The Faith and Testimony of the Martyrs and suffering Servants of Christ Jesus persecuted in New England vindicated, against the lies and slanders cast on them by Nathaniel Morton in his Book entitled New England's Memorial.  
Written for the sake of the honest hearted, by a servant of the living God, who is a witness of the Resurrection of Christ Jesus, and of his appearance the second time without sin unto Salvation. Christopher Holder.  A faithful witness will not lie, but a false record will speak lies. Prov. 14.5. they bend their tongues like their bows for lies, but they have no courage for truth upon the Earth: for they proceed from evil to worse, and they have not known me, saith the Lord Jer: 9.3. 
THere is no new thing under the Sun, as it hath been always, so it is now he that is born after the flesh persecuteth him that is born after the Spirit, the fruits of which we have found plentifully in New England, the beast and false Prophet hath joined together to war with the Lamb and his followers, and the Dragon hath opened his mouth wide to swallow up the woman that is coming up out of the wilderness, through whom the man child shall be brought forth to rule the Nations with a rod of Iron.  
In the power of which Dragon I have found one Nathaniel Morton, as by the language which proceedeth out of his mouth doth plainly appear, in a Book tituled New England's Memorial, where in he undertakes to write against an innocent harmless people whom God hath made choice of to bear witness ●o his Spirit, of God, are led by the spirit of God, and again as many as walk according to this rule: peace be unto them, and mercy upon the Israel of God, (〈…〉) this is Christ by whom man became a new creature, as it is ●lea● by the fore going words in that Chapter, & how can you own it to be a settled & permanant rule, when as one of your Magistrates William Collier, by name said to William Newland, and Ralph Allen, that in Beza's translation there is eight hundred errors, in the last translation three hundred errors, surely if there be so many errors in that which ye call your settled & permanent rule, you had need to have the Spirit of truth to show you wherein the errors are, or else you will soon e'er from the truth, and the rule of life, and salvation.  
3dly. Thou sayest they deny the manhood of Christ, and affirm that as a man he is not in Heaven.  
Ans. As for the word manhood I know not of such a word in the Scriptures, but if thou mean by manhood the man Christ Jesus, which was conceived of the holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgin Mary, who was of the seed of David according to the flesh, who took on him the seed of Abraham, who was crucified by the Jews, and risen again the third day, according to the Scriptures, than I utterly deny what thou sayest, and do affirm that that Jesus Christ we own, and no other, and do verily believe through him, and by him to be saved and by no other, knowing that he only died for our sins, and is risen again for our justification, and is ascended into the highest Heavens, Angels, principalities and powers, being subjected unto him, where he is glorified with the same glory that he had with the father before the world was, who is the express Image of the invisible & God, the first born of every creature, for by him were all things created both visible and invisible, and is the head and ●ridegroom of the Church, which he hath purchased unto himself by his blood: this is our faith concerning Christ, and if your faith is other wise than this, it is contrary unto the faith of Gods elect, that gave forth the Scriptures, and then your Christ is not the true Christ, but Antichrist, and you are of them that deny both the Father and the Son and then your doctrine is damnable, and corrupt, and so that which you charge others withal, you are guilty of yourselves.  
4thly. Thou sayest they deny the Resurrection of the dead.  
Ans. This charge also I utterly deny, & do affirm that we believe, that as in the first Adam all died, so in the second Adam shall all be made alive, and shall be raised unto life everlasting, or unto condemnation everlasting, and that all shall receive from the name of the Lord a just reward for their deeds done in the body, whether they be good, or whether they be evil, else were we of all men most miserable, if we had only hope in this life, and as the Apostle saith, if the dead arise not at all, why are they then baptised for the dead, and why suffered we imprisonments, whippings, Cuttings, of our ears, and some of us the loss of our lives, whose blood still lies at the doors of our persecutors, in New England, herein thou may be a witness of the falseness of the charge, for if we were such as thou would by thy lies make us to be, we might say as the Apostle did, it being the consequence of such 〈◊〉 tenant, let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die, but our suffering unto death doth testify, that our hope was not only in this life, but that after the dissolution of our House of this Earthly tabernacle, we should have a building of God, a House not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens, & it is evident that they who deny the resurrection cannot with cheerfulness offer up their lives to the death as our friends did because than the hope of all their enjoyments are at an end, but our martyred friends being in the same faith as the ancient worthies were, one of them not accepting deliverance but by constraint when offered, that she might obtain a better resurrection & further we can truly say as Paul did in the like case, what did it advantage him of he had fought with beasts at Ephesus after the manner of men, if the dead he not raised, so can we say, not what doth it advantage us, if we have fought with Beasts at New England after the manner of Men (if the dead rise not) whom we found more like Wolves, Bears. and devouring Lions, then like Christian Men, as witness your fore mentioned cruelty on the innocent Lambs of Christ, whom he sent among you to warn you of the evil of your ways, so by what here is written, & what we also suffered among you I hope it will manifestly appear unto all honest hearted people, that not we but you as your practices have shown do deny the resurrection: and Nathaniel Morton if thou art as grossly false in other things in thy Book called New England's Memorial as in this it is not worthy to be minded by any, but as the Memorial of the wicked perish.  
5thly. Thou sayest they affirm that an absolute perfection in holiness and grace is attainable in this life.  
Ans. These are thy own words, but this is that we hold, we believe that Christ is perfect, and that the gift and grace of God is perfect, and that as man is led and guided by it, he is led to deny all ungodliness and Worldly lusts, and to live Godly in this present World, and unto this Christ and grace and gift of God which is perfect do we direct all people, that in him they may believe, and from him they may receive power, that thereby they may know the Regeneration and the new birth and so become the Sons of God, and that is the perfect state which we say is attainable in this life, for that birth cannot sin, it is true it may be slain or made a sufferer by sin, but itself cannot sin, as John saith, he that is born of God sinneth not, neither can he sin, because his seed remaineth in him, and this is no new thing, nor strange nor damnable doctrine for this was the end or work of the Ministry, which the Apostles had received from Christ, for the perfecting the Saints, & that they might present every man perfect in Christ, also he prayed for them that they might be perfect, and entire wanting nothing, but this Faith or condition is not soon or easily attained to, nor by no other means known but as Man cometh through the death with Christ to sin, and is made a live by him to Righteousness, and if you preach any other doctrine than his, you preach another Gospel then what Paul preached and so are under the curse which Paul pronounced against them that preached another Gospel and so in the end you will be found yourselves to be a pernicious sect of Heretics, and not us called Quakers.  
6thly, Thou sayest they placed their Justification upon their patience and suffering for their opinions, and on their righteous life, and retired severity, and affected singularity, in the words and Jestures.  
Ans. This is a most abominable lie, and a false slander, for which thou must receive thy reward, among the liars in the Lake except thou repent, for we place Justification in none but in Christ, nor by no other means are we justified in the sight of God, but by the Righteousness of Christ, who of God is made unto us Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification, & Redemption, and as we feel this Righteousness of Christ wrought in us, and we wrought into it, we feel ourselves justified in Christ, and so have peace with God, and to believe and witness this is no error nor delusion, and to preach it unto others is not corrupt nor damnable doctrine.  
7thly, Thou sayest as to civil account they used not nor practised any civil respect to Man though Superiors either in Majestratical considerations, or as Masters, or Parents, or the Ancient in word or gesture.  
Ans. This is another lie, and false slander, for as for civil respect we allow it to all Men according to their places, both in word and gesture, as for Magistrates we respect their commands in doing what is just and right, and in suffering that which is unjust, not using any means of resistance by carnal weapons, and as to Masters and Parents, we own subjection and obedience to them in all things, that do not cross the command and will of God, but as to foolish jestures and flattering titles, which are in themselves and as commonly they are used, are uncivil and not civil, but usually done in hypocrisy and vain glory, and deceit, these things we deny, and cannot give it unto any man, nor receive it from any man, for in so doing we should be reproved by our maker, and of this mind was Elihu, who said, I will not now accept the person of Man; neither will I give flattering titles to Man, for I may not give titles to man, lest my Maker should take me away suddenly.  
8thly. Thou sayest we deny the use of oaths for the deciding civil controversies.  
Ans. That we do and upon all other accounts whatsoever, and that in obedience to the command of Christ, who saith swear not at all, but let your communication be yea, yea, nay, nay, for whatsoever is more, cometh of evil, the Apostle James saith, before all things my brethren swear not, neither by Heaven, nor by Earth, nor by any other Oath, but let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay, lest you fall into condemnation, and is this corrupt and damnable doctrine, dost not thou condemn thy sel● in the things that thou allowest wouldst thou have the Scriptures to be a settled and permanent Rule, and ●●●call the doctrine therein contained, corrupt, pernicious, and damnable, wouldst thou not have called Christ and the Apostles a pernicious sect and their doctrine, corrupt and damnable, if thou hadst been in their days, to that of God in thee I speak, which shall answer me in the day when the book of conscience is opened and thou Judged out of it, and rewarded according to thy work.  
9thly, Again thou sayest this spirit of delusion became very prevalent with many so as the Number of them increased to the great danger of the subvertion both of Church and State, notwithstanding the endeavours of them in Authority to suppress the same, had not the Lord declared against them in blasting their erterprises and contrivements, so as they have of late withered away in a great measure; sundry of their teachers and leaders which have caused them to err, are departed the Country, and we trust the Lord will make the folly of the remainder manifest more and more.  
Ans. I grant that the truth which thou callest a delusion became very prevalent with many and hath entered into the hearts of many, and hath prevailed, notwithstanding your Prisons, Whips, and Gallows, or any other, your carnal Weapons and as it hath prospered so it doth prosper and shall prosper notwithstanding all t●at you can say or do, for the Lord hath not declared against us, neither are we withered a way, but it thou hast an eye open, thou might see the contrary; for the Lord hath appeared for us, and given us great dominion over you, so that we can pass from all your Jurisdictions without any molestation, and that we are not withered a way its evident to all men, for our Meetings are more public and larger than ever they were, and this is brought to pass and accomplished through the help and power of God, notwithstanding all your bloody persecuting carnal Weapons; and although some of us according to the will of God are departed the Country, yet there are enough remaining to make thy folly manifest unto all men more and more.  
Again thou concludes with th●se vows let our deliverance from so great a danger be received among the principal of the Lords gracious providences towards New-England.  
Ans. Alas poor man thou gloriest in that which will be your shame; for I know not why thou boasts of deliverance, except it be in this, that we come not so o●ten to your meetings and courts as we were used to do, and if it be so, if thou rightly understand the cause thereof, it would cause thee to lament and not rejoice if thou hast any tenderness in thee towards God, for in that the Lord requireth us not to visit you as formerly, it plainly signifieth that the day of your visitation is over and that you are left to yourselves and given up to hardness of heart, and blindness of mind as Israel of old was, whom the Prophet complained of saying why should they be smitten any more they revolt more and more.  
Again as touching Ephraim the Prophet saith, Ephraim is joined to Idols let him alone, & again Christ saith of the Pharisees, let them alone, they are the blind leaders of he blind, and again, he that is filthy let him be filthy still, so that, it is an evident sign that, that visitation is over, and that the next thing that can be expected is utter destruction from the hand of the Lord, and I am jealous, nay I veri●y believe this is the case with many of you at this day in New England, who have had a hand so deeply in shedding the Innocent blood of the faithful servants and messengers of the most high, who loved not their lives to the death that they might finish their testimony in faithfulness to the Lord among you.  
And why Nathaniel did thou not mention in thy Memorials how you have caused the innocent people called Quakers to suffer by you, & how you have imprisoned whipped, spoiled their goods cut off their ears, banished, and hanged them for the breach of no known just Law, either of God or man, surely it thou had●● been an impartial Historian, thou would have mentioned this, but I believe your actions have been so riged and bloody contrary to justice and equity, Christianity and humanity, that thou art ashamed it should be recorded for a Memorial for Ages to come, that they might understand how far you are digressed, from that which ye pretended you came hither for, to wit, liberty of Conscience, and why did not thou write impartially of things and men as they were, as they did who writ the Kings and Chronicles, who plainly declared of men as they were justifying of that which was good, and disowning that which was evil in them, though they were their Kings, Governors, or Priests but thou hast manifest thyself to write by another spirit than they writ, and hast done quite contrary; crying up men beyond what they were and indeed beyond what your principle is, its possible for man to be whilst in the body but thou hast manifested thy folly and hypocrisy to all men, who knew these men it may be better than thyself, as for some of them I well know to be men quite contrary both in life and judgement to what thou hast reported of them.  
Therefore my desire is that 〈◊〉 may come to see the deceit of thy heart and the falseness 〈…〉 that rolls thee, and if possible that thou may come to repent of it, and turn from it, lest thou he swept away in the like judgements, as some of them were of whom thou makest mention to be miraculously slain with Thunder, for know this except you repent, ye shall all likewise perish and he swept away in judgement, as your Fore fathers the Persecutors in other ages have been.  
For know this that the Lord nor God is risen to sweep the earth, and the day of 〈…〉 is at 〈◊〉 and the year of recompense draweth nigh, for the sins of the great 〈◊〉 Babylon and Egypt (whose Children ye are as by your spirits is manifest) and the cry thereof is come up unto Heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquiteis, and she shall receive double from the hand of the Lord for all her transgressions, for in her hath been found the blood of the prophets, and Saints, and Martyrs of Jesus, Christ, and of all that hath been slain upon the Earth, and she shall be rewarded as she hath rewarded us, and receive in the cup double for that which she ha●h filled to us, have she or you, her children called us Deceivers, Heretics, Antichristian pernicious and damnable we will now call her Deceiver, Heretics, Antichristian, pernicious and, damnable, yea, we can double it upon her for we can prove it, to be so or else her Children, and as by your fruits, for as the have done so have you, murdered, killed and scandalised the Innocent, harmless, Lambs of Christ so it is evident that ye are members of the great Whore, false Church & Antichrist, & that you are guilty of those charges, which thou and thy brethren have falsely charged upon us who are called Quakers.  
So in short I have said something for clearing of the Truth, from the flood of slanders which thou hast cast out against it, who am one of those that first came among you; and have felt the cruelty of all your Laws except death, and have outlived them, and by the power of the Lord come over them all, so that I and the rest of my brethren, can walk through all your jurisdictions, and not a hand lifted up against us, though thou hast gloried so much of your being delivered from us.  Christopher Holder. 
And now Nath. Morton, the truth in the above mentioned particulars being cleared, and thy lies falsehoods cast upon it disowned a few Queries I put forth (who have been a sufferer among you in New England) for thee or any other to answer who are of that Jewish and Antichristian spirit of persecution to answer, that so it may appear whether your Doctrines and practices are most agreeable to Christ and his Apostles or ours we being the sufferers, and you the persecutors.  
1. Whether the Jews in their zeal for the Law of Moses, & persecuting Christ & his Apostles were not as justifiable as you, seeing they stood up for that which they had received by Moses from the Lord, but you for that which you have set up of yourselves & received by tradition; & whether it be not the same Spirit that is now working in you as was among them seeing your works are one and the same with them? for they by Christ's coming to fulfil the Law thought he did go about to destroy it, and you by our preaching up the Life and perfection of the Scriptures think we go about to make them void and of no effect.  
2. Whether the odious terms which you cast upon us & our doctrines as a cursed sect Heretics Blasphemers, holder's of damnable doctrines & such like, do not proceed from the same Spirit which was among the Jews & heathen, who called Paul a pestilent fellow, a seducer a mover of sedition 〈◊〉 a Ringleader of the Sect of the Nazareeni, seeing we as he did teach no other things, then are contained in the Scriptures of truth and is it not a certain mark of a false Church ●o persecute? seeing persecution was never used by any of the true Church, their weapons not being carnal but Spiritual, and persecution was not known amongst them that bore the Name of Christianity, till there was a degeneration among them: & whether you have not reason to question your state, being found i● the steps of their degeneration  
3. Whether the people of New England in leaving their native Country intended never to come to a further discovery of the Lord? and whether when the Lord sent his servants among you to make known his way further to you, ye did well so evilly to entreat them? even in the highest extremity, showing yourselves more like heathens then Christians?  
4. Whether Christ's commands Swear not at all, be not positive? and whether not at all doth not exclude all manner of swearing by one thing as well as another, in one case as well as an other? and whether any man upon earth is able to dispense with the breach of this his command, se●ing there is a heavy denunciation against him that shall break one of the least of them, and teach men so to do, and a promise to him that shall observe them and teach them and whether the testimony of him that feareth the Lord, may not be as true and worthy to be taken without an oath, as the testimony of him that feareth not the Lord nor breaking his command is with an oath, seeing the one out of conscience to God dare not speak a lie, but the other not fearing to speak a lie, may with the same searedness of conscience swear a lie also.  
5. And what inconvenience have been found, where men's testimonies (under the penallty of perjury for false swearing) have been taken seeing if a good conscience be not kept they run the same hazard and corporal punishment as if they Swore falsely, which is the greatest obligation upon men not fearing God that may be John Rous  
N. M. If there had been the same liberty in New-England for the publishing truth by us, as for thee to publish the Scandals a fore mentioned, an answer had appeared in Print before this time.   

ERRATA.  
Page 1. line 26. for 〈…〉, is manifest, p. 2. l. 29. for by, r. and that, p. 3. l. 2●. for and Gods, r. God and, p. 4. l. 32. for 〈◊〉 what, r. what. p. 6. l. ●. for the r. their.