest ; his proclamation is , ho , every one that thirsteth , come freely and receive of him freely , without money or price , or any thing of yours , or self , nay , self must be denied , and that you must deny if you will receive of him , that he may be all , and you nothing , for he gives freely , and his gift is perfect , and pure , without spot , staine , or mixture , and all that receive his gift , comes by it to be presented perfect to the father . and this is making manifest to you also , who wait upon him , who is given for a covenant of light , and peace , and life , and all that receive this gift , shall come to hear glad tidings , peace on earth , and good will to you , as you turn to the light , and this shall be preached in you , by him who is the annointed of god , and the messenger of the covenant , and is sent to preach to the spirits in prison , and to open the blind eyes , and to set open the prison door , that the prisoner may come forth , out of the mire and clay , to follow and wait upon him who is the rock of this age , and all ages , in which all the fathers believed , and were justified , and did eat and drink of this rock , and this rock was and is christ jesus , the light of the world , and hath enlightned every one that comes into the world , with his true light . therefore i say unto you who looks after righteousness , come hither , who are weary , and i will shew you where you may have true everlasting rest , which he hath shed abroad in my heart by his free grace , and everlasting love made manifest , after a long and a dark night , in which i passed without a guide , and so fell into the pit , and stumbled , and then sorrow and trouble compassed me about on every side , as an armed man , but now hath he shed abroad his grace in my heart , which saves me from sin , and leads out of the works of condemnation , into his habitation , where no unclean thing can enter ; and this grace hath separated me from sin , and hath constrained me to deny my self , and follow him through the death of the crosse , and through the deniall of all both countrey and nation , kindreds and tongues and people , and from wife and children , and houses and lands , to publish his name abroad contrary to my own will , and to make known unto you the riches of his grace , which all that wait in the light of christ jesus shall come to see , and so you may see him whom your souls loves and longs after , which hath long breathed after refreshment , but none could speak a word in season to your condition . return home again , yee that in your seeking have sought among the lead , and joyned your selves to strangers , and have get nothing but a husk , a shadow , and live in a dream , you are further off , in running out , and seeking in your earthly wisedome and comprehension , then you were before , and hath got nothing but a report of what christ said , and did , and how they worshipped him , and so while your eyes have been without , you never found him whom the saints , and all that knew him worshipped in spirit , and witnessed him their salvation in them , and was their hope , and the ground of their hope was manifest in them ; and he that manifested his love in them then , and was their redeemer , he changeth not , but is the same to his seed for ever . and all who waits in the light of christ , the measure of god in you , this shall come to see . now therefore every one that thirsts , come unto christ jesus , which is neer you , and wait to know his word in you , which it in the heart , which faith comes by the preaching of it in you , as you diligently wait , and keep your minds unto it ; and this which shewes you sin and evill , is in you , and makes manifest all that you have acted contrary unto it , yea , even all that ever you have done , and will search your hearts , and is the eye that sees the deceit in all its transforming in you ; and it will let you see , it hath often checked and called , but you have not answered its call , and so hath chosen your own way , and so hath gone from the way , which is the light of christ in you , and so you run into the broad way ; and that which desired after god , hath not been nourished , and fed , but hath been famished , and another hath been fed , which now is for the slaughter . but now as ye return home to within , to the true light of jesus , which is that one thing , which leads all men that own it , to be guided by it to true rest and peace . now friends , there is something in man which must receive christ , something of his own ( learn what it is ) which he comes to , and nothing can he joyn with , or be joyned unto , but that which is pure and undefiled ; for the pure in heart sees god , and not the mortall mind , that despiseth his glory ; for to that mind that hunts abroad , he doth not reveale himself , that 's esau , the blessing is nothing to him , nor that which the covenant of god is with ▪ the election he hates , and to him its of no price , nor value , that 's the prophane person , and judas that betrayes him , selleth him for a thing of naught , nor the pearl is nothing to the swine , now read within , every one , you that are painted with the attire of the harlot , trimmed and made beautifull in the eyes of the aegyptians , this is a small thing to you , and to that seed which the promise is to , and the covenant established with , is trodden upon , and is famished in the streets of sodome and aegypt , where christ was , and is slaine , and his witnesses suffers in the streets , and none hath compassion , is this thing nothing to you , all yee that passe by , to slight the love of the father in sending his son a light to you , and him you despise ; and as the pharisees could not own him , they put the time far off , and so doe you , and cannot own that of him in you , to be lead by it , and so followes strangers , and still are complaining , and puts redemption to another world , and so satan hath deceived you in looking abroad , and therefore that at home is of no price unto you , and so you run away from the drawing of the father , and from his dwelling , where the least in his house hath bread enough ; but to the carnall mind , which is at enmity with god , who seeks him in the fallen wisedome , he is of no value , and that which was the saints rule is too low for you , and yet you say the sons of god are lead by his spirit . now i say , where doth the spirit speak ? doth it not bear witnesse either with or against our spirits ? and so all mens spirits , and so that nature in you which is one with the serpent , and nourisheth the harlot , is exalted , and lives , and hath preheminence , and yet you will talk of being reconciled unto god . now consider , while you stand not in the councel of god within , and wait to hear his word , you know not the word of reconciliation , for he takes none into union with himself , but they that follow him , and doth what he commands , and are his fruit and off-spring . and therefore , o foolish and unwise , how long will you feed on a dream that you are saved , when your rebellion is open to your own sight ? to that of god in your consciences i speak . all therefore , that see your darknesse that you lye in , return home , and that which is low , mind , the meek spirit , and be not forward nor rash , but stand still in quietnesse and meeknesse , that the still voyce you may hear which till you come downe low within , you cannot hear ; for the loud voyces of the aegyptians and inchanters is so many , and pharaohs voyce , and herods is so loud , and you whose minds are abroad , you think as they thought its the voyce of god . but i say be still , he shall not cry , nor lift up his voyce in the streets who you must hearken unto , in you , that your soules may live , and so be low and still if you will hear his voyce , and wait to hear that speak that separates betwixt the precious and the vile . now that which you must wait in , is neer you , yea in you , the eye that seeth , and the ear that heareth that , is of the lord , for that which is visible , is naturall and carnall , and the naturall ear cannot hear the word of the spirituall god , for that which hearkens without , that ear must be deaf , and that eye blind . now that which reveales the pure spirituall god must be in you pure and spirituall ; for none knowes the things of god , but by the spirit of god , and did not his spirit bear witnesse alwayes unto their spirits ? and doth it not so now to all that know him ? so in the light wait which comes from god , who is light , and dwells in the immortall light , which the mortall eye cannot behold , and it will lead you to know christ who is immortall , and not carnall , but spirituall and eternall . and as you love the light , and keep your minds inward , then you will hear the motion of christ jesus in you ; and so loving it , the good you will come to see from god , which will lead out of sin , and sanctifie you , and the acceptable year you will see , and the day of vengeance , and this is he whom the father hath given for a covenant , to bring man out of the alienation to himself again and to reconcile man unto himself even by the blood of the crosse ; and he who is the light is the covenant ; and he who is the covenant is the light , for they are one in him ; and this covenant of peace is tendred unto you who are afar off : and herein is the eternall love of god made manifest to the jew and the greeke , and the life of his son to be the light of the world , and of men ; and so in the covenant of light abide , and you will see he is neer you , the peace-maker , the gift of god which presents you perfect in himself to the father , and this gift is free , and offered freely , to all that will receive it ; and yet you cannot receive the gift in your own wills , but through the deniall of your own wills , for the light is contrary to the will ; and so you will see the will of the earthly man and gods will contrary , and as you receive the will of god , you deny your owne wills , and so doth the will of another , and another guides you , and leads you , and this is gods alone work , not of your selves , but wrought by christ , in his owne way and truth and so the covenant of god comes to be established to the seed , and the foundation stands sure , and his promise is fulfilled in you , as you come to witnesse the seed which is one , in whom the promise is fulfilled . and friends , thus must you wait to have judgement set up within you and this is he who is the judge and the light of the world ; and so wait to see the law set up within , which is added because of transgression to cut down , and the unjust destroyed in you , and the rebellious nature yoaked , which hath had its liberty in the earthly , where the beasts of the field dwells , and so it will come to decay and the law works wrath upon the deceit in you , which hath had preheminence , and so you will see the thunder as the seale is opened , and the earthquakes , and lightning , insomuch as you cannot behold and live . but the transgressor , and the transgression , which is contrary to the law is cut down , and when there is a time of great sorrow , and great trouble , and tryall , and temptation , wait in patience in the judgement , and let the lords work have its perfect operation in you , and so as you turn unto him that hath smitten and wounded you , he will bind up and heale , and give up all to the great slaughter of the lord unto the crosse , all that which is discovered by the pure law of god ; and as the earth comes to be plowed up , the seed which is sown comes up , and the rocks broken , the water gusheth out , and so you will see some promises will arise in you , to the seed which is coming up out of the grave , and so the love of god will appear in you , and you will be stayed , and see hope in the midst of calamity . then take heed that the serpent get not that which is to the babe , and so the carnall come to be exalted ; but as you wait , you will see the subtilty of the enemy ; and sin and death rules till moses , who was a faithfull servant in his house , and brings to the law of god revealed in you , then sin comes to be crucucified , and to loose its dominion over you , and in you , and so you will see one brought forth under the law , who fullfilled the law , and now fullfills it in all those who walk after him in the spirit , and fullfills not the desires of the flesh and wait , and you will see some prophecies opened in you , and the day-star in your hearts , which leads to where christ is , and openings of the inheritance which is to be received , and the promise is to the seed . and all wait in the light , and keep in your minds to it and you will see johns ministry , the water which washeth , and he is the preparer of the way , and turns to god , lest he smite the earth with a curse , and his ministry breaks down the mountaines , and removes them , and makes a plaine way , and your minds being turned to the lord , and as you own the gift of christ given you , repentance you will see , unto life , and then you will see something arising and shine in you , opening your hearts , and there will be a breathing after the lord and his righteousnesse , and standing in obedience in the crosse , the vayle you will see rent , and you will see him that hath turned you from sin by his free gift made manifest in you ; and he which is the gift saves you from sin , and so the seales will be opened by the angel of the covenant , and the lamb . so all in patience wait , and keep in the living principle of life , and things will open in you , even the dark sayings of old ; and that which spake parables to the serpents seed , will open the parables to his own seed , then you will see him whom you have pierced , even the lamb who hath been slain since the foundation of the world , and your hearts will be boken , and water will gush out of the rock ▪ and so love will encrease in you , who abide faithfull in your measure , and the good and perfect gift of god will be made manifest in you , and the hope upon which the soule comes to be anchored , will come to be witnessed , which hope purifies the heart ; and as you stand in the perfect law of liberty revealed in you revealed by the spirit which cuts down the oppressor , and gives liberty to his seed , unto which the covenant is , and the promises for ever ; and this seed christ took , and takes upon him to redeem , even the seed of abraham , unto whom the promise was made ; and so wait , that the pure law of righteousnesse , which is life to the righteous , and so the seed may be set up , and you will see all chained under , and this binds and fetters the unclean spirits , and shuts up them into utter darknesse for ever . and as you come to be redeemed from under the bondage of sin , and come above the bonds of death , & the pure principle lives in you , there will be a delight in you to doe the will of the father , who hath redeemed you from sin and its law , unto righteousnesse and its law . and all who hunger and thirst after righteousnesse , wait in that which thirsteth , that the gift you may receive , which perfects for ever them that receive it , and believe in it , and cleanseth and purgeth you from unrighteousnesse ; and this being revealed in you , as you obey it , it leads to true peace , and will reveal in you the immortall seed which came not by the will of man , but is contrary , and revealed out of mans will which all must witnesse to be born of , that inherits the kingdome of god ; and this is he who is begotten of the incorruptible seed , which the promise is unto , and are in him fullfilled yea , and amen , come out of time before all time , the son of god , which leads out of time ; and this is he whom the father revealed in paul ; and this is he of whom i am a witnesse , in whom i have redemption by the blood of the crosse , and he is my sanctification , justification , and wisedome , who is the son of god , who came to doe his fathers will , and now doth , where he is witnessed , who by his eternall word of life hath begotten me , and made me a partaker of his eternall inheritance which never fades away ; glory unto him for evermore , who is life , and translateth all that believeth and follow him in the work of regeneration unto his kingdome . so silence all you diviners and sorcerers for ever , who believe with a faith , and teach a faith , that none can be ever cleansed from sin while they are here , you and your faith is denyed , for it is not the same which was once delivered to the saints , which gave them victory over the world , and by which they overcame . paul a minister of christ by the will of god , said , the colossions were translated into the kingdome of god , where nothing that is imperfect can come or enter , your preaching is vaine , your hope and faith is vaine , and all your hearing is vaine , while the perfect gift of god is not witnessed , nor the everlasting offring which perfects for ever them that are sanctified by him , even by his word of life and his will , which sanctifies and makes perfect the commers thereunto , and presents all that believe and receive him without spot . and therefore all you that love the lord , and wait for the coming of the kingdome of christ , feed no longer upon imaginations nor vaine words ; cease from looking , loe here and there , for the kingdome of god will the father reveal in you , as you waite in the measure of the light in you , by which he reveals himselfe in his sons and daughters , and will bring them to his everlasting fold and true rest , all who followes him through the denyall of all , and to the loosing of all for him , shall come to witnesse an incorruptible inheritance , which never fades away . and now a few words to you who would thrust your selves into the kingdome , and would be called christs disciples , and church members , who are gathered into confederacies , and makes a likenesse unto your selves , and are now professing the saints conditions in words . how come you hither , to climb up so high in words , when as you are what you were before , if not worse ? think it not a hard saying , for it is so among many of you , and in the light which is pure you are weighed , and when one comes to try you your language bewrays you that you are not what you professe , for when you are tryed by the saints practises and life that was in them , and the injoyment they had with god , you are found so far from being any such that you even oppose the faith they believed in : as some of your pastors openly to my face in the hearing of two hundred people , said , all the saints dyed sinners , and so was so far from owning the perfect righteousnesse of christ that he even denyed it and said it was heresie ; and others of you say , you believe that all the graces the saints enjoy are imperfect , yea even faith is imperfect ; and others saying , that all the righteousnesse that was wrought in them by faith was imperfect ; and others saying , while the light of christ jesus condemned them , yet christ justified them , and yet that which was wrought in them there was failings in it , and so you have imagined a faith and righteousnesse of your own , and such a christ to talk on , and a redemption as you may live in lusts , and be men pleasers , and in the customes and fashions of the world , and coveteousnesse , and pleads for sin , and puts perfect righteousnesse to another world , and thus the devill hath deceived you , and so you set up , and makes covers , but all will not hide you in the day of his appearance , for god joynes not to that which is imperfect , neither is that true faith which is imperfect and which layes hold upon an imperfect righteousnesse , that is such a faith as never was professed by ony of the saints , whose words you professe , for they had received faith the gift of god , the least measure of which was perfect , and as they stood in it , though it was but as a graine of mustard-seed , they said to this mountaine be removed and it was so ; and that which was in them reveald by the son , led them that did believe in it to lay hold upon christs righteousness , which was and is perfect , which had ( yea hath ) no spots , nor wrinckles , nor staine , and this righteousnesse was made manifest in them by the faith of the son , by which they were justified in the sight of god , and came with boldnesse before the throne of christ , for in them there was no condemnation , neither guilt , but became one with the judge , and reconciled unto him and his throne , and to the lamb by him who is the midiator , and hath made peace betwixt them and the father , and so were justified in the sight of god , and this witnesse they had in them , that they pleased god , and were accepted of god , and this righteousnesse was wrought in them , and is now the same which is wrought in the saints , by him who is their light and life , and this was the righteousnesse of faith , and that which was wrought by christ in the saints , as they believed in him , and in the measure of grace received from him , which saved them from sin , which vvas not of themselves , he perfected his ovvn vvork in them , through and by faith , and justified them , and sanctified them and became their vvisdome , by vvhich they vvere led into all truth , out of failings and imperfection ; and vveaknesses , and he became their strength and rock and they vvere builded upon him , and as they stood upon him the rock , they vvere preserved vvhen the vvaves did beat , and vvhen temptations came , and vvere sure and stedfast , and immoveable , and so overcame the armies of aliens , and quenched the violence of fire , and resisted the devill , and quenched his fiery darts , and had victory over the heathen , and reigned as kings over the beasts of the field , and over the deceit , and by the receiving and believing of the word of him , who was and is called jesus , by which faith came by the hearing of , they overcame the enemies of their soules , and him who hath the power of death : and the strength of sin is the law ▪ but by the blood of him who is eternall , who is jesus the midiator of the new and living way , they overcame the dragon , even by the word of his testimony , which was revealed in them ; which word of faith paul vvho vvas a minister preached unto them , even to them vvho had the vvord in them and turned them to it , and as they believed in it , they were sanctified by it , and cleansed by it , and made perfect , and then they witnessed the bringing in of a better hope , which perfects and makes perfect as pertaining to the conscience , which while they stood without , looking at elementary things , and divers washings , and those things which were figures of the true tabernacle made without hands which stood untill the time of reformation , and then done away , to wit the hand writings , and them that witnesses the new covenant now , they see them done away , and the time of reformation is come , the same which they witnessed , glory for evermore . and therefore all you professors , who have builded high towers and castles in your imaginations , and hath told of reformation these many years ; but you have nothing but a hand-writing to establish your building upon , and all your reformation hath been but the washing of cups , and pulling down one thing , and set up another beggerly elementary images and doe not witnesse the better hope brought in , nor the time of reformation , nor cannot abide that any should declare it unto you , nor believe it , nor hear it , nor while your eyes are without and not in the head you cannot see when good comes , but are as heathens in the desart , and although you are among the brambles and bryars , yet you would be counted kings and heads over others , and one making an image in this manner , and another in that , of all sorts high and low , but all stands in the earth , and all in one ground , and what doe they availe you ? for they cannot save , for your highest enjoyment is imperfect ( you say ) what then serve these for ? onely for you to talk on , and this is all they serve for , and to contend and strive about one with another , and all in your wills , while the will of god in you is not hearkned unto , but cast behind your backs , and so the way of true peace you never come to attaine unto . oh , when will you be weary of feeding upon the wind , and of husks among swine , and upon that which dies of it selfe ? and when will you enquire after the living god who is power ? how long have you talked of his power to come many years ? and you are still as far off , if not further than you were before , and hath told of the glory of the lord to be revealed , and of his law being written in the heart , and of god teaching his people himselfe , and of his spirit being poured out upon his sons and daughters , and you cannot see that you have obtained nothing ; and you have prayed , and what have you obtained nothing ? for you have asked amisse , and one comes hungry , and is still complaining , and then you that are full feeds them with the old dregs and lees which you are setled upon , and the old leaven of aiery notions , and conceptions , and wine of the sowre grape , which sets on edge the childrens teeth and fills them to full , that when the living bread is broken , they cannot eate nor relish it nor tast , and so cannot enter your selves , nor suffer others to enter , and when these things are witnessed in the life which you have talked on so long , you cannot own them that doth declare it , and when the power of god is declared unto you what it is , and where it is to be waited for , you cannot own it , this is too low for you and except the lord will come in your way , that you prescribe unto him , you will not look upon him , but as the jewes did whose eyes were without , and your fallen wisdome cannot receive him , nor compasse his eternall wisdome . and yet you will say , the jewes did require a signe , and were in the adultery ; and the greeks sought after wisdome , and they stumbled : and yet you cannot see your selves in the same state : did ever god reveal himselfe to the fallen wisdome , which is learned from that principle which is erred and gone out from god ? or to the will of man which is at enmity against god ? nay , nay , he never did , nor will reveal his counsell , but to that which is of himselfe , which is the least of all seeds in the world , and it is he that is borne of god , that heareth gods word , and what is borne of the spirit is spirit , and is nourished by the spirit , and led by it , and so the spirituall god reveals his law and his statutes to him , and his testimony which is sure . how long have you talked of the spirit , and worshipping in spirit ? and yet indeed denies its leading and teaching , and lives in the oldnesse of the letter , and crying up , and setting up things that are carnal , and visible , and elementary , and washing is not known from sin , nor cleansing ; and so you may see what operation your spirit you have talked on , hath , when you are still what you were . now the spirit of god is operative , and works a change in the ground , and translateth all that follow and hearken unto it into its own nature , when all those things you so much strive about were but a shadow , for the vvord vvas in the beginning and gave life , and is spiritual , and vvhen it s knovvn and vvitnessed vvithin in the heart , it separates from death and gives life to all that hear it and believe in it : what christ is this you preach ? and what gospel is this you preach vvhich saves you not from guilt and condemnation ? for the vvord of the true christ vvhere it is ovvned , cleanseth and takes avvay sin , and condemns it , and blots it out , and destroys the root from vvhence it flovvs forth , and vvorks a nevv creation , in righteousnesse , and the lamb of god takes avvay sin , in which the churches of christ believed , and is glad tidings to all that doe receive it : now none can witnes gladness of soul where there is guilt , which ( you all affirm ) is in every christian , while in this world , and so you might see that it s not the true christ nor the everlasting gospell you preach , but this you cannot bear : yet you say , he hath taken away your sin ; how much is sin taken away ? if you say all , how comes the guilt and trouble that is in you ? for if it be taken away , and his justice satisfied , this were to make god unjust to charge it upon you againe : but i tell you when his witnesse in your conscience convinceth you , and manifests unto you that you commit it , and reproves for it , i say , you cannot witnesse his justice satisfied , for the light is just , which is one with god , and when this condemns you , there is no god that will justifie you : but you use to say , it s all done in christ ; i ask , where ? if it be not taken away , and unlesse you have the witnesse of it in you , your faith is vain ; for he that believes hath the witness in himselfe , which none hath who walks contrary unto the light the pure vvitnes of christ , for this convinceth you of sin , and bears witness against you : now shew your witnesse within you , and your assurance ; i say unto you , while the testimony of jesus bears testimonie against you it bears not witnesse unto you , and so see your confusion . but after you have believed in christ ( as you say ) and have received all his ordinances , if any thing after did judge you and bring trouble upon you , this you used to call a temptation , and so put light for darknesse , and darknes for light ; i say , there is no guilt where sin is taken away , and crucified , but peace and rest in the holy god , who is unchangeable , and so is his witnesse unchangeable , which judgeth and condemnes the changeable . but you use to say , his love is unchangeable , and whom he loves once , he loves to the end ; yea , but it is him who is begotten by the immortall word , which was in the beginning , and which word leads to the beginning again , before the hatred was , the promise is to this seed , not seeds as to many , but the seed of the covenant , there he loves from the womb , yea , the womb that bears the seed of jacob , and the paps that gives them suck , and where this is known , as to enjoyment , esau is cast out , and ishmael , and the seed of abraham inherits the promise , and edom and moab is laid wast , and amaleck is slain by the edge of the sword , and the seed of evil doers cut off , blessed are they that can witnesse this in truth , and till this be known , the everlasting love of god is not known , which is stronger then death , and sin is death , and where it is acted & conceived , love is not witnessed , nor its strength , but wrath comes upon the children of disobedience , and are you not children of disobedience while you break the holy law of god , in which is power , which is in the heart , and it bears witnesse against you , and in you , and yet say you cannot believe that ever you shall be able to fullfill it ; if you fullfill it not , you break it , and then the wrath abides upon you . but then you say , if we must fulfill the law , what use is christ of ? i say , he who abides for ever , fulfilled it ▪ and fulfills it in them who know him and his work , and this the scriptures bears witnesse of , and herein man comes to be jufied in gods sight , by christ , who works all our works in us , and for us , and self becomes dead , and because he lives , we live also , glory unto him for ever . and therefore we cannot but lay open the deceit of satan , and exhort all to come up to christ out of the works of condemnation . oh foolish people and unwise ! when will ye seek after wisedome , and hearken that your soules may live ? how long will yee trust to the imaginations of your own hearts ? verily verily , i say unto you , the time is coming your building shall fall , and there shall not one stone be left upon another that shall not be thrown down , and the shame of ethiopia and aegypt shall come upon you , and your old garments shall be torn off you , and you shall walk naked and bare , and shall see your shame , and the holy nation of the lamb shall rejoyce , and your sorrow the lord hastens upon you , who will not own the crosse of christ , nor the word of life , which would turn you from unrighteousnesse , and out of the world , and its nature ▪ but you harden your hearts , and bend your browes , and shoot your arrowes against the lord , and his anointed ones , and takes part with all the uncircumcised in the nations , in the confederacy in the nation against the lamb , yea even with them against whom you your selves have declared , and many of you who have been a reproach , now reproach . o , tell it not in gath , never let it come to other nations . shame , shame , and blush at this , you who thus requite the lord evill for good : hath the lord broken the band of the oppressor without ? and have you not seen the hand of the lord against them that were oppressors , cut off in his wrath , and overthrown ? and are not many of you the highest professors both in england and ireland , now acting in their footsteps ? even you who professe separation from the world , who hath been taken from the sheepfold , and as you were seeking the asses , and raised from a low estate in the world now to places of dignity and honour , and to bear rule , and to sit as judges among the people ; and now have you forgotten that you were servants under pharaoh , but now hath taken up his power ; and have forgot the afflictions of joseph , and your fingers is becoming heavier then your fathers loines , and now you are joyning your strength with the canaanites and aegyptians , against the lord . where is the liberty of tender consciences you have told of ? and what is become of your reformation ? is it ended in this , like absolom , when you are come to be judges in the gate , acts in open rebellion against the lord , and now would be judges of him every where , and would limit him ▪ and set a bound unto him , and would break his eternall decree , which stands for ever . oh , if them who had professed no love to god had done thus , it might have been born , but ye treacherous hearts , your ingratitude and hypocrisie cannot be born , but the lord god will visit for these things ; that you should now act by those lawes which you cryed out of as oppressive , and should deliver your brethren up to the devourer and spoyler , who have born a part of the suffering in the nations distresse and grief , in the greatest calamity , would you thus be done by ? would you bear it well ? i will not complain , but i will shew you the ground , and lay it before you , that if it be possible , you may be ashamed and repent , lest the lord also avenge himself upon you , as he did upon the enemies before you . have not many of you in england been acting in the steps of the prophane ? when the lord hath given you what you sought after , liberty and freedome in those things ; and now you labour by all your strength and power to oppresse them who walk blamelesse before the lord and men also . oh , what ? is all your preaching , and praying , and fighting , and warring come to this , that none must declare the mind of the lord , except it be in your way , or will , or time , under paine of bonds , and banishment fines and imprisonment , stocking , whipping , stoning ? and ▪ you that have been sufferers your selves , now comes to be chief oppressors and opposers of the lord in his way , and all manner of lyes and reproaches you cast upon the truth , and you take part with the rest of the priests and deceivers in the nation , which take part against you when you was for the lord , and numbers us among transgressors , of every hand to make the truth odious to all . these things and much more are found among you , from the least to the greatest , and yet you would be accounted christians ; and if you say , you have thus learned christ , i say you know him not : can you limit the ocean from flowing ? or can you command the wind that it blow not ? or can you stop the windowes of heaven that it raine not upon the earth ? if you cannot at all doe it all , lye down , he that reproves god let him answer it : have you given counsell to the lord ? or have you been his instructer ? or can you limit him in his way ? if you cannot , no more shall you be able to stop his way , who is riding on in his power , and overturns all the worlds wisedome , and power , and strength , and who is able to resist him , who dryes up the face of the deep and saith to the sea , be still , and to the mountaines be removed , and they are so ; and he vvill advance his ovvn glory and povver against all mens vvills and lavves , vvhich stands in mans vvill , and vvill break all your cords as a bull-rush , and overthrovv all your counsell , and make it even vvith the earth , and shame shall cover all his opposers , and therefore learne wisdome , oh ye potsheards of the earth , and cease to strive against the lord , and his power which will be too strong for you , and you shall not be able to limit him , nor stop him in his way , who runs his course as a gyant , and bruises all his enemies heads , and cuts them in peece by the two edged sword of his mouth , which he hath put into the bands of his saints who follow him in the warr , and our conquest is through suffering , glory unto him for ever , who hath counted us worthy to suffer for his names sake , and to be brought before rulers and councels for his names sake that the scripture might be fullfilled in us in this day , as it was upon our brethren who went before us . and oh ye rulers and officers of ireland , who have been professors and affecters of liberty , and for suppressing of tyranny , behold now the lord hath sent to try you , and you are found in the same footsteps when you are tryed , as them that the lord cast out before you ; and in the nature of the chief priests , and elders , and councels , who breaths out threatnings , and sends out your warrants , and inquisitions to bind all , and to send up all bound too , before you , that so evill ( you say ) may be prevented in time , and takes reports from the priests and false prophets of the nations , who are liars , evill beasts , whose mouths the lord will stop , and bring shame upon ; who are flatterers , and have flattered the powers and rulers before you , till they were all cut off , and now they flatter you , and cannot hold up their divination without you help them , what gospel is this they preach ? when a few poor despised people , who are hated of the world , that the sound of them makes them afraid , oh that ever you should be so ignorant to joyn to baal , but let him plead for himself and they stand by their god , and their gospel , and if they be not able to defend themselves , let them perish , let them perish . but them who comes in their own name , you receive but them who comes in the name of the lord , and seeks none of your tithes , nor augmentations , nor your advance , them you cannot bear should be in the nation , who are not troublesome to any , nor desires to eat any mans bread for naught , and these you call of an evill life . and men who have devoured their own estates and others also , and drunkards , and all manner of unclean persons , these may have liberty . oh , doe you think that he sees not your doings , and will call you to an account for these things ? and you must know our countrey and calling , i say unto you who live in envy and wrath , if we declare unto you , ye cannot believe ; but god gives no account of his matters unto man , where doe ye read , o yee foolish people , and slow to believe , but that the ministers of christ were called out from their outward employments , into the lords vineyard , contrary to their own wills , and were ministers contrary to the will of man , and did mind the calling of god to his ovvn work , both the prophets , and apostles , and ministers of christ ; and also they preached the gospel vvho vvere never church-officers in all their life-time , as you may see , acts . . but you say that vvas in a time of persecution . and vvhat is this time ? hovv many hath been persecuted from tovvn to tovvn , from city to city , put in prison , haled out of the synagogues ? as most part of the nation of england can vvitnesse . and you in ireland are follovving your leaders vvho are in this generation , and fills up your measure also ; but persecution vvas ever blind . but you say , they suffered for well doing , but we justly . let that in your consciences be judge ; would you not have judged paul as you doe us , who went into the synagogues on sabbath day , and disputed , and in the markets daily ; and christ who was their example , and ours also , in the synagogues he taught , and in ships , and towns , and villages , and desarts , and wandred up and down , and the ministers of christ had no certain dwelling-place , and the multitudes that followed them , would you not have said , these men are evill livers ? your generation said so then , and that they were sowers of sedition & heresie , and ring-leaders of sects , and setters forth of strange gods , and were accused to be the disturbers of the peace , and were in tumults often , as we have been ; and they said , that they were not worthy to live , and now the same you say . instance is , a warrant given out at dublin in december , to fetch up , and send up bound to dublin , all that are called quakers , and all these things and much more , you who 〈…〉 s as rulers and judges of the nation of ireland , 〈…〉 upon us , and hath required the justices every 〈…〉 us on these things , and to lay to our 〈◊〉 , and what testimony we have , or letters of recommendation , ( i say ) what testimony had the ministers of christ , from the rulers or high priests then , they were false apostles which were made by mans will , and the apostle said , need we letters of recommendation as others have ? and of what church we are in england , we are of that which is in god , begotten by the preaching of the gospel of the son of god , which all the hirelings and them you uphold by a popish law , calls heresie ; and there is that in every mans conscience , which is the letters of our recommendation . and you say , we are not of any setled principle ; i say , we are grounded and setled upon him who is the rock of ages , and stand in his counsel both sure and stedfast , and cannot be moved : notwithstanding all the rage of the heathen we are in peace , glory unto him for ever , who is the worlds tormenter , and the breaker of deaths covenant , and hells agreement and disquiets the devils peace , and torments them who plead for his kingdome . and you accuse us , we make open and publick disturbance , to the grief of the godly and sober people , and scandall of religion , if we come and declare the minde of the lord ( as it is revealed in us ) in publick , and declare the word of life in truth and sobernesse , and then you hale him out , and stocks , and whips , and prisons , and persecutes and what religion is this that is among you ? who stops your ears , and as the jewes did with paul , runs upon us , and , rents our cloaths , and yet you call us disturbers . are not these practises found in most of your idolls temples , into which the hirelings creeps , and calls a church , and all those practises among you are found , and we are ashamed of you and your practises , that these things should be found among you , after so manifest an appea●ance of the lords wrath against them , and are these godly ? to that in all your consciences i speak : one haling , another beating , another punshing , and rending our cloaths , and prisons , and revilings , and cruell mocking , and false accusing , and stoning , are these god like , or like god ? oh be ashamed . and you that are so soon grieved , you are not god like , who is long suffering , and his saints who were god like did bear , and forbear one another . and these parish teachers which you hold up in ireland , i challenge them all in the name of the lord who lives for ever , that in all their publick worship ( as they call it ) and them also , that they are not like god , nor any of his ministers , nor any thing that ever they practice . and therefore i say , come forth and vindicate your practice , and let your god come forth , and be tryed , and lay open your practice , and your principles to the world , and stand by them if you can , and for shame never run to the magistrate to help ; you learned rabbies , you great orators , come forth , and stand and prove your selves before the people , and manifest your strength , and your weapons , and that god that answers by fire , let him be god , you have confessed our god answers by fire , for it s kindled among you , and the word which is fire we have declared , and many hath heard it , and have believed , and answered it , and now it burns , and you shall not be able to quench it ; post and run as fast as you can ▪ dig as deep for councel as hell , call up all the powers of darknesse , you shall not be able to quench the fire that is kindled . if we should hold our peace , the stones of the wall would cry out against you . and therefore i say unto you , all you parish teachers , and all you that uphold them , arm your selves with all your strength , call your diviners together , for we proclaim in the lords name ( who hath rent the heavens , and is come down , and his tabernacle is with men ) open war we declare , and sounds the trumpet of our god , out of the holy mountaine , all the earth shall tremble before him , and the mountaines ▪ shall melt before him , why should we be undiscovered to you ? we are sent forth to take peace from the earth , and to warn all to the battel of the great day of god , for now he is arisen in his power and glory , and his kingdome is come , glory unto him for ever , and we are witnesses of it , and it 's not of this world , and we have denyed the world , and followes him who hath a bow and a sword , and makes war in righteousnesse , and none is able to stand before him , therefore gather your selves on heaps , o ye potsheards , and make a consederacy among the people , arm your selves , cast up your mounts and batteries , strengthen your selves , and trust in the arm of flesh , and say , none can come near us , verily i say unto you , you shall be made levell with the ground , and all your sorcery shall be laid open , and antichrist is discovered by the brightnesse of the coming of christ , our eyes have seen the lord of hosts in his glory , and all your glory , yee tellers of dreams and diviners , shall be made as a dunghill , and your renown shall perish from the earth , the mouth of the lord hath spoken it . and now a few words unto you , o yee heads and rulers of the people in ireland , who sit in judgement , remember from whence you are raysed , and how great deliverance you have had , and how manifest the lord hath appeared for you , to deliver you out of the hands of blood thirsty men , and your enemies , who despised the lord , and all righteousnesse , and they were numerous and great , when you have been in great straits , and they said in their hearts , we will swallow them up , and then the lord in the day of your distresse delivered you , and hath given you their possessions , and dominion over them , and hath setled you in peace , and you that hath been but low , hath he exalted to bear rule , and expects from you righteousnesse , and justice , and equity , and to be as feet to the lame ▪ and strength to the weak , and to break off every yoak of oppression from the neck of the poor , and oppressed , and to relieve your brethren , and to entertain strangers , remembring you were many of you strangers in this land , which now is given you to possesse ; i say , take heed unto your selves , how you act according to the customes of the nation , and your own wills , nor the customary worship of the nation , which the lord laid by , and wast , and scattered all them that pretended themselves teachers of the people ; was there any of them that stood in the gap , or turned people from their iniquity ? till the lord broke out in his wrath as fire , and laid the land wast , and the house of their god wast , which you burnt up ; and will you now joyn with moab ? and will you build again those things which you have once destroyed ? then you make your selves transgressors . think not thus in your hearts , that the lord hath given you dominion over the nation to walk after your own wills , and joyn unto deceit , and that you may establish those things again , which the lord was wroth with . and if you hold up those by your lawes , and your power , and your prisons , and your sword , which is the people of the lords curse , i speak of the teachers who are in balaams way ; and greedy dumb dogs , who can never have enough ; and bestow the nations tythes , and lands , and riches , which is the lords treasure , upon them , that they may cry up deceit , and flatter you , both you and they will fall together . and friends i am plaine with you , the hand of the lord is against them , and all the power of the nations shall not save them from his indignation . and therefore be wise oh ye rulers , and doe not you think to take counsell against the lord and prosper , nor prescribe not the lord a way ; for h●s thoughts are not as your thoughts , not his wayes as your wayes , for he hath chosen the weak things of this world to overthrow the mighty , your eyes have seen this without , and he hath revealed his will to them and in them , whom you look upon but as weak t●ings , and base things , and in them is he making known his eternall power to overthrow the worlds wisdome and might , which is in the fall and curst , from whence all heresies , and blasphemies , and sects , and opinions flow and come forth , and he is bringing his own work , his mighty work to passe , even to overthrow and overturne all the power of the beast , and the false prophet , and shut them into the pit , and the decree is gone forth and sealed , and shall not be altered though all the powers of darknesse joyne against him , and although you should make a law as the jews did to take away the life of christ , yet it did but little avail them , for he hath carried on his work through all generations , notwithstanding all opposition , and this is he in whom we trust , and doe not you think that you are able to limit the lord , by whom he must declare his name , or how , or where , or in what time , but in his own way and time , and if he command and will us , all mens will must be broken , though still the holy men of god suffered as such , and so accounted as disturbers of peace , i say the devils peace must be broken , and though the false prophets of this nation cry peace unto you , when you walk in the imagination of your own hearts , and though you cry peace unto them , yet one is come , and coming to take peace from you , for all your peace and agreement that you make against the least appearance of god in his servants , it will be dashed to pieces . and if they were to depart from the presence of god , who fed not the saints , neither clothed them , nor vsited them in prison , but were to depart with the devill and his angels into everlasting fire ; what will become of you who instead of clothing incourageth the people to rent them off us , and instead of feeding us , gives command to depart because we are strangers , and instead of v●siting them in prison , you put them in prison , and sends for them one hundred miles to be dragged to your prisons , and before your judgement seat , in whom he is made manifest . and now oh ye councell at dublin your order hath so gratified the devill , and all the prophane in the nation , that they judge your order was not large enough , as that they had not liberty to banish them , who have been long inhabitants in the nation , and therefore they tell you their readiness to fullfil your orders upon this account , and desires your directions what to doe further ▪ yea , you have made all liars , drunkards , cursed speakers , and prophane rejoyce , and hath strengthned the hands of the wicked , and so judgement is turned backward , and righteousnesse cannot enter , but all these things are recorded , and you shall one day remember what you have done . and friends , it s nothing to us , we lay down our heads in peace ; notwithstanding , if it had been done by them who had never professed any thing of liberty of conscience , and tendernesse , it might have been born , but here your double hypocrisie is made manifest . and near forty of the priests within the county of corke , who all subscribed to the government under ormond and in●heq●●e●e , and said , they did not acknowledge any other government , and counted them murderers who had taken away the kings life , as is manifest in their book printed at corke , wherein most of these men now have their tithes , and great sums of money of the lords treasury bestowed upon them ; and these are they , which if we declare but against their deceit , and hyppocrisie , nothing but bonds can we expect , and their information is taken against us ; oh that ever you should be so led . but why doe the heathen rage , and the people imagine a vaine thing , for he will exalt his son upon the hill of sion , and then woe unto them that hath joyned their power to uphold the beast , and the false prophet , for all must goe into the lake together , where the worme dies nor , nor the fire goes out , to be tormented with the devil and his angels for ever . and therefore i say unto you , repent , and turne to the lord , and seek judgement and righteousnesse , that so you may judge for the lord , and break off all oppression , and entertaine the strangers , who seek not yours , but the good of the nation , and that all people might know the lord , and worship him in righteousnesse , that so your days might be prolonged in the land , and the lord of heaven and earth might rule over you in righteousnesse , and that he alone might be exalted in the nations , which hath not been known for many generations , but onely all have lived with the name , without his life and power , in deceit , and all manner of unrighteousness , and the lord is wearied , and will ease himselfe of his adversaries , and his glory shall no longer be given to another . cork in ireland , the of the month . . finis . the dawnings of the gospel-day and its light and glory discovered by francis howgil. howgill, francis, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the dawnings of the gospel-day and its light and glory discovered by francis howgil. howgill, francis, - . hookes, ellis, d. . [ ], , [ ] p. s.n.], [london? : . "a true relation of the tryals, sufferings and death of francis howgil" by the editor, ellis hookes: p. 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ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng society of friends -- great britain. society of friends -- apologetic works. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the dawnings of the gospel-day , and its light and glory discovered : by a faithful and valiant follower of the lamb , and labourer in the vvork and service of god , and a sufferer for the testimony of jesus , francis howgil , who dyed a prisoner for the truth in appleby goal in the county of westmerland , the twentieth day of the eleaventh moneth , one thousand six hundred sixty eight . and the dragon was wroth with the woman , and went to make war with the remnant of her seed , which keep the commandments of god , and have the testimony of jesus christ , rev. . . and they overcame him by the blood of the lamb , and by the word of their testimony , and they loved not their lives unto death , rev. . . printed in the year . to all the faithful friends and followers of christ jesus in scorn call'd quakers . dear friends , the remembrance of the author of these books is fresh upon me , as i believe it is upon many more that knew him ; and indeed he can never be forgotten by us , whose blameless and innocent life and conversation , when amongst us , was a good pattern unto us ; for he was a man of a meek and gentle spirit , and was very careful and tender to all in whom the least appearance of truth manifested it self , and his travails and labours were great for the truth 's sake , to beget people to the lord , being not satisfied to eat his bread alone , as many yet living in england , scotland and ireland can testifie , where he laboured and suffered ; and he was a man of a tender and broken spirit , and constant in his love to all his brethren ; and a great care he had over all the flock of god ; and his faithfulness to the truth was a crown unto him unto his latter end ; and his name for his constancy to the lord and his truth shall be had in remembrance by generations to come : i have here drawn up a short relation of his last tryals and sufferings at appleby , which being not heretofore published , i thought meet to incert them before his books , as followeth , and remain a friend to all that love the lord jesus , ellis hooks . london the d day of the th moneth , . a true relation of the tryals , sufferings and death of francis howgil , who dyed a prisoner for the testimony of jesus , in appleby in the county of vvestmorland , the th day of the th moneth , . in the th year of his age. the said francis howgil about the latter end of the th moneth . being in the market in kendal about his ordinary occasions , was summoned by the high constable to appear before the justices of peace then present at a tavern , who tendred him the oath of allegiance , as they said , and committed him to prison till the assizes at appleby ; so at appleby he appeared , and had the same oath tendered in the court by the judges , and for not taking it was indicted , only he had liberty to answer to the indictment the next assizes , in the mean time a goal delivery being at appleby , he was required again to enter into bond for the good behaviour , only to ensnare and to bring him into further bonds and for denying was committed prisoner : a further relation of his tryal at two several assizes is as followeth . being at the assizes , he had free liberty of speech and good audience before the judges and great men of the country and many others , and indeed the lord made him without fear , and girded his heart with strength , and opened his mouth in wisdom , so that he gained upon his adversaries , for which glory is given to god , who was a present help to him in the time of need. before the judges sate f. h. spoke to the clerk of the assizes , and told him , he did not know whether they expected his appearance then or not ; the clerk said , you have done well , and that he would acquaint the judge , and he should only engage to him to appear the next assizes , to answer the indictment against him , and that he should not appear in court ; francis bid do what he would : in the mean time sir philip musgrave ( so called ) a great adversary to the truth , and the great and chief prosecutor of francis , had informed the judges against him , as that he was a dangerous person , a ringleader and a keeper up of meetings of dangerous consequence , and destructive to the peace of the nation ; so then they concluded he should appear in court ; and so the clerk informed him , and told him about what time he should be called : so the court began , judge twisden gave the charge to the grand jury , in which he said , there was a sort of people , who under pretence of conscience and religion , who seemed to build upon the king's declarations from breda , and under colour of this hatched treasons and rebellions , and gave the jury charge to enquire and present such , that the peace of the nation might be preserved ; so they impaneled the jury , and francis was called to the bar , and the judge spake as followeth . judge , speaking calmly to him said , the face of things was much altered since the last assizes , & made a large speech to him and the country , telling him , that all sects under pretence of conscience did violate the laws , and hatched rebellions , not ( saith he ) that i have any thing to charge you with ; but seeing the oath of allegiance was tendered to you the last assizes , and you refused to take it ; it was looked upon that such persons were enemies to the king and government ; and said , i will not trouble you now to answer to your indictment , but i must do that the next assizes ; in the mean time you must enter into recognizance for the good behaviour . to which f. h. answered i desire liberty to speak , which he had without interruption , and said as followeth . f. h. judge twisden , thou very well knowest upon how slender an account or none i was brought before thee the last assizes , where thou were pleased to tender me the oath of allegiance , though i believe both thee and the rest of the court did know it was a received principle amongst us not to swear at all , many reasons i gave thee then , many more i have to add , if i may have audience ; for it may appear to you an absurd thing and obstinacy in me to refuse it , if i should not render a reason ; i am ( said he ) none of those that make religion a cloak of maliciousness , nor conscience a cloak to carry on plots or conspiracies , the lord hath redeemed me and many more out of such things ; and seeing i am engaged to appear at the next assizes , i desire no further thing may be required of me . judge . you must enter into bond this dangerous time , and therefore consider of it , and tell me now , or before the assizes end . the second day of the assizes he was called again . f. h. seeing thou art pleased to let me answer to my indictment , which i am willing to do , i have been of good behaviour , and shall so continue ; but it seems a hard thing to me , and full of severity , that seeing i am obliged to appear to answer an indictment of so high a nature ( if prosecuted against me ) which tends to the loss of my liberty for life , and my estate forever , i hope the court will not envy my liberty for five moneths . judge turner said , we do not desire your imprisonment , if you will be of good behaviour . and f. h. pressing further that they would not put him upon giving bond to be of the good behaviour , knowing himself to be bound by the truth , that he could not mis-behave himself . one daniel flemming another persecuting justice had framed another indictment against him for meeting , and stood up ( fearing the snare of giving bond would not hold ) and said as followeth . d. flemming , my lord he is a great speaker , it may be the quakers cannot want him . judge , let him be what he will if he will enter into bond. f. h. said , he had nothing to accuse himself of , for his conscience bore him witness that he loved peace , and sought it with all men. judges both spake , what do you tell of conscience ? we meddle not with it , but you contemn the laws , and keep up great meetings , and go not to church . f. h. we are fallen in a sad age , if meeting together peaceably , without arms or force or intention of hurt to any man , but only to worship god in spirit , and exhort one another to righteousness , and to pray together in the holy ghost , as the primitive christians of old , that this should be reckoned breach of peace and mis-behaviour . judge twisden , do you compare these times with them ? they were heathens that persecuted , but we are christian magistrates . f. h. it is a doctrine alwayes held by us , and a received principle as any thing we believed , that christ's kingdom could not be set up with carnal weapons , nor the gospel propagated by force of arms , nor the church of god built with violence ; but the prince of peace was manifested amongst us , and we could learn war no more , but could love enemies , and forgive them that did evil to us . philip musgrave stood up , and said , my lord , we have been remiss towards th●● people , and have striven with them , and put them in prison again and again , and fined them , and as soon as they are out they meet again . then stood up john lonther called a justice , and said , my lord , they grow insolent , notwithstanding all laws and the execution of them , yet they grow upon us , and their meetings are dangerous . philip musgrave stood up , and produced a paper ( and justice flemming so called , seconded him ) in great capital letters , and gave the judge it ; he told the judge , that it hapned some quakers were sent to prison , and one of them dyed at lancaster , and they carryed his corps through the country , and set that paper upon his coffin , this is the body of such an one , who was persecuted by daniel flemming till death . judge , we have spent much time with you , i will discourse no more . f. h. i acknowledge your moderation towards me allowing me liberty to speak , i shall not trouble you much longer ; i shall be willing to appear to answer to the indictment at the assizes , and in the mean time to live peaceably and quietly , as i have done , if that will satisfie . judge you must enter into bond to come at no more meetings . f. h. i cannot do that , if i should , i were treacherous to god and my own conscience and the people and you would but judge me a hypocrite . they weare loath to commit him , yet at last they did . f. h. turning about to the country people said , the fear of god be amongst you all . the hearts of people were tender towards him , and some were very loving and affectionate to him . being thus committed on the d of the st moneth , . he was detained a prisoner about five moneths , and a great part of the time of his imprisonment kept very strictly ; and a charge was given from the justices several times , that none should be suffered to speak with him ; and the goaler ( being a cruel man ) was ready to execute their orders to the utmost , and kept him so close , that none were suffered to come to him , or speak with him , but who got secretly to him , without the goalers knowledge ; all which the said f h. bore patiently , and never opened his mouth to complain : and when the time of the assizes came , he got liberty to speak with the clerk of the assizes , who told f.h. that he must prepare himself to come to a tryal ; he said , he was prepared , but thought that all he could say would little avail , he believing they purposed to prosecute him with all severity , which proved so , as will appear by the relation following ; for indeed the county justices , who began to prosecute him , had incensed the judges against him before hand ; however f. h. endeavoured all he could to convince them of his innocency , and to that end drew up the substance of the oath into several heads , which he could subscribe to , though he could not swear , and delivered it to the court , and drew up another paper to judge turner , shewing him and the court the cause of his first commitment , and the former proceedings against him , and how unequal it was , that they waved the other statutes lately made against non-conformists , and prosecuted him upon a statute formerly made against popish recusants ; in the same paper he also signified , that he was a man of a tender spirit , and feared the lord from a child , and had never taken any oath , but once in his life , and that was twenty years since , and that his refusing to take the oath of allegiance was not in any evil intent to the king's person or government , neither in thought , word or deed , but meerly upon a spiritual and conscientious account , and that he could not swear , being otherwise perswaded of the lord. . that he could not swear , seeing it was against the command of christ and the apostles doctrine . . he declared that he was able to make it evident to be against the example of the primitive christians for divers hundred years , and so no new opinion . . that he did neither in wilfulness nor obstinacy refuse it , being sensible of the dammage that would come thereby , if they did prosecute him upon that statute , he having a wife and children , and some small estate , which he knew lay at stake in the matter ; but said , if it were his life also , he could not revolt from , or deny that which he had most certainly believed in ; but if any could convince him , either by scripture or reason in the thing , he had an ear to hear ; and therefore , all those things considered , he desired he might be dismissed from those his strait bonds , and from their persecution of him upon that account : both which papers his wife delivered to the clerk , and he to the judges , and they to the justices before f. h. was called into the court , which they read , in which papers f. h. had come as near them as he could in the truth , that he might leave them the more without excuse ; but all would not prevail with them , for they were set on to do their utmost against him . here followeth the sum of their last proceedings against f. h. and the most material passages in open court at the assizes holden at appleby the d and d of the th moneth , . f. h. being called to the bar. judge spoke moderately and said , here is an indictment against you for refusing to take the oath of obedience , so you must plead to it either guilty or not guilty . f. h. with a heart girded up with strength and courage said , judge turner , may i have liberty to speak , and make my defence , for i have none to plead my cause but the lord ? judge , you may . f. h. i will lay the true state of my case before thee , and of the proceedings against me from the first , seeing judge twisden is not here , who had knowledge of all the proceedings hitherto ; i am a country man , born and brought up in this country , my carriage and conversation is known , how i have walked peaceably towards all men , as i hope my country men can testifie ; about a year ago being at my neighbouring market-town about my reasonable and lawful occasions , i was sent for by an high constable out of the market to the justices of peace , before whom i went ; and when i came there , they had nothing to lay to my charge , but fell to ask me questions to ensnare me about our meetings ; and when they could find no occasion , they seemed to tender the oath of allegiance to me , though they never read it to me , neither did i positively deny it , yet they committed me to prison ; and so i was brought hither to this assize , and then the mittimus by which i was committed was called for , and the judge read it , and said to the justices , it was insufficient , nevertheless judge twisden tendred the oath of obedience to me ; many things i did alledge then , and many more i have to say now , if time will permit ; from that time i was under an engagement to appear at the next assize , and so was called , and did appear at the last goal-delivery , and a further obligation was required of me for good behaviour , which i could not do , lest i should be brought into a further snare ; and since that time i have been committed prisoner these five moneths , some of which time i have been kept under great restraint , my friends not permitted to speak to me ; and thus briefly i have given thee an account hitherto ; and as to the oath , the substance thereof , with the representation of my case , is presented unto the court already , unto which i have set my hand , and also shall in those words testifie the same in open court , if required ; and seeing it is the very substance the law doth require , i desire it may be accepted , and i cleared from my imprisonment . judge , i am come to execute the law , and the law requires an oath , and i cannot alter it ; do you think the law must be changed for you , or only for a few ; if this be suffered , the administration of justice i● hindered , no action can be tryed , nor evidence given for the king , nor no other particular cases can be tryed ; end your principles are altogether inconsistent with the law and government ; i pray you shew me which way we shall proceed , shew me some reason , and give me some ground . f. h. said , i shall , in the mouth of two or three witnesses every truth is confirmed ; and we never denyed to give , and still are ready to give evidence for the king wherein we are concerned , and in any other matter for the ending of strife between man and man in truth and righteousness , and this answers the substance of the law. judge , is this a good answer , think you ? whether to be given with or without oath ? the law requires an oath . f. h. still evidence is and may be given in truth , according to the substance of the law , so that no detriment cometh unto any party , seeing that true testimony may be born without an oath ; and i did not speak of changing the law ; yet seeing we never refused giving testimony , which answereth the intent and substance of the law , i judged it was reasonable to receive our testimony , and not to expose us unto such sufferings , seeing we scrupled an oath only upon a conscientious account , in tenderness of our consciences , for fear of breaking the command of christ , the saviour of the world , which if he do , there is none of you able to plead our cause for us with him . judge , but why do you not go to church , but meet in houses and private conventicles , which the law forbids . f. h. we meet together only for the worship of the true god in spirit and truth , having the primitive christians for our example , and to no other end , but that we may be edified , and god glorified ; and when two or three are met together in the name of christ , and he in the midst of them there is a church . judge , that is true ; but how long is it since you have been at church ? or will you go to the church the law doth allow of ? give me some reasons why you do not go . f. h. i have many to give thee , if thee hast patience to hear me ; first , god dwells not in temples made with mens hands : dly , the parish house hath been a temple for idols , to wit , for the mass and the rood ; and i dare have no fellowship with idols , nor worship in idols temples ; for what have we to do with idols , their temples and worship ? judge , were there not houses called the houses of god and temples ? f. h. yes , under the law ; but the christians who believed in christ separated from these ( and the temple was made and left desolate ) and from the gentiles temples too , and met together in houses and broak bread from house to house ; and the church was not confined then to one particular place , neither is it now , many more things i have to say ; the judge interrupted . judge , will you answer to your indictment ? f. h. i know not what it is , i never heard it , though i have often desired a copy . judge , clerk , read it . so he read it , how that f. h. had wilfully , obstinately and contemptuously denyed to swear when the oath was tendered . f. h. i deny it . judge , what do you deny ? f. h. the indictment . judge , did you not deny to swear ? and the indictment convicts you that you did not swear . f. h. i gave unto the court the substance of the oath , as you all know : dly , i told you i did not deny it out of obstinacy or wilfulness , neither in contempt of the kings law or government ; for my will would rather choose my liberty then bonds ; and i am sensible it is like to be a great dammage to me ; i have a wife and children , and some estate , which we might subsist upon , and do good to others , and i know all this lyes at stake ; but if it were my life also , i durst not do but as i do , lest i should incur the displeasure of god ; and do you judge i would loose my liberty wilfully , and suffer the spoiling of my estate , and the ruining of my wife and children in obstinacy and wilfulness ? sure nay . judge , jury , you see he denyes the oath , and he will not plead to the indictment , only excepts against it because of the form of words ; but you see he will not swear , and yet he saith he denies the indictment , and you see upon what ground . and then they called the goaler to witness and swear , that the last assizes f. h. did refuse , &c. which he did ; and the jury without going from the bar , gave in their verdict guilty , and then the court broke up that night . the next day towards evening , when they had tryed all the prisoners , francis was brought to the bar to receive his sentence . judge stood up and said , come , the indictment is proved against you , what have you to say why sentence shall not be given . f. h. i have many things to say , if you will hear them : st , as i have said , i denyed not out of obstinacy or wilfulness , but was willing to testifie the truth in this matter of obedience , or any other matter wherein i was concerned : dly , because swearing was directly against the command of christ : dly , against the doctrine of the apostles : thly , even some of your principal pillars of the church of england ; as bishop usher , sometime primate of ireland , he said in his works , the waldenses did deny all swearing in their age from that command of christ and the apostle james , and it was a sufficient ground ; and doctor gauden , late bishop of exeter , in a book of his i lately read he cited very many ancient fathers , to shew , that the first three hundred years christians did not swear , so that it is no new doctrine . to which the court seemed to give a little ear , and said nothing , but talked one to another , and francis stood silent , and then the judge said , judge , sure you mistake . f. h. i have not the books here . judge , will you say upon your honest word they denyed all swearing ? f , h. what i have said is true . judge , why do you not come to church , and hear service , and be subject to the law , and to every ordinance of man for the lord's sake ? f.h. we are subject , and for that cause we do pay taxes , tribute & custome , and give unto caesar the things that are his , and unto god the things that are his , to wit , worship , honour and obedience ; and if thou mean the parish assembly , i tell thee faithfully , i am perswaded , and upon good ground , their teachers are not the ministers of christ , neither their worship the worship of god. judge , why , it may be for some small things in the service you reject it all . f. h. first it is manifest they are time-servers , one while preaching up that for divine service to people that another while they cry down , as popish , superstitious and idolatrous ; and that which they have preached up twenty years together make shipwrack of all in a day , and now again call it divine , and would have all compelled to that themselves once made void . judge , why , never since the king came in . f. h. yes , the same men that preached it down once now cry it up , so they are so unstable and wavering , that we cannot believe they are the ministers of christ : dly , they teach for hire , and live by forced maintenance , and would force a faith upon men , contrary to christ and the apostles rule , who would have every one perswaded in their own minds , and said , whatsoever is not of faith is sin , and yet they say , faith is the gift of god , and we have no such faith given ; but yet they would force theirs upon us , and because we cannot receive it , they cry , you are not subject to authority and the laws , and nothing but confiscations , imprisonment and banishment is threatned , and this is their greatest plea , i could mention more particulars ; then the judge interrupted . judge , well , i see you will not swear , nor conform , nor be subject , and you think we deal severely with you , but if you would be subject we should not need . f. h. i do so judge indeed , that you deal severely with us for obedience to the commands of christ ; i pray thee canst thou shew me how that any of those people , for whom the act was made , have been proceeded against by this statute , though i envy no man's liberty . judge , oh yes , i can instance you many up and down the country that are premunired , i have done it my self , pronounced sentence against divers . f. h. what against papists ? judge , no. f. h. what , against the quakers ? so i have heard indeed ; so then that statute which was made against papists , thou let'st them alone , and executest it against the quakers . judge , well , you will meet in great numbers , and do increase , but there is a new statute which will make you fewer . f. h. well , if we must suffer , it is for christ's sake , and for well doing . francis then being silent , the judge pronounced the sentence , but spake so low , that the prisoner , though near to him , could scarce hear it . the sentence was , you are put out of the kings protection and the benefit of the law , your lands are confiscate to the king during your life , and your goods and chattels forever , and you to be prisoner during your life . f. h. a hard sentence for my obedience to the commands of christ ; the lord forgive you all . so he turned from the bar ; but the judge speaking , he turned again , and many more words passed to the same purpose , as before ; at last the judge rose up and said , judge , well , if you will yet be subject to the laws , the king will shew you mercy . f. h. the lord hath shewed mercy unto me , and i have done nothing against the king , nor government , nor any man , blessed be the lord , and therein stands my peace ; for it is for christ's sake i suffer , and not for evil doing . and so the court broke up , the people were generally moderate , and many were sorry to see what was done against him ; but francis signified how contented and glad he was , that he had any thing to loose for the lord 's precious truth , of which he had publickly born testimony , and that he was now counted worthy to suffer for it . as for the time of f. howgil's sickness ( which he endured with much patience and cheerfulness ) it begun the th of the th moneth , . and continued till the th of the same moneth , and then he departed this life , having then for the testimony of jesus been prisoner four years and eleaven moneths ; he was not unsensible of the decay of his outward man sometime before , which moved him to a disposal of his outward estate , and the setting of his house in order ; his love was very dear to his brethren and fellow-labourers , with whom he had laboured and travailed in the work of the ministry ; in testimony whereof he left to each of them something , as a remembrance of his love , and also was mindful of the church , and left a legacy to be distributed amongst the poor of the houshold of faith in the parts where he lived . and though the time of his departure did draw nigh , and his sickness encreased , yet in all that time he was in perfect and good remembrance , and oftentimes very fervent in prayer , and uttered many comfortable expressions , to the great refreshment of those who were with him . and about two dayes before his departure , being attended by his dear wife and several friends , he begun to say unto them , friends , as to matter of words , you must not expect much more from me , neither is there any great need of it , as to speak of matters of faith to you , who are satisfied only that you remember my dear love to all friends who enquire of me ▪ for i ever loved friends well , or any in whom truth appeared ; and truly god will own his people , as he hath everhither to done & as we have daily witnessed , for no sooner had they made that act against us for banishment ( to the great suffering of many good friends ) but the lord stirred up enemies against them , even three great nations , whereby the violence of their hands was taken of ; i say again , god will own his people , even all those that are faithful ; and as for me , i am well , and content to dye , i am not at all afraid of death ; and truly one thing was of late in my heart , and that i intended to have writ to g. f. and others , even that which i have observed , which thing is , that this generation passeth fast away ; we see many good and precious friends within these few years have been taken from us , and therefore friends had need to watch , and be very f●i●hful , so that we may leave a good and not a bad savour to the next succeeding gene●ation ; for you see that it is but a little time that any of u● have to stay here . and often in the time of his sickness he said , he was content to dye , and that he was ready , and praised god for those many sweet enjoyments and refreshments he had received on that his prison-house-bed , whereon he lay freely forgiving all who had a hand in his restraint . and he said , this was the place of my first imprisonment for the truth here at this town , and if it be the place of my laying down the body , i am content . several persons of note inhabitants in appleby , as the mayor and others , went to visit him , some of which praying that god might speak peace to his soul , he sweetly replyed , he hath done it , and they all spoke well of him . and a few hours before his departure some friends ( who lived several miles from that place ) came to visit him , he enquired of all their welfare , and prayed fervently ( with many heavenly expressions ) that the lord by his mighty power might preserve them out of all such things as would spot and defile . and a little after he was saying something concerning weeks ( or a time ) after which persecution should be ended ; but his weakness was so great , and his voice so low , that it was not fully heard . a little season after , he recovering a little strength further said , i have sought the way of the lord from a child , and lived innocently as among men ; and if any enquire concerning my latter end , let them know , that i dye in the faith in which i lived , and suffered for . and after these words he spake some other in prayer to god , and sweetly finished his course in much peace with the lord. george fox's testimony concerning francis howgil . now concerning francis howgil , who was one of the lord's worthies , that preach'd his everlasting word of life from about the year . until the year . he was convinced of god's eternal truth , and received his gospel in the year . the same day that he had been preaching in the morning in furbank chappel , in the afternoon he was convinced by a messenger of the lord , and several others that had been teachers were convinced by him , as john audland and others . he had a great acquaintance with the highest sort of priests , and after he did receive the lord's power and the word of life , he was a torment to them , and he did confess to some of the priests , that the knowledge of god and his truth he knew no more of whilest he was amongst them , as to the inward enjoyment of it , then a child of five years old . and he and john audland , that had received some money for preaching at a parish called colton in fornace fells in lancashire , when they had received the gospel freely , and the word of life from christ , they were commanded of the lord to go and return that money back again to the parish and people from whom they had received it , which they did , and this made the priests more to rage and the professors . so as the son of god came to be revealed in him , he began to know his command , and powerfully and freely to preach him and his word of life ; this did he and john audland all the dayes of their life after their convincement preached christ jesus freely , as they had received him , and turned many unto god. and no sooner was his mouth opened , but the priests , magistrates and professors began to rage against him , and began to be offended at the word of god and the gospel , and sometime after cast him into appleby goal , in a nasty stinking prison in the county of vvestmorland , and there they kept him for a time in the latter end of the year . but the lord god delivered him out of the mouthes of those lyons , whom god after overturned , both priests , magistrates and professors . and so after he was set at liberty , he grew valiant and bold for the name of the lord , and travailed up and down on foot , preaching the everlasting gospel , and went to many steeple houses , to warn both priests and people of the day of the lord that was coming upon them , and directing of them to christ jesus , their teacher and saviour , and travailed a foot through the countries to london , and was moved of the lord , he and john cham to go and admonish o. cromwel after he was newly made protector , and went to some of the steeple-houses in london , and other meetings , declaring to them the day of the lord and the word of life , and where they might find it . and after this he travailed through the countries to bristol , preaching the word of life , and after went into ireland with edward burroughs , and preached the word of life there to both magistrates , priests and people , under great sufferings , and many were begotten to the lord jesus , their saviour and teacher , there was truth and life by them . and after henry cromwel , the deputy of ireland , banished him and edward burroughs out of ireland , through the instigation of the priests and other magistrates ; but the lord overturned them his adversaries also . and so continuing in the labour of the lord till the year . he was imprisoned at london ( when the monarchy people rose ) with many others though clear and innocent from that bloody act ; for his and their weapons were spiritual , and they sought another kingdom : and after he and they were set at liberty , he still continued in the work of the lord , travailing up and down the nations ; and coming into the north , at kendal the magistrates sent for him out of the market , and tendred him the oath of allegiance and supremacy , and because for conscience sake he could not swear , in obedience to the command of christ his saviour , they committed him to appleby goal in the year . and there they kept him from sessions to the assizes in a smoaky hole , and at last they premunired him ; and his body being almost spent in the service of the lord , being a weak man , there did he offer up his life , as a sacrifice of his faith for the lord jesus christ's truth , and dyed a prisoner for the name of jesus in the latter end of the year . and so laid down his life as a testimony against the persecutors & breakers of the command of christ ; and his blood doth cry for vengeance , though he could say , the lord forgive all h●● persecutorspunc ; who having the mind of christ , desired the good of all , yea the worst of h●● enemies , and in that desire of the good of all did he labour & travail , seeking their good and their eternal vvelfare in the inheritance of life , that fades not away , of which he was an heir , and is entred into rest , and the possession of the same . and now this peaceable man the persecuting priests and magistrates have gotten their desire , to shut up in prison this servant of the lord to death , for obeying the command of christ ; but how they will answer it before the king of kings and lord of lords , the great judge at his tribunal day , which hastens apace ; let them consider with themselves , for if they went into everlasting punishment that did not visit christ in prison , what w●ll become of such as cast him into prison in his members . and so they made his wife a widdow , and his children fatherless , who have none to cry unto but the lord , who will relieve the widdow , and help the fatherless . the place of his outward habitation was in greying in westmorland , a man known to be of good report before he received the gospel freely from jesus , which he declared freely ; and great sufferings , and tryals , and reproaches , and scorns , and hard labours in the work and service of the lord he went through , and many vain disputes , priests and professors of all sects rose up against him , but the lord in his power gave him dominion over them all . who ended his dayes in peace in the truth of god , and the lord's service and testimony , for his name , and for the keeping of , and obeying the command of christ , his lord and saviour . and therefore all friends and brethren that are begotten by him through the word of life , and others live in the same word , that lives , abides & endures forever , that is a hammer & a fire , & as a sword to all that is contrary to that which is holy and pure ; so that in the truth , power and word of life the lord god may be glorified in you all the dayes of your life . and blessed are all they that aye in the lord , they rest from their labours , and their works will follow them . g. f. richard pinders testimony concerning francis howgil . as concerning our dear brother in the lord francis howgil , the author of these ensuing writings , he was a man so well known through the churches of christ in his day , that much need not be writ concerning him , as by way of testimony to those that knew him , and his spirit , and manner of life and conversation , yet i having had a full knowledge of him , especially in the time of his long and tedious imprisonment in the town of appleby in westmorland , where for his testimony sake he ended his dayes , and laid down his life as a testimony for that truth that he had testified of so largely , both in preaching the gospel , and in these ensuing books , which he writ at several times , according as the lord put it into his heart , and as there was occasion to answer truth 's opposers ; and after many years travails and labours in the work of god , he through the envy of some great persons in that country was made prisoner at the foresaid town of appleby , they having nothing justly to lay to his charge , yet knowing that it was his principle not to swear at all ( christ having forbidden it ) they put the oath of supremacy and allegiance unto him , and only for refusing to swear he was premunired , they in the least laying nothing of misdemeanour to his charge ; and when the judge pronounced the sentence of premunire against him , he only replyed , it is a hard sentence , being only for the exercise of my conscience , but the will of the lord be done , and prayed the lord might forgive them all that had any hand in it ; and so after the said sentence being committed prisoner , he continued a prisoner several years , in which time i was very conversant with him ; and i must give this testimony for him , that i never heard him in the least murmur or repine in all the time of his imprisonment , but alwayes appeared as a man wholly given up in●o ●he will of god ; and when at any time we had been speaking of his long imprisonment , constantly he would have said , the will of the lord be done ; and such was his godly behaviour and conversation in the time of his confinement , that he greatly gained the hearts and love of the goaler's whole family , and all others of the town that knew him , and had any acquaintance with him ; and even to this day , when his name is mentioned , they are all ready to say , he was a man that truly feared god , so that he left an exceeding good savour behind him in that place : and as for the course of his time and dayes in this world , i have this to say , he was born of honest parents , and brought up to some learning , according to the usual custom of the country , and in his youth and tender years was one that sincerely thirsted after the knowledge of god , and the lord was good unto him , and gave him discoveries of divine things , unto his soul 's great comfort ; and he was an early owner of the people of god called quakers , and walked with them , and was alwayes ready to suffer with them , as at any time called by the lord thereunto ; he was one greatly delighted in concord and unity , and greatly delighted in the company of such whom he knew truly feared the lord ; and nothing did rejoyce his heart more then to hear the truth prospered , and that the churches did encrease in the blessed fellowship of the gospel of christ jesus : and when his dayes were near spent , that sickness and bodily weakness came upon him , he endured it with very great patience unto the latter end ; and his dear wife and some other friends being with him , he spoke forth heavenly things , as one that had obtained the full assurance of an heavenly crown , and as one whose heart and soul was fully fixed upon the lord , who was mightily seen to be with him to his very last end , his soul magnifying of him for his infinite goodness unto him all his life long ; and so he laid down his head in peace , being he had faithfully served the lord in his generation : and this is my testimony for that faithful servant of god , who to the hour of his dissolution bore testimony unto the truth ; and my soul's desire is , his blood in the day of the lord may not be laid to the charge of some , who had a great hand both in causing him at first to be made prisoner , and also in the continuing of him so to the very last ; but we leave things with the lord , as knowing vengeance belongs to him , and that he will give a reward to every one according to their works . by one that loves the name of the righteous , which shall never rot , though the wicked go down to the grave , and are remembred no more , and by one that was a friend and country man of the author of the ensuing writings . r. p. a funeral verse , or verse in remembrance of that pious patriot and christian sufferer for the testimony of his god and his truth , francis howgil , who faithfully , willingly and readily gave up his life to the death , for the record which he did bear concerning the things of jesus , and for obeying the just commands of christ. christian and moderate reader , in silence i had sate , and stay'd my pen , yea , as one not appearing , till o then great pressures suffered me to take no rest , till that unfolded was which in my breast lay cabined , then with a mournful eye constrain'd i was to wring mine elegy ; love mix'd with tears made verse of this my theam , tears mix'd with love made tickling eyes a stream , bedewed cheeks they then did represent , symptoms of sorrow weeping eyes have sent ; but yet methinks i am not as alone , there 's many with me that do make a moan ; yea , there are thousands that do sympathize , with me they joyn , and stand in watry eyes , when they at first do hear this sorrowing sound , that dear f. h. his body is laid in 'th ground : but stay , what 's need of mourning , he 's at 's rest , perpetual joyes enjoyes , forever blest , redemption from all pain and sorrow , he is now attain'd into eternity , heaven's joy , yea , his soul in solacing , the doubled allelujah now to sing , who was adorn'd , who richly beautifi'd , who valiant was for truth when he was tryd , who stoutly did persist unto the end , a champion like for christ his life to spend , like a brave warriour fighting in a field , like to a martyr he his life did yield , o glorious , glorious everlasting god , praises to thee , praise sounds to thee abroad , who through thy great power and wondrous love , who through thy great mercy didst approve , and him didst call , even in his tender years , so that he sought thee daily , shedding tears ; o this doth speak thy praise , thou living god , who didst so early lay on him thy rod , to bring him home , lest he should go astray , and step aside from thee another way ; yea , this i know , that record he did give , that from a child he sought in god to live ; then in process of time thou by thy light remov'd the darkness of his darksome night ; terrors o lord from thee took hold of him , and judgment just upon the man of sin ; thou cut him down with sharpness of thy word , which was more sharp then a two-edged sword ; thou hewedst him all in pieces , and him try'd , that thou mightst cause him to be purifi'd ; and then o lord the dawning of thy day to him appeared in beauty to array ; then did thy bright and glorious morning-star , yea , in his heart arise and shine right clear ; then lord thy comliness to him appeared ; then lord thy mercy to his soul was heard , speaking great peace his soul did consolate , thou madest him happy in a blessed state , an instrument of praise , thousands give thee thanks lord that they his face did ever see ; thou fed'st him in the valleys where t' was green , where fresh springs run , thy love was therein seen ▪ thou led'st him nigh the brooks and vvaters still , vvith joy and gladness thou his cup didst fill ; his ministery in the truth was great , his vvords were piercing , powerful and sweet ; yea , they were soft and tender , gentle , calm , they were as ointment , as a precious balm , to heal , to consolate , to cure the smart of many a swooning , sorrowed , wounded heart ; great was thy love , o god , who oft instill'd , thy vvisdom , living vertues of him fill'd , who through thy inspired spirit bright , who with the glimpses of thy glorious light , who with the joyous splendour of thy day , who with thy comely beauty didst aray , who many graces didst to him impart , yea lord , great things revealed in his heart ; let these speak forth thy everlasting praise by all who know thee now , yea , and alwayes , that thou , o living god descended down into his heart , and there to take up room ; so that o lord nothing to him more dear was then thy truth , when once it did appear ; yea lord , his life , his liberty , his all he gave up freely , when of him they call : to prison he resign'd till 's dying day , truth ballanc'd all , and had the greatest sway ; oh shall i now omit , and not rehearse his travails , prisons , perils in my verse , his beatings , woundings which mine eyes have seen , his stocking , threatnings , mockings which have been ; all which for truth 's sake in his time did bear , which did confirm his testimony clear : rest then dear francis , rest in thy glorious rest , rest in the lord , rest now forever blest ; farewel my late dear friend , farewel my dear , thy absence causeth me a dropping tear ; thy countenance , thy comliness to me more joyous was then outward harmony ; thy good advice , thy sound and serious words , thy many writings which to truth records : the loving aspect which from thee i had , when now i do remember , o i 'm sad ; that sweet salute that from thy dying lips i did receive in my remembrance is ; thine eyes my hands did close , thee to thy rest once more i bid farewel , forever blest ; farewel , farewel , forevermore farewel , thy habitation's heaven , there to dwell . a well-willer to the truth , who seals his testimony that he dyed in and for the truth . e. g. thomas langhorn's & thomas carlton's testimony concerning francis howgil . may we lament for the death of any man , whose dayes , and years , and life is as a span , then sure for this our friend , that 's now remov'd , who was so universally belov'd ▪ and if we may his praise in poems speak , who universally mens good did seek ; of what we know we 'll only testifie , because we saw him live and also dye ; to appleby this innocent man was brought , the cause was envy , malice , or else nought , by such as thought to had him ruinated , and in his interests themselves have stated ; but god who hath the righteous in protection nulls and frustrates the wicked ones projection : now our intent in brief's to give a view , what of his life since that time we well knew ; being thither brought , a trap they soon prepared , because he could not swear he was ensnared ; they so delighted that oaths should abound , that they resolv'd to force men nation round ; and if deny , then prisonment during life ; and thus they ruinated man and wife , and did expose whole families to distress , making wives widdows , and children fatherless ; yea , all confiscate that they did enjoy , they by this edict thought for to destroy ; i well remember when this trap they laid , and in the same this innocent man betray'd ; they did insert it in their weekly news , giving the world their a●l for to peruse , and vauntingly to elevate their glory , said they had snapp'd him in a premunire , like shameless men deluding their own act with their vain glory , when their trap had snapp'd ; and if they knew a man to swear was loath , then call him in , and tender him the oath ; th● they made crime enough for to deprive a man of liberty , estate and life : oh inhuman ! sure they are no men indeed , ' t● pity england any such should breed ▪ they needed not for oaths , they have anew , such as preceding ages never knew ; judge turner he this wicked sentence past on him and others , whose bonds yet do last , thinking thereby to terrifie the just , who could not live in their excess and lust ; but their designs and weapons prove but vain , their purposes and ends for to obtain : lest i digress , i shall return to that which at this time i principally aim'd at , that is , to give a certain true relation , and that indeed with little reiteration , of this my friend unto the world's view , who worthy is , as after i shall shew ; my heart is sad this subject to indite , so is my hand and pen the same to write ; yet in the lord i contemplation find , augments my joy , and satisfies my mind , because his faithful course he finished as sacredly as he his life had led ; he was a man with vertues pure endued , he chose the good , all evil he eschew'd , and from a child religiously affected , he many a soul to the way of peace directed ; the secrets of god's kingdom he well knew , and them to many a tender heart did shew ; he did delight of heavenly things to speak in 'th fellowship of such as them did seek ; he lov'd the company of man or child that was not with iniquity defil'd ; the fellowship of such as god did fear he in his heart and soul did love right dear ▪ he was a lowly , meek and humble mind , in that i known no man he came behind , with wisdom , patience , faith and vertues pure he was possessed , and them retained sure ; god's everlasting gospel he did preach , his witness pure in many he did reach ; a pratling , scribling quaker they him call'd , because he did confound their wise men all : for grave deliberation he exceeded , as grave within , as outwardly gray-headed ; his mild deportment unto every one makes many an heart now sad when he is gone ; yea , many a soul to righteousness he turned , yea , as a star he shone , or light that burned ; he was well learn'd in the way and work of god , to what he knew he alwayes faithful stood ; he was a valiant souldier for the lord , and well knew how to handle his spiritual sword , of any man he never turn'd his back , nor of his faith he never made shipwrack ; yea , when he shot his bow abode in strength , his even hand did bit for breadth and length ; these things i say , and what i say i know , for he to me my secret thoughts did show , he was the minister of christ to me , and did resolve my doubtings inwardly , when not a word to him i did express , nor he before had never seen my face ; surely he was god's oracle to me , and spoke as though my inward thoughts he see ; and since that time i never sought a priest , neither was troubled with itching ears at least ; true 't was the gift of god in him did open , he surely hit if that his tongue had spoken ; he was no accademian , as he said , but in our northern regions he was bred , whereby this observation may accrew , that jeremiah prophesied true , because he said , out of the north should come a nation that should ruine babylon , confound her gods , and break her idols many , and desolate make her land as ere was any , as warriors expert at babylon they aim , their arrows sharp and keen shall not return in vain . and this my friend of whom i speak was one , amongst many worthies more that shot at babylon , which out of the north arose , a climate that 's so cold , wherein ezekiel saw a fire it self unfold , which surely will consume babylon that whorish woman , and all her spots unvail by the brightness of its coming ; the work this man hath wrought with others moe , ages and tears to come the effect will shew ; the arrows they have shot right sharp and keen , when they are gone will sink in 'th vvhore and queen ; succeeding ages the effects may see , her deadly wound incurable to be ; then their memorial shall blessed stand , who died captives in their native land : and now dear francis thou thy life compleated , a martyr true that never foot retreated , thy fame , thy vvorth , thy praise i cannot note , who stood so true , and stagger'd not a jote ; children unborn shall praise the lord for thee , when thy heroick extant vvorks they see ; now from their nasty goal thou art released , to where thy joy and peace shall be encreased ; though thou in mesech for a long time sojourned , and as a harmless dove in private mourned , being constrain'd in kedar's tents to dwell , no mate whereto thy grievances to tell , nor add relief to thy oppressed soul , with their vile deeds and words that were so foul ; was lot with wicked sodomites sore vexed ? was not thy righteous soul as sore perplexed ? had david greater cause for to complain , then thou hast had in appleby to remain ? or was the prophet jeremiah more oppressed , then thy poor soul with them hath been distressed ? but that thou hadst the lord for thy relief , who satisfied thy mind , and eas'd thy grief , and now hath heard thy cry and thy complaint , and thee set free from under their restraint ; let now the teeth of the persecutors grind , thee for a prey no longer they shall find ; though their reward for such things be to come , they may be snapp'd as they snapp'd thee ere long : sure appleby may now its loss bewail , it hath no more such to detain in goal ; no man so fit your differences to end , 'mongst lawyers now your money you may spend ; none so discreet , wherein to put your trust , your light esteem declares your loss is just ; he well deserv'd , why was he disregarded ? why was your love to him so much retarded ? oh! slavery surprized , fear was the thing , lest you should be counted rebels to your king ; the proverb holds , when in adversities , few friends appear , but many enemies ; this is alwayes the temporizing strain , sight honesty , and countenance prophane : oh sure thy poor that in thy prison lies his loss laments with sobs and watry eyes ; for he to them exhibited relief , and by sweet counsel often eas'd their grief ; he as a nursing father was to them , and all the oppressed that unto him came ; yea , many a soul that him to visit came , with great refreshment did return again ; those that in travail dayes and miles had spent him for to see , returned not discontent ; who ever sought him , and returned sad ? he for all sorts relief and counsel had , and what he had he freely distributed , so that his foes his name have well reputed ; he never to his enemies bore grudge , nor in his heart no malice he did lodge ; he lov'd no strife , but alwayes sought for peace , he cans'd the love of friends and foes encrease ; there was no state nor no distress'd condition , for which he know not balm , or was physician ; some may object , how do i these things know ? our frequent intimacy them did show ; he certainly was born of the spirit above , his life declar'd to all he dwelt in love : i well remember when i stood him by , at side of his death 's red , where he did lye , his weakness great did make my eyes to run , my watry cheeks he fix'd his eye upon , i from my heart desired god would please either by life or death to give him ease , turning his eye , by his reply i saw , that he was ready , but he thought death slow ; it breaks my heart now when i do remember his care and love , which over all was tender ; oh! the want of him to my soul is a loss , ●et i contented am to bear the cross , being god's pleasure , i dare not repine , but freely in his will all things resign , because i see all outward comforts fail , 't is peace with god will only me avail ; therefore to that i shall apply my mind the residue of those my dayes behind , desiring to compleat my course and faith , as piously as i believe he hath , that in god's service i my life may spend , and his reward my soul may reap in 'th end ; therefore we slight that persecuting spirit , that of eternal life would disinherit ; for who among them now have gain'd their peace , by persecuting him to his decease ; but their reward in the end will sure be pain , though they at present their proud will obtain : desist i shall , oh lord take thou the praise throughout my life of all my words and wayes : so farewel reader , this i do commend unto thy view , and shall remain thy friend . thomas langhorn , thomas carlton . the unchangeable testament , and will , and counsel of francis howgil left to his daughter abigail howgil . daughter abigail , this is for thee to observe , and keep , and take heed unto all the dayes of thy life , for the regulating of thy life and conversation in this world , that thy life may be happy , and thy end blessed , and god glorified by thee in thy generation ; these things i bequeath unto thee , and counsel thee ever to observe , being the chief thing alone i have to bestow upon thee , which i prize more then outward riches ; do thou so also , and observe and keep my sayings ; and i charge thee before god , and by the coming , of our lord jesus christ , that thou observe what i say , the which i am moved of the lord to leave thee behind , and in tender love and affection unto thee ( my daughter ) that the lord may give his blessing unto thee , and make thy wayes prosperous , and thy latter end peace . first of all know this , i was never born to great possessions , or did inherit great matters in this world ; but the lord hath alwayes endowed me with sufficiency and enough , and hath been as a tender father unto me , because my heart trusted in him , and did love the way of righteousness from a child ; i have no great portion to bestow upon thee of the things of this world , yet of that little which i have , and that god hath blessed me with , something i shall give thee , which i shall not mention here , but thou wilt know at my decease ; but thy dear mother i rather commend thee unto , whom i trust will provide sufficiently for thee , unto whom my heart hath been upright before the lord ; she had a sufficient portion and dowry when i married her , the which i shall be sorry much to lessen or impair , and whatever was hers ( if it please the lord i decease before her ) i freely leave unto her , as was ever my intention and purpose , which hath not , neither shall alter ( through the strength of god ) as god only knows and bears me record , and shall be manifest unto all in due time , as it is unto the lord , who hath been with me in the midst of many troubles , tryals and sufferings , and hath lifted up my head above my adversaries because i only trusted in his name , which at all times i found as a refuge and a present help in the time of need , and so will be unto thee , if thou fear his name , and trust in him forever . and now dear child , hearken unto the words of my mouth , and listen unto my counsel , ponder these things i leave behind me unto thee to observe , that thy dayes may be long upon the earth , and blessed and comfortable unto thee , and an honour to god in thy generation ; at that time when thou wast born and brought forth was a time of deep exercise and trouble with me , not from the lord , who alwayes spoak peace unto me , and did sustain me , but by reason of the adversary of mankind , who alwayes seeks to devour the good in all , and is the sower of discord and mischief in the hearts of them who fear not the lord , neither abide in his counsel , in whom he enters , as any place is given unto his temptations , and corrupts the mind ; but though it was a great tryal that came upon me , the lord kept my heart in uprightness unto him , and gave me much patience ; so though the earth had been removed into the midst of the sea , and all outward things had run into confusion , and nature had changed his course , the lord gave me a resolution and strength , as not to be troubled neither offended , because he did support me ; at that time wast thou born , and therefore i was moved to call thy name abigail , which signifies the father's joy or delight , for in thee i was comforted , that did mitigate my present trouble ; and my counsel unto thee is , that thou remember thy creator in the dayes of thy youth , and fear the lord in thy youth , and learn to know him and serve him all thy dayes ; first seek the kingdom of god and the righteousness thereof , it 's not far from thee , it 's within thee , it consists in life and power , and it stands in righteousness , truth and equity , justice , mercy , long-suffering , patience , love , light and holiness , this is the being and center thereof ; therefore seek not lo here or lo there without thee , in this or that outward observation ; for m●ny seek there , and never find it ; but seek and thou shalt find , wait and thou shalt receive ; if thou enquire , in what must i seek ? and what must i wait in ? & how must i seek ? i inform thee , thou must silence all thy own thoughts , and thou must turn thy mind to that which is pure , and holy , and good within thy self , and seek and wait in that in the light of jesus christ , wherewith thou art enlightened , which shews thee when thou dost evil , and checks and reproves ; take heed unto that , and it will shew the evil motions and thoughts ; and as thou lovest it , it will subdue them , and preserve thee for the time to come out of evil ; for though thou be born into the world a reasonable creature , yet thou must be born again , and be made a new creature , or else thou canst not enter into god's kingdom ; thou must know the seed of the kingdom in thy self , of which thou must be born and formed again into god's image ; i have told thee god hath sown it in thee , a grain of it a measure of it , a portion of it , a measure of light and truth , of righteousness and holiness ; keep in thy mind to that , and love it , and thou wilt feel the heavenly father working in thee ●nd begetting thee to life through jesus christ , that hath enlightned thee , and thou wilt feel the power of the lord strengthning thee in thy little , and make thee to grow in the immortal seed of his kingdom , and out grow and over grow all evil , so that thou wilt daily dye to that , and have no pleasure in it , but in the lord , and in his goodness and vertue shed abroad in thy heart , which thou wilt tast and feel within , and have joy and comfort therein ; love the lord with thy heart and soul , even him that made thee and gave thee a being , and all things in heaven and earth , and still wait for the knowledge of him in thy self , he is not far from thee , but near unto thee , and unto all that call upon him in an upright heart ; and do thou enquire of thy dear mother , she will inform thee , she knows him and the way to life and peace , and hearken unto her instruction ; god is a spirit , a pure spirit of light , and life , and power , he that searcheth the heart , and shews thee when thou dost evil , or think'st evil , or speak'st evil , and shews unto man and woman their thoughts ; that which shows the evil is good , and that which shews a lye is truth , this is within , take heed to it , this is called god's spirit in the scripture , believe in it , love it , and it will quicken thy heart to good , and it will subject the evil ; here is thy teacher near thee , loving it ▪ and if thou act contrary it will condemn thee ; therefore take heed unto this spirit of truth , and it will enlighten and enliven thee , and it will open thy understanding , and give thee to know what god is and to do that which is good and acceptable in his sight ; this spirit never errs , but leads out of all error into all truth . o abigail , believe my words , they are the words of god and truth ; be not wanton , but sober minded in thy youth , and wait on the lord within , hearken unto him , god is light immortal , life immortal , truth immortal , an everlasting eternal spirit , he speaks spiritually and invisibly within the hearts and consciences of men and women ; hear what he speaks , and obey his voice , and thy soul shall live ; fear to offend him or sin against him , for the wages of sin are death ; therefore prize his love in thy young and tender years , and do thou read the scriptures and friends books , and take heed unto what thou readest , to obey it , as far as thou understandest , and pray often unto the lord that he will give thee his knowledge , and open thy understanding in the things of his kingdom ; search thy heart often with the light of christ in thee , manifest and bring thy deeds to it , that they may be tryed ; and examine thy self , how the case stands betwixt the lord and thee ; and if thou seest thy self wrong , humble thy self , and be sorry , and turn unto him , and he will shew thee mercy , and take heed for the time to come , that thou run not into the same evil again ; keep thy heart clean , watch against the evil in thy self in that which shews it , therein there is power , and thereby thou hast power to overcome all evil : and dear child , mi●d not the pleasures of sin , which are but for a moment , and the end is misery ; but keep under , and cross thy will and affection , so thy mind will have no pleasure in the evil , but in good , and thou wilt feel the immortal seed springing up in thee , which god's peace and love is to : o abigail , these are great and weighty things , not to be slighted ; accompany thy self alwayes with them that fear the lord , and fear and worship him in spirit and truth , and lead a holy and a blameless life and conversation , deny not them , but love them and suffer with them ; take heed that thou follow not the hireling teachers , who preach for gain and lucre , and abide not in christ's doctrine ; believe them not , heed them not , they do people no good ; but thou wilt see them thy self , they have an outside shew of godliness sometimes , but deny the power of god and true holiness ; remember i have told thee , who have had perfect knowledge of them ; but be sure that thou let nothing separate thy love from god and his people ; those are his people that keep his law , and obey christ's voice , and lead a holy life , and they were ever hated , and belyed , and persecuted , and evil-spoken on alwayes by bad and evil loose people , these are god's people , and his love , and peace , and blessing is with them ; do thou grow as a natural branch ( up among them ) of the living vine , and continue all thy dayes in obedience unto god's will , and thou wilt feel joy and love in thy heart , which above all things covet after , and thou shalt attain and obtain everlasting peace , which the lord grant unto thee , according to the riches of his mercy and love , which endure forever and ever , amen . and now abigail , concerning thy well being in this life , this is my advise and counsel unto thee , love thy dear mother , and ever obey her and honour her , and see thou grieve her not , be not stubborn nor wilful , but submit unto her , and be as an obedient child unto her , whose love and care hath been too great over thee and thy sisters , which hath brought too much trouble upon her self ; learn in thy youth to read and write a little , and sew , and knit , and all points of good labour that belong to a maid ; and flee idleness and sloth , that nourisheth sin ; and as thou growest up in years labour in the affairs of the country , and beware of pride , and riotousness , and curiosity , but be well content with such apparel as thy mother will permit thee , and as thou mayest be a good example unto other ; be not wanton , nor wild , not light , but temporate , moderate and chast , and not forward in words nor speech , but swift to hear , slow to speak ; and do thou alwayes live with thy mother , and be a help unto her , and cherish her in her old age and latter years , that she may be comforted in thee , and her soul may bless thee ; love thy sisters , and be alwayes courteous to them and thy brother thoma● , encourage one another in good : and abigail , if thou live to be a woman of perfect years , keep thy self unspotted , and let not thy mind out after sports nor pastimes , the end of all those is sorrow , neither of young men ; if thou have a desire to marry , do not thou seek a husband , but let a husband seek thee ; and if thou live in god's fear , and an honest life and vertuous , them that fear god will seek unto thee ; let not thy affections out unto every one that proffers love , but be considerate , and above all things chuse one ( if thou dost marry ) that loves and fears the lord , whose conversation thou knowest , and manner and course of life well before thou give consent ; be discreet and wise , hide nothing from thy mother , and she will advise thee , no doubt , for thy good ; and if she be living , marry not without her consent ; and if thou joyn to a husband , be sure thou love him in thy heart , and be obedient unto him , and honour him among all , so will his heart be more to thee , and his love increase ; grieve him not , but be gentle , and easie to be entreated , and mind thy own business ; and if the lord give thee children , bring them up in god's fear and in good exercise , and keep them in subjection unto thee , and be an example of virtue and holiness unto them , that the lord's blessing thou may'st feel in youth and in age , and all thy life long : o abigail , remember these things , keep in mind these things , read often this writing over , get it copied over , and lay up my words in thy heart , and do them , so wilt thou be happy in this life and in the life to come ; these things i give thee in charge to observe , as my mind , and will , and counsel unalterable unto thee , as witness whereof i have set my hand . the th of the th moneth , . thy dear father francis howgil . a wo against the magistrates priests and people of kendall , in the county of westmorland . the word of the lord came unto me , saying , write and declare against that bloody town of kendall , and leave it without excuse . hear ye which pretend to be rulers , & ye that pretend to be teachers , and ye people ; the trumpet of the lord is sounded , gather your selves together , for i will plead with you ; your iniquities are come up before me , and your transgression is come into mine ears ; wo , wo and misery is coming upon you , you shall be as sodom and gomorrah , and as admah and zeboim , desolation and a cry ; a cry , lamentation , howling , bitterness and sorrow shall come upon you at unawares ; the sword of the lord is drawn against you , it is sharpened for a great slaughter , and you shall be cut off , because you have despised my name , and trodden under foot my precepts , and walk after your own wills , and the imagination of your own hearts ; and yet , saith the lord , they say , i am amongst them : wo unto you hypocrites , i am weary of you , and of all your profession , it stinks in my nostrils , and i abhor it as much as if ye slevv a man ; you have slain my son , you have mocked my prophets , and despised my messengers , vvhich i have sent early and late to forevvarn you of the evil to come ; have i now vvrought signs and wonders amongst you , as ever vvas in any day , or from the beginning ? have not i made the mountains tumble dovvn in your sight ? have not i cause my judgments to fall upon them that have set themselves against me ? have not i cleansed the lepers ? have not i quickned and raised them out of the grave , vvhich vvere dead in sins and trespasses ? have not i brought dovvn the proud ? have not i exalted the lovv ? have not i caused the vveak things to confound the wise ? have not i sent signs among you , and have sent my servants to declare against you , as i did to nineveh ? and have you not heard it ? have not i commanded my servants to go bare and naked in your sight , to be a sign to you , that your covering is now rent , and your garment is to be torn , and you shall be left naked and bare , and you shall be made a mock and proverb to all , as my servants have been made a mock and a proverb to you ; all i will scatter you in my indignation , and i will cause my fury to rest upon you , till i have consumed you ; ye rulers that rule by your own wills , and ye false prophets that cry peace to this people , and all ye people that delight in lyes , is not all manner of wickedness committed amongst you , as pride , covetousness , oppression , persecution , mocking , stoning , imprisoning and haling before magistrates them who are made to do my will , and to declare against you ? ye strive against me ( saith the lord ) ye cry , a confederacy , ye consult together , ye plot , ye call all your inchanters against me ; thus saith the lord , ye shall be broken as pharaoh , and go down to the pit with egypt , mesheek and tubal , and all the uncircumcised : wo is me , the spoiler is come up against you , and blackness covers you , and a consumption is entring into your bones ; my eye shall not spare , my hand shall not pity , but it will bring this upon you ; howl and lament ye oakes , ye mountains cleave asunder , and all ye people , both great and small , be astonished , put on sackcloth , put your mouthes in the dust ; for i will make my fury to pass over you , and none shall be able to deliver you ( said the lord ) write this , let them know , but they will not hear , till i have caused my fire to burn them up , and there be no remedy . written from the spirit of the living god by me , who am a witness for his name , whom the world knows not , f. h. to all you who have eyes , and yet are blind , and who have ears , and yet are deaf , and have hearts and yet cannot understand ; to you am i moved to declare . the lord is proclaiming himself to be king , and all the mountains , and every isle , and every oak of bashan , and all the cedars of lebanon , and all who rule as kings and conquerors shall bow : hear ye deaf , the trumpet is blown , the standard is lifted up , there is open war proclaimed between michael our prince , and all the inhabitants of the earth : arm your selves , o ye mountains , and gather your selves on heaps , o ye isles ; the glittering sword of the lord is drawn , and a fire is before him , and all ye will be found as stubble , and you are all to be slain heaps upon heaps , and are all to go down with all the uncircumcised rulers and people into the pit : the lord , the mighty jehovah is revealing himself from heaven in flames of fire , to render vengeance upon all the workers of iniquity ; for you have slain the heir of the vineyard ; you are killing his prophets , and imprisoning his saints ; to you all professors , rulers and priests , who say you are jews , and are not , but are the synagogue of satan ; i speak in plainness of speech unto you all , who live in all the abominations of the heathen ( and yet say ) you love christ ; do not you call the master of the house now beelzebub ? do not ye mock , and set your mouthes awry , ye sons of the adultress and of sodom , at the light of christ , which enlightneth every one that comes into the world , which light did lead all saints into purity , and up to god , and this you call natural , and them who witness redemption by the son , you call blasphemers ; christ which you profess , and yet know not , was accounted by your generation a blasphemer ; and all the apostles and saints were persecuted by your generation , as evil-doers , as despisers of government , as disturbers of the peace , as leaders of the people into iniquity , as the off-scouring of all things , as sheep for the slaughter , and many of them put to death and in prison by that generation which professed god , and said , they had his ordinances , yet slew them who professed him , and kept his statutes ; for if ye be not wilfully blind , are ye not doing the same now , mocking , haling , imprisoning , bringing before magistrates them that witness jesus christ in them , and because they bear witness against all sin : did ever any of the saints of god persecute imprison or hale before magistrates , and falsly accuse any ? did ever the saints complain to authority to guard them ? hear ye whited tombs , ye painted sepulchres , what gospel is this you profess ? what god is this ye serve , that must be defended with clubs , swords , rulers and carnal weapons ; the saints , who had the everlasting gospel , said , their weapons were not carnal but spiritual , and yet they were mighty through god to beat down strong holds , even principalities and povvers , thrones and dominions ; but your gospel and ministry can do nothing vvithout a svvord ; all people see vvhere you are , and vvhat you are doing , you run headlong to run ; those vvho vvere despised by that generation of pharisees and professors , vvhich you are in , vvere a burthensom stone , upon vvhich all that opposed did break themselves ; so this generation , vvhom ye set at nought , ye shall be made to bovv and throvv dovvn your crovvns before them , and before the lamb , vvho is our leader and guider , glory unto him forever more ; its hard for you to kick against the pricks , for vve vvitness the tvvo-edged svvord of the lord shall bathe it self in the blood of his enemies , and shall be made fat vvith slaughter . o ye mountains , ye shall become a plain for the ransomed to come over you ; all your profession shall be as stubble , and you shall be left naked and bare , and nothing shall be able to cover you , because you are crucifiers of christ and the saints : repent , that you may be hid in the day of his fierce anger , vvhich is to come upon all the workers of iniquity . francis howgil . this was the word of the lord , which francis howgil was moved to declare and write to oliver cromvvel , who is named lord protector . the word of the lord came to me the last of the first moneth , about the nineth hour , as i was waiting upon the lord , and waiting in james's park at london . friend , i was moved of the lord to come to thee , to declare the word of the lord , as i was moved of the lord , and deal plainly with thee , as i was commanded , and not to petition thee for any thing , but to declare what the lord had revealed to me , concerning thee ; and when i had delivered what i was commanded , thou questionedst it , whether it was the word of the lord or not , and soughtest by thy reason to put it off ; and we have waited some dayes since , but cannot speak to thee , therefore i was moved to write to thee , and clear my conscience , and to leave thee : therefore hear the word of the lord , thus saith the lord , i chose thee out of all the nation , when thou was little in thy own eyes , and threw down the mountains and the powers of the earth before thee , which had established wickednesse by a law , and i cut them down , and broke the yokes and bonds of the oppressor , and made them stoop before thee , and i made them as a plain before thee , that thou passedst over them , and trode upon their necks ; but thus saith the lord , now thy heart is not upright before me , but thou takest counsel , and not at me ; and thou art establishing peace , and not by me ; and thou art setting up laws , and not by me ; and my name is nor feared , nor i am not sought after ; but thy own wisdom thou establishest : what saith the lord , have i thrown down all the oppressours , and broken their laws , and art thou now going about to establish them again , and art going to build again that which i have destroyed ? wherefore thus saith the lord , wilt thou limit me , and set bonds to me , when , and where , and how , and by whom i shall declare my self , and publish my name ? then will i break thy cord , and remove thy stake , and exalt my self in thy overthrow . therefore this is the vvord of the lord to thee , whether thou wilt hear or forbear ; if thou take not away all those laws vvhich are made concerning religion , vvhereby the people which are dear in mine eyes , are oppressed , thou shalt not be established ; but as thou hast trodden down my enemies by my povver , so shalt thou be trodden dovvn by my power , and thou shalt know that i am the lord ; for my gospel shall not be established by thy sword , nor by thy law ; but by my might and by my power , and by my spirit : unto thee , this is the word of the lord , stint not the eternal spirit , by which i will publish my name , when , and where , and how i will ; for if thou dost , thou shalt be as dust before the wind ; the mouth of the lord hath spoken it , and he will perform his promise : for this is that i look for at thy hands , saith the lord , that thou shouldst undo the heavy burdens , and let the oppressed go free : are not many shut up in prison , and some stocked , some stoned , some shamefully intreated ? and some are judged blasphemers by those who know not the lord , and by those laws which have been made by the vvill of man , and stand not in the will of god ; and some suffer now , because they cannot hold up the types , and so deny christ come in the flesh ; and some have been shut up in prison , because they could not swear , and because they abide in the doctrine of christ ; and some for declaring against sin openly in markets , have suffered as evil-doers ; and now if thou let them suffer in this nature by those laws , and count it just ; i will visit for those things , saith the lord , and i vvill break the yoke from off their necks , and i vvill bring deliverance another vvay , and thou shalt knovv that i am the lord. moved of the lord to declare and write this , by a servant of the truth for jesus's sake , and a lover of thy soul , called , francis howgil . an ansvver to a paper , called , a petition of one thomas ellyson , late shepherd of easington in the county of durham , to his highness the lord protector of england , scotland and ireland , and to all emperors , kings and princes through the world. there are many in the county of durham that knovv that thou hast been a shepherd lately enough , and see thee vvhat thou hast been , and vvhere thou hast been , and vvhere thou art novv , and knovv thee to be one in nature vvith those shepherds vvhich the lord sent ezekiel , isaiah and jeremiah to cry against , vvho feed themselves vvith the fat , and clothe themselves vvith the wooll , and that thou art one of those shepherds that cares not for the sheep , and art in the nature of one of those shepherds vvhich the true prophets cryed against , vvhich vvere as evening wolves , and as foxes in the desart : and for the simples sake i am moved to lay open thy deceit , that thou art one of those foxes thou speakest of , vvhich hath fire in their tails ; and thou art made manifest to be of old cain's nature , that old murthering spirit ; and vvith thy flattering titles which thou givest unto men , and hast mens persons in admiration because of advantage ; and thou art born after the flesh , the son of the bond-vvoman , vvho art petitioning to me , that they may abuse their povver , and exalt themselves over the heritage of god ▪ and thou that vvouldst have lavvs to bind the consciences of men to walk after thy will , thou art anti-christ , vvho art petitioning the povvers of the earth to make lavvs to limit the holy one of israel : but blessed be the lord , the day is come that thou and all deceivers , persecutors and flatterers are discovered ; and many see thee among magistrates , that thy spirit is the same that vvould command fire to come dovvn from heaven , to have destroyed them vvho vvould not receive them . first , thou sayest , that moses , who was a commander over all israel , that he was appointed to bear the people in his bosome , as a nursing father ; and thou say'st , thou art a cryer for the remembrance of those things , that all might be carryed in their arms now ; and thou goest on and tellest them , that god will require the government of his church at their hands . rep. moses , vvho vvas faithful and true over the house of god , vvho vvas a figure of christ , he did receive the lavv from the mouth of the lord , he acted in righteousness ; and vvhen eldad and madad prophesied , he vvas not angry , as thou art ; but desired that all the lord's people vvere prophets ; and all vvho vvait upon the lord , to receive the lavv of god from his mouth novv , and vvalk in the same , they have the same spirit , and they vvill not limit the holy one : but thy cry that thou callest for is , that thou would'st have them who are in moses 's stead , as thou say'st they are , for to limit the holy one ; and thou art the deceiver the apostle speaks of , vvhich art gone into the world , vvho vvould'st persvvade the magistrates , that they must govern the church ; and so thou vvould'st have this generation of rulers to be dashed in pieces , as all the generations have been before them , in exalting themselves in the seat of christ : when as the prophet saith , the government is upon christ's shoulders ; and the scripture saith , he alone treads the wine-press : and therefore whosoever will assume unto themselves to govern the church by an outward , visible , carnal law , shall be as sure to be broken as all the rest : the church is in god , and is invisible ; and that which is visible and natural cannot make any law to bind that which is unlimited ; but they , if they do go about to limit the holy one of israel , and would set themselves in his seat of judgment , and take away his glory which he will not give to any , and all such as have made any laws in their own wills to limit sons and daughters , they have all been broken , as the scripture witnesseth every where : and therefore let all governours in england , scotland and ireland , and all the world , to whom thou writest , take heed how they set themselves in the room of god , and lay yoaks upon the necks of them who are free by the son , and are brought by the power of the lord from under the breach of all righteous laws , or transgressing any which are holy and just : for the law is for the lawless ; the law is not for them who are in righteousness , but the law is for the transgressors , who are in unrighteousness , and they are those that act by that spirit which dwells in thee , who would levy troops for the innocent , and art vvroth , and thy countenance falls , like cain , and hates thy brethren , and would have a lavv made over the conscience , and vvould have the povvers of the earth to abuse their povver , in turning their svvords against them vvho live in righteousness , and declare against unrighteousness . and further thou goest on and tellest them , this was a law given to adam , and so thou pervertest the scripture by thy imaginations : where readest thou of such a lavv given to adam , that he compelled his family to religion ? and further thou sayest , which care of government is in great neglect in this nation ; upon respect to tender consciences , sundry sects and sorts of schismaticks are suffered unsuppressed , and they sacrifice to dan and bethel . and thou goest on and tellest the nobles , that it lies upon their score , that they should suppress them . answ. that vvhich vvas given to a particular family or people , vvhich vvas for its time , is not everlasting : so any that take up any rule vvithout them to act by , act not by precept , but by tradition in their ovvn wills ; god abhors that : and thou bringest in the old covenant , vvhich vvas given to a particular people , the jews ; but novv the priesthood is changed , and the lavv is changed ; and as for thy lavv , vvhich thou vvouldst have the governours of this nation to make for suppressing of sects and schismaticks , that vvorship at dan and bethel , and thou sayest this is charged upon them : but thou mightst have told them who they had been , and where dan and bethel is , lest they be mistaken , as thou art , that callest darkness light , and light darkness : but all that thou art troubled at is this , that the light of christ in the conscience should have liberty ; and here thou art he which is born after the flesh , and art that egyptian thou speakest of , which persecutes the righteous seed : it is true , there are sects and schisms too many , and opinions , they stand all in one ground , and thou and they come out of one land , babylon is the land of your nativity ; in the light you are seen , that thou and they are turned from the light of christ , and so are gone into sects and opinions and imaginations ; and all the powers without in the world cannot suppress the root from whence these flow ; none can overcome the root from whence heresies and opinions come : and therefore , vain shepherd and blind , cease thy divining ; those that thou would'st have supprest , are those that break bread from house to house , and meet together in the name of the lord , as the saints ever did ; and this thou callest dan and bethel , because they will not come to an idols temple , where all the deceived in the nation worship an unknown god ; i say unto thee , thy steeple-house ( thy idols temple ) which god never commanded , where all lyars , fighters , swearers , night-birds and scriech-owls meet , and call it the house of god , and where they speak nought but the imaginations of their own hearts , and call them the ordinances of god , and it the church , that is dan and bethel . and as for the magistrates which thou tellest , they ought to suppress the false prophets , thou mightest have declared who they had been : but for the honest-hearted magistracy and people , i shall declare a little when they came in , and who they are ; christ sayes , many false prophets shall arise ; and paul , peter , john , and the rest they saw them come already then , many anti-christ's and deceivers ; and then they came in , as the scriptures witness , and they have deceived the nations since ; and christ saith , by their fruits you shall know them ; and they are such as he cryed wo against , which laid heavy burdens upon the people , and such as were got into moses 's seat , and were called of men master , stood praying in the assemblies , and had the chiefest place in the synagogue ; and peter saith , they followed after covetous practices ; and jude saith , they went after the error of balaam for gifts and rewards ; and isaiah saith , they sought for their gain from their quarter ; and ezekiel saith , they were such as fed of the fat ; and zachary saith , they were as evening wolves ; and paul saith , they were covetous men , heady , high-minded , and lovers of pleasure , and fierce despisers of those that are good , and had a form of godliness , and they were witches that turned them back to circumcision , and false prophets , when the substance was come : and are they not so now , who sue for tythes , maintain the first priesthood , and bewitch people , and deny christ come in the flesh ? now let all judge where these are ; many in the north taking away the peoples cows , their pots , kettles and bedding ; and one priest sued one for two pence ; and two in york-shire sued one for one penny ; and another for a penny half-penny ; and these are they that call themselves , the ministers of the gospel ; shame , shame , blush , howl ye caterpillars , the hand of the lord is against you ; and yet i would not have their lives taken away , as thou would'st have theirs that thou callest sectaries ; but to that in thy conscience i speak , which will let thee see , that thou hast a busie mind , and abidest not in the doctrine of christ , but art among the false prophets . and thou and the rest of them which are merchants , and trade with other mens words , which must have your gospel and worship defended with swords and staves and the power of the earth , you are they that spread nets at mispeh and tabor ; for it 's neither in jerusalem nor this mount , but they that worship the father , worship in spirit and truth : and thou that would'st confine god to a place , to a day , to a time , and have him bound by a law , and how the saints should worship him , thou art carnal , and thy petition carnal , and all who have any honesty in them or light , will see thee to be in the generation of the pharisees , that said , they had a law , and by that law he ought to dye . and whereas thou art comparing thy self and the priests of newcastle and durham to sarah the mistress , and them who oppose you to hagar . answ. sarah never brought forth sons of bondage , as you are ; but you are truly hagar the egyptian , who genders unto bondage ; for you and all the children that ever you have begotten or brought forth , are in bondage till now ; and the lord hath raised up a people out of the dust , to confound you and your wisdom , and to declare against your profession , in laying heavy burdens upon the people , and taking their money for that which is not bread ; and be ye all ashamed , ye high oakes , ye fat bulls , ye diviners , that cannot maintain your gospel with all your parts and wisdom that you boast of , against those contemptible things in your eyes , but you must run to a carnal sword ; or to a justice of peace or constable to preserve you or to have them imprisoned , stocks and mockings and reproaches ; this is all we have or expect from the powers of the earth , because we speak the truth : be ye ashamed , and lay your hands upon your mouthes ; what gospel is this they have preached ? what worship is this you give unto god , that must be defended with clubs and staves , stocks and whips , stoning and haling before magistrates , and yet thou would'st have them accounted ministers of the gospel ; they who were ministers of the gospel , their weapons were not carnal , but spiritual , and they were mighty through god , but the mightiness of this generation lyes in the magistrates sword to defend them , and drive the people to pay them money for nought : and therefore let all magistrates consider in this nation and else-where , that you be warned how you make any laws against the innocent , and how you uphold those that christ cryed vvo against , and such as the lord sent his prophets to declare against , lest that come upon them which the prophet spoke , that they that help and them that are helped shall fall together . and whereas thou further flatterest them , and tellest them , that they are in the room of abraham for ordering the house of god , to see that the seed of isaac be inheritors , which is like to be deprived by the egyptian brood . rep. my desire is , that they may be guided by the spirit of abraham , who denyed his country ; and if they walk in the light , they will be like him , and will see that things be ordered in the nation in righteousness ; but if they will take thy vvord , who is the isaac that thou would'st should inherit , thou wilt present them ishmael : but is it not the inheritance of tythes and augmentations , and to have people to fall down to worship the image that they have set up ? that is it thou would'st have ordered ; for who are of abraham , are of the seed which the promise is to ; and such you stir up the magistrates and people by your flatteries and lyes to have a law to keep them in bondage ; and so them that dwell in the light , see it is the egyptian that thou would'st have to inherit . and further , thou art telling of some that profess high attainments ; which hath put the kingdom in confusion and a flame ; and thou sayst , they ought not to suffer the preaching of the word to go down , nor the sacraments to fail . there is profession enough in the nation , but little possession ; and all who profess high things , and do not possess them , are hypocrites : and now blessed be the lord , christ is come and made manifest , which is the highest attainment ; and he comes not to send peace on the earth , but a sword , and he shall confound the mighty and lofty , and they that have lived at ease shall be poured from vessel to vessel ; and now is war proclaimed betwixt michael our prince , and all the inhabitants of the earth ; and all inchanters and deceivers , and all such as have made merchandize of souls , are now made manifest ; and now the nations are angry , and the men of the earth are afraid , and now gog and magog compasseth the camp of the saints about ; and the beast , upon which the whore rides , and the false prophets , and as many as have traded with the beast and the whore are troubled ; for her sorrow is coming in a day , and all the powers of the earth cannot , nor shall not uphold her ; for she shall be made desolate and burned with fire : and now thou and the rest of the merchants are troubled , and are petitioning to the powers of the earth to uphold you ; i say unto thee , and unto all that joyn themselves against the anointed , which is now appearing , who was dead and is alive , and lives for evermore , you shall all be broken , and your eyes shall consume in their holes : gather your selves together , howl ye caterpillars , strengthen your selves , build up your batteries , cast up your mounts ; for a mighty and terrible one is coming up against you ; his voice is as the roaring of a lyon , he is greedy of his prey , he shall devour at once , and he is bringing about his determination to cut off every one that withstands him , and no vveapon formed shall prosper ; the eternal vvord is preached , and the angel is flying through the midst of heaven with the everlasting gospel , and by it shall antichrist be consumed ; and because this gospel is declared and preached and witnessed , thou art angry : but that which thou calls preaching the vvord , is nothing but thy own imaginations : this they have preached long enough , and what hath it done , all your divining ? none hath been turned from his iniquity . and as for thy sacrament , thou wast complaining of the pope's emissaries , and here thou art one : thou mayst return thy word back from whence thou hadst it : and all who come to witness the word and the preaching of it ; and the body and blood of christ , which is the saints communion , and the supper of the lord , will deny all your inchantment , and all your canker'd rusty worm-eaten divination ; and all powers which seek to uphold this which was and is abomination to the lord , they must partake of her plagues ; let all consider , god hath overturned all the powers that have pretended to establish religion by a lavv , whenas they have but established a form , a husk , and so satan hath crept into that ; and all the priests in this nation , have they not transformed into every image , vvhat vvay soever authority and the povvers of the earth bend , and so have made merchandize , and sold that vvhich is not bread , and so have deceived the people . and further thou sayst , the apostle requires them to mark them that cause divisions diligently . and thou goes on , and reckons up many that have been polluted in religion , and thou sayes , he will cast her into a bed of torment , if they do not repent . rep. they who are turned from the light of christ , are turned into division ; and they that have not the same spirit , by which the apostle spake , that said so , are divided from christ , and from the body , and from the saints , and are in contention : and here i charge thee and all the priests in england , that you are divided from christ , and turned from the light , who prophesie for hire , and divine for mony , who go in long robes , who are called of men master , who have the chiefest place in the assembly , and stand praying in the synagogue , who go to law with your hearers , and who give meanings upon the scriptures , who add and diminish , who speak but that which you have gathered from other mens words ; there doth sects and opinions , strife and division arise . and here thou art marked by many in the county of durham , ( praised be the lord , ) to be one that is divided from the light , and causes division , who took away four oxen for five pence halfpenny ; and so they have turned away from thee , and all vvho stand in that nature wherein thou stands : and therefore thou art petitioning that thou might have a law to bind us under thy witchcraft , wherein the nations have been deceived . and it is true , god hath overturned kings , and princes , and dukes , and earls , and emperors , for the sake of his chosen ones ; and all they vvho have made an image like the true god , and like the gospel , and have made a decree , and whosoever now make a decree that any shall fall down to worship any thing which is contray to the light of christ in the conscience , god hath hewed them down , and he will hew them down , who go about to limit the holy one , who is lord over all , and who will have dominion over the consciences of men ; and the time is already , when jezabel is to be cast into the bed of torment , and all who commit fornication with her , whether they be kings , emperors , dukes or earls , they shall all go down with the dukes of edom into the pit , and with the rest of the uncircumcised , and the saints shall rejoyce in their overthrow . and thou sayest , there is yet little doth appear in england , but the old beast under new habits acts his old tragedies ; and thou tells of satans arrows which are brought into the nations ; and thou tells of ranters and quakers , and seekers and creepers , creatures new come from the pit ; and thou sayest they resemble samson 's foxes , which burn up faith bred by hearing the word preacht . rep. what hast thou , and they that call themselves ministers of the gospel , preached , and cryed reformation , and have sided with all mens wills , and flattered all the governours and governments that have been changed divers times within these ten years : have you got nothing done yet , but have travailed and brought forth nothing but wind and division and contention , and one of supplanting another ? and have you tried one another , and proved one another , and every one preached up what he would have had , and have brought nought to pass ? what shameless reformers are ye ? can you not maintain with your gommissions and all your petitioning for god's ministers for the north ; and you had your desire , they came as thick as locusts out of the south ; and cannot you all with your preaching preach down those contemptible creatures that thou speaks of ? and as for ranters , i deny both thee and them ; for thou and they spring both from one root . and i am one thou calls a quaker and seeker ; and blessed be the lord forever more , that ever i was found worthy to bear the name in truth ; for they that seek shall find , and they that wait shall not be ashamed . and thou blind shepherd , thou might as well have uttered forth thy venome at david , daniel , jeremy , and the rest of the holy men of god , and have said , they came out of the pit : thou proude blasphemer , god will plead with thee for deriding the power of the lord ; and thou art that fox thou speaks of , that would be devouring and have all consumed , that thy corrupt sensual filthy will might be satisfied : and as for faith , thou never came to the faith of devils , who believe and tremble ; and thy faith and thy ordinances , which are but imaginations and traditions of men , the day is discovered that shall burn them up and consume all ; and you shall be left naked and bare , and have nothing to cover your nakedness , but you shall be as a stink and a proverb . and whereas thou saist , they preach down ministry and means , and all but those that have knowledge miraculously infused ; and thou art offended , because we declare what the prophets were , when they were called to prophecy ; and what the apostles were before they went to preach ; and thou gathers thy conclusions , that they will send princes to beg , as well as the ministry ; and thou sayest , nothing was more strongly charged upon israel , then suppressing of false prophets ; and thou sayest , shall not christian princes also be zealous to suppress them that would devour the flock of christ ? rep. when wilt thou cease thy lying and slandering ? the ministers of christ we own and love , which have not been nor are not ministers made by the will of man , and such have turned away from darkness to light , and from the power of satan to god , and such a ministry we honour ; but all those who stand in man's will we deny , and are bold to affirm , that they run , and never were sent , and therefore they do not profit the people ; and all thy means and thy mediate choice , which is carnal , we deny ; for none , either by you or it , ever had their minds changed from darkness to light , but only brought into a form , a husk , a shadow , and made hypocrites to profess what they were not : and as for thy miraculous infusion , i deny thy words ; but this i say , none knows the father but the son , and he to whom the son reveals him , and that gospel that we preach , we neither received it of man , nor from man , but by immediate revelation , and unto this the scriptures witness : i know prophets and ministers of christ , which were shepherds , and gatherers of summer fruit , and husband-men at the plow , and the same call as ever was : god is not bound up to your trade of divination and study ; and by these which are base in your eyes shall you be confounded , and be broken as a potters vessel : and for thy conclusion , that we may send princes to beg , we deny ; we do not dispute who rule , whether he be a shepherd or a husband-man ; we know , he that fears the lord is guided by the light of christ , he will walk and act in righteousnes , whether he be a prince or a plowman ; and god is no respecter of persons , nor we respect no man's person , as thou flatterer dost ; but we honour the power that is of god , and are subject to it for conscience sake ; we are not wrangling about the earth , we are redeemed out of it : and as for naash thou speakest on , who would strike out the right eye of israel , that shall stand for thy self ; for it is the true israelite , in whose mouth there is no guile , and jew inward , that thou would'st not only strike out the eye , but also cut off their heads : and thou askest , who they are that do devour the flock of christ ? i answer , they are wolves and deceivers , such as i spoak of before , that abide not in the doctrine of christ ; read thy self there , and own it . and thou goest on further , and petitionest the noble princes to consider ▪ that the anabaptists have mightily prevailed in this nation , and thou wonderest , that the governours have not supprest , and thou bringest an old story to accuse them with , out of germany , that they had plurality of wives , and this ( thou say'st ) is like to destroy the nation . rep. thou art ishmael the son of hagar , thy hand is against every man , and cain is the root from whence thou sprangest ; for thou hast murder in thy heart , and would'st command fire to come down from heaven to destroy , and knovvest not vvhat spirit thou art of : and as for the anabaptists prevailing , here thou hast made the shame of your ministry appear , that it hath had no more effect upon the peoples minds , that they have not been established , and so they have run after every wind of doctrine ; and thou vvould'st have the magistrates to make the people live still upon wind : and as for thy story of germany concerning the baptists ▪ i have great ground to believe , that thou and thy author may as vvell belye them vvhich thou never knevvest , as to cast a lye upon those vvhich are nearer at hand ; but if they acted any such thing as plurality of wives , let them bear their ovvn shame , do not accuse the innocent ; truly , i knovv no such baptists in the nation ; and it 's no more accusation upon them , then if thou should'st accuse the disciples vvith judas ; and this thou layest upon the magistrate to consider , lest the nation be destroyed ; filthy busie mind troubling thy self and others vvith old stories raked out of the pit to accuse others vvith , vvhenas there is no such thing that is ovvned ; and all vvho fear the lord deny such , and i deny them , and they and all vvho act in uncleanness . and thou goest on and shevvest , as thou hast stollen from other mens vvords , from the prophets and moses , that the judgment of the lord was against all idolaters and false prophets and dreamers , and how they and them that served strange gods were to be put to death . wo unto them , saith the lord , that steal my word every man from his neighbour , and say , thus saith the lord , whenas the lord hath never spoken unto them ; thou hast stoln other mens vvords , and shalt be judged by thy ovvn mouth and thy ovvn lavv , that thou never hadst the vvord of the lord made manifest , nor never did the lord speak to thee ; and therefore thou art that false prophet , and art that dreamer ; and he that hath a dream , let him tell a dream , & he that hath the word of the lord , let him speak it : novv them that speak the vvord of the lord from the mouth of the lord , as the true prophets did and do , then thou callest to the magistrates to put them to death : and as for the worshippers of strange gods , many in the county of durham and many other places , let them declare vvhether they vvorshipped any but a strange god at a distance , and vvent after dumb idols , even as they vvere led , vvhile they follovved the ministry vvhich vvas never sent ; but novv is the lord made manifest , and the strange gods are put avvay and broken , and the false prophets are seen , and the prophet is raised up , vvhich moses spoak of , and vvhosoever hear 's not his words , shall be slain vvith the svvord . and further thou tellest the magistrates , that if any hypocrite shall presume to speak a word in the name of the lord , which he hath not commanded , even he shall dye , and it is an old statute unrepeal'd . rep. if thou knevv vvhat thou spoak , thou hast given sentence against thy self ; i charge upon thee in the presence of the living god , that thou never heardst his word , nor spake his word , but in thy ovvn name ; and i charge it again upon thee , when did he ever speak to thee ? that spirit by which the prophets of the lord spoke , thou dost deride , and call'st it a miraculous infusion , and so thy spirit is another , and not the same ; and that it is an old statute , thou shalt know , that thou hast spoken in thy own name , and what thou hast learned by tradition ; but in christ all the law and the prophets is fulfilled and all statutes , who come to witness him ; he is the law-giver , judge and king , and all is fulfilled as he comes to be witnessed , and all strange gods put away , even the idols of gold and silver , and all false prophets by him come to be seen , judged , condemned and slain ; and thou that would'st put it upon the magistrate without , to kill men by a law , and so to usurp the power which is given to the son , and so make them guilty of innocent blood , thou art a murderer : and now further , who must judge of the false prophets , of heresie , schism and blasphemy ? i know thou denyest revelation , and the rest of the priests in england , who trade with other mens words ; and i know thou darest not say , thou art infallible , and thou hast not discerning of spirits ; the apostle exhorted them who dwelt in the light to try the spirits ; but he bad not them who are led by the prince of the air , and were children of disobedience , as thou art , of a covetous earthly mind , he bad not them to try , nor them who were carnal ; and therefore stop thy mouth , thou canst not discern a lamb from a dog , not a kite from a dove : and let all magistrates who fear the lord , either in this nation or else-where , take heed how they judge of heresie and blasphemy ; not that i am ignorant but that there is heresie and blasphemy , but that none can judge who they are , but who have an infallible spirit ; therefore it is now as it hath been , many have suffered as hereticks , as christ for a blasphemer , and the apostles as setters forth of strange gods , and were persecuted to death ; and many do and are like to suffer by this spirit that dwells in thomas ellyson : and therefore all you who are magistrates , that sit as judges and rulers , take heed what you do , and take heed of zeal without knovvledge ; for so paul persecuted , and so the jews slevv christ the heir ; and so many vvould have their will satisfied , but thou must be judged by all vvho dvvell in the light , & thou that sittest as judge over another , see that thou be judged in thy self ; for to take your knovvledge and direction from such as these men , instead of planting you vvill be destroyers . and thou art offended at some that hold forth new lights and gifts , which ( thou say'st ) the word of god never taught us . rep. all vvho are taught by the word , vvhich is eternal , are guided in one light ; for the light is but one , and this is no nevv light , but the same that ever vvas ; but thou that callest the letter the light and the word , thou art blind and art a hater of the light , from vvhich the scripture vvas declared . and in the conclusion thou beggest , that schollars and universities may be preserved for the breeding of able ministers , to preach the word , and hold out the sacraments . rep. and this is the sum of all , that thou and the rest of false shepherds may be carryed in the bosome of the magistrates , and so to preserve you , and destroy all that oppose you : as for learning , it is natural , i ovvn it in its place ; but that it makes and breeds able ministers , i deny it , and all those ministers ; for many filthy frogs and unclean spirits have come out of the universities , that have spread over the nations , as locusts vvithout a king ; and all their preaching and their sacraments is carnal , and all their ability that is got by their trading leads people to be seven-fold mo●● the children of the devil ; i speak vvhat i vvas a witness of , vvhile i follovved the chiefest of them : and therefore i say unto you vvho are governours , hold not that up which the lord hath cursed ; for that which is natural cannot lead up to god : and therefore be ye all vvarned , that you turn not back to build again that which god is destroying , who threw out one power after another , because they would needs limit the lord a way to walk in : and truly , god vvill pour you out from vessel to vessel , till you be emptied of all , and till you give him all power and honour , to rule over his church and people , that they may serve the lord in freedom of spirit , and not in the flesh ; and if any vvalk disorderly , and break any righteous lavv , and vvalk in the flesh , them execute your lavv upon , there is your place ; but that you should prescribe a way for god to vvalk in , he cannot , he vvill not be bound ; and you , that go about to limit him to any visible appearance , shall be broken to pieces ; for his glory he vvill not give to another . this was i moved of the lord to write in answer to tho. ellyson 's petition , and to the magistrates : a lover of all those that wait for the redemption of israel ; called after the flesh , francis hovvgil . the fiery darts of the devil quenched ; or something in answer to a book , called , a second beacon fired , presented to the lord protector and the parliament , and subscribed by luke fawne , john rothwel , samuel gellibrand , thomas underhil , joshua kirton , nathanael webb . wherein their lyes and slanders are made manifest against the innocent and those books which have been published by them they call quakers , owned and vindicated , and all the rest which is in that book disowned , and their deceit laid open , how they have perverted the truth & our words in those books , which they cry out of as blasphemy , that the truth may not suffer under the reproach of the heathen . first of all you go about and flatter the powers and the magistrates , and tell them , they ought to have a care of their peoples souls , in keeping them from infection of idolatry and blasphemy ; and you say , you are to inform them of the dangerousness of great meetings in london of quakers , whose opinions are blasphemous , paganish , anti-scriptural and anti-christian , even as the former : and further , the greatest thing that troubles you , is printing and publishing books , many thousands ( you say ) concerning blasphemous , and heretical , and anti-magistratical opinions , tending to unchristian people , and disorder the people of the nations , and to bring in paganism , and libertinism ; and this ( you say ) you present unto them to provoke their zeal against them . oh you blood-thirsty-minded men , all the care that you would have the magistrates to take of the people is , to destroy them , and to have them shut up in holes and caves , and dens , and prisons ; and the truth ever suffered by your generation , and your generation hath ever pressed the magistrates , that they might abuse their power , and if they will but hearken to you , instead of healing the people , they will be destroyers , and instead , of making up breaches , they will make desolate ; and so you would drive them on hastily to satisfie your corrupt will , and to uphold your diana , and your craft , that you may make merchandize of that vvhich hath been long enough sold and printed by you ; and what hath it done ? who is turned from darkness to light ? and you that make a trade of others writings and words , to maintain you in your lusts , and deceive , this you would have them to uphold ▪ but as for the care of peoples souls , it 's far enough from you , and all along in your filthy lying slanderous book , you are made manifest to be of those that would have fire to come down from heaven in your wills , to destroy all those that withstand you and your imaginations : and therefore let all magistrates , in whom the fear of the lord is , take heed how they take things from the hands and mouthes of them who have alwayes persecuted the power of truth , and called truth errour , and light darkness , and darkness light ; and in a blind zeal for god , destroy them whom the power of the lord is manifest in : for so paul persecuted christ , and the saints , and so the jews crucified christ , and all the saints have suffered . and you are offended at our meeting in london ; while we have been here in the city we have not been in a corner , and we challenge you and all the city in the name of the lord , who is dreadfull to all lyars , and slanderers , to shew , what are those blasphemies that you speak of , you backbiters shall have your portion with the rest of hypocrites : opinions we deny ; for the light of jesus christ is spiritual , which appears and declares against all sects , and opinions , and blasphemies , and all you who hate it , are in contention , and in opinions , and blaspheme the truth ; and here i charge it upon you in the presence of the living god , that you are blasphemers , who call the light natural and paganism ; and the lord will plead with you , you filthy corrupt minds , who calls the light of christ anti-christian ; for here in the presence of the lord of hosts , i speak it , no other light do we own to walk by , but that which is spiritual and eternal , the light of christ , which he hath enlightened every one that comes into the world withall ; and this is not anti-scriptural as thou calls it ; for the scriptures witness the same , and christ bears witness of it ; and no other light do we own but the same that ever was , which was in the beginning , and which convinceth the world of sin , and the same that led up the saints to knovv the father and the son : and you that call this paganism and heretical , and blasphemous , and anti-christian ; let all vvho have any light in them judge , and let shame cover your faces , and fear take hold upon you ; for your words stink , and come out of the mouth of the dragon , ye filthy unclean frogs , vvhich have poison under your tongues . and as for the bookes vvhich vve have printed , vve ovvn them , and are ready to lay dovvn our lives for the testimony of jesus , and the truth of them , and seal them vvith our blood , and vvhat are vvritten in them , through the eternal povver of god , vvhich is made manifest ; and that vve have published any thing against any just magistrate , let all our vvritings , and all vvho read them judge ; and if bearing vvitness to jesus christ unchristians people , let all judge ; for no other do vve ovvn , but the same christ to day and yesterday , and forever ; and here all your petitioning is made manifest , from vvhence it did arise and proceed , and your shame and nakedness , and envy appears . and the sacraments ( vvhich you say you use ) which is appointed in the scripture , and farnsvvorth in answer to a petition did deny them . answer , his ansvver vve ovvn ; and i challenge you to be perverters of the scripture ; vvhere read you of sacraments in the scripture ? here i charge you to be lyars and slanderers , and denyers of the scripture , and adders to it , and the plagues shall be added to you ; and as for that vvhich you use among you is traditional and imitatory : yet the bread vvhich vve break is the communion of the body of christ , and the cup we drink is the communion of the blood of christ ; and this is that which paul received from him : and baptism by one spirit into one body we own ; the baptism is but one , and this we own ; and here you lyars and slanderers are seen and denyed . another thing you call heresie and blasphemy , is , that we say , that christ hath enlightened all men ; but i shall lay down your own words , and prove you lyars out of that book called , the general good to all people : and you say , the light of god that is in all men ; that is , to wit , natural conscience , that it is sufficient , if we give heed unto it , to discover sin and turn our minds towards god , and that this light within is the grace of god , and that it is christ in us . answer , let all that reads that book , see if you be not lyars and slanderers , and perverters , and are in the generation of those false witnesses which bore witness against christ ; and here i charge you to be lyars , where in all the book doth he say , that the light of a natural conscience is sufficient to guide to god , if it be taken heed to ? or where doth it say , it discovers sin ? there is another lye : and where doth he say , that natural conscience is the grace of god ? there is a third lye ; and where doth he say , that natural conscience is christ in us ? there is a fourth lye : be ashamed that ever you should go and present so many filthy lyes to authority , that there is no truth in at all . oh ye dark minds , would you be judging and prescribing what is heresie and blasphemy , and call the light of christ paganisme and heresie ? but i am bold in the name of the lord , to declare unto you , and unto all the world , that christ is the true light , that hath enlightned every one that comes into the world , and that this light is spiritual , and not natural , and it convinceth of all sin ; he shall convince the world of sin ; and whoso obey this light which shines into the conscience , it leads up to christ , and out of sin , and it turns the mind towards god , and it shines in darkness ; but you dark sottish children know it not ; yea , you that hate it , have it , and it shall condemn you , and when the book of conscience shall be opened , you shall be judged for all your hard speeches against the truth . another thing you present to be blasphemy and heresie , is , that the worship that is performed in england with those ministers that sing davids psalms , baptize infants , wear double cuffes , boot hose toops , take tythes , say men shall never be perfect in this world , and that say , the letter is the light , and the letter is the word ; and that salvation is in the scripture , and that call matthew , mark , luke and john , the gospel , are seducers , and no ministers of the word , but shew forth the spirit of error . answer . all those ministers in england which abide not in the doctrine of christ ; all those worshippers and worships , which are contrary to the scripture , are heathenish , and they worship they know not what ; and all such worship is an abomination to the true god ; and i charge you and all those that would be counted ministers in england , to prove from the scripture where the saints sung davids conditions , and psalms in rhimes and meeter ; and where is there any scripture for baptizing of infants ? and whether any of the ministers of christ lived in pride and lusts of the flesh ? and where any ministers of christ took tythes , which belonged to the first priesthood and the first covenant ? and so they that uphold the first , and deny the second , and the one everlasting offering , which perfects forever them that are sanctified ; and where doth the scripture say , that the letter is the word and the light ? but it witnesses against you , and saith , god is the word , and christ is the light , and christ is the gospel , yea , the everlasting gospel ; and matthew , mark , luke and john declared of him : and here you be witnesses against your selves , ye dark-minded men ; and i charge you , that you deny the scripture ; and all those who uphold those things are in the heathenish nature , without god in the world , in the earth where the devil dwells , who is an accuser of the brethren : and doth not the scripture and they declare it who were ministers of christ , that there were that ran after the errour of balaam , and their hearts were exercised with covetous practices ? and were there not such that were railers , and false accusers , and blind watchmen , and greedy dumb dogs , and such as led into vvitchcraft , and anti-christs , deceivers ? you might as well have called christ , paul , peter and jude blasphemers and hereticks , but you are made manifest to be them , and in the same nature that called christ a blasphemer , and paul a pestilent fellow , and a setter forth of strange gods , and the ministers of christ seditious , and thou mightst as well say , christ despised a governour , when he called herod a fox : and now , blessed be the lord , the hour of his judgments is come ; and we freely declare against all deceit both in magistrates , priests and people , as they did that wrote forth the scripture , and bear witness , to his name , as they did , in our measure ; and we have suffered , and do suffer daily , by slanderous tongues , such as you have ; and imprisonments , and cruel mockings , and stripes , and bonds ; and can truly say to the praise of his name , we bear in our bodies the marks of the lord jesus ; but we must pass through good report and evil report ; and it is our crown and rejoycing to suffer for his name ; and now gog and magog , and all the powers of the earth bend themselves , and are angry , even the nations that profess christ in words , and say , the scripture is their rule , but walk not according to it ; and against all such hypocrisie are we vvitnesses , to the fulfilling our testimony , and the laying down of our lives , that he alone may be honoured who sits upon the throne of david , and of whose government there is no end , to whom be praise forever , who shall break all your combinations and plots , and you shall be ground to powder , who set your selves against him , and be dashed to pieces as a potter's vessel . and now to that which you call anti-magistratical errours , that the magistrates are not to have titles of worshipful or right worshipful , and that the subjects of a common wealth , which is not israel's common wealth , are to be disturbed , and that no civil government is to be acknowledged , but the government of the law within us . answ. where readest thou or any , that any magistrate was called worshipful or right worshipful , or ever any of the saints of god did so ? he that is righteousness and truth , unto whom all honour and worship belongs , god blessed forever , we own and worship ; he is no respecter of persons . and you filthy flatterers , who are in the curse , respect mens persons and so you are razed out forever from the faith of christ , and from the , faith which all the holy men of god lived in , that you know it not : but you false accusers , magistrates we know , and they are for the punishment of evil-doers , and for the lavvless , for lyars and slanderers , such as you are , and for the praise of them that do vvell ; and vve honour such in our hearts , and obey their just commands , and are not like him that said he would go , and vvent not , but are subject for conscience sake to the povvers that are of god , and are subject to every ordinance of man for the lord's sake ; but vve cannot flatter nor respect mens persons , and deny the faith of christ , but are brought from under the povver of unrighteousness by the mighty povver of god , and are subject to all just lavvs , vvhich stand not nor vvere made in man's will , but obey them for conscience sake ; and if any lavv , vvhich is not just and equal , be required upon us , that vve cannot do , vve suffer for conscience sake , and resist not at all , as many of our enemies vvill vvitness for us ; and therefore you false accusers be silent ; they that are subject to israel's common wealth are righteous , and vvalk in righteousness , in that vvhich is just , good and holy ; and vve vvitness against all the cananites , vvho vvalk in unrighteousness ; and all vvho are enemies to the common wealth of israel must be broken to pieces , and them that strive and contend against the faith vvhich vvas once delivered to the saints , and is novv witnessed ( praised be the lord ) all such must be disturbed and broken to pieces by the just , even all the unjust shall be broken : and as for that vvhich thou say'st vve say , we ought not to be subject to any civil government , but that which is within us ; oh thou lyar , vvhen vvilt thou cease thy lying ? vvhere is that ? i charge thee to prove vvhere that is spoken ; yet this i say unto all , moses received the lavv from the mouth of the lord , and it vvas revealed to him and in him , and then he vvought it vvithout , and vvas subject to it : and all vvho make lavvs novv , and do not receive them from god , they make them in their ovvn wills , and such as do act contrary to the lavv of god ; but that lavv vvhich is righteous , vvhich is according to that in the conscience , vvhich is holy , good and civil , vve are subject both vvithin and vvithout to it : and all your subjection , which is not from a principle vvithin , is not in truth nor singleness of heart , but vvith flattery , and your eye-service , and your bovving dovvn in hypocrisie , and saying , you are subject , vvhen there is no truth in the heart ; and so you are not subject for conscience sake . and further you say , in farnsworth's general good to all people , let every soul be subject to the higher powers ; by powers is meant god , the father of jesus christ , and by king , the lord of hosts , and that is another blasphemy . wo unto filthy lyars ; i challenge you , that you have perverted his words , and would give meanings upon them , as you do upon the scriptures ; and your own dark sottish minds cannot comprehend ; and therefore you give your own imaginations , and then call it blasphemy ; and 〈◊〉 all that read that book see if you have not belyed the truth , and perverted his words . another thing you set down for blasphemy , that none are ministers of god , and called by him , who are sent forth by authority of man , and that he that is not infallible in his judgment , is no minister of christ. answ. you might have said paul's words were blasphemy ; he was made a minister , not by mens will ; and all the holy men of god and apostles were not ministers by the will of man , but contrary to the will of man ; and all who are made ministers of man and by man , we deny , and the scripture denies them ; for what they preached , they neither received it of man , nor from man , but by the revelation of jesus christ ; and all who have and are made ministers by hear-say , and what they have form'd up in their imaginations from the scripture , with their points and their doctrines , which they raise in their carnal minds , all such we declare against ; and all such who abide not in the doctrine of christ : and all who were made ministers of christ , were spiritual and infallible ; that which is not infallible is carnal ; and all who are guided by the spirit of christ are infallible , and they that are not guided by it are none of his , nor the sons of god , nor ministers of christ ; and therefore , all that such can judge of is nothing but imaginary ; and all you who have subscribed this book , and all such ministers i deny : ye shameless men , would you be trying and prescribing and set down what is heresie and blasphemy , and cry out of that for heresie and blasphemy which you should try withall ? your shame is laid open to all ; and now your shame , i hope , will appear to the parliament , whom you petition ; what cry you out against books , and printing , and blasphemy , that cannot distinguish a lamb from a dog ? would you judge truth by darkness ? and you are offended that there are so many quakers met in the north parts lately , two thousand ; yea , blessed be the lord , there are many thousands that see you , and never will bow to baal , nor worship in the house of rimmon more ; and many shall not only come from the north , but also from the south , yea , in london , that now see all your deceit , and they shall enter , and you shall be shut out ; and what truth is this that cannot defend it self ? and what religion is that vvhich cannot defend it self , but you must have all bend to your image that you vvould set up ? and now unto you who are petitioned unto , i say unto you , take heed and beware how you call or suppress any thing as error , or how you meddle in the prescribing god a way to walk in , for he cannot , he will not be limited ; and i say unto you , it were better a milstone were hanged about your necks , then to hinder , stop , or make any law to hinder the passage of the truth which is arising ; and consider , the lord hath thrown out all powers before this , because they would needs limit the holy one of israel , and prescribe him a way , and a goverment , how he should be worshipped ; and many have suffered , and what hath all come to , all the rules that men have laid down ? have they not been as the untimely fruit of a vvoman , and as corn upon the house top ? and for that all have been thrown down and broken ; and the jealousie of the lord is broken forth as fire , and wo to them that withstand them in his way : and now i say unto you , if you now prescribe god a vvay , and if that in the conscience have not liberty , but you will go about to set bounds to him and his people in the worship of god , you shall be broken as a potter's vessel ; for the government is upon his shoulders , and he will not give his glory to any other ; the lord hath spoken it . and for the rest of the books in the beacon fired , we disown them ; but i believe you have belyed them ▪ as you have done ours . by one who is a witness for the truth against gog and magog , called after the flesh francis howgil . a warning to all the rulers in these english nations . oh ye judges , rulers and heads of the people in these nations , you may read your cloud of witnesses , who are your example , who persecute the innocent , and turn aside the needy for a thing of nought ; you may read in the scripture what they were , and what manner of princes , kings and rulers they were , who were persecutors in all generations ; and say not in your hearts , you are christians , and yet walk in the same footsteps of them who persecuted the prophets , and them that were sent early and late to forewarn them , and stood in the gate , and declared in their tovvns and cities against the abominations that vvere committed ; and jeremy they put in the dungeon , that his feet sticked in the mire , and put his feet fast in the stocks , and micha in prison , and daniel in the den of lyons ; and herod and pilate were made friends in the persecuting of christ , and they set him at nought ; and the priests and the rulers conspired against him , and sought to entrap him in his words ; and the apostles they put in prison , in the stocks , and whipped them , and scourged them , and commanded them to depart out of their towns , villages and cities , and called them seditious and pestilent fellows , and said , they bred tumults in the cities , whenas they were tumultuous themselves , and persecuted , and mocked , and shamefully entreated : and novv you that are found acting in those practices , are in the same spirit ; you may read your cloud of witnesses and your example , and be ashamed ▪ o england , england and ireland ! is this the fruit of the great profession you have made so many years , and novv when you are proved , the best of you is as a bryar , and the most upright sharper then a thorn-hedge ? what is become of the promises you made in the day of your calamity , vvhen sorrovv , fear and oppression compassed you about on every side ? hath the lord broken the yoak from off your necks , and is your finger becoming heavier then their loyns ? was there so great oppression and cruelty acted among the bishops and prelates ? vvere prisons so filled ? vvere there such gins and traps laid for the innocent vvhen their high commission court vvas up ? o shame , shame ! that ever it should come in the ears , or be reported in other nations , that ever you should requite the lord thus for all his love and mercies ▪ that he should break the yoak from off your necks , and 〈◊〉 your enemies on every side , and cut them off in his wrath , and hath given you their habitations to dvvell in , and the povver into your han●s shall the ax boast it self against him that hevvs therevvith ? and will ye ●●●quite the lord thus for his love ? surely these things are come before the lord , and a book of remembrance is vvritten , and all these things shall stand as witness against you , vvhen the book of conscience is laid open : but you ( may be ) vvill say , you know no such that suffer for conscience sake ; turn but your ear , and listen but to every goal and prison in every county , and there may you see many of you poor brethren stopped up in holes , among murderers , thieves and transgressors , even they vvho have born a part vvith you in the sufferings vvith the nations in the heat of the day ; and if you say , they have transgressed any law , vvhy do you not execute it upon them , but some kept in prison tvvo or three years , and never called , to knovv vvhat is the matter : but friends , knovv this , many suffer novv for the transgression of no knovvn lavv , but may be have cryed out in your tovvns against iniquity , or have declared against the blindness and ignorance of some , vvho go in the way of the false prophets , and in the error of balaam : o! the land is full of such deceivers , as have flattered the people and her princes , till the lord bathed his svvord in their blood , and novv they are flattering you , and sovving pillovvs under your arm-holes ; if you say ( as the pharisees said ) we have a law , and by our law he ought to dye ; if you execute those lavvs , and stand to those lavvs vvhich were made by them that oppressed you , the same shall come upon you that came upon them , and god vvill break the yoak from off the necks of the oppressed , and the yoak shall be laid upon yours , vvho make a man an offender for a vvord ; and therefore consider , a warning to you all , and be you warned from the lord god , to cease from oppressing the innocent ; nay , you are left all without excuse ; for i know you are not ignorant of these things : and further i say unto you , uphold not them by your power , who are flattering the nations , and crying peace , and daubing the people with untempered morter , and telling them , they are christians , when they are heathens , and live in that nature that puts christ to open shame ; for the hand of the lord is against them , and prophaneness hath gone from them , those teachers that use their tongues , and say , he saith , when the lord hath never spoken to them ; and therefore the people are lost for lack of knowledge , and there is not one among them that is able to turn any from his iniquity : and therefore i say unto you , stint not nor limit not the lord by your wills , nor your laws made in your wills ; for if you do , he which rents the heavens , and makes the earth reel as a cottage , will break you and your laws together , and there shall be none that shall be able to deliver you out of his hand , who is pure , holy , just and true , and will not give his glory to another ; for he alone works , and who shall let , and bring his own work to pass , and none shall hinder : and therefore take heed you strive not against the lord , and so be broken upon the stumbling stone to pieces : a lover of righteousness , and a friend to all just power , f. h. a vvarning to all the world . wo , wo unto all the inhabitants ; for the lord god of power is coming in power and great glory , with ten thousand of his saints , to judge the earth , and to make a desolation ; and an utter overthrow and a consumption shall come upon all flesh , and its glory shall be stained ; for all flesh hath corrupted its way , and gone a whoring after other gods , and hath committed fornication with strangers , and whoredoms with the uncircumcised , and the land is filled with monsters , and the living god is departed from ; the lord is grieved , the lord is weary with forbearing , and will no longer forbear ; now is he arising to excute his judgment in the earth , and to sift the nations ; and all shall now be put into an even ballance , and the wicked shall be as dust and as chaff , which the vvind blows away , and shall be scattered , and never more gathered : for a fire is come out of sion , it s before the lord of hosts , and it 's tempestuous round about him ; coals of fire are kindled by the breath of 〈◊〉 nostrils , to burn up all the stubble and chaff , even by the breath of his mouth ; the lord hath uttered his voice before his army ; for his camp is great , as a lyon , and is greedy of his prey , as a young lyon ; he will not spare , but devour and destroy all the uncircumcised , and cut off from the earth , even all the abominable : tremble , tremble , o earth before the lord , and all ye careless sons and daughters , that live at ease in the flesh , in wantonness and in mirth , a day of howling is coming upon you , a day of sorrow and lamentation ; howl , howl and weep , ye that spend your dayes in vanity , in lust and pleasure , killing the just ; ye drunkards , your throats are as an open sepulchre , your throats shall be dryed up and parched with the flame of the lord's indignation , the lion shall be famished ; diver 's end is your portion , you covetous greedy deceivers , oppressours , lyars , swearers , proud , envious , contentious quarellers , ye vain airy light minds , ye are ● dust ▪ and will have your portion in the lake that burns ; tophet is prepared , hell hath enlarged her self , the grave stands open to receive you , the pit hath opened her mouth , the deep shall swallow you up , ye rebellious and stiff-necked generation , who fear not the lord , but add sin unto sin ; behold , the day is coming , ye shall wish the mountains to fall upon you , and the rocks to cover you , and shall seek death , but shall not find it : the arm of the lord is stretched out , the hand of the most high is against you , you fruitless trees that cumber the ground , you shall be cut up by the roots , and cast into the fire , ye lyars , swearers , cursed speakers , ye proud and covetous , double dealers and hypocrites , which say in word what you are not in deed , and make a profession of the name of god , but depart not from iniquity ; the trumpet of the lord is blown out of sion , the alarm is sounded out of the holy mountain , let all the inhabitants of the earth tremble , a noise of war and rumor of vvar is heard , his sword is furbished and brandished , to make a great slaughter , and the slain of the lord shall be many ; oh ye potsherds of the earth ! will ye strive against the lord ? will ye set bryars and thorns in battel against him , who shakes the heavens , and makes the earth reel as a cottage , who dryes up the face of the deep , and cuts off all the fresh springs , and makes the cedars fall , and pours down snares upon the wicked , fire and hail , storm and tempest , and pillars of smoak , this shall be your portion to drink , the mouth of the lord of hosts hath spoken it : o foolish people & unwise , when will you seek after wisdom ; wisdom hath lift up her voice in the streets , but you have stopped your ears as deaf adders , and say in your hearts , we will not have righteousness to rule over us , but we will walk as our fathers , and worship as other nations do , and as them whom the lord hath cut off out of the nations as untimely fruit , and are perished with the uncircumcised : fear , fear , tremble , tremble ye careless ones , ye hard hearts , ye rocks shall be broken , ye cedars shall fall , ye strong oaks shall be cut up by the roots , your root shall perish , ye mountains shall melt , ye wild savage creatures , that are as wild asses upon the mountains ; a moneth is coming , wherein you will be found , and a day is at hand , wherein you shall see him whom you have pierced ; yea , behold the judge of all the world stands at the door , even of the quick and dead , and he comes in the clouds with power and great glory , and every eye shall see him , and every heart shall melt , and all faces shall gather paleness , and all knees shall smite together , and every tongue shall confess his judgment just , when he shall execute his wrath upon you , and sweep you into the pit , and blow you away with the whirlwind of his wrath ; and then you shall be judged out of the book of your consciences : therefore fear , fear and repent , repent and prize your time while you have it , and mind the light of christ jesus , that shews you your iniquities and sins , and it love , and it will turn you from sin and unrighteousness to christ jesus , from whence the light comes , and it love , and it will judge all your vain actions , and bring condemnation upon all the deceit , and lead you to true confession and forsaking , and to know the lord is pure and holy , and nothing that is evil can dwell in his sight : and so remember you are all warned in your life time , lest you be swept away into the pit , and perish forever and ever , and there be none to deliver you ; and unto you this is the word of the living god , whether you hear or forbear . f. h. the first general epistle written to the camp of the lord in england . to all the seed of abraham , who are jews indeed , and israelites , in whom is no guile ; who are of the true circumcision , made without hands ; who are of the off-spring of david , and of the church or the first-born ; who are the first fruit unto god ; ye royal off-spring of the rock of ages , who have come out of the everlasting washing , my dear brethren , called quakers , who have eaten your bread with fear and trembling , whom your brethren have cast out ; oh how i love you ; my soul is knit unto you , my heart and life breathes after you ; i am one with you in suffering , and in joy ; ye are the choicest of the flock ; ye are the fairest of all the children which are brought forth : oh my beloved ones ! though i be among the tents of kedar , as without , where the voice of the lord hath neither been heard nor known , yet you i forget not , if i do , let the tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth , and let me never speak more in the name of the lord , who is my life , and the portion of my cup forever : oh! what shall i say unto you ? none knows your beauty , nor innocency , nor glory , but them who are redeemed out of kindreds , and nations , and tongues , and people , and countryes , who follow the lamb whithersoever he goes : for the name of my god and your god , who is living , and lives for evermore , is in your foreheads ; you are his off-spring , and the fruit that came out of the eternal vvomb , begotten by the eternal vvord of life which lives forever , and are nourished at the eternal table , in the everlasting mansion-house of my father , which is in heaven : none so fair ; none so beautifull ; none so glorious ; none so rich ; you are crowned with love forever ; you are clothed with righteousness forever ; you eat of the tree of life which heals the nations , and of the bread of life that nourishes you up forever ; and drinks of the living vvaters , which run fresh , beautiful and cool , in it you are bathed and suppled , and made white ; you are builded upon a rock , storms cannot move you , tempests cannot make you afraid ; in this you have been , and are like to be tryed : your armour is righteousness on the right hand , and on the left ; your city is free : the gates stand open day and night ; a vvolf , lyon , nor any beast cannot enter ; no not so much as a flying-fowl . oh how goodly are thy tents , o thou seed of jacob , the elect whom he hath chosen ! o how pleasant is your scituation ! the tower of david , mount sion , stands sure , and cannot be moved : o! who is a people like unto you , saved by our god that lives forever ? his love is large ; he is kind ; he is long-suffering ; he is faithful , and keeps covenant , and his promises are yea , yea : he is the amen , the first and the last . come forth my dear brethren , set forth his praise , declare his name among the heathen publish his name among the congregations ; let the earth be filled with his love and power , that his judgments may be declared , and his statutes , that they sound in the ears of generations to come . o ye that are convinced of the truth of our god , wait in that which doth convince , and keep your minds to it , and love it , and follow it whither it leads you , and it will lead you to know the gift of god , which leads to repentance from dead vvorks , to serve the living god , who dwells in the immortal light ; and take heed of looking back at the pleasures of sin you have formerly lived in , but wait upon the pure light of christ jesus in patience , that so you may see the enmity which is against god , and it slain in you daily ; that so you may see him that is the saviour of the soul : and take heed of rebelling against the lord , who hath given you a measure of his true light , to lead you from sin if you love it unto righteousness , from whence it comes , even from the righteous judge of all the vvorld , who judgeth every man ou● of the book of his conscience ; and so prize the everlasting love of god to your souls , that you may see him who lives forever . and all babes , who are born again , who have suffered and pangs of death , and know the indignation of the lord against sin , and the terrour of the lord against the man of sin ; who have roared for the disquietness of your hearts , who have born the indignation of the lord , and are come to the giving forth of the law , where there is thundring , and earth-quakes , and terrour , and great hail , and fire , and smoke , even such as was not since the beginning , insomuch that you could not bear his voice and live , nor see his face and live . stand still in patience , and let it have its perfect work in you , and hear the indignation , ye that are in it ; if you endure the tribulation with patience , hope you will see , and a time of refreshment will come ; endure the cross , that the mortal , and earthly , and carnal may be judged , and the bad ground shaken and taken away , and that you may see the living hope to stay your minds upon . and ye who are enlivened , and do witness the law of righteousness set up in you , which is a school-master , and keeps in the fear , stand in it , and keep in the fear low , in soberness and calmness , and then you will see your hearts purified daily , and the cursed nature judged , which is out of its course , and it bridled and subjected , and the law which is pure , and holy , and eternal , which stands forever in power and force against the transgressor , to judge all unrighteousness : and so wait , that you may see the lyon tamed , and the wild heifer yoked , and the yoke of christ born and the wild colt tamed by him , upon which never man sate before ; then , and not till then , is hosanna sung . and all wait in your measures , dear babes , that the milk of the word you may see , and be nourished by it , and grow up as living branches about the table of the lord. and all you young men and virgins , that know virginity , keep your virginity , you in whom the prince of this world is judged and cast out , and the righteous law of god revealed and given forth , in which you stand , and walk , and have peace from him , who is the law-giver and judge , who hath saved you from your iniquities , and blotted out your sins for his own name 's sake ; you who know the living water and spirit , of which you are born again , and witness the birth which enters into the kingdom of god , where no mortal or unclean beast can come : keep in the life and power of god , which limits all , and chains all under , that the life of the son of god may live and speak in you ; and be bold ; in the dread of god stand , and that which leads into slavery , keep out . and now being made partakers of his everlasting love , walk worthy of his love , and of the high calling whereunto you are called , who hath created you in christ jesus , unto holiness and righteousness forever ; that to the praise of his grace , which you are saved by , by which you have obtained the remission of sins , and an inheritance amongst them that are sanctified : so wait in the living hope , and the living faith , in which god is well pleased , in which you ask and receive of him , and are accepted of our heavenly father ; and this faith ye know , which is a present power , and a shield against all temptations , and a helmet , and as a fortress , by which you are preserved safe , standing in it , and putting it on in the day of tryal . my dear brethren of the everlasting kindred , and heirs of the everlasting promise ; wait all in patience , having received an earnest of the inheritance that never fades away ; to the end abide in the father's counsel , and at wisdom's gate : ye know what i say , i write not unto you because you know not the truth , but because you know , and are made free in your measures by him who is the truth and the way , in which all our fathers , and you also have obtained a good report , even of all the houshold of faith ; and take heed of the glory of the world , and look not at hardship ; for verily , all the suffering is not worthy to be compared to that glory which is revealed , and to be revealed unto all that wait and abide in patience and faithfulness unto the end ; but be ye as good souldiers , endure hardship , that you may receive the end of your hope , and the everlasting price , and the purchased possession , and the crown of glory , which god will give unto you in his own day , which is coming on towards you , if you continue in the hope , in the faith , and in the love unfeigned , which thinks no ill , by which , and in which love , we have victory over the grave , sin and death , which he hath freely shed abroad in our hearts , unto whom be everlasting praise forever and ever , to him which was dead , and is alive , and lives for evermore , the mediator of the new covenant of life and peace , in which we have access freely to the throne of grace , and are accepted in him , who is the condemnation of all the world , who hate the light , but your life , the light of the world ; god blessed forever and ever . and all you fathers , and elders , and honourable women , who are not a few , whose bones and sinews are filled with marrow and fatness , who wait at the altar of the lord , and know the mercy-seat , which hath overshadowed you , and the golden vessel , in which is the hidden manna , by which all the children of the lord are fed round the table of the lord , out of the everlasting treasure-house of my father . vvatch over the flock of christ jesus in every place and region and quarter , where the lord hath set you , and govern them in all wisdom and righteousness , that the gospel of our lord jesus christ may be adorned ; and take care of them willingly , knowing this the lord requires of you , and hath called you unto ; and to nourish the plants , and the young ones , and the babes ; and that every one may know their place , and watch , and instruct in all wisdom , and correct and reprove in the name and power of our lord jesus , that no rebellious nor sloathful may grow up , nor be harboured among you ; but all in diligence may be kept in the fear of the lord in their places , that the gospel of christ jesus be not evil spoken of , nor the heathen blaspheme . and therefore my dear brethren , be diligent in the work of the lord so much the more , as you see the day is approached ; and the harvest is great , and the vineyard of the lord is great and large , and but few labourers ; yea , the lord is enlarging his borders , and spreading forth his everlasting truth , and stretching forth his eternal arm over the nations , and opening the treasures of heaven , and bringing rain out of his treasury , to water the earth , that hath been parched and dry , and to make his plants to grow . and so all wait , that you may see the power and presence of the lord in all your assemblies ; and see that there be no strife , nor contention , nor exaltation amongst you , but all in meekness , and quietness , and long-suffering and forbearance , even as the lord hath spared and forborn you , one submitting unto another , even as you have heard and received , when the word of the lord came first unto you ; and he that will be the greatest shall be the least ; but all in meekness and lowliness of mind serve one another in love , even as you have received ; and the everlasting god of life and power be with you all , and make you grow in the living power and virtue of god , to order all things in his wisdom , as good stewards of the manifold mercies of the lord , which you are made partakers of , that he alone may be glorified throughout all the churches of christ jesus every where . and to you my dear brethren & fellow-labourers , to whom the word of reconciliation is committed , & are in the work and ministry of our lord jesus christ , and are made partakers of the everlasting gospel of peace , which unto you is given to declare ; lift up your voices , blow the trumpet , sound an alarm out of the holy mountain , proclaim the acceptable year , and the day of vengeance of our god ; gird on your sword upon your loins , put on the tryed armour , and follow him forever , who rides upon the white horse , and is clothed with the same , wh● makes war in righteousness : ride on , ride on my beloved brethren and fellow-souldiers , make all plain before you , thresh on with the new threshing instrument , which hath teeth ; beat the mountain● to dust , and let the breath of the lord scatter it ; make the heathen tremble , and the uncircumcised fall by the sword ; the lord of hosts is with us , and goes before us . spare none , neither ox nor ass , neither old nor young ; kill , cut off , destroy , bathe your sword in the blood of amaleck , and all the egyptians , and philistines , and all the uncircumcised , and hew agag to pieces ; break the rocks , cut down the cedars and strong oaks , make the devils subject ; cast out the unclean spirits ; raise the dead ; shut up in prison ; bring out of prison ; cast in your nets ; lanch into the deep ; divide the fish ; gather the good into vessels , cast the bad away ; bind the tares in bundles ; cast them into the fire ; the angel with his sharp sickle is come ; the angel of the everlasting covenant is come ; thrust in your sickles ; reap the earth ; the word of god is come , that divides , let all flesh keep silence ; divide the word rightly ; feed the lambs and babes ; fill the hungry ; stop the lyons mouthes ; feed the fat and the strong with plagues and judgments ; declare his name ; publish his eternal truth , which shall stand forever . eternal life is come , glory to him forever ; silence all disputers and diviners forever ; trample upon all the chaff , dung and mire forever , which all the wisdom of the world feeds upon ; greater is he that is in us , then he that is in the world. oh my beloved ones , although i am the lowest and weakest among many of my brethren , yet the eternal power of god is my shield forever ; the lord of hosts is with us ; there is a crown which none can take away , to all who have denyed all ; yea , it is on our heads ; the dread of god is with us : and truly , dear brethren , we cannot say , that we fished and catched nothing ; for many vessels are full ; nor we have not travailed and laboured , and brought forth wind , as the false prophets do ; for we have the seals of our ministry , which shall be witnesses for the lord in generations to come ; not unto us , o lord , but to thy name , be glory forever , who hath done , and doth all for us , and in us , who is our strength , our glory , our crown of rejoycing all the day long ; for his hidden treasure is brought forth , and made manifest in earthen vessels ; unto him be eternal living praises forever . and so all dear brethren , members of the same body of christ jesus , by which we are set free from sin , in the liberty , life and power , in which you are made free ; stand as witnesses for the lamb , and for the holy nation , for the royal seed of the true israel of god , that it may be brought out of captivity , to serve the lord in the land of the living ; and the eternal god of power and life , of endless rich love and mercy , be with you all , and prosper his own work in your hands , that he alone may be glorified , unto whom be eternal infinite praises , who is our life , our king , god blessed forever and ever . and to you all my dear brethren and sisters , who suffer in bonds , and prisons , and dens , and holes , and suffer the enemy to plow-long furrows upon your backs in patience , and suffer stocking , whipping , buffeting , beating , and cruel mocking , and stripes , and chains , and fetters , whom the world is not worthy of , even as they did unto our master , of whom we bear witness , and have the witness in our selves , even so do they unto us ; but the servant is not greater then his lord ; and therefore we that are baptized for the dead , and stand in jeopardy of our lives often , we have a cloud of witnesses , which endured the same ; and therefore the same baptism , and the same cup must be drunk by all that follow him . well , my dear brethren , your sufferings i know , and i know , he of whom you bear witness , bears up your heads , who hath called you thereunto , above all that which is done unto you , as you stand in his will and counsel : well , as dear brethren and companions in the same tribulation , kingdom and patience of the saints , as witnesses of the same faith as they were which are gone before you , you are made partakers of the same ; it is made manifest and revealed in you by the same god , in which faith they had power , and you have power , and endure as they did , and as he did , even the contradiction of sinners . well , our god is on our side , and takes our part ; and therefore my own bowels in patience endure , god will bring forth your righteousness as the sun , and your enemies shall be ashamed ; and i know , and you also know , it is for the advantage and the furtherance of the gospel of christ ; and endure in patience and long-suffering , and look not out , and the lord in due time will enlarge your border ; and the eternal god of power be with you chosen ones , for the lord's work you shall have your reward ; nay , he is come , and his reward is with him ; i know you have it , and witness his power and his presence with you : so my dear ones , in that which limits all , and chains all , and keeps under all deceit , dwell and abide forever in the living power , which makes the strong man bow down , and the devils tremble , and the unclean spirits roar ; and the power you know , where is your life , that all the powers of the earth cannot reach ; and therefore do the potsherds of the earth strive in vain , to set bryars and thorns in battel against him , in vain do they rage ; for notwithstanding all that , god hath set , and will set his own son upon the holy hill of sion , glory unto him forever ! shout out for joy , oh ye sufferers for him , who are set free by him , and your freedom can none take away ; for he is greater then all , even him in whom ye have believed , standing in his power , wisdom and counsel , who is near you , that none is able to pluck you out of his hand ; for he hath the keyes of david , who opens , and none shuts , and binds , and none can loose , even he who rebukes the wind and seas , and they obey him , and causes a great calm , and causes the water to abate , nay , to stand of a heap , and dryes up the tongue of the egyptian sea , that his ransomed ones may go over into the rest ; and he that hath and doth believe in him is entered into the rest , where we all meet in one in him , who is the judge of all the world , the light of the world , and our life , who believe in his name , but the condemnation of all the world , who walk in unrighteousness , forever and ever . for with the pure and upright he dwells , and his throne is established in righteousness forever and ever : and unto our god , who lives forever , shall all the powers of the earth bow ; to whom be glory and eternal praise , of all his redemed ones , forever and ever . f. h. o all ye sons of sion , and ye daughters of the king , who is glorious within , who have waited for the bridegroom ; oh my beloved o●es , you who have long sitten in a solitary place , and have been as a silly dove without a mate , and have been as a widow desolate , and as a parched heath ; you that have wandred up and down in the long night of darkness , and knew no rest , but were as one cast off by all , and all that passed by you laughed at your sorrow ; you have been as a hissing and as a proverb to all , and as a mark to shoot at by all ; your faces have been as the tents of kedar parched , and your skin withered for want of refreshment , and as a dead tree that bears no fruit : oh ye who have come through great tribulation , and have suffered the loss of all , the spoiling of all , even the greatest riches , the chiefest jewels , who have lost all your knowledge and wisdom , and become fools for christ's sake , and have parted with all , and have suffered the indignation of the lord to pass over all , and have drunk of the cup of fury at the hand of the lord , who have suffered hunger , famine , pestilence and earthquakes , and the darkening of the sun , and the moon lost her light , and the stars have fallen , and the pillars of heaven have been shaken , the earth hath been removed out of its place as a cottage ; and you have cryed out in the midst of all this , he hath forgotten to be gracious , and his mercy is come to an end ; the womb hath been shut up , desolation and sorrow , loss of children and widowhood in a day came upon you . oh ye tossed , afflicted and not comforted , that have been as eunuchs , dry and barren as in the drought of summer , that have been as pelicanes , and as a dove who hath sorrowed for the loss of her mate , and as one in sorrow for the loss of her first-born , who have been in bitterness , and none could comfort you ; i am one with you , your state i know , i love you eternally ; yea , you are my brethren and sisters forever , sealed in my heart , and engraven to be read forever ; i see you , i behold you , i kiss you , and embrace you with an holy kiss of everlasting love , which overcomes death and hell , which love thinks no ill ; ye that are made partakers of this love , know what i say ; ye that have waited for him , and wait , and suffer the spoiling of all ; i am marryed unto you ; i came forth of the same womb , which is eternity , free forever , free-born , not in bondage , because the prince of this world is judged and cast out , and the glory of the lord revealed . come forth ye sons and daughters of jerusalem , which is free from above , utter forth your voice , sing aloud , the bridegroom is come , and is coming , and ye that have suffered the spoiling of all , rejoyce for evermore , lift up your voices as trumpets ; he is come ; he is covered with righteousness , as with a robe ; his countenance is as the morning ; his eyes are brighter then the sun ; his voice is life eternal ; salvation is round about him ; he dwells in eternal life ; life is in his right hand , and joy is in his presence , and peace for evermore ; he is a tryed stone ; he is a rock which the righteous fly to ; he hides his under his wings , and covers them with his feathers : beauty beauty , glory glory , eternity eternity , almightiness almightiness , power , riches , honour , dignity and dominion , strength , wisdom and goodness , fulness , satisfaction , eternal treasure , durable riches , infiniteness is his name forever ; unexpressibly i am filled with his love and power ; he opens the windows of heaven ; he rains his showrs as silver drops , and as fine myrrhe , as sweet odours ; he nourishes the young ; he carries the lambs in his arms of love ; he drives gently them that are with young ; he is true and faithful forever ; he keeps covenant ; he is long-suffering and kind ; who can declare his power ? i am lost in the incomprehensible being of eternal love. oh my dear ones , come up hither , fellow-citizens of jerusalem , which is from above , who is our mother , which few know , but you who are written in the lamb's book of life ; sound forth his praise , trumpet forth his power , declare his name among the people , that it may sound into the eears of generations to come ; this is he we have waited for ; this is he who hath begotten us to himself , to reign with him , the lamb , upon mount sion , as kings , and priests , and judges of the prince of darkness , death and hell forever ; salvation , honour and glory be to him forever , eternal infinite praises , praises to him forever , who was dead , and is alive , and lives for evermore , king of kings forever ; majesty , glory , and power , and eternal renown are in his right hand forever ; his redeemed ones live forever , dwell , follow , live in him forever ; no beast can touch the mountain where he dwells , but he dyes forever . come away my beloved ones , drink abundantly and be refreshed , and praise his name forever ; eternally i am shed and spilt among you ; never so as now never to be separated out of the eternal oneness : sound forth his praise ; declare his word ; let it go forth as thunder ; let the heathen bow , let the princes of this world fall , and the kings worship at his feet forever ; let the disputer's tongue cleave to the roof of his mouth forever ; let all flesh keep silence forever . babylon is fallen , and become the habitation of devils forever ; the judge of all the world hath confounded and cursed her language forever : god is risen , and sits upon his throne , eternal wisdom is come , and the ancient of dayes , all carnal shall be confounded : stop all mouths in the dust forever . eternity shall speak and judge forever : whom he binds is bound forever , whom he looseth , is loosed forever , whom he remits are remitted ; the devil is chained , the grave gives up her dead , and the sea and hell ; all is judged by him that lives forever . o beloved ones , who are the children of my eternal father , who have eaten at his table , and drunken of the new wine in the kingdom of god , who are nourished and dandled upon the lap of everlasting love , who suck at the breasts of everlasting consolation ; your beauty is comely , i am ravished , i am filled , i am filled with love to you all , i am sick of love ; your beauty hath ravished my heart : come , sit down , my dear lambs , together in the fold where no wolf can come ; and let us rejoyce together , and sound forth his praise , who hath washed us , and cleansed us , and covered us , and made us worthy to enter into the fold the bride-chamber , to eat with him of the bread of life forever , at the eternal table of life ; the bridegroom is come , friends , of him i know you rejoyce greatly because of his voice . and now my dear beloved ones , follow him for evermore in the eternal light and life , where we were bred , brought forth and nourished , and are unknown to all the world ; but me you know , and i know you in one , who is the condemnation of the world , and in him i meet you , and leave you in his arms ; i lye down with you in the bosom of eternal love , life , peace , joy and rest forever , where none can make us afraid . my name ye know , my voice ye know , this is to all my beloved brethren , who are redeemed from the earth . francis howgil . bandon in ireland , the th moneth , . the inheritance of jacob discovered , after his return out of aegypt : and the leading of the lord to the land of promise declared , and some information of the vvay thither . or a word of exhortation to all professors in england , scotland and ireland , and to all the world where this shall come , wherein the common salvation is declared , in which the saints believed , and deceit discovered and made manifest . also a few words of exhortation to the rulers of england and ireland . awake oh sion , who hath long sitten in the dust , in sorrow and bitterness , and hath been covered with ashes , and none hath had compassion upon thee ; but all the kings , and mighty men of the earth , who have worshipped the beast , and received his mark , and committed fornication with the whore , who sits upon many waters , which is full of abomination , and the cup in her hand have all the men of the earth drunken of , and are made drunk , and stagger , and now glory in their abominations , and ( oh sion ) despise thy virginity , and thy situation , and have pulled down thy towers , and made thee as a desolate widow , and have gone over thee , and trampled upon thy glory , and have made merry over thee , and have slain thy sons and daughters in the streets , even in babylon , where the whore sits as a queen , and in sodom and egypt , with whom they are joyned , where the witnesses lie slain : but the time of thy deliverance is come , and the years of thy captivity are up : arise , oh virgin , who art not defiled , who couldst not joyn with the daughter of babylon in her whoredoms ▪ therefore they have mocked thee , and wagged their heads at thee , and have said in their hearts , who shall deliver thee ? arise , shine forth , put on thy beautifull garments ; behold , thy king cometh in his glory , who will adorn thee and crown thee with a royall diadem , in the sight of ●hine enemies , who have reproached thee ; and thy reproach shall be taken away ; for thy seed shall be as the stars in multitude ; yea , they that have spoiled thee , shall be spoiled , and they that have destroyed thee , shall be destroyed ; for the king is coming out of his tent ; yea , he hath lifted up his standard against all that have spoiled thee ; yea , the destroyer is come up against babylon , and egypt shall tremble , and the philistines hearts shall fail for fear , and all the cananites shall be cast out ; and this shall be performed by the lord of hosts , the god of jacob , who is now arisen in his jealousie , and it burns as fire against all the inhabitants of the earth , and the sea , who have joyned their strength together against the inheritance of the lord : rejoyce for evermore all that love his appearance , and who have waited for him , he is come , and coming , to take vengeance upon his and your adversaries ; for he hath a sacrifice in babylon to perform , even to cut off all her children , who have despised thee , oh sion : arm your selves , oh ye high cedars , and mighty men , put on your strength , and gather together all your forces , which you have trusted in , call upon your gods , and all your southsayers , and diviners together ; for now he is come , and the daughter of sion now laughs you to scorn , and jerusalem , the free citizens , do wagg their heads at you ; for he will now plead the cause of the poor against you who have been too strong for them , and now all that hear this shall tremble ; for he will make jerusalem a praise in the earth , and from it do the law and the prophets come forth . awake , oh arm of the lord , and put on strength as in the dayes of old , to redeem thine own inheritance , which hath long been by the heathen laid waste , and hath been trampled upon by the uncircumcised ; art not thou he , which was , and is , and is to come , who wilt not give thy glory to another ? arise and shine forth in thy brightness thou star of jacob , and sun of righteousness , and let the earth be filled with thy light and glory , that generations to come may call thee blessed : dry up the tongue of the egyptian sea ; confound the wisdom of this world , which never knew thee , neither would own , nor receive thee ; make the diviners and sorcerers mad , who have scattered thy sheep from the everlasting fold , and have healed the hurts of thy people deceitfully , and have caused them to err , in telling them , thy power , nor thy arm was not to be looked for now , as in the dayes of old , nor thy immediate voice , nor word was to be looked , or waited for now in the earth , and so have deceived the people with their lying divinations , which they have spoken from the imaginations of their own hearts , and have laid a stumbling-block in the way , as the son of nebat did , who made israel to sin . but oh lord , thou seest how thy own seed lyeth scattered , and ravenous beasts make a prey upon it , and the devourers swallow it up ; therefore hast thou appeared in thy love and power , for thine own name 's sake , and wilt not suffer thy seed to be trodden upon any longer , by the prince of darkness , nor his children , whom he hath begotten in his own image . arise , shine forth , thou everlasting covenant of light and peace , by which , and in which , all our fathers believed , and so obtained a good report , and were redeemed out of captivity , to serve the lord forever with one heart and mind , and worshipped in one spirit , in which faith they laid hold upon the perfect righteousness of christ , made manifest in them , and were justified , but hath been hid for many generations , in the time of anti-christ's reign , and all the world hath wondered after the beast , and hath received his mark ; but now is the night far spent , and the day is at hand , wherein all that hath been hid shall be made manifest , and the number of the beast is read and known by all that are redeemed from under his power , and now the beast and the false prophet , is seen , and the man of sin , is made manifest in this the day of his everlasting power ; and the brightness of the sun of righteousness , who is the light of the world , hath made him manifest , who is come and coming ; glory unto him for evermore , who alone is worthy to take the kingdom . wherefore all honest-hearted , in and under all forms of professions , who have travailed , and are weary , and all you that have kindled a fire , and have warmed your selves at the sparks thereof ; and yet still you lye in sorrow . oh all ye that have panted and thirsted after righteousness , who have wearied your selves in seeking among the dead graves and tombs for a saviour , but have found no rest , and who have followed , lo here and there , in this grave and the other sepulchre , builded on this and that sand , and still swept away ; your state i know , you have no peace in the eternal rest ; i say unto you , while you look without you , your eyes may consume in your holes , and your expectation fail , and you will be still complaining : for your sakes who are weary , and have found none to direct your way , a few lines i am moved in compassion to write unto you ; and if you will not receive it , you will not believe if one should rise from the dead ; for i have obtained mercy from christ , through his free grace , who is risen from the dead , and saw no corruption ; by which grace i am saved from sin , and cleansed from unrighteousness , after long and sore labour and travail , under pharaoh the oppressour , from under whose dominion i am brought , to worship the living god in spirit and truth , in his temple , where he dwells in righteousness forever . and for the simples sake ( who have erred for lack of true knowledge , as i did in times past ) i shall declare unto you a little in short of my travails in egypt's land , where darkness is so thick , that ●f ye wait but diligently to see your selves , you will fell it also . from twelve years old i set my heart to know that god which the world professed , and which i did read of in the scripture , which abraham , noah , moses , and the prophets , and the rest of the fathers worshipped ; and i did fall into the strictest worship that was in that part wherein i lived ; and often i desired to be alone , and attended much to reading and meditation ; and then as i was sober , and serious alone , i began to see , that all the sports and pastimes , and such as youth delight in naturally , were vanity , and they lasted but for a moment ; and while i was in folly and wantonness , doing of them , the nature which was run into transgression had pleasure in them , but as soon as i was come from among them , i was judged in my self for what i had done , and often made me weep ; then i resolved in my will , that i would never do so again , and for some time did restrain from the common practice of those things that i had walked in ; but as soon as i came amongst those again , i acted those things again , which before i did see to be vanity , but long before that i was checked for many things ; and so i walked , often condemned in my self , when i was serious , and had no peace ; and then not knowing what to do , in much sorrow , when i was alone , i had a desire to be alone , where i might not hear nor see any folly acted , and did not go to the former exercises , although something in me hankered after it ; but when i yielded not unto it i was glad , and had peace ; and then i began to oppose my fellows , with whom i had walked in wantonness ; and then they began to revile me , and hate me , and scorn me ; yet notwithstanding i mattered not ; then i read much , and prayed in words often , three or four times a day ; but i knew not where god was , but in my imagination imagined a god at a distance , and so went on ; and then i began to grow in knowledge without ( which is sensual ) and then i was puffed up , for the world admired me ; but still i was condemned for vain words and actions , and the root of iniquity grew in me ; and then i followed a more strict course , and often went five or six miles to hear some more excellent means ( as they called it ) and so did get more words , but still i was the same , nay , worse , for knowledge puffed me up ; then along to about fifteen years of age , i posted up and down after the most excellent sermons ( so called ) and so became acquainted with all the eminent christians ( so called ) in the region where i lived ; and i was despised of my parents , and of the world made a wonder , and great reproach came upon me ; but still i saw they knew nought , and it was no matter ; and so much sorrow fell upon me four or five years ; and when i was turned within , i was judged for all my iniquity formerly , and still my heart was shewed to me , that it was corrupt ; but as i kept within to the light in my conscience , i was restrained from many actions , which i had a will to do , and in the instant , when i have been doing any unrighteousness in actions or words , in many things i was often stopped ; and when i saw that i did it not , a great joy arose in me ; and when i had done any thing forwardly and rashly , i was judged ; but this the teachers said , was a natural conscience that kept from sin , and did restrain it , and said , he that had but restraining grace ( as they called it ) he was but a tame devil . and so i hearkned to their imagination , and so slighted the light , as too low a thing , that was but common grace that did preserve out of gross evils , but the saints had a peculiar faith and grace ; and so i hearkened to them , and still i was convinced of sin ; and then they told how the saints did believe in christ , and so sin was not imputed , but his righteousness was accounted to them , and so i must seek him in the means , as prayer and receiving the sacrament , as they called it , and judged me a worthy communicant ; and in great fear i was that i should eat unworthily ; and none could direct me what the body of christ was ; insomuch that one time i read all the scripture that spoke of christ's suffering : and they said , i must believe he suffered for me ; and i believed all that they called faith , but yet i could not see how he dyed for me , and had taken away my sin ; for the witness in my conscience told me , i was a servant of sin , whilest i committed it ; and they told me , i must not omit that ordinance , for thereby strength was confirmed , and faith added ; insomuch , on the one hand they pressing it as a duty , and on the other hand i saw that the scripture said , he that eats unworthily eats damnation to himself : i was in fear , notwithstanding none could accuse me without ; yet then afterward a great fear fell upon me , and i thought i had sinned against the holy ghost , and great trouble fell upon me . then they said , i had not come prepared ; and yet i had all the preparation that they had spoken of ; but still they were all physitians of no value . then i fasted , and prayed , and walked mournfully in sorrow , and thought none was like me , tempted on every hand ; so i ran to this man and the other , and they applyed promises to me , but it was only words ; for the witness of christ shewed me , that the root of iniquity stood , and the body of sin whole ; notwithstanding i was kept by a secret power from gross evils ; but still sorrow compassed me about , and i questioned all that ever i had , which they said was grace , repentance and faith. and then i told them there was guilt in me ; and they said , sin was taken away by christ , but the guilt should still remain while i lived , and so brought me the saints conditions , who were in the warfare , to confirm it ; and so i said in my self , this was a miserable salvation , that the guilt of sin and condemnation still in me should stand ; and so i was tossed from mountain to hill ; and heard them preach confusion , and so i mattered not for them , and said , sure this is not the ministry of christ ; and so i ceased long by fits , and did not mind them , but kept still at home , and in desart places , solitary in weeping ; and every thing that i had done was laid before me , insomuch that every thought was judged , and i was tender , and my heart broken , and when i could sorrow most i had most peace , for something spoke within me from the lord , but i knew him not then ; and they said , that it was heresie to look for the word of the lord to be spoken now in these dayes , but only the letter ; and so i regarded it not much , yet often i was made to do many righteous things by the immediate power and word of god , and then peace and joy sprung up in me , and promises were spoken , that he would teach me himself , and be my god ; and often i did obey contrary to my will , and denyed my will ; but they told me , this was legal to obey out of fear , and that was slavery ; but there was an evangelical obedience ( as they called it ) so i got above the fear , and yet acted the former things , which they called ordinances , and they said , that was son-like obedience , and christ had done all . then there appeared more beauty in them called independents , and i loved them , and so joyned my self to them , and all the money that i could get i purchased books with , and walked with and owned them as more separate from the world , and they prest separation ; but at last i saw it was but in words , that they would do things , and chuse officers and members of themselves , and so made themselves an image , and fell down to it , yet there was some tenderness in them at the first , but the doctrine was the same with the world's words without , of others conditions . then they whom they called anabaptists appeared to have more glory , & walked more acording to the scripture , observing things written without ; and i went among them , and there was something i loved among them ; but after they denyed all but such that came into their way , as out of the fellowship of the saints and doctrine of christ , i saw the ground was the same , and their doctrine out of the life , with the rest of the teachers of the world , and had separated themselves , and made another likeness ; but still all said , the letter was the word and rule , and christ , at a distance without , had done all ; and some of them holding free-will , others opposing , and all in the will. but still i lov'd them that walked honestly amongst all these ; but though i had seen and owned all that i had heard ( except the figure , which i saw was outward , and that was their greatest glory ; and i saw they would have all fall down to it , else no communion ; in the midst of all these and much more , which is death to speak on , but only that all honest-hearted may see themselves where they have rested , and also may not trust any more to a reed of egypt ) after all this no peace nor no guide i found ; and then the doctrine of free grace ( as they called it ) some preached , that all sin was done away , past , present and to come , and so preached salvation to the first nature , and to the serpent that bore rule , only believing this , and all is finished ; to this i hearkened a little , and so lost my condition within ; but still whither ever i went , this was spoken in me , his servant thou art to whom thou obeyes ; and so i being overcome by sin , i had no justification witnessed in me , but condemnation . then some preached christ within , but they themselves were without , had but words , and yet they said , all must be within ( unto which my heart did cleave ) and spoke of redemption and justification , and all within , and of god appearing in man , and overcoming the power of the devil ; and then that in my conscience bore witness it must be so , and i was exceedingly pressed to wait to find it so , and something breathed after the living god ; and a true love i had to all that walked honestly in what profession soever , and i hated reviling one another , and that they should smite one another , and persecute one another , and with the sufferer i alwayes took part ; but still i saw , though they spoke of all things within , and of a power to come , that they enjoyed not what they spoke , for the same fruits were brought forth ; till at last , i saw none walked as the ministers of christ , nor none that pretended to the ministry had any such gift , neither pastor , nor teacher , nor any such members as were in the apostles time . so at last , having passed up and down , hurried here and there , i saw all the teachers of the world , that they sought themselves , and fed poor people with dead names and deceit , and that they were not the ministry of christ ; and so i saw them all in deceit , who did not abide in christ's doctrine ; and i got my self quit of most of them ; for ever as i dissented from their judgment , they hated me and persecuted me . so at last there was something revealed in me , that the lord would teach his people himself ; and so i waited , and many things opened in me of a time at hand ; and sometime i would have heard a priest , but when i heard him , i was moved by the lord , and his word in me spoke to oppose , and often as a fire i burned , and a trembling fell upon me , yet i feared reproach , and so denyed the lord's motion ; and it was revealed in me to wait , and i should know his counsel ; and the word of the lord was in me , the time was at hand , when the dead should hear the voice of the son of god ; and it burned in me as fire , that the day was near , when it should not be , lo here , nor there , but all his people should be taught of the lord ; but still my mind ran out , and out of the fear into carelesness , for the cross of christ i knew not ; and yet i say , i was wiser then my teachers i met with in that generation ; i do not glory in it , for condemnation is past on it all forever ; yet still i had ever , as my mind was turned to the light , pure openings and prophesies to come , and a belief that i should see the day , and should bear witness to his name ; and so when things opened so fast , the wisdom of the flesh catched them ; and so i went up and down , preaching against all the ministry , and also run out with that which was revealed to my self , and preached up and down the country of the fulness that was in the old bottle , and so was wondred after , and admired by many , who had waded up and down as my self had , and we fed one another with words , and healed up one another in deceit , and all laid down in sorrow when the day of the lord was made manifest ; for i was overthrown , and the foundation swept away , and all my righteousness and unrighteousness was all judged and weighed , and all was found too light . and immediately , as soon as i heard one declare ( whose name is not known to the world , but written in the lamb's book of life forever , in eternal record forever ) as soon as i heard him declare , that the light of christ in man was the way to christ , i believed the eternal word of truth , and that of god in my conscience sealed to it ; and so not only i , but many hundreds more , who thirsted after the lord , but was betrayed by the vvisdom of the serpent , we were all seen to be off the foundation , and all mouthes were stopped in the dust , and so we stood all as condemned in our selves , and all saw our nakedness , and were all ashamed , though our glory was great in the vvorld's eye , but all was vanity . and then after all this , i was ignorant what the first principle of true religion was ; but as i turned my mind within to the light of jesus christ , wherewith i was enlightened , which formerly had reproved me for all vanity , and also as i did own it , it led me into righteousness , and when i turned to it , i saw it was the true and faithful vvitness of christ jesus , and then my eyes were opened , and all things were brought to remebrance that ever i had done , and the ark of the testament was opened , and there was thunder and lightning and great hail , and then the trumpet of the lord was sounded , and then nothing but war and rumour of war , and the dreadful power of the lord fell upon me , plague , and pestilence , and famine , and earthquake , and fear , and terrour , for the sights that i saw with my eyes , and that which i heard with my ears , sorrow and pain ; and in the morning i wished it had been evening , and in the evening i wished it had been morning , and i had no rest , but trouble on every side ; and all that ever i had done was judged and condemned ; and all things were accursed , whether i did eat , or drink , or refrain , i was accursed ; and then the lyon suffered hunger , and the seals were opened , and seven thunders uttered their voices ; mine eyes were dim with crying , my flesh did fail of fatness , my bones were dryed , and my sinnews shrunk ; i became a proverb to all , yea , to them who had been mine acquaintance , they stood afar off me ; the pillars of heaven were shaken , and the earth reeled as a cottage , one wo poured out after another ; and i sought death in that day , and could not find it , it fled from me ; and i sought to cover my self any way , or with any thing , but nothing could ; for the indignation of the lord was upon the beast and the false prophet , and babylon came into remembrance in that day , the mother of harlots , and the sea dryed up , and all the merchants that traded with her stood afar off , for the cup of fury was poured forth , and cain was seen , and judas that had betrayed the lord of life ; and i would have run any way to have hid my self , but nothing but weeping , and gnashing of teeth , and sorrow , and terrour ; and i roared out for the disquietness of my heart and the kingdom was full of darkness , i knew not the right hand from the left , i became a perfect fool , and knew nothing , and as a man distracted ; all was overturned , and i suffered loss of all , in all that ever i did , i saw it was in the accursed nature ; and then something in me cryed : just and true is his judgment ! my mouth was stopped , i durst not make mention of his name , i knew not god : and as i bore the indignation of the lord , something rejoyced , the serpent's head began to be bruised , and the vvitnesses which were slain were raised , and stopped heaven , that it rained not in the dayes of their prophecy ; and a great famine there was , and the sun was darkened , and the moon turned into blood , and the stars did fall , and all the grass of the earth withered , and every green tree , and all the springs were dryed up , and a great and noysome smell , and a plague fell upon the earth , and the vvaters became as the blood of a dead man , and the heavens passed away with her noise , and the elements melted , and the earth was scorched with the flame which proceeded from the throne of god , and the judgment-seat of christ was seen , and an account was to be given , and then esau was cursed , and cain , and judas , and ishmael , and all the cananites and the egyptians went to the left hand ; and as the judgment was pronounced , something cryed , just art thou , oh lord , in all thy judgments ! and as i did give up all to the judgment , the captive came forth out of prison , and rejoyced , and my heart was filled with joy , and i came to see him whom i had pierced , and my heart was broken , and the blood of the prophets i saw slain , and a great lamentation ; and then i saw the cross of christ , and stood in it , and the enmity slain upon it ; and the new man was made , and so peace came to be made , and so eternal life was brought in through death and judgment ; and then the perfect gift i received , which was given from god , and the holy law of god was revealed unto me , and was written in my heart , and his fear and his word ( which did kill ) now makes alive ; and so it pleased the father to reveal his son in me through death ; and so i came to witness cleansing by his blood , which is eternal , glory unto him forever , and am a minister of that word of eternal life which endures forever , glory unto his name forever , and have rest and peace in doing the will of god , and am entred into the true rest , and lye down in the fold with the lambs of god , where the sons rejoyce together , and the saints keep holy dayes , glory unto him forever . and these few things have i written for your sakes , who walk in darkness , that you may see where you are ; and also ye high cedars , who trust in the arm of flesh , that you may cease your boasting , and come down from off the pinacle where you are exalted ; for the same must come upon you , if ever the lord you know in truth and righteousness , even through the death of things , in the curse of all knowledge and wisdom which is from below , yea , through the death of death that rules in you , which must be slain upon the cross of christ jesus , if ever you come to true peace , and witness eternal salvation . and therefore cease you diviners and imaginers , who have feigned a faith , and a christ , and a salvation in your imaginations , and yet that you may live in the lust and filth of the world , and the customs and fashions which perish : i say your expectations shall fail , and you will lye down in sorrow ; for where salvation is witnessed , the life of christ is witnessed ; but you would have salvation , and the life of the devil brought forth and lived in . but unto all such i say , this will be your sentence , depart into the lake ; therefore take warning ; for it is not your good words , without the life of godliness , nor your swelling speeches , that are accepted with god ; for he accepts nothing but what is of himself , and by him wrought in the creature by his own will and power ; and this destroyes the carnal will , power and righteousness ; and this work , which he worketh of himself , and by his power , and in his covenant , is perfect , and is accepted of god ; and so it s no more the creature , but christ , who is all in his saints ; and so he brings all that follow him out of his works of condemnation ( which are acted in the disobedient nature , and are accursed , whether praying or plowing , or whatsoever , while cain lives , which is in the banishment , out of the acceptance of god ) and all who follow him , who is the light , and leads all that believe and follow him into the living works of righteousness wrought by christ through faith , and is accepted and well pleasing unto god ; and here all boasting is excluded , for all is of him , and from him , that works both the will and the deed ; and here the lord is admired in all his works and his vvorks praise him . wherefore all honest hearted , who travell and are weary , and have found no rest for your souls , i say unto you , arise , and come away , lye not groveling in the earth , like moles , nor seek not to know god in your fallen wisdom ; for the well is deep , and if you know nothing but the old wisdom , which is corrupt and natural , you cannot come to one drop of the living water ; therefore dwell no longer among the graves , and tombs , where the unclean spirits dwell , which trouble and vex all that pass in their way , neither dwell among the pits , where there is no water ; he is risen , he is not there , look upward , mind that which draws you from the earth , the covenant of life is made manifest , glory unto him in the highest ; his proclamation is , ho , every one that thirsteth , come freely and receive of him freely , without money or price , or any thing of yours , or self ; nay , self must be denied , and that you must deny if you will receive of him , that he may be all , and you nothing ; for he gives freely , and his gift is perfect and pure , without spot , stain , or mixture ; and all that receive his gift , come by it to be presented perfect to the father . and this is making manifest to you also , who wait upon him , who is given for a covenant of light , and peace , and life , and all that receive this gift , shall come to hear glad-tidings , peace on earth , and good-will to you , as you turn to the light ; and this shall be preached in you , by him who is the anointed of god , and the messenger of the covenant , and is sent to preach to the spirits in prison , and to open the blind eyes , and to set open the prison door , that the prisoner may come forth , out of the mire and clay , to follow and wait upon him , who is the rock of this age , and all ages , in which all the fathers believed , and were justified , and did eat and drink of this rock , and this rock was and is christ jesus , the light of the world , and hath enlightned every one that comes into the world with his true light. therefore i say unto you who look after righteousness , come hither , who are weary , and i will shew you , where you may have true everlasting rest , which he hath shed abroad in my heart by his free grace and everlasting love made manifest , after a long and a dark night , in which i passed without a guide , and so fell into the pit , and stumbled , and then sorrow and trouble compassed me about on every side , as an armed man ; but now hath he shed abroad his grace in my heart , which saves me from sin , and leads out of the works of condemnation into his habitation , where no unclean thing can enter ; and this grace hath separated me from sin , and hath constrained me to deny my self , and follow him through the death of the cross , and through the denial of all , both country and nation , kindreds , and tongues , and people , and from wife and children , and houses and lands , to publish his name abroad contrary to my own will , and to make known unto you the riches of his grace , which all that wait in the light of christ jesus shall come to see , and so you may see him whom your souls love and long after , which hath long breathed after refreshment , but none could speak a word in season to your condition . return home again , ye that in your seeking have sought among the dead , and joyned your selves to strangers , and have got nothing but a husk , a shadow , and live in a dream ; you are further off , in running out , and seeking in your earthly wisdom and comprehension , then you were before , and have got nothing but a report of what christ said , and did , and how they worshipped him ; and so while your eyes have been without , you never found him , whom the saints , and all that knew him , worshipped in spirit , and witnessed him their salvation in them , and was their hope ; and the ground of their hope was manifest in them ; and he that manifested his love in them then , and was their redeemer , he changeth not , but is the same to his seed forever : and all who wait in the light of christ , the measure of god in you , this shall come to see . now therefore , every one that thirsts , come unto christ jesus , who is near you , and wait to know his word in you , which is in the heart , which faith comes by the preaching of it in you , as you diligently wait , and keep your minds unto it ; and this which shews you sin and evil , is in you , and makes manifest all that you have acted contrary unto it ; yea , even all that ever you have done , and will search your hearts , and is the eye that sees the deceit in all its transforming in you ; and it will let you see , it hath often checked and called , but you have not answered its call , and so have chosen your own way , and so have gone from the way , which is the light of christ in you , and so you run into the broad way ; and that which desired after god hath not been nourished , and fed , but hath been famished , and another hath been fed , which now is for the slaughter : but now as ye return home to within , to the true light of jesus , which is that one thing , which leads all men that own it , to be guided by it , you shall have true rest and peace . now friends , there is something in man which must receive christ , something of his own ( learn what it is ) which he comes to , and nothing can he joyn with , or be joyned unto , but that which is pure and undefiled ; for the pure in heart see god , and not the mortal mind , that despiseth his glory ; for to that mind that hunts abroad , he doth not reveal himself , that is esau , the blessing is nothing to him , nor that which the covenant of god is with , the election he hates , and to him it is of no price nor value , that 's the prophane person , and judas that betrayes him , selleth him for a thing of naught , nor the pearl is nothing to the swine : now read within every one , you that are painted with the attire of the harlot , trimmed and made beautiful in the eyes of the egyptians , this is a small thing to you and to that seed which the promise is to , and the covenant established with , is trodden upon , and is famished in the streets of sodom and egypt , where christ was and is slain , and his witnesses suffer in the streets , and none hath compassion ; is this thing nothing to you , all ye that pass by , to slight the love of the father , in sending his son a light to you ? and him you despise ; and as the ph●risees could not own him , they put the time far off , and so do you , and cannot own that of him in you , to be led by it , and so follow strangers , and still are complaining , and put redemption to another world ; and so satan hath deceived you in looking abroad , and therefore that at home is of no price unto you ; and so you run away from the drawing of the father , and from his dwelling ▪ where the least in his house hath bread enough ; but to the carnal mind , which is at enmity with god , who seeks him in the fallen wisdom , he is of no value , and that which was the saints rule is too low for you , and yet you say , the sons of god are led by his spirit . now i say , where doth the spirit speak ? doth in not bear witness , either with or against our spirits , and so all mens spirits ? and so that nature in you , which is one with the serpent , and nourisheth the harlot , is exalted , and lives , and hath the preeminence , and yet you will talk of being reconciled unto god : now consider , while you stand not in the counsel of god within , and wait to hear his word , you know not the word of reconciliation ; for he takes none into union with himself , but they that follow him , and do what he commands , and are his fruit and off-spring : and therefore , o foolish and unwise ! how long will you feed on a dream that you are saved , when your rebellion is open to your own sight ? to that of god in your consciences i speak . all therefore that see your darkness that you live in , return home , and that which is low mind , the meek spirit , and be not forward nor rash , but stand still in quietness and meekness , that the still voice you may hear , which till you come down within , you cannot hear ; for the loud voices of the egyptians and inchanters are so many , and pharaoh's voice and herod's is so loud ; and you whose minds are abroad , you thinks , as they thought , it 's the voice of god ; but i say , be still , he shall not cry , nor lift up his voice in the streets , who you must hearken unto in you , that your souls may live ; and so be low and still , if you will hear his voice , and wait to hear that speak that separates betwixt the precious and the vile , now that which you must wait in is near you , yea , in you , the eye that seeth , and the ear that heareth that is of the lord ; for that which is visible is natural and carnal , and the natural ear cannot hear the word of the spiritual god , for that which hearkens without , that ear must be deaf , and that eye blind : now that which reveals the pure spiritual god must be in you pure and spiritual ; for none knows the things of god , but by the spirit of god ; and doth not his spirit bear witness alwayes unto their spirits ? and doth it not so now to all that know him ? so in the light wait , which comes from god , who is light , and dwells in the immortal light , which the mortal eye cannot behold , and it will lead you to know christ , who is immortal , and not carnal , but spiritual and eternal ; and as you love the light , and keep your minds inward , then you will hear the motion of christ jesus in you ; and so loving it , the good you will come to see from god ; which will lead out of sin , and sanctifie you ; and the acceptable year you will see , and the day of vengeance ; and this is he whom the father hath given for a covenant , to bring man out of the alienation to himself again , and to reconcile man unto himself , even by the blood of the cross ; and he who is the light is the covenant , and he who is the covenant is the light , for they are one in him ; and this covenant of peace is tendered unto you who are afar off ; and herein is the eternal love of god made manifest to the jew and the greek , and the life of his son to be the light of the world , and of men ; and so in the covenant of life abide , and you will see he is near you , the peace-maker , the gift of god , which presents you perfect in himself to the father , and this gift is free , and offered freely to all that will receive it ; and yet you cannot receive the gift in your own wills , but through the denyal of your own wills , for the light is contrary to the will ; and so you will see the will of the earthly man and god's will contrary ; and as you receive the will of god , you deny your own wills , and so do the will of another , and another guides you and leads you , and this is god's alone work , not of your selves , but wrought by christ in his own way and truth ; and so the covenant of god comes to be established to the seed , and the foundation stands sure , and his promise is fulfilled in you , as you come to witness the seed which is one , in whom the promise is fulfilled . and friends , thus must you wait to have judgment set up within you , and this is he who is the judge and the light of the world ; and so wait to see the law set up within , which is added because of transgression , to cut down , and the unjust destroyed in you , and the rebellious nature yoaked , which hath had its liberty in the earthly , where the beasts of the field dwell , and so it will come to decay , and the law works wrath upon the deceit in you , which hath had the preheminence ; and so you will see the thunder , as the seal is opened , and the earthquakes and lightning , insomuch as you cannot behold and live ; but the transgressor and the transgression , which is contrary to the law , is cut down ; and when there is a time of great sorrow , and great trouble , and tryal , and temptation , wait in patience in the judgment , and let the lord's work have its perfect operation in you ; and so as you turn unto him that hath smitten and wounded you , he will bind up and heal ; and give up all to the great slaughter of the lord , unto the cross , all that which is discovered by the pure law of god ; and as the earth comes to be plowed up , the seed which is sown comes up , and the rocks broken , the water gusheth out , and so you will see some promises will arise in you to the seed which is comming up out of the grave , and so the love of god will appear in you , and you will be stayed , and see hope in the midst of calamity . then take heed that the serpent get not that which is to the babe , and so the carnal come to be exalted ; but as you wait , you will see the subtilty of the enemy ; and sin and death rules till moses , who was a faithful servant in his house , and brings to the law of god revealed in you , then sin comes to be crucified , and to loose its dominion over you , and in you , and so you will see one brought forth under the law , who fulfilled the law , and now fulfils it in all those who walk after him in the spirit , and fulfil not the desires of the flesh ; and wait , and you will see some prophecies opened in you , and the day-star in your hearts , which leads to where christ is , and openings of the inheritance which is to be received , and the promise is to the seed : and all wait in the light , and keep in your minds to it , and you will see john's ministry , the water which washeth , and he is the preparer of the way ; and turn to god , lest he smite the earth with a curse , and his ministry breaks down the mountains , and removes them , and makes a plain way ; and your minds being turned to the lord , and as you own the gift of christ given you , repentance you will see unto life , and then you will see something arising and shine in you , opening your hearts , and there will be a breathing after the lord and his righteousness ; and standing in obedience in the cross , the vail you will see rent , and you will see him that hath turned you from sin by his free gift made manifest in you , and he who is the gift saves you from sin ; and so the seals will be opened by the angel of the covenant and the lamb : so all in patience wait , and keep in the living principle of life , and things will open in you , even the dark sayings of old ; and that which spake parables to the serpent's seed , will open the parables to his own seed , then you will see him whom you have pierced , even the lamb who hath been slain since the foundation of the world , and your hearts will be broken , and water will gush out of the rock , and so love will encrease in you , who abide faithful in your measure , and the good and perfect gift of god will be made manifest in you , and the hope upon which the soul comes to be anchored , will come to be witnessed , which hope purifies the heart ; and as you stand in the perfect law of liberty revealed in you , revealed by the spirit , which cuts down the oppessor , and gives liberty to his seed , unto which the covenant is and the promises forever ; and this seed christ took and takes upon him to redeem , even the seed of abraham , unto whom the promise was made ; and so wait , that the pure law of righteousness , which is life to the righteous , and the seed , may be set up , and you will see all chained under , and this binds and fetters the unclean spirits , and shuts them up into utter darkness forever . and as you come to be redeemed from under the bondage of sin , and come above the bonds of death , and the pure principle lives in you , there will be a delight in you to do the will of the father , who hath redeemed you from sin and its law unto righteousness and its law : and all who hunger and thirst after righteousness , wait in that which thirst●th , that the gift you may receive , which perfects forever them that receive it , and believe in it , and cleanseth and purgeth you from unrighteousness ; and this being revealed in you , as you obey it , its leads to true peace , and will reveal in you the immortal seed , which came not by the will of man , but is contrary , and revealed out of man's will , which all must witness to be born of , that inherit the kingdom of god ; and this is he who is begotten of the incorruptible seed , which the promise is unto , and are in him fulfilled yea and amen , come out of time before all time , the son of god , who leads out of time ; and this is he whom the father revealed in paul ; and this is he of whom i am a witness , in whom i have redemption by the blood of the cross ; and he is my sanctification , justification and wisdom , who is the son of god , who came to do his father's vvill , and now doth , where he is witnessed , who by his eternal vvord of life hath begotten me , and made me a partaker of his eternal inheritance , which never fades away ; glory unto him for evermore , who is life , and translaeteth all that believe and follow him in the vvork of regeneration unto his kingdom . so silence all you diviners and sorcerers forever , who believe with a faith , and teach a faith , that none can be ever cleansed from sin while they are here ; you and your faith is denyed ; for it is not the same which was once delievered to the saints , which gave them victory over the world , and by which they overcame : paul a minister of christ by the will of god , said , the colossians were translated into the kingdom of god , where nothing that is imperfect can come or enter ; your preaching is vain , your hope and faith is vain , and all your hearing is vain , while the perfect gift of god is not witnessed , nor the everlasting offering which perfects forever them that are sanctified by him , even by his word of life and his will , which sanctifies and makes perfect the comers thereunto , and presents all that believe and receive him without spot . and therefore all you that love the lord , and wait for the coming of the kingdom of christ , feed no longer upon imaginations nor vain words ; cease from looking , lo here and there ; for the kingdom of god will the father reveal in you , as you wait in the measure of the light in you , by which he reveals himself in his sons and daughters , and will bring them to his everlasting fold and true rest , all who follow him through the denyal of all , and to the loosing of all for him , shall come to witness an incoruptible inheritance , which never fades away . and now a few words to you who would thrust your selves into the kingdom , and would be called christ's disciples , and church-members , who are gathered into confederacies , and make a likeness unto your selves , and are now professing the saints conditions in words ; how came you hither , to climb up so high in words , when as you are what you were before , if not worse ? think it not a hard saying , for it is so among many of you ; and in the light ( which is pure ) you are weighed ; and when one comes to try you , your language bewrays you , that you are not what you profess ; for when you are tryed by the saints practices , and life that was in them , and the injoyment they had with god , you are found so far from being any such , that you even oppose the faith they even believed in , as some of your pastors openly to my face in the hearing of two hundred people , said , all the saints dyed sinners ; and so was so far from owning the perfect righteousness of christ , that he even denyed it , and said , it was heresie ; and othres of you say , you believe , that all the grace the saints enjoy are imperfect , yea , even faith is imperfect ; and others saying , that all the righteousness that was wrought in them by faith was imperfect ; and others saying , while the light of christ jesus condemned them , yet christ justified them , and yet that which was wrought in them there was failings in it ; and so you have imagined a faith and righteousness of your own , and such a christ to talk on , and a redemption , as you may live in lusts , and be men-pleasers , and in the customs and fashions of the world , and covetousness , and plead for sin , and puts perfect righteousness to another vvorld ; and thus the devil hath deceived you ; and so you set up , and make covers , but all will not hide you in the day of his appearance ; for god joyns not to that which is imperfect , neither is that true faith which is imperfect , and which layes hold upon an imperfect righteousness , that is such a faith , as never was professed by any of the saints , whose vvords you profe●s ▪ for they had received faith , the gift of god , the least measure of which was perfect ; and as they stood in it , though it was but a grain of mustard-seed , they said to this mountain , be removed , and it was so ; and that which was in them reveal'd by the son , led them that did believe in it , to lay hold upon christ's righteousness , which was and is perfect , which had ( yea hath ) no spots nor wrinckles , nor stain ; and this righteousness was made manifest in them by the faith of the son , by which they were justified in the sight of god , and came with boldness before the throne of christ ; for in them there was no condemnation , neither guilt , but became one with the judge , and reconciled unto him and his throne , and to the lamb by him who is the mediator , and hath made peace betwixt them and the father , and so were justified in the sight of god ; and this witness they had in them , that they pleased god , and were accepted of god ; and this righteousness was wrought in them , and is now the same which is wrought in the saints , by him who is their light and life ; and this was the righteousness of faith , and that which was wrought by christ in the saints , as they believed in him , and in the measure of grace received from him , which sa●ed them from sin , which was not of themselves , he perfected his own vvork in them , through and by faith , and justified them , and sanctified them , and became their vvisdom , by which they were led into all truth , out of failings , and imperfections , and vveaknesses ; and he became their strength and rock , and they were builded upon him ; and as they stood upon him , the rock , they were preserved when the vvaves did beat , and when temptations came , and were sure and stedfast , and immoveable , and so overcame the armies of aliens , and quenched the violence of fire , and resisted the devil , and quenched his fiery darts , and had victory over the heathen , and reigned as kings over the beasts of the field , and over the deceit , and by the receiving and believing of the vvord of him , who was and is called jesus , by which faith came by the hearing of , they overcame the enemies of their souls , and him who hath the power of death , by the blood of him who is eternal , who is jesus , the mediator of the new and living vvay ; they overcame the dragon , even by the vvord of his testimony , which was revealed in them ; which word of faith paul , who was a minister , preached unto them , even to them who had the word in them , and turned them to it , and as they believed in it , they were sanctif●ed by it , and cleansed by it , & made perfect , and then they witnessed the bringing in of a better hope , which perfects , and makes perfect , as pertaining to the conscience , which while they stood without looking at elementary things , and divers vvashings , and those things which were figures of the true tabernacle made without hands , which stood until the time of reformation , and then done away , to wit , the hand-writings ; and them that witness the new covenant now , they see them done away , and the time of reformation is come , the same which they witnessed , glory for evermore . and therefore all you professors , who have builded high towers and castles in your imaginations , and have told of reformation these many years , but you have nothing but a hand-writing to establish your building upon , and all your reformation hath been but the washing of cups , and pulling down one thing , and set up another beggarly elementary image , and do not witness the better hope brought in , nor the time of reformation , nor cannot abide that any should declare it unto you , nor believe it , nor hear it , nor while your eyes are without , and not in the head , you cannot see when good comes , but are as heathens in the desart ; and although you are among the brambles and bryars , yet you would be counted kings and heads over others , and one making an image in this manner , and another in that , of all sorts , high and low ; but all stand in the earth , and all in one ground , and what do they avail you ? for they cannot save ; for your highest enjoyment is imperfect ( you say ) what then serve these for ? only for you to talk on , and this is all they serve for , and to contend and strive about one with another , and all in your wills , while the will of god in you is not hearkened unto , but cast behind your backs , and so the way of true peace you never come to attain unto . oh , when will you be weary of feeding upon the wind , and of husks among swine , and upon that which dyes of it self ? and when will you enquire after the living god , who is power ? how long have you talked of his power to come many years ? and you are still as far of , if not further , then you were before , and have told of the glory of the lord to be revealed , and of his law being written in the heart , and of god teaching his people himself , and of his spirit being poured out upon his sons and daughters , and you cannot see that you have obtained nothing ; and you have prayed , and what have you obtained ? nothing ; for you have asked amiss ; and one comes hungry , and is still complaining , and then you that are full feed them with the old dregs and lees , which you are setled upon , and the old leaven of airy notions and conceptions , and wine of the sour grape , which sets on edge the childrens teeth , and fills them too full , that when the living bread is broken , they cannot eat , nor relish it , nor taste , and so cannot enter your selves , nor suffer others to enter ; and when these things are witnessed in the life , which you have talked on so long , you cannot own them that do declare it ; and when the power of god is declared unto you , what it is , and where it is to be waited for , you cannot own it , this is too low for you ; and except the lord will come in your vvay , that you prescribe unto him , you will not look upon him , but as the jews did , whose eyes were without , and your fallen vvisdom cannot receive him , nor compass his eternal vvisdom . and yet you will say , the jews did require a sign , and were in the adultery , and the greeks sought after wisdom , and they stumbled ; and yet you cannot see your selves in the same state : did ever god reveal himself to the fallen vvisdom , which is learned from that principle which is erred and gone out from god ? or to the vvill of man , which is at enmity against god ? nay , nay , he never did nor will reveal his counsel , but to that which is of himself , which is the least of all seeds in the vvorld ; and it is he that is born of god , that heareth god's vvord , and what is born of the spirit is spirit , and is nourished by the spirit , and led by it ; and so the spiritual god reveals his law and his statutes to him , and his testimony which is sure : how long have you talked of the spirit , and worshipping in spirit ? and yet indeed deny its leading and teaching , and live in the oldness of the letter , and crying up and setting up things that are carnal , visible and elementary , and vvashing is not known from sin , nor cleansing ; and so you may see what operation your spirit you have talked on hath , when you are still what you were . now the spirit of god is operative , and works a change in the ground , and translateth all that follow and hearken unto it into its own nature , when all those things you so much strive about were but a shadow ; for the word was in the beginning , and gave life , and is spiritual ; and when it 's known and witnessed within in the heart , it separates from death and gives life to all that hear and believe in it : what christ & what gospel is this you preach , which saves you not from guilt and condemnation ? for the word of the true christ , where it is owned , cleanseth and takes away sin ; and blots it out , and destroyes the root from whence it flows forth , and works a new creation in righteousness ; and the lamb of god takes away sin , in which the churches of christ believed , and is glad-tidings to all that do receive it ; now none can witness gladness of soul where there is guilt , which ( you all affirm ) is in every christian , while in this world , and so you might see , that it 's not the true christ nor the everlasting gospel you preach , but this you cannot bear ; yet you say , he hath taken away your sin ; how much is sin taken away ? if you say , all , how comes the guilt and trouble that is in you ? for if it be taken away , and his justice satisfied , this was to make god unjust , to charge it upon you again ; but i tell you , when his witness in your conscience convinceth you , and manifests unto you , that you commit it , and reproves for it , i say , you cannot witness his justice satisfied ; for the light is just , which is one with god , and when this condemns you , there is no god that will justifie you ; but you use to say , it 's all done in christ ; i ask , where , if it be not taken away ? and unless you have the witness of it in you , your faith is vain ; for he that believes hath the witness in himself , which none hath , which walks contrary unto the light , the pure witness of christ ; for this convinceth you of sin , and bears witness against you : now shew your witness within you , and your assurance ; i say unto you , while the testimony of jesus bears testimony against you , it bears not witness unto you , and so see your confusion ; but after you have believed in christ ( as you say ) and have received all his ordinances , if any thing after did judge you , and bring trouble upon you , this you used to call a temptation , and so put light for darkness and darkness for light ; i say , there is no guilt where sin is taken away and crucified , but peace and rest in the holy god , who is unchangeable ; and so his witness is unchangeable , which judgeth and condemns the changeable ; but you use to say , his love is unc●angeable , and whom he loves once , he loves to the end ; yea , but it is to him who is begotten by the immortal word , which was in the beginning , & which word le●ds to the beginning again , before the hatred was ; the promise is to this seed , not seeds , as to many , but the seed of the covenant , there he loves from the womb , yea , the womb that bears the seed of jacob , and the paps that give them suck , and where this is known , as to enjoyment , esau is cast out and ishmael , and the seed of abraham inherits the promise , and edom and moab is laid waste , and amaleck is slain by the edge of the sword , and the seed of evil-doers cut off , blessed are they that can witness this in truth ; and till this be known , the everlasting love of god is not known , which is stronger then death , and sin is death , and where it is acted and conceived , love is not witnessed , nor its strength , but vvrath comes upon the children of disobedience , & are you not children of disobedience , while you break the holy law of god , in which is power , which is in the heart , and bears witness against you and in you , and yet say , you cannot believe that ever you shall be able to fulfil it ; if you fulfil it not , you break it , and then the wrath of god abides upon you ; but then you say , if we must fulfil the law , what use is christ of ? i say , he who abides forever fulfilled it , and fulfils it in them who know him and his work , and this the scriptures bear witness of ; and herein man comes to be justified in god's sight , by christ , who works all our vvorks in us and for us , and self becomes dead , and because he lives , we live also , glory unto him forever ; and therefore we cannot but lay open the deceit of satan , and exhort all to come up to christ out of the vvorks of condemnation . oh foolish people and unwise ! when will ye seek after wisdom , and hearken that your souls may live ? how long will ye trust to the imaginations of your own hearts ? verely verely , i say unto you , the time is coming your building shall fall , and there shall not one stone be left upon another that shall not be thrown down , and the shame of ethiopia and egypt shall come upon you , and your old garments shall be torn off you , and you shall walk naked and bare , and shall see your shame , and the holy nation of the lamb shall rejoyce ; and your sorrow the lord hastens upon you , who will not own the cross of christ , nor the word of life , which would turn you from unrighteousness , and out of the world and its nature ; but you harden your hearts , and bend your bowes , and shoot your arrows against the lord , and his anointed ones , and take your pa●t with all the uncircumcised in the nations , in the confederacy in the nation against the lamb , yea , even with them against whom you your selves have declared , and many of you who have been a reproach , now reproach , o! tell it not in gath , never let it come to other nations ; shame , shame and blush at this , you who thus requite the lord evil for good : hath the lord broken the band of the oppressour without ? and have you not seen the hand of the lord against them that were oppressours , cut off in his wrath , and overthrown ? and are not many of you the highest professors both in england and ireland , now acting in their footsteps ? even you who profess separation from the world , who have been taken from the sheep-fold , and as you were seeking the asses , and raised from a low estate in the world now to places of dignity and honour , and to bear rule , and to sit as judges among the people ; and now have you forgotten that you were servants under pharaoh , but now have taken up his power ; and have forgotten the afflictions of joseph , and your fingers are becoming heavier then your fathers loyns , and now you are joining your strength with the canaanites and egyptians against the lord , where is the liberty of tender consciences you have told of , and what is become of your reformation ? is it ended in this , like absolon ; when you are come to be judges in the gate , act in open rebellion against the lord , and now would be judges of him every where , and would limit him , and ' set a bound unto him , and would break his eternal decree , which stands forever . oh , if they who had professed no love to god had done thus , it might have been born ; but ye treacherous hearts , your ingratitude and hypocrisie cannot be born , but the lord god will visit for these things ; that you should now act by those laws you cryed out of as oppressive and should deliver your brethren up to the devourer and spoyler , who have born a part of the suffering in the nation 's distress and grief , in the greatest calamity ; would you be thus done by ? would you bear it well ? i will not ●omplain , but i will shew you the ground and lay it before you ; that if it be possible , you may be ashamed and repent , lest the lord also avenge himself upon you , as he did upon the enemies before you . have not many of you in england been acting in the steps of the prophane , when the lord hath given you what you sought after , liberty and freedom in those things ? and now you labour by all your strength and power to oppress them who walk blameless before the lord and men also : oh , what ! is all your preaching and praying , and fighting and warring come to this , that none must declare the mind of the lord , except it be in your way , or will , or time , under pain of bonds , and banishment , fines and imprisonment , stocking , whipping , stoning : and you that have been sufferers your selves , now come to be chief oppressors and opposers of the lord in his way , and all manner of lyes and reproaches you cast upon the truth , and you take part with the rest of the priests and deceivers in the nation , which took part against you when you were for the lord , and number us among transgressors , of every hand to make the truth odious to all , from the least to the greatest , and yet you would be accounted christians ; and if you say , you have thus learned christ , i say you know him not : can you limit the ocean from flowing ? or can you command the wind that it blow not ? or can you stop the windows of heaven that it rain not upon the earth ? if you cannot at all do it all , lie down ; he that reproves god , let him answer it : have you given counsel to the lord , or have you been his instructer ? or can you limit him in his way ? if you cannot , no more shall you be able to stop his vvay , who is riding on in his povver , and overturns all the vvorld's vvisdom , povver and strength , and who is able to resist him , who dryes up the face of the deep , and saith to the sea , be still , and to the mountains be removed , and they are so ? and he will advance his own glory and power against all mens wills and laws , which stand in man's will , and will break all your cords as a bulrush , and overthrow all your counsel , and make it even with the earth , and shame shall cover all his opposers , and therefore learn wisdom : oh ye potsheards of the earth , and cease to strive against the lord , and his power which will be too strong for you , and you shall not be able to limit him , nor stop him in his way , who runs his course as a gyant , and bruises all his enemies heads , and cuts them in pieces by the two-edged sword of his mouth , which he hath put into the hands of his saints , who follow him in the war ; and our conquest is through suffering , glory unto him forever , who hath counted us worthy to suffer for his name sake , and to be brought before rulers and councils for his name sake , that the scripture might be fulfilled in us in this day , as it was upon our brethren who went before us . and oh ye rulers of ireland , who have been professors and affecters of liberty , and for suppressing cruelty , behold now the lord hath sent to try you , and you are found in the same footsteps when you are tryed , as them that the lord cast out before you ; and in the same nature of the chief priests , and elders , and councils , who breathe out threatnings , and send out warrants and inquisitions to bind all , and to send up all bound too , before you , that so evil ( you say ) may be prevented in time ; and take reports from the priests and false prophets of the nations who are lyars , evil beasts , whose mouthes the lord will stop , and bring shame upon them , who are flatterers , and have flattered the powers and rulers before you , till they were all cut off , and now they flatter you , and cannot hold up their divination without you help them ; what gospel is this they preach , when a few poor despised people , who are hated of the world , that the sound of them makes them afraid ! oh that ever you should be so ignorant to joyn to baal ! but let him plead for himself , and they stand by their god , and their gospel , and if they be not able to defend themselves , let them perish . but them who come in their own name , you receive ; but them who come in the name of the lord , and seek none of your tythes , nor augmentations , nor your advance , them you cannot bear should be in the nation , who are not troublesome to any , nor desire to eat any man's bread for nought , and these you call of an evil life : and men who have devoured their own estates and others also , and drunkards , and all manner of unclean persons , these may have liberty . oh! do you think that he sees not your doings , and that he will not call you to an account for these things ? and you must know our country and calling ; i say unto you who live in envy and wrath , if we declare unto you , ye cannot believe ; but god gives no account of his matters unto man , where do ye read , o ye foolish people , and slow to believe , but that the ministers of christ were called out from their outward employments , into the lord's vineyard , contrary to their own wills , and were ministers contrary to the will of man , and did mind the calling of god to his own work , both the prophets , and apostles , and ministers of christ ; and also they preached the gospel , who were never church-officers in all their life-time , as you may see , acts . . but you say , that was in a time of persecution . and what is this time ? how many have been persecuted from town to town , from city to city , put in prison , haled out of the synagogues ? as most part of the nation of england can vvitness . and you in ireland are following your leaders , who are in this generation , and fill up your measure also ; but persecution was ever blind . but you say , they suffered for well doing , but we justly ; let that in your consciences be judge ; would you not have judged paul as you do us , who went into the synagogues on the sabbath day , and disputed , and in the markets daily ; and christ who was their example , and ours also , in the synagogues he taught , and in ships , and towns , and villages , and desarts , and wandred up and down , and the ministers of christ had no certain dwelling-place , and the multitudes that followed them ; would you not have said , these men are evil livers ? your generation said so then , and that they were sowers of sedition and heresie , and ring-leaders of sects , and setters forth of strange gods , and are accused to be the disturbers of the peace , and were in tumults often , as we have been ; and they said , that they were not worthy to live ; and now the same you say . as instance , a warrant given out at dublin in december , . to fetch up , and send up bound to dublin , all that are called quakers ; and all these things and much more , you who sit as rulers and judges of the nation of ireland , have charged upon us , and have required the justices every where to examine us on these things , and to lay them to our charge , and to see what testimony we have , or letters of recommendation : ( isay ) , what testimony had the ministers of christ , from the rulers or high-priests then ? they were false apostles which were made by man's will ; and the apostle said , need we letters of recommendation as others have ? and of what church we are in england ; we are of that which is in god , begotten by the preaching of the gospel of the son of god , which all the hirelings , and them you uphold by a popish law , call heresie ; and there is that in every mans conscience , which is the letters of our recommendation : and you say , we are not of any settled principle ; i say , we are grounded and settled upon him who is the rock of ages , and stand in his counsel both sure and stedfast , and cannot be moved ; notwithstanding all the rage of the heathen , we are in peace , glory unto him for ●vermore , who is the world's tormenter , and the breaker of death's covenant , and hell's agreement , and disquiets the devil's peace , and torments them who plead for his kingdom : and you accuse us , we make open and publick disturbance , to the grief of the godly and sober people , and scandal of religion , if we come and declare the mind of the lord ( as it is revealed in us ) in publick , and declare the word of life , in truth and soberness ; and then you hale him out , and stock , whip , prison , and persecute ; and what religion is this that is among you ? who stop your ears , and as the jews did with paul , run upon us , and rent our clothes , and yet you call us disturbers . are not these practices found in most of your idols temples , into which the hirelings creep , and call a church ; and all those practices among you are found , and we are ashamed of you and your practices , that these things should be found among you , after so manifest an appearance of the lord's wrath against them ; and are these godly ? to that in all your consciences i speak : one haling , another beating , another punishing , and rending our cloathes , and prisons , and revilings , and cruel mocking , and false accusing , and stoning ; are these god-like , or like god ? oh! be ashamed : and you that are so soon grieved , you are not god-like , who is long-suffering ; and his saints , who were god-like , did bear and forbear one another . and these parish teachers , which you hold up in ireland , i challenge them all in the name of the lord , who lives forever , that in all their publick worship ( as they call it ) and them also , that they are not like god , not any of his ministers , nor any thing that ever they practice : and therefore i say , come forth and vindicate your practice , and let your god come forth , and be tryed , and lay open your practice and your principles to the world , and stand by them if you can , and for shame never run to the magistrates to help ; you learned rabbies , you great orators , come forth , and stand and prove your selves before the people , and manifest your strength and your weapons , and that god that answers by fire , let him be god ; you have confessed our god answers by fire , for it s kindled among you , and the word , which is fire , we have declared , and many have heard it , and have believed , and answered it , and now it burns ▪ and you shall not be able to quench it ; post and run as fast as you can , dig as deep for counsel as hell , call up all the powers of darkness , you shall not be able to quench the fire that is kindled , if we should hold our peace , the stones of the wall would cry out against you . and therefore i say unto you , all you parish teachers , and all you that uphold them , arm your selves with all your strength , call your diviners together ; for we proclaim in the lord's name ( who hath rent the heavens , and is come down , and his tabernacle is with men ) open war we declare , and sound the trumpet of our god out of the holy mountain , all the earth shall tremble before him , and the mountains shall melt before him , why should we not be discovered to you ? we are sent forth to take peace from the earth , and to warn all to the battel of the great day of god ; for now he is arisen in his power and glory , and his kingdom is come , glory unto him forever ; and we are witnesses of it , and it 's not of this world ; and we have denyed the world , and follow him who hath a bow and a sword , and makes war in righteousness , and none is able to stand before him ; therefore gather your selves on heaps , o ye potsherds , and make a confederacy among the people , arm your selves , cast up your mounts and batteries , strengthen your selves , and trust in the arm of flesh , and say , none can come near us ; verily i say unto you , you shall be made level with the ground , and all your sorcery shall be laid open , and anti-christ is discovered by the brightness of the coming of christ ; our eyes have seen the lord of hosts in his glory , and all your glory ; ye tellers of dreams and diviners , shall be made as a dunghil , and your renown shall perish from the earth , the mouth of the lord hath spoken it . and now a few words unto you , o ye heads and rulers of the people in ireland , who sit in judgment ; remember from whence you are raised , and how great deliverance you have had , and how manifest the lord hath appeared for you , to deliver you out of the hands of your enemies , who despised the lord and all righteousness , and they were numerous and great , when you have been in great streights , and they said in their hearts , we will swallow them up ; and then the lord in the day of your distress delivered you , and hath given you their possessions , and dominion over them , and hath setled you in peace , and you that have been low hath he exalted to bear rule , and expects from you righteousness , justice and equity , and to be as feet to the lame , and strength to the weak , and to break off every yoak of oppression from the neck of the poor and oppressed , and to relieve your brethren , and entertain strangers , remembring you were many of you strangers in this land , which now is given you to possess ; i say , take heed unto your selves , how you act according to the customs of the nation and your own wills , nor the customary worship of the nation , which the lord laid by , and wasted and scattered all them that pretended themselves teachers of the people ; was there any of them that stood in the gap , or turned people from their iniquity , till the lord broke out in his wrath as fire , and laid the land waste , and the house of their god waste , which you burnt up ; and will you now joyn with moab ? and will you build again those things which you have once destroyed ? then you make your selves transgressors ; think not thus in your hearts , that the lord hath given you dominion over the nation , to walk after your own wills , and joyn unto deceit , and that you may establish those things again , which the lord was wroth with ; and if you hold up those by your laws , and your power , and your prisons , and your sword , which is the people of the lord's curse , i speak of the teachers who are in balaam's way , and greedy dumb dogs , who can never have enough , and bestow the nations tythes , and lands , and riches , which is the lord's treasure , upon them , that they may cry up deceit , and flatter you , both you and they will fall together . and friends , i am plain with you , the hand of the lord is against them , and all the power of the nations shall not save them from his indignation : and therefore be wise , o ye rulers , and do not you think to take counsel against the lord , and prosper , nor prescribe not the lord a way ; for his thoughts are not as your thoughts , nor his wayes as your wayes ; for he hath chosen the weak things of this world to overthrow the mighty ; your eyes have seen this without , and he hath revealed his will to them and in them , whom you look upon but as weak things and base things , and in them he is making known his eternal power , to overthrow the world's wisdom and might , which is in the fall and curse , from whence all heresies , and blasphemies , and sects , and opinions flow and come forth , and he is bringing his own work , his mighty work to pass , even to overthrow and overturn all the power of the beast and the false prophet , and shut them into the pit , and the decree is gone forth , and sealed , and shall not be altered , though all the powers of darkness joyn against him ; and although you should make a law , as the jews did , to take away the life of christ , yet it did but little avail them ; for he hath carried on his work through all generations , notwithstanding all opposition , and this is he in whom we trust ; and do not you think that you are able to limit the lord , by whom he must declare his name , or how , or where , or in what time , but in his own vvay and time ; and if he command and will us , all mens vvills must be broken , though still the holy men of god suffe●ed as such , and so accounted as disturbers of peace ; i say , the devil's peace must be broken ; and though the false prophets of his nation cry peace unto you , when you walk in the imagination of your own hearts ; and though you cry peace unto them , yet one is come and coming to take peace from you ; for all your peace and agreement that you make against the least appearance of god in his servants , it will be dashed to pieces . and if they were to depart from the presence of god , who fed nor the saints , neither clothed them , nor visited them in prison , but were to depart with the devil and his angels into everlasting fire ; what will become of you , who instead of clothing encourage the people to rent them off us , and instead of feeding us , give command to depart , because we are stangers , and instead of visiting them in prison , you put them in prison , and send for them one hundred miles , to be dragged to your prisons , and before your judgment-seat , in whom he is made manifest . and now , o ye council at dublin , your order hath so gratified the devil , and all the prophane in the nation , that they judge your order was not large enough , as that they had not liberty to banish them who have been long inhabitants in the nation , and therefore they tell you their readiness to fulfil your orders upon this account , and desire your directions what to do further ; yea , you have made all lyars , drunkards , cursed speakers and prophane rejoyce , and have strengthned the hands of the wicked , and so judgment is turned backward , and righteousness cannot enter ; but all these things are recorded , and you shall one day remember what you have done . and friends , it 's nothing to us ; we lay down our heads in peace ; notwithstanding , if it had been done by them who had never professed any thing of liberty of conscience and tenderness , it might have been born , but here your double hypocrisie is made manifest . oh that ever you should be so led ! but why do the heathen rage , and the people imagine a vain thing ? for he will exalt his son upon the hill of sion , and then wo unto them that have joyned their power to uphold the beast and the false prophet ; for all must go into the lake together , where the worm dyes not , nor the fire goes out , to be tormented with the devil and his angels forever . and therefore i say unto you , repent , and turn to the lord , and seek judgment and righteousness , that so you may judge for the lord , and break off all oppression , and entertain the strangers , who seek not yours , but the good of the nation , and that all people might know the lord , and worship him in righteousness , that so your dayes might be prolonged , in the land , and the lord of heaven and earth might rule over you in righteousness , and that he alone might be exalted in the nations , which hath not been known for many generations , but only all have lived with the name , without his life and power , in deceit , and all manner of unrighteousness , and the lord is wearied , and will ease himself of his adversaries , and his glory shall no longer be given to another . cork in ireland , the th of the th moneth , . an epistle to the church of christ being my brethren , who are made partakers of the riches of the love of god , in christ jesus in and about the city of london . dear brethren , who are called to be saints by the word which proceeds from the throne of god & the lamb , in which you have believed , and denyed your country , and followed the calling of the lord , and are become children of abraham , and children of the promise grace and everlasting peace be encreased amognst you , who have believed the testimony of his son , and are made partakers of the common salvation , which was delivered unto the saints , and now made manifest in this his own day , according to his everlasting love to his seed , which seed we are , which are come up out of egypt , from whence he hath called his son ; great is my love unto you all , and it 's the love that i love withal , which is stronger then death , and hath broken the covenant of death , and now is become a broad river , from whence streams of refreshment flow , which make the heart glad , and the soul to rejoyce in the land of the living . oh my dear ones , who are anointed with the holy and living oyl , which he was and is anointed withal , who is the life you have received into your hearts , which teacheth you all things , and is the truth which abides forever ; and as you abide in him , and he in you , you are made partakers of eternal life , and because he lives , you live also : now dear ones , having set your faces towards sion , and towards the holy tabernacle where he dwells , look not back , but all mind your leader and captain , who hath chosen you to follow him in the war , and to be partakers of his glory and crown , as they are faithful to his commands , which are not grievous to them who deny themselves ; therefore you all have known the terrours of the lord , and the indignation of the almighty , while you were in the disobedient nature , and in time past , when you were in the alienation , and without the knowledge of the true god in the world , and worshipping dumb idols , even as you were led by the enemy of god , who ruled in you ; and seeing while you were in that nature , captivated unto divers lusts , which the wrath of god hath come upon , and you having tasted of the cup of wrath , and that with the living god nothing that defiles can have fellowship , but with doubting and trouble , and with fear and condemnation in you , and not true peace nor assurance you did witness then ; but now being changed in your minds , by hearkning to his living word , which killed you , while sin ruled , which brought wrath , and works death now to the disobedient ; but now hath he changed your minds , and brought you sub●ect , and hath subjected the adversaries under your feet , who have believed in him , and have given up all to the death of the cross : oh my dear ones , stand all in that pure freedom and your measure , which hath been obtained through the death of the cross , and which peace and true liberty you have already obtained , hath been purchased at a dear rate ; and therefore dwell every one in that measure , and be diligent in the vvork of the lord , and press on , that all may be subject by him , who is the light and guide , that he alone may have the preeminence , who is the head of all principalities and powers , in whom you have believed , and received the vvord of his power , which is eternal , to whom be glory and praise f●r evermore , which vvord ( after it had judged and condemned sin in the flesh ) now gives pure peace and life to all who believe in it , and are judged by it , and it seals you , and is the spirit of promise , and bears witness in your spirits , as you act according to its vvill ; and therefore now all de●r friends , being all sensible of your guide and teacher , shut him not up in a corner , but wait , that his word may be preached for a testimony to all the world and the nations of the world ▪ that so the end of it you may come to see in you , and the utmost part of it may be given in possession to the son , that he may alone be glorified . and all dear friends , wait in patience , and be circumspect every one over your own hearts , that there be no fainting nor looking back amongst you , but that you may all keep out that which would lead you into the rebellion , and it may be cut off , that so you may come to the end of your hope , the salvation of your souls ; and watch one over another in the living , and not with the evil , but cover one another , and bear one another : and if any fall by temptation , admonish and restore them in love , and let not strife nor contention be among you , but all be low meek and gentle one to another , that so no pride , nor presumption , nor fleshly exaltation may be amongst you , but that you may every one walk as ministers of righteousness in your place , and so preach righteousness in the earth , that the lord alone may be glorified , who is enlarging his kingdom in this the day of his power ; and in his strength we run , and are not weary , fulfil our joy , and grow up as living branches of righteousness , and bring forth fruit in him who hath called you , and begotten you by the word of his power to a lively hope , by the resurrection of the dead incorruptible , which hath changed you from death to life ; my desire is to you , and my heart is enlarged when i think upon you , and my prayers are to the living god , whom i know hears , for you , that you may all walk to the praise and glory of his grace , which hath saved you from sin , and will save you , as you abide in it , and will be sufficient for you , to keep you single and without stain , and present you perfect before the throne of god , which is grace : god almighty of life and glory be with you all , my dear brethren , and preserve you all in the arms of his living and eternal power , that you may all have dominion by the blood of god , which is life eternal , over all sin , and be cleansed by it from all uncleanness , and so receive the eternal reward , the inheritance with the saints in light , which is the inheritance of jacob , over which god reigns forever , and blessed are they that come to witness this : forever the lord of life be with you all , and preserve you under his everlasting shadow , that so you may be brought to see the lord , and be ever with him , who lives forever and ever , and unto whom be glory and praise forever , amen , amen . dear friends , glad would i hear from you , that my bowels may be refreshed ; for our labour and travail hath not been a little , and our suffering in this desolate land ; my dear brother e. b. whose love i know is dear to you all , i have not seen towards five moneths , i am in hope i shall shortly ; the work of the lord prospers abundantly ( blessed be the lord ) in such a wicked generation as this is ▪ but hell hath opened her mouth against us , and all is on fire , councils , and head , and tail , rulers , officers , priests , and all the heathen are on an vproar , and so we must pass through fire , and hail , and pillars of smoak ; pray that we may be preserved for the work whereunto he hath called us , to gather the rest that are scattered , and to turn them to the shepherd and his fold , that they may lye down with you in the same everlasting fold ; and herein we war , and strive , and fight with beasts ; but strong is the lord , who hath covered us , and girded us with his own armour , and hath taught our hands to war , and our fingers to fight in this the day of his power , unto whom alone be glory and praise forever and ever . your dear brother in the living fellowship and brotherhood , which all that come to know , must lay down their life to come into it . f. h. cork , the th of the th moneth , . a lamentation for the scattered tribes . who are exiled into captivity , and are now mingled among the heathen , and are joyned to the oppressor , and refuse to return . presented unto all the separated congregations , under what name or form soever , in love to the lost. shewing the difference betwixt them that were separated by the word of faith , and them who have separated themselves in immitation from the letter : and how they differ both in doctrine , in matter , in form ; and so not the same with the churches of christ in the unity . the difference between the true and false ministry . the difference betwixt the faith which is feigned , and the saints faith. the difference betwixt true and false hope . a few words to the ministry in all sects , and to all the mingled people who dwell in the land of darkness , and are tossed up and down , and know not where the power is , which is of god , which gives victory . a few vvords for your information . thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee , and they have not discovered thine iniquity , to turn away thy captivity , but have seen for thee false burthens and causes of banishment , lam. . . by a servant of truth , and a friend to righteousness , who suffers with the seed , which is held in oppression , waiting and labouring for its return . f. h. printed in the year . the contents . concerning the word of christ , which the apostles and ministers preached , who had it in them revealed , which did gather them into one that believed in it , and its effect and operation that it had . the difference shewed betwixt that ministry , and the ministry of them that preach the letter for the word . the difference between them that were separated by the vvord , and them who have separated themselves . the difference shewn betwixt them that are taught of christ , and them that follow the principles of darkness , that lead into error . the difference betwixt the faith which is feigned , which is the vvorld's , and the saints faith. concerning hope , and the difference betwixt true and false hope . true faith , how it s wrought , and what it is , and its operation . a vvord to all the ministers of the world in all sects , and to all people in every sect. a few words to all you who put out the eye , through long accustoming unto sin , who are near utter darkness . with some information to them who are tossed , and find no rest , nor know not where the power of god is , that gives dominion over sin , the power declared , and the way to peace . a lamentation for the scattered tribes . to all you who profess the name of our lord jesus in words , and make mention of his words , and of his ministers words , who had the everlasting gospel and the word of reconciliation , and of those practices which the churches of christ had in their day committed unto them , after they were gathered out of the world , and had denyed it and its nature , and were not comformable to it , but were changed in their inward man , and fruits of righteousness were brought forth , and they were as lights in the world , and did bear witness against the world , that they were evil , and said , they were of god , and had the witness in themselves , and were bold to say , the whole world lay in wickedness : to you , who are called separated churches and fellowships , under this or that name , to you i write ; my soul pities you above the rest of the world ; and in love to those desires which were once among you , i write ; that so , if it be possible , you may come to see your selves , and the foundation on which you stand , that those desires which were after god begotten , may not wholly be slain , extinguished and betrayed , through the subtilty of the serpent , whose wayes are crooked , and whose subtilty is great , to keep man under his power . this i have to say unto you , there was and is a zeal in you , but not according to knowledge ; bear my words , and judge that in your selves which would be angry : there was that which shewed you the national way of worship under episcopacy , and prelacy , and presbytery , which is one in the ground and nature that this was , the broad way , and not according to the mind of the lord , neither was it according to precept , nor the practices of the churches of christ ; which is clear from the scripture : now you seeing this was not accoding to christ , nor his ministers , nor the churches , you began to separate from them into this or that body , under this or that name , as a body separate from the world and their worship , because you found in the writings of that which is called the gospel , people be gathered out of the world ; now your eyes being still without , you conformed to their practices , as you judged both in matter and manner ; and practising those things which you read in the scripture , that the churches practised ; and so some zealous did go forth and gather people together in this or that form ; and here was your beginning ; and so here you set up your rest , that you walk according to the most exact pattern that is visible or written : yet since this you do not agree , but are divided in your selves ; one sets up this , and another that thing , which you in your reason judge right : now many things i might write unto you , which you cannot bear ; but rather in love a few words , that you may see the vast difference betwixt your assemblies and churches , and the churches , which you say , is your example . and first of all , i will shew in the ground how far you fall short , although it may be you may hate my instruction , yet i say , suffer me a little ; for i am one who have obtained mercy , after a long and a sore travel , and tossed up and down in great tempests , but at last entered into the everlasting rest , and do not desire to contend with you ; for out of debates carnal i am brought ; but rather in love to the honesty in you all , which is not of this world , i speak . first , they received power from on high , and commission given to preach the gospel to all nations , ( i speak of the ministers of christ ) ; and those things which they had heard , and seen , and felt , and tasted of , and had handled of the word of life , which life was manifest in them , this they preached , and were sent to turn people from darkness to light , and from satan's power unto god's power ; and as many as received and believed the word which they preached , which was the word of faith. and faith was begotten by the preaching of it , and they heard and learned of the vvord of life ; faith came by hearing that vvord ; and this vvord which they preached unto them , was nigh them , in their mouth and in their heart , which as people turned to it , and received it , and believed , so a change was wrought in the hearers of it ; and they were turned from dead vvorks unto the measure of the living god ; and they separated from the temple , and left circumcision , and all those things of the first priest-hood , which were commanded by god , and out of the vvorld's vvayes , fashions , customs and vvorships , and came to see the worshipping in spirit and in truth was that worship god required ; and the ground of their separation was not from any literal command or precept ; for all that was written there , was flat against it ; but they which were ministers of christ , which had believed in him , preached him , the substance , and the measure of him and of his grace which was in them unto whom they preached ; and this was the apostles witness in their hearts , unto which they did commend themselves in the sight of god , which is a great mystery ; and they are not ministers of the letter , but of the spirit : now in these few words before written , with much more i could write , compare your ministry and your members gathered , and you will see you differ in the ground in the first ; for your command you take from the letter , and so are ministers of the letter , and not of the spirit . . ye preach the letter for the word of faith , which they did not , as is plain in their own writings , without adding . . them whom you gather , it 's but into conformity to the letter , and to that which is visible , which all may be done in the will of man , which is fallen from god ; and see if it be not so with you , both pastors and members , not witnesses of that vvord which they preached , which did beget faith in them that received it , and believed in it , which faith was in them , wrought by the power of god , which gave them assurance , and their assurance was in them , and their hope in them , brought in and wrought by the operation of the spirit ; which the preaching of the letter , sound , or declaration only of that which was in them , never works assurance , nor true faith , nor hope : and now consider , where had your ground of the knowledge of god been , and your gospel , and your faith , and hope , if you had not had the letter ? i speak not to upbraid you , but to the light of christ jesus i speak , which will let you see how far short you are , and that you must come back again to the first principle ; and now you may see , if it had been the same word or command , it would have the same effects as it had , and change into its own nature all that received it ; now see whether a change be wrought in you or not ; some of you , yea , many running back after the foot-steps of the priests , preaching for hire , and upholding the idols temple , if you can get into them , and in the customs of the world ; nay , most of you not come to yea and nay in your communication , but one with the world in all or most of things , differ only in words and names ; and your gospel you have preached , hath not begotten such a faith as was in them that had the gospel ; not to respect persons ; nor none dare own cleansing from sin in the body , but call that a delusion ; but the word and faith which they preached and received , gave them victory over the world , sin and death , and by its power made them more then conquerors , and their hope purified their hearts ; but you cannot believe that ever you shall be made free from sin , nor have not hope in that , and therefore are ignorant of the body of christ you so much talk of , which made them clean and free from sin. secondly , your doctrine is the same with the world ; your hope , your faith , your justification is all at a distance , grounded upon the report of christ dying at jerusalem , and of their report that knew him ; and believing this , you call it faith , and so are one with the faith and hope which the world hath ; for the report of christ's righteousness , what he did suffer , and wrought in the saints , if this be the ground of salvation , then why have you separated from the world ? if you say , because the world hath not right to the ordinances ; i say , doth not faith in christ give interest to all his ordinances ? and if this be onely your faith , the world hath as good an interest as you ; so why do you separate from them ? and so you shall see the matter is the same with the vvorld , of which your fellowships consist : and the name of christ is a great mystery , which they were sent to baptize in , who knew his name ; his name is not letters and syllables , and using these ; this with the lips speaking over , is not to baptize into his name ; and so friends , in love i spe●k unto you : there was such as separated themselves , and were sensual , and had not the spirit ; and so there was no difference betwixt them and the world ; for they are clouds without rain ; appeared vvells , but h●d no vvater in them , seemed something , but were but a shew : friends , your foot-steps i know , your ground i know , and your compass and your measure , yet i shall not glory over you , nor boast my self against you ; but rather , to inform your minds , that you may not build upon a foundation which will moulder away : and now boast not your selves in your ordinances , as vvater , bread and wine , which is but elementary , and was never but a sign ; and in the day of appearance of christ , the elements shall melt with servent heat ; and while you stand here , and have confidence in these things , your sun will set in obscurity , and you shall know the old heavens and earth will pass away with a noise ; which when you come to know and hear , your hearts will fail for fear ; for this i say to the highest of you , if you build upon any thing , or have confidence in any thing which stands in time , and is on this side eternity and being of beings , your foundation will be swept away , and night will come upon you ; and all your gathered in things , and taken on , and imitated , will all fail you . many more things i might write , time would fail me to utter ; but these few among many , i have written , that you may compare your selves with the ministers of christ then ; and the gospel which they preached , which were separate from the world in the ground and nature ; and if you see your selves in the light of christ in your consciences not to be the same , neither in matter nor manner , let not a deceived heart lead you aside any longer . further , i say , they were sent out for the gathering in of the saints , some apostles , some prophets , some pastors and teachers ; yet all was by the spirit . now if you deny the command of the spirit , or cannot witness it , but from the letter take it up , and talk of it , because the scripture speaks of it ; then your ministry is not that ministry . again , this end was the ministry sent forth for , for the perfecting of the saints , which it did , which not one of you dare own , nor dare say your ministry shall , nor never did ; and so not the same , nor hath not the same operation ; and so is not the same faith nor word which they preached . and now to you who are called members in all separated societies , and yet in babylon and egypt , spiritually so called , where the seed is held in captivity ; i say , come forth of her , and return to your maker , from whence you are erred , and cast off your garments of self-righteousness ; and those coverings you hide your selves under , must all be rent ; they will wax old ; yea , your heaven shall wax old as a garment , and your stars will fall , and your towers will be demolished , and all your buildings will fall ; and your strength will fail , and egypt cannot save you ; why gad you abroad ? why trim you your selves with the saints words , when you are ignorant of the life ? return return to him that is the first love , and the first-born of every creature , who is the light of the world , which light will shew you , that to return back again is the way from off the mountains of leanness and poverty , where you feed upon wind and husks ; and now return home to within , sweep your houses all ; the groat is there ; the little leaven is there ; the grain of mustard-seed you will see , which the kingdom of god is like ; and you will see from whence you have erred , from the true shepherd christ , the light of the world , who hath enlightened you with his light , which light will shew you sin , and let you see what rules in the mind and heart , which light will let you see the way out of the world , and will judge sin in you , and bind it , and give you power over it , and this is the true shepherd ; and if you say , you love him , manifest your love unto him , by following his light revealed in you , which leads into the true separation from sin unto the lord , to see his presence near you , who will guide you with his eye ; the light is the eye of the body ; and here you will see your teacher not removed into a corner , but present , when you are upon your beds , and about your labour , convincing , instructing , leading , correcting , judging , and giving peace to all that love and follow him ; therefore haste i say , come away , while the lord is near at hand , while his grace shines with you ; & he waits , and hath waited long to be gracious ; and you have kept him out so long , his locks are bedewed with the drops of the night ; his spirit shall not alwayes strive , that that checks and strives against sin is it , in love follow it , let it lye in your bosom day and night , make it your comapanion ; i pity you , i pity you , my bowels are troubled for you , i am pained for the seed's sake ; therefore all slight not this love , quench not the spirit , put not that which reproves sin away , own it , that sin may be seen , and the man of sin may be revealed by the brightness of christ , whose coming is as light shines from east into the west , discovers all dark pathes , and the twining of the serpent , and the crooked wayes of the old dragon by this light ; and if thus you wait , you will see the day revealed in you which the scripture speaks of , which shall declare all things , and make manifest the hidden things of esau , who hunts abroad , and is a man of the field , whose mind is abroad ; and you whose minds are abroad , hunting after savoury meat , to please the flesh withal , you are of his birth , you will be laid waste , and the mount in which you dwelt : therefore all prize your time and your visitation ; if you will return , come , that he may heal your backsliding , and receive you ; if you resist the light , misery will be your end , and you will lye down in sorrow . this have i written in love to all your souls , who am one who did drink of the cup of fornication , and have drunk of the cup of indignation , but now drink the cup of salvation , where sorrow and tears are fled away , and yet am a man of sorrows , and well acquainted with grief , and suffer with the seed , and travail , that it may be brought forth of captivity , f. h. the difference shewn betwixt them that learn of christ , and are taught of him , and them that follow the principle of darkness , that leads into error . he that stumbles at the light , stumbles at the door , and his mind is erred from the truth , and he follows his own will , and walks after the imaginations of his own heart , without a law or a guide to his feet , and so falls into snares and temptations , and into the noisome lusts , which do hurt and annoy the spirit of grace , which should lead and guide man up to god , out of the fall and transgression : he that sees not with the light , he is blind ; for the light is the eye of the body , and makes manifest the light of the body , which cleanseth from sin , and leads to the body , where christ is the head , where the unity stands in one , by which all come to be united by one , who is the light and life of men , and come to the one baptism ; and all who wait in the light that is pure , come to know the name of the father and the son , which is one ; and here is the one baptism seen and received ; and all that come to be baptized into his name , come to be baptized into his nature , and come to see the word which was in the beginning ; and there is no other name , but the word , which sanctifies and washes : so all that know not this baptism , nor this word , nor this name , know not salvation from sin , but live in the reasonings and imaginations , and know not that water which is the gift of christ , nor the spirit which is given to every one to profit withal , of which a man must be born , else he cannot enter into the kingdom of god , and all who deny the light wherewith christ hath enlightened every one , deny the gift of god , which leads to repentance , and so live in sin : repentance is the gift of god , and this is the gift of the father , which was promised , the light of the world ; and all that receive not , and believe not in the light , they are in the old nature ; and he that is not born of the light , is not born of god , for god is light ; he that is not born of the light , knows not the virgin 's womb , where the man-child is born & conceived , nor the day of christ , nor cannot discern his coming , but looks for signs and outward observations , lo here , and there , in the outward , and is in the unbelief , & discerns not the kingdom where christ reigns , which is not of this world ; all outward things are of this world , and who live and have their hearts exercised in them , know not that which leads to before the world , and to the end of the world , and know not the true & faithful witness , the beginning of the creation of god ; and all that wait not in the light , wait not in the grace of god , but wait in that which turns the grace into vvantonness ; there christ suffers , and is denyed , and another is owned and learned of , and another teacher ; and where the grace of god is not taught and learned of , ungodliness is not denyed ; but ungodliness is denyed , where the grace teacheth ; and where another thing is hearkened unto and learned of , that which is not like god is learned , and deceit is brought forth , and the child of fornication , which must not inherit ; and all who learn of this nature , they are blind , and ignorant of the will of god , and so know not the doctrine of christ , but their eyes are without in the vvorld , where the fal●e prophets are gone out into the vvorld ; and there are the errors , and the sects , and judgments , which are many , and the opinions which are out of the unity , and there vain imaginations and vain thoughts lodge in the heart , and there the light of christ is not known , but the vvoman speaks , which ought to learn in silence , who was first in the transgression : and all you that put the letter for the light , are blind , and call it the word and the gospel , you err , not knowing the scripture , nor the power of god ; for the word of god is the power of god , which is immortal & eternal ; and all that which is visible stands in time , and cannot lead to know him which was before time , in the beginning : and so all you who are in your earthly carnal minds , imagining a rule without you and a word without you , you have not learned of him who is entered within the vail , you are hunting upon the wild mountains and forrests , and know not the voice of the true shepherd , who saith , learn of me , whose word is nigh thee , in thy mouth and in thy heart ; and thou that hast not hearkened unto this , a separation thou didst never see , but darkness is upon the face of the deep , and the word of god is not known , by which the heavens and the earth were made , and all things therein are upholden by the word of his power , which word of power is seen by them whose minds are turned within ; and there the thoughts and intents of the heart are by it discerned and seen , which word is quick and powerful , and discerns the secrets of man's heart , and is as a hammer , to break the rocks and the hard hearts , and this is immediate and eternal ; and all who know not this , your carnal mind stands wholly in you , and your hard hearts are unbroken , and the mountains are unleveled , and you walk in the crooked waves of the old serpent in subtilty and deceit , and stand covered before the lord , and the strait pathes of righteousness you have not known . therefore awake out of deceit and security , all sorts of people , where you have been making your rest in the lap of the adulterer , and have drunken of the vvine of fornication , and of the old dregs of unrighteousness , whereby the whole man in enflamed , and the whole course of nature is set on the fire of hell , and filth and abomination lodge in the heart , and you talk of the vvord of god , and of the law of god , and of the new covenant , and yet never see any thing in you , which you can own to guide you , which is contrary to your vvills , which is the vvill of god. all sorts of professors , whether presbyters , independents , baptists , or of what name soever you are called by , who say , you are separated ; let me ask this , what are you separated from , and what separated you ? if you deny the sufficiency of the spirit 's teaching alone , and it to be the rule and alone guide unto god , who is separated from sinners , and beholds them afar off ; i say , you who cannot own that which shews you your vain minds and vain thoughts , and that discerns the thoughts , if you cannot own this , the vvord of god you never knew , nor the law written in your hearts , nor the vvord of separation , and all are in your imaginations and vain conceivings , in your fleshly minds , here and there setting up an image raised from a dead letter , and founded on your earthly imaginations , and they stand in the vallies of vain hopes ; and there is no life in nothing you wor●hip and set up , neither sight nor hearing ; and every one of you worship a dead thing , and that which makes not the comers thereunto perfect ; but you are all pleading for imperfection and sin in the body , and all joyn together to oppose the life and power of god , which the saints ought to press after ; and they that stand in the counsel do obtain victory , and witness of his righteousness , which is perfect . are not many of you turning into the old bishops road , who would tye all unto their idols temple , or parish-church ( so called ) ? and are not many of you going about to stop all from hearing any but you , under pain of excommunication ? oh the gross darkness you are led in , and the wilful blindness , who have taken up your rest in that which is carnal and without , where all the hypocrites may come ; verily , i say unto you , your rest will be but as the leaning upon a bowed wall , or as a reed of egypt ; for the ground of iniquity stands whole , and the whole body of darkness is not removed , the earth is whole , the fallow ground is not plowed up ; thorns , and bryars , and fruitless trees , which cumber the ground of the lord , are not cut down ; and so the works of condemnation you are none of you brought from under , but self stands , and your wills are alive , which are at enmity against god ; only talking of a christ at a distance , and his righteousness as far from you as betwixt earth and heaven ; and here is your justification , applying this unto your selves , while you are disobedient to the grace of god in you ; this is your faith and your rest , and this faith all the world hath , and this hope ; but this faith cannot justifie , nor not one of you hath assurance who hath but this , who doth not witness god's righteousness brought forth in you , which is wrought by the word of faith , which is incorruptible , which justifies , and gives assurance , and is witnessed through the death of the cross. and therefore i cannot forbear but to declare your ignorance , and shew you your deceit you lye in , and your ragged vails you hide your selves under ; for i know your peace you have is that which will not last : and therefore be not secure and careless , nor obstinate , but lay down your crowns at his feet , and come out of your ease , and rest , and fleshly exaltation , puffed up by the wisdom of the flesh ; and that which you have gathered in , and not witnesses of the same wrought in you , all for the fire ; yet a little while , and time shall be no longer , for the end of time shall come upon all your strength , and all your rest in the flesh , and ease in your beds that you have made , shall be taken away ; you have slain those desires in you which were once after god , and now follow the pleasures of the flesh , and have set up such a worship over every one of you , as you can live at ease , and in pleasures , and in pride , and vain-glory , and covetousness , and are men-pleasers , and respecters of persons , and yet your justification stands sure , and your faith which you hold , and this faith is reprobate , which leads into the works of darkness : oh you are high , you are strong warriours for the prince of darkness , and greater opposers of the power of the lord then they that have professed less , who are gone before ; verily this is fulfilled in this generation , publicans and harlots enter the kingdom , and come to sit down with abraham ▪ isaac and jacob , and you are shut out . will he accept you for your words ? will he accept you because you eat his bread and drink his wine ? and one of you is hungry , and another company of you plead , that your communion must now be as much wine as you can drink ; and this is gods ordinance , you say . oh ye blind and slow of heart to believe ! is not parphar , and damascus , and jordan , and all the water his , and the cattel upon a thousand hills ? is he beholding to thee for thy lame and blind sacrifice ? will he accept you for these things while your wills stands , and while you hate to be guided by his light and spirit , which cleanseth the inside ? shall i not say , as paul said of circumcision , it 's neither baptism , or not being baptized ; it 's neither breaking of bread , nor drinking of wine , neither your observances and washings , your prayers nor your fasts , your feigned communion and fellowship , but a new creature , that god requires ; not outward washings , nor things carnal , which none of these things make perfect as pertaining to the conscience , nor the coming unto these doth not purifie nor make the answer of a good conscience ; while you do not witness that which makes you partakers of the divine nature , you have no fellowship with the father nor the son , but only sacrifice to your nets , and feed upon ashes , and would take those things which were but figures , to oppose the substance , as the jews did , and never look for him to be revealed in you , who is the end of the figures , and the end of the law for righteousness , and the end of the prophets , who now is not worshipped in the oldness of the letter , nor in figures , but in newness of spirit , and in the new and living vvay which he hath consecrated for all them that come to him , and believe in him , and come to within the vail ; heb. . . nay , these things which you call ordinances , as you practice them , are not so much as the image of heavenly things ; and though you come to them year by year , & week by week , they do not make you that are comers thereunto perfect , for if they did , then there were a necessity for the continuance of them : but now to that of god in all your consciences i speak , which shall witness in the day of the lord , that your consciences are no more purified , nor you made any more perfect , then the first day you took them up : and this i say unto you in love to your souls , i know no more of the power and presence you do witness among you in these things , then if you worshipped in the temple at jerusalem , and ●urned incense , and offered sacrifice and burnt-offerings , which christ said , was left unto them desolate ; and verily in the day of the lord's account , you shall bear witness unto me , that i speak not in mine own name , although you cannot believe ; i say , the lord is departed out of these things , and the gentiles and heathen , who know not god , have now all these things to tread upon , and all also to feed upon ; but this i say unto you , sacrifices and offerings without , which are carnal and elementary , and perish with the using , he will not have ; but he is come , whose flesh is the life of the saints ; and his body is known , which is prepared to take away sin ; and it was witnessed of him , and he is come to do the will of god ; and this is he in whom the father is well pleased , who is the light of the world , and hath enlightned every one that comes into the world ; and whoso is not led by the light , he is not led by the son ; and there is no offering , but in the light , that is accepted , nor nothing which is well pleasing to god , but what he now commands , who is entered to within the vail , into the heavenly tabernacle ; and you whose hearts the vail is over , and flesh is over , unturned to him you are , and his face do not see , nor his mind do not know ; and now his worship is no more outward and carnal , but spiritual and everlasting : and all you that cannot own the measure of god in you , which shews you his teachings and doctrine , the offering up of that which is perfect , you do not know , nor the offering up in and by the eternal spirit you do not know , and so do not know purging away sin ; but still you are checked & condemned in your selves , notwithstanding your large phylacteries and long garments of self-righteousness , and selfishness in performance in your wills , from imitation ; yet all of you confess the guilt must remain , because none of you are come from under condemnation , therefore you judge all is so : ah , ah ! miserable redemption and justification is this ; what redemption is wrought among you , when the light in your own consciences shews there is guilt ; and you are under the power of pride , and covetousness , and envy , and wrath , railing and slandering them that bear witness against your deceit , and have not power over your tongues , nor over your thoughts , but are led captive by him that works unrighteousness ; nay , so ignorant are you , most of you , that you know not what it is that is in captivity , and what it is that wants redemption , nor what it is which the gospel is preached to , and purity of spirit you do not know . verily i say unto you , all whose minds are not turned to the light of christ , which will let you see , notwithstanding all your righteousness and fulness , which you judge you have attained to , there is one thing you lack yet , you that have kept all the commands in the letter , which few of you have done , you must sell all , and give to the poor ; and yet before you witness a disciple of christ , you must take up the cross of christ , which you all stumble at , and it is foolishness to you , as it was to your generation , who were in your nature , who sought to be justified by the works without them ; and even you are the same , look that god accepts you , because you have conformed to the outward part of the law or scripture , and if that will not do , then you look to be justified by the righteousness of one you have heard of without you , and even then , when you your selves are found sinners , and so would make christ a minister of sin : how long will you speak these things , and how long shall the words of your mouth be as a strong wind ? doth god pervert judgment , or doth the almighty pervert justice ? job . , . shall not he that 〈◊〉 dye ? and is not he that commits sin , of the devil ? doth god justifie him that 's of the devil ? nay , he shall condemn him ; the gospel is not preached to that seed , but the day of vengeance , and tribulation , and wrath upon every one that doth evil ; and whom he condemns ▪ he justifies not ; and whom he redeems , he redeems out of sin , and creates them , that they may walk to the praise and glory of his grace ; them that praise grace , and glorifie grace , walk in it , and are under it , and it hath dominion over them ; and their ungodliness and worldly lusts are denyed , and holiness and righteousness is brought forth , and the image of god is restored . oh! how long shall death talk of the fame of wisdom ? how long shall a deceived heart lead you aside ? how long will ye be bind ? how long will ye hearken to your imaginations ? is any redeemed out of sin , where sin rules , and where it is acted , grace reigns not ; is not this the grace of god which condemns man's will , and self , and the lusts of the flesh ! and you that are in your wills , and self in every thing standing , doth not the grace condemn you ? how then , or by what are ye justified ? but this hath been a piece of your divinity , when that in your consciences condemned you , looking up to christ justified at a distance : oh you vain minds is not the light of christ one with christ ? is christ divided from his spirit , or against himself , or in himself ? when that his light condemns , and his spirit reproves thee for sin , doth he justifie ? doth not his spirit bear vvitness in the spirits of them that are sanctified ? and is not this the spirit which convinceth for sin ? and as thou actest sin , it reproves thee , and bears witness against thee , then how should it bear witness to thee ? and so you may see all of you , who tell of justification by faith , that you are in a dream , and not in the faith that justifies ; for he that is justified by faith which is true , he hath the vvitness in himself ; now if thou be reproved in thy self for sin by the light of christ , where is thy witness in thy self ? shew it . for them that are saved by grace , and justified by faith , self and self-will , and the lusts of the flesh , and disobedience to the grace of god is judged and condemned , and self-righteousness , tit. . , . not by works of righteousness that we have done , but according to his mercy he saved us , by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy ghost , ephes. . . by grace are ye saved , through faith , and that not of your selves , it 's the gift of god ; and them that receive and believe in the gift of god are justified ; and grace is the gift of god , which teacheth to deny ungodliness , and them that are taught by this , it teacheth and leadeth out of all sin ; and so redemption from sin is witnessed , and justification is witnessed , and the gift of god , which is the spirit of promise , s●als the assurance in the heart ; but where sin is committed , grace reigns not through righteousness ; and thou that art here , art under the law , and under wrath and condemnation , and art not under grace that justifies through faith ▪ and so your cover being taken off , see your shame all , and blush , and repent . the difference betwixt the faith which is feigned , which is the worlds and the saints faith. now your faith , which leads you not to believe that you can ever be freed from sin , this faith is reprobate , and brings forth no good works , but dead works , and is not the life of the just , but t●e life of the unjust , which leads not to overcome the evil and the works of the devil , nor leads not into the rest which is in god ; for you speak your own words , and think your own thoughts , and have not ceased from your own works , but worship in your wills , act in your wills , speak in your wills , and are your own , and do notice an overcoming of sin , but a growing into it , into deceit more and more ▪ and looking all is done for you ; and you believe christ hath done all , and hath fulfilled the law for you , and yet do witness nothing done in you , nor the law fulfilled in you , nor sin destroyed in you , and yet you say , you lay hold upon the righteousness of christ by faith. oh! what righteousness is that you lay hold of , which is imperfect , & leads not out of imperfection ? that is not true faith that layes hold on a righteousness which is imperfect ; and all of you say , all that is in you , there are defects and imperfections in it ; yea , even the graces and gifts of god , you say they are imperfect ; then consider , if you see imperfection in all those things you have laid hold on , and have received , then you know not faith , nor grace , nor the gift of god , which is perfect , but believe in a dream of a thing done , and an apprehension of a thing at a distance without you , imagining you are eating , but when you awake you are hungry ; imagining you are saved , but when you enter into your hearts , see nothing witnessed , nothing done ▪ nor redeemed from nothing ; your faith and hope stand in words , and that is all ; preaching the letter over , and proving that which is proved , and was proved in them that witnessed the life of those things in them that are written ; but nothing is proved in you , but apply their righteousness , which was the righteousness of faith and of christ , which was in them , wrought through death , to you that are alive in sin , lust , pride , enmity , malice and deceit , yea , even to the head of the serpent , and so would be covered in your iniquity , and saved from guilt , condemnation and wrath ; but to be cleansed from sin you regard not ; for if you own that word , faith , and hope which is of god , it will slay and kill that life forever , and destroy all your wisdom which stands in the earthly nature ; and therefore i say unto you , repent and cease from your way , from your vain conceivings , and all be uncovered , and you will see the first principle you have to learn : so all your faith which is out of the light is seen , which you gather in from the letter , and not wrought in the light , it leads not out of the world , nor to above the world ; but all who have faith , work in the light , and mortification , sanctification and holiness is brought forth in purity , uprightness , meekness , temperance , patience and the fruits of righteousness ; for it is not dead , but the just man lives by it , and his works appear in the world , and is as a light , but your faith which is dead , talks of it ; and when you are vewed in the light , no fruits of righteousness grow in you , your hope and faith is vain , and it will not save you from condemnation in the day of the lord ; and because you find written in the scriptures , that by the deeds of the law no flesh can be justified ; therefore you would exclude the work of grace , and the righteousness of faith , and the life of christ , which brings forth fruits , and all faith is dead without vvorks ; for as the body lives not but it moves and acts , no more is faith living except it move ; and so you whose faith stands in vvords , and in things taken up in the fallen vvisdom , which you read without you , that faith is reprobate unto every good vvork , and is vain ; for the living is not witnessed , nor the dead raised in you to life , nor the lost sheep found , nor that which hath been driven away brought back ; but the earth yet closeth the blood , and the earth in you covers the slain , and the grave you see not opened , nor the dead raised incorruptible ; and so you are unchanged ; but the corruptible lives , and the mortal , and draws you after it , and is exalted , and the head not known , who is the life of men , nor exalted ; and so he draws you not , nor leads you not , but you are led by your own wills , and another girds you not . nor the gird of strength is not at all known but in words ; and so the old man is alive , uncrucified with his deeds , but his deeds are brought forth ; and so by your fruits you are known . concerning hope , and the difference betwixt true and false hope . and to all sorts of professors i shall clear my conscience to you all , and finish my testimony , that i may dwell in peace with the lord , who hath commanded me to bear witness to his name ; and his love also constrains me ; and in love to the seed of israel , who are bone of my bone , and flesh of my flesh , who are of the true circumcision , that they may come out of captivity , from among the lying inchanters , sorcerers and diviners , where they have been long held captive , and the heritage of the lord laid waste ; and therefore you whose hope is without you , it 's vain , whose hope stands without , in these things which are week , as the apostle said of the law , which made nothing perfect , because of the weakness and unprofitableness of it , which stood in washings ; and signs of the true tabernacle they were , yet they did not make perfect ; so i say unto you , your bread , vvine and water , which were figures of a more heavenly thing , they do make nothing perfect , but the bringing in of a better hope , heb. . , . and so while you have hope in any thing without you , you stand in that which is imperfect , and contend about that , but look not for the hope to be brought in , by which you might draw near unto god , christ , the hope , the light ; and while this you own not to lead you , the light , you cannot draw near unto god , but he will slay you , and kill you , notwithstanding all your words ; and all that walk in the light come to see the hope brought in , and this hope purifies the heart , as christ is pure ; and then by it and through it there is a drawing near unto god , and an access to him with boldness ; for where the lively hope is , there is no guilt , then there is boldness ; and so you whose hope is in words without , and not in you , you forget god ; all that forget the light , forget god ; your hope is the hope of the hypocrite , which shall perish , whose hope shall be cut off as a spiders web , job . . and all your hope , which doth not purifie the heart , and give you victory over sin daily , is the hope of the wicked , job . . but the eyes of the wicked shall fail , and they shall not escape , and their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost . true faith how it is wrought , and what it is in its effects and operations . now concerning faith , it is begotten in the heart of man , by preaching of the eternal word , which word is nigh , in the mouth and in the heart ; and all that come to hearken to the word which is pure , and receive it , and believe in it , come to see faith revealed , by which they draw near unto god ; and this is begotten by the word of faith , which is the word of christ , which word is spirit and life to all that receive it , and by it are the mountains removed , and sin overcome , and victory witnessed over sin , mat. . . and this faith is pure , and leads into purity , it is the gift of god , and leads all towards god that have it , and it is perfect ; and all that stand in it , come to have the will of god perfected in them , and that which is imperfect comes to be done away , and the just live by it , heb. . . and in it , and by it , and through it is the righousness of god revealed from faith to faith , rom. . . and all that do witness the birth which is from above , which is born of god , which sins not ; faith is the life of this birth , which is just , and the son of god lives by it , who doth the will of god , as it is written , the life that i now live , is by the faith of the son of god ; and all who have it , and believe in this , shall never dye ; for by it is translation witnessed from sin , death and condemnation into the immortal life , and by it is god's righteousness revealed , and well-pleased is he with all who walk in it ; and where this is not , his wrath and displeasure arises ; and all who stand in the least measure of it are perfect , and come to be free from sin ; for it brings and reveals the righteousness of god , which justifies , sanctifies and mortifies , even the righteousness of god , which takes away sin , and purges the heart from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit ; and thus remission of sins comes to be witnessed , and man justified by the right●ousness of christ , which is the righteousness of faith , wrought in the creature by the eternal spirit and vvord , which are one ; and thus assurance comes to be made manifest ; for it bears witness , and is the true evidence of the everlasting substance which is brought in ; and sin , and self , and all iniquity come to be seen , revealed , judged , condemned and cast out , and god's righteousness comes to be the life of a believer , even the life of christ , which is immortal , by which man comes to be redeemed and purchased unto god , and not his own , but becomes servant to him , and obedient to him , whose life is given , and laid down , and revealed , to redeem his own seed ; and all that come to see this , come to prize his love , and walk in his fear , and have the shield of faith , by which they are defended from the enemy of their souls , and his temptations are resisted , and the fiery darts quenched , and so the enemies come to be subdued ; and this faith is present power against all sin ; and all that keep in it , out of doubts and distrusts , and consultations , and murmurings , come to be preserved ; and all that have this faith do believe the overcoming of all sin , and walk from faith to faith ; and they are daily renewed in the lord's strength , and come to have victory , as they keep in it , and so remain in the true rest with . god forever , which none that live in sin shall ever come to attain unto . a word to all the ministers of the world in all opinions and sects , and to all your people in every sect. the lord is risen in his glory , and is arising in his power , to tread down the mountains ; all nations make way , make way , and all ye isles be removed , all ye high walls fall down , and all ye strong towers be rent asunder , all ye strong gates fly open , ye fenced cities fall , ye mighty men of valour bow ; your hands shall grow feeble , you mighty warriours for the prince of darkness , a day of sore distress is coming upon you ; the princes of tyre shall no more rejoyce ; ye dukes of edom shall fall by the edge of the sword ; ye daughters of the philistines shall no more rejoyce , nor ye daughters of moab , who have been at ease from your youth , shall no more take pleasure in your delicacies ; for the earth is growing thin and feeble , where all your renown and glory lay ; the root is cursed from whence your joy hath sprung : god is risen , and blasting all with the breath of his mouth , and darkness shall cover all your pavilions , and leanness shall cover your faces , who have rejoyced at the captivity of the holy seed ; for now is he arising , as a gyant that runs his course , and shall tread down the earth , and blast all its glory ; and will fan the nations , and all the uncircumcised in heart shall be as chaff , for now is the lord bringing his determination upon the whole earth , to cut down all the gods of gold and silver , and spoil all your pleasant pictures and images which stand in the earth , which you have worshipped in your hearts ; yea , the lord of life hath a sacrifice in babylon to perform , to confound her languages , which are many , and to slay all her children in the place where they have slain the seed of the free-born : wo is me , what will become of you ye shepherds , who have nourished people into the nature of swine , and led into the nature of dogs , and have driven away the sheep from the fold , and have begotten nothing but subtilty and deceit in peoples minds , have made them wise to do evil , and subtil to deceive , and cunning to turn away from righteousness ; yea , many of their ears you have bored , and they have sold themselves to be bond-slaves unto you and to their lusts forever ; a woful reckoning will you make to the lord of heaven and earth , who is coming to take an account of all , what they have done and brought , and what sheep they have gathered in ; the bill is drawn against you all , you hirelings ; the cup of vengeance will be your reward ; not one lamb have you brought into the bosome of the father nor one sheep into the fold , but have scattered them ; so that by deceiving them so long with your strange voice , they have forgot the true shepherd's voice ; for into a wolfe's nature you have nourished them , and they are become wild , and now love no fold , no bond nor limit , but love to lye down with you upon the mountains of iniquity , pride , lust and deceit , where all the wild beasts of the field play ; and they are all gone out of the way , into the crooked pathes of unrighteousness , and they follow your example who lead them ; and this will be proved against all you shepherds , who are idle , who love the fleece , and feed upon the fat , and seek for your gain from your quarter ; the blood of souls will be your charge , guilty will you all be found , your mouthes stopped , the light in your consciences shall be the lord's witness , bound will you be , and cast into darkness . and you that have set up your selves to be teachers , who pretend separation from the world , who have run in your wills , and have gathered to worship an image with a more beautiful face ; you are strong , you are fat , you shine , you are full , you appear as oracles , at which them that seek after knowledge seek unto ; you are painted over with names and colours , and appear of a comely hue ; your cup is golden and beautiful to behold to the earthly wisdom , and desirable to drink of ; yea , many have drunk of it , and are drinking of it , and they come to grow tall , and strong as horses in battel , and as rampant as lyons , and as behemoth , who thinks he can drink jordan dry : but one thing you have left behind you , and that is , the cross of christ , which is the power of god : now is the lord coming to fan you , and to weigh you ; how came you hither , to tell of justification , and of being saved by the righteousness of christ , when you will not own the simplicity of the gospel , nor the meek principle , to guide you into the lamb's nature ? your flock is not so speckled as the former , and yet they feed in the same pasture , where knowledge , the tree of knowledge is the food , which nourishes them into a strange nature , and turns them farther into degeneration : wo is me for you all , who are leaders , and you who are thus led ; upon the left hand among the goats you will be turned , who hate the still small voice , that you cannot abide to hear in you ; therefore you are erred for lack of true knowledge , and you shall go into captivity with them that go into captivity ; for you have lost the key of knowledge , and you are setting up and seeking to open with another thing then the key of david ; but you must either have that , or else where the saints life is you cannot come , although you are reaching at it with your sensual wisdom , but farther it flees from you . oh! when will ye be weary of feeding upon ashes , of wind and air , which puffs up your fleshly minds ? when will ye seriously consider what ye enjoy of god , and what you possess of him ? are you not lost in your selves , in and about that which you account a great part of obedience unto your god ? are not some of you , who are called baptized persons , differing about the form ? some baptizing into this , some into that , some sprinkling , some dipping , some plunging ; where is your example for these things ? nay , do not the most of you conclude no salvation without it , although in words some of you will deny it ? and as for that you call your supper and communion , which is but carnal and earthly , you have none of you the form ; one of you is for eating before supper , another after supper , another for as much bread and wine as you can eat and drink ; and so your god is your belly , and you mind earthly things ; and instead of remembring of christ's death , you crucifie him afresh , one with lust , another with envy , another with pride ; and so instead of coming to the table of the lord , you feed at the table of devils , and nourish the flesh , deceit and uncleanness ; and as jannes and jambres resisted moses , by making likenesses , so do you resist the spirit of the lord , because it comes not according to your carnal will , nor your vain conceptions ; and so deceit leads you all , and the cross of christ you know not , and those things you have formerly declared against , you now take up ; some pretend sending out to preach , and take tythes , others crying out against them in words , and yet uphold them , and pay to the priests , whom you say are not ministers of christ ; and so waste the lord's goods to uphold deceit , and betray the just in your selves ; and not one of you will suffer for that you judge your principle ; and now you begin to creep into the idols temples , and worship there , and seek to the powers of the earth to uphold you ; and one of you preaching up free-will , another down , another an election of persons , and yet you never knew true faith , which is without respect of persons ; another company of you dreami●g of personal reign in your carnal imaginations , and judge just such a god and a christ as your selves , that you may live in pride , and lust , and filthy and earthly-mindedness , and envy , and yet talk of reigning with him ; but of being baptized into his death , you know nothing , nor suffering with him you know nothing of , nor of bearing his reproach daily , nor of suffering the spoiling of all , and denying all for him , this you are strangers to ; you that tell of exercising your gifts , you have no gift but acquired by long raking in the letter , and the exercise of your carnal wit and knowledge in contention and strife ; you have treasured up a great deal of stuff in the earthly memory , and this you call a gift of the spirit ; and such an one you make a pastor or an apostle of , and he begets into his image , but still in the curse , and makes proselites in the same likeness , leads into sorts and opinions from the true gift of god ; for who hath a gift , it exercises him first , and then he declares unto others of those things which the gift of god hath wrought in him ; and he that knows the gift of god is led out of his own way , will and time , into his will from whence it comes : and here is the ministry christ alwayes blessed , not in their own wills , but in his will , and this wrought a real change in people , from satan's power unto god's power ; and so in all your separation , self shines in all you have , not the form , much less the power : another sort tell of a power to come , and of a greater glory to be revealed , and a more glorious ministry then hath been yet ; yet your eyes are without , and the glory you look at is in great words , and your expectation will fail ; for you neglect the present measure of christ's gift , that leads to repentance , and that you are got above , and this is too low a thing for you , you judge , because you heard of this and talked of it , therefore you are past this ; but i sh●ll say unto you all , adulterers and adulteresses , come down from off your mountain of exaltation , exalted above the door and the cross , and you that are here are thieves and robbers , your minds are without , feeding upon the tree of knowledge , and imitating , the best of you in your fallen wisdom ; and your foundation is upon report , as the vagab●nd jews were ; in the name of jesus that paul preached , they would cast out unclean spirits , and they were sorcerers ; and what are you now ? who only preach of christ , that paul , and peter , and john , in the name of that jesus they declared of , and his righteousness they spoke of , but know not his name in you , nor his power , nor his righteousness , but in tradition , imitation , and conforming in the earthly will ; here is all your worship , all of you calling the letter the light , the word , the gospel ; nay , some of you so impudent as to call it spirit and life : and so now you are made manifest and seen ; and your god , and worship , and all your profession is tryed by the light , is seen , comprehended , weighed and judged with the light ; and all this will be too narrow to cover you in the day of the lord , which is coming as a thief upon all the world , who make mention of the name of the lord , but not in righteousness : and therefore strip you , make you bare , be uncovered , cast off your ragged covers , whi●h will rust and wax old , and mind the first principle , the light that shews you evil , and own it , to lead you and guide you out of sin , or else i testifie unto you , you shall dye in your sins , and wrath eternal will be your portion , except you repent , and cease from your vain thoughts and words , and wait to see the law of god revealed in your hearts , that may shew you sin , and condemn this nature in the transgression , and do it away , and slay you , and quicken another thing , which is dead in trespasses and in sins ; and while you sin , the image of god is dead , and christ suffers : so while you have time , prize it . to all you who put out the eye , through long and accustoming unto sin , who are near utter darkness . and you mingled people of babylon and egypt ; who are in darkness , and love to be so ; who are blind , and love to be so ; who wallow in your iniquity , and love to be so ; who live at ease in the flesh , in pleasures and wantonness , you are dead while you live ; you have taken up your rest in the earth ; you are inlarging your barns , you are cieling your houses , and you are building with hewed stone and cedars , and are laying house to house , and land to land , and are making your selves great in the world , and seeking a name among men ; you are swallowed up of the earth , and you go upon your bellies , you feed upon dust : wo unto you that are here , you have your consolation here , you lay up your bags , where thieves break in and steal , your garments are moth-eaten , your gold is rusty , and your silver is cankered ; and there is your god which you worship , which you have set up , and worship in your heart : and when you have over-reached your brethren , and cheated , and oppressed , and defrauded your brethren , and are grown rich , then you say , god hath given you all this ; whenas you have stolen it , and got it in usury , and oppression , and deceit ; and when you have it , spend it upon your lusts , and by your greatness grind the face of the poor , when you are become strong in the earth , and have spread out your boughs so broad , that nothing can grow that is near your shaddow , and yet talk of god at a distance ; but you know him not , but live in carelessness and ease , and liberty of the flesh , and pleasing the carnal mind ; the mighty day of the lord is at hand , which shall come as a thief upon you , and require all your souls at your hands , and take them away ; and then whose shall all these things be ? and all you poor blind people of the world of all sorts , who follow the blind guides and teachers of the world ; who know not the path of righteousness themselves , but live in covetousness , pride , oppression , seeking for their gain from their quarters in the steps of their fore-fathers the false prophets , which the lord declared against by jeremiah , isaiah , ezekiel , and hosea ; and christ cryed out against such blind guides as led the blind , and the apostles declared against such , whose hearts were exercised with covetous practices ; and them you set up for your teachers , who are not taught of the lord ; and they walk in the broad way , and you follow their example ; and yet you have a green tree to worship under , which seems beautiful in your eyes ; you talk of a god and christ , and of his gospel , and ordinances , but know him not , nor his will , nor how he will be worshipped , but according to the customs and fashions of the nations , as the heathen do ; and follow the traditions of men , and live in pride and fulness , and at ease , lust , and envy , in covetousness and double-mindedness , in drunkenness and riotousness , sports , pastimes , pleasures , gaming , playing , nourishing your hearts as in a day of slaughter ; wanton , wild , in swearing , lying , cursed speaking , in foolish jesting , in filthy communication , in laughter and folly , which is madness : the dreadful god of heaven and earth is arising in his power , and his day is coming upon you , that shall rip up your hearts , and you shall see that you are heathens , and know not god , although your idol-shepherds and hirelings have told you , you were christians , because you came one day in seven , and heard a few words spoken from the imagination of their own brain , and all the week long and year long live in carelesness , and in all the abominations before mentioned , and many more ; and yet you hate to be reproved , and hate to be reformed ; dreadfull is the day that is coming upon you , all sorts of carnal professors , and vain talkers , and busie minds , which talk of that you cannot witness : terror , terror , dread and wrath , vengeance in flames of fire , will god rain upon the ungodly , and snares , and turn them into hell , with all them that forget god : think on this , oh all you careless , wanton , earthly-minded people , whose god is your belly , who glory in your shame , who mind earthly things , and turn his grace into wantonness , and sport your selves as in the day-time ; and never consider your later end , and slight the day of your visitation , and so dye in your sin , and will lie down in everlasting misery , except you repent . terrible and dreadful is the day that is coming upon all the world , and all you who make mention of the name of the lord , but not in righteousness , in the many sects , and opinions , and judgments , in babylon , confusion , and error ; the lyon hath roared , who will not fear ? the lord hath spoken , who can but prophesie ? the lord hath roared out of sion , and uttered his voice from jerusalem ; he will send a fire in the gardens that you have made , and consume all the thickets round about it ; and you shall be ashamed of the oakes that you have chosen , and of the trees you have worshipped under , and the groves where ye have commited fornication with other lovers ; and have forsaken the lord , and joyned your selves unto idols ; and now , your hearts are become hart , and you will have none of the wayes of the lord , nor will that christ should reign over you ; for you hate his light which shews you sin and evil , and would turn you from it , and out of blindness and ignorance , but your wills lead you , and the crooked wayes of the serpent you follow ; but now is the time near finished , all your joy shall be at an end , and all your lovers shall forsake you , and you shall mourn and howl , ye careless people , who live in deceit , and are wise to do evil , and mighty to work wickedness , but to do good have no understanding . awake , awake , arise , arise , and stand all up to judgment ; let the heathen be awakened ; for the lord shall roar out of sion , and utter his voice as a whirlwind ; and the heavens and the earth shall shake , and the mountains shall melt at his presence , and all the hills shall melt before him , and all the isles shall flee away at his presence , who is risen to take vengeance upon all the ungodly , and all shall be slain before him : assemble your selves , and come all ye heathen , and gather your selves together round about ; for the lord will plead with you as in the valley of jehoshaphat , and there will he sit as judge , to give every one their portion according to their work. awake , all you that are asleep , and stand up to judgment ; the angel of the covenant is come , and the time of harvest draws neer ; the reaper is come with his sharp sickle , and is come , for the press is full , and the fat 's overflow ; for their wickedness is great ; multitudes , multitudes shall be slain , and bound in bundles , and cast into the lake , and into the valley of decision : the sun and the moon shall withdraw their shining , and the stars shall fall and loose their light ; yet a little while , and time shall be no longer , but you will be swept into the pit , where shall be weeping and wailing , and gnashing of teeth , and overturned as sodom and gomorrah ; and you shall know there is a god , who is pure and holy , who will judge you not according to your words and feigned deceitfull hearts , but in righteousness . and so all dread his name , and fear him , and tremble before him , and bow your selves , and submit unto him , lest your perish forever from his presence , and be tormented with the devil and his angels in the lake of everlasting fire . and all you ungodly , think on this ; for this shall be the portion of your cup forever , who slight the day of gods love and visitation , and turn his grace into wantonness ; his long-suffering shall come to an end , and his spirit will not alwayes strive with you ; and then he will arise in his wrath , and take vengeance upon his enemies , and bind the tares , and the briars , and thorns in bundles , and cast them into everlasting fire , where is perpetual exilement from the presence of god , and from the lamb forever and ever , and from the light of his countenance ; and this as the lord lives , will come upon all who are not cleansed from sin , and purged from your iniquity ; and destruction is of your selves ; it is not because there is not balm enough in gilead , nor no physician , not because you have no grace nor power ; but because you despise it , and will not come to christ , who is the light , lest your deeds should be reproved ; nor mind that which is given unto you , to lead you out of sin ▪ and so the one thing needful you heed not ; and you that do not , will lie down in everlasting misery and sorrow , world without end. and now to you that are tossed , and find no rest for the s●le of your foot , but are still led aside into pollutions and sin , and know not how to come forth , nor where the power is . cease gadding abroad , and seeking in that principle which leads you further from god , and from your own wisdom and reason , which is in the fall , and in the disobedient nature , for there you can never find peace , nor the way that leads unto it ; all that you have heard , you see still there is one thing lacking ▪ and you are unsatisfied ; and while your eyes are without , his power you know not that gave the saints dominion ; and the further you enquire in the natural fallen wit and reason , the further you are off the first principle that leads to know god : now i say unto you all , christ jesus , who is anointed of god to preach glad tidings to the poor and to the captive , who in the dayes of his flesh declared and preached the kingdom of god was near , yea , in them ; i say unto you now he preaches by his spirit in the world , and he is now in the world , and this is he that convinceth the world of sin , and shews thee thy evil deeds by his light in thy conscience ; and as thou waitest upon that light that is given from god , it will open thy understanding , and let thee see all that ever thou hast done , and will bring trouble upon thee , and a true sensibleness of thy condition , and will bring wrath upon that nature in thee which is corrupt and contrary to the light ; for the light is of the nature of christ jesus : and so thou wilt come to see , as thou waitest in the true light wherewith christ hath enlightened thee , two seeds , and each of these seeds hath a nature , and they are one contrary to the other in their natures ; the nature of the one is to work unrighteousness , and of the other , to bear witness against sin , and also works righteousness ; and these two are contrary ; the one leads into bondage the just , and the other leads into bondage the unjust ; the one is the image of god , the other the image of the devil ; and if thou waitest in the light , thou wilt see two striving in the womb ; and here is nation against nation , and kingdom against kingdom , and these are at variance , and the life of the one is the death of the other : now that which lets thee see that cain and ishmael are goodly children , who are of the first birth , yet they must not enter , nor have any share with the seed of the free-woman , but must be cast out ; and therefore another seed must be witnessed , which the promise is to ; who are born again , are born of that which is pure , of the living water , and that washes from sin and uncleanness , and also of the spirit , which is life ; they that are born of this , enter into the city where no unclean thing enters ; for god takes nothing into communion with himself , but that which is made holy , and cleansed , and purged , and purified by the operation and working of his spirit , which spirit is life to them that receive it , and it reproves them that receive it not ; and this is in the world , and reproves the world , yet the world receives it not , and so lyes wholly in wickedness , in darkness and blindness . now unto you that have but any stirring or desires begotten in your hearts af●er god or his truth , that so you may know the power of god , which gives dominion over sin ; hearken a little , and i shall declare unto thee , if thou have an ear to hear christ jesus , who is the light of the world , and hath lightened every one that comes into the world by his true light ; and this is it that shews thee thy evil deeds , and the vanities of the world , and shews thee what is evil , and discovers unto thee all things that ever thou hast done , and will check thee when thou dost any thing contrary to it , and judge thee for that which is past , and this is the gift of god ; and as thou turnest thy mind to it , it will turn thee from sin and evil unto jesus christ , from whence it comes ; and this is present with thee ; and as thou hearkenest to this , thou seest god is pure , who is present , and by the light takes notice of all thy actions and performances , with what heart thou dost them , and offerest them up in ; and this will let thee see , if thou regardest iniquity in thy heart , all is abomination to the lord ; therefore keep unto this , and it will shew thee sin and evil before thou commit it ; and as thou standest in the counsel of the light , thou standest in the counsel of christ ; and his power preserves thee , for the light is power ; all that hearken not unto another are preserved out of sin & temptation and pollution , and see an overcoming by the power of christ which is present ; and here is a guide to all your minds , who have wandered here and there , and have found nothing ; here you come to know the doctrine and teaching of christ , which leads into all truth all that believe in it and receive it ; and so it will change you out of pride and wantonness , out of covetousness & earthly-mindedness , and from sin it will lead you , and from the pathes of unrighteousness into righteousness , which is the pure path of the lord , which all come to enjoy peace in , who walk in it ; but the cross of christ must be taken up daily , or else you cannot walk in the way of the lord : and so to the cross all come , and to the yoak , that you may see the wild nature bound under and limited , and your vain thoughts judged out , and you may come to see the straight way , where no lyar can enter , nor no ravenous beast , nor no unclean , but they come all to be kept out : and so as you love your souls and the way of the lord , mind the witness of christ in you ; and if you go from it , and despise it , it will follow and pursue you , and you shall never know peace ; while you stand in disobedience to the grace of god and the free gift of god , you can never see redemption , nor know god's power , which he gives unto all that receive him ; and you cannot receive his gift , but self and self-will must be denyed ; and so the will of christ , which is the will that wills in the light , and works in the light , and reveals sin by the light , and declares righteousness through the light ; and here the coming of christ comes to be seen , and his day comes to be known , which abraham saw ; but through death this comes to be read and known : and so turn all to this here , the word you will hear , which is pure and powerful ; it separates , as you hearken unto it , and divides between the precious and the vile in you all who love it ; and it 's nigh thee , in thy mouth and in thy heart , and discerns thy thoughts ; and here thou wilt learn , as thou waitest in patience of the son , in whom the father is well pleased ; and if thou hearkenest to any other , it 's the false prophet , which leads thee to error , and so the displeasure of god will come against thee forever , until thou return : blessed is he that hears , receives , considers and prizes the offers of grace and the day of god's everlasting love , and owns the gift of god in him revealed , which leads to repentance , and works a change in the heart and mind of all that believe in it , and gather up into its nature all that wait in diligence , and believe in it ; and so the day of redemption comes to be seen and known , out of death , out of the grave , and immortality comes to be brought forth , and incorruption comes to be put on ; and they that witness this can truly say , we have found him whom our souls love , and do not look for any other . blessed is he that hears and considers , and waits to be made partaker of god's righteousness revealed , that justifies all that receive it , and believe in it , & they by it come to be pillars in the house of god forever , & follow the lamb whithersoever he goes , where pure peace is enjoyed forever and ever . the measuring rod of the lord stretched forth over all nations , and the line of trve jvdgment laid to the rulers thereof : wherein all governours , rulers , potentates & powers are measured , and all governments and laws weighed in the true weight , wherein they all may see how far they are degenerated from the law of righteousness and the rules of wisdom , which was in the beginning , before tyranny , persecution and rebellion shewed it self . also shewing the end that will come upon all those rulers and governments , rules and laws that have been made in the apostacy , which is to be all overthrown , and all that which is acted out of god's power to be thrown down by him , unto whom all power is committed . shewing also , that they in whom the power of god is made manifest cannot be subject to any usurper , or to that power which is gone from the life of god. also , an advertisement to all the rulers upon the earth , that they may wait for the restorer to be revealed in the nations , to make up the breaches , and to crush that down which hath made the breach , that so righteousness may cover the earth , and gladness of heart may possess the people . published for the information of all the rulers upon earth . by one who waits to see the kingdoms of the world to become the kingdoms of the lord and his christ , that he alone may rule forever and ever . f. h. printed in the year . the measuring rod of the lord stretched forth over all nations , listen oh world ! hearken o earth , and all the inhabitants thereof ; give ear , oh all nations that are therein , and all the isles thereof , draw near ye potentates thereof , ye emperours , kings , earls , dukes , nobles principalities and dominions ; my mouth shall speak the thing that is right , and my lips shall utter forth understanding ; my tongue shall declare unto you the counsel of the most high ▪ and what he is bringing to pass in the latter dayes ; he that is higher then the highest hath said , he that is greater then the greatest hath spoken ; the whole world lyes in wickedness , and thick darkness is over the world ; his way is perverted , his counsel is despised , and all nations are out of order , notwithstanding the multitude of their counsellors , and notwithstanding all their wisdom , yet folly is brought forth in the midst of the nations . because they have asked counsel , and not at the lord , and taken advice , and not at the holy one ; therefore violence is set up as an ensign , and wickedness runneth down as a river , and cruelty and oppression as a mighty stream , the whole earth is full of folly and madness , and all the people thereof are degenerate and grown out of the image of god into a monstrous and strange nature ; the prophets are all fools , the diviners thereof are mad , and they being degenerate themselves from the life of god , have led them into further blindness , darkness , ignorance and deceit , and have made the word of truth of none effect through their traditions , and have taught for doctrine the precepts of men , and the traditions of them who are out of the faith , and out of the life , and out of the power of god ; and the counsellors they have established wickedness by a law , they themselves being estranged from the life of god ; therefore violence is broken forth into the earth as a flood : and now all kings , rulers and potentates of the earth , who have given their power to the whore , who sits upon many vvaters , and the vvaters are kindreds , tongues , people and nations ; yea , all nations have been drunk with the cup of her fornication ; and being all gone forth from the life which the prophets and the holy men of god lived in , and were established in ; nations and become as vvaters , reeling to and fro , hither and thither , unsetled , unstable , there the vvhore hath her seat ; and all having drunk of her cup of iniquity and fornication , even of mystery babylon's cup , and are inflamed therewith , and so reel to and fro as the vvaters , and are as the waves of the sea unstable , by her who hath made all nations drunk , and by them who have been made drunk with her ( even all nations , kindreds , tongues and people ) have the prophets been slain , and the vvitnesses slain , and none to bury them not in mystery babylon , who is drunk with the blood of the saints ; and they that have drunk of her cup of fornication , even all the kings , nobles and potentates of the earth , they have acted the like , and have slain the appearance of god , whereever it hath been brought forth ; and the red dragon hath stood ready to devour the heir , which is born of mystery jerusalem , which is the mother of all who are born from above , who are heirs of the promise of eternal life ; and the powers of the earth have joyned their power to the dragon , who cast out floods of venome after the child , which is brought forth by the woman , which is clothed with the sun ; and now the powers of the earth take part with the dragon , and their authority and dominion that they execute is by his power , which arises out of the bottomless pit , and shall go into perdition ; and he hath deceived the nations long , and all have exercised their power against him who is the heir of the promise , the first-born of every creature , who is higher then the highest , and greater then the greatest , and have changed his laws , and made them void , and have set up the law of sin and death , and have established unrighteous laws by the power of darkness , in which all nations have been involved , since the dragon hath power ; and whosoever would not obey those laws and customs and constitutions , the dragon hath had power , and they that have joyned to him , for a time to kill , to imprison , to destroy ; and they who have been exalted have had thought to weary out the saints of the most high , and to root out the memorial of the just , that he and all his adherents might reign forever in the kingdom of unrighteousness , and in the dominion of darkness , which is the devils dwelling place and residence forever , who is at enmity against god and the children of light , which worship god in spirit and truth , in life and righteousness , now is the time drawing near , and he who is the desire of all nations appeareth ; the ancient of dayes is coming , whose throne is established in righteousness forever , who will break the head of the dragon , and will lay hold upon him , and chain him up , that he deceive the nations no more : and all you emperours , kings , dukes , earls , nobles , lords and potentates , who have joyned to him , your kingdom shall be rent from you , and your hands shall grow weak , that you shall not be able to defend your selves against him , who travails in the greatness of his strength who is coming up against you , as a lyon greedy of his prey , and will devour at once all his enemies , that thought in their hearts to reign forever , and to settle themselves in iniquity forever ; now the time draws near , when he will put down the authority of the dragon , and of the beast , and the beast with many heads and horns , and their rule shall come to an end , and he will dash you one against another as broken pitchers , till you be consumed and brought to nought , and be worn out as a moth-eaten garment , and will overthrow your laws and customs , which are made in the night of ignorance and blindness , and will change your customs and the times , and will reduce the earth again into its first purity ; and you that have ruled , shall serve and be tributary ; and as you have had a time of rejoycing over the witnesses ( who have troubled your earthly and devilish peace ) and slain them as sheep for the slaughter , a time of mourning is coming upon you , when you shall say , alas , alas ! for your glory shall pass away , and your renown shall wither ; and for your dominion , which shall grow so weak , that you shall not be able to resist him who travels in the greatness of his strength , and treadeth the winepress of the wrath of god , who is mighty and strong , to judge the whore , and all they that have committed fornication with her , and have drunk of her cup , and are inflamed with adultery , and cannot cease from sin , but burn in envy against the appearing of the manchild , who is heir of the promise , yea , of life everlasting , born here to the inheritance which is incoruptible , unto whom all power belongeth , both in heaven and earth , who will subdue the lower power and powers of darkness , and tread them under foot ; and all who act from that power which is below the life , below the truth , below the light , that power will he ( and all whom he brings out of the grave , and raises above the grave ) tread down under foot , which stands but in the earth wherein dwells unrighteousness . although thy teachers and diviners in thee oh earth , who preach a divination of their own brain , and from the imagination of their own hearts , have made you believe , oh you powers of the earth , who are in the fall , in the transgression of the life , that you were the higher powers , every emperour , king , duke , earl , nobles , lords , and that all were to stoop to your wills , how contrary soever they have been to god ; but you and they must know , there is one higher then the highest , who is king of kings , and lord of lords , who alone will judge the hearts of his people , and their consciences ; for he will not give his glory to another , although you have long usurped it , since the dayes of the apostacy , and would have had all to bow to that power which hath transgressed the life , and is gone from the power of god , oh! long hath been the night of ignorance and darkness , and great hath been the apostacy in the earth , since the dayes of the apostles , and since the false christ's and false prophets entered into the world , which christ said , should come , and cry , lo here , and there , and should deceive many , yea , all the world wondered after the beast , and john saw it all lay in wickedness , and the time that christ prohesied of came to be fulfilled in the dayes of john , and he saw it , mat. . , . that many false prophets and antichrists , were gone out into the world , out from the life , out from the truth , out from the light , wherein the saints had fellowship , who wrote forth the scriptures ; and he said , they were gone into the world : and he said , the whole world lay in wickedness ; and so they went from holiness into wickedness , and from the father's love into the love of the world ; and peter and jude , who lived in the same age , they saw them that went in the error of balaam , and in the way of cain , and in gainsaying the power , being turned from it like corah , and also their hearts were exercised with covetous practices , so john saw they were come , john . , , little children , it is the last time , as you have heard that antichrist shall come , even now there are many antichrists , whereby we know , it 's the last time ; and peter saw that false apostles should come , who should make merchandise of the people , and prophesied of it , as you may read pet. . , . and in the , & . verses , you may know them by their fruits , having eyes full of adultery , and cannot cease from sin ; beguiling unstable souls , and hearts they have exercised with covetous practices ; and they were the cursed children ; and these had forsaken the right way , christ , the way and his command also , freely ye have received , freely give , and they laboured to keep the gospel without charge , who were true apostles ; but these false prophets , deceitful workers , antichrists and false apostles , they were gone in balaam's way , after the wages of unrighteousness , in cain's way , in corah's way , in antichrist's way , out of christ's way ; and these false prophets , false apostles , they spoke swelling words of vanity , and did allure through the lusts of the flesh ; and they like the rest of the false prophets gone before them , cryed peace , and promised peace unto others , while they run with them into riotousness , and while they put into their mouthes ; and these promised liberty to themselves and others , while they themselves were servants of corruption : and jude bore witness , that they were turned from the grace of god into lasciviousness , and wantonness , even from the grace that taught them to deny ungodliness , and was sufficient to preserve them from these errors before mentioned ; but they went from it , and the light and life of men , and denyed him , and owned another , even him who abode not in the truth ( the foundation of god ) but went out of the truth ; and so are bottomless or without foundation , and there is the very center , ground and residence of all the false prophets , antichrists , deceivers , all comes from or out of the bottomless pit , and leads to perdition . and paul , if not in that age , yet in the next age after lived , and he saw the mystery of iniquity already begin to work , thes. . . and paul an apostle of christ wrote to timothy his son , that the spirit spoke expresly , some should depart from the faith , and they should speak lyes in hypocrisie , timothy . , . and in the tim. he gave him notice , what fruits they should bring forth , they that departed from the faith , chap. . ver . , , , , . yea , a great apostacy from the faith there was , while paul was yet living ; for he writes to timothy , . tim. . this thou knowest , that all they which were in asia , be turned away from me ; and there were a great people in asia ; for great persecution he suffered in asia , and stayed two years in asia , acts. . . in somuch that all they that dwelt in asia heard the word of the lord , yea , and divers great men , and of the chief of asia were his friends , acts . . so it 's manifest , there were a great people ; for acts . . not only at ephesus , but almost throughout all asia , this paul hath perswaded , and turned away much people ▪ said demetrius ; and paul writing to the corinthians , saith , cor. . . the churches in asia . salute you ; and j●hn writes to seven , rev. , . rev. . and as was said before , all were deceivers from the faith , even all they that are in asia are turned away from me , and the apostle wrote to titus ; titus , . , . that there were many unruly , and vain talkers and deceivers , who subverted whole houses , teaching the things they ought not , for filthy lucre. and john , who wrote the last in the revelations , he writes , that the whole world wondered after the beast , and his power was so great , that it was said , who is able to make war with the beast ? and they worshipped the beast , saying , vvho is able to make war with the beast ? rev. . , . and the beast that arose out of the sea , having seven heads and ten horns , and upon his horns ten crowns , and upon his head the name of blasphemy , and the dragon gave him his power , his seat , and great authority , and he opened his mouth in blasphemy against god , to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle , and them that dwell in heaven ; and it was given him to make vvar with the saints , ver. . . and to overcome them ; and power was given him over all kindreds , tongues and nations ; and all that dwell upon the earth , ver. . shall worship him , whose names are not written in the lambs book of life , slain from the foundation of the world . this beast receiving his power and authority from the dragon , hath prevailed ; he rose out of the sea , the waters upon which the whore sits ; and the waters are kindreds , tongues and people ; and the beast arose out of the seas also , that the whole world wondered after , and worshipped ; and john saw this coming fourteen or fifteen hundred years ago ; so that in a few ages after the apostles all was worn out , the life lost , the dragon had power , the beast had power , and all wondred after him , and the whore had made all nations drunk with her fornication , and then she came to sit upon many waters , kindreds , tongues and people ; here are the waters ; here is the sea out of which the beast rose , who received his power from the dragon ; and this is he , who upon his head had the names of blasphemy ; and all kindreds tongues and nations , whose names were not written in the lamb's book , they who honoured the beast , and worshipped the beast , and said , who is able to make war with him ? admired his power , and submitted unto him ; and he hath had power , and hath prevailed against the saints , did overcome them , and the dragon hath made war with the seed , which keep the commandments of god , and the testimony of jesus , all this was seen many ages ago ; and what work the dragon hath made in the nations and in the earth , where he hath had dominion and prevailed ; and what a raging the roaring lyon hath kept in the earth is evident , seeking to destroy them in whom the seed remained , and to destroy them in whom the power of god was , or the least measure ; and so the false prophets , deceivers , antichrists which went out then , which the apostle saw , they cryed up that power which was from the life of god , and have cryed it up for the higher power , and said , all ought to be subject to it , and said , who is able to make war with the beast ? for the false apostles , deceivers and anti-christs went from the grace of god , and from the light , and from the power of god , into the world , and into that nature which all kindreds ▪ tongues and people walked in , and into the power that acts the children of disobedience , and joyned with that power upon which the whore sits ▪ and they taught nations and people to admire this power , and to admire the beast , because of his heads , horns , crowns and names , and hath wrought miracles before the beast ; and this power , which the beast had received from the dragon , this power admires the false prophet , and the false prophet the beast ; so that none could buy nor sell , nay , nor live , but that had his mark , or the number of his name ; and so all have been in utter darkness , and the deeds of darkness have spread themselves over the earth ; for the whore who is adulterated from god , and the dragon , and the beast , and the false prophet , all have acted from that power , which is below the truth , and below the life , which power is at enmity against the truth and the life , and against the light ; and this power overspread all nations , the sun being set , night came over all , and the shadow of death over all nations , and a vail and a covering hath been spread over all ; and so out of the midst of thick darkness all have acted this long and dark night of ignorance in the apostacy , wherein the dragon hath had power , and the beast , and that power hath been admired and set up , which hath transgressed the life ; so that any who have been zealous for the truth , and have kept the testimony of jesus , and the spirit of prophecy , the false prophets in all nations , who are from the testimony of jesus , have called to the beast , to slay , and to kill , and to destroy the seed of the woman , which is clothed with the sun ; and so the beast exercising his power , which is from below , hath killed and destroyed them who were subject to the higher power . and what torturing , massacring and persecution , what burning and strangling there hath been , what cruel death 's many have been put to , over all nations , and in all nations where the beast hath had power , who makes war against the life , so that the streets have run with blood ; and all being gone from the life and power of god , they set up themselves to be judges over mens consciences ; and they who were in the error , they cryed out of heresie ; and they that are gone from the truth into a lye , the ground of blasphemy , they cry out of blasphemy ; and under the horns of the beast , and under the heads , and the crowns of the beast , what cannons , constitutions , edicts and laws have been in all nations ? what traps , gins and snares have been laid in every nation ; yea , every horn hath pushed , and every head hath lifted up it self against christ the head , and every mortal crown hath advanced it self against the crown of glory , and against the immortal crown ; so that it might be said , as elijah said , the altar of the lord hath been broken down , and his prophets and his witnesses slain , none have escaped the rage of the beast . yet there have been a few who have kept their garments clean , and were not defiled with women , nor with the harlot , those who feared the lord , and durst not offend the righteous law of god in their consciences , but have denyed whole councils , who were erred from the faith , and all the powers of the earth in which the beast bore rule , but rather chuse to suffer cruel deaths , then to let go the profession and possession of their faith , whose blood cryes under the altar , how long , o lord , holy , just and true , will it be ere thou avenge our blood ; which blood and cry is entered into the ears of the lord of hosts , who will speedily take vengeance on the nations , and dash them one against another , and will break down that power which hath slain the witnesses , yea , and hath gainsaid the power of god , and all nations who are from the life , in which the holy men of god lived , and in that nature still which persecuted the life of god , wherever it did appear in any measure ; yea , swelled up and climbed to the very top of iniquity , which is satan's crown and glory ; and the priests , and they that went out from the light into the world in john's dayes and peter's dayes , who then taught for filthy lucre , and did subvert whole houses from the faith , ever since that time have spread themselves over the nations , and have begotten people into a form and into an image without the life , and so have worshipped the beast and his image . and the deceit being entred then , and images then being set up , one on this wise , another on that , and some have had an image of many mixtures , such an image as the priests of england , scotland and ireland worship , and have got a law to guard it , that whosoever will not bow to it , the furnace is heat hotter to throw them into it . object . and if any say , why i say so , or how do i make that appear ? ans. i answer thus , the cardinals , jesuites , and other romish priests had a law made to protect their idol , the mass , and if any spoke to him that was sacrificing to the image or idol , then three months imprisonment ; but now if any declares against the image that the priests of england , scotland , and ireland have set up , every one is to pay five pound , or six months imprisonment in a house of correction , and there be tortured , and whipt , and shamefully intreated , near to the loss of life ; nay , it 's now so much the more hotter now then ever . none must come near the house of their idol god or image , but must be counted a breaker of the peace ; nor speak to a deceiver , and say he is so ; nor a hireling , and say he is so ; nor to a covetous priest , and say he is so , and can for proof bring half of his parish to witness the truth of this ; but if he speak the truth never so clear , he must to prison , or pay five pound , or the house of correction , and there be whipt , and stocked , and fettered , and chained and tortured ; and so ti is manifest , that those magistrates , who had a hand in making of this law , have outstript the magistrates in the time of q. mary , when the pope had power in his height in these nations . and the priests now , in these nations , who have set up their image of many mixtures ; and one year they make one , and another year another , and what that power likes the best , that is gone out of the life and power of god , that they present to the authority of the nation as an image of a more comely stature then the former , and then authority mak●s a law to guard it ; and so it may truly be said , as it was said to israel , hath any other nation changed their god , but israel had changed from the living god , to them by nature which are no gods ▪ and so have these nations gone from god , the fountain of life , and from the power of god , and have set up an image in which is no life in stead ; nay , they are not content with their image , but it grows old , and then patch up another of many mixtures ; one while the mass , that was held forth as their publick profession , and then prelacy , and the book of common-prayer , and then presbytery , and the directory , mixt and made up of ignorance , blindness and of the fragments of popery , and their own invention ; and this now is set up for all to bow to , one while one thing , which they call faith , and another while another , and heaps of confused confessions , but are all out of the life , and from the true faith. and now they have manifested themselves to have no faith , and to be without faith , and are unagreed upon it ; instance that which is called the humble petition and advice , presented to o. p. by the late parliament , that there may be a publich confession of faith made and recommended , as the publick profession , and also that none may speak or write against under a penalty ; but this image the lord hath by his immediate hand from heaven curst , and confounded them that would have founded it , before it ever came to be set up : ah silly silly ! that ever they who should profess godliness , should so shame themselves and all their teachers ; for the teachers are not agreed yet of their faith , so they have either no faith , or else many forms which are feigned , and in this they are not yet agreed ; and so being out of the true faith , in which the saints had fellowship , in the unity of the faith , they are all in distraction and confusion , head and tail in the jarr , in the strife about words , and a form of words : and how many confessions , and forms , and images are there set forth , and people still ignorant of the mystery of faith , which is held in a pure conscience , and want that which is the evidence of things not seen , and want that which should let people see him who is invisible ? and oh ! how are people lost in the midst of these feigned formal divinations ? and how are the rulers in most nations lost in the midst of their counsels , being gone from that which should be a terror to evil-doers , and should be for the praise of them that do well . and what if all people in all nations were constrained under a penalty to hold such a form of words , and to consent to such a confession ? doth this any more but make hypocrites , when a man is not first perswaded of those things in his mind by the spirit of truth ? is this any more , but feignedness ? how long hath the god of this world blinded the eyes of people , whole cities , towns , and countryes , because they have gotten a formall confession , made by a priest , who is out of christ's doctrine , in the steps of the false prophets , and in the practice of the false apostles and deceitfull workers ; and when they have made a confession , of a catechism , as they call it , and have gotten over the words , and can say them over , now judge they have faith , and are sound christians , when they are ignorant of the first principle or of faith towards god , and so are carried on in the mist of darkness and ignorance , and know not yet repentance from dead works . object . but some of the rulers and potentates of the earth may say , we have not persecuted them for well-doing , but for heresie , and blasphemy , and sowers of sedition , and because they have not su●mitted to obey our constitutions and laws . answ. deceit hath never wanted a cover hitherto , neither hath or can the serpent want subtilty , for it's nature by which he liveth . nebuchadnezar made a law , that whosoever would not obey , should be cast into the furnace , and might not all his magistrates have said to sh●●rach , meshach , and abednego , that they were not subject to the king's decree , and therefore judge they suffered deservedly ? and did not the jews , who were uncircumcised in heart say , when they took up stones to stone christ , we stone thee not for thy good works , but thou being a man makest thy self god and the jews stoned paul and stephen , and put peter ? and john in prison , they said they were movers of sedition , and ring-leaders of sects , but the chief priests , and the false prophets , had alwayes their hands in conspiring against the life of the just ; but persecutors were ever blind , and yet were so conceited , that they saw , that they said to christ , are we also blind ? but the seed of falshood hath sitten as judge long , and hath laid the heritage of god waste , and hath set it self in god's temple as the true heir , and judged the heir not worthy to live , and thousands of thousands have been put to cruel deaths , and a numberless number hath suffered since the apostles dayes , and since the apostacy came in , yet these which have done these things would be called christian magistrates , and ministers of justice , and those teachers who have called to the rulers to punish such as hereticks , and seducers , they would be counted the ministers of christ , and such nations who are out of the life , they would be counted holy. oh! nay ; christ came not to destroy mens lives , but to save them ; and all you rulers in all nations , who go under the name of christendom , who are upon the earth , and all you teachers that are therein , whose actions , lives , doctrines , principles and practices are contrary to the life of righteousness , and contrary to the doctrine of christ , and the practice of the holy men of god , you are all out of christ's nature , and out of the divine nature , in the dragon's nature , and in the corrupt nature , in the nature in which all the disobedient and rebellious are in , who are heirs of wrath and eternal vengeance ; therefore repent ye of your iniquity , and tremble before the lord god of heaven and earth , who is roaring from his dwelling place , and uttering forth his dreadful voice , at the sound thereof all nations shall fear , and be astonished ; and the fenced cities , in which you dwell , shall be horribly afraid . behold the time of restoring is come and coming , and the year of god's controversie with sion's enemies is approaching near you , and he who sits and judges in righteousness hath shewed himself , and will rule over the heathen as with a rod of iron , and will pour forth his plagues upon all the families of the earth , that call not upon his name , but despise it and trample upon it ; the earth is filled with violence , cruelty and oppression ; yea , it is broken forth as a flood , and the nations are covered with unrighteousness as with a garment ; the beast hath exercised his power , and hath overcome and prevailed long over the heritage of god , and the mountain of the lord's house is made desolate , all is void and without form , deceit enthroned , truth trampled upon , judgment turned backward , and the devil reigns a king , equity hath found no place , mercy is shut out of doors , cruelty is entertained , temperance and moderation have no residence ; lust , uncleanness , excess , riotousness and wantonness are loved , as though they were the way to eternal felicity ; pride , hypocrisie and dissimulation are taken pleasure in ; sobriety and meekness have no dwelling place , but are thrown aside ; folly and madness are set up as the greatest wisdom , and the wisdom which is from above counted the greatest folly ; the fear of the lord is slighted , god's pure law thrown behind their backs ; the nations and the people therein are compassed about with darkness as a wall , and with ignorance as a curtain , and with blindness as with a strong fence ; they are situated in the region of death , and at the side of the pit , and yet say , no evil shall come near us , nor sorrow touch our tabernacle , and are in a dead sleep of security , wrapt up in the slumber of iniquity , involved in utter darkness , folded up in the deep pit of ignorance , and desire not the knowledge of wisdom , neither to walk in her path ; but her way is grievous unto them , and the eye-lid of the morning is unto them as the shadow of death . nevertheless he that weighs all things in an even ballance , before whom all nations are but as the drop of a bucket ; he is appearing in his power , and thundring from his holy place , who will make the nations shake as an olive leaf , & the isles tremble before him , who is uttering forth his voice as the sound of many waters , which shall make all the potentates and the mighty of the earth bow ; the eye-lids of the morning are opened , and the sun is rising to his height , and the dark air is scattering by the breath of his mouth ; and so all things shall appear in the earth as they are , and every thing under the face of the heaven shall be brought to light , and all the powers of darkness discovered , and the works and workers of iniquity shall no longer be hid , but shall be discovered by the light of the son of god , and shall be judged and condemned by the life of righteousness ; and blessed are they who know a hiding-place in him , when his overflowing scourge passeth over the nations , which is already made ready to execute his judgment upon the heathen , that know him not : oh! who may abide his presence , when he appears in his power majesty and glory ? all the ungodly of the earth shall be as driven stubble before his bow , and shall flee before him , nevertheless the pursuer shall overtake , and the destroyer shall lay hold upon them , and all the ungodly shall hear the sentence , go ye cursed from the presence of the lord into the pit of everlasting destruction . and when this day comes upon the nations , all your prophets , diviners and teachers , who are out of the life of christ , who have flattered you and told you , you were the higher power , and you must sit as judges in the things of the father , and lord it over the consciences of people , and prescribe the lord a way and a limit in your several nations and dominions , they shall not be able to deliver themselves neither you ; but the helper and the helped shall both fall together ; the strengthener and the strengthened shall grow feeble , and their loins weak , so that they shall not be able to stand before him who is the higher power , and the greatest dignity , who will rule over all usurpers , and over all the children of pride ; the dragon , the beast , the false prophet and teller of lyes , shall have their portion in the lake that burns . then shall the ransomed of the lord , and the righteous seed , whom the nations have slain and persecuted , the prophets and holy men of god , and all that have been slain for the testimony of jesus , rejoyce over the deceit ; and it shall be sung in that day , the lord god omnipotent reigneth who will ascend above all principalities and powers , thrones and dominions , and tread down all under his feet , that the earth may be filled with his glory ; and behold , he cometh quickly in a moment , and suddain destruction shall be upon his enemies , and the breath of his mouth shall make all melt away that hate the lord , and their remembrance shall rot forever and ever . therefore oh all ye powers of the earth , who are the sons of fallen adam , whose power ariseth out of the earth , in which the devil dwells , and the serpent feeds , who bear rule , but not by the lord , who sit as judges in the earth , and yet your judgment is from the earth and from below , know this , you shall all be judged with the just , and all your unrighteous decrees , laws , constitutions , ordinances and edicts , which are made in the fallen wisdom , you and they both together will be cast aside as a thing of nought , and must all be judged with the just : therefore repent , and turn to the lord of heaven and earth , that you may know his righteous judgment set up in your hearts , and the spirit of injustice and error purged out of your hearts , or else you judge not for god ; for all the laws , constitutions and ordinances , which are made in the fallen principle and fallen wisdom , to have all these in the head or in the memory , so that he may act in a nation or kingdom according to the letter of a law prescribed in a nation , that doth not at all make a man an able minister of justice , or a magistrate for god ; for the root being unholy , corrupt and erroneous , from whence those laws were given forth , the branches are unholy also ; the ground being corrupt , the tree bad , the fruit is bad also ; and so all nations who are degenerate from the life of god , their laws and constitutions do alwayes imbondage the regenerate ; so the heart being deceitful and unrighteous , such laws proceed forth , which do oppress the upright in heart ; and all or most of the laws in all nations are received by tradition from generation to generation , since the scattering of israel , who received the law from god's own mouth , by the hand of moses , a magistrate of the lord , and a judge over israel ▪ and so heaps of decrees , statutes and ordinances there are in the nations , which do not answer that of god in the conscience of every man ; and so that which is pure of god in the conscience of every one cannot be subject to those laws and traditions , but rather suffer ( as many thousands have done ) cruel deaths and great oppression all this dark time of anti-christ's reign and of the beast in all nations since the apostacy , and death reigning over all the sons of the first adam in the transgression , death hath breathed forth it self upon the face of the earth ; for sin entering , and death by sin , it rules in the heart , and exerciseth his power , which stands in unrighteousness ; and so all mankind in all their acting can do nothing for god , but against him , and against his people , who are redeemed out of the region of death ; and so all law-givers , law-makers and laws , which stand in the will of man , and in the unrighteous principle , will the second adam , the lord from heaven , the restorer of mankind , utterly overthrow , abolish and take away their power ; for the law-giver shall come out of sion , whoever in all nations that ever come to see him , must see him come from thence , whose appearance shall be as a lamp that burns , and he shall change the customs , the times and the laws , and overthrow all them that stand in the curse ; for he shall lead out of death , and out of its path , and from under the law of sin and death , that all that hear him , and come to be subject to his law , shall deny all those laws in the very ground , and bear their testimony against them , which stand in that nature that transgresseth the life : and therefore give ear all nations , and all emperors , kings , monarchs , lords , judges and rulers of the earth in all nations , he is come and coming , whose right it is to judge the earth in righteousness , and the people with equity , even he unto whom all judgment is committed , and he hath appeared as the son of god in the north region of the world , in power , majesty and great glory , and hath made the mountains melt before him , and he hath dryed up all the springs of babylon , and hath made the cedars bow , and made the trees of the forrest to shake , and the study oaks hath he cut up by the roots , and turned a pleasant land into a wilderness , and hath made the wilderness to blossom , and hath changed the customs already , and hath broken death's covenant , and hath overthrown the mighty men , yea , even the horse and his rider , and hath taken off their chariot wheels in the day of battel ; and it hath been a dreadful day and a sore slaughter , as in the dayes of gibeah , or as in the valley of jehoshaphat ; and a sorrowful day hath come , and great mourning , as hadadrimmon in the valley of megiddo ; for one poste hath met another , and the news hath been , babylon is taken at both ends ; and he hath over-run the multitude of egypt , and trampled upon them , as the prancing of horses in battel , so that the mighty are fallen by him , and the strong have not been able to help themselves against him who hath come as one that trod the wine-press , and now hath overturned the powers of death , hell and the grave , and hath broken death's covenant , and will put an end to all changeable laws , and hath and will establish his law , which endures forever and ever : and now hear , all that are left unspoiled are angry , and all that worship the beast , are left unslain , blaspheme him , and speak evil of his name , and of his wondrous works which he hath done in this day , as in the land of egypt , and in the fields of zoan ; for he hath turned the waters into blood , and hath cut all the fresh springs , and hath slain the first-born of egypt , at which pharaoh and all his wise men and all the egyptians are angry , and still resist the lord , till they will , with the rest who have resisted him , be swallowed up of the deep . and now , o nations , who are situated under the whole face of the heaven , he is coming up against you as a giant refreshed with wine , and shall run his course , and none shall be able to stop his way , and shall come as israel after the slaughter of edom , with their garments red ; and he travails in the greatness of his strength , and shall make all nations desolate , who have given their power to the beast , and will break their covenants , and throw down their traditions which are heathenish , and is bringing a handful out of the north country , who have been eye-witnesses of his power , majesty and glory , and of his noble acts , and though but a handful , yet they are blessed , and his increase shall be great ; for they shall subdue nations , and kings shall be tributary to them , and they shall be his witnesses to the ends of the world , and shall publish his righteousness from generation to generation , and bear their testimony of him , who lives forever and ever , who is the lord of heaven and earth , our righteousness , who hath broken open the seals of the deep , and hath made the springs of life to flow forth , as though it issued out of a womb , by which his little ones are refreshed , and grow in strength ; honour and glory to him in the highest , whose judgments are just , holy , pure and equal forever and ever . oh , who can stand before him , who hath uttered forth his voice before his camp , and it 's very great ? devouring fire is before him , and it is tempestuous round about him , and his sword devours much flesh , and all the ungodly shall be slain , heaps upon heaps , so that there shall be none left to bury the dead ; a glorious high throne hath he erected , and he sits thereon , and judge in righteousness , even he before whose face the heaven and the earth shall fly away , and the sea be dryed up ; oh! who can dwell with devouring fire ? who can dwell with everlasting burning ? who can stand when he appears ? when he draws out his sword of justice all nations shall grow pale , and all the rulers feeble , and the warriour shall not find his hands in the day of battel , when they encounter with the almighty ; for his sword shall be fatted with slaughter , and all nations who resist shall become soaked with blood. oh! he is dreadful ; who can stand when he appears , who is a consuming fire ? therefore all rulers in nations , and potentates of the earth , fear and dread his holy name , and bow unto his righteous scepter , lest you be cut off , and perish with the uncircumcised , who have resisted him , and go down into the nethermost hell forever ; for assuredly the day of your fanning and trying is near ; arm your selves , put on your armour , see if you be able to stand in the day of the lord ; oh nay , you will all be as dust before the whirl-wind , and shall be scattered in the fierce anger of the lord ; and all your changeable laws , constitutions , customs and traditions , which are brought forth from the changeable principle , which is gone out from the life ; and all your turning of things upside down shall be as the potter's clay ; for he unto whom the eternal being hath committed all judgment , which he hath appointed to judge in righteousness , is appearing , and come and coming , who sits as a refiner's fire , and sits as judge among the gods , who will not give his glory and honour to any other . and so all you that bear rule , and not by him , who is the true light which enlightneth every man that cometh into the world , your power is from another , even from him who is to be condemned with the light ; for by me ( saith the lord ) kings rule , and princes decree justice ; and such as were obedient unto his righteous law written in their hearts , as david , solomon , jehoshaphat , hezekiah , and the rest of the holy kings and princes , who were guided by that which was just and unchangeable , they ruled by his power , and decreed justice , and answered that which was just in every man's conscience , which is one with that power in which they ruled , and from whence they acted , and so a terror they became to none but evil-doers , who were out of the power , and out of the truth , and in that nature which stood up against that power by which the princes decreed justice ; and so with the power of god all these rulers , rules and governments , which are not according to the power of the just god , are to be abolished at the coming of him , whose day shall come , and in his power and glory he shall appear , which shall darken , dazel , extirpate and utterly destroy all , root and branch together , who is out of his power , and against it ; so there shall be a very great overturning , such as hath not been from the beginning , neither shall be ever hereafter . and then shall the restorer be seen , who shall restore the earth into its first purity , and there shall be judges as at the first , and counsellors as at the beginning , then shall the earth enjoy her rest , and the nations their sabbath ; for the lord of glory hath considered it , and he hath listened , and a great cry is heard out of all nations , of the poor and of the oppressed , and of his creatures which he hath made , how they have been chopped to pieces , as flesh for the pot , and grownd to dust , as though they had not been god's workmanship ; and his seed in all nations hath been in great captivity , whose sighs , groans and tears have pierced through the clouds , and is entered to the throne of god , who is now arising to plead the cause of the poor and the needy ; and now wo to the world , and to all them that have born rule , but not by the lord. an advertisement to all the rulers upon the earth . there is one only god , the creator and the bringer forth of all things , whose way is equal , and whose judgments are just ▪ whose law is righteous , whose statutes are pure , answering his own pure witness in every man under the face of heaven in all nations upon the earth ; so as every man in all nations upon the earth comes to own god's pure witness in himself , placed by the lord , he shall be made to confess unto the righteous acting of those rulers who rule in righteousness by the righteous law of god ; but where any ruler is not ruled himself by that which is pure of god , which condemneth self and self-actings in himself , he bears rule , but not in god's dominion , and so layes yoaks upon a nation , countrey or people , to make all submit to his will , decrees and ordinances , and to deny that which is pure of god in themselves , and then joyn to his deceit ; and thus iniquity gets head , and is set up as a rule , and the law of god , both in the ruler and the ruled , is thrown behind their back ; and so deceit leadeth , and the changeable mind acteth it self out in every thing that it hath to do withal ; and so tyranny and oppression spreads over a whole nation , and the just suffer in it . and hence it is that there are so many several laws , ordinances , constitutions , traditions and customs among men in many nations , countries and regions , one differing from another , and heaps of confusion , that hardly in any nation , or few in a nation know what is law , there is so much variableness and changeableness amongst the law-makers , one while setting up , another while pulling down ; and as deceit advanceth it self in any particular ruler , then there must be a law made , and a penalty upon the non-performance , as death , banishment , torturing , whipping , racking , imprisonment , fining , to the utter destruction of many ; and all the ground of this is , because the rulers are gone from that of god in themselves , and then act in their own wills , and by their craft and deceit , which stands in the ground which is cursed , and call this christian policy and wisdom , and cruelty becomes a law , and the devil keeps his dominion in the earth , and deceit gets a cover , and hides it self . now it was not so from the beginning ; for as god is one , and his name one , his law is one , which is pure , equal and unalterable , and endures forever and ever ; now man being made in god's own image answered the pure law of god , and being god's image was one with the law , and the law was not against him , but was his life and joy , and he had power to obey it , for he was of its own nature ; for as god is pure and holy , and the image which he brought forth man in was pure and holy , and that which was man's guide and rule was pure and holy ; here was unity and purity , and he that created , and man that was created , were in unity , and then there was no wo , no condemnation , no sorrow , no death , no tribulation , anguish nor wrath , revealed against man , who was the image of god , and he stood in the dominion of god , and had dominion over that which was contrary ; here was no tyranny , here was no cruelty , no prisons , no envy , no persecution , no killing nor destroying , no defrauding , no jar , no strife , no devouring , but all god's creation at unity , and man at unity with god , being partakers of his dominion , whereby all the earth was in order , and in that wisdom which changed not ; and here man had dominion and power , and ruled in god's authority , and was guided by the higher power , and while he was subject to it , death had no power over him ; now this was before sin entered , and before death entered , and before enmity had appeared in the earth , but now was the lord king , law-giver and judge , who ruled in righteousness , and man being subject to him , there was no law against him , nor no guilt of any thing ; for transgression was not known in the earth , and there was no curse , but all was in unity and peace , no changeableness , but all was in the covenant , all the workmanship of his hand was united unto him , and all that he had made was blessed , and all the creation were partakers of his blessedness , and all stood in the covenant , by which every creature received power , virtue and dominion ; here was one mind , and here was no double , no variation , no mutation nor change , but the dominion of the everlasting god was felt , which endures forever and ever ; and any other thing was not seen in the earth , but man crowned with honour , dominion and dignity , wherein could be nothing but rejoycing and pure peace and joy ; now no evil was known , neither was there any such thing , but goodness possessed the whole earth , and righteousness breathed forth it self in all things in the circumference thereof , and all the works of his hands pleased him , and man made partaker of his pleasure , and was accepted and not rejected : thus in part i have shewed unto you the state of the earth , and of mankind , and the glory of god's creation , and the blessedness thereof ; but if i could declare unto the whole world , from years end to years end , i should fall short , and words would be wanting , to express the felicity & happiness in which man was brought forth , neither shall any be able to see into those things , or to declare certainly of those things , who come not beyond time , to him who is eternal , who gave them a being . but after man had taken of the tree of knowledge of good and evil , and had eat of the fruit thereof , and consented to the beguiler and to the serpent , sin entered , and death by sin , man lost his dominion , and became subject to another , and another had power over him ; and now the course of nature was set on the fire of hell , the curse entered , and man dead while he lives ; and in that day he eat did dye , and death breathed forth it self in the earth , and cain is brought forth in his own image , to wit , in the image of him who was gone out of god's dominion , and he became a murderer , and slew him that was accepted of god ; and here appeared now the enmity , and its life was to destroy , and to murder , and to kill abel , who believed and offered up a sacrifice , and cain offered in the unbelief , and was not accepted ; so abel who was just lived by faith ; but cain who was in the envy and in the wrath , this life was death to him and to his nature ; and so all who are out of the faith are dead while they live. now after the transgression , in process of time , when the seed of fallen adam began to increase in the earth , being driven out from that presence of the lord , they spread over the whole earth , and sought many inventions , being gone from that of god in themselves , by which they were united unto him , having broken his covenant , and joyned in covenant with death , death acts forth it self against the seed , which is not of its nature , and alwayes sought to imbondage it , and to kill it , as cain did abel , and esau jacob , and ishmael did unto isaac and unto his seed . now the seed unto which the promise was , received the law from the mouth of the lord ; and they that persecuted the seed invented and made laws of their own , according to that nature in which they lived , and so became heathenish in their fashions , laws and customs , and cruelty grew up as it was nourished , and leavened into its own nature , and unbelief grew into a mighty stature , and monsters were brought forth in such a strange shape in every thing that the enmity did appear in , as had not been seen in the ear●h before ; and so man being gone astray from the life of righteousness , every thing is abominable , and of a stranger nature that he brings forth ; yet take notice of this , that as the seed unto which the promise was , who were in the faith , and obeyed through faith , they had a law , so they in unbelief had also a law ; as the seed worshipped the living god , through a lively and a living faith , and so sinned not in so doing , the seed of the serpent imitated a worship , and worshipped in death and unbelief ; and as the laws of one were equal , such as david and solomon , the other were unequal , such as jeroboam and rehoboam ; and as the one set up equity by a law , the other made a law to set up iniquity . and the seed sought not their own honour , but the honour of him who was their reward ; but the seed of the evil-doer sought himself and his own honour ; and as the spirit of the lord breathed forth it self , and spoke the truth in the power of god , deceit uttered forth lyes in hypocrisie , and in the power of death ; and as the upright lived unto god in the spirit , deceit lived unto the flesh , and unto him who hath the power of death , which is the devil ; and as they fulfilled the law of god , who were led by the holy spirit of god into all truth , the other followed their own imaginations , and answered the deceit and foolish mind , and they whose understanding was darkened loved them , and had pleasure in them . so it may be truly said , many nations , rulers and ruled sit in the region of the shadow of death , and the living god is forgotten among them , and one against another , they are seeking one anothers ruine , and all in the violence and in the cruelty . therefore all rulers and potentates of the earth , magistrates and governours under the whole face of heaven , hearken unto the words of my mouth , and listen unto understanding , that you may be partakers of the happiness and felicity which god is shedding abroad now in the ●●●ter dayes , that so the restorer you may know in your regions , and the deliverer in your nations , and the maker up of the breach in your domin●ons that he who is the desire of all nations may be revealed among you . he which must restore is not born of man , nor cometh not to a people or a nation in the will of man , neither seeks he himself , but the glory of the father , who hath sent him to seek and to save that which is lost , and to heal the breaches , and to destroy that which hath made the breach , that so all nations who receive him , and believe in him , may be reconciled unto him , and one to another , that the earth may enjoy rest , and the regions quietness ; therefore all be warned not to look forth in your wills ; for there you will not receive him , but slight him , as many before you have done , and so lye down in sorrow , and weary your selves in vanity , and lye down in infamy , and never come to see his dignity . now he of whom i declare unto you is the son of god , who is the light of the world , and the life of man , and hath lightned every man that cometh into the world , which light , wherewith all men are enlightened , is not contrary to the law of god which indures forever , but one with it , and this will let you see violence , treachery , murder , envy , wrath , maliciousness , drunkeness , whoredom , lying , cursed speaking , stealing , defrauding , cheating , cozening , riotousness , pride , arrogancy , emulation , contention , strife , hatred , persecution , cruelty & oppression ; i say the light which comes from christ , by whom the world was made , will shew you that all these things is sin and evil in the sight of god , and also will let you see there is a ground from whence these , and all other evils , proceed , which ground is in all the sons of men , in the transgression , till it be removed , and these things before mentioned , be the fruits that grow from it , and bud forth themselves in all nations , and in every man , in every nation ; so the earth is filled with violence , and the grapes are as sodom , and the fruit as gomorrah , whom god overthrew , and till these things be done away , and these fruits wither , and the root from whence they arise be removed out of every particular man who is a ruler , he cannot be a blessing to a nation , neither rule for god in a nation , neither will he , or can he be a terrour to all these things before mentioned . while he himself is in those ; for he cannot destroy his own life , neither will iniquity set up righteousness , nor the worker of iniquity advance christ. therefore listen to the words of my mouth , and despise not counsel , lest you perish among fools , and go down to the horrible pit , where there is everlasting misery unto all perpetuity . now god that made both heaven and earth , and all things that therein are , he is light , and with him is no darkness at all , he never changes his purity , nor alters his righteous decrees , his eye is pure , and alwayes fixed to behold all the works of the sons of men , and he searches the heart of man with his eye , and pierceth through the secret places , and is near to every man , although man do not see him , he is invisible , and eternal , and his law indures forever , and the unalterable decree , by which sin is judged and reproved in the world , and in every particular man ; and every man who hearkens and hears the words of the pure law , which judges all sin in man , receiveth the sentence of death in himself , and is judged by the righteous words of his mouth ; and so sin in the particular comes to be condemned , and all these changeable things are trodden under foot , which are acted and brought forth from the changeable mind of man ; and so all laws , constitutions and decrees , which are made in the will of man , come to be thrown down by his righteous law , which proceeds out of the mouth of the righteous god , who is light ; and so as his unchangeable and unalterable decree comes to be set up in every particular ruler and governour , and himself judged with the just , he comes to bear his rule for the just , and answered that which is just in every man , and no longer can he act against well doing , but is a leader , and an incourager of it in all ; and is a terrour to the unjust , and so comes to know the dominion again which man lost through disobedience and transgression . now all you powers of the earth , wait , that you may come to see that , and feel it revealed in your selves , to wit , the law of god from the mouth of god , that so you following it , sin may be judged in your selves ; and you come to know the one lord , the lawgiver , which leads man back out of sin and transgression by his son , whom he hath sent into the world , that all men through him might believe in the father , and be restored out of sin and transgression unto life eternal , where death hath no entrance : and so all who wait upon the light of the son of god , and are obedient to it , they come to feel his power and his decree , which cannot alter its property or verity ; and all who come to be guided by it , you will come to see that which unites you unto god , and one nation to another , in the covenant of god : oh! that all your eyes were opened , that you might see that which belongs to your peace and the well-being of all nations , that so the power of the flock might be refreshed among you ; and this i speak unto you , a change must be witnessed in your selves , before you will cease acting in the changeable mind ; now the time draws near , the lord will try you ; for the earth must be lest without excuse , and he will have all warned , for god will no longer be limited ; and therefore take heed how you gainsay any or resist any , who may declare unto you the counsel of god , and cause them not to be persecuted or hurt ; but all be calm and moderate , and learn wisdom from above , from him who hath enlightned you , that you may come to deny your selves , and follow him who condemns all self-actings and self-will in man , and all customs , laws , worships and traditions , that are made in the will of man , that so he unto whom all power is committed may be feared , and worshipped in spirit , in life , truth and righteousness , that so all sedition , rebellion , treachery and unrighteousness may be cleansed out of the earth , and that all quarreling , fighting , contention may end , and people come out of that which the sword is against , that so the swords may be beat into plowshares , and the spears into pruning-hooks , that so violence may be done away , and cruelty swept out of the nations , that the dominion of god may be set over all , and his truth advanced above all , that the kingdoms of the world may become the lord's , and his christ's ; and blessed are they that stoop unto his scepter , who judges the nations in righteousness , and the people with equity , who is the salvation of all his people for evermore , and a hiding place in the day of trouble . london , the th of the nd moneth , . some of the mysteries of god's kingdom declared , as they have been revealed by the spirit through faith . for the information of all such who have erred for lack of true knowledge in their judgments , and have perished for lack of understanding ; to the intent , that they may for the time to come wait in that which gives the true knowledge of god , and of his kingdom , and of the mysteries thereof , which come to be revealed through faith to the upright in heart . also , for the confirmation of such who are made partakers of the like precious faith. by one who is made partaker of the riches of his grace , and of the salvation which is in christ jesus , revealed through the spirit . f. h. the secrets of the lord are with them that fear him the particulars treated on in the following discovrse . i. what the day of the lord is , and to whom it hath appeared , and how it is seen and discovered . ii. what it is , and what it will be to the wicked declared . iii. what it is to the righteous , and how he appears to them , and whether we are to look for it while in the body , resolved . iv. where it doth appear , and how it cometh , and how it is to be looked for declared . v. what the spirit of the lord is , and how it comes to be received , which discovers the things of god. vi. how the spirit of truth worketh and operateth in them who are convinced , and yet have not obeyed it , shewed . vii . how the spirit of the father worketh in them who hearken to it , and are in some measure made partakers of its power , shewn . viii . unto whom the spirit of the father bears witness , and seals assurance of the father's love and of justification with god , declared . ix . what the grace of god is , which is free , and to whom it hath appeared , and where all are to wait to receive it . x whether all have received the grace of godor no , and whether it be a sufficient teacher in it self , demonstrated . xi . some objections answered . xii . a word to the wise men of this world , who are glorying in the sound of words . xiii . also another to them who are glorying in outward appearances , and worshipping visible things instead of the life . xiv . the kingdom of god and his christ declared in some measure , as it is revealed by the spirit , what it is , and where it is to be waited for , and how it comes to be revealed in them that believe . xv. divers objections answered . to the reader . reader , in times past , in the night of ignorance , when men groped in the dark as blind men , since the apostles dayes , and out of thick darkness have spoke darkly of the things of god and of his kingdom , and written many things about the things of god and of his kingdom , which have fed the dark minds of many , who are unconverted unto god : and seeing how many people are confused in their minds , and err in judgment , and have lost the key of knowledge , which should give an entrance into the mystery of god's kingdom , and open their hearts ; therefore in compassion unto them who are thirsting after the lord to find him , these few things i was moved to write for the sakes of those who have no place to rest in or upon , to the intent , that all may wait in that through which god reveals his mind , and manifests his true knowledge in man ; and these things that i have written , as they were revealed to me and in me by his pure spirit , if thou waitest in the manifestation of the spirit , these things thou wilt see to be truth , though hid and vailed from the world that lyes in vvickedness , as thou comest out of its nature : i have not written for to please men of corrupt minds , who glory in vvords and outward appearances , and glory in natural parts and in sounds , and are erred from the life ; but to the simple-hearted , and for the strengthening of the weak , and for the understanding of the simple ; and that which thou seest in the following discourse which thou canst not close with , let it alone , and judge nothing before the time , in thy wisdom that is earthly , or in thy reason ; but in that , and to that of god in thee , i desire to be approved , and to nothing else , and shall be made manifest in the day of the lord , that is dawning in the world , and many have seen it to appear in power and glory ; wait thou in thy own particular , that thou may'st feel thy own condition , and see thy own state ; and that which lets thee see thy own condition , will let thee see the lord , and what i have declared of him to be true . i am thy friend in truth , and wish good to all men. f. h. some of the mysteries of god's kingdom declared , as they have been revealed by the spirit through faith . the lord god of the whole earth , who lives forever , even the god of abraham , the god of isaac and jacob , whose throne is established in righteousness forever , who rideth upon the heavens , and shines forth in his eternal excellency from the firmament of his power ; he is manifesting himself in his power , as in the dayes of old , and revealing his righteousness , as in the years past , and pouring forth his spirit upon his sons and daughters , according to his promise ; and they that believe come to be made partakers of the blessing of the everlasting hills , even the lord , who appeared at sinai unto moses his servant in the bush , who rose up from mount seir , and shined forth in his brightness from mount paran , and came with ten thousands of his saints , even he from whose right hand went a fiery law , so that the people could not behold his glory ; the same is he who hath now appeared in this the day of his power , and is appearing , whose glory shall dazel the eyes of the world , whose brightness shall make dim all the world's glory , and stain its wisdom , and shut it up in utter darkness , that it shall not appear to have any existence or being ; and the shadow of death shall fly away ; and all the haughty and lofty princes of this world shall be horribly afraid ; the beasts shall go into their dens when the day appears , and the lambs of the everlasting fold shall come forth , and be fed in the fat valleys , where the springs of life compass about all the banks , and rejoyce in their shepherd , and shall say , the lord is my shepherd , which many at this time do admire , and say , what hath the lord wrought ? who have seen his wonders in the dayes of old , and have seen his noble acts , which the fathers have told of , who are fallen asleep , and are at rest in the lord ; and now many is god bringing to see what they witness to be true , and to have the same fulfilled in themselves ; honour and praise unto him forever , who is the stay & strength of all his people forever : and the day of the lord is broken , and the light hath appeared , that manifesteth all things which are reproveable ; and the day-star is arisen in the hearts of many , and they are come to see that fulfilled in their hearts , which peter exhorted them to wait for , and to take heed unto the sure word of prophecy , until the day appeared , and did dawn in their hearts ; which day when it appears , and to whom it appears , discovereth all things , and maketh all things manifest , as it is declared by the spirit of truth in the scripture of truth , and every man's work shall be tryed , of what sort it is , and of what nature it is ; and this day hath appeared to many , praises to the lord , who have waited for it , and now they see every thing in its ground and rise , and every tree and fruit is seen according to its kind , whether good or bad , and every man's work is obvious to every one who are in the day , and upon whom the morning of righteousness hath appeared , and the sun of righteousness hath shined upon , whereby that is seen in every one ( by the light which is truly called day , by the lord who causeth it to spring from on high ) which is reproveable and condemnable , and also whatever is justifiable and unreproveable is seen by the day of the lord appearing in the heart . the day of the lord , what it is , and to whom it hath appeared discovered , and how it is seen . god is a spirit , his day is spiritual , and is seen with a spiritual eye , it 's pure light , pure brightness , the pure shining forth of the lord in his glorious excellency , the pure shining forth of eternity , life putting forth it self in its brightness , holiness shedding it self abroad in its glory , purity spreading it self in its immeasurable excellency , and can only be seen as it is in it self by the children of light that are born of it ; there is a natural day , there is a spiritual day ; the natural day receives its brightness from the sun , the spiritual day receives its brightness from the sun of righteousness , by whom it 's brought forth , without whom nothing was or is made or brought forth , but by him who is the fountain of life ; and as the natural day receives its clearness from the natural sun , and is discerned by the natural eye of a natural man , and all things natural are seen and discovered by and in the natural day , and are perspicuous and obvious to him that hath his natural sight ; even so from the sun of righteousness , the lord of glory , light and purity , the day of god receives its brightness , and is issued out from him by the rayes of his brightness , and is discerned and seen only by the spiritual eye of the spiritual man , who is the image of the father , brought forth in life , and in his own nature and quality ( that is to say ) from god the father of life , by christ jesus the life of men , the light of the world , and this is the birth which is born from above , which is of the nature of the father and the son , and of the day , and he only comes to behold this day , and discerns all things of the father's kingdom by it , and likewise discerns all the hidden things of dishonesty , and the works of darkness , which are brought forth by the prince of darkness , who is shut up in eternal & utter darkness , which is his dwelling-place forever , which is his residence , and shall be the residence of all the workers of iniquity that bear his image forever . object . but some may be ready to say , it is not yet appeared , and all things are not yet made manifest , and that day is not yet come , neither hath appeared in this age to any . answ. what if a man that is naturally blind say , that there is no light in the day nor in the sun , because he sees none ; is therefore there no light in the day nor in the sun ? and what if all things be alike unto him , day and night , so that he can distinguish nothing , doth this therefore make void their seeing , who do see with the natural eye both the sun & the day , and hinder them from distinguishment or discerning ? and what if they who are spiritually blind , and are children of the night , say , they see nothing , nor behold nothing of the day of the lord , or of the discovery of the things of god , or of his glorious appearance , which many witness ; doth this therefore make their sight void , or the discovery of the things void to them who have seen into the things that be of god's kingdom ? the unbelief of some doth not make the faith of them that do believe void , god forbid . what the day of the lord is , and what it will be to the wicked , declared . as i have said , though the day of the lord be pure light and brightness in it self , and mixeth not with the night , which is of a contrary nature , because the lord in the beginning separated them , and set a decree which will last unto all perpetuity , and that which limited the bounds and circumference thereof now is the same ; i say , though the day of the lord be pure , and keep its purity , property and nature , and is still one and the same in it self ( for nothing can alter its purity ) yet it is a day of blackness & gloominess , and a notable terrible day unto the wicked , who hate its appearance , and hate the light , children of falshood and of deceit , whose deeds be evil , it makes them and their deeds manifest ; there it is unto them , as it is written in a certain place , the eye-lids of the morning are unto them as the shadow of death ; the appearance of the lord affrights them , and they would run from it , as a thief that diggeth through a wall , and breaketh open a house in the night , when deep sleep is upon men ; but when the day appears , that discovers his actions , he is afraid , because he will then ( if he stay there ) be seen : and all that live wantonly upon earth , whose hearts are set to seek after wickedness as for hid treasure , the day of the lord will steal upon such as a thief , and will come as upon a thief ; and they being children of the night , and bringing forth the fruits of darkness , contrary to the light , they will have their portion in utter darkness , and eternal vengeance will compass them as a wall , and fury as a fire that devoureth all the fewel , so shall the ungodly perish , and have their portion with hypocrites . think on this all you railers and revilers of the light and of the appearance of god , and repent ; for as the wild ass that snuffs up the wind , and they that seek will not weary themselves with her , yet a time cometh when she may be found and taken ; even so all the ungodly , though they may run as a wild ass , and traverse their way as a dromedary , yet the moneth cometh , and the day cometh , they will be overtaken in the midst of security , and they shall not escape : and though the children of this world , and teachers of this world , and professors of this world , who profess the scriptures , have prayed for the day of the lord ; yet when it comes , it will be as hot burning fire , and devouring fire , and they will fall as stubble , and as burnt mountains before it , and will not be able to abide ; for as i said , whatsoever is reproveable , is manifest by the day , the light which is eternal , in which god appears ; and it shall appear even to the wicked , to the ungodly , they shall be made manifest ; that which is manifest , is not hid , but seen , and brought too light , and beholden : so all you hirelings , who preach for hire , and you people that love to have it so , you shall not be hid ; all gain-sayers of the truth , you shall be found out , all shall be convinced of their ungodly deeds , and hard speeches , and that which makes your deeds manifest will be the day , and that will convince you ; for even the wicked shall see his appearance , although to condemnation , shame , and contempt , they shall see him , whom they have pierced : and know further , even in the wicked god hath a witness , which is pure , which checketh often , though they heed it not , because the god of the world hath blinded their eyes ; yet when christ the life shall appear , he will make that see in the wicked which they have put out , and the god of the world hath blinded ; yet he by his power will open even the eyes of the wicked , and they shall see him and his coming in dread , and his pure appearance , which shall make them horribly afraid , and his day and appearance will be to their sorrow : although they would not see , yet they shall be made to see , and to hear that which they would not hear , when god sounds his trumpet , to give warning to all ; that the dead both small and great may arise , some unto everlasting life , and some unto shame and everlasting contempt : all that have hated his appearance shall see , though they would not ; put not this far away , all deceitfull workers , drunkards , lya●s , swearers , whores and whoremongers , adulterers , idolaters , who worship your own imaginations , and all railers , mockers , and proud wanton disdainful people that live in wantonness and pleasure , time-servers , flatterers , men-pleasers , cursed speakers , vain talkers , foolish jesters , fierce despisers of those that are good , who are come out of the pollution that you wallow in ; his appearance will be to their joy , but to your shame and eternal misery , except you speedily repent . what the day of the lord is to the righteous , and how he appears to them , and whether any are to look for it while in the body , resolved . the appearance of god who is eternal life in his day , in his immeasurable light , a great joy and rejoycing to the righteous ; for there they come to behold him who is unto his people an everlasting light , and in his light they come to see light ; and in his day he reveals the secret mysteries of his kingdom in them , who see his day appear in their hearts , which maketh all things manifest , even the secrets of the lord , and his hidden treasure , and his durable riches which never canker nor rust , but is fresh , and keeps its pure image and impression , and is still the same ; by which all the righteous who have waited for gods appearance , come to see him and his riches , as it written , this is he we have waited for , let us rejoyce and be exceeding glad ; why ? what , is he come that you have waited for ? yea , come , and his reward is with him ; and they that see him come , find contentment in him , and in his reward ; and what is the reward ? joy , gladness , peace of conscience , assurance of god's love sealed in their hearts by the pure spirit of the lord , the streams of life flowing forth continually from the great deep , which refresh and keep cool in the greatest extremity and heat of temptation ; and this is enjoyed by them that have waited , and do wait for it , even in the body ; they bare witness of him and of his coming , the disciples ; what was their witness ? the son of god is come , and hath given us an understanding : of what ? of god , of his day , of his appearance , of his power , of his wisdom , of his kingdom , of h●pe , of faith , of assurance , of peace , of joy , of comfort and consolation : what in this life ? yea , a cloud of witnesses i might bring in former ages , and a cloud of witnesses i might bring in this age , blessed be the lord ; but my witness is nearer me , that giveth me assurance , and is surer to me then all their witnesses , although they be all true : abraham the father of the faithful , and of the righteous , who believed god , and was accepted , he saw christ's day , and was glad ; say literall professors , that 's by faith ; yea , what else ? by faith he and ●ll that ever saw christ and his day , or the father , they saw him by faith ; by faith they saw him who was invisible , isa. . . behold , god is my salvation , he also is become my salvation ; what , dost thou enjoy it already ? yea , he is become : and simeon , who waited for the consolation of israel , luk. . . now let thy servant depart in peace , for mine eyes have seen thy salvation ; and this he said , who knew god's comfort and consolation ; as our suffering for christ doth abound , even our consolation in christ doth much more abound ; and they were made partakers of his divine nature , and sate together in heavenly places in christ jesus : for heaven is his throne , and they that are in him , and enjoy him , who is the power of god , and the wisdom of god , know peace , and rest , and salvation both from guilt and act of sin : and the apostle wrote to the hebrews ; after he had purged away our sins ( speaking of the attonement ) the everlasting high priest , he sate down on the right hand on the majesty on high . he saw beyond sin , even him who had purged away sin ; and this comes to be made manifest unto them and in them , that believe by the spirit of jesus , who is christ the lord , the arm that brings salvation ; and is the author of eternal salvation unto all them that believe , who begins it in his day , and perfecteth in his day ; for he works in the day , as he himself said , hitherto my father worketh , and i worke , but the night cometh when none can work : so that he destroys the work of the devil , which is his work in man ; which they that are come to his day feel and see the handy-work of god in themselves , and his own works praise him ; for they onely can ; and they that are not come to the day , know not god's work in themselves , and they who have not yet heeded that in themselves which manifesteth all things reproveable , neither that which doth reprove , they are not come to know the appearance of the glimering of light , or of the day yet in themselves , which the saints witness in them , even all they that are sanctified . where the day of the lord doth appear , and how it comes , and how it is to be looked for , declared . they that gaze abroad , whose eyes are abroad , cannot see his appearance , nor his day which appears ; he that knoweth not wherein it consists , knows not how to look for it , no more then the jews , who were scripture-professors and learned men , knew wherein the kingdom of god did consist , even no more do the litteral professors , whose faith is founded on the letter , and upon that which is visible , know what i say : first , all must know wherein it doth consist ; it is eternal brightness shed abroad through all things , which pierceth through and searcheth the secretest place , even that which is invisible , and maketh manifest all things , and the nature of every thing by the day of the lord comes to be seen , and it appears in the heart ; they were to wait for the day to dawn , and to break forth in their hearts , and to wait for its appearance there , and that is it which is to be waited for and upon , that which maketh evil manifest , and brings it to light , and declares against that which is contrary to its nature , and so the day cometh to dawn , christ , the covenant of light , god's gift , who is sent and anointed of god to preach , and to proclaim the acceptable year of the lord , and also the day of vengeance he proclaims in the heart ; for he comes not to bring peace , but a sword , and his sword is the sword of the spirit , it 's that which divides and discerns the intent of the heart , and his day discovers the desperate wickedness of the heart ; and where he finds no faith in the heart , he kindles a fire in the earthly heart , and executeth his vengeance ; and his day unto such is a day of great perplexity , their spirits come to be wounded , the heart comes to be made faint , and sorrow comes to fill their hearts , and trouble to be felt ; and in this state are all who are unconverted , he finds no faith , no hope in the heart , therefore he comes and takes away peace : many have talked of the day of the lord , but when it comes to draw near them , they will not abide it ; whatsoever makes manifest is light : now the day makes all things in every one manifest , and when deceit is seen , and wickedness brought to light , then they that have done evil cannot abide , but would run to any thing , rather then abide the day , or to see the lord of life appear in his day to execute vengeance upon his enemies , and to destroy his adversaries , and to kindle an unquenchable fire to consume all his enemies ; and who have not seen this yet in themselves , never have seen the day of salvation nor of gladness ; and this made the prophet cry out , who may abide the day of his coming ? and many have been eye-witnesses of the dreadful day of the lord , which hath appeared , wherein all peace hath been hid from their eyes ; and all that ever came to see the day of joy and gladness , first did know the terror and terrible day of the lord in themselves ; therefore said the apostle , we knowing the terror of the lord , do perswade men ; now it cometh not with observation , lo here or there , so the pharisees looked the kingdom should come , when christ told them it was within them ; so i say , if ever any do behold the bright shining forth of eternal life , thou must wait in that which is pure of god , through which he will manifest his day , and his power in his day in thee : as thou keepest in thy mind to that which manifests unto thee evil , and shews thee good , thou wilt see how it appears ; even as the light shineth from the east unto the west , so is the coming of the day of the lord ; and the eye which is spiritual ●e●s it , and the power & the glory of the lord comes to be seen in the day which is pure and spiritual in the heart ; and the eye which is pure doth behold when it comes , where it comes , and how it comes , and it 's hid from vulturous eyes , and from their eyes which are fall of adultery , and cannot cease from sin : now the day of the lord cometh not where the carnal mind may imagine , nor when man will , neither according to the carnal desire of the carnal heart , neither according to the evil eye that looks out can it be seen , but is seen in god's own light , and by the measure of god's holy spirit : and as the day of the lord is a mystery , the spirit of the lord is the only discoverer of it ; none know the things of god , but by the spirit of god ; and the day of the lord and his bright shining forth in the heart of man , is one of the glorious things of god , which only the spirit of god doth give the knowledge of to man and in man , and not the letter nor the scripture ; for the jews had the letter , and they had neither heard god's voice at any time , neither ever did they see his shape , neither did they see the day of the lord , nor the power , neither in a word did see or perceive god , or any of the mysteries of god's kingdom at all , but dreamed , imagined , thought and conceived of things in their minds , their foolish hearts being darkened ; for the further a man draws from the light , his heart comes to be more dark , and their understanding closed up and shut up , that they cannot behold the lord , neither his glory , which is revealed only by god's holy spirit , which spirit is near man , though he see is not . what the spirit of the lord is , and how it comes to be received , which discovers the things of god. the spirit of the lord is pure , holy , equal , purity it self , holiness it self , equity it self , and is one with the father and the son ( the father , word and spirit are one ) it 's life , it 's pure power , ●ure strength , purity it self , which mixeth not , neither joyneth to any thing but that which is of its own nature ; it 's an immeasurable pure substance , it 's life issued forth , an active living power , and is everlasting , alters not , changeth not , keeps its holiness , its purity forever , it is unsearcheable , unfathomable , undeclarable , words are all too short , too narrow to declare its excellency and glory , but only as it makes it self out to them that believe , and opens it self , and sheds it self abroad in them that wait upon it ; it is revealed in its own purity , manifest in its own power , and received in its own light , felt in its own virtue ; the living father of life himself is manifest by it , and appears in his power , majesty and excellency through it to man and to the sons of men , to the righteous and unrighteous , to godly and ungodly , to the upright and to the deceitful , to the children of darkness and to the children of light ; that which searcheth the heart of man , and sees through all things , and maketh manifest all things even the hidden things of god , and the secret works of darkness , and reproveth for all evil , all iniquity ; that is the pure act of the spirit , which convinceth every man ; and as the creature comes to joyn to it , it ariseth and shines forth more clearly , and maketh it self known in its power and operation , its power comes to be felt , it checks and reproveth , judgeth and condemneth all actions which are done and past , and brings them to the creature 's remembrance ; and as it is waited upon and hearkened unto , it sheds it self abroad in its own pure brightness , and ●ringeth all things to light , even all the deeds of darkness , and maketh manifest the intents of the mind , and manifesteth all things reproveable : now as there is a waiting upon the pure appearance of it , and the mind be still and quiet and calm , the creature comes to feel , and sensibly know his own condition , he sees his mind is alive to other things and other lovers , and not to god , and so he sees himself dead to the things of god's kingdom , and in the loss , and in the fall , and in the transgression ; now this which shews the vain motions and vain thoughts , and checketh them , is an operation of the spirit , and purity comes to be felt working in the heart ; and as it is loved and obeyed , it leadeth and converteth the heart to the lord , and draweth towards it self , out of unholiness , and from under the dark power , and brings that under ; and so it ariseth in its strength , as it is believed in and waited upon , and judgeth and condemns for all evil ; for it is the discoverer of the mind of the lord to the sons of men , or the father by it makes known his mind to and in the creature , and doth discover the things that be eternal in their true property and nature , which only they that have the spirit , and have received it , and are brought out of the sensuality , come to discern him who is invisible , and the things that belong to everlasting happiness , which are not seen by a natural eye , neither received by the spirit of the world , who never received the things of god , neither the testimony of them who were in the life : now all that come to receive it , that is to say , the spirit of truth , must wait in that which is pure , unto which it joyns ; it joyns not to the corrupt man , neither to the sensual heart , neither to the vile affections , neither unto them whose eyes are full of adultery , which cannot cease from sin , neither to the seed of falshood , neither to the corruptible birth , neither unto that which is born of the flesh , nor unto the will of the creature ; yet notwithstanding , though it joyn not to these , yet it is near man , even the natural man ; its manifestation , or the shining forth of its brightness , maketh all these things manifest before-mentioned to be evil ; and thus far the spirit of god hath appeared to the world and all mankind , as to convince the world of sin , yet still it remains in its own purity ; and while the heart of any man is taken up with that , and joyned unto that which the light reproves , that is to say , the worker of iniquity , that man hath not received the spirit , neither is made possessor of it , nor enjoyes it ; but it stands off man , and from man , at a distance , shewing the worker of iniquity and the works of darkness , and manifesting to the creature in its light , and letting him see unto whom he is joyned ; for so far as a man denies himself in acting or joyning to that which the manifestation of god's spirit , shining forth in its own purity , in him reproveth , so he comes nearer , and comes to joyn in some measure to the spirit of holiness , or the holy spirit , and to receive it , and to feel the power of god in some small measure , though but weakly working in him , to the purging out those things which the spirit lets him see is evil , which hath been reproved in him , and so in some measure feels in himself what to wait upon , and where to wait , and in what , even in that which gives every one a feeling of their own condition within , and opens their understandings . how the spirit of truth worketh and operateth in them who are convinced , and yet have not obeyed , shewed . though god who is a spirit , hath appeared by his manifestation unto all , yet all have not received it , he that hates the light , hath not received it , the eye-lids of the morning are unto him as the shadow of death ; that which manifesteth and bringeth to light all evil , the evil-doer likes it not , heeds it not , receives it not , but still is without god in the world , that lies in wickedness , and without the spirit in death , and dead in trespasses and sins , a sepulcher , in which the just lies slain ; in this state god is not remembred , there is no remembrance in the grave , nor thanks in the pit , yet light shines in darkness ; and a man unconverted yet convinced , is that darkness , and that which convinceth him is the light ; so light shines in darkness , in man , in the greatest darkness ; and this may convince all vain disputers , who say , every one is not enlightned , neither that the spirit of god hath appeared to all ; good men have it , bad men it 's near them ; they that bring forth the fruits of darkness , and bring forth the deeds of darkness , they are lighted , yea , they that are in darkness , and are darkness , the light shines in them , the spirit of god shines there in darkness , manifesteth their darkness ; here man is darkness ; the ephesians were darkness , in the unconverted estate , yet had light shining in them , eph. . . the spirit 's manifestation they had , but were not led by it ; once they were without god in the world , but after it was turned unto , it shewed them their darkness , and it leading their minds , they came to be made light in the lord , who is that spirit , whose manifestation hath appeared to all ; so all are without excuse ; for he had not left himself without a witness ; and they that have not god's witness to be theirs , ( that is to say ) to possess it ; they have no faith nor assurance in god at all , but that which should bring assurance of salvation unto them , it assures their condemnation , and also reveals sorrow . now as every one is turned to the measure of god's holy spirit , and keeps his mind unto it , he comes to feel and to see its reproof ; and so as the mind is kept still into it , it arises in its purity , and shines forth in the heart in more brightness , still checking man for disobedience , still judging ; and as it is listened unto , it appears in strength , and layes every man's heart open , and lets him see how full of unrighteousness he is , how full of imagination he is , how his heart is full of vain and idle thoughts , and how lust aboundeth in the heart ; this makes his trouble to increase : and his sorrow to multiply ; and this is alwayes present , none can run from it , but it follows him , and shall pursue every one to the pit who obey it not , and kindle his torment ; and whatsoever the mind may run into , to take pleasure for a moment , and the heart be exercised in , yet this measure of god's spirit is alwayes present to condemn it , and judge a man for it ; so the strokes of the almighty are still heavy upon his back , being still in the disobedience of the spirit ; it never bears witness unto any man in that state , but god through it still sounds the alarum of war and terror in his heart , so that fear compasseth him about on every side , and though for a moment , the cry may not be heard , and through disobedience it may seem as dead as unto him , yet if ever the mind be but still , and a man sober and calm , and ever mind what he is doing , it appears again ; and though a man may take up something , and perform something which is called religious , and pray in words , and read , and talk of the scriptures , and may take up some carnal outward ordinances , and there content himself for a time , yet still the witness of god's holy spirit , for that shews him his hypocrisie , and that he seeks a cover to shelter himself under , that he may live in disobedience , and be at ease in the flesh , but all in vain ; for there is no peace within , but the measure of god's spirit still shews him he serves sin , and follows his own will , and in this will brings forth a worship , and this is will-worship ; nay , if a man should practice all those things which others who were in the life performed , and were accepted , yet this will not satisfie , god hath no pleasure in this , no more then if one slow a man , or blessed an idol , or killed baal , all is abomination to the lord ; and though a man may sin so far against the light of christ in his own conscience , that the light be to him as though there were no such thing , yet all this will not do ; for the lord will thunder from his holy place , though thou hast stopped thy ear as to him , and closed thy eyes , yet he will make thee hear and see , and will cause his terror to strike into thy heart , so that dread shall compass thee about as a wall , and thou shall be afraid for that which thou shalt see and hear ; and though the spirit strives long , yet being still disobeyed the long-suffering of god comes to an end concerning him that hath been unfaithful , and then his wrath is kindled as fire , which shall burn to the lowest hell , into which all the rebellious and stiff-necked shall be cast , and have their portion forever among all the children of darkness ; therefore all who have been convinced long , and still are , by god's holy spirit , of the way of truth , and yet have not submitted to the leading of the spirit ; think on this ( for it 's the lord's truth which i declare unto you ) or else eternal misery will be your end. and if thou still persist on after the imaginations of thine own heart , and in thy rebellious will , thou quenchest the spirit and the motions thereof ; and though it be life in it self , yet is as dead unto thee , who art in the gainsaying , resisting that through which god's eternal power is manifest in them that believe ; and thou wilt grow insensible and past feeling , and become as seared flesh , and be sensless as to the things of god , and hardness of heart will come upon thee , and thou wilt be as a stone which cannot be melted , and wo will be unto such , where the spirit of the lord in them ceaseth to strive with them , having so long rebelled against and gainsaid the pure drawing of it , that so the lord is grieved and wearied with their impenitency , that he gives them up to their vile affection , and to follow the imaginations of their own heart ( who received not the truth in the love of it ) but in the enmity still remain obstinate , doing despight to the spirit of grace , his long-suffering comes to an end , and his fierce . wrath comes to be kindled against such , and that which would have led them out of the world , into true pure everlasting peace , now becomes their tormentor , and they banished from his presence , and shut up in eternal misery , where the fire is kindled by the breath of the lord that burns forever , the sentence of condemnation being past upon them , because they had pleasure in unrighteousness , and have sold themselves to do wickedly , and crucifying the appearance of god in themselves , which appearance though it lives in the fountain of life , yet crucified by thee who art out of the life , yet lives still forever in it self , to be thy condemnation eternally . how the spirit of the father worketh in them who are turned to it , and have taken heed unto its manifestation , and are in some measure partakers of its power . there are differences of administration , but the same lord ; and there are diversity of gifts , but the same spirit ; and there are diversities of operations , but the same god which worketh all in all : now the spirit of truth , which is life in it self , putteth forth its own pure act , not only to convince and detect him that transgresseth its appearance , and manifesteth evil which hath been committed by man , but also being turned unto , and waited in , it shews man when motions and temptations unto sin arise ; and as the creature is still , and waiteth in that which manifesteth and singly keeps in his mind to it , it sheds abroad its power , and vanquisheth and subdueth those lusts which do arise , and condemns the ground from whence they arise ; and it purely draweth the mind after it , and secretly worketh and breatheth forth its pure life in him that waiteth in patience and in stilness , not heeding the vain thoughts and imaginations that rise in his heart , but rather heeds the manifestation of the spirit , at whose bright appearance all the vain desires come to be extinguished , and there comes to be a hunger begot within , to be made partakers of its purity and of its nature ; for god through the operation of the eternal spirit lets forth his power , which turneth and changeth the heart , and cuts asunder and divides betwixt a man and those lovers that he hath joyned unto ; and makes a separation within , and carries a man further from those things which the measure of the spirit reproves , and this leads nearer unto god : and so they that do believe in the measure of god's spirit , come to feel what repentance from dead works is , and the works and the worker are seen , and who it is that hath wrought is manifest in the light ; and as there is a diligent waiting upon it , there is nothing that passeth through the mind , but it discerns and gives a discerning unto every particular heart , who singly and quietly wait upon it ; but yet after the spirit of truth in some measure be felt , and its living testimony in something , yet it may be a long time before there be a clear distinguishment in the understanding , so that one cannot clearly discern its movings from all other false motions and high imaginations which are above ; and hence it is , that the hasty and forward minds follow their vain motions , which lead them into deceit , and then the questioner gets up , and then they question all that ever the spirit hath made manifest unto them before ; a vail then is drawn over , and the enemy lodges in the vail and in the darkness which is entered ; and then as soon as any hearken within to that which is the uppermost , and doth abound , the enemy that lodges in that presents motions , as to obey this and that , and all is deceit : so therefore all are to keep back , that they may sensibly feel between the pure motions and drawing of the spirit , and the vain thoughts that arise out of the earthly heart ; and when any thing doth arise which the light doth not bear witness to , it 's not to be followed nor heeded , but a quiet still waiting , that things may be cleared to the understanding ; and for want of this many have run out , and have brought forth satan's work , and acted things forwardly in their will , and so have clean lost the true sence of that which should guide their minds , and have followed the spirit of error , & have caused the pure spirit of the lord to be evil spoken of ; but as there is a keeping back , and a quiet waiting out of willing or running and haste , it arises purely and stilly in the heart , & shines forth in brightness in the heart , so that it giveth perfect evidence and full testimony of it self , that there will be no doubting nor questioning of its motion ; for it will apparently shew forth it self in its own transparent brightness , with full assurance of his own will ; and then after it be clearly seen and its motion , then keep under all reasoning , and keep out all questioning , and give not way to temptation , and that which moves of the lord of life , will carry thee through in its own operation and power , to accomplish the will of god , and so thou wilt have peace being obedient , and thy strength will be renewed ; for as any is brought to submit unto the will of god when it is known , and comes to obey by virtue of its own power , that which is contrary unto god's spirit in thee comes to loose its strength , and to decay , and be weakened ; but as any disobey the pure motion of god's holy spirit after it be known , the enemy is strengthned , and that which is of the flesh nourished , and the spirit comes to be quenched , that which would give thee power , if thou submittest to it ; but yet know this , the spirit in it self never loseth its purity , neither can be quenched in it self , but will bear its pure witness against thee , and none shall be able to stop its reproof ; thus the diversity of its operation comes to be known , as it is hearkened unto , obeyed , loved and believed in , it puts forth its pure power , and gives strength , and seals peace to the obedient ; but disobeyed and resisted , it condemns , judgeth , reproves and seals condemnation to the disobedient , and yet there is no variation in it self , for it is alwayes one and the same . but as it operateth upon different natures or objects unto which it joyns , or stands at a distance from , that is to say , the good ground it causeth to bring forth fruit unto god , and the cursed ground , out of which bryars and thorns do arise , it kindles a fire in , that shall not be quenched ; but as there is a submission unto its pure operation , it burns up and destroyes that which hinders the growth of the seed , and it purgeth the hearts of them that have confidence in it from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit , and worketh up the creature into its own frame and nature , and fashions , and makes and moulds all that are in the faith into the image of the father , and so the father's love comes to be shed abroad in the heart ; and as wrath was revealed through the spirit and condemnation , so now the peace of god comes to be enjoyed , and his consolation shed abroad largely , in which there is pure rejoycing forever . unto whom the spirit of the father bears witness , and seals assurance of the father's love , and of justification with god , declared . none have the witness of god's spirit bearing witness to them and in them , who have not believed in the true light , that lighteth every man that cometh into the world , by whom alone life is begotten by the powerful operation of christ in them that believe in him , who is eternal light it self , whose word is spirit and life , by which the new creature is framed and formed in them that believe , unto whom he maketh manifest his power ; for unto him who is the life of men , is all power committed both in heaven and earth ; for nothing was made or created , but by him , neither is any turned from sin , but by him and by his mighty power ; without him is death , in him is life , and the life is the light of men : so that none but they that are born of the light , and are begotten by him who is light , can have the spirit of christ , who is light , to bear witness unto them , neither the assurance of the father's love ; for only they that are born of the spirit , and walk after the spirit , are justified by the spirit of the lord ; for the assurance of his love is not made manifest to his enemies , but unto them that are born and brought forth in his own image , in his own likeness and nature , which is pure and incorruptible , without stain or defilement , the holy seed , which is heir of the promise who know the living hope , which purifies the heart , and bringeth the answer of a good conscience unto them that feel and witness the washing of regeneration , and have known in themselves the clean water poured forth upon them , which hath taken away the stains , spots and blemishes , and the defilements ; for where these are not washed out , and the heart cleansed from them , and that believed in , wherein god's all sufficiency is felt , and his power made manifest , there cannot be assurance of the father's love in the heart nor in the soul , neither doth the spirit of the father bear witness unto such , nor assure their justification ; but on the contrary , where sin remains unsubdued , and not taken away , the spirit of the father condemneth the sin , and the creature now is joyned to it , and is become one with it ; for no sin is brought forth , but there is a consent and an assenting to the instigation of the devil , although when a temptation ariseth , either within or without , there may be a resisting and a striving against it for a little , but the heart not being kept close to the spirit , the enemy often enters , and so captivates the understanding , then there is an agreement and a joyning to the adversary ; and so the spirit pronounceth the sentence of condemnation upon him who is joyned to the harlot , and becomes one flesh , and joyned unto strange flesh , which is not the flesh of christ , the seed ; and that which joyned and consented to drink of the cup of fornication , must drink of the cup of indignation and terror , and bear the stroke of divine justice , and lye in patience under it , till that be cut down which hath joyned to deceit , before there can be the remission of the transgression , or the creature justified in the sight of god ; for sin is not blotted out of the book of god's remembrance , till it be turned from and repented of , neither doth the creature stand clear in the sight of god , when god judges in righteous judgment , which the light in every ones conscience shall answer ; now he that is born of god sins not , for the seed of god remains in him , which is life : and as the creature joyns to that seed which is heir of the kingdom and of the crown immortal , he comes to be made partaker of its virtue and operation , which seed is christ ; and by his power , by which he limiteth the seed of the serpent , and weakens his strength in the creature , as man cometh to believe in his strength unto whom all power is committed , the covenant with death is broken , and that agreement that the creature hath made with death comes to be disanulled by the arm and power of the lord , and so the creature comes to be delivered from the bondage of corruption , and the new man comes to live , or the new creature , which is born of god , which sins not , comes to be framed and fashioned in the image of the father , and the father's love is manifest unto him and in him , and he hath the assurance in himself : the babe that is born from above , of the spirit which is from above , of which he is born and brought forth of the just by the just , he is justified by the just god , and the just witness of the spirit sealeth this in him ; and he hath the record of his justification ; for there are three that bear record in the earth , the water , the blood and the spirit ; and he that is born of that which is pure in it self , hath the witness of all these three in himself , for they agree in one ; that which one beareth witness to and for , the other doth the same , and the record , testimony and witness of all these three hath he that is born from above : moreover , there are three that bear record in heaven , the father , the word and the spirit , and these three are one : so he that is born of the father , and begotten of the father , in christ the seed , through the spirit , he , and he alone comes to feel the father's love made manifest in him , and is justified in the sight of the father , and hath the record of all these witnesses before-mentio●ed in himself , so that he hath his assurance and evidence near him and in him , the seal of the father , the seal of the spirit : and so when the adversary comes to tempt and to assault , and would raise up doubts in the mind , the evidence is near , which puts him out of all doubt that he is in the love of god ; and blessed forever , and happy are all they who have waited for these things , and have felt these things , and are witnesses of these things ; for flesh and blood hath not revealed these things : now let every man that reads this prove himself , and try himself , whether he be in the faith or no , and whether he have the evidence of the spirit or no , that he is born of it , and knows a birth that sins not , because the seed remaineth in him , who is kept by the power , that the evil one touch him not , kept in salvation and in saving health , alive unto him who hath brought him forth to life , to drink of the cup of blessing , and of the cup of salvation , which nourisheth and refresheth up unto eternal life them that continue in the faith. what the free grace of god is , and unto whom it hath appeared , and where all are to wait to receive it , declared , as it hath been revealed by the spirit . the grace of god is pure , and is the free gift of god , and it is perfect , it is the appearance of christ , it is a beam of righteousness shining forth , it is a measure of god's strength and power issued out from himself , and a proportion of his treasure , vertue and sufficiency which comes to be shed abroad in all them that believe in it ; it 's that through which god maketh known his will , and teacheth us by it , and reveals his saving health through it to them that are taught by it , and through it ; them that believe in it , are builded up in the truth , and become a habitation for god ; no man doth any thing to purchase it , none need say , where may i get it , or how may i know its teaching ? it's near thee , it is in thee , it hath appeared to all men , it shews ungodliness in the heart of man , by its brightness ; yea , to all men it shews the motions unto sin ; and that which is not like god in motions , words or actions it draweth the heart of man from them as with a cord ; it shews the lusts of the heart and mind , the lust of the eye , and the pride of life ; it never joyned to sin ; nothing can alter its purity or property , as in it self it is alwayes one and the same ; it is perfect , and will be alwayes so ; it stands off , and at a distance from that which is corruptible and imperfect , and yet beholdeth it ; and although some that have turned to it , be again turned from it , and may turn it , as in themselves , into wantonness , yet it keeps its purity , and still reproves thy wantonness , and will lay it before thee , and will shew thee how thou hast abused the appearance of christ , and hast marred his countenance and his face , and reprove thee for it ; many have been the talkers of it in this professing age , but knew not of what they spoke , neither ever informed the mind of man , where it was to be waited for , neither how it might be known , or how , or what the operation of it was , but have cryed up their own imaginations we are justified by his free grace , from all sins past , present and to come , and in this conceit thousands have been led into the pit of darkness , while out of thick darkness they have cried up , we are justified by free grace in christ , while the free grace of god's gift , which should have taught them , they never heeded at all , but got up into conceitedness , and carelesness , and presumption , out of the fear of god ; and pretending justification , while they themselves were the servants of sin , and bond-slaves to corruption , and this is the state of thousands at this day , and they that have been publishers and preachers of free grace : now when the thing it self comes to be witnessed and declared what it is , and as it is , and where it is ; now they say , it is not sufficient to teach any the knowledge of god , but from all such foolish doaters , and blind guides , and ignorant shepherds , is god bringing many sheep home , which they have driven away , and they would now kill them that are fed and taught by the gift of god , and sayes it 's not sufficient , and so make them to dislike their food , and dislike their shepherd , so would make them deaf and blind , and then they might lead them into any desart , and feed them among the swine , who wallow in the mire , in filthyness , and lust , and pleasure , and ungodliness , and so beguile the sheep , and scatter them from the fold , and lead them from the true shepherd , and from his appearance , which is his grace , and from the shepherds voice , which is the word of his grace , which is able to save the soul. oh all you blind guides , and you that call your selves orthodox-men and ministers , and all you that have been preaching free grace in words ; and now when god hath given them that have waited upon him an understanding to declare the thing it self , that you have spoken of ; now you cry , it 's not a sufficient teacher : now let me ask you a question , if that which teacheth to deny ungodliness , and shews it , be the grace of god , and the gift of god , then how say you , it 's not a sufficient teacher ? if it be not a sufficient teacher , then why did the apostle commit them , and commend them to the word of his grace , which was able to save their souls ? and whether is not that which is able to save the soul , a sufficient teacher ? answer ye wise men , and ye litteral rabbies , if that which shews sin and temptations be not sufficient , then declare you , and let us see your skill in the mysteries of god ; but to return unto them , in whose minds there is a desire to be informed , seeing then that god's free grace , which is his pure appearance , hath so far manifested it self , or god through it shews sin , and teacheth from sin , that which teacheth from sin is holy , and that which leadeth from worldly lusts is pure , and that which saves from sin is grace , which is saving in it self ; and god hath so loved the world , as that he hath sent his son into the world ; and he was and is the light of the world , and hath shed abroad his grace , and hath made it appear to all ; and all that wait upon it , and come to be taught by it , feel its assurance ; so all are left without excuse : therefore wait in that which hath appeared in thee , that which shews the lusts , and thoughts , and motions unto sin , this is god's gift , god's grace , this is sufficient , though all men in the world say , it is not sufficient , yet this makes not my faith void ; neither thine who hast received it ; but thou hast the witness of thy faith in thy self , which giveth pure and perfect feeling of the operation of the spirit of the lord ; and all are to wait within , to hear him who condemns sin in the flesh within , which by his grace shews man his transgression and insufficiency in himself , and by the word of his grace saves all them that believe in it out of sin , and giveth dominion over sin ; and this comes to be revealed in the heart of man , and there must it be waited for in that which is pure , that it may be received , and there the operation of it comes to be known , and its vertue partaken of by all that do believe in it , and receive it , and are subject to it , they see and feel god's salvation revealed through it to their souls , and know where their strength lies , not in self-acting , but in the free gift of god , the gift of righteousness , the righteous gift , by which justification cometh upon all that believe . whether all have received the grace of god or no , declared ; and whether it be a sufficient teacher in it self , to wit , that grace that hath appeared to all , if it be received , demonstrated . this wise generation , whose wisdom is below the wisdom of god , have confounded peoples minds with distinctions , as that there is a two-fold grace : first , that which they call common , which they say hath appeared to all men . secondly , that which thy call special and saving , which hath only appeared to the saints : and by giving heed to these distinctions , in times past many years ago , i lost my self and my guide , and went from the appearance of it in my self , to hearken to a thing at a distance from me , and heeded not that at home which was near , because it was called common and insufficient , and so suffered great loss ; and there i am moved by him , in whose sight i have found favour and mercy and grace , to declare the truth , as the lord hath made it manifest to me and in me , that all who seek after the lord may be informed , and know where to wait upon the lord ; for unto that grace which shewed me evil , and temptations unto evil , i was made to go back unto , after many years profession ( which they called common and insufficient ) before ever i found the lord , or felt his living power again ; for the first they ground upon the letter , as they judge , where it is said , he causeth the sun to shine , and the rain to fall upon the just and the unjust ; and where it is said , in him we live , and move , and have our being , health and strength , and an understanding in things natural , and by which men come to see gross sins and evils ; but that which they call special , is that which the saints are saved by , and are established in , in righteousness , and receive the remission of sins : now he that causeth the sun to shine , and the rain to fall , and giveth health , strength and nourishment to all things living that are visible in the outward visible creation , and that discovereth gross sins and open evils to man , the same is he who is the life of the soul , the same is he that sanctifies , and purifies , and saves them that believe ; and it 's the same virtue and power that upholds the natural man in his pure nature , that upholds the spiritual man , and by which he liveth unto god ; it 's the same grace , i do not say , the same measure ; for the same virtue and power , by which all things that are visible and living were made alive , and subsist in their station and covenant and bound , where they are set and placed ; the same grace , strength , power and sufficiency upholdeth the heavenly bodies , and moveth and acteth in a higher sphere or degree , and preserveth all that believe , and are quickened by him who is the power of god in heavenly places ; and the same power and virtue that discovereth the dark places , and hellish places , and the horrible pit , it 's the same power , life , strength and virtue that leadeth all that believe into the land of the living , into the holy place , into the peaceable habitation , into the holy mountain , and into the heavenly tabernacle made without hands : and in few words , he that discovereth open sins , the same grace and the same purity discovereth hidden and secret sins , though the measure of its purity shine in one more then another , because them that are in the unbelief the darkness overshadows , and the mountains are high , and the vail is thick , and the clouds are many , and the air dark , so that its resplendency and brightness is not seen , because of the vail which shadows it , that it hath not much entrance ; but in them that believe , and have received that grace , and are joyned to it in which they believe , it renteth the vail , and maketh the shadow to fly away , and scatters the clouds , and breatheth forth it self in purity , and makes the air clearer , so that its brightness shineth more purely forth to them & in them , because the heart is more open to receive its virtues in , yet the same purity and virtue remains still , and the same grace keeps its purity and property in it self , and its power and sufficiency is alwayes the same , though it do not appear so to the creature : so this i say , and is my testimony of the grace of god , which is the gift of god , which hath appeared in some measure , more or less unto all men , and convinceth and shews gross and open evils , even the same grace by its virtue and power leadeth from the least or impurest thought , and shews the secretest evils that lodge in the heart , unbelief , and also every temptation unto sin ; and this shall be witnessed to be truth by the whole earth in the day of the lords appearing , and is now witnessed by all the children of light who believe , with whom i have fellowship in the pure , living , sufficient perfect grace of god , which is god's free gift , which in some measure hath appeared to all , whereby all are left without excuse ; and herein is the wonderful love of god made manifest to all mankind ; and all that turn to his grace , will see he hath long waited to be gracious in his grace , which is near , that all mankind might be partakers of his bounty , love , mercy , favour and free gift , by which justification cometh upon all that believe . therefore my bowels and heart are more open in this unto all , because many have erred for lack of knowledge , and have wandred aside , because they have not found a true guide : therefore in dear love unto all upon the face of the earth , where this may come , i write and let out my bosom into this thing , that they may also be partakers with me of the free love of god , and the free grace of god , by which i am saved , and know the wall which is salvation , and the gates which are praise , which the saints are compassed about with , and entered in at ; and for the sake of such who thirst after god and the knowledge of him , i write for their information , and not to satisfie critical men , nor them who are in the philosophy and vain deceit , who are swollen big in their fleshly understanding , and puffed up in their earthly minds ; for by such i desire not any testimony , neither acceptation . but now to come to speak of that which many are doubting about , that is to say , the grace of god which bringeth salvation , which hath appeared to all men , whether this be a sufficient leader and teacher , if it be received ; but in order to the thing in hand , let all take notice of this that when i speak of the sufficiency of grace , and that it is a sufficient teacher , i do not speak of it distinct from christ , or of a thing separated from the power of god , but one with it and him from whence it comes ; for as he is salvation it self , so the grace of god is of the same nature , by which he manifests himself and his salvation to them that believe , and also reveals his witness in them ; for where the appearance and presence of christ is manifest , there is his power and strength manifest , either to condemnation or salvation ; and though his pure appearance and presence is one in it self , yet them that have marred his countenance , and pierced him , his presence alwayes hath been , and will be very dreadful and terrible ; but unto them that believe , and have continued with him in his temptation , and have suffered with him , and have longed for him , his appearance and presence will be amiable , beautiful and lovely , sweet , pleasant , delightful , desirable , glorious and admirable , so that they who have seen it , have been melted into tears , and dissolved as into water , because of his love and beauty , who is the chief of ten thousand : oh! that all that long after him may wait for him in patience , in that wherein he will appear , they shall see him , whose sight will be a recompence for all longing , and thirsting , and desiring , and waiting ; the sense of longing and thirsting will be taken away , when he that makes glad the heart appeareth , who lifteth up the light of his countenance , and maketh whole them whose hearts have been broken for him whom their souls loved : therefore all wait , and think not the time long ; keep in your minds to his grace , which is his appearance , and him you will feel and see , and be satisfied , and say , this is he we have waited for , let us rejoyce and be exceeding glad ; for now he is come , and his reward is with him , to give every one that wait upon him in purity full contentment and satisfaction , where peace comes to be felt , and joy unspeakable , which is full of glory . and though god , out of his everlasting love unto the sons of men , hath followed man , and hath called him to return , yet that nature which is above in man , which hath transgressed the life , doth alwayes resist the drawing of the lord , and is not subject to the law of god , neither to the grace of god , which teacheth to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts , that have beset and compassed the creature about , as a thick cloud , and alwayes make war against the soul , that till there be a listening unto tha● which sheweth ungodliness , which hath power in it self , none have power neither dominion over that in themselves which leads into the transgression : therefore , though god , who is salvation it self , hath let out himself so far , and hath appeared in his pure and perfect grace unto all men , yet all have not received grace ; for though the lord proffers his gift intentionally , that the creature might receive it , and so have benefit , and partake of its living virtue and operation ; yet while that hath preeminence in man , which is contrary to grace , that will never receive it , because it is contrary to the life of the corruptible , and takes its life away , and mortifies and slayes the enmity ; therefore all must be still and quiet , and wait in that which is pure of the lord , that they may feel that raised up ( which receiveth grace ) above the corruptible thoughts and desires of the carnal mind ; but many who talk of free grace have put no difference betwixt the precious and the vile , but have put them upon doing and working who are in the enmity , and curse , and in death , and so have brought forth dead works ; notwithstanding all performances , they being dead to the life of god , another acteth in them , even he which hath the power of death , which is the devil , and so have not known that which was precious in themselves , could not minister unto that which was precious in others , but have been ministers of death , and have ministred to death ; and so death nourishes it self in all them who are not yet come to the separation , to see betwixt the precious and the vile . now though all have not received grace , so as to save them from the committing of sin , the fault is not in god ; israel would have none of my counsel , they stopped their ears ; neither is the fault in the grace which hath appeared unto all men ; neither is it because of its imbecillity and weakness ; but because it is not hearkned unto , and waited in , and obeyed , believed in , and received : for this is eternal truth , which shall forever stand , the least measure of the grace of god hath power in it self to save man from committing of that evil or sin which it shews man ; and as it is received , the power comes more and more to be made manifest , where all that believe come to be preserved out of evil. object . but some have said , and now say , there is common grace , and preventing grace , and restraining grace , and saving grace , and the former , that hath appeared to all , but the latter hath appeared to the saints , and to the elect onely . answ. grace is god's pure and perfect gift , and is but one thing ; i speak not of quantity , but of quality ; not of so much , as that the fulness of grace hath appeared to all ; but of a measure of that fulness which is in christ , the head , although i do not divide the least measure from the fulness in quality or nature , for it 's one and the same ; for that which shews a man he should not lye nor swear , that is as pure , according to its latitude and proportion , as that which shews a man all that ever he hath done ; and that same grace which leads a man from drunkenness and excess , is as pure , and of the same kind and nature , as that greater proportion which leadeth a man from all sin ; i speak what i have seen from the father , though the dark world cannot receive it : but people have been blinded and darkned with sounds and distinctions , which men coyn and frame in their natural reason , and by their natural parts , which are out of the life , although i do not condemn natural parts , which are purely natural , if they keep their bounds and compass , that is to say , to the mannagement of natural things of the visible creation ; but the things of god's kingdom are of another quality and nature , and cannot be reached unto by the natural ; but as i said , men through distinctions and names have wracked peoples minds , and confounded their understanding , and have led them into a thick wood or a wilderness , so they know not where to get forth , neither what the thing is of which one speaks , because not being spoken through the enticing words of mans wisdom , which darken the counsel of god ; now that which shews a man evil after it be committed , is the pure appearance of god : and that which shews a man the temptations , when they arise , that is the same ; now this they call common ; and that which preventeth a man , and keeps him back , that he lend not his heart , nor put forth his hand to commit evil , but restrains a man from it , is not that saving out of evil ; and that which stops the adversary in his way that he enter not , but preserveth the creature out of defilement , and saves him from it , is not this saving ? is not this the same thing that the apostle , who was well acquainted with the grace of god , and of its operation , wrote of to titus ? that grace of god which brought salvation , which had appeared , and doth now appear to all men , which taught them self-denyal , to deny worldly lusts , and also to live godly , or like unto god in this present world , and now doth the same ; is not this sufficient to believe in , and sufficient to save ? now i do not say but there is a greater measure let out unto them that are converted unto god , then is to them that are convinced of their evil by the same grace , yet still it is one and the self-same thing ; one gift , yet a greater measure of one and the same pure vertue and power which is given to them that obey the life , which is already made manifest by its appearance unto all . object . but some will be ready to say , that this is errour , and that which is contrary to the scripture , and to orthodox teachers , that the grace which is saving , is near all men , and hath appeared to all men . to that i answer , though grace be saving in it self , even the grace that hath appeared to all men , and may be truly called saving grace , yet to them that believe not in it , neither are taught by it , it convinceth and shews evil , and checks and judges for it ; yet there is no variation nor change in the gift of god , but as it worketh upon different objects ; for faith and unbelief are two different things , as light and darkness are different ; and so the word of his grace is the savour of life unto life , ( that is to say ) unto them that believe , and is the savour of death unto death , unto them who are in the unbelief , who indeed are dead while they live , yet here is the same grace , and the same word of grace , yet here are different operations ; so the lord killeth and maketh alive , yet the same lord ; the spirit convinceth of sin , and reproveth for sin , and also consolates and comforts ; here is diversity of operations , yet the same spirit , which never alters . object . but further , some may say , if that it be saving grace , or at least a degree , and a measure of saving grace , that hath appeared to all men , then how is it that all are not saved by it . answ. because i would all stumbling blocks were removed away , that the path might be made plain , that all might come to believe in that which is god's gift , in which there is power and sufficiency ; therefore i am constrained by the grace of god to declare of it , and to bear witness to it thus largly , which i know will be to the edification of all that hunger after righteousness . all are not saved by it , because they believe not in it , neither are taught by it , yet its validity , power and vertue , is nevertheless in it self ; and though them that are careless and heedless , say , we feel no power nor sufficiency in it to save us from sin , yet this makes not void their confidence who have recei●ed it , and know its power , which hath given them power , and also sufficiency to do the will of god ; what though unbelievers , who are in the alienation , say , there is no beauty in christ , neither f●rmnor comliness ; this makes not his glory void , who is the express image of the father , full of grace and truth ; the disciples saw it , and bore record of him , who were in the faith , and the pharisees said , he had a devil , who were in the unbelief ; but in brief , this is my testimony , that the grace of god , the perfect gift of god , which shews ungodliness , and leads from ungodliness all that are taught by it , is a sufficient teacher of it self , i mean , as the power of christ through it is made manifest unto all them that hearken to it ; paul a minister of the word of reconciliation , who was rapt up into the third heaven , where he saw things unutterable , came to be tempted and buffetted with the messenger of satan , and fear and doubting rose up in him , and he prayed unto god thrice , and this answer was given unto him , my grace is sufficient for thee ; so this is evident to all understandings , who are opened by the lord , that which shewed him the temptations , and satan's messengers , and satan's buffetings , was sufficient to preserve him , and so is it for all who singly are kept to it and in it , sufficient to shew ungodliness because of its purity , and to lead from worldly lusts by its power , and to teach the will of god , and to live like unto god in this present world ; and this testimony i bear of it , and to it , even what i have felt , and tasted , and handled of its sufficiency , and vertue , and power of its operation , for the confirmation of the same truth , which is believed by many brethren , and also for the information of them who thirst after the lord , and for the opposition of all the gain-sayers and opposers of it ; which testimony i commend to that of god in every man , which will witness me herein in the day of god , when all hearts are opened , and all falshoods and truth is made manifest , in the mean time shall rest in that which i have declared of , in which there is pure and perfect peace . a word to you wise men of this world , who are glorying in the sound of words , and worshipping outward appearances ; to all wise and literal professors , who think you are worshipping god aright , who think to search into the deep things of god by your natural wisdom , learning , parts and study . god hath broken open the seals of the great deep , where the wonderful unalterable things of god are revealed , from whence eternal wisdom is flowing forth to his little ones , whom he hath sanctified from the womb , and his power and glory he is shedding abroad , and making it to flow forth , as though it issued out of a womb , by which power and wisdom you are all weighed , even by one who is swadled about with righteousness , and girded up with the girdle of truth ; you are all measured as with a span , and are all weighed as with a scale ; all your parts , tongues , languages , interpretations , significations , wisdom , that are come to be enjoy'd by them who have believed in the true light that lighteth every man , which rounds you all as an heap , and measures you all as with a line , your breadth , length , height and depth ; your parts , tongues , languages and interpretations are all but natural , words are but empty sounds ; although there be many languages , and each have an interpretation and a signification , they are all short to declare the life , the immeasurable being of eternal life , you with all these are on heaps , disjoynted one from another ; your rhetorick , philosophy , your framed and despised disputations , your tongues , and the significations of all tongues cannot know the mind of the spirit , neither know the original of eternal salvation by all these ; and so not knowing the signification of the living eternal spirit in your selves , you invent , study , devise , form and frame up things in your carnal minds , by the strength of your learned , studied , devised parts and framed speeches , and have f●●led the whole world with your dark muddy conceptions , and have led all out from seeking after the living wisdom of god , which is from above ▪ which was before your tongues and languages were ; and they have sucked in your conceptions and distinctions , and your devised fables , and your imagined worship , that many have lost the sense of any thing of god in themselves , to guide them ; and when you have come as far as you can in those things , and have devised in your minds by the strength of those parts natural , you are farther from the knowledge then before ; and all that hear you , and suck in your conceptions and imaginations into their hearts , they are farther off god's true knowledge then they were in the day in which they came out of their mother's womb ; it 's a lamentation to see how people are gone out of the pure simplicity which is in christ , into subtilty and deceit , stuffed up full , brim-full of that which must be all poured out as water , before they and you all come to the least measure of god's true and saving knowledge : oh! a dreadful day is come upon many , and it lingers not , but will come swiftly as a thief upon you who have taken away the key of knowledge , and give people that which will not open , and tell them of a litteral carnal thing that must give them entrance ; you and all they will be shut out together among the uncircumcised as fools , though you count your selves wise men , your wisdom will perish , and your honour will be laid in the dust ; the time hastens , it is the word of truth to you all . and you litteral professors , who have got the scripture into your head , and into the carnal mind to talk on , and are run into so many heads , you are almost past numbring , and have exalted so many horns , yet the number is read , the number of the heads of the beast , and the number of his name ; you have taken up things , and are exalting a visible shadowish practice , and neglect the life , and are making idols of those things which were but a figure and a representation in their purest time ; now you ( like the pharisees ) are limiting the lord , that if he will not appear unto you in those things that you have prescribed unto your selves , and fetched in from the letter , and gotten it into the fleshly part , which is heaped up as a mountain in many of you , so high above god's pure witness in you , and so high above the appearance of god in you , that you have quite lost the sight of that in your selves which should give you the knowledge of the living god , and make you sensible of his pure presence ; i say , if he appear not in the way you would limit him to , in those things you would confine him in , you cannot receive him ; the lord open your understanding , that you may see your selves , and how frothy , vain , light and wanton you are , one with the world in all things in the very ground , pretending liberty in christ , and priviledge in him , when you may see you are servants to corruptions , and to many noisome lusts , that make war : again , what are all outward appearances any more but as a curtain , or as a vail , and as a shadow , in respect of christ , god's righteousness within ? but you are filled so full of your apprehensions of his righteousness at a distance , that you have forgotten all at home , and your own conditions : for his righteousness will not be a cloak for your self-righteousness and unrighteousness ; and if christ be not formed in you , god's righteousness , and live in you , and act in you , and work his work in you , you are in the self-righteousness , and a talk of imputation will not save you , while you are not in that capacity , nature and faith , unto whom his righteousness is imputed : are you not weary with tumbling up and down among the earthly hills , among which you have situated your selves ? do you not see your land grows barren , and your possessions dry , and your worship dead , heaven rains not on you , the bottles are stopped , the dew falls not on you , you wither daily , as a stick without sap ? what , have you found that which will last unto perpetuity ? oh! nay , it 's rusted already , it 's cankered already , it 's moth-eaten already , it 's fading , the glory is staining , the renown of all earthly things is fading , and all terrestrial appearances , though never so glorious , they are all to cease ; a consumption is coming , blasting is near , there will be no more glory in these things ; they will fly away as a shadow when the sun arises , your riches are wasting ; when will ye seek after that which endures forever ? i pitty you who have had breathings after god , and have sate down at ease in that which is not eternal ; be warned , return home , consider , see what corruption thou hast power over now , which had once power over thee ; dost thou rest in that faith , that thou shalt never be cleansed here ? that faith is curst , it 's reprobate , it 's rather properly unbelief ; it 's not the faith of god's elect , by which they were sanctified , and overcame the wicked one in themselves by the power of christ , who is able to save , and manifest his ability in all them that believe in the light , which they are enlightened withal , through which he manifests himself to the creature , and makes known his power in the creature , to redeem the soul out of death , and to redeem the creature from under the bondage of corruption , to serve him in the free spirit of god , in which the sons are made free from sin , from the act and guilt , they become the temples of the holy ghost ; how far you are from this many of you consider , who are yet temples of uncleanness , and a habitation for many noisome lusts ; repent , and mind that which empties you of your thoughts and conceitedness , that you may know poverty of spirit , that the kingdom may come unto you , and be yours in possession , else you are everlastingly miserable ; and this is the true state of many of you , own it , and repent , that if it be possible , you may find a door of mercy yet opened unto you , and that you may enter in thereat ; for it is not setting up and conforming to a visible practice without that will justifie you ( while that which is in the transgression , and hath transgressed the life , and hath disobeyed the light in your consciences is head in you , and above the pure ) that will not recommend you unto god , neither can you have any access or acceptation with god in that state , till you come out of the waters , upon which the whore sits , which are unstable and boisterous , and reel to and fro , and unsetled , which are all to be dryed up , and all the springs cut off that nourish ; and you must come to the rock , before you know any thing that will endure , to build upon , which rock is christ , who abides for ever ; but you are all gone from that which should give the knowledge of him in your selves , and do not retain him in your knowledge , neither that which gives the knowledge of him , the light of his spirit , which shineth in your hearts , making manifest in your hearts the intention of your hearts , when motions unto evil do arise ; this must you all come to , before god's salvation or redemption you come to know in your selves , or have the witness of god's holy spirit , without which there is neither seal , nor evidence nor assurance enjoyed or felt of the love of god : the time of restoring is come , and many are restored again into god's covenant , and are delivered out of the jaws of death , and feel him who is the healer of the nations , and the restorer of the desolate places to dwell in ; but first you must come to see those places made desolate wherein the wild nature lodges , before you come to have a share in the restoration ; come off these barren mountains , where you are feeding , to christ the life of men , who hath lightned you , and wait in it , that you may feel his mind in your selves , and the signification of the spirit of truth from your own spirits , or else you will still err for lack of knowledge , and perish for want of understanding , and so lay down your heads in sorrow . the kingdom of god and of his christ declared in some measure , as it is revealed , what it is , and where it is to be waited for , and how it cometh to be revealed to them and in them that believe , that all who are waiting for it may know wherein it consists , and so receive the end of their hope , and the end of their expectation , and know the dominion which hath no end. the lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens , and his kingdom ruleth over all ; his dominion is an everlasting dominion , and without end ; god is a spirit , his kingdom is spiritual , his habitation is sutable to his own nature ; he is immortal , his kingdom is so ▪ he is light , his dwelling place is so , a pure situation in which there is no uncleanness , nor ever shall be ; it 's eternal dignity , it is an immutable being , that remaineth alwayes in its purity and pleasantness , eternally glorious ; it consists in power , in righteousness , in purity , in joy , in hope , in peace , in life , in vertue eternal , in quietness ; it 's a quiet habitation , it is a incomprehensible , unsearchable , and indeclarable ; words are too short , they are but as sounds , as vails ; it is unexpressible , in its is the treasure-house of wisdom , out of which all that believe in him , ( who is the king of eternal and immortal glory ) come to receive of his wisdom , of his life , of his power , vertue , righteousness , and come to enjoy him , who is the fulness that filleth all things , whether visible or invisible , whether terrestrial , or coelestial ; his power is over all , his dominion is over all , who is eternally blessedness it self , and felicity it self , who makes all that believe in him to partake of his kingdom , of his grace , of his power , of his dignity , of his dominion , and of his glory caelestiall ; but these things are hid from the world , who are not redeemed from the earth , neither never look to be while they are in the body ; unto such i say , god's kingdom you shall never see nor enjoy , while you are in that faith which is reprobate , but may be truly called unbelief , although you imagine a glory , and a kingdom in your earthly minds , and dream of a thing to come , sutable unto that wherein your glory now standeth ; but that will all fail , and those imaginations will be confounded , and dissolved into nothing , because they are centered in that which is out of the truth , christ , and so are without ground or bottom , and are out of that which should give you the sight and knowledge of god in your selves and his kingdom . christ when he taught them that followed him , exhorted them , that first of all they might seek the kingdom of god , even while they were in the body , mat. . and . the pharisees were gazing abroad in their earthly knowledge , although they had the scripture , that declared of gods kingdom , yet they knew it not ; and this generation is the same , who are in the same nature , and in the same wisdom , which is earthly and litteral , and they are imagining , as the jews were , and are lo here , and lo there , in this observation and the other , and look to see it there ; nay , christ said , the kingdom of god is within you , to the pharisees ; and he bad them and others seek it first ; what strange doctrine was this , might the pharisees say ; he saith , the kingdom of god is within us , and yet bids us seek it ? need we seek that which is in us , may professors say ? yea , it 's like a pearl hid in the field ; it 's like a grain of mustard-seed among many great seeds , which is not easily found ; it 's like a piece of silver lost in the house among much rubbish , till that be swept away thou wilt not find it ; thou must dig deep , sweep clean , search narrowly before thou find it ; although he said to the pharisees , the kingdom of god is within you , he did not say , they were possessors of it , or that it was theirs ; but to the disciples , whom he taught to pray in faith , thy kingdom come ; and they came to find it , that which they prayed for , that pearl , that groat , that grain of mustard-seed , which it was like : and having found it , and believed in it , he said unto them , mat. . . blessed are the poor in spirit , for theirs is the kingdom of god. and in luk. . . and he lift up his eyes on his disciples , and said , blessed be ye poor , for yours is the kingdom of god : they had seen it , and were possessors of it , it was theirs : and christ said unto his disciples , there are some of you standing that shall not taste of death , till ye see the kingdom of god come in power : and his words were fulfilled ; they declared what they had felt and seen ; and some of them say , the kingdom of god is not in word , but in power : and paul to the romans writes , rom. . . who were also made partakers of the same power and the same kingdom , he spoke his knowledge of , and said , it s not meat nor drink , but righteousness , and peace , and joy in the holy ghost . and the colossians , who had waited for it , and believed in that through which it was revealed ; the apostle was in the same faith , colos. . . and . who hath made us meet partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light ; who hath delivered us from the power of darkness , and hath transformed us into the kingdom of his dear son ; and those things were seen in the body , and witnessed in the body : and the apostle to the hebrews saith , he that believes in entred into the rest. and this and all these things were feeled within by the seed immortal , the birth immortal , and they that witness the birth immortal to live in them : one said , who hath made us joynt-heirs with christ , who is the kingdom of eternal glory , and they were joynt-heirs with him of the kingdom that fades not away : and all that ever come to see the kingdom of god in the spirit , which is spiritual , must wait in the spirit , and in its manifestation , that so god , and his kingdom , and the things of god's kingdom , may be felt , and seen , and enjoyed in the spirit which is glorious . object . all this which thou hast spoken , may some say , is the kingdom of grace ; and that we hold there is a two-fold kingdom , the one of grace here , the other of glory hereafter , which none comes to enjoy glory nor any part of it in this life , or in the body . answ. people have long been blinded with confused distinctions about names ; and being full of imaginary thoughts and conceptions , have brought forth foolish and unlearned distinctions ; and that which god hath joyned together , they would separate : grace is glorious , and glory is gracious ; he that can receive it let him ; the kingdom of god , which was like a grain of mustard seed , afterwards it became a great tree ; the tree in its strength , and glory , and height is more glorious then when it 's in the seed , yet the seed and the tree are in nature , and quality , and kind one ; if the kingdom be in dominion , in purity , and power , and glory , is not here unity ? yet a greater measure , yet still the dominion is one , the power one , the glory one , and the thing one , wherein grace standeth , and glory standeth , wherein the kingdom standeth ; grace is glorious , eph. . , . having predestinated us unto the adoption of children , to the praise and glory of his grace , wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved : in the father's house there are many mansions , places in the kingdom of god , there are many heavenly places ; and they that walked to the praise of his grace , came to sit also in heavenly places , eph. . . through grace , salvation , through grace glory comes to be revealed in the earth , isa. . . the earth is full of his glory ; he that makes heaven and earth glorious , is glory it self , from whence grace and every degree of glory receives its being ; the least measure of god's strength and powers is glorious , and to be gloried in , in the lord , by all that have seen it ; things might be declared which god hath revealed , which are not lawful for me now to utter ; for as one star differs from another in glory , yet all glorious , even so is it with the children of the resurrection , who are quickened , and made alive , and raised from the dead , and fashioned like unto his glorious body , partakers of the glory of god , of his kingdom , of his power ; the power is his , in which the kingdom stands , the kingdom his wherein glory stands , the kingdom , power and glory stand all in him who is the glorious god , and the god of eternal glory , who is revealing his power , his kingdom and his grace , and his glory unto all that patiently wait upon him , in that which yet is as a grain of mustard-seed ; they will come to feel his presence , his power and glory revealed in their hearts , through the spirit , and enjoy god in his kingdom , in his power , and in his glory , and through faith shall see the weight of glory , which the god and father of our lord jesus christ will reveal unto all that patiently wait for his appearance , and in his appearance . object . but some will cry out , grievous blasphemy and error ; what , i think you look for no other glory but in this life , nor for no other kingdom , but what you enjoy in this life ; ( thus i know dark spirits reason . ) answ. the saints looked not after any other glory but that which stood in eternal life ; and in the immortal life , and in the uncorruptible life ; and the country they sought after , was that which god was the maker and the builder of , and they looked and waited to receive of his power , in which the kingdom standeth , and did in this life ( i do not say the full weight of glory ) and to know and injoy , and to be made partakers of his eternal dominion and authority , is that which all his saints in measure witness , and in due time , came to enjoy through faith ; for by faith they saw him who was invisible , and the things of his kingdom , which are invisible , spiritual and eternal ; but to speak of the carnal corruptible life in the flesh , who are dead while they live there , that life , neither the kingdom , nor the power , nor the glory of god is revealed to them , not till after the death of that life , and till after the death of him who hath the power of death , which is the devil , which ruleth in the hearts of the children of disobedience , whom all the mystery of god's kingdom is hid from , their eyes , and ever shall while in that state ; and so let the serpent be blind ; and they that have an ear to hear , blessed is that ear ; for the kingdom of god is come nigh unto many , and the salvation of god , and the power of his christ is seen by many , honour and praise unto him everlastingly , who is the only potentate , that puts down all authority under his feet , that god may be all in all ; but first every one must come to feel in himself the kingdom , which is as a little grain , in himself , and in it believe , before any can come to know the kingdom , or wherein it consists , and after it be known in its measure , yet this is far short of glory in the fulness ; so many may come to be partakers of the power in some measure , yet this is far short of the eternal weight of glory ; he that believes is entered into the rest , and made partaker of the heavenly gift , and of the heavenly power , and of the heavenly grace , which is glorious , and doth witness a heavenly place in christ jesus , and yet many enemies to be subdued , and much of the heavenly habitation , which they see not , which comes to be revealed , as there is an abiding in the faith , which stands in god's power , in which the kingdom stands , the mysteries of god and of his kingdom , come in due time to be revealed ; through death they come to be known , ( that is to say ) through the death of death ; for israel , the true type , after they passed over jordan , and had taken jericho and aie , and had made an enterance into the land , yet there were many enemies to be subdued , and much land and possessions , which they were not made partakers of long after , even so after there be of the true rest enjoyed and possessed , and an enterance made into , yet there are many enemies to be subdued , and much of the heavenly inheritance to be enjoyed by them that stand in the power which giveth dominion over sin , the devil , hell and the grave , and they come to be made partakers of god ; and so the enmity being slain , man comes to enjoy god , who is eternal life , and comes to receive the crown immortal , which god the eternal power and strength giveth in due time to them that wait in patience and in faith , through which the immortal inheritance comes to be revealed to all the children of light. and so to conclude in few words , this i say unto all , who are longing after god , and waiting to feel his power , keep in your minds to the pure measure of god's holy spirit , and therein wait to see his kingdom , and his dominion , and to be made partakers of it , which brings the world to an end ; and will let you see to the end of it too , before it was , and him who is now glorified with the father in the kingdom of god , with the same glory he had with the father before the world began ; and whoso comes to the end of the world , and to the beginning again , comes to see him and his glory , and the kingdom of glory which fades not away , which whoso come to enjoy , are eternally happy . an epistle to friends in london , a servant of jesus christ unto all the chosen , obedient and faithful friends and brethren in and about london , wisheth an increase of righteousness , faith , obedience , patience , love , peace , mercy , long-suffering , humility , knowledge , wisdom , virtue , life , power , immortal happiness and felicity among you all , and in you all , that you may know and feel an increase in the increase of god , that your joy , rest and peace may be full in him , who is eternal life it self , who hath brought and is bringing immortality to light , through the gospel , unto all and in all who receive it and believe in it , which is the power of god unto salvation unto all that believe , and by it alone is the remission and forgiveness of sins witnessed ; and in no other name but this , who is the mighty power of god is eternal life witnessed ; nor victory and dominion over sin , the world and the devil , but by christ jesus , the word of god , the power of god , by which power alone is strength and victory witnessed over death and the grave , by all that believe in him , and receive him , to them he gives power to become the sons of god , and to receive an inheritance with the saints in light , among them that are sanctified . therefore dearly beloved in the lord , fulfil our joy , who have laboured and travailed amongst you , and have declared unto you the gospel , which is preached unto every creature under heaven , and the common salvation , which was delivered to the saints , who are at rest in the lord , and now again delivered and declared unto us in this his own day of mercy , love and grace , and the revelation of his righteousness , that they without us might not be made perfect ; for all make up but one body , and if a member want , the body is not perfect : and you your selves are our witnesses , that we preached unto you christ the lord , which we were made partakers of , and only our selves your servants for his sake ; and the lord is our witness , and that of him in you all is our witness , that we followed not devised fables , nor through enticing words of the wisdom of man declared we unto you , nor handled the word of truth deceitfully , but in much fear , and soberness , and tenderness unto all in whom there was any ear to hear , or any desire in their hearts after the lord ; neither did we seek to exercise dominion over you , but rejoyced when any had dominion in the lord over deceit , and when they reigned we reigned also ; but they who reigned without us , and not in the lord , and would have entred through deceit and craft any way into the vineyard of the lord , and have spoiled the plants , and would have subverted from the faith , we could give no place unto that , no , not for a moment ; to them who have made the offence of the cross to cease , and glory in the flesh , and would lead all thither again , and have made havock of the flock of christ , for whom he dyed , and would have had them to have lived and reigned who put him to death , and counted that which cleansed from sin a vain and a low thing ; unto such i am wholly without compassion , but wait to see the righteous indignation of the lord fall upon them , who have resisted the holy ghost , and have done despight unto the spirit of god , misery and eternal vengeance will be the end of such , and the upright shall rejoyce . therefore , dearly beloved of the lord , who are obedient unto the word of his grace , these things are come as a tryal , that none may henceforth glory in man , nor in any thing , but in the lord , the life it self , and in them who are in the life , and every one may keep to their own singly , and so they will not be easily moved ; and you whom the lord hath kept in the hour of tryal and temptations , that you joyned not with the error of the wicked , prize his love , and keep low , stand in awe of the pure presence of the lord , else you will know his wrath will be kindled against you again ; but the fear , awe and dread of the lord keeps you clean , clear and pure in his sight ; mind all the first love , and that which keeps your hearts open and tender to the lord , and one to another ; put away all strife and contention ; watch not for one anothers halting , for that which would rejoyce in that is in the transgression it self ; dwell in love and peace one with another ; take heed of security and carelesness and ease in the flesh ; for then poverty , dryness and barrenness will be among you , and the womb will be shut that brings forth the children which the lord delights in ; but all feel the life and the power of god , and let your faith stand in it alone , and they that trust in it shall never be moved ; for there you will be preserved out of the changeableness and changeable things , which adulterate the mind from god , who never changeth ; for god , who is , pure stands off at a distance from that heart which goes a whoring after other lovers ; there the bed is defiled , there he will not lye , nor his love he will not manifest to the unchast heart , nor to the strange flesh ; for whoremongers and adulterers he will judge , and the mother of harlots must be cast into a bed of torment , and they that commit uncleanness with her ; but the virgin feel , the bride wait to know , the lamb's wife , who is all glorious and pure , without spot , and there you will see the joyning and betrothing in purity and righteousness , and the marriage which is honourable , and the bed undefiled , where the lamb lyes in the bosome of his spouse all night , there unity and purity in the love undefiled and eternal is seen : the things i write unto you are spiritual , and as you wait , you will feel and know in the eternal wisdom the mysteries of the kingdom , and you will know the holy ghost , & the womb of the virgin which he overshadows , and see the conception , and feel him who is conceived by the holy ghost , and born of the virgin , who was and is called the immanuel , who saveth his people from their sins ; and then you will know christ formed in you , and him that forms , and the womb in which he is formed , the first born of every creature , which is a great mystery ; but through death this is seen , felt , heard and understood : but he that hath the key of david , opens the door of the treasure-house of eternal wisdom , and unto every one he gives a measure , according to the good pleasure of his will , who wait upon him , and are faithful , of his wisdom and knowledge , and past finding out by the children of disobedience , whose wisdom is corrupt ; but unto all , and in all , and upon all that believe , he pours out of his spirit of life , of wisdom , of purity and power a measure , and in the measure all that wait have unity with him , who is the fulness of all things , and of his fulness receive grace for grace ; and his righteousness , love , wisdom , mercy and fulness are revealed , from faith to faith ; and as you believe , so are you near to him , whose wayes cannot be measured ; and more and more as you grow in the faith of him and in him who hath enlightened you , and shined in your hearts , more of his love , of his purity , holiness , wisdom and glory you will see , feel and understand of him , and from him , who is invisible & eternal , blessed forever & ever , amen . so friends , all pass on towards the mark , that you may know compleatness in him , who is all fair , and not one spot in him , altogether lovely ; and you who know his love and the beloved , hold him fast forever , and let him not go , nothing can separate but an unchast heart ; and as you joyn unto any strange flesh , or idols , or other lovers , and so draw your love from him , be sure of this , he will hide away his countenance from you of love , and then sorrow will fill your hearts : so look not into egypt again , nor to what you have parted with , nor the glory nor pleasure of sodom , left you be turned into a pillar of salt ( remember lot's wife ) there are many of the same nature with her , which are near you in that city , which are as examples , that ye may forever beware , lest the same root of bitterness spring up as hath done among many , upon whom nothing is to be expected , but a daily fearful looking for the just judgments of god in flaming fire , as a recompence of reward for their ungodly deeds and hard speeches against the truth and the servants of it : but all abide in the cross , that the nature out of which the lusts and the war arise against the lord , and against your souls , may wither , dye and be worn out ; and so you will see more rest and peace in and with the lord ; and he that hath begun will finish , he that hath brought to the birth will bring forth , for in him there is strength ; all power is committed to him , both in heaven and earth ; he will work righteousness in the earth , and preserve all in peace in heavenly places in himself forever , who believe in his power . and so friends , this i must needs say , if you be straitned , it is in your own bowels , as sometimes i have said when i was present with you , even the same i write now , destruction is of self , and barrenness is of self , and deadness and disobedience is of self ; but as you believe in him who is near , and in his grace and the word of his grace , self is judged , and bruised under , and you will feel him who is the first and the last to enlarge your borders , and make your mountain strong , and your heritage goodly , and your ground fair and pleasant , where the pleasant fruit of righteousness is brought forth , which grows in the valleyes of righteousness , where the beds are green , and the garden is which gives a sweet smell , and where all that dwell , live and abide are fresh , beautiful and lovely in the sight of the lord , & in the sight of all the children of light forever . friends , above all things keep low , and none to judge of your selves nor think of your selves above what is meet ; take heed of conceitedness , and pride , and exaltation , and presumption , and of gainsaying and resisting them who have laboured amongst you in word and doctrine , whose example you have daily as a pattern before you ; let no boasting be , nor contentions , nor strife , nor emulation , nor surmising , but in singleness of heart all dwell , and bear and forbear one another , and let the same mind be in you as was in christ jesus , and so peace will be in your dwellings , and rest and prosperity in your habitations , and plenty and riches from above of the heavenly wisdom will be multiplyed in your meetings , and the pure presence of god and his power will compass you about , who are of an upright heart to the lord , that so you may be as examples and patterns of holiness and righteousness in your generation , that your enemy may confess god is among you of a truth : and so the power of the lord jesus christ rest and abide amongst you all , that you may continue to the end , which is the desire of him that shall rejoyce in nothing more , then in all your prosperities in the everlasting truth of the son of god , heir of all things , blessed forever and ever , world without end. a servant to the least for the truth 's sake , f. h. let this be copied by any that are free , and read in and among all friends at meetings , as is convenient , in and about the city . mystery babylon the mother of harlots discovered , her rise , and when , with many of her sorceries ; with her merchants of divers orders and ranks , and merchandize of divers sorts these many hundred years . also her last merchants with their delicate merchandise discovered ; in answer to a book tituled , the directory for the publick worship of god through england , scotland and ireland , which is now the chief traffick her last reformed merchants trade with in all these nations . published by f. h. and the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her , for no man buyeth her merchandize any more , rev. . . and every ship-master , and all the company in ships , and sailers ; and as many as trade by sea stood afar off , and they cast dust on their heads , and cryed , weeping and wailing , saying , alas , alas , that great city , wherein were made rich all that had ships on the sea , for in one hour she is made desolate , rev. . , . mystery babylon the mother of harlots discovered , her rise , and when , with many of her sorceries ; in the end of the primitive times , when the apostles had finished their testimony committed unto them , and had gathered many out of the world , and converted many unto god ; and many were established in the faith of our lord jesus christ ( which purifieth the heart , and giveth victory over the world ) and were led to the beginning , before the world was made ; and the churches which were in god , which had received the anointing , by which they knew all things , even the invisible things of god , and the mysteries of his glorious kingdom , which god , through the spirit did reveal unto them , which spirit they had received , being begotten of god , by which spirit they called him father , and by which spirit of truth , which was manifest from the god of truth in their hearts , they were led into all truth , and became sons of god , and heirs of the promise ; and this spirit was their direction , and led them to worship god aright , to obey and glorifie him and his name , which brought salvation unto them ; and into this spirit they were all baptized by the one spirit into one body ; and in this one spirit they met and worshipped god , and were of one heart and of one mind , and did know their director near them and in them ; and the time did come when they worshipped neither at jerusalem nor at samaria , but in the spirit and in the truth , wherein the father was glorified , and came to see that fulfilled which the prophets bore witness of , even him in whom all the prophets end in , christ made manifest in them , the hope of glory , whose voice they heard from heaven , by which they were quickened and raised from death to life , by the effectual working of the mighty power of god , which wrought in them that did believe ; and they were in the unity of the faith , by which all their hearts were purified who held it , which is a mystery held in a pure conscience , by which they received an assurance , and were made partakers of the promises , and became inheritors of life , light and immortality , and heirs of the promise , and joynt-heirs with christ ; and they sate together with him in heavenly places , and eat with him , and drank with him in the kingdom of god , which stood in power and in righteousness , joy and peace , and did not look like the pharisees , lo here or there , but first felt it ( as a grain of mustard-seed ) in themselves , or as a corn of wheat , which afterwards springs up as a blade , or as a ear of wheat to ripeness , to a full corn ; and they did walk from faith to faith , from strength to strength , and did appear before god in sion ; and the hebrews were come to mount sion , from whence god shined out in perfect beauty , who became their satisfaction and peace , who had revealed his son in them , whom god had made unto them justification , sanctification and wisdom ; and so they knew one god , the father of our lord jesus christ , and one faith , one hope , one baptism , the one spirit into which they were all baptized , into which they all did drink , by which all that did believe were sanctified , and did receive the inheritance among the saints in light ; and this was the church that was in god , which was begotten by god the father , and preserved in christ jesus , in the lively faith , and in the lively hope , by which their souls were anchored , and they established in the truth , that made free , and they had received the spirit of prophecy , and did speak one by one , according to the revelation of the spirit ( which led out of confusion into order ) and they being in the power of god , did walk by its order , in the order of the gospel . and now was the woman cloathed with the sun , who had the crown of twelve stars upon her head , and the moon under her feet , who stood in that which was unchangeable and immutable ; and now was the man-child brought forth which was to rule the nations , and was revealed to the church which was in god , and he was the head by which all the members of the body were united together in one , and reconciled to the father in one , and by his obedience justification did come upon all that did believe . but since the woman fled into the wilderness , and the man-child was caught up unto god , the midnight of darkness came upon the whole world , and the sincerity was lost , and the image of god lost , the heir caught up out of the world's sight ; faith was lost , hope lost , the spirit lost ( the saints rule and direction ) and then the whore appeared , and made all nations drunk with the wine of her fornication ▪ and they staggered and reeled to and fro , hither and thither , having lost the spirit , became all waters and unstable ; and all the world wondered after the beast , which then arose after the primitive times , and after the apostles dayes , and admired him , and worshipped him , who killed the woman's seed , and made war against it . and then the whore made decrees ( who was gone from the law-giver ) and she made confessions of faith , and articles of faith , being out of the power of god , who is the author of true faith , being guided by the power of the dragon , she made orders of worship , and gave directions for worship , having gotten on the free womans attire , the outside , the scriptures , the form of godliness ; but afterwards became more abominable , having both lost the power and the form , worshipped the devil's power and the dragon's power , and came forth in the image of him , and reached out the cup of fornication , and made the nations drunk with her inchantments and sorceries ; and she drunk the blood of the martyrs , the blood of the prophets , and them that kept the testimony of jesus , the spirit of prophecy , and then prescribed forms of worship , forms of prayer , and made creeds , and faiths , and articles of faith , and many faiths ; having lost the order of the gospel , she made many orders , and sent out many merchants to carry abroad her traffick and her merchandize to the nations ; and whole ships were filled full of it , vessels full of it , which went upon the sea , and rode upon the waters , upon kindreds , tongues , nations and peoples , who received of her merchandize , and bought of several sorts of merchandize , which the several merchants traded with , who had several orders prescribed then ( as popes , cardinals , jesuites , fryars of many orders , and monks of many orders , jesuites of many orders ) and all these carryed their several wares and traffick ; and many more tradesmen , many more merchants , whom she sent out with her merchandize , who have been made rich by her merchandize ; and other merchants were bishops , arch-bishops , deacons , arch-deacons , pryors , covents , vicars , commissaries , chapters , chancellors , vice-chancellors , doctors of divinity , batchellors of divinity , doctors of art , masters of art , batchellors of art , priests and curates , by which they were made rich , and abounded in treasure . and the beast , whom all the world wondered after , compelled all to worship him , both small and great , upon which the whore rides , the scarlet-coloured beast , which hath guarded all her merchants , and made all nations buy their ware , and hath compelled all people to buy the whore's sorceries , even all the invented and heathenish trumperies which the whore hath patched up , and their merchants painted over , which they have patched up , some from the jews , some from the heathen , some from the saints words , mixt with their own imaginations and deceit , and have holden forth these as the publick worship in the nations , kindreds , tongues and peoples , their many creeds , many confessions of the faith , many catechisms , and many forms of worship ; and when the people are weary of one sort of merchandize , then brings another in more deceitful and worse ; and the beast hath compelled the nations to buy it , and to hold it as the publick profession of the nations , though never so unsound and rotten , though damnable doctrines , and doctrines of devils , though invented and heretical opinions , invented since the apostles dayes ; yet cryes the beast , the church had ordained it , and the ancient fathers have agreed upon it , and the councils have confirm'd it , and the divines have ratified it , and the bishops , and arch-bishops , and reverend fathers have confirm'd it , and recommended it for orthodox and authentick . and therefore sayes the beast upon which the whore rides , ( the false church ) the mother of harlots , if you will not agree to it , you are hereticks ; for the church has power to censure you , to excommunicate you , and to curse you , and to deliver you up to satan ; and then the beast having made laws for the sale of the whore's sorceries and for the guarding of her merchants , and their ships , if you consent not to the articles of the faith , and confessions , you break the law of the nations , and are not subject to authority ; and now you are not punished for religion sake , nor for christ's sake , nor the gospel's sake , but as evil-doers , and transgressors of the laws of our kingdom or nation : and thus the mother of harlots which got up since the apostacy , who hath drunk the blo●● of the saints , and shed the blood of the martyrs , and slain the witnesses , and hath put many to cruel deaths , she saith , i am clear , we kill none for conscience sake , we persecute none for the gospel's sake , nor christ's sake , nor for religion sake ; but you suffer as hereticks , and you have transgressed the law of kings , emperors , councils , and parliaments , and are enemies to states , and governments , and rule , in breaking their wholsom laws ( cryes the harlot , who hath lost the savour ; and her merchants , which calls that which stinks and is corrupt , wholsome ; and so saith the beast ) we persecute you not for religion , neither in persons , liberties or estates ; but the church hath recommended this doctrine ; these articles of faith , these creeds and pater-nosters , this publick worship , or that mass-book , or that common prayer-book , or this directory , and are not they the fittest to judge of religion , who have the tongues , and the original ? and are fittest to give meanings and interpretations of the scripture ? and therefore we make a law , that the mass-book shall be holden out for the publick profession of these nations , as the pope , cardinals , jesuites and fryars think it fit ; and that the common prayer-book be holden forth as the publick worship , which the bishops , arch-bishops , deacons , arch-deacons have recommended unto us , as that which is consonant and agreeable to the primitive times , and to the church which hath been established so many hundred years , and whosoever will not consent and perform all the rites and ceremonies , let him be indicted , and let him be presented , and let him be cited and appear before a bishop , and let him imprison him , and fine him , and take away some of his estate , and excommunicate him ; and then it 's fit that the secular power take notice of him for transgressing of their law , and pillory him , or cut off his ears , or stigmatize him , and banish him , and let his estate be confiscate to the king or prince , against whom he hath transgressed ; for he suffers as an evil-doer , and hath brought this upon himself , because he would not be subject to our church-orders , and to the laudable customs of our nations or country . and say , some other of the whore's merchants who are of another order distinct from the rest , and carry other sorts of ware , and traffick with other sorts of merchandize , and some newer fashion , which is liker to bewitch people ; they cry out to the rulers of the earth to propagate their trading and their merchandize , and say , it were fit that some doctors and orthodox-men were called together to consider and consult about their trade , and what sort of ware or traffick will most bewitch people , and inchant their minds , that so her ships may go on the sea ; for if kindreds tongues and people will not buy her ware , her ships cannot go , and their trade will go down ; if ever nations come to the rock , or people come to some estability , or know the precious treasure , and the heavenly treasure in the earthen vessels , they will buy no more of us ; if the sea be dried up , that no more a gallant ship can pass thereon nor never a gally with oars , then we shall all turn bankrupts , and then may we cry , alas , alas ! we that have been made rich , are now become poor ; therefore what do we do ? let us take counsel together ; and if any tell , that they have obtained the heavenly treasure , and are come to the durable riches , and to the treasure that cankers not , and they have found it in themselves ; then let us cry out , it 's heresie , and damnable doctrine : and if any man shall say , that they need no man to teach them , but the anointing that dwells in them , by which they know all things ; then let us give our vote with one consent , that that 's a delusion , and let us frame arguments , and say , that that cannot be , you want hebrew , greek , and latin , a●d the original , by which you should expound the scripture , and know the meaning of it ; and therefore you to conclude that you have received the anointing is dangerous doctrine ; let us pronounce this man as a heretick , for he will infect people . and furthermore , if any say , that the lord is become his teacher , and he needs no man to teach him , but knows the lord to be his shepherd ▪ then let us cry out of this , as dangerous doctrine , and cry to the rest of the people that buy yet our merchandize , that he holds hereticall opinions , and despises the ministry , and the ordinances , and the doctrines of our reformed churches ; or if any say , that the spirit of the lord is a sufficient teacher , to lead his people into all truth , without outward means , as natural learning , hebrew , greek , and latin , and the ancient fathers , and old authors , and so make void all our arts and parts ▪ which are the foundation of our divinity , then let us cry in the ears of all the people , and in the ears of the rulers , and the powers of the earth , that this is blasphemy and error , and ought to be supprest . and furthermore , if any shall say , that he believes he shall be made free from sin in this life by the effectual working of chr●st ( the mighty power of god ) which condemns sin in the flesh , and destroyes the works of the devil ; then let us cry , heresie and blasphemy , and let us tell them , that the holiest that ever were upon the earth sinned , and that the body of sin was uncut down in them ; and let us prove it by paul's words , he complained of a body of sin , and was never in any other condition while he lived upon the earth ; and so it may be , we shall keep them in blindness , that they will continue and trade with us ; and if any say , they are come to the baptism of the spirit , the one baptism , into which all the saints were ●aptized , in which all other baptisms end , and so being come to this deny all the figures , and the baptism of infants ; then let us cry out , that they are sectaries , and deny the ordinance of god , infants-baptism , and let us give them some scripture , how that christ took up little children in his arms , and blessed them , and how he hid his disciples go out into all nations , and baptize them in the name of the father son and holy ghost , and may be with an inference or two , or two or three consequences , raised from this and the like scriptures , we shall make their eye blind , that we shall put off this counterfeit ware yet a little while . and if any shall deny our church or chappel , and call it an hol● temple ( which god never commanded to be built ) then let us bring some scriptures , how that god commanded a temple to be built at jerusalem , and how the jews had synagogues , and how god commanded store-houses to be built for god's service and worship ; and it may be such a proof as this will satisfie them , that they will come to our shop another time , at the hour appointed for the sale of our wares , when the marke-bell rings , and the wares are ready to be set out ; and so by this means we may hold on our trade a while : and if any shall deny david's psalms to be sung in rhime and meeter , and with organs and pipes , to be an ordinance of god in gospel times ; then let us bring them some scriptures and some fathers , and tell them , in the church of corinth , that he that had a psalm might sing ; and it may be they will know no difference between a psalm which was given forth by the spirit , & the psalm which is gotten by tradition from another ; and let us bring a proof out of revelations , that they that were redeemed from the earth played upon the harps , and sung a new song ; and it may be they will see no difference between them that are in the earth , and them that are redeemed from the earth , and so we may keep up this still as an ordinance invented by our mother mystery babylon . and let this be agreed amongst us , now when many of us are assembled together , whose lively-hood and riches stand only in the merchandizing of our mother church , that to whatsoever place we sail in our ships , if any be heard to say , that the spirit of the lord ought to move first , before any teacher , minister or believer ought to pray , that so they may pray with the spirit , and in the spirit , in publick and in private , whether with many or few , that so without the spirit none can be edified ; let us all agree to this , that it be voted down as an error ; and let us do what in us lyes to prove from scripture , that set forms of prayer are lawful , and are an ordinance of god ; and let us bring the lord's prayer , called by our mother-church the pater noster , and see what that will do , and also hosea . . take with you words , and turn to the lord , say unto him , take away our iniquity , and receive us graciously ; so with a deduction from these and the like scriptures , we may happily prove , that a set form of words , invented by our church ( or any of us that trade with her merchandize ) that this is an ordinance of god , and ought to be practised publickly and privately , and is accepted with god , although the people have not received the spirit , as they had in the primitive times ; and if this will not satisfie , then use some prevalent argument , as our reverend brother and fellow-merchant with us , mr. samuel bolton in the like case in hand used this forcible argument . though you cannot command the wind ( said he ) yet you may spread your sails ▪ and see what such an argument as this will do ; but if they will not be content with this ( as it may be they will not ) in england , scotland , ireland and holland , and some other parts , who are more quick-sighted then some other places where we merchandize ; if we cannot stand it out against them , that none can pray to god aright , but he that is come to the spirit ▪ and knows by the signification of it what to ask , then let us grant them the thing , if we cannot help it , if common-prayer , forms of prayer will not go off as they use to do amongst our customers , then let us agree to them ( but let that be the last shift ) that without faith or the spirit it is impossible to be accepted or heard of god ; yet before this be granted , let us strive as much as in us lyes by forcible arguments from the scripture ( if so be they will not allow the authority of ancient fathers , nor of our cannon-books ) how that there is a platform laid down in scripture , and the general heads of true prayer are laid down in an orthodox method in the scriptures , that is to say , confession , petition , intercession , supplication , with giving of thanks ; and if this will not stave them off from speaking so much of prayer by the spirit and with understanding ( for i● will be a grievous thing if we let this ordinance fall of set form of prayer which our mother mystery babylon hath allowed so many years , and ra●●fied and confirmed in several great councils , as nice and lateran , and divers others ) and if nothing will serve them but prayer by the same spirit as was in the primitive times ( before we lose them quite ) let us grant it them in words , that prayer by the spirit is only acceptable . and reverend brethren , let us all agree not to be idle , but diligent , read the scriptures , and pack them up together , a deal of exhortations , reprehensions , admonitions and prophecies , and read some old authors , as irene●s , ambrose , cyprian , jerom , bazal , austin , origen , damizin , and it 's not amiss if we take in luther , calvin , menno and beza , and some other late modern writers ; and so by much reading and meditation our actions will be whetted up and quickned , and those words which we read often will lodge in our memory , so that we shall be able to pray half an hour ex tempore , or an hour and an half upon a fast-day ( for that is the best traffick that goes off such dayes as those ) without tautologies or reiterations ; and so though we pray several times , and in several places , as before kings , or councils , or a synod , or classis , merchants of our own order , yet by this means we shall be fitted for all places and time , to sute the business which we are about ; and if any question the thing , let us say , we pray by the spirit as it gives us utterance ; but now this is the last beast of our merchandize , which is as gold , and silver , and precious stone , and pearl ; if this will not go off , as upon the account of the spirit , or spiritual worship , or a spiritual ordinance , then there is little hope of driving any more trade , or getting any more sale with these men ; then let us cry to the magistrates , they are new fangled and giddy-headed , and delight in novelties , and are erroneous schismaticks and hereticks , and are factious and seditious , which if they be let alone , and not be timely checked and reproved , they will overthrow us merchants ( call'd by our selves ministers ) and not only us , but also both church and common-wealth . and furthermore let us agree , reverend brethren , in unity and peace , and strive all with one consent to be furnished with such merchandize as will sute with the countries and regions where we traffick , as kings , princes , protectors , parliaments , and councils , noble men , gentlemen , and also take in the common people ( if happily we can please them all ) because that by the last mentioned we receive much of our subsistance ; yet if any of them do not like our merchandize , it is the least matter of them ▪ for then we have a king , a prince , a protector or a parliament to appeal to ; and if we can but satisfie them with merchandize , upon petition they will make us a law , and set a compass upon every one of our ships to ride in at sea , and they will command every parish to buy our merchandize , and if they will not buy it , at the worst compel them to give us our price , whether they receive our merchandize or traffick or not , but if they will not ( having a law to guard us ) we can take it from them , whether they will or no ; and if at any time any seem obstinate , and refuse to pay us easter-reckonings and midsummer dues ( which may be come to the value of d. or . s. ) we can take a pot worth or s. or a pan , or a kettle ; and if they shall neglect to pay us a mortuary , which hath been an ordinance ordained by our mother mystery babylon seven or eight hundred years ago or upwards , if they will seek to disannul such a laudable custom , then we can sue them for it in a county-court , and get or shillings dammage ; and if any of the common people refuse to pay us our tythes , which belong unto us church-officers , which were given unto us by our mother , who sate upon the scarlet-coloured beast at the least . hundred years ago , that if our tythe come to . s or . l. we can go to a chapman or two , who resents our commodities , and they will give us a warrant for treble dammages , and then we shall get some bailiffs ( who are our church-members ) and take away a yoke of oxen worth or pounds ; or a horse or a cow worth ten or twelve pound ; and if the tythe come to or pound , then we can take five or six cows , and a score of sheep , and half a score of swine , and thresh the corn out of his barn , and take it away , and take away the feather-beds , and curtains , court-cloaths , and blankets , rugs , sheets , kettles , brewing-furnance , or the rayment which the family wore ; and if we judge it too little to satisfie our insatiable desires , take pin-cushions , or if it be but half a cheese , as our reverend brother alexander bradly , in the parish of elmstone , in the county of kent , from robert minter of the same county and parish ; and in thus doing there will be little loss or detriment to us : and if any refuse to give us a tythe-cock of hay , or a shock of corn ; ( having the power of the earth of our side ) we can pull down the hedges , and break open the gates , and fetch away a wain-load or two , or as much as we think fit , as many of our reverend brethren of our order have lately done ; which are good precedents to posterity that may come after us ; and if any with whom we have traded ( who are neighbours ) do think much at us , we can call them hereticks , and say , they are enemies to the church and common-wealth , therefore why do you pity them ? but reverend brethren , it is not with us now in the north regions of the world , as it hath been in time past , about two or three hundred years ago , neither as it is with the rest of our fellow-merchants in italy , rome , jerusalem , arabia , greece , portugal , spain , hungaria , france , and the rest of the regions , where our mother sits as a queen , the people being all as asleep at midnight , any old , dark , rusty cankered ware will go off there at a good rate , and for ave-maries , or pater-nosters , te deum , or a magnificat anima , or the like , or some other charm in an unknown tongue , or a story of st. damisen , or st. benedict about images , or a story of st. francis of his converting of wolves and bears ; or speaking an hour from some old-fathers , and call it the word of god , and meddle not with the scripture at all ; for a story of the lady of laurette , or the image of the virgin mary , and of what miracles they have wrought , which the members of the mother-church believe for good doctrine , and receive these or the like , as crosses , crucifixes , pictures , beads and images , and such other like merchandizes of the baser sort , are all brought and received , without question , as merchandizes of great worth , and things belonging to happiness and felicity ; but alas ! it is almost day , and the night is far spent , and the people in these northern regions are come past mid-night , some towards the dawning of the day , and they question our merchandize , and with some the night is quite over and they are come to the day-break , and to the rising of the sun , and with those there is no hope of trading , ( though with the best of all our commodities ) though with cinamom and odours , and oyntment , and frankincense , yet they will buy none of our ware , nor there 's no hope of trading with them any more ; for they are come to know the pearl which is more precious then rubies , and the heavenly treasure that doth not rust , and the word which is sweeter then the honey and the honey comb , there 's no hope of them ; but this is the misery , they will not be content with what they have found , but impart it to others , and so beget a dislike in other peoples minds to the best of all our merchandize . however , them that are gone from us , and deny our mother and her golden cup , and deny all her merchants , great and small , not only them that trade in wood , and vessels , and brass , and iron , but even them that trade with the best merchandize , as gold , silver , precious stones , pearls , fine linnen , purple , silk and scarlet ; however let us excommunicate them , and give them up to satan , and let us call to the beast with his seven heads and ten horns , who is scarlet-coloured , dreadful and terrible , and let us accuse them of heresie , schism and blasphemy , and call them seducers , deceivers and false prophets , and let us brand them with names of reproach , as sectaries , and say , they are seditious and rebellious and mutinous , and they are enemies to church and state and all good government , peace-breakers , factious and pestilent fellows , that bring all the nations into an uproar ; and if that will not do , let us petition to kings , princes , dukes , parliaments , protectors and councils , that some speedy and effectual course may be taken for suppressing of these hereticks , and for stopping of these blasphemous doctrines , as that the steeple-house is not the church , and sprinckling of infants no ordinance of christ , and singing of psalms by tradition no part of the true worship of god ; and it may be shall get some law or act of parliament against them ; or call them vagabonds , and get them whipt abroad , and put in prisons , while we take away their oxen and goods at home ▪ and so by this means it will stop others ( whom we traffick withal ) that they will not dare to hearken unto them ; for if they will not buy our wares , and take our measures by a glass in love to it , yet because of fear of imprisonment , or loss of their goods or estates , they will be constrained to trade with us . but alas ! it is otherwise with us now then it was in queen mary's dayes , when mass , mattens and even-songs , processionings , ave-maries , creeds and pater-nosters took up most part of the time , and went off among people for spiritual worship at a good rate ; neither is it with us now , as it was in the dayes of bishop laud , our great metropolitan , and the rest of our mother's merchants ▪ then would common prayer translated out of the mass-book into the english , and creed , letany , pater-noster , with a lord have mercy upon us , or we beseech thee to hear us good lord , forty times over in a quarter of an hour , with some of david's psalms turned into meeter by hopkins and sternhold , masters of musick , sung with organs , with choristers and boyes , with bowing to the altar , and such like merchandize , which was then precious in the eyes of our mother's children ; then whosoever would not be obedient to all the rites and ceremonies , we branded them with the name of puritans and non-conformists , and haled them before sessions , courts and magistrates , cited them to appear before the bishops , served them up to the high-commission-court , before the lords spiritual and temporal [ falsly so called ] and there the flesh was gnawn to the bone , and ears cut off , stigmatizing and burning with irons , imprisonment and banishment : now as people came nearer the day , they began to suspect all this , as not to be the spiritual worship of god , having no ground nor footing from the spirit of truth , nor example from the scripture , nor from the primitive churches ; then they over whom our mother once reigned , began to question her , whether she was the lamb's wife , yea or nay ? and whether our predecessors and brethren were the messengers sent out by the true church , yea or nay ? and whether the ordinances and practices were the institution of christ and his apostles , yea or nay , in the primitive times ? and the day dawned upon them , and the spirit came to be revealed , and did shine into their hearts , and they began to search the scriptures , and to compare the true church ( which was cloath'd with the sun , and crown'd with the crown of twelve stars ) with our mother mystery babylon ; and they began to compare the apostles and ministers in the primitive times , with our predecessors , babylon's merchants ; and also compared the institutions and ordinances which were delivered to the true church , with the institutions , rites , ceremonies and inventions of our mother mystery babylon ; and so they found all out by the revelation of the spirit , and by searching of the scriptures , they found out the rise of our mother , after the woman was fled into the wilderness , and that she sate not as a queen upon nations , kindreds , tongues and peoples , till after the woman did fly away upon the wings of an eagle into the wilderness , for a time , times and half a time ; and likewise they found out , that our predecessors and fellow-merchants were not like the ministers of christ in the primitive times , neither our doctrines and ordinances like the ordinances and doctrines which were once delivered to the saints , before ever we merchants set sail , or floated in a ship on the sea : and so finding our city to be raised up in its glory , since the glory of god was lost in the earth ; and finding our queen mystery babylon ruling in our city , since the lamb's wife fled ; and finding us merchants to receive her traffick from her city , since the faith was lost that once was delivered to the saints ; and did see our creeds , and beliefs , and pater-nosters , our prayers , and our hymns , that they are quite another thing , which was part of her traffick , they have concluded , ( and that upon infallible grounds ) warranted by a cloud of witnesses in the prophets and apostles , that our mother is a whore , and her predecessors are her merchants , and that our ordinances are , and traffick hath been invented by some of our mother's children , which are apostates , and they have found us out : and now alas ! a ship will be hardly able to ride any more upon the waters , nor the sea will hardly bear up our vessels any more ; the nations , the kindreds , the tongues and the peoples are almost dryed up , especially in the north regions they will not buy our merchandize any more , our ships are like to stand still , and our merchandize is like to be all shipwrackt ; therefore let us take counsel , lest all the sea dry up , and we all sit down in solitariness , and our song be turned into wo worth the day , misery and alas . therefore now it behoves us all , reverend brethren , who are of this last edition ( tything presbyters ) to deny our mother in her greatest fornication and adultery , since she hath committed fornication with kings and nobles , and since all nations have drunk of her cup ; but yet let us own her three or four hundred years after the ascension of christ ; for then though she was inclining to adultery , and it lodged in her heart , yet it was not so openly known then , but only to a few , and then she held part of the form of godliness , and had part of the true church's attire and ornaments on the outside ; and so let us all agree to stick close to her here , and vindicate her then and her merchandize ( the form of godliness ) for if this traffick will not go off , we are at an end ; for either this must serve in the north regions of the world , or we must pull down our sails , and let our ships stand still on dry land ; let us put on a resolution , there is some hope that this may serve a while ; for that our mother was a true church three hundred years after christ , hardly any in this will gainsay us ; and let us deny all the popes , cardinals , legates , fryars , monks , jesuites , seminaries , and all their several orders ( which are one distinct from another ) and let us deny the rest of our fellow-merchants , or rather fathers ( which did ordain us to be merchants to trade at sea ) seeing that kind of merchandize which they then traded with ( which they received from our mother ) will not go off now ; for nations , kindreds , tongues and people now will not buy that kind of merchandize which hath not the face of purity upon it ; and though we were made ministers by them , yet now when they are grown out of date ( a parliament having voted them down ) it 's not safe for us to hold them up , nor none of their worship nor merchandize ; so we having a distinct order of our own , and are ranked into another fellowship , distinct from the fryars and the monks , let us keep our fellowship one with another ; and so we may set up our selves , and so may bring honour to our mother mystery babylon under another name ; and so let bishops , arch-bishops , arch-deacons , deans and chapters , prelates , vicars and curates be denyed ; and seeing the traditional traffick ( before mentioned ) will not go off , and all the forms of publick worship have been contrary to the scriptures , and contrary to the primitive times , and seeing we cannot hinder people from seeing of it , therefore we must let it all pass , and deny both them and it ( at least in the hearing of them whom we trade with ) therefore let them merchandize with it in some other country , for our mother , where she hath more reputation , and where the beast hath more power ; and the time may come , if we can but perswade people , that they cannot understand the scriptures , nor come to know the mind of christ without our original , hebrew ; greek and latine , in some time , it may be , this traffick will go off , if we can keep people but ignorant enough , that so we may be a means to bring our mother and her messengers ( that she hath sent forth ) into more reputation then they are : notwithstanding , though the day be dawned , and every man's work made manifest of what sort it is , yet it is well enough , that we receive the maintenance which our mother mystery babylon gave unto our former merchants , as tythes , oblations , obventions and offerings , easter-reckonings , and midsummer-dues , and mortuaries , twenty shillings for a funeral sermon , ten groats at the grave , twelve pence an hour for ringing of bells , and such other like commodities that befall us ; and besides all this , we have got something out of bishops lands , and deans , and chapters , and prebends lands , some good augmentations out of those ; so that all the merchandizing and traffick lyes in our hands , and all the wages that our mother gave to other officers and ambassadors of several orders ( which to speak plainly , is the very reins and sinnews of our gospel which we preach ) and therefore , if we cannot keep the people blind , but they will see our error in most things ; yet while we have the powers of the earth to make us a law , that all may be forced an compelled to pay that unto us which our mother , the church gave us , when she was in her exaltation , while this is kept up , we shall carry about her ships , and merchandize ; though the people have no great heart to it , we shall cry out to the magistrates , to compel them to buy it , or else the people will turn atheists and barbarians , and however get our price . yet now , reverend brethren , seeing we cannot keep the people in ignorance and darkness , nor hinder the day from dawning , nor the sun from rising , while it is but even yet twy-light , let us work and carry about our traffick ; for the best sort of merchandize which our mother hath , will hardly please now ; for now it comes to that , that nothing but spiritual ordinances will be accepted among people now ; therefore we , which are of the tything presbyterian order , though we have denyed our mother in some of her sorceries , and though we have denyed the bishops , our fathers , and ordinances , and their established form of worship , we being heirs app●rent to their inheritance , and revenews , and wages ; now we being come to maturity , and go under the name of reformers , yet let our mother mystery babylon's wages stand unalterable , as the law of the medes and persians ; and though the professions of publick worship have been denyed and abolished , let us perswade the magistrates and rulers , that if they abolish our tythes and set wages , then the gospel will cease to flourish in these nations ; and though the mass-book , or book of common-prayer , and the letany will not go off for gospel any longer , we shall set somthing else up in its stead to be called the gospel ; and because we have not the immediate spirit , nor an infallible , neither ever look to have , its requisite , that we prescribe some form or directory of worship , to be as a rule of direction to all of our order ; and if we can get a parliament to make an ordinance for the recommendation of it to the nations , as the publick worship of god , then we may trade yet with our merchandize ; and whilst our set wages is not altered , the matter is of less moment ; and though the directory should be discommended , as it is recommended , and our form should go down , and another thing should be established instead of it , yet it were lawful for us to joyn to another ; and though they should accuse us for time-servers , and men-pleasers , yet we have a cloud of witnesses , as in edward the . and henry the . how many hundred of our fellow-merchants denyed driving a trade with the mass-book ; and likewise in the dayes of queen mary many thousands owned the mass-book as the publick worship of god , which was then holden out . again , how many thousands of our fellow-merchants denyed the mass-book , or publick profession , doctrine and discipline , and joyned to the book of common-prayer , and the letany , as the publick profession of the worship of god ; and now of late years we have denyed it our selves ; and so we which are of this order can dispence well enough with this , seeing that we trade with some of our mother's merchandize under another name , and so the matter is less grievous , because the orders and ceremonies about worship are retained still in our directory under another habit and guise ; and having these witnesses before mentioned for our example , and if any seem to contend with us , this will take the edge off people , ( seeing it 's no new thing with us , to set our sails which way soever the wind blows ) and it may be , we may bring them a scripture or two , and an inference from it , for a cloak , as , to submit to every ordinance of man for the lord's sake , and let every soul be subject to the higher power ; so henry the th . while he stood , he was the higher power , and so mary , elizabeth , james and charles , they were the higher power , while they stood , and they did ordain , that sometime the mass-book should be the publick worship , and some time the common-prayer-book should be the publick worship , and now the directory a plat-form of publick worship ; it may be , these and the like arguments ( to them that are dim-sighted ) will take place for some time . but there is one thing above all , which ought to be considered of by us , who are allowed to be publick merchants ( seeing that we must go under the name of reformation , for that is our flag we carry in our ships ) seeing that generally people of the most understanding will not allow of any preaching to be effectual , to the converting of souls , but that which is ministred by or from the spirit ; for the reading of old homilies which served in our predecessors dayes , will not serve now , or if we should speak some hebrew or greek , or latin in an unknown tongue , they will conclude , that is rather the wisdom of the flesh , and from natural wit , rather then from the spirit ; and therefore it is not much amiss , if we conclude to let some of the ancient fathers pass , and not mention them , because it is holden generally , that they lived in an apostatizing time , and so it will not be effectual in the audience of people : and so for austin and cyprian , jerom and beda , origen and damazin , their traffick will hardly go off , for they will conclude , it 's rather by art and study that we preach , then by the spirit ; and so we being fallen into such a dangerous time as this is , now in the break of day , when men begin to be quick-sighted , and will not onely espie hills , but also motes ; therefore , all we which are merchants of this order and rank to our mother mystery babylon , had need to trade with the best merchandize , as gold , and silver , and precious stones , and fine linnen , and silk , and scarlet ; and so let this be agreed upon by us all , that we study hard , and read the scriptures , and other modern divines , which are orthodox , that so , if need require , every one may preach extempore ; for else it will not go upon the account of the spirit , and so have words to fit at all times , occasions and seasons as before protectors , parliaments and councils , or noble men , or classis , or synods , or the like ; and every one labour by study and art to raise many doctrines from one scripture , and make many uses , and tryals , and motives ; and so carnal people's minds will be affected with such dex-tterity and readiness , so that we shall clear our selves from clamour , ( which some of our merchants have fallen under , because of their negligence ) and if any should accuse us for studying and patching up our sermons out of divers authors mixt with scripture , and our inventions , then bring such a scripture as that , tim. . . study to shew thy self approved unto god ; it may be , some blind people will take that for a good proof ; and such a word as that , study to be quiet ; and because the word study is found in scripture , therefore with a consequence or two we may prove in the ears of people , that studying of sermons is lawful ; and if any question our set wages and heir , be sure , that all with one accord do study to vindicate this ; for this is the life and sinnews of the propagation of our gospel . and now reader , i shall give thee an account of the principal and chief traffick , which is established for the publick worship amongst those that are called gospel-professors ; the general heads whereof are laid down in a directory of the publick worship in these three nations of england , scotland , and ireland ; and the general heads of that which they purpose to traffick with , is laid down in their directory ( so called ) and what traffick is of less moment , may be ushered in , time will make manifest ; and in their preface to their bo●k , they say as follows . directory . that the liturgy hath been a great means to encrease an idle ministry , from putt●ng forth themselves , for putting forth the gift of prayer , which christ pleaseth to furnish all his servants with , whom he calls to that office. answer , so then by this conclusion all their former fathers and fellow-merchants were not sent out by christ , because they contented themselves with set forms of others made to their hands ; and if all whom christ called to this office be furnisht with the gift of prayer , then this must needs follow , that they that have no gift of prayer are no officers of christ ; well , their part being acted , and the exit being come , let him go off the stage , and thou shalt see the gifted men come on next . direct . in the assembling of the congregation together , the direction is , that the people do reverendly compose themselves to joyn in the ordinance of god , which is then coming in hand , as it is written in the th page of their book . answ. here they are putting self to perform the ordinance of god , which whosoever comes to perform aright , or joyn with the assembly of the righteous , they must deny themselves and all their own composings . direct . the next thing is about reading the scriptures , and exp●sition of them ; and in their expounding they are to take heed , that preaching and other ord●nances be not streightned . answ. as for reading the scripture , it is a thing so harmless , honest , just and good , that i wish that all their whole ordinances ( so called ) had been all waved , and given place to this ; and if it were read oftener to the people , without adding or diminishing , the understandings of people would be more opened , then by their cloudy and dark patched up speeches , which is called preaching ; but preaching i am not against , that is to say , to declare the mind of god , as it is revealed by his eternal spirit , to and in them that speak ; and why do you prefer one part of your worship before another ? was not a psalm in the church of corinth acceptable unto god , when it was sung in the spirit , and with understanding , as good as interpretation ? and was not prophecy as acceptable as speaking with tongues ? if your expounding , so called , of the scripture be by the spirit of god , why should that give way to sprinckling of an infant , till the spirit cease to speak in him that spake by it ? direct . the next piece of merchandize is , of their publick prayers before sermon , and to pray after this manner , to acknowled●e your great sinfulness by your original sin , which makes you liable to everlast●ng damnation , and doth defile your best actions , if it were not restrained by god's grace , as in page . answ. what! is original sin unwasht away ? and is a deprived nature alive , that poisons all your faculties , and defiles your best actions ? what , is not this t●ken away yet ? then you have confounded your orthodox doctrine , or else never have been baptized when you were infants ; for did not you use to say , that when an infant was sprinckled , that he was regenerate , and born again , and ingrafted into the body of christ's congregation ? and furthermore , to give thanks to god on this wise , we yield thee hearty thanks , that it hath pleased thee to regenerate this infant , and to receive it for thy own child by adoption , and to incorporate this child into thy own congregation ; then seeing that all that are baptized are regenerate , as you say , how is it original sin and the guilt is not taken away ? and how is it that the best of your actions are defiled ? for regeneration is a cleansing work , and the actions of the regenerate are pure and holy , but your best actions are defiled , then you are not regenerate by your own doctrine ; and if sin be restrained by god's grace , then actions do not defile ; for grace is one , that which restrains , and that which saves ; for it 's written , by grace you are saved ; and if you are restrained from sin , or saved by grace , then your actions would not be defiled ; what cankered rusty merchandize is this ? but i shall proceed to shew more of the like nature . direct . the next doctrine is , to confess your actual sins , the sins of your magistrates , ministers and whole nation , and how that you have broken all the holy just laws of god , doing that which is forbidden , and leaving undone that which is injoyned , and not only ignorantly , but presumptuously , against the light of our minds , and checks of our consciences , but also desp●sing god's forbearance , and standing out against all the offers of grace in the gospel . answ. was not the baptized infant incorporated into a holy congregation ? and now you confessed you were a sinful congregation , not only ignorant , but presumptuous also , and have sinned against the light of your minds , and the light of your consciences ; what ! is there any thing in your minds or consciences worth taking notice of ? what ! will the light in the conscience shew sin , and reprove for it ? then how is it , that you merchants of this rank cry out against it as delusion and heretical doctrine , when any exhort them , that they sin not against the light of their own consciences ? and if you stand out against all god's invitations and offers of grace , then are you none of christ's ministers ; and never blame me for calling you babylon's merchants ; for the ministers and disciples of christ , they came at christ's invitation , and peter and j●hn left their nets , and followed christ when he invited them ; and they resisted not the offers of grace , but received it when it was offered , and were saved by it ; and if you walk so unworthy of him in your selves then repent , and cease carrying abroad such trumpery as this to deceive the people withal . direct . in the sixteenth page you reformers say , you ought to bewail your blindness of mind , and h●rdne●s of heart , and unbelief , impenitency ▪ secureness , luke-warmness and barrenness , and not endeavouring mortification , nor to keep your garments unspotted . answ. you had need to bewail your state indeed , if this be it ; but see that you be not hypocrites , to confess that before the lord and your congregation ; and if any say , you are hard-hearted and unbelievers , you deny it again , and so make your lives transgress , and your tongues utter forth deceit ; what ! are you such a company of blind minds , and hard-hearted , impenitent , unbelieving , secure , luke-warm and barren , wh●m god will spue out of his mouth , who do not so much as endeavour after mortification , nor to keep your selves unspotted , and have broken promises , and vows , and covenants ? o that ever such a company as you should carry a ship to sea , or think in your hearts to give directions to oothers to reform , when you are unreformed your selves , and full of unbelief ! what people will take directions at such a company of heart-blind guides as you ? if this be reformation , what is deformity ? the wise in heart may judge of this merchandize . direct . yet you say notwithstanding in the th page , let us draw near to the throne of grace , and incourage our selves with hope of a gracious answer of our prayers . answ. he that sits upon the throne of grace , before whose face the heavens and the earth shall fly away , he will reject your offering , notwithstanding all the encouragement you may take to your selves ; and how can you have hope to receive a gracious answer ? it's but the hope of the hypocrite , you that are blind in mind , and hard in heart , and do not so much as endeavour after mortification ; david a messenger of god , said , if i regard iniquity in my heart , god will not hear my prayers ; and you that are so presumptuous , and are so full of vain hopes , as to think , that god will hear your prayers , who are in unbelief , and endeavour not after mortification ; he will send you empty away . direct . the next doctrine is about preaching the word , the subject of his sermon is to be some text of scripture , sutable to some emergent occasions , and he may go on in some chapter or psalm , as he shall think fit . answ. here reader , thou mayest take notice , these artificers , of the last edition have traffique of divers sorts , to fit the several places and occasions ; as when they come before some princes , or courtiers , or some convocations , or counsels , then some great swelling words , and new coyned expressions , and rhetorical speeches , and philosophical phrases , this will go off at a good rate ; and by this the merchant may procure his discourse to be printed , which may procure his fame and renown among ignorant people ; besides , it may be he gets profit by printing his sermon , setting all set-wages , tythes , and salleries aside ; but if it be amongst poor country people , or an odd corner of the land , then any ordinary traffick , ( a sermon , which it may be he hath sold four times over ) this will go off among ignorant people , and make them more ignorant ; and as you say , a text out of the psalms , or any other scripture , as the minister shall think fit , will serve to treat upon ; reader , thou mayest take notice , that here is no notice taken of the holy ghost , or spirit , what it thinks fit ; but what he that preaches hath ready must go off , and counted as fit for that people . direct . and in the th page your direction is to the merchant , not to rest in general doctrine , but come to particular application , which is a work of great difficulty to himself , requiring prudence and moderation , and to the natural corrupt man it will be very unpleasant . answ. the doctrines and the applications of the natural corrupt man will not be profitable nor powerful at all upon the hearers , neither will disarm the thoughts of the heart at all ; and you that give prescriptions to natural corrupt men what to preach , who set them about performing the work of god ( that know it not ) are very ignorant ; for the natural man understands not the things of god , and the corrupt man in heart sees not god ; and he that understands not the things of god , must needs preach a divination of his own brain : well , let who will take this traffique , the children of light will have none of it ; it may be , such husks as these will satisfie a herd of swine , and so let them take it . direct . and you say , he that preaches , is to be perswaded in his own heart , that all that he teaches is the truth , and that he is to walk before his flock as an example . answ. how is he like to be perswaded in his own heart , that sins presumptuously against the checks of his own conscience ? and you set examples indeed , but they are but bad ones ; would you have your flock to follow your example ? would you have every one of your flock to have a long gown , or a long robe , and make them all like cardinals , princes ? would you have every one to have a ring on his finger , and a company of points at his knees , like a beasom , and a company of ribbons and cuffs , like a fidler ? or would you have any of your flock to come and fetch away a yoak of your oxen , or a couple of your horses , or take his teem , and come into your field , break down the hedges , and throw open the gates , and load his waggon with corn , if one could not pay it him for conscience sake ? or would you be sued up two hundred miles into a court for a tythe hen , worth four pence or six pence , and thrown into the fleet a year or two , for four or five shilling ? many such evidences and examples we have from you , you late reformers ; but to the light in all consciences i leave to judge ( which you have presumptuously sinned against ) what examples you are to your flocks . direct . and now reader , i come to prayer after sermon , and thou shalt see what traffick is there ; the ministers are to give thanks for the blessing received , as ele●●ion , vocation , adoption , justification , and hope of glory ; and likewise to turn the heads of his sermons into some few petitions , and after to pray for the preparations for death , and to entreat of god to forgive the iniquity of your holy things . answ. here , reader , thou mayest see as bad merchandize as the story of the lady of lauretta , or the story of saint francis , which the begging fryars , your fellow-merchants traffick withal . first , you give thanks for election , vocation justification , and hope of glory , and afterwards pray for the forgiveness of the iniquity of your holy things ; how are your things holy , when they are full of iniquity , and sinful ? is that which is holy , iniquity and sinful ? or is that which is iniquity and sinful holy ? are they elected , justified , adopted , and sanctified , whose sins are not blotted out , whose iniquities are not forgiven ? let the wise in heart judge of this dream : what! are not they well prepared for death , that are elected , adopted , justified and sanctified , but they must needs have your prayers full of iniquity ? will that prepare them better ? what ignorance is here ? and where learned you this article of faith , to turn the heads of the sermon into petitions ? let the wise judge ; was not prophesie one thing , and prayer another ? but now p●●phesie must be turned into prayer , and prayer into prophesie ; sermons into petitions , and petitions into sermons ; what mangl'd traffick is this ? direct . in the th page , th●s kind of prayer fore-mentioned ended , a psalm may be sung , if it be convenient , if some other ordinance doth not follow . answ. then it seems that your psalm is no ordinance , but if it be , it must give way however if the priest think fit ; god must have no prayers at that time ; it may be sprinckling of an infant may serve in stead . direct . and now i come to the great ordinance , infants baptism ( falsly so called ) in the th page , the minister is to use some words touching the institution , how that it was instituted by our lord jesus christ , that infants should be baptized , and that it is a seal of the covenant of grace , and of our grafting into christ , and of our union with him , and of remission of sins , regeneration , adoption and eternal life . answ. reader , take notice , christ never sent them forth as ministers to tell lyes , as to say , he ordained that which he never did ; and furthermore , take notice , that the spirit of the lord is turned out of doors , there is no place for it ; outward water , with which the infant is sprinckled hath taken up the authority and the work of the spirit ; the minister of christ declared , that the spirit of promise , and the spirit of truth , was the seal of the covenant of grace , and remission of sins , regeneration and adoption , and that the faith and the spirit are the seed of eternal life ; but these reformers have excluded both , and have set up a beggarly element in the room ; let the spiritual man judge what kind of traffick this is . direct . and in page . that children by baptism are received into the bosome of the church , distinguished from the world. answ. now what kind of church yours is , and what kind of a bosome your church hath , distinct from the world , the wise in heart may judge ; you have confessed , that magistrates , ministers , and the whole nation , do not so much as endeavour after mortification and a newness of life , and that you are blind , hard-hearted , full of unbelief , impenitent , secure and luke-warm , and have not so much as endeavoured to receive christ into your hearts by faith ( as in the sixteenth page of your directory may be seen ) and how your church , and the bosome of it , is distinct from the world , if your church be as you have said , the understanding may judge ; for you that are impenitent , and full of unbelief , and have not received christ into your hearts , you are of the world , and your bosome full of deceit , and are none of the church of christ. direct . and moreover , the minister that baptized the infant ( which is a popish invention , and not an institution of christ ) however he is to press it upon people as such an one , and to exhort them to look back to their baptism , and to repent of their sins against god , and to stir up their faith. answ. said ye not even now , that baptism with water was an ingrafting into christ , and of regeneration , and of eternal life , and he that is baptized hath the seal of all this ; and yet they are to repent of their sins ? and how should their faith be stirred up , that have none , which yet have to repent ? what blind doctrine is this , that these blind merchants of this last edition have given out for a platform ? direct . in page . the minister is to joyn prayer with the word of institution , for sanctifying the water to this spiritual use. answ. mark reader what sorcery is here ; was not the water instituted in the beginning by the word , and gathered together into one place by the word ? and then it was sanctified & holy ; and how became it unholy again ? & how hath the water transgressed , that it is become unholy , that it needs sanctifying again ? but instead of sanctifying it , you abuse it , and would make it serve for that end which god never ordained , viz. to be a seal of the remission of sins , a seal of regeneration and eternal life ; all which is contrary to the scripture , contrary to the ministers of christ , and contrary to the precepts of the ministers of christ , but are indeed institutions of your mother mystery babylon . direct . and now i come to the celebration of your great sacrament of bread and wine ; you say in page . we judge it convenient to be done after the morning sermon , and that all the ignorant and scandalous are not fit to receive this sacrament . answ. and why after the morning sermon , ye great reformers ? if you intend that christ's breaking of bread , and giving the cup to his disciples , that this must be your foundation for your sacrament , that was at supper in the same night he was betrayed ; and if he had judged it more convenient , why could he not have given it them after some morning sermon ? what example have you for so doing ? it may be saint gregory , benedict or damasen , or some other of your mother's merchants : and if they be unfit that are ignorant and scandalous to receive this sacrament ( as you call it ) then none more unfit then your selves , none more ignorant and scandalous , who have left that undone which god hath injoyned , and have done that which he never commanded , and that not only out of ignorance , but also presumptuously against the checks of your own consciences , and motions of his holy spirit ! what , not so much as endeavoured after mortification or newness of life , but are a blind , hard-hearted , unbelieving and impenitent people , witness the sixteenth page of your directory ; and if such as you be fit to receive this sacrament ( as you call it ) i know none unfit to receive it . direct . in page . the minister is to warn all that are ignorant , and scandalous , and prophane , that live in any sin or offence against their conscience , that they come not to this holy table ; and on the other hand , to encourage and assure them of refreshment and strength by coming to this table , if they desire a further progress in grace . answ. whom do you call ignorant , prophane and scandalous ? is not he a scandalous person that sins presumptuously , and against the checks of his own conscience , and god's holy spirit ? and if such be prohibited , all you reformers are excluded ; and if you do come , you are like to have no refreshment or strength here ( if your own doctrine must stand good for refreshment and strength ) which you promise to them that have a desire after the progress in grace ; but say you of your selves , we have no desire after mortification or amendment of life , and so you are without hope , come or not come : furthermore , bread and wine was a seal of eternal life ( before you said ) and now refreshment and strength is promised to the weak ; i say , as the apostle said to them who discerned not the lord's body , but came unworthily , for this cause many are weak , and many are sick , and many are fallen asleep ; and though they have come to your table , they have come sick and weakly , and have gone away so , and have found your promises and assurances of no effect at all . direct . and now i come to the consecration , the minister is to begin the action with blessing the bread and wine , setting them aside for this holy use. answ. i say , bread and wine was sanctified by the word , for that end and use that god created them , that is to say , for the nourishment for man , and they were holy and good before ever the priest touched them , as it is written , unto you that believe are all things clean ; but if you set them apart for any such end or use , as to be a seal of remission of sins , regeneration and eternal life , then you convert them , or rather pervert them to that end which god never intended ; but this is like the rest of your idolatrous merchandize . direct . in page . then after the sacrament is taken , the minister is to put them in mind of the grace of god held forth in the sacrament , and to entreat for pardon for the defects of the whole service . answ. the church of rome , your mother , saith , that the body and blood of christ is held forth in the sacrament , and you say , the grace is held forth in the sacrament , and the seal of eternal life ; what ! do you think to make it the fountain of life , from whence all good comes ? and in the conclusion of all the whole , a sacrifice must be offered up for the defects of your whole service ; what pitiful blind merchandize is its ? before it was a seal of the vocation and election , eternal life , and pledges of adoption ; and by it the comers thereunto are not made perfect , but are full of defects , and sinful , and your whole services full of iniquity , and sin , and defects ; will not any , who hath but the least sight , abhor your hypocritical sacrifice , and your mouldy , rusty , cankered traffick ? and now their holy ordinance and their most holy things are ended in defect , in sin and iniquity ; and these worshippers the more they offer , the more they sin ; and how the rest of their ordinances will end , thou may'st judge , before thou pass any further . direct . and now i come to the sanctification of their sabbath , the whole day ( you say ) is to be celebrated , as being the christian sabbath . answ. if you intend the first day of the week , where is that called the christian sabbath ? the sabbath in the first covenant was given for a sign of the christian sabbath , which was to be revealed , when they ceased from their own works , words and thoughts , then the rest was to be known , the christian sabbath ; and whether is the christian sabbath a visible or invisible thing ? but stay sirs , do you keep this day ( which you call a christian sabbath ) holy to the lord ? is not this your market day , upon which you sell your traffick , one or two glasses for twenty or thirty shillings a day , besides what you get for sprinckling of infants ? do you not speak your own words , nor think your own thoughts , nor work your own works ? if you say , you do not , how comes it to pass that there are all these defects in your performances , and all this iniquity in your holy things ? i hope you dare not say , that defects are from god , or that iniquity or sin is of god ; and if you have not a male in your flock , let sacrificing or offering alone , and do not think that god will be pleased with your lame , blind , maimed , defective sacrifices , neither with your strangled things , nor your swines flesh ; so i say unto you , repent , and learn to be reformed in your selves , before you prescribe rules for others , lest both you and them that follow you fall into the pit ; & because the merchants of this rank and order do love to be medling with every thing , wherein there is hope of any thing to be got , they will try all kinds of merchandize , and so present they their direction about marriage to any who will take their ignorant counsel . direct . they say , marriage is no sacrament , nor peculiar to the chur●h of g●d ( and they say ) we judge it expedient that it be done by a lawful minist●r , and to be published there times , before it be solemnized , by the said minister . answ. if you mean by sacrament an holy thing , then marriage is either holy or unholy ; if unholy , then fit to be done by none ; if holy , why is it not proper and peculiar to the church of god ? if they who are members of the church of god may marry ( in the lord , and in the covenant in which man was made ) the male and the female ; then what hath any to do with it , who are not of the church of god ? and what hath the church of god to do with them that are without ? and what hath a priest to do with this ? where was abrahams and sarahs priest when they were married ? and where was the priest to solemnize the marriage of isaac and rebeccah ? and of zachariah and elizabeth ? and because you say it is not peculiar to the church of god , whether were these of the church of god before mentioned ? but what hath the priest to do to publish it three times , like a bel-man for the loss of a horse or cow through the market ? or rather , why ought not the man and the woman both , in the fear of the lord ( if they be moved thereunto by the lord ) publish their own intentions ? and moreover , their joyning together in the church of god , when the members of the church of god are present ; but this frustrateth the priests or s. and his clerk d . or a shilling more or less as they can get . direct . further more , they say , it may be done any time of the year , but on a fasting-day , or on the lord's day . answ. why are these dayes prohibited ? if marriage be a holy thing , or an honourable thing , why may it not be done in the fear of god , and the power of god , why not on any day ? were dayes made for man , or man made for dayes ? your ignorant predecessors , the pharisees judged as you do , that it was not expedient or convenient , that he should heal a daughter of abraham , whom satan had bound , on the sabbath day ; and now they say , that the honourable estate of marriages , is the covenant of their god ; and before it was laid , it was not peculiar to the church of god if entering into a state of marriage be the covenant of god , and if the covenant of god be peculiar to the church of god , then what is the reason ( you reformers ) that marriage is not peculiar to the church of god ? and now take their directions ( who hath a desire to trade any more with their merchandize ) concerning the visitation of the sick. direct . the party sick is to send for the minister timely and seasonably before their understanding fail them ; and if the minister suspect the party of ignorance , he shall not examine them in the principles of religion , especially touching repentance and faith , and to make known unto him the danger of deferring repentance . answ. if he be such a one who is the sick , as hath traded much with the priests merchandize , if he be capable of understanding , there is some hope he may give the priest pound , or ten pound ; and it hath been high time for the minister to have shown him the danger of deferring repentance before now , ( when he is like to go out of the body ) not to have deferred his exhortation till this time ; and if the party be ignorant , it were more time to inform him about the principles of religion , and repentance , and faith , then to have him make answers to that which he knowes nothing of ; and then you conclude , if desired the minister shall pray for him to this effect . direct . confessing and bewailing original and actual sin , and the miserable condition of man by nature , and that god would give him an evidence of an interest in christ , and the seal of eternal life by christ. answ. in sin you began , and in sin you will end ; complaining of original and actual sin before you know what it is , and holden on till you come to the grave , and never depart from it ; and what ! must not the minister pray except he be desired ? it seems they alwayes must please other mens desires , rather then mind the spirits motion in themselves ; and what ! is interest in christ yet wanting , and evidence , and seal of eternal life yet wanting , and it may be the party or years old ? what , was not this man baptized when he was an infant ; and have not you said , in the page and page of your directory , that water-baptism is the seal of the covenant of grace , and of being ingrafted into christ , and of regeneration , adoption , and eternal life ; and what , is the evidence and seal lost now ; useth not this to be the doctrine amongst you , once in and ever in christ , and whom he loves once , he loves to the end ? and hath not this man partaken of the sacrament , and eaten the flesh of christ , and drank his blood , and a church-member ( as you call it ) and is his evidence now to seek , and the seal now wanting ? utter darkness is your dwelling place . direct . and now we come to the directory for solemn fast , that when some great and notable judgment is inflicted upon some people , or apparently evident , or when some special blessing is to be sought or obtained , then solemn fasting is a duty that god expects from a nation and people , and they are to abstain from all food , and from worldly labour , and discourses , and bodily delights , and rich apparel , and ornaments , and such like ( although lawful at other times ) and gorgeous attire , and lascivious habits , and if any such thing be , the minister may reprove them at a fast. answ. to fast unto the lord , is not to set a day apart by the will of man , but by being moved thereunto by the lord , and not to hang down the head for a day like a bulrush , nor to smite with the fists of wickedness , but to loose the band of wickedness , and let the oppressed go free : and as for gorgious attire , rich apparel and ornaments , it 's no where found so much as amongst you steeple-house fasters ; and for delights and pleasures and these things , which you say is lawful at other times , that which so judgeth , will not forsake them in your set times ; and if they be lawful at any time , then the apostles exhortation is made void , who said , not in gold , nor costly array ▪ nor broidered hair ; that which abstains from them one day , and takes them up another day , is hypocrisie and deceit : and as for your abstinence from one set meal in a day , and it may be go to a banquet or a riot the next day after , this is abomination to the lord : and how should the minister reprove any for pride , when it may be hath as many points at his knees as a beasom , ribbons and cuffs , and a long robe to his heels , and a broad hatband , enough to cover one most part down the waste , if it were spread out ; and who do you think will receive this man's reproof for pride , that thus is gorgiously attired ? and what do you judge this man will have on the thanksgiving day ? direct . the next comes on the performance of the worship , which is reading , preaching , with singing of psalms , fit to quicken the affections , and especially prayer , wherein sin is to be confest , with several aggravations , and with greater inlargement then at other times . answ. you that have nothing to quicken your affections , but to turn david's cryings and tears into a song , and sing , you roar for the disquietness of your hearts , and as men distracted , when your hearts are whole and unrent ; and you that think to be heard for your feigned confessions , and if you speak from your hearts ( as you say the ministers ought to do ) there is no such hypocrisie and deceit among any people , as among you , who do that which is forbidden , and leave that undone that is commanded , and presumptuously sin against the light of your own consciences , as you confess , and do not so much as endeavour to receive christ into your hearts , nor so much as endeavour after mortification and newness of life : and how can you think for your multitude , and inlargement of words , and seeming importunacy , god will hear you for your much babling ? many hypocritical fasts have been made , which i have observed , as well as some other men , what would be the end thereof , the beginning thereof was feignedness , and the performance thereof like them that amos speaks of , that howled for their corn , wine and oyl , and mocked god , and drew near with their lips , but their hearts were far from him . direct . but to proceed , such texts ought to be used for preaching , that may best work the hearts of the hearers into humiliation and repentance , and the minister is to exhort before they depart , that their assembly may improve their whole life to the glory of god , by re-inforcing themselves and their families in all private resolutions towards god , which they professed in publick . answ. you that have no other things to bring people to humility and repentance , but by a text ( as you call it ) of scripture , which you may judge in your carnal minds will do it , and pick and chuse too , the scripture where you like : what! was not the scripture spoken forth by the spirit of god , and cannot be broken ? and one scripture is as good as another , and is as effectual as another ; but none is effectual without the spirit , which is that which leads to repentance , and brings down the pride of the transgressor ; and except people come to receive the spirit , and believe in it , which convinceth them of sin , and leads them to repentance , all your stirring up , and composing , and re-inforcing , will do no good at all ; and re-inforcing of self began your fast , and there it will end , without christ , which whoso comes to follow , deny themselves , and otherwise taught , then to take the kingdom by force : and concerning their humiliation , thou hast heard , and mayest judge , reader , what their thanksgiving will be like the rest . direct . the minister is to make some pithy narration of god's deliverance , and sing some pertinent psalms , and choose a pertinent text to the occasion . answ. the thanksgiving doth not arise from any sensibility that people feel in themselves ; but it arises from the pithy story , as they call it , of the minister , and likewise from his devised sermon , which hath fed the carnal minds , to rejoyce in words without the life , and then ring the consecrated bells , and get bonfires , and eat and drink , and satisfie the flesh ; and these are the thanksgivings , and the rejoycings that the world makes over the witness in themselves . direct . and now i come to the singing psalms , and their mass-house , the place of their worship , and so i have done with their traffique : first , they say , that singing of psalms publickly in a congregation , with a tunable voice , is a christian's duty . answ. where it was injoyned by christ , or any of his ministers , i am ignorant , and yet the scriptures i know , but no where read in it , that singing of prophesies , and prayers , and other mens conditions , turned into ryme and meeter by poets and masters of musick , in an inverted tune , ( in the same mind which invents tunes for ballet-mongers ) and to sing such conditions amongst proud , wanton and disdainful people , covetous , envious , and such as have not so much as endeavoured after mortification , or newness of life , ( as generally your parochical congregations are ) as you have confest in your directory for publick worship ; this is no way accounted as a christian's duty ; for whose souls are not brought out of death , cannot praise the lord ; and you confess , ministers and congregation , that you are blind in mind , hard in heart , full of unbelief , impenitency , luke-warmness , and barrenness , not endeavouring to receive christ into your hearts , your state is howling and lamentation , and not rejoycing ; yet singing with the spirit is owned , and with understanding . direct . and now we come to the place of publick worship : they say , it is not unlawful or unconvenient for christians to meet together in the place which was dedicated to idolatry , or consecrated to an idolatrous use , yet we hold it requisite , that the places of publick worship should be imployed , and continued to that use . answ. and upon what account , do you count it lawful , convenient and requisite to meet in an idol's temple , or a mass-house ? your account will be but slender and poor , which will be without example from the saints : did josiah or hezekiah , when they had broken down the altars of baal , and thrown down the high places , did they say , it 's requisite and convenient , that our priests , and the levites , and the congregation , do meet at the altar of baal , or at the high places ? or did the apostles bid the gentiles , who did believe , go to their idols temple again , and say , it was a convenient place to worship the true god in ? and have you forgotten that exhortation or precept , abstain from every appearance of evil ? and though some know an idol is nothing in the world , how be it there is not in every man that knowledge ; and is it not yet called by most of you yet , the house of god , house of prayer ? but as you did begin , so will you end , to carry no traffiqe , but for your mother , mystery babylon . and thus , reader , i have led thee through many things , from the rise of the whore , and through the most of her merchants , and through the most of her traffique merchants , of divers orders and ranks ; but i find them all to trade with nothing but inchantments and sorceries , which hath long bewitched the nations ; but the time is come , that she is manifest , with her merchandize and sorceries , and turned from , by me and many thousands more , which is my exhortation to thee , that so thou mayst come to the church , which is in god , and to the elect assembly , and to know the seed which is heir of the promise , and of the life which is without end : which mystery babylon , with all her merchants , have sought to destroy , since she got up to ride upon the beast , who hath compelled all , both small and great , to worship him , and also all nations to buy the whores merchandize and traffique , which hath deceived the nations , and bewitched them ; but the time is come , that she shall be hated of her lovers , and they shall forsake her ; and her merchants shall say , alas ! alas ! which day is dawning and dawned , which discovers the whore , the beast and false prophet , with all their sorceries , and the lamb shall reign , and the holy men of god and prophets shall rejoyce over her , when the smoak of her torment ascends up forever and ever ; which the lord hasten saith my spirit , amen . a warning to friends to beware of such who had departed from the faith. friends and brethren , who have heard , believ'd and received the word of truth , as it is in jesus , and kept the word of his patience , which will preserve all that abide faithful in this day of tryal and hour of temptation , wherein satan is let loose for a season , to try them that dwell on the earth , even to try your faith and patience and love , that you may be made manifest unto all that love the lord , my bowels earn after you all , and my spirit is vexed in me for the lord's inheritance , which the old dragon , which was and is a deceiver , seeks to destroy and root out : but all who stand on the rock , and are built thereon , the gates of hell cannot prevail against you ; therefore dear friends , be more circumspect and diligent , because dangerous times are come and coming , wherein many shall depart from the faith , and give heed to the deceit of their own hearts , and will endeavour to subvert and overthrow the faith of some , and will labour by all means to make your hope vain , and your faith void ; and they themselves having made shipwrack of faith , and put away that far from them , which works the answer of a good conscience , and now seek to devour all and destroy all , especially the weak and unstable minds ; but blessed are they that are not offended , and that turn not aside for a thing of nought , after lying vanities , which the wrath of god will come upon , and be revealed upon to the utmost , because they have not the truth ; and this could not have come upon them , but that they take pleasure in unrighteousness , whose hearts are filled with mischief , and the whole course of nature set on the fire of hell , being filled with unrighteousness , and now it pours out of their unclean vessels , to defile all who come near it or touch it : friends , i say , all be awakened , for this spirit could not have come forth nor appeared , but first there was a departure from the faith , and then giving heed to the lying spirit and doctrine of devils , their understandings being darkened , have brought forth these fruits , whereof all that dwell in the least measure of truth will be ashamed ; and therefore give no place to the devil , nor to none of their lying deceitful confusion , nor enter not into consulting with it , none have done or shall do , but they shall be defiled ; dwell in that which savours words , & the ground from whence they come , and that discerns spirits ; take heed of feigned words , and feigned humility , and feigned tears , and feigned joy ; touch not , taste not , handle not , but all keep your garments clean , lest you be turned out of the lord's camp , as they are , and be a vexation to the children of light , which would be a lamentation : and therefore having seen the deceit , and having heard it judged with the life of god , which answers that of god in every man , and being warned , and your eyes have seen , and your ears have heard that which the least measure of god cannot but abhor ; therefore stand not gazing , and wondring , and sparing one , and accuse another ; for from head to tail it is all accursed , and cursed is the father of it , and the womb that brought it forth , from this time forth and for evermore ; and all that shelter under it , who have been disobedient , here shelter ; and all who would have the offence of the cross to cease , that so they may glory in the flesh , will find a shelter here , but the end is death and bitterness , & greater tribulation then before will come , which the lord will hasten , that all who have turned the grace of god into wantonness , may receive a just recompence of reward , flames of everlasting wrath , which shall never be quenched ; never heed it ; the same came in the apostles time , after they had planted , the devourer entred , and there arose from among them that had believ'd , men speaking perverse things , and were proud , self-willed , treacherous , high-minded and presumptuous , of which generation these are the same , who are turned from the truth , life and power of god , after their ungodly lusts , and having started aside from the holy commandments of god , and having slain god's witness , now make merry , and call it greater glory , this will god confound ; for thus is the enmity got up again , which is not of himself , but of another , and he will not give his glory to another ; keep out all feigned love and foolish pity , and all imitations , and all sloathful spirits , and all those that run gadding up and down in idleness and foolishness , and are not diligent in their places , all such practices are denyed ; and therefore every one be diligent in your places and callings , and there abide ; and all wait to have your minds stayed , that you may adorn the truth by a chast , sober and holy conversation , and your lives preach , and answer the just in every man , that so truth may be exalted above all deceit . and friends , keep your meetings on the first day at your several places , where you might hitherto have waited in stilness and quietness , but it hath not yet been prized as it ought , and you may all yet learn , and see all those that run up and down , being heady and self-willed , that still run after words , and never come into the obedience of the truth , and now are turned out where they were before , nay worse ; and a fan will yet come , and all that stumble at the cross shall all fall , and they that get above it deny the power of god : but friends , since the truth hath been declared among you , you have not known a want , and that makes the careless and the full now to loath manna , the least of which if you had had in time past , would have been accepted unto you : and so now all you who have kept your garments clean , whom the lord hath preserved out of the snare of the enemy , below , and dwell in love , in meekness and peace one with another , and grow up in the wisdom of god and life of god ; and now see that all keep in the fear , look to your own every one in particular , that you may savour and discern all deceit , and keep the faith , that so you may see victory daily ; and do not talk of things above what you enjoy ; and let none think of himself above what is meet , and he that is least shall be minister : and so the lord god of life preserve you all in uprightness that you may come through all this mud and dirt , and may find your strength renewed , and the power of the lord more made manifest ; the desire of my soul is to the lord for you all ; fulfil my joy in your obedience to the truth , as it is made manifest in you ; and the god of life and power be with you all , who are of an upright heart . i am yours , as you continue in the faith , which hath been declared and revealed in as many as have believed . f. h. the invisible things of god brought to light by the revelation of the eternal spirit , who was an eye-witness of the wonders of the lord in the beginning . wherein is declared the felicity of all things in the beginning , and the sad estate of all things after the transgression . how all the reformed churches ( so called ) in christendom are yet in the apostacy . the estate of the true church before the apostacy , and her state in the apostacy , and the glory that shall appear after the apostacy . by one who believes god will shine out of sion in perfect beauty again after the dark night of apostacy . f. h. the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun , and the light of the sun as seven dayes ; and he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people , and the vail that is spread over all nations , isa. . . an epistle to the reader or readers to the upright-hearted reader in all the regions of the earth wherein this may come , who have walked in the thick fogs and mists , which have arisen out of the bottomless pit , which have been raised up since the transgression , which have dimmed your eyes , and hurt your sight , so that you could not behold the pure caelestial being , nor him that dwells in it , whose presence gives life , nor any thing within the vail , because the vail hath been spread over all nations , and it hath been so thick , that it hath been hard for any to rent it ; and the night of apostacy and darkness hath been so long , since the woman fled into the wilderness , and since the manchild which was born hath been caught up to god , that few or none for these many ages past have come to see the end of the night , but have mourned without hope , and few or none have seen or have been able to discern the time of the woman's return out of the wilderness again , into which she fled ; and few or none have seen to the end of the times , after which she should return ; & mens sight in the apostacy hath been so dim , and in the vexation , that when the man-child , which was caught up unto god , would appear again , few have had faith to believe , or sight to behold him , or an understanding to discern of the times : but praises be to the lord god everlasting , who hath opened , and is opening the windows of heaven , and showring down his wisdom as a mighty rain , and his knowledge as the morning dew , and an understanding is pouring forth , as the water out of the bottles of heaven , and as the water spouts , so that ages , times , things , dayes and years are measured and seen . and him that was before all things is beholden , by whom all things were made , who hath been as in a far country , all this long night of darkness ; but the time is fully expired , and now is he returning , and his appearance is as a morning without clouds , as clear as the sun , and as pure as christal ; and now is he scattering the clouds , fogs and mists , as with the east wind ; and his pure breath clears the air ; and by his arm which is mighty , is he renting the vail of the covering , according to his promise , and revealing himself in his naked glory , that the solitary may rejoyce , and the feeble may be comforted , and them that have erred may come to a good understanding ; what i have writ thou must read me only in that which is invisible and eternal in thy self , else i am sealed from thee , my words are a riddle ; the dreamers of this age in the apostacy say , immediate revelation is ceased , and not to be looked for ; yet i must needs bear my testimony against them all ; for what i have here written i neither received of man , nor from man , nor books , nor other words , but by the eternal spirit , who saw these things , and was an eye-witness of them , and god through it hath revealed them in me and to me , that i might bear my testimony of the hidden things of god , which are eternal ; although i have made use of the scriptures , and the saints words , and cited some , it is not for my sake , but thine , who readest , that so every truth may be confirmed by two or three witnesses ; if thou wait to know and find the key of david , who opens , in what i have declared , thou wilt see the state of things before the fall , and after the fall , and how all men in the fall have corrupted themselves in all administrations ; thou wilt see the state of the church before the apostacy , in the apostacy , and what shall be after the apostacy ; and if thou cannot reach into the things , as they are declared , judge them not before the day appear in thy self ; for till then , they will be obscure to thee ; but as it appears in thee , thou shalt bear me witness that these are holy faithful and true , and have and shall be fulfilled , in that which is immutable , i bid thee farewel . f. h. the chief particulars or heads in the ensuing discourse treated upon , and opened by the spirit of the lord , who was an eye-witness unto these things . . the work of the lord declared , which was in the beginning , when the word was with god , and man in the image of god. . although the heavens and the earth were created , and all things therein finished , yet the world was not begun , that lay in wickedness , which the devil is the god of , neither was christ the mystery hid , nor the lamb slain . . the understanding may read the wisdom of god in a mystery , and also may see the sottish doctrine of the apostates . . an objection answered . . another objection answered . . how peace , joy and delight possessed every thing that god had made ; how every thing which he had formed glorified him with one consent in the beginning . . how man lost his state , and dominion , and unity with god and all the creatures ; and how the lamb came to be slain , and the world that lay in wickedness came to be framed in man after the tempter entered ; how endless misery came in upon all after the transgression . . how sin entered into the world , and death by sin ; and how man is dead while he lives , and all are dead works that he acteth ; and the states of all the sons of men and their works may be seen in the fall. . three objections answered about this particular . . self-righteousness , deeds of darkness also , and dead works , are to be condemned also , and man who acteth them in the fall. . an objection answered , as to the present state of the ministry of the nations , their practice and their worship . . an objection , as to the churches , so called , and their worship in the nations . . the dark and blind doctrines of the ranters denyed . . an objection about reading the scriptures , and conforming to the outward practice of the saints informer ages . . how all men upon the earth in the degeneration and in the fall have corrupted themselves , and been idolaters in every administration , being gone from the life and power of god in themselves , and having lost the power of god , man can neither worship , honour nor obey god aright . . a few words to that which is called christendom , who profess christianity . . something about water-baptism to both priests and separatists . . something about rome in the apostacy , and all their worship in the degeneration . . the protestants or reformed churches , so called , not yet come out of the waters , nor from under the beast's power . ● . the presbyters and independents are yet under anti-christ's reign , in the apostacy , and have among them yet the attire of the whore. . how the woman that travailed in birth , who was clothed with the sun , and brought forth the man-child fled into the vvilderness , when the dragon had power , and the man-child was caught up unto god. . how the vvoman comes out again , and when , and he that was caught up unto god descends again , and appears again to take the rule to himself , and how he makes vvar with the dragon and all the apostates , and overcomes them . . how the glory of the lord shall appear after the apostacy , greater then before , and the ministration into which them that follow the lamb shall be brought , shall be more spiritual and coelestial then before ; for that shall appear , in which all visible types and shadows end in , and shall be the last that is to be expected by the sons of men , the sight of which hath appeared , which yet cannot be uttered . the invisible things of god brought to light . the work of the lord declared , which was in the beginning , when the word was with god , and was the fathers delight , and man made in the image of god , and lived in the lamb's power , and he was mans life , and this was before the transgression of these declared , as god hath manifested them by his spirit . in the beginning was the word ; and the word was with god ; and the word was god ; the same was in the beginning before the foundation of the earth was laid , or the hills were framed , he was with the father , and was the fathers delight , and he delighted in the father , and the father in him , then did the morning stars sing together , and the sons of god shout for joy. in the beginning were the heavens created , and the pillars thereof set ; and the earth was framed by the power , and all things both in the heaven and in the earth were created by the power , god's son ; every beast of the field , every fowl of the heaven ; and the decreed place for the sea was broken up , and all things that moveth therein were created by the word and by the power , and man was made by the power , and in the power , and he was the image of god ; as it is written , in the image of god created he him , male and female created he them , and he had dominion over all the works of his hands , over every beast of the field , which were created by the power , over the serpent , among the rest , which was created by the power , and was good , as he was made in the power ; and by the wisdom they were all brought forth , and man made in that wisdom that brought them forth , who was better then them all , and was made partaker of the power and of the wisdom more then them all , and by the wisdom called every thing , as it was in its nature , so named he every thing , and the dominion he had was in the power , over all things , over all the creation of god , which wa● good , and the earth and all things that are therein , the tree of know●ledge good , that stood in the garden also , but not for food ; so these be the generations of the heavens and the earth , in the day when g●d created them , they were all good , made and created by god in the power eternal , which is good , unchangeably good , without variation , and the unchangeable power , in which and by which they were made , moved in them all , and they all received virtue and power from the power , god's son ; and the power moved in them all , and shined through them all , and ran through them all ; and they were all to abide in the covenant in which they were made , and not any to move or act without the power , but only as the power , which was the life of them all , moved them and acted them , and so goodness possessed them all ; for all were partakers of the goodness of god , and it was the life of them ; and they were none of them to move nor stir , but as the life of men , the power by which they were created , moved them , which was god's son ; the heavens and the earth were finished , and all things that therein are , and they were all good ; and this saying was true then , which was spoken by christ , the power , many generations after , i in them , and thou in me , and all was perfect in one , the father was in the power , the power was in the father , and all the creatures in the power ; now was the father glorified , now was the son glorified , now was man in dominion , in power , crowned with honour , lord over all the works that god had made in the power ; and now the whole family , both of heaven and earth bowed their knees to the lamb , to the power ; and this was then fulfilled , at the name of jesus every knee shall bow ▪ both of things in heaven and things in earth ; and his name was now the word of god , and this was in the beginning , and the word of god is the power of god ; and now both the caelestial bodies and the terrestrial bodies were all subject to the power ; and all the works of the lord's hands were finished , and he rested , and all things , both in heaven and earth rested in the power , and all kept holy day , and rejoyced . though the heavens and the earth were created , and all things wrought and finished , yet the world was not begun , that lay in wickedness , which the devil is the god of , neither was the power , which is christ , the mystery , hid , neither was the lamb slain yet . now after all was made and created , and were good , and blessed , and endued with power , life and vertue , according to the purpose of his heavenly will , which is eternally pure , yet was not the lamb slain , nor the mystery hid , which is the power , which is christ ; for what should slay him , or what should hide him ? he that reads let him understand ; this that i speak of cannot be reached to with that wisdom that stands in time , which was not in the beginning with god , that is shut out ; but the wise in heart shall understand knowledge , and the prudent shall know what hath been in the beginning , and of his wonderful works in the dayes of old , and of the mystery which was before the world began , when the lamb was in glory , the son in glory , christ in glory , the first born of every creature , and was born before the world began ; he that hath an ear to hear , let him hear ; when all that god had made , and brought forth by the word , by the power , was blessed , and stood in the power ; then did the lamb sit in his throne , then was he the delight of god , and god in him , and all that was made by him rejoyced in him ; here was love , here was glory , here was purity , unity , and a sweet harmony , joy , peace , love , eternal life , god's power ran through all , all was good ; christ was not now hid , he shed himself abroad , and all things were partakers of his power , in which they were made ; here was happiness , blessedness , joy , dominion , everlasting and eternal felicity , innocency , purity and perfection , and man in it , god in it , the lamb in it , man in it after his own image , the mystery of godliness was not hid , there was nothing to hide it , or overshadow it , no vail , no covering ; but righteousness was manifest , and was the covering of all , innocency the cloathing of all , purity the robe of all , and life the dwelling place of all ; and all the works of his hands rested with the father , with the lamb , with the word , with the power , with christ in glory , with the father in the eternal glory , whereby all was upheld , in purity , unity , harmony , answering the pure will of god ; and man had power to answer the will of his maker , which he received from god the father of life , by the power in which he was made , and to abide in the will of god forever ; and herein he , and all things in heaven , and the whole family thereof , and all the holy host of god bowed to the lamb's power , and he reigned , and the angels were subject to the first-born of every creature ; before the angels or before any thing was made , he was , his age who can declare ; or his generation ? his age runs parallel with eternity , with immortality , & came from the eternal womb , and from the bosome of the father , where he is , even where he was before the world began ; he that reads let him understand ; now the power ruling in all , and over all , all were in peace , and was blessed . now the angel stood in his power , moved in his power , and all the caelestial bodies went in and out at his command , and moved not , nor stirred not , but when he moved ; and this was then fulfilled , let all the angels worship him , and so they did , reverenced him , and were subject to him , sang and rejoyced in him , triumphed in his power , and all the holy host moved at his command , and marched on in his strength to perform his will , and to accomplish his everlasting purpose , and to fulfil his eternal decree , and gave glory to him who sate upon the throne of righteousness , and judged in righteousness forever , and ruled in righteousness forever ; there was joy in heaven , the father rejoyced , the son rejoyced , the angels rejoyced , the morning stars sang , the sons of god shouted for joy , the holy host gave praise , and all praised in the firmament of his power , in which they stood , moved , walked , lived and accomplished the pure , perpetual and eternal decree of their maker : moreover , the terrestrial bodies were all subject to him , he reigned in all over all , moved all , gave life to all , and was the life of adam , of the male and the female ; and then was this fulfilled , even then , which was spoken in time , though by him who was before all time , who was the life of all things ; i say , he lived then , and because he lived man lived also , for he was his life ; now christ , the power , reigned over all , and all in the lamb's power were subject in a sweet harmony , answering the pure will of their lord , their king that lived forever , who was upon his throne in the heavens ; and now his kindgom was over all , there was joy in heaven , there was peace on earth , the good will of god was done in earth as it was in heaven : oh beautiful , oh glorious , oh comely , oh admirable , oh incomprehensible was the glory ! my tongue cannot express , and time would fail me to declare the eternal excellency which god hath revealed by his spirit , and that which i see is not lawful now for me to utter ; now were no mountains nor hills to hide the mystery , but it shined upon all , in all , over all , and above all , was not hid ; as i said , there was now no hiding place , that could or did overshadow the mystery of godliness ; for the eyes of all things looked upon him , whether caelestial or terrestrial , and all and every thing , according to its kind rejoyced in the light of his countenance , and of his power was glad , and gloried in him , for then there was not another ; he that can hear let him : now the earth rejoyced , and the floods clapped their hands ; now the great deep smiled , and all things that were therein , the springs thereof laughed , which flowed forth as though they had issued out of a womb ; now every thing that had breath and lived , praised the lord , neither was there any thing but bowed and submitted to their maker , and he lord and king over all , yet in eternal glory ; yet let the wise in heart understand , this was in the beginning , and though it was in the beginning , yet this was when the heavens and the earth were created , and all things that therein are , even then the lamb of god was alive , and the son of god glorified with the father , and man in happiness and in pure perfection , without sin , in innocency ; for nothing that was nocent or hurtful had yet appeared , neither was there any such thing in all that god had made . here the wise may learn , and they that have a good understanding may read the wisdom of god in a mystery , and also see the dark sottish doctrine of the blind apostates , who have lost the power , and are keeping people ignorant of the mystery of god. now this hath been a common doctrine , and received to be orthodox , and as they call it , authentick , that while we are in this life , there cannot be an overcoming of all sin , nor no expectation of it in this life ; and their main ground hath been this , because we have natural bodies . now i say , had not adam a natural body when he was in purity and perfection , in innocency , in paradise , in the garden , yet was this any hinderance to him to answer the will of his creator ? no ; for as the soul , spirit and body was moved by the power , out of which power he was not to stir , then i say , he had ability to perform the will of his maker in the body ; for as he was created by the power in the inward man , that led about the natural and earthly or outward form according to its will which will was pure , and kept the body acting in its place in the power , for then i say , all was good , for the celestial power in which he was made , moved the whole man , according to its will ; and while he stood in the power , he was in innocency , and purity , and without blemish , and in the power was his health and peace , and he knew no evil. ob●ect . but some may say , what is this as to the confutation of the doctrine which hath been taught , as to the freedom from sin in this life ? answ. this declares that there was such a thing in being , to wit , a natural body , and an earthen vessel , and yet without sin , as he stood in the power ; for the earthen vessel was good , as all the rest of god's creation was in its place to serve the power , as the rest of god's creatures did in the beginning ; and who ever comes to know that state again , may come to glorifie god in soul , body and spirit , though in the body , in this tabernacle ; but take their own phrase for the clearing of the thing , not to be freed from the committing of sin in this life , i say , in the corruptible life or the life of unrighteousness , which may be properly called death , there is no freedom from sin , neither of soul or body or spirit ; but who comes to know regeneration or the life of men , in which adam was created in the beginning , in that incorruptible life , there is no transgression , and if he live in man ; the body is dead because of sin , and i know none who have preached any other life , who have spoken by the spirit of god , in which freedom from all sin is obtained , but onely the life of christ , and whosoever comes to know the lord from heaven , who ruled over all in the beginning , and was the life of all , and all moved in his life , before the fall , whether they were things visible or invisible , and that same power or life of christ , the lamb of god , who was alive then , if he live in man , and man come to be guided by his power , as in the beginning he living in man , the soul , body and spirit being quickned by his power , and raised from under the bondage of corruption , then death hath not power over man ( but life ) and because he lives in them , they live also , their souls to praise him , and their bodies , and the members thereof to be servants of righteousness , and so that unbelieving doctrine of the world is turned into the pit , and truth is set above it . object . but further it will be objected , that our bodies are not like adams , in innocency , we are in the fall , and therefore we say , they hinder from being freed from all sin , and ever will , while upon earth . answ. that the naked truth may appear to them , that seek after true knowledge , i answer freely , that i grant that the soul lies in death , and the creature is subject to vanity , and the whole creation groans in travail and in pain , and waits for the manifestation of the son of god , and the redemption of the body ; and in this state is all mankind upon the face of the whole earth in the first adam , but he who is the second adam , the lord from heaven , who was in the beginning , and is now what he was , and shall be forever ; i say , as man comes to believe in the son who hath life in himself , and he comes to be revealed in man , and man subject to his leading , he brings the soul out of death , to have union and communion with himself , and restores the creature from his bondage , and breaks the bond , and knocks that down which hath imbondaged , and so changes the body , i do not mean the form of the body , but the quality and nature thereof , for the form of adams body was not changed , but the quality ▪ & it was degenerated from its pure nature wherein it glorified god , as he stood in the power ; so i say , christ who is the life of men , the true light which lighteth every man that comes into the world , he changes all that follow him into his own nature , & restores the creature into his first estate again into purity , that like as the inward man is renewed and restored by the power , and serves the power , so the members of the body , are also yielded servants unto righteousness , and they receive vertue and power , from the power the life , and so the whole man comes out of condemnation , to glorifie his maker , and the will of god is done in earth , as it is in heaven , and he saves to the utmost them that come unto him ; now if he save the soul and not the body , then h● saves not to the utmost ; but this is a high state ; blessed are they who wait in the faith , to the end are happy , that they may see and know the redemption of their souls , and also the redemption of their body ; for i deny redemption in the grave , or in death , or after this life ; for the holy men of god never mention a cleansing from sin in the grave , nor after men be dead , for they that have served sin in their life time , & served the devil as long as they live , and have yeelded their bodies to be temples , for uncleanness , while they live upon the earth , eternal misery will be their portion , and not redemption : think on this , you who are holding this forth for an article of your faith in the world , among poor ignorant people , that they must not expect redemption from all sin in this life , and so leads them on to perpetual misery , misery will be your end , and in the day of the lord you shall witness this to be true ; but to return to the beginning again , where there was no sorrow , but pure joy and peace both in heaven and earth , but i go hither and thither , as the spirit leads , and shall speak as it gives utterance , though but here a little and there a little , yet shall it be in truth and righteousness . how peace , joy and delight possessed every thing that god had made , every thing which he had formed glorified god their maker with one consent in the beginning , before the world was framed , that lay in wickedness . now the lord rejoyced in all the works of his hands which he had made , and rested , and all that he had made rested in the power , whether caelestial or terrestrial , and rejoyced in him , walked in him in the motion of the power , of the life , they were happy , and partook of the life that endures forever and happiness immortal , and knew no evil , for there was none ; there was no hell yet prepared , tophet yet was not ordained , neither the devil had yet any being at all , there was no wrath , no sorrow , no condemnation , no death , vexation , grief or perplexity , no pit of darkness , no angel of the bottomless pit , no shame , no tribulation , no anguish nor pain , no misery ; and in a word , there was nothing that did destroy ; but all in quietness , in peace , in life , in power , in wisdom , glorifying him which sate upon the throne , the lamb , who was living , and the life of the male and the female , and of every thing that god had made by the power , subsisted in the power , and in the motion thereof was good , purely good ; and here was the goodness of him who was eternally good , manifest in all , above all and over all , god blessed forever ; even then the heavens rejoyced , and the innumerable company of angels were hearty glad , and all the holy host sang for joy with a living voice , which none that stand in time ever yet heard , or can learn ; then the earth and all things therein that moved and had life , were in pure solace and mirth , and pleasant joy unspeakable , all knit together in unity and harmony in one consent , as one family , and were one body , and there was health in the body , and it was pure , and comely , and perfect , and pleasant to behold , crowned with dignity , covered with righteousness , beautified with the comliness of the lamb , who was the life of all ; and now man had right to the tree of life , while he moved in the power , and went not out . oh happy state ! oh beautiful state ! oh admirable state ! eternal felicity , oh glorious state ! life it self , the life of all , and all in the life , moving in the power , and man had right to the tree of life , while he lived in the lamb's power , had unity with his maker , and with all the creatures that god had made , and was in god's pure dominion and authority , and ruled all , over all things that god had m●de , in god's wisdom ; thus in short was the state of all things in the beginning , as they were created and brought forth ; and these be the generation of the heaven and of the earth , and of all things that therein are , in the day when god created them , when the father was glorified , when the son was glorified , and when man was in glory and honour and in dominion , created in the image of god , and yet there was no evil ; time would fail to speak of the state of all things in the beginning , as it was , and as it is revealed by the spirit of truth ; but in that which i have declared , they who have a good understanding may take a glimpse of the happy state of all things , as god hath revealed them by his spirit , which i never received of nor from man , but by the holy spirit of god , which was in the beginning with god , which saw all this , and was an eye-witness of this before the world , that lyes in wickedness , began ; and he that hath an ear , let him hear , and blessed is his ear. how man lost his state and dominion and unity with god and all the creatures ; and how the lamb came to be slain and the vvorld that lyes in wickedness came to be formed and founded ; and how the curse came , and the wo upon the serpent , which was blessed before , and upon man and woman , and the ground that received the temptation , which was blessed before , in the motion of the power , came to be cursed ; and how endless misery came in upon all in the transgression , declared to them who have a good understanding . now the serpent was more subtil then all the beasts of the field ; for that was his nature in which he was created , and it was good in the motion of the power ; and therefore christ said , be wise as serpents , yet as harmless as doves ; and though the serpent was wise and subtil , more then all the beasts of the field , till he acted & moved without commandment , and out of the motion of the power , he was not cursed ; he that can receive it let him ; but he moved in the subtilty and wisdom , out of the light , out of the power , and went out of the truth , out of his place , without commandment or authority from the power , and acted and sp●ke of himself , out of the power , and out of the truth , as it is written , joh. . . when he speaketh a lye , he speaketh of his own , for he is a lyar , and the father of it ; now he knew there was a law and command , not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil ; for god had forbidden it ; now he went out of the power without commandment , of his own accord , without motion ; now he went and talked with the woman , and she was good before , being in the motion of the life and power , she also looked out , and not in the power , and reasoned with him out of power , contrary to commandment , beyond the command , or before the power , and said unto the serpent , we may eat of all , but the tree of knowledge of good and evil , we may not eat , lest we dye ; this she knew , and the serpent knew ; now the tree of knowledge was good in the powers motion , though not to live upon , or for food , for it was not good for food ; therefore god , the truth , the life , the power , did forbid to taste of it , or to eat of that tree , but the serpent out of the power , and the woman out of the power hearkened to him that was out of the truth , who turned the truth that god had spoken into a lye , she joyned to the tempter , and hearkened unto him , and eat of the tree of knowledge without the power , and she looked out , and the eye ran out from the life , from the power , and was deceived , and did eat of the knowledge without the power , without the life ; and she also tempted the man , and the temptation entered into a ground which was blessed before and good , in the motion of the life , of the power ; but she having transgressed , contrary to the command , and the man received it , contrary to the command , without the motion of the power , or the life that all was to move in ; he also going out of the power , received it in , and fed upon knowledge without the life , without the power , out of the truth , he became one with the woman , one with the serpent , who went out of truth , and abode not in it , and they all were disjoynted and cut off from the life and the power ; and here was the beginning of the father of lyes , and of him who spoak of himself , out of the power , out of the truth , and his beginning is without foundation ; now he that is wise in heart , read his generation , or who made him ; now appeared the angel of the bottomless pit , and not before , and made war against the power , against the lamb ; and so the heart of man was turned away from obeying and feeding upon the power , to obey and feed upon knowledge without the life or power ; and here was the first transgression , out of the power and the motion of the light , which made all things good ; and so as this knowledge was fed upon and grew , man dyed unto the life , unto the power and wisdom and dominion that he had over all that god had made , he lost , and so dyed unto the power , and lived upon knowledge without the power , and now became afraid of the power , because he was in the transgression of it : and thus the serpent who was most subtil , went out of the truth , and acted in sin , and led into transgression ; and so there became fear where there was none , and shame where there was none , and nakedness where there was no nakedness , before the power was dyed unto , which was their clothing in righteousness , and there was a hiding place sought by him , who before iniquity needed no hiding place ; and this is the foundation and beginning of that seed in the transgression , which shall call to the mountains to cover them , and to hide them from the wrath of the lamb. oh how is man degenerated now , and grown quite out of the pure quality , and kind , and nature , in which he was made ; now afraid of the power that made him , which before he had union with , and was his life , and gave him dominion ; and this fulfilled upon man , he was planted a noble vine , a holy right seed , now become a degenerate plant of a strange vine ; now when the lord appeared and examined him , and man knew his fault that he had acted against the power , yet that which acted in transgression would excuse ; here is the fruit of the devil's work , transgress , and then hide and excuse it , and so the vvoman put it off to the serpent , he was the beginner of it ; but if she had stood in the power , he would have had no place , nor his counsel ; but they all went out of the light and life into the knowledge , without the power and life , and so the curse came upon all ; now the man cursed , and the ground for his sake , and the woman cursed , in sorrow to bring forth , and the serpent cursed , the beginner of in●quity , cursed above all the beasts of the field , to go upon his belly , and dust to be his meat forever , and an enmity put between the seed of the woman and his seed forever , and an eternal decree passed against him forever , and he made vvar against the seed of the vvoman , which the lord promised to bruise his head ; now came the miserable estate in , that which led him into transgression grew , and he in it , and to be at unity with it , then came hardness of heart , and then came the vvorld to be founded in his heart , and he grew in the heart , and he grew in the devouring beastly nature , to follow the earthly imaginations of his heart , and became earthly , and fed upon that which the beasts of the field fed upon ; and now the lamb came to be slain since the foundation of the vvorld ; now was man driven out from the tree of life , and out of the garden , and could no way come there again , he had no right to it , the lamb being slain , and was cut off , to wit , man , from him which before gave him peace , and from the power in which he was made , he was driven out from , and the sword set , that go what way he could , he could not come into the life again ; the image of god lost , then the joyful day was lost , and rejoycing in the lord at an end ; then the day of peace was finished , and perpetual misery and wo came in ; then unity with the lord of glory gone , and now shame and contempt came , and woful misery . now hell was formed , and the bottomless pit sprang up , and the angel thereof ruled and advanced , and the lamb slain ; and now the lake was prepared , and tophet ordained ; now came the day of anguish , of pain , of wo , sorrow and misery , blackness and darkness , terror , horror , fear on every side , and the day of great perplexity , dominion lost , power lost , authority lost , peace lost , joy lost , health lost , unity lost with god , and unity lost with every creature , and endless misery brought in ; alas , alas ! what is become of him who was the son of god ? now become as the beasts that perish , now a vessel of wrath , a dishonourable vessel . oh unspeakable loss , forfeited all , life and all , gone into , plunged into the deep pit of endless misery , driven from the presence of the lord from blessedness and happiness into cursedness and misery , never to come to life again , but through the loss of life ; man in honour , in dominion , partaker of eternal riches , and the durable riches , now turned out of all , and become vile in the sight of the lord , and hath forfeited life and all , eternal life ; and he who was in perfect freedom become a bondman , a slave to the devil , and to noysome lusts ; he who was lord over all , now became a servant to all and every creature ; he who was in dominion in the power of god , now became base and vile ; he who was the image of god , now became the image of the devil ; he who was heir of life and felicity , now became inheritor of death and endless misery ; he that was partaker of the unchangeable love , now partaker of wrath ; he that was in the covenant of life , in which he had union with god , and all the angels , and all the holy host of god , now hath union with unclean spirits , which are cursed from the presence of the lord forever ; he that had union with all god's creatures , hath lost the union with all , being gone out of the power in which all were created , and moreover now in enmity to it , and joyned to him who hath the power of death , which is the devil , and now draws iniquity as with a cart-rope , and vanity as with a cord ; and he who was joyned to the lord and to the lamb , now joyned to the dragon , who makes war against the lamb ; he that had union with the seed , the heir of all things , now hath union with the seed of the serpent , the first born of wickedness , heir of condemnation and everlasting vengeance , who is driven from the lord's presence , and curst forever , and to be tormented from the presence of the lord forever . now the world set in the heart , and the heart gone out after earthly things , even things that perish , and now his life grew in that and after that which fadeth , his delight on transitory things , in lust , in pleasure and wantonness , delighting in the flesh , hath forgotten god his maker , and now dishonours him : oh let the heavens mourn , and let the earth be without joy , let hills lament , and the valleys be grieved , let gloominess cover the face of the deep , let the floods be sorry , and springs lament , let all that is movable take up a lamentation , and let it be for a lamentation forever ; misery is spread over all , the earth is polluted and defiled and all is out of order , disjoynted from the lord , and great confusion and perplexity is come upon all , and the whole creation groans and travails in pain , in grief and sorrow , and all is made subject to vanity ; the oppressor bears rule , the land mourns , the lamb is slain , the serpent and his seed rejoyceth and triumphs , all is filled with violence , the seed suffers , the lord is grieved , the angels mourn , the proud and presumptuous are now counted happy , and now the worker of iniquity set up to be a ruler and a law-giver now to man , and in man , who before had the lord to be law-giver and his king ; oh woful change ! oh sad state ! oh deplorable condition ! gone from honour and glory into perpetual misery and contempt : and here all the whole earth and all mankind may read themselves , as in a glass , in what state they are in in the fall , in the first nature , in the disobedience ; time would fail me to express the misery and the sad state of all mankind in the curse ; yea , it is unexpressible , and undeclarable , and unfathomable , and incomprehensible by the sons of men in the unbelief ; but god hath revealed to me by his spirit that which is now spoak , and he shall bear me record that my witness is true ; also that of god in every man's conscience , when the book of conscience shall be opened , and the secrets of all hearts revealed , shall bear witness that this is true . how sin entered , and death by sin into the world , and now man dead while he lives , and all are dead works that man brings forth , wherein the state of all the sons of men may be seen , and their works in the fall. now the serpent being more subtil then all the beasts of the field , in presumption of himself , moved without the power , and formed a thing without the power , and began his work , and brought a lye ; being gone out of the truth , sin conceived , and a lye conceived , he is the father of it , and not the power ; he spoke of himself , who was gone out of the light , motion or the powers acting , man also his eye being abroad out of the life and power , let in the temptation upon him ; but if he had stood in the power , as god had ordained him , and commanded him and had not moved out of it , he would have seen when the serpent , o● any other thing had gone out of the power , and have still had dominion over it ; and though it was evil in the serpent to tempt , who moved without commandement from the lord ; yet if man had stood in the power , he had kept him out ; and it had been no sin to him , neither condemned should he have been ; and so that blind doctrine of the world , and the teachers thereof is a lye , who have said and taught that god ordained him to fall , and upon this account , that so christ might be revealed , and that his son might be honoured ; for if man had not faln , say they , there had needed no saviour . this is ignorance and blindness ; he created man in his image to stand in the power , and ordered and commanded him so to do , and to glorifie him , who made him to stand in the dominion over all the works of his hands : and this doth not make christ useless , or of no use ; yea , he was of use before , and was his life , and the life of all things , and what if i say salvation , the wise will understand ; the unlearned will say , what need their salvation , when there is no sin ? yes , there needed salvation and preservation , in that state that he was made in , that he might be upholden in that state , and saved from any thing that might hurt him in that state , so as to weaken him , that he might not have power to fulfill the will of god , and to glorifie his maker . object . but some may say , he was not saved and preserved , but was created and left to himself , to order himself , whether he would stand or fall. answ. i say , whose was the fault , that he was not preserved , and saved in that state , was it in god ? nay ; and that he was left to himself , is also as false , and unlearned ; he left him in the power , and in the dominion everlasting , and commanded him to stand there , and he was not to go out of it , but to act in the motion of the word , and in the power by which he was made , which was christ , who was glorified with the father before the world began ; i say according to god's appointment and ordination , man was not left to himself , but to stand in the power and authority of the word , wherein man had power to fulfill the will of god , and keep all in order according to god's appointment , but he going out of the power , contrary to god's command , giving heed to the woman , and the serpent , who were gone out of the command before ; i say he of his own accord going out , when the power commanded him not to hearken to any such thing , but on the contrary forbad him , so let in a lye , and believed the vvoman , and the serpent , and so went from his preservation , and protection and salvation , and so was catched in the serpents snare , who abode not in the truth . object . but then some may say , he had a voluntary will to do as he would , and was not that will good ? answ. the will was good in it self , as it stood and went out in the lifes motion , but moving or acting contrary to the motion of the life , was not good ; for that was out of god's order , and appointment , for nothing in man or without man , of all that god had made , was to stir or act without commandments ; now the son was not honoured by man's falling , but both the father and the son was dishonoured , and now the son or power was not revealed by the fall , but vailed as from men ; so the foggy mists of darkness are scattered , & the blind doctrines of the vvorld and vvaste . object . some will be ready to say , how dost thou say , he was in dominion everlasting ? then how should he fall ? that lasted but a while . answ. i say , he was made by the word which abides forever , and in it which was in the beginning with god , and was god , and god's son and his dominion is an everlasting dominion , and his throne is established in righteousness forever and ever , and in it self it is what it was ever , and after the fall retained the same power and authority in it self , and so will do forever ; man's power stood in it only , out of it he had none , so going out of it , dyed to it , and not any more power to do , or to will , or to order , or to rule any things but by it ; but he lost the feeling of it , and the guidance of it , the virtue of it and life of it , and became dead to it , and alive in his heart and mind to another power , to wit , the power of deceit , and to the power of him which hath the power of death , which is the devil ; so god is clear , no fault in him nor in the power , nor weakness in the dominion and authority which he had , but destruction meerly , wholly and only of himself , and he is to bear his own burthen . thus man receiving in the devil's conceptions , who was gone out of the truth , and became one with it , feeding upon knowledge without the life ( this was evil ) thus sin entered , and death by sin , man cut off from the power , from life , from the dominion which he had in the power ; now man is dead while he lives , and in the day he eat he dyed , dead to the power , dead to the life , dead to good , dead to truth , dead to purity , dead to righteousness , estranged and alienated from it ; the grave covers him , death hath preeminence , and bears rule , and not life , and he gone into its nature , and loves it and imbraces it . oh sad life ! oh sad state ! now his life cursed , which is death , he cursed ▪ all his actions cursed , all his conception cursed , all his works cursed , labouring in sorrow , in travail , and pain , and grief , and sweat , and perplexity : now all may as in a line read the happy estate of man before the fall , the sad and deplorable estate in the fall , which who can declare , or who can measure , or who can demonstrate the miserable estate of man , dead in trespasses and sins ? and life swallowed up of death , death and destruction lives , and man in it ; and now in the grave god is not remembred , but forgotten . now the world set in the heart , and the earth in the heart , the heart becomes earthly and vain , thorns and bryars spring up , and the earth covers the slain ; now death lives , and man lives in ; and one with the enmity , and in enmity against god , who was before his life , man now in chains of darkness , when any thing moves heaven-ward , the power of death draws the mind down again into the pit of darkness ; now the nature of all things in the earth set in the heart , beasts , rocks , hills , mountains , dogs , swine and brutish creatures , and man becomes brutish and vain , they have all dominion over him , he is a slave to all , all rules over him , and death grew , and dead works brought forth , he cannot now perform any thing whereby he can purchase the love of god , nor give a ransom for his soul ; now the root of bitterness grew , and the enmity , and man in lust , and when his lust is crost , or his will crost , then the enemy which liveth in him riseth , he would kill that , and destroy that , imprison that , and bring it into bondage , that the enmity might be lord over all , and bring the innocent into bondage , that which is nocent is set up , and the higher deceit grows in the heart , the more stir it makes , and the greater destruction of that which crosseth it ; and here came in oppression , murder , cruelty , tyranny , prisoning , imbondaging , revenge , maliciousness and envy , rage , fury , headiness , pride ; this is all in the curse , and springs up from the foundation of the world in the heart , and so being given way unto and loved , grows in strength , and iniquity multiplies , and the beast grows , and the name great and numberless ; the serpent's root spreads forth it self , and sprouts out in the earth , and comes to grow great , and is admired ; now the deeds of darkness and the works of darkness come to be many , envy , murder , adultery , fornication , uncleanness , riotousness , sporting , covetousness , defrauding , cheating , maliciousness , theft , dissimulation , feignedness , hypocrisie , witchcraft , cursed speaking , railing , reviling , filthy communication , unsavoury speeches , wantonness , lightness , foolish jesting , idle talking , vain babling , back-biting , swearing , lying , cursing , blasphemy , slandering , pride , arrogancy , vain boasting , contention , strife , emulation , mischief ; these and many more are now the fruits of the degenerate plant , and dead works , and the works of darkness in man , who was once a noble plant , a holy right seed , now the fruits of sodom and the grapes of gomorrah , whom god destroyed and overthrew , are brought forth , and the whole earth is filled with violence ; and these be the fruits that grow , and are become great over all nations , which are wrought by the devil , the father of lyes , who spoke of himself , and works of himself , in the dark , in the night , out of the light , out of the day , who went out of the truth , and now worketh in all the children of disobedience , who are out of the light , and out of the power ; and here are all the sons of fallen adam in the curse , under the wo ; and these be the works that are wrought and brought forth , which have stained the earth ; and the father of them , and man in whom they are wrought , and the works themselves , are all for condemnation , never to be numbred among the saints in light , nor among their works . self-righteousness , deeds of darkness also , and dead works , which though they be not counted as bad as the former by them that act in them , yet they are to be condemned also , and man who acts them , being in the fall. cain who was the first begotten in the full , the similitude , likeness and image of adam his father , who had transgressed , and disobeyed , and lost the power , and became dead to it ; cain , i say , his express image , out of the faith , out of the power , he brought a sacrifice , and offered in the same nature he slew his brother with , and envied him ( who was in the faith , and was accepted of the lord through faith in the power of god ) i say , in this nature he offered , and was not accepted , for he was in the imitation , out of the life , out of the power , in feignedness , and this was self , and not the lord that moved him : the jews in the prophets time , who were in cain's nature , in envy and maliciousness , grinding the faces of the poor , and oppressing the needy , and chopping them in pieces , as flesh for the pot ; they brought sacrifices , oblations , burnt-offerings , kept fasts , sabbaths and new moons , and all these things , and lyed , swore and dealt falsly , and left no room for the poor , and yet they said , the lord was among them ; the lord sent his servant the prophet to tell them , the lord was weary of them and of their oblations ; why ? they were out of the faith , out of the life , out of the power , and deceit lodged in their hearts , covetousness , envy , murder , oppression , and violence , as ravening wolves hunting for their prey ; the prophets prophesied for hire , their priests bear rule by their means , and people were one with it , and liked it , and loved it should be so , the end of those things was misery , the judgment of god came upon them , they were scattered among their enemies , their prophets slain , and for their sake sion became as a plowed corn-field , and jerusalem a heap ; and now he that offered an ox was no more accepted then if he slew a man , no more then if he blessed chemosh , ashteroth or baal , all was sin , and to be condemned by the power , out of which they were gone : the scribes and pharisees in christ's time , great worshippers , devout men , devout women , zealous men for temple , priests , tythes , dayes , sabbaths , oblations , and were acting all those things that were commanded in or about the worship of god , yet christ said unto his disciples , except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees , ye cannot enter the kingdom of god ; they might have said ( which at least they did in their hearts ) this man sayes , he is the son of god , and yet saith , and teacheth his disciples another righteousness then is commanded in the law , and moreover tells them , except their righteousness exceedours , they cannot enter into god's kingdom ; where is there in all the earth any better righteousness then ours ? we do not as the heathen worship idol-gods , we keep the sabbaths , and purifie our selves , and pay tythes , and keep the ordinances , given by the lord to moses and our fathers ; well , these things they were doing , but they were but dead works ; they were out of the faith , out of the power , and had not god's word abiding in their hearts , from which their power and ability should have come , to have answered the will of god ; here was self-righteousness , although they did the outward things , which were commanded of the lord , yet they were dead works ; their temple left desolate , worship desolate , jerusalem compassed about with armies , not one stone left upon another , which was not to be thrown down , & they scattered among the heathen , their priests slain , and their oblations ceased , plagues and judgments pursuing whithersoever they went ; did all those things save them from wrath ? all their works , dead worships and self-righteousness save them ? were they accepted ? oh nay , rejected , a seed of falshood , a crooked generation , an hypocritical generation ; these things with many more which i could instance , all shewing , that man in the transgression of the life , of the power , whether he sinned , or wrought that which he might judge was righteous , yet they were but dead works . ob●ect . but some may say , what sayest thou to their generation of ministers , preachers and ordinances ? we live in a gospel-time , and are under gospel-ordinances , and they teach , that man is redeemed by christ from sins past , present and to come ; and the ordinances that we practise now , i hope you will not call them dead works . answ. i say , the ministry in these nations , made by man's will , and by the will of the flesh , and that are seeking their gain from their quarter , and are suing men at law , and throwing men in dungeons and holes , to the loss of some mens lives already , and hundreds have been and are like to be spoiled , only to uphold their greedy devouring nature , who have ravened , and devoured like evening wolves some mens estates wholly , and sometimes taken ten fold the value , who raven from place to place , from one end of the land to another , and into other nations also , for filthy lucre , or a greater benefit ; i say , they are in the fall , in the transgression , death rules in them , over them , and they are ministers of death , and never brought any to god ; but of them many other brethren , who are in the faith of our lord jesus christ , have born a large testimony , which any considerate , wise , prudent and reasonable man may see them to be ministers of death , demonstrated by many sound grounds and unanswerable arguments , and the scripture of truth clearly bearing witness to the same ; and so i refer the reader to those things , and shall content my self at present in what i have said in this particular : now as to the worship , or ordinances or practices themselves i come unto , and shall speak no otherwise of any thing , then god by his eternal light and spirit hath made me understand in the true ground of things , else i know well how to be silent . now this i say , to all sects , opinions , and fellowships ( though they be divided into many heads or societies ) man acting or performing any thing of worship , ordinance , or any practice whatsoever , which the scripture declares hath been or ever was , though they should do it in the same manner , sutable in every circumstance to that which others did , till all or every man come to believe in the power again , which man went from in the transgression , all that he doth is self-righteousness , and dead works , preaching dead , prayer dead , baptism dead , their communion dead , their conferences dead , their exhortations dead , their fasts dead , their offerings like as if one had offered a dead beast under the law , or a lame lamb , which had been abomination ; even so i say , till man come to that which he hath lost in the transgression , till man find the power , the life , the light , the messiah , and feel him in them , to work , move , and lead , guide , and act , all will be accounted with the lord , self-righteousness , dead works , dead fruit , and if all would examine and try , they might see the nations almost spread over with dead men in adam , and dead works abound , and coverings which god will rent , and lay all waste together , false rest , imitated forms , and representations without life , i say till men come into the power again that adam went from , and so died in that day , cannot do any thing well-pleasing to god ; and whosoever comes to that again , passeth every step through death , and denyes himself and all self-actions , self-righteousness , and must come to be bare and naked again , even as he was before he came out ; he and his wife were naked and were not ashamed : self-acting was not known ; now self-will , self-worship , self-righteousness ; nay , they moved in the power , righteousness was their covering , and as i said before , there was no shame ; i might speak largely in this thing , and truly my tongue is the pen of a ready writer : oh that all had an ear to hear that their soul ; might live , and that every one might be unbottomed , of his false rest , false and feigned hope and faith , and of his own ragged garment , and let go his self-righteousness , and his dead works , and come to christ the life of men again , that man hath run from , that so he might have life and peace object . but some would say , that thou wouldest have all upside down , an● unchristian the nations , and unchurch churches , and throw down all our worship and then what should we do , all would be as heathens and turn into atheism . i say a time of fanning and sifting and trying is come , when nothing sh●ll stand but that hath the image , stamp , and character of the living god upon it , and all that which hath been brought up , and raised up , since man hath been in the transgression , must be turned down into the pit again , and all that have got a name of christian , and wants his life , to live among them and in them , shall be scattered as clouds with the 〈◊〉 wind , and all imitated worships , and will-worshippers , and the feigne● faith , and the feigned hope shall be confounded , and all will-worships and worshippers will be overturned , who are not come yet to the true light that lightens every man that comes into the world ; and till man comes to the light , and tryes his deeds and works by it , he never sees what he is doing , nor what he is working , nor what he works ; and so all that man doth here in the unbelief ; it is but sin or self-righteousness , which is brought forth by him who abode not in the truth , in the unbelief , and so who be come to the power which was in the beginning , before sin entered , and death by sin , hath and doth measure all deeds , and all works , and man that is in the loss , in the fall , and sees that a dead man cannot act a living work , nor bring forth living fruits unto god , nor living works of righteousness , being in the unrighteousness , neither the fruits of faith , being in the unbelief , neither the works of the day , being in the night , neither the works of charity , being in the enmity ; in a word , without christ the power , the light , the life , which was glorified with the father before the world began ; i say the said it himself , who is the beginning of the creation of god , the first born of every creature ) he said , and his testimony will be found true , without me ye can do nothing , nothing that is well-pleasing to the lord , nothing that ever shall be acceptable ; and here is the true state of all the earth discovered , and all mankind drove out from god , miserable , naked h●peless , helpless , faithless , and so can do nothing as to the glorifying of god his maker , or to the ordering of any thing in the creation to his glory , having lost his dominion and god's wisdom , and this being c●●sidered seriously by all , and brought to the light in all , and their deeds tryed by it , would make the losty bow , and the stout-hearted fear , and the conceited sit down in solitariness , that they should so long deceiv● their own souls , with a conceit of righteousness and redemption , wh●● as death yet reigns in them , and over them , and not life eterna ▪ 〈◊〉 the devil is a distinct being from god , and his works are distinct ▪ an● his deeds , from the works of god , and neither he nor his works 〈…〉 be numbred among the works of god ; but he and they tha● 〈◊〉 him , and fellow him who is our of the truth , they , their work 〈◊〉 wh●t ●ort soever they may seem unto men to be , whose eyes the 〈◊〉 h●●h ●linded ) so i say all is to condemned , and shut out from god's 〈…〉 ●●rever , and to be destroyed by him who is a consuming fire ▪ 〈◊〉 all the righteousness of man burned , as combustible stuff in 〈…〉 . a●d by what hath been said , the principle of that 〈…〉 become vain in their imaginations and foolish ▪ 〈…〉 being darkned ) and are seen , and their principle overth●●●● as that light and darkness is one , and good and evil one ▪ and 〈◊〉 righteousness one , and truth and a lye one , and that god is all and doth all , and whatever is done is of god , and that there is no evil but to him that thinks it so , and it is only a false apprehension of things , and that there is no such thing as sin , and that sin is nothing : unto all these things i might speak , but the understanding reader may by what is before written , see each of these plainly declared , and the true ground of things laid down as the spirit gave utterance , and this shall at present suffice in this matter . object . but some may object further , and say , will not reading the scriptures and conforming to the practice of the saints in the use of his ordinances , will not this make us accepted , and bring us out of the fall , and make us good christians ? answ. no ; while death hath dominion in man , and over man , and the vail over the heart , man doth not understand the mystery of god's kingdom , neither understands the scripture , which was spoken from the spirit of truth , or any thing of truth , as it is in christ ; for none understands the things of god , but by the spirit of god ; so that every man that comes to have a good understanding , must come to know the pure spirit of god in him , to direct him , and inform him ; ( which spirit ) was the original of the scripture ; for the holy men of god spoke as they were moved by the holy ghost ; & without the holy ghost in some measure be known , and that which is infallible , the sayings , the writings , the scriptures cannot be understood , & because of the want of this , all the earth is run into heads , and sects , and opinions , and large treatises and volumes , and expositions have been written , and yet differing one from another , and all from the spirit , and in all these particular sects , persecuting one another , and envying one another , and hating one another , and would compell others to believe what they believe in what they say , if they had but power ; and for proof of this , it is most evident in the scripture of truth , and in latter ages since the apostles , it hath been , and it is evidently seen , both among the papists and protestants , and among all them that are called the reformed churches ; but all this is in the fall , and in the transgression , and in the apostacy , and is an evident token , that they are all under the power of the beast , whom makes war against the lamb ; so all compellation , and they that do compell , are not worshippers of the lamb , but of the beast which is to be destroyed , and cast into the lake . for the jews under the first covenant had the scriptures , the good and wholsome words of god , and the prophets , and read the law and the prophets on the sabbath dayes , and yet the vail was over their hearts , and though they did perform many things commanded ▪ yet they being erred from the spirit , did not understand of what the scripture spoke , nor know him nor his mind , to wit , christ , of whom the scriptures sp●ke , neither were they accepted of god , but reproved and rejected by christ himself , who said , they erred , not knowing the scriptures , nor the power of god ; doubtless they did know the words naturally and read them , but the spirit 's mind in so speaking they knew not ; and jude reproves all such , and said , what they knew , they knew naturally as ●wor● it beasts , and in that knowledge , they corrupted themselves , and ther●fo●e peter well said ▪ many things were herd to be understood , which the unlearned wrested ( they that were ignorant of the spirit of the father ▪ and had not learned of god , who is a spirit ) they , i say , perverted and wrested the good and wholsom words of the scriptures , and were no more accepted of god , then if they had never heard the words , nor read them at all ; and as for the jews conforming to the outward commands , when the vail was over their hearts , and their hearts uncircumcised , these things did not make them any whit more accepted then the heathen , so the christians since christ's time , in the apostles days , and after the apostles dayes , who held the form of worship , and the form of godliness , and the outward part of worship , and hold and retain it in that part which is above the seed , and deny the power , this no more makes a christian inward , then outward circumcision made a jew inward ; neither any of these things do recommend any unto god , but are covers made , and rests formed , from that part which is above the seed , and so man comes to be counselled in those things , when alas he is miserable and naked , and hath not the righteous garment on , which should make man accepted of the father , through the beloved , god's righteousness . how all men upon the earth , in the degeneration , and in the fall , and in the transgression , have corrupted themselves , & have been idolaters in every administration ; ( being gone from the power ) in which man had the ability , power , and wisdom to worship god aright , and honour the living god of heaven and earth . in the state and condition which man was created in , when he was the image of god , and lived in the power of god in which he was created ; he in that power ( which was his life ) had wisdom and understanding and power to worship the living god , and to glorifie his maker , the which thing i have treated on before ; but being gone from the power , & grew in knowledge without the power , his thoughts became vain , his imaginations vain , and his desires earthly and corruptible ; and so the creatures were worshipped in his heart , and not the creator ( the life of the creatures ) and he bowed to the creatures , and they had dominion over him , and that nature began to grow and multiply in all the earth , and that seed that was at enmity with god , and against the seed , which is christ , and few there were that called upon the name of the lord in truth and righteousness , although some , yet few , one in a nation , or a few in an age , nay , in many ages ; and men multiplyed in the earth , and wickedness multiplied also , and idolatry and the seed of the serpent grew great ; and god saw the wickedness of man , that it was great in the earth , and that the thoughts and purposes and imaginations of his heart were only evil continually , gen. . . and the earth was filled with violence , cruelty and oppression , and the living god forgotten , and not worshipped ; but on the contrary , they followed the imaginations of their own hearts , and bow'd down to every corruptible thing , and to every creature , and did not worship the lord god in their hearts , till the lord was grieved at the heart , and repented that he had made man ; and this was before the flood : and after the flood , when the earth was a little multiplyed , iniquity grew in the earth , and the cursed seed sprang from ham's stock , of whom was nimrod , the hunter before the lord , the beginning of his kingdom was babel , of the which became great idolaters ; and of this seed came the philistians , who were uncircumcised , who were heathens ; and the jebusites and gargasites , and the canaanites and hivites , and their generations were great in the earth , and they were great idolaters , and committed idolatry with stocks and stones , and with brick , having forgotten the lord , they began to work exploits in the earth , and to build cities , and babel ; having forgot the name of god , they would have got a name in the earth , and builded a tower , whose top might have reached to heaven ; but the lord , whom they had forgot , scattered them ; and this was the seed of evil doers , whom god scattered , and drove out of canaan , who were great idol●ters , and gave it to abraham , who feared the lord , and to jacob , and to his seed , to possess . and when transgression grew , he added a law ( the sence of god's power and wisdom was so lost in man , and they so gone from his wisdom , that a law was added after israel came out of egypt ) which was outward , and written in tables of stone , wherein was the statutes and the commands , that they should only worship him , and that they should not make them gods of gold and silver , neither the likeness of any thing in heaven and earth ; yet nevertheless , that uncircumcised part which kept the seed in bondage , and that corruptible earthly nature that ruled in them , made gods like the heathen egyptians , and they made a calf , and bowed to the molten image , and forgot god , and provoaked him to anger , till many of them were consumed in his sore displeasure , and tempted him , and lusted , and eat and drank , and rose up to play , and committed whoredoms with the creatures , and abused them ; and therefore the lord sent his prophets , and rebuked them ; they abused the gold and the silver , the stone and the wood , which were good creatures , but not to make gods of , nor images thereof , nor idols to draw away their minds from the lord ; but they in whom the seed was not made manifest , they worshipped de●d things , and likenesses of things , which were not life it self , and so transgressed the law , acting from that part , and living in that nature which the law was against ( which was added because of transgression ) to limit the transgressor , and to slay him , and to bruise that under , till the seed came up that fulfils the law ; but the seed of the serpent had so much rule in them whom god had often delivered out of the hands of their enemies , so that many perished , corah and many princes , and many thousands of israel , who followed their own inventions , and were cut off in god's sore displeasure , being gone from that which was upright , in which man was created , and following their imaginations , and out of that mind formed idols and images , and set them up , and answered that part in themselves which transgressed the seed , and not that which doth overthrow all idols and the ground thereof : and after they were come to the land that god had promised them , they were commanded not to worship idols , as the canaanites did ( that were ham's stock ) who was accursed , and set up cursed idols , yet nevertheless breaking the law which was to limit that part which had transgressed ; that which was contrary to the law was set up in themselves , even the nature of the canaanites , gentiles and heathen , and then they worshipped the heathens gods , nor else formed gods and idols and images of their own , and worshipped baal , ashteroth and chem●sh , and the sidonians gods , and every nations gods & images where they came ; and so the lord sent his true prophets ▪ who feared his name , and worshipped him , to declare against them , even the house of israel , a distinct people from the heathen , great professors . ezek . . they set up idols in their hearts , and put a stumbling block of iniquity before their face , the lord said he would answer them according to the multitude of their idols , they being gone into vanity , they hearkened to the idols that spa●e vanity . zech. . . and baked bread , and rosted flesh with wood , and of the same made a god ; and they transgressed at dan , at bethel , at gilgal ; yea , their idols stood in their hearts , and they formed such without as were suitable to their hearts , as you may read through many ages and generations before the flood , and after the flood , in the wilderness , in canaan , and in the nations where they were scattered . hab. . , . what profiteth the graven image , and the molten image , and teachers of lyes ? wo unto him that saith to the wood , awake , to the dumb stone , arise , it shall teach ; behold , it is laid over with gold and silver , and there is no breath at all in th● midst of it ; seek not to bethel , nor enter into gilgal , for gilgal shall go into captivity , and bethel shall come to nought . furthermore , they corrupted themselves in those things which god had commanded ( which were commands in their time ) and made idols of those things which were but figures or shadows of good things to come , which they should have waited for ; for as the brazen serpent , temple , offerings , oblations , tythes , priests , sabbaths , new moons , solemn feasts , circumcision , passover ; and all these things were given to be observed till the seed came ( the end of all these things and of the law for righteousness ) but christ , the seed , the heir of all things , when he came ( after many prophets had declared of him , from moses to samuel , from samuel to john ) they exalted those things above him , and neglected him , who had life in himself , and would not come unto him , that they might have had life ; and then their temple , priests , sacrifice , oblations became idols , and their practice became idolatry , and so are in blindness to this day ; and so in the dayes of christ they held up those things , and were counselled in their works , and observances , and dayes , and times , and came not to believe in him in whom all dayes end in , and so continued in their large observations all along in the apostles dayes , and did as they had done in the dayes of the prophets , slew the prophets that were sent of the lord , and set dreamers , and such as prophesied for hire , and divined for money , and said , no evil should touch them ; and they said , the law should not depart from the priests mouth , nor vision cease from their prophets , but believed their lyes , and prophesied of wine and strong drink , and cryed peace to them that god's controversie was against , and so persecuted the apostles from city to city , and from place to place , till the wrat of god came upon them , and jerusalem compassed about with armies , and not one stone left upon another , and for their sakes sion became a plo●ed corn field , their temple burnt , their priests slain , their sacrifices ceased , their oblations at an end , and they scattered among the he●then , and they and all their idols and worship blasted and cursed from god , and from being a nation to this day ; and thus hath the lord brought shame and contempt upon all through all ages , who have worshipped the works of their own hands , or that have holden up any figure or representation , and have set it up and exalted it above the life , and with it have oppose● the power , the life ▪ in which all figures , types and representations end in : and thus far i have passed through generations , and also through administrations , that all who have a desire of the true knowledge of god may see , that man in the degeneration , being out of the image of god , corrupts himself in all things , and maks idols of all things , being from the life in which man hath power only to fulfil the righteous will of god. but to descend and come nearer to our age , because all that which is called christendom will say , this is nothing unto them , because they hold not up the heathens images nor the jewish idols , nor the jewish types and worship , and therefore they are no idolaters ; when john the prophet came and preached repentance in the wilderness of judea , which was a preparer of the way , he baptized in jordan , and many believed and repented , and were baptized , and christ also was baptized , and so was he circumcised , and eat the passover , and observed what was written , because he came to fulfill all righteousness , and also bad his disciples hear them that sate in moses seat , for he was not yet sacrificed up , nor glorified ; i say , john baptized not in his own name , but bore witness unto christ the lamb of god who takes away the sins of the world , who came after him and was preferred before him , whom john said , should baptise them with the holy ghost and with fire , and many of johns disciples followed christ the true light , that lighteth every one that cometh into the world , and john was not offended at them for following of christ but rejoyced ; take notice of this , you baptizers who are offended with them that follow christ , the light that lighteth every one that cometh in the world , and excommunicate them like the envyous jews , out of your assemblies , and say , they are deluded , and are so far from johns spirit , that in stead of bearing your testimony to him , who is the ( light ) that you would bind them up , and counsel your disciples not to go after him , the true light that lighteth every man ( the christ of god ) i say to you , you are in the idolatry , who prefer your water before the ( light ) but john bore witness to christ the light , & said he was preferred before him , and some imitaters and idolaters say the baptism of water is the door , or entrance into the church of god , when as christ saith , he is the door , none comes into the fold but by him , and none comes to the father but by him , and he is the way ; so who sets up another entrance unto god , or into the fold , or into the church , which is the pillar and ground of truth , sets up an idol , and prefers an idol , above the life , and so are in the idolatry ; but let none mistake , that i say water is an idol , nay , it is a good creature of god , or that i say , johns baptism with water was an idol , nay , he was in the power and spirit of eliah , and his baptism a figure of a good thing which was to come , which afterward was received by the disciples , and christ's words made good unto them ; john indeed baptized you with water unto repentance , but ye shall be baptized with the holy ghost , and with fire , not many dayes hence ; that was christ's baptism . i am not ignorant of the many and great contests in this age , that have been about these things , and i know many scriptures that speak of baptism , all which i have searched narrowly , with the measure of god's spirit given unto me , into the true ground of things , and the true state of each administration , and in this thing i am satisfied fully , that the baptism with water was john's baptism , and not christ's , and the baptism of the spirit 〈◊〉 christ's , and now john's ; i have no desire to wrangle or jangle about words , or contest about shadows , but that all may come to know him in whom all ministrations end in , and there will be peace and satisfaction ( to wit , in christ ) . but to say something to the main basis and foundation which priests and separatists build much of their arguments upon , the last of matthew and the last verse , go , teach , and baptize all nations in the name of the father , son and holy ghost ; as for all the priests about their baptizing of infants , here is no ground at all ; for here is first teach , and then baptize , and here is no infants neither ; and so i know what consequences have been drawn from this by the unlearned in their imaginations ; but them that have the least measure of true light will not take a consequence to build a foundation on , for this is contrary to their own rule , they say , the scripture is their rule , then their consequence is not the rule ; and if the scriptures be the rule , let all people of your parishes know , if you can by the scripture shew , when john or any disciple of his or christ's baptized infants , and taught them principles of religion twenty years after ; but they are willingly ignorant that see not you to be idolaters ; and as for the baptists separates , who build upon this for their water-baptism , they are as groundless as the priests , and all their agruments are as invalid as the rest ; for here is baptizing the nations in the name of the father , in the name of the son , and of the holy ghost ; and any who are judicious or wise , and are in any measure of god's pure wisdom , will not say , that the name of the father is water , or the son or holy ghost is water ; the name of god is , i am , and a strong tower , and the name of the son is the word , and the word is the power ; but this is not water ; but further they say , the disciples had received the holy ghost , and did baptize with water after , and they were baptized with water after they had received the holy ghost ; and they bring divers scriptures to prove this . i shall not deny but peter baptized with water , and paul two or three families , and thanks god he baptized no more ; and said , he had declared the whole counsel of god ; and he makes not mention in all his epistles , that baptism was any part of his command ; neither in all his counsel to the churches any where , doth he exhort either to timothy , titus or apollo , or any of the brethren , to baptize with water ; but as for peter's baptizing with water , i know no more command he had then paul ; as for the commission which matthew writes of , mat. . & . and that mark mentions , mark. . . there is no water ; and so it 's the baptism of john , i grant , and christ bearing witness to john , that he was a prophet , and did baptize many ▪ and therefore he or they , in honour to john's ministry might baptize some , as well as paul did circumcise titus , and then in cor , . . said , it was nothing ; and again in another place , neither circumcision nor uncircumcision did avail , but a new creature ; and because it was a figure which people did not idolize so much then , as they did circumcision , for the weakness of the people for a time ; and the wise in heart may understand , that when any representation or figure outward was set up , it was not easily denyed again , nor an easie thing to be laid down , when the thing signified was come ; for many of the jews believed in christ , and were said to be brethren , and yet they came from jerusalem , and troubled the church of galatia , and would have brought them under the figure [ circumcision ] again , and the apostle in gal. . asks them , now when ye know god , why turn ye again to the beggarly elements [ circumcision ] observing dayes , moneths , times and years ? i would ask the moderate a question , whether water be not an element , and pertains only to the elementary part in man , which is to pass away and be dissolved , when the seed is raised up , whose nature is not elementary , but caelestial ? i shall say no more to them at this present who are contentious , who are so zealous for their water upon so weak a ground , but take heed , that while you are striving about your outward water , you neglect not the washing of regeneration and the cleansing of the spirit ; many have been baptized , but which of you have received the holy ghost ? there is not one among you dare own or witness an infallible spirit , but count it an error , that any should speak , or witness , or look to enjoy any such thing in these dayes ; well , i say unto you , your day is a day of darkness , and gloominess you live in , and thick darkness covers your tabernacle ; for whoever have received the holy ghost or spirit of truth in any measure , are led by that which is infallible , and not fallible ; and if you look not for this , ye are no sons , notwithstanding all your washing the outside ; for as many as are the sons of god , are led by the spirit of god ; and this is witnessed , praises to the lord forever ; the lord is unto his people an everlasting light ; and this is the sum , that water is owned to be a figure of the one baptism , and was an element , and pertained to that which is elementary ; but the elements shall melt with fervent heat , and be dissolved in the day of the lord , and then the seed comes up , which is heir of the promise , which is nourished with the vvater of life , which is not an element nor elementary , but is caelestial , and springs up in them that believe unto everlasting life , and come to be born of the water and the spirit , and enter into god's kingdom , dominion , power , life , wisdom , excellency and eternal glory ; happy is he that believes and abides in patience unto the end. now since the dayes of john , the kingdom of god hath been preached , and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed ; and many in the day when christ was manifest in the flesh believed , unto whom he declared the mind of the father , and by him was the father glorified ; he fulfilled the law , and did many works and miracles by the power of the father , and herein was the father glorified , and them that did believe in him , their faith was strengthned ; and he opened the mysteries of the kingdom of god to his disciples , and bore witness , and prophesied the destruction of jerusalem , and of all their worship , and said , no more at jerusalem nor at samaria , but the time was coming , when they that worshipped the father , should worship him in spirit and truth ; and declared against the pharisees righteousness , and said to his disciples , except their righteousness did exceed the pharisees , they could not enter the kingdom of god ; and yet the pharisees performed all the outward things commanded , but were in the idolatry , and did not believe in the life : now he declared of his suffering many things , and also how he would go away , and how he would come again , and would not leave them comf●rtless ; but these things were hart to be believed then by his disciples ; and further he told them , he must be betrayed , and suffer , and rise again ; and when the hour was come that he was betrayed , when he was with his disciples ▪ even the same night he was betrayed , he took bread , and broke it , and blessed it , and said , take and eat , this is my body which is broken for you , this do in remembrance of me ; and after he took the cup , and after he had supped saying , this is the cup of the new testament in my blood , as often as you drink it , do it in remembrance of me , cor. . , . and matthew , mark and luke delare the same , and this was real bread and real wine , which was a representation of that which was to be enjoyed in the spirit , and never intended for any further thing but as a figure or a representation of the bread of life , and of the cup of blessing which afterward they came to be witnesses of , and as oft as they eat and drank , they did shew forth the lord●s death till he came : now this was practised among the disciples after he was risen from the dead , and did converse with them at many times , and exhorted them , and comforted them , and instructed them , and told them , that they should be witnesses of his name unto the ends of the earth , and gave them commandment to teach all nations , and baptize them in the name of the father , son and holy ghost , and did promise to be with them to the end of the world , and told how the comforter would come , and that the father would send him in his name ▪ even the spirit of truth , which was with them , and should be in them , to be their teacher , leader and guide , and bring all things to their remembrance : now that which he gave them as a figure , and to be a sign unto them of the clearer manifestation of himself , which afterward came to be fulfilled and they witnesses of it , who grew up in the pure invisible being , and did see the mystery , through the revelation of the spirit , which did more clearly shew unto them the mysteries within the vail ; for as i said of water , it was a sign of a good thing to come , so the bread and the cup was also a sign of a good thing to come , as all outward figures were ; but they that did believe , and grew up in the faith , in the seed , christ , they came to see the substance , in whom all figures end , and had communion with him within the vail , after he was ascended where he was before ; now the apostle he spoke as to wise men , judge ye what i say , cor. . , . the cup of blessing , which we bless , is it not the communion of the blood of christ ? the bread which we break , is it not the communion of the body of christ ? and ver. . for we being many , are one bread and one body , for we are all partakers of that one bread ; mark , all they that did believe , though they were many , yet they were one bread and one body , and were all partakers of that one bread , which bread was the flesh of christ. joh. . i am the bread of life . and joh. . . i am the living bread that came down from heaven , if any man eat of this bread , he shall live forever , and the bread that i will give is my flesh , which i will give for the life of the world : now i speak unto wise men , and let the wisdom of god ( in them manifest ) judge what i say ; for where the body of christ is witnessed , and the flesh of christ known , they know that which all the figures end in ; the manna that god gave no israel in the wilderness , they dyed that did eat thereof , which was as pure a type of the hidden manna , as lively a type as bread outward , which was but a type of the flesh of christ ; and both they that did eat the manna , and they that eat the bread outward , and drank the cup outward , are both dead ; but he that eats the flesh of christ , and drinks the blood , lives forever ; and he that eats the hidden manna hath overcome death , and lives forever , and feeds upon the bread of life , feeds upon eternal life . now this is a mystery to the papists , who are idolaters , who have sprung up in the apostacy , though they have scriptures as it was to the jews , john . . who strove among themselves , and said , how can this man give his flesh to eat ? and so the papists , who strive about the flesh of christ and his blood , and yet have the scriptures ; and they say , it 's in the bread and in the wine , after consecration ; and so they worship the imaginations of their own hearts , not discerning the lords body , and have killed thousands , and taken away the lives of thousands , because they would not confess their idol to be of god. and the protestants , they are setting up the bread and the wine , and contenting themselves therewith , and are making an idol of it , and come not to discern the body of christ ; but one saying , he hath a carnal body ; and another , a fleshly body ; another , a mystical body ; and another sayes , his body is divided from his members ; and so speak out of thick darkness , their own imaginations , and have no communion with the body of christ , neither know the flesh of christ , which is the bread of life , which is given for the life of the world , john . . and as godliness began to work , and the mystery thereof in the dayes of christ and the apostles , wherein the lord discovered much of his wisdom and power , and manifested his pure presence , and poured out his spirit plentifully upon sons and daughters , and fulfilled that which joel prophesied of , joel . . which came to be fulfilled after christ's ascension , acts . . and they received the holy ghost , and spoke the wonderful things of god , as they were revealed by the spirit , which shed it self abroad among them that waited for it ; so also the mystery of iniquity began to work even in that time , and as the apostles laid the foundation of truth , and declared the truth , christ to be the foundation , even so the mystery of iniquity did work , and a beginning , or a foundation of error was laid by them , who were gone out of the truth , the false prophets , deceivers anti-christs , who were professors and preachers , but they were such as were covetous and greedy of filthy lucre , and made merchandize of souls for dishonest gain , and denyed the power of god , christ , and were enemies to the cross , and gloried in the flesh , and spake swelling words of vanity , and did all live in the lust of the flesh , and were proud boasters , and denyed the lord that bought them ; for denying the power of god , they did deny christ , though in words they preached him , as this generation , who are their off-springs do out of strife and contention , as the apostles writes , and they held the form of godliness but denyed the power ; and they were they that once were convinced of the truth , and came into the form of truth , but denyed the power of truth ; but were in craft and deceit , and they subverted whole houses from the faith , and led them back into the world , into unbelief , in the apostles dayes , and yet had a worship , and did worship , but not in the power , not the life , and this began to work , and wrought more cunningly , and subtilly in the latter times : and the apostle paul in many of his epistles , john and peter and jude , declare against them , and paul prophesied of them before his departure , of grievous wolves , which should spring up , which should not spare to make havock of the flock of christ ; so the false apostles , deceivers , anti-christs , and deceitful workers , they went out then , and did what they could to lead disciples after them into the world ; inwardly they were ravened from the spirit , and were gone from it into the earth , into the world , and served not the lord jesus christ , but their own bellies , and the god of the world which is the devil , and they went into the world , and the world received them ; and then they and their disciples turned against the saints , and they held truth in words , and the form for a wile , but it was in unrighteousness ; and here was the beginners , and the beginning of the apostates , and of the apostacy ; it was began in the apostles dayes , by them that went out of the truth , out of the light , and were ravened from the spirit , and erred from the faith , and were enemies to the power of god , and these were the beginners and the layers of the foundation , and then it grew , that root of wickedness faster then the truth ; for the jews resisted , and the heathens resisted , and the apostates and false prophets resisted , and they that were apostatized they resisted , and they caused many to stumble , to err , to make ship-wrack of their faith , and so the world went after them , the world , the nations , the kindreds , the tongues , and the people went after kings , princes and potentates of the earth , and in process of time they had over-run all and killed the saints , the woman fled into the wilderness , and the man-child was caught up unto god ; then all nations who were gone from the rock became as a sea , reeled to and fro , unstable , unsetled ; what were they like to settle in the sea ? then a great beast arose with his seven heads and ten horns , and the whore which had defiled the bed , and she sat upon the beast , and she reached out her cup of fornication to the nations , and all nations were drunk with her cup , and then the beast made war , and the nations were drunk , and they loved the beast and received his mark , became cruel , and pushed at the saints , ( and followed him ) and made war with them , and the whore she drank the blood of the saints , and the dragon appeared , and with his tayl , drew the third part of the stars after him to the earth , the false prophets they are the tail of the dragon , who were gone from the testimony of jesus , the spirit of prophecy , and drew after it the third part of the stars from the firmament of his power into the earth , rev. . . the man child was caught up unto god , which was to rule all nations with a rod of iron ; and the woman fled into the wilderness , where god hath prepared a place for her , and then the dragon went out and made war with the remnant of her seed , to wit , the woman's seed . and so out of the sea arose the beast , out of nations , kindreds , tongues , and peoples , which are waters , and the dragon gave power to the beast , and his seat , and great authority , rev. . . and all the world wondered after the beast , ver . . and ▪ ver . . they worshipped the dragon which gave power to the beast , and the beast likewise ; and now the world cryed ( which wondered after the beast ) who is able to make war with the beast ? and ver . . he opened his mouth in blasphemy against god , to blaspheme h●s name and tabernacle , and them that dwell in heaven , and he made war with the saints , and did overcome them , and all that dwelt upon the earth worshipped him , whose names were not written in the lamb's book of life . and the beast deceived the nations , and them that dwelt on the earth , and now kindreds , tongues , people and nations , and all the world which wondered after him ; they who had lost the image of god , now became the image of the beast , that blasphemed god and his tabernacle , and them that dwell in heaven ; and now the kings of the earth that had drunk the whore's cup of fornication , and the nations , kindreds , tongues and people , who were become the beast's image ; now the image of the beast spoak , and caused as many as would not worship the beast and the image should be killed ; take notice of that , all who are called christians , it was not god●s images , who compelled to worship , or else be killed , but it was the beasts image ; and wheresoever compulsion ●nd killing is exercised and practised , they worship the beast . chap. . ver. . and he causeth all , both small and great , rich and poor , bond and free , to receive a mark in their forehead , or in their right hand , and none might buy or sell , but he which had the beast's mark , or his name , or the number of his name ; here was worship , but it was the beast's worship , and idolatrous worship , and the dragon's worship , who sought to destroy the man-child , which all the angels are to worship ; all this worship is in the apostacy . so let all take notice of this compelling , causing , forcing , killing and destroying about worship , all they that so do , yet are worshipping the beast on which the whore rides ; and this is that generation who slew the lamb , and they are of the world ; and this is the dragon's brood , who sought to devour the man-child ; and this is the serpent's seed , and a seed of falshood , who made war with the remnant of the seed of the woman , through all ages unto this generation ; and so all that which is called christendom , is more or less under the beasts power , and hath his image , even to this day ; and yet some of them are professing the saints words , and imitating their actions , who were followers of the lamb , and kept the faith ; now this that john saw , as come in , did grow deceivers , anti-christs , false prophets , who were before , and troubled the churches galatia and corinth , and made havock , brought in deceit , and infected many , as coloss. pergamus , sardis and laodicea , rev. . but now all nations were erred , and gone from their maker , their husband , and did drink of the cup of the whore , and were adulterated from the life , faith and power , and now worshipped the beast , and the whole world went after him ; there was some of his adultery , whoredom and fornication in the apostles dayes , and some had drunken then ; but now nations , kindreds , tongues and people drunk the cup of fornication ; and now jezabel , who slew the prophets , and drunk the blood of the saints she reaches out her cup , kings , merchants , noble men , great men , nations , kindreds , tongues and people were made drunk , the man-child sought to be devoured , floods cast out after the woman , the saints blood drunk , the world worships the dragon , and the beast and his great authority , and wonders after him ; now jezabel , the vvhore , who made the nations drunk , she prophesies , all the nations made drunk with her cup of fornication , and drinks in all her false doctrines and devised fables ; now she is as a queen ; now the nations worship ; after a beast ariseth , she gets upon him and rides , she and the beast become one , she drinks the blood of the saints , the beast makes vvar , compels , kills , being of one mind with the vvhore ; none to buy or sell , but they that have his mark or his name , or at least some of the number of his name ; and who were not defiled were killed ( or sought to be killed ) this is since the apostles dayes ? so now we have found the whore , her beginning in the apostacy , having lost the faith and power that the saints were in , we have found out the rise of the beast in the apostacy , since the apostles , that all the world wondred after and worshipped . now rome , we have found thy foundation , and the beginning of thy rise , and see how thou art elevated ; we have thee , and all that sprang out of thy stock and root , betwixt this time and the apostles , and we read beyond thee , though thou boast thy self of antiquity , and glory in thy councils and convocations ; for thy proof we have sounded thy bottom , i have thee and all the apostates sprang from thee betwixt me and the apostles ; the anti-christs , false prophets , deceivers , false apostles , they began , they laid thy foundation , who went out from the apostles , and denyed the cross of christ and the power of god , and the apostle prophesied of their increase ; here thy visible members began to gather , and they went out into the world , and the world received them , according to christ's saying , out of the light , out of the power , out of the faith , out of the life that the holy men of god were in , being ravened from the spirit , whored from the life , they went out in an outward dress , had a shew , a form of godliness ; the nations received the cup , and kings of the earth , the nobles and the mighty men thou boasts of , they drank of thy cup , and were inflamed with adultery after thee ; and then the nations over which the whoredoms spread , kindreds , dominions , tongues , nations and peoples became fornicators , all became as a sea , rolling , tossing , foming , raging , casting up mire and dirt , unstable , reeling ; then the kings , the great men , thy nobles , who were rulers over the people , being drunk with the nations cup of fornication , they sprang up as a great beast with so many heads and horns , and their teeth became as lyons , their feet as bears , and then thou begannest to ride in the nations , and to sit as a queen : then thou associatedst they drunken fornicators together ; then thou began to usurp authority , and sited●t as judge over the heritage of god , and of the saints , of the apostles , and of them that kept the testimony of jesus ; then thou beganedst to kill and destroy , and suck the blood of the saints , and to be drunk with it ; and then thy kings , whom thou callest converts and christians , having drunkken thy cup , they formed laws , and made laws to guard thy whoredoms , and adulteries , and idolatries ; then thy became they executioners ; and what thou saidst was good , the beast maintained , and what thou condemnedst by thy councils for heresie , they became executioners of ; then came in compelling to worship by the beast that rose out of the sea ; and then thou cryedst hereticks , and condemnedst the just ; and then thou got'st a cover ; thou wouldst not kill , but the beast must upon whom thou ridest ; then if there were any that kept their virginity , and the faith of our lord jesus christ ; which was in the apostles dayes , then thou condemnedst them for hereticks ; then the beast compelled , and caused to worship ; but if they would not bow to his image , then thy merchants cry up , they despise governours and rulers , when thy doctrine and thy lawes are corrupt ; then the beast must kill ; then he blasphemes the god of heaven and his tabernacle ; and then thou sayedst , thou killest none , but the beast must ( upon which thou rides ) and shall have a whole council to confirm it to be lawful ; and now thou call'st thy self the catholick and apostolical church , and thy seat , the apostolical chair , and the rulers and leaders , defenders of the faith : nay , we find thee contrary to the primitive church , and thy seat and chair is raised up since , and thy bed of whoredoms made since , and the kings and rulers in thy dominions are become defenders of thy idolatries and vvhoredoms , and are indeed the beast that makes vvar with the saints , and hath prevailed , and truth overcome ; but he is risen who is able to make vvar with the beast , and to take the vvhore , and to burn her flesh with fire , for he is able to judge her ; and the beast's vveapons and thine are carnal , but the lamb's and the saints are spiritual ; and so thy doctrine and practice is quite another thing , patched stuff , some brought in from the first priesthood , some borrowed from the jews , as thy altars , thy vestiments ( that thy idolatrous merchants wear , when they celebrate thy great idol , the mass ) and the rest borrowed fragments from the heathen , and the rest invented in the night of darkness ; and all that you have is invented trumpery , as bad as the heathen ; all your crosses , altars , crucifixes , your cells , your lent , your fasts , your feasts , your hair-cloth , your images , pictures , your reliques of dead mens bones , your tythes , your offerings , oblations , obventions , your tapers , beads , your holy vvater , your baptizing of infants , your purgatory , your praying for the dead , your visiting of old vvalls and old tombs , and rotten sepulchres , your pilgrimages , your inquisition ; all this is come up since the apostles dayes , and thy consecrated bread and wine , which thou callest the body and blood of christ , about which idol thou ( and all that have drunken the cup of fornication ) and the beast hath slain thousands of men in your blood-thirsty cruelty ; and all your works you call meretorious , they are all dead , and will be sentenced by the lamb ( who is risen ) to be self-righteousness ; and so we have found out your visible church had no being , but since the apostacy , since the apostles dayes ; and you are erred both in doctrine and practice ; and all your ordination of your ministers , your schools and colledges are all in the will of man , all this is in the fall , in the transgression , and under the curse . obj. some of the protestants or reformed churches ( so called ) may say , we like this well , that you declare against popery , we agree with you in that ; but we have renounced the whore's cup , and have denyed all the powers of the beast long since . answ. although many of you priests have denyed your mother , because some kings and rulers , or dukes and magistrates have cast off the yoak , and they protect you , and give you maintenance , yet we cannot but remember you of your genealogy and descent , and your doctrine and practice shall prove it , and make it manifest , and that you take part with the beast , and worship his image , shall be evidenced more and more , even before this generation pass away ; are not you a stem sprung from the same root ? do not the fruits you bring forth evidence it , and pracrice demonstrate it ? if you grant that rome is apostatized from the faith which the apostles were in , and their practice ( you must not deny your fathers ) who made the bishops , and ordained them ; did not the pope , who ordained you ministers of priests ; did not the bishops , who set up your mass-house with all the pictures and crosses in and upon them , which you call your church ? who established tythes , offerings , oblations , easter-reckonings , midsummer-dues ? did not the pope first , and them that were subject to his power ? who invented schools and colledges to fit you for the ministry , and qualifie you for the ministry , as you say ? is not this set up in and since the apostacy began , your set wages , your baptizing of infants , your consecrated bills , which the pope hallowed , or his emissaries ? do not you preach up the letter for the vvord , and the letter for the gospel ? and are not you calling your bread and wine a sacrament ? which word you have received from rome , your pulpits and your hour-glasses , your cushions , your black robes and long robes , false prophet like , your funeral for the dead , like the popes exequies for the dead , your devouring widdows houses , and suing men at the law , your haling them to courts and prisons , your taking away mens goods by force , three-fold , yea , ten-fold that which you claim , and from them that you work not for ; neither dare you say , this was the apostles practice , or any of the primitive churches ; if you say yea , all that know the scripture , or the least of god in them , or to open their understandings , they will see you nearly related to rome , and to the apostates , and deceivers , and false prophets of old , and that you are greatly inflamed with the whore's cup ; and did not the holy men of god speak as they were moved by the holy ghost and divine inspiration , and as the spirit of truth revealed it self in them ? and do not you all , head and tail , deny any such thing to be now ? and further conclude , that it 's a great error to look for any such thing ? then be convinced in your selves , you are apostates , and apostatized fr●m that faith , hope and spirit that was in the primitive times , and now read old authors , it may be twenty or thirty books , before you can get an hours discourse patched up , to hold you dreaming till the glass be run ; and dare you be so impudent and confident as to say , that you are not apostates ? and are you not followers of the beast ? and have you not his mark ? and bear you not his image ? do not you count that disorder , which the apostles and the churches counted order , if any thing was revealed to him that stands by , let the first hold his peace ? are not you apostatized from this order , and cry ; take him away , and yet you would be called apost●lical ? well , these things being true , and obvious enough to behold to any who know any thing of god ; i need not say much more in this thing , but all wise men will come out from among you , and out of babylon , the mother of harlots , which hath made you and your root and genealogy drunk with her fornication ; and this is my call , to separate from her and you , that are in the apostacy ; and wait to know the word which was in the beginning , and the gospel which was preached to abraham , which endures forever , whose joyful sound is come forth in power and great glory , which will shake the foundation of your great city , even mystery babylon , and not leave one stone upon another , which shall not be thrown down ; and then the holy men of god shall rejoyce , and the saints of the most high shall sing , they that have been as sheep for the slaughter , shall reign over the earth , and shall say , the lord god omnipotent reigns , and let us rejoyce and be glad , and he hath taken to himself great power , and is coming to gather his lambs out of your mouthes , and to feed in a pasture you never saw , which was manifest to the saints in light , before you apostates sprang , and shall be again , when you and all your dark muddy traditions and inventions are gone down into the pit , where there is no remembrance . object . but it may be the pure reformed church of scotland ( as it hath been called ) and the old episcopal and prelatical priests of england , who have borrowed their images to set up here , will be ready to say , we have denyed the whore , and the beast , and the apostacy , and we have pure reformation ; we have denyed bishops , which were made by the apostate , the pope , and now we have setled all things according to the primitive church . answ. there never did spring up any deceit , since the apostles or before , but it called it self by the best name ; as for the priests of scotland , their doctrine and practice is made manifest , and their reformation by their principles , which i refer the reader to , intituled , the principles of the priests of scotland , their reformation , and discipline is nearly related to the spanish inquisition ; for their doctrine , they say , grace is not free , and faith is not without sin , and the letter is the word of god , and that they are cursed that say , there is light within which will lead up to god ; and as one said , although it meant christ ; and if any will not submit to their words , and conform to their practice and traditions , then they call a counsel together , as their fore-fathers at trent , and pronounce him a heretick , and within these few years banished them , or else took their whole substance outward from them ; and if any out of conscience could not submit unto their invented tradition , then if he ever came to have any converse with them again , he must have a pennance before he could get an indulgence from them , like the pope ; and furthermore , if any deny them , because they are out of the doctrine of christ , and are contrary to the scripture , then , as i said , they excommunicate them , and charge all people neither to buy nor sell , nor eat nor drink with them , nor work for them ; and so the beasts power is exercised , compelling to come to their mass-houses ; and as for the denying the bishops , then you have denyed your fathers that begat you , and ordained you , then you have no ordination ; but may be , you have cryed so for setling your gospel , you have got a committee to ordain you , or one company to lay hands on another ; but when receive ye the holy ghost ? oh that is an error in your church , but are not you got into the old cathedrals ( so called ) and into the steeple-houses , and the old mass-houses , and where you had , may be pounds , or forty in the year , now you have gotten a hundred , it may be two ; here 's reformation indeed ; well , we must needs remember you of your race and stock , the apostates since the apostles dayes , and the former practices which is found among the old protestants and papists , is among you , and you are still drunk with the whore's cup , and are crying for cain's weapons to guard you ; well , i say , you are part of the dragon's tail , that draws to the earth , and to the pit , which will be the end of all idolaters and apostates , except they come to repent . and as for the independants churches , so called , you are a branch of the same root , you have declared against the bishops and court prelates , and said , they were in error , and many of you declared against them for pluralists , because they had too great benefits , and declared against tythes , as to be anti-christian , and whoso received tythes , denyed christ come in the flesh , who are wheeled about , and now take them your selves , and creep into the old mass-houses , and have taken that up which you condemned in others , and so have made your former testimony void , and all sober people see your hypocrisie and deceit , who have gathered a company together , which you call select people , or members of your church , and you exclude the rest , who have as good right to your ordinance , as you , for they profess christ in words as you do ; and yet you will receive their means , whom you judge not capable of your ordinance ; and your church will no more maintain you , then it would maintain them that you have denyed in words , if you had not the beasts power to compel , your vineyard would starve you , your gospel and your preaching is one with the former , and the people is the same in nature they were before ; you have got bishops lands , augmentations and stipends more large then your fore-fathers had , for the most part , and sue men at the law , and hale them before judgments seats , and take away their goods , whom you loook upon to be in error ; yet this stands as good with you as any article of your faith , to force , to compel , to sue , to hale into prison , to take away their goods , and get a scripture for your cover , and say , he that preacheth the gospel must live of the gospel , and them that neither hear you , nor receive you , neither believe your gospel ; yet you conclude , it 's lawful to take their goods ; and if you cannot get them , hale the party into prison ; are not you drinking still the whore's cup ? and do not you follow the beast ? and do not you own that law to be just , that compels people to pay money to you , who deny your ministry , and are none of your sheep ? and are not your ordinances and worship imitated things from the scripture , the saints words , and yet out of their life and practice , are not you in the apostacy ? have you not your profession , and confession of faith to make year after year , as the magistrate changes ? doth not this evidence , that you are unstable , and are yet in the waters , upon which the whore sits , and situated in babylon , the mother of harlots , who yet makes you drunk , and that makes all the filth and vomit appear in the earth , that stains the earth , and your idols corrupt the earth ; & all separates under what name soever , who have not denyed the ground of apostacy , but are in the apostacy , for all sects since the apostles dayes , have taken up some part and left another , since the life hath been lost , and the power lost , all hath been in the idolatry ; and the protestants who have denyed the papists , yet they have not denyed them in the ground of their worship , but have retained some part , and have kept some part of their worship ; and all sects sprung out of the protestants , in them all there is some part remaining ; for they have not denyed the ground of the worship set up in the apostacy , the whore's cup is drunk of , and the dragon hath power , which sought to destroy the man-child , and made war with the remnant of the seed of the woman , who was clothed with the sun ; you all stick yet in babylon , and the best of you all , are but yet in the suburbs thereof . for since the apostles dayes their foundation hath been either traditions , imitations , inventions of their own , or borrowed things from the jews in the first covenant , or at the best , the letter hath been the ground of their faith and their foundation , which they have twined and translated this way and that , according to the wit and reason of every particular sect and opinion , and according to the understanding of their private spirits ; now all these buildings , and towers that m●n have builded up in the apostacy , they would fasten upon the writings of the holy men of god , and so have raised an imagination of their own , and so would have the scripture prove what they say ; and the writings of the apostles , the● all call the gospel ; and the word of faith , and the light of the gospel , and the foundation and the tryer of spirits , and the touch-stone and say , it 's the foundation of their faith and religion ; and so are all in the distraction , one envying another , and persecuting one another about the words of truth , spoken from the spirit of truth , which cannot be understood again but by the same spirit ; and so all them that have not the spirit of truth , are in the apostacy : and all sects , judgments and opinions that have risen up since the apostacy from the faith , that was once delivered to the saints , when the woman travailed and brought the man-child , which after , because of the dragon's power , fled into the vvilderness , and her child caught up unto god , all the faith and worship , that since is sprung up , since the vvhore hath sitten as a queen in majesty , is all denyed , the ground of their worship , laws , traditions , inventions , and all their invented practices , and forms , and images , and likenesses are denyed and disowned , as to be the dress and attire of the whore , which hath allured people through her enticing pretences , and shews of holiness , when indeed all is but spiritual adultery , and this must be all turned under again , the whore's flesh burned , and her attire plucked off , and her nakedness appear , and her shame to them that have committed fornication with her , and they shall be ashamed of themselves , and of her , and abhor themselves , and abhor her , and destroyed shall she be ; and the lamb's wife shall be beautified , and come out of the secret place , into open view , out of the solitary wilderness , into the beautiful place that the lord will bring her into , and the time , times , and half time is out , the thousand two hundred and threescore dayes are at an end ; and he bears witness of it , who saw her fly away upon eagles wings into the secret place , which was prepared for her , for these dayes and times appointed : and i say , he that knows the counsel , of the most high ( in this matter ) can account the time , times , and a half , and the dayes ; and what shall be after the dayes be expired , which is at an end ; blessed is he that sees , believes , and understands , he shall see that which yet hath not appeared , neither can it be believed by the most , though it were declared ; but yet a little while and the earth grows ripe , and an ear will be opened in many who cannot yet hear , and for a little while in this i shall be silent , and treasure up that which the spirit hath revealed , till the time be fully accomplished , which god hath determined , and then his glory shall be revealed , and all the former things which have lived since the man of sin hath been exalted , shall all dye ; and an utter consumption shall be of all the changeable laws made since the apostacy , and the many changeable dresses of the whore , and attires in which she hath appeared , and imaginary worships into which all have run since they were apostatized from the faith ; all this shall be disannulled , and come to an end , and be blasted forever , the spirit of the lord saith , amen . how the woman that was clothed with the sun , and had the crown of twelve stars upon her head , which did flee into the wilderness , comes out again , after the great whore is judged , and her child that was caught up unto god , comes to appear again . now after the time , times and half a time , after the thousand two hundred and threescore dayes , she returns , after the whore is judged , and the great city babylon is fallen , which hath made the nations drunk , and brought forth children in fornication , who had drunk the blood of the saints in the apostacy , after the whore was judged , and the voice was heard in heaven of much people , that sang halelujah , salvation , and glory , and honour , and power , who witnessed to the righteousness of god's judgment : and a voice came out of the throne , saying , praise our god all his servants , and ye that fear him both small and great , rev. . , . and i heard as it were the voice of many waters , and as a great multitude , and as the voice of a mighty thunder , saying , halelujah , for the lord god omnipotent reigneth ; the whore is now judged , the mother of harlots condemned with all her inchantments and sorceries . now the lamb's wife appears , who is the mother of the man-child which was caught up unto god , she that was cloathed with the sun , with the glorious everlasting caelestial light , she is both the mother and the wife ; he that hath an ear , let him hear ; now jerusalem , that is from above ( spiritually so called ) who was the mother of all the saints before the apostacy , she appears again , and comes to be the wife of the lamb , and the city of the saints , and the mother of them that are born from above ; this shall be and is made manifest to some ; but a numberless number shall see it , and the day hastens greatly , and she is appearing again , and her solitary garments shall be put off ; and as she was beautifull ( before the vvhore made the nations drunk ) clothed with the sun , and had the moon under her feet , and a crown of twelve stars upon her head ( and though she became child-less , and also as a vviddow , and the remnant of her seed slain and destroyed ) so shall she appear again in glory and beauty as before , and shall be made ready , yea , mine eye hath seen it ; she is making her self ready , as a bride for her husband , and unto her is granted , that she shall be arrayed in fine linnen , clean and white , even arrayed in the righteousness of the saints , which is not self-righteousness , the garments of the harlot and her lovers ; but in the righteousness of christ , the lamb , her husband and child also , and she shall now bring forth many more children , though her seed hath been slain , yet a numberless number shall appear , and ten thousand thousand shall be brought forth by her , and glory in her , and reverence her , and rejoyce in her forever , and they shall be all clad in the same robe which the husband , the lamb is clothed withal , and the same , the lamb's vvife , this vvoman is ●l●thed withall , and the same shall all the children by clothed withal , the fine linnen , the righteousness of the lamb , which was dead and slain since the foundation of the world , but now alive , and lives for evermore ; and here a heavenly family appears now after the apostacy , and this shall be seen by all that have an eye , that can see through and beyond the smoke of the pit ; that hath darkened the air , while the beast and dragon have had power ; but now hath her child appeared again , the man-child hath appeared again ; and he that was in the spirit on the lord's day , saw whither he was taken up to the throne of god , rev. . . and on the same lord's day he saw him after the woman was fled , and the remnant of her seed was made war with , and slain in the earth , where the dragon had power : he that was in the spirit saw him alive again after he was caught up ; so he that is in the spirit now on the lord's day , sees the same man-child , who was brought forth by the woman , who was to rule the nat●ons , but was caught up to the throne of god , before he came to rule and then the dragon ruled , the beasts and false prophet , the whore , the mother of harlots , sate as a queen , and the woman , the mother of the heir , fled into an obscure and a retired place , and was hid , times and dayes ( as i said before ) but as she appeared again in beauty , so the man child , the heir , he appears also in glory , majesty and power , and john saw him , rev. . , , , , , . and i saw heaven opened , and behold a white horse , and he that sate upon him was called faithful and true , and he doth judge and make war in righteousness , his eyes were as a flame of fire , on his head were many crowns , and he had a name written that none knew but himself , and he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood , and his name is called , the vvord of god. and now the woman's seed is increased again , after the dragon and the beast's war , and now they become an army , and follow the lamb their leader , who is anointed with honour , glory , majesty and renown , strength , power ▪ wisdom , joy and gladness above all his fellows , yet his followers are anointed too , and the seed of the woman , the inhabitants of the city of the great king , they are clothed with the same garment and armour , and ride on in power , strength and majesty after him , and they are clothed , and shall be with the garment of their mother , and the garment of their captain , their head ; and as he rode on in innocency , so they ride on after him ; and the woman was in heaven that travailed , and the child was born there , though he was to rule the nations of the earth ; and so whoso are of this woman's seed , who are born in the city of the great king , jerusalem , unto which the hebrews were come , heb. . . before the apostacy , & before the woman fled , so now the same city comes to be seen again , and the children are born of their mother , the lamb's wife , who is joyned to him , and is to be so forever in the everlasting covenant ; so they being heavenly children , redeemed from the earth , from under the dragon's power , they follow the lamb , the word , god's power , rev. . . and the armies which were in heaven followed him , upon white horses , clothed in fine linnen white and clean , and out of his mouth goes a sharp sword , and with it he shall smite the nations : and now comes he to rule them with a rod of iron ; he was brought forth long before , but was caught up to god again , and the dragon , beast and whore and false prophet ruled the nations , and killed the saints ; but now he appears again after the apostacy , and a great host with him , and the woman also and her children are many , and they all follow the first born ; and now comes the wo to the dragon and whore , beast and false prophets , and unclean spirits , and on them that worship devils ; and now shall he tread the vvine-press of the vvrath of god almighty ; and he hath on his vesture and on his thigh written , king of kings , and lord of lords . and now appears an an●el standing in the sun ( which the vvoman was clothed with ) and he cryed with a loud voice , saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven , come , and gather to the supper of the great day of god ; and now must the flesh of the kings , and captains , and nobles , and flesh of mighty men , who had drunk the whores cup , now must drink of the wine of god's wrath : and the beast , and the kings of the earth , and their armies gathered together , to make vvar against him that sate on the white horse and his army ; and the beast was taken , and with him the false prophet , that wrought miracles before him , and the remnant were sla●n that took part with the beast , by him that sate upon the horse , and his army , whose sword proceeded out of h●● mouth , and all the fowls were filled with their flesh ; the whore is burnt before , the beast , the false prophet and his army now slain , and their flesh eaten by the fowls of heaven , and now the blood comes forth to the horse bridles . and now the angel descends , having the key of the bottomless pit , from whence the old dragon , the serpent , the red dragon , the devil came ; there is his beginning , there was he brought forth , and there he grew up ( he that reads , let him understand ) out of the bottomless pit ; for the nations were never deceived till he appeared , and he appeared , as i have said before , after the heaven and the earth was made , and all things therein ( i say , after ) he was not before , he deceived eve in the garden , now he is grown old , and so is truly called , the old dragon , grown into a body of deceit ; well , now must he be taken , and bound , and cast into the bottomless pit , from whence he came , that he deceive the nations no more , rev. . , . and all this war is in the bringing out of the apostacy , and in order to the lamb and the saints everlasting reign in heaven , and over the earth forever . this i have seen , and my heart rejoyceth , and my mouth shall praise the lord ; and the woman ( i say ) is appearing , and she is cloathed with beautiful garments , and the holy child , the man child , hath appeared , and is manifest again among the saints , and in them ; and the lamb which hath been slain since the world began , is alive , and behold he lives for evermore ; and now many are his followers , and an innumerable company shall ride on after him , who is king of kings ; and now is god fulfilling that which john saw in the lord's day , which should come to pass ; the work is begun , he hath appeared , out of whose mouth proceeds the two-edged sword , which shall hew down all the dragon's army , the beast and his followers ; and though the cry be yet among many , who shall make war with the beast ? and who shall speak against his prophets ? yet a little while , and fear shall come , and their vaunts and boasts shall be turned into doubting , and dreadful fear on every side ; for jacob shall be as a flame , and esau and all his race shall be as stubble ; he that reads , let him understand the wisdom of god in a mystery , and the whole work of the lord , which shall shortly come to pass . the manifestation of god's glory shall be as great after the apostacy as ever it was in any age before the rise of anti-christ , and the ministration ( into which them that follow the lamb shall be brought ) shall be as spiritual , holy , caelestial and divine as ever was before ; for the end of all your outward visible appearances shall come , which the whore hath decked her self with , and life it shall be known in the body , and god enjoyed , worshipped , glorified and honoured in that which shall never alter , but abides forever ; and this shall be and is the last ministration that ever shall appear among the sons of men . we who are come out of the apostacy , know what was before , and see what shall be after , the everlasting gospel of the son of god , shall be preached again to them that dwell on the earth , the same that was preached to abraham , before either old or new testament was written ; the lat●er all sects since the apostacy call the gospel , and so greatly manifest their ignorance , for that were to make two gospels , to call the scriptures the gospel , or that which is written , and they who so err in their judgments , are yet among the smoke of the pit , and are yet under anti-christ's reign , and are ignorant of him who is the saving health of the nations ; and he living , infallible , true , lasting , and everlasting spirit of the father shall be poured out again , and many now witness it , and a numberless number shall witness it , and the time hastens ; and the lamb shall stand upon mount sion , and many who are redeemed from the earth , and from among men , which shall be the first fruits unto god , and to the lamb , and they shall sit with him , and shall reign with him , and have power over sin , temptation , and the devil , hell and the lake , and this is to come to pass , and is coming to pass , and hastens greatly ; and the voice out of heaven shall be heard , as the voice of many waters , and the voice of harpers harping with their harps , and the new song shall be sung , the pure song of the lamb shall be sung by all , who are redeemed from the earth in every nation , kindred , tongue and people , who have heard , believed and received the joyful sound of the everlasting gospel again , and now they shall fear god , and glorifie him , and honour him , even they who have feared the beast , and glorified him in the apostacy , they shall deny his power , and own the lamb's power , and worship him that sits upon the throne of righteousness , who lives forever and ever , and is eternal life it self ; the worship shall be now in spirit and truth , where the dragon cannot come , neither the beast , harlot , false prophet , nor anti-christ , nor none of his followers can come , and herein the ministration shall be more glorious , after the apostacy then it was before ; the worship stood before in many outward visible things , and representations , and outward performances , and ordinances , and i manifestly say , the dragon , beast , whore , and false prophets and apostates took up these things , and nations and kindreds , and tongues , and people who drunk of the whore's cup , and all that were gone from their maker their husband , they have been and are acting and performing , imitating , like jannes and jambres ; but since the dayes of the apostles , they corrupted these things , and have made idols of them , and painted themselves with them , and have got the sheeps cloathing : therefore now will the lord appear and manifest his power , life and glory in a way more invisible and pure , then before , and more divine , caelestial and glorious , where never an hypocrite shall tread in the path ; and so the restoration is a mystery that shall be after the apostacy , the glory is not to appear in external things , for there the mother of harlots hath hid her self long , which hath made all nations drunk ; but the cloathing of the lamb's wife and of the bride , shall be another thing then the attire of the harlot , for the spouse of the lamb shall be arrayed , in the same attire , that the lamb is cloathed withall , and with the same vestment , and the tabernacle of god is to be with men , and he shall dwell in them , even the lord that spirit , and shall walk in them , and they shall be his people , and god himself shall be with them , and in them , and sorrow shall be done away , and tears wiped away , and that done away which was the cause of sorrow , rev. . . and . and there shall be no more death , nor crying , nor any more pain , for the former things are passed away , to wit , death , which entred in by sin , it shall be destroyed , and the earth out of which the second beast arose , and the sea , out of which the first beast did arise , and upon which the whore sate , and hell , and the lake which was prepared , and raised up , when man was degenerated from the lord , they shall be destroyed , and he also which hath the power of death , which is the devil , he shall be destroyed and his works , ( the cause of scorn ) and then they shall see the lord face to face , even them that have but seen him darkly , as in a glass , or as in a cloud , they shall see his pure living countenance , which giveth life , and death , and hell shall be cast in the lake of fire , and whosoever is not found written in the lamb's book of life must be cast into the fire . then the new heaven and earth shall be seen , and the heavenly city , which shall come down from god out of heaven ; which no mortal eye shall behold , neither shall be able to behold , which hath twelve foundations , and twelve gates , and the glory of god shall be upon her , and her light shall be as a stone most precious , and as clear as crystal , yea all things visible are too short and not to be compared to it ; for in it there need neither sun nor moon to shine in it , for the glory of the lord shall lighten it , and the lamb is the light thereof , and all who have been partakers of this glorious ministration , shall walk in the light of the lamb ; there shall be no night , nor the least appearance of a cloud or darkness , but transparent brightness , and glory which shall be permanent , durable and everlasting ; for the lord god and the lamb is the temple of the city in which the saints shall worship him that sits upon the throne for evermore , and shall give unto him glory , and honour , and dominion , and eternal praises for evermore , who alone is worthy , who lives forever in eternal glory , and everlasting light and brightness for evermore . and his face shall be seen , in whom all figures , representations and shadows end in , and the pure river of water of life , which is as clear as crystal , which proceeds out of the throne of god , and of the lamb ; and all who have kept the word of his patience shall drink thereof , and be nourished up in immortality and life everlasting forever ; and the tree of life , that stands in the paradise of god , them that have overcome shall eat thereof , and live forever ; and the nations , kindreds , tongues , people and regions , who have heard , believed and received the everlasting gospel , shall know his saving health ; and the throne of god and of the lamb shall be seen , and his servants shall serve him , who is their lord and king , who lives forever ; and they shall see his face , and his name shall be in their foreheads , and the lord god shall give them light , and shall be unto them an everlasting light , and they shall reign with him forever and evermore , over the whore , beast , false prophet , antichrists , deceivers , seducers , the pit , death , hell and the grave , and shall triumph in his strength over all the powers of darkness , and sing praises to him that abides forever ; these things are true and faithful , and shall be fulfilled , and the time is at hand ; blessed are they that wait and watch , that they may discern the signs of the times , and the coming of the bridegroom , that they may enter into the chamber of ●est , and into the palace of eternal life , into the city of the gre●● king , to sit with him , and eat with him , and rejoyce with him in the glory eternal , which was before the world began , and shall be when it shall be no more ; the end hastens ; he is blessed that is come and coming to the end of it ; for that which is immutable and eternally glorious shall appear ; the lord hasten it , saith my spirit , amen . f. h. darkness and ignorance expelled by the light shining forth , and the appearance of the day , in answer to a book called , innocents no saints . publish'd by one edward dodd , wherein he hath labour'd to prove tythes lawful , and tything priests and hirelings to be the true ministers of the word , and the mass-house the church , and calls idolatry civility , and heathenish complements courtisie , and hath perverted many scriptures . his deceit laid open , his vindication made void , and his argument confounded , and truth laid open in all these particulars , for the sake of the upright in heart , who rejoyce in truth 's prosperity . by one of the lamb's followers , who makes war against the head of the dragon , and against the rear of the beast . f. h. and the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her , for no man buyeth her merchandize any more , rev. . . and cryed , when they saw the smoak of her burning , saying , what city is like unto this city ! rev. . . darkness and ignorance expelled the man-child which was caught up unto the throne of god , when the red dragon sought to devour and destroy him , hath appeared again in power and great glory , after the long and cruel tyranny of the dragon , wherein she hath killed the saints , and hath prevailed against them ; and hath made great war , spoil and havock of the remnant of the womans seed , this . or . hundred years , and hath compelled all both small and great ( whose names have not been written in the lamb's book of life ) to worship him , and the beast , unto whom he hath given great authority to kill , and to destroy whosoever worshipped the god of heaven , that so they might be worn out , and all the earth might worship him , and fear him , and extol him , and his authority . now the time , times , and half being near an end , that john saw the woman should be retired in the wilderness , she appearing again in her beautifull garments , and her heir and her seed appearing again in after the long night of darkness . now when the lord in this the day of his power is appearing again , and the man-child that is to rule the nations with a rod of iron . now the dragon , beast , vvhore , and false prophet , and all the mystery of iniquity , gog and magog , and all the apostates , deceivers , and merchants of babylon that have traded upon the waters , upon which the whore sits , they are all up in arms , every one with his weapons , which he hath formed in the bottomless pit , is now set in array against the lamb who is risen ; the priests , hirelings , and babylon's merchants , who have got so great gain by sea , they have given the first on-set in the front , of the black army of the dragon , and this six or seven years have made a great noise , and have raised so much smoke out of the pit , that they have darkned the ayr , and made it cloudy , and have filled the earth with a great noise , that many have admired what the issue would be , and what the event might prove , and that many who have waited in patience , have seen the lamb appear , and have seen his rising in majesty , and hath prevailed : and many of them who have the first on-set grow weary , seeing the battel grows too hard against them , and the lamb and his followers prevail . and now comes on the tail of the dragon as the reserve , and the rear of the beast , among whom edward dod appears , and he thinks to prevail , and get himself a name , and to do exploits ; but alas ! all his weapons are but the old broken bows , and the spears that are strewed up and down the field of confusion , which we have run over and over , and trample upon , and esteem them no more then rotten wood : he hath raked up those things which have been answered over and over , and that which the rest of the dragon's army hath vomited up before , in the beginning , he hath licked up , and now vomits it out again , and casts out floods of poysoned words , false accusations , and arrogant reproaches , and proud , disdainful , speeches , as though his tongue were his own : and like one of ishmaels brood , scorning and deriding at innocency , and saith , he hath laid down some of our tenets , and named them , and shamed them . all sober people who know any thing of god , will see thou hast shamed thy self , and not us , in uttering forth thy folly : and thy title of thy book demonstrates what is within it , the beginning is scorn and derision , the end is folly and madness , and many ignorant words uttered forth from a corrupt heart and unbridled tongue , which is bent to do mischief , and to speak falshood ; but lest thou shouldst glory in the old rotten broken weapons which thou hast taken up , which were formed by thy leaders , and not by thee , which we have answered again and again , and have over-run them as stubble ; which answers have cleared the truth to all sober people , that they see all your weapons are but carnall , and not spiritual , and they have no might in them at all to stand against the truth , nor them who are made free by it , whose weapons are spiritual and mighty through god , to beat down strong holds of darkness , and the towers of ignorance . many are beat down already , and the lamb is risen , and upon the white horse , and a numberless number is following him , who rides on after him , who shall subdue the nations to himself , and break the yoak of the ungodly , and deliver the oppressed , and no weapon that is formed against him shall prosper : i say , lest thou shouldst boast , i shall return these lines in answer to thy book . thy book thou titlest , a pair of spectacles for a dark-sighted quaker . i say , thy spectacles are more like to make ones sight dimmer , then through them to be made to see , they are such wooden ones ; but the quakers see before thee , and beyond thee , and comprehend thee , and have received eye-salve , whereby their eyes are opened to see thy deceit , & the deceit of the treacherous generation , with whom thou art joyned , and thy rejoynder and vindication of samuel smith , whom thou calls minister of the word at cressage , in the county of salop ; thy vindication of him , and thy pleading for him , will not bring much honour to neither him nor thee ; and though thou and he both joyn hand in hand in deceit , yet you shall not go unpunished . thou tels the reader of wandering planets who have left their station ▪ who have stepped upon the stage in the county of salop , who are come forth in this apostatizing time . all who have a good understanding , may clearly see not only in the county of salop , but also in every corner of the land , many wandering stars that have no habitation in the firmament of god's power , but are tossed up and down , and are as waters , unstable , tossed to and fro with every wind ; and the change of one magistrate , or head governour , will make them all change their form ; and as thou callst it , metamorphize them into another shape , witness the many publique teachers , and parish-masters , and tything priests in the dayes of edward the sixth , henry the . queen mary , and queen elizabeth's dayes , and now of late in the bishops dayes , when the magistrates voted down the bishops , all or most of the priests denyed their fathers , and their institution ; and though they ordained them ministers , yet they still seek after their seats and benefices , and there thy reader may see the metamorphosed changlings , and the apostates ; and i do believe the county of sal●p abounds with such like ; and they have been on the stage long , and have acted such a part in every generation , as would please the present authority , or power , whether they were papists or protestants , prelatical or whatsoever ; but e. d. the exit will come , and when the day appears , the beasts must go into their dens again : and thou confessest you live in apostatizing times ; thou that art among the apostates , and in the apostatizing age and time , would accuse others : nay , thou must hold thy peace , and leave pleading for apostates , and for the fashions of the heathen , which have got up since the dayes of the apostacy , which the whole scope of thy book is full of nothing else ; and we cannot permit or allow them who are in the time of apostacy , and who are one with the apostates , which have wandered after the beast , since the dayes of the apostles . i say , we cannot allow such as you to be judges ; for we are come out of the apostacy , and to before the apostates , and to before the wandering stars , and thou hast mist it much that tells the quakers are they . edward , i tell thee , we are come to the everlasting gospel again , and have received it , and it 's the power of god , which was to be , and is to be preached again to the nations after the apostacy . and as for the book called , malice stript and whipt , i have seen it ; and he spirit of thy mr. smith , whom thou callst reverend , thou hast elevated him as high as the pope ; but e. d. what is the reason thou reverencest him so much as thou dost to thy reader ? and in the tenth page thou saist , many souls depend upon his ministry ; and thou , blessest god , for the wor● of god you enjoy in that congregation . thou hast extoll'd him too highly , or else he hath wronged thee grievously ; for thou saist , thou hast profited much by him : thou mayest call to mind a certain time , when he preached ( as you call it ) out of the of luke , and when he spoke of the parable of the m●n that planted a vineyard , and years looked for fruit ; and sam. smith , whom thou so adorest , said , he had sought for fruit from your congregation this years at cressage , and had found none , he shall be an evidence for me against thee , that thy glorying of him is vain ; and it 's manifest he is one the lord sent his prophet to declare against , who hath run , and the lord never sent him , therefore he hath not profited you at cressage at all ; lean souls are they like to be that depend on him . in the first observation , as thou callst it , thou hast extracted the heads of samuel smiths book into five particulars , which thou sayst , we are ashamed to answer , or else know not what to say for our defences . i say unto thee , boast not , when thou purst on thy armour , but when putst it off ; for the victory may be doutful . the first particular , that the nationall ministers do maintain the true worship of god , and the doctrine of christ according to the revealed will of god. answ. so saying , and so doing were something ; the true worship of god is in spirit and in truth , which is not lo here , and lo there , nor in outward observations , but in life , in power , and in truth : but to be brief , both the doctrine and practice of the national ministry in general , is contrary to the scripture , which thou callst the word of god ; ( as for instance ) their sprinkling of infants , their teaching men to swear , and calling it part of the worship of god , which is contrary to the doctrine of christ , who said , swear not at all : their singing david's psalms put into meeter , by poets and ballad-mongers , singing them in their invented tunes , which pleaseth the carnal mind ; their studied discourses , which you call sermons , invented from the strength of natural wit , and not speaking as they are moved by the holy ghost , which the ministers of christ in all ages did . in these , and many other things which i could instance , they are out of the doctrine of christ ; and in a word , your whole worship differs both in matter and manner , from the saints worship in the primitive times . but seeing we have denyed the national ministers divers years ago , and have laid down our grounds and reasons to the world , wherein we have charged them , that their practice is contrary to the scripture ; unto which grounds and reasons , not one parish-master in england hath yet vindicated themselves these six years . and unto that book called , the grounds and reasons why we deny the priests , if the reader be not satisfied concerning them , there he may see how they err , both in doctrine , and practice , contrary to scriptures . to the second and third particulars . that the present government of the nation is the ordinance of god ; and that the ministers bringing offenders before the magistrate is not persecution . as for the present government of the nation , the lawfulness thereof is not to question by us ; but many who are governours , and should be executors of the law , have acted contrary to the law , ( being stirred 〈◊〉 by the priests , who bite with their teeth , if one put not into their mouths ) and have caused the just to suffer by giving judgment 〈◊〉 the● , in their wills , contrary to law , or else according to those 〈◊〉 which hath been made in the will of man , in the trangression , under which we have suffered for the truth 's sake , and therein have peace . and as for ministers bringing offenders before magistrates , that is an usurped authority , to make a minister a magistrate ; but edward , what was the offence ? because a company of people came to cressage , and declared the word of truth in your streets ; and what if it had been in your assembly ; this was no offence in the church of corinth , where all might speak one by one , although it 's become an offence in your mass-house at cressage ; but the reader may judge in whose steps thou and thy priest walkes ; you have done the offence , and then accuseth others to the magistrates as offenders ; let shame cover your lips , you impudent men . hath not samuel smith in his own narration in his book , said , that william parrat constable , and humphry daile church-warden , according to the ministers direction did pull down the quakers speaker , charging some to secure him ? and others also of your own county , secured by the instigation of the priest , by his own confession , in the fourth page of his book . and here he and the rest of the society at cressage , who had a hand in this ●hing , are manifest to be in the steps of the pharisees , whom christ cryed wo against , which cast out of their assemblies , and haled the disciples before the magistrates ; and like the envyous jews that cryed , help men of israel , for these men turn the world up-side down ; but you are worse then they . the priest was the first fomenter of the breach of the peace , the constable and church-warden his executioners , and yet thou tells of the quakers being offenders . now all sober people will see your envy and dec●it , and that you are in cain's way , and by your false flattery and deceit , would justifie the magistrate for your own ends , and cause them to turn the sword against the guiltless , which should be against the transgressor . and who was in the transgression , the reader may easily judge by that which is forementioned , and yet the priest , and you of his congregation , would make people believe that you did not persecute : the priest did give order to pull down the speaker , the constable and church-warden they acted , and secured your own neighbours as prisoners , your own congregation swearing against them the breach of the peace , and getting them shut up into prison , and sentence given against them , and yet thou wouldst have this called equal proceedings ; but to that of god in all consciences , i leave to be judge in this thing . in the fourth and fifth particular thou saist , we have charged to be envious and bitter , and malicious against the most eminent ministers of the land. them whom thou calls eminent ministers , have charged us with many false things , and have written many false things against us , for which thou and they , in the dreadful day of the lord , shall give an account : envy , bitterness , and malice is put away from us , and we envy no man , but speak the truth in soberness ; and yet to say , a lyar is a lyar ; or a deceiver , a deceiver ; or an hypocrite , an hypocrite , when they are so , is neither railing nor malice : christ , in whom no guile was found , he said , they were a generation of vipers , and they were of their father the devil , who were in envy , and went about to kill him . and the apostle was not envious when he said , o full of all subtilty , thou child of the devil , to one who was doing the work of the devil ; and many such workers we find , and many venomous spirits who shoot out poysoned arrows , even bitter words , and these we must reprove sharply . and those things which thou layest to our charge , take to thy self ; for the ground of iniquity is in thy heart , from whence thou hast uttered forth all these disdainful , proud , and scornful words , of which thou shalt be convinced , and also reproved when the lord searcheth thy heart , when he brings anguish and perplexity upon thee , then shalt thou confess to his righteous judgment ; and so thy five principles i have answered , which thou sayest , thou hast brought into thy book to fill up the blancks ; they had better have been blancks still , then have spoiled so much paper with thy lying , disdainful , scribles , which are not worth the answering . in the third page thou saist , thou wilt restate the reputation of the ministry of england to be minister of christ ; and for proof , thou hast brought col. . . and rom. . those words prove that epaphras was a faithful minister , and that paul was a minister of christ to the gentiles ; but what hath this proved as to the national priests ? nothing at all ; and if thou hast no better proof then this , to bring them into reputation , instead thereof thou wilt bring defamation upon them ; and when thou shouldst prove them ministers , thou provest that paul and epaphras were ministers ; will not the least in the truth see thee to be a busy-body ? but fools will be medling : then thou art offended that we call them priests for receiving of tythes ; i say it 's the most proper ; for none but priests and levites did receive tythes , and how long since is it , since they generally called themselves the tribe of levi ? for never minister of the gospel , nor of the word of reconciliation , either received tythes , or commanded that they should be payed , neither reproved any for not paying ; but said , the priest-hood was changed , and the law was changed by which tythes were due ; but thou goest on , and makest a sound argument as thou judgest , and sayst , abraham paid tythes to melchisedeck before the law ; and thou askest , how he did give it , either by the law of nature , which is called the law of reason , or by the light within , or by revelation . thou speakest thou knowst not what ; where readest thou of the law of nature , called the law of reason , except it be in the devised fables and stories of the priests ? but what doth this prove ? gen. . abraham gave the tenth part of the spoil which he had taken from his enemies , but melchisedeck first brought forth bread and wine to abraham and his company , and greeted abraham and his company kindly , and blessed him , and abraham freely gave unto him the tenth part , melchisedeck desired none ; but dost thou judge , that if abraham had given him none , that he would have taken by force the tenth part of the spoil from him ? now what doth this prove for the tything-priests of this nation ? they must first do as melchisedeck did , if they will have melchisedeck for an example , he blessed abraham , and brought forth bread and wine unto him and his army ; but which of the priests have done so , which have received tythes ; which is not a gift of the people , but a forced thing from them ? if this must be thy proof for tythes by the gift of abraham , then let the priests cease forcing and taking them , till people be freely willing to give them , and then there will be no complaint : but let us reason a little further of this matter ; would melchisedeck have taken the tenth , if abraham had not given it him ? or when did melchisedeck , or any before the law take away the peoples oxen , cows , horses , sheep , pots and pans , and bedding upon which poor people lie , three-fold , four-fold , and sometimes ten-fold ; that they claim , or sue people to courts , throw them into prison till death , as many evidences we have in this nation ? either give us a precept , or an example before the law , or under the gospel , or else stop your lying mouths , and clamorous tongues forever . dost thou and the rest of the priests think that we are so ignorant , that we know not the original of the tythes in these nations ? a thing invented to fill the popes coffers , and the rest of the clergies budgets , seven or eight hundred years after the ascension of christ ? all which tythes and oblations , and obventions were invented in the apostacy , since the dayes of the apostles , and since the woman fled into the wilderness : and the man-child was caught up to god , when all the world wondred after the beast , then they had their rise ; and when the kings and rulers of these nations did drink of the whore's cup , then they made laws to compel the nations and the people therein , to pay the whore's merchants ; and the pope's locusts , which he sent over the nations , to fill the earth with their deceit , which laws stand yet in force as though they were some divine institution ; but both the tythes and the law , by which they are compelled to be paid , we deny , and bear our witness against , as to be things which hold up the devil's kingdom ; and the gospel which the national ministry holds up and preaches , hath no more ability in it to procure a maintenance for them , then the papists gospel did for them : so , to be brief , the priests have the popes wages forced by a compulsory law , made and ratified by them who owned the popes supremacy . furthermore we assert , that tythes were never due by divine ordination , but only to the priests and levites in the first covenant , nor never were commanded to be paid but in the land of canaan ; and whoso upholds the ordinances of the first priest-hood , denyes the ordinances of the second : so this commandment to pay tythes now to them , who are neither of aaron's nor levi's tribe , and by us who are not in canaan temporal , nor of israel according to the flesh , the commandment by which tythes were due in the first priest-hood , reaches not unto us . and after christ's ascension , not one of the apostles either commanded or required any such practice of the saints , either to colossia , corinth , antioch , philippi , pergamos , or the rest of the churches in asia . so that it 's evident to all judicious men , that this is quite another thing got up in the apostacy , which no minister or believer ever did own , who were witnesses of the second covenant ; but any who are not satisfied in this thing by what i have said , which much more i could say , concerning this thing ; but i refer them that are not satisfied , to a book called , the great case of tythes stated , published by a. p. in thy fourth and fifth page , thou art pleading for master-ship for thy ministers , and so by thy own argument thou hast proved them out of the doctrine of christ , who said , to his ministers , call no man master , neither be ye called masters ; but to oppose this , thou brings john. . how christ said to nicodemus , art thou a master in israel ? and then thou vaporest , and saist , these are not the words of mr. baxter , and mr , smith , but christs . in some translations it is ruler in israel . in another , teacher in israel : but it may be , some who coveted after mastership as thou dost , have put in master for ruler & teacher ; but grant the word master christ testified that the jews and pharisees that they were called of men master , and reprehended them for it : and if he did say to nicodemus , art thou a master ? he spoke but in their language , not with approbation of their being so called ; for it 's manifest he gave a contrary command to his disciples , and the commands of christ did not contradict one another . and as for richard baxter and samuel smith , whose works thou sayest , do witness for them beyond thy testimony . as for r. b. his works are manifest to be works of darkness , many false lyes and reproaches he hath cast upon the living truth of god , and hath been a great opposer of the straight way of the lord , for which the lord will plead with him & you all in the day of his righteous judgment . and as for s. s. let his own testimony evidence what his work is , who said , in the congregation at cressage , he had looked for fruit seven years among them , but found none : so it 's manifest , he is such a workman as may be ashamed of his work . in thy sixth and seventh page thou sayest , the pharisaical quakers make void the fifth commandment , because they do not put off their hats to political and spiritual fathers , as thou callst them ; and thou heapst up a great deal of scripture to no purpose , not one word in them all doth prove any such thing , as putting off hats either to fathers , spiritual or temporal , and so thou art a preverter and a wrester of it to thy own destruction ; and thou cites rom. . . to prove putting off hats , render to all their dues , tribute to whom tribute ; and this is the tribute of the nation , thou sayest . and the pet. . . submit your selves to every ordinance of man , this thou bringst . ignorant block , shew us either plain scripture , or example from the saints , where it is commanded or commended , or from any ordinance of man , or else cease thy foolish clamour , and learn a bridle for thy tongue , and cease thy foolish inferences . if the magistrates had no better tribute then putting off the hat , they would soon be poor rulers : and whereas thou callest it civil worship , doffing the hat , and bowing the knee , i know no more civility in it , then if thou shouldst put off thy coat or thy doublet to every one thou meetest with ; and most of this which thou calls civility , is the most practised by them who are the rudest , vainest , and the phantastickst proud anticks in the nations , who are full of flattery and deceit , and vain complements ; and to a proud fellow with a gay cloak , or powdered hair , and a deal of silver lace dawbed upon his cloaths , then off goes the hat , and the knees bow , and your servant sir , and your servant my lord , or your most humble servant , 〈◊〉 thrice humble servant ; when if he were commanded to do service to such a one , would not do any thing material , but disdain him ; and meet then with a plain man , who will not complement , and then sirrah , and numannerly clown , and be ready to fight ; and this spirit rules the most in those men , who are so full of their complements , that begets one another into pride and deceit , and provoke one another by their bad example into deceit , like drunkards , drinking one to another , to make one another drunk , it 's like thou wilt call this civility too : and if thou wilt plead , it s the custom of the nation , doffing hats , and bowing . the customs of the heathen are vain , and many in israel who feared the lord , were not to walk after the customs of the nations ; for this deceit was not from the beginning and who ever comes to be a follower of christ , who received no honour of men , neither respected persons , will deny this deceit . take him for thy example , rather then a company of fidlers , and roysters , and ruffins , who are without the fear of god ; and christ , who is the saints example , he said , how can you believe , that seek and receive honour one of another : so then , they were unbelievers who sought and received honour one of another ; and wouldst thou and the rest who live in deceit , bring the custom of unbelievers , and the practice of unbelievers among the saints , who are believers , and follow christ their example ? i say , we have no such custom , nor the churches of christ. the next piece of deceit thou art pleading for , is bowing to one another the knee , and titles of honour , wherein the devil hath a great hold among people . gen. . . this thou bringst to prove bowing ; judah and his brethren came to joseph's house , and they fell on the ground ; this is an example indeed . wilt thou take another ; the same brethren of joseph sold him when he was a boy ; was that a good act ? if thou sayst nay ; i say one is as much commanded and commended as the other ; for that same that doth violence , it 's the same that respects persons ; but abraham bowed to the children of heth ; what of that ? so did joseph swear by the life of pharaoh , and both joseph and abraham were good men but they were never the better for these actions , neither the one nor the other : but then thou brings a scripture , and thou saith , it must stop our mouthes , gen. . . . and thou saist , this may teach us , if we be of jacob's seed and houshold , to bow to the god of jacob our king ; and why should this stop our mouthes ? but the scepter shall not depart from judah , nor a law-giver from between his feet till shilo come : so he was to rule , to wit judah , till shilo came ; why should this stop our mouths ? shilo is come , and hath opened our mouths , and the scepter is departed from judah long since ; both them that bowed to judah , and judah that was once bowed unto , they are both bowed under , and shilo is set above , and now he must be bowed unto ; go learn what that means . it was answered agai●st bowing , the second commandment prohibits it , thou shalt not bow down to them ; but the answer satisfies thee not . thou saist , doth th●s forbid civil respects , or idolatrous worship ? that which callst civil respects is idolatrous worship , putting off the hat , and bowing the knee to a man with a gay cloak , or a gold ring , or a company of ribbons , or a long gown : to bow down to such , because of the attire , is respecting of persons , and idolatry ; but you are fallen into a far worse state then respecting of persons ; for you respect cloaths , and doff your hats , and bow your knees to them with fine rayment ; and let the man in vile rayment or poor attire go by without either cap or knee , and for all thy civility thou so greatly pleadest for , and courtesie , if he put not off his hat to thee , it may be thou wilt call him sirrah , rogue , or clown , for all thy civility . again , put on the poor man good attire , and a fine cloak , and a gold ring , then you change your note , and say , if it please your worship , or li●e your honour , your humble servant sir. now here is not only respecting of persons , which is commission of sin , but respecting the creatures , and worshipping the array which is upon a man's back , which is idolatry , and not civility , which is to be condemned ; yet civility and courtesie i own , which is so indeed , and in truth ; but that which the world calls civility and courtesie , is hypocrisie and idolatry : and for salutation , thou saist , we seldom use ; and thou bringst scripture to prove , that christ and the saints saluted one another . their salutations are owned , and such salutations are practised by us in uprightness of heart , and true love without feignedness ; but we cannot do as you do , bid a man god-speed , when he is not doing the work of god , nor say farewell to them who are in their evil deeds ; nor as the w●rld doth , with thier good-evens , and good-morrows , and takes god's name is vain ; and if one do not answer them according to their light vain mind , they will fall a rayling and beating ; all such spirits we deny , and their salutations . in thy second observation . thou saist , do not we prove , that places of christian assemblies to be a church , and thou bringst many scriptures to no purpose . thou bringst the first of kings , vers . . and cor. . for the glory of the lord shall fill the house of the lord. and thou answerest , and saist , not the steeple-house , but the church : there thou hast added to the scripture , and divers other scriptures thou bringst , wherein the temple was called the house of god and the store-houses were called the house of god , mal. . . all which scriptures i own ; but they are nothing to thy purpose ; that the temple was called the house of god , and the tabernacle the house of god , and the store-houses the house of god , this is granted . these were made and builded according to the command of god , wherein the lord's treasure was which sed the poor , the fatherless , and the widow , and the priests and levites that ministred unto him ; which temple , priests , store-houses and tythes , were figures and shadows of good things to come ; which when the good things did come , the figures ended . but when did god command your idols temples to be built ? and what are they a figure of ? that which thou shouldst have proved is , that your steeple-houses where you meet , any where in scripture are called the church of god. thou and thy master smith art offended that we call the place you 〈◊〉 in , a steeple-house , and say . take heed that no such langua●e be sp●k●n again as steeple-house . why n●t ? have not these houses steeples ? but we shall call it truly and properly as it is , the mass-house , which hath the crosses standing upon them yet , or an idol's temple , which was 〈◊〉 for the idolatrous worship , and for the idol mass , and other superstiti●●● ceremonies ; your windows full of pictures , your walls full of images , and monks faces , and bear the popish names , as st. anthony , st. clemen● , st. dunst●ns , and st. patrick , and st. maryes , and the like . you blind men , full of ignorance , perverters of the scriptures , which would bring the scripture to prove your idolatrous mass-house to be a church , and call it the house of god , and temple of god , when the first founder was an apostate ; and you who hold it up , and call 〈◊〉 church , are of his brood , and are dead stones , which worship in the dead house , and know not what the church of god is ; and yet you say , to what end should we bring scripture , to prove any thing by to these men ? take it not into your mouths , except you bring it for a better end , to make people believe that the prophets and apostles , when they spoke of the house of god , and the church of god , spoke of your idol-temple , or ever intended or meant your steeple-house , or old mass-house . and thou saist , few of the ministers in england thou believest henceforth will have any thing to do with us , for we are blind leaders of the blind . i believe they see sufficiently they have come to great loss , and see their weapons have not prevailed , but are become all like broken bows , in which there is no strength , which they may all lay down in the field of confusion , where they set their battel ; but the lamb hath prevailed , and his weapons are spiritual , and they who follow him are skilfull to handle the sword , and are able to make war with the beast and all his followers ; and many are overcome , and the rest shall be subdued , and the day hasteneth greatly , that they shall melt away that hate the lord. and as for christ's saying , let them alone , they are blind leaders of the blind . this he spoke of thy generation , the pharisees , who were called of men master , and loved greeting in the streets and market-places , and stood praying in the synagogue , in whose foot-steps the priests of england are , which christ cryed wo against , and now they are seen to be blind guides , and leaders of the blind ; for they whose eyes christ hath opened , have ceased from such , and now bear their testimony against such . in the eleventh page thou goes on in thy blindness and ignorance , pleading for your publick worship , the old mass-house , set up by the injunction of the pope ; and you have taken their houses in your hands , and scold against them in it , when you are in the same nature : and thou bidst us read what conspirators and enemies of god use to do , in psalm . , . they said , let us take to our selves the houses of god in possession . this was spoken of the heathen , of gebal , anmon , and amaleck , and the men of tyre ; who devoured , and destroyed , and sought to destroy the store-houses and synagogues that were used in the first covenant : and thou mayest take the applications home to thy self , and to the generation thou art pleading for : have not the papists good ground to plead with in this behalf ? were not the abbies , monasteries , mass-houses ▪ tythes , oblations , and obventions , easter-reckonings , peter-pence , the papists and jesuits maintenance ? and did not henry the eighth , who was the first establisher of your religion in this nation , did no● he take them away from the papists ? and then the priests , who denyed their holy father the pope , got their tythes and the maintenance , and took the mass-houses into their hands , and the tythes and easter reckonings : and if thou callst these god's houses , and this god's maintenance for his ministers which maintained popery ; then thou hast brought all these scriptures against thy self , and thou art in a great transgression ; and your schools and colleddges , which thou ignorantly callest the schools of the prophets , like an unlearned man , and schools of piety , then the papists were prophets , and they were pious ; for these schools and colledges were invented by them , and you have gotten these from them , to wit , the mass-house , schools , colledges , tythes , oblations ; the papists maintenance , and their hire , and this is lawfull in your eyes , and yet you will call them impious and idolators : are not the things the same in your hands as they were in theirs ? but these things are quite another thing then was in the first covenant ; these things are not to be paralled with the synagoues , temples , store-houses , tythes under the law ; for these were invented since the apostles dayes ; and the apostates , who went from the life , invented them , when all wondered after the beast , and never mention a word of the scripture , as to think to prove these invented trumperies ; for the scripture never intends , nor them that spoke it forth , to patronize your deceit in these things . object . but it may be thou mayst say , though these things fore-mentioned were set up by idolaters , and the places were made for an idolatrous service , and the maintenance and hire were to maintain idolatrous priests ; but now they are converted to a better use , and they are convenient to meet in , and convenient for our ministers maintenance . answ. did ever any of the ministers or apostles of christ , go into the jews temple or synagogues to worship , after christ was ascended , except it was to declare against them , and to bring people off them ? or did they take the jewish priests maintenance , which was commanded to be paid of god ? or did the ministers of christ exhort the jews that believed , to build a temple or a synagogue to worship in ? or did any of the ministers of christ go in the temples of the gentiles to worship , or into the high places of the jews ? or did they receive the idol priests maintenance , or the jewish tythes , or eat that which was sacrificed to idols ? if nay , where is your example ? i know you dare not plead commandment from the lord for these things . might not the jews , when they had broken down the altars of baal , and destroyed the images and high places , and the beauty of them , have said , these are convenient places for worship , let us now worship here for conveniency ; and that maintenance and offerings that was offered to idols , let 's take them , and give them to our priests and levites , and let us offer them unto god ? if these things had been justifiable then , yours are justifiable now ; but if condemnable ▪ then , yours condemnable now ; and so let your mouths be stopped , and spe●k no more so proudly , nor bring no more such impertinent , proofs and arguments for your deceit ; for that is enjoyed that weighs you all , and can judge all your deceit . and for barlarism , and heathenism , and heresie thou speakest on , which layes the lord's vineyard waste , it 's brought in , and dwells among you , and the fruits are manifest in most of your steeple-houses , or mass-houses , as witness your ringing of pans , candlesticks , frying-pans , throwing water , and rude behaviour , which hath been used by your church-members , as fighting , beating , punching , tearing of cloath , haling out of your assemblies , them that come in the name of the lord ; and these be the fruits of barbarous heathens , which are not brought forth any where but among you ; but it may be thou wilt call this civility and courtesie , and the tribute of the nation : and for heresie both in doctrine and worship , none are to be compared unto you , for unsoundne●s & ignorance ; for i look upon you as the tail of all the people in the nation and the vineyard of god that thou speakst on , is no where laid waste so much as among you mass-house worshippers ; for you are like bryars and thorns , scratching , rending , tearing and hailing , and are as a field untilled , and as a waste howling wilderness , that knows not when good comes ; and that your ministers are those proud , phantastick spirits , that have taken up them to preach , who deny an immediate call. neither are they approved of his church which is in god , the pillar and ground of truth ; but only they are approved by man , and by the colledges , which were invented by the pope , where more deceit and foolish fopperies are practised , then in any society in the nation besides ; for them that deny an immediate call , and an infallible spirit , i deny them to be any ministers of christ , and so doth the church of christ who meet in his name ; but such are your ministers , therefore we have turned from them many years ago . and the next thing thou art offended at is , that a woman spoke in a meeting near conil ; what if ten had spoke , if they had spoke by the spirit of the lord , what offence had it been ? did not god promise by joel , that he would pour forth his spirit upon his daughters , and they should prophesie ? and wouldest thou stop them ? and priscilla instructed a minister , better then any of your parish tything priests , to wit , apollo . and had not philip three daughters did prophesie ? and were there not women with clement , that were fellow-labourers in the gospel ? ( and what , though she that was in the transgression was to keep silent in the church ? ) doth it therefore follow that they are come out of the transgression , are to be silent in the church ? is this good logick edward ? if christ be in male , and in the female , may he speak in the male , but not in the female ? doth not the apostle say , the man is not without the woman , nor the woman without the man , but both in the lord ? and if the woman be in the lord as well as the man , may not the lord speak in her ? art thou one of them that wilt limit the holy one ? what if he speak in a dumb ass , and reprove the madness of the prophet balaam ? and if he should do so now , to reprove the mad prophets that are in balaam's way , loving the wages of unrighteousness now , as he did then ? will you reprove god ? he that reproves him shall answer it ; and he that gain-sayes either son or daughter , shall perish in the gain-saying . and now i come to thy third observation . the third observation . thy eye being evil , thou canst not see when good cometh ; and thou art one of them who watchest for iniquity , that thereby thou mayest blasspheme the name of god and his truth , which thou art out of : and as for our tenets , which thou sayest , thou hast named and shamed ; thou no more knows us , nor our tenets , then thou knowest from whence the wind comes , and whither it goes : for all our words are as a parable to thee , and thou knowest not what we say , although thou hast catched and snatched up some of our words brokenly to quarel with ; yet we are hidden from thee , and a gulf is between thee and us , that as thou canst not apprehend nor comprehend ; but first a terrible day must come upon thee and those things which thou hast laid down to be our tenets , thou doubtst whether they be or no , manifest by thy own words . if we say so and if hold so , thou hadst better have been certain before thou hadst shewed thy self too imperious and arrogant , of shaming them , when thou knowest not whether we hold them , as thou h●st laid them down in thy own words , the shame at last will come upon thy self ; and that rash , hasty , raging spirit , by which thou utterest f●rth all this mudd and dirt , every one may see in this observation thy deceit manifest . and the first thing that thy dark mind stumbles at , is , that some have said , that they that have the spirit of god are equal with god. he that hath the spirit of god , is in tha● which is equal , as god is equal , and his wayes equal ; and he that is joyned to the lord is one spirit , there is unity , and the unity stands in equality it self . he that is born from above is the son of god , and he said , i and my father are one . and when the son is revealed , and speaks , the father speaks in him , and dwells in him , and he in the father . in that which is equal , in equality it self ; there is equality in nature , though not in stature . go learn what these things mean , the understanding and learned will know what i say , and this is neither damnable nor blasphemous ; but on the contrary , it is saving and precious to them that believe . and thou concludest , though they be glorified in heaven , yet are not equal with god. here thou blasphemest ; the son is glorified with the father , in the same glory he had with him before the world began ; the glory is in purity , equality , immortality , and eternity ; but for thy proof thou bringst p●al . . for who among the gods is like unto our god ? and again , there is none like unto thee , o lord ! here thou hast gone about to prove more gods then one in heaven : were the gods glorified in heaven , which were not like the living god ? or were they in heaven , which were not like the lord ? what blasphemy is this ? they that are in heaven are like him , in his image , and not like any other ; but in the world there are gods many , and lords many , but that is not in heaven : there are no gods nor lords in the world , nor in the earth , that is like the living god , and living lord of heaven and earth ; and many such non-sensical phrases hast thou uttered , and foolish impertinences ; and thou hast scarce cited one scripture , but thou hast either misapplyed , or wrested , and perverted , being very ignorant and unlearned ; and thy masters , for whom thou contend'st , will never receive much honour nor credit by thy writing , or vindication of them . but to the second particular , which thou calls our tenet , is , that christ jesus is not glorified in his human nature , and that he hath no real body , but h●s myst●cal body , and this thou sayest is contray to scripture , luke . , . and a●●s . . john . and in this thou sayest , we are shamed . i say thou hast shamed thy self , and hast cited those scriptures to no purpose at all , none of all these speak of human nature , or mystical body , but this i say , he is glorified with the father in a spiritual body , in the same glory he had with the father , before the world began . and the same jesus which was of the seed of abraham according to the flesh , and the son of god according to the spirit , is glorified with the father , the man christ jesus , he is sate down at the right hand of god ; but if tho ; meanest by human , a carnal body , or the same flesh that thou hast on deal plainly with us , and nakedly , the next time thou or any of thy teachers write , and prove us by scripture where the church is called his mystical body ; or where hast thou got these new coyned words , as human nature , and mystical body ? correct thy pen , and let no such popish phrases come in print again , lest thou shamest thy self more , instead of shaming of us : and thou concludest , if any say , here he is , or there he is on earth , believe them not . where learnedst thou this article of faith , i pray thee shew me ? is he not both in heaven and earth ? how should he restore the earth and all things into their purity , if he must not be manifest in the earth ? what! wilt thou confine him to , or in a place ? doth not his presence fill heaven and earth ? is he divided from his presence ? but may be thou wilt say , as thy generation doth , that he is in the earth by his spirit , and in heaven in his body or person , distinct from his spirit . if so , then you divide christ , and a person without a spirit , and not christ. i will aske thee a question ; no man hath ascended up to heaven , but he that came down from heaven , the son of man which is in heaven ; where was the son of man , or the man christ , when this was spoken ? if thou canst see this , thou mayst be ashamed to shut christ out of the earth , or from among his saints , where his presence , his arm , his hand and his power is , which is not divided from his body ; but i know thou art deaf , and canst not hear what i say , and thou bringst heb. ▪ . after he had offered one sacrifice , sate down at the right hand of god ; that is , saist thou , in his human nature . the shame is come upon thy self , who hast added thy own imagination ; and let all see whether the scriptures speak of human nature ; but thy folly must be manifest to all . thy third particular that thou namest , and as thou sayest shamest , is , if we say we are without sin , we deceive our selves . thou hadst better have enquired perfectly whether we said so or no , before thou hadst undertook to reprove upon so doubtfull terms , and thou bringst prov. . . for who can say my heart is clean . he can say so , and speak truth , whose heart god hath cleansed by the blood of christ from all sin : and then thou bringst job . . if i justifie my self , my own mouth shall condemn me . that 's true , we justifie not our selves , neither self ; but deny self , and self is condemned , and christ , god's righteousness is become our justification . and then thou bringest paul , phil. . not as though i had already attained , but follow after , that i may apprehend . what of that ? he was in his growth , and was come to that which was perfect , and did believe to attain to the stature of a perfect man. and then thou saist , i tell you , you are not perfect , your contempt of the ministers of christ , and perverting the doctrine of christ are characters of sin. that shall stand for thy self , and thy masters whom thou art joyned with , who set up popish trumpery instead of the ordinance of christ ; and set up the precepts of men , introduced in the apostacy , for the doctrine of christ : and then thou concludest , the scripture hath concluded all under sin , all in the first adam ; but i hope the scripture doth not conclude all under sin in the second adam ; neither doth conclude him under sin that 's born of god , who sins not . and if thou makest any such conclusion , thou givest thy verdict for the devil , and not for god : then thou sayest , i am not pleading for sin. thou art pleading for nothing else but for sin and imperfection , in which the devil's kingdom stands ; and thou sayest , thou hast cause to cry out , o wretched man that i am ! so thou hast indeed ; hast thou repented of thy drunkenness ? how long is it since thou fell'st off a bridge , being drunk , and broke thy leg ? but it is like , for thy good service done to thy master , in writing this lying scrole , he will give thee an absolution for that transgression . the fourth particular which thou call'st our tenet , is , that we deny the scripture to be the word of god ; and thou hast brought many scriptures to prove that they are ; but they are as impertinent to the thing , as thy former about the steeple-house , or mass-house . thou hast brought many scriptures , jer. . . how they are called the words of the lord , who ever denyed that ? but the word spoke the words , and the word is greater . tim. . . all scripture is given by divine in●piration . i deny that , some was spoken by the devil , and some by wicked men , and i hope thou wilt not call that divine inspiration . then thou may be wilt conclude , i deny the words of paul to timothy . i deny the word is , it is an addition of the translator , which word alters and varies in the true sense of that scripture ; but all scripture given by inspiration of god , is profitable for doctrine , &c. but knowest thou no dinstinction between inspiration and tradition ? you have it by tradition ; the saints by inspiration . it 's a dead letter in it self , and as it is spoken from your mouthes , who speak of it by tradition ; but from them that were inspired , the living spirit uttered forth living words ; but what is all this to prove the scripture or writings to be the word of god. and then thou cites cor. . . . not handling the wor● deceitfully . what doth this prove ? nothing at all ; and all the rest that thou hast ci●ed is nothing at all , but what we have answered over and over many times , wherein all that have any understanding in the knowledge of god are satisfied : that which thou shouldst have proved by the scripture , is , where the scripture , or writings , or letter , doth title it self the word of god ? it is granted , they are the words of god ? and the words of holy men inspired : so in thy own words , i say , take thou notice , though thou art confident and presumtuous , in this thou hast shamed thy self , and not us ; the word was before either scripture , writings , or bible was ; which word is greater , and gave them a being : and thou that wouldst set that which is brought forth by the father , above the father , art out of the apostles wisdom , speaking a similitude ; he that builds a house , receives more honour then the house . now to call the scripture the word , is to give as much honour to the house , as to him that builded it ; but in a word , this i say , whatever the scripture doth testifie of it self , or call it self , that i own it to be : and if any man call it another thing , it shall testifie against him ; and so thou that hast gone about to set up the word which were spoken in time , above or equal with the word , that was before all time , art ignorant , and unskilfull in the knowledge of god , and silence would better become thee . in thy last page thou say●st , how often have we been called upon , to make known to the world what we hold , and what we would have ? are you the men raised for this work alone , to cry down tythes , and speak against lace , ribbons , and cuffs ? is there nothing for us to do ? then this declare , that this is enough to salvation . i say , we have declared more in the world then they do receive or believe , and we have published the will of god to the earth in many things , and shall further proceed as the spirit of the lord shall direct us : and that which we would have , is , the old dragon chained , and the whore burnt with fire , & her merchants cease trading , and the sea dryed up , upon which she sits , and upon which the merchants trade , and the beast and all the false prophets , deceivers , and anti-christs , which have all had their rise since the ascension of christ , we would have these be all shut in the pit again ; and we would have the lamb to reign , and the everlasting gospel to be preached again , the power of god ; and we would have the earth restor'd ; and we would have everlasting righteousness to reign in the hearts of people , and laws as at the first , and counsellors as in the beginning , who judge not for rewards ; and ministers , such as were in the primitive times , who will preach without tythes , hire , and set wages , and without the popes maintenance . if thou canst receive these things , i will shew thee further , it may be hereafter , if i hear any more from thee . and we are the men that are raised up for the work , to declare against pride in the ground , and also in appearance , as against lace , cuffs and ribbons ; and thou askest , if there be nothing else ? hast thou denyed these , and the spirit that leads to the abuse of god's creatures ? when thou hast , i will shew unto thee there is something else to be done ▪ but if thou dost not obey that which is manifest , why wouldst thou know more , to add to thy condemnation ? and we do not say , that casting off these things is all that is required to salvation : thou bidst us declare if there be any thing else ; so i shall , so that thou hearken to it , and receive it , else thy condemnation shall be greater then if i had written nothing . thou must repent of all thy sin , and turn from it , and know the judgment of god for it , and deny thy self in every thing ; and lay down thy life also , and take up his cross daily , and be crucified to the world , and cease from all thy own words , actions and thoughts , and come to taste of death , before thou come to know him to live in thee to be thy salvation ; canst thou do this ? when thou witnessest this done , then thou shalt know further what god requires ; but a terrible day will come upon thee , before these things be fulfilled in thee ; though thou be more stout then thy fellows , i know him who is able to break thy horn which thou hast exalted against the lamb of god and his followers . and for thy exhortation , not to feed on husks , take it home to thy self , for thou hast nothing else to feed upon ; the words of the saints at best , without the life , or else some innovated , invented trumpery of the whore , of whose cup thou hast drunk , makes thee speak forth all these venomous words against the life and power of god in his people . and thou concludest , what thou hast written is as much for conversion as refutation . both alike indeed , for thou hast done neither ; but hast conceived and brought forth wind , and spent thy time for nought . alas poor man ▪ tellest thou of converting , who art not come out of the gross pollutions of the world , who art not ceased from drunkenness , and art pleading for mass-houses , tythes , hirelings , and popish inventions , and art offended we should declare against ribbons , cuffs , and lace ? what shouldst thou convert any to , except to make them two-fold more children of the devil ? and what shouldst thou refute or confute ? wilt thou say , one shall not steal , and dost thou ? wilt thou say , one should not be drunk , and art thou ? and wilt thou say , one should forsake all sin , and yet say , none must be cleansed from it , but be alwayes miserable men , and wretched men ? be first convinced in thy self , and turn from thy evil deeds , before thou tellst any more of converting or refuting any ; for the day hastens when all shall be set in order before thee , what thou hast done , and thou shalt receive according to thy work ; and thou shalt see then this work to be for condemnation , which thou hast published against the truth , which shall , and must abide forever ; and they that are in it , and walk in it , shall be everlastingly happy , and shall reign as kings and priests unto god forever ; and over all deceit , and shall live to confound all the children of falshood in all their devices . f. h. the popish inquisition newly erected in nevv-england , whereby their church is manifested to be a daughter of mystery-babylon , which did drink the blood of the saints , who bears the express image of her mother , demonstrated by her fruits . also , their rulers to be in the beast's power , upon whom the whore rideth , manifest by their wicked compulsary laws against the lamb and his followers , and their cruel and bloody practices against the dear servants of the lord , who have deeply suffered by this hypocritical generation . published by a lover of mercy and truth , and an enemy to envy and cruelty , f. h. to the reader . great hath been the havock and spoil that the old dragon hath made since he was thrown out of heaven , and many have been the floods that he hath cast out after the woman , and great have been the waves which he hath made to rise up in the sea ; yea , the nations that have been as waters he hath gathered on a heap , and made them burst out in a foaming rage , to overflow and to drown , and to swallow up the woman , which was made to flee into the wilderness for many dayes , having a retired place there , which god hath prepared for her , for a time , times and half a time ; and the remnant of her seed hath he made war with every where , and hath also given great authority to the beast , who rose out of the sea , to kill with the sword , to cut off , and to destroy all that worshipped him not and his image ; and he hath had power over both small and great , and hath killed them , and hath compelled them , and forced them to worship him , and all whose names have not been written in the lamb's book of life , have worshipped him ; for all have wondered after him , and all the nations have drunk of the whore's cup of fornication , and have been inflamed therewith ; and all have partaken with her in her whoredoms , the kings , the rulers , the noble men , the captains , and all , both small and great , who have drunk of her cup , have made war , and hated the free woman and her seed ; and all the deceivers , false prophets and seducers have traded with her merchandize , and have deceived the nations with her sorceries , and they have the sheeps clothing , the outside , and are inwardly ●avened . and in the ensuing discourse thou wilt see great professors , whom many did judge had been come out of mystery-babylon many years ago , to wit , the churches of new-england , who cryed up reformation , thou wilt see them making war for their mother mystery-babylon , for they are her off-spring , manifest in every circumstance , by their visage and countenance , by their doctrine and discipline , by their practice and fruit , by their spoil and violence , by their cruelty and blood-shed ; their mother drunk the blood of the saints , and so are they drinking of the same ; and the beast roars in that nation , which rose out of the sea , upon which the whore rides ; and he is in great majesty there , as ever hath been since the apostles dayes , and breathes out threatnings , that none must buy or sell , who hath not his mark in his forehead , or in his right hand ; and who hath not some of his names of blasphemy , they must be killed , or tortured , or banished , robbed and spoiled , censured with the whore's censures , and then destroyed by the beast , who calls himself the highest power , whenas his authority is from the dragon , who was cast into the earth , and exerciseth his rage ; and the beast by his authority would root out all , and destroy all that keep the testimony of jesus , and are obedient to his will. f. h. reader , in this book f. h. gave a relation of some of the great sufferings of the lord's people in new-england ; but the relation being far short of what is since received , which is intended to be shortly printed at large , i have omitted the account he gave in this book , referring the reader for a fuller satisfaction to the book at large when it comes forth . e. h. the popish inquisition newly erected in nevv-england , the devil , who was a lyar and a murderer from the beginning , who abode not in the truth , who spoak of himself ( and not from the commandment of god , or the motion of truth ) who is curst from the presence of the lord forever , who hath alwayes made vvar since he went out of the truth ) against god and all the children of truth , and he is that seed who hath made war with the heir of all things , and against the woman in all generations , which brought forth the heir , the man-child ; and since he hath usurped authority , to wit , the serpent , all the earth hath been filled with violence , where he hath born rule ; god did not appoint him to be lord , nor to be a law-giver over man , nor over any of god's workmanship ; but he was to be ruled over by man , who was made in the image of god ; but when he came to usurp authority of himself , contrary to the command of god , he became curst , and man also , who became subject unto his usurped authority , which he should have ruled over by the higher power , in which he was made , and had power and authority over all the contrary ; but being gone from the power , and joyned to him who moved without the power , they both became enemies to the power , and so came to be cursed by the god of power forever , and then became at enmity to the power of the endless life , and fed upon dust , and that which is corruptible , which shall have an end : and now the serpent and his seed in the transgression , striveth and resisteth against him who is the higher power , with all their strength , and all the weapons formed in the bottomless pit , by which weapons he hath prevailed since the lamb hath been slain , and hath brought all the creation into bondage , which hath been subject to his authority , which is out of the truth ; and he doth not only make vvar against the seed ( by whom salvation is revealed to the ends of the earth in them that believe in him ) but also he labours to destroy god's vvorkmanship , and to deface the creatures which god made , and formed by the vvord of his power : and thus all the sons of adam in the transgression , having shaken hands with the prince of darkness , do fulfil his unrighteous decrees ( being gone from the power of god ) although man sees that the way of the serpent is unequal , yet he hath not power to resist in that nature ; and so all are in captivity , and bondage , and slavery unto the noysome lusts which the devil instigateth and suggesteth into the hearts of all the children of disobedience , and so fruits of the flesh and of darkness are brought forth , to the dishonour of the lord of he●ven and earth ; and herein the devil rejoyceth , and the seed of the evil-doer taketh delight , and thereby his strength encreases , by drinking iniquity as water ; he is nourished up in the region of the shadow of death , and strives to bring all thither to take up their habitation , and to be servants to the prince of the air , who was a murderer from the beginning . and so adam , when he had lost the image of god , and when the heritage of god was laid waste in himself , he begat a son in his own image , who was cain ( a murderer ) who was of that wicked one that went out of truth , and he rose up in envy , and slew abel the just , who was of the seed : and here 's the off-spring and the fruit of the seed of the serpent ; for as god is love , and all that are begotten by him live in love , and all the creatures that he did make were to serve one another in love , in the covenant of life and love , in which they were made ; so the devil lives in envy , and all his children , and leads into discord , and perverteth all the creatures from that end for which god made them , to serve his end , whose life stands in discord , envy , vvrath and unrighteousness , and whatsoever is evil ; and herein are the children of god made manifest , and their works , and the children of the devil , and their works ; they that love god , dove the workmanship of god , and cannot hate his brother , but hath eternal life abiding in h●m ; but he that is of the devil , destroyes god's wormanship , kills his brother ( a man-slayer ) and hath not the love of god dwelling in him : and this s●ed of the serpent hath spread it self forth over all the earth , since the transgression , both amongst jews and gentiles , professors and prophane , them that had the law , and them that were without the law ; them that have had the scripture , and them that had no scripture ; and in that which is called christendom , as well as they which are called he●thens ; as well amongst the highest professors , as amongst the g●●ssest prophane , in all times since the foundation of the world , that the lamb hath been slain , and the seat of iniquity raised up ; and this seed hath been made manifest by its fruits throughout all a●es and times , throughout all nations , kindreds , tongues , regions , countries and kingdoms : and by the fruit which is brought forth in new-england , they themselves may read their stock and off-spring , and fruits , and doings ( which is brought to light , and evident ) elsewhere declared , that so when they come to view over their vvork again , shame may cover their faces , and astonishment fill their hearts , that such fruits should be brought forth by them who are so high professors of god in vvords , and of the scriptures , to be the rule of their obedience and faith ; now shall you be tryed by the scripture , your rulers , your teachers and your church-members , and the life of the saints that gave forth the scripture , will stand a witness against your doctrines and cursed practices for evermore ; you may read your example , cain ▪ herod , murderers , and men of blood , the persecuting jews , who were zealous for god , as they thought , who persecuted to death , and said , they had a law , and by that law christ ought to dye ; but you are worse then they ; for you had no law which would take hold upon the righteous and faithful witnesses of god , till you had made one , or invented one ▪ and digged down to hell to ask counsel of the prince of darkness , your god : and further you may read your example , nimrod , who came of the stock of ham , who was cursed as well as the serpent , as well as cain ; and your thoughts are vain , like the thoughts of your fore-fathers , the pharisees , whom christ prophesied of to his disciples , and said , the time would come when they should h●le them out of the synagogues , and persecute from city to city , and speak all manner of evil of them , and should go about to kill them , and yet think they did god service ; so void of understanding hath the seed of the serpent alwayes been in all generations , which words of christ are fulfilled among you professors of new-england , who are thinking ( as they did ) that you do god service in killing his members , and you are come to that time , your fruits have made it manifest : oh! could you have believed in times past , if it should have been told you , that you , above all people , should be the greatest persecutors , and exceeded in wickedness , and cruelty , and hard-heartedness the papists , the turks , the heathens , who make little or no profession , in comparison of you , and yet that you should exceed them in rage , cruelty and madness ? it is an abhorrency to all sober people ; you have stained the earth , and defiled your land with blood , and have caused the name of the lord of heaven and earth to be blasphemed among the heathen , by your wicked , ungodly , barbarous and brutish actions ; and you are in that nature , and in their steps which killed the prophets , and mocked his messengers , and shamefully entreated his servants , upon whose heads all the blood-shed from abel to this day , will be required . but blessed be the lord , whose arm hath been stretched forth , and hath gathered thousands out of that nature which is cursed from god forever , and hath revealed his salvation unto them , and the everlasting gospel , which is to be preached again after the apostacy , and hath made us partakers of it ( to wit ) the power of god ; and so we see unto whom the arm of the lord is revealed , that all nations since the apostacy have drunk of the whore's cup , and are bewitched with her sorceries ; and therefore according to the command of the lord , and the motion of his eternal spirit , we have born our testimony against the apostates and deceivers ( who retain the words , and have lost the life and power ) to the intent that all that believe in the light which christ hath lighted every man withal , that people might wait to receive power from on high again ( which all the sons of adam have lost in the transgression ) that as many as receive the power may come out of transgression ; and for this end hath god chosen and separated many , contrary to their own wills , and from whatsoever was dear unto them in the outward , to deny it all , and to answer the pure motion of god's spirit , whithersoever he leadeth , and in so doing many have found the power and presence of the lord going with them , and before them , and he hath prospered his own work in their hands , and hath brought many out of sodom and egypt , and out of mystery-babylon , to christ , the mystery , and to the mystery of faith , which is held in a pure conscience . and we were not ignorant of this , what opposition we should receive from anti-christ and his ministers , satan and his messengers , and how that the whole world lay in wickedness , and how that nations , kindreds , tongues and people had drunk the whore's cup , and how that all hirelings , deceivers , false prophets and seducers would withstand ; neither were we ignorant that the beast's power , which got up in the throne of iniquity and exaltation , since the man-child was caught up unto god , and w●man fled into the wilderness , wherein he hath compelled all , both small and great , to worship him : neither were we ignorant of his strength , and of his great authority that he had in the nations , and how that the vvhore ( the false church ) rode upon him ; and also we knew that the nations were as vvaters ; nor of the great vvaves which would lift up themselves ; nor of the multitude of merchants which make merchandize of souls for dishonest gain , who are greedy of filthy lucre ; nor of the multitude of ships , in which they carry their merchandize and deceitful ware ; neither were the servants of the lord ( who have thus deeply suffered ●as else-where is made mention of ) of the spirit that ruled in the professors and teachers of new-england , notwithstanding all this ( which was seen before ) we consulted not with flesh and blood , but were obedient to the heavenly call , and stood ( given up to the lord in life or in death ) to finish the testimony which god hath put into our hands , that so many may be brought to know the living god revealed in themselves , that so they with us , and we with them may rejoyce in him who is becoming the king and law-giver , and the exceeding great reward of all his people , to whom be glory forever and ever , amen . and now the devil being let loose for a little season , he rages , and goes into utter darkness , and fetches up all the powers of darkness , and they combine together to fortifie his kingdom , that so none but he ( who was a murderer from the beginning ) may have any rule in the town of boston , or the jurisdiction thereunto belonging ; and now he thinks his kingdom is sure . the last piece of work which the rulers have done for their master , is as followeth . an act made at a general court held at boston the th of october , . whereas there is a pernicious sect ( commonly called quakers ) lately risen , who by word and writing have published and maintained many dangerous and horrid tenets , and do take upon them to change and alter the received laudable customs of our nation , in giving civil respect to equals , or reverence to superiors , 〈◊〉 a●●ions tend to undermine the civil government , and also to destroy the order of the churches . the people called in scorn quakers , are risen up from under the powers of darkness , and they are come forth from the rising of the sun , where the morning hath appeared without clouds , and though set at nought by you , yet they are a mighty people , and of the royal off-spring , even ●f 〈◊〉 family , who is the first-born of every creature , and the heir of 〈◊〉 things ; the shout of a king is among them , who is greater then 〈…〉 apollyon ; his living presence is with them , and they shall come up●● 〈◊〉 hypocrites and dissemblers as mortar and clay ; and though you 〈…〉 ●orns high , & push every way with them against the lamb & 〈…〉 yet your horns shall be broken by him who is their king , by 〈…〉 of salvation , which is now lifted up far higher then the horn 〈◊〉 an unicorn , and you shall be as ashes under their feet : we are not ignorant of the swelling of the sea , nor of the strength of the beast which hath risen out of the sea ; we were not ignorant of his strength in new-england ; but he is brought among the quakers , and dwells in their tabernacle , who is able to make war with the beast and his followers ; though you have cast up your banks very high , and fortified your selves , as the pope by his inquisition , yet you must be gone over , and made level , and yet not by clubs nor staves , nor whips , nor hot irons , cain's weapons , the weapons of the murderer , which you have taken up , which shall be broken ; though your bows be as steel , yet they shall be broken by the arm of the lord ( the quakers strength ) and what are the horrid tenets and dangerous things they hold out , that you open your mouthes so wide ? the horrid and dangerous tenet is , they alter the laudable customs of our nation ; would'st not thou judge reader , when there hath been so many great words and accusations , that some capital fact would be laid down ? but behold the capital fact , the quaker will not put off his hat , nor his coat , nor none of his clothes to his equals , nor to a persecuting fellow , who hath a few buttons and a few ribbons , who calls himself a superior ; and here is a crime indeed , which deserves banishment and death , nothing below this will be able to satisfie justice for this crime , by the judgment of the law-makers of boston : and when became this such a laudable custom , that it is worthy of so much praise ? ye blind and ignorant people , have you not read the scripture , he that respects persons , commits sin , and he that hath mens persons in admiration , will transgress for a morsel of bread ? and ye never learned this of elihu , this laudable custom ( as you call it ) he said , i know not to give flattering titles to man , for in so doing my maker would take me away ; but envy hath eaten out all knowledge out of your hearts : and is this your church-order , to take away mens beasts , kettles , pots , sheep and pewter ? or is this your order , to fine men five shillings every day they come not to your synagogue , or because men cannot break the command of christ , and swear among a company of cruel , covetous , blood-thirsty men , to fine them five pounds ? tell the nations when this order was made in the churches , among all the orders and directions that christ and his apostles gave to believers and to the churches to be observed ; i never read of any such as these : oh ignorance , folly and madness ! what fine five pounds a piece , if they will not joyn with you in worship , nor come to hear a covetous hireling dream an ho●r ! what , banish them that will not come to you ! what , put to death if they come again ! greater cruelty never appeared among all the persecuting emperors of rome in the greatest apostacy . well , if this be your church-order , it is time for the lord to arise and scatter you , and blessed shall he be that bears his testimony for god against you , though to the loss of his life , his end shall be peace . by denying all established forms of worship , and by withdrawing from orderly church-fellowship , allowed and approved by all orthodox professors of the truth , and instead thereof , and in opposition thereunto , frequent meetings themselves , insinuating themselves into the minds of the simple , or such as are least affected to the order and government of church and common-wealth . you that have established such a form of worship , and such an assembly as this , that if any come into your assembly , and speak the word of the lord , for the edification of the hearers , so that peoples minds may be informed , you pull them out by the hair of the head , and stop their mouthes with napkins or gloves ; and if any reprove him that doth so disorderly you send him to prison , and fine him ; it is time to withdraw from such disorderly assemblies as yours are : and if this be the order of your established form , approved of by orthodox professors , then the church of corinth was not orthodox ; for there one might speak one by one , that all might hear , and be edefied , and comforted ; but this is accoun●●d disorder in your church , and by your rulers ; and they that walk according to that order , approved of among the saints of old , must be●r the name of disorderly persons , and the sentence is , prison , and be fined and be whipped : indeed amaziah the priest of bethel was of your priests mind , and of the mind of your rulers and assemblies ; you may read your example , when amos ( the herdsman ) said , the songs of the temple should be turned into howling , and prophesied against such a generation as you are , hear this , ye that swallow up the needy , even to make the poor of the land to fail , amos . . there is your example ( ye rulers of new-england ) who take away poor peoples estates & goods , and cast them in stinking holes , & tear their flesh from off their backs , as you have done to many poor people , who are dear to the lord , amos . . hearken what the lord's sentence was to such a people , the lord hath sworn by the excellency of jacob , surely i will never forget any of their works , ver . . shall not the land tremble for this , and every one mourn that dwelleth therein ? and it shall rise up wholy as a flood , and it shall be cast out and drowned , as by the flood of egypt ; read the and . i say , amaziah was of your mind , he sent to jeroboam , and said , amos had conspired against bethel , and the altar ( their church-assembly ) and against the land , so that it was not able to bear his words , amos . . and just like the king and priests then , so are you now , church and state is like to be overthrown ( say you ) by the quakers ( herdsmen and plowmen ) no orthodox divines , nor orthodox professors , but seditious , say you ( like as the envious jews , who falsly accused the apostles in the same words ) and say you , they frequent meetings of their own ; why not ? did not the apostles and saints meet from house to house ? went they to the temple at jerusalem , or into the jews synagogues ( after christ was ascended ) to worship ? ye ignorant men , and yet cry , scripture is the rule of faith and obedience ; how is the scripture your rule now ? when any worship god any where , but where you meet , banish them , fine them five shillings , and ten shillings , and five pounds a day , and if they return , death ; where is your rule ? the generations to come will number you among fools , as men that have lost your natural understanding , through your madness and envy which one day you will repent of . whereby divers of our inhabitants have been infected , notwithstanding all former laws , made upon the experience of their arrogant and bold obtrusions , to disseminate their principles among us , prohibiting their coming in this jurisdiction , they have not been deterred from their impetuous attempts , to undermine our peace , and hazard our ruine . and what ! have all your unrighteous decrees done you no good ? all your lying and invented expressions in your laws , to make your matter heinous , not accomplished your purposes ? hath not your law for five shillings a day brought all to your confederacy ? nor ten shillings a day , nor fetching away their beasts , pots and kettles , will not all this hinder them , but they must depart from you ? will not all the whippings again and again ( as john endicot , your governour ▪ did confess to his own shame , that you had done ) will not all serve ? call all your inchanters together ; and see , something is the matter more then ordinary ; and cannot all this you have done deter them from your jurisdiction ? yet you resolve to make another law , and try what that will do ; now you have covenanted with death , and have shaken hands with the destroyer and murderer ; sure enough your peace is undermined , for else all these horrid cruel enterprizes you would never have followed ( which you have begun ) and ruine , and wo , and eternal misery , and everlasting sorrow is to them that are in that nature you live in , which is cursed from god forever . for prevention thereof , this court doth order and enact , that every person or persons of the cursed sect of the quakers , who is not an inhabitant of , but is found within this jurisdiction , shall be apprehended without warrant , where no magistrate is at hand , any constable , commissioner or select man , and conveyed from constable to constable , to the next magistrate , who shall commit the said person to close prison , there to remain ( without bail ) unto the next court of assistance , where they shall have a legal tryal . now comes up the rear of the beast , and the reserve of the prince of darkness , to back and fortifie all the wicked enterprizes they attempted before ; who gave you power to order & so to enact , to apprehend without warrant ? so you have made every man a magistrate and a ruler in your jurisdiction ; and i believe , if they should kill , or take away the life of any ▪ you would give them an absolution : is this the example of christ , or any church-members , or any christian magistrate ? and why do you call them a cursed sect of the quakers ? you have cursed them whom god hath blessed , whom no weapon that is formed against shall prosper : and as for your legal tryal , we know your rule , your own wicked , proud , arrogant , imperious and envious wills , and this must sit as judge and tryer. well , you have now set your selves against the lord in your strength , having the old dragon for your leader ; will this serve you ? the angel of the everlasting covenant hath a chain in his hand to bind him , and to dissipate your wicked counsel , and confound you in the midst of your devises . and being convicted to be of the sect of the quakers , shall be sentenced to be banished upon pain of death . you who are banished from the presence of god your selves ▪ and are in cain's way , vagabond , driven out into the earth , where the dragon dwells , you would banish them out of the earth , whom god hath shewed his face and presence unto ; and you are a sect which hath risen from the great whore ( your mother ) who hath made all nations drunk , she that did drink the blood of the saints ; and you are the fruit of her womb and are like your mother ; you have drunk the blood of the saints , whom god hath sanctified and washed by the precious blood of jesus christ ; and now you are grown so blood-thirsty , that nought but banishment and loss of life will satisfie your rage ; your cup shall be filled with the wine of the wrath of god , which shall be poured forth without mixture , and tha● will be your portion to drink . reader , still take notice , all these laws mentioned in this book , and the fierce censures and punishments inflicted upon the servants of the lord , is , because they will not complement ( like flattering courtiers , and roysters and fidlers ) and use flattering titles to men , who are in unbelief , who seek respect and honour one of another ( which is below ) and because they cannot joyn with them in their hypocritical assemblies , nor partake of the table of devils ( who destroyes mens lives ) nor drink the whore's cup ( which hath drunk the blood of the saints ) and this is a fact worthy of banishment and death in the account of these blood-suckers . and now they come to their own inhabitants , and thou shalt hear their judgment concerning them , and thou shalt see how they love their neighbours . and that every inhabitant of this jurisdiction , being convicted to be of the aforesaid sect , either by taking up , publishing or defending the horrid opinions of the quakers , or the stirring up mutiny , sedition or rebellion against the government , or by taking up their absurd and destructive practices , viz. denying civil respect to equals and superiors , and withdrawing from our church-assemblies , and instead thereof frequent meetings of their own , in opposition to our church-order . now all may see how these men love their neighbours as themselves ; and here is a great deal of aggravating high boasting words , packed up together in this unrighteous and ungodly act , as sedition , rebellion , and absurd and destructive principles ; and ( like scolds ) they make a great noise and clamour , but if thou enquire into the fact , is it not puting off the h●t , and disowning their assemblies ? and ( in their account ) banishment and death is punishment little enough for this transgression : these men would set up their assembly as nebuchadnezar's image , and whosoever will not bow must into the furnace , or be banished , robbed , spoiled and killed ; or like jeroboam's calf at dan and bethel ; and if israel will not come to dan , or amos cry against bethel , amaziah will cry to the king. he hath uttered sedition and rebellion among the people , and he hath conspired against the king , and the land cannot bear his words : and is not this the same language , they will not come to our church , our assemblies , but they meet of themselves , and oppose us , and breed mutenies , sedition and rebellion in the government : these priests of new-england and rulers would have banished all the apostles , and have killed paul and steven , who said , god dwelt not in temples made with hands , neither was worshipped in temples made with mens hands , and drew people out of the temple into private houses & fields , and by the sea side ; and these men would have killed christ ( the same generation did ) in whose foot-steps they are ; he said , neither at jerusalem , nor at samaria , but they that worship the father , worship him in spirit and truth ; might the jew● have replyed , was not the temple builded by the command of god ? and is it not so agreed upon by the whole nation of the jews ? and wilt thou say that god is not worshipped ? thou art mutenous and rebellious : and the samaritans might have said , th●s is the mount we met in , and it is agreed upon by our ru●ers and our people , and it is the laudable custom of our country and our assembly and dost thou teach thy disciples to separate from jerusalem , & from this mount ? then thou art seditious , and a mutiner , and a stirrer up of rebellion , an enemy to our nation and country ; and wilt thou respect no man's person ? nay ( said the pharisees , tempting ) we know thou respects no man's person , what say'st thou of caesar ? they might have said , what , wilt not thou respect thy equals and superiors ? then thou art not civil , and art against the laudable custom of our country , which all our approved orthodox men do allow of , thou must be banished and if thou return , death . ●or by adhering to , or approving of any known quaker , and the tenets and practices of the quakers , that are opposite ▪ to the orthodox received opinions of the godly , and endeavouring to disaffect others to civil government and church-orders , or condemning the practice and proceeding of this court against the quakers . now if any ( lie nicodemus ) would come but by night ( who are yet no quakers ) if the rulers and priests of new-england know of you , you must out of the synagogue , and be banished , and if return , be put to death ; for this is an orthodox received opinion , to banish and kill them that come not to their assembly , and put not off the hat , then the orthodox received opinion of the church-members of new-england is banishment , and if return death ; and he that justifies the practice and proceedings of that court , is not justified of god : what , whippers , robbers , spoilers , killers and destroyers , marrers of the workmanship of god , wrestlers with flesh and blood , blood-suckers ? he that justifies you , is condemned of god ; he that condems your court , and proceeding , and practices , will god ( and all the holy angels ) justifie , and the church of god. it may be you will call this rebellion , and so it is against the prince of darkness , from whence you have received your authority . manifesting thereby their complying with those , whose design is to overthrow the order established in church and state , every such person , upon conviction before the said court of assistance , in manner as aforesaid , shall be committed to close prison for one moneth , and then unless they chuse voluntarily to depart this jurisdiction , shall give bond for their good behaviour , and appear at the next court , where continuing obstinate , and refusing to retract and reform the foresaid opinions , shall be sentenced to banishment upon pain of death ; and any one magistrate , upon information given him of any such person , shall cause him to be apprehended , and shall commit any such person to prison , according to his discretion , until he come to tryal , as aforesaid . and here is an end of their wicked law , which must come to an end. you that build up a nation with iniquity , and a church ( so called ) with blood , who lay traps for the feet of the innocent , and make laws to destroy mens estates , and to banish men from the earth , which is the lords , and the fulness of it ; and further more , make laws to destroy mens lives , and shed blood ; wo and misery is to your church and state , and the righteous god of heaven and earth will plead the cause of the innocent and needy , and overthrow that which you have established ; and if they will not recant ( as you call it ) which is to deny christ before men , then banishment and prisonment , and their estate wasted , and they destroyed , then you think you are secure ; your laws are cursed , your religion cursed , and your enterprizes cursed ; what is not your gospel able to defend it self , but you must take up the beast's weapons , cain's weapons ( the murderer ) the devil's weapons , to defend your church and state , carnal weapons , hellish weapons , the dragon's weapons ? hath your deceitful merchants , the hireling priests ) made you believe that this is an orthodox received opinion ? they received this out of the bottomless pit , and the weapons ( with all that handle them ) shall go down thither again , and the lamb shall reign over the beast and his followers ; though you have established wickedness by a law , and think your selves secure , yet god will provoak you , that the rottenness of your hearts may be brought forth , and that all your deceit may be made manifest , that all that fear the lord may come out from amongst you , for wo and misery shall compass your tabernacle , and the dread of god is against you . and the next thing whereby the devil and his ministers fortifie themselves , are certain articles exhibited by them ( like the pope's inquisition , although they are full of ignorance and blasphemy ) and these they intend to impose upon any man , and if they answer not according to their blind understandings , then they say , they are convicted as hereticks , and must be sent to prison , and if they do not retract , banished and whipped in the mean time , and his estate made havock on , and then banished , not to return upon pain of death , and if he do return , to be put to death ; and this is the fruit of their orthodox received principles , and of the laudable custom of new-england . and now i come to the articles . . if any person or persons , besides their refusing to come to the publick assembly of divine worship , shall either deny the blessed trinity of persons in the divine essence . answ. and is this one of your orthodox received articles ? then the pope is as orthodox as you ; and what is there to be found , or can be expected in your publick assemblies , amongst a company of envious men , whose hearts are filled with envy , whose hands are defiled with blood : divine worship , say you , like wolsey , bonner , and that bloody crew , divine service , said they ; but you might more truly have said , human invention and vain tradition : and trinity of persons in the divine essence ; where learned you this article ? from the pope , from the mass-book ; yet the father , son and spirit are owned , and these three are one ; and the father , word and spirit , and these are one ; but i challenge all you orthodox professors , to shew me from scripture , where the holy ghost ( or spirit ) is called a person ; be ashamed of your ignorance , ye illiterate men . . or shall deny the person of christ to be distinct from the father and the holy ghost , or shall deny the person of christ to be distinct from every believer . answ. do but mark the madness and confusion of these mighty rabbies , before there must be three persons in one essence , and now christ must be distinct from the father and the holy ghost , before in god , and now distinct from god ; this is damnable doctrine , which hath been brought in since the apostacy ; for the scripture saith , god was in christ , reconciling the world to himself ; how was he distinct from the father , when the father was in him ? and i am in the father , and the father in me , and i and my father are one ; nay ( say new-england doctors ) they are distinct ; and the fulness of the godhead dwelt in him bodily : now prove you that the father and the holy ghost are distinct from christ ; or how is christ's person distinct from every believer , when he that is a believer hath him revealed in him , and he that is a true believer eats his flesh , and drinks his blood ? how is he then distinct ? what nearer union can there be exprest ? is that distinct from a man , that he hath in him ? but it may be they will say ( as the rest of the dreamers do ) he is in believers by his spirit , distinct from his body ; then i say , christ is not divided ; a person without a spirit , or distinct from the spirit , is not christ ; but this blind doctrine came up since the apostles dayes , and was counted as orthodox by the councils at nice and lateran , a company of apostates , and hath been counted by the beast's followers , a great point of divinity . . or deny the manhood of christ to be a manhood distinct from the manhood of any other man. answ. the man christ jesus , who was of the seed of abraham , according to the flesh , and the son of god according to the spirit ; his flesh is distinct from you who live in envy , whole flesh is as the flesh of horses , and as the flesh of dragons , who devour ; you know not the holy flesh of christ , but the man of god doth , who is born of the spirit , and the flesh of christ is his meat ; and they that believe in him are bone of his bone , and flesh of his flesh ; you ignorant dreamers , how then is his flesh distinct ? but you do feed upon ashes , as your father doth ( the cunning serpent ) for god's wisdom is hid from you . . or shall deny the scripture , or the written word to be the rule . answ. we own the scriptures , which you ignorantly call the written word , as though all the scriptures were but one word ; the word is christ , which was revealed in the saints , which spake the words forth ; and he is the way and the rule of life to them that believe , and his spirit is the leader and guider into all truth , and the rule of obedience ; and you are they that deny the scriptures , and the rule of holy walking ; you own it in words , and in vvorks deny him , witness all your fore-mentioned deeds of darkness ; and hypocrites and dissemblers cry , scripture is the rule of faith and life , when their life that they live in stands in sin , wickedness and deceit . . or shall openly revile either church , or state , or church-vvorship , church-officer , or ordinances divine , or the publick assembly of the people of god , to worship him according to the prescription of the gospel . answ. your church , and state , church-officers , and ordinances , and assembly , and your worship is manifest to be a place where dragons are , who sting , devour , kill and destroy god's workmanship ; and he that speaks for you , god will condemn him ; for he that justifies you justifies the wicked , and that is an abomition to the lord : and let the nation see your prescription ( in that which you call your gospel ) where christ commanded the churches , or gave his disciples such prescripts as these ; if the rest of the jews or gentiles will not come to your assemblies , fine them s. a day , and s. a day , or s. a moneth , and if any speak any where in my name , but where you meet , let him that speaks be fined l. and if they will not pay , fetch away their goods , beasts , horses , break open their houses , and take hatchets , and beat down their doors , and take the names of them that meet , and b●le them to the court , and there fine them l. a man , and send them to prison , and load their backs and stripes , and whip them severely ; and if any refuse to doff his hat , and will not say , reverend mr peter , and reverend mr paul , and reverend mr john ; or if it please you , mr mark , or mr andrew and philip , then go you to the judgment seat , and tell the magistrates , and let them indict them , and put in a great deal of aggravating words , as muteny , sedition , insurrection , rebellion , and the like ; and let them say unto them , you are against the laudable custom of our country ; and last of all banish them , and if they return again , put them to death , and let them say , as richard bellinghom ( the deputy governour of boston ) said to john copeland , john rous and christopher holder , we commanded these men not to come again , but they returned again in contempt of the magistracy and ministry , and so whatsoever comes upon you , loss of ears , or loss of life , your blood be upon your own heads . i say , let the regions know your prescript in your gospel and your rule of life for these practices , and then you will convince the quakers , and satisfie all people . . or shall entertain any such in a way of conventicle or private meeting , or shall resort unto the conventicle of any such who are known refusers to come to the publick worship of god in the publick assembly . answ. these men would have banished paul , he was a man publickly known to refuse to go into the temple and synagogues , except to lead people out of them ; and yet they have got his words in their mouthes ; and these men would have imprisoned the church of corinth , and galatia , and thessalonica , and the church of antioch , for they met in houses , and denyed the rest of the synagogue of the jews , and the temples of the gent●les ; and they had private meetings , and often by the sea-side , and mountains , and other places ; and although bishop laud be dead , his spirit speaks and acts in new-england ; he made such articles as these against conventicles , and told of the laudable customs and worship of the nation ; but these men have far exceeded him in cruelty ; they have done more wickedness in one year , then he in seven . . or shall openly contemn , revile , or disobey , or diswade others from yielding subjection to the christian magistrate , as at present established in this jurisdiction . answ. shame and contempt is already come upon the magistrates of that jurisdiction , and shall more and more encrease , who rules not for god , but for the murderer ; and they who have established wickedness by a law , none can be subject to them nor their laws for conscience sake , for they that do , wrong their own souls ; but rather bear their testimony against , and suffer under it , till god arise and plead their cause ; it may be they will call this sedition and rebellion . . or being questioned by lawful authority , shall refuse to give direct answers , or plain , to the afore-mentioned particulars , together with their obstinate persisting in any of the premised delinquencies . answ. so here is an end of the inquisition ; if they will not give plain answers , then to prison ▪ but in plainness , that is , if they will not accuse themselves , then to prison ; so whether answer or not answer ( directly or indirectly ) all is one ; if they answer contrary to these articles , then hereticks , to prison , and whip them , and fine them l. and if they will not accuse themselves ▪ but answer as the lord shall give them to answer ( when asked by such tempters as these ) then they conclude their answer is not plain , but indirect ; and if they say nothing at all , then conclude them guilty , send 〈…〉 , cut off their ears , whip them with ropes , whip them 〈…〉 their goods , banish them from their estates and 〈…〉 ●eturn ▪ put to death , and then say , whether 〈…〉 ●ome to you , your blood be upon your own heads : 〈…〉 he said the like as richard bellingham . 〈…〉 cause of the poor of the flock ; for 〈…〉 the pride of their hearts , and blaspheme thy 〈…〉 , and them that thou hast redeemed they seek 〈…〉 〈…〉 to two letters ( of john endicot's and richard billingham 〈…〉 of envy and inveterate words , and sent to some ( like 〈…〉 strengthen their hands in wickedness ; the letters answered as follow . john endicot governour of boston , and richard bellingham , who have made your selves m●nifest by your actions and carriages , by your papers and writings , to be of the serpent's seed , who makes war with the lamb and his followers , who joyned with the dragon , and casts out floods after the woman , and the remnant of her seed , to destroy her and them , that so you might rule in the kingdom of darkness without molestation . richard billingham , thy inveterate words and thy persecuting spirit , the sound of which hath reached as far as old england ; you that were cryers out of persecution and cruelty in times past , are now become as cruel persecutors as any of the beast's followers ; you fled the cross of christ here in england , when you were proved and tryed , when you should have born witness for god in your generation ; and now that which fled the cross , persecutes them that take up the cross , and follow christ in the strait way ( which you never yet set foot in ) and that nature which was to be limited by the cross of christ , you carryed with you into new-england , and now it manifests it self by your bloody cruelty and insolent wickedness which you have acted , which makes your names and practices to stink amongst all sober people , and are become as cruel and brutish as the barbarous heathens ; and papists inquisitors are short of you in cruelty , madness and wicked inventions ; and now ye rejoyce in iniquity , as though it were the high way only to felicity . richard billingham , thou say'st , thou art glad to hear of mr gurden 's careful and faithful proceedings against the incorrigible , obstinate , roguish quakers . as for gurden , he is manifest to be one of the same race with thee , in cain's way , in envy and wrath , and hath manifested his folly in the county of suffolk , so that all sober people abhor and detest his practices , and is counted no other then a peevish , wilful , blind , ignorant man , before whose face the fear of god is not ; and his proceedings will never bring honour to him , but rather infamy , and reproach , and perpetual shame ; and truly , the least of the children of light ( and them that have but moderation as men ) are ashamed of his practices , both superior and inferior ; and thou that rejoycest , and art glad of his proceedings ( and also some other whom thou writest to , which are one with thy spirit ) thy rejoycing is not good , and thy joy shall be turned into mourning , & shame sh●ll cover thy face , when the lord god of heaven and earth ariseth in his righteous judgment , then shame and confusion shall cover your faces . thou say'st , they are a formidable people , and not to be neglected ; for many follow their pernicious wayes . i say , they are a people whose beginning hath been but small ▪ who have come through great tribulation , whose end shall be great ; they are the heritage whom god hath chosen to place his name in , and to reveal his power unto , and to be witnesses of his salvation unto the ends of the earth ; and they are , and have been , and shall be a 〈◊〉 ●nto all their enemies ; and though thou may'st seek to oppose , and use all thy diligence , and neglect no oportunity to withstand them , yet it is but as if thou should'st set thorns and bryars in battel against the lord. thou say'st , if the lord hath given these hereticks commission to kill the witnesses , they are malignant enough to make it the m●st direful execution that ever befel god's people . hereticks are they that deny christ , the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the vvorld , amongst whom thou ( with j●hn endicot ) and the rest of the blood-thirsty men in new-england , whose malignity hath appeared , whose cruelty hath surpassed and super-abounded many that are gone before you ; and the vvitness you have killed in your selves , and the vvitnesses you seek to destroy without you ; and your execution against both the vvitnesses hath been as wicked as most of the persecutors of old , who have plowed long furrows upon the backs of his people , so have you done with your vvhips and stripes , again and again ( by your own confession ) which hath not only teared the flesh of god's people , but reached to their sinnews and to their joints , and yet would be called christians : oh full of ignorance and gross stupidity ! christ came not to destroy mens lives ; but to save them ; and you pretend your selves rulers and christian magistrates , & would not be accounted men of blood , and instead of saving , you seek to destroy , as your actions have made manifest against william brend , a man fearing god , a sober man , known to many of the inhabitants of the city of london to be a just man in his generation , in causing one hundred and seventeen stripes ( and upward ) to be executed on his body by a pitcht rope , as though he had been a block or a stone , altogether insensible ; shameless men , and full of impudency and hard-heartedness , in whose hearts there is no remorse nor fear of god ; witness your cutting off the ears of john copeland , christopher holder and john rous , men fearing god , and as well educated as your selves , and for no transgression at all of any law of god , neither of any of your own ; but when you had none that could reach to be a cover for your cruelty , you go into the nethermost hell to invent laws christians are ashamed of , and all sober people detest it ; and so let your actions bear witness to your faces ; and let all sober people judge who are in the malignity , and who are slayers of the witnesses . and these quakes by open profession ( thou say'st ) tend to ruin all christian - society , compassing sea and land to that end. thou vomitest out thy rage , and castest up mire and dirt ( like a raging wave ) but thy bond is set ; that which the quakers profess , tendeth to the uniting all that believe unto christ , and one unto another in love , and unity , and peace , in meekness , long-suffering and patience ; but all such societies that thou art of , who art associated with death and hell , and in confederacy with all the army of the beast , who is full of rage , venome , insolency and wickedness , whose heart is set on fire of hell , which makes all this flame and smoak ascend out of the pit , where thou and the rest are associated with the residue , and have your dwelling-place . and thou say'st , their religion is to speak rebellion and sedition in the presence and to the face of authority . god will confound thy lying lips , and bridle thy deceitful tongue , and cause sorrow to fill thy heart in the day of his righteous judgments , for all thy hard speeches , false accusations , slanderous words ; all sober people in england , scotland and ireland know thee to be a lyar : all people in every sect have been stirrers up of parties , and have ( in one thing or other ) striven to rebell against that power which hath gone about to limit them in their ends ; but the people ( scornfully reproached ) called quakers , have born all , have suffered under all in patience , and have let many floods go over them , and many waves compass them , and yet have rested in patience , knowing that it is better to suffer wrong , then do wrong ; though i tell thee , the quakers ( so called ) might more justly ( in the three nations ) claim property and liberty for the exercise of their pure consciences , and also their persons and estates , then any other people in the three nations besides ; for they are they that have stood by the authority in time of greatest danger , in time of the bishops , when persecution was the greatest , which you ( like cowards ) fled from , they staid in the midst of it , hearing their testimony against the gross ignorance of them who exercised lordship over the heritage of god in that time ; and also in the late wars in the three nations , there are few of them but have joyned with them that cryed up reformation , and seemed to seek after righteous things ; and their fidelity to righteous government , magistracy and ministry is manifest to all unbiassed spirits ; and though now at last , when we expected free liberty for the exercise of our consciences , and preservation of our persons and estates ( which had been a just recompence for all our sore tryals , travails and labours ) but behold , a troop of robbers have laboured to nip and spoil the plant of renown , which god is bringing forth , and have made havock of our estates , and cry up the powers of the earth to stand by them for their own ends , only to maintain their covetous greedy practices ; & behold the priests of these nations , they are now , as they have been in former generations , fomenters of mischief , stirrers up of sedition , and patronizers of rebellion , and seeking to make parties to hold up their deceit , and call upon authority to persecute , and tell the magistrates , they ought to do so , and teach them to abuse their power , to the provoaking of the wrath of god against a nation or people . and thou say'st , in the presence of authority they labour to make the magistrate to be a man of blood. thou ignorant man , who hast lost thy natural reason , will a magistrate ( who is become a man of blood ) become advantagious to us ? but rather have not we suffered ? and would not you be counted bloody magistrates ? then cease your shedding of blood , your whipping , your beating , your burning , and stigmatizing , and cutting off ears ; for else your own actions have and will evidence and demonstrate you to be men of blood , and you will be recorded amongst the blood-thirsty and cruel persecutors , and you can expect nothing from the hand of god but severe destruction . and thou say'st , they encourage people against lawful authority , not regarding their lives , so they may attain their ends. would you be counted lawful authority ? what sword of god hath authorized you to turn your sword against the innocent and upright ? and many love not their lives to the death , to finish their testimony against the dragon and his power , the beast and his authority , which would compell all ( both great and small ) to worship him ; and were you not blind , you might see that you are his followers , and not the lamb's followers . thou say'st , was there ever state so bereaved of reason , as to suffer such things , the honour of god , the safety of religion , the peace of the country invaded by these emissaries of satan ? you are that state that is bereaved of sense , and bereaved of reason , who think to defend your religion by clubs and staves , ca●n's weapons , and think to bring honour to god by killing his servants , and defacing his workmanship which he hath made , and are amongst the pharisees recorded , who thought they did god service , when they went about to kill his members ; and are not your thoughts the same , you blind and slow of heart to believe ? and shall not the magistrate be as confident to punish , as they to offend capita●● . what is the offence ? you had no law till you had made one , to sa●●●fie your wicked end and your insatiable cruelty ; and though you 〈◊〉 be confident that this will stop the spreading of the truth of god over 〈◊〉 earth , you shall know ( ye potsherds ) your confidence will fail , and truth shall go over you ( hills ) as a flood . at this time ( thou say'st ) we have twelve quakers in prison in boston . to thy shame be it spoken , who give such entertainment to strangers , and to men of your own nation ; you are far from abraham's spirit , and jacob's or job's spirit , who opened his door to the travailer , and entertained the stranger ; and you are out of the law of god , who commanded to entertain strangers ; and were not you once s●r●ngers in that land ? and do you thus requite the lord for his kindness , as to shut them up in holes , and dens , and caves , and ( phara●h-like ) have your task masters to exercise your cruelty upon them ? oh unheard of cruelty and unpar●llel'd wickedness ! the memorial of your cry will not easily be blotted out , but will sound into the ears of generations to come ; and the record of you will be unthankfulness and ingratitude ; and your in human cruelty hath appeared to your own neighbours , who have resided long amongst you ; men of great age and of fame in your country for uprightness have become your prey ; and this is fulfilled amongst you , which was spoken of by the prophets , her princes are as ravening wolves , who are greedy of their prey , who gnaw not the bones till the marrow . thou say'st , they prevail much . they have prevailed , and shall prevail ; for strong is the lord of hosts that is with them , and goes before them , whose arm compasses them about and refresheth them , and preserves them in patience in the midst of all your cruelty ; for no weapon that is formed against him ( whom they bar● witness of ) shall prosper ; and every tongue that riseth up in judgment against him will he condemn . thou say'st , there be two jews amongst them . what if there be ? used not you ( and the rest of the clergy ) to pray for the conversion of the jews ? and are you now angry if any of them be turned from darkness to light ? but none can escape thy slanderous tongue without reproach . thou say'st , the juncture between the jesuites and these hereticks is strong . thou art nearer joyned to the jesuites then the quakers ; for they and you in new-england are working one and the self-same work ; will not most people in the regions know thy lyes ? is it not publickly known in many countries , that two of the quakers were imprisoned by the pope and jesuites at rome lately , and have been put in the inquisition , and one of them prisoned till death , and the other remains in prison under cruel bonds to this day ; and now read whether the juncture between the jesuites and you be not great , who are acting in one and the self-same work , and bring forth one and the self-same fruit , the apples of sod●m , and the grapes of gomorrah , whom god destroyed , which will be the end of all the wicked , except they repent . there is more danger ( thou say'st ) in this people to trouble and overcome england , then the king of scots and all the popish princes in germany . thy tongue is set on fire of hell , which makes thee utter ●orth all these horrid lyes , and false accusations , and bitter things against the lord and his people ; and will not all sober people in england see thy envy ? hath not england had sufficient proof of our fidelity ? and thousands in england shall be witness for us against thee and all thy false accusations . thou say'st , they strengthen all discon●ents against the present government , and hat●h all plots , and encourage all combinations and insurre●tions . the present government of these nations will be a witness for us against thee , that ( amongst all the people in the nations ) we have been most passive and suffering ; and the discontents , and plots , and combinations from time to time , have been among the presbyter-priests and their faction , of whose stock and off-spring you are . and further thou say'st , they vent horrid blasphemy against god , which ought to be persecuted with the severest censures . thou art of that generation that called the master of the house beelzebub , and in the steps of the persecuting jews , who said , he hath spoken blasphemy , what need we any more witness ? but how can we speak evil , or blaspheme him who is our life ? and in the day when he ariseth to judge all the earth in righteousness , he will justifie us , and clear us , and condemn thy malignity , and thy hard speeches , and vain thoughts , which lodge in thy corrupt heart , from whence all these unsavoury words have been uttered forth ; and is that new-england divinity to teach persecution , that thou art so impudent to own it in words ? that which persecutes with the severest censures , is of the devil and is in cain's way ; and dost thou lay down this for a d●ctrine in england , to appease the wrath of god towards it ? i say , persecution and severe censures is that which kindleth the wrath of god against these nations , and did overtake the bishops and all their confederacy , and overthrew the nobles of the land , the ancient and the honourable , which were the head , and all the false prophets which were the t●il , and that same wrath shall be over you , who are of that stock and off-spring , manifested by the deadly actions , and characters of most horrid and wicked cruelty , which the lord god will confound and blast , and set his truth above it all . and john end●cot , thou say'st , the quakers trouble us very much , though we cause them to be whipt , and sent away again and again , yet they return again . thou may'st see there is another spirit in them then was in you , when you fled from old england ( from under the bishops ) you would suffer nothing for the truth , and therefore were you given up to the same spirit that was in the persecutors here in england , this is entered into you now , and become ten-fold stronger ; but now he that is stronger then all hath appeared , and is coming to trouble you , and disquiet you of your rest , which you have taken up in the earth ; what hath your gospel ( and the ministers thereof ) no more strength in them to convince the gain-sayers , then gain-sayers have to seduce them that are in the truth ? the day of your trouble is come , and the beginning of sorrows is kindled upon you , and a greater wo follows after ; for the rod of god is stretched out over you , and shall reach unto you , and turn your counsels backward , and confound you in the midst of your combinations ; where did any christian-magistrates whip and imprison any for religion's sake or conscience sake , or our off their ears ? where is your law ? did any minister of christ perswad● the magistrate it was lawful for him to do so ? give us some evidence ▪ and let us see your rule , and by what authority you do these things , and fron● whence you have your authority ; i am sure god never authorized it , christ , nor his ministers , nor no christian-magistrate ( that ruled for god ) never countenanced any such thing , as to whip again and again , to be●● with ropes , till men fall down as dead , till mens flesh becomes as jelly , as some of your own nation have said ; and shall not the saints be bold to tell you , that this is of the devil , who was a lyar and a murderer from the beginning , in whose foot-steps you are , who shall receive a reward according to your works ? and thou say'st , divers of you do think , that unless the court doth make a law to banish them , & not to return upon pain of death ▪ the colony will not be rid of them . nay , nor then neither , though you make covenant with death , and agreement with hell , and shake hands with the prince of darkness , your covenant shall be broken , and your confederacy disanulled , and you confounded in the midst of your counsels ; what ! have you your law yet to make to serve your turns ? it seems you act not by the law of god ( which is made already ) which is equal , just and good , and is for the transgressor of justice , goodness and equity , but takes not hold upon the just , equal nor good ; but you must now have another invented to satisfie your envious minds , and to accomplish your wicked determinations ; and you that think to make a law to banish , and to put to death , your thoughts are vain and wicked , and god will bring them to judgment , and condemn you for them ; for christ came not to destroy mens lives , but to save them ; but the devil makes laws to destroy , and not to save : read your example , and let shame cover your faces , and astonishment fill your hearts , that you should become so brutish and vain in your thoughts , as to think to limit the lord of heaven and earth : can you command the wind that it blow not ? can you stop the bottles of heaven that they pour not forth water ? if you cannot , no more can you limit the lord : and if you make any such law , to banish or put to death , it will procure the indignation and wrath of god more speedily , then if all the popish princes that are in the world did enter into the midst of your land : but this is come to pass , that your hypocrisie and deceit might be made manifest in the sight of the sun , and that all men may see what pr●fession of words is , without the life of christ to rule in men : if it should have been told you ( when you fled from this nation ) what you would do ( in the time to come ) against god and his servants , you would have said ( with hazael ) are we dogs ? but the heart of man is deceitful ( unconverted ) and your deceived hearts have led you aside . thou thinkest they are the worst hereticks . thy eye being blinded , and thy understanding darkened , and thy heart full of envy , how should'st thou think otherwise ? but thy thoughts shall be discovered to thee , and thou shalt be convinced of the evil of them . thou say'st , one ( whom many think is a jesuite ) pressed for a conference with one of our teachers , called mr norton , but the quaker was quickly weary of it . you live by your thoughts , and know nothing ; if he had been a jesuite , it 's like he might have had more favour from you ; and the minister might be very bold , knowing before-hand no evil was like to befall him , having the rulers ( with their clubs ) on his side , the prison-doors and house of correction ready to receive the quakers , the goalers and task-masters with their whips , and butcherly fellows with their knives , to cut of their ears , at the pleasure and wills of a company of envious men , before whose face the fear of the lord is not : but it is like you will make the quaker weary soon , if he would look out at your cruelty , if you did ( as sometime some of your priests and rulers caused to be done in new-england ) stop napkins in their mouthes , and bound keys over their mouthes , that they could not speak , and boast , and say , the quaker had nothing to answer : well , all these things are recorded , and are written as with a pen of iron , and they are engraven where they shall not be blotted out ; and you are registred among the uncircumcised , with mesech and tubal , the great princes of gog , which make war against the lamb & his followers ; but the lamb and the saints shall have the victory , and you shall be trodden as ashes under the soles of their feet , for they shall melt away that hate the lord. reading , the th of the th moneth , . f. h. the works of darkness brought to light ▪ and reproved , in answer to divers false doctrines and principles of john wells of st. ives ( so called ) in huntingon-shire . concerning the word , and the gospel , and the way to christ , and the tryal of spirits , and the light which lighteth every man , and the ministers maintenance . his vain arguments and proofsmade void , and truth manifested in all these particulars . also some queries propounded to john wells to answer . by him that loves the truth as it is in jesus . f. h. the works of darkness brought to light , he that hates the light ( as it is written ) will not bring his deeds to the light , lest they should be reproved and made manifest , of which sort john wells , a pretended minister of the gospel at st. ives ( so called ) in huntington-shire , is , who hath declared and published unsound doctrines , contrary to scripture of truth , which were asserted by him , and taken from his own mouth , and the reply thereunto sent , and his doctrines reproved , as to be unsound and inconsistent to a true minister of christ , the which paper of information and also of reproof , john wells , in vindication of his former assertions , hath divulged abroad in his parish , as in answer to the said paper delivered unto him , and also in vindication of his former doctrines , which paper of his hath been read up and down by his auditors , as some great oracle which could not be gainsayed ; and he never yet sent his answer unto them , who contradicted and reproved his aforesaid doctrines and principles , unto which his answer did properly belong ; it could never yet be purchased or obtained from him or any of his auditors ; and all this he hath done , lest his works should be brought to light , and his deceit should be discovered , and his kingdom weakened , which stands in darkness ; but seeing that there is no work of darkness must be hid , but must all be brought to light , and be discovered in the day ; therefore is his paper come forth by another hand , that he and his work might be tryed and reproved , and that the ignorant might see his confusion , and also that truth might be made manifest to the understandings of people , that they may no longer continue in ignorance and blindness , now when the lord is shining forth in his brightness , and revealing his glory from the rising of the sun. his first position is , that eternal life is to be found by or in the scriptures . ii. they are the vvay and means which god hath discovered for the obtaining of it , viz. eternal life . in the vindication of his foresaid assertions , he saith ▪ he will explain himself , and saith , that god is pleased by his infinite grace and vvisdom to continue this excell●nt plot of redemption by his son , and then concludeth , how shall we believe in him of whom we have not heard ? therefore was god pleased by the scriptures to reveal jesus christ , and none can ever come to the knowledge of chr●st , but in or by the scriptures : this man talks like a heathen politician rather then a minister of christ , who tells of an excellent plot of redemption ; for he who is the redeemer , was with the father , & was his delight before the world began , which in due time was made manifest , by what means the father pleased , who is that unlimited spirit , which cannot or will not be confined to this or that thing ; for moses was a believer , and a follower of christ , and christ was revealed to him , that through faith he saw him that is invisible , heb. . . and then was there no scripture , and the shepherds and the wise men of the east , they were directed by the star ; and lo the star which they saw in the east went before them , till it came and stood over where the young child was , & when they saw the star they rejoyced with exceeding great joy , mat. . ▪ , . and here is no mention made of scripture , so to confine the lord to this or that way , to this or that form , to this or that appearance , as john vvells would do , is to limit the holy one of israel ; and the scripture saith , as the living father hath life in himself , so the son hath also life in himself , to give to wh●msoe●er he will ; and the scripture saith further , none know god , nor the things of god , save by the spirit of god ; so that this is a true saying , and worthy of acceptation , that eternal life can be found no where , but where it is , and eternal life is in the son of god , and thou and the rest of you professors , who look for eternal life in the letter , you are seeking the living among the dead ; for the scripture saith , he that hath the son hath life , but not he that hath the scripture , hath life , for there are many which have the scripture , the writings , or written words , and have not the son , neither eternal life ; for the pharisees had the words and the scriptures , and never heard the voice of god at any time , neither had they the vvord of god abiding in their hearts , and yet they had the scriptures and writings of moses and the prophets in their minds ; so that it is manifest , they had neither found god , christ nor eternal life notwithstanding , though they had moses and the prophet● : and as for the apostle's words in the romans , it 's manifest that they might hear the scriptures , and the writings of the law and prophets , and yet not believe in christ , who is eternal life , neither hear the word of faith which the apostle preached , and exhorted all to attend unto , which was nigh in their hearts , and in their mouth , which word discovereth the intents of the heart , and separateth betwixt good and evil thoughts of the heart , and good and evil words in the mouth , which word they that had the scriptures , who have thought ( as thou dost ) to find eternal life in the scriptures , did not listen neither hearken unto ; and so eternal life was vailed from them , and not revealed in them ; and yet i say unto thee , we are not vilifying the scriptures , as thou falsly judgest ; for if the spirit of truth , through which god and the deep things of god are discovered , if it ple●se to manifest eternal life , or any thing that pertains thereunto , through the words which have been spoken before by it s●lf , and now brings in tho●e vvords again , and opens them in any believer's heart , and gives him to ●nderstand them and the things of god through any of the vvords of the scripture , this is not excluded ; but to limit life , or the spirit to this or that or the other thing , true believers dare not do : for god , who is eternal life , manifesteth his mind to the creature , how , when , where , and by what he will ; who art thou that would'st limit him ? and thou that know'st christ no other vvay then by the vvords without thee ▪ know'st him not at all no more then the pharisees , who had the words , and yet were ignorant of the life . then thou to confute thy former words say'st ▪ that we must not think that thou judgest that eternal life lyeth in words or sentences , but eternal life is found in or by the scriptures . what reasonable or understanding man can judge or think of thee otherwise ? is not the scripture writings ? and do not writings consist of syllables , vvords and sentences ? and if thou lookest not ●hat eternal life is found in the scriptures , vvords and sentences , th●u thy assertion is made void and false ; for eternal 〈◊〉 is in the life that spoke forth the vvords , and those vvords are a certain sound , or a declaration of that life , but not the life it self . and thus having laid down the meaning of thy vvords , thou sayest , thou wilt draw an argument of the truth of them from joh. . . where thou sayest , christ brings an argument from his vvords in ver . who produceth the witness of h●s father , that he was sent of god. and ver ▪ ● . thou sayest , that christ saith , go and search the scriptures , for in them you think to have eternal life , for they are they that testifie of me : so thy conclusion is , that by the scriptures eternal life is to be found , because by them christ is to be found . in joh. . , , , . he produceth testimonies that he was sent of the father , and saith , if i bear witness of my self , my witness is true ; likewise he produceth the father and john for his testimony ; and in ver . . to the end of the chapter , he saith , moses and the prophets 〈◊〉 of him ; but in ver . . he saith unto the pharisees , had ye believed moses , ye would have believed me , for he wrote of me ; but he doth not say , that eternal life was found in moses's vvritings or vvords ; now the th verse tho● hast perverted , and thy argument falleth into the pit from whence it arose ; for the pharisees thinking to have eternal life in the scriptures , doth no more prove that eternal life is to be found in the scriptures , then paul ( when he made havock of the church of god , and persecuted the believers from city to city , and thought he did god good service ) d●th prove th●t he was doing the vvork of god , and therefore thy ignorance is manifest : the words in the greek copy are , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendered on this wise , you do search the scriptures , because in them y●u think ●o have eternal life , and they are they that testifie of me : this was spoken to the pharisees and un●●lievers ; and christ did neither approve of their s●arching with that m●nd which envied the life , therefore he reprehends them for their thoughts , which were gazing at the words , and looked not at the life , which the words testified of ; and therefore they were reproved in ver . . ye will not come unto me , that ye may have life : and so thy affirmation from th●se words ▪ and also thy conclusion is false , and denyed ; and so the charge stands stil● good against thee . further thou goest on and sayest , that neither i nor you ▪ n●r any man could ever have found christ , or come to him , but by the scriptures ; and then mil●e●t this the conclusion , that the scriptures are the vvay for the obtaining life . both thy assertion and conclusion are false ; for christ was discovered to moses by faith , and abraham saw christ and his d●y by faith , and the shepherds by the star which led them where the child was ; and so for thee to conclude all like thy self , is presumption without knowledge ; and christ was revealed by and through his spirit to the saints in light , and yet the words testifie of him ; and many have the words ; and yet they are a sealed book , and are not any way or means unto them , as to the discovery of christ , so that christ said unto a learned generation , you err , not knowing the scriptures , nor the power of god ; and yet they were frequent readers of the scriptures , yet ignorant of the spirit through which god maketh manifest his mind , and maketh known his will , by what way and means he pleaseth , to the sons of men : yet this we say , that god may make manifest his son by his spirit what way he will , and yet the scripture is not excluded , for the things of god are spiritually discerned ; and the natural man may have the words , as the pharisees had , without the spirit : but this is the sum , all this striving is to set up the words above the spirit , and the scripture above the life . and thou goest on , and sayest , that thou wonderest that men should not be able to distinguish christ to be the way , and the scriptures to be the way . i say , there are not two wayes , but one way and one life , and none comes to the father , but by the way , and he is the way and the means too ; for he is said to be the leader of his flock , and of the sheep of his pasture , unto whom he giveth eternal life ; eternal life is found in him , out of him there is none ; and them that seek without him , shall never find the way to rest ; and thy many distinctions of way and way do cast a mist before peoples eyes , and do darken their understandings , and would lead them from the one way of life . and thou askest how those scriptures can be reconciled ? cor. . . other foundation can no man lay then that which is laid , jesus christ. ephes. . . and are built upon the foundation of the prophets and apostles , christ himself being chief corner-stone , ver . . in whom ye also are builded . these two scriptures are reconciled already , and were never at enmity nor at discord ; for he which had the word of reconciliation committed unto him , write them both ; dost thou think he laid one foundation to the corinthians , and another to the ephesians ? christ was the foundation to the corinthians , and no other could be laid ; and were not all the saints citizens of the houshold of god , builded upon this foundation , and so became a habitation of god through the spirit ? but thou would'st have two foundations , as thou hast laboured to prove two wayes , and eternal life to be found in two distinct things , as that eternal life is found in christ , and that eternal life is found in the scriptures ; and then hast brought all this striving to nothing , and say'st , that we must not imagine that eternal life lyeth in words or sentences : i say , if thou had'st not imagined so thy self , thou would'st not have made all this contest for scripture or writings , consisting of words and sentences except thou judgest , as some of thy ignorant brethren have done , that eternal life and the scripture is inseparable ; or that the scripture and the spirit cannot be separated : and if thou judgest so , then these that have the words and sentence of the scripture , have eternal life and the spirit , and such dark doctrines the land hath been filled with ; thou wouldst make distinctions betwixt way and way , light and light , and put distinctions where there are none , and yet where the spirit distinguisheth , thou either cannot or wilt not ; that doth not distinguish betwixt a visible & an invisible , betwixt that which is given forth in time , and that which gave forth the words , which is life it self , which was before all time . next thing thou comest unto , the scripture is the gospel , and the scripture is the word of god ; and this thou countest great ignorance for any to oppose : and thou sayest , thou supposest that we do not know what the word scripture meaneth ; is it not the gospel , that ( thou say'st ) was preached by christ and his apostles ? and what they preached was written , and may be called the word of god , for it is full of power . it may more then be supposed that thou art ignorant , for thou hast really manifested it , that gross darkness covereth thee , and blindness hath happened to thee through thy unbelief ; and it 's really apparent , that thou knowest not what the word scripture meaneth , who callest it the gospel , and the word ; hast thou not learned to distinguish betwixt the subject declared of , and the declaration ; betwixt a man which speaks , and the words which come from a man ; betwixt that which is visible , and that which is invisible ; betwixt that which may be seen which is temporal , and that which is everlasting and eternal ? the scriptures are writings , which may be seen and read with a natural eye or ear , but that which the scripture declares of , cannot be seen with a natural eye ; neither heard with a natural ear : knowest thou no difference betwixt a creator and a creature ? is not that which createth greater then that which is created ? and was it not the eternal power that gave the words a being , or thou hadst never had them ? and were it not ignorance for any man to say , that the creature were the creator ? judge in thy self : for thee to call that which is brought forth , by the name of that which brought it forth , is great ignorance : and is it any derogation unto the creature to call it by its own name ? but it is derogation to the creator to call the creature by the creator's name ; so for thee to call the writings the power of god , or the gospel , or word , is to attribute that to the declaration , which properly belongs to the thing declared of , which is far greater in magnitude , in glory and excellency , in power and virtue ; insomuch that the apostle said , when he had spoken largely of the power of god , and of his unsearchable riches , he cryed , o the height , and the breadth , and the length , and the depth thereof was to speakable , or could not be spoken , which was unsearchable , and past finding out ! the declaration or the scripture may be enjoyed , and not the power of god , which is the gospel of christ. that the holy scriptures were given by inspiration , and thou sayest , it is full of power , and therefore sayest , it is the power of god , and that it 's able to make wise unto salvation ; and thou hast done well , that thou hast not left out ( through faith in christ jesus ) as some of thy brethren used to do . and thou sayest , it 's a sad argument against the scripture to say , that the gospel was preached to abraham , before matthew , mark , luke and john. the scripture was given by divine inspiration , 't is freely granted , and ●s of no private interpretation , and is able to make wise unto salvation , ●●rough faith in christ jesus ; for without faith in him it hath no power in 〈◊〉 to make wise unto salvation , witness the pharisees and the jews outward ●ow ▪ for they had the scripture-promises , as thou callest them , which thou callest the gospel and the vvord , yet they were not turned changed , nor sanctified , nor knew not the new birth , as many do not now , who have the scriptures , or writings , or words written ; and so thine is a private interpretation , who callest that the power of god , and the word of god , and the gospel , which one may have and not have the gospel , or the word , or the power of god ; for proof , joh. . , . and it 's no argument against the scripture to say , the gospel was preached to abraham , or as thou sayest to adam ; but it is an argument to prove that there was a gospel , and that the gospel was preached , before that which you parish-teachers use generally to call the gospel , which is matthew , mark , luke and john , and the epistles written to the churches , which you raise doctrines from , and arguments from , and sell to people for money , and call it preaching of the word , and preaching of the gospel : what ! dost thou think we are not come past midnight ? is not the night over , and the morning sprung forth in brightness without clouds , wherein we now discover betwixt the husk and the kernel ? the husk will feed swine , but men must have bread ; and a sound without will not serve to administer life to the soul ; and now no longer talkers of the gospel will be received , or can feed the hungry , but it 's he that eats of the flesh of christ , that hath eternal life in him . thou sayest , thou wilt remove a gross mistake from us , who think that you cry up the letter of the scripture , and separate the word from the spirit ; for we own the spirit going along with the vvord , for the vvord and the spirit are united as the instrumental cause , and christ and his spirit in the gospel is the principal cause . the gross mistake is not upon our parts , but yours , in that you think that the scriptures or the vvritings are not separated from the spirit ; we know the vvord and the spirit is one , and cannot be separated ; but here lyeth the mistake , in putting the sentences , or scripture , or vvords of declaration for the word , and then say , they cannot be separated from the spirit , that is another mistake on your part ; for if you so judge , then this must needs follow , that they that have the words or scripture , have the spirit ; if they be inseparable ; and why makest thou such distinctions between the word christ and his spirit ? they are one ; and that which is the principal cause of every good thing brought forth , useth what instrument he will to effect it ; we know the word , and the spirit doth convert and convince , and bring to christ , and salvation through him , that we know ; but doth the scripture , convince without the spirit ? and is not the spirit and power of god often wanting ? doth the scripture convince then , or convert , or bring any to salvation ? and we know there is union betwixt the word and the spirit , for they are one , and that which is attributed to the one , is to the other ; the word sanctifieth , and the spirit sanctifieth ; but the question is still unanswered , and the charge stands still good against you , whether the scripture sanctifies without the spirit ? or whether is the spirit and the scripture so united together , as that when a h●●●ling , or a deceiver , or a false prophet speaks the words of scripture , that the spirit must needs go along with it , and cannot be separated from it ? and thou sayest , the scriptures are the word of god , as it is a declaration of what god would have us do , and therefore god hath declared his mind , heb. . . god who spoke in times past by the prophets , hath in these dayes spoken by his son : and thou bringst isaiah . the word of the lord came to isaiah saying &c. were it not a gross absurdity to say , that this word of the lord was christ in the new testament ? the word of the lord endures forever , and by it the heavens and the earth were framed , and the things that are therein , and without him was nothing made that was made ; and we can and do distinguish betwixt the word and the declaration ; and what a declaration is that , which consisteth but of one word ? a declaration consists of many words ; and it s an improper speech to call that which consists of many words one word ; and that in heb. . was spoken after the ascension of christ , and the voice from heaven by his son , i question whether thou hast heard or read ; and we can distinguish betwixt the words of isaiah , and the word of god ; and betwixt the words of jeremiah , and the word of god ; jer. . . the words of jeremiah the son of hilkiah unto whom the word of the lord came ; and there see if thou canst distinguish betwixt the words of isaiah and jeremiah and the word of god ; and how many words can properly be called one word ? and why is it an absurdity to say , that the word of the lord , or the power of the lord , came upon isaiah , or the father through the power or through the word did speak unto isaiah ? and is not the power of god christ , and christ the power of god , and the wisdom of god in the new testament ? now see thy own absurdity , and glory not when thou puts on thy armour , but when thou puttest it off . as for john . , . he that rejecteth me , and rejecteth my words , &c. where the vvords of christ and himself are distinguished , thou sayest . i say yes , and therefore thou hast brought this scripture against thy self , and likewise this the word that i have spoken , shall judge you at the last day , and thou sayest , this must make us tremble ; nay , why should we tremble at this , we are one with his words , and his words are not against us : and thou hast brought all these scriptures against thy self , and fightest with thy own shadow ; for all the words which god and christ and the apostles have spoken we own ; and now learn thou to distinguish betwixt words and word , for all that thou hast said to prove the scripture to be the word of god , amount to just nothing , but that it is the word as it 's a declaration , and what a declaration that is ( the wise will judge ) which is but one word . and now when thou hast vindicated thy self as thou judgest , thou goest to make war abroad , to see if thou canst get any into the pit of darkness with thy self ; and now thou fallst upon the stumbling stone and the rock of offence , which will break thee to pieces , the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world , who is a sufficient saviour , leader , guider , and director of all they that do believe into all truth ; and he treads the wine-press alone , and there 's none besides him ; but thou art climb'd up into the judgment-seat , and say'st , let us see what this light is ; and so thou gives judgment and despi●●● him , like herod and his men of war , that set him at nought ; and so upon thy examination and judgment thou hast concluded it natural , rom. . , . yet thou sayest , it will discover god , and then contradictest what thou hast said ; and saist , that it was hard for them to find out the true god by it , and bringst a proof , when they knew god they glorified him not as god , but became vain in their imaginations , &c. it 's yet a question that may be asked thee , by what nature they knew god , and did the things contained in the law , seeing the law is just and good and holy , and the fault was not in that which led them to know god , but in that which led them to become vain in their imaginations , and not to glorifie him as they knew him , and so their foolish hearts came to be darkned , and so thou art one in thy judgment with him whom i met with of late , who said , the light which every man was enlightned withal would lead to know god , and teach a man that he should not do to others , but what and that he would have others do to him it would lead from lying and stealing , and discover the creator , and god's omnipotency and eternity ; and yet said , this light was to be understood in opposition to the light of the spirit , and contradistinct to the spirits light : and after he had confessed that it would teach all these good things aforesaid , he said , it was darkness , yea , worse then gross darkness : and so thou concludest and sayest , we should never have known or believed the covenant of grace , or that we should be born again , had not god revealed them to us by the scriptures : thou runs too fast to lay a good foundation ; by what scripture did god reveal to adam , the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head ? or by what scripture did moses see christ , for he must needs see him before he could follow him ? and what scripture did reveal unto abraham christ and his day , wherein he rejoyced ? and so he that did reveal , doth reveal , and will reveal christ the covenant of grace , and the new birth by what way as he pleaseth according to his power , notwithstanding all thy limiting . and thou sayest , to say , that every one that comes into the world , is lighted with the light of the spirit ( is the falsest thing that can be ) for then every heathen hath the light of the spirit , who never somuch as heard or knows whether there be a christ or spirit , and thou bringst , ephes. . . that the gentils understandings were darkned , being alienated from the life of god through the ignorance that was in them , and sayest , surely these men were not born without a light. it is very like that i must be registred in the calender as a blasphemer or a heretick , but however i must not heed that , but must indure reproaches , and suffer contradictions from such as thou who call'st the letter the light , the letter the word , and the letter the gospel , as all along in thy paper is clearly manifest thou contendest for it , and so thou art like to condemn and dissallow of the light in all men , in every man , or in any man , but however thou hast given judgment , that it is the falsest th●ng that can be , that every one is lighted with the light of the spirit ; and why is it the falsest thing that can be ? thou wilt confess that every one is lighted with the light of christ ; and where didst thou learn that great distinction betwixt christ's light , and the spirit 's light ? we do not say ▪ that the light in every man doth discover christ unto every man tha● cometh into the world , but that the light of christ waited in , believed in and received , would discover christ unto every man , is owned ▪ the fault is not in the light , but in him that loves it not , who●e deeds are evil ▪ and seeing that god is no respecter of persons , why may not the heathen and the gentiles have the light of christ , or the light of the spirit , seeing that he who is the light of the world , is given for a covenant of light to the gentiles , and to the heathen whose eyes are blind , to open their eyes and to open their understandings , seeing that both jew and gentile are concluded under sin , and there is no difference ? and if he be not given to the gentiles or heathen for a covenant of light , as well as to the jew , how is it said , he is rich unto all ? is he the god of the jews and not of the gentiles also , rom. . . seeing that they that believe in the light , are justified , both the circumcision and uncircumcision ? and in rom. . , ▪ . cometh this blessedness upon the circumcision only , or upon the uncircumcision also ? so that it 's evident that christ , the covenant of light and life , the gift of righteousness , who is come into the world for this end , that all through him might believe , that whoso believeth and receiveth the gift of righteousness , justification cometh upon all , and he who is the gift of god and covenant of light , is a propitiation for the sin of the whole world , and the world is taken in opposition to believers , and yet he is come a light into the world , to convince the world of sin , and of righteousness and judgment , and them which thou callst heathens and gentiles , who had not the law were accused or convicted , which is the operation of the spirit ; compare rom. . ▪ . with john . . that which was in the gentiles did accuse or convict them , this christ called the spirit which convinced and convinceth unbelievers ; and hath not the grace of god that brings salvation appeared to all men ? and who art thou , that makest exceptions ? and though the gentiles or heathen , do not know christ or the spirit by the name of christ and the spirit , yet knowing that which accuseth and excuseth , that which condemneth and justifieth , they have the thing ; and though the ephesians being alienated and darkned , it was not because of the insufficiency of the light or the measure of his spirit , but because they were alienated from it , and stangers to it ; and i say , nay , these men were not born without light , neither was the blindness of their hearts , because of its insufficiency , but because they loved it not , but hated it , and so became alienated and darkned . for sayest thou , vvhere the spirit is , there are the fruits of the spirit . i say , the spirit may be where it is striven against , or resisted and gainsayed , and there appear little fruits , yet notwithstanding the sp●rit hath its operation in all believers , and convincement and repro●f is as truly an operation and an effect of the spirit , as assurance , consolation and peace is an effect and operation of the spirit to them that believe . and then thou concludest , if christ be in all , then all must be saved , or else christ must go to hell. i will ask thee a question , go learn what it means , though he be not in the reprobate , what is that which reprobates him ? christ was in egypt , yet the egyptians were not saved by him ; christ was in jerusalam and in galilee , and yet not many galileans nor they at jerusalem believed in him , or were saved by him . i will ask thee another question , go learn what it means ; what is that which damns the damned ? and what is that that kindles the fire of hell upon them ? and at last , when thou hast vilified and mocked christ and his light , thou cryest with the jews , away , away with this deluding light , and cryes , to the law , and to the testimony , and so in the drunken spirit reeleth and staggers , and knowst not what thou say●st ; didst thou not say a little before , that the law was light , and that which accuseth for sin , and convinceth of sin ▪ and excuseth and bringeth peace to the obedient ? is not this jesus's testimony , or the testimony of jesus ? and thou cryest , away , away with this as delusion ; and this is all the tune thou playest on thy bad-stringed instrument , letter is light , letter the word , and scripture is the rule , the scripture is the gospel , and scriptures the testimony , and scripture is the tryal of the spirit , and thou hast tryed christ the true light that enlightens every man , and with thy falle judgment hast condemned him . and thou say'st , thou wilt try our spirit , and our fruits , and contradictions , and impiety , falsity and blasphemy . alas vain man ! thou hast condemned the spirit of truth , that convinceth the world of sin , and accuseth for evil-doing , and excuseth , and giveth peace to them that continue in well-doing , and hast condemned this under the name of deluding light , and hast cryed , away with it , away with it ; and thou that set'st this at nought , may'st well set us at nought ; and if christ and his spirit be reproached we must bear they reproaches , and at last they will turn upon thy own head , when thy will be too heavy a burthen for thee to bear : thou tellest us , that thou hast been begging of god for an eternal interest in christ , and that thou hast examined thy heart , whether christ be in thee , or nay ; but thou tellest us not whether thou hast got assurance ; thou may'st beg long enough with that spirit that hates the light , which reproveth thee for evil , and never be heard ; and thou may'st examine long , and never come to true tryal , while thou hatest that and deridest that which should try thee ; for i am sure , if thou either hadst got interest , or had'st known that christ did live in thee , thou would'st not hate him in others , nor vilifie the least appearance of him in any ; and therefore be low in heart , and talk no more so exceeding proudly , for the lord will thunder from heaven upon his enemies , pour contempt upon princes , and make them wander in the wilderness , where there is no way , and will exalt the horn of his anointed above all deceit . and thou say'st , we threw great reproaches upon the faithful ministers of christ , that they preach for hire , and balaam - like covet the wages of unrighteousness . and thou say'st , it is true , we do receive a maintenance , and such an one as was freely bestowed on us , and setled by many laws . and thou say'st , if you preached for hire , you wronged your selves much , who could get far greater means or estates by other employments , then ministers have ; and if thou should'st never receive penny more for thy labour , thou would'st never leave off preaching the gospel , so long as thou hast a tongue to speak , or other abilities to preach the gospel . we do not reproach the faithful ministers of christ , neither do we say , that they preach for hire , nor go in balaam's way , neither that their hearts are exercised with covetous practices ; for we know it is inconsistent with a true minister of christ , who hath received freely , and ministers freely , and alwayes labours to keep the gospel without charge ; and as for the maintenance which you say , was given you freely , and setled by many laws , we must mind you of the author thereof ; you cry out of the pope as anti-christ , of jesuites , monks , and friars as idolaters , and that which he gave unto his emissaries and ministers , you have gotten into your hands , as tythes , gleab lands , oblations , obventions , easter-reckonings , midsummer dues , which were setled by laws when the mother of harlots , that rid upon the scarlet-coloured beast , which hath compelled all both small and great to worship , and to pay all the foresaid things in the time of his reign , while christ's ministers have been put to death , and the witnesses slain , and yet the aforesaid popes maintenance is not anti-christian with you . and with what face can you or your parish ministers say , that the maintenance is freely bestowed upon you , whenas there are so many living examples in this nation , especially within this seven years , which bear witness against you ? what havock and spoil hath been made by a company of greedy priests in this nation of late ? what haling and sueing , what throwing in holes and dungeons ? what havock you have made of mens estates with your bayliffs , and the bil-men , driving away cows , horses , sheep , swine , pots taken , and pans , the poor peoples bedding and apparel , which amount to very great sums , some times for three pounds claiming , by force have taken away l. and sometime for . or l. drive away goods worth l. and one lies now in prison but for a groat demanded for tythes ; so that the very earth groans to be delivered of you , which will vomit you out , and yet all this forcing must needs go upon the account of free maintenance ; and i know not what employments you can take up , which will be either serviceable to god or to the creation , by which you can get . or three hundred pound a year , as many of you have ; and who dost thou think will believe thee or thy testimony , that you will preach freely , if you never receive a penny ? how many parish steeple-houses in england and wales stand empty , who have but a little maintenance belonging to them ? as twenty or thirty pound per annum ? who hath had a call thither to preach that which you call the go●pel ; or where there was not something to be got more or less ? i have not heard of any amongst you called thither , although the number amount to a very great deal ; i desire from my heart that you were tryed a while , and that you were left to your gospel , to see how you can live of it , and then in preaching freely , you would manifest your selves to be something like the ministers of christ , and till certain proof be had of you , there is few will believe you . but thou sayest , in the mean time we have a sufficient authority to expect a maintenance from the cor. . , . and tim. . . and we ask nothing but our own , and them that will not give it us , are under the breach of a commandment , which saist , thou shalt not steal ; and thou sayest , i have spoken once for all , though i could have said ten times more , and that thy soul trem●les to think , under what sad judgments and delusions we are ; but thou shalt pray that god would deliver us out of the snares of satan . the first of the corinthians . tim. . . is no authority for thee , as to receive hire or wages ; i ask thee , how long hast thou been at st. ives , so called ? and were they not all counted christians before thou camest thither , except thou hast sprinkled some few infants since thou comest there ? or else what hath been thy work there ? and the people of st. ives may consider where thou hast gone about to war , since thou camest thither , that thou requires cost and charges ; dost th●u think that getting into an old mass-house in a town , and sit dre●ming over a company of people thirty or forty years is going a war-fare ? or to require maintenance of them , who own thee not for a shepherd , and to bring scriptures , and say , he that feedeth a flock may eat the 〈◊〉 of a flock ? but doth this give toleration for thee to clip or shear them that are none of thy sheep ? dost not thou come here under the breach of a command , thou shalt not steal ? dost not thou count the quakers deluded , and hereticks ? and will it not be delusion in thee to require or take maintenance of them , who are none of thy sheep , and to pull grapes off them that are none of thy vineyard ? and thou hast spoke enough except it had been to better purpose : and thou mayest tremble indeed to think , if thou dost but consider what ignora●●e and delusion thou art under ; for this is the sun of all thy doctrine , the letter is the light , the writings are the gospel , the writings are the word , and the words written are the way , and the letter is the standing rule , and concerning christ the true light that enlighteneth every man , thou hast cryed with the pharisees , away ▪ away with it , for it is a deluding light , and that every man hath received a measure of the spirit , is the falsest thing in the world. these and the like doctrines thou hast declared , which i hope the people of st. ives will take notice of , and turn away from such blind guides as thou art , who art truly in balaam's way , and in the way , and steps , and practices of the false prophets and false apostles , and such as gain-sayed the truth , and held it in unrighteousness ; but the day is made manifest , that hath discovered thine and all your deceit and hypocrisie , and will rent your covering , that you may appear as you are , that all that fear the lord may depart from you , and thou must repent of thy evil deeds , and condemn thy false doctrines , before thou canst pray acceptably , either for thy self or others ; for thou canst not be heard of the living god , whilest this broth of abominable things is in the vessel , in which the lord hath no pleasure . john vvells , seeing thou say'st , thou dost understand scriptures much better then us , answer these queries concerning the scripture , as follow . i. what was the jezabel that did begin to teach , rev. . . and called her self a prophetess ? ii. what was the witnesses slain that prophesied in sackcloth and ashes , and who slew them ? rev. . ; . iii. what was the woman that fled into the wilderness ? rev. . . what was the wilderness she fled into , whether an outward wood , yea or nay ? and what was the time , times , and half a time that she was nourished from the face of the serpent ? rev. . . iv. what was the beast the dragon gave his power to , that made war with the saints , and killed them , and had power over all kindreds , tongues and nations ? rev. . . . v. were not the tongues ye orthodox men ) which the beast in the dragon's power had power over ? and is not this since the apostles dayes ? vi. what is the whore that sits upon the beast , that all nations have drunk of her cup of fornication ? and what is that fornication ? and what are the kings of the earth that have committed fornication with her ? rev. . , , . vii . what , and where is that babylon which must fall ? and what is the bride that prepares her self for her husband ? rev. . . rev. . . viii . what are all the beast's names , marks , horns , images and crowns ? rev. . . rev. . , , . ix . what are those tongues that john the divine calls waters , whereon the whore sits ? whether or no they are not ye orthodox men ? yea or nay , whose tongue is your original ? rev. . . x. what are those tongues john saith , people must be redeemed from ? rev. . . and was not pilate an orthodox , who set up an inscription over christ's head in letters of hebrew , greek and latin ? luke . . xi . was not all the earth of one language and speech before babel ? and a naturals make a divine ? gen. . . xii . are n●t tythes , gleab-lands , easter-reckonings , midsummer dues , churching of women for money , sprinckling infants , and marrying for money , burying for money , preaching over the dead for money and preaching by the hour-glass , and making ministers at schools , got up since the dayes of the apostles , the popes cup ? and have not ye drunk d●wn all they things ? xiii . and is not all this persecuting and prisoning people about worship , church , religion , ministry and maintenance , the popes cup ? and have ye not all drunk it ? and hath it not got up since the apostles dayes ? xiv . all ye carnal weaponed men , and apostatized from the apostles ▪ 〈◊〉 said , we wrestle not with flesh and blood , who said , our weapons are not carnal , but spiritual ; and art not thou one of them that seek gain from the quarter , and bears rule by thy means , divines for money , and teacheth for filthy lucre , teach for hire , and for the fleece , which the prophets and apostles cryed wo against ? mic. . jer. . isa. . ex. . xv. art not thou one of them that serves not our lord jesus christ , but thy own belly , that if people put into thy mouth , give thee tythes , and means , and gain , and filthy lucre , thou wilt serve them ; if not , thou wilt not ? is not this for thy belly , and not for christ , who said , freely ye have received , freely give ; and they that did so , wa●●●d nothing , though christ sent them amongst vvolves ? mat. . , . xvi . what was the field the merchant-man looked his pearl in ? and where is it ? mat. . , . xvii . and where is the bottomless pit , whose smoak hath darkened the air ? and where is the air ? rev. . . xviii . what are the tongues the gospel is to be preached to ? whether it be not to you ( orthodox men ) who call them your original ? rev. . . xix . what is the false prophet and anti-christ inwardly ravened from ? and what is the sheeps clothing that they wore ? mat. . . xx. what is the anointing in people to teach them , that they need not any man to teach them , but as it teacheth them , spoken of in the first epistle of john . , . xxi . what is the light that shines in the heart , that gives people the knowledge of god in the face of jesus christ ? cor. . . xxii . is any a true christian , but who hath the law of god in his mind and in his heart , and need not say to one another , know the lord ? was not this that that differed from the jews , who had the law without them ? have any of these talkers of christ the apostles words , makers of trades of them , life , except they eat his flesh , and drink his blood ? have ye eaten th●t ? and doth any man eat that that doth deny the light , that hath enlightened every man that comes into the world ? heb. . , . john . , , . xxiii . were not the steeple-houses , which ye call the churches or temples , the old mass-houses , which ye creep into ▪ yea ar nay ? xxiv . was ezra's pulpit set up in the temple and synagogue , ye or nay , or set up in the street before the water-gate ? and how many might stand upon it ? and whether it was like yours , yea or nay ? nehem. . , . xxv . and were not your colledges set up by the papists , to make ministers by ? and whether your colledges and steeple-houses have not the papists names to them ? and were not the jesuites the tribe of black-coats ? whether ever , yea or nay , thou hast deserted at all the habit wherewith thou wert d●stinguished ? xxvi . whether dost thou own and believe that christ doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world , yea or nay ? john . . xxvii . whether ever any minister of christ did imprison any for maintenance ? but on the contrary , they should covet no man's silver , and they that were covetous crept into houses , had the form , and denyed the povver , whether or no they were not to be turned away from ? tim. . , . xxviii . and whether or no they are ministers of christ , that swear , seeing christ saith , swear not at all ; and james saith , above all things my brethren swear not ? and whether or no they are not false brethren that do swear , that fall into the condemnation ? james . . matthew . . xxix . whether ever any minister of christ imprisoned for tythes , seeing christ saith , freely ye have received , freely give ? and whether ever any minister of christ runs to the powers of the earth for maintenance , seeing the apostle saith , he that feeds the flock shall eat of the milk ? whether these things be the fruits of the spirit , in suing men for tythes and maintenance they do no vvork for ? and if so , shew the example by scripture ; if not , are they not to be turned away from ? cor. . . xxx . whether any of the disciples of christ carried bag , but judas the thief and betrayer of the just ? john . . the mouth of the pit stopped , and the smoak that hath arisen out of it scattered by the breath of truth . in answer to a lying story called hell broken loose , or the history of the quakers , published by thomas vnderhil , a seller of the whore's merchandize , otherwise called a book-seller . his lyes returned upon him , his accusations answered , and his envy declared , and truth cleared from all his reproaches . by one that waits to see death and hell cast into the lake of fire , with the beast and the false prophet . f. h. the epistle· thomas underhil , thou seeds-man of lyes , and slanders , and false reports , whose hell is broken loose , and is spreading , where the banks are not set , nor the bounds ; and thy greatest madness and rage is at them that tremble at the word of god , and work out their salvation with fear and trembling ; and thy lyes , and slanders , and false reports we understand are set on sale in such a man's shop , to get gain upon the innocent , and the ground is seen , and the earth , in which thou may'st sow thy evil seed , and thy lyes , slanders , and false reports , who art a man fitted , whom the devil hath found out to go on in his will , and to do his work ; for a long time hath he been fitting of thee , and for a long time hath the seed been sown in thee , and now it is growing , and buds forth , and hell is broken loose ; but thou art taken ( and the hell ) who art the seeds ▪ man of the devil , that sows lyes , the prince of death ; but all is and shall be taken , and cast into the lake of fire , the hell , the devil , the author of thy work , and thou , except thou speedily repent : was there ever such thing heard or seen , that thomas underhil should gather up lyes , slanders and false reports , and set them to sale at the star in pauls church-yard , as he calls it ? there is a refuge of lyes of his for any to shelter under , that are given up to believe lyes , but that will not save you from the storm nor the wrath of the almighty , but the beesome is witnessed , that sweeps all the refuge of lyes into the fire , and brings the lyar to judgment ; and thou wilt become a shame and a stink to all modest and sober people , the witness in thy own conscience shall witness it . and dost thou think that the nations of england , scotland and ireland do not begin to see your priests , and such as thee , that hold them up , and such as thee callest converts ? what a stink and a nasty smell there is in your streets , in your towns , in your steeple-houses , as though you had never heard talk of god and christ ; your natures are so unchanged , and your priests haling up and down to courts and assizes , and cast into prison till death for their bellies and their mouths such they do no work for , & your prisoning and persecuting for not swearing to the priests bill , and the priests rude miltitude breaking the windows , breaking up meetings , and breaking the heads of people , the servants and messengers of the lord , that you are almost become like a field of blood , whipping such as warn you to repent ; and here hell hath been broken loo●e , and thou art a seeds-man of him that is out of the truth , who art an encourager with thy lyes and slanders of these persecutors but thy own words shall be thy burthen . g. f. the mouth of the pit stopped , and the smoak that hath arisen out of it scattered by the breath of truth . it is written , he that watcheth for iniquity shall be cut off , and the wicked shall come to an end ; although the long-suffering of the lord be great , who waiteth that men might return , and cease to work iniquity , and to strive against his holy spirit , by which he reproveth the world of sin and the wicked of their transgressions , and to this end hath he given a measure of his spirit to every man ( though contemned and despised by the wicked , that they might see themselves , and be humbled for their iniquity , and repent of their transgressions , yet notwithstanding such is the obstinacy of many , as that they hate the reproof of instruction , yea , the scorne● and the fools , unto whom wisdom cryeth , return at my reproof , so that all are left without excuse ; yet notwithstanding , though they reject the mercy and love of the lord , and gainsay his holy spirit , though they do for a while persist in their wickedness , yet this shall be the end , the wicked shall not go unpunished ; of that certain testimony is given , that god hath appointed a day , wherein he will judge the secrets of all hearts by jesus christ , according to the everlasting gospel , which was declared , and now is published again by them that are come and coming out of the apostacy ; and in that day thou thomas underhil shalt be convinced of thy ungodly deeds , and of thy hard speeches , and false accusations , and reproachful calumniations and slanders , and of many false things which thou hast charged against a people whom christ hath redeemed by his most precious blood , which thou shalt be judged for in that day , when terror shall fill thy heart , and wrath come upon thee , from whence thou shalt not be able to flee , though thou may'st call to the hard rocks and to the high hills , which are in the transgression , whose hands thou would'st now strengthen against the just ▪ and blind their eyes , that so they might receive thy false suggestions and instigations , and so would'st perswade them to stretch out their hands against them which are to be preserved and cherished , who are dear unto the lord , as the apple of his eye , but the lamb of god , who taketh away the sins of the world , who is arisen and arising in his power and might , to make war in righteousness against the beast and his power , the mother of harlots and her golden cup of fornication , against anti-christ and his men of war , against the dragon and his army , and he is travailing in the greatness of his strength , who shall subdue the nations to himself , and break all the ungodly that stand in his way as a potters vessel ; and behold a numberless number have taken part with him , who rides on in the power & strength of his might , the least of which thou shalt not be able to stand before , but shall vanish as smoak , and be consumed as stubble before the fire , which shall burn up all the ungodly , and melt them all away that hate the lord , then shalt thou call to the rocks and to the hills , from whence thou now lookest for salvation , that thou mightest be preserved in safety still in babylon , where is thy habitation , and in the region of the shadow of death , which thou hast taken up for thy dwelling-place , and that they might suppress that which thou callest heresie and blasphemy , which hath invaded thy kingdom already , and put out thy light , and is staining that which thou gloryest in , and is bringing contempt upon thy mother's merchandize , of which thy shop is filled with books of curious arts , and made up in the imaginations of men of corrupt minds , many of which are good for nothing but for the fire , which have bewitched people from the simplicity of the gospel , and have darkened peoples understandings , and brought a mist and a cloud over peoples hearts , so that the sun of righteousness could not be seen to arise in the hearts of people ; and now thou ( with the rest of babylon's merchants ) which have long trafficked with their sorceries , art angry , because thou hast had a share in her merchandize , and hast gotten gain by selling of such traffick , which is as unsavoury salt , good for nothing , but to be trodden under foot of men , thou cryest , like demetrius for his shrines , great is the goddess diana ; and thou with other who have got gain and a trade by the aforesaid inchantments of the harlot and her merchants , thou cryest , the church , the church , the ministry , the ministry , and religion , the national ministry , which when the matter is enquired into , what the church is , it is found to be no other then the mother of harlots , who hath sitten upon the waters these many hundred years , and the ministry is no other but them that are in balaam's way , and such whose hearts are exercised with covetous practices , and such as the prophets and apostles declared against , who sought for their gain from their quarter , and who taught those things they ought not for filthy lucre : and for religion , it is nothing but a profession in vvords at best , without the life , or else some old traditions , human inventions , and innovated customs , which have been brought in since the apostacy ; but i say , because of thy gainful craft , thou art now busied , as thou hast been divers years , not only against the quakers , but against others who have separated from your hypocritical vvorships , and deceitful formalities , and for this end thou hast bended thy tongue to tell lyes , and thy ear is open to mischief , that thou mightest get any thing to accuse the truth withal , and to set up and promote thy long trading with deceit ; what ! have not the hills and the mountains , parliaments , protecctors formerly gratified thee , that thou art so covetous and greedy of persecution and blood-shed ? though thy insatiable desire hath not been satisfied , neither i believe ever shall , yet thou shalt not go unpunished ; and when judgment comes upon thee , then may'st thou call to the rocks and to the hills to cover thee , and hide thee from the wrath of the lamb , and from the presence of his holy host , but they shall not be able to save thee . what! hath not all the beacons that thou hast fired given sufficient warning to all the dragon's host , and to all the beast's army , and to all the harlot's merchants , and to all babylon's children , that they might come out all to battel ? they have been fired these five years , hast thou not gotten all thy host up together by thy books , which formerly thou calledst so , to withstand the lamb and his followers , that thou art come on again with a fresh on-set , to see if thou canst stop the way of truth , that people might not receive it ? for that is thy end in writing this lying history , as thou thy self hast confest : alas poor man ! is this all thy strength that thou art able to make up , and are these all the weapons of thy war-fare , a company of vain arguments out of the priests books , which have written as thou hast done against the truth , and old stories which thou hast received out of our adversaries writings , which thou hast heaped up together to fill peoples minds which prejudice , that they might not receive the truth ? dost thou think this is like to prevail ? a company of broken bowes and shattered spears , and lame chariots , whose wheels have been often taken off , which we have over-run and trampled down , that few will have any trust to these , or this is but to set bryars and thorns in battel against the lord. thy book thou callst , hell broke loose , or a history of the quakers , published to preserve christians against formality of religion and apostacy ▪ and to the intent that thy book might not grow old nor stick upon thy hands , as such other moudly stuff hath done , thou saist , london printed in the year . and so hast printed a lye in the frontis-piece of thy book ; thy book by that time , thou may'st hang up with old almanacks or sell for waste paper , and if thou beginst with a lye and scorn , how dost thou think that this will be an antidote ( as thou callst it ) against formality and apostacy ? is not a lyar an apostate ? is not he that pleads for popish trumpery a formalist in religion without the power ? he that reads but thy title page may see what thy book is within , if he go no further , the covenant of death is not yet broken in thee , and the agreement with hell is not yet disannulled , and therefore all this smoke is come out of the pit in which thou delights to dwell . and is this such a worthy piece in thy account , that thou must needs shelter it under the wings of the officers , of the army of england , scotland and ireland ? art thou so great a friend to them ? and in thy book tell'st them they were the in-let of heresie and blasphemy , who art but yet an episcopal stem , or at best a presbyterial branch . i believe many amongst them will savour thy spirit , and know what uniformity and unity thou art for , which may be more properly called deformity and enmity , and so thy flattering epistle when they see thy spirit will hardly merit thanks , and so that wicked spirit which could not be satisfied in the time of the former parliaments , and protectors , still persists in the unsatiable desire to see if the army will gratifie thee and turn persecutors ; but thou hast mist it far in crying a confederacy to the reverend pastors or priests of scotland ; the army knows right well , or at least might do , that the priests of scotland , whom thou so reverencest have been alwayes hinderers , and obstructors of the way of god and of his work these divers years , instance two ●o three hundred of them before the sight at dunbar , who prophesied all like zedekiah for the poor scots against the english army to go up and prosper ; and cursed them and excommunicated them and gave them up to satan and for distruction ; but such prophets were made fools , and their divinations were madness ; and god gave a sufficient testimony against them and their deceived followers , which i hope the english army have not 〈◊〉 forgotten ; and for the scotish priests and their doctrine and practice , 't is so grosly ignorant and abominably prophane , as i believe many of the army do right well know ; but such as are not satisfied , i refer them to a book called , the doctrines and principles of the priests of scotland , wherein may be seen their deceit , and how some of them have said , they had reason to curse the magistrates from morning to night , because that allowance was granted unto any , to worship god in spirit and truth who could not be subject to their traditional uniformity ; and thou tellest the army in thy epistle , that ruin is like to come upon all religion and piety , if god prevent it not by you , or some other way ; they may see what religion thou art of , which may be rather called irreligious and impious , the government of religion and piety lyes upon the shoulders of him , who is a wonderful counsellor , and mighty to save , and able to defend them that are subject to him , and wouldst thou have the souldiers or any others intrude themselves into christ's throne , unto whom all power is committed both to make religious and preserve pious them that do believe in him , this were to derogate from the honour and power which belongs to christ , who is the head of the church , who will not give his glory to another ; and let all take notice of this , that whosoever hath sought to take honour from him , and glory from him , he hath laid their honour in the dust , and their glory is become as the moth-eaten garment , as hitherto it hath been evident ; and thou tellst them , they know the scripture is god's written word and a holy perfect rule of faith and practice , and that it holds out that christ is now in his human glorified body in heaven . if thou hadst said , the scripture are the words of god written , thou hadst said something ; for the word of god is one thing , and the words are another , though the words are a testimony of the word ; and the word and the spirit which is one , which gave forth the words , are the perfect rule and foundation of faith , which was before the words , and is greater then the words , as we have often declared to thy dearest generation , though they would not hear ; and where doth the scripture hold forth a human glorified body in heaven ? thy deceit and ignorant mind holds out a human glorified body ; we say according to the scriptures , that christ's body is spiritual , and he is raised a spiritual body , and is glorified in a spiritual body , and in a heavenly body , which thou never knewest , neither art like while the nature lives in thee , in which thou now stands . and thou say'st , in thy epistle , that one day in seven , should be set apart for rational souls to mind the things of eternity . and which is that day that thou wilt set apart ? some of babylon's merchants have cryed up one day , and some have cryed up another day , and some have called the seventh day the sabbath , and some have called the first day the sabbath , and whether was sabbaths made for man ▪ or man for sabbaths , and whether was dayes made for man , or man made for dayes ? all time is in the hand of the lord , and they that have communion with him do mind the things of eternity every day ; and so they come to know the day of the lord , in which rest is given to the soul , and the creature hath rest , though he labour in the creation , when that is done away in himself which hath opprest ; thou may'st go learn what this means . in thy post-script ( as thou callst it ) thou saist , if any shall take offence for thy seeking to civil or military power to support religion , thy defence is , & thy belief is , that thou ought to seek to the higher powers to support religion ; and this is the liberty of thy conscience , and that this thou may do , more acceptably then they who cross their own profest opinion as they have done of late years by motions , counsels , books , and papers , which they have delivered for these many years for ●he pulling down the ministry and steeple-houses , and that their importuning the magistrate to pull down ministry and worship is a yielding of the cause . i say , thy belief is without the true foundation , and so may properly be called unbelief , and thou errst in thy judgment , who seekst to civil or military power to uphold religion , which as i said before belongs to him who is the higher , and highest power ; civil and military officers are not for making religion , or setting up religion , but are to keep the peace , and to stop the violent-doer , and to be a terror to evil works and workers , and a praise to them that do dwell ; and that is their place to govern in righteousness , but not to exercise lordship over the conscience , which power belongs only to christ ; and as for them who have delivered books and papers and words and writings to them who are in authority , to pull down the ministry and steeple-houses , or publick ministry and worship , if thou intendest the quakers , as i believe thou dost , thy arrows being shot only at them ; we have delivered , or caused to be delivered divers book and papers , wherein we have shewed them the grievous suffering of the people of god , by the heavy oppressions which they did suffer under , because of the hirelings wages and upholding of mass-houses , things which have been introduced since the primitive times in the apostacy , which aforesaid things have been guarded and upheld by laws , made in the beast's power ; now to make null those laws which were the ground of many oppressions ▪ and an offence to many tender consciences , this is not to pull down religion● ; and that ministry which can be pull'd down by taking away of tythes and forced maintenance , is no ministry of christ , but ministers of anti-christ , and to deny paying to steeple-houses , clark-wages , burying for the dead , and such other like invented things , which many have groaned under , is not to pull down religion : for this i say to thee , and that which i can say to all , which no reasonable or equitable man will deny to be equitable or just , take the hireling ministry to thee , and give him the fifth part of thy estate if thou wilt , and erect thy steeple-house like babel's tower , but trouble not us with none of these things : and for declaring to the magistrates that these things ought to be done away , and the law by which they stood , which was made in transgression ought to be taken away , this is not to pull down the ministry nor true religion , but to overturn deceit and invocation , which hath obstructed and hindered pure reformation which hath been talkt on , for these are but the rotten raggs of the whore's menstruous garment ; so thy defence is made void and ours standeth true , that the magistrate or military power hath nothing to do , to prescribe any form of religion to bind all unto , for this is an intruding into those things that belong not to them . thou say'st , that thou dost freely and sincerely affirm , that thou hast not knowingly wronged the quakers in the least , but dost engage thy self to make good every thing thou chargest against them , that shall require it of thee . that we shall see afterwards , how thou wilt make good that which thou hast charged some with ; hast thou not knowingly wronged us , when thou hast brought all those which thou countest hereticks all europe over , and some parts else , and whatsoever they did or said must be imputed unto us ; i know thy envy in times past , with the rest of the priests , was as much aga●nst them who were separate from your assemblies , as now against us ; and all these things that thou hast raked up in this book , out of histories of germany , of new-england , which i am not credulous to receive from thy mouth , no more then i shall thy history ( as thou callest it ) of the quakers ; for thou who wilt lye of them which are so near thee , may report many untruths at a distance ; and these things the hireling priests were wont to charge upon the baptists and independents , but now we are become the object of all your reproach , and your butt to shoot at , but we are in that which the devil cannot prevail against , neither the gates of hell. in thy third chapter thou say'st , thou wilt treat of the predecessors of the quakers ▪ and thou reckonest up simon magus , menander , saturnus , how he taught that marriage and generation was of satan , and arrias , who denyed the divinity of christ , and pelagius a monk , who held that a man without the grace of god was able to fulfil all the commandment of god , and of basilides , that he taught that it was not jesus , but simon of cirene that was crucified in his shape . these are none of our predecessors , take them to thy self ; and whether hast thou not knowingly wronged us in these things ? and how wilt thou make every thing good which thou hast charged us withal ? these things fore-mentioned and many more , which i shall pass over , as not to trouble the reader with , in which thou hast charged us falsly , wherein thou art required to make good the charge , or else cease thy clamorous tongue ; these that thou hast reckoned up , you use to call them arians , saturnians and pelagians , but now thou hast made them all quakers . in thy th page thou manifestest what spirit thou art of , thou tellest of the old church-government being taken away ( to wit , the common-prayer-book , t●ken out of the mass-book ) then began sects to arise : so that it seems , thy chief reformation and religion is but the old lithurgy , which is little better then the mass ; and the ministers the old corrupt bishops , that the earth groaned with the burthen thereof , whose ordination and call is from the pope , their original , and from the church of rome , your mother , from whence these state-hirelings , which burthen the whole creation , sprang forth ; thou would'st have all confined unto this dark mist , and compelled to worship according unto those popish traditions held forth for publick worship in that time . further thou bring'st a heap of lyes out of baxter , a man at enmity against all goodness , who hath written many lying books against the living truth , for which the lord god will call him and thee to account . thou set'st down some of that which thou call'st our principles in the th page , how that we deny all officers in a common-wealth ; and how we deny all relation , as brother and sister , magistrate , master , father , mother , son and daughter , husband and wife , and that husband and wife should part assunder , and that all things should be common ; all these things shall turn upon thy own head ; and now to the light in thy conscience i speak , which thou despisest , whether thou hast not wilfully wronged us ? and i require of thee , according to thy promise , to make these things good ; but i believe thy proof is out of our adversaries books , baxter's and the priests of new-castle , which things have been answered , and their lyes turned upon their own heads . in the th page , thou hast gathered some words and sentences out of our books , many of them are so evident and manifest truths to all that are come to a good understanding , that they need no vindication , for they will vindicate themselves , and have an evident witness in every ones conscience that believes , so far as thou hast truly transcribed them ; and many of those doctrines and practices , which thou hast set down as errors , the scripture will bear witness to , and the example of the saints evidence and the judicious will receive with gladness of heart , and by it thy envious spirit will be made manifest to all where thy lying story shall come . in thy th page , thy lips being accustomed to utter forth lyes and deceit , thou proceedest and say'st , that the quakers say that a man is justified by the merit of good works and inherent righteousness ; and how that we hold the real corporal presence of christ in many places at once , and overthrow the articles of christ's humanity ; and further thou say'st , that christ is corporally in heaven : but for proof i expect none from thee , for thou speakest as though thy tongue were thy own ; and i charge thee to instance where in all our writings we have said , that a man is justified by inherent righteousness , or where thou find'st real corporal presence ? or where is it written in the scripture , that christ is corporally in heaven ; yet the man christ is at the right hand of god , from whence he shall appear to thy judgment and condemnation , except thou repent , and christ , god's righteousness , must be revealed within , by which the saints are justified . in thy st page thou tellest of the actions and manners of the quakers , and thou say'st , they will not put off their hats before the highest authority ▪ and how they stood covered , and thoued and theed the chair-man and members of parliament , to the great dishonour of the authority of england , as ever was admitted : this shows that the authority of england hath in times past been out of the authority of god ; and in the same authority which we find mentioned in the scripture , before whom the prophets , christ and the apostles were brought before , though many of the magistrates then were out of the power of god , yet they did not reprehend them for want of hats , or caps , or bowings , or saying thee or thou , and it seems the committee and members of parliament did count it no dishonour , though thou dost , who art a busie-body ; but fools love to be medling . then thou proceedest on and say'st , they will not petition men , no not the greatest power , witness all their addresses to the protectors ; and also tells , how a quaker in hartfordshire swore against them that pulled down the house where the quakers met : it is not consistent with them that are in the truth and in the power of god , to come with feigned petitions , full of flattery and deceit , which answereth not god's witness , but rather the wrong part , which would be courted and flattered , which holds under the just , neither can they who are in the truth make such feigned complemental addresses , as the hireling teachers from all quarters of the nation did to the late protectors , who flattered them , and told them , they would stand by and lay down all for that which they asserted , and called one of them joshuah , and the other moses , and said , they committed the keeping of the faith of our lord jesus christ unto them , and such like blasphemies ; but as soon as the wheel turned about in the next moneth , call them traytors , tyrants and usurpers ; and these were your stinking addresses and your feigned supplications , which all sober and understanding people were ashamed of ; and thy priests , which thou callest ministers , and their confederates , which thou callest christians , have flattered them , and bowed under every deceit , and turned with every wind , instance in the dayes of edward the th , henry the th , elizabeth , and mary , and charles , and when these were overthrown , which you used to call god's anointed , then you strike in with what thing soever arises , as instance one parliament after another , and then for protectors , and then no protectors , but a parliament ; and thus have you flattered each of the rulers , though never so unjust , till the wrath of god hath sunk the most of them , because they have hearkened to flattery and deceit , and had not their ears open to them with whom the counsel of god is ; we have counselled them oft ▪ and have fore-warned them in all plainness and nakedness of heart , though our counsel hath been rejected , yet god hath fulfilled our testimony thus far upon them all : and as for the quaker in hartford-shire , who ( thou say'st ) swore against some who did abuse him and the quakers ; i do believe he was one of thy own generation , and lately one of your popish parochial congregations , instituted first by pope dionysius , although the man was more moderate then the rest , and did grieve to see his neighbours abused , and sober people disturbed , and the house broken down , and blood shed , and that by the justification of thy sir t.h. the man not being convinced of the unlawfulness of an oath , did give testimony against the riotous persons and evil-doers , and against him who encouraged them in it ; and shall he be condemned by thee , who actest the same thing ? was it evil in him , and is it righteous in thee ? although i do not justifie the thing , for it is known to many thousands in the nation , that the quakers will not swear upon any account , lest they should fall into condemnation ; but there are none can escape thy slanderous pen , who loveth uprighntess & truth ; but all thy smitings in the dark will at last fall upon thy own pate . further thou goest on and say'st ▪ we cry up liberty of conscience , but are not willing to give it to others , because thou say'st , many thousand times some ministers have been disturbed by them in their religious exercises : that liberty which we would enjoy our selves , the same we can and will allow unto all men , which is most equitable ; and though we have gone into the steeple-houses and old mass-houses , and declared against idolatry and deceit , formality , feignedness and hypocrisie , or spoken the words of truth and soberness , either in exhortation , admonition and reproof , this was the manner of the apostles of christ , whose consciences were exercised in purity towards god ; but that which was order in the churches of christ , is counted disturbance by you mass-house-worshippers , and yet you would arrogate unto your selves the name of a church , and yet are out of gospel-order ; you are for the liberty of the flesh , and not for the liberty of a pure conscience . thou say'st , the quakers are grievous lyars , and thy proof is , that richard hubberthorn said , that the wicked are not to read the scriptures , and e. burroughs saith , the wicked and ungodly are to read the scriptures , and not the godly ; and thou say'st , in this they have not both spoken truth . we know no lye is of the truth , but of the devil , who abode not in the truth ; and we are redeemed out of lying by the truth , which hath set us free , and thou art found the lyar thy self ; for both the words of r. h. and of e. b. thou hast perverted and not spoken the truth , as afterwards may be made more manifest . in the th page of thy lying story , thou say'st , the quakers have succeeded much , and have prevailed in these nations , and beyond the seas ; but thou hopest where-ever thy book shall arive before them the people will so well know them as to abhor any further acquaintance with them : here thou hast manifested thy spirit to be like the envious jews , who crucified the lord of life , and persecuted the apostles from city to city , sometimes running before them with their lyes , and sometimes after , to oppose them , and to stir up the vagabond fellows and ruder sort of people to oppose and abuse them , yet notwithstanding , the truth prevailed , and many believed on the name of christ through their words which they published unto them ; we have found the like opposition , not only from strangers , but also of our own country-men , and have had many such lying stories as thine sent before us , and spread over the nations ; and yet god hath carryed on his work , notwithstanding all rage , opposition and cruelty it hath prevailed , and shall prevail , for so is the purpose and will of god ; and they who shall see thy book , who are but reasonable men , will abhor and detest thy envious spirit , and truth shall be more advanced , and that shall be fulfilled , the remainder of the wrath of man shall turn to the praise of god. thou sayest , they are a very cruel bloody people , if we may judge the lyon by his paw , or what is abundantly in their hearts . god will confound thy lying lips and thy deceitful tongue ; whose blood have we shed ? can we not say , and that of a truth , and have our testimony by gods witness in every man , that we are clear of the blood of all men ? nay , on the contrary , hath not our blood been spilt in your places of worship , which you account holy , and have not many suffered in bond until death , by the reason of the oppression of the blood ●hirsty priests of this nation ? and thou mightst well have been silent if thou hadst not had an impudent face ; have not we much to lay to your charge and that truly ? what dost thou judge of thy godly ministers in lancashire and cheshire , whom thou callst the valient captains of christ's army , which preached up the people into rebellion upon pain of damnation ? and others said , except they went to the randevous , it was much if they were saved ; and others said , the nations must be purged with blood , to shed the blood of all those that withstood them ; and others said , if god would stand as a newter , they had men enough ; and such blasphemous words and doctrines were uttered , which are too tedious to relate , and all this quarrel they said , was against the quakers : now let the reader judge the lyon by his paw , and what is in these mens hearts , by their words and actions before mentioned . and now to conclude this in thy own wrods , what would not these men do if they had power to their will ? but the power of the lord god preserves the innocent , and is against all the workers of iniquity ; i shall not trouble the reader with what priest ford , and fowler of readding hath gathered up out of priests books , which they have vomited forth against the way of truth , nor what tho. underhil hath licked up and vomits out again , which is but that which hath been vomited up before ; so that it may be said , of them all as the prophet saith , their tables is full of vomit , and filthy spewing covers them all ; all which things hath been answered over and over , but that swine love to be wallowing in the mire , and doggs love to lick up their vomit , and the envy of the wicked will not cease till he be cut off , nor the evil eye for watching after mischief till it be put out ; and now tho· underhill and the rest of thy party , who resist the spirit , if i would recriminate , might not i more justly and truly bring many thousands bad examples acted by your party , who are accounted christians , and charge them all upon you , then all these things in thy lying story , which thou hast brought against the quakers . if i should go from parish to parish , as thou hast done from one end of the land to another , and so also beyond the seas , and should i rekon up all the fornicatours and adulterers , all the thieves and murtherers , all the proud and covetous , all the fighters , brawlers , railers , drunkards , cheaters and defrauders , and should charge all these upon the presbyter● , what a volume i might make , and were not this a just retaliation ? wouldst thou count it an equal thing , or would it be accounted just in the sight of sober men , if i should charge the moderate and guiltless with these things before-mentioned ? then judge thy self for thy envy and foolishness and let thy mouth be stopped forever , for accusing those whom god justifies . in the page , in thy observation on the whole history , that one may talk much of god and christ , and of the things of religion , and all in vain ; and how the coming in of unbelief shuts out truth , faith and piety , and the great danger the nation is in by being overturn with hypocrisie and formality in religion , and how many have the form of godliness , but deny the power . he whose eye is open may see the intent of thy history is to resist the power of truth , and to strengthen deceit ; and this shall stand for thy own lot , and for the congregations and assemblies thou art pleading for , who at the best are but in the subburbs babylon , who talk of god and christ , and of the spirit , and of religion , but all in vain ; for nothing is brought forth among you but formality , deceit and hypocrisie , and error and unbelief ; and a form of godliness hath long covered the nation , and truth , faith and piety hath been rejected , and the power of godliness ; but now hath the lord appeared , and hath rent the vail , and manifested the deceitfull workers and hypocrites , and though thou be observant as to others foot-steps , yet thou hast not viewed thy self , neither pulled the beam out of thine own eye , neither hast discovered thy envy , nor the murderous spirit that rules in thy heart , from whence all these muddy waters flow forth , and all this fog and mists arise , which darkens the air , which whosoever receives in , their understandings come to be darkned ; but all that fear the lord will see out of thy corrupt heart all this mischief , which thou hast long been treasuring up doth now come forth , upon which the day of wrath will come , both upon thee and it . thou saist , the quakers have no reason in the world to boast of their sufferings as they do , for thy have suffered as evil-doers , for being uncivil to magistrates , and disturbing god's people in their assemblies , and for being busie-bodies and some other known wickedness , and all their chargin● courts and justices with persecution falls flat to the ground . we are no boasters , but rejoyce in our sufferings for christ's sake , neither are we weary , but are willing to bear and suffer , till the lord arise and plead our cause , and our sufferings are recorded , and the lord hath considered them , though men would not , and hath overturned many and rebuked many for our sakes , and it is he that justifies us , and who art thou that condemns us ? the testimony of our innocency and the causeless suffering , hath a witness in many thousands hearts , who are not like thine as flint ; and what uncivility hath any to lay to our charge , as against m●gistracy ? whom have we wronged , or what violence have we done to any , except thou judge that incivility , because we do not complement , bow and flatter , and make feigned addresses , like thy generation ? and this , your highness , and the other , your excellency , and another , my illustrious lord , and the next week or next month call them traytors , tyrants and usurpers ; and as i told thee before , that which was order among the churches , is accounted disturbance by thee , which evidently manifests that you are in the apostacy , and out of the christian religion , which was professed and practiced among the primitive christians ; and for any known wickedness among us , i am out of all doubt , if thou hadst any thing , thou wouldst preach it upon the house top ; known wickedness hath god redeemed us from , which thou yet wallowst in and yet takest delight in ; and therefore all these known wicked & abominable falshoods & lyes are come forth , besides the abusing of our words , and false representing what we have written as our doctrines to the world ; and this thou hast done , sometimes added to our words , and sometimes detracted from them ; and sometimes addest thy own collections , & then presentst them to publick view as our errors and blasphemies ; and as for courts and justices , magistrates and rulers , many of them hitherto have ruled by the dragon's powers , and not by the power of god , & in that many have incouraged the evil-doers , and have not listned to the cry of the oppressed ; therefore hath the lord god overturned them , and their day is past , and our charges against their wickedness and persecution , neither our testimony , neither our sufferings have fallen to the ground , but stand as a record against them . and thou saist , it is high time for all the redeemed ones , and sanctified ones , and children of grace , the favourites of heaven , honest , godly , sincere christians , children that will not lye to improve their intrust in god , for this sinful divided nation . what dost thou own any to be redeemed and sanctified , or to be children of grace , or that do not lye ? and yet cryest out of perfection as blasphemy , or that any should come to or live by that which is perfect ; if thou excludest the quakers to be any of these , they will not findm any redeemed , sanctified , honest , godly , sincere christians ; and all your improvement and your intrust which you have in god and in christ , will but amount to a small dram ; you all of you hitherto as you have said , have improved your intrust , and have sought god , as you have said , by your prayers and humiliations for the suppressing of that which you call heresie , and yet you have had no answer , neither hath he listned nor will he listen nor bow down his ear unto , because your hearts are full of abominations ; and as for relapsing into popery , you never came out of it , witness the priests popish ordination , their popish attire , your popish mass-houses , your cross and bells , your popish tythes , easter-reckonings , and mid-summer dues , your popish colledges , your popish crosses , and your popish images in and about your idols temple , and because of the holding up of these things , the hearts of many of god's people are made sad , and because you would hold up your religion by swords and clubs , and persecute others who dissent from you in this , you are one with the papists ; and is this all thy reformation that thy godly ministry can bring forth ? you have travailed in vain , and spent your strength for nought , and because of these things the hand of god is against all in the nation who hold them up ; and who is he that can alter the counsel of the lord ? and god will not be reconciled to the nation till these things be done away , because of these things and many more grievous oppressions which have been holden up ; therefore god hath broken them in the midst of their counsels , and confounded them in the midst of their devices , and will confound and overthrow all deceitful workers , and unprofitable talkers , such as thou art , and one hill shall fall after another , till there shall be a great plain , that the ransomed of the lord may walk over , and worship the lord together in spirit and love and truth , in joy and gladness of heart , even as when israel kept the feast of tabernacles . and now i shall come to let the reader see , how thou hast falsified our words which thou hast added thy own imaginations to , and then hast quoted our books to make people believe they are our words , whenas they are thy own forged lyes , the which i shall return upon thee . first , thou sayest george fox , in truth defended saith , that preaching the word , praying and singing are no appointments of christ , whenas he saith no such thing , but the hireling priests divinations and feigned prayers and other mens words in rhime and meeter are the inventions of men , and not the ordinances of christ. secondly , thou saist , e. b. in truth defended saith , the priest taking tythes in the time of the law was evil , and proved them to be false prophets and deceivers ; whenas he saith quite contray , that the priests took tythes under the law , according to the command of god , but now the priesthood was changed , and the law was changed ; and them what preach for hire , and seek for their gain from their quarter , or take tythes , are in the steps of false prophets and deceivers , and no ministers of christ. thirdly , that it 's dangerous for the ignorant and unlearned to read the scripture , and the ministers of it are the ministers of death : now thou hast detracted from the words ; there it is said , that it is dangerous for thee to take the scripture to war against the saints withal , and to make a trade with it , and give carnal exposition , and then sell them for money . fourthly , thou tellest of one master kellet in lancashire and his queries ; whether did not christ institute his last supper with bread and wine ? and r. h. saith , the bread which christ called his body is his church , which words thou hast mangled and perverted , as thou hast done the most thou hast medled with , and there is no such man as master kellet ; the words are these in truth 's defence , p. . christ did not ●peak of bread and wine , but he took bread and brake it , and said , this is my body ; and we witness the breaking of the bread which is the body , and in this answer there is not one word of church . fiftly , e. b. in answer to firmin , his words thou hast perverted , and would bring this as a contradiction of r. h. thou saist , he allows only the wicked and ungodly to read the scripture , such as the scribes and pharisees and not the godly ; and not the godly is thy own addition : he spoke concerning the scribes and pharisees , who thought to have eternal life in the scripture , he saith , this was spoken to the pharisees , and not to believers , yet believers are not excluded from reading the scripture , for them it pertains to , and they understand it ; but thou art like the spider where the bee gathers honey , gathers that which is corrupt , and in thy conclusion of thy story thou takest in hand to supplicate god ; and thou saist it is for the help of them that need it , this thou might have spared till the old prelates had come up again , it may be some synod of them will add to the book of common-prayer thy late service and worship ; dost thou think the lord will hear thy hypocrisie and lyes , without returning his judgment on thy head ? thou tellest of some that set light of christ , and his blood , and word : thou art one of them that set light of christ , and count his blood as a vain thing , as thy own words in thy book shall testifie , where the reader may observe , when we have testified of the true light , which lighteth every man that cometh into the world , who is the way to the father , thou hast set down out words for blasphemy and error , when divers of them are the words of scripture , and none of them but the scripture will testifie unto against thee ; and as for the blood of christ , and the blood of the everlasting covenant thou countest a vain thing and an unholy thing , even which cleanseth from sin , and bears witness against it , and subdues it , and makes them that receive it conquerers over sin ; but thou that cryest out against perfection or freedom from sin , and countest this error and blasphemy , thou denyest that which sanctifieth and cleanseth from sin , and countei● it unholy and vain ; and so if the lord should hear thee , and grant that thou prayest for , destruction would come upon thee , and thou art one of the formal professors that had need to repent of thy deceit , before thou canst pray unto god , either for thy self or others ; but enmity and wickedness lodges in thy heart against the lord and the vvay of truth , and thou hast resisted the counsel of the lord against thy self ; and therefore vvoes , plagues , thunders and storms are truly thy portion , and nothing else must thou expect , which undoubtedly will come upon thee , except ▪ thou repent , and it will be hard for thee to find a place of repentance , for it is yet hid from thine eyes : so i have answered thy lying history , by which thou would'st inchant peoples minds , and have discovered thy deceit and thy poison , which thou hast put in that thou callest an antidote , that so the simple may not be deceived with thy lyes and cheats , neither the innocent betrayed ; only i shall return a few of thy lyes upon thy own head , which thou hast forged up against the quakers out of thy corrupt heart , and out of the lying stories of the priests , with whom thou art in league , but he that sits in heaven laughs you to scorn , and all whose eyes the lord hath opened , will have thy lying story in derision , and loath thy enmity , and testifie against thy spirit , as not to be of god : and because thou hast said in thy advertisement to the reader , that thou hast not knowingly wronged the quakers in the least ; i say , thou hast either knowingly or ignorantly wronged them , and of both thou must repent before thou findest mercy ▪ and because thou tell'st the reader , thou wilt make good every thing thou hast charged against them to any who require it , i do require thee to make these ensuing things good . . that the quakers deny the death and ascension of christ. . that we deny the divinity of christ. . that the priests under the law , that took tythes , did evil , and for it were counted false prophets and deceivers . . that a man is just fled by the merits of his own good works . . that the ignorant may not read the scriptures . . the quakers are a carnal and bloody people . . that the quakers are bewitched and possessed by the devil . . that christians are worse then beasts . . that the body of christ is not in heaven . . that christ as man had his failings . . that man is not reconciled to god until he can stand by his own power 〈…〉 . . that christ was a single man , true man and dyed for us . . that without the grace of god a man may keep the commands of god. . that they deny the relation of a father , a brother , or a wife . . that all that the quakers have suffered is for evil-doing , being malefactors . these among many others thou art required to prove , and to make good , as thou hast promised , or else forever stop thy lying lips , & own thy condemnation for thy envy and false aspersions ; and these things i lay at thy door as lyes , see how thou wilt clear thy self in the sight of them unto whom thou hast written thy story ; many filthy and ungodly stories are besides in thy book , which i shall not trouble the reader , or cumber his mind with thy filthy stuff , but in what already declared , thy deceit will be made manifest and laid open , and truth cleared from thy lyes , and that will be satisfaction to him who desires that all who love the lord may be kept out of the snares and temptations of the devil , who goes about like a roaring lyon , seeking whom he may devour ; and thou may'st see whose foot-steps thomas underhil hath trode , who hath ranged up and down from age to age , from nation to nation , from one region to another , to fetch up lyes and fabulous stories to resist the truth withal , whose reward will be according to his works . friend , consider what thou hast done ; oh how hast thou brought a vail of bad report upon thy name amongst all that fear god ? and how hast thou hurt and wounded thy self by thy own wickedness ? and the scripture is fulfilled upon thee , the wickedness of the wicked shall slay him ▪ what ! hast thou no better use to make of thy time ▪ then to spend it with inventing mischief against a despised people , that seek not the hurt of my one , but thirst and wait for the glorious appearance of the son of god ? and what thou hast sought to do against them shall be the weight upon thy own conscience in the dreadful day of god , whose 〈◊〉 judgments thou canst not escape . alas for thee , poor man , thou secu●e child of babylon , whose strength is weakness , and whose wisdom is meer 〈◊〉 in the sight of the lord : the children of sion do not fear thee , neither do they regard thy revilings , for they dwell in a safe habitation , and 〈◊〉 at perfect rest , and are above all thy fiery darts , which in thy envy 〈◊〉 shootest against them , and thy reward shall be according to thy work and the multitude of men shall not be able to deliver thee from the wr●th that cometh against thee from the lord ; and all the false prophets and wolves in sheeps clothing , with whom thou hast taken part against the 〈◊〉 and his f●llowers , they shall be a broken reed for thee to lean 〈…〉 why ? alas , the determination of the lord is against them , and the day of their sorrow is approaching ; and hadst thou been wi●e for g●d , and for thy own soul , thou would'st not have endangered thine own s●ul on report : and i am not altogether unacquainted with ecclesiastical hist●ri●● their defence ; and though we have no goals ▪ prisons , stocks , nor whips , nor yet any unjust or cruel way of dealing towards you , as you have 〈◊〉 against us , yet we have the lord to be our armour , and he is the only rock of our defence , and he is stronger then man , and in him we trust ▪ and what are all thy lyes and slanders unto us ? and what though balaam for a gift may seek enchantment against us , yet there is no divination found against the elect seed ; and seeing thou hast gone in balaam's path , thou shalt reap his reward , who art an enemy of righteousness , and a perverter of the right way of god , whose end will be wo and misery : wherefore consider , o thou vain mortal man , that must dye and come to nothing ; wherefore hast thou set thy self against god , and heaped up thy multitude of envious words , lyes and slanders against his people ? what is the fruit of such a work , but eternal vengeance from the righteous god ? and though thou art come in the end of the battel , and hast helped gog and magog , according to thy strength , yet friend , our city cannot be shaken , its foundation cannot be removed ; and what art thou , vain ignorant creature , that hast fought against god and his people ? the heart of new-england hardened through vvickedness : in answer to a book entituled , the heart of new-england rent , published by john norton , appointed thereunto by the general court. the doctrine of the quakers vindicated , his arguments made void , his ignorance manifested , and his lying doctrine brought to light , and judged with the word of truth , and truth cleared from his aspersions and slanders by him that waits to see the throne of righteousness exalted above all deceit . f. h. and the rest of the men which were not killed by the plagues , repented not of the works of their hands , neither repented they of their murders , nor sorceries , nor worshipping of devils , rev. . , . now when the lord of life and glory is appearing in his power , as in the dayes of old , and his goodness , mercy and truth , as in the years past , and the riches of his grace and salvation , which he maketh to flow forth , and spring forth from the great deep ; now when he is manifesting his light from his holy habitation , and his saving health from his dwelling place , that the sons of men might be partakers thereof , and praise him who liveth forever and ever , who is the author of eternal salvation unto them that believe ; the pit of darkness hath also opened its mouth , and out of it many unclean spirits do arise , and fogs and mists of darkness , ignorance and error are also arisen out of it , to hinder the light from shining , and to darken the air , that the sun of righteousness might not be beheld , and would dam up the way , that the springs of life might not refresh the city of god and his tender plants , that so the prince of darkness and the king of the bottomless pit might not lose his dominion ; for this end hath he mustred up , and is mustring up all his men of war with their several weapons , and all the engines of wickedness , to resist the lamb of god , who is risen to make vvar in righteousness , that so the kingdom of darkness might still be established , and the subjects thereof live at ease and peace in egypt and sodom , where christ and the vvitnesses are slain ; i say , for this end hath he sent out his men of vvar , to resist the vvork of the lord , which is to destroy the devil's vvork ; one of his champions , more stout then his fellows , is come out with his vveapons of vvar , which are most of them borrowed , and not his own , and the city in which he hath encompassed himself is a refuge of lyes ; but however , he appears with the face of authority , and subscribes himself , john norton , teacher of the church of christ at boston in new-england , who was appointed thereunto by the order of the general court ; his book he calls , the heart of new-england rent at the blasphemies of the present generation , or a brief tract concerning the doctrine of the quakers , shewing the destructive nature thereof to religion , churches and state. now whether john norton was appointed of the general court to be minister of boston , or he was appointed by the general court to tell lyes , how the heart of new-england is rent , whether he intends should be believed , the reader may judge ; for his vvords may be understood of both : however , john norton hath manifested his master , that it was not christ , who appointed him to be minister at boston , but the general court that appointed him ; neither was it christ o● his spirit that set him to work to publish lyes to the vvorld , that the heart of new-england was rent , but the general court ; neither was it christ nor the general assembly that ordered him to write this book , which he calls , a tract concerning the doctrine of the quakers ; but the general court they have ordered thee to tell lyes , and thou hast received thy commission , and actest it , and shewest it to the world , and the sign thereof is , by the appointment of the general court ; before we go any further , men of understanding will judge whose minister , whose souldier , whose warriour john norton is , and at whose appointment and commandment he ministers and wars , and hath cleared himself to be no souldier of christ no minister of christ , but appointed to minister and to war at the appointment of the general court ; and so what will be brought forth by him in his tract , as he calls it , afterwards , as to minister grace to the hearers and readers , the reader may judge , seeing that he is a minister by the will of man , and his work is appointed by the general court : and doth john norton believe that people will receive his testimony , as that the heart of new-england is broken and rent , whenas the blood-thirsty cruelty , and barbarous actions , and inhuman act of cruelty , and the noisome smell , and a bad example have you given to the world , and the lavvs and appointments and orders of that general court of boston and new-england stink in the nostrils of all sober people , which is sounded through the world , and your state is as it was with israel , when blindness happened unto them through their unbelief , the effect of it manifested their apost●cy ▪ the judges then judged for rewards , the priests preached for hire , and prophets divined for money , and the people loved to have it so in their ●nbelief , and then did the rulers grind the faces of the poor , and chop them in pieces , as flesh for the caldr●n , even as you have done , banished some from their habitations , some from their wives and children , and some you have seized upon their lands , taken away their goods by the appointment and order of your courts , by which thou art made a minister , and appointed to tell these lyes , and to utter forth deceit to cover your vvickedness , and to strengthen the devil's kingdom and the subjects thereof , against christ and his kingdom , who came not to destroy mens lives , but to ●ame them , who came not to lay burdens , but to take off burdens , who 〈◊〉 not to destroy the poor and needy , but to relieve the oppressed : and have not your general courts done all this and much more , which they may see and behold with confusion of face ? and when they have whipt them and scourged them , fined them and imprisoned them , seized upon their lands , taken away their goods , wasted their estates , banished them upon pain of death , and when nothing had remained of all their estates , have ordered their children to be sold for bond-slaves , and this by the appointment of the general court , and for no other cause but because they would not put off their hats to their equals , or come to your publick assemblies . oh un-heard of and unparallel'd vvickedness ! the name of your general courts , and the appointment and ordinances thereof will be crowned with infamy and reproach from generation to generation ; but this is come to pass , that your hypocrisie might be made manifest , and your skirts uncovered , that your shame might appear , and that might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet , they eat up my people , as men eat bread : are these the fruits , symptomes and cha●●●cters that your hearts are rent and broken in new-england , or are they not rather manifest tokens that your hearts are like adamant , ( or like the nether mill-stone , or like flint , which is harder then ordinary stones , in which there is no remorse or reluctancy ? and is not this your state , as it was with israel when their hearts were hard ? doth not christ say , by their fruits the false prophets are known , and the tree is known by its fruits ? and have not you brought forth the same fruits ? do not your rulers and teachers rule and teach for reward ? nay , are they not worse ? have not you taken money from them whom you judged malefactors , to pay your servants for doing of your vvork to your marshals , and your bloody task masters and wicked executioners ? o shameless man , and full of impudency , that ever thou durst put pen to paper , or that the general court should ever appoint thee to tell the nation , that your heart was rent in new-england ; but the terror of the lord and the dread of god you m●st all know , before your hearts be rent , which are yet impenetrable and hard , or else all these wretched manifestations and fruits thereof would never have appeared ; but one of thy generation , if not thy self ▪ saith , that a company of thieves , fornicators and fellons may cry out of deserved punishment as persecution as well as we ; god hath cleared us and redeemed us from those things ▪ but is not putting off the 〈…〉 equal , or not joyning or coming to your congregation , that they deserve punishment suitable to thieves , fornicators and fellons , but persecutors & blood-thirsty men were ever blind ; for christ , the prophets and apostles ▪ & the holy men of god , who suffered for the testimony of a good conscience , were ever reputed transgressors , and judged that they suffered deservedly by them who caused them to suffer ; christ was crucified betwixt two thieves , and herod the governour and his men of war set him at nought , and he was numbred amongst transgressors , as it is written of him , and so were all his followers by them that were in cain's way , and in balaam's way , and so hast thou , with the rest of babylon's merchants ▪ these divers years numbred us amongst transgressors , every sect and opinion hitherto hath joyned us to that opinion or sect which was contrary to them ; but thou would'st marr our countenance more then any , thou hast not found a generation bad enough to number us with in this age , but are gone back a thousand years , to fetch up men and doctrines and principles , and would'st fasten them upon us , and so to represent us odious to people ; thou might'st have spent thy time better then to have raked in those old mouldy histories , in which i see thou art better acquainted then with the mind of christ ; but i shall not trouble the reader with thy stories , neither vindicate their doctrines and principles , which were counted hereticks ; these men are dead and gone , thou might'st have let them pass , and have medled with things that pertained to thy own generation , but that thy dead mind feeds upon dead things ; and to tell thee and the world plainly , that thou which wilt lye , and lay things to their charge which they never knew nor maintained , which may be are living and can reprove thee for thy falshood and deceit in this generation , thou mayst well speak falsly , and lay things to their charge which they never maintained , which are at such a distance as or years ago ; and if the adversaries of these men did write their principles , and set down their errors and blasphemies , as i believe many of them did , i do less credit their report , and am not altogether unacquainted with ecclesiastical histories , from whence thou hast had these stories , although now i count the time just lost which i spent in those things ; and though thou judgest that we vilifie the scripture , yet i prefer it above and before all the ecclesiastical histories that i have read ; i shall not trouble the reader with thy old heterodoxes , as thou callest them , of the heads of religion , there are mary that know those things as well as thy self : and as for praxes , sabel●er● , nestorius , c●rinthius , eutichus , no with quintinius , swenkfield , muncer , david george and john of leyden , what are these to us ? and what are their principles to us ? something they spoke which was real heresie , if the histories be true , wherof i much doubt , because many such as thy self were the authors thereof ; and something it may be was truth ▪ which might be vindicated , not because they held it , but because it is truth in it self : and as for thy comparing of them to us , and their principles to ours , doth not at all detract or invalidate truth , as it is in it self ; for corrupt minds may speak true words , and that which is truth in it self , yet not live in the life thereof , they are judged , though the truth in it self stands clear , and so wh●t as they were in their principles & practi●e , in life or in doctrine , must they give account for : but thou , like the rest of the hireling priests of england ; use alwayes to be confuting your adversaries when they were at a great distance , when they were dead , and could not reply , or at such a distance that they could not hear ; and you are such valiant champions , for the most part , as to disputation , except you have club-men and prison-doors standing open , to fight or to shut them in , you will hardly enter into a dispute publickly , or it may be , if they be afraid that they shall be worsted , and their deceit laid open , put a key in the mouth of one , as some did in the mouth of humphrey norton , when he was with one of thy brethren , and then cry , the opposite or quaker hath nothing to say for himself ; and such dark muddy stories you used to fill up your hour with , as to confute arrius and pelagius , men that were hundreds of years dead , and no such principles holden in a nation , and such dead stories you fill peoples minds with ; and confute the pope , when your elbows were leaning upon the soft cushions on the pulpit , and twenty or thirty shillings for such a dead story as you told people ; but when have you gone amongst them , and reasoned of the things of the kingdom of god into their dominions , and convinced them by sound doctrine , and yet you will say , christ said , go into all nations , and preach , and plead that for your commission , and it may be stay fourty years over an hundred families . as for the heterodoxes of the quakers concerning the heads of religion , as thou hast set down , this i say to thee and to all the world , we do not hold them because any man before did hold them , or may hold them after , but because god hath revealed them unto us by his spirit , which also may be confirmed by the testimony of the scripture of truth . as to those which thou settest down as our tenets , i shall answer on the lord's behalf for truth 's sake , and for the rest , thou may'st take them home to thy self . first , concerning the trinity thou say'st , the confess the father , son and holy ghost , and yet they deny the trinity , and those to be three distinct persons ; for confutation of this thou bringest heb. . & . he is the express image of his father's person . thy trinity is an old popish term , and we love to keep to sound words ; but by trinity i suppose thou meanest three and thy own words shall confute thee ; thou confessest we say , there is father , son and h●ly ghost , and yet but one god , or one eternal being or substance , in which they all subsist ; but thy word distinct is thy own , and not the spirit 's , yet to distinguish betwixt father , son and spirit we deny not ▪ and as for heb. . it is in another translation rendered , the express image of his su●stance ; for per●on is too gross a word , as to express an eternal and divine being in ; and if thou dost h●l●l three distinct substances , thou errest in they judgment ; for that were to make three gods. secondly , they deny christ to be god and man in one person , and christ to be a distinct person from the father , and they acknowledge such a christ as unchrists christ : and when they say , christ manifest in the flesh , they mean not as the scripture , but fallaciously . answ. we say according to the scripture of truth , and not according to thy fallacy , that in the man christ did the fulness of the god-head dwell , and god was in christ reconciling the world unto himself , and he saith , i and my father are one , and the father the son and the spirit subsist in one eternal power , life and glory , which thou with all thy stupid generation are ignorant of ; and that christ we acknowledge is such a christ as is able to save to the utmost them that come unto him , and receive him , and believe in him , and is such a christ as is able to raise them that have been dead , and such a christ giveth eternal life to them that believe ; and so that christ that we own doth not un-christ christ , but by your doctrine who plead imperfection and the continuation thereof , and a continuation in sin for term of life , as one of thy own said , sin will dwell in the house till the house he pull'd down , speaking of the natural body , which some other of thy own generation have called the body of sin , and so it is you that hold such a christ as un-christ's the true christ in thy own words ; and when didst thou enter into our thoughts , and into our heart , or with what dost thou search , that thou sitst as judge over the heart , who knowest not judgment in thy self , nor what spirit thou art of , and so thy lyes and deceit are turned upon thee ; when we say , christ manifest in the flesh , we say , that holy thing which was brought forth and born of a virgin , and conceived of the holy ghost , in whom the fulness of the god-head dwells , in whom the eternal power of the father was manifested , that he was the christ , which was manifested in the flesh , and justified in the spirit , preached among the gentiles , seen of angels , and received up into glory , and this is according to the scripture of truth , and thy judgment must be judged . thirdly , concerning the scripture considered as the rule of life , they deny the scripture or written word to be the rule of life , and they make the spirit without the scripture to be their guide , they account church , instituted worship and waiting upon god for the efficacious presence and operation of the spirit of grace , in the ministry of the word and sacrament , for conversion and ed●fication to be idolatry , and the political order of church officers and members they affirm to be an image . answ. concerning the scripture , we say , they are scriptures of truth and words of truth spoken from the spirit of truth , that which gave them a being is greater then they , as he that creates is greater then they , that are created , which is perferred above and before , and yet no diminishing or detracting from the creature ; so the spirit is greater above and before the words , and yet this doth not diminish , neither derogate from the scripture ; these and the like sound words we have spoken to thy deaf generation , yet a spirit of slumber being upon them all , they could not hear that which gives life , and bringeth to life , and preserves in the life , is a rule and a guide to them that are enlightned , the sons of god who were quickned by the eternal spirit of their father , and of christ , and raised from death to life ; this was their rule , as it is written as many as are the sons of god are led by the spirit of god , and we say , it is a sufficient rule of it self , and thou may'st as well count the rule of the sons of god heterodox , and heretical , and the apostles position , who said , as many as are the sons of god are led by it , and christ promised unto believers the spirit of truth to lead them into all truth , and to bring things to their remembrance , and to guide them in the path of righteousness ; what has envy and madness eaten all the good out of your hearts ? yet the scripture is not so excluded by us as thou judgest , though we say the spirit may lead and direct with it , or without it , yet not contrary to it ; for the spirit doth , will and may take up what thing it pleaseth to manifest it self and its mind unto the creature , and who art thou ? and what art thou ? any thing but an egyptian who wouldst limit it , and tie it to paper and ink , to words and syllables , sounded and written in diverse tongues , languages and characters ; they that appointed thee for a minister never knew god's work , and we know that there are several ministrations and several operations , yet the same god and the same spirit who manifested it self , and formeth and ordaineth things according to its heavenly will , to represent its heavenly mind to the creature , and that which christ hath ordained and instituted to be worshipped in , waited in , and his presence seen in , and the operation of the spirit of grace in the work of the ministry , which is for conversion and edification , is dearly owned by us , as that whereby we have found the lord and his pure presence through this or that thing , and without and beyond all creatures or visible appearances , and this is not accounted idolatry by us , as thou falsly say'st , which god will judge thee for , in the day when he appears to take vengeance , upon his enemies in flames of fire ; and thou that talkes of trying the spirit by the letter knowest no more of god then a horse , but what thou knowest naturally ; the jews had it , and they tryed and condemned him for a blasphemer , and the apostles for breakers of the law and makers of it void ; and so condemned the lord of life , and the spirit by which the prophets and apostles were led , even as thou dost with us ; and i never heard of any political order of church ordinance or officers or ordinances not of the most dark and sottishest merchants of babylon , that ever spoke or wrote yet ; there was sundry gifts given , and sundry institutions in the primitive times which were single things , of things of a more heavenly and coelestial nature which were to be made manifest : he gave some gifts to be prophets , some evangelists , some apostles , some pastors , some teachers ; but these were ministerial for the work and service which he had appointed , but this was all by one and the same spirit , but i never heard of any political order of the officers , or political ordinances ordained in the primitive churches ; but it seems you have got such in new-england ; in the church of rome , so called , i have heard of the order of benedict , of francis and austin , and the like , and of several ordinances instituted by their mother to perform ; but i never heard of any such as a political order of officers and ordinances before , and this may be called an image indeed , and nothing in the world but deceit , and is no he●rodoxy ; that ever such a blind fellow as thou , should put pen to paper , who hast crept so into the mudd and dirt , that gross ignorance and darkness is in all thy words ▪ but the least of the children of light will see thy ignorance , so that i need not say much . concerning the magistrate , they own none are lawful magistrates , who are not of their way , their non-acknowledgement of the magistrate , as now established , in all christian states is more then manifest . answ. if thy aspersion were full proof , no more need be said , but the judicious will not easily believe thee ; that there is a state of magistracy is granted by us , and that a true magistrate that rules well , and rules in the power of god , and is a terror to evil-doers , and a praise to them that do well , and are as nursing fathers , who preserve mens persons and estates from devourers , as a father preserves a child from injury , these are ordained of god , and such we are subject unto for the lord's sake , and for conscience sake , and to every ordinance of man which is consistent with the honour of god and a pure conscience , but i believe you have few of them in new-england , who are rather like bears and lyons , tearing and rending their estates , and rend and tear their flesh , and gnaw it like evening wolves that the prophet speaks of ; and wouldst thou have this counted as god's authority ? and we tell thee and all the world in singleness of heart and unfeignedness , that our way is christ , the way to the father , the truth and the life , the power of god , and the wisdom of god , and all that rule not in his power , rule in the devil's power , in the dragon's power , in the beast's power , who made war with the lamb , and killed the saints , and compelled them to worship ; and herein they that rule in the power of god and for god are manifest , and them that rule in the dragon and beast's power ; for they that rule in the power of god answer god's witness in every man , and reach to that by his act of justice in the transgressor , and he restraineth the evil-doer within , and limiteth that , and preserves the creature as much as in him lies from harm , and his estate from destruction , and also saveth the innocent , meck and harmless from the violence , and from beating and fighting , and from them that would destroy their persons and estates ; and herein the magistrate that rules in the dragon's power and in the beast's power , he is also made manifest , he reacheth not god's witness by his governing , he lets the transgressor live , and is not a terror to evil works and workers , but a terrour to them that do well , & exercise a pure conscience towards god and man , and it may be cannot go into the house of rimmon , neither can bow to baal , nor be subject to that which another may set up in his will and in his pride , then he afflicts the body , the creature , and mars god's workmanship , and defaces it , and doth violence to the creature , and rends away his outward substance , and saith , for his authority , it was so ordered at our general court. i must tell the , the false church , the mother of harlots has ridden long upon the scarlet-coloured beast , which has been made drunk with the blood of the saints , whose garments have been red with scarlet colour ; and i know no where in any christian state ( so called ) where he reigns in more power then in new-england , and you ride upon the beast , which hath risen out of the sea , which is amongst you , and the beast carries you , your church , on his back , bears it up ; for all your weapons are but carnal , and that which wrestles with flesh and blood , which the true church wrestles not with , nor with creatures , but with spiritual wickedness and principalities and powers of darkness in the creature , and threw that down and saved the creature alive , and redeemed it , who was in captivity . oh , sottish children ! when will you learn wisdom ? and when will you hearken to reproof of instruction which is the way to life ? but remember this , the beast shall be taken alive with the false prophet , and them that have wrought miracles before him , and then shall be cast into the lake of fire . they pretend to act from an infallible light within them , and profess perfection in degrees in this life , and publish smart invectives against ministers who teach the contrary . answ. we pretend to nothing but to that which god hath given us through his free mercy , which we have a true right unto , having received him , as the father hath tendered him , to be a light to open our eyes , and to be a leader unto us and all his people , and to be god's salvation even to the ends of the earth , to them that receive him ; and he is that infallible light which the father sent into the world , that all men through him might believe ; and he is the true light that lightneth every man , though every man hath not received him , the fault is not in the giver , nor in the gift , but in them that will not receive ; and he that is the life of all men , hath lighted every man that cometh into the world ; and he is in us , our hope , and our glory , the riches of the gentiles , and the riches of all them that do believe ; he is our vvay , and our life , and peace , i say , all glory unto him forever , though thou debasest him , and settest him thus at nought ; and for his sake we can bear reproaches , and become fools , in that we have obtained that in which true vvisdom stands and life eternal : and what , is this heterodox , to profess perfection of degrees in this life ? is not this orthodox ? used not you , and do not you generally hold perfection in part or parts ? and is not that which is perfect in parts , perfect in degrees ? he that feels victory over one sin by christ , the power of god , hath not he some part in that which is perfect , and of that which is perfect ? and if he witnesses victory over more , is not he come to a greater degree or degrees of the life which is perfect ? and he that knows the blood that cleanseth from all sin , is not he perfect and compleat in him who hath made him so ? but art thou so offended at perfection , that thou dost not admit of any part or parts , degree or degrees thereof , that thou set'st this down as a blasphemy ? and it 's time indeed to reprove you sharply , who are puffed up in pride , and know nothing , who teach contrary to the perfect life of christ , or any degree or degrees thereof to be attained unto ; thou art perfect in vvickedness , and a perfect minister of anti-christ , & a perfect heathen , and it's time to bear testimony against you , & lay you open , & your deceit in the sight of the sun , that them that have but the least glimering of the light may behold you ; a pitiful church is that like to be , which thou art pastor of , by appointment of the general court , who cryest out against any degree of the perfect life of christ in this life to be obtained or enjoyed , a minister of sin , a minister of satan and unrighteousness , that is thy name , own it . in the ninth page thou art going about to prove thy trinity , as thou callest it , and thou say'st , the father is a distinct su●sistance , and the son is a distinct subsistance , and the holy ghost is a distinct subsistance ; and thou bringest john . there is another bears witness likewise , speaking of the holy ghost ; he calls him another ; and this another ( thou say'st ) is intelligible of the essence , and then say'st , what is more manifest then another subsi●tance , and another subsistance speaks distinct subsistances , and thou say'st , the spirit is called the band of trinity . answ. another is not understood of another being of another life or another substance , but is understood of another manifestation or operation of the same god , who subsists in the same power , in which the father , the son and the spirit subsist , as i said unto thee before , another , as to distinguish of the operation and work of the spirit and of the son , we do not refuse ; but to make three distinct essences and beings is ignorance and error , as thou say'st , another is intelligible of the essence , and so thou hast made three essences , three subsistances , three persons , and three gods ; but we say , there is but one god , and there are three that bear record in heaven , the father , the word , and the spirit , and these three are one : now as for subsistance and essence , they are unsound words , coined of your selves , from your dark imaginations , in which there is no truth at all , but to cast a mist : now where the holy ghost is called a person in the scripture , i have never read , and where it is called the band of trinity , i have never heard of before thee ; and so thy blind ignorant conclusions and sophistical arguing will have little place with them that are come to know the teachings with the spirit , and also keep to a form of sound words , which thou canst not . and thou say'st , he that sendeth and he that is sent are distinct ; and so the father sending the son , and the son sent of the father , and the father and the son sending the spirit , and the spirit sent by the father and tho son are distinct subsistances , and not the same . he that sends and he that is sent may be distinguished , but he that sendeth and him that is sent are not so distinct and afar off one another , but that him that sendeth is with him that is sent , and so god was in christ reconciling the world , and then how were they distinct one from the other ; and by him were all things made ; and christ was not so distinct or afar off at a distance when the heavens and the earth were made , so that it is truly said , without him nothing was made that was made ; and the spirit of god , which may be distinguished in regard of its operation , yet it was not absent or distinct from the father and the son in the creation , neither is absent from the son in the regeneration or work of redemption . and then in thy answer to an objection which thou makest thy self , how the doctrine of life was communicated vocally by the patriarchs , but it is not so now ; and in thy answer thou say'st , the scripture is not necessary absolutely , but it being god's will to communicate life through the scripture , hence the scripture is necessary ; and then thou say'st , not the letter without the mind of the author , nor the spirit without the scripture , and that the words in the th of john . that they may be one , as we are one , these words give an uncertain sound ( thou say'st ) and further thou say'st , surely they are under ● rule of l●fe who have not the spirit , since the canon of the scripture is close● , so far is the spirit from being a rule of life , that to us it is not the spirit , except 〈◊〉 move in the written word . answ. gross darkness is thy dwelling place , and out of thi●k darkne●s all this pitiful confusion cometh ; the doctrine of life was communicated according to the vvill and mind of god , sometime by dream , sometime by vision , sometime by revelation to the patriarchs and believers from abel till moses ; and by faith they were followers of christ , and doubtless , they did communicate in their generation those ●hings that were ●●nifest unto them by the spirit , which was the then rule and guide to the feet of the upright in the way of peace before any scripture was writt●● ; and if the scripture be not necessary absolutely , thou hast said as much as we say ; therefore we speak of a rule and a way which is absolute necessary , without which no man can know the father , or the son , nor the way of peace , but by the spirit of truth , which gave ●orth the vvords of truth , which may manifest and doth mani●est it self as it will , when , where , and how it will ; for it is unlimited , and it will not be limited by its own vvords , as to sound , but may speak vvords which it never spoke before ; as for instance , paul by the spirit said , the second adam , the lord from heaven is a quickening spirit , which none of the scriptures before-written speak in these very vvords ; and if the spirit be not spirit without the letter , then where the letter is wanting , the spirit is wanting , and consequently , them that have the scripture have the spirit , which were no less then ignorance and darkness to say ; and what rule are they under , who have not the spirit or no measure of it ; there is but the spirit of truth and the spirit of error , and they that are not ruled by the spirit of truth , they are ruled by the spirit of error , though they may have the words , to fight with and quarrel about without the life ; but last of all , thou hast in plain words set the dead letter before the living spirit , and say'st , that the spirit is no spirit except it speak by the scripture ; and if the words of christ in john . give an uncertain sound , it is but to thy deaf ear , and to thy blind understanding ; for he spoak soundly and certainly , and prayed to the father , that as the father and he were one , so they als● might be one , being guided by the one spirit of the father in the son and that they might live in the unity of it , and have unity with one another in it , and with the father and the son. in thy th page , though thou hast set up the letter for a perfect rule of life , yet here thou throwest it down again , and say'st , it is to be un●erstood as including consequences ; for the greatest part of scripture is con●equences , and the scripture cannot be true without consequences ; for thomas and mary are neither c●mmanded obedience or forbidden di●obedience , for we no where read , thou thomas or thou mary are therein commanded obedience , or forbidden disobedience , such an one by name do this or that . answ. i told thee the spirit of god is unlimited , and whether it speaks of degrees or measures of a greater or less thing , or whether it speaks the greater first and the lesser after , whether it speaks from major to minor , or from minor to major , or what may truly follow , either from the greater to the less , or from the less to the greater , it is all truth ; but thy consequences are no part of this , the spirit still demonstrates its own mind by what words and terms and expressions it pleaseth , and will not be limit●ed or confined to this or that form of words ; and thou errest grosly , neither knowing the scripture nor the power of god ; and thy consequences are false ; for there are the individual persons or names of thomas and mary , both commanded obedience , and forbidden disobedience ; and if thou hast never read this in scripture , i inform thee and instruct thee , thou may'st read john . , . where jesus saith unto mary , she turned her self , and said unto him rabboni , which is to say master , jesus said unto her , touch me not , for i am not yet ascended ; here is a prohibition , and forbidding that she should not touch him ; secondly , here is a command of obedience , but go unto my brethren , and say unto them , i ascend unto my father and your father , to my god and your god ; and in the same chapter thou may'st read in ver . . where christ spoke unto thomas by name ( after his resurrection ) then said he to thomas , reach hither thy finger , and behold my hands , and reach hither thy hand , and thrust it into my side ; here was a command to be obeyed , and be not faithless , there is a prohibition or a forbidding of unbelief ; and so thy foolishness is manifest ; and ignorance of the scripture , some of it , thou sayest , is an uncertain sound , and the scriptures fore-mentioned thou hast denyed , or else never hast read it , and so art unacquainted with thy rule , which thou quarrellest and fightest so much about . and then thou comest and say'st , thou wilt vindicate some scriptures , and citest john . that this was the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world , hence they affirm that there is a light in every man , which being followed is an infallible guide , and that this light which lighteth every man is the rule of life , and not the written word ; thy answer is , the sense of the text is notoriously false , and thy reason is , if christ , the true light that li●hteth every man be the rule , then righteousness should be by the law ; for the light which is in every man is not gospel-light , but there is a natural light or the light of nature , which is to be construed in opposition to spiritual , and the light of nature and the light of the spirit are contra-distinct ; and by this light of nature there is a difference put betwixt that which is good and bad , and it will teach us not to lye nor steal , and it will lead to the knowledge of one god , and yet it is in opposition to one spirit , and it will lead to know eternity omnipotency , and it will lead to know the creator , yet it is contra-distinct to the spirit . answ. the scripture needs none of thy vindication , for thou hast defamed it , and sayest , christ's words are an uncertain sound , and thou hast said , that neither mary nor thomas was commanded obedience ; thou may'st look back of thy lyes , and repent of them ; and why is the sense of the text utterly false , that christ was the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world without exception ; and why is this utterly false , if he be f●llowed , that he who is the true light is an infallible guide , and the rule of life ? hath he not enlightned every man that cometh into the world ? if thou makest exceptions where the spirit makes none , then thou pervertest the scripture ; doth not he say , i am the light of the world ; the world in the scriptures account is set in opposition to believers ; for believers are not of this vvorld , but are redeemed out of it ; as for example , god so loved the world , that he sent h●s son into the world , that whosoever did believe in him might not perish , but have everlasting life ; for it is manifest that the saints and believes had life given 〈◊〉 , that followed christ , and were his sheep ; and saith christ , i put them forth , and go before them , and give unto them eternal life ; and he said to them who had not eternal life , while you have the light believe in it , that you may be the children of it : and is not christ , god's righteousness , who is given for a covenant of light to the blind , and dead , and lame , and to the dumb , to open their eyes , to quicken them , to make them leap as an hart , and their tongue to sing and utter forth praise ? we say , righteousness is not by the law , but by christ , that lighteth every man , who is the end of the law ; and why is not the light which lighteth every man gospel light , seeing it is said , go preach the gospel in every creature under heaven ; go learn what that means ? and if natural light must be construed in opposition to spiritual , and the light of nature contra-distinct to the light of the spirit , then it must needs be sinful ; for that which opposeth spiritual light , and is set in opposition against its leading , must needs be sinful ; and that which is contra or against the light of the spirit , must needs be sinful ; and then if it be as thou hast said , and if this must be the true sense of that scripture , that it must be understood of natural light , and that natural light thou construest in opposition to spiritual , and say'st , it is contra-distinct to the light of the spirit and in opposition unto it : that which is against the spirit 's light , or the light of the spirit , must needs be darkness , sinful and evil ; and yet thou hast confessed , it will teach that none ought to lye or steal ▪ and to know one god ▪ and the creator , and eternity , and omnipotency , and yet it must be taken in opposition to the spirit , and contra-distinct from the spirit ; that which leads to know the creator , and eternity , and omnipotency is that spirit of god , through which god and the things of god are revealed ; and that that teaches that a man should not lye , that is truth ; and that that leads from sin ▪ and accuses for evil-doing , and convicts , that is the spirit 's light , as it is written , he shall convince the world of sin : and so thou like a man who h●th lost all aim , ramblest up and down in every by-path , and like a blind man gropest , but canst not enter into the treasure-house of wisdom ; thou hast called the light that every one is lighted with , the righteousness of the law , and no gospel light , and in opposition to spiritual , and contra-distinct to the spirit , and in a word , hast made of it at the best construction but bad and evil ; and then when thou hast done thou confes●est , that it will put a d●fference between good and evil , and shew that god is to be worshipped , and eternity is known and omnipotency ; and are not these the deep things of god ? and so babylon is the land of thy nativity , and thou reelest and staggerest up not and down like a drunken man , and wouldst be a teacher , and knowest not whereof thou affirmest , nor of what thou spe●kest . further thou say'st , that th●● little light there is is much miscarried and thy reason is , because it is mannaged by the reignin● power of darkness , and the judgment of man is corrupt ; and then thou goest on ▪ the light of nature si●ce the fall is not to be compared ( say'st thou ) with the light of the image of god before the fall , and it hath no proportion with gospel light , but is gross darkness , nay , is worse then gross darkness . answ. and how did the light miscarry , thou blind-man , and when did the reigning power of darkness manage it , seeing that there is no fellowship betwixt light & darkness , and the light which every man is lightned with hath born witness against darkness , and the reigning power of it ; and though the judgment of man be corrupt , his miscarriage is because he hath not minded the light , and because he hath turned his back on it , and then sin entered , and then came to reign in the power of darkness , and corrupted the heart ; and this hath made man miscarry ; and though thou sayst , that the light which lighteth every man , is not compared with the light of the image of god before the fall , and hath no proportion , i 'le tell thee a riddle , go learn what it means , the light of the image of god before the fall is the same in it self after the fall , and holdeth its proportion , and is no whit lessened or diminished in its purity in its self , although fallen man do not see it , neither can behold it , because sin hath entred and death by sin , and that is it which obscureth the image of god from man , and it 's light , yet the light shined in darkness , but thou concludest it is darkness , yea worse then gross darkness , and thou bringst a proof to prove it , ye were darkness , the apostle doth not say , that the light which shined in darkness , was darkness or worse then gross darkness , as thou ignorantly saist ; but he said , the ephesians or the men of ephesus were darkness , and not the light in them , which shined in darkness , though the darkness comprehended it not ; but how now john norton , what will the general court of boston say , when they see thy confusion laid open , and the deceit made manifest to thine and their shame and ignorance ? thou confest in the . page , that it would lead to know god and the worship of god , and teach not to lye and steal , and so forth , and to discover some of god's attributes , as eternity , omnipotency , and the like , here was some good in it in thy own account , but now it s become gross darkness , in the . page , and worse then gross darkness , and so hath made as bad if not worse then any principle that is in a beast ; and it may truly be said of thee even in thy own phrase . — qanta sub nocte jacebat nostra dies — but now thou comes to a further interpretation of joh. . and thou saist , the light which we are enlightned with , it is either the light of nature , the light of reason , or the light of saving grace , and the light enlightening is either the word considered as the second person , or christ the son consi●ered as incarnate . answ. it seems that thou knowest not which it is , but guessest like a blind-man , and like a wild archer shoots at randome ; and why dost thou make such distinction betwixt the word the son of god , and christ the son of god , thou madest but three persons in the trinity before , but it seems by thy arguing thou wouldst now make four ; and as for thy c●lle ●ive and distributive light , the distinctions is that which would cast a mist before people eyes , and thou bringst the judgment of calvin , beza , and piscator , and others , that as concerning man endued only with the light remaining since the fall , they conclude him to be darkness and unable to comprehend the light , or to improve it to salvation , their judgements are more sound then thine , though thou wouldst bring them to strengthen thee , that the son of god hath not enlightned every man , they confess , the man in the fall is in darkness , and darkness is over him , and in that he is not able to comprehend the light which is in him ; and as to the improvement of it , in the darkness man hath not power to improve it to salvation , but what doth this invalidate the light which is in darkness ? the power of improving is in the light , being turned to again and received ; and what if i say , it is the light of life in its self , though thou deny it ? i knowest what i speak ; for in him was life and is life , and that life is the light of men , and the light of the world , and so that light , which every man is lighted with , is of the life and from the life , and so may truly be said , to be the light of life in it self , though man in the transgression doth not feel it so as to him , but may truly say , it is the light of condemnation , because he feels it so in the operation thereof , being in the transgression , it convicteth , reproveth , accuseth and condemneth for evil , and therefore it cannot be the light of life to him , till it be received , closed with , obeyed and followed , and then the back is turned upon the transgression , and man is come out of the darkness ; and therefore the apostle spoke well , and understandingly , according to knowledge , that which was ordained for life wrought death in him , that was because the law was against him , and he in the contrary nature to it , the ignorance of many wise men ( so accounted ) in this generation is such , that when they see or feel contrary effects , they judge there must needs be contrary subjects or objects , because there are different effects ; for now the same light which shews evil and accuses for it , and judges for it , there is one operation , and excuses him that loves it and obeyes it , here is another operation , that which convinceth the world of sin , of righteousness and of judgment , and that which consolates and gives peace to the believer , is the self same spirit ; so here is not two spirits or two lights ; so that he which kindles a fire in the earth , and appears in flames of fire , and rendereth vengeance upon all them that obey not the gospel , which is the power of god , here is one work or operation of christ , the same bringeth peace , joy , and gladness , and refreshment , and makes the springs of life to bubble up in them that believe , here is another operation , yet the same christ ; these things i write to inform thee , and all where this may come , that that is truly an appearance of christ , which sheweth sin and condemns it in a measure , and he alone is the judge of the quick and the dead , and if all judgment be committed to the son , then to be judged for lying , for stealing , and for wronging any man , it is the work of christ , and the work of the son. oh man ! thou hast much to repent of , and thy ignorance is great , which hast called , christ the light or the light of christ , or the light of life , darkness , and contra-distinct to the spirit , and worse then gross darkness ; so this is thy conclusion against the first of john & the th , that christ hath not enlightned every man , or all men that come into the world , but all men so qualified of every sort ; so then by thy conclusion the first of john and the . verse gives an uncertain sound , like the th of john and th so then its qualifications of men that procures light from christ , and so it s not of grace but of debt , but if it be of debt , which is owing unto a person so qualified , then it is not of gift , but thou err'st in thy judgement , for it is by the gift of righteousness that justification comes upon all that believe , it is not this or that qualification before their conversion , which is any cause of god's enlightening them , but it is the free love of god unto man without exceptions , or respect of persons that he hath lighted every man , to the intent , that all and every man might see his error and depart from it , and turn to him that shews him it , who would have all men saved and come to the knowledge of the truth ; and such is the large love of god unto whole man-kind , which thou wouldst restrict and bind up to such and such persons so qualified , as though qualifications of persons were a meritorious cause , wherefore christ was bound to give them light , this is rank popery , and not according to the doctrine of godliness . and thou citest pet. . . we have a more sure word of prophecy , whereunto you do well that you take heed , as unto a light that shineth in a dark place , until the day dawn , and the day-star arise in your hearts ; hence it is inferred , thou say'st , that after the reception of the spirit there is no need to attend to the scripture ; and so thou goest on and say'st , the word of prophecy is the scripture of the old testament , that thou art to take heed unto , until the day dawned , and the day-star arised in their hearts , and that until signifies forever . answ. and here thou art in confusion , i know none that make any such inference but thy self ; for the scripture is seen most clearly , who know the day dawn , and the day-star arisen in their hearts ; and first thou say'st , we are to understand the word of pr●phecy the whole scripture ; and then in the same page say'st , that peter expounds the word prophecy of the old testament only ; so then peter's exposition by thy account and thine is different ; thou say'st , he spoke of the old testament , and thy interpretation is of the whole scripture ; but thou hast mist it , both of peter and thy self ; for peter wrote to people in that epistle in several states , yet they all might be said to be believers , according to a proportion of faith given unto them ; and in that which thou hast cited , pet. . . we have also a more sure word of prophecy ; here is to be understood , first , a sure word , secondly , a more sure word ; for the apostle in that chapter speaking of their diligence towards them that did believe , and declared unto them , that they had not followed devised fables , when we made known unto you the power and coming of our lord jesus christ , but are eye-witnesses of his majesty , verse . and heard the voice from this excellent glory , this is my beloved son , in ●h●m i am well-pleased , when we were with him in the mount : this was as sure a word to the apostles as any that ever the prophets had spoken before was to them ; & so the old testament could not be more sure then this which they heard from the excellent glory ; but this was not so sure unto them to whom peter wrote ; and this was only the apostles declaration , but the word of prophecy , unto which he exhorted them , was nearer then any of the prophets words or the apostles testimony of what they heard in the mount : the testimony of jesus is the spirit of pr●phecy , to wit , that which bears witness against sin , and to righteousness , from this the prophets spoke , and this was that publick thing or spirit , and they that speak not from it , speak from a private spirit of their own ; and this word of prophecy , or that wherein they could see or foresee things to come , they were to take heed unto , as unto a light which shined in a dark place , and this was the more sure word which he directed to , which in all thy book thou quarrelest against , and through this they saw the apppearance , and knew the coming of our lord jesus christ in power and great glory , and did see the day dawn , and the day-star arise in their hearts , and they were to attend to this , not only before , but also after ; for by the word of his testimony the saints did overcome : and so all thy interpretations are false , and thine is the private interpretation , and not from that sure word of prophecy which the prophets and believers took heed unto , and through which they interpreted things truly , according to the mind of god. as for the story of false teachers arising and prevailing among people , and what the signal nature is ; and thou say'st , they are sent as scourges and as judgments to them who have not received the truth in the love of it ; and thou bringest a scripture , i came in my father's name , and ye received me not , john . but if another shall come in his own name , him you will receive . it 's manifest that thou comest not in his name nor in christ's name , and if not so , in thy own name thou comest , by the appointment of the general court at boston ; and so there will few believe thy fabulous stories , which are not worth rehearsing , which will cast a mist before the eyes of them who cannot see through thy deceit ; and the sum is ( thou say'st ) of all , that the doctrines of devils audaciously disseminated , pretending themselves to be sent of god , are signal signs of evil times . the doctrines of devils have long been audaciously seminated by numerous false teachers and false prophets , as christ foretold in mat. . & . which john saw come , john . . little children it is the last time , ye have heard that anti-christs should come , and even now there are many , and they have ruled long in most parts of the earth , that john said , the whole world wondered after the beast ; and this hath been a sad time these thirteen or fourteen hundred years , wherein the true church , the woman cloathed with the sun , hath been in the wilderness , in a solitary place , exiled because of the beast's power , and the dragon's power , and the false prophets miracles , and because of the doctrines of devils , have made it a sad time and an evil time , such as thou hast taught , viz. that the light which every man is lighted with is gross darkness , and worse then gross darkness , and that christ left political officers , and ●hat the lord's supper 〈◊〉 a visi●le political church ordinance , and that baptism is a visi●le political church-ordinance , and that it is blasphemy to hold perfection ●f degrees in th●s life , and that none can be cleansed from sin while upon earth : these and the like doctrines of devils have been sown , which thou now audaciously seminates by the appointment of the general court at boston ; but the time draws near an end , the night is far spent , and the day is at hand when the beast shall be taken alive , and the old dragon laid hold on , and the mother of harlots burned with fire , and the false prophets , which have wrought miracles before the beast , and have cryed , as thou cryest him up in new-england , who is able to make war with him , who hath shed the blood of the saints of the most high god , which will lye as a stain upon your political church , as thou callest it , which will not easily be washed away ; the time of your mirth in sodom & egypt is near an end , though you strengthen one another , and make merry , yet wo will come when all these before-mentioned go down alive into the pit together ; and when the sea is dryed up , that your traffick will not go off , then alas shall be the note of her merchants , who have traded with her sorceries and witchcrafts , and have made people drunk , that they have reeled and staggered , and have been all like a sea , unstable , and have not known the rock of ages , upon whom all that do believe are established . thou say'st , the gospel is a constitution or effe●t , tempered of the grace of god and of the blood of christ. answ. the gospel thou knowest not , but buildest with thy untempered morter , and unseasonable vvords ; and what is the gospel an effect of ? it is not only an effect of an operation , but it is that which operates , and is the power of god , which will confound all this mud and all these 〈…〉 dy traditions , which you mix with the scriptures , and call them go●pel . and now thou comest to the destructiveness of the doctrine of the quakers to religion , the churches of christ and christian states , because thou say'st , it appears in this from the nature of the o●ject they single out to fight against , as the trinity , christ , the scripture , order ●oth civil and ecclesiastical , as instituted in the gospel . as to those principles i have answered before in part ; but dost thou tell of civil order in your state or in your political church , as thou callest it ? is that to be counted a civil state , who destroyes the creatures , god's vvorkmanship , and destroyes mens estates , and sells their free-born children as bond-slaves ? dost thou judge that these rule well according to the appointment of god , who is a terror to them that do well , and an encourager of violence and cruelty ? as your late actions have sufficiently evinced : and as for the order of your political church , we have heard of it , that you are as a company of wild bears , rending and tearing ▪ and stop gloves and napkins , and bind keys over their mouthes , that they may not speak the word of truth amongst y●u ▪ contrary to primitive order : and as for the doctrine of the quakers many who know it better then thee , know it to be d●structive to n●●hi●g , but to the doctrine of anti-christ , and such ungodly doctrines as thou hast laid down in this book , as that that light which christ hath enlightned every one withal is gross darkness , and worse then gross darkness and that the supper of the lord is a visible political ordinance , and su●h black doctrines as these our doctrines are destuctive unto . and further thou goest on and tellest , the work against order is policy against policy , the policy of hell against the policy of heaven . answ. it seems your order stands in policy both in your church and state , and in craft , fraud and deceit ; and thou judged that he●ven stands in policy too , but he that sits in heaven laughs you to scorn , with all your deceit and policy . and now thou comest to thy proof , and say'st , that doctrine that denyes obedience to magistracy in his due subject , in effect denyes the order of magistracy ; but their doctrine denyes obedience to magistracy in its due subject , therefore their do●●rine denyes the order of magistracy . answ. the major and minor are both false ; for we own magistracy in its due subject , which stands in the power of god , and in the higher power , and that which leads into order , and out of confusion and destruction ; and thou must not think to fasten stork and mun●er upon us for thy proof , what they did stands upon their account , and not upon ours ; and that mischievous spirit of thine is that which presseth on the magistrate to abuse his power , and to intrude into those things which belong not to him , to keep up your confused babel , which thou callest a political church , which must all be scattered with the breath of his mouth , and with the brightness of his coming , whom thou yet judgest to be gross darkness . in thy th page , and in the th page thou speak'st , that visible political church , church-officers and church-ordinances are gospel institut●ons , appointed by christ to continue to the end of the world , and that command which paul gave to timothy is to be kept , and that visible political church estate is to continue to the end of the world. answ. i see thou art ignorant of god , christ , heaven , church , church-officers , ordinances and institutions ; the churches of christ were established by and in the power of god , and the ministers thereof ministred , walked and ruled in the power of god , and the ordinances and institutions of the true church of god are pure and spiritual , but the church that thou art pleading for the continuation thereof , is a political church , political ordinances , political officers , political institutions , political pastors and teachers , the lord's supper a political ordinance , b●ptism a political ordinance ; the spiritual couns●l which paul gave to timothy about the elders of the church , and about the holy practice which they were to walk in , and the godly conversation , this thou calls political ; nay , furthermore thou saist , heaven stands in policy ; and in thy fourth chap. say'st , to christ belongs the prerogative of being the only politician ; these and the like damnable doctrines and heresies thou hast uttered forth , and these must be proved from the first of tim. . . and chap. . did paul when he wrote to timothy ▪ when he gave him direction about elders and such as took care of the church of god , did he say , a bishop is a political officer , and must be blameless ? or did he say , a deacon is a political officer , and must be grave ? and therefore reader , thou may'st read these scriptures , tim. . . cor. . . and thou maist see this sophister , and this man that is void of understanding , who cryeth up the scripture for a rule of life , and yet holds such a church , such pastors , such officers , such ordinances , such institutions , which the scripture makes no mention of , and therefore this man having made a monstrous body , a politick church , he imagines a head like it , and therefore blasphemously saith , christ is the greatest politician ; much i need not say unto this black dark stuff , which is to be confounded , which is imaginary and deceit , which the wrath of god must scatter ; but this i say to thee , there were no officers in the church of christ , but they were ministers made so by the spirit , and were made so by the holy ghost , and were ministers of the spirit and not of the letter , and some were elders , and ruled in the church and churches , which was sanctified by god the father , and preserved in christ jesus , and these were spiritual , and not political ; but thou hast cleared and quitted your selves from being any such church , and that which you call the sacrament , which thou callst visible and political , and bringst cor. . for thy proof ; did paul say , as often as ye eat this political bread , and drink this visible political cup , shew forth the lord's death till he come ? and did christ when he sent his disciples to preach and to baptize in the th of march. . which thou plead must continue until the end of the world ? did he send them and say , go and teach and preach the visible and politick word of the kingdom , and baptize them with visible political water , and that this should continue to the end of the world ? and little marvel if the throne of satan be exalted among you , and such ministers as thou who ministers deceit , and unrighteousness and ungodliness , art set to be a teacher , and appointed so by the general court , who canst not speak a form of sound words , but like a phylosopher , a star-gazer , an astrologian or a stage-player , which them that read thy book , will see thy tract frothed with such black dark sentences which are like enchantments . as for beckold and knipperd●lling , and quintinius and poquius , thou mightst have taken up thy pen ere now , and not have brought all this rambling stuff out of the history of the germans , which thou wouldst cast upon our backs ; the bishops used to cast it upon your backs , and you upon the baptists backs , but now we must bear all ; and thou in envy unto us , that thereby thou mightst represent us odious to the world , hast made them all quakers , and saist , they are our predecessours , take them to thy self , and joyn them to your political church , and your political ordinances , and your politick doctrines , which is of the same nature with theirs , which you maintain and uphold with carnal weapons , as they did theirs . and last of all , thou art coming to the magistrates power in matters of religion under the gospel , and thou saist , notwitstanding manifold evils prevail , and the wiles of the devil are great and malignant , and heresie which is a horrid aspect ; yet thou saith , there is balm in gilead , & a physician there , and the balm and the physician is that thou say'st , god hath armed the magistrate with civil power for defence of religion , through the concurrences of divine benediction , and the magistrate is to vindicate the truth of god , and also exercise 〈◊〉 power for curing the offenders ; and for his proof he brings tim. . , of whom is hymeneus and alexander , whom i have delivered up unto satan . answ. it seems your gospel that you preach hath not power in it to prevail against heresie , neither your weapons are able to prevail which are but carnal ; and so the power to suppress heresie and convince gain-sayers , is wholly without you , & though you censure and excommunicate and deliver up to satan , as you say , yet you being in satan's power , that which is against you hath power over you ; and therefore you are fain to cry up the beast's power , which alwayes made war with the saints under the name of hereticks , and you say , that in exercising of his power is but defensive ; i say , yes ▪ it is offensive and destructive to the goverment of christ and his prerogative , unto whom all power belongs both in heaven and earth , and the goverment lyes upon his shoulders , who is a wonderful counsellor , of whose goverment there is no end ; and he is able to defend his church ; and furthermore to take away thy objection is willing , and furthermore hath promised to keep his church that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it ; and therefore thou who wouldst have the civil magistrate to intrude into those things which belong not to him , would have them usurpers and traytors unto christ the prince of peace , and the king of his people , and head of the church his body , unto whom absolute power and soveraignity belongs and glory , which he will not give to another : and as for all the proofs which thou bringst of the magistrates under the first covenant , they are all invalid , as to the second covenant , for all the kings & magistrates in the first covenant what as they did in and about religion , as to the punishment of the false prophets , and them that had familiar spirits and wizards , they were but typical as in reference unto christ the second covenant , who hath another way to kill the false prophets and to make war against heresie and blasphemy , and against all sorcerers , deceivers and anti-christs , by the two-edged sword , which proceeds out of his mouth , with which his enemies shall be slain , who will not that he should rule and exercise his spiritual power against his spiritual enemies ; is not heresie an errour , an inbred thing ? and is an outward sword like to reach to that ? therefore though thou mayst press the magistrates , or them whom thou callst so by their cocerive power , as thou callst it , and promise to them divine benediction , like the pope , for making of laws against that which thou and others may judge blasphemy and heresie , and execute them with whips and ropes and cutting off ears , and destroying the creature , yet this doth not reach to heresie and blasphemy , and all the balm and physick that you have in new-england , wherein your hope standeth , as hath yet appeared , are your knotted whips and pitched ropes , banishment and death ; here is balm and physick indeed with destroyes the creation ; and what ! was paul a magistrate who censured hymeneus and alexander ? or else what dost thou bring this for ? thou framest an objection , and also an answer , that the interposal of authority in matters of religion is violation of liberty of conscience ; thy answer is , church authority is authority , were this objection good , the church may not then , thou sai'st , authoritatively deal with any of her members for holding forth or teaching of false doctrine , contrary to gal. . . and rev. . . answ. the objection is good enough , the interposing of civil authority in matters of religion , is a leading them beyond their line , for that which is ordained for the ordering of civil things , is not to intrude into that which is beyond its sphere ; and why may not the true church authoritatively deal with any of her members for holding forth false doctrine ? what dost thou think that paul in the fifth of the gala●ians , when he wished that they were even cut off that troubled them , that he would have had them killed , or beat with pitched ropes ? or would he have had the galatians to have denyed them , and have them exercised their authority in the power of the lord jesus christ ? and dost thou bring ? rev. . . to prove that thyatira had no power in the authority of god to have thrown out , and judged jezebel ? this was their fault , because they suffered her , who called her self a prophetess , to teach and seduce , and to eat things sacrificed to idols , or thou judgest they wanted some magistrate to kill her authoritatively ? and if the church may not deal with the members authoritatively , who makes defection from the faith , why have you excommunicated and thrown out so many for hereticks in new-england ? thou sai'st , liberty of conscience , and liberty for errour and heresie are two things ; and the errour of conscience is a liberty to bondage , and thou bringst , they shall put you out of the synagogues , john . and to think to murther the saints was service unto god , was not from conscience but errour of conscience ; but the object thou sai'st , subjected to the coercive power must be some act of the outward man ; and further thou sai'st , there is a difference between quiet heresie and turbulent heresie , schism and sedition . answ. it is true , liberty of conscience , and liberty of error and heresie are two things , but these lye both without the power and the line of any civil power , as civil power to reach unto , the one he should encourage , that is to say , them who exercise a pure conscience towards god and towards man ; and as for the other , error in judgement , it 's beyond the power of the civil magistrate to rectifie , but as it puts forth it self in outward acts of wickedness , as to kill , steal , murder , adultery , defrauding , cozening and cheating in outward things , then the sword reacheth to the act outward , but can reach no further ; and as for heresie , schism , sedition , turbulent and quiet , as thou makest distinctions , they are all in the ground , and you have had too many such thoughts in your hearts , as that you did god service with all your whipping , cutting off ears , beating with ropes , casting out of your assemblies , and not only so , but out of your country , and banishing them from their wives and children , and all this you have done , and think you have done god good service , and have cast them out and said ( as the prophet spoke of your generation , whose hearts were hardned ) let the lord be glorified ; these things you have to repent of before you know or will feel remission of sins from the lord , though thou saiest , you know it belongs not to the magistrate to compel any man to be a believer , nor to punish any for not believing , but hereticks , turbulent hereticks , we believe belong unto him to punish ; and who must be judge of turbulent hereticks ? is not an heretick an unbeliever ? and if the magistrate ought not to punish an unbeliever , then not a heretick ; for a heretick is an unbeliever ; and they who are in the power & authority of god , can deny such a one , and judge him out by the power of god ; there is his punishment according to that which thou callst gospel-institution , and beyond that , or any further act upon such a one , we do not read of in all that which is call'd the new testament , neither that christ , his apostles or any of the true churches or officers or believers ever commanded or commended , or exhorted any to stretch forth their hand against the person of any who were hereticks really so , and blasphemers really so ; and therefore see , there ●s neither command , precept nor example ; doest not thou wretchedly err in pressing on them which thou callest believers , to act such wretched acts of cruelty , as you have done , and thou vindica●est them in tast ●ir duty ? it 's true , we read of the beast and of the dragon , wh● m●de w●r against the saints and killed them , and of mystery b●bylon and of sodom and egypt where christ was slain , and the witnesses slain ; now if thou wilt take these for proofs and for a ground thou m●yest , and so all thy twisting and twining and vain arguments fall to the ground ; and doth not the church of rome account all you as hereticks ? and is not their judgement that they ought to punish you wi●h corporal punishment ? and is not this your judgement also , page . that the magistrate ought to proceed gradually ? that is , to inflict punishment by degrees with lingring tortures , like their inquisitions ? and wherein doth thy doctrine differ from theirs in this ? take them to thee and thy doctrine ; for thou art but a stem sprung out of the same root , and actest from the same principle , and yet i tell thee and all the world , i am not pleading for any matter of fact , or for breakers of the law that is righteous ; for the law is good if a man use it lawfully , it is against murderers , man-stealers , and stealers of the creatures , for idolaters and defrauders , and cheaters , and every act or fact deserves punishment suitable to the transgression ; now had it not been more reasonably done of thee to have produced the fact of the quakers in new-england , which hath deserved all these b●rbarous tortures , then to declare them and publish them as offenders in matters of fact , and have none to lay to their charge ? and i challenge thee and the rest of thy adherents to produce some matters of fact which the quakers have done , which is contrary to any righteous law of god , or else own your condemnation and repent ; and thou must not think , that this poor tract of thine , which is full of deceit and confusion , error , blasphemy and madness , though thou publish it by the appointment of the general court , that it will cover your wickedness , or hide you from being discovered to moderate people , neither will shelter you in the day of the lord. and thou say'st , it concerneth new-england alwayes to remember , that originally they are a plantation religious , the profession of purity of doctrine , worship and discipline is written upon your fore-heads , that after new-england hath now shined twenty years , should now go out in the snuff of moralianism . answ. there was something amongst some of you , but you fled the cross , as i told you before , and so that spirit which persecuted you in the bishops time got up in your selves ; and that which once you had , while you were under affliction here , you have lost , not only the p●wer of godliness , but the form thereof , and also of sound words ; and now as to matter of religion , it is rather become a place of ostridges , owles and satyrs ; and for purity of doctrine , worship and discipline written in your fore-heads , if it must be tried by your rule , and if it be the same twenty years that it is now , i have not heard more of unsoundness in doctrine , worship and discipline which i have read on in many ages , but especially in the scripture ; and truly your shining now is turned into blackness , and your sun is set , and your day is darkness , and your light is gone out as the snuff of a candle ; because this man boasts of their doctrine , worship and discipline , take a few things out of many , and behold them in the light of the lord , and compare them with the scripture ; and so i leave them to thy judgment . . first , speaking of the trinity , he saith , god is a distinct subsistance from the son and the spirit , and that the son is distinct subsistance from the father and the spirit in the nineth page ; and because it is said , the father shall give you another comforter ; this another ( he saith ) is intelligible of the essence ; so then the son is a distinct subsistance and essence from the father , and the spirit is a distinct subsistance and essence from the father and the son ; so here are three distinct essences . . and that the spirit of god without the letter is no spirit ; that which obligeth a man to obey a command of god is one power , and that which strengthens him , and enables him to obey , is a●oth●r power , page . and that christs words in joh. . . give an uncertain sound ( which are these , that they may be one , as we are one . ) . that scripture is a perfect rule of life , but not without consequences . . that thomas and mary are no where mentioned in scripture , neither are commanded obedience , nor forbidden disobedience , contrary to joh. . , . . . that that light which teacheth a man there is a god , and to worship god , and that parents are to be honoured , and that a man shall not lye nor steal , and that which discovers the creator , his eternity and omnipotency , is to be construed in opposition to spiritual light , and contra-distinct to the light of the spirit , pag. . . that the light which is in every man hath much miscarried , whilest that it is mannaged by the reigning power of darkness , pag. . . that that which lets a man see that he should not do to others what he would not have others do unto him , and shews a man ought not to steal nor to lye , and that which discovers eternity and om●ipotency ; this i●deed ( saith he ) is darkness , it is worse then gross darkness , pag. . . christ enlightens no man w●th the light of life , but them that are so , and so qualified . . that the gospel is a constitution or effect , tempered of the grace of god and the blood of christ. . that the visible political churches , political officers , political worship and administrations are gospel-institutions , or appointed by christ , pag. . . that there is policy in heaven , pag. . . pastors and teachers are political church-officers . . that the lord's supper is a visi●le p●litical ordinance . . that baptism is a visible political church-ordinance . . that to christ belongs the prerogative of being the only politician . . that there is much darkness in the hearts of all children of light in this life . pag. . likewise at a lecture at boston john norton taught , that the justice of god is the armour of the devil . take a view of thy doctrines again , and be ashamed and blush , and repent of thy deceit and false doctrines and lying stories , and cease to pervert the way of the lord ; for all this which thou hast waded through will little advantage your kingdom , neither all this covering which thou hast made will not vindicate your wicked practices , nor shelter you from the storms , and thunders ▪ and plagues , and terror , and wrath , which is to be poured upon all his enemies ; and then thy order from the general court will stand thee but in little stead , when the terror of god comes upon thee , and when the witness of god is awakened in thee , to bring all thy iniquities to remembrance , and thy deceit that hath been hid to the light , then shalt thou see that thou hast not let thy self only against man but also against god and his dear servants , whom he hath redeemed by his precious blood , who know a habitation , unto which you cannot reach with your clubs , whips and ropes , and their habitation is as the munition of rocks , their bread is sure , and their water doth not fail ; and happy are they who suffer for the truth 's sake , for they shall receive honour and glory , and immortality , and the crown of life , which he hath laid up for all them that endure the cross , and despise the shame , which will be given in the day of his glorious appearance to them that keep the word of his patience , and the word of his testimony committed to them unto the end. london , the th day of the th moneth , . f. h. an information and also advice to the army on both parts , and this present committee of safety nevvly erected , and to the late parliament , and also to all people who seek peace and righteousness , and are for the good old cause , so much talked on . this is presented by him who stands off and from all self-interests and parties , and wisheth that the wisdom of god may guide you all , and division and destruction may cease . f. h. what , is there not a wise man among you , who seeks not himself , but the good of all , that you so blow the sparks on every hand , and exasperate the spirits one of another , and rather are for strife then for healing ? and would ye have the fire kindled , to rise up in such a great flame , as both to destroy your selves , and many innocent people in the nation ? what , is every one seeking to gratifie his interests and party , and to satisfie his will ? and is there none that seeks that the will of god may be done in earth , among the sons of men ; that god might once delight to do us good , and settle these nations in peace and freedom , as men and as christians . i. consider ; hath not this been the end which hath been proposed by all good men , who have not sought themselves , but have ventured all , that this might be accomplished , which if it had been , or were , or could be attained unto , would be a perfect recompence and satisfaction of all , and to all , who have sought it in their heart , viz. freedom from oppression in their persons and estates , which hath not been , by reason of the many wicked laws which have been imposed , to satisfie the self-interests of some particular men , which did imbondage all other : secondly , liberty and freedom of conscience in the exercise of their consciences to christ , who is god's anointed , according to the manifestation of his light and spirit to them , unto whom and before whom all must give an account , and be judged ; but this hath been hitherto hindered by them who have re-assumed a power , and have usurped authority to themselves , and have made laws to the imbondaging of the dear and precious people of god in these nations , though you have been talking of the good old cause , these are not revocated and over-turned , by which very many suffer to this day . ii. it is not names , titles , denominations and vvords that we look after , and which will effect the thing proposed , which while some have been contending after , have let got the thing in hand , and have lost it , and so set up a particular interest , and it clothes it self with the words and fair speeches , but nothing is brought forth ; and so by fair speeches and flatteries the people have been deceived and cheated . iii. should not all rule and authority be for the good and safety and well-being of a nation or common-wealth , and not to set up an arbitrary power in their own wills , to rule in tyranny and oppression , to satisfie their own to the imbondaging of all the people ? and when any power or authority have deviated or swerved from this , they became no other but tyrants and oppressors ; for the thing intended being lost , the ruler or rulers rule no more for god , neither he account them such ( whatsoever they may account themselves ) and therefore hath raised another thing to overthrow that power , as hath been evident in this nation , in these many revolutions , although that power which was first in being , which was ordained for the end aforesaid , being swerved from the thing , might say to that which rose up against it , that it was rebellion and treason , and declare it to be such in the ears of the people , as hath been done by divers , which is in the memory of most , so that i need not instance , when i say it was not so accounted by the lord ; and he hath given a testimony of this by the overthrowing the former , and raising up the latter , and hath stood by it , while it stood in his counsel . iv. was not israel governed sometime by judges , sometime by the elders , and sometime by kings ? and while they stood in the counsel of the lord , and the people hearkened to them , was not the lord among them , and sometime raised up unlikely means , as to man's wisdom , as david a shepherds boy ' , and gideon a thresher , and he was made a judge , and a redeemer of israel out of their slavery ; but mind this still , while they stood in god's equal counsel , which led to do equally to , and for the good of all , according to god's institution and appointment , then they were blessed ; but when either ruler , governour or governours went from the power of the lord , in which they only had authority to rule , and to do justly , when they went from that , and became corrupt in their minds and hearts , and blindness came upon them , as it is said , blindness happened to israel through their unbelief ; and what was the effect thereof ▪ the judges judged for rewards and gifts , the prophets prophesied for hire , and the priests divined for money , and the people loved to have it so , and the end thereof was misery ; for god raised up another thing , and overthrew the judges , prophets , priests and people , the ancient and honourable , that were the head , and the false prophets , which were the tail. v. is not the same blindness happened to england ? when will her rulers , judges , prophets , priests see their error ? is it ever like to be a free nation till all act freely for god , without imposing heavy burdens , and giving as much to one officer , imployed in the publick service , as would serve twenty , and make so many of them too ? when will these things be done away , that every one may be approved & manifest , how he loves his nation , or how he seeks the good thereof , by laying out himself freely , and acting freely , without so much chargeableness to the nation , i do not mean the souldiery , but men employed in civil affairs , and the ministry , who would be counted godly and painful , to publish freely , or else be silent . vi. so now many are so doting on the name of a parliament , as though it were essential , or the name to be the foundation of government , and cry up the priviledge of parliament , as some have done prerogative , and would fight about a name in their heat and passion , and loose the thing intended , though they be the representative of the people , to do good to the people , and not hurt , thy are accounted as good servants to god , and to them that elected them ; but if they would so soon as got together , set up a particular interest , which serves to the imbondaging of the whole , and then cry up their priviledge to do what they list ; then it is no rebellion in god's account , neither in the account of just men to call them away , when they do not perform the thing intended ; but if they will not hearken to the cry of their masters ( the people ) but it may be call them rebels or traytors , if they should be turned out , because they have clothed themselves with the name of higher power , when alas ! they are gone from that in which their power , priviledge and authority stood . vii . and this i have to say to that part of the army who stand so much on the name of parliament , and would seem to oppose all the rest , whether army or the people from whence their power did at first arise , when they accomplish not the end that they meet for , neither intended so to do , but to set up some and make the rest alwayes sufferers , if you should take part herein , and manage your vveapons for a sound or a name , or for something that may sute you , though damnifie many thousands ; it will not go well with you ; for god looketh not as man , neither judgeth he according to man's vvisdom ; therefore be not rash , nor h●sty ●o shed blood upon this account , but take couns●l in time , lest an out-stretched arm stop you in your way to your detriment and hurt , & you may repent too late ; it is not your declaring in words for the good old cause , neither your proclamations nor declarations in good words , neither taking god to witness that will satisfie the people , who have been and are present sufferers ; we have had enough of that , from all the former asserters of liberty in words , but the thing is not done ; so be less in words , and more in action , and deeds for righteousness ; and though you may seemingly retort the sayings of this army in england upon them , how they received commissions from the parliament , and promised to be faithful to them , and did that they repented of , that such things should get up to rule and have dominion , as were acted by the two late protectors , whom the parliament and you judged usurpers , and so you take advantage at this , to spread forth this to their reproach in the nation ; this is not brotherly done , neither is that spirit that will forgive , and suffer long , but is heady : though they did receive commissions and promise to be faithful , yet the end i believe was still premised by them , as to be servants to them for the foresaid end , the good old cause . st . freed as men from oppression . dly . as christians , from being imposed upon , either by ancient laws , or laws which hereafter might be made , which hindred the aforesaid cause and end , of all the travail , expence and suffering in the nation , which they would never have done ; therefore the army in putting a stop to that which did retard and draw back from that end aforesaid , in god's sight , and in the sight of illuminated men , is no rebellion no treachery . ix . and as for the long parliament by whom god did good things , & great things , in the overthrowing that power which was deviated from the aforesaid end ; yet the ax must not boast it self against him that hewed only with it for a time to accomplish his end , and when he pleaseth take up another instrument , and let the first lie still : vvhat they did , they had the approbation of god and good men , yet they went not through with the work purposed and intended ; and though they were called together in a time of straits , when that which had obstructed through flattery and ambition was taken away , yet still you who were the members of the old parliament remaining , were called together for to help to accomplish the aforesaid end , and to carry on the good old cause ; but truly you sticked in the mire , and did not run cheerfully , but had your ears open to them that could complement and flatter , and their business you would hear , and return them thanks , but them who had been your dearest friends in your former straits , coming in all love and humility , and represented their sad suffering unto you , of their long imprisonment , and how above twenty dear precious men suffered till death in prison for that grand oppression of tythes , these could not be heard : and again , when a representation came unto you from many thousands , who were faithful men to the common-wealth , and had alwayes been , it was laid by as waste paper , or as a thing of no validity and worth , when others received thanks from you in words , and a seeming approbation of things of far less importance . furthermore , certain who had been officers in the army in the nation , and in ireland , this fourteen or fifteen years , came to you to present the sufferings and grievances of that nation unto you , and in seven or eight weeks time you would neither hear nor regard their suit unto you , neither take notice of it , neither return an answer ; but when a company of greedy hireling priests came from leicester-shire to sound their trumpet in the house , and to tell you they had not engaged with the rest of their brethren in cheshire , and lancashire , with george booth , they were immediately called in , and thanks returned , as though they had done some great service for the nation , but them who were your real friends , called quakers , when diverse of them represented the sad sufferings of the people of this nation , from diverse parts thereof ; not only from one sort of people , but all except one ( viz. the presbyterians ) instead of taking off the heavy yoak thereof , the oppression whereof hath reached heaven , even to the throne of god , and he hath considered it , though you would not , but instead of removing it , have established it , for which he was wroth with you ; you have lost your crown , and he hath laid you by , as men who would not accomplish his end , and let his people go free ; and let me tell you , it was rashly and proudly done of you , after so many valiant officers , who had waded through a sea of troubles , though i shall not say but they sought themselves too much , which i hope god will give them to see : they had done great service for the nation , and considered what might best conduce , for the welfare of the army , and for the nation 's good and safety , and to present it to you , desiring your concurrence therein ; and though they did send among their quarters for subscriptions , they knowing before hand except it carried some bulk , or at least seemed a matter of concernment , you would take less notice of it , that you should in your heat and passion , being filled with jealousies , vote out these officers at their return from performing the faithful service to you & the nation , it was an unworthy gratification , and to put in others less capable , only to exalt your own power and rather to draw back to bondage , then going forward to perfect the business aforesaid ; for these and many more instances that i might lay before you , it was just with the lord to remove you , and not to prosper you , and to overturn you , because you stood not in his counsel , neither hearkned to them who would have wished you well , with whom god's counsel is , and it is just you are turned out ; and let me advise you , and despise not my counsel ; for the counsel of the mighty hath failed ; take counsel at a shepherd , or a man of low degree , be you quiet and seek not revenge , neither blow the sparks , nor kindle heat in peoples minds , neither provoke the army t● blood-shed ; but rather diswade them , and wait to see what the lord will do , if he will raise up any to perfect that long desired and hoped for end , freedom and liberty in the things that are just , as men , and in the things of god without imposition ; and if you live to have your share among the people , in this it will be well ; and you may have no cause to repent of your being still and quiet , though you may have cause to repent of your rashness , and of the things before mentioned . x. and you of the english army , who were dissatisfied with the proceedings of the late parliament against you , i wish there be not too much self in you in the thing , rather for your own advancement and particular interest , then that the good old cause ( profest ) was not carried on by the parliament , according to your desire and the peoples expectations : if self-interest was the cause , as it is to be feared there was so much of that , you will be crossed in your expectation ; for that is the thing which hath obstructed the thing intended all along , since the thing was asserted , that will soon be made manifest ; and there remains a ground in your selves , which i believe will hinder the end proposed , which must be done away , before you can do much for god , though you may profess and declare in words much , which may take with some for a while , yet it will not satisfie long : i wish in my heart good to you all ; but there is something stands betwixt you and good things ; you would , like the rest , please all men , but that cannot be ; stand to the good , and let your actions answer the witness of god in the worst : and you say in your declaration , you have an intention to take away tythes , and settle some way for a godly preaching ministry ; i say , they will need none of the state 's or common-wealth's maintenance : and if you shall take them away , and settle any thing by way of compulsion upon the people for any ministry , you leave us in bondage , and we must declare against that , as against tythes , and we cannot pay , neither the one nor the other for conscience sake : and you who are the committee of safety newly erected ; yea , many of you have seen , or at least might have seen what hath hindered the end proposed ; you have a day of visitation , god will try all sorts of men , if any will be faithful to the end : therefore this i say to you and the rest of the army , throw down all those corrupt laws made about religion , mass-houses , clerks ▪ wages , forced maintenance , and meddle not with it ; for that thing broke all parliaments and councils hitherto , and so will it do you , if you meddle with it ; leave all people free , without imposition of any maintenance to any , or else you do nought ; let everyone be free , let every judgment maintain their own , & leave people free as to the vvorship of god , only to christ , who is head and ruler of his church , and lord over the conscience , and is his alone right , which if you shall not do , he will throw you down also : therefore let him have room and vvay , or else that which resisteth will be cut off : and this is god's vvord unto you all , take heed of gratifying any to the imbondaging of others ; let tythes and forced maintenance go down ; and if for the good of the nation or common-wealth ( as in things civil ) all with a free heart will most readily and willingly assist you for the good of the nation : stand not puzling about business not worth mentioning , nor striving who shall be greatest , but remove the present oppressions , and that which is the cause thereof ; satisfie the nation with deeds , words will not ; with things , not with names , that will not ; and it is not a king , a parliament , a protector , a council or senate we look at , will do the thing : neither people be ye wedded and glewed to names ; he that purposeth righteousness and equity in his heart , and walks after it , is that which god will bless and prosper ; for when kings , parliaments and councils are gone from the power of god , they are for the thraldom of a nation , and not for its liberty ; but this i fore-warn you , whatever you do , meddle not in the things of god , or about religion , let that alone , and you will more readily serve the necessity which the present affairs call for , and the common civil and equal liberty of all men : oh that you had wisdom , and the counsel of the lord were with you ! how soon might things be established ? then would you do more in one day then in ten , while you consult with your reason , and the old corrupt laws , many of which are good for nought but the fire . thus i have in all faithfulness cleared my conscience unto you , as the lord presented things to me , and happy are they that can receive them ; for in this i am not alone , for many thousands will bear testimony hereunto : so i rest in the peace of god , which no man can hinder me of . subscribing my self a faithful friend to the common-wealth and all the good people therein , f. h. one warning more unto england , before she give up the ghost , and be buried in the pit of darkness . to awaken the inhabitants thereof out of their deep sleep , to see themselves what mis●ry is coming upon them through their degeneration and horrible ingratitude , that the people therein may be left without excuse in the day of the lord. by him that pities thee in this languishing state , f. h. oh england ! is thy dry land all become a sea ? is not thy mountains from whence thou hast look'd for help , cast all into the waters , and floats up and down , and is driven up and down , and carried about with every tempest , insomuch that hardly any dry land appears any where in thee , but all like raging waves , and like boisterous floods which have no bounds , but over-flow all the banks , which fill all with slime , mire and dirt ? oh nation ! whither art thou posting ? and after what dost thou so hastily pursue ? hast thou chosen madness for thy crown , and folly for thy diadem ? hast thou fixed thy eye upon the land of darkness , that thou so hastily runs ? art thou become benummed , and altogether past feeling ? hath not the lord intended good unto thee , but thou rejects it ? did not the lord break off the bonds from thy neck , and take the burdens from off thy shoulders , that thou mightst have been a free people , that thy people might have been a free people , that thou might have served the lord god in truth and righteousness , and mightst have been established by his free spirit , that righteousness might have run down the land as a stream , and equity as a river , that violence might have been done away , and the heavy yoak removed , that so the nation might have rejoyced in god's saving health , which he was about to shower down as a mighty rain , that the land might have been refreshed , & that the people thereof might have rested under the almighty shadow of the lord , that every one might have eat the fruit of his labours with joy , and have been satisfied therewith , and every precept of man have been taken off the conscience ; and that yoak which hath limited the lord , would the lord have broken ▪ that so his people might have rejoyced in him and in his saving health : but oh nation , how art thou betrayed ? the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously with thee , and have robbed thee of thy glory and of thy crown ; and now art thou like to be crowned with infamy and reproach , and to be as a hissing-stock , as a proverb and a by-word to all the nations ; who will rejoyce in thy calamity , and be glad at thy destruction ; and because the love and mercy of god was manifest in thee more then to any nation of late besides , therefore the nations were angry at thee ; but now seeing thy base ingratitude & unthankfulness for all the kindness of the lord unto thee , which thou hast wonderfully abused , which hath been a cause which hath provoaked the lord against thee , because thou hast chosen the way of death rather then life , and chosen darkness rather then light , and therefore art thou hurled and tossed in all this sea of confusion ; and what will the nations say who are round about thee , is not this the nation from whence light did shine forth , that is now filled with darkness ? is not this the nation which was strong and mighty , that is now b●come feeble ? is not this the nation , the fame of whose righteousness was spread far , that is now filled with violence and cruelty ? is not this the nation which made the nations and isles about to tremble , whose hands are become so weak that they cannot help themselves ? is not this the nation whose sound and fame for liberty as men in the nation , and as christians without being imposed upon , which the lord was bringing to a perfect freedom , who now are putting the yoak of bondage upon the inhabitants necks , and laying heavy burdens upon the necks of the righteous , and are imposing things upon the consciences of his people , whom god would have set free ? oh this causeth the name of the lord , which hath appeared in thee , to be dishonoured , and the noble acts which the lord hath done in thee to be vilified : o england ! what shall i compare thee unto ? thy state is sad ; oh! what might i do to make thee sensible thereof ? thou art as a ship in the midst of the raging sea , whose mast is lost , whose tacklings are broken , and the men all dead , and nothing left but a bare hull , ready to be blown with every gust of wind upon every rock , and art wholly like to be split , never more to be builded up ; it may truly be said of thee , as it was once of israel , when they had revolted from the lord god , and followed after the imaginations of their own hearts , the head is sick , and the whole heart is faint , and every member which should move in the body is become feelde and benummed ; thy breach is great , who can heal thee ? or who can bind thee up ? what is there no balm in england ? is there no physician there to heal the breaches and wounds of this people ? what , not one wise man among all her rulers ? are they all like wild bulls in a net , fit to be taken and destroyed ? not one interpreter amongst all her prophets , which can discover the disease ? not one physician that can apply a healing medicine to these grievous wounds ? what not one leaf of the tree of life amongst you all , by which the nations are healed ! not a healing spirit amongst ten thousands of england ? oh sad and deplorable is thy state ! for all is out of order ; and it may truly be said of her rulers , of her priests and her prophets , and of her people , as it was said of israel , when they had forsaken the lord , and blindness happened to them through their unbelief , a people laden with sin and iniquity , they are all gone out of the way , there is not one that doth good , no not one ; a seed of evil-doers , a treacherous generation , a false-hearted people , who eat up iniquity as men eat bread , and drink it up as oxen water : oh nation consider , thou art upon thy languishing bed , and thy eyes are almost closed , and thy ears st●pped , and thy understanding bes●t●ed , all thy vitals are decaying , the characters and symptoms of death are upon thee , the form of thy countenance is changed , the flower of thy beauty is passing away , old age and decrepedness is coming upon thee , all thy joynts are growing feeble ; what wilt thou now do in a day of adversity ? whether wilt thou go in the day of calamity which is approaching ? the grave is opened to receive thee , and thy en●mies stand ready to bury thee in silence , that thee and all thy glory may be trampled upon , and that thy memorial may dye and rot , and thy renown be shut up in the pit of oblivion ; the fellers stand ready to cut thee down as an abominable branch , and to cast thee into the fire to consume thee , and to make a final end of thee , and to destroy all thy pleasant thing ; the lord is grieved for thee , and the spirits of his people are made sad ; for they feel the weight of iniquity , and the load of transgression , which will sink the nation , if it be not turned from ; but the lord will ease him of his enemies , and avenge him of his adversaries , and will sweep away the refuge of lyes and the lovers of them into the pit of destruction ; and the day hastens when they that exalt themselves high , even upon pinacles , shall be brought low , and many hills hath god made one with the plain , and many more yet shall be made a plain , that the glory of the lord and his interest may be exalted . oh england ! consider thy former dayes , and call to mind th● years past , and consider in what state thou wast twenty years ago , and what complaints filled every corner of the land , by reason of the heavy yoaks that were l●id upon the people , by reason of m●ny wicked laws , which were made by men of corrupt minds , not only upon the estate● of men , but also upon their persons and consciences ; and the cry of many innocent people was great , and reached through the clouds . and what innovations and impositions were made upon tender consciences by those called bishops , which the very land groaned with the burden thereof , who were but a stem sprung from that corrupt root of rome , and most of their worship , canons & constitutions they had from thence ; ●nd what intrusion and popish stuff was ushered in daily upon the people ●n this nation , which they groaned under , and compelling and forcing about the superstitious rites , and ceremonies , and foolish fopperies which ●hey brought in as religious matters , and what lazy drones they upled , reading a piece of the old mass-book in english , and calling it divine service , and judged them hereticks who opposed all this muddy dark stuff , which the people were vexed with , and their souls grieved , and the lord grieved and vext , insomuch that the lord heard the cry of the oppressed ▪ and did appear in his power and strength in many people , to bear witness against the aforesaid evils , which were growing upon the nation , which tended to bondage and thraldom , both as concerning mens persons and estates , and also their consciences , which bondage they were weary of , which yoaks the lord brake , and gave a total overthrow both of the one and of the other ; and many upright in heart did rejoyce , and with unwearied pains did travail through a sea of troubles , not minding the present difficulty , but rather eying the end , freedom and liberty ; and many precious men ventured their lives , and lost their blood , and consumed their estates , and offered willingly of their substance in the time of need , that they might accomplish the aforesaid end , liberty and freedom as men , according to the equal just law of god , and freedom as christian , without being imposed upon either by men or laws , which was a prize which the lord did intend should be put into the nations hand , as a recompence for their former sufferings , in which all the upright would have been satisfied ; and therefore they who have been obstructors and hinderers of this thing , have the greater sin and load upon their backs , which hath sunk many of them . but alas ! when the obstructions were taken out of the way , and there was a little rest , covetousness did get up , and pride in the hearts of the rulers , and them in authority , in the hearts of the souldiery , especially the officers of the army , most of which god had raised from a mean estate to a great dignity ; you forgat the lord , and did divide the spoil amongst you , and so became full and fat , and then kick'd against the lord and neglected his service to , pursue that which god had put into your hands ; but getting into places of honour , became as bad , if not worst ▪ then many that were cast out before you , and then laboured to set up your own interests and not the interest of the nation , and to set up a form of religion , and another deceitful image , and not the interest of christ jesus ▪ for he could have no room among you : it grieves my heart , and 〈◊〉 ▪ the spirit of the lord god in me , to consider what tenderness , and ●●●vency , and love there was in former years , to the appearance of gods truth , life and light ; and now it 's become the chief object of 〈◊〉 scorn , and the whole bent is to turn christ's interest out of the 〈◊〉 and to destroy the sheep of his pasture , whom he hath redeemed 〈◊〉 his most precious blood , to lay your sins before you , and your transg●●●sions in your sight , that you may see what you have done . oh people of england ! was it only a form of government , or such and such a government in name that ye pursued after ? or was it not the thing it self , freedom it self , liberty it self , righteousness it self ▪ th●● the heavy yoak might be done away ? which as to any of the last i do●● : say , but they might have done it , if they had stood in god's fear . and 〈◊〉 his counsel , for it is not this or that title , or form of government , which is only essential to the well-being of a people or a nation 〈◊〉 have had tryal of many names , and what do you enjoy yet that which you look'd for ? oh nay ! you are defrauded , you are cheated , you are ●●●bed and spoiled of that which the lord god did intend you , by tre●●●erous and false-hearted men , whose words have been smooth 〈…〉 and their hearts full of rottenness , and through fair pretences 〈◊〉 liberty and freedom , and sanctity and holiness , people have been led up and down like horses , and tossed up and down like a tennis-ball . or was it a form of religion which might be set up by this or that party , that tender people did seek after , so as to be bound to this or that form by an outward law , by compelling and forcing ? was it not reformation according to the scriptures which was spoken of , and intended by the upright-hearted ? and behold how have we been cheated here ! was this the liberty of conscience that was pursued after , to set up popish tythes , which no true christian can pay for conscience sake ? or to set up a company of men to be teachers , to learn seven years the art of speaking , to borrow their words from homer or aristotle , and heathen authors ; or to take up a company of errors decreed at chalcedon , nice , latren or trent , for articles of faith , or to get words from astrologers and southsayers , and mingle this with the scripture , and call them , the go●pel , and to have set wages by a law given unto them , and to have traditions of men brought in for the ordinances of god ; such as the baptizing of infants , which claudius espencius , a popish bishop confessed that this was to be believed by tradition , for it could not be proved by scripture , that such a company i say , as these should be forced upon the nation as godly ministers , and their invented worship to be acknowledged as divine , and to maintain the old mass-houses , and pay clerks w●ges , which the scriptures make no mention of , and all this must go in the name of pure reformation according to scripture ; and to gather money from house to house to buy bread and wine , and then a priest to patter a few words over it , and then say , it 's c●nsecrated , and call it a sacrament ; and that priests should have money for marrying of people , and for baptizing of infants , or for burials , or to pay for the ground , in which the dead is buried ; this was reprehended and condemned by the council of trent in the height of popery in the year , . & many such bad impositions are daily holden up , and they that hold them up must be accounted as godly ministers ; and many more things of this nature are continued , which is so far against the consciences of many whom god hath enlightned , so that they are a great offence : oh this is quite contrary to that which was intended , and that which is the worst of all , many of these things are forc'd upon the people by a law. and now oh heads of the nation ! how do you think to be believed , or who can trust you any more ? obligations , covenants oaths and promises all broken and falsified ; and as soon as you had rest , when you had time to have prosecuted the aforesaid things declared for , purcha●●d at a dear rate , through much expence , and blood-shed , and sufferings , you let most of all their corrupt laws stand , many of which are ●ood for nothing but fire ; and it became as hard ( if not harder ) to obtain any right by appealing to the law , or judges thereof , then it was before ; and the vast lands and revenues of your enemies you divided amongst you , and sold it at inconsiderable values , and giving great and large sums to a company of dreamers and blind watch-men ; and so wasted that which might have well maintained an army in the nation for many years ▪ as though the work and the lives of many precious men , and the shedding of the blood of thousands , had been only to purchase wages for the greedy priests & hirelings who can never have enough , & so all the precious treasure which became a booty and a prey for you , is exhausted and gone , and greater pressures upon people then was before , and now the nation more in poverty and need then ever , and the people more inthrawl'd in bondage then ever ; and queen mary's act for guarding jesuites and the mass , stands yet in your law books , as though it were a heavenly oracle , and yet you cry out of popery ; and so when your hearts were not right with the lord , he set you one against another , and you came to be devid●d amongst your selves , and set up and pull down , and ordain and repe●l , and so brittle and changable , that none did lean upon you but he was hurt by you ; and yet every party crying like absolom , oh that i were a judge in the gate , how righteously would i do ! and so every party have stolen away the hearts of people after them for a while , and at last betrayed them ; and thus every one hath been seeking his own interest , and not the lord's , till the lord hath left you , and the line of confusion is stretched forth over you , and you bring forth the stones of emptiness ; and every party when he is got up into the seat of government , seeks veangence on him that hath opposed him , and blowes the sparks which sets all of a flame , and only for self , and honour , and exaltation , and interest ; and thus have you led people up and down like animals till they are weary ; and say , it was better with us in egypt , though in hard servitude , then to have yoaks multiplyed upon us , and cannot see when they will cease : oh how unstable are you in your minds , and run like a swift stream till you be lost , and know not how to return ; and flattery and deceit , that must go under the name of civility ; and one while calling this his highness , and the other his excellency , and the next moneth proclaim him tyrant and traytor ; and so if the wills of a party be but crossed or opposed , though honoured a week afore for good service , and applauded , and in a moment then proclaim him traytor , and so betray one another , and are treacherous one to another , and in rage would eat up one another : are you like to help the nation , and decree one week , and throw down next week ; and so run to and fro like drunken men ; and how are you like to do any thing that 's good ? the lord hath tryed most sorts of men , especially the great ones , and the heads of the people , and they are become just all dross , and little or no vertue is found in them all ; and so is the nation like to be established in freedom , while policy , craft , and treachery , and wrath are the chiefest instruments in the work ? but the day of many is past , wherein they might have done good to the nati●n , and to the people of the lord therein ; but their sun is gone down , and their day is done ( and night come upon them . and oh people ! will nothing satisfie you but egypt again , that you run so fast that way , that you have forgotten all god's wondrous works in this land ? will nothing but the iron furnace satisfie you , and the heavy yoak of bondage , which you in former years complained of ? are you grown altogether insensible of the things that belong unto your peace , that you lost after that which will destroy you , and enthrawl you forever ? you have had many warnings from the lord , and your state hath been clearly declared unto you , but have lost all fervency and zeal , you are become dry , dead , careless and secure , and now would be content to make a covenant with death , and shake hands with deceit upon any terms , if so be that your wills were satisfied ; and the heart of unbelief being got up in you , and a departing from the living god , you seek peace and settlement in another thing where you are never like to be established : what stands your hopes upon the sandy foundation of unstable men ? have you not sufficiently yet tryed all that , that it hath proved as a broken reed , and as a bubble which passeth away ? oh is it not high time to look upon the lord , and to eye him ? have not men of high degree proved a lye , and men of a low degree proved vanity ? have you not looked long enough for salvation from the mountains of the earth , and are they not all melted and hurled into the sea ? are they like to deliver you , who cannot deliver themselves ? are they like to settle you , who are unsetled themselves ? are they like to bring peace unto you , who know not the way thereof ? are they like to put an end to wars and strife , who are in the variance , and strife and war against the spirit of the lord in themselves , and against one another , every one striving that his heady mind may be satisfied ? is that it which is like to make the nation free , when that which tends to true freedom is counted by them bondage ? hath not this and the other party promised great things , and have they not all laboured in vain , and spent their strength for nought ? and is not the nation further off from establishment in righteousness , then it was sixteen years ago ? and is not more hypocrisie and deceit abounding and encreasing , who use good words for a cloak of maliciousness , and fair speeches to deceive the hearts of the simple ? and have not many been deceived hore ? and are they not all become broken bows in which there is no strength ? oh what brittleness , giddiness and madness , and instability among the people , just carried about as a tempest , blown up and down with every wind ? and oh how do people feed upon wind , and the airy breath of corrupt men , which vanisheth away as smoak , which ha●h brought no deliverance at all , but rather led farther and farther into slavery ? oh what are your spirits so heightned in ? and what is it in which you so greatly rejoyce ? is it not in that which the lord god hath blasted , blown upon and it is withered ? your rejoycing is not good , and it stirs up the wrong part in people , to rejoyce in vanity , and to take pleasure in folly : what have you made captains , and are you turning again into egypt ? do you love pharaoh's power so well , and the wise mens counsels so well ? and were it not just with the lord to let you go back into perpetual slavery , and chuse your delusion , seeing you make your necks as an iron sinew , and are so stout-hearted against the lord ? if you never attain unto that which god intended unto you , blame not the lord ; for you have made your selves unworthy thereof , by neglecting the counsel of the almighty , & despising them with whom the counsel of the lord is ; and therefore it is just to bring one bramble after another to rule over you , and one bryar after another to scratch , and rend , and tear you ; many have born your burden long , and have been prest with your transgressions , and the souls of the righteous have been vexed from year to year , to see you despise the loving-kindness of the lord , and the tender offers of mercy ; but the burden at last must come upon your own shoulders , which will bow you down ; and then shall you see the lord would have healed you , but you would not ; the lord would have healed your breaches , but you would not because the way did not suit with your peevish , pettish , crooked minds , and therefore you are like to be bowed down under that which you have chosen , as asses under a burden ; and you will suffer your eyes to be put out by the uncircumcised , and have given your strength to the beast , and now must you grind as samson at a mill , and they that exercise rule over you , will make sport with you . be awakned out of your deep sleep , and shake the spirit of slumber off you , that so you may come to see the state that you have plunged your selves into , and the little inch of time that is yet left you , prize it , and wait to feel the witness of god arise in you , above that rashness and wilfulness which doth so easily beset you , and eye the lord god , and look for salvation from him , for else neither person , family nor nation is like to be established ; have you not run far enough ? are you not yet weary ? have you obtained any thing by looking after men , but breach upon breach , and one vexation after another , the line of confusion being stretched out over all , and stones of emptiness brought forth , which is never like to do good , or to be a good foundation to build upon ; for salvation must be brought to a nation by a people that are saved by the lord , who have the eternal god for their rock and refuge , who have the lord for their god and king ; for they know how to rule in righteousness , who have denied them selves and all self-interests : take but a view of your leaders , and see in what they have denied themselves , or their own interest ; and that person or man can never be for the general good of all people , neither for the common freedom of the nation , who seeks himself ; and they that know not the judgment of the lord against evil in themselves , are never like to judge righteously among the people , but will turn it backward , and let equity fall in the streets , and the poor and the needy suffer , and will let the yoak of bondage lye upon their necks whom god hath made free , and count the proud happy , and they that work wickedness , they will set them up : oh! the lord is grieved , and his spirit is vexed these divers years at these things , and therefore hath he poured contempt upon the mighty , and is bringing a consumption upon all the honourable of the earth , and will make them all as burned mountains ; and while your eyes are upon them for help , your expectation shall be frustrated , and your hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost , and this is the word of truth unto you all , which shall not pass away unfulfilled . and thou false & treacherous ministry of this nation , who only hast the power of the carnal sword to hold thee up , and wast made & constituted to be a ministry by a carnal commandment of man , you have been the chief incendiaries of much of these commotions , stirs , uproars and broils , war and strife ; how have you twined , and turned . and wheeled about like weather-cocks , and flattered every horn of the beast which exalted it self though but for a little season ; & like as your fore-fathers did in former years , so have you done in the latter years , flattered and set up every thing and image , which though there was nothing it in at al● , no life nor breath , you have cried it up for the higher power while it stood and would work your drudgery , and satisfie your interest ; and if it went not on as you would have it , then you have cried it down , and them that you counted the higher power , and have said , it hath been by god's appointment ; the next week , usurpers and traytors , and countenancers of error and blasphemy , and have kindled a fire among people , and set them up in a rage one against another : and when your deceit was like to go down , then cried religion was despised , and the gospel was like to fall , and to be extinguished : come let us reason together a little ; is reading old writers ( whom you call heathen ) seven years , and other latter popish writers , and aristotle's philosophy , any part of the gospel ? and to frame up a speech adout religion , out of your old commentaries which were made in the night of ignorance , and to mix scripture with them , is this the gospel ? and to get a patent from a protector , a parliament , or a committee to preach at such a place , is this like gospel ? may be a great seal at it , and then stay whether the people would have you or no , and force maintenance from them , and plead your letters-patent for your lawfull call , like an indulgence from the pope , and to claim all the tythes of a parish , and all oblations , obventions and mortuaries ; is this like the gospel , or like the best reformed churches you talk on in that you call your covenant ? and to set up the old mass-houses , baptized bells , hour-glasses , clerks to say amen , church-wardens , is this like the reformed churches ? and to gather money from house to house to buy bread and wine , and then mutter a few words over it , and give it to people on the mid-day like a dinner , and call this the lord's supper , or a sacrament ; and to baptize infants , and get money for registring a name , and call this an ordinance of god ; is this like the reformed churches in the primitive times ? and to take money for marrying of people , is this gospel-like ? to preach over the dead , and observe other cereonmies like the popes exequies , is this like the best reformed churches ? nay , which of all the reformed churches ( so called ) who are broken off from popery in something , have not deny tythes ? is there any ministers among all the protestants in europe , but they have wholly relinquished tythes , as to be no gospel-maintenance ; as germany and the eastern countries , france , geneva and switserland , and many others ? yet these treacherous priests of england boast of the purity of doctrine , worship and discipline beyond all , and these must go under the name of godly learned ministry , and if this be godly , what is ungodly ? if this be learned , what is ignorance ? and to stay at a village twenty or thirty years if there be gain enough , if this be laboriousness , what is idleness ? and what havock and spoil have you made within these twenty years in this land , more then the corrupted bishops did before ? oh what havock have you made , and spoil of mens estates in this nation within these few years , which were called years of liberty ; if the chronicles were searched amongst all the protestants in europe , the like parallel could not be found , neither hath there been the like wickedness acted ; many dyed in prison for denying your insatiable desires ; and because you demand things contrary to the best reformed churches , which you say you press after ; you must deny all the things before mentioned , before any judicious man will believe ; and therefore it is in vain for you to cover your selves with a cloak of hypocrisie ▪ for god hath opened an eye in thousands , that you will never be able to blind , though you stir up smoak , and dirt and dust , and fogs and mists of ignorance that darkens the air , yet they will see through it , and by the breath of his mouth in whom they have believed , it will all be scattered , but however it is just with the lord to let loose upon your backs the old prelates and bishops to be tormenters of you , and make you drudges and slaves , as you were formerly ; and it is just with the lord to let the dragon's power over you all again , and to bring a scourge upon you , and the people that have hearkned to your lyes and deceit , that the helper and they that are holpen may fall together ; that the blind and they that have chosen the blind for a leader , may both fall into the ditch together , into the pit that they may never rise again . yet know this oh nation , and the inhabitants therein , there is a people in thee which is precious , and so accounted of the lord , that have not joyned to your back-sliding , but have kept their integrity and their first love , neither have they joyned to your brittleness and instability , neither have they sought themselves , but the good of the nation , and all the people therein ; and though they have had many provocations , as from the cruel and merciless cruelty of self-seeking men , yet they have born and suffered , knowing vengeance belongs unto the lord , who in his day will recompence fury upon his adversaries , and scatter them as the wind scatters clouds , and so are in peace and quietness under the shadow of him who hath brought them forth with a mighty hand and out-stretched arm , notwithstanding all opposition , which hath been very great , even by all parties and interests hitherto , and little or no regard hath been had to this people ; but they have been as for a prey , and for a spoil unto all , and unreasonable men have plowed long furrows upon their backs , and they have had no helper in the earth ; but on the contrary , every one hath lent his hand to bow them down , and tread upon them as ashes under the soles of their feet , and yet no evil to lay to their charge , but false surmises , and receiving the false representations of corrupt men , who●● hearts have gainsaid any appearance of good that ever appeared , if it crossed their ignorant corrupt minds : what hath this people come to harm thee , o nation , that thou makest them thy butt to shoot at , and they are become the object of your scorn and derision ? what ▪ have they plotted or contrived rebellion ? have they gone out upon their enemies , and sought vengeance against them , as every party hath done else besides ? except it 's become a crime to speak the truth , and bear witness against the hypocrisie and deceit of treacher●us men , and to lay their iniquities before them , that they may see , and be ashamed , and turn from their evil , which hath provoaked the lord to anger , and because of their rejection of god's counsel , they cannot be established : and for the sake of this remnant , he will confound and overthrow on the right hand and on the left all that rise up against them , though they should never open their mouthes , as to plead their innocency , yet the lord will , and condemn them that rise up against them , and plead the cry of the oppressed that cry unto him day and night , which the lord hath heard and considered , and is come down ▪ and hath begun his work , though man doth not see it , and hath poured forth a spirit of confusion upon them who have ill-will to the lambs of christ's fold : and who shall act any thing further , as to think to root out the heritage of god , their counsel shall be turned backward , and their enterprize cursed ; for god he hath determined to lay the top-stone with shouting , and that which he is building he will finish ; and of a truth this is the family which he hath chosen , which his love is unto , and his power amongst , and their adversaries will god rebuke for their sake . therefore o nation , consider and take this one warning more ▪ that thou proceed not further to thy hurt , and thou repent when it is too late . one of antichrists voluntiers defeated , and the true light vindicated : in answer to a book called ignis fatuus , published by one r.i. wherein he vindicates edward dod and samuel smith ( of the county of salop ) in their lyes , folly and wickedness , and hath added more of his own , with divers of his false doctrines , lyes and slanders , &c. brought to light and reproved . as that the law of the spirit of life is imperfect , and not fit to be a christian rule , and also , human nature may be taken for the regenerate part of man , and the soul , &c. and likewise calls idolatry civility , and heathenish complements courtesie . his vindication made void , and his weapons broken , and he taken captive , and left with e.d. and s.s. among the slime-pits of siddim , near sodom , with his ignis fatuus . by f. h. a witness to the perfect law of the spirit of life . the wicked are estranged from the womb , they go astray as soon as they be born speaking lyes . am●ngst all the opposers of the truth that yet have appeared among the black army of the the old dragon , who like the philistians have alwayes defied israels god , and also their camp , through their ostentation and boasting , and with their clamorous loud crye● in the ears of the people , like rabshekah , to dish earten and dismay israel ; none hath appeared more out-ragious and virulent then one who subscribes himself , r. i. who in vindication of his brethren in iniquity , e●ward d●d ▪ drunkard , and samuel smith an uprofitable talker , otherwise called a minister at cressage , who hath preached that which he calls the gospel these divers years , and yet sees no fruit at all , and yet this impudent r. i. whom i believe to be another dreamer like him , for his language doth manifest him to belong to mystery babylon , the great city ▪ the mother of harlots , he saith , one may minister and preach the gospel , and the people not be profited at all , as samuel smith hath done at cressage ; and he saith further , that they are barren professors , yet saith r. i. that s. s. need not be abashed at it ; and for instance he saith , was pauls preaching of less credit , because there were many runnagates , in the end shewed themselves hypocrites ? yet this comparison will not excuse s. s. neither e. d. nor r. i. who would cover them with an old patched cloak , some pieces he hath scraped up out of esop's fables , a book full of lyes , and altogether compacted and patched up of fictions , and some out of ovi● and seneca , heathens in their own account , and the like frivolous stories , and plato ▪ and diogenes , they must serve for a covering , if it will , to the two former opposers of truth : but stay r. i. did paul stay seven years in any place , and saw no fruit ? and though there were many unbelievers among the jews , notwithstanding the publication of the word and the miracles of christ , yet some believed ; and though the apostles and ministers of christ laboured in the work of the lord , yet some believed and clave unto them ▪ but there is no fruit at cressage at all , but they barren professors , as r. i. saith ; but if th●s will not serve , t●ke another of r. i. his arguments ; that god sends his word sometimes for the hardening of people , and upon this account , s. s's teaching and ministry must be kept in credit . a sad thing for the people of cressage , that they should hire a man for seven years together , and pay him wages for hardening of their hearts , and for counting them barren professors , yet i judge , s. s. e. d. and r. i. counted them fruitful , and abounding in zeal and fervency to god , when they came into the meeting of the quakers , some ringing pans , some candlesticks and frying pans , and throwing water , like people void of understanding , and saith this r.i. these yielding a better sound then the quakers ; so that thou mayst see what will not this r. i. vindicate , and what wickedness as can be acted and spoken , here they may look for a shelter , rather then they shall want a guardian ( as pictures , images , crosses , cuffs , ribbons , la●e ; and such other like things invented by the devil , to draw people from serving and worshipping the living god ) r. i. will patronize them all , being brought forth , and when they are not brought forth he will reach forth his hand to help to elevate iniquity , and to under prop the devil's kingdom , which is exalted in the children of disobedience , as all along may be seen in his fabulous scrole , called ignis fatuus , when like his two brethren before him , he goes about to vindicate idolatry , images , hirelings mass-houses , cuffs and ribbons , tythes , flattering titles , and vain customs , and popish practices , pride , persecution , and lying ; all those things he pleads for , and hath used many vain arguments and false interpretations of scripture , so that the two former , it may truly be said , they have done wickedly ▪ but this r. i. exceeds them all , who is so stout-hearted against the truth and power of god , that whatsoever he can invent in his corrupt heart against it ▪ and gathers up the rest of the priests lyes that they have vomited up before ▪ and cast in the face of truth and ●enders them as good proof ▪ and some scriptures perverted with e●op's fables , and ovid , and diogenes's stories ▪ and upon such materials he hath framed his book ( called ignis fatuus ) which he hath writ in vindication of e. d. his book called , a pair of spectacles for a dark si●hted quaker , and s. s. malice stripped and whipt , three pamphlets whose title will discover what the substance of their matter is , and whose work they drive on , so that i need not say much , some of them vindicating persecution , and incouraging the rude behaviour of the people , another mocking at innocency , and scorneth them who tremble at the word of the lord ; and last of all , r. i. who hath made a fortress for both the other , and hath cast up a heap of confused darkness to guard his brethren , he mocks at the light within , and calls it ignis fatuus ; and the law which is light which god hath promised to write in his peoples hearts , this he calls an imperfect thing , and therefore to be ruled , and not fit to be a rule of the saints , as may be seen in the th page of his book , and so hath spoken contrary to the spirit and scripture of truth , prov. . and the law of the lord , which is the law that endureth forever , this saith , r. i. is imperfect and the letter or law without written is perfect , and is a standard as r. i. saith , for all controversies , then if it be so perfect and so fit to decide all controversies , why doth r. i. borrow his proofs and raise his arguments from esop's fables , ovid's stories , plato's and diogenes's discourses , and to omit seneca , because r. i. saith , ambrose hath reckoned him in the bead-row of saints , it may be with saint dominick , and saint patrick , saint francis , and some other of the popes canonizing ; but however , i shall let many of his envious and frivolous and impertinent arguments pass , as thing of no validity or worth , being they have been answered over and over by many hands , and all the fortresses and strong holds thrown down , so that to any judicious man they will appear , to be but rubbish , however r. i. would be gathering together the rubbish again , and would make it appear as goodly a fabrick as he can , when indeed there is no thing in it all ; so thou may'st see reader , in r. i. his vindication of this mouldy cankered ware of babylon which he would hold up , his own folly , ignorance , and errour made manifest in the ensuing discourse of his doctrines , and most of his principles thou may view and see , which i have taken up and answer'd , and his confusion and blindness thou mayst see , and also view the spirits that acts this man , and how this man is like to convince any who hath not power over his tongue , but lets it run to utter forth the deceit that proceeds out of his own corrupt heart , thinking thereby to blind peoples eyes that they should not see , how ignorant and light , vain , and treacherous , these priests are , who would monopolize all into their own hand ; nay , though god commanded and move by his spirit , yet this must not speak nor declare the mind of god , except these priests will allow of it , ( in whom the welfare of all people lies , if thou wilt believe r. i. in the page of his book , yet if these count it disorderly for any to speak as h hath received of the lord , from his spirit ) it must go for such , and be accounted such , as disorderly . in the epistle to the reader r. i. saith , such schi●maticks as these quakers , have torn the church in pieces , and its authority condemned , and the ministry slighted , and false religion advanced . answ. it seems that the church that r. i. is of , is none of the true church which is built upon the rock ( christ ) , which the gates of hell prevaileth not a●ainst , neither any weapon that is formed against it , can prosper ; but r. i. his church is torn in pieces and may be prevailed against ; sure it is but babylon , whose stones must be scattered , and whose building must be thrown down , & it is but the wh●r●s a●●re that is sending off , that her nakedness may appear , and her deceit made manifest ; and the authority which is condemned and reproved , is no auth●rity but the authority of the beast , upon which the false church hath riden , and hath c●lled it by the name of the higher power ; and the ministry is but such as traffick with the whore's sorceries , by which she hath deceived the nations , and this indeed , and those ministers indeed are slighted by us because we know him who is the minister of the everl●sting covenant , whose spirit is manifest according to his promise , to lead his people into all truth ; and so the religion which standeth only in the traditions of men , and in idolatry , such things as r. i. goeth about to maintain , as images , crosses , and pi●●ures , mass-houses , hireling pr●●sts , popish tythes and p●pish ceremonies , which r. i. so much pleads for , all these are slighted , as not to be consistant with the true religion , or the true church of christ. yet nevertheless saith r. i. in his epistle , i have adventured voluntarily to side with those that contend for the truth aga●nst the quakers , and yet in the same epistle , saith , he was moved of the lord thus to declare answ. what confusion , and lying , and blasphemy is here ? hath r. i. adventured voluntarily in his own wilfulness and perversness , to take part with those contenders against the truth , in which the quakers live and worship , and god must be made the author of this , and all the heap of lyes and confusion , which is declared and uttered forth in his ignis fatuus , which if no more were said then hath been , were answer enough unto his railing discourse ; and yet what impudency this man hath to say , he was moved of the lord , when as he hath confest , he hath voluntarily took part with the contenders ? so that it is manifest to all reasonable men , who set thee on work , and whose work thou hast been doing , for which thou shalt be sure to receive a reward , in the mighty day of the lord. and r. i. saith , forasmuch as their counterfeit coin hath been offered to me for good s●lver , i thought it fit to nail it to the market p●st , that it might not decieve others , and instead thereof i have here made a tender of other money ( viz. ) this ensuing treatise , which i doubt not , but it may pass with truth 's approbation . answ. that which r. i. calls counterfeit coin , was made publick by our selves , and it hath been and shall be received by them that know god's image , and the inscription of the spirit , and though r. i. hath denyed it when it was proffered to him , the value and worth of that which hath been proffered to him , is no worse ; for though a price be put into the hand of a fool , he regards it not . and now reader thou shalt see what kind of coin he hath tendered , and how thou judgest it may pass with truth 's approbation , as hereafter will be made manifest in his further discourse . wherefore reader , saith r. i. have not so great regard to the authority of the writer , as the truth of the matter written by him , who was moved of the lord , as th● to declare against those who are adversaries to truth . answ. indeed the authority of a writer , or of that which is written , is of no great moment , seeing he is but one of anti-christ's voluntiers , who hath not only belyed them that feared the lord , but also hath uttered forth many damnable doctrines , and yet would fasten all these upon the lord so that his deceit might be of more authority , and none might question the matter thereof , because the lord alwayes moveth to truth and righteousness , and so r. i. is one of them that hath taken the name of the lord in vain , which will not be holden guiltless , but will be found guilty , when the searcher of all hearts shall make all things manifest . and then r. i. further saith , that sprinkling of infants is commanded by the scrptures , and is a seal of the covenant ; and baptism of inf●nts is that which answers to circumcision ; for mortification of the flesh and remission of sins , and admission into the church , are sealed unto infants by sprinkling , or that which r. i. calleth baptizing . i say , baptism of infants is a popish-tradition , as hath been proved by divers , so that of it i need not say much ; but where it is commanded in the scripture as r. i. saith , coll. . , . is but a bad proof for r. i. for the collossians were circumcised with the circumcision made without hands , and they were buried with him in baptsim , baptized into the death and sufferings of christ , such a baptism as the priests never administred with their hands , and the spirit of the lord was wont to be the seal of the covenant to them that do believe , but now it must be turned out of doors , for visible water hath taken up its place in r. i. his judgement , which is currupted ; & how doth sprinkling answer to circumcision , the males only were circumcised , and not the females ? and why do you sprinkle females , if baptism must answer to circumcision , and if the extent of the one must be as large as the other : and as for mortification of the flesh and remission of sins ; that which mortifies the deeds of the flesh hath life in it , and that gives a living testimony within , & remission sins of is in the blood of christ , and the seale thereof is by the spirit unto them that believe , but this popish tradition hath taken up all in r. i. his account , if his argument be true ; nay the papists themselves , who are as zealous for sprinkling of infants as r. i. or any of his brethren can be , yet one of their own bishops ( at a council in france , of both protestants and papists , at pisoy . ) claudius espencius saith , many things are to be believed by tradition only , as the baptism of infants , which cannot be proved from scripture ; but this r. i. would have the scripture to be a cloak and a cove● not only for popish traditions , but for his own invented imaginations , which he hath set forth to blind the people withal . the next thing that r. i. goes about to vindicate , is swearing , which their ministers teach men to swear ; which ought to be in rightousness and truth , and for his proof he brings deut. . . and saith , christ only prohibits rash and vain swearing , and superfluous oaths . answ. unto this much hath been said and answered already by many pens , and so that in the answer thereof i shall be brief ; in the first covenant it was lawful to swear in truth and righteousness , and likewise all rash and vain oaths under the law were forbidden ; but christ who is the end of the law for righteousness , who is greater then the prophets , and greater then moses and solomon , and greater then the angels , unto whom they all worship , he saith expresly , swear not at all ; now whereas r. i ▪ and ther 's have said , christ only in these words prohibits vain oaths , or false oath●s , then he had reproved nothing but what the law had reproved , but he saith , it hath been said of old time , thou shalt not forswear thy self , but saith christ , i say swear not at all , so that it is manifest , that all oaths are forbidden by him , who is the oath of god ; and why saith r. i. it is not contrary to the gospel of christ for to swear , and yet doth account the writings which is called the new testament , the go●pel , wherein christ hath expresly forbidden it ? and therefore those ministers that teach men to swear , are not the ministers of christ , but teach those things that are repugnant to the gospel of christ ; for he that breaks one of the least of the commands of christ , and teacheth others so to do , is least in the kingdom of god. the next thing that r. i. would vindicate , is their of sing●ng david's psalms , in invented tunes , such as pleaseth the carnal mind , and for his proof he brings mat. . . they went out , and sung a hymn ; and paul and silas sung in prison ; and singing is divine worship for the praise of god , and the comfort of our souls ; and it is a soul-ravishing , and heart-raising ordi●ance . answ. it is acknowledged , and alwayes hath been by us , that praises belongs unto the lord , and that they that are made alive , whose souls are raised out of death , can , and do praise the lord , and they that si●g with the spirit and with understanding , are acceptable unto god ; and they that are in the spirit , do that which the spirit moveth unto , and so worship in the truth , and are accepted of god ; and christ , and paul , and silas , and many more praised the lord , and many now do praise the lord , and he that hath a psalm may sing ; but what of all this ? what doth this prove for r. i. and the mass-house-fingers ? and what doth this prove as to the singing of them that are void of understanding . who sometime sing , i go mourning all the day long , and just at that moment are singing ; and what doth r. i. think it cannot be a psalm except it be in meeter , or doth he think it is not accepted , except it hath a tune with so many stops ; and to sing david's prayers , and call it praises , is this with understanding ? and even to return r. i. his words upon himself ; a more ungrounded opinion was never invented by the devil ; for them to sing , or to pretend to praise god , whose souls lye in death , and do not know what it is to partake of god's benefits , neither the unsearchable gift ; this kind of singing and immitation doth not comfort the soul. but burden it , and this doth not raise the witness , but killeth it , and you make merry over it ; and this kind of singing must be turned into howling and lamentation . and saith r. i. our worship doth not differ neither in whole , nor in part , in matter or in manner from the saints worship in the primitive times . answ. this man's confidence , or rather impudence , is in opposition to knowledge and wisdom ; for it were easily proved , that it nei●her in whole , nor in part , neither in matter nor manner agreeth with the primitive times , as for example , it is no where recorded in the scripture ▪ that any apostle , minister , or ministers , did take a little water and did sprinkle a few drops on a child's face , & called this an ordinance of god and say , it is a seal of the covenant , and mortification and remission 〈◊〉 sins , neither any such doctrine did they declare ; neither did any of th● ministers and apstoles of christ ; cause people to buy them bread an● wine , and then give it the people back again , a bit of bread and a sup 〈◊〉 wine at the middle of the day , and call this the lord's supper , or a gre●● sacrament ; neither had they bells in their churches to call people tog●●ther ; neither had they soft cushions , and pulpits , and a hour-glass 〈◊〉 by them ; neither did the primitive churches prohibit , or limit th● spirit of the lord god amongst any , but if any was moved to speak any thing , or had any thing revealed from the lord , the first was to hold his peace . these and many more things you differ in , both in matter and manner , which largely hath been declared by other pens , and so in this i shall be brief ; neither had the ministers of the gospel their maintenance by force ; neither had they easter reckonings , midsummer dues , mortuaries , money for churching of women , marriages , nor for the burials of the dead , nor money for funeral sermons , neither did they preach over the dead : all these and abundance more of such like invented things , was never practised nor found amongst the churches before the apostacy ; which things considered may cause r.i. to blush that ever he durst be so impudent , as to say , they differ not , neither in the whole nor in part , in matter nor in manner , from the primitive churches ; and until such time as r. i. and his brethren contenders can clear themselves of these things , let them not think any whose eyes god hath opened can receive them for a church of christ ; nay , most of the parish ministers hold up those practices which the papists did deny , as money for marriages and burials , baptism , the sacrament , or the ground in which the dead were buried , this was reprehended and condemned by the council of trent , in the height of all popery , . saith r. i. it seems these tythes are a great matter to many , or rather a great trouble for them to pay the ministers , though abraham paid tythes of all to melchizedeck before the law ; and this proves e. d. his argument , as saith r. i. that it is contrary to the light and law of god to with-hold them from the ministers , because they were given by abraham before the law. answ. yea , it is great matter with many to pay tythes , and a great trouble too , because he that confesseth christ is come in flesh , cannot uphold the shadows of the first covenant , which belonged to a changable priesthood , having no other portion among their brethren , which was given unto them for the service which they performed unto the lord , and likewise were a twelfth tribe , and near a twelfth part of the people ; and now the law being changed , and the priesthood changed , and the covenant ended , and the ordinance thereof abolished , that such a company of covetous men , as the parochial priests generally are , that they should claim the tythes that belonged to this priesthood , and not to do the work that they did , and yet have a portion among their brethren in this land , neither are they the three hundredth part of the people ; & that such a company , i say , as these should claim the tenth part of all the encrease in the land , this is a great matter , and a thing not consistant with the law of god , neither equity or reason , and it is but a poor and feeble argument neither of e. d. or r. i. that because abram gave the tenth part of the spoil to melchizedeck before the law , that therefore it must be a binding thing to all generations to pay the tenth part as due to such as are neither after that order of aaron , neither after the order of mel●hizedeck . abram gave the tenth , and that but once , and freely , and melchizedeck brought forth bread and wine to abram's army and we may as justly , and upon as good ground , demand bread and wine for our whole families of the priests , as the priests can demand the tenth part of our substance from abram's gift to melchizedeck , and say , it is against the law of god , nature and reason , as e. d. and r. i. doth conclude by their feeble arguments , which they make upon abram's giving the tenth's , for if the example of the one be binding , then ●he example of the other is also as binding ; abram gave the tenth part of ●he spoil and that but once , and melchizedeck demanded none , then why do ●he priests who are usurpers claim it every year ? and where they cannot get it freely , as few will give it them , who witness christ come in the flesh , then they take it by force and constraint ; or would melchizedeck have pleaded with abram ( as this ignorant r. i. doth ) that the spoil was none of his own ? as he saith , tythes are no man's own ? or as i said before to e. d. would melchizedeck have taken away abram's oxen , cowes , or hor●● , sheep , or camels , if he had not given him the tenth part ? or did any of the ministers of christ require or demand , force or constrain any maintenance whatsoever from any , which this r. i. saith , they differ nothing from , neither in whole nor in part , in matter or manner , neither in practice ; but saith , r.i. this is nothing to the purpose , unless it could be proved that the apostles might have had tythes , which they could not being persecuted . yet it is something to the purpose if you take them for an example , as you say you do ; and though it be granted the apostles were persecuted from place to place , and sometimes went from place to place when they were not per●ecuted , which r. i. would have condemned for runnagates , if he had lived in that time : but without all controversie , if it be a duty now to pay tythes unto the ministers of the gospel , then it was a duty in the apostles time , that though the rulers were persecutors , yet the apostles would have minded them , whom they had begotten into the faith , of their duty but we find no mention neither by commandment , reproof or exhortation , unto any of the churches , about any such thing , and so thy argument r. i. is foolish and frivolous ; for it may be easily proved , that tythes were never demanded , not for or hundred years after the ascension of christ. and r. i. saith , the apostles took whatsoever was given them , and th●● satisfies the ministers conscience to take tythes which the magistrates give them , so they may of such maintenance live of the gospel . answ. if the apostles took nothing but what was given them , then this shames your forcing , and also you seek it of them who receive you not , which manifests you are out of the apostles example , and though it satisfies your consciences to take tythes ( which thou sai'st , the magistrates give you ) both of them that own you , and them that own you not ; yet i believe it would not have satisfied the apostles of christ , if any magistrates would have sent them back to the jews , who believed not , or the gentiles , who received them not ; this they would not accounted as a free gift ; though this divers hundred years many rulers have drunk of the whore's cup , and have given their authority to the beast , and have forced and compelled to a worship , and also to give to the whore's merchants , yet this is but bad proof that they ought to have done so ; and the apostles never counted this living of the gospel , to live of tythes & forced maintenance , which none of the ministers did receive , or ever will. and so for shame call in thy ignis fatuus again , in which thou hast published so many lyes , among which is one , ( which will stand as a record against thee ) ( viz. ) that ye differ not in doctrine and practice , matter and manner , neither in whole nor in part , from the apostles and primitive saints . and this is another lye , that timothy and titus was settled in a parochial-like way in their quarters . nay the parochial quarters is all people , old and young , believers and unbelievers , between such a water and such a wall , or bewixt such a hedge , and such a di●●h . and because thou saidst , i had not named the apostate that builded your mass houses , i shall take away the occasion of thy clamouring this , and tell thee who invented your parishes , and your parochial way , ( viz. ) the pope dyon●sius , which it may be thou wilt calculate among the bead-row of saints , for his great devotion , as thou saidst , ambrose did with seneca . the next thing that r. i. contends against , is no less thing then the doctrine of christ , and yet it may be he reckons himself as one of his ministers , and yet he raises arguments strongly against the doctrine of christ , viz. be not ye called masters ; but it may thou wilt say , as one of thy generation said lately of some of the doctrine of christ , that these words give an uncertain sound , and therefore they must have an exposition , and it is this , that christ condemneth ambition and superiority over our brother's religion and faith. answ. then all your parochial ministers , by thy own exposition , fall under condemnation ; for this is a point of our faith , that if we be moved of the lord and by his spirit , to come into your assemblies , to speak the word of truth , that we ought to speak it , and you ambitiously would arrogate unto your selves superiority over our faith and religion ; like as we believe , that we ought not to give flattering titles to men , neither to give maintenance unto them , of whom we are perswaded and do believe are no ministers of christ : and in these and many more things that pertain to religion , faith and godliness , you ambitiously and proudly have arrogated unto your selves superiority over religion , faith and consciences : therefore repent of it , and see you do so no more , lest you fall into condemnation : and as for calling any man master , who is our master we own , and it is the practice of such as are servants ; but to call him master who is not our master , is to speak an untruth , or else to give flattering titles , and we have not so learned christ ; but enough of this hath been spoken by divers , so that i shall pass on , and touch a word about complements , and doffing off hats , and bowing of knees , a thing that r. i. and his brethren so dearly love , that they are loath to part with it , and these things we believe we ought not to do ; and although r. i. doth confess , that none ought to usurp authority or superiority over his brother's faith , yet notwithstanding he hath forgotten his own exposition in a moment , and falls a wrangling about hats and caps , knees and complements , which we cannot do for conscience sake . and saith r. i. if the quakers will not put off their hats , because it is a custom , or bow the knee , because they are abused , they must not eat or drin● , because it is abused by gluttons and drunkards . answ. a pitiful lame argument ; we eat not , nor drink not because it is a custom , nor wear apparel , but because of their service and of necessity ; and yet i would have r. i. know , that we have learned to distinguish betwixt a thing that may be customary , and good in it self , and a custom which is vain ; and the saints did not salute one another because it was a custom , but because their hearts were joyned to one another in love and in truth ; but for doffing the hat , and bowing the knee to a fellow with a feather , or a woman with a fan , or a gold ring , or poudered hair , this is a vain custom , and the antiquity of a thing doth not prove the goodness of it , neither customariness the worth of any thing , not because a multitude of roysters and ruffins do practise such things , that therefore they are lawful ; for we know broad is the way that leads to destruction , and many there that enter in ; and we have learned not to follow a multitude to do evil , though r. i. be untaught . but saith r. i. when salutations are observed with a good decorum , they are like a hand-dial , which shews what order the wheels observe within , and the abuse of any thing doth not abolish the use thereof . answ. now what r.i. doth count a good decorum , reader , thou may'st judge by what he hath before pleaded for , for doffing off hats , bowing the knee , and saying , your servant sir , or if it please your highness , or if it like your excellency , with such feigned practices , and this is the decorum which is counted civil ; and so reader thou may'st observe how the wheels run within . it so came to pass that i was amongst a company of these that would be called ministers of the gospel , in number no less then ten , and in the room i was when they all came in , and they courted , and bowed , and scraped with their feet , with their hats to the ground many of them one to another , and reeling up and down the house in this manner , and one striving to outstrip another in complements ; and though they had all intentions to sit down , yet they strave among themselves who should be last , and in this posture they continued half an hour together , at the which i admired , and indeed was ashamed , that men who professed godliness should be found in such transgression ; and it is like r. i. will count these civil salutations with a good decorum ; and now reader , observe again how the wheels went within , and what they did drive after , but to gratifie one another in deceit , with these kind of decorums , like stage-players and fidlers ; and thou errest , not knowing the scriptures , nor the power of god ; when that which was commanded by god came to be abused , they came utterly to be abolished ; as the brazen serpent came to be idolized , it was taken away , though there was no command for so doing , but they might have pleaded the former against them ; likewise the temple commanded to be built by god , and was to have continued forever , yet being abused and made an idol of , it was utterly abolished , and was left unto them desolate , and the glory of god did not appear in it as before ; and because of the iniquity of such a company of priests , sion became as a plowed field , and jerusalem became heaps , and the daily sacrifices ceased , and not one stone left upon another of the temple that was not thrown down : and so for thee or any other to plead custom or antiquity and examples , which were neither commanded nor commended , as to be standing and a binding rule to all generations , demonstrates thy great ignorance and blindness , and manifests thee to be one who pleases the spirit of the world , in whom the love of god dwells not . the next thing that r. i. falsly accuseth , and impudently affirmeth against the quakers is , that they deny honour to superiours , and to them to whom it is due , and so blaspheme the name of god and his doctrine ; and further say'st , charity , though shooting at random , cannot miss the right mark. answ. it is one thing what god accounteth true honour , it is another thing what r. i. counteth honour : true honour is to obey the commands of superiours , who rule in the power of god , and this the quakers do , submitting to all the just and equal commands which are required of them that rule in the power of god , and this is not to blaspheme the name of god and his doctrine ; but this fellow would have accused the apostles , as his generation did , who put them out of the cities , charging them to speak no more in the name of jesus , and then when the apostles return'd plead their authority , saying , did not we command you to speak no more in his name , and now you are disobedient , blaspheming the name of god and his doctrine : is this good reasoning r. i. and charity shoots not at random , neither misses the mark , but it is pure , and singles out its ob●ect to joyn unto , and joyns not unto deceit ; but this is r. i. his charity , to think well of them that are doing evil , and joyn to them who are doing the devil's work ; but this man honours charity as he doth the scriptures , he saith , charity shoots at random , and the scriptures are the true cards , as hereafter thou shalt see . and saith r. i. f. h. labours to disgrace , if not to deface our churches , he like a cunning gamster knows how to alter the course of true cards , the scripture , as r. i calls them . answ. because f. h. would have them to take away their crosses , and pictures and images , which were set up in the time of gross idol●try , this r. i. counts graces and adorns their churches , and so he is joyned to idols , i shall let him alone ; and the reader may see how r. i. honours the scriptures , when in one place he pleads for the same titles to be given unto them , which are given to god , and saith , no man can d●shonour christ by giving as honoura le titles to the scriptures as to god or christ ; then by his own argument he hath brought a great dishonour to god and christ and the scripture , by giving them so base a title as the name of cards , and so in going about to exalt his own imaginations , he hath vilified the scriptures of truth . and saith r. i. to call steeple-houses churches , is no addition to the scripture , but a true exposition thereof ; and what if there be some reliques of idolatry in our material temples , is there are some reliques of sin in our living temples , 〈◊〉 they therefore be called idol-temples ? answ. the temple in which the jews worshipped was builded by the command of god , which all these steeple houses cannot be compared unto which were invented and set up in the apostacy , since men have departed from the faith , and ruined into formalities and idolatry ; when christ was offered up the everlasting offering , them that did believe in christ ●eparated from the temple ; and the gentiles who believed separated from their idols temples , and they met together in houses , which we do not read of were filled with pictures , images and crosses , and steeple-houses were not then invented ; and the council of nice , divers hundred years after the apostles , decreed that images and crosses were to be placed in the churches , and also worshipped ; and there is the original of those things which r.i. saith do grace and adorn their church ; and if some of the reliques of idolatry do abide in your temples , then it demonstrates that you are in the same spirit they were that set them up : and if your temples take their denomination from the people that meet therein , as r. i. saith in page . then they may be truly called popish houses and mass-houses from the people that meet therein ; and if the reliques of sin abide in your living temples , and bear rule there , then they that defile the temple will god destroy , for holiness becomes the habitation of his h●use forever ; and kings . . will be but a bad proof for thee , for the glory of the lord shall fill the house of the lord , for that is the temple , blind man , which was commanded by god , and the glory of god did appear there ; but if this will not serve , we must have another proof , psal. . . in salem is his tabernacle , and his dwelling-place in sion , which may be understood allegorically of our temple , saith r. i. doth the glory of the lord fill your mass-houses , you glory in deceit and in pride , and your glorying is not good , and thy allegory is false ; though his tabernacle was in salem , and his dwelling in sion , and his presence in the temple ; is yours the temple , or salem , or sion , or the tabernacle ? if not , for shame pervert not the scripture , nor bring it to cover your idolatrous practices , which r. i. pleads for , and saith , images , pictures and crosses may be continued in some places ; and it is like r.i. would count it sacriledge to take them away ; he is far from the exhortation of the apostle , abstain from every appearance of evil , and hate the garment that is spotted with the flesh. and r.i. saith , i plead not for baal , nor for proud phantastick spirits , and yet a little while after saith , that putting off lace , ribbons and costly apparel , may be putting on of pride : now who will believe this r.i. that he pleads not for baal , when he pleads for pictures , crosses and images , for cuffs ribbonds , lace , and costly apparel : now reader thou may'st observe by r.i. his decorum , how the wheels go within . and further r. i. saith , it is utterly unlawful for any christian whatsoever , gifted or not gifted , to preach the word in the name of the lord before the church publickly assembled , unless they be ordained and set apart by the church for such a work. answ. this man is far from moses's spirit who wished that all the lord's people were prophets . and would not forbid eldad and medad to prophesie in the camp , which was a publick assembly , and israel then the church of god , and r. i. hath made too hasty a conclusion , who would prohibit all from speaking the word of god , if they wanted outward ordination ; then paul was a great transgressor , who consulted not with flesh and blood , neither with any other of the brethren , nor went not up to jerusalem for or●ination , but preached three years the word of god ▪ and then afterward went up to jerusalem , and saw none except peter and james , and no ordaination as we read of ; and afetrward went into syr●a and cilicia , and furthermore saith , he that was not known by face to the churches of judea : so who ordained him all this time ; for there were no churches of the gentiles , but what he had planted then , and so they could not ordain him , gal. . , , , , . and who ordained apollo ; but it may be that r. i. will say , that paul was ordained at antioch , acts . . but i would have r. i. to understand , that here was seventeen years that he preached publickly before that , and where was his ordination ? many of the brethren who were scattered abroad in the persecution that was at jerusalem , went every where preaching the word of god , and when or where were these ordained ? and who ordained the brethren that were persecuted after steven's being put to death , who travailed as far as phenicia and cyprus , and antioch , preaching the word , and the hand of the lord was with them , and a great number believed , and were turned unto the lord , acts . , , . yet these things i bring not as to deny but that many went out with the consent of the church , and many were ordained ; and many were ordained elders who were grown up in the truth and established , who had received the holy ghost , by whom many were confirmed and strengthned in the faith ; but what is all this r. i. to your ordination ? and who ordained you , the pope , a bishop , or a council , or a parliament , and what are they you ordain ? such as learn the art of speech seven years at oxford , who have read homer and aristotle , plato and diogenes , and learn to play on a fiddle ; these are no mechanicks , but gifted men indeed , and qualified , and fit to be ordained and made ministers , pastors and elders , to carry abroad the traffick of mystery-babylon ; but this r. i. is very peremptory , and saith , it is utterly unlawful for any that are gifted to preach the word , contrary to the apostle's doctrine , who saith , as every one hath received the gift so let him administer ; and not such as r. i. would have to be ministers , who have learned an art to speak , and this must be called a gift , and a qualification , and a fit man to be a pastor , and thus they have ordained one another , and have set up a trade of preaching , and with their confused stories have filled the world with darkness . and as concerning an infallible spirit , saith r. i. none except christ who was without sin , can challenge it , or lay claim to it , and i may say of such runnagates and wandering stars , as this f. h. and the quakers are , as john did , john . . they are gone out from us , because they were not of us , answ. however this r. i. hath cleared himself and the rest of his brethren for being ministers of christ ; for they do not only deny an infallible spirit , neither look to be made partakers thereof , but quite shut out all the saints from enjoying it ; and though in christ the fulness of the godhead dwelt , who was full of grace and truth ; he is the root from whence all that believe come to be made partakers of his virtue , and so many of his members may lay claim to it , as they have received it by a free gift , according to the promise of christ , i will send you the spirit of truth , wh●ch shall lead you into all truth ; and the apostle had received the spirit of life in christ jesus , who had freed him from the law of sin and death , and the sons of god had received it ; and they were led by it , and the ministers of christ were made ministers of it , who hath made us able ministers as it is written , not of the letter , but of the spirit , and that spirit was infallible and true , and that spirit which they declared of , was an unerring spirit ; and as they were led by it , they erred not , but were kept by it that the evil one touched them not , and they spoke from it , and ordered the church in it in the wisdom of god : but what do these men minister from , who wait not to be made partakers of this , but deny that ever any had it , or ever shall have , & so are but a company of dreamers , and tell their dream that they dreamed in the night , or at best steal the words from their neighbour , and say , thus saith the lord , when god hath never spoken to them . and though thou mayest say we are runnagates , because we sit not dreaming over thirty or forty families twenty years , but travail from city , & from country to country to publish the word of truth freely , as the apostles & ministers of christ did ; we must by such as this r. i. and his brethren , who have gotten holes and nests in the earth to creep into , be counted as runnagates ; & though john said , they are gone out from us because they were not of us , this he spoke of them who went out of the light , in which he and the rest of the disciples had fellowship with god , and one with another ; and they that went out from this , went into the spirit of the world ; and you are such as they that are gone out already , and blasphemously call the light of christ ignis fatu●● ; and so all that fear the lord will come out from you , and out from babylon , where the blood of the prophets hath been shed , and the witnesses killed ; you who deny an infallible spirit , are like to be in blindness , and follow the spirit of error , for you have nought else to cleave unto . and further r i. saith , when the lord said by joel , that he would pour out his spirit upon all flesh , and his sons and his daughters should prophesie ; the prophet speaks not of a ghostly power to open the kingdom of heaven , given by christ to his apostles and successors but of an extraordinary measure of enlightning grace , and a more copious effusion of the spirit , and also to pastors to whom more is given , more is required ; and this text doth not prove that all sheep shall be pastors , and all schollars teachers . an. nay , this text doth not prove all sheep to be pastors , neither all that are taught to be teachers ; for all are not prophets neither pastors nor teachers ; for as christ said , the labourers are but few , but this man 's afraid that there should be too many , & indeed there are too many hireling loiterers ▪ that are ready to supplant one another for filthy lucre ; & though many may be said to believe , yet all have not received the spirit of prophecy , or a gift to be pastors , but only they to whom it is given of the lord for the work sake , yet notwithstanding , they who have received it ought not to be limited , either son or daughter ; for they who do quench the spirit , and d●●pise prophecy , as this r. i. doth , and how should he do otherwise , seeing he hath denyed the infallible spirit , from which all the ministers ministred , and all the prophets prohesied , and spoke as they were moved by the holy ghost ; but r. i. saith , the prophet spoke not of a ghostly power to open the kingdom of heaven ; if by ghostly power he means the spirit 's power , as i believe he will not deny , then was it not by a spiritual power sons & daughters prophesied ; and did not this power open the kingdom of heaven ? and if it be a more copious effusion of the spirit which is given under the gospel then the law then how is it that r. i. would straiten or lessen the effusion thereof under the gospel ; for there were daughters that prophesied under the law , and many sons that spoke by the spirit of god ; but now all must be confined to the letter , and your pastors now have far less of the spirit , if any at all , who speak from the strength of natural parts , and deny the unerring spirit , and so shut up the kingdom of heaven against men. and r. i. is so grieved at this infallible spirit , or this spirit of prophecy , that he cannot endure that a daughter should prophesie , or speak by the spirit of god in the assembly of the saints , and the main stress of his or their argument is , cor. . . let your women keep silence in the church ; for it is not permitted for them to speak ; and if any woman speaks in the church it contradicts the spirit , and though they have a gift , they ought not to improve it in a disorderly way . aosw . that which hath been said in this particular unto e. d. is sufficient . to them whose eyes god hath opened , but this r. i is one of the evil beasts that the apostle speaks of , whose mouth must be stopt . and so i further say , that the apostle writ to the church of corinth , which were believers , which few will deny , but that it consisted both of men and women , and he expresly saith , ye may all prophesie one by one ; and furthermore , if a woman prophesie with her head uncovered , dishonoureth her head ; so that it is manifest that there were women did prophesie , and also laboured in the gospel ; but saith r. i. that was but in a private way , or amongst some few ; this had been lawful or orderly in r. i. his account ; and if she might speak to two or three , or twice two or three it may be , as there is in many houses , is not this called a church ; and doth not christ say , where two or three are gathered together in my name , i will be in the midst of them : moreover , was not that a church which was in aquilla and priscilla's house ? cor. . . and was not priscilla a daughter that did prophesie ? what , must priscilla go out of her house in which was the church if she had any thing to speak by the spirit ? was it lawful to speak without doors and not in the house ? and if she might speak in her house , then she spoke in the church , and r. i. would have said she contradicted the spirit of god ; and is not christ one in the male and in the female ? and is not male and female both one in christ jesus ? is christ's power , & the spirit 's authority any whit less efficacious or powerful when he speaks in the female ? or is it the sex only that addeth or diminisheth from the authority of the spirit , thou ignorant man who art void of the knowledge of god ? & was not mary a woman , and did not she preach christ's resurrection to the disciples , and were not they the church ? but this it is like will not satisfie r. i. his unreasonable mind ; who doth not believe that a woman may prophesie or speak in the church ; for this would contradict paul's saying ; not at all , i grant paul's words to be true , this was spoke occasionally to one church , concerning them that were unlearn'd untaught of the spirit , that usurped authority over the man , and such as were disorderly , whose spirit was not subject to the prophet , and what must this be a binding example , as to quench the spirit , and limit the lord from generation to generation , as to bind or limit them , who are in subjection to their husband , and who usurped not authority ? for it is one thing to have authority , and another thing to usurp authority ; now they that are come to feel the power of god , and thereby be moved to speak , the power gives her authority to speak , but she that is not in the power , neither doth feel the motion of the spirit , such a one usurps authority , and is unlearned , and such and they only were prohibited by paul , and no other ; for if it had been extended unto all , then the women before mentioned had been transgressors ; and likewise further for the satisfaction of all , anna a prophetess , the daughter of phanuel of the tribe of 〈…〉 coming into the temple gave thanks unto the lord , and spake of christ unto all them that looked for redemption in jerusalem , and that was in a publick place , and in a publick congregation , luke . , , . and last of all , if e. d. and r. i. will not confess that the meeting near cond , in which the women spake , was a church , which f. h. justifies , then e. d. and r. i. have lost their cause , and wrangled about nothing , and the thing proved against them both ( viz. ) that a woman declaring , speaking or prophesying by the spirit of the lord , and in the authority of god , is a lawful , and a commendable , and a justifiable act in the sight of god , and all the children of light ; and therefore cease your foolish clamour , and let no such ignorant stuff come in print again , lest your folly be more and more made manifest , and the stone fall upon you which will grind you to powder . the next thing which r. i. quarrels about , is a lye , which ed. dod asserted , that some of the quakers should say , they were equal with god , unto which f. h. replied and said , he that hath the spirit of god is in that which is equal , and he that is joyned to the lord is one spirit ; there is unity , and that unity stands in equality , and these expressions saith r. i. offer violence to god and his glory . answ. this r. i. is so in love with the spirit of error , for he hath denyed the infallible spirit , and is in such love with an unequal spirit , that he cannot endure to hear that any should be joyned to the lord in an equal spirit , and so quarrels with plain scripture , and saith , it doth violence to the majesty of god ; the spirit of the father and the spirit of truth is an equal spirit , and they that are led by it , and are in it , are in that which is equal , and so are joyned to the lord , and are nearly related to him ▪ but that i said or any other , that the creature is equal to the creator , in power , or in glory , is false and a lye , and let e. d. and r. i. know , that lyars are for the lake . r i. saith chr●st is glorified in 〈◊〉 human nature and human nature and flesh may be understood ●f the regenerate part , and human nature may be understood both of soul and body , and this may confute f. h. that doth contend against human nature , and goes and tells another lye , as every p●ge is filled with some , and saith , f. h. saith christ hath no real body . answ. this man speaks out of thick darkness , and intrudes into those things he hath not seen , being vainly puft up in his fleshly mind ; i said unto e. d. that christ was the seed of david , according 〈◊〉 the flesh , and according to the spirit , the son of god ; and furthermore said , and now say , that christ is glorified in a spiritual body , an incorruptible body ; and so by incorruptible b●dy and spiritual body , according to r. i. his dark understanding , must also be understood human nature ; and again , human nature may be understood of the soul. o dark and sottish man ! what art thou like to confute , who saith , the human nature may be taken for the soul , and also it may be taken for flesh , and also it may be taken for the regenerate part ; and thus like a blind man hast lost all aim , thou runnest-rambling up and down in every by-path ; but how shouldst thou do otherwise , seeing thou hast denyed that spirit that doth not err ? and all wouldst have all others to deny it , and saist , that none may lay claim to it , although god hath promised it , to give the spirit of truth to lead his people into all truth ; and if into all truth , then out of all error , but this doctrine of christ comes too near perfection for r. i. to own , which is a doctrine so offensive to him , that he cannot endure to hear of it , or that ought should be perfect , and therefore he hath condemned the law of the spirit of life , and saith , it is imperfect , as may be seen in the th page of his book , and if flesh , and the regenerate part of man , and the soul , may all be understood by human nature , then they are all one , and then the soul is human and earthly , but the soul is spiritual and immortal , and flesh and blood inherits not the kingdom of god , and the regenerate part is that which is begotten and brought forth by the immortal word of life , and that which born of the spirit is spirit , and so the ignorance of this man is made manifest ; and so r. i. may take his lye home unto himself , as that f. h. deny real body of christ , for f. h. hath said , and now saith again , and that according to knowledge , that christ hath an incorruptible body , and a glorious body , and a spiritual body , and in this body is christ glorified with the father , and human nature is no where taken for a spiritual and incorruptible b●dy , in the scripture's account , as this r. i. and his blind tribe do imagine , and yet the flesh of christ is owned , and the word that was made flesh the saints know and do feed on , by which they are nourished up into everlasting life ; and so i say unto thee , as i did to e. d. when thou writes again , speak plainly , if by human nature , thou intendst a carnal body , or the same flesh thou art on , and thou wouldst divide the flesh of christ from the spirit , wouldst divide christ , and christ is not divided ; and thus he goes quarreling on , and heaps lye upon lye , and saith , that f. h. saith , christ hath no real body , but h●s mystical body , which thing is thy own and never affirmed by me , either in word or writing , and so repent of thy lyes , and for shame call in thy book , lest the judgments and plagues of god be multiplyed upon thee . and further saith , r. i. how do the quakers condemn themselves , when they so proudly boast themselves , as the pharisees did , to be clear from sin , who need not christ's righteousness for their justification ; how then can they say , that christ's righteousness is their justification , when they are so righteous in their own eyes ? for christ hath not promised to just●fie any , but those that confess their sins . answ. we have confest our sins , and also departed from them , and not like you feigned hypocrites , who are confessing from year to year with your feigned lips , and your hearts never turned to the lord from iniquity , and takest the name of christ's righteousness to be a cloak to cover your iniquity withal ; and we do not say , that we have no need of christ's righteousness for our justification , for if we should say so , we should be lyars like thy self , for we have need of christ's righteousness , for he is our life , who is called , the lord our righteousness , he is our justifier , and who art thou that condemns any ? but the false accuser of the brethren , for christ's righteousness is our covering , and we are not righteous in our own eyes , but in the eyes of him who hath made us so ; and we never said , that we have not sinned ; and so we have not made god a lyar , as this vile slanderer would make men believe through his false aspersions ; for we say , we were once darkness , but now are we light in the lord , and he who is our light and life , is our justification and righteousness , and his blood cleanseth from all sin , and the power of god keepeth us , that the evil one toucheth us not , and yet all boasting excluded . and the further r. i goes on the lower he sinks towards the bottomless pit , and there we shall find him at last before we have done with his book , and speaks out of thick darkness , like a man that never saw the sun , who hath altogether taken up his dwelling place in death's region , and as though that were the land of his nativity , as thou shalt see reader by what ensues . r. i. saith , though it be said , he that commits sin is of the devil ; not that the devil can claim him for his own , or that he is in his possession , but he is captivated of the devil , and over-powered . and for his proof he brings , peter was cryed up to be a saint , and at that same time when he was cryed up to be a saint , christ called peter a devil , and that must be understood a saint hath sinned . answ. he that is captivated by the devil , hath gone from the power of god , and he that commits sin doth the devil's work , and he may claim him for his work-man ; and he that is over-powered is brought into captivity , and he that carryes into captivity hath the captive in his possession , as it is written , his servants you are to whom you obey , and he that commits sin is the servant of sin. and these black confused distinctions r. i. maketh to make people believe that they are saints of god , when they are the devil 's captives , and that they are in the possession of christ , who yet do the works of the devil who is an enemy to christ , & thou know'st no more for saint then thou know'st of a devil , who saith , that peter at the same time that christ called him a saint , called him a devil ; for thou must know , that matthew recorded many things , it may be in one chapter , which were acted and done , and spoken in many dayes and weeks , for when peter confessed christ to be the son of god , he was in the faith , and christ said , flesh and blood had not revealed that to him , but at this time had spoken little of his sufferings ; and it is written , mat. . . from that time forward began jesus to shew unto his disciples , how that he must go unto jerusalem and suffer many things , and be kill'd , and rise again the third day ; so that it is manifest , that here was distance of time and space betwixt peter confession of christ , and of his rebuking of him ; however the unbelief was gotten up in peter , and he that had need to be taught , came to be a rebuker of him who was a teacher , this was another state then the former ; but of these things r. i. is ignorant , and let the serpent feed upon dust , for i desire to give him no other food . and further , r. i. saith , though saints sin not devil-like unto death , yet if any man say , he hath not sinned after the similitude of adam ' s transgression , he , saith john , is a lyar , and the truth is not in him , for when all is done the best men are men still , and the best earth is earth ever , and will bear nettles and brambles ; and if these things were well considered by f. h. he would not accuse me and e. d. for pleading for sin or satan , for we plead against those who say , they have no sin. answ. this r. i. is so in love with sin , that by his arguments which he makes , one would judge that he accounts it as necessary as his 〈◊〉 food , and these are strange kind of saints that r. i. would make , at the best they are still but sinners , and unsanctified ; but they that are called to be saints , who are begotten by god the father , and preserved in christ jesus , they are sanctified and made clean through the washing of regeneration , and through the sanctification of god's holy spirit , which dwelleth in them , by which they have power to mortifie the deeds of the flesh , and to overcome , and to be made partakers of the promises ; but here lies the difference in r. i. his account , betwixt his saints and his sinners , the sinners sin devil-like , yet the saints sin not devil-like ; i say , they that sin are in one nature , notwithstanding r. i. his blind distinctions ; for they that sin are liker the devil then god , and liker his image then god's image ; for god's image consisteth in righteousness and true holiness ; and the devil's image consisteth in unrighteousness , sin and unholiness ; and now reader thou mayest judge whose image r. i. his saints bear , and if thou be one that canst plead against them who are born of god and sin not , and who are cleansed from all sin by the blood of christ , then r. i. will ranck thee with e. d. and himself in his bead-row of saints , as he calls it . and if any man say , he hath not sinned after the similitude of adam 's transgression , he is , saith john , a lyar ; nay , it is r. i. that saith it and not john , and so r. i. is the lyar ; for the scripture saith on this wise , rom. . . death reigned from adam to moses , even over them that had [ not ] sinned after the similitude of adam 's transgression ; so that it is manifest , that there were many that death reigned over , and yet they sinned not after the similitude of adam's transgression ; but this r. i. will accuse every man , with whom he hath a mind to quarrel , and will not only te●l lyes himself , but publish false doctrine , but he will bring the saints for his author , and john saith not , if any man say he hath no sin : and thou that saeyst , when all is done , the best men and the best earth , will bear nettles , and brambles , and pricks ; as i said to e. d. so i may to thee , thou hast given thy verdict for the devil , and not for god and his saints , for they that are born of god sin not ; and they that are cleansed by the blood of christ from all sin ▪ and are clear in his sight , and are kept by his immortal word , which dwells in them , that the evil one touch them not , but have overcome the wicked one ; and the best earth is that wherein righteousness dwells , which r. i. is altogether a stranger to , and that brings forth no bryars , nor brambles , nettles , nor pricks , for that gr●und is curst ▪ so this man by his devilish doctrine , hath made the coming of christ of none effect , and the blood of christ of none effect , and so hath denied the work of redemption to the best of men , and deliverance to the creature who hath travailed in pain : this dreamer is far contrary to the prophet dan●● , who saw by the spirit of prophecy ( which this r. i so deadly hates , both in men and women , that if it be not allowed of by such as he , i● m●st 〈◊〉 speak , nor they by it ) this prophet i say , testified of the coming of the just one , and of his work , that he should make an end of ●in ▪ 〈…〉 t●an●gression , and bring in everlasting righteousness ; but saith r. i. th● best men are men still , and the best earth earth ever , and the best saints sinners ▪ though they si● not devil-like , and nettles , and brambles , and pricks they 〈◊〉 all bring forth ▪ now if this doctrine be true , how is the soul 〈…〉 of death ? and where is the restauration of the creature from under the bondage of corruption ? and where is the redemption of the seed , which is heir of the promise ? nettles , brambles and bryars cumber the ground , and choak the seed , and these things f. h. hath well considered , and i see more and more that thou art a pleader for sin and sat●n , and imperfection , for a spirit of error , for images , pictures and crosses , for cuffs , ribbons and lace , for nettles , brambles and bry●rs , and art a man that doth lay claim to the utmost borders of the devils kingdom ; and a greater servant of his master i have not met with long , whose reward will be according to his works . and the lye being the cheif cognisance of his master , in which he greatly glories in , he goes on and saith , another error of the quakers is , they do not believe the scriptures to be true , because they deny them to be the word of god ; for if they believe what the scriptures say of themselves ; and they say of themselves , that they are the word of god , and for his proof he cites , mark . . rom. . . . c●r . . . pet. . . answ. the scripture we own to be true , and whatsoever the scriptures say of themselves ▪ that we own them to be ( to wit ) a declaration , scriptures of truth , holy scriptures , the words of god , of christ and of his apostles , a treatise ; and for his proofs i could wh●lly refer them to the reader to examine them himself , and to discover the ignorance of this r. i. who tenders these scriptures aforementioned for sufficient proof , as that the scriptures call themselves the word of god : as for mark . . making the word of god of none effect by your tradition , he doth not say of making the word of god , the scriptures of none effect , neither doth he s●y ▪ you make the scriptures which is the word of none effect by your traditions ; and as for rom. . . the word is nigh thee in thy mouth and in thy heart , and this is the word of faith which we preach ; here the apostle saith , the word is nigh thee in thy heart , but he doth not say , the scriptures is nigh thee in thy heart , which is the word of god : and cor. . . for we are not as many which corrupt the word of god , he doth not say , we are not as many that corrupt the scriptures which are the word of god or the word of god which is the scriptures : and as for pet. . . but the word of the l●rd endures forever , and this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto y●u ; he doth not say , the scriptures endures forever , or this is the word , the scriptures , which by the gospel is preached unto you : and as for thes. . . for this we say unto you by the word of the lord , that we wh●ch ar● 〈◊〉 , and remain unto the coming of the lord sh●ll not prevent them which are asleep ; he did not say , this we say unto you by the scriptures , for there was not such a scripture written before ▪ and therefore we s●y this unto you by the word of the lord : and what a foolish m●n is this , to assert his own imaginations , and then imagines the scriptures will prove it ? and what ●n improper speech were this , to call twenty ●hous●●d sentences one word ; and it is called a declaration ? and what a decl●●ation would that be th●t consisteth but of one word ; but enough of this hath been published before concerning the particular by divers hands , so i shall be brief ▪ however r. i doubts his proof already that it will not satisfie f. h. and therefore he thought good to make this conclusion upon him ▪ that he doth not believe the scripture at all ; and though f. h ▪ say , that these sciptures are nothing at all to prove that thing ; to deny his imaginations is not to deny the scripture ; but f. h. believes what the scriptures say of themselves , and doth not deny the scriptures at all , but r. i. his lye and also his false conclusion . and further saith r. i. the scripture was delivered to the church in writing , that it might be an infallible standard of true d●ctrine , and a determiner of controversies , and the saints rule of knowing god , and living to him . answer . reader , take notice , here is no room for the spirit at all , the scriptures and writings have taken up the room of it in r. i. his account , for it hath lost its office , if his doctrine be true , the letter is become the infallible judge and standard to try doctrine , and a determiner of all controversies , and of the saints rule of knowing god , and living to him , and indeed is become all in this man's account , then what doth r. i. bring esop's fables , ovi●'s fictions , plato's and diogenes stories , in this controversie to joyne with this infallible rule ; and because he hath the scriptures so high to be a tryer of doctrines without the spirit , doubtless is the cause here is no mention made of it ; and so he shall be judged by his rule ; in the th page take his exposition upon the words of joel , i will pour out of my spirit upon sons and daughters , and they shall prophesie ; this is not meant of a ghostly power , but of an extraordinary measure of enlighting grace . ignorant man ! is not ghostly power or spiritual power , an extraordinary measure of enlightning grace ? and was it not a spiritual power , and an extraordinary light the prophets prophesied by ? but it is this mans meaning that must be the standard when all comes to all , and the determiner of cases ; and he speaks contrary unto his own rule , as may be seen through his whole book , who hath either added to the scriptures , or perverted them , or otherwise given his false interpretations , or villified them in calling them the true cards ; and so though he extolled them in words , he denyes them in practice ; the jews tryed christ's doctrine by the scriptures , and ●udged him a blasphemer , and a breaker of the law , and the apostles seditious ; and so though a man have the scripture , and have not the spirit , it is all as a sealed book , wherein such unlearned men as this r. i is cannot read ; and therefore he saith , in his th page , that it is a great fault in us , because we say , the law of the spirit of life is the rule , and so like him , will not say , it is imperfect , as he doth , and so saith r. i. it is not fit to be a rule , & so blasphemously he detracts from the authority and power of the spirit , and like anti-christ and his ministers sets the letter above it , and calls it , living and an infallible standard , and saith , th● scripture inclines the heart unto obedience ; and like a drunken man this r i. reels up and down , and contradicts himself : before he said , the law of the spirit chiefly gave power to conform to the rule , and wi●hin four li●●s contradicts himself , and saith , the scriptures incline our hearts to the o●edience of the rule , and the scrip●ures it self hath caused us to know it , as we have it from the church , it is a probable aid , and yet giveth but a confused belief with a light impression . answ. it is probable enough indeed that thy faith is confused , and the faith of your church , and that makes thee utter forth all this confused heap , but in what hath been said , the spirit of this man and his doctrines will be manifest to all , whose eyes god hath opened ; and so will depart out of his paths , and not give heed to his fabulous stories . it is true saith r. i. there i● an inward law written in our hearts , called the law of the spirit of life , rom. . . and there is the outward law written in the scriptures ; now the outward and external law is properly the rule of a christian life , and not the inward and internal law ; for the outward is perfect , in that it declares in what is the will of god , and in what it is not , but the inward law received and written on the heart is imperfect ; and therefore unfit to be our rule , the law within is that thing that is to be ruled , psal. . . the outward law is therefore the rule . answ. this man would set the sun by his dial , as it might be said , although he confess in the very same page , that the law of the spirit of life giveth power to the creature , yet now it is become imperfect , and not fit to be a rule ; this man like one unlearned , sets the law which was written in tables of stone , which the apostle calls the ministration of condemnation and was glorious , this he sets above the ministration of the spirit of life , which the apostle saith , is much more glorious ; but nay saith r. i. the law written in the heart is i●perfect , and not fit to be a rule , but to be ruled ; contrary to the apostle's doctrine ; and so this r. i. is tryed by his own infallible standard , to be a deceiver , who teaches contrary to that which he calls his law and testimony ; and the law which is outward , is the law of the first covenant , which made nothing perfect , but the bringing in of a better hope did , by which we draw nigh unto god , heb. . . therefore the lord s●●d by the mouth of the prophet , behold the dayes come that i will make a new covenant with the house of israel , not according to the covenant i made with them when i brought them out of the land of egypt , when i was as a husband and unto them , which covenant they brake , but i will write my law in their heart , and put my spirit in their inward parts , i will be to them a god , and they shall be unto me a people , jer. . . heb. . , . now this blind man , who gropes as at noon-day , saith , this is imperfect which is written in the heart ; and so faulty with him , and therefore to be ruled over ; and the other which is outward is perfect , and faultless , and so ought to be a rule ; but saith the apostle contrary to r. i. if the first covenant had been faultless , there had been no place for the second , which second the apostle saith , is a better covenant , and stands upon better promises ; but yet saith r i. this is not the rule , nor fit to be a rule : and furthermore the apostle said , as many as are led by the spirit of god , are the sons of god , and this was their rule ; and the law of the spirit of life made the apostle free from the law of sin and death , and the new creatures rule , by which they were led into all truth , and as many as did walk in it , out of all sin : but nay , saith r. i. it is not fit to be a rule , for this is imperfect , and is that thing to be ruled , and for his proof brings psal. . . by the word of thy lips i have kept me fr●m the path of the destroyer ; and how doth this prove that the law in the heart is to be ruled , thou ignorant man , who utterest forth nothing but deceit and error ? and so the scriptures declare against thee ; for they say , the law of the lord is perfect , converting the soul ; the commandment of the lord is pure , enlightning the eyes , psal. . , . for the commandment is a lamp , and the law is light , prov. . . and the commands of the new covenant are spiritual and not carnal , and they are perfect and fit to be a rule & guide to all them that believe in a perfect way , and not as this r. i. saith , unfit to be a rule because of their imperfection , and would in his blind distinctions , cast a mist before peoples eyes : and all may judge not only of this r. i. his mistake , but of his wilful impudence , in preferring that which is visible and outward , and may be seen , which was given forth in time ( viz. ) the commands outward , and the letter outward , above the law of the spirit of life , which is invisible , spiritual and eternal : and as i said to s. s. so i may say to thee , lean souls are they like to be , who receive such damnable doctrine as this for atticles of faith ; but however reader thou mayest take notice of r. i. in his epistle to the reader , he saith , the quakers money is counterfeit coin , which he hath nailed on the market-post , and instead thereof hath tendred other money ; and that thou mayest see what kind of other money the priests is , and what image it bears , by the principles here discovered , which is altogether tin and dross , and reprobate silver , which will be received by none but them whom the god of this world hath blinded the eyes of , that they should not see the things that belong unto their peace . and edward dod being sensible that he and all his stuff , or he and all his arguments were carried captive , and became a booty and a prey , he is glad that any will step in and rescue him , and flattereth r. i. and saith , i am engaged to you , to imbrace you as a precious friend , that of so weak principles as mine , have raised so perfect a structure , so absolute , rational and demonstrative , that more need not to be done . answ. r. i. his vindication hath not redeemed e. d. his principles at all , but rather hath laboured in vain , and spent his strength for naught , and hath brought forth such a birth as sober men will blush at , made up of ignorance , blasphemy , derision and lyes , which they that have the least moderation will abhor and detest ; and the principles of e. d. and r. i. are not only weak and feeble , but wicked and impious , as is manifest in what hath been declared ; and the structure that r. i. hath made , is but builded with untempered mortar , lyes , falshood , error , false doctrine , which the stormy wind of the lord will rent , and scatter , and confound ; and exalt his truth above it all ; but edward dod saith , what can be said to reduce such a people ? i know not , since so many convincing arguments cannot prevail ; alas poor ! men whether would you reduce us , or bring us back , to the slime pits of sodom where edward dod fell with his stuff , or turn us back again to images , pictures and crosses , to mass-houses , hirelings and tythes , to lace , ribbons and cuffs , which both e. d. and r. i. have strongly pleaded for , as faithful servants to their master , who would not have him loose a foot of his territories ; however edward dod hath resolved to continue one in life and death with r. i. who hath shaken hands with the prince of darkness , and made a covenant with death , which must be broken ; and though s. s. e. d. and r. i. joyn hand in hand , yet the wicked shall not go unpunished ; fore-very one shall receive a reward according to their works . and so i have done with r. i. his book called ignis fatuus , whose arguments ▪ false doctrines , errors and lyes are disolved into nothing ; his 〈◊〉 made void , his ignorance made manifest , his false doctrine brought to light , and reproved by the word of truth ; only i shall return him a few of his lyes back again , for him 〈…〉 the second time , and repent of them , and remember the sentence for all lyars is , the lake that burneth , rev. . . first , that their worship differs not in whole nor in part , in matter nor in manner from the churches in the primitive times . secondly , according to the scriptures their whole worship is framed . thirdly , that jezabel was never more madder against the prophets , then these quakers are against christ's ministers . fourthly , the quakers contemn magistracy , and infect the common-wealth with faction . fifthly , that the quakers burnt some houses at oxford . sixthly , that timothy and titus were setled in a parochial way in their quarters . seventhly , that f. h. complains of the darkness of the sun , when the fault is in his own eyes . eighthly , the quakers deny honour to superiours , and to whom it is due , and so blaspheme the name of god and his doctrine . ninethly , f. h. would never have cryed out of deceit , but a purpose to deceive the more . tenthly , that the quakers bid open defiance to the worship of god. eleventhly , that j. n. did say , that he was as just , and holy , and good as god. twelfthly , that f. h. said , that christ jesus was not glorified in heaven with a real body . thirteenthly , human nature is taken for the regenerate part of man , and the soul. fourteenthly , that the best men ( though regenerate ) bear nettles , brambles and pricks . fifteenthly , there is an inward law , called the law of the spirit of life , which is imperfect , and not fit to bear rule , but to be ruled . sixteenthly , and the scriptures lead us to the spirit , and encline our hearts to the obedience of the rule . seventeenthly , and f. h. prefereth ignis fatuus before the clear light of god's word . eighteenthly and lastly , when he hath spoken all these lyes , and published them in print to the world , he blasphemously saith in his epistle to the reader , have not so much regard to the authority of the writer , as the truth of the matter written by him , who was moved of the lord thus to declare . so all these lyes with many more , and all these damnable doctrines which he hath uttered forth against the truth ; these things he would fasten upon the lord's motion , and so make him the author of iniquity ▪ and a cloak for his ungodly speeches against them who love the truth as it is in jesus , who have suffered many reproaches for its sake , and have been killed all the day long by this generation , amongst which r. i. is , who hath bent his tongue to mischief , and his lips to utter forth deceit ; and as jannes and jambres resisted moses , so hath this r. i. resisted the truth , being a man of a corrupt mind , and concerning the faith reprobate ; but he shall not proceed much further , for in what he hath written his folly will be manifest unto all men , and them that fear the lord will depart out of his foot-steps , which lead to the chambers of death , and from those dark paths in which r.i. treadeth , which lead into utter destruction . westmoreland , the th of the th moneth , . f. h. to all friends and brethren who have been called of the lord into that place of new-england , to bear your testimony for the lord , to the answering of his witness in every ones conscience . forasmuch as the lord through his infinite love and goodness ▪ which he hath manifested amongst the sons of men , hath called you and fitted you for his work and service which he hath to do , you being made partakers through the love of god unto you , of the like precious faith with many brethren , which giveth victory over the world , and supporteth all them that keep it in the day of tryal : my heart's desire is , that you may all fulfil the will of god , and answer his end in sending you thither , that so you may receive your reward ; my heart is drawn out unto you in true love , being sensible of the many oppositions that you have met with , and may meet with , by reason of the strength and power of darkness in those parts , where satan's throne is exalted ; keep all near the lord , and feel his power in your selves , which giveth dominion and victory over all the world , and over all fading things , which pass away ; and so you will feel his strength daily renewed in you , to carry you above all opposition , and his presence to go before you , and his righteousness to be your reward ; so will you be preserved in the peace of god , and feel his life present , to refresh you in the time of need ; and as your tryals , and travails , and sufferings for christ do abound , so your strength , and joy , and peace , and consolation will also much more abound from his life manifest and revealed in your hearts ; keep in the power of the lord , over all deceit , and know your own image in every one , to whom you joyn ; and let no deceit come near you , which may get the words , and not be subject to the power ; for those will betray you , and rise up in rebellion against you , and glory over you ; for that only which can receive you through the cross , will stand by you , and the other , who may receive the truth in words into the earthly part , will stumble at the cross , and so get a knowledge above the cross , these will blow away as chaff : keep in your innocency , and every one in your own , and there you will come to be setled and established as trees , whose roots are spread in the earth , which cannot easily be plucked up , nor a tempest blow down ; you know where the entrance was unto your selves into the sheepfold , into the true rest , thither bring all , and keep all down to that , to the measure of god's spirit , through which eternal life is revealed , and the things of god's kingdom made manifest ; and they that would climb up any other way , must come down again , and them that walk in any other way , must come back again , and they that would strive to enter in any other thing , are shut out forever ; for you know there is no communion or concord with the spirit of god , which is pure , and that which resisteth it , and gainsayeth it , that wisdom must perish , it 's from below , that knowledge must fade away , and come to nothing : so never heed the subtilty and cunning craftiness of the enemy , which would twist and twine every way to gainsay the truth , and make a noise in an airy sound , which may satisfie corrupt minds , who vil●fie the truth , and set the corner-stone at nought ; look not at them , nor never heed , that you know in whom you have believed , and no other foundation can be laid , then that which is laid already for all to build upon , throu●h which they that do believe are made a glorious and an holy habitation for god , through the spirit ; and any that declare another way , another door , another life , then he that is the light of men , is accursed : so feel h●s eternal power , the power of his resurrection in your selves , to subdue and bring under all 〈◊〉 enemies , which would hinder your enjoyment of his life ; but he is a tryed stone , and they that have tryed him , have found him elect and precious , and his faithfulness , power and might , love , life and glory endures forever and ever , throughout all the generations of the just , who are eye-witnesses of his coming , power and glory , which god out of his everlasting love and kindness hath revealed unto thousands , and his coming is known in ten thousands of his saints , and also with them , and they with him , to judge in righteousness , and to make war with the sword that proceeds out of his mouth , which slayes the wicked , and brings death and destruction upon death , that so life , immortality and eternity may be brought to lighc in the hearts of the sons of men , that they may see his saving health , and feel him , and have union with him , who is the author of eternal salvation in all that believe , which salvation god hath shed abroad richly in the hearts of his people , and his plenteous redemption , which many are made partakers of , and therein their souls are satisfied , and their flesh rests in hope , and their hearts are filled with joy and gladness ; and he which hath revealed this will perfect his own work ( which he hath begun ) in them that believe , and keep the faith unto the end , shall see the top-stone brought forth with shouting and victory with joy. therefore dear friends and brethren , look not out , neither faint when you are tempted and tryed , but eye the lord , who is near to deliver , and to administer strength in weakness , of which i do not doubt but you have felt , whose arm is made bare , to save and to defend all the upright in heart in the hour of tryal , and in the time of temptation , and your work shall not be in vain , for that wh●ch is ministred from the life shall not pass away unfulfilled , but every one shall answer , and bear witness unto it in the day of the lord : so in the long-suffering and in the patience and meekness all dwell , and in love with one another , and bear with one another , and strengthen one another , and be subject one to another in the truth , knowing your works are one , and the message one , which you have all to bear witness of ; impose not upon one another , but leave every one free , to the free spirit of the lord in himself , to be directed and guided in his service ; and judge all that down which would beget into strife , for that spirit will not gather unto god , but scatter ; there hath been hurt done already in that place in striving and contention , which hath done hurt ; for they that should be builders , should not bite one another , and devour one another , and so come to destroy them selves and others ; for that which would be greatest must be least , and he which is least and servant of all shall be exalted ; for with the humble god dwells ▪ and the lowly he leads in the way of peace ; for we are not sent to preach our selves , neither to set up our selves , but the lord 's christ , who humbled himself to the death of the cross , and gave his life a ransom for many , and he is our example , and he alone is to be exalted , and to have the preeminence , and they that exalt him , he will exalt , and they that honour him , he will honour , and self is excluded , and glorying and boasting excluded by all the children of wisdom , and that alone to be gloryed in which crucifies to the world , and leads to unity with god , and fellowship with christ in the eternal rest. the arm of the lord be w●th you all , and keep you in h●s wisdom , that you may finish your testimony in faithfulness ▪ and be clear of the blood of all men , and so lay down your heads in peace , when the work is finished which the lord hath appointed unto you , that you may come to inherit the crown of glory , which fadeth not away , and be partakers of god's eternal excellency , which doth excel eternally all the glory of the world and the renown thereof , which fadeth away . we have received divers letters from divers of you , and also we have heard how two dear brethren have given up their lives as a sacrifice unto the lord , whose life and death was precious in his sight , in which i heartily rejoyce , that they suffered so valiantly and boldly for his names sake , who laid down his life for them , and by it they are redeemed up unto god , to live with him in that life and love which is everlastingly pure and satisfactory , of which i am most certainly perswaded they had an enjoyment of and assurance , and thereby had joy and peace and strong consolation in him who hath reconciled all things unto himself in one , who is the head of the body which he hath redeemed , which is his church , by the blood of the everlasting covenant , by which every member thereof is compleated , and presented perfe●● in jesus christ , our light and life , our crown and rejoycing , to whom be glory forever and ever , amen . and be tender and watchful over them that are convinced , and let all your lives preach before them , and be their example in all things , and keep them all down to their own , that they may feel the power of the life immortal , which you have born witness of ; and exhort all to stedfastness , and not to look out at the rage of the enemy , for that hath appeared which must conquer , which cannot be subject to the wills of corrupt men , : christopher h●lder is arived here , who declared unto us the affairs of the gospel in those parts , and all the letters which came over unto our hands will be sent carefully as they were directed : so the everlasting god of life & power be with you all , is the prayer of him whom god heareth , who is your dear brother in the suffering and long-suffering of god , and in the fellowship of the gspel of peace . f. h. the deceiver of the nations discovered , and his cruelty made manifest . how he hath deceived the nations , and wrought his works of darkness more hiddenly under the mask of higher power & holy , church , and so persecutes the righteous seed , and makes them suffer under the name of evil-doers in these latter dayes . more especially his cruel works of darkness laid open & reprov'd in mariland in virginia , and the sad sufferings of the servants of the lord there by his cruel instruments . sent back unto them again , that they may view their work again , and repent , and be ashamed , lest the wrath of god sink them into the pit , as it hath done many before them , who have opposed the lord. great and many have the tryals and sufferings been of the faithful witnesses of god in all generations by the seed of evil-doers , who would not that righteousness should reign , and truth have the dominion , because then the glory of their kingdom , that standeth in falshood and deceit , would be stained and blasted , and not be had in honour and admiration : therefore the devil , who was a lyar and a murderer , and an oppressor from the beginning , hath labour'd by all his power to deceive mankind , that he might exalt his throne and kingdom ( which consisteth wholely of iniquity ) in the hearts of the sons of men , that so he might be honoured and worshipped , and his unrighteous decrees fulfilled , and himself admired above the true god , which made both heaven and earth , and all things that are therein , who alone ought to be worshipped and honoured above all , who is blessed forever , whose kingdom stands in righteousness , equity , truth and peace forever : therefore satan being cursed and banished from the presence of the lord forever , being full of enmity , wrath and rage , murder , madness and fury , in which he lives , envying the happiness and felicity of them who worship the true god , hath laboured to deceive , and lead the hearts of the sons of m●n aside from the holy commandment of god , to believe a lye , and to trust in lying vanities , and to lead them into his kingdom of darkness , and into his own devilish and hellish nature , and hath prevailed over many , and overcame them , and hath made them subject to his power , to fulfil his will , and to do his work ; and multitudes have been led into the broad way , in the paths of darkness , and into the region of the shadow of death , and death covers them as a garment , and the shadow of death as a pavilion ; and the works they work are the works of darkness ; and although they live as creatures upon the earth , yet they are dead whilest thy live unto any good , being wholely swallowed up of death , and that acts in them , and he who hath the power of death , who is called the devil , the evil-doer , contrary in all his actings unto god and all goodness ; and he having wrought in the hearts of disobedient children his works , and begotten them to his nature , and filled them with unrighteousness , which is the food of evil-doers , they bring forth his work , and work his work in the earth , and labour to destroy the creation , and to subvert it from that end for which it was made , and also to deface the image of god , and to destroy it wherever it appears , and the creature in whom it is and bears rule ; and thus since the transgression , when he hath prevailed , he hath filled the earth with darkness and with violence , and hath set up the seat thereof , and strives that it might be exalted forever ; and in former ages he hath wrought in his instruments ministers and subjects , and then they did his work , and brought it forth , and opposed the servants of the lord , and did violence unto them that fulfilled his will , and testified against the world that their deeds were evil , evil-doers who hate reproof have sought to destroy them that testified against their evil deeds ; as cain that wicked one begotten in the transgression , yet a worshipper and an offerer of sacrifice , rose up , and slew his brother ; and many have gone in his way , and then the devil's kingdom began to increase and grow great , and then they that were subjects of it made the just to suffer , as all along till now is manifest by the scripture of truth , and yet them who made them to suffer would never acknowledge that it was for well-doing , but for evil-doing ; and thus the devil hath covered himself , as not to be known by the name of evil-doer ; and thus hath he blinded his subjects , in making them believe they were doing good , when they acted all manner of unrighteousness ; and they that suffered for the truth 's sake were accounted as evil-doers by this blind generation ; and so all the holy men and faithful witnesses of god in former generations , all the prophets and holy martyrs , who loved not their lives unto the death ( by the seed of evil-doers ) were counted evil-doers , and killed as such in their account ; and such is the mysterious working of satan , the next generation will take up the words of them that have been killed before , and suffer his messengers to take their words , and admire them that are gone before , while they are doing the same work , and killing and destroying the righteous seed , as before ; as the pharisees garnished the sepulchres of the prophets , and crucified the son of god as a blasphemer , unto whom all the prophets bore witness , and yet adored and cryed up the law and the prophets in words , and hated their life ; and so the apostles & ministers of christ , after christ's ascension , were accounted blasphemers , seditious , tumultuous , pestilent and factious , and were stoned , and censured as evil-doers by councils and rulers and heads of the people ; and many suffered as evil-doers in the account of them who made them suffer , and as transgressors of laws , and customs , and statutes , were accounted alwayes such by the seed of evil-doers . and so the devil having got the name of higher power and of chief ruler , hath made many wicked and ungodly changeable laws , and them that could not be subject unto them for conscience sake , although they do violence to none , they must be judged and condemned as seditious and traitors and mutenous . and since mystery - babylon the mother of harlots hath been exalted as a queen , riding upon the beast in majesty , and hath gotten a golden cup in her hand , and the name of a church , and her children have got on the outside , the sheeps clothing , and hate the life ; she hath drank the blood of the saints , and so did never the lamb's wife , nor never will : so under the name of higher power and holy church , all the blood of the righteous hath been spilt , and the dear servants of god have suffered in this time of anti-christ's reign , as traytors , and seditious , and tumultuous , and peace-br●akers , in the account of the dragon and beast , who sits in the seat of violence , and in the throne of iniquity , and crowned pride and cruelty , which hath got the name of higher power , without being in it , and so live in deceit and a lye. and the false worshippers and abominable sacrificers , whose hands are full of blood , and hearts full of rottenness , who have taken up the outward dress and attire of the free-woman , and painted themselves withal , that they might deceive the nations ; this hath got the name of holy church , as though she were the lord's spouse , when indeed on her head are written the names of blasphemy , and she hath drunk the blood of the martyrs , and censured them who have kept the testimony of jesus to death , exile and banishment , and hath made havock of the dear servants of the lord , and hath vilified the lord's spouse , and made the lamb's wife fly into the wilderness , whilest she hath raised her city with blood , and hath laid the foundation thereof in iniquity , and hath raised her self into honour , by slaying and killing , and by her sorceries and inchantments , and hath made the nations drunk therewith , and they admire thee ; but thy downfall is coming , and the day hastens that calamity shall take hold of thee , and thy secret parts shall be discovered , and thy loathsomness shall appear , and thy lovers shall hate thee , and shall drink in no more of thy bewitching inchantments , and thou shalt no more be called holy , but abominable and prophane , and thy glory shall be turned into dung , and thy excellency into mire , and thy decrees shall be made void , and utter misery shall be thy end , and them that have suffered shall triumph and rejoyce over thee forever ; for god is risen , who judgeth righteously , and will reward her double according to her works ; and the beast that hath arisen out of the bottomless pit , who hath arrogated unto himself the name of higher power , shall be taken and cast into the lake , and all those tyranous , cruel , wicked , changeable , murderous laws , which he hath made and forced upon men , to uphold the power of his dominion , shall be trodden under foot , and be had in contempt and dishonour by all the followers of the lamb , who is gone out conquering and to conquer , and shall subdue his enemies and overcome them , and slay the wicked by the sword that proceeds out of his mouth . and oh what a havock hath the devil made in the earth , since the dayes of the apostles , since he hath got the form of godliness , and hath transformed himself into all outward appearances of worship , and anti-christ hath been exalted above the true god in the earth , and hath turned christian in name , and hath preached christ in words , and hath covered himself with the sheeps clothing , the outside that he might not appear as he is , an enemy to the power and life of the true god , that so he might deceive , and hath deceived thousands ; for since the dayes of the apostacy , that the power and the life hath been lost , the devil and anti-christ have turned law-makers , and law-givers , and law-executors , and rulers of nations and kingdoms , & have made spoil in the nations , under that name of higher power ; nay further , anti-christ hath turned church-member , nay , church-officer , preacher , and a great ordinance-man , a preacher , a prayer , a singer , a baptizer , a worshipper of the strictest sort in the nations , and hath taken up the visibles actions and practices of the disciples , apostles , ministers and believers , so far as they have been outward , and now in these things , and by this stolen cover deceives peoples and opposes the true christ and his life and power and coming in the spirit , and yet notwithstanding all this large philactary and long and large garment , yet the in-side is devilish , hellish , murderous , cruel , ravenous and devouring ; and who will but look back and take a view , from the beginning of the devil's kingdom , until christ was manifest in the flesh , shall finde these things true , that under the name of higher power , and under the name of holy church , he hath destroyed the na●i●ns and hath laid waste god's heritage , and hath defaced his image and destroyed his workmanship , and hath laid all the blame upon the righteous seed , and condemned them for evil-doers , for not being subject to authority , for law-breakers , and for seditious and tumultuous ▪ and for heresie and errour and blasphemy , and as ungodly ; for all the righteous prophets and believers in former time , were judged , and suffered as ungodly , in the account of the devil and his agents , as though he and his instruments had been the greatest friends of god and of believers . and who will but view the scriptures of truth , from the manifesting of christ in the flesh till his ascention , and also afterward , may see that the devil under the name of higher power , and under the name of authority hath made spoil and havock of men and their estates , and hath killed and destroyed the just as evil-doers , and have exacted upon the righteous by wicked impositions , and cruel corrupt laws made to uphold his authority , which standeth in darkness ; and the false church , under the name of a holy church , hath sentenced them as blasphemers , as erronious , and as enemies to god , who kept his commands and did the will of our heavenly father , as the blind jews in their ignorance judged christ as a blasphemer , and as an enemy to the law , and crucified him , and persecuted the apostles , and put them in prison as seditious and tumultuous , and as pestilent , and assaulted the house of jason , and beat and abused , scourged and whipped them with stripes , and loaded them with reproaches , and haled them before magistrates and rulers , and falsely accused them , and followed them from place to place , and stirred up the ruder sort and cryed out , help men of israel , for they turn the world upside down , and so persecuted them from city to city , as evil-doers . and after the dayes of the apostles , when there was a defection made from the faith , and the power was denyed and lost , yet the form retained , then mystery babylon began to rise , and the murderous city began to be builded , and the nations to drink of her fornication , and swallowed down her deceit ; then began the nations to be waters , and kindreds and tongues to reel to and fro ; then all became as a sea with waves and boisterous ; then the beast rose out of it , and he got the name of authority and higher power , and then turned against the righteous , and made laws in the wicked nature , that all that would not be subject to him must be killed , and they were killed under the name of evil-doers , for that title they must bear ; and both the beast , the first and the second , with the mother of harlots , shed the blood of the saints as erronious , seditious , blasphemous ; & all this long night of anti-christ's reign they that keep the testimony of jesus have been killed , destroyed , persecuted , some as being enemies to the higher power , and some as law-breakers and seditious , and some as erronious and dangerous ; so these many hundred years hath the devil been exalted , and anti-christ advanced under the name of christ , and under this title have killed and wasted the creatures , and destroyed the creation , by the name of higher power , and by the name of holy church , and by the name of christians hath devoured and destroyed thousands by cruel deaths , tortures , blood-shed , fining prisoning , hailing to prison , whipping , scourging the righteous as malefactors and evil-doers , them that were dear in the eyes of the lord , and were not defiled with the abominations of the times , and all them that bore testimony to righteousness , were condemned for unrighteous , and censured as evil-doers ; and thus in short all may see how the devil hath disguised himself and transformed himself into the likeness of truth , as an asserter of righteousness , and a vindicator of holiness , and so hath deceived the nations , and led them into blindness , that he might hold up his kingdom and government in the earth , and that he might be worshipped and honoured above the true and living god , and who hath but taken a view of the ecclesiastical histories , of the affairs of things since the apostacy , may clearly see that great and many have been the sufferings of the righteous by this generation of evil-doers , who have got the name of higher power , and also of holiness , and so have turned against the saints and faithful witnesses of god , who lived in the life and power thereof , and have shed their blood , and made havock and spoil of god's heritage , and have destroyed his workmanship , and have made the hearts of the righteous sad , whom god never made sad . but what need i go backward to ages and generations past to demonstrate this , when our age and generation bringeth forth so many and sad evidences of these things , which if the sufferings and sad persecutions were summed up of these seven years last past in england , a larger volumn might be made then hath been in many years past ; and yet this spirit which hath made them suffer , hath pretended more righteousness then before , both in that which is called church and state ; but the devilish enmity of that which would be call'd the higher power hath been such , which hath transcended the cruel actions of the beast in former dayes , & under the name of holiness , and propagation of gospel and religion , the power of godliness hath been despised , and them that have walked and lived in it have been set at nought and persecuted , imprisoned , whipped , scourged , afflicted and tormented , and have been killed all the day long ; but many of them who have been the actors of these cruelties , they are sunk as a stone into the sea , and god hath overturned that horn , and broke it off , although it exalted it self high a while , and reigned one hour with the beast , in compelling & forcing the righteous by their wicked instructions & unrighteous decrees : but reader , if thou wilt hear the beast's judgment & the harlot's censure , they will tell thee , this hath been done only to that people who were not subject to the higher power , nor to the faith of the holy church ; and therefore though they have been afflicted and have suffered , yet it was not for well-doing , but for evil , and so it is just upon them , and that as hath been done , it hath been for the glory of god , and for the peace of the nation ; but the greatest deceiver never wanted a cover , nor the greatest transgression an excuse to hide its deceit : and now when the lamb hath appeared to make war in the earth with the beast & his followers , gog & magog gather together , & all the powers of darkness with their whole strength are mustered up to withstand , and the dragon , beast , whore and false prophet , all joyn in one battel to resist & to keep their kingdom : reader , thou canst not be ignorant of the war that is begun in england , and the battel hath been hot for a short time , and though the oppression hath been great upon the beast and the whore's party , yet their power is weakened , and their strength more feeble ; for the lamb prevails , and his followers shall overcome , although the way by which he and they overcome , even by suffering , the vvorld will not own , yet happy are they who love not their lives unto the death , and that do suffer the spoiling of their goods for his names sake and his truth 's sake , their reward shall be great . and now reader , thou shalt see what rage the devil is in , who hath got the name of higher power , and the mother of harlots , who goes under the disguise of holy church in america ; of the dragon's power thou hast heard in new-england , how he hath compelled , or at least would compel all to be subject unto him , or else would kill , banish , and destroy , and lay waste all that will not bear his image , and receive his mark ; and the harlot which is decked , there she hath shed the blood of the saints , because they would not drink her cup of fornication , so seek to destroy and to lay waste the heritage of god , and to root out the righteous ; and all they have done unto the dear servants of the lord , must go upon the account of evil doing ; and ●o the seed of evil-doers thou may'st see is one in their vvorks , in their judgment , in their practice in all generations . and the indians , whom they judge to be heathen , exceeded in kindness , in courtesie , in love , in mercy unto them who were strangers altogether unto them , and not of their nation nor people , which is a shame to the mad rash rulers of mariland , that have acted so barbarously to their own people , and them that came to visit them in the name of the lord , that instead of receiving them and the tender visitation of god's love , wholly rejected them , and made order after order , and vvarrant after vvarrant , for prisoning , banishing and whipping of them who came unto them in the name of the lord ; in such heat they were , that i have seen fifteen vvarrants out against one man in a little time , and in one province , the which i shall not trouble the reader with , all which vvarrants are for taking of one man , and the accusations or things laid to his charge , the same as that the old enemy of god used to accuse withal , dangerous to their province , and destructive to their church , a seditious person and a blasphemer , and so though none of these things were true , yet he must suffer with the rest , who stood in god's counsel , and did his vvork , and testified of him ; all that hath been done must go upon the account of evil-doing : and thus the devil hath holden up his kingdom in all ages , by laying things to the charge of them that did the vvill of the living god , that thereby he might cover himself , and that people who are in ignorance might believe they suffered as evil-doers , that so he might keep his kingdom in peace , and all people subject unto his power of darkness . and oh what havock and spoil have these rulers in mariland made upon their own people and their own inhabitants in a short time ? what fining & force have they used ? & what spoil have they made of many poor peoples goods ? and how have they exceeded in cruelty ? and what torturing , and prisoning , and whipping and scourging have they made ( not only of strangers , whom they ought to have received and entertained , especially seeing they sought not themselves , but the good of them all and their country ) but also upon their inhabitants ? and how have they grinded the faces of the poor , and instead of protecting them in that province , and saving them from vvrong , have themselves been the chief instruments of doing them harm , and wronging them , and oppressing them , and yet not for evil-doing , it may be for not doffing a hat , or because they cannot learn to be swift to shed blood ; and these are become so great crimes in these mens sight , that five , or seven , or ten pounds , or more , which are great sums among poor people , will not satisfie for such offences , as they look upon them : but what ! have they no weightier matters to call councils about , but to make laws and orders in their proud envious nature , to fine them who cannot flatter nor complement ? these are no rulers for god , but for the beast , and , and in his power they act and have done all these wicked things , for which the lord god will plead with them , when he riseth in his power , to make the mountains melt , and to shake terribly the earth , and plead the cause of the poor , who have no helper in the earth , and yet this would be counted a lawful authority , and the higher power , whose vvorks demonstrate them to be from the lowest pit of utter darkness , and their vvorks to be vvorks of death and darkness ; and the god of the world having so blinded there mens eyes , they think it is for the glory of god , and the good of their country , as the jews did , thought they did god service when they shamefully intreated his servants and messengers , and abused them that were sent unto them in the name of the lord ; and as though making spoil and doing of violence , and devouring and wasting the estates of their inhabitants , would be for the well-being and good of their country , and enrich their plantations , when they that bear a part of the common charge thereof , and have been industrious as for the benefit of the whole , are thus made a prey and a spol of : verily , verily my heart is grieved , and my spirit is vexed because of these doings ; oh! this stains your glory , and causeth the name of the living god to be dishonoured among them that make no mention of it as you do , neither profess knowledge of him , nor worship of his name as you do ; for they may well judge , if to bring forth such barbarous actions of cruelty , and oppression , and violence , be the fruit that christians bring forth , that they will never be christians ; for there is a principle in the indians and heathens , which abhors this , and if these actions bring honour to god , they may well conclude never to serve your god , and that such oppression should be acted among your own people , and upon the people of your own nation , they justly may conclude , you to be ignorant , and your government nought : oh! this causeth a bad savour in the nations , and these are bad examples to others ; for this strengthens the hands of the wicked , and provokes others to wickedness , and also will bring a judgement upon you ; for sin is a reproach to any people , and the wages thereof is death and destruction . therefore , oh you rulers and heads of the people , who should be for the praise of them that do well , and for the help of the upright , and for nourishing of the poor and needy ; repent you of what you have done , and confess to the lord your great evil , least his hand be utterly turned against you , and you become as chaff before the wind , and as stubble before his bow , & be utterly destroyed and cut off ; consider what you have done , & how all this hasty furious work hath not at all advantaged you ; for there is a seed that god will gather in those isles to himself , out of the deceit of the world , and out of the vain customs and fashions of your country , and out of a feigned profession without the life , to worship him in life and spirit ; and though you should seek to withstand the lord as you have done hitherto with a high hand , your contrivance shall come to nought ; nay though you would strengthen and harden your hearts yet more , and say in your hearts as the rebellious jews of whom the prophet spoke , though the bricks be fallen down , yet we will build with hewen stone ; though what you have done doth not stop that which you would do , and so go about to invent further mischief , as those uncircuncised men of new-england have done , and should proceed to further blood-shed , at last it would come upon your selves , and you would be plunged into misery ; for the covenant with death must be broken , and the agreement with hell disannulled , and the strength and power of darkness overthrown , and innocency , life and truth set above it all ; for let me tell you , that there is no weapon formed against this people that shall prosper , though you may prevail against their persons and estates , yet the spirit which is their life and leader is invincible , therefore be ashamed and repent , and view over your actions and condemn them , and proceed no further to your hurt , lest greater misery come upon you . oh! the cruel sufferings which this poor people called quakers have undergone , and not for evil doing , but for keeping faith and a good conscience , which many have put away , and made shipwrack of , else all these inhumane , barbarous , cruel works of darkness could never have been brought forth , which have shamed their government , and their profession , which all that have any knowledge of god cannot but abhor and say , oh! my soul come not into their secrets , neither tread in their paths ; for these marks are not the marks of them that rule in the power of god , neither these spots the spot of his people , but marks of the beast , and marks of the harlot , who hath forsaken her maker the lord of hosts , and now is gone after other lovers , and the children that she brings forth are the children of fornication , and as the prophet saith , as is the mother so is the daughter ; as is the church , so are the members , all corrupted and gone out of the way , so that the lord hath no pleasure in them , neither his presence known among them ; for if it had , they would have trembled to have acted any of these cruel things against them who are turned to the lord out of cruelty , deceit and violence , which would have been a blessing to your country , but this is fulfilled , he that departs from iniquity maketh himself a prey , and becomes a butt for all the arrows of the ungodly to be shot at ; but blessed are they that have on the armour of god , they enter not there , neither do hurt the life ; for by faith in the light are all the fiery darts of the wicked one quenched , the bows of the ungodly broken , though they be as steel , and their spears snaped assunder , the armies of the aliens put to flight , and the edge of the sword escaped ; and this honour have all the saints , who dwell in that which keepeth the heart clean , and do overcome through faith , and through suffering . and therefore all that fear the lord in that place , heed none of these things ; for this is the cup that all must drink of , who come to drink of the cup of salvation , this hath been the portion which they have had , in the world trouble , but in the life peace , and christ who hath enlightned you is that life ; wait all that you may feel him to be your portion , and then notwithstanding all outward sufferings you will say , and that from a true feeling . my lot is fallen in a fair ground , i have a goodly heritage ; and this god will give you to enjoy , if you continue faithful and stedfast to the end in the will of him who is near you to direct you , and guide you in the way of peace and to lift up your heads above all opposition , and make you more then conquerors over death , and the power thereof , and over the grave , and over all that which hinders the love of god from being revealed unto your souls , which as you wait in the patience ▪ strength from the lord will be administred unto you , to carry you through the fire , and through the water , and through the floods , and you shall be preserved , and neither burnt nor drowned , for his care will be over you , who sits upon the floods , and the winds and the sea obey him ; and therefore my dearly beloved ones , unto whom the lord hath reached in those parts , and whom he hath visited in this 〈◊〉 day of his power , wherein he is exalting his name which hath long been debased in the nations ; and his salvation in the earth , and the uttmost parts shall be a possession for his son , who hath long suffered and born the iniquity of the people , and hath suffered because the sheep have been astray , but now is the lord bringing them back that have been driven away , and them that have been scattered , that he may feed them , that they be no more a prey to the foxes and evil beasts which have devoured them , prize the love of god in that he should follow you with his love , and send his servants unto you , to call you home who were gone astray , and to give up their lives freely that you might be made free , and to suffer that you might be brought out of prison ; now i say , you having heard and believed the truth , keep down all that which would lead you to question again , and look not out at sufferings and difficulties ; for this i testifie unto you must be the cup that all must drink of , who come to enter in at the strait way , and blessed and happy are all they who give up all freely to his heavenly will , for the same we passed through before we came to see the reward , and to reap joy ; there is a time of winter , wait in the patience and be not offended , because nought but barrenness and bareness apppears for a while within ; when summer comes the desolate shall rejoyce , and the thirsty land shall become a land of springs , at which the flocks shall drink , and the herds shall be refreshed ; and heed not the winter storms without , neither the boisterous floods he will rebuke the wind and the sea , and they shall obey him , and the spring you shall see ; so keep the hope , the anchor , and there will be a stay for your hearts in time of danger , and you will see the storm over , and the wind still , and then the shower of righteousness shall descend upon the tender plant , and the rain , the gentle showers which he brings out of his treasure will refresh the inheritance of the lord which hath long been dry , and the dew will distill upon the tender grass , and the brightness of the sun will refresh the heart and make it glad , these things are true and faithfull , and god will vouchsafe them unto you as you all abide in patience in the cross to all the mortal ; it shall dye , and immortality and life you will see brought to light through the gospel , and the love of god is to you , and the thoughts of his heart was towards you for good , as god shewed unto me five years ago , where i saw virginia a beautiful garden ▪ upon wh●ch the sun did shine most pleasantly , and the air was clear , and the glory of the lord did overshadow it , even to my amazement , at which my heart was glad , and my spirit rejoyced in the god of the whole earth ; and seeing the lord hath begun his glorious work among you , and is shining forth as from mount paran in his excellent beauty , keep all your hearts pure , and your consciences clear , that you may see him , for so is his promise , the pure in heart shall see god , and to see the presence of god that gives life , and the light of his countenance is that which maketh glad the heart ; therefore as the beloved of god put on manhood ▪ never heed the dragon's power , neither the beast's threats , neither the harlot's censures , but be valiant for the truth upon earth , for the lamb is arisen , who shall tread down his enemies in his wrath , and make them all as burnt mountains , and his fellowers with him , and his host is numberless , and their voice shall be as many waters , which shall bring dread upon the nations , who worship the beast , and have received his mark , and make the hypocrites tremble ; and they all march on in his strength , and do not break their ranks ; follow him , for the victory is his , it 's decreed in heaven , who shall reverse it or alter it ? and all that follow shall triumph in his strength , and their enemies shall be as ashes under the soles of their feet ; and his weapons are spiritual , and so are all his followers , and they are keen and sharp , and they shall wound the head of the kings enemies ( who is the lord , our righteousness ) the god of all grace fill you with patience and long-suffering , that you may , as good souldiers , fight the good fight of faith , that you may be crowned with immortality and life everlasting , which god , the lord of life and glory will give unto all them that love the appearance of our lord jesus christ , is the desire and prayer of him that desires the good of all which stand nearly related unto the houshold of faith. westmorland , . f. h. some openings of the womb of the morning : to all the princes of germany and people , who profess the name of jesus christ in those dominions , this is sent as a free gift , in true love unto those nations . wherein the state of the true church is discovered with her foundation , and mystery-babylon and her foundation , that all may try themselves , upon what foundation they are , and whether they belong to that city , which is to be made desolate , or to the lamb's vvife , which shall be married unto him forever , in everlasting righteousness . and the way and the entrance into the true worship , in which god is well pleased , discovered unto them who are weary , that they may come to rest , and to know that wherein peace and felicity consisteth . the mighty day of the lord is approcahing , wherein the secrets of all men's hearts shall be manifested , even from him that sits upon the throne , to him that is the meanest servant , and every bondman , and every free-man , the circumcised , and uncircumcised , the professor and the prophane , their works shall all be discovered , and all their deeds shall be brought to light , and every one shall be judged , not according to what he hath seemed to profess , but what he is in reality and in truth , so shall he be reckoned and accounted of by the lord ; for every man's works shall be tryed of what sort they are , and the reward shall be according to every man's works , in truth and in righteousness , not according as fallen man judgeth , nor according as he calls right , but according to the righteous judgment of the everlasting god , in whom truth , life and immortality resides forever . now when this day approacheth , which is near at hand , when the thought of all hearts shall be revealed , then many who have ruled , shall see they have not ruled in the authority and power of god , and therefore must receive a recompence , and give an account of their steward-ship unto the lord , and them that have served and obeyed , shall see that their obedience hath been more for fear of wrath and to please men , then to serve and please the living god , whose throne is established in the heavens , whose kingdom is over all , how be it , man whose eyes were blind , the sons of adam in transgression , in the fallen state , know not the kingdom , nor his throne further then by report and hear-say , and traditions and customs , though by him kings rule , and princes decree justice , yet few do know him , who is the king of kings , and lord of lords , the god of the whole earth , neither do they know that in themselves , in which justice is decreed , who are rather continuing ruling in an usurperd estate then ruling in the power of the lord , which would be a terror to evil-doers ; but fallen man calls well-doing , evil , and evil , good ; and so judges and rules according to that in his own eyes , so punishes and afflicts them who do that which is evil , as it appeareth in his eyes , though it be good in the eyes of the lord. and upon this account the righteous have suffered , and such as are dear unto the lord , have been made a prey of through many generations , from cain downward , who slew his brother ▪ and who are in the first birth born of the flesh judge that evil which is born of the spirit , and their wayes evil who walk in the spirit , and their worship evil , who worship in the spirit ; and thus many kings of judah and israel made the righteous seed to suffer , when they were revolted from the lord , then they set up their own imaginations , decrees and laws to be observed , who laid the commandments of the lord waste , and made havock of them that kept them , and caused such to suffer as evil-doers , and as traytors , as factious and rebellious in the sight of all the people , as jeroboam , ahab , ahaziah , rehoboam , and divers others ; and the princes and dukes of edom made war against jacob and his seed unto which the promise was , and the blessing was , and so accounted them vile that were pretious in the sight of the lord , and reckoned them righteous , that were vile in the eyes of the lord. and since the kingdom of heaven hath been preached , and christianity , the name thereof hath been in reputation , and the gospel hath been published abroad , and the uncircumcised have got the sound , and the unregenerate have got the fame , and the unconverted have got the name of christians , and yet alwayes turn against them that were in the nature of christ ; these have made the righteous to suffer , and killed the children of the free-woman , the true church , the lamb's wife . and know ye this , that since christ hath been preached , and since the true church hath been brought forth , there hath been a great falling away by many from the faith which was once delivered to the saints , by which faith they had victory over the world , and conquered spiritual enemies , and overcame the grave , and witnessed victory over it ; now the words of them which had this faith are retained , and the form of the out-side practices was held for a while , but the power was denyed ; and paul saw many such getting up to a head , and growing into a body in his time , who had the form but denyed the power , who subverted whole houses who were covetous and heady and high-minded then , and lovers of pleasures more then lovers of god ; and this kind of false apostles , and satan's messengers , and false prophets , that christ said should come , mat. . and john saw already come in that age , and peter , jude , and divers others wrote of , and yet these were preachers of the name of christ , and got the form of words , and the name of gospel , and yet denyed the lord that bought them , and redeemed them , as in peter . . to wit , him in whom was life , and the life was the light of men ; thus they denyed the true light , that lighteth every man that cometh into the world , and yet would be preaching up the name of christ and jesus in words , but denyed the life , which is a mystery , and many followed their pernicious wayes , by whom the truth was evil-spoken of , these were enemies to the cross of christ , which mortifies the deeds of the flesh , and so lived in the flesh , and yet had the good words , the sheeps cloathing , the out-side , but were erred and ravened from the spirit , greedy after filthy lucre , greedy after covetousness and worldly honours , greedy after pleasures ; and these false teachers went out into the world from the light , and from the life and fellowship of the gospel , which is a mystery , and from the saints communion , and from the apostles fellowship , and from the true church in god , the ground and pillar of truth , and then withstood the apostles , and spoke all manner of evil of them , and falsely accused them to be in bondage ; and these separated themselves , and crept into houses , and lead many away captive , and captivated their understanding , captivated the minds of those that were laden with sin and divers lusts , who were ever learning , but never came to the knowledge of the truth , in which the discerning is . and these became great teachers , and the whole world went after them , and proselyted many into their false faith which was fained , and into that hope which was but as a spider's webb , and into a profession of christianity without the life of christ , and those went into the world , and those that were in the perishing state wondered after them , and admired them , and set them up , who admired them because of advantage , and received them , and so held up one another in deceit , and so grew into a body , and got the name of a church , though they were adulterated from the true faith , and run away from christ , the true husband after other lovers , and yet because the name of christ and christianity had a good sound , therefore they retained the name for a cloak that they might not be discovered ; and so many children and false christians which were not begotten and born again of the light immortal , and of the immortal word of life were brought forth , and these were adulterated children , and children of fornication , and children of falshood , who would lye , as the prophet said , as the mother was , so was the daughter , and so are the children . and here did the false church , and false members arise , and false christians and false children grew numerous , in so much that they spread themselves over nations , kindreds , tongues , languages , and people , and so came to be a universal visible church , though indeed an deceitful and abominable harlot , who spread her feet unto every one that passed by , as it is easie to make appear ; neither did she retain long the practice and form of the true apostles , but joyned themselves to the heathen , and took in their practice , and mixed themselves with the jewish worship , and took in their types , figures , shadows , dayes , fasts , and feasts , and mixed all these things together , and at last called those inventions , the apostolick institutions , and ordinances of the true church , and so came the nations to be cheated ; then she reached forth her golden cup of fornication , her fair out-side to the nations , kindreds , tongues and people , and they were made drunk , and there they stumbled , reeled and staggered , till at last they became all like a sea , like waters which swell and roar and foam , and stand at no stay , take notice of this , here was the false church's foundation , laid in the waters , upon this was the fear of the mother of harlots , which john saw fourteen hundred years ago , but the foundation of the true church , which was before this , was planted in christ in the apostles dayes , and was builded upon the true light , which lighteth every man that cometh into the world , upon christ , the power of god , the corner-stone , the rock of ages , and the members of her body which were elect and precious , a few at corinth , at jerusalem , at asia , at antioch , at colos , ephesus and other places , who believed and were changed into their hearts by the word of god , which the ministers of christ preached , which was in their hearts ; and them who came to be established in the truth , in meekness , patience , long-suffering , who walked together in love ( to wit ) in the love of god , which was shed abroad in their hearts , became a habitation for god through the spirit , and christ was the head of this body , and ruled over it , and in it , and by him were they led , and were subject to him who was their husband and shepherd , who preserved them and ordered and provided for them , who gave unto them the bread and water of life , and reached unto them the cup of salvation and blessing , whereby they came to be nourished and grew in wisdom and knowledge , obedience and subjection , and in the power , and in the dominion , so were more then conquerers , thorow him that was their law-giver , king , judge and saviour , and these , as i have said , came to know the truth , christ , in their hearts , ruling , and this was the seat of the true church . and herein is the true church of god and her seat and members manifested , and the false church her seat and members manifested , the one upon the rock , the other upon the sand ; the one in the life , the other on the words without life ; the seat of the one amongst those that were established in the truth , who bore the image of christ , and did walk in love , and the seat of the other was in the waters , and upon the waters , and upon unstable minds , and upon them that were in cain's way ; and the seat of the one upon them and among them who had received freely of the lord , and ministred freely out unto others of that which they had received , but the seat of the other upon them and among them that went in balaam's way , who were greedy of filthy lucre , and followed after gifts and rewards ; the seat of the one upon and among them who had submitted unto the teachings of god's holy spirit in them , the seat of the other upon them and among them who had erred from the spirit , and quenched it , and cryed revelations were ceased , who went in corah's way , in the gain-saying and resisting of the holy ghost ; the one upon them that were in the power of god , the other upon them who had the form , but denyed the power ; the one among them who were the servants of righteousness , the other amongst them , whose throats were as an open sepulchre , whose feet were swift to shed blood , and eyes full of adultery , who could not cease from sin ; the one among them who took up the daily cross of christ , and denyed themselves , and the other among them , who followed their own wayes , and not the cross of christ , but denyers of it ; the one amongst them , who were crucified to the flesh and the deeds thereof , the other among them , that were alive in the flesh , and following the affections and lusts thereof . so much more i might say , according to the wisdom given of the lord , but by what hath been said herein you may see the differences betwixt the true church of god , and the mother of harlots , betwixt jerusalem which is above , a mystery , and the mystery of babylon , and betwixt the bride of the lamb's wife , and the harlot that hath run from her husband , and the differences of the members of each body , and the differences between each seat made manifest by their effect and fruits which is brought forth by each sort ; so read your selves , whether you are in the apostacy , or out of the apostacy , whether of the members of christ and of his body , or of anti-christ , and so members of the harlot , and of her body ; to the measure of god's spirit in all your consciences , as you take heed to it , will give you a true understanding . and so when these waters , nations , tongues , kindreds and peoples came to be drunken with the cup of fornication , not only the common sort of people , but also the kings , the captains and nobles , were polluted amongst all these professing christians , who had the name of being christians , but ( are not ) arose the great scarlet coloured beast , who had the names of blasphemy written in h●s forhead , with seven heads and ten horns , perfect cruelty and great strength , who compelled all to worship him ; and here was the beginning of earthly powers , who came to meddle and compel in spiritual matters , and the kings of the earth gave their aid , force and strength to the beast , who compelled all both great & smal ▪ whose names were not written in the lamb's book of life , to worship him , and he killed the saints and persecuted them which kept the testimony of jesus and the word of god , and the false church which had laid her foundation and sate as a queen , got upon the beast , and travelled in the greatness of his strength , & made war against the free-woman the lamb's wife , & made her flee into the wilderness , for two times and a half ; and all this was since the apostles dayes , that so now they that boast of visibility and universality alwayes since the apostles dayes , by this argument they overthrow themselves ; for that which hath alwayes been so visible , in power , force and strength , and so universality seen and spread over all nations , kindreds , tongues and people , cannot be the church of christ , for she hath been in the wilderness , and christ the head of his church , the body , compelleth none by carnal weapons to worship the lord , but he that takes hold of the sword , shall perish by the sword ; and he said again , love your enemies , do good to them that hate you , and pray for them that persecute you ▪ and this is he who is the higher power , unto whom all power is given both in heaven and earth , and unto him the spouse is subject , and the body is subject , and they fear him and honour his holy name , for he is worthy to be praised , and to receive all honour , glory and strength forever . but the beast compelleth all , who rose up out of the waters , and became great and cruel , which had a mouth speaking great things and blasphemy , and he opened his mouth in blasphemy against god , to blaspheme his name , and them that dwell in heaven , and he made war with the saints , and overcame them ; read the book of the revelations ; and this beast had power over all kindreds , tongues , and nations , and kingdoms ( which are the seat of the false church ) which devoured and killed the saints , who have been cryed up for the higher and highest power , and all who dwelt upon the earth , whose names were not written in the book of life , cryed out , who is able to make war with the beast ? and whosoever did not receive the mark of the beast , rich or poor , high or low , bond or free , might not buy or sell , but were killed and warred against , and herein is the power of god made manifest , and the power of antichrist , the followers of the lamb , and the followers of the beast , the worship of the lamb , and the worship of the beast ; the war with the lamb and his followers , and the war with the beast and his followers ; and the lamb maketh war with the sword of his mouth , which is the sword of the spirit , and the word of god , and so do all his followers , who overcome spiritual wickedness in high places , and conquer the unclean spirit , and subdue the kingdom of the devil , and the powers of darkness , and yet hurt not the creature ; for christ came not to destroy mens lives , but to save them ; and herein again is the beast and dragon , and their worship and followers , made manifest to be quite different unto the former ; for he compelleth to his worship by his cruel laws , imprisonment and lingring torments , and by his carnal swords and weapons , which never can subdue spiritual enemies ; and he kills men , and stricks at the creature , and so destroyeth the saints bodies , which are god's tabernacles and temple , and temples of the holy ghost ; this never reaches to the pulling down of deceit in any , wherein lieth the true power ; but the lamb doth not so , but slayes the enmity , and saveth the creature . and we never read that christ ever gave command to his disciples , neither did his disciples give any such command to the churches which were planted , that they should force any to their worship , either believers or unbelievers ▪ but alwayes taught the contrary , that as every one had received the gift of god ( christ ) so let him walk , and as every one believed in his own heart , and was perswaded in his own mind by the spirit of the lord , was to walk accordingly , did obey and observe , or else he sinned ; for the true church of god and ministers of christ took no pleasure to make men sinners ; for whatsoever is not of faith is sin. but oh how many have the false church , and beast , and the kings and princes of the earth forced to receive these things , as institutions and ordinances of god ▪ and to observe many things which have been put upon people as divine worship , or as some heavenly observations , when alas many did not believe with their hearts , neither were perswaded ( thereto ) by the spirit of god in their own minds and consciences , and yet through force and compelling , prisoning and cruel torturing , many have yielded and condescended to their worship , and so have been made to sin against the lord and their own souls ▪ and thus instead of making christians indeed , thousands of hypocrites have been proselyted this way , and many others through weakness , rather then to suffer , have sinned against their weak consciences , by this forcing way , or compelling way ; the city of babylon hath been reared up by this means , and the false church hath gotten a great corrupt body , and glories in her seat , and sitteth as a queen over nations , kindreds , tongues and people , having perswaded the kings and nobles of the earth , that they ought to defend this holy church , and to keep her ordinances unviolated , or else they should be in danger of her curse and of her excommunication ; and thus the devil himself hath armed himself every way , & antichrist hath fenced about his throne , as to the gaining of the powers of the earth on his side , and for fear of being discovered he hath taken up the outside-profession of christianity , yet the vvolf's nature is brought forth and is tryed , which worries and kills the sheep ; and to speak plainly and truly , since the power of god hath been lost and disregarded , which mortifies the deeds of the flesh in men , and the form of words retained , and the outside observances taken up by the false church , she hath gotten more members by the kings of the earth , who have drunk of her cup , and are baptized into her spirit by their cruel forcing , and owning all to a conformity to their holy church , as she hath called herself , then by any sound doctrine , or holy example , or good practices that she hath shewed forth to the nations . and oh how have the kings of the earth , and the princes thereof been made slaves and drudges to this harlot , to make lawes for her , and to re-inforce them upon the people , to the destroying of many bodies and souls to patronize , and hold up their sorceries , and to keep up her inchantments in reputation among the people , and in so doing the false church hath so flattered and called th●ir princes , who had drunk of her cup , defenders of the faith , and propagators of the gospel , but if any did fail of observing her invented institutions , then what dreadful excommunications , and woes , and curses have been threatned against them , and how many princes have been deposed of their crowns as hereticks , and rebellions have been raised against such to overthrow them and their people , and therein you have had sufficient proof , many of you princes of germany . these things i write unto you , desiring your good in that which pertains to this life , and of that which is to come , and that you might truly see your selves , whether you are not drinking of this cup of fornication ? yea or my : or whether you are not yet giving your power to the beast ? yea , or nay ; is there not a form of worship without the life and power ? then that is but the vvhore's cup ; is there a seeming shew of holiness among you , and do you not enjoy the life and sum and substance of all shadows ? then that is but the vvhore's cup , the outside fairly garnished ▪ but rottenness is at the heart ; do you compel to worship ? then that is the beast's power , that is not christ's power , nor of the higher power , you must deny that , the true state and power that any prince hath allowed him from god , in which he may expect a blessing upon himself and people , is in that he ruleth well in things appertaining to men , and things civil which pertain unto this life , and unto the kingdoms of men upon earth , and to be for the punishing of evil-doers , as of these murderous man-slayers , man-stealers , drunkards , whoremongers , adulterers , cozeners , cheaters , defrauders and violent-doers ; and the sword is to be turned against all these things , and to keep down such things in every nation and government , and that every punishment be in equality sutable to the crime and fault , not exceeding it ; and thus princes and rulers whoso rule , rule for god , and this is an ordinance of god ; but mystery●babylon the false church is far from these things , who hath perswaded rulers , princes and nobles , that they must rule as magistrates in the church of god , and in christ's government , in things appertaining to the conscience , hath taught them to usurp authority in those things ; but god hath anointed christ to be lord and king , and hath given him to be head of the body , which is his church , and to rule in the hearts and consciences of the sons of men , and he is the alone lord and king there , and no outward king , nor prince nor governour upon the face of the earth hath any thing to do there . object . but some may say ▪ ought not they who denyed christ's commands be compelled to worship and obey according a● he taught ? answ. as salvation belongs to him alone , so vengeance belongs to him also ; and as he communicates power to them which believe and obey the gospel , so also by the breath of his mouth will he slay the wicked , and vengeance is his , and he will repay it ; and all they who will not have him to rule in their hearts , and unto the disobedient it shall be said , and shall be done , they shall be brought before him and slain ; and that by which he slayes the disobedient , is by the breath of his mouth , which is sharper then any two-edged sword , which reacheth to that which the outward sword and forcing power cannot reach unto . object . but farther it may be objected , were not the kings of israel and judah to compel men to keep the commandments and statutes of the true god , and to restrain them from worshipping of false gods , and to stone to death false pr●phets and blasphemers ? and may not the kings and princes of the earth do the same now ? answ. to which i answer , it is true , the kings of israel and judah were to do so under the first covenant ( which made nothing perfect ) who did not see to the end of things that were to be abolished ; and as the first priesthood and sacrifices and offerings were figures and shadows of the good things to come , even of the everlasting sacrifice , and of the everlasting offering ; so the kings of israel and their governments were types and figures and shadows of the king of kings , and king of saints , and their government a shadow of the government which was to be without end , and their compelling outward , and punishing outward , of christ subduing all his enemies , and killing blasphemers , and stoning of them , and slaying of them with his spiritual sword , that would not have him to rule over them ; but now the king of righteousness being come , his law is inward , his kingdom is spiritual , his service spiritual his worship spiritual ▪ his weapons spiritual , with which he slayes his enemies ▪ & the glory which the father hath given to him , he will not give to another ; and herein the kingdom , the power , the authority & the weapons are of a more excellent nature then the others were , and his soveraignity and greatness excelleth the other , and it is truth as it is in jesus ▪ and so all kings and princes now are in another state then the kings of israel and judah were ; for the substance is come , and the king of eternal glory , the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world , hath all power committed to him ; so for any to intrude or take upon them to do that which the father hath committed unto him , is absolute usurpation ; and though the false church and the merchants thereof , and many which would be counted rabbies in it , have spurred on and pressed on princes to their hurt ▪ as to usurp authority over mens consciences in faith and doctrine ; this will be their reward certainly from the hand of the lord at the last , vvho hath required this at your hands ? for paul , an apostle of jesus christ , whose power and authority was great , as to the things of god , went far beyond any temporal prince , who had begotten many to the faith , who said , that he and some others were not lords over their faith , nor over mens consciences , but as it is said , left every man to be fully perswaded in his own mind by god's spirit , him which he had testified of , which he said , god had given a measure of to profit withal , and none knows the things of god , but by the spirit of god ; then good reason it is , that all should be left to that which is the absolute and only means , by which god , and the things of god , and the worship of god comes to be known : what will the church of rome say to this , or the pope say unto this , who sayes that he is peter's successsor ? are not things imposed upon people , as to be believed , which are contrary to the scriptures , & for which there is no scripture nor example , but only because peter's successor hath said so , and the church said so ? and if another believe not so , he is then counted an heretick ▪ and hath been proceeded against as an heretick ; instance that one thing about bread and vvine , which is called a sacrament , which the church of rome hath held for doctrine these many hundred years ( to wit ) that after vvords of consecration by a priest , the natural bread and vvine becomes substantially the real body and blood of christ , which doctrine is so inconsistent with the faith of god's elect , and so contrary to the scriptures , and also to sound reason , that none but they who are wilfully ignorant can believe ; and yet because many could not believe this doctrine of transubstantiation , many have been racked , tortured , burned and put to cruel deaths ; and is not this to be lords over mens faith , and to lord it over mens consciences , and so intrude and rule in mens hearts , and regulate mens judgments , which only belongs to god , the judge of heaven and earth ? and therefore all princes , governours and rulers , learn wisdom and understanding to rule with the wisdom of god , which comes from above , and cumber not your selves with that which god expects not from you , neither doth he require of you to be lords over his heritage ; neither do you meddle nor intrude into those things which he would not have you to meddle withal ; neither let any perswade you , under any colour to drive on their own deceit , promising to you in so doing , therein you do god good service , or press you on to persecute any about spiritual matters . now i say unto you in the name , and power , and authority of god's spirit , they that compel to any worship , or force to any worship , whether true or false , or punish and put to death any for not worshipping truly , or for worshipping falsly , he is to this day under the anti-christian reign , who hath exalted himself , and sets himself in the temple of god , and sits as judge thereof , that which belongs only to the lord 's christ , and so intrenches upon the soveraignity which belongs to christ , the king of righteousness , and such will do violence to the subjects of christ's kingdom . therefore all kings , princes and potentates of the earth ; who profess the name of christ jesus , cast off those heavy yoaks , which the false church and harlot have perswaded you to put your necks in , only to raise her city , and to put off her merchandize , and to make the church of the free woman , the church of christ , suffer ; and this above all things hath brought great detriment and hurt unto you princes and people of germany , for they have been led by a blind zeal to do that which they have been perswaded unto by her which hath sate as a queen , and as the lady of kingdoms , and a mistress over god's houshold , to do that which hath provoaked the lord against them , whereby their dominions have been rent from them , and many of the dear lambs have causelesly suffered , and many of their subjects have been evily entreated , and some have been put to death , so thereby have lost the hearts of the people by such actings , only to satisfie the blood-thirsty mind of her that hath drunk the blood of the saints . therefore ye kings and princes of the earth , and emperours , and all people who have been beguiled , through the falshood and sorceries of this false church , who have drunk of her cup of fornication , and have given your strength and power to the beast , and so have wrought their works and not the lord's , shake off the yoak from off your necks , and draw back your authority and power that you have given to the beast , who hath killed and compelled all to worship him , and all people to buy the whore's sorceries ; shake off her inchantments and witch-crafts , and intanglements , and stand upon your own legs , and come to wait upon the lord , and upon the light of the lord , which you are lighted withal , that so you may answer god's end , and rule for the lord , and keep peace among all people under your dominions , and then it will be easier for you to do that when you leave all men's consciences free to the lord , and every man to that of god in him , according to which every man must be judged , and then people will be more ready to obey your just commands , which are for peace and prosperity , which are for the welfare of a nation and country , for since the apostles dayes , the apostacy hath come and covered them , and many people have been forced into a worship , and unto services , and unto a religion by outward compulsary laws , and by the outward sword , and great penalties and imprisonments , if not subject to their commands , and all this hath come up since the apostles , and spread it self over kindreds , tongues and nations , in the mid-night of darkness have many countryes been vassaled ; and this i testifie you all , that this is no true christian religion , nor in christ's way ; search diligently and read through the writings of the apostles and saints in the primitive time , and see if ever the true church of christ , or the ministers thereof , christ or his apostles , gave any such commandment , or did ever lay any such injunction upon they that believed , rulers or governours , or others , as to force or compel them to believe their worship , or forced , killed , or banished them that opposed , but unto the contrary they exhorted all , and commended every one to that in their own consciences in the sight of god , and so left them unto that which they knew would inform their understandings , and perswade their minds , and when they were informed and perswaded of the truth of what was declared , then they pressed obedience , not by any force or awe , but they knew that they which would not be obedient unto that of god manifested in them , they should be judged of the lord , and never have peace ; and this brought down the disobedient and rebellious spirit , and the g●in-saying spirit , and yet saved the creature alive , and herein were the ministers of the second covenant more excellent then the first . therefore awake , ye princes of germany out of the spirit of slumber , and shake your selves out of your deep sleep which hath been upon you , and wait upon the light of the lord in all your consciences , that you may come to see the day of the lord god , which is now a dawning , and dawned , that so you may distinguish between the precious and the vile , and also of every work , and action , and worship , you may truely discern of what sort and kind they are of , for he that doth not witness the quickening spirit which enlivens the mind unto god , and deads it unto sin , his works , actions , and worship is but of a bad sort , these are the works that must be burnt with fire , and that is the worship which god is not pleased with , which is performed from the earthly corrupt part in man by tradition , all this kind of profession is god's controversie against , and this kind of professors , and this kind of false church is god's anger kindled against , and hath been dishonered by this deceitful kind of christianity , and the name of god hath been more dishonoured then by the heathen , who have not professed any part of christianity at all ; yea , what wicked barbarous inhumanites have been brought forth by this false church , who got the form at the first , and denyed the power ; oh! what killing , murdering , blood-shed , persecuting , destroying the creatures , laying whole nations desolate , and whole countries waste , who could not conform to their hypocrisie , and invented injuctions of men ; oh , what pride , and arrogancy , covetousness , fraud and deceit , cosening and cheating , envying and hating , cursed spe●king , filthy communications , oaths and drunkenness , and riotousness , whoredoms and uncleanness have been brought forth so aboundantly , that the very heathen are not found in the like practices ; and well might they conclude , if the god of the christians be such an one as leads his people into such practices , then they would never believe in him , nor worship him in the christians wayes ; for these practices have hardned their hearts , and made them out of love with the name of the living god. oh! a bed of torment is prepared for this abominable harlot , who hath denyed christ her husband , who hath enlightned every man that cometh into the vvorld with a measure of his light , john . and the day hastens that her flesh must be burnt with fire , and all her lovers shall hate her , and the kings , and nobles , and mighty men of the earth , which have committed fornication with her , shall withdraw their love from her , and assistance from her , who have given their power to her , and so have made them selves as waters , so that it is just with the lord god to bring the heathen and uncircumcised over the nations again , for the 〈…〉 re more justifiable in the sight of god , then these who profess him in words , and yet are reprobate unto every good vvork . therefore come out of babylon all people and potentates of the earth , and drink no more of her cup of fornication , and receive no more of her traditions nor inventions for the ordinances of christ , and partake no more of the sins of this false church , which hath drunk the blood of the prophets , and slew the saints under the name of blasphemers , and under the name of hereticks , as the jews of old did , who had the words of the prophets without the life , and were in error themselves , and in the blasphemies , who killed the just one , and crucified christ as a blasphemer , and the members of his body as hereticks , plagues and woes are prepared of the lord god , and thunders , storms and tempests are to be poured upon the seat of this whore , and the seat of the beast , for dreadful is the day of the lord which is coming upon all flesh , which shall wither as grass , and the h●lls shall melt , and the rocks shall cleave , the high and lofty shall bow , the strong men shall be afraid , terror shall come upon all hypocrites , and fearfulness and weakness upon all the mighty and valiant , and upon all that have warred and striven with carnal weapons , and all worshippers in the flesh , the sword of the lord shall come over all , which is ready furbished , and brandished , which shall be soaked in the blood of bulls , and the strong , and the fat , and the mighty , and the slain of the lord shall be many ; for the notable day of the lord god is appearing , such a day as hath not appeared since the apostacy ; for god's controversie shall be with all the inhabitants of the earth , at the sound thereof the nations shall be afraid , and the isles shall shreek , and the mighty men shall fail , for god hath determined to cleanse the earth of all the fruitless trees that cumber the ground ; and to make●h overflowing scourge pass throw the nations , to sweep away the refuge of lyes , idolatry , and superstition , will-worship , vain human traditions of men , and to make all flesh to bow before him . therefore all people who look to escape the judgement of the lord god which is coming upon the nations ; flee , flee for your lives out of babylon , out of sodom and egypt , spiritually so called , hasten and come out to meet the lord god , lest you be overthrown in those cursed cities , whose sins have reached up to heaven ; make haste and come out , and be not upon your reserves , and consult not with flesh and blood , partake no more of her sins , lest you partake of her dreadful plagues , and of the cup of the lord 's fiery indignation , which is the portion of all the inhabitants of that city ; for they shall drink it . and all ye princes and people in germany , who are called reformed , who have denyed the church of rome in some things , and who judge you are come to a good degree of reformation , i must needs say unto you , that the reformation , & your departure from her is yet but weak , poor and feeble , and you are come but a little way ; i may say unto you as the prophet said , you must rise and go from that which you are now in , which you judge to be the worship of the true god , for it is not your rest ; indeed you have departed , and cast off some things which are but circumstances , you stick still in the old ground , and if you take not heed , the leaven of the whore's sorceries which is yet among you , may quickly leaven you all again into one lump , and bring you back again within the walls of that bloody city ; and you that are princes will not want temptations to draw you back to associate your selves again with the church of rome , that now thereby you may be strengthned against the heathen ; for if you should enter into any association with them , or give any consent unto such temptations , you do but go down into egypt for help , then will your latter end be worse then your beginning , and your bondage and thraldom will be greater then it was before ; and i must tell you plainly the lord will pare the heathen , and exalt their horn , and they shall be as a scourge , and as the lord's battle-axe , to bring down the pride and haughtiness of that bl●ody city , which h●th drunk the blood of the saints , and they that have yoaked others shall now be yoaked , and they that have cruelly tyrannized over others shall be tyrannized over , and that which hath led others into captivity , bondage and thraldom , shall go into captivity , bondage and thraldom , and the heathen shall rule over it . therefore ye that are called protestant princes , or reformed , and to all people within your dominions look not back for help from spiritual sodom ; oh let it never enter into your hearts ; you are yet in the suburbs of that city ; therefore come further off , and out from it , for you still retain too much of the government of that city , and too much of their form , ordinances , institution and doctrine , and judge them to be apostolick and catholick , but wait you to know the power of god in your assemblies , which changes the mind and heart within , for bodily exercises profiteth little , you have had tryal enough of that , but what life and power do you enjoy , which was from the beginning before the world began ? is there no forcing and compelling amongst you about religion , and hire for your ministers ? and do you not limit and stop that which the generality cannot agree unto , and brand it for error and heresie ? and is there no killing about religion , nor making men suffer about matters in religion ? may every one speak freely of the things of god , what he hath received freely of the lord , as they did in the primitive times , when the church was in purity ? forcing ought not to be amongst you , and you put too great a price upon outside things , which at the best are but shadows of spiritual things which are to be revealed in the heart ; and know you this , that they that worship the lord aright , worship him in spirit and in truth ; and they who come to witness the new covenant , come to know the law of the spirit of god , and the life revealed in their hearts , by which the sons of god are led into all truth , and they need not go back to the tables of stone , nor to literal precepts for a rule ; for their rule is within ( to wit ) the spirit of god , which the father hath promised to pour forth upon his sons and daughters , by the mouth of his prophets , and that they need not say , know the lord , for all shall be taught of him , from the least to the greatest , who are come to the everlasting covenant , and to the blood of sprinkling which purifies the heart , and sprinkleth the consciences , which speaks better things to all them that receive it , then the blood of abel . there hath been in those parts some stirring of the lord amongst you , but the power of god hath been much abused , and great runnings out have been amongst you ▪ and many have followed their own devisings , and one hating another , and have erred from the spirit , and there have been factions and great breakin gs amongst you , and many seeking themselves until darkness hath come over again , and so are come to be setled into a dead form , so that little of the presence of god is found in all your assemblies ; nevertheless though all these things are so , yet the lord's love is reaching towards you again , and a visitation , and a day of mercy there is yet held forth ; oh happy and blessed will you be if you do not despise nor reject it , and be not offended in the lowest appearances of christ to the sons of men , wherein a greater glory is revealing , and shall be revealed , then hath been since the apostates entered in . now the way wherein god doth purpose to make known his mind , and his hidden riches , and communicate his heavenly mysteries , will be in a more hidden , secret and spiritual invisible manner , then yet ever hath appeared ; for hitherto deceit hath transformed it self , and satan's messengers have conformed , and antichrist hath imitated , and the unconverted have been worshipping , observing and practising of outward things without the moving of the life ; so that antichrist hath gotten into every outside appearance , and by this means hath sheltered himself with a colour and shadow ; and the devil the enemy of all mankind hath kept his kingdom whole by covering himself with the words , shadows and outward performances : and now take but a view over all those kingdoms that are called christendom , and see how much of the life of christ is brought forth , and how little of the image of god is manifested , and the kingdom of god revealed among people which stands in the power and life of righteousness ; therefore the full time of the lord is come , wherein every word and work shall be tryed , and the secrets of every man's heart shall be made bare , and the root and ground of every action shall be weighed : and wo will come upon all who are covered with the words and outside shews , and cloathed with outward performances , and not with the spirit of the lord god. therefore friends and people , high and low , rich and poor , bond and free , of these things we have a blessed cloud of vvitnesses , whom god hath now raised up in this the day of his mighty power , wherein god hath shined forth in brightness : from his holy habitation are these things seen which have lightned the earth , from his dwelling place he hath given forth his word , and great is the company of them that publish it , and there shall be many more ; for a numberless number shall hear it , yea the dead that are yet in the grave shall hear it ▪ and by it shall come to live ; and we are a great number who have travailed through many dry places and barren wildernesses , who have had the tryal and tast of all outward professions , and visible worships , and external performances , and visible ordinances which are contained in hand writings , and we have waded through all these things with a great deal of diligence , and strict observancy ; and we have travailed many years with great pain , that so we might have found rest and refreshment to our souls , that so we might have sitten down in it , and as seekers and travailers who are weary , were willing to lend an ear unto any who have but said , come hither and here is rest ; and one hath cryed , lo here , and another hath cryed lo there ; and so we wearied our selves at last , from mountain to hill , and spent our strength for nought , for none could truly inform us where we should find him whom our souls loved , and whom our hearts panted after , and our bowels yearned . until at the last the eyes of many were opened by the lord , who saw that eternal life was not to be found in any external visible thing , and do know that all they who are exercising themselves after those things in the exactest & strictest manner , cannot be made perfect as pertaining to the conscience ; and all these great talkers of the fame of christ , and of his glory and power , miracles and works , and of his death , obedience and sufferings ; the bare report and sound of these things doth no good at all , to him who feels sin hath full power and dominion in his heart ; so that the life of christ must be felt within , enjoyed and possessed within , and revealed in the light , or else he cannot stand justified in the sight of god , nor clear when he judgeth , neither can he find rest nor peace for his soul , so i am one who have found mercy and favour at the hand of the lord , among many thousands to be a witness of that life which was with the father before the world began , which is now manifested in the hearts of thousands of his people , destroying the works of the devil , and bringing in everlasting righteousness . so the love of god which is shed abroad in my heart , through the bowels of compassion which i have unto all mankind , knowing that all in the first adam's state are lost in the fall ; i do now give forth these lines , and say unto all , seek not the living among the dead , not in dead forms , not in dead graves , not in dead worships , neither in dead performances ; for the lord is risen out of all these things , and is sate down in glory , in a living holy habitation , and now his appearance unto the sons of men is in a more spiritual manner , for i have fully tried already what is in all these external things ; and because i know and have seen his appearance , therefore i speak to the informing of all , how they may come to find him who is the desire of their souls , and the salvation thereof , i say , listen and hear , that your souls might live ; for christ is that eternal , incorruptible , pure , unchangeable , immortal life , which hath ligtned every man that cometh into the world , john . yea , he that hath enlightned every man with his true light , he is that eternal and immortal life ; so that i say unto you all , high and low , who desire rest unto your souls , cease from your willing , cease from your running , cease from your own performances , cease from worshipping you know not what , and cease from seeking in that nature which the lord hides himself from , and come ye to learn of christ , and sit at his feet , even at the lowest appearance of him , even at the lower end of the table must you come , before you can be exalted ; for thou must be contented to sit down there , that which climbeth high , and exalts it self , god will bring down , and that which manifesteth sin is light , and that which reproveth evil is the same , and what is reproved in the heart of man , is manifested by the light of christ ; so keep in all your minds to this , and stop all other motions in your minds , and keep down all thoughts and reasonings in the mind ; and so keep to few words , and be slow to speak , and swift to hear , then will you come to know the heavenly voice of christ , the quickning spirit , which divideth assunder , and separateth betwixt the precious and vile in thoughts words or deeds ; and shews you the ground of each ; and as you love this light which christ jesus hath enlightned you withal , and bring your deeds to the light which christ hath placed in your consciences , which is god's faithful witness , , if unto it you take heed , then you will feel his power in you at all times near at hand to help you , and to subject every vain thought and every vain desire ▪ and bring them into captivity ; and this is the word of faith which is nigh in the heart , which doth discern the thoughts and intents and purposes of the mind , before ye act or speak them forth ; i say , hearken ye unto this , that faith may be begotten in you ; and here you will all know your teacher present and shepherd , and him that said , come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden , who will give rest unto your souls , and learn of me , for i am meek and lowly in heart , saith christ ; and then you will come to see the differences between the motions of the flesh and the motions of the spirit within , and come to know each birth , and know what must enter , and what must not enter ; and all who follow this light , which christ the light hath enlightned them withal , shall come to know the imman●el and bishop of their souls ; for he that hates the light which he is enlightned withal , he hates christ , and he that hates the light , hates that which ▪ is the gift of god in him ; and he that believeth not in the light , is reproved by the light , and judged already in himself by the light of the word ; and justification cannot be witnessed where there is reprehension and reproof , by him that is the justifier . and whoever receiveth christ , must receive him as the father hath tendered him ; for he is given for a covenant of light to the gentiles , in whom the gentiles should trust , and to rejoyce at the brightness of his rising , and the isles should be glad , and wait for his coming ▪ a leader of his people ; and justification is not felt in the heart of any man , but where his leadings are known and obeyed , and none can come out of the regions and shadows of death , but as christ is closed with , the true light , who hath enlightned every man that cometh into the world , for he is appointed of the father a leader out of the world ; and all that follow the light that they be enlightened withal , deny themselves for it judges self-love , and self-actions , and self-righteousness ; and here the cross of christ you will come to know ; which slayes the enmity , that which crosseth the carnal corrupt part in man , and takes it up and bears it ; and herein you will come to know what it is to be crucified to the world , and the lusts and affections thereof , and the world within ; and the cross being known and loved , which is the power of god , the carnal mind , which is death , cometh to be slain within , and dyeth to the fashions of the world , and the goodly noise thereof that passeth away ; but that which maketh it pass away endures forever , the word of the lord , which was in the beginning : so mind that which endures forever , and take diligent heed , and watch against the carnal mind and worldly thoughts , and keep them down and so power you will come to receive in the light , to rule over all that which hath ruled over you ; and then you will come to know a transforming of your minds , and that which quickens and enlivens your hearts to god and crucifies you to evil ; and here is the way in part declared by which all must come to the father , to the kingdom , to the power , and to the glory there , which is by christ the true light , who hath enlightned every man that cometh into the world , who is the way , the truth it self , the love it self , who is one with the father . and here you will come to know the minister of the tabern●cle ▪ which god hath pitched , and not man , and his ministry , and the operation of his spirit ; that which reproves for evil is the spirit of god , wait all that you may receive it , for it is given unto all , but all have not received it ; god is kind and bountiful unto unto all , and herein is every man left with out excuse ; he that receives it , receives power to come out of that which it reproveth for , and thus it is known by its operation ; and as any errs from it , and takes not heed unto it , it checks him , but as it is loved and closed with , it gives peace and joy , and brings comfort , and this is another operation . and now cease from all teachers which are only ministers of the letter and ministers of others words made ready to their hands , for such can never turn any to god , and from all such who preach for hire , gifts and rewards , these are all out of the doctrine of christ in balaam's way , and the false prophets way , and not in the apostles and ministers of christ's way , who testified freely of that which they had received freely , and from all such teachers as take tythes , which deny christ come in the flesh , for that priest-hood is changed , and the law is changed , and the jewish priest in the first covenant , which had a law to take tythes of the people , is changed , and a better hope is brought in , and there is not another law to be given forth , which commandeth such a maintenance for gospel ministers , and though such ministers may tell you of the means of grace , and that you must attend upon their teachings and discourses , which they call means , which are but dead stories , and feed but the corrupt part in the carnal mind , the grace is near you , even the free grace of god , the saving grace of god that hath appeared unto all , and yet all are not saved by it , because they have not received it , nor love it , but all they that love it , are taught to deny all ungodliness , and improving of it is the means to obtain more of it ; and whenever you are tempted unto sin , the grace of god which sheweth you the temptations will save you , that you enter not into it , nor defile your consciences thereby ; and this grace is god's free gift unto all mankind , and is in man , and is the means whereby he that loves it comes to be saved from the power of the wicked one , that he touch him not . and all must come into silence , for the earth must keep silent , and all flesh must be silent before the lord be known within , or his voice heard ; and so all hasty , heady teachers and speakers , which know not the lord's voice , cannot profit the people at all ; and all these tellers of dreams and dreamers dream in the night ; but what is the chaff to the wheat ? but he that hath heard god , and knows his voice , and his word ▪ which is a spirit , may speak it freely , and that will answer the just in all people , and the witness of god will testifie in all consciences to the truth thereof , and feels the power of it , and will remember it when the dreamers that dream will be forgotten . and all ye that are broken into many opinions , and sects , and divers judgments , wait that you may know that which will unite you to god , and one unto another , that you may come all to be of one heart and of one mind and of one soul , into the unity of the one spirit , as the saints of old were in ; and many there are now unto whom the mind of the lord is known , blessed be the name of the lord forever ; and that you may all come to know him that healeth the nations , and leadeth out of wars , and maketh them to cease to the end of the earth ; for vvars ( saith the apostle james ) proceed from mens lusts ; and so wait in the light which christ hath given you for power from god to be revealed in you , which killeth the lusts in your selves , that your swords may be broken into plow-shares ▪ 〈◊〉 your spears and vveapons of war into pruning hooks ; then the occasion and ground of war is gone , then you will come to be follwers of christ , who came not to destroy mens lives , but to save them , and to love enemies , an● bless them that curse you , and do good to them that hate you , and pray for them that despightfully use you and persecute you , and this is the way to conquer the spirits of your enemies : therefore stop not your ears , nor slight 〈◊〉 the day of your visitation ; for the joyful sound of the everlasting gospel is now to be preached again unto all nations , kindreds , tongues and people ; and towards you in germany is that coming wherein remission of sins is obtained , and life and immortality is brought to light , and blessed and happy will you be , if you be found worthy to receive it , which many nations and people have put away from them , and thereby have made themselves unworthy of everlasting life . and now this is a message of love , and a free gift unto you the princes and people and rulers in germany , that you may all be warned to be in a readiness to meet the lord in his judgments , and also to receive the tender proffers of life and salvation to you and your people ; nation , rulers and ruled may be happy , and so come to witness blessedness and peace in all your habitations , which the lord hath brought many unto in this the day of his mighty power , wherein he hath shewed himself in the earth , and made many witnesses of his noble acts , and of his wondrous works that he hath done amongst us , to the intent they may be testimonies thereof , that other nations may be invited to taste and see how good and gracious the lord is , who is the light of his people , and how pleasant the way is that lighteth every man that cometh into the world ; and these things i testifie unto you , who have tasted how good and pleasant his dwelling-place is , and how precious the fold of the lord is , and how green and pleasant are his pastures , into which he leadeth his sheep , unto them hath he given everlasting life , and perfect assurance of his love forever . these sayings are faithful , holy , just and true , and blessed is he that hath an ear to hear , and a heart ready to receive & understand tha● which is now declared of , they , even they shall be witnesses of the same glory in themselves , and not only believe because of the sound and rep●●t thereof , but see , handle and understand these things in their own hearts ▪ and feel it in their own breasts : so this is god's visitation of love to you 〈◊〉 oh prize it , lest it pass over your heads , and you never attain unto the comfort of that which belongeth unto your eternal rest and peace . from one who loves the lord and all the children of the light , and 〈◊〉 the salvation and welfare of all men , who is at perfect unity with 〈◊〉 the creation of god. f. h. from england , the th of the st moneth , . the glory of the true church discovered , as it was in its purity in the primitive times : also a manifestation how and when the apostacy came , and how long it hath continued in the church ; rome proved to be in it , because she differs in doctrine and practice from the church of christ in the apostles dayes . published for this end , that people may be informed , and their understandings opened , to discern the times and seasons , and see the difference between the lamb's wife and the mother of harlots . by one who desires that all may come to the knowledge of the truth , and be saved , and walk in the light of the lord. f. h. to the reader or readers . great hath been the wisdom which god hath shed abroad in the hearts of his people , and made known unto his servants through ages , wherein he hath made known his mind and will at sundry times , and in divers manners , sometimes by types , sometimes by shadows and representations , sometimes by dreams , sometimes by visions , sometimes by prophecy , & there was not the least ministration , but it had a glory in it ; and the one living god manifested his mind unto the sons of men , who feared his name in every generation , and shewed unto them , and signified his mind unto them , what he was , and shewed unto them , how he would be worshipped ; and they that were obedient unto that which was made manifest in every age and ministration , found acceptance with the lord , and the peace of god in their hearts : after man had transgressed and gone from his maker , and lost the guide of his youth , and broken god's covenant , then blindness came upon him , and a vail was betwixt him and his maker , and man increased and grew in an earthly part , and lusted after earthly things , which fed and increased that part , and the image of god was lost , in which the creature delighted ; yet notwithstanding such was and is the love of god towards his creation and to his workmanship , that he did not utterly cast off man forever , but followed him , to draw him back again out of the transgression , to have unity with him who was his maker ; and when man was gone unto darkness , the lord stooped so low as to come near him , and to that state he was in , and made a covenant with man ( when mans heart was outward upon outward things ) and gave him commands outward , and statutes and ordinances outward , that he might worship therein , which were shadows and types of some better things to come ; and these were the ordinances of the first covenant , which pertained to the changeable part that was above the seed , but they typed forth more heavenly things , which were to be revealed in due time ; and when the seed came to be manifested and raised up , they had an end , and the cloud passed away , and the day did spring forth in clearness , and he brought forth which restored all that believe unto god ( viz. ) christ jesus , then did god more clearly manifest himself in the earth through his son , who had the will of the father , and declared it , who rent the vail , and put an end to the shadows , and blotted out the hand-writing , and ended the types and figures ; and all that believed in him , who was the end of them and the sum of all , he overthrew the nature in them which was changeable , unto which they pertained until the time of reformation , which was when he was sacrificed up a propitiation for the sins of the whole world , and they that did believe and received him , came to be the sons of god , and declared the mind of god as it was revealed , and as the spirit gave utterance ; and many did believe , and did grow up , and became of one heart , mind and soul , and worshipped god with one accord , and in the spirit and in the power of the father , and separated from the jewish worship and the form thereof , and met together in the power of god , and glorified god , and spoke of the things of his kingdom unto all that waited for it freely , and the lord was honoured by them , and glorified in them : but soon after the mystery of godliness was brought forth , the mystery of iniquity began to work , and opposed the work of the lord , and transformed into the similitude and outward appearance and form , and yet lived in the flesh , and there began to be an apostacy and a deviation from that glory and power which was once revealed , and anti-christ wrought with signs and lying wonders , and got the words , and hated the life and power , and them that appeared in it ; and then they that were under his government and reign hated the reign of christ , and said in their hearts , we will not have him to rule over us , though in words they confess him , and then persecuted and drove the true church into the wilderness , and set up imitations , and inventions , and traditions , and vain customs , which they have called apostolical and holy institutions , which are contrary unto primitive institutions and ordinances , only brought in by them when darkness began to spread over the earth , when the bishops in the first three hundred years after christ began to contend about dayes , and times , and meats , and drinks , and rome began to claim superiority over all churches call'd christian , & the pope became as a law-giver . i have led thee through divers ages and times , as briefly as possible may be , to single out the original and beginning of those things , and who were the first ordainers of them betwixt this and the apostles dayes , which are now accounted as holy institutions : the state and glory of the true church in this treatise thou wilt see before the apostacy , and the state in the apostacy , how she fled into the wilderness , and how mystery-babylon was raised , and the false church called her self visible ; many of her doctrines and practices which are contrary to the primitive church are here discovered , and the authors and formers made known , whereby thou may'st come to see a difference in the ordinances of the true church , and the traditions and inventions of the false church , which are too much contended for in this day by them who say , they are come to the true reformation , according to the primitive times ; but thou wilt see ( as thou comparest their practices with the primitive times ) to be quite contrary , and to be but smoak , and that which has darkened the air , clouded peoples understandings , and hath led them into ignorance and darkness , so that the way of truth hath not been discovered unto many ; but the lord is arisen , and that which comprehends time is made manifest , and all that which hath got up in the apostacy is viewed and seen , and laid open to the view of all , that they may depart out of these things , which are but the inventions and traditions of men , in which eternal life is not to be had : read with meekness , and in that which is spiritual in thy self ▪ through which the things of god are made manifest , for with that i have unity , and in that as thou livest and walkest , i bid thee farewell . f. h. the principal heads treated upon in this following discourse . . the state of the church from the manifestation of christ in the flesh , to the end of the apostles , briefly discovered . . the entring in of the apostacy , and the declination from that purity and doctrine , worship and practice , downward unto this present age and time. . the reformed and separated congregations called parochial , proved in the apostacy , compared with the primitive times in worship and practice . . a few words unto all , how they may come out of the apostacy to the true church which is in god , the lamb's wife . . concerning baptizing or sprinkling infants . . concerning the sign of the cross , and ordaining of parishes and parochial churches . . concerning swearing by the gospel , as it is called , and kissing the book , and bishoping of children , the first authors shewn . . concerning fasts , and feasts , and holy dayes , their institutions and founde●s in the apostacy . . concerning priests vestures , and garments , and bells , their authors shewen , which are practised amongst christians as apostolick institutions . . concerning the mattens , and singing of psalms by course in musical tunes , and supplications , and short prayers called letanies , their authors shewn . . concerning the passover and the lord's supper , and the ceremonies about it . . concerning ministers , and their office under the law , and under the gospel . . concerning the ten persecutions under the heathen emperours , and how divers vain traditions and institutions got up among the christians in those times , and constitution among the east and western churches , after the apostacy was entered in the first & years after christ. . of the decrees of the church of rome and ordinances , which are held as apostolick institutions . . concerning the general councils since the apostles dayes , which belonged to the church of rome ; their decrees not infallible , but are contradicting one another . . concerning the worship of god , and whether kings and rulers ought to compel in spiritual things , declared , and some scriptures cleared , and divers objections answered about this thing . . concerning oathes in the first covenant , and the lawfulness thereof ; and the unlawfulness thereof discovered in the new covenant in the gospel-times , though the apostates mingle ordinances of both together . . tythes in their first institutions , unto whom they were one according to the command of god , declared ; and that tythes are no way lawful to be received , neither sought for by any who are ministers of the new covenant and the everlasting gospel , proved out of the scripture and antiquity . . respecting of persons , and complemental bowings , and worshipping of one another , and flattering titles , are no good manners , but are in the transgression , and have been anciently reproved and condemned . . university and schools of natural learning are of no use , as to the making of ministers of christ in the primitive times , but a thing introduced and brought in in latter ages by the apostates , who had erred from the spirit , who admired and set up natural languages and philosophy , that thereby they might be furnished to make discourses , speeches and sermons , to get money by ; and as they are holden up at this day , are made an absolute idol ; and as to their practice , it 's generally known to be prophane , and no way meet to advance the church of christ. the glory of the true church discovered as it was in its purity in the primitive times : chap , i. the state of the true church , from the manifestation of christ in the flesh , to the end of the apostles dayes , briefly discovered . god according to his determinate will , and everlasting counsel , in the fulness of time , sent his only begotten son into the world , to be the light of the world , and to be a leader to the people , and to be a propitiation for the sins of the whole world ; who obeyed the vvill of the father in all things , according as it was testified of him by moses and the prophets , and as it was said by david concerning him , in the volumn of the book it is written concerning me , i come to do thy will o god , psal. . . and so he did as it was written of him , he fulfilled all righteousness , and ended all the types , and figures and shadows , and vvorship of the first covenant , as the apostle testifieth of him , heb. . . the law was changed , and the priesthood changed , in that they were but figures and shadows of good things to come ; and in regard that they were faulty , and did not make the comers thereunto perfect , as pertaining to the conscience , but the bringing in of a better hope did , and the better covenant , to wit , the covenant of life and peace , which the prophets by the spirit had testified of from moses to samuel , and till john , and john likewise bore testimony of him who was the lamb of god , that took away the sins of the vvorld , john . , . and now he being come to whom the prophets testified , who was not made by a carnal commandment as was aaron , and the rest of the priests under the law , but after the power of an endless life , offered up himself once for all ( putting an end to all the offerings of the first covenant ) for the perfecting them that are sanctified , heb. . . now he being come into the fulness of time manifest , according to the testimony of the prophets , he fulfilled all things which the prophets testified of him and his vvorks did testifie of him that he was the son of god ; now he declared the vvill of the father , and discoursed with them who were doctors and ministers of the covenant , declaring unto them divers times , and shewing unto them in divers places , that the kingdom of god was at hand , and to be manifest in power , and testified of himself , and the father also with him , and his works declared the same , that he was the everlasting high-priest , which put an end to all the first priesthood , covenant and ordinances thereof ; and he preached the word of the kingdom , and declared against them who sticked behind in the figures , and types , and shadows , and did reprove them , to wit , the professors of the first covenant , who were searchers of the scriptures , and said , you will not come unto me , that you may have life ; i am the bread of life that came down from above ; and came to fulfil the law , and all righteousness , and to publish the word of faith , which did not make void the law , but establish it which was new : and so he said , while you have the light , believe in the light , that you may be the children of the light , and this he spoke to the pharisees , which had the law and the prophets , and were acting in the types and figures , which are shadows of the thing it self , but not the very thing , but he preached the very thing ; the word of the kingdom , the word of power , the word of life , and many were quickned by it in their hearts and minds , who believed and heard the voice of him who was the son of god , and so came to live , who could not be made alive in the exercising themselves in the ordinances , and many believed in him , and he chose unto him disciples who believed in him , and sent them out to preach repentance , and to begin at jerusalem , though they were the chiefest professors and ordinance-men , and were for conformity to the ordinances of the first covenant , yet repentance was to be preached to them , and the first principles of religion , though they had been and were the greatest professors and observers of the ordinances of the first covenant that were in the earth at that time : and afterwards he sent out disciples , and gave them commandment to preach , & disciple all nations in the name of the father , son and holy ghost , and these which he sent out to preach the gospel , unto whom he gave power to cast out devils , and work miracles , prophesied after a season the word of the kingdom , both to jews and gentiles , according as the prophets had testified ; and these who were sent out and made ministers by the holy ghost , and received gifts from the holy ghost , for the work of the ministry , they preached not up the ordinances of the first covenant , but preached christ the everlasting covenant , and the power of god , and the vvisdom of god for the remission of sin , and the word of faith they declared in the mouth and in the heart , and went not to tables of stone to direct people thither , but to bring people to believe in him , who was the light of the world , and lighteth every man that cometh into the world , that all men through him might believe . and many did believe in him who was the covenant , and did believe through the apostles words who were commissionated , and fitted for the work of the ministry , and through their words which they declared , many did believe , both of jews and gentiles , and as many of the jews as did believe , separated from the temple , priests , sacrifices , ordinances of the first covenant ; and they met together in houses and other places , a●ts . . chap. . , . and the gentiles which believed , separated from their dumb idols ; after which they had been led formerly ; and from their temples , and ceased any more to offer unto idols , and they met together at certain places , in towns and cities , not only at jerusalem , but also at antioch , colosse , thessalonica , corinth and divers other places , which were long to enumerate , acts . . chap. . , . chap. . . but now mark this , that by which the apostle gathered them from the jewish temples , and priest-hood , and the gentiles from their idols temples , was by the preaching of the everlasting gospel , to wit , not the law , nor the ordinances of the first covenant , but the power of god and the word of reconciliation ; for the first covenant of the jews made not the comers thereunto perfect , as pertaining to the conscience ; neither the gentiles , idols temples nor worships , made them perfect , as pertaining to the conscience , but rather made them worse and more corrupted , heb. . . but the preaching and publishing of the word of reconciliation that did , it was committed to the disciples , it was received and believed in by many , both jews and gentiles , as at ephesus and elsewhere , and they were made a habitation of god through the spirit , ephes. . . now mark this , they preached not up the let●er of the law , nor that which was written in tables of stone ; for the first priest-hood that was ended , and the ministry of that , and the vail was over their hearts while moses was read , and their ability stood not in the litteral knowledge , or in that which was written ; but they were able ministers of the new-testament of the spirit , and so all that did believe both jews and gentiles , who received the word of faith , which was nigh in the m●uth and in the heart , rom. . . they grew up in the knowledge of god , and of his holy spirit , and great gifts grew amongst them , as of prophecy , of speaking with tongues , of interpretation , and there was diversity of gifts , and diversity of operations , yet all by the same spirit , which the apostles were made ministers of , and which they that did believe and receive , and received gifts from it , and knew the operation of it , which wrought in them mightily to the throwing down the strong holds , cor. . . and the principalities and powers of darkness , and to the translating and changing of them from darkness to light , and from satans power , to the power of god , even into the kin●dom of his dear son , col. . . and several congregations in divers places were all one body , whereof christ the life was the head , in which they had believed , and of whose power they had tasted , grew up in knowledge , and wisdom , and gifts ; and the day of christ approached which abraham saw ; and they exhorted one another , and admonished one another , and when they met together at several places , every one according to the gift of god , as he had received ( not from the letter● but from the spirit , did and might administer to the edification one of another , and to the building up and comforting one another , in the most holy faith , which gave them victory over sin , which faith was wrought in them by hearing of the word that was nigh them , in the mouth and in the heart , which was the word of consolation , which was in the beginning . moreover , when they met together , they might prophesie one by one , and every one exercise his own gift to the edification and comfort of the body , as the spirit did lead them in order , and if any went out from his measure , he was judged by them that were in the spirit . furthermore , they that had believed the gospel , which was published to them for remission of sin , they grew up into great enjoyments and attainments in the righteous life of christ , which was manifest in them : and though first they knew the ministration of condemnation , and the sentence of death , yet afterwards came to know the ministration of the spirit , and the sweet assurance and testimony of it , bearing witness to the spirit , that they were the sons of god , and they were made heirs according to the promise . heb. . . and were made joynt-heirs and co-heirs with christ , in the kingdom which is immortal which fa●es not away , and did dome to know mount sion , and the city of the living god , heb. . . and it were large to speak of the glory and the transcendent excellency of the church of christ ( which became a purchased possession to him ) in the primitive times , or the first hundred years after the manifestation of christ in the flesh. but take notice of this , that they that were sent out , who had received freely , of the father , of christ , and of the spirit , ministred freely , as they had received freely , without making any covenants , or enquiries after worldly revenews ; but went from city to city , preaching the g●spel of christ freely , as they h●d received without any condition● fr●m the people ; and as many as believed and received the gospel , did minister freely , their hearts being open unto them , who had declared unto them spiritual things , acts . . mat. . . &c. so that we read of no compulsion , or forcing maintenance from any of the cities , whether they believed or not believed ; the father took care of such harvest-men , and and what they received was given freely , and there was no complaint , though often they denyed that which was proferred to them , and th●ir c●re was to make the gospel of christ not burdensome , or chargeable , but rather their hands should minister unto their necessities , acts . . again , though divers gifts were given unto the disciples before and after christ's ascension , as some to be apostles , some prophets , some evangelists , some pastors , some teachers , and some elders or bishops ; yet they were all made ministers by the holy ghost , yet it were large to speak of the power , and of the wisdom , and of the enjoyments of god in that day and time , and of the gifts , and of the order which was in the church at that time . but in a word , the son of god was made manifest , and gave them an understanding , and they knew him that was true , ( truth it self ) and christ was revealed in them , and manifested to them , the hope of their glory , col. . . furthermore , they come to see over the new moons and f●sts , and feasts , and dayes , and times , and meats , and drinks , and none could judge of them , or ought to judge of them in those cases , for they saw the body christ , for the man-child was brought forth , and the woman was cloathed with the sun , who had the crowd of twelve stars upon her head , who brought forth the holy child jesus , who saves his people from their sins ; in whom all shadows , types , figures , representations end : this in short was part of the glory of the primitive church , which would be large to speak of , as it was in the first state of its purity ; but hereafter some fuller thing the lord may bring forth in his own time and day . chap. ii. concerning the entring in of the apostacy , and the declination from the purity of doctrine , worship and practice , and when it began , downwards from the entring of it in , until this present age and time. christ the true prophet , which moses spake of , whom the lord raised up , and manifested in the fulness of time , he prohesied and declared of false prophets that should arise , mat. . . beware of false prophets that shall come unto you in sheeps cloathing , which are inwardly ravening vvolves ver . . ye shall know them by their fruits ; and in mat. . . but many false prophets shall arise and deceive many , and this came to be seen and fulfilled in the age of the disciples ; and joh● testified , j●hn . . little children , it is the last times , as ye have heard hat antichrist should come , even now there are many antichrists , whereby we know that it is the last times ; they went out from us , but were not of us , chap. . . so they entred in then , and went out from the light , from the power of god , which the apostles preached for the remission of sins ; and jude testified against such as were entred in , who were in cain's way , that were degenerated and killed , and in balaam's way for gifts and rewards , and yet preached up the words which the apostles spoke ( but for filthy lucre ) and had mens persons in admiration because of advantage : and peter said , that false prophets and false teachers should arise , that should bring in damnable heresies , that should deny the lord that bought them , and many should follow their pernicious wayes , pet. . . and the apostle wrote to timothy the bishop or overseer , that the spirit spoke expresly , that in the last times some should depart from the faith , giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils , speaking lies in hypocrisie , forbidding to marry , and abstain from meats , &c. tim. . and again paul in tim. . saw the apostacy coming in , and perillous times should come , that men should be lovers of their own selves , covetous , boasters , without natural affection , truce-breakers , false accusers , despisers of them that are good , traytors , heady , high-minded , lovers of pleasures more then lovers of god , men of ●o●rupt minds , reprobate concerning the truth , having a form of godliness , but denying the power ; and as the same apostle saith in another place , were enemies to the cross of christ ; and these went out into the world , and this is . years ago and upwards : then the mystery of iniquity began to work and wrought , and they went out and did not preach up the jews religion , the ordinances of the first covenant , but they prea●hed christ in words , and transformed into the form of the apostles words ▪ but denied the cross , and spoke those things they ought not , for filthy lucr● sake ; and there was the beginning of the hirelings that care not for the flock , and those went out into the world , and many followed their pernicious wayes , and there held the form , but denied the power , and ●o indeed preached another gospel , and they lived in the liberty of the flesh & held people in the liberty , yet proselyted them into a kind of faith which was feigned ; and these kind of false apostles , and deceitful workers , led many after them , and there was the beginning of the apostacy , and they published these things in the world ; and when the name of christ came to be in reputation , and the preaching of the gospel to be in request , then they for filthy lucre went out with the words , and retained the form , not the jewish form altogether , but the form of the saints worship and practice , which were in the church of christ , which were elect and precious ; and they grew to such a head , and to such a body , and became such a number , and yet gainsayers , and in cain's way ; for they were out of the power , and out of that which mortifies the deeds of the flesh , and they spread themselves over nations and kindreds , over tongues and peo●ple , and nations , and kindreds , and tongues , and people , have now got the name of a church , and the seat thereof came to be great , the false church , the harlot , mystery babylon the mother of harlots , which had denyed the husband christ , the power of god , her seat was set upon nations , kindreds , tongues and people , and these were her seat , and john said these were the waters , which he saw the whore or false church sit upon ; and she turned , and all her children against the free woman , the lord's spouse , the lamb's wife , and made her flee into the wilderness , for a time , times and half a time , and she reached forth her golden cup ( a fair out-side ) but full of fornication within , and she claimed christ to be her husband , and sate as a queen , and the kings of the earth , john saw in the revelation , drink of her cup , and bewitched by her sorceries ; and then all the nations becoming water , and unstable , being drunk with fornication , staggered up and down , and reeled up and down , and stood in nothing , being out of the power which should have stablished them ▪ and then a great beast arose ( out of these nations , kindreds and tongues , and people , which are these waters ) with seven heads and ten horns , and then these apostatized disciples or ministers which preached for filthy lucre , and them that believed them , sheltered them under the beast , and cryed , who is able to make war with the beast ? and the kings of the earth gave their strength to the beast , which arose out of the waters ; and now the false church gets upon him ( these that had the form of godliness out of the power ) and rides upon the beast , and he carries her , and hath done this many years , and she hath travailed in the greatness of his strength ; and then laws began to be made about religion , and then began compelling ; we heard of none in the primitive times , nor in the true church ; but now the false church calling her self by the free-woman's name , and getting on the outward dress , and habit , and attire , saith ▪ i am she ; have i not the form and ordinanes which were practised in the apostles daves ? who doubts of that , may look into the primitive times ▪ and see that i am conformable to the form which was amongst the first christians in things that are outward , and thus she hath deceived the nations , rev. . . now rome look to thy beginning , and read thy original , and view thy antiquity : vve will grant thee every dram , and every hour of time these thirteen hundred years , and prove thee to be in the apostacy in doctrine and practice from the primitive time , after the first hundred years after christ was manifested in the flesh : and christendom look about thee ; for thou art measured , and thy compass is seen : if natio●s , and kindreds , and tongues , and people have drunk the vvhores cup , since john's dayes , as will be made manifest , then what cause hast thou rome , to boast of antiquity , and universality ? for that doth the sooner prove thee to be a harlot then the true church ; and thy universality which hath long been boasted of , proves thee no more to be the true church of christ , then the sea can prove it self to be a rock ; for if nations , kindreds , and tongues , and languages , and people universally , be the waters that the whore sits upon , and the beast rose out of the waters : now read thy self ; we have measured thee as in the hollow of a hand , and we have thee in the apostacy , clear thy self when thou canst ; if the beast compelled all both small and great to worship him , and made war with all that bore not his image , then we have thee between us and the apostles time as in a press ; for no such compelling was in the true church , by any ecclesiastical or secular power ; instance if thou canst from the apostles writings any such thing , or where cain's weapons were lifted up ; or creatures , men and vvomen killed by the sword , or destroyed with lingring torments in the time of the apostles : now in that it hath been said , the church hath been universal , to that more might be said ; europe or some parts adjacent is not all the earth , and it is no where found since the apostles , that killing , and compelling , and forcing , hath been but by thee , and them that are at the best , but in the suburbs of thy city , which afterwards i shall in brief descend to : and so it is evidently known , that thy church ( so called ) hath been upheld , more by cruelty and force then any sound doctrine , or practice agreeable to the apostles dayes ; though thou mayst wipe thy mouth and say , i am clear , we persecute none to death , we have a beast to ride upon , and will make war for our city , and will compel to our vvorship , and institutions , we will cry him up for the higher power , and we will frighten people , that who resists this , resists the ordinance of god ; and he will kill , and destroy , and compel , and force , and we shall be clear ; and he will call us the holy church , and we will call him the higher power ; and so it is clear and evident by what hath been said , that thou art in the apostacy , as hereafter shall be manifested by name and practice . first , thy ministers are not according to the ministers of christ in the primitive times ; their call not such , their practice not such : they were made ministers in the primitive times by the holy ghost , and by the spirit , but yours by natural parts , tongues , arts , philosophy and study , and packing up old authors together to make a little discourse of , and this must be called the gospel . secondly , the ministers of christ they preach freely , not for gifts and rewards , and tythes , but you have brought in judaism , tythes which belonged to the first priesthood , your oblations , obventions , your mortuaries , and these invented and introduced things , to maintain your ministers by . thirdly , the ministers of christ did not compel any at corinth , thessalonica , macedonia , or any other church , to give them such and such maintenance by force , who received not their doctrine ; but you compel and force , and have made that which you call the gospel chargeable to the earth where you have power , cor. . . fourthly , your doctrine is contrary to the doctrine of christ , and the primitive times , as that the real and substantial presence of christ's body & blood ( after the consecration of priests ) is in the bread and wine , which may corrupt , so doth not the body of christ ; you do contrary to christ's doctrine , who saith , he that eats my flesh , and drinks my blood , shall live forever , john . . but you that eat that which you call his su●stantial and real body and blood , both it and you shall corrupt . fifthly , of the unbloody sacrifice of the mass , this sacrifice doth no good at all ; for where there is no blood , there is no life , and where there is no blood , there is no remission , saith paul , heb. . . and so your sacrifice is abominable , and an idol , and such an one as there is no mention made of in the scriptures . sixthly , of your litturgy , and publick prayers in an unknown tongue , this is an unprofitable and a vain worship , and this is like your unbloody sacrifice ▪ herein you are like barbarians one to another , and how should they that worship with you say amen , when they know not what you say ? your praying in an unknown tongue is contrary to the apostle's doctrine , who said , cor. . . i thank my god i speak with tongues more then you all , ver . . yet in the church i had rather speak five words with my understanding that i might teach others also , then ten thousand in an unknown tongue . seventhly , your doctrine of purgatory , an invented and an imagined thing , as to cleanse from sin ; this is contrary to the primitive doctrine ▪ the blood of christ cleanseth from all sin , john . . and your distinctions of mortal and venial sin , is to blind people withal , for the wages of sin is death , rom. . . eighthly , of worshipping and invocation of angels , and saints , as mediators between us and god ; this is contrary to the primitive doctrine , there is one mediator between god and man , even the man christ jesus , tim. . . and he alone makes intercession for all them that believe heb. , and the angel reproved john , rev. . , . when he would have worshipped him , and said unto them , see thou do it not , for i am thy fellow servant , &c. and the prophet said , thou art our father , though abraham know us not , and israel be ignorant of us , isa. . . ninethly , of reliques and sacred images , this is contrary to ●hat the lord spake by the prophets , lev. . . ye shall make you no idols nor graven ima●e , neither rear you up a standing image , neither shall you set up any image of stone in your land , to bow down unto it . deut. . . neither shalt thou set thee up any image , which the lord thy god hateth ; ezek. . . and your images shall be broken ; and rom. . . there they were condemned that changed the glory of the incorruptible god , into an image , made like to corruptible man , &c. thus you may plainly see your idolatrous image worship is forbidden , and condemned in the law , prophets , and new-testament , and as for your relique worship , you have neither command ●or example for it from christ nor his apostles . many more things might be enumerated , which are found among you in the apostacy , as your voluntary poverty , and feigned humility , and your wilful vows , and many more things which are ●ound to be co●tr●ry to the church of christ , which must be turned from , and denyed , if ever you come to know the everlasting gospel which is to be preached again to the nations , by which they must be brought out of all this apostacy . furthermore , as to the practice and discipline of the catholick church ( as it is called ) which pleads for authority , we find it not consonant and agreeing to the church in the primitive times , the first hundred years after christ. as for the vestiments your priests wear at certain times , one on this manner , another on that , your ecclesiastical men , or church officers of several ranks and orders , such we find not in the primitive times , in that which may be truly called primitive . and for the invented holy-dayes , and their eves , for fasting and feasting , we find no such in the primitive times , and such a service for such a day , and such a worship for such a day , we find not in the first hundred years after christ. and for your lent , which one of your fathers invented , and this was his ground , because god had the tenth of the increase of tythes due to himself , and for his ministers under the law , therefore it was necessary that the tenth part of dayes should be allowed as tythes to the lord : oh! gross ignorance , and palpable blindness , mid-night it self came upon you in the time of your visibility , when the true church was fled into the wilderness ; as though the lord was not the lord of all dayes , and as though all dayes were not his , and to be used to his glory . and your prohibiting meats , and distinguishing of meats , one holy for such a day , another for such a day , flesh one day , and fish another day , as though there were not the flesh of fish , or one thing were clean , and another unclean . and this invented trumpery hath been observed for catholick and apostolick doctrine , but by whom ? we must needs tell you , by the nations , kindreds and tongues , and people , upon which the whore sits , and out of which the beast rose . and we will grant you antiquity enough this many hundred years , and yet we will prefer the primitive times before you , and bring their doctrine and practice to reprove you , though we do not desire to go in cain's way , and to kill creatures that are out of the doctrine of christ , and contrary to apostolick and catholick doctrine , which wrestled not with flesh and blood but with spiritual wickedness , whose weapons were not carnal but spiritual , and yet they h●d great might in them , and threw down by these weapons , that which never could be by carnal , cor. . . again , your forbidding to marry , which is reckoned by the apostles doctrine to be a doctrine of devils , and contrary unto that the apostle's doctrine was , marriage is honourable in all estates , the b●d undefiled , heb. . . and seeing you plead peter was at rome and peters chair , and that the bishop of rome doth succeed him , and hath the keys as peter had ; why do you exclude the chief bishops as you account them , from marrying , and divers other orders , seeing peter had a wife , and seeing that it is catholick , and apostolick doctrine , ( before you could claim the name of visible church ) that a bishop should be the husband of one wife , and should not be covetous , nor no striker , nor given to wine , nor filthy l●cre , &c. but since the bishop of rome hath appropriated to himself , to be the head of the church , and the chief-bishop over all ●he catholick church it hath been manifested how much covetousness ▪ and covetous practices have been acted , as money for pardons and indulgences , and get money for the living and the dead , and the invented purgatory hath filled your coffers , and your meritorious works have been sold at a dear rate ; insomuch that a poor woman who hath lost her husband , and he deceased , must pay ten shillings for a mortuary , that he may be prayed for , or some of your merits may be accounted to him , which you have in store as a stock to sell to any , who come with a prize in their hands . and from whence have you all these tythes have you not borrowed them of the jews ? and yet you are no jews ? and such things we do not read among the jews were tythable , pigs , eggs , hens , and geese ; to omit greater matters , and the smoak passing up the chimneys , and that which you call your peter-pence . and this is contrary to the catholick and apostolick doctrine , which peter would have been ashamed to ever have mentioned , either amongst jews or gentiles . and now i would ask you a question or two , seeing john saw the true church flee into the wilderness , the woman that was cloathed with the sun , who brought forth the man-child ; what cause have you to boast of visibility , or universality ? now when were you in the wilderness ? if your church hath not been so , then it demonstrates , that your church is not the woman cloathed with the sun , for she did fly into the wilderness as with the wings of an eagle . secondly , whether hath your gospel been universally & publickly preached these sixteen hundred years , or nay ? and is it the very same that was preached in the first hundred , or two hundred years , seeing that john saith , that all nations did drink of the whore's cup of fornication ? and then nations were waters , seeing he saith , the gospel shall be preached again to nations , kindreds and tongues ; which clearly demonstrates , there was a time when the everlasting gospel was not preached to the kindreds & tongues , which are the waters , upon which your church is situated ; and it is evidently manifested , that yours hath been another gospel then that which was preached in the apostolick church , and in the catholick church , the first hundred or two hundred years after christ was manifested in the flesh : much might be said , to demonstrate the truth which is in hand , that there hath been an apostacy , the beginners thereof came forth in the apostles dayes , and afterwards grew into a body and became like a great sea , which according to the best ecclesiastical writer● , which have given a narrative of the first five hundred years , declared that there was great loss within . years ; but in five hundred years or less , the very power of godliness was denyed , and very much of the form. and though your pleads antiquity for a thousand years for these things aforementioned , which they would be hard to prove ; for although it should be granted them , yet we will joyn issue with them in this thing , and are able to prove all these doctrines and practices , not to be as it was in the first two hundred years , ( except they will own such as taught the doctrine of balaam , and taught the doctrine of devils , and went in cain's and chore's way ) for an example . it were not hard to prove the introducing of all these things before mentioned , and how they have come in by degrees , one council that rose out of the waters , ordaining this , another ordaining that ; and so have risen up into this great body of darkness , some of the practices borrowed from the jews , and some from the heathen , and some invented of themselves in latter ages ; so that the worship that was in the spirit and in truth , in christ's and the apostles dayes , is turned from , and such a numberless number of vain traditions , ave-maries , creeds , and pater-nosters , and such a deal a do as there is about their unbloody sacrifice of the mass , that they are glad to be counted by their beads on strings , as many very well know . by all that which hath been said , may easily be collected , that there hath been a great deviation and apostacy from the doctrine and practice of the primitive times : thus far as i am descended , i leave it to the reader to judge , and compare these things with the churches doctrine and practices in the first hundred years after christ , and if these things be found invented , and without footing or ground , then let them that are informed depart from them . chap iii. but now to descend a little further , nearer unto our own age , to speak something to them , which i believe , look upon themselves to be catholick and apostolick in doctrine and practice , according to the primitive time and order , and that they are totally come out of the apostacy . this i have to say to you , which is my judgment and belief , and that upon good ground , that you are in many things in the apostacy , as hereafter i shall demonstrate ; and to tell you nakedly and plainly , we look upon the reformation which was made in denying the church of rome , to be but very weak , and poor , and feeble , and imperfect , comparatively with the doctrine , and practice , and order in the primitive times , insomuch that we judge upon good grounds , that it cannot be parallel'd with the church in the primitive times , which i have spoken of before , in that you have denyed the pope to be the head of the church , and so are called protestants ; so am i , knowing that christ is the head of the church , and ought to rule by his spiritual scepter , and his eternal power in the hearts and consciences of people , and in and over the true church which is his body , whereof he is the head ; and let all take heed who do intrude and take upon them that which belongeth to the king of kings and king of saints , as to matter of headship , regulation or government , for all power is committed unto him in heaven and earth , and the father hath given it to him , and will not have any other have that glory ; but whosoever seeks it , must be condemned , and his glory he will not give to another ; for the lamb is worthy of glory and strength : and though the church of rome be generally acknowledged to be in the apostacy by them that are separated from them , and that upon good ground ; yet i say , the separation is in some little or small part , more in name then nature , more in form then in power , more in some circumstantial things then in the very ground it self ; and very many of these doctrines , practices , di●cipline and order ( as they call it ) i find to be upholden , practised and contended for , which are found in the former , i have mentioned . first of all , to instance that which is generally holden out by the reformed protestants , is , that the writings of matthew , mark , luke and john , and several epistles , is the gospel which the primitive disciples and ministers preached and published , and which people did receive , and by believing the sound thereof were accounted christians and believers . we would have all to know , the gospel was preached to abraham before matthew or mark , or any of the apostles writ a word : moreover , we would have all to know , that christ had preached glad tidings to the captives , and some of the disciples had preached the word of the kingdom , before matthew , or mark , or luke , or john had wrote a word ; my reasons are divers ; matthew , mark , luke and john must needs hear and see that done which they testified of , before they writ ; and if matthew , mark , luke and john be the gospel ( the writings of them i intend ) then the disciples could not preach it before it was given forth ; and if the epistles be a part of the gospel , this the disciples could not preach before it was written ; for paul succeeded and was converted after divers of the apostles had preached the gospel ; so then doubtless the disciples and apostles had something to say and declare and publish , before any of the new-testament was written ; and it is manifested that they were not sent out to preach the law , nor the ordinances of the first covenant , after christ was offered up , the end of the first : so then there was something and is something which was preached by them , and is to be published now to all that are made ministers by the holy ghost , and that is in few words , the power of god , which was before the new testament ( so called ) though the words declare of it , but is not it : now they went and discipled in the name of the father , son and holy ghost , which is a ministry far beyond the written or declarative sound , or indeed is a spiritual and invisible thing , which the apostle , acts . . declaring his message which he had received by the holy ghost , saith , i was sent to turn them ( viz. the gentiles and jews , and them of arabia , and else where he soiourned ) from darkness to light , and from satan's power unto god's power , that they that believed in the light , and received the power of god , which he preached to them , might receive remission of sins ; for remission of sin was only preached in his name ; and there is no name under heaven , by which men can be saved , but by the name of jesus ; though the apostles spoke according to the motion of the spirit , in divers words , calling him the gift of god , the free gift of righteousness , the unspeakable gift , the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world , the power of god and the wisdom of god , which wisdom and power they had received ; and because the son of god was revealed in them , the apostle said , i am a debtor to the jews and the greeks , rom. . . and he having received 〈◊〉 freely of the father , he went to the jews , and went to the greeks , to the gentiles and heathen , where the name of this gift , and power , and jesus had not been named , and published freely without gifts and rewards , and the necessity did lye upon him , cor. . . and the love of chr●st , which was shed abroad in his heart , constrained him , and made him reckon himself as a debtor unto all , because of the abundant loving kindness and riches of god's love , and grace , and spiritual gifts which he had received , he longed , and thirsted , and travailed to communicate it unto others . largely i might speak of this hidden mystery , as to demonstrate what the gospel of christ was and is , but in what i have already said , they that are any thing spiritual minded will judge , that the law and the prophets , matthew , mark , luke and john , and the epistles , were not the everlasting gospel , but it was a thing beyond and above , and before any of these writings were , although they all in their several ages , bore testimony of it ( viz. ) the power of god , which condemns sin in the flesh , and mortifies the deeds thereof , and gives victory over it , and taketh up all that believe in it into one life , power and virtue , into pure peace , and heavenly contentment , and perfect satisfaction : so you who are calling the letter the gospel , or the new testament writings the gospel , i would ask you a question also , when was there a time since the first hundred years after christ , or in that time till now , that these words and writings have not been spoken and preached , bought and sold as a gospel , not only in the church of rome , but also among them that are separated from her , even until now , this hath been preacht to nations , kindreds , tongues and people ; and if the writings be the everlasting gospel , then how doth john say , or why did he so say , that the everlasting gospel should go forth again , and be preacht again after the apostacy , or to bring out of the apostacy ? but it clearly implies the word had been preached , and published ; and the temporary writings which were given forth at divers times had been preached up for gospel these many hundred years , which many have received by tradition ; but the power of god , and the gift of god , by which and from which the ministers of christ in all ages ministred , hath been wanting , if not altogether lost , for the most part among them that are called christians ; then what is the quarrel betwixt you and the romanists ? it is but in translation at the most , and while words & translations and versions have been contented about , the everlasting gospel hath been hid , therefore all people are upon heaps , and the nations like waters rowling up and down in instability ; now the reformed ministry ( so called ) are in many things in the same practice with the former : you deny an immediate call , and set up an outward ordinati●n , and a form of laying on of hands without the holy ghost , ordaining such and such who have some skill in natural tongues , or some words of oratory , to be a subject matter to make ministers upon ; and that which they preach in words , which hath been long held in the form without the life , you call the gospel ; and these are confined to a parish , as the former to such a cloyster , and such a monastery ; and these preach for hire , and gifts , and rewards , and for maintenance , and kept up all the aforesaid wayes , and maintenance , as lawful , and will make people believe it is according to gospel-institution , when alas ! it is but the pope's tythes , oblations , obventions , mortuaries and prayers for the dead , keeping up the wages , but deny the work ; and tythe of all things , as pigs and geese , hens and egs , apples and cherries , and turnips , and all , nothing excepted ; this is a feeble thing , as to hold out to people for gospel-ma●ntenance , and the preachers of the gospel are ashamed of it . furthermore , they that will not give it , sue them at law , throw them into holes till they dye , take away ten-fold that which is claimed , say the man is not subject to gospel order , denieth ministers maintenance ; this hath been crime enough to take away the estates and lives of men ; all this is in the apostacy . and seeing it is said , we are under a gospel administration , and ordinances ; what do you wi●h organs , whistlers and pipes , in any part of your services ? this pertained to the jews , and not to the primitive church ; and what do you do with surplices , tippets and hoods , and other strange kind of garments ? it may be the high-priest's garments , or the priest's linnen ephod , or linnen breeches , must be brought in for a gospel-proof , and for an apostolick ordinance ; and what do you with the pope's lent ? and why should the pope's lent be among the reformed protestants churches , forbidding meats and drinks ? and why forbidding marriage in lent ? and who ordained these dayes ? what have they been borrowed from the heathen ? or are they looked upon to be such dayes , as used to be cited in the calender for the dog-dayes , which have been brought from the heathen , & stand to this day in too much credit among believer , so called ? and why is one day preferred before and above another , and some counted holy-dayes , as though some others were unholy-dayes ? and why such a collect , and such a gospel , and such a chapter , and such a psalm , mincing and cutting and severing the scripture in pieces and shreds ? is this like apostolick doctrine ? truly friends many things we have to say if you had an ear to hear , and that upon good ground we can speak , that we look upon all these things to be feeble , and poor , and beggerly things , and have no agreement , or congruity with the primitive times . and should people be limited or stinted to such a certain form of words , called service , or prayer , and divine worship ? was that ever reckoned divine worship that was not from the divine spirit ? but it may be you will say the words are good , or some of them ; i am not speaking about words , but the spirit , from which every service ought to be performed to the lord god ; and the primitive christians prayed in the spirit , and with understanding , and sung with the spirit , and with understanding , c●r . . . and there were some that knew not what to pray for as they ought , but the spirit helped their infirmities , rom. . . but you know what to pray for , and how much must be said on such a day , or such a time , and if there be a homily or a sermon , letany must be missed . now , i say , if it be divine worship , or any thing wherein god is honoured , and the people bettered , nothing of it ought to be wanting . but these things the primitive times do not countenance ; but when the power was lost , and the life gone from , and the spirit erred from , these things have come into the latter dayes , which have been very perillous times , as to them who have kept the apostolick faith , and in the order of the primitive church . many more things we could instance which are practised , as for discipline and order , and some for necessity , which have no affinity or union at all with the primitive churches , but rather are things which are too near of kin unto her that sits as a queen upon the waters , whose flesh must be burnt with fire , who hath drunk the blood of the saints ; and how many of the lord's servants have suffered in and about these things , not only in the church of rome , but also by them which have been called reformed , many have known and are living witnesses thereof . and all these temples , bells , hour-glasses , pulpits , and cushions , altars , tables , and fonts , which are things that pertain not to them that look they are come out of the apostacy ; but the spiritual minded see over them , and beyond them , and before these things ; and also see through the spirit of prophecy , the time when they shall be no more adored , worshipped and honoured ; but god shall be feared in the hearts of the sons of men , and glory shall be given to him , and he shall be worshipped in spirit and in truth , as he was in the primitive times , when the beast , and the false prophet , and they that wrought miracles before him , and all they that have cryed who is able to make war with the beast ? and have cryed , worship him , all must be taken alive , remember that ( alive ) in their strength , and cast into the lake , and the mother of harlots shall be made desolate , her cup of fornication thrown under foot , the kings of the earth shall deny it , and to give their strength any longer to the beast ; and then shall that be fulfilled , rejoyce ye prophets , and holy men of god , and ye that have suffered ; for the hour of his judgement is come , and as she hath served the saints , so shall she be served , and rewarded double , and the day hastens , and the times and seasons we see and know , as god hath made them manifest : the man-child is descended again , who hath right to rule the nations with a rod of iron and break the ungodly in pieces as a potters vessell , and stamp the residue of his enemies under his feet : and the church is coming out of the wilderness again , who leans upon the breast of her beloved ; who is cloathing her again with beauty instead of ashes , and putting upon her again the beautiful garments of glory and excellency , even his own righteousness ; and they that see it their hearts shall be made glad , and their souls rejoyce in god , and their flesh rest in hope ; for the time is come when she must appear again , which hath been retired , and hid in a place which god had prepared for her , while the false church sate a queen , and the apostates as princes , and their merchandise sold at dear rates ; but their j●y shall be turned into mourning , and alas , alas , shall be the cry of them th●t have been in glory with her , for her frankincense , odours and sweet perfumes , and scarlet , and purple , and gold , and silver , and wood , and tin , and iron , and brass , none will buy any more , none of 〈◊〉 ●amb's followers , nor none of the true church's children , who worship god in the spirit , and have no confidence in the flesh , neither in any outward appearance , but in the hidden life of god , but in the immortal life , which he hath brought to light through his blessed gospel , which he hath caused to be published again , the ●oyful sound whereof many captives have heard , and are glad , and a numberless number shall hear the joyful sound thereof , and shall enquire after the brightness of the rising of the sun ▪ therefore all apostates , hills and mountains , make room , make way , the lord is risen in power , and in glory , which shall dazle the eyes of all the earthly , and shall extinguish and put out the very brightness and the glory of all invented worships , in the apostatized ages , and shall bring them that believe in the everlasting gospel , to stability , to the rock of ages , to the valley of achor , to mount sion , to the blessing of the everlasting hills ; and blessed are they that hear , and believe , and waite to be made partakers of that which the lord is about to do in the earth , as he hath shewed , and foreshewed to his servants the prophets . chap. iv. now a few words to shew unto all how they may come out of the apostacy , to be members of the true church , which is in god , the lamb's wife . so far as god did appear in any age or generation , or manifest himself unto the sons of men in any shadows , figures , representations , or outward appearances , the evil spirit , and serpents seed , and evil-doer , alwayes took up the form of the thing , when it came into reputation , as largely might be demonstrated and instanced through all ages and generations , till the closure of the apostles writings , something whereof hath been briefly hinted at before , so in this i shall be very brief . the jews held up the types and figures of the first covenant , and the ordinances thereof , and opposed christ , the light , the everlasting covenant , and also the publishers thereof : moreover , when the name of christ came to be spread abroad , then false apostles and deceitful workers , who were enemies to the cross , and to the power of god , they preached christ out of contention and envy , and for filthy lucre , and by wicked practices made the name of christians odious among the heathen , as it is this day , and caused the worthy name by which the saints were saved , to be blasphemed by their ungodly practices , rom. . . when the apostle gather'd together many that believ'd , and setled them in the order of the gospel , and the order came well to be accounted of , and the conversation of the saints of good account amongst many , divers false prophets and deceitful workers got up ; and as the apostles met in houses , and the saints met together in houses , the false apostles they crept into houses , and held the form , as i said before , and denyed the power , and they were to be turned away from by the apostle's exhortation to timothy . now since the true church fled into the wilderness , the false church came into visibility , and to sit as a queen upon the waters , the nations and peoples , other things have been brought in , other things are brought in and invented , which were not constitutions of christ or the primitive churches ; and these the world hath wondered after in the dark night of apostacy ; and the worship hath been made up and compacted , partly from the jews worship , partly from the heathen , and partly from themselves , being corrupted , and the scriptures perverted every way to prove all this deceit . now many have judged to relinquish the former superstitious practices , and to come and to take up the form and practice again in the outward , as it was in the apostles dayes , is to come out of the apostacy ; let all know this , the outward court of the city was given to be trodden under foot of the gentiles , to pollute and defile it ; and many may wait there , and look there in the polluted court , and in the outside , that hath been defiled ; and many may visit the sepulchre , and wait for christ when he is risen , and so look for him to appear in that which he is risen out of ; the jews at their temple , when it is left desolate ; the crhistians ( so called ) may glory in their outward court , though it be defiled , and so defiled as god will not appear there again ; for he hath another way manifested himself unto the sons of men. and now that worship that god requires , that service that he requires , and that glory wherein he will manifest himself , is , and will be in the spirit , which all people are to wait for , which come to witness restoration , and to come to the end of the night of error , to the bride , the lamb's wife again : now a measure of god's spirit being given to every one to profit withal , which shews them sin and transgression , and will lead out of it , which shews formal worship , and how deceit hath transformed into them , and leads them that believed in it out of that which is polluted , and out of deceit , to christ , the sure foundation and mighty power of god , and to know god's peace and good-will to all men : and that which must restore all people , and bring them out of the apostacy into purity , and to have fellowship with the father and the son , and one with another as it was in the primitive times , is the mighty power of god alone , which must be waited for , and believed in , and received , and made manifest in the hearts of the people , or else they cannot come out of the apostacy , nor see to the end of those things that are to be abolished ; and this is that which must be witnessed by every man that comes to be a living stone of the holy city , and a living son of the free-woman , and true member of the heavenly jerusalem , which god hath caused to descend , which is the mother of all the saints , and the womb that brings them all forth , and the breast at which they all suck , and are satisfied and nourished up to everlasting life . these sayings are faithful and true , and blessed is he that heareth , believeth and receiveth them . and this is a testimony of the people called quakers , whom god hath brought out of the apostacy to the beginning again , to see the brightne●s of the day of the lord , wherein there is not a cloud . furthermore , it is manifest how many things have been introduced and brought concerning worship and ordinances , and are taught to be doctrines of the primitive times , whenas they be brought in by men of corrupt minds in latter ages , which had lost the faith once delivered to the saints , and had lost the gospel-order , and compelled people by outward law to submit unto them ; and yet all those things they would fasten upon the scriptures , and bring some scripture , which they pervert , as a cloak and a cover to blind people withal ; but i shall descend to some particulars . chap. v. concerning sprinckling infants . and first concerning baptizing or christening infants ( as it hath been called ) which is without prescribed command or example , commanded or ordained by christ or his apostles , although many in these latter ages have wrested the scriptures , thinking thereby to make their own inventions to be reckoned or accounted to be the ordinances of god ; and the main ground which the greatest rabbies have given , hath been from these or the like scriptures , go teach and baptize all nations , mat. . . but this is nothing at all to prove baptizing of infants ; here teaching was to go before baptizing , or discipling , as the words may be rendered , for they were not like to be discipled which were untaught ; now infants not being capable of teaching , so are not capable of being made disciples ; now to baptize infants , or sprinckle them with water which are untaught , and not capable of being disciples , is a ridiculous thing , and to do it so as the church of rome uses it , and they who are separated from them , is contrary to the scriptures ; and there is no mention made of water at all , nor infants ; and their other scriptures they have offered for proofs , to prove this an ordinance of christ ( and why ) only because christ took up children into his arms , and blessed them , and because he said , whosoever enters into the kingdom of god , must enter as a little child ; these scriptures have been tendered for good proofs , but the spiritual-minded will judge of the weakness of them who offer these things for a proof : but again , it hath been said and accounted orthodox , that baptism came in the room of circumcision ; but how they will prove it is yet unknown to many ; for the scriptures make not mention of any such thing ; for one type did never type out another , but every type typified a substance : now circumcision was a type or a figure , and cutting off the fore-skin , was a figure of circumcision and cutting off the fore-skin of the heart ; now baptism with water is a type or figure , pet. . . which typed out the spiritual washing or regeneration ; and if baptism of infants came in the room of circumcision , then how do they agree in a parallel ? the males were only circumcised , and why are the females now baptized , if baptism came in the room of circumcision . another thing which hath been alledged for a proof , is that which christ spoke to nicodemus , john . . except a man be born again of water and the spirit , he cannot enter into the kingdom of god ; from whence it hath been inferred by many , that baptism of infants was absolutely necessary to salvation ; christ spoke of that which did regenerate and make anew , and cleanse the heart , and of the clean water which the prophet ezekiel spoke of , which he would pour upon his people ; visible water cleanseth not the inside , neither doth regenerate ; but the water which christ giveth to every one that thirsteth , to drink , is the water of life , and this washeth the inside , and cleanseth the heart , and this is the washing of regeneration , which whosoever comes not to know , cannot enter in the kingdom of god , because that which is de●●led is shut out ; but they tha● do not lo●k after the substance , have made an idol of the figure ; but the church of rome themselves , which were the first inven●ers and setters up of this human institution , have said , that this m●st be received by tradition , and not from the scriptures , because it could not be approved as a commandment ; witness claudias esponti●● , a popish bishop , at a council at pysoy in france , . and yet this doctrine hath been held out to the nations for catholick and apostolick , which the primitive churches made no mention of , neither the apostles taught any such doctrine , but was preached up by such who went out of the light , and from the power into the nations , which became as waters ; for the first ordainer of baptism of infants , and that they should have a god-father and god-mother , was ignatius , bishop of rome , long after the apostles dayes , when rome was got up into pride , & claimed authority over all christian churches , to impose upon them whatever they listed for doctrine ; and such dark things as these have been brought forth , whereof mention might be made of many things ; and what unsavoury words , as god fathers and god-mothers , are used not only amongst them , but also amongst the protestants to this day ; who is god's father , or who is god's mother ? is this apostolick doctrine ? as though god was begotten by generation ; indeed , is it not blasphemy to affirm such things , and also to hold up such things ? all which demonstrates these things to be in the apostacy : and therefore you who profess your selves that you are come out of the apostacy , and are reformed churches , for shame leave off practising and pleading for the upholding such things which the scriptures do not own , or else the practice of the saints in former ages will judge you . and it hath been reckoned as absolute necessary to salvation , and therefore victor bishop of rome did institute , that the children might be christened by a lay-man or lay-woman in time of necessity , because infants were often in danger , as polydore makes mention , lib. . chap. vi. concerning the sign of the cross , and ordaining of parish churches . likewise the sign of the cross , and the chrisme , are invented things which are in the apostacy , and therefore you who profess your selves reformed , for shame leave off these things , and come out of them , and deny them . secondly , parishes , and parish-churches , which were ordained and builded in the apostacy , and dedicated unto saints , which stand to this day both in the church of rome , and in the reformed churches so called , and church-yards , which they call holy and consecrated ground to bury their dead in , this is an invented thing and superstitious , and yet it stands as an apostolick order both among papists and protestants in the primitive times , in the dayes of the apostles ; the scriptures make mention of the jews temple at jerusalem , and of the gentiles idols temples in which they worship ; the apostles and ministers of christ , who published the word of reconciliation , and christ the substance of all figures , they gathered them that did believe of the jews from the temple and temple-worship , and the gentiles from their temples and idols , to worship god in the spirit , and they met together in houses ; we read of no parish-churches dedicated to saints , nor consecrated ground , for they knew the earth was the lord's , and the fulness thereof , and was clean and good and blessed to them that believed , and there was no dividing into parishes then , nor no compelling ; then corinth was not divided into a parish , antioch , philippi , thessalonica , philadelphia ; and smyrna , and the rest , were not all made into parishes , neither were them that believed not , compelled or forced to come to the christians meeting at antioch , philippi , thessalonica , philadelphia , or any other place that we read of in the scriptures ; and the apostles were not confined , nor their spirits were not so strait as to stay over one hundred or fifty families twenty years , and call that their parish between such an hedge and such a ditch , and such a water , and such a way , as parishes are now divided into ; though i say , they had houses to meet in , and preached the word , and brake bread from house to house , and sometimes by the sea-side they congregated , and sometimes on an hill , and at certain places they met together to worship god , they went not back to the jews temple nor gentiles idols temples , neither forced any of their maintenance as to minister unto them ; by which all may see that these invented churches and church-yards for holy ground , and parishes , are not apostolical , nor was no catholick nor universal thing then in the primitive times , neither was there any command given to the christians to do any such thing , neither reprehension for not doing such things . the first church or temple that we read of was consecrated by pius bishop of rome , in honour to the virgin prudentia ; and afterwards calistus made a temple to the virgin mary a place beyond tibris , and instituted a church-yard in apius his street , and called it after his own name ; and dionysius in the year . divided both in rome and other places , churches and church-yards to curates , and made parishes and diocesses to bishops , & commanded that every man should be contented with his prescript bonds , and there was the beginning of parishes , churches and church-yards , consecrated ground ; and in process of time when all nations had drunk of the cup of fornication , the nations began to imitate their mother , and to build and consecrate temples and churches and church-yards , to this saint , and the other saint , as is too too manifest through christendom to this day ; and here 's the rise of holy parish churches , which of late have been preached up for the house of god , and the house of prayer , which bears the name yet by which the pope baptized them , saint peter , saint paul , saint mary , saint hellen , saint katharine , saint gregory , saint maudlen , saint alnban , saint anthony , saint george , saint margret , saint dunstans , saint clement , saint christopher , saint giles , saint martin ; and painting and garnishing these houses with images and pictures , and hanging of flowers and boughs and garlands ; this came from the old heathen , who sacrificed to saturn and pluto ; and this hanging up candles , and their candlemas dayes , this came of the gentiles and pagans ; who honoured their false god saturn , and their altar which they have builded in this temple , and their tables upon which they offer and set their sacrifice , these boniface the third commanded , that they should be covered with linnen clothes , and here was the beginning of these kind of orders ▪ so that as i said before , most of these things in and about the worship , which hath been since the reign of anti-chirst , and since the whore hath sat as a queen , they have been either borrowed from the jews , or else from pagans and heathens , and the mother of harlots hath put these things off for apostolick institutions , these many hundreds of years , and divers other things which are in and about the parish churches , your many crosses in and about them of wood and stone , your baptized bells , and consecrated pulpits , and fonts , and hour-glasses , and soft cushions to preach on ; all these the scriptures make no mention of , not in the christian churches , the first two hundred years after christ. now protestants who have denyed the church of rome and their practices , which was contrary to the primitive and the scriptures , look about you , and see how you are sticking in babylon , and buying yet the merchandize thereof ; and as for your holy ground , called your church-yards , which you only judge fit to bury the dead in , and would compel all to come thither , because there are many officers in and about this temple , who are greedy of rewards , so that they would not miss any thing that might be commodious unto them ; and so would compel all to come there for their gain ; but , abraham was the first we read of that made any place of burial in hebron , which he bought of ephron an hittite for thirty shekels of silver , and there was he and his wife buried , and this was no parish-yard , neither did he leave any priestor clark ( that we read of ) to receive wages & fees , & for ringing a bell , and reading and singing over the dead ; and so for shame , you who profess the scriptures , and the apostolick order , & institutions of christ , come out from among all this trumpery , and wait that you may come again into the order of the gospel , and the primitive order which hath been talked of these many years , and yet not known . chap. vii . concerning swearing by the gospel , and kissing a book , and that which is commonly confirmation or bishoping children , things invented contrary to the apostles doctrine , and are in the apostacy . in the first covenant the jews were commanded to swear by the lord , and oathes were observed by the jews that were in the first covenant , which was faulty , heb. . . which ordinance did not make perfect as pertaining to the conscience ; and so there came to be an end of that covenant , and the better was brought in , which stood upon better promises , and then the priest-hood law , first covenant , and the ordinances thereof ( which were only to continue till the time of reformation , heb. . . ) by christ the everlasting covenant came to be made manifest the everlasting offering , who perfected them that are sanctified , who is the oath of god , the end of oaths , and of all strife and contention ; his doctrine was , swear not at all , mat. . , , , , . neither by the head nor feet , nor books , nor gospel , nor any other thing , but that yea should be yea , and nay nay , in all things ; and james an apostle of christ jesus who knew the new covenant which was everlasting , which saw over the ordinances of the first covenant of the jews , saith , above all things my brethren swear not at all , neither by heaven , neither by the earth , nor by any other oath ; but let your yea be yea , and your nay , nay , lest you fall into condemnation , james . , . and this was apostolical and catholick doctrine in the primitive churches . but afterwards the faith being lost which once was delivered the saints , and the power lost , they began to set up oaths again , imitating the jews , and bringing the commands of the jews who were under the first covenant , as their ground ; but this was in the apostacy . and justinian the emperour appointed first , that men should swear by the gospel , or book called the gospel , and lay their hands thereon , and kiss it , saying , so help me god ; and here christendom may see who are in the apostacy , and who were the first instituters of this swearing , and the manner thereof , which the teachers of these latter ages do ignorantly press for an ordinance of god , in the primitive times , they that had the word of reconciliation , who had received the holy ghost , and gift of prophecy , and were made able ministers of the spirit , who had discerning , and saw by the spirit , who were fitted for the work of the ministry , and fit to be elders and helpers in the church ; they laid hands on them in god's power , and they received the holy ghost ; but now since the apostacy came in , this kind of imagination of laying on of hands , one hypocrite upon another , who are out of the power , who have not received the holy ghost , neither they upon whom their hands were laid , but afterward it came to be a custom , and a holy rite to be performed upon children . silvester bishop of rome ordained , that all that were christned churches and chalices , should be anointed with oyl ; and fabianus commanded that it should be renewed every monday and thursday : clement the first ordained , that children that were christned , should be anointed with chrisme , and he also instituted the sacrament , as it is called , of confirmation , or as it is now called , bishopping , and did suppose that no man was a perfect christian if this rite and ceremony was omitted ; and for this cause it hath been judged , and looked upon as catholick doctrine , both by the church of rome and the protestants , that the holy ghost is more plentifully given them by the hands of the bishop , and on this wise in the first institution thereof it was only administred by the bishop ; first he asked the name of the child , making the sign of the cross in his forehead , saying , i sign thee with the token of the cross , and confirm thee with the chrisme of salvation , in the name of the father , son and holy ghost , &c. and smote the child on the cheek softly ; but if of greater age which was to be confirmed , the bishop gave a sharper stroke , that he might remember this great mystery ; and here you may see how these things came in , and the traditions , and inventions and precepts of men have been , and are taught for doctrine , and apostolick institution , many of which are upholden in the reformed churches , so called , unto this day , and so people are kept in blindness , in a multitude of traditions , and heathenish customs , and their minds led out from seeking after the living god. chap. viii . concerning fasts , feasts , and holy-dayes . the jews in the first covenant had many fasts , and feasts , and holy-dayes , as the sabbath , and feasts of the new moon , and passeover , and feasts of unleavened-bread , pentecost , the feasts of tabernacles , and the feast of dedication , which are largely shewed in the books of moses ; all which things , as the apostle saith to the hebrews , were but shadows of things to come , and not the things themselves , which only continued till the time of reformation , and till the better hope , which brought in the better covenant , which stood vpon better promises : now in the primitive churches they came to see the end of these things , and were brought to him that was the substance , in whom all figures and ●hadows do end , col. . . . let no man therefore judge you in meat or drink , or in respe●t of a holy day , which are a shadow of things to come , but the body is christ : now afterward when they minded the form more then the power , they ran out into those things with many additions , some borrowed from the heathen , and some by their own invention , and then press them as apostolick ordinances upon christians , which things stand in force with many until this day , too too much among them that are called reform●d . victor bishop of rome about the year . decreed , that easter should be celebrated and kept on the sunday , from the th . day of the first moneth , which is march , to the d. of the same ; now the jews kept it sooner , and so it is without ground from the jews practice , and meerly an invention of their own , which led people back into dayes , and about what time they judged any thing to be done , which christ or the apostles did , they invented a day and time to keep for it , as to reverence sunday in advent , nativity , circumcision and epiphany , purification of mary , called candlemass , lent , palm-sunday , monday and thursday on which christ washed his disciples feet , as it hath been imagined ; good-fryday , easter , pentecost was kept by the jews ; and this they would hold out for an apostolick example to christians ; and for all the former dayes they were invented with many more which have been brought in since and so they were decreed and ratified at a council at lyons in france , that such days , as either the holy saints departed this life , or did any notable deed , a day should be kept holy as they said in that council , for the encrease of their religion ; there were also other days instituted , the feast of saint stephen and innocents by pope boniface the fourth , and likewise john-baptist , and that which they call lady-day , laurence , michael and martin , and generally of all saints , and these were his institutions which are practised by the church of rome , and practised among the protestants to this day . likewise that which is called corpus-christi day , this was made a holy-day and dedicated by urban the fourth ; silvester assigned the day of advincula sancti petri , commonly called lammas , in memorial of peter's pains and persecution ; felix the first to magnifie the glorious commendation of martyrs , made a statute that a yearly oblation should be had in memorial of them ; and gregory would that mass should be said over their tombs or graves : now priests read the original of your service over the graves of the dead , and see if this be apostolical . the fast of wednesday and fryday was appointed , the one day christ was crucified , and on wednesday judas purposed in his mind to betray him . gregory was he that ordained that neither flesh , gregory appointed nor any thing that had affinity with it , as cheese , milk , butter , eggs , should not be eaten on such days as were fasts , and here came in this doctrine of devils . soul-mass-day , this was begun by odilo that was provost or provincial of cluniacensis order , upon the occasion he heard about etna , the burning mountain of sicily oftentimes great lamentations and cryings , and weepings were heard , which he supposed to be the weepings of evil spirits that bewailed because the souls of dead men were taken from them by the petitions and sacrifices of well-disposed christians ; therefore he appointed his covent to make a general oblation for all-souls , the next day after the feast of all-saints ; and this great institution was ordained about the year . and so all whose eyes god hath opened , will see all this heap of invention hath been practisee since the beast rose out of the sea , and the whore hath sate upon the waters , which is since the apostles dayes . chap. x. concerning priests vestures and bel●s , which are practised among christians as apostolick institutions . the jews high priests had vestments , and the rest of the priests who offered sacrifices and oblations at the temple and tabernacle , lev. ● . , , , . & . and aaron the priest had a coat girded with a girdle , and clothed him with a robe , and put a linnen ephod upon him , and put a breast-plate upon him , and a mitre upon his head ; and aaron's sons had coats with girdles and bonnets , as was commanded by the lord ; and in chap. . . and he put on a linnen coat and linnen breeches , with a coat and mitre , and girded it with a linnen girdle , and these were the holy garments , and these garments were to be put off in the holy place ; and divers other garments and vestments , which were worn by the priest about the temple-worship and sacrifice , which were shadows of better things , and of more holy garments ; but this was in the first covenant , that made nothing perfect which was faulty , and was to continue until the time of reformation : but christ being come , and offered up , all shadows had an end , and they preached up the everlasting offering , and him who offered up himself once for all : now christ sent out his disciples without great provision as to attire ; for they were to take neither staff , nor s●rip , nor shoes , nor money , nor brass in their purses , and yet they were to go among them that were like wolves , renting and tearing , devouring and destroying , and there was no great likelihood of obtaining any earthly thing from such , while in that nature ; but the apostles li●ed by faith , mat. . , . and luke . , . and they were not to take two coats ; and the apostle in his travails was often in necessities , in hunger , and cold , and nakedness , and did not go in costly array , nor in disguised habits , but in his old age wore sometimes a cloak among the churches , which he sent for to troas , an ordinary garment , cor. , . & . . to ver . . tim. . and john the baptist , who was a great prophet , had a coat made of hair , and a leathern girdle about his lyons , mat. . . and the primitive christians wandered up and down in sheep-skins and goat-skins , being destitute , of whom the world was not worthy , heb. . , . but after the apostles decease , deceitful workers and evil beasts , and they that abode not in the doctrine and ordinances of christ , went out into the world , and the world went after them , and so lost both power and form of godliness , and invented things , some from the heathen , and much from the priests under the law. sextus the first commanded that the corporis should be of linnen cloath only , and that of the finest and purest , and forbad that lay-men should handle the hallowed vessels , and namely , women were prohibited hallowing the priests vestures , and altars , and cloathes , diversity of vestures of sundry orders , were much , what taken from the example of the hebrew priesthood , was practised and ordained by stephen bishop of rome ; and sabinianus decreed first that the people should be assembled together to hear service at certain hours by ringing of bells ; and john the d . bishop of rome ordained that bells should be tolled every day three times , and that then every man should say three times ave-mary , as polidore saith , lib. . the invention of bells was from imitation of the hebrews , because the high priest had in the skirts of his uppermost garments , little bells to ring when he was in the holy place within the vail . and the banners and trophies which are hung up in churches , were taken from the heathen , which did bear them to signifie the conquest of their enemies ; & these have been set up in the churches , so called , by some of the bishops of rome , to declare as they said , the triumph of christ over death and hell. now all nations who are called christians , look to your original , and from whence these practices have risen , and those things are continued , even amongst the protestant churches , are either from the jews , or from the heathen , or from the apostatized bishop of rome long after the days of the apostles ; and so these hoods and surplices , and caps , and bonnets , and cowls , and tippets , and miters , and canonnical-coats , and girdles , and divers strange attires ; it is like to prove these things we must have aaron's breeches brought in , and the linnen ephod , and his son's girdles , and coats and bonnets , and the high priest's mitre , and all these candlesticks for a gospel-proof . chap. x. concerning mattens , and ●inging of p●alms by course in musical tunes , and supplications and short prayers , called letany . the jews under the law had many officers which belonged to the temple-worship , among which were singers , as the sons of corah , and the sons of as●ph , and e●rahites , and the chief musicians , &c. and divers psalms were given forth by the spirit of god , by david and others upon several occasions , sometimes after victories , and sometimes when he felt the presence of god , and the working of his power ; and who were eye-witnesses of his wondrous works , as the rest of israel were many times , as at the dedication of the temple , and also when they came out of captivity , neh. . . & . . , . psal. . . & . , . and all these singers of songs pertain to the temple , and the first covenant and to that priesthood which could not continue , by reason of the faultiness thereof , heb. . . and because all these things did not make perfect , a● pertaining to the conscience , and was to continue but for a time ▪ until the time of reformation , and then an end of the temple , priests and worship , of the singers , and porters , and organs , and stringed instruments , as in matter of worship , an end was put to all these when , he was offered up that perfecteth forever them that are sanct●fi●d . and the christians , and true believers in the primitive times , who had received the spirit , in which they did rejoyce , in and with what words the spirit was ple●sed to utter , and they th●t had received the holy gh●st did joy in the holy ghost , and they that did sing , sang in the spiri● , and with the spirit , and with understanding , from the feeling of the living which they had in their hearts of god's pre●ence , and his assurance ; and he that had a psalm might sing , but all th● church did not sing together ; a psalm was a gift of the spirit , every one had it not ; there was diversity of gifts , and diversity of operations ; prophecy , interpretation , and a psalm , were gifts which were received from the spirit , and not by tradition , cor. . . ephes. . . james . . and they that overcame , and were redeemed from the earth , who had followed the lamb , who had given the victory over sin , death and they grave , the sang a new song , which none could learn , but those whose names were written in the lamb's book of life , rev. . , . & . , . and these were the songs of the redee●●d which god had delivered out of their enemies h●nds , and they were witnes●es of his wondrous works , and praised the lord in the spirit , and with underst●n●ing , and did not get a form of words , of davi●'s words which he spake after his victories , and triumphs over his enemies ; and also they prayed in the spirit , and with understaning , and spoke as it gave utteranc● , and as they were moved by the holy ghost , & were not limited , as how short , or how long but a● the spirit gave utterrance , and not limited to hours , and set times , but when the spirit of god which they had received moved thereunto , and then their prayers were accepted , and were as sweet incense , rev. . . & . , . and were not stinted to set hours , but as they saw in the wisdom of god , and were moved by his spirit . but since the apostacy that the spirit hath been lost by many , and the power , & some of the form retained , and then they began to imitate three times a day , and seven times a day , but m●ttens at set times , and hours was appointed by hierome , as polidore and others say . also the heathen they had mattens , as apuleus saith , which they sung at divers times of the day , and so sorted the hours of the day for sacrifices , which they did offer unto their idols . pelagius the second , was the first that command-priests to say them daily , and said , as the just man falleth seven times , so by instant prayers and mattens he might as often rise and amend . urbanus the second , ordained the mattens called the ladies mattens , to be said daily , and confirmed them in a council which he had at mount clear in france ; and damasus bishop of rome gave commandment , that mattens should be said or sung in all churches , and added gloria patrito the end of every psalm . damasus also instituted that psalms should be said or sung by course ; dam●sus also commanded that the creed should be said every hour : and vitilianus invented the decent times wherewith the hymns be sung , and joyned the organs ; but there were divers and sundry manners of prayers , and forms and mattens , and singing , devised by many , as bennets monks had one use , and bernard another , and dominicks brethren had one order by themselves , and every provincial bishop made a several use in his diocess , and all was confirmed by the bishop of rome . telesphorus appointed that lent should be kept before easter , and added another week to it , which we call quinquag●sima , and this week he commanded priests to fast more then the laity ; and thus one runs into one invention after another , and hath brought in all this mountain of darkness , so that the practice of these things since the apostles dayes hath been much what corrupted , and imitation at the best without life , and are either from the jews and their worship , or from the heathen , or from their own inventions and imaginations , which are many , in their mattens and their prayers ; that at last beads were glad to be got to tell them ; and so all who view these things and see them to be in the apostacy , come out from among them , and them that are joyned to idols let them alone , and keep your selves from them , and compare but the worship and practice of the primitive times in the apostles dayes , with all this which hath been brought in since , part of which is here demonstrated ; & much more might be said , but you will see that these practices are not apostolical , neither agreeable with the purest times , but people have been corrupted with them and made two-fold worse then before . and as concerning the mass and letany which are used in many congregations , there hath been so many authors about patching them up , that they are almost past numeration , but take a short hint of the forming of them up near unto the apostles time ; although they did celebrate the sacrament as it was called , it was done with little mixture or ceremony , but only repeating the words of christ , and after the consecration they joyned to it the pater-noster ; celestinus ordained some prayers that the priest should say when he revesteth himself to mass , or putting on his cloaths , and began ju●ica me domine , &c. and in the church of greece they sang when the people assembled together ; damasius instituted the confession at the beginging of the mass ; and gorgius caused confession to be said nine times over in the latine-church ; gregory in excelsis is ascribed unto telesphorus and hilarius ; and also telesphorus ordained epistles and gospels , and damasi●s divided them as they are read at this day in the reformed churches ; and anast●sius ordained that people should stand at the gospel ; marcus ordained the first part of the creed to be read after it was made by the council of nice , and the second part , and spiritum sanctum , that the council at constantinople composed ; eutichianus instituted the o●●ertory to be sung while the people offer●d something to the poor ; galesius m●de the prefaces , in the beginning they used but one ; ansekius added the san●●us out of the prophet isaiah ; burning of incense , that which was occupied in the old testament by aaron , and the panims in their superstitious rites ; leo the third ordained it to be had in the latine-church , and privity of mass , called the common , was made by divers persons , as galatius made te igitur , satitious added communicantes , and alexander made qui pridie , hanc igitur , leo joyned to it ; gregory annexed three petitions in the same , dies qui nostros , &c. innocentius , priests in the upper part of the church called the quire , should kiss one another , that pax should be born to the people ; blessed with hands & chalices came out of the hebrew ceremonies , christ at his ascension blessed his disciples , and surgius from this ordained agnus dei seven hundred years after christ's ascension , to be sung of the clergy at the time of communion , and often turning the priest to the altar and wheeling about when he saith dominus vobiscum , or oratis fratres , these came from the hebrew rites ; when the mass is ended the deacon turns to the people , and saith , ita missa est , which words are borrowed from the pagans , they were used in the sacrifices of isis , that when the sacrifices were done , this was the watch-word that the people might depart , and of this sprang the custom of singing , ita missa est , signifying that all service was ended . mass is an hebrew word , signifies an oblation and sacrifice , with all circumstances concerning the same . alexander inhibited that they should not sacrifice but once a day . telesphorus ordained three masses to be said ●n christmas-day , the first at midnight when christ was born ; the seco●d in the morning when the shepherds visited him , the third further on the day ▪ as at the third hour . foelix decreed that mass might be said but in places consecrated , and none were to meddle with the mysteries of consecration but the priest. anaclet●s ordained that no mass should be said but in the presence of two at the least , lest the priest should say in vain to bare walls , dominus vobiscum , the lord be with you , wh●n none were present ; and so on this wise , one piece and scrap was added to another , with much more , which i shall not trouble the reader with , by which peoples minds have been drawn from attending on god's spirit , to hearken to these foollish ceremonies and invented charms , and so have been led in ignorance , and into the region of the shadow of death , where many have taken up their habitations ; and babylons merchants have traded these many hundred years with such merchandize , under the name of apostolical ordinances , and holy institutions . chap. xi . concerning the passeover and the supper . the passover was a command of god by moses unto israel , while they were in captivity in egypt , which god manifested his wonderous works in the land of egypt , and in the field of zoan , for their deliverance , exod. . , , , , , . that every family shall take to them every man a lamb according to the house of their fathers , a lamb for an house , and where the family was little , the neighbours were to joyn with him , ver . . then moses called for all the elders of israel , and said unto them , draw out and take a lamb according to your families , and kill the passover , and ye shall take a bunch of hysop , and dip it in the blood that is in the basin , and sprinkle the lintle and the two side-posts of the door with the blood , and none of you shall go out of doors until the morning , ver . , . the lord will pass through to smite the egyptians , and when he sees the blood upon the lintles and posts , he will not suffer the destroyer to come into your houses to smite you , and ye shall observe 〈◊〉 thing as an ordinance for thee and thy seed forever , ver . . and it shall come to pass when the children shall say unto you , wh●t means this service ? ye shall say , it is the sacrifice of the lord 's passeover , who passed over our houses in egypt , and smote● the egyptians : and this was the ordinance which was performed , and this is that passeover which christ sent his disciples to prepare according to the time prescribed , because it became him to fulfil all righteousness , and he being not yet sacrificed up , the offering was not ended ; but now he being offered up , this is to be witnessed in the spirit , and in the hearts of his people who were marked and bear his spot , when a destroyer comes to execute vengeance upon the wicked , he passes over his seed which bears his image . and when christ came with the twelve and sate down in the place appointed in the even , the same night he was betrayed ; and he said unto them , i have desired to eat this passover with you before i suffer , luke . , , . and he took bread ▪ and gave thanks , and brake it , and gave it unto them , saying , this is my body which is given for you , 〈◊〉 do in remembrance of me , likewise the cup after supper , saying , this is the cup of the new-testament for you in my blood , ver . . and this he gave as a sign and a token to the disciples , that as often as they did eat the bread , and drink the cup , they should remember him , and it should show forth his de●th till he came again ; and this was practised by the disciples , according as christ had said unto them , therefore the apostle said , cor. . . that i received of the lord , that delivered i unto you , that the lord jesus the same night he was betrayed , took bread , and brake it , and said , take eat , this is my body which is broken for you ; after the same manner also he took the cup when he had supped , saying , this cup is the new-testament in my blood , this do ye , as often as ye do it , in remembrance of me , ver . , . for as often as ye eat this bread , and drink this cup , ye shew forth his death till he comes ; and so he putteth them upon examination , ver . . let a man examine himself , and so let him eat of this bread , and drink of this cup , ver . . for he that eats and drin●s unworthily , eateth and drinketh damnation to himself , not discerning the lord's body ; but believers grew in the knowledge of the mystery , which was revealed through the spirit , and came to see beyond these outward things and things visible , cor. . . while we look not at the things which are seen , but at the things which are not seen ; for the things that are seen , are temporal , but the things that are not seen , are eternal : so that which was given for a sign to be observed in remembrance of christ till he came , was visible , to wit , the bread and the cup , which he gave to the disciples at supper , which they were exercised in for some time ▪ in the time of weakness , while their eyes and minds were much outward ; but they came to look at things which are beyond time , and things they saw which are not seen in time , but things that were eternal , and this they fed upon ; and so the corinthians grew up in the life , and knew the flesh of christ and his blood , and they did eat his flesh , and drink his blood , and had life in them ; now they which eat his flesh and drink his blood , need nothing to put them in memory of that which they already enjoy and possess , and so the apostles brought them to a further examination , not to look at things visible , but to examine themselves , whether they were in the faith , for he that is in the faith , is not in that which is visible , prove your selves , know you not your own selves , how that jesus christ is in you , except you be reprobates , cor. . . now they who came to witness christ in them , knew the resurrection and the life in them , and witnessed the life of the son of god to live in them , and they in it , and this was a further state then looking at visible things , which were in remembrance only of his death ; and blessed are they who have an eye to see , and an heart to believe these things . and now the apostle spake unto wise men , and bad them ●udge what he said , cor. . . so that novices , or they that were young , or babes , had h●rdly been able to discern if he had spoken such things to them , but he spoke to wise men , which could judge of what he said , and ver . . thus he said , the cup of blessing that we bless , is it not the communion of the blood of christ ? and the bread which we break● is it not the communion of the body of christ ? ver . . for we being many are one bread , and one body ; for we are all partakers of that one bread ; and that one bread was christ , who said , i am the bread of life , and this they witnessed , and these are great mysteries and they whose eyes are towards visible things , cannot see them ; and what a n●ise and a stir hath been made these many hundred years , and what killing and persecuting about things that are seen . and since the mystery hath been lost , and the key which opens the mystery , how people have waded in the dark till they have lost themselves , and are sunk down into utter darkness , as hath been manifest about visible things which do corrupt ▪ how many have been killed about this bread and this cup , which are visible , since the apostles dayes ? and how many institutions and laws have been made about this ▪ and have fought like swine about the husk , and discern not the life , neither the lords body ? it is endless to declare what stir they make about this bread , and this wine in the church of rome , which i shall not now stand to particularize much ; but however , after the priest hath consecrated it , they conclude it to be the very body and blood of christ , and yet a thing which may be seen , and that is a temporal thing , and so give it names past numeration . and what work have they made about times and dayes , when it was fit to be received ? and how many decrees have been made about these things . anacletus caused a decree to be made , that all were to come to it under pain of excommunication ; and victor denounced that those should be interdicted from all service , when they should receive the sacrament that would not be reconciled to their neighbours of all grudges and hatred ; again , clepharanius one hundred years after ana●letus , commanded that all that professed christ , or bare the name of christians , being of the age of twelve or fourteen years , should at least once a year at easter receive the blessed sacrament ; fabianus decreed that they should receive it three times in a year ; and innocentius the third , decreed it should be kept in the church , that it should be ready at all times , lest they that were sick should want to spiritual comfort of it ; and honorus the third confirmed the same ; and austin concluded the eucharist to be of absolute necessity for infants . and what a stir hath been in the reformed churches so called about this ? and what disorderly work , and what high imputations they have gained to it , whenas they commanded the parishes to buy it , and then sell it them again , that the priest must have a offering at easter , also a token of a piece of lead , a token that they are at unity with the priest , or else they may not have their bread and wine again for which they paid before , and this hath been called a great mystery . hap . xii . concerning ministers and their office under the law and the gospel . before the law was given forth , there were divers did offer sacrifice and builded altars unto the lord , as seth , abel , melchizedeck , a - , braham , isaac and jacob , who were guiders and directors of people in the way of righteousness , who instructed their families in the fear of the lord ; but after the law was given forth , aaron and his sons and they were to offer sacrifice according to the command of the lord , and to perform the worship that god had appointed for that time and age ; at the tabernacle and temple there were levites who bore the ark , and looked to the vessels , and pitched the camp , and divers other services , as singers , and readers of the law and prophets on their sabbath dayes , and porters , and the like , and all these pertained to the first covenant and priesthood , which was to have an end , both the priesthood and the law and the service thereof ; for it was but to continue till the substance came . now christ being come to the end of the law , for righteousness unto all that believe , made after the order of melchizedeck , and not by a carnal commandment , he offered up himself once for all , and became the author of eternal salvation unto them that believe , put an end to the first worship and priesthood . before he was offered up , he chose dis●iples unto him , twelve and also seventy , and endued them with power , and many did believe through their words , and they were not men of great parts , but as they were fitted by the holy ghost , that gave them utterance ; and they were sent out , not to preach the law , but the word of the kingdom ; and many did believe and grew , and were confirmed in the faith ; and after christ ▪ s ascension , the holy ghost was poured forth upon them in a more ample manner , and it did bring to their remembrance , as christ had foretold , and they received great gifts for the work of the ministry ; some were prophets , some apostles , some evangelists , some pastors , some teachers , and all made ministers by the spirit , for the work whereunto they were chosen , and many were converted and did believe ; then they that had the word of god to publish , travailed as they were led and moved by the spirit , to publish the glad-tidings of the gospel ; and when the believers were many , and many young in the faith , they ordained overseers or bishops , or elders , who were sound in the faith , to watch over them that were begotten ; but mark , they were approved men ; and faithful , and of blameless lives , not given to covetousness , neither did tyrann●ze over them in rigour , but were apt to teach and instruct in love & gentleness ; and they that had been ancient labourers in god's work did so , who had received a gift to minister unto others , and as to be helpers in the work of the gospel , and all that were ordained , were ordained by the holy ghost , although it is true they had the consent of the brethren , and the church in that thing ; and there were also deacons ordained , which served to look to the widows , and for the ministration of the poor , and these were faithful men , and had also a gift ; stephen was one full of the holy ghost , and these were helps unto the apostles ; also there were some faithful widows , who were examples to the younger women , and to instruct them , and to be patterns unto them , and were as a body knit together in love , and served the lord ; and strengthned one another in the faith , and served one another in love , and all these forementioned served the lord freely and willingly , and not for rewards , and gifts , and benefices , and earthly things ; ●n short this was the state and glory of the church in that time , and these are the min●sters we read of in the primitive times . but since the apostacy hath entred in , and the power of godlines● hath been denyed , there is such a numberless number of names crept in ; we never heard of them , and so many offices ▪ and yet none of that work done which the ministers of christ did , but certain new invented things ●rought in for worship and service , and the power despised , and men seeking offices , and great titles , and great benefits , and great revenues , and the heritage of god is laid waste , and the earth become like a wilderness unplanted with good , and the sheep and scattered : and so all may compare these ensuing names and offices with the apostles dayes , and the primitive church , and see if they be alike . first of all the pope , his holiness , christ's vicar , universal bishop , metropolitane bishop , lord cardinals , which were but priests at the first , ordained to baptize the heathen , who came to rome when the seat thereof began to be had in honour ; but now they are swelled big , and become princes , and the only men to govern states ; also monks of divers orders , and fryars of divers orders , hierom's order , of austin's order , gregory's order , carmalite fryars , cross or crouchet fryars , of domini●●s order , of st. francis's order , bennet's order ; and all of these orders spr●●g up , and were ordained in the midnight of darkness , within this four hundred years at the most , as were easily proved ; and trinity order , and brigandine order of jesuites and hermits , and anthony's order , and clunisencies order ; and nuns sprung up , first of one st. clara , one order , then brigidia a widow to the time of urban the fifth in the year . and all these kind of orders were destitute of the true order of the primitive church ▪ and their service was appointed by them that ordained them ; and these practised the patched inventions that were given them for worship , which have not concord with the primitive doctrine , but borrowed from the jews or heathen ; & all these kind of offices and officers , have been acting their parts this many years , and have led people into superstitious blindness , and further from the lord then ever . but to come to the reformed churches , so called , and there is so many officers and names , but few that do accord with the apostles times either in name or nature ; as metropolitan-bishops , arch-bishops , lord-bishops ; we heard not of lord timothy , or lord titus bishops , before mentioned ; but to come on to other orders , arch-deacons , deans and chapters , pre●en●● , and these must attend on some old superstitious buildings call'd cathedrals or minsters , and there perform a service somewhat like the former , and these are enjoyned their service like the levites and priests of old , by turns and course , as once in a moneth or two it may be , and have a hundred or two hundred pounds in the year for the same , and hardly stir from thence till they dye , except some greater advance offer it self ; also comm●ssaries , procters , and apparetors , and these are subs●rvient to the former then chancellors , vice-chancellors , doctors of divinity , bat●hell●rs of divintty , doctors of art , masters of art , batchellors of art , graduates , under-graduates , and these belong to the former ; then prelates , parsins , vicars , priests , curates and church-wardens , all which titles and names and officers , if they be but compared with the scripture , there will be hardly any parallel , either concerning office , work or doctrine : and notwithstanding all these orders and sorts , who are fitted by humane learning , or natural study , though divers years exercised therein , are not skilled in the word of righteousness , neither have the tongue of the learned to administer a word in season to the weary , nor to turn the sinner from his sins ; and thus the form of things , titles and names are holden up , but who seek after the power of god ? or to be made able ministers of the spirit ? litteral ministers enough while maintenance lasts , but the minist●●tion of the spirit few are acquainted with ; and if there be any such it is well if he be not persecuted ; so in that which i have said , the understanding will see , that there hath been a great apostacy since the apostles d●yes in the ministry , in doctrine , in worship and practice , divers of which i have touched upon , to the intent that they that enquire after the lord , may depart out of the midst of ignorance , and come to worship g●d in spirit and truth , and in the temple made without hands , and be joyned to the church which is in god , which the gates of hell prevail not against ; though many will claim authority from the apostles , few will own their life , neither walk after their example ; so take but a few more institutions which are called apostolick to this day , among them called christian churches . cletus the third bishop of rome , was the first that wrote this title , that is ; greeting and apostolick blessing , he ordained the order of priesthood . everastus the fifth bishop of rome , ordained that priests should be honoured , and that they should be shaven . alexander the sixth bishop of rome , ordained that matrimony should be only solemnized , and that the married should be blessed with the priest , there was the beginning of being married by priests . sixtus about the year . after christ , the seventh bishop of rome , ordained holy water , and ordered that it should be strowed abroad in christian houses , and when the people met to worship . telesphorus the eight bishop of rome , ordained that the communion should be laid upon an altar , and that lay-people should not touch the holy vessels , nor the holy garments of the priests ; he ordained lent , which was to be kept by the clergy in the year one hundred forty two . higinus the nineth bishop , ordained the communion to be celebrated three times at christmas , and that lent should be fasted . pius about the year . after christ , the tenth bishop , ordained that chrisme should be ministred as baptism , and that children should have god-fathers and god-mothers ; here was the beginning of this great ordinance , and he ordained that easter-day should be kept on the sunday . urbanus the seventeenth bishop of rome ordained church-yards to be hallowed , and forbad marriage of priests . pontianus the eighteenth bishop , ordained that psalms and mattens should be sung in church night and day , to drive away evil spirits . sixtus the twenty fourth bishop in the year . after christ , ordained that priests should wear holy garments , as cuffs and divers others things in imitation of aaron , and then came up surplices ; he commanded images to be set up in churches . foelix the twenty sixth bishop of rome ordained division of parish churches and diocesses to bishops . leo the emperour gave commandment , that all images and pictures of saints should be taken●out of the churches for the avoiding of idolatry , but the bishop of rome withstood the emperour ; the emperour for his confirmation of taking of images away , called a council of bishops , about three hundred and thirty , and they ordained and decreed , that all images should be taken away , and burned in the year . but in the year . gregory the third called a council together at rome near a thousand bishops , and condemned leo the emperor , and three hundred bishops for taking images out of the churches , and yet the former council and this , all of one faith and church , which they use to say could not err , and the latter decreed , they should be adored and worshipped with all reverence . boniface the eighth , he gave license to mendicant fryars to hear the private confession of sins , that people should confess to them . pope alexander gave commandment that the sacrament should be made of the sweet bread , and commanded that water should be mingled with wine . innocentius the third ordained , that people should confess their sins to a priest once a year , at the least . and these kind of decrees stand for apostolical to this day among the apostates ; and the reformed churches , so called , do own many things that are too near a kin to them , and press them for ordinances and holy institutions ; yea , in many countries , the self-same things are both owned and practised in many particulars , which i have mentioned before in other parts of this book , and are looked upon as divine service and holy worship , which the ministers of christ , who have the word of reconciliation to publish , are ashamed of knowing them to be such things as never was practised nor holden out by christ or his apostles , but are brought in since darkness hath over-spread the earth , and the power of god hath been lost ; and at the first institution thereof , though there might be some shew of a good intention in the formers of them , but now they are become absolute idols ; and however , at the first , some of these things mentioned might seem to some to be indifferent , yet now being prest of necessity , as the ordinances of god , they are become idols , and ought to be thrown away , and departed from , by all that profess the gospel of christ jesus , and the worship of god in the spirit . for the lord god hath drawn away his presence out of all formal and visible appearance , since anti-christ and the false church hath got them on for a garment , and to cover themselves withal , to the deceiving of the nations ; and now in this the day of his power hath appeared in a more mysterious ▪ and secret and hidden way , and in a more spiritual appearance , into this deceit cannot enter nor transform , therefore all babylons merchants are angry , and anti-christs followers are full of wrath , and the dragon casts out floods after the heir , and her that brings him forth , and makes war with the seed , but the lord is putting on her beautiful garments , and marrying her to himself , and she shall reign , and her seed , who are born of the spirit , when she that sat as a queen upon the waters shall have an end ▪ and the dragon shall be laid hold on , and chained up ▪ and the beast and false prophet be cast into the lake forever . blessed are they who keep in the faith and patience till these things be fulfilled , their hearts shall rejoyce , and their ton●ue praise the lord , and magnifie him , who●e throne is established in the heavens , and his kingdom is over all . and although there was a defection from the faith and practice of the apostles in the first two hundred years after christ , yet doutless there were many who lived and died in the faith , and suffered as martyrs in the time of the great persecutions by the heathen emperors , and many who could not , nor did not sacrifice to their idols , suffered death , and under-went cruel torments by the heathen who were in the dragon's power , for the testimony of a good conscience , for confession of christ jesus ▪ and although divers of the bishops of rome , and other places , did bring in things which they instituted as matter of worship , and so people were darkned by them , yet in the ten persecutions by the heathen emperours , many suffered death , and thousands of the christians besides ; but deceit crept in by degrees , and invented things were brought in by the leaders of the people , but these things that were invented , were prest to be observed in their diocesses and parishes which they had made and sate down in , but there was little compelling yet , till the dragon gave his power to the beast , and it was years before ever the bishops of rome did climb up unto their height , as to claim the title of the universal bishop or head of the church , or challenged supremacy over all christian churches ; yet before this time abundance of darkness was entred in , and the power was much lost , and divers innovations were brought in for ordinances , divers of the jews ceremonies , and divers of their institutions which belonged to the first priest-hood , and these were prest upon the churches by several leaders or bishops , as apostolick ordinances , which had no concurrence with the primitive church in the first hundred years after christ , as hereafter may be shewn in divers things wherein they were apostatized from the life and power of god , and from the practice of the saints mentioned in the scripture , and of the churches , planted in the apostles dayes . chap. xiii . something concerning the ten persecutions by the heathen emperors of rome . for the first three hundred years after christ , who was born in the reign of augustus caesar then emperour of rome , and was rejected and crucified by the jews in the seventeenth year of the reign of tiberius caesar then emperour of rome , who reigned eight years after christ was crucicified , whom pilate gave sentence against , and delivered to the jews , the said pilate was banished by the emperour , and afterwards he killed himself , in which time stephen the martyr was stoned to death by the jews , and the same day stephen was stoned , ( dorotheus saith ) nicanor one of the deacons suffered with two thousand christians more in his reign ; about this time paul was converted . the next emperour that succeeded tiberius caesar , was caesar caligula , who commanded his image to be set up in the temple at jerusalem to be worshipped as god ; herod who mocked christ with his souldiers , and set him at nought , was banished , and died miserablely ; he likewise put forth caiphas the high priest , and afterwards in the forth year of his reign caligula was slain . claudius nero succeeded him , and reigned thirteen years , a grievous tyrant , and an hater of all good ; by him was james the son of zebedee martyred , and simon , and parmen●s the second of the seven de●cons martyred and thom●s who preached to the medes and persians , was slain with a dart in his reign ; about this time simon zelotes who preached in africa , was crucified , andrew and matthew , the one crucified , and the other slain with a spear ; matthias and philip the one was crucified , and the other stoned to death . about the year after christ , james the son of alpheus called the brother of christ , was stoned to death , with many more , and mark slain at alexandria . domitius nero began his reign about the sixty seventh year after christ , he reigned fourteen years emperour of rome , under him was the first of the ten roman persecutions , he caused the christians of all ages , sects and sorts to suffer ; he commanded rome to be set on fire in twelve places , and to avoid the infamy thereof , he accused the christians with it , and caused them to be persecuted and put to death ; and in the latter end of his reign , paul was put to death for the testimony of the faith of christ. in the year sixty nine , this nero was afterwards proclaimed by the senate of rome an enemy to all mankind , and condemned to be drawn through the city , and to be whipt to death , for fear of which he fled , and afterwards slew himself , and the church had rest for a season from persecution after him . in the ninety sixth year began domitian the emperour to reign , who began the second persecution , who was a blasphemer against god , and an idolater ; in his dayes was simon bishop of jerusalem crucified , and john the evangelist banished into the isle of patmos ; but after the death of domitian he was released by pertinax ; this domitian the emperour fearing the coming of christ again , commanded that all that could be found of the stock of david in jewry should be slain , and many false accusations were brought against the christians , and the inquisition was this , swear the truth , whether thou art indeed a christian , and if they confessed , they were condemned , and put to death for that alone . clement succeeded anacletus the bishop of rome , and after him everistus who was martyred under trajanus in the year after christ. in the reign of trajanus the emperor , began the third persecution of the christians , simon who was said to be christ's kinsman , was bishop of jerusalem , and ignatius bishop of antioch who suffered martyrdom in the reign of trajanus , in the year . with many other of the christians who were destroyed in this persecution ; the churh of rome was not so highly exalted as afterwasd she usurped authority ; neither were the officers thereof nor bishops so corrupt as afterwards they came to be both in doctrine and practice . marcus antonius verus began the forth persecution , in the year . in whose time a great number who professed christ , suffered cruel deaths in asia , and in france , and other parts , among whom was polycarpu● the bishop of smyrna ; this persecution continued thirteen years : the church had some rest under the reign of lucius antonius comadus , and then the christians began to wrangle and jangle about the celebration of easter , and about observations of times and feasts , and run into things outward , and contended about them , and so weakned themselves , and hurt one another . alexander bishop of rome succeeded everistus , and telesphorus succeeded him likewise , and higinus , and pius , and ansatus soler , and elutherius ; all these were bishops of rome , but many things began to creep in in their time , but being kept under by the roman emperors , they did not get much outward power , because they had no outward compelling laws , to force their institutions in divers things which were contrary unto the former apostles practices , yet notwithstanding there was something of truth , and of the power of it kept , and they testified against the idolatry of the heathen , and so suffered death . severus succeeded in the empire about the year . under whom was the fifth persecution against the christians , who reigned eighteen years ; in the beginning of his reign he was somewhat favourable to the christians , but afterwards through the malicious suggestions , and accusations of wicked men , he was so enraged and incensed against the christians , that by proclaimation he commanded through the empire , that no christians any more should be suffered , whereby a great number were destroyed and killed , as eusebius saith in his th . book about the year . this severus the emperor was slain in brittain about the year . and was buried at york . aurelius alexander severus began his reign about . at this time the church had gotten some rest from persecution , at this time the christians had gotted some house or place to meet in , in this time of rest in rome , and the cooks and tiplers challenged it to belong to them , the matter being brought before the heathen emperor severus , he judged it to be more honest and reasonable , that this place should be continued to the christians to worship god in , then that the cooks and victualers , and tiplers should enjoy it ; by this all may understand that there was no great minsters , steeple-houses , or places called churches erected in rome unto this time for the christians , although there is so much ado in this time about steeple-houses , and minsters and parish-churches , within this latter age , by them that are run into visible things have been so strongly pressed for a house of god. and a holy church ; so that in this time the christians had no mass-houses with steeples , and crosses , and bells , and organs , standing east and west , which are pleaded for to be decent and holy institutions , yet notwithstanding the moderation of this emperor , galistus and urbanus bishops of rome were put to death , but yet the bishops of rome did not arrogate to themselves to be universal , and these were not called popes , though divers superstitious things crept in , and were allowed by the said bishops , and they were declining from the doctrine and practice of the apostles in the first century , and this was about the year . maximinius the next , was chosen emperor rather by the wilfulness of souldiers , then the will of the senate , he caused the sixth persecution which was great against the christians , especially against the leaders and teachers , hoping that when they were smitten , the sheep would soon be scattered , this was in the year . pontianus bishop of rome was banished by this emperor , and many more christians suffered under this emperor , and were put to death , and more it is likely would have suffered , but the lord shortned his dayes , and his tyranny , for he reigned but three years . the next emperor was gordianus in the year two hundred and forty , who was more moderate towards the christians , so that the sixth persecution ceased , but after he had reigned the space of six years he was slain by philip the succeeding emperor , philippus who slew gordianus , who was called the first christian emperor who slew gordianus and began with blood , he with his son philip governed the empire seven years ; about the year . it is said this philip with his son and family was converted by fabianus and origen ; it is said that both he & his son were slain by decius one of his own captains , and though being the first that brought in christianity into the imperial seat , but the name of christianity would not save him , being out of the nature , beginning with blood , it was required at his hands , and anthetius bishop of rome after pontanius ; damasus saith , that this bishop was put to death , because he recorded the deaths of the sufferers , and here was the beginning of that which they call the legend of martyrs in the chucrh of rome . the seventh persecution began by decius who succeeded philippus in the year . by whom was moved a terrible persecution against the christians , which is noted to be the seventh persecution . fabianus being a married man , and had a wife , was chosen bishop of rome ; this doctrine of devils forbidding to marry was not yet brought in , which the apostle to timothy prophesied of , no not in the church of rome , nor for two hundred and fifty years after christ ; so the emperor decius put him to death , and gave forth a proclamation that all that professed the name of christ should be put to death . origen suffered many bonds , wrackings , torments for religion , yet afterwards it is said he sacrificed to idols , and was exco●municated , yet afterwards repented : and nicephorus saith of this persecution under the emperor decius , that it was easie to number the sancs of the sea , as them that suffered under him . cheremon a married bishop fled with his wife into the mountain of arabia , and never was seen more ; the prohibition of ecclesiastical men , or ministers marrying was not yet begun , no not in the church of rome , although they plead antiquity for their institutions and practices ; the emperor reigned but two years , and was slain by the barbarians ; about this time divers bishops suffered , and others were condemned to mettal mines : cyprian bishop of carthage was banished ; these had no power yet to give forth laws or inquisitions nor to force things upon people ; for they had not the outward authority then , though divers things which were unsound crept in by little and little , even among them : about the year two hundred and fifty five valerianus together with his son gallienus came to be emperors , who reigned together ; at first they were moderate to the christians for about two or three years , insomuch that in the emperors court there were many christians ; but afterwards being moved by an egyptian , was stirred up to persecution , which was about the year two hundred fifty nine this emperor was stirred up to persecute the christians , which was the eighth persecution , being instigated by the egyptian , who was great in his court , telling the emperor that the christians were the cause of all the evils of famine ●nd plague upon the empire ; divers bishops and many hundreds were put to death besides ; stephanus suffered with six more that were leading men ; also lawrence suffered , who was pinched with fire-tongs , and laid upon an iron grate or grid-iron red hot , and so broyled to death . in the sixth year of the reign of valerianus , gallianus having l●id for the space of three years in prison which claudianus and bossa his wife , were p●t to death for being christians ; likewise fructuosus bishop of tarraconia with two deacons were burned the same year for being christians this valerian the emperor reigned seven years , and was taken in the war by the king of persia , who made him his block to take horse on to his dying day ; and though the christians in this time were much darkned , yet they were much more justified in the sight of god then the heathen emperors , who came all or most of them to a woful end of their cruelty , and tyranny , and murder ; for the hand of the lord who distributes justice equally to every man according to his works , found them out ; and gallianus the son of valerianus , who joyned with his father in persecution , had many earthquakes , and thirty rebellions and insurrections raised in his time , in the empire in nine years time , and this stopt their persecuting of the christians somewhat ; and after gallianus the emperor succeeded claudius , who reigned two years , and after him quintilianus the brother of claudius , who continued only seventeen dayes , about the year two hundred seventy four , in this time the christians had some rest from persecution . the nineth persecution began under aurelianus , who began his reign mildly , but soon after moves the nineth persecution , about this time many christians suffered , and some of the bishops of rome , and sixtus , and dionysius , and many others in the middle of his reign , there was a council of the christians at antioch , the emperor seeming not to be against it , nor them , but afterward he was about to seal an edict for further persecution of the christians , but he was so terrified with thundring and lightning , that it stopt his tyranny , in the sixth year of his reign he was slain about the year . after him succeeded tacitus , who reigned but six moneths , and florianus reigned next , who reigned but sixty dayes , and after him reigned marcus aurelius probus , who reigned six years and four moneths , in this time there was no persecution , but the christians had rest as in matters of religion , but he was slain by his souldiers in the year two hundred eighty five . carus with his two sons carinus and numerianus succeeded probus in the empire , the reign of which emperors continued in all but three years carus was slain with lightning , and numerianus was also slain ▪ & carinus the other son reigned alone in italy with much wickedness , who afterwards was slain by the hands of the tribune at rome ; so that from the latter end of the reign of valerianus , unto the reign of dioclesian . there seeming to be about forty four years , in which there was little persecution of the christians , but they had rest and enjoyed their worship in quiet , and they were kept under sufferings , and the law , and did not exercise authority over the consciences of the rest , as afterwards they did , when they came to have power in their hands , although as i said before , divers things were brought in by the bishops of rome in this time , which were much disagreeing with the apostles dayes , yet they held part of the true worship , and bore a testimony against the open prophaneness , and cursed idolatry , and pride of the heathen emperors , who killed one another for the imperial seat ; and in this testimony that they bore for god , i believe they were accepted , and had peace with god. the tenth persecution began under the reign of dioclesian ▪ which was in the year . this was the last persecution against the christians , which was horrible , and grievous , that never was any persecution before or since comparable to it , for the time which it continued , which was the space of ten years together , though there were more emperours which had a hand in this persecution , yet principally it beareth the name of dioclesian this diocletian the emperour took unto himself maximinius to be partner with him in his empire , those two emperours chose two others to themselves , that is to say , gallerius and constantius , whom they called cesars ; gallerius was sent into the east-parts against the christians , and constantius to the west to britain , these two last reigned moderately , and did not persecute the christians for about years , so they prospered in their wars abroad , but afterwards by reason of their victories were puft up with pride in their hearts , they ordained a triumph at rome , after which triumph diocletian gave commandment that he himself should be worshipped as god , and said , he was brother to the sun and moon , and so commanded the people to kiss his feet , which afterwards when the chief bishop of rome got up into pride , and claimed superiority over all the christian churches , having got the authority of the dragon , commanded the emperours , and kings then to kiss his feet , and so in this the pope hath imitated the heathen emperour , who was the greatest persecutor that ever we read of ; but to return to diocletian , he began a great and grievous persecution of the christians which was the nineteenth year of his reign ; in the year of christ . he commanded all the meeting places of the christians to be spoiled , and the books of the holy scriptures to be burned , he sent out a proclamation for casting all the bishops and elders into prison in his empire , and constrained them by several torments to worship idols ; and so great persecution there was among the christians , and grievous torments they suffered , because they would not offer sacrifice to idols ; one noble man at nicomedia pluckt down the two emperours proclaimations against the christians , not fearing the emperours who were then in the city , for which act he was put to most bitter death afterwards they were so mad , that they sought to destroy all the christi●ns in the world , it can hardly be expressed with words what numbers suffered , and what blood was shed throughout all the regions , and they cast the christians among the lyons , bears and leopards , who were kept hungry for that purpose , and them that the wild beasts would not devour , they slew them with the sword , and threw them into the sea. cerena the wife of dioclesian he killed , because she was a christian ; two thousand were burnt in one place , many suffered in phrygia ; and were burnt with the whole city , in this persecution ; likewise in france , spain and britain , so that some rivers were coloured with blood , one thousand slain sometimes in one day , and they slew them by ten , twenty , sixty , and sometimes an hundred men , women and children . damasius , beda , oratius , honorus , and others do testifie , that there were slain in the space of one month seventeen thousand persons ; likewise peter bish●p of alexandria , and three hundred more were slain with axes there ; mauritius was slain with . victor with were slain in the city of troy ; the christians notwithstanding all this persecution did increase , and though a cloud was over many , and darkness entred in , in part , respectively to what had been in the first century , yet they were the best witnesses for the lord in their generation , and the christians did increase , so that the two heathen emperours were tryed with persecuting , and gave up their empire , and led a private life , having reigned one and twenty years , which was in the year . these two latter emperours maximinius and constantius who were called caesars , now became the emperours of the whole , one in the east , and the other in the west . maxentius was set up emperour by the souldiers , and goes against maximinius the emperour , who sent severus his son to war against him , which severus being slain , lycinus caesar was chosen in his room , so that maximinius , constantius and maxentius continued the tenth persecution after dioclesian and his partner had given over , sa●ing constantine , and especially his son constantius were kind to the christians ; constantius chused those who refused to offer sacrifice and commit idolatry to be in his court , and banished the heathen idolaters as unfit for his service that were traytors to god , and this was about ●he year . on the other hand , maximinius the emperour and his partner were very wicked in idolatry and cruelty , god struck him with a great plague in the belly and secret parts , which putrifying broke out with swarms of lice , which caused such a stink that the physician could not endure the same , wherefore he slew the physician , and by the anguish of his disease , he slacked persecution , making confession that his persecuting of them had brought this upon him , and so acknowledged his offence and the infidels divers exalted the god of the christians , yet afterwards being incensed against the christians , this emperour set up decrees afresh to persecute the christians , whereby many bishops & others were martyred ; here was no titles of lord-bishops & arch-bishops not yet in the first three hundred years , neither was there any pope then that did lay claim to supremacy over all the churches , neither had these bishops whole countries and provinces for their maintenance , neither all rome , constantinople , antioch , and jerusalem , and all people therein for their diocesses ▪ but them only of the christians who believed ▪ in each of those places ; but afterwards in the great persecution there followed great famine and pestilence on the heathen , whi●h caused the persecuti●n to cease , and caused maximinius to revoke his decrees , and punished the inchanters that incensed him against the christians ; maximinus who was joyned in the empire with dioclesian , who laid down the government of the empire , endeavoured to have slain constantius the emperour , that he might have got up again into the empire , but failing of his enterprize , was slain of constantius , maxentius this time reigns wickedly and tyrantly at rome , which caused the romans to intreat constantine to come against maxentius for his wickedness , who made war against him , and upon a bridge made of boats over the river tyber , he was intrapped by constantine , and drowned in tyber ▪ and thus the righteous judgment of god at last came upon them for their blood and cruelty , as a recompence and a reward for their deeds , but constantine set forth decrees of favour to the christians . marcelliuns was bishop of rome about the tenth year of dioclesian , in the persecution he sacrificed to idols ▪ & was excommunicated by three hundred bishops , but afterwards was killed in the massacre of dioclesian . marcellus succeeded , & one lucina a rich maid of rome dying , made marcellus her heir , and gave him all her substance , and from that time saith pollidore lib. . the bishops of rome were greatly inriched , and he began to grow up in earthly honours higher and higher . but constantine the emperor , about the year , caused a cross to be made of gold and precious stones , and to be born before his army instead or a standard , when he went to fight against maxentius , maximinius and licinius , these were the last persecutors of the christians in the roman monarchy , which this constantine did vanquish , and set the christians at liberty , who had been persecuted about three hundred years ; and so afterwards this cross others began to imitate , and set up in their churches , and became a flat idol ; notwithstanding after this some persecution was stirring in the eastern countries , yet in rome and the western parts there was no general persecution for many years , & also in the east part he subdued those tyrants ; & we read of no persecution against the christians , until the time that john wickliff suffered , which was when the spirit of the heathen was entered into the bishops of rome and popes , who had retained the name of christian , but lost the life and the power , he began with fire to persecute the members of christ. but long before this time the wisdom and power of god was much lost among many of the bishops of rome , and also divers others , that the apostacy was entered in , and they made great contentions about easter , and about dayes which should be fasted , and some were for two , and some were for three , and some were for forty dayes ; all the churches of asia , and their bishops were for keeping it the fourteenth moon , as eusebius saith , lib. . for asia observed the feast of easter , and they called a great council together , and decreed that it should be observed the fourteenth moon , upon what day soever in that week the moon fell , and appointed fasting-dayes ; and meetings and synods in all parts met together about this trivial matter in the year . at rome likewise there was a synod gathered together , wherein victor the fourteenth bishop was president ; and the eastern churches decreed it the day aforesaid , and fastings before it , and a western church decreed it to be the day wherein christ rose from death to life ; but victor bishop of rome , with the adjoyned congegations , pronounces flatly all the western churches to be excommunicated persons , and gives them up to satan , so that it became a proverb , that the bishop of rome must judge all , and be judged of none ; this was about the year one hundred ninety nine after christ , when they had respite from persecution : and ireneus bishop of lyons , he was of victor's mind , that it ought to be celebrated on the sunday only , yet reproved victor bishop of rome , peter's successor , as they say , for cutting off all the churches of god in asia for such a trivial thing . and polycarpus and anicetus contended about trivial things , and although there was much good in them both , yet this weakened the christians , and led the minds of people out into the observance of outward things , and neglected the life and power . lu●ius the two and twentieth bishop of rome , about the year , and stephanus who succeeded him , a great contention in their time about baptism ; the matter was , whether they that returned from any heresie shall be re-baptized , or be received in with prayer , and laying on of hands only ; and so here was a great jangling and contention about outward things , which were getting up as idols ; and cyprian bishop of carthage judged that hereticks had no way to be purged from error , but by baptism , but stephan●● was greatly offended with cyprian for this . after stephen sixtus succeeded , and dionysius writes unto him , how that all cilicia , cappadocia , gallatia , and the bordering nations , how grea● synods had decreed , that they would not communicate with them , because they re-baptized hereticks , and saith further , the greatest synod of bishops hath decreed , that such as renounce any heresie , should first be instructed , and then washed and purged of their impure leaven ; and thus they wrangled and ●angled about things with one another , and brake into fractions , notwithstanding many of these men suffered under the merciless cruelty of the heathen emperors ; likewise they excommunicated one another , and called councils , and censured one another , and hurt the spreading of truth amongst them that believed in the name of jesus ; all this is to shew that they were declining and coming to loss in this time , though so near the apostles time , and though they suffered under the emperors , and found peace with the lord , yet many practices and institutions were made , which are not according to the primitive times , which ought not to be binding to all generations afterwards because of the antiquity of them , as the now called church of rome would have all to receive as apostolick doctrine . but to return to constantine the emperor , when peace was established in the empire , he set forth a general proclamation or edict , not constraining therein any man to any religion , but giving liberty to all men to exercise their religion , whether christians or others , which thing was taken well by the romans and all wise men ; this licinius joyned with constantine in the government of the empire , & seemingly favoured the christians , & joyned with constantine in setting forth an edict for the christians liberty , yet afterwards he had great hatred towards constantine , and conspired his death , re●ecting the christi●n r●l●gion , and persecuted them , who said , he would become an enemy to the christians , for that in their meeti●gs and assembl●es they prayed not for him , but for constantine ; so cast the christians into prison , and persecuted them within his dominions , and many were put to death ; but at length he was slain , after several battels between him and constantine , by the souldiers , in the year . constantius the emperor , the father of constantine dyed a natural death , and was buried at york ; dioclesian dyed at salena , as some say , by his own poyson , in the year . he was the chief of the seven tyrants in the tenth persecution ; maximinian the second , who was hanged at maz●lla by constantine , in the year . thirdly , galerius , who was plagued with a terrible disease ; severus , the fourth , was slain by maximinian , the father of maxentius , the wicked tyrant , who was banished by constantine in the year . the sixth was maxentius , who dyed not long after , in the year . lastly , licinius was overcome by constantine , and slain about the year . and thus the lord plagued the cruelty of the heathen emperors , who knew not god , but hated his appearance , and rewarded them according to their deeds . the christians in these three hundred years , wherein were the ten persecutions , they were sufferers under the power of the dragon , who ru●ed in the emperors , and then they were not persecutors , having not the outward power in their hand ; but when they had the outward power , then they turned persecutors , especially the bishops of rome , when they had the outward power on their side , then they were wor●e then constantine the great , who gave liberty to all christians and others , to worship god without forcing of any , as their actions following afterwards make it appear ; for being countenanced by the emperor , they grew proud and lordly , and increasing in power and outward authority , though set up at first by the emperor , at last excluded him from having any authority or power over the see of rome , as after a season may be made appear . in the year damasus was bishop of rome eighteen years . also in the first three or four hundred years before ever the bishop of rome did get so high , as to be called universal bishop , abundance of darkness spread over , and abundance of idolatry and superstitious things were invented , and abundance of orders , as fryars , and monks , and monasteries , and nunneries , wherein they were diverted from the order of the gospel , and a great apostacy came in . in the year two hundred sixty two anthony is called the father of the monks , who followed the example of paulus born at thebes in egypt , who retired himself to a private cave under the foot of a rock in the seventh persecution of decius ; and one called basil is said to be the first that built monasteries , and ordained vows of poverty , chastity and obedience , and these are called the monks of basil's order , and are bound to abstain from all kind of flesh , and here began this doctrine of devils , contrary to the doctrines of the apostles of christ ; the next that prescribed orders was augustine , born in the year three hundred fifty , this order was called austin-fryars , they wear a leathern girdle to distinguish them from the monks ; the first order of the fryars was mendicants ; the third that prescribed orders was benedict in the year four hundred seventy two , and out of this order did spring the monks of benedict ; and divers other orders which i have mentioned before in the former part of the book ; the fourth that prescribed orders was francis of assis , these were called franciscans or grey-fryars ; their rule and order was confirmed by innocent the third , these are the fourth order of fryars-mendicants or begging-fryars , and from this order sprung fryars-minories , or capucien-fryars ; minories were ordained by franciscus de pola , and capuciens were ordained by one matthew basa of acona ; the jesuites were first founded by ignatius loyola , born in navar , these were first confirmed by paul the third . the nuns first author was one clara the daughler of assis , who forsook her father's house , and devised an order of religious women , who vowed poverty and virginity , they were confirmed by honorius the third ; but many of these , and their practice● which are contrary to the primitive time being before mentioned in this book , i shall let them pass , and so return to the bishops of rome ; but divers contentions and sects began to break forth , and the bishops not only of rome , but of alexandria and nicomedia , and miletus , and one clashing against another ; alexander bishop of alexandria , and eusebeus bishop of nicomedia , and many bishops in other places joyning one to one side and one to another , and envying one another insomuch that as eusebius saith , a man might have seen not only the presidents and chief rulers of the churches envying one against another with spightful opprobrious terms , and also the multitude severed into parts , that the christian religion was openly derided of all men , and so called councils and synods , and condemned one another , and excommunicated one another as hereticks , and so went out of the long suffering and patience , and forbearance which the apostle exhorted unto . and so no less then four hundred years many run wholly out into contention about dayes , meats , and drinks , some running this way , and some that way , and forging things upon the apostles and the churches in asia , saying , that john the disciple gave them an order to observe easter the fourteenth day of the moneth , and rome and the western parts alledge peter and paul for their author how they left them this tradition , both alike true ; for this came up more by custom , then any injunction from the apostles , or tradition either ; for they condemned such things in their life time , and called them beggerly rudiments , such as inhabit at rome , they began to make fasts , and fasted three weeks before easter , excepting the saturday and the sunday : illyricum , greece and alexandria began their fasting-dayes six weeks before easter , and that they call forty dayes fasting , or lent , others begin seven weeks before easter , yet in all the while they use abstinency but only fifteen days , and have intermission among these dayes , and yet call these forty dayes fasting , or lent ; so that they disagreed in the time , disagreed in the moneths , disagreed in the dayes and times , and in the abstinence , and contended about these things , as for life and death , and excommunicating one another , and judging one another hereticks , and at last when they got power , killed one another , and stirred up the emperors one against another , and this in the or . years after christ. and all this fasting was but from some meat , as though some had been clean , and some had been unclean ; some abstained only from flesh and fed only upon fish , and all other creatures ; others upon fish and fowls of the air , affirming their original is of the water , and so no flesh ; and other some fasted till nine of the clock ; and then eat of divers sorts as they pleased ; and here was their fast and their lent , about which was all this contention and stir , all which practices are condemned in the apostles writings , and such ignorance and hypocrisie ; for the kingdom of god stands not in meats and drinks , and yet the protestants , and they that call themselves reformed , will needs press these things as holy institutions , whenas it is manifest , when the christians in former dayes began to judge one another about these things , and strive ▪ and bite one another , and devour one another , they lost the power , and then mystery-ba●ylon began to rise , these things became her merchandize , and these practices came to be called christianity , which christ and his apostles would have been ashamed of . and about the sacrament great contention arose , as about the time and manner , some did receive the bread and wine every sabbath-day , yet alexandria and rome do not use it : yet the egyptians ●oyned to alexandria , and the inhabitants of thebes they had an other order , they did receive it when they had banquetted , and filled themselves with delicates , and then received their communion , and they judged one another in these things : in thessaloniea , macedonia , and hellas in achaia , they baptize only on the easter-holy-dayes : likewise in hell●s , jerusalem and thessalica , their service they said with candlelight ; likewise in caesaria , cappadocia , and at cyprus the priests and bishops expound the scripture on the saturdayes , and sundayes by candle-light , as socrates saith , lib. . in this time it is said , the customs and observations were so many , that none were able to find two that did retain one order of the service . at caesaria in cappadocia , they receive not into communion such as sin after baptism , and even so the macedonians in hellespont did the same . the phrygians allow not of two marriages : the original authors of so great diversity of services , rites and customs , were bishops which governed their churches at several times , and such as do like of such practices , have commended them to posterity for laws , and such vain and frivolous contentions did arise in this age , whereby it is manifest , the apostacy from the life and power of god was great , and god's wisdom , and the unity of the spirit was wanting , and philosophy and customary practice was their chief foundation ; and one bishop exiled another , and complained to the emperors , and banished one another , and so the sheep were made havock of , and starved ●nd scattered , and the name of christ and christians came to be evil spoken of by the many factions and contentions that were among them . but to return to the bishops of rome after the reign of constantine , in which persecution ceased , many superstitious injunctions and idolatrous practices were set up in the first five hundred years , which i shall not much trouble the reader with further then what is already said ; but divers other things were brought in afterwards , more gross then the former . gregory called the great , the bishop of rome , of whom it is said , of all that went before him , he was the basest or worst , and of all that c●me after him , he was the best ; it is he that brought in this title among the roman bishops , to be called the servant of god's servants ; but by his practice , he proved a lord over god's servants consciences , and over their faith ; he made an act that priests should not marry a wife , and he ordained a book , called , the service or letany , which goes under the name of gregory's mass-book , to be received in all churches . after the death of him , sabinus was bishop , who continued scarce two years , he was the last of the roman bishops , who had not the title of universal bishop , or head of the church , he was the last of sixty five bishops before the first pope , he died in the year six hundred and five . palagius the first , was the bishop of rome , in the year . he ordained that hereticks and schismaticks should be punished with temporal death ; there was bishops before boniface the third , who was the first pope , and since there hath been popes . boniface the third ( who succeeded sabinus , ) was the first pope , he reigned but one year , and did more hurt in that year then gregory could do in many , before he obtained of the emperour phocas that he and his successors after him in the see of rome above all other churches should have the preeminence , & that the bishop of rome should be the head of all the churches of christ in christendom ; alledging this frivolous and reasonless reason , that saint peter had left to saint peter his successors in rome the keys of binding and loosing ; for before this constantinople , asia , and other churches , their bishops had some stroak , and divers times many of the bishops of rome were reprehended by the rest , but now obtaining this decree of phoc●s , he began to take head over all other churches , and this phoc●s to aspire to the empire of rome , he murdered his own master , mauritius the emperor and his children ; so phocas somewhat fearing , and willing to have boniface's favour , gratifies him and condescends to all his petitions , and grants him to be universal head-bishop over all christian churches , and there was the first rise of the pope ; but phoc●● for his murder was justly rewarded , for heraclius the emperor cut off his hands and feet , and cast them into the sea ; but rome would not so soon loose her supremacy once given , as the giver lost his life , and ever since that time the popes have holden , defended and maintained the same by all force , pollicy and cruelty that possible can be ; this was in the year six hundred and six , and so the bishop now became pope ; his rise was not because of his holiness , or righteousness , or doctrine , or holy practices suitable unto peter , whom he saith he succeeded for his doctrine and practice ; peter had condemned the same things before boniface was ; but his rise was by a heathen emperor , who had command over a great party at that time , and so by the force of his edict he claims authority . vitilian●s , the eleventh pope , in the year . he confirmed that practice which was set up before by some other of the bishops of rome , that organs should be set up in churches . paschal in the year . was the first that appointed cardinals to be in number . adrian the third , the th pope , in the year . ordained that the emperor of rome from thenceforth should have no more to do with the election or confirmation of the pope , but that it should be left wholly to the roman clergy ; so that which first gave the pope power , to wit , the emperor , he now throws off the yoak , and if the emperor please not him , hath stirred up the people to mannage war against him , and against divers princes , as may be seen in the histories of latter ages . sergius the third was the first who ordained bearing of candles in the feast of the purific●tion of mary , thence called candlemas-day . celestine the second , in the year . was the first inventer of cursing or anathematizing any who received not his ordinances with bell , book candle . innocent the third . was the first that brought in the doctrine of transubstantiation , and imposed auricular confession upon the people . clement the fifth . was the first that sold indulgences and pardons . sixtus the fourth , . brought in the beads to be numbred when they prayed , and authorized the ladies psalter . leo the tenth , in the year . set indulgences and pardons on sale in germany and france , which things caused luther in germany , and zuinglius among the switzers to write against the pope's ministers , and afterwards questioned many points of popish doctrine , upon which the pope burned luther's writings , and condemned him for an heretick , and luther burned the pope's canon-law at wittenberg , and declared the pope to be a persecutor and a very anti-christ . the inquisition began first in spain ▪ which was set up by the papists there to terrifie the moors , who had inhabited spain for years , and so long spain was governed by the emperor of the mo●rs in africa , until the year . and after this time the inquisition began against the moors , which was not so cruel at first as afterwards it began to be against the protestants , and is now accounted the greatest violence and torture , and the greatest tyranny and severest kind of persecution upon the earth , insomuch that many papists abhor the very name and mention of it , and to the death withstand the bringing in of this slavery amongst them ; the extremity and rigor of this inquisition until the year· . in philip the third king of spain's time , notwithstanding though the moors did make a shew of the papists religion , because of the inquisition , yet eleven hundred thousand of them were forced to quit the country , it was so dreadful : and all these kind of ordinances and institutions before-mentioned , compare them with the scriptures , and the cruelty and severity which hath been exercised towards them who could not receive them , none who have their eyes open in any measure , but must needs conclude , that all this is in the apostacy ; and so all who profess reformation , flee from these things , and from this spirit , and from this church , who forces and kills all them that oppose , who are under his power ; and why should any plead for the holding up of those practices as good and warrantable , whereas so many have been killed about them , and so many have been led from the life and power of godliness , while they received and practised these humane inventions , and vain and customary traditions for the doctrine of christ , and for apostolick ordinances ? and must it not needs be concluded , them who would tye people up , and bind men to observe such and such things as are mentioned before in this book , and persecute for not observing , that they are they who draw back to perdition , and keep people from laying hold upon eternal life ? many more vain practices and doctrines , which have been brought in since the apostles dayes , might be mentioned ; but in that which is said already , the understanding will see that there hath been a great apostacy , both in life , doctrine and practice from the apostles time downward until now , and that which is called the catholick church in rome is in it ; and likewise divers of them who are separated from her stick too much in these things because of the custom , tradition and antiquity of them . in part i have shewn their antiquity and their rise , and also shewn that which is more ancient then they , from which they have swerved , to the intent that all may come out of babylon , and drink no more of the cup , nor buy no more of the merchandize , nor wear no more the harlots cognizance , nor the false churches attire , but that all may come to see before this heap of dark confusion , and beyond the vain obervations which have been introduced , which make no man through the observation thereof more acceptable unto god , but rather two-fold more like children of the wicked one , who abode not in the truth . chap. xiv . something further of the decrees and ordinances of the church of rome , which are holden out for apostolical ordinances . pope paul , about the year . condemned the council at constantinople for condemning worshipping of images ; he wrote a book of the worshipping and utility of images , calling them the lay-mens calender . pope adrian , about the year . cloathed the image of st. peter with silver , and covered the altar of st. paul with a pall of gold , and condemned them for hereticks , who kept peter and paul's doctrine , which declared against idols . pope nicholas , about the year . enlarged the popes decrees , equalling them to the writings of the apostles , he decreed that service should be said in latine . and although by the emperor the pope was first elected , yet now having got head , did climb up so high in power , and pride , and arrogancy , endeavoured that no emperor should be crown'd without his leave in germany . and pope clement the fifth excommunicated andronicus peleogus emperor of constantinople as an heretick , because he would not suffer the greek church to appeal to rome . and when any kings or princes had displeased him , he hath excommunicated them , and given away their kingdoms to some other , teaching their people to rebel , and also instigating other princes to make war against them , and to kill one another for trifles , and if any displeased him , he caused many kings to do penance , and to pay great sums of money to get an absolution from excommunication ; and the rule and power of the empire which gave him first his being to be universal bishop , and to be called pope , he hath raised war often against , and if he like not the election of the emperour , he hath deposed them , and one he brought into such subjection that he caused him to hold his sirrop , a thing that the emperour was not accustomed with , he happened to hold it on the wrong side , for which he received a sharp reproof by his holiness . likewise some difference being between pope innocent the fourth , in the year . and the emperour frederick the second , the pope would not be reconciled , though the king of france strongly interceeded , and offered full satisfaction for all pretended wrongs , would go out of his empire , if the pope could not endure him there , never to return into europe again , so as that his son with the popes approbation might but succeed him in the empire , which the pope would not do . and how england and divers nations have been troubled with his oppression , is well known , and what exactions and great sums of money ●here have been enhausted and squeezed out of his dominions where he 〈◊〉 power , the nations well remember , to maintain the pride of his court at rome , which abounded with all manner of vitiousness , insomuch that it was grown to that height , that vincentius clement the pope● legate , said , it was now too late , and past reforming . but to take the legate's own words as follow , against his master the pope and his court , w. h. in his book called a description of england in the page , saith thus , that this vincentius clement in the year . being legate for the pope , was here in england about the pope's business , and hearing that the clergy had given the king two tenths for the repaying ●f his losses which he had sustained in france , and for the recovering of bourdeaux ; this legate vincentius coming into the convocation house , he earnestly required the clergy to be no less favourable to their spiritual father the pope , and their mother the see of rome then they had been to his vassal and inferiour , meaning the king ; and in his speech in the convocation he shewed them how that his holiness the pope , was much disturbed and daily in danger of his life by cut-throats , varlots , and harlots , which did much abound as he said in rome ; but the clergy in the convocation slighted his speech , and said , how should we contribute towards the suppression of such , whereas he and such as you , continually uphold them ? i grant saith the legate that there wanteth just reformation of many things in the city of rome , which should have been made sooner , but now is it too late and past reforming ; never the less i beseech you send the legate to write unto his holiness the pope , to request him that he would abandon and leave that babylon which is but a si●k of mischief and of all ungodliness , and keep his court elsewhere in some place of better fame ; and this is the legate's testimony of the seat of the mother church of rome . besides many of her own members in england in the year . do manifest what action has been upon this nation , as may be seen in a supplication , written in the names of the nobles and commons of england to pope innocent the fourth , shewing how many subsides and taxes had been levied and sent out of the realm , and how they had been liberally paid , they complaining also how he sent italians and forraigners to possess the●● churches and benefices in england , who had no regard of peoples soul● ▪ and so were no good shepherds as they said ; and how the italians received threescore thousand marks a year , besides other vails and excises , ●he● do reap more rents then the king himself , and so when he could no● 〈◊〉 his subsides , and raise all the sums which he exacted from year to year , pope innocent perswades the french king , to make war with the king of england , for his not condescending to the pope in all things , although he was then one of his sons , and of his church , but enough of this ▪ it were l●rge to enumerate the actions and cruelties , the oppressions which have been done in that which is called christendom , since the emperour 〈◊〉 unto the pope his power , and how much idolatry , superstiti●n . 〈◊〉 and doctrine of devils hath been spread over the nations these many hundred of years , and how many have been put to cruel death ▪ for not 〈◊〉 and conforming to the said doctrines and practices , inj●nctions and ordinances , and how many this false church hath stirred up 〈…〉 another , and destroy one another about these things , which have 〈◊〉 put upon people under the name of divine authority , and holy 〈◊〉 and apostolical institutions ; by what as it is written , all may see that these things are in the apostacy , and in the fall , in the curse , and in the night of darkness , wherein all this wickedness hath been wrought by the false church , which the lord god will reward double , and dry up 〈◊〉 waters under which she sits , and make her seat desolate , and throw down her pride who hath drunk the blood of the martyrs , and shed the blood of the saints , and devoured the lambs of christ , and made merchandize of souls ; and therefore all who are in part departed from her , stay not in the suburbs , but come out of her city , and the adjacent places there , that ye be not partakers of the judgment which is to come upon her ▪ but oh! abundance of darkness remains yet in the nations , and even in the protestant churches , who hold up things yet which were invented by her , insomuch that one belonging to the church of rome , dionysius petavius a cardinal , layes claim to the ceremonies which were practised in england in the bishops time ; for , saith he in his book called the history of the world , the religion of england and doctrine is calvinism , the doctrine of geneva , but the ceremonies are of rome , as they were practised in england in the year . in the time of leo the fourth , edelwolphus king of england went to rome , for performance of a vow that he had made , and was courteously received and accepted by the pope leo ; for which cause he ordained a tribute to be paid yearly to the pope , to wit , a peny sterling for every house in england that kindled a fire . now protestants look to your easter-reckonings , you have denyed the popes supremacy , and yet vicars and parsons receive his tribute of every house that kindles a fire , and this stands yet as a good and wholsome institution amongst you . and so for shame , let all that profess reformation , and the doctrine of godliness , and the faith of christ , and the practice of the apostles ●s their example , come out of things which the harlot hath invented , and say , as abraham said to the king of sodom , that he would not take a shoe-latchet , least he should say , he had made abraham ri●h : so let them that profess reformation , not keep a shoe-latchet , nor one lap of the whores garment , nor any piece of her ornaments , that she may not boast any more that we are made rich by her merchandize ; so purge out horn and hooff , and all the old leven out of your hearts , and out of your assembl●es , and come to believe in christ the true light , that lighteth every one that comes into the world , that he may be your law-giver , whose institutions are spiritual , and his ordinances heavenly ▪ which makes 〈◊〉 , and clean , and pure the comers thereunto : and so let the old romish 〈…〉 foolish ceremonies about worship alone , many of which are 〈◊〉 from the hea●hen ; and judge not any for de●arting from them 〈◊〉 persecute none for not observing of them ; for whoso do , will mani●est themselves to belong to the city which is to be overthrown ▪ and to be in the apostacy , and not members of the true church of christ , the lamb's wife . and many more things which stand yet amongst them called christians ▪ as set discourses have been set up called h●milies . and the aforesaid w. h. shews the gr●●nd ●here ●re they were 〈…〉 ▪ some complained that their churches and universities were 〈…〉 error , ( as many are at this day , by which there was a want of able pastors ; four sermons were appointed by publick order in the y●ar onely , and certain homilies were devised by learned men , and confirmed for sound doctrine by the clergy , who made them , and the authority of the prince which homilies were appointed to be read by curates of a mean understanding , and them that had but mean pay , as five mark or twenty noble a year , of which sort we had many in england in the year . i desire we have no more , lest more ignorance abound ; and these homilies were to be read after a certain number of psalms read , and the letany , and an epistle and gospel , and it may be athanasius or nicen creed , and this was the worship which hath been holden out even amongst the reformed as spiritual worship ; all which while people have been exercising themselves in those things , they had been further and further off from god and the knowledge of his truth , which is manifest to them that believe not , by the injunctions and ordinances of men , but by the holy spirit which leads out of all error , superstition and deceit , and all that believe in it come to be taught of the lord , and worship in that which is pure , and are acceptable in his sight . chap. xv. something concerring the general councils since the apostles dayes , though they have been all of one faith , and though i● hath been said , the church could not err , all which of the several councils belonged to the church of rome , yet see the difference . in that which some call a council or a synod at jerusalem , acts . when some dissention arose , because of some of the pharisees that believed , and yet would needs judge it needful for all that believed to be circumcised ; so they that stuck in the outward types and figures , would needs lay yoaks upon the necks of them who where come to the substance . so the apostles , elders and brethren coming together , seeing how the state of the matter stood , not disputing years together , as the council of trent forty years ; but they , as they saw in the wisdom of god , sent some chosen men from jerulalem to the gentiles , to certifie the gentiles by the spirit of the lord , that they abstained only from meats offered to idols , and from blood , and from things strangled , and from fornication , from which if you keep your selves , you shall do well , acts . they pressed not upon them the ordinances of the jews , neither the custom of the gentiles in the ●●belief , which since this the church of rome hath done ; and divers councils appertaining to her have cumbered people with multitudes of things and heavy yoaks , some b●rrowed from the jews in the unbelief , and s●me from the heathens in the unbelief , and prest their institutions and inventions as ordinances of c●ri●t upon all the members of the church , which are so many and so innumerable and all contrary to the primitive church ▪ and they have been of the nat●re of those councils that david speaks of , p●●l . . who took counsel a●ainst the lord , and against his anointed , and that was a council which condemned the son of god , christ jesus ; and these councils , though rabbies and great men , yet they erred from the life : but to come downward , among the doctors and bishops of that which they call the catholick church , the council that was held at carthage under cyprian decreed , that those who were baptized by hereticks ought to be baptized again , which others called error , and that council's proceedings were condemned : the nicene council decreed flat idolatry about worshipping of images : the council of constantinople condemned that proceeding and their decrees : the council of basil , as albertus phigius saith , decreed against all reason , and against the scriptures ▪ the council of arminium decreed for the armenians , that christ was not god : the council of calcedon , which was one of the four that gregory the great compares to the four gospels , that the decrees were as sure , and constitutions as certain and infallible as the scripture , yet pope leo did not stick to condemn it and all them as unadvised ; and these councils have been one against another , and the multitude of their votes is brought for great proof , not only amongst the romanists , but also amongst them that are separated from them ; so councils have erred , and have opposed one another ; yea , and the popes and bi●●ops of rome to leo the fourth abrogated and made void the acts of adrian , and yet they both said , they were peter's successors and infallible ; and stephanus bishop of rome made void the acts and decrees of 〈◊〉 ; and sabinian the pope commanded that gregory's mass and all pope gregory's writings should be burnt ; and all of these said , they had the keyes to bind and loose , and yet one bound that which another loosed , and another loosed that which the former had bound , and yet all these cl●●med infallibility : the council of carthage decreed , that the bishop of rome would not be called high priest , nor chief of priests , nor the head of the church ; but following councils have stiled him , chief priest , chief bishop , and head of the catholick church . the eliberine-council decreed , that no images should be set up in the churches , nor worshipped , nor the walls painted ; likewise the council of constantinople before mentioned decreed , that images were not to be ●●ffered in the churches or meeting-places ; but on the other side , the second nicene-council determined , that images were not only to be placed in the churches , but also to be worshipped , and the pope said , that images were to be lay mens calendars : the latter council under julius the second did repeal the decrees of the p●san-council : the basil-council determined that a council of bishops was above the pope ; but the lateran-counc●l under leo decreed , that the pope was above the council , and they decreed , also , that he that should ●hink otherwise ; should be held for an heretick ; and yet the bishops and and abbots in the council of basil aforesaid decreed , that they that judged that the bishops were not above the pope , were hereticks ; and yet these councils the church of rome layes claim 〈◊〉 , to be of their faith and church , and yet one making void what another hath decreed ; the same council did with an uniform consent remove the pope eugenius , and put amidius in his place ; but eugenius vilifies the council's decrees , and condemns them : the council of trent commanded that bishops should teach the people , and should have no more benefit for preferment then one place ; but since they have made this decree void , and now whole countries are too little , and the protestants imitate the same , and do not teach the people ; and so of what validity have these councils been worth ? or of what force hath the decrees been of mutable men , who have been tossed up and down like waters ? i nominate the several convocations and councils that have been amongst the reformed churches , as they are called , and their synods , one while decreeing this , the next throwing it down again ; and yet all these will lay claim to be ministers of the true church , and persecute as hereticks to death them who own not their changeable decrees and mutable institutions ; but such hath been the arrogancy and pride of her that hath set as a queen upon the waters , that she must be the only judge , and then the prophets must be slain . pope julius said , no council is of any credit , unless it be confirmed by the church of rome : and boniface the eighth saith , that no man in the world can be saved , unless he be subject to the roman church : and pope paschal thus said , as though ( said he ) any council could make laws for the church of rome , and all councils do subsist by it , and receive their strength from it , and that which the pope approveth or disapproveth : and so all confederacies and councils of men , who are out of the life and power of god , do decree that which brings the seed of god into bondage : now rome look to thy infallibility and universality , which thou so much cryest up , and thy unity , one while sets up one thing , another time throws it down again , when it will not serve particular interests ; and what a stir hath there been amongst them that call themselves reformed in these latter ages , one setting up this , and another that , sometimes this service for a worship , then the next calls it idolatrous , and then another service , and this ceremony , and the other ceremony , and this pater-noster , and the other creed , this catechism and the other catechism , these articles of faith , and the next synod makes them void , and so leads people into distraction and madness ; and this canon and the other institution , one while it's idolatrous , another while sacred and holy : and thus people have been led up and down many generations , to and fro , up and down , and persecution about changeable , mutable and alterable things , and the life , which redeems out of the world up unto god , hath been sought after ; and so all that look to have peace , and to enjoy the testimony of god's blessed spirit , come out of this babylon , this city of confusion , whose seat is erected upon the sand , whose foundation is laid in the waters ▪ and faith upon the human institutions of men , which are variable and subject to mutation , and come to know the rock of ages , and the unalterable council of the lord , and the wisdom of the most high to rule in your hearts ; and wait in the immortal light of god , which is within , that you may see overall these mountains of darkness , which are risen up in the apostacy , and over all the institutions , decrees , statutes , ordinances and inventions of men , to be before all these things were , and come 〈◊〉 him who is the beginning of the creation of god , who is that quickning spirit , by which all that believe are raised out of death , to be partak●●s of the life which is immortal , which fades not away , and the lord 〈◊〉 be worshipped in spirit and in truth ; away with all types and figures ▪ shadows and vails , human institutions and ordinances of men ▪ c●●●m●nies and vain superstitious traditions , which god hath no pleasure 〈◊〉 which god hath no pleasure in , which do not profit at all ; and whatsoever leads the mind into visible things , from the invisible god , is to be thrown aside as a mestruous cloath , and as the breath of abominable things , which god will confound , because he hath no pleasure in them ; for the life is risen , and the vail of the covering is rent , which hath been spread over all nations ; the night is gone , the day is come , and appeared in brightness ; the shadows are past away , and the morning of righteousness is appeared ; the son of god is come , who hath given his flock an understanding , in whom life , and blessedness , and peace , and everlasting consolation resideth and resteth upon his people for evermore . chap. xvi . something concerning the worship of god , whether that kings and rulers now in go●pel-times have any power from god to compel or force about sp●rit●al things declared , and some scriptures answered which have been perverted by them , who are in the apostacy , to maintain the be●sts power and the false church's worship under the reign of antichrist . when the lord brought israel out of the land of egypt by a strong hand and an outstretched arm , he made a covenant with them , & gave for●h a law at mount sinai , by the hand of mose : the judge of israel , and statutes and ordinan●es which israel should walk in , who were as a family , who came of one stock , and the laws and statutes which were then given forth , were concerning civil things , as concerning man and man , and betwixt a man and his neighbour , and for the government of whole families , and the camp of israel ; and likewise laws and statutes which concern'd the worship of the true god , which may be read at large in exodus , numbers and deuteronomy , and they that worshipped not the true god , according to the command given in the first covenant which was outward , were to have judgment executed upon them according to the law ; and moses , and the rest of the judges over i●rael , were to see the laws and statutes executed upon the transgressors , and if any were an idolater , and worshipped a false god , or a blasphemer , were to be stoned to death , or sabbath-breaker was to be stoned to death , and this was according to the law of god , and their blood was upon their own heads ; and when israel-lusted after a king , he gave them a king , and they had many kings , who were anointed of god , by his appointment , who were to rule in the same manner as moses , joshua and the rest of the judges had done , and whosoever was disobedient unto the aforesaid command of god , whether in things civil , or things concerning the worship of god , several punishments were to be inflicted by them for several transgressors , as blasphemers , sabbath-breakers , false prophets , and wizzards , and witches were not suffered to live , this was before christ the seed was manifested in the flesh , this was the old way , the old paths that israel were to walk in ; but this covenant was faulty as the apostle saith , and the ministers thereof could not continue by reason of death , the law was changed , and the priesthood was changed , and the ordinances and worship was changed when christ came to be manifest , the end of the law for righteousness ; now , as aaron and the rest of the high-priests were but types and figures of the everlasting high priest , so the judges and kings of israel were types and figures of christ , the king of kings , and king of saints , and law-giver , and judge ; and their outward power which continued but for a time , in compelling to the true worship under that covenant , or restraining from idolatry , did but continue until the time of reformation was but a type and a figure of christ , and his spiritual power and weapons , and spiritual execution upon his enemies , who are not subject to his government or power , seeing the father hath committed all power unto him in heaven and in earth , and moses the mediator of the first covenant which stood in outward ordinances , both the mediator , the covenant & the ordinances had an end ( when the better covenant was given , the covenant of light , and christ the mediator thereof was manifest ) & this covenant & ordinances pertained unto the jews , and the compelling unto the worship and punishing for idolatry pertained unto the jews only , who were under that covenant , and not to the gentiles , as it was written , to jacob he gave his law , and to israel his statutes ; to every nation he did not so . so they which would bring people now under this covenant , and the power thereof , deny the second , the everlasting covenant , and his power ; and they that would preach up compelling and forcing to worship , and bring those scriptures of the first covenant to be their ground , are ignorant of the times unto which they were spoken ; and upon this false foundation hath the false church persecuted about worship this many hundred years , and this doctrine is in too much credit with many in these dayes , who say they are under the gospel ; and this hath made people to hate and persecute one another . and the ministers of antichrist have pressed it upon kings and rulers , that god hath required it of them to enforce , and enjoyn all people unto a worship , although they themselves are divided among themselves , one while for this thing , and another while for that ; and because the kings of israel did so , and had power to do , therefore they have concluded that princes and judges ought to do so , and so have made them put their neck in a yoak which is too heavy for them to bear , which the lord hath not required at their hands , and because of this compellings and forcings , many hypocrites have been made , and many of god's peoples consciences wounded , and burdned , and many kings and rulers have lost their dominions , and they have been taken from them because of this , by the lord. so all that have intruded upon christ's prerogative , and soveraignity in this thing , are sure to be reckoned as no other but as usurpers , and intruders into that power which the father alone hath given unto his son , which power , dominion and glory , he will not give unto any other , as to be judge and law-giver in the hearts and consciences of his people . object . but some may say , did not the prophet exhort to enquire for the old paths and the good old way ? and did not the prophet say , kings should be nursing-fathers , and queens should be nursing-mothers ? and must not this be fulfilled in these dayes ? answ. this is true that the prophet did exhort the princes and people of israel , who were in the revolted estate , who had transgressed the commandments of the lord , and had lost their guide of their youth , & the r●st of their souls , and therefore he turned them back to consider of the dayes of old , and enquire after the good old way , that they might walk therein , which they were gone from ; but this doth not pertain at all unto this time ; of christ jesus is the new and living way , which all are to enquire after now ▪ who is the end of the law for righteousness , and the first covenant unto them that believe ; and as for kings being nursing-fathers , the queens nursing-mothers , this was prophesied by the prophet before they went into captivity , and how the heathen should have power over their kings , prophets , and priests , and people , and jerusalem should lye desolate ; now this the prophet spoke of concerning the return of them unto the lord , and they to inhabit their own land , then their own kings and queens should rule over them , and be as nurses to them , when they should return from their captivity , then jacob should rejoice , and israel should be glad , and this was spoken to the jews , and this had reference to their state in that time . further it may be objected , ought not blasphemy , and idolatry , and adultery be punished , is this to be suffered now , seeing it was punished , under the law ? answ. yea , this is to be punished , and shall be punished , and that even with death ; for as i said , the father hath committed all power unto the son , who will execute his judgement upon all them who will not have him to reign in their hearts , as it is written , those mine enemies that would not that i should rule over them , bring them before me , that i may slay them ; with what weapon ? with carnal ? nay , but with the sharp two-edged sword which proceeds out of his mouth , and with the sword of the spirit , which is the word of god ; and the spiritual weapon which runs through the blasphemer , and kills him , and slaves the false prophet , and southsayer , and inchanter , and idolater , and yet saves the creature alive , take one example of christ the new and living way , when the pharisees brought a woman tempting christ , which was taken in adultery , saying , according to the law of moses she ought to be stoned to death ; he that was the end of the law said , he that ● without sin cast the first stone , convicting them all that they were in the same nature , and yet did not approve of the adultery , but said , go and sin no more lest a worse thing come upon thee ; likewise paul said , i was a persecutor and a blasphemer , this generation who profess paul's words would say , let him dye , he hath confessed he was a blasphemer ; but he was slain with other weapons , christ slew the blasphemer , and the persec●tor in him , and left the man alive , and made him a chosen vessel to declare against blasphemy , and lead out of all ungodliness . and herein is the second covenant more excellent then the first , and the ministration more excellent then the former , and the dominion and gove●●ment of christ more excellent then the dominion and governme●t of 〈◊〉 kings of israel , and the weapons more excellent then theirs , and the pow●r greater then theirs , wh●ch is able to destroy the works of the devil , i● bl●●phemy , idolatry and adultery , and save the creature ali●● ; this is the better covenant , indeed the everlasting ; and herein is the mercy of god exalted , his dominion and power exalted , and christ the king of glory exalted , and these sins before mentioned , punished with great severi●● ▪ and great judgement ; for in the first covenant they slew with a temporal death but christ when he appeareth in his power and glory in flames of fire , renders vengeance within upon the wicked , which burns , and scorcheth , & brings anguish and tormenteth all them that are in that nature , and banisheth all them from his presence , and from the glory of his power , till that be dead and slain , which would not have him to reign , to wit , that which is born of the flesh , which is within ; and blasphemy , idolatry and murder are the fruits of the flesh ; where the flesh is not lived in , these things cannot be brought forth ; i speak not of the creature , who is god's workmanship , for that may be alive , when the birth and fruits which are after the flesh are both dead ; and herein is the mighty power of god made known , and his justice and his severe judgement , which all must pass through before they come to witness eternal life ; he that despised moses's law , died by the mouth of two or three witnesses , which was a natural death , of how much sorer punishment shall he be worthy which treadeth under foot the son of god , and counteth the blood of the covenant 〈◊〉 unholy thing ? heb. . , . and blasphemeth . but further , it will be objected that the apostle exhorteth for a submission unto every ordinance of man for the lord's sake , pet. . . whether it be unto kings as supream , or unto governours , as unto them that are sent of him , and rom. . ▪ . let every soul be subject unto the higher power , for there ▪ no power but of god , and the powers that be are ordained of god. answ. from these scriptures many bad constructions and inferences have been gathered , as that kings and rulers were to be obeyed in all things , and that every worship that is commanded by a king , or superior ought to be obeyed , and that kings and rulers had power in spiritual things , to make a law for such a worship , or forbid such a worship , and all these ought to be obeyed ; and so in the apostacy the ministers of antichrist have brought in many inventions , and traditions , and humane institutions for divine worship and service , and thereby have pressed rulers to make laws , and compel all people to receive them , although they have been repugnant to the true worship of god ; and then such teachers have pressed such people to obedience , as of duty and necessity , because the aforesaid scripture doth command subjection to all rulers ; and thus hath babylon reared up her city , and gotten merchants to put off her merchandize , and so hath cheated both rulers and people , and hath led them to hate and destroy one another . now these scriptures , and divers others which speak of obedience to magistrates in all things , must needs be truly understood to be of things that are just and equal , which are only civil , and concerning things between man and man , and the ordinances which are for the well-being of a nation , or the good and wholsome government of a state , and cannot be understood of things spiritual , or relating to things appertaining to the conscience , or respecting things about the worship of god ; my reasons are weighty , for in that time the apostles wrote , whether peter , paul or any other , the magistrates were all heathens , as herod and pontius pilat● ▪ augustus caesar , tiberius caesar , and nero , who were heathen emperors of 〈◊〉 , and idolators , and at that time they had power over rome , and 〈…〉 jerusalem and judea ; and paul writing to the romans , and peter 〈◊〉 cappadocia , pontus and asia , who were all under heathen rulers , and did not worship the true god ; doubtless they enjoyned not submission unto the heathen rulers in spiritual things , for then they must have been joyned unto idolatry ; for if it be understood that they had power in spiritual things , which pertained unto the conscience , and that they ought to be obeyed in all spiritual things , then peter and john were transgressors themselves , when they taught boldly the things of the kingdom of god , in every city where-ever they came ; and the rulers in most places opposed and put peter and john out of the city , and commanded the apostles to speak no more in the name of jesus ; and yet they returned again and disobeyed their command , and their power and authority , and said , whether it were better to obey god or man , judge ye ; so that no king , ruler nor magistrate , as a magistrate hath power given of god to imprison , or force or prescribe any law or worship upon the hearts and consciences of men ; for that belongs only to christ the law-giver , the bishop of souls . but then it would be objected , if not as a magistrate , yet then as a christian he may enjoyn and give command concerning worship , and compel and punish them that obey not . answ. as a christian they have no priority , but as they stand in the growth of truth , not above others , for god is no respecter of persons , for the apostles and ministers of christ who preached the gospel , and had begotten many into the faith through the power of god which was with them , by which they spoke , and in things spiritual might have claimed obedience to their command much more then any temporal prince , and yet they said , we are not lords over mens faith , nor did they exercise lordship over mens consciences , but left every one to god's witness , and to the word of his grace , which was nigh in their hears ; and furthermore said , let every one be perswaded in his own mind , and said , if ●ny should be contrary minded , god would reveal it to them , and so waited in the patience to see the work of god prosper , and were content ; and so forcing and compelling about spiritual matters , by temporal punishments , and temporal laws , is all contrary to the apostles practice in the primitive times ; though the heathen persecuted the christians by their temporal laws for spiritual things , & about spiritual matters for the worship of god ; but we never read of any called christians that did so , till pelagius a bishop of rome or pope , when the emperor had given boniface the third this power to be called the chief bishop , and head universal over all christian churches , then he began to make temporal laws to punish about spiritual things ; and pelagius made a decree that hereticks should be punished with temporal death , about . years after christ ; so let all princes , magistrates and rulers , who deny the church of rome in her apostacy , follow not her example , but leave every one free to the lord in spiritual matters , as concerning his worship ; for to him must every on● give an account in his own day when it shall be required , from which the wicked shall not be able to flee . another objection , but then it may be said , what power will you allow to magistrates that profess the name of christ ? or how far have they authority from god to punish evil-doers , and encourage them that do well ? answ. it is said , by me kings rule , and princes decree justice ; there is a ruling by him , and that is a ruling in the power of god in him ; he that rules in the power of god , measures equal justice unto all men , and ruleth by the good and wholesom laws which are made by the will of god , which is according to god's witness , which he hath placed in every man's heart , and such a one is a temporal head over the temporal body , and ruleth in righteousness in temporal things ; but christ he is the head of the body which is spiritual , which is his church : now the law is against the lawless , is against lyars , stealers , swearers , cursed-speakers , murderers , man-slayers , man-stealers , violence and oppression , and deceit , and that which tends to the hurt and destroying of the creation ; and he that is the executor of the law , ought to infflict temporal punishments for temporal facts , provided that every punishment be sutable o the transgression , and go not beyond it , and in so doing he rules for god ; and the sword is to be turned against that which doth evil , and to keep peace amongst all men , and to keep down all strife and contention , quarrelling & fighting and keeping the unr●ly from devouring , and destroying one another ; and this is to rule for god in a nation in the creation , and to countenance the honest , upright and quiet , & meek ; and this is a praise 〈◊〉 them that do well , and this is that which would keep the nations at peace ; and here governours and rulers come to be bl●ssed , when the princes thereof rule in righteousness , and when people live under them a holy godly and quiet life ; but when godliness , and holiness and righteousness is counted as a crime , and wickedness , and violence , and inquity set up , that naion is near a judgement , and for the iniquity of rulers , kings and people , many fruitful lands hath the lord made barren , and that which is for the well-being , & preservation , and for the universal good of all people therein , all people ought to render obedience unto such command for conscience sake , and all people ought to obey rulers and governours in that which is good and lawful , and warrantable in the sight of god , and unto all just commands to yield obedience , not for wrath , but for conscience sake ; for so the lord requires , which will be acceptable and pleasing in his sight : and all magistrates who are christians , ought to be paterns of holiness and righteousness to their people , and to admonish , exhort and reprove the prophane and ungodly , and to the worship of the true god who is a spirit , and will be worshipped in the spirit and in truth ; it is the duty of every true christian who is a king , and a priest unto god. chap. xvii . concerning oaths in the first covenant , and the lawfulness thereof , and the unlawfulness thereof discovered in the new covenant , in gospel times ; though apostates mingle the ordinances of both together ▪ denying all oaths , proved to be no new doctrine . in the beginning when god created the heaven and the earth , and all things that are therein , by the word of his power , and set the bounds and the habitations thereof , and separated betwixt light and darkness ; and when man was created in his own image , in the image of god created he him , male and female created he them : now the image of god consists in righteousness , holiness , equity , long-suffering , patience , goodness , mercy and truth , the glory thereof is unspeakable , man being in this image there was no transgression nor sin , nor sorrow , man was bound unto his maker by the power in which he was made , yea , he was in a capacity to fear , love , honour , obey and worship his maker , from the virtue of that power and principle which god had placed in him , which some ignorantly call the law of nature ; ( but that is not the intention of my discourse to contend what it was ) but to shew that man was at union with god , and bound unto him by that which god had placed in him , in which his wisdom , power and dominion stood , to rule over all creatures , life was in him , there was no death then , in this the obligation stood , not in outward written commands or ordinances , but it stood in that which was eternal and invisible , this was before the transgression , here were no oaths yet , nor outward covenants made , nor outward ordinances . but after man had transgressed , and eaten of the tree of knowledge of good and evil , and gone from the power , and broken the covenant , he lost his wisdom , and folly entred ; he lost his dominion , and weakness entred ; he lost his knowledge , and ignorance entred , and an earthly part and a mutable came to have dominion , not that this was evil in it self , being subjected by the power and word in its place , and in the state wherein it was good ; but man being gone from the power , and from the covenant , joyned to something out of it , and out of the mind , and listened to that which should have been ruled over , that became a leader which god never appointed , and this led man's heart from the invisible god of life , and light , who is immutable , to lust after visible things , and mutable and earthly things , and into instability : and so his heart and mind and affections became more and more to be alienated from the lord , and his understanding more darkned , yet such was the love of god unto mankind that he did not wholly cast him off here , but followed him with his mercies , and promised the seed of the women shall bruise the serpent's head , and so it did ; yet the adulterers generation in the transgressing nature were great and fast , and there were but few before the flood , in comparison to the multitude who bore the image of god , and few in a generation , as abel , enoch , seth , and the rest went after the imaginations of their own hearts , and set up images and idols , and also after the flood when the earth began to be replenished , the cursed seed grew faster , and many great nations were ignorant of the true god , and made idols and images of wood and stone , of gold and silver , according to the minds of the craftman ; and worshipped them , and became in love with them , and swore by them : yet abraham the father of the faithful , feared the living god of heaven and earth , and god was with him in all his wayes , and he hearkned unto his voice , and obeyed it , and followed the lord where he led him , and god made a covenant with him and his seed forever , and gave him a son in his old age , and said unto him , in blessing i will bless thee , and in multiplying i will multiply thee ; and this was fulfilled , for isaac begat jacob , and jacob begat the twelve patriachs , and jacob in the time of famine went into egypt , and sojourned in that land , he and his sons , and all that pertained to his family increased and became a great people : but after many years the egyptians afflicted them , and multiplyed their burdens insomuch that god considered them , and the covenant he had made with abraham , and his seed , and sent moses his servant as a leader , to be a guide unto them out of that land , and they were brought forth by an out-stretched arm , and great was their deliverance ; and he led them through the wilderness , and fed them with angels food , and at mount sinai gave forth a law , and made a covenant with them sutable to the state wherein they were , for their minds were outward , and the covenant was outward ; their minds were changeable and mutable , and the covenant was so also ; and all these statutes & ordinances pertained to a party which was abo●e the seed , yet they were shadows of good things to come , a●d every ordinance in this covenant was but a figure or shadow of a more heavenly thing which was but to be in force , to wit , these ordinances , until the seed came to be made manifest , which ended them all . so all priests , offerings , sabbaths , fasts , feasts , oaths , though they were real in their time , and all vows ; yet the law was changed which pertained to the changeable party , when the seed of christ was revealed , who is unchangeable ; the first had an end , and continued to the time of reformation , take notice of this , this covenant was made , to wit , the first after the transgression , but when and wherein christ is revealed and manifest , the great reformer and the restorer , they end , and he leaves all to the beginning again , out of deformity to be for transgression , to that in which man was bound unto god at the first before sin entred , and to be for shadows , was all for the new moons , offerings , oathes and sabbaths were given forth to man , when there was a cloud , and a vail , and a 〈◊〉 over within , that the glory of the invisible god could not be 〈◊〉 this state , nor this naked and clear glory , but as that part comes to be done away , and crucified and subjected , and the cloud scattered , the sha●ow and clouds outward pass away , the apostle calls the ordinances outward shadows : and paul to the corinthians calls them a cloud , they were 〈◊〉 baptized into moses in the cloud ; and when the day appears , and chr●●● who is the light is manifest , the clouds are scattered and ended , the shadows fly away , and clear air appears , and glory and clearness is beholden , e●en the lord with open face , and yet man lives and is not afraid of his presence , but is glad because of the light of his countenance : but this is ● mystery , and these things are hidden from the wise and prudent of this world ; but this is the sum of much , there was a time , when there were no oaths outward before the transgression , when man was the image of god after the transgression , the oathes were given forth and the commands outward , but in the restoration or reformation they end again , and there shall be none ; for truth it self shall live , and it shall testifie in man , and there shall be no other witnesses ; blessed are they that believe and understand . but to come nearer the understanding of all ; it is granted that in the first covenant under the law , oaths were ordained , and men did and might swear , but this was after sin entered into the world many hundred years ; and the nations who were heathens swore , some by their kings , and some by their heathen-gods ; the egyptians swore by the life of pharaoh , and the romans by the life or fortune of caesar , but israel was to swear by the living god , deut. . . thou shalt fear the lord thy god , him shalt thou serve , and to him shalt thou cleave , and swear by 〈◊〉 name , lev. . , . ye shall not steal neither deal falsly , neither lye one unto another , ye shall not swear falsly by my name , neither shalt thou prophane the name of thy god , i am the lord , num. . . and if a●y vow a vow unt● the lord , and swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond he shall not break his bond , but do all that proceeds out of his mouth ; and so j●shua kept covena●● with the gibeon●ites , but when israel revolted from the lord in their hearts , and yet sware a true word and said , the lord lived , yet the prophet jeremi●h said , chap. . . . . thou●● they say the l●rd liveth , yet they swear falsly ; no truer thing could be said or sworn , then that the lord lived , but he li●ed nor in them , that did lye , and steall , and kill , and commit adultery , they held the former , but were gone from ●he life and power , and then it was a customary thing with them to swear , even as it is now among the apostate christians , and because of which the land mourns , and in chap . vers . . though israel play this harlot ▪ yet let not judea so offend , and come not yet to gilgal , neither go you up to bethaven , nor swear the lord liveth . and amos saith , they that swear by the sin of sam●●●a ▪ and say , the god of dan liveth , and the manner of bersheba liveth ; even they shall fall , and rise up again . so when they kept the covenant of god , they sw●re by the name of the lord in truth and in righteousness , but when they revolted they kept the words , and swore without fear , and prophaned the name , and did swear then by the heathen , by milcom , and the sin of samaria , even as the apostate christians now swear by any thing , yea , even the most religious swearing is by a book , which is not the living god ; and so this kind of swearing hath no ground at all but custom , and tradition , but still this is granted that the jews and many of the faithfull fathers swore , as jacob and abraham , and many others , and all died in the faith , and yet were not made partakers of the [ promise ] but saw through the vail and the shadows ; and an oath was a type of christ the oath of god ( and the promise ) but now the promise is come , and the restorer and the reformer is come , and all are to hear him , or else be cut off from having any share in him who is the promise it self , yea all the promises in him are yea and amen , in whom not only the children of abraham after the flesh , but all the children of the promise are blessed , and he who fulfilled the law , in whom god fulfilled his oath , who is the everlasting high priest after melchizedeck's order , he hath put an end to all oaths and swearing , and all the types and shadows . he saith , mat. . , . it hath been said of old time , thou shalt not forswear thy self , but shalt perform to the lord thy oaths ; but i say unto you ( my disciples and followers , who have believed in me the true and living way , who makes all things a new ) swear not at all , neither by heaven , &c. there being a generation then ( as now ) who said to swear by the greater is nothing , but he that swears by the lesser is guilty , he calls them hypocrites and saith , whosoever shall swear by the eternity [ the lesser ] sweareth by him the [ greater ] that dwelleth therein , and he that sweareth by heaven [ the lesser ] sweareth by the throne of god [ and him ] that sitteth thereon [ the greater ] and if christ had only forbid vain swearing and oaths , as most do ignorantly imagine , he had done no more then the law had done before ; but it is manifest , he forbids all swearing , yea , even [ by lord ] for if they that swear by heaven , swear by god that sits upon the throne , as he himself saith , then he prohibits this also , and saith , i say unto you , swear not at all ; and james . . who well knew christ's mind , saith , above all thing● my brethren swear not , neither by heaven , nor by earth ; now we know heaven and earth comprehends all created things , and yet the apostle goes further , and excludes all manner of swearing , saying neither any other oath , and this he commands above and before all things , and that upon the penalty of condemnation ; but much by divers hands hath been written about this particular ; so i desire not to be large , seeing we have a cloud of witnesses which have good assurance in themselves by god's spirit , sealing unto them , rather then swear and bring condemnation upon themselves , have denied their estates and liberties , which lie at stake upon it ; but happy will they be who have no hand in it to provoke the upright , and tempt them aside out of christ's way ; for wo will come undoubtedly upon such . and that others may see it is no new thing , take a few examples of the faithful in ages past , who suffered as martyrs , and it were an easie thing to bring a cloud of witnesses out of the ecclesiastical histories , of them that denied all swearing in divers ages , i shall instance only a few . polycarpus , who was as it is said , john's disciple , and had been a christian eighty nine years , when he came to suffer martyrdom , the proc●nsul requiring him to swear , by the emperor 's good fortune , and by caesar's prosperity , which was the custom of the romans at that time , and divers heathen emperors set up their own images to be worshipped , and their persons to be sworn by ; but polycarpus denied , and said he was a christian , and would shew forth the doctrine of christianity , he desired the same , if the proconsul would appoint a day to hear it ; so at that time it seems christians did not swear , as afterwards they did in the apostacy . and basilides a souldier , and afterwards a martyr , being required to swear , affirmed plainly that it was not lawful for him to swear , for that he was a christian ; so it seems that it was the mark of a christian not to swear . and the waldenses or leonists ( whose names are so famous amongst the reformed churches ) and who are said immediately to succeed the apostles , and were the most ancient and true protestants , professed it to be n● way lawful for a christian to swear . in defence of whom in this very thing bishop usher , late bishop of argmagh , primate of ireland ▪ pleaded their cause against the papists and jesuits , who are the swearers and breakers of oaths , and yet plead for swearing . and the plow●man in his prayer ( which is so much esteemed of and commended in the book of martyrs ) saith , lord th●● givest us a commandment of truth , in bidding us say , yea yea , and nay nay , and swear for nothing ; thou givest us also a commandment of meekness , and another of poorness ; but lord , he that calls h●mself thy vicar on earth , hath broken both these commandments ; for he maketh a law to compel men to swear , fol. . and it is one of john wickliff's articles ( whose works were as much esteemed of by the protestants in england and bohem●a , as despised by the papists and their clergy ) having his bones taken up and burned , forty one years after his decease , and his books , and these articles condemned by the council of constance , who also burned john hus and jerome of prague for holding john wickliff's opinions , that oaths which be made for any contract or civil bargain betwixt man and man be unlawful . and walter brute a teacher among the people of god ( in that age by scorners called the devil's servants ) called lollards , against whom the pope and the king ( richard the second , and then the ungodly bishops make so much ado to have the name of truth extinguished , and the professors thereof cut off ) this is walter 's testimony as concerning oaths , i believe and obey the doctrine of almighty god , and my master christ jesus , which teacheth that christian-men in affirmation of a truth should pass the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees of the old testament , or else he excludeth them from the kingdom of heaven ; for he saith , except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees , you cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven ; and as concerning oaths he saith , it hath been said of old time , thou shalt not forswear thy self , but shalt perform those things unto the lord thou knowest ; but i say unto you , thou shalt not swear at all , neith●r by heaven , nor by earth &c. but let your communication be yea yea , nay nay , for whatsoever is more then this cometh of evil ; therefore as the perfe●tion of ancient men of the old testament was not to forswear themselves , so the perfec●i●n of christian-men is not to swear at all , because they are so commanded of christ , who 〈◊〉 commandment in no case must be broken , although the city of rome , is c●ntrary to this doctrine of christ , &c. a good testimony of a blessed martyr . here it appeareth that the swearing which christ forbids is not only prophane swearing in the communication , for that was forbidden in the law , where it is said , thou shalt not take the name of the lord thy god in vain , &c. but solemn swearing which was to be performed , and that was the perfection of the law ; and kings and princes may take warning by this king richard not to fulfill the cruel and bloody desires of their prelates . and chrysostom ( who was bishop of constaninople ) in c●mmendation of whom much is said in the ecclesiastical histories , he blameth them greatly that br●ng f●rth a book to swear upon , charging clerks that in no wise they constrain any body to swear , whether they think a man swear true or false ; saying , that it is a sin to swear well ; now i mentioned before , that it was an emperor commanded first , that men should swear by a book , and this chrysostome reproves ; so hereby it may be seen by these examples , it is no new doctrine to deny all swearing , and there hath been a people very many years in the low countries , that have denyed swearing in any matter , therefore their yea and nay stands in courts of judicature equal with an oath , they being men generally of known integrity , whose yea is yea , and nay nay , in all places and matters , if they that despised moses 's law , died without mercy , of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall they be thought worthy of , who tread under foot the son of god ▪ &c. and disobey his commands , and teach others so to do ; they shall be shut out of the kingdom of god , and have no part with the obedient , who keep christ's commands , through temptations and sufferings , and are not offended at them , neither count them grievous they only are happy , and shall inherit everlasting life . likewise jerome who was an ancient father , and teacher in the church , which the protestants own , upon that place , mat. . . and james . . these are his words , it was permitted under the law to the jews , as being tender , and as it were infants , that as they were to offer sacrifices to god , lest they should sacrifice to idols , so they might swear by god ; not that i● was rightful so to do , but because it was better to swear by the lord , then by false gods and devils ; but th● great evangelical sincerity and truth , admits not of an oath ▪ since every true saying is equivalent thereunto . in like maner doth theophilact an ancient father of the church , whom the protestants own , and have often cited his doctrine for proof upon the place in controversie , saith , learn hence , that then under the law it was not evil for one to swear ; but since the coming of christ it is evil , as is circumcision ; and in sum whatsoever is judaical ; for it may become ▪ child to suck , but not a man : so that oaths pertained to the jews , who were under the changeable covenant , and the mutable covenant which continued but for a time , till the seed christ , the oath of god was revealed , & here he is revealed and witnessed , all the judaical types and figures ; and changeable ordinances have an end. likewise ambrose upon psal. . he saith , none doth swear aright , but he that knows what he swears , and the lord hath sworn and will not repent , psalm . ambrose saith , let him then swear that cannot repent of his oath , and a little after the said ambrose saith , do not imitate him in swearing , whom we cannot imitate in fulfilling : and indeed the principal solution given by him is , swear not at all : and the aforesaid waldenses , who condemned all manner of swearing as unlawful , they made it their care to avoid swearing and lying , and hereby they did give sufficient caution against all inconveniences which may come thereby , as to government in general ; for where a testification or assertion is made without an oath , is as sure as if it had been sworn to . and bishop usher doth esteem that place of matthew the fifth , swear not all , to be a sufficient plea for the waldenses against swearing : and therefore they who have any esteem of the aforesaid authors and of their doctrine , must not condemn the quakers ▪ as for novelties , or for broachers of new doctrine ; for reynerius , one of the popish inquisition saith , amongst all the sects which are or have been there is not any more pernicious to the church , meaning the church of rome , then the waldenses , and that for three reasons ; . because of their antiquity ; . because of their universality ; . in that they did profess i● no way lawful for a christian to swear on any occasion , which doctrine was contrary to the church of rome , which made rinerius and j●nsenius , two papists , so much envy the waldenses in this thing , about keeping the commands of christ ; and yet notwithstanding all this cloud of witnesses , both in primitive times and after ages , divers who suffered as martyrs did hold the same , and also the many testimonies of them who have dyed in the faith ; yet many are so wilful , and so peevish , and so envious against every thing which they cannot joyn unto , as that they will brand this doctrine for novelty and heresie ; let such consider how they will condemn this doctrine , and yet justifie christ's words , and them that have been reckoned as fathers and martyrs , and as orthodox , and found in the faith by all , except the church of rome , who too much imitate the jews , and yet are no jews , and they have been the chief cryers up of oathes and swearing , and afterwards give dispensations to them that break them : and therefore all who reckon your selves as christians , keep to the docrtine of christ , and the doctrine of the apostles , who were followers of him , and run not back to the jews ordinances , which continued but till the time of reformation ; and you that reckon your selves as protestants , for shame leave off that doctrine which hath been brought in by the apostates , who have mingled things together , without having respect either to time , or age , or people , and so have run back to the jews , and bring those commands and injunctions which pertained to the jews , and lay them as yoaks upon the necks of christians ; remember what the apostle said to the galatians concerning the works of the law , and concerning types and figures , gal. . . if you be circumcised , christ profits y●u n●thi●g ; and an oath was a type , as well as circumcision to the jews : and what if i say of all swearers , who have no better ground for so doing then the jewish oathes , which were types , and testifie unto every one , that he that takes an oath , and swears at all , is bound to keep the whole law , christ profits him nothing : and so let all people who fear the lord , and do believe that they have received christ in their hearts , the end of the law for righteousness , not turn back to the changeable covenant again , lest he who is the everlasting covenant say unto them , who hath required these things at your hand ? and also raise up his swift witness to condemn them who transgress his pure and holy & righteous commands , and would compel others so to do . chap. xviii . tythes in their first institution , unto whom they were due , according to the command of god declared ; and that tythes are no way lawful to be received , ne●ther sought for by any who are ministers of the new-covenant and the everlasting gospel , proved out of the scripture and antiquity . to omit abraham's giving tythes or the tenth part to melchizedeck after the overthrow of his enemies , and jacob's vowing to give the tenth , when he should inherit the land of canaan , because a voluntary promise only bindeth him that promiseth , and a free gift from one to another is no command , neither binding to all generations , because abraham gave the tenth part to melchizedeck freely of the spoil he had taken , and that but once , not of his family's labours or industries , but of the spoil ; this was a voluntary and a free thing both in jacob and abraham ; if jacob had not vowed , he had not sinned ; and if abraham had not given the tenth part of the spoil , he had not sinned ; so this is no command or binding example unto future generations , especially of them that pretend they are ministers of the second covenant and the gospel , but a very feeble and a poor thing for them to alledge . tythes were never commanded to be paid by the lord to any , but israel , whose law was given forth years after the promise , as saith the apostle , neither were ever payable but by the jews in the land of canaan , and to levi's tribe only , and to the jewish priests , that had no inheritance allotted them by the lord of all the land of canaan , or beyond jordan , but only tythes or tenth part among the brethren , and that only according to the command of the lord , deut. . . ezek. . . for the office of the priesthood , and for the service of the tabernacle : at the giving forth of the law , after israel came out of egypt , god chose aaron and his sons for the office of the priesthood , and the rest of the tribe of levi for the service of the tabernacle ; god gave unto the levites by commandment all the tenth in israel for an inheritance for their service ; and the levites out of their tythes were to offer up to the lord a tenth part of the tythes , and give it unto aaron the priest for himself and his sons ; and no other portion had the levitical priests out of the tythes , but the tenth of the tenth ; as for the rest of the tythes , they were for the levites that did serve at the tabernacles , and for strangers , for fatherless and widdows . moreover the tenth of the tythes the priest had ▪ the first ripe fruits of the ground , of wheat , of barly , of figs , grapes and olives , of pomegranat●s and dates , at what quantity the owner pleased , a heave-offering also of corn , wine and oyl , fleece were given to the priests at the th part , sometime the th at the devotion of the owner . but how comes it to pass that they that pretend another priesthood then this , should receive the tenth of all , of unclean beasts , as pigs and fo●ls , a●d of such things as we never read of tythable under the law , of eggs , geese and turnips , and the tenth of the wood for faggots for the fire , and yet are not of this priesthood , but pretend to be bishops and elders in the christian church ? so they cannot distinguish of the time , neither of the ministration , neither of service and worship that belongs to each covenant , else they would be ashamed to claim title to aaron's tythes and the levites , that were given to them that had no portion among their brethren in the land ; but these bishops , presbyters and priests have a great part of some counties and diocesses for their revenue , and their inferior officers tythes of such things as were never tythable under the law ; so what damnable deceit and hypocrisie is this ? is it any other but the pope's yoak , an absolute apostate for hundreds of years ? and must this be received and enjoyned as apostolical doctrine ? oh for shame ! let it never be mentioned among them that call themselves ministers of christ , neither of any who profess themselves to be christians . but to return to the levitical priesthood , no tythes did the priests receive under the law of the people ; for those belonged to the levites , exod. . . that were appointed over the tabernacle , to bear it , and to take it down , and to set it up , to serve aaron and his sons , and to keep the instruments thereof ; and for the better ordering of things , they were divided into three parts , the coathites , the gershonites and the mararites , and these received tythes of the people , and delivered , the priests did not all ; so our tythe-taking priests are contrary to the law and first covenant , and the gospel also , and therefore to be looked upon as no other then anti-christians ; but to return to aaron's priesthood in the first covenant , they grew and multiplied , and then the priests were divided into twenty four ranks or courses , of which our prebends , deans and chapters take their example or imitation , so to serve by their turns at cathedrals , as they are called , or else from the church of rome , which is worse ; but the latter i am rather enclined to believe , because there was no such name of any ministers among the jews , neither in the primitive church , truly so called ; but the priests gave attendance to execute their office , and burn incense , as his turn came ; and hereupon zecharias , who is said to be of the course of abiah , luke . the levites that were singers were divided into twenty four ranks also or courses , of which i believe the present quiristers or surpless-men do imitate , and will bring the levites for a proof concerning their office ; but we cannot receive judaism for christianity , neither their practice for apostolical ordinances in the church of christ. the priests and the levites being separated for the work of the lord in the tabernacle and temple , ministred according to the command and ordinances of the first covenant , which were only figures of things to come , and shadows of things that were but to continue until the time of reformation , and then they all had an end , both the priesthood and the levites , and their service , and office , and maintenance , and tythes ended , as the apostle saith to the hebrews , the priesthood is changed , and the law is changed , by which they received these tythes for the work aforesaid ; but to descend , and to come unto the primitive time , we shall see whether tythes were paid or no to gospel-ministers in the second covenant . in the fulness of time god raised up another priest , christ jesus , who was not of the tribe of levi , nor consecrated after the order of aaron ; so ▪ he pertained to another tribe , of which no man gave attendance to the altar ; he obtained a more excellent ministry , and of a greater and a more perfect tabernacle , not of the former building , he being the sum and substance of all the figures under the first covenant , he put an end to the first priesthood , with all its shadows and carnal ordinances , and changing the priesthood which had a command to take tythes of their brethren , there was made of necessity also a change of the law , and a disannulling of the commandment going before . christ jesus when he had finished his office upon earth by fulfilling all righteousness , he offered up himself through the eternal spirit a sacrifice unto god , without spot ; the apostles and ministers who were made partakers of the divine nature , and of the word of reconciliation , did not look back to the former ordinances of the first priesthood , but testified an end was put to them , and witnessed against the temple wherein the priests ministred ; paul and likewise stephen were stoned , and against circumcision , saying , it was not that of the flesh , and against all the outward ordinances of that covenant , and called them carnal , and preached up christ jesus and his doctrine , the new and living way , which was not manifest while the first tabernacle was standing ; they preached freely the everlasting gospel , and did not desire or require setled maintenance , but were ministred to only by them who had believed their report , and were turned to christ jesus , and were made partakers of spiritual things , though they often denyed that which was given unto them ; here was no tythes spoken on , either to the jews or gentiles who believed . at jerusalem and thereabouts , such was the love and unity of heart among the saints in the apostles time , that all things were in common , and none wanted ; so likewise the church gathered by mark at alexandria in egypt followed the same practice , and the church at jerusalem , and philo ▪ judeus saith , in many other provinces the christians lived together in societies . in the church of antioch , galatia and corinth , the saints possessed every man his own estate , where the apostle ordained , that a weekly offering should be made of the saints , that every one might offer freely of that which god had blessed him with , which was put into the hands of the deacon of the churches , whereby the poor was relie●ed , and other necessary services were supplyed . in the next age monthly offerings were made , not exacted , but freely given , as appears plainly by tertullian apologet ▪ chap. . where he upbraids the gentiles with the piety and charity of the christians ; he saith , whatsoever we have in the treasury of our churches , it is not raised by taxation , as though we put men to ransom their religion ; but every man once a moneth , or when he pleaseth himself , gives what he thinks good , for no man is compelled , but left free to his own discretion ; and it is not bestowed in vanity , but relieving the poor , and for maintenance of poor children destitute of parents , and aged people , and such as are cast into prisons for professing the christian faith ▪ and that this way of contribution continued till the great persecution under maximinian and dioclesian about the year . as eusebius witnesseth ▪ ●nd so d●th tertullian , origen , cyprian and others . also about this time some land was given to the church by them that believed , & the revenue thereof was distributed , as other free gifts were , by the deacons and elders to the poor , for the fore-mentioned uses , but the bishops or ministers medled not with them ; origen saith , it is not lawful for any minister to possess lands given to the church to his own use. cyprian bishop of carthage , about the year . testifieth the same , and sheweth how the church maintaineth many poor , and that her own diet was sparing and plain , and her expences full of frugality ; prosper saith also , that a minister able to live of himself , ought not to desire any thing to be given unto him , and he that receiveth it , doth it not without great sin : the council at antioch , anno . finding that much fault had been among the deacons , to whom it properly belonged to distribute the offerings or free gifts where there was n●ed , which they detained for their own covetous ends , the council did ordain , that the bishop might distribute the goods , but required that they took no part thereof to themselves , nor to the use of the priests ▪ using the apostles words , having food and rayment , be therewith content ▪ chrysostome notes , who lived about the year . ●hat christian converts joyned in societies , and lived in common after the example of the former saints at jerusalem , by whose writings it doth appear that there was not the least mention made of tythes in that age ; the church at this time living altogether by fre● offerings of lands , monies and goods ; the people were much pressed to bountiful contributions for holy uses , as may be seen in the writings of hierome and chrysostome , who brought the liberality of the jews in their payment of tythes for an example , beneath which they would not have christians determine their charity . chrysostome saith , i speak not these things , as commanding or forbidding they should give more , yet as thinking it fit they should not give less then the tenth part. and hierome also doth admonish them to bounty and charity towards the poor , not binding at all to offer this or that part , leaving them to their own liberty , yet pressing them not to be shorter then the jews in their tenths . ambrose who was bishop of millain about the year . preached up tenthes to be offered up for holy uses , as the phrase was then ; but his authority he produceth wholly from moses's writings ; likewise augusti● bishop of hippo , joyns and agrees with ambrose in this thing , but from the law given to israel take their whole doctrine , & threatned them with great penalties and heavy judgments from god that did not give their tenths ; but yet take notice to what end they requir'd them , that the poor might not want , and say , god hath reserved them for their use ; so by this time love did grow cold in many , and the power of god was much wanting , which would have kept the hearts of people open in love and mercy to their members ; and therefore they were much prest and threatned by the bishops , to give their tenths , not that the bishops had any better ground , but the jewish law for their foundation ; and so in process of time this doctrine came to be received , many following ? he opinion of the ancient fathers , yet hitherto it was not laid down as a positive doctrine , to pay them , as the jews did , but only brought the jews for an example , that christians should not pay less . leo ( called the great ) about the year . who reigned twenty years , he was very earnest in stirring up mens devotion to offer to the church , but speaketh not a word of any quantity . severin also . stirred up the christians in pannonia to give the tenth to the poor : likewise gregory not only admonished the payment of tythes from moses's law , but also the observing of lent , which he reckoned as the tenth of time in the year , and this he would have given unto god , saying , we are commanded in the law to give the tenth of all things unto god ; and thus ignorance began to enter in , and judaism among the christians brought in by their leaders ; and from the opinions of these and other ancient fathers , who took their ground from the law , tythes , easter , pentecost and other things came to be introduced and brought into the church . yet notwithstanding the doctrine and hard threats of some of the great bishops of that time , it was not a general received doctrine that tythes ought to be paid , till about the year . neither was any thing by the then church determined or ordained touching the quantity that should be given , though ( no doubt ) in many places the offerings of the devouter sort , tenths or a greater part of their increase were given according to ambrose's doctrine and others ; and then at th●s time the offerings or gifts to the church were disposed of in this wise , being received into a common treasury , one fourth part to the priests , out of which every one had his portion , another fourth part to the relief of the poor , and sick and strangers ; a third to the building and repairing places of publick meeting ; and the fourth to the bishop , and generally the bishop lived in some monastry , and his clergy with him , from whence he sent them to preach in the countries and diocesses , and there they received such of●●rings as were made and brought them to the treasury ; so that by the way the read●● may take notice , that the priest had no such peculiar interest in that which was given , but now they claim all : their meetings places , since called churches , were builded out of the gifts of people , and the poor were received , and the widdow ; but now tythes taken by force three or four fold , and people compelled to build and repair their houses or temples by force and the poor and the widdow have no share ; nay , have not many poor been cast into prison , and widdows goods spoiled by the priests of this generation ? and how unsutable these practices are unto the apostles , let all judge ; nay , they are proud of the ancient fathers and their words , but they will not so much as come near them in example in any thing th●t is good ; so for shame you protestants leave forcing of maintenance , and forcing of your wages , and forcing to repair your houses of worship ▪ and do not tell us of church , and antiquity when you are far enough 〈◊〉 their practice , though they were in a declining state , in this age i have been speaking of . and although divers of the fathers and bishops , and popes in this age did declare that tythes were due and ought to be paid , ( their ground on●ly taken from moses ) yet none of the first eight general councils did 〈◊〉 much as ever mention the name of tythes , or declare them a duty . the ninth general council held at lateran under pope calixtus the second , . mentions tythes , but speaks only of such as had been given to the church by special consecration , for at that time people being led to believe that their tythes ought to be given to the poor , did dispose of them to the heads and rulers of religious houses who kept open hospitality for the poor and for strangers , they were esteemed holy and good treasurers for the poor , who took care of distribution of them , as is testified by cassian ; but the council held under pope alexander the third , anno . seeing much given to the poor , and little to the priests , made a decree to restrain peoples freedom , and indeed by this time much wickedness was crept into these houses , as histories relate . there was no law , canon or constitution of any general council as yet found , that did command tythes , or expresly supposed them a duty of common right before the council of lateran , held in the year under pope innocent the third , about which time the pope's power was grown great and powerful ; but still the people had greater mind to give them to the poor , then to the priest , and made innocent complain and cryed out against those that gave their tythes and first fruits to the poor , and not to the priests , as hainous offenders . at a council held at lyons under pope gregory the in the year . it was constituted , that it should not thenceforth be lawful for men to give their tythes at their own pleasure , as they had done before , but to pay all to the mother-church . but the great decree which speaks most plain , and till then nothing was given forth which did constitute them , but rather supposed them as by former right , was made at the council of trent under pope pius the th , about the year . they commanded tythes to be paid under the penalties of excommunication about the year , , , and after tythes were called the lord's goods , the patrimony of the poor , according to ambrose , jerom , and chrysostom's doctrine only , borrowed from the jews . so thus in short i have shown , that tythes were never reckoned as due to the clergy for a thousand years , but they did give them as they would ▪ and how much they would , and that without compulsion , till the height of popery and the power of darkness spread over all , and since for●ing constitutions have been made by councils of priests : and so you who look upon your selves to be ministers of christ , and to follow the doctrine of the primitive times , for shame cease from those things of takeing tythes and giving tythes , which was ordained and constituted in the mid-night of popery , when the power of god was lost , which should have opned peoples hearts both to the poor and to the ministry , and then this false church began to force and compel , or else they could not have subsisted , for the doctrine had little influence upon peoples hearts . about the year six hundred or soon after , gregory the first , then the pope of rome sent over augustin the monk into england , by whom ethelbert king of kent was converted , as they call it , but it was but to popery ; he and his clergy long time after followed the example of former ages , living in common upon the offerings of their converts , and those that received them , joyned into societies according to the primitive practice by gregories order , and that they should in tenderness to the saxon-church , still imitate the primitive times , that that might not make their religion burdensom ; but afterwards having brought a great part of the nation to their faith , they began to preach up the old roman-doctrine , that tythes ought to be paid , and having taught people that pardon of sin was merited by good works and the torments of hell avoided by charity , then it was no hard mrtter to perswade them to give their tenths , and lands , but also their outward riches , and the clergy had almost got a third part of the land into their hand . as concerning laws and canons for tythes among the saxons in england , it is reported , that in the year seven hundred eighty six two legates were sent from the pope adrian the first , to offa king of merceland , and ethelwolf king of northumberland , who made a decreee , that the people of these two kingdoms should pay tythes ; by this it may be seen that tythes were not reckoned as due for many hundred years , and indeed were never due in the second covenant : so these things that are so pleaded for by these hireling priests of this last age , which have no better plea then antiquity for their tythes and forced hire , may be convinced , that antiquity without truth is nothing , and yet the antiquity of the churches in the primitive times condemns these practices ; so that let all protestants deny these introduced institutions , and the popes wages , forced tythes and hire , which is antichristian . a cloud of witnesses might be brought out of the ancient fathers , who testified against them ; and divers martyrs , as walter brute and john wickliff , who suffered martyrs for testifying the truth against the idolatry and superstitions of that age. selden in his history of tythes , saith , that before the year eight hundred , or there abouts , there is not any general law that yet remains in publick , and is of credit , which ordained any payment of tythes in the western-church , for the eastern never any law that hath been observed , mentions them ; so the first giving of tenths was by the perswasions of some of the fathers fore-mentioned , for the poor and service of the church ▪ and they were only the free offering or free gift of the people , as alms , which were brought into the common treasury , first disposed of by deacons for the service of the church ; but they being sound faulty , it was ordered or decreed in a council , that the bishop or overseer should dispose of them ▪ to wit , the offerings ; but they were not compellable , who did not offer this or that part , but were left to do as they had ▪ freedom , only exhorted and threatned with the judgements of god , if they suffered the poor to lack or be in want . the predecessors of the protestants , the bohemians being descended from the waldenses fore-mentioned , did profess that all priests and ministers ought to be poor , and to be content with the free gift , or what the people freely offered them , so saith eneas silvius in his bohemian history , and it is one of john wickliff's articles , for which he was censured , viz. that tythes were a free gift as among christians , or only pure alms , and that the parishi●ner● may for the offence of their curates detain and keep them back , and bestow them upon others at their own will and pleasure . and this proposition aforesaid is maintain'd by j●hn h●s in the said b●●k of martyrs , page . that the clergy are not lords or possessors of tythes , or other ecclesiastical goods , but only stewards ; and after the necessity of the cle●gy is once satisfied , they ought to be tran●ported to the poor . at geneva tythes of all sorts are taken up for the use of the state , and laid up in the publick treasury . ambrose bishop of millan , as zealous a man for church priviledges , as we hardly read of the like , ambrose epist. . saith , if the emperor have a mind to church lands , he hath power to take them , there is no●e of as interposeth , the poor may sufficiently be maintained by popular collections , let them not create us envy , by taking of those lands , let them take them away if they please . it may be observed at this time , that the ministers were not maintained by settled tythes , like the priests of our time , but both they and the poor were relieved by oblations of the people , and by such lands as were given by the emperors to the several churches ; so it was upon this account that ambrose thus speaks ; and william thorp of whom i made mention , being examined in the year . being brought before thomas arundel arch-bishop of canterbury , and chancellor then of e●gland , gives a clear testimony against tythes , how that they were no gospel maintenance . in his answer he saith , in the new law neither christ nor his apostles took tythes of the people , nor commanded the people to pay tythes , neither to priests , nor deacons , and christ and his apostles preached the word of god to the people , and lived of pure alms of the free gifts , but after christ's ascension when the apostles had received the holy ghost they travailed with their hands , and afterwards he saith , paul when he was full poor and needy , preached among the people : he was not chargious unto them , but travailed with his hands , not only to get his own living , but also to relieve others that were poor and needy : and further he saith , tythes were given in the old law to levites and priests , but our priests come not of levi , but since , christ lived and his apostles by pure alms , or else by the travail of their hands ; at the which the bishop said , god's curse have you and yours for this teaching : and further william saith , those priests that challenge to take tythes , deny christ come in the flesh , unto which the bishop said , heard ye ever lossel speak thus : and further william saith , that the covetousness and pride of the priests , destroyes the virtue of the priesth●od , and also stirreth up god's vengeance both upon lords and commons , who suffer these priests charitably . and the arch-bishop said , thou judgest every priest proud that will not go arrayed as thou dost ; by god , i deem him to be more meek ▪ that goeth every ●ay in his scarlet gown , then thou in thy thred bare blew gown ; an answer much like a tything priest ; but i refer the reader to the whole testimony of william thorp , which is large in the book of martyrs . david pareus in his commentary upon gen. . , . saith , tythes or t●nths were freely arbitrary ; a man might give them , a man might vow them , or he might not , as he pleased before the law , but under the law they were comm●nded to be given to the priests and levites ; hence saith he , our clergy-men inf●r , if they were so of old , then they are so now ; but this doth not follow , s●ith he , they had a divine ceremonial right , but that is now ceased , they had tythes as a compensation of that lot they should otherwise have in land , ours not so ; ou●s have towns , villages , mannours , yea coutries and provinces , nor is there any end of their insatiable covetousness ; and he concludes , when the levitical priesth●od did cease , then did right of that priesthood cease , and the right of tythes did revert to god , as governour and soveraign of the world. great and large are the testimonies that might be given , both out of ancient and modern writers , who were the clearest in their judgements in their age against tythes , how that they were no gospel-maintenance , neither of divine right to belong to any ministry under the gospel , who professeth christ come in the flesh : what i have said in this particular might be sufficient , seeing so large things by other pens have been declared ; but i am the more willing to instance divers authors , who by our protestants are owned as orthodox , that they may be convinced that it is not a new doctrine , for which we suffer the spoiling of our goods , and our persons imprisoned , but that tythes have been testified against by many faithful in ages past , who died in the faith , who though they be dead , yet their testimony liveth , and will stand through ages , even forever ; take this of the primitive bishop . antonius de dominis the learned bishop of spalato de repub. eccles. lib. . christ himself though he were lord of heaven and earth , and the fulness thereof , yet would he not be possessed of great lands and incomes , though he seeminly complained , the fowls of the air have nests , and foxes holes , but the son of man not where to rest his head , luke . . yet did he not imbetter his condition , although to the effecting thereof , there needed no more then that he should will it to be so ; nor did he demand tythes , though a priest after the order of melchizedeck indubitably ; but while be went through the cities and countries preaching the gospel , and instructing man , for the kingdom of heaven , and twelve with him , several women , mary magdalen , joana , susan and others did minister unto him of their substance , luke . , . nor did he otherwise instruct his disciples , who were to be embassadors on earth towards man-kind : in the beginning when he sends them out , he did not bid them for to receive tythes , or teach people to pay them , but bids them to live upon alms , carry not with you gold nor silver , or any money in your purses , not a scrip , not two coats , not a staff supernumerary ; for the labourer is worthy of his meat , mat. . . the disciples of christ being thus taught by their great master , forsaking their livelihood and earthly possession , presumed upon the goodness of god , who would not so have sent them abroad , but that he would dispose the hearts of men accordingly in order to their subsistance ; so they relied upon their converts for their necessary supplies , and received the benevolence of several pious men and women who ministred unto them ; for so saith paul , have not i power to eat and to drink ? have not i power to lead about a woman , or a sister , as do the other apostles , and the brethren of our lord , and cephas ? cor. . . he at large and very clearly sheweth , how they who sow spiritu●l ought to reap temporal things . if one should ask the ministry of thi● age , by what right they claim tythes , they cannot say by a bettter right then the apostles had , nor i hope will not ; for they pretend to be but successors of them ; and if the extent of their commission be required , you shall have it in these words forthwith , as my father sent me , so send i you , or the like ; but if one ask , if they will stand to this in all respects , i have little hope they will comply in point of maintenance , i have good ground so to judge ▪ even many at this day who have in time past vaunted and boasted of their call and ministry , and have thrown many in prison for these popish tythes : now when th●y are like to be taken from them , would give over publication of their gospel , if they knew how to subsist for their books and bellies , which demonstrates that they had no mission from god , or else why should taking of tythes away from them invalidate it ? or do they judge all are converted ▪ there is no more work ? now such will be tryed who have boasted of calls and commissions , and if all were gone , they would preach for nothing or freely without gifts ; i am afraid we shall hardly find one of five hundred but will rather then quite cease the gainful trade , traffick in such merchandize as the time allows , though they must now be content with eight for a night-wake , and four for churching of a woman , and s●xpence for roading over a grave , or tythe-egges at e●ster , and rather then they dare stand christ's allowance , will take this and such allowance as can be gotten under hand and seal , as the time will afford them ; but to return to that which was in my heart to shew out of antiquity , tythes no gospel m●intenance prosper saith , they do live upon the gospel , who will be propriators of nothing , who neither have , nor desire to have any thing , not possessing their own , but the common goods ; what is it to live of the gospel , but that he who l●bours should receive necessary supplies by them amon●st whom he labours , without forc●ng , though paul him●elf would not make use of h●s permission , lest he should create an offenc● b●t laboured with his hands being a tent-maker , and they that would receive it by voluntary contributions , were the apostles and others who laboured in the gospel . cyril of alexandria speaking upon that passage of abraham , gen. . who after he had gained victory over the king of sodom's enemies , and rescued lot , when the king offered him part of the spoils , he would receive nothing but a few victuals , though saith he , the holy teachers do war in the behalf of perishing mankind , and thou●h they undergo much pains , yet do they not take anyth●ng from the men of the world , nor do they heap up unto themselves riches , lest the world should say , i have made you rich , they only ought to receive their sustenance from the hands of those whom they have benefited ; for it is christ's command saith he , that he who teacheth the gospel should live thereby ; so that it is evident that very many of ancient fathers , whom this generation of teachers have talked so much on , did deny tythes and forced m●intenance from the world ; but in this point it is like they may be judged for erroneous , or weak sighted ( as they do the quakers ) or m●n of weak understanding ; but i see many will tr●duce them in words , but few in practice . pe●er and john say , silver and gold have i none ; behold the riches of those who were priests of christ , but let us quickly aply these things saith he , unto ourselves , who are prohibited by the law of christ , if we have any regard thereunto , to have possessions in the country , or houses in the city , what do i say ? possessions houses , no , not to multiply coats or money , if we have food and raiment let us be there with content ; hierom writing to nepotianus a clergy-man , doth much extol ●he poverty of the clergy , as a levite and a priest , saith he , i love and am supplied with the oblations of the altar , having food , having cloath i will be content therewith , and naked follow the naked cross ; i beseech you , that you would not transform our spiritual warfare into a carnal one , nor imagine yourself in the clergy , as if you were in an army getting spoils , nor seek after no more then wh●n you came first into the clergy , lest it be said to you , their lot shall not profit them . the al●igenses bedemontane protestants have preserved their religion incorrupt , longer then any church with a ministry endowed with tythes and hire in the world ; and likewise the primitive times never wanted able teachers as the best histories say , although they lived either upon their labour , or the free offering of them that were converted , and were not so disquieted with political complying opinions , and curiosities , and niceties , and distinctions , and contentions , until constance began to enrich , and give lands and great revenues to the church ; and then they began to side and controvert in state matters , and grew into pride , idleness and fulness , insomuch that histories say , a voice was heard from heaven , this day hath poyson been shed in the church . so you protestants view over your fathers , whom the ministers have talked on ; and so now if they will own their practice so as to walk in it , and let them never be reckoned as ministers of christ more , who cannot be content with his allowance , and let forcing alone about maintenance , and the tythes alone to the priest of the first covenant , and let ba●gaining alone for wages , and seek not hire of them you work not for ; and if your gospel will not maintain you , you have good cause to question it , whether it be the very same the apostles preached , and the primitive fathers , and never such a cry be heard more among people for maintenance and hire , for wages and tythes ; but he that hath the gospel , let him preach the gospel , and live of the gospel , not upon tythes , and forced maintenance , and set stipends ; for the gospel condemns this , a cloud of witnesses is against it , both in former and latter ages , yea , it is inconsistent unto reason to require tythes in this age by the ministry . first , the levites were one of the twelve tribes , if they were not the twelfth part of the people ; but so are not the priests now . secondly , they had no portion among the rest of the tribes ; but the teachers and priests now have equal to other men in lands and revenues . thirdly , the priests were but to have the tenth of all clean things ; but now clean and unclean beasts , birds and fowls , pigs , eggs , turnips , and every thing which were not tythable under the law. fourthly , their service was great at the tabernacle and temple , and in time of the war in sojourning ; it is not so with priests who stay over a few families all their life long . fifthly , seeing the service is abrogated , for which the levites had tythes , and none of the service performed now , no reason that tythes should be required now , when the work is not done , unto which the tythes belonged . sixthly , the levites were of aaron's priesthood , of which tribe christ came not ( but of the tribe of judah ) but these priests are not after aa●●n nor levi , neither their successors , therefore have no right to tythes . seventhly , that which was given by the command of god only to aaron and his sons and levites , and never to any other priesthood or ministry ; now seeing the law is changed , and the priesthood changed christ being c●me , these priests are unreasonable , who demanded them contrary to the command of god , which belongs only to that priesthood . chap. xix . respecting of persons , and complemental bowing , and worshipping one another , and flattering titles no good manners , but are in the transgression , and have been anciently reproved and condemned . although this generation have so far run after every invention and vain custom and tradition into complements , and flattery , and deceit , and respecting of persons , which is a thing in high esteem , as a piece of good breeding and education , and good manners accounted , not only among the prophaner sort , but even among christians ( so called ) who have conformed unto every vain custom of the nations ; yet they that know the life of christ cannot do so , and they that abide in his doctrine must not do so , though things be never so applauded by fallen men , whose glory is in that which is earthly ; yet god beholds not , nor looks not as man , but his thoughts are contrary to mans in that state , and that which the sons of men in the fallen estate do highly esteem of , is disesteemed by the lord. the best manner of walking is , that which the lord directs and leads into , which is pure and holy and incorrupt ; and the saints practice , who were taught of god , is the best example to follow , and their manners and deportment among the sons of men are chiefly to be followed , although that which is from below , doth and hath ever disesteemed their way , and the honour that comes from above ; although the heathen had many lords and many gods , yet it was said to israel , thy god is but one , and him shalt thou bow unto alone , and reverence his name ; israel was not to follow the vain customs of the nations , neither follow their example , who served not the living god with their hearts ; and multitudes are not to be followed in doing evil ; custom without truth is but a bad plea ; antiquity with unrighteousness is but bad proof ; that which leads into degeneration is not to be minded , but that which leads into restauration and innocency . the redeemed of the lord and the israel of god now , who now work after the directions and leadings of god's holy spirit , upon whom peace resteth , are otherwise taught , then to follow vain customs , which beg●t one another into pride , and deceit , and unbelief ; christ reproved the pharisees f●r seeking honour one of another and told them ▪ they could not believe who sought it ; was it reprovable then ? is it commendable now ? are there not many that seek it now ? yes , that which is offended when it is not complemented and bowed unto , seeks it , and would have it , and is in the unbelief ; what capping and cringing , what bowing and scr●ping , in which many spend much of their time ? what complements and s●igned speeches are daily invented ▪ and gestures and ceremonies , of which there is hardly any end , which people run into now , who call themselves christians ? many generations before cannot parallel it , and yet this must be counted good manners , and be reckoned as such : oh! the lord is grieved with these things , and they are abominable in his sight , and will provoke the lord to anger , if they be persisted in , and the honour which is from above they despised ; and what invented words and names , which puff up the proud minds , are people run into , and like ephraim in the transgression , feed upon wind ; that which will vanish as a ●ubble , and pass away as a morning dew ; god will stain it all , and the pride and glory of all flesh , and bring contempt upon all the honourable of the earth ; for the saints knew , who were come out of the respect of persons , that the fashion of the world , and the custom , manners , glory , honour and esteem thereof should pass away , and that all that come to the beginning again , to union with god , must dye to all these things , which are got and entered into the hearts of men since the transgression ; and while these things are loved , they alienate the mind from the living god , and from the honour due unto his name . and oh what strangers are men to the doctrine and practice of christ and his apostles , and to the primitive saints ! that it is even become a descable thing in their eyes , and their practice and manner of walking is now become an offence , and reckoned unmannerly , and not only so , but it is counted such an offence and a crime , as deserves punishment ? oh for shame look back upon the saints practice for your example , unto their manners for your imitation , and not unto the vain custom of the nations , not unto mountebanks , stage-players , fidlers , roysters and ruffins , who make a mock of sin , and live by the sins of the people . will it be a good plea do you judge before the lord [ when the secrets of all hearts shall be opened , and every action brought unto righteous judgment ] that you have followed the fashion of a nation , the custom of a court , city or country , or the most in the world , doth not the scripture say , that the saints should not fashion themselves like unto the world , neither be conformable to it , but rather be transformed in your minds , and seek the things that are above ? for , where the mind is transformed and changed from the earthly to the heavenly , there the actions will be new , and the works new : did the pharisees say truly of christ in this , we know thou respects no man's person ? yes , they knew it , though they tempted him ; and did not peter say , of a truth , god is no respecter of persons ? and did not solomon say , he that respects persons will transgress for a mersel of bread and did not elihu say , i know not to give flattering titles to men , in so 〈◊〉 my maker would soon take me away ? is not this a flattering generation and full of hypocrisie and deceit , flattering one another , when in a moment they are like to kill one another , hating one another , and speaking evil of one another , when as soon as one is parted from another , these things are an abhorrency in the eyes of the lord. consider what james saith , the apostle of christ , jam. . ver . , . . . , , , , . my brethren , have not the faith of the lord jesus christ , the lord of glory , with respect of persons ; for if there come into your assembly a man with a gold ring , in goodly apparel , and there come in also a poor man in 〈…〉 , and ye have respect to him that weareth the gay cloath●ng , and 〈◊〉 to the poor , stand thou there , or sit under my foot-stool , are ye not the● part●●● in your selves , and are become judges of evil thoughts ? hearken my 〈◊〉 brethren , hath not god chosen the poor of this world rich in faith , and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him ; do not rich men oppress you , and draw you before the judgment seats ; do not they blaspheme that worthy name , by the which you are called ; if you fulfil the royal law of god according to the scriptures , thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self , ye do well ; but if ye have a respect to persons , ye commit sin , and are convinced of the law as transgressors . and the apostle concludes , whosoever shall keep the whole law and offend in one point , is guilty of all ; and such is the respecting of persons , and giving flattering titles unto men , and they that do it are judges of evil thoughts , and transgressors of the law , and are guilty of all . marlorat out of luther and calvin saith upon this place , to respect persons here , is to have regard unto the outward habit , garb and attire , and accordingly to esteem or undervalue him , love or dread him , and that such respect of persons is repugnant unto true faith , and is inconsistent wi●h it , and concludes that none ought to be honoured upon the account of riches ; but this generation of hypocrites are gone further into transgression of the law , into honouring or disesteeming of men because of their cloaths or habit : a gold ring , a gay cloak , a fan or a feather , are become the only cogniscance or badge of honourable persons in this age among professors , but it was not so in the dayes of old , but modesty , gravity , sobriety , temperance , humility were the tokens of one truly honourable . jerom writing to a great person in the world named colentia , directing her how to live in the midst of her riches and honour , saith thus , heed not your nobility , nor do ye thereupon take place of any ; repute not them who are of a lower extraction to be your inferiors : our religion admits no respect of persons , nor did it lead us to value the outward condition of men , but their inward frame of spirit ; it is hereby that we pronounce men noble , and base with god ; not to serve sin is to be free , and to excell in virtue is to be noble ; b●sides it is folly for any to boast of gentility , since all are equally esteemed by god , n●r is it material in what estate a man is born : the new creature hath no distinctions ; or was this the doctrine of one single person alone ? for paulinius bishop of nola reproved sulpitius severus for writing himself in the title of a letter to paulinius , ( your servant ) he saith , in the title of my letter , i have not imitated your excellent brother-hood , because i thought it more secure to write truth ; take heed hereafter how you being from a servant called out unto liberty , do subscribe your self servant unto one , who is your brother and fellow-servant ; for it is a sinful flattery , not a testimony of humility to pay th●se honours unto a man , which are due to the one lord , one master , one g●d : so this is no new doctrine to deny respecting of persons , and flattering titles and complements , although it seem strange to this generation , in whom the corruptible part is exalted ; and that which is below the truth and the power of god , elevated in their minds , which despised the honour which is from above , and the humility and lowliness of the saints , and their plainness and innocency ; but all that come unto christ , and do b●lieve in him , and follow him for their example , will come out all these vain complemental flattering titles and respecting of persons , and will give all honour and glory and reverence unto him alone unto whom it is due , and respect him who is their life , and have a respect unto all his commandments , and unto that which leads out of the vanity of the world , and to the beginning again , before deceit , pride and flattery had a being , in the pure innocency and uprightness , where truth is spoken from the heart , without flattery and dissimulation , in all plainness . chap. xx. universities and schools of natural learning were of no use , as to the making of ministers of christ in the primitive times , but a thing introduced , and brought in in latter ages by the apostates , who had erred from the spirit , who then admired and set up natural languages and philosophy , that thereby they might be furnished to make discourses , speeches and sermons , to get money by ; and as they are holden up at this day , are made an absolute i●ol ; and as to their practice , it 's generally known to be prophane , and no way meet to advance the church of christ. christ jesus the everlasting high priest and minister of the tabernacle , when he was manifest in the fulness of time , to fulfil the work which was given him to do of the father , he chused unto him twelve disciples which believed in him , men who were not brought up at universities , neither had studied philosophy nor natural tongues , but some fisher-men , and such as were illiterate , to be ministers of the glad-tidings of the gospel of peace to the nations ; and their ability stood in the spirit , where the ability of all the ministers of christ now standeth , viz. not in the letter , not in philosophy , not in natural languages , not in grammar and musick , but in the spirit which qualified them , and from whence they received abilities to declare the word of righteousness , and by it they had skill to divide it aright , and to give every one their portion , and minister to every one suitable to their state in which they were , and they were skilled in the word of righteousness , and many did believe through their testimony , though they had not the wisdom that was from below , nor much read in natural languages , and some not learned ( at all ) yet they wanted not wisdom and utterance , and words meet and suitable to declare and demonstrate the heavenly mind of christ , although it is true ▪ many of the jews & learned rabbies opposed them , and set them at nought , the philosophers , stoicks and epicures resisted ; yet they desired not to be approved in that wisdom which man teacheth , but in the wisdom which is from above , which the natural man with all his natural parts doth not understand , and natural men with their natural parts despise the simplicity of the gospel , and they seek qualifications which the lord never sought , and such will not heed the qualifications which are laid down by them that were ministers of christ ; for they that had received the spirit , and were made ministers by it , were qualified by it ▪ and their holy conversation preacht unto others : they were vigilant , they were watchful , they were sob●r , they were in temptations and tryals , but their lives were of good report : no covetous persons , seekers , for their gain from their quarters , no lords over mens faith , no masters over mens consciences , but were servants unto all for christ's sake ; not like the ministers in these dayes who will assume the office , but have not received the gift of god , neither are so qualified or fitted as they were , who had no universities nor schools of learning , and these are they that cry up n●t●ral tongues and languages , as the chief abilities of a minister of christ a●d that none are fit to dispence the word of god , but such who are 〈◊〉 up and educated in these things ; and such in former dayes despised the ●ross of christ , and the simplicity of the gospel , and set up tongues above it , and so do they now ; but let us consider whether soon after the primitive times they had any such universities , or seven years prentiships as they have now , or whether it was their practice to be studying these things which be but natural , and whether they did esteem them as any way helpfull to the ministry . but that i may not be mis-understood , i know each language and each tongue hath a proper signification , and is not evil in themselves ; schools , of learning i am not against ; natural languages they may be servicable for natural uses , natural transactions in civil affairs betwixt nation and nation , man and man ; but as they are extolled and cryed up to be nurseries of piety , and to fit men for the ministry , as to make it effectual , i● utterly false , and more mischief is learned and impiety practised in these universities , then in any other parts of the nation , and indeed it is one of the main props and pillars of anti-christ's throne and kingdom , and th●t which upholds his seat ; and that they only , are the only fi●ted and called men to minister , who have natural tongues , and have read a little in a few heathen authors , and thereby are able to comment and make a discourse to the hearing of the ear , ( but god's witness is not reached at all ) and such dispise the spirit , and set light by them that enjoy it , which clearly evidences they are out of the power of god , which was among the first christians , who received the spirit and spoke from it , which is only sufficient and able to make a minister of christ ; so let us see what antiq●ity saith . gaudentius de mor ▪ sec. justinian saith , we do not read that ever th● a●tients did openly in schools teach philosophy , since they did rather 〈◊〉 and saith a good author , i would fain see a man that could shew th●t chri●●●ans either before or in the time of justinian did openly teach philosophy ; and hadrian saraviah informs us the primitive christians had no accademical schools like to those now adayes yet there was one at alexandria , but in these schools they read only catechistical-lectures ; and we do not re●d of any university of the waldenses , albigenses and bohemians ; f●r 〈◊〉 it of their teachers were tradsmen and handy-crafts men , and did no● spend their time in reading tongues , or studying authors . herald . animad . in ar . nob . the christians in the primitive times , living excluded from all honours and magistracies , did neglect these studies which were for the discharge of civil imployments , because that sophisters and philosophers were the principal enemies of christianity , therefore upon this account they condemned also all politick learning ; they condemned tragedies and comedies , and other poetical writings , being the main part of humane learning , as judging they did not conduce to solid knowledge . tertullian lib. de idolat . page , . judged that school-masters professing learning were guilty of great idolatry , because they only explained names , and genealogies , and fabulous acts of heathen gods : and generally believers in those dayes harboured a very bad esteem of natural learning , and generally the christians were provoked thereunto , because the gentiles did upbraid them that their teachers were illiterate persons , as combers of wooll , weavers , and the like ; these things being objected against the christians , the christians on the other side rejected all learning , as an useless thing , and no way advantagious to salvation , though their adversaries boasted of it . origen lib. . saith , the christians did declare , that men of any condition might be saved , servants , idiots and rusticks , and such as the world valued as fools , and that god did confound the wise in their own wisdom ; and celsus , as origen in his book , saith , that christians did proclaim it in their assemblies , let none that is wise enter , none that is learned , none that is prudent ; for thus it is appointed us in the gospel : but if there be any unwise , unlearned , any foolish , let him approach with confidence ; for these are fit to be the servants of god. guzentius in his animadversions ▪ page . saith that the gentiles did object against the christians , their rude stile , their harsh language , and how they were destiture of all addresses , calling them rusticks and clowns ; so the christians did again term the gentiles , the politick , the eloquent and the learned : clemens romanus saith in his writings , lib. . chap. . abstain from all the books of the gentiles ; for what have you to do with strange discourses or laws , or false prophets , which seduce weak men from the truth ? in the council at carthage there was a canon made distinct , . cap. epist. citante jac. laurentio de lib. gentil . page . let not a bishop read heathen authors . gracian saith , we see the priests of the lord neglecting the gospel , and the prophets they read comedies , and read loves verses out of beuchlies , they peruse virgil ; and what is a sin of enforced necessity in children , is become their delight : doth not he seem to walk in darkness and vanity of mind , who vexeth himself day and night in the study of logick , who in the persuit of physical speculations , one while elevates him●e●f beyond the highest heavens , and afterwards precipitates himself below the nether parts of the earth , and diveth into the abyss , and chargeth his memory with the distinct knowledge of verses . petrus bel●nius saith , in greece amongst the christians which were very many , there were very few learned men , because they esteemed not of it , 〈◊〉 necessity to christianity , though they could speak greek , and some latine ; ●ut few could write or read : in their libraries were several manuscripts of divinity , but no historian , no philosophers ; for these were anathematized : and all christians not to study poetry and philosophy ; yet re●der thou mayest understand that the greek church is highly owned for a true christian church , and highly owned by the protestants : yet neither they , nor the pickards , nor waldenses in bohemia , did value learning , so far were they from esteeming of it as the proper true religion , luther de institu . puer . inter . aper . wittenberg . to . fol. . paul exhorteth to beware of philosophy and vain deceit , col. . he had been at athens , and had acquainted himself with that vain glorious humane wisdom , and knew the multiplicity of contradictions which it had procured ; what then had athens to do with jerusalem ? what fellowship have the epicures and stoicks with the church of christ ? jerom. lib. . contra pelag. what hath aristotle to do with paul , or plato to peter ? a multitude of testimonies might be brought to this effect , how the christians did in former ages reject philosophy , and heathen authors , and all such frivolous stories , as no way lawful for christians to meddle in , nor any way good to propagate christianity . bishop usher in vindication of the waldenses by way of apology , he saith , god did chuse fisher men that so he might not give his glory to another , forasmuch as the little ones had asked bread came to receive it , and the learned being busied about vain contentions and disputations were sent empty away ; the waldenses , saith bishop usher de succes . chap. . . we are not ashamed of our teachers , because they labour with their hands , procuring thereby a livelyhood to themselves ; because both the doctrine and example of the apostles doth lead us to such apprehensions . and as for the ceremonies which are found in these universities and colledges , and popish superstitious practices , i shall leave the reader to read them elsewhere , which are so many and so superstitious , that they come little behind rome in idolatry ; and as for their consecration of priests , and the endless rabble of ceremonies which do attend at such times as they take degrees , is well known to many in this nation : and yet these universities and schools are elevated in some mens minds as though they were the chief propagators of christianity , whenas indeed they are an in-let of heathenism and idolatry , and no way of necessity useful for the true church of god. and it is judged by some learned men , and that upon good ground , that the present fashioned universities , orders and habits was from the dominicans ; an order instituted by the pope to suppress the waldenses , and their doctoral degrees by the learned are judged to be no oth●r then noval , and accounted antichristian , by the reformed churches so called in scotland , france , holland , switzerland , and the calvinists in high germany ; and so many doctors there are in the universities , who never knew how to divide the word aright , nor what it is to convert one soul unto god ; a doctor that is no teacher , he is a d●mb dog , and an insignificant piece of formality in the universities , which carries a shew of something , but is nothing in substance , and the chief practice is several ridiculous solemnities , together with a constant wearing of a coul , and some other vestments fecht out of a popish wardrope ; it was an article of john wickliff's condemned at constance , who suffered as a martyr , that graduations and doctorships in universities and colledges as they were in use then did conduce nothing to the church of christ , acts and monuments , page . didoclavius in his book ad damascenum pag. . saith , that hoods tippets and square caps were introduced by anti-christ to promote his splendor , and it is a stage-play dress altogether ridiculous , being a distinguishment of some men from others by signs , useless , and destitue of all ornament ; upon their shoulders ( saith he ) there hangs down a hood such as fools used to wear , being neither handsome nor convenient . bucer refused to wear a square cap , and being demanded the reason , he answered that god had made his head round . philp●t choosed rather to be secluded the convocation of the clergy , then to wear a hood and a tippet , who died a martyr for the faith of the prostestant church , as fox tells us in his acts and monuments ; and the superstitious hood is but a product of the old monckish mettle , grounded upon the superstitious exposition of that place , heb. . they wandered abroad in sheep skins , &c. and whether such men are fit to be ministers of christ who gave such expositions upon the scriptures , or whether it is not altogether detestable and idolatrous , and savours altogether of ignorance as to expound such a scripture as this , stand fast having your 〈◊〉 &c. and this must signifie the episcopalian girdles , with which they tye their canonical coats or long black frocks ; and whether this is a good foundation for the colledge doctors to stand booted and spurd in the [ act ] because there is mention made in scripture of being 〈◊〉 with the preparation of the gospel : see statute acad. oxen. tit. . parag . . and whether this be not ridiculous and foolish , to give for their arms the book with seven seals ? is not that a gross abuse of what is laid down in the revelations , as if the liberal arts [ two whereof are grammer and fidling ] are typified by these seals , which none were worthy to open but the lamb ? and as for their habits and black gowns and black coats , these have been borrowed from rome or else from the chemerams , a sort of people of old among the jews who were idolaters , hosea , . . some of the kings of israel who drew people into idolatry , and countenanced idolatrous priests , kings . who were attired in black : these were prophesied against by he●ea chap. . . they were supprest by josiah and ze●hany ch●● . . saith , he stretcht forth his hand upon judah and upon all the inhabitants of jerusalem , and cut off the remnant of baal , and the name of the chemarims , or black-coats with the priests . jerome bids nepotian , being to enter upon the clergy , to a void black attire . in tertullian's time every one that did turn christian , or was made a presbyter , did renounce his gown which was the roman vestment , and afterwards the clergy relinquisht dark-coloured cloaks for coats , and the clergy and laity in fine were both alike habited : and a bishop was condemned of the council of gangrae , for introducing the fashion of long sad coloured cloaks , that was condemned by the assembly un●eseeming the priest-hood ; all this is clear out of tertullian's writings depallio , with the notes of salm●sius thereon : and all these things had but a bad original , and were never commanded by god : and seeing they are made such idols of , ought no longer to be imitated but to be quite abolished . but some may object , though the original were popish and anti-christian , yet since they are employed to better uses , ( viz. ) for distinction , order and decency , they may lawfully enough be retained ; to this is answered , might not the jews have given the same reason to their reformers , that the golden calves and their groves might not be consumed & turned into ashes , because they might be better imployed to good uses afterwards ! or might not the brazen serpent have continued as well as the pots of manna ? yet when it was become an idol , away it must go : but the sum of all is , all these habits and attires have been used for superstitious ends , and pride , and pomp , and vain glory : so they that retain them , they do no more then the levite that stole away michah's gods from mount ephraim , and set them up at dan , where idolatry became a more publick worship : so all this innovated superstitious trumpery is no way advantageous to the church of christ , neither conduceth to any true order , neither hath any congruity with the primitive times , and is to be denyed by all that come out of babylon , and out of the apost●cy , into the primitive order , and the true churches practice , and the saints example . as for parish churches which i mentioned before , some say it was the decree of the lateran council in the year . but cambden saith , that dyonysius did only distribute into diocesses , and others judge into parishes ; and as concerning church-yards to bury the dead , it 's original is superstitious , and all the ringing and singing and the reading before and over the dead is idolatrous and superstitious : gaudentius saith , that of old times [ and so saith the scripture ] they did bury their dead in their own ground , which custome was taken away by pope innocent the third , he prohibited that any should cause themselves to be buried in unconsecrated ground , forsaking the sepulchers of their fathers . hospinian saith , that at last it became so superstitious in being buried in order near the church , that they judged it material even to their salvation . de orig. temple l●b . . chap. . the walden●es said , the use of church-yards is superstitious and invented only for lucre sake , and it is no matter in what ground any one is buried ; see usher de succes . eccles. christ. chap. . and how much there is of this superstition in england now , and what excessive rates are paid for breaking up ground , all is sensible of that ; it is only one of the popish nets which is holden up to get money by . and so i shall conclude these things and say with john , come out of babylon , and be not partakers of her sins , lest you partake of her plagues , for the hour of her judgment is come , and the time wherein her filthiness and loathsomness shall be made manifest to the nations , and her skirts shall be uncovered , and her abominable practices discovered , of which in part i have declared unto all in this discourse , that all may see the abominations , and depart out of the snares that led to death , and these practices which tend to destruction . the rock of ages exalted above rome's imagined rock , on which her church is builded . she proved not to be the only church of christ ; her corrupt doctrines proved not to be apostolick , but contrary to the true church of christ in the apostles dayes . also divers arguments answered , which may convince the papists , that they are not the true church , wherein a book is also answered , called , a catechism against all sectaries , newly published by c. m. in the year . by f. h. a member of that church which is coming out of the wilderness . a table of the principal things contained in this book . concerning the true religion , what it is , and where it 〈◊〉 demonstrated . the church of rome proved to be the false church . the pope proved not to be the head of the true church , a●d christ proved to be the head of the body , which is his church , and the 〈…〉 which 〈◊〉 church is built . purgatory proved to be an erroneous doctrine , which is held forth by the papists , and their praying for the dead proved to be another false doctrine , not commanded nor practised by christ or his apostles . the papists doctrine , which saith , christ is really and personally in the mass and in the eucharist , proved to be blasphemy and great idolatry . the papists mass and their ceremonies proved not to be apost●lical . the papists honouring of reliques and images of saints , and praying by beads , proved to be but the inventions and traditions of men , and contrary to the doctrine which the apostolick church held forth . the doctrine of forbidding certain kind of meats , and for●idding the scriptures to be read by all , answered . c●ncerning miracles . answers to eight propositions set forth by c. m. in his catechism aforesaid . the rock of ages exalted above rome's imagined rock , on which her church is builded . great hath been the havock and spoil that the beast , which john saw rise out of the waters , made against them , in destroying them who received not his mark in their foreheads ; and the cry hath been long , who is able to make war with the beast ? and great hath the suffering been ( these many ages ) of the children of light , and still is of the members of the true church of christ , which is in god , which hath proceeded from her who sate as a queen upon the waters , which are nations , kindreds , tongues and people , which have been the seat of mystery-babylon , the mother of harlots , who hath held out her golden cup of fornication , full of abomination , false doctrine and error , which the nations have drunk of , and the kings of the earth have been made drunk with , and all have been in instability , and have reeled and staggered up and down in the dark , in the night of ignorance , and have wildered in the mists of error , and lost the true foundation , and are gone from the rock upon which the true church is builded , which is neither peter , nor his successor , but christ , the true foundation , which abideth sure ; and all that believe in him , and have their minds staid upon him , know settlement and establishment in that which the gates of hell prevail not against . but blessed be the lord , he is come , revealed and made manifest , who is able to make war with the beast and his followers , and a discerning is given unto his servants , that they can distinguish betwixt the cup of fornication , and the cup of blessing ; and betwixt the table of the lord , and the table of devils ; betwixt the true church , the lamb's wife , and m●stery-babylon , the mother of harlots ; betwixt the heavenly treasur● , which is communicable to the saints in light , who are members of the 〈◊〉 church , and the merchandize and the corrupt treasure of the harlot , which the nations , kindreds and tongues have been forced to buy , 〈◊〉 reason of the forcing and compelling power of the beast ; and so the nations have been begotten into a strange nature , into the cruel nature , killing one another about the forms of worship and shadows , and the substance hath been known but to a few , neither the lamb's nature , which is meek and innocent ; and the leaves of the tree of life , which heal the nations , have been known but to a few , which is the cause of all the 〈◊〉 murders and massacrees , imprisonments and cruel torments which the nations have afflicted one another with , who have professed christianity , but have been out of the life , and out of the nature of the true church , which christ is the head of , which is wife unto the lamb ; and herein is the true church manifest from the false ; the false church hath propagated and encreased her number of members by force and awe and cain's weapons , and many have been forced into a belief , and a feigned kind of profession , rather then by sound doctrine or answering god's witness in peoples hearts and consciences ; but the true church , who is of the husband's nature , her weapons have been , are and will be spiritual , and yet are mighty through god to beat down strong holds of sin and wickedness in people , and hath by sound doctrine and a good example answered god's witness in peoples consciences , without forcing to any thing , but recommended themselves to every ones conscience in the sight of god , and would have every one perswaded in their own hearts ( by the lord ) of the truth which they believed , and not to take things by tradition and hear-say , as the false church and her members have done , and so have had no assurance of god's spirit in their hearts for what they did , and so doubts have arisen in the mind , because whatsoever is not of faith is sin : but god is opening the eyes of many , and enclining the hearts of many to seek after the assurance of god's blessed spirit in their hearts for what they do believe . and now reader , i shall present thee with a great fardel and bundle of the whore's merchandize , and of the counterfeit ware which she hath long deceived the nations with , which hath long laid as mouldy and rusty in this nation , but now new trim'd up , and presented again to this nation as for precious treasure , and it is not to be concealed in a narrow corner , nor put off under-hand , so that this merchant of babylon hath presented it to publick view with a great confidence , that people that have been tossed up and down , and have found no rest for their souls , at l●st may come to make a trial of this merchandize , and see what it will do ; but lest any should be cheated and deceived with such counterfeit traffick , i could not chuse ( having the knowldge thereof ) but declare against the deceit thereof , and to give warning unto all , to beware how they touch , taste or handle it , lest they be defiled and corrupted by it , and their understandings darkned , and their consciences defiled ; and the merchandize is thus tituled , a short catechism against all sectaries , by way of question and answer , wherein all the doctrines and practices of the church of rome are asserted for infallible and apostolical , wherein also is holden out , that the church of rome is the only true church , out of which there is no salvation , and some arguments to prove the same ; also in this said book all that are not of the church of rome are condemned already as hereticks and sect●ries , wholly to be without salvation ; newly published and translated by c. m. and london printed for p. s. . and though we have given publick testimony , both in word and writing ( in divers nations ) in doctrine and practice , yet such hath been the envy of many professors , who have denyed the church of rome , that they have accused us for holding popish tenets , yet now on the other hand by this popish author we are condemned as hereticks and sectaries , and to be without salvation : and thus they who have been under the beast's power in the apostacy , have tost us upon their horns from one to another ▪ and have pushed us this way and that way ; and every party and sect hath reckoned us and joyned us with them whom they judged to be transgressors ; but it is a small thing to us to be judged by man's judgment ; for our judgment is with the lord , and he judgeth in righteousness , and unto him we appeal , who in his own day , when righteousness comes to be revealed in peoples hearts , they shall come to know us as we are , and the truth which we believe and walk in , as it is in jesus . but that such a heap and bundle of false doctrine , and superstitious and idolatrous practices may not go unreproved , god hath put it into my heart to bear my testimony against it , and all the confused heap of darkness , which is laid down for catholick doctrine , and to discover the deceit thereof , lest any should be beguiled , and led into the dark paths of ignorance and error , and should become an inhabitant of that city which hath shed the blood of the prophets and martyrs , where now christ is crucified . first of all the author saith , there is but one true religion , wherein any can be saved . answ. 't is true , there is but one true religion in the which salvation is witnessed , which is confessed by all who profess religion , and every one will needs lay claim to it ; and many have contended , even by force and arms , since the apostacy entered in , and have killed and destroyed one ather about the name or sound , without the thing it self ; and all professors of religion who are in that nature , are not in the true religion , in which salvation is witnessed : the true religion standeth in the power of god , and to be exercised in those things which the power of god directeth every one in , who believe in it , and to be obedient unto the commands of christ , and to keep his sayings , and to follow his example in righteousness and holiness , and in that which overcometh the world , and giveth victory over it , and keepeth out of the pollutions of it ; and this is the pure religion , which purifies the heart and conscience from dead works , and teacheth to love enemies : now the church of rome is manifest not to be in the one true religion , but hath departed from this faith and this doctrine ; let all nations bear witness , where your religion hath been professed , how you have kept this faith , and walked in this religion ; if any have dissented from you these many hundred years , and that upon good grounds , as luther and calvin , which thou art so angry at , ●nd bring'st many calumnies against , and slanderous things , and lyes , ●f which thy vessel is full : now they , with all others that dissent from you , you have reckoned ( and do ) as sectaries and hereticks ; and in case it were really so , if you were in the true religion , and in the faith of chris● y●u would not destroy so many mens lives as you have done within these thousand years ; i appeal to all nations , where your authority hath been ex●r●ised , how many have you killed , tortured , burnt to ashes , and destroyed the workmanship of god ? but it may be thou ●udgest such a distinction as this will cover a little , as , to hate their heresie , and to love their person ; but how you have loved their persons , i hope engl●nd hath not yet forgotten ; instance john wickliff , whose bones you took up and burnt forty one years after his decease ; and how many hundreds more have been burnt to ashes in england in later years , as hereticks and sectaries , whose blood yet speaks and cryes for vengeance upon that city , that church or religion , which hath drunk the blood of the prophets and martyrs ? so in what i have said , the church of rome ( to all unbias●ed spirits ) will appear to be out of that one true religion and that faith and doctrine which christ delivered ; and so salvation is not to be looked for amongst killers and destroyers ▪ and so what i have said may convince the author of this book , that they are not in the one true religion , in which salvation is witnessed . and this roman church hath been alwayes visi●le and universal since the apostles dayes , and infidels have alwayes been obliged to joyn unto her ; yet one cannot be bound to seek that which is invisi●le ; and the marks and signs of thi● roman church are four , comprized in these words , i believe in the true church , which is one , holy , catholick and apostolick . answ. that there was a church at rome in the apostles dayes is not denyed , so there was at antioch , at philippi , at thessalonica , at corinth , and divers other places , that i might instance , which were as visible as rome was , and as much a city set on a hill as rome was , and not inferi●r in doctrine , gifts and good works to rome at all , but as to pr●●ed●ncy and antiquity may claim priority before rome ; and if he plead● that peter was at rome , and ( as he saith ) was christ's vicar and bishop , and if becau●e of this rome doth excell ( which the scripture is silent in ) jerusalem might claim priority before rome in this ; for he ( we read of ) was more conversant at jerusalem , and a minister of circumcision ; and paul ministred to gentiles , who preached two whole years both to jews and romans , which were gentiles ; but it seems , the very imagining peter to be bishop of rome hath made paul's work void , and hath turned his work out of doors ▪ but however , he which hath usurped the name of christ's vicar , h●th turned both peter and paul their life , doctrine and practice out of doors , to set up pride and deceit : but what blindness and ignorance is this , to judge that god hath bound himself so by promise to any place , th●t ●e will alwayes continue with them , whether they abide in his d●ctrine 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 : and though christ said , the gates of hell should not 〈…〉 the church ▪ had this only a limitation to one place ? if i● 〈…〉 understood of a place outward , because of these words afore menti●ned ▪ the● why is it not extended as well to ant●och and the seven ch●rches 〈◊〉 asi● , and the rest afore-mentioned ? have not the gates of hell and 〈◊〉 of d●rkness prevailed ag●inst them places ▪ and the turks taken p●s●ession thereof : and as for your church at rome , which thou say'st 〈◊〉 err , and hath alwayes been visible and universal ; what say●st thou to marcilianus , christ's vicar as you judge ? whether did he not loose his key ; when he sacrified to idols in the tenth year of diocl●sian ? but it may be then thy church must not reside in christ's vicar , but in a general council ; but hereafter we will consider , whether they have been alwayes one , and could not err . secondly , that whereby the roman church gives us a mark and sign to be the true church , to wit , universality and vi●ibility , makes her clearly to be an harlot ; for john saw the true church fly into the wilderness for time , times and half of time ; now if yours hath been visible and universal all this time , times and a half , then you are not the true church ; for universality comprehends all nations , kindreds , tongues and people ; and if this be the seat of your church , then absolutely your church is mystery-babylon ( and not the lamb's wife ) for she sate upon nations , kindreds , tongues , peoples and languages , which were waters . and here is your catholick visible church measured with god's measuring-rod ▪ first , to be the harlot , because she was never in the wilderness : secondly , because her seat hath been so universal and catholick , as nations , kindreds , tongues , peoples and languages have been the seat of your church , which are the waters which john saw , and so truly may be called the great city . and as for infidels being oblieged to joyn to you , this hath been because you have forced and compelled by your power and outward force , where you had dominion , and to escape your tortures , rather then by sound doctrine , or an holy example : or , secondly , because your religion hath stood in so many formalities and ceremonies , which have been very pleasing , and so near unto the heathens nature . and thou say'st , that one cannot be bound to seek that which is invisible ; i say , through faith god hath been seen , who is invisible ; and christ said , seek , and ye shall find ; and the kingdom of god is spiritual and invisible , and the natural and visible eye never discerned it ; for the church is in god , and god is a spirit , and christ is the quickning spirit , who is the head of the church , which is his body ; and the spiritual and invisible eye is that which discerns the head and the body ; and you that look gazing after things that are visible , have never discerned the members of the true church of god as such , neither have known them , but have condemned them as hereticks in all ages , as your generation hath done , who have been in cain's way . secondly , if unity , holiness , universal and apostolick , be the marks and signs of a true church , then yours is not the true church , no more then they you count sectaries and hereticks , which thou saist , are no more one then cats and dogs : the comparison is odious , and like a sn●rling , catching spirit , who would tear every one that cometh nigh thee . and what if there be protestants , puritans , anabaptists , independents and quakers , these titles are but nominal , and there is not one amongst all there , but they acknowledge one god , and jesus christ , to be the head of the body which is his church , and one spirit by which the saints are sanctified ; and they acknowledge christ's doctrine in words , and his worship , th●t it is in spirit and in truth , and walketh nearer to the practice of the apostles and the church in their dayes , then you do : and if in some things they do vary , why may not variety be allowed by thee , where it is only nominal and circumstantial , as well as thou canst allow variety of ave maryes , creeds & pater nosters , which thou saist delighteth ? but why hast thou not judged at home ? thou must not think to lead us like animals by the head , as your church doth poor ignorant people , to receive every thing for apostolick doctrine , because the church of rome calls it so , and cryes unity : might not the sectaries , as thou callest them , return this upon your selves , that you are not at unity , and not one ? what meaneth the diversity of orders in your church , which may be called sects , that is jerom's order , austin's order , gregory's order , carmelites , crouched fryars , franc●● , anthony's , bennet's , dominick's , trinity , b●sil , brigandine's orders ? all these kind of orders , and many more , with every one their distinct service , formalities and ceremonies , what a heap of sectaries are here , and yet rome cryes unity ! besides , what contradiction in your councils , may hereafter be made manifest ; and in your vicars , one throwing down & condemning that which others have set up for apostolick doctrine . so if unity be a mark for the true church , then you are without this mark and sign more then they which you call sectaries . thirdly , if holiness be a sign of the true church , you are without this sign also more then the sectaries , as you are pleased to call them : what cruel murthers , massacres , tortures , blood-sheds have been acted by your church , and that by commission from his holiness , ( so called ) christ's vicar , against them that have dissented from you upon good and warrantable ground , only upon the account of religion , because they could not acknowledge the pope to be the head , and christ's vicar , and receive all decrees , though never so repugnant unto the doctrine of christ ; yet because for conscience sake many have denyed such things , nothing but fire and sword hath been threatned , and the force thereof hath been known in many nations , as for instance , in germany and the low-countries , france , pyedmount , holland , england and ireland , of late years many thousands massacreed ( not in war ) but in holes , hundreds of houses burnt , men , women and children ; children taken from their mothers breasts , and knockt against the walls , toss'd upon pikes spears , wounded with swords , thrown into lakes and rivers , stript naked , starv'd in cold seasons , through such like in human and savage cruelty : commissions given from your nuntio's and agents to rob , to steal , even servants from their masters , even upon this account only , to weaken and enfeeble the sectaries and hereticks , as you stile them , to advance your holiness's chair , and to propagate your holy , or rather unholy church and religion , which things remain fresh in the memory of many nations to this day ; besides , doth not your church tolerate stews and adulterous houses in the cities where you have dominion ? besides ▪ pride abounds amongst you , more then the nation beside . and so your church hath neither this mark nor sign of holiness . fourthly ▪ as for your church being cath●lick and universal , you want this sign also ; if it be one , universal comprehends all nations , like a● all the world ( in comparison ) were your church : what , is germany , france , england , scotland and ireland , nothing ? what , is all the turks dominions of your faith ? and thou saist , in asia , affrica and america , all is coming to an end. there is that risen , and arising in america , which must spread over the nations ; the breath of the lord bloweth , which will daily dry up the waters , which is the seat of your church , which you so much boast of : and what , have you converted all the indians ? nay , have you not hardned their hearts against the name of christ , because of your cruelty and unholy conversation among them ? so that the name of christ and christian , is become as odious unto them , as mahomet is unto you ; and so you are without this sign , as that you are the true church . lastly . that your church is apostolick , if this be the mark of the true church , then you are without this also ; for you are neither apostolick in doctrine nor practice ; your weapons are carnal , theirs spiritual ; their head was christ the light of the world ; your head is visible and carnal , which darkens the world ; they turned people from darkness to light , and to the word of faith in their hearts , and to know christ in them to justifie them : but one of your rabbies told us lately , you had no such doctrine in the church of rome , as christ in you : the apostles turn'd them to the anointing , and to the spirit , to be taught by it , and to be led by it into to all truth , and to worship in it ; and you turn them to images , pictures , crucifixes , beads and altars , and so keep people in outward things , which feed the sensual and corrupt part . lastly , they said , bodily exercise profiteth little ; and most of your worship stands in observing of days , meats , drinks , washings , sprinklings , altars , tapers , lighting and bearing candles , bowing , creeping to the cross , turning wheeling this way and that way in all time and parts of your worship ; so that there is no time left for the heart to be exercised towards god ▪ and so you are not apostolical , and so are without this true sign of being the true church of god. but i shall descend to particular things , which are asserted , and seem to be proved , but very weakly : but we can expect no wine but such as is in the bottle . it is asserted by this author , that the pope is the head of the true church , in which salvation is only to be expected : and his proof he brings , is this ; christ hath so ordained it , in saying to peter , matth. . . . upon this rock will i build my church ; and christ hath given power to him and his successors , to be a head , to rule and govern the church ; and as there is an emperour to be the head of the empire , and a king of the kingdom , so peter and h●s successors are the head of the church , and have the keys of the kingdom of heaven , to bind and to loose , and to remit and to retain sins . the apostolick church hath this doctrine , that christ was given to be the head of the body , which is the church , which is spiritual , though in the world , yet not of the world ; and the father hath committed all power in heaven and earth to the son , and hath ordained him to be a leader , a teacher and feeder of his flock , and to be his salvation to the ends of the earth , and his glory he will not give unto another . but it seemes the church of rome hath soared so high in their concei●s and imaginations , that they judge all this power to be given unto the pope , peter's successor , as th●y say : now we do not read of two heads to the one body , which is the true church , ephes. . . . and so this is a contrary doctrine then that of the primitive church ; and christ who is the head of the body , he said , lo , i am with you to the end of the world : and so it is the meer arrogancy and pride of the pope to be called the head of the church , and an intrenching christ's power and prerogative ; and that ever peter was called the head of the church we do not read ; and that of the th . of matthew is but a poor proof to prove peter to be the head of the church ; for christ spoke unto his disciples , ver . . and asked them whom say ye that i am ? peter , as one amongst the rest said , thou art christ the son of the living god ; and christ said , upon this rock will i build my church , viz. upon him which was reveal'd unto peter by the father , the son of god which was the rock which the fathers eat of , and drank of , christ the rock of ages ; and another foundation can no man lay ( said the apostle ) then that which is laid already , christ the rock and corner-stone , and not peter ; for christ is unchangeable , and abideth for ever , and so was not peter , though peter and the rest of the apostles received power from christ ; yet in the d. and d. verses of the same chapter , he was gone out of the savour and discerning , and christ said unto him , get thee behind me satan for thou savourest not the things of god ; and what though it could be proved that peter was at rome a pastor , an elder , or a bishop , who fed the flock ; and did feed the flock , and so might be reckoned as an elder , and worthy of honour in respect of his labour and diligence in the work of christ ; is the promise so entailed to rome or to any place , that the next that succeeds in that place must needs receive the same honour , when he doth not the same work , which is worthy of honour , neither is in the same power ? but this i am sure of , though the church of rome lay claim unto peter's bishoprick , as they say , yet they have not done his work. and secondly , if peter was at rome , and a pastor yet he was not a lord ; for christ reproved that when they strove which should be the greatest , and said unto them , the gentiles exercise lordship one over another , but it shall not be so amongst you ; and though peter and the rest of the apostles who were in the power of god , had that which did open into the kingdom of god , and shut out that which did defile , yet this we are sure of , he sold no pardons nor indulgences for gain and filthy lucre , as many have done , whom you call peter's successors , and christ's vicar , and universal bishop , and visible head ; but it is manifest how the pope became visible head , and universal bishop , not because of any work or labour in the doctrine of christ , or the work of the gospel , but by means of the roman emperor ; for while the christians were under persecution and suffering , there was no talk of visible heads , or much of universal bishop , for then rome had no more priority then the rest ; for the churches at constantinople , at jerusalem , at caesaria , at cyprus , and alexandria for the first three hundred years , they had as much power in their several churches , as rome had , and often the elders or bishops of the afore-said churches did reprove sharply the bishop of rome ; but at last above five hundred years or upwards , phocas to aspire to the empire of rome , he murthered his own master mauritius and his children to attain unto the empire ; so at that time boniface the third was bishop of rome , and phocas somewhat fearing , and willing to have boniface his favour , condesce●deth to all his petitions , and grants him to be universal head-bishop over all christian churches , and there was the first rise of rome ●s visible head , for this frivolous reason of being peter's successor could never have raised him to that height , but then the emperor's power and authority became to be the more forcible plea ; for before that time the bishops of rome were chosen by the emperor's consent , but after he had got power , emperors could not be chosen but by the popes consent ; and then came the bishop of rome to be a visible head , and be called universal bishop , christs vicar , a lord spiritual over all the churches , and in process of time lord temporal over all the empire . and thus your church of rome became magnificent and great & to sit as a queen upon the waters , nations , kindreds and tongues , as you acknowledge your church of rome hath spread over ; and here is a head and a body which are joyned together in union : christ is the head of the true body , which is his church and his wife ; and antichrist he is the visible head of his visible church and wife mystery-ba●ylon . the next piece of merchandize which the auth●r brings forth to view , is purgatory , and prayer to be made for the dead , and also pr●yer unto saints and the authors proof is cor. . . whe●e he apostle speaks . every mans work shall be tryed , and that work wh●ch will not abide the fire , must be burnt ; and this the author calls , the fire of another world ; and prayer for the dead he proves out of of maccabees , and prayer to the saints : he sayes it's lawful to pray in this w●rld unto good people ; and paul while he lived , did pray for others , and also did beg their prayers : and the angel in the first of zachary prayed for i●rael ; and there can be no harm in praying to them that can pray for us . answ. they that dwell in the shadow of death are lik to speak out of thick darkness ; & they that have made a covenant with death , are loath to have it broken , and they that have a mind to continue in sin while they live , have a mind to put the evil day afar off ▪ & judgment afar off ; & evil-doers will never have it time to give account for their evil deeds , and so put it off till they are dead , and to another world ; and let ●he devil have prehemience in their hearts while they live , and reckon their sins venial , and light faults ; this is contrary to the doctrine of the true church of christ , and contrary to the apostles doctrine , who said , the wages of sin is death ; and there is no sin goes unpunished nor unjudged ; and sion is redeemed through judgment , and by the spirit of burning ; and purgatory is a fiaction , falshood , and a lye ; and there is no cleansing from sin in another world ; solomon saith , as the tree falleth whether to the north , or to the south , so shall the tree lye ; and the word of god , who have received it in their hearts , which is as a fire that purifies , and the blood of christ is that which cleanseth from all sin , and there 's not any cleans●ng from any sin , but by it , and there is no cleansing in another world ; but purgatory hath been invented , and prayer for the dead , that thereby the pope might be enriched , and sell the invented prayers and a●e ma●●es , and so cheat people of their money ; and there 's no sacrifice to be offer'd for the dead who dye in their sins , nor no remission after this life . and as for praying to the saints , the scripture makes no mention of ; and though paul did pray for others , and beg the prayers of others , yet he prayed not for them when they were dead , neither did beg the prayer of the de●d , but prayed for them who were believers in the true church , and desired the prayers of them that were living members , and were alive , and lived in the world , and were redeemed out of it ; and the angel prayed not for the people of israel when they were dead ; and that which thou calls jeremy's prayer in the maccabees , was never spoken by the spirit of the lord , nor the offering was not made in the will of god , and the prophet saith , though abraham know us not , and israel be ignorant of us , yet thou o lord , art our father . and the lord said unto david , seek my face , and call upon me in the day of trouble , and i will hear and answer : not upon mary , peter and paul , dominick and anth●ny . again , it 's contrary to the practice of the saints in the primitive times , and contrary to the doctrine of christ , who said unto his disciples , whatsoever you ask in my name , the father shall give it to you : he doth not speak of any other name ; neither is any prayer or supplication accepted of the father , but in the name of christ alone . so these doctrines are false , and doctrines of devils , never commanded nor practised by any of the saints in the primitive time , but only have been invented and practised by the apostates● who have erred from the faith and practice , which was on●e delivered unto the saints , which the church of rome hath made ship-wrack of in many things , which i have made appear ; and i shall proceed to more particulars to manifest it , lest any should be beguiled with such deceitful babylonish merchandize , which the nations are too much corrupted with already . the next false doctrine which the author layes down , is , that christ is really and personally in the mass , and in the eucharist : and his proof is luke . . cor. . . . for saith he , god who is almighty , is able to change bread into his body , and wine into his blood ( in the mass ) as he did change the water into wine , and make the world of nothing ; hence also by the way you may learn , that we are no idolaters , adoring the eucharist , because it 's no more bread , but whole christ , our god and redeemer , who placeth himself there by miracle after the priest hath uttered the sacred words of consecration ; yet the external accid●nt of bread and wine remains , as our eyes represent to us ▪ but faith tells us , the true body of christ is hidden under it , and the substance and nature of the material bread is there no more . oh! horrible blindness , and gross ignorance , great idolatry , and horrible blasphemy ; your priests by their words it seems , can make god who made all things , and can make chris● the redeemer , th●n your priests are greater then god and chri●● ; for he which createth and maketh , must needs be greater then that which is created and made : and thou confesse●● that it is really bread and wine before the priests sacred words are uttered of consecration , but afterwards it becomes the real and true body of christ ; yea , whole christ , our god and redeemer : so it is clear that the priest hath power , in your judgment , to make the body of christ , to make god and whole christ a redeemer ; oh! that ever such gross darkness should enter into the hearts of the sons of men : as for those two places in luke . cor. . it is but a pitiful ground for you to plead , that the material bread , and the material cup is the very body and blood of christ ; was not christ present , when he broke the bread , and gave the cup , and after too , and alive ? did they eat his body when he was with them , and drink his blood ? was his body broken for them then , before he was offered up ? and was his blood shed then , before he suffered upon the cross ? nay , it 's manifest he was alive in the real b●dy , after they had eaten the bread , and drunk the cup , and this was a sign unto them of his suffering for them , and of his death ; and as the apostle saith , as oft as they eat the bread , and drunk the cup , they shewed forth the lord's death till he came . ( and reveal'd himself in his own life and power ) and then they saw and felt that which was signified through the figure before , that like as the bread and cup did nourish the natural man , likewise their souls were fed and nourished with the bread of life ; and the cup of blessing which they knew and felt little of , when christ broke the bread , and gave the cup ; and doth not christ say , i am the door , i am the way , i am the vine ; and also , this is my body , and this is my blood ? why should one place be literally and naturally understood and interpreted , and not another so ? dly , and we do not question what christ can do , but what he did ; that he turned water into wine we do believe , and that god made the world of nothing is for thee to prove yet ; and that christ made himself invisible , and passed through his enemies sometimes without being seen , we believe ; but that he made himself invisible when he broke the bread , and gave the cup to the disciples , is clear contrary to the afore-mentioned scriptures , and divers others ; or that he conveyed himself so invisibly into the bread , and into the wine , as you ignorantly suppose ; or that he was so under it , as thy own word is , so as that he was not seen visibly by the disciples , even when they eat the bread , and drank the cup , and after he blessed it , is utterly false ; for they saw him before he took the bread , and when he took it , and blessed it , and brake it , and when they eat it , and a●ter they had eaten , he was visible in all these moments of time , is evident both by matthew , mark , luke and john in their narration of the supper ; and so all your twining , and turning , and vain arguments are made void . dly , we do not believe that ever any of your priests turned water into wine , or bread into flesh , or wine into blood of one sort or other , much less into the flesh or blood of christ ; for thou say'st , the external accidents remain , as our eyes represent unto us after consecration ; but yet the nature of the material bread is no more , as your faith teaches you so it seems you confess the visible appearance , which may be seen and felt , as to the natural aspect , doth remain ; that the natural elements of bread and wine still remain in sight , but the substance , nature and mar●●● is no more in being , i shall appeal to the light of christ in your consciences , whether this be true , yea or nay ; nay , it is so ridiculous a thing , that i dare appeal to any man or woman , that have not lost their senses , whether that which may be seen with the natural eyes , and may be felt by the natural hands , and tasted by the natural taste , be not the very same in nature and matter after consecration as before ▪ if the external accidents do remain , as you say they do , we will joyn issue with you in this thing for tryal , if you dare venture it and put it to proof , you and we with a joynt consent will chuse bread and wine , and you and we will both eat and drink of some part of it before , and then your priest shall consecrate it , and we will hear and see what he saith and doth , provided that he shall only speak to it , or pray over it , and then when he hath done , we will both eat again ; and if it be not of the same substance and the same effect , as to your own understanding , sence and feeling , as you are men and creatures , which if there be no alteration , but it remain the same in substance , in taste , in matter , nature and quality with that before consecration , then you shall confess your error , and deny your doctrine ; but if it be altered , we will deny ours , and joyn unto your faith. or secondly , if you will stand tryal , and appoint time and place for two or three of you , and two or three of us to meet together , where both parties may be secure as to their persons , you and we will take bread and wine , & one part of it shall be unconsecrated , and another part you shall be allowed to consecrate as well as you can for the honour of your church , and that which is consecrated and that which is unconsecrated shall be set together , and shall be watched by some of each party ; and if that which is consecrated do corrupt and decay , as well as that which is unconsecrated , then you will renounce your doctrine , and leave your killing about it ; but if it do not corrupt and decay , as well as that which is unconsecrated , then we will deny our faith , and confess that you are the true church . lastly , if you be not idolaters , there were never any in the world , who say , that to adore or worship the bread and wine after consecration is no more bread , but whole christ , your god and redeemer , who placeth himself there upon the altar by miracle ; it 's a miraculous thing indeed , that that which is given unto you by the priest , which enters in at the natural mouth , and goes into the belly , should be the body of christ , and whole christ , and very god and redeemer , as thou say'st , that one person should contain whole god , seeing the scripture saith , that the heaven of heavens cannot contain him , for he is the very fulness that filleth all things : oh gross darkness and palpable ignorance which you have led people to believe ! and call this idol that rats and mice may eat , whole christ , god and redeemer ; and you have destroyed and burnt to ashes many for hereticks , who could not believe this doctrine : therefore all people , it 's time to look about you , and see where you stand , and what you joyn unto ; if you cannot receive this doctrine for holy and apostolick by the church of rome , not worthy to live , and without doubt might not , if this church had but that authority which sometimes it hath had in england ; but i hope the eyes of many are open to see and detect this damnable doctrine . the author sayes , that ceremonies were used by christ at his last supper , and they excite people to their devotion during the sacrifice ; but for proof you must expect none from this author , and the scripture is silent in the thing ; and ceremonies and formalities are so far from stirring up the mind to god , that they ●ndeed draw the mind to be busied in the exercise of them , from waiting upon god , and from worshipping him in the spirit , and such worshippers are only accepted of him . the mass is said in latine , and the rest of divine service ; for if it were not , ignorant people might easily be mistaken , if these mysteries were done in the vulgar language ; and because the scripture hath been written in latine , greek and hebrew , and these three languages were written upon christ's cross , and therefore these three nations ought to use them at their mass and divine service ; but the priestly garments and ceremonies g●ve enough to understand , what is done at the mass and divine service . answ. this looks with a black visage to be apostolick doctrine ; but however i shall search into it , and examine it by the apostle's doctrine , before it be condemned ; it 's a good shift indeed to keep people from mistakes , not to let them know what they say or do ; but this is contrary to the apostle's doctrine , cor. . . , , , , , . if a trumphet give an uncertain sound , who can prepare to battel ? and except words uttered be understood , how shall it be known what is spoken ? if the meaning of the voice be not known unto him to whom it is spoken , the speaker and the hearer are barbarians one to the other : and when one understands not what is spoken , how can he be edified ? and all services ought to be done to ed●fication . so your church is erred from the apostolick doctrine ; and your mass and your service doth not edifie at all , but you are as barbarians one to another ; for your worship goes on in such a back road , that the vulgar people would soon learn it and know it , and ( it may be ) slight it , if they should know the worthlesness of it ; and therefore the only way ( you ●udge ) is to keep them in ignorance : and what mystery is there in the mass and your service , seeing that it stands in crossings , cringings , and abundance of endless ceremonies , and reiteration of words , which are patcht up by many authors , contrary to christ and the apostles doctrine : but it seems the priests garments and ceremonies give understanding enough to the auditors ; a dumb shew is enough for them ( like a poppet-play ) to make them understand the mysteries of your mass , an unbloody sacrifice indeed , in which there is no remission nor acceptation : and here thou hast acquainted us with a mystery indeed ! because latine , greek and hebrew were written by pilate upon the cross of christ , therefore they are called sacred languages ; sure the church of rome hath lost both faith and reason ; will any that hath a friend that should be crucified upon a cross , and an enemy who condemned him , should set over him words in latin , greek and hebrew in contempt , that therefore a man should count the cross holy , and the language sacred , as the church of rome doth , is great ignorance and idolatry , of which she is full , and therefore is not apostolick , nor the one true church , in which salvation is to be looked for , as the author would make people believe . the next false and superstitious doctrine , which this merchant of the church of rome holds for apostolical , is , the reliques and images of saints , and also prayer by the beads , by number and tale , as brick-makers sell their bricks ; and this the church of rome would put off unto us as apostolical doctrine . the reliques and images of saints are honourable in regard of the sa●nts which they have relation unto , and god himself makes use of them for his m●racles moses was enforced to honour the holy ground where the angel appeared , exodus . and david commanded the ark to be adored , because it was god's foot-stool , psal. . . and to honour the reliques and images of saints is no idolatry ; for that is idolatry to worship false gods ; and ch●ist doth not take it ill , that we honour his saints and friends : and to number our prayers , if hail mary be said upon beads threescore and three times , it 's because mary lived so many years ; and the prophet prayed seven times a day ▪ and christ three times in the garden ; and it 's not evil to say our prayers by number ; and if five pater-nosters be said , it 's in honour of the five wounds , and what would there be amiss in this ? and it 's not idiots that pray ●y beads , but catholick kings , the pope , cardinals and bishops make use of them ; an variety delighteth the mind , and there are no better prayers then the pater-noster , ave and the creed . answ. the reliques , or that which remains for all the saints and members of the true church of christ to follow and to honour is , to live in the same life that they lived in , and to honour him who was their life , by whose power they fulfilled the will of god , and to walk in the same foot-steps , is to honour him that was their life , and them also , who walked as examples of righteousness , and that power by which they became examples of holiness and righteousness ; but for the church of rome to worship pieces of cloth , dead bones , painted images , which may as well be called the images of cain , ishmael , judas , and all the seed of evil-doers , as well as the image of christ , or peter , paul or mary , for any thing that they know , which they have but received by story , and is but as old wives fables , which paul to timothy reproved . and hath the church of rome no better thing to put them in mind of the saints life , then a dead picture or image made by the hand of the crafts-man upon a wall , or a board , or parchment , or paper , this is idolatry ; for christ promised to his disciples and to the true church , that he would send his spirit to lead them into all truth ( which is an invisible thing ) and to bring to remembrance whatever christ had spoken , and whatsoever was necessary as to salvation , whether the saints life and holy practices which they lived in , or whatsoever else as conduced to their peace and justification with god , and what images did god make use of to shew his miracles by ? this is but an old fable , formed by the apostate christians , whose minds are turned after shadows and vain shews , and are erred from the invisible life , and worship the works of mens hands . . though mo●es did put off his shoe 's according to the command of the lord , where god appeared in power and glory to him ; what is this to your purpose ? as to create and form places , and consecrate them as holy , and then command reverence and honour unto them , this is but to worship the work of your own hands ; and though david say in the psal. vers . exalt the lord god , and worship at his foot-stool , for he is holy. what of all this , doth god call reliques or images his foot-stool . and if the author do judge that it was spoken of zion and jerusalem outward , where aaron and the rest of the priests worshipped , doth not christ say , it ●s not at jerusalem , &c. but they that ●orship god , worship him in spirit and truth : what! doth not the church of rome profess christianity and apostolick doctrine , and will now turn jews or ●mitaters of them ? what is rome ? jerusalem or zion ? and must pictures invented , and dead pieces of bones and wood , be recommended unto the nations as holy things ? this is contrary to the apostolick church , and with the life of god is judged , and the life of the saints , whom you honour in words , and make pictures of , and worship the works of your own hands , and crucifie the life where-ever it appears , that they lived in , and teach a contrary doctrine . . confession may be made in words of the true god , and talk may be of his wonderous works , and yet people idol●ters ; the church of the jews who acknowledge the true god , and had seen and heard of his wonderous works , they eat and drank , and rose up to play ; and these were idolaters , and such is the church of rome ( who take peoples minds up with garments and vestments , with altars and canales , with crucifixes and agnus dei , with images formed by painters , with a piece of bread called a holy host , and eucharist , an unbloody sacr●fice ) who neglect the life , and him that is the head of the body , and his witness in their hearts and consciences , and lead them to worship and honour visible and carnal things , and to busie their minds in the exercise of outward things , which profit little or nothing at all , and so are idolaters , worshipping the works of your own hands , which christ and the apostolick church bore testimony against ; for that which the creature's mind goes out after , besides , or without that which may be known of god in the heart , is made an idol of , and the true god is not minded ; and them that honour god's friends and saints , walk in their foot steps , live their life , and honour their sayings ; but your church is contrary , who would kill , and have killed about these invented fopperies , which is contrary to the apostles doctrine . god accepts not prayers by number or tale , nor for multitude of words , which are without understanding , and without the spirit ; this christ counted as evil , and reprehended the pharisees , and said , it was like the vain repetitions of the heathen , who thought to be heard for their much babling ; and the salutation which the angel gave to mary , is no prayer : and that which is called the apostles creed , is no prayer ; and them that are unconverted unto god , may prattle and prate over the words , in the unbelief , and never have any acceptance of god : and though the prophet did pray seven times a day , it was according to the motion of god's spirit in his own heart , which shewed him his state and necessity ; and what is this to imitators , when they pray not with the same spirit , neither in the same words ? and what if mary lived threescore and three years ? who gave commandment that hail mary should be said threescore and three times over , the rest of the saints are like to have but small shares of worship and honour , if she go with all this in a day . and what five wounds is that which the church of rome dreams of , that five pater nosters must be said for the honour of ? with deceit and ignorance you wound him every day , and your pater-nosters do not honor him at all , pattred 〈◊〉 over with your polluted lips , who are given to speak lyes , and yo●r tongues to speak mischief , which christ accepteth not : what , are you all new creatures that say , our father which art in heaven ? are you born again ? are your natures changed ? sin you not ? do you hallow his name , who do not love that which shews your evil deeds ? would you see his kingdom come , which stands in righteousness ? where will you appear ? or how will you stand when he appears in his power , and glory to take vengeance on all them that will not that he should rule in their hearts , who is the true light , that lighteth every man that cometh into the world ? would you see his will done on earth , as it is in heaven , when you walk contrary to his doctrine which the apostolick church walked in , and set up a numberless number of traditions and inventions of men instead thereof , which the lord accepteth not , and you pray not with understanding ? . as for your beads , which are neither jewish nor christian , but meer heathenish , as to reckon the number or tale of that which you call your prayers by ; and though kings , popes , cardinals and bishops do the same , this is but a small proof as for authority ; kings have drunk of the whore's cup , and popes and cardinals have usurped power that christ never gave , as to exercise lord-ship , and be law-givers unto others ; for the lord is the saints law-giver , and the saints life and judge , and he will not give his glory to another ; for kings have drunk of the whore's cup of fornication , and popes have usurped authority , and cardinals have exercised lord-ship over mens consciences , yea and over great kingdoms and states too . and if they pray by beads , as others do set forms by number and tale , they are as much idiots as the rest are , who know not the spirit to pray by . and so this is no authority to prove your practice apostolical and holy ; as for variety of prayers and worships , it delighteth the carnal mind indeed ; but they that worship god in spirit and truth they pray by the spirit , and in it , as david and christ prayed , whether seven times , five times or three times , and with understanding ; and that which they prayed in , was not various , but one ; and it 's by that one spirit which is not various , by which the sons of god cry abba father ; and the variety of your formed charms , bablings upon your beads , god hath no regard unto , but is a smoke in his nostrills all day . and they that have exercised themselves in these things , have not the witness of god in their own consciences that they are accepted of god ; and so i shall proceed to another doctrine called apostolical , and holy ; and that is about meats , whether they may be lawfully eaten at all time . the author confesseth they forbid certain kinds of meats , but it is but a● certain times ; and they are forbidden not as they are evil , and the creatures of god , but because they are forbidden by the church ; and his proof is , the apple which eve and adam eat was not evil in it self , but being prohibited ; so to eat that which is good of it self is not ill , but to eat contrary to the superiors mind and order , this is evil. the bible and scriptures ought not to be read , but leave is to be asked of the superior , because there are many hard passages , which they which have little or no learning , as peter testifies in h●s second epistle , chap. . some ●nderstands it one way , and some another ; and therefore it is the fittest for learned men to judge of them , and they must judge whether people be in a capacity to read them . answ. and why are meats forbidden a● certain ●imes ▪ is this like apostolick doctrine ? are not all times and seasons in the hand of the lord ? and are all good to them that believe , and to the pure all things are pure , all times and seasons , all meats and drinks , being sanctified by the word , which made them all holy unto all that do believe : and if you forbid them not as they are creatures of god , but because they are forbidden , i say , who did forbid them ? or when were they forbidden ? by christ ▪ his apostles , or the true church of christ in their d●y ? but on the contrary christ taught , that which goeth in at the mouth , and ●n at the belly doth not defile the man , but that which proceedeth out of the heart , which is corrupted : and paul said , what is sold at the shambles may be eaten and no question made for conscience sake ; for to the clean , all things are clean , and to the believing all things are pure ; and who hath limited such meats for such dayes and such times , the true church ? no , but the church of rome , ●ho are going on in that doctrine the apostle spoke of , tim. . which he reckoned a doctrine of devils ; but here is your argument that must bring you off , because you forbid it not at all times ; i say , if it be a doctrine of devils to forbid at all times , then it is some part of the doctrine of devils to forbid at any time , seeing time and things are all good in the h●nd of the lord ; but if this doctrine should hold , what would become of your dog-dayes and of your lent , which has been patched up week by week by divers popes , and of your wednesday , friday and saturday fast ; so by this account of yours half of the year is either unholy , or else some meat is unholy for half of the year ; but there are few but see your blindness , that in this much need not be said , but only thus , that which may lawful in it self , when it is prohibited by the lord unto any particular , then it becomes evil ; for whatsoever is not of faith is sin : but christ alone , unto whom all power is committed , hath the sole power over the heart and conscience ; and for any to make injunctions and prohibitions contrary to him , the same is anti-christ ; and so the practice which your church commands is not apostolical , but you bring yoaks upon the true disciples necks , which they that are made free by the son cannot stoop unto , neither joyn with ; for whosoever doth , goes into bondage : and christ is the supream power , unto whom all power is committed , and when he justifies , what superior can condemn ? and there is no need of asking leave of them that are superiors , which reckon themselves as so , seeing every man stands clear in the sight of god , when he transgresses not against the supream law of christ in his conscience ; and to offend any superiors , who lay any injunction contrary to the command of god , is not to offend god , neither to break his command . dly , it seems all parts of religion are monopolized by mystery-babylon , in which rome is comprized , not only patents and pardons sold for eating of meat , but authority and license must be given to every one that re●ds scripture , a thing which the apostolick church ( before the pope had a being ) knew nothing of ; but on the contrary , some were exhorted to read the scriptures , and some were commended for reading of the scriptures , and for searching whether the things were so as paul testified , and in this they were counted more noble then they ●t thessalonica ; but now it is become an ignoble thing , and not at all to be 〈◊〉 to read the scriptures without patent or licence in the church of rome's account , who have laid down ignorance to be the mother of devotion ; but the danger is , because there are hard passages which are not understood when the people have little or no learning , as the author saith ; was it for want of natural learning that peter complained they wrested the scriptures , and therefore is it for want of natural learning that the scriptures are not understood , and for want of this they must not be read , as the author saith ? ignorant man ! what , was peter such a great learned man ? a poor boat-man of fisher-man , whom the scripture saith was illiterate ; in the acts , when they beheld peter and john , and that they were illiterate men , and saw their boldness , and took notice they had been with jesus : what! was it want of natural learning that peter spoke of ? then he spoke against himself , for he was illiterate ; but it was such a learning that they wanted as this author wants , who is untaught by the spirit , and unlearned in the doctrine of christ , and such wrest the scriptures , and do not understand hard sayings , because the deep things of god are revealed through the spirit of god , and not by natural learning , as this author , who would sell licences and pardons for reading the scriptures , as they have done for eating flesh in lent ; but a story of robin hood , a comedy or a play is more frequently read by the members of the church of rome , which begets into looseness and prophaneness , a thing which this generation is in love with rather then the scriptures ; and though the scriptures be applauded in words , as for the rule of life , by many , and a judge of controversies , yet how should they be rul'd that may not read them without a licence or a toleration from the superior ? if it be lawful to read with toleration , it 's lawful to read without toleration ; for the toleration of men neither addeth to nor diminisheth from any spiritual exercise ; and timothy read the scriptures of an youth , and who gave him his toleration ? and apollos was a mighty man , and a knowing man in the scriptures , from whence had he his licence . . because thou judgest according to the judgment of this present evil world , that they are only fit to read the scriptures , and give interpretations upon it , who are naturally learned , and have the wisdom of this world ; i say , nay , the world by wisdom knew not god , neither know him now ; and them that had natural learning rejected the foundation ; them that had the hebrew language set christ at nought ; they that had the greek tongue withstood paul , and called him a babler ; them that had the latine tongue ( the tongue of the whore your mother ) persecuted the christians in the first three hundred years after christ , as your own histories do relate : so according to all these who had only the knowledge in the natural languages , they did not understand the things of god ▪ and it was the wise builders which builded by art and skill in the earthly wisdom , that rejected the true foundation and corner-stone ; but on the contrary we say ( according to the apostolick doctrine ) that the scriptures may be read , and ought to be read ; for they are profitable for insturction , and correction , and information , to make the man of god perfect : and throughly furnished to every good work , through faith in christ jesus ; and i would have the author know , that we do not look upon cardinals , fryars , monks and bishops to be the alone men of god , so that they alone have the sole power to tolerate the reading of scriptures ; for he is a man of god who is born of the spirit , which sanctifieth and leadeth into the clear pathes of equity and righteousness , who walk not after the flesh , neither fulfil the lusts thereof ; and such there are and have been , which have been unlearned in natural tongues ; but this is the way to keep your church in reputation , to believe as you believe , and every man to put out his own eyes , and live by anothers sight , and hang his faith upon anothers shoulders , this is not like apostolick doctrine ; for the apostle said , let every one be perswaded in his own mind ( not by other mens minds ) and he that believeth hath the witness in himself , and hath it not to seek among the literal rabbies , who darken counsel through words ; and it is not for want of natural learning that one understandeth the scriptures this way , and another that way , but because they want the understanding of that spirit that gave forth the scriptures , which spirit universally is given to all men and women ( a measure of it ) to lead into truth , and through which the deep things of god are revealed : and it s not your traditions , inventions , natural learning , schools and colledges , fryeries and covents , in which the spirit of god is only limited ; but every one that seeks finds , whether learned or unlearned ; for of a truth god is no respecter of persons : and so the mind of christ is manifest unto them that believe , and the one spirit , into which the saints were baptized , is that which opens the scriptures truly as they are , and discerneth the times and seasons , and fulfilleth it in the hearts of them ●hat believe , and manifests the state unto which they were spoken : and if the scriptures be so hard to ●e understood , by reason of the hard sayings , or because of the translations , what have you been doing these fourteen hundred years , with all your learning , with all your councils , popes , bishops and clergy , that you have not translated them aright , or so plain , that they may be understood by all that read ? but then your doctrine , worship and practice would be soon manifest not to be apostolical , nor consonant and agreeing to the practice of the true church of christ. and now i come to the effectual arguments and pregnant wayes which the author tells of , which will work upon the sectaries , to make them return to the catholick church , which ( he saith ) they have groundlesly forsaken ; and now i shall come to try his arguments , and search the force of them which he layeth down , as the most efficacious vvay to convince all sectaries ( as he is pleased to stile them ) to come to the church of rome ; but the hope of this man will be like a spiders vveb ; for all whose eyes god hath illuminated in any measure , will come to see the vveakness of this philosophy and vain deceit , which he hath laid down as a chief instrument to convince all , that the roman church is the true church , and that salvation is only concluded in her . . the first argument he takes from mat. . . christ sends us to the church ( saith he ) if any neglect to hear her , they must be counted as heathens and publicans ; from hence this is the argument , that that church is to be heard , in which there is most assurance to be had that one i● in the way to salvation ; but in the roman church there is most assurance , therefore the roman church is to be heard . answ. the minor is false , and also the conclusion ; that church which hath the foundation of its assurance without , it is not the true church of christ , neither is to be heard ; but the roman church hath only their assurance of salvation without them , therefore are not to be heard ; it is manifest their assurance stands only in outward things , as antiquity and visibility , which are not the alone marks of the true church ; cain was ancient enough , and there were them that were in cain's way before rome was so highly elevated ; and that for universality and visibility , there is no assurance in that , for all the world hath wondered after the beast , and the whore hath sitten upon nations , kindreds and people ; and so the first argument is denyed , and proved to be false : i shall lay down another ; . that church which hath alwayes been so visible and universal since the apostles dayes , as hath had its seat over nations , kindreds and tongues , is not the true church of christ , but the harlot ; but the church of rome hath been universal over nations , kindreds , tongues and people , therefore the church of rome is the harlot , and not the true church of christ. but i shall not traduce thee in thy vain deceit , but return thy arguments upon thy self , which thou chargest upon others . . as first , that church is not to be heard whose authors and doctors are cozeners and impostors . . but all are cozeners and impostors but the church of rome . again , that the church of rome hath the marks of the true church , and no other , as antiquity , miracles , holiness of life , universality . again , that the church of rome takes the narrow way that leads to life . again , because the church of rome keeps sunady instead of saturday , by tradition ; therefore she is the church of christ. to the first ; if that church is not to be heard , neither her censures regarded , whose authors and teachers have been cozeners and impostors , then the church of rome is not to be heard , nor her censures regarded , because the chief authors have been cozeners , cheaters and impostors , who have been out of the power of god , and have taught for doctrine the traditions of men ; as purgatory , prayer for the dead , only to cozen and cheat by , to fill the bags and coffers of the popish clergy ; which doctrine is contrary unto the doctrine of christ & the apostolick church , therefore the church of rome is not to be heard . . that the church of rome hath the marks of the true church , and no other as antiquity , holiness of life , miracles , and universality ; this is false ; there were churches before rome , that had these marks ; and there have been since , and are now , more then the church of rome : antiquity some of them called sectaries will allow you a thousand years to be called a church , and yet prove you apostates both in doctrine and practice . your miracles are but cheats , deceits , and lying stories , if your own authors be serched , you confess most of your miracles are wrought by your images , works of your own hands . . antiquity without truth , proveth nothing ; and holiness of life , if your church be holy , which is prophane ? tolerating ( as i said before ) whoredoms , stage-plays , vain sports and pastimes , which draw people from the fear of god ; and many foolish fopperies which i shall not now mention ; so that there are them that have dissented from you , which are more ancient in the faith , more holy in life and conversation , more agreable in doctrine and practice , to the true primitive church , then you are . and as for miracles which are wrought by the true power and finger of god , there have been , and are more amongst them called sectaries then in the church of rome : the blind have received their sight , the lepers have been cleansed , the lame have been made to walk , and the deaf have heard , and the dumb have spoken , the dead have been raised , and many that have bound by satan fourty years , are loosed , and there are thousands that are witnesses of it , and can testifie the truth thereof , even in this time , and in this year , in scotland , england , ireland , germany and america , . so there is a true church which hath the marks of the true church of christ , more then the church of rome ; therefore the roman church is not the alone true church . . to the third argument , that the church of rome keeps god's commandments , and walks in the narrow way of christ's coun●el , therefore she is to be head : how she keepeth the commandments of god , is known , if he mean the ten commandments ; thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image , nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven or earth , neither bow down to worship them . now you make images of things in heaven , as of god and christ , and the holy ghost , and of mary ; and as for things in earth , you have images of all sorts , witness your mass-houses , called churches , your cloisters , fryaries and covents ; so that every place is filled full , and worship unto them is taught by you for doctrine , contrary to god's doctrine , and your distinction of latria and dulia will not serve ; for it 's meer deceit ; he that honours an image , and bows down before it in his heart , whether you may judge it represents this or that , is an absolute idolater , and knoweth not the spirit which christ said , he would send to the true church , which should bring all things to their remembrance , both what he did and said , and the saints life and example to remembrance , ( without your pictures . ) and how you are in the narrow way , is known to many thousands that you do not walk in it at all , neither take up the cross of christ , which is to crucifie the lusts , affections and desires of the flesh , but taketh up outward crosses , and bear them on your necks , or pin them on your sleeves , or hang them about your necks , and all because christ was crucified on the cross : and here you are honourers of pilate and the jews , who crucified christ upon the cross as a blasphemer , rather then honourers of christ , and the strait and narrow way you are ignorant of , and christ's sufferings you are all strangers to : what! your popes are as emperors , your cardinals as law-givers , your ecclesiastical officers as lords of great possessions in the earth , except some begging fryars , which you have prest into a voluntary humility , without necessity . and how do you love your enemies ? how many indians have you destroyed and killed as dogs ? and how many that have professed the name of christ have you burned & destroyed , as though they had been wood , and only fewel for the fire . and how can you say your pater-noster , about which you make so much ado , and say , forgive our trespasses , as we forgive them that trespass against us ; if the heathen have trespassed against you , if them you call sectaries have trespassed against your church , how do you forgive them ? and how do you fulfil the law of christ , and keep his counsel , seeing that you are out of his doctrine ; away with such deceit and hypocrisie , god hath found it out , and is judging it by his saints , who rejoyce in christ jesus , and have no confidence in the flesh , nor in fleshly traditions and imaginations , but live in the power of god , and walk in the spirit ; and therefore because you walk contrary to the command of god and christ's counsel , and are out of the narrow way that leads to life , your church is neither to be heard , minded , nor heeded . the fourth argument , that the church of rome is the true church , because they keep their sabbath of the sunday by tradition , and not upon the saturday , as the jews did ; and therefore the church of rome is to be heard , because they have tradition and solid reason on their side . thy speech bewrayes thee , which bespeaks thee rather a heathen then a christian ; for the heathens had a day that they celebrated to an idol made like the sun , caled sunday , and another day which they celebrated to an idol called saturnus , called saturday ; and in this your church is not to be heard , who is out of the form of sound words : but the seventh day was the jews . sabbath , which none that profess christianity ought to keep , seeing that christ put an end to the shadows : and the saints sabbath is a stranger to the church of rome ; he that hath overcome the world and the devil only knows god's rest , and the true sabbath , of which the jews was a figure ; and the sunday thou callst , it is no more a sabbath reckoned by the lord of life then that which thou callst saturday ; for every day is kept holy to the lord by him that witnesses the work of redemtion , and this is according to the apostolick doctrine ; and if because of example the christians whom you are pleased to stile sectaries , do observe the first day of the week in the power of god , for his worship , then they are as much , if not more to be heard then you , and have as much solid reason on their side as you ; and thou must not think to carry the matter on with such frivolous arguments as this , to advance mystery babylon ; for this is a knowing age blessed be the lord , wherein the wisdom of god is revealed , and that which comprehendeth all shadows , types , dayes , times , years , meats , drinks , washings , and other figures , they are all seen over , and he is come & manifest which is head of the true church , ( and not the pope ) who was , is , and is to come , life it self , truth it self , power , strength , and everlasting satisfaction to thousands , and ten thousands , who have believed , ( and to a numberless number which are yet to be gathered into god's sheep-fold , and into the narrow way of christ ) which will deny , and doth deny upon good grounds , and infallible testimony from the eternal spirit , that the church of rome is either in whole , or in part , any part of the true church of christ. and seeing this valiant champion hath made so fair a proffer , that 〈◊〉 their priests , jesuites and catholicks over all the world will turn to the sectaries way ( as he calls them ) if they can but get a clear and satisfa●tory res●l●tion to the following doubts . answ. i am one which do acknowledge my self to be reckoned by him as a sectarian ; yet as a sectarian is reckoned by the true church of god in the primitive time , in the apostles and christ's dayes , i do not reckon my self as such ; and that i am a minister of the everlasting gospel , i dare not deny , seeing a necessity is laid upon me to acknowledge the same ; yet herein i do not glory , but in him who hath call'd me for the work sake ; and i know the teaching of christ jesus and his doctrine , and no other thing these many years have i published , but that which i received of the lord , and from him by his spirit , which is according to the true faith and godliness , which was in the primitive church ( before ever rome did lay claim to be the only true catholick church , excluding all others but her self to be in the way that leads to salvation ) i which am as one amongst many thousands which god hath manifested his mind unto , shall answer in clearness , and according to apostolick doctrine and the manifestation of his spirit ; but when i have so done , i am afraid this champion , with the rest of the priests and jesuits , and the rest of the catholicks over the world , will hardly own his challenge , or confess that doubts are answered ; yet however , if it satisfie but one of a thousand , i have my reward , and shall put it to tryal . the first thing the author , who it seems knows the mind of the church of rome in all things , both as to doctrine and practice , which they do allow of , and the contrary they will deny he knows to the full , or else he would never ( sure ) have made such a bold challenge . the first thing that they would be resolved in , is : whether any can clearly shew that any teachers , doctors or ministers are sent of almighty god to preach and reform the roman catholick church , and that they are not some who say , the lord saith , when the lord hath not spoken unto them ; neither sent them ezek. . . answ. what the roman church and their members will take for a satisfactory resolution , as to themselves , i sometimes question , and do doubt the resolving of the most ; but however , by the same commandment that the apostles did evidence their commission , that they were sent to reform the church of the jews , & also them that had made defection from the faith amongst the gentiles ; this may be shown . . the apostles of christ jesus did declare their commission , which they had received from christ , and for other proof , they sought none amongst them that were auditors or hearers , but the witness and testimony of god , unto which they desired to be approved in the sight of god. . they shewed the jews , that they held the types and figures , but did not receive or believe him who was the substance , in whom they all ended ; they were sent to bear testimony to the true light , that lightet● every one that cometh into the world , and to preach down dayes ; times , moneths , years , fasts , feasts , sabbaths , circumcision , temples and offerings , the priesthood and the sacrifice , which were but to continue until the time of reformation , and the bringing in of a better hope , by which they drew nigh unto god , and had an access unto him ; and they declared their commission against a voluntary humility , and worshipping of angels , all which things the church of rome do stick in and vindicate for apostolick doctrine , and many more things , which the church of rome is run into , contrary to the true church of christ , and therefore had need of reformation : so that which is contrary to the doctrine of christ and the apostles , and practice of the primitive church in the first hundred years is in the apostacy ; but rome is in many practices and doctrines contrary to the true church , therefore needs reforming . and so god hath manifested himself in this his day of power , and hath discovered the church of rome to be contrary in doctrine and practice to the true spouse of christ , and hath stirred up and moved many by his power and spirit to preach the everlasting gospel , and to declare also against the defection of the church of rome , and her apostatizing from the faith , and they are not of those whom the prophets spoke of , which ran , and the lord sent them not ; for them were the false prophets in israel , and they were manifest by their fruits , of which there are great store in rome , who are manifest by their fruits , and they are such as are in cain's way , who would kill , and such as are seekers of gain from their quarters , and such as take the jews tythes ; and these the lord n●ver sent to be teachers or ministers , to bring to the knowledge of christ ; but we deny all these things , and your church in the very ground and foundation , and know that it will be swept away , when the beast is taken alive , upon which your church now rides ; then shall you see , that that which you long put off among people as apostolick doctrine , will not be received any more , neither traditions nor inventions of men for the worship of god. the second doubt which the author would be resolved in , is , whether we can make good what luther and calvin , with all protestants , have boasted , that they would do , to reform convincingly one of the silliest roman catholicks that is , and to begin , do it in the matter of the real presence after consecration . what luther and calvin have said unto you , as about your worship , doctrine and practice , hath been made good by themselves while they were living , and in the body ; and what they said , did not only inform the minds of many of the roman catholicks , but reform'd them too , which were not of the silliest amongst you , not only one , but thousands did see your error and deceit , though they in some particulars did but differ from you : but now that is manifest which denyeth your foundation in the very ground . and what i have said as about the real presence of christ's body being in the bread and wine after consecration , if thou dare put it , and endeavour the trial thereof ( according as i have in reasonableness propounded unto thee ) it will convince many of the roman catholicks of their error , or else many of the protestants of their error ; and so if thou darest adventure it , make no more boasts , but let come to tryal , as before is propounded unto the church of me , if she , or any of her agents dare admit of it ▪ . the third argument which he promiseth , if it can be proved from the scripture ( which he calls god's written word ) that the sabbath-day is commanded by god to be kept on sunday , and that little children are to be baptized . answ. what others have said as to these two particulars , who were but departed a little way from you in divers things , as to their judgments i shall not stand to vindicate , because the church was rather but a coming out of the wilderness , rather then come already into her first purity ; but i am one of those , amongst many thousands in europe , who deny the ch●rch of rome , as to be the bride , the lamb's wife ; and yet i shall not vindicate either the one or the other , but deny both as amongst christi●ns , viz. as to keep the jewish sabbath upon sunday , as the author calls it , and sprinkling of little children is like the other , an invention in the apostacy , never that we read of commanded , commended or practised in the apostles dayes as such : the first day of the vveek the apostles met together , and worshipped god , not by virtue of the jews commandment , but in the power of god , and you only have them both , and keep them both by tradition and custom , without commandment , and so are out of the power of god , and out of the saints life . . the fourth argument : can the sectaries with reason and ground sufficient condemn all catholicks that were so many ages before luther and calvin , for being no better then heathens ? and convince me , that adhering to you i shall be more secure in my salvation , then injoyning to them that have time out of mind been of the only saving religion ? answ. the sectaries have not gone about to condemn every individual man before luther and calvin for no better then heathens ; we believe some were ; and we believe many were as bad ( if not worse ) they that walk in the practice of the heathen , and bring forth fruit , but not unto god , are in the heathens nature ; but the generality of the church of rome have ( for these many hundred years ) brought forth no better fruit then the heathen , and therefore are in the nature of the heathen ; for like as the heathen persecuted the christians in former dayes , even so hath the church of rome persecuted the true christians in their day , a●d in this are no better then heathens ; instance the blood-shed , murder , cruel deaths you have put many unto , since you have had the name of a church , and therefore are no better then heathens in nature ; and for antiquity , it proveth nothing without verity : and there can be no assurance in your church , seeing that it stands upon tradition , and hear-say , and outward performances , and bodily exercises , that profit little ; but some , whom you call sectaries , have more assurance , for it 's the spirit of god that gives it ; and as there is obedience yielded unto the lord ( that spirit ) he giveth them assurance ; and them that are born of it do overcome the world , and his spirit beareth witness to their spirit , that they have overcome , by which they cry abba father ; and this spirit of truth , that leadeth into all truth , bringeth more assurance unto them that are led by it , and worship in it , then can be had in all your outward formalities , ceremonies and traditions . . can you make evident at least , that in your flock ▪ and luther and calvin their guides , there is more holiness and virtue then can be found among the catholicks , and that you go the narrow way that leads to life ? i answer , yes ; i am one among many thousands who are not of the church of rome , yet am of christ's flock , which he hath cleansed by his blood , and revealed his virtue in , and his holy life ; and it 's made manifest that they are in the narrow way more then the church of rome ; they are in the way that leads to life , and abide in christ's doctrine ; we love them that hate us , we bless them that curse us , we pray for them that persecute us ; but so doth not the church of rome , but kills them and persecutes them that oppose her ; we say , without righteousness and holiness be revealed and wrought in our hearts , we can bring forth no fruit unto god , neither can be members of the true church ; but if any conform unto the practice of your church in outward things , he is counted a good member of your church , though righteousness and holiness , self-denyal , humility and love be wanting : therefore we are the church in which there is more holiness , virtue and life enjoyed , then in the roman church . . can you shew us any miracles that ever were wrought in testimony of your religion , or that the catholicks miracles are wrought by beelzebub ? and now thou hast askt us a resolution of the doubts , and let all that are illuminated , judge how we are deluded . answ. it 's an adulterous generation that seeks a sign ; and what christ wrought was reckoned as no miracles by them that are in the unbelief , yet these signs have accompanied the gospel , which is the power of god , the blind have been restored to sight , and the dead have been raised , and the deaf have heard , and the lame have been made whole , and this hath been witnessed by many , and we have a cloud of witnesses , which your church know● not of ; and by the effectual working of god's power these things have been done , which do give testimony and confirm our religion : and for your miracles , the most that ever i heard of have been done by pictures and images , as you have testified , which are but fabulous stories : and now let them who are lightned with the true light of christ , judge who are in the delusion ; and now let all judge whether these be not satisfactory resolutions unto the aforesaid doubts or questions , which may convince them that have erred from christ , the power of god , and gone in their own traditions and inventions , and have forsaken the strai● way and the narrow path that leadeth to life ; and all are exhorted to come unto him ( who is the light and life of men ) that their souls may live , and that they may witness assurance of the love of god unto them by his spirit 's manifestation . and now let us see whether the author will keep to his word , whether the church of rome will all turn unto our way , which is christ , the way , the truth and the life , or whether follow their visible head , the pope , who is changeable , and doth not abide forever , who leadeth only to an observance of outward things , but neglect the weightier things to walk in . and now i shall come to some prop●sitions , which ( the author saith ) have been propounded , which are unanswerable ; and the propositions are against all sectaries ; and the propositions are laid down by francis costerus ( as the author saith ) of the society of jesus , which have been laid down fifty years ago , and they are in number eight ; and with them eight propositions ( the author s●ith ) he hath put all the ablest ministers of germany and the low countries unto their wits end ; now i hope some will be able to give an answer , and yet keep both their faith , wit and reason . . the first poposition is this , that never since the apostles time , till the year . ( wherein luther began his doctrine ) were any found in the world who did consent with either the lutherans , calvinists or anabaptists , or other sectaries opinions ; nor ever shall any of the sectaries prove that any of the apostles or evangelists were of their faith ; and so by consequence the sectaries are without faith , and they are the men whom the scriptures in several places affirm that should come , in the latter times false prophets , &c. answ. as i said before , any opinion which luther , calvin or the baptized people do hold , i shall not stand to vindicate it , because they have so holden ; yet in many things they are separated from you upon good ground , and their doctrine and worship was far more consonant and agreeable unto the apostles dayes then yours are ; but i am one that own my self a protestant , who deny the church of rome ; and i do say , this proposition is silly , poor and feeble ; and i do not believe that any were so hard put to it , as to be brought to their wits end by answering of it ; for what need he talk of since the apostles time till such a year , we shall come to the apostles time and age , and if any society of people now are found the same in faith , in doctrine , in worship , in life , practice and conversation , then they are the true church : and let francis costerus , with the rest of the roman merchants , take that faith to themselves , and that doctrine to themselves , and those particular points of worship and tradition to themselves , since all the world hath wondered after the beast , and hath worshipped his image , and this was since the apostles dayes : and if the church of rome pleads the whole world as for a proof , john saw that anti-christs , false prophets , deceivers were entered in then , fifteen hundred years ago , and the world went after them ; and he saw the whole world wonder after the beast , and the whore sit upon the waters , nations , kindreds , tongues and people ; and this comprehends the world , the whore's seat ; and we matter not for her consent , neither to doctrines and principles , nor opinions , nor for the approbation of them that have drunk of her cup : but if we can prove a people , which are gathered by the word of god , and through the preaching of the gospel , into the same faith , hope , doctrine , life and practice which the apostles walked in then ; this is the church which is coming out of the wilderness again , where she hath been preserved , while the mother of harlots hath sit as a queen , and hath been so visible , as over all the vvorld , and hath made the nations drink her cup of fornication ; and therefore your unity in this thing and in this time is clear , that the church of rome is not the church of christ ▪ but there are some whom rome is pleased to call sectaries , that own the same practice , the same doctrine , the same faith which the apostles walked in ; and therefore this great proposition is false , that all that have separated from the church of rome have no faith , or a new fancied faith ; and now i come to his second proposition . . proposition . the religion and faith of the roman church hath not been any way changed , in any article that belongs to religion , by any pope , councils , or catholick bishops ; but it is the very same faith hath remained intire and inviolate , from the ap●stles to this present day . there were churches planted before there were any at rome ; and the faith which they received , was that which did overcome the world , and gave them victory over sin and death ; and the religion which the churches of christ professed , as corinth , galatia , thessalonica , and the rest of the churches which the apostles planted , is no more like the faith and religion of the church of rome now , then black is to white ; as for instance , prove us out of the scripture what foundation you have for purgatory , for selling indulgences and pardons for sins ; and what scripture have you for auricular confession , for an unbloody sacrifice , for prayer to saints , for worshipping of images , ( in the new-testament ) for observing of lent , consisting of so many days ? & what scripture & example from the churches that were in the apostles days ( before rome was called a church ) concerning prayer for the dead , for your crosses , your tapers and candles , for anointing with oyle and cream in baptism , which was only invented by pope ●lement , which another pope ( pope silvester ) confirmed , . plat volat. sabil . and what example from the true church of baptizing of infants , and for god-fathers and god-mothers , in christ's day , when he planted the church ? and that infants should be baptized , and only at easter and whitsuntide , was not this ordained by pope leo , in the year . lib. council , volat. pol. chron. and was not transubstantiation , which you call the body and blood of christ after the consecration , when the priest hath whispered over the bread and wine a few latine words , as , hoc est corpus meum , hic est enim sanguis meus , &c. the bread is turned into the natural body of christ's flesh , blood and bone ; was not this ordained by pope innocent , held at lateran by twelve hundred romish priests , monks and fryars , in the year . decret . de summa trinitate , cap. firmiter . and whether are not these articles of the church of rome , yea or nay ? if i should traduce the church of rome in their bishops and councils these . hundred years and upward , i might bring a ●loud of witnesses that the church of rome is not the same in articles of faith in religion , but divers popes ( i might prove ) have made distinct articles , and divers councils and bishops ; so that i might clearly prove , and can , and shall , if god permit me with life , if i hear any more of the church of rome , or the author of this book , that i shall prove , that the church of rome in the articles of her faith , is not the same that the church of christ was in before rome was planted a church . . i shall prove ( if need require ) her universal councils ( as she calls them ) to vary , and her bishops to be different in their decrees , and that her faith , in points of religion , is not the same from the apostles day , to this time , as the author of this book would make people believe ; but what i have said to this unanswerable proposition , ( as he calls it ) may be sufficient to convince both the author and them that are doubtful in their mind about this particular . . proposition is , that neither the sacraments nor ceremonies , or any doctrine of the church of rome , contain any thing that is contrary to the scriptures but learned doctors maintain the same : and that there is no alteration in any article of faith ▪ and then the author makes a conclusion , though full too hastily , that they which dissent from the church of rome ( which he is pleased ● ) stile , sectaries and hereticks ) have no reason to withdraw from the catholick church . answ. as for that which you call the catholick church of rome , we find such diversity of orders and constitutions one distinct from another , that to begin to enumerate them all , would take up much time before one ended , and would prove tedious to the reader , to view over the variety of constitutions and decrees that have been made concerning the ceremonies , sacraments , ( as they call them ) and other doctrines of the church of rome , which at this time is not my intention ; but pope alexander commanded that unleavened bread should be used in the supper , in the year . lib. concil . grat . sabil . before that time the outward bread was indifferent , whether it was leavened or unleavened ; notwithstanding the greeks do use leavened bread unto this day , in that which is called a supper , and they use wine only in the cup ; but the church of rome mingles water with wine , according to the pope alexander's decree : and the doctrine of transubstantiation , of turning the bread into the body of christ , and wine into blood ( as they say ) was an unknown doctrine in the apostles dayes , and also among the greeks , until pope innocent the third , . likewise honorus the third , he made a new ordinance , that the sacrament of the altar ( as the church of rome terms it ) should be worshipped , and kneeled unto of the people , and also it should be born unto the sick , yea , and that with candlelight , though it be at noon-day , in the year . d. . tit. cap . lib. council , pant. and innocent the third ordained the sacrament of the altar should be kept under lock and key , that such as were like to dye , might not want spiritual comfort at the time of their death , lib. council , cron. pant. pope innocent the th permitted that the priests of norwegia might sing mass with water for lack of wine , in the year . math. falm . pant. and as about the ceremonies about the sacrament or mass , in a council held at rottomage , it was decreed that the sacrament should not thenceforth be given to lay-men nor lay-women in their hands any more , but the priests should put it in their mouths , contrary to the use and practice of the primitive church ; yea & of the church of rome it self many years after , lib. council , &c. and so here the church of rome in contrary to the former churches , and to their own church of rome in former times , though c. m. would elevate the propositions of francis costerus ( a jesuit ) unanswerable . . proposition : the author saith , it cannot be proved that any have been admitted priests , but were duely consecrated by bishops , whence we infer , that lutherans , calvinists , and other hereticks , are no true ministers , neither are of divine priest-hood , because they give to people a meer piece of bread and nothing else , and they have no power to absolute people from their sins , but send them away entangled with sin , as when they came to them . answ. as for the consecration of the priests of rome , you have consecrated many who are out of the doctrine of christ , who are traytors to kings and governments ; and it 's a maxim , and a thing meritorious in your church , to slay a heretick , that is , one dissenting , or not consenting to your corrupt principles , and as one deceiver hath ordained and admitted another , so hath your bishops and popes ordained the rest to execute their drudgery and corrupt traffick ; and as i have offered unto thee before , if it be not a piece of bread , and wine , except mingled with water , ( according to your changeable ordinances before mentioned ) put it to trial upon the terms i before mentioned , that you may be made manifest to be deceivers , or else we , to all people . and as for your absolutions and pardons , it hath been that which you have sold for money , which made luther and divers of your own church to deny you , because it hath been contrary to christ and the apostles doctrine . and as for forgiveness of sins , it properly belongs to christ , and to them that are in the same power ; to them that confess , forsake and turn from sin , to pronounce forgiveness and mercy ; but the members of your church confess from day to day unto your priests that are as much entangled in sin as they who do confess , and neither do repent nor find mercy at the hand of the lord ; and your confessors , and they that do confess , they are defiled as much with sin when they end their work , as when they began . . proposition . it cannot be found in the holy scripture , that nothing is to be believed , but what is clearly and expresly contained in the same : hence follows the overthrow of the ground-work of the sectaries , who say , that nothing is to be believed but what is expresly set down in the scripture . answ. what others have said as to this particular , i shall not now stand to vindicate , because it is not my work to vindicate every particular judgment & person who believe contrary to your church ; but i say many are of that mind ( that are not of your church ) that things may be believed to be true , according to the manifestation of god●s spirit , though the scripture in express words doth not declare the same ; yet you to bring in fabulous stories , which you call unwritten verity , that are to be believed , though never so repugnant unto the scripture , and to the truth contained in it , this we cannot receive , neither believe ; and this will never be attributed by the lord unto any for unbelief , although you say it . . proposition . the author saith , he would fain have luther and calvin , and the other sectaries , to shew where matthew 's writing is called holy scripture , more then nicodemus his gospel ; and seeing they cannot prove the one no more then the other , they must needs believe something that is not written in the holy scripture . answ. i shall let luther and calvin alone , they were men that god did honour , and i do honour , and many more as in their day ; they are at rest in the sepulchres of their fathers , where your reviling cannot touch them , they prevailed in their doctrine and faith so much against you , as you have not recovered in an hundred and thirty years , neither i believe ever will , so long as the church of rome will have any cause to call her self christ's only visible church upon earth . and i do not believe matthew's writing only because it is reckoned by you and us for holy scripture , but beca●●● we feel by the spirit of god , that gave forth all words , that it is a decl●ration of those things which were brought to pass in his day , and likewise mark , john and luke , testifie unto the same matter ; but for nicodemus his gospel , as you are pleased to call it , the spirit of god doth not testifie in us unto the same , but that it is repugnant unto the mind of the spirit , and is a meer patcht up thing in the corruption of time , wherein many things are contained that are in opposition and contrary to matthew , mark , luke and john their declaration : and so thy fe●●le argument is answered , which thou concludest hath not been al●erable these fifteen hundred years ; and let not him that puts on his armour beast , but him that hath overcome , and puts it off . proposition is , that it cannot be shewn for these fifteen hundred 〈◊〉 that there hath been any catholick that held that the pope of 〈…〉 , or that did rail at the most holy sacrifice of the mass , or in●ocation of saints and angels , and usual praying for the dead , and such like wor●● of pi●ty ▪ ●elong●●g to our faith and religion , which the whole world hath laudably practised and reverenced for fifteen hundred years . it is a wonder that this author belonging to the church of rome ▪ is not ashamed of his arguments , and the silly propositions that he hath propounded from another hand ; it seems , neither this author , nor francis ●ester●● , whose propositions the author hath vaunted in , and boasted of , know the apostles doctrine , who said , the whole world lay in wickedness , and if any man love the world , the love of the father dwells not in him ; and christ said to his true church , ye are not of the world , therefore the world hates you ; and again , i have chosen you out of the world ; and john in his day saw through the spirit ▪ all the world wondering after the beast , and worshipping his image ( and not the image of god ) and saw all nations , kindreds , tongues and people to be waters , and the nations , kindreds , tongues and people to drink the whore's cup ; and these the two a●thors bring in for a great proof , and for an unanswerable proposition , as that the whole world lyes in wickedness , in whom the love of god dwells not , and th●y that have drunk of the whore's cup of fornication , and they that have wondered after the beast , ( to wit ) the whole world ; these are his dark cloud of witnesses , to prove that the pope was never called anti-christ ; will they that have received the roman faith , and accounted the pope christ's vicar , and the visible head , call him anti-christ , which hath exalted himself and the church of rome's faith over the whole world , as the author boasts ; that the whole world hath laudably practised and reverenced invocation of saints , and pray●ng for the dead , for the piety , faith and religion of the church of rome for these years , this proves the church of rome to lye in wickednes● a●d to be contrary to the doctrine and practice of christ and his apostle● ; and this doth not clear the pope at all , but rather m●kes him to be an anti-christ , and your church to be the ill-favoured harlot , and not the true church of christ : hast thou forgotten how john bishop of consta●●●nople , would needs be chief bishop over all the rest of the chu●ches , about the year two hundred fifty and upwards , and how the other b●●hops cry●d out against him for to be anti-christ ; but your bishop he got to be called chief bishop over all christian churches , not by consent of the elders nor churches , but by the means of phocas an heathen emperor as before i have said ; and is not he much more an anti-christ ? and as for the sacrifice in the mass , invocation of saints , and praying for the d●●d , which thou say'st is a laudable practice ; i say , none have or do reckon it worthy ●f praise , but they that worship the beast and his image , and have drunk of the vvhore's cup , and are erred from the faith and religion that the apostles and true church of christ were in , which all the world did that wondered after the beast . lastly , this i say , he that teaches a faith , a religion , a doctrine contrary to the doctrine of christ and the apostles , is an anti christ ; but the pope these fifteen hundred years hath taught a contrary doctrine , therefore he is an anti-christ . the st proposition is evident from divers testimonies of scripture , who teach only to pray unto the lord in the name of christ , and for them that are alive in the body , and not for them th●t are dead . the second is proved by the author 's own testimony , that the pope and church of rome have prayed unto the saints ▪ and prayed for the dead these years ( to his shame be it spoken ) therefore the consequence must necessarily follow , the pope 〈◊〉 an ant●-chr●st . . and last proposi●ion is this , that the first authors of the christian faith in germany , italy , spain , france , england and low countries have acknowledged no other faith ▪ nor brou●ht any other to them then the catholick roman faith , which the whole universe hath acknowledged which we have learned of our fore-fathers ; therefore they that have brought in another are accursed . that which the whole universe hath acknowledged ( in the apostacy ) which lyeth in wickedness , seeing all have wondered after the beast , and drunk of the whore's cup since the apostles dayes , is but a lame and pitiful argument , as to prove the church of rome the true church ; and as for the faith delivering ( such as it was ) to the nations before-mentioned , only excepting spain , because it 's probable that the apostle paul spread the faith there , seeing that he said , he had a purpose to come there into spain , which if he did , thy boast may cease as for the planting of religion there ; and we know he was no hypocrite , but the same faith and gospel which he had preached over the regions , he would preach there ; and his gospel and doctrine we find contrary to the church of rome ; be condemned divers doctrines which the church of rome holds , as forbidding meats , marriage , new moons and sabbaths , and voluntary humility , and worshipping of angels , and praying unto them , and praying for the dead ; and if you brought the christian faith ( so called ) into the rest of the nations first , and the aforesaid doctrines mentioned , and preached them up for apostolick institutions , then you brought in a doctrine and a gospel that is accursed , which you have received of your fore-fathers , who wondered after the beast , and received his mark , and have been drunken with the whore's cup , to wit the universe which you lay claim to ▪ and none but you called christians : so that it is manifest your visible universal church is the harlot , and hath brought in another gospel and other doctrines then the apostles , and so are anath●matized ; for the apostles preached the power of god to be the gospel , and you have preached traditions , inventions , old wives fables and outward ceremonies for the gospel , and so have deceived the nations ; and now when they begin to dislike your traffick ▪ you are angry ; but the day is made manifest , whi●h discovers all your deceit . and now i have answered the substance of the book , and also the eight propositions proposed by the author and there , and i am not yet at the wits end , as thou sayst the ministers in germa●y and the lo●-countries have been , neither at wisdom's end , but am in it , and ready ( if you will l●y down your carnal weapon ) ●o begin with thee , and to vindicate the truth as it is in jesus , against the doctrines of the church ●f rome , when●●ever i shall hear of thee , or any that pertain to your church m●ke such another bold attempt , as to condemn all since the apostles days for sectaries , hereticks and schismaticks , who have dissented from you ; and shall endeavour in the strength of christ to vindicate and 〈◊〉 ( though not with cain's weapons ) for the faith and doctrine whi●h was ●nce delivered to the saints before the apostacy , and now is manifest ag●in in us , and is with us , when the apostacy is coming to an end , and the everlasting gospel is to be preached again to them that dwell on the earth , and to the n●tions , kindreds , tongues and people , that they may come to the true foundation again , and to the rock of ages again , that they may be established in righteousness forever , the joyful sound whereof is going into the borders of babylon , which will make the inhabitants thereof to abhor their city in which they have inhabited , and they shall return to zion with songs of deliverance , and everlasting joy upon their heads , because the h●ur of god's judgment is come , and coming upon the harlot , and the year of redemption is proclaiming to the captive , and the dead shall be raised to life , and shall hear the word of life , and their graves shall be opened , and they shall have victory over it ; and they that hear the voice of the s●n of god in themselves , shall live , and shall deny the voice of many waters , and the voice of your church , mystery-babylon , whose seat hath been upon them . and as for doctor bayly , which the author efforts for his proof , and layes down his reasons wherefore the church of rome hath been , and 〈◊〉 still the true church , by way of demonstration . he saith , that the chur●h of rome was an excellent flour●●hing moth●r-church ▪ th●s church 〈…〉 to be such , but she must fall either by apostacy heresie or schi●m : now ap●stacy ( saith he ) is a renouncing of the faith of christ , and no man will say , that the church of rome had ever such a fall. . ( he saith ) heresie is an adhering to some private an● singular op●nion , 〈◊〉 errour in faith , contrary to the approved doctrine of the church . answ. whatsoever the author is pleased to boast of the church of rome , we do not find flourishing for faith , whol●ome doctrine and 〈…〉 , more then other churches that were pl●nted before her , 〈…〉 both by scripture , and the 〈…〉 the church of rome her self will allow of ; and 〈…〉 hath and a fall ( and prove it 〈◊〉 by apostacy . 〈…〉 . as first , she is fallen from h●r first love , and 〈…〉 doctrine of christ , who taught to love enemies , and to do go●d 〈◊〉 that hate them , and to pray for them that persecuted them : 〈◊〉 the church of rome hath not loved their enemies , neither 〈…〉 , but have persecuted them to death , and 〈…〉 , who did not receive their doctrine : and this is renouncing ●f that faith which was 〈◊〉 delivered to the saints by christ himself , who taught to love enemies , and if they beat them upon the one cheek , turn the other ; but the church of rome is out of this faith and doctrine , and hath renounced this faith of christ , and hath denyed the power of god , and placed it into a man , to wit , the pope , that infallibility is in him ; and this is in the apostacy . . if heresie be an adhering to some private opinion or errour in faith , then the church of rome is in the heresie ; for the faith that was held among the true churches , was that which did overcome the world , and gave victory over sin , and faith in christ was that which only gave an interest into the kingdom of god ; but cardinal bellarmine ( a chief pillar of your church ) hath asserted this for the doctrine of the church of rome , that a man hath a two-fold right to the kingdom of god , first , by the merits of christ : secondly , by the merits of man's good works , or works of supererogation : and this is an adhering to a singular opinion , and is an error in the faith that was generally held in the true churches of christ , as witness , he worketh in us to will and to do , viz. christ. so that there is nothing appropriated unto the creature as a creature . . this is an error in the faith of the church of rome , who teach and are taught , that there is a place called purgatory , in which men are cleansed from some light faults , or venial sins ; and this is contrary to the faith of the true christian churches , and is no less then heresie ; for the true church , or churches of christ , taught , that the blood of christ alone cleanseth from all sin , and that he is ( to wit , christ ) the propitiation for sin , and the everlasting sacrifice and offering ; but you have other offerings , as the sacrifice of the mass , which you call an unbloody sacrifice , which is contrary to the faith of the christian church in christ's and the apostles dayes , and therefore is heresie . again , praying for the dead , and praying to angels , and worshipping of images , is absolute heresie , and contrary to the faith and doctrine of the true church of christ. . and as for schism , the church of rome hath separated from many other churches in their practice , and also have excommunicated them as schismaticks and hereticks , witness the eastern churches , the church of caesaria , and divers others , as about your lent , your fasts , feasts , and invented holy-days , which the true church of christ did not allow of ; but you have brought those things in as apostolical , and excommuicated all the rest that would not bow unto you : as for example , about the feast of easter , the time when it should be celebrated , though victor the bishop of rome excommunicated all the eastern chur●hes because they did not accord with rome , eu●eb . lib . cap. . at which iraeneus , bishop of lyon ▪ in france , sh●rply reproved him , ibid. cap. . so in many more things which i shall not now stand neither to trouble my self nor the reader , which the church of rome hath departed in he● practice from the primitive church , as you may see farther in a book enti●uled , the glory ●f the true church discovered , published by p. h. and whereas the author desires to be satisfied by what general council she was ever condemned ; or which of the fathers wrote against her ; or by what authority she was otherwise approved . answ. because the author is so confident in his assertions , as though they were unanswerable , i return this short answer , which if i hear any more from the author may be amplified . for instance , in the year . there was a council of bishops called at sinuessa , where the pope was condemned ( which your church hath taught could not err ) for sacrificing to idols . a council held at cartage decreed , that clergy-men should not meddle with temporal affairs . at a council held at valentia in france , a decree was made , that priests should not marry ; and these were called christians , and some of rome's visible universal church . and this was against reproved and condemned in the first council held at tolledo in spain , they decreed that priests should marry : and now rome look to thy unity . again , at a council held at caesar august● , accursed all them that eat not the sacrament in the church ; but the church of r●me hath decreed , that it may be kept , and ready to carry abroad to sick people , and upon other occasions , out of the church . at a general council at constantinople decreed , that mary shall be called the mother of god , as though god were generated by natural generation , which is blasphemy . the council of armenium decreed for the armenians , that christ was not god. the council of calcedon ( which was one of the four councils that pope gregory compared to the four gospels , and that their decrees were sure and certain as the scripture ) yet , pope leo did not stick to condemn it , and of them as unadvised , viz. the whole council . so councils have erred , as is evident , and that which some have decreed for apostolick doctrine since the apostles dayes , other councils have condemned as heresie , though called christians , as well as the church of rome , and yet they have condemned that which some councils did allow . so the pope hath erred , the councils have erred , as is manifest in what i have said , that i shall not trouble my reader in large things , which i could and might do upon another occasion , if i hear any more from the church of rome . . by what authority she ( viz. the church of rome ) is reproved . in short , leo the fourth , the bishop of rome , made void the acts of adrian , bishop of rome : stephanus made void and abrogated the decrees of formosus and sabian , christ's vicars so called , commanded that pope gregory ( another vicar , so called ) his writings and decrees should be burned : and all these before-mentioned did say , and the church of rome holds it as such , that they were peter's successors : so here one father or head of the church , as they reckon the bishop of rome , hath confounded another . the nicene council determined , that images were not only to be placed in the churches , but also worshipped ; and the then pope said , that images were lay-mens calendrs . the lateran council under julius , did repeal the decrees of the pissan council : the basil-council decreed , that a council was above the pope ; but the lateran-council decreed , that the pope was above the council , that he that should think otherwise , should be counted an heretick ; yet the basil-council aforesaid decreed , that they that judged that a council was not above the pope , were hereticks : and yet the church of rome layes claim to visibility and universality over all the world , and yet one as distinct from another , as black is to white , and is as unsuitable as snow is in summer , or rain in harvest . one word more , and i have done . boniface the eighth , a great father of the church of rome , and a pope , that no man in the world can be saved , unless he be su●ject to the roman church , like this author . and pope paschal thus said , that no council could make laws for the church of rome . and so much of general councils , and of the confusion of the church of rome ; a few words more of synods , and i have done . bernardus saith , the church of rome was polluted with many superstitions , that the bishops were biters of the sheep , rather then true shepherds ; sometimes ( saith he ) i have admired that there should be a traytor among the twelve disciples ; but now i much more wonder , that among so great a company of bishops , and prelates , one upright disciple cannot be found , apop . chr. lib. . p. . gregorius theologus , who lived about three hundred years after christ , did determine never to come more at councils or synods , because ( saith he ) there comes more evil then good out of them , for the contention and ambitiousness of the bishops is above measure , said he , anno . d. paraeus said , often hath the truth suffered wrong in synods , because all that were assembled agreed in one error , so that truth came to be passed by with silence , iren. pag. . again , gregorius nazianzenus used to say , that he had never seen any good end of any council or synod , vide inst. clav . . lib. . cap. . and some synods have said , tha● remedy was not to be expected from the clergy , who were the cause of disease , anno . so the author saith , whose company did the church of rome leave ? and from whom did she go forth ? and where was the church that she did forsake , that she should be counted heretical and schismatical ? i say she left the company and society of the primitive church in christ's and the apostles dayes , and she went forth from the rest of the churches that were planted , as i instanced ; the church of rome in the year ● did excommunicate all the eastern churches ; and where was the true church that she did forsake ? saith the author ; not only one , i say , but many , to wit ▪ the doctrine that the apostles had laid down and preached at antioch , at philippi , at corinth , at ephesus , and the rest of the churches of asi● . and so the church of rome is proved to be an apostate , in the apostacy , in heresie , in schism ; so that there is an absolute defection from the life and power of god , which was manifested in the apostles dayes , and therefore the church of rome is not the true church . what i have said , as to the doctrines and grounds which have been laid down by the author , i shall refer it and the answer unto god's witness in every man's conscience ; and if i hear any more of the author , his great boasts or ambitious challenges , which may reach to all that do dissent from the church of rome , as to be hereticks , i shall engage in the strength of the lord to vindicate the truth , however opposed , and shall further ( if god permit ) be ready to give a more large and full answer unto the doctrines , and practices , and worship of the church of rome , and prove them to be contrary to the scriptures , and the apostolick doctrine , and the faith that was once delivered to the saints . so in what i have said , i hope may convince the author of his vain assertions , and them that are enclined towards babylon , it may put a stop to that which would too readily close with every thing which goes under the name of antiquity . but in what i have said upon the whole matter , i hope will be sufficient unto all who read with a single eye , without prejudice ; and unto such i say , the lord give them an understanding , that they see and discern the way which leadeth to life and felicity , from that which leadeth to the chambers of death , and the pathes that take hold on destruction . a general epistle to the seed of god , dear friends every where , who have believed in our lord jesus christ , and called with an holy calling to the great salvation of god , which is manifest in this the day of his power ; keep your first love , and let not the threats of men , neither the browns of the world affright you from that which you have prized more then all the world ; now the sun is up , and a time of scorching is come , and that which hath not root will wither ; now every ground will be tryed , and blessed is the good , that brings forth the seed which must inherit the promise ; oh let not the cares of this present life choak that which god hath begotten ; and seeing the lord hath so marvelously wrought for us hitherto , in the midst of great opposition , let not your faith fail , nor your confidence in god , who delivered jacob of old out of his adversity , and israel out of all his troubles , whose care is over his people now ; and having seen the emptiness of the world and its way and worship , let nothing blind your eye again , and let not the things present nor things to come separate you from the love of god in christ jesus ; and mind not them that draw back to perdition , but let it teach you all more diligence , to be as those that press after glory , immortality and everlasting life ; the way of god was ever hated by the world and the powers thereof ; never heed the rough spirit nor the heavy , for their bound is set , and their limit known ; but mind the seed , which hath dominion over all , and forsake not the assembling of your selves together , in which you have found god and his promise and power amongst you and blessing , your understandings opened : oh rather suffer all things , then let go that which you have believed ; f●r whoso doth , will loose the evidence of god's spirit in them , and their peace and joy will be lost ; the lord god preserve you all unto the end faithful . your dear brother for the testimony of jesus , f. h. a●●elby goal , the th of the d moneth , . a visitation of love , peace and good-will from the spirit of the lord , sent unto the whole flock of god , now in this their day of tryal , and hour of temptation . dear friends and brethren , who have been called to believe by the holy calling of the lord unto sanctification and holiness , that ye might inherit the promises of god , and that your souls might live in the land of the living , and partake of his goodness , that you might admire him , and praise his name forever : and seeing the lord out of his rich love and mercy hath visited you , who sometime sate in the region of the shadow of death , and were cast out of his presence in the time of unbelief ; seeing he hath caused his miraculous light to shine upon you , in his gracious visitation of you , and hath given you to believe in his name ; prize his love unto you , and let not his gracious benefits slip out of your minds , lest your hearts be filled with other things , that will corrupt your hearts , and make you an unmeet habitation for the lord to dwell in and among . dear friends , hear my brotherly admonition and exhortation ; for the lord moved in my heart to write unto you ; and in the bowels of his kind and tender love , and motion of his heavenly spirit , to stir up your pure minds and consciences unto stedfastness in the faith of our lord jesus christ ; and so much the more that you all be watchful , seeing the times be perilous ; for now the adversary goes about roaring and ravening on the right hand and on the left , to destroy and devour that which god hath brought forth in you , that so he might regain you too under his power and government , and that ye might revolt from the kingdom of our lord jesus christ , that stands in power and righteousness , which is come , and hath been of a truth manifest in great glory ▪ and this is an hour the power of darkness is let loose , to try the faith and them that dwell upon the earth ; and he is let loose for a season , blessed are they that hide themselves under the shadow of the almighty , and under the wings of christ jesus , who is given for a redeemer , a saviour and a preserver of men , that the wicked one touch them not ▪ and now the devil rages , because he knows his kingdom is but short , and but for a small time is like to stand in many , because a stronger then he that rules in the world is come , and hath began to dispossess the strong man , and bind him , and cast him out , and now he rages and stirs up all the temptations within and without ▪ and all his instruments to joyn with him , to make war for him , that he might not rule who is the heir of all things , and given for a leader , and to be the head of the body , his church , in which alone he hath right to rule , because the lord of the whole earth , yea , of heaven and earth , hath put all power into his hands , to bind and to lose , to bring out of captivity , and to lead captivity captive , that life and immortality might again inhabit in the sons of men , that truth and righteousness might sway , that mercy and love might sit on the throne , that his salvation might take hold on the ends of the earth , and his power made known from sea to sea , that all that wait for him , and love his appearance now when he is made manifest , might rejoyce in his goodness and life , and may be made glad as ze●ulon and nephtali beyond jordan in the dayes of old , upon whom sprung up a marvelous light , that the whole earth might be filled with his praise and glory , that hath been filled with darkness , violence and cruelty in the time of the devil and anti-christ's reign , which hath been long and great in the earth , so that the hearts of the sons of men have been corrupted , and they are gone backward from the lord , and have been degenerated into a strange nature , and have brought forth evil and corrupt fruit , like that of sodom ; and they that do evil are not at all ashamed , neither do they blush , but are become impudent , through the long custom of evil , and hard and impenetrable , upon whom the hammer of the lord must come , and his indignation be poured forth : but you whom god hath called out of this estate into a state of redemption and purity , by his son , the light of the world , who hath illuminated the eyes of your minds , consciences and understandings , that you might bear witness unto him that is true , a testimony against the world that lyes in wickedness , and pleads for it , and lives in it , as though it were the way to felicity ; hold fast your liberty , hold fast your faith , hold fast your hope , hold fast your testimony , let none take your crown ; and so much the more as you are compassed with temptations , and the times be perilous , so much the more you had all need to keep near the lord ; for now father would betray the son , and s●n the father , the mother her daughter , and the daughter her mother and brother , and kinsfolk betray one another ; and them that exercise authority would betray , who are not in the power of god , and through flatt●ry , and threats , and fair promises , and frowns , and gifts , and rewards , and ease , and liberty , and the glory of the world , and wha● not ▪ to lead your hearts away from the lord , and then glory over you , and rejoyce that your feet should slip , and you fall into the mire , and dirt , and gross abominations , and pollutions of the world , that lyes in wickedness . dearly beloved , n●ver heed none of those things , let not the philistines put out your eyes , nor damm up your wells ; for then would ▪ they m●ke you grind like sampson , and you might perish in the drou●●● 〈◊〉 look of moisture , and then your dayes would be miserable , and 〈◊〉 ye●rs full of sorrow ; for the lord will perf●rm 〈◊〉 promise , and 〈…〉 with them that keep covenant with him ; but if you forsake him in your h●arts , in what is made manifest , then he will forsake you , and then 〈◊〉 are left to the mercy of your adversary , which will be cruel : therefore 〈◊〉 the pride of moab , nor the reviling of the children of amm●n . 〈◊〉 th●● are uncircumcised in heart , and the moth shall e●t them up a● a 〈◊〉 : oh! if any draw back from following of the lamb through suff●ring they will be smitten , and the lord will have no pleasure in them ; and what will amaleck say , when israel turn their backs in the day of battel , but where is their god in whom they trusted ? and he that brought them forth was not able to deliver them to the end : oh that such things might never be spoken of now in gath or ashkelon , as in the dayes of old , lest the sons of the philistines triumph , and the daughters thereof rejoyce in their wickedness , and this would make the hearts of the israel of god to mourn ; this is the day of the lamb's war indeed in our age , and a day of battel , though his weapons and his followers be not carnal , but spiritual ; and there is none that goeth to war doth entangle himself , that hath a purpose to hold out , and is resolved to continue with him in his sufferings , but will shake off these things that incumber , lest he should not obtain the victory , and come short of the promise , victory & crown , which all that endure hardship to the end shall receive . oh dear friends , look above all visible things , and stand out of them all , and loose from them , that the enemy do not ensnare you ; what , is not the earth the lord's and the fulness thereof ? and hath not he given the utmost part of the earth for a possession to his son ? what , was not abraham our father blessed , when he was faithful , and obeyed the voice of the lord , and went out of his own country , he knew not whether ? was not the lord with him whether ever he went , and his blessing upon him where he sojourned in a strange land ? did not god intreat him kindly in mesopotamia , and among the hittites ? and was not he loved and feared among his enemies ? was not john the beloved and faithful disciple of christ banished into patmos for the testimony that he held ? was not shadrach , mesach and abednego , children of the captivity , cast into the furnace , and daniel too among the lyons , for the testimony they held against the common worship of nations , commanded by a law ? did christ endure the death of the cross , and the contradiction of sinners , and condemned by the most ? did not the believing hebrews , who were banished , wander in sheep-skins and goat-skins , in holes , dens and caves of the earth , for the hope they held , and the country they looked for ? did not moses through faith forsake pharaoh's court , and became a companion of poor brick-makers in captivity : a cloud of witnesses might be brought , even of them who dyed in the faith , and yet were not made partakers of the promises , who many of them saw not what you have seen , nor heard those things that you have heard , nor enjoyed that which god hath made many partakers of ; and have we not a great cloud of witnesses in this our own age , some who have not loved their lives unto the death for the testimony they received , believed , and held fast unto the end unto death ? have not many dy'd in prison with hard usage ? have not some been hang'd , and dyed a shameful death , and finished their course with joy and peace ? have not many endured great , hard and long imprisonment for years ? and are they yet weary ? nay , have not many suffered great spoil of their goods ? and have not they a reward seven-fold into their bosom : oh let the consideration of these things dwell upon your hearts , and provoke you unto suffering and long-suffering with joyfulness , that in the midst of all tribulations , as it abounds , you may feel ( according to the promise of god ) your joy much more abound , to carry you above it ; indeed , now is the time come , and he that will manifest himself to be on the lord's side must suffer , and he that will not , but turns back into the broad way , and runs with the herd of swine into the sea of common pollution , must perish there ; and indeed there is no place for halting ; if god be god , follow him ; if baal be he , go after him : and therefore let none draw you aside from that you are perswaded of in your consciences by the spirit of the lord , neither to joyn with that you know he disallows , and in the obedience you will have peace and joy ; look not at them that draw back , for they go to perdition , but rather after them that continue faithful , that shall receive honour , glory , immortality and everlasting life : in the fresh heavenly power of god meet together , and worship him as at other times , though the decree be gone forth , and the more because you have been therein refreshed , comforted and edified ; and let none p●rswade you from that innocent duty in worshipping god in his spirit , and assembling your selves together for the strengthning of one another , for this is the will of god , and acceptable in his sight , as many of you well know ; watch and pray , lest you fall into temptation , and into the snare of the wicked one : the god of heaven and earth establish all your hearts , that you may glorifie god in your generation , and be a sweet and an odorious smell unto him in bonds or liberty , in life or death , is the prayer of him who hath besought the lord , and is determined so to do on all your behalf , till the lord by his power tread satan under your feet , that you may triumph and rejoyce and sing over all in heavenly rejoycing and praises unto god and the lamb that lives forever and for evermore , amen . your dear brother in the patience and suffering of christ , who abounds in perfect love to all the faithful flock of christ every where . f. h. from appleby goal , the place of my rest , where my dayes and hours are pleasant unto me , the th of the th moneth , . to friends at the city of london , and about it , and hartford , and reading . dear friends and brethren , who are called to be partakers of the heavenly and everlasting inheritance , where thieves cannot break in and steal , neither take away your portion , because nothing that defileth or maketh a lye can enter therein , but is prepared through christ jesus for all that believe in him , and hear his voice , who is given to reveal eternal life and the crown of the immortal glory to all the heirs of the promise , who are born of the word which liveth and endureth forever , by which all things were made , and by which ●ll that receive it are renewed in their hearts and minds unto god , and are preserved in purity and holiness unto eternal life , and upholden in the midst of all temptations in uprightness , that the enemy prevail not : grace , mercy , salvation , peace , power , love , joy , life and immortality be revealed , multiplyed and encreased amongst you all , saith the god of life in my heart unto you all , who are followers of the lamb in the day of tribulation , when the lyon roareth out for his prey , and the powers of darkness combine together , to make opposition and war , and to fill the earth with cruelty and violence , who seek to destroy and make havock of that which god hath brought forth , and hath determined shall live to bear witness to him , and make war , and overcome , and reign with him in glory everlasting , notwithstanding the rage of satan , and the cruelty of his followers , and the madness of the people whom the god of this world hath blinded ; yet he hath decreed to exalt his son upon the holy hill of sion , and to make all that take part with him in this day of tryal , reproach and blasphemy victorious and conquerors , of him that hath the power of death , the devil , and hell , and the grave , and their triumph shall no more be ; for mortality shall be swallowed of life , and he that hath deceived the nations , and sown discord in the earth , and hath set the nations at variance , shall be taken and cast into the lake of fire , and all his subjects shall partake of the wine of the wrath of god , and be trodden in the wine-press of the wrath , without the holy city , when they that have been faithful unto the end shall stand upon mount sion , with their harps in their hands , and sing a song of triumph , glory and redemption , greater then that of moses in the day of israel's deliverance at the red sea , when god overthrew both horse and rider . oh dearly beloved , re●oyce & be glad , triumph and glory in that god , who out of his everlasting love hath chosen us a peculiar people , to be a cloud of witnesses for him in this last age of the vvorld , and that we are counted worthy to suffer with him , and to fall into many snares and sufferings for him ; oh sing , rejoyce and be glad , let not a faint heart be amongst you , for the lord is on our side , the god of jacob takes our part , and will plead our cause , and uphold us , that our enemies shall not glory , nor have cause to boast ; for greater is he that is with us and in us , then he that is in the world ; and therefore we cannot bow nor stoop to deceit , neither to any false worship , hypocritical form , or false god ; let us believe in him forever , and taste him forever , and give up our lives and all we have into his hands , who hath given us all , that he alone may be over all , and exalted over all , our everlasting living god , god blessed forever . oh most dearly beloved friends , you live in my heart , and to hear of your valour and obedience to the truth makes glad my soul , and comforts us all on every side , wherein we rejoyce , and give glory to god ; and though they proceed severely and strictly with you , and make the battel hot , it 's but for a moment ; we have a share with you , and many are in bonds here , men , women and children , babes , old men and vvomen , blind and lame men , and of all conditions , as to age ; but all well content and joyful in the lord , blessed be his name forever ; and indeed your faith and obedience , sufferings and tryals are come abroad in the nations , and many thereby are strengthned ; we hear also of the death of many , who are shut up in those nasty holes , who are taken away from the evil to come , whose blood god will require at this generations hands , whose sufferings and death is precious in the eyes of the lord , and the spirit of life , which was in them , shall enter into others , and fill them , that god shall not want vvitnesses : the power of our lord jesus christ be with you all . your dear brother f. h. appleby gool , the th of this th moneth ▪ . to all the beloved prisoners and fellow-sufferers , who have lost your liberty for christ's sake in newgate , and else-where in bonds about the city of london , and to friends of bristol and hartford , whom the world is not worthy of . most greatly beloved in the lord god everlasting , into whose bosomes and hearts my soul , life and spirit is poured forth and joyned unto forever , in the perpetual covenant of life , which can never be broken , which will ou●●●●● death and hell ▪ and all the lord's adversaries , who would not acknowledge the most ●igh to rule in the kingdoms of men , and to have the power and only authority in the hearts and consciences of men , which is his only right and he never yet did give , nor will give this honour and glory to any other , though the devil and satan ; who hath made blind the nations , hath usurped and laid claim to that which only belongs to the living god of heaven and earth ; and he hath long reigned in the earth , and now his subjects plead for his usurped power and dominion , and are loath to let any part of it go or fall ; but we certainly know the victory is the lamb's and his followers ; and though you be in the war and in the hardship and suffering , and as killed all the day long , yet your bow abides in strength , and the lord will cover your heads , that your enemies shall not touch your life , as you keep near the lord ; and glorious will be the triumph and great the glory and victory unto all that continue unto the end in the hope and faith which is manifest from our lord jesus christ in your hearts , by which you have been purified and sanctified ▪ and made meet and worthy to be an habitation for the living god ; the crown of glory , the riches of the kingdom which is without end shall be yours , and your souls shall forever be bound up in the bundle of life , and ye shall shine as stars of god in the brightness of his immortal power forever and ever ; and have ye not received an earnest of the same already ? and hath not god doubled and redoubled his grace upon you and in you from time to time ? have not you eaten of the grapes of the land already , which those which were brought from es●col by the good spies , in the land of israel , were not to be compared unto ? let your hearts be comforted , and do rejoyce in hope , for the inheritance which god hath promised you , who will perform his promise , and make good that which he hath said ▪ notwithstanding all the opposition of all the sons of amaleck , and you shall see it , feel it ▪ and be made partakers of it , taste it , handle it , enjoy it , possess it , even that which shall satisfie your hearts to the full ; only be of a believing heart ▪ & look not out , neither think the time long nor the lord slack ; for you hitherto have been provided for in your way , since you set your faces towards sion , and the lord hath been your leader , and in the front , and his righteousness hath been your reward , and so will continue with you unto the end ; forever true and most faithful we have found him in the time of need . most tenderly beloved , the lord god , our almighty rock and everlasting refuge , moved in my heart to greet you with these lines ; for in his name , power and holy living life , which is fresh and powerful in my heart , do i say , peace , good-will , mercy , love , life , joy and the encrease of all heavenly and spiritual blessings in christ jesus be multiplyed among you , to the confirming of you , and establishing of you in the most holy faith , which is begun , and to the finishing of the blessed race which you are begun in , and to the strengthning of you by his almighty power in all your inward man , to make war and to overcome , to fight the good fight of faith , to the laying hold of eternal life , and to the obtaining of the crown of glory , and diadem of righteousness , which shall be set upon the heads of all the lamb's followers through tribulation , which rubies are not to be compared unto , neither the fine gold of ophir ; but the hidden treasure , the durable riches , the everlasting peace , the white rayment , the glorious clothing of the lord , the righteousness of the saints you shall possess . oh dearest hearts , most dearly and entirely beloved of the lord and me , what might i say , to make all your hearts glad , even as mine is at this time , though melted into tears of joy for your sake , because the lord hath made you so freely and willingly to take his yoak upon you , and to bear his cross , and to despise the shame , and to endure the reproach so willingly : oh blessed , blessed , blessed from the lord god forever , i pronounce you in his name and power that ever lives , only potentate , to whom belongs glory and honour forever and ever , amen . dearly beloved , true it is , as it hath been foretold by his servants , that they that will live godly in christ jesus much suffer persecution , because of the enmity , that is in the world , in whom the love and peace of god dwells not , although they will make mention thereof in words , but in works deny him , as is very evident this day by them who would not be counted heathens , but christians , and yet hate his life and appearance ; and they are grown so blind and impudent , through the unbelief that is in them , that they cannot discern the fruits of the spirit , where they are brought forth , neither can believe , though it be declared unto them , and as is manifest , would not let god have any honour or worship , if it suit not their blindness or their corrupt laws , which they make not only to stand by god's law , but even to cross it and gainsay i● , and are so impudent as to say , that to worship god is crime enough , if they think meet to call it so , whether to banishment , death or confiscation , and yet will say , cursed is he that parts man and wife ; and again , whom god hath joyned together let no man separate ; and cursed is he that spoils the fatherless , and doth oppress the widdow , and the like , and yet cannot see themselves in the very act. well , dear hearts , although it be your share to partake of the heat of the dragon's fury , yet you are not alone ; and though you be counted unworthy by these corrupt judges to live in your city , family and your native land , because you will not deny that which god hath wrought in you , and manifest to you by his spirit , and conform to them in their blood-thirstiness and cruelty ; therefore they by their unjust se●tence have pronounced you to be banished out of your native country , and from your dear relations , and yet say , it 's just ; and think that their statute , which is like a spiders web , will be their shelter which they have made , even as the jews did against christ & his apostles , & the romans against the primitive christians , even the same they would do for mahomet , baal and milcham , if there were a seeming law to be their shelter : well , what shall we say , but that they are in cain's way , and themselves banished from the presence of the lord , and would have all wander as they after the paths of the heathen , and after the customs of the nations , and the corrupt traditions of men , and sport themselves over the heritage of god ; what doth he that sits in heaven , and they that are in the heavenly places in christ jesus ? and will not the lord have them in derision who m●ke a mock of sin , and rejoyce in iniquity , as though it were the high way to felicity , well , though the archers have shot hard at you , and h●ve come in their strength against you , yet the l●rd hath preserved you , that you do not break your ranks ; and i feel the l●rd hath put cour●ge in you , and wisdom in your mouthes , to withstand y●ur adversaries ; and the lord is on your side , the cause is his , the worship is his , the glory is his you suffer for ; and be assured he suffers with you , and so are his people afflicted with you ; and in this be comforted that you are not alone ▪ though you be counted fools , it 's for christ's sake ; though reckoned disobedient , it 's because you keep his comm●nds ; and though you be represented as vile and evil , and as transgressors , so was christ , so have his saints been in every generation , since the devil hath had dominion in the hear●● of the fallen sons of adam : what , should you be troubled at thi● ? n●y , rather rejoyce that the scripture is fulfilled of you in our ●ge , as christ prophesied unto his disciples , that they should speak all manner of evil falsely for my names sake , and be 〈◊〉 out of their assembly , and hailed before rulers and judgment-seats for my names sake , but rejoyce and be exceeding glad : and also it cannot but appear unto all people who are moderate , that it 's only his names sake you suffer for ; yea , even the lips of your adversaries , and the words of your judges do demonstrate no less , that it 's not for any evil at such a meeting , then it must needs be for your good doing there ▪ and to worship god any where , but where they would have you , is reckoned crime enough to banish you : oh have not they bewrayed themselves ? and will not this enter into other hearts , not yet concerned , to consider ? o surely yea , and the devil and his persecuting enemies shall loose by it , and the truth shall be a gainer . well , dearly beloved ▪ you know , even as the gospel was preached to others before , and as it came unto us , and as we did receive it , so it was declared unto you in all simplicity ; and you have not been beguiled by it , nor the messengers of it , of whom some are at rest , and fallen asleep , and their life and spirit is with you and among you : it hath been told you , that all must be given up , and all must be denyed , and the cross must be born , and all must dye to the world , before they could receive christ , or be made alive unto him , and before the enmity could be slain , or the peace witnessed , which you have found true ; and happy are you that have believed , and keep in the faith : and now beloved , though our adversaries think this is a loosing time , and this is the way to bring us and truth , in which we have believed , into disesteem ; i tell you the truth in the word of god unto you ; this is the time of gaining unto many , and shall be unto more ; and this is the way the lord hath suffered to come pass ( persecution ) that your faith and hope may be tryed from hypocrites , and that it may be made known unto others , that you possess something that others possess not , that makes you willingly and cheerfully deny that which otherwise might be precious unto you , if could be enjoyed in the truth ; and them that have lifted up themselves against us , may see and be convinced of their weakness , and that they overprized that which now in this day stands in no stead , and have undervalued that which is able to carry them that truly believe through all difficulties and distresses , as it hath done you hitherto , blessed be the lord , and will confirm you and establish you forever : when they had crucified the lord of life , they thought they had brought all to an end ; but then his life , power and glory was more and more manifest , and thousands more did believe ; and they thought to have stiffled all in jerusalem , and then it came to be preached to all nations : though they think to dam up the way of truth , and stiffle it here and us ; i tell you , nay , the fame thereof shall reach to the ends of the earth , and the sound thereof unto the vvorld's end , and salvation through it shall be known from sea to sea ; we have a glorious effect thereof in our own day , as ever was in any age , and in so short a time , as i may truly say , as the prophet said , the lord hath wrought a work upon the wheels , and hath done it through weak poor instruments , that his arm and power might only appear , and that he alone might have the glory ; and therefore be of believing hearts , and look not at the blackness and darkness of the present time , but before it ; and let none trouble you , neither be ye troubled at the words or vvritings of any evil spies or discontented minds , for that would weaken ; some papers i have seen of that nature abroad , which the life of god judgeth : and moreover , if any come unto you with any new doctrine , try it in the light your selves , before you joyn to it ; or if any come with a shew of humility , and tell you of another appearance , or in another way , then through the light of the world , and gather not to you , but seek to make dissension and discord , and to beget a dislike in you , either of the truth or persons of any who have believed , receive not that into your hearts , moreover , you know how many have doted about needless disputes , and have busied friends minds about trifles , and have begot a heat in them , and have been hurried up and down in the wind a while , and all hath er●ed in nothing : moreover , if any come and tell you , that they who have preached the word of truth among you , would reign over you , and usurp authority over you , and seek dominion , mark , for such are unsubjected spirits ; for i know the lord bears record , and be you also record , that they which have laboured among you , have not preached themselves , but christ , and have not sought yours , but you , and the good of all your souls ; i have heard such murmuring sometimes of the sons of corah against some who were faithful men , who are fallen asleep , and against some living ; who so have done , their end hath not been good : but i can say unto you with a clear conscience , and of them who are deceased , and them that are living , as gideon said to the men of ephraim , when they said he should reign over them , he answered and said , the lord shall reign over you , even i speak of all the ancient brethren , who have laboured and suffered in the work of the lord until now ; i know they only sought that the lord might reign in you and over you , even as he doth at this day , for which i thank the lord ; and i am satisfied hitherto in what is done , and i have my reward , and it 's with me : o dear friends , this i speak unto you , that you might abide in love , and keep in unity one among another , even as you did see us one to another at all times : oh dear hearts , dwell in love , in meekness , speak all the same thing , be kind to one another , and tender , and easie to be entreated one of another , and be pitiful and merciful one to another , and bear and forbear one another for christ's sake , who hath born your inf●rmities in times past , be like minded ; and truly i speak it , your comfort , your faith , obedience , suffering and self-denyal thus far is come abroad , and hath strengthned many , and hath made them willing to be companions with you in life or death ; their prayers are for you , their praises are of you , their blessings are with you , and so is mine , who am the lord's and yours in life or death ; and if we shall not see one another any more in these earthly tabernacles , god's heavenly will be done : and these lines i send unto you , as the best thing i have to greet you with my whole heart , which is as tender as a sucking child to you all ; farewel , farewel , everlastingly in the life of christ jesus , in which i write unto you , farewel . your dear brother and companion in tribulation . f. h. send a copy of this to bristol and hartford , and else-where where any are sentenced . the great case of tythes and forced maintenance once more revived : the true state thereof enquired into before the law , under the law , among the jews ; likewise under the gospel , the true ministers of christ their allowance shown ; likewise in the corruption of time since christ , how tythes have been introduced , wherein antiquity is searched , and the judgment of the fathers of the church in several ages produced , besides the scripture it self examined ; in all which is clearly proved tythes and forced maintenance are no gospel-maintenance ; the scriptures answered , divers arguments confuted , and objections answered , which are brought by the ministry of this last age. also the institution and division of parishes , and their rise , which are published for the benefit of all who desire that gospel-order might be established again in all the churches of christ. f. h. the epistle to the reader . impartial reader , thou hast here recommended once more unto thy view what from time to time , and from age to age hath been not only the grand cause of invocating councils , but also hitherto even the ground of great dispute and controversie , if thou th●s treatise do with a single eye peru●e , and ballance the same in just and equal scales , thou wilt find it of so mu●h validity , as will poise thy judgment to give censure , that this ● a clear & true demonstration of the matter in hand ; if thou be serious in thy view , sincere in thy heart , and single in thy mind , as willing to know the radix , rise and ground of the matter herein handled , then wilt thou find th●● the very key which will aright , and may without scruple open unto thee and demonstrate the very certain , infallible and sure testimony , as well of the●r original rise , growing , begetting , constitut●ng , setling , confirming , upholding and maintaining of them , viz. tythes ; all which that thou may'st be clearly informed , may'st thou find as by step and step herein traced , thou wilt find their original ; as first how tenths were given before the commandment was given forth to the jews ; thou wilt also find their growing , and their institutions thou may'st clearly see , and wherefore they were so instituted ; thou wilt find them when confirmed , and when corrupted , and thou wilt find them when lawful , and when not lawful ; thou wilt find them when they were to be payed , and thou wilt find a time when they ought not to be payed : and because the ministers of our age , as we have daily from them , do vaunt and boast themselves of the orthodox fathers of their church , therefore wilt th●u find by a narrow search and a single eye in the reading hereof , unto which i do advise thee , and that in patience and sobriety , thou wilt , as one unbiassed ballance the same ; here may'st thou have their opinions and judgments also , and their ancient fathers quoted thou wilt have at large their own words ; all which , as by this treatise is intended to inform thy mind , and be as a president how they are now in this our age apostatized from what they were , and now at length become as usurpation or abused ; and for thy more full and perfect understanding how they were continued and imposed , thou may'st also read the orders and decrees of many great councils , their opinions , judgments and impositions , from time to time in many ages past ; thou wilt see the testimony of the holy martyrs and their verdict ; and last of all the scriptures discussed , the arguments confuted , the questions answered and the objections razed , which the ministers of our dayes do produce , or in times past have been produced , as the basis or ground from which they infer and lay their seeming fair foundation , these thou wilt all see sufficiently , clearly and evidently confuted , their structure defaced , their painted building demolished , their foundation unbottomed , and they themselves , if their old root of cove●ousness were not so strongly centured in them , might be convinced ; there is not one stone left , but all is overturned , and the bottom viewed , that thereby this babel's foundation may now be thrown down at the last , which hath had so many batteries and assaults against it , tha as it is the last , so it is indeed a weighty piece , which if truth might have place ( and error and deceit , which since the apostacy is crept in , once rooted out ) then needed there not another of this nature ; for this indeed doth bolt the door , and if sensibly felt , arightly understood , and the truth of it assented unto , then would there be no entrance ; but though all this may not take hold with the worldly priest , yet herein have i hopes , that truth therein being so sufficiently demonstrated , may take place and footing in every honest reader , so far as that he may not only be informed , but convinced , and not only so , but being convinced by this which doth so candidly manifest the same , he may in the zeal of his heart own 〈◊〉 , and stand in the defence thereof , vindicating the just cause thereof ▪ and witness with his seal that this is true , which if unbiassed he peruse , it doth evidently appear unto me he cannot but own , as he is willing and aminded to own truth : one thing more is also in this book inserted , to wit , the sufficiency of allowance to the ministers of christ in gospel-dayes , according to the doctrine of christ and the apostles ; and it were well if magistrates and superiors would weigh it , and that they would with the infallible eye of pure judgment labour to discern the same , lest they decree and uphold that which in this case they ought not , to wit , tythes , lest the lord be angry for their so doing , it being so repugnant to the testimony of truth . and so let every honest reader weigh , and diligently and seriously consider , whether he ought to uphold truth or error , light or darkness ; i assume he will say , that he ought to uphold and maintain the truth , and to stand by it and for it , then let me ask him a sober question in the sobriety and calmness of spirit , and i desire that in the coolness of the day he may answer it , according to the witness of his conscience ; my question is this , whether he doth not believe after that he hath had a serious view of this piece , that he meets with such valid arguments , such clearness of demonstration as may or doth convince him , that the imposition of tythes now in gospel-dayes , is absolutely out of the doctrine of truth , and ought not so to be ? and if so convinced , whether he ought not to side and adjoyn with that of god in his conscience , in a testimony of this nature , and so partake with truth , which is a duty ought to be and is incumbent upon every christian man's heart , which is the desire of him who is a well-willer to sion's prosperity . e. g. the great case of tythes and forced maintenance once more revived since the seat of anti-christ hath been set , and his throne exalted so high as it now is , and he himself exalting himself above all that is called god ; and not only so , but he hath laboured to make void the laws and commands of the lord and his christ concerning his church , and likewise , to set up his own institutions and commandments , which are repugnant and eontrary to the commands of christ , and the practice and example of the apostles , and holy martyrs of old , who laid down their lives , for the testimony of that doctrine and faith , which they had received of the lord jesus christ the saviour of man-kind , and knowing the practice and the examples of christ and his apostles , and holy witnesses they continued in their doctrine to hold forth still the same in purity , and to keep it unviolated even to their death , that they might shew themselves forth to be followers of their master christ jesus , and to abide in his doctrine , and walk according to the primitive example , notwithstanding all the opposition , and contradiction of anti-christ and his followers , which hath been great through many ages , since the nations have drank , and the kings of the earth of the wine of the whore's fornication , and the way that anti-christ and the false church have had to exalt themselves , hath been by policy , craft , and deceit , in perswading the nations , that that which was once given , and offered freely unto the lord for his works sake , is now made of necessity , and claimed as divine right to them and their ministers , notwithstanding both the doctrine , the worship , and practice be altogether inconsistent with the primitive times , truly so called . but seeing the ministry of the false church , who abode not in the doctrine of christ , ( but hath violated it , and now hath turned against the saints , the ministers and seed of the free woman ) hath not had power by vertue of their doctrine to work upon the hearts and consciences of people , so as to open them and make them freely willing to minister earthly things to their ministers , because indeed most people in the nations 〈◊〉 not perswaded that they have ministred spiritual things . and therefore the false church hath perswaded the powers of the earth , who have drunken of her cup , that is their duty to force and compel all to give 〈◊〉 her and her ministers , as of divine right , whether people be perswaded 〈◊〉 no , that they are sent of god , and make the scripture a cl●●k to cover their force or injunctions , and produceth the example of the 〈◊〉 christians for a cover , though they do nothing at all of the work of the apostles or ministers of christ in converting of souls , but rather ministring their own inventions , and vain traditions of men , instead of the true ordinance of christ , yet however maintenance they must and will have though they do none of christ's work , and are so imperious and arrogant as to reckon tythes the tenth part of the encrease of the earth whatsoever , and of every man's labour , and merchandize , yet this they would perswade all people is by divine right , and a gospel-institution ; and this hath been received by many in our last generation , whose minds have been darkned with the cloud of ignorance , for a truth ; and for any to withstand or deny it , hath been counted error and heresie , no less then a curse from mystery - babylon , did come upon all such as did gain-say , also some with loss of lives , as hereticks upon this account , and in this last age many imprisoned for divers years even until death , and many have suffered great spoiling of their goods ten or twenty fold more then that which they pretended due , and yet all this people must believe is gospel institution and divine right . the consideration of which thing hath been an inducement unto my heart of late , to make a true and a narrow search of the lawfulness or unlawfulness of this particular thing , not only enquiring the true state of tythes amongst the jews , but also in the primitive time , and amongst the ancient fathers of the church , whose doctrine hath been approved among the most faithful members of the church of christ downward until● this last age. first of all to speak of the tenths which were given before the commandment was given forth to the jews , abraham in his return from redeeming his nephew lot , after the pursuit of ched●lao●er the king of elam , with the rest of the kings ●oyned with him , having recovered his nephew lot with all his substance ▪ and all the substance of sodom & gomorrah was met by melchizedeck king of salem , and priest of the most high god , who blessed abraham , and brought forth bread and wine , and gave unto 〈◊〉 and to the rest who were with him ▪ unto whom abraham gave the tythes of all the spoil , that he had taken from the aforesaid chedorlaomer , and the rest of the kings ▪ chry●●stome understands the text only to ●e of the spoils , whereof abraham made melchizedeck a partaker , by giving him the first fru●ts of his martial performance . and jerom often stiling it , decimas spoliorum pra●● and victoria , that is , the tenth of the spoil of the prey , and of the victor● . and this is made one of the main basis or ground for probation of tythes due before the law , which is but only a free gift of abraham to melchizedeck of the spoil he had taken ; and that , but once that we read of ; take notice of that : not of his familys labours or industries , but of the spoil of what he had taken . and it is very clear , that it was a volun●●ry thing and freely given ; and there is a good shew of reason in it , that it was by way of gratitude unto melchizedeck & to requite his kindness , who brought forth bread and wine unto his souldiers after a great pursuit ; which refreshed both him and his souldiers , which was a great sign and a courtesie ; if abraham had not given the tenth of the spoil , he had not sinned ; so an example of this na●ure ●●nnot be a binding law to future generations : for if the ministry 〈◊〉 is last age will make this a binding rule , we may as well requi●e of them 〈…〉 wine of every priest for our selves and whole families , and every officer may require bread and wine of every parish-priest for himself and all his souldiers , for the one example is as binding as the other , both of them being voluntary . the next passage that seems to have any weight in it about tythes , is jacob's vow , this stone , saith he , which i will set up as a pillar shall be god's house , and of all that thou shalt give me , i will surely give the tenth unto thee . this was an extraordinary occasion , and more then an ordinary appearance from god unto jacob before , when he went from his father to haran , to take a wife of his own kindred . and the lord appeared unto him as he laid his head upon a stone , the night being come , and said unto him , i am the god of abraham , the god of isaac , and the land whereon thou liest to thee will i give it , and to thy seed , and it shall be as the dust of the earth , and thou shalt spread abroad to the east , west , north and south , and in thee and thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed . he called the name of the place bethel , viz. the house of god , because of the glorious appearance of god , and of his great promise made unto him , which he did believe , as may be seen more at large in the wh●le chapter . so jacob's heart being opened and filled fall of joy and faith , he promised again unto the lord , and vowed a vow saying , if god will be with me , and keep me in this way that i go so that i c●me again to my father's house in peace , then shall the lord be my god , and of all that he giveth me , i will surely give the tenth unto thee : which he performed after twenty years , as josephus saith in these words , by o●●ering unto the lord the ●●●th of all his substance which he had got 〈◊〉 ●●rar , after that he returned unto that place where god did appear unto him , and made his promise unto hi● ; then jacob performed his promise unto the lord. but unto whose hand he gave this tenth , appears not , for 〈…〉 the priest hood was solely ann●●●d to the first-b●rn ●f families , 〈…〉 well with the sanctifying of the first-born commanded in egypt ; hence it comes that melchisedeck is commonly reputed to be shem , the eldest son noah , but that is c●ntrovet●l , and so i shall let it pass . but it is thought by some that jacob payed his vow unto the hands of isaac his father , and gave unto him the tenth of what he had gotten , as being the chief of the family then living , and a priest also , but as is said before , these two instances of abraham and jacob are only voluntary and free gifts , as a return of thankfulness unto the lord , the 〈◊〉 having got a great victory over his enemies , and ●he other having received a great assurance of the lord of his promise and blessing with him , did bind them to it . but we do not read that they were at all oblieged by any special commandment , as to give so much , though 't is granted , that after jacob had vowed he was oblieged , but these are no binding examples unto future generations , especially them that pretend they are ministers of the second covenant , the gospel : there is no other mention made of tythes before moses his time , unless some will dream , as they will needs do , that the levitical law was written before the creation . yet some of the ancients seem to have observed a respect , had to the quantity of what was as a part of the yearly encrease consecrated in those times of the lord : & that even in the first memory to sacrifice , cain's offering was not regarded they say , because he did not well or aright divide what he offered , as if some quota pars were at that time required . but this reason was from no other cause then the mis-translation of the text in the story of cain , where the jews read it , if thou offer well , but not divide aright , hast thou not sinned ? be quiet ; unto which agrees the text of the septuagint , when as the true translation out of the original is thus , why is thy countenance cast down ? if thou do well , art thou not accepted ? if thou do evil , sin lyeth at the door . but most agreeable to the text , is that he gave with a grudging mind , and not of the best and first of his fruit , for it is expresly said , that abel brought of his first fruits , but cain only of his fruit of the ground . abel giving then unto the lord a portion of the best , the other not regarding of what worth his offering were . so here is not any certain quantity noted , but the mind of the spirit of him that offered , and the quality of the oblation or gift . so the chief thing to be noted from this is , that cain was an hypocrite , and offered with that mind and spirit with which he slew his brother , and so his sacrifice was not accepted . but this is no plea or ground at all for the payment of tenths as due . tythes were never commanded to be payed by the lord to any , but israel , whose law was given forth four hundred thirty years after the promise , as saith the apostle . neither were they ever payable but by the jews , after they came to the land of canaan , and to levi's tribe only , and to the jewish priests , that had no inheritance allotted them by the lord of all the land of canaan , or beyond jordan , but only the tenths , according to the command of the lord , for the off●●● of the priesthood , and for the service of the tabernacle . how among the jews tythes were payed , or judg'd to be due , the yearly encrease being either fruit of ground , or cattel ; in the law of fruits of the ground , first , the first of the first ripe were offered to the priest in ears of wheat , figs , barley grap●s , olives , pomegranates and dates , of these seven only the first fruits were payed , in what quantity the owner would . next the theruma or heave-offering , or first fruits of corn ▪ wine , oyl , and fleece , and the like , were given to the priests , but it being not determined by moses , of what qua●●●i●y this offering should be , the jews anciently judg'd it to be enough at the fiftieth part , but so , that no necessity was that every one should pay so much ; he that payed a sixtieth part was discharged , but ●●me of better devotion payed the fortieth . the offerings spoken of in ezekiel , this is the theruma that ye shall offer , the sixth part of an ephah of an homer of wheat , or of barley ; it is the same as if he had said ye shall offer the sixtieth part of an homer , for an eph●h , being the same measure with a bath , that is near our common bushel ; and after this offered to the priests , every kind being given in season ; out of the rest were taken tythes , which are best divided into the first and second time . the first tythes were payed to the levites out of the remainder at jerusalem , and out of this tenth received by the levites , the levites payed another ten●h to the priests , which is called the tythes of the tythes for this is to be taken notice of , that priests recei●ed tythes of husband-men● but now them that are no levites neither of aarons priesthood they take tythes of husband-men , and w●●re it is not offered ●reely , they take it violently and by force ; so now in these latter dayes , in the apostacy , the late priests from that example , have payed tythes to the pope , being as they reckon him , chief-vicar upon earth . and also now since the popes supremacy hath ceas'd with us in england , a late law hath been made , to pay the first-fruits to the crown ; yet notwithstanding the possessor was not to spend the rest , till he had taken out of these nine other tythe , which he was the first two years to carry to jerusalem in kind , or to convert it into money , adding a fifth part of the value ; after these tenths thus disposed of , the remainder was every way prepared fit for common use of the husband man. some make a third tythe , but that was only the tythe of the third year , after the first was payed of every year , which was laid up by the husband-man within his own gates , for the le●●ite that is within his gate , the stranger , the fatherless & the widdow , & not carryed to jerusalem & this tythe bestowed every h●rd year was called ●he poor man's tythe & that third year the second years tythe ceased to be payed at jerusalem : so then every third year the levites at the temple received not their second tythe at their feasts , but according to the law , it was spent at home in the gates of the husband-man ; neither doth the second tythe , and the poor mans tythe differ in substance , but only in circumstance , 〈◊〉 place where the bestowing was makes only the difference , as the septuagint translates it . when thou hast ended the tythe of all the fruits of thy ground , in the third year , the second tythe thou shalt give to the levite , and to the stranger , &c. but after the second temple was destroyed , and the dispersion of the jews , then the laws of first fruits . offerings , and tythes with them ceased ; for their doctors determin'd , that regularly , or according to the law , no inhabitants but of the land of israel were to pay any . first , because they then wanted their priesthood and temple . secondly , because the law did restrain the paym●●● thereof to cannan , and herein they all agree . also eusebius agrees with the jewish rabbin● herein that tythes were only limited to the land of israel . how the payment of these tenths was either observed or discontinued , partly appears in the scrip●●●● , and partly in the institution of more trusty overseers in their great sanhedrim , or court of elders , wherein they agreed , that the overseers should be chosen of more honest men . by which hath been said , may be perceived the state of the jews tything , by the commandment of god , and likewise the judgment of their own rabbins and doctors of the law , which gives a clear judgment of the practice , according as was in use , or exercised among them , and all do agree , that they , by a due right , did belong to the aaronical priesthood and to the levites , and other officers in the temple and tabernacle , and for the service there , according to god's appointment , for bearing the tabernacle and setting it up , and for serving aaron and his sons ; and for the better ordering of things , they were divided into three parts , to wi●● the levites , as the coathites , gershonites , and the marrarites , and these did receive the tenths of the people , and gave to the priests their part , which belonged to them according to the law of god in that covenant ; and after the sons of aaron grew and mutiplyed , then the priests were divided into ranks or courses to serve at the temple , of which our ●●ehends deans and chapters take their example , or imitation , so to serve by their turns at cathedrals , as they are called , or else from the church of rome ; but the latter i am rather enclin'd to believe , because there was 〈◊〉 such name of any minister among the jews , neither in the primitive church truly so called ; but the priests of aaron gave attendance to execute their office , and to burn incense as their turn and 〈◊〉 came . and hereupon zacharias is said to be of the course 〈◊〉 abba . the levites that were singers were also divided into 〈◊〉 ●anks or courses of which i believe the present quiristers of singers , 〈◊〉 surplies ▪ men do have their imitation , and bring the lev●tes for proof● 〈◊〉 christ. but how these things do agree with the primitive practice of christ his apostles and ministers , and the churches planted by them 〈…〉 , day , is easily seen in that which is written in sundry places of the new testament , so called ; and how it comes to pass that they which 〈◊〉 another priest-hood , and to be ministers of christ , should receive the tenth of all clean and unclean beasts , as pigs , geese , eggs , fowls , turneps , wood , and faggots for the fire ; all which things we do not find mentioned , but some of them forbidden to be offered unto the law , and yet they pretend to be bishops and elders of the christian church ; so that it seems they cannot distinguish of the time , nor yet of the ministration ; for if so , then they would be ashamed to lay claim to aaron's tythes , and the levites , and yet do none of their work , which is contrary to all reason , truth , and equity , for that was given to them that had no portion among their brethren in the land , but these bishops , presbyters and priests , have their inheritances among their brethren , and besides , have a great part of some counties and diocesses for their revenue , and their inferiour officers tythes of all things , yea , of such things as was never at all tythable in the law , as is said before : so what damnable deceit and hypocrisie is this ! is it any other but the popes yoak ; an absolute apostate for hundreds of years ? and must this be received as apostolick doctrine and practice , and enjoyned ? o! for shame , let it never be made mention amongst them that do call themselves ministers of christ , neither any who do profess themselves to be christians , who dare not stand to christ's doctrine and allowance in respect of their maintenance . but in the fulness of time god raised up another priest , christ jesus , who was not of the tribe of levi , neither made after a carnal commandment , as the first priest was , neither was he consecrated after the order of aaron , for he pertained to another tribe , of which no man gave attendance at the altar , viz. to judah , he obtained a more excellent ministry , and of a greater and more perfect a tabernacle , not of the former building , he being the sum and substance of all shadows under the first covenant , hath thereby put an end to the first priest-hood , with all its shadows and carnal ordinances and changing the priest hood which had a command to take tythes of their brethren , there was a necessity also of the change of the law , and a disannulling likwise of the commandment which went before . now after christ jesus was manifest , the end of the law for righteousness to them that do believe , the end of the covenant , first priesthood tabernacle , temple , tythes , offerings , oblations , and in a word , all the worship of the jews , and all their shadows , types , and figures , and representations . all the sabbaths , fasts , feasts , and their divers washings , and purifyings , which all were but as shadows of things to come ; and he was the sum and substance of them all , and ended them all ; and whosoever will plead a necessity of all or anyone of the former things mentioned in the first covenant that was faulty , christ profits him nothing , and he denyes the faith of christ and his apostles , and ministers ; for circumcision was once commanded of god , and as real a type as any other , and yet they that would needs hold it up , after the substance was manifest , to wit , christ jesus , the apostle paul concludes that christ profits them nothing , though he elsewhere calls it the seal of the righteousness of faith unto abraham , which he had before he was circumcised . the like i also say of all the former ordinances which pertained to the first priest-hood and covenant , and holds them up as of necessity , denyes the faith of christ , and christ profits them nothing , and do make themselves thereby as debtors to the whole law : and he that fails in the breach of one is guilty of all . therefore of how much necessity is it , for them that do profess christ and the faith that was delivered to the saints , to stand fast in that liberty wherein christ hath made them free , and not to be entangled with the yoak of bondage , but to keep the ordinances and commands of christ unviolated ; for that they lay claim to tythes , and would cause us to pay tythes , they themselves do not keep the law , but would constrain us , that they might glory in our flesh , and would confound the ordinances of the first and second covenant together , without putting any difference to the time and ministration unto which they did belong . the apostles and ministers of christ , who were made partakers of the divine nature , and of the word of reconciliation , did not look back , nor draw people back to the former ordinances of the jews , and their priest-hood , but testified against them , their temples , fasts , feasts and new-moons , and for these things , paul , and stephen , and divers others , suffered great persecution ; and christ the everlasting high priest , though he was the son of god , the heir of all things , and the first born of every creature , and the bishop of souls , though he was the lord of all , he made himself of no reputation , nor did not lay claim to the possessions of the world , but said , the foxes have holes , and the birds of the air have nests , but the son of man hath not whereon to lay his head. he laid no claim to tenths , nor offerings , nor oblations , neither to lands , where he travelled in the work of the father , though he laboured for the conversion of souls in divers places , as the true bishop thereof . he laid no claim to any such places as to be his diocess , neither did look for any gifts and rewards from any place , but as he was sent of the father , and was the free gift of righteousness , he ministred freely : and likewise when he sent out his disciples , and gave them commission to teach all nations and disciple them in the name of the father , son , and holy ghost , he said unto them , as my father sent me , so send i you . and again , freely you have received , freely give . and again , take with you neither staff , nor scrip , nor money , nor brass in your purses ; but into what house or city ye enter , enquire who therein is worthy , and abide ye there till you go thence . and whatsoever is set before you , that do you eat and drink , for the labourer is worthy of his meat . and though he sent them out , as is before said , when they returned again he said unto them , lacked ye any thing ? and they said , nay . though they were sent out as sheep among wolves , yet they preaching the word of the kingdom freely , and turned people to christ , the new and living way , whereby there hearts were opened to minister unto them , which serv'd for their necessity in the work of the gospel , they did not desire or require any stipend , sallary , augmentation , or settled maintenance , but were ministred unto them only by them who had believed their report , and were made partakers of spiritual things ; they never complained of want , nor never had any cause , nor did not give over preaching of the gospel because they had not settled maintenance , like our latter generation of priests , who if their maintenance do cease , their gospel ceaseth , which demonstrates only they minister for hire and filthy lucre ; and so are out of the apostles doctrine and practice ; for the apostles they often denyed that which was freely proferred them , lest they should make the gospel of christ chargeable , and their work of no effect . here was no tythes spoken of , that we read on , commanded or commended , either to the jews or gentiles who believed , in the age of the apostles , that we find mentioned either in scripture , or any other ancient records . and after many christians were converted unto the faith , such was the liberality and bounty of believers in the beginning of christianity , that their bounty to the evangelical priesthood was so large , as that it far exceeded what the tenth could have been ; or if you look to the first of the apostles times , then the unity of heart among them about jerusalem was such , that all was in common , and none wanted ; and as many as were possessors of lands and houses , sold them , and brought the price of that which was sold , and laid it at the apostles feet , and it was distributed to every man according as he had need . so the whole church both ministers and believers liv'd in common of that which was freely brought in and ministred for the service of the saints ; so likewise the church gathered by mark at alexandria in egypt , followed the same practice as the believers at jerusalem . and philo judoeus saith , that in many other province ▪ the believers lived together in societies . and in the church at antioch , galatia and corinth the saints possessed every man his own estate ; where the apostle ordained , that a weekly offering should be made for the saints by every man according to the ability of his estate , and this was put into the hands of the deacons of the churches whereby the poor was relieved , and other necessary services supplied in the church of god ; and this continued for that age. the next age monethly offerings were made or given among the saints by devout and able christians , the over-seers appointed by the church were to receive it , and carefully and charitably dispose them , acccording to the necessity of the saints , for propagating of christianity ; as the mainten●nce for the brethren in their travels for the service of god , seeding , cloathing , and burying their poor brethren , relieving of widdows and orphans , and persons condemned to labour in the mettal-mines , or to prison , or banishment into isles by the heathen emperors ; and these free offerings were never exacted , or otherwise , witness learned tertullian , that lived about years after christ , as it appears ; his words are that every m●ns gift is to be every month , or as he can , or 〈◊〉 the manner he will , and 〈◊〉 he is able , so is he to give ; for , says he , no man is to be forced , but what as he confers of his own accord . and further , he upbraids the gentiles with the charity and piety of the christians ; he saith , whatsoever we have in the treasury of our churches , it 〈◊〉 raised by taxation , as though we put men to rans●me their religion , but every man once a moneth , or when he pleaseth himself , gives what he thinks good , & it is not bestowed in vanity , but f●r the maintenance of the poor , and the like necessary service aforesaid ; and this way of contribution continued until the great persecution of maximinian & dioclesian ▪ about the year . as eusebius , tertullian , cyprian , origen , and others do witness . also about this time , some lands were given to the church by them that believed , and the revenue thereof was distributed as other free gifts were by the deacons and elders , for the afore-mentioned uses , but the bishops or ministers medled not with them . origen saith , it is not lawful for any minister to possess lands given to the church for his own use . cyprian , bishop of carthage , about the year . also testifies the same , & shews how the church maintains many poor , & that her own diet was sparing and plain , and her expences full of frugal●ty . prosper also saith , that a minister able to live of himself ought not to desire any thing to be given unto him , and he that receiveth it , doth it not without great sin. the council held at antioch , anno . finding that much fault had been among the deacons and elders , to whom it properly did belong to distribute the offerings and free gifts where there was need , which they detaining for their own covetous ends , the council did ordain , that the overseer or bishop might distribute the goods , but required that they should take no part thereof to themselves , nor the use of the priest , using the apostles words , having food and raiment , be ye therewith content . chrysostome homil. . in a●a notes , and he lived about the year . that christian converts joyned in societies , and lived in common , after the manner of the former christians at jerusalem , by whose writings it doth appear that there was not the least mention made of tythes in that age ; the church at this time altogether living by the free offerings of lands , moneys , and goods , and the people were much pressed to bountiful contribution for holy uses , as may be seen in the writings of jerome and chrysostome , who brought the liberality of the jews in their payment of tythes for an example , beneath which they would not have christians determine the charity . but about this time there began to be a declination and a coldness in the devotion of them that offered , which made jerome , ambrose , and others press very hard upon the people for liberality in point of offerings , because it was much less then in the apostles time , in somuch that cyprian reproved sharply , and said , they ga●e not so much as was worth speaking of . and it doth no● appear in any old monuments of credit , till near the end of years after christ , that any payment to the church of any tenth part , as a tenth , was at all in use . from the year . till the year . no canon or other law was generally received , to compel any payment of tythes , although among the offerings of devout christians , gifts of that quantity was received as due by the doctrine then in use in some places only , which ambrose , augustine , jerome , and chrysostome taught by reason of coldness and want of charity among the christians in divers parts ; and for their ground and foundation , the first two taught that the tenth was due by god's law ▪ which they took only from the mosaical law , and the other two perswaded only that a less part then a tenth might not be offered , but ought to be paid for holy uses , as the phrase was ; and by the reason of the doctrine o● ambrose , they were offered under the name of tenths in part of italy ; he being the bishop of millain there in the year . likewise augustine bishop of hippo hath a vehement sermon for the payment of them , whose doctrine brought in the word tenth in use among christians ; and as is said before his ground only was taken from moses's law in point of offering , these two threatned them with great penalties , and heavy judgments , that did not pay their tenths ; but yet take notice to what end they required them , viz. that the poor might not want , and saith , that god had reserv'd them for that use and end ; so in process of time , when this doctrine came to be received , divers followed the opinion of the ancient fathers before-mentioned , yet hitherto it was not laid down as a positive doctrine to pay them as the jews did , but only brought the jews in for an example that christians should not pay less . leo , call'd the great , about the year . who reigned years , he very earnestly stirred up mens devotion to offer to the church , but speaks not a word of any quantity ; severin also about the year stir'd up the christians in panona to give the tenth to the poor ; likewise gregory not only admonished the payment of tythes from the mosaical law , but also observing lent , which he reckoned as the tenth part of the year , and this he would have given unto god , saying , we are commanded in the law to give the tenth of all things unto god , and thus ignorance began to enter in , and judaism among the christians brought in by their leaders , and from the opinions of these and other ancient fathers tythes , easter and pentecost came to be introduced and brought into the church among the christians . also jerome in these words , i do not take a part as the rest of the tribes of possessions of lands , but as a levite i live of the tenth , and as i serve at the altar , i am sustained by the oblation of the altar , being content with food and rayment , i follow nakedly the naked cross : but there is no necessity to understand his words of tythes ; but as the levites lived of tythes , serving at the altar , even so am i maintained by the free offering of them that do believe . but it is to be observed , that there were divers councils in and about the year only provincial , as mascon and arles ; and some others do take it for granted , that a tenth was due by way of offering , and put into the hands of them that ministred to the church , is spoken of as good antiquity , grounded upon the mosaical laws , which they call their divinas , all which did spring from the doctrine of the four fathers before mentioned , but especially ambrose and austin about the year . but take his own words , it is not fit for us ( saith he ) to prefer our selves as christians , unless we do the work of christians , viz. to offer the tenth part of corn , and of cattel , and all the first fruits of the earth ; and took it for granted as due , only his ground from moses's law ; and if they should offer less then a tenth , their offering was not accepted : also agreeing with him is augustine in a sermon after this manner , viz. dear brethren , forasmuch as the day of christ draws near , we ought to assemble our selves together , and to give thanks to god , who hath given unto us , by our offering unto god our tenths , for god is worthy to have the whole ; and this he grounds from that of malachi , honour the lord with thy substance , &c. farther exhorting them to pay their tribute to the poor , and their sacrifice to the priests ; then urging more texts out of the old testament , he tells them , that the neglect of payment of tythes was the cause of sterility and blasting of their corn , and the like : these two great bishops agree , and as was said before , from the law of moses infer their whole doctrine ; yet notwithstanding the great pressures and hard threats of some of the bishops at that time ; it was not a general received doctrine , that tythes ought to be payed until about the year . neither was any thing by the church then determined or ordained touching the quantity that should be given , though ( no doubt ) in many places the offerings of the more devout sort , ten●hs , or a greater part of their encrease were given according to the doctrine then in use : and then about this time the offerings and gifts to the church were disposed of on this wise , being received into a common treasury , one fourth part to the priests , out of which every one that laboured had his portion , another part for the relief of the poor , sick and strangers , and a third for the repairing places of publick worship , and the fourth to the bishop ; and generally then the bishop lived in some monastery , and his clergy with him , from whence he sent them to preach in the diocesses and countries , and there they received such offerings as were made , and brought them to the treasury ; so that hereby the reader may take notice that the priests had not such a peculiar interest in that which was given , but others had a share with them ; but now they claim all ; their churches were builded out of the gifts of the people , the poor , fatherless and widdow were relieved out of them and the prisoners , who suffered for the faith they held , were relieved also , the bishop and his whole clergy were sustained ; but now they claim it as due , and take tythes by force and violence three or four fold , and sometimes ten fold , and people thrown into prison , and widdows goods spoiled ; how unsuitable these practices are from what they were in the apostles time , and the ancient fathers for years ; though they are very proud , and boast much of their ancient fathers , yet they will not so much as come near them in example , & yet they cry up the church , the church and antiquity , when they are far enough off from their practice , though they were in a declining condition in this age i have been speaking of before : also jerome upon the third of malachy in his commentary doth admonish christians to give their alms to the poor , and double honour to him that labours in the lord's service , not binding at all to offer this o● that part , yet exhorts them not to be more backward then the jews , wherein they payed their tenths : neither is chrysostome at all different from him in his doctrine , in perswading even labourers and artificers to give bountifully their alms to the church for holy uses , according to the apostolical ordinances , relating to the weekly offerings in the churches of corinth . galatia , antioch ; and the jews liberality was brought as a president , below which he would not have christians determine their charity ; and sayes withal , that he speaks these things , not as commanding or forbidding that they should give more , yet as thinking it fit they should not give less then a tenth part for holy uses , as the phrase was . cyril bishop of alexandria speaking upon that passage of abraham , gen. . . who , after he had gained the victory over the king of sodom's enemies , and rescued lot , when the king of sodom offered him part of the spoils , he would receive nothing but a few victuals ; though ( saith he ) the holy teachers do war in the behalf of perishing mankind , yet do they not take any thing from the men of the world , nor do they heap up unto themselves riches , lest the world should say , we have made you rich ; they only ought to receive the sustenance from the hands of those whom they have converted to the faith ; for it 's christ's command ( saith he that those who preach the gospel should live thereby : so that it 's evident that very many of the ancient fathers , whom this generation have talked so much of , did deny tythes and a forced maintenance from the world ; but in this point it 's like they will be judged but weak-sighted , or erroneous in their judgment by this generation , as they do the quakers , or men of mean understanding ; but i see many will traduce them in words , but few in practice . it was the judgment also , not of private persons , but of the most learned and sound teachers of that age in five or six hundred years after christ. prosper saith , they that live of the gospel , who will be propriators of nothing , who neither have nor desire to have any thing , not possessing their own but the common goods ; and what is it ( saith he ) to live of the gospel , but that he who labours should receive necessary supplies by them among whom he labours , without forcing : and further saith , though paul himself had power , yet he would not make use of it ▪ lest he should create an offence , but laboured with his hands , being a tent-maker , that he might not be burthensome to the churches of christ. with him also agrees origen , saith he , peter and john saith , silver and gold have i none ; behold the riches of those who were priests of christ ; but let us quickly apply these things unto our selves ( saith he ) who are prohibited by the law of christ , if we have any regard thereunto , to have possessions in the country and houses in the city ; what , do i say possessions or houses ? no not to multiply coats or money ; if we have food and rayment , let us be therewith content . jerome also writing to nepotianus a clergy-man sayes , i beseech you that you would not transform our spiritual warfare into a carnal one nor imagine your self in the clergy as if you were in an army getting spoils , nor seek after no more then when you came first into the clergy , lest it be said to you , their lot shall not profit them . neither in any general or provincial council were there any constitutions made for the right of payment of tythes , till the year . in a council held at mascon in the diocess of lyons ; neither is this council received into the body of any of the canons ; the council consisted of all the bishops of king canthrom's kingdom ; only some provincial councils and secular constitutions betwixt the sixth and eight hundred years , which supposed tenths to be due , but they were disposed of diversly , now to the priests , now to the abbots , and now to the poor , according to the mind of the giver ; the quantity was only arbitrary , but judged that some kind of offering was necessary : neither till near eight hundred years was there any general law that remains in publick , that is of credit , ordained in the western church ; and for the eastern church , never any law that mentions tythes : and further it is observable , that though there were divers national and provincial councils held , which supposed them to be due , as divine right , and that less then a tenth part ought not to be offered , yet was there no commandment or name of tenth in the first eight general councils . and though divers of the fathers , popes and bishops did declare that tythes were due , and ought to be paid , yet till the nineth general council held at lateran under pope calixtus the second , about the year . mentions tythes , but speaks only of such as had been given to the church by special consecration ; for at that time people being led to believe that tythes ought to be given for the use of the poor , did dispose them to the heads and rulers of religious houses ( so called ) who kept open hospitality then , for the relief of the poor , entertainment of strangers and supply of the widdows , as is testified by cassian the hermite ; but the council held under pope alexander the third , . seeing much given to the poor , and little to the priests , made a decree to restrain peoples freedom ; and indeed much wickedness , self-love and covetousness was crept into those houses or monasteries by this time , as histories do relate . about this time there was no law , canon or constitution of any general council as yet found , that did command tythes to be payed , or expresly supposed them a duty of common right , before the council of lateran , held in the year . under pope innocent the third , about which time the pope's power was grown very great and powerful ; for about this time every man might have given his tythes to what church he would and people had more mind to give them for the poor , rather then the priests , as may be understood from the complaint of innocent the third , he preaching on zacheus's charity saith , dedit propium & redit alienum , &c. and cryed out heavily against those that gave their tythes and first fruits to the poor , and not to the priests , as heinous offenders ; yet about this time no regard was had to the nature of the encrease , but whatsoever did arise in profit , whether by trade , merchandize or husbandry , the tenth was required to be paid , but when pope innocent had commanded , so then no scruple was made of it , but another took it with too much credulity , neither till this time , were epistles sent from rome so frequent , to put in execution that which had been established in two former councils against t●at challeng'd right of the laity , for the laity had enjoyed their liberty from the beginning of christianity , to bestow or retain them to whom they would in most places till the year . about this time , notwithstanding the land occupiers in divers places , as the bishop of matera complained to pope innocent , that in his diocess , they , viz. the laity divided their tythes at their pleasures , and arbitrarily gave part to the church , part to the poor , and part to their kindred , likewise in divers places the thing was so much in controversie , whether that parishes had any due to tythes or no , that we see particularly in the diocess of valentia , . which was , that every man wheresoever he liv'd , he might declare himself to be of what parish he would , and to that only give his tythes . the opinion of the canonists in answer to a question , viz. by what immediate law that tythes were payable ? they are divided among themselves , some say , de jure ecclesiastico , others jus naturale , others divinum morale ; the canonists with one consent do ground themselves upon the letter of some of those passages of provincial councils , fathers and popes before-mentioned , generally deliver that predial and mix'd tythes are due to be paid jure divino , and they usually cite the levitical precepts to justifie it , for they take this ecclesiastical revenue to be no otherwise due to the clergy by common right ( whom they to the utmost maintain , as they reason ) may as a supreame steward of clergies maintenance dispose of this or that particular part of it to where he will , and this was their common opinion . but for personal tythes , they yet agree to be jure divino , although pope innocent the fourth makes it a wonder to see any man deny it , and divers of them followed him ; the best authority they bring for personal tythes is that of deut. . where tythes and the offering of your hands are spoken of , and this is a received ground among them , that the tenth is due to the church jure divino , and so would hold up the first priest-hood , and figures against the second , who is the substance , only for covetousness sake . but some canonists , and those of no small note , that agree the determination of the tenth to be only de jure ecclesiastico , and that no more jus naturale , or divinum morale is in it ▪ then what commands a competency of means to be given to the priest-hood , but they are mingled and confound●d among themselves , and the best bottom they have is either from the popes authority or from the jews , and also many divines and school-men were at great contest , and their judgments are various as the former . the divines about this time have had several determinations and doctrines about this point , some have held it , that the tenth considered quoad quotam partem , or as it is determined , part devoted from that number is only due by law positive and ecclesiastical , but as it is for the sustentation of the clergy , it is due by the divine moral law as they call it , and so they interpret it from the levitical commandment of tythes , but others say it is a judicial or ceremonial , as some will have it , and that it hath been brought into the law of the gospel , by ecclesiastick doctrine , and constitutions ; others say it is , by the imitation of the jewish state , ordered by the almighty , and not in that regard , per vim obligativam , viz. by a continued force of it under the gospel , and that the church was not only bound to this part , but might as well have ordain'd the payment of a ninth or eleventh , this is commonly taught by the old school-men , hales and aquinas , henricus de gandavo , cardinal caietan , and divers others . the second opinion among the divines is of those that held tythes to be meer alms , and not to be payed to the ministers of the gospel by any parochial right , as a necessary duty to the evangelical priest-hood , but that they might be detained and disposed of at the owners will , especially if the pastor did not well perform his office ; of this were both some of the religious orders in their preaching , and also others opposite enough to them in doctrine , the dominicans and franciscans , who began about the year . and had in their monasteries great store of school-mens writings , made it a gainful doctrine to themselves , though there was a truth in it , they determined that it was not due by divine right , but only due as alms , or due of charity , not of justice or judicial law but to be arbitrarily disposed of accordingly , to such as took any spiritual labour , and with them agree the mendicants . likewise about . . and a . and after that tythes were called the lords goods , and the patrimony of the poor , whenas also the council at nantz declared the clergy were not to use them as their own , but as commended to their trust , they were not then given to the clergy , but to be disposed of to the use of the poor . furthermore , at a general council held at lyons , under pope gregory the tenth , in the year . when the religion was only made a clo●k for covetousness , and they sought their gain , and not the good of souls , it was then constituted that it should not be lawful thenceforth for men to give their tythes at their own pleasure , where they would , as it had been before , but pay all their tythes to the mother-church ; by which it may be seen , that though the people who then generally were papists and in the mid-night of popery , did believe they ought to pay tythes then , yet were rather willing to dispose of them where they pleased , till the p●pist● councils restrain'd their liberty . but the great decree that speaks most plain , and till which nothing was given forth which did directly constitute them , but rather still suppos'd them as a due by some former right , was made at the council of trent in the year ● . and yet that great council followed the doctrines of their fathers , and said , they were due to god , but had no n●w authority for their great decree , which they commanded to be obeyed under the penaltie of excommunication . having thus briefly past over the ecclesiastical state , first , of the jews secondly , of christ and his apostles time ; thirdly , of the state of the church near to their time , and the judgment of them which are reckoned the most learned and orthodox men , and fathers of the church in every age , till the very height of the papal domination , and hath given some true understanding in every age to the point in hand ; it will be requisite that something be said more particularly concerning this nation , and the practice thereof , and what hath been said with , or against this particular concerning tythes . about the year . or soon after , gregory the first who was the first pope of rome , sent over augustine the monk into england , who was a canon regular , by whom ethelbert , king of kent , was converted , as they call it , but it was but to popery , he and his clergy a long time after followed the example of the former ages , and imitated the practice of the apostolick primitive church living in common upon the offerings of their converts , and those that received them joyn'd into societies , and with the receipt of the offerings they maintain'd themselves , they repaired the temples of the gentiles , which by the advice of pope gregory , were not to be destroyed , but to be converted to christian service , and builded some houses , which they called churches , in which the priests exercised their shrivings , for then the whole diocess of canterbury was indeed the only limitted parish in regard of profits ; and whatsoever was received through the devotion of good christians , as they were called , made up a common treasury for the whole diocess , so that it was no matter of what place the bounty was offer'd , so that it was within the diocess , the truth of this is confirm'd by that of augustine in his question to pope gregory touching the bishops , whereunto the pope answers , the custome , sayes he , is generally to make four parts , viz. for the bishop , for the clergy , for the poor , and for the repairation of churches , but he doth admonish him in tenderness to the english saxon church , that he and his clergy should use the community of all things , as was in the primitive times in the apostles dayes , but afterwards having brought a great part of the nation to their faith , they began to preach up the old roman doctrine , that tythes ought to be payed to god and holy church , as the phrase was , and having taught the people that pardon of sin , and the joyes of heaven were merited by good works , and the torments of hell evaded by charity , it was no hard matter to perswade them to give their tenths and lands , but also their outward riches to those called religious houses ; then here and elsewhere may testifie in this nation , they and the clergy had almost gotten the third part of the whole land , so wonderfully besotted were the poor ignorant people , that had not a law been against such excessive gifts , a far gre●ter part of the nation had been in their hands ; but how long this community amongst the clergy continued amongst them , and the free offering , fully appears not , that it was not out of use till more then one hundred years after augustin's coming , that is till past seven hundred years after christ , as may be conjectured out of the testimony of bede , which extends so far in the city of london , till the time of henry the third , no tythes , as tythes , were generally payed , but only a decree made , that for every twenty shillings rent a farthing a sunday was to be paid , which came to fifty two farthings yearly , and this was given by way of offering , but was supposed as due , and the tenth part of the yearly rent of their houses . as concerning laws and canons for tythes among the saxons , it is reported , that in the year . in the time of pope adrian , when his power began to grow great , he sent two legates with letters into england , for reformation , as it was call'd ; first to offa king of merceland , and alfewold king of northumberland , who call'd a council in the north , and offa and kenulph call'd a council for the south . wherein they ordained , that a tenth of the fruit of the earth should be payed , as it was written in the law of moses ; and when this council had thus concluded by alfwold , the legates and embassadors took all the decrees and canons of the council and carryed to offa , and he and his bishops and abbots did subscribe it with a cross to it : likewise selden makes mention , that ethelulfe , king of the west saxons , in the year . he made a law that the tythe of all his own lands should be given to god , and his servants and should be freed from all taxes : but there is great difference among historians about his grant , some restrain it to the tythe of his own demesne lands , others to the tenth part of his land , and others to the tythe of the whole nation . about this time heavy pressures by danish invasions , and great wars came on , so that he called a council where were present bernereddus , king of mercia , and edmond king of east angles , and they to remove the heavy judgment that was upon them , gives the tythe of all the land to god and his servants , as the phrase then was . king athelstone about the year . and king edmond about the year . and king edgar about . king ethelred about . king knute about edward the confessor , and others of the saxon kings , made several laws for tythes , as histories do relate . likewise the normans , afterwards entring this kingdom and subduing it ▪ william the conqueror confirmed the liberties of the church . also henr. . and hen. . did the like , and king stephen also . the reader may understand the principles upon which these men acted and the doctrine then was believed by them , and maintained to be good by prelates of that age , that heaven was merited by good works , and sins pardoned for works of charity , which works were chiefly reckoned to be good by the prelates of that age , when some monastery was builded , church or chappel so called , and dedication of lands and goods to such places , for the health and happiness of their souls , they had perswaded many men almost out of their estates , leaving their heirs and children very poor . many instances thereof might be given ; but one or two for manifesting the truth of this , king stephen in his dayes gave to the priory of eye in suffolk , as may be seen in an original charter of his , made to the said priory , wherein he gives the tenths of all his mannors of stedbrook , rading , seldia , bedima , with divers other places , for the pardon of his sins , and obtaining the joyes of heaven ; and not only , he gave it for the health of his own soul , but for the soul of his father and of his mother , and of his uncle , and interceding kings to the use and end aforesaid . likewise out of another old charter , granted by ralph then bishop of chichester , to the abby of battel , the tenths of voulwaine , of hennam , and of servin , and of lezein , and badhurst , and the tenths of many other places to the said abbey , for the health of his own soul , and the health of the souls of his ancestors . also out of the charter of the monastery of ridding in herefordshire , in the time of king john , walter clifford , for the health of his fathers soul , and of his wifes and children , doth give the whole tenth of hamenesca unto the church of lempster . but notwithstanding the many laws , canons , and decrees of kings , popes , councils and bishops ( all●ding to the page before ) that every man ought to pay the tenth part of his encrease , yet it was left to the owner to confer it where he pleased , which made so many rich a●bies and monasteries , and till the year . or thereabouts , every one gave their tythe at their own pleasure , which made pope innocent the third send his decretal epistle to the bishop of canter●ury , commanding him to enioyn every man to pay his temporal goods to those that ministred spiritual things to them , which was enforced by ecclesiastical censures ; and this was the first beginning of general parochial payment of tythes in england , this his decretal was admitted , and enjoyned by the law of the nation , king and people being then papists . the decree of the pope receiving all possible assistance from the bishops and the priests , in whose behalf it was made , did not only in a short time take away the peoples then de●●red right to give their tythes to those that best deserved them , but did also so much corrupt the clergy that in the time of richard the second , wickliff , our famous reformer , did make a heavy complaint to the parliament in these words following ah lord god , where this be reason , to constrain the poor people to find a worldly priest , sometime unable both of life and cunning , in pomp and pride , covetous and envy , gluttonness , drunkeness , and lechery , in simony and heresie , with fat horse and jolly , and gay saddles and bridles ringing by the way and himself in costly cloaths and pelure , and to suffer their wives and children , and their poor neighbours perish for hunger , thirst and cold , and other mischiefs of the world : ah lord jesus christ , sith within few years men paid their tythes and offerings at their own will , free to good men , and able to great worship of god , to profit and fairness of holy church fighting in earth : why it were lawful and needful that a worldly priest should destroy this holy and approved custome , constraining men to leave this freedom , turning tythes and offerings unto wicked uses . a cloud of witnesses might be brought out of the ancient fathers , and also latter testimonies who witnessed against them , and divers martyrs , some whereof were put to death , others grievously troubled , and suffered long and great imprisonments , as john hu● , jer●me of prague , the famous reformer john wickliff , who is spoken of before , and walter brute , william thorpe , william swinder●y , and it was generally the judgment of all the wickliffans and the predecessors of the protestants , the bohemians being descended from the waldenses , they did profess and held out , that all priests or ministers ought to be poor , and to be content with free gifts , or what the people freely offered them ; so faith 〈◊〉 sylvius in his bohemian history . and it is one of john wickliff's articles , whose works are as much esteemed of by the protestants of england and bohemia , as despised by the papists and their clergy , having his bones taken up and burnt years after his decease , and his articles condemn'd by the council of constance ; his own words are , that tythes were and are a free gift as among the christians , and only pure alms ; and the parishoners may , for the offence of their curates , detain and keep them back , and bestow them upon others at their own will and pleasures . and his proposition aforesaid is maintained by that godly martyr john hus , who was burnt for his testimony at constance , but take his own words , that the clergy are not lords and possessors of tythes , and other ecclesiastical goods which are freely given , but only stewards , and after the necessity of the clergy is once satisfied , they ought to be transported to the poor . and again , if the clergy do abuse the same , they are theves and robbers , and saocriligious persons , and except they do repent , by the just judgment of god they are to be condemned . likewise ambrose preaching upon the . luke , give an account of your stewardship , &c. from hence he infers that the clergy are not lords but rather stewards and bailiffs of other men's substance . furthermore jerom writing to nepotianus a clergy-man saith , how can they be of the clergy , which are commanded to contemn and despise their own substance , and yet to take away from a friend , is thieft , to deceive the church it is sacriledge , and to take away that which should be given to the poor . likewise bernard in his sermon upon these words , simon peter said unto jesus luke . from thence infers these words , viz. truly the goods of the church are the patrimony of the poor , and whatsoever thing the ministers and stewards of the same ( not lords porossessors ) do take unto them●elves more then sufficient for a competent living , the same is taken away from the poor by sacrilegious cruelty . also eusebius in his treatise upon the pilgrimage of saint jerome , writes thus , if thou oft possess a garment or any other thing , more then extream necessity doth require , and dost not help the needy , thou art a thief and a robber . and isidore in his treatise de summo bono , chap. . saith let the bishop know that he is the servant of the people , and not lord over them . these and divers more authors that worthy man john hus instanced at a disputation in the university of prague , in vindication of john wickliff's seventeenth article which was , that tythes was a free gift in the time of christianity , and accounted as pure alms. at the reformed church in geneva they live upon free gift , and tythes of all sorts are taken up for the use of the state , and laid up for the publick treasury . and that good man william thorp , of whom i made mention before , who gave a large testimony against divers abuses crept into the church , it being the mid-night of popery , being complain'd of by the then popish clergy , and brought to examination in the year . being accused before thomas arundel arch-bishop of canterbury , and chancellour of england : he gives a very clear testimony about tythes how that they were no gospel-maintenance , in his answer he saith , that in the new law neither christ and his apostles took tythe of the people , neither commanded they the people to pay tythes , neither to priests nor deacons , and christ and his apostles preached the word of god to the people , and liv'd of pure almes or free gifts , but after christ's ascension , when the apostles had received the holy ghost , they travelled labouring with their hands ; and also he saith , that paul when he was full poor and needy , preaching among the people , he was not chargeous unto them , but with his hands he laboured not only to get 〈◊〉 own living , but also to relieve others that were poor and needy . and further he saith , tythes were given on the old law to levites and priests , but our priests time not of levi , ergo by the law our priests cannot challenge tythes ; for as the priesthood is changed , so is the law ; but since chr●st in the time of his ministry , and also his apostles lived by pure almes , or else by the labour of their hands , for the servant is not greater then his lord : at which words the bishop said unto him , god's curse have you and mine for thus teaching : and further the said william thorp saith that those priests that do take tythes deny christ to be come in the flesh , unto when the bishop said , heard you ever lozell speak thus : and further the said william saith , that the covetousness and pride of the priests destroyes the vertue of the priesthood , and also stirs up god's vengeance both upon lord's and commons , who suffer these priests charitably : and the arch-bishop said , thou judgest every bishop proud that will not go arryed as thou dost , by god i deem him to be more meek that goes every day arryed in his scarlet gown , then thou in thy thread-bare blew gown : this is an answer much like a lording bishop , and a tything priest , but i refer the reader to the whole discourse , and testimony of williams thorpe which is large in fox his acts and monuments . likewise william swinderby in the articles that are charged against him is , that for an evil curate to curse his hearers , or excommunicate them for with-holding of his tythes , is nothing but wickedly and wrongfully , getting from them their money , for if saith he , that the priest or curate be a wicked man , ( as most of the tything priests are ) if the parishoners do pay him tythes , they are guilty before god of upholding him in his sin and evil deeds : and further saith he , that whereas christ's law doth command to minister freely to the people , the pope with his law sells for money , whereas christ's law teaches his priests to be poor , the pope justifies and maintains priests to be lords . also with him doth agree walter brute , as is manifest by the articles charg'd against him , viz. that no man is bound to pay tythes in gospel times , . that if the parishoners shall know their curate to be bad they ought to hold from him their tythes . . that if any priest receive any thing by way of bargain or yearly stipend , in so doing he is a schismatick and accured . . that if we be bound to pay tythes in gospel times , then are we debtours to keep all the whole law , for to say that men are bound to one part of the law and not to another , is not true , for this were to prefer one part before another , and to set the law against it self . . seeing that neither christ nor any of his apostles , commanded to pay tythes , it 's manifest and plain , that neither by the law of moses , nor by the law of christ , that christian people are bound to pay tythes , but by mens traditions . and all these before-mentioned were opposite to the whole nation o● fryars , of what order soever , who suffered grievous persecution in their dayes , whose testimony yet liv●s , and will be priz'd in generations to come , though they be gone to the sepulchres of their fathers . also to these may be added the articles of the bohemians , who were greatly persecuted for their faith and belief published about the year . wherein a divine right as to tythes since the gospel were denyed , whereupon they long since took away all temporalities from the ministers , gerardus sagarillus also before wickliff was burnt for an heretick , ( as the church of rome reckoned him ) upon this account , and the great erasmus , gave the common exacting of tythes , in his time no better name then tyranny . moreover the abbigeneses , bedemontane protestants have preserved their religion without corruption longer then any church with a ministry endowed with tythes and hire , in the world. likewise the primitive times never wanted able teachers , as the best histories relate , although they lived either upon their labour , or the free gift of them that were converted , but did trust their lord and master , who sent them out in his name and power , for the conversion of souls : this was very much unlike to the ministry of this generation , who knows not how to live by faith , nor of the gospel , but rather by jewish ●ythes , or rather popish tythes , stipends , augmentation , set-wages , covenants , and sallaries , or else the old proverb is truly verified , which sprang up in popish times , no penny , no pater-noster , for evidence whereof 〈◊〉 are hundreds in england within this twenty years , that when the aforesaid maintenance was taken away by any temporal power whatsoever , they have ceas'd their ministry , and laid down their commission , which they say they had from christ , and made void their call , and all necessity of conversion of souls laid aside , we might bring the whole nation for a tes●imony in this , who hath been observant as to the practice of the ministry about the changes of government which hath happened in the aforesaid 〈◊〉 ▪ and the former christians were not so disquieted among themselves with p●litical complying opinions , and curiosities , niceties , distinctions and contentions , although they had none of the aforesaid setled maintenance until constantine the great his time , when they began to grow rich , and give lands and great revenues to the church , and then they began to controvert and side in state matters , as is seen in the councils of basil and constance , and divers other former councils , and grew into pride , and idleness , and fulness , insomuch that histories say , a v●●ice was heard from heaven , this day poyson hath been shed abroad in the church . great and large are the testimonies that might be given in this particular of the bestmen who were sufferers for christ , although the greedy covetous hirelings of every age thought it a strange thing that they should deny the payment of tythes , because some great councils in the mid-night of popery had concluded them as due , some one way and some another ; and the clergy of our last age very unwilling to loose any thing that may be commodious to satisfie their covetousness , though they have denyed the pope and divers councils in other particulars , yet in this point of tythes , they will allow of their constitutions , as jure divino , and if that will not serve , having solicited the princes of divers nations to make some laws for provision for their maintenance , because they were sensible their gospel would not maintain them , and now their greatest plea is become jure humano , or as one of the pastors of the church of england lately said , he cared not if the devil was the author of tythes , if the law of the nation did give him them , he would have them whether the parish would or no : and i believe many of them are of his judgment , though they will not be so hardy as to deliver it in so open and shameful words , but however , them that have only the powers of the earth to be their prop and only refuge , and fly to the hills and mountains that are but earth , temporary and mutable for their help , for their backs and their bellies yet this doth not make void the testimony of them who abide in the faith , and dare stand unto christ's allowance in point of maintenance ; for the work of the ministry , as the apostles and ministers of christ in the first age of the publication of the gospel did , but take some further testimonies that the truth of this may not seem a new thing , or as yesterday , nor only of the meaner sort , or of illiterate men , but even of learned rabbies of our latter ages . antonius de dominis the learned bishop of spaletto de repub . eccles. lib. . saith , christ himself , though he were lord of heaven and earth , and the fulness thereof , yet would not be possessed of great lands and incomes , though he said , the fowls of the air have nests , and the foxes have holes , but the son of man hath not where to rest his head , yet did not he imbetter his condition , although to the effecting thereof there need no more then that he should will it to be so , nor did he demand tythes though he was a priest , after the order of melchizedeck indubitably ; but whilst he went through the cities , and villages preaching the gospel , and instructing men for the kingdom of heaven , and twelve with him , several women that believed , as mary magdalen , joanna , susanna , and others , did minister unto him of their substance ; nor did he otherwise instruct his disciples , who were embassadours on earth towards man-kind in the beginning when he sent them out , he did not bid them for to receive tythes , or teach people to pay them , but bids them to live upon almes , carry not with you neither gold nor silver , nor any money in your purses , not a scrip , not two coats , not a staff , supernumerari , for the labourer is worthy of his meat : the disciples of christ being thus taught by their great master forsaking their lively-hood , and earthly possessions , lived by faith in god , who would not have sent them abroad , but that he would dispose the hearts of men accordingly in order to their substance , so they relyed upon their converts for their necessary supplyes , and received their benevolence of several pious women who ministred unto them , for so saith paul , have not i power to eat and to drink , have not i power to lead about a woman or a sister , as the other apostles , the brethren of our lord and cephas , cor. . . he at large and clearly sheweth how they who sow spiritual things ought to reap temporal things . likewise david paraeus in his commentary upon gen. . and . and . saith , that tythes or tenths were freely arbitrarily , a man might give them , a man might vow them , or he might not , even as he pleased before the lord , but under the law they were commanded to be given to the priests , and levites , hence saith he , our clergy men infer , that if it were so of old , then they are so now , but this doth not follow ( saith he ) they had a divine ceremonial right , but that 's not ceased ; they had tythes as a compensation of that lot they should otherwise have in land , ours not , ours have towns , villages , manners , yea countries , and provinces ; nor is there any end of their insatiable covetousness : and he concludes , that when the levitical priesthood did cease , then did the right of that priesthood cease , and the right of tythes did revert to god , as governour and soveraign of the world. great and large are the testimonies that might be given , both out of ancient and modern writers , who were the clearest in their judgments against tythes , how that they were no gospel-maintenance , neither of divine right doth belong to any minister under the gospel , who professeth christ come in the flesh. but what i have already said in this particular might be sufficient , seeing so large things to this have been declared by others hands ; but i am the more willing to instance divers authors , who by our protestants are owned as orthodox , that they may be thereby throughly convinced that this is no new doctrine , for which we suffer the spoiling of our goods , and our persons imprisoned ; but that the covetousness of the clergy and tythes have been testified against by many faithful and constant men in ages past , who died in the faith , who though they be dead , yet their testimony still lives , and will stand for ages . but you shall hear what state the clergy and ministry was in about the time of the council of basil in the year . by lodovicus the cardinal arlatensis , a man very much praised for his constancy and wisdom in that council of basil , lodovicus seeing the cowardliness of the bishops and others of the clergy , that they were more afraid to grieve temporal princes , then afraid to offend god ; and afraid to be spoiled of their temporalities , rather then afraid that their flock should be devoured ; albeit , saith he , if you were true bishops , and true pastors of souls , you would not doubt to put your lives in hazard for your sheep ; neither be afraid to shed your blood for the church in the cause of christ ; but at this present , saith he , ( the more is the pity ) it is too rare to find a prelate in this world , and in this age , which doth not prefer his temporalities before his spiritualities , with the love whereof they are so withdrawn , that they do study rather to please princes then god , and confess god in corners , but princes they will confess openly , of whom the lord speaks in his gospel , every one that confesseth me before men , him will i confess before my father which is in heaven , &c. and contrariwise , the lord will not confess him before his father , which is a●raid to confess the lord before men , for fear of loss of their worldly glories , and temporal riches , and displeasing of princes , of which it may be more largely seen in the history of the council of basil , published by aeneas sylvius . so you that doth profess reformation , and the scripture to be your rule , and your ancient fathers to be your examples , whom the ministry of this last age hath talked of , and see now if you will own them in practice ; do not reckon your selves any more as ministers of christ , who cannot be content with his allowances and let forcing for maintenance by tythes alone to the priests of the first covenant , and let bargaining alone for wages , and seek not hire of them you work not for ; and if your gospel will not maintain you , then have you great reason to question it , whether it be the very same that christ and his apostles preached in the primitive times : and it is manifest , as aforesaid , that they required no tythes , stipends , augmentations ▪ or s●llaries neither was ever any such word heard amongst them , as , what will you give me , an● i 'll be your minister ? and yet there was no compl●int of any want ; for christ asked his disciples when they had been travelling abroad preaching the gospel , though they had neither staff nor scrip , nor money , if they wanted any thing ? and they said nay . but this generation must know before-hand , what is to be had at such and such a place ▪ and what is it worth per annum , or else no go●pel is like to be preached there . but if any should ask the ministry of this a●e , by what right they claim tythes ? they cannot say by a better right then the ap●stles had , nor i hope will not , for they pretend to be but suc●ess●rs of them . and if the extent of their commission be enquired into they will give it you in these words or the like presently , viz. as my father sent me , so sen●● you : but if one ask if they will stand to this in all respects . i have little hope that they will comply in point of maintenance ; i have good ground so to judge ; even many at this day have boasted of their c●ll ●nd ministry , and have thrown many into prison for those popish tythes . for if a law or statute were made for the taking of them away , they would give over the publication of their gospel , which demonstrates their commission is not of god , or else why should taking away of tythes invalidate them ? i desire they were ●ryed who boasted of calls and commissions i am afraid we should scarcely find one in , that would open his mouth ; for if the cause were taken away , the effect would also follow ; i● maintenance were taken away their preaching would cease . but i shall return to speak something further concerning our own nation . it is needful to inform the reader a little ▪ that when the popes doctrine was received in any nation ▪ that nation was d●vided into so ●●ny ●ishopr●c●s as was judged needful ; and every bishoprick into 〈◊〉 many parishes as were thought convenient , ( for parishes are but of a late erection , as to which something may be hereafter said ) for till then most prea●hers were sent out of monasteries and religious houses ( so called ) and the people at their own free will did give their tythes and offerings where they pleased , till about the year . for till that time every owner of the nine parts did give the tenth to the priest , or to the poor , as he would . but after that , parishes being set up , and priests appointed , and tythes paid to them , after years possession , what before was owned for free gift , is now claimed as a debt , & prescription was pleaded by the priests as their just title ; but people seeing themselves run into a snare , began to contend , but all too late , for the pope being grown great , thunder'd out his interdict against this nation , excommunicated the king , affrighted the subjects with his bulls , stuffed with commination or curses ; and that against the very point of arbitrary disposal of tythes : and the pope did highly insult over kings and princes about this time , witness frederick barabrossa , hen. th and king john , and some others , as the histories of them makes mention ; so that by the power of the pope parochial payment came just to be setled , yet notwithstanding the english parliaments not willing wholly to forget the poor , for whose sakes tythes were chiefly given , did make divers laws , that a convenient portion of the tythes should be set apart for the poor of the parish forever , as in the statutes rich. d. . . and the th of hen. . the pope having by these means brought in tythes , and the priests made a pretended title , by prescription they set up courts , called ecclesiastical courts , which remain to this day ( amongst them that say they are reformed ) to recover their tythes by , and the priests came to be the judges of the court , so people might easily understand what might be expected from them ; yet them that did not pay , no greater punishment could they inflict upon them but excommunication : yet notwithstanding this general decree , the pope did dispense , and did give exemption to divers orders of his clergy ( so called ) to free them from payment , as the hospitallers , templers , and generally to all lands which belonged to the religious persons and houses , which is the reason that divers at this day , who have any land which sometimes belong'd to the monasteries now dissolv'd , say , they are tythe-free . now when the pope , by colour of the jewish laws ( by which tythes were given to the levitical priesthood ) had gained an universal payment of tythes to all his clergy ; he in further imitation of that earthly tabernacle , sets up a new building after the former pattern ; and therefore to himself he claims first-fruits and tenths , as a successour of the jewish high-priest , sins also he under takes to pardon , cardinals are appointed as leaders of the families , miters are ordained for the head , as aaron had , synagogues they built , now falsely call'd churches , with altars like the jews , with organs and instruments of musick , with singers and porters , &c. and in the form of the levitical priesthood they transform'd themselves and this was taught for catholick doctrine at that time , and yet is still upholden , and pleaded for by the protestant clergy , thereby wholly denying christ jesus come in the flesh , the end of all types and figures . likewise afterward henr. . being a papist , and believing the popes do●ctrine , as also did his parliament , made a law , that every one should se● out and pay his tythes , as due to god and holy church . also a second law in his time was made to the like purpose , for great need and reason he had , having dissolv'd the monast●e●●'s who had many tythes , and eithe● had them in his own hand , or sol● them unto others , to be held as lay possessions . and they having no law whereby to recover them , he mad● a new law to enforce the payment of them , but still restrained the trya● of tythes , in the ecclesiastical court. tr●ble damages , who also restrain'd the tryal to the ecclesiastical court ▪ these laws supposed them due to god and holy church , therefore they required every man to yield and set out their tythes as had been accustomed ; likewise some ordinances were made in that which was called the long parliament , in the time of the war , grounded upon the former law for treble damages ; all which laws were grounded on the pope's decrees and constitutions , and his ground is upon the jewish priesthood , as before is made good by strong supposal , all which indeed is without any true ground in gospel-times . for a gospel-ministry i think it nor ami●s to add here by the way a complaint made to the parliament not long after the dissolution of the monasteries in england , when lay-men began to possess appropriated churches and tythes into their hands ; but take the words of lod●rics mors , sometime a gray friar , &c. ye that be lords and burgesses of parliament house , i require in the name of all my brethren that are english-men , that ye consider well ( as you will answer before the face of almighty god in the day of judgment ) this abuse , and see to amend it , when as anti-christ of rome durst openly without any vizard , walk up and down throughout england , he had so great favour , and his children had such crafty wits , that they had not only almost gotten all the best lands of england into their hands , but also the most part of all the best benefices , both of parsonages and vicaridges , which were for the most part all impropred unto them ( the impropriations held by them were much more then one third of all the parish churches in england ( divided into three parts . ) and when they had the gifts of any not improperd , they gave them unto their friends , of the which alwayes some were learned , for the monks found of their friends children at school , and though they were not learned , yet they kept hospitality , and helped their poor friends ; and if the persons were improperd , the monks were bound to deal alms to the poor , and to keep hospitality , as the writings of the gifts of such parsonages and lands do plainly declare . and as touching the alms that they dealt , and the hospitality that they kept , every man knoweth that many thousands were well received of them , and might have been better if they had not had so many great mens horses to feed , and had not been over charg'd with such idle gentlemen , as were never out of the abbeys , and if they had any vicaridge in their hands , they set in some times some sufficient vicar , though but seldom to preach , and to teach , but now that all the abbeys , with the lands and goods and impropered parsonages be in temporal mens hands ; i do not hear that one halfe-penny worth of alms or any other profit comes unto the people of th●se parishes ; your pretence of putting down of abbeys was to amend that which was amiss in them , it was far amiss that a great part of the lands of the abbeys , ( which were given to bring up learned men and to keep hospitality , and to give alms to the poor should be spent upon a few superstitious monks , which gave not forty pound● in alms , when they should have given two hundred pound : it was amiss that the monks should have parsonages in their hands , and deal but the twentieth part thereof to the poor , and preached but once a year to them that payed the tythes of parsonages : it was amiss that they scarcely among twenty set o●e sufficient vicar to preach for the maintenance which they received ? but see now , that which was amiss is amended as it is in the old proverb , it is amended even as the devil amended his dam's leggs , when he should have set it right he broke it quite a pieces ; the monks gave too little alms , and set unable persons many times in their benefices , but now where twenty pound was given yearly to the poor in more then one hundred places in england , is scarce one meals meat given : this is a faire amendment , where they had alwayes one or other vicar that either preached or hired some , now there is none at all , but the farmer is vicar and person and all ; and only an old cast-away monk or friar which can scarcely say his mattens , is hired for . or . shillings meat and drink , yea and in some places for meat & drink alone without any wages : i know , & not i alone but . more , know more then . vicaridges and parsonages , and thus well and gospelly serv'd after the new gospel of england . and so the author goes on in his complaint , because that the maintenance was taken away , and there was a great famine for want of pastours . by all which may be seen what condition those religious houses and abbies , as they were called , were in at that time , and how they only served to maintain idle and superstitious monks and fryars , which did deceive the nations with fabulous stories , under pretence of preaching the gospel ; and now these benefices being taken away from the papists , their gospel ceased in england , and have been translated over and over unto divers sects , who separated from them ; but it is to be observed , that as the tythes and hire was taken away , and converted to other uses , their sect did alwayes fall ; and it is a lamentation that these tythes , and now foreed maintenance ▪ which was first decreed by the popes canon laws should now be holden up by them that profess reformation and separation from them , and scriptures to be their rule . having thus briefly run over the doctrine , decrees , practices and opinions concerning tythes from the apostles time downwards , we find them various , as may be understood by that which is before-written ; and the right of tythes was never clear , but remained in controversie , even amongst the ●ost great and learned men in divers ages since the time of christ ; yea , even amongst the greatest of papists in the time of the pope's domination ; and in all ages there were that withstood the payment of them until this day ; and many of the martyrs for that , amongst other things , suffered in the flames , and at great difference they ever were as about the end , the property and the use of them , as may hereby be collected into several heads : and first of all , the tythes among the jews were payed to the levites and priests : secondly , that they were not for the priests only , but for the strangers , fatherless and widdows : thirdly , when the levitical priesthood was taken away by the coming of christ , the law for tything was also changed : fourthly , that neither christ nor his apostles in their age ever received any , nor demanded any : fifthly ▪ that in the beginning of the church for the first years , whilest the simplicity of the gospel was retained , no tythes were either claimed or payed amongst christians : sixthly , but as the power of godliness came to be lost , and the mystery of iniquity began to work , mens imaginations taught instead of the doctrine of christ , began to preach up tythe● , fetching the ground from moses's writings , that in the first practice of the payment of tythes , after the apostacy was entered in , they were not payed as tythes , but as free offerings , and as the bounty of the giver , and were not given for the ministers maintenance only , but chiefly for the poor ; it was not received doctrine generally that tythes ought to be payed , till near a years after christ , that the pope had set up his authority and dominion over the greatest part of europe : seventhly , that after they were confirmed by the pope , and commanded to be payed , there was no compulsary law made , but only excommunication : eighthly , after that they were accounted an ecclesiastical duty , and never called a civil right , but were tryed in ecclesiastical courts : ninethly , until about the year . the common practice was for every one to bestow his tenths where he pleased : tenthly , they were first brought in as duty owing to god and to the church , and so were required and enforced ; and therefore there is no civil property or right in him that claims them , that first fruits and tenths are but a late invented thing , and claimed by the pope , as successor to the jewish high priest , as he sayes : eleventhly , that tythes were the same in the ground and foundation , whether claimed by a priest impropiator or by an a●bey and differed nothing , but in the person of him that possessed them : lastly , all may see the declining estate , the corruption and error that crept in among men , after the power of truth was lost , so was the fruit also , which caused such earnest pressing to needful contributions ; and then afterward was it necessary for laws and decrees to enforce them , but in the beginning it was not so , while that purity and simplicity of the g●spel r●mained , for then their charity abounded , even oftentimes beyond their ability , to whatsoever need the church required . but now to proceed to answer some other ple●s , which are come up in these latter dayes ; for now the priests of this age begin to be ashamed to make claim for tythes jure divino , they have been so bear out of that their hole , and their pleas jure ecclesiastico was but determined in the mid-night of popery ; and they are ashamed to derive their authority from the pope or his decrees ; but now humane right is pleading , sometime by gift of kings and princes , others plead the temporal laws of kings and parliaments , others plead prescriptions by a legal right of their possessions , others plead a legal right by purchase : and lastly , the priests they plead the equity of the law of moses still to be in force , and alledge all the scriptures in the new testament for their proof , unto which hereafter somewhat is said ; these are the most pretences that of late have been made by the priests of ou● dayes , or the main reasons that have been alledged for tythes : and first , whereas they ple●d the gift of kings , as one by king ethelwolfe , as before in this book ; to that is answered , that i● i● could be proved that the whole land had been in the 〈…〉 of any such king , they had s●id something ; but by what rig●● c●●ld he give the tenth part of all the en●rease and fruits of the labours of all the people of his dominions who had no legal property therein ? but if ●ind ethelw●l●'s grant must be the foundation of tythes , then how many succeeding kings and bishops have violated his deed , by appropriating them to monast●ries and abbies , and such like houses , which shews the vanity of this argument . another argument , which seems more strong , is urged , that the temporal laws of kings and parliaments say , by the law they have as good a propriety to the tenth part as any have to the nineth of their lands . answ. to such may be said , that the law doth not give any man a propriety either in land or tythes , or any other things , but doth only conserve and preserve every man in his proper right , whether by gift , or by purchase , or by descent , and doth secure him from the in●uries or violence of another : but let us not be deceived with a new formed pretence , lately taken up to blind the simple minds with a name of 〈◊〉 ●ropriety and civil right , for that is but a meer shift ; for i may give my hand which i have by gift , purchase or inheritance , or i may sell 〈◊〉 ●nd so cannot they that seem to lay claim to tythes ; but it matters not much what any say , when they see their other claims will not serve , they would evade and shift from one thing to another to blind people . but let us hear what the makers of the law say of them , though in the height of popery , passing by the saxon time and king stephen ▪ who in their blind superstition , being perswaded thereunto by the doctrin●●hen taught of the popish clergy , that remission of sins was obtained by good works , as aforesaid , they gave divers gifts and tenths for the health of their souls , and their fathers souls , as is aforesaid ; but let us come to henry the eighth , upon whose law all others that are since made are builded , who in his time cast off the pope's yoak ; in that act concerning tythes it is declared , that tythes were due to god and holy church , & they blame men for being so wicked as not to pay them , and therefore that law is made ; and here is the ground of their law , viz. not any property or civil right in priests or others ; for the law requires them as due by divine right , & therefore cannot be by any civil or temporal right ; for a man to claim that by human right from human law , which commands them as due to god and holy church , as that statute of henry the eighth doth , is but a meer juggle and deceit , and that law of henry the eighth and the rest since take them as granted due to god and holy church ; but if they be not , but only supposed as a duty , then the law cannot be binding , as they are in all the statutes . that tythes were never till of late pretended a civil right is plain ; for as they were imposed by the pope , so they are tryable in his courts ; & those very statutes which do plead , made by late parliament , appoint them to be tryed in ecclesiastical courts : and the act of . of hen. . tythes are there called spiritual gifts , and therefore no temporal or civil right ; for before the dissolution of the monasteries in henry the eighths dayes , th●y were never called a temporal right . but what is the property that is now claimed ? it cannot be in a person , for the priest hath them not until he enter into his office. and when he parts with his office , he looseth his tythes , so that the property cannot be in the priest ; but it was supposed due to the office , and what is that ? it was a popish office ; when tythes were first payed to it , how should the right continue now , the office being laid aside , and the pope also that set them up ? others who plead a legal right by prescription , because they have so long possessed them , therefore they judge them their right . this was the old device of the pope ; first to preach that tythes were due , and then to limit them to monasteries and parishes ; when forty years were past , to claim that a debt , which before was payed as charity , or at the most as the free offering of the owner : and thus the pope got first fruits , and tenths , and peter pence , and great sums of money out of this and other nations , and he might as well have pleaded his prescription , as any of his branches can do now ; is any so blind as not to see what poor shifts are now made to uphold so great an oppression , that hath no better support then this , that it hath been so long payed ? but shall the continuance of an oppression give right to perpetuate the grievance ? how many great and heavy pressures in this and other things lay upon the nation , as may be seen in henry the third , when the pope got above one hundred and twenty thousand pound out of this nation per annum , which was then more worth then the king's revenue : now there is no such office in being , is plain ; for when henry the eighth renounced the pope , he was declared by act of parliament , assented unto by the clergy to be head of the church ; and all the ecclesiastical orders were not to claim their benefices from the pope , but from the king , as by act of parliament ; but this is more fully and largely set forth in a printed paper by g●rv●s● benson , to which i refer the reader . and as to the impropriators , which lay claim by purchase , and have bought them of the state , and payed great sums of money for them , and may be many have no other substance . unto this it is answered , that in the root and ground all tythes are alike , whether they be claimed by priest or impropriator , but seeing th●se that sold them had no good title , these that are derived from them cannot then be good ; but being it was the king or state that sold them , and that the whole nation had the benefit of their money , and the nations were cased in other taxes and subsidies and charge , which unavoidably would have come upon the nation at that time , seeing the nation had the general profit , it is equitable and just , when they cannot have what is sold , that the impropriators should have their money repayed ▪ which went to the bearing and paying of the publick charge of the nation ; and it is reason that it should be payed by the nation in general , and so there would be no detriment to any particular person , only it is equitable that the rate be moderate ▪ for it is believed upon good ground ▪ that the value was but little , and the rate small , which the impropriators payed for them , because of the charges and hazards that was upon them ; for the purchaser could buy no more then what the monasteries had , which were dissolved by henry the eighth , and these monasteries were to find a sufficient priest or curate , which had his allowance out of them , and a convenient portion of tythe , and likewise a portion of the tythe was set apart yearly for the maintenance of the poor of the parish forever ▪ as is evident by divers acts of parliament , after the dissolution of the monasteries , the foresaid charges were to continue upon them , as before , as may be seen at large in a treatise called the poor vicars plea. others say , the laws were made by parliaments , the representatives of people , and though tythes were not due before , yet they might give tythes , because as their own , they being the body of the people . answ. this supposeth a particular donation of the people , not only in their legislative capacity , to bind themselves by a law , but by a particular act of free gift ; but it 's evident the act never intended any such thing , for it gives nothing , but commands what was given before ; and as to this or all other laws that princes , parliaments , popes , councils , bishops , and whatever else was by any man made for the payment of tythes since christ jesus came in the flesh , joyned all together , how do they all or any of them bind the conscience ? for if tythes be not due by the law of god , as hath been proved before , that they are not , who hath set them up ? the laws of men at the best ; and what is man or the sons of men , that make laws in the place , where god disannuls his own commands , heb. . . as is manifest in this point of tythes by the precedent scripture ; verily , it is better to obey god then man ; for christ hath not put that power into any mens hands , to raise a compulsary maintenance for his ministers , seeing he and his apostles and ministers , their practice was otherwise , as is before-mentioned . objection , but some may say , have not the magistrates power , as magistrates , to command the payment of them to ministers whom they approve of . answer , if so as magistrates , then the turk , tartarians and all infidel magistrates have the like ; but it may be said , as christian magistrates . answ. then may not france and spain , and italy claim the same , for what nation in europe will not say they have a christian magistracy , though a far greater part of them be papists , and may not the papists by as good right claim and compel maintenance for their ministers as henry the eighth , or any other could or can : but i would not be mistaken , as if i went about to lessen the magistrates power in things temporal and civil , as to raise taxes , assessments , or subsidies , or other charges for the service , defence , and well being of a nation , but i distinguish betwixt things civil , and such as are called spiritual , and so give unto caesar the things that are his , and unto god the things that are his , for in civil things or temporal things they have power from god to make laws , and preserve a nation in peace , and to raise taxes for the well being of a nation , because in such things they are their own masters ; but in matters of religion and spiritual things no man ought to be imposed upon , for every one must give an account to christ , who is the head of his church , and must stand or fall to his own master : but if the law had been just in commanding tythes , can it be judged equal to give treble damages , where they are not payed ? if a man be owing a just due debt , no more by the law is recovered , but what the debt is , besides the charges of the law , how cruel therefore are those injunctions , which in a matter of so just scruple , require and impose the treble value : and furthermore to be required by a law to set out the tenth , makes a man a voluntary agent in that thing against which his conscience testifies , and he that cannot do so , they sue and hale before courts and magistrates , to get judgments of treble damage ; and by that judgment frequently being put into the hands of such persons as will do it effectually to the priests mind , they take away sometimes . or . yea oftentimes ten fold dammage , what i say in this particular i can prove by many witnesses in this nation within this ten years ; and though in the ecclesiastical courts the ordinary might not examine a man upon his own oath concerning his own tythes ; but now such as make conscience of swearing , which christ forbids , or that they cannot themselves tell what tythe they had , are cast into prison for contempt , and there may lye as long as they live , and many have dyed in prison upon that account . o what reformation is this ? what ! compel a man himself to set out the tythe of his own goods to maintain a hireling priest , it may be a time-server , a prophane one , or a turn coat , and so to make a man sin against his own conscience , or else take ten fold as much , and not only so , but force him to swear , or commit him to prison , there to lye without hope of any relief : o priests ! is not this the wag●s of unrighteousness that here is all this work about tenths and first fruits , and mortuaries and the like , which are no other then the superstitious reliques of popery ? o did but the rulers and magistrates know and consider what havock is made through the nation , what driving of goods , oxen out of the plow , horses out of their teames , the cows from poor & indigent children , & what carrying of pots , and pans , and kettles , and fetching away the cloathes off poor peoples beds , methinks it should make the nation ashamed of such cruel practices ; or else of such priests and tythes as are the cause of all this : manifold instances i might give about all these things up and down this nation , but that i would not trouble the reader too much because they have been publickly made known before by other hands and pens . there are some other that have claimed tythes and a propriety in them , as that they are right by a divine right , and for it plead the law of moses ; but as to that i shall not say much more , nei●her is there any necessity for it , because that most of the ministry are ashamed to make this plea. others have pleaded the decrees , canons , and constitutions of popes and general councils , bishops and convocations , and these have said , that tythes are due by an ecclesiastical right , and by that right generally under the papal power they claimed them , and others paid them : and this continued in england till the popes supremacy was cast off by henr. the th and then he received first fruits and tenths . but of this plea many are ashamed , or few will own , as judging the ground too weak to claim it by , an ecclesiastical right . lastly , the main and great plea of the ministry of this last age is , that tythes are not due by the law of god , because it was limited only to the land of israel , and to the levites , only they say , the equity of the law is still in force , which obligeth all to give a competent maintenance for the ministry ; and to maintain this , they bring in all the scriptures of the new testament which seem to encline that way ; and because they know of no other way for maintenance , but by tythes , as they are supposed now to be established , many have ignorantly gone about to make inferences and conclusions from them , as to prove their assertions . but to all which i return this answer . that these plead not for tythes properly , but for a maintenance by way of tythes , as they suppose most convenient , &c. and the first scripture they bring in is , luke . . you pay tythe of mint and rue , and all manner of herbs : as also , mat. . . you pay tythe of mint , and annise , and cummin : also luke . . i am not as this publican , i pay tythes of a●l that i possess , &c. it is answered , that christ spake this to the jews and pharisees in the time when the levitical priesthood was not ended , and they were bound by the law , whilest it was of force , to observe this ordinance amongst the rest which were in the first covenant , which was faulty , which continued until the time of reformation , viz. till christ was offered up , and said , it is finished , and was the end of the law for righteousness unto all that believe ; but it is manifest that the jews then , unto whom christ spoke , were not believers , but were such as withstood the son of god , and did not receive him , who was the sum and substance of all the types and shadows of that covenant ; and so this is great ignorance to conclude , that because these scriptures are written in the new testament , so called , that therefore tything is a gospel-ordinance ; for it is manifest that these scriptures had relation to the jews , who were under the law , and not under the gospel ; and so their plea , as to this , is made void : but though divine right hath been long pleaded , and is yet by some , but few are now left that will only stand to it ; for if tythes be absolutely due ▪ as by the law of god , no custom , prescription , priviledge , exemption , dispensation , law or constitutions of man or men can acquit any from the utmost penny of the tenth part ; but scarce the tenth person in england payes tythes in kind , and many plead that they are tythe-free , and pay none at all ; but if any will stand to this , and plead divine right , then they are to be payed and received for the end and use for the which they were commanded , for the levites , strangers , poor , the fatherless and widdow , and then where is the impropriator's share ? and some lawyers of late , of very good f●me in england have given their judgment , that tythes are not due by the law of god. other scriptures they seem to plead for the receiving of their tythes , as rom. . . render therefore to all their dues , tribute to whom tribute is due : and mat. . . give unto caesar the things which are caesar 's , and unto god the things which are god's . answ. herein is a clear distinction betwixt the things which are c●sar's ; and the things which are god's ; this speaks only of tribute , and custom , or taxes , or assesments , which the civil magistrate doth claim by law and by custom , for the preservation of a nation , or conservation of every man in his proper and particular right ; and herein every one oug●t to render subjection and obedience , not only for fear of wrath , but for conscience sake ; but these scriptures have no relation to tythes at all , nor forced maintenance for priests . object . but it may be objected , hath not the magistrate power to command or make laws for the payment of tenths , or what other part he will to the ministry ? answ. this was answered before ; if god disanulled his own command , heb. . for the payment of tythes , who or what is man , that he should make a law , as well to contradict that his command ; as also on the contrary to establish them ? and seeing the work of the ministry is the work of the lord for conversion of souls , and that he is the lord of the harvest , he provideth for his labourers and harvest-men , whom he sends 〈◊〉 ; so that there need not any outward law be made in this particular ; the ministers of old needed not , though believers were but few ; and the ministry of this age reckons whole nations to be believers , and yet they dare not relye upon them for their subsistance , but run to the temporal powers , to make them a forcing law to establish their maintenance , which demonstrates they are not true believers , whom they reckon to be so , or else , that the lord of the harvest never sent them forth ; or else , that they do distrust the lord of the harvest , who ( they say ) sent them out to preach . other scriptures are brought to plead for tythes , or at least some part of them , and forced maintenance , as cor. . . thou shalt not muzzel the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn , &c. ver. . who plants a vineyard , and eats not of the fruit thereof ? and who feedeth a flock , and eateth not of the milk of the flock ? ver. . if we have sown unto you spiritual things , is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things ? answ. unto all which i answer , that they which do believe , and have received spiritual things indeed , that they are enjoyned by the doctrine of christ and of his apostles , and not only so , but even from natural things all that believe are largely taught their duty therein , to distribute and communicate freely unto them who labour in word and doctrine , and are sent out in the work of the lord , that they be comfortably provided for by them that are partakers of heavenly and spiritual things from the lord , as to go in the warfare of the lord , and to plant in the vineyard of the lord ; yea , and it is agreed that the ministers of christ did not do these things at their own charge ; but if they might not be muzled that tread out the corn , yet they may be muzled that tread out no corn , but run ramping through the lord's fields , and spoil the corn , these ought to be muzled . again , they that watch over a flock , though they may eat of the milk of the flock , yet they that kill them that are fed , and feed themselves with the fat , and cloath themselves with the wool , and worry the lambs , they ought not to eat of the milk of the lord's flock ; and of such as they reckon unbelievers and hereticks , and they look upon belong to another master , and not to the fold of christ , they ought n●t to cli● and shear other mens sheep : but in short , all the aforesaid scriptures make nothing at all for tythes , or any part thereof , either from believers or not believers ; and these scriptures also grant that every man is the sole owner of his own labour and possession , yet ought every one freely to glorifie god with his substance , and to communicate to him that teacheth in all good things needful , and such sacrifice god doth well accept . again , other scriptures they bring , in which there is as little ground or footing as in the former , but that they are necessitated to get a shelter and a seeming cover for their practice , to blind people withal , that they may get their money ; and so they bring cor. . , , . for it 's written , or saith he , it 's altogether for our sakes , no doubt , this is written , that he that ploweth should plow in hope , and he that thresheth in hope , should be made partaker of his hope . ver. . and do you not know , that they who minister holy things , live of the things of the temple , and they that wait at the altar , are partakers with the altar ; even so hath the lord ordained , that they who preach the gospel , should live of the gospel : upon these scriptures , as upon the former , inferences have been made , to prove their lawful receiving of popish tythes and forced maintenance . the apostle having travailed and laboured in the gospel of christ among the corinthians , afterwards wrote unto them , exhorting them to stedfastness in the faith , and also reproving the disorders that were amongst them , which were crept in i● hi● absence , whi●h were sown by them of the circumcision , who boasted themselves against paul , and led away the hearts of the corinthians from him , as much as in them lay , into the liberty of the flesh , and looked upon paul as in bondage , whereunto the apostle useth plainness of speech , and tells them , that doub●less he was as an apostle to them , and magnifies his office , and declares also his power which he had received from christ , as he told them , ver. . have not we power to eat and to drink ? and i and barnabas , have not we power to forbear working ? doubtless yes ; it was the same that christ gave unto his disciples , when he sent them forth , with them that are worthy to stay and to eat and drink what was set before them ; and doubtless , they had power to forbear labouring with their hands , but they would not alwayes use it , lest they should seem burthensome , but laboured rather to make the gospel of christ without charge ; so this which is alledged , as out of the law , for the equality of it , as the ox not to be muzled when he tred out the corn , and a husbandman ploughs in hope to receive a crop , and the thresher thresheth in hope to get out the corn ; even so , he that ministreth in word and doctrine in the faith and hope , is also made partaker of his hope , and goeth not to war of his own charge , but christ maketh provision for them , and opens the hearts of people , to contribute freely in the work of the lord , and for his service : and seeing the corinthians allowed this power unto others , who sowed dissension among them , the apostle urgeth it , that he much more had power , though he had not used it : and further , like as they that ministred at the temple , who were partakers of the altar , as god had appointed them ; likewise now they that preach the gospel , live of the gospel , as god hath ordained it : but that clause ▪ ver. . [ even so ] hath been miserably strained by this last generation of teachers , as though they that preached the gospel should live of tythes , even as they , viz. the lev●tes , that ministred at the altar , did live of the offerings and tythes that pertained to the altar ; but there is no necessity to understand the words [ even so ] as thereby to infer , that they who preach the gospel should live of tythes ; but as the levites lived of offerings and tythes , that ministred at the altar in their day ; even so , they that minister the gospel , should live of the gospel in their day , and be content with christ's allowance , and as the apostle saith else-where , having food and rayment , to be therewith content ; for to live of the gospel , is not to live of jewish tythes , nor popish tythes , nor forced maintenance ; for this is contrary to the practice of the ministers of the gospel ; for we never read of any commandment given for payment of tythes under the gospel , neither exhortation to any , neither reprehension of any for not paying in all the writings of the apostles ; so that we conclude there is none due , neither ought to be received by any minister of the gospel ; but people being generally taught , that the scripture is the foundation of faith and practice of christians : the teachers of the last age they know that people will expect to have some ground or scripture for proof of their arguments or pleas , and they having not what they could desire , bring such as they can get , miserably turning and twining , perverting and straining these and the like scriptures before-mentioned , to blind people withal ; but the day is manifest that discovers all the crooked pathes , windings and turnings of the old serpent , and ministers of unrighteousness , and wages of unrighteousness . but another seeming hold is , cor. . . i robbed other churches , taking wages of them , to do you service . answ. here the apostle shews how he had behaved himself amongst them ; though he had power to eat and to drink , and to forbear labour , and to receive of them ( to wit , the corinthians ) those things needful , yet he had not done so for reasons given , before-mentioned ; and in divers other places , though he saith , whilest he was present with them , that he wanted , as in ver . . and had preached the gospel freely unto them , ver . . and did not use his power , as aforesaid , but received something from the brethren of macedonia , which was freely given and ministred by them , amongst whom he had ministred before ; and he made use of this , even while he was in the corinthians work ; and this he took , being offered freely by the macedonians , that he might preach the gospel freely among the corinthians , and this he reckoned as wages , and as taking from others , that he might serve the corinthians , and that he might keep himself clear , and not be burthensome ; but this was ingratefully done of the corinthians , seeing it was that which they freely allowed unto them that had deceived them , to wit , false apostles ; but what doth all this prove for tythes and forced maintenance , even nothing at all ; but on the contrary , proves receiving freely that which was given freely by them , unto whom he had preached freely , and the ingratitude also of the corinthians . but being willing to answer all the pleas and arguments that ever i heard , and all the scriptures in the new testament ( so called ) which have been brought in for a plea by the ministry of this last age , that their cover may be rent , and their vail done away , and the feebleness of their arguments shewed forth , that people may see they are without foundation , or any grounded bottom for th●se challenged tythes and forced maintenance ; and that all may see we do not suffer imprisonment and spoiling of our goods wilfully or ignorantly ▪ but for our abiding in the doctrine of christ , and keeping stedfast to the ordinances and order of the gospel in the purest times of the publication thereof ; but take one other scripture which they alledge , and i have done , which is heb. . . and here men that dye do receive tythes , but there he receiveth them , of whom it is witnessed that he liveth . answ. unto which i answer , because this is written in the new-testament so called which they ignorantly call the gospel ; therefore because this word ( here ) is mentioned in the scripture ; they have concluded that the ministers of the gospel do receive tythes , which they as miserably wrest as they do the words ( even so ) for here the apostle is exalting the priesthood of christ above the priesthood of levi , and shews that melchizedeck was greater then abraham , after whose order christ was made an high priest , and that levi payed tythes in abram unto melchized●ck : and these words , here men that dye receive tythes , hath wholly relation unto abraham and to levi in that covenant , and not so much as any shadow at all of paying or receiving tythes in the second priesthood ; for if perfection were by the levitical priesthood , what further need was there that another should arise after the order of melchizedeck : and all the afore-mentioned scriptures , which are the greatest seeming ground that the ministry of this last age pretend tythes and forced maintenance from , prove nothing at all , but rather to the contrary , as hath been said : and much more might be said ; for it is manifest that all the ministers of christ never received any tythes or forced maintenance from the world , who were in the unbelief , neither of them who were not of their church , nor of such as they reckoned as hereticks ; but this last generation of apostates exceeds all that ever went before them , in covetousness ; if they be but remaining within such a parish ( which was first set up by the pope and his emissaeries , and ratified by the princes of the earth , that have drunk whores cup ) whether they be believers of unbelievers , prophane schismaticks , or hereticks ; yea or such as they 'l curse and give up to satan : tythes and forced wages , mortuaries and oblations , besides many other things that they claim as due , this they must and will have ; and will tell you , he that preacheth the gospel must live of the gospel ? o sad generation , who fills the world with darkness , and blinds the minds of people ! may it not truly be said and looked for ; that which was prophesied of old , and came to pass coneerning the levitical priest-hood , when they had violated the commandments of the lord : for your sake shall sion 〈◊〉 plowed as a corn field , and jerusalem become as heaps : and truly i do reckon it as one of the main transgressions of the ministry of this last age , which should have been leaders of the people , but have caused them to err ; that the nation hath been plowed up and turn'd over as a husbandman turns ground , and therefore the nation hath not enjoyed its rest , nor the land its sabbaths : neither i look will or can do , whilest these abominations are held up . likewise , let all the now call'd separated churches be proved and tryed , who reckon that they are separated from the world , and yet many of them have received pay and wages of those who are of the world , for their teachers , who sent one out at their own cost , to preach to the world ; and this is likewise hypocrisie and an abominable thing ▪ and here also the rulers of our present age might learn wisdom ( seeing that all ●he ministers of christ never received any maintenance from the world , or from them that did look upon them as ministers of christ , nor own them as such ) to with-hold their hands from upholding any with their 〈◊〉 sword , or compel others to maintain them by their penal laws , 〈◊〉 leave christ's kingdom to his own rule , who is lord of the 〈…〉 sends forth labourers , and hath spirit , and life , and power , and wisdom to put upon them , and give unto them , who chuses whom he 〈◊〉 , and will not be limited , who set forth fisher-men , shepherds , 〈◊〉 , plough-men , tillers of ground , and keepers of flocks , who spoke plain 〈◊〉 and reached to the consciences of men of the meanest capacity ; and yet our litteral rabbies cannot understand , who are yet wise in the world's wisdom , gathered into schools and there study , and learn a trade , and trade with their words , thereby to get their living , and what doctrine , suites the times , that they study to uphold their maintenance . in the time of popery they studyed the popish doctrine , and preached into nations , in the time of prelacy they changed to a new form , and when that was laid aside , presbytery stepped on the stage , and that doctrine and worship was studied and preached , and the universities and schools sent out such as would suit that time , then after that independency that was propagated , and then the universities and schools sent out such as would suit that time , and now episcopacy is st●rted up from the grave , and all the f●rmer l●id aside , & look what pleaseth them best which hath the greatest livings to dispose , and that is sure by them to be cryed up , and studyed and preached , and here 's the spring of the teachers , the universities and schools send forth , who wheel about any way to preserve them in esteem and in their maintenance . but let the rulers and all wise men consider , that christ's love to the world for whom he died is not lessened or abated , neither is his spirit diminished ▪ nor his power shortened that he will not ▪ or cannot send forth fit ministers for his service , or that he needs universities or schools , or magistrates to provide maintenance for those that he sends forth , for let the magistrates look to their own kingdom which is of this world , and to restrain and punish the evil-doers therein , and to encourage and protect the good , and then all would be agreed , and the nations preserv'd and kept in peace and quietness , every one enjoying his true liberty and freedom in the things that are spiritual , and which belong to the kingdom of god , and herein would be no detrim●nt at all to the magistrates , or the kingdoms of the world , nor any diminution from their power ; and oh that they might learn wisdom , and as they would not have men to entrench upon their prerogative and power , as it is not meet , so likewise that they would not intrench upon the soveraignity and power of christ's kingdom which is over all ! and do we not say , thine is the kingdom , the power and the glory ? and know this , that his glory he will not give to another ; and let me speak freely the reason wherefore the nations have been broken into stri●e , and fractions , and war , is , because many men have made an inroad , and an intrusion upon the soveraignity of christ , and against such his power h●th and will ever turn because they will not allow him that is the most high to rule and reign in kingdoms and the consciences of men , which he alone hath right to do , and this power , honour and glory the lord hath not given to any other , nor yet will do , but to the son of god ▪ the light of the world , the life of men , and the saviour of man kind ; and what is man or the sons of men , that they should strive with the lord in this thing ? let all the rulers of the earth consider betimes : was not this it that destroyed the whole nation of the jews ? was not this it , that confounded all the roman monarchs , and brought them all to a miserable end , because they would not suffer christ to be head among the christians ? and also how many princes , though otherwise wise have lost their crowns and kingdoms , because they would not suffer christ to have dominion in his peoples hearts , but persecuted them for keeping his statutes , and then his power turn'd against them , as sad experience hath witnessed in many nations , and chiefly by the instigation of the ministry of every age since the apostacy entred in , have stir'd up the temporal kings , and temporal princes to make laws , and to compel all to obey them , and have pressed it upon the magistrates , as their duty , when their gospel would not maintain them to make laws for them , to compel people to give them tythes , and forced maintenance , and hire , or else most dreadfully complain upon the magistrates , as that christ was little beholden to them , if they would not compel and force according to the priests mind , they have then judged them as luke-warm , and irreligious persons , and such as had no care of the church of god at all , and thus the p●pe and prelates of every age downward until this very time , have put on the magistrates and rulers to work drugery for them , and intermeddle in those things which properly and solely belong to christ jesus , or else have stir'd up the princes of the earth to make war one against another , only to vindicate their covetous and ambitious quarrel , which was only a self seeking , and pride , and not the honour of god , nor the prosperity of his saving truth , & so greatly wrong'd the princes of the earth , busying and troubling them with their own covetous and self-seeking affairs ( falsely calling it the church-affairs ) and for the honour of christ , when they have neglected their own necessary and urgent affairs in many nations , and kingdoms to the great harm of princes , and detriment to the nations , and trouble to the people , as is evident in the history of divers christian princes , from the time of constance , until this very day . oh it is sad and lamentable to behold how emperors and princes have been gull'd and cheated by these pestiferous , worldly , and carnal priests , who have not minded the law of jesus christ , nor the conversion of souls , but their own bellies , and to be chiefly medling in state matters , and princes affairs ( which did not , neither do belong unto them ) rather then the flock of christ , i●somuch that they are grown to that height , and pride , and imperiousness , that no king , or potentate could keep his crown or pr●rogative and kingdom in quiet , nor posses● his own dominion in peace , except he was subject unto them : instances i might bring many of emperors and kings , whose kingdoms have been introduced , and the king and his people curst , and excommunicated , because of some factious legate , bishop , or prior , who have complain'd to the pope , and upon every small complaint was ready to hear them , and to give sentence and judgement against princes , and all under pretence of vindicating church-pri●iledges ; and what a mischief and stir the former bishops of canterbury , priors , monks and others , what stirs and broiles they have made in this our english nation , and what trouble they have put the princes thereof unto , and i●volved them in , and the whole nation , only for their own particular interest ? our own chronicles and histories of the nation do sufficiently testifie ▪ unto which i refer the reader , rather then to trouble in this discourse : and since the pope's yoke hath been thrown off , how have the nations been involv'd in trouble , and princes disturbed with the covetous priests affairs , as about tythes , glebe-lands , augmentations , forced maintenance , hire and mortuaries , and about their caps , and tippets , and hoods , and altars , and tables , and crosses , and unholy r●●●● , and bells , and fonts , surplices , and girdles , and such other like trumpery , how hath the nation been troubled , and peoples consciences been burdened , and one dis-joynted from another , in which god hath not been glorified at all , nor his people edified , and all this and much more the magistrates have been pressed upon , and very much troubled . and for being afraid of offending their worldly priests , they have become their servants and drudges , to work their slavery , and yet all is too little , and great commotion and strife hath been , and is in the nation this day about these trivail yet troublesome things , by which the hearts and consciences of good people are troubled , and the nation vexed , and all under the name of vindicating the church-priviledges . o all ye mngistrates and potentates of the earth arise , and stand upon your own legs , and shake your selves and these things from off you , and trouble not your selves with that which is too ponderous ●nd weighty for you to bear , which you are never able to wade through keep peace in your own dominions , and execute justice and judgment among all people without having respect to this or that particular judgment , f●r that 's ●he way and the only way to preserve the nation and pe●ple in peace and quietness , and let christ's kingdom alone , and his chur●● 〈…〉 him th●● is the head thereof , who gave his li●e for it , and hath a care of it , and let christians alone as christians , and as christ's subjects ▪ to be governed by christ , who is the king , law-●iver , and judge of his people , who only hath right to rule in the hearts and consciences of the sons of men , who doth teach , hath taught , and yet will teach his people , as is witnessed by the prophet isaiah . and this glory and power he hath not given to any man , as man , whatsoever ; but he himself teacheth how he will be worshipped , to wit , in spirit , and in truth , and whosoever would arrogate unto themselves that power , then doth the power of the lord jesus christ turn against them . and therefore be warned , all ye potentates of the earth , and let your earthly wisdom cease , and carnal policy cease ▪ and earthly contrivance cease , and worldly consultations cease ; make room all , give place and give way to him who is risen and come in his second appearance in his saints , who must have way , and will have way , or else will force his way , though not by bow , spear , b●ck●er , or shield , or carnal weapons of war , for out of his mouth goes the two-edged s●ord , and hot coals of pire are kindled by the breath of his mouth : and the ●reath of the lord shall slay the wicked , and burn up all mountains and hills before it . consider what god did to amalec● of old , whose king was aga a mi●hty pr●nce , and to sion , and ogge king of bashan , who was of the r●●e of the gaian●● , mighty for fortitude ; and , moreover , ammon and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very great nations , all these rose up to stop the lord in his way , and israel , unto whom the promise of god was made . and what was the issue thereof , when the lord was glad to force his way , though to the detriment and ruin of all those mighty nations ? christ the light of the world , now in the end of the world , and in this last age , hath chosen a people out of many peoples , and a family out of many families , and a nation out of many nations , to serve him and worship him , to honour and obey him in life ▪ spirit and power , in their generation , and unto them the promise of eternal life is made , and the kingdom that is not of this world , and inheritance that fades not away . and christ the king of eternal glory is their leader , and many are determined to follow him , and love not their lives to the death , and are willing to lay down all in this world for th●● which is promised , and would fain walk on their way in quietness and peace , without any molestation to any man in person or estate in the world , e●●ing their own bread , and drinking their own water , either by ●a●our or by price ; but , alas ! their way is stopt , and divinations are sought against them , the balaamites are called forth to enchant , and divine , 〈◊〉 curse , and they give counsel to the princes to stand up in defiance , and seek by all means possible to stop , and have fram'd many engines , to see if that will do , to wit , forceable laws , confiscations , premunires , jayles , prisons , houses of correction , fines , stockings , whippings , execrations , comminations , and excommunications , and what not , that can be invented by worldly policy ? and now the battel is set , though one party hath no carnal weapon in their heart or hand , and all nations mark the issue , remember the battel and the end thereof , and do no more , if the lord do not manifestly say , and make it evident one way or other , ( for i dare not limit him a way ) saying as he did of old , touch not mine anointed , do my prophets n● harm , to every kingdom , nation and people , who ri●eth up against the inheritance of the lord , and if he bring not a rebuke upon whatsoever nation , people or family , that arises up in opposition against christ and his people , whom he hath redeemed , then let all conclude that god is not among us , neither is with us , nor hath spoke unto us , but to be short in this matter , because a few words to the wise is enough , and a little counsel to the prudent may suffice , but in this particular of which i have been treating most-what about tythes , and ministers maintenance in this i shall conclude , and also assent unto , as being the judgment of thousands of the lord's people , as that the ministers of jesus christ , who are tr●ly so , manifest in doctrine and works , who sow unto us o● any people spiritual things , they should and ought to reap of our temporal things but here lies the difference ; first of all , that the spirit of the lord in our consciences must be our judge , who these ministers are , and no other man's direction ▪ for to the conscience were alwayes the ministers of christ made manifest , and not approved with the reason and wisdom of man. secondly , that our gifts may be free , and by no man's compulsion ; are this is according to primitive example , and the church of christ's order i● the first 〈◊〉 - times , which all do conclude was the most purest time ▪ and would not this ease the temporal magistrate of much trouble that he puts himself unto , and also be more acceptable to god and man ? for who hath made him a judge of these things in gospel-times ? but seeing i have run over the many particular judgments from the apostles time downward , and have given the best president that can be given in every age , as to this particular ; and seeing divers things are written by other hands , this may be enough to satisfie the consciences of all who do scruple in this matter : and so i shall conclude upon these many good reasons and grounds before-mentioned , which are agreeable , some of them , in every age unto the doctrine of christ , and the practice of the apostles , and this is a certain and positive truth , believed among us , which also is agreeable unto the scripture , that tythes and forced maintenance , as to the ministers of christ , never was , is or shall be counted as gospel-maintenance , neither are the consciences of believers at all oblieged at all in this matter . concerning parochial churches , and division of parishes , and parish profits . concerning these parish churches , about which there is such heavy stir at this day , and for parish pay , and an injunction for all to worship there , is a very novelty , and compared with the apostles time , though it 's granted that there were places wherein the saints did assemble themselves for the worship of god , ye● no limitting to any such place , nor no limitting , nor no tying to pay , these were but set up at best in the time of popery , and not altogether in the beginning of it neither ; for as i● mentioned before , the teachers were sent out of the monasteries and religious houses ( so called ) and the people did go to worship at any place , and at their own free-will gave their offerings where they pleased , till the year . as before is mentioned , as learned s●lde● hath well observed in his exact treatise of tythes . as for the brittains , little or no testimony is extant of any credit , that discovers their order in their time , but some about the year . after christ was found amongst them ; for when dabritius was bishop of south wales , and his see appointed at lan●aff , divers churches were erected , and oblations and other profits were appropriated to him and his successors , likewise mention is made of a church built in the time of the romans to the honour of saint martin , in which austin and his followers , when they came first from rome , made their holy assemblies , as they were called ; but guildas saith , that about the year . the clergy having lordship , had resort to them for filthy lucre's sake . first , parochia or paraecia be diversly taken , as first it was taken by the saxons for a bishoprick or a diocess , or otherwise for a limitted place within that diocess , called a less parish ▪ but it is manifest these parishes had no profits at all belonging unto them , but only were places where augustine sent his monks unto in the time of the saxons , and to preach and receive the offerings , and they were carried into a general treasury for the clergy , for then they had all things in common ; so at that time , when they began to grow rich , they began to build some houses , called churches , and to repair the old temples of the gentiles , as pope gregory advised them out of the offerings of the people● but now parish pries●s take tenths and oblations also , and that by force , and will neither build nor repair these mass-houses , and so are worse then the pap●sts in their time ) for the conveniency of the neighbouring inhabitants were assigned to the ministring priests , where they exercise their shrivings ; but not so limitted , that every one was bound to keep his divotion within the limits of such a place or any parish ; for in the respect of offerings and profits , canterbury was indeed the only limitted parish , so it was not material at what place they met , or where they offered their bounty , so they did it 〈◊〉 where ; and it 's commonly received , that honorus , who succeeded augustine at canterbury , about the year . divided his province into pa●is●●s , as some of the greatest and most learned writers relate . but when the pope's doctrine was received , and divotion grown great , such as it was , most lay-men of great estates desired the country residence of some chaplains or clarks , that might alwayes be ready for their instruction , their families and adjoyning tenants ; and then parish churches began to be builded by them also , and the bishops hallowed them ( as it was called ) and they were endued by particular maintenance from the founders , the territories , demesnes and ten●●●ts ▪ and neighbouring possessions , and they assigned the limits where the holy function should be exercised & appointed the persons 〈◊〉 should 〈◊〉 the church , and offer there , and provided a special sallery for the performance , and made the revenue perpetually annexed to the church of that 〈◊〉 , who received it , and so the offerings were restrained from the common treasury of the dioce●s . out of these lay foundations , chiefly undoubtly came these kind of parishes , which at this day are in every diocess ▪ their difference in quantity being originally because of the several circuits , demesnes or territories possessed by the founders , sometimes greater , and sometimes l●ss●r : at what time these lay foundations began to be frequent , appears not ; but some mention is made of them about the year . as bede ●aith , who mentions one puch , a saxon noble man , and one addi , who builded also , and endued them with sallary ; but about the year . many were founded by lay men , and recorded to be appropriated to the abbey 〈◊〉 ; by this time lay foundations grew very common , and parochial ●imits also of the parishioners divotion : and in a council hold under 〈◊〉 , arch-bishop of canterbury , we find , that where churches are builded , and that they are consecrated by the bishop of the same diocess , a canon of the same synod ordains , that though every church , upon the death of every bishop , that all the families of every parish were to meet at the church , and sing psalms , and psal●e●ies , and ● missays , with pasting and prayer for the soul of the bishop deceased . many more instances might be given , and presidents about these parishes ; but enough of this , only to inform the reader of their original ; from these it doth f●lly appear , that the limits of parishes were understood ; but the first express mention of limitation of profits to this or that church , as in the laws of king edgar , made in the year . in the very midnight of popery , where it was ordained , that every man should pay his tythes to the most ancient church or monastery ; where he heard god's services ; but some parishes had other beginnings , in regard of the inconveniency , which made 〈◊〉 alexander write to the bishop of york , that he heard of a certain parish in ●his province , so far distinct from the parish church , th●t the 〈…〉 could not repair to it in winter ; whereupon he commands the arch-bishop to build a church in the town , and to institute a pres●n●●tion of the rector , that might have to his use all profits encreasing in those limits and acknowledge a superiority to the mother-church : and so by the authority of the power , either by the pope , bishop or princes , who received their doctrine ; the limits and maintenance of parishes have been more or less , as they ordained , and as they do continue to this day . likewise in other kingdoms and nations where the pope had authority , the like rules as aforesaid were observed , as might be evidenced by sundry authors ; but not to trouble my self or the reader any more with such unprofitable stuff ; i have only given these instances , to shew the ground and rise of them , and shew how that people then were not limitted to any particular place in respect of worship , neither in respect of pay or duty ( so called ) but now them that pretend reformation , and have denyed the pope and his doctrine , as they say , that claim both ; and if all between such a hedge and such a dit●h , such a water and such a way , will not come and worship at that place , called their parish church , and hear their service , and joyn with them i● i● , though it be never so repugnant to the doctrine of christ and the true worship of god ; but more especially , if they come not with their pay ; they will give them up all unto satan by whole sale , and cast them into prison , and denounce them hereticks , and c●y to the temporal power for help against these non-conformists , for they are not fit to live in a nation , because they are not commodious to us , and then get an order , fetch away their goods , break open the gates , and carry away poor mens corn , drive away oxen and cows , and trail away the pots and pans , hale away clothes off poor peoples beds , and then cry , they are not subject to the orders and canons of the holy church , no , not conformable to our laws ; and this is the practice of our great reformers of our latter ages , which are far worse then in the very height of popery ; by reason o● which practices the land mourns , and because of which we cannot joyn with them in their worship , neither give them pay for doing of mischief , nor suffer the lord's goods to be given to such cove●ous lazy priests , who serve not the lord jesus christ , but their own bellies . and for denying of these late innovations and new upstart things , which are no congruity with the primitive church of christ , we are great sufferers at this day , but have rather chosen to keep our consciences clear , and the doctrine of christ inviolable , whatsoever we suffer , till god make our innocency and our righteousness appear as the noon-day , and plead our cause in the midst of all our enemies . the poor husband-man's compiaint , his hope and confidence let pope and priest do what thy may , god will take tythes ere long away ; for they 're oppressive in the land , which makes good men against them stand : for we oppressed are thereby , which makes 〈◊〉 to the lord so cry , to ease us of this burthen sore , that we may praise him evermore , that he would hearken our addres● , which we to in humbleness present our suit to ease our grief , and thorow pity send relief ; for by the merciless merchants crew of babel's city doth renew our sufferings most heavily ; housholds expos'd to penury ; our kine and oxen they by force drive away without remorse , our bedding , pewter , and at last , our selves are into prison cast . thus to misery they their doom , by authority fetcht from rome do expose our sad estate , and whole housholds ruinate , by that which they usurpate , they whole families extirpate : o great oppression that again makes us doubly complain ; our heavy burthen fetcheth groans , this cruel tything force●h m●ans : and wrongfully they have pretence of scripture made for their defence ; from levi's tribe they would possess tythes to them are by success : and thus the gospel's day in vain , to get their prey they would disdain : but god's worship that shall stand , when they have done what 's in their hand ; for what is done against god's power , shall be thrown down as in an hour ; the world shall destroyed be , who lives not long may come to see , god will ●ry as there is need , and send deliverance to his seed ; this is my faith , i do believe that god will sore the wicked grieve ; therefore let wicked men repent , that unto hell they be not sent ; and if they subject be to god , they may escape his heavy rod : the time comes on and hastes apace , wherein great babylon god will raze out of her power and might so great , that she 'll be turn'd out of her seat , that christ may rei●n , whose due it is , that all the faithful him may bless : babylon's merchants with their pay in god's time he 'll turn away ; for he is come to be their f●e , which is cau●e to bring their woe ; for they shall cry woe and alass ! when there is none to make redress ; as in one hour shall judgment come , with violence perpetual doom ; of death and famine shall she taste , her stately buildings all laid waste ; the day of howling shall betake , and she thrown down into the lake ; th●s dreadfully her doubled cup of wrath and sorrow she 'll drink up ; for why the lord's decree shall stand , his purpose now is near at hand , and what is prophesy'd shall come , babel's merchants they shall mourn , they shall weep and howl right sore , their merchandize will sell no more ▪ after that which they did lu●t departed from them is as just : read your sentence , babel's train , judgment comes with might and main ▪ the wrath of god and fury great pe●●red from his judgment-seat ; from his presence , yea , from him will your cup be 〈…〉 ; kings will mourn , and cry ala●s ! when they the●e things see come to pas● ; for through christ's power and renown , down goes babel , she goes down ▪ j. r. as one soreseeing the day of terror that is to come upon babel , makes this invitation . come out of her my people , o return , make haste , her day 's at hand to weep and mourn . her dayes of howling hasten on apace , she hath nigh liv'd her time , and run her race : return , return , lest that her plagues you taste . for desolate must she , her buildings waste ; her fiery burning smoak ● nigh at hand for fear of torments kings at distance stand ; the voice of mourning shortly comes to pass , babylon's merchants cry , alass , alass ; this city great is now co●●'d ruinate , and all her stately buildings desolate . thu● babylon the great is thrown to 'th ground , and never any more is to be found : then shall the gl●rious day , and then the voice , as if of mighty thunderings , saints rejoyce , and they their song of halelujah sing , their praises , honour , glory to their king. their joy and splendor , now the saints do say , the lamb is come this is our nuptial day . o glorious sun-shine , king of saints we 'll praise ; and in thy powerful wonder we amaze with admirable joy our souls to thee the song of sion sing ; o praised be thou holy , holy , glorious , righteous god , who babylon hast shaken by thy rod , and givest thy saints the songs of joy to sing , praise to their god , praise to their gracious king ; the saints in righteousness thou wilt aray with fine adorning , thee to praise alway . and in thy glorious habitation rest , for evermore with joy their souls be blest : rejoyce , rejoyce , ye saints of the most high , to sion's king give praise eternally ; the wondrous joyes unto you which are come unto the marriage supper of the lamb , in admiration which to you belong , the doubled halelujah is your song ; when babel's just reward that day shall be as a great milstone cast into the sea ; reward her as she hath rewarded you , double her cup , her torments eke renew ; for insomuch as she the saints blood shed , with righteous judgment shall she be judged : sit down ye sufferers in the patience-seat , and willingly content , th●ugh it be great ; your measure 's hard in this your suffering day , but your reward shall come with double pay ; resign your selves , and willingly sit down , in the expectance of the glorious crown ; for why your portion glorious shall be , a great reward is sure , you shall it see : fret not your selves because of wicked men , your day will joyous be ; even so , amen . e. g. the great complaint and out-cry of one of the sufferers of sion . o rulers of england and teachers and people , how long will it be ere you will awake out of the deep slumber that hath seised upon you , and consider a little ; you do all look upon in this age that popery is idolatry , and to maintain their worship and practice is not consistant with the worship which you own ; but do you think that talking against popery in the general , whilest that you are upholding it in many particulars in point of laws and worship , doth answer your profession , or will preserve you in the day of the lord , when the righteous judgments of god shall be revealed , seeing that though you have broken off from them in some circumstantial and ceremonial things ; for that very main basis and foundation upon which it standeth is absolutely covetousness and filthy lucre ; but to speak plain , tythes , offerings , oblations , mortuaries , peter-pence and quid non is claimed and looked upon to be due as to the pope , in imitation of the jews high priest , with all the rabble of that crew , even from the very bishop to the quirister-boy ; and yet in point of wages and pay all the aforesaid ordinances , which constitute by authority from r●me stand as evangelical , or jure divin● unto this day amongst the reformed churches ( so called ) which are not only disconsonant to the first primitive times , but also contrary to the very law of the jews , when tythes , oblations and offerings were due to be payed ; for then the husband man , poor , fatherless , widdows and orphans might all eat together of that which was offered , or given according to the command ; but now they which pretend another ministry , and lay little claim to the levitical priest-hood , and have also possessions of lands amongst their brethren , which the levites had not ; these go with tythes , offerings and divers other things , never claimed by the levites , but claimed by popish constitutions in the mid-night of popery ; and all these things the reformed priests ( so termed ) lay claim unto , and must have , and will have , or else the whole nation shall ring with their noise , common pleas , exchequer , capiter court , assise and sessions , shrieffs , goalers , b●yliffs , and every common catchpole shall be employed to do their work , and all too little to satisfie their vulturous eye : and if they can get a scrowl under any hand that hath authority , they will break open doors , pull down hedges , carry away the corn at their pleasure , drag away pots and kettles , and tugg away bedding and cloaths of all sorts , childrens night-beds , as a priest of this order did in kent lately , yea curtains and vallans , drink bear of the cellar , and if it be but half a cheese ; and this is their plea , he that pre●cheth the gospel , shall live of the gospel ; and the aforesaid husbandman , fatherless and widdows have not any part or share in the aforesaid falsly claimed tythes ; but all is too little to satisfie the insatiable covetousness of these evangelical priests , falsly so called : o how can ye know and behold these things , and not blush and be ashamed ; and shall the laws which have been made in the night of darkness and popery , of necessity be a rule in this age to magistracy and ministry , which pretend they are in a more pure light : oh that the lord would open all your eyes to consider ; but however , them unto whom his marvelous light is shed cannot but call unto you , and also bear their testimony against the aforesaid grievances and disorder , which are executed beyond measure upon the poor p●ople in this nation , which certainly , if not amended , will draw down god's heavy judgments upon the nation ; and so i cannot but as one among the rest give in my testimony for god and his truth against such cruel actings , and falsly pretended maintenance of black-coats and turn-coats , and my testimony is true , and to seal it i have given up my life and estate . by a servant of the lord , m. l. to all who say , you are gathered out of the world into church-fellowship , these queries are for you to answer . i. what was the woman that was cloathed with the sun , and crowned with twelve stars , which travailed in pain to bring forth ? . what was the sun she was cloathed withal , and twelve stars she was crowned withal ? and when was she so cloathed and crowned ? . and what was the man-child that was brought forth , seeing chr●st was born of the virgin in bethlehem long before john saw this in the isle of pathmos ? . and when did the woman fly into the wilderness ? and what is the wilderness into which she fled ? and what is the wings of the great eagle , which she did fly withal ? . and what is the time , times and the half time which she is to be in the wilderness ? and when did it begin ? and when will it be expired ? and whether is the woman ever to come out again ? and when shall be the time of her return ? . when was the time that the man-child was caught up unto god , which the woman brought forth , seeing christ was ascended long before this man-child was caught up to god , which was to rule the nations ? and how long it is since ? . and whether is he ever to descend again , and be made manifest to rule the nations ? and when shall he begin to reign ? . when was the dragon in heaven ? and how came he there , seeing that it 's written , no unclean thing can enter there , or nothing that doth defile ? . and when was he cast out of heaven into the earth ? and how long hath he to reign in the earth ? . when began he to persecute the remnant of the woman's seed ? and how long shall his reign be ? . when begin the one thousand years that he shall be bound ? or whether is it begun , or to come ? . when shall he be taken hold of , and with the beast and false prophet thrown into the lake of fire ? . what is mystery - babylon ? and when had she her rise ? when was her city raised up , over which she rules as a queen ? . and what is the golden cup of fornication she hath made the nations drunk withal ? . and what is her merchandize which her merchants trade withal , and the sea upon which they carry their traffick , and upon which the ship-masters and ships ride ? and when shall it be dryed up ? and what shall dry it up ? . when shall the city over which she hath reigned be destroyed ! and when shall her flesh be burnt with fire ? and what is the gospel that shall be preached again ? . and how long hath it been since it hath been preached to the nations , seeing it 's to be preached again to the nations ? and whether is the time begun or not ? when was the gospel lost , seeing all europe is professing it ? or whether is it yet to come , when shall it begin to be preached again to kindreds , tongues and nations ? . and what is the light of the lamb the nations that are saved shall walk in after the seven vials be poured upon the seat of the beast ? declare if thou hast understanding . f. h. a general epistle to all who have believed in the light of the lord jesus , and are called of god to follow the lamb through the great tribulation . dear friends , whom god called out of the world and the vanities of it , to serve the living god in newness of life , and to be worshippers of him in spirit and truth , and to be followers of christ in the regeneration , and to be baptized with him into his suffering and death , that so you may be partakers of his resurrection and life , and manifest unto all , that you are risen with him out of the grave of sin , wickedness and death , by having your hearts renewed , and your affections and minds set to seek those things which are above , which are not transitory and visible , but everlasting and immortal , by which the souls of all the righteous and obedient children are refreshed , and nourished up unto eternal life , and through the eternal power of the son of god , which hath been and is manifest among them that believe , in the measure of his spirit , and keep their first love and integrity unto the lord , all his are preserved out of the temptation of the adversary within and without , who seeks to root out that which god hath planted , and to nip the blossom and the bud , which god hath caused to spring forth through his tender love in your hearts , so that you might dye to the good , and be spoiled in that wherein all your happiness lyeth now and forever . oh therefore all watch and be circumspect so much the more against temptations , lest you be ensnared , and your faith fail , and you fall short of the promise of god , in not continuing faithful to the end : friends , a care , and a tender love and a godly jealousie is in my heart to you and over you all that have believed , that none of you may be lost and scattered again in the desarts and mountains , and dry and parched places , where you have sometimes been in the time of unbelief , where the goats who are rough can feed , that must go to the left hand , and have the curse : the zeal of the lord and his truth , who so gloriously hath been manifest among you , above all the people and families of the earth in our generation , constrains me thus to write unto you , and to stir you unto faithfulness in this day of trial ; for now satan desires to win now you within , and to sift you without ; therefore all watch and pray , that your faith fail not , which now will be tryed , and your hope , and your love , and your zeal to the lord and his truth ; and whether you will confess him before men , his way , worship , laws and statutes , which he hath revealed in your hearts , which fallen men oppose and contradict , and sayers gainsay , and would not have him to rule , nor his servants to obey ; so let it be manifest to all you fear god rather then men , and love him , and obey him above the precepts of men , which are against him ; and whether you love the things that are above , beyond the things that are earthly ; and whether you will own him , his cross , reproach and suffering , or deny it , and have the liberty of the world , which is bondage , and free from righteousness ; it 's no time of reserves , concealing , hovering or halting , for there is an utter discord betwixt christ and belial ; and so much the more of christ , his power and kingdom is brought forth , so much the more is the hatred , envy and wrath of the devil kindled , who hath deceived the nations , and blinded their eyes , and in his subjects , who oppose the lamb of god , and tread under foot the blood of the covenant , so that to one or other each one belongs , and which is for each part will be seen , for there can be no concord or reconciliation : therefore all children of the day , put on the armour of light , and have your feet shod now when we walk through thorny places ; and be not fearful or doubtful , but of believing hearts ; stand not aloof off , and idle when others are engaged in this spiritual war ; pull not your necks out of the yoak , when others draw ; shelter not your selves , when you see others in jeopardy ; love not the world , when you see others have thrown it off ; be not entangled in cumbersome things , when you see others throw off all weights ; turn not your backs in the day of the lord's controversie , but follow the lamb : this is the day of tribulation we have to follow him in our age , like as all the martyrs and prophets had in their age , whose garments were made white in the blood of the lamb : so all that continue , and are not faint-hearted , shall receive the crown , the honour , the reward , and shall reign with christ , who now suffer with him : therefore all dear children of god , and followers of christ jesus , let the loins of your minds be girded up , be now ready , when the lord calls , who is on my side ? who will take part with me ? who will own my reproach ? who will engage with me ? who will gather to my standard of salvation lifted up , and to my ensign of righteousness held forth in the world , to redeem it ? an● who is ready , and not abroad in the field , neither hath to go to the house top ? but that all may say in their hearts , here am i ready to do thy will , ready to obey thee , and follow thee , and to suffer for thee ; for whoso draws back , the lord hath no pleasure in such ; he that will save his life ▪ shall lose it ; and he that will save his liberty , shall lose it in the spirit ; and he that will save his earthly possessions , and for the doing thereof will deny that which god hath perswaded him of , that he ought to be faithful in , he will lose his inheritance in the heavenly ; in a word , whoso fails in holding forth that testimony that they know god requires , and is their duty to render unto him , will lose the testimony of his spirit they have sometimes felt in themselves , and will decay , and their love will wear out ▪ therefore whosoever are resigned and given up unto the lord , will be approved , and manifest to be on the lord's part by obedience to these things mentioned . friends , do you not believe it a duty that every christian ought to be exercised in , to meet together , to wait upon him , to worship him , and to admonish , exhort and strengthen one another , to pray together in the holy ghost , and one for another , and to edifie and comfort one another ; and do you not believe god dwells not in temples made with hands , neither hath any fellowship with idols , but is worshipped any where and in every place where the saints meet in his name : again , have you not been comforted , edified and strengthned in meeting ? and have you not found the presence of the lord and his face ? and have you not felt his great power working in your hearts , when you were assembled together in his name , working in you to the opening of your hearts , and quickning and enlivening your souls unto god , and judging down the evil ? and have you not felt his living mercies shed abroad in you , and the springs of life opened , and the holy seed refreshed , and god's witness reached in all , and many convinced and converted unto god in your assemblies , so that all have gone away comforted and refreshed , and resolved to continue in the grace of god , the consideration of these things dwelling in your hearts , and the sence of your own present condition should stir you up , and provoak you unto stedfastness in the faith and practice you have received and walked in from the beginning of the manifestation of god's love unto you , so that there should methinks need little exhortation ; god's enemies are resolved to do wickedly , be you also so to do your duty ; they seek by any means to make any fall from their principles and stedfastness , do you seek to escape their snares , and to be kept clear in your consciences before god ; be valiant for the truth , sell it not , but all for it , that it may be your all , and then you shall see your lot is fallen in a good place , and your possession is pleasant ; the lord calls now to suffering , put now your necks in the yoak , bear one anothers burthen , and so fulfil the law of christ ; and take heed you give not ear to that voice that speaks , save thy liberty , save thy estate , possess thy own , and provide for thy self , and spare thy self , that is the voice of the enemy of your souls : so keep over the world and its spirit , let no slackness appear , for that makes sufferings long , and that gives ground to your adversaries , that they shall prevail , and that weakens the hands of others , and strengthens not ; this confirms our enemies in their deceit , that we are but as other men and people , that have professed god in summer and fair weather , but will make ship-wrack of all in a storm and in suffering ; and any turning aside from the holy commandment of god , openeth the mouth of god's enemies ; do not seek every one your own profit , ease , life and liberty only , but every one another's good ; and mind not only one member , but the whole body ; heed not them that draw back , that is no president for you to follow , but them that press forward , and are not offended in the time of hardship ; heed not them th●t will tell you , they can keep their hearts upright to god , and retain their love to truth and friends , and yet will not afford their presence in your assemblies , but escape suffering , and deny the cross , and neglect their present duty , for that is deceit , and their own hearts will deceive them ; put not off till to morrow , defer not the time till you can see some more ease and some greater calm , beware of that , for then coldness , fearfulness and slavishness will enter in , and you will lose your strength : moreover , if any have begun well , and be perswaded of the truth of that they have believed , and continue not unto the end , and do not finish , such will be reckoned foolish builders , that could not finish , and all will mock them , and neither god nor men can or will believe them , but our adversaries will glory over you : again , when any suffer , or are brought into bonds for christ and the gospel sake , seek not to get out by any indirect means , neither make any covenant with thy adversary , who would sell both thee and all faith and hope for money , that encourages deceit , and that spirit would buy it self out of the service of god , and grow weary ; give no place to that ; be content every one with your present condition , till god arise and plead our cause , and make our innocency and righteousness appear as noon day , and make his adversaries his foot-st●ol , which undoubtedly he will do , and make all know the most high ought to rule , and will rule in the kingdoms of men , and not give his glory to another , neither suffer another to take it ; be conformable to none that go about under pretence of love to perswade or counsel you from your duty to god ; neither submit to them that would betray you of your peace ; heed not the frowns of corrupt men , nor the counsel of them who mind their own bellies , pleasure , ease , profit and earthly things ; let not natural affections and love either to lands , wife or children blind your eyes , but love them , and receive them in the lord , and enjoy them as though not ▪ stand loose from all things , and out of all entanglements , and cast your care upon the lord , who careth for the fatherless and the widdow , and them that have no helper in earth ; give no occasion or advantage to any that would turn your hearts aside from following the lord , left their love betray you ; give up all you have and enjoy to the lord and his service , and your souls , bodies and spirits as a sacrifice unto the lord , that he may accept you , and pour forth and continue his blessing amongst you ; never heed the threats of them that are as the oaks of bashan , nor of the great men of the earth , that mind their pleasure and lusts ▪ who shut you up in prison , and hale you before judgment-seats for the worship of god , and falsly accuse you and condemn you ▪ when god justifies you ; the moth shall e●t them up as a garment , and stain the glory of all flesh that withstand the lord , and they shall melt away as snails , and as the fat of lambs , and as the kidneys of rams , and god will bring the recompence of their own deeds upon their own pates , and wound the hoary scalp of every one that doth wickedly , who toucheth god's anointed , and doth harm to his prophets , and persecutes his children ; surely judgment is not far from the dwellings of them who have requited the lord thus , as to render him evil for good ; and god will be avenged on such a fa●thless , merciless , perfidious people as this ; and of such a spirit , which rejoyceth in iniquity , and makes a mock of sin , and hates all reproof , and would clock over all mischiefs with the name of pure laws and authority , and decrees of the holy church , and yet persecutes and gainsayes the highest power of god in things spiritual , that pertain to the conscience : the beast , and false prophet , and mother of harlots have joyned together , and flatter one another , and joyn their strength together against the true church and heir of all the world , and would , under pretence of doing honour unto him , shut him out of the earth , and kill his subjects , and destroy the children of the free woman under pretence of suppressing heresie , & turn judgment into gall , hemlock and wormwood , and instead of relieving the oppressed ; add to their burthen . friends , dwell above all these things , and the devil and his rage ; the earth is the lord's and the fulness of it ; we cannot be banished from god's presence , neither shall they fulfil their determination , or ever be able to root out that testimony which is among us ; for princes shall be given for its ransome , and kingdoms and nations for its prosperity : the god of power strengthen you all , that you may quit your selves like men of god , like children of the most high , whose inheritance is not here in the world , but in the kingdom that fades not away : the lord god of power be with you , and make you consider what i say ▪ and to receive this my true love unto you all for the lord's sake , who partakes with all the suffering members of christ in their bonds , and shall and can rejoyce in all your comfort and joy : the peace of god dwell in your hearts , and his heavenly light shine upon all your tabernacles , that you may be as beautiful in the eyes of the lord as the roses of sharon , and blossom as the lillies of the valley , and yield your fruit as the fig-tree that casteth not his fruit : the lord takes our part , let none doubt of that , and pleads our cause , let all consider that ; our enemies shall see it , and be troubled at this , and time shall manifest it ; therefore be of believing hearts , and trust in the lord , so shall you never be confounded , neither be ashamed , but be as mount sion , that cannot be moved , and as the mountains are round about jerusalem ▪ so shall the mercies of the lord compass you about from this time forth and forevermore . friends , faith is sealed in my heart , and love in my reins , and gladness in my soul , and peace in my conscience , so that none doth or can hinder my rejoycing , praised be the lord forever and ever , amen . the lord's servant and yours in all true , unfeigned , pure love , f. h. the true rule , judge and guide of the true church of god discovered and born testimony unto , what it is , and wherein it consisteth . in opposition to the pretended catholick church of rome , her rule , foundation , guide and judge . being returned in answer to captain robert everad his book , tituled , an epistle to all non-conformists ; wherein his main reasons , grounds and allegations laid down in his book are examined and discoursed with , wherein the faith once delivered unto the saints is vindicated , and the doctrine of christ and his apostles , against the pretended faith and false doctrines which have been held forth by the church of rome among christians as infallible . by a suffering member of that church which fled into the wilderness , when mystery-babylon sate as a queen upon the waters . f. h. the true rule , judge and guide of the true church of god discovered , &c. after variou● reports and upbraidings , and insultings of divers men in my he●●ing , of a certain great pillar and a leading man among the non conformists , who it was said , had reli●quished his errors , and had conformed , and also written and published a book for the convincement of all others to uniformity and conformity : also the weekly intelligencer willing to take advantage sometime when there is little or no occasion , doth signifie to the whole nation in his news book of the conversion of a great non-conformist , for the strengthening and supporting of those desires only in people who are willing to make shipwr●ck of all fai●h , hope , religion , and whatsoever also that is of the greatest moment , for a little ease and liberty in the flesh , and the imbracement of this present world , is willing to joyn with that which is the upper m●st , and to sail with wind and tide , not minding the harbour , nor the way which they are passing , but only present enioyment ; and such whose fai●h is builded upon men and not upon god ; and chuse rather to run with the multitude to do evil ▪ then with a few despised and afflicted who keep faith and a good conscience ) such flashes and airy ungrounded rumours stagger'd their mind , and make them afraid and troubled when there 's no cause . at last this great and magni●icent piece of conversion came published in the news book , boasted on by the clergy and divers other great mountains of earth , came to my hand providentially unlooked for , unsought for , or desired , which is titled , an ep●stle to the several congregations of the non-confrimists subscribed by captain robert everard , as he stiled himself ▪ a member of the catholick church ; which book hath been spread up and down the counties ●t seems , as some rare , weighty , and great matter to induce others to be of the same mind . but why the members of the church of e●gland should extoll this and re●oyce in this great convert i know not , except they have a mind to shake hands with the roman church , & to receive their catholick faith so called as unquestionable ; but deceit loves to sport it self , and to make merry and triumph over any who do but relinquish the seeming appearance of truth to turn into the common road of darkness , they hug such a one for a while , and set him out as an ensign to glory in and over , against others . after the said book came to my hand amongst divers others , i was wiling to take a survey , and to make inspection into those things contained in it , and to see what demonstrative grounds , and solid and weighty matter was contained in it , which i have diligently weighed , and without a prejudiced spirit read , finding the matter in it chiefly to set up a council of men to be absolute judge of all matters of faith and doctrine , though never so repugnant unto the doctrine and practice once delivered and received and walked in by the saints , setting up this , both above the holy spirit of god , which is the only and sole tryer of all spirits ; but also above the scripture ; wherein i have taken notice , his own eye being blinded he would captivate all others , and make them blind also , and lay waste the spirit of god and its office , the scriptures , and their translation , making them as uncertain , as much as in him lyes , as the turkish alcoran ; and all solid and weighty arguments and reasons that have been produced these many years by many godly and moderate dissenters in divers ages , from the church of rome , this he strikes over all by whole sail , labouring to set all a jarr , and to make every thing look with a face contrary way , to represent them uncomely ; and at last he hath concluded that the catholick visible church is the absolute judge and director , both in matters of faith and doctrine , without distinguishing of their abiding in the faith , or falling from it , as though the promise of god had been intailed to a certain place , as rome , or to a certain sort of men that may call themselves peters successors , and ministers of christ , though they walk as far wide both in doctrine and practice , as heaven is from earth , from [ peter ] and would assume the title of name and office for honour and profit's sake , but do none of peter's work , feed not the flock of christ , but worry them and kill them that christ feeds , and shear off the wool from off their backs , and pull off the skin too , and instead of saving have destroyed hundreds of mens lives in europe and america ; some under the name of hereticks , and some under the name of infidels have been most mercilessly and cruelly destroyed by the power of this holy visible church , as ● . e. calls it , as the true chronologies of ages past do testifie , so that the nations have been made like akeldama by that mystery babylon , which hath drunk the blood of the saints , and slain the prophets and martyrs , under the name of hereticks , quite out of the doctrine of christ , and erred from his infallible spirit , who came not to destroy mens lives , but to save them , and to save people from their sins : but this false visible church hath destroyed their lives under the name of heresie , and so hath destroyed them in their sins if they count that heresie be a sin. but of this something more afterwards may be said , if god permit . but it is a great piece of confidence in r. e. that after fifteen hundred years , as he saith , this church hath continued as a judge & a director , unto which all christians are to submit , page th . that he that is but a man of yesterday should be so stout a champion as to make a flourish , and seem to over-ride all the weighty things that have been spoken by the blessed martyrs and sufferers for christ , and righteous dissenters from this rom●n church at one clap ; and again to exalt his own feeble things that he hath brought forth , and exhibit them so confidently to all non-conformists as unanswerable matter , or how he judged in himself that his reasons or arguments should be of that weight to convince or convert any , seeing he hath rendered himself , & they that know him can testifie he hath alwayes been a changeable man , and unstable in all his wayes , tossed up and down , like the waves of the sea , and now at last fallen into the black gulf of darkness ; but it seems by his own writing in his epistle , that it hath been his former method , being filled with a scribling humour in the days of his ignorance , as he saith , when the vail of pride and folly hung between his eyes , which appears to hang there yet , ( for any thing i can see ) having condemned himself , and also repented , as he saith , for being in the head of a troop of the rebellious army a captain : and yet after conversion and illumination and repentance , as he saith , subscribes himself , captain robert everard , argues both pride and folly , and gives but a small shew of repentance , but rather argues feignedness and flattery , and him to be a time-server , and a man-pleaser . and whether he intend by his epistle to all the non-conformists to the church of england , or all the non-conformists to the church of rome is doubtful , for then the church of england hath to conform in part , as wel as others , though i believe the church of rome will claim a good part of her discipline to be theirs , only it wants the formality of language : somthing might largely be spoken , as in return of answer to the things contained in the said book , but that it may be supposed some of those people with whom he hath formerly conversed , which he now calumniates wi●h notorious error , will not receive his epistle as an infallible and heavenly oracle , but rather will return him some publick answer for the vindicating of their own principles , and also shewing him his weakness , how soon he was turned aside with , and for a thing of nought , and also that he should be so bold as to turn in a moment their instructer & teacher , when he hath but newly learned within a year or two , the principles of his own religion , which he saith , he adores god in , and so is but a novis , and unskilfull in the word of righteousness , though his web be very long of linsie woolsie , and his words be many , which will pass away as wind , and have small effect , i hope of gaining many proselytes , to be members of that visible church , which hath ruled over nations , kindreds and tongues , which are the waters , upon which the great whore sits . i take my self little concerned , or that people with whom i am joyned in the fellowship of the gospel of christ jesus , who are nonconformists to the world , and ever resolve to be , ( according to the apostles doctrine ) and to all hypocrites and time-servers , and them that serve not our lord jesus christ , but their own bellies , of which this generation is full , who will transgress for a morsel of bread , and conform to any thing , and every thing for the smiles of the world , ease and liberty in the flesh , but the followers of christ have not so learned christ , for whoso will reign with him , must suffer with him . neither should i have said much , if the quarrel had been personal , or about some circumstantial matters , which a man may be with and without , and they neither add to , nor diminish from his goodness and vertue , but seeing it is a quarrel not only against us that are alive , but against the faithful sufferers , who laid down their lives in flames of fire , and the very foundation of god , which is the most sure thing is struck at , and the spirit of god turned out of doors , in regard of its office , of certainty and infallibility , and the scriptures of truth laid aside as an insufficient thing , except the interpretations of men be added to it for its authority , and the constitutions of fallible and erring men set up for rules , and men , as men , set up as law-givers and judges over mens consciences , and lords over faith , and to be the most certain thing for any christian man to rely upon , and to believe , as the old phrase is , as the church believes , to pin ones faith upon others sleeves , and to hang ones hope of anothers shoulders , to put ones eye out that god hath given them to see with , and then see by anothers , may be led into any hole or ditch , and this to be published with such confidence , as the only infalliable guide , to which all christians are to submit , would make a man half dumb to speak and stammer forth some thing as a testimony against such palpable error , and manifest darkness , put off with such confidence , and usher'd in among christians in such an age as this , when light and life is broken forth as a morning without cloudes in goshen , where israel the true seed inhabits , i could not but say something in vindication of that certain , sure , everlasting truth which the devil is out of , by which the saints are made free indeed in their inward man from sin , and non-conformists to the world , its error , ways and worship , and also to shew the mistakes of the author , and how easily he hath been drawn aside to lean upon a broken reed , all his particulars which are of any weight or moment shall be considered and weighed in the righteous ballance of equity , and answered in their due place : for the confirmation of them that do believe , and for removing the stumbling blocks out of the way of them that doubt to stagger , lest they fall in such dark pits as these , ( viz. ) as to deny the spirit of god to be a sufficient guide , and take away its infallibility , and place it in men that have erred , do err , and may err ; and call them the only sure infallible guide for all christian men to follow . but to speak something to the seeming weighty matter which weighed down r. e. his judgment , and cast the scales so far , as that all his hope , faith , foundation , and religion was weighed down at one draught , and by such feeble things as put him to silence , which he heared from his lay-catholick , as he calls him , argues a very weak and a poor foundation and a s●ndy , which was so soon driven away ; but one thing is to be minded , because he hath minded it himself of his conversion , as to matter of time ; this conversion happened to fall out since the happy restauration of our gracious soveraign to his crown and dignity , as he saith ; this to some will render his conversion somewhat suspicious , whether ( he name ) this time as only accidental , or the restoration of the king ; the cause somewhat of his conversion , i shall not determine ; but however he having been behind before in conformity resolved to make a good step to , before the next time to avoid suffering loss and reproach . but to speak a little as to the discourse which r. e. hath published as the weighty matter whereby he was convinced , their judgments now it seems becoming one , the lay - gentleman he mentions and himself speaking to one speaks to both . first , whether that any can be certain that the christians in general are more true then the turkes , jews , or any other , and whether any can be infallibly assured of this , that it is possible for one to mistake in this ; and again the answer amounting to no more then this , you conceive you are in the right , you hope and believe you are not mistaken ; but it is possible you may be mistaken in this , for every man is a lyar , and every man and all men and every church is fallible and subject to error ; and with these and the like words r.e. was extreamly troubled as he saith , and knew not how to answer without shuffing . answ. the true christian religion stands not only in name , nor in words , nor in conforming , or transforming to this or that outward practice , which the disciples of christ were exercised in , which divers in the latter days in their old corrupt minds , not having their hearts renewed , have taken on the outside , and have got the form , and want the life and the power , and are not partakers of the divine nature of christ , and such a bare profession as this has no certainty , nor infallibility in it , neither the assurance , but that they may be mistaken , and may be subject to err as well as turks or jews , or any other , but the true christians religion indeed , whom christ will own as true worshippers of him , stands in power in life , and in being obedient unto his living commands and precepts , which he giveth forth unto his disciples , and manifesteth by his spirit , his sheep hear his voice , and know it from the voice of a stranger : and he giveth the knowledge of his will to all that believe in the measure of his eternal spirit , which he hath given every one a measure of to profit withal ; and by it to be guided into all truth , out of all error , and this spirit is infallible , and gives certain assurance to all that receive it , that they are in that way which is acceptable to god , and they feel comfort unto their souls coming daily from the presence of christ , who is the rock of ages , and the sure foundation upon which his holy church is founded , which is the pillar and ground of truth ; and they that are living members are not grounded upon a fallible certainty , or upon a con●ectural supposition ▪ or a vain hope which is without bottom , but upon that which is sure and stedfast , lasting & everlasting ; and all men in the unregenerate estate are lyars , but they that are born from above are of the truth , and lye not , and are not subject to mistakes , because the seed remains in them , and walk in the pure religion which keeps unspoted of the world ; and they that have no other ground for their religion but only without them , and from the report of others are short of the true foundation , for that may be truth in it self , indeed , which is not true to another , nor he truly partakes of it , and here is all the supposing conjectures and mistakes and fallible certainties , which it seems r. e. and his lay gentlemen too , when the axe is laid to the root of the tree indeed , and notwithstanding all the laying claim to infallibility and certainty its but grounded upon a report without , and the traditions of men from generation to generation ; for them that believe but only because of the true report without , and cometh not to witness the thing assured in their own hearts by the spirit of the lord , these will not be long of that faith ; 't is true , many did believe because of the apostles ●eclaration and report , but at last came to feel the witness of god in their own hearts testifying the same , in somuch that they could say , and truly too , though we have believed through your words at the first , yet now we have heard him our selves , & that which giveth perfect assurance which admits of no doubts nor fallibleness , for such evidence all true members of christ's church have in themselves , which carries divine authority and satisfaction in it to every particular believer , and so i say with p. e. in this , it seems unreasonable to perswade any to receive this or that for a truth , when they that so perswade are uncertain in themselves , neither dare say their judgment is infallible , which is that old protestant principle indeed , and also the principle of many sects who differ from the pretended catholick church of rome , who persecuted one another about outward things even as the heathen about their idols , and yet will needs sit as judge in mens consciences , with their fallible spirit , though i speak not of every individual person , neither can i justifie the roman catholick church so called , who lays claim to infallibility ; and whatsoever they judge to be heresie must be reckoned as such , though never so manfiest a truth ; and to place infallibility in men that may err and have erred from the spirit , i like not neither ; for this is to give that to men that belongs to god , and to make the judgment of fallible men above the judgment of the inf●llible spirit of god ; and this i look to be great ambition and pride , in any to lay claim to the greatest things , as infallibility and certainty of assurance , and the most free of error , and yet fall the shortest of it of any , as hath been made appear by many learned and grave men of former ages ; and also if a necessity were , might be made appear , that the church of rome who saith , she cannot err , have been as uncertain both in their doctrine and worship as any , yea more ; one pope contradicting and throwing down that which another did establish ; and one council decreeing , and another disanulling ; as i could easily make appear , but that i would not be tedious to the reader in things that have been so manifest ; neither do i desire to wade out into diversity of matters , in so short a discourse . but that which r. e. and his catholick instructer calleth late , wild , and loos● opinions , that men of different faiths may be saved ; and this countenanceth schism , and breeds rebellion , as it is said ; 't is true , faith is but one , which is saving , and there is no difference in that , for the difference is among men where that is wanting , and only have words and name of faith , and want the life and power . neither am i so narrow spirited as r. e. and his catholick , as to exclude all out of the faith , who may differ in their perswasions in some circumstantial things , if yet they hold christ the head : and what makes r. e. so virilent as to judge all in errour , and to be out of the true faith , seeing the protestants and all sorts of separates profess justification and salvation , only through faith in christ jesus , as well as the church of rome ; and it were unreasonably judged in me if i should conclude a man to be no man , because he is not so tall as another ; but i see r ▪ e. and his catholick would have all shoes made by their last , though they will not fit every mans feet . faith is the gift of god , there are divers decrees and measures , accoding to the mind and good pleasure of the giver ; so that he that hath received any measure or degree , must not be excluded as having no faith , though he attain not to that degree that some do enjoy ; and the apostle's doctrine was , that 〈◊〉 one should be perswaded in his own mind , and if any were otherwise minded , they were to be let alone , till god revealed it to them . and whatsoever people or church ( though they claim infallibility ) that teach a contrary d●ctrine unto this ; we have good reason to su●pe●● it , to be that hasty d●●ving and overdriving spirit , that would force a faith 〈◊〉 god h●th not given it ( not to be the infallible spirit of 〈…〉 the church of rome hath given a vehement 〈…〉 and tortures they have exercised towards them , who 〈…〉 their principles , and own their judgment in all things : b●t 〈…〉 . gentleman blinded thy eye , 〈◊〉 he made thee 〈…〉 question 〈◊〉 truth of scripture , and ●hat it procee●ed from the i●fall , his testimony of god's sp●r●t , and if thou hadst a certain feeling of the same in thy 〈…〉 conscience , to let this go and m●ke this void , as an i●●uff●cient ground to receive christianity upon , and to lean to a prop without thee , and to ●e judged by men , who have been as fallible and changeable in their judgments as the moon ; which have assumed the name of catholick church , whose testimony , thy instruc●er i perceiv● told thee , ought to be received , concerning what was pretended to be revealed or not revealed by god , yet all must be obliged to stand to their judgment though never so repugnant to the doctrine of christ , and practice of the church of christ in the first primitive times , truly so called ; yet it is granted , that the church of christ are the dispersed members through the world , though not of it , agreeing in one faith , being in the power of god , and being led and guided by the holy ghost , their judgments ought to be received , which cannot ( as lead by the spirit ) fail , in giving true judgment in matters of faith , which pertains to salvation , but as men they may fail , and as erring from the spirit they may fail ; and infallibility is not intailed to the persons of any men , but as they continue in the grace of god , and walk in the spirit , and bring forth the fruits thereof , nor to any place or city , but as they continue in covenant with god , for the promise of god was to jerusalem , and mount zion , and to many other places and people in divers cities , where the glory of god once appeared , but now through their apostacy and unbelief , and disob●dience they are des●late , as to the presence and power of god , and their sun is set , and they are covered as with the shadow of a cloud ; but this true church whereof i have spoken , was seen to fly into the wilderness for time , times and half , and that since the apostles dayes , and then was she not so visible and universal as she had been before ▪ & the man-child was caught up unto god ; now if thou reckonst the roman church to be this true church ; shew the time , times , and half a time , wherein she fled into the wilderness ; and how long she hath been there , and when was the time of her return , and if ever she was there , how that will hang together with y●ur assertion , that she hath been visi●le and so universal these fifteen hundred years ; and if this could be proved that rome hath been so , whether doth it not rather demostrate her to be the whore that sate upon the many waters ? which waters are nations , kindreds , tongues and people , and what church ? instance if thou can , doth lay claim to the nations , kindreds , tongues and people to be your , and to rule over so many kings of the earth , as you lay claim to be universally of your faith , and of your church , which gives us a shrewd character to believe , that indeed you are mystery babylon ; besides , the blood of the saints hath been shed under the name of hereticks , by th●● v●sible catholick church among the nations this twelve hundred years doth give clear evidence that it can be reckoned or imputed unto none but you . but i would not grate too hard upon thee , being but a new convert ; but when thy instructer had made thee doubt of thy won state , and questioned the foundation whereupon thou hadst received christianity , the next thing he labours to make void , is , the spirit of god its testimony , which thou didst lay claim to , but i feel had little portion in what thou saidst , at last he makes thee doubt of the infallibility of this spirit which thou hadst spoken on , might for ought thou knew be the spirit of error , and thou not able to distinguish betwixt the spirit of god in thy self , which is infallible , and the spirit of error , nor to distinguish betwixt their operations ; he perswaded thee that all was uncertain , and therefore no confidence to be given to any spirit of faith in ones own particular , which is the most absurd and ridiculous thing in the world so to judge : for if there be no certainty or assurance given to any man , or means to every man , wherein he may be assured of the certainty of god's will , then whither should any go , or upon whom should any lean , seeing that no credit can be given to any thing that any man believes ? and this were but tossing up and down men from mountain to hill , that they might never have rest for their souls : and as for jer. . and eccles. . rev. . the heart of man is deceitful ; &c. no man knows love or hatred , & . and because thou sayest i am richand increased with goods , and have need of nothing , &c. these scriptures were brought unto thee , to make thee more blind ; the first is spoken of the degenerate estate , where deceit bears rule and not truth ; the second is spoken of visible enjoyments , which are common to all ; and the third was spoken to one , who had erred from the spirit , and was exalted in pride , because of external performances , but having lost the power was miserable , &c. but what of all this ? doth this any whit at all detract from the certainty & assurance of the spirit of god in them that have it ? what , shall we reason thus , because some have been led aside , and are deceived by their own hearts , lusts , that therefore all may be deceived , even them that have the spirit of god ? ( god forbid ) and we have some-what more to answer an arian , a jew , or a turk , if they should urge the like knowledge and feeling with the like confidence , to prove they were in the truth and christianity , a delusion ; and thy intructer said , what would you reply to them ? we have more to reply in such cases then time will permit now , or the state of the case require ; seeing it is but a supposition , and we take no thought what to answer the gain-sayers of truth withall , but rely upon the promise of the father , and of his son jesus christ , who said to his disciples , take no thought , for it shall be given you what to answer in that day , which promise all that are true disciples shall find true to the end of the world : but some-what more we have to say , it may be then thou said , when thou suffered thy self to be made blind and carried captive with another man's judgment , & neglected the measure of god's spirit in thy self at home , through which alone the secret things of god are revealed , & in which true certainty and infallibility is witnessed , and not in men , who are fallible and changeable . if an arian , jew or turk should urge their own interpertation of scriptures ( which is of no private interpretation ) contrary to the mind of him that gave it forth ; i would say , he perverted the words of the scripture , which 〈◊〉 in harmony & unity one with another , as to the states and conditions they were sp●ken to , and are plain , and are only read by that spirit that gave them forth : except it be in some historical or chronology or genealogy of names and gener●tions which might be , some gathered from anothers hands , and different hands taking notice of them as to record them , there might be some variation , yet the substance of the report is true , but what is calculation of years or dayes or reckoning up of genealogies , as to the matter of salvation , and what if we had never had them , no more then we have other histories and things that fell out among the jews , but if there be any contradiction for ought i know , we may blame the church of rome the most of any ; who will needs affirm they received all or most of the things from the apostles , and if the translations differ , or be some-what uncertain , what have they been doing this fifteen hundred years , with their infallible spirit , that they could not have rectified them according to their first original ? and if any the foresaid sects , should pretend the certainty of the spirit , and yet not have it ? i should answer , the spirit is known by its fruits , and the fruits of the spirit are manifest , and they that pretend to it , and bring forth contrary fruits , are manifest to be deceivers and deceived , but their states are different , and therefore require different answers , which time will not now permit to insist upon : but over and beside all other arguments perswade any man to , or from any thing , the witness of god in the party unto whom he speaketh , is to be reached , and that is beyond the understanding of man , and greater then it , and more convincing then any arguments that can be used without ; and he that cannot speak to this , is not skilful in the word of righteousness . that christ was an infallible guide , ( who is the way , the truth and the life ) is granted by all christians , and that the apostles received the promise of the father , and the infallible spirit of god which led them into all truth , and this infallible assurance the christians had that lived in the apostles time , thu● i● granted , and the apostles were infallible guides , not as men meerly , but as men full of the holy ghost , & as men who were filled with the spirit of god , and therefore the apostle said , be followers of us as we are f●llowers of christ ; and if any controversie did arise , as some there did , and doubts among the then christians , the apostles and elders meeting together in the power of the holy ghost , did write their minds and letters to the christians to pacifie all ; and good reason that they that had believed through their word , should su●mi● unto the holy ghost , and unto them by whom they were begotten unto god by the word of life , for the ending of strife about words and shadows and outward things , and they whose minds were outward then , in ages since , and now , ran into contention about outward things , and such for the most part do err from the spirit of god in themselves , but i would have thee to take notice of this , and all you catholick members so called , the apostles of christ only did exhort , and did not force their decrees by penal statutes , and to be observed under the penalty of loosing life and limbs , as since their pretended successors have done , who have erred from the spirit , and have go● the saints words , and turned against the life and power : but the decrees , as you call them , are not many nor burdensome , which the apostles wrote at jerusalem , as the many counsels since have made , they are so endless and numberless and burdensome , and so contradictory one to another in divers things , who will but look into the decrees of the counsels since the apostles dayes , that we can find little certainty in any of their decrees , but rather as thy instructer saith , the sword of the flesh , and not the spirit hath been the rule and law to christianity ; but the masters of great wit and power and interest , have framed and made parties unto themselves , and have wars been raised among your selves about deciding your controversies : hath not the pope warred against the emperour , and the emperour against the pope ? were no● wars raised about the decrees , when pope eugenius was deposed as a heretick by the council of bazell ? — and one while the pope must be infallible as peter's successor , and above all councils and churches , another while the council is above the pope , excommunicates him as a heretick , and excludes his infallibility : and now where is the certainty , and whether should one go or appeal for true judgment ? so , though the church of rome boast of unity , yet how hath one nation made war against another , and yet professing the same faith at divers times and in sundry ages . and to tell thee plainly , and to speak the naked truth , according to the apostles prophecy , after their departure there was a great apostacy , and a great falling away from the faith , and a giving heed to lying seducing spirits , and doctrines of devils , and many were suhverted from the faith , by them that spake lyes in hypocrisie , and took up the priests office for filthy lucre , and they went out into the world , and the world wondred after them , and they had the form , and the sheeps cloathing , and the saints words , but were enemies to the cross of christ , and to the power of godliness ; and the kings of the earth were bewitched with her sorceries , and then forced all , and compelled all to receive and believe such decrees and such articles , as were then set forth by a pack of those hirelings , who minded their own profit , and their own bellies ; who mingled their own inventions and traditions with the doctrine of christ , and brought the scripture for a cloak , and the apostles practice for a president , and could ●ay falsly , as the apostles said in truth ; it seems good to us and the holy ghost , that these our decrees be observed ; for god hath placed us as judges and directors ▪ as them that are appointed of god himself ; to which all christians are to submit , and none to question , and if any do question and will not obey , it is the kings and princes duty in all countries to cause all to submit to these our decrees and orders , or else to be punished as hereticks with death ; for we are the apostles successors , and we are the elders of the church , and we have the infallible spirit ; and though we make decrees contrary to what the apostles made in their day , yet none are to question that , the church was but in its infancy then , as unwasht , and unswadled , and in persecution ; but now she is grown up to a greater statu●e and power , and endowed with greater priviledge , and that may be necessary now , that was not necessary then ; and last of all called themselves the cler●y ▪ which signifies the heritage of god , and so excluded all others but themselves : and these things are true and certain , and have been made good by many sufferers for christ ; and this kind of clergy or heritage made the heritage of god indeed , to fly into the wilderness , who had the infallible spirit , and the witnesses to prophesie in sack-cloth , and then mystery-babylon began to sit as a queen , and to gild her cup , and to fill it full of abomination , and brought in judaism , and the practice of the apostles and their own inventions , and patched up an endless kind of worship and service , consisting of out-side things in a great part , in postures and gestures , and meats and drinks , and days and times , and vestures and bonnets , and caps and coules , and such other like trumpery , which they made the nations drunk with , and greedy after ; and if any scrupled at any of those things or any other , the holy catholick church hath decreed it , and she cannot err ; for she is infallible , though the errors thereof cannot be numbred : and this r. e. thou rests satisfied in as thy only rule and judge , and director , and thou hangs all thy faith herein and sayest , thou shalt not scruple to believe , what authority teacheth thee to be revealed by god , no more then if thou heardst god himself speaking : i say unto thee as the apostle said , the serpent hath beguiled thee , as it beguiled eve ; and further say , as the prophet said , thou must arise and get thee hence ; for this is not the rest ; for thou wilt see thy self plunged into such a labyrinth of uncertainties as thou never wast before , if the lord ever open thine eye . and r. e. gives an account , that after his reading of some controvertal books , hath made some collections as to himself , and also declares , that all dissenting judgements grant there must be a way and a rule appointed to teach us , to deside all doubts , to judge of all matters , and to teach us the true way to heaven with certainty ; but who this rule or judge is , is not agreed upon by all , which he hath collected into four heads . first , some set up the spirit to direct them , and to be this means . secondly , another will have every man 's own natural reason to be this rule and judge . thirdly , others will set up sole scripture . and the fourth assigns the holy catholick church to be that judge and director : other then these ( he saith ) he never heard of any ; for ( he saith ) he alwayes esteemed the quakers light to be either the spirit or natural reason ( but which r. e. doth not know ) and all the four before-mentioned ( he saith ) he hath examined , and treateth largely upon them all , wherein he goeth about , and giveth grounds , and divers reasons , and divers interpretations of scriptures ; he layes waste all the former three , and establisheth ( as he thinks ) the fourth , as to be that way , and rule , and judge , and governing power , to decide all doubts , as that whereby all are oblieged to submit unto , as to christ himself ; and this was that question which he was to gain satisfaction in ; and therefore he saith , he cea●ed ●o enquire of their doctrine , or this or that article of faith , and hang altogether upon this point before-mentioned . answ. 't is true , it is granted by all , that there must be a way and a rule , as the means appointed of god , to answer all doubts , and to give satisfaction to every man of the certainty of that which he believes ; and who this way , and judge , and rule is , every one ought to be satisfied ; and the four heads into which thou hast collected the whole controversie of all dissenting judgments in christianity , take up the whole as to this particular , which have ordinarily been holden forth among christians : but i judge thou deal'st not wisely in thy inquisition and search for satisfaction , to hang all on this pin , but rather to have examined further as concerning matters of doctrine and matters of faith , held forth , most especially of this party , to whom thou wast so much inclined , and see how thou could'st have swallowed down that doctrine of purgatory , and sacrifice for the dead , and justification by a man 's own works , and of bread and wine after the words of consecration by the priest , is transubstantiated into the very body and blood of christ , and becomes whole god , their saviour and redeemer ; for these are principal things , either greatly necessary to salvation , or greatly unnecessary ; and when thou had'st tryed and found these to be so repugnant unto the doctrine and faith once delivered among the saints , in the first plantation of the gospel ; this might have put a stop unto thee , that thou could'st not so easily close with their judgment and pretended infallibility , who pretend to be only guides , and yet lead into the greatest errors in matters of greatest moment : but as to the four particulars mentioned , i shall not stand to trouble either my self or the reader , as to speak much what of that which is no part of my faith or judgment , but only to vindicate the truth against the many false conceptions of changeable men : and first of all r. e. begins to treat of the spirit , and perverts the scripture at his first onset , and saith , as touching the spirit ●earing witness in secret with our spirits , or ( he saith ) in plain terms the pri●ate spirit ; this ( saith r. e. ) i considered could not be the means to convey faith unto the world , nor the rule , judge or guide which i enquired after , nor indeed the true spirit of god , which he promised to be apostles . secondly , those who pretend this guidance , do not believe god● but themselves only and their own perswasions , which tell them , they have the spirit of god ; but they can give no other account , but that they are verily perswaded so , or no other answer , but i am sure it is the spirit of god , and i am a good man and an honest man , and i believe my self ; but ●ther reasons or evidence can they give none ▪ thirdly , this pretending of a private spirit is against pet. . . that no prophecy of scripture is of private interpretation . answ. this man beats altogether beside the anvil , whatever the matter is , but that he is blinded and confounded in himself , he sets but up a shadow , and then fights with it ; for instead of proving the spirit of god not to be a competent rule , judge and guide , and instructor in all matters of faith necessary to salvation ; he goes about to prove a private spirit , a pretended spirit , a spirit of error is not a sufficient guide and judge ; and in this he fights without an adversary , and fills the world with noise and darkness , and the air with smoak , and would cloud peoples understandings with multitudes of words , that tend not to edification , with a quarreling wrangling spirit , which is not for peace ; but i see he hath delighted in contention , and sported himself in variance , and like the son of the bond-woman , his hand against every man. secondly , ● wonder why r. e. quot●s so much scripture for the proof of his matter in hand , seeing that it is one of his great pleas , that it is insufficient to be a rule , or a guide , or a judge , as to answer any doubts , or give any satisfactory solution to him that is enquiring ; and seeing he hath given in so many reasons against it , as insufficient , and as much as in him lay , to invalidate and set it at nought , and hath laboured to set it at odds , and to make contradictions in it , as to render it insufficient for matter of probation in any thing which is in controversie , or how he can judge that others should receive them , and his sometimes false rendering of them , or his own interpretations upon them , seeing he denyes them as uncertain , as they are translated , and insufficient , and not fit to be a rule ; and who this man hath conversed with , i know not , that should ever affirm a private spirit or their own spirits to be a sufficient rule or guide to walk by , such i deny , and leave them and thee to quarrel together about your imaginations , thoughts and conceptions , or else the conceptions of other men , who are as uncertain and fallible as the first , and shall assert the sufficiency of the spirit of god , teaching , ruling , guiding and judging all true christian men in that certain , everlasting , infallible truth , which is necessary and satisfactory to the souls of all them that do believe in it , and shall deny all the pretenders to it , who run into heaps , and heads , and quarrel and fight one with another about shadows , and can give no other account or manifestation , then i am sure i have the spirit of god , and i ought to be believed , and i am a good man , and the like , which ( thou say'st ) thou could'st never receive any other evidence or testimony ; and what though many have pretended to the spirit and the guidance thereof , and in the mean while have brought forth the fruits of the flesh , and their own imaginary false conceptions , and have put on confidence enough to say so , as thou thy self it may be hast had a share in times past ; shall this make the spirit of god insufficient and uncertain in its teachings to them that believe in it , and have received and bring forth the fruits of it , and have the deeds of the flesh mortified by it ? god forbid . thirdly , why hast thou perverted the scripture , as i said , at the first onset , rom. . . the spirit it self bears witness with our spirits that we are the children of god ; and this thou hast put in in a distinct character , to be taken notice of , as though it were scripture , and render'st it thus , the spirit being witness in secret with our spirits , or in plainer terms , the private spirit ; thou must repent of this , and take heed how thou callest the spirit of god a private spirit ; for it was that publick spirit which manifested it self among all the patriarchs and prophets , and by which they spoke forth the words and mind of god unto the people , and prophesied of things to come ; and through it alone is the deep and weighty things of god revealed , and was and is the only way and means by which christ promised after his ascension to lead , guide , instruct and comfort his disciples in all truth , and that it should bring to their memory whatsoever he had spoken , and that they were to be without care or thought , for through it the father should give them what to speak and what to answer before rulers and council for his name 's sake . and here the sufficiency of it is proved to any re●sonable man , who hath the least savour or discerning of the things ●f god ; and this is that publick spirit by which the apostles published the everlasting gospel of peace , and which christ , the head of the body ( his church ) had received without measure ; and this is a private , t●●ining ▪ creeping spirit of thine , who hath been lost in thy own imaginations , and following thy own forward rash spirit , and hast found no certainty in thy self of god's spirit to stay thy mind upon , nor no patience to wait upon it , but reaching 〈…〉 at things in thy dark mind , and last of all hast brought in thy 〈◊〉 for the devil against the sufficiency of the holy spirit of god , 〈◊〉 guidance amongst his people in the latter dayes ; and that is thy fond conception to say , that the spirit of god is expresly against pet. . . which thou callest a private spirit all along ; 't is true , no prophecy of scripture is of private interpretation , but the holy men of god spoke it forth , as they were moved by the holy spirit , which was publick and conversant among them , with them and in them ; and they that have it , can receive them as they are written , and can read them and understand them as they were spoken , and do see the intent of the holy ghost in so speaking unto different states and conditions , notwithstanding the many copies thou tellest on , and diversions , and different translations , which thou would'st make a great mountain on , and raise it up so high , to make the scripture uncertain and low , as not fit to be taken notice on , as to answer any doubt , or to be any rule and guide , or any example or president for any thing that i can perceive by the cour●e of thy spirit , which in the truth is fathomed and comprehended , though it is as uncertain as the way of a serpent upon a rock ; yet they that have the spirit of god see beyond all , and have unity with the words and mind of the spirit of god , notwithstanding the many corruptions and defects in translations , and the many foul hands it hath passed through . fourthly , the spirit of christ is the gift of god , which he giveth unto all that wait for his appearance , and his sheep have it & they that are christ's have it ; for they that have not the spirit of christ are none of his ; & it is that which is every way sufficient ( & no way insufficient ) & it is every way sufficient to lead into all truth , according unto christ's promise , and to convince the vvorld of sin , of righteousness and of judgment ; again , it is that which christ promised for a director , which was with them when they healed the sick , and cast out devils , and which was in them , to consolate them and comfort them in the midst of affliction , as it did peter and john , and made them bold , who were yet illiterate men , and had not that sufficiency which many look upon now they have , to wit , natural tongues and languages , yet it was sufficient in them , to give them wisdom to declare the things of the kingdom of god , to the salvation of many that did believe through their words ; it was sufficient to comfort paul and silas , when they were shut in the inner room , and their feet fast in the stocks , when there was no outward cause of joy , but rather of sorrow , yet they were made to sing and rejoyce ▪ because of the great comfort and joy that the spirit of god filled their hearts with ; again , it was sufficient in the midst of great conflicts and tribulations which paul and the rest suffered for the gospel's sake and for christ's sake ; and yet as suffering did abound , it was sufficient to make consolation to super-abound , to ballance the suffering , and to make it easie . fifthly , it is that everlasting covenant which the lord promised by the mouth of his prophets in ●ormer dayes , that he would fulfil in the latter dayes or after times , that he would write his law in their hearts , and put his spirit in their inward parts . and that they should not teach every man his neighbour : saying , know the lord ; for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest ; and again in another place , i will pour upon them the spirit of prayer and supplication , and they shall see him whom they have pierced ; and again , i will pour out my spirit upon all flesh , and my sons and my daughters shall prophecy , &c. and this was fulfilled at pentecost in jerusalem , when the disciples met together , and the promise of the father came to be fulfilled and the unbelievers said , they were filled with new vvine ; and the lord hath a care of his people through ages , and hath not left them comfortless , not without a guide , and a certain and sure one too , which spirit is manifest among some non-conformists , whom thou takest liberty to call sects ; and the sufficiency of it is witnessed ( praised be the lord in our assemblies , both as to convince , to convert , to save , to judge , to guide , to instruct , to comfort , and is that alone in which all true christian men can worship god , in the silence of all flesh & fleshly motions & thoughts ; it 's that that giveth assurance also of acceptation with god , and is that which makes the prayers of the saints as sweet incense in the nostrils of the lord ; it is that which makes the words of him like butter , as pleasant as hony or sweet oyl , who speaks by it , through it and from it , whereby the hearts of many have been pricked , and the thoughts of many have been revealed , and many have been comforted with joy unspeakable , and filled with pure love from the sensible feeling of the sufficiency of its power , operating in the inward man , even as when the harvest had been gathered in , and the press been full of grapes , and the fat 's had overflown with abundance , so that they could have rejoyced , and sung , and danced for joy , as sometimes david did , when the ark of god was brought from the house of obed-edom , and placed in jerusalem , when david danced for joy , and all israel was filled with gladness ; what might i say for the certainty , sufficiency and all-sufficiency of this holy spirit of god ; i might fill my mouth with arguments , and time might fail me in speech , to speak of the excellency , certainty and infallibility thereof , against all opposers and quarellers : in a word , it is that alone means through which god conveys eternal life to all man-kind , and it is that rule by which all the sons of god were led , rom. . . it is that only sure guide ▪ judge way , rule , in which there is certainty and assurance of the love of god to man-kind ; it is that by which the deeds of the flesh are mortified , and men quickened and enlivened unto god in their hearts , in which the saints are accepted , by which they are regenerated , and through which they become heirs of the promise ; what shall i say , but this , let all flesh be confounded before it , and all deceit stop its mouth , and all the sons of men bow before it , all councils and churches , all rulers and elders , all reason and comprehension , all words and writings of men , and holy men , yea , of the scriptures of truth , it gave them all a being , it was , and is , and is to come , and will remain when all visible things are past away ; it is that by which god will plead with all flesh , and bring a consumption upon all the honourable of the earth , and burn up the mountains , and make the hills to melt , and make all a plain before him ; therefore make room , make room , make way ye potsherds , and cease all your contending and babling , and bow to it , and learn of it in your hearts ( which r. e. like an ignorant man calls a private spirit ) that your souls may be saved in the day of the lord , and you may escape his wrath , which is to come against all resisters of it . sixthly , your catholick church , falsely so called , who hath erred from the spirit , the infallible guide , ( though you much boast of it ) both in doctrine and practise abundantly ; insomuch that your faces seem altogether to look another way , and your course to arrive at another haven , then the apostles and all the primitive christians attained unto ; to wit , everlasting happiness and rest of their souls , and acceptation with god in their performances and sacrifices , which they offered unto him in the spirit , of which they and all that believe in it , and have received it , received perfect assurance in their hearts , by the immediate spirit of god ; and likewise the protestants in general , whether lutherans or calvinists , or other sects known by denomination , are of so narrow and a pinching spirit , as that you would pinch and shut up the universal love of god unto all mankind , in a narrow corner ; and monopolize the free grace of god that hath appeared unto all men , that teaches all men that receive it , to deny all heresie , falshood , opinions and humours , private spirits , and spirits of error , which leadeth from all these , and is sufficient to lead out of all ungodliness and worldly lusts , and to do that which is acceptable in the sight of god , and this all sects ( since the woman cloathed with the sun fled into the wilderness , viz. the true church ) and all parties have laid claim to , and excluded all other that were not of the opinion , as from having any share in it , as though it were given only to such a company of men that succeeded the apostles , and by arts and parts , and natural language in the course and term or years , and at such & such places , as the apostles were sometime conversant at ; and other sects besides you , who have kept more nearer in conformity , in doctrine and worship , and unto the apostles , then you have done , they have laid claim to the spirit of god , and to the free grace of god , only extending it self to them under such a qualification , as though the spirit of god , and free and saving grace of god , had come by generation , or by succession , or because of such and such a qualification or conformity in outward practice , as i said , as though the free grace of god , and the infallible spirit of god had been given to you , and had been bequeathed and intailed to you , or any of you , under such and such a de●●mination , and because inhabiting at such a place ; and thus you would limit the holy one of israel , and to stop the wind to blow where it lifteth , and circumscribe the infallible means which god hath given unto all mankind for a direction and a guide , a rule , and a iudge , and pinch it up into a narrow corner , and yet shut up all under condemnation , who do not believe , and yet exclude all but your selves , from the sufficient means and guide , and way ; whereby they may believe ; away , away , with this narrow , partial , pinching spirit ; for god will not be limited , neither can be , either to men , time , or place ; but as they keep in covenant with him , and keep their first love and integrity , in the certain truth revealed in the first publication of the gospel ; which the roman church above all others hath wonderfully apostatized from , especially in this one thing , which she can never clear her self of , to wit , persecution , in taking away the lives of many , under the name of hereticks , and suppose any had been so , as doubtless there are such ; ye● we never read , that it was christ or the apostles way to kill them and destroy them , but on the contrary , denyed them , and warned others so 〈◊〉 ●hem , and to have no fellowship with them , and so left them to the world , neither that they exhorted or stirred up , either kings of princes to take away the lives of any , who did believe or not believe what they declared 〈◊〉 be truth ; but on the contrary , when the disciples in the dayes of their 〈◊〉 would have commanded fire to have come down from heaven ( as did elias ) christ rebuked them , & told them , they knew not what spirit they were of , and again , love you enemies , and do good to them that hate you : how your catholick church hath kept this precept i leave all nations to judge , where your power hath been known ; suppose real schismaticks and hereticks , as some such there have been in the world , how you have done good to them , and how you have loved them is manifest , except you judge that shutting them up in prisons , racking , torturing , and cruel torments , and at last of all death , was in love to them , and in doing good to them , which methinks any reasonable man should blush and be ashamed to think or say . but an old plea comes to my mind , which some of the members of the church of rome have alledged to me in the dayes of my youth , when i was conversant with them , and among them , in a friendly , neighbourly , and sober discourse , of things of this nature before mentioned ; it was said unto me , the roman catholick church is that church whereby christianity hath been conveyed to all nations , and the great oracles thereof delivered unto us , and the scriptures also came from us , by which you know the mysteries of the kingdom of god , and the knowledge thereof came unto all , and all her children ought to be subject unto her , as the true mother that brought them all forth ; and if any went astray either into heresie , or schism , which might not only hurt themselves , but also others , ought not the mother in natural love to her children to correct them ? and ought not they to bear her correction , and submit unto it ? and hath not she power to correct her children when they go astray ? unto which is answered , christianity , that which is truly such , and them whom god will own to be christians were dispersed through the nations by the power of god ; and we say , that the church of rome hath begotten christendom into that mould and frame into which they are now cast , more by force and awe then any sound doctrine ; and as for the scriptures coming from her , that we deny ; we know they came from the apostles , and from the primitive christians , according to the will of god , and have been preserved to this day , though through many polluted hands they have come ; and we know how much your rage was kindled that ever it should be translated into the english tongue , and many felt the effect of it to the loss of their lives , as i hope many in england do well consider : but suppose a true mother hath many children , and suppose some do swarve and go astray from her precepts , and under pretence of correcting of them , she shut them up in goals , and nasty holes , and afflict them with sundry kind of torments , and at last of all kill them and destroy them , what judgment will be given by reasonable men of such a mother , but this , that she is become unnatural and cruel , and hard hearted , and degenerated from the nature of a loving and tender mother , and deserves not to have or ever to have had any children ; and such a kind of mother hath you church been , to all that have dissented from her ; that i may say of her , as the prophet jeremiah said , especially in these l●tter ages ) the sea monsters and dragons of the wilderness draw out their breasts to feed their young ones , but the daughter of my people is become cruel . seventhly and lastly , we know that god will that all men should be saved , and come to the knowledge of truth , and hath given that , and doth give that unto every man that is come into the world , whereby every man that doth receive it is capable of fulfilling the will of god , and this gift comes not by the will of man , nor is received in the will of man , but in its own will , even in the will of the giver , and this free gift of god 〈◊〉 the free and saving grace of god , which hath appeared unto all men , to wit , every man that is come into the world , which teaches all the saints , & would teach all infidels to deny ungodliness , and worldly lusts , and to live godly and righteously , and soberly in this present evil world. howbeit all are not so taught , because they heed it not , and because they receive it not , and so they make the free gift of god of no effect , ( as to life to them ) but it is their condemnation ; yet however herein appears the equal ▪ 〈◊〉 and universal love of god , who is no respecter of persons ▪ but 〈◊〉 distributed a measure of this unto all , to the intent that they might 〈◊〉 power ●o fulfil his will , and keep his statutes , and so the 〈◊〉 is not in god but in them , who slight and despise his gift , and so cond●mnation 〈◊〉 of every one that doth not believe , and is of himself , and this reprehends that ●alse ▪ erronious , narrow , pinching spirit , which would 〈◊〉 it up in a corner , and tye it to one sort of men or sect , or opinion , and the m●sters thereof would assume it to themselves , as though the spirit of god and grace of god were only among them , and must be conveyed from them to other people before they have it , and the direction and guide of every man must be sought from their mouths , as though god had not given a measure of his spirit unto every man to profit withal ; and to be led and taught and guided by it into all truth , out of error , according to christ's promise , and according to the lord's promise in the dayes of old ; that though his people might eat the bread of adversity , & drink the water of affliction ▪ yet their teacher should not be removed into a corner ; and from this quickning , enlightening ▪ enlive●ing spirit of god , the saints of god , and ministers of christ in the primitive times received power and authority to propagate righteousness , and to judge deceit , and the mystery of iniquity , where-ever it appeared , and in this their ability stood ; for they were made able and fit ministers by it , not of the letter , nor of mens traditions , nor of foolish fopperies , which have been introduced since , and shuffled in among christians under the name of power and authority of the holy church , and the church of god that had received this spirit walked in it , and brought forth the fruits fit , whereby they were a good savour in the nostrils of the lord , and by which they adorned the gospel of our lord jes●● christ by a holy conversation , which did manifest them to be of god , and convince and stop the mouths of gain-sayers : and thus we are bold to tell thee and all , that the spirit of god , which is given a measure of it to every man , and more fulness of it to them that believe , that it is the rule , and the way and means , whereby all the actions , words , and works of all men are weighed , tryed , measured , and judged , and objections answered , and is the alone judge of all matters , and answerer of all doubts and giveth only true and perfect satisfaction ; and therefore r. e. may blush and be ashamed to ever publish such a thing abroad in the world , as to say , that the spirit of god is not a sufficient director , teacher and judge , but calls it , a private spirit , opinion , humour and fancy ; to make the eyes of them blind who wait for its appearance , only to trust to men who plead antiquity and power , without verity : and further he goes on and sayes in the th page of his said epistle , there is neither jew , turk , pagan , or christian but he may put on confidence enough , affirming that he is taught by the spirit of god , 〈…〉 this , and yet teach contradictions ; and further saith , that it hath no effect among them who pretend to it , and that they can no more satisfie another that they are guided by the spirit of truth then many who are cast into bedl●m . answ. 't is true , many are confident and impudent enough ▪ but confidence without ground , and impudent proves but little ; and he th●t ●●ith , he is a jew and is not , but of the synagogue of satan , will soon be found out by his doctrine and fruits , and he that saith , he is a christian , and led by the spirit , and keeps not the commands of christ , neither brings forth the fruits of the spirit , is soon discovered to be a deceiver , and deceived ▪ and such are like to teach contradictions , but all such are denyed , shut out with the spirit of truth , but them that have the spirit of god ▪ witness a blessed effect among them , for they are turned from satan's power unto god , and do witness remission of sin and reconciliation with god , and are not at difference , but at unity one with another , and are brought out of the obstinate and perverse estate which all pretenders are in , and as for contradictions they are more to be seen in the church of rome then many wheres else ; they who are but pleased and have leisure to view over the decrees and constitutions of several popes and councils , since he was elevated to be universal bishop over all christian churches , by that h●athen 〈…〉 emperour phocas , who slew his master ma●ritius to obtain 〈…〉 did gratifie the pope so far that he might be cryed up as emperour , as th●● he should be universal bishop , and this proved a better ple● for the pope ( because the emperour had power to defend him ▪ and to compel all to receive his decrees ) then that he was peter's succes●o● ▪ i say who will but look into the constitutions and decrees , shall find such setting of and throwing down , and such decreeing , and such disannulling , as twenty 〈◊〉 champions as robert everard will never be able to free his catholick church from contradictions , although he is very forward to charge othe●● though he is but a new convert ; but let him not boast till he ha●h put off his armour , and it is th●t mad bedlem spirit of thine that saith , that among all the nonconformists there is no one that can satisfie another , that he hath the spirit of god ; i tell thee yes , there are thousands satisfied in one another that they have the spirit of god , besides he that hath it can speak to the witness of god in another which shall testifie the same , and moreover their works and fruits shall and do manifest unto others , that they are born of the spirit , because the fruits of it are seen , as they are manifest to be born of god , and do the works of god ; and thou must first know the spirit of god in thy self ( if ever thou look for it there , and not hang altogether upon others belief as thou d●st upon thy catholick church ) before thou canst know it in another , and first be convinced by it , and judged by it , for thy ill deeds and ill thoughts and hypocrisie and time● serving ▪ and flattery , and men-pleasing , before thou canst be convinced of others righteousness , and also be convinced of the unbelief of thy own heart before thou canst believe others ; but thou hast been so busie abroad in quarrelling and contending about words , names , and empty shews without substance and life , that thy mind is all over grown with thorns and b●iers , scrawling and scratching , and entangling thy self and others ; so that , that which should savour the things of god is over-grown in these , and is buried , and to them that are like heaths in a desert , know not when good comes , neither do know what they enjoy that dwell in the fat valleis , and the pharisees had such unbelieving hearts , though christ was the express image of god , and did the works that never man did , yet being without faith and without reason , they said , he was a blasphemer , and all his works were done by bellzebub , and would never be convinced that any thing he did was of god , and that spirit is near thee which would represent the fruits of the spirit to be delusion , and them that bring them forth like them in bedlam ; and what though turks , jews , pagans , mahomet , and the false christians do pretend to the spirit and guidance by it , and yet bring forth the fruits of the flesh , doth this make the spirit of god void , or the certainty of it to them that believe , or do make their fruits of none effect ? god forbid : thy ignorance is manifest : but here thou ceasest not , thy tongue being thy own , and thou being at liberty , and speakest thy own words , which in the end shall become thy burden . thou vapours and vants over them , to wit , all the nonconformists , and saist , what can you say for your selves any of you , which these enthusiasts who have gone before you to maintain their errours , but the rule and judge , and then thou concludes , that which god hath appointed to be rule and judge to all the world , and capable of being known and heard by all , and cannot contradict it self , nor must be contradicted by any , under pain of damnation ; if you cannot shew it to have been your rule , you ought to lay aside your folly , as destructive to human society , and them that have pretended the spirit , the strongest party , and sword , upon the vote will prove it self the most convincing spirit , and force the weaker spirits to submit or cry , for thou concludes , the nonconformists have no other testimony to try your contradicting spirits in matters of greatest moment , but force and success , if you have i pray you inform me what it is . answ. if the wind had not turned into another door , divers non-conformists believe we should have had another song from thee , if time had but favoured thee so far as to have granted thee priviledge of thy troop to be captain , which name thou holds up yet in the pride of thy heart , though thou hast lost thy force , success , and pay , which was the greatest plea when time was with thee , and not long since too , which makest thee measure every man's foot by thy last , and thou might receive information before thou hadst made a conclusion , had been the part of a wise man , before thou hadst set thy self as judge over all thy former fellowships ▪ which thou fianedly pretends so great love to ; and before thou hadst discovered their nakedness ( if it be nakedness ) to all the world in such a publick insulting bravado as this , like goliah of gath , and as for whatsome non-conformists both of the church of rome , and to the church of england , to which thou creeping and sneakingly flatters , and saist , it 's established , and therefore thou will not meddle , thou might have said , dare not , for thy spirit is well enough seen by them , only to have the spirit of a slave , and not a free member of the true church of god. and it 's no part of a vertue , nor honour , for thee to insult and glory over them , who are in suffering and adversity , whenas thou darest not meddle with them , who are as contrary to thee as the former , this is but the spirit of a coward , and is ignoble and base , and ever so to be accounted by all the children of light , who dare put all to venture which they do enjoy on this side of immortality , and to suffer the loss of all visible things for their testimony , and the truth which they believe , and for bearing witness against that , which is contrary unto their faith , as did the valiant primitive christians of old , and that which some non-conformists can say ▪ is more then thou canst believe , although demonstrated in the evidence of the spirit of god , with sound reason , and evident example from the scriptures of truth , and though thou and thy former fellowships then , and thy new fellowships now , have made this vapour , which for ought i know might lay your hands upon your mouths , all considering what contradictory doctrines and fruits have been brought forth since the night of apostacy entred in , and all the world wondered after the beast ; some have this to say , he that pretends to the spirit , and the thing cometh not to pass that they speak or prophesie , let him be accounted a false prophet ; again , they that pretend guidance of the spirit , as some formerly have done , and yet bring forth the fruits of the flesh , as variance , hatred , emulation , strife , contention , heresie , false doctrine , persecution , force and violence , let them be counted ( as truly they are ) deceivers and del●ders , which have gone out into the world , and deceived a great part of mankind , of which rome hath not had the least share , clear it when thou canst ; morever , he that pretends to have the spirit of god , and layes down another foundation to build upon , in matter of faith , in matter of rule , in matter of judgment , in matter of doctrine , then that which the lord of life and glory hath laid down , he is a deceiver , and an anti-christ ; but r. e. hath laid down another rule , another way , another judge , another foundation for faith , and let himself make the conclusion , if he once dare joyn to true judgment , other foundation can none lay then that which is ●lready laid , to wi● , christ jesus , the foundation of the prophets and apostles , and of the church of god , by which they were all builded up as a holy habitation for god to dwell in through the spirit : again the apostle saith , all judgment is committed to the son both in heaven and earth ; and again he saith himself , i am the way , the truth , and the life , and none can come to the father but by me ; and again , the spirit of truth shall lead and direct h●● disciples into all truth ; and sealeth unto them their justification , redemption and salvation : and this r. e. would lay all waste and void ; and why ? because many have pretended to it , and have fallen short ; therefore all the aforesaid things must be laid aside as uncertain , and not to be trusted unto ; and a certain sort of men , called the apostles successors , who have sought their gain and worldly interest , and to enlarge their dominions , and to make themselves lords over mens faith , and over mens consciences , whatsoever they say , though never so contradictory to the primitive doctrine , delivered in christ and the apostles dayes , yet all must be received upon pain of damnation , as r. e. saith ; and this he calls the visible church , and the infallible judge , and rule and director , and hath laid waste the office of christ , and turned the spirit out of doors , and made it ineffectual , and would perswade all others to look to this from the foundation , and so is a deceiver and an anti-christ . again , we have this to say , he that teacheth a contrary doctrine then that which was once delivered unto the saints is a deceiver and deceived ( and this was christ's doctrine once delivered unto the saints ) swear not at all , and love your enemies , pray for them that persecute you , do good to them that hate you ; and many more precepts which this visible guide , to wit , the roman church holds not , but hath made void ; first , it teacheth its members to swear , and again gives absolutions to remit them of their oath if she think fit , and both must be reckoned infallible , and them that are your enemies instead of praying for them , you curse them ; and instead of doing good to them , you hate them , and stir up all your strength against them to destroy them , instead of convincing of them in love and sound judgment ; instance the dayes of king john , and divers other princes , which felt your fury and wrath ; and also frederick the emperour after he was interdicted , was made to go to rome before the popes palace , and to stand bare foot and bare leg , with his wife and children two or three dayes in winter , waiting for peter's successor his absolution : but it may be thou wilt say , this was in love to them , and in charity to their souls ; but let all unbyassed spirits judge : and whether have not you , when you have been the strongest party , made force , violence and success your greatest engin and plea , to plead with all nations , & whatsoever people that dissented from you either in matter or form ; instance germany , bohemia , moravia , and divers other kingdoms and provinces ; besides the indians in america , which you destroyed , chiefly for their gold and treasure under this pretence , that they were infidels , and forced a faith upon some , and a belief by the violence of your cruelty and swords , which made the noble man of india say , he had rather go to hell with the infidels of america , as you call them , then to heaven with the spainards , so cruel a people , members of your catholick church . what might i speak of the king of castile against the poor moors of grandia , who were put to cruel torments by force and violence ; which is a reproach upon this sort of christianity unto this day : and what persecution was raised against the pyedmount christians , by the force of this infallible judge , falsly so called ; and what massacres in france , and also in ireland in latter years , propagated by the popes nuncio , a chief embassadour from the roman sea , to carry on that design to root out the hereticks , what destruction of people , in a most barbarous , inhuman , preposterous and prodigious cruelty , some killed in their beds ▪ some knocked in the head like oxen , some stripped naked in cold winter , and bereaved of all their enjoyments , and driven as sheep naked to the shambles ; and at last driven by scores into lakes and rivers , and drowned , some burned alive in their houses , some tender woman strangled in childbed , and their tender infants taken from their mothers breasts and tossed upon spears points ; and to my knowledge license and pardons given and sent from rome to divers of their emissaries there , that it should be lawful for any servant or catholick bondman to steal , waste and purloyn their masters goods , if hereticks ▪ for the weakening and disenabling of them to resist the roman enterprise begun ; these things and many more are legible in bloody characters , which i hope this generation will not easily blot out of their memories , so as to commit all faith , all hope , all religion , and all infallibility and judgment , to such a degenerated generation , as r. e. would have us do , and with such audaciousness is not ashamed to blow his trumpets as in the head of an host to animate and encourage all to come to this black standard for protection and direction , judgment , certainty , and infallibility , under no less then pain of damnation ; and why , but because peter was sometime bishop of rome as they say , and had given unto him the keyes of the kingdom of heaven , and whatsoever he bound on earth was bound in heaven , and whatsoever he loosed in earth was loosed in heaven ▪ and because christ said , ( giving an answer to peters's faith ) upon this rock i will build my church ; therefore all the bishops and popes as heirs apparent succeed him , in laying claim to headship , and do none of his office , nor none of his work , and this foolish foppery and private interpretation hath been put off at a very great rate , for catholick doctrine , which brings to my mind a pleasant story , i have some time read of a certain poor man meeting a certain bishop at a certain time , in great pomp and glory , which the poor man beholding , took up a laughter , and being enquired of by the bishop wherefore be laughed ; said he , that peter should be such a fool as to live such a poor miserable life as he did , and persecuted in the world , and to leave his successors so rich , to inherit such pomp and glory : with that the bishop replyed and said , thou fool , i am not in this glory as i am bishop of such a place , but as i am duke of such a place : at that the man smiled again , and said , when the duke was in hell for his pride , where then would the bishop be . but to let this pass , i am sure them that lay claim to be peters successors as to patrimony and riches ( which he was never endowed with , for sometime he said , silver or gold have i none ) but do little of his work in converting of souls , or feeding of the flock of christ , and do lay claim unto his priviledge and power , but will not come near him in doctrine , labour and suffering for his members ; and therefore i say to thee in thy own words , lay aside thy folly , with the consequences of it , as destructive to the church of god , to hang all their faith upon such uncertainties , but even to human societies , which i have mentioned , and might instance more , but that i would not be too tedious to the reader . lastly , yes , some have some other testimony , by which spirits are tryed , and may be tryed to be of god , otherwise then by force , carnal sword , a strong party or success , that 's thy own and not ours ; we have the holy unction which is poured forth , whereby the saints knew all things , and tryed the spirits , whether they were of god or no , and he that confesseth not that christ is come in the flesh is anti-christ ; and he that confesseth that christ is come in the flesh , only in word , and because others have said so , and doth not witness sin condemned in the flesh , and turned from , and to have power over it , the same is a false witness , and is an anti christ also ; and also we have other things to try spirits by , we know a proud , angry , hasty , perverse spirit is not the spirit of god , a persecuting lording spirit is not the spirit of god ; and again , they that teach a contrary doctrine to the doctrine of christ and his apostles , they have the spirit of error ; again ▪ they whose practice and conversation is not suitable to the practice and conversations of christ and the apostles and primitive christians , that they are in the spirit of error ; again , they that would force a faith by any human constitution or law , which is repugnant to the law of god , or by force of the sword , or any carnal weapons , they have the spirit of error ; for the weapons of the lamb and his followers are not carnal weapons , but spiritual , and yet mighty through god to the beating down of the strong holds of wickedness , and to prevail over the powers of darkness ; again , the testimony of god in every man's conscience , which is an unerring testimony , this savours the things of god , and by this things that be not of god are discerned , and this will put a perfect difference between the spirit of truth and the spirit of error ; but what can be said to a man in unbelief , that hath closed his eyes ? the next thing which r. e. saith he considered , was , that the natural reason of every man could not possibly be the rule and judge that i sought for ; for ( saith he ) if reason were to be rule and judge , then it would follow , contrary to scripture , that it 's not impossible to please god without faith , and it would likewise follow , that every religion would be truth , consequently , contradictions would be true ; consequently , there would be many religions , and no faith at all , for reason excludes faith , as in the th page of his book . thy tongue is thy own , and thou art at liberty , and goest whether thou wilt , and speakest what seems good in thy own eyes , and hast never yet known another to gird thee , and lead thee whither thou would'st not ; i stand not to vindicate every man's judgment , neither to prove other mens conceptions ; but seeing thou hast taken in hand to lay all mountains waste before thee that stand in thy wayes , thou hast raised up some in thy discourse for others to stumble at , and hast spoken many false things , without distinguishing and putting a difference between light and darkness , between natural reason and spiritual reason , i could not chuse but say somewhat . although it is no part of my belief , that the natural reason of any man or every man is able to be rule , judge and guide to any man in the things of god , yet faith is not in opposition unto pure reason , neither is pure and spiritual reason in opposition to true faith , but in harmony with it , and one with another , as they are the gifts of god ; but the natural reason of all the fallen sons of adam is corrupted , and is too short , and too narrow , too cross and too perverse to be rule and judge in the things of god ; for the natural man by all his endowments in the transgression perceives not the things of god , for they are spiritually discerned ; and the things of god that are spiritual and eternal , are above the reach of natural reason ; and yet thy consequence is false , for faith doth not exclude pure reason , and faith doth not make blind the understanding , but enlightens it ; and though it is impossible to please god without faith , yet it is impossible that that faith should be without reason ; the apostle desired to be delivered from unreasonable men , that had not faith ; so it is manifest , they that have faith have reason , and they that have no faith are unreasonable ; and where thou hast borrowed this rule i know not , that a man must believe that he doth not understand , seeing the apostle saith to the romans , even of the gentiles , who had not the law nor the scripture , that that which may be known of god was manifest in them : for by that it is manifest they understood the mind of god , and knew him ; for paul saith further , when they knew god , they glorified him not as god , but were unthankful , &c. and again , he that believes must know that god is , for none can believe in that which is not ; for to perswade any to believe in uncertainties , which are not manifest in the understanding , doth rather beget unbelief and doubting , then true faith ; but thy paths are so full of darkness i shall not traduce them , and thy consequences are false ; for pure reason teacheth not contradictions , neither doth teach that there is no faith at all , neither is faith excluded by pure reason , as thou ignorantly say'st in the th page ; and is it not reason that i should believe in him , whom i know is the creator and governour of all the world ; and pure religion is so far from excluding faith , that they that have true faith have reason , and stand not in opposition to faith ; but this i conclude , that the reason of fallen men is corrupted , and is an uncertain thing to rely upon , and so not a competent judge in matters of so high concernment , as touching everlasting salvation . the third thing which thou treatest upon , is against them who have pleaded , that the sole scriptures are sufficient of themselves to teach true faith from time to time , to direct , rule and govern us , and to be rule and judge , and to supply the place of christ and the apostles . as i said , it is not my intention to vindicate other mens quarrels , which is no part of my faith ; notwithstanding i should be sorry but that every thing had its true weight and measure , and shall not in the least detract from the price , value and true worth of the words of truth , to wit , the scriptures of truth , which were spoken forth by the spirit of truth and by the holy ghost , as it gave utterance ; but as men erring in their judgments , run sometimes to the right hand , and sometimes to the left hand , and walk not in a straight●path ; some men are setting them up above that which they were intended for , and placing them in the stead of god , christ and the spirit ; and others are too much debasing them and dis-esteeming them , as that they would set up the judgment of variable and changeable men , who hold and teach things in contradiction to the scriptures , and repugnant to the mind of the spirit in them that spoke them forth . but first of all , i say not against thee in this thing , that the sole or whole scriptures are not sufficient of themselves to teach true faith , and give the knowledge of god without the spirit ; for many have got the words , and yet have not received the spirit , nor the power which the scriptures declare of , such wrangle and contend with the words , and oppose the life and the power ; the jews had the scriptures , and knew by them where christ should be born , and knew by them what his works should be when he was manifest , and yet rejected him , unto whom all the prophets bore witness , from moses to samuel , and from him to john ; and they were never intended by god , as to be set up as judge & guide , to wit , the words without the power and spirit of god ; yet notwithstanding , though i cannot set them up in the place of god , christ and the holy spirit , nor contend ignorantly , as some have done , that they are the author of true faith , and that they are the eternal word of god , which the world was made by , that they are the light and the vvay , the truth and the life , and that they are the decider of all controversies , and sole , and absolute , and only judge of all matters of faith , and of all matters that ●ver have been , or ever shall be in controversie to the end of the vvorld , without the spirit of god ; neither am i of that ignorant mind , as some are , that the letter and the spirit are inseparable , as that whosoever hath the scripture , must needs have the spirit , or whosoever hath the scripture , must needs be infallible without the spirit ; all that are of the aforesaid judgment are but vvranglers for the most part about vvords , and contenders against the power of god and godliness , and bring the vvords to oppose the life , and them that have the spirit , and walk in it ; for a natural man may read the scriptures , and yet not perceive the things of god , neither perceive the mind of the spirit , but wrest to their own destruction , as peter saith , because they are unlearned and untaught ( by the spirit 's teaching ) though otherwise learned enough in languages , tongues and speeches . secondly , yet i cannot detract from them , neither undervalue them , or dis-esteem them as uncertain , or of no use , or of little use ; but whatever themselves declare themselves to be , that i own them to be , to wit , the words of god , the words of christ , the words of the holy prophets , and patriarchs , and apostles , who were endued with the holy ghost , and spake forth the scripture as they were moved thereby , in several ages , of several things , and unto several states and conditions , as they were led thereto by the holy spirit ; and they are a certain declaration of things that were done , and believed , and practised by the jews under the first covenant , and by the apostles and primitive christians in the new covenant , and contain many precious and holy precepts and commands , doctrines , examples , exhortations , admonitions , reproofs and instructions , and are as lively examples and holy patterns for all the saints in light to follow , by which we are given to understand what faith , what hope , what patience , what love , what mercy , what long-sufferings , what consolation , what virtue and what inheritance the saints in light were made partakers of , through faith in christ jesus ; likewise , what doctrines were held forth , and what practice they used in the primitive times , when they walked in the order of the gospel , and had fellowship with god the father and the son , and one with another in the light of the gospel , which is the power of god , through which they witnessed salvation & remission of sins , and published it unto others that they might believe . thirdly , the scriptures testifie of christ , and were written , that they might be believed , and received , and read , that thereby every one that believed might be made wise to salvation , through faith in christ jesus , tim. . and instructed in righteousness , that the man of god may be perfect , throughly furnished with all good works ; and whosoever doth teach any doctrines contrary unto the holy men of god , who spake as they were moved by the spirit of god , which dwelt in them ; the scriptures are witnesses against such , that they have not the spirit of god , but are led by another spirit , which brings forth contrary doctrine , and another faith then was once delivered among the saints ; and whosoever brings in , sets up other precepts , constitutions , orders and practices in point of worship , in opposition and contrary unto those practices which were held forth in the primitive times , and would set up other traditions then the apostles delivered either by word or vvriting , such are manifest to have the spirit of error , and are innovators and bringers in of other things , as necessary in point of vvorship among christians , which the apostles and ministers of christ did not see necessary then , and yet they wanted no part of the counsel of god ; for paul said , he had declared the whole counsel of god ; and furthermore they said , we have the mind of christ , and christ's mind is not variable . fourthly , though divers of the vvritings of the prophets and apostles be lost , doubtless , as is evident by divers places of scripture , yet blessed be god that there are those preserved which do bear vvitness of the one thing absolutely necessary unto salvation , & of the ministrations that were appointed of the lord for the church of god to observe , both in the first and second covenants ; so that christians of this last age are not lest without example and president , which all ought to have an eye unto , and a diligent regard ; and though there be divers copies of that which is called the original tongue , and divers translations , yet he unto whom the spirit of god is given , and waiteth in the measure of christ's light , shall receive it , doth ●ee and shall see the mind and vvill of god in every age , and the mind and intent of the spirit in them that spoke forth the scripture , and can receive the matter therein contained , as though they had heard them speak that spoke it at the first ; and though the translators were men , yet i have such an honourable esteem of their labour , that i believe they have not varied wittingly and willingly from the best copies that were extant in their age , neither that they were altogether void of the spirit of god in such a good vvork , which conduced to the benefit of mankind , but were assisted by it for so good vvork ; and there be many figures and tropas , improprieties of speech , mysteries and di●●iculties , yet all these come to be made easie and plain to them that are witnesses of the same spirit that gave them forth ; and though there be diversity of judgments & professions of religion , one clashing against another , thwarting and contradicting another , & all will seem to bring the scripture for their proof , which yet cannot maintain and prove every thing good , especially when their doctrines contradict one another ; this is granted , it is only their private interpretation , and not the scripture ; and for w●nt 〈◊〉 ●h●t spirit that gave it forth , for that alone gives the true understanding of i● ; and they that are without this are like to kill one another about words , and names , sounds , tittles , and jottas , but still want the key that opens , and gives an entrance into the knowledge of the things of god , which alone is the spirit of god , that gave forth the scriptures . last of all , r. e. after he saith , the three former props , which are the basis of the whole foundation , and glided over as slightly as he possible could , although he hath never stated the matter right , indeed as to remove all things out of his way , which might hinder him in his cause which he drives so hard on in , to wit , to set up a certain company or multitude of men visible and universal ( as he saith ) to be the only infallible judge to convey faith to the world , and to be the certain and infallible judge in all matters , that either pertain to the worship of god , and to be believed under pain of damnation , as his term is all along , without questioning at all either their doctrine or principles , or comparing them with the doctrine of christ or primitive christians , whether they be true or false , whether they be with or against ; but all is to be received by an implicite faith , hand over head , and by whole sale , for it will admit of no examination or doubt , but all must be received of necessity as infallible , and upon so great a necessity too , as r. e. saith , if you will believe him , would make it so , that all forfeit eternal salvation for not receiving all the doctrines of this church , and consequently , procure eternal damnation unto themselves who refuse it ; so that if i should say no more , but even lay down his assertions , which are scattered up and down his book , called , an epistle to all non-conformists , it were answer enough , i hope , to many , whose mouths , i hope , would be filled with arguments , and sound and grounded ones too , or at least with faith in their hearts , to oppugn and not receive all these bold assertions without examination or tryal , only upon the account of infallibility from the universal church of rome , falsly so called ; but r. e. having removed away all the stumbling blocks which are in his way , as he judges ; the private spirit he hath concluded not to be this rule and judge , which i judge he hath no opposers in , though he hath spent much paper and time in his scribling humor , which hath been his manner in former dayes ; as he confesseth in the first page ; neither reason nor the scriptures are this rule and judge , but he hath concluded the catholick church is ; but all along he hath waved that which indeed is the only and alone rule and judge infallible , viz. the spirit of god , but either calls it the private spirit , or concludes it is intail'd upon the church , so that she cannot err , page . which i shall say something further unto . that there hath been a church of god , and a peculiar people whom god hath singled out , as to be objects of his love , which feared him in their hearts , and bore a testimony of him , and worshipped him according to the manifestation of his spirit unto them , whether by word or revelation , which was certain and infallible unto them that received it , is granted , and this was alwayes but little in comparison of the multitude of the fallen sons of adam , and the rest of the nations , and people that served and worshipped strange gods , and never made such a boast of universality and visibility , as this supposed catholick church hath done , sinc● the apostacy entered in , which the apostles fore-saw and prophesied of before their departure out of this tabernacle , and since many have believed in christ , and the worship of the jews extinguished , and a fatal overthrow of their civil government and kingdom , are two main reasons of extinguishing their worship , and hath been no invitation to any to turn jews , or hold in their worship , seeing they have lost their government and dominion , and are as scattered people without priviledge , and is no inducement for the world to joyn to them ; therefore seeing the face of that government was demolished , and their worship ended , but only as to themselves , who remained in their unbelief ; and seeing that the doctrine of christ did so far prevail , as to extinguish it , and put out the glory thereof in the apostles dayes , and sometime afterwards , and also the gentiles worship , and their false gods and dumb idols which they were led after , the power of god prevailing through the apostles , the ministers of righteousness , by whom many were converted unto the faith of christ , the sum and substance of all shadows , many being converted to the faith did hold forth a publick testimony , and it became in some reputation , and many preached him of envy , contention and strife , and for filthy lucre , covetousness and self-ends , and many followed their pernicious wayes , and yet held the name of christ and christianity ; and thus began the mystery of iniquity to work , and the devil to turn so far christian in name ( only ) because it was in vain among many to hold forth the jews worship or the gentiles worship , because they had an inclination another way after christianity , that came into more repute with the world ▪ and therefore suffered the name , or many to profess it , and under this name and under this cover to bring forth his work of darkness and the fruits of the flesh , and the nature of christ wanting ; and here was the beginning and rise of your universal visible church . secondly , for the first two thousand years before the scriptures were written ( r. e. saith ) the church of god was this rule and judge and infalli●le director ▪ which might to some indifferent men have been granted , but that i see which way his course bends , viz. to the setting up of men as judge , and rule , and guide , and detracts from the spirit and power of god , in which the ability and power of the church of god stood , and from which alone they received this proper power and right , because their understandings were enlightened , and their judgments informed , to declare the mind of god freely , according as it was revealed , and to give true judgment ; why is not this attributed rather to the spirit and power of god that was manifest in them , rather then to persons , seeing their ability stood , and their power only as they kept in covenant with god ; & as any erred from that in any age , or fell from that , they came to be blind guides , and to give false judgment , as some such there were in all ages . thirdly , r. e. saith , that after the scripture was written , the church of the jews was rule and judge unto the jews ; and cites deut. . . thou shalt come unto the priests , levites and unto the judge , and enquire , and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgment , and according to that which they shall tell thee thou shalt do : and likewise he quotes mat. . , . the scribes and pharisees sit in moses 's chair , whatsoever they bid you observe , that observe and do , &c. and from thence he infers , would god direct them unto , and punish with death for not obeying an authority which might deceive them , and was this authority committed to them that were capable of mistaking ? answ. it seems r. e. would narrow and pinch up the church of god among the jews in a straight compass , when he would confine it only to the priests and levites , and to the judges in those dayes , whenas all the tribes were called the church as well as levi ; again it is said , jacob is my portion , and israel is the lot of my inheritance , comprising the whole tribes and families of the jews ; but it seems these must be no part of the church with r. e. he pinches narrower now then he will do when he tells us of the vastness of the universal church ; but let that pass as by the way , and to come to the matter in hand ; the priests and levites were appointed by the express commandments of god , as to be ministers unto him , and to minister unto the people , according unto the covenant that he made in those dayes ; and the priests and the levites were endowed with the spirit from god ▪ suitable to the ministry & charge committed to them , and they were figures of christ , the everlasting high priest ; and the law and judgment which was given by the lord to moses , was delivered to the priests , and their lips were to preserve knowledge , and good reason , because they were committed unto them ; and the tables of stone and the commandments were not given to the families and the rest of the tribes , and as r. e. hath answered himself , neither could sufficient copies have been written in any reasonable time to every particular tribe , family or person ; and therefore r. e. concludes full too hastily , but that his spirit indeed is by assed all along in his discourse to aim toward the mark he would be at , to set up men above the spirit , scripture and reason ; but i enquire of r. e. whether that the priests and levites and judge did tell them any other thing , or direct them in any other way , or gave judgment after any other manner then as was written in the tables of stone , or the book of the law , which was written , wherein the mind of god was contain'd , both in point of worship , and also in point of government ; and why might not r. e. as well and reasonably have concluded , that that which was given from the mouth of the lord concerning all israel , was the direction , rule and guide , and judge , as well as the priests and levites ; and the reason that the people or the church having the recourse to their ministers appointed of god , was , because they had the statutes and ordinances of god committed unto them , which was put in the ark of the covenant , and in the tabernacle : and by the way , i would ask r. e. or any of his roman catholicks a question , seeing he saith , that this promise is granted and intailed unto the church ( without all limitation or condition ) as to be the only infallible rule , and that they cannot err ; whether that these priests and levites ever did err , yea or nay ? and when was the entail cut off from them ? seeing the scripture saith , they had violated his law , and broken his covenant ; and again , the prophets prophesied for hire , and the priests bore rule by their means , and the judges judged for rewards ; and as david and paul said concerning israel , they are all gone out of the way , and there is not one that doth good , no not one , and whether were they the rule , and true guides , and judges in this revolted state , yea or nay ? although i do not question but they retained still their places by way of office , and would claim the same power which they had before from god , as they stood in the commands of god , as r.e. and his catholicks do , and will lay claim to the office and power the apostles had , though they do err from the spirit the apostles were in ; and whether their power of being directors , guiders and true judges and infallible rule stood not upon this condition , as they did continue in the covenant of god , and kept the precepts of god in purity without violation , which when they did not ( as sometimes they did not ) whether were they subject to err , or whether did they err , ye● or nay ? viz. the priests and levites , judges and heads of the people , which r. e. reckons for the church ; and though christ did exhort his disciples to hear the scribes and pharisees , who sat in moses's chair , and to observe and do those things which they from the law before-given read , taught and instructed the people in , because as i said before , the law and the statutes were committed to the priests and levites , and they to read it , and minister unto the people by the appointment of god ; and these statutes and ordinances were the rule that the then church ought to have observed , yet christ exhorted the disciples to beware of their leaven and of their hypocrisie , and said , they said and did not , notwithstanding all the authority which r. e. saith they had ; and further saith , would god direct them unto , and punish with death for not obeying an authority which might deceive them ? or would christ command the doing of whatsoever should be done by an authority that was capable of mistaking ? all which maks nothing for r.e. but rather would run him upon a harder rock , if this should be true or granted ; for then he is bound both to believe and justifie the scribes and pharisees in whatsoever they did or said , of which methinks r. e. should be ashamed ; 't is true , they that sate in moses's chair could not err , nor be capable of mistaking , as they continued to keep unviolate the ordinances , statutes and rule , which were given unto them by the command of god ; but when they disobeyed , and set up the traditions of men , and mingled them with the ordinances of god , and neglected the weighty matters of the law , as justice and true judgment ; both they that taught , and they that were taught , came justly under reproof : and seeing r. e. reckons that the authority of the jews , scribes and pharisees could not be deceived , or capable of mistaking , only because they bear the name of such an authority and office ; i query of r. e. again , whether the scribes and pharisees were not mistaken , yea or nay ? and whether they were not deceived , yea or nay ? and wherefore christ should exhort his disciples to take heed of them , and to beware of them , and to take heed of their doctrine ? and why did christ pronounce so many woes against them , notwithstanding their sitting in moses's chair ? but in what hath been said , i hope will be sufficient to convince any , that what r. e. hath laid down for a seeming foundation makes altogether against himself , the premises before well considered : and as for all thy collections out of the promise of god to his church , isa. . & . and of its endowments and glory and excellency , and of his putting his spirit in them , and of his word in their mouthes , and that it should not depart from the seed , or the seed's seed forever ; this is granted , and the promise is not to men , as men , but to the seed , which is not many but one ; but israel was this true church then in the time of this prophecy , though it hath relation to future ages also ; and if r. e. looks that this promise should be to israel after the flesh , the church then visible and in being , he mistakes himself , and he egregiously errs , and contradicts the scripture in sundry places , which saith , your house is left unto you desolate , their sacrifices ceased , the glory of god departed from them , their prophets prophesied a divination of their own brain , and their visions were as visions of the night ; and the lord spake not to the most of them , yet they said falsly , thus saith the lord , in their revolted estate ; for they were erred from the spirit , and gone from the seed , and joyned to another seed , and their holy flesh was departed from them , though as men they had the same flesh still , go learn what that means ; and yet notwithstanding all this , the promise of god was not violated , neither unfulfilled on god's part ; for the promise was not then , neither now is to natural generations , or that which is born after the flesh , or to men as men and creatures , but as they are the seed , and as they are men of god , and as they are born again and new creatures ; and if thou wilt have an intailing , here it is intailed , which cannot be cut off ; for the covenant stands not to men in such a place , that carries the name of office or authority , but as they are led by the spirit , the infallible judge , rule or guide , as they walk by this and in this , they cannot err ; and they erring from this , they are subject to be deceived , and to be mistaken in all things and every thing , of which there are evident examples in the scriptures of truth in divers ages , of them that professed themselves members of the church of god , and so visible as r. e. speaks of , yea , and the greater part too , that have erred , and their pathes have been reckoned by the lord as crooked and perverse , and their habitations full of cruelty ; and this is given for an instance , the visible church of the jews did err and go aside , notwithstanding all the promises of god to them ; and as they looked that it still belonged to them , because they were in visible profession , though they had turned their backs upon the lord , and their hearts too , and violated his covenant ; yet still ( as i said ) the promise of god and the covenant of god is not made of none effect , nor broken on god's part , but stands with the seed forever , who are circumcised in heart , and who worship god in spirit and truth , and in uprightness of heart , and hath no confidence in the flesh , nor fleshly priviledges , nor external performances , but only trusts unto the gift of righteousness manifest in them , by which justification comes upon all that believe , and the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of christ , and the fulness of the promise of god ; but these things i know , though they be holy , faithful and true , are a sealed book , and hid from all eyes living in the flesh , who have not been baptized into the death and suffering of christ. fourthly , that christ by his own mouth and the mouths of the apostles , did promise that there should be a church which the gates of hell should not prevail against , and this church was established upon the everlasting foundation , and the rock of ages , and was endued with power from on high , and with a great measure of the spirit of god according unto christ's promise , which more plentifully was poured forth after christs departure , and after his ascension , and great gifts were given unto them , the word of knowledge , the word of wisdom , the interpretation of tongues , and the gift of tongues , the gift of prophesie , the gift of discerning spirits , healing the sick , working of miracles , &c. and all these foresaid gifts were given for the work of the ministry , for the perfecting of the saints , for the edifying of the body of christ , till we all come into the unity of the faith , and the knowledge of the son of god , and unto a perfect man , and to the measure and stature of the fulness of christ , ephes. . , , . and all these were instrumental ( though the spirit of god which was with them and in them , the only means ) to bear witness unto those things that they had learned and believed , and to publish the word of faith abroad unto the world : and for these aforesaid ends above-mentioned , which though r. e. and his catholicks will needs lay claim to the succession by way of office , yet by their doctrine deny in part the very end wherefore such gifts were given , to wit , the doctrine of purgatory , for if they did perfect the saints , or were brought up to the knowledge of the son of god , and to perfect men in christ jesus , and to be without sin , what need had there been of raising up this damnable doctrine out of the pit , to purge from sin after they be dead , seeing they were to be perfect men while they were alive , and the ministry was given for this end ? but yours it seems cannot have these effects on this side of the grave , and therefore they perfect them in the grave and so be ministers in another world : and this church thus gathered and endued before-mentioned , with the infallible spirit of god , if any that did sometime believe and were joyned unto it , did walk disorderly , as not becoming the gospel of our lord jesus christ , they were to be admonished and exhorted , and if they persisted in their disorder , it was to be told to the church , or the whole body , and if such a one would not hear the church , he was to be reckoned as a publican , or a heathen , and to be denyed as to have any fellowship with him , till manifest repentance was shewn ; but we never read that this church did shed any man's blood , or burn any , or give consent to destroy any , i●stance if thou canst , though obstinate and heretic● too ; and in this amongst many other things the spirit of your church is seen to be contrary to the primitive church , and you out of christ's doctrine ; but r. e. argues further and saith , but if christ by his spirit doth not preserve this church from all possibility of teaching error instead of truth , i may receive such errors as may damn me ; unto which i say , christ by his spirit doth preserve this church from all possibility of teaching error , if they continue in the guidance thereof , and err not from the spirit of christ , as some churches did , which were as truly christian , and might lay claim unto christ's promise of preservation out of error , as ever rome could do , and yet six of the seven churches of asia were reproved by the spirit of christ , some of them for holding gross error , and some for suffering it ; but where was the fault ? did not christ perform his promise to his church , or to these and other particular churches , as corinth and galatia ? ( yes ) but there was an erring from the spirit ; but all that r. e. goes about ▪ is to prove ( which he will never be able to do ) that christ is bound by promise to make it good to them that he hath once promised unto , though they perform nothing of their part in taking heed to his direction , and thus would limit the lord , and let men go free with obedience to his commands ; and he cites mat. . . how the promise of christ was , and lo i am alwayes with you even to the end of the world ; but he hath done as the devil did , when he brought it is written , to christ , and left out half the words , so r. e. hath left out the conditions on the disciples part , and that which was their duty , teaching them to observe all things whatsoever i command you , and then lo i am with you , &c. but r. e. likes not obedience it seems unto christ's commands , and yet he will needs be a sharer in the promise , and of the power that was given , and bind god unto that , and he and his church to be loose , to do and to teach what they will ; but as to all the scriptures he hath brought and minced them , and cut them in piece-meal ; and all the inferences he makes , this we acknowledge without multiplicity of words , that whatsoever was promised to the church of christ ▪ and the disciples of christ ; as the church of christ , and disciples of christ , the same promise of christ , doth belong to the church of christ and disciples of christ in every age , and stands upon the same condition ; viz. obedience unto h●s will , and that they still do teach , and no other thing but what he commands them , then he is with them according to his promise ; but let not r. e. nor his roman catholicks look if they teach things repugnant to his mind and contrary to his will , and press upon others to believe that which christ hath never taught , that then the promise of god will be so intailed to them as that they cannot err , and here the deceit of thine and your hearts hath led you aside , and this is one of the cunning sleights of men , and craftiness whereby you lay in wait to deceive ; and by this you have deceived many ; because god hath made such large promises unto his church , how that they should be led into all truth , and preserved out of error , and you are their successors , and must needs inherit this promise by way of intail , and you cannot err , you cannot be deceived , because the apostles were infallible , therefore you must needs be infallible ; though you err and go aside never so much from the infallible spirit , the true guide and judge of and in the church of god ; as though you had been born to infallibility , and the spirit of truth had come by succession ; but the inward light , which thou scoffs at , and the spirit of truth , which thou calls a private spirit often , hath discovered you and your spirit , though thou boastest of fifteen ages that your doctrine hath been held by the pastours and teachers in your visible church as in the fifty seventh page of thy epistle ; suppose i should grant the fifteen hundred years , which i neither can nor will , but i will lead thee to the sixteen hundred years and try thee & your doctrine that you have held this fifteen hundred years , if it be so , as thou saist ; but this thou likes not , but seeing thou plead'st antiquity , let us come on and joyn issue , prove us transubstantiation in the first hundred years , nay , i will give thee five hundred more , and if i give thee five more thou would'st hardly prove it , before the council of trent ; prove us the doctrine of purgatory in the first hundred years ▪ and if thou take two , it shall not offend me ; prove us the forbidding of ministers to marry in the first hundred years , and abstinence from meats , as though they were unclean which are created by god for the use of believers ; prove us that man hath a two-fold right to the kingdom of heaven , as your great bellarmine saith , the one by christ , the other by a man 's own works ; prove us invocation of angels , and prayer and sacrifice for the dead the first hundred years after christ ; prove us their selling of pardons in christ's and the apostles dayes for money ; prove us setting up of images , as to put men in mind of the saints deceased , and of their works ; prove us baptism of infants with cream and spittle , and singing with the cross , and god-fathers and god-mothers ; and let us have some example beyond bare report , for we dare not relie upon your infallible spirit in these things , therefore convince us , for we are gain-sayers , and upon good ground , and we do look upon all these doctrines and many more not to be of such a great age as thou tells on , neither to have any affinity or congruity , with the church of christ in his or the apostles time , nor sundry years after , but rather look upon them as doctrines of devils , and a very novelty ; a further scripture r. e. urges , . tim. . . the church of the living god , the pillar and ground of truth ; and may we not relie of that pillar that god hath erected for us ? ( saith he ) and he that hears you hears me , and go teach all nations , and i am with you alwayes , and yet if after all these promises if the church may not be believed except she teacheth according to the scriptures , and be only infallible but when she doth her duty , then the church hath no more priviledge then the devil hath , for so long as he teaches conformable to the scripture he may be believed ▪ and so long as he teaches truth he may be believed , saith r.e. in page , , . answ. the church is in god , thes. . and is the pillar and ground of truth ; she is in the world though not of the world ; and though the members thereof be visible in the world , yet the world that lies in wickedness , never owned them as such , either saw the glory of this church , but alwayes persecuted it , and was so far owning it as rule and judge , as it altogether gain-sayed its direction ; but they that did believe in the word of life , and were separated from the world , and hated by it , were willing to hear the counsel & to receive the instruction of the church of god ; and the church only medled with their own members , as in matter of judgment , and not of the world , further then by preaching repentance in it ; for the apostle saith , what have we to do to judge them that are without ? and this church as in god was secure to relie upon , for she had the oracles of god committed unto her , & every one may relie upon this pillar , if they dare trust it , which i see r. e. dares not , because he likes not to be tyed to their doctrine declared of in the scriptures , but would have all to take what they say for granted without the scripture , or the apostles example or spirit , and is not this unreasonable in thee , that would'st have the church to be believed , or that which calls it self so by name , when she teacheth not conformable to scriptures , and to the faith which was once delivered among the saints ? and wouldst thou have a church reckoned infallible and to be believed when she doth not her duty ? the churches priviledges are in speaking truth , and judging righteously , and the devil was a lyer from the beginning and is out of the truth ; and where hast thou read that he teaches conformable to scripture , and so may be believed ? is not the promise of god to his disciples , as they continued to the end , and as they kept his commandments ? and were they not known to be the church of god and disciples of christ by this ? and was not the promise to them that hungred and thirsted after righteousness , and to them that did overcome ? and was not the exhortation to the church of philadelphia , hold fast that which thou hast that none take thy crown , rev. . , . was there not a possibility of letting go that which they had ▪ and of loosing the crown ? or else , why is the exhortation ? but i see r. e. would lay claim to promises and priviledges without all condition , and will not be tyed to keep the commands of christ , nor would not have the church tyed to follow the doctrine of the primitive church , no● will not admit of any possibility or probability of failing or erring , nay , not so much as a mistake ; but as to infallibility and certainty i have said enough before , and the confidence or rather the impudence of r. e. is easily seen , and to make up all , he concludes the apostles , as men , were subject to error in their private affairs , yet were they by the assistance of god's spirit infallible in delivering matters of faith , i say , as they were assisted by the holy spirit of god , they neither erred in private affairs nor matters of faith , but as they were not assisted by this they were subject to err , for in this stood their only ability to teach , instruct , exhort , and judge , and as they were guided by this spirit , they were infallible ▪ and so r. e. saith , that the prelates ●f the holy catholick church , as men , they are fallible in their own private actions and affairs ; yet when they are assembled in a general council with their supream pastor , they are still made infallible in determining matters of faith : it is well that r. e. will grant , that there is any possibility for their prelates to fail , either publick or private ▪ but i say , he that is not faithful in his own actions & affairs , can never be faithful in the lord's ; but it seems ● general council cannot fa●l when the supream pastor , the pope is there , but if he be not , it seems by r. e's discourse , it is more doubtful : the like he also judges , if the eleven disciples and the seventy too , with the brethren and elders , if they had all been to define matters of faith if peter had been wanting , which this catholick church calls the prince of the apostles , there had been some doubt of their infallibility in point of faith ; as though the promise of god and the spirit of god had not been with the rest of the apostles as well as peter : but a word or two and more hereafter of the infallibility of general councils , the nicean council decreed flat idolatry about worshipping of images , the council at constantinople condemned their proceedings , and made void their decrees , yet both these in r. e's account must needs be infallible ; the council at basil as albertus phigious saith , decreed against all reason and against scriptures ; ( the council of calcedon ) which was one of the four that gregory the great compares to the four gospels , that their decrees were as certain and infallible , yet pope leo did not stick to condemn it , and all them as unadvised ; stephanus bishop of rome made void the decrees of formosus ; and sabinian the pope commanded that pope gregory's mass and all his writings should be burned ; leo the fourth abrogated and made void the acts of adrian ; the basil council determined that the council of bishops was above the pope , but the latteran council under leo determined that the pope was above the council ; and they decreed also that he that should think otherwise should be held for a heretick ; but the council of basil aforesaid decreed that they that judged that the council was not above the pope they were hereticks : innumerable more instances i might give , but that i will not trouble my reader with such unprofitable stories ; and all these popes said , they were peter's successors , and had the keys of binding and loosing , and all these councils and many more which were of the roman faith , which in r. e's account could not err , but must needs be infallible , and yet are as contradictory one to another , as light is to darkness , and black to white , and look with their faces several ways , like sampson's foxes ; and therefore let not r.e. nor none of his catholicks think that the church of christ now coming out of the wilder●ess again , can receive all their contradictory decrees , and invented fopperies & constitutions of men for infallible : the day is broken , the light hath taken hold of the ends of the earth , the sun is risen which shall make all foggy mists of darkness & clouds of ignorance to fly away . but r. e. ceases not here , but heaps up one peice of darkness upon another , till blackness of darkness appears ; and he tells of a visible church , mat. . which is builded upon peter , that visible rock ; for that rock there spoken of is not christ ( saith he ) but peter , for immediately after he names peter , whereas ( saith he ) if he had meaned himself or peter 's confession , for that ( saith he ) is too remote , or mediate and antecedent ; for if christ had meaned himself , or peter's confession , he should have spoken according to the grammar rule and construction , upon that rock , or upon this rock i have built , i do build , and not i will build : in the d page and in the th page he tells of a church visible , having two heads , of an independent head , and a dependent head ; and in the th page he saith , he hopes that it will appear clear to all , as it did to him , that the visible church is that rule and judge appointed by god , and all upon pain of damnation are to submit unto it . where r. e. hath read of a visible church with two heads , i know not , and to take it for infallible i intend not ; and where is peter called a visible rock , and the chief pastor among the apostles ? doth not this contradict scripture ? doth not christ say , the gentiles exercise dominion one over another , but it shall not be so amongst you , he that will be greatest among you , let him be your servant , and he that will be chief , let him be your minister ; and as for thy visible and militant church , we read no such words in the scriptures of truth ; we read of a church of god , & of the first-born , whereof christ was the rock and the foundation , and another foundation can no man lay , then that which is laid , which is jesus christ , cor. . . and paul saith in ver . . as a wise master-builder i have laid the foundation . i hope r.e. will not be so impudent as to say , he had laid peter , or that he had preached up peter to believe in for remission of sins , nor for the foundation of faith ; for that had been contrary to the apostles commission and their doctrine ; for saith the apostle , we have not preached our selves , but christ , the lord , and our selves your servants for his sake : and i may say to thee r. e. as paul said to the corinthians , when they were striving about men , cor. . . therefore let no man glory in men , for all things are yours , or as he saith in chap. . ver. . was paul crucified for you ? or were you baptized in the name of paul ? were they not carnal that so glorified ? was peter crucified for us ? or were we baptized in the name of peter ? is not your visible church carnal , who thus judgeth , that christ intended peter to be the foundation of his chruch ; for what was he or the rest of the apostles , but ministers by which many believed ; 〈◊〉 ; and if thou hadst been present , it is very like would have instructed christ what to have said , and bidden him have spoken after the grammer rule and construction , upon that rock i will build my church ; for peter 's faith in christ is too mediate ( it seems ) and his confession too remote and antecedent to be the rock meant in mat. . . and therefore peter must be immediate , and the rock upon which christ hath , doth and will build his church ; but as immediate as he was , and as sure a rock as he was , when he began to rebuke christ , he turned him about , and said unto peter , ver. . get thee behind me satan , thou art an offence unto me , for thou savours not the things of god ; and so say i to r. e. and his catholicks , they savour not the things of god ▪ but it is thy private spirit , and your own interpretations , and not the mind of christ ; and how far antecedent is peter's confession of christ the son of the living god ? is it not in vers. . and wherein was peter blessed , but in this , that it was revealed to him , that christ was the son of the living god , the rock of ages , and the foundation of his church ; and as for thy visible church with its two heads , independent head and dependent head , which sure must have two bodies where they can be found ; but that i shall leave to r. e. and i hope , from the grounds that thou hast here laid , which did appear so clear to thee , that none will be afraid , nor judge that such a visible church with two heads is to be rule and guide to all , to whom all are to submit under pain of damnation , which is to have peter for its rock , which if he had been living , he would have denyed you all , as setters up of men , and slighters of jesus christ , the rock of ages , the foundation of the church , the head of the body , the rule of life , the judge of quick and the dead , the law-giver , director , instructer and preserver of his church forever ; but r. e. goes on and saith , it only remains that we consider which among all these congregations now on earth , which pretend themselves to be this church of christ ; for having once found her , and knowing that she is so assisted with the holy ghost , that she cannot teach us an error , we shall no more dispute the verity of her doctrine , then we would have questioned the articles of faith taught by the holy apostles , or the words of christ himself ; wherefore if this church , this infallible guide shall teach us that infants ought to be baptized , and that it is as lawful to desire the saints departed to pray for us , as to desire the prayers of them that are alive , and that the body of christ our saviour is really and truly present in the sacrament of the altar , or any other article of faith , we shall no more doubt it , then the first christians did the verity of what the apostles taught them . among all those congregations on earth , that look upon themselves to be the church and spouse of christ , there is one , if thy eye could behold , or if thou could'st discern it ; but before thou canst , there is an eye in thee must be put out , and there is a wisdom in thee that must be confounded , and turned into foolishness , before thou canst discern it in its glory as it is ; but however that is it undoubtedly , which is begotten into the faith through the publication of the immortal word of life , and who are translated from death unto life , and who have received the power and spirit of our lord jesus christ , and meet in his name and power , and do witness his presence among them , and have received a measure of that infallible spirit of truth which leadeth into all truth , and out of the pollutions of the world , and are dead unto the world , and baptized into the sufferings of christ , and are crucified with him , who keep unviolated his statutes and commands , without adding to or diminishing from , who walk in the order of the gospel , and are not conformable to the world , nor to that which fallen men set up , but to the power of god , that worketh in the hearts of all that believe , to the framing of them a meet habitation for god to dwell in , and abide in the doctrine of christ and his apostles , and are sayers and doers , speak the truth and do the truth , and hold the truth in righteousness , and the faith once delivered to the saints in a pure heart and a pure conscience , who pray in the spirit , and with understanding , who publish the truth , and declare it in the spirit , reaching to the consciences , and to the witness of god in all that hear , who rejoyce only in christ jesus , the great power of god and the wisdom of god , and have no confidence in the flesh nor fleshly performances , whose faith stands not in words , but in the mighty power of god , which she hath received according unto the promise of god ; this congregation or congregations , which is one , and doth hold the one head , by which all the members of christ are knit together in the one faith , by which they overcame the world ; this undoubtedly is the church of christ and the spouse of christ : but whether r. e. will not dispute against the verity of her doctrine , i question , notwithstanding all his submission in words ; and if this church should teach , that infants are to be baptized with cream and spittle , and signed with the cross , as absolutely necessary to salvation , or that it is the duty of the saints alive to pray to the saints departed this world , or to teach that christ's body which was broken for us , and hanged upon the tree at mount calvary , that this should now be in a morsel of bread and a sup of wine , and conveyed thither by the priest , and this to be really the body of christ , if this church should teach any such doctrine there were good and weighty reason to question , seeing that r. e. before hath said , that they cannot be infallible who contradict one another , and teach two contrary doctrines , and yet say , they are both infallibly directed so to teach , i hope r. e. will grant that the church in christ's time and the apostles , was infallible , & it taught no such doctrine , but to the contrary , therefore that church which pretends infallibility , and yet teacheth such doctrines as before mentioned , contrary unto christ and the apostles cannot be infallible , neither led by the infallible spirit , & all have good reason to question the verity of these things , more then what the apostles taught , seeing they are contradictory to christ and the apostles teaching , and contrary to scripture , and contrary to the witness of god in all consciences , and as i said before , this church of god whereof i have spoken now , though not denominated by any other name then the church of god , is and hath been assisted so by the holy ghost as she hath not erred , when she only hearkened to its instruction and direction ; but when the wisdom of the flesh and the worldly part and states , and governments , and policies , and princes have been minded more then the spirit of god , then error hath been taught , and the greater part in a council have overswayed the rest , & established error by decree , and have enjoyned it under penalties to be received as sacred , and holy , and infallible , of which we find the church of rome exceedingly guilty , and therefore do conclude notwithstanding the promise of god to his church that kept in covenant with him , that this church of rome hath erred and doth err , both in faith , doctrine and practice , of the infallible church in the apostles dayes ; and therefore their doctrine is more to be questioned then the apostles ; and they not fit to be this rule , and guide , and director ; unto which r. e. saith , all are to submit under pain of damnation . scar-crows will hardly affright men of understanding , but unreasonable creatures they may . and last of all , r.e. saith ▪ he will conclude his whole proof with an argument from heaven , & of the highest nature , & make it evident that the roman church must be this guide and judge which god hath appointed , because of the gift of miracles ; & cites john . . if i had not done among them the work that no other man did , they had not had sin. and now i say , that the roman church hath done works and miracles , such as no other church hath done , therefore if we refuse to believe her we shall have sin , and shew our selves haters of god : and he instances . st. ber. st. mal. st. dom. st. fra. which wrought miracles , and of austin the monk which taught christian faith first in england , and his fellow monks , which was then confirmed by wonderful miracles from heaven , not in confirmation of those points and articles of faith which you had with us , but of those which you call popish and superstitious , as the sacrifice of the mass , and about respect and veneration which is given to saints , reliques , and images , and about the doctrine of purgatory , and payment of tythes : and r. e. concludes if we will not believe what you have not seen , you destroy faith which is an evidence of things not seen . although r. e. makes a great boast of the miracles of the church of rome , which no other church hath wrought the like , & therefore concludes that she is this rule and guide , which all are to give ear unto , under pain of damnation ; and these miracles he saith , are an argument from heaven , and proof of the highest nature ; believe him who can . if time would but permit , and the reader have patience to read most or many , if not all the miracles he so much cries up , might be declared to his and their shame , the very report and relation thereof cannot but be reckoned as fabulous and fained stories , and proceed from that lying spirit which was in the fa●se prophet , which wrought miracles before the beast , and deceived them that had received the mark of the beast , and them which worshipped his image , which must be taken alive and cast into the lake of fire , rev. . . it is an adultero●s generation that seeks a sign , and yet did not believe when they had miracles wrought by the finger of god amongst them , yet they said , it was by beelzebub . the scribes and pharisees said , if he be the king of israel , let him come down from the cross and we will believe ; but the power of christ was not to be shewed at the blind will of the phari●ees , neither would they have believed if he had come down . though miracles have been wrought by the power of god , and are according to his heavenly will , and are not limited either to men , time or place , yet it is not so sufficient an argument from heaven as r. e. saith to prove the church of rome this true church , seeing that the devil , and satan and anti-christ shall come with signs and lying wonders , and if it were possible , deceive the elect ; and jannes and jambres withstood moses in working lying miracles before pharaoh , to the hardning of his heart . and chrysostome in his hom. upon mat. . saith , in the end of time power shall be given to the devil to work signs and miracles ; so that the ministers of christ cannot be known by working of miracles , but by working none at all . and augustine saith , ( though some said prayers at the tombs of the dead , and obtained their desires , as they said ) away with these things , they be either juglings and mockeries of deceitful men , or else delusions of lying spirits . chrysost. in his hom. upon mat. . in old time it was known by miracles who were the true christians , and who the false ; but now miracles are rather among them that are false christians . and as for your great miracles which thou sayest the chronologies and histories speak of j. l. as bed. and holingshed , stow , and others , we look upon them not at all as material in this thing , seeing they have had the reports from other hands and pens of certain m●nki●h stories which they have found scattered here and there , published themselves , and left their fables upon record to deceive poor people withal for their own advantage ; and most of the miracles that we hear of , are either wrought about your tombs and sepulchers , and your holy mass , and your reliques and images . i have heard indeed ▪ how that from the skirt of an image of yours which one in a bloody flux did but touch , and immediatly vertue came from it , and water and blood issued forth , whereby the party was made whole by washing therein . also i have heard of the image of the virgin mary ▪ first honoured by christians in nazareth , afterwards translated into sclavonia , and when images began to be vilified there and dis-esteemed ▪ it removed it self from place to place , as discontent did arise in it , it seems at the place and people where it was situated sometimes , and at l●st it removed a whole island with it nearer rome , now call'd loretta , and commonly known by the name of our lady of loretta , to which all the pilgrims and monks commonly and frequently go to confess their sins , and to receive absolutions before they come to rome , and so continues to this day . i cannot forget indeed the notable miracle wrought by austin the monk , of which r. e. glories so in , wrought at cometon in oxfordshire , touching the doctrine of due payment of tythes , a profitable doctrine to austin and his monks , the first bishop of canterbury , confirmed by a miracle , and such as it is you shall have it . about the year . as it is said , austin comes to preach at cometon in oxfordshire , the priest of the place complains to him , how that the lord of the manour would not pay his tythes ; austin questioning the lord a●out the fault in his devotion , he stoutly answered , that the tenth sheaf doubtless was his , that had the interest in the nine , and therefore would pay none : presently austin denounceth him excommunicate , and turning to the altar to say mass publickly , forbad that any excommunicated person should be present there ; suddenly a dead corps that had ●een buried at the church door , arose and went out of the church , and stood while the mass continued ; which ended , austin comes to th●s living or dead ( whether you will ) and charges him in the name of god to declare who he was ? he tells him , that in the time of the british state , hujus villi patronus , and although he was often urged by the doctrine of the priest to pay his tythes , yet he never could be brought to it , for the which he saith , after he was dead , he was carried to hell : austin desired to know where the priest that excommunicated him was buried ? th● dead shewed him the place , where he makes an invocation of the dead priest , and bids him arise , because they wanted his help ; the priest arises ; austin asks him if he knew that other that was ri●en ? he tells him yes , but wishes he had never known him ; for saith he , he was in all things ever averse to the church , and a detainer of h● tythes , a great sinner to his death , and therefore i excommunicated him . but austin declares that it was fit mercy should ●e used towards him , and that he had suffered long in hell for his offence ; you must suppose the author meant purgatory : wherefore he gives him absolution , and sends him to his grave , wh●re he fell again to dust and ashes ; he gone , the priest new risen tells that his corps had lien there about years , and austin would gladly have h●d him to have ●ontinued on earth , for instruction of souls , but could not thereto intreat him ; so he returned to his f●rmer l●dging . the lord of the town standing by all this while , and trembling , was now demanded , if he would pay his tythes , but he presently fell down at austin's feet , weeping and confessing his offence , and submits to pay tythes , and receives pardon , and became all his life time a follower of austin . besides the common legend of our saints , it is in some volumes put alone for a most observable miracle , and it is found to be bound up at the end of the ms. li●e of th● . becket arch bishop of canterbury , written by john degra●de●ono , and it remains in the publick library at oxford ; there also it is rel●ted in j●h●nnes anglic●● his history aurea . b●sides se●len in his hist●ry of tythe● makes mention of it , and in the . page of this book . and as concerning the miracles which are reported by certain jesuites to be done in the west i●dies by them of that society , after they had converted them to the christian faith as they call it ▪ in confirmation of their doctrine they write of great miracles that were wrought by them , how that with holy water , they had calmed the sea in great tempests ; and with holy water they had driven mice out of the country ; and how that by holy water , they had made barren women to bear children . see cope's dialogue the first , page the th . and many devised and fained miracles are storied among you , and kept up to deceive and blind the people withal ; dead images have been forced to sweat , to weep , to laugh , and to shift themselves from place to place ; and as among the panim● and infidels , the image of jupiter was able by art to cry aloud , let all the christians be banished the country , euseb. l. . even so among the false christians , images have been able to speak whatsoever his keeper or sexton listeth ; and the image of our lady hath been able to attend her own candle , and other images have been able to heal all diseases ; believe it who can . nicholaus saith , in the church of god the priests often times deceive the people with fained miracles for lucre's sake ; and thus the world hath been born in hand , that images were not only bare images , but had some secret divine power hidden within them ; but i shall conclude and say , as hierome saith , the truth of christ shall devour and consume the falshood of anti-christ , and all his fained miracles , and lying wonders , and inchantments , and sorceries , with which he hath deceived the nations . alexander hales saith , p. . qu● . . men . . in the sacrament it self there appears flesh , sometimes by the conveyance of men , and sometimes by the working of the devil . and hath not r. e. heard and read of a certain catholick of theirs , and no lay-man neither , not many ages ago , that did pennance at pauls cross , and made a publick confession of his dissimulation , when he pricked his finger and made it bleed when he gave that which you call , your eucharist ( or sacrament of the altar , as you call it ) unto the people to delude them , making them believe , that , as the phrase is , christ by miracle had conveyed the blood into the bread after the words of consecration ? but enough of this hath been said by others , and written largly of by other hands and pens , so that i need not say much . but miracles be not ever more undoubted proofs of a true doctrine , nor such absolute signs of a true church , nor such infallible arguments as from heaven , as r. e. saith his are . and so i conclude with that which austin said unto faustus the manichee , ye work no miracles , and yet if ye wrought any , at your hands we would take heed of them . and jer. . saith , the false prophets have deceived my people by their lyes and by their lightness , and by their dreams and miracles . and so hath this false fained pretended catholick church done , deceived the nations , and bewitched them with such lying fabulous stories , and false and ridiculous miracles , and sorceries and inchantments , as is above-mentioned ; and many more of the like nature might be mentioned , but that i would not be tedious to the reader , which if they were all sum'd up , would hardly make up a heavenly argument and proof , as r. e. saith it doth , that their church is the only true church , and fit to be the rule and judge of all matters of faith. and now reader view over their miracles before-mentioned , and see if thou canst receive them , because the church of rome saith , they are true , and must not be questioned , for if thou do , thou art like to come under a hard censure by the verdict of r. e. and his catholick church , first , to be reckoned as an unbeliever , secondly , to be a hater of god , and thirdly , in not believing these miracles , or whatsoever else shall be declared unto thee by the said church , or else thou comest under no less penalty then eternal damnation , as r. e. saith in the th page of his epistle : but it is a small thing to be judged by man , and especially such a man who hath gadded abroad , and changed his way so oft , so that he hath forgotten the true path of righteousness to walk in , or else never knew it , and hath turned and wheeled about ; and now at last doth as the poor indian doth with his deer-skin , hangs it upon one shoulder , and so upon the other shoulder to shelter him from the wind and tempest that comes of that side : but the day is dawned , and mens spirits are discovered beyond their words , and all the turnings and wheelings of things upside down , is but as the potter's clay ; for god measures every man , not by his words , but by his heart and spirit , and works , and will judge every one in righteousness according to their deeds . and r. e. goes on as confident that his arguments and reasons laid down have prevailed , and almost takes its for granted that it must needs be evident to all , that the roman church is the true church ; and saith , he knows but one single point between the catholicks and them that stand divided from them , and that is , saith he , that we follow a several rule , to guide and judge in the great affairs of faith , for all sides are bound to believe all truth sufficiently propounded to them , to be revealed of god ; and therefore if the presence of christ in the sacrament , purgatory , worshipping of images , invocation of saints , and prayer to the dead , and for the dead : if these or any other point of faith be sufficiently propounded ; by denying them , god's veracity is denyed , and god thereby made a lyar. the difference stands betwixt you , and them that are divided from you , in more particulars then thou art aware of , or ever wilt be able sufficiently to propound them to be revealed of god ; though it is true , some are divided from you in circumstantials and ceremonies , and some others in some points of faith and worship , yet some deny you in the very ground , though 't is true , the different rule by which each party are directed , is a great and a main thing . thou sayest , this cath●lick church is the rule ; but i say , and am not alone , that christ is the way to the father , and the way to the kingdom , and the rule and means by which his church is governed , and he is the law giver and the judge , and all judgment is committed to the son , and it is he alone that propounds truth sufficiently ; and they that are in him ▪ are new creatures ; and that which is the new-creature rule , guide and judge , is the rule , guide and judge of the church of god , and christ is the author of faith , and it is nothing that avails any thing with god , but the new-creature ; and as many as walk according to this rule , peace is to them , gal. . . and christ hath not left his people without a guide , for he said , lo i am with you to the end of the world , so as to commit the guidance thereof to fallible men , who may assume authority without his power , and to fasten those things upon god as to be revealed from him , when the lord hath spoken nothing ; and we are so far from looking that the main grounds that thou l●yest down to prove your church to be this rule & guide , & the many doctrines propounded by you are not sufficiently propounded to be revealed of god , but rather they are the imaginations of your own brain , and things packt up since the apostles dayes , by different popes , and different mutations and alterations in your church ●or filthy lucres sake ; and so to deny them is not to deny god's veracity , neither to make god a lyar , as thou falsely sayest ; but thou , and you are the lyars , as to propound those things to be revealed from god , and to be received by all under pain of damnation , when god hath revealed no such thing , but the contrary , and so thy own words at last shall turn to be thy burden , because thou sayest , the lord saith , and hath revealed , and sufficiently proposed the real presence of christ in your sacrament of the altar as a divine revelation , worshipping of images , prayer to the dead , and for the dead , and all ●hese foolish imaginations which you have brought in , and introduced and thrust upon people by force ; and these are sufficiently propounded , as thou sayest , as divine revelations , and the father , son , and holy ghost , or the incarnation of christ : silence deceit , and for shame blush so to say ; the prophets who spake as they were moved by the holy ghost and prophesied of things to come , they declared of the father , son , and holy ghost all , and prophesied long before , that a virgin should bring forth a son , whose name should be called emanuel , god with us ; and the government should be upon his shoulders : this the pope hath usurped , and you put it upon his shoulders , but your invented doctrines aforesaid , are meerly the imaginations of your own brain , which neither the prophets nor apostles bore witness unto , but against . and therefore it is thy , and your great presumption , to make god , christ and apostles the foundation of all this rubbish , straw , and stubble , which thou would'st put off as divine revelation , and as sufficiently proposed , as the doctrine of christ and his apostles was ; nay , blush for shame ; they brought in the prophets for the peoples sake , to prove that they had testified of the same before , and had declared the coming of the just one ; besides they commended themselves to the witness of god in every man's conscience ; and upon waiting upon the lord and in the measure of his spirit , they found the things even so , and by searching the scriptures as the bereans did , & found the things even so , as had been declared of : but upon due consideration we find not these foresaid doctrines so propounded as to have the testimony of the prophets and apostles , neither doth your doctrine and worship answer the witness of god in every mans conscience ; and so to deny you is not to make god a lyar , but god true , the prophets and apostles , and the witness of god true , and you ly●rs , who contradict them and their testimony and the power of god , and would assume it to your selves , though you be erred from the spirit , and would put all under the name of infallibility , and by such heavenly arguments as r. e. calls them , to wit , the miracles aforesaid , by which you have deceived the nations , and blinded the eyes of the people ; but the time is come , and light and life is broken forth , that the skirts of the whore must be discovered , and her nakedness must appear , and her fornications and adulteries shall be manifest unto all , so that you shall not proceed much further : and i hope by this time in r. e's words , it will appear evident to all , whose eyes god in any measure hath opened , that this catholick church ( so called ) is manifest in what hath been said to r. e. not to be the church of christ , neither their doctrine and practice divinely propounded , neither she taken from henceforth as the only infallible judge , rule and director in all matters of faith , which all are to receive upon pain of damnation , as r. e. saith ; though she sit as queen , and hath known no sorrow ; but on the contrary , she to be a blind guide that hath bewitched the kings of the earth , and the nations ( which are waters , which is the universal●ty r. e. boasts of ) with her inchantments & sorceries , which from hence forth shall not be taken as infallible but fallible ; and as that church that hath not conveyed the true faith which was once delivered to the saints , but rather hath spread abroad error and false doctrine , and the traditions and inventions of men , instead of the doctrine of christ , and would put off all th●s under the name of authority and power from god , and sufficiently propounded , and infallibility , and under the penalty of the highest curse upon not receiving it ; but the sun is risen which hath disovered all your deceit ; lay down your carnal weapons , cain's weapons , and your human power by which you have prevailed , more by force and cruelty upon the nations , then by sound doctrine , or that plea of being peter's successors : i say , come forth with your spiritual weapons , which the church of god had in the primitive times , and prevail as far as you can ; but oh! you want these , and therefore you are necessitated to take up force and violence , the dragons power to compell all to come to your church . further , r. e. in his postscript hath been confident of what he hath declared , that it is of such force what he hath said for the roman catholick church , so called , that he believes what he hath said cannot be answered ; and he saith , his confidence doth not mis-become him , and that it is improbable to be answered , and that he hath not yet done his all ; neither in his first nor second edition , but hath some-what more yet of great moment to speak as to prove the church of rome this only and infallible guide . unto whom i say , it had been good not to have boasted when he put on his armour , but when he puts it off ; and methinks having been so unstable and unsetled as he hath been formerly , he should not have been so confident in opposition to wisdom , as to give such a challenge and make such a vapour of , as that it is improbable to be answered , and it is more then any of you or all of you can answer , as his own words are , ( page the th ) these words are not becoming a man indeed , who saith , he hath learned meekne●s and humility of heart , and hath such great b●wels of charity , as he professeth he hath ; page the th . the substance of what he hath said or written , which he reckons so profound and unanswerable , and to be more then any or all the non-conformists can answer , they have been answered over and over again , before r. e. was born , by many learned , sufficient , and good men ; whose reasons and weighty arguments about the premisses have not been made void unto this day , but have prevailed with many , not only to the convincing , but also to the turning of many from that usurped authority of the roman church , and hath discovered the errors , false doctrine , and evil practices , notwithstanding their pretended infallibility , which r e. will not be able to answer , if particulars should be descended unto ; and though r. e. may reckon the reasons th●t he hath 〈◊〉 down , when he ha●h the most what taken at the gainest , and reckon them as impregnable , yet i hope they will not appear so to an understanding eye which is enlightened by the spirit of the lord , nor to them who are of a sound judgment ; what others have done to answer his bold challenge i know not , because i am shut up in a corner for the testimony of jesus , and for the word of god : but methinks them that are concerned should not let such boasts go unreproved , neither such false doctrine nor false suggestions as r. e. hath made , to vi●ifie and debase and set at nought all things , and every thing , that seems contrary unto the judgment of this pretended catholick church ; and seeing that he shuts out all non-conformists as to be members of the church or god , and to be without all rule , all order , all government , and to come under the great penalty of damnation , by not submitting unto whatsoever this pretended catholick church doth impose , how repugnant soever it be unto the doctrine of christ , and how contrary soever it be unto the spirit of god , yet all must be received without question , though it be that which the spirit of god sometimes called the doctrine of devils , but how it must become holy , and of divine authority , and sufficiently propounded and so received ; because as r. e. saith , th●s church cannot err ; i say unto him and unto all men , and to the witness of god in every man , either the church in the apostles dayes did err and teach false doctrine , or this pretended catholick church , because they teach contrary one to the other , and do walk by a contrary rule ; and as r. e. saith , infallibility cannot contradict it self ; and he hath granted that the apostles and primitive christians had an infallible spirit , and did not err ; then let r. e. and all , take a view of the roman doctrine , and compare it with theirs , and they shall find it as far wide one from the other as the heavens are from the earth , or light from darkness , so that for the truth 's sake , and for the doctrine and faith sake that was once delivered among the saints , and for the non-conformists sake , who cannot bow their knee to baal , neither submit to the injunctions of changeable men , instead of the doctrines of christ. i could not do less then give answer unto the substance of r. e. his epistle which he boasted of , to be more then any could answer , and to reprove his false doctrine and error , which he would perswade all unto , and not to question , because the church of rome hath propounded it as infallible ; most of all those doctrines are denyed , and i cannot but give my testimony against them as to be false , and that which leads people into error ; and let r. e. when he brings forth his all , prove to us , that infallibility as intailed to the pope by succession , and prayer for the dead , worshipping of angels , worshipping relicks , worshipping images , transubstantiation , purgatory , sprinkling of infants ; prove to us from the scripture in thy next , that these were apostolical and infallible doctrines , delivered and taught by the church of christ in the apostles time , or in the first hundred years after christ , and thou will not only gain me , but many more , to receive and imbrace the catholick church of rome for an absolute rule and guide , unto which all on earth ought to be subject unto , which if thou dost not , we will take it for granted , thou darest not , lest thou ingage thy self in such a controversie as thou never ingaged in yet , by which thy and your folly will more and more appear unto all . i shall not trouble neither my self nor the reader any further in traducing r. e. in his multiplicity of words , although the main and weighty arguments and reasons as r. e. looks upon them are answered , which i commend unto thee , and to the witness of god in every man's conscience , to try and search out , where the difference and weight lies , and the truth , and as the measure of god's spirit in every man's conscience doth close with or against , if it can what i have said about r. e. his epistle ▪ for unto that i dare stand to the judgment of and in it , as every one believes and walks , i bid my reader , farewell . westmoreland this th of the th moneth . f. h. a general epistle to the dispersed and persecuted flock of christ jesus in the dominion of england , and all parts and regions where this shall come , who have believed in christ , the light of the vvorld , and now suffer for his names sake . dearly beloved , whom god hath called and redeemed out of the world , and the vanities thereof , to follow the lamb in the regeneration through the cross and suffering in this age , wherein the whore , beast and false prophet , and all that have drunk of her cup , and have received the mark of the beast , and are led aside to believe ly●s , that proceed out of the mouth of the time serving , flattering . deceitful workers of this generation , who are all joyned together i● thei●●●rength and power , to act every way against the lamb and his meck appearance , ( who takes away the sins of the world and against all them that are made clean through his blood , and are come out of the p●llutions of the w●rld , and to make war against the r●mn●nt of the seed of god , who are begetten again to the lively hope of christ jesus , and to the inheritance that f●des not away , and to root out , and destroy , and weary out through cruel suffering the saints of the most high , that so the prince of darkness might rule in his full power and authori●y in his instruments and servants , without opposition or any gain-sa●ing : and as god out of his everlasting love hath redeemed and translated many from great darkness , wherein they have bin h●ld in the time of unbelief into his marvellous light , to walk in it , and to bring forth the fruits of the day , of light , faith and righteousness , to the praise and glory of his grace , who hath called them , and translated them for that very end , to shew forth his power and glory in the earth , who have been quickned and raised by it out of the grave , that they might bear witness thereunto , and testifie of it both in word and work against the world and the god thereof , who now rules in the children of disobedience ; therefore is his wrath the more kindled , and his fury great against them that are departed out of his kingdom , and will not yield their hearts and necks to be subject any more unto his yoak , by whom they have been enslaved and held captive under many and divers lusts , which the wrath of god is revealed against , and to be revealed against ; and because they are made free by the frightness of the glorious rising of the sun of righteousness in his power and quickning life in their hearts , which hath broken his yoak of bondage , and destroyed the law of sin and death , which sometimes had power over them ; but now being made conquerors of them through the power of christ , the old dragon , the deceiver of the nations , who is out of the truth , labours by all means to bring them back again under his yoak ; and his devices are not a few , which are set on foot at this day , to make all bow unto him , which the children of light are not ignorant of , who are and have been watchful against the mysterious working of his power within , and also without in his instruments , who have received great power from him to propagate his kingdom , that stands in wrath , evil ▪ doing and cruelty : and therefore all had need to watch and be circumspect , that they that are escaped be not ensnared and entangled again , lest their bondage be greater , and the yoak heavier then before : therefore the lord moveth often in my heart , to exhort all unto watchfulness and diligence , and so much the more , because the dayes are perilous , and the times dangerous , and the temptations many on every hand ; so they that look out are in danger to be ensnared , and let in the enemy , and fears , and doubts , and unbelief enter , and questioning in the haste , can god deliver ? or will he deliver ? or hath he any regard unto our afflic●ion ? and because the time seems long , and they cannot see to the end thereof , their hearts fail , and their faith is in danger to be shaken , and they lose their states ; therefore it concerns every one to watch and pray , that they enter not into temptations , neither be overcome with the wicked one , neither of the fading pleasure ▪ profit and ease that the children of this world do enjoy , which is but for a time , and then is the beginning of endless misery . therefore all dearly beloved , look over all the sufferings , and troubles , and temptations , and necessities , and over the devil and all his works ; to the beginning , and to that have an eye which was before they had a being ; to the lord god everlasting who made heaven and earth have an eye , and let your eye be fixed on him which destroyes the devil and all his works , and will reward the workers of iniquity according to their deeds with everlasting torments . dearly beloved ▪ who have been under great sufferings & losers for christ's sake and the gospel's in this age , like as many faithful witnesses have been in former ages ; i am a sufferer with you , and am sensible of your griefs , affli●●ions , necessities and tribulations , which are many , and do bear and suffer with you all in my heart , and in the true sence and feeling of you all dispersed every where , where god hath placed you in the earth , my heart , soul , life and spirit breatheth forth unto you all , and your burden is mine , your afflictions are mine , your sufferings are mine ; i do weep with them that weep , i am sorrowful with them that are sorrowful ; and what which is a grief and vexation unto the spirit of god in any , in the spirit of christ , which is but one in all , i am burdened with them , and do bear a part of their grief ; i speak without ostentation or glorying , for what have i to glory in any , but the lord , or to rejoyce in , but that which all the world hates , because it testifies against it ; and therefore we are become the objects of scorn and hatred in this world , by them that are of it , who glory in sin , who rejoyce in iniquity , whose end is destruction and perpetual misery , and their rejoycing shall be turned into endless sorrow and grief . elected of god , our portion in this world is to be sufferers in it and by it , because god hath chosen us out of it and its nature ; therefore we are hated , despised and persecuted in our generation , like as all the people of god were in former generations ; we cannot be exempted from drinking of the same cup which christ the heir of all things drank , neither be exempted from being baptized into his suffering ; and therefore christ told his disciples , in the world ye shall have trouble ; and the apostles , and ministers , and believers in christ did drink of the same , and were baptized into the same baptism , and therefore testified , that them that will live godly in christ must uffer persecution ; for the world loves only the children of it , but alwayes hated the children of god , and them that were redeemed out of it , and they bore witness against it and the works thereof ; it 's no new thing or strange thing ; for it 's that portion which all the prophets and holy men of god were partakers of , christ and the apostles , and all true believers in every age ; and the nearer any came to be unto god in their life and practice , the more they were hated , and the more vilified , slandered and evil spoken of , sometime by the jews , sometime by the heathen , and now by the apostatized christians ; for the nature is one through all ages , and diversity of names in profession do not at all alter man or men at the heart ; the jews , who professed god in words , and cryed up the temple , and moses , and the law in words , slew the prophets , and laid false things to their charge ; jeremiah when he prophesied against jerusalem , and spake to the princes and rulers , when they were revolted from god in the dayes of zedekiah , and denounced evil against the city and people because of transgression ; they put him in the dungeon , and where his feet sticked in the mire , and said , he was fallen away to the caldeans , and did alienate the hearts of the jews from them and their law , and despised their government ; christ was accounted a friend of publicans and sinners , and had a devil , a transgressor of moses's law , though he came to fulfil it , and an enemy to caesar , and a blasphemer , and what not ? who said so ? the elders , the doctors , the rabbies and rulers of the people ▪ and they crucified him as an evil-doer , though none could convince him ●●●in ; the apostles of christ as seditious men , ring-leaders of sects , authors of uproars ▪ turners of the world upsi●e down , as disobedient , enemies to peace , as discontented men with the present laws and customs then established , and judged as not fit to live : and therefore many suffered long for holding out their testimony faithfully they had received , and last of all suffered death , not as saints and prophets , but as evil-doers at last , some by the jews , some by the heathens : the primitive christians , of whom the world was not worthy , were falsly accused by the romans , heathens and pagans in the great persecutions that arose , were evil spoken of , and falsly represented , and rendered odious , and as objects of hatred , through the envy of the devil , because they opposed his kingdom of darkness : tertullian saith , the heathen commonly reputed the then primitive christians incestuous men , killers of children , enemies of all mankind , enemies against the gods , against the emperours , against the laws ; they made an out-cry upon them , it 's not lawful they should live : and when any judgment did befall them , augustine saith , it was become a proverb , our rain fails us because of these christians ; and eusebius saith , the religion of christ was called , the heresie of godless christians . likewise after the name of christ and christians became in repute and esteem , many hypocrites and formalists took on the name , when it was countenanced by the kings and princes of the earth , and then turned against them that were more in the life and power then they were , as the bohemians , and the waldenses , and first protestants in germany ; how were they branded with heresie and schism , as seditious , factious , enemies to the laws , church and state , and to the princes ? and how was the hatred of the pope and emperour kindled against them , and war raised upon them , and many suffered death in their account as evil-doers who persecuted them : likewise , come nearer our own age , in the dayes of queen mary , how were the best of men , and the best of christians in that age censured as enemies to the queen 's law● and government , enemies to the church , seditious hereticks , and such as were not fit to live ; and therefore many suffered in the cruel flames of fire , and did undergo many great torments and sufferings , and last of cruel deaths many suffered , and by them called christians , and yet slew him , and persecuted him in his members . last of all , god hath brought us forth in our age , to bear witness unto him , and unto that life , power and light , by which we are quickned , and raised out of the grave of sin and death , to live unto him , and serve him in newness of life , and to confess unto his holy name and power , by which we are saved , illuminated and directed , and to worship him in spirit and truth , according to the manifestation of his spirit to us and in us , and according to the scriptures of truth ; for the lord god of heaven and earth judge , and all his holy angels , and all just men , that are anointed with the holy unction , that know truth from error , whether we hold any thing either in doctrine or practice , but that which the primitive christians bear witness of , and also the scriptures bare witness unto , and that which we are perswaded in our consciences by the unerring spirit of the lord , which doth give us assurance of his acceptation and peace in our hearts . and how often have we declared our selves both by word and writing , which is sufficiently manifest unto all , who have not wilfully closed their eyes , and stopped their ears against us , that we are of no other faith hope or religion , but that which christ and his apostles and primitive christians were of , which they did hold forth , both in doctrine and practice , as in respect of worship ; and how peaceably and humbly we have walked towards all men , without seeking the hurt or detriment of any ; thou righteous judge of heaven and earth knowest , and according to the innocency of our hearts do thou judge us , and plead our cause : and further , we have laboured that sin might be beat down , and that all every where might have been turned from it unto the living god , and that righteousness might have been advanced , and truth have taken place in all mens hearts , both in word and deed , that christ ▪ who is professed in words , might have ruled in the hearts of all men that make mention of him , that so god's blessing might have been felt and known by all , and the souls of all saved from the snares of satan , and out of that which the wr●th of god and his judgments come upon : and lord god of heaven and earth , thou knowest how our adversaries have sought occasion against us , for no other cause but for the matter of the worship of the living god , and unto god's righteous judgment seat we dare appeal , & do thou judge us , and reward us according to our deserts , if ever we have contrived the hurt of any man or men , or have sought to violate any righteous law of man , which stands to the well-governing of a nation or country , in the things that pertain to the world ; yet how have we been falsly represented , slander'd belyed , mis-reported , hated , back-bited , persecuted and killed , as all the day long ; and reputed we are as not fit to live in our native land , neither to enjoy our own wives and children , a thing common to all men , christian and heathen , neither to breath in the common air : and how many grievous things have been heaped , and are daily upon our backs , that we are factious , seditious , enemies to magistrates , to the ministers of christ , plotters ▪ conspirators against humane government , enemies to the king , disobedient to the laws , broachers of heresie , authors of sedition , enemies to the church and state ! and this the devil who was a lyar , and a murderer , and a slanderer from the beginning , he hath put a lying spirit in the mouthes of some , and it 's entered into the hearts of others ; and thus by them are the powers of the earth stirred up and the rulers , to persecute us without any just cause ; but this must not be counted persecution , for all the aforesaid things and many more he hath perswaded them we are guilty of ; and therefore all that comes upon us , it must be reckoned as just , and is an equal reward for our offences , and as just punishment for our transgression and disobedience , and so is no persecution at all ▪ and he hath witnesses enough to testifie against us , as he had against christ , all the scribes and pharisees , and the leaders and rulers of the people , with the high priests , judas and all to testifie against him , that he was not fit to live , but all cry , away with him ; even so now , he hath all the rabbies and elders , and all the time-serving hirelings , who serve not the lord jesus christ , but their own bellies , and all formal professors , who profess him in words , but deny him in works , and de●pise his cross , with all drunkards ▪ lyars and swearers , all proud and covetous , all wanton and riotous , and all that love the pleasure of sin for a season , all these will give their verdict against us . there was and is a generation that called darkness light , and light darkness , and good evil , and evil good ; the judgment of all such is false , and must be judged ; and god who hath immortality , and dwells in the light , with whom is no darkness at all , judgeth not as these men ; and therefore let us never heed the censures and judgments of fallen men , who err in their judgment , who cannot judge for god or his people , but against them ; let us count it a light thing to be judged or condemned by man , seeing the lord justifies us in his vvork and service , whereunto we are called ; and all the aforesaid crimes falsly laid to our charge he clears us of , and we can with a good conscience and pure heart bid defiance to all the powers of darkness , and all the enemies of god ; and the lord will clear us more and more , as his power , glory and light appears in the earth , and brings forth our righteousness as the noon-day before our enemies , notwithstanding all the false aspersions and reproaches cast upon us in the mean time ; if we be crowned with reproaches , as christ was with thorns , and evilly entreated for his names sake , let us bear all things , and endure all things with patience and hope to the end : and though they cover us with bear skins and draff , as the heathens did the primitive christians , and so let all the wild beasts upon us ; let us give up our bodies as a sacrifice unto the lord , and for a witness unto his name and truth , that so we all may witness eternal rest unto our souls , and everlasting joy in his heavenly habitation , where all persecutors and evil-doers are shut out . dearly beloved of the lord , i write not these things unto you because you many of you do not know them , but because you know them , to put you all in mind , and to stir up your hearts to the holy consideration of these things in these perilous and trying times ; and in very truth , whatsoever doth lye within my view , that might conduce to any or all your good , i cannot withhold it from you , because i know it is not only my duty , but i can truly say , the love of christ constrains me ; for my soul , heart and life is knit unto you in the everlasting covenant of life , above all the families of the earth , and the more you are hated , the more i love you , and the more you are despised and set at nought , the more i prize you , and the more you are compassed about on every side with tryals and afflictions ▪ the more my soul is poured forth unto the lord for you , that you may be kept stedfast in the faith and hope in the lord unto the end , that you may receive his reward , the crown of glory , which is laid up for all them that love the appearance of our lord jesus christ , and in the faith do overcome . and blessed and happy are all they that keep their garments clean in this polluted time , wherein wickedness walks with open face , and ungodliness with an out-stretched neck , and is exalted in great height , and doth corrupt many , and the earth is growing ripe with wickedness for destruction ; for the proud are counted happy , and they that work wickedness are admired and gloryed in , as the only brave men of these times , which they make evil , through yielding themselves servants unto sin , and their lusts. ease , and worldly enjoyments , and immediately drop down into eternal perdition ; and it 's time for the lord to arise and plead with all flesh , for men make void his law , and go about to establish their own in opposition thereunto : for violence , cruelty and hardness of heart and persecution are the forerunners of desolation and destruction ; these things do generally abound , all is secure and at ease , hardness of heart is generally over people , and clearly to me it doth presage judgment ; tenderness of heart and spirit is generaly lost among people , and the most have made shipwrack of all their hope , faith and profession , to please the time and men of this generation , who are perverse and froward , they have been treacherous to god and to their own souls , and cannot do good to his people ; keep as much as in you lyes out of their spirit & manners , for they are corrupt ; and though god's judgments be abroad in the land , and his anger kindled and broken forth , yet few enquire the cause , or say , what have i done ? but if any do enquire , it is generally in that dark spirit that leads them to evil , which god hides his counsel from , and will not be found of , and yet they make conclusions , and give judgment , as the heathen of old ▪ if any pest●le●ce ▪ famine , or drought , or judgment came upon them , th●y said , the christians were the cause , and so stirred up persecution against them ; the like and dreamers of this age in their mock fasts and humili●tions , they say , heresie : the cause , and because all d● n●t conform and are not willing to submit to the changeable institutions of men , though never so repugnant to the law of god , they tell the magistrates , the i hanaticks and quakers are the cause ; and so they fast for strife and to kindle debate , and to stir up persecution ; and they seem to cleave so close to the magistrates that will force and ex●ct gain for them ▪ and give them large pay , they will cry them up as the higher power , that all are to submit unto in all things under the pain of condemnation ; and they will cry them up , and dance , and clap their hands , and rejoyce , as israel did about the calf , when they had forgotten god ; so the lord is provoaked more and more , and they think by rooting out his people , if possible , will stay his judgments ; it 's lamentable to see what blindness is over the hearts of the seers of this generation , who cry , peace , peace , and how pe●ple are given up to believe their lyes , and to hardness of heart , and never consider their own estate , neither the afflictions of joseph is remembred . another thing also hath been in my heart many weeks , and a query hath been in my self , and i know hath been on many spirits ▪ why in this common calamity , and in god's visita●ion of the city of london , and many other places of this nation , that they that have suffered so greatly , so long and so faithfully , and have born such a testimony for the lord , why also they should be taken away among the rest , seeing the lord was able to deliver , and also command his destroying angel to pass over , as it pleased him , and spare and take away as he pleased ? and why it should not be wholly upon his enemies , and upon them that called not upon his name in truth and righteousness ? i had many sad thoughts of heart , and have waited upon the lord concerning these things , with supplications and tears concerning his afflicted pe●ple , and concerning his name and truth ; and this satisfaction i have received in my self , and do communicate unto you . first of all it is said , that paul stayed and preached the gospel at ephesus two years , so that not only them of ephes●● , but all asia heard the word of god , both jews and greeks , and many were gathered unto god , and believed , and the rest were hardened : when i considered this ▪ that not only two years but twelve years that city of london hath heard the word of the living god declared and published plentifully in it , and the everlasting gospel of christ in the demonstration of the spirit and with power , insomuch that the sound went through and through , and many believed , and the rest were hardened , having lost the day of their visitation ; but alas ! it was but a few , considering the labour and travail , and considering so many thousands who counted the things of god a slight matter ; and for them that were worthy , and did believe , they were hated , and despised , and evilly entreated with the most , and shut up in holes , and miserable bonds and prisons , and lingring torments , which oftentimes were the cause of their death , whose lives god is requiring at the hands of that place ; and the messengers of god were mocked , abused and evilly entreated , and shut up in bonds till death , and wickedness did abound , and peoples hearts grew hard in ease , riches , pride and vain glory , till the wrath of god broke forth , and cut down thousands in his displeasure ; and this was seen and foreseen full three whole years and upwards by some of the faithful servants of god , who laid down their lives in bonds in that city , and are gathered unto the lord , and also some who remain in the body unto this day ; and it was prophesied of , and the city was warned thereof , rulers and people , but the most made a mock of it , till the just judgment of god seized upon it . secondly , the lord took away these faithful men of god , edward burroughs , richard hubberthorn and george fox junior , who had been much conversant there , who were faithful watchmen , and prevailed often with the lord , till they were shut up in bonds for all their sore travail and labour amongst the inhabitants thereof ; and that place being unworthy of them any more , he delivered them , and took them away to himself from the evil to come , that they had seen and prophesied of , that they might see none of that misery that is now come . thirdly , they were gathered unto the lord , as a token and sign unto them that believed , of many following after and of their dissolution . fourthly , the lord did fore-know and fore-see , and also had determined evil against that city , and that which is now come to pass , and that this generation , notwithstanding all the entreaties , woings , warnings and exhortations which they had and slighted , and they would proceed on to more mischief and persecution , in presumption against god and his people , and are yet determined , and have said in their hearts , though the bricks be fallen down , we will build with hewn stone , to fortifie themselves , that their end might not fail , which the lord god will blast and confound ; and though friends have born their iniquity , they shall at last bear it themselves , and know the reward thereof ▪ and have none to help ; so the lord hath taken away many in his love and mercy from the evil to come , and h●th freed them from further misery , and hath translated them out of the reach of all their enemies . fifthly , seeing they have suffered long and faithfully in that pla●e and and elsewhere ▪ and have born a living testimony , many to the loss of their lives , and to their ruinating in this world , against the abominations that did abound , and their righteous souls were vexed , as lot's was with the sodomites ; the lord hath considered , and hath said , it is enough , your afflictions i will end , and take you into my rest and peace , out of the reach of the oppressor . sixthly , for the frustrating of the purpose of them who decreed that unrighteous decree for banishment , that it may not profit them , neither answer their end and unrighteousness ; & the lord , the lord hath cut them short of their purpose , and will cut them short of their hope , and in the end bring their council to nought , for that which is formed against the lord shall not prosper . seventhly , for the hardening the hearts of this generation , who have devised mischief from the womb , and have gone astray as soon as they were born , after so many warnings and evident tokens of his hand against them , and of his displeasure , which have been set at nought , and yet are resolved to go on to root out the heritage of god ; i say , that their hearts might be hardened , and their eyes closed , that they may not discern betwixt the end of the righteous and the wicked , nor see a difference in their states , but as one dyes , so dyes the other as to the outward appearance ; though you beloved know a difference both in life and death ; and i do believe many who have laid down the body , and put off this earthy tabernacle , have given great testimony of god's love unto them , of his favour , peace and acceptation in the latter end ; in this which i have said i am satisfied , and therefore could not but signifie the same unto you , that we might not sorrow concerning them that dye in the faith , and sleep in christ , as them who are without hope ; for these rest from their labours , and their faith , works and life shall live , and we have and enjoy their spirit and life ; so it is only personal absence of this earthly tabernacle that we want , so in that be comforted . last of all , the wayes of the lord are unsearchable , but as he reveals them to them that fear him ; and whatever may be manifest to any other , this i am certainly perswaded of , that god will have honour and glory through all these things , as it shall be in the end for the prosperity of the gospel of truth ; and i am perswaded of this , though the lord should permit many to be destroyed outwardly of all they enjoy , yet they are resolved to trust in him forever . and though the day be dark and gloomy , and the devil be let loose to try the faith of them that dwell upon the earth , and the wrath of the wicked be great , yet the bond is set that they cannot pass ; and though we that yet remain alive to this day were all dissolved and rowled together in the dust , which is the end of all flesh , yet that life and power which we have believed in , and that everlasting truth which we have testified of and suffered for shall never be extinguished or rooted out , but shall take up other persons and bodies from generation to generation , while sun and moon endureth ; in this be all assured and comforted in the lord , and chearful in your sufferings , and comfort and strengthen one another ; in the royal seed of god all live and dwell ( which cannot bow to the seed of the bond-woman ) which hath the promise of life , and immortality , and everlasting blessedness ; and all look unto the lord over all and above all the rage and wrath of the enemy , and the afflictions of this present life , and feel that which is without end. the god of power be with you , & comfort your in the midst of all your tryals , and preserve you that your faith fail not , is the earnest desire of him whose heart is knit unto the lord and all his suffering people in the everlasting covenant of life and peace ; pray all unto the lord without ceasing , that you may be able , though through the valley of the shadow of death ; the peace of god fill all your hearts , that you may rejoyce in the lord , and trust in him forever . the th of the th moneth , . yours in life or death , f. h. oaths no gospel-ordinance , but prohibited by christ being in answer to a. smallwood . d. d. to his book lately published , being a sermon preached at carlile , , wherein he hath laboured to prove swearing lawful among christians ; his reasons and arguments are weighed and answered , and the doctrine of christ vindicated against the conceptions and interpretations of men , who would make it void . by a sufferer for christ and his doctrine , f. h. because of oaths the land mourneth , jer. . , , , &c. by swearing , and lying , and k●l●ing , and stealing , and committing adultery , they break out , and blood toucheth blood , therefore shall the land mourn , and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish , hosea . , . to the reader . truth never had that advantage nor countenance from the men of this world ( though wise in their generation ) since sin entered into it , to have the approbation of the world , neither of the powers and potentates thereof ; for it alwayes hated the truth , because it bore witness against the world , and the deeds and works thereof , which ere evil ; for wisdom is only justified of her children , and truth is justified of her children , neither indeed doth it need any other patron to shelter it self under , but the god of all truth , from whence it proceeds ; neither shall i seek a shelter , neither run to any mountain or hill for safety or protection , nor to the mighty of the earth , as many of latter dayes have done , to patronize their labours , and to make them the more acceptable , and to be the sooner and more readily received : but seeing the apostle saith , not many wise , not many rich , not many noble are chosen , but he hath chosen the weak , and poor , and despised of the world , who are rich in faith and good works , who are heirs of the promise and of the the world to come ; i chuse only to be approved to the witness of christ's light in every man's conscience , and to the measure of his holy spirit which he hath placed in every man , to that only i desire to be either approved , or else by it reproved ; for wholly unto the judgment of that in every conscience i appeal , and do commend this ensuing discourse , in the sight of god , and the answer unto a. smalwood's book , who hath sought to make void christ's command , for to obey the command of men , as is manifest in his epistle dedicatory to the gentlemen of cumberland ; for it seems by his epistle they put him on work , to preach and print this sermon , whether upon this subject or not , i shall not determine ; but however , he saith , he hath obeyed their commands , though he hath laboured , as much as in him lyes , to make the command of christ void and the apostles doctrine , by his arguments which he hath raised , to prove christ's doctrine one thing , and his intention another ; and so would blind the minds of people , only to establish the doctrines of men , and the traditions of men in the apostacy , and hath put divers constructions upon the plain words of the scripture , and interpretation , to prove his false assertion that he laid down at the first , that christ did not forbid all swearing ; i say , i could willingly have been silent , rather then to be found over and over again contending with every new opposer of those old truths , that have been believed and received long before the apostacy entered in , which hath been answered ( by that people i own in judgment and conversation ) long ago ; to let pass those disadvantages we have adventured upon , our low , persecuted , imprisoned , and in a manner condemned condition , so that we may expect our words , how true soever , yet they are not like to gain much credit against such an eminent man as doctour smalwood . again , considering how we expose our selves to the lash and severity of a sharp law , which some men in their blind zeal are far more rigid and severe in their prosecution of it , then i am apt to believe the supream enactors of it were in their intentions when they did enact it ; all which notwithstanding are no discouragement unto me , forasmuch as the internal and eternal truth of our god , which we have known received and believed , is very precious in our eyes , yea , far more then either life , or liberty and estate ( which some have forfeited and lost upon truth 's account ) or any external treasure or outward enjoyment whatsoever , so that considering how the truth lyes at stake , we cannot be silent , lest thereby we should appear to some mens apprehensions , as to be satisfied with what the doctour hath said , and own his arguments and reasons that he hath laid down for positive truth , i could do no less then to show our dislike of his doctrine , and to manifest the weakness of his arguments about this particular of swearing at all , under the gospel , though he hath strained very hard to prove his assertion , that oaths may lawfully be taken by christians in some cases , notwithstanding christ's ●rohibition and command to the contrary ; but of how little effect or force hi● reasons are thou wilt see in the ensuing discourse , although his book be looked upon by some to be sufficient force to convince all gain-sayers ; and although he say , he hath had divers papers and books of dissenters , who are of a contrary judgment , where he found any reason offered against what he has laid down for doctrine , he hath answered , though indeed he hath over-riden the most weighty matters in them ▪ and hath said little but that hath been said before by other opposers of christ's doctrine ; though it 's very like the doctour will count this but a loose discourse , as he hath done others of very great weight ( yea indeed , of more weight and reason in them then any thing he hath exhibited to the contrary ) and so count it not worth taking notice of ; but though he do not , it 's not of much moment ; for that end only have i writ , to bear my testimony for christ's doctrine , against all the false and feigned interpretations of men , being that which i have stedfastly believed , and is of that force and vveight upon many consciences , & so evident by the spirit of christ , that they can receive nothing of mans fallen reasons and conceptions , which are variable and changeable , to answer or weigh down the doctrine of christ , and his apostles , and primitive christians , who walked in the order of the gospel , and obeyed the commands of christ before the apostacy entered in , and the power was lost , and the life and spirit of christ erred from , and mingled the ordinances of the first and second covenant together , & the injunctions of men among them for doctrine , and then compelled all to receive it , all this long time of ant●christ's reign and the false church's visibility , wherein she hath sitten as a queen upon the waters , which are the nations , kindreds , tongues and people , which a. s. brings as a great argument to prove swearing in use among christians since christ gave out that command , swear not at all ; the reasons the very strength of them i have laid down , as a.s. hath published them , without varying from his own words ; the answer thou may'st peruse and read without prejudice , and weigh with the measure of god's spirit in thy self , for unto that i appeal , which is a more certain thing then councils , or nations , or consent of multitudes , who have the name of christian , and walk not in his doctrine , neither live his life , nor do the things he saith : i am shut up in a corner , and have not that advantage that some opposers have of others labours , as to bring authors of divers ages that denyed to swear , though not only some there were , but many ; but alas ! they are condemned by a. s. and others for phanaticks and heterodox , and so their sayings will seem of less force ; but however , i have not much striven , neither shall , to fetch things from far in the apostacy , but rest in that which makes all things evident , even the spirit of god in thy own heart , and the scriptures of truth , which were spoken by the spirit , which are so clear unto many , that there needs not multitude of words to demonstrate this truth of the prohibition of all oaths among true christians ; but i shall not detain thee from the matter it self , and the lord give thee an understanding . oaths no gospel-ordinance , but prohibited by christ : there being a book lately published by a. smalwood . d. d. as i understand doctor of divinity ; first preached in a sermon at carlile , i suppose before the judges at the assizes then holden the th day of august , . since which i perceive many additions , by reasons and paraphrases are added thereunto , and printed at york : in which discourse he hath vindicated the lawfulness of swearing under the gospel , and hath gone about to prove it by many reasons , and authors ; how that christ upon that subject , mat. . . swear not at all , did not intend an absolute universal prohibition of all manner of swearing under the gospel ; which book of his i have perused with an upright heart , and an impartial eye , seriously , to the end i might own that which is good in it , not as one being glued to an opinion or judgment ; but what as carries demonstration of truth with it upon my conscience and in my heart ; it being a principle well known and believed amongst us , to have our consciences void of offence towards god , and towards man : and seeing my self and many more are great sufferers at this day upon this very account , which i look upon , being truly and conscientiously grounded upon the doctrine of christ , and consonant to the primitive christians , and seeing so large things have been written by other hands in asserting the truth of what we have believed , which yet stands as a witness unto the doctrine of christ ; notwithstanding all opposition and gain-saying , that it hath had by many hands ; i could have been wholly silent , and have referred all that hath been said to the judgment of the lord , and to that of god in every mans conscience ; but that i perceive a. smalwood hath rendred that people which i own in judgment and practice , to be in error , and hath greatly gain sayed & villified all such as ever did or do deny swearing upon never so conscientious account ; as erroneous , and as only sprung from the pelagian heresie and manicheus , and i know not who , and have rendred all with reproach and disdain , as phanaticks who discent from him , with disdainful , and reproachful names , to represent us as odious as may be to the magistrate , and at such a time as this , when tender and conscientious people , who fear the lord in their hearts , ( and desire to live and be at peace , and seek it with all men ) are sufferers , and great sufferers too , upon this very account , whereby many are stirred up to more persecution & wrath against us : and besides , this discourse it seems is cryed up , as the most exquisite that ever was , or can be ; and as unanswerable , and that we who deny to swear , would abolish all judicable proceedings , and make them nothing ; this discourse is printed , as a. s. in his . page saith , to induce us to forsake so irrational an opinion , and to convince us of our error ; and it seems he himself , besides many other , exspects it must effect some great matter . reply . i say all these things being considered , were a strong inducement to me , to write something in reply thereunto , through in very deed i love not contention , neither strife about words , but seeing it is the doctrine of christ , and that which hath been , and is stedfastly believed by divers faithful professors and sufferers , both formerly and now , however by a. smalwood accounted and reproached by that disdainful name of phanaticks ; a word lately invented in the pit of darkness , where many of those and the like reproaches come from ; i was engaged in my heart , to bear my testimony against this said book , and for the truth of christ's doctrine ; not out of obstinacy and wilfulness , but in duty as by conscience to god & his truth ; which is dearer to me then my outward liberty or all i have to loose for it , which i and many more at this day choose rather to suffer , then to be found violating the commands of christ , or deny that which i have stedfastly believed ; being perswaded thereunto by the spirit of the lord , and evidence of the scripture of truth . the subject a. smalwood hath taken to treat upon , and in the end to gainsay , and pervert ; are no less then christ's own doctrine , mat. . . but i say unto you , swear not at all : who would have believed or thought that one who accounts himself a doctor , a divine , and a minister of christ , should choose christ's own words to plead against christ , and them that do abide in his doctrine ? or that ever any should go about to prove swearing lawful from these words in gospel-times , or that swearing is not forbidden ? but what would this man encounter with , or what would not he oppose , if he hath but the power of this world on his side ? it is a small thing to gain-say what we say , and pervert our words , and make them seem erroneous , and to make our intentions one thing , and our words another , when he is so bold as to make christ's doctrine , his express words , swear not at all , and his intentions contrary to his words ; what do we judge of a man that speaks one thing , and intends another ? it's fearful to think what conclusions some will make to carry on their intended designs ; but methinks a. s. might have been more considerate then to have taken christ's own doctrine and words , to oppose christ's intention , or to be so bold as to assert the intention of christ was otherwise then his words import ; but rather have chosen some other subject ; but what matter makes many of subjects , for with a consequence or two , and a little logick , they will seem to turn things any way , and go about to prove darkness is light , and light is darkness , and what as in them lyes make it so to appear if they take a matter in hand ; and therefore the apostle exhorted to beware of philosophy and vain deceit , for by this men have been cunning and crafty , and lie in wait to deceive the innocent and harmless , and to lead them out of the way . in the fourth page he saith , he will clear his intention , and that there are two sorts of men that do violence to this text ; the one winds it up to too high a note , as though christ had forbidden all swearing whatsoever . and in the tenth page he saith , this error is masked under a fair colour of a more then ordinary piety , but tends to overthrow all judicatures , and takes away the decision of all emergent suites and controversies ; and were it granted , saith a. smalwood , we should be necessitated if not to disown the magistrates authority , yet to disobey their loyal command , as having a counter●and from christ , swear not at all , and the other sort of men are such who in despight of this text to commonly , rashly , prophanely and falsely swear . answ. who doth the greater violence to this scripture , whether a. s. who in his doctrine he hath raised from these words to be the foundation of his discourse , who makes christ's plain and express words one thing and his intentions another , i leave to all unbyassed spirits to judge off ; or they that say , christ intended what he spoke , and spake what he intended : i say let all see and consider where the violence lies , and in whom , and whether he doth not wind it up by that note , or contrary to it , to use his own words , otherwise then christ intends it , as after will be made more eviently to appear , & we say it 's not error but truth to believe christ's words , whoare truth , more then a. s. his conjectural supposition , neither do we believe it , to be error masked , but truth revealed , and christ spoke and declared it , that we might believe it , and obey it : and we believe that a. s. and many more have put a mask and a vail upon christ's words , and would hood-wink all , and lead them blind-fold after their imaginations , and crooked pathes , winding and turning this way and that way , that lead into darkness and trouble , and confusion , from the path of life : and what doth christ's command , viz. swear not at all ? doth it overthrow all justice and judicatories ? is it not the seat of judgment established in righteousness and truth ? and they that sit in judgment ought they not to give sentence and judgment in righteousness and truth , and as the causes are represented unto them , and brought before them ? and may not every truth be confirmed out of the mouth of two or three ‖ witnesses , and all emergent suits & controversies ended according to the best evidence after diligent inquisition and judgment given accordingly , and that without the needless and cumbersome formality of an oath ‖ which is sometime this , and sometime that , and changeable , whenas every true confession and testimony is equivalent thereunto , in the presence of the god of all truth ? and who ever denyed this ? and there is no necessity so to judge that he that fears to swear , and take an oath , yet refuseth not to give testimony about any matter , whether it doth concern the lord or his neighbour , that therefore he denyes the magistrates authority , or yet disobeys their legal commands ? so that though all swearing should be denyed , yet that which answers the cause in hand is not denyed , true testimony ; and therefore the magistrates authority and their lawful commands may well stand and be obeyed , and right done unto every man , and christ's command stand also , these are but the secret smitings and suggestions of a. smalwood to render them odious to the magistrates and all people , who dissent from him in judgment : and indeed such like discourses and instigations from such like mouths and pens as his is , who is accounted learned and eminent , hath not a little added afflictions unto our bonds , and they have made wide the wound , and have made the breach seem greater then it is , and the matter more grievous then there hath been any cause for , i desire they may consider of it , and repent . and in page . from this text , mat. . . but i say unto you , swear not at all , he layes down this proposition or doctrine , viz. our saviour did not intend by these words , swear not at all , an absolute , universal and limited prohibition of all manner of swearing ; and goes on to prove it by divers reasons . the first he gives is , that the father and the son are one in nature , power , wisdom , immutability and eternity , and one in will and wisdom , therefore they cannot give forth contrary commands ; but god the father hath commanded swearing in these words , thou shalt fear the lord , and swear by his name , and serve him , deut. . . and therefore it is not possible that god the son should forbid it . answ. though the father and the son be one in nature , power , and wisdom , and immutability , and will , as in themselves , and alter not , but keep covenant from age to age , and from generation to generation , there is no contrariety in them , yet there are diversities of gifts , but the same spirit , and there are differences of administrations , but the same lord : it is granted , that after sin entered into the world , and death by sin , and diffidence and unbelief , variance and strife , and many transgressions , for which the law was added , and because of which the law was added , and the command given forth unto the jews , to swear by the name of god , as jerome saith upon mat. . , . it was permitted the jews under the law , is being tender and infants ( and to keep them from idolatry , which the rest of the nations did run into ) they might swear by the name of god , not that it was rightful so to do , but that it was better to swear by the lord then by false gods or devils ; but the great evangelical sincerity and truth admits not of an oath . secondly , for the ending of strife and variance , being in the unbelief , which was the occasion of the adding of the law , and the cause of the command given forth , deut. . . with divers more words , specified by moses and the prophets : and though christ came not to destroy the law , but to fulfil it , and to destroy that which the law was against ( and which it took hold upon ) and to finish sin and transgression , and bring in everlasting righteousness , and to restore to the beginning ; and we say , according as we have believed and received of the lord , and have a cloud of witnesses , both them that are gone before , and of them that yet remain alive : as christ said of divorcement , it was not so from the beginning , so we say , oathes were not from the beginning , but were added after hardness of heart , and sin , and unbelief entered into the world ; but christ who was made under the law , and fulfilled the law , put an end to the transgression , sin , unbelief , variance and strife , in whom all the promises of god are fulfilled , he is the righteousness of god ; and who are true christians indeed are come out of unbelief , variance and transgression , and do see and know christ to be the end of the law for righteousness unto them that believe , who exhorted to do the truth , confess the truth and speak the truth , who said , swear not at all by heaven , and which after more shall be said , god willing , to the text it self : and so a. smalwood his reason is made void , and his impossibility made possible , that god gave forth a command , and permitted the jews to swear in that covenant and ministration , and yet christ in the new covenant countermands it , as in the text , being the minister of a better covenant , which stood upon better promises , who leads to the beginning , and is the restorer of all mankind that do believe ; and yet the father and the son are one in will , wisdom & power : and though a. s. and others cannot understand , or else have no mind in that latitude , as generally prohibitive of all swearing , because he sayes , god did require it no less then he did his own worship and service in the moral law ; these nice distinctions of moral , judicial and ceremonial have confounded peoples understandings , though it is still acknowledged they did vow and did swear in the first covenant under the law ; but whether he or any other making swearing moral , judicial or ceremonial is not much matter , seeing that christ the righteousness is the sum and substance of all , and the end of the law for righteousness to them that do believe , and in him is life and righteousness enjoyed ; for the law was given by moses , but the grace and the truth cometh by jesus christ , who in the sum of all types and shadows ; and therefore the apostle said , we are circumcised in him , and baptized in him ; and we do look upon an oath under the law to have some type and figure in it , notwithstanding a.s. sayes , it was none , and that christ is improperly called the oath of god , no more improper then he is a vine , a door , a way , a shepherd ; * for all the promises are fulfilled in him , and are yea and amen : and as for the morality of it , so far as it is moral and perpetual to all under the gospel , is in confession of truth , and bearing witness thereunto , as before the lord , or in his presence , and speaking the truth when there is necessity , as when any man's person or estate , or any part thereof is in danger ; and this we have ever owned , and do own , and have and are ready to testifie the truth before the lord , or in his presence , as concerning any matter which concerns the glory of god , or the good of our neighbour , without being pinched or bound up to a certain form of words imposed upon us , but according as necessity requires , so amply and largely as our words may give knowledge , and understanding , and light in any matter which is to be desired ▪ but this hath been denyed , and hath not been received by this unbelieving generation , who seek rather to establish the traditions and customs of men , rather then the evangelical doctrine of the gospel . and though dr. smalwood will needs have it , viz. swearing , neither to be ceremonial or judicial ; but for any proof he brings , for ought i see , it may be either as well as that he calls moral ; for sure i am that oath , were used ‖ in judicial proceedings , and ceremonies were used in the worship of god and his service then , and by commandment ; and the service of god and his worship , i hope he will say is moral , yet so as under the law it was not without ceremony ; and it is concluded by the most learned , that there was some ceremony , or figure , or sign in that covenant in all the worship , and some shadows of good things to come ( then if swearing was any part of the vvorship of god ) as the most do grant and assert , and i think a. s. will hardly deny , then i argue , it had some ceremony or shadow in it ; but oh this a. s. cannot away with in this point of swearing , but it must needs be all moral , for fear he should weaken his matter that he hath taken in hand , to war against christ's command ; but it is evident that swearing was used in judicial proceedings , as is manifest , deut. . . about killing of a man accidentally , and ver. . about murder , and ver. . about land-marks , and ver. . life for life , eye for eye , tooth for tooth , hand for hand , and foot for foot , about all these things and many more , and in ver. . about a false witness ( were to be decided and tryed by vvitnesses before the judges ) and judgement was to be given according to the several commands about the aforesaid different transgressions , all which statutes belonged to their judicial-proceedings , as this about swearing , and as is manifest in this chapter ; and all of these commands seem to have as much morality in them , as swearing hath in the judgment of many , unto whose judgment i leave what i say , to be weighed by the spirit of god in them . thirdly , the law said many things by way of precept and commission ( at least permission ) from god , which would be irregularities grosly reprovable in mens manners , in moral matters , conversations , civil transactions and communications , should they be used among them who profess the gospel ; the law said , an eye for an eye , tooth for tooth , hand for hand , foot for foot ; the gospel saith , avenge not your selves , resist not evil , suffer wrong , put up , forgive , forbear ; the law said , thou shalt love thy neighbour , and hate thy enemy ; but a. s. will look upon this as an addition or false interpretation to the law , it may be ; but however , certain it is , that under the law they made war , the jews with amaleck , with moab , with ammon , and the canaanites and the egyptians might be spoiled , but the gospel said only , love your enemies , if he be hungry feed him , if he be thirsty give him to drink ; and for any thing i can see , the aforesaid commands were as moral , and had as much morality in them as swearing , whatever a. s. say or can say : in the th section a. s. sayes , if any argue , that christ abolished the ceremonial and judicial laws once commanded by god ( he sayes ) he denyes that assertion ; for we were never under the judicial law , it being solely given to the jews for the regulating their common wealth in the land of canaan , deut. . . and they were never obligatory to us that are no jews , nor never dwelt in canaan ; and as for the ceremonial , it was meerly temporary , and ceased at our saviour's death , and was not abrogated , but observed by him in his life , neither can it properly be said to be repealed . reply , though i do not argue that christ abolished the ceremonial and judicial laws once commanded , not abrogated them , yet bishop gauden doth , who attained , if not to a degree of knowledge and learning , yet to a degree of promotion above a. smallwood in his book which he wrote for the information of the quakers about swearing , he saith in his own words , christ came to fulfil the moral law , however he came in a way of fulfilling to abrogate the ceremonial , yea , and the politick laws too , belonging to the jews policy in church and state ; and herein is the bishop and the doctor at odds , the bishop said , he abrogated the ceremonial law and judicial too , belonging to the jews policy and state ; but doctor smallwood sayes , he denyes his assertion ; for ( sayes he ) we were never under the judicial law , and what was never imposed need not be abolished ; so then what remains forme to say but this , if swearing was any part of the judicial law , or did belong to their political estate , as it is the judgment of many , but it is evident that swearing was used by the witness before judges in israel in those dayes , to try out their matters , according to commandment given of god , as is evident from deut. . in the whole chapter , and divers other places ; then by this argument a. s. hath made , he hath overthrown himself , for he saith , we are no jews , nor in canaan , and so never imposed , and what was never imposed needs no abolishing ; and it is , as i have said , manifest , that oaths had relation to judicial proceedings , and to the service of god too in that covenant , which was shadowy , and consisted much in outward signs and figures , but the substance is christ : so then instead of proving swearing under the gospel lawful , he hath by his argument proved it never injoyned unto the gentiles , neither indeed was it either ever commanded or commended unto the gentiles who believed , or they reproved for not observing it , that we ever read of , by christ or his apostles or ministers in the first and purest times of christianity ; for to jacob he gave his law , and to israel his statutes ; to every nation he did not so , no not to moab , ammon , nor the canaanites , neither the gentiles ; and though he seems to plead hard for swearing under the gospel , yet he talls short in his proof , except he took his own reasons and arguments , which divers of them are but imaginary ; and in the foundation of his discourse he hath taken such great compass , as there is not an universal , unlimited prohibition of all manner of swearing ; but what this manner of swearing is , it is very uncertain ; sometimes he makes it this , and sometimes that ; sometimes he saith , it is no oath , though in the form thereof there be not , i swear , or god be not named , or by god doth not alwayes signifie an oath , and other where he seems to affirm it to be an oath ; but when an impartial eye hath sounded and tryed the bottom , what this swearing is , that brings so much glory to god , and so much good to our neighbour , that he so vehemently contends for , that ought to be observed as well as god's fear & service ; it 's but their own traditions & inventions , for that under the law will not serve ( as the lord lives ) or that he calls swearing under the gospel will not serve ( the lord is witness ) or i speak the truth in christ , or th●s is truth in the presence of god , or the like , none of these will serve ; but though he & the rulers do say they are oaths , yet when at any time we have proffered willingly to declare the truth in this or that particular causes , or to make as ample confession in demonstration for clearing any cause in debate , that hath either conduced to the glory of god , or the good and profit of any particular man in the nation , among whom we converse , and not without some attestation of god , or of his wisdom , power and presence , yet it would never yet be received , but reckoned as insufficient , though both the rulers of this age and a. s. have said it , it might be that in private it might , but in judicature never as received , though i do believe the most do believe we dare not lye in ordinary communication , much less in judicature , yet we have been set aside as objects of wrath , as deluded , erronious , factious , seditious , contemners of law , obstructors of legal procedings , except we would lay our hand upon a bible , and kiss it , and say , i swear , and by the contents of the book , and so help me god , or else fined imprisoned for term of life , our lands and goods confiscated , and we sentenced to be banished , our wives and children ruinated , husband and wife parted , children and parents separated , and such monsters of christians have we to deal withal in this age , and how many brought into this sad condition in england , as little a. s. knows as cares : but for ought i know that he and such as he , in such publick discourses as this of his have blown the sparks , and have kindled a flame in the rulers , and incensed them , and stirred them up to severity and harshness against them who fear the lord , and do maintain peace with all men , as much as in them lyeth , and keep their consciences void of offence towards god , which makes us to chuse rather all this hardship , then to offend the lord , who serve and fear his name , and reverence it more then they who seem to honor it , and pretend god's honour through their swearing . but to make amends for this a. s. saith , the magistrates must act by the law , and that enjoyns such a form of swearing , and they cannot allow it . unto that i answer , it had been a more necessary discourse for a. s. to have exhorted the magistrates , if the law had been answered in the substance , not to be so severe in the form , and also to have told them where any law was made contrary to the law of god , either in matter or form ; the consciences of believers could not yeild obedience thereunto , when it was repugnant unto the law of god , and not according to the form thereof , and in such cases to be wary ; and he and the rest of the clergy to have advised with the rulers and law-makers , and to have informed them from whom they receive such great in-comes and revenues ( for the preservation and peace of all men ) tnat they need not stand so much upon the form , seeing that so many conscientious people questioned it , so that there needed not such tying up to form , under such great and heavy penalties , as banishment , confiscation and perpetual imprisonment , but have informed them so that the truth might have been found out , and no judicial proceedings hindered , which i am sure may be without any swearing , true testimony never being denyed , when required by any magistrate , and let but a penalty be upon him that gives false evidence , or speaks an untruth about any proceedings in judicature , or otherwise called to bear evidence in any controversie , if found , let them suffer as them that swear falsly , and as perjured , and the case is one ; and here all scruples and contentions about swearing would end , and there would not be the least obstruction in legal proceedings , or in administration of justice ; and let me tell doctor smallwood and the rest of his brothren , that if they would move such a thing in parliament , peradventure it would be readily received from them , and in so doing they would do as acceptable a piece of service , and as well-pleasing to god , and would conduce as much to the peace and tranquillity of the nation , as any thing that ever they will do in their age , or hath been effected many ages ; and so all these heart-burnings , contentions , and evil surmisings , and evil representing one another would cease and end , and which if not effected , nothing can be looked for but sad suffering , and great oppression and persecution , which will provoke the lord to anger , and ever did against all them that were the cause of it in ages past : but i come to his second argument . second argument , some without any colour , reason or possibility of proof , will needs have swearing a ceremonial rite , but god ranks it with his fear and service , therefore it must needs be moral ; and therefore what at all times , as well under the gospel as under the law , as well among the gentiles as the jews , tends to the glory of god , that is not a ceremonial ordinance , nor forbidden by christ ; but such is swearing , and therefore it cannot be thought to be prohibited . reply , it hath been said and often asserted , that all the ten words and ten commandments were moral and perpetual , as well under the gospel as under the law ; then i wonder what a. s. and divers others intend to do with the fourth commandment if it be moral and perpetual , and to be observed in the same manner and with the same service , as then commanded , and the same day and time , then he and most of them who contend most for the morality of these ten commandments are great transgressors ; and if he grant there was something ceremonial in it , and typical or figurative , which then was the seventh day , which was given for a sign of the world's rest from its labour , and of keeping after it an everlasting sabbath to the lord , by man's cessation from his own works , as god did from his , isa. . and the last of hebrews , ver . . which jewish observation of the seventh day as a sabbath now , though never so solemnly , as then commanded , will have no acceptation at all , no more then he , and he as much ( that is , none at all ) that never so solemnly swears by the name of god , in such ceremonious way as the jews did of old , ( or goes beyond the bare asseveration or testimony of truth , with some attestation of god's power and veracity , which hath never been denyed ) which to do , we do not only think , but know it to be a superfluous ceremony to judaism , not to say , brat of jewish extraction , as a. s. doth ) now circumcised and cut off from christians by christ ? and what though god did , deut. . . rank it with his fear and service ? was there any service or worship in that covenant that had not some sign and shadow in it , and was ceremonial , and was to end in the substance ? was there not prayer and praising ? and were not these service and worship ? and had these not the ceremony of incense and sacrifice , which then attended these services ? but the substance was lifting up of the heart unto the lord , and making a melody in the heart ; and circumcision is now that of the heart , rom. . which was outward before ; the killing of a lamb at the passeover was an ordinance in that covenant ; the substance thereof is christ , the passeover ; the other now under the gospel would be no more then cutting off a dog's neck ; these were all ordinances of god to be observed , and in their day and time ; & they that did according to the command of god tended to the glory of god in that first covenant ; but in the second under the gospel , whosoever should observe them in the figure , ceremony and shadow , should much dishonour god and his christ , the substance , and christ would profit him nothing ; see that ceremony of swearing , the morality that only abides under the gospel , is testifying the known truth from the heart , with some attestation of god to witness , who is witness of all we do or say , and that no more then confession or denial by yea or nay , which is no oath , is that standing substance and the moral ( if a. s. will have it called so ) that remains under the gospel , which answers that ceremonious way of swearing under the law , which is most evidence by the apostle paul's rendering of that term swearing , as it was spoken by way of prophesie concerning its continuance , isa. . . to me every tongue shall swear , under that term confessing only under the gospel , rom. . . every knee shall bow , every tongue shall confess to god ; confession under the gospel is made equivalent with an oath under the law ; but this rendering of it a. s. doth not like , but would pervert paul's words , to have it confession ( but put to his own addition ) by oath , so that his argument is void ; swearing was binding in that ceremonious way which it was commanded under the law , but not under the gospel , nor among the christians , who are come to the substance , and to confess and speak the truth in christ , to the glory of god , acknowledging his power and omnisciency , and his justice , in discerning whether truth be spoken , and in punishing them that speak falsly & his wisdom in discerning the secrets of all hearts ; and a. s. might as well have said , that offerings and oblations , & sacrifice tend much to the glory of god under the gospel , as under the law , as swearing ; but saith he , swearing is a part of god's peculiar service , that is incommunicable to any creature ; the like i say of the former , offering , and sacrifice , and incense were incommunicable to any creature , but was due unto god alone ; yet it doth not follow as well under the gospel as under the law , for that were to set up the figure , and deny the substance ; so this second argument is insufficient , and the third is somewhat related to it , which i now come unto . thirdly , the third argument is , that if christ's purpose be utterly to abolish all swearing , as an illegitimate brat of jewish extraction , not to be admitted into the christian church , then it must be either as it is repugnant to our duty to god , or else to our neighbour ; for into that summary he hath contracted the whole law. reply . we must still distinguish that which was once a duty to be performed under the law , because commanded , is not required as a duty under the gospel , and the strength of most of a. s. his arguments , and the rest who contend for swearing under the gospel , are grounded upon the mosaical law , though this of oaths he will needs have to be moral ; it may be he would contend as much for the morality of tythes and oblations , if it had been the subject of his discourse , as for oaths , and them to be jure divino , under the gospel , for many such we have met with , and he might bring the same arguments for tythes and oblations , they are not repugnant unto god , but bring glory to his name ; because hereby his ministers under the gospel are maintained , and are enabled thereby to preach the gospel for the conversion of souls , which addes much to the glory of god , and therefore cannot or are not to be prohibited , but these only belonged to the levitical priesthood , and continued only to the time of reformation , viz. to the bringing in of a better hope and a better covenant , which stood upon better promises ; for the priesthood being changed , there is also of necessity a change of the law , hebr. . . by which tythes was a duty , and they robbed god that detained them , mal. . . but this being ended and fulfilled in christ , the everlasting high priest , who by one offering perfected forever them that are sanctified , he bid not his disciples require tythes as a due , or duty belonging to god , under the gospel , but freely you have received , freely give , and what house soever ye enter into that is worthy there abide , and eat such things as are set before you , for the workman is worthy of his meat , and this was far more evangelical , & conduced more to the honour of god , then tythes ; and the apostles lived more by faith upon god , who provided for them , who were employed in his service , so that i argue , what was once a duty under the law , that was to be performed unto god , is not alwayes a duty among christians , for though oaths were commanded unto the jews in that time of infancy , and as being weak , and it was permitted them , as jerome saith , upon the th mat. vers . . to swear by the name of god to keep them from idolatry , seeing all other nations were given to idolatry , and swear by false god's , as chemosh , ashtereth , and baal , he knew their aptness to be led aside with the customs of other nations , and therefore they were to acknowledge him alone , who was the living god , and no other , and to testifie truth by his name , as a thing certain and sure ▪ and therefore one of their oathes was , as the lord lives , and this among the rest was one of the precepts of the law , which was added because of transgression , to swear by his name , which needed not have been added , if sin , and transgression , and unbelief had not entered in , ( mark this ) and this law of oathes pertained to that part which was in the transgression , and variance , and strife , and that led to worship idols , and this continued while that nature was standing , but christ was revealed and given to finish sin and transgression , and unbelief , and to do away that part that lusted after idols , and that led into variance , and he leads out of the occasion of evil , and from that which was the cause of the addition of the law unto everlasting righteousness again , which was in the beginning before sin entred , and they that come to believe in him are not under the law , but under grace , moreover the apostle saith , rom. . . the law hath power over a man so long as he liveth , even as a wife is bound by the law of her husband so long as he liveth , ( and no longer ) so as long as man liveth in sin , un●elief , transgression , discord , variance , and strife , and idolatry , the law hath power over him to correct and reprove him , and judge him , and was to be a limit unto that nature ; but christ leads out of the occasion of all these , for which the law was added to do the truth and speak the truth , and ceaseth strife , for which the law was added . again , the law was added as a cure and a remedy to decide controversies , and ill distempers , that were entred into the hearts of men in the unbelief , and that is one reason which doctor gauden gives , why solemn swearing should and ought to be in judical proceedings among christians , to take away jealousies , distrusts , dissimulations , frauds , unsatisfactions and insecurities ; and quotes grotius , that swearing is necessary , not absolutely and morally , or preceptively , but by way of consequence and remedy , as to the state of the jews we shall not , nor have not denyed it ; but as to the state of christians who are truly such , we say that the cause is taken away , and the effect follows , all jealousies , distrusts , dissimulations and strifes , and insecurities , and so the remedies , to wit , oathes cease , and the necessity of them , and that was one main thing why oathes were permitted to end strife , and strife is a work of the flesh , and variance and discord , and it is inconsistent with true love to our neighbour to hold that which answers the strife , and that part , for love fulfills the law , works no ill to the neighbour , ends strife , and so puts swearing , the means to end strife , and the remedy out of place and date . but a. s. goes on and tells us , that oaths advisedly and reverently taken upon necessary occasions are so far from displeasing god , or hurting our neighbour , that on the contrary they are acceptable to the one , and advantagious to the other , for by them princes are secured of their subjects allegiance , and generals of their souldiers fidelity , leagues confirmed betwixt nations , every man 's just right maintained , offenders discovered , and duly punished , and controversies and suits decided : and these are such great and good ends that men cannot be in any degree of security or happiness without them . reply . to this i answer , that notwithstanding all the great and good ends , and the necessity of oathes which a. s. conceives that men cannot subsist in any degree of security without , yet we see by experience notwithstanding all the reverent taking , and all the solemn taking , and the necessity that is put upon oaths , yet they have never answered the end purposed , for where perfidiousness and unbelief , and distrust , and jealousies , and strifes are , which is no where so much , as among those that plead for swearing , yet oaths do not , nor have not bound them , when they had a mind to be loos'd , and see that to stand to such obligations will not be for their profit , or present safety , many instances might be given ; what security had the pope when all the nobility and clergy in england were bound to maintain his supremacy by oaths ? and no doubt but they swore reverently , and it was judged both by the then church and state to be binding , and yet notwithstanding all the obligation , all was broken , and the pope's supremacy denyed ; in the time of hen. th . and edward th . in their time all swore against the pope's supremacy , either in church or state ; and how much security was the nation in when queen mary came to the crown , though the nobles and the bishopes , and prelates did all swear against the supremacy ! yet behold it was brought in again ; and confirmed by oath again ; and yet in the dayes of elizabeth renounced again , and of l●tter days what oaths have been exacted , first by one , and then by another , and one party contrary to another , though every p●rty fancyed a security for the time , but it proved of no more effect , neither were they in degree more secure then if there had been none at all ; for indeed , that frequent swearing hath made men , being got into a custom of it , that it is become a light thing unto them , though otherwise they look upon themselves as bound ; generals how have they turn'd one way , and another way , and soudiers the like ! so that one may conclude indeed that oaths are made no more of but even to stand in force , while ( that bears up head and is exalted ) that to please the present time and power they seem to be devoutly obliged to it , but if it come under any ecclipse or diminution , then they reckon themselves no longer obliged ; so that indeed their oaths are become of little or no force at all ; and for controversies , we see they begin many , and are the cause of much disiention and discord , but end few ; for why may not all these foresaid states and conditions be secured , and as well , and the good and great ends accomplished , that a. s. pleads for by true evidence of every one concerned in any of the foresaid relations , by declaring and confessing the truth , and speaking it unto men as necessity requires without oath ? , yea and all the foresaid states have as much security , and subsist as well , if not better , then by all this swearing , which more properly belonged to the judaism then to christians , and there is no such necessity of them among christians if any at all , who dare not swear for fear of offending christ , or denying his doctrine , and yet will not lye , but speak the truth , and indeed it is the custom of swearing , that hath been used in the nations since the apostacy entred in , that is more looked upon then any thing else , more then any legality , necessity , or security , under the gospel , seeing in the primitive times , truly so called , it was enough to say , christian● sum , and that sort of swearing that is imposed now hath no other ground but custom , which jer. . is accounted to be vain , neither hath it so much as an inch of ground from the scripture , and therefore doth not bring so much ●lory to god as a. s. tells on , because whatsoever is added or super-added to whatever god commanded as to matter or form is but will-worship at the best , and a making whatsoever was said or commanded , or practised before , imperfect , and no way sufficient , but more of this shall be said after , if the lord permit . fourth argument , had christ intended universally to forbid all kind of oaths in the words , swear not at all , then those amplifications , neither by heaven , nor by earth ▪ neither by jerusalem , neither by the head , had been useless , as being generally included in the general prohibition ; but had he meant that no oath should be used upon any occasion , the subsequent words are so far from giving light to the preceding that they much obscure them , but had he said no more th●n swear not at all , it might have been said , he disallowed all oaths , but he descending to th●● or that creature may rationally imply that this purpose was only to forbid such swearing , and not that which was formerly enjoyned , and his conclusion is only creature swearing , or swearing by creatures is that he would have forbidden . answ. christ knew better what he intended then a. s. who would make his words one thing and his intention another ; it is evident by the preceding doctrine and by that which follows after the text , that christ prohibits all swearing , which shall be further spoken on , when the second part of the discourse is spoken of ; some stumble ignorantly , and some wilfully would pervert , and turn aside from that which they have no mind to receive , and would hold up that which they assert , true or false , and that makes all this disputing and reasoning about the plain words of scripture , christ's words ; but i say unto you , swear not at all by heaven or earth , is a general negative of all oaths , even of those which before were used in the time of moses , and by heaven and earth , and jerusalem , are more ample expressions of christ to make the scribes and pharisees understand his mind of his dislike of these oaths by creatures that they frequently used , & though these and much more were included in the general negative , swear not at all ; yet they are not to be excluded as superfluous , neither do they obscure the former , swear not at all , but give more light to the former , to any but them that sees with a. s. his eyes , for by heaven , by earth , by jerusalem , are more ample expressions of his mind , and a further explication of the former , swear not at all ; and though they seem to a. s. to obscure and darken christ's words , if he did intend all oaths , yet they that see with another eye then he doth , is that they are only more large expressions , thereby to make the pharisees understand , who were in the unbelief , and dull of hearing , that did not only forbid what the law had forbid before , but even those oaths that they frequently used , under those terms and forms which the law had spoken of in those words , as heaven , earth , jerusalem , head and foot , and therefore he enumerates them as an amplification of his former prohibition , and so they are to be joyned , and we shall not stop as a. s. sayes , some do at the words , swear not at all , but shall joyn that which christ hath joyned , viz. heaven , earth and jerusalem , and to be enumerated only and joyned to the former negative , and spoken as to their capacities in those full and large terms that they might understand his mind , that he prohibited not only by heaven and earth and jerusalem , but even any other oath which the law had commanded , or the jews permitted to swear before ; and though a. s. would have it limited , only to swearing by creatures , which indeed was forbiden under the law ; but christ who taught a more evangelical and exact obedience then the law , he said , it hath been said of old time , thou shalt not forswear thy self : but i say unto you , ( who saith more then the law hath said ) swear not at all , but let your yea be yea , and nay , nay , for whatsoever is more cometh of evil. and of this mind was bp. usher , late of ardmagh , who pleaded the cause of the waldenses , or leonists , whose names are famous amongst the reformed churches , and were the most ancient and true protestants , if any reformation be looked at beyond luther ; they professed it no way lawful for a christian to swear ▪ and the said bishop usher de succes . chap. . doth esteem that place of the th . of mat. swear not at all ; and that of th . james to be a sufficient plea for them against the papists , and he pleads their cause ; and this made renerius and jansenius so much envy the waldenses , two romanists , who said , amongst all the sects which are or have been , there is not any more pernicio●● to the church ( meaning the church of rome ) then the waldenses ; and that for three reasons , first , their antiquity ; secondly , because of their universality ; thirdly , in that they did maintain and hold it no way lawful for a christian to swear on any occasion . but it may be that a. s. will tell us that these and other were condemned in some general or provincial council for heresie , and if he do , it is no great matter , since most of these have erred , especially since all nations have drunk of the whores cup of fornication , and have erred from the f●ith , and have lost the power , and then contend for a form , and bind all to receive it upon some commination or malediction , or other , or else they were hereticks ; and why ? who said so ? the church hath so decreed ; and if these canons and such like must be binding , a. s. will hardly escape their censure , if he continue in the profession of the faith he is 〈…〉 and they seem to agree in this particular , about swearing . but i come to his fifth argument . fifth argument , christ never forbad any thing but that was intrinsecally evil , as may be proved by induction , he forbids anger , abusive language , he forbids lust , and divorce , and swearing by creatures ; and therefore what ever he forbad was evil , and that in it self , and not meerly as forbidden ; but swearing in general is not for that hath not only been the practice of holy men , but of angels , dan. . . revel . . . reply . was it evil in it self under the law if a man smote out anothers eye , or tooth , or cut off his hand , or his foot , or give one a wound in any part of the body , deut. . . levit. . . . deut . . was it evil in it self for the judges in those days to give sentence , that he that had struck out his neighbour's eye , or struck out his tooth , or cut off his hand , to pronounce & give the same judgment unto the offender , that he should be so done withal ? was this eternally evil or intrinsecally evil for the party so wronged to seek remedy ? or was it not an act of justice equal and good , not only because enjoyned and commanded but in it ●●ll just ? and was it or is it an act in it self ( intrinsecally evil ) if a man sued a man wrongfully at the law , and takes a man's coat or garment away , to seek to defend himself , and preserve his coat or cloak ? if not a. s. his argument is of no moment ; for even in the same chapter , where envy and murther , and divorce , saving for fornication , and abusive language , and all swearing is forbidden , so is that forbidden which is not intrinsecally evil by christ , mat. . , . but i say unto you that you resist not evil ; and whosoever shall smite the one cheek turn h●m the other also ; and if a man sue thee at the law , and take away thy coat , let him have thy cloak also ; and whosoever shall compell thee to go a mile , go with him twain . and it is in the new testament ( i hope ) written , avenge not your selves . and was i● evil in it self , or morally evil to keep the seventh day of the week as a sabbath , or only good because commanded , or was it lawful to fight with amalicks , edomites , egyptians , & canaanites , because israel was only commanded , or because they were real enemies to god in their hearts ; or as samuel fisher well said in answer to doctor gauden , which a. s. quarels with , that circumcision , sacrifices , and offerings , passover , and new-moons ▪ fasts and swearing , was not evil in themselves but because forbidden ; and though a. s. give such a great challenge to s. f. to produce one instance that any thing was prohibited by christ , but what was intrinsecally evil , or else his argument is in vain , i say the afore-mentioned thing prove it , that something was forbidden that was not evil eternally & intrins●●●lly , but because prohibited , and again in the same chapter , ver . . but i say unto you , love your enemies ▪ bless them tha● curse you ; though under the law they did fight , and might fight with the aforesaid enemies , the canaanites ▪ and gentiles ; but now i say , put up , forgive , love your enemies , peter put up thy sword , he that takes hold on it shall perish by it ; avenge not , go not 〈◊〉 law one with another , cor. . . suffer , forbear , forgive if thy brother si● against thee , seventy times . times . and though a. s. says , that nothing was forbidden by christ , or in all the new-testament but what was in it self evil , or in some respect conducing thereunto ; methinks he hath given 〈◊〉 b●ld a challenge ; what will he say to all the former things mentioned ? and what evil had circumcision in it , or the passover , or sacrificing , or new-moons , and the sabbath days , or what tendency had they to evil , but rather were good for the end they were ordained , to be signs and types , and figures of holy things to come , like a swearing was among the rest , what-ever a. s. say or argue ; and yet when the substance of the good things was to come to them that had believed , and received him who was sum of all ; the apostle said , gal. . , . if you be circumcised christ profits you nothing ; after he was offered up : and gal. . , , . you observe new-moons , and holy days and sabbaths : and these things that were once as really good as ever swearing was , considering the end wherefore they were enjoyned , and these things were never evil in themselves , yet the apostle reckoned them beggarly rudiments , and told them , they had begun in the spirit , and now sought to be made perfect through the flesh ; and so stood in doubt of them that his labour had been in vain , and thereof if a. s. or any other will needs uphold swearing , because commanded to the jews , ( before the seed christ was revealed ) i say he is , gal. . . ) a debter to the whole law ; and is as much bound to keep it in all other points as this , or else he is a transgressour , and is one of those that would be laying yoaks upon the disciples necks , unto whom they were never intended , for if the ceremonies , and rights and outward observations , which properly did belong to the jewish church and state , to observe till the fulness of time , when the partition wall should be broken down , and the jews and gentiles should be one , and one shepherd and one fold for them both , ( and no longer ) and they were never given to the gentiles to observe ; and therefore , for ought i can perceive many would have the gentile-christians , who never were under the law , neither the ordinances of the first covenant , neither ever given to them , yet they would compell the christians to live as do the jews , and to observe their ordinances ; and therefore are greatly to be blamed , gal. . , . therefore we do not look upon any swearing to be now a duty under the gospel among true christians , truly such , as some swearing was once under the law ▪ but affirm all swearing to be now a sin , because forbidden by the positive law of christ under the gospel , who by his death ended the right of that , and many more legal rites and rudiments , which whoso doth observe now as christians doth it not without sin , and guilt , and superstition ; and therefore s. fisher that faithful servant of god , ( who suffered in bonds till death for his testimony even in this particular ) saith well , that that sort of swearing ▪ which was not sin simpliciter in its nature under the law , is now a sin upon the account of christ's universal prohibition of all swearing ; who was of authority to put to an end as he did by his death unto the law : and therefore that sort of service and worship which stood in outward observations , which was duty because commanded under the law , and no sin ▪ in their own nature , neither were evil in themselves , nor in any respect conducing thereto , as they were observed , but had some single good in them once , and yet who observes them now , as service of god maketh christ of so little effect to himself , as that he profits him nothing at all ; i hope a. s. will not deny but these things as forbidden in the new testament , which sometime were not evil in their own nature , but now are evil when the substance is come , in whom they all end ▪ and therefore s. f. his argument is not vain but of force : and yet let a. smallwood know that there were many things observed and done not only by the jews , but by them that believed in christ , and thought well of him , while he was present with them , and yet did not see to the end of those things which were shadows and signes , and good , as once commanded , and had no evilin them , but were good , as commanded , and for the end for which they were ordain'd , which afterwards in the more full growth and knowledge in the mystery of christianity they came more to be seen through , and that was felt in which they all ended ▪ and though christ came not to destroy the law , but to fulfill it , and to observe the ordinances commanded in that covenant to fulfill that which was written of him psal. . . in the volume of the book it is written , i am come to do thy will o god : and further he said himself , it behoveth us to fulfill all righteousness , and that which was commanded : but this was before he was offered up , and was as a middle dispensation betwixt the ending of the law and publishing of the gospel ; yet howbeit christ knew it , and did spe●k of it at some time , that those things that had been sometime commanded , deut. , . and were good as they stood related to the end wherefore they were commanded , instance the worship at jerusalem ▪ and the service there , and the place where god had promis'd to place his name , yet christ said , as foreknowing the end of all , the aforesaid worship which appertained to that covenant , and therefore he said to the woman , joh. . . but the hour cometh and now is , when the true worshipers shall worship the father in spirit and truth , for the father seeks such to worship him , and . vers . god is a spirit , and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth , . cor. . . from hence it is clearly evident ( for this was before he was offered up , that then was the time ) that neither at jerusalem , nor in the mountain of samaria , it shall be only said , they worship the father , though at jerusalem was the place , deut. . , , . of worship formerly , and the jews held it then , and the worship was that which was commanded , to wit , sacrifices , and offerings , and many other legal services , which belonged to them to perform according to the command of god , and if swearing or oaths was any part of the service of god , as in that covenant , as we with a. s. do grant , deut. . . you shall fear the lord and serve him , and swear by his name , then i say , that swearing amongst the rest of the worship is included , but saith christ , neither at jerusalem , nor this mountain , but they that worship shall worship the father in spirit and in truth ▪ so that the time was ( then ) but came on more afterwards to be fulfilled , that both the place , and the worship , and service that belonged to the place , they should no more worship the father ( with and in ) ▪ but in the spirit and in the truth , and this may be in answer to that which a. s. makes a great adoe with in his book , how that christ said , swear not at all , it was before his death ▪ and therefore they that argue , saith he ▪ that swearing was prohibited only and ended in christ's death , cannot plead that all oaths were prohibited , but that command of christ , mat. . because he spake this in his life time , i say ●o did he this , jo. . , , . and he may as well argue that christ destroyed the place of worship at jerusalem , and the worship also , and came not to fulfill it as he saith he did , and why ? but because he spoke this before he was crucified , and so did he , swear not at all , and why may not a.s. conclude with us that this is a commodious place to interpret and explain christ's meaning in those words ? in the th . mat. , and . and so the words may truly be understood thus , ye have heard that it hath been said of old time , thou shalt not forswear thy s●lf , but shalt perform unto the lord thine oaths , exod ▪ . . and deut. . . but the hour cometh and now is , ( when i say unto you ) that say more then the law hath said , swear not at all , neither ●y heaven nor by the earth but let your yea be yea , and your nay nay , for whatsoever is more then these cometh of evil ; and yet whatever may or can be said a. s. will needs conclude , that all swearing is not forbidden , and why ? because it hath been the pra●●ice of holy men , and also an angel , this argument is of little force , so was it the practice of holy men to offer sacrifice , and burn incense , and as for the swearing of the angel , dan. . and revel . . . to prove the lawfulness of some swearing , these have been answered , over and over , and over again , though a. s. will take no notice of it , though i perceive he hath read the arguments that have been used as answers to these things , though he will not seem to take notice , nor to reply to confute the arguments , but rather minds his own , and to assert what may seem to m●ke for his purpose , as to the matter he hath taken in hand , but as for good men's swearing , and the angel's swearing , if their example would ●u●tifie the lawfulness of swearing , yet they could not be any president to us , who are under the gospel of the son , that is greater then the angels , ( by the dispensation of whom ) the law for oaths , tythes , offerings , oblations , and other legal rights , and rudiments were given , which son also all the angels of god are bid to worship ; for the apostle saith , hebr. . . for unto the angels hath he not put into subjection the world to come , but that is committed unto the son , under whose ministration and subjection we are , who said , let your yea be yea , and you nay nay , and speak the truth , and do the truth , and bear witness to the truth , who said , learn of me , and these things we have learned of him unto whom all power is committed , for he is counted hebr. . . more worthy of glory then moses , though moses was faithful in his house as a servant , but christ as a son ▪ which is that great prophet that moses prophesied of ▪ which all are to hearken unto , with whom the father is well pleased , being made so much better then the angels , hebr. . . as he hath ●y inheritance obtained a more excellent name then they , vers . . for unto which of the angels said he at any time thou art my son , this day i have begotten thee ? vers . again when he bringeth the first ●egotten into the world , he saith let all the angels of god worship him ; of the angels he saith , he makes them min●str●ng spirits , and a flame of fire , but unto the son he saith , thy throne oh god is forever and ever , the scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom , for if the words spoken by angels wer stedfast , and every transgression received a just recompence of reward , how shall they escape ( hebr. . . ) who do not only neglect the command of christ , but labour to pervert , through their streng●h of their own reason the ministration of the son , who is the sum and substance of all shadowy and typical ministrations ; and therefore a. s. and all concerned look ●o it who would introduce judaism and the mosaical observations upon the neck of christs disciples , and as laws in his kingdom , and whether would not this prefer the servant before the son , yea or nay , and his ministration before the ministration of the son , though the one is not against the other , but the one pointing at the other , and in the latter the first is fulfilled , the truth declared , the truth spoken , the truth lived in , and the truth confessed in every matter wherein any christian is concerned , which is the sum and the matter , which all oaths in their highest and greatest ordination could or can effect . in the th . page of his book he saith , our saviour saith amen , amen , . times in john's gospel , which he saith , st. ambrose will needs have to amount unto an oath ; and he cites apoc. . these things saith the amen , compares it with isa. . . where he concludes , that amen seems either to be a name or an epithete of god , and this he sayes , is the opinion of our church in the homily against swearing , that our saviour did swear divers times ; and further sayes , it cannot be denyed that god himself swore , psalm . . . the lord hath sworn , and will not repent ; and so concludes , that christ forbad not all swearing : unto this bp. gauden though he straines and scrues very hard as a. s. doth to make all things to bend to their inclination will needs have amen , or verily ▪ verily , to be an oath : doctor gauden in his citation of capellus out of rabby johnas , sayes , in veritate , forma jurandi apud judeos ; but he concludes doubtfully , and sayes , it is only the next degree unto an oath ; but a.s. thinks , he hath put it out of d●ubt with his reason and his authors , that verily , verily , is an oath , which if it were true this would only prove swearing lawful in sermons , and not in controversies , which is the great good end he so much pleads for , and if this were true would serve his turn . the magistrates exacting oaths he seems to prove out of the mosaical law , and the priest's swearing lawfully out of paul's epistles and christ's sermons , but this his covering is too short , and is but trifling in the weighty things of god , not distinguishing betwixt the first covenant and the second , and the ordinances thereof ; for the first he hath no adversary , viz. that they did swear though never exacted under penalties , the second we conclude to be no oath , viz. amen , amen , or verily , verily , which is no more then truly , truly , i say unto you ; and if this be an oath , why hath it not , and why is it not accepted as such ? for we have said more then this , and can do in truth , which we look upon to be far from amounting to an oath , and yet it would never be received as such , which argues plainly that what s. f. and r. h. hath said , though a. s. quarrel with it , that surely the magistrates in england do not believe the priests doctrine , for if they did , why are so many sentensed to perpetual imprisonment , with confiscation of all lands and goods , to the ruinating of many poor wives and children , which a. s. knows little of ? and for ought i know such a discourse as this may add affliction to their bonds , and misery to their sufferings , and yet these have never been received ; as if we say , verily , verily , or truly , truly , or god is our witness , or we speak the truth in god's presence ; yet notwithstanding this would never give satisfaction to any magistrate in any judicature that ever we knew or heard of in england ; and though he tells us of i. penington , how that he gave satisfaction , and that it found acceptance with the court ▪ and also to the king : we are not ignorant of what i. p. hath written , which is wholsome , just , and good , and sound , and condescendingly as a christian man could do as about the premisses to pacifie & satisfie all whom it concerned ▪ that they might not proceed in such a rigorous manner against the truly conscientious , and so in letting them know what we could do , and what we could not do , yet notwithstanding what ever any might seem to own as sufficient in private , we never found it in publick , or in any case of concernment , but rather they knew before-hand what would ensnare us , have set the snare , and run us into it ; but notwithstanding all this that a. s. will have to be oaths , as god is witness , and i speak the truth in christ ; and verily , verily , it will not serve , for he says , the law will not allow of it , for inferiour magistrates are sworn , he says , to act according to law , and the law prescribes in what manner , and with what formality oaths shall be taken ; and therefore the magistrates are not at liberty to accept thereof , because they are tyed up to the rules of the law : as i said before , seeing that oaths are a matter of great concernment unto many , it had been a more necessary discourse for a. s. to have told the magistrates , that these things in testimony which were ready to be given had been sufficient , and that they should not so much have stood upon the formality , seeing that which answered the substance of the law was not denyed , though we except against the formality which is now used , and hath no example or president in the scrip●ures of truth as they are used ; and therefore let a. s. tell the rulers , that the rules of the law in this case are too strict , and the penalty exceeds the transgression far ; as for a man for not holding up his hand , or laying it upon a bible , and kissing it , and saying after a clark or a cryer , i swear , and the like needless ceremonies , which are not without ( at least ) a shew of evil in them , yet for not doing and observing these formalities , though those things which a. s , and others calls swearing , we have condescended unto ; yet it 's reckoned as insufficient , though themselves say , it is an oath , yet it is not called so , nor accounted so , except the aforesaid needless trifles be observed , and is not this a hard thing , and far from equity , justice , and reason , that a man should be exposed to so great a penalty as confiscation of lands and goods , and perpetual imprisonment , for want of observing of these trifling , groundless , needless ceremonies and formalities , wich is not at all beseeming christians ; and whether the law had not need to be rectified in this case , which exposeth so many to so great suffering , which we in conscience do except against as well as oaths , and see that the penalty far exceeds the crime , if it were any ; but we look upon it to be none at all , but rather a duty incumbent upon christians to keep to yea and nay ; or that which amounts to it in all their communication both publick and private , and not to swear at all , but to abide in christ's doctrine , and walk after the primitive christians example , to testifie the truth and not to swear : and as for amen , amen , verily , verily , is no more then truly , truly , and is no more then an ardent , and a fervent speech from the heart of him that speaketh , wherein he would be believed , or it is truth from which and in which he speaks ; and as for comparing amen with the . of isa. and . where he is called the god of truth ; this proves nothing at all , he is called the god of truth in opposition to false gods , which were lyes ; and in opposition to the heathenish gods ▪ which were not true gods , which had eyes and saw not ▪ &c. and could not save ; he might as well say , when wisdom , holiness , righteousness , or immortality is named or mentioned , that therefore it is an oath , as when truth is spoken , for these are as much epithetes of god as truly 〈◊〉 truth ; and though your church in a homily against swearing , do say , that christ did often swear , because he said , verily , we judge you have concluded upon too slender a ground : and as for psal. . the lord hath sworn and will not repent : it is not denyed though the lord swore once , yea more then once by himself ; this was in condescension to the state of man in weakness and unbelief ; and as to the state of the jews , gal. . . before the seed was revealed , which was the substance of all figures , and gods example of swearing is no example for us now to imitate , and was in no wise a confirming of that old legal ceremony of oaths , as a practice legimate to his saints forever , as a. s. would make us believe it was , for his oath , viz. ( god's ) ended in christ , in whom all the promises confirmed by oath , were yea , and in him amen , was also to end all strife between him and men , and to put an end to all strife and oaths also that are among men to end strife ; ambrose saith upon that . psal. let him then swear who cannot repent of his oaths ; a little aftter the same ambrose saith , do not imitate him in swearing whom you cannot imitate in performing ; and indeed the principal solution he gives is not to swear at all : and theophilus upon the place in controversie whom a. s. says , was not cautelous enough , and it seems among the rest of the fathers that a. s. sets as judge of , he saith , learn hence that under the law it was not evil for one to swear , but since the coming of christ it is evil , as is circumcision , and in sum , what ever is judaical , for it becomes a child to suck but not a man : so that it appears he amongst the rest of the fathers did not only declare against oaths in general or private communication , but also distinguishes betwixt the first covenant and the second , and the ordinances thereof ; and though the holy ghost bear witness that both angels and men , yea , and good men , and the creator himself in that first covenant did swear , so that a. s. concludes that is not morally evil of its own nature ; in the first we shall not much quarrel nor dispute as under the law , but that which was obliging then , as by command , it is not always obliging , but christ the end of the law for righteousness said , let your yea be yea , and your nay , nay , for whatsoever is more under the gospel ( then amounts to this ) comes of evil ; therefore there is no necessity to put any other sence of christ's words then this universal prohibition of all . swearing as under the gospel , ( seeing that speaking the truth , confessing the truth , declaring the truth ) and nothing but the truth in any matter wherein any christian is concerned either in respect of god , or a man's neighbour , this answers the very substance of the law , and the very end & purpose thereof , as ever an oath did among the jews in the first institution ; forasmuch as speaking the truth acknowledgeth god's omnisciency and presence , and power , and wisdom ; secondly , it doth any office to any neighbour , as in bearing witness to any truth , and again to find out any transgressour , or transgression ; and this is done , may be done , and ought to be done by all true christians ; and therefore no necessity of that formal ceremonious way of swearing as under the law , neither is there any necessity for seeking any other sence of christ's words and the apostles words , swear not at all by heaven or earth , or any other , seeing all the main ends and good ends , & good purposes are answered in the full , which the law in the full latitude and morality thereof did require , or for which it was given . his sixth argument is , that either these words , swear not at all , must be interpreted as not to forbid any oath though taken upon just accasion , or else paul never knew the meaning of this text , or else contrary to his knowledge , and that upon good deliberation he acted against it , and that in the●e very writings wherein we all believe that he was infallibly assisted by the holy ghost ; for his oaths , saith a. s. are upon record , . thes. . . god is witness ; see rom. . . now to call god to witness is the very substance of an oath saith a. s. and as austin tells him , and he sayes , he hath not read of any of a contrary opinion except some phanaticks , which if they would yield to 〈◊〉 much as paul saith , god is witness of the truth of their assertions , it might be wished out of condescension to their weakness , that they might be dispensed withal , if the law would give leave as to the external formality of an oath . answ. what a. s. will call a just occasion i know not , it appears to me he would have a large compass , and a larger then the most contenders against christ's doctrine that we have met with , or what he will account a just occasion i know not , though otherwise he seems to condemn sometime needless and vain oaths in ordinary communication , though i know some without reflection upon a. s. who use them too to frequently , and are not only members but pastours so called of the church of england , and though he seems in his discourse here & there to be against customary and vain oaths , yet for all that what he calls a ●ust occasion upon some ground , some calls it a needful occasion when they are called before a magistrate and some when any business is in controversie betwixt man and man c●lls it a just occasion , where sometimes i have seen a curate administer that which he called an oath upon a book , what ground h● had i suspect either from commandment , or example of primitive ministers , ( is certain he had none ) but it may be a. s. will conclude it was upon just occasion , but what compass he will have for his j●st occasion is doubtful , seeing he hath put no termination or end to it ; but for ought i can perceive would leave liberty for every man to exact an oath upon another when he would , and call it a just occasion , and account it a point of duty in the other to obey , even in ordinary communication . and as for st. paul we deny thy argument , as that he never knew the meaning of this text of christ's prohibition ; secondly , that in his writings he acted contrary to his knowledge ▪ and upon set deliberation ; for though god was his witness whom he served with his spirit , in the gospel of his son , that without ceasing i make mention of you always in my prayers . also , that which a. s. calls an oath ▪ thes. . . for neither at any time used we flattering words as ye know for a cloak of co●etou●ness , god is witness . though we know and infallibly believe with a. s. that he was infallibly assisted by the holy ghost , when he published the gospel of christ among the gentiles , and wrote both unto the jews , and to the gentiles , who believed , that his calling god to witness , was not any oath , neither was there any necessi●y or just occasion , whatever a. s. m●y call just occasion we cannot , for he hath left such a great compass for himself to turn in though here and th●re he seem to disallow of customary oaths and frequent oaths ▪ yet notwithstanding his discourse rather tends to an allowance of swearing frequently and unnecessarily ; for we reckon it to be a piece of ordinary communication for a christian minister to write a letter of admonition ▪ or exhortation ▪ or an epistle unto the believing hearers ▪ and that there is no necessity of oaths in such a discourse ; for what-ever a. s. sayes this would make the apostle guilty of frequent , and unnecessary , and common swearing , which we are far from believing ; forasmuch as they did believe through the word of life declared by the spirit of god in him , neither through his epistles written , being assisted by the holy ghost , they were not like to believe him for swearing if he had sworn ; but saith a. s. if his words had really been believed which he spoke and wrote , what occasion would there have been for him to have written so to the roman 's , rom. . . i say the truth in christ , i lye not . the apostle knew what occasion he had to speak these words , and the occasion was this , that the jews sought to be justified by the righteousness of the law and by the works thereof , and would needs look upon themselves as the children of god , because they were of the stock of abraham according to the flesh , but the apostle knew and also gave them to understand that the children of the promise were counted for the seed ; and again , for they are not all israel which are of israel , rom. . , , . and thus he spake truth unto them , as it was revealed by christ , whom the father had revealed in him , and why might he not say , i speak the truth in christ , seeing that christ was in him , and he in him ? i lye not , my conscience also bears me witness in the holy ghost , he might also as well say ▪ that paul swore by his conscience , seeing that he took it for a witness ; away , away , with such perverting and straining of the scripture beyond and beside the mind of the holy ghost , for god is witness and i speak the truth in christ , they are no more then arden and ze●lous , or fervent expressions , as the spirit of god at several times did stir up in his heart both to speak and write , for the end that they unto whom he spoke or wrote might believe ; and therefore we conclude not as a. s. would needs have it , that the apostle spoke these fervent words unnecessarily , for we know and see his end and purpose was good , and therefore he spoke with fervency , and with boldness the spirit of the lord be●ring witness in his conscience that he spoke the truth , which we are f●r from believing ; is either juration or abjuration , and for ought can be perceived by a. s 's disdainful spirit all that do dissent from him in his opinion he calls phanaticks , and paul shall hardly go free , nor divers of the ancient fathers , as , origen , chrysostome , jerome , theophila●● , and others , who denyed not only swearing in private conversation , but to swear at all ; but now these must be called phanaticks , who dissent from all men but themselves , by a. s. and such as he , who sail with wind and ●ide , and exalt and applaud that which hath praise among men , and hath not the praise of god ; and so the last of all he makes this conclusion , that so help me god , is the most certain expression of an oath ; which form of words that though he count them certain , we find not either under the law or under the gospel , and i look upon ▪ it m●re as a piece of flattery in a.s. because this is the form and the c●stom which 〈…〉 c●lled swearing , which is in use in this nation , and it's stranger to us that they will reckon this so great a piece of peculi●● service , which is incommunicable to any creature but only to god , whenas indeed we never find it written or commanded , either among the jews , or commended or used amongst all the writings of christ and the apostles that hath relation to christianity ; indeed i remember that i have read that in the days when the pope's authority was in full power here in england , how that the chancellour then of england said to one of john wickliff's followers being brought before him , in examination he said unto him , lay thy hand upon the book thou heretick and swear , so help me god and holy doom : an old superstitious popish form i look upon it to be , and hath no consistance with an oath in its true matter and form under the law , when i● was commanded ; and for ought i see a. s. will rather take part with the church of rome and her members , who persecuted , rather then wickliff that famous reformer , who had his bones taken up and burned . years after his decease , and his books , and these articles condemned by the council of co●stance , who also burned john hus , and jerome of prague for holding john wickliff's opinions , which was , that all oaths under the gospel be unlawful . i say a. s. might have been more modest then with the council of constance condemn them for error , seeing they were the only people in their age and time that opposed , and suffered for opposing the church of rome in the apostacy , seeing that they are fain to own them if they look for any reformation before luther to be their witnesses against the church of rome , which i have heard many protestants say , that they were on their part against the church of rome ; and though a. s. tells us of a generation of people , quos non persuadebis , etiam si persuaseris , who as they will not be perswaded , so they will not be counselled , who will have nothing else to be the formality of an oath but by god ; but this he sayes only of his own head , except he knew some people that we know not of ; for we say ▪ to swear the lord liveth as an oath , and again , as the lord lives is an oath , or by the lord that lives forever and ever is an oath ; and yet we must needs deny that paul swore in the cor. . . when he said , by your rejoycing i die daily : and we never said a. s. mistook himself in saying that , by , as the only mark and character of an oath ; and if austin said upon these words of paul as a. s. tells us , per vestram gloriam juratio est , upon paul's words , i suspect his judgment , and therefore shall not so much regard it : but a. s. seems not to be at unity in his book with himself notwithstanding all his raveling out where he seems in his . page to dislike of nicholas fuller's judgment , viz. that there is no oath where god is not interposed ; and yet in the . page he saith , that the substance of an oath consists in the attestation of god , and in the . page he saith , that christ answering to the high priest , i am , and thou hast said , is an oath . and in the . page it was enough that christ denyed not to swear , and from this he imagines that he did swear ; and when we enquire what the oath was ▪ it amounts but to this , thou hast said i am ; and where was the attestation of god here named , or mentioned , or spoken on by christ ? were his words any more then his own doctrine which he taught before , let your yea be yea , and your nay ▪ nay ? when the high priest said , art th●u the king of the jews ? he answered i am ; and is this any more then yea , though not in the same syllables ; and mat. . . i adjure thee to tell ● whether thou art the son of god or not ? and he answered , thou hast said : and is this any more then yea , or i am ▪ or it is truth . but indeed if one should traduce a. s. in his discourse and of his definition of an oath , it is so uncertain one shall hardly know what to pitch upon to be his judgment , sometime it is this , and sometime it is that , and som● time it is neither this nor that , sometime he says , it is an oath where god is interposed , one while an oath consists in the attestation of god ▪ another while it consists in saying truly , truly , and sometimes , i call god to witness is an oath ; and sometimes thou hast said is an oath , sometime because god is named in a sentence , therefore he concludes it must be an oath , otherwhiles when he is not named it must be an oath ; and thus he twines up and down , leaving people in the dark , and leading them after his imaginations . and i shall conclude the answer to this reason , and neither impute ignorance nor wickedness to the great apostle , nor conclude , that christ's words as he saith , doubtless the apostle did , must be understood in a limited sense , and limited only to creatures , and not to all swearing ; and why so ? but because the apostle said , god is witness ; and i speak the truth in christ , which is no contradiction of christ's prohibition , swear not at all . his seventh argument is this , if some swearing be enjoyned in the third commandment , then all swearing is not forbidden by christ in these words ▪ swear not at all , because he came not to destroy the law , but some swearing is there enjoyned , or else the law written by the finger of god in tables of stone cannot be vindicated from imperfection ; and therefore in this negative precept the affirmative must needs be included , thou shalt reverence the name of the lord and swear by it , whensoever it is not vain but necessary , which is required by a lawful magistrate for the glory of god ▪ and for maintaining of peace , punishing offenders , and ending of controversies , and all these are necessary ends but not attainable , at least not so well by any expedient , yet put in practice as by interposition of oaths , so it cannot reasonably be believed , that christ would forbid them being of such important u●e . reply . the substance of this is answered before , but however a. s. how he can make this third commandment , thou shalt not take the name of the lord thy god in vain , to prove the continuation of swearing under the gospel among christians we do not see , if bishop gaudens words be true ( as they are ) who sayes , a true christian's oath is needless , his word being as firm as it , page . and an evil man's oath is worthy of no more credit then a lyar , pag. . since upon that account whosoever swears by the name of god swears in vain and to no purpose , whether he be a true man , or one deceitful , his word amounting to as much as his oath : and why a. s. mentions the third commandment to prove swearing lawful under the gospel except for the morality of it , which he looks upon christ came not to destroy , and doth he look that every letter & syllable of all the ten commandments is so moral in all respects unchangeable & uncapable of any annihilation by christ's coming ? he much forgets himself ; for all these things contained in the first table are not so moral or perpetual without some ceremoniality and subjection to alteration by christ's coming ▪ as he imagins if he had but remembred the fourth commandment the next unto it , remember that thou keep the holy sabbath day , which then was the very th day of the week which god had sanctified , was but a type and sign , and shadow , and figure , and a ceremony of the th . day of the world's rest from its labour , and of the everlasting sabbath as i said before , heb. . and i might as well argue if the th . day of the week was commanded in the fourth commandment , then the seventh day is not prohibited , neither by commandment , example , or practice of christ , the apostles or primitive christians ; and i might add this as a reason , because christ came not to destroy the law but to fulfill it ; and further i might add the th . day was enjoyned in the th . commandment , ( and they used to call it as moral as the third ) and therefore it ought to be so under the gospel , or else the law written in tables of stone cannot be vindicated from imperfection , and what would all my arguing prove , even as much as a. s. his arguing , the continuation and necessity of oaths from the third commandment , and that is nothing at all ; and the law of god needs not a. s. nor any vindication , it is perfect , and endures forever , psal. . . and the ceremonies , and types , and shadows that were joyned with , and unto the substance of the law , do neither add nor detract from its perfection , but it is the same in it self forever ; and though we cannot own swearing in that ▪ ceremonious way as the jews did use it till the se●d came , unto whom the law and the prophets bore witness ; yet we do not make void the third commandment , we take not his name in vain , but reverence it , and speak well of it , and sanctifie it in our hearts ; and as the apostle said , do we make void the law through the preaching of faith ? god forbid . so do we make void the law , or the perfection of it , by speaking the truth , and bearing witness to the truth ; though as i said , we cannot own those typical ceremonious ways of swearing as it was in the first covenant ; nay , it is established , and the third commandment is established , for he that speaks the truth and bears witness in and from the truth , honours god's name , and reverences it , forasmuch as he is called the god of truth , and as we have said , being lawfully called before a magistrate to bear testimony in any thing wherein the glory of god , or our neighbour is concerned , or the decision of controversie , seeing that true testimony is a medium that concerns as much to that purpose now as swearing did under the law , therefore we have still been and are ready to answer all these necessary ends , and as well ; and this is as good and expedient to be put in practice among christians as interposition of oaths , enjoyned by god in the first covenant , and far more evangelical , and therefore shall conclude with that of jerome , the gospel truth admits not of an oath . his eighth argument is , that christ did never any things without some ground of reason , but no reason can be shewed , why all manner of swearing should be forbidden in a due manner , and upon a just and necessary occasion , and therefore we may well believe that such swearing was neither here or any where else forbidden . reply . we shall not much dissent or disagree about terms with a. s. that christ did never any thing without some ground or reason , but yet we must deny his conclusion , that no reason can be given why all manner of swearing should be forbidden ; first of all , there was a time since man had a being in this creation when he was in the image of god , and stood in the covenant of god , when there was no oath , neither any necessity thereof , man being endued with power from god , which was placed in him , so that he was in a capacity to fulfill , obey and serve , and believe his maker without an oath ; for unbelief or sin had not entred , and this was before the fall , gen. . , . secondly , christ the unspeakable gift of god , who is the mediator of the everlasting covenant , yea , the covenant is self , who is given for a leader to the people , and who is made a propitiation for sin and transgression , to end both sin , transgression , and unbelief , which was the cause of the addition of the law , who leads to the beginning again , all that truly do believe , and are worthy to be called true christians , or by the name of christ to have union with god again , in that life , power , truth , righteousness and wisdom , in which the image of god truly consists which was before sin and transgression , and before the law which was added because of it , which was commanded four hundred and thirty years after the promise was made , gal. . . thirdly , after sin was entred , and death by sin , an unbelieving part got up in all the sons of adam , so that they could not believe god nor his promises , and yet such was his love unto mankind , considering the state into which they were plunged for confirmation of his word unto man , he swore by himself , this was the lord's condescension unto their low and unbelieving estate all that time , and no way exemplary for christians ( truly such ) who are come into the faith , and to the truth in it self , who do believe that all the promises are fulfilled in christ , yea , and amen , who is the author of faith and of eternal salvation to them that believe , heb. . . who prohibited that by his command , mat. . . which sometimes was permitted , yea , and commanded , yea , and added because of transgression , and for which the law and the command for oaths was only added ( which he did not destroy ) because he leads from under the power of that which the law came against ( which is just and good , and holy ) and the seed fulfills it , and hath unity with it , and with him who is the judge and law-giver , and saviour of all that do believe in him from sin and transgression . fourthly , at that time when the law was given forth at mount sina , exod. . . generally all the nations were given to idolatry , and to serve and worship strange gods , as baal , ashtaroth , chemosh , rimphan , and many others , as the gods of samaria , which were said to be according to the number of their cities , and their idols were called the sin of samaria ; amos saith , they swear by the sin of samaria , that did say , thy god o dan lives ; and the manner of barsheba lives , even they shall fall and never rise again , amos . . which was no other then the calves which jeroboam set up at dan and bethel , which they feared , worshipped and swore by ; therefore god having chosen a peculiar people to himself to worship and serve him , and honour him , who should not walk after the manner of the rest of the nations who knew not god ; he commanded them to serve him , and worship him , and swear by his name , as jerome saith well , to keep them from idolatry , and that they should not swear by the gods of the heathen ▪ as the rest of the nations did round about ; yet still this must be considered that this state of the minority of the jewish church , wherein god gave them ordinances suitable to their state , but it doth not follow , neither can it be reasonably concluded that these ordinances were to be perpetually binding unto all future generations ▪ especially when christ the seed un●o whom all the promises are , in whom the law is fulfilled , and in whom the former ministrations end , that his disciples and true christians should always be bound to these things once commanded , especially seeing christ their master , in whom the father is well pleased hath prohibited this about swearing , and also did prophesie of the time to come after his resurrection and his ascension , that those visible things which were as a ministration for a time , should end as to the outward exercise and typical and figurative appearance of them , and that all these things should be revealed within by the spirit and felt in the power of god in all that did believe , when the holy ghost should be poured forth , and the promise of the father be made manifest . fifthly , now considering that the name of god is believed in , and he is confessed unto , and his christ , and that there is not that idolatry ( especially outward ) as there was in the nations before and after the flood , especially in that which is called christendom , though we dare not conclude that all are israel that are of israel , or that all are christians that have the name , yet generally i say , the name of god and his christ is acknowledged and worshipped , and not idols and false god's ; therefore there is no necessity of swearing by the name of god , as there was at the time of the giving forth of the law , but especially among them that the father will reckon as truly his subjects and disciples of christ , who are partakers of his divine nature , here is not that necessity among them , for they through the law being dead to it , it hath no more power over them ; and therefore no reason that they should be kept as under tutors and governours , seeing that the age and ages is come , which the apostle spoke of , eph. . . wherein christ is revealed the hope of glory , and whom he makes free are free indeed , joh. . , . sixthly and lastly , the command of oaths was given for the ending of strife and controversies among men , heb. . which hath relation to the law , and to the state of the jews , and their political proceedings , the apostle brings but that in as an instance or an example , and it is but a. s. his groundless supposition that it seems it was used in the apostles time , the apostle speaking of an oath only as among men , and not of saints , who as concerning strife the occasion of swearing , and consequently concerning swearing should not walk as men , cor. . , , . but a. s. should consider this as every one ought , that when men that have been once in strife and contention , and variance , come once into christ , and to be in him new creatures , ( christians ) to walk no more as carnal , not as men , but as men of god , and as spiritual , and as true saints and christians , they come both out of strife and swearing , which was added to end strife ; and whatever a. s. may conclude , we say these and divers more are great and weighty reasons wherefore christ did prohibit all swearing , and puts it out of use and date , and no necessity of it as among true christians , seeing that every true saying or testimony is equivalent with an oath . his ninth argument is , that either these words swear not at all must not be extended to a total prohibition of swearing , or else christ thereby gave a new moral command ; but christ gave no new moral command , for that had been contrary to god's express will , thou shalt not add unto the word which i command ; and besides he ordained no new law in the matter of the th . and th . commandments ; and shall we think that he who vindicated the other commandments from the leud depravations of men , hath abrogated this only , as though it had not been framed by the same wisdom ▪ and acted by the same god ? and further , christ's opposition is only against the pharisaical mis-interpretations of the law , and if only so , then christ did not forbid such oaths as were lawfully before enjoyned . reply . what ever a. s. calls a new moral command , sure i am , he commanded that which was more exact then the law , so that doctor gauden himself sayes , that christ gave many singular precepts of more eminent diligence , patience , charity , mortification , self-denyal , sincerity , and the perfection of obedience required now under the gospel is above whatever the letter of the mosaical law seemed to exact , or by the pharisaical interpretation were taught by the jews , &c. in which he speaks the truth : it was said in the . of exod. and of levit. an eye for an eye , and a tooth for a tooth ; but in mat. . . christ commanded that which the law had not spoken of and not only a further thing , but another thing , but i say unto you that ye resist not ill , but whoever shall smite thee on the right cheek turn to him the other also , ver . , . and if a man sue thee at law , and take away thy coat , let him have thy cloak also ; where said the law this , and whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile , go with him twain ; where did ever the law of moses command this ? and though the law said , levit. . thou shalt love thy neighbour , and hate thine enemy ; which he saith , was but a pharisaical innovation , which if it be , i query of a. s. where in the law it is written , love thine enemy ? and as was said before , whether did not israel fight with their enemies , and kill them , and destroy them , and whether they had not a command so to do , yea or nay ? as in deut. . . chap. . . numb . . , . . josh. . , . and whether this be not another thing that christ saith , ver . . but i say unto you , love your enemies , bless them that curse you , do good to them that hate you , &c. but it is manifest that in the second covenant under the gospel that a more evangelical and exact obedience then was exprest in the letter of the law , which so far as it was typical , was only a temporary dispensation ; for as i said before the letter of the law of moses permitted to be avenged on enemies , egyptians , amalekites , &c. and i hope that a. s. will not conclude that they killed them in love to them , and they might be avenged and take an eye for an eye , and a tooth for a tooth , whose gospel in other points which the law had not said forbids and condemns rash , anger , lust after women , polygamie , divorce , except for fornication , and yet it was indulged and connived at as under the law , yet the lord saith , by the prophet malachy , mal. . . he hateth putting away ; while the letter condemned no more but actual murder , and adultery , indulging and conniving polygamie and divorce : and though under the law , stripe for stripe , wound for wound was permitted ; but under the gospel resist not evil , avenge not , forbear , forgive , for the whole law of moses was given by the dispensation of angels in the hand of that mediator for a time ; and so some swearing and such swearing as even by god , was used in order to end strife , where it was yet standing , yet christ the mediator of a better covenant , in whose hand the law is now unto all christians , he forbad not only that which the law allowed , and indulged , connived at and commanded in divers things , as is manifest in this fifth of matthew , where he prohibits all swearing ; so that it is evident that christ doth not only reprove the false glos●es , and the abusive loose interpretations of the law which they allowed , but even divine indulgence dispensed with and connived at in the things before-mentioned , because of the hardness of their hearts : and let a. s. or any man living shew us wherein christ requires a righteousness or perfection that exceeds that of the law , for the law said , swear not by any creature but only by god , and for swear not , and if christ said no more but swear not by any creature , as heaven , and earth , and jerusalem , where is that high state of perfection , and that righteousness which exceeds that of the law , and of the scribes and pharisees . and though a. s. will not grant that he ordained a new law in matter of the . th & . th commandments , no more will he grant of the fourth , which i suppose a.s. doth not keep as it was commanded under the law where ever he will have his dispensation i know not ; so to conclude in answer to this , he did more then reprove the erroneous tenets and vicious manners of the jews , and their false interpretations and glosses which they had given upon the law , but he doth disallow also something which the law had allowed before , as is proved before , and that he disallowed something yea divers things which the law had allowed and connived , and indulged , as divers polygamie , killing enemies , or in seeking revenge upon them that had done ill unto us , which the law allowed as an act of justice , deut. . . eye for eye , tooth for tooth ; but this christ exhorted unto , overcome evil with good , avenge not , resist not , do good to them that hate you , and pray for them that despightfully use you , and persecute you : likewise the law , deut. . , . when a man takes a wife , and it comes to pass she finds no favour in his eyes , because he hath found some uncleanness in her , then let him write her a bill of divorcement , and send her out of his house , and when she is departed out of his house , she may go and be another man's wife : but christ saith , mat. . . who shall marry her that is divorced , commits adultery : which is a clear prohibition of that which the law allowed , and what a. s. will call this , whether a new moral command , or promulgation of a new law i know not , but it is evident enough that some things were prohibited by christ , which the law commanded , or at least allowed , and therefore we conclude from the . and . verses of the th . of matthew , that christ did prohibit all vain swearing and unlawful swearing , which was disallowed before under the law , but even all swearing which was commanded , or at least permitted under the law , for the reasons and ends given before , and this will stand as truth , notwithstanding a. s. his argument . his tenth argument is , that if the hi●h priest charged christ to swear , and he without exception answered upon oath , and that some years after he had said , swear not at all , from hence follows that when the magistrate imposeth an oath , the person charged to swear may lawfully answer upon oath as christ did , notwithstanding his prohi●ition of swear not at all . reply . first that was a time when the administration of the first covenant was not fully ended , for christ was not yet offered up , and so the high priest as being a jew might from the commandment or permission of the law as being one that sate in moses chair might require christ to speak upon oath , as presuming he had authority so to do , being he looked upon it as a work of god ; and what though it was some years after christ had said , swear not at all ; what doth a. s. infer from this , christ knew that the high priest and pharisees were about the work of their father the devil ; and though the high priest did say , i adjure , which a. smallwood * tells us is , i command thee to swear to us ; christ answered in his own authority , and in the power and wisdom of the father ; and if he had answered as taking notice of the high priests adjuring who was about to crucifie the just , which was not the work of god , neither was jurations or oaths , ever intended to be instrumental in the devil's work , then i argue , that if christ had answered to his adjuring , knowing the end was to ensnare him the son of god , then christ had consented unto his evil work , which were blasphemy to think or speak , and therefore as it was prophesied of him , he was led as a lamb to the slaughter , sometimes he opened not his mouth , the other sometimes he did in the authority and power of the father which was with him , and in him , and though the high priest charged christ , by the living god , that thou tell us whether thou be christ the son of the living god , mat. . , . jesus answered , thou hast said , and what is this the oath that christ swear , a. s. tells us before that an oath was an attestation of god to the truth of what was said , but now the words ( thou hast said ) barely of themselves without any attestation of god is an oath ; if the high priest had said , art thou peter , or art thou john that was with jesus of gallile , and peter and john had answered , i am peter and i am john that was with him ; what will a. s. conclude now that peter and john hath sworn ? away with such perverting and straining , & screwing of the scriptures from their genuine sense only to uphold that which was added because of transgression ; now when sin & trangression is finished , the end of christ's coming is witnessed to uphold that which christ came to end , to wit sin , and also an oath which was added because of sin and unbelief , and the hardness of their hearts only to remain till that part was done away , and until the time of reformation , heb. . . to wit , the bringing in of everlasting righteousness , and it cannot be reasonably concluded , that because christ answered the high priest , thou hast said , that therefore he took notice of commanding to swear , or at least approving of his adjuration , knowing that he was about an evil work , and doing the work of the devil , which must needs be judged that christ did neither approve of , nor consent unto , what ever a. s. may say or think , but only in his own authority spoke the truth ▪ & made a good confession as he did before pontius pilate ▪ to the glory of the father , who had sent him , whose will he came to do : and luke . . art th●u then the son of god ? and he said unto them , ye say that i am ; and pilate was as much a magistrate as the high priest , and he asked ▪ art thou the king of the jews ? and he answered him , and said , thou sayest it : and herod was as much a magistrate as either pilate or the high priest , and he questioned with him in many words , but christ answered nothing ▪ so that he did not so much take notice of their questions or examining or charging , or adjuring as a. s. would make seem of it , but according to the wisdom and power of god which was in him spoke , and answered in his own authority , without taking so much notice of them as he would infer , he knowing what they were going about , though they had the name , and bore the title of magistrates , yet were out of the power of god ( in the persecuting nature ) which is the ground and foundation of all authority which is of god , but a. s. sayes , mark . . relates plainly that christ answered , i am ; but yet neither mark , luke , nor john take so much notice of the high priests adjuring , or make so much for a. s. his argument as he would have them ; ma●k saith only , mark . . the high priest asked him and said unto him , art thou christ the son of the blessed , he doth not say , i adjure thee , or i charge thee to swear unto us , as a. s. would have it ; but though mat. . . say , ( i adjure thee to tell us whether thou be christ the son of god ? ) is not much material ; for a. s. hath made more matter about it then is to any great or good purpose , but i say he was as much bound to answer pilate or herod as the high priest , and as much directly to one as to another , we see his answers were not all alike , but i would not have a. s. nor my self neither sit as judges over christ's answers , and squeeze and serue them beyond or contrary to christ●s intention ; for the sum of the matter is this , thou hast said , i am , and thou sayest i am a king ; and is christ's answers to the high priest and pilate , and nothing to herod ; and a. s. might as reasonably have concluded , that the high priest rent his cloaths and cryed blasphemy , not so much at , thou hast said , or i am ; as of this the next words , nevertheless i say unto you , ye shall see the son of man sitting on the right hand of the power , and coming in the clouds of heaven ; for then the next words are , then the high priest rent his cloaths and cryed , blasphemy ; and then a. s. goes on , it was enough that christ denyed not to swear , and the sum of all or the most that he can make when he hath twined about with many circumstances to prove that he did swear or consented to caiaph is adjuring , and answered his adjuring , this is all , i am , and thou hast said ; and therefore what either may or can be said a. s. hath concluded christ did swear ; & yet sect. . he tell us , that the essence of swearing is in calling god to witness , and how or where did christ call god to witness ? then this overturns his own argument , seeing we do not read that christ saied any more in his answer , then as is aforesaid , i am , and thou hast said ; and he sayes , to alledge that christ swear not , because he laid not his hand upon a book or kissed , or lifted up his hand is but to trifle , yet he says , that ceremony is ancient , as chrysostome tells him , that it 's above . years since ; if it be but to trifle , why are so many conscientious people in bonds this day in england , under a premunire for these trifles ? a very shame to christianity ; for where any or all of these have been denyed , though they have answered the truth , and the whole truth , and as much as a. s. calls an oath , yet this hath been counted insufficient , and we know justinian the emperour , ordain'd the ceremony , that men should swearly the gospel or book , and lay their hands thereon and kiss , or the like ; and though it be so many years since it was ordained , as a. s. sayes , this adds nothing to the warrantableness thereof , but custome is proof enough to such a ceremonious age as this , when formalities , ceremonies , gestures and postures are more regarded then the power of god and godliness ; and we say such a ceremony about swearing is not without the appearance of evil ; for the bible is a creature , made up of many creatures , and laying the hand , and kissing , and ordering it in such manner is i know looked upon by many to be swearing by it , and so the most takes it , and this were unlawful , and therefore better to be wholely avoided then so many suffer because thy cannot do it , besides as i said , the evil appearance of it ; for it is not any gospel institution , but an innovation since the apostacy entred in ; and if god had ever judged any necessity thereof , or that it had rendred an oath more solemn , the law would have said something of it , and it was never a practice among the primitive christians , and therefore a vain humane tradition crept in since , which ought to be avoided ; and and though a.s. says , to reply that christ swore not , ( though caiaphas adjured him is vain ) for an examinate is to answer both in matter and form , according to what is proposed ; i say it 's a. s. his vain supposition and presumption without ground so to judge that christ swore , i say sometime he held his peace , that it might be fulfilled , which was spoken by the prophet of him before , that he should be as a lamb dumb before the shearer , as sometime he was , both to the chief priests and elders , to pilate , and to herod , which were all in some authority , and sometime he answered them in the wisdom of god , and sometime he spoke and bore witness to that , and prophesied unto them , which was not at all either as to the matter or form of the high priests adjuring , for the very next words . ( but thou hast said ) nevertheless i say unto you , hereafter shall you see the son of man sitting on the right hand of the power , and coming in the clouds of heaven ) mat. . . and therefore these show a. s. his argument to be frivolous and vain ; and mark saith , the chief priests accused him of many things , mark . . but he answered nothing either to their accusations , or took notice of the high priests adjuring to answer him in matter and form , as a. s. would have it , neither did he look upon himself so oblig'd , but answered sometime , and spoke the truth alwayes when he spoke , and that which alwayes displeased and dissatisfied the jews when he answered , and for ought can be perceived by his arguing that every examinate is to answer directly to every matter and form to any that pretends power to administer an oath , or to adjure , he goes about to establish the popes inquisition , and create matter , as sometime they did here in england , in the height of the popes domination forged matter out of their own wicked hearts to ensnare the lambs of christ , and then to require them to swear that they might destroy them and accuse them out of their own mouths , even as the high priest sought to destroy christ and to ensnare him , which methinks a. s. hath said too much in vindication of his adjuring , and will needs have christ to be of his mind , and at last concludes that christ swore , but it s but upon his own presumption and supposition , and is more then ever he is able to make evident from what is written . and a. s. tells us over and over again , swearing was a part of god's worship , wherein god's wisdom , power , and justice is acknowledged , and then incommunicable to any creature or false god , as is answered before , so was circumcision then , and the oblations , and burnt sacrifice , and offerings , and new moons to be performed only to the lord , and were peculiarly to be performed unto god , and not communicable to any creature ; and we say and prove , deut. . . . . that these were a part of the service and worship of god , and which as we shall grant that an oath under the law was commanded as well as these services , or in his own terms an oath was equally commanded with his service as is proved above ; in this he hath no adversary ; but what doth this prove in respect of his argument which makes it more ( then equally commanded ) for he will yield that these services were but temporary , but swearing is perpetual , and so he hath given it a priority above the rest , his argument all along hath been chiefly drawn from the mosaick law , that it was joyned equally with fear and service under the law , and so hath striven without an adversary , but now it must needs be above the service of god then , and yet from the same command he would only prove it , for he hath no better strength nor ground ; and we may as well alledge as he doth , and say consequently to this sort of service that was commanded by the lord as well as swearing , for god hath joyned them together in the text above said , and obligeth equality at all times , as well under the gospel as under the law ; yet then a. s. would call this absurd if it be so as it is indeed , then we may as well conclude the other absurd , because one is standing as well as the other , and binding as well as the other by the vertue of this command , although he tells us that an oath in its substance hath not any type at all , so we say ; for the substance is christ , the oath of god , in whom all the promises and oaths are fulfilled , and this is its substance ; but as under the law it was a type of the substance , and not the substance it self , and that circumcision , the passover , and the legal offerings under the law had as much goodness in them as oaths had , what-ever a. s. sayes : and served to as good ends and purposes in that ministration as they were ordained , and conduced as much to the glory of god , and were subservient to , but not against the morality of the gospel ; for the shadows were not against the substance , nor the ceremonials against the morals , though the apostle says , the law is not of faith , yet not against it , for as ministerial as the ordinances of the law were to the gospel then , yet the gospel may be and now is without it . but to conclude this argument , a. s. were it so indeed that oaths were ceremonial , then it follows that christ in this text did not forbid them ; for he did not forbid the ceremonial law , but observed it all his life , eating the passeover with his disciples the night before his death , unless some would interpret his words , ( i command you that you do not swear ) yet i am content for a year or two you may swear by heaven or earth as you have been accustomed , but after my crucifixion and resurrection swear no more , and there let these that disallow swearing as a part of the ceremonial law , argue no more the unlawfulness of swearing from these words ( swear not at all . ) reply . though christ did observe the ordinances of the law , as being that ministration appointed by god until the time of reformation and the bringing in of a better hope , heb. . it became him to fulfill all righteousness , so was he circumcised , and eat the passover , and was baptized , washed the disciples feet , which were not enjoyned by the law , ( though not against it ) and that ministration not fully ended , though he see it must end , and spoke of a further thing , and of the time then , and also it should be ministred more afterward after his resurrection , joh. . , , , . the time cometh and now is , neither at jerusalem , nor this mountain , but they that worship the father shall worship him in spirit and truth ; so that he prophesied of the end of all those things , and of the cessation of them , which were sometime commanded , respecting both the place and the worship , and to them that did believe the disciples , unto whom it'was given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of god , ( then was the time ) to them it was come , even ( then ) before christ suffered ; and therefore a. s. his consequence is not true ( that christ did not forbid all swearing from this text ) and though he had both prophesied of a clearer ministration , and laid down in doctrine a more evangelical precept then the law , yea , and more strict obedience , yet notwithstanding many did still hold up these things , which the law commanded , though they believed well of christ , yea , after his suffering and resurrection , and that a long time , though that the apostles told them the substance was come , and that there was no more offering for sin , nor oblations , neither legal observations to be minded any more , yet still many observed them , and doubtless as to that formal swearing that was among the jews , and that vain swearing too many did continue in it afterward notwithstanding christ's command , but then not submitting , made not his command void in it self , and there is no necessity to make such an absurd interpretation as that he permitted them to swear for a year or two , by heaven and earth , and then at his passion to swear no more , for after he gave forth the command there was no permission , and yet afterward , as i said , the apostles declared against the shadows , and preached up the substance , and as a. s. confesseth the types ceased of themselves , but let him know there was a time of dying to them , and they ceased not all at once to them that had observed the law , neither were the mysteries revealed all at once , but as they grew in faith and knowledge , for the righteousness of god is revealed from faith to faith , and though the legal observations were observed in christ's time , so were they after , by many , but by right ended in the substance , and when he was come , though many did not see it till afterward : but i come to his th . argument . eleventh argument , no exposition of the text o● any other is to be admitted , that puts inconsistency betwixt the old testament and the new , seeing both are inspired by the same god , who is incapable of falshood or alteration ; whereupon if we be not so atheistical as to deny , the veracity or immutability of the most high , tit. . . it must be granted that his word is of eternal truth , jam. . . his promises yea and amen , his precepts more unalterable then the laws of the medes and persians , nor did our saviour come to destroy , but to fulfill the law , thereupon he enjoyns obedience to the commands of the pharisees , as sitting in moses 's chair , mat. . , . from all which it is apparent that the old testament is so far from being contradicted , that it is fully confirmed in the new ; therefore i may well draw this conclusion , that these words ( swear not at all ) ought not to be interpreted as to render all swearing unlawful , deut. . . psal. . . not without promise of reward , jer. . . and it was prophesied before by isaiah that christians under the gospel should swear , isaiah . . and . and . and i look upon it as a piece of manichisme , and extremely derogatory both to the scripture and god himself , therefore what moral duty one man was commanded in the law , another should be condemned in the new . reply , 't is true , no exposition of this text or any other is to be admitted , that puts such a difference betwixt the old and new testaments in matter of substance , but shall agree with austin : the law is the gospel vailed , and the gospel is the law revealed ; and what was prophesied and typified in the first is fulfilled in the latter ; but what shall be thought of them , that hold up the types and figures of the first , as though they were not fulfilled , or as though the promise was not come , and he made manifest in whom all shadows end ? and though god be unchangeable in himself , and incapable of falshood or alteration , and i know none who denyes the veracity of his word , or the immutability of the most high : yet notwithstanding i cannot set up the changeable priesthood , and covenant , and the ordinances belonging thereunto , against the unchangeable and everlasting priesthood and covenant , and as hath been said before , as though that all the precepts therein were so unalterable , as that of necessity they must needs continue , as obligatory to generations , i might truss up together many scriptures , and thwack them one on the back of another , which belong to the jews and the first covenant most properly ( till the seed christ was revealed , and offered up ) and i might bring in scripture to prove , that many things were commanded by the immutable god , and by him who is uncapable of alteration , and multiply many words , as a. s. doth to little purpose , and say what was written in the old testament was by the inspiration of god , and that his precepts are no more alterable then the laws of the medes and persians , and therefore they must needs still be observed by all christians to the world's end , or else conclude they that do not are atheistical , and deny god's veracity , and make the law of god void ; and what would all this in arguing prove , nothing at all ; the jews will confess as much , and plead as hard as a. s. can , who yet have not believed in him of whom the prophets prophesied , neither have received him who is the substance of what moses and the prophets bore witness , and in whom the law is fulfilled , and the promises made good , and confirmed with , and in whom all the shadows end , and the vail done away , and all the worship & precepts belonging thereunto , who hath manifested and revealed the father in all that believe , who is the new and living way , whose worship is not now in the letter , nor in the shadows , nor types , nor in any outward observations , but in spirit & truth is he worshipped , for he seeketh such to worship him ; for the great promise of reward was to , as ever was to swearing ; yet when they resisted him whom the father had sent , all their observances though never so strict did not avail ; but their circumcision became uncircumcision , and their worship and service became prophaneness , when they despised the substance by whom grace and truth came to all the children of promise : and we grant with a. s. that he came not to destroy the law , but to fulfil it , and to end both sin and transgression , and the law which was added because of it , and to bring in everlasting righteousness , and it to rule in the hearts of all that believe ; and against such there is no law ; and though christ enjoyned the disciples , mat . to observe what the scribes and pharisees bad them , who sate in moses's chair and read the law , and performed those services in part commanded ; that was the time before he was offered up , and the ministration of that covenant was not fully ended ; yet i hope a. s. with us will grant that they were not to heed them or to obey them in their vain traditions and false glosses , and interpretations and evil manners , which he cryed wo against , mat. . , . neither after his resurrection did he enjoyn them to hear the pharisees , neither to observe the legal ordinances of the first priesthood , but they declared against them and their practice , which continued in the observation of those things , which did not make perfect as pertaining to the conscience , heb. . . heb. . . and for all these texts he alledges out of the old testament , mat. . . psal. . . jer. . . unto these it hath been answered that this proves nothing that christians under the second covenant should swear as they did in the first ; for these precepts were only to keep them from idolatry : for jer. . . if you will diligently learn the wayes of my people to swear by my name ( the lord liveth ) as they taught my people to swear by ( baal ) then shall they be builded in the midst of the people : and the th . of deut. . . is to the same effect , you shall fear the lord and serve him , and swear by my name : and verse the . ye shall not go after other gods. all these only prove that the nations went after other gods , and sware by them , and served them , and israel too prone to follow their manners did so also , and therefore he gave them these precepts to serve him , and fear him , and acknowledge him , to keep them from idolatry , as hath been said , in the state of their minority and weakness , and that before the seed was revealed ; and that which a. s. calls a prophecy by isa. . . of christians swearing under the gospel , it 's no such thing , but a prophesie of egypt , his joyning to the jews , and owning their worship , and their god , and acknowledge him ; and do sacrifice and oblation , yea and vow a vow unto the lord and perform it , ver . . which clearly hath relation to the law and the worship of the jews , and not to the gospel ; so that a. s. might have as well said it was a promise how christians under the gospel should offer sacrifice and oblations as under the law , as well as swear . but the doctor hath traversed many paths which are crooked , winding , and turning , to gather something together , and hath fetched it far , to prove swearing under the gospel , but all his proof falls short of his matter by much : and that of isaiah . . is a prophecy of israel's return out of the captivity of babylon , in the days of cyrus , whom the lord called his anointed , and shepherd , isa. . . . who made a decree for all israel to go out of assyria to jerusalem , and build their city , and their temple , and worship their god according as he had commanded ; as may be seen at large in the book of ezra and nehemiah , and this was fulfilled ( then ) when they builded the city and the temple in those days , ( long before christ was manifest in the flesh ) and then did israel return , and every knee did bow , and every tongue did swear by the lord , which before the captivity had not bowed , nor served , nor acknowledged his name , but idols which provoked the lord , and therefore gave he them into the hand of the babylonians for seventy years till they were humbled , and then brought them back according to jeremiah , isaiah , haggai , and zachariah's prophesies , for this was fulfilled ; then is spoken by isaiah in this prophesie , isaiah . ver . , , . ( without contradiction to christ's command ) and his command entrencheth not upon this prophesie , neither doth this make the gospel thwart the law , beyond all terms of reconciliation , as a. s. vainly suggests in his margent , for this prophesie was fulfilled long before christ gave forth this command , swear not at all : moreover , if this prophesie have any relation to the state of the christian church ( as a. s. supposes , upon what ground i know not , saving his own affirmation ) then we shall consider and see how it is fulfilled under the gospel , and what the gospel allows of in this particular ; the apostle paul a minister of the gospel , not of the letter , as he saith himself , which some interpret to be the law , citeth this prophesie of isa. . . compare it with rom. the ver . . for it is written ( where ? in isaiah before cited ) as i live , saith the lord , every knee shall bow unto me , and every tongue shall confess to god ; and in philippians the . , . that at the name of jesus , whom the father hath sent , whom all is to obey , unto whom all power is given in heaven and earth ; the apostle citing again the very words of the prophet says unto him ( viz. jesus , every knee shall bow ; and ver . the . and that every tongue shall confess to the glory of god the father ; so that it cannot be reasonably thought or judged , that if god had required swearing by his name among christians as among the jews , that the apostle thus should alter the words , as to put confessing instead of swearing , seeing he sayes , he used always plainness of speech , for this had not been plainness , and we have better reason to believe the apostle , unto whom the gospel was committed , whom the son was revealed in , who declared the whole counsel of god , and yet never either commanded or exhorted any to swear , or reproved them for not swearing by the name of god ( as the jews did ) in all his writings that are extant , i say we have better ground to believe him and his rendering of the words of the prophet to be according to the mind of christ , where he puts in confession to the christians ( which before was swearing to the jews ) as being acquainted with the command of christ , mat. . . swear not at all : ) and what-ever a. s. look upon it as to be heresie , and derogatory both to the s●riptures and god himself , it is not much matter of man's judgment , he might as well accuse christ and the apostle , the one forbidding to swear , and the other for deminishing from the scripture , and altering the prophets words ; and though it seems strange to a. s. yet it is not to us , that some men were commanded in the old testament for observing some things , yea , many things , which are condemned in the new , and yet god is not dishonoured , neither the scripture broken ; if we see the end of every command , and the time for which it served , and the service for which it served , as this about oaths , hath been sufficiently declared before , to keep the jews from idolatry , to end strife among them where it was ; ( but among true christians , indeed ) strife is ended , and peace is come , and they seek it with all men ; and that is done away ( for which the law was added ) to wit , sin and transgression , diffidence , and unbelief , and strife , and no necessity of them among them ; and all the morality that doth remain is confession , or saying , or testimony in true words in any matter is that which is equivalent with an oath , and is that which is the most conform to christ and the apostles doctrine , under the gospel : but i come to his last argument . twelfth and last argument , the consent of the christian world , the practice of emperours , kings , princes , councils , bishops , and people of all sorts , confirm this truth that christ notwithstanding these words , ( swear not at all ) had never forbidden swearing as altogether unlawful ; 't is true , some of the fathers in their homilies , and to the people inveighed much against swearing , as though it had been altogether unlawful , but it was only against customary oaths ; chrysostome in his homily to the people of antioch preached so much against swearing that the people were offended ; he told them , he would never leave that sermon till they would leave that prophane custome of swearing ; but the fathers were less cautelous , but with great vehemency enveigh'd against common swearing in ordinary discourse ; but not at all intending to take away necessary oaths ; but origen in his first book against celsus , god is witness of my conscience ; and athanasius yet vehemently declaimed against prophane swearing , yet in his apology to the emperour constantius , he sware again and again , the lord is witness , and his christ is witness : all whith clearly shews they did not disallow the voluntary taking an oath , much less in judical proceedings ; and the reformed churches , and the church of england , and the whole catholick church in all times and places approved this doctrine , that all swearing is not unlawful ; so that it follows that the church in all ages was so ignorant as not to understand christ's meaning , or so wicked as to teach and practise quite contrary , or else christ never meant to forbid all kind of swearing , ( to assert the former ) were to profess all that went before either dunces or devils . reply . whatever a. s. concludes & thinks , he hath not such a consent among christians , as he makes a great flourish of ; it 's manifest by what hath been said , christ prohibited it amongst his disciples , swear not at all ; and likewise james the apostle agrees in the same doctrine , and the rest of the apostles , also all the primitive christians were esteemed so strict , exact , and cautious of their asserting , or promising , that there was no need of an oath among them , they kept up the sactity , credit of their posession , yea , among unbelievers , that it was security enough in all cases to say , christianus sum , i am a christian , as justin martyr asserts ; and if they were urged any further to any oath , for matter or manner , they repeated this as the only satisfaction they could give , there needed no more then the veracity of their bare record ; and thus much bishop gauden confesseth , and also in the . page of his book he says , the ground or foundation for swearing now is the wickedness and unbelief of men ; but christians ( truly such ) are brought out of evil and wickedness , unbelief and distrust , and there is no necessity among them either publick or private to swear at all : polibus observes , in the better and simpler ages of the world , oaths were seldom used in judicatures , but after unbelief and lying increased , oaths increased , as a only remedy to cure and restrain those evils : ( but let it not be said that those are christians that name christ's name and depart not from iniquity ) and since the perilous times came on that the apostle spoke , that men would not abide sound doctrine but be lovers of themselves , that should have a form of godliness and deny the power thereof ; such went out of the truth , and went into the world , and the world went after them , and the false church began to rise to dignity , and have the name of christian , though she consented not to the wholsome doctrine of our lord and saviour jesus christ , swear not at all , but perverted this , as she hath done many other doctrines , and beguiled thc kings of the earth , and held out her golden cup of fornication , and made emperours , kings , and princes drunk with her fornication , rev. . . councils , bishops and people err in their judgments , & by tradition one age after another have holden that lawful which christ did not prohibit ; but what doth all this prove , for it 's manifest that most of the ancient fathers of the church as origen , chrysostome , theophilact , hillary , athanasius , jerome , theodoret , laurentius , and others in their sermons and homilies to the people , vehemontly and frequently enveighed against all swearing without any limitation , without any reserve amongst christians swearing as to private conversation , yet they did not disallow the voluntary taking an oath , much less in judicature he says ; but those are but therms of his own shuffling in , and what he speaks only of his own head , by mingling his own words with theirs , for his own ends , for there is no such distinction made by them , as he makes , as lawful swearing and prophane swearing , and voluntary swearing , and swearing in judicature ; and it 's to be desired that a. s. had but produced their testimonies , and have cited only their own words without adding to them , that they would have made much against him , for it 's plain their judgment and witness was against all swearing what-ever . but a. s. tells us , chrysostome in his homily to the people of antioch preached so much against that prophane custome of swearing , that the people were offended , and he told them that he would never leave that sermon till they did leave swearing ; it were to be desired that more in this age who pretend to be christian ministers would follow his example , for the like i believe hath not been in any age ; oh! what customary , vain , rash , prophane , ungodly oaths ( in their acceptation ) take god's holy name upon every trivial occasion in vain in their mouthes , and daily inventing new oaths and execrations , even daring god to confound them and damn them ; yea , it grieves my heart to think , and the spirit of the lord in me to consider what sounded in my ears not long since , which i mention with detestation and abhorrency , that some when they had sworn even all the customary oaths , and all the new invented oaths , did proffer ten shillings to any that could invent ten new oaths , even glorying in sin , and making a mock at it ; and indeed it is fearful to hear , how without any reverence unto god , or dread of his majesty , oaths , these late years , are broke out like a land-flood over all the banks ; and no where so much to be found , nor no where so common as among them that reckon themselves conformable men ( loyal ) and members of the church of england , which is one crying sin , that draws down the judgment of god upon this land ; and what credit can we give to such men in judicature ? shall we not say as st. austin sayes , it disposes men to false swearing and gross perjury , nor can indeed much credit be given any more then to a lyar to any man that swears never so solemnly , and in judicature , who is a common swearer ; but instead of beating down that for which the land mourns , jer. . . many are even propagators of it , and pladers for it , and glory in it , and it 's become almost the only mark of a conformable man : oh what a sad time are we fallen into , and what a sad state , that they that depart from this great iniquity are become a prey ; i say , it had been more time for a. s. to have used his utmost endeavours this way , rather then to have opposed christ's doctrine , and added affliction to the bonds of conscientious sufferers , who dare neither swear nor lye . but not to disgress , a. s. he would make the fathers , as he doth with christ and the apostles , he would make all dance after his pipe , and make them all of his mind , and construe and interpret all their words unto his end , though never intended , and therefore he sayes , they were not cautelous enough , and so doth with them as he doth with christ , he makes their words one thing and their intentions another ; though ( saith he ) origen in his th tract upon mat. sayes , that christ did forbid all swearing ; yet he himself swears in his book against celsus , for he said , god is witness of my conscience ; and athanasius though he declaimed against swearing , yet in his apology to constantius he swears again and again ; and why ? he wrote as the apostle did , the lord is witness , and christ to witness , and these must needs be oaths , and voluntary oaths ; it 's not probable that they should use voluntary oaths , when they declaimed against all oaths ; and therefore origen saith , it behoves not a man who lives according to the gospel to swear at all ; and jerome , the gospel truth admits not of an oath ; likewise chrysostome who was bishop of constantinople ( in commendations of whom much is said in the ecclesiastical histories , acts and monument vol. . fol. . ) blames them greatly who bring forth a book to swear upon , charging the clerks , that in no wise they constrain any body to swear , whether they think a man swear true or false , saying , it 's a sin to swear well ; so that not only swearing upon a book was reprehended , but even all swearing , such as a. s. calls lawful : theophilact upon the place in controversie , learn hence that under the law it was no evil for men to swear , but si●ce the coming of christ it is evil , as circumcision , and in sum whatever is judaical ; to omit wickliff , john hus and jerome of prague , who were faithful men and righteous in their generation , which the reformed churches are beholding to for their testimony in other weighty things against the church of rome , though a. s. will not own them in this , but rather takes part with them who burned his bones years after his decease , and burnt his books , and these articles condemned by the council of constance , who also burned john hus , and jerome of prague , who maintained his articles , that all oaths that be made for any contract or civil bargain betwixt man and man be unlawful under the gospel ; and walter brute , whose testimony with many others was , that as the perfection of the old testament was not to forswear themselves , so the perfections of christ was not to swear at all , because they are so commanded of christ , whose commandment in no case must be broken ; the testimony of many worthy men and godly sufferers at this time are suitable to many of the fathers before-mentioned ; but this a. s. calls error ; who said so ? the church of rome , and the council of constance , with whom a. s. joyns , rather then the sufferers of christ , and they who hold it an error not to swear at all , and yet no error to break when they have a mind , and dispense with it , as the papists do to this very day ; and these fathers of the church ( doubtless ) were the best of men in that declining age , and were neither dunces nor devils , but understood by the signification of god's spirit in them the doctrine of christ ) and that which was consentaneous thereunto ) was witnessed by divers in after ages before-mentioned , which a. s. would condemn as hereticks , and why ? the church of rome hath called them so , and them that sate at the stern , who alwayes called themselves orthodox , and others heterodox , that did not sing to the same tune in swearing , and every thing else , when once they had got up into pompious lordly dominion over mens faith ; but what doth this prove ? nothing at all ; and what doth this prove that a. s inserts in his marginal notes , that the ministers who are inferiour in hungary and transilvania swear canonical obedience to their bishops , or the church of england , or the confessions of helvetia , basil , or others whom he calls reformed ? what of all this ? what doth this prove from the scripture of truth ; or as to the convincement of them who hold it unlawful to swear under the gospel , because christ hath prohibited it by his doctrine ? what is all that a.s. hath said in his arguments to dissenters satisfaction ? who know hundreds of things wherein as much as they fall out and fight even to blood with each other about their fancied formalities , they all agree in against the light and power of godliness , and against the very appearance of the image of him in his holiness , who is the substantial truth it self , we say , what is all this to some , that dissent from a. s. his judgment , and others he calls reformed , whose faith stands higher then the wisdom and thoughts of men , who cannot consent so as to lead their faith and reason captive after them , to try this or any other truth , seeing it is the gift of god , and the inspiration of the almighty gives understanding ; and though the church of rome and you agree in this , though you damn one another in other matters , what is this to us ? it shews only they erred from the doctrine of christ and his apostles , & you in this and many other things are not separated from them ; and thy conclusion which thou accordest with is false , that though god in the old testament commanded it , yet it doth not follow that christ in the new did not forbid it ( neither that christ and his apostles practised it ) who were under another covenant , and for ought can be perceived by a. s. by that he calls voluntary swearing , which he hath no ground for , though in other places he seems to condemn vain swearing and customary oaths , yet in this he looks not like himself , but seems to tolerate a kind of oaths we find no mention made of in the new testament , and yet we shall not conclude , as a. s. sayes , that all were so ignorant as not to understand christ's mind , nor so wicked as to teach the quite contrary to his mind ; for it is manifest many have been of the mind of christ in former ages and latter , though we shall never strive to bring in all the world , or the heathen , or nations that became as waters after the publication of the gospel , nor that rabble which he calls the christian world , which hath wondred after the beast , rev. . . and yet there hath been still some testimony born through ages unto the doctrine of christ ; and christ's doctrine stands in force ; and in that latitude that he intended it , notwithstanding a.s. his reasons and arguments and many more , as to forbid all oaths in the second covenant to his disciples ( truly such ) in these words , swear not at all : many instances might be brought of particular bishops , as otha bishop of bamberg in germany and basilius of chalcedon , who refused to swear ; and though a. s. cannot trace it beyond pelagius or manicheus , yet we know that both christ and the apostles confirm it ; and also the esseans among the jews did refuse to swear at all , even in judicature ; for josephus a jew saith of them , whatsoever they say is as firm as an oath , and so swear among them was counted a thing superfluous ; likewise st basil commends chinas a famous greek , that he suffered a fine of three talents , rather then he would save it by swearing , to the loss of his honour ; and shall christians ( truly such ) with whom truth abideth , and in whom it dwelleth , come short of that exactness that was among some of the jews , and the best and most virtuous of them called heathen ; shall not this kind of christianity which is professed in this day , who are in unbelief , frauds , infirmities , contentions be condemned by these ? shall not this circumcision become uncircumcision ? and shall not they that fear to swear , and deny all oaths be set above this , whose yea is yea and nay nay in all their communication , according unto christ's doctrine ? shall not this inherit the promise ? and is not this more gospel-like , to say , speak , testifie & do the truth , rather then to go back to judaism , or into contention , strife , emulation and distrusts that the swearers are in ( falsly reputed christians ) and yet abide not in his doctrine ? but having done with a.s. his negative part , i come to his affirmative part , which is no other then hath been answered over and over again , yet he thinks he hath said more in clearing of it then others have said , that christ only forbad swearing by creatures , and that indeed is the sum of his affirmative discourse , and the pharisees interpretation ; and he brings the judgment of divers expositors upon this text ; first , promisary oaths are here chiefly forbidden ; dly , others think that christ here forbad such oaths as then were used in common discourse ; dly , others say that prophane , false , rash and vain oaths are generally here prohibited ; thly , many understand that by these words of christ all swearing by creatures is forbidden , but not that by god himself , and last of all a.s. gives his thoughts , which are as follow . that christ did not forbid what the law had commanded , but only the pharisaical corrupt glosses thereon , and the irreligious practices of the mis-informed jews ( and cites origen and chrysostome who say upon this place , they were accustomed to swear by heaven and by creatures ) and a. s. further sayes , the pharisees taught them to affirm whatever they had promised , swearing by god ; they under a specious pretention , that they would not take god's name in vain upon a slight occasion , fell to swear by creatures , which grotius shows out of philo judeus , which the pharisees did not disallow , the easier thereby to delude such credulous people as believed those oaths which themselves neither thought obligatory , nor meant to keep ; and it 's certain the scribes and pharisees taught the people , that to swear by several creatures , as by the temple and altar was not binding , christ reproves them as blind guides upon that account , mat. . . and further they taught , it was perjury indeed to break an oath if a man had sworn by god , but not if he had only sworn by creatures ; in exposition of which christ forbids all swearing by creatures , and teacheth c●ntrary to the jews rabbies , that such oaths ought not to be taken , yet being taken are binding in respect of creatures relation to the creator , and christ reckons them among sinful oaths , and teacheth them to use only bare affirmations or denyals in their communication : and this is the very sum of his judgment ; and the words of christ are only to be limitted to this sense and no further , that is , not to swear at all by creatures in their mutual converse or communications ; and this he hath repeated over and over in his book , and this is the furthest latitude that he will allow unto christ's prohibition , swear not at all ; and this interpretation before-mentioned he looks upon to be the genuine meaning thereof , and is the judgment of doctor gauden also , who hath contended as hard for some swearing as a. s. hath ; and i perceive that a. s. hath read the answer to bishop gauden , published by that precious servant of the lord samuel fisher , who finished his life in bonds for the gospel-truth against all swearing , whose answer stands firm , and his demonstrative arguments of force , and are yet unanswered , though a. s. hath a little here and there carped at , and hath bitten at the heel , but hath not made void at all his answer , which will live as a living testimony in generations to come , as consonant unto christ's doctrine , wherein he prohibits all oaths under the gospel . reply , though there be some truth in the different authors that are alledged , and also in a.s. his words , that swearing by creatures , as heaven , and earth , jerusalem , and vain oaths , is forbidden , and customary oaths , and the corrupt glosses of the pharisees , and the false interpretations , yet all this comes short of christ's mind , and of the true genuine sense of the words & the scope of christ's sermon as is manifest in the chapter , and in his testament , and all he hath said will not help him to carry on that work he hath undertaken , ( viz. ) the justification of any , or the lawfulness of any swearing , or the defence of that limited sense , he would put upon the universal terms in the . texts , wherein christ and the apostle forbids all swearing : and though a. s. often tells us , christ did not forbid what the law had commanded , neither gave any new positive law before his death ; he sure hath forgot himself much ; what will become of the two great ordinances still upheld , as baptism , and breaking of bread ? and whether was this a new institution of christ , or was it an institution in the law ? and if it was an institution of christ ( as the church of england doth hold ) and not of the law , nor of moses , ( as indeed it was not ) then a. s. his argument is fallen to the ground , that he gave no new commandment , neither instituted any new ordinance ? and then what is become of these two great mysteries as they have been called ? but he hath ravelled out and spun out his threed so long , that he often runs off his legs ; and though a. s. does often urge , that he came not to destroy the law , but to fulfill it ; and therefore hath said falsly , that christ sware before the high priest after he had given forth this commandment , swear not at all , which if it had been true it had been no more president for christians then eating the passeover ; and though he sometimes urge that such oaths as were commanded under the law are not forbidden by that text mat. . . because it was spoken sometime before his death , and the ministration of the first covenant was not ended till his death ; and therefore he concludes , that all oaths would not be forbidden by christ in this text , for saith he , christ did not forbid what the law commanded ; but though this prohibition was given out before his death , yet with reference to the gospel-times after his death : it is evident by the texts before it and behind it , ( viz. ) of divorce and of deportment towards injurious ones and enemies so in this of oaths christ prohibites and condemns not only those gross abuses of those things that they had a dispensation for under the law , and that by divine indulgency , which abuses crept in by the pharisaical false glosses , too much loosing the meaning of god's law by moses by their depraved examples or popular customes ; but christ condemned and prohibited those very things , which in regard of the hardness of their hearts , distrust and wicked cruelties , god himself in that very letter of the law indulged them in , and gave them both a dispensation , and a precept for , in the law ; for the law said of old time , before the false gloss of scribes and pharisees came in some things ; so as it was not said from the beginning , when man was in innocency , and was merciful as his heavenly father was merciful , and the law said , deut. . . whosoever shall put away his wise let him give her a bill of divorcement , & then she may go & be another man's wife ; but i say whose putteth away his wife , causeth her to commit abultery ; and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery , mat. . . so that not only the corrupt glosses and irregular practices of the mis-informed jews are forbidden ; but even that which the law not only permitted and allowed , and dispensed with , but commanded , is for bidden ; ( and another thing injoyned ) and in cause of injury as he hath done , so shall it be done unto him : ye have heard it hath been said , an eye for an eye , and a tooth for a tooth , this was the law , exod. . . levit. . . deut. . . and this was commanded : but christ saith , i say unto you that ye resist not evil , whosoever shall smite thee on the one cheek turn the other also , and if a man sue thee at law and take away thy coat , let him have thy cloak also , and whosoever shall compell thee to go a mile go with him twain , mat. . , , . so here is not only a further thing , but even another thing commanded by christ. further , the law said , exod. . . thou shalt not commit adultery ; but christ the wisdom of god saith , mat. . . whosoever looketh upon a woman and lusteth after her , hath committed adultery with her in his heart , again , ye have heard that it hath been said that thou love thy neighbour and hate thy enemy , though a. s. sayes , that is not found in the law , but a corrupt gloss of the pharisees ; i say that is found which amounts to as much , as hath been shewed : for the jews that were of the law , might and did spoyle their enemies , the gentiles and canaanites , and egyptians and amalekites , and had a command so to do , and kill them , and root them out , and yet to help his enemies oxe or asse under a burthen , if he were belonging to a jew that personally hated him , and not an amalekite one of that cursed race ; but this is a ridle to many ; but i say unto you love your enemies , bless them that curse you , do good to them that hate you , and pray for them that despightfully use you and persecute you , mat. . . and the apostle exhorted , give no offence to jew or greek , so that his doctrine went beyond the law , put up , pass by , forgive , forbear ; again , you have heard it hath been said of old time ( where ? ) exod. . . deut. . . numb . . . mat. . . thou shalt not forswear thy self , but shalt perform unto the lord thine oathes , but i say unto you , swear not at all , neither by heaven for it is god's throne , nor by the earth for it is his foot stoole , neither by jerusalem for it is the city of the great king , neither shalt thou sweare by thy head , because thou cannot make one hair white or black , but let your communication by yea , yea , and nay , nay , for whatsoever is more then these cometh of evil : it 's most evident that christ prohibits somewhat more here then was forbidden under the law , yea , what ever oaths were lawful under the law , therefore it must be all swearing at all , or else none at all , either all such swearing as was used lawfully , and allowed as a type for a time , in the law , oaths made lawfully and acceptably to god , or else nothing more at all then what was forbidden in the law : for all false swearing and forswearing , and all swearing by creatures , or breaking of solemn oaths , made as unto god , were forbidden in and by the law ; therefore swearing it self is forbidden or nothing : but saith a. s. the grand objection falls of it self , which is either all kind of swearing is forbidden , or else christ forbids nothing which was not forbidden before , which is utterly improbable , saith he ; and he grants that god had formerly prohibited all false and vain oaths , and all swearing by creatures , saith he , which i grant to be true , then how is the grand objection fallen , for is not heaven , earth , jerusalem , the head , creatures ; and this is the most that a. s. and divers others affirm , that it is only oaths by creatures , such as before mentioned that christ only prohibits : and vain oaths , and swearing by creatures , a. s. sayes , christ reckons among sinful oaths ; then if so , as they are indeed , had not the law forbidden this before , in general terms , wherein all creatures are included ? therefore the reason stands still in force , and the objection , that either christ forbad all swearing , or else he forbids nothing but what the law had forbidden before : it 's manifest it stands still in force , for christ forbad even those oathes the law required , and all vain swearing , and swearing by creatures , and all swearing whatsoever , mat. . ye have heard it hath been said by them of old time , not of late by the scribes and pharisees , only putting their false glosses on the law , as a. s. intimates pareus and others , in his annotations , and hence conjectures , that by them of old time is only meant , the scribes and pharisees , and not moses and the law , and of old time must be meant ( a good while ago ) or not very long , as commentators understand it , less then ( twenty years ) and thus he twists and twines to make the true sense of christ's words void : it 's evident of them of old time , is moses time , the place before cited , numb . . . is the place christ alludes to , you have heard it said thou shalt not forswear thy self ; so saith the law in forty places , but perform unto the lord thine oaths , but i say unto you , swear not all ; no not by any oath at all , note the opposition in the particle [ but ] which is between the old , lawful legal , swearing , and no swearing at all , not between no swearing , and such prophane swearing as was unlawful under the law : the whole sum is this , the law said , break no oaths , but i say , take none ; for if christ intended no more in these phrases ( swear not at all ) not by any oath , then thus , swear not vainly , prophanely , ordinary , or by creatures in your communication , forswear not your selves , what forbids he more then the law forbad ? for heaven , and earth , jerusalem , a. s. says , christ reckons among sinful oaths ; and these are creatures , and swearing by creatures was forbidden by the law , i grant quoth a. s. then this reason stands still good , he either forbad all oaths , or he forbad no more then the law forbad ; and though it be granted that the jews swore by the creatures , as the temple , altar , jerusalem , and therefore christ prohibits them , and reproves them for these things , and likewise all swearing whatsover ; what doth a. s. gain by this ? for it 's evident in divers passages of his sermon in the th . chap. of mat. that he teaches a righteousness which exceeds that of the law , as i have shewed before , which he came to fulfill and not to destroy , by taking away the ceremony of swearing , and establishing the substance in its stead , which is speaking the truth , as in the sight of god in uprightness of heart ; yea , we say a-again , what saith he more to his disciples else , then the scribes and pharisees to theirs ? they said , swear not falsly , prophanely , but by god only , swear not falsly : for bishop gauden cites for his author drusius , among the jews all thing sin judicials were confirmed by the religion of an oath , wherein the name of god was interposed , therefore christ says more unto his disciples in express terms , swear no oath at all , otherwise how would their righteousness exceed that of the scribes and pharisees , which except it did , they could in no case enter into the kingdom of god ; the perfection and righteousness of the law therefore in this point of swearing was not forswearing : the perfection and righteousness of the gospel , in the same is not swearing at all , so though the gospel be not against the law , yet the gospel exceeds the law in every point ; the law said , kill not , the gospel be not angry ; the law , commit not adultery , the gospel , look not on a woman , lust not ; so in all the prohibitions of christ ; the commandments of christ went beyond the law , also in this of swearing , yet it did not if now there be any swearing at all among christians and disciples of christ , yet we shall also with a. s. agree that christ not only forbad all swearing ( even that commanded by the law , sometime lawful ) but he also forbids and reproves , and condemns swearing by creatures , and vain swearing in all communication , and their perverting of the law , and too much loosing it by traditions , and making it void by their false glosses , and counts them blind guides , which said , to swear by the temple , by the altar , by heaven , was nothing , he pronounced a wo against them , and concluded , they were bound to keep those oaths , though they ought not to have sworn them , for as much as he that swears by the lesser swears also by the greater ; as he that swears by heaven swears by the throne of god , and him that sits thereon , mat. . , , , , , , . we confess with a. s. this was but a sinful prophane creature swearing , an irregular form of swearing ; by the name of god the jews indulged themselves in , but what doth a. s. gain by this ? it's evident enough that solemn oaths by god himself , as those familiar oaths by creatures , in which they tacitely sware by god are forbidden by christ , but i say unto you , swear not at all . but a. s. tells us as grotius tells him out of philo judeus , that the pharisees taught them to perform what-ever they had promised swearing by god , they under a specious pretence that they would not take god's name in vain upon slight occasions fell to swear by creatures , which the pharisees did no disallow to cheat people withal , which they themselves neither thought obligatory , nor meant to keep . the name elohim and jehovah they might possibly scruple at , but that name adonai they oft , as superstitiously , repeat in their much babling as they superstitiously decline mentioning of the other , but that in serious cases of concerns of justice and equity , and in judicature in matter of debate , or ending of controversies , that they should wave and forbear swearing by the name of god , when their scriptures was so express for it , and they should chuse that way of swearing , that is no reason at all to believe it , seeing drusius sayes , among the jews all things in judicature were confirmed by oath , wherein the name of god was interposed , as above mentioned . dly . that they should wave swearing by the name of god in matters of concernment , which they all believed were binding , and should swear by creatures in order to the giving satisfaction to one another , and security of each other , and by such oaths as they judged not to be obligatory , and never meant to keep them , seeing a. s. says , it was in pretence of reverence to god , they swear not by god but by creatures , to cheat and never meant to keep , they knowing this that he that so swears by creatures meant not to keep but to cheat and not perform ; such oaths were not very probably used in judicature among them , neither in serious cases , for such oaths instead of giving satisfaction and putting an end unto jealousies and distrusts would have sure created them more then before ; forasmuch as he that so swears believes himself not to be bound thereby , then if he had not sworn at all , and he unto whom he swears also knows the same , that such oaths ( as a. s. tells on that they did swear ) is not binding , neither can any more credit be given to them then to a lyar , because in this sort of swearing there was no security ; it is not probable i say , that they should chuse this in judicature or any serious case of controversie : and if it be that swearing that christ only prohibits by heaven , earth , and creatures , which the pharisees indulged them in , wherein ( as to the point of swearing ) does he prescribe a righteousness and perfection above or beyond moses his servant whom he was to exceed ; for god by moses in the law it self had universally forbidden all other oaths , either in general terms , or sometime more particularly ; but still all false oaths , vain oaths , and oaths by creatures are included , save only solemn swearing by his own name that there was no more swearing left for christ to forbid his disciples , but swearing by god himself , which the law allowed of . besides moreover , the opposition then which lies intimated in that particle [ but ] being not between false swearing and prophane swearing , and swearing by creatures , as a. s. would have it , but between forswearing then and no swearing now , shews christ's intent to be to prohibit all swearing ; for it is indeed as if he had thus said , god under the law commanded you to swear by his name , and when you had sworn in truth by him , to perform the oaths you made by him , whether to him or any other ; but i say , now god allows you not to swear at all , not by heaven , earth , or any other , no not those oaths which ye did and might make of old unto the lord your god in things lawful , but no oath by a creature did god account as an oath made to him , provided ye performed it when ye had done , any more then he counted their solemn fastings to be to him , zachariah . . again , christ's own expressions in the affirmative part shew his meaning in the negative to be a prohibition of all swearing as well as any ; but let your communication be yea , yea , nay , nay ; so the negative of his words , swear not at all , must be understood in such an universal exclusive latitude as admits of no oaths whatsoever among his disciples ; and as hath been said , that particle [ but ] which stands between these two prohibitions , of moses , saying , forswear not , but perform to god thine oaths , and of christ , saying [ but ] i say unto you , swear not at all , doth manifest that christ forbids all swearing as much as any , even such swearing as was not indulged to them by the pharisees only , but by moses and god himself , who by his servant dispensed with them in , and instituted even their swearing by god's own name , who never indulged or dispensed with any of that creature-swearing , as a.s. speaks of , but threatned woes to it under the law ; and by the law again , if it be said , christ only prohibited all such voluntary oaths , which they sware to perform to the lord by any creature , as heaven , earth , in their communication and mutual converse ( as a.s. sayes ) but not solemn oaths by god in courts , or before magistrates , and not between man and man , and matter of deliberation , as some others say , and have interpreted the words , let not your whole conversation be interwoven with oaths . reply , christ doth indeed forbid all such voluntary oaths as were used by the jews and pharisees , and all swearing by any thing besides god or below god , also all swearing in common communication and ordinary conversation , where yea and nay should serve , yea , and that which is called solemn , and by some sacred and lawful , even by god even all swearing by god commonly , frequently or generally , which is now in courts , and imposed by justices and magistrates , then which nothing almost is more ordinary , frequent and common ; if our communication and conversation should be without swearing , and our mutual converse one with another among men should be without oaths of any kind whatsoever ; is not this exclusive of swearing in courts , and before magistrates as well as other men , whether in courts and consistories as well as other places , where men have their conversation and mutual converse with each other as ordinarily and commonly as else-where , which being considered i have with other often mused why some men have been so inconsiderate as to interpret christ's words and prohibition , as exclusive of mens swearing in their ordinary converse in courts , where oaths are as ordinary , frequent and common as in any places whatsoever , especially that some men plead so much for oaths in courts , and before magistrates only ( as though they were sacred and solemn there , and no where else , and holy and lawful only there ) and yet can bring no better proof under the gospel for them nor of their right to impose them upon christians more then others ? among the many false instances they bring of paul swearing frequently to the churches in his letters ; and such pitiful proof as a.s. offers of christ being charged by the high priest ( as he sayes ) to swear ; though he swore , for i deny that ( i adjure thee ) proves not that christ swore , it being not his , but another's charge upon him ; and it 's silly to think , that christ who said , swear not at all , no not by heaven , for it's god's throne , which whoso swears by , mat. . swears by god that sits thereon , that he should swear by the living god , he was the christ , at the command or charge of the high priest , who was his inferiour ( though he had been a better priest then he was ) as being but the type of himself ; but indeed there was no such matter as a.s. and others have affirmed ; for when the high priest barely asked him only whether he were the christ or not ? he answered , i am ; besides the law was not in the shadow of it fully ended , although christ had instituted divers things among his disciples , which were not in the law , and yet not against it ; but all these instances which a. s. with many opposers , hath brought of the apostles and christ's swearing , are but shrouds and shelters they make for themselves , because they have a mind to obey the commands of men rather then christ's doctrine , for avoiding of persecution and suffering , and therefore would make all things they take in hand look like their own image ; but having discoursed of this before , i come to a. s. his last part of his discourse , and his interpretation upon mat. . and jam. . in his section he sayes , if any still urge the universality of the expression ( swear not at all ) and that of jam. . . ( above all things my brethren swear not , neither by heaven , nor by earth , neither any other oath ) to the first he sayes , it 's plain that they that thus argue break off our saviour's sentence in the middle , and suffer him not to come to his period ; for he saith not , swear not at all , there fixing a point , but swear not at all , neither by heaven , nor by earth , &c. and for that of james must of necessity by understood with restriction , quotes austin upon the text , it cannot be that swearing is worse then forswearing , theft , adultery , murder , these are hainous crimes , nulla autem culpa est verum jurare ; but if no sin to swear the truth , why then above all things swear not , not that swearing is so great an offence as many others but lest we contract a habit thereof , then probably by rash oaths we shall offend god by false swearing , which is no more then in an especial manner , forbear forswearing , and any other oath must be restrained in a limited sense , for there is not meant any oaths whatever , but such as the apostle speaks of , neither by heaven , by earth , nor any other oath , that is , any oath taken by other creatures , for so must they be understood , unless we interpret his words to make them contradict god's , and se● the servant in a manifest opposition to his master . reply , we who are of a contrary judgment to a.s. do still urge the universality of the text , mat. . , , &c. and we shall not break off christ's sentence in the middle , swear not at all , &c. but shall render it as it is , neither was it ever intended otherwise , but for brevity sake , because the enumeration of heaven and earth , &c. are only inclusive in the prohibition ; and we shall speak on , and what christ hath joyned we shall not separate , but read the words as they are , ye have heard it hath been said of old time , thou shalt not forswear they self , but shalt perform unto the lord thine oaths ; but i say unto you , swear not at all , neither by heaven , for it is god's throne , neither by the earth , it 's his footstool , neither by jerusalem , for it 's the city of the great king , neither shalt thou swear by thy head , because thou cannot make one hair white or black ; but let your communication be yea , yea , nay , nay , whatsoever is more then these cometh of evil. james . . but above all things my brethren swear not , neither by heaven , neither by earth , neither by any other oath , but let your yea be yea , and your nay , nay , lest you fall into condemnation : in which two texts we say ( in the affirmative ) all manner of swearing is forbidden , for the truth of which many reasons have been and may be given . first , because all manner of swearing is here expresly instanced in these two disjunctive clauses , which are expresly conclusive , and consequently ( because spoken by way of prohibition ) exclusive , exceptive of all swearing that can be thought on , swear not , swear not at all , sayes the text , yea , that none may imagine , as a. s. would make men do , that this general rule admits of any exception ; but all know the prohibition is so strict as to allow of no permission in the point to swear by any thing but god , he adds , neither by heaven , neither by earth , neither by jerusalem , neither by thy head ; and these are only more ample expressions of that prohibition , and are not exclusive or disjunctive from the prohibition , but conclusive of the prohibition of all swearing whatever . but lest any should think he forbids only and no more then extravagant oaths of such as swear by creatures , as earth , jerusalem , the head , and such like , whenas whosoever swore lawfully under the law was to swear by none but god himself ; but that there be no root at all for any reasoning for swearing against the flat prohibition of it , james . he concludes and shuts up all in these universal terms , and excludes all oaths , and all possible pretence of plea at all for any swearing , adding neither by any other oath ; what words more plain words can be uttered , or can be more expresly exclusive both of all kinds or sorts of swearing , and of all sorts of particular oaths of every kind ; and by heaven , and by earth , and by jerusalem , are so far from signifying that those oaths by creatures are only the oaths that christ prohibits , that they are but only enumerations and amplifications of the former part of the prohibition , swear not at all , which we grant were spoken to reprove the pharisees and the jews practice about their vain swearing . and why must those words of james . needs be understood with restriction ? above all things swear not , neither by heaven , neither by earth , &c. why , st. austin scruples at the first words , quare ante omnia jurare est quam furari , &c. quam adulterare , &c. quam hominem occidere , it cannot be that swearing is worse then forswearing , then adultery , theft , murder ; we do not say it is , but if it be not , or that be not the reason why he sayes , above all things swear not , because swearing is a sin above all sins , can no other reason but that be rendered ? yes , yet we shall agree with austin and a. s. too , if their judgment be one , thus far , that it was not sin to swear the truth , when called unto it , under the law ; why then above all things swear not ? not that swearing is so great an offence as murder or adultery , but lest we contract a habit thereof , and then possibly by rash oaths , we should offend god , which is no more ( saith he ) then in especial manner , forbear forswearing ; and any other oath ( saith a. s. ) must be restrained in a limited sense ; for there is not meant any oath whatever , but such as the apostle speaks of , by heaven , by earth , &c. though there be some truth in what is said , yet it 's too short to answer the apostle's end and scope , and the reason falls short that is rendered ; but the main reason is , they were jews unto whom he wrought , the twelve tribes scattered , whom we deny not but were run into that custom of vain swearing by creatures , as heaven earth , jerusalem , head and temple , &c. but that is not all , though we grant it is some reason ; but they being jews , who might under the law swear ●erious or solemn oaths , and were not so fully informed of the end of the law in christ , under which among them some oaths were lawful , they were apt to think , they did as well in swearing so now as they did before ; so though adultery and murther may be as bad & worse then swearing , yet the law being so expresly against them , which yet in its time allow'd some kind of swearing in some cases ( it was more hard to bring them of from some ceremonious services of the law that were once lawful , as is evident long after christ's ascension , the apostles had much to do with them about the rites of the law , as circumcision , and times , and dayes , and new moons , &c. then from such sins as were known and hated by them , and held accursed , by the very letter of the law ; and therefore he says ) above all things my brethren swear not ; that they might not only take hold of all vain swearing , and swearing by creatures , that was ever unlawful ; but if that they might know that now to be unlawful which in former times was accounted lawful for them : and so it 's ordinary to say to men , above all things take heed of that to which they have been long accustomed , and with which ( through heedlesness of the unlawfulness of the thing ) they are apt most easily to be overtaken . again , it is by solomon , who spoke by the eternal wisdom of god , and in it to fear an oath is made the character of a righteous man that sacrificeth acceptably to god ( to swear ( at all ) is more the character of a wicked and unclean sinner , eccles. . , . for howbeit men shall once return , and discern the happiness of him that serves god , from his woe who serves him not , yet he is one event to the righteous and the wicked , to the good and clean , and to the unclean , to him that sacrificeth , and him that sacrificeth not , as is the good so is the sinner , as he that sweareth so he that fears an oath , and so as above all things swear not , is to be taken not only of those oaths which were ever unlawful by heaven and earth , but even of those that sometime , were lawful under the law , in the type which now when the substance the oath of god is come , and the covenant of light given to all nations ▪ isa. . . luk. . , . who ends all , not only vain oaths , but all oaths , and is the substance of all , even to the subsequent , neither by any other oath is not only to be taken of such oaths neither by heaven , neither by earth , which were ever unlawful ; but even of those sometime lawful , even all swearing and all oaths ; and the servant is not in opposition to his master , but knew the mind of his master christ , and therefore taught like doctrine and the same : but whatever christ or james had said , a. s. would make them , if he could to mean as he means , to set their plain express words against their mind : but so much hath been said by many others who fear the lord and an oath too , and so many demonstrative and weighty things have been offered to the consciences and publick view of all , which a. s. i perceive hath seen some of them , though he come not so much as near as to answer them , but only asserts his own , being a work it seems he was put upon by others to plead for swearing ; so that something he must say on that behalf , and draw that way , and to make all things look towards that end , and to concur together ( to justifie them , and the lawfulness of oaths under the gospel , and their work who persecute the servants of christ for abiding in his doctrine , who speak the truth and dare not lye nor swear at all ; i say i shall be the more brief because i know many things are extant by others , & of weight , which have not yet been answered , nor are by a. s. though here and there a little in his annotations he craps sometime upon sm●ll ground , although he hath asserted nothing but that which hath been answered over and over again : but i draw on to his last refuge and plea , his answer to both the texts conjunction . that these propositions , says a. s. ( how universally soever exprest ) ought not in equity to be extended beyond the intention of the apostles , but be limited according to the subject matter , swear not at all ( says christ ) neither by heaven , nor by earth , &c. that is , i universally forbid you all those oaths which you were wont to use frequently to wicked purposes ; and further he sayes , all vain and false oaths by god , even by the acknowledgement of the pharisees were sufficiently forbidden before , so there was no need either for christ or james to speak of them again , others places of scripture most of necessity be thus interpreted , cor. . . mat. . luk. . . mat. . luk. . . how universally soever exposed must be restrained according to the mind of the speaker , and so must these words swear not at all . reply . it 's freely granted that these two texts ought not to be extended beyond the intention of the speakers , but be limited according to the subject matter , as for general terms and universal prohibitions , admitting of exception they do so , we grant now and then they do , and of restrictions , but when they do these exceptions and restrictions are usually in one place or other of the same testament , where they are made , or at least manifestly amplified by him that gave out these general prohibitions , and so are most of these generals and restrictions that a. s. hath instanced , cor. . . all things are lawful for me to eat , that which was sold at the shambles was lawful , but that which was sacrificed to idols , ver . . there he mentions the restriction himself , and so luk. . . it seemed good to me also , having perfect understanding of all things from the very first , the subject matter whereof he writes and the things are exprest , and the exceptions , in the chapter , and in mat. . . all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men , but the blasphemy against the holy ghost shall not be for given , there in the same verse christ makes the exception and restriction , and exod. . . thou shalt do no manner of work , it 's abundantly expressed elsewhere in the law ; where the priests service on every sabbath are appointed them , and the exception of dressing what every one was to eat , and was expressed , and the exception of doing good , and of works of mercy , in saving the life of man or beast was to take place ever against the typical sabbath ( i will have mercy and not sacrifice ) and that of luk. . . and the woman that was healed by touching the border of christ's garment , she declared unto him before all the people ; what saith a. s. before all the people of the world , or before all the people of the land ? no there is none so ignorant as to understand it , for mark. . . manifest the exception before all the people , only that were with him nigh unto the sea ; when he returned from the county of the g●darens , or before all the people of his own city that came out to meet him , mat. . . mat. . . many more i might add to what a. s. hath instanced , that christ uttered many truths in general terms which must admit of exception , luk. . . all the sinners christ spoke to about him , in the general terms , ye shall perish , but this was not without exception of such as should repent ; but that exception was not without expression , viz. except ye repent , again he said unto his hearers , ye cannot enter the kingdom of god ; that was not without exceptions , nor these exceptions without expressions , viz. except ye be converted ; yea , in the verses immediately before , this universal prohibition , swear not at all , mat. . , . christ sayes , 't was said of old , if any put away his wife , let him give her a bill of divorce ; but i say , whosoever shall put away his wife , causeth her to commit adultery : but this admits of an exception and that exception is thus exprest , viz. saving for the cause of fornication ; but though all this be granted , even these and many more universal terms admit of exceptions and restriction , yet we cannot grant that these two texts admit of any such exceptions or restrictions as a. s. would interpret them . my reason is this , because in this general term and universal prohibition , swear not at all , it cannot in equity be taken and limitted in that sense which a. s. puts upon it , nor with that restriction , for that sense would make it short of the subject matter where all swearing is forbidden as well as any , because swear not at all by heaven , earth , &c. because there is not only no expression made any where after of any such exception or restriction , but a fuller amplification of it by such particulars as are enumerated , and are more particularly exclusive of all kinds of oaths , and of all oaths of any kind , not only of those that they used to wicked purposes , but even those they solemnly used sometime to good purposes before the seed christ was revealed ; and the apostle , james . . neither by heaven , neither by earth , neither by any other oath , which is a re-inforcement and redoubling of the said universal prohibition ; whereas if christ had intended any exception here , he might as easily have exprest , and would as assuredly as he did immediately above in the cause of divorce , by ( except in the cause of fornication ) and have so said , swear not at all , except it be solemn and sacred oaths , and by the lord , to good purposes in courts , where ye are call'd to swear before a magistrate ; so james if he had intended , as a.s. will needs inforce , yet without any ground , a limitation and restriction , above all things my brethren swear not , neither by heaven , neither by earth , neither by any other oath , except ye swear solemnly by god to good purposes in courts or before magistrates ; but as i said , instead of excepting any exception , he adds that which more strengthens and clears beyond all exception the universality of his prohibition ; and if all vain oaths by god were forbidden before , and all swearing by creatures , so that there was no need either for christ or james to speak of them again , as a.s. sayes , then this is still matter for the argument on our part , that some oaths were prohibited by christ and james which were not prohibited before , and of which there was necessity for them to speak , as there was indeed , not only about those oaths and other things which the law before had prohibited , but even of those things that it had allowed and indulged , because of the hardness of their hearts ; so we say , there was a necessity of christ and james , not only to mention those things again which the law had spoken of before , and disallowed , which we have instanced before , and is manifest in that chap. . which the pharisees had perverted and loosened by their false glosses and traditions , but even those things which were permitted , indulged and commanded under the law , and suffered to be , because of the hardness of their hearts , and strifes , unbeliefs , insecurities ; and therefore christ teacheth and informeth his disciples as it was in the beginning before those things entered , and in this cause about oaths among the rest prohibits all swearing without limitation , not only that which was once forbidden , but even that which was once permitted , and commanded , and indulged ; and therefore it hath been said of old time , thou shalt not forswear thy self ( under the law ) where ? in numb . . . deut. . . but i say unto you , swear not at all , neither by heaven , nor earth , nor jerusalem , nor thy head , which is manifestly an exclusive prohibition of all oaths , without exception or restriction or limitation , and still will stand good ( notwithstanding all a. s. and others opposing ) among his disciples and true christians , in whose hearts he hath put it to speak the truth ; and confess in any cause wherein they are concerned , to the glory of god the father , and to keep the commands of his christ , and to glorifie him by abiding in his doctrine , swear not at all . and then a. s. concludes , here the grand objection falls of it self , which is , either all kinds of swearing is forbidden , or else christ notwithstanding his words ( but i say unto you ) forbad nothing which was forbidden before , which is utterly improbable , and the reason is ( saith he ) because god formerly had forbidden all false and vain oaths , and all swearing by creatures , all which i grant to be true ( saith he ) but the pharisees had taught the people otherwise by their wicked glosses , that made the commandment of small effect by their tradition , and the practice of that nation was widely distant from the commandment , both which were necessarily to be reformed , which our saviour did in these words , but i say unto you , swear not at all . reply , who ever denyed but that the pharisees were blind guides , and that they laboured to make void the law , and made the commandments of god of small effect by their traditions , or that the practice of that nation was not widely distant from the commandment , and that they sware by false gods sometime , and vainly by the true god , and took his name in vain , and sware also by heaven , and earth , and jerusalem , like as many do now ; all this we grant , that they were out of the way both in oaths and other things , also that christ reproved in the fifth of matthew and else-where , which christ reformed and reproved their doctrine and manners ; i say again , how is the grand objection fallen by this , that either all kind of swearing is forbidden here by christ , or else christ forbad nothing which was not forbidden before , which is utterly improbable , saith a. s. but it is more probable then any thing that a. s. hath yet offered ; for if only by heaven , earth , jerusalem , head , temple and altar be that which christ forbad , that the pharisees taught the people they might swear by , these were forbidden before , inclusive in false swearing or swearing by creatures , though not expressed or enumerated nominally , yet included among the sinful and vain oaths under the law , and so were forbidden before ; and saith a. s. i grant that all vain oaths and perjury , and all swearing by creatures were formerly forbidden ; and if so , as indeed they were , what more did he forbid then was forbidden , if the words must only be understood of those sinful and vain oaths by creatures above-mentioned , that the pharisees indulged the people in , and taught as a. s. would limit his prohibition and exception , i shall leave to the conscience of every enlightned man to judge , and say that in these words , it hat been said of old time thou shalt not forswear , but pay thy vows unto the lord , but i say ( who am come to restore man again into that estate he fell from by transgression , and to redeem him that believes out of strife and contention , and idolatry , to have fellowship with the father ) swear not at all , neither by heaven nor earth , nor any other oath , that as hath been said before here is a prohibition of all vain oaths and false oaths , and perjury , and all oaths by creatures , and all the vain traditions of the scribes and pharisees about oaths , and somewhat more , even a prohibition of those oaths to his disciples , which the law allowed after sin had entred , for which cause the law was added , and oaths added , but christ ends it , ( not by destroying it ) but by fulfilling it , and hath set up that which is more evangelical , truth it self , in which there is no shadow of change , and it is binding upon the souls of all true christians , and that by which they are bound one to another , and every word , promise , or testimony that goes out of their hearts and mouths , they by it are bound to keep , least they fall into condemnation , but their yea is yea , and nay is nay ; and whatsoever is more then this cometh of evil ; and therefore they do not , cannot , nor dare not go beyond this or that which doth but amount to as much , and there needs no more among true christians . now as to them , who are in the contention and strife and unbelief and oaths , works of the flesh , as variance , discord , whom the law hath power over and is against , as long as they live in such estate , it 's granted that the law was added because of these transgressions , and is against such ; and how far swearing can be binding among evil , contentious , unconscionable men , that make no conscience of any thing , who cannot believe one another , nor give credit to one another without swearing , experience hath manifested whether they judge one another to be believed better by swearing then without swearing , that 's little to us , neither shall we meddle in contentious matters , nor have to do with striving men , as little as possible , but rather suffer wrong , then wrong our consciences by swearing , which we are perswaded by christ we ought not to right our selves , as hitherto we have done and have peace , blessed be god in our hearts , however , we could rejoyce and be glad to see all men be at peace , and agree , and it 's our desire to live in that love , and we shall seek it with men and to be at peace as much as in us lyes , even in that love that works no evil , nor thinks no evil , but believeth all things , and beareth all things , and so carries beyond strife and oaths ; but if they will not be without oaths in courts and judicatures , we are clear in the matter , if they exact upon us , and do as they have done , to the undoing , and ruining of many in this world , we must be content , knowing it is better to suffer wrong , then to do it , and shall acquiesce and rest in the will of god , till he plead our cause , and open the hearts of men to see through the clouds of error and ignorance that is over their consciences . yet however this i must needs say , this frequent , common , prophane swearing , that hath exalted its horn , more of late years , is one of the crying sins of england , that god's anger is against , and will draw down his judgment , and kindle the indignation which hangs over this nation , not only because of those that command men to swear , contrary to christs command , ( and that for to establish cruelty and injustice ) but also that swore falsly and vainly , and that against their knowledge , for their own profit , and the disadvantage of others : to accomplish their wicked , malicious and revengeful designs , against the innocent , who dare not swear at all , and thereby are made a prey to the teeth of wolves , and to the wills of corrupt men , who take occasion ( as it were ) to plow long furrowes upon the backs of the poor and needy , for which things sake the wrath of god will be poured out upon the head of the wicked , and the nation shall be on heaps , and the wise men shall be turned backwards , and their table shall be a snare , and the curse shall be upon the rebellious , and they shall fall and be broken and rise no more ; and this may justly befall this nation , because of oaths , and because of oppression . and oh much pittied nation ! it may be said of thee truly as the prophet hosea . , . ( because of swearing , and lying , and killing , and stealing , and whoring , they break out , and blood toucheth blood , therefore shall the land mourn , and every one that dwells therein shall be cut off ) oh! what sad times do we behold , nothing but extreames of evil are presented to our eyes and ears , some do little but swear , ordinarily , commonly and vainly , in all kind of communication and conversation , not only in their usual outer courses in courts , with judges and magistrates , but in their hourly discourses also with other men , in cities , townes , princes and great mens courts , and places , universities , colledges , almost all houses , at least all taverns and ale-houses , and in the open streets and assemblies , almost every where , are full of dreadful oaths , and mens discourses interwoven with execrable and direful oaths , even as it were daring god to confound them and damn them , and such like , and though there be divers laws against swearing vainly and forswearing , yet these are not looked at , but how should we exspect that they should look at the execution of the laws of men which are good , who heed not the law of god ; and are so buzzed now a dayes , with over-executing those intangling laws that are extant for oaths , and forswearing , to intrap and insnare poor innocent men , who dare not swear at all , but keep the commands of christ ; so that there is no leisure lost to look after those most wholsome and profitable laws of both god and the king , which are against vain oaths , and forswearing , which the land abounds with , the like hath not been in any age , which is a sad presage of the judgment of god to be at hand . and last of all , a. s. says , he hath done , and he fears it 's more and time to have done with the exposition of those words , and so comes to application , and so he speaks to all in general ; who at that time or any other may be legally called to take their oaths , which you have heard vindicated to be lawful , notwithstanding the seeming opposition of these words , swear not at all ; but those must be understood of necessary oaths , and your righteousness is to exceed the scribes and pharisees , but they condemned perjury in the verse immediately before my text ; and your warrant for swearing is in jer. . . which thence appears not only lawful but in some cases necessary . reply . it 's more then time indeed to have done , to pervert christ's plain doctrine with his imaginary exposition , and what he counts ( legally caled seeing christ prohibited it , is not of much force , neither will a. s.'s vindication stand against the real opposition of christ's words , swear not at all ; but his seeming vindication ( in the day of the lord , when the secrets of all hearts shall be manifest by jesus christ , when the book of conscience shall be opened ) will be found to be in real opposition unto christ , and his reward will be according to his works , who hath by his work strengthn'd the hand of evil-doers and persecutors , to the adding affliction to affliction upon the righteous ; and if the words must be understood of necessary oaths , then there is none necessary among christ's true disciples , who commanded , let your yea be yea , or your nay , nay , for whatsoever is more comes of evil ; and whether the scribes and pharisees condemned a perjury or not , we are sure the law did , which christ's words hath reference to , it hath been said of old time thou shalt not forswear thy self ; and if the righteousness of christ's disciples be to exceed the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees , and they condemned perjury , and all false swearing by god , and the law condemned all false oaths and vain oaths , and oaths by creatures , as a. s. hath granted ; then the righteousness of the disciples is to be another , then the righteousness of the law , which condemned all perjury and vain oaths ; then what is it , but not to swear at all any oath , but speak the truth , and confess it to the glory of god in yea and nay ? and this is that which exceeds the scribes and pharisees , and is only lawful and necessary under the gospel ; and as for jer. . . this is pittiful proof and warrant for christians to swear under the gospel , for that was only spoken to israel or juda , who were under the first covenant , and yet were revolted from the ordinances thereof , and were back-sliders , as is to be seen , jer. . . and hath not reverence to the second covenant : but i shall come towards an end as well as a. s. and conclude and refer all ( what both he and i have said ) to the judgment of the lord , and the measure of god's holy spirit in all mens consciences , to be received or denyed by that as he and his witness bears evidence , so shall the matter stand eternally . yet i cannot but mind the reader , though a. s. hath had , as appears , certain books of the dissenters , in which are weighty things , about this particular of swearing , which he hath not answered at all , as to their arguments , only carped here and there at a word , which is not of great moment ; but though he may plead some reason , that it was not possible to answer all things in so short a discourse , as a sermon , wherein he was limited as to time , yet since he had , i perceive , by his annotations , time enough to have answered them , having their books extant by him , but hath not , in the most weighty considerations ; therefore i refer the reader to them , for his further satisfaction , viz. to the answer of bishop gauden , by that faithful servant of god , sam , fisher , where this point is largely discussed , likewise his antidote against swearing , in answer to heary den , and jeremiah ives , likewise a book published by isaac penington , titled , the great question concerning the lawfulness or unlawfulness of swearing under the gospel stated , and considered of ; wherein are weighty things declared in short ; st . what an oath is ; dly . the ground and occasion of an oath ; dly . the causes wherein an oath was to be used ; thly . the end of an oath ; thly . the suitableness of its nature to the end aimed at by it ; thly . the persons to whom the use of an oath was proper and lawful . wherein also is clearly shown the state of man-kind from the creation , comprised in four heads or particulars : first , ( the state of innocency ) when there was no oath ) secondly , an estate of captivity , wherein an oath was proper and lawful : thirdly , the estate of shadowy redemption , wherein it was lawful also : fourthly , an estate of true and perfect redemption , wherein it 's neither needful nor lawful , seeing it 's prohibited by christ , all which a. s. hath passed over , and hath not answered . likewise a book published by john crook , titled , the case of swearing ( at all ) discussed with ; and several objections answered : these things a. s. hath not answered , i only instance them for the readers further satisfaction , if unsatisfied in what hath been said already ; all which great and weighty things , are worthy of the serious consideration of all . likewise a book , titled , ( swearing denyed in the new covenant ) by morgan watkins . when all that hath been said , is duly considered and weighed in the righteous ballance of god's holy spirit , they will not think it strange that some deny to swear at all , but rather wonder that such a vail of darkness should be so long over the minds and hearts of them that believe not , notwithstanding so clear evidence from christ and his apostles , or the example of the primitive christians or holy martyrs , who spoke the truth , but denyed to swear at all ; but that custome and tradition is often more minded then the very truth it self . oh! that the rulers of this nation would once consider & weigh what they are doing , and how many and great the suffering of a conscientious people that fear the lord in theirs hearts are , who dare not disobey the commands of christ , lest they fall into condemnation , and come under the rebuke of the lord in their hearts , who hath power alone to kill and to make alive , but rather chuse to suffer the loss of all , and undergo the manifold sufferings that some malicious spirits cause to be inflicted upon them ; when indeed there is no cause at all ; while prophane persons swear , and forswear , and take god's holy name in vain , and make little conscience of any thing , but sometime for , and sometime against , whatsoever seems countenanced and discountenanced by the magistrates ; so that neither the king nor kingdom is in any more security , notwithstanding all such swearing , how solemn soever they seem in swearing , neither any more credit be given in judicature , then there is to be given to him that is a common swearer in his private occasions , or common communication ; and oh! how doth the land abound in this , insomuch that he that is not a curser or swearer is looked upon as a phanatick , or some disobedient person , or unconformable man , which ought especially to be eyed for a dangerous person : oh! that the heads and rulers of the people would but consider how near the judgment of god is , and how ready to break forth upon the nation ; and not without cause , even great evils are begun , pestilence and sword already threatned , and god's arrows flying abroad to wound and to destroy them that continue in hardness of heart , & rebellion against god , and will not suffer him to rule and reign in the consciences and kingdoms of men , but vain men would set up their thresh-hold with his , and not only so , but against his ; and great is the wickedness and the sins of this nation upon many accounts , which the lord will bring a scourge upon , especially that grievous sin of persecution , that cain-like way , which the generations have chosen to add as they ignorantly suppose unto their church , and so build up their zion with cruelty , and their church by iniquity : oh! this is loathsome in the sight of god ; had zimri peace who slew his master ? had israel peace when she slew the prophets ? had the jews peace when they had crucified christ ? had the romans peace when they persecuted the first christians ? had cain peace when he had slain his brother ? if nay , let not england expect peace , when they are persecuting them that are members of christ's church , so that this grievous sin ( if england had no more ) were enough to bring the dreadful judgment of god upon the whole land , and undoubtfully will , if not repented of ; but now it must not be counted so ; and why ? because there are some statuets and laws which they obey not , and so it 's for disobedience ; consider , did not all the former pretend one law or other , did not all that ever suffer'd , even the best of men & christians suffer as disobedient , & as offenders against some law or other , & as evil-doers in the account of them , that inflicted punishments upon them ; if so ( as it is certain they did ) may not england be deceived , while that they are thinking they do god and the king service , to root out and destroy some under the notion of heresie , and some under the notion of disobedience and factious , may they not be persecuting christ in his members , or destroying the peaceable members of their native country ; the lord open all their eyes , and do away the darkness and the vail of ignorance that is over many hearts , that they may turn to the lord , and submit unto his eternal and unchangeable power , that so they may escape the day of the lord , which is at hand , and the judgment of god that is ready to break forth as an an over-flowing scourge , to cut off and sweep away in his displeasure even all them that would not have christ to rule in their hearts , neither have his laws fulfilled nor obeyed , which he writeth in the hearts of all true believers , unto whom all must bow and be subject , because the father hath committed all power into his hand , and his glory he will not give to another , no , to none but him whom he hath given for a covenant of light and life , to be king , law-giver , saviour and judge of his people , and to be the head of the body , his church , whom he redeems out of the world to himself to glorifie him , who is the only potentate and king of immortal glory , god blessed forever and ever , amen . to all the well-beloved flock of christ , whom he hath gathered into his fold ( to feed in his heavenly pasture ) in and about london , hartford and kingston . peace from god the father be multiplyed in all your hearts through jesus christ , the prince thereof , whom the father hath sent , as his free gift , and given for the covenant thereof unto all that believe and receive him , to reconcile all , even all that believe , even them that have been and yet are afar off , and are in enmity in their hearts yet by wicked works , and have no title or right unto peace , yet they that have received have , and them that shall receive him shall have , and shall be brought nigh unto god , and out of the wrath and enmity , and so come to be capable thereof , through receiving and believing in his name and power , by whom alone remission of sins is obtain'd , and peace and reconciliation with god witnessed , to whom be glory and honour forever and ever , amen . dearly beloved , with thoughts of pure and unspotted love i often remember you all , who have been and are followers of christ , and sufferers for him in this present world , and also have been and may expect to be while in the world companions with them that suffer for that blessed hope and testimony , which you have received from god in your hearts , by which the saints in light were purified and sanctified , and did overcome the world and the prince thereof , who now ruleth in the children of disobedience , who are subject to his power and government , which stands in wrath , envy , oppression , persecution , and in that which leads unto every evil deed and work , and because the lord hath chosen you out of the world , and from under the power of the prince of darkness , therefore he and all his subjects hate you ; and as it was from the beginning of his kingdom since sin entered into the world , so it is now ( though it was not so from the beginning of god's creation ) when all was blessed and at peace , and in unity and harmony one with another , when man was the image of god ; and you through the rich mercy and love of god being called to believe in the hope and promise of god , and having waited and obtained life through jesus christ , whom the father hath given for life and the covenant thereof , and of peace unto all that believe ; i say , it being given unto you of the father to believe and receive him whom the father hath sent to restore again all , even all ; receive the free gift , and close therewith , according as the father tenders him unto all , believing and obeying his voice , they come to witness restoration , and to be delivered from darkness and death , and every evil way and work into perfect freedom in due time , and to serve the living god in righteousness and holiness , and to be made partakers of his precious promise , and of the kingdom , power and glory of god , that fades not away , and of life eternal , and peace , and joy in the holy ghost now and forever , and makes all his chosen ones , who believe in his name , partakers of his piteous and long suffering , and of his heavenly and spiritual blessings in christ jesus , to whom be glory forever and ever , amen . i say , because the lord hath chosen you , and hath wrought change in you , and brought you out of their pathes , whose habitations are full of cruelty ; all that are in bondage hate you and your freedom and your life and way , and there can be no reconciliation no concord in the ground ; for as it was of old time , even so now , since cain slew his brother ; so all the children of the flesh , of the bond-woman and of the world hated them that were born of the spirit , and were redeemed up unto god , to live unto him , and glorifie him forever , by shewing forth by a holy conversation , that they were so called and chosen of god ; i hope the consideration of these things , and the knowledge of them dwells with you , and in your hearts ; and you see you are joyned to a blessed company and an holy assembly , who are gone before , and are entred into rest , and have precious fellowship with them who now remain alive unto this day , who have fellowship with the father and the son , and in all our trials and afflictions are afflicted with us ; although you have had exercises above many , and have walked through the region and shadow of death inward and outward , yet the lord hath upholden you unto this day , that you may bear in mind his great and dreadful and wonderful works , and fear before him , land honour him , and speak good of his name , and worship him in the beauty of holiness , which he hath led you into , and glorifie him in his temple ; comfort and strengthen one another in the truth , and let not the world , neither the fading glory of it overcome your hearts ; but in the dominion of god stand over the world and its temptations , lest you be entangled , that you cannot run with patience , and follow the lord in the cross ; the dayes of our pilgrimage go on apace , the time is short , all outward suffering will have an end , and wrath shall cease to be any more ; happy are they that continue in the patience for this moment of time we have to follow the lamb here through the war and tribulation , victory is at the end thereof , in the mean time god by his holy spirit gives daily hints of his love in the inward man unto all stay'd minds , and assurance of the victory , which makes me often overlook present suffering , and forget the afflictions that are past , and little to heed present things , though they seem to frown , because the light of god's countenance is lifted up , and his favour , and love , and strengthning power felt in the inward man , which ballances all , and weighs down the scale of present trouble and affliction , so that hard things are become easie , and ponderous things light ; look not out at trouble and hardship , but rather admire the great goodness of god , that hath so much restrained the wrath of men , which was great , and hath made some of it to turn to his glory , he hath made void the intention of the prudent , and hath turned counsel backward , and hath frustrated the expectation of the proud and lofty , who took counsel together , even as of old , against the lord and his anointed , yet for all this god hath established his son on the holy hill of sion , and his saints reign with him ; sure you cannot but have taken notice of these things , and of the out-goings of the lord , and have considered his handy-works , and say with me , the lord hath created deliverance upon mount sion , and hath appeared to the joy of the righteous , and his enemies he is making as the dust under his feet , and is scattering the devices of the sons of fallen adam , and making them as the chaff of the summer floor , which the wind scattereth . friends , what shall i'say unto you ? that i love you ye know , that it 's no less , neither diminuished to the faithful i now give you to know ; i often remember you upon my bed , and not only so , but before the lord ▪ whom i know hath a regard unto the supplications of the upright , and their prayers are as incense , and from whom he smells a sweet savour , and gives them to feel and know it in their hearts , so that they come unto him with confidence , having access through jesus our life and joy , unto whom be glory and honour forever and ever , amen . dearly beloved , what shall i say to comfort your hearts , and stir up your minds to the exercise of his grace in you ; but the plenteous harvest of the lord is come , wherein they that have sown to the spirit , and have walked in obedience thereunto , do reap the plenteous fruits of righteousness , peace , joy , assurance and pure and perfect consolation , so that all cause of complaint is taken away , glory to the lord forevermore ; the vintage is ripe , the press is full , and many fatts overflow because of plenty , and many are filled with the fatness of god's house ; the new wine is drunk , that comes from the pure and living vine , christ jesus ; clusters of heavenly grapes are possessed , better by far then them the spies brought from eshcoll , which may animate all your hearts , and encrease your faith and hope ; and further , this i say unto you , god is ready to give bountifully unto all , if you be ready to receive , and meet to digest his heavenly food ; and i am sure you cannot want any good thing , neither will his consolation be withh●lden from you , but that which the prophet hosea prophesied concerning israel , and the blessings that should come upon them , the lord shall hear the heavens , and they shall hear the earth , and the earth shall hear the corn , and wine , and oyl , and they shall hear israel ; the same you shall feel inwardly , to the satisfaction of all your souls ; the god and father of our lord jesus christ open all your hearts ▪ and keep them open , that he according to his promise may come in , and sup with you , and make his abode with you and us all ▪ amen , amen . brethren , i might and could write largely unto you , but that i know that word of truth hath been and is plentifully from time to time published among you , which i would have you all prize as a mercy and blessing from the lord ; it was said in the dayes of eli the high priest , that the word of the lord was scarce in those dayes ; and amos prophesied against israel , when they slighted the commandment of the lord , and said to the s●ers , see not , and were out of love with the word of the lord , that there should come a famine of it , and they should wander from sea to sea , and should not hear , which was a great judgment ; for that end i speak , that you may prize that plenty god hath scattered and sown among you , and not loathe like israel , what nothing but manna , nothing but manna ? or lust after new or unknown things , as some prophane minds say , what , one and the selfsame thing still we hear if we go from year to year ; yest indeed , the truth is one , the way to life one , the everlasting covenant of life is one , by which salvation , peace and reconciliation comes to all that believe , and union with god known , and perfect satisfaction to the faithful , so that they say and believe in their hearts he is come , and the way is declared that leads to everlasting felicity , and we look not for any , nor after any other ; i say , i might write largely unto you , but you are written in my heart even all that keep their integrity ; feel my love unto you all in the life that hath quickned you , that it runs as fresh and freely as euphrates , that watered the garden of eden , and is no other then the bubling and springing of the vvater of life , of love , which the lord caused to flow forth , and in it to salute you all ; the peace of god rest in all your habitations , amen . appleby , the d of this th moneth , . your dear brother in suffering for christ , f. h. cause this to be read in the assembly of the church of god in and about london , hartford and kingston . the table of the principal things contained in this book . a warning to the priests and people of kendal , page . the word of the lord to oliver cromwel , p. . an answer to tho. ellison 's petition to o. cromwel , p. . the fiery darts of the devil quenched : in answer to a book called , the second beacon fired , presented to oliver cromwel , then protector , p. . a warning to all the rulers in these english nations , p. . a warning to all the world , p. . a general epistle to the camp of the lord in england , p. . the inheritance of jacob discovered after his return out of egypt , p. . a lamentation for the scattered tribes , p. . i. the difference shewn betwixt them that learn of christ , and are taught of him , and them that follow the principle of darkness , that leads into error , p. ▪ ii. the difference betwixt the faith which is feigned , which is the world's , and the saints faith , p. . iii. concerning hope , and the difference betwixt true and false hope , p. . iv. true faith how it is wrought , and what it is in its effects and operations , p. . v. a word to all the ministers of the world in all opinions and sects , and to all your people in every sect , p. . vi. to all you who put out the eye through long accustoming to sin , who are near utter darkness , p. . vii . to all them that are tossed , and find no rest for the sole of their feet , but are still lead aside into pollutions and sin , and know not how to come forth , nor where the power is , p. . the measuring-rod of the lord stretched forth over all nations , p. some of the mysteries of god's kingdom declared , p. . i. what the day of the lord is , and to whom it hath appeared , and how it is seen and discovered , p. . ii. what the day of the lord is , and what it will be to the wicked , declared , p. . iii. what the day of the lord is to the righteous , and how he appears to them , and whether any are to look for it whilest in the body , resolved , p. . iv. where the day of the lord doth appear , and how it comes , and how it is to be looked for , declared p. . v. what the spirit of the lord is , and how it comes to be received , which discovers the things of god , p. . vi. how the spirit of truth worketh and appeareth in them who are convinced , and yet have not obeyed showed , p. . vii . how the spirit of the father worketh in them who are turned to it , and have taken heed unto its manifestation , and are in some measure partakers of its power , p. . viii . vnto whom the spirit of the father bears witness , and seals assurance of the father's love , and of justification with god , declared , p. . ix . what the free grace of god is , and unto whom it hath appeared , and where all are to wait to receive it , declared , as it hath been revealed by the spirit , p. . x. whether all have received the grace of god or no , declared ; and whether it be a sufficient teacher in it self , to wit , that grace that hath appeared to all , if it be received , demonstrated , p . xi . a word to the wise men of this world , who are glorying in the sound of words , and worshipping outward appearances ; to all wise and litteral professors , who think you are worship●ing god aright , who think to search into the deep things of god by your natural wisdom , learning , parts and study , p. . xii . the kingdom of god and of his christ declared in some measure , as it is revealed , what it is , and how it comes to be revealed to them and in them that believe , that all that are waiting for it may know wherein it consists , and so receive the end of their hope , and the end of their expectation , and know the dominion which hath no end , p. . an epistle to friends in london , p. . mystery babylon the mother of harlots discovered , p. . the invisible things of god brought to light by the revelation of the eternal spirit , p. . i. the work of the lord declared , which was in the beginning , when the word was with god , and was the father's delight , and man made in the image of god , &c. p. . ii. the vnd●rstanding may read the wisdom of god in a mystery , and also may see thi sottish doctrine of the apostates , p. . iii. an objection answered ▪ p. . iv. how peace , joy and delight poss●ssed every thing that god had made , how every thing which he had formed glorified him with one consent in the beginning , p. . v. how man lost his estate and dominion and vnity with god and all the creatures , and how the lamb came to be s●ain , and the world that lay in wickedness came to be framed in man after the tempter entred , how endless misery came in upon all after the transgression , p. . vi. how sin entred into the world , and death by sin , and how man is dead while he lives , and all are dead works that he acteth , and the states of all the sons of men and their works may be seen in the fall , p. . vii . three objections answered about this particular , p. . viii . self ▪ righteousness , deeds of darkness also and dead works are to be condemned also , and man who acteth them in the fall ▪ p. . ix . an objection answered as to the present state of the ministry of the nations , their practice and their worship , p. . x. how all men in the degeneration and in the fall have corrupted themselves , and been idolaters in every administration , being gone from the life and power of god in themselves , and having lost the power of god , man can neither worship , honour nor obey god aright , p. . xi . how the woman that travailed in birth , who was cl●athed with the sun , and brought forth the man-child , fled into the wilderness , when the dragon had power , and the man-child was caught up to god , p. . darkness and ignorance expelled by the light shining forth and the appearance of the day , p. . the popish inquisition newly erected in new england , wherein their church is manifested to be a daughter of mystery-babylon , p. . the works of darkness brought to light , and reproved : in answer to john wells , concerning the word , the gospel and the way to christ , p. . the mouth of the pit stopped , in answer to a lying story called , hell broke loose , p. . the heart of new-england hardened through wickedness : in answer to a book entituled , the heart of new-england rent , p. . an information and advice to the army and committee of safety , p. . one warning more unto england before she give up the ghost , and be buried in the pit of darkness , p. . one of anti-christ's volunteers defeated , and the true light vindicated : in answer to a book called , ignis satuus , p. . to all friends and brethren , who have been called of the lord into that place of new-england ▪ to bear their testimony for the lord , to the answering of his witness in every ones conscience , p. . the deceiver of the nations discovered , and his cruelty made manifest , p. . some openings of the womb of the morning , to all the princes of germany and people , who profess the name of jesus christ in those dominions , p. . the glory of the true church discovered , as it was in its purity in the primitive times , also a manifestation how and when the apostacy came in , p. . i. the state of the true church from the manifestation of christ in the flesh , to the end of the apostles dayes , p. . ii. the entring in of the apostacy , and the declination from the purity of doctrine , worship and practice , and when it began , p. . iii. the reformed and separated congregations called parochial , proved to be in the apostacy , compared with the primitive times in worship and practice , p. . iv a few words , shewing unto all how they may come out of the apostacy to the true church , which is in god , the lamb's wife , p. . v. concerning baptizing or sprinckling infants , p. . vi. concerning the sign of the cross , and ordaining of parish-churches , p. . vii . concerning swearing by the gospel ( as it is called ) and kissing the book , and bishopping of children , p. . viii . concerning fasts , feasts and holy dayes , their institutors and founders in the apostacy , p. . ix . concerning priests vestures and bells , which are practised amongst christians , as apostolick institutions , p. . x. concerning the mattens , and singing of psalms by course in musical tunes , and supplications and short prayers called letanies , ●h●ir authors shewn , p. . xi . concerning the passeover and lord's supper , and the ceremonies about it , p. . xii . concerning ministers and their office under the law and under the gospel , p. . xiii . concerning the ten persecutions under the heathen emperors , how divers vain traditions and institutions got up among the christians in those times , and constitutions among the eastern and western churches after the apostacy was entered , in the first three and four hundred years after christ , p. . xiv . of the decrees and ordinances of the church of rome , which are holden out for apostolical ordinances and institutions , p. . xv. concerning the general councils since the apostles dayes , which belonged to the church of rome , their decrees not infallible , but contradicting one another , p. . xvi . concerning the worship of god , and whether kings and rulers ought to compel in spiritual things , declared , and some scriptures cleared , and several objections answered about this thing , p. . xvii . concerning oaths in the first covenant , and the lawfulness thereof , and the vnlawfulness thereof discovered in the new covenant in the gospel-times , though the apostates mingle ordinances of both together , p. . xviii . tythes in their first institution , unto whom they were due according to the command of god , declared , and that tythes are no way lawful to be received , neither sought for , by any who are ministers of the new-covenant and the everlasting gospel , proved out of scriptures and antiquity , p. . xix . respecting of persons , and complemental bowings , and worshipping one another , and flattering titles are no good manners , but are in the transgression , and have been anciently reproved and condemned , p. . xx. vniversities and schools of natural learning were of no vse , as to the making of ministers of christ in the primitive times , but a thing introduced and brought in in latter ages by the apostates , who had erred from the spirit , and then admired and set up natural languages and philosophy , that thereby they might be furnished to make discourses , speeches and sermons to get money by , and as they are holden up at this day , are made an absolute idol , p. . the rock of ages exalted above rome 's imagined rock , on which her church is builded , p. . i. what the true religion is , and where it is , demonstrated , p. . ii. the church of rome proved to be the false church , p. . iii. the pope proved not to be the head of the true church , and christ proved to be the head of the body , which is his church , and the rock upon which his church is built , p. . iv. purgatory proved to be an erroneous , doctrine which is held forth by the papists ; and their praying for the dead proved to be another false doctrine , not commended nor practised by christ or his apostles , p. . v. the papists doctrine which saith , christ is really and personally in the mass and in the eucharist , to be blasphemous , and great idolatry , p. . vi. the papists mass and their ceremonies proved not to be apostolical , p. . vii . the papists honouring of reliques and images of saints , and praying by beads , proved to be but the inventions and traditions of men , and contrary to the doctrine which the apostolick church held forth , p. . viii . the doctrine of forbidding certain kinds of meats , and forbidding the scriptures to be read by all , answered , p. . ix . concerning miracles , p. . x. answers to eight propositions set forth by one c. m. in a book of his called , a catechism against all sectaries , p. . a general epistle to the seed of god , p. . a visitation of love , peace and good-will from the spirit of the lord , sent unto the whole flock of god now in their day of tryal and hour of temptation , p. . an epistle to all the beloved prisoners and fellow-sufferers in newgate , and else-where in bonds about the city of london , and to friends of bristol and hartford , who have lost their liberty for christ's sake , whom the world is not worthy of , p. . the great case of tythes and forced maintenance once more revived , p. . the state thereof enquired into before the law , under the law , and among the jews , likewise under the gospel . the true ministers of christ their allowance shewn , likewise the corruption of time since christ , how tythes have been introduced , wherein antiquity is searched , and the judgment of the fathers of the church in several ages produced , a general epistle to all who have believed in the light of the lord jesus , and are called of god to follow the lamb through the great tribulation , p. . the true rule , judge and guide of the true church of god discovered and born testimony unto , what it is , and wherein it it consisteth , in opposition to the pre● tended catholick church of rome , her rule , foundation , guide and judge ; being in answer to a book writ by captain everard , entituled , an epistle to all non-conformists . p. . a general epistle to the dispersed and persecuted flock of christ jesus in england and else-where , who have believed in christ , the light of the world , and now suffer for his name 's sake , p. . oaths no gospel-ordinance , but prohibited by christ ; being in answer to a. smallwood's sermon published , which he preached at carlile , wherein he laboured to prove swearing lawful among christians , p. . to all the well-beloved flock of christ , whom he hath gathered into his fold ( to seed in his heavenly pasture , in and about london , hartford and kingston . p. . the end . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e claudius espontius ordained at a council at pysoy in france , that infants baptism should be receiv'd by tradition , because it could not be proved as a command from the scriptures . ignatius bishop of rome was the first ordainer of infants baptism , & that they should have god-fathers and god-mothers , &c. victor bishop of rome instituted , that children might be christened by lay-men & lay-women in case of necessity . pius bishop of rome built the first temple after the apostacy , in honour to prudentia . dionysius in the yea . divided b●th rome and other places int● parishes and diocesses for bishops . abraham and his wife buried in hebron , in a piece of ground he bought . justinian , the emperour ordained that men should swear by the gospel , or book called the gospel , & lay their hands thereon , and kiss it , saying , so help me god. silvester bishop of rome ordained that all churches should be christened , and should be anointed with oyl . clement bishop , ordained confirmation of children , and said none was a perfect christian if he wanted this ; and thus children should be smote on the cheek , signed with this cross. at lyons in france they appointed holy-days to encrease their religion . boniface the fourth ordained stephen , innocents , laurence , michael , martin , john-baptist and all saints to be kept holy . corpus-christi day was ordained by urbanus the fourth . silvester bishop ordained lammas - day in memorial of peter 's pains . gregory ordained that mass , or short prayer should be said over the tombs of the dead . gregory appointed wednesday and fryday should be fasted . soul-mass-day was ordained by odilo . sextus commanded that no lay-people should touch the priests garments . sabinianus ordained that people should come together to hear service by ringing of bells . john d. bishop ordained bells to be tolled three times a day . singing of mattens at set times hierom appointed . pelagius the second commanded priests to say them daily . telesphorus appointed that lent should be kept before easter and fasted . concerning mass & letany , many authors patched it up at sundry times . acts and monuments , vol. . fol. . euseb. lib. . chap. pag. . in his book de succes . cap. . act and m●n . vol. . ●●l . . folio . ex●● . . . a●ts and monum . vol. . f●l . de succes . cap. . acts . . euseb. lib. . cap. . cyprian epist. . . . hom. . in acta . hom . in evan. and dist . . de conser . acts and mon. pag. , . prosper de vita contempt . lib. . cap. . cyril de adorat . in spir . & ver . lib. . ad finem . ori●en , hom . . in levit. notes for div a -e gen. . . & , , . gen. . . hebrews . . gen. . . gen. . . gen. . , , ver. . ver. ● . exod. . . tertul lib. advers . judoeos alii ●●tm sepius gen. . . ambros lib. de cain and a●el chap. ● . . . galat. . . levit. , . ezek. . . 〈◊〉 . . . lev. . . num. ● . . deut. . . ezek. ch . . . numb . . . num. . , . stat. . hen. . deut. . . levit. . , . deut. . . rabbi ben majemon in jad chaz chahast de therumah ch . and mis . kotzi inp x. cept . . chro. . mal. . &c. neh. . rambam de decmis , ch . . luke . heb. . . heb. . . heb. . . v. . gal. . . rom. . . gal. . . matth. . . matth. . . ver . . matth. . . luke . . acts . . acts . . vide ockam in opera . duum , ch . . vide synod . ianger . can . . tertul. his apolog . ch . . . . offerings continued . years . eusebius lib. . ch . . cyprian in his epist. , , . the council of antioch , anno . chrysost. hom. . cypr. de unit . eccles. ch . . greg. hom. . in evang. and dist . . de cons. jerom. in epist. ad nepotian devita clericorum . in serm. de th temp . in tem . . chrysost. hom. . upon the epistle cor. . . cyril de adorat . in spir . & ver . lib. . ad finem . prosper de vitae contempt . lib. . chap. . origen hom. . in levit. mascon . can. . cap. . in . ext . tot . de des . cap. . cum non sit vide a baput . prox . sec. . selden . selden his hist. upon tythes . c. . ad tt. de paroch . & al paroch . extra & significavit . so cora , aenvias , varviar . resolute , l. . c. . vide sona in concil . gang. . nantz . council . council . trent . non sunt ferendi qui varjis artibus decimas ecclesiis &c. bed. l. . . extat . in bed. exemplaris saxoni lib. . linwood in constit . pro vincia tit. dec . sancino g●tiom . pro meo remedio animae , & regni populi . john wickliff's complaint out of fox his act. and mon. aeneas sylvius in his bohemian history . fox his acts and mon. pag. . acts and monuments , p. . ambrose upon the th . of luke . bernard upon . luke . eusebius upon jerom. isidore de summo bono , chap. . heb. . acts and monuments , pag. . acts and monuments , pag. . paul grisaldus apud camell , borell in consiliorum parte . antho. bishop of spaletto ac repub . eccles. lib. . luke . . luke . , . mat. . . cor. . . gen. . and . . basils ●istor●es by ●eneas sylvius . ex libello di●o , the complaint of loderics mors , o●●m impress , gene ▪ . . notes for div a -e ‖ ‖ without an oath as under the law in divers causes where no oath is mentioned but witnesses , deut. . . ‖ ‖ deut. . . in case of life and death , no oath was used we read of . * * for he is called god's covenant , isaiah . . and god's covenant is his oath which he sware , luke . , . ‖ ‖ deut. . . exod. . . * * adjure doth often signifie to charge or oblige , by bare promi●e , as well as oath ▪ for if the phrase , i adjure thee by god , be a command to swear by god , then th●s would make acts . , . absurd ; when the exorcists did adjure the evil spirit in the name of jesus , ( not to swear ) but to come out , or depart o●t of the man.